Page 1 of Headed for Home

Seventeen years ago…

Stay cool, man. Stay. Cool.

The reminder has little to do with the stuffy temperature in this basement. Excitement spreads through me in a fiery rush. My gut clenches in an attempt to smother the blaze. I’m sweating like a… well, like a thirteen-year-old about to get his first kiss.

Plenty of seventh graders in my school have already achieved this milestone. Ten of us who haven’t made a pact to get it done, which explains why I’m crouched on this cement floor waiting for my moment.

Boys occupy half the circle while the girls are arranged on the other. We considered a simple game of Spin the Bottle but determined that might lead to an uneven score. Instead, each girl is going to take a turn drawing a name from Steve’s hat. It’s a quick elimination process to pair us up. Or it will be once thegirls start picking. They exchange glances, silently deciding who will do the honors.

“I’ll go.” The brave voice belongs to Cassidy Brooks.

Her tone is warmer than melted honey. A shiver traces the length of my spine as she scoots forward and puts her hand in the hat. She gives the folded scraps a stir before plucking one between her thumb and forefinger. We watch as a collective whole while Cassidy sinks back onto her heels in our circle.

It’s quiet enough to hear the paper crinkle in her grip. Our rowdy bunch hasn’t been this focused since the day Principal Shaw announced the year-end field trip to Valley Fair. My pulse sprints into a gallop as she unfolds the square to reveal the lucky boy. I silently plead to anyone listening above that it’s me.

Cassidy’s green eyes widen and she lifts that shocked stare to my face. She licks her lips, gnawing on the bottom one. “I got Drake.”

Our peers erupt into a chorus of gasps and whoops. I barely hear them over the rush of waves crashing in my ears. This is a dream come true. A blush blooms on Cassidy’s face as if she agrees with me. The freckles spanning her cheeks and nose are highlighted by the burst of color. My mouth goes dry while I admire her beauty that’s way out of my league.

Billy slaps my back, knocking me from the stupor. “What’re you waiting for? Kiss her!”

A chant begins after that. While our friends repeatedly tell me to kiss her, I shuffle on my knees toward the middle. Cassidy follows my lead, and then puts her hands flat on the floor to bring us closer. Sunlight from the only window in this room streaks across her hair to turn the shade into rose gold. It complements the red flush staining her complexion. I have the urge to thread those strands through my fingers.

Damn, I need to get a grip or I’ll never get my first kiss. Our audience is still urging me on in a relentless loop. Nerves clog my throat and I gulp at the restrictive force.

As if hearing my concern, Steve veers off script to hassle me. “Think you can last ten seconds, Granger?”

My gaze doesn’t stray from Cassidy when I reply to him. “Only one way to find out.”

I square my shoulders and mirror her table pose. Our lips are inches apart. That’s my cue to take initiative and seal the deal.

Cassidy’s mouth is soft and warm against mine. The slight contact is a surge of fire in my veins. It’s hot but soothing. I almost groan, which would be mortifying. Instead, I swallow her gasp.

The previous chant is replaced with a countdown. My pulse thunders faster with each number they tick off to reach zero. I fight the instinct screaming at me to taste her. This is meant to be chaste and fast. On cue, the time is done.

Cassidy lingers for an extra second, but still pulls away too soon. I chase her retreat until awareness peels my eyelids open. My breathing is labored like I sprinted a mile in Mr. Owen’s gym class. Warmth like a burst of sunshine bathes me when she smiles. My lopsided grin reflects her glee. But then our moment is swept aside by loud cheering from those eager for their turn.

Uncertainty pinches her expression as if she doubts my satisfaction. That couldn’t be further from the truth. After our lip lock, one thing is certain.

I’m going to marry Cassidy Brooks someday.

Heat engulfs me as Dixon strips off his boxers to reveal a cock larger than anatomically correct. That bad boy is better suited as a baseball bat to wreck house, especially a flooded basement like mine. As if his massive girth isn’t impressive enough, the man has several piercings studding his shaft. I’ve always wondered what that would feel like inside of me. Saliva pools in my mouth while nerves clench muscles that fear the approaching stretch.

I gulp and continue to stare shamelessly. “My vagina won’t survive your dicking.”

He smirks, revealing the pair of dimples that got me into this predicament. “Don’t worry, my beauty. You’ll take every inch and beg for more.”

“I seriously doubt that.” My intimate bits clamp in agreement.

“Spread wide and let me in.” Dixon settles himself between my thighs.

His tip nudges my entrance. I suck in a stilted breath. It does little to prepare me as his pierced thickness invades—

Someone knocks into my shoulder, sending my phone flying into the air. The thrill of my saucy read fades with my terror at the unknown fate of my beloved device. But the person who rammed into me snatches the soaring object out of midair.

“Caught it.” The masculine voice beams with pride.

I launch to my feet and whirl around to confront him, but immediately freeze. He seems just as shocked to be facing the distant past. Memories resurface while we continue our staring contest. The boy from my teenage fantasies has grown into a man so far out of my league I can’t believe he’s standing in this crowded coffee shop with me.

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