# Chapter 25: Baby Steps and the Smile That Changed Everything
Hello everyone, it's me again! How are you all doing? Today I will continue to walk with you and review Chapter 25 of "The Deal: Off Campus." This is the chapter where Garrett Graham, hockey superstar and campus heartbreaker, discovers that the most terrifying thing he's ever done isn't taking a slap shot from the blue line or facing down a rival goon. It's standing naked in front of Hannah Wells with his heart in his throat and his hand around his cock, trying not to ruin the most fragile, electric moment of his life. So get comfortable—maybe grab a fan, because this chapter is hot, tender, awkward, and absolutely unforgettable.
The chapter opens inside Garrett's head, and let me tell you, it's a chaotic place to be. He's never jerked off in front of a girl before. Not from start to finish, anyway. Usually his hand is just a warm-up before the main event, but tonight there's no main event. Tonight is about Hannah. She's lying naked on his bed, and he can barely breathe. Her body is soft, curvy, perfect. Her breasts, her hips, that narrow strip of hair between her legs—Garrett is losing his mind. He wants to see everything, touch everything, but he's terrified of scaring her off. So he keeps his mouth shut and his eyes hungry.
Hannah, meanwhile, is nervous too, but she covers it with that dry, teasing tone he loves. "You're not talking," she accuses. Garrett admits he doesn't want to scare her. Her response is pure Hannah: "Dude, you're standing there naked in front of me with your dick in your hand. If that doesn't scare me, I doubt anything you say will." And damned if her calling him "dude" doesn't turn him on even more. Every word out of her mouth is fuel.
He asks her to spread her legs. She hesitates, then obeys. Garrett's breath leaves him in a rush. She's pink and pretty and glistening, and he knows he's going to come way too fast if he isn't careful. So he strokes himself slowly, painfully slowly, avoiding the sensitive spots. He tells her, "Show me what you would do if I wasn't here. Show me how you'd touch yourself." Her cheeks flush, but she does it. One fingertip brushes her clit, then rubs in slow, exploratory circles. Garrett matches her pace, his body screaming for release while his brain chants one word: don't blow this.
He asks if it feels good. She nods, green eyes wide, a breathy sound escaping her lips. He imagines that mouth on him and nearly loses it. Emergency jack-off mode kicks in—he squeezes tight enough to hurt, just to hold back. Hannah's other hand slides up to cup her breast, toying with her nipple, and Garrett bites back a growl. He wants to suck on that puckered bud more than he wants his next breath. He asks what she's thinking about, needing a distraction. She says, "I'm thinking about you." Wrong kind of distraction. His strokes speed up against his will. She whispers that she's thinking about how sexy he is, how much she wants to kiss him again.
He almost crosses the room. Almost. But he's terrified the spell will break. So he asks, "What else?" Her hand travels down her belly, over her hip, and she says she's thinking about his fingers inside her. Then she pushes two of her own fingers into her pussy while her other hand keeps working her clit. Her cheeks are flushed, her breasts too. Garrett realizes she's close, and the satisfaction that floods him is unlike anything he's ever felt. He's not touching her, but his presence is turning her on. He warns her he's close. She says me too. The air is electric. She pants, "Oh... God..." He mumbles, "Watch me. Watch what you're doing to me." He strokes faster. She cries out his name—"Garrett"—and comes. He follows instantly, pleasure hurtling through him, coating his hand and abs. The force nearly knocks him off his feet, and he grabs the side of his desk, holding on as waves roar through his body.
When he crashes back to Earth, Hannah is watching him, dazed and fascinated. Then suddenly she launches herself at him, naked and unfazed by the wetness on his stomach. She wraps her arms around his neck, buries her face in his chest, and says, "I came." He chokes out a laugh. "I saw." She peers up at him in awe and announces, "Let's have sex." His cock hardens again, and she feels it. But Garrett, in a moment of pure masochism, says, "No." She demands to know why. He tells her tonight was a big step, and that's how they need to handle it from now on—in steps. Baby steps.
An odd glimmer crosses her eyes. She says that's what her therapist used to advise. Baby steps. Then she goes quiet, and a brilliant smile fills her face, lighting up the room. It's the first time Hannah has smiled at him like that—a smile that truly reaches her eyes—and it makes his heart clench in the strangest way. She says, "You're a pretty good guy, Garrett. You know that?" He shrugs and says he has his moments. Her smile widens, and his chest cracks wide open. He knows in that moment that he's in trouble. He agreed to help her not just because he's her friend, but because he's a man. When a woman asks you to have sex with her and give her an orgasm, you say hell yes. Well, she got the orgasm. And he knows he's going to get the sex. But right now, all he wants is for this girl to smile at him again.
Reader's Impressions & Star Rating:
This chapter is a masterclass in tension, tenderness, and restraint. Garrett's internal monologue is hilarious and horny, but it's also surprisingly vulnerable. He's not just trying to get off—he's trying to protect Hannah, to let her set the pace, to prove he's worth trusting. The "baby steps" moment is a gut punch of sweetness, and that final smile? It's the kind of detail that makes you fall for a fictional couple. The scene is steamy, yes, but it's the emotional intimacy that lingers. I loved every second of it.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Rating: 4.9 / 5 Stars
Next Chapter Prediction:
After that "baby steps" declaration and Hannah's therapist callback, the next chapter will likely dive deeper into her past and her boundaries. Garrett will have to prove he can be patient, especially when his body and ego are screaming for more. I predict Hannah will open up about her trauma—or at least inch closer to it—and their deal will start to blur into something neither of them planned. There may be a moment where she panics or pulls away, forcing Garrett to choose between his reputation and his growing feelings. And knowing Garrett, he'll screw up somehow, but he'll also fight like hell to make it right. One thing is certain: the next chapter will test whether "baby steps" can lead to something real.
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