CHAPTER 37: GENTLE

Chapter 37

JULIAN POLE

My heart pounded as he pulled me close, his strong arms wrapping around my waist like he never wanted to let go.

Jace wasn’t just my professor.

He’s no longer my professor.

He was the man who’d captured my soul, the one with secrets that made him even more intoxicating.

But tonight, none of that mattered. It was just us, and the soft love that had been building between us for months.

His lips met mine slowly, deliberately, like he was savoring every second. The kiss started gentle, his mouth warm and firm against mine, but it deepened quickly, his tongue slipping past my lips to tangle with mine in a dance that made my knees weak.

I moaned into his mouth, my hands clutching at his broad shoulders, feeling the muscles tense under my fingers. Jace’s kisses were intimate, possessive, like he was claiming every part of me with just his mouth.

He tilted my head back slightly, his fingers threading through my hair, and sucked on my lower lip, drawing a gasp from me. The way he explored my mouth, licking and teasing, sent heat pooling low in my belly, my cock twitching in my pants.

We stumbled toward the bedroom, lips never breaking apart, breaths coming in hot, ragged bursts. He backed me against the edge of the bed, his body pressing into mine, hard and unyielding. I could feel his erection grinding against my thigh, thick and insistent, and it made me whimper.

Jace broke the kiss just long enough to trail his lips down my jaw, nipping at the skin there before moving to my neck. His teeth grazed my pulse point, and then he bit down—not hard enough to break skin, but firm enough to leave a mark, a red bloom that would remind me of him tomorrow.

"Mine" he murmured against my throat, his voice a low rumble that vibrated through me.

I arched into him, my hands fumbling with the buttons of his shirt.

"Please" I whispered, my voice shaky with need.

He pulled back slightly, his dark eyes locking onto mine, filled with a tenderness that made my chest ache.

He shrugged off his shirt, revealing the sculpted planes of his chest, the faint scars that hinted at his dangerous life. I traced them with my fingertips, and he captured my hand, kissing my palm before guiding it down his pants.

But as I worked to undo it, he stopped me, his hand covering mine.

"Slow down baby" he said softly, his thumb stroking my knuckles. "I want this to be perfect for you."His other hand cupped my face, thumb brushing my cheek. "Tell me what you want."

I swallowed hard, heat flooding my face.

If we are having sex. This will be my first time.

I don’t know what to say. But what I said next wasn’t what I was planning to say.

"You. I want you, all of you. Inside. Outside. Please daddy"

Honey, I’m surprised too. Blame it on the moment.

My cock throbbed painfully now, straining against my zipper, and I rocked my hips forward, seeking friction

He groaned, his forehead resting against mine.

"Fuck baby, you’re killing me." But then he shook his head, regret and resolve in his eyes.

"Not tonight. This is your first time. I won’t rush it. I want to make sure you’re ready, that it doesn’t hurt." His lips brushed mine in a feather-light kiss. "Let me take care of you another way."

Disappointment mixed with the fire in my veins, but his words wrapped around me like a promise. I nodded, trusting him completely.

"Okay" I breathed, and he smiled. That rare, genuine smile that lit up his usually guarded face.

Jace eased me back onto the bed, the mattress dipping under our weight. He hovered over me kissing me again. Slower this time, his tongue stroking mine in languid circles that made me melt. His hands roamed my body, pulling my T-shirt with deliberate care, and exposing my chest.

He leaned down, lips trailing kisses across my collarbone, then lower, sucking on my nipple until it pebbled under his tongue. I gasped, my back bowing off the bed as pleasure shot straight to my groin.

"Fuuuck" I moaned, fingers digging into his hair.

He lavished attention on the other nipple. Biting gently, leaving another faint mark that made me shiver. His mouth was everywhere. Kissing my ribs, nipping at my sides, marking my skin with soft bites that bloomed into red welts.

Each one felt like a brand of his affection, intimate and loving, not possessive in a cruel way, but in the way that said I was his, and he was mine.

He pushed my sweatpants down, slow but sure, the fabric dragging against my skin as he slid them off along with my underwear, freeing my aching cock.It sprang up, hard and leaking pre-cum onto my stomach.

Jace’s eyes darkened as he looked at me, his hand wrapping around my length in a loose grip.

"So beautiful" he whispered, stroking me slowly from base to tip, thumb circling the head to spread the slickness. I bucked into his hand, a whine escaping my lips.

It feels really good.

"Please" I begged, my voice breaking. I needed him so badly, the emptiness inside me growing with every touch.

He kissed me deeply, swallowing my pleas then shifted lower, settling between my thighs.

His hands spread my legs wide, exposing me completely. I felt vulnerable, but his gaze was so full of love that it chased away any embarrassment.

"Relax for me" he murmured, pressing a kiss to my inner thigh, then biting down softly, leaving a mark high up where only he would see.

His finger traced my entrance, teasing the tight ring of muscle. I tensed. But he soothed me with kisses along my hipbone.

"Breathe baby. I’ve got you." He reached for the nightstand, grabbing a bottle of lube.

That wasn’t there before. Or maybe I wasn’t aware of my surroundings.

The click of the cap echoing in the quiet room. He coated his fingers generously, warming it between his palms before returning to me.

The first finger pressed in slowly, the stretch burning just a little at first. I gasped, clutching the sheets, but Jace was patient, crooking his finger to rub against my inner walls, finding that spot that made stars burst behind my eyelids.

"Oh fuck." I cried out, my cock jerking untouched.

"That’s it baby" he praised, his voice husky. He added a second finger, scissoring them gently, stretching me open with care.

"Look at you. So beautiful taking my fingers. You’re doing so good"

It feels so good that I’m making sounds that I wasn’t even aware I could make until now.

The fullness was exquisite, different from what I’d imagined but no less intense. He pumped them in and out, slow at first, then faster, his thumb occasionally brushing my balls or the base of my cock. I rocked back against his hand, begging incoherently.

"Fuck, yes, right there, please don’t stop."

He leaned up to kiss me, his free hand stroking my hair, our tongues mirroring the rhythm of his fingers inside me.

The intimacy of it all. The way he watched my face, adjusting his angle to hit that prostate with every thrust pushed me higher. Sweat beaded on my skin, my breaths coming in pants as the pressure built, coiling tight in my gut.

"Cum for me baby" he whispered against my lips, curling his fingers just right.

That was all it took. My body seized, pleasure crashing over me like a wave. I came hard, my cock pulsing as ropes of cum shot across my chest and stomach, my hole clenching around his fingers. A cry tore from my throat, raw and unrestrained, my vision blurring with the intensity of it.

Jace worked me through it, slowing his movements until I slumped back, boneless and spent. He withdrew his fingers carefully and I whimpered at the loss, but he was there immediately, gathering me in his arms.

"You did so good," he murmured, kissing my forehead, my temples, my eyelids. His own arousal was evident, his cock hard against my thigh, but he ignored it, focused entirely on me.

He slipped from the bed for a moment, returning with a warm, damp cloth.

Gently, he wiped away the evidence of my release, cleaning my skin with tender strokes. The care in his actions made tears prick my eyes.

This man, with his hidden darkness, was handling me like I was precious. "I really like you a lot." I whispered, the words slipping out unbidden.

But that wasn’t what I was going to say.

Jace paused, his eyes softening. "I love you too. More than you know."

I couldn’t say it back. I don’t know why I’m scared. But I think it’s written all over my face that I love him a lot.

He finished cleaning me then pulled the covers over us. Drawing me against his chest. His arms encircled me, one hand rubbing slow circles on my back, the other cradling my head. Our legs tangled, his warmth seeping into me, chasing away the lingering ache.

As sleep tugged at me, I nuzzled into his neck, breathing in his scent. No regrets, no rush. Just this soft, intimate love that feels like home. His heartbeat steadied under my ear, a lullaby, and I drifted off, safe in his embrace.

The next morning. Sunlight filtered through the curtains, waking me slowly. Jace was still asleep, his face relaxed in a way I rarely saw. I traced the line of his jaw with my finger, marveling at how we’d gotten here. Classes, stolen glances, late-night study sessions that turned into confessions. His world was dangerous, but in this bed, it was just us.

He stirred, eyes fluttering open and smiled sleepily.

"Morning, beautiful." His hand slid down to squeeze my ass gently, a promise of more to come when I was ready. I blushed, pressing a kiss to his chest.

"Good morning," I whispered.

He pulled me on top of him. We lay like that for a while, trading lazy kisses, his bites now soft nips on my shoulder, marking me anew in the daylight. No pressure, just the quiet intimacy of two people in love, building something real amid the chaos.

As the day stretched ahead.

I knew I’d face the world differently now. Carrying his marks, his touch, his love etched into my skin and soul. And tonight, or whenever I was ready, he’d give me everything. But for now, this was enough.