Maria smiled and slid her arms around his neck. She pulled his head down to her as she reached her lips to his. The light kiss deepened drawing the two of them closer together. She twined her fingers in Michael's hair as he kissed down her neck from her ear to her shoulder. Maria gasped at the sensations coursing through her. She pulled his mouth back to hers.

Without breaking the kiss Michael picked Maria up and walked toward the bedroom. He paused at the door long enough for her to fumble for the switch to turn off the overhead light. Michael kicked at the door, and it swung it part way shut. The light from the living room cut across the bed illuminated the bright blue of the bedspread and left the rest of the room in shadows.

Laying her down gently on the bed, he stretched his body next to hers wrapping a leg across her. His hand moved to the buttons of her sweater, and carefully unfastened the top one. Leaving her mouth, his tongue traced a line down her throat. He placed a soft kiss on her collarbone and then lower to the top of her breasts.

Maria tugged at his shirt pulling it out from his pants. She ran her hands under the shirt and up his smooth chest. She reveled in the combination of feelings. The coolness of her wet throat where his tongue had been. The heat of Michael's kiss. The feel of hard muscles under her hands. She wanted to put her arms around his neck. She wanted to run her hands over the muscles of his back and arms. The baggy T-shirt seemed unbelievably tight. "Please take this off," she said pulling on the shirt.

He didn't think about what she had said, he simply obeyed, pulling the shirt off dropping it beside the bed. Even that small break was too long to be separated from Maria. Closer. He wanted to get closer to her. He brushed his lips against hers, soft as a butterfly's wing. He ran his tongue across her bottom lip, teasing her lips further apart. He kissed her deeply, his tongue probing, hers answering. His hand moved once again to the buttons, and began to unbutton them slowly. She didn't protest. The sweater fell away and his hand moved up to cup Maria's breast, and found her bra. He felt in the middle and found no clasp. Sparing enough attention from Maria's kiss, he concentrated on the molecules at the narrowest section between her breasts and nudged them apart. They separated as though cut.

"That was my favorite bra," Maria protested weakly.

"I'll buy you a new one," Michael said pushing the remains of the bra aside. Cupping a breast in his hand, he took the nipple between his fingers and rolled it gently.

Maria gasped and clutched his arm, but rather than pull his hand away she ran her hand up his arm to the shoulder. She grabbed another hand full of hair and used it to move his head to the side. She kissed his neck feeling the day's growth of beard. It scratched her cheek and tongue, but she didn't mind. It was another sensation to add to the passionate mix. Her mouth moved to his collarbone and she kissed along it gently to begin with, but the closer to his shoulder she got, the more intense the kisses became. As her mouth reached his shoulder, kisses didn't seem to be enough, and she bit him gently.

The bite brought a groan from Michael, and he rolled his body on top of hers. Going to his knees he pulled her into a sitting position. He pulled the sweater off and threw it aside. The remains of the bra flew across the room. He cupped both breasts in his hands and brought his mouth down to one nipple and then the other. His tongue moved to the valley between her breasts as he licked up to the hollow of her throat. He gently laid her back onto the bed.

"I don't know what to do with my hands," she whispered.

"You're doing just fine," he answered. He took her face in both hands and looked into her eyes. "You are so beautiful. I love you, Maria. I'm in love with you. What we're doing … if you want to stop, all you need to do is say the word. I want this. I want you. But I don't want you do something you're not ready to do. I won't be mad. Just tell me to stop, and it ends right there no matter when you say it."

Maria looked deep into his eyes. She saw the truth in his words. He loved her, and he would do what she wanted. She lifted her head up to meet his. "Don't stop," she whispered against his lips. Every place that Michael touched her burned, each nerve ending was ultra sensitive and more alive. Her nipples hardened in response to his touch. She had never felt like this before. She had never been more aware of her body and all of the signals it was sending. Her senses were overloaded, and she wanted more.

This was really happening. This was Michael's mouth and hands on her body. This was his body her hands were tracing. Her hands moved lower and she encountered the top of his jeans. Momentarily frustrated, her hands moved back up to his shoulders.

Michael pulled her into a sitting position again, and somehow they were both standing beside the bed. His hands smoothed down her ribs and as they reached her jeans, he slipped his fingers inside the waistband. He moved them slowly around to the middle, unbuttoned the jeans and put his hand on the zipper. "Stop?" he asked softly into her ear. Her curls brushed against his face as she shook her head.

Her jeans fell to the floor and she stepped out of them. "I need for you to show me what to do. I love you, Michael. I want to show you that." Blushing, she dropped her eyes, trying to look at anything but his face and his body.

Michael tilted her chin up and met her eyes. "Are you kidding? All you have ever shown me is how much you care for me. You being here with me now is more than I deserve." He kissed her softly and pulled her against him. The sensation of skin against skin was intense. "Maybe I'm a little slow realizing things," he whispered into Maria's ear drawing a small laugh from her. His hands played softly down her back and inside the elastic of her underwear.

Maria ran her hands across Michael's chest and down until she once again came into contact with jeans. "This isn't fair," she said. "Why are you still dressed while I'm naked?" She pulled at the waistband. "Off!" she demanded.

He took hold of her hands. "This isn't about me, Maria. I've got some proving to do to you."

She tugged stubbornly at the jeans again. "Well then for once do what I tell you to do."

"Yes ma'am," he whispered, his mouth next to hers. He unzipped the jeans, giving her plenty of time to change her mind. He stepped out of them and stood before her naked.

Now that he had done what she asked, Maria didn't know what she was supposed to do next. She wanted to touch him, but where? And how? Her body sang with desire, but her mind was complete confusion. She said the only thing that popped into her mind. "You don't wear any underwear."

"None of the cool guys do," he said nibbling her ear. His arms tightened around her waist, picking her up and laying her softly on the bed. Michael lay beside her and slowly, gently, slipped his hand between Maria's legs rubbing against the satin of her underwear.

Her eyes flew open, and she exhaled explosively. "Oh my God!" she breathed. She looked into Michael's eyes. He was completely focused on her face. His hand went still.

"Stop?" he asked softly.

"If you stop, I'll die," she pulled his lips toward hers and slowly parted her legs. People did this every day. She knew that, but at that moment couldn't understand how they managed the mix of emotions, sensations and scents. She could hardly breathe, and then Michael's hand was once again at the elastic of her underwear. She lifted her hips, and he slipped them away.

His hand glided back up her thigh to her stomach and then low between her legs. He caressed her softly in just the right places. His mouth covered hers and he murmured softly, "You are so beautiful."

Michael closed his eyes and concentrated on the velvety, warm flesh under his hand. This felt so good. Maria's hands on his body. Her soft raspberry lips kissing him. His soft exploration found the places that made Maria's breathing quicken. He felt her body begin to tremble in answer to his hands. His hand moved lower still. He gently slipped one finger inside her and stroked slowly in and out. Maria grabbed at his arm, but once again, not to stop him. She released his arm and clutched at his back, nails drawing blood. He didn't care.

"You're wet," he whispered.

Suddenly self-conscious, Maria tried to bury her face in Michael's shoulder. "Oh, God," she groaned, embarrassed by her body's reaction to him.

He pulled his head back to where he could see her face again. "Don't try to hide. Do you have any idea how sexy you are?" He slowly withdrew his hand and parting her legs more, he slid on top of her.

She could feel his erection against her leg. Without other distractions, she focused on its hard insistence for the first time. "Do you have something?" she asked shyly.

"When the time comes," he replied kissing her cheek, and then her jaw, and her throat. His mouth moved lower. He took a nipple into his mouth and rolled it with his tongue and teased until it hardened in his mouth. Heat and cold followed his tongue's progress down her body until he bit her inner thigh gently causing her to jump. "Stop?" he asked softly.

"No," she replied, her voice breathless. All she could think about was what Michael was doing. His mouth was so soft. How could anything so soft cause such intensity? One of her hands grasped the bedspread. The other reached down and touched the side of Michael's face. She looked down. The eclipse of light created by the door illuminated Michael's face while her body was left in shadows. Their eyes met. His eyes never leaving hers, he turned his head and drew one of her fingers into his mouth running his tongue down the length of it. He put a soft kiss in the middle of her palm and closing his eyes, put her hand back on the side of his face.

His swept her away again as his tongue found the same sensitive places as his hand. She began to tremble and her breathing came in gasps. The orgasm washed over her. Her eyes flew open, and her body arched as she cried out. She called his name and it was the most wonderful sound he had ever heard.

Michael held her until she was still and then reached beside the bed, picked up his shirt, and wiped his face with it. He crawled up her body until they were eye to eye. "Stop?" he asked softly.

"I want you, Michael. Don't leave me now." She tried to pull him down to her, but he would only lower his head for a kiss. Maria answered the kiss as passionately as she knew how.

He pulled away from her briefly and pulled open a drawer in the bedside table. He took out a foil wrapper. "Another bit of the inheritance from Ray," he explained.

"Thank you, Ray, wherever you are," she said.

"This is the uncool part," he said opening the packet and putting on the condom.

"You're too far away," Maria said reaching for him. "Come to me, Michael."

"I'm right here," he said lowering himself onto his elbows. He kissed her softly. "Are you sure?"

"Oh, yeah. I'm sure." Maria replied. "I love you, Michael. I want my first time to be with you." She had always heard that the first time was supposed to be very painful. There was quick pain, but it was swiftly washed away with the fire of their bodies. The closeness was incredible. She wrapped her legs around him and began to match his rhythm. Her hands ran through his hair and nails raked across his shoulders. Her fingers traced down his back and lower to the smooth roundness of his buttocks. She pulled him closer with each thrust. This felt so good. This was so right. She kissed his neck and traced her tongue down to his shoulder. She bit him again, not nearly as gently as the first time. Michael groaned, and she loved the idea that she could make him feel that way.

"I'm not going to be able to stop," he gasped.

"Come to me, Michael," she whispered in his ear. She dug her fingers into his buttocks as his thrusts became harder and faster.

And then it was Michael's turn to cry out. He collapsed on top of her, gasping. He didn't know how long he lay on her trying to catch his breath. Slowly he realized that Maria was continuing to speak softly to him. His brain couldn't make sense of the words, but everything he needed to know was in the tone of her voice, and the feel of her soft hands caressing his back and his neck. He turned to her kissing her eyes, her nose, and sinking into her mouth. He wrapped his arms around her and rolled onto his side, holding Maria tight. Pushing hair off of his sweaty face, he smiled at her. "I wasted so much time trying to keep you at a distance. Why did I try to do that?"

"I don't know," she said smoothing his hair. "I am pretty darned irresistible."

"That you are," he agreed. "That you are."

Hours later Michael looked down on Maria spooned against him fast asleep. He'd already had his two hours of sleep, and ordinarily there would be no way he could be still for this long. Usually his mind and body demanded almost constant motion. Tonight was different. Maria had given him the ultimate gift. It was amazing that she had chosen him, especially after all the crap he had dished out to her over the period of their relationship. Thinking back over their time together, it shamed him to realize that she had been much better to him than he had been to her. He wrapped one of her blonde curls around his finger. Things were different now. They had to be.