“Want…” I wasn’t sure precisely what, only that I needed in a way that I’d never needed before.

“Yes.” He didn’t seem to be in the same hurry as me, giving me another leisurely kiss.

“Help me out here,” I groaned when he let me up for air. “This is the part where I don’t know what comes next.”

“You, hopefully.” His grin was downright wicked, and I loved that he could somehow still tease while we were both so wound up.

“You first.” Now I knew exactly what I wanted. Sure, I wanted pleasure for myself, but more so for him. I wanted to see, to touch, to experience, and I wanted all of it for him.

“This?” He skated a hand across my waistband, then over my straining zipper.

“Uh-huh.” I repeated the gesture to him, loving how it made him groan low and soft. Our slower pace evaporated in a cloud of good and better and best sensations piling on each other as we explored and touched. Faster kisses now. More urgent hands. We shimmied out of our jeans, some silent agreement driving us on. Suggestions, then requests, then demands were whispered between us. He touched me and I touched him, and somewhere in between endless kisses, I discovered that I did know what to do after all.

“Need…” he panted against my lips.

“Anything.” Joy coursed through me because this I could give him, this I could do and apparently do well enough to have him groaning, eyes fluttering shut. Watching his face was like reading cue cards, learning what worked and getting instantly rewarded for my efforts.

“It’s too good.”

“No such thing.” I managed a laugh that ended on a moan as he did something new with his thumb.

“Gonna…”

“Me too.” My whole body shuddered as he claimed my mouth for another kiss, this one desperate and seeking.

“Yes.” Our groans mingled as our bodies tensed. The whole world burned bright, everything illuminated but also every detail reduced to simply this moment, this beautiful, bright second when together we were more than I’d ever been alone.

“Milo.” Eyes blinking open but still breathing hard, Jasper touched my face almost as if he were seeing it for the first time.

“I’m here.” My ability to make sense, however, was not. But what I wanted to say was that this was real, not imagination, and the fact that I was here seemed to be the single most startling thing in my whole life.

“We’re kind of a mess.” He gave a shaky laugh.

“Luckily, you like mess.” My grin was probably rather dorky, but I was too happy to care. “And it’s mainly on us, not your bedding or your nine hundred pillows.”

“Hey, don’t knock my pillows.” Still laughing, Jasper stretched, managing to retrieve a towel from his dresser without leaving the bed. “I like studying in bed. They keep me comfy.”