We got inside and I flipped the lights on, shut the door behind us, and pulled him into my arms. “I had a great night. Your friends are funny as hell. I can see why you like Angus.”

“He’s one of a kind, that’s for sure.”

“Can I get you a drink or take your coat?”

He shook his head. “No. You could kiss me though.”

I laughed and cupped his face before bringing our lips together. It was soft and warm and tender, and it made my knees weak. Eventually I pulled away, smiling at the dazed look on his face. “We could move to the couch? I have a lot of Deep Space Nine episodes to catch up on. Maybe we could make out some more? Hold hands? Cuddle?”

He nodded, so I took his hand and led him to the couch. One episode later, we were lying down—me on my side, Jordan at my front—but he seemed distracted. “You okay?” I asked.

He nodded but scooted up so our faces were close, and this time he kissed me. I let him lead and set the pace, but we pressed together and it was suddenly very intimate. He deepened the kiss, and as soon as our lips met, there was a hint of tongue, and he pulled me closer against him, tangling his tongue with mine and moaning into my mouth.

His reaction surprised me. It wasn’t entirely unwelcome. We both liked to kiss, that much had been established, but I think his reaction surprised him even more. He pulled back and there was fear in his eyes. He put his hand to his lips. “Oh God, I’m sorry.” He swallowed hard and scrambled off the couch to get to his feet. He looked around the room, scared as hell, before taking a step back. “Um, I don’t know where that came from.”

He looked about two seconds from bolting out the door. “Jordan,” I said softly, sitting up. “Don’t apologise for kissing me like that. You can kiss me like that any time you like.”

He squinted his eyes shut before scrubbing his hand over his face. “Maybe I should go,” he said. “I… I need to go.”

I stood up, confused by his reaction, but before I could reply, my phone buzzed in my pocket with an incoming call. I ignored it. “Why? Did I do something wrong?” I asked him. I wanted to reach out and touch his arm but didn’t want to startle him even more.

“No, no,” he answered quickly. “It’s just, I um…”

“You weren’t prepared for your own reaction to kissing me like that?” I prompted.

He barked out a laugh and shifted his weight on his feet, a little panicky. “Something like that.”