I am sooo glad y'all enjoyed the chapter with Leland! I was a little nervous since I haven't written him as often, but I am happy y'all were pleased with it. I know it was a little short, so I tried to give y'all a longer chapter this time. Thank you all so much for reviewing and, please, keep letting me know what you think. It keeps me going! :)


Adrian entered Natalie's house later that evening, still smiling from ear to ear.

"Hi, sweetie," she called from the kitchen. "I'm in here."

Adrian crossed through the living room and into the kitchen. Coming up behind Natalie, he wrapped an arm around her waist and hugged her to him, sweeping her hair to the side and kissing her on the back of the neck.

"Oh, Adrian!" Natalie exclaimed, caught off guard by his boldness.

He smiled, turning her around in his embrace and meeting her gaze with his. Leaning in, he placed one hand on the back of her neck, tangling his fingers in her hair as he kissed her wholeheartedly. Natalie's breath hitched in her throat as she felt her stomach flip-flop with excitement.

"What on earth has gotten into you?" she asked, breathlessly. "Whatever it is, I love it," she continued with a wink.

Adrian tightened his arms around her waist and Natalie shot him a flirtatious smile, leaning in close.

"This confidence is incredibly sexy on you," she whispered into his ear, her lips grazing softly against his earlobe.

Adrian tensed up slightly as he let out an involuntary sigh, unable to control his body's physical reaction to Natalie's intimacy. She bit her lip, finding herself quite pleased by the fact that she had so easily been able to get him worked up. She leaned in and kissed him hungrily, their tongues brushing together. Natalie pressed her body against his, pushing him against the kitchen counter. She ran her fingers through his hair as she nibbled his bottom lip playfully, causing Adrian to choke back a groan.

Natalie suddenly found herself overcome with desire, imagining momentarily what it would be like for Adrian to tear her clothes off and throw her down on the kitchen table. Her face flushed hot and she felt a cold sweat break out onto her forehead. She pulled away abruptly from Adrian's embrace, desperately trying to restrain her own body's arousal as she turned her attention to the dinner she had prepared for them.

"Whew," she sighed, clearing her throat as she made an effort to keep her voice steady, "So, how did it go today?"

Adrian had barely even heard her speak. He took several deep breaths, unable to respond, as his whole body was overcome with a pleasure unlike anything he had felt for decades.

"I, uh," he stammered, "I, um..." he paused, still unable to speak as his head was spinning. "Hang on," he managed, steadying himself against the table before sitting down.

Natalie turned to face him, concerned as she realized he looked as though he might faint.

"Oh! Are you okay?" She asked, ducking her head down so that she could see his face.

He nodded, taking another deep breath.

"Y - Yes, I'm okay. That just -" he paused, gesturing towards the area near the kitchen counter where they had just been kissing, "You just -" He stammered, unable to get his thoughts together.

Natalie smiled, her heart rate increasing as she realized she must have really got Adrian going.

"You liked that?" She asked softly as she reached out, cupping his face in her hand and brushing her thumb against his lips.

"Yes," Adrian managed, nodding and closing his eyes as he exhaled a gratified sigh.

Natalie bit her lip, unable to contain a grin. She was thrilled that Adrian had experienced such a strong reaction to their intimacy. It meant that hopefully he was more interested in the physical aspect of their relationship than she had expected. She wanted to practically squeal with delight but she forced herself to remain calm for Adrian's sake.

"Good," She reassured him, rubbing his arm gently. "Now, let's just relax, okay? I want to hear about your day."

Adrian nodded, forcing himself to take several deep breaths to steady his nerves.

"Did you talk with Leland?" Natalie asked.

"Yes, I told him about us. He wasn't surprised, of course," Adrian replied with a chuckle, relaxing some at the change of subject. "But he was very happy for us. He told me he was proud of me," Adrian said with a smile. "He also said he would do what he could to get us working together again."

"Oh, honey, that's great!" Natalie exclaimed, leaning forward and kissing Adrian on the cheek.

The physical contact restored the tension between them, as their faces were just a few inches apart. They simply stayed there and, as they stared into each other's eyes for several moments more, the tension was only magnified.

"You are beautiful, Natalie," Adrian murmured, his voice thick with emotion.

The intensity in his eyes and voice caused Natalie's stomach to lurch. Again, she was overcome with the strong desire to throw herself onto him.

"God," Natalie muttered with a nervous laugh, sitting back in her seat and rubbing her face with her hands.

"What is it?" he asked hesitantly.

"Adrian, I just... I am unbelievably attracted to you right now."

He blushed, a smile spreading across his face as he felt a surge of pride. She continued.

"I think we need to have a conversation about boundaries and what you do and don't feel comfortable with."

"Okay," Adrian replied, swallowing hard. He couldn't help but feel a little nervous at the thought of discussing such a serious subject.

"Sweetie, I love when we kiss," Natalie continued, causing Adrian to smile again. "It really is wonderful," she reassured him, smiling as well. "But I have to be honest with you... I want more."

Natalie hesitated, gauging Adrian's reaction before continuing. He simply nodded, looking slightly nervous but not uncomfortable.

"When we kiss, I just get so overwhelmed. I care so much about you and I want to express those feelings in ways...other than kissing. I just can't get enough of you," she laughed, shooting him a quick wink.

After having given him a few moments to process what she said, she continued.

"Adrian, is that something you are at all interested in? You know, furthering the physical aspect of our relationship?"

"Yes," Adrian replied, quietly but confidently.

"Really?" She asked incredulously, her heart rate increasing.

"Yes," he continued, nodding, "but, honestly, it scares the hell out of me." He admitted, his voice dropping to almost a whisper. "It has been a very, very long time since I've...you know."

"Oh, honey," Natalie exclaimed, leaning forward and squeezing his arm reassuringly. "That's okay! Oh, we can take all the time you need and go as slowly as you want. I just needed to know that you were interested in that aspect of our relationship, too. You know, that it wasn't just me."

"Oh, no," he shook his head, "Believe me, it's not just you. I am deeply attracted to you, Natalie."

She swallowed hard, her face flushing hot. This was something she had desperately wanted with him, long before they had ever begun dating, but she had never expected it would become a reality. Knowing that Adrian wanted to be with her in a physical way put a fire inside of Natalie. But it also made her very nervous. It meant that they may very soon be exploring that aspect of their relationship and, truth be told, it had been quite some time for her, too. Suddenly feeling very shy, she sat back in her chair, tucking her hair behind her ear and looking down at her hands.

"You okay?" He asked, his expression growing concerned.

"Yes," she affirmed, "I just...suddenly feel very nervous."

She laughed softly, glancing up at Adrian. He smiled back at her, reaching out and taking her hand.

"It's okay," he replied, "We can be nervous together."

She smiled and lifted his hand to her lips, kissing his knuckles gently.

"I love you, Adrian."

Natalie froze, surprised by the words that had just come out of her own mouth. She hadn't planned it, it had just come naturally. After all, she had loved him for years. And yes, she had told him she loved him before, but she knew this time was different because there was no way to misinterpret it. She held her breath, unsure of how Adrian might react. But as she looked up at him, she saw that tears had begun to form in the corners of his eyes.

After so many years of sadness and loneliness, to hear Natalie say those words was absolute healing for Adrian's soul. And, despite the many, many years it had been since he had felt compelled to say those words, they came just as easily for him.

"I love you, Natalie," he replied, squeezing her hand as a tear escaped and trailed its way down his cheek.

Natalie choked back a sob, unable to contain her elation. She wanted to pinch herself, as she couldn't believe she had truly just heard those words from him. She leaned in and took him into her arms, both of them shedding tears of joy as they embraced, fully aware of the significance of this milestone they had reached together.