I knew that not everyone would be so relaxed about it, but I couldn’t help wondering what Preston would think. I had a hazy memory of telling Lane not to tell Preston I was a virgin. Right in front of Preston. Drunk Casey didn’t have any brains whatsoever.
I just wished I could remember Preston’s response.
Had that part of the conversation just been in my own head?
I wasn’t that lucky.
Had I actually been quiet?
No. Drunk Casey was evidently quite loud.
I started pacing around the house again, wishing the space was bigger. The two-bedroom bungalow was cute and in a great neighborhood, but it was severely lacking in space. I’d gotten a good deal on it, and it was in a perfect area if I wanted to have clients come over to the house; it just wasn’t good for walking off nervous energy.
As I made my thousandth loop around the living room and open kitchen, I sighed and went to check the phone again. Time.
I took a deep breath and had to stop myself from walking toward the front of the house. I was not going to be the pathetically eager kid who was waiting for his first boyfriend on the porch. I was a grown-up. I knew what I wanted, and I wasn’t going to look silly or stupid. I was going to look cool—
The doorbell rang, making me jump and squeal.
“Shit.” Had he heard?
I forced myself to take another deep breath before I walked toward the door. I would have loved to have been calm and relaxed when I opened it, but by the way Preston grinned, I had a feeling I looked frazzled and a bit insane.
“Hi.” I awkwardly stepped back and tried to smile.
He stepped through the door, carrying the bag of Chinese food, and gave me a kiss on the forehead as he walked by me. “I am happy to report it was you and not Lane who knew where your house was located.”
I laughed. Closing the door and locking it, I shook my head. “Well, that’s something, at least.”
The open plan made it obvious where he should head, so Preston walked right over and set the food down on the table before leaning back against the table and smiling at me. “Would it be too forward to ask my boyfriend for a real kiss?”
I groaned and felt a blush spreading over my cheeks. “I’m going to hear about that forever, aren’t I?”
He chuckled as I stepped closer. “Oh yes, I might even frame that text message and hang it on the wall.”
I sighed as I closed the final inches between us and rested my head against his shoulder. “Yes, you can ask your boyfriend for a real kiss.”
His arms wrapped around me as he leaned down and sweetly kissed me, and that time when I sighed, it was because the moment was so perfect. He started running one hand up and down my back. “I was a bit worried that after having a few days to think about it, you’d be too embarrassed to do anything with me tonight.”
I chuckled. “I’ve had my moments. But when I went out to lunch with Lane yesterday, I realized he didn’t think any differently about me than he had on Monday beforethe disastrous drink incident.”
Preston laughed. “Why does that sound like it should have air quotes around it?”
That made me smile. “Because it should.”
I felt another kiss being pressed to my head. “I’m glad lunch with Lane went well. According to Eli, Lane was worried that you’d be upset with him.”
I shrugged. “No one could have predicted how much alcohol would be in those drinks.”
Preston chuckled. “Eli, on the other hand, is still…let’s say concerned that you’re mad at him.”
I pulled back enough to stare up at Preston. “Why? He texted me and I thought we were good.”
“Evidently, he feels responsible for basically dragging you out of the kink closet, as he called it.” Preston’s hand kept up the slow caress, and I couldn’t help leaning into his touch.
“It wasn’t on purpose.” I shrugged again. “And it wasn’t like I was that far in. I was like one foot in the closet and one foot out.”
“So you were doing the kinky hokey-pokey?” Preston smiled too widely at his own joke and that just made me laugh harder.
