“Wait here a second.” Axel disappears to the kitchen and returns with two glasses of water. I gratefully drink down the one he offers me, and he sinks down onto the couch and pulls me down on top of him. The toned muscles of his chest are firm beneath me and my nipples go hard as our shirts drag against each other. Axel’s mouth seeks mine again, and his tongue surges inside as he cradles the back of my head with one hand.

I slide my arms around his neck and press closer to him, whilst wriggling around to the side trying for a more comfortable position.

We get lost in the kiss until suddenly we slip off the couch and land with athumpin a tangle of arms and legs on the wooden floor.

“Fuck!” I swear, breathing heavily and annoyed at having such a good time disturbed.

Axel just laughs good-naturedly and helps me to my feet. Then he pulls me towards his bedroom.

“Come on, let’s go in here. At least if we fall off the bed, there’s carpet on the floor.”

Chapter 16

Sydney

JUSTIN

We stop just inside the door of Axel's room, lips finding each other again, before heading to the bed. I’m trembling either from anticipation or nervousness, maybe both. I don’t want to stop tonight. I want to give him everything, but I’ve never…

“Are you okay?” Axel asks me gently, softly taking my chin in his fingers and lifting it so I’m obliged to look him in the eyes.

“Yeah. Just, um, nervous,” I whisper, blushing and embarrassed.

“We don’t have to do anything,” he reassures me. “We can just make out and cuddle, if that’s what you want. I just want to be with you tonight.”

He gently tucks a few longer strands of hair behind my ear.

“Um. I think I want more. I’m just… it’s just… I’ve haven’t…”

“That’s okay, I get it,” Axel kisses me softly on the forehead. “And I’m not going to fuck you tonight, well, not with my dick anyway. I know you're an adult, but you're also still in school. It’s kind of a big step, so for me that’s a hard limit until you graduate.”

He continues. “As for the rest, everything else is on the table as far as I’m concerned, so it’s up to you. We’ll only go as far as you decide you want to, and you can call it off at any stage if you change your mind. It’s not a problem. I want to take things as slow as you need.”

He cradles my face in his warm hand. "We have as much time ahead of us as we could ever want."

Now that I know sex, actual penetrative sex, is off the table for now, it does take the pressure off, even if half of me had been fully on board with the idea.

“Can we play it by ear? See how the night goes?”

“Absolutely. I’m yours tonight.”

“Okay,” I breathe, and stepping away, open up the space between us and without taking my eyes off him, pull my t-shirt over my head.

Axel does the same.

We stand there looking at each other for a moment, both breathing heavily, fully present, taking in the moment, each appreciating the man in front of us.

I drop my hand to the button of my shorts, but Axel steps forward and nudges my hand out of the way.

“Let me,” he says, and pops the button open. The zip rasps as he slides it down. He slips his hand inside, my toes curling and tingles running up my spine as his hand caresses my package, giving a gentle squeeze, while pulling me closer to his chest with his other hand. My cock is already pressing hard against my boxers and a wet patch stains the fabric. The warmth of his hand… I groan. Axel bites his lip and his breath quickens. WhenI look at him, his pupils are enormous and he looks as turned on as I feel.

“Fuck,” he murmurs, the hand between us gently stroking me through my boxers.

He pulls my shorts and boxers down over my hips and when they slip to the ground, I kick them off. He backs me against the bed and pushes me gently down onto it, taking advantage of the separation to strip his own clothes off, before joining me on the mattress.

Completely naked, body to body, we kiss and run our hands over skin we soon won’t be able to touch. Memorizing. My senses seem exaggerated, every touch magnified, every sound highlighted. My body, my skin, my psyche know this is our last night, and every part of me has turned up to etch it into my memory with the vividness necessary to sustain me until we can find our way back to each other.

We’re connected: from lips, to chest, abdomen, hips and legs. All touching. Warmth, rough skin, coarse hairs, stubble. A kaleidoscope of sensations.