A/N - Hi All!  I hope you're still with me after a longer than normal gap between posts.  Whew! This is a long one (a really, really long one - like 16,000 words long!!) - which is why its taken me so long to complete and polish it.  I struggled with breaking it into two - waffling back and forth, but then decided to just leave it as is.  So, get cozy, grab a bevvie, and settle in for a while!  And yes... its here!  The moment has finally arrived!  But, after such a long wait, I couldn't just let them rush it (which is why the damn thing is so long!).  Its definitely smutty - but with A LOT of feels woven in!  Hopefully its not too convoluted, and you still like it.  After this, I'm looking forward to finally moving the rest of the story along  😁.  Please let me know what you think (I love hearing from you all), and vote, vote, vote!  Thanks for still reading!  Enjoy!

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It was her laugh that did it.  That innocent, happy laugh that bubbled out of her in the bright afternoon sunlight.  It resonated through him, echoing through his blood like a drug, finally sending him over the edge.  They were casually strolling down the beach, enjoying the warmth of the day after spending the morning exploring the attractions at the Santa Monica Pier.

It had been something that Ben had been dying to show her – one of the attractions that he'd compiled in his mind – those he'd wanted to experience with her.  Since he'd been in L.A., he'd really barely done anything fun - had really only worked and gone for an occasional run.  But he'd seen the Pier area one day as his Uber had driven past it, and it had reminded him a little of their time in the Bahamas.  He'd immediately added it to his list of "things he'd like to show Rey".

After waking up to another typically beautiful day in sunny southern California – following a prolonged morning make out session that had turned very heated – they'd decided to do something outdoors, rather than being cooped up inside on such a lovely day.  He'd mentioned the Pier in response, and Rey became so excited that he'd had to stop her from practically dragging him out of the door.  He'd just laughed, rolling his eyes and telling her that nothing was open that early – but mollified her with the promise of a home cooked breakfast.  He'd kept their meal relatively simple though, suspecting that she'd prefer to sample a number of the "fair food" type offerings that would be available, just like she did at the small festival they'd visited in the Bahamas.  As soon as they were done eating, he'd ordered an Uber and they were off to the Pier.

Since it was a Saturday, it was already busy at 10:30 in the morning, with many people having decided to enjoy the warmth and sunshine of the late winter day.  After a quick look around, they'd decided to start with the small aquarium, since Rey had mentioned that she was excited to see the Pacific sea life instead of what she termed "the boring Atlantic cold water fishes" that were more typical of East Coast aquaria.

Throughout most of the day, he'd been content to stand back and simply watch her.  There was just something about the way she moved that he found so.....enthralling.  Of course he'd noticed it before, but had forced himself to keep from openly gawking at her until now, lest she figure out that he was looking at her in a way that was far from how a friend should look.  Gazing appreciatively were the words that came to mind.

He recalled a few moments from earlier that morning, when he'd watched while she'd peered through the glass of one of the tanks, her face practically pressed against the glass to get a closer look.  "Damn, I think I might need glasses."  She'd said, glancing at him sheepishly.  "All those hours peering at schematics on my computer screen may be catching up with me."  Noticing his look, she'd straightened up and gazed at him curiously.  "What?"  She asked.  "Why are you looking at me like that?"

"Its nothing."  He'd replied quickly, shaking his head and glancing away quickly, before turning back to her with an awkward gaze.

Cocking her head, she'd narrowed her eyes and gave him a contemplative smirk.  "You have that look in your eye."  She murmured, stepping closer, before sassily continuing.  "The one that says you want to kiss me."

He'd blinked, feeling his cheeks turning red at being so thoroughly caught.  Could she always read him so well?  Thinking about it a bit more, he thought maybe now that they'd embarked on a physical relationship, she could discern his tells that much more clearly.  Whatever it was, it was disconcerting to know that she could see what he was thinking so easily.

Drifting back into his thoughts, he remembered what had happened next, his blood heating slightly.  He'd been mildly embarrassed, but had sighed in resignation, tipping his head down to whisper in her ear.  "Your neck suddenly seems more beautiful and enticing to me this morning.  So yes, I was thinking about how much I wanted to kiss it."

He'd watched as her pupils had dilated and her expression softened.  "Hmm.  Something tells me the tables have turned today, and that it'll be you innocently teasing me to the point of wanting to jump you in the middle of this aquarium."

A laugh had burst out of his chest at her unexpected candor, and he'd smirked unrepentantly.  "Hmm.  We'll see.  But unlike yesterday, I don't see any quiet alcoves where we could hide for a few minutes."

"That's too bad."  She'd whispered coquettishly, leaning closer so that only he would hear her, enticingly slipping her hand downward and giving his ass a playful squeeze.  "I really would've liked to drag you off to engage in a mad make-out session right now."

He remembered having to grit his teeth, thinking mundane thoughts to keep himself from getting hard.   After a few pulse beats he'd collected himself, huffed out a breath, and muttered "Minx" as he strode away from her.  She'd just given him a cheesy smile and followed.

Shaking himself back to the present, he grinned to himself.  Never boring.  It was almost becoming his new mantra, one he'd happily utter to remind himself every time she did something that jostled him out of his dull and tedious comfort zone.  He couldn't wait to see what each new day with her brought.

After visiting the aquarium, they'd headed to the amusement park and spent the rest of the afternoon braving the rides.  They'd both marvelled at the view from the Pacific wheel, happily snapping selfies of the two of them.  Rey smiled fondly as she scrolled through the pictures, immediately replacing her lock screen with the one that she declared was her favourite.  It showed the both of them smiling merrily, with the long strip of beach and the mountains in the background.  She'd gazed at the photo for the rest of their ride, with a secret smile on her face and her head on his shoulder.

From there they'd moved on to eating, sampling a wide array of traditional "fair food".  Well, Rey sampled the fair food – and he mostly just watched.  Admittedly, he was a total food snob, and thus didn't appreciate the finer side of the greasy delicacies that she seemed to be so infatuated with.  He'd deigned to eat a corn dog – which Rey had insisted upon, calling it a rite of passage when he'd literally looked down his nose at it, but had drawn the line at some of the more daring choices that she'd made.  

She'd also insisted on having a slushie, which she'd happily slurped as they'd wandered around perusing the other food stands.  Ben had frowned at the artificial cherry taste when he'd been forced to grudgingly take a sip.  "You know those are meant for kids, right?"  He'd asked flippantly.  She'd just elbowed him in response, calling him a lightweight and telling him to get into the "fair spirit".  He was even more appalled when she'd purchased some sort of deep fried pickles, shuddering when she declared them to be delicious.  Again, she'd coaxed him to take a small bite - challenging him to 'live a little', and he'd had to admit that it was actually pretty good.  This was followed by two deep fried oreos, then topped off with a wand of blue cotton candy.  

They'd made their way to the beach area as Rey was eating her cotton candy - every once in awhile unexpectedly popping a puff into Ben's mouth.  While he didn't necessarily love the taste of the fluffy dyed sugar, he'd enjoyed nibbling on her fingers, and so let her keep feeding it to him.  

He'd watched as she devoured the sweets, biting his lip to suppress a grin, hoping that she wasn't going to be sick later.  However, she didn't really look any worse for wear after eating all of that....crap.  The woman definitely had a cast iron stomach - and on second thought actually looked kind of radiant.   From where he now stood, he watched her – almost reverently - as she took a few steps away, slipped her shoes off and tilted her head back, inhaling deeply and soaking up the late winter California sun.  She'd smiled brightly and laughed, filled with joyful exuberance, with her face to the sky to catch the sun's rays.

Hearing her laugh, once again he felt... caught, his heart suddenly feeling too large for his chest and his attention laser focused on her as he studied her in rapt fascination.  The way a few stray tendrils of her hair had escaped from her messy bun, blowing artfully around her face in the sea breeze.  The way the sunlight danced through them, highlighting the strands of golden brown and chestnut, bringing out little touches of auburn, making them glow, almost casting a bright hue around her face in the afternoon light.  Her smile was beaming, lighting up her face as she glanced over at him; her expression was one of pure joy.  And damn....those dimples.  Just damn!  Her dimples were on full display, hypnotizing him.  And then there were her eyes.  They were....sparkling, filled with such wonder as she gazed at him.  She has such pretty eyes.  He thought.  The sun brought out the vivid green that made them that unique hazel he was sure he'd never seen before.  She was beautiful.  Glowing.  His....

He gasped quietly, drawing in a deep breath.  Somehow, he'd forgotten to breathe.  He had no idea how long he stood there...literally holding his breath....gazing appreciatively – only realizing it when his heart started to pound and he started feeling lightheaded.  Sucking in another deep breath, he realized, not for the first time that he really was well and truly fucked.  Completely besotted with her.  He would literally do anything she asked of him.  Cut off his right arm?  Sure, no problem.  Dive headfirst into a writhing pit of snakes?  Of course – absolutely.  Anything else?

Shaking his head, he laughed at how much he'd changed over the past year.  And it was all because of her.  It had crept up on him, and he now felt like he not only had a real girlfriend, but also a partner – someone who would be there to share everything with him.  Someone who saw him for exactly who he was, who understood him and who would love him anyways, regardless of all his flaws and idiosyncrasies.  No matter what.  There would be joy – happiness – of that he had no doubt.  But there would also be times of sadness - probably some pain too.  However, as long as she was by his side – as long as they were together, they could handle whatever life threw at them.  These past few days had shown him that his life – their lives - would never be the same.  He was totally fine with that.  And he couldn't wait.  He was done waiting.  For everything.

She'd stopped moving briefly, standing still in the sunlight, her face still turned to the sky, her arms extended to the side.  Stepping closer to her, he came up from behind, crowding her slightly, softly running the tops of his fingers along the back of her arm, from shoulder to elbow.  The innocent, barely there touch caused her to suck in a breath, and she shivered, lowering her arms weakly before leaning into him.  "Ben."  She implored, a clear sound of need echoing through her voice.

His arms circled her from behind, and he pulled her close to murmur into her ear.  "You look so beautiful – standing in the sunlight, absorbing all of the beauty around you.  You're positively glowing.  My sun goddess."  He could feel her melt against him and he brushed a soft kiss against her neck.  "Let's go home Sweetheart.  If you've had enough of the sand, sun and sea, I want to peel you out of those clothes and see if I can still smell the sea on your skin.  See if its as soft everywhere as it is on your belly.  If it will feel just as soft under my tongue."  One of his hands had snuck beneath her shirt, and he accentuated his words by lightly stroking his thumb across the skin of stomach.

A foreign sound bubbled out from her throat before she finally found her voice.  "Holy fuck, Ben."  She breathed.

He continued to nuzzle her neck softly, murmuring deeply in that voice that always seemed to make her panties damp.  "So, Sweetheart, will you let me take you home so I can finally make love to you?  I simply can't wait any longer."

Everything inside of her began to unravel at the sexy, seductive sound of his voice and his gentle but insidious touch on her belly.  Her breasts were tingling with arousal – her body screaming for him to move that hand upward just a little bit to stroke her suddenly oversensitive nipple.  Holy fuck they were in public!  And the rush of arousal suddenly coursing through her, from his gentle touch and whispered words was absolutely insane!  She could feel her knees becoming weak, as the tingling spread downward to her core.  She felt.....empty, imagining how it would feel if he snuck his other hand downward to stroke her there before filling her with his fingers.  She shivered, almost moaning out loud at the thought.  

Her head lolled back against him and she whimpered quietly, a whiny, needy sound that shot straight to his groin.  His hands tightened on her waist and he buried his head in her shoulder, inhaling deeply.  "Please....."  She replied, her voice pitched higher than normal, still shaky and breathy, and he smiled against her.  He could feel her take a deep breath in, trying to collect herself a little.  "And I want to make love to you in return."

"Deal."  He told her, his voice rumbling deeply through her once again, just before he planted another kiss on her neck, followed by a gentle scrape of his teeth, making her shudder.

"If you keep that up, you're going to have to carry me.  My knees are about to give out."

She could feel him smile against her neck again.  "If it means we get home faster, I'm game."

She immediately started to laugh.  Turning in his arms, she looked up at him, eyes sparkling while her arms wound around his neck.  "You are incorrigible, you know that?"  She smirked.  "But – I don't want to wait another minute either.  Please Ben, take me home."  She lifted herself up onto her toes and placed a soft kiss on his lips.  "I can't wait to make love to you.  I feel like we've waited forever for this....."

A deep shudder coursed through him as his eyes drifted shut.  Overcome with anticipation, he could only nod, clasping her tightly for a few seconds.  Suddenly, he released her with one arm, keeping the other wrapped snugly around her waist, giving her a minute to slip her shoes back on before dragging her towards the taxi stand at the Pier's main gate.

They were both silent on the ride back to the apartment, with Rey tucked tightly into his side, her legs swung casually over his thigh and her head on his shoulder.  Their arms were around each other – never ceasing to touch - as their hands softly roamed and petted.

When the taxi came to a stop a little while later, Ben tapped his card to pay and climbed out, leaning back in to offer her his hand with a smile.  "Come on Sweetheart."

Smiling back at him knowingly, she took a deep breath and placed her hand in his.

****

Not long afterwards, they were back in Ben's apartment, silently, but shyly, gazing at one another, not quite sure of what to do next.  They'd removed their shoes, still awkwardly standing by the door, as Rey's eyes followed Ben, watching as he took of his jacket and hung it on a hook on the wall.  Turning to face her, he took a step closer, taking one of her hands in his.  "Are you hungry?  Do you want anything?"

Her eyes were wide as she slowly shook her head, her chest rising and falling with deep breaths.  "Just you."  She said softly, giving his hand a light squeeze.

Ben heaved a deep breath, his eyes darkening, never leaving hers as he leaned down to give her a brief, but tender kiss.  Giving a small, slow nod he turned and led her into the bedroom, her hand still in his.

When they were standing next to the bed, they shifted to face one another, holding hands, staring intently into each other's eyes.  Anticipation thrummed between them, palpable in the heavy atmosphere that had settled in the room.  Ben's mouth was open, panting softly, his gaze on her unwavering.  He felt like they were on some sort of precipice; that despite everything that had happened between them in the past few days, this was going to change them forever.  There would be no going back after this.  Not that he intended to ever let her go, but something told him that after tonight, they'd never be the same.  They'd be stronger – bound even more tightly to one another.  He'd wanted it for so long – had longed for it for what seemed like forever – that the thought sent chills down his spine.  She'd finally be his.  And he'd be hers.  

However, his sex life had never really been great, his experience relatively limited by the inexperience and timidness of his previous partners.  And he really wanted to make this perfect for her.  He'd dreamed of it – imagined how it might happen, how it might be.  Knew all of the things that he wanted to do her – and that he hoped she wanted to do to him in return.  But now that the moment was at hand, he was suddenly worried that he might not be up to the task, and desperately hoped that he wouldn't fuck it up.

He swallowed heavily and leaned his forehead against hers.  "I want this so badly.  But I'm suddenly really nervous."

She smiled up at him softly, her breaths also coming in shallow pants.  "Me too.  I'm literally shaking right now.  My heart is pounding so hard it feels like its about to burst out of my chest.  But it'll be fine – better than fine.  I know it will.  It'll be perfect."

He let go of her hands and brought both of his up to cup her cheeks, leaning in to kiss her softly, but deeply.  When his tongue lightly brushed over her bottom lip, she whimpered low in her throat, and he could feel her melt against him.  Pulling her closer, he gripped her tightly and knew he was completely lost.  The anticipation of the past few days had built to epic proportions – and neither of them could wait any longer for what was to come.  He moaned loudly and wrapped his arms tightly around her waist, lifting her up, deepening the kiss, devouring her lips.  Her arms wound around his neck to press herself even closer as she lost herself in him, kissing him fiercely, barely coming up for air.

They stayed that way for several minutes, frantically kissing each other, their hands roaming everywhere, the heat between them rising, both of them moaning and gasping as hands and lips found new spots and new ways to please – and to tease.  Rey's hands strayed to the hem of his shirt, slipping them underneath.  His mouth opened on a gasp and he shuddered at the feeling of her fingers trailing against his warm skin, prickling with sensitivity, practically begging for more of her touch.  As she lifted his shirt up even farther, he impatiently reached down to help her remove it with one quick tug over his head.

Taking a step back, she gazed at his naked upper body, and her breath caught.  Her appreciative gaze was filled with lust as her eyes roamed over him.  He was just so beautiful.  Heat flooded her core at his raw masculinity; her mouth watered, wanting to run her tongue all over his chest and abs.  Oh, how she wanted this man!

"You're so beautiful Ben."  She whispered in a low, seductive voice, her hands continuing to stroke across his stomach.  Seeing him shudder in response, her own desire spiked, and she gently raked her nails down his chest.  "Honestly, I don't think I'll ever get enough of touching you."

"Fuck.....Sweetheart."  He croaked, his eyelids drifting shut.

Pulling him closer, she began placing open mouthed kisses along his chest, licking as she went, sucking slightly as she closed around his nipple.  She smiled deviously when he whimpered in response and rubbed his erection against her.

Leaning up onto her toes, she wound her arms around his neck and kissed him deeply, breaking away to move downward across his jaw, following a path down his neck, scraping her teeth as she went.  When she got to the top of his collarbone, gave a soft bite and he jerked in response, once again rubbing his hardness against her.  His reactions continued to drive her onward, as she continued stroking him with her hands, sneaking down to palm the prominent bulge at the front of his pants.  When she did, he groaned loudly and instinctively pressed himself into her hand.

She watched his face carefully, dragging him closer to the bed, whispering in his ear.  "I want to make you feel so good, Ben.  I've been dreaming of how you'd feel filling my mouth.  The sounds that you'll make when you feel my tongue on you.  Will you let me do that Ben?"

A stuttered half-groan, half-whimper broke from his chest upon hearing her sexy plea, her words sending yet another shudder coursing through his entire body as he began to pant heavily.   He nodded frantically in response, unable to express himself verbally through the frantic rush of emotions and sensations that were all converging at once.

Fuck, she was sexy.  How had he ended up so lucky as to have found her.  His eyes were closed, letting himself become lost in everything she was making him feel.  His dick was like a hot length of iron in his pants - throbbing in anticipation – almost an aching pulsebeat echoing through his blood with every kiss, every touch.   When she'd cupped him – squeezing gently – he'd wanted to roar with need, her ministrations almost snapping his rigid control.  Instead, he gritted his teeth and a low, plaintive sound had come out.  Given all that he was feeling, the mere thought of her hot mouth sliding over his length almost undid him right then and there.

She smiled in feminine satisfaction as her hands reached down and undid the button on his pants, followed by slowly lowering the zipper.  She inserted her hands and helped them over his hips, taking the opportunity to run her hands over his ass, squeezing gently before dragging her nails upward over his butt cheeks as the chinos slipped down his legs.  He was wearing boxers today – a dark navy made of something soft and silky – and she couldn't resist running her hands over them.

Huffing out a breath, his eyes met hers as he swallowed and stepped out of his pants.  Reaching out, he began undoing the buttons of her blouse.  "Your turn."  He intoned deeply.

The sound of his voice and the feel of his fingers working at her buttons momentarily distracted her, as she closed her eyes and enjoyed the moment.  He slipped the garment from her shoulders, running his hands down her arms before moving them to her waist, giving it a squeeze.  Leaning down to kiss her, he ran his hands back upward and brushed his thumbs over her nipples through the thin fabric of her bra.  Today's was a delicate, peach-coloured scrap of fabric that was practically see through.  He wondered if her panties matched, and couldn't wait to find out.  His already sensitive dick twitched at the thought.

"Mhhmmmm."  She moaned into his kiss, pulling him closer to the bed and sitting down onto it.  "Stop distracting me."

"Yes, ma'am."  He replied playfully, bringing his hand up to the hair at her nape and massaging gently.

Flicking her gaze back up to him, she ran her hand up and down over his length through his boxers, causing his eyes to close and his head to tilt back slightly.  Stopping at the waistband of his underwear, she inserted her fingers, but hesitated.

"Is this okay?"  She asked quietly, looking to him for permission.

His eyes still looked a little nervous, but he swallowed thickly and gave a curt nod.

Rey prepared herself to gently pull his boxers down.  Like him, she'd only had 2 other lovers; her first – Aaron, at the beginning of university – and then Finn, a couple of years later.  As such, her direct experience with this part of the male anatomy was somewhat limited.  But Ben was clearly different – she could feel it.  She'd rate both Aaron and Finn as solidly average in size.  Aaron hadn't really known how to use it, but at least Finn kind of did, as she'd had no real complaints in the boudoir.  No particularly amazing tales of toe-curling escapades either – but still, they'd had a decent sex life – until the end that is.

She gently eased the waistband of his boxers over his erection, keeping her gaze downward as she slid them down his legs, then running her hands back upward to stroke his thighs.  Sitting back slightly, she let her gaze slowly drift back up to him, and her breath caught in her throat.  Wow.  She thought.  He's perfect.  He was definitely on the larger side – a little bit longer and thicker than her previous lovers, but it wasn't obscene.  Continuing to study him, she realized that he was simply proportional to the rest of his body.  He was a large man – with broad shoulders and hips, big biceps, large hands, and tree-trunk sized thighs.  Of course his erect penis would be proportional!  But it wasn't this massive thing that made her want to run screaming in terror.  Fucking Kaydel.  He's not freakishly large.  He's just normal – for him.  Hopefully the timid young woman hadn't given him some sort of permanent hang-up – because he was clearly concerned about his size.

Her gaze flicked back up to his eyes, and she smiled softly.  "Ben, you're perfect..."  Reaching out, she gently wrapped her hand around him and slowly pumped up and down a few times, feeling his answering shudder and hearing his low moan.  He was warm and solid beneath her hand – but oh so soft.  Scooting closer, she could see a drop of moisture beaded at the tip, her heart rate speeding up and her mouth literally watering at the sight.  Using her thumb, she gently spread it over the tip, moving in gentle circles around the head, leaving it shiny and glossy.  She licked her lips in anticipation.  She'd dreamed of doing this to him.

"Fuck.  I wanted to do this yesterday."  She sighed under her breath, so quietly he almost didn't hear her.  Slowly, she leaned over to plant several lingering kisses on the helmet-shaped head, before lightly swirling away the salty moisture with her tongue, eliciting a louder, more tortured sounding groan from him.  Her eyes connected with his as she continued to place small, swirling licks across the tip, finally slipping her mouth over the head, sucking slightly and circling her tongue around it.  Another shudder wracked him as the breath huffed out of his lungs sharply on a loud groan.

She loved this.  Loved the feel of him in her mouth.  Loved his slightly salty taste.  Loved the slight musk of his skin.  And loved the sounds he was making as she teased him lightly.  Desire spiked even more sharply within her and she pressed her thighs together to get some pressure, or else she'd go mad with want.  Taking a deep breath, she popped her mouth off of him and stroked him with her hand again, running her other hand up his abs and gently scraping her nails over his pecs.  Looking up at him, she asked seductively.  "Do you like this?  Does it feel good?  Tell me Ben.  I want to hear it."

"Fuck, yes."  He gritted out, squeezing his eyes shut briefly.  "Please, Rey...."  He stuttered when he felt her tongue dart out to lick him again.  "God that feels so good...your fucking mouth."  He moaned, and once again she had to rub her thighs together to relieve a bit of the ache that was growing there.  Her panties were surely ruined.  Had she ever wanted like this?

Pulling herself up, she wound her arms around him once again, dragging him into a deep kiss while turning him around.  She then pushed him down to sit on the bed before sinking to her knees in front of him, giving a seductive smirk and a sly wink as she did so.

He laughed softly, leaning back on his elbows to give her more room, his breath still coming out in soft pants.  His attention was riveted on her, watching in rapt fascination as she leaned forward and ran her tongue up him, from base to tip, repeating the action a few times, coating him in her saliva, forcing even louder groans from his throat as his mouth fell open in bliss.  Her eyes remained intensely focused on his, communicating her desire, showing him how much she enjoyed what she was doing, revelling in how she was making him feel.  He shivered in response, sure he'd never seen nor felt anything more sinfully erotic in his entire life.

Easing him into her mouth again, she slowly took as much of him in as she could and watched as his head fell back in ecstasy.  She couldn't quite get all of him in before he hit the back of her throat, so she used her hand to stoke the rest of the way down to the base, twisting her hand slightly, which caused him to gasp loudly.  "Fuck, Rey.  Yes...."

His voice – rough and filled with desire - had to be one of the hottest sounds she'd ever heard – sending heat spiking straight to juncture of her thighs.   She whimpered, low in her throat, the vibration causing him to hiss in pleasure as another shudder coursed through him.   "Fuuuuckkk......"

She began to suck deeply, sliding him in and out of her mouth in earnest.  Pleasure burst through him, his hand sliding into her hair to mindlessly guide her motions as she took him in as far as she could.  He could feel the pressure building, quickly getting closer to his peak, gasping as she seemed to increase her efforts even more.  It felt too good.  His eyes were starting to roll back into his head and he knew he had to stop her or it would be over before it even began.  And he suddenly realized that he had no clue whether she'd be okay if he came in her mouth.  "Rey,"  He gasped almost incoherently.  "I'm going to....oh fuck....if you don't want me to......you have to stop......ohhhhhh....."

Rey could feel how close he was when she heard him warn her.  She could practically feel him starting to come undone – his body bowing further back into the bed, his groans becoming more desperate.  But there was no way in hell she was going to stop.  He was enjoying this.  And it was still building.  After everything he'd been through with Kay, she was going to give him everything she could to blow his mind.  And truth be told, she was enjoying it just as much.  She attacked him with even more vigour, taking him even more deeply – as far as she could – till he was hitting the back of her throat, almost making her gag, bringing tears to her eyes.  But she held on, using her hand to finish each stroke with a slight twist, reaching down to gently caress his balls and rub the sensitive spot just behind them, feeling him jerk beneath her as he let out a loud gasp.

He was completely lost to the ecstasy she was making him feel.  He couldn't think!  Her hot mouth was sliding over him - sucking deeply - stealing his breath along with his sanity.   And her hands were everywhere, further heightening the sensations - drawing him closer and closer to the edge, ready to fall.  His hips were moving of their own accord and he desperately hoped he wasn't hurting her - but he was too far gone to be able to hold himself back - could feel that tug and tingle low in his abdomen as his orgasm began ripping through him like a runaway freight train.

She felt the sudden shift in him and knew he was right on the edge.  His movements became even more erratic, his moans and garbled words even louder and more frantic – almost mindless with pleasure.  She was watching his face and could see his mouth fall open, hearing his hoarse cry just as she felt him begin to pulse in her mouth, his fingers clenching on her head as his whole body tensed.  She took the first burst, swallowing, before she popped him out of her mouth, continuing to stroke him with her hand, as his hips jerked unevenly for several more seconds and deep, filthy groans were forced out of his chest.  They were music to Rey's ears - some of the most beautifully erotic sounds she'd ever heard.

She leaned back on her haunches, gazing up at the beautiful mess she'd made of this man, as he tried to recover his wits. His breaths were coming in heavy pants, his cheeks still ruddy with passion as he lay there almost senseless for at least a minute.  She could see the exact moment when he came back to himself, his eyes popping open to gaze down at her with something resembling stunned awe on his face.  She smiled up at him coyly, watching as he reached down to run his thumb over her lips, still glossy from him.  Sitting up even farther, he touched his forehead to hers, trying to speak.  "That was....."  He shuddered.  "..wow.  I...I don't think I have the words to tell you how good that felt.  I feel.....like I'm tingling....all over."

"Good."  She wiped her hand on the bed before leaning up to grasp his face with both hands, a coy smile on her face.  "Mission accomplished."  Kissing him deeply, she sighed happily, letting out a contented hum.  "I really enjoyed doing that Ben."

He chuckled deeply, kissing her once again.  "Probably not as much as I did."

"Mmmm.  You'd be surprised."  She smiled back at him, looking very much like a cat who just secretly ate something delicious.

She really had enjoyed using her mouth on him - maybe almost as much as he'd enjoyed her doing it.  She'd done it before – many times – and had never minded it – had even enjoyed it sometimes.  But she'd never really craved it like she had today.  With Ben, she'd felt almost desperate to get her mouth on him.  She'd wanted to do it – badly.  And once she'd tasted him – felt his response - it had made her burn, her core feeling aching and empty – wanting to be filled by him, the mere thought flooding her with even more want and wetness.  Also, now that she'd seen him, she could almost imagine how he'd feel; how he'd fill and stretch her more than ever before. Her breathing sped up and she almost whimpered at the thought.

He ran his hands down her back and over her ass, squeezing gently.  She was still wearing her capris.  "I feel like I'm at a bit of a disadvantage here."  He said petulantly.  "Let's get you out of these."

Standing up, she gave him a gamine smile and shucked out of her pants, leaving her only in her peach toned bra and panties.

They do match.  He thought, gazing at her reverently.  "You are breathtaking, Sweetheart.  So desirable.  And sexy as hell."  He told her, the look in his eyes saying more than his words how he really felt.  They were dark and hungry – and so full of heat that they made her lose her breath.  The desperate, insistent, throbbing emptiness between her legs intensified even more.

She blushed, taking a step towards the bed.  "I've never really felt desirable or beautiful before – especially like this.  But you make me feel that way."  She whispered softly.  "The sound of your voice, the way you're looking at me right now...."  She stepped even closer.  "It makes me feel sexy and powerful and wanted.  Yet loved and cherished at the same time."

Crawling onto the mattress beside him, she curled her body into his, continuing.  "And that's only a small part of it.  I can't even begin to describe the way I feel when I look at you."  She took a quiet breath, stroking her hand across his skin.  "It makes my heart pound."  She ran her hands upward from just above his navel to his pecs, brushing over his nipples with her thumbs before moving up to caress his face, looking deeply into his eyes, lightly brushing her thumbs in their creases.  "Your eyes – and the depths I see in them."  She smiled, moving her hands up to gently run her fingers though the hair on the top of his head, brushing it back from his face.  "Your hair, how it always falls into your eyes – and how hot you look when you run your hand through it to brush it away."  Her fingers travelled over to trace the shell of his ear, feeling him startle gently at the contact.  "Your ears, and how you immediately cover them back up when the wind blows your hair off of them. "  She traced her fingers over his lips.  "Your smile – God, your smile – what it does to me."  She shuddered, her lips curving upward slightly, placing a soft kiss on his lips.  "How amazing you look in a suit.  How the sight of your body – your chest, your arms, your abs - makes me pant.  The fact that you still have no idea of the effect you have on women – have no clue that you look like a fucking Greek God."  She leaned closer and nipped his ear, soothing the sting with the brush of her tongue, as she wrapped her arms around him.  "Sometimes, just looking at you, I want you so much that I ache, Ben."

He was stunned at her admission – never having realized that he affected her so much.  He'd wanted her to love him – to want him - but this..... She was just as caught as he was.  She felt everything that he did.  Relief coursed through him once again at the realization, still a little astounded that this was happening, and that she was actually here.  He loved her so crazily!  He knew that they were meant to be together, but never imagined this.  This all-encompassing feeling that it all was just right.  That they belonged to each other – so completely.

He shuddered out a breath, desperately trying to control his rioting emotions.  Overwhelmed by what he was feeling and by everything she'd said to him, he leaned his forehead against hers and closed his eyes to prevent the sudden tears that threatened.

Her arms wound around his neck and she pulled him close, holding him tightly, feeling the emotion pouring off of him while her fingers gently stroked the hair at his nape.  He buried his face in her neck, and she could feel him beginning to harden against her thigh once again, as he raised his head and leaned in for another deeply passionate kiss.

Her words, her touch, her scent and her heavy-lidded gaze were all intoxicating to him.  His breathing hitched just before he whispered.  "I've dreamed of all the things I want to do to you.  So many times.  I'm going to make you feel so good. You're going to moan so loud Rey.  So, so loud.  And then I'm going to make you scream my name when you come."

Everything inside of Rey clenched tightly at his words, and she swore she could hear her uterus sigh 'yesssssss.....'.

Whimpering, they crashed their lips together in a hot, open-mouthed kiss that was overwhelmingly hot and completely carnal.  Her tongue twined and rubbed against his, her teeth nipping his bottom lip before tracing it with her tongue.  She could feel his hand at her back, his fingers giving a quick twist to open the clasp of her bra.  Leaning back, she allowed him to slide the straps down her arms until he pulled it away and threw it somewhere across the room.  His hands moved to her hips next, gently slipping into her panties and sliding them down her legs, caressing them as he went.  Wrapping her arms around his neck once again, she pulled herself as close to him as possible, and kissed him with everything inside of her.

His arms snaked around her, hands stroking the skin of her neck, his fingers twining in her hair to hold her to his kiss while the other hand moved downward to squeeze her ass and pull her to his once again hardened length.  He ground himself against her, eliciting a sexy moan from her throat.  The moan turned into a cry as his hand dipped lower between her thighs from behind to stroke her folds.  She shuddered, whimpering at both the touch of his fingers at her center and his erection pressing against her mound.

"Christ Rey, you're so wet."  He muttered, his fingers still gently rubbing, slipping on her moisture.  "You're practically dripping for me."  He huffed, feeling her literally melt against him as he slowly teased her with his fingers.  A small mewl escaped her as he rolled her onto her back and kissed her frantically for a few seconds.  Lifting himself slightly, he let his gaze travel over her body as he simply stared at her, marvelling at her beauty as his heart sped up even more.  "My God, Rey, you're so amazing.  Do you know that? I love everything about you."  He whispered reverently, his fingers trailing down to softly stroke between her legs again, driving her crazy.  "You're so smart and funny.  And honest.  You never let me hide away in a corner somewhere or get away with any bullshit.  You see me for who I am.  You make me feel....."  His voice cracked slightly and he took a breath.  "You're absolutely gorgeous – inside and out."  He whispered, before his voice pitched even lower, growling.  "And you're mine."

She could feel herself clench once again when he possessively said the word 'Mine' and swore she could feel a new rush of moisture as she got even wetter – desperately wanting to be possessed by him.  Leaning up onto her elbows, she watched as he moved down her body, planting lazy kisses here and there as he went, before travelling back upwards to capture her lips again.  The feeling of him on top of her was nothing short of amazing – their skin touching at so many points at once, and she reveled in it.  He was trying to keep his weight off of her, but she didn't want that – tugging him down to feel him press her into the bed.  His large frame surrounded her – completely enveloped her – making her feel so small, yet so safe.  His erection was laying against her thigh, and she shivered in anticipation, pulling him closer, running her toes up his leg before raising her knee and moving to wrap her leg around him.

His eyes were intense – boring into hers - as he gazed down at her and quietly whispered with a slight shake of his head.  "Not yet."  She whimpered petulantly in response to his denial, looking up at him, almost pleadingly.

But those deep brown pools had captured her and she couldn't look away.  Like always, they were speaking volumes to her – saying so much without words.  It was almost as if she could hear his thoughts conveyed through his eyes.  She watched them flutter closed as he leaned down to gently kiss her.  It was soft.  Tender.  Sweet.  And despite the heat of the moment, it completely melted her heart.  Even though she desperately wanted nothing more than for him to finally slide into her, her hands were equally gentle as they caressed his back and shoulders, softly sliding up into his hair, putting as much love as she could into her kiss, trying to return the feelings he was sending her.

His breath hitched, recognizing the soft emotions that Rey was sending him through her kisses.  But he could also feel her growing desperation and need for him.  However, he did not want to rush this.  His fears from his experiences with Kay were bubbling beneath the surface, making him cautious, wanting to keep things slow.  Fighting his body's urge to just mindlessly sink into her, he continued kissing her lips slowly, patiently – as if he had all the time in the world - wanting to kiss her into oblivion before he finally slipped inside, wanting to make sure that she was absolutely ready for him.

Ben's soft, but insistent kisses were drugging, teasing at her senses, dragging her into a sensuous haze of passion, lust and desire.  But she needed more.  Her body was on fire, slowly melting, practically turning into a puddle of pure need.  She tugged on his hair, trying to get him to look at her.  When he pulled back, he smiled down at her.  "Impatient, Sweetheart?"  She nodded back at him pleadingly, he replied, his voice once again deeply mesmerizing, sending shivers throughout her body.  

His thumb gently stroked her cheek, closing his eyes briefly and taking a deep breath before he gazed at her intensely.  "You have no idea how badly I want you right now, but I don't want to rush this.  I've dreamed about it for so long - I want to take my time with you.  To show you what you mean to me.  To kiss you,"  He stopped to sensually kiss her lips, then slowly traced his fingers across her jaw.  "...touch you – worship you - so you know how precious you are, my beautiful Rey.  To show you that every time we do this – every single time – you know that I'm making love to you."  Her heavy lidded gaze softened even more, and he could see her mouth fall open slightly, panting softly.  "Regardless of how hot it gets - how desperate we are for each other – it will never just be sex, or mindless fucking.  And I will never call it that.  Not with you.  Ever."

Her heart literally stopped in her chest at his fervently whispered words, his deep voice entrancing her, her very being nearly bursting with everything she was feeling for him.  "Holy shit."  She breathed, leaning up to kiss him, the ache to have him inside her intensifying even more.  "I love you Ben.  More than I can even try to tell you."  She kissed him again.   "Please...."  She whispered.  "Show me...."  She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him passionately, wanting to lose herself in him – in his mind, his body, his soul.

Groaning, he kissed her back deeply, moving along her cheek, travelling farther down to kiss her jaw, scraping his teeth across her neck, before licking into the soft hollow between her neck and collarbone.  She moaned, tilting her head to give him better access, as he moved back up to her neck and continued to suck at her sweet spot, causing her to writhe and buck beneath him.  Smiling, he travelled on to kiss across her collarbone to her shoulder, once again dragging his teeth over her skin, feeling her back arch up into him.

His mouth was everywhere, gently kissing, sucking and nipping every inch of exposed skin on her neck, collarbone and shoulders.  She was already a quivering mass of need, her body tingling and burning with pure want.  She'd always had a healthy desire for sex, but it had never been like this before.  She didn't think she'd ever been this turned on.  Her body burned for Ben's touch, and as she watched him kiss his way lower, the thought of his hot mouth on her breasts sent another surge of heat to her core.  When she felt his breath on her peaked nipple, she moaned – turning into a raw cry that caused her back to arch when the moist heat of his mouth engulfed her.  Her want – the raw need - had gone beyond anything she'd ever experienced.  Fuck. She didn't know it could be like this.  She was so far gone – floating in a haze of passion and intensely hot desire that she felt like she might come from just his mouth on her breast.  Never had she felt so close to climaxing without any actual touches to her sex.

Ben could feel her reactions – her shivers and sounds - as he'd feasted on her neck and shoulders.  She was practically writhing beneath him, her hips moving almost of their own accord to try to press and rub against him to relieve the ache she was so obviously feeling.  But when he kissed lower to her breasts and finally took one into his mouth it was as if she caught fire.  Her back arched and she made a keening sound he'd never heard from his previous two lovers.  Heat radiated from her – everywhere – and her hands were suddenly tearing at his hair, her nails raking along his back frantically.  It was driving him insane, and he loved it.

He continued to lave at her nipple with his tongue, stroking across and swirling around it over and over, all while stroking and pinching the other roughly with his thumb.  Her desperation was contagious.  He almost felt like he was in a trance, with passion hazing his brain, his actions driven purely by feeling - one feeling only......more.  Her movements became even more forceful, holding his head firmly in place, spurring him on to pull even more of her breast into his mouth, suckling deeply and running his teeth across her nipple.  Suddenly, she arched her back and cried out, scraping her nails across his scalp as her hips bucked and she shuddered beneath him.

Holy shit.  He hadn't been touching her anywhere near her sex, but he was pretty sure she'd just climaxed.  He groaned loudly and his hips bucked against the bed involuntarily at the thought.  Once she quieted a little, he leaned his forehead against her sternum briefly to catch his own breath, before lifting his head to look at her.  She smiled meekly, looking somewhat embarrassed.  He slowly crawled back upward, his eyes never leaving hers, and kissed her deeply.  "Wow."  He whispered.

She blushed, stuttering.  "I.....yeah.....that's never happened before.  Well, not like that anyway...."

His eyes became intense before a huge grin split his face, a spark of male pride shining in his eyes.  She stroked his cheek and smiled back, chuckling.  "Yeah, you should definitely be proud of that."  His grin got even bigger at her sheepish admission.

She pulled his lips back to hers and kissed him again, wanting to remove the smirk from his face.  It was soft at first, her tongue stroking along his, stoking the fire between them once again.  Her hands carded through his hair, and she could feel little shivers of pleasure course through him every time her nails scraped his scalp.

Reaching down between her legs, he stroked his hand over her slick folds, smiling to himself when she involuntarily bucked against him, still sensitive from her unexpected orgasm.  He rubbed her softly, over and over, slowly teasing her back to arousal until he could feel her responding to him, watching as the fire of desire began to burn within her once again.  Finding her swollen nub, he continued to tease, circling it slowly until she spread her legs widely and moaned a filthy sound that made his dick twitch in anticipation.

Almost there.  He thought.  Very gently, he slipped a finger inside of her, causing her back to arch on a gasp that quickly turned into a whine.  He worked it in and out a few strokes before inserting a second finger, making her keen as she began moving her hips against his hand.  Damn – that's hot.  He thought as he watched her pleasure herself on his fingers, shuddering, feeling himself get impossibly harder.

He couldn't wait any longer.  He removed his fingers, and she immediately whined at the loss, reaching down to wrap her hand around him, stroking firmly.  She continued pumping him as she tried to move him into position at her entrance.  "I need to feel you inside me Ben.  Please."

Gently pushing her hand away, he took himself in hand and dragged his tip across her wetness over and over again, causing her to whimper in frustration.  When he notched himself to her entrance, he stopped, pressing his forehead to hers, panting.  "Look at me, Rey."

Shifting her eyes up to his, she could see the flames in his eyes – which were now a deep, golden brown, staring back at her intently.  "You know that this is different right?  This – and everything between us.  You know Rey.  Tell me you know.  Tell me you feel it."

Her hand reached up to cup his face, her thumb stroking his cheekbone as she continued to pant softly.  Looking at his face, it was beautifully flushed, with high spots of colour on his cheeks.  His hair was a mess, his mouth open, his skin hot.  She didn't think she'd ever seen a more beautiful sight in her entire life.  This was her soul mate.  She knew it beyond a shadow of a doubt.  He was her best friend – and now he was her lover too.  Fate had brought them together.  They'd needed to be friends before they became more.  And now here they were, on the brink of giving each other not only their bodies, but she suspected that this would also bind their very souls.  She'd never been more ready in her entire life.

She gripped his shoulders tightly, feeling the tip of him notched against her, just waiting to slip inside, and she felt like she was going to die with pure, unadulterated want.  "I know it Ben.  You're my soul mate.  I feel it in the depth of my being.  I love you.  And I always will.  Now please....I need you."

Hearing her fervently uttered words, his breath stuttered.  She was his soul mate.  He knew it too.  Had suspected it for months.  Was terrified for weeks that she'd never see nor admit it – and now joy surged through him as they were about to give themselves to each other.

His throat closed up as emotion overcame him. He'd never been more certain of anything in his life. He could only croak out four words. He hoped they were enough.  "I feel it too."

Gently, trying to make sure he didn't hurt her, he pressed into her warm, wet heat, all the while gazing into her eyes.  Her pupils were blown wide, and the green flecks in her irises were shining brightly.  He could feel her breath hitch, and a quiet whine escaped her as he pushed inside.  He felt her envelop him, wrapping around him in way that almost made his eyes roll back into his head.  Hers did, as her neck arched back on the pillow.  "Oh.....Ben."  She moaned.  "Yes....."  He shivered at the sensation, slowly pushing deeper, before pulling out and pushing back in again – a little deeper each time - the strain of staying gentle and slow causing him to shake.  His gaze was focused on her face, his eyes glued to her, unable to see anything else, willing her to open her eyes so he could read in them all that she was feeling.

Once she was able to focus again, Rey's eyes snapped back to his and she couldn't look away.  Her attention was caught by the intensity of his gaze as he continued slowly pushing inside of her, gently stretching her to wrap around his girth.  But she didn't know why he was being so careful with her.  It wasn't painful.  It was blissful.  She'd been so ready for him – so wet and open – that despite his slightly larger size all she could feel was pleasure.  She could feel him dragging in and out over the sensitive spots near her entrance, the pleasure causing her to shudder.  Every time he pushed in, he rubbed against another spot she never knew existed, and her breath huffed out of her chest.  Her legs opened wider, beckoning him to go deeper, to push harder, causing her to make soft little cries each time he gently thrust.

Her mind and body were full of only him, and of how good he felt inside of her.  She started to quiver, feeling him hit a spot that caused her to lose her mind and to cry out in a low, wanton wail.  But he was still being so gentle with her – too gentle.  She was having none of that, wanting more.

"Please, Ben."  She sighed softly, trying to wrap her leg around his hip.  "Stop teasing me.  Harder.  Deeper.  I want more.  I need more."

He groaned loudly and shuddered, still holding back.  "I don't want to hurt you Sweetheart."  His voice sounded tortured.

She was panting, positively on fire, everything inside of her still aching to feel him fully sheathed within her.  "You...won't.  You feel so good inside of me."  She whimpered low in her throat.  "Pleeeeaaaase."

Her whispered plea was the most erotic sound he'd ever heard.  His restraint finally snapped and he thrust sharply, gasping out a loud groan as he felt himself completely embedded inside of her.  Still wary of hurting her, he watched her closely as he picked up the pace and increased the force of his thrusts.

When he finally penetrated her completely, her eyes rolled back in her head again, feeling him – finally – where she needed him most, now feeling fuller than she ever had before.  Because of that, he was hitting every sweet spot inside of her at once.  The feeling was amazing and indescribable – practically sinful - turning her entire body to jelly and her mind to mush.  It was almost too much, but so, so good.  She moaned loudly, a filthy sound that she didn't think she'd ever made before, and it was as if a dam burst inside of Ben.  Suddenly he was pounding into her over and over again, making his own desperately vulgar groans every time their hips connected.  She was sure she'd never heard anything more satisfying in her entire life.

He couldn't think, could barely breathe.  His mind was completely blank – consumed by a haze of passion that he'd never experienced before.  He was just a quivering mass of thrusting and feeling man.  When he'd buried himself to the hilt and she'd made that sound, it was if something else inside him took over.  Sex had never felt like this.

She was writhing beneath him on the bed. Her entire body felt like hot, molten metal, heat and pleasure flowing through her, emanating from the mind-blowing feeling of Ben deeply inside of her – almost overfilling her.  But it was perfect.  Completely and blissfully perfect.  Her hands travelled all over his body, caressing, squeezing and scratching every bit of skin she could reach.  Completely lost in what she was feeling, she was unable to form words.  Anything that came out of her mouth was unintelligible, except for one word.  "Ben."

Somewhere between all of the sounds they were both making, he could hear a soft mewl, and discerned his name.  His eyes found hers once again, locking onto each other's, connecting not only their bodies, but also what felt like their souls.  Both of their jaws were slack – mouths open in passion, panting between frantic kisses.  Reaching out her hand, she threaded her fingers tightly through his and whispered.  "I'm yours.  You're mine.  Always."

His eyes widened and she suddenly felt a shift in him.  He leaned down to kiss her as his thrusts became sharper, quicker and more erratic.  His other hand found her breast and squeezed lightly, rubbing his thumb over her hardened nipple.  Her eyes rolled again at the change of angle and his attention to her sensitive breast.  Moaning loudly, she dragged her hand through his messy raven locks, scoring her nails over his scalp, drawing another loud groan from him in response.

His eyes squeezed shut and his jaw clenched – trying to stave off his climax – wanting to make sure she found hers first.  "Rey, I can't -"  He grit out.

"Oh God."  She moaned, as the fuse sparked, then lit as pleasure burned through her brightly like never before.  "Ben!"  She cried out, feeling his arms wrap tightly around her as his climax claimed him too, shouting her name on a loud, shuddering groan as he kept thrusting into her until it was over.

They were both panting, breathing heavily and trembling as they slowly returned to awareness, floating down from the high of their intensely passionate lovemaking.  It took several minutes, but Rey finally opened her eyes when she felt him gently nuzzling her nose.  His sweat drenched hair was hanging into his eyes, and she reached up to stroke it away with hands that were still shaking.

His own gaze was shining as he looked down at her.  He'd literally felt that climax right to the tips of his toes, feeling cleansed somehow, yet more a part of her than ever before.  Almost as if he'd given her the very essence of his soul – and she'd given a part of hers in return.  He'd never felt like this before.  Ever.  His voice was raspy through his panting breaths, trying to articulate some semblance of what he was feeling.  "I love you Rey."  He gently kissed her lips, continuing to nuzzle her face with his.  "I can't even find the words...."

"I know."  She smiled tenderly, her body still quaking with aftershocks as she gently stroked his brow and played with his hair.  "I feel like my heart is going to explode out of my chest.  And I'm still shaking."  Giving him another exhausted kiss, she looked deeply into his eyes.  "Ben....that was..."  She blew out a breath.  "That was amazing.  It was the best.....Its never been like that before."  She shivered.  Ben felt it too, shuddering, unintentionally pressing his hips into her, causing her to quietly gasp and clench him again as another aftershock rippled through her.

He dropped his forehead to hers.  "For me too."  He shuddered once again.  "Its never been like that...."  Looking deeply into her eyes, he repeated.  "Ever."

She continued to nuzzle his face with her own, planting slow kisses here and there.  "But it was more than that....more than just how mind-blowingly hot and amazing it was ....."  Her eyes locked onto his.  "I've never felt as connected – as in tune – with anyone else.  It was like.....like....."  She stuttered, unable to find the words.

"Like we were one.  Like nothing had ever felt more right."  He finished for her.

Her eyes became glassy and she nodded up at him with awed smile.  "Yes.  Like something clicked into place."

His eyes also began to shine slightly, as he leaned down for another soft kiss.  "Yes.  Exactly, Sweetheart."

Wrapping his arms around her tightly, he rolled them to their sides to avoid crushing her, still staying inside of her.  She nuzzled into chest, happily inhaling his scent.  She really did love how he smelled.  Taking a deep breath, she stretched languidly and smiled in satisfaction, glancing up at him with eyes holding a hint of mischief.  "So, you're saying you just had the best sex of your life with lil 'ol tomboy me?"

He smiled back at her tenderly, too satisfied to care.  "Yes.  Definitely.  But I've told you before, to me – you're not a tomboy.  I don't even know why you think that.  You're completely 'womanly'."  He shook his head.  "You still don't have any idea how beautiful you are?  How desirable?"  His deep voice was soft, but she could feel it thrum through her, making her still pounding heart stutter in her chest.  He ran his hand over her shoulder down to her hip, moving around to squeeze her ass cheek.  "Your beauty shines brightly from within.  It's a look in your eyes, your smile, your laugh.   It's captivating."  He smirked.  "But don't get me wrong - I also think you're physically gorgeous."  He caressed her ass and squeezed her cheek once again.  "And so very, very sexy."

She blushed, burying her face in his shoulder, placing a soft kiss there before sighing deeply.

They lay there in quiet contentment for a few minutes while Rey softly traced circles on his chest with her fingertips.  Ben continued to absentmindedly stroke her arm, thinking about how bonelessly satisfied and content he felt.  For the first time in his life, he felt truly happy.  Peaceful.  Without a care in the world.  He sighed, tightening his grip slightly and leaning down to place a kiss in her hair.  He felt her chuckle quietly beneath him.  "What?"  He asked.

She replied softly, tilting her head up to look at him.  "I was thinking about when I was a teenager.  About high school – and what all the evil bitches who tormented me would think if they saw me now.  Lying here with literally the hottest man on earth.  And he loves me."  He wordlessly raised a brow in question, and she chuckled again.  "When I was growing up, I always had old or inexpensive clothes."  Ben's eyes darkened, and she reached up to stroke away the furrow in his brow.  "Don't be angry – Obi and Anna did the best they could, and I'm thankful to have had them.  They just never really had a lot of money for extras – teachers don't make much money - but they took care of me – and they loved me.  But I never had much money for expensive clothes or make-up or stuff like that.  And I hated wearing skirts and dresses anyways – they were too cold and impractical, especially taking public transit to school in the winter.  I guess that's why most of my friends were the nerdy guys – because I didn't really fit in with the girls – who all did their hair, wore make up and nice clothes – and tried to get boys attention.  They thought I was weird, and hated me because I was a tomboy, always hanging out with the geeky guys."  He could see her frown as she became lost in her memory.  "They made up terrible things about me – and in high school told everyone I was fucking them all - that that was the only way my nerdy guy friends could get laid."

Ben's gaze darkened once again.  "Women are such bitches when they're jealous."

Rey nodded.  "It's true, and teenaged girls are even worse."  She added.  "But you know me...."  She looked up at him guiltily.

He smirked.  "What did you do?"

"One of the girls – her name was Brittany – she was the absolute worst.  She tormented me everywhere I went.  Called me terrible names – slut, whore – stuff like that.  I don't even know why."  She watched as his eyes darkened and his expression hardened.

"She was probably just jealous."  He said deeply.

Breathing deeply, she continued, still lost in the memory.  "One day, she started making fun of Obi and Anna.  She told everyone they weren't my real parents - only foster parents, saying things like they were nobodies – drunks – and only took me in for extra drinking money – because that's what foster parents did.  It was a lie of course.  Obi and Anna had adopted me - and they'd never touched a drop.  But I kind of lost it – and well – I sort of beat the shit out of her."

The vibrations started almost immediately and she looked up into eyes filled with mirth.  "Oh Sweetheart, I'd love to be able to go into your mind and have you replay that memory."  He rolled over, pulling her closer, still laughing.

"It's not funny!"  She snapped.  "I gave her a black eye, tore out several chunks of her immaculately curled blonde hair, and kicked her in the... well... you know."

At that, Ben started laughing even harder.  "Stop that!"  She admonished, but his laughter was contagious, causing a small smile to appear at the corner of he lips.  "I got suspended for a week!  And that was only after Obi and Anna begged them not to expel me!  I was so scared it was going to be on my record – and that I wouldn't qualify for any engineering scholarships."

Swallowing his laughter, he reached across and stroked her cheek.  "And after that little 'episode', how did the rest of those bitches treat you?"

Rey smirked.  "They never called me another name again, and generally steered clear of me for the rest of that year and the next till I graduated."  She blushed again.  "And after that, all the guys called me Terminator."

Ben continued laughing.  "Aww Sweetheart."  He scooted closer, burying his face in her neck.  "I'm so glad those little high school boys, and your engineering friends were too short-sighted to see you for the goddess you are."  Reaching out to stroke her face softly, he confided.   "You know, it was the same for me when I was a teenager."

"What do you mean?"  She asked, confusion written on her face.

"I looked.....odd.  My features were.....disproportionate.  I grew too fast, and was too tall too young – and so was really lanky.  My hands were too big for my skinny arms, my nose and ears were too big for my face...."  He trailed off.  "I think you get the idea."  His gaze was distant, staring at nothing in particular, lost in a memory.  "And combined with the fact that I was just.. weird – Snoke was already in my head - I was anathema to girls.  They positively shunned me.  Whispered cruel things about how I looked."  He glanced back at her.  "That's why, whenever you say I'm...hot...or come racing over to 'save' me from some woman who you say is trying to pick me up, or when you tell me that women fall all over themselves to talk to me... it just.... well.... it makes no sense to me at all."

Rey's heart melted in her chest for him.  This was the most beautiful, well-proportioned man she'd ever laid eyes on.  And he was hers.... How was she ever going to keep her hands off of him?  And yet here he was, telling her that he'd felt odd – out of place – growing up – just like her.  It was simply unfathomable to her.  Yet it would explain his constant disbelief about his effect on women.

Leaning closer, she clasped his face in her hands.  "Well, you clearly grew into yourself.  You are the most beautiful, masculine thing I have ever seen.  You positively exude sex appeal.  Just looking at you makes my heart pound,"  Pulling closer she whispered into his ear, her voice sultry.  "...and my panties wet."

He inhaled sharply, his eyes beginning to darken with renewed desire.  "Honestly..... when you say things like that...."  He brought his lips to hers and kissed her tenderly, but with growing passion.  When he finally released her lips, he stroked her face with his thumbs, and leaned his forehead onto hers.  His entire demeanour radiated peace and happiness.

She couldn't help smiling, feeling as much bliss as he was.  After a few minutes, she pulled away slightly, whispering.  "I need to go clean up.  I'll be back in a minute."  She gave him a quick kiss and slipped out of bed, successfully evading the hands that grabbed at her to try to keep her there.  Standing at the side of the bed briefly, she could hear him sigh as she raised a brow and smirked at him before turning to stride into the bathroom.

****

Ben watched her go, blatantly gawking at her naked ass. It was definitely one fine ass.  He thought, smirking.  Inhaling deeply, he closed his eyes, thinking about how happy he was, after what seemed to have taken so long to get here.  How many months had he kept a tight rein on his desire?  Hiding his feelings – not wanting her to see them, afraid that she didn't reciprocate them.  Afraid of rejection.  But once they'd admitted their feelings, it was as if a dam had burst.

Thinking about their lovemaking, his heart started pounding again.  It really was the absolute best sexual experience of his entire life.  He wasn't really surprised – given how he felt about her.  It was deeper – stronger – than what he'd ever felt for anyone else.  But he really hadn't expected it to be like that.  So intense. Mindlessly consuming.  He was amazed – and proud – that he'd been able to take it as slow as he had.  Well, up until he'd finally pushed into her.  He'd only been able to be careful for a minute or so – a few thrusts at best.  Then he'd just lost his mind – almost completely lost in the haze of need that took over – he wasn't sure he would've have been able to stop or slow down if she'd asked him to.  But it wasn't a problem.  With Rey it had been.... different.

He'd always had to be careful with his previous lovers – especially with Kaydel.  While he'd enjoyed sex – when he'd gotten it - he'd never been able to really let go with anyone.  Like him, his first lover had been a virgin, and although the experience wasn't awful, it wasn't quite satisfying.  Because of that, he'd always been tentative with her – nervous about hurting her.  They'd only been together a month, and had had sex just a handful of times.  And Kay was, well, Kay.  At least he now understood some of their difficulties.  But Rey, she took every inch of him.  He'd been literally pounding into her without restraint, and she'd seemed to enjoy the experience as much as he did – and still cried out for more.

It had been amazing.  Perfect.  And he'd probably remember it for the rest of his life.  He also hoped they could repeat it, frequently.  The heat.  The intensity.  He wanted to confirm that it wasn't only that good because they'd held back for so long.  He wanted to experience it all again and again and again.  Wanted to see her writhing and panting and moaning like that again.  Daily.  Many times per day.  He smiled, feeling his dick twitch at the direction of his thoughts.  Well, he'd definitely enjoy trying.

****

Rey snickered to herself as she closed the bathroom door behind her, knowing that he'd been staring at her naked backside as she walked away from the bed.  Let him look..... She grinned to herself with a stab of feminine pride.  Leaning against the door, she took a deep breath.  Whoa.  That was just... whoa.   In the aftermath of such intense passion, her body felt completely boneless.  Languid.  Sated beyond belief.  

However, beyond the physical stuff, the entire experience had affected her profoundly.  She wasn't exaggerating when she said that it felt like something between them had clicked into place.  She was happy.  Deeply, contentedly happy.  Somehow, she felt different - like she was a changed woman.  He was now hers and she was now his - and that would never change.  She knew it with such certainty that it almost frightened her.  With Ben at her side, she felt that together they could do anything - handle anything.  And that this was the beginning of the rest of their lives.  Laughing, she rolled her eyes and shook her head, trying to clear it of such weird and fanciful thoughts.  Life is not a cheesy romance novel Rey!

She used the toilet and cleaned herself up quickly, eying the shower with great interest.  In the end she decided that since they both reeked of sex that it could wait.  And that it might be more fun for them to shower together – later.

Glancing in the mirror, she gasped, throwing her hand over her mouth.  Her neck, shoulders and breasts were covered in love bites.  She didn't even realize that he'd been sucking and nibbling at her skin so hard.  All she'd known was that it had felt good.  Really, really good.  Shrugging, she realized that she'd probably need to try to cover them up when they went out in public.  But in the meantime, she was going to have some fun with Ben over them....

After she washed her face and finished freshening up, she returned to the bedroom and found him on his back, his hands folded behind his head, looking up at the ceiling with a shit-eating grin on his face.  "What are you thinking about?"  She asked softly.

Angling his head towards her, he gave her a small smile.  "Life.  You.  Wondering how I got so damn lucky."  He removed one of the hands from behind his head and held it out to her.  "I escaped a hellish tormentor, got an education, built my own business, and fell completely in love with the most amazing woman in the world.  How?  Why me?  What did I do to deserve this?"

Crawling back into to the bed, she took his hand, threading her fingers through his.  "Ben – you are an amazing man.  You deserve all of it.  Think of what you just said.  Everything that you achieved was through hard work – and determination - well except maybe for the part about me.  That was just.... inevitable, I think."

"Inevitable?"

"Mmm hmm.  From the moment we met, we were drawn to each other – alike in so many ways, but complementary in others.  Right from the start, we understood each other.  Its why we get along so well.  I honestly do believe that we were inevitable.  But I just didn't know it at the time..."

"Hmm."  He said mysteriously, once again lost in thought.

"What's with that 'hmm'?  You have a funny look on your face."  She asked suspiciously.

His expression was one of chagrined discomfort.  "Its just that.... My Uncle Luke.... I've been going to him every couple of weeks, to learn his 'teachings' – expand my knowledge of all things cosmic...things that are pre-ordained.  Fated.  Weird shit like that."

Rey's eyes widened in amused shock.  "You never told me that!  You said you were going to him to learn to meditate – so you could relax and sleep better!"

He blushed in embarrassment.  "Well, that is part of it – but so is the other stuff.  Mind expansion is part of how he teaches deep meditation.  I know, it kind of seems like a lot of mumbo jumbo.  But some of the things he says actually make sense.  I wonder....what he'd say about us – how all of this came to be...with our family connection.... I'll bet he has some weirdly logical cosmic explanation for it."  His gaze was nervous as he looked up at her.  "I hope you don't think I'm crazy now."

She cocked her head and looked at him, shaking her head.  "Of course not.  Your uncle is actually well-respected.  And if he's crazy, then so is Obi – and I don't believe he is, soooo...."  Leaning over she kissed him softly.  "I believe in anything that helps people make sense of their lives and their world.  So if your uncle has something to say about our 'inevitability', I'd love to hear it – good or bad."

He nodded again, wrapping his arms around her and pulling her down for a deep kiss.

Once he let her go, she propped her hands onto his chest and smiled down at him.  He gazed up at her, reaching out to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear, a softly appreciative expression on his face.  His gaze shifted down slightly, and his eyes widened hugely, finally noticing the pattern of small bruises on her neck and collarbone.  "Admiring your handiwork?"  She asked saucily.

His face still registered shock as his mouth opened, but no sounds came out.  She laughed at his apparent astonishment.

"Fuck – I'm so sorry Sweetheart!"  He said apologetically, tracing one of the bruises with his fingertips.  "That's....uh....that's never happened...uh....I've never done that before!"

"What are you apologizing for?  They didn't hurt.  And I really enjoyed acquiring them."  She smiled coyly, before leaning closer and whispering.  "Very much.  And I haven't taken a closer look to see if you have any marks, but I suspect there may be a few scratches on your back.  I'll have to cover them up when we go out, but I think I'll make sure to leave a few marks where Celeste can see them."   She smirked, and he rolled his eyes back at her.  Kissing his neck, she murmured.  "You made me just as wild as you were."

He blushed deeply, before giving her a proud smirk.  "Yes – you were pretty wild."  He whispered deeply, a hint of teasing in his voice.  "The sounds you were making were unbelievably filthy."

It was her turn to blush.  She loved how their banter was almost always a give and take – each giving as good as they got.  "Oh?  And yours weren't?"  He blushed again, making her chuckle.  Taking a deep breath, she gave him a brilliant smile, stroking her hand over his shoulder, unable to stop touching him for even a minute.  "I love this."  She murmured, kissing his shoulder.  "Its more than I ever imagined it would be."

"Me too."  He told her quietly and kissed her softly.

When he released her lips, she started absentmindedly playing with his hair.  "I don't think that..."  She blushed, looking away.

"What?"

"I used to think it was kind of funny......but now that.....we've...."  She huffed, making a small motion with her hand.  "...done this....I don't think that I'll be able to handle it as...calmly.... when women come onto you....when they blatantly try to get your attention.  And if Celeste doesn't back off...I'm not sure what I'll do."  She swallowed.

"Really?  Then you won't be surprised when I'm an asshole to men who behave.... inappropriately....towards you."

Raising a brow, she questioned.  "And what would constitute 'inappropriate behaviour' to you?"

"I'm not sure – yet.  Perhaps looking at you like they want to seduce you?  Or saying inappropriate things to you?  Definitely trying to touch you."

She felt a shudder course through him.  "Ben – men do not behave that way towards me.  They just don't!"  She shook her head, and then her eyes flared in realization.  "Wait – are you telling me you're possessive?  Because that's not a side of you I ever witnessed with Kay."

He shrugged.  "I never thought about it with her.  But I can tell you that the mere thought of any man doing any of those things to you, makes me see red.  So, if that makes me possessive, then yes, I am.  Exceedingly."

OMG that was hot!  She knew it was kind of fucked up and wrong - after all, she wasn't anybody's possession.  But nobody – absolutely no one - had ever made her feel like that before.  Heat had started to flow through her, settling directly in her core.  However, a sudden niggling worry interrupted that train of thought.  "Wait! You're not some kind of closet control freak are you?"

He burst out laughing.  "Fuck no!  Well, maybe I would've been when I was 20, before.... But I've already told you about that.  I was a different person then – and it had nothing to do with women – hell, I was still a virgin."  He muttered.  "Do you honestly think Kay would've stayed with me so long if I was?"

"Good point."  Her eyes narrowed as she honed in on something he'd said.  "Wait – did you just say that you were still a virgin at 20 years old?  I find that very hard to believe."

He sighed.  "Snoke – wanted no distractions – and felt that women, sex, and all that came with it were highly distracting, so convinced me to remain celibate."

"Holy shit Ben!"

"Yep."  He took a deep breath.  "I had just turned 23 when I met my first girlfriend at Harvard.  I didn't quite know what I was doing – in any facet of a relationship.  It lasted about a month."  He shrugged.

"Wow."  Was all she could say.

"How about you?"  He asked.

"Eighteen."  She replied.  "Same as you – I met Aaron at MIT about a month in.  We were together a few months and then we both just got way too busy, so broke it off.  It really wasn't anything.....I really didn't even miss him."  She shrugged.  She lay there silently thinking for a few minutes before her face broke out in a huge grin.  "I've gotta say, you've certainly learned a lot since then, because that was.....well, it was pretty fucking amazing."

Blushing, he laughed, leaning over to kiss her again.  "Hell, no.  Not with.... Just no.  That was pure instinct Rey.  And want,"  He leaned down to kiss her – a slow, lingering kiss.  "..and need..."  He whispered low, as he kissed her again.

His voice was deep and mellow, almost hypnotizing, as he began plucking at her lips softly.  Heat suddenly flared in her again, moving downward, straight to the juncture of her thighs.  Fuck.  This man was going to drive her crazy with lust....

Biting her lip, she glanced up at him shyly.  He must have read something in her eyes, because suddenly his own became wary.

"What?"  He asked.

She smirked.  "I just.... I think that's sort of hot, that's all."

"Which part?"

Looping her arms around his neck, she replied.  "What you said.... About instinct... and want and need... well, and about being possessive.  The whole thing."  She whispered huskily.

His return smile was positively predatory.  "Oh, so you like the idea of me being an asshole or beating up some guy because he eye-fucked you?"

"Well, not beating them up or anything like that."  She threaded her fingers through his hair.  "And not if you were overreacting."  Leaning closer, her lips brushed his neck, and she could hear his sharp inhale.  "But its definitely hot to think of you standing up for me like that.  No one's ever done that for me before."

"Yeah?  What does it do to you?"  He murmured teasingly.  The dulcet tone of his voice shot further heat straight to her core, and she felt herself grow wet again.  Had she even stopped being wet lying here with him?

Running her hands down over his chest, she replied seductively.  "It makes me tingle."  She followed the path of her hands with her lips, placing soft kisses in their wake.  "It makes me want you inside me again."

Leaning up, she pulled herself closer and sealed her lips to his once again.  Slowly, tenderly, open mouthed - causing him to groan softly.  Her hands travelled farther down, finding him already hardening once again, stroking him softly.  Gasping, he broke the kiss.  "Aren't you sore?"  He asked.

Rey's brows shot up in surprise.  "I don't think so."  Her voice dropped.  "But even if I was, I wouldn't care....I want you again."

He groaned again and captured her lips with his, devouring them hungrily.  He was breathing heavily by the time they broke apart, his face still a bit stunned.  "Usually... uh....the others... well..."  His expression was pained and his face was beet red.

"Hmm.... So you're telling me that none of your other lovers have been able to go for a 2nd round quite so quickly?"  He swallowed, his red face showing his embarrassment as he nodded.  She chuckled, whispering.  "Well then.  Either you've learned a lot since then, or I'm made of sterner stuff than they were."  She kissed him again, giving him a little shove to roll him onto his back, all the while continuing to softly stroke his hardness.

"Do you have any idea what you do to me?"   She asked softly.  "Everything about you makes me want to be close to you – to touch you.  But your voice Ben..."  A shiver ran through her, remembering his words from earlier.  "I think you could seduce me with just your voice alone."

He was completely entranced – and thoroughly seduced as well – once again.  Breathing heavily, he began to pant, as her hand continued to gently pump him while he listened to her soft words.  How would he survive being near her now that they'd experienced – this?  He'd have to learn some self-control or he'd be hard all the time.  Smiling to himself, he snickered.  Well, in the grand scheme of things, it wasn't the worst problem to have.

Releasing him, she threw a leg over him to straddle his hips, crawling her way up his body, kissing, nipping and caressing him as she went.  When she reached his pecs, she swirled her tongue around his nipple, hearing his quiet moan.

"I love hearing you respond to me, Ben.  Please – never stop."  She mumbled, continuing to kiss her way upward, gently teasing by placing soft kisses on his neck and along his collarbone, then back again, making her way along his jaw.  When she got to his lips, she buried her hands into his hair before leaning down to kiss him hungrily.

All the while, his hands moved slowly over her, squeezing her hips, then kneading her ass, before stroking upward to caress her back, running his fingers through the hair at her nape and gently massaging there before sneaking around to her breasts.  His constant attention made her shiver, and the feeling of utter need inside of her increased even more.

Propping herself up onto her hands, she smiled languidly, desire evident in her expression.  Watching his face, she could see the effect she was having on him.  His breathing was heavy, his eyes were wide and dark, and his mouth was partially open, panting.  He looked like such a beautiful mess, and her body reacted in response, almost able to feel the wetness seeping out of her.  "I'm going to ride you now."  She whispered huskily, feeling his answering shudder.  "And I'm going to watch your face as I make love to you this time."  Reaching back to grasp him, she murmured.  "I've dreamed of this...."  Sliding herself backward, she positioned him at her entrance and slowly sank onto him.

When she winced slightly, he grasped her hips to still her.  "I'm fine – the angle is just a little different this way."  She whispered silkily, rolling her hips as she took all of him inside of her deeply, right to the hilt.  "You feel so good."  She whimpered, huffing out a breath as she began slowly moving on him, quickly finding a rhythm and losing herself to the wicked pleasure that was coursing through her.  It had become so intense so quickly that she was almost beyond words.  "It's...oh God...its never...mmmmmm...felt like....."  her head fell forward and her mouth opened on a breathy moan.  "..this."

He squeezed her hips, trying to let her control the pace, desperately trying not to thrust too deeply up into her.  God she was beautiful like this.  Her hair was loose around her face, her head hanging forward, her heavy-lidded eyes locked onto his with ecstasy written in her expression as she rocked herself onto his shaft.  He still couldn't believe how good she felt – how hot, wet and wonderfully tight she was.  His own mouth was hanging open and his breath turned into pants as he continued to watch her pleasure herself on him.  Her nails curled into his pecs and he hissed in pleasure, the heat at the base of his spine intensifying, causing his back to arch.

Reaching up, he caressed her breasts, running his thumbs over her nipples the way he already knew she liked, and he could hear a soft purr from her throat.  His hips instinctively thrust upward, causing her head to fall back on a long and loud moan.  "Did you like that Sweetheart?"  He asked, his voice quiet, but deep and playful.  She nodded frantically and he thrust upward again, holding her hips and matching her pace.  His hand slid from her hip to press his thumb at the top of her slit, moving in slow firm circles, trying to match the cadence of their pace.

Suddenly, she seemed to melt and went completely loose-limbed above him.  Leaning further forward, she slid her hands further up his chest and he watched as she began to shake.  He continued thrusting slowly, but deeply, intently focused on her as her mouth opened further and she began to gasp loudly, over and over again, which quickly turned into a broken, repeating wail as a long and intense orgasm claimed her.  He could feel her clench his shaft tightly in rippling waves as he continued moving in her, her voice still whimpering in pleasure, causing his own restraint to snap.  "Fuuuuck!"  He grated out loudly and began thrusting sharply and wildly into her, his neck arching back on a series of loud groans as the fire of his own peak raced through him, rendering him almost completely senseless to everything but the white hot pleasure streaking through him.

They were both still breathing heavily about a minute later, too sated to even move.

Stars.  He was pretty sure he saw stars when he came that time.  She'd clenched him so hard during her orgasm that his own had been over the top intense.  Blinking his eyes open, he looked down at his exhausted lover.  She'd collapsed on his chest, and was also unmoving, still panting.  His arms snaked up to wrap around her, squeezing tightly.  She let out a sound that resembled a low groan of protest.  Chuckling deeply, he planted a kiss into her hair.

"Tired Sweetheart?"  He asked, amusement tingeing his voice.

She made the same unintelligible sound once again, making no effort to move.  Chuckling again, he asked.  "Are you going to fall asleep there?"  There was still no response from her, and he wondered if she really had started to doze off.  Deciding that somewhat drastic action was necessary, he delivered a sharp slap to her ass.

"Ow!"  She startled, sitting up suddenly.  "That wasn't nice!"  She pouted.

Reaching up, he caressed her butt cheek, rubbing it lightly to soothe the sting away.  "Yeah, but it got you to move didn't it?"  He smirked.

Her eyes narrowed.  "I'll have you know that I was enjoying myself – all burrowed into your massive chest."  Her eyes darkened, and her voice dropped an octave.  "I was very comfortable."  She stroked her hands up his torso as she slid down once again to park herself back onto his chest.  He could feel her start to shake as she laughed.

He rolled his eyes and slipped his arms back around her, his own chest rumbling with laughter.  "You know, you're a pain in the ass sometimes."

"I know."  She smiled, lifting her chin and propping it on her hands to look at him.  "But you love me anyways."

Running his hand over her hair, he let it drift down over her back and across her buttocks, causing her to hum in pleasure.  His eyes were fathomless dark pools, swelling with emotion, and she could feel herself getting lost in them yet again. "I adore you Rey."

Her heart stuttered in her chest.  Launching herself forward, she captured his lips in a tender kiss, feeling as if it seared her soul, branding him there forever.  She could feel his movements become almost frantic, his hand coming up to the back of her head to hold her to his desperate kiss, while the other pressed the rest of her to him tightly.  His desperation wasn't borne of passion, but of the sudden rush of emotion coursing through him.  Needing her to know exactly what he was feeling, and needing to know exactly what she was feeling in return.

They were both soft and misty eyed when they finally broke the kiss, their hearts now beating in unison.  They continued to tenderly nuzzle each other's faces, still relishing this new physical closeness – and everything that they'd finally found with one another.  Both were so relaxed – at ease and blissed out, that eventually, they fell asleep like that – still cocooned in the security of each other's arms.  In the back of his mind, Ben swore he could hear her softly murmur "pinch me" as he slowly drifted off.

Neither heard the incessant buzzing of Ben's cell phone as it went of repeatedly for the next few hours.