“Oh no, I meant I hadn’t done either of them before.”

He drags me against his body. “You’re shaking.”

I let out an uneven breath. “I’m nervous.”

“Do you think I’m going to hurt you?”

“No.” Not the way he means. Not with his body. He has a massive amount of strength in those arms and abs and legs, but he would never use them against me. I trust him that much, but I know better than to trust him with my heart. Or do I?

He leans down to press a kiss to my forehead. “Then what?”

I’m nervous for a thousand reasons. It’s hard to distill it into words. “That I won’t be enough for you. You’ve been with models and actresses and—”

“God, Jane. Feel how much I want you.” Both of his hands grasp my ass. He pulls me hard against him, our bodies flush, his erection painfully thick.

The shock of it, the intimacy of it, makes me gasp. “Not Zoey?”

A rueful laugh. “I deserve that. Not Zoey.”

Not Emily? I don’t have the courage to ask that question.

He captures my mouth, one hand holding my jaw, the other still holding my ass. His lips are warm and soft and probing. It’s a question, this kiss. He’s asking whether I really want this. Whether I’m sure. And I love that he’s taking time to find out.

I answer with my own version of a kiss—mine demanding and certain.

He grunts in response.

The masculine sound of pleasure makes my thighs clench together.

“Do you have a condom?” Seven out of ten girls who age out of the foster care system will become pregnant before the age of twenty-one. I’m not going to let that happen, no matter how lost in him I get.

“Of course,” he says, walking me back toward the bed. His hands explore me beneath my sweater, and my nipples become hard. He tugs the thick fabric off me, and cool air breathes across my skin. I suck in a breath, nervous now that he’s seeing me fully naked.

His lids drop low. He looks at me with something like awe. He touches my breasts with reverence. There’s worship in every breath he takes.

He takes off my jeans next, pushing down my panties along with them. I’m naked when I step out of the bunched fabric. Naked, and he’s fully dressed. He drops his head and places kisses across my shoulder. His hand goes behind my back, lifting me up so he can suck my nipple. The warmth of his mouth makes me groan and buck my hips. It’s an invitation. He slides his hand down to my pussy. Two fingers make their way inside me.

“Oh God,” I whisper, tugging at his dark hair.