“Sorry,” I muttered as I sat up, moving away from her.

“Don’t be sorry,” she said.

Without a word, she removed her shirt and used it to wipe the paint from her hands. My focus slipped even more as I realized she hadn’t been wearing a bra under her top. Her perfectly formed breasts bounced slightly as she moved, and my attention was drawn to her erect nipples. I swallowed hard as she finished wiping her hands and crawled toward me on the carpet.

“Vi, what are you doing?” I asked, unsure of where we stood with each other and not wanting to risk ruining any progress we had made.

“Giving you a hand job,” she said bluntly, reaching toward the waist of my pants.

I gathered her hands in mine, preventing her from unbuttoning my jeans. “You don’t need to do that,” I said.

The lack of blood in my brain was making it hard to think, but I knew that I didn’t want this moment to turn into something that was only physical. I couldn’t lose her again, especially if it was because I couldn’t control my own body.

“I want to,” she insisted, disengaging her hands from mine and pushing on my chest until I was lying on my back.

I groaned as her hands moved down the length of my chest and stomach. She unfastened my pants and pulled them down, releasing my erection from its clothing constraints. As she looked into my eyes, she grasped my shaft. Another moan of pleasure escaped me as she moved her wrist, sliding her hand up and down my cock.

“Violet, wait,” I said.

Before I lost all sense of control, I needed to talk to her. I couldn’t allow her to give any more of herself to me without knowing whether it meant something to her.

Her hand paused, still encircling my manhood as she cocked her head quizzically. I unraveled her fingers, linking them with my own as I sat up. My other hand reached behind her head, cupping her gently as I moved in to give her a slow, sensuous kiss.

“I won’t take you hard and fast like I did last time,” I told her. “If we have sex again, it will be slow and intimate. It will be meaningful.”

“What are you saying?” she asked.

“I’m saying I don’t want to fuck you. Let me cherish you,” I said earnestly, staring into her eyes as I spoke.

A smile crept onto her face, and her eyes glistened with emotion as she nodded. “I think you should take me to your bedroom, mate,” she said.

Chapter 17 - Violet

Nile led me down the stairs to his room, rubbing circles on my hand as we walked. The moment the door was shut, he pulled me in by my bare waist and kissed me. My breasts pressed up against his chest, warming me. The kiss was gentle at first—questioning, even—before our passion began to take over and erase our hesitation.

His hands moved to my breasts, cupping them firmly as I kissed his neck. My hands took in every inch of his skin with abandon, and his did the same to me. We moved slowly with each other, taking our time with our explorations.

Somehow, we made our way to his bed. Nile laid me down gently, removing my pants, and then my underwear. He lingered over my thighs, knees, and ankles as he did, kissing each spot as the clothing was removed. His stubble rubbed my skin lightly with each touch and sent goosebumps cascading across my skin.

“Take yours off, too,” I said, rubbing my foot on his covered thigh as I watched him from my reclined position.

The awkwardness and hesitation that once existed between us had disappeared now. All I could think about were his hands on my body and his eyes on me.

“Yes, Luna,” he said seriously. “Anything for you.”

I shivered at his subservience as he removed the remainder of his clothing and stood facing me at the edge of the bed. I hadn’t intended to order him around, but something about the way he followed my directive was causing me to feel even more attracted to him.

“Your wish is my command. What would you have me do next?” Nile asked. He said it without a hint of humor, and I knewhe meant every word. I bit my lower lip as I stared at his naked form, awaiting my next instruction.

“Come here,” I beckoned to him with my hand, urging him to join me on the mattress.

He slowly lowered himself next to me, trailing his hand from my ankle up to my waist as he did. When he was lying down, I wrapped one leg around his hips, pressing myself closer to him. His hand continued to travel up my body, moving from my waist to my breast, cupping my neck with his powerful hand, and ending with his thumb on my lips. He pulled my bottom lip down gently, opening my mouth before he replaced his thumb with his mouth. Our kisses picked up where we had left off, passionate and excited.

“Violet, I want you,” he whispered into my ear. His teeth nibbled my skin gently, and my breath quickened.

“You have me,” I whispered back.

Nile grasped behind my knee, pulling me on top of him as he rolled onto his back. He stared up at me with wonder as I tossed my hair behind my back, exposing my breasts to him fully as I straddled him.