Letting My Brother's Best Friend Take My V-Card

COOKIES

LUKE

Darkness swallowed me whole.

The water was frigid, cutting into my skin like shards of broken glass. I fought to find the surface, my arms thrashing through the black abyss. My chest burned, my lungs clawing for air, but no matter how hard I kicked. I couldn't tell which way was up. I was lost.

Panic wrapped around me like chains, dragging me deeper. The cold pressed in on all sides, suffocating and relentless. Jess's face flashed in my mind-her smile, her laugh, the way she looked at me like I was worth something. I'd never see her again.

The thought was more suffocating than the water filling my lungs.

I was drowning.

My chest seized, my heart pounding like a drum, faster, harder-until suddenly, everything stopped.

I jerked awake, snapping back to reality like a ripcord yanked too hard.

Air rushed into my lungs, sharp and hot, and I doubled over, my palms finding the wooden floor. It was cool beneath my palms and real. Rock solid and real.

My chest heaved as I fought to breathe, my skin slick with sweat.

17.560

COOKIES

288 Mouchers

inch of me trembled, the nightmare's icy grip refusing to

wasn't real. It was a dream. No,

forced it in through my nose and blew out through

my face, trying to shake off the lingering echoes. of the cold. My heart still thundered, but another sensation

warm, sweet smell.

Cookies?

on the couch, so I made a mental note to drag Jess back to this couch for something other than

This was home.

off the couch, I stood and made my way toward the kitchen. The sound of her humming softly reached my ears, grounding me with every step. As

a spoon to

tension in my chest eased a little.

herself as she set the spoon down. "You didn't scare me okay, maybe just a little. But

COOKIES

288 Vouchers

I replied, leaning against

her blue eyes sparkling with

dinner?" I teased, arching a

wearing it a lot, it seems. Even with her pregnant belly, it's way

sexy you are in that t-shirt?" I asked, leaning over the dining room table. Jess

laughed softly, the sound wrapping around me like a balm. "If you want cookies for dinner, you can just say so-no need to filter me. I'm basically a humane incubator right

but that's not what you look like to me. I'd choose you over a chocolate chip cookie any day..."I bit