Scarred (Scarred #1)(20)
Author: J.S. Cooper

“I’m sorry,” she whispered, hurt, and I leaned over to kiss her on the nose. It was so pert and cute. Almost like a button nose.

“Don’t be sorry, Lexi.” I grinned. “That was amazing. Possibly the best kiss I’ve ever had.”

“Yeah, right.” She rolled her eyes, but I could see the shy smile on her face.

“I’m being truly sincere.” I smiled at her and traced my finger along her lips. “You tasted as sweet as candy, how can it not have been my best kiss ever?”

“You’re nice to say that.”

“I’m not nice,” I laughed as I felt my tightened jeans.

“You’re one of the nicest guys I’ve ever met in my life.”

“Really?” I looked at her with a smile. “Not the nicest? Just one of them?”

She laughed at me and I leaned over and kissed her again, pulling away before it got too heavy and heated again.

“Well, my best friend Luke is probably the nicest guy I’ve ever met in my life, but you are a very close second.”

“Luke Bryan?” I frowned trying to think of all of the Lukes I knew.

“You know him?” she asked me, surprised.

“Who doesn’t know him?” I laughed. “He was one of the most sought after guys in high school: hot and smart, every girl talked about him.”

“Really?” She looked at me in shock. “I thought no one paid any attention to us in high school.”

“Really?” I laughed at her. “Luke Bryan was most probably the most popular guy in high school, after me.”

“Luke Bryan, the nerd?” She cocked her head. “The guy who was always in the books?”

“The hot guy with black hair and green eyes, that girls called a sex God?” I laughed.

“They called him a sex God?”

“Yup,” I laughed and let out a breath. “I’m happy to hear that you don’t see him as a sex God.”

“You are?” She looked at me with wide eyes.

“Yes I am.”

“Why?” She looked confused.

“Less competition for me.” I said slowly and I saw her eyes change to an excited look as she got what I was saying. I felt a surge of adrenaline running through me. I was right, she did like me.

“Oh, Luke and I are just friends,” she laughed. “We’ve never been interested in each other like that.”

“That’s good.” I leaned over and kissed her again. This time I let my hand run over her right breast, slowly, waiting to see if she was going to brush it away. When she didn’t, I cupped her breast and smiled at her sharp intake of breath. It seemed to me that Lexi wasn’t very experienced and I was surprised. “You’re twenty-two?” I pulled back and she groaned as my lips left hers.

“Yes, why?”

“You don’t seem very experienced.” I spoke matter-of-factly, hoping not to embarrass her.

“I’m not.” I had a feeling she was blushing as she spoke.

“Are you a virgin?” I asked quickly, not sure why I felt it was my business to ask, but something made me ask.

“Yes.” She nodded and bit her lip. “Are you?”

I laughed uncontrollably then. I wasn’t sure if she really thought there was a possibility or if she was just trying to be polite, but I thought it was hilarious.

“No.” I tried to stop my grin. “I’m far from a virgin.”

“Oh.” She looked disappointed and, for some inextricable reason, I felt bad.

“I haven’t had sex in a while though.”

“Oh yeah?” She smiled then and I knew that she was happy to hear that.

“That’s why we should perhaps slow it down a bit now. I don’t want to get to that point.”

“It’s okay.” She leaned in close to me and I gasped as she grabbed my hand and placed it on her breast. “I like it when you touch me.”

“I like touching you.” I ran my fingers across her stomach. “But if I start with the touching, I’m going to end up wanting more.”

“I don’t mind,” she whispered up to me.

“I don’t want your first time to be on the grass.” I voiced the words slowly and then internally I thought to myself, I don’t want to take your virginity until you know the truth and then you can decide whether you forgive me or not.

“I’m not scared, you know,” she whispered in my ear. “And I’m not scarred from what Eddie tried to do.”

I flinched as she said his name. “You deserve better than this.”

“Okay.” She looked disappointed and hurt again and, as I stared into her brown eyes, I felt my insides melting. Lexi had the ability to alter my mood with a look. She always had, but I had never analyzed it before.

“You know, in the dark, your eyes look greenish.” I pulled her towards me so that I could stare into her eyes. “They are so luminescent.”

“I’m not sure how brown eyes can look green in the dark,” she laughed.

“Neither am I. Maybe you’re magical.”

“I wish,” she sighed. She looked so angelic in that moment, the moonlight barely touching her face, her dark brown hair hanging around her face, shielding it, and her long lashes fluttering. I felt something in my heart move as I watched her. Lexi Lord was the sort of woman a man could fall in love with. She was the sort of woman that I could fall in love with. And that scared me. She could do better than me.

“You don’t need to wish.” My words were almost a whisper. “You’re beautiful.”

“Do you really mean that?” She looked at me, puzzled and hopeful, and I wondered what made her doubt herself. Didn’t she look in the mirror? She was gorgeous. Every girl at Jonesville High had wanted to be her—both for her natural beauty and friendship with Luke, though we had all thought they were dating. Don’t get me wrong, no one had wanted to be her in a financial sense, she was as low on the totem pole as one could get, but the girls had all envied her natural style and sense of calm. I thought it was ironic that we had all thought she and Luke were too self-confident and snobby while Lexi, at least, was as insecure as could be.

“I mean it.” I spoke slowly and softly and ran my fingers down her cheek. “Your cheek is smooth to the touch, almost like silk or satin; your lips are soft and plump and juicy and I could suck on them all day long; your eyes are expressive and kind, framed by long lashes that taunt and haunt me; your nose is cute as a button and warms me to your scent. Your long brown tresses are like spun gold, delicate, shiny and hard to come by.” I ran my fingers through her hair and I stared into her eyes. “You, Lexi Lord, are amazing.”