The V- in 403C - Jess Bryant Page 0,44

you. And I want more of what we did in the bathroom.”

“God, I want that too.” Reed leaned down and brushed their lips together softly.

“But…” Jonah’s words had Reed pulling back to stare down at him again.

“But?”

“But, you have to promise me that if you get bored of me or tired of waiting on me to catch up, that you tell me. I know you say you’ll like being my first in a lot of ways but I don’t think I can handle it if you’re also the first man to break my heart so you have to talk to me if things go sour. Okay?”

Reed stared down at him in utter awe. He couldn’t believe that they’d just had their first intimate moment, that they were laying together in bed for the first time, and Jonah was already thinking about the end. He’d given Reed so many chances to leave already and he had to know that no matter how many times he tried to push him out the door that Reed wasn’t going anywhere.

“I promise that if, at any time, I question my feelings for you or your feelings for me, that we will talk about it. But I’m not going anywhere Jonah and in case you haven’t figured it out yet, I’m not about to let you get away with running from me again. You say you don’t know what you’re doing sexually. Well, I don’t know how to be in a real relationship any more than you do so we’re both going to have to figure out how to make this work together. Okay?”

Jonah chewed his lip, “Okay.”

Reed leaned down and sealed their words with a kiss. Jonah had grown a little more confident of himself after their shower and he wrapped his arms around Reed and kissed him back. Neither of them broke away until they were panting for air and when their gazes met, they were both smiling.

Chapter Fifteen

Jonah was in the TA lounge a week later, making coffee, when his cell phone buzzed in his pocket. A smile immediately spread across his face and he dug in his pocket. He forgot all about the coffee brewing when he saw the message that was waiting for him.

His heart raced when he imagined Reed on the other end of the line. He was somewhere on campus, Jonah was sure. He was probably supposed to be paying attention in some other class but instead was bored and distracted. He had no doubt Reed would be smiling down at his phone, happy to know that he’d distracted Jonah from his own tasks too.

The last week had been one of the best of Jonah’s life.

Reed had been so patient and gentle and sweet with him. He had been true to his word. He hadn’t pushed Jonah to get physical and they hadn’t attempted to have sex yet. Not that they’d been keeping their hands to themselves either.

They’d spent nearly every night together and Reed had done things to him that Jonah hadn’t even known were possible. Reed always took it slow and made sure that Jonah was on board. He even described in vivid, dirty, delicious detail what he was going to do before he did it and though Jonah had never known that kind of thing would turn him on, it did.

It really, really did.

Then again everything about Reed turned him on. The mere sight of the man raised his libido. The smell of him made Jonah’s heart skip a beat. The feel of his hands on Jonah’s body made him weak in the knees.

He couldn’t figure out what it was about Reed that got to him. It was more than just how good looking he was, even if he was the most gorgeous man Jonah had ever met. He just… got… Jonah. Reed understood him in a way that nobody else ever had. Without Jonah saying a word, he could read him and know exactly what he couldn’t say, know what it was he needed.

Which was how he probably knew that Jonah had been second-guessing their fourth date in five days when he sent that message.

Reed has some sort of sixth sense that always told him when Jonah was too deep inside his head. He knew exactly how to dig in and reach him. He knew how to pull him out and ease him back into the real world.

Jonah smiled, thankful for the reminder that Reed was thinking about him. He punched out a quick reply