They The Pretty Stars (Court High 1)

“I can’t.” The growl I actually heard in his voice, the groan to deny further intent. He pulled back. “You’re Paige’s sister, off-limits.”

He was Paige’s best friend, also off-limits. I stared at his lips. “What should we do about it?”

He smiled, leaning in. “See if it’s worth it?”

I nodded, tugging his shirt and crashing his lips against mine. He tasted like heaven and equal parts sin, his tongue delving into my mouth as he dove in for a better taste. He hovered above me, a body heavy with weight and muscle and my body humming with familiarity.

Especially when he slid a hand inside my jumper.

He’d undone the buttons so easily, his fingers rough against my quivering tummy. He stopped again then, the pads of his fingers chasing the line of my panties.

“I shouldn’t do this,” he said, retreating a little, but I noticed he didn’t remove his hand. He touched a thumb to my belly button. “If I have more, I’m going to want more.”

I wanted him to have more. Even more so since he stopped himself. I had a feeling he didn’t do that a lot.

I dampened my lips, then wet his, urging him not to stop with flicks of my tongue. He covered me, pinning me under the stars, and I felt every ounce of him. I’d done this before with another boy who I thought loved me. I thought he showed me love, but realized in the end, he just wanted my body and nothing more. What’s horrible was I think I knew that back then. I did but was so desperate for something outside of myself I didn’t care. I let him use me because there was a sadness inside me I just wanted to go away. I took my mom’s death pretty hard, and even though I stayed behind and didn’t leave like Paige and my dad, I used another coping mechanism. I used a boy’s false love not to feel anything.

I didn’t do that now. I wanted to feel this, every touch and caress of Royal’s skin a burn to my longing flesh. I wanted him. I wanted to feel him and wouldn’t escape this. He’d been the first guy I’d been with since a horrible mistake I allowed to come into my life.

“Em… fuck.” The shortening of my name didn’t come from nowhere. This boy knew my sister, and through her, he might have known me. He did know me. He knew how I liked to be touched, kissed, as he worked my jumper off me, then later my panties and bra. He placed his hard body between my legs, and I tugged his shirt away, beautiful skin bare and tan in the wide moonlight. He was perfect, gorgeous, and I kissed his chest, watching as he guided me up to his mouth.

His groan was feral, and he didn’t give me another second to change my mind before he undid his pants and grabbed a condom from his jeans. Perhaps he was past that point. I think we both were. Now that I had more, I wasn’t going to not have it.

The ache came the moment he pressed himself between my legs, all of this a long time for me, and the way he moved, so slow and intentional with his care, I had a feeling he thought it’d been the first time for me. I appreciated that since it had been a while, whimpering as he paced his powerful hips so slowly. He kissed me to make it easier, pulling the blanket around us and keeping me warm. I gripped his shoulder blades as I crested the high, and it didn’t

take long for him to join me.

He grunted and his entire body shook as he squeezed my body to give the last bit of himself. He had complete ecstasy in his eyes as he opened them, and caging my face, he didn’t leave. He kissed me again, fooling me real good.

He made me feel like I was the only one.

Fifteen

Little yips tugged me awake, tiny dog barks as they sounded above. Second came the sun, heat and a firm arm around my waist. It brought me close, possessive and warm as I was pulled back into a bare chest. A sheet of unyielding muscle surrounded me, Royal’s hold so, so tight. We stayed out all night…

Shit.

I rose up, a groan beside me. Royal had been so curled up on me he hadn’t been prepared for such a quick exit. He pressed palms to his eyes, blinking and looking like Sleeping fucking Beauty’s prince. I mean, what the fuck? Who looks that good right when they wake up?

God, I was in so much shit if my dad woke up and I wasn’t home.

“Royal, we have to go,” I urged, rooting around the blanket for my underwear. “My dad’s going to kill me.”

“Hmm?” he moaned, looking so stinking cute for such a hard-ass. He also had a hard ass, one I had a good view of since I moved the blanket away. He rose up. “What time is it?”

It didn’t matter what time it was. It was morning, and I had a curfew. “My dad’s seriously going to lose his shit if he realizes I’m not home. He gave me a curfew, and he’s frickin’ serious about it.”

“Okay, okay.” He was up now, on his arm and looking at me. Staring for a while, a mischievous gleam in his green eyes, he finally decided to help me when he found my bra.

I ripped it away. “Stop playing around—”

“I’m not, princess.” He brought me close, kissing me with a full kiss. He drew me in with firm hands, shutting down my reserve. He grinned against my lips. “I’m just wishing you good morning.”

He wished me good morning again when he brought his impressive wingspan around me, and it was Hershey yipping inside the truck to finally make him stop. Even still, he didn’t pull away, getting two handfuls of my bare bottom. “Better?” he asked, that gleam back.

Actually, yes. At least temporarily. I smiled a little. “I fucking hate you.”

“No, you don’t.” He flicked my nose. “But we can pretend.” Letting me go, he both found and gave me my underwear, finally reaching for his own clothes and getting his own self together after I urged him.