She couldn’t be.

“Please don’t stop,” Ashlyn begged softly.

I tore my face from the confines of her neck, and my eyes met pleading green pits of desire that flickered with anxiety.

She was a virgin.

There was no way in hell I was doing this. No fucking way. I had never taken a girls virginity, and I wouldn’t be starting tonight. I shifted, and slowly began pulling out, but halted when her hands gripped my naked ass and held me in place.

“I don’t deserve this,” I whispered into the electric air as I avoided her gaze.

“Josh, do you really think I would have come here, kissed you like I’ve never kissed a guy before, gotten naked, and let it go as far as it has if I didn’t want it?”

“Do you really want your first time to be with someone you barely know? I have wanted inside you from the moment I saw you, and it’s because I’m just a guy who wants to fuck. You deserve romance, candles, and the whole shebang for your first time.”

Her face twisted as a smile graced her lips and her eyes softened. “You bought me beer and pizza.”

“Fucking hell, woman. Buying you beer and pizza does not entitle me entrance to your virginal pussy.”

“Can you please stop saying virgin?”

“But you are a virgin; a sexy as fuck virgin, but still a virgin.”

“Why are we even having this conversation?” She rolled her eyes, spitting the kind of sass that I was quickly learning was fucking incredible for my libido.

My gaze roamed over her face, and I found a woman who wanted exactly what I could give her. She tempted me from the very moment I laid eyes on her, and the confident woman now writhing beneath me was a woman I had never seen her portray before. The oversized sweaters, the glasses that sat on the edge of her nose, and the top knot she always sported were long gone. Now I was witnessing a sexy woman who wanted to give me her greatest gift. Her eyes burned with desire, and her lips were swollen from my earlier attack.

“Fuck!” I groaned and buried my face in her neck. Why was I even hesitating? If this was any other girl, I would have fucked her hard and fast and she would be on her way home, so why was I hesitating? I moaned as Ashlyn started lifting her hips and moving her body. My cock, with a mind of its own, found her hot, eager pussy, but soon I was reminded of what was at stake when I once again hit the barrier.

I pulled out quickly and slid off the bed with a huff.

As I reached the door, I twisted back to look at her. She was stunning, and seeing her in my bed, naked and glorious, was crazy to comprehend. She had gone from being a one-night stand to someone who wanted me to become a forever memory. You always remembered the person who took your virginity. Fuck, I remember exactly who took mine when I was seventeen. Did I want to be a forever memory to Ashlyn Hart?

I shook my head and rushed out of the room with only one thing on my mind.

I’d give this girl romance.

As I scrounged around the living room for candles—why the fuck Ky and I had candles was anyone’s guess—I heard movement coming from down the hall. The layout of the apartment allowed me to see into my bedroom, so I turned and saw Ashlyn sitting up on my bed, pulling on her shirt and fixing her hair.

Something in me switched as I began witnessing the loss of sassy Ashlyn, and I refused to allow her to leave. Everything about tonight had shifted, and now all I had was a carnal need to give her everything she wanted and then some.

“Do not cover yourself, Ashlyn. Lie back down, keep that shirt off, and be ready for me.” I knew I was being bossy, but I couldn’t let her leave. Her eyes shot wide, and her head whipped around to look down the hall at me. Thankfully, she wasn’t offended by my harsh tone. As if in slow motion, her hands disappeared behind her back and unclasped her bra, letting her plump tits bounce in freedom, before she slowly lay back down. Fuck me dead, she was a vision of stunning beauty. I rushed around frantically, and finally found what I was looking for.

“What are you doing?” Ashlyn asked softly, her eyes following my every move as I entered my bedroom and closed the door behind me.

Without responding, I switched off the lights, and in the darkness stumbled my way to the dresser. A glow permeated the room as I ignited three vanilla-scented candles. Her shocked gasp rang through the room, and my eyes slammed shut at the intensity of the situation. What the fuck was I doing?

“Josh.” Her voice was so delicate that it sounded like it would shatter if I didn’t acknowledge her.

I slowly turned to face her, and then crawled on the bed until my body covered hers.

“I’m not taking your virginity without giving you a little piece of romance, Ashy.”

That would be the first time I’d use her nickname, and that would be the first time she would slowly take hold of my heart.

I woke to a delicious ache throbbing between my thighs, and a heavy arm over my naked stomach. I was on my back, my legs entwined with another’s, and warm breath tickling my neck. I was completely and utterly satisfied.

My mind was alive as I reminisced about every detail of the night before. Everything was so clear and concise, and locked so tightly in my memory bank that there was no chance I’d ever forget it. I’d handed my virginity to Josh Crawford on a platter, and he took it like it was his last meal.

With a subtle move, I turned my head until I was face to face with him. His eyes were closed, leaving his long lashes to caress his cheeks, and his even breathing told me he was still in a deep sleep. The lips that had devoured every inch of my body continued to taunt me as my gaze lingered over him.

Last night, after he brought the candles into the room, he climbed onto the bed and hovered over me. I would never forget the look that filtered over his face in those few seconds before his lips fell back to mine. He looked at me like I was the most precious commodity; like I was a gem that he wanted to discover and keep for eternity. It shocked me.

Josh spent the next thirty minutes kissing and caressing my body with his fingers, hands, and mouth, until he thought I was ready. I was a panting mess. In one swift move, he pushed deep inside of me. I didn’t know what to expect. Yes, it hurt, but only for a brief moment. Then I felt my body tremble with delight, and it felt like a thousand fireworks were set off in one go.

I knew of Josh, but I didn’t know Josh. Does that make sense? I admired him from afar. He was dangerously sexy, and he’d wreaked havoc on my body and thoughts for months, even though he had absolutely no clue. His eyes reminded me of pots of melted dark chocolate, his lips were luscious, and he always had the just-got-fucked hair going on. His reputation around campus was that of a legend. I knew he slept around; I had overheard plenty of girls talking about him, and just how well-endowed he was, but that didn’t stop me. If anything, it encouraged me. The question was bound to circulate: why did Ashlyn Hart give Josh Crawford, practically a stranger, her virginity? The answer was simple: my virginity was mine to give.

I wanted spontaneity, I wanted craziness, and I wanted someone who knew what they were doing. My life had been so structured and mapped out that I wanted to be in charge for once. I wanted to make the decision. I knew their virginity was a huge deal to some people; those who waited their whole lives to find that special someone to share it with. But I was never that girl. Judge me as you will.

I slowly lifted Josh’s arm from my naked stomach and held my breath as he scrunched his face and shifted in bed. After sliding out, I stood completely naked next to him and waited. Now that would be an awkward good morning—him finding me naked and staring at him. Once he settled, I moved quickly and skirted his room, grabbing my panties, bra, jeans, and top, which Josh had thrown around. I dressed in a hurry, threw my hair into a crazy-ass bun on the top of my head, and snuck out of his room, but not before giving him one last longing look. I was free. Or so I thought.