Page 98 of The System

“No.” Kieran shook her head and wrapped her arms around Carina’s waist. “I don’t want any of that.”

Carina tilted her head and said, “It’s our second date, and it didn’t exactly turn out how either of us had hoped. Kieran, I’m not in any hurry here. I know you’ve never been with a woman, and like you said tonight, you’re still figuring things out.”

“Nope. I figured it all out,” she said, moving all the way against Carina. “It’s you. I just want you. I’m not scared of this, either, Carina.”

“Not even a little bit?” Carina asked as she squinted at her.

“I’m scared I won’t be good at it, but that’s not enough to make me not try.”

“Wait. Sex? Are you talking about sex?”

“I’m talking about all of it. I’ve had one significant relationship my entire life, and it ended. I wasn’t all that happy in it for most of it, so I don’t know how I’ll do this whole relationship thing with you, and I guess I’m a little scared that I’ll mess it up, but I’m not scared scared.” She rolled her eyes. “That came out wrong. I meant that I’m scared in a good way.”

“And you want to go upstairs?”

“Yes,” Kieran told her.

“Okay,” Carina replied. “If you’re ready, I’m ready.”

“Then, take me to bed, Carina Whitlock.”

CHAPTER 29

When they arrived at Carina’s bedroom, she hesitated before opening the door. The past twenty-four hours had been eventful, to say the least, and she didn’t want Kieran to regret their first time together because she’d let the intensity of her emotion about everything else cloud her judgment.

“I think you just turn it a little, and the door opens,” Kieran said, reading Carina’s thoughts. She twisted the knob herself then and pushed the door until it opened. “Yeah, I was right.”

Carina smiled and shook her head as Kieran pulled her into her own bedroom.

“I don’t want you to–”

“I know,” Kieran interrupted. “But trust me, okay? Just trust that I know what I want and that I’m ready for you.”

Carina nodded and closed the door behind her for no reason in particular. She looked around Kieran at the sight of her bed, which she’d made the morning before last how she usually did after a night of sleep.

“So many pillows,” Kieran noted.

“I know. I think I have a problem,” Carina offered and moved to the bed. “I’ll just get rid of them. One second.”

“Carina?”

“Yeah?”

“Leave them for now.” Kieran pulled off her sweater, revealing a T-shirt.

When her fingers went to the button on her jeans, though, Carina moved quickly back to her and placed her hand on top.

“Let me do that.”

Kieran nodded but didn’t say anything. Carina didn’t undo the button. Her hands moved to Kieran’s hips instead, and she pulled Kieran against her, nudging her nose against Kieran’s when she saw the woman’s lips tremble.

“Okay?” she asked and slid her hands to the hem of Kieran’s shirt.

“Yes.”

Carina lifted it up and tossed it to the floor, revealing a red bra and the breasts she was dying to touch beneath it. When Kieran moved an arm to cover her chest on instinct, Carina slowly lowered it to the hem of her own shirt. Kieran understood. She pulled Carina’s shirt off, too, and her eyes drifted down to Carina’s white bra as she bit her lower lip, holding on to it. Carina took Kieran’s hands and moved them to her breasts.

“You liked these, didn’t you?” she teased a little, trying to break some of the tension.

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