Concealed Hearts (Hometown Jasper #4) - Nicky James Page 0,38

in your absence.”

“I told John I was taking Sunday off. Unless shit hits the fan, I’m all yours.”

“Careful, Windsor. You give me too much control, I’ll run with it. Do you really want me to call all the shots?”

“At this point, one of us better or we’ll be sitting out here all night.” He dropped his feet to the ground and sat forward on his chair, leaving his half-empty beer on the table as he shifted to face me. The battle he was fighting was evident on his face, even in the dark. “Take the reins, Tomi. Help me out here.”

I couldn’t contain my amusement. “All right. Are you ready for bed? It is getting late.”

He nodded. It was clipped, filled with equal amounts of uncertainty and determination.

I placed my beer beside his and fought the ingrained urge to take them inside with me. I pointed at them and eyed Windsor. “For the record, this is hard for me. Acknowledge it.”

He glanced at the bottles and chuckled. “Are you leaving them there?”

“Yes. For a good reason.”

“What reason is that?”

“Because I get the feeling if I don’t take your hand and drag you inside, you might never find the courage to join me on your own.”

“I might. Just could take a while.”

“I don’t want to wait all night.” I held out my hand. An offer. “Come to bed with me?”

He blew out a staggered breath and took my hand, lacing our fingers together. His were warmer and bigger than mine, and I knew he was leeching my strength and counting on me to be the guide. “Lead the way.”

Chapter Nine

Windsor

I’d have been more than happy to spend all night exploring Tomi’s mouth and body without taking the plunge into more. The few tender kisses we’d shared had been indescribable. Baby steps back into a world I’d deprived myself of for many years. I would have preferred continuing on that slow explorative path, but the last thing I wanted was for Tomi to be disappointed.

I knew what he wanted. It wasn’t that I didn’t. It was that I had accumulated a lot of fears and self-doubt over the course of the day.

There was an expectation going into this relationship—if that was what we were calling it—and I wasn’t some virgin who didn’t know what they were getting into. Still, it had been a long time since I’d had sex with another man. An exceptionally long time. The closer we got to the bedroom, the more apprehensive I became.

Performance anxiety was a real thing. I wasn’t in my twenties anymore. Hell, I’d left my thirties behind five years ago. Jerking off in the privacy of my own bedroom was hardly a means of evaluating my body’s ability to function when necessary. Waves of worry had rolled through me more than once this evening. What if my body didn’t cooperate? What if my nerves interfered and I couldn’t get hard? What if this ended in disaster?

And, if I could perform, was I going to last more than ten seconds? My sex life had been on hiatus for so long, it was possible that once I got going, I’d be unable to control myself.

“I can hear you working yourself up from here.” Tomi turned toward me once we hit the bedroom, evaluating me in the dark.

Under all my worries, I found a spark of bravery and hid behind it, hoping he wouldn’t see the truth. “I’m fine.”

When he searched me for answers, I took his face in my hands again like I had when I’d first arrived. “If I’m nervous, it’s only because I’ve been anticipating this moment all day.” I brushed our lips together. “But if you think I’m going to rush it, you’re dead wrong. I wanna take my time getting to know you, Tomi. All of you.”

I couldn’t wait another moment, needing to taste him. Fusing our mouths together brought a moan up Tomi’s throat. He parted his lips, and I took the invitation to explore deeper. The lingering taste of beer and the sweet flavor that was Tomi was all the encouragement I needed.

When his fingers brushed the skin of my abdomen under my shirt, a ripple of pleasure traveled through my blood, centering in my groin. My reservations evaporated as my cock took an interest in what was happening.

His deft touches sent shivers cascading over my skin. I broke from Tomi’s mouth and got lost in his dark gaze. Tomi didn’t look away as he flattened his palms against my