Cherish Every Moment Book 4: A Walk In Love

Give and Take

Avi tried to focus but failed miserably. Rayne's hands were hot on his chest, her eyes an intense and powerful green full of love and lust. He lost his mind looking at her standing before him, her shirt mostly open, her lightly tanned stomach exposed. His breath came in rapid succession, strong and heavy. He needed to close his eyes so he could process what he was feeling, pull it in and understand it, so he could think clearly. He couldn't wrench his eyes away from her face, away from her eyes. Every possible combination of feelings ran through him at once and threatened to overwhelm his senses. He was a bit worried and a tad frightened. Avi felt defenseless and exposed. He was alone with the woman of his dreams standing before him, her hands hot on his chest, the smooth skin of her stomach exposed to him and he had no clue what he should do next. He wanted to move forward, slowly. He didn't know if he had the strength or the courage to do so. If he lacked either, it could all go south in a moment. If he didn't have the courage to go forward, she would detect it, feel it in him, and she could feel like that was her fault, that would not be good. If he was weak, he'd either make a fool of himself and feel like crap or he'd end up having sex with her too soon and feel even crappier after.

He was scared. Scared he'd screw things up between them before they'd really gotten started. This was way too important to him to screw up. What kind of precedent was he setting? Did he come across as a sex-drunk simpleton idiot? Of the only two encounters that they'd had together, they both seemed to end up with their clothes off. What did that say? Avi started to doubt his actions, wonder and question everything, everything but his love for her. That, he knew was strong in his heart, knew it would be tempered. Avi saw the love Rayne had for him in her eyes as she watched the doubt and fear roll through his. Her smile was soft and loving, compassionate and endearing, full of the love and patience she had for him and quite a bit more of something else, understanding and desire.

Rayne had detected his hesitance, caught Avi's doubt. She understood and she still wanted him. Avi's heart swelled. She moved one hand from his chest and placed it tenderly on his cheek, her eyes softening as she gazed into his. She didn't say a word. She didn't have to. Rayne's eyes searched his heart, tracked his eyes and found Avi's soul. She smiled and stepped a bit closer to him. Avi's hand slid naturally to the small of her back, as if it knew that was where it belonged. His other was caught between their chests as they came together and flattened to her, his fingertips touching her skin, igniting that fire within him for her. Rayne stepped up on her tiptoes to place a small sweet kiss on Avi's lips. It was simple, kind, warm and tender. And, it was all he needed to know.

She stepped back just a touch, leaving enough space between them for Avi's hands to do whatever he chose to do with them. Rayne smiled softly then looked up at him through her eyelashes with love lust and desire in her eyes. Then Avi knew exactly what to do and exactly how he wanted to do it. With her simple kiss, Rayne let him know that she would support his choice no matter what that choice might be. Avi captured that little button again and held it just a second longer before he twisted it gently and freed it from its prison.

He watched Rayne sigh and inhale as her shirt fell open and felt another wave of pure passion and lust hit him hard. He had the urge to just rip her shirt away from her body and toss it aside before taking her to him and kissing her until they were both breathless senseless and stupid. He didn't. Instead, Avi closed his eyes to steady himself, bit his own lip and took several long slow breaths. He reached deep within and found a bit of the calm he needed. Rayne's hands were still hot on his chest. Since she moved the one from his cheek back to his chest, they hadn't moved. He could hear her breathing in the quiet room. Rayne's breaths were deep and slow as she also fought her lust for him for control. Avi opened his eyes to find hers and saw his own emotions reflected in her eyes.

They felt passion pure and raw, love strong and powerful, patience true and honest, and so much more as they stood there with their shirts open lost in the moments together. Sunlight was shining through the sheer curtains and reflecting off their exposed skin. Their shirts still covered their shoulders and backs. For all the skin that was exposed, they could have been preparing to go for a swim, but there was something sensual in the way they had gotten that way. What they were doing was fundamentally different, they didn't intend to go swimming, they were revealing themselves to each other. They weren't casually undressing each other. They were undressing each other with intent. Both were physically and emotionally invested as they intimately removed one another's clothing, slowly exploring and sharing themselves openly and honestly with each other. Avi's head was absolutely spinning. He'd seen a fair number of women in the same state of undress, he'd even gotten a few of them that way himself, but he had never taken so much time to accomplish it and it never felt so intense, so powerful, so right. He never cared so much.