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Brushing her ponytail over her shoulder, I gently tugged at the end, forcing her to look at me. “I feel everything for you,” I admitted, feeling my body shake from the pressure building in my chest every time this girl put her eyes on me. “And I’m saying all of this while you’re standing here, looking like the sexiest thing I’ve ever seen in real life, praying that you don’t run out on me, because I have a raging hard-on for you and it’s going to take me a few minutes to calm myself down before I can chase after you.”

Her breath hitched. “You think I’m sexy?”

“Look at me, Shannon—” Stepping back, I gestured to the obvious bulge in my sweats, trying to keep the outrage out of my voice. “Look at what you do to me. Do you not get that? You are so damn sexy, I can’t even tell you how much.”

Shannon blushed. “Really?”

“Really,” I confirmed, pulling her back to me. “Really fucking really, Shan.”

“If I had one of those, it would be sticking up, too,” she blurted out, cheeks pink. “For you, I mean. Because I feel the same way about you.”

“Uh,thanks?” I chuckled, shaking my head. “That’s not a visual I’d like to think aboutever, but I appreciate the sentiment, baby.”

“Say something else,” she said in a breathy voice. “Please?”

“Like what?”

“I don’t know.” She shrugged and let her hands fall to her sides, cheeks reddening. “Maybe something that’s not about my scar?”

Awareness dawned on me and I bit back a groan. Christ, I was slow on the uptake. My girlfriend was standing here naked from the waist up, and I’d made her feel insecure.

“I can do that.” Keeping an arm hooked around her, I steered her backwards to my bed and lowered her onto the mattress. “You drive me crazy,” I purred, climbing onto the bed to hover between her legs. “You’re fucking sexy.” Dropping a kiss to her mouth, I trailed my lips over the curve of her jaw, peppering kisses down her neck until I reached her breasts. “And you have the nicest tits I’ve ever seen.”

A shiver rolled through Shannon’s body as she fisted the duvet beneath her. “They’re small.”

“They’re perfect,” I corrected huskily, swiping my tongue out to trace her nipple. “You’reperfect.”

“Johnny—” Shannon’s breath caught in her throat and she arched her back, pushing herself against me.

“You like that?” I coaxed, kissing and suckling on her nipple. “Hmm?”

“Don’t stop.” Shaking beneath me, she knotted her small hand in my hair and tugged. “It’s… Oh god—”

“So, am I forgiven?” I coaxed, switching my attention to her other breast. “For staring at your scar and not your tits like I should have?”

“Yes…” Shannon nodded vigorously. “All…mmm… for…ugh…given…”

I trailed a path of kisses from her breasts to her ribs and then her belly button, licking and nipping as I went until I reached the waistband of her leggings.

Stop now,I mentally commanded myself.That’s far enough for one day, fucker.

With more self-control than I knew I possessed, I took a detour with my tongue and backtracked all the way up her body until my lips found hers.

“Why’d you stop?” Shannon panted against my lips as she wrapped her arms around my neck.

Jesus…

“Because…” I let my words trail off, concentrating on her swollen lips and the addicting taste of her. “I like how we are.” I kissed her again, softer this time. “I don’t want to be put on a timer.”

“A timer?”

“Yeah, Shan.” I nodded and pressed a kiss to her nose. “I don’t want to rush this with you. I want us to take our time—make the important moments worth it.” Sitting up, I brought her with me, pulling her onto my lap. “I want you, okay?” I hooked an arm around her back, tucking her flush against me. “Badly. Don’t ever doubt that.” Smoothing her hair over her shoulder again, I kissed her softly. “I just don’t want to look back in five years’ time and know that I fucked up the important parts because I couldn’t be patient.”

A small smile crept across Shannon’s face.

“What?” I mirrored her smile. “What’s so funny?”

“You said in five years’ time,” she whispered, curling her arms around my neck.

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