Bad Romeo (Starcrossed #1)(96)
Author: Leisa Rayven

Then it feels like he’s kissing and touching everywhere at once, and everything is hard breaths and low noises. He tightens and coils me, until I think I might pass out from the intensity.

“I love making you come,” he whispers, right before it happens. My back arches, and all the tightrope strands of me snap and unfurl.

Oh God, oh God, oh God, oh God …

He murmurs his approval as he watches me spiral through layers of pleasure, and whispers encouragement until I’m panting and boneless beside him.

Wow.

Just … wow.

The last few shudders fade, and I melt into his arms, beyond relaxed. Endless days of frustration and sexual tension disappear, and I’m so heavily satisfied, I can’t move. Thank God at least one of us knows how to get me off.

He pulls my panties back into place. I take deep breaths, but it seems to take forever for my pounding heart to slow down.

When I open my eyes, I see him looking at me with an expression that makes my pulse race again. But as soon as our eyes meet, something shifts, and his emotional shutters slide down.

I stroke his face in an effort to keep him with me. “That was … amazing.”

“Yeah?”

“Lord, yes. So, you’re telling me that was … what? Second base?”

“Uh huh.”

“Wow. Second base rocks.”

“Do you feel less … frantic now?”

“Yes. I feel like a sloth on Valium.” I trail my hand down the front of his jeans and feel how hard he still is. “So, can I help you relax now?”

He tenses. “I’m relaxed.”

“First of all, you’re hardly ever relaxed. Second, this part of you is definitely uptight. I’m guessing he’d like a little trip to third base. Or maybe even a home run.”

“Cassie…” He moves away and sits at the other end of the couch. “We’re not going to have sex tonight.”

“Why not?”

He turns to me. “How can you be so blasé about having sex for the first time?”

“I’m not blasé, I just don’t think it’s that big a deal.”

“That’s the definition of blasé.”

I sigh. “Okay, fine, but I think I’m ready. And I can tell you are, too, so I don’t understand why you keep saying no. I mean, aren’t you uncomfortable? Don’t you want some relief?”

He gives me a wry smile. “Do you think all of those trips to the bathroom during our stay with Mom and Dad were to pee? You must think I have the smallest bladder in the world.”

“You mean, when you went to the bathroom you were…”

“Yep.” He says it with very little shame.

Just the thought of him pleasuring himself makes my face flame. “In your parents’ house?!”

“I grew up in that house. I’ve been masturbating there since I hit puberty. Besides, it was either that or walk around for the whole weekend with a hard-on, and believe me, that would have been worse.”

“But if I turn you on so much, why aren’t we naked in my bed right now?”

He adjusts himself and runs his hand through his hair. “Cassie, I’m hyperaware that you’re a virgin, and apart from the pain you’re going to feel the first time, it’s also going to be a milestone in your life. You’ll never get to have a first time ever again, and I … I just don’t want to screw that up for you.”

“How on earth could you screw it up? It’s not like you don’t know what you’re doing. I mean, judging by what you can achieve with just your fingers, having your whole body is going to rock my world.”

“I’m not talking about the actual sex.”

“Then what are you talking about? Because I’m kind of confused here.”

He looks down at his hands. “What if we do it, and you figure out I can’t be the boyfriend you need and end up hating me? The memory of your first time would always be tainted.”

“Why would you even think that?”

He takes a deep breath. “Because it happened to me.” He clasps his hands in front of him and squeezes his knuckles until they crack.

It takes me a few moments before the penny drops. “Oh! Vanessa? She was your—”

“Yes.”

We sit in silence for a few seconds, and I feel bad for doubting he wanted me. It never occurred to me he was trying to make sure I didn’t jump headfirst into a sexual relationship I’d end up regretting.

“I just don’t want you to make the mistakes I did,” he says.

I nod. “Okay. I can see where you’re coming from.”

His eyes are guarded but tinged with the lust I saw earlier. “You can?”

“Yeah. I kind of think … well, it’s actually pretty sweet of you.”

He frowns. “Don’t call me sweet. Call me hot. Or awesome. Or well endowed. Kittens are sweet, not me.”

I try not to laugh. “Okay, fine. You’re a hot, awesome, well-endowed bad-ass.”

He nods. “Better.”

I poke him with my foot, and he grabs it. He gives it a gentle squeeze before he brings it up to his mouth so he can kiss my ankle.

Oh, sweet Holy Mother …

“So,” he says as he kisses my calf, “my point is, I might have a lot of issues, but not wanting you isn’t one of them. Controlling myself around you, on the other hand…” He looks pointedly at my panties and bare legs. “That’s a definite problem. You have me so turned on all of the time, I’m embarrassed to think how short my fuse will be when we finally seal the deal.”

I move over to straddle his hips and wind my fingers in his hair. “But we are going to seal the deal?”

He puts his hands on my thighs and strokes slowly. “Maybe. If we try this boyfriend-girlfriend thing for a while, and you don’t want to murder me.”

“Yeah, I’ll go out on a limb and say that even if I wanted to murder you, I’d still want to have sex with you. Are you sure you don’t want to do it tonight? Ruby has, like, a thousand condoms in her nightstand. She wouldn’t miss one. Or four.”

He drops his head back and half groans, half laughs as I kiss his neck. I know how much he likes it when I nibble and suck. Am I trying to make him forget all the noble reasons we should wait? Maybe. All I know is that the longer I spend kissing him, the hungrier I get. He thinks I could end up regretting sleeping with him. I doubt it. But I do know that if he leaves here tonight without making love to me, I’d definitely regret that.