Ada tugged at his shirt, about ready to shred the fabric apart. She assumed with her luck, however, that all her effort would only cause a small rip. It was a full-blown dramatic gesture or none at all.

Tom seemed to forget or disregard all the promises he'd made to himself and stripped the shirt off his body in one swoop. He knelt above her, looking glorious in the faint lighting coming from the bathroom behind him. At that moment, Tom looked like he belonged on the cover of a romance novel.

Ada admired the contours of his chest, raising her fingers to his body, only to watch as those fingers wandered downward and unzipped his jeans. To her surprise, he let her, instead looking back at her with a lazy, scolding gaze. He remained silent as she loosened the button, waiting for his hands to reach out and stop her.

The tip of her finger traced his pelvic bone, what she regarded as the sexiest part of the male body. It was a feature she'd never had the chance to touch, and the way Tom sucked in his breath as she traced just below the fabric of his jeans, his reaction didn't disappoint. She wondered if there was so much as a miniscule chance he'd give up on his rules and give in to what they both wanted.

Ada had given her heart to him, and his to her. Now, as she drank in the beautiful sight of his body, she wanted the rest of him.

As Tom lowered himself, Ada closed her eyes and lifted her body, casting her inhibitions aside, and slid her tank top over her head. There was nothing subtle about this hint seeing as she wasn't wearing a bra, but Ada didn't want to wait if she didn't have to.

The warning she expected from Tom didn't come. Instead, his body paused in mid-air and there was a silence in the room, minus her own pounding heart. She'd never exposed herself so candidly to someone, and it was both liberating and terrifying as hell.

Fingertips grazed her nipple, causing her back to arch and eyelids to flutter. When his body moved away from her, she opened her eyes in time to see Tom's lips lower to her navel, leaving behind small kisses across her stomach, and made his way up to the slope of her breast.

A sensation surged through Ada's body when his lips grazed the skin as it moved upward to the center of her breast, his teeth nipping the hypersensitive area. Her body arched again and she let out a gasp as she felt the tip of his tongue.

Without a second thought, Ada tugged his pants and boxers down, not in the least bit surprised when his hand stopped her halfway down.

"I don't have a condom," he said, the look on his face showing the same disappointment she felt when he stopped her.

But her disappointment disappeared and relief took its place. Ada's cheeks flushed, and she twisted the gray sheet around her finger. "About that..."

"Ada," Tom said, his pitch higher than usual, "did you bring condoms?"

The flush of her cheeks burned from the stare her eyes were avoiding but entire body felt. "I bought some while we were at the grocery store," she admitted.

It wasn't like she'd planned on seducing him tonight, Ada just wanted no setbacks when the moment came. She had every intention of just keeping a couple in her purse and had zero expectations in using them tonight. "You know I like to be prepared for stuff."

He formed a nearly perfect straight line with his mouth, but the slight curve in the corners gave him away. "Where are they?"

It was then her heart felt as if it'd stopped. "The bathroom," Ada said so quietly she could barely hear herself. "In my purse."

He pulled his pants back up, not bothering to fasten them, and scooted off the bed.

Ada's eyes followed his every movement, her fingers reaching up to her lips, still puffy from the greatest kiss of her life. The recent memory of them left her feeling dizzy, needy. She could only imagine what she'd feel after number five if number three left her feeling like this.

He came back into the room with a single condom and set it on the bedside table, then picked up her phone and turned it off. "You're sure about this?"

In others' eyes this would all be happening too soon. But in her own, Ada had been waiting a lifetime for the love Tom was giving to her freely. And not just the in love, but the innocent love he'd shown her time and time again since they'd met.

Rather than answering aloud, Ada placed her hand on the back of his neck and pulled him down to her and captured his mouth with her own. Her response wasn't like her first one with him. It wasn't testing the waters, and it wasn't hesitant. This time there was no holding back.

Tom moved his body above hers, his mouth remaining on her own as he shifted until she was captured beneath him. His tongue slid into her mouth, ravaging and tasting her.

There was no distance between them, yet he still didn't feel close enough. Ada's hands reached for the waist of his jeans and she pulled them down as far as she could reach before he took over, lifting himself just enough to kick them off until she heard them fall to the floor. Ada did the same with her own before he laid back down against her.

Skin against skin, Tom finally felt close enough. He was close enough where she could smell the faint sweat from the summer's heat that glistened his skin. She could feel the breaths he took, and she breathed them in as her own. She could hear his heart pounding against her chest. Most of all, she felt his erection pressed against her.

Tom brushed his lips across hers, a feather-light touch. Not wanting him to hold back, Ada whispered for more, causing a slight grin to cross his face before it disappeared against her lips. His fingertips trailed up and down her side as he kissed her, small butterfly kisses that became more passionate with each that passed until his mouth devoured hers.

As the kisses grew stronger and filled with an urgency, Tom's body moved against hers and Ada gasped at the sensation of his erection pressing against the sensitive area. He did this until it slid easily, her arousal coating him.

Every movement brought her closer to the edge. He wasn't even inside her yet, yet Ada felt like she was about to lose her mind. Her body moved with his in perfect harmony. They moved together with every kiss, and as the kisses grew heavier, his erection became firmer, taking Ada to new heights.

Convulsive waves of pleasure crashed through her, leaving Ada panting and sweaty.

It was then that Tom reached for the condom, keeping his gray, darkening eyes on hers as he ripped the small foil packet with his teeth. He lifted his body and slid it on with ease before lowering himself again, his erection pressing against her entrance, and he wiped the hair from her face.

Tom's lips pressed against her glistening forehead, then moved to her nose before finding their way to her mouth. As their lips connected, he entered her slowly, as if he worried he'd cause her pain if he didn't take his time.

Ada moved her hips upwards until he was completely inside her, causing mini shocks to travel up her body. Words she never thought she'd have the balls to say came out of her mouth. "I don't want you to be gentle."

Tom's scrunched eyelids opened to look at her. "Too damn bad, because gentle is the only way I'll last over ten seconds."

A grin took over Ada's face. She supposed it must have been a while since he'd had sex. Not as long as her, but it was likely different for guys. "Well, I already got what I need, so..."

"Oh, you'll be getting at least one more of those," he fired back. "You just have to give me a minute."

Ada attempted to rein in her grin, though her entire body felt filled with unrelenting glee.

She had him now; body, mind and soul. He was hers. As soon as he entered her, the rest of their restraint had disappeared and it was pure bliss. And when he moved himself inside her, that bliss skyrocketed. This was everything she wanted and so much more.

Their love wasn't just spoken, but expressed in every touch, every movement, every look and every kiss he placed against her skin. She felt it in the way he whispered her name against her ear, the way he entangled their fingers and bodies. She wasn't just desired in that moment, but loved. That alone made the moment magic and pure.

Tom kissed her again and again. Some fleeting and tender, others lasting and passionate. Fingertips slid across her naked skin, leaving goosebumps in their path. His touches were no longer hesitant, no longer brief or scared. No longer interrupted or held back.

Even when he allowed the rest of his control to slip away, she could still feel the gentleness in his touch and could see it in his eyes as she opened her own, whimpers of pleasure passing through her parted lips. By the look on his face, he was fighting release, but didn't have to wait for long before the crashing waves of climax hit her again and he succumbed to his own.

Tom fell beside her and panted hard, his skin glistening from what they'd just done.

Sex.

Ada had just had sex with Tom.

Mind blowing, toe curling and body numbing sex.

Her legs felt like jelly, but Ada turned her body to its side to rest her head against his sweaty chest. She felt at peace as she laid against him, settled in his embrace; she felt at home.

Ada's love for him seemed to heighten, something she didn't realize was even possible. She adored him more, trusted him more, and felt more connected to him in every way. He was right when he said that sex was more than just a physical act, but that's what it had been for her until him.

"What are you thinking right now?" Ada asked.

Tom let out a quiet laugh. "That I wish I could have lasted longer. What about you?"

Ada couldn't help herself.

"The same," she replied with a smile in her voice, "And that you were way easier than I expected. I mean, this was the first time I tried to seduce you and you folded like a cheap suit."

Tom's laugh grew stronger, and he gave her body a light squeeze. "I was thinking about how the things I do in life just seem better with you," he replied honestly.

Ada looked up at him and used the little energy she had to press her lips against his. "And I was thinking about how crazy in love with you I am and how you exceeded my pretty fucking high expectations." After he gave her another kiss, Ada laid her head back against his chest. "You really were easy to seduce, though. If I'd known that all I had to do was show you my boobs-"

"As much as I enjoyed that part," Tom spoke above her, cutting her off, "I think it was you telling me you loved me that did me in."

Ada lifted her head once again to look at him. "Wanna hear it again?"

Tom traced her bottom lip with his thumb. "Absolutely."

The words that came to her mind still weren't as poetic as his own declaration, but were no longer as simple as the words she spoke in return. Having just experienced what they had, her love for him had somehow become so much clearer.

"I've always felt a pull to you, and I could never make sense of it," Ada whispered. "But ever since I met you there's been this connection like nothing else I've ever felt. I never thought it would ever lead to love. I mean, you were happily married, and I was just a girl falling for the unobtainable. It seemed like a silly fantasy, so I ignored it. But it kinda felt like fate was leading us to this, waiting for our time before letting everything become clear, if that makes sense."

Ada looked at him, looked into him, and saw all the love in the world. "We were always meant for this and I'm done pretending that I'm not in love with you. Done hiding it and done apologizing for it. I'm in love with you, Tom Bennet, and I'm not sorry about that at all."

Tom's eyes were on hers until the second he pressed his lips against hers. "I'm not sorry for loving you either," he spoke against her lips before kissing her again.

He gave her one more number three before he turned off the light in the bathroom, ignoring the one still on in the hallway, and Ada relaxed against his body, a sigh of contentment escaping her. With her naked body pressed against his, she fell into a comfortable slumber.