Page 80 of Echoes of Us

He licked his lips. “I’m serious,” he confirmed.

“We’re supposed to be going slow.”

“We can have slow sex if you want to,” he said with a playful grin.

“Noah, come on.”

He shrugged, removing his hand from me. “I’m not kidding, Atty. I want this, but it’s up to you.”

This was too fast; we had only been dating for a month.

“What are you worried about?” he asked softly.

“You,” I admitted, and the smile slipped from his face immediately.

He sat up, his posture stiff. “Oh, okay.” He pushed off the bed.

Panic surged through me. “No, Noah, come back.” I grabbed his arm before he could leave. I pulled him towards me, sitting on the edge of the bed. “I didn’t mean it like I didn’t want it to be you. You know I want it to be you. I just don’t want you to burn through me, Noah. This is a big deal to me, and the thought of you getting bored and dumping me afterward terrifies me,” I confessed.

His shoulders relaxed, but he was still frowning.

“You were the one who told me that’s what you do. I was supposed to keep the pace.”

His eyes softened. “I could never burn through you, Atty.” He leaned his forehead against mine.

“But you said?—”

“I love you,” he interrupted.

My heart stopped.

“I told you this is different for me. You’re different for me. I’ve never felt this way about anybody. I know I’m a lot,” he continued, his words tumbling out as he searched my eyes.

I tried to make sense of what he was saying, trying to see if he was lying.

“I know that and that I have a million things to figure out and that my life is a fucking mess right now, but feeling like this about you is the only thing that’s clear to me.”

I couldn’t see it. I couldn’t see the lie. I was struggling to find it, but it wasn’t there. I reached up to touch the side of his face, pulling him towards me, and kissed him. He melted into me, his body fitting perfectly against mine.

“I love you too,” I whispered against his lips.

His smile grew in time with mine.

“You’re not lying, right?” I asked, my voice quiet.

His eyes were filled with sincerity. “I’m not lying. I love you,” he repeated, kissing me deeply.

I moved back to the bed and brought him with me, burying my face in his neck and hugging him tightly. Joy surged through me. He made me so incredibly happy.

He shifted to lie beside me, and I climbed over him, pressing kisses to his lips.

“I have never been this happy to be with someone,” he murmured, making me smile even wider.

“You’re not just saying that to get me to have sex with you?” I asked.

He grinned. “No, I really do want to have sex with you, but if you want to wait, that’s fine too. I wouldn’t say that to get you to do it. You’ll give in eventually, whether I say it or not,” Noah said.

“Really?” I raised an eyebrow.

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