Combust (The Wellingtons #1) (7 page)

SIGHING, I roll over in bed and grab my phone, opening up the iTunes store. I type in ‘Joseph, Better You Than Me’ and quickly purchase it. I know it’s probably lame, but I set it on repeat as I remember how comfortable and relaxed I felt with him.

I never gave Cohen my last name and didn’t tell him where my dorm was. As much fun as I had with him, I don’t think I can face him. And I know what I have to do. Even as sweet as he was, I’m afraid of one of two things. Either he’ll regret it—and that’s something I can’t face—or he’ll want more, and even though I thought I was, I just don’t think I’m ready. So I make up my mind on what I’m going to do—forget last night ever happened.

ALL NIGHT, I dreamt of a beautiful redhead. A sexy, naked, very sensual redhead. Those dreams were filled with everything I’d want to do her once I got the chance to redeem myself. I wake with a smile on my face from knowing that she’d be here. That same smile vanishes immediately when I stretch out and feel emptiness beside me. My eyes flash open and fall to the side of the bed where she’d fallen asleep.

It’s empty and the only sign that anyone was there is the rumpled sheets and crooked pillow. I blink a couple of times and look around the room, trying to see if there’s any indication of where she went, but I see nothing. Groaning, I cover my face with my pillow and let out a yell, pissed off that she left without saying goodbye. Our connection last night went beyond sex—hell, it came before the sex. That had just been an unexpected, alcohol-induced bonus. The real connection wasn’t from the physical stuff. I more than enjoyed being around her. She was sweet, downright hilarious, and a girl who I knew would keep me on my toes. From the moment I laid eyes on her, I was drawn to her.

When I first saw Andi standing at the keg, I knew I had to meet her. It was obvious that she didn’t want to be at the party, and neither did I. Like I told her, I was never much of a party guy in high school. I was too focused on keeping my grades up and taking AP classes in order to be more prepared for college. I guess I was what you could call a science nerd. Dating and partying were the last things on my mind, which is probably how I ended up a virgin in college, even if it only did take a week to change that fact. If you can even count one pump as sex. Fuck, I feel like such an ass. A failure. A chump.

Talking with Andi was refreshing. She made me laugh, and she was quick-witted, not to mention hot as hell. When she claimed People Equal Shit as her favorite song, I think I was half in love with her already. Then she wrapped her sweet, plump, pink lips around my dick and I was a goner. Just about, anyways. After the way she crumbled and orgasmed with only my mouth on her, my fingers inside her, I never would’ve imagined that a girl like her, who looks like her, and who barely batted an eye at getting naked with me would be a virgin.

I’d already been on the verge of coming, so when I thrusted into her, she gripped me like a vise or the world’s strongest boa constrictor and clenched so tightly around my dick, not letting go until all the come was drained from it. Before I knew what was happening, I was shooting my load into the condom. It felt so damn good, but as soon as I came down from the high of the orgasm, I could see the shock on her face. Instead of having an intense high from my release, it was as if a bucket of cold water had been dumped on me, and I froze. Thankfully, I blamed it on the liquor and she shrugged it off. Or at least that’s what I thought. When I mentioned going all night long, she smiled at me, and it seemed genuine enough, but now that she’s gone, I’m not so sure.

Sitting up, I feel my head pounding, and I vow never to drink tequila again. Especially if it’s going to fuck with my dick’s motor functions. I realize that I’m still naked and glance down at my morning wood, groaning at the memory of the night before.

“You’re an asshole, you know that?” I tell it, and it twitches, making a mockery of my misery. "Okay, fine. You're a dick." Jesus Christ. I’m talking to my morning wood. I really need to get a grip. And no, I don't mean that kind.

As I rub my hand over my face, I try to shake off the disappointment and hope like hell she’s not feeling the same way. Who am I kidding? Of course she is. Sure, I may have gotten her off with my mad oral skills, but I’m pretty sure I blew all that up when I went in one pump. Fuck me. I’m that guy. The one-pump chump.

I climb out of bed and glance over at Seth’s empty bed. I’m lucky as hell he didn’t stumble in last night while Andi was here, and I wonder if he had a better night than I did. Judging by his made-up bed, I’m guessing so. Groaning, I grab my stuff and head to the bathroom, ready to brush this hangover taste out of my mouth.

My computer’s chiming when I get back to my room, and I shuffle toward my desk, bending over to see the Skype invitation on the screen. I plop down in the chair and accept, turning up my volume.

“Hey kid,” my older brother, Knox, says, his face filling the screen. Like I told Andi, it’s few and far between that I see him, and Skype sessions are usually the only way we get a chance to talk. “You look like crap.”

Shaking my head at his laughter, I give him a scowl. “Too much tequila,” I groan, and he just laughs even harder.

“Branson did a shit job preparing you for college,” he scoffs. “Water, dude. Lots of it. And less tequila until you can hold it.”

“Whatever, man. If you’d have been around, you could’ve prepped me for it.”

Knox scowls, and I know to change the subject before he can go off on a tangent about why he left Tennessee. I know why, and I’ve been caught in the middle of Knox and Branson for far too long.

“Anyways, how’s it going over there?”

I sigh with relief when he allows me to move the conversation away from our brother. “Same old shit, Coh. Just another day. It’s Iraq. It’s the third time I’ve been here and not much has changed. It’s hot as hell, but things have been pretty quiet around here. But that’s boring. How was your first week in school? Classes going well? Meet any hot chicks?”

I laugh, surprised that it took so long to ask about the girls on campus. Ever since he had his heart broken by Megan, Knox has been a proponent for getting your rocks off without having to pursue a relationship.

“Classes seem fine. It’s the first week, so we didn’t do much. As far as chicks go, yeah, there are some hot ones on campus.” My voice cracks when I think of Andi, hot and naked, and I inadvertently look back at my bed as I cough, trying to mask the embarrassment.

When I look back towards him, I see Knox’s eyes narrow, and I watch them as they search the room behind me. I try to block his view, and he just gives me a knowing look.

“Anyone special, Cohen?” he asks, and I shake my head in vehement denial.

“Nah, not yet. It’s only been a week, Knox. And I’m not exactly looking for a girl. I have my studies to focus on.” I know I probably don’t sound convincing. Truth is, I can’t get Andi off my mind, and it’s unnerving.

In high school, I was always more focused on my studies than girls. Don’t get me wrong. I’ve had my fair share of dates, but any relationship was superficial at best, and the girl usually got tired of me spending most of my time in the lab or the library. Suffice it to say, I’ve never had a serious girlfriend, and college isn’t going to change that. In fact, it’ll probably be even harder to maintain a relationship as I try to work my ass off to get into med school.

“Hey now, who said anything about serious? You’re far too serious as it is for an eighteen-year-old kid. I was just curious about your first week. I’m even more curious as to how you ended up with a pair of panties on your floor if you haven’t met any girls who’ve interested you this week.”

I whip around, my eyes scanning the floor until I see what he’s talking about. I must’ve missed them when I woke up still in a haze, but sure enough, there’s a pair of ruby-red, lacy panties on the floor at the foot of my bed. I roll my chair over to them and swipe them off the carpet, ignoring Knox’s snickering in the background. Unsure of what to do with them but not wanting Seth to get an eyeful, I stick them in my dresser and then close the drawer.

As I go back to my computer, Knox is still chuckling, and I give him a dirty glare. “If I talk to you about this, you have to one: stop laughing and promise not to laugh throughout the rest of the conversation. And two: vow to never tell anyone about this for as long as we both shall live.”

Even though Knox hasn’t lived in the same state as me for almost a decade, he’s still been my closest brother and best friend. He may not have been around physically when I was growing up, but he was always there whenever I needed him. As embarrassing as last night was, I know I can talk to him and get some advice without him giving me too much shit about it.

Knox’s face turns serious and he leans toward the screen with piqued interest. “You got it, bro. No laughing, no spilling. Lay it on me.”

Sighing, I decide just to go at it full force. “I’m a fucking one-pump chump, man,” I lament, and he chokes on the sip of water he was taking.

“Excuse me? What the hell?” he asks, coughing while looking as horrified as I feel.

Running my hands through my hair, I shake my head, unable to look him in the eye. “Really long story short. I met an incredible girl last night. Seriously. I’ve never met anyone like her. She was beautiful, smart, funny, and witty. I could go on. One thing led to another, and after a little bit too much alcohol, we started fooling around.” I quickly give him the details, and his eyebrows furrow.

“Sounds like a good time. I don’t understand what the problem is here,” he comments, interrupting me.

“Dude, I’m getting there. So like I was saying, it was pretty damn hot, and I knew if she kept sucking me off I was going to come way too quickly. Turns out, that didn’t matter. She hadn’t told me she was a virgin, and the moment I entered her, it was like a vise around my dick and I exploded with one freaking pump.”

Knox’s eyes widen. “Dude, you bagged a virgin? That’s pretty damn good for the first week of school.”

“Knox, I didn’t ‘bag’ a virgin. I was one, too. Did you hear a word I just said? One freaking thrust!”

“Wait a minute. Hold on here,” he tells me, waving his hand in the air. “You’re telling me that, until last night, you were a virgin?”

“Yeah, Knox. We’re not all man-whores starting at age sixteen. I was a virgin. She was a virgin. And I lasted approximately two seconds. Pretty sure that’s a record.”

“Damn, that must’ve been one hell of a blow job,” he comments, and I nod, knowing that it’s true. It definitely was. “Don’t worry about it, kid. You’ll last longer the next time. Trust me—practice makes perfect. I wasn’t exactly the best either my first couple of times.”

“That’s the thing. I don’t know if there will be a next time. She was gone before I woke up, and I didn’t get a chance to get her number or find out where her dorm is. Hell, I don’t even know her last name.”

Knox winces, and I feel like doing the same. “Damn, that’s cold. Not even a note? Hell, man, I hate to say it, but you probably better cut your losses with that one. Don’t let it get you down, little brother. You’re on a huge campus full of hot chicks everywhere—ones who are just like you and not wanting anything serious. Get out there. Test the water. Experiment. And I don’t mean in the lab. Unless you get a hot TA in one of your courses. Then lab sex might be worth trying out.”

Laughing, I just shake my head at him. “Yeah, maybe you’re right. She’s just one girl, right?” Even as I say the words and watch as Knox agrees, I know deep down it’s just not true.

I don’t know what the hell it was about Andi, but I know she isn’t just one girl. In one night, she took everything I’d thought I wanted and threw it out the window. I could see myself spending countless nights with her, just talking and listening to music. For the first time in my life, I found myself wanting to spend time with a girl—time that didn’t include studying. But now, I’m a victim of the regretful morning after. She’s gone and I’m still a chump.

“Okay, kid. I’ve gotta run, but take that frown off your face. You’ve been in school for a week and have already gotten laid. It’ll happen again. And again. And the more times it does, the longer your stamina will be. In the meantime, jack that shit off with the tightest fist you can make. It’ll keep you from blowing your load too soon when you get inside a tight pussy again,” he says with a grin while making crude jack-off motions with his hand.