It took me a moment to understand why it was so hot when I opened my eyes in the morning. But then, I felt the weight of Jim's arm around my waist.

He was asleep and looked relaxed. Handsome. Everything about him exuded masculinity, from the light stubble on his jaw to the taut muscles of his chest and his strong arms. Also, his hands that touched me last night.

I didn't want to leave him, but the recollection of what exactly led to Jim touching me catapulted me off the bed. I shoved my feet in a pair of slippers and unlocked my bedroom door, only to shut it carefully behind me.

"Dad!" I called as soon as I was downstairs.

"Here."

I dashed toward the sound of Dad's voice and found him in the kitchen, drinking coffee as he scrolled through the news on his phone.

"I can't believe you got Jim drunk." I plopped down on a chair and narrowed my eyes at my nonchalant father.

"I didn't know Hendrix was such a lightweight." Dad shrugged. "How's he?"

"Sleeping. And maybe he wouldn't be smashed, but you forgot he spent a week at home with a sore back."

Dad laughed into his mug. "He'll live, Pumpkin, but it's cute that you worry. I put some pills on the counter. Give Jim those together with some coffee and orange juice, and he'll be ready to take over the music industry in a couple of hours. Oh, and Leo liked him."

"Before or after threatening him?"

Drunk Jim was a talker. A handsy dirty talker, too, but Dad didn't need to know that part.

Dad's eyes twinkled. "Somewhere in between. Aw, come on, you know Leo. And you know Coop. It's not my fault they thought I wouldn't manage without their help."

"Manage what? To scare off my first boyfriend?"

"I doubt anything would scare the guy, but the headache he'll have will be a bitch. Grab the pills, Ava. And tell Jim I had fun last night."

I rose to my feet and strolled to the counter. "You can tell him that yourself."

"No can do. Meeting Leo in half an hour. He bought a new TV, and I promised I'd help him set it up."

"Okay." I sighed. "Have fun."

"You too. Tell Jim I said hi."

Dad walked over to me and kissed my cheek. I got the coffee ready, and by the time I'd put our breakfast onto a tray, Dad was already by the front door, ready to go out.

He waved goodbye and left the house. I went upstairs to check on Jim.

Jim was hugging my pillow, sprawled in the middle of my bed. I set the tray on the nightstand and got under the comforter. When my lips touched Jim's cheek, his eyes opened.

"Hey," I whispered.

Jim smiled and frowned almost immediately. He glanced around my room and then focused his eyes on me. "Good morning. It's morning, right?"

"Yeah, a little after ten."

"I'm in your bed."

"Spitting the facts." I giggled.

Jim pinched my butt. "Aspirin first, sass later. I'm not letting your father get me drunk again, Beautiful."

"He left some meds for you and left. We're alone."

Jim gave me a broad grin. "I like that."

I handed Jim the pills. He sat up and put them into his mouth, washing the meds down with coffee. Then, he pecked my cheek. "Give me five minutes. I have to brush my teeth."

"Me too," I said.

Jim got ready in the guest bathroom while I did it in my en-suite. We had breakfast and got under the covers.

"How are you feeling?" I asked him.

He kissed my forehead and kept his lips pressed to my skin, saying nothing.

"That bad?"

Jim chuckled. "Nah. It's okay. It's my fault, anyway. I usually know when to stop. Guess I was too nervous to think clearly."

"Fathers would do that to you."

A warm hand rubbed the skin on my lower back. "That was my first puzzle night with a girl's dad. I didn't exactly know what to expect. I don't even remember what happened after. For starters, I can't recall how I ended up in your bed."

I tipped my chin up and looked at Jim from his chest. "So, you don't remember what you said?"

"What did I say?"

Trapping my bottom lip between my teeth, I drew patterns on Jim's forearm. Should I tell him? More than that, were we at that place in our relationship where we'd discuss intimacy without awkwardness?

"Ava." Jim caressed my jaw, his touch featherlike and tender.

"Are you into spanking and stuff?"

Jim dropped his hand from my face. "Did I tell you I'd spank you?"

"Tie me up, too. In case you were wondering, none of that happened. You did touch me. Twice, because apparently, the first time was because I was your cute little sin, and the second one because you wanted to show me the stars."

"The stars." The pillow muffled Jim's groan as he buried his face in it.

"I did see some." I giggled. "It was good-more than good. And you have a way with words, so it was a nice sensual experience with a touch of literature and a sprinkle of metaphors."

Jim nuzzled into my neck. "Metaphors. Talk dirty to me, baby."

"If you are into that stuff, I'd like to know. I don't mean the dirty talk cause that's pretty obvious."

Jim rolled onto his side and faced me. "I'd never do anything you're uncomfortable with. We have to be on the same page. Besides, let me remind you I'm your first guy."

"I don't think I'd be able to forget you are."

"Come here." Jim hooked an arm around my waist and pulled me into a tight embrace. "I guess it's time for a sex talk."

I hid my face in the crook of his neck.

Laughter rumbled deep in Jim's chest. "Ava. I'm crazy about you. I've never been attracted to anyone this much. You have nothing to worry or be self-conscious about. Not a single thing."

"I feel weird because of my inexperience sometimes," I admitted without looking at Jim's face.

"Is that why you waited so long to tell me the truth?"

"Why else?"

"Well, guess what, your inexperience is the sexiest thing I've seen. The most adorable, too. And hot as hell. I've loved everything you've done to me. It's not something you should be worried about, but I want you to talk to me when you are. And if it's going too fast, I want you to tell me."

"It's not. It's perfect."

"See? I told you it was. There's something else."

I ran my fingers through Jim's hair. "What else?"

"Can you take a day off at the store next Friday? I wanted us to spend the weekend together. At my new house."

"Alfie's?"

"Yeah." Jim cupped the back of my neck with one of his hands and ran his thumb over my skin in a light caress. "I have to plan the repairs, and I was going to stay there. I was hoping you'd want to go there with me. There's a lake, and the forest is beautiful. I think we both need some alone time after everything."

I smiled. "Okay."

Jim's lips met mine. He hummed when I kissed him harder and hugged me to him, wrapping me in his arms. A sense of calm washed over me. I pressed myself to him, making sure our bodies touched everywhere.

Jim was the one to break the kiss and press his forehead to mine.

He was going to say something when a phone buzzed, breaking the quiet.

"Should've left it in the guest bedroom," Jim grumbled, picking up the gadget from the nightstand.

He unlocked the screen and read the text.
"It's Nick."

"Your bandmate?"

Jim nodded. "They want to go dancing tonight and ask me, actually, us, to go with them. Would you like to?"

It'd been ages since I did that. The girls and I met for coffee, but it didn't count as a good night out. "I'd love to."

"Nick also says you should invite your friends. Would they be interested?"

"Let me think...the guys from the most popular band ask Ivy and Isla out. No, of course, they'll say no."

Jim tossed the phone onto the mattress and wiggled his brows. In a second, I was on my back, trapped under his hard body, writhing to break free and giggling from the assault of Jim's lips on my neck.

"Jim, not fair. Let me go."

"No."

Jim's fingers slid under the cotton of my tee and danced across my ribs. I laughed harder, failing to move him off me.

"Surrender to your man, beautiful," Jim said, chuckling. "And text your friends before they make plans with someone else."

I pecked his lips. "Give me my phone."

***

Ivy and Isla said yes without hesitation. Ivy was fed up with studying, and Netflix was Isla's plan for the night.

The two of them sat in the back of Jim's Audi, leaving the passenger seat to me. Both girls were quiet and more than a little starstruck. Jim had that effect on people.

His warm hand rested on my knee, and he glanced at me every time he could take his eyes off the road.

When the car rolled to a stop next to a high-end club downtown, Isla let out a low whistle. "Will they even let us in?"

Jim laughed. "I'd say yeah, but who knows? Come on; let's find out.

We got out of the car and strolled to the entrance of the building. One nod from Jim was enough for the bouncer to let us enter the club.

Neon and fluorescent lights played across the vast space. A large bar took up the entirety of one of the walls. Several customers perched on stools having drinks.

More people were sitting on leather couches with cocktails in their hands or on the small round tables in front of them.

Only a few customers were dancing to an EDM song. Jim led me past the dance floor toward the back of the club. A sign said it was a VIP area.

We halted next to a door. Jim smiled, and a tall, brawny man let us in after sweeping his gaze over my friends.

Jim's bandmates were inside, sitting on a couch and having drinks, but the three of them rose to their feet as soon as they saw us enter the room.

"Guys, you've met Ava. These are her friends, Ivy and Isla," said Jim.

I greeted Fin, Jason, and Nick and watched my friends. Naturally shy, Isla didn't talk much. She smoothed her black skirt at least three times, making me smile. Ivy was as calm as ever. She was wearing a short black dress with a leather jacket over it and a pair of ankle-strap high-heeled sandals that gave her a confidence boost.

"Ladies, you may sit down." Nick smiled. Soft-spoken and calm, he seemed to be every bit the peace-maker of the group Jim told me he was.

Isla and Ivy sat on the black couch flanked by Jason and Nick. Fin took the armchair, and Jim plopped down on the other couch with me in his lap. He kept his arm around my waist and didn't miss a chance to kiss my cheek.

"Drinks?" asked Jay, reaching for a button on the table in front of him before we said a word.

A waitress walked in a moment later. Isla and I ordered margaritas. Jim went for water with lemon.

"Ivy," said Jay. "What would you like?"

Ivy lifted her eyes off the cocktail menu. "Sex on the Beach."

A grin danced on Jay's lips. "With me?"

Jim chuckled lightly, squeezing my side. Isla let out a snort.

"I have a boyfriend," Ivy said, tossing the menu onto the table.

Jay crossed his arms behind his head, probably to show off his tattoos. "Boyfriend's not a tree. He can move."

"And I have a brain. I can decide."

"Yeah, duh." Jay shrugged. "The decision's easy. I'm here; he's...where's the dude, again?"

"He's busy."

"That's not how it works, Ivy like the league. If your girl is meeting some rock stars, you tag along. Unless you're a tree."

Nick laughed. "Jeez, dude, and you're not even drunk."

"Tell me I'm wrong."

"People can be busy," said Fin. "Stop harassing the girl."

Ivy winked at him. "Don't worry. I can handle him."

Isla and I exchanged a glance. She giggled, shrugging.

When the waitress reentered the room carrying the tray with cocktails, Jason and Ivy were still bickering.

"Has he got tattoos?"

Ivy rolled her eyes. "No."

"Piercings."

"None."

"So what's the appeal of...what's his name?"

"Jackson."

"Dammit. Almost like Jason. Jackson, Jason. Careful, Ivy, don't say my name in the heat of the moment. The tree guy might take it the wrong way."

"You could use a cold shower with a sprinkle of reality," Ivy said, sipping her drink.

Jay grinned, nodding at her glass. "Good?"

"Very."

"Not as good as the real sex on the beach with me, you know?"

The look Ivy gave Jason had all of us laughing. "He's asking for a punch," Jim whispered in my ear. "Is your margarita good?"

I kissed his cheek. "Yeah."

Jim moved his lips to my neck. "Not as good as our first time."

"Is that a promise?"

A light chuckle escaped Jim's lips. "See, it works, baby. Poor Jay. The guy's running out of moves."

Neither of us met Ivy's boyfriend yet, but Isla and I knew things didn't go well with her ex, who did have tattoos, piercings, and the habit of cheating. Jason's chances to woo Ivy equaled the amount of alcohol in Jim's water.

"We're gonna dance," Jim said to the guys. "Be right back."

He helped me off his lap and led me out of the room. I glanced at the girls over my shoulder and gave them a small wave.

The group joined us on the dance floor later. Ivy kept her distance from Jason, and Nick chatted to Isla as they danced. Fin was his usual quiet self.

A slow song played. Jim circled my waist with his arms and steered me toward the secluded corner of the busy dancefloor. Our eyes met.

"Just wanted a taste," he murmured, lowering his mouth to mine. Light-headed, I clung to his biceps while he kissed me without restraint, swallowing my moans and caressing my tongue with his.

I draped myself over him. Jim's heat trespassed my clothes and robbed me of the little sanity I had left. He buried one of his hands in my straightened hair, slanting his mouth over mine once more.

"Cute little sin indeed," Jim whispered, breathless. "Now hug me tightly and don't move, Beautiful. I might need a moment."

I wrapped my arms around his neck as we swayed to another song, indifferent toward everything but each other.

In my mind, we were already at the house in the woods, just the two of us and the three days we'd have to enjoy one another.

I'm also excited about those three days😄

Hope you're having a good week.