Kyler hovered over me, supporting his weight on a hand planted beside my head. His body wasn’t touching mine and he still was half-dressed, but I knew where this was heading. It was what I wanted—had wanted for so long—but I had such little experience in this and I couldn’t bear it if Kyler discovered I was as frigid as Nate had claimed.

And to think Kyler would’ve ended up with a broken nose for nothing.

“Hey,” he said, touching my cheek gently. “You there?”

I nodded.

Kyler stared at me intently. “We don’t have to do anything, Syd. We can stop right here if that’s what you want.”

Cursing myself for being such an idiot, I swallowed. “No. No, I don’t want to stop.”

He moved his hand to my shoulder and my body jerked at the contact. His gaze lifted and he didn’t say anything. Instead, he brought his mouth to mine. The kiss was slow and gentle and it kept going until the tightness seeped out of the muscles in my arms, and then my legs. A different kind of tension built again, turning my blood into molten lava. My hand shook as I placed it on the hard slab of muscle of his stomach.

“That’s good,” he said huskily. “I like when you touch me.”

And I liked touching him. Exploring the dips and rises of his muscles, I marveled at how smooth and tight his skin was.

Running did a body good.

I ran my hands up his chest and over his broad shoulders. His muscles flexed under my touch. His weight came down on me, inch by torturous inch, until my legs tangled with his. The material of his jeans against my bare skin brought forth a sweet rush. My hips tilted up, and he groaned in a way that made me yearn for more. His lower body pressed down against mine, and I could feel him.

Kyler’s lips left mine and before I could mourn their loss they were on my throat, trailing a heated path to my chest. He took his time there, his hands and mouth leaving me breathless. I moved against him, my fingers digging into his back. And then he went further south, his lips making their way down my stomach, around my belly button, and then on to the flare of my hip.

“Starting to understand yet?” he asked, grinning as he slid a hand under my hip, lifting me slightly.

“I…I think so,” I said, watching the shadows dancing over his face. A chill spread along my skin as his lashes lowered. With one hand, he gently spread my legs. I fought the urge to close them as he made the sexiest sound ever known to man.

“I have to do this,” he said, and I knew what he meant. His eyes flicked up, seeking permission. “I really have to do this, baby.”