The Virgin Romance Novelist Chronicles

by Meghan Quinn

  “How about Shake Shack? Simple but good, and the perfect cure for that broken heart of yours,” Delaney said.

  “I could go for that. Are you buying?” I batted my eyelashes, trying to work the whole pitiful card.

  “I will.” Derk winked at me. “But that means you get to stop at my buddy’s place real quick to pick up my Ultimate Frisbee set. His place is right next to a Shake Shack.”

  “Ugh, twist my arm.”

  Being the high rollers we were—not—we filed into a taxi and saddled up next to each other in the back while Derk gave the cabbie our location. I wasn’t paying, so I wasn’t going to complain about taking a cab. Derk had plenty of money, so I wasn’t worried about mooching off him.

  The busy streets of New York City passed me by as we drove in and out of traffic-filled roads, coming almost too close to other cars at times. Riding in a taxi in New York City was definitely a driver’s version of Russian roulette. Were you going to make it or take the bullet, aka, crash into the car in front of you, beside you, or even behind you? It was a chance you took every time you stepped into a taxi.

  “Thinking about what kind of shake you’re going to get? Strawberry?” Delaney asked me while nudging my shoulder.

  “Yeah, something like that,” I responded.

  The ride to Derk’s friend’s place was surprisingly uneventful. We pulled up to a building where a doorman stood outside, waiting to welcome new visitors to the building. Fancy.

  I was jealous of the location, as it was right next to the theater district where I’d always wanted to live. The history of New York City and the old-time feel always called out to me, especially anything that had to do with Broadway. I was not the least bit good at singing, but place a musical in front of me and I would watch it for days. I had an old soul.

  “Wow, I’m jealous of your friend. This place is gorgeous.” I admitted as Derk nodded at the doorman who opened the door for us.

  The lobby of the apartment building was beautiful, full of white marble and pillars. It almost seemed too fancy, like a Kardashian should be popping out behind a door any minute.

  Derk led us to the elevators where he pushed the button for the tenth floor, the middle of the building. His friend was fancy, but not that fancy since he wasn’t in the penthouse suite, but who was I to judge? I’d used my sock as an eye cover for the past couple of days.

  “Nice place,” I said while we traveled up.

  “Yeah, rent was a steal. The guy has connections.”

  We walked to the end of the hallway, to a golden-yellow door with an eight on it. Derk knocked a few times and we waited patiently for the door to open, but all we heard was a “Come in” from a far-off spot.

  Derk opened the door and I followed behind him and Delaney, feeling slightly awkward that I was walking into a stranger’s apartment.

  The floors of the apartment were a deep oak and the walls a natural taupe color. Not my favorite, but it looked nice with the floors. The living room was the corner of the building, offering a beautiful view of the streets below. Yup, I was officially jealous. I scanned the living room and appreciated the bright red couch that looked like heaven to sit on and the white fireplace in the middle of the room.

  It wasn’t until I spotted the framed pictures of Henry and me on the mantel that I realized I was standing in Henry’s new apartment.

  I started backing up, but Delaney was being a tricky little bitch and stopped me from fleeing.

  “Hey guys,” Henry said as he walked in but stopped immediately when he saw me.

  I wanted to crawl into a hole, bury my head in the sand, and do something to get away from Henry’s shocked eyes. Why the hell did they bring me here? Did they hate me too?

  “Uh, what are you doing here?” Henry asked me.

  My eyes floated from his mantel—where every single picture was of him and me—and it was the only decoration gracing the place and then back to his eyes, those beautiful, mesmerizing eyes.

  “Picking up frisbees,” I said like an idiot.

  “Frisbees?” Henry asked, now looking at Delaney.

  “Gee, look at that, we have to go, Derk. We have that appointment with the sex and yoga guru. Sorry we can’t help unpack, but oh hey, look at that, Rosie is free. Go on, Rosie.” Delaney pushed me into the living room. “Help Henry. See you later.”

  Just like that, Derk and Delaney scooted out of Henry’s apartment, leaving us completely alone.

  But . . . Shake Shack . . .

  I stood awkwardly, fidgeting with my purse, trying to think of any kind of excuse that would give me an option to leave, but my mind was drawing blanks. Complete blanks.

  “It’s good to see you,” Henry said, walking closer to me, making my sweat glands work on over drive.

  “You too.” I nodded. “Nice place.”

  “Thanks.”

  “How’s Tasha? Is she all moved in as well?”

  Why would Delaney bring me here? Why is she being so cruel? I get it, I needed to move on, but to throw me in the shark tank while I was still bleeding wasn’t friend material. That was a straight-up bitch move.

  Henry looked down as he spoke. “Tasha was an excuse to get out of the apartment.”

  “Why did you move?” I asked before I could stop myself.

  “I’d been looking to move for a while since Delaney and Derk were going to be finding a place together soon. This place became available, and I couldn’t pass it up.”

  “Oh,” I replied, feeling like my heart was going to fall right out of my chest in front of Henry, just so he could stomp on it a little bit more.

  He’d been planning on moving all this time. No wonder he decided to have sex with me, because he was leaving anyway. There would be no strings attached for him.

  Needing to get out of his apartment so I could breathe again, I started walking backward to the door.

  “Well, I’m not feeling very well. I think I’m going to go.” Not a lie at all. I literally felt like I was going to throw up.

  “Rosie, wait,” Henry said as he quickly walked over to me and grabbed me by the hand.

  Instantly I felt the warmth come off him, making me want to buckle over and cry. I missed him terribly.

  “Please, sit down and talk to me for a second.”

  I was weak, I was pathetic, I would do anything to spend a few more minutes with him, so I nodded and allowed him to guide me to his red couch, which felt like heaven under my bum. I was right. It was supremely comfortable.

  “Nice couch.”

  “Thanks, got it on sale. Loved the color, it reminded me of you.”

  Yup, I didn’t want him to say things like that, because it only gutted me more.

  “Okay,” I said lamely.

  At times, I really did wish I was more profound, more prolific, but when my heart was hanging on by a thread and my brain was mush from the man sitting next to me, I had no ability to form a coherent sentence.

  Running his hand through his hair, I watched as his muscles flexed under his shirt, the same muscles I’d had my hands on. Once.

  Then it hit me. Oh my God, I was a virgin clinger.

  No!

  No, I was not a clinger. I was a girl who fell in love with a boy way before she got intimate with him, and denied my feelings to save my heart. Much help that was, I thought as I sat on Henry’s new couch, contemplating whether or not I was going to have a heart attack from his proximity.

  Softly, his hand grabbed mine, and he forced me to look him in the eyes. My heart pounded against my chest, making me very aware that he was holding me.

  “Rosie, I need to tell you something.”

  “Are you dying?” I asked, letting my mind wander to the worst thing possible.

  “What? No,” he said confused but then chuckled softly. “I’m not dying. I just . . . damn, I thought this would be easier.”

  “You’re not pregnant, are you?” I teased, trying to ease the pressure in my chest.

  “No.” He laughed.
“But I did have a scare for a second on Monday.”

  “Sounds frightening. Never been happier to see Aunt Flo, have you?”

  “This is so wrong.” He laughed some more and then took a deep breath. His hand reached up and cupped my cheek, making me sweat even more. I was a hot mess. “God, Rosie, I’m so far in love with you, it’s ridiculous. I don’t just love you, I’m in love with you, like desperately, hopelessly, can’t be without you in love with you.”

  What?

  Chills flew over my body as my stomach flipped upside down, somersaulting and twisting. He was in love with me? Did he actually say that or did I make that up in my head?

  “I know I was an ass, and I know I haven’t been the easiest person to be around lately, but I blame you.” He smiled. “You turned my life upside down the minute you decided you wanted to date. I couldn’t take the thought of you with anyone else, because I knew deep down in my soul you belonged with me. Rosie, I’m sorry for everything, the way I treated you, for . . . Tasha and letting you believe something happened with her when nothing did. I was just . . . lost. When you listened to that voicemail and mentioned that he’d called you, I thought you wanted to go out with that Atticus guy. And the timing . . . right after we’d shared one of the most amazing moments of my life, it just made something inside me flip.”

  “One of the most amazing?” I asked while tears streamed down my face.

  “Yes, the most amazing moments of my life was when I met you.”

  I chuckled and wiped a tear away from face. “That was so corny.”

  “Maybe, but it was all true.” Looking me in the eyes, he asked, “Do you feel the same, Rosie?”

  His eyes pleaded with me, begged me to say yes, and that’s when I realized, the man truly adored me. He wasn’t playing with me, and he wasn’t trying to just be kind. And sweet Jesus he didn’t have sex with Tasha. No, this man sitting next to me, searching my eyes for an answer, loved me with every inch of his being. The revelation was intense, heartwarming, and so damn overwhelming that I could only think of one thing. I needed to kiss those lips that I’d been dreaming about for the past week.

  Without warning, I launched myself on his lap and grabbed his face with my hands.

  “Henry, you have no idea how far in love I am with you.”

  I giant grin spread across his face as my lips found his. His hands went straight to my waist where he gripped me hard, as if I was going to float away. Slowly, he worked his way under my shirt but not in a sexual way, just in a way that communicated that by touching my skin, he was getting as close to me as possible.

  My lips danced with his as we both reveled in being with each other, giving in to the anxiety, the roadblocks and misgivings our relationship brought forward. Instead, we pushed past it all, put our hearts out on the line, and took the leap.

  I pulled away for a second and stared in his eyes while I rubbed his face with my thumbs.

  “I missed you so much.”

  “I missed you too, Rosie. Not having you near me these past couple of days has been torture. I truly thought I’d lost you.”

  “Me too,” I said sadly. “But if you were in love with me, why did you move away? Why didn’t you fight?”

  He gave me a half-smile and moved his hands to my shoulders where he gripped me tightly.

  “This apartment became available and I knew I couldn’t give it up, because it’s your dream apartment. If I couldn’t win you back myself, I was hoping the apartment would.”

  “Wait, what are you saying?”

  He kissed my nose and said, “Rosie, I want you to move in with me. Just you and me. No Delaney, no Derk, no subway rides out to Brooklyn. I want you here, with me, I want a life with you.”

  And just like when I kissed him, my heart soared and tears once again sprung from my eyes. This time, tears of joy.

  “Are you serious?”

  “Beyond serious, love. Live with me?”

  “Yes.” I wrapped my arms around him and hugged him tightly. “I can’t believe this.”

  “Believe it, love. It’s just you and me now.”

  “Does this mean we’re boyfriend and girlfriend?” I asked shyly.

  “It better be.” He nuzzled my neck. “You’re mine, love.”

  “Wow. Aren’t you just taking all my virginities? First boyfriend, first apartment I share with only a guy, first to visit my area below.”

  “You’re down below?” he asked laughing. “What about the elevator guy you farted on?”

  “You know what I mean,” I said, playfully hitting his shoulder, making him laugh even harder.

  “Do you think you have enough material to finish that book of yours now?”

  “Hmm, I’m not sure. I might have to do some more research in the bedroom. Test some things out I’d read in some of my books.”

  “I’m yours, love. Test away.”

  As I looked back at him, his cute smile hit me hard in the gut. I was one hell of a lucky girl. How I snagged Henry to be mine, I had no clue, but now that he was, I wouldn’t let him go.

  Love was funny. It came in all different shapes and sizes. Sometimes it was hard to find and sometimes it was right in front of you, waiting to be recognized. What I’d learned from the many books I’d read and from the book I’m writing was this: no matter what, you had to work to find love. It wasn’t a given and it wasn’t instantaneous. It was a privilege to find and should never be taken lightly.

  Everyone deserved a happily ever after, and I’m glad I found mine. Now I had to turn that happily ever after into a book. With Henry by my side, I had no doubt I’d be able to make that happen.

  Epilogue

  The Insatiable Virgina

  “Henry, you have to sit still. You can’t thread a needle if the needle keeps moving.”

  “I’m sorry, but the look on your face is so damn serious, it’s hard not to laugh.”

  Henry and I had been living together for a week and we’d spent most of the time in bed, exploring the ins and outs of each other. We’d bought a bed together, found the softest sheets available, and picked a neutral comforter we were both happy with. The bedroom was the only decorated room in the whole apartment, but we were happy with it and frankly, it was the only room we spent time in.

  I’d read that once you had sex, the characters go at it like bunnies and I’d always wondered if that was true in real life. Well, if those characters had a penis-eating vagina like mine, then yes, it was true.

  Virginia was insatiable and wouldn’t quit. I didn’t know how she kept up, but she was like an orgasm-spitting machine. Henry went down on me—orgasm; Henry fingered me—orgasm; Henry used a dildo—orgasm; Henry pulled down his pants . . . yup, orgasm. She was a randy little hussy but I loved her.

  “I’m just concentrating.”

  “It’s not that hard, love. Just put it on.”

  “It’s not going to fit. How on earth did you think this was going to fit?”

  “Love, it’s going to fit, just put it on.”

  I sat up on my knees, studied the cock ring in my hand, and then looked at Henry’s erect penis. The man could hold an erection for days, even when chuckling.

  “You should have gotten a tire; that would have fit.”

  “Damn, love. You really know how to compliment a man.”

  He started stroking himself, making my mouth water.

  So, I once was a virgin who would poke a penis to see if it was real, but now I was a horny girlfriend with the need to fulfill every sexual fantasy that came across my mind. My latest experiment stemmed from a sex scene I’d started writing about a cock ring and riding Henry cowgirl while the ring was on him, like my own personal Henry-shaped dildo. I didn’t know where the thought came from but in order to truly write it, I needed to experiment with it first. Henry was very grateful for my writing, actually loved it, because he benefited from all of my experiments. And I was very thorough in my research.

  Please note, doing it against a wall? Not as
easy as it’s written. There was a lot of fumbling involved. Also, shower sex equally awkward, especially when the showerhead started drowning you. Sex doggy style while lying over a couch, exhilarating . . . but watch out for queefing.

  “You’re drooling,” Henry pointed out, pulling me from my thoughts.

  “I am not,” I said, wiping my mouth, realizing I was drooling.

  “You so were. Don’t be embarrassed, it’s a turn-on.”

  “Drooling? That’s a weird turn-on, Henry.”

  “The turn-on is the fact that I could make you drool by just touching my dick, which by the way, if we could hurry this along, that would be great. Poseidon is getting a little angsty.”

  Yes, Poseidon. That’s the name Henry gave his penis. Unfortunately, Virginia was quite fond of the name and the member in question, so there was no changing it.

  “Okay, but if this rips the condom, it’s your fault.”

  “You lubed it, it will be fine.”

  I leaned forward and placed the cock ring on the tip of his cock and then slowly worked it down to the base, afraid I was cutting the circulation off from his dick.

  “Holy hell,” Henry moaned as his head fell back. “Love, please I need to be inside of you now.”

  That plea would never get old. Ever.

  Giving the man what we both wanted, I straddled him and positioned myself to take him in. Slowly, I allowed the tip of his dick to play with my already wet center, thank you, Virginia. The vibration of the cock ring ran up the length of his shaft and hit me, made me weak, and made me collapse on top of him, not taking him in slowly like I’d wanted.

  “Fuck!” he moaned while he gripped my hips and started thrusting. “Never gets old, love. You were made for me.”

  I couldn’t agree more. We fit perfectly together.

  With small thrusts, Henry moved in and out of me as the cock ring vibrated us both. The feeling was intense, magnificent, and so overwhelming that my hands fell forward and clutched his chest as I felt my orgasm already start to build up.

  “Oh my God, Henry, this feels so damn good.”