A New Journey (Second Chance #3) by Christina Escue Page B

whispered. “You take the lead. We will only go as far as you feel comfortable going.” She nodded and closed the gap between them. When her lips touched his he framed her face with his hands and let her take the lead. 
    When she trailed her hands down his shoulders to his chest he slipped his hands into her hair and deepened the kiss. He flinched a little when her hands slipped under his shirt and her short fingernails scratched across his heated skin. He groaned into her mouth as her hands gently brushed across his chest. As he broke the kiss and pulled back slightly her hands stilled. “Don’t stop.” He whispered gruffly as he pulled his t-shirt over his head. “I love the feel of you touching me.”
    “I want you to touch me too, Conner.” She said softly.
    “I want to, Karla, but if I do I won’t be able to stop and I’m letting you take the lead.”
    Karla looked at him for a moment before she lowered her head and gently kissed his chest then she raised her head, looked into his eyes and smiled. “Then I think it’s time we stop.”
    Conner nodded and pulled away from her. When he started to put his shirt back on Karla put her hand on his chest and looked at her mocha colored skin against his creamy white skin for a moment before she dropped her hand to her side and her eyes to the floor. “I’m sorry.”
    Conner slipped his shirt on and grabbed Karla’s hand. “Look at me, please.” When she looked up he saw the tears shimmering in her eyes. “Karla, you never have to apologize to me for something like this. We will take this part of our relationship at your pace. I promise.”
    “I love you, Conner.”
    “I love you too, Karla, and I will love you no matter what. Never doubt that.” When the tears started sliding down her cheeks he gently kissed them away and pulled her into a hard hug. “I’m sorry if I hurt you.”
    Karla looked up into his eyes and smiled slightly. “You didn’t hurt me, Conner. I’m just scared that I’m going to lose you because I’m not ready.”
    “Karla, my heart and soul belong to you and that will never change. You are the only one I want beside me. I need you like I need air.”
    “I need you too, Conner.”
    Conner stood there holding her for a little while longer before he pulled away and smiled at her. “Let’s finish the movie and then we can get some dinner.”
    “Sounds like a plan.” Karla answered as she snuggled back into Conner’s arms and they finished the movie.

Chapter Fifteen
     
    “Conner and I almost did it last night.” Karla told Callie and Rylee in a hushed voice as they took seats at the back of the room in Latin the next morning. Since it was the first day of school most of their classes wouldn’t be doing much so they didn’t feel bad holding their hushed conversation during class.
    “What?” Callie asked is shock.
    “Shh.. Let her talk.” Rylee hissed.
    “Sorry, but that threw me for a loop.” Callie told them it a tone that suggested she was still staggering.
    “Yesterday afternoon, after we got home, Conner asked me to come over and look over some notes that he took during practice Thursday. When I got there he was home alone. Anyway we were watching a movie and things started happening. I stopped us before anything really happened, but I could see the fire burning in his eyes. I’m so scared that my inability to follow through is going to push him away.”
    “Are you kidding me?” Callie asked with a hint of humor in her voice. “Conner is not going to leave you because you won’t have sex with him. He loves you too much for that.”
    “I know he loves me, but you didn’t see the look in his eyes when I said we should stop. He was hurt, but there was something else there, too.”
    “Like what?” Rylee asked.
    “I don’t know. It wasn’t a look I had ever seen in his eyes before, but it scared me.” Karla answered.
    As they continued to talk in hushed tones none of them noticed Trevor Carpenter sitting on