He laughed, leaned down, and snuggled into my neck after moving all of my hair to the opposite side. He kissed the sensitive skin gently. “I didn’t mean to offend you. I’m sorry.”

Feeling his breath and lips against my skin, made me forget why he was even apologizing. I shivered as I felt the tingles in my pussy re-awaken.

“So why do you want to make this just friend jealous then if y’all aren’t hooking up? You want to be more than that?” he continued to press the issue but didn’t stop kissing my neck and shoulder.

“Don’t you find it a bit odd to talk about me wanting to be with another guy why you sit here holding and kissing me?” I asked.

“Not really,” he answered. “It’s actually kind of hot… to think I’m the lucky one back here with you while he’s sitting out there wanting you like a madman. I’m sure it’s driving him crazy thinking about what I’m doing to you.”

I shook my head and grinned. “You’re crazy. I bet he’s not even here anymore.”

“I guarantee you he is here. He’s going to wait until he sees that I bring you back out in one piece. I saw the way he looked at you, Scarlett, and it wasn’t a just friend kind of look.”

I didn’t want to spend my time with Mason talking about Ash, but he obviously wasn’t going to let it go until he got the story. I turned around in his lap so that I could face him. “Okay, the story is I met Ash right after I moved here a few months ago. We were attracted to each other, but he’s a self-admitted playboy type that has no intentions of settling down anytime soon and I’m… well, I’m not. He basically told me that I needed to explore the world and figure out who I am and all this other yada-yada. But there’s this weird connection between us and we couldn’t stay away from each other, so we decided to try being friends. At first it was hard, I would catch myself wanting him to kiss me when we were hanging out or he would leave his hand resting on my thigh a little too long, but it’s gotten easier over time. I’m used to seeing him with a different girl every time I see him. And usually it doesn’t bother me, but tonight I wasn’t expecting to see him here so it just kind of surprised me.”

“Is he not used to seeing you with other guys?” he asked.

“Just Dylan…” I blurted out before even thinking.

Mason raised his eyebrows at me and smiled mischievously. “Ah, so there’s another poor soul I’m going to have to fight off for your attention? Is this Dylan your boyfriend?”

I shook my head. “No, not my boyfriend. Dylan is just a guy I have a long standing date with every Saturday night. We don’t see each other the rest of the week.” I wondered if that sounded as strange to him as it did to me as I said it aloud. “Why are we talking about all of this again?” I asked gazing into his charcoal eyes.

“I told you, I’m just trying to get an inventory of my competition.” He leaned over and kissed me. I seriously

“I must sound like such a slut,” I put my hands over my face, but Mason quickly pulled them away. I refocused on his gaze. “I promise I’m not… I’ve never even…” He froze and I stopped talking.

“You’ve never even what, Scarlett?” he demanded. His eyes searched mine looking for answers.

I just sat there for a minute mentally battling myself over what I should tell him. In the end, I opted for the truth. Looking him dead in the eyes, I whispered. “I’ve never even had sex. I’m a virgin.”

Chapter 18

Mason and I sat there staring at each other for I don’t know how long. Finally, I broke the silence, “Well, are you going to say anything?” I asked sheepishly.

“Yeah, um, sorry… just a little shocked,” he replied. He cocked his head and sucked in his lip ring like he was thinking of just the right thing to say. “First, please tell me you are at least eighteen?”

I nodded my head, “Yes, I’m eighteen. I’m a freshman at Rice.”

His shoulders dropped as he exhaled a sigh of relief. “Okay, so explain this to me, how does a girl that looks like you make it eighteen plus years without having sex?” He asked incredulously. “I mean I would understand if you were some religious prude or something, but judging from what just happened over there…” a smile teased the corners of his mouth he nodded his head at the wall where we had attacked one another earlier, “… I don’t get that impression of you.”

I looked over at the wall and couldn’t help but smile at the recent memory too. I turned my attention back to Mason and explained. “You’re right, I’m not a religious prude, but I did grow up with crazy-ass, controlling parents that didn’t allow me to have a social life. So that, accompanied by me attending an all-girls private school, I never had the opportunity to meet any boys much less sleep with them.”

“So what’s the story now? Where are your parents?”

“My parents live in San Antonio, I moved here in August with my best friend to go to school. My relationship with my parents has been pretty much non-existent since then.” I answered.

“And you haven’t slept with anyone since you’ve been here? Not Ash or Dylan or anyone else?”

“Nope,” I shook my head. “It’s not that I don’t want to… believe me, I do. I mean, I don’t just want to sleep with anyone and everyone, I’m not aspiring to be a whore or anything, but I don’t think I need to wait to fall madly in love either. I don’t live in fairytale land and think Prince Charming is going to roll up in a magical carriage anytime soon.

“Dylan won’t do much more than kiss me, even if I try to do more, he keeps telling me that I need to be sure that I’m ready… And Ash, well, I already told you about how we are just friends.” I rolled my eyes at the words. “Other than that, before tonight I really hadn’t met anyone else, I’ve just been pretty busy with school and stuff, ya know?”

“And tonight? Me?” he asked.

“And you what? Are you asking if I want to have sex with you?” I raised my eyebrows at him.

“Yes… no… well, yes and no. I guess I’m just confused on what made you come back here with me. Surely that’s what you thought was going to happen?” He continued to play with his lip ring and I couldn’t tear my eyes away from his full lips. I wanted to kiss him again so bad, and I could feel the butterflies coming alive again in my lower abdomen. Feeling another surge of lust-driven courage, I crawled across the small area of bed that separated Mason and I and straddled his lap, hooking my legs around his back. I ran my hands over his head and down to the back of his neck. He stared deep into my eyes and I felt so safe.

“Honestly, I didn’t know what was going to happen. I’m just going with what feels right,” I explained. “And coming here with you tonight felt right. I hope I did okay?” I was a little nervous that I had sucked, no pun intended, at my initial attempt at giving head.

“That was the first time you had ever done that?” His eyes grew wide in surprise. I nodded and looked down, embarrassed. He lifted my chin up so that I was staring in his eyes once again. “Scarlett, that was way better than okay. It was… I don’t know the right words to do it justice… incredible, mind-blowing, stupefying. I just can’t believe that you did that for me when you had never…” He shook his head.

“Look, that’s what I don’t want,” I interrupted. “I don’t want my first time to be some production, some planned event… If it so happens that I go out with a guy a few times and it slowly builds to that, great; or if it so happens that one night at a bar I meet some hot piece of ass that charms me out of my wet panties and screws me against a wall in a back hall, well then great for that too. I just want it to be a natural procession of events, like it is for everyone else. The fact that we are even talking about it right now sucks.”

He closed the small gap between our faces and pressed his forehead against mine. The look in his eyes was intense and I thought he was about to say something heartfelt or meaningful, but instead he asked “So you think I’m a hot piece of ass, huh?” I pulled away from him laughing and swatted his arm.

“Who said I was talking about you? My hypothetical ‘hot piece of ass’ charmed me out of my panties, and I’m pretty sure my panties have been intact the entire time I’ve been in your presence.”

Mason rocked his body weight forward so that I was flat on my back on the bed and he was hovering over me. Mischief glimmered in his eyes. “Is that a challenge, angel?” I groaned and rolled my eyes at him. “What?” he asked, confused at my sudden mood change.

“Angel? Really? What is it with all of the nicknames and people? Everyone I know has some stupid ass nickname and it drives me insane. Yours, by the way, has got to be in the top three of all-time worst ever.” I complained. He threw his head back in laughter.

“You’re mad because I called you ‘angel?’” He shook his head. “You are one intriguing little girl, Scarlett. I’ve definitely never met one like you.” He leaned down and brushed my lips with his ever so lightly. Hungry for more of his touch, I moaned and arched my body into his. He pulled away slightly and tsked at me. “Calm down, angel. I have got to start getting ready here in just a bit, and the next time we’re together, I don’t want to rush. I want to spend hours showing you how I can make your body feel.” He gave me a quick peck and rolled off of me and the bed in one sweeping motion. My folds had slickened at his tempting words and I growled quietly in frustration when his body left mine. I hoped there was a next time.

“So have you always hated nicknames or is that something recent?” he picked up our previous unfinished conversation as he pulled his t-shirt over his head.

“Always. I have some strange aversion to them.” I climbed off the bed and began a search for my shoes while I talked. “I’ve never met anyone else that feels the same way, so I guess it’s my unique quality.” I snickered.

“I knew there was something different about you, I never would have guessed it was moniker-a-phobia.” he teased.

“Dare I ask where the name ‘Rat’ comes from?” I couldn’t help but make a face every time I said it.

“My last name is Templeton,” Mason said like that explained everything. I looked at him blankly, clearly not making the connection.

“You know, Charlotte’s Web…” he began. Instantly the image of Templeton, the rat that had gotten so fat after eating all of that food at the fair crossed my mind and I erupted in giggles. “You think that’s funny, huh?” He picked me up over his shoulder and lightly spanked my ass as he strode across the room to the door. “Consider yourself lucky that I need to go now, otherwise I would make you pay for making fun of me, angel.” I wiggled and squirmed and kicked trying to escape his grasp, but I had no chance. Instead I laughed and started pinching his butt while he walked. It seemed that my request to not be called pet names fell on deaf ears when I talked to both him and Ash. And surprisingly, not only did it not bother me, I kind of liked it.