Chapter Four

Leo

As much as the interruption yesterday sucked, I think I'm grateful for it. Things were progressing fast, way faster than I anticipated. If the pizza hadn't arrived right at that moment, I don't think I would have been able to stop. And, while it seemed like Shayla didn't want me to, she deserves her first time to be treated a little more delicately.

I don't really have a plan for that, but at the very least, I'd like to take her virginity in a bed. I'm sure plenty of college girls have their cherry popped on couches with nameless movies playing in the background; but, Shayla's different, and so am I. I'm not some college dirtbag using her for her body. I want all of her.

I vow to myself that the next time I see her, I'll apologize for any discomfort I may have caused. It might be to my benefit to come clean about my intentions with her as well. She should be able to make an informed decision about the time we're spending together. If she tells me she doesn't want me the same way I want her, I'll back off and be nothing but respectful. I care about her enough that I want to provide her refuge from her less-than-ideal living situation even if she wants our relationship to remain strictly platonic.

I get my chance less than twenty-four hours later. I'm at work, helping my guys finish framing the fourth floor of the new apartment complex we're constructing, when I get a text from Shayla. Her roommate's on one again, and she wants to know if she can stop by. I tell her where the spare key is before informing my guys that we need to wrap this up as soon as we can.

By the time I get to my place, Shayla's already there. She's tucked into the corner of my couch with her computer on her lap and her bag sitting on the floor next to her feet. When I step into the room, she looks away from the screen and gives me a warm smile.

"Sorry for intruding again," she says softly, leaning forward to set her laptop on the coffee table. "I think Daisy's classes are stressing her out, so she's taking that frustration out on me."

"You don't need to apologize," I assure her as I settle onto the opposite end of the sofa. "I offered to let you come over for a reason. It sounds like things at home are miserable."

"Yeah," she sighs, crossing her legs as she sucks the inside of her cheek thoughtfully. "I just wish it wasn't like this."

"Perfectly reasonable," I say, keeping my tone as comforting as possible. "You deserve to live somewhere that's relaxing and safe. From the looks of it, you're constantly under stress. You have school, and then when you get home, you have that child you're living with."

She chuckles, shaking her slightly as she says, "I can't say you're wrong. At least I have an excuse to spend time with you, though."

"I have to admit that I'm grateful for that, too," I mutter. Then, realizing she gave me the perfect segue, I add, "I'm sorry if anything I did yesterday made you uncomfortable. That wasn't my intention. I hope you don't think I'm just trying to get into your pants."

"I don't," she says quietly, her cheeks taking on a slight pink tinge. "And you didn't make me uncomfortable. I liked kissing you. Actually…" she trails off, averting her bright blue eyes from my gaze. "I was kind of hoping that things would go further."

I don't know what I was expecting Shayla to say, but it certainly wasn't that. While I had been anticipating some reassurance that she was okay with what happened yesterday considering how responsive she was, I was sure that if she wanted things to continue, she'd request that we not push too fast. She might not be suggesting what I think she is, though. I need to clarify before I let my mind run away with the possibilities of what's to come.

"You want things to go further?" I ask gently, worried that if I say the wrong thing she'll clam up. "What did you want?"

Shayla goes quiet and starts fiddling with her hands in her lap. I can practically see the gears in her head turning as she formulates her response. While she thinks, I refrain from speaking. It's clear I haven't scared her off, but the question I asked might be difficult for her to answer. She doesn't have much experience, after all.

"Truthfully," she says finally, glancing at me quickly before looking back down at her hands, "I don't really know."

"You just knew you wanted things to progress?" I say encouragingly.

"Yeah," she says with a short nod. "All I know is that I've never felt like that before."

"Like what?"

"It was like…" she starts, staring up at the ceiling as she puts words to her feelings. Then, when she's figured out what she wants to say, she gives me her full attention, her expression determined and her face flaming. "It was like I was being consumed by need. The longer we kissed, the more I wanted until eventually it just felt like kissing wasn't enough."

Her answer leaves me dumbfounded in the best way. Desire starts to creep into me. Just knowing that kissing her was driving her crazy is enough to wake my cock up in my boxers. This gorgeous little thing doesn't know what she wants, she just knows she wants me.

"I know that sounds stupid," she says, averting her gaze again as she takes my silence for a form of rejection. "I don't know how else to describe it, though. I already told you I've never had a boyfriend before. The most I've ever done is kissing, so I don't know what comes after that. Well… I have an idea, but that doesn't mean I have the words to explain it."

"I don't think that's stupid at all," I say, realizing I need to assure her that she isn't saying or doing anything wrong. "I was just surprised."

"Surprised?" she says, uncrossing her legs and angling her body toward me.

"Well yeah," I say with a shrug, smiling at how vulnerable and innocent she looks. "I had no idea you felt like that, sweetheart. I wish you would have told me yesterday."

"It felt like the mood evaporated when the pizza got here," she admits. "I wanted things to keep going, but I figured the time had passed."

I chuckle despite myself. Of course she'd think that.

"Shayla, it doesn't matter what we're doing or if we get interrupted," I say, scooting across the couch so we're side by side, our knees touching. "We can always recreate that mood. It's not hard to get back to it."

"What do you mean?" she murmurs, her voice dropping to nearly a whisper as her eyes flash to my lips.

"All it takes is something small," I tell her as I reach out to cup her cheek gently. "Like a kiss."

Then, to illustrate my point, I close the gap between the two of us. Even though she knew it was coming, she gasps softly against my mouth. Then, she melts against me, grabbing my wrist with one hand and putting the other on my thigh. It's like she can't get enough contact, and the thought sends a wave of unrestrained desire through my body.

"See," I ask when I pull away, resting our foreheads together.

"I see," she replies, her eyes fluttering closed. "I guess I didn't know."

"That's not a problem," I assure her, stroking her cheek as I speak. "I can teach you everything you need to know."

"I'd like that," she whispers.

"And, if you want me to, I can show you some of that more that you wanted yesterday."

"Please," she says, her voice like a song. "I want you to show me everything."