Page 11 of White Room Virgin

“Thanks, but that’s not necessary.”

“Well, I don’t know… He looked like a junkie,” Simon said, stunned.

I laughed. “Don’t worry, he’s harmless. He must have pulled an all-nighter.”

“All right, then. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“Yes. See you then!”

When I went up the stairs straight away, I caught up with Lucien on the second floor. He was holding on to the banister and mumbling unintelligible things.

“Of course …” I chuckled. “You can totally make it on your own.”

He turned around to face me, but he lost his balance and stumbled toward me. I caught him just in time. “Careful!”

He placed his arms around me and his forehead on my shoulder. I held him under the armpits so that he couldn’t slip away. His slim body appeared well-toned and muscular. Martin had hinted that they went to the gym together from time to time, which somehow reassured me at that moment. Given Lu’s lifestyle, a bit of exercise would undoubtedly benefit him. He reeked of beer and cigarettes.

At that moment, I became aware of my proximity to him and stiffened.What is he doing? Isn’t that a bit … too close?The word ‘homophobic’ rang in my ears and I gasped.Don’t act likethat! You’re just imagining things. This is clearly just because of this stupid church service.

I was still confused and didn’t want to misconstrue the situation.My brain is definitely playing tricks on me. After all, no one has ever come this close to me before. However, every now and then, Martin pats me comfortingly on the shoulder. All is well.

But then Lucien raised his head, meeting my gaze as sunlight streamed directly onto his face. His green eyes shone like precious gems and took my breath away. For a second, it seemed as if he was completely clear-headed. He turned to me with an inscrutable expression before he leaned toward me again and came closer than anyone had ever come before.

6

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Lucien

I couldn’t help myself. Ihadto smell him.

He looked like him!

Of course, I knew it wasn’t him, but I was drunk as a skunk and saw Phil so real in front of me––after all this time. When I put my arms around Jonah, he stiffened but didn’t move back. Rather carelessly, I leaned closer to him, inhaling the scent on his neck. He steadied me before I could lose my balance. A warm, woodsy aroma reached my nose, and I was relieved that it wasn’t the scent I had secretly hoped for. Nevertheless, it made me think about how much I liked the smell, and I suddenly felt an intense craving. It was as if Jonah’s hard body made me realize how long it had been since I had last hooked up with a man.

My hands were still on his shoulders. I straightened up and looked at him. Our lips were just a few inches apart. Everything was a blur except for his beautiful hazel eyes, and I lost myself in them. As I continued to hold onto him, my gaze slowly wandered over his face. His evenly shaped nose, the dimples in his cheeks, and his beautifully sculpted lips that resembled perfect seashells.

I wonder what it’s like to kiss him.

Jonah opened his mouth slowly but hesitated to say anything. I looked deep into his eyes again. A few dark brown strands fell over his forehead. I shifted my weight so that I wouldn’t fall over and gently placed my hand on his neck. A wince shot through my body, and I bit my lower lip.

“Um, Lu? Are you okay?” Jonah’s warm voice snapped me out of my hallucinations. I swallowed.

Holy shit …

“I’m sorry,” I mumbled and stroked my face uneasily.

“It’s okay,” Jonah said with a breathtaking smile.

Damn!

I couldn’t watch this any longer and turned away. I would have liked to take two steps at once to get to the top floor as quickly as possible, but as drunk as I was, I had to hold on to the railing even for the single steps. Jonah grinned and placed his hands on my back. With a little push, the climb went pretty smoothly.

Once I reached the fifth floor, I pushed open the front door, stumbled over the cursed threshold, and staggered through the hallway straight into my room. The door slammed behind me, bringing me to an abrupt stop.

What had just happened?

What did I do?

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