Page 88 of When We Ignite

“It’s not about my roommate,” I said quickly. “I’m just not normally loud.”

“Maybe you weren’t,” he said, his expression softening before breaking into a grin. “But you’ll be loud with me—trust me.”

“You’re too full of yourself,” I whispered, biting back a smile as his hand tightened its grip again, sending a wave of pleasure crashing through me.

“You should be happy about that,” he teased. “Would you prefer if I were a lousy lay? That we’d go through all this trouble only to be disappointed when push came to shove?”

I couldn’t help but smile, gasping as his strokes became more purposeful.

“Fine. Fuck. You’re right,” I said breathlessly, letting myself sink into the moment, no longer caring if he heard me.

“I never thought I’d hear those words coming from your lips. Might be better than your moans,” Sebastian teased.

I chuckled, rolling my eyes. “Fuck off.” There was no heat behind my words.

“So, here’s the deal, darling,” he said, and I looked up at him again. A slight smile played on his lips, but his eyes were serious. “I’d love to take my time with you, go at your pace—but since we have an expiration date, I’m going to have to push your boundaries a little.”

I swallowed hard, his words settling over me like a challenge. His hand still moved over me, drawing another moan from my lips.

“If you’re really uncomfortable at any point, I need you to tell me to stop. Otherwise, I’m going to keep going,” he added.

I nodded quickly, unable to form a coherent response without another sound escaping.

“Good,” he murmured. “Now, let’s start by getting rid of the shyness, shall we?”

Before I could ask what he meant, Sebastian shifted back, sitting on his heels and leaving me completely exposed.

“Shit,” I breathed, squeezing my eyes shut.

“Ethan,” he called softly, coaxing my attention back to him. “I need you to look at me, darling. Don’t close your eyes.”

I nodded again, forcing myself to meet his gaze. His eyes flickered down, darkening as they roamed over me. His hand caressed my thigh, the touch light but grounding, while he ran his tongue over his lips.

“You should be the most arrogant person in the world, you know? How are you this shy looking the way you do?” he asked, shaking his head in disbelief.

“Looks aren’t everything,” I replied automatically, my voice quieter than I intended.

His eyes met mine again, an emotion overtaking them. Understanding or curiosity, I wasn’t sure which.

“If you don’t believe me, think about this: You, Ethan Bennett, are the fucking crown jewel of my collection. I’ve lived, traveled, and fucked all around the world, and no one—absolutely no one—comes close to you right at this moment.” His voice was steady, but the sincerity in his tone sent my heart racing.

“I’m not your toy, Sebastian,” I reminded him, trying to inject some firmness into my voice.

“You’re not,” he agreed easily. “That only makes you so much better.” His eyes flicked down again, drinking me in as if I were something sacred.

His hand released me, and I groaned involuntarily. He chuckled, leaning back to grab something from his discarded sweats. When he returned to the bed, I noticed the lube in his hand, and my eyes widened.

“What are?—”

“I told you, we’re not having sex tonight,” he cut in smoothly. “This is just to warm you up.”

“But what exactly?—”

“What I’m going to do,” he interrupted, “is check that first orgasm off our list. Are you ready for that?”

I couldn’t find the words, my chest tightening as I struggled to respond. A noncommittal noise escaped me instead, making him chuckle softly.

“Just trust me, darling. I promise you’re going to like it,” he said, lowering himself over me and kissing me slowly. His hand wrapped around me again, and I moaned into his mouth, my resolve crumbling.