Say Youre Mine (Mine #1) - Jenika Snow

SAY YOU’RE MINE YOU’RE MINE, 1

JENIKA SNOW

Contents Copyright Newsletter Say You’re Mine Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5 Chapter 6 Chapter 7 Chapter 8 Chapter 9 Chapter 10 Chapter 11 Epilogue Bonus Book: Virgin (A Real Man, 2) Copyright A Real Man Series Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5 Chapter 6 Chapter 7 Chapter 8 Chapter 9 Epilogue Bonus Epilogue Coming Soon You’re Mine Series Real Man Series About the Author

SAY YOU’RE MINE (You’re Mine, 1) By Jenika Snow www.JenikaSnow.com [email protected] Copyright © November 2016 by Jenika Snow First E-book Publication: November 2016

Photographer: Wander Aguiar :: Photography Cover models: Jacob Hogue & Tiffany Marie Photo provided by: Wander Book Club Cover created by: PopKitty

Editors: Kasi Alexander and Lea Ann Schafer

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED: The unauthorized reproduction, transmission, or distribution of any part of this copyrighted work is illegal. Criminal copyright infringement is investigated by the FBI and is punishable by up to 5 years in federal prison and a fine of $250,000. This literary work is fiction. Any name, places, characters and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events or establishments is solely coincidental. Please respect the author and do not participate in or encourage piracy of copyrighted materials that would violate the author’s rights.

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She was mine before I even knew her name… Felix When I first saw Maggie, I knew we’d be the best of friends. I wanted that desperately, wanted her in my life, and I’d do anything to make sure that happened. Until Maggie came in my life I didn’t know what love was. She’ll be my first and last. I’ll be her only. Maggie I didn’t know I could have a friendship like the one I have with Felix. But the friend-zone wall has always been in place. Being too afraid to cross it, I’d rather be in Felix’s life than tarnish the relationship we have. Too much time has passed. I’m done being afraid of the what-ifs. I’m ready to admit how I feel for him, consequences or not. Felix Maggie doesn’t know the lengths I’ll go to keep her in my life, but she will, because the very idea of her with someone else is not something I’ll even entertain. She’s always been mine, and it’s time I step up and show her how much I love her. My devotion for her goes to the very depths of my soul, and staying back as she lives her life without me by her side is absolutely not an option.

WARNING: This story is so sweet it might give you a stomachache, but it will be worth it. It’s short, dirty, and featuring a virgin hero and heroine who only love

each other. Be prepared to fall in love with this devoted hero who will go to any lengths to make the woman he loves his.*And for a very limited time Virgin, an equally sugary story about falling in love and saving yourself for that one person, is included at the end of Say You’re Mine (due to Virgin being included at the back of this book, Say You’re Mine ends at 52%.)

CHAPTER 1

Felix Six years old The first time I saw you I knew you were mine.

W hen she walked into the room, everything around me disappeared. It felt as if

was just the two of us. She was the prettiest girl I’d ever seen, even though her clothes seemed a little too baggy, had stains on them, and holes, too” Yeah, she was the prettiest girl in the whole world. I didn’t even know her name because the teacher hadn’t introduced her to the class yet, but I didn’t care. I knew I wanted to be her friend. I knew I wanted her to always be near me. “Class, this is Maggie. She’s come all the way to Ohio from Colorado.” The teacher touched Maggie’s shoulder and smiled at us. “I want you all to make Maggie feel welcome.” I followed Maggie with my gaze as she went to the other side of the room, and finally sat down behind an empty desk. The other kids ignored her, busy working on their paintings. Her hair was the color of the sun, in two pigtails. I couldn’t stop staring at her. I didn’t want to. She glanced up at me then, her eyes so big, so blue, they reminded me of the ocean we had just learned about. I hated that she looked sad, that no one was sitting beside her, talking to her. I had to fix that. Grabbing my paper and watercolors, I walked over to where she sat. The other kids looked up at me, but I was only focusing on Maggie. When I sat beside her, I saw her eyes widen even farther. “Hi,” I said, smiling, hoping she wouldn’t be scared to be here anymore. “I’m

Felix.” She didn’t say anything right away and instead looked down at the art supplies I’d brought with me. I couldn’t understand what I felt, but I knew I wanted her to be my friend. I wanted us to be best friends. “Maggie,” she said softly. She looked up then, her blue eyes pretty but still scared. “Wanna be friends?” I smiled. I hoped she wouldn’t laugh at the missing front tooth I had. I’d just lost it and put it under my pillow for the tooth fairy. I’d gotten a whole dollar for it. She shrugged and looked down at the table again. “You can think about it, but I’m really nice, and I won’t let anyone be mean to you.” She looked up again and smiled. It wasn’t a big one, but it was a smile just for me. “Hey, you’re missing a tooth, too.” I pointed to my missing tooth. She stopped smiling, and I felt bad for saying something. “See?” I smiled wider, pointing out the big gap between my teeth. “I lost mine a couple days ago. I got a lot from the tooth fairy.” She didn’t say anything. “How much did you get?” She shook her head. “The tooth fairy doesn’t come to my house.” “Why not?” She didn’t say anything for a long time. “The tooth fairy doesn’t like coming to my house because it’s dirty and my mom and dad fight a lot. She’s never come to my house, not even when my big brother lost teeth.” I didn’t like that at all. She glanced at me again, and the way she seemed so scared had something inside of me hurting. I tried to think of what I could do to make her feel better, and then I looked down at the paper and watercolors in front of me. I grabbed my brush, dipped it in the cup of water the teacher had put on the table, and picked the color I wanted. I knew she watched me. I could feel her eyes on me, and I liked that. When I was finished, I stared at my picture before handing it to her. Maggie reached out and took it, and for long seconds just stared at it. “This is for me?” she asked. I nodded, feeling proud of myself. What I did know was I was keeping Maggie as mine.

Maggie HE’D DRAWN a pink heart on the paper. Although it was a little crooked, it was perfect. He’d made it. Just for me.

I’d never had anyone do anything nice like this for me. What he wouldn’t know was how much a heart on the paper meant to me. “You and I will be the best of friends,” Felix said. I wanted to be his friend, but I didn’t fit in here. My clothes were old, used, and I didn’t have nice things like the other girls in the class. Even Felix looked nice, with clothes that didn’t have stains on them, or shoes with holes in the side. “Why would you want to be my friend?” I asked. He looked at me funny then. “Why wouldn’t I want to be your friend?” I shrugged. “No one ever wants to be my friend.” Back at my old school I was called mean things: dirty, poor, ugly. And then Felix reached out and placed his hand over mine. I looked up and stared into his green eyes. They reminded me of grass in the summer. “I’m gonna be your best friend, Maggie.” I liked how he said my name. “I’m never letting you go.” And for some reason I really believed him.

CHAPTER 2

Felix Eighteen years old I’m keeping you close. I’m keeping you as mine.

I ’d known Maggie would be mine since I was six years old. There had never

been a time after that when I thought any different. And now, twelve years later, that friendship inside of me had grown strong. I loved this girl who had changed me so completely, so irrevocably. For all these years I’d kept her close. It was me and her in this world, and without her I was nothing. Even at eighteen, with graduation only weeks away, I knew this. Hell, I’d known this a long time ago. She was my best friend, the greatest thing I had in my life, and the very thought of losing her, of something happening that tore us apart, had equal amounts of dread and anger filling me. But I’d move heaven and earth to make sure I stayed with Maggie, even if that meant turning down college offers so I could go to the same community college as her. Because nothing in this world mattered if she wasn’t by my side. When we were finally alone at the cafeteria table, I smiled at her. I’d never told her how much I loved her, but surely she could tell? Surely she could see how utterly devoted I was to her? Even if she didn’t, none of that mattered. Even if she didn’t ever find out that I was hopelessly in love with her, I’d still be by her side. In this world there was nothing more important than the girl sitting beside me.

Maggie

Later that evening FELIX KNEW me better than anyone, but I was afraid to tell him how I truly felt, that I loved him so much. I didn’t feel like I was good enough for him, not with my drunken parents who fought all the time. Not with my brother who only came home when the girl he was screwing kicked him out. And not when I had nothing to offer him but the experience of a shitty home life. You have your whole life to offer him. “You sure you don’t want me to come in?” Felix asked. He always asked. I closed my eyes. “I’m sure my parents are screaming at each other, and I don’t want you to be subjected to that.” I also don’t want you to see how shitty the inside of my home really is, or how my family ignores me, making me feel like I’m nothing but a burden. I kept so much of myself from him, the ashamed parts that made me want to scream at how unfair life really was. But life isn’t unfair. I have Felix. He just stared at me, maybe wanting to fight me on this, to insist we go in together, but after countless times over the years of me saying it was better he didn’t go in, he’d stopped pushing me. “Okay,” he finally said. He turned and faced the windshield and ran his hand through his light brown hair. When he looked at me again, I got lost in his green eyes. God, I loved the color of his eyes. I loved him. But he was so smart, had college offers out the ass, and here I was with one community college offer on the table. And it was that community college he’d be going to because he didn’t want to be away from me. How did I deserve to have a guy like Felix in my life? But that college—and the student loan I’d applied for but kept secret from everyone but Felix—was my ticket out of here. I stared out the window at the front door, not wanting to go yet, but also knowing I needed to because I had work at the diner tonight. “Hey,” Felix said softly. “How about I come over tonight after everyone is asleep?” I glanced at him, feeling my heart jump a little. It had been a while since he’d come over in the middle of the night and just held me as I slept. “Okay,” I said softly. “That would be really nice.” To feel his body close to mine, have his arms wrapped around me, whispering that things didn’t always have to be

this way. “I can see how unhappy you are.” He reached out and took my hand. “Just a few more months and we can leave.” He gave my hand a reassuring squeeze. “The apartment will be ready to go. I’ve been saving for this, and you don’t ever have to think about this place if you don’t want to.” He made me so happy I could cry, but I wouldn’t, not here, not when my parents’ screaming could be heard. “I’m the lucky one.” He smiled. “Everything will work out because I’ll make sure it does.” He gave my hand another squeeze. I nodded. He was right. Everything would be okay. I’d make sure it was okay for both of us too. I sat there, wanting to admit how I felt, that I loved him. I wanted him as more than my best friend. He was already the most important person in my life, and it was the fear of losing that, of making things weird, that had me keeping my mouth shut. “Come here,” he said and pulled me in for a hug. I closed my eyes and just let him hold me. “Soon it’ll be you and me, only having to worry about school and each other.” He pulled back, and we looked at each other. My heart stopped for a second, and I saw the way he lowered his gaze to my lips. Kiss me. Let’s forget about everything else aside from this one moment. I felt his fingers clench gently on my body, and swore he could hear how fast my heart was beating. And then the screeching of my mother calling my dad a bastard surrounded me in this toxic sensation. I looked out the passenger-side window and saw my mom throw open the door and stalk out. She waved a bottle in her hand but then stopped and turned toward the house. In a great sweep of her arm, she threw the bottle against the shutters, the glass shattering. “This isn’t going to be your life forever.” I nodded after Felix spoke. “And you know you are welcome at my house, Maggie.” I faced him. He’d been offering up his house for years, but that actually happening wasn’t going to be my reality. I wouldn’t put him or his family out. “You’re eighteen now. You don’t have to stay here.” I knew that, but I was strong enough to finish out these next few months and leave. Imposing on Felix and his family because my mom and dad fought like cats and dogs wasn’t something I wanted to do to them. This is just the beginning. I’ll write my own story soon enough.

Felix

Let me just hold you. I QUIETLY SHUT Maggie’s bedroom door and crept over to her. I hated creeping around like what I did was wrong. She was on her side, staring at me, this small smile on her face. I knew her parents were drunks, and I didn’t want them catching me in here because I didn’t know how crazy they could actually get. Although judging by the show they gave anyone happening to see them, I knew they wouldn’t think twice about tossing a beer bottle at me. “Hey,” I whispered, and she smiled wider and lifted the covers so I could slip inside. Once my shoes were off, I lay down next to her, feeling her body heat seep into me. She smelled sweet, like vanilla cotton candy. “Hi,” she finally whispered back. We were only a few inches from each other, our breathing slow, even. But my heart was beating hard, fast. I could have kissed her back in the car. I could have told her how I felt. I could have told her what I wanted. I wrapped my arms around Maggie and pulled her close. She shifted down slightly and rested her head on my chest. We stayed like that for long seconds, and I knew she’d fall asleep. She always did. But I loved it, liked that I could watch over her, make sure she was safe while she slept. “It’s all set up,” I said softly against her hair. My dad knew a guy that would rent us out an apartment cheap, and so I’d snatched it up, figuring I’d work out any details later. I just wanted to get out of here with Maggie. “I have enough saved up to last us awhile for rent, and I’ll work to cover the rest.” “I have money saved up too. It’s not much, but I’m helping, Felix.” I ran my hand through her hair. I glanced up at the wall by the bed, seeing the picture I’d drawn for her all those years ago hanging up, the tape securing it to the wall faded and old. It was a testament to how long she’d had it up there. That pink heart that meant more today than it ever had before. “It’s old and run-down and not the first place I’d want you to stay in—” I closed my eyes, bringing her even closer. She pulled back and looked up at me. “As long as I’m with you, I can live anywhere.” That had my heart hurting in the best kind of way. We wouldn’t have much money, but that didn’t matter. I didn’t care about any of it, because as long as I had Maggie, the world was right.

CHAPTER 3

Felix One year later We have the rest of our lives.

I ’d been working myself up for so damn long that I was exhausted from it all.

Seeing the one person that consumed my thoughts, my heart, my very soul, and not telling her how I felt, took a little piece of me away each day. I sat in the car, the heater going because it was getting colder, and I wasn’t about to freeze my balls off. I stared at Maggie’s work, hating that I was this nervous, but feeling alive in the same sense. I’d thought about that moment in the car last year over and over again, that scene playing through my head like a broken record. But I wanted it on repeat. I wanted it consuming me, taking root and never leaving. I’d wanted to kiss her so badly, wanted to just give in and press my mouth to hers. But I hadn’t, and I refrained from being anything but her friend. I wanted that to change. For the last year a lot had happened. Graduating from high school. Moving out of our parents’ houses. Getting settled into this rundown apartment. Starting college. Things weren’t the way I wanted them, not with where we were living, but that was because Maggie deserved better than what I could probably ever give her. I was pulled out of my thoughts when I saw the last customer had left. The lights were turned off, and I sat up straighter. I watched Maggie through the window. She didn’t even know I was here, waiting for her, so I felt like a real fucking stalker in this moment. But watching her when she didn’t know I was, seeing the genuine

expressions on her face, the ones not guarded because she was aware of everyone around her, was an honest experience. She came out, turned to lock the door, and I scanned her surroundings. It was dark, but only seven in the evening. The fucking night crept up like a bastard during these winter months. She turned to face me, but her focus was on her purse as she rummaged through it. I got out, and was about to cross the street to go to her when I heard someone whistle then catcall to her. “Looking good, sweetheart. Want some company tonight?” My entire body tensed as the world seemed to go in slow motion in that moment. The guy who was walking toward her had this lewd fucking grin on his face. He inhaled through the cigarette he had between his lips, and exhaled a cloud of smoke in front of him. I looked at Maggie, could see she was ignoring him, but the panic was on her face. My entire body was tight, my muscles strained. The flight or fight instinct rose up in me. But it was the fight instinct that won, obviously. No one fucked with Maggie, not without me letting them know exactly the pain they’d feel if they did so. I didn’t hesitate to cross the street and put myself between Maggie at this asshole. I momentarily saw the surprise on her face, probably because she wondered where the hell I’d come from. I knew she wasn’t surprised I was defending her. I’d do that until I took my last breath. The guy came closer, stopped a few feet from me, and flicked his cigarette butt away. “What, you trying to protect her from me or something?” The guy chuckled. “I was just admiring a pretty girl.” He tried looking around my body at Maggie, but I moved with him. “You don’t fucking look at her,” I said in a low, clearly dangerous voice. If he couldn’t take the warning I was throwing at him, then he’d find out exactly what I’d do, and the lengths I’d go to protect what was mine. The guy gave me a “what the fuck” look, and I took a step toward him. He was big, but that might be the oversized jacket he was sporting. Even if this guy had been bigger than me, I still would have gotten rowdy and went to ground for Maggie. Let it come down to that. Let me show you how far I’ll go. I stared at the asshole, my body ready, my hands curled into fists at my side. I felt Maggie move up behind me, grab my wrist, and gently tug on it. “Come on, Felix.” I was stone in my place, wanting this prick to make a move so I could beat his ass. But to my disappointment he shook his head and turned to walk away from us. I was tempted to stir the pot and start shit with him, simply because he’d thought it was okay to even speak to her. But I felt Maggie’s hand on my wrist, and bit my tongue.

I wanted to get her home. I wanted her to be safe. “I don’t know what you’re doing here, but I’m glad you are,” she said softly. I turned and looked at her, wanting to kiss her in that moment. But her cell rang, stopping me from doing anything. She answered the call, putting the phone to her ear. “Hey.” A second of silence passed. “It’s okay,” she said and glanced at me. “Felix is here anyway.” After a few moments she hung up. “That was my ride telling me she had something come up and couldn’t drive me home.” “Guess it was a good thing I was here.” My heart was thundering. I hated the very thought that she could have been out here all alone, that bastard going further than he had. “Yeah, it really is a good thing you’re here. She smiled up at me and my heart thundered even harder. “Let’s get you home.” I grabbed her hand and entwined my fingers with hers. I’d never let her go.

Maggie WE SAT ON THE FLOOR, since the shitty couch we had wasn’t all that comfortable anyway. On the way home we’d picked up takeout, and half-eaten pasta sat between us. It wasn’t like we had a lot of spending money, but we’d splurged tonight for dinner. I had a feeling it was because Felix had been worried for me and wanted to make me feel better. Although neither of us was twenty-one and couldn’t buy alcohol, Felix worked with a guy who had given him a six-pack of cheap beer for helping him out. It tasted like warmed piss, but we didn’t care. After the weird night that had gone down even the nasty flavor of this watered down beer tasted good. “Are you sure you’re okay?” he asked again. This had to be the fifth time since we’d gotten home. “I’m fine, really.” I smiled, genuinely okay. “I mean, that guy didn’t bother me, not just because you were there, but his words didn’t affect me.” And they didn’t, not really. “Hell, I hear worse than that at work sometimes.” I saw the way his jaw tensed, and knew that sentence had pissed him off. “What?” he said through gritted teeth. “Assholes say shit to you at work?” I shifted on the floor, uncrossing my legs and shrugging. “I mean, I’ve had someone ask me to go home with him so he can…” I cleared my throat. “You get the picture.” This blast of cold left him and went straight into me. I was staring at the pasta, feeling weird even talking about this. When Felix didn’t say anything I glanced up. He looked like he wanted to go hunt down that random guy and bitch

slap him. “You need to tell me when shit like that happens.” I rested my back against the side of the couch. “So what, you can stand guard at my work and give any guy the stink eye if he looks at me the wrong way?” I chuckled, teasing Felix, but sobered when I saw he wasn’t smiling. “Yeah that’s exactly what I’d do if I had to.” He was dead serious. I shook my head. “Felix, you can’t be by me all the time. Besides, I’m not the first person this stuff happens to, and I won’t be the last. Even some of the women I work with talk lewdly about random guys that come in.” He shook his head and looked down. “I’d do anything to make sure you’re safe, Maggie.” I heard the sincerity in his words, but I also saw it in his eyes when he looked up at me. “And I’d do the same for you, although you’re so big and strong you don’t need much protection.” I felt my cheeks heat. I couldn’t believe I’d just said that. “I mean, that’s what friends are for, right?” Friends. He was that to me … and more. I wanted something deeper, something that I’d probably never have with him. Because I’m too much of a chicken to say anything. Because ruining this already close bond we have scares the ever-loving shit out of me. He didn’t speak for long seconds, just staring at me, something on his mind, clearly. “Yeah, that’s what friends are for,” he finally said, this weird tone in his voice. When he smiled at me this time I could see it was distant. There was something on his mind, but it was obvious he wasn’t going to open up to me about it. He reached out and pushed a strand of hair behind my ear, and this tingle settled over me. “Felix?” I said before I could stop myself. He looked into my eyes, and right then and there I wanted to tell him I was in love with him. “I love you,” I said instead. “I love you, too.” And he pulled me closer and gave me a hug. Being close to him, with his arms wrapped tightly around me, made everything seem okay. It made everything feel like it would all work out.

CHAPTER 4

Felix It’s time to be honest. more pretending this is what you want. NIt ohad only been a week since picking her up from work and wanting desperately

to kick that guy’s ass. She was fine, but I knew I’d never get over the possessive feelings I had for her. I pushed that night, and that asshole, out of my head. It wouldn’t do any good to stew over it. In my eyes she was a queen and deserved to be treated as such. And I’d make sure to keep her safe no matter what. I’d make sure she’d always be protected until I drew my last breath. I heard the front door open and close, and my heart started beating hard and fast. It always did when she was near, when I knew she was coming home to me. Coming home … to me. She rounded the corner, her focus on whatever she was trying to find in her bag. “Hey,” I said, and she jumped. I grinned. She looked up at me and smiled. “You scared the shit out of me.” “Sorry,” I said, but honestly I kind of liked the surprised look on her face. It was real, genuine. And the smile she gave me afterward, the one that held relief when she saw it was me, made me pretty fucking happy. “How was your day?” I asked and turned to grab the plate of burgers I’d made for dinner. Our budgets were pretty limited what with us going to school and both of us working between classes. We stretched the money we earned. The savings I had went for rent and utilities, but hell, I had no problem working overtime to make sure she didn’t eat ramen seven days a week. And I did just that. I hated that Maggie was working at all. I wanted to take care of her fully, to make sure I was the one providing for her. I wanted her to just focus on school, to not be stressed out. But my girl was headstrong, stubborn at times, and liked doing things

herself. I couldn’t fault her for the very traits I loved in her. “It was fine, although I didn’t do the greatest on my economics test, and I spilled coffee all over my shirt at work.” She grabbed the bottom of her white shirt and pulled it out so I could see the large brown stain. I got a flash of her belly in the process. Her skin was smooth, her stomach flat. The sight of her navel had my blood rushing through my veins faster. I cupped the back of her head, pulled her in impossibly close, and closed my eyes as I inhaled deeply. She smells incredible. She gave me a friendly hug, but all I was thinking about was how her body fit perfectly with mine, and how I wanted to do so much more with her. And that’s all it took for my dick to come alive. Hell, it took less than that, but I’d been too far gone in the feel and smell of her to try and calm myself down. Shit. I didn’t want to be one of those guys, the ones who couldn’t control themselves when they saw a pretty girl. And although I couldn’t really help my body’s reaction to Maggie, I also wanted to be respectful. But this wasn’t just about seeing a pretty girl. This was Maggie, the one girl I loved so much it physically hurt. Despite the fact being near her brought out this reaction in me. It always had. “How was your day?” she asked, her voice innocent, sweet. Fuck, my dick was getting harder by the second. She had her body pressed right to mine, her breasts to my chest, her softness to my hardness … in more ways than one. It wasn’t like I didn’t hug her or hold her. I did plenty of times, cherished every moment of it, but when I did feel my body start to react, I backed up from the situation. Hell, even holding her while she slept back at her parents’ house had been difficult. Freaking her out with an erection pressed to her belly wasn’t exactly what I wanted to do to her. But then I felt her freeze, felt her lean body go tight against mine at the same moment she came in contact with my raging hard-on. Fuck. I should have pulled away right then and there, made up some excuse. Maybe she’d felt me popping wood before? Maybe she’d felt my arousal all these years when I held her, but she’d never said anything? Maggie pulled away slightly, yet she still had her arms locked around my neck, still had her chest pressed to mine. I didn’t move. She didn’t move. Hell, I don’t even think we breathed. I’d done so well all these years in keeping myself in check around her, not wanting to put this weirdness between us by admitting my emotions. If she

suspected anything, she never let on. Or maybe I was so blinded by my love for her I wouldn’t have been able to tell if she had known something. I pulled back, scrubbed a hand over my head, and felt this weird sensation move over me. She still stared at me, and although there was no judgment, no awkwardness coming from her, I still felt like the air in the room heated uncomfortably. “I think I’m going to head to bed,” I finally said, and just as I turned to leave, she grabbed my arm. Scenarios about her wanting to “comfort” me, wanting to tell me everything was fine, played through my head. I didn’t know why I felt so strange right now, but the raging hard-on I was sporting had yet to subside. Hell, just thinking about being pressed against her, smelling the sweet scent that surrounded her, and holding her, had me so needy I couldn’t think straight. I just needed to leave before I made an idiot out of myself. “I made dinner.” “You won’t eat with me?” She sounded a little shocked, and I felt like an asshole for waning to head to my room. But turning around and showing her my pants were still tented, and trying to explain what I was doing about all of this, about how I was now going to explain my emotions to her, weighed heavily on me. There was no getting around this, and I wouldn’t lie to her, but right now I needed to think about hot to fix this and move forward. I needed to think about what to say to her and how to explain that all these years I’d been in love with her.

CHAPTER 5

Maggie wanted to go to Felix right away, but this weird vibe was coming off him. I hadMaybe he felt awkward that I’d clearly felt his erection?

Maybe he was embarrassed because of it? Maybe he was ashamed of it? I knew enough. It wasn’t like he could really help his body reacting. But another part of me wanted to feel warm and fuzzy that Felix obviously desired me. I had my body pressed right to his. Maybe it was just a natural reaction, something he couldn’t help? I tried thinking back on the past when he’d held me. It’s not like I’d ever felt anything from him like that, but now that I thought about it, aside from when he held me while I slept, he’d always ended the hugs and moved away from me. Could he have been trying to hide his arousal? My heart beat wildly in my chest. I was overanalyzing all of this. I needed to tell Felix it wasn’t a big deal—although it was, but in the best kind of way. I knew he loved me, and I loved him. But I was in love with him, and just because he got an erection while I hugged him, and just because I knew he cared for me, that didn’t mean he felt that same intensity that I did. I ran my hand over the foggy mirror, the bathroom steamy from the shower I’d just taken. I stared at my blurry reflection, my hair already starting to curl slightly from the humidity. I hated that he’d been so uncomfortable about what had happened he hadn’t eaten dinner with me … the incredible dinner he’d prepared. But I wasn’t about to just let this slide. I wasn’t about to ignore this because he didn’t want to talk about it. Even if he was embarrassed and the love he had for me wasn’t on the same level as the love I had for him, I needed him to know things were fine. I shut off the light and headed down the hallway. His room was across from mine, the last door on the left. Although we’d “lucked out” and there were two

rooms in this place, I wouldn’t have minded sleeping in the same bed as Felix. It wasn’t because I wanted to be close to him in the most physical sense, although I definitely wanted that too. It was also because he was my best friend, and I felt safe and secure in his arms. Standing on the other side of his door, I was tempted to just be bold and open it, let him know things wouldn’t change and he’d need to get past the fact things wouldn’t change. But that wasn’t me, and if I was going to tell him how I felt, which I was contemplating doing, I wanted to be gentle with this. I ran my hands over the lounge pants I’d put on. The air seemed especially chilled right now, and I felt my nipples harden under the plain white T-shirt I wore. I was nervous, although I tried to tell myself that there was no need to be. This was Felix, and whatever happened, things would be fine … right? I’m making something into nothing. I lifted my hand and knocked twice. A second passed before I finally heard him. “Yeah, come in.” I pushed the door open and saw him sitting on his bed, his back to me, his upper body nude. I could see he still wore his jeans, and my heart beat faster. I stared at the tattoos he had on his arms. He’d had them before we moved, mainly having friends of friends who made deals in exchange for his ink if Felix didn’t have the money for them. There had been plenty of times he’d had to work on cars to repay for the tattoos, but I knew to him it had all been worth it. It didn’t matter if he was covered from head to toe with them or didn’t have any ink on his flesh. I’d love him no matter what. But it also just so happened that I really enjoyed looking at him with the lines and shapes and the story he had written on his hard, muscular form. “I wanted to make sure you were okay.” I swallowed, my throat dry, my heart beating fast. I didn’t know if this situation was the right time to just come clean. It could make things a hell of a lot worse, and far more uncomfortable if Felix didn’t reciprocate my feelings. “I’m fine,” he said softly, his back still to me. I was so nervous. I knew telling him I loved him, and that I wanted him to desire me just as much, might drive this wedge between us. I’m afraid. He rose from the bed, ran a hand over his hair, and after several seconds he finally turned and faced me. I saw the way his body tightened, watched the play of muscle under his skin. He lowered his gaze down my body, and I felt like he was actually touching me. I knew my nipples were hard, could feel them poking through the material of my too-thin shirt. “You’re probably pretty freaked out about …” He cleared his throat. “I think you’re more freaked out about it than I am.” We didn’t move, didn’t say anything else for long seconds. I hated this weird silence. We’d never been like this before. “This seems so silly,” I finally said, playing this off like it didn’t affect me.

But it does. “But it’s not, Maggie.” He paused a second, staring right in my eyes. “It’s pretty fucking serious, to be honest.” I knitted my brows and shook my head. “So you were hard.” I shrugged, although a flush stole over me. “I’m sure it happens all the time. It’s natural.” He smirked, but it didn’t look like he was amused. “I mean, I hate how that one thing has made this awkward now. It shouldn’t be like that with us.” I took a step closer. “I’m sure if I was a guy, I would have popped a boner, too.” I tried for a little humor, but Felix looked serious. And then he started moving toward me, and the expression on his face had my throat tightening. He stopped when he was only a few feet from me, his big body making me feel even more feminine. Having him so close had me so heated I couldn’t even breathe. “I want us to be the way we were, Felix.” I swallowed the lump in my throat. My words came out tight, and I wondered if he could tell how aroused I was.

HE SHOOK HIS HEAD. “I don’t want us to go back to the way things were.” “I don’t understand,” I whispered, although if I was being honest with myself, I hoped he meant exactly what I wanted.

Felix Just say you love me back. I’D WAITED my whole life for this moment, for the balls to come clean about how I really felt for Maggie. I could have done this a long time ago, just been a man and told her the truth, said to hell with any repercussions that might have come from it. But I’d rather have Maggie as a friend than nothing at all. Then why am I saying anything right now? Why risk it? Because I was sick of having to hold myself back, of pretending there wasn’t anything more than a close bond of friendship. It was eating me up inside, and having Maggie feel my arousal for her in all its hard glory was just the kick in the ass I needed, I guess. She stared at me, looking so damn gorgeous, so damn innocent. She made it seem like my boner pressed to her belly hadn’t affected her. But it had. I know it had. I just didn’t know if it leaned more toward the bad or good side of it all. “You look … conflicted,” she said, and I could see how nervous she was. I didn’t blame her. She was probably freaked out by all of this. You sure you want to do this? Yeah, I needed to.

“I don’t want us to go back to the way things were,” I said again. I watched the emotion play across her face. “I love you.” She smiled at me, this sweet, beautiful smile that lit up the whole fucking room. “I love you, too.” “I’m in love with you, have been for as long as I can remember.” I felt the air change in the room, sensed it get hot, then cold, over and over again. I tried to gauge her emotions, what she might be thinking by the expressions on her face, but what came out the strongest was shock. I took another step closer to her. “I love you so damn much, Maggie.” I stopped when I was only a foot from her. I inhaled deeply. She smelled so good. “And no matter how much I try and push it down, no matter how much I try and keep this on a friend level—” I shook my head. “I can’t. I can’t pretend I’m good with being just your friend.” I reached out and cupped her cheek. I was pleased she didn’t move away. “And as much as I want you in my life and will take you however you will have me, I have to be true and honest with myself.” I looked right in her eyes. “But above all else I need to be true and honest to you.” I was trying to remain calm, to act collected. I didn’t know how she’d react once this really settled in. The silence stretched on, and I couldn’t grasp if it was a good kind of silence. She looked down, and I wanted desperately to know what she was thinking. “Maggie, talk to me,” I finally said. My throat felt tight, my heart racing. “I know this is probably confusing you, maybe even scaring you, but I can’t keep it in anymore.” She lifted her head and looked at me then. The quiet that came from her had my heart jumping to my throat. “And what you felt downstairs—” I swallowed hard. “I don’t want you to think I’m some fucking typical guy that can’t control himself.” I tried to feign calm. “But the fact is whenever you’re near, whenever you say anything, hell, whenever I think about you, my body just reacts.” “Felix.” She said my name softly, moving a step closer. We were now just inches apart. She put her hand right on my chest, over my heart, and I knew how strongly she could feel it beating. It beat for her. It always had, and it always would. “What is it, baby?” I couldn’t stop myself from saying the endearment. I wanted to know what she thought … desperately. “Felix, I am so in love with you.” And just like that the world stopped, my heart stalled in my chest, and fuck, the damn planets aligned.

CHAPTER 6

Maggie

“S ay it again,” Felix said.

I couldn’t believe this was happening, but it was, and I didn’t want to let this situation between us pass. I didn’t want this experience to be just an “in the moment” thing. I wanted this to be the realest thing I’d ever experienced … that we’d ever experienced. “I love you, Felix.” I swallowed, needing to be strong. “I am in love with you, have been for years.” He closed his eyes and rested his forehead on mine. For long seconds neither of us said anything. Then he pulled me close and just held me. “You have no idea what it does to me to hear you say that.” His words were right by my ear, whispered low, heated. I felt his erection pressed against my belly, and this intense heat filled me. I grew wet between my legs, my entire body lighting up for Felix. He ran a hand over my back, up and down, slow and easy. But that gentle touch did something wicked to me, had me wanting things I’d only ever dreamed of with Felix. I knew where this was headed, and I wasn’t going to try and rationalize that this might ruin things between us. I wouldn’t allow myself to be afraid of it anymore, of being with the only person who looked at me like I was worth something important. “I love you, Felix,” I said again and heard him groan. “You’ll never know how good it feels, how perfect and right this all is to me.” “I know exactly how it feels.” I pulled back and looked into his face. I saw the way Felix looked at my mouth, could feel his need for me, and it was in that moment that I realized so many years had passed where we could have been together. “It’s always been you for me, Maggie. Never was there a time when I questioned how I felt, or thought this wasn’t what I wanted.” He stroked my cheek with his thumb. “You’re the only one I love, the only one I’ll ever love.”

When he lifted his gaze to my eyes, my heart jumped into my throat. I didn’t know what to say in that moment. In my head I screamed out for him to kiss me, to hold me, and to tell me he loved me over and over again. “You understand what I’m saying, Maggie?” He moved his thumb along my skin in slow, gentle sweeps. “I’ve been in love with you since before I even knew what that was. I was in love with you before I even knew your name, before you even said one word.” The smile he gave me was sweet, genuine. Just for me. “I knew that you were it for me even at that young age.” I felt tears prick at the corners of my eyes. “I didn’t want to say anything and ruin what we had. I guess I needed a kick in the ass to express what needed said.” He kissed the center of my forehead. “I didn’t want to screw up what we have.” He leaned in close again, and I closed my eyes. The scent of him was purely male and slightly spicy. “To know you’re mine, that you want me, too…” His big body shuddered. “I didn’t want to say anything either,” I admitted. This is really happening. “And even if you hadn’t said those three words to me, Maggie, I still would have stayed by your side.” He added the slightest pressure to my face, maybe showing me that he was right here with me. My heart was in my throat. I lifted my hands and gripped his biceps. His flesh was warm, smooth, and I curled my fingers gently into his skin. Felix had always been so strong and had always looked out for me. “What we have, what we share, that’s as real as anything else in this world.” He was now eye level with me. “You’re the realist thing in my life, and I won’t let you go.” He wanted me the way I wanted him, and I was done waiting, done trying to pretend I could live without him in the way I desperately needed. “Be with me,” I whispered. I felt him playing with the hair by my ear, and chills raced up my spine. I’d anticipated this, was excited for the possibilities. I also felt like I’d just fallen down this black hole with no chance of finding the bottom. But I was okay with that. “For me, it’ll only ever be you, Maggie.” He looked at my mouth again, and I felt the tips of his fingers brush along the side of my neck. Every part of me was on fire. I parted my mouth and sucked in a breath. He moved impossibly closer, but I wanted him pressed right up against me, so there was no denying we were here and about to do this. Are we about to do this? I should have felt slightly embarrassed by the sound that left me. It was needy but also filled with pleasure. And his cock … I couldn’t even breathe. He was so big, so hard. And it’s all for me, because of me.

CHAPTER 7

Felix Only with you can reality be this good. o say I felt like I was dreaming was an understatement. Not only did my girl T love me the way I loved her, but I could feel what was about to happen. I could sense her arousal for me, her need for me. “Can I kiss you?” I whispered. “You don’t ever have to ask.” I groaned aloud, her words spearing me deep. I looked at her pink, full lips and wanted to get lost in the sensation of our mouths pressed together. I wanted to kiss her so she couldn’t breathe, so she was gasping for air, clutching at me for stability. I wanted to kiss her so she truly knew what it meant to be ravished by the man who loved her. Hell, I wanted to be so lost in her I didn’t even remember my name. From the moment I saw her, it had only been her for me. “We can go as slow or fast as you want.” I lifted my hand and cupped the side of her neck, pulling her head slightly toward mine. We were just an inch apart, sharing the same air, the sweet scent that saturated her filling my head. “How about we start with you kissing me?” Her voice was low, heated. I didn’t stop myself then. I tilted my head, and slanted my mouth on hers. A groan was ripped from me instantly. She was so perfect, so soft … so mine. Maggie loved me. The one girl I would die for wanted me. The way she gasped against my mouth and let me have my way with her had me so fucking turned on. I had no doubts I’d come in my jeans like a damn teenager. “Hold on to me, baby,” I couldn’t stop myself from saying. She lifted her arms, wound them around my neck, and rose on her toes so she was totally flush with me. There was no spot on her I wouldn’t eventually touch.

My cock jerked behind my jeans, and I wanted more. I needed more from her. The rope in me started to unravel, and knew if I didn’t grapple with my control, I could lose it and ruin this. I didn’t want to go too fast, didn’t want to be too rough with my passion. I wanted to make sure she felt good, that she was right here with me. She dug her nails into the flesh at my back, and my entire body grew tighter, hotter. “I need you so bad,” I said and found myself walking her backward, toward the bed. I tangled my hands around her hair, tugging at the strands. “Don’t stop,” Maggie gasped against my mouth. I groaned again. “I have no fucking plans to.” I thrust my tongue into her mouth, this guttural sound leaving me. I used my other hand to span her back, keeping her close. I stroked my tongue along hers and pulled it deeper into my mouth. She moaned for me. I found myself pressing my dick against her belly, the softness of her stomach against the rock hardness of my dick making my balls draw up tightly. “You have no idea how much I want you right now.” I pulled back and looked into her pleasure-filled face. “Probably about as much as I want you?” My heart jackknifed in my chest. “I want you to be my first and only, Maggie.” I wasn’t ashamed or embarrassed in the slightest to admit I’d never had sex. I’d saved myself for this girl, for the chance to show her with my body what she meant to me. No other girl had ever compared to her, never even crossed my mind. Maggie was it from the very beginning. I was possessive of her, obsessed with her, and there was nothing in this world I wouldn’t do for her. “Let me show you how special you are to me.” I stared into her eyes. “I want you to be my first, too, Felix.” I breathed out harshly. “I’ll be your only.” I claimed her mouth again, kissed her, and stroked her tongue with mine. “I can’t stand the thought of you with anyone but me.” “I don’t want anyone but you,” she said against my mouth. “It’s only ever been you.” I closed my eyes and groaned. I crushed her to me again, speared my hands in her hair, and kissed her until we were both gasping for air. I had my hands on the sides of her neck, holding her still as I mouth fucked her. That was the best term I could come up with for the possession I took of her mouth. She arched into me, her breasts pressing into my chest, letting me feel how hard

her nipples were. Damn, I wanted her naked, wanted her bare chest right up against mine. My cock jerked again like a motherfucker. I forced myself to pull back and break the kiss. I didn’t want to, but then again this moment needed done right. If I didn’t get some control this would be over before it even started. Maggie deserved better than that. Burying my face in her neck, I inhaled deeply, getting intoxicated from the way she smelled. “Take me to bed,” she whispered. We were right by the mattress, so it was easy enough brining her down onto it. I covered her body with mine, wanting the clothes she wore gone. I pulled back and braced my hands by her head. My forearms were straight so my upper body was off hers and our chests were no longer touching. All I did was stare at her. She was perfect. And mine. “I want to go slow with you, to make this last, but I don’t know if I can, baby.” Maggie rose up, and before I could comprehend what she was doing, she had her top lifted and pulled over her head. And then I was staring at her breasts. “Come closer to me,” Maggie said softly. I’d walk over burning coals if I knew it would make her day. I’d cut off my own arm if it meant she was safe. I’d do whatever it took to make sure this woman always looked at me with love in her eyes. “I want you as close to me as possible, Felix.” I was on her a second later. “Shit, baby.” I rested my forehead on her chest, hearing her heart beating right below the surface of her skin, feeling her warmth spread to me. “We should probably get fully undressed, right?” There was this teasing heat in her voice. I held in my groan. I wanted to be so deep in her there wasn’t any place on her body … in her body that I wasn’t claiming as mine. I shifted and went for the button of my jeans. Once that was undone and my zipper was pulled down, I stopped. “You’re sure about this?” She nodded instantly. “I’ve never been more sure about anything in my life.” She worked off her bottoms and panties, and I shifted on the bed to take off my jeans and briefs. Then we were both naked, my gaze roaming over her, and Maggie’s gaze locked on me. I was frozen in place as I stared at the creamy, perfect flesh that covered her from head to toe. I knew there was no way I could make this last, at least not on my end. I was so far gone it was taking all my self-control not to get off right now. I looked between her legs at her pink, wet pussy. The thatch of hair she had covering her mound was trimmed, dark blonde, and I could see her engorged clit

slightly protruding. For me. Because of me. I lifted my gaze over her flat belly, along the indentation of her navel, and stopped when I got to her pert, handful-sized breasts. Everything about her is perfection. “I need you,” she said, and I groaned. “Oh shit, baby.” I didn’t want to make her wait, and I sure as hell didn’t want to wait either. We both needed this so badly. Christ. “I’ll never get enough,” I admitted freely. There was no shame in how I felt, in what I desired with this girl. “Be with me, Felix. Love me.” My throat tightened, my emotions threatening to spill over. “I need to go slow and easy, make love to you—” “I want you to lose control. I need you to be authentic, to not try and restrain yourself.” She breathed hard and fast. “Because right now that’s how I feel, Felix.” Well shit, I could have fallen to my knees right then at her admission. I wanted this moment to be special and so damn memorable, but I was so far gone for her. Never in my life had I felt like losing control, had I felt like I couldn’t handle what was about to happen. But with Maggie all I could think about was unleashing the passion I’d had for her for all these years in the most physical of senses. And thank God she was right there with me.

CHAPTER 8

Maggie

“Y ou’re so beautiful,” Felix said to me, his voice deep, slightly gruff.

I looked at his body, all hard muscles, golden flesh, and tattoos that made me weak in the knees. I could have said the same thing to him, but I felt silly calling him beautiful. He was more than that. He was rough around the edges, yet smooth enough he could have been called a pretty boy. He was in shape without obsessively trying to be. And what he sported down below … I swallowed hard, this sudden lump in my throat. His dick was huge, long and thick, the crown slightly wider than the shaft. “You’re staring at me like you can’t get enough,” he said, his voice even more guttural than just a few seconds ago. “I don’t think I ever will,” I admitted honestly. “Shit, baby.” My heart raced in my chest. Then he grabbed his cock, his hand large but not dwarfing in the slightest what was between his thighs. Every part of me felt hot, then cold, this wave of emotions and sensations crashing through me. And the way he looked at me … like he couldn’t get enough, like he’d never get enough, had a flush stealing over me. I couldn’t think straight, but then again I didn’t need to do anything but feel right now. We were going to do this, really going to finally be with each other, and I knew this would forever change me. This would forever change our relationship. “I want you so bad.” Felix let go of his huge erection and moved closer to me. I smelled his rich, intoxicating scent, and I let it roll over me. “I think we’ve waited long enough.” Yeah, I said it, meant it. I was so ready for this. I lifted my hands and ran them up his arms, feeling his muscles under the inked-up skin bunch. “I’ve never been ready for anything more than I am with you.” I was wet, so soaked it felt slippery between my thighs.

And it was all because of Felix. It was all for him. He made this low sound deep in his chest, part man, part feral animal. Our breathing increased, and I knew without a doubt this would rock me to my core. In only the best of ways. Then he was on me, his big body covering mine, his hands on my chest, his mouth on mine. He kissed me for long seconds, plunging his tongue in and out of my mouth, claiming me, making me his in all ways. My legs were spread wide for him, and I felt his cock right on my pussy. He was hot and hard. “Oh yeah, Maggie,” he groaned against my mouth. “I can feel how wet you are for me.” He licked my bottom lip, and I couldn’t hold in the groan that spilled from me. He moved his lips over my jaw and started sucking at my pulse point right below my ear, running his tongue along my flesh, gently biting me until goose bumps formed on my entire body. Felix shifted, and his cock slid between my folds. I felt him tense, and we both gasped. “You’re burning up for me.” “I am,” I said honestly. “I need you.” He started pressing his erection against my pussy for long seconds while he went back to work with his mouth on mine. “I want to make you feel good.” His voice was so husky and deep. “You already are.” I wasn’t going to lie. “Do you want me to make you feel even better?” he asked right by my mouth, his lips barely touching mine, his breath warm and spicy like cinnamon. I was beyond turned on I couldn’t even think straight, let alone answer. But I found myself nodding, this involuntary sound leaving me after the fact. My hands were shaking, but I felt bold, infused with his passion as well as mine. I felt sweat start to form at my temples and the valley between my breasts. Felix lowered his gaze to my breasts, and I wondered if he took notice at how hard I was breathing, if he could hear it. “You’re sweating.” He still stared at my chest, and I lowered mine to see what he was staring at. Beads of sweat were already formed, and before I could say anything or even move, Felix was speaking again. “I want to lick them off, Maggie.” He looked at me then. “Would you let me do that, baby?” He leaned forward slightly, his upper body pressing me farther back on the bed. “Would you like to feel my tongue on you, lapping up that salty water, the evidence of how worked up you are for me?” A shiver worked its way through my entire body. Who knew hearing Felix say he wanted to lick at my flesh, gathering the sweat from my body, could be such a turnon? I heard my heart thundering in my ears, felt it in my throat. I nodded, telling him without words what I wanted. His gaze was locked with mine. Then I felt his tongue on me. I closed my eyes

and fell fully back on the bed. I gathered the sheets in my hands, pulled at them, feeling everything in me come alive even more. Felix licked a path between my breasts, his breathing harsh, the noises coming from him guttural. “Even your sweat tastes sweet, baby.” I opened my mouth and sucked in air, feeling light-headed. But he didn’t stop there. He continued to lick my flesh, the arch of my neck, the curve of my breasts, and lower still. He ran his tongue over my belly, dipped it into my belly button, and gripped my waist with his big hands, holding me down, making me take this erotic abuse. But I wanted more. I wanted so much more. And when I felt his mouth right over my pussy, his hot breath coming in hard, fast pants, I curled my toes. I could have gotten off right then and there, but I was exerting a lot of control right now. “Do you want my mouth on you, Maggie baby?” I felt the vibrations of his voice right on my clit. “Yes, Felix.” I reached up and tangled my hands in his hair. He was licking at my slit, dragging his tongue right up my center, then latching his mouth over my clit. I cried out as the orgasm that rocked through me stole every ounce of my sanity. I couldn’t think, couldn’t even breathe. I pulled at his hair, keeping him against me, needing his mouth right there. Even as my orgasm rocked through me, he moved his mouth down my cleft to my opening. There he plunged his tongue in, spreading my pussy lips with his thumbs, and fucked me with his lips and tongue. “I’ll never get enough. Never.” He moved back up my body, wrapped his hand loosely around my throat, and kissed me hard and possessively. I tasted myself on him, a sweet, musky flavor that had my heat renewing, had me wanting him right here and now. At this rate I didn’t think I’d be able to walk straight tomorrow, but what a thing to look forward to.

CHAPTER 9

Felix I’ll make the world kneel at your feet. even inside of her yet, and already I was trying not to get off. My balls I wasn’t were drawn up to my body, and I was having one hell of a time keeping myself

in control. “I could come right now, Maggie,” I said honestly. I wanted this to last so badly. I wanted to feel her pussy clenching around my cock, milking me because she wanted my cum filling her up. She made the hottest sound. It was one of need … of wanting me. “I’m ready for you, Felix. I need you.” I couldn’t stop from moaning at those words. I ran my tongue along her bottom lip, wanting to mouth fuck her desperately. I was tense, my muscles straining under my skin. My cock was so hard, and I felt pre-cum at the tip. Looking down at her face showed me she was right there at the edge. Her cheeks were this gorgeous pink color, and her pupils were dilated. And her lips … fuck, her lips were red and swollen from my kisses. I wanted her to know she was all mine. Hell, I wanted everyone to know, and to realize what we had was set in stone. “I’m not ashamed to admit I’m possessive of you, Maggie,” I said as I looked in her eyes. “In fact, I’m proud of that fact. I love knowing that I’d go to the ends of hell if it meant I could keep you forever.” She started breathing harder, and I slid my hand between us and ran my finger along her slit. “Because as barbaric as it seems, I own you like you own me.” I grabbed my cock, aligned it with her pussy hole, and stilled. Her pussy was hot and soaking for me. “Even though you’re not in me yet,” she said breathlessly, “you feel so good.” I groaned at hearing her words. I plunged my tongue inside her mouth, forcing her to take it all.

I was done waiting. I needed my cock in her pussy now. “Maggie, baby,” I groaned against her mouth, my hips having a mind of their own and wanting to plunge forward, burying my cock inside of her tight, virgin heat. “Baby, I need to be inside of you.” She ran her tongue along my lip, and my whole body shivered in response. “Spread wide for me.” “You want me wide?” She was tempting me. “So fucking wide for me, baby.” She let out a sweet gust of air, and I knew she was losing control. With the tip of my cock at her entrance, I didn’t want to wait anymore. “Stop thinking about it and just do it.” She arched, pressing her breasts against my chest. I shoved my hips forward, thrusting my cock deep into her. She cried out in pain, and I cursed myself for not having control and going slow. “No, I’m okay. Don’t stop.” Her pussy was so tight, so wet. She was so hot, so primed for me, I almost came right then. “Felix,” she groaned out, her head thrown back, her lips parted. “Are you okay? I didn’t hurt you too much?” She shook her head, her eyes still closed, her chest rising and falling rapidly. “No. I’m fine. Just don’t stop.” “I’ll never stop, because you’re mine.” I was fully inside her now, my balls pressed right up against her ass, her pussy clenching around my cock. “Hold me, dig your nails in me, make me hurt, too.” And she did just that. I hissed out, loving the sting of pain. “I need you to move. I need you to make love to me, to fuck me.” “Damn, baby girl. You can’t say that to me or I’ll come right now.” I started moving in and out of her slowly, gently. My pleasure built. The need to stay calm, to make sure this was good for her, was hard to grasp. I hunched my shoulders forward, lowered my head, and claimed her mouth as I thrust in and out of her. My dick was so damn hard it ached. “Does it freak you out to know I want to fill you with my seed? Does it scare you that I want to make you smell like me, be marked by me?” I thrust especially hard in her. She gasped and held on tighter, digging her nails in deeper. “No.” She stared in my eyes. “It turns me on.” “Shit, you feel so good.” The feeling of her pussy squeezing my cock, and of her wanting this so damn badly, made me higher than a kite. “God, Felix,” she breathed out. “Just me, baby.” “That’s all I want.” “I want to be so deep inside of you nothing else matters but the two of us.”

“Nothing else does matter, Felix.” I smiled at her. She was so right about that.

CHAPTER 10

Maggie was pain. TButhere the pleasure overrode anything else.

“Stay right here with me, baby,” Felix said in a deep voice, the strain on his face clear, the pleasure surrounding him. “I’m right here.” He thrust in slow and easy, and I swore he was holding his breath. Heat started to build inside of me, that discomfort still there but not as powerful as it had initially been. He was big and thick, hitting parts of me that had my toes curling and my heart racing. “You feel so good.” He closed his eyes and groaned softly, and that sound had my pulse beating right in my clit. “Touch me, Maggie,” he said and opened his eyes. “Grip on to me as I make love to you.” He leaned closer to my mouth. “As I fuck you.” A shiver worked through me. I had my hands on his biceps, my nails in his flesh. I wanted him as close as he could get. He started pulling out of me; then right when the tip was lodged in my body, he pushed back in, slow and easy, gentle and sweet. “You don’t have to be so gentle, Felix.” He stilled, and I knew I’d shocked him. He’d thrust in deeply, had a few hard plunges in me, but I felt like he was holding back. I knew he was trying to sweet with me. “But slow and easy is good, too.” I smiled. “I just want you to be with me the way you want.” He buried his face in the crook of my neck again, and I wrapped my arms around him. “You have me, all of me, until the end of time.” He started moving at a steady pace then, and as the seconds moved by and the intensity of my pleasure rose, I just let myself feel. A spark of pleasure slammed into me, and I couldn’t hold in my moan. “That good, baby?” he asked against my ear, his voice breathless.

“So good, Felix.” He thrust in and out of me slowly and turned his head so he could press his mouth on mine. This feeling of being filled, stretched, and consumed was so monumental my eyes roll back in my head. He was hard where I was soft. He was masculinity where I was femininity. My inner muscles clenched around him, and he pushed in deep and hard. He felt so good on me … in me. Felix retreated an inch. The bulbous head of his cock was poised at my entrance. While holding my gaze with his, he thrust in deep and hard once more. I shifted up on the bed, crying out in the process. He was almost all the way out again, then pushed back into me. Over and over he did this, faster and a little harder with each movement. I went to close my eyes, but this noise from the back of his throat stopped me. “Watch me. Look into my eyes as I take you, Maggie.” He leaned in and kissed me again. “I love you so much.” He kissed me again and again. “You’re my life.” He sank back into me. Felix rose up, braced his hands by my head, his forearms straight, and looked down the length of our bodies. He watched as he plunged his cock into my pussy. I swore I heard this growl leave him. “It’s so damn hot watching my cock go into you.” His head was still downcast, but he lifted just his eyes to look at me. “And seeing that cherry blood all over my cock…” He shivered. “It’s the hottest thing, Maggie.” He went back to watching what was happening between out bodies … of where he was buried. He did this for long, pleasurable moments. But then he made this low sound in the back of his throat, gripped my waist, and flipped me over. He covered my back with his chest. It was only a second before I felt him reach between us and place his dick right back in my pussy. With my head to the side, his body pressed to mine, and the feeling of his hips moving back and forth against me, I felt myself start to rise to the surface of another orgasm. “That’s it,” he whispered. “You’re so hot and wet, and so slick for me.” He started pushing in and pulling out of me faster, harder. “You’re mine.” He moved my hair away from my face and licked the shell of my ear. The scent of sex and sweat filled the room. The sounds of our heavy breathing surrounded us. The passion between us was intense, so tangible I felt it lick at my skin like a thousand hands touching me. The sound of his cock in me, of him fucking me, consumed every part of my being. It was this erotic, auditory pleasure-filled sensation. He only kept me on my belly for a few moments before he flipped me on my back again. I liked the way he was taking control, moving me around the way he wanted me to be. It was hot. I stared at Felix, watching the play of his muscles bunch and flex under his skin,

and couldn’t stop myself from running my hands over his massive, impressive form. “Tell me you’ll come for me again, baby?” Felix gritted out. I nodded first, not thinking I could find my voice. Closing my eyes and breathing out harshly, I wanted him to know where I was right now. “Yeah, I am going to come again.” And I was, so hard, so fiercely I knew it would rival my first one. “Yeah, baby?” I nodded, gasping at the same time. “Then come for me, get off all over my dick. Milk me, baby.” And just like that, I did. My pussy muscles clenched around him, and he grunted in response, his hips slamming hard against mine. “Oh shit, Maggie.” He closed his eyes, his jaw clenched tightly. “Here I come.” I forced myself to keep my eyes open. I wanted to see him get off because of me. He groaned harshly again, bucking against me, emptying himself in my body. “I love you so much.” He thrust in deep. I wanted him as high as I was. “So. Fucking. Good.” Hearing his words, and feeling his body on me, in me, had me climaxing again. It wasn’t as intense as the last ones, but it was mind and body controlling. “You’re so perfect.” His eyes were still closed, but the ecstasy was clear on his face. My inner muscles clamped down hard, and we both moaned. “You’ll always be mine, and I’ll always be yours,” he seemed to say to himself. “Oh shit, Maggie. That’s so it. Squeeze my dick, work for my cum.” His filthy words were an instant accelerant in me. With his huge body over mine, I felt every hard muscle in him tense further as he reached his peak. “Yes,” I whispered. He was buried deep in me, filling me, making me his. After long seconds Felix finally relaxed atop me, his huge, muscular form dwarfing mine, but making me feel so warm and safe. We were both sweaty, our breathing erratic, identical. All I wanted to do was stay like this, to just be in our own bubble where nothing would touch us. “I’m probably crushing you, baby.” Before I could protest, Felix rolled off me but kept me right up against him. “I love you so much,” he whispered against my ear. I smiled and closed my eyes, nothing else mattering except this moment. I could have stayed like this forever. There wasn’t a place on me that didn’t want his touch, his smell … his everything. “I’ll never get enough,” he whispered at the crown of my head. I pulled back and looked up at him. He was already staring at me. The smile he gave me had everything feeling like it was perfectly aligned, like everything we’d

been through, or would go through, would be worth it all. It has been worth it all. “No one will ever compare to you, Maggie. No one.” Felix shifted on the bed and cupped the side of my face. He pulled me in close, and I couldn’t deny I loved being held by him. I loved everything about him. He made me feel open and alive, made me feel like there were so many possibilities in this world. “I want you as mine, always, Maggie. As my wife, my partner in this life, and the mother of my children.” My heart totally stalled at his words. “Soul mate is too tame of a word for what I feel toward you.” I lifted my hand and cupped his beard-covered cheek. He’d been slowly growing it out, and I couldn’t deny that I loved it. It made me feel especially feminine. “And you’re mine.” I felt the love he had for me. “To have you in my life…” He closed his eyes and shook his head slightly. “That’s all I’ve ever wanted.” “I want that, too, all of it, Felix.” He crushed me to him, and I loved it. I loved the feeling of being breathless. I loved the way his big body cocooned mine, making me feel so small, so protected. It was just a shame it had taken us so long to get here. But we were here now, and that was all that mattered. Life was far too short to not go after what you wanted.

CHAPTER 11

Maggie elix wrapped his arm around me and pulled me more firmly back against him. F The movie we were watching was a couple of years old, the volume down too low for

us to really hear what was going on, but I didn’t care. Just being in his arms was good enough for me. It always had been, and it always would be. To be Felix’s was something I’d wanted in every way since the moment I knew what wanting that even meant. But I’d been too afraid, and I’d come to realize so had he. I stared at the top of the TV, the pink heart he’d drawn all those years ago proudly displayed in a frame. It was old, the edges frayed, worn. It wasn’t as vibrant in color as it used to be, but to me it was the most important, valuable possession I owned. I’d stared at that picture every night since he gave it to me when we were six. It had been my lifeline when I’d felt like things were falling apart. Even after all these years, I still stared at that drawing and knew everything would be okay. I didn’t need my family in my life, and it was clear they didn’t need me either. That situation was behind me, and Felix and I were moving forward. But now we really had each other in all ways, and I felt like this was exactly where my life was supposed to be. We might not have a lot of money or live in the nicest place, but we had each other, and that’s what mattered. One day we’d have everything we both deserved. We’d have the degrees we were working hard to get, we’d have our own place we could call home, but most importantly we’d always be by each other’s side. There was no other option for us in that regard. “What are you thinking about, baby?” Felix asked in a sleepy voice. I shifted so I could face him now. The couch we were on was small, barely fitting Felix’s big body, but we’d made it work between the two of us. He had his hand on my lower back, his huge palm spread out along my exposed

flesh where my shirt rode up. He used his stretch to make sure I didn’t fall off the edge, but I also knew he held me because he loved me. I could see it in his eyes every time he looked at me. The feeling of his body heat seeped into me, and I moved my hand between us to rest on his bared chest. He wore a pair of sweats, his very male, very muscular bod on display. To say I got tired of seeing him this way, of tracing my fingers over the multiple tattoos he had and the new ones he kept getting, would be an outright lie. “What’s on your mind, sweetheart?” he asked softly and shifted slightly so he could cup my face with his other hand. “I was just thinking about how much I love you.” He made this deep sound in his throat, tipped my head back, and devoured my mouth with his. We stayed like that for long minutes, our tongues moving together, our breathing mingling as one, and the heat in the room intensifying. When he pulled away, I sucked in a deep breath. I felt how ready he was for me, his erection pressed to my belly, hard, long, thick. But he didn’t make a move to have sex with me, much to my disappointment. Instead he just stared at me, the love on his face so tangible there wasn’t a doubt in my mind he would go to any lengths for me. The same lengths I’d go for him. “You’re my soul mate,” he finally said. “I’d do anything for you, because seeing you happy, seeing that smile on your face just for me, makes anything and everything worth it.” This man had a way of saying things that made my heart flutter. “And even though all I want to do is marry you right now, make you mine in all senses of the word, I know there is a lot going on in our lives.” He lifted my hand and brought it to his mouth. He kissed each finger while staring into my eyes. “But just know this: you are mine forever. I’m not going anywhere, baby.” He pulled me in close, and I pressed my body flush with his. “Good, because you’re stuck with me.” The sound of his chuckle was deep and vibrated against my ear. Being with Felix made everything okay. It always had, and I knew it always would.

Felix Just say you’ll be mine. “YOU NEED ANYTHING?” she asked from the kitchen. “Just you,” I replied. She chuckled, but I knew she liked hearing me say these things just as much as I liked telling her them. Maggie came into the living room, walked by me, and I reached out and pulled

her onto my lap. She made the sweetest little sound. I held her tighter, pulling her back toward me, wanting to shelter her. We sat there for long seconds, this comforting, serene atmosphere surrounding us. At least it was for me. I sensed she was growing a little distant. She was quiet, and I knew then she was thinking about her family. She always got like this when she thought about them. Since graduating and moving out, her family hadn’t tried to keep in contact with her. And even though she spent holidays with my family and they loved her like their own, my girl hated that her family was the way they were. I shifted so we were lying on the couch. I reached for her hand and took it in mine, rubbing my thumb along her flesh. “Are you thinking about your family?” I finally asked, even though I already knew. She was silent for a second before answering. “Unfortunately, I am.” For long seconds I just held her, stroking my hand along her arm, feeling the goose bumps form along her body. “You don’t need them in your life if they make you question how you feel about yourself.” I took her hand in mine. “They haven’t even tried contacting me once, Felix.” I kissed the top of her head. “I know, baby, and I’m so damn sorry about that.” She shifted even more so I could look into her face. I kept my hand at the small of her back, keeping her close to me, wanting her that way always. “I’ll be here for you no matter what, and I’ll never let you down.” The smile she gave me lit up the damn room. “I know. And I’ll be here for you, Felix.” She sighed softly. “I wish sometimes things were different. But to be honest, it isn’t about not seeing them or talking with them that bothers me. It’s the fact that if I didn’t have you in my life, I’d be truly alone.” I cupped the back of her head, keeping her to my chest so she was resting right over my heart. “You feel that?” After a second she nodded. “It beats for you. Only you. And I’m not going anywhere. This world means nothing without you in my life, by my side.” “I feel the same way, Felix.” I knew she did, and it made me the luckiest man in the world. I adjusted so she pulled back and looked up at me. “Marry me.” This certainly wasn’t the way I’d wanted to go, or how I saw myself proposing to her. Hell, I could have done this years ago if this was the route I’d planned on taking. But what was the point of waiting? We might not be wealthy, or live lavishly in the least. I might not have the money yet to give her the ring she deserved, but we had each other. “I’ve wanted to marry you for so long it’s imprinted on me. It’s in my DNA.” She didn’t speak, and I worried I’d scared her or, hell, freaked her out. “I certainly didn’t see this moment going this way, on the couch, with some lame old movie on TV.” She smiled at me, and I felt like a real man because I’d done that, made her feel a

little bit of happiness. I cupped her cheek and stared in her eyes. “I’m already the happiest man on this planet because of you, but if you will be my wife, I’ll make sure you’re always treated like the queen you are.” She started tearing up then, and I worried they might not be happy tears. “Shit, Maggie, I don’t want you to cry.” She shook her head, closed her eyes, and smiled. “They’re happy tears.” “I’ve been saving up for a ring worthy to be on your finger, and even though I’ll keep doing that, I had to ask.” She opened her eyes, and before I could say anything else, she was straddling me. She cupped my face, and kissed me. “Of course I’ll marry you,” she said against my mouth, the saltiness of her happy tears making this moment all the more special. I wrapped my arms around her, pulled her closer so she was lying on my chest, and couldn’t help the smile that covered my face. “You’ll never be alone.” And I meant that with every part of me, with every ounce of love I had for this girl. Where she went, I went. That’s how it was, and that’s how it always would be.

Felix I do MAGGIE WAS the love of my life. She always had been. She always would be. She was that one person that could change another human being just by being in their presence. And she’d always be mine. And there was nothing on this planet that could keep me from her. I closed my eyes, willing myself to calm down, and breathed out slowly. This was the day. This was the moment I’d always envisioned. Nearly two years had passed since I’d proposed to her on the couch. It seemed like a lifetime to get to this one moment in our lives, but it had been one hell of a journey. And although I would have been happy to go to the courthouse to make this official, Maggie deserved a real wedding. She deserved it all, and so I’d strive for the rest of my life to make that possible. I’d saved up, had a custom ring made for Maggie—because I wanted her to have something unique and just as special as she was. I’d worked my ass off saving money, making sure that we were doing better and could follow through with this next step in our lives. And we were finally here, together, always. I stared at the woman I loved more than anything else. She was beautiful in her white lace dress, the veil covering her face. I lifted the delicate material up and over

her head, and the smile she gave me lit up the entire room. As the officiate spoke to us and the audience—only a handful of our friends and my mother and father—I could only stare at Maggie. I was lost in her eyes, so in love with this girl there wasn’t anything I wouldn’t do for her. She might not speak with her family anymore, but she had me and mine, and we showed her as much love as possible. I showed her as much as I could, so much so I wondered if it overwhelmed her. Then it was time for us to repeat the vows and exchange rings, and I felt my heart slam hard against my ribs. “I do,” she said softly, her smile just for me. I slipped her ring on, squeezed her hand, and breathed out slowly. “Never was there a time where I questioned how I felt for you.” I looked into her blue eyes. She seemed surprised, but then again I hadn’t told her I’d written my own vows. Bringing her hands to my mouth, I kissed her knuckles gently. “From the moment you stepped into my classroom all those years ago, I knew you were something special, that you’d be mine.” A tear started to slide down her cheek, and I brushed it away. “You’ll always be the one for me, and each and every day my love for you grows tenfold.” She smiled wider this time, another tear tracking down her cheek. “Maggie Elizabeth, you are the only one for me. You always have been, and you always will be.” I pulled her into my body, holding her tightly. “I do.” I finally said the words, and our guests laughed softly. “You may now kiss your bride.” Thank God. I did just that, kissed her until she was breathless, until she was holding on to me for support. I kissed her like she was my world … because she was.

EPILOGUE

Felix Several years later This is the beginning of the rest of our lives.

M y wife.

The woman I loved more than anything else. My entire world. I’d always known Maggie was my fate … my soul mate. I pulled her close, and inhaled deeply. She fit perfectly against me. We’d just made love, and all I wanted to do was be with her again. It wasn’t because I was some horny bastard, but because I wanted to show her with my body that I was hers the same as she was mine. I smoothed my hand down her arm, slipped my fingers through hers, and lifted her hand. I stared at the ring. It wasn’t the biggest, and even though she deserved the biggest fucking rock, I’d picked this one out especially for her—had it custom made, too. Everything I did was for her. Several years we’d been married now, and it was everything I’d ever thought it would be … and more. We were both working stable jobs, using the degrees we’d earned, and even had a small house we’d purchased together. We had the room, were financially stable, and I was ready to take the next step with the woman I loved. I anticipated what our future held. I could hear her breath become even, slow, and knew she was falling asleep, but I also wanted to talk to her about something that had been on my mind for a while. “Maggie?” I said softly. “Hmmm?” she said back in a sleepy voice. I slid my hand over to her belly and spanned the flat surface with my palm. For a

second all I did was feel her stomach moving up and down gently as she breathed. “How would you feel if I said I wanted to try for a baby?” I said softly and felt her tense. She shifted and turned in my arms, and I immediately cupped the side of her face. “The very thought of creating a baby with you makes me so happy,” I whispered. “But I want you to feel like this is the right time, too.” She lifted her hand and placed it over mine, which was still on her cheek. “A baby?” she whispered. I smiled, the thought making me feel pretty good. “Yeah, a baby.” I leaned in and kissed her. Moving my hand away from her face, I slid it down her side, skimmed my fingers along the curve and arch of her waist and hip, and moved it so my hand was on her belly again. “I want my baby growing right here.” I added the slightest pressure to her stomach. “I want a little bit of both of us running around.” She rested her head on my chest. “I want that, Felix.” She lifted her head and stared at me. “I want us to be a family … to have a family.” I grinned, feeling so elated I couldn’t even contain it. I rolled on top of her, my cock hard, my body ready for her. Only her. She spread her legs, allowing me to settle between them. I felt how wet she was, a combination of her arousal for me and also of my cum. I’d filled her up good, made sure she was soaked in my seed. “You’ll have to stop taking the pill right away,” I murmured. I ran my nose up the arch, inhaling that sweet scent that always surrounded her. “You’re always so ready for me, so primed,” I said softly against her ear. I reached between us, grabbed my cock, and placed it at her entrance. Pulling back, I looked into her face, and after only a second I pushed inside of her. She arched her chest out and moaned. “Say you’re mine,” I said and thrust deeply into her. She made the sweetest sound. “Felix.” Maggie moaned my name, and I grunted in response. “I’m yours.” I kissed her then, claiming her mouth, her body, her very soul. She owned every part of me right now to the marrow, and I’d show her that my devotion for her ran just as deep. This life meant nothing to me without Maggie by my side. I don’t know what I did to deserve her, but I was never letting go.

Felix And then there were three. THERE WAS nothing more beautiful than watching my woman feeding our baby. I leaned against the door frame of Abigail’s nursery, listening to Maggie hum to our

little girl. It had only been a few months since Maggie gave birth to Abi, and I’d never thought I could love someone as much as my wife. But seeing my daughter being born, knowing she was a little part of both of us, had my love overflowing. My daughter. My wife. My girls. Maggie finished feeding Abi and put her in the crib. She stared down at our baby girl for a few seconds before leaving. I wrapped my arm around her waist and pulled her to my side. We walked a few steps before I stopped and faced her. For long seconds we didn’t say anything. I could look at her forever. “If I could go back in time to when I first saw you, I would just so I could fall in love with you all over again.” I pulled her against me even more, held the back of her head, and stared into her eyes. “If I could marry you again, I would, just so I could hear you say ‘I do.’” I heard her breath hitch. “Even after all this time I still get butterflies in my belly with you.” She smiled up at me. “That’ll never change, not even when we are gray and old.” I leaned down and kissed her. “I can’t wait to wear matching tracksuits with you as we power walk through the mall on Sundays.” She laughed, and I couldn’t help but follow suit. “I’m glad you already have it planned out.” Seriousness filled me. “I’ve had my life planned out since the moment I saw you, and it always involves you by my side.” I crushed her to me then, kissed her breathless, and just held her. Needing her right then and there, I lifted her in my arms and carried her to our room. “Baby, I need you, like right the fuck now.” She made the sweetest sound in the back of her throat. “I need to be inside of you.” She breathed out, wrapped her arms around me, and I knew she was already primed for me. I’d never get enough of her. She was mine, and always would be.

The End

PART I

BONUS BOOK: VIRGIN (A REAL MAN, 2)

VIRGIN (A Real Man, 2) By Jenika Snow www.JenikaSnow.com [email protected]

Copyright © July 2016 by Jenika Snow First E-book Publication: July 2016

Photographer: Wander Aguiar Photography Cover model: Marshall Perrin Photo provided by: Wander Book Club

Editor: R. Cartee and Kasi Alexander

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED: The unauthorized reproduction, transmission, or distribution of any part of this copyrighted work is illegal. Criminal copyright infringement is investigated by the FBI and is punishable by up to 5 years in federal prison and a fine of $250,000. This literary work is fiction. Any name, places, characters and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events or establishments is solely coincidental. Please respect the author and do not participate in or encourage piracy of copyrighted materials that would violate the author’s rights. Created with Vellum

Book 1: Lumberjack Book 2: Virgin Book 3: Baby Fever Book 3.5: A Real Man: Volume One Book 4: Experienced Book 5: Roommate Book 6: Arrogant Book 7: coming soon

CHAPTER 1

Quinn he first time I saw Isabel, I knew she was something special. TI hadn’t even spoken to her, didn’t even know her name, but like those sappy

songs and movies where they talk about that instant connection … yeah, I had gone there with her. We were ten years old, and she was being picked on by some little prick; the sight of her crying had done something to me instantly. I’d wanted to protect her, to hurt anyone that thought they could make her cry. I’d stormed right over there, pulled her behind me, and given the bullying asshole a black eye. After that day, we became inseparable. After that day, no one fucked with her, not unless they wanted to deal with me. And they never did. I might not have known what I was feeling for her at such a young age, but I knew without a doubt she was it for me. I wanted her in my life forever. As the years went on, our relationship became stronger, our friendship tighter. She was my best friend, the one girl I could talk to about anything. And she could do the same with me. But that friendship evolved for me, and I didn’t just see myself as her protector anymore, but the guy that didn’t want any prick even looking at her. I knew I loved her before I even knew what that fucking word meant. We were both eighteen, and although I’d always kept my distance when it came to telling her how I really felt, I knew I couldn’t hold that shit in anymore. I loved Isabel so much it hurt. She’d never know how much she meant to me unless I grew some balls and told her. But I was afraid, afraid of losing the best thing in my life. The fear that I could ruin everything with those three words had kept my mouth shut, but I couldn’t do that anymore. She was the most important person to me. Isabel was my world, my life. Hell, I

breathed because of her. She didn’t know it, but she was mine, and I needed to tell her before it was too late.

Isabel I FELT LIKE CRYING. They weren’t happy tears, but soul numbing, heart-breaking tears that would consume me and not let go until it had wrung every last ounce of energy from me. If I gave in and let that sorrow take over, I’d crumble to the floor and not be able to get back up. “Everything will work out, Isabel.” I looked at my mom before I walked out of the front door and headed to school. My eyes stung from the unshed tears, and my throat was so dry and tight I couldn’t even swallow. “No, it won’t be okay.” My mom gave me a sympathetic look, and I hated it. “Isabel, we didn’t mean to spring this on you, but we just found out, as well. Your father can’t pass up the promotion, even if it means we have to move your senior year.” I just shook my head. I didn’t care if I had to finish my senior year at another school. What I cared about, what was breaking my heart, was the fact I had to tell Quinn about this. I would be leaving my best friend. I would be leaving the guy I was hopelessly in love with. Not saying anything was the best route; if I opened my mouth, I’d either yell at my mom for ruining the best thing in my life, or cry like a little bitch. I just left the house, got in my car, and drove to school. Everything passed by in a blur. I was at school before I even realized it. After cutting the engine, I just sat there, my heart racing, my body numb. I didn’t know how to tell Quinn any of this. I don’t want to tell him. Telling myself this was all just an overreaction was easier said than done. It’s just one more year, and we can be together again. It’s just one year of us being apart all the way across the country. Closing my eyes and resting my head back on the seat, I could have cried at my thoughts. Be together? Quinn and I were a lot of things, but together wasn’t one of them. He was my best friend, the boy who had protected me when I was only ten and being picked on. He was the first person to tell me things would be okay because he wouldn’t let anyone hurt me. Although my home life was fine, happy even, the very thought of not having Quinn in it, not being able to see him every day, talk to him,

and feel so protected because I knew he would never let anything happen to me, was unbearable. When I opened my eyes, I saw Quinn walking toward the car. He always waited for me so we could walk together, and knowing I’d have to finish off my last year of school without doing this one thing every day broke my heart. But I plastered on a smile, because I didn’t want to tell him right now and ruin the entire day. It was Friday and I could tell him after school; that way we’d have the whole weekend to hang out, maybe talk about this. “Hey,” he said and leaned his massive biceps on the inside of the window, his smile bright, straight, and white. “Hey yourself.” I smiled wider, turned to grab my bag off the passenger seat, and went to open my door, but he was already there doing it for me. Once out of the car, I tried to keep my composure happy, but inside I was a wreck. I stared up at him, his body massive for only being eighteen. He had tattoos on his arms, even though he was younger. He appeared like the bad boy in all ways, was in many senses, but he was also my best friend. He played hockey, and his body was a machine, tearing through anything and anyone to get what he wanted. At six foot three and two hundred pounds of raw muscle, Quinn didn’t look like someone that should be going to this rinky-dink little high school. He looked like a man in many ways. He was a hard ass to all others, but to me he was the sweetest person. He showed me a side that he didn’t allow anyone else to see, and that made me love him even harder. One of his friends who also played hockey came over and started “talking shop” with him, and I just stared up at him. His dark blond hair was cut short and had a mussed look going on. From this angle, his light blue eyes almost looked crystalline. And the clothes he wore … yeah, they couldn’t hide the raw power he exuded. Big biceps, vein-roped forearms. He was perfection, and I wanted him to be mine. God, what am I doing, measuring him for a suit? How am I going to get through this, even if it is for only one year?

CHAPTER 2

Quinn tell something was wrong with her as soon as I saw her this morning. I could She was being fake and had plastered on a tight smile, but in her eyes, I could

see something was bothering her. My first instinct was to demand she tell me who the fuck hurt her, because I was ready to beat that fucker down, but I kept my cool, wanting her to come to me and tell me what was wrong. I sat in my seat in the back of the class, staring at her, unable to focus on what the teacher said. Isabel sat a few seats in front of me and to the right. She kept tapping her pencil on the desk and bouncing her leg, her nerves clear. I’d never really seen her like this, and it had every muscle in my body taut with the need to make things right for her, to make her feel better. She looked back at me then, maybe feeling my stare burning a hole in the back of her head. She smiled, but it was tight and didn’t reach her eyes. I curled my hands into tight fists, wanting to just fuck the class and drag her out of the room, but thankfully the bell for the end of the day rang. I shot out of my seat, grabbed my backpack, and stormed over to her. “Hey,” she said softly as she put her books in her bag. I saw the column of her throat work as she swallowed, could see how tight her jaw was. “Come on,” I said and all but dragged her out of the classroom, down the hall, and finally outside. We made our way to her car, and only then did I cross my arms and glare down. I waited for her to tell me what the fuck was going on, and when she didn’t, I exhaled. “What’s gong on?” I asked, making my voice softer. I didn’t want to upset her because frankly, I was on edge not knowing what was going on with her. She never kept things from me. “What do you mean?” she asked, but she didn’t meet my eyes. I placed my forefinger under her chin and tilted her head back. “Isabel,” I said in

a low voice. “What’s going on?” She didn’t answer me right away, and when I saw the tears start forming in her eyes, I cursed. “Did someone fuck with you?” I curled the hand not touching her into a fist and gritted my teeth. I needed to stay calm, because the very thought of someone messing with her had me nearly going off the rails. “If someone fucked with you, so help me God…” I shook my head. “I’ll make them hurt.” I stared into her hazel eyes, could see her mahogany colored hair blowing around her shoulders. Hell, I could smell the citrusy scent that always surrounded her. Despite not knowing what was up with her, I was getting hard, wanting her like a fiend wanting a hit of my addiction. She shook her head. “No one hurt me, Quinn.” Her voice was low, distant almost. I wanted to smooth my thumb along the soft skin under her chin, but I refrained and pulled my hand away. “You’ve been acting weird all day. Tell me what’s wrong, because I know you well enough that I can see you’re bothered.” She looked at the ground and closed her eyes. After a second, she lifted her head and looked me right in the eyes. God, she was gorgeous; even looking like someone had ripped her heart out and stomped on it, she was the most beautiful fucking person I’d ever seen. I wanted to pull her in and kiss her until she was breathless, wanted to tell her I loved her, and that I was so fucking in love with her I lay in bed at night thinking about her being mine. I wanted to tell Isabel she was it for me … that she was the only one I’d ever want. I was a virgin, and I wanted Isabel to be my first and last. “We’re moving, Quinn.” Her words brought me back to the present, had me blinking and trying to process what she’d said. “What?” I asked, hearing her, knowing what she said, but not comprehending it. “I’m moving. My dad got a promotion, and relocating is part of it.” She brushed away a tear that fell from her eye. “Moving?” I asked, my voice thick, tight. She nodded. I shook my head. “When?” She was silent for long moments, and I felt myself become tighter, knowing what she was going to say would be fucking hell. “Less than two weeks.” I felt the breath leave me. I couldn’t do anything but stand there and stare at her, watching as the tears slid down her cheeks. “Two fucking weeks?” I gritted those words out. “Are you serious?” She nodded. Reaching up, because I couldn’t stand to see her crying, to see her hurt, I cupped her cheek and brushed two tears away with my thumb. “How the hell can anyone move in two weeks?” I meant to say those words to

myself, but they spilled forth. “Fuck,” I said and squeezed my eyes shut. We hadn’t been apart for more than a day since we were ten. I fucking loved her. I love you. She cupped my hand, neither of us speaking or moving for long moments. Finally, she sighed and smiled, but it was sad. “The position my dad is taking needs to be filled right away.” Her voice was soft. “And my mom doesn’t want to wait a year until I’m done with school to move out there. She wants to be with my dad.” Yeah, I got that, understood it even, but hell, what about us? It was then, as those words sunk in, that I felt rage fill me. I felt this bone-deep anger that took my breath away, that stole every single ounce of sanity. I wanted to avenge her even if there wasn’t a monster in front of her, wasn’t someone that had stolen an ounce of her flesh. I wanted to be the one to hold her close and keep her by me, making sure she couldn’t be hurt, not by her family … not by a distance that was the enemy. I wanted to tell her right then that everything would be okay, that I’d never walk away from her. I’d follow her to the end of the fucking world if I had to. She was it for me, and tonight I’d tell her how I felt. Tonight, I’d take her somewhere private, where it was just us, and tell her my deepest secret. Tonight I’d tell Isabel that I loved her, and nothing would keep us apart.

CHAPTER 3

Isabel you told Quinn?” my father asked from across the dinner table. H ave“Yeah,” I replied in a dead tone.

“

“Honey, eat,” my mother said. I stared at my plate, pushing my food around with my fork. They actually expected me to eat, to have an appetite after the shit they threw at me this morning? “I’m not hungry.” I set my fork down and looked at the clock. I was meeting Quinn in twenty minutes. He wanted us to hang out, to spend time together, and really talk about all of this. At least the latter was what I assumed. “It’s for one year, Isabel,” my dad said, sounding frustrated. I didn’t care if he was annoyed. “Once you graduate, if you want to go to school here, or wherever Quinn is, that’s an option.” “A year is a long time,” I said, my voice monotone, and I knew my expression reflected that. “Let’s not forget you’re uprooting me during my senior year, or that we have to move across the country.” I straightened, not about to cry at the dinner table. “It’s not like I’m moving to the next city over. It’s not like I can tell Quinn to go with me.” My dad exhaled and grabbed his napkin to wipe his mouth. When he set it down, he looked me right in the eyes. “I know you and Quinn are close. And I know this will be a hard adjustment. But it’s for one year, honey, and I can’t pass up this promotion.” He said the last part a little softer. “I’ve been working toward this for the last ten years.” I wanted to support my dad, knew he deserved this, but it was hard to feel any kind of happiness toward anyone when I was hurting so much. “I’m sorry. I’m happy you’re getting what you deserve, but it’s … hard for me.” I stood and walked over to the table in the foyer. I gabbed my keys from the little bowl on it and stared at myself in the mirror above the table. I looked like shit, with dark circles under my eyes and this shitty expression covering my face. I might only

be five minutes away from where I was to meet Quinn, and I’d obviously be early, but I’d rather sit there with just my thoughts and the silence than stay here and try and be happy when I wasn’t. “Where are you going?” my mother asked. “To spend time with my best friend.” And the boy I love.

Quinn I’D BEEN SITTING on the roof of my car for the last hour, even if Isabel wasn’t supposed to show up for a while still. I just needed to get my thoughts in order. I’d pushed everything aside that had to do with her leaving, because tonight, I wanted her to know how special she was to me, how much she meant to me. I wanted to tell her I loved her, and that no matter where she went, or how far away it was, I would find her. Our lives would always be entwined, no matter what. The flash of headlights had me turning and looking over my shoulder. This strip of property was out in the middle of nowhere, with cornfields stretching out in front of me for miles, and the open sky making way to the thousand of stars above. I’d never been one of those sappy guys that cared about feelings or any of that shit. I didn’t care about any of that stuff with anyone aside for Isabel. We’d been coming here since we were old enough to drive. It was the one spot we could talk unfiltered, without the outside world intruding. She pulled her car behind mine and cut the engine. I’d wanted to pick her up at her folks’ house, wanted to do this right, but she’d insisted on meeting me here. My first thought was she wanted an escape route if things got too emotional or real, even if she didn’t exactly know what I planned on telling her tonight. When she got out of the car, I slid off the hood of mine and walked over to her. Her face lit up when she saw me, and that made me feel so fucking good. All she had to do was smile at me, and I fucking crumbled. Tonight, she’d find out that for her, I’d do anything. Tonight, she’d find out that I’d fall to my knees and worship her if that’s what would make her happy. I embraced her before she could even say anything, and at first she was tense, but then she melted into me. We stood there like that for so long, but I didn’t want to pull away. I didn’t want this moment to end. “This fucking sucks,” she said against my shirt. I was so much taller than she was, her head resting right under my pectoral. I liked that she was so tiny compared to me, and that I could hold her close and nearly engulf her. It made me feel like nothing in this world could touch her, that as long as she was with me, everything would be okay. “They keep telling me it’s only for a year until I finish school.” She pulled away

and looked up at me. She wasn’t crying, but she was on the verge. I cupped her cheeks and kissed her forehead. I was only like this with her. I didn’t care what others said about me, or if my friends gave me a hard time and said I was too soft when it came to Isabel. I didn’t give a shit about any of that, or about what they had to say, because when all was said and done, the only person that mattered to me was looking right into my eyes. “I’ll go with you,” I said with determination, not sure how I’d get that to work out seeing as the part-time job I had wasn’t exactly padding my savings account. She smiled and shook her head. “That’s dumb,” she said and laughed, and I knew she wasn’t insulting me. “I would, though, Isabel,” I said in all seriousness. The smile faded from her face. “I’d follow you to the end of the world just to make sure we stayed together.” My heart was thundering, and despite the fact we weren’t together, I wanted her to know she meant everything to me. “As much as I love the idea of you going with me and toughing this next year out, I wouldn’t want you to do that, Quinn.” She pulled away and stared up at the sky. “Have you ever thought about how tiny we really are?” A moment of silence passed before she spoke again. “Have you ever really thought that out of the entire world, the universe, the great blankness above us, that we are just these little specks of cells and energy?” I heard what she said, but I was too focused on her, at the way she looked staring up at the sky, at the vulnerability and sadness I saw on her face. “It’s only a year of school before we can be together again, but it feels like someone is ripping out my heart, Quinn.” She looked at me then, that vulnerability so raw, so real, that I felt it in every cell in my body. “I know to outsiders looking in I’m being dramatic, but I can’t help it. I love—” “I love you, Isabel,” I said, cutting her off, not about to hold this in anymore. She didn’t move, didn’t even show emotion for long moments. “I am so fucking in love with you, and have been before I even know what that emotion was.” I cupped her face again and leaned down so we were eye to eye. “Ever since I met you when we were ten, I felt something in me start to grow. As the years went on, that affection grew to what I feel now.” I heard her gasp a little, just a tiny sound that left her lips parted, but I wasn’t going to stop. I couldn’t. Now that the words were out, hanging between us, I wanted to lay it all bare. “I didn’t want to say anything before because I was afraid of ruining the friendship we have. Having you in my life, even if only as a friend, is what I’ll take, because the alternative isn’t an option for me, Isabel.”

CHAPTER 4

Isabel breathe, but right now that wasn’t a bad thing. The fact Quinn had I couldn’t just opened himself up to me, and told me exactly what I’d always longed to

hear, had the world rushing around me. I felt lightheaded, my hands shook, and it felt as though my knees would lock if I tried to step away. “You love me?” I asked stupidly. The fact was I was shocked he’d admitted this stuff to me. For so long, I’d loved him, but I hadn’t wanted to ruin our friendship by telling him how I felt. And if he hadn’t felt the same way, there would have been this awkward wall between us. He held on to each side of my face, his blue eyes looking intense … sincere. “I fucking love you so much it pains me, Isabel. I’ve wanted to tell you for so long.” I wanted to cry tears of happiness, but I also knew this made things a little worse. He loved me. I loved him. The separation would be so much worse now. But will it? “Did I just fuck things up?” he whispered, his voice deep, filled with emotion. Shit, I hadn’t said anything in return. “You didn’t fuck anything up,” I whispered. “I’m so in love with you, Quinn. I’ve kept it to myself, too, afraid it might ruin the closeness we had if you didn’t feel the same way.” He grinned, his straight white teeth flashing. Quinn crushed me to his body, and I closed my eyes, inhaling his woodsy, masculine scent, just letting him hold me and make things seem not so shitty. I’d agreed to come out here tonight not just to talk to him, but also to finally admit things, even if it would ruin things. Me having to move put a lot of shit into perspective. What would it have hurt anyway? If that wedge had been put between us, it wouldn’t have mattered because we already had distance. “You’re the only one I’ve ever wanted,” he said and pulled away to look into my face. “You’re the only one I’ll ever want.” My heart was in my throat. Quinn was a tough guy. I’d seen him on the ice, watched as he dominated it, took down the other team. Hell, if they hadn’t been

forced to play against him, I knew they probably would have parted for him, just let him have his way. School was no different either. But right here, right now, he was so open to me. He’d also been sweet and gentle with me, as if I might break, but right now, yeah, this was a side I’d never seen. “I’ve never wanted anyone else, Isabel,” he said softly. “It’s only ever been you. I’ve wanted you in my life not just as my best friend, but as the girl I want to give every part of myself to. It’s you I want to own my virginity. It’s you I want to share my life with.” I couldn’t think, couldn’t even breathe after he spoke. I’d saved myself for him too, and although I’d never seen him with any girls, the truth was I’d never wanted to think too hard on it either. I’d never wanted to picture the guy I loved being physical with anyone but me. But to know he was a virgin, that he’d saved himself for me, the same as I’d done for him, made my emotions rise up violently. I didn’t want to think anymore, didn’t want to worry about leaving or how hard it was going to be. All I wanted to do was be with Quinn in the most basic of ways and show him how much I loved him by sharing my body.

Quinn SHE WAS close to me already, but when she rose on her toes, pressed her chest to mine, and I felt the curved roundness of her breasts, my cock jerked something fierce. But it didn’t stop there, and as surprised as I was by her actions, I held her tightly. She stared right in my eyes, both of us breathing the same air. My heart was beating like a freight train, and I felt my pulse slam hard against my skin. I wanted to kiss her, to have her in the ways I’d always dreamed of. I might be a virgin, but I knew what I wanted to do with Isabel, and fuck, was it filthy. But just as I was about to act on what I wanted, Isabel slammed her mouth against mine. At first, neither of us moved, but then I took control. I cupped the back of her head, tangled my fingers in her hair, and tilted her head so I could thrust my tongue in her mouth. I groaned this guttural sound, the flavor of her like nothing I’d ever tasted before. I wrapped my other arm snuggly around her waist and used my strength to lift her off the ground a couple of inches, just holding her, loving that she was pressed all up against me. I knew she could feel my cock, and I wondered what she was thinking. I stroked my tongue along hers, and when she pulled it farther into her mouth and bit down on it gently, I couldn’t help but thrust my cock deeper into her belly, digging the fucker into her softness.

“Be with me, Quinn.” Holy. Fuck. I froze after she murmured those words and broke the kiss to look down at her face. I set her on the ground, but kept my arm wrapped around her, wanting her close. Her mouth was swollen and red, and a light sheen of salvia covered her lips. I felt so fucking possessive of her, and I couldn’t help but untangle my hands from her hair and run my finger over her bottom lip. She parted her lips slightly, darted out her tongue, and ran it over the pad of the digit. “Be with me, Quinn,” she whispered again, and I felt my cock jerk. If the motherfucker could have spoken, he would have been growling his approval. I was all for being with Isabel, too, but I didn’t want to rush anything. “Baby, I don’t want you to feel like we have to do this because you’re leaving. I’m not going anywhere.” I cupped her nape. “I told you, you’re mine and nothing will change that.” She shook her head. “I’ve wanted to be with you like this for a long time. We’re alone, I love you, and it feels like the right time.” God, I could have come right in my fucking jeans listening to her say these things to me. I wanted her, but I also wanted to make sure she wasn’t rushing anything because our emotions were raw and wild. “Please, let’s make this a memory I can take with me when I have to go.” Fuck, my heart broke, but I wasn’t about to say no either. I crushed her to me again, speared my hands in her hair, and kissed her until she was gasping for breath and clinging to me. Turning us around, I walked us backward until the car stopped us from going farther. She had her back to the driver’s side window, and I curled my bigger body around hers, causing her to arch for me. Her breasts were more than a handful, but fit her slender body perfectly. My fingers itched to touch them, to unbutton her shirt, pull the sides apart, and just go to town massaging the globes. “Touch me,” she whispered, as if she read my mind. I was about to fucking come right in my jeans, no joke, but I needed to keep my cool. I might be a virgin, but I’d jerked off plenty of times to the image of Isabel in my head, enough that I had self-control down pretty damn well. I pulled back, forcing myself to break the kiss. Before I undid her shirt, I ran my tongue over first her top lip and then her bottom. She moaned, and I couldn’t help kissing her again, swallowing the sound. Finally, I took a step back, clenching my hands into fists repeatedly as I watched the rise and fall of her breasts under the light pink blouse she wore. “Please.” She whispered that word on a moan, and my fucking control snapped right in half. I all but tore those little pearl buttons off, parted the material, and stared down at the white bra she wore. My mouth dry, the fucker in my pants throbbed. Hell, the bra wasn’t anything fancy, just cotton with a little lace detailing around the edges.

But the fucking material was transparent, and I could make out the quarter-sized areolae. They were a darker red, and her nipples were hard and pressed against the fabric. “Christ, Isabel.” I dragged my gaze up and looked at her face. Pleasure was clear on her expression. I didn’t want to be crude or too rough, but I didn’t know if I could control myself to be tame. The truth was that jerking off and actually standing in front of Isabel, about to be with her, was really fucking different. No shit. “You look scared,” she said softly, and I breathed out slowly. “I’m not scared, baby. I’m trying not to devour you.” When I opened my eyes, she made this little sound in the back of her throat. I wondered what I looked like to her. “Maybe I want that.” Her words were heady, softly spoken, and told me exactly how much she wanted this. “Once I start, I won’t be able to stop.” I wanted to be honest. “I won’t ask you to stop.” Good. God. “Giving up your virginity doesn’t have to be with candles and sweet words.” My throat tightened as she spoke. “It can be raw and animalistic.” Was this my Isabel, the sweet and softly spoken girl I was in love with? “Is that how you want it from me, for our first time?” To be honest, it didn’t matter how I took Isabel for the first time. It wasn’t the how it happened, just the fact I was finally having her after all this time. “I just want you.” If that’s how she wanted it, hell, I’d give her so much she couldn’t handle it.

CHAPTER 5

Isabel y body was on fire, my skin prickled, and all I wanted was Quinn. The way he M looked at me was crazy, possessive, and like he was about to tear right through his

skin. That’s about how I felt right now, like I couldn’t breathe unless I reminded myself to. But I also thought he might be nervous, maybe thinking I only wanted this because of what was going on. Yes, this was pretty sudden after just saying what we’d said to each other, but this moment seemed perfect, and I didn’t want anything to fuck it up, not even worry that I didn’t want this. “I want this. I want you,” I said again with more strength. I needed him to know that without a doubt, this was what I wanted. He made this low sound deep within his chest, something akin to a growl, and then he was on me, his hands on my chest, his mouth at my neck. He shifted slightly and I felt his erection digging into my belly: a huge, thick rod that had my pussy clenching. I was wet, obscenely so, and I knew that before I finally felt him deep in me, I’d only be more soaked. “Show me where you want me to touch you, Isabel,” Quinn said, his voice a husky growl against the side of my throat. My hands were shaking, but I lifted one of them, grabbed Quinn’s much larger hand, and slowly pushed it down between our bodies. He was breathing so hard, his warm breath moving along my skin, making me even more flushed. I don’t know what had gotten into me, but I didn’t want slow, didn’t want romantic or gentle, even though maybe I should have for our first time. I wanted to be with Quinn, the guy I loved, and I didn’t care how it transpired as long as it happened right now. I placed his hand on my lower belly and froze. I heard my heart thundering in my ears, felt it in my throat. “Do it, baby,” he whispered by my ear. “Show me where you want me.” I pushed his hand lower, until it was right between my thighs. Could he feel how

wet I was? Did he know that slight pressure of his palm on my pussy felt incredible? He groaned and thrust his cock against my belly. “You want me right here, baby?” I nodded. This was so surreal, finally being with Quinn, but God, did it feel so right. He stated to rub his palm up and down, and despite the fact I wore jeans, I felt the electricity slam into me. My clit throbbed, like my heart was right there, beating rapidly. I didn’t want foreplay, didn’t want to take our time. I felt feverish and needy, and I wanted Quinn now. I pushed him away, and he groaned. Lowering my gaze to the crotch of his pants, I saw the huge outline of his erection pressing against his jeans. God, he looked huge. I went for the button and zipper of my jeans, and once those were undone, I pushed the denim down my thighs. He shook his head. “I should have you on a warm bed, Isabel, not out there in a field up against my car.” “What does it matter as long as we are together?” He groaned again. “You’re killing me here.” He reached down and palmed himself through his jeans. “Let me see it,” I whispered, feeling so bold; I wasn’t acting like my shy self. He didn’t move for a long while, but finally I heard his zipper going down and lowered my gaze to what he was about to show me. When he pulled his cock out, I felt my heart jump into my throat. He was huge, thick and long, and the crown slightly wider than the rest of him. He had his palm wrapped around his dick and he stroked himself, his focus on my chest. I wanted to touch it, to see if it was just as hard and smooth as it looked. Without thinking about it anymore, I walked the few steps to get to him, pushed his hand aside, and stared into his eyes. “Touch me, Isabel,” Quinn said, his voice husky. I did just that. I wrapped my hand around his length and watched his eyes become hooded, his mouth slack. I started rubbing my palm up and down the big length. His cock was just as hard as it looked, and the skin was warm and smooth; I moved over the length easily. “I’m about to fucking lose it, Isabel.” I sucked in a deep breath. “I’ve already lost it for you, Quinn.” And then he had me pulled close to him, had his mouth on mine, and fucked me with his lips and tongue. There was no other word to describe what he was doing to me at this moment. We backed up to the car, and I found myself leaning back against the hood. We made out for long seconds, but when he pulled away and stepped back, I couldn’t move, couldn’t even ask why he stopped. I heard gravel crunching under his feet and he walked away, and then I heard the trunk open and close. When he was beside me again, he helped me off the hood, spread the blanket he’d grabbed on the ground, and then he helped me down. My back was against the soft blanket, and the hardness of Quinn’s body was over mine. This part of the ground he’d chosen was flat enough that it wasn’t

uncomfortable, but I was so damn aroused I don’t think I would have fully felt any discomfort anyway. The truth was I’d never imagined a specific experience that would be my first time. The only thing I ever saw was that it would be with Quinn. This was going to happen right now, and I couldn’t think of a more perfect time or place. I was meant to be with him.

CHAPTER 6

Quinn

“A

re you sure about this, Isabel?” I adjusted my much larger frame over the girl I loved more than anything else and braced my weight on my elbows beside her head. This wasn’t exactly where I thought she deserved to have her virginity taken, but just being with her was good enough for me. If this was what she wanted, it was hers. “I’m more than sure,” she said, and arched her chest. Fuck, I was barely holding on to my sanity right now. My cock was so damn hard, and pre-cum was a steady constant at the tip of my cock. Without talking about it anymore, I rose up to help her out of her shirt and bra, did the same with her panties and the pants that were pooled around her legs, and finished with getting myself naked. I had to admit being out in the middle of nowhere, with the star splattered sky above us, was romantic. Her cheeks were tinged pink from her arousal, and her lips were swollen and glossy from our making out. I wanted to suck on the flesh, gently nibble on it, and make her come from that alone. I couldn’t help myself. I leaned down and kissed her. She was sweet and addictive, and I knew I’d never get enough. I placed my hand over her bared pussy and she arched, gasping out. “This is mine, Isabel.” The possessive side of me rose up like this fierce beast. I wanted her to know, to really fucking see what she did to me. Her pussy was hot and wet, and when I ran my fingers through her slit, I had to pray I wouldn’t come before I was even inside of her. I lifted enough so that I could look down at her face, and the way she looked up at me, so dreamy and needy, had me growing like some kind of fucking animal. My chest tightened and my cock jerked. I heard her swallow and saw her throat work. And then she had her hand between our bodies, moving lower, over my abdomen, and causing my muscles to clench.

God, was she going to touch me again? And then she was gripping me in her palm, and I hung my head and closed my eyes. “So. Fucking. Good.” She moved her hand up and down my length, paying attention to the crown. I knew she felt all the pre-cum, but her little sounds told me she liked it, liked I was so fucking worked up for her. “You’re so hard.” Her voice was so very low and heated from her arousal. Shit, she couldn’t say that kind of stuff to me, not unless she wanted me to blow my load before we even got started. “I’m hard for you.” I opened my eyes. “Only you.” After this night, I knew a lot of shit would come between us, but I was serious when I told her nothing would separate us. Even if we had to be apart for a year, I would come for her. I would come after her, because she was mine. I leaned down again, took her mouth in another hard, deep kiss, and just focused on making her feel good. Isabel moved her hand from between our bodies, gripped my biceps with her small hands, and dug her nails into my flesh. Fuck, but she felt so damn good. Isabel opened her mouth wider, and I plunged my tongue inside, fucking her with slow sweeps of the muscle. With gentle licks on the inside of her mouth, I wanted to make her so ready for me there would me no resistance when I finally had my virgin cock in her virgin pussy. The wet sound of our kiss filled my head, causing me to feel drunk, high … shit, all of the above. She panted against my mouth, spread her legs wider, and I pressed my hips farther into hers. Gently, slowly, thrusting against her, my cock sliding through her soaked, slick cunt. God, I was losing my mind. My balls were drawn up to my body, and the need to just let go and come was pretty fucking strong. It was through sheer will alone—and the fact I wanted inside her so badly—that I was keeping it together. I wanted us sweating, panting out in exertion as I claimed her, as she took my virginity, and I owned hers. As I stared down at her breasts, my mouth watered at the sight of those red, hard nipples almost begging for me to suck on them. It overrode everything else in me. It was hard to go slow, take my time, and fully enjoy this while not rushing and giving her pleasure too. My body screamed to reach down and grab my cock, place it at her entrance, and pop her cherry at the same time I gave her mine. I dipped my head low and dragged my tongue over one stiff peak, did the same thing to the other, and felt her jerk beneath me. That act had her pussy sliding up and down for a second on my cock, and I groaned. I pulled one hard tip into my mouth and sucked, her flavor sweet, addicting, and like nothing I’d ever had before. I could suck on her forever, just bathe myself in her scent and taste, but she was murmuring for more, to have me take her. How could I deny my girl when I was being selfish in taking what I needed? I

pulled back and watched as she licked her lips. I was riveted to the sight of her bottom lip as it became wet and red from the act. “Spread your legs wider for me, baby.” I leaned back and braced my hands on the blanket beside her. A bed would obviously be more comfortable, but if my girl was into it then this is how it would be. I lowered my head and ran my gaze along her belly, over the top of her mound covered by trimmed darker hair, and stared at what she’d revealed. “God,” I said and ran a hand over my mouth. “You’re fucking gorgeous here.” I ran my finger down her slit, her body trembling for me. Her pussy lips were wet, pink, and swollen for me. It was all for me. “You’re mine, Isabel.” My voice was harsh and gruff. “I am yours,” she whispered. “You were mine before you knew it.” I felt like some kind of animal right now, ready to mark my mate, to make it known that she was mine no matter what. I wanted to lick every inch of her body, wanted to memorize every dip and curve of her, but right now I needed to be inside of her. I grabbed my cock, stroked myself a few times, and finally placed the tip at her entrance. She smelled so fucking good, like sweet musk that drove me insane. That scent, the way she was so primed, was all for me. “You’re fucking mine,” I said again, staring into her eyes. In one swift move, I buried my nearly ten inches into her wet, tight pussy. “Oh, God,” she whispered and gripped the blanket beside her. Her eyes were wide, her mouth open. I stilled, my balls pressed against her ass, her inner muscle clenching around me. I wanted to fill her with my cum, watch it slip out of her when I pulled out. I wanted her to smell like me, and let every male know that they couldn’t have her. I stared down at where we were connected and rubbed my finger along her engorged clit, and lower still until I circled her pussy hole that I filled. Before I could pull away, she grabbed my wrist and pulled that soaked finger to her mouth. I watched with a slack jaw as she sucked on my finger, running her tongue along the digit and cleaning her juices off. I was going to fill her up with so much of my jizz, my scent, there would be no washing me off of her.

CHAPTER 7

Isabel he pain was instant as soon as Quinn shoved all those inches into me. But I T didn’t want to show that discomfort on my face; I knew he’d worry, wanting to

make sure I was okay. But the pain was inevitable. Pain made a lasting impression and was like a wonderful scar laced along the body, a reminder of what was shared, of what was experienced. Without that pain, it might have well just been another experience for me. I held onto his biceps, his muscles pronounced, bulging. I dug my nails in, bit my lip, and waited for him to start moving. And then he did, his huge body shaking above me, the sinews and tendons stretched and taut under his tattooed, golden flesh. A shock of pain went through me when he started to push back into my body. “Is it good for you, Isabel?” he asked in a strained voice. “Because it’s really fucking good for me.” He was thrusting in and out of me, slow, easy, and I knew he didn’t want to cause me any unjust pain. But I didn’t care if it hurt, because I knew it would morph into pleasure. “It’s good, Quinn.” And it wasn’t a lie. He kissed the top of my head and continued to push into me. In. Out. Slow. Easy. The feeling of being completely filled by Quinn wasn’t something I would have ever been able to envision. I might have thought about it, fantasied about what it would be like, but the real thing was so much more incredible. And when he pressed his upper body against mine, my softness to his hardness, I sighed. He cupped both sides of my face and kissed me possessively. My pussy clenched around him, and he grunted.

“Fuck…” Quinn moaned that lone word out, and really started moving then, a little faster, a little harder. “You feel…” he gasped out when I clenched around him again. “I never thought it would feel like this.” He pulled out and the broad head was poised at my entrance. After a second, he pushed in nice and slow, filling me so completely I felt tears of pleasure in the corner of my eyes. “Say you’re mine,” he said softly, his focus on my eyes. With every inch he sank into me, I felt filled, claimed. I felt owned in every conceivable way. I didn’t hesitate. “I’m yours, Quinn.” He leaned back slightly and watched himself push into me and pull back out. “Watch me, Isabel.” He titled his head slightly so he was able to look at me. “Watch as you take my virginity and I take yours.” I rose up on my elbows, my chest rising and falling as the arousal and experience overwhelmed me. I looked down the length of my body and watched in erotic wonder at what was going on. The massive, thick length of him slid in and out of my body, and although there wasn’t any lighting aside from the moon, it was full and bright, and I could see everything. “Fuck, look at that, baby.” He pulled out several inches, and I saw the streaks of blood on his shaft. Quinn reached out and rubbed his finger along the length, smearing the blood and wetness. When he lifted his hand, my heart stopped. God, would he do it? With his eyes locked on mine, I watched as he lifted that finger to his lips and sucked it into his mouth. I felt my mouth part at that incredibly intimate act. “I know I said it already, but you taste so fucking sweet.” He started pushing in and put of me again. “This means mine.” He thrust deep into me, and I gasped. “This is irreversible, Isabel. You are tied to me. You are mine no matter what.” He thrust deep inside once more, and I closed my eyes, moaning. “This sweet fucking virgin pussy will only ever be mine.” “God, yes.” “I’m yours as much as you’re mine.” He growled out the words and thrust back into me. “Open your eyes. Watch me fuck you.” I opened my eyes. The play of muscles that rippled along his shoulders and biceps spoke of his strength, and a gush of moisture slipped from me, further aiding in his penetration. He pulled out slowly and pushed back in. Over and over, he did this, slow and easy thrusts that had me lifting my hips in hopes he’d go deeper, faster. We were sweaty, both of us panting. I wanted his sweat to drip on me as he owned me, and that’s exactly what he was doing … owning me. “I love you,” he whispered. I lifted my gaze to his face to see he was already staring at me. I cupped his cheek. “I love you, too.”

His movements picked up. His cock slid in and out of me, growing faster and faster as his hips slapped against mine. The sound of our sexes slapping together filled my head. “Christ,” Quinn said harshly and tilted his head back, his neck muscles straining. His was making these deep sounds, and when he looked at me again, it was only for a second. He lowered his gaze down the length of my body so he could see where she was impaled. Good. Fucking. God. That was hot as fuck. And when he placed his thumb on my clit, and started rubbing it back and forth, I exploded for him. “Fuck. Yeah.” Quinn didn’t relent as he thrust in and out of me, drawing my orgasm to the peak and keeping it there until I couldn’t breathe. I’d gotten off before when I’d touched myself, but this was unlike anything I’d ever felt. When I came back to reality and opened my eyes, it was to see the untamed look on Quinn’s face. Sweat slid down his chest, and I watched the droplets, wanting to rise up and lick them off. Do it. I braced my upper body on my elbows and ran my tongue over the beads, tasting the saltiness that was all Quinn. He groaned and bucked against me harder. Grunts and groans left him and grew louder the more he pumped into me. “I’m so close, but I want this to last.” I rested on my back again and slid my hands up his biceps and framed his neck. “Just let go.” He groaned harshly again. “Oh, God, Isabel.” He looked so tight, his body strained, his expression almost pained. “I love you so fucking much. I can’t let you go,” he panted out. “I can’t let you walk away from me.” He thrust in deep and grunted low. “You and I were meant to be together.” I was going to come again. And when I saw his pleasure start to morph, his control slipping, I let myself go once more. The explosion inside of me rivaled the one before. My pussy clamped down hard around him just as he buried himself to the hilt in me, moaning as he came. He shook above me, his eyes squeezed shut as he filled me up. When he relaxed on top of me, our sweaty skin rubbed along each other. Before I could tell him he was suffocating me with his weight, he rolled off and pulled me in close. I didn’t even care the hardness of the car pushed into my very bones. Closing my eyes and resting my forehead on his damp chest, I listened to the sound of his heart beating. I felt Quinn stroking his fingers up and down my back, and as nice as it felt, I wanted to make sure he was okay with what we’d done. I pushed up and braced myself on an elbow, staring down at him. For a second, he just stared at me, and then lifted his hand to cup my cheek, the corner of his mouth curled up slightly in a

smile. “Hey,” he said, his voice thicker. “Hi,” I whispered and leaned down to kiss him. As the pleasure and experience faded, the reality of everything crashed back in. I knew Quinn sensed it too because he stilled. “Everything will work out.” I looked him in the eyes. “I’ll make sure it works out in the end, because a life without you isn’t conceivable.” He leaned up and kissed me on the forehead. “If I can’t fight for my love for you, what’s the point?” When he pulled back, I saw that vulnerability once more. “I’ve never loved anyone the way I love you, and I’m not about to let that go. It might not be until we finish out this year, and maybe you’ll be thousands of miles away, but you’re mine, and nothing can change that. I meant it when I said I wouldn’t let anyone or anything take you away from me.” Hearing Quinn say that made me feel like everything would be okay. It had to be, right? He shifted slightly, his focus trained on me. “There isn’t anything I wouldn’t do for you, Isabel.” His tone was so sure, so controlled. He cupped my face and leaned down so we were eye-to-eye. “You’re it for me. You’ve always been it for me.” God, things had to work out. They just had to.

CHAPTER 8

Isabel Two weeks later was insane how fast those last two weeks went by, but here I was, standing I tnear the moving truck, my heart breaking, but my strength doubling. I

wouldn’t cry, not in front of my parents, and especially not in front of Quinn. The last fourteen days had been hectic as we packed, with movers coming in and out of the house to help load the truck. Everything within these last fourteen days had been a blur. What I do remember is the time I spent with Quinn. Those stolen moments at school where he’d pull me into a darkened corner and kiss me until I was breathless. It was the memories of the way he’d hold my hand, tracing my fingers with one of his as we lay on the couch, a movie playing in the background that neither of us focused on. It didn’t take long for the school to find out we weren’t just friends any longer, although I’d been surprised at how many of our friends had seen this moment coming. And then we’d told my parents we loved each other, and that after school there wouldn’t be anything keeping us apart. They hadn’t seemed shocked. Neither had Quinn’s parents. “I’ll come with you. I’ll find a way to work it all out.” I closed my eyes and played the words Quinn said to me last night over and over in my head. “I’d go with you to the end of the world if it meant we’d always be together.” God, he was like … not real. I could have laughed at my thoughts, but it was the truth. I was lucky, that was for sure, because a relationship like we had was timeless. “Hey,” he said as he came up to stand beside me. I turned my head and looked up at him. “Hi.” My throat was tight, emotion threatening to make itself known. He wrapped his arm around me and pulled me

close. Since confessing we loved each other we’d spent every day together. He’d see me first thing in the morning, all day at school, and he’d spend the evening with me, only leaving when my father forced him to leave because it was late. And then there were those times we’d sneak away and be alone, and I’d give myself to him over and over again, just holding him and wanting those moments to last forever. “It’ll be okay.” I nodded, because although it seemed impossible right now, I knew things would work out. But what gutted me was the fact I was moving so far away, and that it wasn’t like either of us, or even our families, had funds to fly either of us out every weekend, especially during the school year. Believe me, we’d tried to work it out. But in the end, we both knew it couldn’t happen. We needed to finish school if we wanted to have any kind of productive life together. If Quinn left school to move out west with me, where would we be in the end? Love was everything, but I couldn’t let him ruin his future because I was moping around and he hated to see me upset. “No crying, okay?” he said and turned me around, cupped my cheek, and leaned down to kiss me. I melted into him, not caring if the movers, neighbors, or even my parent’s saw. Let them gawk at us, let them feel uncomfortable that Quinn held me close, that he kissed me like he was starving, and I was the only person that could sate his appetite. I heard the moving truck door slide shut; the loud whoosh and click caused reality to set in. I pulled back, not wanting to, but also knowing I couldn’t hold on to this moment forever. But I want to. I desperately want to. “It’s time to go, Isabel,” my dad said, but I didn’t look at him. Quinn smiled down at me, stroked my cheek with his thumb, and I leaned into his touch. “It’ll work out,” Quinn said again. I sure hoped so.

Quinn AS SOON AS I couldn’t see the moving van, I got in my car and headed to the mechanic shop where I worked. For the last couple of weeks, since I found out Isabel was leaving, I’d been putting things in order, trying to work things out in between seeing her. I wanted to spend as much time as I could with her, but I also had a lot of shit to do in a short amount of time. I’d told Isabel we could make the long distance relationship work, and I would in a heartbeat, but if there was anything I could do to make it work being with her and

lessen that year timeframe, I was going to try. I pulled the car into the shop, cut the engine, got out, and headed to Brae’s office. I knocked three times before hearing the manager shout out. “Unless you have food, fuck off.” I pushed the door open anyway and saw Brae hunched over his desk, papers strewn everywhere. He snapped his head up, the scowl on his face aimed at me. But when he recognized me, he straightened and leaned back. “You have food?” I shook my head. “Does it look like it?” Brae scowled harder and then chuckled. “Then what the fuck you want, boy?” “You hear anything new from your friend out west?” I held my breath. This was going to make it a hell of a lot easier for me to go early and be with Isabel. But there wasn’t anything that would keep me from her, not even shit that didn’t go my way. I wasn’t waiting a fucking year to be with my girl. “Yeah, I heard from him.” I waited, the silence stretching. Finally I lifted my eyebrow, growing impatient. “And? Does he have anything out there for me?” “You sure you want to do this?” “Yeah, I’m really fucking sure.” There was no doubt in my mind what I wanted and that was Isabel. “What about school?” Brae asked. “You leaving without graduating is really fucking stupid, Quinn.” I shook my head. “I talked with the school, crammed my credits, and can graduate early.” I was pretty good in school, but I hadn’t worried about trying to graduate early because what would be the point? The girl I loved would still be going, and I wanted to be with her. But, thank fuck, I’d had extra credits and could get out early, but it would take a couple of months for everything to play into motion and fall where it needed to. But a couple of months was a hell of a lot better than a year. I also didn’t give a shit about graduating with my class. I meant it when I said Isabel was my life, and I’d do anything to be with her. Brae didn’t speak for several long seconds. He exhaled finally, reached over, and opened one of his desk drawers. He pulled a slip of paper out and handed it over. I grabbed it and looked down at the name, address, and number jotted down. “Mitchell can hook you up with steady work as well as room and board.” I folded up the paper and looked back up at Brae. “Don’t fuck this up, though. I vouched for you,” Brae said. “You know I won’t. Thank you for doing this for me, man.” “You tell her you put all of this together?” I shook my head. “I didn’t want to say anything in case shit fell through.” Brae nodded. “She must be something special for you to jump through hoops like this.”

I didn’t even have to think of a response, because I knew the lengths I’d go for Isabel, to be with her. “She’s my everything.”

CHAPTER 9

Isabel A month later with Quinn every day, but that didn’t make this separation any easier. I spoke What really sucked was the fact we hadn’t been able to travel to each other

since I moved across the country, and it felt like I’d left a little part of myself back home. Home. That’s where Quinn was. That’s where I was supposed to be, where I was meant to be. I stared out the window of the library, a place I had started going to shortly after we moved to this new city because I wanted to have a little bit of quiet. But the silence just had me thinking about Quinn. Who am I kidding? I think of Quinn every second of every day. I stared down at my textbook. It was a Friday night, and here I was, sitting in the library, studying for a test I didn’t have for another week. But I had no interest in hanging out with the friend I’d made, and I had no desire to hang out at home and watch reruns with my mother either. I was happy for my parents, though; glad they could finally own that really nice house they’d always wanted. I was happy my dad got the promotion he so deserved, and that all those years of busting his ass had paid off. But I was depressed, and no amount of talking to Quinn, even if it was several times a day, could help that. I just needed to be with him. He was my soul mate, my other half, and not having him by my side was torture. For so long we’d been together, talking, laughing, hell, just staring at the stars in that cornfield as the silence stretched on. If two people were meant to be together, it was he and I. I lifted my phone and hit the calendar app, staring at the days I’d already marked off before I could see him again. I was about to set my phone down when it

started vibrating. Looking around to make sure I wouldn’t disrupt anyone, I saw I was alone and answered my cell. “Hi,” I said softly, the smile covering my face instantly. “Hey, baby.” Quinn’s deep voice always sent shivers through me. “What are you doing?” I looked down at my textbook and pushed it away. “Thinking of you.” His deep chuckle had my body heating in the best of ways. “I’m always thinking about you, Isabel.” God, I loved to hear him say those kinds of things, words that were sweet and endearing, but that also made me wish I could fall into his powerful embrace. “I wish you were here right now,” I found myself saying, even though I’d told myself I wouldn’t do that to him, wouldn’t make this situation any more difficult. It was hard enough on both of us.

Quinn FOR THE LAST MONTH, there wasn’t anything I wanted more than to tell Isabel I wasn’t letting her go without a fight … that I’d be with her soon. A year was far too long to be apart from her, even if we could have found a way to see each other during that time. I needed her by my side, an arm’s length reach from me. Obsessive. Possessive. Territorial. I was all of those things and more when it came to Isabel. I’d gone to her house first. Her mother had been surprised, of course, and as much as I would have liked to speak to her more, catch up, I was here because of Isabel. I’d come to be with my girl. Here I was behind a bookshelf, staring at the person that meant the world to me, and having to use a lot of self-control not to just go to her. But as I took that first step, I watched her stand and pack up her stuff. I asked her about her day, just wanting to hear her voice. “And no fuckers going after you?” I asked, tracking her movements through the library. She laughed, but I was being serious. I could admit I was one jealous motherfucker when it came to Isabel. “No, of course not. I don’t give anyone the time of day.” She stepped out of the library and made her way to her car. I’d parked right next to her, the back of my car crammed with boxes, and a small trailer that held the rest of my meager possessions. Since Brae had gotten me a job here with a guy he worked with, and it included room and board, I would be able to save up for a place for my girl and me when she was finished with school.

“I miss you,” I said and followed her to her car, staying behind enough that she couldn’t hear me talking to her, not just yet anyway. She exhaled, and I could see from her profile that she looked so damn sad. “Me too.” But then she stopped at the trunk of her car, staring at my vehicle. I could see the realization, the confusion, and finally, the shock filter across her face. I was a few feet behind her now, waiting for her to turn around and see me. Standing still and not pulling her close was hard as fuck. “Quinn?” she whispered and finally turned around. We locked stares, and the phone fell from her hand, clattering to the ground. I didn’t think about anything else but shoving my cell in my pocket and heading for her. I pulled her close to me, cupped the back of her head, and whispered in her ear. “I’m here, and I’m not going anywhere.” “I don’t understand,” she whispered, and I could hear her crying. She pulled away, and I smiled down at her. I brushed away a tear with my thumb, then leaned down to kiss the other side of her face, brushing my lips over the salty wetness. “I told you everything would be okay, that I’d make everything work out.” “But school, money? And what about your parents? They were okay—” I kissed her, stopping her from saying anything else. After several seconds, and when I knew she was good and breathless for me, I pulled away. “I had enough credits to graduate early, and I’ve been working toward being able to come out here with a job and place to stay.” I cupped her cheek and stared into her eyes. “And my mom and dad know how much I love you. They know there isn’t anything I wouldn’t do to be with you.” I stroked her cheek. “Nothing could keep me from you.” “You did all of that for me?” she asked with wonder in her voice. I shook my head. “Isabel, there isn’t anything on this fucking planet I wouldn’t do for you.” I leaned in close, so we were eye to eye. “There isn’t anything I wouldn’t do for us.” “God, how did I get so lucky?” She was crying again, and I smiled. “I’m the lucky one.” And I was. God, I was so fucking lucky to have her in my life, to have her as mine.

EPILOGUE

Isabel Two years later he last two years had been hard financially and with both of our schedules. T Since Quinn had shown up and surprised me, dropped his life behind to come to

me, we’d made it work. There was nothing else we wanted more. After I graduated high school, I’d decided to stay. Since Quinn had uprooted his life to be with me, I’d applied at a community college in town. It didn’t matter where I went to school, as long as we were together. Besides, I told myself I could get all of my core classes done anywhere. But after being here for two years, and now done with all my prerequisite classes, I’d applied to the local collage. Quinn was taking classes as well, slowly, but he was getting his business degree to help manage the construction business Mitchell owned; the guy had given him a job and place to stay when he moved out here. I closed my book and got up off the couch, hearing the lawnmower cut off. Our house was a one-room rental, and although it was small, it beat the hell out of living with Mitch or with my parents. Leaning against the window, I pulled the curtain aside and saw Quinn bent over the lawnmower, messing with something on it. He was shirtless, his big body even more muscular since working construction. Sweat gleamed off his body, and as if we hadn’t been a couple for the last two years and had enough sex to last us a lifetime, my body instantly reacted. I grew wet and needy, my body wanting the thing only Quinn could give me. He turned then, lifted his arm, and wiped the sweat off his forehead with his forearm. I watched the play of muscles moving along his arm, at the way the sinew flexed under the golden skin, at the way power came off him like another entity. And then he turned and looked at me, and all I could see was us naked, and his

very sweaty body pressed against mine. He came toward the house, pulled the door open, and went into the kitchen. I heard the water turn on and a second later it kicked off. When he came back to where I stood, he was drying his hands off, the pleasure on his face instant as he looked me up and down. I knew what was coming. I anticipated it. We were only feet apart now, both of us breathing heavily, the arousal moving between us. It was as if, as the seconds ticked by, the arousal bounced between us, growing, becoming this raging inferno. “I want you,” he said in a scratchy voice. I lowered my gaze and saw how hard he was for me. “I can see you do.” He made this low sound in his throat, and God, did that turn me on. I watched beads of sweat trail down his hard, tattooed body, and every erogenous zone in me heightened, came alive, and screamed out to give in. I could smell him from where I stood, all clean male sweat and need for me. He came closer then, his head lowered, his eyes focused on me. I backed away, knowing he liked the chase, that he liked me to play hard to get. When the wall stopped me, he leaned his face in close to me. “You feel what you do to me?” He pressed his erection into my belly, and I shamelessly moaned at the feeling. It felt like he was hiding a steel pipe between his legs. Another gush of wetness slipped out of me, and I shifted, trying to get closer. His mouth was so close to mine that I just wanted to lean in and kiss him. But I liked having him take control. He kept his eyes trained right at me, but instead of kissing me like I desperately wanted, he dragged his lips along my cheek. Not able to hold my eyes open at the feeling, I let my head fall back against the door. He ground his dick into me again, over and over, until I found myself reaching up and holding onto his biceps for support. He was rock hard and tense beneath my palms, and I slid my hands over the bulging definition of his arms. “If you want me,” I whispered, “take me.” “Fuck. You can’t say that shit, or I’ll come right in my jeans.” He moved his lips along the shell of my ear, and a shiver worked through me. He groaned and pressed his entire length against me, making me see and feel that he was ready for me. “No one will ever compare to you.” His tongue continued along the shell of my ear, and I moaned. He pulled away only enough that he had his mouth close to mine once more. “You smell so fucking good,” he growled. Then his mouth was on mine, and was running his tongue along my bottom lip. I heard his nails dig into the door. I opened my mouth, took his tongue between my lips, and sucked on it. He tasted spicy, yet sweet: salty, yet masculine. “I don’t want slow,” I moaned. “Good, because I wasn’t going to give it to you that way.”

Quinn I WAS SO FUCKING HARD I could have driven nails through steel. My cock throbbed, and all I wanted to do was lose it with her. A groan left me at the image that thought conjured up. I didn’t break our kiss as I reached between us with one hand and all but tore the button from her pants, ripped the zipper down, and tried to push the material down her legs. Fuck, I needed her naked now. Isabel was hot and sweet and surrendering herself to me. She knew I needed her, and her body was primed for me. When she put her hands on my chest and pushed me away, taking a step back was a really hard fucking thing to do. But she wasn’t stopping this, I could tell. No, we were just getting started. Isabel removed her pants, shirt, and her bra in record time; I reached down and palmed my cock through my jeans. I all but ripped my button off, pulled the zipper down, and got out of my jeans. Maybe I should have showered first, but the thought of having her like this, dirty and raw, turned me the fuck on. I slipped my thumbs under the edge of her panties and pushed them down her legs. Fuck, the material was soaking wet, and it was all because of me. I could have come just listening to her rapid breathing, because I knew she was panting like that because she was so turned on. I looked down at her pussy. That trimmed triangle of hair covering her cunt drove me wild, and I made this low sound of need. Possessive need slammed into me, and I knew this would be a fast, hard fuck. I looked at her tits, those perfect C-cups that had pre-cum slipping out of the slit on my cock. I could imagine my cum all over those glorious globes. There was a lot of dirty shit I wanted to do to her right now, but before I could even move, she got down on her knees and had my cock in her hand. “Fuck,” I whispered harshly. My fucking cock pointed right at her mouth, and fortunately she didn’t tease me, because I didn’t have the control to handle that right now. She tightened her palm around my shaft, and this strangled noise left me. I slammed my hand on the wall in front of me when she took the head into the hot, wet confines of her suctioning mouth. I couldn’t help closing my eyes as she started to mouth fuck me. “That’s it, baby. That’s so fucking it.” She took as much as she could, hollowed out her cheeks, and relaxed her throat. “Oh. Yeah.” Isabel made a humming noise around me and I groaned, curling my hand into a fist on the wall, praying I didn’t shoot my load in her mouth. I wanted my cock deep in her cunt when I did that. And then she deep throated me, and I nearly lost it. The head of my cock nudged the back of her throat, but she didn’t give up. She reached down, took my balls in

one hand, and gave them a squeeze that bordered on pain. “Fucking hell. Yes, Isabel.” I had to stop her or I’d come, and I didn’t want it to end like this. I wanted her coming for me first. I helped her to her feet, grabbed her chin with my hand, and tilted her head back. Then I kissed her until she was clinging to me, as if she couldn’t stand on her own. I pulled away and looked down at her mouth. Her lips were swollen and red, and a surge of proprietary need slammed into me, knowing I’d made them look like that. I slammed my mouth on hers again. Moving one of my hands down her back and over the generous mounds of her ass, I groaned when I felt the nice, full weight under my palm. I squeezed the globe and dug my fingers into the warm, soft flesh. “You’ve got a fucking juicy ass, Isabel.” I licked at the inside of her mouth. I gave her ass cheek a swat and loved when she breathed out roughly. “You like when I have my dick all up in you back here?” She didn’t answer verbally, just nodded. “Yeah, you do.” I kissed her harder. “You like when I’m stretching you, making you feel so full you feel like you might split in two?” “God, yes, Quinn.” I growled low in approval. “Harder,” she breathed, and I squeezed her ass cheek with more force. “There will be bruises come morning if I go much harder,” I gritted out, wanting to go so fucking hard, but also not wanting to hurt her. “Good,” she breathed out against my mouth. “You know I want your mark on me.” Christ. My girl was a freak, and I fucking loved it. I was rougher, harder, smacking her ass cheek, digging my fingers into her flesh until she gasped and shook for me. I ran my tongue over the underside of her jaw, licking her flesh, tasting the salty sweetness that covered her. When I got to her ear, I ran my tongue over the shell, loving how she shivered for me and dug her nails into my biceps. “I want to be inside you right now,” I said on a harsh groan. “I want you inside me, Quinn.” Using my other hand, I gripped her behind one knee and lifted her leg up to wrap it around my waist. If she wanted my cock in her, I’d give her every thick, long inch. I reached between our bodies, took hold of my cock and started rubbing the head of my dick up and down her slit. My cock head was getting nice and wet from her cream, and I had to clench my jaw to try and hold off from shooting my load on her. Without anymore waiting, I grabbed her ass with my other hand, lifted her slight weight easily, and grunted when she wrapped her other leg around my waist. She was so spread for me, her cunt warm, wet, and my cock right between her folds, absorbing it all. She dug her heels into the small of my back, and I reached between us to position my dick head at her pussy hole. Burying my face in the crook of her neck, I

surged into her body, a harsh bark leaving me at how tight and hot she was. I’d never get enough of this, never get enough of how good she felt. I pounded into her, thrusting my cock deep in her, wanting to feel my tip hit her cervix, wanting my cum shooting right up in her and getting her pregnant. God, the very thought of her big with my baby had me nearly busting a nut right here. “Oh yeah. Fuck, Isabel.” I pounded into her, knowing I was being too rough but not able to help myself. She held on, licked at my ear, ran her teeth along the flesh, and my whole body shook for her. Up against the wall sex was hot, but she needed to be in our bed beneath me as I fucked the hell out of her. Holding her tight and making sure my cock stayed right in her cunt, I turned and made my way toward our room. I kicked the bedroom door open and it slammed against the wall, the picture hanging beside it rattling from the force. I had her in the center of the bed a second later, my body blanketing her, and I started thrusting like a madman. I held her legs open and watched my cock sink in and out of her, her pussy stretched white, the skin pink, soaked. Sliding my hands down the inside of her thighs. I framed her pussy and placed my thumbs right by her cunt hole. I pulled the skin out slightly, and a moan left her. “More,” she cried out, her pussy clenching around me. “You want more?” I ground out. “Yes,” she said in a rush, her head now tilted back, her eyes closed and her mouth parted. I placed my thumb on the hard little nub at the top of her pussy and rubbed the fuck out of it, wanting her coming for me. She writhed on the bed and started lifting her hips to meet my thrusts. The sloppy sound of her wet pussy sucking at my cock filled the room, made me drunk, frenzied. The sweet, musky smell of her pussy rose up like an undercut to my jaw. God, it was so fucking hot. “Come on, baby. I want you to come for me.” “Oh,” she whispered, and her pussy milked my shaft. And like a good girl, she was coming for me. The rhythmic pull of her inner muscles milking my dick would have sent me over the edge, but I wasn’t ready to have this end yet. When her tremors subsided, I forced myself to pull out. I wanted my face buried in her cunt, wanted her cream covering my mouth, her juices down my throat. I wanted her to get off with my tongue and lips. “Get on your belly and pop your ass out for me.” She was on her belly a second later, and I grabbed her hips and lifted the bottom of her body up. Her cheeks spread, and I saw an unobstructed view of her asshole. Gorgeous. Her pussy was spread, too, all juicy looking, all pink and swollen from the

fucking I’d given her. I wanted to see my cum slipping out of her and dripping down her inner thighs. I moved lower and onto my belly so my face was right up in her cunt. She smelled so damn good. “I’m going to devour you.” I ate her out, licked her from pussy hole to clit, right up her center. Over and over I did this, sucking at her like she was an ice cream cone. I shoved my tongue into her cunt and fucked her with the muscle, feeling her clench around me. She started grinding herself on my mouth, breathing hard and sounding sexy as hell. “That’s it. Fuck yourself on me.” “Yes. God, Quinn.” Her words were muffled against the bed, but I didn’t stop licking her to answer. I flattened my tongue and moved it to her clit, sucking that hard little nub in my mouth. I loved the wet suctioning sound that filled my head, and I got off on the way she thrust herself back at me. I started dry humping the fuck out of the mattress, trying to ease the ache in my shaft and balls. I wanted to see her get off for me, so I sucked her clit furiously, humming around it, knowing she was close. “Come on, Isabel. Come for me,” I murmured against her soaked, hot flesh. “Oh,” she whispered. She lifted up her ass a little more, and a tremor worked over her entire body as she came for me. Yeah, that’s what I was talking about … her surrender. I loved the way her pussy hole clenched, as if it needed my big cock inside of it. Finally, when her orgasm faded, I took hold of the root of my cock, stroked the fucker a few times, and stared right at her pussy hole, wanting to be deep in that warmth right now. “Get on your back for me, baby girl.” She obeyed instantly, her tits shaking slightly from the act. I didn’t waste any time getting between her splayed thighs. I positioned my cockhead at her pussy again and stared into her eyes. Without thinking or talking, I pushed into her, just shoved my cock deep in her body. “God,” she moaned and closed her eyes. I was buried in her wet heat, not able to go slow. I needed her like I needed to fucking breathe. “Fuck me,” she whispered. “Christ.” I did just that. I pounded into her, pulling my cock out before slamming it back in. Her tits bounced from the fierce motion, and I was riveted to the sight. Slowly I lifted my gaze from her tits to her face and felt this low growl leave me at the look of ecstasy on her face. She opened her eyes and stared at me. “I’m going to come.” She arched her back, her tits thrust out. I leaned down and ran my tongue along the underside of her throat, loving the saltiness on her skin. I felt her pussy clench around my dick, and couldn’t stop from going over the edge.

I was gong to fill her up with my jizz, make it slide out of her when I pulled out. I wanted the sheets wet underneath her. I wanted to put so much of my seed in her that tomorrow when she sat down, it would still be coming out of her, making her panties wet. And then I felt my orgasm approach. It was a tightening in my back, a tingling in my balls. It moved quickly through me, and I fucking let it. “God, yes.” I rested my face in the crook of her neck and let myself go over the edge just as she cried out in pleasure. And when my orgasm rushed out, my cum filling her, I roared out how much I loved her. Isabel was mine. My cum in her, on her skin, was me marking her. When I couldn’t hold myself up anymore, I rolled off her, not wanting to crush her. But I put my hand right between her thighs, rose up on my elbow, and looked down at her. “This is mine,” I said and added a little bit of pressure between her thighs. She made the sweetest gasp. I felt her wetness and my cum start sliding out of her. I wanted it in her. I wanted it staying where it belonged. I leaned in close, feeling her breath along my lips. “And when I had my cock in you for the first time, Isabel, that was me owning you.” She closed her eyes and hummed, and I felt like a bastard for saying this shit to her, but I couldn’t help myself. “Have I told you how much I like having you all possessive and growly with me?” She opened her eyes and smiled up at me. I leaned down and kissed her. “I’m glad you like me like this, because with you, I feel pretty fucking territorial.” She rolled onto her side, curled against me, and I held her. I lifted her hand and looked at the engagement ring I’d given her just last month. I should have proposed long ago, but I wanted to give her time to settle in, to start school, to find her way. But truth is I would have married her as soon as I knew she loved me back all those years ago. I didn’t care if we were young, or if our parents might not have approved. Isabel was the very reason I breathed. “I should shower, baby.” I pulled away, knowing she probably didn’t like my sweatiness covering her, but she held onto me and snuggled in deeper. “Just hold me.” I wrapped my arms around Isabel and did just that. I certainly didn’t deserve her, but I had her, and I was going to make sure she knew exactly how much she meant to me each and every fucking day.

BONUS EPILOGUE

Quinn Five years later he was mine. SEven five years after I moved out to be with her, finished school, and had known

this girl since we were both ten years old, my love for her had only grown tenfold. I’d die without her. I’d kill for her. I’d even walk through hell if it would put a smile on her face. And knowing that she carried my baby, that she was my wife, had the possessive and territorial side of me so fucking off the chain it was insane. She didn’t know I watched her as she rubbed lotion on her belly, but I found it so damn beautiful. She was only five months pregnant, and because she’d always been on the svelte side, her belly was really showing. Pride filled me that my child, my little girl, was growing inside of the woman I loved. “Are you just going to watch me, or maybe come over here and put some of this on my feet?” She lifted the lotion bottle and gave me this sad look. I grinned, knowing she would know I was there, even if I had thought I was being sneaky. “Baby, you know I’d do anything for you.” She smiled at me, and fuck, did that make my heart beat faster. “I know. You’re so good to me,” she said softly, the love in her voice evident. I sat next to her and lifted her feet up and placed her legs over mine. “You deserve only the best, Isabel.” “I have the best, Quinn, because I’m with you.” God, this woman was going to break my heart in two with the amount of love I had for her. She rested back on the couch and I went to work on massaging her feet. I just stared at her as she closed her eyes and relaxed. I could have done this all day, because seeing her calm, knowing I was making her feel better, even if it was only

rubbing her feet, had this immense pleasure and pride filling me. “Oh,” she suddenly said, her voice sounding startled. “What?” I was on alert right away, searching her face. “What’s wrong?” Isabel placed her hand on her belly and smiled. “She’s kicking a lot right now. She must know you’re close.” She laughed softly. Isabel reached out, grabbed my hand, and placed it on her belly. But I pushed her shirt over the swell of her abdomen, needing skin-on-skin. And then my baby girl started kicking. Joy filled me, and I started rubbing Isabel’s stomach with my palm, loving that our daughter was giving me this gift right now. “We still haven’t come up with a name,” Isabel said softly. I shifted on the couch so I was pressed right up against her, and leaned forward so my mouth was by her belly. “I like Isabel Jr.” She chuckled softly above me, and our daughter kicked inside of her. I smiled, closed my eyes, and leaned down to kiss her on her rounded belly. “For real, baby girl. How about you’re Isabel Jr., named after the woman I love so much it hurts?” I whispered softly. I looked up at my wife … the woman I would give everything I am to. “I love you,” I said, and leaned up to kiss her. I was a possessive bastard when it came to Isabel, and I knew once this baby came that would go through the roof. She smiled softly. “And I love you.” I took her hand and kissed her wedding ring. She was mine, and as barbaric as it seemed to know this ring showed the world she was my woman, I fucking loved that it proved just that. I leaned forward over her belly again and whispered to our baby softly. “Little girl, there isn’t anyone that will mess with you. At least not if they’re smart.” I kissed Isabel’s belly again and the baby kicked. “Because I’ll lay everyone that tries to hurt you to the ground until bodies litter my feet.” I was intense, but I didn’t try and deny any of it. Isabel stated running her hand through my hair. “What about Cecily?” I straightened to look at Isabel, but kept my hand on her belly. That name just clicked, as if it was made just for our baby. “I think it’s perfect.” Isabel’s face lit up. “Really? Not going to fight me on it or anything?” I shook my head. “If you’re happy, I’m happy.” And I was. “Cecily Quinn.” And there went my fucking heart, right to my throat. Yeah, that name sounded really damn good. I had never thought I’d love anyone or anything else besides Isabel, but I knew once Cecily was born I knew these would be the girls in my life. And what a fucking incredible life it was.

Isabel I DIDN’T NEED money or fancy things to be happy.

I didn’t need anything in life that wasn’t in front of me right now. I didn’t need anything aside from the man that was currently rubbing my belly and whispering sweet things to our daughter, and the love I felt for him to make me feel whole. The years that had passed had been good to us. We were stable in our careers, had our own cute little house, and were starting a family. Quinn, now a Foreman with Mitchell’s construction company, had wanted me to cut back on work. Although I loved that my man wanted to take care of me, I couldn’t just stay home. I had to keep busy. “When the baby comes will you take time off to be home with her?” Quinn asked, and I knew he wanted my verification again, despite us talking about it before. “I want to. I want the baby to have someone here with her, but I’m also selfish and want to spend as much time with her as I can.” Although my parents were close enough to watch the baby if I wanted to go back to work, I didn’t want to rely on them for that. They were older, and needed their own time together. But then again I knew grandparents wanted to dote on grandbabies, and I’d make sure they got to do that. “I want you here with the baby, and I want to be the one to take care of both of you.” He straightened and pulled me close. I placed my hand on his chest, feeling the outlines of his muscles and the beating of his heart beneath my palm. He’d gotten bigger, more muscular, defined from doing hard labor. I couldn’t deny I loved just how manly Quinn was. And he’s all mine. “I can’t stay home for the rest of my life while you do all the work,” I said and smiled, feeling him tense, knowing that’s what he wanted if he had his way. “Taking care of our baby is a lot harder than anything I could do, Isabel.” He kissed the top of my head and I smiled and closed my eyes, getting good and comfortable. “I’d like to stay home for a while, but don’t fight me on if I decide to go back to work.” He chuckled and I felt the deep vibrations soothe me. “You’re tougher than I ever will be, that’s for damn sure.” He cupped my chin with his finger, tilted my head back, and kissed me like he owned me. And he does … just like I own him.

Quinn FAMILY AND LOVE are everything “Look at what we made, baby,” I whispered to Isabel, and looked up at her. She was lying in the hospital bed, looking so tired, but so fucking beautiful.

“She’s beautiful, Quinn. She’s perfect.” “Just like you,” I said. She smiled at me, and my heart seized up in my chest. The nurses and doctor had just left, giving us some time alone. I moved over to my wife, sat on the edge of the bed, and leaned in to kiss her. I looked down at Cecily again. I knew she was just born, but I couldn’t help but think she looked just like Isabel. Thank fuck for that. “I love you,” I whispered to Cecily. “I didn’t think I could love anyone as much as your momma, but finally holding you in my arms, seeing your little face, hearing the sweet noises that come from you…” I looked at Isabel again. She was smiling, and it was just for me. I looked back down at my daughter. “I now realize that I was meant to be right here, meant to hold you in my arms, have Isabel by my side, and give you both every part of me.” I hadn’t meant to say any of that out loud, but I was glad the words were out. “I’m so lucky,” Isabel said softly, and I shook my head, still staring down at Cecily. She made these little noises and I smiled. I had my two girls. Things couldn’t get any better. “No.” I looked at the woman I loved. “I’m the lucky one.”

The End

The next book in the You’re mine series is coming December 2016! Goodreads TBR

*Cover and blurb to be revealed soon.

Book 1: Say You’re Mine Book 2: Coming December 2016

If you like your books fast, sweet, and always dirty in the good kind of way … check out the Real Man stories below. Book 1: Lumberjack Book 2: Virgin Book 3: Baby Fever Book 3.5: A Real Man: Volume One Book 4: Experienced Book 5: Roommate Book 6: Arrogant Book 7: Coming 2016

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Find Jenika at: @jenikasnow jenikasnow www.JenikaSnow.com [email protected]