Taken aback, Claudia stammered, "How...how did you know?!"

Did he somehow see what she was reading earlier?

As this realization dawned on Claudia, her mind went blank, and her heart raced.

Bennett gently raised his hand to caress her face, then leaned in to share a tender, skillful kiss.

In this intimate atmosphere, senses other than sight had grown more acute.

Claudia felt his cool, slender lips, his tongue warm as fire, the reassuring warmth of his hand exploring her waist, and the rhythm of his breath.

The rhythm of his breathing left her in a trance.

Bennett's kiss began with her lips but soon ventured further, driven by an increasing desire.

Claudia's body blazed with heat, a tingling sensation cascading from her lips down her neck and settling in her chest.

The room resonated with the rhythmic cadence of their breathing, a symphony of anticipation.

Bennett kissed her. In a husky whisper, he inquired, “Claudia, do you want to do what lovers do?"

His voice, low and seductive, nestled in her heart like a grain of sand, stirring an irresistible itch.

She felt like a fish being pulled ashore, gasping for air, her thoughts suspended in a whirlwind of sensation, and her mouth left agape.

The urgency of their physical connection caused her to exhale sharply, shattering Bennett's last vestiges of restraint.

He had been holding back since this afternoon, and he could no longer bear it.

The room's air conditioner hummed softly. As their pajamas came off, Claudia shivered from the sudden chill.

The cold shock momentarily cleared her mind, leaving her with a hint of apprehension. She clung to the man's arm, her voice trembling.

“Bennett...”

In her trembling voice, Bennett sensed her anxiety and kissed her gently, and reassuringly.

“Don't worry, my dear. There's nothing to be afraid of," he said.

"I'm just afraid of the pain," she confessed, her vulnerability laid bare.

"We'll pause if it becomes uncomfortable," he reassured her.

He didn't rush to proceed but instead waited for her consent.

In the dimness, Claudia couldn't discern Bennett's expression above her.