She kept touching him as well, running her fingers over the tattoos on his chest. Someday, she’d love to hear the stories and meaning behind each one. “I was trying to talk myself into admitting this to you the other day when we were, um, you know, but I blurted out the wrong thing.”
Why did her face have to get so warm when the spotlight shone her way? The reaction ruled out any chance for a poker face.
One of JP’s eyebrows twitched as a wry smile curled those lips she’d die to kiss again. “When we were about to fuck?” he whispered in a gravelly voice, making her shiver.
“Yeah. That.” Her cheeks were so dang hot it’d be a miracle if they didn’t melt off her face.
Well, he gave her the perfect lead-in. Time to reveal her secret. She stared at the tattoo beneath her palm. A symbol she didn’t recognize. At least the ink wouldn’t judge her. “So,” she said in a near whisper, “I’ve never actually done that before.”
“What?” he asked in a teasing tone. “Blurted out the wrong thing at the wrong time? I know we still have a lot to figure out, but we’re moving past that. And I pretty much do that once a week.”
“No. That’s not what I meant.” Crap. She was going to have to spell it out for him, wasn’t she?
Suddenly, he sucked in a breath and grabbed her shoulder. His dark eyes searched hers. “Wait, are you talking about fucking? You’ve never had sex?” Surprise showed all over his face, so she went back to watching his chest.
Where was a good lightning bolt when she needed one? Something to strike down from the sky and vaporize her, so she didn’t have to endure the humiliation of telling a man she cared for that she was a twenty-five-year-old virgin. When the heavens remained calm, and JP continued to stare at her as though she was an alien from another planet, she nodded. “Yes. That’s right.”
As soon as the words were out, she wished she could suck them back in. She’d rather die a virgin than see disgust or ridicule in his eyes. Or even worse, pity.
But JP had other plans. He grasped her chin between his thumb and forefinger, lifting her to meet his gaze. “But you want to? With me? Or at least you wanted to the other day?”
She couldn’t have lied straight to his face to save her life or spare her further humiliation. “Um, yes. Yes to both.” God, did she want to. Like him, even the potential for disaster didn’t dampen her desire or change her mind.
“Fuck. Me,” he whispered. Then he closed his eyes and took a deep breath as though fighting for control.
Her heart sank. Did knowing how inexperienced she was turn him off? Surely, he was used to practiced women who knew how to please him and what they wanted in return. Maybe she should have thought her admission through better and told him when they weren’t lying in his bed. Then again, she never thought she’d get the opportunity to be this close to him after he’d ordered her to leave.
“I’m sorry,” she whispered back. “You have to be disappointed. I just didn’t want any more secrets between us.” She started to pull away, shame heavy on her heart. “I can go. I promise this doesn’t change how I feel about Kayla or how I’ll act around her. It’s a totally separate issue.”
He grabbed the front of her shirt, holding her in place. “Hannah,” he said with his eyes hot and dark. “Are you telling me I would be the first and only man to be inside your sexy body?”
She swallowed and nodded. “Yes.”
His gaze bored into hers with an intensity that left her weak.
“The only man to hear you scream as you fall apart around my dick?”
“Um, yes,” she squeaked.
“I’d be the one to show you how good a cock, my cock, feels? To have your nails rake my back as you try to pull me closer, deeper? To see your face as pleasure takes over and consumes you?”
Heat flashed through her, no longer from embarrassment but longing. “What are you doing to me?” Her need for something she didn’t fully understand ramped up to incendiary levels. If he didn’t touch her, didn’t do something to ease the tension coiling low in her belly, she’d implode.
“Hopefully, I’m making you want me as much as I want you. Thank you for telling me.” He brought his hand up to her face and stroked a finger across her lips. “If it’s what you want, I’d love to be your first. Hell, I’d fight for the chance.”
“Really?” The urge to nip his finger bombarded her, so she did just that. Caught it between her teeth and licked the tip. Who the hell knows where the instinct came from? But it hadn’t been willing to be ignored.