by Lynn Cooper
Blushing again, she whispered, “Is that an invitation?”
Ignoring her question, he exclaimed, “Goddamnit, Cherry! What were you thinking? How could you even consider giving such a precious gift to that idiot?”
She shrugged her shoulders. “It’s not a gift. It’s a burden. All I was thinking about was getting rid of it.”
Zane couldn’t stop shaking his head in disbelief. “I’m sorry, but I don’t understand this one bit. I thought all women wanted their first time to be special and romantic.” His voice softened. “To be with the man of their dreams or, at least, a man they love. Have I been getting bad intel all these years?”
Cherry offered him a tiny smile. “No, Officer Barrett, you heard correctly. That is every woman’s fantasy. But that’s all it is. In the real world, big girls like me don’t get swept off their feet. There’s no hunky Adonis awaiting to take my maidenhead and usher me into the enchanted forest for a happily-ever-after. Besides, I can’t stand the thought of becoming a virginal old maid or, worse, dying a virgin.”
Zane’s heart failed at the sight of her misting eyes. If only she could see herself the way he did. There was no way in this world she could end up an old maid, much less die a virgin. To him, she was cute, funny and sexy as hell. And he would bet his life he wasn’t the only man to think so. God help him, it was all he could do not kiss her breathless right then and there. Suddenly, he had a crazy idea—maybe the craziest anyone ever had. “How old are you, Cherry?”
“Twenty-one. Isn’t that pathetic? I’m a college graduate with a degree in biology, for goodness sake, and I’ve never had sex with a man.”
“Not pathetic. Precious. I, for one, am glad to know that there’s at least one young woman over the age of sixteen who’s still pure.”
The look on Cherry’s face hurt him. Her expression was that of one who had been slapped. “God! Do you really think I’m the only 21-year-old virgin out there? I’ve got to go apologize to Pete. Yes, he’s a complete shit. But he has a viable penis, and I’m in dire need of deflowering,” she said, standing. “I’ve got to get going.”
Zane bolted to his feet, kicking his chair halfway across the interrogation room. Before Cherry reached the door, he had grabbed her arm and spun her around to face him.
She didn’t look any too pleased. “Let me go!” she cried, jerking herself free.
Before he could stop himself he blurted out, “I’ll do it!”
She furrowed her brow. “Do what?”
He swallowed hard. “Take your virginity.”
Zane couldn’t believe he had uttered those words aloud. His pulse was racing ninety miles an hour, and his nerve endings were screaming with anticipation. He knew it was complete insanity. He was nearly twice her age. But there was no way in hell he was going to let her give it up to that bastard.
With bated breath Zane waited for her response. He was having a difficult time reading her facial expression. It seemed to fall somewhere between shock and relief.
Her mouth worked a few moments before any sound came out. “Are you fucking with me?” she asked, echoing his earlier question. A mischievous smile played at the corners of her full lips.
“If you’ll let me.”
He watched the seductive rise and fall of her voluptuous breasts as she took in a deep breath. “Okay. But only on one condition. I don’t want a pity fuck. I may be young and inexperienced, but I can give as good as I get. You got it, Officer Barrett?”
“I’m counting on it,” he said, winking at her. “But I have a condition of my own.”
She cocked her head to the side. “Oh, yeah? What might that be?”
“I want three dates before doing the deed.”
Placing her hands on her ample hips, she said, “Well, that’s just silly. You don’t have to woo me to screw me. It’s practically a done deal.”
“Silly or not, those are my terms. Take it or leave it.”
She dramatically huffed and puffed for a few seconds before relenting. “Fine.”
He smiled triumphantly. “Great. I‘ll pick you up at seven.”
Looking embarrassed, she cast her eyes downward. “Uh, maybe I should just meet you somewhere.”
“Nonsense. Zane Barrett always picks a lady up at her front door.”
“Look, I don’t have a front door, okay? I’ve been living out of the storage room at the ice cream parlor. In case you didn’t notice, I got fired today. I didn’t just lose a job, I lost a place to stay.”
Zane felt like a total ass. Of course he noticed. He was responsible for getting her canned. Raking his hands through his hair, he said, “I’m sorry, Cherry. This is all my fault.”
“Forget it. You probably did me a favor. Why don’t you give me your number, Officer Barrett, and I’ll call you when I’ve found some accommodations.”
Zane shook his head. “No damn way. I’m not letting you out of my sight. You’ll stay with me. End of discussion.”
CHERRY FELT LIKE A weightless cloud floating through a vast blue sky. Zane—as he had insisted she call him now—had just dropped her off at his beautiful, brick, split-level home on the outskirts of Oakgrove. He had given her a quick tour and shown her the guestroom where she would be sleeping. It was just across the hall from his bedroom. She felt warm and tingly as she wondered if he would take her in his bed or if he would come to hers.
He told her to make herself comfortable before he left. But there was no way for her to feel at ease just yet. In the last two hours, she had crashed her Buick into the back of his patrol car, gotten fired from her job, lost her living quarters and agreed to give her virginity to an experienced, older man. Not that his age was the pressing issue here. If anything, his maturity was a breath of fresh air. Plus, he was so handsome and youthful. Had she been guessing, she would have thought him to be in his late twenties. Apparently, not all cops were doughnut-loving pigs. Some kept themselves in tip-top shape.
She had not wanted him to go. But with his partner out sick, Zane had to finish his shift. It was actually very considerate of him to open his home up to her. He could have made her wait for him at the precinct. Cherry couldn’t believe that such a sweet, thoughtful man was still single.
They had only just met, but she felt completely safe with him. Maybe it was his line of work or the uniform that gave her such a solid sense of security. Whatever it was, Cherry was grateful he was to be the first man she would have sex with. Despite her fears and insecurities, she almost wished they could have more than a physical relationship. But she knew that wasn’t possible. She couldn’t take a chance on loving anyone else ever again.
The degree of Zane’s kindness surprised her. He had even had her car towed here to his house. And, to her disbelief, her suitcase and all her belongings were in the front seat. He really didn’t want her going back to the ice cream parlor, she thought, smiling to herself.
With a few hours to kill, she decided to give her old college roommate and dearest friend a call.
Gabriela Vega picked up on the second ring. “Hola, chica. Cómo estás?”
“Hola, mi amigo. I’m fine, I think. You know we have to switch to English now, right?” Cherry asked, giggling.
“Sí. English it is! I remember that you barely mastered greetings and salutations in my language. If I could only get you to come and live in Mexico, you would learn in no time. I miss you so much, mi amigo.”
Cherry sighed, “I miss you, too. Our days at Erskine College was the best of my life. Lately, I’ve been longing for all the late-night conversations we shared in our dorm room, the early-morning coffee runs and the Saturday afternoon movie marathons. Here in the real world, life is much more complicated.”
“Sí. I cherish those memories as well—a simpler time full of fun. Now, I am stressed. Things are slow going with mi padre’s jalapeño farm. He sent me away to America to learn about economics and to get a business degree. Yet, I cannot get him to implement any of my ideas. He is a stubborn vieja mula—old mule.
But enough about mi familia. Tell me how it is that you only think you are fine.”
Cherry relayed the events of her morning to Gabriela, being careful not to omit a single detail. When she finished, the reaction she got from her friend was most unexpected. The Spanish flew from her lips faster than Speedy Gonzalas—the fastest mouse in all of Mexico.
“Dios Santo! Este hombre del que hablas es tu destino—”
“English, Gabriela, English.”
“Sorry. I said, ‘Holy God! This man you speak of is your destiny.’”
“I hardly think so. It was more like his patrol car was in the wrong the place at the wrong time.”
“No, it was the right place at the right time. Last night both of you appeared in my dreams. Your belly was swollen with child, and he was standing by your side. The two of you were wearing golden bands upon your ring fingers. You were a family.”
Cherry laughed. “Honey, the only thing swelling my belly is soft serve ice cream. As far as your dream goes, it sounds to me like you’re eating way too much spicy food before bedtime.”
Gabriela’s voice turned super serious. “You know I do not joke about such things, mi amigo. Dreams are powerful. Mine have a history of coming true. You are in his home. He is the man that will take your innocence. You should go now and make him supper.”
It took everything Cherry had not to laugh, but she knew better than to make light of the situation again. “Okay, Gabriela. You win. I’ll make the man a meal. Given his generosity, it is the least I can do.”
“Bueno. I will wait patiently for my wedding invitation. It will be good to visit your country once more. Adiós.”
Cherry ended the call and made her way to the kitchen. Surprisingly, she found it to be spacious, tidy and fully stocked. Given Zane’s bachelor status, she expected a pile of dirty dishes, a bare cupboard and a fridge full of beer, condiments and nothing else. Instead, the pantry was filled with spices and all sorts of dry goods. The refrigerator was packed with fresh fruits, vegetables and a variety of meats.
Pots and pans were easily accessible as they hung above a beautiful island made of oak. She noticed a Bose Sound Touch music system mounted under one of the cabinets. The magnetized remote was on the refrigerator door. She grabbed it and pressed the power button. Her favorite song came pouring from the speakers on waves of pure lyrical perfection. It was light years away from the music that screeched out of her car speakers—sounds equivalent to a cat sharpening its claws on a scratching post. Her ears certainly weren’t accustomed to this sort of digital clarity. It was heavenly.
She couldn’t stop herself from gyrating to the base beat as she busied herself chopping vegetables for the salad.
ZANE NORMALLY RELISHED EVERY second of his shift. But this afternoon, he thought it would never end. The last three hours had dragged by. All he wanted was to see Cherry again. His stomach filled with butterflies as he turned down Oakgrove Avenue. Excitement and anticipation surged through his veins. Coming home from work had never felt so damn good. He wondered if all men who had women waiting for them experienced these same feelings. God, he could get used to this.
Taking a deep breath, he reminded himself not to put the cart before the horse. Cherry hadn’t shown any indication that she wanted anything from him other than his deflowering services. And though he typically didn’t believe in love at first sight, this beautiful young woman had awakened something deep inside him.
When he parked alongside her car in his driveway, he couldn’t help but smile. Forget Cupid and his arrow or the notion of being bitten by the Love Bug. In Zane’s opinion, the surest way to a man’s heart was to rear-end him with a Buick.
The sky looked bluer, the sun shone brighter, the grass grew greener as he slid his key into the lock on his front door. Stepping over the threshold, he inhaled deeply the delicious aromas wafting from the kitchen. He could feel the deep base of the Bose reverberating in his chest, and his ears perked up at the sound of a sweet feminine voice singing along with the radio.
He was taken aback by the positive energy that permeated the atmosphere. When this day began, he had walked out of this brick structure, a house, a place of shelter. Sure, he had called it a home, but it hadn’t truly felt like one until this very moment.
Figuring she didn’t hear him come in, he called out so as not to startle her. “Hey, Cherry! It’s me, Zane.”
He stood still in front of the closed kitchen door, waiting for her to acknowledge him. His palms grew sweaty when he heard her walking across the ceramic-tile floor. His breath caught in his throat as she lowered the volume of the music. He thought he was mentally prepared to see her, but nothing could have readied him for what he saw as the kitchen door swung open. Cherry was standing there, smiling like an angel. Only he didn’t think angels wore pink, satin teddies with polka dots, nude panty hose and black, open-toed, patent-leather pumps.
Batting her lashes, she said, “Welcome home.”
He let out a low wolf-whistle. “God Almighty, you’re gorgeous.”
He devoured her with his eyes while she blushed all over. He was glad to see his compliment was having the desired effect.
“Are you hungry?” she asked softly.
He quickly closed the space between them. Placing one hand at the curve of her waist, he planted the other one in her silky, blond hair. Lowering his head, he breathed against her mouth, “I’m starving.” Lightly teasing her lips with his, he pulled her closer against his chest.
He was six-foot-one, and she was just an inch shorter than him in those heels. The closeness in height caused a delicious alignment of their intimate body parts.
A little gasp escaped her slightly-parted lips and fluttered over his neck. Taking full advantage, he kissed her deeply. His hard body pressed her firmly against the doorframe. His hand sensuously slipped beneath the sheer bodice of the teddy to caress her bare skin.
“Zane,” she sighed, digging her fingernails into his shoulders.
Her sweet, soft voice sent a bolt of searing sensation throughout his entire body.
“Oh, Cherry,” he groaned, pulling back enough to rest his forehead on hers. “I want you so badly. I want to fuck you until you can’t walk. To hear you moan my name while I thrust deep inside you. To lick that sweet little clit of yours until you scream, pull my hair and come all over my face.”
She panted against his mouth. “I want that, too. Can we please go to your bedroom now?”
He took a step back. Her question had felt like having a bucket of ice water dumped on his head. What the hell was wrong with him? He couldn’t take her innocence this way, having only known her less than a day. Zane wasn’t the kind of man who lost control like this. The deal was three dates, then deflowering. And, by God, if it killed him, he was going to follow the plan. Cherry was too important to him to do otherwise. He didn’t want to screw this up. He was hoping to win her heart before taking her to bed. A dark turbulence of conflict filled his eyes as he answered her.
“No, sweetheart. I’m sorry; we can’t. I’m going to take a shower. You should change into something a little less revealing before we eat.”
It took all the strength and will power he could muster to walk away from her, but it had to be done.
CHERRY WAS SO FRUSTRATED and angry, she could have spit on his living room carpet and then ground it into the plush fibers with her sexy stilettos. It was a good thing she was a lady or else she would have done just that. Granted, she had precious little experience with men and none with older men. But, shit-a-mighty, she couldn’t have possibly misread his desire. She saw the outline of his perfectly sculpted sex against his pants. Felt his rock-hard erection nudge her mound, making her weak-kneed. Even if his body hadn’t given him away, he had flat-out said he wanted to fuck her.
All of this was her fault for coming on too strong. Admittedly, the teddy and high heels was a bit much for their first dinner together. But she couldn’t help herself. She had wanted to wear it for her first time. An
d despite the fact that he had told her he wanted to go on a few dates first, she was certain she could tempt him into action.
She had purchased the lingerie two months ago when she decided to give herself to Pete. She didn’t even like the guy, but he was convenient. He would have served the purpose just fine had her plan not been thwarted by an untimely fender-bender.
Gabriela was full of refried beans. There was no such thing as destiny. Unfortunately, everyone’s life is made up of a series of random events. Some good. Some bad. Some devastating. And for whatever reason, losing her virginity didn’t seem to be destined at all. In fact, it appeared Zane had changed his mind about wanting her.
The second she asked about moving things to his bedroom, he had pulled away. The thought of having her in his bed probably made things too real for him. She suspected he wanted out of their deal. She couldn’t blame him. A hot hunk like Zane could have any woman he wanted. God, what had she been thinking, strutting around his house in her lingerie? He probably thought she looked like a pink Hostess Snowball Cake in this outfit.
Cherry had really messed up. To make matters worse, she had absolutely no place to go. She was stuck for the night. But, come morning, she would leave. Pete had most likely cooled off by now, and—her nonexistent sex life aside—she still had student loans to pay and needed a job. With the crappy economy, the ice cream parlor was the only work she could find. She needed to make nice with Pete before he gave her position to some other poor sap.
ZANE HADN’T SLEPT A wink. After his shower, he went downstairs to an empty kitchen. Cherry left him a plate of food on the counter and had put the rest in the refrigerator. The delectable meal was teasing his taste buds, but he was too upset to eat. He made his way back upstairs and knocked on the guestroom door. But she didn’t answer, and her light was off. Not wanting to wake her, he trudged across the hallway to his own lonely room.
He tossed and turned all night, cursing himself for hurting her. His walking away wasn’t a rejection; he just wanted to slow things down. To get to know her on a deeper level before they made love. Perhaps he should have just acted on his desire. He took a gamble on being noble and lost.
