Page 79 of Striking Range

He peers around the room for a moment, as if to manifest one with sheer willpower. And as that’s not working, obviously, he turns back to me and says,

“I’ll run to the store.”

Oh lord.

“You are not running to the store when you’ve been drinking, Everett,” I deadpan.

He frowns, brown eyes falling to stare at the floor. I can feel the disappointment rolling off of him in waves as his dick hangs before me, hard and proud, unaffected by the change in atmosphere.

“That’s true. Okay, next time then.” He lifts his head, giving me a smile that I can so easily see through.

Fake motherfucker.

“Hey,” I call out, my voice cracking on the tail end.

Everett is picking up his jeans as he hums out a “Hm?”

“Listen… If you don’t want to, I won’t be mad, but I’m offering because I wouldn’t mind…” Embarrassment is keeping me from pushing the words out, but those brown eyes snap up to meet mine, wide and hesitant. He can tell where I’m going with this but needs to hear me say it. “If you want to fuck me, you can fuck me raw.”

Everett closes his eyes and takes a moment, inhaling a long and deep breath. I watch his dick twitch, a bead of arousal glistening as it slides down his shaft.

“I need you to really think about what you’re saying, Skylar,” he insists. “Remember who I am. I’ve had sex with someone else in the past week—a few days ago, actually.”

Well, that doesn’t feel good to hear, to be reminded of.

“How many people?” I ask.

Everett looks confused by the question. “Just one. You know who it was.”

I appreciate that he’s sparing me the pain of hearing her name while I’m in this position.

“And just once?”

“Yeah, we didn’t get very far the second time.” Everett flushes with embarrassment as he adds, “I couldn’t get hard.”

Oof. Why does that make me feel so good? Especially while he’s hard and swollen, ready to combust right this moment just for me?

“Then—”

“No, Skylar, I’m serious,” he interrupts. “Take a moment and really think about this.”

I know who Everett is. I’ve known him for longer than I’ve been alive without him at my side. I don’t need a moment.

Sure, he used to sleep around a lot, but he was always safe about it; that much I know. I trust him. If he thought for even one second that it could endanger my health, he would outright refuse me.

More importantly, what’s really driving my want is that I’m about to lose my virginity to him and I’m actually getting a bit emotional about it. I never put much importance on first—my first kiss with Kelly was practically a joke.

But knowing that this piece of me will be given to him, this singular moment that can never be relived—it makes me want to cry. The thought of it is making me pathetic and clingy.

And this singular moment we are on the precipice of, once it happens, I kind of want it to be without anything separating us. I want to feel every inch of him, the heat of his skin, and most importantly, I want to feel his release.

So, no. I do not need a moment to think this through. I’ve already decided how I feel and how this will go—I will not regret it. Even drunk, I know this.

My eyes find his again, and Everett is watching me with wide, nervous eyes.

I’m done being bratty now; I’m done being vicious. I think I’d like to be his puppy again.

“Everett.” I sit up, holding a hand out for him.