when they woke up the next morning considering how much booze was being consumed by all of the underage drinkers.
People probably think that’s how I’ll end my night—with my legs in the air. They call me a slut, and not a single one of them knows I’m a freaking virgin.
I wandered into the room at the end of the hall. It appeared to belong to the parents that owned the house based on the decor. I couldn’t believe they would just let their kid have a party and leave them all alone. I wanted to believe my parents would have been better than that. All of the pictures—that happy family. That was the one thing I would never have. I had a few pictures with the foster families that I lived with over the years, but there was no love behind those frozen moments of time. The family I was currently staying with was a godsend at least. I was already eighteen, so they could have tossed me out, but they agreed to let me stay until I graduated. That was more kindness than most of them had ever shown me. As I stood there lost in my own thoughts, I heard footsteps behind me. I turned towards the door and my heart skipped a beat when I saw who it was.
“Preston?” I raised my eyebrows in surprise.
“Hey there.” He tilted his head to the side. “Why is the prettiest girl at the party hiding upstairs?”
Pretty? Me?
4
Eliza
Preston Anderson had such a confident swagger. Hell, everything about him oozed charisma and confidence. He was the quarterback—he might as well have been a celebrity at Andalusia High School. I didn’t buy into the hype, nor did I believe that he was god’s gift to our small town like everyone else, but that didn’t stop me from being attracted to him. That crush had lasted a long time, and there he was—standing right in front of me—calling me pretty. He had a smile that reminded me of the devil that I heard about in Sunday school. Charming—yet laced with danger. His jaw tightened, and I felt a wetness between my thighs as he stared at me. His smile widened, and he walked closer. I could smell his cologne and it somehow made his even more enticing. My breath was nearly sucked out of my body as I tried to process what was happening. I finally snapped back to reality when he was close enough to touch—I couldn’t do that, even if I wanted to.
“I should go.” I started to walk past him, but he caught my arm and spun me back around.
“Don’t go.” He shook his head back and forth. “Not until I get to kiss you.”
“What?” I blinked in surprise, and the breath was definitely sucked out of my body after he said that.
“You’ve never thought about it?” He lifted his hand and dragged his thumb across my bottom lip, sending shivers down my spine. “I’ve heard all the stories about you.”
“Those—aren’t true.” I recoiled from his touch.
“I know.” He nodded slowly. “Everyone says you’re a slut, but I think that’s just an act. I’ve never met anyone who’s actually fucked you.”
“Nobody has.” I exhaled sharply.
Did I really just tell Preston Anderson that I’m a virgin?
“I think all of this makeup—this lipstick.” He slid his thumb across my bottom lip again. “I think it’s just a disguise. I think there’s a girl underneath it all that wants someone to love her.”
It’s like he’s reading my soul. I need to get out of here before I do something I regret.
But it was too late for that. Preston let his thumb drop from my bottom lip, grabbed me by the small of the back, and pulled me close. His lips crushed mine before I even realized what was about to happen. His tongue ravaged my mouth. My first kiss—the first real one at least. It set my soul on fire and I melted into his arms. I felt my lipstick being smeared around the edge of my lips, but I didn’t even care. The guy I had been crushing on for years was kissing me—his hands were on my body. He could have any girl in the school. If the rumors were true, he hadn’t spent a night alone since he was old enough to throw a football. But were they true? The ones about me certainly weren’t. Did I dare to believe in that moment? Was it possible that the hottest guy in school was more than a quarterback and a homecoming crown? Did he really see through my disguise and clutch the piece of my heart I didn’t realize could be taken?
Someone else is coming. Oh god. He’s not stopping—he doesn’t even seem to care.
“There is he.” Preston finally pulled back from our kiss, leaving my lips tingling in the aftermath of my first taste. “Do you mind if my brother joins in? He’s always had a crush on you.”
Hudson—he has a crush on me?
“Huh?” My head was spinning as I looked over my shoulder and saw the other Anderson brother with a look of shock etched on his face.
“Come on, baby. This will be a night you never forget.” Preston’s hand slid between my thighs—he touched the fabric standing between me and my innocence, which caused a moan to rush across my lips.
No, just say no. Run. Oh god, why don’t I want to run?
“Yeah—I guess that’s okay.” I nodded slowly and closed my eyes as I felt Preston’s finger push against my clit.
Why did I say it was okay? Why did my lips betray my thoughts? I had never been with anyone—I couldn’t lose my virginity to two guys. I wasn’t the girl my reputation said I was. No, I just couldn’t give in. I pulled back from Preston, but his lips were on mine again. They pulled me from the brink of denial until all I wanted to do was say yes. I felt another set of lips on my neck—they had to belong to Hudson. There was a hunger in the way his lips moved against my neck. The desire resonated from him, just like the cologne that got even stronger once Hudson approached. I felt endorphins flooding my veins and whispering things into my ear that I had never dared to dream about. Preston pulled back from my lips and I turned towards Hudson.
He had a crush on me? He was so sweet to me the summer we spent together as friends. Was I completely blind to him because I only had eyes for his brother? His lips seared to mine and I felt his muscles against my body. There was so much passion in that kiss. He lifted his hand to squeeze my breasts through my shirt and his touch was timid. He wasn’t as aggressive as Preston, but he wanted the exact same thing. My head was spinning, and my thoughts were in turmoil. I had never felt wanted or desired. I didn’t know how to process what I was feeling. Preston cupped my ass with his hands and slid them around my hips as Hudson continued to kiss me. Preston’s fingers unbuttoned my jeans and one of his hands slid inside them, and then it was inside my panties. He touched my clit, and it sent flames shooting through my body. He was the first guy to ever touch me there—and it felt so freaking good.
“We want you.” Preston whispered into my ear as his hands returned to my hips. “We want to share you.”