Page 40 of Markets & Mooncakes

"Promise?" he asks.

"Of course." I shift in the bed, feeling both nervous and excited as I move closer to him. "You should tell me if I do something wrong."

I lean in and brush my lips against his, kissing him firmly and giving in to the feeling that I should deepen it. He responds, pulling me closer and running his hand over my back. His touch is nice, even through the fabric of my nightdress. I put my hand on his chest, feeling the rapid beating of his heart. I smooth it down, wishing I could feel his skin against my palm, rather than the shirt he's wearing.

"Can you take it off?" I whisper against his lips.

"What?" he murmurs.

"Your shirt."

"Oh. If you want me to."

"Yes. Please." I sit back so that he can have the space that he needs to pull it off.

"Better?" he asks as he settles back on the bed. I reach out to touch his chest, feeling the smooth, warm skin that's no longer hidden beneath his shirt.

"Yes."

He chuckles. "All right, then no shirt it is."

"It's very good." I lean in and kiss him again, moving my hand lower over his stomach. He tenses, but then relaxes almost immediately, only to repeat when I get to his waistband. "Do you want me to stop?" I whisper.

"No. It's just a long time since anyone's touched me like this," he admits. "And it's you. Somehow, that's even more intense."

"Oh. Well, then, I can..." I find the ties and tug them open, not taking my gaze off where his face is. I can't make out much in the darkness, just that he's close and that his breathing is coming short and fast.

I wrap my hands around his hard length, hearing his breathing hitch in response. Slowly, I start to move my hand.

A groan slips from Nate's lips, and an unfamiliar sensation settles deep in my stomach in response. I'm not sure what it is, but it makes me want to hear more of those noises from him. I keep the same rhythm, counting in my mind to make sure that I keep the same pace, especially when it seems that he likes it.

"Evie," he murmurs. "I'm going to..."

There's no time for his words to register before he finds his release, and warmth covers my hand while he lets out a loud groan.

He's breathing heavily as he lies back in the bed. "Do you have a cloth?"

The question takes me a little by surprise. "Oh, erm, there should be one on my dresser by the fire," I say.

He pulls away from me and gets out of the bed, leaving me a little disappointed by the new space between us.

His shadow moves across to where I sent him and he rummages around on top of the dresser until he finds the cloth. He comes back a moment later and uses it to clean my hand. "I'm sorry, it hasn't happened that fast in a long time," he admits.

"Why do you need to be sorry about that?" I ask him.

He lets out a small laugh. "That's fair. I don't know. Are you feeling all right?"

"Yes. I liked your responses."

"That's good." His voice sounds a little strange.

"Are you all right?" I echo back. "If you didn't like it..."

"I definitely liked it." He takes my hand in his and lifts it to his lips, kissing the back of it and soothing any of my doubts about the idea that he might not have enjoyed himself.

"Good," I say softly.

"Do you want me to touch you?" he asks slowly, as if deciding whether that's what he wants to say.