Page 106 of Study Buddies

He kissed my cheek gently, still brushing my hair away from my face. We were finally skin to skin, and I nestled against him. Everything about him was soothing and comforting, and it wasthe perfect way to come down from the explosive pleasure that had caught me by surprise.

“That’s it,” he whispered. “Deep breaths.”

I did. Or I tried to. But god, I’d never expected that. He hadn’t even touched me below my waist, but every single thing he did was deliberate and skillful and—god, I couldn’t believe I’d just come.

My eyes squeezed shut, and I put my hand on my forehead. Lucas probably thought I was some kind of sex-crazed girl who kissed three men one night and orgasmed from kissing and nipple play the next night.

Except that was true, wasn’t it? Embarrassment filled me. And somehow, despite the low light, Lucas knew that. He gave me a soft kiss on the lips.

“That was so amazing, Tori. To feel your body tremble under mine. To hear your cries fill the room. It was so fucking hot.”

“But—but…” I trailed off and tried again. “I didn’t know that was possible.” That was all I could say before I had to take a few more deep breaths to calm down.

He was still rock hard—I could feel his erection digging into my hip. I should return the favor, shouldn’t I? The aftereffects of the orgasm made it hard to think. I slid my hand down, reaching for him, but he moved back.

“Just relax, sweetheart.” He kept stroking my hair in a rhythmic fashion, and it was lulling me into a trance. Then he tugged the t-shirt down, covering me. I immediately missed the skin-to-skin contact, but it made me feel less self-conscious.

“That was amazing,” he whispered again.

And it sounded like he really meant it.

He placed another soft kiss on me, this time on my cheek. He gathered me in his arms and was still murmuring comforting things and gently touching my hair when I drifted off.

30

TORI

Wakingup next to Lucas was a pleasant surprise the next morning. Part of me was embarrassed about what we’d done, but I also felt good. My body felt loose and limber, the way it did after a powerful orgasm.

Except I hadn’t experienced an orgasm that strong before.

Since he was still asleep, I hopped into the shower. As I slid the soap over my skin, cataloging all the parts of me he’d caressed last night, I realized that was the first time a man had made me come. The guy I’d lost my virginity to in high school hadn’t. And there’d been one date once who stuck his hand down the front of my pants, but he hadn’t known what the hell he was doing.

Lucas sure had.

It was amazing how much I’d learned about my friend in just one night. That he had a magnificent body under the rather conservative clothes he wore. That he knew how to use his mouth, lips, and tongue. And hands… the list went on. I shut off the water and couldn’t stop thinking about him.

He was such a good man. Kind, caring… in a way, I wished he had asked me out last year. Things might have ended up verydifferently. But then I wouldn’t have gotten to know Jayden and Kyle as well, and that thought was an upsetting one.

And speaking of Jayden, why was I hearing his voice?

I dried off quickly and wrapped a towel around myself. It was too steamy from the shower to put on my dress yet, so I opened the door an inch to let in some fresh air.

Through the crack in the door, I could see the sink and the mirror above it. And when I craned my head to the side, I could see Lucas’ reflection. Wow, he looked good. The white dress shirt we’d bought yesterday fit him well. It was tucked into the black pants that fit snugly. How had I never noticed what a cute butt he had?

The black tie we’d purchased hung open around his neck. He had his phone propped up on the dresser in front of him, and he was scowling.

“That didn’t work, either.” He yanked on the ends of the tie, obviously frustrated.

“Just watch the video again.” When I squinted, I could see Jayden’s face on the screen.

“I couldn’t figure it out.” Lucas sounded irritated.

“Dude, you built a fucking robot when you were six.”

“Robots don’t wear ties.”

Throwing my hand over my mouth, I looked away, trying to laugh silently. It was pretty damn hilarious that the smartest guy I knew couldn’t tie a tie. And that he was being coached long distancely.

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