Page 47 of First Down Promise

“Oh, nice.” I lightly laugh and put my hands on my thighs. “Want me to wear one, though? I was recently tested and everything came back clear, and I haven’t been with anyone,” I say. “Obviously,” I add under my breath.

“No, unless you want to.”

Fuck, she’s always so damn agreeable.

“I’m assuming since you brought up the pill, you don’t mind if I don’t?”

She nods. “Right.”

I line myself up with her and lean forward, supporting my weight with one arm and holding my shaft with the other. I shift my hips to press my head to her center without entering. She exhales a deep breath, and I drop my head to kiss her. She brings her arms up to my shoulders, and I press my head into her. She clenches, dropping her hands to my upper arms and grasping them tightly.

She breaks her lips from mine. “Wait, wait, wait,” she rambles. I pull my hips back since I promised we’d go slow.

“You okay?”

Abby covers her face with her hands. “Yeah, that was just a lot,” she mumbles. Shit, I don’t know how else to make this easier. She might have to bite the bullet.

“Hey, look at me,” I say. She lowers her hands to look me in the eye. “Do you want to stop?” I ask not to push her further than she’s comfortable with.

“No, please don’t. That was just…intense.” She’s breathless as she speaks.

My tumbler is closer, so I snatch it from the end table on my side of the bed. “Here. This should help.” She cranes her neck enough to take a long sip and hands it back. “Feel better?” I ask, setting it back on the table.

“Maybe. Josh, just do it. Get it over with.”

“Alright. It’s probably easier that way.” I lean down again, supporting my weight. “Take a deep breath.” I line myself up, dropping down over her to be face to face. “And release.” Just as my hips shift to enter her, I cover her lips with mine as I bury myself as deep as I can. Her cry is muffled by my mouth, and she shifts below me from her discomfort. In a brief, selfish second, I relish just how tight she is around me, but her body language is too clenched. It’s not fair how amazing she feels when she’s getting none of the pleasure. Maybe not tonight, but soon.

Abby turns her head to the side and releases a jagged breath. “Oh my God.”

I hold perfectly still, afraid that any micro-movement will cause her more discomfort. This probably was the best way, though, not to draw it out.

“You’re doing great, baby,” I say to calm her and help myself resist the urge to thrust. I know that if I do, I’ll just hurt her more. I thought she’d relax once she got accustomed to my size, but that hasn’t happened yet. I make the game-time decision to pull out and lie beside her.

“Come here,” I say, drawing her back into my arms.

“Why’d you pull out?”

“Because you weren’t enjoying it.”

“I was waiting for it to get easier,” she quietly adds and buries her face into my chest.

I smooth her hair with one hand and hold her against me with the other. “I know. It’s okay.”

“What about you? Doesn’t it hurt? Like blue balls?”

“Don’t worry about him. He’ll calm down, too,” I answer lightheartedly to break the tension, and it works when she lightly laughs.

“Okay.”

“Do you need anything? You’re welcome to stay over, by the way. I like you like this.” Her softness fits perfectly against my hard body.

“I like this, too.”

Chapter Eighteen

Abby

When I open my eyes the next morning, the room is filled with morning light. As I let my eyes adjust, I focus on Josh’s bedroom furniture. I run my hand over the fitted sheet on his side and frown that his side is empty. Wherever he is, he’s been up for a while, but that was the first night of hopefully many that I got to fall asleep in his arms. I reach over to the end table and glance at my phone. Almost eight. I set my phone face down and lie back against the pillows.