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

KNOCK KNOCK JESS

I sat on the pool's edge, letting the cool water lap at my legs. The party hummed around me-laughter, splashing, and the faint sizzle of burgers on the grill. I leaned back on my hands and closed my eyes momentarily, enjoying the pool and the fact that the blazing sun finally set.

Then, a shadow fell over me. I opened my eyes to find Luke standing nearby, his gaze fixed squarely on me. He crouched down, his face suddenly close to mine, and leaned in.

"You're good enough to eat," he murmured, his deep voice low and filled with mischief.

Heat crawled up my neck, and I froze, my breath hitching. Before I could form a response, he smirked and straightened, turning on his heel and walking away as if he hadn't just sent my pulse into overdrive. Lara looked over at us, "Don't," I said, shooting her a warning look as my face burned.

She held up her hands, but her smirk didn't waver. "Oh, I wasn't going to say anything." Before I could reply, Josh's voice boomed from the grill. "Food's almost ready!"

Laura popped to her feet. "I'll grab plates and napkins."

1 198 Vouchers

"No, I'll do it, I said quickly, getting up and brushing off my legs. "I need to pee again-surprise, surprise-and this baby is making my body feel like a furnace. I need to be in the aircon for five minutes" Laura raised an eyebrow, crossing her arms. "You sure?"

I nodded, waving her off. "Yeah. Besides, you should probably go check the pool house. I think Sarah's in there, and she needs to eat with how much she's been working lately." Laura grinned knowingly. "Look at you, already acting like a

mom

Just go before Josh turns the serving

pool house. Meanwhile, I made my way to the main house, weaving through the clusters of people scattered

the house hit me as soon as I stepped inside, a welcome relief from the relentless summer heat. I

1. me.

mid-step, tilting my head to listen. I thought I'd imagined

or something. This house backed up to enough trees that it wasn't unheard of.

silent against the wood. Each creak of the old house felt like a ghost of

it was hers now -they deserved it. Josh had worked hard to renovate it for Sarah, and seeing how much she

held memories: nights spent laughing with Laura in my old room, sneaking down to the kitchen for late-night snacks, Luke banging on the door when I'd taken too long in the shower. Now, Luke and I lived next door in the house his father built to be next to my father. It was perfect for

the sentimental thoughts, I reached the top of the stairs. The hallway stretched before me, dim and quiet, the faint knock coming again from one of the bedrooms. My pulse quickened slightly, though I told myself it was probably nothing. "Hello?"

The house didn't answer.

breath, I moved toward

coming from the

top of the stairs, my pulse quickening as I strained to listen. The soft knocking had stopped, replaced by something

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my head, nerves prickling at the base of my