She grips my tie between her fingers and pulls me closer. “You are so cocky and always in charge.”
“I’m confident. There’s a difference. And yes, I am always in charge.” I clasp her wrist and her lips part from my sudden reaction.
No more words are required. I let our bodies do the talking and slip my tongue inside Ella’s mouth, gripping her hair, as I deepen the kiss. My other hand travels down her back and to her firm ass, but her thick winter coat is in the way of what I want. There’s always some layer of clothing between us, just like the night we met. For the life of me, I could not figure out how to get around that damn dress. Tonight is no different.
With Ella being so pure and innocent, I cannot rush things. She’s not some sorostitute I picked up at a party that’s already down to fuck. I peel my lips from hers and sit back in my seat to give us some space.
“The things you do to me, Ella,” I say, out of breath. “I have such a hard time controlling myself when I’m with you.”
She digs her elbow into the armrest between us and leans over. “Just because I’m a virgin doesn’t mean you will break me. Maybe I want you to break me. Have you thought of that?”
As if I wasn’t already hard enough, my dick twitches at her comment. “Don’t say things like that, Ella.”
“I want it to be you, Shawn. I want you to take my virginity.”
Stripping Ella of her virginity would make some of my brothers more than happy to accept the challenge. But it’s not like that with us. Ella is not another girl for me to conquer, not even close. I like her a lot, maybe even more than that. Maybe even love.
“When the time is right, okay?”
“My timing is never right,” she hisses.
“When it comes to us, our timing was always right. We found each other. I might have thought I lost you after the party, but you were with me all along. I would say our timing is perfect. Do you remember what I told you about letting things happen on their own?”
She nods. “Yes, but—”
I hold my finger to her mouth to silence her. “No buts. Just let things happen, and when the time comes, I promise it will be special. That night will be ev
erything you had ever imagined. I care about you too much to mess this up for you. Okay?”
She stares at me for a few seconds, holding my gaze, before she finally speaks. “Whatever you say, handsome.”
I open the door, not wanting to leave the comfort of my car. Winters in Philly are too fucking cold.
“Are you ready to do this or what?”
She bobs her head in agreement.
Once we’re inside the building, I suddenly regret listening to Tori about taking Ella here for a date. Kids, ranging from toddler to teenager, are everywhere, screaming and skating past us in a hurry. The last time I did something like this, Delta Sig was throwing an event where we rented the place for the night. Only people from Strick U were allowed, and of course, there was lots of sex and a fuck ton of alcohol.
I hook my arm around Ella and steer her toward the counter to get skates, keeping her on my side to allow people to pass. “I’m sorry about this. I had something different in mind when I planned our date. I guess I should have thought this one through, huh?”
“Are you crazy? This is perfect. I can’t even remember the last time I got away from my house to do something off campus. And this is super sweet, Shawn. I love that you put this much thought into our date.”
“Well, I love that you love it,” I say with a crooked smile. “I thought this would be more intimate with the lights turned down and plenty of places for us to hide in the dark.”
“We can still do that,” she counters, licking her lips at me. “I’m sure we can find at least one hiding space in here. If you want, we can skip skating all together and go straight to making out in the dark.”
“I always underestimate the good girls,” I say, laughing and meaning every word.
“You should never underestimate me,” she says with a wink. “I might be predictable most of the time, but even you didn’t think I was the girl at the party because of it.”
“No one could believe it,” I confess. “After I had gotten to know you, I thought the possibility was less each day, and then you reached for that charm, and well…we wouldn’t be here right now if you didn’t do something unexpected.”
She slides her arm around my back and clutches my waist. “I’m glad I did. You were the best risk I ever took.”
“I know the feeling. You made me think I was crazy, running around campus in search of some girl in a mask. Do you know how many people thought I’d lost my mind? I had never done anything that bizarre until I’d met you.”
“I felt bad watching you in action and knowing I could do something to end your misery.”