Page 87 of Tony

“Say yes. Or say no.” He shrugs. “Or say nothing.”

We stare at each other for a moment. And then he turns and leads me around the stairs to another flight of steps I didn’t even realize existed.

I guess I knew there was a third floor. I can see the windows from outside. But it never occurred to me that he lived up here.

He doesn’t stop at the door. Just pushes it open and I follow him into the darkness.

He lets go of my hand and for a moment I feel adrift in the blackness. Then a small light clicks on in the corner and the room appears before me.

Never mind the room. Vann appears before me.

I catch him in the act of taking off his shirt. He lifts it over his head and I find his eyes locked on mine as he drops it to the floor where his leather jacket already lies in a heap.

His fingers drop to his belt and before I can even make sense of the fact that things have started, he’s got it undone. He pauses here just for a moment to search my eyes. Maybe looking for hints that I want him to stop. That I might turn around and walk out.

But I don’t. I unzip my jacket and let it slip down my arms. Starting my own heap of clothing at my feet.

He grins and his blue eyes shine with mischief. “Yes?” he says.

“Yeah,” I reply.

He shoots me a lopsided grin. “You’re sure? Because once you get a taste of this”—he pans his hand down his body—“I’m gonna ruin you for other men.”

I grin back at him. Allow his joking to ease my anxiety. “I’ll take my chances.”

And then he’s across the room, his hands on my hips, tugging on my belt loops and pulling me over to his bed. He sits down on the mattress and slides his hands around to my ass, giving each cheek a squeeze as his teeth drag my shirt up, exposing the bare skin of my stomach. He kisses me, tugging me towards him, and an ache begins to build between my legs.

My hands drop to his head as I close my eyes and let the warmth of his breath wash over me. I grip his hair and he lets go of my ass and pops the button on my jeans, tugging them down enough to expose the top of my hip bones.

Then he stops and I open my eyes to find him looking up at me. Not smiling. No readable expression at all. Just… staring at me.

I get it though. And my hands drop down to his and I help him by sliding my pants down a little further.

His thumbs push my shirt up and I reach for it, tugging it over my head. I throw it to the side and stand there in front of him in my bra. He reaches for my breasts, squeezing them through the lace.

Then he’s kissing his way up my stomach and I feel my knees become weak and the muscles in my legs tremble with anticipation.

I bite my lip, trying to picture what comes next, and then pushing any and all expectations out of my mind so I can just relish what’s happening.

I don’t know how we got here. But I’m suddenly glad we’ve finally arrived.

This is our night.

And just as I think that his thumb is playing with my pussy through my jeans.

The building ache instantly changes to an insistent tingle. And then his kisses drop down again until I can feel his lips through the very top of my silky panties.

My hands find their way to the curve of his hard shoulders and my eyes follow my fingertips. Taking notice of the thick, dark double X’s inked there. There is a circle of words around each double X. He has this design on the top of both shoulders and I’ve seen them hundreds of times, but have never been close enough to read the intricate calligraphy.

I bend down a little to see it better.

“What are you doing?”

“I’m trying to read the circle words.” He grins at me when my eyes slide to the left. “The letters are really small and these giant X’s never made sense to me. What are they?”

“Well.” He sighs. Then turns his head to look down at his shoulder. “They mark the spot. Like a treasure map. X is also number ten. So two of them are double. It’s the unknown number in an equation and they signify a cross in religion. But mine are just kisses.”

I smile and then giggle. “Like XOXO. That’s it? Kisses?”