I grin and type back a quick
luv u 2
and snap my phone shut as I hurry home from dance class. I really wanted to skip dance today, but Mark insisted that I go. He said he understands how important dance is to me and that he would see me later.

We are celebrating my seventeenth birthday tonight. It’s a week early because my mom will be home on my real birthday, but she’s gone tonight on a business trip, and Mark told his folks that he’s staying at a friend’s house so he can stay with me all night.

I can’t decide if I’m super nervous or super excited. Maybe I’m both.

Because tonight we are going to do
it.

I grin and shimmy my butt in a little happy dance in the driver’s seat of my 1995 Ford Escort. I just have enough time to take a quick shower and touch up my makeup before Mark gets to my house.

I hurry through the shower, but pay extra attention to shaving my legs and bikini line. I wipe the fog off the mirror in my bathroom and wrinkle my nose. My makeup did not survive dance
and
the shower, so I quickly scrub my face clean and just reapply my eyeliner and mascara and smooth some lip-gloss on my lips. Mark’s seen me without makeup plenty of times, but I want to at least look like I’m making an effort tonight.

I pull the short black skirt and red-cropped sweater that shows off my belly out of the closet and after slipping into some lacy black underwear that I’ve been saving for this exact occasion, I shimmy into the cute outfit and take a turn before my mirror.

“You’re so beautiful,” I hear from behind me and smile when I turn to see Mark leaning his shoulder against my doorjamb. “So this is what it looks like.”

“This is it.” I open my arms wide and glance around my bedroom. Mom doesn’t allow Mark up here with me when he comes over.

And, it’s probably a good idea, given what we’ll be using this room for tonight.

Nerves suddenly take hold and I wring my fingers as giant butterflies take flight in my belly.

“I like it.” His eyes still haven’t moved from me. I smile shyly.

“You haven’t even looked at it.”

He smiles and glances about my frilly room. My dance shoes are scattered about. Photos of my dance teams and friends clutter a cork bulletin board above my desk where my computer sits. A photo of him and I together at Pike’s Place Market is framed next to my bed. The top of my dresser is littered with makeup and jewelry. My double-sized bed is made neatly. I changed the sheets before I left for dance this afternoon.

“I like it,” he repeats. “Why are you standing way over there?”

I shrug one shoulder and glance out the window, watching the rain fall down the window pane.

“Hey, M.” He walks to me and hugs me close. This is what I needed, the familiarity of his smell and the feel of his strong arms around my shoulders. He’s so much bigger than me. His muscles are crazy defined, but it’s his sweet smile and blue eyes that have done me in since the day I saw him in biology class last year.

When he smiles, it looks like he has a naughty secret.

I hope I learn all of his naughty secrets tonight.

“I’m making you dinner,” he says before kissing my forehead and taking my hand to lead me downstairs to the kitchen.

“You are?” I giggle and bounce down the steps behind him. “What are you making?”

“Chicken parmesan and pasta.”

“Holy calories, Batman!” I exclaim and mentally calculate how many miles I’m going to have to run to burn it off.

“It’s your birthday, M, the calories don’t count,” he says and leads me to the breakfast bar in the kitchen.

“You brought me flowers!” I exclaim and immediately bury my nose in the beautiful red roses sitting on my kitchen counter. I yank the card out of the plastic holder and read it aloud. “To M, Happy Birthday. Love, M.” I grin but in my head I’m bouncing up and down like a big dork and launch myself in Mark’s arms. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.” He kisses me hard before setting me down and getting started with dinner. “You’ll get your real present later.”

“There’s more?” I ask and clap my hands excitedly.

“Yep,” he replies. He pours me some bubbly water and I sit back and watch my man move about the kitchen.

“You’re good at this.”

“Mom makes us all take turns cooking,” he replies with a shrug. “She says we have to earn our keep.”

“I love your mom,” I say and sip my water.

“She loves you too.”

“I’m so glad that we like each other’s parents. It would really suck otherwise.”

“Did you have any doubt that I could charm your mom?” he asks.

“No.” I giggle and shake my head. “You’re quite charming.”

“I’m just kidding. I like your mom a lot. I feel kind of guilty that we lied to her about tonight.”

“I know.” I bite my lip and look down into my glass.

“Hey, it’ll be okay.”

I nod and sit back to watch him bustle about the kitchen, enjoying the way he moves. He has a natural grace that appeals to the dancer in me. When we danced together at the junior prom, I didn’t think that anything could get any better than that.

When dinner is done, he serves me first and we laugh all through the meal, talking about school and our mutual friends.

“How is Luke?” I ask casually.

“Good. He’s about to audition for some movie project about vampires,” he replies with a laugh. “Can you see my brother as a vampire?”

I laugh with him and shake my head. “He’s too nice to be a vampire.”

“Sam is enjoying college,” he continues as he clears our dishes. “The house seems quiet without her.”

“She doesn’t like me,” I reply and bite my lip. No matter how hard I try to talk with Mark’s older sister, she just doesn’t like me.

“Sam doesn’t know you very well, and she’s kind of stand-offish with strangers,” he says and loads the last dish into the dishwasher, then takes my hand in his and kisses it gently. “Besides, I don’t care if Sam doesn’t like you. Sam isn’t dating you.”

“Thank goodness,” I say with a grin and lean into him, hoping he’ll kiss me again. I can’t get enough of Mark’s kisses. He rests his forehead against my own and rubs his hands up and down my arms softly, sending shivers through me.

“Are you sure about this, M? We don’t have to do anything more than lie on the couch and watch TV if you want to.”

“Is that what you want?” I ask with a small voice.

“No.” He chuckles and if I’m not mistaken, blushes just a bit. “I can’t seem to keep my hands off you, and I want nothing more than to make love with you, but it’s a big step, and I just want you to know that it’s okay if you’re not ready.”

I love him even more for that speech. With a renewed sense of confidence, I link his fingers with mine, toss a sassy smile over my shoulder and guide him up the stairs toward my bedroom. Once inside, he shuts and locks the door—just in case—and follows me to the bed. Keeping eye contact with him, I crawl onto the bed and, leaning back on my elbows in the most seductive pose I can come up with, I crook my finger in invitation for him to join me.

“I guess this means you’re sure,” he mutters and pulls his shoes off quickly and crawls onto the mattress with me.

“I guess so,” I whisper. My stomach is doing crazy somersaults as he leans in and kisses my cheek and then down to my neck.

“You’re so beautiful, M,” he whispers. “I’m so lucky that you’re mine.”

I smile and close my eyes as he pushes his fingers into my hair and turns my head to meet his lips. He guides me to my back and hovers over me, kissing me for what feels like forever. My hands are all over his back and arms. God, I love the feel of his body, and I suddenly want to feel him naked.

Now.

I tug the hem of his shirt up and he pulls back long enough to yank it over his head and throw it on the floor and then returns to kissing me, but now his hands are wandering all over my body.

This I’m used to. We’ve done this countless times. He even got my shirt and bra off in the back seat of his car one night after a football game before we put a stop to it.

The rain is coming down harder outside, and it’s gotten much darker. The only light is the sliver of light coming in from the streetlight on the corner. Mark’s breathing is coming faster as he pushes my sweater up and sees my bra.

“Let’s get you out of these amazing clothes,” he says and watches me closely. I nod and sit up and let him pull my sweater over my head and unclasp my bra. His fingers are shaking so it takes him a few seconds to get the hooks loose. Next, I shimmy out of my skirt and panties, and when I move to put my hands over my breasts, he tugs them away and kisses my palms gently. “I’ve never seen anything more beautiful than you.”

I’m lost in his blue gaze. I’m too skinny and my boobs haven’t reached their full potential yet, but when he’s staring down at me with so much love, I know he’s telling me the truth.

“I love you, M,” I murmur and cup his face in my hands. “I love you so much.”

“I love you too, baby,” he says and kisses me softly. I reach down for the button on his jeans and with some fumbling around and muttered curses, he manages to wiggle out of them and toss them aside and suddenly there he is in all of his glory.

“You’re damn hot, Mark Williams,” I say and watch my hand glide over his hip and that really sexy muscle there. My eyes move over to his…
thing
and I feel them widen in surprise. “Holy shit.”

“Is that a good holy shit or a bad holy shit?” he asks with a laugh.

“That won’t fit in me,” I say and then feel my face flush hot.
Geez shut the fuck up, Meredith!

“It will,” he promises and nudges my gaze back up to his and kisses me some more. He knows I love the kissing. He lies on top of me and cradles my head in his hands and kisses me silly, nibbling my lips and nuzzling my nose with his. Just when my stomach muscles loosen, he nudges between my legs and I can feel him
there.

“Oh God,” I rasp with a panic.

“Hey, it’s okay, baby.”

“I’m really nervous,” I say and bite my lip, watching his face.

“Are you still sure? Or just nervous about what it will feel like?”

“Just nervous about what it will feel like,” I respond truthfully.

“Just look at me, M. It’s just me.” He eases inside just a bit and it hurts—
fuck, it hurts!—
but then it doesn’t hurt so bad. “Breathe with me, Meredith.”

He takes a deep breath and I follow him, watching his eyes with all of my attention, and as we breathe together, he slips even farther inside me. His brow is breaking out in a sweat and he licks his lips nervously, and I can see that he’s just as nervous as I am.

“I love you, baby,” he whispers softly.

“I love you too.”

“Happy birthday.”

“Thank you.”

He links his fingers with mine and holds our hands against the bed next to my head. God, he’s so damn
big.
And it’s uncomfortable, but it feels really, different. Full. Our breaths are coming really fast, and then he starts to move, like he just can’t help it. His hips pull back and then push back in, slow at first and then faster.

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