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

JOSH AND LAURA JOSH

When I walked in, the house was quiet, the kind of peaceful silence that settled when it was just Laura and me. Dropping my duffel bag by the door, I called out, "Laura?"

Her voice floated in from outside, "Out here! I'm painting."

Painting? At this hour? I smiled to myself, shaking my head. Of course, she was. Laura could get lost in her world of colors and canvases, day or night.

Curiosity pulled me toward the back door, and the cool evening air greeted me when I stepped out. The pool shimmered under the soft glow of the patio lights, and there she was-sitting cross-legged on a drop cloth with a canvas propped up in front of her. Her hair was tied up in a loose bun, strands falling around her face, and smudges of paint adorned her cheeks and

arms.

I crept closer, quiet as I could, until I was right behind her. Then, with a quick move, I wrapped my arms around her waist and pulled her back against me. She squealed, laughing, as pressed a kiss to the curve of her neck.

"Josh!" she scolded, though there was no real heat in her voice. "Be careful! I'm going to get you full of paint."

"I don't care," I murmured against her skin, grinning when she shivered in my arms.

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Laura twisted to look at me, her eyes sparkling in the dim light "You say that now, but wait until you're scrubbing it out of your clothes."

"Still don't care," I replied, leaning in to steal another kiss.

sound wrapping around me like a warm blanket. "What are

still resting on her waist. "But seriously, why are you

swirl of dark blue and silver paint. "I'm trying to paint the stars," she said simply, tilting her head to look up at the

glitter against the black canvas above* us, but I was more interested in the way the light caught her face, the way her eyes

at something deep in my chest. "What

to deal with me being all sweaty and

with mock seriousness, then pointed toward the

I could say a word, she flicked her paintbrush at me, leaving a streak

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twitching with suppressed laughter. "Guess you should

a brow, my lips curving into a slow

"Josh-"

finish, I scooped her up, one arm under her knees and the other around her back. She let out a surprised shriek,

holding her tight as we splashed down into the

she splashed water at me. "You are the worst!" she exclaimed, though

my hair, slicking it back as I grinned at her. "Admit it-you love

trade," I said, wading closer to her. "But you owe me

I reached out, brushing a stray drop of water from her cheek.

dropping low. "I'll think of