Forbidden First Times: A Contemporary Romance Collection

by Sofia T Summers

  Cynthia cleared her throat. “Annie, hon,” she said. “We have company – why don’t you go get Elliot a drink?”

  Annie’s big blue eyes opened slowly, and she smiled happily at me before getting to her feet. I had to work to tear my eyes away from her luscious hips and ass as she walked into the kitchen.

  “Annie,” Cynthia called after her daughter. “You didn’t even ask him what he wanted!”

  I coughed awkwardly. “Anything is fine,” I yelled. “Thanks!”

  Seconds later, Annie emerged with a can of beer. She handed it to me with a smirk, and as our fingers brushed, I felt a hot spark leap from her hand to mine.

  Just being in the same room with her was driving me mad. My heart was thudding in my aching chest, and my cock was threatening to stiffen at any moment. I’d always thought that I was a man who was good at controlling himself and his basest urges, but Annie was making me question all of that. All I wanted to do was close the distance between us and tangle my hands in her blonde curls, pull her close, and crush her against my body in a passionate kiss.

  And judging by the look in her eyes, she wanted it, too.

  Just as bad as I did.

  “Well,” Cynthia chirped brightly, making me blink in surprise. “Why don’t we go and sit down? Rob’s just finishing up in his stud; he’ll be in soon.”

  Somehow, being alone with Annie and her mother was almost more awkward than being with her and both of her parents at once. Her mother seemed both oblivious and all too aware of the situation between her daughter and myself as she led the way into the dining room where the table was laid for four.

  “Looks good, Mom,” Annie said, but her eyes were on me as she said it.

  “If only your father would hurry up,” Cynthia said. She paused, then cleared her throat. “Rob,” she called. “We’re getting ready to eat!”

  There was a muffled response from upstairs, and moments later, Rob appeared in the doorway of the dining room with a good-natured chuckle. He walked over to me and gave me a hearty clap on the back.

  “Good to see you,” Rob boomed. “Looks like my wife finally got you back over here! I know how persuasive she can be,” he added in a conspiratorial tone, winking at me.

  Oh my fucking god, I thought. What a fucking nightmare.

  The four of us sat down – Annie across from me – and Cynthia began dishing out portions of the lamb. It smelled delicious, but the last thing I could think about was food. All I could focus on was Annie, mere feet from me, her tits heaving with every breath that she took. I had the feeling that she was doing it on purpose to drive me crazy, and I swallowed hard.

  “We have so much to catch up,” Cynthia bubbled before launching into a recount of her latest garden party event. Rob caught my eyes and rolled his own, and I smiled politely in return, regretting the fact that I’d ever let the Brownes befriend me.

  Annie cleared her throat. “So,” she said, interrupting her mother. “I have a job interview next week.”

  “Where?” I asked.

  “That’s nice, honey,” Cynthia said. We’d spoken at exactly the same moment, and a brief silence fell over the table before Annie giggled.

  “Nothing too exciting,” Annie said. She caught my eye again, and I had to force my gaze down at my plate so I wouldn’t launch across the table and kiss her. “It’s just an IT consulting firm. They need a receptionist.”

  God, the simplest words coming from her were enough to drive me mad.

  “That could be good for you,” Cynthia replied before I could say anything. She smiled at her daughter. “You know, hon, now that you’re out of college, I think your dad is probably a little more okay with the idea of you dating. You should be getting out more, seeing people your own age.”

  Annie giggled again and I blinked. There it was again – another stab of worry that Cynthia knew everything that had happened between Annie and me, and that she was just doing this to fuck with me, to get me to break down and confess.

  “I don’t know, Mom,” Annie said slowly, locking eyes with me as she spoke. “Maybe. I’m kind of focused on looking for a job right now.”

  “Your mother’s right, Annie,” Rob said, much to my surprise. He chuckled and turned to me. “You probably guessed this about me, but I was a bit of a stern father to my little girl. Cynthia and I never wanted her to lose her focus on school – that was always important to us; we didn’t want her to be distracted.”

  Annie flushed.

  “Maybe Elliot knows some young men,” Cynthia suggested.

  I had to bite the inside of my mouth to keep from crying out in protest. Me? Find a man for Annie?

  Jesus, this was absolute torture.

  “Elliot, is everything all right? You haven’t touched your lamb,” Cynthia said. She frowned. “Is it overdone?”

  No, you oblivious woman, I thought as I forced myself to slice a small bite of meat and eat it. You’re just making me want to scream, nothing more!

  “No,” I said as politely as I could muster, shaking my head. “Everything is fine. I’m just a little distracted with work. That’s all.”

  Annie glanced up and raised an eyebrow at me. “I bet you work too hard,” she said, her tone bordering on flirtatious. “You should find more time to relax.”

  The sweet tones of her voice sent a hot bolt of lust through me, and I forced a tight smile. My cock was throbbing and stiff, and I was glad for the tablecloth covering my lap, but I had no idea how I was going to find a way to get up without showing off my massive hard-on.

  “That’s what we’re always saying,” Rob boomed heartily. “Elliot, we really need to get out on the green and hit those eighteen holes, what do you say?”

  That I’d rather get a root canal without anesthesia, I thought.

  “Maybe in a while,” I demurred. “Like I said, I’m busy with work.”

  Cynthia and Rob fell into conversation about a new tennis court that had been proposed for the end of the block, and I let my fork quietly drop to the table. With Annie on my mind, the idea of eating anything – other than her, of course – was impossible, and we stared at each other in silence. I took in every single one of her features: the defined cupid’s bow above her upper lip that made her look so kissable. Her plump lower lip that I desperately wanted to nibble and suck. Her creamy, pale skin that made her look like she’d never spent a day in the sun before.

  And of course, her big blue eyes that were trained on me.

  It was torture – exquisite torture, but torture all the same, and finally, I couldn’t take it any longer. I felt that I would burst if I had to keep sitting across from her in silence like this, and I forced all thoughts of her out of my head.

  Baseball, baseball, baseball. Cold showers. Baseball, I chanted silently in my head, doing anything possible to kill my raging erection. After a solid minute of staring down at my plate and thinking about the un-sexiest things in the world, the old trick began to work. I got to my feet and cleared my throat, startling Cynthia.

  “Elliot? You’re not leaving, are you,” she asked with a slight pout. “I made blackberry cobbler for dessert – you’re sure that you won’t stay?”

  “I’m sorry,” I said smoothly. “But I have to get back to work.”

  And just like that, ignoring Cynthia’s protests and the pleading look in Annie’s eyes, I forced myself to leave their house. Once outside, the evening air was humid and warm, but it felt like a cool baptism on my face as I practically ran across the yard and into the safety of my own, Annie-less house.

  7

  Annie

  As soon as Elliot left, I felt a wave of mingled relief and crushing desperation. It was hard to believe that mere seconds ago, he had been sitting across the table from me, staring at me like he’d never seen a woman before in his life. He had looked so stunningly hot in a white button-down shirt that had shown off his muscular physique, and I’d had to keep my hands in my lap whenever I wasn’t eating – the thought of running my hands
through his lush brown hair had been too tempting.

  I didn’t know what was happening to me. Clearly, I was in deep, mad lust with Elliot. But there was something more, which was ridiculous. We’d barely exchanged fifteen words, but I felt something so deep for him that I couldn’t even begin to articulate it.

  Was I falling in love for the first time? Or was this just a massive crush?

  At any rate, I was eager to explore it. I felt so lucky and blessed that Elliot was obviously as attracted to me as I was to him and as much as I wished that we didn’t have to sneak around behind my parents – or right in front of them, as dinner had been – the secrecy of the whole thing just made it hotter.

  I wondered if it was because for most of my life, I hadn’t really ever had secrets from anyone. My parents, overprotective as they were, were also loving. Until I’d met Beth, my mother had been my best friend. Back when I had been in high school, she’d come into my room almost every night with dessert, and we’d watch old I Love Lucy or Petticoat Junction reruns. We’d painted each other’s toenails and giggled together, and I’d had no problem telling her everything: my problems with a mean teacher, or a girl who was bullying me, or crying because I hadn’t gotten the lead in the school musical.

  It was strange to think that things had changed so fast, and that she had no idea about any of it. It was part of growing up, but some little naïve part of me had always believed that my mom and I would be best friends.

  “Annie?”

  My mother’s voice snapped me out of my daze, and I looked up at her as a warm flush spread over my cheeks.

  “Sorry,” I said. “I was just daydreaming.”

  “You were so quiet at dinner,” Mom pointed out. She smiled at me. “Were you thinking about what I said?”

  My heart skipped a beat.

  “Um, what?” I replied. “About Elliot, you mean?”

  My mother’s smile faded slightly. “No,” she said as she shook her head. “About how you might want to get out there and start dating.” When I didn’t answer, she continued: “Is there anyone whom you have your eye on?”

  My cheeks grew hotter as I shook my head. “No,” I told her. “There isn’t anyone I have in mind.”

  Mom reached over the table and took my hand. She gave it a brief squeeze and smiled again.

  “I’m sure you’ll find someone, hon,” she said. “You’re so smart and strong.”

  I swallowed. I didn’t feel strong. I felt horny and restless, like I was being pulled in a million directions that all were somehow magically leading to Elliot. I felt confused and unsure of myself, but also like I was learning new things about my own body, mind, heart, and soul at once.

  In short, I had never felt so strange.

  “Annie?” Mom asked. She gave my hand another squeeze and then pulled back and got to her feet. “You want to help me with dessert?”

  I nodded. Getting to my feet, I felt my insides sloshing around inside of me, like I was drunk. My heart was thudding as I followed Mom into the kitchen. She took the cobbler out of the fridge and began cutting it into pieces.

  “Do you have something you need to tell me?” Mom asked in a quiet voice. She turned to me, and there was clear concern on her face. “You know that I’ll always support you no matter what, right?”

  I frowned. “Is this about me getting a job and moving out? Because I’m looking, and I know you don’t want me to do that, and—”

  My mother shook her head, effectively cutting my words off.

  “No,” she said, stepping so close that I could smell her Opium perfume. “It’s not about that, hon. It’s about ... well,” she continued, flushing hard. “It’s about you.”

  I blinked in confusion. I could only remember seeing my mother blush a handful of times in my life, and usually, those were all times when I was watching a movie with my parents, and a sex scene came on screen.

  “I don’t get it,” I told her as I shook my head. “Did I do something wrong?”

  “No, honey,” my mother said. “But if you’re, well, if you’re more interested in women ... that’s fine with me, and we’ll figure out a way to tell your father.”

  I couldn’t help it – I burst into laughter.

  “No,” I told her as I vigorously shook my head. “I mean, not that I think there’s anything wrong with that! But I’m like, totally straight.”

  My mother didn’t look convinced. “I always wondered why you didn’t fight your father and I harder when we didn’t want you dating.”

  I kept shaking my head. “Mom, you know why,” I said. Now it was my turn to blush. I gestured to my figure. “Guys my own age aren’t really interested in me.”

  Mom was quiet for a moment, and I went cold with horror and dread when I realized my mistake in saying guys my own age.

  “I’m sure that’ll change,” Mom said finally. She seemed uncomfortable as she spoke, and she turned her gaze from me to the cutlery drawer, where she plucked three forks and set them down. We carried the plates into the dining room, where my father was idly playing a game on his phone. As soon as the two of us sat down, my dad looked up.

  “Did he seem off to you, tonight?” Dad asked my mom.

  Under the table, my palms began to sweat.

  “No,” she said, shaking her head. “But I’m starting to think he has a girlfriend or something – there’s clearly a reason he doesn’t want to spend as much time here. I bet he’s seeing someone new,” she added with a small smile.

  I had to bite the inside of my mouth to keep from grinning like a fool.

  8

  Elliot

  When I got home, I went into my office and sat down, breathing hard – and it wasn’t just from the hot weather outside. That dinner had been a disaster, and I completely regretted letting Annie’s mother twist my arm and force me over there.

  Well, I thought with a touch of humor and irony.

  Maybe this’ll stop the invites for good.

  I had all but literally drooled over sweet Annie, and her gorgeously curvy body, and the worst part, part of me wished that I had actually stayed for dessert, if only just for another glimpse at her beautiful self. I could feel that my infatuation with her was beginning to spiral out of control.

  I opened my laptop and stared at the screen, mindlessly surfing the same news sites over and over again. The news was anything but good, but hardly anything registered. Even as my eyes scanned the words and photos, my mind still stayed glued to Annie. And when I opened the document file containing the notes for my upcoming presentation, I found that I was utterly unable to concentrate. I had only been on the board of my company for a few years, and I was the youngest company member to have been chosen in history – I couldn’t fuck this up. Working for Empire Events was the job of a lifetime for anyone with an MBA: we worked with the children of the very wealthy to help them start their first charities and plan events.

  I’d always loved my job, but ever since meeting Annie, I had been unable to concentrate on nearly anything but her.

  With a sigh, I got to my feet and walked over to my bar, where I poured myself a glass of scotch. It was clear that I wasn’t going to be able to concentrate on anything until I’d had a drink.

  Or several.

  I closed my eyes and took a sip, savoring the rich burn of the alcohol as it slid down my throat. It was hard not to imagine that Annie was right there with me, kissing me and tasting the scotch on my lips. The very image was enough to make my balls ache with desire and lust, and I let out a low groan as I set my tumbler down on the desk.

  What was it about her that was driving me so wild? She was beautiful, yes – one of the prettiest women I’d ever seen. But it was more than that. She was both innocent and curious, and she had the most gorgeous laugh I’d ever heard.

  Still, in any other situation, that wouldn’t have been enough to drive a man to near ruin.

  I finished my scotch and had another, then finally sat down and was able to get some work done.
By the time I looked up at the clock, it was after midnight, and I was feeling a little fluid and warm from the booze I’d drunk while working.

  Should probably hit the hay, I thought as I closed my laptop and got to my feet. Just as I was stepping out of my office, there was an urgent, quiet knock at the door that made my heart lurch to the side with excitement. I crossed the room in quick steps and opened the door to find Annie, still clad in that obscene little sundress. I stepped back, and she came inside, closing the door behind her and breathing hard. Her cheeks were flushed pink from the heat, and she was biting her ripe lower lip. The sight of her sent a shockwave of intense arousal through my body, and I could even smell her, the light scent of her sweat mingled with her floral perfume.

  Instantly, I knew what I had been doing.

  I hadn’t stayed up late on purpose to work.

  I had been waiting for her, waiting for Annie.

  “Hi,” she said, almost shyly.

  I wanted to touch her, wanted to kiss her, wanted to sweep her into my arms, and fuck her like mad. But I also wanted to savor her nearness, savor her presence, explore every inch of her body and mind.

  “Can I get you something to drink?” I asked. My voice came out in a low growl that surprised even me.

  Annie thought about it for a second, then nodded quickly. She followed me into the kitchen, and I took a bottle of white wine from the fridge, then poured two glasses.

  “I snuck out again,” she confessed when I handed her the glass. The air was on fire between us, and we locked eyes as Annie sipped her wine and set the glass down on the counter.

  “I acted like such an idiot at dinner,” she said, licking her lips and stepping closer. “I ... I’m sorry, I couldn’t stop staring at you. I don’t know what’s happening to me, and I’ve never felt anything like this before, and that’s like, totally crazy because we don’t even know each other and—”