When he leans forward and presses his lips to mine, I realize I’m more than willing to burn.
The low sound that catches in my chest makes me shift forward, even though my little confession hasn’t fixed anything. I don’t know what I’m doing.
My mouth hasn’t gotten that message, though, because my lips open and I moan as he licks inside to taste me. Professor Levine kisses me until I’m dizzy, until I finally pull back because I can actually feel my head spinning.
It seems like Professor Levine is a little caught up in what’s happening too, because there’s a few seconds where he’s nothing but blown pupils and an expression that makes me think he probably wants to crawl across the couch and eat me alive.
I’m pretty sure I’d let him.
In fact, I’m pretty sure I want him to.
He stays still, though, his gaze caught on my lips as I lick them and drop my hands to my lap, clenching and unclenching my fingers to stop myself from having a panic attack. Or reaching out to touch him.
Probably both.
When he lets out a low, rumbling noise and his hands drop so I can feel the warmth of his palms on my knees, I realize it’s definitely both.
“Luca,” he starts, and my heart jumps into my throat. I just want to lean forward and press my lips against his again. Kissing is nice. Kissing Professor Levine might be the best thing I’ve ever felt. When I start to lean forward, his hand lifts from my knee to press at the center of my chest. It’s only a little embarrassing, because I know he can feel how hard my heart is hammering. “Are you sure you want to do this with me?”
“Yes!” There’s a beat of silence, and I have what feels like an eternity to realize I answered him entirely too fast. “I mean… yes. I just…” That heat is creeping up along my cheeks again. “I want to be… good… for you. I want to do good. I just need you to be patient with me.”
I see something flash through his eyes, emotions I can’t quite read, and then he leans forward and brushes his lips across mine again.
“I’m honestly not sure if you could be anythingbutgood, Luca.” The praise rolls over me in a nearly palpable wave that feels like velvet running along my skin, stroking every nerve I have to life. “And if you’ll let me, I want to spend tonight showing you how good I can make you feel. We can worry about everything else later.”
I take a moment to process what he’s saying. Everything else—whatever we were about to do when he had me pressed against the wall… whatever we would have done at Mask if I hadn’t run away. Everything else. Which means…
“You’ll take care of me?” I don’t want the question to come out so soft and unsure, but it does. That only seems to solidify the warmth in his expression, because he presses another kiss to the corner of my mouth when he speaks.
“All I want to do is take care of you,” he murmurs, his words sounding more like a confession of sin than admission of desire. Sin, promise, admission…
I don’t care.
“Please?” I whisper, and then I lean in, dropping my head to his shoulder so I can speak against the warmth of his neck and the steady thrum of his pulse. “Please… I’ve never dreamed of what my first time might be, but I trust you.”
I’m not sure if he understands what a big thing that is for me—what little parts of me I’m flaying open to give him that word. It doesn’t matter, though, because I’m suddenly in the air, held tight against a broad chest. Professor Levine is carrying me across his living room, and he’s already covered half the distance before I can catch my breath to speak.
“Where are we going?”
“We’re doing this right, Luca… which means I want you spread out on my bed.” Professor Levine’s voice is nearly a purr.
“Oh… Okay.” I’m pretty sure I’m going to absolutely die.
I barely have time to try to calm my pulse before I’m laid out on the biggest bed I’ve ever seen… and then Professor Levine is pulling his shirt over his head and I’m treated to the sight of his broad chest with the light dusting of hair trailing over huge pecs, down along the line of his abs.
I’m definitely going to die. Dead.
I’mdead.
I’m pretty sure I’m ascending to heaven when he crawls between my legs on the bed and strokes his hands along my thighs. “What did you do to prepare for tonight?”
His question doesn’t make sense. When I blink up at him, the slow curl of his lips tells me my confusion doesn’t bother him.
“I’m not sure what…”
“Were you planning to have sex tonight, Luca?” As he speaks, he carefully unfastens my pants, peeling them down my legs and pulling my shoes and socks off with them.
“I…” My mind whites out as he trails his fingers along my bare skin. I have to wait until he stops with his fingers pressed against my thighs to remember to breathe. “What?”
