He pushed down his trousers and short drawers, and she lost her train of thought. She also lost her breath. Her heart stuttered in alarm.
She stared.
Griffin had said that part of Tris would get hard so he could slide it into her, but he'd neglected to say it would also get big.
"Sweet heaven," she started—and Tris jumped into bed, pulled the covers over them both, and cut off her sentence with a kiss.
It was a lovely kiss, but it failed to erase her trepidation.
"You're nervous now, aren't you?" he said.
"No. Well, maybe. A little."
"It will fit, sweetheart." He ran a hand down her side and back up. "And remember, I promised to stop if you hurt."
"Yes, you did. Thank you."
He continued slowly stroking her all over through her chemise, which she found rather soothing. Her brother would have warned her if there were a chance of it not working, wouldn't he? And she trusted Tris. Now that she couldn't see that part of his body, she was certain it wasn't as large as she'd thought.
It simply couldn't be.
She'd been surprised, that was all. She'd exaggerated its size in her mind. Everything would be fine.
She released a shaky breath. "Are you going to ask me to open my legs now?"
His hand stilled. "What?"
"Griffin said that after you kissed me and touched me, you would ask me to open my legs."
"Would you leave Griffin out of this? I really must have a talk with him. He is singularly unimaginative." Heaving a giant sigh, he reached for the hem of her chemise. "Let's get rid of this, shall we?"
"I told him you'd take it off," she said smugly, raising her arms to cooperate.
He dropped the chemise to the floor beside the bed. "Told who?"
"Griffin."
"Enough with Griffin," he demanded, snuggling closer beside her.
"All right." She really couldn't think straight when Tris was this close, anyway. Especially when he was running his hands all over her naked body, leaving a trail of warm goosebumps in their wake. Especially when he licked his way down to her breasts and swirled his tongue all over them and fastened his mouth on an aching peak. Especially when he suckled and nipped and made her wonder if anyone had ever died of too much pleasure.
She wasn't thinking of Griffin then. Nor could she think of him long minutes later, when Tris abandoned her tingling breasts and recaptured her lips with his. Just then, it seemed she couldn't think at all.
Especially when he was brushing his fingers up and down her legs.
Especially when he found a sensitive spot behind her knee.
Especially when he was drawing circles on the insides of her thighs, tiny circles that moved ever closer to that place between them where she felt a hot, growing ache.
He didn't have to ask her to open her legs, because somehow they opened all by themselves. And his hand slid between them, to cup her like he had the night he'd sleepwalked. She gasped, feeling such an exquisite need, she found herself straining against his hand in hope of easing it.
And then he moved his hand, stroking her. The pleasure grew, and the urgency grew along with it, until she heard little mewling moans and realized they were hers. For long, languid minutes he played her body, slick slides of his fingers that brought forth bursts of sensation.
Then he slipped a finger inside her. "Tris!" she cried.
"Hmm?"
That hmm was a hum inside her mouth that seemed to spread throughout her body. And it didn't seem to require an answer. Not that she could have answered him, anyway. Not when he was stroking her inside, and her body was responding by clinging to his finger. His thumb found a spot so sweet she feared she might scream from sheer excitement. He rubbed that spot as he thrust his finger deeper and kissed her at the same time, his tongue exploring her mouth with movements that matched what he was doing below.
She'd never felt anything like it. She'd never even imagined anything like it. Her heart raced, and little spurts of pleasure sprinted all over her body. Tremors shimmered through her, the sweet torture continuing until she thought one more velvet stroke might be her undoing. But she wanted something more. Needed something more.
She wasn't sure what, but she suspected it was him.
"Now," she whispered, tearing her mouth from his. "Come inside me now."
A low groan escaped his throat. He moved over her and fit himself between her legs, and she felt him there, poised to enter her, felt him trembling as he tried to hold back. He finally pushed inside, but only a little. Just enough so where their bodies were joined there was a feeling so urgent it made her whimper with anticipation.
"Now," she repeated.
"I don't want to hurt—"
"Now!" She shoved her hips against him, taking him in.
Then froze, still as the stone figure of the river god in the center of their circular drive.
"I'm sorry," he grated out, staying still with her.
"No. It doesn't hurt." It had hurt, but only for a moment. Now she was immobilized by sheer wonder. He was large, but he fit, and he felt incredible filling her.
He was throbbing inside her.
She shifted, raising her knees a little. He sucked in a breath. Her own breath caught as well, because she'd felt him move within her body, creating a cresting wave of heat.
"You're supposed to move," she informed him.
He released a strangled laugh, pulling out of her a bit. "I suppose Griffin told you that?"
"Forget Griffin," she said and lifted herself to meet his thrust.
The sensation was exquisite. The sheer beauty of it made something tighten in her chest. "Dear God," she whispered. "I hadn't the slightest idea."
"This is only the beginning," he said and moved again.
It seemed awkward at first, but she soon learned how to move with him,
