A/N - Hi Lovelies.  I'm LATE!  I'm sooo so late!  Sorry for making you wait so long for this.  There is still some good plot and story to come, but this chapter is mostly smut and fluff - otherwise known as SMUFF!  😁😝  Well, our favourite couple is finally together... but still making their way through all the physical stuff.  Hey, I know they're consenting adults, but truthfully, after years of being best buds, it just seemed wrong to have them literally jump straight into bed immediately after feels were exchanged.  But we are getting there, I promise.  And there are some (hopefully) good, hot - and lovey scenes in here to tide you over.  So grab a tea, curl up, and enjoy!  Please let me know what you think - and hit that little star to vote!  Thanks so much to you all for sticking with my crazy update schedule and the long waits (I know that I go CRAZY when I'm in the middle of reading a story and I have to wait to see what happens).  Cheers!

__________________*********************____________________

The rising background din of morning traffic slowly began to permeate her senses and rouse her from sleep.  She stirred briefly and took a deep breath, her consciousness still hovering in that blissful state between dreams and wakefulness, the remnants of sleep cloying at her bones – making her feel heavy.  Taking another breath, ever so slowly she began to surface.  Her mind was still sluggish, but she could recall having the most wonderful dream.  She'd been with Ben – and they'd been kissing – which had progressed to touching.  Then their clothes had come off and she'd been able to run her hands – and lips - all over his glorious naked body.

Sighing, she could feel the residual throb of desire thrumming between her legs, and shifted restlessly, trying to get comfortable again.  It was then that she noticed that there was a hand laying on her hip; she could feel it tighten slightly as if to hold her still.  Her eyes blinked open, realizing that she was in unfamiliar surroundings.

Memories of yesterday came flooding back.

Flying to L.A.

Seeing Celeste mauling Ben.

Both of them finally confessing their feelings to each other.

Dinner.

Shuddering as her climax washed over her with Ben looking at her reverently.

A slow smiled spread over her face, realizing that they were waking up together – really together – for the very first time.

Scooching herself backwards a little, she snuggled herself closer to him until her back was completely touching his front, and her butt was nuzzled against his groin.  Wriggling her hips slightly, she could feel that he was clearly hard behind her, likely sporting morning wood.  The hand on her hip squeezed again, and she felt him lean closer and kiss her neck, causing her to shiver.

"Stop that."  He whispered into her ear.  "Unless you're planning on starting something."

Recalling her dream, she smirked to herself.  Looping her arm around his neck behind her, she turned her head and nipped at his jaw.  "I hadn't specifically planned on that, but now that you mention it...."  She trailed off, rubbing her ass against his erection again.

He made a small sound in the back of his throat, and pressed himself against her.  "Fuck that's so sexy."  He muttered lowly, placing a series of small kisses and nips across her neck, working his way up to the sensitive spot below her ear, finally catching her lobe between his teeth.  The hand he still had on her hip moved downward to stroke over her thigh before sneaking around and under her shirt to cup her breast.

Desire streaked through her, as the light throbbing between her thighs immediately blossomed into full fledged need.  "Ben...."  She moaned, turning her head once again to kiss him deeply, gasping when she felt him knead her breast before rolling her nipple between his fingers.

"Your breasts are so sensitive."  He groaned, subtly rubbing himself against her.  She whimpered in response, shocked at how fast she'd gone from low heat to 'ready to go'.

His hand drifted downwards and out from under her shirt, skirting over her sleeping shorts to gently press between her legs.  She exhaled sharply before completely melting in his arms, her head tilting back even more as her mouth fell open on a whine.  "Ben."

"Does that feel good Sweetheart?"  He asked teasingly, placing a sloppy, open mouthed kiss on her neck as his fingers pressed against her sex.

"God, yes.  Please don't stop."

He continued his gentle ministrations for another minute or so till her hips began to move against his hand.  His own breathing was speeding up as he fell further under the spell of their passion, seduced by the feel of her in his arms and by the sounds she was making.  His hips were gently thrusting against her while his kisses became more frantic against her neck and jaw.

Rey was burning up; simply lost to his kisses and his touch.  She almost felt drugged.  Languid.  Wanton.  Happily allowing him to touch her however he wanted, delighted that he seemed to be equally happy to do so without any real awkwardness or hesitation.  And although the heat between them was quickly building, it wasn't enough.  There was an inferno roaring through her blood and she wanted – no she needed – more.

"Ben..."  She whined.  "Please......please touch me."

He stilled briefly, momentarily confused, before continuing, while trying to figure out what she wanted him to do.  He was touching her.  Where else did she want him to touch her?

....

....

Oh.

Oh.....

It wasn't as if he didn't know that women liked to be fingered, but Kay had preferred that he kept his hands over her clothing, claiming that he was a bit too rough – despite his best efforts to remain very gentle.  So, it wasn't something that he'd done with any regularity.  He scoffed to himself mentally.  It wasn't as if him and Kay had been physically intimate with any regularity – even in the early stages of their relationship.  He'd been more intimate with Rey in less than a day – had kissed and touched her more than he'd typically been in weeks with Kay.  And here was Rey enthusiastically – desperately – begging for more.  What a fool he'd been not to see that their relationship really hadn't been normal.

His breathing stuttered as he moved his now shaking hand up to the waist of her sleep shorts, gently slipping it beneath the elastic and into her panties.  He huffed out a breath as a jolt of lust and pure need shot through him.  Inhaling deeply, he leaned his forehead against her, needing a moment to collect himself as he found her not only hot and wet, but positively soaked.  For him.

"Christ, Sweetheart."  He groaned, repeatedly running his fingers through her folds, rhythmically stroking through her wetness, from the top of her slit downward to tease around her opening.  "Fuck, you're wet."  He could feel her shudder in his arms, whimpering each time he touched the little bundle of nerves that were hidden like buried treasure.  His other arm snaked underneath her so he could reach her breast and hold her to him more firmly.

"You're so beautiful."  He murmured thickly.  "So beautiful, and hot, and so damn sexy."  He told her, circling his fingers around her entrance.  Gently, he slipped a finger inside of her, slowly moving it in and out, causing her back to arch as she let out a filthy sounding moan.  "That's it.  Let me hear you Sweetheart.  I've dreamed about the sounds you would make for me."  He panted, feeling her clench around his finger, as a renewed jolt of lust shot through him, threatening to overtake his senses.  His thrusts against her ass became stronger, both of his hands busy stroking her body, as he closed his eyes and lost himself to the heat and intense passion spiralling between them.

Rey was positively on fire.  Her body was burning up at the feel of his hands on and in her, and by his big warm body behind her, almost completely enveloping her in his raw desire.  She could feel him - hard and hot as he ground himself against her, causing her blood to heat and sing.  And once again there was his voice – and his words – urging her to let him know how she felt in response to what he was doing to her.  She'd never been overly vocal in bed, but Ben was coaxing it out of her, the darkly melodious tone of his voice turning her on even more, eliciting louder reactions from her, as if she was caught in an endless feedback loop of desire that just grew and grew and grew every time his words were whispered in that tone.

It all feels so good.  She thought, breathing heavily, writhing beneath his touch.  The sensations had built to the point that she was teetering on the edge of her release; however, it still wasn't enough.  "More.  Please, Ben – I'm so close.  Oh God.  Please.  More."  She pleaded.

He groaned loudly, clutching her even tighter before gently inserting another finger, increasing the pace and force of his fingers, feeling her turn liquid against him as his thumb brushed against the little bud and another wanton moan escaped her.

It was quickly becoming too much; he could feel the tingle at the base of his spine starting, and knew he was going to come.  Imminently.  "Rey."  He croaked out, kissing and sucking at her neck wildly, as his hips stuttered against her, beginning to thrust uncontrollably, losing himself completely, groaning loudly at the sensations.

The feeling of additional fullness and the change of pace Ben gave her was exactly what she'd needed, further stoking the fire that had been raging within her.  She twisted her head towards him, desperate for his kiss, desperate to feel as much of him as she could.  "Yes."  She gasped between frantic kisses, feeling herself starting to fall over the edge, hips bucking wildly.  "Yes!  Oh God, Ben.  Ben.  Ben - yes!"

Ben shuddered, his mouth falling open as he could hear and feel Rey's climax, her hips bucking as she clenched and fluttered around his fingers, continuing to cry out and babble unintelligibly.  The sight and sound of her peak became too much; the feelings cresting as his own orgasm suddenly exploded through him and he went rigid, letting out a deep, guttural groan in pleasure.

Rey was still gasping in his arms as she slowly came back to her senses a minute later.  She could feel Ben's face buried in the nape of her neck, his stubble tickling her still sensitive skin as he panted against it.  Smiling through her still unsteady breaths, she chuckled.  "Well, Good Morning."

Behind her, she could feel Ben huff out a small laugh against her, still trying to catch his breath.  "Good Morning to you too."

"I've gotta say,"  She chimed playfully, rolling over to face him.  "...that was the best morning wake up I've ever had."

His gaze was intense as he watched her carefully, with a hint of red staining his cheeks.  "Me too."  He said quietly, running the backs of his fingers across her cheek.  Turning her head slightly, she placed a quick kiss onto his fingers and gave him a brilliant smile before leaning closer to steal another from his lips.

"Ben."  She whispered quietly, closing her eyes, her face soft and relaxed, traces of her earlier bliss still evident.  "That was...."

"I know, Sweetheart.  I know."  He leaned his forehead against hers briefly before kissing her once again, slowly and meaningfully.  "It was amazing.  And hot.  I love you."

"I love you too."

They stayed like that for a couple of minutes more, exchanging soft, quiet kisses, gentle touches and shy smiles.  Giving her a last quick, kiss, Ben leaned back and stroked her hair.  "I'm going to grab a quick shower.  Then we can go get some breakfast.  All I've got is cereal.  And probably no milk."

"Breakfast out sounds good."  She replied, still smiling.  She couldn't seem to stop smiling this morning.  "Do you still want to go to the Science Center today?"

"Whatever you want, Sweetheart."

Smiling once again, she nodded.  "The Science Center sounds good."

Rolling out of bed, he glanced back at her.  "See you in a few."

"I'll be ready."

*****

Ben laughed and rolled his eyes as he watched Rey standing on a small podium, touching the static electricity ball, as her hair stood on end.  She smiled at him good naturedly, giving him a playful wink, before removing her hand and stepping down.  Striding over to him, her face bore a playful smirk.  "Your turn."

His eyes widened and he huffed out a short laugh.  "Um, no.  I don't think so."

"Oh, come on Ben!  Its fun!  And it'll persuade some of the other adults to step up too!"  She encouraged.

"Rey, it is a kid's attraction."  He stressed.

Rolling her eyes, she replied back, her tone teasingly mocking.  "Well, you are kind of acting like a baby."

Narrowing his eyes at her, he growled.  "Rey..."

Stepping closer, she leaned up on her tip toes and placed her hands on his chest just below his neck.  "You know I'm kidding.  But seriously, are you afraid that people will see your ears?"  She continued to taunt, playfully placing a quick kiss on his jaw.  "Trust me, they're adorable."

He huffed out another laugh.  "Rey, just no.  Unh nuh.  Nope.  I am not doing it."

She sighed in mock despondence.  "All right."  Her eyes flicked up to his meaningfully.  "And here I was thinking about all of the ways I could show you – later - how much I love it when you step out of your shell."

His eyes widened and his nostrils flared as he caught her meaning, slowly hissing out a quiet breath.  "I swear.....you really are going to drive me crazy.  You know that, right?"

"Mmm hmm."  She whispered knowingly, rising onto her tiptoes once again to bring herself closer to his ear.  "That's the general idea."  She said, softly brushing her lips across his ear lobe, feeling his shudder in response before stepping away once again.  Gazing up at him, she could see the sudden flare of heat in his eyes as his pupils dilated.

"Fuck, Sweetheart."  He growled.  Leaning towards her, he returned the favour by whispering softly, brushing his nose across the shell of her ear.  "When you promise me things like that, there's almost nothing I wouldn't do for you.  But unfortunately, now there's no way I can stand up on that podium for all to see, since everyone would be getting more of a show than they bargained for."

Her mouth dropped open when she realized what he was implying, her own eyes darkening in response.  After a few seconds, a soft smirk replaced her shocked expression.  "Ooops."  She giggled.  "Sorry."

Growling in response, he stepped closer to her once again.  "You are not."

"Okay, maybe I'm not that sorry."  She chuckled before spinning around and walking away, calling over her shoulder playfully.  "Are you just going to stand there all day?"

Muttering under his breath, he let out a long exhale, shaking his head and trailing after her, recalling his sentiment from the day before once again.  Nope, life would never ever be boring again.

When he caught up to her, she pulled him into an alcove that led to the restrooms, dragging him even farther around a more private corner, stopping in front of a door marked STAFF ONLY.  Grinning up at him, she quietly muttered.  "I figured that you might appreciate a few minutes away from other people...."

He gave her a dry look and stepped closer, causing her to shift until her back hit the wall.  Raising his arms, he caged her there, lowering his head to stare into her eyes.  "You are an evil vixen, you know that?"  He murmured deeply.

She bit her lip and gave him a chagrined look, suddenly worried that he might actually be annoyed with her.  Remorse flooded through her.  "I'm so sorry Ben.  I really didn't intend to...do that.  I was just teasing and.... well... "  Her gaze flicked away briefly before returning to his.  "I really am sorry about it."  Reaching up to stroke his cheek, she continued.  "Its all well and good to have a little playful fun, but I'd never want you to feel embarrassed in public.  Please forgive me?"

Grinning back at her sheepishly, he leaned forward and softly kissed her.  "I'm not mad Rey."  Touching his forehead to hers, he closed his eyes and just breathed her in.  "Its not your fault, really.  This stuff between us is still so new.  I...."  He cleared his throat, looking away.  "Its um..."

"What is it?"  She asked quietly.  "You know you can tell me anything, right?"

"I know."  He swallowed, before pulling away and shaking his head on a laugh.  "Fuck!  Okay, so I'm just going to say it..."  Blowing out a breath, he blurted out quickly.  "I'll probably be hard a lot – when we're together – for the next little while."

Her eyes rounded and she bit back a surprised grin at his hastily uttered statement.

Both his cheeks and his ears were red as he continued.  "Its just that – I've wanted this for so long – and I've kept a tight rein on everything inside whenever we were together.  But now that I don't really have to....and its just becoming....normal...."  He blew out another breath.  "...I can't quite control it like before."

The expression on her face softened and she leaned up to kiss him, this time letting her desire for him flow freely.  Breaking away from the kiss, she confessed.  "Ben. It's the same for me."  One of his eyebrows raised in sarcastic disbelief.  "Well, its clearly not as obvious, but rest assured Ben, I'm finding it just as difficult to keep from throwing myself at you every minute."  Dropping her voice to a low whisper, she said.  "My panties have literally been damp from the moment you walked into the living room after your shower this morning."  She nuzzled his neck, placing a small nip there.  "You look and smell so amazing.  I wanted to say 'fuck it' to the science center, rip your clothes off and take you back to bed instead."

"Christ, Sweetheart."  He cursed, swooping down to devour her lips and press himself against her.  She moaned softly, tangling her hands in his hair, showing him exactly how she was feeling.  When they came up for air a few minutes later, they just stood there, arms wrapped around each other, panting.  "We really do need to stop this – before some unfortunate staff member stumbles upon us."

She giggled, giving him a tight squeeze.  "I know.  It probably wouldn't be the first time.  But admit it – this was kind of fun.  A little interlude between our scientific explorations."  Looking up, she watched as he rolled his eyes.  "Do not roll your eyes at me Ben Solo!  I saw you tinkering with those legos in the Art of the Brick exhibit – you were like a little kid!  And you were positively enthralled by the space shuttle!"

Biting back a grin, he gave her a mock frown before finally admitting to her.  "Okay, fine.  Yes, I am having fun.  Happy now?"

"Definitely."  She grinned.  "And I promise to at least try to keep my hands off of you for the time being.  But I can't guarantee I'll be successful."  She winked.  "Now let's go."   She said, tugging on his arm.  "The brochure says they have some really cool meteorites that I'd really like to see."

****

They spent the rest of the afternoon slowly making their way through the remainder of the different exhibits that seemed interesting, stopping only once when Rey spied yet another alcove and was unable to resist playfully pulling him into it for a few relatively chaste kisses – saying that she just wanted to feel his arms around her again for a few minutes.  They both felt carefree, happy to indulge in some harmless, but shameless flirting with one another whenever they could.

She felt like they'd been laughing and smiling constantly for the past several hours, both of them lightheartedly having fun with some of the more interactive features, devolving into complete silliness as they playfully took turns trying to outdo one another in acting like little kids.  Her cheeks were actually sore from smiling – but she didn't care.  It had been some of the most carefree fun she'd ever had with him.  Maybe even ever, with anyone.

Although they'd spent a lot of time together over the past year, going to touristy places like this was not the type of thing they'd typically done, instead usually going to a movie, hanging out at each other's places or going to a pub or a restaurant to grab a drink or a bite to eat.  When they were still with Kay and Finn, there were weekends where they'd gone hiking or on picnics, but generally they'd just get together wherever, so this was completely new for the two of them.  And she had to admit, it was a lot of fun – and had felt more than a little special.

They were holding hands as they walked out of the Science Center building, having explored all of the exhibits they'd wanted to see, when she turned and gave him a winsome grin.  "Well Mr. Solo, I'd say that wasn't too shabby for our first date."

He laughed, shaking his head at her.  "Rey, I'd say we probably unknowingly already had our first date sometime back in January or February."

"You're probably right, but at least now we'll have a specific story to tell our kids one day when they ask."  She chuckled.

Ben stopped dead in his tracks, causing Rey's arm to wrench slightly as 225 pounds of towering, muscular man came to a sudden halt.  Glancing back in confusion, she looked at the shocked look on his face and asked.  "What?"  Her brow wrinkled.  "Did you want to pick another day?  Like when we were in the Bahamas or something like that?"

His breath had frozen in his lungs upon hearing her innocently uttered words.  She was standing there, looking at him in confusion, as he gazed back at her, open mouthed in wide-eyed wonder, temporarily unable to speak.  Could she tell that he'd dreamed about how their children might look?

Her brow furrowed as she recalled what she'd said to him.  "Did I say something wrong?"

Shaking his head furiously, he swallowed the lump in his throat and once again found his voice.  "No.  It's nothing.  Don't worry about it."  He said, starting to walk forward once again.

She gazed at him skeptically, tugging him to a stop.  "Ben.  It was clearly something.  Please tell me?"

Taking a deep breath, he exhaled heavily.  "Fine."  After a few beats, he said.  "You...you referred to 'our kids'.  It just....caught me off guard, that's all."

"Oh!"  She said in surprise, her expression turning nervous and shy.  "Um, yeah.  I didn't even think.... I guess that was kind of stupid... I mean...its literally been like....a day....and-."

"Rey – stop."  He interjected, taking a step closer.  "It......I loved hearing you say that."  He said, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear while shyly gazing into her eyes.

She smiled up at him, almost losing herself in the depth of emotions she saw in his eyes, and a fluffy, warm feeling settled in her chest.  After a few seconds of silently staring at him, she gave herself a mental shake, and whispered.  "I want to kiss you so badly right now.  But somehow I think that PDA on the steps of the Science Center would be frowned upon."

His eyes darkened and his breathing sped up.  "Soon, Sweetheart.  We'll be home soon."  He said in that tone that always seemed to seduce her, tugging on her hand to give it a brief kiss before practically dragging her to the taxi stand.  Thankfully, the line was short and they only had to wait a couple of minutes for the next available cab.

Once they were settled inside, he wrapped his arm around her and pulled her close, nuzzling her ear.  "I don't think I've ever looked forward to getting home as much as I am right now."

"Me too."  She replied quietly, leaning her head onto his shoulder.

After only a few seconds of silence, they could both hear Ben's phone buzz in his pocket.  Pulling it out, he glanced at the screen and cursed under his breath, before his eyes met hers.  "It's Celeste."  He told her unenthusiastically.  "Apparently she's been trying to call me all afternoon."  He sighed deeply. "I told her not to bother me unless it was important."  He ran his hand through his hair in frustration.

"Ben – it probably is important.  You don't think she'd just call you to check in, do you?"

"No."  He reached out and took her hand, giving her knuckles a soft kiss.  "She never has before."  He ran his thumb over her knuckles absentmindedly, toying with her fingers.  "I guess I'd better call her back."

Rey just raised her eyebrow at him.  "That's probably a good idea.  At least to find out what's so important."

Nodding, he tapped the screen to dial Celeste's number.  Only a few seconds passed before his eyes flicked back to her and he began speaking.  "Celeste.  My apologies – I had my ringer off and missed your calls."  Rey could hear Celeste's muffled voice from his phone for a few seconds before Ben responded once again.  "I really am sorry about that.  So....what's up?"

The muffled voice could be heard once again, this time for much longer, and although Rey couldn't make out what the woman was saying, she could definitely hear a note of urgency in her tone.  Ben looked at her once again, rolling his eyes and shaking his head in mild annoyance.  However, his voice was patient when he responded.  "Really?  Hmmm.  Did you double check with Lyons?  Okay, do that please.  It should be fine – I'm guessing its just a typo."  After another brief exchange with her, he wrapped it up.  "Okay then – was that it?  Okay.  Good.  Have a nice weekend Celeste.  And thanks again for catching that.  Yes.  Yes.  Everything is fine.  Mmm hmm.  She's right here.  I'm showing her around a little.  The Science Center.  Yes, it was.  Not sure – we're kind of playing by ear, but we'll figure it out.  Uh – maybe.  Um - I really should go now Celeste, okay?  Yes, thanks again.  Goodbye."

He hung up and let out an exasperated breath.  "Well that was definitely not urgent."  He laughed.

Rey smirked knowingly.  "What was that all about?"

Shaking his head, he let out a huff.  "She found a typo in the contract – one section was missing the word "not" – which is something she could've just called the client to confirm and get changed, but she made it seem like the end of the world.  I mean, if it wasn't caught, it could've been a problem, but she really didn't need me to tell her what to do."

"So, she was checking in to see what you – what we – were up to?"  She looked at him askance.

"It would appear so."

She squeezed the hand that was still holding hers.  "Well, it was a good thing you called her then.  If you didn't, she might not have stopped calling and texting you."  She laughed.  "I gotta say though, I really don't blame her for giving it one more college try."  She leaned closer and kissed his cheek.  "Hopefully that'll be the last of it though."

"I certainly hope so."  He kissed her hand again.  "Don't worry – if she persists, I'll set her straight."

"Oh no you won't."  She looked him dead in the eye, the tone of her voice leaving no room for misunderstanding.  "You're mine Ben Solo.  If she actually keeps trying to seduce you, things will go badly for her.  So, don't you worry, I will set her straight.  In my sweetly direct way."  She smiled up at him, her face all innocence.

Pulling her tightly to him, he kissed the top of her head.  "Hopefully it won't come to that, but if it does, I might actually enjoy the show after having to deal with her all these weeks."

Rey giggled and snuggled into him just a little bit deeper.  Mine.  She thought, tightening her hold on him just a little bit.  She'd never been more certain of anything in her life.  Maybe it was a bit weird, feeling this way so soon, but as with everything between them so far, it just seemed right.

They were quiet for a few minutes, simply enjoying the novelty each other's embrace.  Suddenly, she heard him sigh before clearing his throat.  Glancing up at him, she noticed that his face and ears had reddened slightly.  "Um.  Actually, I need to make a stop on the way home."

Studying him, she could sense that he definitely appeared to be a bit nervous for some reason.  "Okay."  She watched him for a few more seconds.  "Is everything all right?"

"Yes, of course."  He smiled, reaching over to thread his fingers through hers once again, but not meeting her eyes, focusing his gaze intently on her knuckles.  "I just....I thought I should be prepared."  When she just continued to stare at him in confusion, he muttered under his breath.  "You know... grab some condoms."

"Oh!"  She replied in surprise, a soft smile appearing on her face.  "Actually....well....I'm on the pill.  And I got tested after Finn.....just to be sure.  So, I'm clean."

"You did?"  He asked, slightly shocked.

"Yeah..."  She drawled out, irritation lacing her tone.  "I mean, how could I be sure that Rose was the only one, you know?  I just....wanted to be certain."

He stared at her for a few seconds, chewing his lip.  "I never thought of that.  Do you want me to get tested too?"

She shook her head at him.  "I don't think so.  While that would technically be the responsible thing to do, I'd say its fine.  You were with Kay for so long – and unless you think that there was a chance that she was with others during that time – which I don't think is the case, then its not necessary."  She sighed.  "The only reason I did was because I knew he'd been unfaithful."

"Okay.  So..... No condoms then?"  He asked hesitantly.

Wrapping her arms around his neck, she whispered seductively.  "Definitely no condoms.  I want to feel you."

He let out a soft huff and she could feel a shudder course through him.  "Sweetheart.... You have no idea...."

Kissing him softly, she stroked her fingers along the nape of his neck.  "Hmmm.  I think I do.  Just the thought of it makes me shiver."

Groaning he deepened the kiss.  "I.....fuck."  Sighing, he told her.  "Soon.  I promise."  Kissing her again, he mumbled deeply.  "Christ, I feel like I've been hard for the past two days."

She giggled, slipping her hand closer and surreptitiously palming his erection through his jeans.  He bit back a groan, not wanting the driver to hear them.  "Hmmm... I'll just have to find a way to take care of that when we get home."  She felt his shudder in response to her words.  Sobering slightly, she smiled softly, telling him.  "Ben.  Whenever you're ready, okay?"

Nodding, he leaned his temple against her head.

"You're not....worried about it, are you?"  She asked, her voice laced with concern.  "I mean, I know that Kay had issues, but I don't.  Its going to be amazing and beautiful – you know that, right?"

He smiled back at her, anticipation clearly written on his face.  "Yes – I do know that.  And no, I'm not really worried.  Well, maybe a bit....nervous – but I think that's expected, right?"

"Of course.  I'm nervous too."  His eyes widened slightly, and she shrugged back at him.  "Its perfectly normal.  After all, I haven't been with lots of other people either...."

Wrapping his arm around her he pulled her close.  "It will be beautiful.  And hot.  And I honestly can't wait – but I'm forcing myself to."

"I know."  She said.  "Its kind of nice, actually – just fooling around – figuring things out.  Learning each other like this."  Leaning closer, she whispered in his ear.  "Don't be surprised though, if I come the very second you're inside me that first time."

He whimpered quietly in the back of his throat, before swallowing thickly and whispering back to her.  "I swear, you are going to kill me."

Grinning hugely, she replied.  "You really didn't think I'd make it easy for you to resist me, did you?"

Rolling his eyes, he placed a kiss to the top of her hair and tucked her head into the crook of his neck for the rest of the ride back to his apartment.

****

It was hard to keep their hands off of each other once the taxi dropped them off.  They made out like teenagers as the elevator whisked them up to Ben's floor, before hurriedly stumbling down the hall to his apartment after the doors opened.  His hands were shaking so badly he almost dropped his keys, fumbling as he desperately tried to unlock the door.  He growled, finally getting it open, turning back to encircle her with his arms.  Rey giggled, pushing him inside before he could capture her, practically slamming the door and locking it behind her.  Then, she dove at him.

He caught her on a laughing groan, lifting her and wrapping her legs around him as their mouths fused to each other in a desperate kiss.  Pulling back after a minute, she stared into his eyes, her emotions open and unguarded for him to see, with everything reflected back at him.  "I'm so happy Ben.  I think I've loved you for a long time, but I never could have imagined....this!"  She grinned hugely.  "I mean, its literally only been 2 days, and already, I don't know how we lasted as long as we did without touching like this."  She murmured softly, while stroking his cheek, before leaning closer and giving him a soft but lingering kiss.  "Without kissing like this."

He kissed her again; a slow, drugging type of kiss that pulled her even further into a hazy fog of desire.  "Mmmm."  He murmured.  "I probably would've broken before you, you know."  He said, continuing to lazily pluck at her lips.

Sighing, she pulled herself closer to languidly kiss him back.  "I really don't think so.  If I hadn't come here, and assuming you'd told me what was going on with Celeste, I probably would have thrown myself into your arms and kissed you senseless at the airport – as soon as you got off your plane."

"Oh you think so?"

"Mmm hmm.  So, I definitely would've broken before you."  She said, a note of challenge in her voice.  "But I guess, technically you did kiss me first at the airport...."

He laughed, kissing her once again.  "Well, it's a moot point now, but that's good to know Sweetheart."

They stood there kissing for a few more minutes, their breathing slowly speeding up as they fell deeper and deeper under each other's spell.

"Hey Handsome,"  She said teasingly, nipping at this bottom lip.  "..take me to the bedroom."

His dick twitched in his pants as if to say "yes please", and he turned, quickly striding down the short hallway to what was now their bedroom.  He set her on her feet in front of the bed and just stared at her for a few seconds before bringing both hands to her cheeks and taking her lips in a deep, but gentle kiss.

When he pulled back, his eyes were softly searching – clouded with a slight hint of hesitation.  "I want you so badly Rey.  It feels like I've dreamed of you for so long....."

Placing her hands over his, she gazed at him softly.  "I want you too.  I feel like I've been almost....enthralled.... with you - ever since the Bahamas.  Everything with you so far has been perfect – its just felt right.  And we'll know when its time – when it feels perfect and right – to make love."  She leaned up for a kiss and softly coaxed.  "So, let's just take a breath and do whatever feels right, right now - and go from there."

He shuddered out a breath and gave a little laugh.  "Holy fuck I love you.  So much."

She chuckled, giving him a hard kiss in return.  "I love you too.  And I get it.  I understand.  I really do."

Leaning his forehead against hers, he smiled.  "I know you do.  You understand me better than anyone else.  Ever.  Period.  Just as I understand you, Sweetheart."

Nodding in return, she snaked her hands underneath the Henley he was wearing, running her palms up his chest, just as he leaned forward to capture her lips in his.

After toying with each other all afternoon, this kiss quickly turned carnal.  Rey's hands continued in their upward exploration, lifting his shirt high enough that he got the message, breaking their kiss to tug it off the rest of the way.  Her breath caught in her throat as she gazed at the magnificent expanse of chiseled chest and abs displayed in front of her.

She took a step back and stared fixedly at his chest and torso, her mouth literally watering at the sight.  Hers.  This man was hers.  She almost couldn't believe it.  "My God, Ben.  You have such a beautiful body."  She said, as if mesmerized, before leaning closer to place a series of wet kisses and licks along his left pec.  "I want to kiss you all over."  Slowly, she made her way closer to his nipple, finally closing her lips around it, stroking and swirling her tongue across it.

He made a low, tortured sound in his throat, his hips bucking against her, as she continued exploring his chest with her mouth, all the while running her hands over his biceps and shoulders.  Glancing up into his eyes, she let him see her hunger for him, as her fingers slowly trailed over his chest and down to his abs, stopping just short of the waistband of his dark jeans.  Feeling him shiver, she could see goosebumps appear across his skin, and smiled seductively.  "You like that?"  She asked softly.

He swallowed and gave her a slight nod, his eyes closing in pleasure as she lightly scraped her nails up his sides.  He groaned again, breaking out in fresh goosebumps, and she smiled against his chest before quietly murmuring.  "I love touching you Ben.  Its like I can't keep my hands to myself when you're near me."   He shivered again, and made a small sound in his throat.

Leaning up onto her toes, she kissed his lips, then moved downward to kiss across his jaw, following a path down his neck to the top of his collarbone, giving him a soft nip in the hollow there.  All the while, she could feel and hear his reactions to each new spot she kissed, licked and nibbled.  She continued stroking him with her hands, dipping down to lightly skim over the prominent erection that was clearly poking at the front of his pants.  When she did, he groaned loudly at the much needed contact and instinctively thrust into her hand.

His eyes were closed and his breathing was erratic as he allowed her to minister to him with her hands, lips and teeth.  He didn't think he'd ever been this excited – this hard – in his entire life, and they'd barely even begun.  His arousal was rock hard and aching for her touch – for anything to relieve the throbbing that was coursing through him like a pulse.  When her hand softly stroked him through his pants – just once – he thought he was going to go mad, his pleasure at her touch echoing from him in a guttural groan.

Winding her arms around his neck, she pulled herself up to his ear and whispered huskily.  "I love hearing you react to my touch like that Ben.  It makes me want to do all sorts of things to you."  She could feel the deep shudder that wracked his body as his breath panted in her ear.

"What kind of things?"  He croaked out.

"Let me show you."  She told him as she nipped his earlobe, causing him to huff out a sharp breath.

As she pulled back from him he caught her hands and stopped her.  "Wait!"  Grasping the bottom of her shirt, he began tugging it over her head.  "I want to feel your skin."  He said quietly, running his hands up her body, feeling her shiver.  He admired the lacy black bra she was wearing, and let his gaze linger there for a minute, hunger clearly evident on his face.  His thumbs briefly brushed over her nipples and she moaned quietly, before he crushed his mouth to hers again in a desperate kiss.  Pulling her close, he pressed her tightly against him as if attempting to fuse their bodies together.  Both of them whimpered, savouring the sensation of being so close to one another, yet not close enough.

Their desperate and deep kisses continued, as Rey's hands tangled in his hair over and over again, not being able to get enough of him.  She could feel his hardness pressed against her belly and decided that she wanted to drive him crazy with desire and pleasure.  Pulling back from him once again, she slipped her hands down into his, and walked backwards, tugging him forward, till her legs hit the bed and she sat down.  He was standing in front of her, gazing down into her eyes, when she smiled back up at him mischievously.  Her eyes never left his as she reached for the button on his jeans.

His face became nervous as she undid his jeans and began peeling them down his legs.  She could see the trepidation in his eyes as his very prominent hardness stood out against his underwear.  Trying to make light of the situation, she glanced up playfully.  "Boxer-briefs, huh?  I would have taken you for a classic boxer kind of guy."

His face and ears blushed deep red.  "I wear either, depending on what I'm wearing that day."  Her brows wrinkled in confusion and he explained.  "I wear boxers with trousers or dress pants, but never with jeans or sweatpants."

It was her turn to blush, and she tore her gaze away from his to admire the very stiff, but still covered appendage in front of her eyes.  Running her hand along his length, she had to press her thighs together.  He was definitely large.  But he didn't feel freakishly large to her hand.  Glancing up again, she asked coquettishly, a playful smile upon her face, as she moved her fingers to his waistband.  "May I?"

His eyes were nervous, and he swallowed thickly, biting his lip, before covering her hand with his.  "Maybe not just yet?"

She cocked her head and contemplated him with a soft, but concerned smile, internally wanting to slap Kaydel silly.  Based on her past heart to heart conversations with Ben about Kay, they'd not had a great sex life, and from what she'd gathered, Ben seemed to think that it was his fault – that he was just too big - and too clumsy.  Is there such a thing as too big?  She thought to herself.  But clearly, the young woman's fears and not so subtle rejection had done a number on Ben's psyche.

"I'm not her Ben."  She whispered reassuringly, sliding her hands over to find his, giving them a gentle squeeze.

"I know."  He replied quietly, letting out a deep sigh.  "I just...."

"It's okay.  There's no need to rush.  Like I said, let's just see where this goes.  What feels right for today."  Leaning forward she planted a kiss on his abdomen, just above the waistband of his briefs.  "But I have to confess that I hope I never run into Kay again, because I seriously just might slap her for what she did to you – even if it wasn't intentional."

He chuckled at that.  "You don't have to defend my honor - or my virility."

Shaking her head, she frowned up at him.  "No, that's not it.  I know she had her reasons, but I want her to understand how wrong she was...."

Smiling down at her, he ran his thumb across her cheek.  "Its okay Rey.  Just let it go.  It's done."

"But-"

He leaned over and kissed her, effectively cutting her off.  Sliding his hands into her hair, he deepened the kiss, causing her to moan quietly as his fingers stroked along her nape.  When he tried to push her backwards to lie down on the bed, she steeled herself and broke the kiss, shaking her head.

"No.  I want you to lie down.  I want to take care you you."

Standing up, she twisted him around, switching places with him, then pushed him to sit on the bed.  His hands wrapped around her, pulling her in for a deep kiss, leaning back to get her to topple over with him.  Grinning down at him, she swung her leg off of him and softly commanded.  "Move up the bed."

"Yes Ma'am."  He smirked back as he shifted himself backwards till his head hit the pillow.

Rey crawled up beside him and tucked herself closely into his side, running her hand upward from his abs to his chest and shoulders.  Leaning over, she placed soft kisses on his jaw, moving up to capture his lips for a sweet but hot kiss.  "I want you to relax."

"I am relaxed."  He said, smiling in amusement.

"Good."  She said, pecking his lips with another brief kiss as her hand drifted downwards, eventually brushing over his hardness, over top of his briefs.  "I want to make you feel good."  She whispered.  "I want that so badly."

His lips fell open on a soft huff as his expression softened and his pupils blew wide open.  "You make me feel amazing Sweetheart.  Everything about you is amazing."  He croaked out.

"You make me feel the exact same way."  She murmured seductively, tracing her lips across his chest as she tightened her hand and began stroking him in earnest.  "This morning – it felt so good when you touched me."  She increased the pressure slightly, smiling at the sound he couldn't keep from making.  "Will you let me touch you Ben?  I want to wrap my fingers around you – and my mouth – if you'll let me.  Will you let me?"  She asked coaxingly, her voice soft and pliant.

A tortured sounding groan tore from his chest at her words, and his hips bucked upward, unable to stop his body from responding to the sensual haze she was wrapping him in.  His desperate eyes met hers, and he nodded frantically, gasping out.  "Yes!  Holy fuck!  Please Sweetheart."

Stretching herself back up, she leaned over and kissed him deeply, just as her hand snaked beneath the waistband of his briefs and wrapped around his shaft.  His reaction was immediate – and loud – breaking the kiss on a long cry of pleasure as his head arched back on the pillow.  "Shit.  Sweetheart.  That's good.  Too good.  Arggghhh."

She smiled at his reaction, loving the feeling of being able to make him feel this way, vowing that by tomorrow, he'd no longer worry about how she'd react to seeing him.  He definitely felt a bit larger to her hand than what she was used to, her fingers splayed a bit more broadly around him.  Her mouth watered and her heart sped up at the thought of her lips closing around him.  Imagining how he'd feel pressing into her center.  Deeply.  A jolt of heat pulsed sharply in her core and she pressed her legs together, letting out a small groan as she buried her face in his neck, nipping at the sensitive flesh below his ear, all the while keeping up the movement of her hand in a steady rhythm.

The sounds he was making were getting louder and his hips were thrusting erratically into her hand.  She could feel that he was close to climaxing.  Glancing up, his face was flushed and his eyes were squeezed closed in concentration, clearly trying to hold off his peak.  Threading her hand through his hair, she coaxed.  "Its okay Ben.  This is for you – you don't need to hold on.  Just let go."

He opened his eyes and his gaze snapped to hers. She could see the wildness there and leaned over with her own eyes open to kiss his lips.  "Come for me, Ben."

A desperate cry burst from him and she could feel his hips stutter before the warm wetness coated her hand and the bottom of his abs.  She continued to stroke him gently until he stopped shuddering.

After a minute or so, his eyes popped open and he glanced at her, slowly returning her wide smile.  "Sweetheart..."

Still smiling, she kissed him swiftly.  "I absolutely love watching you fall apart under my hands....."  She kissed him again.  "..and lips..."  another kiss.  "...and soon my body..."

Leaning up on his elbows he kissed her tenderly, studying her for a moment.  "Yes.  Soon."  He leaned his forehead onto hers.  "Really, really soon."  He breathed.

She grinned unrepentantly.  Withdrawing her hand from him, she swiped up the small, sticky puddle on his stomach and wiped it on the coverlet, before glancing back up at him with a smirk.  "I'm guessing we should do some laundry tomorrow."

He rolled his eyes, chuckling deeply, kissing her yet again as he complained petulantly.  "You have entirely too many clothes on."  Kissing her again, he ran his hands down her front, stopping to gently knead her breasts through her bra, before continuing downward to trail his fingers over her belly, and then lower to undo her pants, softly sliding them part way down her legs.  She helped to kick them off the rest of the way, now clad only in her lacy black bra and matching panties.  Leaning back on his elbows, he took a moment to enjoy the view.

"You are so beautiful, Sweetheart."  He told her, the deep, dulcet tone of his voice shooting renewed heat to the area between her thighs - the throb there making her feel positively empty.  And his eyes – his eyes were almost feral, filled with such lust that she shivered, feeling herself get even wetter than she already was.

Something in her eyes must have shifted, because he suddenly cursed and shot forward, desperately crashing his mouth to hers, almost devouring her with the intensity of his bruising kisses.  When he came up for air, he whispered harshly, slipping his fingers into her lacy panties.  "I'm going to watch you fall apart today too.  I want to look into your eyes when I make you come."

A long, low whine rumbled in her chest at his words.  Fuck.  She knew he was sexy – but something about the way he looked when he'd said it, at the exact same time he'd begun to stroke her, stoked the fire in her, causing it to roar.  "Holy shit, Ben."  She whined, feeling his fingers pump into her gently, as wanton pleasure washed over her.

"Feel good?"  He asked thickly.

"Soooo good."  She replied, her voice rough and deep, whimpering when she could feel him add yet another finger, filling her even more.

"That's it."  He coaxed.  "Feel that."  He intoned, crooking his fingers to rub against her front wall, wanting to drive her crazy with lust.  "Imagine how it'll feel when its not my fingers – but all of me instead, filling you up – driving in so deeply you won't know where I stop and you begin."

Whimpering again, her breathing stuttered.  "Yes.  Yes, please – I want that."  She whined, the thought of him on top of her, once again imagining the feel of him driving into her – hard – bringing her close to her peak already.

"Soon.  I promise Sweetheart.  You'll have your legs wrapped around me, pulling me in deeper-"

That was all it took.  She fell over the edge – her hips bucking wildly, gasping out her cries of pleasure while he watched in awe.  She was beautiful.  And he did that.  With his kisses, his touches and his words.

"My Rey.  My Love."  He whispered adoringly.

Her eyes opened slowly, seeing his reverent gaze on her.  A slow smile appeared on her lips, her expression still soft.  "You're good at that."

He cocked an eyebrow at her.  "I am?"

She nodded happily, leaning up to kiss him.  "Very good."  Lifting her arms up over her head, she stretched contently, like a cat just waking from a long nap.  "Mmmm...."  She breathed.  "I'm hungry."

He burst out laughing, giving her another quick kiss.  "Now why doesn't that surprise me."  She gave him a chagrined look in response, and he chuckled once again.  "But I'm hungry too.  Let's see what we can scrape together."  He said, giving her another quick kiss and rolling out of bed, holding out his hand to her.  "Coming?"

Leaning up on her elbows, she simply gazed at him for a few seconds.  He was wearing nothing but his black boxer-briefs, his hair was mussed, and his face was still a little flushed from their activities.  He was simply beautiful.  A feeling of love and contentment welled up inside of her, satisfying every need she'd ever felt for someone to connect with – for a partner.  Giving him a secret smile, she sat up and placed her hand in his, allowing him to pull her up onto her feet.  "Yes.  If you're offering food, you don't have to ask me twice."  She told him, following along as he tugged her into the kitchen.

****

Later that night, they were curled up in bed, wrapped around each other, with lazily stroking, wandering hands, contentedly just laying there and breathing the other in.  They were comfortably sated and sleepy after a makeshift dinner of pasta, sauce and cheese, followed by cozily snuggling up on the couch to watch a movie, which was eventually forgotten as the occasional soft kisses evolved into intentional touches and then even more fooling around.

Rey had never felt so quietly satisfied.  Connected.  Loved.  In her entire life.

She tipped her chin up to kiss his jaw and his neck once again – something she couldn't seem to stop herself from doing – and recalled the look in his eyes from earlier, when they'd been stretched out on the couch.  He'd glanced up at her from between her thighs, his mouth and nose nuzzling into her crotch - driving her crazy with want – as his teeth pulled at the lacy, delicate strip of fabric there.  "Ben, please - you're being such a fucking tease."

He'd just grinned up at her unrepentantly, replying,  "I believe that's the point Sweetheart." before finally tugging the fabric aside with his teeth and sliding a finger into her, causing her to arch her back and lose her breath at how exquisite it felt.  It was probably the sexiest damn thing she'd ever seen.  He literally played her like an instrument, slowly stoking the fire of desire in her until she was a puddle of need - for him.

She knew he'd be good at this.  He was simply too considerate of others not to be an amazing lover.  It was one of the reasons why she'd been so baffled by his admission that his sex life with Kay was not everything that it was supposed to be.  Truthfully, it didn't sound like it was anything that it was supposed to be, and she hoped that their experiences now would quickly eclipse – and erase – any and all of his bad memories with Kay.

Her hand snaked even further around his torso and she pressed herself closer to him in a makeshift hug.  She must have made a small sound, because she could feel his chest rumble against her cheek as he chuckled softly.  "What are you thinking about?"

"Mmmmm.  Lots of things."  She replied sleepily.  "Why do you ask?"

His voice was still tinged with mirth when he answered.  "Because it sounded like you were purring."

"Was I?"  She asked on a deep inhale.  "Hmm.  I probably was."  She said, rubbing her cheek against his chest.  "I was just thinking about earlier – and how utterly amazing you are at....all of the physical stuff, so far.  You make me feel so good."

He was quiet for several seconds, and she could almost feel his blush.  "I...."  He stuttered.  "Really?"

Her heart fluttered at his apparent uncertainty, and she leaned up to kiss his neck once again.  "You really have to ask?  You've given me  - what - three orgasms today?"  She shook her head.  "Silly man.  I mean it Ben.  You are a fantastic, skilled and considerate lover.  When you touch me – I just melt.  And – my God – when you make me come, its so good that I forget my own name.  And we haven't even gotten to the main course."  She chortled.  "When we do, if I have some sort of out of body experience, please tether me to you somehow so I can find my way back to this plane of existence."

He laughed again, kissing the top of her head while his hand rubbed slow circles onto the thigh she had slung over him – a position she'd decided was her favourite, as they lay together like this, slowly succumbing to sleep.

"So, pinch me - I feel like I've been dreaming all day."  She said sleepily, reminding him of their conversation the previous night while they were similarly laying in bed like this.  The hand that was on her thigh snaked up to her ass cheek and gave her a playful pinch there.

"Ow!"  She squealed in protest, giving his chest a playful swat while leaning up slightly to glare at him in the dark.  A deep rumble echoed through his chest at her spirited response.  "That was intended to be a euphemism!"

Leaning over, he planted a quick kiss on her lips.  "I know.  But it was more fun to see your reaction."

"Mmmmrgh."  She gave him a Marg Simpson growl and leaned down to give him a quick, hard kiss.  "I will get you back for that you know."

Although she couldn't quite see his grin, she could feel the smile in his voice.  "I'm counting on it."  He tightened his hold slightly as she settled back down onto his chest, placing a last kiss into her hair for emphasis.  "Good night, Sweetheart."

"'Night Ben."  She mumbled softly, before quietly sighing.  "My Love."  Closing her eyes, she snuggled into him once again and let herself drift off to sleep.