They'd opted to go to Auggie's place, as he needed to remove his contacts before going to sleep, and he hadn't brought his glasses with him. Annie didn't mind. His whispered words of "I love you" still rang in her ears, and she so wanted to tell him how she felt, as well. But not like this.

Not in the midst of family drama and turmoil and hurt feelings. She did, however, keep her hand grasping his as she drove – letting go only to shift gears. During the short ride, she kept glancing over at him, making sure he didn't have that set jaw that she knew signified his anger. But it never reappeared. He looked calm and relaxed, and his thumb running over her knuckles was a soft caress.

When they got to into his apartment, he excused himself to the bathroom. Annie sat on the couch, and as she waited for him, her cell began to ring.

"Hello?"

"Annie, it's Danielle."

"I know. I have Caller ID."

"Sweetheart, please don't be mad at me."

"Why wouldn't I be?" Annie scoffed. "You insulted the man I love, in front of all of our friends."

"I know, I know. Listen, is he there? Did you drop him off at home yet? I really need to talk to him."

"I am here, with him at his apartment, and I'm not sure I want to let you talk to him."

Auggie had opened the door right as Annie answered the cellphone, and by her side of the conversation, he'd surmised that she was talking to her sister. When she referred to him as the man she loved, his fingers clenched against the wooden frame of the door.

Then he walked over to where she was sitting on the couch. "Annie, it's okay."

"Danielle, Auggie's here," she said, reaching up to grab Auggie's hand and pull him down next to her. "I'm putting it on speakerphone."

Annie pressed the speaker button and held the phone between them.

"Auggie, I'm sorry."

Auggie could hear the tears in the woman's voice, and he instantly felt ashamed of his own behavior. "It's okay, Danielle."

"No, no, it's not. What I said was inexcusable, and I'm not asking to be forgiven."

"Oh, okay," Auggie said, a bit bewildered. Then why had she called?

"Annie's never brought a guy home, even when we were in school."

"Dani, come on," Annie said.

"Annie, let me do this. Auggie, as I was saying, she's never brought someone home before, and when you showed up tonight, it really threw me. You are handsome and charming and funny. I can see what drew her to you. What I said was rude, no matter who I would have said it to."

Annie heard her voice choke up, and she felt her resolve to give Danielle a week-long silent treatment weakening.

"I was so intent on making a good impression that I did the exact opposite, and –"

Auggie had heard enough. "Danielle, you can stop," he said softly. "I should apologize, too. I overreacted. You had no idea of my blindness, I know. It's just a sensitive subject, one that Annie's been helping me out with."

Annie smiled at him and gave his fingers a squeeze.

"So you'd be willing to let me make it up to you? Take both of you out to dinner next week?"

"Of course," Annie and Auggie both answered.

"I'm so happy to hear that. Good night, you two. Love you."

"Love you, too, Dani. Good night." Annie ended the call and slipped the phone back into her purse.

"So, are you staying the night?"

The question was so full of hope, that Annie nearly fell in love with him all over again. The thought, on top of the emotional rollercoaster she'd been on all day, nearly brought tears to her eyes. She'd thought the moment he'd held her under the dim light of the street lamp was the most romantic thing she'd ever experienced, but seeing him now, holding her hand gently and asking her – yes, asking her if she'd like to spend the night, caused something more.

Her heart thumped once in her chest loudly, before settling back down. His light touch on her hand and knuckles rolled up her arm and across her shoulders, lighting every nerve ending as it traveled down her back and settle throughout her body.

Though she hadn't meant for him to hear her tell Danielle she loved him, she knew he'd heard her. With an inhale, she stood, pulling him up with her via their clasped hands. She stepped slowly and with careful intent across the room until they reached his bed.

A tug on his hand, and she turned him around, pressing on his shoulders so he'd sit. He kept his eyes on her, and for a moment, his intent gaze nearly caused her to stop. Then he smiled, and she took a step back.

First she stepped out of her shoes and kicked them out of the way. Then her hand reached up to her shoulder and pushed the soft material off onto her upper arm. Auggie's eyes never left hers, and by the time she'd reached behind her for the zipper, her skin tingled with anticipation. Her breathing deepened as she thought, if just him looking at me has this effect, I'll probably spontaneously combust once he touches me.

Her fingers sought and found the zipper in the middle of her back, and it had traveled a couple of inches down when he suddenly moved.

Auggie's own emotions had been on such a high the last few hours, he had almost felt that he was in a trance when Annie had hung up the phone. He'd willingly followed her over to his bed, and he let himself be pushed onto it.

Only when she began undressing – no, making that stripping – in front of him that his brain finally overcame his base desire and need. His libido nearly cried and shouted when he'd jumped up and placed his hands on her upper arms, stopping the material from dropping any further than the few inches it already had.

"Annie," he groaned. "You don't have to do this."

The corners of her mouth slipped down from the seductive smile to one of almost anguish. Her eyes looked frantically around, looking anywhere but at him, and her arms came from behind her back to hold up the slipping material.

"Oh, okay, I thought – well, I guess not – maybe I'll just – yeah, okay," she stammered out, and soon Auggie found himself clutching air as she walked away from him toward the bathroom.

In the split second that followed, Auggie's libido, desire and need soundly knocked the gentleman in him upside the head and took over. Two long steps, and he was beside her again, taking her by the arm and spinning her around.

She protested the sudden movement, and indeed, maybe later Auggie might have thought he could have done this with more finesse, smoother, but he was running on instinct now. His other hand came up to her face and angled it upward, and his mouth crashed onto hers.

It could have been romantic, sweet, a kiss to end all kisses as they came together. But the built-up need and raw desire didn't allow anything soft at the moment. Annie struggled to grasp onto him while keeping her dress from slipping to the floor, leaving her in nothing but lace panties. Auggie couldn't get enough of her and didn't even stop kissing her lips, tasting her, inhaling her scent when his glasses went askew on his face.

Their knees knocked against each other, and Annie was tripping over her shoes that she'd kicked to the side. All Auggie knew was that his hands were full of the bare, silky skin of her back, and he couldn't get close enough to her.

Annie soon gave up on trying to clutch her dress to her and touch Auggie at the same time, and she threw her arms around his waist, pressing herself into him. When his lips finally left hers, only to travel up her cheek and into her hairline, she pressed her face into his chest.

She couldn't seem to get her breath back, and she took lungfuls. The much-needed oxygen cleared her vision and she realized she was in Auggie's arms, nearly naked, with his hands exploring every inch of her back from shoulder blades to her waist. She tried to save what was left of her modestry by pressing herself into him to cover herself, but it was having the opposite effect.

His desire was evident against her abdomen, and her own need was coiling tight in a corresponding part of her anatomy. She was at an impasse, and she didn't know what to do.

He could feel her trembling in his arms. Whether it was from fear or desire, he wasn't sure, but he soothed her, just the same, running his hands slowly over her back, trying to quell his want to explore more. With one final kiss to her hair, he said, "You can wear one of my shirts if you want, they're in the dresser."

Annie smiled against his shirt, her eyes closing at the thought that he was leaving the choice up to her. He'd be willing to let her walk away and be content to just sleep next to each other, like they had last weekend. Though she'd be more than willing to do so – tonight and every other night – she'd made the decision earlier to give herself to him, show him her love while whispering it in his ear.

With one final inhale, in which she caught the intoxicatingly masculine scent of his cologne, she slipped her arms from around his back and slid them up his chest to his neck, loosening his tie. Once pulled free, she began working on the buttons.

"Annie, are you sure?"

She paused only a moment to raise her hands to his face. "Let me love you, Auggie."

He nodded, and Annie nearly giggled as she saw his Adam's apple bob when he swallowed. She'd gotten the majority of the buttons undone, and when his tight, muscled chest was open to her, she leant forward and pressed her lips against his skin.

A shudder and a groan answered her impulsive gesture, and she felt her world tilt suddenly. Auggie's arms left her back, one sliding under her knees and the other across her shoulders. The hot pink dress slid off her legs to the floor, and Annie quickly wrapped her hands around Auggie's neck for balance as he made the short trip to the bed.