Pretty Virgin Read online

  Pretty Virgin

  Alexa Riley

  Contents

  HEA on the go

  Pretty Virgin

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Epilogue

  Epilogue

  Stalk the Author

  Copyright © 2019 by Author Alexa Riley LLC. All rights reserved.

  No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law. For permission requests, email to [email protected]

  http://alexariley.com/

  Publisher’s Note: This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are a product of the author’s imagination. Locales and public names are sometimes used for atmospheric purposes. Any resemblance to actual people, living or dead, or to businesses, companies, events, institutions, or locales is completely coincidental.

  Edited by Aquila Editing

  Cover Design: Perfect Pear Creative Covers

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  Pretty Virgin

  by Alexa Riley

  Skyler left a home that was cold, distant, and filled with animosity. She was desperate to get away and the second she was free, she swore she’d never let that happen to her again. So why did the one man she’s ever had feelings for ghost her so completely? Jason was everything she wanted and then one day he was gone. When a bump in with a stranger makes her the damsel in distress, she’s shocked to find Jason nearby like an angry, jealous bull.

  Jason did the hardest thing of his life when he stepped away from Skyler. He thought he was doing the right thing, because everything inside of him was screaming to make her his. His instant love for her was consuming and all he wanted to do was smother her with attention. What kind of life is that for any woman? But he never went far. When he took her eyes off her for two seconds, however, that was exactly long enough for her to find trouble. When she shows up with his brother at the family dinner, he finally sees that staying away is no longer an option.

  Warning: The only reason he backed off is because he WANTED HER TOO MUCH! Can you even imagine how wonderful this hero is? It’s over-the-top cray-in-love and we are living for it. Find out why the grouchy older brother is so pissed off all the time. *whispers* It’s because of the woman he loves. We promise to do you right!

  For crazy alpha heroes…

  We will never get enough.

  Chapter 1

  Skyler

  “It’s really fine,” I try and tell him again. Okay, maybe it’s not because my knees are throbbing from hitting the concrete sidewalk and the burn of his coffee still lingers on my stomach. I don’t think either of us were paying attention when we collided.

  Damn it. This was my favorite shirt and it’s definitely ruined now. It’s not even mine, but the man it belongs to isn’t going to ask for it back. He took part of my heart with him when he left so I’m keeping the shirt, even if it only brings me heartache. The smell of him is long gone, but there’s no way I’m getting this coffee stain out of it. Maybe this guy did me a favor and I can get rid of it.

  “My parents’ place is just around the corner. Let me help you at least get cleaned up.” He holds his hands up, unsure of what to do. I can tell he wants to help me, but he’s trying not to touch me. Something about his deep blue eyes is familiar, which has to be the reason I’m agreeing to go with him.

  “Okay,” I say and his shoulders drop in relief.

  He said his parents’ house, so at least it’s not some random place. My knees are starting to throb and I’m pretty sure they are bleeding. I finally glance down and see blood seeping through the material of my gray leggings. I gasp and jerk my head up to look away, and as I do I feel dizzy. Strong arms wrap around me to keep me from falling over.

  “Shit, should we go to the hospital?” he asks, and I’m sure

  my face is green.

  “No, It’s just the blood.” I suck in a deep breath and pull it together the best I can. The sight of it always makes me sick.

  “We’ll get you fixed up. I bet my mom or sister has something at the house you can wear if you need to change your…” He trails off for a beat. “Pants.”

  I let out a small laugh and meet his gaze again. His eyes are so unsettling but I don’t know why.

  “I’m Skyler. Maybe we should exchange names since you’re taking me to your parents’ house and getting me pants.”

  “Jon,” he laughs as he helps me steady my feet. “I really am sorry about this.” He starts to guide me down the sidewalk and finally releases me when I can manage on my own. “I was trying not to be late, but it looks as though I only made it worse.”

  “If you need to be somewhere, I’m okay.” I stop walking for a moment and try not to look down at my knees because I might pass out. There’s no way I’m making a subway ride. Jesus, I’m a mess over a little blood. I’ve had hemophobia since… I stop my train of thought, not wanting to go there.

  “No, it’s cool, just family dinner. My mom can be ruthless if you miss one or show up late.” He says it with a smile, making me think his mom isn't ruthless at all. “She’d be extra pissed if she knew I’d left a woman who needed some help.”

  I relax. I know he’s going to make sure I’m okay even though I’m a grown woman—if twenty counts as grown, but I know some people don’t. Jason comes to mind, but I fight the thoughts of him and shove them into the box I don’t want to open.

  “I’ll pay for the shirt.” He eyes my white shirt that’s a couple of sizes too big for me.

  I only meant to run out and grab some coffee. Then I got a wild hair to run over to my favorite bakery across town and pick up something sweet for later. I was going to spend my lazy Sunday eating pie and getting lost in a book and reruns of reality TV.

  “It’s fine. It might have been my fault.” He was getting out of a cab and I was lost in my head and not paying attention. It was a bad habit of mine to get off track and walk right past the place I was headed. Sometimes it would take me two blocks to realize what I’d done. Which is exactly what happened today.

  “Did you go there?” He nods to the university logo on my shirt that’s faded from having been washed so many times.

  “No.”

  College hadn’t been in the cards for me. At one time I would have thought so, but life can change so quickly. I’ve learned that lesson too many times to count. Each day you never know what you’re going to get and you can never rely on anyone but yourself.

  We turn the corner into a nice neighborhood that’s very much like the one I grew up in. I only came all the way out here because of the bakery. It’s the same one Jason took me to. I grew addicted to the place with one taste, just like I’d done with him. That’s all it took for me to fall under his spell, but as quickly as he was in my life, he was out of it. It’s almost like he dropped off the planet.

  I’ve only seen him once since then when I purposely went looking for him. I pretended to run into him, which was pathetic, but when I found hi
m with another girl it was bittersweet. It made me realize I needed to move on too. Jason wasn't coming back and even if he did try and crawl his way back to me, I’d step right over him. I’ve never fallen so easily for a man and the one time I let my guard down I was left shattered and alone.

  Jon guides me up a driveway and opens a side door. “You hungry? My mom’s going to ask you to stay for dinner.”

  I flick my gaze to Jon as he holds the door open for me. He’s handsome and maybe a year or two older than me. This could be my move-on moment, but there’s no spark. He seems nice enough, but I’m not sure if he’s hinting at me staying because his mom is going to ask or because he wants me to. He seems like a good guy, but I’m not feeling anything romantic.

  “I probably shouldn't,” I admit as I enter. The scent of food hits me and my stomach makes a loud growl, causing Jon to chuckle. All I’ve had so far today is coffee. I still haven't gotten my pie and from the look of things I won’t anytime soon.

  “I don’t think your stomach agrees,” Jon teases me as we walk through a kitchen where a woman is standing at the stove. She has dark hair with a few gray streaks and she turns to look at us.

  “You’re late.” Her eyes fill with surprise when she sees me and I know it’s his mom.

  “I need the first-aid kit, Mom,” Jon tells her. Her eyes roam over me quickly before she darts off, shouting a “be right back” over her shoulder.

  “Let’s sit you down.” Jon leads me out of the yummy-smelling kitchen into the dining room. The table is set and ready for what has to be a giant family. If I didn't know any better I’d think it was Thanksgiving.

  I glance over when I see someone enter from another room and all the air in my lungs freezes. Jason stands there looking as shocked as I am. We stare at each other for a long moment, neither one of us saying a word.

  “You okay, Skyler?” Jon asks me.

  He puts his hand on my thigh just above my knee. No, I’m not okay. So many emotions come flooding back to me and then I see her. The same girl I saw Jason with before. She walks in right behind him and her eyes move to where I’m at with Jon and then to Jason.

  Jason stares at Jon, and I watch anger take over his shocked expression.

  “What are you doing with my girl?” Jason points his finger at Jon and I realize I didn’t know he had a brother. It’s another reminder that I wasn’t worth confiding in. “Sky, come here,” he orders, but doesn't glance my way.

  “I’m not your girl,” I answer as I glance at Jon and watch a small smirk pull at the side of his mouth. I see it now, why his eyes felt so familiar. “I’m with Jon.” The words pop out of my mouth before I have a chance to think them over and to my surprise Jon’s smirk turns into a full-on smile before Jason launches himself across the dining room table.

  Chapter 2

  Jason

  “Over my dead body!” I shout as I roll onto the floor with my little brother.

  “If you give Marco a black eye that won’t heal before the wedding, I’ll kill you all.” I hear my sister say from behind me somewhere as I feel arms tugging at me. “You better quit! Here comes Ma.”

  The sound of my mother's footsteps makes me come to my senses long enough to release the grip I have on Jon and let go. Marco gets in between us and pushes us apart.

  “What’s going on?” Mom asks as she looks around the room. Finally her eyes narrow on me as she steps forward. “Jason, can you help me in the kitchen for a second?” I watch as she passes a first-aid kit to Jon and he moves to Skyler.

  “If you put on finger on her, I’ll remove it,” I warn him, and he stops in his tracks. Then I look at Skyler and see her knees are bleeding. “Shit.”

  “Jason.” My mom’s voice is stern and I have no choice.

  I walk over to Skyler and pick her up and then grab the first-aid kit out of Jon’s hand as I go into the kitchen.

  “Put me down,” Skyler protests, wiggling in my arms and I nearly pass out from the pleasure of her against me.

  “No,” I manage to say through gritted teeth as I sit her down on the stool and open the little box.

  “Jason, I wanted to speak to you privately.” My mother tsks as she comes up beside me and helps me open the alcohol swabs. “Let me do this, your hands are too big.”

  I step to the side and watch as Skyler looks away and her face pales. She’s terrified of blood but never told me why. I didn’t get the chance to ask either and it’s another thing on my list of things I want to know about her.

  “Does one of you want to tell me what that was all about?” Mom looks to Skyler and then to me.

  “Breathe through your mouth, Sky.” I take her hand and she doesn’t pull away from me. The warm feel of her delicate fingers in mine is like a shot of heroin into my system.

  This is the reason I left her before. This feeling right now is why I had to let her go. Because one fucking touch with her and I become something different inside.

  Her eyes lock with mine as if she feels my blood boiling. Where there should be fear and disgust I see longing and it turns my stomach. I couldn’t tell her what I felt because I knew she’d run away screaming, but maybe I should have because having her so close is testing me once again.

  I was working late when there was a soft knock on my door and she walked in. She was part of the late night cleaning crew that worked for the building I leased my office space from. I’d stayed late plenty of times and never saw her before. It was her first day and she spilled bleach all over her uniform. I ended up giving her my old T-shirt, telling her boss that I ruined her uniform so she wouldn’t get into trouble.

  That’s where it all began.

  A while back I took a chance in a new business venture and it ended in bankruptcy. It was an experience that changed me and made me see all of my shortcomings at once. I lost it all, but in a way I found myself. I realized what I had to do to stay on top and I would climb my way back eventually. It took time, but I swore that if I ever got back where I was I’d never be foolish enough to lose it again. When I met Skyler it was like everything around me dissolved, leaving only her in my sight.

  I didn’t care that I’d lost it all or that I was about to turn my life around. All I wanted to do was be with her and breathe the air next to her for as long as I had left on this earth. Skyler consumed me and there’s no other way to put it. She was and still is my entire world.

  “Ouch,” she hisses and closes her eyes tight.

  “I’m sorry, honey.” Mom blows on the cuts and leans back. “I’m just trying to clean it up. It’s nothing terrible, just a lot of little scratches. I think the worst of the bleeding is over and I can just put some Band-Aids over it.”

  “Thank you so much,” Skyler says as she flinches.

  “Which one of you is going to tell me how you know one another?” Mom looks between us and I see a little pink tinge in Skyler’s cheeks.

  “We met a little while ago.” Skyler shrugs and I clench my teeth at how nonchalant she is.

  “She belongs to me.”

  Both my mother and Skyler stare at me and now it’s my turn to shrug.

  “You’ve got a funny way of showing it.” Skyler narrows her eyes before she turns away and tries to tug her hand out of my grip.

  “You don’t understand,” I sigh and shake my head.

  How can I explain to her that staying with her will only make her miserable? I can’t be with her, but I can’t let her go and I know that makes me an asshole. I just don’t care.

  “Oh, I’m sorry, were you going to explain to me why you just disappeared overnight and then I see you with he—” She clamps her mouth shut, but it’s too late. I saw her eyes dart over my shoulder to Gia where I know she’s sneaking around behind us, trying to hear what we’re saying.

  “My sister had some drama with her fiancé, but they’re okay now.”

  Her eyebrows pull together as she looks up at me again. “Is that why you left?”

  “No.” I can’t lie to her,
but I don’t know if she’s ready for the truth.

  She rolls her eyes and looks away. “I need to leave.”

  “Why don’t you stay for dinner first?” my mom offers, ignoring my sounds of protest. “Then I’ll make sure you get home safe and sound personally.”

  “That won’t be necessary,” I say as I grab Skyler by the upper arm and help her stand up from the stool. She’s all bandaged up and I need to get her out of here. “Let’s go.”

  “Jason?” my mother calls from behind me as I walk Skyler out of the kitchen and out the back door so no one else can stop us.

  “What are you doing?” Skyler hisses at me when I get her outside and next to my truck.

  “Taking you home,” I scold, opening up the door and picking her up. “It’s where you should have been to begin with, not running into my brother.”

  “I was just trying to get some pie. Like I had any idea who he was.” She’s good and pissed now, which for some reason makes me want her even more.

  “I’ll be the only one getting you pie.” I slam the door closed and walk around to my side. I realize that I sound crazy but I can’t stop myself. I’m a loose cannon when it comes to her. When I get in the cab I crank the truck up and drive towards her apartment. “We’ll stop and get you one on the way.” I grip the steering wheel tighter and force myself not to look at her. If I do, I won’t be able to let her go.

  “Jason, this is insane. Just let me out of the car and I’ll get my own ride home. I don’t need you to take care of me.”