"Would you like a drink?" Rhodes asks as the elevator arrives at his floor, and we both head in the direction of the kitchen.
"Yes, please," I mumble quietly as I take a seat at one of the bar stools while Rhodes opens the fridge and takes out two wine glasses. I probably should have started drinking when we were at the cinema; it would have been good to have had a little liquid courage in this scenario. But then I guess I didn't know that this is where the evening was going to go until it just happened.
"Are you nervous?" Rhodes asks as he slides my glass towards me, and I wrap my fingers around the stem gently. His eyes peer down at me as he leans himself against the side of the island counter. I shrug my shoulder and lift the glass up to my lips and take a sip.
"We don't have to do this; there is no pressure on you. If you don't feel comfortable..."
"No, I want to. It's just, it's a little nerve-wracking," I admit quietly as I cut him off mid-sentence. To his credit, Rhodes has been very patient with me and my lack of experience since we met. I've felt comfortable exploring this new side of intimacy without feeling pushed or rushed into doing anything I didn't want to do.
"Yes, the first time can be a little bit scary. Which is why I don't want you to think that this is something I need you to do." He continues to softly reassure me.
"What if I'm not good?" I keep my eyes laser-focused on the glass of wine in my hands as I make the admission. This is what I'm truly afraid of; what if somehow I'm terrible at having sex, and he isn't going to want me anymore? It's my first time, so I don't even know how to be good at it; what if I do it wrong? Of course, I've had the general sex talk growing up, and I've seen sex scenes in movies and TV shows, but that is the extent of my knowledge. My head rises as I hear a soft chuckle emanating from Rhodes's lips.
"Baby, that's ridiculous, you are not going to be bad at it." He dips his head down lower and tucks a loose piece of hair behind my ear. The subtle contact sizzles against my skin; even the softest touch from him is all it takes to leave me wanting more.