He nodded. “Yes, I think so.”

“And I can call you my boyfriend?” A goofy smile spread across my face.

His brow rose, but his eyes smiled. “I’m hardly a boy.”

Oh, baby, don’t I know it.

“And I don’t have to wear my jammies to bed anymore?” I asked innocently.

He stilled, feigning disinterest. “Not if you don’t want to.”

I sighed in relief. “Thank God.” I went over to the dresser, brought out a white tank top, slid it over my head, and then went about removing my bra, pulling it through my armhole. How great did it feel to take off your bra? “Ugh. Freedom.”

Lev locked the bedroom door and we slid into bed, leaving the lamp by my side of the bed on. I turned to look at him, resting my head on my hand. “How’s your head?”

He sat up in bed, his broad back against the headboard. “Better. The massage took the bite out of it. Thank you.”

“My mom used to do that for me whenever I had a headache. It always worked.” I smiled, moving to kneel on the bed, shuffling closer to him. “And now that you’re better…” I lifted my leg and maneuvered myself to straddle his thighs. His hands gripped my hips tightly. “I would like another shot at that first kiss, if you please,” I requested, my hands resting on his wide shoulders as I lowered my face to his.

He kissed my smile until it melted away and all that was left was raw hunger. I moaned low in my throat when the hands at my hips coaxed me down to sit on his thick erection. His stubble scratched lightly while his full lips soothed the burn with kisses that rocked the foundation of my world.

Unconsciously, my hips began a dance on their own, grinding my panty-covered sex over his rigid length. He groaned into my mouth, and I panted into his. It wasn’t long before he used his hands to guide me in a slow rhythm that had my panties in a knot.

I wanted to play.

I breathed into his mouth. “Take off your boxers.”

The hands at my hips stilled and he pulled back to look at me. “Wait.”

“No!” I was sexually frustrated. I needed his cock inside me now! “No, I’m tired of waiting. I’ve wanted this for weeks.” I kissed him, pushing my chest into his. “I’m not waiting anymore, Lev. Now.”

He kissed me back with all he had then pecked my lips. “I’m sorry to put a kink in your plans, but…” His brow rose. “Don’t you have your period?”

“Oh.” Well that freaking sucked. I buried my face into the space where shoulder meets neck and I mock sobbed. “No.”

He ran his hands down my back tenderly. “We can wait.”

I lifted my face and shot him a look of disbelief. “For a week? A whole week?”

He kissed my nose. “I would wait ten years if you asked me, Mina.” His eyes softened. “I feel like I’ve waited my whole life for you. A week is nothing in comparison.”

Shit.

I was going to cry. For real.

My throat thick, I whispered, “Shit.”

His expression turned panicked at the sight of my wet lashes. “I’m sorry. I told you I’m not good with words.”

Wrapping my arms around his neck, I pressed my lips to his and spoke against them, “You are perfect, Lev. Your words are honest and colored beautifully. You make me feel things I thought were lost to me. And I’m in danger of losing my heart to you.”

I didn’t add ‘and that scares the bejeezus out of me’.

He squeezed my hips with his big hands. “One day at a time.”

I nodded. He was right. One day at a time.

Reaching across the bed, I turned off the lamp and lay in the center of the bed, waiting for Lev to take his place behind me. He fitted my body to his, spooning me sweetly, but the erection in the center of my back was hot and bothered. I could feel its anger.

In the dark, I whispered, “Want me to take care of that bad boy for you?”

The arm he had around me tightened and he repeated his previous words, “One week, Mina.”

One week, indeed. One week of hell.

“Okay,” I spoke quietly. “Night, Lev.”

He moved my hair and kissed the base of my neck. “Goodnight, mouse.”

I needed a glass of water. My mouth was drier than the Sahara.

On nights like this, I could walk all the way down to the kitchen in the middle of the night, or I could go into the en suite, run the faucet, and stick my mouth under it.

I chose the easy option, obviously.

Flinging back the covers, I slid out of bed, shuffled over to the en suite, and noticed a little too late that the light inside was already on.

I opened the door carelessly, unaware that I was about to walk in on something private. Very private.

My sleepy eyes widened and my lips parted as I took in Lev, leaning against the vanity, boxers off, his head thrown back in bliss as he tugged on his thick cock with a firm hand.

And what a cock it was.

A small squeak escaped me.

Lev’s eyes snapped to me, but I couldn’t take my eyes off his furious erection. It was long, and thick, and it looked as though Lev had manscaped. I was petite. I stood there a moment wondering how on earth it was going to fit inside me. Clearly, we’d have to take it slow.

“That looks painful,” I mumbled sleepily, my hand still on the handle. It took a moment before I realized this was not a dream, regardless of how hot it was. I gasped, covering my face with a hand. “Shoot, I’m sorry! I didn’t know anyone was in here. I’ll…” I slipped back out and closed the door behind me. “I’ll leave you to it.”

I rushed back into bed, but my body was hot and bothered. I couldn’t cover myself.

Five or so minutes passed, and finally, Lev came out of the bathroom. He slid into bed and we lay in a long silence.

My cheeks flamed. It couldn’t be avoided. We needed to talk about it or it would become ‘that awkward incident that shall never be named’. “I’m sorry.”

He reached out and took my hand in his. “It’s okay.”

“Did…” Don’t ask. Don’t ask. Don’t ask! “Did you finish?”

He ran his thumb over my palm, hesitation clear. “Uh, no.”

My stomach coiled in distress.

He didn’t finish, and it was all my fault. I gave him stage fright. I was the reason he couldn’t take care of business.

I sat up and scooched over to him. Feeling around, I found his jaw and cupped his face between my hands, lowering my face to press slow, wet kisses onto his mouth.

He growled. “Mina, that’s not really helping, baby.”

Baby.

My heart sighed dreamily.

He called me baby.

I shushed him and kissed him deeper. “Let me help you.” Without waiting for his opinion on the matter, I turned to face his feet and straddled him, sitting on his stomach, my legs open and out on either side of his.

His voice hoarse, he croaked, “You don’t need to. It’s okay”

God, he wanted it so bad. I could hear it in his tone. He was just playing it cool. I understood need. I spoke huskily, “I’ve been dying to touch you, Lev, and now that I’ve seen it, I don’t think I can keep my hands off you.”

That was the truth.

Running my hands down his thighs, I brought them back up slowly in a light massage. I did this over and over again until I heard Lev sigh in pleasure. I slid my hands up to either side of his length and held them there. With delicate care, my fingertips grazed the elastic of his boxers before slipping leisurely inside. The moment I came into contact with his hot, hard tool, Lev let out a long groan, and I wrapped the fingers of both my hands around it. It didn’t surprise me that the fingers of both hands weren’t able to meet. My hands were small, and he was big.

I let go of him a second to slide my thumbs under the waistband of his boxers and, thankfully, he took the hint, lifting his hips, allowing me to push them down to his knees. I quickly took him in my hands once more, worked him slowly in an up-down motion, and asked, “Lotion?”

“Don’t have any,” he rasped.