“I'm not sure

I can do this," I whispered.

“Of course you can. It's not Like you haven't had sex with other women before."

“That was different. They were just about sex. Maria, Nataliya, even

E-Beth. They were about physical pleasure without emotion. Lust and nothing else." I sighed and looked at myself in the mirror. "I can't do it with Cherys and not feel something more."

I turned in place and held Amber to my arms and kissed her forehead.

When I pulled back and held her tight to me and bent my head over her shoulder, stroking her back.

“I can't go through with it. With Cherys, it wouldn't be anything less than making love. She just means too much to me. And I can't do that to you. My conscience couldn't live with

0

Amber pushed me back until she could look straight into my eyes. The blue burned with an inner fire and she shook me for a second. "You HAVE to. For her sake if nothing else."

I looked at my girlfriend as if she'd sprouted horns. "I feel too close emotionally to another woman and you're ordering me to go and make passionate Love to her?"

“Cherys is very fragile right now," Amber cautioned. "If you don't, someone else will. Someone who might not treat her right. And if she screws the first guy who'll let her, she could end up in a VERY bad situation. Can your conscience Live with THAT?"

“But... Amber... faced with a choice between her and you, I choose you."

Amber teared up just then and leaned into me, planting her lips on mine in a kiss of passion that rivaled anything I had ever felt in my life.

This day had been truly amazing when it came to kisses.

When she broke for air, she gazed right back into my eyes and squeezed my arms tightly.

“I love you, David, remember? I'm ‘in love’ with you."

Her eyes fluttered and her voice choked up as she said those words.

“Nothing will change that. You're the first man I ever fell in love with, and you can't take that away from me. Not even if you make love with Cherys tonight.”

I stared at her in wonder.

Amber continued haltingly, her wide smile incongruous with the tears rolling down her left cheek. "I already know what's going to happen tonight," she said brightly, then paused to compose herself. "Cherys is my friend, too, and I already know how you both are. Yes, there's a love between you. But it's not the kind of love that's between you and me. It's not even the kind of love between you and Danielle. And that's why it's not a threat. You can love me and love Danielle at the same time. Do you see a conflict there?"

I shook my head.

“And I don't see a conflict between you and Cherys. You need to do this for her. But in the morning, she won't be trying to steal you for a boyfriend or anything. Your relationship is already set. She trusts you, and she Loves you, but she's not in love with you. Okay?"

“Okay..." I answered, perhaps a lie because I still didn't completely understand.

Amber kissed me again. "Go to her. Make her happy. Show her everything that aman can be. Then tomorrow morning, come back to me and I'LL show you what being ‘in Love’ is all about.”