Chapter 4

This man wanted me more than anyone ever had. That much was clear in the way his hands roamed my body. The way his tongue probed my mouth. The rise and fall of his chest as he pulled me against him.

And then, he lifted me and set me on the counter, as though I weighed no more than a pillow. Bowls slammed against each other as my ass shoved them out of the way, but I barely noticed.

"You're so beautiful," he said when he broke the kiss.

I stared up at him, desperate to take in every second of this. I'd want to play it back over and over later.

With a devilish smile, he unfastened my jeans and pulled them down, taking my underwear with them. Every nerve ending was so sensitive, the feel of the fabric over my skin made me shiver.

As he parted my legs and moved between them, it hit me. For the first time in my life, I was naked in front of a guy. Well, aside from the bra.

That realization made me self-conscious, but one look at Noah's face eased that feeling. I was safe with him. Besides, he clearly liked what he was seeing. He was eyeing my pussy with an almost reverent expression.

Suddenly, he gripped my ass and tugged me toward him with a hungry expression. He knelt in front of me and I held my breath, pretty sure of what would happen next.

His gaze landed on my face as he touched his tongue to me. And then he was lapping up my juices, sliding his tongue along my folds. When he flicked his tongue over my clit, I cried out, throwing my head back and staring up at the ceiling.

I'd never felt anything so amazing. Every movement sent a spark shooting through my body. I could hardly catch my breath, let alone cry out. Mostly what came out were gasps.

"God, that feels so good," I finally managed to force out.

He repositioned, spreading me even wider, and then he was sliding a finger inside me as his tongue flicked expertly across my clit. The sparks were replaced by a warmth that spread from my core up to my face. Then a wave of pleasure shot through me, taking me up, up…up. I cried out, his name spilling from my lips.

Finally, the waves subsided enough for me to open my eyes and look down at him again. "Wow," I breathed. At least my voice was working now. "That was…"

"That's only the beginning."

He pushed himself to his feet and grabbed my ass, tugging me down even farther. This is where I should tell him the truth about me. He should know. But wouldn't it ruin the moment?

"Wait," I said.

He pulled back, eyes wide. He didn't think I was rejecting him, did he? Far from it.

"You're right," he said. "Protection. Hold up. I'll go next door and grab a condom."

I shook my head. "I'm on birth control. It's not that."

"I'm safe," he said. "I haven't been with anybody in a couple of years. I hope that doesn't make me sound like a loser. I'm just not the type of guy to sleep around, and my last relationship… Well…" He squeezed his eyes shut, took a deep breath, then opened them again. "We won't talk about that right now."

"It's not that, either."

Now I was the one who took a deep breath and closed my eyes. This time when I opened them, his expression had changed. He thought I was rejecting him. He definitely thought I was rejecting him.

"I've never done this," I blurted.

Confusion covered his face. "Done what?"

"This," I said. "Any of it. I'm a virgin."

His expression changed then, and I regretted being honest. He might not have ever even figured out it was my first time. My friends had told me it hurt, but there were no telltale signs of the bleeding or even the hymen I'd read about. If this was going to be a one-time thing, what difference did it make if I kept this one very personal detail secret?

But I didn't want this to be a one-time thing. There was something between us that needed exploring. Yes, we lived miles apart, but I couldn't walk away from this town and forget about the connection I shared with him.

"A virgin," he said, stepping back a little.

No. He was moving farther away. That was the exact opposite of what I wanted. He still wore his jeans, so it wasn't like he'd been seconds from plunging into me or anything. In fact, he'd offered to rush next door and get a condom.

"I want this," I said, sitting up and reaching for him.

He didn't move toward me, but he didn't move away, either. I took that as a good sign and looped my fingers under his waistband, pulling him back toward me. That put him close enough that I could unfasten his jeans and quickly slide his zipper down.

"I'm ready," I said, going for the most seductive voice I could muster.

He shook his head. "I wouldn't feel right. This is something you should think through."

I shook my head again. "I've thought about it all my life. Well, the past few years, anyway. My high school friends lost their virginity, but I never felt like it was right with a guy. Then I got to college and my closest friends were virgins too."

As I talked, I slid my hand under the waistband of his white briefs. The truth was, I'd never had anything like what I had with this guy.

This spark was everything.

"I've never been with a virgin," he admitted. His eyes squeezed shut as my hand closed around his shaft. "I don't really know..." His eyes popped open. "Will it hurt?"

"I'll go gentle," I joked.

Of course, he meant would it hurt me. But my goal was to keep the conversation light. And maybe to make him forget what he'd just learned about me.

"You've never touched one of these before?" he asked as I shoved his jeans and underwear out of the way.

I shook my head. "I've never taken one in my mouth either."

He let out a groan, and the sound sent heat to my pussy. As his lids shuttered again, I slid my hand all the way from the tip to its base.

"I can't wait to taste you," I said, my voice barely above a whisper. "But I want you to fuck me first."

That seemed to shove away the last of his reservations. He moved toward me again, shoving his jeans past his hips.

Our mouths met again as I guided him toward my entrance. I wrapped my legs around his waist and pulled him toward me, urging him deeper. Then deeper. Soon, he was midway inside me, and the slight pressure nudged toward pain.

"You okay?" he asked, breaking the kiss and pausing all movement.

Only once he was looking at me did I realize I'd tensed up. Worse, I'd clenched my jaw, which made kissing me a little tough.

I nodded. "Let's just push past this."

"You're really tight." He looked down. "It feels... incredible to me. But I don't want to hurt you."

I got it. He felt bad about it feeling so good for him when I was hurting.

"Deeper," I said, pulling him toward me with my legs. "We're almost there."

I wasn't sure what I meant by that. But he kept pushing until finally he was deep inside me. He was so big, there was no way he could fit his entire length inside me, right?

"That's it," I said when he started moving faster. "Yes. like that."

My words seemed to turn him on, but I sensed he was holding back. When he moved his thumb to my clit, I got it. He wanted me to come again.

That wasn't possible, was it? There had to be some sort of recovery period after an orgasm. But I felt the tension building again. A slight heaviness around my core that told me I was moving toward something.

"Oh," I said, the word coming out more as a surprise. "I think I'm going to?—"

The word broke off as he quickened his thrusts. The pressure, combined with his movements over my swollen nub, sent me hurling over the edge.

He watched me until I came down, only pausing briefly before thrusting faster than ever. He didn't take his eyes off me as he moved faster and faster, his jaw clenched and his muscles tensed.

With a sound between a groan and a growl, he pumped a final few times. Finally, he slowed to a stop, closing his eyes and moving his thumbs over my thighs. And then he pulled out and leaned forward for a slow, sweet kiss.

"Is the pizza ready yet?" I asked when we finally broke the kiss.

He looked over his shoulder at the stove timer. "Not even close."

When he turned back to face me, he was smiling. I realized, in that moment, that I was falling in love with this man. And that was dangerous because it meant he could easily break my heart.