Page 61 of Carson

I walk straight over to her and cradle her face in my hands, kissing her with all the passion I’ve been holding back.

“Tell me you want me to make love to you, and I will show you just how much love I have to give.”

She looks at me with an awakened hunger in her eyes. “Make love to me, Carson.”

I pick her up in one smooth motion and climb with her onto the bed. I kiss her as I lay her in the center of it. “You’re so beautiful,” I whisper into her hair as I slowly slide my hands down her body.

Hesitantly, she reaches between us, wrapping her hand around me. I watch her face and realize this is harder for her than she’d like to admit. Her eyes are squeezed tightly closed, and tears are slipping from the corner of her eyes.

“Luna, look at me.”

She shakes her head in the negative.

I rise from the bed as sobs break free from between her lips. I put my robe back on and grab hers from the floor. Gently, I help her back into it.

Her hiccupping cries are killing me.

I slide into bed and pull her close. “It’s okay, Luna. It’s okay.”

She shivers a few times before relaxing against me.

“I thought I was ready,” she whispers, her words broken and barely audible.

“We just moved a little too fast. It’s okay to slow down. Do you want me to go?”

“Do you want to go?”

Her not answering my question doesn’t come from wanting to please me. It comes from a place of insecurity. I know she wants me to stay. “No,” I answer honestly.

“I want you to stay,” she says, curling her fingers into the front of my robe.

The next morning, I wake to her ordering breakfast from the phone on the bedside table. She smiles at me, and I instantly relax. I was worried that last night would linger into today.

“Pancakes,” I say, stretching my arms above my head.

She gives me a thumbs up.

When she puts the phone down, she points to the windows. “Isn’t it incredible?”

I can barely take my eyes away from her, but I somehow manage.

The world beyond is foggy and dreary, but here inside this room, the sun shines so fucking brightly it makes my head hurt.

“The view inside is more breathtaking,” I say, turning my attention back to her and placing my hand at the base of her throat. I pull us nose to nose. “Good morning.”

Her big dark eyes blink at me, and her lips part. “Good morning.”

I close my eyes and kiss her, exactly the way I did last night, holding nothing back.

“I’m sorry about …” She wrings her hands and I can tell she feels awkward about what happened. I don’t want that.

“Hey, there’s nothing to be sorry about.”

The lines around her eyes soften and she relaxes a bit.

After she fell asleep last night, I texted my uncle Jackson, explaining what happened. Normally, I would have talked to Cole. Anyway, he assured me I handled everything properly, but he also told me not to hold back.

Everyone has limits. Hers are no different. He told me to pay attention, listen to what she’s telling me, and let her set the pace.