love. four letters are not enough.

he raised his arms as she pulled his shirt over his head and laid it on the bed next to her, the night's darkness not intense enough to blot out the beautiful lines of his chest. she drew a breath, deep and full of awe. of course she had seen him without his shirt before, but never like this. skin over muscle and bone had never looked so poetic, so perfect and she wanted to touch it, with her mouth, her eyes, her hands, and if possible, her soul.

not long after she felt a tug on her own shirt as he lifted it over her head, turning it inside out in the process. he stopped for a moment, let the dim light from the window reflect off her upright body as he took in the virgin sight. his hands did the initial speaking as he gently and carefully reached out for the fresh newness in his lap. and then he stopped and stared in silence.

"you're beautiful." it was whispered, the most sincere declaration of beauty that had ever been given her. it didn't come only from his eyes, or his hands or his testosterone, although they were all there, but it sighed from the deepest fiber of his love, the part untouched by any hint of darkness.

her eyes smiled, her soul responded but words were not available to return. he left her speechless. never had she felt so loved. in her most vulnerable moment, without trendy clothes, complimentary colors, makeup, and tousled hair, without anything to hide the shape of her body, he had found her exquisite. it was only skin stretched over bones and muscles, curves and lines. it was simple and understated, nothing to protect or enhance. his love for her was perfect in that moment, as the vision of her body was in his eyes.

love, explored and shared more deeply than skin against skin. it was an explosion of the love in their souls that had brought them to that moment of spiritual proportions.

love. four letters are not enough.