Mom removes his empty plate, messing up his dark hair, before leaning in to kiss his cheek.
“They’re my best friends. And I don’t want to share with a stranger.”
A knowing smile slips over my mouth at the mention of the word stranger as my mind instantly conjures up images of Friday night and my tangle between the sheets with a hot, sexy stranger. My body tingles all over, and my core aches, reminding me I’m still sore after our marathon sex session. I never knew I could contort my body into so many positions or that I could orgasm so many times, especially as a complete novice, but Ryan worked my body like a pro, and I was putty in his skillful hands. We didn’t catch a wink of sleep all night, and we couldn’t get enough of one another. He was so gentle and considerate, and I really couldn’t have chosen a better guy to do the deed with.
It was, hands down, the most amazing night of my life.
“Why are you grinning like a crazy person?” Charlie asks, his blue eyes narrowing suspiciously. My youngest brother graduated from UD recently with a degree in agriculture and natural resources, so he’s well attuned to college life, and I’m guessing he understands this past weekend was about more than just apartment hunting.
“I’m just happy. Is there a law against that?” I retort, offering him my sweetest smile.
“Uh-huh.” He eyeballs me with intensity. “Maybe you should stay with Austin.”
“Don’t start.” I roll my eyes. “You need to quit the protective big brother shit. That might’ve worked when I was still in high school, but I’m eighteen and starting college soon. You, Austin, and Marc don’t get to pull that crap on me anymore.”
“That’s what I’m afraid of.” He scrubs his hand across the thin layer of stubble on his chin. “College guys are horny fucking bastards, Sum. You need to watch yourself. Especially with those frat boys. They are total fucking manwhores.”
“Charles Benjamin Petersen.” Mom admonishes Charlie with a slap to the back of the head. “I will not tolerate that foul language at the dinner table.”
“Aw, come on, Ma.” He rubs the back of his head. “I’m only looking out for my baby sister.” He accepts a cup of steaming hot coffee from her with an innocent smile plastered upon his face.
“You can look out for your sister without resorting to cussing,” Dad says, finally lifting his head from his newspaper. “No disrespecting your momma.”
“Sorry, Mom.” Charlie looks sheepish, and I grin, pleased it focuses the conversation on my brother and not his statement.
But the reprieve doesn’t last long.
“Your brother has a point though,” Mom adds, pinning me with her serious face as she takes my half-eaten plate away and hands me a coffee. I groan, mentally preparing myself for it. “I know you’re on the pill, but make sure you always use a condom. Always. Trust none of those boys, no matter what loving endearments they whisper in your ear.”
Charlie spits coffee all over the table, and Dad turns pale. “Jeez, Mom. You shouldn’t be encouraging that sh—stuff.”
“Give it a rest.” I roll my eyes again as I mop up the mess he made with a paper towel. “It’s not like I’m going to sleep my way through campus or anything close to it.”
Although I plan on indulging my newly discovered sexual appetite whenever I feel like it, it doesn’t mean I won’t be safe. I’m not completely reckless. But now I’ve gotten a taste for sex, there’s no holding me back.
“What about young Justin?” Dad muses, putting his paper down and giving me his full, undivided attention. “I always thought he was sweet on you. You should date him.”
My eyes almost bug out of my head remembering all the times Dad sent less than friendly vibes in Justin’s direction any time he dropped by our farmhouse. “Justin’s a friend, Dad. Besides, he has a full ride to Oregon State, and he’ll be thousands of miles away from me.”
“Exactly my point.” He wiggles his eyebrows, and his tan, weather-beaten brow creases with the motion.
“Benny.” Mom shakes her head, strands of reddish-brown hair tumbling around her face with the motion. “Summer can date who ever she pleases, and you’ll just have to get used to it.” Her tone brokers no argument, and I’m glad to have at least one member of my family on my side. “She’s not your little princess anymore.”
“I’ll always be your princess, Daddy,” I refute, getting up and pressing a kiss atop his head, noticing more gray hairs among the dark strands. “Having sex with boys won’t change that.”
This time, it’s Dad’s turn to choke on his coffee.
“I’m calling Austin,” Charlie cuts in, removing his cell from the pocket of his jeans to phone my eldest brother. “If you room with him, he can at least vet the guys first.”
I snatch the cell from his hand before he can make the call. “If you’re trying to deliberately piss me off, you’re doing a stand-up job.” I faux glare at my brother. “For the last time, I am not staying with Austin. And, I’m well able to vet guys myself, but thanks a bunch for the vote of confidence.”
✽✽✽
“I literally cannot wait to get out of here,” I grumble to Hannah an hour later, flopping down on her bed. “You should’ve heard the crap coming out of Dad’s and Charlie’s mouths. Their attitudes are like something from the Dark Ages.”
“Charlie’s just spent four years fucking his way around UD, so he’s probably right to worry,” she unhelpfully adds.
“I don’t know if that’s true, but if it is, then he’s a total hypocrite. Of all my brothers, he’s usually the one I can count on to have my back, but he put Austin and Marc to shame today. And it’s not as if I’m planning on riding the entire male campus. It’s ridiculous.”
She nudges me in the side, grinning. “Imagine the hissy fit he’d throw if he knew about Friday night.”
Rolling onto my stomach beside her, I laugh. “Oh, my God. He’d blow a gasket. They all would.” I prop my head up with my hand, facing her. “It’s just as well I won’t ever see Ryan again. It’s safer for him that way,” I quip.
“I don’t know how you can do that.”
“Do what?”
“Have an incredible night of amazing sex with an awesome guy and just walk away knowing you’ll never set eyes on him again. Aren’t you even the tiniest bit tempted to hook up with him again?”
“Nope,” I instantly reply, popping the P. “It was a onetime deal, and we’re both happy with that even if I have been replaying every second of my time with him on a continual loop in my head.” I roll onto my back, smiling up at the ceiling like the cat that got the cream. “He was truly something else.”
“You know Jordy still has a copy of his driver’s license on his cell. If you want to contact him, I can get his name and address for you.”
I shake my head. “Tell him to delete it. I won’t be contacting Ryan again. As hot as he is, and as incredible as the sex was, I don’t want to be tied down, and I very much doubt he’s interested in dating a college freshman. In fact, I got the distinct impression he doesn’t date, but he clearly hooks up. A lot. Because he had all the right moves.”
There’s a dreamy quality to my voice, like every time I think of him. And I want to retain that feel-good factor. Attempting something more could ruin all the good memories I have of him, that night, and handing over my V-card.
Hannah copies my move, and we lie side by side on her bed, both staring up at the ceiling. “I’m so glad your first time was a good experience. You were right to wait and do it like you did.”
“I’ve no regrets,” I honestly admit, turning my head to look at her. “My only fear is that he’s set an impossibly high standard now. That no college guy will ever measure up.”
“You could have fun testing that theory out,” Hannah suggests, smiling wickedly.
“That I can,” I agree, with a matching smile.
August can’t come quick enough.
✽✽✽
“So, I hear someone’s no longer in possession of
her V-card,” Justin says with a cheeky grin on Friday night as we sit on the bed of Jordy’s truck at the side of the field.
“If your bestie wasn’t so busy groping my bestie, I’d punch him in the nuts for telling you that.” Not that I specifically asked Jordan to keep it private, but it was an unspoken rule.
“I won’t tell another soul. I was just teasing.”
I dangle my legs off the edge of the truck as I take another sip of my warm beer. Out on the field below us, the party is in full swing. “It’s cool. I’ll be out of here in a few weeks, and I give zero fucks once I’m gone.”
“You say that like you plan on never coming back home.”
I shrug. “I’ll be back. The rents would never let me get away without regular visits, but I don’t plan on settling back here after I graduate. I want to go traveling for a year or two, and then I’ll probably move permanently to the city if I can get a teaching job somewhere close by.”
“You have it all worked out.”
I snort. “Hardly.” I nudge his shoulder. “I have a rough plan for my life, but I’m deliberately keeping it loose so I can take advantage of any amazing opportunities that come my way. This feels like the start of something epic, and I never want to lose that feeling.”
“I admire you so much, Sum. You haven’t changed since you were a kid, and you’re still the same sweet, adventurous girl I remember.”
Thinking back to last weekend, I’m wondering how sweet he’d think I was if he knew the things I let Ryan do to me. “Knock it off, dude.” I elbow him in the ribs. “If anyone has his head screwed on right, it’s you. You’ve always wanted to play ball in college and join the NFL, and you’re on track to achieve your goals.” I smile up at him. “I. Admire. You.”
“Promise me you’ll keep in touch. I’ll really miss you.” His voice softens, and I lift my eyes to meet his piercing green ones.
“Aw, are you getting all sentimental on me, Juju?” I joke, using the pet name I gave him when we started high school.
“I am, Sunshine.” He raises my pet name with one of his own making. We exchange identical grins. “I’ve spent years dreaming of playing college football, and I’m fucking ecstatic about playing for the Beavers. But I’m feeling a little nostalgic these last few weeks, and one part of me hates that everything’s changing.”
He shrugs, and, for a split second, he looks so sad, and I just want to take that look off his face, so I scoot over right beside him, wrap my arm around his back, and snuggle into his side. “That’s only natural,” I say to appease him, because I’m feeling zero nostalgia at the prospect of moving away for college. But I’m only moving to Newark, which is under two hours away. I can come home anytime I feel homesick. Maybe I’d feel differently if I was moving clear across the country like Justin is. “And I’m sure you’ll be fine once you adjust. You’ll be too busy with classes, football, and hooking up with hot college chicks to feel homesick or lonely,” I add in a jokey tone, trying to lighten the moment.
“Yeah, probably,” he agrees, wrapping both arms around me, and holding me close. We’re not usually this touchy-feely, but I’m sensing Justin needs this now, and there’s nothing wrong with two old friends hugging one another. We’re both quiet, silently watching the party rage on in the distance while trying to ignore the moans and groans coming from the front of the truck.
“Sum,” Justin says after a few beats, tilting my chin up with his finger. I look into his eyes, confused when I see his expression. “Do you ever wonder what would’ve happened if we’d kept dating?”
Calling the few kisses we shared back in the early days dating is a stretch, but I’m not about to split hairs with him. “Not really,” I truthfully admit.
“Why didn’t we?” he whispers as his eyes drift to my mouth.
I gulp over the sudden lump of nervousness wedged in my throat. “Because we weren’t feeling it,” I remind him.
“Maybe the timing wasn’t right,” he whispers, his eyes searching mine for permission as he lowers his head toward me.
I should pull back, because starting something with one of my best friends just before we separate for college is not a good idea, but there’s a part of me that’s curious to see if Justin’s kiss will ignite my blood the way Ryan’s kiss did.
The curious part wins, and, as Justin moves in for the kill, I offer no resistance, letting him kiss me.
CHAPTER 4
Ryan
“Are you sure you’re okay with this, man?” Austin asks me for the umpteenth time, as we carry the new mattress into the spare guest bedroom.
“It’s cool. She’s your sister. We can hardly leave her stranded with no place to stay.” We drop the mattress down onto the bedframe, walking back out to our living area.
We only moved into this apartment five months ago, just as we celebrated one year in business.
Although it’s early days, the state-of-the-art gym we own and run together is doing better than expected, and our membership is growing exponentially as word of mouth increases.
Being ahead of our five-year plan so early in the game is encouraging, and we’re both excited for the future. It’s a shit-ton of hard work, and neither of us has much downtime which is one reason why I don’t mind that Austin’s baby sister Summer is moving in with us for a while. This place is empty often, and it’s not like I’ll see that much of her, anyway.
“Hopefully, a place will free up in one of the freshman dorms and this is only a short-term thing,” Austin adds, grabbing a couple bottles of water from the refrigerator and tossing one to me.
“I’m back!” Miley calls out as the front door slams. Her face lights up as she rounds the corner and sees her boyfriend. “I got the cutest bed set for your sister,” she says, placing her shopping bags on the kitchen counter before waltzing into Austin’s open arms.
It’s actually kinda funny to see him like this. I met Austin freshman year of UD, and we instantly clicked. We moved into a house off campus with my best buddy Slater and another mutual friend, Michael, during our sophomore year, and we all lived together until we graduated.
It’s fair to say all of us enjoyed the college life until Michael had to move back home to care for his sick dad, Slate fell for my sister Gabby, and I ended up dating her best friend Myndi. Austin was the only single one in the house for a couple years, and he made the most of it. It was around that time we resorted to calling him Powers in a nod to Austin Powers, the legendary manwhore extraordinaire.
When I want to piss Austin off, I call him Powers in front of Miley, and it never fails to rile him up.
In all the time I’ve known him, he’s never had a steady girlfriend. Until now. The instant we hired Miley to work the front desk at the gym, I knew my buddy was smitten. It didn’t take him long to convince her to go out with him, and they’ve been together four months now, and it’s getting more serious by the day. I’m happy for him although I’ve lost my wingman, and sometimes it’s difficult being around them because it reminds me of what I had with Myndi.
As usually happens, my mood dips to the floor as soon as thoughts of my ex enter my mind, and I work hard to consciously evict her from my head. Thinking of that shit doesn’t do me any good.
“I’ll dress her bed and finish the room,” Miley says, pecking Austin on the lips one final time. “I hope she likes it.”
“She’ll love it, babe.” Austin can’t resist kissing his girl again. “Summer’s very laid-back, and she’ll be delighted you went to so much trouble for her.”
“I’m so excited to meet her,” Miley adds, bouncing on her feet, her loose blonde curls swaying with the motion. “And having another girl around here regularly will be nice.” Planting her hands on her shapely hips, she drills me with a pointed look, her warm brown eyes chastising me. “Instead of dealing with the rotating line of females out of your bedroom.”
I shrug, casting a grin her way. “Can’t help it if the ladies want to sample my goods. Who am I to deprive the love
ly ladies of Newark of the opportunity of a lifetime?”
She rolls her eyes. “I swear, your ego gets bigger every time we talk.”
“Just stating the facts.”
“Yeah, about that.” Austin rubs the back of his neck, looking a little sheepish as his blue eyes follow his girlfriend out of the room. “Could you dial things back while Summer’s here? She’s only eighteen and way too impressionable. Those assholes on campus will be all over her, and I’ve my work cut out trying to protect her as it is. Last thing I need is her seeing your revolving door of hookups and getting ideas.”
Mention of her being eighteen brings me back to my hookup from last month. I don’t even know her name, but she left a lasting impression. For reasons unknown, I haven’t been able to shake her from my mind. And I’ve had zero interest in screwing any woman since which is most unlike me.
When I close my eyes in bed, I replay every second of that incredible night we spent together, and I can almost feel her pliant, warm body underneath me.
Almost smell the sweet scent of her perfume.
Almost hear the exquisite sounds she made as she came apart in my arms.
The fact she trusted me enough to give me her virginity blows my mind. And while I know I rocked her world, there’s no denying she rocked mine too. There was nothing about the experience that was in any way uncomfortable. It felt as natural as breathing, and that unnerves me. No sexual encounter has ever affected me as much, and my preoccupation with it, with her, has raised alarm bells I haven’t heard in years.
I’m glad we parted ways without exchanging contact details, because I have a feeling that girl would’ve been dangerous for my heart.
Austin flicks his fingers in my face, dragging me out of my mind. “Earth to James. Where’d you go, man?”
“What were you saying?”
“Can you go easy on the hookup while Sum’s here?”
“In case you hadn’t noticed, I haven’t been hooking up that much lately anyway, so it’s cool.” I clamp my hand on his shoulder. “I’d do anything for Gabby, so I get it.”
No Feelings Involved: A Brother's Best Friend Standalone Romance Page 3
