The urge to laugh shook my body and the harder I tried to keep it in, the more powerful it grew. Finally, I let it out. Lila smiled at first and then began to laugh with me. “What’s so funny?”

I took a deep breath and wiped my eyes. “My father left me for dead and I’ve got a freaking curfew.”

Lila giggled. “That is kind of funny.” She sighed. “What are you going to do?”

“I don’t know.” And I didn’t. The mere idea of going home grated on my nerves like sandpaper. “You know what I do know?”

“What?”

I extended my arms. “I miss the feel of the sun on my skin. Just curious, how would you react if I wore short sleeves to school?”

Lila’s mouth twitched up. “No differently than if you wore long sleeves.”

“Grace would have a coronary.”

“Grace can go to hell.” Lila’s uncharacteristic outburst of anger surprised me. “We’ve got two months until graduation. You can live life to please everyone else or please yourself. Come next fall, I’ll be living large at the University of Florida and forgetting that I ever made friends with people like Grace. I’ve made my decision. What’s yours?”

NOAH

As soon as I finished my shower, I planned on calling Echo then heading to Antonio’s for the rest of the party. At eleven, Echo would easily still be awake. Hopefully, Lila had helped lessen the blow of her new memory. I shouldn’t have gone to work. I should have stayed with her. Man, I was a dick. I’d make it up to her tomorrow.

Three years ago, I’d imagined spending my senior year choosing where to play college ball, not negotiating my salary and benefits for becoming the day manager at the Malt and Burger. But how could I argue with a salary, insurance and steady hours? I wouldn’t break the bank though I could afford something small and decent for me and my brothers. I had a long list of things I preferred to do over flipping burgers. Flipping burgers and teaching people to flip burgers: my fucking dream come true.

The hot water washed away the grease from my shift. Apartment hunting would be next: a two-bedroom, maybe one. I could sleep on the couch and give my brothers the bedroom. Either way, my apartment required a good showerhead and lots of scalding water to erase the flipping-burger tedium.

After ten minutes, the hot water faded, leaving only steam. The fog crept into the bathroom and into my brain. What was I doing? My mother had taken me to her office on campus at least once a month. “College is a must, even if you’re military bound. College first, then decide your future,” her smooth voice preached.

I wiped the mirror and saw my mother’s eyes staring back. “You didn’t tell me what the fuck to do if you died.”

Water droplets hung in the heavy damp air and on my body. The heater in the basement pounded several times before kicking on, sending cooler air through the vent on the floor. I stood there staring, waiting for her answer.

“Noah?”

A welcome voice—not my mother’s, but welcome all the same: Echo. A smile spread across my face. This was too good. Me in a towel, alone in the house with my nymph. I left the bathroom. “‘Sup, baby.”

Echo peeked around the corner and red curls bounced when she rapidly turned her head in the opposite direction. “Oh, my God, I am so sorry. I’ll wait outside or something until you … um … you know, get clothes on.”

I padded into the living room behind her, running my hand down her back. “What are you doing here? You and Lila run out of girl gossip?”

“I, um, made a decision. Can you put some clothes on?”

“Cutting it close to curfew, aren’t you?”

She shrugged and avoided looking in my direction.

“Come on.” I grabbed her hand and led her toward the basement.

“No, really, Noah,” she said. “I’ll wait until you’re dressed.”

So I could miss that blush creeping across her face? No way. “Turn away if you want, but I don’t mind you looking.” I let go of her hand when we reached the bottom of the stairs and walked over to my basket of clothes, picking up a pair of jeans. “Turn away now. Or not.” I glanced over my shoulder. Echo had her back to me and her eyes covered. I chuckled to myself. “What’s going on, baby? You’re not a rule-breaker.”

“I don’t feel like going home. At least not yet.”

I zipped my jeans. “You can look now.”

Echo turned and her smoldering emerald eyes drifted to my bare chest. She licked her lips and quickly focused on folding a blanket Beth had left on the couch. “You’re still wet.”

She wanted me—just not as badly as every throbbing muscle in my body wanted her. Behind the hunger in her eyes rested a quiet pain. Echo placed the expertly folded blanket back on the couch and smoothed it several times, insisting on finding perfection in a world where none existed.

“If you don’t want to go home, what do you want to do?” I asked, sitting on the bed.

Echo plopped down on the couch, wrapping her arms around herself. “Lila told me I could stay the night with her, but Stephen ended up coming over …” Her tone indicated she’d rather embed nails in her forehead than return to that.

“Antonio’s parents are out of town. Beth and Isaiah are already there and plan on spending the night.” I didn’t need to mention the amount of pot Beth had taken with her.

I barely heard her muffled comment of “Yay,” but the sarcastic jazz hands were hard to miss.

“He specifically called and asked if I was bringing you.” And that would be the reason I never brought up the party to Echo. Homeboy or not, he was too friendly with my girl. But if hanging with another art guru made her smile, I’d take her.

“Can we …” Her knee bounced. “Can we stay here?”

“Yes.”

She stretched her sleeves and stared at the ground. At least she didn’t wear the gloves around me anymore. I could think of plenty of things to do with Echo in a house alone. Hell, I’d fantasized about moments like this, but damn if she didn’t make me want to be a better man. “Want to do normal?”

A curious flicker crossed her face. “You want to study?”

“There are other normals.” Discreetly readjusting my jeans, I picked up the remote, joined Echo on the couch and pulled her slender body next to mine. I relished the feel of her melting into me as I flipped to a promising channel. “I’ll even make popcorn.”

Throughout the movie, we moved to eat popcorn, shifted to get comfortable, only to end up uncomfortable; an awkward dance of keeping my hands and parts from familiar and unfamiliar areas of Echo’s divine body. I was capable of being a gentleman for the length of one movie, at least. The credits rolled and my left hand, which I’d placed behind my head to avoid her tempting tummy, tingled with numbness.

My patience finally snapped. “This is ridiculous.” I swept her up and swung her over my shoulder, her bare feet dangling in front of me.

Tinkling laughter filled the room. “What are you doing?” I tossed her onto the bed. Her fire-red hair sprawled over the pillow. My siren smiled up at me.

“Getting comfortable,” I said.

Echo blinked and raw hunger replaced the laughter that danced in her eyes moments before. Her delicate fingers glided up my arm, exciting every cell. “You don’t look very comfortable.” The sultry tone caused something deep within me to stir.

I swallowed, attempting to push away the unexpected flutter of nerves in my stomach. “Echo …”

My heart swelled, causing my chest to ache and breathing to become nearly impossible. Paralyzed by her beauty, I hovered over her. She was no nymph, but a goddess.

Her hands continued their burning climb up my arm and onto my chest. Bold moves for her. Echo’s breasts rose and fell at a faster rate. “I want to stay with you tonight.”

I sucked in a breath as her fingers trailed down the indentations of my chest muscles and willed her to continue as they made their slow descent. Caressing the warm redness forming on her cheek, I sank onto the bed beside her. “Are you sure?”

“Yes.”

“What about your dad?”

She whispered, “I’ll handle my dad.”

Tender hands wove into my hair, guiding my head to hers. I inhaled her delicious, warm scent: cinnamon rolls, straight out of the oven. The first taste of her lips didn’t disappoint. Sweet sugar teased my tongue, heightening my awareness of the gift Echo offered to me.

This girl owned my soul and stole my heart. She’d opened herself to me, giving me love and never asked for anything in return. I deepened our kiss, the words I love you stuck in my mind.

Echo

Noah trailed a line of blazing kisses along the nape of my neck, confusing my brain. Part of me responded to him, clung to him, held him tighter to me. The other part froze in fear, absolutely terrified of the unknown, horrified of disappointing him. “Tell me what to do.”

His warm breath tickled my ear. “Relax.”

But against my will, my muscles did the exact opposite. Underneath Noah’s typically inviting touch, I went rigid. “Please, Noah, I don’t want to do this wrong. Tell me how to make you feel good.”

He shifted so that his body rested beside mine, his leg and arm still draped over me. I felt small under his warmth and strength. His chocolate-brown eyes softened. “Being with you feels good. Touching you—” he tucked a curl behind my ear “—feels good. I have never wanted anyone like I want you. There’s nothing you can do wrong when just breathing makes everything right.”

I wanted to believe him, but Noah was experienced and I … wasn’t. He could be trying to make me feel better, yet bored with my lack of knowledge.

His hand framed my face and his tone was edged with husky authority. “I want you, but only if you want me.”

“It hurts the first time. My friends, they all told me that.” And the second and the third, and eventually, sometimes, it didn’t hurt. “And I should tell you, I’m on birth control. So … you know … I’m protected from …” Babies. “Stuff. But you should use something too—because.”

The wicked smile I loved spread across his face. His lips touched mine, tenderly drawing a response. “Relax and I’ll take care of everything.”

I kissed him back, allowing my arms to wrap around him. His fingers gently massaged my neck, releasing the tension, erasing my unease. The kiss became a drug and I craved more with every touch. Our bodies twined so tightly to one another, I had no idea where I began and he ended.

Noah felt strong and warm and muscular and safe and he smelled, oh, God, delicious. I couldn’t stop kissing him if my life depended upon it: his lips, his neck, his chest, and Noah seemed as hungry as me. We rolled and we touched and we shed unwanted clothes. I moaned and he moaned and my mind and soul and body stood on the edge of pure ecstasy.

And I waited. I waited for that moment of pausing for protection and then the burning pain my friends described, but Noah never stopped and the pain never came, not even when I whispered his name and praised God several times in a row. Both of us gasped for air while kissing each other softly and I struggled to comprehend I was still a virgin.