Free Eminent Love by Leddy Harper Page B

You’re the only person I want to be with. I thought it was obvious.”
    “Why would it be obvious?”
    “You know I’ve never had a boyfriend before, so I guess I thought my feelings for you were apparent considering I’m here all the time. I’m in your bed almost every night, and I woke up next to you this morning.”
    I allowed a smile to take over my lips before pressing them carefully to hers. “Drea also told me something else about you.” I wasn’t sure if it was a good idea to bring it up, but I wanted to clear the air between us. If I knew something about her, I wanted her to be aware of it.
    “Oh, yeah? What did she tell you?” She turned back to the vanity and grabbed a bottle of my hair gel from the counter as if it were the most normal thing in the world to share bathroom products.
    I hesitated, unsure of how to say it. But I already brought it up and couldn’t back out now. “She told me that you’ve…um…you’ve never…” My gaze bounced around the small bathroom, avoiding her eyes, before I finally stoned my nervousness and gave her my attention. I didn’t want her to get the wrong impression. “That you’ve never been with a guy before.”
    Layne completely stilled with the bottle of gel in her hand, her eyes fixated on the counter in front of us. Crimson licked the sides of her neck and brightened her cheeks, giving away her mortification.
    “Listen, Layne…it doesn’t matter to me. I only wanted you to be aware of me knowing. It doesn’t change anything—other than the level of embarrassment my morning wood will cause me if you sleep over again. Which I’d like you to do, as long as you’re comfortable with it.” I held her elbow and turned her enough so she could look at me. “Why didn’t you ever tell me?”
    She shrugged and glanced away again. “It never came up.”
    “Is your sexual history supposed to come up when you date someone?”
    A smile graced her lips. “I don’t know. I guess I never found a good time to tell you. It’s not like I’m ashamed about it or anything. It’s just extremely personal. Not to mention, I didn’t want to freak you out.”
    “Why would it freak me out?”
    She shrugged again and rolled her eyes dismissively. “Because an eighteen-year-old virgin might make you think I’m saving myself for marriage…or suddenly make this thing between us more serious than you’re ready for. I don’t know. There’s lots of reasons why it would scare you off.”
    “It doesn’t matter to me what you’re saving yourself for.” I moved to stand in front of her, leaning against the vanity behind me. “It’s your body. You could hold onto it for the rest of your life if you want to. I don’t have any right to have an opinion on it…except, if we end up getting married it might make it difficult to have babies, but I’m sure with science, there’s a way it can be done.” I smiled at her, hoping she knew there was nothing to be worried about.
    “It’s not that.” Her grin widened and she let out a small wave of air, as if relief had finally found her. “I’m not really waiting on anything other than the right time. I’m sure I’ll know it when it happens. I’m not in any rush, and at the same time, I’m not unrealistic. This isn’t going to change anything between us, is it?”
    “Why do you think it will?”
    “I just mean…being in bed with me. You’ve never pressured me or made me feel uncomfortable. I don’t think anything will change, I’m only making sure it won’t.”
    “Trust me, Layne, I don’t want anything to change. I told you on our first date you’re the one calling the shots, and that is as true with this as it was about hiking. As long as I get to have you in my life, I don’t care how slow you want to take things.”
    She kissed me once more and then went back to styling her hair. By the time we finished in the bathroom, Colin had gotten home and they were ready to leave. Layne was hesitant at first,