I’d known his dick was going to be massive. Still, I couldn’t trust anyone with my virginity but him.
Dante might have been my older brother’s best friend and my twin sister’s partner in crime, but he’d been my hero ever since I could remember. Over the years, he’d chased down guys who stole my bike, beaten up someone who made me cry, carried me home when I hurt my ankle, and most importantly, never overlooked me.
His eyes always found mine at family gatherings when he was home on leave. I got hugs from him and little animal carvings from around the world.
When he’d texted me that he was home and had a little present for me, I knew it was the only time I’d ever have to make something happen with him. I was going off to college, still firmly holding my v-card unless I gave it to him now.
And the timing was perfect.
All my brothers were off to college, raising hell on their university campus all summer. Izzy was still gone and my parents had their annual two-week summer road trip.
I heard him breathing hard, felt the way his large hands gripped my hips to stop my wiggling beneath him. “Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.” He let out a slow string of curses, and his forehead fell to mine. It was his only movement, like he was scared to shift us at all down below. “Shit, Lilah. Why didn’t you tell me?”
“How exactly would that conversation have gone, Dante?” I opened my eyes just to narrow them at his piercing emerald ones. Jesus, he was so damn hot. That hard jawline was flexed to the point it would cut my skin if I rubbed my hand across it. I bit my lip before I continued. “‘You want to come over and take my virginity? I’m about to go to college, and every guy has avoided me since I stepped foot in high school except you. You always know just how to make me feel special. So could you just do me a favor and take that pesky v-card of mine?’”
His neck strained, and I saw his pulse point going a million times a minute. A sheen of sweat coated his tanned skin. “Would have been a great introduction to what we were doing tonight.”
“’K, well, sorry. Can you finish me off now or what?”
He shook his head over and over before he started to slide out of me, centimeter by centimeter. I squeezed my eyes shut. If he stopped now, this would be the most embarrassing experience of my life, and I’d had more than one. Most of them revolved around my four brothers picking on my twin sister and me. Dante was normally there alongside them, trying to rein in their asshole ways.
Still, this would be it. And wouldn’t this be just a great way to remember my first time? I dug my nails into his firm ass. “We’re already here, right? Can’t we just try to enjoy it instead of stopping?”
“Just try to enjoy it?” His stare widened. “I’m going to hell for the fact that I drove here to hang out with my best friend’s little sister. Instead of going home, I got seduced by her and didn’t even take my time stealing her virginity.” He proceeded to crawl off me and mumble to himself, “Should have used a condom.”
“What for? I obviously don’t have an STD and am on the pill. We went over this.” I pushed myself up onto my elbows to glare at him.
God, he’d gotten ripped while overseas. Every muscle was defined, nooks and crannies of pure heaven covered in tattoos. And the switch in his schedule had been just lucky enough for me to get him to myself instead of having my brothers fly home to see him. Military leave was only fourteen days long, so we all tried our best to be around when he came back.
This time, though, I hadn’t alerted them that Dante had stopped emailing. It was normally an indication that he would be home soon and Dante didn’t call any of us beforehand either. His arrival times were classified and, quite frankly, getting in touch with my family was like playing a game of Whack-A-Mole.
When Dante texted me that he was home, my idea snowballed.
I was home alone.
And bored.
And horny.
When he showed up with my favorite steak tacos from the food truck down the street and a tiny lamb the size of a quarter carved out of wood, I practically jumped him right there. He knew how much I loved those little animal statues. When he pulled me in for a hug, he whispered “Syria.” He wasn’t supposed to tell me where it was from, but he always did.
He’d brought me one every single time he came back to visit. And every time I squealed. My family thought it was just my innocent love for animals but it was mostly my love for him.
I should have had those tacos with him and sent him right home. Instead, we watchedTheSound of Music. It was a staple in our house. My mom played the movies she liked and that was a favorite. We all knew those songs by heart and I think it was a sort of comfort for Dante. He sighed as the first song started and I smiled up at him on the worn leather couch of the family room.
This was where I normally would feel most secure, sort of like when someone hands you an old blanket and you know exactly what it was going to smell like. Except my mind was racing with the ideas in my head, of how I would seduce him, of how his muscles already felt so good up against my arm.
When I laid my head on his shoulder, he petted my dark waves like it was nothing. Even then, my heart skittered around. When the sixteen year old in the movie sang about how innocent she was, I sang right along with her. He glanced down at me, his dimples showing with his smirk and I was a goner.
I swear his eyes roved over my whole face and lingered on my lips.
It was then or never, so I did what I never would have before.
Our lips touched and it was like we both sighed into what we’d always wanted.
Or at least I think we did.
He didn’t feel awkward or uncomfortable. It felt like my mouth belonged on his.