“Please,” he adds. “Can’t we just go somewhere and talk?”
“You’re staying with us anyway,” Easton pipes up, “so you guys might as well call a truce before the slumber party begins.”
I turn to Val in surprise. “You’re not rooming with me?”
A flicker of humor shines through her cloudy expression. “Didn’t I tell you? Reed and I reached an agreement. I agreed to bunk with Easton.”
I glance from Reed to Val in suspicion. When did they decide that?
Val’s humor fades and the clouds take over again. “But I didn’t agree to bunk with him.”
Wade looks hurt again. “Val…”
“Wade,” she mimics.
Easton heaves a huge sigh. “Okay, I’m tired of this lovers’ quarrel. I’m going to hit the hotel bar while you two figure this shit out.” He grins at Val. “And if you figure out that you guys want to be alone tonight, text me and I’ll get my own room.”
With that, he saunters inside, leaving the four of us in the parking lot.
“Val?” I prompt.
She hesitates for a long, long time. Then she groans. “Oh fine. I’ll talk to him.” She says it to me rather than Wade, whose whole face lights up at her words. “I need to come up and grab my bag, though.”
We climb up to the third floor, where I swipe the keycard to open the door. As Val ducks inside to get her backpack, Reed and I linger in the doorway with Wade, who decides to offer me his unsolicited advice.
“Make sure my man doesn’t skimp on the foreplay. That’s important. Warms that virginal body of yours right up.”
I whirl toward Reed. “You told him I was a virgin?!”
Wade answers for him. “Nah, East did.”
Frickin’ Easton. That boy can never keep his mouth shut.
“Also,” Wade adds solemnly, “don’t freak if you don’t have an orgasm the first time. You’re gonna be all tense and nervous. Besides, Reed won’t last more than twenty seconds—”
“Wade,” Reed says in exasperation.
“Leave them alone,” Val snaps, slinging her backpack over her shoulder. “You should be worrying about your own technique. From what I saw in that supply closet at school, you need a lot of work.”
He slaps a hand to his heart as if she shot an arrow into it. “How dare you, Carrington. I’m a modern-day Romeo.”
“Romeo dies,” she says tersely.
I fight a smile as the two of them disappear back toward the stairwell. Wade has his work cut out for him, that’s for sure. Val is clearly not going to make this easy for him.
Reed and I exchange a grin and enter the hotel room, where he sits on the bed and gestures for me to join him.
Nerves flutter in my tummy. “Um…” I swallow hard and then clear my throat. “Give me a second?”
I dash into the bathroom before he can answer. The moment I’m alone, I stare at my reflection in the mirror, noting the deep blush on my cheeks. I feel stupid. I mean, Reed and I have fooled around before. I shouldn’t be nervous, but I am.
Breathing deeply, I reach for the gift bag I stashed under the sink and spend an excessive amount of time getting ready. Smoothing out my hair. Fixing the bra straps so they’re not crooked but perfectly parallel. I glance in the mirror again and can’t deny I look hot.
Reed agrees, because the second I step out of the bathroom, he groans, “Holy fuck, baby.”
“Thought I’d change into something a little less comfortable,” I say in a wry voice.
He wheezes out a laugh. He took off his shirt when I was in the bathroom, and now he rises to his feet, bare-chested and utterly gorgeous.
“You like?” I ask shyly.
“I more than like.”
He advances on me like a hungry animal, blue eyes raking over my body until every inch of me feels hot and achy. He comes closer, and he’s so much taller than me, so much bigger. Strong arms pull me in. His lips find my neck and he kisses me there.
“FYI?” he murmurs against my heated flesh. “You don’t need to dress up for me. You’re beautiful no matter what you wear.” He lifts his head and gives me a wicked smile. “You’re even more beautiful when you’re wearing nothing at all.”
“Don’t ruin this,” I scold. “I’m too nervous. I need to feel pretty.”
“You are pretty. And there’s no reason to be nervous. We don’t have to do anything you don’t want to.”
“Are you backing out?”
“No way.” He drags his hand down my side to settle at my waist. “Nothing or no one could drag me away at this point.”
I want this so badly I can hardly breathe. I never gave much thought to my first time. I never fantasized about rose petals and candles. I never even thought it would be with someone I loved, if I’m being honest.
“Good, because I don’t want to wait another minute,” I tell him.
“Lie down.” His voice is husky as he nudges me toward the bed.
Without a word, I stretch out on my back with my head on the pillows.