After checking out, we grabbed iced teas from the coffee shop inside and then left, walking across the street to a park.
“Would it be boring to read and drink tea?” he asked as we found a bench.
“Oh my God, are you kidding? That’s, like, a dream come true!” I sat next to him on the bench and took one of my books out of the paper bag. Cole grabbed one of his books and winked at me before sipping his drink and cracking the book open to the first page. I crossed my legs, tucked my feet beneath my butt, and did the same, sighing contentedly.
It was so interesting how I’d expected him to go crazy with me by touching me a lot, kissing me, and doing all the other sexually charged things, but there was something about reading together on a park bench with tea that was way more intimate than any of that. Sitting next to this intelligent man, absorbing beautifully crafted works of fiction, and sipping citrus teas was really a dream come true, and I didn’t want to leave until we were both finished with our books. It strangely reminded me of Elizabeth Bennett and her Mr. Darcy, one of my absolute favorite literary couples.
Unfortunately, the day got hotter and sweat began to prickle on our faces, so we left and headed back to the hotel. I went to the bathroom and changed out of my dress and into a pair of shorts and a tank top, but as I walked out, I spotted Cole standing near his suitcase, pulling his gray Under Armor shirt over his head. He stood there, no shirt, his pants hanging low on his hips, and I paused at the door, watching as he sifted through the suitcase until he came across the shirt he wanted.
As if he sensed that someone was watching him, he looked over his shoulder at me.
“Sorry—I didn’t mean—”
“When are you going to learn to stop apologizing?” he asked. A warm smile spread across his lips as he moved around the suitcase to sit on the edge of the bed. “Come here,” he murmured.
I placed my dress on top of my suitcase before walking in his direction. He opened his arms, an invitation for me to come into them, and I stepped between his parted legs, looking into smoky gray eyes.
“Wow,” he said breathlessly.
“What?” I asked nervously.
“Nothing. I’ve just wanted you alone like this for so long.” His eyes scanned up and down my face. “But before we can do anything at all, I have to ask…are you a virgin?”
I worked hard to swallow and attempted to look out one of the windows, but Cole brought my gaze back to his with just a simple touch of his fingers on my chin.
“It’s okay if you are,” he murmured.
“How is it okay? I have no kind of experience at all. I mean, sure, I’ve kissed a few guys here and there, but that’s as far as it’s ever gone.”
“And that’s perfectly fine. But do me a favor? Don’t bring up kissing other guys around me. Makes me want to hunt those random boys down.”
I giggled. “You’d hunt them down, huh?”
“Damn sure would.”
“Sounds like someone’s a little jealous that I’ve been kissed before.”
“Your lips are mine now,” Cole said, using the pad of his thumb to stroke my bottom lip. “I don’t want them shared with anyone else.” He wrapped one arm around me and I climbed on top of his lap, lacing my arms around the back of his neck.
“I can’t believe we’re actually here.” My voice was soft, low, and just a smidge wobbly because of nerves.
“We’re here…with two more days together.” He nuzzled my neck with the tip of his nose and I sighed, running the tips of my nails along the short hair at the nape of his neck.
“So, what do you want to do to me?”
“Oh, I think you know exactly what I want to do to you.” His eyes lit up, pooling with heated desire. He flipped me onto my back and maneuvered the lower half of his body between my legs. “But first you have to answer my question.”
“About my virginity?”
“Yes.”
I nodded slowly and, surprisingly, with no shame. “Yes, Professor. I am.”
I expected him to cringe or for some sort of scrutiny to pass across his face, but none of that happened. He just smiled down at me, then he said, “Good.” Then he cupped one side of my face and kissed me like he’d been dying to kiss me for days.
18
Cole
I had her with me, and there were so many possibilities to explore with her, so much for us to do. But I had to be careful. She was a virgin—my virgin—and I wanted to make her first time special, one she’d remember forever.