“I’m trying to figure out what’s wrong with you. I mean, there has to be something.” My tone sounded strange. I was trying to joke, take the pressure off, but I was also completely serious.
She rolled her eyes, her lips twitching, before shoving my head backward with her free hand and attempting to walk away from me. “I’m friends with you. That’s something that’s clearly wrong with me.”
“Sherry.” I tugged her arm until her body was within an inch of mine again. Her breath caught and her eyes briefly dropped to my lips. I exhaled and stood up straighter, that tiny glance giving me confidence.
“I can’t figure it out, Sherry. No one should be this perfect to another person. People think it’s impossible for a person to be perfect, even a person they love. Everyone thinks it. That even when we love a person there are still things we just… tolerate.” My eyes slowly traced the features of her face. Her crooked nose, the scar above her right eyebrow from when she fell at the park, her lips which were always a little lopsided when she smiled, the freckles scattered across her nose, I looked at it all. I loved it all.
“I’m trying to understand what it means that I look at you and I can’t think of a single thing I’d change. There’s nothing about you I merely tolerate.” I paused, swallowing roughly. I knew I was going to do this tonight, but I hadn’t expected to do it so soon. And what started as a simple kiss was apparently turning into a huge heartfelt confession. Strangely enough, the nerves were the same.
Sherry’s expression was completely open. Her wide eyes were focused intently on mine, and her lips were parted, though no air was passing through them. She was literally holding her breath, waiting for my next words.
But I couldn’t force out any more words, not when my lips were begging me to do something else, to do what I’d been wanting for two years.
“Hunter,” she whispered, her breath hitting my face and making me realize I’d inched forward. Both my hands had moved to her waist and pulled her closer. I looked up and asked her the question with my eyes, too afraid if I moved my lips even a fraction, all they’d be capable of doing would be attacking her mouth.
Like always, Sherry understood. She read the question easily and gave a small nod of approval. Then she licked her lips, and like a moth to a flame, I went. She was impossible to resist. There was a good chance she’d kill me. That she’d set me on fire and I’d perish beneath her. But damn, that sounded like the best way to go.
Her mouth tipped up into the smallest smile. A smile that was obliterated when I leaned forward and softly touched my lips to hers, tasting the happiness spread across them. Her happiness tasted sweet… like strawberries.
She responded immediately, and our mouths moved automatically, naturally. Like they were meant for this. The kiss wasn’t awkward or forced. It was perfect.
All those idiots in my class practically grabbed the first girl they could find. They couldn’t wait for the kissing and sex, and while I was itching for it, too, I had no problem waiting. And it was perfect because I had.
I immediately took advantage of Sherry’s moan, my tongue inching in for more. She tasted sweet inside too, the cake still lingering, reminding me of the birthday wish she made not even an hour ago. It wasn’t my birthday, I hadn’t made a wish, so why did it feel like all my dreams were coming true?
I nearly lost it when her arms wound around my neck and she pushed her soft body against mine. My legs wobbled and I blindly moved backward. It wasn’t until my calves hit the railing and nearly buckled that I remembered how close we were to the edge. My hand flew out, narrowly missing the top bar. My fingers were dangling over the other side as I steadied us. Sherry fell against me with a yelp.
Even though we were in no danger of falling, I quickly moved her back. Her breaths were coming out fast, whether from the near fall or the kiss, I wasn’t sure.
My hands framed her face. “Sorry, I got carried away. Are you okay?” My eyes flew up and down her body. Logically I knew she wasn’t hurt—I’d been glued to her the entire time—but I still needed to make sure.
“Yeah.” Her green eyes collided with mine, making me hyperaware of everything that had just happened.
I kissed her.
She kissed me back.
We kissed.
Finally.
I carefully moved her backward until she hit the wall that housed the interior stairwell.
Moving forward, I rested my lips on her neck. Her pulse was thundering beneath her soft, sweet skin, and my tongue couldn’t help but sneak out and trace a slow line up her throat. She giggled when I reached a ticklish spot right below her ear. I pulled away, looking at every part of her.
“I’ve wanted this for so long. I don’t know what to taste first,” I whispered, the words hitting her lips before I placed a gentle kiss there.
She inhaled sharply, like my words were the oxygen keeping her alive and she was finally able to take a breath. “Me too. Ever since New Year’s… well even before that, but that night was…”
“Excruciating,” I finished for her. I had been surprised I was able to stay in her house and talk to her parents for as long as I had that night. I ran home as soon as I had the chance, jerking off the second I got into my bedroom.
“Did that really just happen?” she asked.
“No.” I smiled and pushed a piece of hair behind her ear. “It’s been happening.”
I cupped her cheeks before I dipped my head, slowly taking her mouth. We gave and took in equal measure, easily finding a rhythm. My hands on her hips, pulling her close. Her arms wrapping around my neck and her fingers spearing into my hair. Sherry’s sighs of pleasure played in perfect harmony with my lust-filled groans.
We kissed. And kissed. And kissed. We kissed until our smiles made it impossible. I broke away with a laugh.
“What?” she whispered, playfully nipping my chin.
God, this was going to be fantastic.
“I’m just so happy, Sherry.” I pulled away and looked down at her, wide smile still in place. “And so damn relieved.”
“Relieved?” Her eyebrows rose in surprise. “You thought I’d turn you down?”
“No, but…” I tried to think through my explanation, and when it came to me, I snapped my fingers before pulling her closer, because I could do that now. My hands settled on her lower back, feeling right at home. “You know when you’re a kid and you’d test how long you could hold your breath underwater?”
“Yeah…” Her face bunched up in adorable confusion, and again, because I could, I leaned forward and kissed her. “God, I can’t believe I can steal a kiss whenever I want to now…”
Sherry rolled her eyes, but she couldn’t fight her smile. “You can’t steal what’s given,” she corrected. “But finish your thought. So you’re holding your breath…”
“Right. I’m holding my breath, and even though I know I’m going to come up for air, there’s this inevitable panic coursing through me. Even a little dizziness if I really pushed it. But deep down I’m calm because I know that oxygen is coming.” I paused, my eyes soaking it all in and committing this moment to memory. “You’re my oxygen, Sherry, and I know you’ll always come through for me. I trust you more than anyone.” Her eyes shone; and while I hated to see her cry, her bright green eyes looked impossibly gorgeous when she did.
“I’m honored to be that person for you, and I feel the same way,” she whispered, her fingers drawing a path from my temple to my jaw. “You’re my best friend.”
I smiled, sure of the blush on my cheeks. “Yeah, I know. But friend is probably the single worst word in the English language when it comes out of the mouth of the girl you love.”
She froze.
I froze.
Love wasn’t a word you threw out there on the same night as the first kiss.
Just ask Ted Mosby.
Well, in for a penny…
“I can’t even remember a time when I didn’t love you, Sherry. It’s so much a part of me, I
would never be able to break it down. It honestly feels like there was no life before you. I don’t even remember it,” I said in earnest. “It sounds so lame, but I started living the day I ran into your yard, nearly crapping myself when I saw you looking at me.”
“How romantic…” Sherry smiled.
“I try.”
“I love you, too,” she whispered. I watched her touch her lips. They were raw and chapped… abused. But also worshipped.
“I only wished for a kiss…”
“What?” I asked.
“My birthday wish. I wished for a kiss. I didn’t expect to get…”
“Get what?” I leaned forward and rested my forehead against hers.
“Everything. The world. You.”
I’m her everything.
I’m her world.
I smiled wide. “You’ve always had me.”
“And now I have even more.”
Our smiles melted into a kiss as our lips met, and I knew…
I will never, ever have enough of this girl.
17 years old
“CAN I COME UP yet?” Sherry’s voice echoed throughout the empty house, rising up the stairs to where I stood in her bedroom. I nervously looked everything over once more before darting downstairs.
“So—” My feet and my words stopped short, and I could do nothing but stare as my eyes immediately landed on Sherry. Starting at her feet, which were covered in black, strappy sandals, my gaze slowly moved over her toned calves, pausing on the scar just below her right knee. I smiled. Not because she’d been hurt, but because I knew how she got it. I knew everything. I knew how she got every scar, just like I knew where every freckle was. I knew this girl better than anyone.
As my eyes traveled farther up, I quickly abandoned the word girl. Because the person standing in front of me was no longer a girl. No, Sherry was one-hundred-percent woman. The dress she wore more than highlighted that fact. It stopped halfway up her thighs and had me itching to shove it up and bury my face in what lay beneath. I felt myself hardening and quickly jerked my gaze up. Yeah, that didn’t help. Instead I was staring at the most perfect rack in the world.
Sherry cleared her throat and, once again, I found my eyes doing a rocket jump from one part of her body to another. Her lips showed no trace of a smile, even as her eyes radiated humor and warmth.
I held up my hands. “Hey, I’m allowed to stare. Boyfriend perk.”
That made-just-for-me smile broke through as she asked, “Almost done?”
“Yep.” I swallowed nervously and my palms started sweating.
It was my birthday and we’d finally decided to have sex. Luckily, Sherry’s parents had a wedding to go to this weekend and weren’t returning until tomorrow night, giving us access to the house. Sherry had been downstairs getting ready while I was in her room setting things up. Because even though it was my birthday and her house, I wanted to make it special for her.
We’d started dating right after our first kiss last May. But we didn’t start fooling around until the end of last summer. Sherry and I had been heavy with the over-the-clothes action, but we’d never been skin to skin. Not until last September when my parents went out of town for Labor Day weekend and Sherry told me she was ready for a little bit more.
I hadn’t been rushing her—I wanted her to feel completely comfortable. But I’d be a fucking liar if I said I hadn’t been thrilled when she told me that.
So for the past six months, we’d done just that. I’d fingered her plenty of times and she’d given me countless hand jobs, but the rest was foreign territory. I’d never tasted her and she’d never sucked me off, and none of our clothes had ever been off for an extended period of time. But I was looking forward to exploring every inch of that territory tonight.
I slowly led her up the stairs and down the hallway, pausing when I got to her room. I turned toward her. “Are you ready to be impressed?” I asked as I reached behind me and pushed the door open. Letting her go first, I closed the door before moving to stand next to her, both of us gazing down at her queen-sized bed.
“Are you scared?” I asked, feeling incredibly nervous myself.
Sherry didn’t mind and her voice was just as soft when she answered, “A little. You?” She didn’t sound scared, but I knew she wouldn’t lie about it to make me feel better either. We’d talked about it over the last few weeks, thinking we’d quelled most of our nerves. But there was something different about actually being here.
“A little,” I echoed. But I also knew I needed to make this more about her than me. If anyone needed to be calm, it had to be me. So, I shoved my fears down and turned to face her. Rubbing my hands up and down with a flurry of excitement, I said, “But I’m all kinds of prepared. Go ahead. Ask me anything. Any concern you have, I have an answer.” I may have puffed out my chest a tiny bit. But it was well worth it for the smile she gave me.
Sherry went for the obvious. “Condoms?”
“Of course.”
“Lube?”
“Affirmative.”
She moved to the nightstand where I’d already set those two things out. I watched Sherry trace her fingers over the candle next to them. It was a long shot and bordered on mushy, but it was also her favorite scent so—
“Mood music?” she asked, bypassing mention of the candle. Sherry code for she loved it.
I faltered for a hot second before quickly shaking my head. “Trick question. You’d hate it.” That was a little too mushy.
She nodded and cocked an eyebrow, like she finally had me. “What if I bleed?”
“Aha!” I triumphantly marched to the bed, pulling back the comforter to reveal an extra-large towel spread out over the middle.
“You’ve really thought of everything,” she said quietly. I turned around to find tears in her eyes as she looked at the bed.
“Sherry?” I immediately dropped the material and moved toward her. “What’s wrong? Have you changed your mind? It’s okay if you have—” Her lips were on mine before I could finish. They were soft but purposeful kisses, filled with tenderness as opposed to heat, and still, I felt on fire.
We pulled away a few minutes later, softly panting as our eyes met. “I haven’t changed my mind, Hunter. Quite the opposite. I don’t think I could ever feel more ready. You’ve already made this night perfect.”
Lowering my head, I captured her lips with mine, holding them hostage as I put my hands on her hips and moved us toward her bed. “We can still stop at any time. Just say the word,” I reminded her when we stopped at the foot of it.
Nodding, she slowly stepped out of my grip until we were no longer touching. My hands fell to my sides and my mouth went dry as she brought her hands behind her back. I heard the telltale sign of a zipper parting, and my lips parted with it. One arm at a time, she relieved herself of the dress until the only thing holding it up was her hands pressing it to her chest. Her face remained expressionless as she slowly withdrew her arms, letting the material drop to the floor.
If I thought my mouth was dry before, it was the Sahara now. Sherry’s long, light-red hair fell in soft waves against her porcelain skin, stopping right below her bra. Her glorious tits looked like heaven. They peeked through the thin material, and I ached to lick the constellation of freckles across her chest.
Act cool, Hunter.
No drooling.
I discretely checked the side of my mouth for stray saliva. It wasn’t like Sherry didn’t know she’d be my first. She was my first everything.
First friend.
First family.
First love.
But damn, I wanted this to be good for her.
She slowly stepped out of the pool her dress had made and moved forward as I let my gaze appreciate the rest of her. When she was close enough, my hands immediately found her bare hips. She shivered at the contact and moved even closer.
“Hunter,” she whispered. “I want you to do the rest.” My fingers flexed against her warm skin. Looking strai
ght into her eyes, I slowly traced the edge of her panties from her side until my hand rested at the base of her spine. Sherry’s eyes flared slightly and she swayed into me.
My hand faltered slightly as her fingers deftly raised my shirt, waiting for me to remove my hands and help her. Reluctantly I lifted my arms away from her and let her tug it over my head. It passed over my face, and I heard her breath catch. It had just hit the floor when her hands landed on my chest, reverently tracing my still-developing muscles. Relishing the feeling of her touch, I put both my hands back at the base of her spine. My fingers slowly danced along her back as I brought them to her neck, gently massaging the muscles there.
Her hands took their time working my belt buckle before she pulled my belt loose, throwing it to the floor where my shirt was. And when her fingers dipped below my waistband, I couldn’t think straight anymore. I crushed my mouth down on hers, my hands moving around to hold the sides of her face while her fingers dipped lower and pulled me forward by my jeans until we were flush against one another.
All at once, we couldn’t get enough of each other. Our mouths opened at the same time, our tongues immediately battling for dominance. My hands made it to the back of her bra, scrambling to get it unhooked. Thankfully, it came undone with ease. I reluctantly stepped back and let it fall to the floor between us.
Lips still fused, I gripped her ass and lifted her up until her legs wrapped around me. I squeezed once more before I laid her out on the bed, like my own personal feast.
Kissing my way down her chest and stomach, I paused when I reached underwear. I gently began pulling the black material down, softly running my fingers along the same path in its wake until I tossed them over my shoulder. Sherry shivered as I grabbed her feet, placing a soft kiss on each ankle before removing her sandals and setting the arches of her feet on the edge of the bed, spreading her wide. I sat back on my heels, utterly amazed that this incredible woman had chosen me to give this special gift to.
When you spend your early childhood being told you’re nothing but a waste and an inconvenience… some part of you starts to believe it. I’d never felt worthy of anything, and yet somehow I’d gotten the most precious thing of all. And it wasn’t about the sex; it was just about her.
Unveiling Ghosts (Unveiling Series, Book 3) Page 10
