When I hesitated, he grabbed my wrist, pushing me atop the plush pile. I felt vulnerable again as Grayson Crowne towered over me. It didn’t help that he watched me like a lion.

“Take off your skirt,” he said, voice rough.

I slowly undid the zipper at my side, nerves blossoming into wild butterflies in my chest as he unbuttoned his shirt at the same time. I was stuck on the way he watched me. When we finished, his shirt hung open, betraying the most unfair glimpses of his rigid abs. Lickable abs.

Seconds ticked on, too long, marked by the waves and wind. Nerves clawed at my neck. I was naked in front of Grayson Crowne. Naked, and he was giving nothing away. No words, nothing but the tightness in his muscles and pinch in his eyes.

Then he fell to his knees—his knees.

“Fucking perfect,” he groaned, crawling up to my legs. I gasped at the sudden warmth of his lips, on the curve of my knee, my inner thigh. His hands dragged and gripped my flesh.

He just kept saying that over and over again—fucking perfect.

He raised his head, looking up at me from between my thighs. My heart rate stuttered and spazzed.

“You’ve waited so long…don’t you want it to be special?” I whispered. “I’m not going to be good.”

“We’re both virgins—it’s not supposed to be good, Story.” He kissed the inside of my groin, never taking his eyes from mine. “But it won’t be bad. It can’t be.”

My breath caught on the realization I was still lying. I should tell him. This was the time to tell him.

He climbed atop me, until his lips were so close I could see the gloss of our earlier kiss, and he said something that stole all my words.

“I never wanted to share this with anyone until you. It was always just another thing to dread, another piece of control I was going to have to give up, power that they would hold over the Grayson Crowne. But you? I don’t fucking care if you have it. I want you to have it. Take it. Own it.”

“But Lottie…How?” Abigail’s tear-stricken face was still too fresh in my mind.

“That’s tomorrow’s problem. I’m Grayson Crowne, Story. The world only turns because I allow it.” He pressed deep into me. I sucked in a breath at the hard pressure on my sensitive flesh. “Right now, I want to fuck you.”

“Don’t you need to like…” I licked my lips. “To get naked first?” I was stunningly aware of the disparity in our clothing situation. He was rock hard and pressing against me, but he still had pants on. Even his shirt was still on his arms.