...“I’m going to taste every inch of you.”

And he did. From her lips, down her chin to her neck and across each breast. He inched her dress down farther to expose her navel. Sophie let her own desire dictate her actions. She was eager to please him, curious to the touch and taste of his body. She became aware of Derek’s own heightening pleasure. His ragged breathing, the warmth and hardness of his body next to hers. The incredible thrill of his leg insinuating her thighs apart. Then, the heat of his crotch and the erection so very evident, daring to tease her with the promise of exquisite pleasure.

Sophie felt curiosity, fear and urgency all at the same time.

“Derek,” she whispered, noting the slight anxiety in her own voice.

He looked up from nuzzling her abdomen. His mouth looked swollen, devilish, and sexy. He ran his tongue over his lips, then gave her tummy a tiny lick.

“Do you have…I mean, did you bring any…you know…” Gawd! She felt like an absolute idiot. Why hadn’t she thought of this at the beginning? Why hadn’t she paid more attention to the water cooler conversations? Had she missed something in the print articles?

Derek’s answer was to stroke the curve of her hip. A curious look suddenly crossed his face and his brow crinkled. “Geez! You haven’t done this before, have you?”

Sophie felt a tiny flicker of panic in her chest. “What makes you say that? Am I doing something wrong?”

Derek took a deep breath. “No. You’re doing just fine, believe me. It’s just that I need to get up and rob Chris’s stash.”

Sophie rose up on her elbows and questioned, “His stash? You mean you want to smoke a joint?” Maybe it was a pain thing. Maybe he wanted her to calm down a bit. Maybe…he should stop laughing at her?

“Condoms.”

The word hit her like a cold pail of water. “Oh, uh, right! That’s a good idea.”

Derek got off the bed and made his way over to the bureau. He opened and closed a couple of drawers before locating what he wanted. Then he came back to the bed and climbed in beside her. Sophie, still somewhat shy about being seen naked, well half-naked anyway, hiked the bodice of her dress up to cover her breasts.

She felt a little more at ease when Derek took her in his arms.

“It’s okay, you know. Everyone has a first time. Would this help?” With that, he took her hand and placed it on the first button of his shirt. “Go ahead,” he urged, “I won’t bite, unless you want me to.”

She understood now. The small, round buttons were cold and bumpy against the pads of her fingers. With deliberate slowness and ease, she loosened each one to reveal a few inches of his chest, bit by bit, until his shirt fell open to the waist.

Sophie lowered her eyes but trailed her hand across his bare chest, loving the feel of his skin, especially the special way the coarse hair curled around her fingers.

“You’re doing just fine. We’ll go as slow as you want. Take as long as you please and I promise I’ll stop if you don’t like something.”

Sophie buried her head against his chest and nodded silently. He squeezed her reassuringly and her nod became a nuzzle. The nuzzle became a nip. And soon she was enjoying the erotic taste of his flesh. He was warm and salty, yet slightly spicy. The heady scent of sex hormones filled the air. She felt her own wetness spread through her thin lace panties.

“Help me take off my clothes,” she begged. “I want you to look at me. I want to feel your hands on my skin. I want to feel what it’s like to have your body next to me, on top of me.”

“And inside you.” Derek added the all-important third side of the sexual triangle.

Inside me…