“But he’s twenty-five now. You still only get to see him once in a while?”

The last twenty-four hours had been such a thundering storm of emotions, and Charlee had barely been able to sleep last night, thinking about everything that had happened yesterday. As she continued to run her fingers across his brow, she now felt as if she could easily fall asleep right there on Hector’s lap. “He has Down Syndrome,” she explained, “a severe form of it. So he’s still in the care of his mom. As he got older, my step-dad petitioned less and less to have him over, so I got to see him even less, but I still miss him.”

She didn’t want the conversation getting so heavy, and she knew talking about her step-father could go there, so she kissed Hector before he could ask anymore. Sitting up a little, Hector let his head fall back against the chair, and this time Charlee did the devouring of his mouth. Running her fingers through his soft hair, she kissed him deeper and deeper until she could feel how undeniably aroused he’d become. Feeling him against her thigh, she was tempted to lower her hand and really feel. But her heart felt as terrified as it did excited.

Adjusting herself in his lap so that she could better angle herself and he could hold her even closer, Charlee was done talking. She had no deep dark secrets that needed to be aired out. Her life for the most part was vanilla compared to others. There was nothing about her that would have any effect on their relationship that couldn’t wait until later, but her body didn’t want to wait anymore for this.

When she pulled away to catch her breath after an especially long kiss, Hector moved so that her head fell back, and he cradled it on his arm. He kissed her neck then sucked for a moment, making her squirm. “You sure you wouldn’t rather talk?” He murmured against her neck.

“Yes, I’m sure,” she gasped as she felt him bite down just under her earlobe with a groan.

He worked his way up her jaw again and latched on to her mouth. His big hand moved up and down her thigh just over her leggings. She’d yearned for far too long to feel his hands on her, touching her in places she couldn’t even say out loud. His hand moved up her inner thigh slowly as he sucked her tongue softly then a little more roughly. Creeping slowly, she felt his hand making its way up higher. Her body trembled as she burned for him to touch her there.

She arched her body as his hands reached that hot, aching place, and he stopped kissing her to look at her. Spreading her legs gently, his hand cupped her between her legs, and she wondered if her leggings were wet, because she knew damn well her panties had to be. “You a virgin, Charlotte?” She nodded, biting her lower lip, unable to refrain from continuing to tremble as he moved his hand and began to stroke her between her legs. Her leggings were so thin she was certain he could feel just how hot she was. “Well, then, we gotta take this slow.”

Closing her eyes, she gulped, almost ashamed that she didn’t want to take it slow. She needed him to do more, and as if he sensed it, he stopped stroking her up and down. Instead, he focused on the one place that had her body quivering all over and she turned her face into his shirt. “Don’t hide your face, Charlee. I wanna see it.” She turned her face up to him but let her head fall back, needing to spread her legs as he continued to stroke her in a circular motion right there, right where it was building too quickly, and she began squirming, tempted to hide her face in his shirt again so he wouldn’t see her moan. “That’s it,” he leaned in and kissed her, biting her lower lip as the sensation began to erupt, making her gasp and moan a little louder. “Come, baby,” he moved his arm when she began to moan into his shirt, grabbing a fistful of it.

Feeling how hard he was against her ass only heightened the explosion between her legs. She moaned again and again and squirmed uncontrollably as the waves of pleasure continued. Hector now sucked her neck gently. Charlee began to breathlessly plead for him to stop. She couldn’t take it any longer. The sensation ran clear down to her curling toes as he softened the pressure but continued stroking lightly.

He kissed her, groaning against her lips. “Damn, that was hot.” She lay back on his arm, and the waves of pleasure continued but began to weaken. Her heart still pounded as she lay there breathing hard with eyes closed. “When’s the last time you felt that?” Hector whispered against her lips.

No way was she telling him. Purposely she kept her eyes closed and smiled. “I’m not telling you.”

“What?” He poked her ribs, making her jerk sideways, and her eyes flew open. “Ah,” he smiled wickedly, “you’re ticklish.”

He poked her again, and she jerked instantly, laughing. “Stop!” Curse her ticklish ribs!

“I will,” he said, poking her other side now, and she laughed even more, trying to squirm out of his hold, “as soon as you tell me.”

He tickled her again, and she was laughing so much now she could barely get the words out. “Okay, okay, a few days ago!”

Hector froze, staring at her. As her laughter slowly subsided, she noticed the rigid way he looked at her. She’d just admitted she was a virgin. Surely, he couldn’t be thinking . . . and just a few days ago? She rolled her eyes, sitting up since she’d squirmed herself nearly off his lap. “It was D.I.Y.”

With a pinch of his eyes, he looked and sounded almost annoyed now. “What the hell does that mean?”

“Think about it.” She held his chin with one hand and kissed him. “Please, don’t make me say it.”