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About the author:
Penelope Ryan writes sizzling hot romances. Ryan's books are as hot as they come.
What inspired you to write your book?
I'm currently writing a series of stories centered around a fiction university in Seattle. This is my latest in the series. 🙂
Here is a short sample from the book:
“I …” I stutter, feeling my face flush. I close my eyes momentarily. This is so fucking hard. Just say it, Lindy, I admonish myself. I hear Cole suck in a breath as if he’s going to ask another question, but I beat him to it. “How would you feel about having sex with me?”
I open my eyes to see a look of shock etched across his face. A long, uncomfortable pause fills the room, and I feel the need to elaborate. “I’m still a virgin,” I say, hoping the explanation will make the tension lighter, but it only makes it worse. “And I don’t want to be. And I know you, and I trust you, you’re a decent guy, and … I thought you’d be a great fit for my first time.” My face reddens despite how confident I’m trying to make myself sound.
The seconds of silence feel like hours, and I grimace, wanting to sink into the floor.
Understanding washes over Cole’s face. “I see …”
I nod, glad he sees my point of view. “So? What do you say?” I prompt, unable to bear the suspense.
He takes a deep breath and runs his fingers through his hair. He smiles uncomfortably and gives a small laugh. “I mean, yes, obviously—look at you.” He grimaces, then bites his lip. “But I don’t know if that’s such a great idea.”
My heart sinks. Damnit. After all that? After all the courage I mustered and that embarrassing speech? “Why not?”
His grimace deepens, and he looks away. “I don’t think I’d be a great choice for your first time.”
I’m taken aback. He doesn’t? He’s literally the perfect choice. For everything I just said. He’s not a sleazeball, I know him, and I trust him. What better person is out there? “I don’t understand—you said you’d want to, but you don’t?” Is it because of Carly? Honestly, if that’s the reason, I respect it. But I have to know.
He sighs. “Yeah. It’s just that … what I’m into … might not be a great first-time experience.”
I frown. So it’s not Carly. It’s something else. Because of what he’s into? What does that mean? I mean, how bad could it be? Sex is sex. I huff out a laugh. “Cole, I’m down for whatever.”
He stares at me for a long, long moment. His eyes trail across my body slowly, and heat begins to flush across my face. “I can’t say I’ve never thought about it …” he admits.
My eyes widen. He’s thought about it? About us? My face grows hotter. “Yeah?”
He smiles and then shrugs. “Yeah.” He spans the distance between us, and while we’ve been this close before, it’s never been this tense. My heart thumps loudly in my chest as I look up at him. He reaches out to brush a strand of hair behind my ear, shockingly sweet and intimate.
“I like being a little … dominant, Lindy,” he says softly. “Think you’d be into that?”
I take a moment to consider it. But the truth of the matter is that I don’t know. “I’m not sure,” I tell him honestly. “I don’t know what I like. That’s the whole problem. It’s why I’m here.” The honesty is embarrassing, but I have to be truthful. It’s the only way this could work.
He sighs, and I can see the gears turning in his head, mulling over all the pros and cons. My stomach tightens. Holy shit. He’s considering it. I might actually just lose my virginity tonight. The thought sends a wave of nerves through my lower belly. But I’m not about to back out now.
“Fuck,” Cole comments, running his fingers through his hair. “You’re sure you want to do this?” He levels a look at me.
I nod, despite the sudden rush of adrenaline. I’ve wanted to lose my virginity for years, but now that I’m about to do it, it absolutely terrifies me. Get it together, Lindy, I tell myself. Calm down. You can do this.
He sets his jaw. “If you’re ever uncomfortable, or you don’t like something, or you want to stop, tell me.”
I nod again.
“Good girl,” he comments. He says it so casually, but I’m shocked by it. Good girl? The praise sets off a tingly feeling in my lower stomach. Holy shit. He tugs me closer to him, so close that we’re barely inches apart. He reaches out to brush the hair on the other side of my face behind my ear, and then he grips the hair at the back of my neck—tightly. A small gasp escapes me at the sudden forcefulness of it.
“So, Lindy, do you want me to fuck you now, or do you want time to think about it?” The words are intense but the way he says it—softly, as if he were telling me how pretty I am—lights a fire within me.
I can’t tell if I’m more shocked by his sudden change in attitude or by the heat pooling in my core. Oh my god. Am I into this? This new side of Cole that I’ve never seen before? Gone is the sweet, soft spoken older brother of my best friend. And in his place is a dominant man ready to push me around and rough me up.
It makes me wet.
“Now,” I breathe.