Page 41 of Axe-Rated Lumberjack

For a while, we talked about the evening and laughed over the haunted-house actors. She was still amused that I’d jumped at one of the sound effects, and I suspected she’d be reminding me of it for quite some time.

Eventually, she leaned toward me and kissed me again.

I drew her gently into my arms, enjoying the way she settled against me. Her hands moved over my shoulders, and she seemed increasingly comfortable deciding when she wanted another kiss.

Then she eased back, her expression becoming thoughtful.

“Hudson, there’s something I want to tell you before we go any further.”

I shifted so I could see her face.

“I’m listening.”

She took a breath.

“I’m a virgin. I thought you should know.”

I hadn’t expected that, although it didn’t change how much I wanted her.

“Thank you for telling me.”

She studied my expression, then gave a small, nervous laugh.

“That’s considerably less dramatic than I’d imagined. I suppose I expected some sort of astonished reaction.”

I smiled and brushed a strand of hair away from her cheek.

“Peyton, I’m not astonished. You’ve got your own reasons for the choices you’ve made, and I respect that. If you want to tell me more, I’d be happy to listen, but you don’t owe me an explanation.”

Her expression softened.

“I know. I just don’t want you thinking I’ve been waiting for some perfect fantasy. I haven’t. I’ve simply never met a man I wanted who also wanted me and made me feel comfortable enough to take that step.”

She looked down at our joined hands before continuing.

“I know plenty about sex in theory, obviously. My work makes it rather difficult to remain uninformed. But knowing how to narrate an intimate scene isn’t the same as having experience with another person, and I don’t want to pretend otherwise.”

“Then we won’t pretend. We can take our time, and you can tell me what you like and what you don’t. There’s no reason to rush anything, and you can change your mind whenever you want.”

Peyton looked up at me, her eyes bright.

“That’s exactly what I needed to hear. I’m nervous, but I’m not having doubts about you. I want to be with you tonight because I like you, and because I trust you.”

I kissed her forehead.

“I’m glad you told me. And for what it’s worth, I like you a hell of a lot too.”

She smiled and moved closer, resting her hand against my chest.

“There’s one more thing we should discuss before we get carried away. Protection.”

Peyton rubbed her thumb over my knuckles. “I use hormonal birth control to manage my periods,” she said. “It works as contraception, but I know it doesn’t protect against infections.” Since she’d never had a partner, there was nothing for her to be tested for.

“I was tested after my last relationship,” I told her. “My results were negative, and I haven’t been with anyone since.”

“I want to have sex without a condom,” she said. “Now that we’ve talked about it, are you comfortable with that?”

“I am. But we can change our minds at any point, and I want us both to say so if we do.”