The Perfect First (Fulton U, #1)

by Maya Hughes

The loneliness that hit when I was around people was worse somehow than when I was all alone. When there were other people in my vicinity, my lungs burned like I was drowning right in front of them and no one cared. I had no one, and I was tired of it. Forget friends—I wanted more. I wanted to grab hold of this short lease on life I had, and I might as well go for it, right? I wouldn’t start small and work my way up; there was no time for that. I’d go big, go so big that everything else would seem tiny by comparison.

So big it would erase that fear I had of never knowing what it’s like to feel free. I’d make it a first I wouldn’t ever forget.

The moans from the next room sent me diving for my wireless headphones. I turned them on and stared back at the screen. Mozart helped drown out the porno going on feet from my bedroom. It wasn’t even night time. Wasn’t that when people had sex? At night, under the cover of darkness after a bottle of wine?

This place smelled like a bakery and a coffee shop had gotten into a brawl. Sitting in the booth, I could have curled up and gone to sleep—that is, if I hadn’t been about

twenty minutes away from interviewing candidates for my de-virginization.

I loosened my shoulders, letting them round a bit. My legs made slight squeaking sounds against the vinyl as I moved. Please don’t let anyone think I’m over here ripping farts.

I tamped down a giggle. I did not giggle. The sound came out like a sharp snort, and I resisted the urge to slam my eyes shut and crawl under the table. Be

cool, Seph. Be cool.

Now that I knew she wasn’t underage, I checked her out. She was cute. Light brown hair. Light brown eyes. They darted down at her cards and back up at me. Nice body. There was no reason she’d need to take out an ad for sex. “Are

“Are you dying?” I ducked my head and tried to catch her eye. She nibbled on her lip, the plump fullness of it clenched between her teeth. “Do you mean literally or metaphorically, like due to embarrassment?”

A slight tremble went through her. She was scared shitless like a rookie running out of the tunnel for

the first time. I wanted to pull her in close and whisper into her ear that it would be okay. Whoa! Talk about blindsided. This was what I got for not getting laid since th...

With the way she lit up when she saw me, I couldn’t have stopped the smile from spreading across my face if you’d held a gun to my head. Stepping out onto the field with thousands of people cheering for me didn’t come close to how she’d just made me feel—and that meant trouble, which was why sleeping with her was a one-way ticket to fucking up my future. You don’t sleep with girls who look at you like that and get away unscathed. Just look at my dad.

Berk wrapped his arms around her shoulders. “You’re a freaking legend, Seph.”

“You can’t let people run all over you, Seph. You think it’s easier that way, but it’s not. Don’t ever let someone treat you worse than you deserve to be treated.”

I didn’t know how I’d existed before I met her.

The kiss. The kiss that had somehow blown away every other kiss I’d ever had and made me forget every pair of lips other than hers? Was that the adventure she was talking about?

I couldn’t get Reece Michaels out of my head.

A thin chain slid out of the death grip I had on what Reece had passed to me. Opening my hand, I stared down at the silver jewelry. A circular pendant lay in the middle of the tangle of the chain. Flipping it over, I sucked in a shuddering breath and read the words: You are enough.

We were opposite in so many ways, but we fit.

“You’re the most amazing person I’ve ever met.”

She was the first thing I thought about in the morning and the last thing on my mind as I closed my eyes, hoping my dreams would be filled with her addictive kisses and gentle touch.

I captured her lips with mine instead of saying the words that threatened to make a break for the surface: I’m in love with you.

“I like watching you come undone.”

I pulled him in for another kiss. I hadn’t had a thing to drink, but I was definitely drunk on him, and I was more than happy to drink in as much of him as I needed for as long as I could, for forever.

“Happy Birthday, Wild Child.” If my heart hadn’t already belonged to him, it would have been wrapped up with a bow and presented to him on a rainbow platter at that moment. “But it’s not my birthday,” I whispered over my shoulder. “It doesn’t matter. You deserve a party.”

What if she needed me and I hadn’t been there for her? Shit, I was already a goner and I hadn’t even noticed it. I loved her, and that scared the shit out of me, more than I’d even thought possible.

I’d been trying to fight what she meant to me, and only now that I’d lost her did the truth come out. I’d figure it out over fudge pie. I couldn’t leave things as they were. I couldn’t let her believe I didn’t care, couldn’t let her believe I didn’t love her.

“Did you just say you love me?” I waited for the pulse-pounding freak-out or urge to backpedal, but there wasn’t any. There was only the bright glow of her smile and the warmth of my hand on hers. “You bet your ass I did, and I’ll say it every day for the rest of our lives.” I ran my hand along the side of her face and dipped my head.

I loved this woman more than I’d ever thought possible.

Putting a pro contract up against these hands…” He took my hand in his. “These lips…” Leaning in, he captured my lips with his, drinking down my kisses. “This brain…” He tickled the nape of my neck. “It’s no contest. You’re more than enough. You’re perfect.”