He wanted a repeat, a chance to do some more kinky exploration. So a repeat he would get, and I would do my damnedest to keep things as casual as he was. Besides, between the business and helping my dad, it wasn’t like I had much time for an actual relationship. Moreover, a hot, young thing like Levi wasn’t going to want long-term with a guy like me, so it was best to be realistic.
Which was exactly what I was trying to be as I took the stairs to his apartment after he buzzed me in. Realistic. Also, more in control than I’d been the night before. I might be letting my sex drive win this round, but I could be a little more responsible. And to that end, I’d shown up with food.
“Pizza?” Levi frowned as he let me in. He’d changed out of his barista clothes and was in another track-meet shirt and loose shorts. I was surprisingly interested in what was under the shorts. Ordinarily, underwear was underwear and was better off on the floor, but Levi’s interest in fancy stuff was novel and tantalizing, filling me with all sorts of ideas.
“I owed you one.” Wiggling my eyebrows, I handed him the Mario’s box as we entered the apartment. “Since you said you need more green stuff, I got the roasted-vegetable option.”
“You did owe me.” He blushed prettily at the reminder of our late-night texts about jerking off. “But you also don’t have to feed me. I figured…”
“That we’d get right to it?” I waited while he fetched plates and napkins then followed him to the couch.
“Uh. Yeah.” He arranged the pizza and plates on the coffee table, but didn’t join me on the couch, instead shifting his weight from side to side, like he was torn between bolting and jumping me. “And I know you don’t like talking about jerking, but like, I wanted to when I got home, but I didn’t.”
“Congratulations on your patience.” My voice was drier than the crust, but the mere mention of him getting off had me heating up like a brick oven. I liked that he’d waited based on his assumption that I wouldn’t want him jerking off. His eagerness to please had my pulse thrumming. “And not wanting to discuss my sex life where friends and business contacts might hear is way different than not wanting to talk about sex, period. In fact, I was kind of hoping we could talk while we eat.”
“Talk?” He pursed his mouth.
“Yes, talk. Sit.” I pointed to the spot next to me and waited for him to comply. I half-expected more rebellion or him to go slump on the end of the couch. But he plopped down next to me, leg rubbing against mine, apparently going for the torture-Joe approach to getting what he wanted. “It’s not a dirty word. And even as cute as you are all pouty, we should probably get a few things straight before we fool around. Last time we went a bit…fast.”
“I like fast.” Bumping my shoulder with his, he gazed at me with big puppy-dog eyes. His eagerness was damn good for my ego.
“Noted.” I gave him a pointed look before handing him a piece of pizza on a plate. “But if you’re serious about wanting to get kinky—”
“Oh, I am.” He licked his lips in a way that had nothing to do with pizza.
“Good. Me too.” I suppressed a groan. I too wanted to get right to playing, but I was trying to be responsible and model good kink practices for the newbie. “And I know things can be rather fluid on Kinkbook and other apps with how fast people jump to cyber-sex, but in person, I do generally like to make sure we’re both on the same page.”
“I think we are.” He nodded earnestly, but I shook my head.
“See, think leaves a lot of room for accidentally wandering into territory that’s truly scary not the sexy-scary you like. I’d rather know for certain what your limits are.”
“And this is why you’re in charge.” After giving me an angelic smile, he finally took a bite of his pizza. “You manage to make even talking seem sexy.”
And this right here was why we so desperately needed to talk. He knew he liked submission, was eager to play, but he was also so very twenty-two and green. We might not have any sort of long-term future, but I still felt a certain responsibility toward him, needed him to understand the power dynamic better so he didn’t get taken advantage of again.
“Actually, you’re the real one in charge.” I could barely taste my pizza, all my attention on Levi, not the food. I’d brought it more for him anyway. “I like to give orders, yes. But you can stop things—”