Page 47 of Purity

“Yeah, but that doesn’t mean they were in love. Or happy.”

“It depends on…” My lips close. What was I about to say?

He grins as he brushes a strand of hair behind my ears. “Don’t think too hard, Angel.”

When I glare at him, his smile grows.

“I’m not that high anymore,” I say.

“No, of course not.”

“I actually feel myself thinking more deeply than I usually do.”

“Naturally.”

When I narrow my eyes, he chuckles.

“Love goes through phases,” I say, thankful I seem to have regained my voice. “Sometimes it’s passionate, and sometimes it’s more like friendship, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t there.”

He stares at me for a long moment. “Maybe for some really lucky people, but I don’t think that’s generally the case. Monogamy just isn’t realistic. I don’t even think humans were meant for it.”

I sigh heavily. I can’t handle an anthropological argument about love and monogamy right now. “You can’t have real love without risk.”

He squeezes my hand tightly. His dark-brown eyes bore into mine, sparkling in the afternoon sunlight. “I disagree with that completely. It’s not real love if you can’t count on it. I think we can only find real love in friendship. That’s why I didn’t jump at the opportunity to take your virginity. Bringing sex into our friendship might complicate something that’s perfect as it is.”

My throat grows too tight to speak. Jesus, please say he isn’t about to reject me.

“But I’m going to do it anyway.”

A heaviness pulls at my body, making my eyelids fall shut.

“It’s important to you, and I want to help you,” he says, “because you’ve given me so much over the years. More than you could ever know.”

My eyes pop open. “I don’t want you doing it out of obligation.”

He laughs softly, lifting his hand and brushing his fingers along my cheek. “An obligation.” His voice is husky as he leans forward and presses his warm lips against mine. “What a chore it’s going to be.” He sets his hand on my thigh and starts trailing it upward. “Torture. Absolute torture.”

He withdraws from me suddenly, grabs my shoulders, and pins me with a hard stare. “I want you to be mine for all of this week.”

My head begins to swim. “The whole week?”

“I start work next Monday, and I’m going to be busy as hell after that. I want to do this right. There’s no need to rush into having sex when you haven’t tried anything else, and I definitely don’t want to rush…” He brushes his lips against mine before pulling away. “I want your whole week. Every moment of it. I probably won’t even let you out of my bed. Can you do that for me?”

I nod slowly, feeling hypnotized.

His jaw hardens. “I might scare you. I didn’t save my virginity for you, so this won’t be anything like what you imagined for your first time. I’m a heathen with lots of experience, and you’re going to find out what I’ve wanted to do to you all these years. Do you think you can handle it?”

Fire courses through my belly. “I think I’ll like it.”

“We’ll see.” His expression grows fierce. “You’re mine for the next week. Cancel any plans you have. Tell your parents you’re staying with Mari or something, because you won’t be seeing them at all. We leave my bed to eat, and that’s it.”

I release a nervous giggle. “I can’t believe this is happening.”

I really can’t. This is what I’ve always wanted from him—for him to be as greedy for my touch as he is for my time and attention. It feels like a dream, but even in my dreamy state of mind, I’m certain it’s real.

A real possibility for our future.

If this week is as spectacular as I think it could be, he might decide our friendship isn’t “perfect as it is”. He’ll see it could be so much more. We have all the ingredients for the strongest kind of relationship, the kind he doesn’t believe in now.

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