pale comforter. The flowers on it made it look like a grandma’s, but my mother had made it. Sometimes I missed my parents, and the blanket made me feel close to her.
Paul put his hands on his hips and surveyed my sanctuary. “It’s very…you,” he said.
“ How so?”
He moved, stepping over a stray shirt, and reached my bed. “Like this,” he said, touching the comforter. “It’s sweet. Innocent.”
“ You think I’m innocent?” I smiled, regarding him with affection. Seeing me through his eyes was cute. “I’m not really.”
He turned over his shoulder and raised his eyebrows.
“ All right.” I sighed. “Maybe just a little.”
Paul sat on my bed and pointed at the random paintings I had propped or hung around the room. “Scenes. Colors. Themes. None of them are the same.”
“ And?”
“ They’re all different. They’re all unique parts of you. Days. Moods. Feelings. You express yourself beautifully on canvas.”
No one had ever taken the time to decipher even that small insight about my work. Paul’s thoughts on my paintings made me feel proud—even validated.
I went to him. I had to. My legs moved and before I knew it, I was straddling his lap. Paul hesitated, but brought his hands to my hips and looked me deep in the eyes. He was searching again.
Unable to hold back, I kissed him. Paul jumped right in as if he’d only been waiting on me. His lips were soft but not lacking in passion. Each of his gentle movements were sensual. Desperate. His skin was warm, and I shivered as his hands pushed under my top to caress my skin.
My weight pushed into him and we went tumbling back to the mattress. The hard length of him was undeniable in his slacks. He used it, pushing against me as our bodies moved.
I was inexperienced in this area but not completely. My intimate relations were few—only with one other in fact.
Still, my body knew what it wanted. I moaned and sat up, stripping off my shirt. Paul’s eyes flared and he gripped my waist, moving his hands to my breast. Squeezing, he let his head fall back.
“ Jesus,” he whispered. I started to unbutton his shirt, but suddenly his hands were on mine—stopping me. “Wait,” he said. “Just wait a second, Mia.”
“ What’s wrong?” I was breathless and hot, still straddling him.
He took a deep, calming breath. His hands found my shirt and he sat up, moving me off his lap. “Not yet, okay?”
All my passion dissipated, insecurity taking its place. “Did I do something wrong?” I asked, pulling my shirt over my head.
“ No,” he said, shaking his head with amusement. “Absolutely not. You were perfect. You are perfect. But I just…just…not yet.”
That was unexpected. “But you want to?” I asked, needing clarity.
“ Mia…” He looked at me sideways, saying, Are you crazy? “Yes. Trust me. I want to. But we can wait. This doesn’t have to happen now. Or tomorrow. Or even in a week.”
For the first time in my life, it disappointed me to hear those words from a man, but I tried to smile. Maybe he was right. “Okay,” I said. “We can wait.”
“ Good,” he said. “Now come on. I have a lot to show you today.”
I smiled again, but it was honest this time. “What are we waiting for?”
CHAPTER TEN
HAND IN HAND, WE walked to his car. All of his affection made me feel giddy. Something had changed for him, and today I planned on finding out what that was. Why now, after all this time, did he suddenly want me?
He drove me to a quiet shopping strip overlooking a river. Restaurants and clothing stores lined the bank, all with clear views of the water. Even though it was only twenty minutes from my home, I’d never been. The wind pushed off the water and made my hair dance around my face. I took a deep inhale, appreciating it.
“ Where are we going?” I asked as he started down the strip.
He was walking backwards, turning around to look at me. “It’s a surprise,” he said with a wink.
I skipped
Paul put his hands on his hips and surveyed my sanctuary. “It’s very…you,” he said.
“ How so?”
He moved, stepping over a stray shirt, and reached my bed. “Like this,” he said, touching the comforter. “It’s sweet. Innocent.”
“ You think I’m innocent?” I smiled, regarding him with affection. Seeing me through his eyes was cute. “I’m not really.”
He turned over his shoulder and raised his eyebrows.
“ All right.” I sighed. “Maybe just a little.”
Paul sat on my bed and pointed at the random paintings I had propped or hung around the room. “Scenes. Colors. Themes. None of them are the same.”
“ And?”
“ They’re all different. They’re all unique parts of you. Days. Moods. Feelings. You express yourself beautifully on canvas.”
No one had ever taken the time to decipher even that small insight about my work. Paul’s thoughts on my paintings made me feel proud—even validated.
I went to him. I had to. My legs moved and before I knew it, I was straddling his lap. Paul hesitated, but brought his hands to my hips and looked me deep in the eyes. He was searching again.
Unable to hold back, I kissed him. Paul jumped right in as if he’d only been waiting on me. His lips were soft but not lacking in passion. Each of his gentle movements were sensual. Desperate. His skin was warm, and I shivered as his hands pushed under my top to caress my skin.
My weight pushed into him and we went tumbling back to the mattress. The hard length of him was undeniable in his slacks. He used it, pushing against me as our bodies moved.
I was inexperienced in this area but not completely. My intimate relations were few—only with one other in fact.
Still, my body knew what it wanted. I moaned and sat up, stripping off my shirt. Paul’s eyes flared and he gripped my waist, moving his hands to my breast. Squeezing, he let his head fall back.
“ Jesus,” he whispered. I started to unbutton his shirt, but suddenly his hands were on mine—stopping me. “Wait,” he said. “Just wait a second, Mia.”
“ What’s wrong?” I was breathless and hot, still straddling him.
He took a deep, calming breath. His hands found my shirt and he sat up, moving me off his lap. “Not yet, okay?”
All my passion dissipated, insecurity taking its place. “Did I do something wrong?” I asked, pulling my shirt over my head.
“ No,” he said, shaking his head with amusement. “Absolutely not. You were perfect. You are perfect. But I just…just…not yet.”
That was unexpected. “But you want to?” I asked, needing clarity.
“ Mia…” He looked at me sideways, saying, Are you crazy? “Yes. Trust me. I want to. But we can wait. This doesn’t have to happen now. Or tomorrow. Or even in a week.”
For the first time in my life, it disappointed me to hear those words from a man, but I tried to smile. Maybe he was right. “Okay,” I said. “We can wait.”
“ Good,” he said. “Now come on. I have a lot to show you today.”
I smiled again, but it was honest this time. “What are we waiting for?”
CHAPTER TEN
HAND IN HAND, WE walked to his car. All of his affection made me feel giddy. Something had changed for him, and today I planned on finding out what that was. Why now, after all this time, did he suddenly want me?
He drove me to a quiet shopping strip overlooking a river. Restaurants and clothing stores lined the bank, all with clear views of the water. Even though it was only twenty minutes from my home, I’d never been. The wind pushed off the water and made my hair dance around my face. I took a deep inhale, appreciating it.
“ Where are we going?” I asked as he started down the strip.
He was walking backwards, turning around to look at me. “It’s a surprise,” he said with a wink.
I skipped
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