Page 91 of Talk to Me

Before Theo could agree, I took off, doing my best not to slip on the pathway. Theo, hollering and laughing, chased after me as the rain poured down upon us.

“Do you think this is going to be problem at some point?” Theo asked.

I was sitting at my desk in my dorm room a week later, Theo and I had once again had American Literature together, our usual coffee date, and then returned to the dorms. As I was getting my materials ready to start studying, Theo was changing the sheets on my bed. Since we’d both been sleeping in it together for a week, changing the sheets regularly was a good practice.

“A problem?” I said, not bothering to look at him.

Theo shook out the comforter and let it drape over the bed before he began putting the pillowcase on my pillow, and then moved onto the pillow he’d stolen from Collin’s abandoned bed.

“I mean, I’ve practically moved in here,” he said. “Your resident advisor—or roommate—might eventually say something.”

“Collin hasn’t been here in forever,” I said. “And Dusty barely pays attention to what goes on around here. I think we’re good.”

“Good,” Theo said as he sat down on the edge of the made bed. “Because I like staying down here with you.”

He grinned at me when I turned in my chair to look at him.

“You stay down here because your room smells like weed and dirty socks,” I said.

Theo leapt from the bed and darted across the room to me. He placed his hands on the arms of my desk chair and leaned down to put his face next to mine.

“I stay down here because of you,” he said, grinning at me.

Then he pressed his lips against mine, letting them linger there for a moment, a soft moan rolling up his throat. When he opened his eyes, he pulled back and grinned wider.

“It does smell nicer in here, though,” he said.

I pushed him away playfully.

“I knew it!” I exclaimed, spinning my chair back to my desk. “I’m being used for the cleanliness of my environment!”

Theo laughed and came to stand behind me, draping his arms around my neck and leaning down to place his chin on my shoulder.

“Do we have to get right into studying?” he asked. “You don’t always have to be so responsible, you know.”

“If we get all of our work done, we have the rest of the weekend to—”

“Lay on the bed and make out and put our hands in places that—”

Theo’s hand slid down from my neck, past my chest, to my stomach, heading to lower places. I quickly grabbed his arm by the wrist and lifted it back up to my neck with a laugh.

“Taking things slowly, remember?” I chuckled warmly, my cheeks flushing.

Theo laughed and kissed the side of my head.

Even though things had been awkward when we’d returned to my dorm after the night in the rain storm, Theo and I had ended up in my bed, half naked, kissing, and snuggling. I’d known immediately that boundaries and guidelines had to be set if we were going to embark on this new stage of our relationship. So, once things got too heated, I’d had to stop our activities to discuss with Theo how we should proceed. Though Theo seemed more certain that he was fine moving full steam ahead physically, I’d requested we take things slowly.

Kissing, hugging, holding hands, snuggling, a little light petting, I was definitely agreeable to physical intimacy to an extent. Everything else, however, would have to wait until we’d been actually dating for a little bit. Theo immediately agreed, though I knew he’d rather have gotten his own way. I didn’t blame him for his feelings. Sex feels good. Who doesn’t want to have sex?

Every relationship needs at least one person with a level head, though.

“Sorry,” Theo said. “I know. But you didn’t say tummies were off limits.”

“If I thought that hand was going to stop at my tummy, I wouldn’t have stopped you,” I said, spinning to face him, forcing him to back up a step. “But you and your hands possess the Devil’s mischief.”

Laughing, Theo knelt in front of me, folding his arms over my legs to look up at me. I was no fool—I knew the position he was putting himself in was to entice me, but I didn’t take the bait. Staring down at him, I said nothing.

“I’m really sorry,” he said. “But I can’t help myself around you. Now that I got you to admit you like me back, I just want to touch you.”