Nova
The sight of Warren's captivating face greets me in the morning. He's lying on his back, one arm bent beneath the pillow and the other wrapped around my waist. My own hands are placed precariously on his chest, as is my cheek.
As he stares at me, I stare back.
His dark chocolate brown hair has grown since we arrived; it's sticking up in every direction and tangling with his long lashes. He really needs to get a haircut before the wedding or else his crisp suit isn't going to match. As if it would actually matter, though, because Warren can pull off any –
Oh. My. God.
I'm the reason his hair is a disaster.
I tear my gaze away and turn to the ceiling, my breath hitching as I replay last night's events in my mind. I reach up and touch my lips, remembering the way he kissed me. It was soft but demanding. A shiver runs down my spine when my attention moves to what it felt like to have his weight on top of my body, to have him all to myself. I loosen a deep breath when I think about how raw and passionate he was.
The weight of the mattress shifts to my right, and my body freezes. I know he's awake because, well, I caught him staring at me. I glance at him, watching as he rubs the sleep from his eyes and smiles at me. I'm suddenly nervous. He's slept with so many girls before...What if I've disappointed him? Do I even compare to them? Oh, God.
Perhaps I should ask him.
The strong arm that's wrapped around my waist tightens, and pulls me closer. Within seconds, his lips are pressed against my neck.
"Good morning, my love," he says, his voice rough with sleep. His breath is hot against my skin, bringing back memories of last night and where he put his mouth. My cheeks turn red at the thought.
I'm suddenly so anxious that I feel the need to get dressed, pull on my runners, and go for a long run along the shoreline.
Glancing at him again, I see that he's still staring at me. My breath catches – I need to get out of here; I need to find an escape route from this bedroom so I can lock myself away and attempt to get my thoughts straight. If that's even possible. Warren's messed up my mind and emotions so badly I don't think rewiring will even help me now.
Sweeping my eyes across the bedroom, I notice the door to the bathroom hanging open. If I can get in there...I start to pull away from him.
"Oh no you don't," Warren says, pulling me against his body. "You're not going anywhere, Novs." He buries his face in my hair. Against the skin of my neck, I feel him smile. "I've waited seven months for this. Don't think you're getting away that easily. I'm greedy and I want you all to myself."
Although I love the feel of his body heat, the smell of him – everything about him, actually, I try to push away. Good God. I can't handle this – not knowing if I did enough. When he grabbed my wrist...Was that to stop me because he didn't enjoy what I was doing? Or did he want it to last?
I cover my face with my hands, horrified with my thoughts. Why am I obsessing over this? He had to have enjoyed last night. But doubt lurks at the corners of my mind.
Warren chuckles and gently grips my wrists, pulling my hands away from my face. "Baby," he says, "what's wrong?"
My cheeks heat up the moment I make eye contact with him. Everything that happened last night is playing over and over again in my head like a song stuck on repeat. When I felt his lips on my neck, heard his shorts and belt hit the floor, felt his body against mine, the places my mouth explored...Oh my God.
"Warren...I..." I trail off, looking back at the bathroom door. Oh, how I wish I were stronger than him in situations like this.
"Novs," he says softly, "baby, look at me."
Swallowing hard, I look into his dark blue eyes.
He releases one of my wrists and reaches up to run his thumb along my bottom lip. "I love you."
My heart stutters. He's said them before. It's just this time, they mean something to me on a whole new level. I feel...different. Happier. Unlike last time, this sexual encounter has brought us closer together. And, on top of that, I feel more aware of myself. Almost like I've found something I've been missing. By that I don't mean just having a boyfriend that enjoys pleasuring me – I mean having someone that cares about me as much as I care about them. For the longest time, I've held people at arm's length. So, this...this closeness...it's something else.
Glancing down, I see that the blankets have been pulled down our bodies through the night, meaning we're both naked from the waist up. I want to pull them back up to cover my body from his view, but I find myself unable to do so.
Staring at Warren's perfectly chiselled body has transported me back to the first time I saw him in our dorm room. He had been wearing nothing but those boxer briefs. I remember our exchange of names and how we shook hands. Things seemed like they were going to go so well until we found out we were roommates.
I can't help but laugh quietly. Never, in a million years, would I have thought we'd end up together like this.
Warren runs the pad of his thumb across my cheekbone. "What's so funny?" he asks.
I reach over and run my fingers along the stubble of his jaw, curbing my need to touch him. "I was just thinking about the first time I saw you," I whisper. "When you pulled on those boxer briefs and got out of bed."
He cringes at the memory. "I'm sorry," he says. "I acted like an ass that day."
I shake my head. "We both gave in to the hostile feelings we felt – it's just as much my fault as it is yours."
Warren says nothing as he looks at me. There's a look on his face that makes me think his mind is a whirlwind of thoughts. I want to know what's going on in that head of his, but before I can ask, he speaks. "I don't understand how I can read you like this, but I know something's bothering you, Novs. Tell me. Remember what I said yesterday? I don't want you hiding anything from me."
Biting my lip, I slowly nod my head. He did say that.
"Was I too rough with you last night?" he guesses.
My cheeks burn. "No."
He lets out a frustrated sigh. "Then what's bothering you?"
Sighing, I flop back onto the pillows and stare at the ceiling. "You have this natural magnetic pull that attracts girls – you've been with so many. I've only ever been with one guy. I don't have a lot of experience compared to you. And, well...you still haven't said anything."
Silence settles between us, and I finally work up the courage to look at him. He's looking at me, the features of his face soft and his eyes filled with something I don't think I can just define as 'love' because it's so intense. "You have no idea what last night meant to me, do you?" he asks.
I gently shrug my shoulders.
"Everything," he whispers, pulling me close. "More than everything. Fuck, I can't explain it."
And just like that, my insecurities vanish into thin air.
"It was perfect," he continues. "I can't stop thinking about last night. Damn it. I want you again. I want you every night. You were amazing. And the way you made me feel? Better than perfect, Novs. So, don't you dare, for one second, think that I didn't enjoy it." He pauses and smirks at me. "The sounds you made, the way it felt to be inside – "
I gasp and clamp a hand down over his mouth. "Okay," I say quickly. "I understand the picture."
His eyes shine wickedly beneath the streaks of sunlight coming in through the window. "What about you?" he asks, tracing my collarbone in a teasing manner. His hand continues to move down until it's resting between my breasts. "Did I make you feel good?"
My breath catches when I see the look of vulnerability in his eyes. It never crossed my mind that he would be wondering the same thing I was; feel the same insecurities. He's not teasing me – he actually wants to know if last night was the same for me as it was for him.
"Yes, Warren," I whisper. "You...You can't even begin to understand how you made me feel."
And it's true. After spending so much time in mourning, I never thought I'd be able to love someone again. But he's proven me wrong on so many levels. Last night – what happened between us was beautiful.
Blushing, he looks down and smiles, tracing a pattern along my sternum.
My heart picks up – I made him blush!
After a moment of silence, Warren asks, "What do you want for breakfast?"
Deciding that the food can wait, I wrap my arms around him and pull him closer. Grinning like a fool, he evenly distributes his weight onto his forearms so he's hovering over me just like he was last night.
I run a hand through his hair. "Can we stay like this for a bit?" I ask. "Just you and me?"
He nods slowly, dipping his head down. "Whatever you want, baby."
Then he closes the limited space between our lips and kisses me so softly it almost hurts.