The cool wind whipped the loose strands of my hair back and the ride wasn’t nearly as scary as I thought it would be. Elijah was sweet to drive as slow as he said he would, but I couldn’t help my heart hammering faster the further we drove away from the parking lot. I couldn’t believe I was going to get a tattoo.

Stretching my arms, I felt a body next to mine. I immediately flashed my eyes open and set them on Elijah’s smiling face.

“Good morning, Sunshine.” Elijah froze. “I’m sorry. It was—”

“It’s okay, Elijah. You can call me Sunshine. It reminds me of my dad, but it’s not painful to hear it like before.”

I snuggled closer to him and Elijah kissed me tenderly on my forehead.

“How’s the tattoo?”

I sat up and looked at my right ankle. “It’s still a little red, but it feels fine.” I brushed my fingertip over it. “I can’t believe I have one.” A giddy feeling shivered through me, but I was squealing loudly inside.

“The sunburst is perfect, a wonderful memory of your dad.”

I plopped back into his arms. “Thank you.” I caressed his cheek. “That was the best Christmas present ever,” I said sincerely, looking into his eyes. We were connecting on a whole different level. It was as if we had been a couple for a long time. There was a level of comfort that would normally have taken months to build, but then again, we were roommates before and had that familiarity. “So are you going to show me your new tattoo now?” I pouted.

“Don’t pout like that, or I’ll be doing things to you that I shouldn’t…I mean…not yet anyway.”

“I’m glad I waited. I want you to be my first.”

“I’m glad you waited, too. I hate thinking about you with anyone else,” Elijah stated, running his fingertips down my arm, causing a tingling sensation.

“Mr. Cooper, are you trying to seduce me, or are you just trying to distract me so you don’t have to show me your tattoo?”

“Why, Ms. Weis, I would never dare. First, you’ll have to take off my T-shirt.”

“Really? I don’t mind that part at all.”

“I bet you don’t.” Elijah curled his lips into that sexy smirk. “Before I show you, I need to explain why I got it.”

I gasped when Elijah suddenly straddled me and pinned my arms above me on the pillow. Though I knew it was not his intentions, he was turning me on, making me hot all over.

“Alex, the tattoo is about you. I got it because of you, to show you how much I’m committed to us.” Elijah took off his T-shirt. It didn’t matter how many times I had seen his chest, it called to me, beckoning me to surrender to him.

“Do you see the moon?” he asked.

I nodded. “Yes.” I traced the small crescent moon above the ‘Clarity’ tattoo. Elijah slightly shuddered from my touch.

“I’m the opposite of you. You are day and I am night. We complete each other. You are my clarity, Alex.”

My hands glided over his hard, toned pecs. I couldn’t help myself. It was the most romantic and the sweetest thing I’d ever heard, not to mention getting a tattoo because of me. “I think I’m falling in love with you, Elijah Cooper,” I said softly, in a dream-like state, lost in his eyes.

“Good, because I’m already in love with you.” Elijah’s eyes became dark with lust and want. He slipped his hand under my waist and lightly pressed his body onto mine. Heat infused throughout me, blistering with every breath he released. Elijah let out a soft sigh. “I’m sure this line has been said many times before, but I mean it. I love you to the moon, Freckles,” he whispered tenderly against my ear.

“And I love you back,” I said, laughing, thinking how silly our words were.

Elijah pulled away to look at me. His grin expressed surprise and amusement. He paused for a moment as if gathering his thoughts, his eyes dancing, searching for the perfect words. “Oh yeah, I love you to the moon and back. The universe isn’t big enough to compare how much I love you. It’s impossible.”

He left me completely speechless. I stared back at him. “I…I….” I wanted to say something that expressed something bigger, but there wasn’t anything more. He didn’t let me finish.

Elijah slowly moved in for my lips. As I watched, I was sinking into the mattress from the anticipation and longing. When his lips brushed mine, fireworks exploded from the simple touch. He kissed me tenderly, taking his time, but it only intensified the burning, needing sensation that his words had already built up. My breath became ragged as I ran my hand along his back. I wanted his naked body on mine, but before we could get there, he’d stopped.

“Alex,” he said breathlessly, still caressing me. “We need to stop before I can’t control myself.”

“I don’t want you to stop.” I looked into his eyes, trying to read his thoughts.

“I want to make it special for you. Since I will be your first, we have to do this the right way.”

I smiled, appreciating his charisma. “And that is why I fell for you.”

“Is that the only reason?” he asked playfully, nipping on my shoulders.

“Nope, your chest. I’m in love with your chest,” I teased. Elijah pulled at my T-shirt to trail his kisses down to my breast. I closed my eyes and released a soft moan. “And your tattoo,” I sighed, unable to thinking coherently.