Page 34 of Lost & Found

I was pushing boundaries, recklessly almost. It was easy to justify. I was helping her. That was what friends did. Deep down, I knew it was a gray area, and that it was foolish to be alone with her. She recognized it as well, hence why she insisted Declan join us.

“What did you write?”

“Doesn’t matter. Now that it’s there, it stays. Marcel made the rules, and you appointed me as your scribe. You’re now beholden to this list. But we’ll get to that later. For now, it’s your turn to make some suggestions.”

“Lev, what did you put down for number two?”

Crystal blue eyes searched mine, and my heart flipped inside my chest. God, I loved it when she called me by that nickname. She’d given it to me shortly after she began tattooing my chest.

“I wrote, give love a solid chance.”

I expected her to refuse, to detach herself from Declan and storm out. It’s what she would have done a year ago, but something told me she wanted more. However, I wasn’t prepared for her next words.

“Well, if I’m going to do that, we should probably address the issue of my virginity. Add mindless sex to the list for number three, please.”

My heart slammed inside my chest. Images of her naked with another man triggered the protective beast inside. Or maybe it was more possessive. The thought hit like a punch from Ivan in the ring. Her learning. Laughing. Giving that first moment to a stranger.

She’s not yours, asshole. Can never be yours.

My eye twitched. I needed to calm the fuck down. “Why mindless?”

That’s what you’re going to focus on? Tell her that there is no fucking way she is losing her virginity to some stranger and if she does, it should be mind-blowing.

I took a deep breath, watching her face, trying to read her mind somehow.

“I mean technically I know how to…what happens,” she paused and gulped, “I’ve also read that many women don’t experience…um…pleasure the first time.”

“Only if they’re with a man who doesn’t know what the fuck he’s doing. Trust me, you don’t want that,” I growled before adding lower, “Life is too short. Sex should never be mindless, princess.”

“The guys talk. I’ve heard Sebastian say more times than I can count that virgins are too needy.”

My jaw tightened. “Your brother talks a lot of shit.”

“Yeah, and most of the guys agree. Something like that could push a person away. How am I to give love a solid chance like that? Write it down.”

“I will, but it’s against my better judgment,” I mumbled as I scratched the words on the card.

I had no right to care this much. And yet, I did.

A Few Days Later

Dosser played on the speaker in my room. I sat on the floor in front of the full-length mirror as the warm glow of fairy lights shimmered around me. The room was a direct reflection of my eclectic style. Abstract paintings I’d painted hung on the deep charcoal walls. Each one was a unique expression of my inner world.

When Marcel’s grandmother presented the idea to Kinsley and me about redesigning rooms at her house, she gave me free rein, and I went with it. We’d moved in shortly after welcoming Victoria and Declan to the family officially at the beach house.

The amount of room we now had was staggering. The grounds alone were massive. My room was my favorite place. The short bookcase stood on one wall and was filled with volumes of art history books and autobiographies of some of the most famous painters in the world.

Victoria had taken to purchasing me and Kinsley romance books to read, so keeping with the theme she’d dubbed for me, vampire and shifter romance books filled one shelf. They sat largely untouched. I didn’t have the heart to tell her no. The only exception I had was no mafia books.

When she’d suggested them, I damn near rolled my eyes out of my skull. I looked at myself in the mirror as I hummed the chorus. My newly cut hair was now shoulder length and brushed my shoulders. I low-key loved my new bangs.

Concentrating on my makeup, I had one hand skillfully applying a smokey eye shadow while the other held a small makeup mirror. My blue eyes sparkled with a touch of mischief as I perfected the look. The light glistened off my newest addition. A small diamond in my nose. I turned my face to the side to admire it.

Check item number four off my list. Look at you crossing things off before Marcel even gets a first peek.

The scent of apples and cinnamon wafted close. “I see you’ve taken up after Kinsley. Not gonna knock?” I asked playfully.

Victoria stood behind me, a huge grin on her face. Her warm hazel eyes were filled with affection, and my heart caught in my throat. God, it was good to see them looking so alive. I still couldn’t get over the fact that she was here and how quickly she and Declan became close to everyone in the house.