Author's note: I posted a bit of this chapter on my Tumblr last night. So if you follow me there, you may have gotten a little preview and know what's going to happen. I really hope you like this chapter. I really enjoyed writing it. Please review.

Happy reading!

Chapter Twenty-Four

I was convinced to dance with a few more people. Adrian was too. We actually stayed for most of the party. As we finally made our way out, Adrian pulled me close and asked, "What was that promise you made?"

I just laughed and jumped onto his back. "Get going." I demanded with a laugh. "And I'll show you."

He laughed with me and galloped off down the road toward his apartment building. There were many other revelers still in the streets. Off in the distance, the sky was starting to lighten in the impending dawn. I was tired. But I was also floating on the high of the night. And I had some great plans.

Adrian sat me down after a while and we continued on hand-in-hand at a much slower pace.

"Have I told you I love you tonight?" I asked, threading our fingers together.

"Not for a while." He smiled.

"Well, I do." I kissed his hand. "About last night…"

"What about last night? It was awesome!"

I said slowly as he opened the door to his apartment, "What do you think about going the next step?"

He smiled and pushed the door open. "What do you think about it?"

"I want to try it. It could be fun."

He closed the door and pressed me against it. "Tell me the thing that scares you the most about sex with me."

I rested my hands on his waist. I took a deep breath, "That you'll leave."

He smiled and pushed my hair out of my face. "We're engaged. We're going to be married in less than ten months. I'm not backing out."

"You're far more experienced."

"I'm not proud of that."

"I'll be horrible."

He gave me a reassuring smile. "The first time doing anything is a little awkward. But I already know how good you are in the areas we've explored together. You won't be bad. And if it doesn't work out, we'll figure how to make it better together. That's the whole point."

I slipped my hands under his coat and up his back. "What scares you the most?"

He kissed me softly. "I want to make it special. Memorable. I want it to be as perfect as possible."

I cupped his cheeks. "And what did you just say? We'll figure it out together and the first time is awkward. For me, it'll be painful. But it will be worth it when we make it there. Because I love you. And you love me." I kissed him softly. "Help me take this dress off."

"What are we doing?"

"Something in between making out and going all the way."

He kissed me. "Only as much as you feel comfortable with."

I nodded. "Okay. That's what I want."

He picked me up effortlessly and carried me to his bedroom. He put my feet down on the floor. He kissed me, licking my lips before I opened them and invited his tongue inside. I wrapped my arms around his neck and tangled my fingers in his hair.

Adrian slowly lowered the zipper on my borrowed dress. He broke the kiss, moving his lips across my shoulder as he pushed the sleeve aside. He kissed up my neck and took over my mouth again. He sucked on my lower lip as he pulled the dress down my arms. He pushed it past my hips and it pooled on the floor. I stepped out of it and my shoes and kicked them aside. I was once again several inches shorter than him.

He spread his hand on my lower back and pulled me closer. I moaned into his mouth as I kissed him once more. I pushed his coat away and worked on the buttons of his shirt. He cupped my breast with his free hand when I moved away to remove the shirt.

I kissed the spot on his neck I'd sucked on the night before. I flicked my tongue out and made a trail up his to his jaw. I nipped at his skin, eliciting a moan.

He tightened his grip on me. The hand on my back slipped lower. He pulled the cup of my bra away and lowered his head to kiss the top of my exposed breast. He picked me up. I wrapped my legs around his waist as we moved to the bed. He sat me down and unhooked my bra, throwing it behind him. He lowered me to the bed and took my nipple in his mouth.

I moaned his name.

He sucked a little harder. His hands moved to my hips. He rubbed circles into my skin with his thumbs as he continued to work over my breast. He kissed across to the other and started giving it the same treatment. He pressed his hips into mine and I could feel the now-familiar pressure there.

My fingers fumbled at the button of his trousers. I groaned in frustration when the buttons wouldn't budge. His hands rested on top of mine. He brought his mouth to mine once more as he took over. Once they were gone, he moaned and pressed even harder against me.

My hands kneaded his back. He threaded his fingers into my hair and hooked a finger from his other hand under the waistband of my panties.

He mumbled against my lips. "Ready to take these off?"

"I-I guess so." I said uncertainly.

He pressed a kiss to my mouth and stood up. He pulled me to my feet. "We'll do it together on three." He hooked his thumbs in the waistband of his boxer briefs.

I nodded. We counted together and then dropped the last barrier of clothing we had between us. Adrian gave an appreciative moan as he looked at me in my complete nudity.

I watched him and examined him head to toe, my eyes resting on his erection. I had seen plenty of pictures of the human penis, mostly in medical books. It certainly looked normal. I had no other thought as to what to do or say.

Adrian cleared his throat. "Do I pass your examination?"

I looked up and was ready to shoot a snide remark his way. But I stopped when I saw the look of apprehension on his face. I moved closer and cupped his cheeks. I pressed myself up on my toes and kissed him softly. "Why are you the one looking so nervous?"

He smiled and rested his forehead against mine. "I don't want to push you."

"You're not." I stroked his cheeks with my thumbs. "We're still going slowly. I'm breathing. You need to as well."

He smiled and pulled me closer, slipping his hands up my back. "Let's get into bed." He kissed me again and stepped away. He pulled the blanket back and got underneath.

I followed, wrapping my arms around him and hooking my leg over his.

He gasped and I felt him between my thighs. He kissed me gently, pushing me onto my back. His hands roved over my body. My skin burned everywhere he touched me unlike any other time. This heat was concentrated lower.

His hand dipped between my legs and I knew I must be burning him with the fire there. "May I?" He asked gently.

I took a deep breath and nodded. "Yes. Please."

He kissed me as he slipped his hand between the folds and flicked his finger over me. I felt my body jerk. I moaned as he continued to rub there and kiss me.

He murmured against my lips, "I want to put my finger in you."

"No penetration." I panted back.

"Okay." He went on.

I felt the tension in my body rising, focusing down to my stomach and lower, to where Adrian continued to rub me. A moan escaped me. And another, ending in a whine. I clutched at him. "Adrian?"

"It's okay, baby. I'm here. Just relax." He kissed me again and again.

I felt the line snap taught and I gasped. There it was. I was at the peak. I could go no further. So I stepped off the edge and fell. My body shook. And it felt so good. I never wanted it to end.

Eventually I started coming back to myself and I heard Adrian's voice in my ear. "I'm here, baby. It's okay. You're beautiful like this. You're great, baby. I love you."

"Was that…?"

He smiled and kissed me. "Congratulations, Sydney, you've just had your first orgasm."

I felt the bubble of laughter rising in me. I tangled my fingers in his hair and kissed him hard.

His arms came around me and cradled me to him as he rolled to his back. We continued to kiss for a long time.

I looked down at him after a while. "What happens next?"

He smiled and smoothed my hair away from my face. "Touch me?"

"How?"

"Any way you want, honey. You can't hurt me. Explore me."

I kissed him and slid a tentative hand down his chest and stomach. I moved off to the side and examined his erection. I reached out and ran a finger from the tip down to the base.

He smiled and stroked my arm. "Maybe not as sexy as it could be."

I turned red and looked into his eyes. "Help me."

He took my hand and wrapped it around the base. He put his hand over mine and guided it up to the tip and back down. He kept his eyes trained on my face. I couldn't decide where I should look. I was transfixed by the action I was performing, but also by the adoration mixed with pleasure in his eyes while he watched me.

He leaned in and kissed my neck and let me take over. His hands moved into my hair and he kissed every bit of my face he could. One hand moved to stroke my back.

"Am I doing this right?" I asked before he brought his mouth over mine once more.

"Perfect." He managed to say. His breathing was growing ragged. He made many appreciative noises as he kissed me. "I'm close." He panted after a while.

"What does that mean?"

"About to get messy." He moaned.

And then I felt him as he started to pulsate in my hand. He met his climax with a gasp. The warm liquid came out of him and over my hand, slicking him up. It made me pause. He wrapped his hand around mine again, continuing to guide it up and down through the rest of the orgasm.

After a short time more, he collapsed back onto the mattress, panting. I watched him, unsure what to do. There was a smile playing on his lips as he looked at the ceiling. I leaned forward and kissed him. His hand came up to tangle in my hair as he returned it.

He reached over and fumbled in the drawer as we continued to kiss lazily. His hand came out with a small box of tissues and he handed me one. "One of the less sexy things about all this."

I cleaned off my hand and watched as he took another tissue to himself.

"Of course, we still could shower if you're up for it."

"Together?"

"Why not? It's one of my fantasies with you."

"Showering?"

"Yes. My shower is pretty big, as you've seen. It wouldn't be like we were right on top of each other, though I like the feeling of you naked and on top of me."

I snorted and pressed my face into his shoulder. "I can't believe all that just happened."

"I can't either." He combed his fingers through my hair for a while.

"Merry Christmas." I sighed.

"It's the best present ever."

"That wasn't the intended present. But if you accept that, I'll just hold the other present until your birthday." I teased.

"I'm not waiting for July." He protested.

I laughed and rolled out of the bed. "Be right back." I picked his shirt off the floor and pulled it on as I walked out of the room. I had stashed his gift under the small tree he'd set up in the corner of his living room. It was one of those tiny fiber optic ones that ran on batteries. I turned it on before I left the room.

I came back into the bedroom to find Adrian leaning against the headboard, his hands behind his head. The blanket was draped casually over his lap. I sat beside him and handed him the box.

"What is it?" He asked, bringing it up to his head and shaking it.

"You've already done that and I told you that you could break it. Just open it already."

He pulled the blanket over my legs. "You look cold."

I shook his shoulder. "Open your present and stop stalling."

He laughed and tore at the paper. He opened the box and put his hand over his mouth. "Oh, my god." He took the pictures out one by one. "All of them? You got one autograph from each of the members of Aerosmith?"

"Yes. It took me a while to track them all down. There's a certificate of authenticity for each one."

"You are the greatest fiancée ever." He pushed me onto my back and kissed me hard.

I laughed in his mouth.

He moved away and shuffled through the pictures once more. "These are going in my studio when we get a house."

"Do you want to start looking when we get back?" I asked as I curled into his side.

He turned his gaze back to me, twirling a piece of my hair around his finger. "Are you sure?"

"We pretty much live together anyway. And after tonight…I mean I still want to wait for the big moment a little bit longer. But we can keep on doing this, right?"

"Absolutely." He kissed me again. "You want to go see about that shower?"

I chuckled and rolled out of the bed. I bit my lip and unbuttoned his shirt as I backed out of the door. "Well?" I asked as he just stared.

He threw himself out of the bed and took off after me.