Chapter 10.

"He's more myself than I am. Whatever souls are made of, his and mine are the same."
-Emily Bronte

"Ready as in ready?" Brandon asked, his pulse speeding up.

"Yes," Callie replied, blushing. She brushed her lips to his cheek, whispering, her breath warm against his skin. "I want you to make love to me."

"Are you sure?" Brandon asked. He wanted her to be, more than anything.

"Yes," Callie said again, with certainty. "I love you, and I want you." Slowly, she began to unbutton his shirt, to prove herself.

"Wait," Brandon said, stopping her. "Not like this. I want our first time to be special, like you deserve. Can you give me a few minutes?"

Callie glanced up at him and nodded. "Okay. I'm gonna go take a shower, and freshen up. I'll be out in a little bit."

"Thanks," said Brandon, kissing her.

Once she was out of the room, he set to work. He found the only candle they had, a vanilla scented one in a bulky glass jar. He set it on a dish on top of the dresser, then lit it. The candle wasn't very sexy, but it would have to do for mood lighting, he thought, as he turned off the harsh ceiling light. They didn't have a lamp, but if they did, he would have dimmed it. And for the finishing touches, he made the bed, fluffing the pillows, and set his mp3 player on it's speaker, so it would play soft, romantic music. Then, he set out a few condoms.

Finally, Callie emerged from the bathroom, her skin pink and smooth, wrapped in nothing but her bathrobe. "Callie," Brandon sighed, pulling her into his arms, and nuzzling her floral-scented hair. "Are you sure you're ready to do this?"

"Mm-hm," she nodded coyly. "As long as we go slow."

He kissed her again, holding her close. "We can go as slow as you want, sweetheart," he promised her. "I treasure you. I'll take good care of you. And if you want to stop, we can stop at any time." She's still so innocent, he thought. After all she's been through.

"I know," she told him. "I trust you."

Brandon smiled, and with one swift movement," he lifted her up, gripping her butt, and laid her down on the bed. Then, he climbed in next to her, and kissed her again, untying the knot in the belt of her robe.

Callie suddenly felt exposed and awkward, as the robe fell away and Brandon looked at her naked body. No one had seen her naked since that night with Liam. Not even a doctor. Momentarily, she thought she might be in over her head. Her breasts jiggled as she laid back on the pillow, and she crossed her arms over her chest, shyly covering them.

"Don't, Cal," Brandon whispered, gently pushing her arms away. "You're gorgeous." He knew she liked it when he touched her breasts. She'd let him touch them several times before, so he decided to start there, hoping to make her feel more comfortable. He ran his hands over her chest, just as he'd done in the past, sprinkling kissed from her neck to her collarbone. Her skin was smooth, and smelled of soap.

While he kissed her, Callie reached over and unbuttoned his shirt, like she'd tried to do earlier. Brandon shrugged the shirt off, then he unbuttoned his pants and kicked them off, too, so he was left dressed only in his boxers, tented by his growing erection. Laying back down, he held her closer, letting her feel him against her hip. He leaned in, and softly kissed her temple, cradling her in his arms.

"Brandon?" Callie squeaked.

"What, baby?" he whispered.

"Please, don't stop," she replied, petting his back. She blushed a little, pressing her forehead to his chest. "I- I want more."

Brandon groaned quietly, nuzzling her neck. Then, he bent his head down, kissing her, playing with her nipples. They were hard and perky, the color of roses. Cautiously, gently, he licked them, and Callie released a quiet moan. Feeling bolder, he took one pink rosebud in his mouth, suckling it, gently tugging on it with his lips, listening to her sigh and wriggle with each movement, her hands traveling up and down his body. While his mouth was occupied with one breast, Brandon held the other, stroking it lovingly, feeling it's weight in his hand. Then, he switched sides, giving the other the same treatment. Finally, he lifted his head and kissed Callie's lips. "You're doing so good, honey," he told her.

As Brandon ran his hand down her stomach, Callie held her breath, her insides clenching. She felt him reach lower, sensually rubbing her inner-thigh. Realizing her eyes were closed, she opened them, looking down, and saw his hand there, just inches from her womanhood. He was so close. "Brandon," she mumbled, feeling a pleasant wetness between her legs. As she said his name, he looked into her eyes, silently asking for her approval. She gave him a subtle nod, her permission to keep going, and he did, running his fingers through her damp curls, tracing her slit with his index finger. He cupped her for a moment, then gently parted her, exploring her folds. Her core tensed with pleasure at his touch, and she wanted to cry out his name again, louder, but all she could manage was a throaty gasp.

"You're beautiful, Callie," Brandon sighed, as he discovered her clit. He rolled the small, swollen nub under his finger.

"Th-that feels good," Callie stuttered, arching her back. Her movement increased the pressure of his touch, and she shivered as gooseflesh rose up on her arms. Never in her life had she experienced anything like the way Brandon was making her feel. She knew that, technically, she wasn't a virgin. But she quickly decided that her violent first time didn't count. Liam had robbed her in the physical sense, but not in the spiritual sense. He couldn't take that part away from her, even though he'd tried. Right then, every bone in her body told her that she was about to truly lose her virginity to Brandon, the man she loved, in the only way that mattered. He would be the first and only man she would ever completely give herself up to, heart and soul as well as body. Wrapping her arms around his neck, she kissed him, hard and passionately, licking his teeth. He welcomed the kiss, returning it, grinding his hips against hers. "Can I see you?" she asked, once they parted. "I want to touch you."

Brandon nodded calmly, though his heart raced. He tugged his boxers down, letting his hard dick spring free. Then, he lay down parallel to Callie, leisurely circling her nipples with the tip of his finger. He leaned in to kiss her forehead, taking her hand in his, and placing it over the head of his erection.

Callie became nervous for a fleeting moment, as he guided her hand down his length. But she was too turned on to be inhibited by it. She'd seen Brandon shirtless before, but never completely naked. He was decidedly gorgeous, with toned abs, and a trail of soft, dark hair leading from his navel to where her hand lay. He was bigger than she anticipated. She stroked him, marveling at how he could be so hard and soft at once. His skin felt like velvet. He moaned as she gripped him harder, taking his balls in her other hand.

"You're amazing, Cal," Brandon sighed. He was getting close, and he knew he'd need to take her soon. To distract her, he smashed his lips against hers as he slid his index finger into her core, and then, his middle finger. He gently stretched her, stroking her inner-walls, as he flicked her clit with his thumb. To his surprise, her body went rigid, and she came, trembling and muttering his name. "I want to taste you," he whispered. He lowered his head and kissed his way down her stomach, inside her thighs, to her soaked folds. She opened her legs for him, and he licked her up, sucking on her and massaging her with his tongue. When he couldn't hold it together any longer, he looked up. "I need you now, babe," he sighed. "Are you ready?"

Callie nodded, pale and sheened with sweat. "But Brandon... don't hurt me, okay?"

"I'll try not to," he promised, his heart aching. "But if it does hurt, it will only be for a few seconds. You can trust me."

"I do," she whispered back.

He nodded, caressing her cheek. "If it hurts, you can squeeze my hand." Carefully, he positioned himself between her legs, then tore open a condom, and rolled it on. He touched her folds to make sure she was still wet, then pressed the head of his arousal to her, letting her get used to the feeling of him against her. When he was sure she was ready, he he began to slide into her opening, slowly and patiently. It was difficult. She was tight, and he was big. As he entered her, she dug her nails into the mattress.

It hurts, it hurts, Callie thought, as he entered her. In a fleeting moment of panic, she almost had the urge to tell him to stop. But instead, she clasped his hand in hers, squeezing it, as he told her to do. Once he was fully sheathed by her, the pain started to fade, and was replaced with pleasure. Slowly, she loosened her grip on his hand, and wrapped her arms around him.

"You okay, sweetheart?" Brandon whispered apologetically, seeing the last traces of pain and fear in her eyes.

"Yes," Callie replied, wrapping her legs around him. She felt great, actually, she thought, as her nerves tingled and her chest heaved. Dropping her feet back down, she ground her hips into him. "Brandon! Oh!" she gasped, curling her fingers through his hair. Slowly, he began to thrust in and out of her, and she threw her head back, as the mattress creaked beneath them. A feeling of ecstasy washed over her, and she rose to meet each thrust, eagerly. Before she knew what was happening, she felt Brandon find his release. He called out her name as he rode out his orgasm. Deciding to let herself go at last, Callie wrapped her limbs around him, and found her own release. "Brandon!" she panted, breathing heavily. Her insides clamped down on him as she came for the second time that night.

When it was over, Brandon tossed the spent condom and held Callie in his arms, snuggling her. He thought she was sleeping, but then, he heard her sniffle, and realized she was crying. "Why are you crying, baby?" he asked. "It didn't hurt that bad, did it?"

"No," Callie replied, shaking her head. "Tonight was amazing. I'm just- I don't know why I"m feeling so emotional. I guess it's just... everything."

"I know what you mean. I've never felt closer to you," he told her, wiping her tears away.

"Brandon?" Callie whispered, leaning into him.

"What?" he asked.

"Tell me you love me?" She looked up at him, her lips hinting at a smile.

Brandon held her face in his hands, and kissed her. "I love you more than anything in the world, Callie."

"I love you too," she told him, smiling sleepily. She hugged him, resting her head on his chest, and closed her eyes.

To Be Continued