by L A Cotton
“Good, that’s… good.”
“Are you okay?”
“Yeah, why?” he asked calmly.
A little too calmly.
“You seem, I don’t know, a little nervous.”
“I’m fine.”
Well, okay then.
He pulled up outside his house and came around to open my door. I stumbled out into his arms.
“Hi,” I whispered.
“Hi.”
Something felt different. A tension I hadn’t noticed on the ride over.
“Bryan?” A shiver ran through me.
“Do you trust me?” he asked, and I nodded.
Taking my hand, Bryan led me around the back of the house. My breath caught when I saw the pool house all lit up, bathed in a soft amber glow.
“What is—”
“Come on.”
The moment we stepped into the pool house the air left my lungs. The whole place was covered in candles, their soft flickering flames casting shadows around the room.
“Bryan, what—”
“So fun story,” he said, a little sheepish. “Last night, after prom, I’d kind of planned this.”
“You had?” My heart somersaulted in my chest. Tumbling over and over.
“I wanted it to be perfect.”
“And I went and got drunk.” Shame burned my cheeks.
“I wanted you to have fun and you did. But I also really, really wanted to make your first time… special.”
“This is… I’m speechless. I can’t believe you did all this.” I moved over to the counter where a vase of red roses sat. “It’s perfect.”
And more than I ever could have imagined.
“You’re perfect.” He stepped closer, his chest brushing up against my back as he gently scooped my hair off my shoulder and pressed a kiss there. “We don’t have to…”
“I want to.” I swallowed, my skin tingling all over. “I’m just… a little nervous.”
“Don’t be. We can go slow. We don’t even have to—”
“Bryan?”
“Yeah, Kitty Cat.”
“Shut up and kiss me.”
Bryan turned me in his arms, cupping my face and kissing me softly. Too freaking softly.
“More,” I moaned against his lips, fisting his t-shirt, needing to be closer. My body pressed in close, loving how he felt. How safe and cherished he made me feel.
“Jesus, Carrie-Anne, let me take my time.” His fingers trailed down my spine, finding the hem of my t-shirt. We broke the kiss so he could pull it up off my body. He hissed, taking in my simple black bra.
“So fucking beautiful.” Dipping his head, he kissed my breastbone before scooping me up and carrying me over to the bed.
Bryan laid me down and stood, pulling off his own t-shirt. I soaked up every inch of his toned tan skin, my body trembling with anticipation. His hands went to the buttons on his jeans, and he popped them slowly, pushing them off his hips and kicking out of them.
“Your turn, Kitty Cat.” Bryan smirked, leaning over me to gently work my leggings off me.
Retrieving a condom from his wallet, Bryan threw it on the bed and crawled over me. “Are you sure?”
I nodded. “I want you.”
“I want you too, so fucking much.” He took his time running his hands over my body, learning the shape of my curves. His mouth peppered kisses over my lips, my jaw, and the slope of my neck. Hot, wet, open-mouthed kisses that made me writhe in pleasure.
My fingers sunk into his hair as his mouth went lower, teasing my breasts, licking and sucking. “More,” I cried, wound so tight I needed something to relieve the ache inside of me.
With nothing else between us, Bryan tore open the wrapper and rolled on the condom, bracing my hip as he pressed into me.
My breath caught in my throat as he came up against my resistance, and my heart beat so hard in my chest I felt a little lightheaded.
“Fuck, babe, you feel so good.”
“I do?” I smiled against his lips as he pushed deeper, stretching me.
“So fucking good.” He stilled, searching my eyes. “You okay?”
I nodded. It stung a little, but it was nothing compared to the sensation of him above me, inside me, pressing me into the soft sheets beneath me.
“Move,” I whispered, my throat dry. “I need you to—”
We both cried out as he rolled his hips, hitting some place deep inside me.
“Good?”
“Y-yeah,” I inhaled a shaky breath. “Keep going.”
We found a rhythm. Slow and deep, our bodies moving together while he kissed me, his tongue tangling with mine in soft, lazy licks that drove me wild.
“God. Bryan… it’s…”
“Yeah, babe, I know.” His head dropped to mine, his eyes locked on my face as he upped the pace, rocking harder… faster.
Little shocks of pleasure rolled through me, making my toes curl and my body arch for me.
“Do you think you can come?” he whispered, nipping my ear.
“I-I don’t know but it feels good, really good.”
With a smirk, he slipped his hand between us and started circling my clit.
“Oh my God,” I panted, the sensations heightened.
“Good?”
“Y-yes… don’t stop… God, Bry, don’t…” I could barely catch my breath as an intense wave crashed over me, robbing me of all rational thoughts. My legs trembled as I clenched around him.
“Fuck, Carrie-Anne… fuuuuck.” Bryan stilled, jerking inside of me as he found his own release.
His hand slipped around the back of my neck, holding me as he kissed me. “Thank you,” he said.
“Thank you?” My brows crinkled. “Shouldn’t I be the one thanking you?”
“It means a lot that you trusted me with your first time.” He dropped a kiss on the end of my nose.
“Well, it means a lot that you went to so much trouble to make it perfect.”
Because it had been absolutely perfect.
Bryan rolled off of me and disposed of the condom, before tucking me into the crook of his arm.
“One more week and then high school is over,” he murmured.
“You know, I always thought I wouldn’t look back, but now it’s almost graduation, I feel kind of sad it’s over.”
“Any regrets?” Bryan peered down at me.
“Not now.” I grinned.
Because he’d made all my dreams come true.
Dreams I didn’t even know I had until this moment.
Epilogue
One week later…
Bryan
“Carrie-Anne Trombley.” Principal Kiln’s voice carried over the football field and I watched with pride as Carrie-Anne moved across the stage to collect her diploma.
She caught my eye on the walk back to her seat and winked at me, and I grinned like a fool.
Knowing she was here, waiting for the moment we could leave our seats and celebrate made everything that little bit easier.
My parents hadn’t come.
There was no one in the audience cheering for me, but fuck them.
I didn’t need them. All I needed was my friends and the girl who had stolen my heart without me even realizing.
Principal Kiln called the last of my classmates forward and then made some speech about the future and success and flying high. I wasn’t paying much attention, too distracted by Gav making stupid fucking faces at me every three seconds.
The crowd stood, clapping and cheering, and I took that as my sign to go find Carrie-Anne.
“We did it,” she breathed, leaping into my arms. “We graduated high school.”
“Congratulations to you too.” I lifted her, spinning us around. When our laughter subsided, I dipped my head, inhaling a deep breath. “I’m proud of you, babe.”
“Bryan, I—”
“Sweetheart,” Mrs. Trombley called, weaving through the crowd with her ex-husband.
“Hi, Mom.” Carrie-Anne untang
led herself from my hold but pressed close into my side instead. “Dad.”
“Carrie-Anne, sweetheart,” he said. “We’re so proud of you.”
“Thanks.”
“And you must be Bryan.”
“It’s nice to meet you, sir.” I held out my hand and he shook it.
“I’ve heard a lot about you.”
I schooled my surprise. Carrie-Anne was barely talking to her father, so I knew he hadn’t heard it from her.
“I was hoping to take you out to dinner.”
“Sorry, Dad, but we already have plans.” Carrie-Anne slipped her arm around my waist.
“I see. Surely, Bryan’s parents would like to celebrate with him.”
“Actually, sir, my parents aren’t here.”
“They’re not?” He frowned. “Well, I am sorry to hear that. Maybe you could join—”
“A bunch of us are going down to Riverside,” Carrie-Anne said, quashing the awkward tension that had descended over us.
“Okay, I get it. It’s not cool to hang with your folks.” Mr. Trombley let out a strained chuckle. “But there is something before we let you go. Congratulations, sweetheart.”
He and Mrs. Trombley shared a lingering look as he handed Carrie-Anne an envelope.
“What is this?” she asked, taking it from him.
“Open it and see.”
I stepped away slightly, giving her some space. The second she slid out the check, I knew what it was.
“But I thought…”
“This money was always yours, Carrie-Anne. I’m sorry we put you through so much worry and heartache.”
“Dad, I… I don’t know what to say.” Tears clung to her lashes as she smiled over at me. It was bittersweet, watching her parents finally pull their heads out of their asses and do the right thing by her. But I couldn’t be pissed about it, not when it meant she’d be at OSU in the fall, and I’d be at Michigan.
Carrie-Anne deserved nothing but good things.
“Thank you,” she choked out.
“We’re just sorry it took us so long to figure things out.” Her mom hugged her daughter tight before passing her off to Mr. Trombley.
“Take this for me, Mom.” She handed her the check. “I’ll see you later, okay?”
Carrie-Anne took my hand, and I could sense her urgency to get out of here. Not that I was complaining.
“Have fun today, you deserve it. And Bryan?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Look after my girl, okay?” He smiled.
“You have my word, sir.”
“Let’s get out of here,” she whispered as we slipped back into the crowd of people celebrating. “I can’t believe he did that.”
“You deserve it, babe.” I slung my arm around her neck, dropping a kiss on her head. “More than anything.”
Her smile dropped as she peeked up at me. “I’m sorry they didn’t come.”
“It is what it is.” I shrugged.
“Bryan, I—”
“No, Kitty Cat, listen to me. I have everything I need right here.” I pulled Carrie-Anne into my arms, touching my head to hers. “And now we can plan the next four years of our life together.”
“Sounds serious.” She grinned.
“Oh, it is. Deadly serious. Now let’s get out of here because I really want to kiss you, but I can’t kiss you the way I want with your dad throwing daggers at me.”
Carrie-Anne
Bryan wound his arms around me, pulling me into his chest as I stood by his window, looking out over the Hughes’ driveway. The party had long ended, and we’d managed to sneak off to his bedroom for some privacy.
“Come back to bed,” he said, nuzzling my neck.
“I will in a second. I just… I want to soak it all in.” Graduation. The party. Him.
I’d never expected this. Never imagined in a million years, that I’d be here, in Bryan’s arms.
“Whose car is that?” he asked.
I shrugged. “I’m not sure. But is that… Ashleigh.” She marched over to the car and ripped the door open, peering inside.
“Wait a second, that’s Ezra, Aaron’s foster brother.”
“What is he doing here?” I didn’t know much about Ezra Jackson, except that he’d flunked senior year and his foster parents—Mr. and Mrs. Bennet—were currently trying to persuade him to retake the year in the fall.
“He and Ashleigh have this weird thing going on.”
“They do? Huh.” She didn’t exactly look thrilled to see him as he coaxed her inside the car.
“We should give them some privacy,” I said.
“You should come back to bed,” Bryan’s voice was thick with desire. “I wasn’t done with you yet.”
God. Those words, the way they affected me. I was well and truly in the honeymoon phase. I couldn’t get enough of Bryan. His kisses, the way he touched me, the way it felt to be with him, the feel of him moving inside of me. Since that first time, it was like a switch had been flipped inside me and all I could think about was sex. Not that Bryan was complaining.
I let him lead me back to bed. Only, he didn’t get in. Instead, he dropped to the edge of the bed and pulled me between his legs. “I want you like this, straddling me, riding me. I want to look right into your eyes when you come,” he said, huskily.
I barely managed a nod, already lost in him as his hands began roaming over my body. He helped me kneel over him, looping his arm around my waist to steady me as I grasped him and slowly sank down on him. Our groans of pleasure filled the room.
“Fuck, Kitty Cat, you feel incredible.”
“It’s deep like this,” I whispered, marveling at the new sensations rippling through me.
“You good?” Concern glittered in his eyes, and I loved him for it.
And I did—love him.
We hadn’t said the words yet. It was fast. Too fast. But I knew what I felt in my heart. I loved Bryan. I think I’d fallen in love with him the moment I’d wandered into Miss Denton’s room and spotted the pile of perfectly engraved leaves.
It was hands down the nicest thing anyone had ever done for me. And thanks to Bryan’s help, the legacy project had been a huge success. It was a good feeling, knowing that after years of feeling like I didn’t belong, that I didn’t fit in, I had left a small mark on Rixon High.
“What are you thinking?” he choked out as I rolled my hips, slow and deep, dragging every ounce of pleasure from the moment.
“That you should probably fuck me now.”
His eyes flared, his fingers flexing around my hips. “Your dirty mouth is going to get you into trouble one day, Kitty Cat.”
I gave him a saucy smirk. “Maybe I want to get into trouble.”
Peyton had told me once that life was too short to waste time worrying about things outside of your control. And she was right. There were no guarantees of tomorrow, or the day after that. All you could do was live in the moment and make every second count.
For the first time in my life, I planned on doing just that.
Clarity hit me like a freight train, and I traced my lips up Bryan’s neck to his ear as I rode him. Harder. Faster. “I love you,” I whispered. “I’m in love with you.”
He went deathly still, slowly bringing his gaze to mine. “You love me, Kitty Cat?”
I nodded, and a wicked smirk tugged at the corner of his mouth. “Then I’d better show you just how much I love you, too.”
And he did.
All night long.
Bryan
The blare of my cell phone dragged me from my dreams. I untangled myself from Carrie-Anne’s sleeping form and reached over to grab it.
“Yeah?” I barked, my voice thick with sleep.
“It’s me,” Kaiden said.
“What’s up? What time is it?” I rubbed my eyes, trying to focus. I’d barely gotten a wink of sleep, too wrapped up in my girl. We’d gone at it most of the night. She was a little firecracker, eager to learn and explore. And I was all too happy
to reciprocate.
“Listen, there’s been an accident.”
“Shit.” I bolted upright. “Is everyone okay?”
“No, it’s Ashleigh and Ezra—”
My blood turned to ice. “We saw them last night. She got in his car.”
“Yeah, we don’t know all the details yet but they’re both at County Hospital. Lily is beside herself. I just wanted to tell you we won’t be able to meet you guys today.”
“Of course. If there’s anything we can do, let me know.”
“We’re going straight over there now.”
“Does Peyton know?”
“Lily’s on the phone with her right now. Shit, man, I don’t know what I’m supposed to do here. If anything happens to Ashleigh, Lily will—”
“You just be there, Thatch. Lily just needs to know you’re there.”
“Yeah. I need to go but I’ll keep you updated.”
“Give Lily a hug from me.”
“Thanks.”
We said goodbye and hung up and I sank back against the pillows. Fuck me. I didn’t know Ezra, but I knew Ashleigh pretty well. She was Peyton and Lily’s best friend. If anything happened to her it would crush them.
“What’s the matter?” Carrie-Anne’s voice washed over me, and I sank down beside her, pulling her into my arms.
“There was an accident. Ashleigh and Ezra are hurt.”
“Oh my God, do they know what happened?”
“Not yet, but Lily and Kaiden are heading over there now.”
“I can’t believe it.” She trembled. “I hope they’re okay.”
“I’m sure they will be.” I dropped a kiss on her head.
Silence enveloped us as I held my girl a little tighter.
“Do you think we should go over there? Offer our support?”
“Not yet. But we will later, if Kaiden and Lily want us there.”
“Yeah, you’re probably right. God, I can’t even imagine…”
Rolling Carrie-Anne onto her back, I peered down at her. “What I said last night, I meant it, Kitty Cat. Every damn word.”
“I know.” She pressed her hand to my cheek. “I meant it too, Bryan.”
“Okay.” I let out a strained breath. “I just needed you to know that.”