“Wow,” Kent said, taking her hand in his. “How did they take the news?”
“Well, I haven’t spoken to my parents or Jake since the day I told them that I no longer wanted to get married or work in the church, so I guess they didn’t take it very well,” Nicole said with a dry laugh.
“I think it’s admirable that you were strong enough to give up everything you knew to start fresh and do what you want,” Kent said, his finger caressing the top of her hand.
“There’s something else you need to know,” Nicole began, a little more confident after his easy acceptance of what she’d shared so far.
“What is it?” He asked, curious at what else she could tell him about her past.
“Well, I said my family is religious, and they raised me with strong Christian values, which I still live by.” Nicole stopped, suddenly overcome by nerves at the thought of his rejection.
“Go on,” Kent prodded.
“I was raised to believe that sex should be shared between a husband and a wife. I’m a virgin… and I’ll remain a virgin until my wedding night.” Nicole spit it out as quickly as she could, then watched Kent’s face for his reaction.
His finger stilled on her hand, and his facial expression remained frozen as he processed what she had just told him.
A virgin.
Kent looked at her stunning face, surrounded by her beautiful long blonde hair, which currently covered the most stunning pair of breasts he’d ever seen.
He felt suddenly bereft at the realization that no matter what kind of relationship he strove to have with Nicole, he would probably never get to have sex with her.
He’d seen what an unhappy marriage looked like, he’d grown up in the middle of one, and he’d always told himself that marriage was probably not in his future. He didn’t want to take the chance of ending up like his parents, and he knew that he had to keep Roni as his number one priority. No woman he knew would ever accept coming in number two to his twin.
Kent cleared his throat awkwardly, as he thought about what to say.
Did he want to get to know Nicole better?
Yes.
Did he think she was funny, beautiful and fascinating?
Yes.
Did he think they had the potential to have a good relationship?
Yes.
Could he spend the unforeseen future with Nicole, and not have sex with her?
Not have sex with anyone?
“I know it’s a lot to take in in one night,” Nicole started. Her stomach dropped at his silence. She needed to let him off the hook and get some space before he could tell she was upset. “You don’t have to say anything. I get it. You’re a very good-looking, single man, and you didn’t realize that sex was off the table when you asked me out. Don’t worry about it; let’s get back to the party.”
In that moment he realized that, yes, he could handle it. She was worth the nights of torment that he was sure to have.
He put his hand out to stop her from leaving when she rose.
“I hope you don’t think so little of me, to believe that I’d run off because you’re a virgin. I think it’s great that you have such strong beliefs, not many people do nowadays.”
A smile broke out across her face, leaving Kent momentarily breathless at her beauty.
“Really?” She asked slowly, to allow him the chance to change his mind if he wanted to.
Kent stood up and pulled her into a hug.
“Yes, really. You’re an amazing woman, Nic, and I want to continue to spend time with you.”
Nicole pulled back and smiled.
“I’m so happy to hear you say that,” She admitted.
“We’d better get back to the party.” Kent said, picking up their glasses.
“Okay,” Nicole replied, and took the hand he offered to escort her back out into the living room.
Chapter Eight
A couple days after their housewarming party, Nicole got up early to meet Kent for a hike on the outskirts of town.
She had worked the last few nights, and he had deadlines to meet, so they hadn’t been able to find any time together.
She was excited to see him again, but couldn’t help but be a little worried. The last time she’d seen him was when she’d told him she was a virgin. They’d talked and texted a couple times over the past few days, but he’d seemed a little distant.
When the knock came, she was in the living room ready to go. She let him wait a few seconds, so she didn’t seem too eager, but her heart leapt when she opened the door.
Kent’s work-out clothes accentuated his well-defined muscles, and showed plenty of tanned skin.
When Nicole’s eyes finally made it Kent’s face, she smiled brightly at him.
“Hi.”
“Hey, Nic,” Kent returned her smile. “You ready?”
She turned to grab her water bottle, and he groaned at the site of her perfectly rounded ass in her spandex shorts. He felt his body tighten in response, and wondered how he was going to make it through the day.
Nicole walked out, leaving him to shut the door and follow her down the stairs.
Her hair was swept up in a high pony tail that swung back and forth. Kent tried to focus on her hair, rather than the sway of her other body parts as she bounded down the stairs.
The drive to the trail was a short one, but it gave them enough time to catch up on their days apart.
“Kara asked me if I want to go with her to Austin this weekend to see
