Evening traffic always sucks in the city. It makes my drive home longer than it should be, but it doesn’t give my mind much time to wander because I’m too focused on avoiding accidents and trying to get out of the clusterfuck I’ve found myself in. Several miles outside of the city, the traffic thins out, and I find my thoughts returning to her. I fucked the student nurse in my office. The student nurse who is only working at the hospital to get hands-on experience for credits to graduate. The student nurse who is half my age. And she’s a virgin. Well, she was. I took her virginity. What am I supposed to do with that? How in the hell could I not have noticed?

It has been a very long time since I’ve had sex. I would have been just as overwhelmed had I had sex with any other woman. Did I notice how tight she was? Of course, I did. I just chalked it up to going so long without. My dick has known nothing but my hand for six years. It was an honest mistake. I hate it for her though. I’ve never believed that sex should wait until marriage, but I’ve always felt that virginity is something special to be given to the right person. I am not the right person for Ally. Not the fucked up, grumpy doctor who everyone avoids.

The worst part is that I didn’t know to try and make it special for her. I treated her like a whore. I don’t even know if she got off because I was too wrapped up in myself. That hits me like a punch to the gut. I robbed her of something special and didn’t even leave her with a good memory of the whole thing. I wouldn’t blame her for being pissed. Hell, I wouldn’t blame herif she took this to the dean of medicine and got me fired. I hope she does. It’s what I deserve.

I pull into my driveway, hitting the button on my visor to open the garage door. I hit the button again to close it behind me, then kill the engine and climb out. The garage door opens to the kitchen, so I stop inside and grab a bottle of bourbon. I take off the cap of the half-full bottle and toss it into the trashcan on my way up to my bedroom.

I set the bottle on my dresser as I enter my room, moving through to the closet. There, I kick off my shoes and strip out of my clothes to take a shower. I make sure to grab the bottle before moving into the bathroom. I take a long pull as I reach into the shower, turning on the water. I push my boxers down my hips and kick them to the side before stepping in.

The small space is already filled with steam, and the water is so hot that it makes my skin red when I step inside. It’s what I need, though. I need to be punished for what I did. I need to be cleaned of my sins, even though I know they go much deeper than any shower I could take. I sit on the built-in bench and look down, finding the blood on my dick has dried. Is it possible to be disgusted and turned on at the same time? I feel the panic that tells me to wash away the evidence, but I also get hard when I think about how I’m the only one to have ever been inside her.

I take another long drink and let my head fall back against the wall. My eyes close, and I’m instantly transported back to my office, only this time, I’m watching things from afar. I watch the monster in me get released by the bottle that stays hidden in my desk. I watch him stalk his prey. He comes alive again inside of me now as I watch him remove her clothes, revealing perfect, soft, creamy skin. I think back to touching her and kissing her, and I wrap my hand around my throbbing cock. I remember the way her body convulsed around mine. Her gasping moan plays over and over in my head, causing my hand to move a littlefaster. Fucking her didn’t get her out of my system; it caused her to dig her claws in deeper. I’m not a healed man who’s moving on from a mistake, I’m a fucking monster who’s already planning to bury myself in her again and again until this spell is broken.

“I liked having your hands on my body.”A moan slips from my lips. If she liked my hands on her body, I can show her so many more things. Like her riding my face and coming on my tongue.

My orgasm builds, and I keep going. I keep reliving that time in my office, I keep pushing for more, wanting more, and taking more. It might have been a mistake, but I wouldn’t take it back no matter how much the civilized man inside of me wants to. It’s about time I gave myself to the beast who dwells in the darkness. He’s been overpowering me for years now. It’s time I admit it.

15

ALLY

“Hey, how was your day?” Grace asks when I walk into our apartment.

I don’t look at her or reply. I just walk through the apartment to my bedroom where I quickly gather my clothes. I walk out of my room and down the hallway toward the bathroom.

Grace is now standing in the doorway between the hall and the living room. “What’s up with you?” she asks, watching me walk into the bathroom in a daze. I shut the door and lock it behind me.

I toss my clothes onto the countertop, reach into the shower, and turn on the water. Once it’s warming up, I kick off my shoes and take off my clothes. Pushing my panties down my legs, I see a mixture of blood, his come, and my arousal. I shiver and grab the panties from the floor, wadding them up and stuffing them into the trashcan.

I slip into the shower and melt as the hot water washes over me. With my back against the wall, I slide down until I’m sitting on the floor. I pull my knees to my chest and wrap my arms around them. The junction between my legs is throbbing inan unfamiliar way. There’s a burning sensation from the water rinsing over my body. My face feels like it’s on fire, but I’m not sure if it’s from panic or embarrassment. What must he think of me now? I slept with my boss. I can’t believe I slept with my boss. I gave my virginity to him. At least he knows this isn’t something I run around doing. God, what if he tells someone? What if they think I’m trying to use sex to get hired after graduation? This could kill my career before it even gets started.

He won’t tell anyone,I tell myself. If he tells someone, he would be in just as much trouble. He’s my boss. One could argue that he took advantage of me. I shake my head clear. He’s not going to tell anyone, so there’s no need to think of ways to hurt him back. What I need to wrap my head around is that I’ve finally given someone my virginity.

I’m a little surprised by how much I enjoyed it. I’ve been told how much it hurts and how unpleasant it is for the girl the first time. There was some pain, but it eased away and turned into something else entirely. I know without a shadow of a doubt that having sex with anyone else wouldn’t have been as perfect as it was with Ethan. Even though he didn’t know that I was a virgin, he was still a gentleman. He took things slow and allowed my body to get used to accommodating him instead of trying to push for more too fast. I was also told not to expect to get off the first time I have sex, so that was another surprise. He made me feel so comfortable and cared for that I had no problem finding my high.

Grace pounds on the bathroom door.

“I’m fine!” I call out.

“Are you sure?” I hear her yell back.

“I’ll talk to you when I get out,” I promise.

She doesn’t reply, nor does she knock again, so I breathe a sigh of relief.

I pull my braid over my shoulder and remove the elastic. It’s much looser than it usually is because he laced his fingers into my hair when he was thrusting inside me. My eyes fall closed as I relive the memory. His strong hands holding onto me. The way his usually icy-blue eyes were dark. The way his jaw twitched and became sharper. The way his muscular stomach looked when he was moving inside of me. It makes goosebumps prickle my skin as shivers race up my spine.

I should be ashamed of myself for giving my virginity to a man I don’t know. I should be ashamed that I gave it to my boss. I’m risking too much, and that’s gone against everything I’ve ever done. Why aren’t I more upset? I know it was a mistake. I know all the trouble it could cause, and I still can’t do anything but think back on the moment and smile as my body comes alive for him again. My bones warm, and my blood heats up. My stomach tightens, and the junction between my legs throbs—in a good way and a bad way all at the same time. I’m still very sore there, and every throb of excitement brings on a bout of pain.

Taking a deep breath, I push myself to my feet. I turn and dip my head back, letting the water wash over me. When it’s good and soaked, I grab the shampoo and squeeze some into my hand to get on with my shower. I could sit at the bottom of the shower all day and debate whether this was a bad idea, but that won’t get me anywhere. It happened. I accept it, and come tomorrow, I’ll move on. But that doesn’t mean that I can’t take every private moment to relive it. The way he looked at me is enough to set my soul on fire.

When I finish showering, I dry off and pull on a pair of sweats. That’s when Grace reappears.

“What is going on? You’re making me worry.” She leans against the doorframe with her arms crossed. Her brows are arched high, and her green eyes are wide.

My shoulders fall. I want to share this news with my best friend, but I also want to keep it to myself. Grace is the responsible friend. She’s perfect in nearly every way. It was good for me growing up because it gave me someone to look up to, but there have also been times when her reaction made me feel guilty. I’m still reeling with excitement over losing my virginity and am worried she’ll make me feel bad for it.

I press my lips together. “I’m not sure I want to tell you.”