Chapter 5

Riley

When I wake up on Tuesday, I'm genuinely interested in attending my classes. My professor in my required English class gives us our first reading assignment, and I realize that I can't remember the last time I read a novel. Somehow, I'm actually looking forward to doing schoolwork. Maybe my latent love of reading will be reawakened.

I'm one of the first students to arrive in the studio, and I'm surprised to find that Nick's already sitting at the front of the room. I guess I assumed that he had another class right before this one and that's why he showed up so late before. Maybe I was wrong.

"Good afternoon, Riley," he says, smiling at me as I sit down at my wheel. "I'm looking forward to seeing what you come up with today."

"I'm excited to get started," I say, a pleasant fluttering sensation in my stomach.

When class starts, he gives us a short introduction, then turns us loose to work on our sketches. I finished mine over the weekend, so while he's giving the rest of the class advice and pointing out things that might be difficult to execute for amateurs, I make tiny adjustments to my work.

Finally, with about ten minutes left in the class, Nick stops next to me. He's quiet at first, looking over the sketch I've come up with. He makes a satisfied noise and taps his finger against the page.

"This looks good, Riley," he says, his face lighting up when we lock eyes. "Do you mind staying after class so we can discuss it a little further?"

"Yeah, sure," I say, detecting an undercurrent of something else in his words. I have a feeling he wants to do more than talk about my work.

"Perfect," he says. "I'm going to wrap up class here in a second."

With that, he makes his way back to the front of the room. He comments on how pleased he is with the work that we've done and reminds us that the final sketches will be due at the beginning of our next class. Then, after giving us an update on how our first throws are drying, he dismisses us. I pack up like everyone else, but I choose to stay in my seat until the room is empty.

"I'm not going to make you late to anything, right?" he asks when I stop in front of him.

"Nope," I confirm. "This is my last class of the day."

"Good, good," he says kindly. "There's something I wanted to talk to you about."

"Yeah, what's up?" I say, hating the way anxiety flares in my chest. Did I do something wrong?

"I realized something over the weekend," he says, his tone doing nothing to quell my nerves. But when he continues, the feeling immediately dissipates. "I'm attracted to you, Riley. I think we have a real connection, and I really want to explore that more."

"I–" I start, my words getting tangled in my mind. "Me too. I feel like that, too."

"I'm happy to hear that," he says, gently cupping my cheek the same way he did over the weekend.

My eyes flutter closed before our lips connect. It's even more magical this time than it was last. I grab onto his elbows, needing more points of contact. Knowing he feels the same connection that I do makes me want even more.

He deepens the kiss, nipping lightly at my bottom lip. Instinctually, my mouth opens, and Nick's tongue probes at the seam. When I gasp, he chuckles darkly and slides his palms down to my shoulders. Things feel like they're getting more heated, and even though I've never done anything further, I need things to progress.

"I want you," he says, pulling away from my mouth and looking down at me. "I want all of you."

"I want you, too," I say. Then, because I think it's important that he knows, I add, "I've never been with anyone before."

"That's okay," he assures me, rubbing my shoulders through my shirt. "We don't have to do anything if you don't want to."

"But what if I want everything?"

He laughs, leaning down to kiss me again before saying, "So eager. But I don't think we have enough time for much."

"Oh," I say, not hiding my disappointment and dropping my gaze. "I understand."

"Hey," he replies, forcing my chin up so I'm looking at him again. "That doesn't mean we can't do anything ."

"Okay," I say, smiling into our next kiss.

"Let me get you out of these," he murmurs, his hands going to the front of my jeans as he connects our mouths again.

While he's kissing me, he shoves my pants and underwear down. I feel so exposed, but also thrilled at the fact that this is happening in a semi-public area. I've never really put much thought into what I'd like in situations like these, but I definitely like that there's a chance of someone walking in and catching us in the act.

Nick continues to kiss me while I step out of my clothes. Then his hands are on my ass, kneading the sensitive flesh. Unexpectedly, he lifts me from the floor and sets me on the desk a few feet behind us. I miss his mouth when he breaks our kiss, but as soon as he kneels in front of me, I don't care about the loss.

"Nick," I moan, struggling to keep my eyes on him as he kisses my inner thigh.

"Riley," he says before leaving a trail of kisses all the way up to my center.

He stops short, and my entire body quivers in anticipation. I think he can tell the effect that he's having on me, and I have a suspicion that if we had more time, he'd make me wait.

"Oh, god," I groan, feeling his hot breath against my folds. "Nick, please."

My request rockets him into action, and his tongue darts out. The sensation is so intense, more divine than anything I've ever felt before. It's hot and wet, sliding deliciously in a way that my fingers don't. I ball my hands into fists, biting down on my bottom lip to keep from crying out.

Nick's tongue prods at my entrance briefly, and I roll my hips against his face. He seems to realize that I'm searching for more friction and indulges me. He focuses his attention on my clit, and the muscles in my thighs twitch, closing around his head and acting as earmuffs.

He hums against me, and I feel the vibrations through my entire body. I choke on a groan. Then, to make things even more intense, he sucks at the bundle of nerves as his hands come up to grip my legs.

I feel like my consciousness separates from my being. The only thing I can think about is how good his mouth feels. It's like he's turning me into a creature that's only made for pleasure. This feels like my true form, like I'm the primal version of myself that I'm meant to be.

Nick continues his onslaught, doing indescribable things with his tongue. It's like I'm a lump of clay, and he's molding me into the shape of a proper woman. This is just the first step. When I finish, I'll be left to dry before I'm fired, and then he'll continue to work on me, turning me into something beautiful and unrecognizable from when we first started.

While he's still giving my clit his attention, he snakes his hand up between my thighs. Slowly, he runs his index finger through my folds, chuckling when I groan at the contact. Then, as though he's being careful not to hurt me, he inserts the digit into my opening, adding to the overwhelming sensation of pleasure.

After a few more minutes, my orgasm starts to creep up on me. It's already so much more intense than when I'm touching myself alone. I feel it building in every single nerve in my body.

"Nick," I gasp urgently, scratching at his scalp. "Nick, I'm gonna cum."

He hums in acknowledgment, the vibrations pushing me even closer to the edge. His ministrations get more enthusiastic, and he's clearly set on giving me a mind-blowing orgasm. My fingers tighten in his hair, and my abdominal muscles contract as my climax overtakes me.

I can't hold back the moan that comes with the intense, crashing wave that is my first orgasm with another person. My vision goes white around the edges, and I can feel every twitch of Nick's tongue and the curve of his finger. The sounds in the room go fuzzy, like someone's holding their hands over my ears. I feel like we're the only people on Earth, and I want to swim in this moment forever.

Eventually, he pulls away, leaving a trail of kisses along my inner thigh as he does. While I'm catching my breath, he stands upright, and I catch sight of a sizable bulge in the front of his pants. As he hands me my clothes, I can't help but feel a little disappointed that we don't have more time together.

"I have to get going," he says when I'm fully dressed, leaning in to give me a chaste kiss. "I'll see you Thursday, yeah?"

"Yeah," I confirm, unable to squash the sadness I feel at our time being cut short. "I'll see you Thursday."

Nick gives me a kind smile before making his way to the door. He's already gone by the time I get my bag on my shoulders. Despite the intense satisfaction I feel, it's soured by a sinking feeling at being left alone so soon after my first experience.

As I leave the studio, I can't help but worry that he only wants me for sex. I guess I'll have to wait until we see each other again. I'll have to talk to Nicole and get her perspective on things. Maybe I'll feel better after a conversation with my new friend.

***

Nicole seems happy to see me when I arrive for our meeting at the cafe just off campus. I've never just gone out for coffee with a friend. It makes me feel a little more like a real college student and less like an imposter.

"So what's up?" she asks as I sit at her table with my flat white. "You said you wanted to talk about Nick. Did something else happen?" Her eyes sparkle mischievously.

I lean in, unwilling to raise my voice above a murmur. "Yeah. We, um... we actually kind of hooked up."

"Oh my god!" she squeals. She grabs my wrist. "Tell me everything!"

Despite my shyness, I find myself telling her the whole story. I realize I'm actually a little proud of myself, and reliving the memory has me tingling all over. It doesn't hurt that Nicole makes for a good audience, gasping and making little interjections of astonishment. "No way!" she keeps whispering, her hands pressed to her face. "Oh my god!" When I'm done talking, I almost expect her to applaud.

"You're so lucky!" she says finally. "He's smart, he's handsome, and he goes down on you? You're living the dream!"

I laugh. "I guess so."

"What do you mean, you guess?! This is great!" She pauses for a moment. "Isn't it?"

I pick at my thumbnail. "I mean, it is. The whole thing was great. But what if that's it? What if this is just us hooking up and he never wants anything more serious?"

"Riley, you told him it was your first time," she reminds me gently, giving my arm a squeeze. "I'm sure he understands that being with you is kind of a big deal for you."

I frown. "I don't want him to be with me just to sleep with me, though."

She tucks a lock of hair behind her ear, looking thoughtful. "But would he really do that? I'm sure that a guy like him can get sex if that's all he wants. Even that kiss he gave you is enough to get him fired. It seems pretty crazy for him to risk his job just to get laid."

I shrug. I want so badly to believe her. My heart is begging me to listen, but Nick is just so perfect. Could I really have found my soulmate on my first try?

I guess I'll just have to see.