Page 17 of Consorting with Romance

I returned his sensual moan.“Mmmm. Morning, Jess.”

His lips curled into a smile against my shoulder.“Morning, sweetheart.”

Fuck. I shivered again. It never ended. Every little thing he did was a first for me. He moaned once more, his fingertips softly trailing across my stomach.

“I’m going to call in sick to class.” he mumbled against my shoulder.

I rolled over to face him and furrowed my brow. “You can’t do that.”

He brushed his lips tenderly across mine. “I can so. I decided last night after you fell asleep."

I melted and shimmied closer, closing my eyes and resting my forehead against his chest.

He sighed contentedly. “Do you have any idea how long it’s been since I’ve woken up with someone like this? Even then, it’s never felt the way this does.”

“Mmm. I’ve never woken up with someone like this.” came my automatic reply. I was shocked at how instinctively open I was with him.

He pulled away, leaning back as his eyessearched mine.

“You said you had a boyfriend when you were younger.”

I shrugged a bit. “Boyfriend, yes, romantic partner, no. It was more of a regular hook up sort of thing.”

He furrowed his brow for a moment.

“It bothers you I’m so inexperienced withthe important things?” I questioned cautiously.

He laughed gently and shook his head before brushing his lips across mine.

“I was trying to figure out how it’s possible you’renot taken.”

I melted and felt like tearing up again. Instead, I buried my face in his chest and sighed deeply. God, what was happening to me. Had my life really been so lonely that every time he said something kind to me, I was going to cry? He’d love that, I’m sure. Nothing sexier than someone who tears up every time you look at them.

He must have realized how hard it hit me because he tightened his arms and kissed my forehead. “I love you, Ash.”

My head shot up so fast I slammed the top of it into his jaw. Hard. Good Ash. Nice. Smooth.

He groaned and rubbed his jaw as he chuckled. “You can pretend I didn’t say it, you don’t have to beat me up!”

Goldeneyes found their way to mine. “I get it. We’ve never slept together, and we kissed for the first time yesterday. It sounds insane for me to say that. But I just, do.”

I trailed my fingertips along his jawline. Letting them linger along the front of his throat, his normally smooth skin now covered in a light, rough stubble. “I love you, too.”

He looked surprised for a moment before the softest of smiles crossed his lips.

We spent the day idly picking at leftovers and learning more about one another. We touched the entire time. Fingers lazily wandering along arms and backs and jawlines until night fell once more, and we crawled back into bed together.

This time I gestured for him to get in first and I curled up tightly against his back the way he’d held me the night before. He whimpered and pressed back, settling tightly into my embrace. I hardened instantly, and it took every ounce of self-control I had not to slip his briefs down and slide deep inside him.

He woke early the next morning and kissed me lingeringly before heading out to class. His fingers trailedthrough my hair as he whispered.“See you at work, sweetheart.”

I grinned and curledaround a pillow that somehow already smelled like him, citrus and salt.

I found myself growing concerned as I rode the train to work. What if he had changed, things were different with clients now, especially knowing he was in the next room.

When I walked in, he was sitting at his desk. He grinned up at me and very professionally said simply, “Hey, boss.”

Perfect, I’d hoped he’d be on board with things at the office staying professional.

---