When he doesn’t respond right away, I pull back, absolutely mortified that I misread the situation. But then Keaton curls his fingers into my messy hair and holds me in place while his lips crash down on mine.

It’s possessive and passionate and perfect. His mouth is firm, soft, and commanding. And then he licks the seam of my lips. I moan for him, the sensation sending an unexpected shot straight to my clit.

Keaton slips his tongue inside of my mouth and kisses me in long, steady strokes. My hand slides up from his chest to the back of his neck as I pull him closer so I can taste more. I tangle my tongue with his, showing him I want this as much as he does.

He groans and then nips my bottom lip, making me gasp. Keaton grins wickedly and then dives back in, exploring my mouth and eating me right up. I have to tear myself away from him to get some air. Keaton growls when I break contact with him, but he doesn’t let me get very far.

I feel him press soft kisses down my jaw and then nip at my pulse point. I gasp and moan when my pussy clenches at the sensation. Keaton must sense it, too, because he does it again and again, nipping the sensitive spot and then sucking on it.

“You’re incredible,” he whispers before kissing me again, slower this time.

He’s showing me that he’ll take care of all of me with this kiss. He’s passionate and possessive while also treating me like I’m somehow precious.

When we pull apart, Keaton rests his forehead on mine, his labored breathing matching mine.

“Thank you,” I say like a total dork. “I mean because, like.... I mean, I’ve never...” I stutter, rolling away from him as my face burns bright red with embarrassment.

He doesn’t let me get very far. “Come back here.” He places his large hand on my hip and rolls me back into his solid chest. “New rule. You’re not allowed to be embarrassed in front of me. Ever.”

I crack a smile at his serious demeanor and the way he thinks he can command my embarrassment to leave.

“I’m not sure that’s how it works,” I point out, raising an eyebrow at him.

“I know. I should know by now not to give you rules,” he grumbles, though his eyes have a spark of playfulness. I like this side of Keaton. I like all sides of my giant, sexy-as-hell bodyguard, but I’m happy to see him smiling more.

“That’s not what I meant,” I sigh, lightly swatting at his chest. Keaton takes my hand, turning it over so he can kiss the inside of my wrist. I can feel his lips everywhere, and I know he knows it when he smirks at me.

“Were you trying to tell me you’ve never kissed anyone, beautiful?”

I blink a few times at his pet name for me. Beautiful? Me? Seriously? Compared to him?

“Roxy?” Keaton asks, a hint of worry in his voice.

“Yes,” I finally admit. “I just... I don’t know. Growing up, I had too much drama going on at whatever foster home I was in at the time to worry about boys or dating.”

Keaton combs his fingers through my hair and then strokes the bare skin of my arm, encouraging me to continue.

“And then when I aged out of the system and got my scholarship, I hit the books and spent most weekends in the library to make sure I kept my grades up for my scholarship.”

“There’s no reason to be ashamed of that,” he says softly. “I didn’t date much in high school for similar reasons, only it was my old man, not foster families.”

I rest my hand over his heart, wanting to know everything about this man’s story.

“And when I finally escaped that hellhole, I joined the military and shipped off to basic as soon as I could. Haven’t looked back since. Between working my way up the ranks and deployments over the years, I haven’t had much time for women, let alone a relationship.”

Keaton places his hand over mine on his heart, closing his eyes and taking a deep breath. When he opens them again, his golden gaze is filled with vulnerability. “I guess what I’m saying is that this is new for me, too. We’ll learn together, yeah?”

I smile and nod, leaning in for another kiss. Keaton gladly opens up for me as I take control this time, exploring his mouth and drawing out sounds of pleasure.

Suddenly, Keaton pulls away, nearly making me topple forward into him. I catch myself at the last minute, then furrow my brow at the confusing man.

“We’re going on a date,” he announces.

A giggle escapes my lips, and I try covering my mouth to keep in the sound. Keaton hears it and raises a brow. “Usually, a person is asked if they would like to go on a date,” I point out.

“But then that leaves you room to say no,” he answers matter-of-factly.

I laugh, letting the sensation take me over as I roll onto my back and giggle some more. It feels good to laugh after the last few days.