Page 70 of Cold Front
Niall let out a breathy chuckle, shaking his head. “No, I mean…anyof it. I’ve never had sex before.” He swallowed, eyes still locked on the ceiling. “I never really thought about having sex, honestly. I was always fine with just… using my hand.” His blush deepened.
My chest squeezed—not with pity, but with something warm and protective. Niall wasn’t ashamed, exactly, but there was hesitation there, like he was waiting for me to make it athing.
So I didn’t.
“Honestly?” I said, reaching out and trailing a lazy hand over Niall’s chest. “That’s kinda hot.”
Niall’s eyes snapped to mine. “What?”
I shrugged, a teasing grin playing at my lips. “I mean, if you’re happy with your own hand, you must bereallygood at it.”
Niall groaned, covering his face with his arm. “Iregrettelling you that.”
I laughed, tugging Niall’s arm down so he could see my face again. “Seriously, though—there’s nothing weird about that. Sex is one of those things that people make ahugedeal about, but it’s different for everyone. Some people go after it like a sport. Some wait until they’re in love. Some don’t care about it at all. And some…” I let his fingers brush over Niall’s jaw, my touch light. “Some just need the right person to make themwantit.”
Niall studied me, something unreadable in his expression. “I think I might be one of those people.” His voice was quiet. “I never thought about it much before, but with you… it’s different.”
My heart did a slow, steady flip.
“Yeah?” I murmured, his grin softer now.
Niall gave a small nod. Then, hesitantly, “Can I ask you something?”
“Of course.”
Another pause. Then, “What’s sex like for you? I mean… what do you like?”
I blinked, caught off guard—but in thebestway. Niall was opening up to me,trustingme with something deeply personal.
A slow smirk curved my lips.
“Oh, babe,” I said, voice warm and teasing, “thatis a very dangerous question.”
Niall roll his eyes, but he seemed deeply intrigued. “Why?”
I leaned in, dropping my voice to a playful whisper. “Because now I get to tell youexactlyhow I want to ruin you.”
I didn’t miss the way Niall swallowed, the way his pupils dilated just a little more as my words sank in. He was intrigued, maybe even a little nervous, but not in a bad way. In the kind of way that told me hewantedto know.Wantedme to tell him. Maybe evenshowhim.
And fuck if that didn’t do something to me.
I reached out, brushing my knuckles along his jaw, feeling the warmth of his skin, the subtle tremor beneath my fingertips. “You sure you wanna know?” I murmured, letting my voice dip just a little lower, teasing, testing.
Niall exhaled, slow and measured, and nodded. “Yeah.”
“Gotta use your words, baby,” I said, my thumb tracing the curve of his bottom lip. “I like hearing them.”
“Yes,” he said, a little breathless. “Tell me.”
My lips curled, but I kept my touch gentle, kept the teasing edge just soft enough not to overwhelm him. Because this wasNiall. My big, broody, quiet Iron Wall of a man who’d spent years keeping himself at a distance from everything, and now he was here, bare and open in every possible way, lettingmebe the one he trusted with this.
I wasn’t about to fuck that up.
I shifted closer so I could look him deep in the eyes, so he couldseeme when I spoke. “I like taking my time,” I said, my fingers ghosting down his chest, tracing idle patterns on his skin. “I like teasing, making it last. Getting to the point where youneedme to touch you, and then waiting just a little longer.”
I watched his throat work as he swallowed, his breath hitching when I dragged my fingers lower, just barely skimming his stomach before pulling away.
“I like seeing how much you can take,” I continued, my voice softer now, slower, almost a purr. “Figuring out what makes you squirm, what makes youbeg.”
