By popular demand, I present a sequel to my one-shot "One". This one is from the man's perspective, shortly after "One" happened. I'm sure most of you will know who the couple is! If not, just imagine anyone you like :)

...

I sit on the edge of the bed, my back turned to her. She's sleeping. I hadn't meant for this to happen. Not really. Not yet. But once I had admitted it to myself, it was like the floodgates opened.

My marriage is over. For good this time. No going back for one last try. No second-guessing. It's over and we are both finally ready to move on. We had trapped each other in this desperate dance for so long. When she was ready to give up, I wanted to try again. And when I thought it wasn't going to work, she begged me to stay over, for old time's sake. I didn't mind the sex, make no mistake. But my heart wasn't in it anymore. Just my dick. I chuckle. When did I develop such a dirty mind?

I look at her over my shoulder and turn my upper body so I can see her better. She is so, so beautiful. And the most beautiful part of her is her soul. I love her. I love her with all my heart and I couldn't live without her. I know I shouldn't have come up with her. Not yet. Technically, I'm still a married man, and I never wanted her to be the other woman. But she's not, when it comes down to it. She isn't the other woman. She is the only woman.

I could hardly believe the way she looked at me when she invited me up. I know I had been staring at her, more than usual, and I guess she must have sensed the change in me. We do that. Sense things without talking. I don't think we've said more than two words to each other since we got to her bedroom.

We cried together after making love.

It hadn't been sex. I made love to her and she made love to me. I can't believe that she surrendered to me like that. She's been my partner for years and I have never, ever seen her surrender. To anyone. It moves me how much she trusts me, no matter how many times I've hurt her. We hurt each other and I think we do it because we know we'll never run away from each other. We need an outlet and use each other that way. But this ... this exceeds any other outlet by far. And because she trusted me like that, I am letting go of my fear that she will try to run away in the morning. She wouldn't have surrendered to me if she hadn't made a choice. She might have fucked me but she wouldn't have given me control. She would have been in control.

I know I would have let her. I just wanted her and I was ready to let her set the pace and be in control, because I know she needs that. I know her. And I believe she knows me too. Knows me well enough to trust me, because I would never break her heart. We hurt each other, yes. We will probably continue to hurt each other. But we'll never break each other. We're two halves of a whole and we can't live without each other. We'd be alive apart, but we wouldn't be living.

She stirs and I hold my breath. I just want to look at her a little longer. Look at how her skin glows in the moonlight and her chest rises and falls slowly, evenly, as she sleeps. I have never seen her at peace like this and for once, I don't make a mental joke about my skills in bed. I didn't wear her out. She is just ... where she wants to be. And I decide that I had meant for this to happen. And it won't end after tonight. This is just the beginning.

She takes a deep breath and I scoot back into bed next to her. I lift the covers gently but she wakes up anyway. I can see no visible reaction in her face to my presence. She just looks at me for a few moments and then lifts her hand to caress my cheek. That simple gesture is enough to bring me to my knees and I almost cry again. She wraps her fingers around my neck and pulls me in and I fall into her because it is the only way to fall.

We kiss and I feel like I'm drowning in her and then we discover we can both breathe under water. I pull her on top of me, never breaking our kiss and she moves with me willingly. Her willingness moves me and I moan into her mouth. She senses my emotions like she always does and lifts her head, releasing my lips so she can look into my eyes. We don't need words and I can see she is as affected as I am. It is my turn to caress her cheek and I tuck a strand of hair behind her ear so I can see her better in the moonlight, that lights up the left side of her beautiful face. Her eyes and her actions tell me, this won't be over after tonight. This won't be one last fuck goodbye. Her eyes hold a promise. They shine like I don't think I've ever seen them shine and my chest constricts when I realize what I'm seeing.

Hope.

It is the first time I see hope in her eyes and it is as sad as it is wonderful. She deserves the world and life has robbed her of happiness until now. But no more. I'm going to do everything to make sure she will finally get everything she deserves. She has hope for a future now, and despite all the hurdles ahead, like my soon to be ex-wife and my children, and our job, she wants it. She wants me. She wants a life with me.

My hands move to her full breasts. I am finally allowed to touch them after years of trying not to stare across our desks when she was wearing one of those tight tops. I squeeze them and feel their weight in my hands. I want to sit up and put my lips around her nipples but she moves and I'm distracted. She is sliding over my dick, that is already jumping for joy again. I'm not inside her, she is just teasing me with her wetness, getting both of us ready for round two in the process. She sits up and her eyes slip closed while her hips keep moving slowly. Her face relaxes and I feel honored that I am allowed to witness her like this. The beauty of her, giving in to us, almost distracts me from what she is doing to my body. Almost. She moans contently and splays her hands on my bare chest, and I moan with her. Her dark eyes open and we stare into each other's eyes while she continues riding me without allowing me in just yet.

She is allowing me in in a different way. She's always been on guard, for as long as I've known her. Tonight is the first time I have ever seen her let her guard down. She surrendered to me and now I surrender to her. I can see in her eyes that she knows that I know. She asks me silently not to put into words what is happening between us. I silently agree. We both already know anyway. A small smile appears on her face and I can't help but grin back at her foolishly. Maybe I thought earlier that she was mine and that I was somehow in control, but I should have known better. I will never be in control. I'm hers, utterly and completely. She can break me in an instant and she knows it. I will need to trust her not to do it.

When she finally allows me inside her body again, I want to be deeper inside her than humanly possible. To underline how deeply I am lost in her, like she wants me there to tell me she is letting me in. Our physical union is only a symbol of the spiritual and emotional union we are finally becoming tonight.

I lose myself in our dance of love and we move as one. All of her defenses are down and I realize I am holding her heart in my hands just like she is holding mine. There will never really be one of us in charge. We both win together, or we lose together.

I want her to come first. I desperately want to watch her come apart around me and her smile widens as we speed up. She is fit and strong and her movements are determined. She grinds into me, creating friction between our bodies where she needs it the most while changing the angle of my thrusts inside her, making me shiver and groan. She fits my body like a glove and when she drops forward, placing her hands next to my head, I put my lips around one of her nipples at last, rubbing the other one with my thumb. Her body jolts, making both of us moan and then we find our rhythm again.

We are intense and I'm feeling lightheaded. I want to explore every inch and every crevice of her body but not now. Not now ... Right now, I need her to come for me. Her moans are becoming louder and it tells me she is opening up even further. The first time, she had sighed and whispered. Now she cries out. Uninhibited. Open. Vulnerable. Real.

I encourage her, mumbling sweet nothings that she probably can't hear over her own heavy breathing and cries of pleasure. When she falls over the edge, she shakes and I hold on to her waist, guiding her movements until I follow her and my body finds release as well. She clamps down around me and milks me while surges of pleasure tear through my body and I groan loudly as well. She has dropped down to her elbows and my lips find her neck. We pant and moan together until we are both finally completely satisfied.

She collapses on my chest and I wrap my arms around her. Not to keep her warm, because our bodies are hot from the exercise, but to shelter her. She has opened up so far for me tonight, that I feel the need to shield her. Shield her from the outside world, that we both know the ugliest sides of. Shield her from the people in our lives who know nothing about what is happening between us, and who don't matter in these moments. Shield her from fear or regret of what we have unleashed together tonight.

I hold her for several long minutes and then she finally speaks. I don't know what I expected her to say, if anything. I wasn't prepared for the words she chose to say to me. Maybe I had hoped she'd tell me she loves me, although I know better than to expect that. Maybe I had expected her to ask me to go home. But the words she chooses, the question she asks me, rocks me to the core and makes me realize even more how vulnerable she is allowing herself to become with me. The small fear that still resided within me that she might try to run away in the morning, evaporates when she opens up the last part of her heart to me, saying,

"Please don't leave me."

END