Thanks for the reviews. This fic is rated R.

Chapter 11

Ryan layed very still. He couldn't do more than lift his head and smile down at Summer as she rested her head on his chest. The smile on his face didn't belay the torrent of emotions circulating in his brain.

It was an odd thing to hold someone, to lie there next to them, and sort of imagine what they were thinking, but not really having a clue. Had it really been okay? Was she okay? He'd asked her that already. Asking again would seem trite. And she seemed okay. Peaceful, even.

Everything was different now.

He'd said...something as he took her virginity --such a precious gift. It had been a Big Deal. So overwhelming and pressure-consuming, he might have gone temporarily insane at some point. And words just came out. Words that his mind couldn't process fast enough as they tumbled from his mouth and spilled against her skin.

It had been her first time, and, in a way, it was his too...the first time that mattered, at least. Ryan had fucked a lot of girls in his life. That wasn't bragging, it was just a fact. But with Summer...with Summer it wasn't just about getting laid. Or, at least, he hadn't thought it was.

He'd told her....things. Words that sounded a lot like love, and forever and always and she hadn't said a thing. Nothing. Not a single word.

Her nonchalance was unsettling. She was still touching him and that had to be a good sign. It meant she wasn't repulsed.

His arms ached from holding himself up and he couldn't get his breathing to regulate. He'd done everything he could to satisfy her and nearly killed himself in the process. Never again in his life was he ever going to have that much self-control.

Ryan couldn't settle. Summer, on the other hand, appeared calm as her eyes fluttered, halfway between the dreamworld and this one, cuddled against his side. And that was something different, too. Ryan hadn't ever really cuddled with anyone after sex. It was...nice.

The air still smelled like sex. Ryan tried to push away the fear pulling at his chest. He didn't want to believe they had made the wrong decision.

Summer yawned, stretching out next to him. Pulling the sheet around her body, she slid off the bed.

Ryan sat up, completely exposed. "Where're you going?"

"Shower," she said, over her shoulder.

Disappointment and fear were lodged in his throat and choked down as he got up and followed.

In the bathroom, he ran the water, getting it to a decent temperature, switched on the shower and stepped into the tub, dragging Summer with him. The water was warm as it poured down on them. It felt nice on his skin. He still didn't understand where Summer's head was at, but refused to dwell on it, refused to try to make sense of her actions.

Ryan took the soap in one hand and a washcloth in the other. Lathering up, he spread the bubbles over Summer's skin with the soft washcloth. Her nipples hardened and so did he. He could feel his erection between them, rubbing against Summer's stomach. They both looked down at the same time.

Summer smiled. She slid her hand onto his chest, farther still, until her fingers grazed the head of his cock. Smiling, she grasped his hard length and squeezed just a little. He jumped and hissed. "Summer."

Her hand was soapy and smoothed up and down his erection with little trouble until she had a rhythm going. "Relax."

And Ryan knew he'd misjudged her. Summer was bold. Ryan couldn't help thinking that this new power was partially his fault. He didn't mind so much, though. Her grip was firm and she wasn't just tugging like most inexperienced girls did. She cupped his balls and ran her thumb over the head every chance she got. He was seconds away from coming and she'd barely even touched him. That was how bad he wanted her; how much she affected him. It was exhilarating and painful at the same time.

Summer pushed herself against him. He knew what she wanted. It took everything in Ryan to deny her. "Wait."

"What?"

Ryan grabbed her shoulders, sliding his fingers up and down her back for reassurance; to let her know he wasn't rejecting her. He would never reject her again, but now wasn't the best time. He knew he had to be firm, because with the slightest hint of dissension, he would give into her. "You might not feel sore now, but you will tomorrow. It might not be a good idea."

Summer didn't seem to give it a moment's thought as she sank to her knees. Ryan's eyes went wide. She wasn't going to...? Oh God, she was. The moment her tongue flicked out and licked him, a resounding shudder broke free from his chest and worked its way down his body.

"Summer." His voice cracked. This hadn't been the reaction he was expecting.

"What?" She looked up at him, a knowing smile on her lips as she once again let her tongue find his hard length. She licked a trail up the underside of his throbbing erection, all the while keeping eye contact.

Ryan blinked. He couldn't make words form. "You don't..."

"Don't what?" she said, innocently, her tiny hand gripping him. She took the tip of his cock into her mouth and let her tongue swirl around the sensitive area. Ryan gripped the shower rod to keep himself upright, fighting the urge to thrust into her hot, moist mouth.

He bit his lip so hard he tasted blood. "Have to...do this."

"No?" she teased, her grip easing, her fingers lifting off of his erection, one by one.

Ryan groaned. Oh, how the tables had turned. He supposed this was payback. After months of teasing, he was now the one at her mercy.

"Are you sure?" Her lips once again encased his throbbing cock. Stroking him with her mouth, she set a rhythm that was both frenzied and intensely erotic.

"Fuck!" Squeezing his eyes shut, stars formed on the back of his eyelids. He struggled to breathe.

And then, just like that, her mouth was gone and there was only warm air around him, making him feel empty. Her hands were rubbing his thighs, her hair was tangled and damp against her neck and breasts, her eyes black and soft as she looked up at him. "Want me to stop?"

"No," he said, raggedly. "No, don't stop."

It was complete torture. Her hand was working the same desperate rhythm, up and down his length, as her mouth was, wrapped around him. She took him in further, deeper.

Not even two days ago, he'd jerked-off just thinking about this scenario. The reality was so much better than a fantasy. Summer's small hand wrapped around him, amplifying the size of his erection. Blood roared in his ears, drowning out the steady sound of the water hitting the tub basin.

He wasn't going to last long.

The sheer amazing feeling of having her lips wrapped around his erection, her hand playing with his balls and her tongue doing the most amazing things to his cock, was too much. And then she began to hum, low in her throat. The vibrations echoed through him. "Summer," he said, in warning, but she didn't stop.

He blinked down at her and her eyes were filled with desire and want. Just the thought of it, of her wanting to taste him, made thinking impossible. He tried to stave off his impending orgasm, trying to make the moment last, but there was too much pressure and too much pleasure. His climax was starting, deep from his core and spreading out through his body. He came with a resounding grunt, his hips rocking.

Once he'd regained the ability to see, he turned to Summer. She swallowed and looked up at him with dark eyes.

Ryan was speechless.

Slowly she got to her feet and kissed him. God, he wanted her again right against the shower walls. He resisted the urge to drive into her even though he could feel his dick stirring again. Ten more seconds, that's all he would need and he'd be ready. It was too much, too fast. If Summer didn't have the sense right now to realize that, he had to for both of them.

Pulling away, he pushed the wet hair from her face. He looked at her with amazement. She just didn't know how beautiful she was.

"I'll be back. Here," he said, inserting the stopper into the drain and switching the shower off. The water continued flowing out of the tap, allowing the tub to fill. Summer grabbed a bottle of pink stuff and squirted some against the stream of water. Bubbles began to form and coat the surface of the water. Ryan stepped onto the bath mat and gave her the room she needed. His legs were still shaky and he had a little trouble keeping his balance.

Summer giggled then sighed, settling down into the bathtub and closing her eyes.

Still naked, Ryan entered the bedroom, pulling the sheets off the bed and throwing them into the hamper. From the closet he found an extra pair of sheets and began to make the bed.

Grabbing a few towels form the hall closet, Ryan wrapped one around his abdomen and walked back into the bathroom. Summer's eyes were still closed and when Ryan reached for the washcloth, she mumbled something incoherent but didn't open her eyes.

Ryan's second attempt at helping wash her was much more successful. Starting with her legs, he ran the cloth up and down, soap bubbles forming in his wake. Slowly, he worked up her thigh, her legs parting automatically as he rinsed the tangle of dark curls between them. That part of her body was still sensitive and she arched up as he touched her there. Ryan smiled.

He tilted his head to the side. "Better?"

Summer nodded.

Ryan pulled the plug and the water began to empty. Parts of Summer that had been hidden by frothy bubbles began to reveal themselves again. Ryan sucked in a breath. No idea at all.

Standing, Summer allowed Ryan to wrap a towel around her torso. Her arms circled his neck and her head dropped to his shoulder. Ryan understood. He was tired, too.

With ease, he picked her up. Summer wrapped her legs around him as he carried her back to what had become their room, and settled her down onto the bed. Her eyes were already closing when he got in next to her and pulled her against his chest. It felt right.

She knocked the breath right out of me...

You find someone who makes you feel like that, you gotta hold onto it...

The tightness eased from his chest. It didn't really matter what words had been said or not said, all that mattered was that Summer was in his arms and that was all he needed. On that thought, he surrendered to sleep.

Summer blinked away the light coming from the blinds as she gave up trying to remain asleep. Stretching and testing out her newly used body, she felt muscles she'd never been aware of before pull, and the kinks in her body begin to melt. She felt different: used -in a good way- and a little bit wanton. Opening her eyes, she noticed Ryan was watching her, almost with trepidation.

"Hey," he said and it came out smooth and slow like the sex had been the night before.

"Hey." Summer smiled and the unease left Ryan's face. "I guess they were right."

"Who?" He touched the valley of her breasts with a single finger, gently tugging the thin sheet lower and lower until she smacked his hand away.

"Your ex's. You really do know what you're doing." Laying with him like this felt strange and different. She felt grown-up. So far away from the girl she had been at the time of their first encounter. Ryan seemed changed somehow, too.

Ryan laughed. It was soft and unsure. "The funny thing is, I've never felt more out of my element than I did last night."

Summer turned in his arms, her eyes seeking answers his words hadn't provided. "Why? What do you mean?"

He wasn't looking her in the eye. "It was different. Last night, with you. It was different than all those other times."

Her first instinct was to laugh to cover up the slice of pain in her chest. "Was I that bad?" she teased, dropping her voice and letting her hand duck under the sheets, inching down his abdomen. "We can always practice."

"No," he said, pulling her hand away and kissing her knuckles. "No, that's not what I meant at all. I've never felt... I mean, you felt it, right?"

Summer sobered. "Yeah, I think I did." She waited for him to say something else, but Ryan remained silent. "Ryan?"

"Hmm?"

"I think, I think I love you." The seconds that ticked by felt like forever. She grew consciously aware of how warm his skin was under hers, how the fine hairs on his chest and arms tickled her skin just a little, and how his breathing had changed. It had stilted and gone shallow. "Ryan?"

"Yeah?"

Summer bit her lip. As much as she wanted to pretend she didn't care, didn't need words to bridle how they felt about each other, she wanted him to say them; she wanted to hear them. "Say something."

Ryan sighed, wiping his hand over his face. More time passed between them and Summer tried to pull away, but he held her tight to his side. He didn't look at her when he spoke. He tilted his head to the side and focussed on the far corner of the wall. "I think I love you, too... Princess." A second later he looked down at her. Catching her eye, his pupils dilated with fierce desire and he smiled. "Better?"

"Only if you mean it."

He kissed the top of her head and pulled her closer. "I mean it."

A huge weight lifted off her shoulders as his voice floated around her, barely above a whisper. "Okay. Okay, good."