This seemed to bring something out in me but stilled him. I peppered his face and neck with kisses.
“What’s wrong?” I asked him.
“This isn’t right,” he told me, but his body told me differently.
“It doesn’t feel wrong,” I told him, sucking on the lobe of his ear.
“January,” he moaned before sitting up and bringing me with him.
I continued to kiss him and he kissed me back. He wanted this but he was fighting me the entire way.
“January,” he said softly, kissing the side of my neck. “This secret I’ve yet to earn. It’s not right for me to learn you yet. Please,” he said, kissing my forehead, “I can’t do to you what I’ve done with the others. I owe you so much more than that. You’re worth so much more.”
A heated embarrassment painted my entire body. “I’m so sorry,” I said, wrapping the robe tighter around my torso, feeling so ashamed of myself.
Tom stood and adjusted his clothing before helping me to my feet. He brought me close to him and hugged me, kissing the top of my head. “Don’t be sorry,” he said, running his hands down my back. “There’s nothing to be sorry about. We’re just going to do this right, is all.” He eyed me with a slight smirk. “It’ll be hard as hell, but I’m determined.”
“Thank you,” I told him sincerely.
“No, thank you,” he said, kissing my temple.
I startled when someone knocked on my door.
“January?” I heard Grandma Betty say on the other side.
Tom panicked but I stifled laughter.
“Yes, Maimeó?”
“Are you in there alone with a boy?” she asked.
“Yes, Maimeó, but we’re behaving,” I told her truthfully, running my hand along the side of Tom’s face, he buried it in my hand and kissed my palm.
“All the same, young lady...out.”
This time we both laughed. “Yes, Maimeó.”
“Also, there’s ’bout fifteen people sittin’ out on our front lawn. Would you know anythin’ about that?”