AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Why can’t you?”
“You’re Graham’s little sister.” I shook my head. “He promised me that if I even touched you, he'd tell your stepdad and he'd be only too happy to come after me and my family.”
“Dammit.” She rolled off me, lying on her back, staring up at the sky. “Will I ever get kissed?”
“You’ve never been kissed?” I stared at her in disbelief. I'd assumed she'd had some sexual experience, given how hot she was. How could she fend off all the guys who must have been dying to get into her panties?
“Not a real kiss.” She turned to look in my eyes. “I have the Gestapo as a stepfather. You know Spencer." She leaned on her elbow. "He made me sign one of those chastity promises that I’d keep my virginity until I was married. I was at a girl's boarding school for four years. No boys. And Spencer's done everything in his power to keep me from having a boyfriend ever since.”
I remembered that stupid chastity contract that Spencer forced her to sign when she was just a kid. I'd assumed she'd broken it.
“You kept your promise?” I was truly shocked she was still a virgin. "No way," I said, shaking my head. "Someone as, excuse my honesty, but someone as hot as you remaining a virgin all this time?"
Her voice shook. “Of course, I did. I had no opportunity to break it. Spencer kept me under lock and key at Sisters of Mercy Boarding School for Chaste Girls. He practically had one of those iron maidens made for me.”
I laughed. "An iron maiden was a medieval torture device. You mean a chastity belt."
“Same diff,” she said, her voice seething. “Even when I was in middle school, he never let me go to parties or dances unchaperoned. I never had the chance to be really kissed or anything.” She turned to me. "I got one kiss on the cheek from a cute guy at New Year's Eve party once, but even then, Graham was there to butt in and keep it chaste."
"I can't believe it."
"I was going to hit Greg up, since he seems willing. I thought that, out of all the guys Graham knows, Greg would be the one who would be willing to show me the ropes.”
"I hope you mean fighting," I said, totally shocked by the frankness of her words.
"No, silly," she said and pushed my arm playfully. "Sex."
“Oh, God, no,” I said, horror filling me at the very thought. “Not Greg.”
“Why not him?” she said petulantly. “He's perfect. He's mature and he's experienced. He's hot, too.”
Then I turned to face her, serious now. "Don’t throw your virginity away like that,” I said, surprised at myself. “Find a nice guy who really likes you, Celia. Someone who loves you. It’ll be so much better if you do.”
“You sound like Spencer.”
I laughed ruefully at that. “Please, no. Not him. But really, Celia,” I said and cleared my throat. “Your first time should be special. You’ll find someone at Harvard,” I said, regretting that it wouldn’t be me. “Someone serious and smart—like you. Someone who’ll treat you the way you deserve to be treated. With respect. And love.”
Celia was silent beside me, and I hoped she was reconsidering it. I remembered how sweet and dorky she was as a girl, and felt genuine sadness that she felt she had to have sex with someone like Greg to get rid of her virginity.
I said nothing for a long moment. I was completely torn. Here was beautiful Celia—supple, lush, sweet Celia. A virgin wanting to be deflowered. Of course, I would have wanted to be the one… if I were anyone else but me. Hunter Saint, one of the Saint brothers. The fighting Irish bad boys of Southie.
Just hours earlier, Graham warned me to stay away. Just hours earlier, I’d vowed to myself I’d protect Celia from the sharks and lechers I knew would be at the party.
“You’ve put me in a very bad position, Celia,” I said, fighting to resist my demons, struggling to comply with the better angels of my nature. “Graham’s worried about you. He’s afraid you’ll be hurt by one of the letches around here. He left Greg in charge of protecting you. And I feel like I have to protect you from Greg.”
She sighed. “You were always nice to me when you and Graham were friends. None of his other friends would even speak to me, like I was invisible. You were one of the good guys."
"You were really smart." I remembered thos
e times I'd talked with Celia about whatever science project she was working on at the dining room table. "But Graham would kill me if he knew I didn’t stop you from being with Greg—or anyone else—just to lose your virginity. I promised to protect you…"
"I can look after myself,” she said defensively. “Graham needs to focus on his own life. I’m not a party girl. I want to know how to do it, when I find someone good. I just want to get rid of this ridiculous virginity and not feel so much like a freak.”
“You’re not a freak. Unusual, but not a freak. Not at all.”
She sighed. “So, you think I should wait?”
I didn’t know what the fuck to say.
