Jaguar:

I noticed her body beginning to move beneath me, and I started to adjust my position so I could press myself against her, letting my bulge rub against her.

Before I could do that, a loud noise came from outside, and she jolted upright.

"What was that?" she asked, sounding so scared and innocent that she forgot to cover her breast.

I barely paid attention to what she was saying.

My hand reached for her breast, and I lowered my face again, taking it into my mouth.

I lifted my eyes and watched her look down at me. She bit her bottom lip once more.

Her body moved restlessly, and her legs brushed against each other.

I could tell she was feeling a strange tingling sensation.

Maybe if I touched her there, I could help ease her discomfort.

I released her nipple and raised my head to look into her eyes.

She was breathing so heavily that her breasts rose and fell with each breath.

While rolling her nipple gently between my fingers, I leaned in until there was almost no space left between our faces.

"Are you feeling something between your legs?" I asked with a smirk.

The loud gulp that followed was answer enough.

Then she nodded.

"What does it feel like?" I asked, wrapping my hand around her breast and giving it a gentle squeeze before letting go.

The feel of her nipple against my palm was intoxicating.

"I don’t know. It just feels like something deep inside wants to be touched," she mumbled.

The way she said the word touched, her lips pouted slightly.

My gaze lingered on them, wanting to kiss them.

"Do you know what might help?" I asked.

She answered only with her eyes, silently asking what I meant.

I leaned closer to her ear and lowered my voice.

"If I touched you there–"

Before I could finish the thought, her breath hitched.

I felt the warmth of her breath against my chest because I was so close to her.

My hand drifted lower to her waist, gathering the fabric of her robe.

As I reached her thigh, I slowly pushed the robe aside.

The moment my hand touched her thigh, she shuddered again.

"I will insert my finger first and twist it gently," I uttered.

"Then two fingers and then my whole hand,"

I continued speaking softly while my hand moved higher between her legs.

"You might feel better."

As I spoke, my finger pressed lightly against the fabric covering her.

Her jaw tightened.

I could hear her teeth clench together as she struggled with the sensation.

"Wouldn’t it hurt?" she asked, sounding genuinely innocent.

"The pain would be worth it," I replied with a smile.

My gaze drifted to her lips as I pressed my hand firmly against her through the fabric.

Before I could lean in, she asked a question that made me pause and almost laugh.

"Are you a virgin?"

This was exactly what I meant.

She was so naive, so detached from the world around her, that she didn’t seem to realize a man like me could hardly be a virgin.

Why would I be at my age? I wasn’t a teenager anymore.

So I laughed.

"What?" she asked, sounding even more innocent, clearly confused by my reaction.

I withdrew my hand and took hers instead, placing it against my crotch.

I watched her eyes widen.

As I rubbed her hand over my shaft, I noticed she seemed hesitant.

Her fingers curled slightly before she quickly pulled back.

"This bad boy has seen more action than you can count," I joked proudly.

But then I noticed her smile begin to fade.

"Oh," she murmured.

There was a sudden stiffness in her posture.

So I let go of her hand, and she quickly pulled it away.

"I’m a virgin."

The moment those words left her mouth, my heart sank.

"There is no way I’m making fun of that. You’re gorgeous. There’s no way you never had a boyfriend."

I paused before asking again.

"Have you ever had a boyfriend?"

I watched her look me straight in the eye before shaking her head.

"No."

Her response was firm. She didn’t seem happy with my reaction.

I mean, of course she was a virgin.

Maybe she had expected a virgin man too, but that felt like an impossible standard.

Even so, she looked upset.

I should have answered differently.

I had made her feel judged.

"Thank you so much for coming here and helping me with this situation," she said quietly.

As she spoke, she covered her breasts right in front of me.

Then she shifted away and placed a hand against my chest, creating some distance between us.

Sitting up straighter, she pulled her robe closed and tied it around her body.

The robe had mostly dried by now, probably from the warmth between us.

The parts of her that had been visible moments ago were now hidden from view, and my throat tightened.

How was I supposed to convince her that it was okay for two people not to share the same past?

I felt judged, but I also felt guilty.

Everything that had happened before her suddenly felt meaningless.

Why hadn’t I saved myself the way she had?

Then a question slipped into my mind.

Would she see me differently after this?

It certainly seemed like she would.

"Verity, did I offend you?" I asked, unable to stop myself from asking directly if I had made a mistake by being so shameless in front of her.

I didn’t know why I felt this way. I’d never felt it before.

I had always been proud of who I was.

"You know, you actually came here to help me, so—"

She was in the middle of speaking when another thud echoed from outside.

Verity’s face immediately darkened with fear.

"Verity? Verity, are you in there?"

A familiar voice called from outside.

I had heard that voice before. It belonged to one of the neighbors.

I looked at Verity, and she let out a sigh of relief, as though she had just realized it wasn’t the thugs returning.

"It’s my neighbor, Mrs. Baker," she mumbled.

But the sadness in her voice made my heart ache.

What had started so well was ending with so much unease.