First Love: A Superbundle Boxed Set of Seven New Adult Romances

by Kent, Julia

  “What a stupid idea,” I whisper, looking down at my cast. It used to be white, but now it’s covered by a rainbow of colorful, childish doodles—a product of boring classes with too many markers. I’m not much of an artist left-handed.

  Maybe I can back out of it. I could say I’m too busy. I’m sure Professor Meador has some extra papers that I could grade. It’s cold season—Maria wouldn’t question me suddenly getting sick, right?

  The idea of chickening out tugs at me and whispers for me to give in to it. I could skip all the embarrassment of stumbling around the dance floor like an idiot if I call her back and cancel the whole thing.

  “No,” I whisper to myself. “I don’t want to back out.”

  I really don’t. I don’t know why I want to go dancing with her, but I do. The second I read tonight’s event schedule, I knew I had to invite her.

  I can do this. It’ll be fun.

  My phone rings in my pocket, and I grab it and head out to the lobby to answer the call. It’s Tina.

  “Hey, what’s up?” I ask, already regretting coming out into the ice-cold lobby. Why do they never turn on the heat out here? It can’t be more than fifty degrees.

  “Hi Owen,” she says, her voice as bubbly as ever. “I just wanted to let you know that if you don’t dress up nicely tonight, I’m going to rip your balls off. Okay?”

  “Holy shit!” I exclaim in shock. “Where the hell did that come from?”

  Maria warned me that Tina can be a bit vulgar, but I assumed she meant that the tiny, pink-loving girl swore a lot. It never once crossed my mind that she might one day threaten my manhood.

  “Seriously. Dress nice. Really nice,” she tells me. Her voice is soft, straightforward, and pleasant as if she was talking about the weather instead of about hurting me. “I’m a dead girl if you don’t, and then you’ll wish you were dead when I’m done with you.”

  “Why? What are you talking about?”

  “Just do it and trust me, okay?” she snaps at me, and then she hangs up before I can get in another word.

  I sigh and shake my head. I don’t know what’s going on, but I’m kind of attached to my anatomy. I need to get home and change in a hurry.

  ––––––––

  “Little overdressed, don’t you think?” asks the bartender, grinning at me from behind the counter.

  “Oh shut up,” I hiss.

  Here I am at the grad union—the stupidly named Big Red Barn—in a sport jacket and slacks, and I’m the only person in the building tonight who isn’t wearing jeans and a tee shirt. I’ve had more than my fair share of stares already and it’s not even eight o’clock yet.

  “Hey Owen!” calls out Tina from behind me, cheerful and high-pitched as always, and I turn and hop down from my barstool as she cuts through the packed crowd with Craig at her side.

  She’s wearing a knee-length, sky blue dress with a shiny pink belt, and Craig is just as overdressed as I am. The look on his face tells me all I need to know: everything that happens tonight is totally Tina’s fault. At least I know he’ll have my back later when I kill her.

  Tina grins, winks at me, and then quickly grabs Craig and steps to the side. It’s all I can do not to let my jaw drop as I catch sight of Maria following behind her.

  Her long black hair is hanging free, and she’s wearing a stunning, calf-length black dress with wide straps that cover her shoulders up to the curve of her neck but leave her arms bare. Her skirt billows out just slightly from her waist, and some kind of white, lacy fabric barely peeks out from beneath. What’s that stuff called, anyway? A slip? A petticoat? I have no idea, but whatever it is, she looks gorgeous. I’m completely blown away.

  She follows behind Tina and glances nervously at the casually attired crowd around her. She shoots her diminutive friend a glare, and just as I think that she’s about to chew her for the cruel dress-up prank, Tina nudges her and points at me.

  The way Maria’s eyes light up when she sees me makes the whole night worth it.

  “Hi Maria!” I call out to her, and I race up to her and hug her tightly.

  She hugs me back and just when I think the night can’t get any better, she kisses me softly on the cheek.

  “You look really nice,” she whispers in my ear, and I feel myself blush. Her eyes are glowing with happiness tonight, and that—more than the dress, more than anything—is what makes her so beautiful to me. I love seeing her happy.

  “Thanks. You look... just amazing,” I stammer, and now it’s her turn to blush. I don’t have words for how beautiful she looks. I don’t know where all my words went, but I don’t have them anymore.

  “Whoa, you grad students get to have a bar on campus?” cries out Tina in awe. She grabs Craig’s hand and drags him behind her to the bar.

  “Oh that poor bartender,” I groan, and Maria giggles. I wonder if she knows how beautiful her laughter sounds. It’s light and musical, and it puts me at ease no matter how awkward I feel.

  “Let me guess... Tina made you dress up?” she asks, and I nod and roll my eyes.

  “She threatened to do terrible things to me if I didn’t,” I answer, offering her my hand.

  “Yeah, me too.”

  A shiver runs through me as she takes my hand and wraps her fingers around mine, and we join the others at the bar.

  “Can you do Cosmos?” Tina asks the bartender excitedly as we sit down next to her.

  “Of course I can,” snips the bartender as if he’s offended that she even had to ask.

  “Oh kickass!” she shouts happily, and she orders two.

  Maria and I look at each other in bemusement. Tina’s way too excited about this.

  “Okay... a pair of Cosmos,” he deadpans, and then he turns to Maria and me. “What about you two?”

  “Can you do anything with pomegranates?” asks Maria, and she turns and smiles warmly at me.

  I’m completely speechless and as soon as she turns back to the bartender, I pull up my sleeve and pinch myself. I’m still awake.

  “Pomegranate Cosmo work for you?” he asks, and he glares at Tina out of the corner of his eye.

  “Sure, sounds great to me,” answers Maria.

  “That Cosmo thing really bugged you, huh?” I ask, and the bartender rolls his eyes at me before going back to mix our drinks.

  “Wow, what a stuck-up prick,” I whisper to Maria, and she grins and nods in agreement.

  Grumpy the Bartender returns with our drinks a few minutes later. I turn to Maria and raise mine to offer a toast.

  “To trying new things.”

  “To getting outside our shells,” she answers, and I know exactly what she means.

  I can drink to that.

  ––––––––

  I’m feeling a little wobbly as I head out onto the dance floor with Maria by my side, but the booze is the only thing keeping me from running for the door right now. I feel like everyone’s watching me and waiting to laugh when I fall on my face. I should know better than that by now, but I’m still nervous and embarrassed as the instructor tries to show me what to do.

  “Okay, you take her hand like this,” he says, placing Maria’s left hand in mine as we face each other, “and then put your right hand on her shoulder blade.”

  She smiles at me and squeezes my hand gently as the dance instructor forces us into the right positions, and then he starts to walk us through the steps.

  “Left, tap, left... right, tap, right... back, rock,” he calls out, keeping the beat for us as we shuffle awkwardly back and forth on the dance floor. I’m staring down at Maria’s black flats the whole time and still somehow keep stepping on her toes.

  “Alright, you’re getting there,” lies the instructor, and he stops us again.

  “Next thing you two need to learn is a basic spin,” he tells us. Maria smiles and I can’t tell if she’s nervous or excited. Maybe she’s both.

  “It’s the same timing, but now it’s your turn to get some special steps in,” he
tells Maria as he walks around us in a circle. “This young gentleman is going to push you out under his left arm with his right hand, and...”

  He trails off as he sees the cast on my arm.

  “Dude, your hand’s broken,” he points out, as if I didn’t already know.

  “Oh my god!” I exclaim dramatically. “When did that happen? I never noticed the cast!”

  Maria giggles at my stupid act, and I feel like I’m the king of the world, broken hand or not. The instructor rolls his eyes at me.

  “All right, missy,” groans the instructor as he turns to Maria. “You’re going to have to grab his hand during some of the spins, so just make sure you get the tips of his fingers, okay? Stay away from the thumb.”

  “Got it,” she answers, nodding intensely as she takes in his words.

  A jaunty song blares over the speaker system, and the instructor grins at me and flashes a thumbs-up.

  “Okay, get ready, you two... And, one... two... go!”

  The only way I can keep the beat for even a moment is to count out loud, and when I finally look up from my feet, I’m relieved to see Maria doing the exact same thing.

  “One and two,” I mutter. “Three and four... back, rock...”

  Ten minutes pass as we go back and forth in place, and then suddenly it all clicks for me. It’s like when Maria showed me how to snowboard properly—everything just makes sense now.

  Now it’s time for some fun.

  Tina floats past us, completely ignoring the rule about the guy leading the way, and she sticks out her tongue at us as she pushes Craig around the dance floor. Maria and I return the gesture in unison and then burst out laughing.

  “You hanging in there?” I ask, and she nods back excitedly. Her smile is radiant tonight.

  “Okay, then hang in there a little more,” I call out, and I send her out for a spin.

  Maria laughs as she ducks under my arm and spins out away from me. Her dress billows up around her and shows off her long, incredibly sexy legs. It’s all I can do not to stop dead in my tracks and stare. God, it’s hard enough to keep my hands off of her without seeing that!

  Excitement and longing flicker to life inside me as I reel her back in—her eyes glittering with happiness—and then send her out for one more gratuitous spin. My mind is filled with wonderfully dirty thoughts now, and it’s all I can do not to pull her back in, put my arms around her and kiss her right this second.

  Maria gets more confident as song after song flies by, and I do my best to keep up with her. As I pull her back in from a spin, she ducks under my arm and raises hers to push me out for a spin of my own. She’s picking up moves from other couples on the floor now—teaching me how to lead her into them—and I simply can’t get enough of her.

  I’m the worst dancer in the world—and I’m sure Maria’s toes would agree with me on that—but crappy, clumsy dancer or not, I’m with the girl of my dreams and I’ve never been happier in my life.

  Friday, March 8 – 10:45 PM

  Maria

  Never in my entire life do I remember being this happy.

  I’m not sure exactly when Tina and Craig left, but I know that Owen and I stayed out dancing long after they departed. Everything was amazing tonight, from the moment I first took Owen’s hand on the dance floor, to the first spin, to when I finally, reluctantly had to stop from exhaustion.

  I’m a sweaty mess now, but I feel like laughing in delight with every breath I take. I can’t stop smiling as Owen and I walk down the hill toward our apartment complex, and it’s as if I’m walking on air. My legs are so tired from dancing, but I feel like I could still find enough energy to jump for joy.

  What an unbelievable night!

  “Thanks for taking me out with you,” I whisper, leaning my head on Owen’s shoulder as we walk.

  “Hey, I wanted to dance with you,” he answers, leaning down and kissing me softly on the forehead. “Besides, what fun would it have been to go alone?”

  Owen puts an arm around my waist, but instead of the nervous panic I usually feel, I’m warm and relaxed. Why can’t I always feel like this? This is how it ought to be—I should be able to feel safe and comfortable with someone, not always worrying that something terrible will happen to me.

  Owen’s embrace warms me against the freezing night air, and I snuggle up against him as we walk. My bare legs are still cold, but for some reason, the temperature doesn’t bother me as much now that his arm is around me.

  My phone beeps in the pocket of my coat just as we reach the top of the long staircase, and I stop to read Tina’s message.

  “Lacey and Dinah BOTH brought guys home tonight. More sex than a porno. Going to a movie with C to wait them out. Hope you had fun 2nite.”

  I groan and shake my head. Lacey and Dinah both get obnoxiously loud when they’re with their boyfriends, and I don’t want to deal with it. Not tonight.

  “So, um... cocoa at my place doesn’t look like it’ll work,” I mumble awkwardly. “Lacey and Dinah have the place... occupied.”

  Owen chuckles and shakes his head as he leans back against the lamppost.

  “Well, we can’t just wait out here in the cold. How about my place?” he proposes. “I’ll take a rain-check on that cocoa.”

  “Sure,” I answer happily. “But... can you do one thing for me first?”

  “Yeah?”

  “Spin me again before we go!” I beg. I’m still giddy from dancing, and I want to feel the excitement one more time.

  He smiles at me and my heart turns over in my chest.

  All I want to do is bask in the moment as he takes me in his arms and dances with me at the top of the stairs. His hand is comforting against my back, and I feel like I could stare into his warm, gray eyes forever. He sends me out for a spin, and I feel the cold wind whip against my legs as my black dress billows up around me.

  It took me a long time to get used to wearing a dress again, and even with Tina’s support, I was uncomfortable going out in it. I didn’t like the idea of my legs showing—the idea that anyone who wanted to would be able to touch me—but Owen’s reaction to me tonight made it okay. In my mind, I can still see his look of adoration from when he first saw me in my dress. I’ve never felt so pretty or so wanted.

  He pulls me back in, holds me close and kisses me softly. I want to melt into his arms as his lips brush against mine, and I put my arms around his neck and let myself go. I can taste the salt on his lips from a long night of dancing, and if it weren’t so cold, I’d linger here with him all night long.

  The icy wind buffets us again and prods us to go inside.

  “I had a lot of fun tonight,” he whispers to me as we walk hand in hand down the stairs toward his apartment. Something about his tone makes it sound like a confession—as if he’s not supposed to admit that he enjoyed going out dancing.

  “I had a wonderful time,” I gush, squeezing his hand and kissing him on his cold cheek. “This was the best night ever. Seriously!”

  He smiles shyly at my kiss, and I kiss him again for looking so adorable.

  The apartment is warm, empty, and quiet since Craig is still out at the movies with Tina, and I happily cuddle up next to Owen on the sofa. I feel so warm and cozy snuggling up next to him that I don’t need cocoa anymore.

  “What was your favorite part of the night?” asks Owen, looking at me with bright eyes and a warm smile. He puts his arm around me, and I smile and lean my head on his shoulder. I can barely think straight with all these wonderful feelings coursing through my head.

  “Oh, I have no idea,” I stammer, sitting up as I try to think. Was it the dance instructor’s reaction to his broken hand? The way he looked at me when he first saw me? No... I know what it was.

  “Getting to dance with you,” I whisper. “I’d never have been brave enough on my own, and you convinced me to get outside my shell and do something amazing.”

  His smile is so wide and happy that you’d think I’d given him a puppy.


  “How about you?”

  “Hmm... tough question,” mutters Owen, his brow furrowing as he thinks. He leans back on the sofa with his hands behind his head.

  “I can’t decide! Can I give you two answers?” he begs, and I pretend to think about it before agreeing.

  “First... getting to see you so happy,” he answers, and I blush. “You’re really beautiful when you smile, and I’m happy I got to see it.”

  “So what’s the second answer?” I ask as he lapses into painful silence. The first answer was lovely, but it was about me. I want to know what his favorite part was.

  “Um... never mind,” he stammers awkwardly.

  “You said you had two,” I press. “Come on. Please?”

  “Promise you won’t beat me up?”

  I nod back, and just as I’m about to promise not to hit him, he quickly leans over and kisses me.

  Nervous panic flickers to life inside my chest, but the amazing warmth spreading through my body quickly smothers my fear and ignites a burning desire in its place. My heart pounds in excitement as he takes me in his arms and holds me close. My arms find their way around him as I snuggle up against him, and I return his ardent kiss. I can hardly think through the euphoric haze clouding my mind, and all I want to do is let our lips play together and bask in the beautiful feelings surging through my body.

  I can feel myself grinning like a fool when we finally come up to catch our breath. God, I feel so good tonight.

  “My favorite thing tonight was getting to touch you,” he whispers in my ear. I shiver and breathe in sharply as I feel his hot breath against my ear. A strange, scary and wonderful feeling rises inside me—something different from just kissing him—and I’m not sure what it is. My body is reacting to the desire in his voice in a way I don’t think I’ve ever felt before.

  I kiss him again to try to distract myself from the feeling, but all it does is make the feeling grow stronger inside me. I close my eyes as our kisses get more and more frantic and passionate, and the glorious, euphoric fog rises inside my mind.

  I break away from him to catch a gasp of air, my mind reeling from desire, and then throw myself back into his embrace. I can barely breathe from how tightly he holds me, but I don’t care. I desperately need his arms around me and his lips against mine. I need it more than air.