[Warning: Mild sexual content.]

  "Are you cold?" he asked.

  "Yeah… the water is starting to get cold."

  "A shower sounds nice, right?"

  "Yeah. I'll take a nap after that. I could use it. I feel exhausted."

  He helped her out of the tub and led her into the hot shower. Clouds of steam moved around them. They didn't speak but acknowledged the presence of one another with soft touches as they moved around one another to wash their bodies.

  She was poked by his semi-hardness a couple of times in those attempts. She pretended not to notice it. She couldn't fault the natural reaction of his body to being close to a naked and wet woman.

  Her.

  They took their time in the bath but were swift in the shower. She felt drained even though it was still early. The sleep that she had gotten was not quality and she was anxious to lay down in bed and just rest.

  Mo Qingchen turned off the water and handed her a towel. She tossed it after drying herself and made her way back into the bedroom, immediately crawling into bed.

  "Too tired for clothes?" Mo Qingchen asked as he emerged from the bathroom behind her.

  "Come in," she answered, pushing back the covers on his side of the bed.

  He watched her as she settled in and he glanced at the clock.

  "I have some calls to make…"

  "Oh."

  She wasn't very good at hiding her disappointment because he was swift to backtrack. At least, a little bit.

  "I can lay with you until you fall asleep. If you don't want to be alone."

  "That would be nice," she whispered.

  He went back into the bathroom and only emerged without the towel. He turned the lights off before coming to the bed. The drapes were pulled over the windows, so the room was really dark.

  She watched him slip into the bed beside her, as naked as she was, and scoot towards the middle. She met him there, pulling the covers up around them and placing a hand on his toned stomach. She was on her side and he was on his back, their heads turned to each other.

  She moved her fingers across his stomach slowly, feeling the ridges of his abdominal muscles.

  "Qian Meng…" he sighed. He grabbed her hand and gently placed in on her thighs.

  "What?"

  "Don't do that."

  "Don't touch you?" she asked.

  "Not like that. I'm already trying to keep things at bay down there. The bath…"

  "I just want to be close to you."

  His eyes filled with confusion as he stared at her, searching for answers.

  "Why?"

  His question was fair but she didn't exactly know the answer. She didn't know if there was an answer.

  "You comfort me." It was the best thing she could come up with. It was an honest response.

  So many emotions passed over his face that it was hard to guess what he was thinking. But the way he looked at her was intense. It was one of those, soul-searching gazes.

  "What have you done to me?" he whispered.

  'No. What have you done to me?' she wanted to ask. She knew the answer to their question. They had shut themselves off for so long but then… they made each other feel.

  He felt exactly what she felt when they kissed a moment later. His lips caught hers slowly. She felt what he felt when his hands pulled her to him as if he owned her. She felt it in the breath that they shared as their kiss deepened. He felt it between them as their chests pressed against one another.

  And then he was on top of her. Her legs circled his waist and her arms were around his neck. Their kisses were heated but remained slow and deep.

  It was different.

  She wasn't sure when their kisses had changed, but they had. Maybe it was a gradual change. With each passing day and each time their lips touched. In the beginning, it was all lustful and impatient. But this… this was different. It was better.

  He was fully hard, resting heavily against her hip. Once he realized it, he started to pull away.

  "I'm sorry," he began. "I—"

  "It's okay," she interrupted. "It's okay, Qingchen."

  She placed her hand at the back of his neck and pulled him down to her once more. His hesitated for a moment before his fervor returned. He pressed his body more firmly against her and she couldn't help but cling to him.

  They held each other without hurry. She ran her hands over his solid arms and chiseled back and she felt safe there, sheltered by his strength.

  She didn't know why she felt compelled but she reached down between them to circle her fingers around his hardened length and lined him up with her entrance, guiding him.

  Mo Qingchen broke their kiss and looked down at her questioningly, his breathing heavy.

  "Qian Meng."

  "I want you… Please."

  "This doesn't…"

  Qian Meng took his hands and laced their fingers together. "I am sure. Just be in me?"

  He looked at her for a long moment and then kissed her ever so gently. "Okay."

  She gripped his hand tighter as he dipped lower. She slowly relaxed herself to take him in. He kissed her forehead as he pushed into her, so slow that it was torture.

  A part of her wondered what it said about her that she actually wanted to have sex with him at that moment. She should be distraught, afraid… and she was! But she wanted comfort. His comfort.

  She wanted to feel anything other than the misery that plagued her at night. Her instincts told her that Mo Qingchen was her answer.

  He pushed in until she felt so full of him that it was hard to breathe. But she knew from experience that there was still a little left to go. The last inch of him stretched her. He was deep, pushing her to the brink of discomfort. The last inch that remained was the only thing between them.