Page 64 of Falling Too Late

“What are you doing?” His words were slow and even.

“Nothing!” I said too fast, and I swear I saw a smirk on his face.

“Wren.” His knees hit my bed and he kneeled. His hand wrapped around my foot. “I know about the vibrator.”

My cheeks were hot and I felt mortified. I was breathing heavily, and I could honestly kill him for interrupting me.

I understand what they meant bysexual frustrationnow.

“How do you know about it?”

He chuckled softly. “One, I can hear that thing through the walls.” My cheeks flushed hotter. “Two, I may have discovered it earlier today when I was looking for a towel.”

I looked to the chair and was only just realizing the towel I had laid over everything this morning was missing.

Oh god.

"Let me be your first.”?

My eyes widened on him. My hands balled in my sheets.

“What?” The words came out in a whisper.??

“I want to be your first, Wren.” His thumb traced circles on the top of my foot. “After all these years, do you trust me?” His eyes searched mine. “There isn’t another man on this planet that cares about you more than me. I would never hurt you. Not intentionally.”

“Alex, I thought there was someone else. I thought. . .” I almost let it slip what Jon had said to me.

He shook his head. “Wren, there is no one else. There is only you for me.”

Uncertainty had me gnawing at my lip.

“But Alex.” I had to voice it. I had to. “What happens if?—”?

“If things go bad? I know. I’ve thought about that, too, but I know if this isn’t what you want, I’m not going to force you into anything. I’m not going to resent you. If this happens once andyou never want it to happen again, that’s your choice and I respect it. I would never treat you otherwise.”??

“What if. . .I’mnot whatyouwant?”??

The tension seemed to leave him. He laughed softly, his head dipping down, head shaking, before he looked up, a gentle look in his eyes. “Wren, what have I told you?” His other hand came up, cupping my cheek. “You are theonlything I have ever asked for. The only one I have ever wanted.”?

His eyes in the streetlight seemed to be on fire, matching the fire that was burning inside me.

I crawled to the edge of the bed. My eyes dropped to his lips and then back up to his eyes.

“I want you to be my first.” My voice was steady, true. I wanted this. I wanted him.

And that’s what this was. Alex would be my first. Nothing before him ever happened.

He rose up, his lips a breath away from mine. I took the last inch, my lips softly brushing against his. Testing the feel of his lips against mine.

His lips were softer than I had imagined. Alex held still, letting me kiss him. Slowly, his lips moved against mine and he took control. I followed his lead. His rough hand brushed my hair back and he pulled away. I craned my head up to look up at him at his full height. I was only now realizing it, but he was just in his boxers.

He closed my door and pushed the button lock on it. Crawling on the bed, I rose up on my knees, unsure of what to do.

“If I do anything you don’t like, just tell me to stop, okay?”

I nodded. We were both kneeling on the bed, my hands fisted in my shirt.

Alex took them to his chest. He nodded down at me, and tenderly I ran my hands over the hard muscles of his chest. His breath shuddered. My hands explored further, running down his hard stomach and up his sides.

---