Losing It: A Collection of VCards Read online

  That we don’t have to be afraid.

  For the first time in my entire existence, I feel it.

  Eternally free.

  ***

  About the Author

  Helen Boswell credits her dad, an avid fiction reader, with encouraging her to read all of the books on his shelves from the time she was a teenager. Originally from upstate New York, Helen spent much of her early adult life tromping around in Buffalo, NYC, Toronto, and Las Vegas, those cities now serving as inspiration for the dark and gritty backdrops of her stories. She writes young adult fantasy and new adult romance and currently lives in the southwest U.S. with her husband and two young sons.

  Novels list:

  Mythology

  Mythology: The Wicked

  Mythology: The Eternal (releasing spring 2015)

  Losing Enough

  Available on Amazon and Barnes and Noble

  Social media sites:

  Website: www.helenboswell.com

  Twitter: https://twitter.com/HelenBozz

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  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HelenBozz

  Tumblr: http://helenbozz.tumblr.com

  Instagram: http://instagram.com/helenbozz

  Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/HelenBoswell/

  Jess & Giovanni

  by

  Bethany Lopez

  In TTYL, Jess tells Melissa that she lost her virginity to Giovanni the night of her sixteenth birthday. Now we get to see Jess and Giovanni’s magical night, from her point of view.

  ***

  “Here you go, Jess,” my cousin Cindy said as she put the key card in my hand. “Happy birthday, and if you tell your mom I did this, I’ll deny it.” She winked at me and walked out of the hotel.

  My stomach clenched with sudden nerves and I turned slowly to my right, conscious of Giovanni’s warm hand in mine. I looked up into his velvety brown eyes, and took in the soft smile on his lips, and my stomach loosened, replaced with an altogether different sensation.

  “Ready, Anima Mia?” Giovanni asked, his hand gently squeezing mine, before adding, “You know you can change your mind. Anytime.”

  I grinned up at my handsome boyfriend, the delicious chills I got whenever he called me his soul in Italian running over me, and responded, “I’m ready.”

  We held hands as we walked through the lobby, my heels clicking and my party dress swaying against my legs.

  It had been the perfect night. My sweet sixteen.

  My father wasn’t always there for me; he did live in a different state after all. However, when I’d said I wanted a big party for my sixteenth, he’d accommodated my every wish, no matter how crazy it seemed.

  The banquet room had been decked out in green and lavender tones that matched the dresses Melissa and I had worn. I even had the guys wear matching vests with their suits.

  I had a local band play, and we’d come out in a procession and danced to the music. The night had been better than I’d hoped, a dream come true, and it was about to get even better.

  At first, when I’d suggested getting a hotel room, Giovanni had been flustered and unsure if this was the right next step for us.

  He was so sweet and considerate.

  His year here with his aunt and uncle was almost up, and he was returning to Italy for his senior year of high school. Giovanni was worried that losing our virginity to each other, when we knew he was leaving, was him somehow taking advantage of me. I convinced him otherwise.

  “We love each other, and will be giving each other the one thing that no one else can ever take,” I’d argued. If someone had ever told me that I’d have to argue with my boyfriend to get him to have sex with me, I’d have been devastated. But Giovanni was different. He was honorable. “It will be the most special moment that we can share, and we will remember it forever.”

  “Sei un dono,” he’d replied, and the tender look on his face told me that I’d won that argument.

  Now we were standing in an elevator, watching the numbers light up over the door as we climbed up toward the room that would be ours for the night. I’d been planning this for a few weeks, and had managed to keep it a secret from everyone except Giovanni and Cindy. I hadn’t even told Melissa. She’d been acting really weird and distant lately. I knew that I’d been spending a lot of time with Giovanni, so I couldn’t really get mad, but still. Something weird was going on with her.

  Ding. The elevator signaled our arrival to our floor, and brought me out of my head and back to the reality of what was happening.

  We exited the elevator and followed the signs to our room. Once we found it, Giovanni took the key card and opened the door, then stepped back to allow me to enter.

  I took in the large bed with four fluffy pillows resting against the headboard, a desk, and a small table and chair. I turned toward the dresser, which held the TV, and gasped when I saw a vase holding sixteen red roses.

  Yes, I took a moment to count them.

  My breath held and my eyes filled, as I turned and took in the handsome boy who was standing by the entrance to the room, his hands clasped in front of him. His hair so dark it was almost pitch black dropping just above his eyebrows, and his velvety brown eyes staring intently at me, my heart fluttered even as it overflowed with love.

  “How’d you do this?” I asked, my voice filled with wonder at his thoughtfulness.

  “Cindy,” he said simply, as he started to walk closer.

  “They’re beautiful.”

  I leaned down to inhale their sweet scent, before turning and throwing myself into his arms and hugging him tightly.

  I enjoyed the smell of his spicy cologne, the feel of his suit jacket beneath my cheek, and the warmth of his embrace as he held me close.

  “I love you.” My voice was heavy with emotion, but I tried to choke back the tears that were threatening, I wanted this night to be about joy, not sorrow.

  I pulled back and rose on my tiptoes, offering my mouth to him, and sighing when he dipped his head to take it.

  Kissing Giovanni was always a dream. He had soft, silky lips, and managed to make my body heat with just a touch, but tonight, he didn’t hold back. His tongue swept through my eager mouth, and we held on as the kiss turned from sweet to needy.

  I enjoyed the sensation of his lips as they moved from my mouth, across my cheek, and along my jawline. I tilted my head back to give him better access. My hands clenched his biceps when my knees weakened and threatened to give. A small moan escaped me when he nuzzled the spot right under my ear and said, “Voglio fare l’amore con te.”

  I was going to have to remember everything he’d said and look it up on my Italian to English translation app later.

  I didn’t have to understand his words, to feel the effect of that accent spoken huskily into my ear. I felt warm and tingly all over, and I was eager to be on a more level playing field.

  It took every ounce of control I had to step back out of Giovanni’s arms. His eyes looked dark and heavy as they searched my face.

  I’d talked to Cindy about what I should and shouldn’t do, and she’d given me some advice. I just hoped I had the confidence to pull off what she suggested.

  I took a deep breath and gave him a shaky smile, then put my hands behind me and found the zipper on my dress. I unzipped slowly, not just to draw out the moment like Cindy had said, but because my hands were unsteady. I readjusted my arms to get the zipper the rest of the way down, then brought my hands up to the thick straps of my dress, and began to move one down slowly, before starting on the other.

  When the dress dropped to my waist, revealing my strapless lavender push-up bra underneath, my first instinct was to cover up, but I noticed Giovanni’s face had lowered, and his cheeks were flushed, as he took in my exposed flesh. My body heated in response, and it wasn’t from embarrassment.

  I shimmied the dress the rest of the way down, keeping my eyes down as I kicked the dress away, and stood before him in my matching lav
ender underwear set, and heels.

  I’d barely gathered the courage to look at him, when I was suddenly in his arms again, and his lips where there, kissing me breathless.

  “You’re the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen,” he managed between kisses, as he turned us around and maneuvered me toward the bed.

  I broke away to sit on the bed, then scoot back, so that I was against the lush pillows, and watched as Giovanni began to take off his suit.

  First the jacket, then the vest. Then he began to open the shirt, exposing the tanned skin underneath, a small smattering of dark hair covering his chest.

  Giovanni had filled out a lot over the last year, and had spent many hours in the gym with Brian after school, as he trained for football. This meant that I was gifted with the sight of defined muscles as Giovanni peeled the shirt away. Mesmerized, I didn’t move anything but my hands, and I brought them up to take down the hair that had been held together by a myriad of pins for my party.

  Giovanni had taken off his shoes and socks, and kicked off his pants by the time I’d retrieved the last pin. I ran my hands through my hair, praying to God that I didn’t look like a crazed animal.

  I figured I mustn’t look too bad when Giovanni, clad only in black boxer briefs, climbed onto the bed. He got on all fours and stalked toward me.

  I say stalking, because the tautness of his muscles, heat on his face, and intent in his eyes, reminded me of a panther getting ready to attack.

  I may have squealed. Out loud. As I scooted down on the bed, I covered myself with a pillow. When I moved the pillow to peek around it, Giovanni was grinning broadly at me.

  The pillow was swept away and Giovanni was kneeling over me. His legs straddled mine and his beautifully tanned chest was right in front of me. I giggled as I remembered that I could do whatever I wanted, and not be embarrassed about it. I brought my palms up to his chest and closed my eyes as I explored, enjoying the feel of his skin against mine. When I heard a low groan, my eyes fluttered open to see that Giovanni’s eyes were closed as well, his lower lip tucked under his teeth. That was so hot. I continued my exploration, and let my hands run over his hard nipples, then down the bumpy plains of his stomach.

  From there things escalated. We laid down on the bed, Giovanni on his side, so he was half covering me, but his weight was on the bed. He took my bra off, and kissed my breasts reverently, as I arched into him and explored the expanse of his back. When his hand moved lower, down my stomach, and over my panties, the warmth I’d been feeling turned up a couple hundred degrees. The tingling turned to yearning.

  When his hand caressed me over my panties, my hips thrust up of their own free will, urging him closer to the source of my yearning. He moved the silk material to the side, and I suddenly felt the contact of his fingers against my bare flesh.

  “Oh…” I sighed, sure that I’d never felt anything so amazing. I quickly realized I was wrong, when his finger entered me, and a fire began to lick across my skin.

  “Giovanni,” I said on a breath, unsure how he knew to do what he was doing, but praying that he didn’t stop.

  Giovanni shifted, and urged my underwear down with his other hand. I made a noise in protest when he had to move his other hand to get the material all the way down my legs, but was quickly appeased when his hand came back. Now, naked and unencumbered, I widened my legs to give him better access. I wanted him to finish what he was doing so badly that I was unable to feel an ounce of embarrassment.

  He brought his mouth to my neck, worshiping me there, as he filled me with another finger and began pumping them in and out of my body in a delicious motion. One hand caressed his back and the other fisted in the sheet beneath me, as the fire began to build. I closed my eyes and turned my head, then he moved his hand up a little and began to massage. I bucked beneath him, my mouth open in a silent plea, as a wave of pleasure coursed over me. I kept my eyes closed as my body shuddered and seemed to turn to liquid heat, vaguely aware that the bed shifted. I opened my eyes to see Giovanni shed his boxer briefs and lay a condom on the bed beside me.

  He moved over me, resting in between my legs. While holding himself up on his forearms, he slipped the condom on.

  “Do you still want to do this, Anima mia?”

  “Yes,” I responded with a smile, bringing my hands up to cup his face and stroke it softly.

  He lowered his lips to mine, as he slowly eased himself inside of me. It was a foreign sensation, but not unpleasant. When Giovanni lifted his head, eyes closed, with a look of pure elation on his face, I knew it felt quite different for him.

  I felt the resistance, and his eyes opened. He looked down at me tenderly as he pushed the rest of the way in. I felt a sort of pinch, then a burn, and he stilled to allow my body time to adjust to having him inside me.

  When the burning subsided, I nodded, then bit my lip when he started to move. It no longer felt intrusive or weird, it felt kind of wonderful.

  I brought my legs up and wrapped them around him. That’s what I always read in books, so I figured it must be the right thing to do, then I placed my hands on his shoulders to try and steady myself as he rocked against me.

  I enjoyed the sensations going through me, but mostly, I loved watching Giovanni as he reached his release. His face was so filled with pleasure, it warmed my heart to be the one giving it to him, and I knew it was a moment I’d never forget.

  He moved over me one last time, then kissed me sweetly on the lips and said, “Tu sei l’unico per me, Ti amo.”

  I ran my finger over his swollen lips and replied, “I love you too, Giovanni.”

  He smiled at me, and gave me one more kiss, before moving to his side and pulling me in toward him. We lay there for a few moments, holding each other, and basking in the glow of happiness and fulfillment.

  After a little while he got up and went to the bathroom, then I moved quickly off the bed to assess the damage. There was a little blood on the sheets, but it wasn’t too bad. Still, I threw the top sheet over it to cover the evidence, and figured we’d sleep with just the comforter over us. Hopefully Giovanni wouldn’t notice.

  When he was done in the bathroom, I went in and cleaned myself up. I’d brought a nightgown in my overnight bag, so I put it on, then brushed my teeth before going back out into the bedroom. Giovanni was sitting against the headboard, his eyes half closed, looking like he was struggling to stay awake.

  I stood in the doorway and watched him, playing with the hem of my nightgown, suddenly feeling shy.

  “Come here, Jess,” he said, his voice rough and sexy.

  I walked around the bed and climbed in, scooting over to where he was laying.

  “Thank you,” Giovanni said. He kissed me softly on the tip of my nose, then scooted down and covered up. I noticed he was just under the comforter, and breathed a sigh of relief before joining him. I laid my head on his chest and drew hearts and squiggly lines on his abs as I listened to his deep breaths beneath my ear.

  It didn’t take long before we dozed off, and spent our first night together, snuggled in each other’s arms.

  It was a sweet sixteen that I’d remember forever.

  ***

  Jess & Giovanni’s night together is an extended bonus scene from TTYL (Book 4 in the Stories about Melissa series), by Bethany Lopez.

  About the Author

  Award-Winning Author Bethany Lopez began self-publishing in June 2011. She’s a lover of all things romance: books, movies, music, and life, and she incorporates that into the books she writes. When she isn’t reading or writing, she loves spending time with her husband and children, traveling whenever possible. Some of her favorite things are: Kristen Ashley Books, coffee in the morning, and In N Out burgers.

  Find her on:

  Facebook

  Goodreads

  Pinterest

  Titles include:

  Indelible

  Nissa

  Time for Love

  8 Weeks (Time for Love, book 1)

/>   21 Days (Time for Love, book 2)

  42 Hours (Time for Love, book 3)

  15 Minutes (Time for Love, book 4)

  Friends & Lovers Trilogy:

  Make it Last

  I Choose You

  Trust in Me

  Stories About Melissa series:

  Ta Ta For now!

  XOXOXO

  Ciao

  TTYL

  With Love

  Wedding Night

  By Julia Crane

  Elves have been residing in secrecy amongst the humans since the start of time along with many other creatures. In elfin society, mates are predetermined but not allowed to meet until they are eighteen, when they are to be wed. Elf mates Rourk and Keegan met before their time and were driven apart by dark magick before finally coming back together. When Keegan nearly lost her life, the unthinkable happened. Her bond to Rourk was shattered. They spent a painful year apart. Rourk joined the human military and Keegan tried to come to terms with her lost feelings for Rourk and the expectations of her family. Thanks to magick, her memories were eventually restored and her love for her chosen was reignited.

  *

  Rourk swallowed hard as he watched his chosen, Keegan, walk down the staircase towards him. Gods, she was stunning. The veil was so sheer he could still see her auburn hair hanging in loose curls around her delicate face. When her striking blue-green eyes met his, it was a wonder his legs didn’t buckle beneath him.

  They’d been through so much and now they were finally to be joined as one. He didn’t know what he did to deserve someone like Keegan but he thanked the gods every night before his head hit the pillow.

  Keegan slowly descended the stairs, clutching the flowers and the horseshoe. Each step brought her closer to him and their new life together. When she reached the final step, she grasped his hand. He could have sworn sparks flew when their skin met. “You take my breath away, Keegan. I swear on everything I am, I’ve never seen a creature look more lovely,” he whispered. He lifted her hand and kissed it while his thumb glided along her wrist.

  Clutching his hand she smiled up at him. Her face flushed at his words and her eyes sparkled.