Chapter 111

Lucas's lips were soft and warm as they melded against mine.

But the kiss was over before I even had time to understand what was happening—Before I had a second to properly enjoy it.

Lucas pulled himself back a few inches, keeping his head dipped and looking down at me through his lashes.

I didn't let myself hesitate or question myself before pulling his face back to mine. My fingers gripped the collar of his shirt as I let our lips touch again. This time, I had a bit more control of the kiss.

For a second, I think Lucas was stunned by my response to his kiss. But soon enough, he wrapped his arms around my waist and held me close to him.

It was cold outside, but Lucas's body was keeping me warm. Mixed with the feel of hips lips on mine, I almost melted in his arms.

His first kiss was sweet and gentle, but this second kiss was more curious and excited. One of Lucas's hands came to cradle the back of my head, and I tilted my neck to allow him more access.

With every press and pull of his lips, my stomach flipped. The butterflies made me feel giddy, and I couldn't stop the smile that took over my face while Lucas kissed me.

"What are you smiling about?" Lucas asked as his lips continued to move against mine. I felt his own mouth twitch into a smile.

"Nothing," I breathed, kissing him back.

My smile turned into a full-on laugh, and I had to remove myself from the kiss. "I'm sorry."

"Don't be sorry," Lucas laughed with me.

My eyes eagerly scanned over his face, and I noticed how swollen his lips were. I wondered if mine looked the same.

"That was nice," I commented, not knowing what else to say. "Unexpected."

"The best things in life are unexpected," Lucas shot back, his eyes examining me. "You have no idea how long I've been waiting to do that."

"Took you long enough," I teased playfully.

Lucas smiled. "I know. I was too scared to make a move. James was starting to make fun of me."

"James?" I asked. "He knew you..."

"Are you asking if he knew that I liked you? Yeah," Lucas said. "I think he had a suspicion for a while now, but recently, he's been teasing me more about it."

"He's been teasing me for weeks about it too," I admitted.

Lucas raised an eyebrow in question. "Teasing you about having feelings for me?"

"Yeah," I said with a laugh. "I think we should turn the tables on him and tease him for not telling Victoria that he likes her."

Lucas's laugh was deep. "You're right. I think he's too afraid to admit it to himself, but it's so obvious they like each other."

"Sooo obvious," I exaggerated the word. "They're worse than us."

"You think so?" Lucas took a step closer to me. He reached his hand out to brush my hair behind my shoulder and a shiver went down my spine.

"They're both too stubborn to ever admit how they really feel," I said. "I think it'll be a long time before one of them finally breaks."

"It took us a long time too," Lucas noted.

"James and Victoria are different."

"Hm, I guess you're not wrong there." Lucas nodded. "But I'm so down to start tormenting James about it if you are."

I put out my hand, implying that Lucas shakes my hand. He clasped his large hand over mine and I noticed how rough it felt.

"Deal," I grinned.

"Should we seal it with a kiss?"

I rolled my eyes, pushing him away from me. He started to laugh, "Hey, you can't blame a man for trying."

"A boy!" I teased. "You're a boy."

The two of us decided to head in for the night since it was already pretty late. It was finally time to face my fears and confront the single bed.

But as I got under the covers and Lucas settled into the spot beside me, my worries faded away. Lucas scooted toward me and threw an arm over my waist, drawing me closer to him.

"Is this okay?" he asked, and I felt his breath tickle the back of my neck.

I snuggled into him, closing my eyes. "This is perfect."

And it really was. This whole one-bed situation wasn't so bad after all. If anything, it actually felt kind of nice.

Lucas's heartbeat was steady as I felt it thump behind me.

I appreciated that he was being so gentle with me when this was something I was so unfamiliar with.

I found myself feeling grateful that out of all people I could be in a situation like this with, it was him.

Most guys would probably try to throw themselves at me at the opportunity of something more happening. But Lucas wasn't doing any of that.

He was respecting my boundaries and allowing me to feel comfortable.

"Lucas?" The question was quiet as it came out of my mouth.

I wasn't sure why I had called his name. I wasn't exactly sure what I was going to say. I just knew that I was starting to have second thoughts about how we should end the night.

I felt ready, and it felt right.

I didn't want to hold back anymore. I've waited so long for this.

"Mhm?" He mumbled back, snuggling his face into the crook of my neck.

I felt my breath hitch in my throat. Something in the pit of my stomach warmed at his closeness. It was like I was experiencing butterflies, but more intense.

Instantly, I knew what that feeling meant.

I'd never been intimate with someone before. It was completely foreign to me, but now, as I laid down with my back pressed against Lucas, I couldn't help but let the heat take over.

I hadn't expected anything to happen between us, and Lucas had said himself that he didn't want anything from me tonight... but maybe I had changed my mind.

This whole night had been so perfect, I couldn't think of another night like this happening again.

It was a night of a lot of firsts, and I was willing to give Lucas my biggest one... My virginity.

Instead of saying anything, I allowed my hand to trail down the arm he had around my waist. I put my hand over his and guided it upwards, toward my chest.

I felt Lucas stiffen behind me as he carefully anticipated my next move.

"Shana, what are you—"

"Shhh," I silenced him, letting his hand come into contact with my breast over my thin shirt.

His heart rate increased behind me as he let out a long, shuddering exhale.

"We don't have to do anything," Lucas said in a strained voice.

"What if I want to?" I asked him, my hand not leaving his. "What if I want this. What if I want you."

"Oh my God, Shana," Lucas said in another challenging breath. "You have no idea what you're doing to me right now."

I slightly shifted my backside against him, and whispered, "Tell me."