“Sierra,” he whispered. The awe in his voice was nearly my undoing.

My eyes fluttered open to see him gazing down at me. Awe was apparent in his eyes. As was his desire.

I sucked my bottom lip in then reached my own hand out, cupping his length. His extremely rock-hard length. My eyes didn’t move down, but I touched him—tentatively at first. No turning back now.

My fingers made their exploration, slipping inside his shorts and finding the evidence of his arousal. He was achingly rigid, sinewy, and smooth all at the same time. A sweet contradiction of hard male heat and silken flesh. It was nothing like I’d imagined.

His eyes closed as his fingers made their way down, exploring me and taking in all I had to offer. They glided with ease until he was teasing my entrance, his fingers already slick with the evidence of my arousal. I’d read about women getting wet, but I’d had no idea it could happen so quickly.

I watched with fascination as his Adam’s apple bobbed once, then twice, as my hand began to move, familiarizing itself with him. It was my turn to be in awe. The way it twitched, grew, and jerked as I stroked him up and down, slowly at first.

“God, that’s amazing,” he groaned as my thumb skimmed the silky head of him.

A small gasp escaped me at the presence of sticky liquid I’d assumed was pre-cum. God, had I done that to him? Already?

His eyes opened, revealing a swirling storm of desire, heat, and pained restraint.

“Fuck, you feel good.”

My hips immediately arched towards his exploring fingers while my own hand matched his fluid movements. With each stroke, I was rewarded with the hard pulse of his arousal.

I knew mine mirrored his. Every nerve ending in my body was on fire. Our fingers moved in tandem, a perfect rhythm of exploration. The entire time his eyes held mine. It wasn’t long until we were both panting, both so close to the edge, both not wanting this to end. The tingling between my thighs was more intense than anything I’d ever felt before, and as my orgasm rose, I knew I’d never be the same again.

Jeremy had taken me to new heights, soared with me, and then we both went barreling over the edge.

The crash was so damn good.

Then I saw brilliant stars exploding in my vision.

I’d never be able to describe that feeling. The sensation was intense, overwhelming, and I was electrified. My blood was liquid gas setting me aflame. I’d never known I could feel this alive, this satisfied, this desired.

It was the most incredible experience in my life, and I wouldn’t have wanted it to be with anyone other than Jeremy Banks.

Our mutual pleasuring hadn’t lasted long, but when we were done, I didn’t feel shy or regretful. I felt amazing. I felt confident. And I wanted to see Jeremy up close. So I turned my bedside lamp on and took a long, hard look.

It wasn’t, of course, the first time I’d seen a penis, but it was the first time I’d seen one up close. It was…interesting. Big and thick, and even though he’d just come, he was still hard. After our blissful interaction, I took my time studying it up close.

“Have you ever measured it?” I blurted.

His face reddened. That gave me my answer.

“Well? How many inches, Jeremy?”

He refused to tell me, so what did I do?

I found a ruler.

When I returned, he made me wait until he was hard again. That didn’t take too long once I started stroking him again.

Jeremy completely hard?

Eight inches.

I didn’t think a girl could complain about that.

The way he’d just made me feel? My very first orgasm from another’s hand?

A girl couldn’t complain about that, either.

Eight motherfucking inches.

I mean, it wasn’t porn star length (don’t ask me how I know that), but I was pretty damn proud of the size of my dick. And by the way Sierra’s eyes lit up when she read the number, I could tell she was impressed.

For weeks it’d been killing me to keep my hands off Sierra. Sometimes when we were kissing, I had to stop because I was getting too aroused. But I didn’t want to push her too hard, too fast, so I held myself back.

When she shoved my hand down her pants, I nearly came on the spot. And then when she touched me? Her bare hand on my dick? It took about ten seconds before I was coming all over her hand.

Clearly, Mandy Simpson hadn’t broken me. I’d just needed the beautiful love of my life to be the one bringing me both to life and to fruition. I didn’t mind that I’d gotten off so quickly. It made it easier to turn my full attention to pleasuring Sierra. When she was flushed, panting, and whispering my name as her inaugural orgasm racked through her body, I’d never been prouder.

It was another first, and I couldn’t wait to experience the rest.

Not that I’d ever push Sierra. In fact, we spent the rest of junior year learning each other’s bodies, but we never got close to actual sex. Not once.

I was completely okay with it. I was with the girl of my dreams, and I always would be. Sex would come when it did. Organically. When we were both ready. Until then, I’d be content with whatever I had.

With Sierra, I already had everything.

2002

“WHOSE DAMN IDEA WAS it to do an eighties-themed prom?” Jace groaned as he tossed the flyer on to the table in the lunch room. “The only thing I remember about that decade was my Uncle Ross’s mullet.”

“What’s the problem, Jace?” Jenna asked innocently. As head of the prom committee, she had come up with the idea. She and Chris had been coordinating their outfits for weeks already. “You don’t think Mallory will be able to pull off the big-hair look?”

He groaned again, and this time, I think it was for a different reason. He rubbed a hand over his face. During his year-long relationship with Mallory—ugh, yes, that Mallory—they’d run pretty hot and cold. I wasn’t sure what he saw in the girl, especially when he had Lexi.

Even though Sierra hadn’t let me play matchmaker with those two, they’d been virtually inseparable since they’d met two years ago. They were pretty much the less cool version of Sierra and me. And just like how blind Sierra and I had been, Jace and Lexi were equally as impaired. Anyone at school could see that they had the hots for each other, but instead of going for it, they both got into relationships with people they clearly weren’t that into. And those little nudges and pushes Sierra had promised? We’d never gotten the chance, but I was determined that, by graduation night, those two would finally lay it all on the line.

Speaking of. Lexi sat at the end of the table with her boyfriend, Aaron. The guy was on the wrestling team, and there was something about him I didn’t like. But Sierra had warned me to butt out, so I did. That didn’t mean I didn’t keep an eye on him or my ears open. If he hurt Lexi, he’d deal with me.

Chris drummed his fingers on the table and called out to me. I looked up and saw him staring at me with a shit-eating grin. He leaned forward and placed his elbows on table. This wasn’t a good sign.

“So I have an idea.”

Really not a good sign.

Jenna beamed beside him, and I could only imagine what Chris had come up with this time.

“Do I even want to know?” I asked as I searched for Sierra.

“Trust me.”

Those were famous last words if I’d ever heard them. “Okay. Lay it on me, Chris.”

He rose from the table and held his hands up, spreading them apart as he said, “Mullets.”