Page 79 of Virgin Skin

“Alright. I can start tonight then, if you want.”

I light up, my heart leaping.

“Tonight? Seriously? Oh my god, yes, let’s do it.” I flail my hands excitedly and bounce on my toes for just a second. “Wait, I have to decide where I want it, right? Maybe my bicep? Oris somewhere else better for a first tattoo? How big should I get it? Oh, hold on, should we check on the cats first? They’ve been alone all day.” I gasp, remembering what I was supposed to rememberyesterday. “Oh, shit, I’m supposed to make a vet appointment for Porter to make sure the kittens are healthy.”

Piston laughs and braces his hands on my shoulders. The gesture immediately stills my racing thoughts.

“One thing at a time,” he says calmly.

I take a deep breath and nod. “I don’t know which thought needs to be first though,” I admit with a chuckle.

His smile is soft as he pushes my hair off my forehead and leans in closer to bump his nose against mine. Unfortunately, that does add a few more thoughts to the chaotic mix, but there’s one that rises to the top.

“Hey, Piston?”

“Yeah, baby?” His tone is dripping with indulgent amusement.

“What were you going to say to me last night before my dad barged in? I thought maybe…” I swallow hard, realizing maybe it’s rude to put him on the spot like that. Should I say it first? I wanted to yesterday. The only thing that stopped me was that Hero didn’t know about us yet and that seemed wrong. But now everything is out in the open.

I love him.

I love him.

I love him.

“I love you, Milo,” he says with so much certainty and peace that a giddy sound bubbles up in my throat.

“I love you too… Hey, I don’t know your real name. It’s not ‘Piston,’ right?” I laugh again. “Oh my god, that is so me to fall in love with a dude without even knowing his name.”

He nudges his nose against mine again, then presses a soft peck to my lips.

“It’s Ewan.”

I wrap my arms around his neck, our foreheads resting against each other, our breath mingling and our noses still bumping.

“I love you,Ewan,” I say.

The foundation of my life so far has been made of uncertainty and impulse, but loving Ewan is something completely different. It feels real and right and stable in a way nothing else has. It’s funny to think that falling in love with a tattooed biker is the safest, smartest choice I’ve ever made, but it’s not even a close call.

“Okay, how about this plan,” he says once we manage to stop kissing. “We schedule your tattoo for two weeks from now so you can obsess about placement and I can draw an original version for you. For now, we go home, and you can call Porter to schedule that appointment while I start dinner.”

I nod and kiss him one more time because I simplycannotget enough of this man. I mean, come on, how am I supposed to resist someone who sorts out my spiraling thoughts for me so easily? No judgment, just acceptance.

Piston is it for me. I’ve never been more sure about anything.

Chapter 26

MILO

It’s become such ahabit to steal Piston’s boxer briefs that it feels strange stepping into a jockstrap of my own instead. As cavalier as I’ve been about sex and my virginity this whole time, if I’m really honest with myself, I’ve had a vision in my head about what my first time would be like, and sexy underwear is definitely part of it. I do a little spin and wiggle my ass in the mirror.

“Put on your game face because tonight’s the night,” I say, giving my ass cheek a hearty smack. Although, if my ass didn’t get the memo from how thoroughly I cleaned house, then I doubt anything will prepare it for what’s to come. Seriously, you could serve dinner out of my asshole, that’s how squeaky clean it is.

My ass jiggles from the slap, and I let out a giddy half squeal-half laugh kind of sound. My heart feels like it’s going to beat out of my damn chest and if I’m not careful I’m going to start hyperventilating… again. Iknowvirginity is an antiquated, heteronormative, misogynistic concept and that all the fun,filthy, incredible things Piston and I have already done together are just as meaningful and real as anal sex. But this still feels huge. Pun intended. It feelsspecial.

A light knock on my door startles another squeak from me. I glance around the room in search of a clock to tell me the time, but of course there isn’t one because why the fuck would there be when everyone carries a clock in their pocket at all times? Whatever the hell time it is, I’ve clearly spent way too much time shaking my ass in the mirror instead of getting dressed. I do one more booty shake for good measure and then go to open the door.

One look at my man on the other side and hyperventilating is looking like a very real possibility again. No one should look as effortlessly sexy as Piston does in a pair of tight-fitting jeans, a black sweater, and motorcycle boots. He devours me with his eyes, all heat and promises as they linger on my bare skin. He makes a hungry sound in his throat and my cock twitches, testing the limits of my jock as it starts to swell.

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