Isn't It Bromantic (Bromance Book Club #4) by Lyssa Kay Adams

            Vlad closed his eyes. And then wrenched them open. “Oh shit. What about condoms? I don’t—I don’t even know if she’s on birth control.”

            Mack patted his chest. “Taken care of, my dude. We bought you some and put them in the drawer next to your bed.”

            Vlad wished the ground would open up and swallow him. “This is so embarrassing. I can’t believe I have to talk to you guys about this.”

            Mack scoffed. “Are you kidding? This is what we’re here for, man. Think about how much healthier all men in this world would be if we could be this open with one another all the time.”

            Malcolm nodded and crossed his arms. “Virginity is nothing to be ashamed of. It’s just one more artificial measurement of how we define manhood. We raise men in our society to treat sex like a contest, a race to be won, instead of the joyful expression of love that it can be. And that’s not to say that casual sex is wrong, or that a person’s reasons for wanting to have sex are ever a reason for judgment. Sex for pleasure’s sake is perfectly healthy and normal. But so is waiting. We tell women they’re sluts for not waiting long enough and men that they’re losers for waiting too long. It’s a twisted message that hurts everyone. But look at you, nervous and embarrassed, when you actually have a chance to experience something amazing.” Malcolm gripped the back of Vlad’s neck and squeezed. “You are going to get to fully experience your first time with a woman you love at an age when you can actually appreciate it.”

            “You’re just saying that to make me feel better,” Vlad said.

            “No,” Mack said. “I don’t even remember my first time. I remember the girl, but not the act itself. I was in a rush to shed my virginity, and that was all that mattered to me. I’m ashamed of it now. But you? You waited, man. You put yourself in cold fucking storage for years to wait for the woman you loved. You really are a romance hero.”

            “But my leg . . .”

            “Means you can have fun and get creative,” Malcolm said.

            “The important thing is to just be honest with her about everything,” Mack said. “Tell her you’re nervous and why. Tell her you’re afraid she won’t orgasm. Tell her you’re concerned that you might have to experiment to find the right position. Tell her all of it. Intimacy is an act of communication. Hold nothing back.”

            “But remember,” Malcolm said. “The most important thing tonight is to talk. Tell her what you should have said last night.”

            Colton ran into the room. “She’s on her way,” he said. “Everything is ready.”

            Oh, God. Vlad had never been this nervous. Not even when he proposed to her.

            “Okay, we’re going to take off now,” Malcolm said. “Just be honest with her, man.”

            Vlad listened to them leave. The sound of their cars’ departure, however, was quickly followed by another car pulling in.

            She was here.

            Vlad scraped his hand down his jaw and swore. He was already growing a shadow. He crutched to the front door and pulled it open just as she slid from the front seat of the car. She wore a black dress and high heels that made his heart pound and his eyes bug out and his chest break open with the surge of floaty champagne bubbles.

            She stopped halfway up the sidewalk. “Hi,” she whispered.

            He tried to calm his breathing, but his voice shook anyway. “Welcome home.”

            And then all his careful plans collapsed, because she burst into tears. Shit. SHIT.

            She quickly closed the distance between them, walked into the house, and threw her arms around his neck. She buried her face against his clean-shaven jaw and clung to him. “I’m sorry,” she whispered. “I’m sorry.”

            Vlad cupped the sides of her cheeks and tugged her back. “For what?”

            “For everything. For leaving. For crying. For six years. For everything.”

            “Don’t do that,” he murmured. “Not yet. Just be here with me.”

            “Okay.” She nodded, sniffled, and backed up. “This was not what I was going to do when I saw you.”