Remoob, this one's for you! It's been a long, long time since I last updated this, for which I apologize profusely. I haven't forgotten or abandoned my stories in process, but writer's block and a bizarre and frantic everyday life have made the process a slow one. For some reason this has been an especially hard chapter to write. I really wanted to get it right, but I'm not sure I did. Hopefully not too many chapters left on this one.

At one time I was a pretty smooth operator, or at least I fancied myself one. I once was a bold man, one who knew what he wanted and didn't hesitate when it came to pursuit. All that departed as I watched the movie credits roll across the screen and glanced at the lovely lady beside me. Suddenly I didn't want to be bold, or smooth, or even a charming seducer. I wanted to be real, to pull her into my arms and kiss her with all the love and desire I'd held back for so long, to have her kiss me back because she wanted to, not because I was skilled or persuasive or any of the other reasons I told myself past lovers had given me what I wanted. This time I needed her to want me back, need me as fiercely and desperately as I needed her.

With clumsy, fumbling hands I turned her toward me, looked into her eyes for close to a full minute before slowly lowering my lips to hers. Her mouth parted under mine and I took the hint, kissed her back fully as my hands stroked over her cheeks, her arms, her sides. I pulled her into me, and she slipped over to straddle me, her legs on either side of mine. This was good, very good, almost too good as she moved against me.

Then she slipped her hands under my shirt. "Do you have a bedroom?" she whispered as she stroked through my sparse chest hair.

"Uh, yeah. Ohhh..."

"I want to see it. Will you show it to me?"

"Okay..."

She rolled up to stand, then grabbed my hand. I pulled her into a kiss and backed her into my room. "Here we are," I whispered.

She looked around, taking in the neat bookshelf, tasteful new comforter, the candles glowing warmly on the dresser. "Nice," she said, then sat on my bed and held out her hand to me. "Come here."

I settled over her and lowered my lips to hers. She kissed me back with an abandon I'd never thought to feel from her - but then again, I'd never expected to have her in my bed either. Our clothes ended up in a pile on the floor, and with hands and lips we explore each other's candlelit secrets. We joined together with a shared gasp, and when our slow ride to shared ecstasy climaxed our cries echoed together. In the aftermath I clung to her, even then not wanting to let go. I wasn't sure what the future would bring, but I was going to hang onto this for as long as I could.