Their First Time by Lena Lucas

4

McKenzie

This wasn’t my scene. Like, at all. But despite me hating the whole party atmosphere, Landon was here and made everything exponentially better.

Devon disappeared when some girl had shown up, and I noticed he stayed right by her side the whole night, but not before he told Landon to stick to me like glue. Then he was gone. It was interesting seeing my brother so interested in someone, unable to take his eyes off of her. Did I look like that when I was around Landon? The thought had me blushing, embarrassment filling me that maybe I was painfully obvious in my feelings toward him.

Landon and I had tucked ourselves away in the corner of a room, talking about anything and everything. Nothing in particular. He could’ve talked about paint drying, and I would’ve been insanely interested. It was just the sound of his voice, so deep and masculine, something that didn’t really match his eighteen years. Then again, Landon didn’t really look like a run-of-the-mill high-schooler.

He was tall and muscular, seeming like he’d be better placed at a university. He appeared so much older than all the rest of the guys at school.

Maybe I just saw him that way because I was in love with him?

I started making my way down the hallway around some people dry humping against a wall, but was pushed to the side unexpectedly.

“Shit, sorry,” the male voice said, the stench of sour beer wafting from his breath.

I wrinkled my nose and looked at the guy who was far too close to me for comfort. Slater moved to stand in front of me, blocking the hall, a meaty arm braced on the wall and a sloppy grin on his face.

“How you doing, McKenzie?” His voice was slurred, a testament to how drunk he was. Hell, his eyes were all glossy, red-rimmed, and his face had a sheen of sweat. He also stunk to high hell, the booze doing him no favors.

“I’m good. Just heading back downstairs.” I went to move past him after I gave him a tight-lipped smile, but he blocked the way, his grin growing.

“I’m glad you came tonight. I’ve been meaning to talk to you.”

Yeah. Hard pass.

“I really should be going back down. Landon and Devon are waiting for me.” He still wouldn’t move, and a mixture of annoyance and a touch of fear slithered through me. But before I could say anything, or push him out of the way, a looming shadow started moving behind Slater before I saw Landon’s much bigger body standing behind him.

I looked over Slater’s shoulder at Landon, who wore a look of pure rage on his face as he stared down at the other guy. Slater turned and glanced at Landon, his body tensing, but whatever unspoken conversation was going on between them had Slater moving to the side.

“Don’t fucking do that again,” Landon said in a harsh, clipped voice directed at him. He didn’t emphasize what Slater shouldn’t do. At that point, Slater had just been an annoyance, but I didn't press, because I wanted nothing more than to get out of there.

With one more cutting glare in Slater’s direction, Landon said, “Come on.” He took my hand before I knew what he was doing. I instantly felt shocks of electricity move up my arm and settle between my thighs.

God, I was turned on even more from just him holding my hand.

I was about to ask Landon where Devon was. We’d come together, and I couldn’t just leave him, or at the very least I needed to tell him we were going. But before I could ask, Devon materialized from down a hall, a pretty girl trailing behind him.

The music was so loud I couldn’t tell what Landon was saying to Devon, but he shoved a thumb angrily over his shoulder toward the stairs we just descended. Devon snapped his head in that direction, his jaw clenched followed by a firm shake of his head at whatever Landon just said.

Devon glanced at me, and I saw a little of that anger leave him. He gave me a smile that was far too forced. He was pissed, and it didn’t take much to know Landon told him about the altercation with Slater.

I looked at the girl standing behind Devon and didn’t miss the very protective way he stood beside her.

Landon started leading the way out of the house, and Devon did a chin tilt toward me to let me know to go with him. “Wait, what are we doing?” I had to shout to be heard, but Landon didn’t say anything until we were outside. I took in a deep breath, the cool air filling my lungs and clearing my head. “Landon? What’s going on?”

He stopped then, his anger focus on the house behind me. “We are getting the hell out of here, because if I stay in that fucker’s house a second longer, I’m gonna kill him, McKenzie.”

I felt my eyes widen at how serious he sounded. “Okay,” I said hesitantly. “But what about Devon? We came here together.” Obviously, Devon could handle himself. He was just as big and muscular as Landon, but that didn’t mean I was going to ditch him.

Landon exhaled, his hand still tightly wrapped around mine. “He wants you out of here as much as I do. He’s going to take Anna home. I told him I’d take you myself.”

I licked my lips and didn’t miss how his eyes lowered to watch the act. “Okay. Anna? The girl he’s been attached to this whole time?”

Landon gave a nod then turned and started leading us to his car. I wanted to ask more about Devon and Anna, but it didn’t matter. I needed away from Slater just as much as Landon did.

Once in the car, we sat there for long moments, Landon’s hands on the steering wheel so tight I saw his knuckles were white.

“Why are you so upset?” I asked softly. Yeah, Slater had been an asshole, but he hadn’t actually done anything to me. It took him long moments to answer, but when he exhaled and rested his head back on the seat, I could see some of the tension in him leave.

“The easy answer or the complicated one, McKenzie?” He turned his head and looked at me, and I wasn’t sure what his question meant.

“The easy one?” I smiled, and he gave me one in return, but he stared at me for such long seconds that I shifted on the seat because of how intense it was.

“Because he thought he had the right to talk to you.” He lifted his head, still staring at me. “And he doesn’t. None of those assholes in there do.” His jaw clenched as if even thinking that pissed him off even more.

I felt warmth fill me, because I wasn’t wrong right now, wasn’t wrong thinking the way he looked at me was very much like a guy looking at a girl he wanted. But was I brave enough to push forward and see if I was right?

“Why doesn’t any guy have the right to talk to me?” The words were barely a whisper from my lips, but they were out there in the open, a first time of sorts, in hopes that there was something more between us. “The complicated answer this time,” I added, a teasing note in my voice, but I was far from thinking this was funny. This was the most serious thing I’d even talked about.

“Because you’re mine.” He said it so matter-of-factly, like there was no other answer to any of this, like he knew this as well as he knew his name and when he was born.

My breath left me, and I was frozen in place, not sure what to say, if I could even form any words.

“Because I’m in love with you,” he said more gently, his expression taking on this softer look as he stared at me.

My heart raced so hard and fast it slammed against my chest. I actually lifted my hand and placed it over the frantic organ. “Landon,” I finally managed to whisper, his name the only thing that would make it past my shock.

“I love you, McKenzie,” he said again, fiercer this time, and reached out to cup my chin. Tingles encompassed me from that touch, from the warmth of his skin, by the way his hand dwarfed my cheek. “I’m so in love with you that no one will ever compare. You’re it for me, and I’ve known that since the moment I first saw you moving in next door.” He leaned in an inch closer, and I held my breath as wave after wave of emotion moved through me so fast I’d never get control of it.

“I love you too.” Those words were out before I could think about them, before I could stop myself. But I didn’t want this to stop. I wanted this to go on, to go as far and wide as it ever would between us.

The gruff sound that left him was the last thing I heard before he slid his hand to my nape and yanked me forward, slamming his lips on mine. He kissed me until I clutched at his shirt, trying to draw him in closer. The taste of him, the feel of his tongue moving against mine, of how he tilted his head to deepen the kiss, had my body aching and needy, wet and ready.

When he pulled back and looked at me with hooded eyes, I knew what I wanted. I’d known for a year.

“Take me someplace where we can be alone.” I didn't know how far things would go, but I wanted them to go all the way.

His throat worked as he swallowed, and I watched as he kept looking down at my lips. “You sure?” His voice was so deep, deeper than normal, thickly laced with his arousal.

“I’ve never been surer of anything in my life, Landon.”

He closed his eyes for a second and groaned, and the sound went straight between my thighs, causing my clit to throb and my panties to become even wetter.

“I’ll tell Devon I’m going to a friend’s house. Just take me somewhere that it can just be the two of us. Please.” I was needy, sounding like it too, but I didn’t care. This floodgate had been opened, and there was no going back.