Madison slipped from the passenger seat in the truck and kissed him. "That makes two of us. You want to come in? I don't have any summer classes tomorrow."
Cory was hoping she’d ask. "Yeah, sure, I’d love that, plus I need a drink. Give me your keys, I’ll open the door."
Opening the door for her, he grabbed her hand and led her inside. She headed into the kitchen as he made his way to her bedroom and flopped down on her bed, covered with a blue Indian print spread, and surrounded by netting, hung from the ceiling. He loved this place. He called out to her. "Water will be fine."
Madison laughed. "I can do better than water. How about some wine? I have some white wine chilled in the fridge."
She pulled the bottle from the shelf and removed the cork, pouring two generous portions for them in some mismatched wine glasses she’d bought at a flea market. She carried the glass to him and stretched out on the bed next to him. She shook her head. "My ears are still ringing from the concert."
He loved her laugh, so carefree and easy. He took the glass of wine, watching her stretch across the bed. "Yeah, but it’s a small sacrifice. The music was awesome.”
Taking a large sip of the wine, he sat the glass on the side table and rolled onto his side, looking at her. "You look beautiful tonight.”
Leaning over, he kissed her softly on the lips. Madison rolled toward him, returning the kiss and almost spilling her wine in the process. She let Cory take the glass from her hand and set it aside, as she moved closer, feeling the heat of his body through her clothes. She ran her hand through his hair and kissed him again, slipping her tongue in his mouth.
Cory let her lead. He could feel her tongue as it explored his mouth. He felt a sharp tug in his gut. He knew he had to be careful to not let the beast emerge. He wanted so much more with Madison. His hand wandered slowly up her rib cage and cradled her breast as he massaged gently, and her kiss deepened. He felt her hand in his hair and he moaned through the kiss. He wanted her, but he must let her move at her own pace.
Madison pushed him onto his back and straddled him. The hem of her long skirt pushed up her thighs. She ran her hands down his chest. His build was slender but he was rock hard. He never mentioned working out, but she knew he must. Her hands sought out the snap closure on his jeans and she popped it open. "It's time, don't you think?"
Cory stared up at her as she was surrounded by a small halo of light from the ceiling. This was what he’d been waiting for, but he had to slow things down. She still had no idea what he was, and he wanted her to know before they had sex. He wanted her to come to him willingly, and with no regrets. He grabbed her hands to stop her.
"Madison, wait. I’m not sure it’s the right time yet. I love you so much, but I don’t want you to feel pressured. You don’t have to do this just to keep my attention." Letting go of her hands, he slid them up her arms and through her hair, pulling her down for a kiss. She resisted and sat upright.
"I don't understand, Cory. I love you too, and I've been waiting to hear you say it. We've been together for months now. You've never pressured me. If anything, I have pressured you."
She slid off of him and picked up the wine, downing it. "I'm beginning to get a complex. I mean, I really appreciated that you took it slow in the beginning. Most guys don't." She turned her head and looked at him as the thought formulated in her head. "Are you a virgin, Cory?"
His laughter filled the room. He was so far from being a virgin, having sold his body to both male and female vamps to do with what they will. "I’m sorry, Madison, I didn’t mean to laugh. No, I’m not a virgin, and not gay." Sitting up, he got his laughter under control. "I love you.” Slipping from the bed, he paced in her room. “It’s not that I don’t want you. It’s the complete opposite. I want you so much. I care about you so much. I just want it to be special."
Madison watched him as he paced; his features so beautiful in the soft light of the bedroom. She had loved him for some time now, but never expressed how she felt. He always held back, never letting their passion take them very far and it had confused her.
"I don't understand, Cory. If you love me, and I love you, it will be special, wherever we are. You don't have to do anything to impress me. You have my heart already."
He stopped his pacing and knelt on the bed, kissing her gently on the lips. "Madison, having your heart means so much to me. It means the sex is not important at the moment, but what we have between us is real, it will last. You have all of me, heart and soul. I’m asking you to wait. It’s important to me we spend more time together and develop a strong bond without sex. I know you think I’m crazy, but I do this for both of us. The sex can confuse things. Many couples confuse sex for love, and later, they find they have nothing. If our bond is strong and stable before we have sex, nothing will break it. Do you understand?"
She tilted her head and looked at him, pondering his words. "I'm trying to understand, Cory. I mean, I feel like I'm ready for us to move to the next step. But if you’re asking me for more time..." She chuckled. "You know this sounds like role reversal, right? It’s usually the girl saying we have to wait."
He smiled at her, knowing she understood. "Well, my dad has taught me to respect women. He says women are valued for their gift of giving life and loving us is never to be taken lightly. It sounds crazy, but when I see my dad and Kate, I want that for myself. I want this to be forever, Madison. My love for you is real, as is my respect."
Kissing her nose, he rolled off the bed and walked to the table, downing his wine. "I guess I should head back home. I don’t want to leave here until I know you’re okay with this though, okay with me."
Her head was spinning. He was talking about a real commitment, a forever commitment. She wasn’t expecting him to be so open. "Wow. I don't know what to say. I mean, I fell in love with you quickly, but you never said how you felt, so I kept it to myself. I didn't want to scare you away. And when you never tried to make love to me, I thought it was just a good friends thing. And tonight, you not only say you love me, but you're talking about us being together forever. Being like your dad and stepmom. It's a lot to take in. I mean, don't get me wrong, I've thought about us being together too."
She stood and went to him. "Does your family know how you feel? I mean, I've only been there once, and I haven't even met your dad yet. Are you concerned about how they’ll react?"
He took her into his arms. "They know I really care about you. I think Kate knows more than my dad. I’m not concerned how they’ll react. If I love you, they’ll accept that. My happiness is important to them, our family unit is tight. And to be honest, I don’t want to be with anyone but you. I love you, Madison. It’s simple but complicated, and I do want you to meet my dad. It’s just his schedule. It’s easier to have time with him in the late evening, when he’s more likely to be home. Do you want to meet him?"
"Of course, I want to meet him. I know how close you are to him. You talk about him all the time, and besides, I already have so much respect for him. He stepped up and acknowledged you as his child, even after all these years, and the way he took care of your mom. A lot of men would have just walked away, not accepted responsibility. You set up the time. My schedule is pretty loose right now. I just have two summer classes, so whenever his schedule will accommodate us, just set it up."