Page 29

Alex

I didn’t know how long it had been before the handle of my bedroom door twisted. The sun had finished setting, and I must have dozed off on top of my bed.

My heart froze as I looked up at the widening crack in the door, and at Brad’s expression as he stepped inside.

I pushed myself up on my elbows, wiping the sleep away from my eyes with the back of my hand as he closed the door behind him.

“I don’t want you to be with anyone else,” he blurted out, his hand still on the doorknob.

Drawing in a firm breath, I forced my gaze to stay on him, my eyebrows scrunched together. This was the chance I’d been waiting for, but I still wasn’t sure if I was ready to take it.

“What are you going to do about it, then?” I asked.

He walked toward the bed, and I had to crane my neck back to look up at him as he reared over me.

His face was etched with determination. I tensed as he bent over, stretching out to place his hands on my shoulders. He pressed firmly against me, holding me to the bed.

“You’re still a virgin, yeah?”

My heart fluttered as the familiar pain joined my tumbling heart.

“Is that really what you want to say right now?” I asked flatly.

Because, out of everything he could have possibly followed up with, he went for something about my sexual experience, or lack thereof.

I told myself I wasn’t going down this route with him, but it was really hard when he held me close and gave me a mournful look.

“What else would I say? I was your first kiss. I was your first BJ, and I’m going to be your first fuck.”

As heat flooded through me, I knew I really couldn’t do it. I couldn’t say no to him, especially when he took a shuddering breath, leaning toward me.

The moment he pressed his lips to mine, I was his again.

He moaned first, an electrifying sound which strummed through my veins as he lowered me onto my pillow. He didn’t stop for a second, a natural flow from standing, to swinging his leg over my hips and pinning me to the duvet.

The mattress dipped, securing me between his arms and legs.

He groaned again as his tongue brushed my lips, and I opened for him.

One hand went to his chest, digging into the hard muscle that drew closer to me with every move of his lips.

When his hips met mine, his cock was already stiff. My back arched, my body answering, my need for him growing.

But I had to break the kiss before I lost myself. I couldn’t breathe when there were so many emotions whipping through me.

“What’s wrong?” Brad asked innocently as I pressed against his chest, stopping him from smothering me with his scent.

He followed the question with a roll of his hips and a grin. “I know you want it.”

It was getting harder and harder not to yell at him.

“Did you listen to anything I said to you before?” I asked, nearly panting just from one kiss. “Just because my body wants it doesn’t mean I can deal with it.”

My frustration was already burning through me, but I couldn't even complain when I created it all myself.

And Brad swept it away as he dropped back down, fighting to kiss me again. It was an easy way for him to dodge the question and distract me.

Brad let himself go, straightening his legs, wedging them between mine. All so he could grind his cock against me, and make me weak for him.

I let another moan slip out, and he took his chance. His hips sped up, his biceps flexing as he kept his torso high. But I wanted every piece of him against me.

“If I do this, you won’t leave me, will you?” he asked.

“Have you figured out why?” I whispered, scarcely believing it. I couldn’t even look at him.

We were so close, we were almost there, and I was still avoiding it, just so I could be with him like this.

But he fell back into me instead of answering. His kiss became fiercer, his moans louder, and I moved my hand so he could press his chest to mine.

He completely pinned me under him, and I softened to it, accepting my fate.

I was never going to stop loving him.

His hands left my shoulders, burying into my hair, and the scratch of his nails on my scalp sent shivers scattering through me as he tilted my head back to deepen his kiss.

His tongue creased mine, and I moved with him. I couldn’t resist, not when he was turning me on so much. His dry lips, his strong tongue, the way he explored my mouth like it was the first time he’d tasted me.

“Hey, man, do something with your hands. I want to feel you stroking me.”

I choked in surprise. I’d been so absorbed by him that I’d just lay there and let him make all the moves.

I assumed he was going to go right to the ‘sex’ part of taking my virginity. But when I lifted my hands to his back, he sighed happily and flew straight back into kissing me.

When I lifted a knee, his hips slotted even more comfortably over mine. I didn’t just want to stroke his back, I wanted every inch of him, everywhere, to make sure I hadn’t missed a single piece. Because I didn’t know if he was just acting out because we’d argued, or if this really meant something to him.

“I don’t want anyone else touching you,” he said, gasping as he pulled back to look at me. He ran his nose up my cheek, his lips landing on my forehead. “I don’t want anyone kissing you.” He trailed his lips over my cheeks, so tender it was painful. “I don’t want anyone smiling at you or talking to you. I don’t even want anyone looking at you.”

There was only so much I could do to convince myself he was just Brad being Brad.

“Fine,” I said, turning and pressing my cheek against the pillow, every place he touched tingling. “But do you feel anything else?” I was actually pouting, which was even more embarrassing than a sudden outburst. But I knew I was going to go through with it now. I really was going to tell him. I was just stalling.

“Yeah.” He chuckled. “Yeah, I do.” One of his hands dropped from my hair, gently clutching my chin, making me look at him.

He captured me with his stare, and I really did try to fight it—about as much as I tried to miss every shot I took during a game.

All those conversations in my head, all those different fantasies. This had been one at the top of my list. Brad, holding me, urging me on, showing me how he wanted me.

I just had to steer him in the right direction.

The only sounds in my room were my ticking clock, the breeze whooshing past my window, and my blood roaring as Brad slowly licked his wet lips.

“I need to hear it, Brad,” I said softly, the tremor in my voice creeping through. “I need to hear what else you feel.”

He took a hesitant swallow, his eyes darting around the room as if someone was watching us.

His fingers dug in tighter as he took a breath, and I really thought he was going to come straight out with it. I didn’t actually know if he felt the same, but the buildup was so stretched it had to be something huge.

“I should be the only one doing that to you,” he said, shuffling closer.

I let out a quiet exhale, trying as much as possible to calm myself.

He curved his body to mine, worrying his lip with his teeth as he looked at me hopefully.

“Because?” I asked, edging him on. It was so rare for him to not say exactly what was on his mind that his hesitation was driving me insane.

“Because I…” He scrunched his nose. “Alex, I—”

I really didn’t know how I’d fallen in love with such an idiot. Or maybe Brad was cursed to be loved by an idiot like me.

It was like pulling a rubber band that refused to snap.

I grabbed his neck, yanking him back to me, swallowing his small yelp of surprise as I hungrily kissed him.

He groaned against me, releasing my chin to press his palm back to the mattress, right next to my shoulder. And I let myself go and moved, feeling him, responding to him, grinding and moaning as I stole as much of him as possible.

He pressed his cock down harder, almost thrusting against me.

“Brad!” I gasped as I broke the kiss, pleasure already building in my cock. “That’s—” I descended into moans as he circled over me.

“That’s it, that’s the shit. Keep going, Alex. I want you to show me how good it is. I want it all.”

We kissed violently and passionately, until all my nerves and frustrations became background noise to my growing need and desire. Instead of all my worries whirling around in my head about what could happen and what Brad might say, I gave in to it all.

I dug my fingers into his neck and pulled him back, meeting his eyes with a hard stare. With us panting, both of us starry-eyed, I finally threw out the words I’d been thinking of for years.

“Because you love me?” I asked, heart in my throat, chest tightening every second he didn’t answer.

He watched me, his face as blank as when he stood over the boiling pan, like nothing was running through his brain.

I flattened my other hand against his chest, preparing to shove him off me and accept that this was it. It was over. There was no coming back from it.

Until he burst into a beautiful smile, one that stole my heart from the first moment I saw it.

“Yeah.” He laughed, blowing out a breath. “Fucking hell. Yeah, man. I love you.”