Unedited/Subject to Change (but hopefully not too much, right?)
Tentative Release Date: August 19, 2014
Author Note: Combust, the first in the Wellingtons spin-off series, has younger characters than the Explosive series, 22 and seniors in college, but will still be considered a contemporary adult romance.
You already met and fell in love with Knox Wellington. Now it's his little brother, Cohen's, chance to earn a place on your book boyfriend shelf. In case you haven't met him, you can do so here in Incinerate!
If you haven't read Inflame, check it out! There's a teaser at the end for Cohen and Andi! Inflame on Amazon
You already met and fell in love with Knox Wellington. Now it's his little brother, Cohen's, chance to earn a place on your book boyfriend shelf. In case you haven't met him, you can do so here in Incinerate!
If you haven't read Inflame, check it out! There's a teaser at the end for Cohen and Andi! Inflame on Amazon
Prologue
Story of my life.Literally. That’s me, or what they like to call me. Andi Kane. Tease. Blue Ball Extraordinaire. The Virgin Queen. Yep, virgin. Did I mention that part? As a chronic masturbator from age fifteen,I've had a huge fondness for clitoral stimulation, and never minded using my own fingers to get myself off. In fact, it’s all I wanted. At least that’s what I thought. After one fateful dry humping make out session in the back of Blake Jackson’s Chevy, I was hooked on the act. The way he rubbed his hard erection in between my jean covered thighs had me moaning into his lips in no time.Before I knew it, I was moving at a frantic pace as the tingling between my legs started to increase until I was pushed over the edge, experiencing the first orgasm not from my own hand. I remember thinking to myself,Who needs sex when it already feels this good? and that’s been my motto ever since.
And it’s been one that came back to bite me in the ass, and not in a pleasurable way. What my naïve mind didn’t realize, or well, care about, at the time was that while a little over the clothes grinding might get me off, it certainly doesn’t do it for the guy, and eventually, they’ll get tired of you just using your hand.Don’t get me wrong, once Blake and I got a little more serious, I graduated up to blow jobs, but by senior year, he wanted to go all the way, something I wasn’t quite sure I was ready for. Blake and I weren’t in love. In fact, we had already talked about parting ways since I was going to the University of Tennessee and he was heading to Clemson on a football scholarship. Neither of us wanted to start off college by being in a long distance relationship, and we were smart enough to know this definitely wasn’t going down the marriage path anyway—and knowing there was no future for us made it so much easier for me to always say no. Until he no longer took no for an answer.
I don’t mean that in the way that he forced himself on me. Blake’s not like that, and I’d pepper spray his ass if he was. All I mean is instead of spending the rest of our senior year together, I walked in on him screwing Lisa Templeton at his dad’s New Year’s Eve party. He had the decency to look at little ashamed, but he shrugged and called me a tease, saying he didn’t want to wait any longer. I promptly closed the door, and haven’t spoken Blake Jackson since.
That doesn’t mean the damage wasn’t done. All the sudden I found myself being asked out on dates by guys from all over the county, and my smart ass continued to do what I do best. Tease. I knew what these guys were doing. Blake Jackson, star quarterback, couldn’t even get into my pants, and it became a competition to see who could bag the girl that he couldn’t. I didn’t mind. They could try; they’d all fail.Fingers, mouths, over the clothes rubbing? I was good with all that, but not a single one of those guys was worth losing my virginity to especially when it was just a game to them. Eventually one got bored and the next one moved in.Every single one of them calling me a tease. Which, in my defense, isn’t really true. I’m a tit for tat kinda girl and if I got off, so did he. I never promised sex, never teased they were going to get it, so I felt the moniker was a little unfair. Now when they labeled me The Virgin Queen, that one, I couldn’t really argue with.
“How was your date with Alex?” Reese, my best friend and soon to be roommate, interrupts my thoughts and I turn to look at her, rolling my eyes. “That bad?”
Groaning, I lie back on my bed and cover my eyes with my forearm. “I don’t know why I even bother. I can’t wait to get out of this small ass town and get to UT where not everyone knows why Blake and I broke up. It was my first date with the asshole and he was already trying to stick his hand down my pants in the movie theater before the trailers were even over. I don’t know what they talk about in the locker room, but I’ve never hooked up on the first date. I’m making a pact. No more dates until I’m in Knoxville. And probably not even after I get there. I need a break.”
She sits down on the bed beside me and pats my thigh. “Probably a good idea. Then you won’t have to deal with a bunch of horny assholes all vying to be the first to bang the mayor’s daughter.”
Yep, that’s me. Daughter of Mayor Kane of Bethel, Tennessee: Population 3,276. “Sometimes I think I should just get it over with, but at this point, there’s not a guy in all of Dyer County I’d even consider sleeping with. At least I know it’ll be different at UT and no one will be singing R. Kelly when I walk into a classroom.”
She laughs, then starts signing his famous Bump N Grind until I take my arm away from my eyes to swat her shoulder. “Hey, it’s true. There’s nothin’ wrong with it, but there’s also nothing wrong with taking the next step. You know me. I say go for it. Sex really isn’t that big of a deal. It’s 2010. The likelihood that you’re going to end up living happily ever after with the first guy you sleep with is probably pretty slim. I’m not saying go out and whore around, but just get it over with.Rip off the Band-Aid. Straddle the bull. Ride the cock. Feed the python. Get it over with,” she insists. It’s not the first time we’ve had this conversation,and until I take her advice, it probably won’t be the last.
Quirking my eyebrow up, I gape at her. “You just described sex in three different ways using animals. Excuse me if it doesn’t sound so tempting.”
Reese just waves me off and continues. “All I’m saying is we’re going off to college in two weeks.You’re eighteen years old and you won’t have Daddy looking over your shoulder everywhere you go. These are supposed to be some of the best years of our lives. Just promise me when we get there you’ll have an open mind. Have some fun. Live a little. Plus, I know you like the whole bumping and grinding action, but let me tell you. It has nothing on the real thing.”
She winks at me,and I have to grin. Reese tells me everything, and I’ve heard plenty of details of her extracurricular activities with her long-term boyfriend, Cy, who was a year ahead of us and is already at UT. “Well when you put it that way, who could resist? Trust me, I’m not saving myself for marriage or anything, and maybe you’re right. Maybe I need to just do it.”
Her eyes light up.“Good! Because, Cy’s fraternity is having a party the first weekend, and what better place to meet a hot college guy?”
“Right. Because the type of guy I want to lose my virginity to would be at a frat party. Are you crazy? Those guys are man whores.” I’ve heard the stories from my older brother, and I shake my head, knowing there’s no way that’s happening.
“That’s where you’re wrong. They’re the perfect type. Hot. Experienced. Part of the reason my first time didn’t suck so bad was because Cy knew what he was doing. But you have awhile to think about it. Just remember, keep an open mind.”
The thought of a hot, experienced guy for my first time actually makes perfect sense but not at a frat party where anyone could walk in. Lisa might not have cared about being caught; I’m not letting anyone watch me in the act. “Alright, I’m not making any promises, but I guess I’ll consider it.”
Squealing, she gives my shoulder a squeeze. “This is so exciting! My little Andi’s growing up.It’s about time I finally talked some sense into you.”
I shake my head and think about what she said. Rip the Band-Aid off? Maybe she’s right. It’s not like I’m waiting for my Prince Charming to walk through the door with the key to my chastity belt, and I’m definitely not looking for a boyfriend, either. As I listen to her prattle on about the party, I decide that I might as well go for it. Quick and painless—well as painless as possible. Now all I have to do is find the right, willing guy. On a campus of 20 thousand students, it shouldn’t be too hard. Hot and experienced, just like she said.
Remind me never to listen to Reese again.
She laughs, then starts signing his famous Bump N Grind until I take my arm away from my eyes to swat her shoulder. “Hey, it’s true. There’s nothin’ wrong with it, but there’s also nothing wrong with taking the next step. You know me. I say go for it. Sex really isn’t that big of a deal. It’s 2010. The likelihood that you’re going to end up living happily ever after with the first guy you sleep with is probably pretty slim. I’m not saying go out and whore around, but just get it over with.Rip off the Band-Aid. Straddle the bull. Ride the cock. Feed the python. Get it over with,” she insists. It’s not the first time we’ve had this conversation,and until I take her advice, it probably won’t be the last.
Quirking my eyebrow up, I gape at her. “You just described sex in three different ways using animals. Excuse me if it doesn’t sound so tempting.”
Reese just waves me off and continues. “All I’m saying is we’re going off to college in two weeks.You’re eighteen years old and you won’t have Daddy looking over your shoulder everywhere you go. These are supposed to be some of the best years of our lives. Just promise me when we get there you’ll have an open mind. Have some fun. Live a little. Plus, I know you like the whole bumping and grinding action, but let me tell you. It has nothing on the real thing.”
She winks at me,and I have to grin. Reese tells me everything, and I’ve heard plenty of details of her extracurricular activities with her long-term boyfriend, Cy, who was a year ahead of us and is already at UT. “Well when you put it that way, who could resist? Trust me, I’m not saving myself for marriage or anything, and maybe you’re right. Maybe I need to just do it.”
Her eyes light up.“Good! Because, Cy’s fraternity is having a party the first weekend, and what better place to meet a hot college guy?”
“Right. Because the type of guy I want to lose my virginity to would be at a frat party. Are you crazy? Those guys are man whores.” I’ve heard the stories from my older brother, and I shake my head, knowing there’s no way that’s happening.
“That’s where you’re wrong. They’re the perfect type. Hot. Experienced. Part of the reason my first time didn’t suck so bad was because Cy knew what he was doing. But you have awhile to think about it. Just remember, keep an open mind.”
The thought of a hot, experienced guy for my first time actually makes perfect sense but not at a frat party where anyone could walk in. Lisa might not have cared about being caught; I’m not letting anyone watch me in the act. “Alright, I’m not making any promises, but I guess I’ll consider it.”
Squealing, she gives my shoulder a squeeze. “This is so exciting! My little Andi’s growing up.It’s about time I finally talked some sense into you.”
I shake my head and think about what she said. Rip the Band-Aid off? Maybe she’s right. It’s not like I’m waiting for my Prince Charming to walk through the door with the key to my chastity belt, and I’m definitely not looking for a boyfriend, either. As I listen to her prattle on about the party, I decide that I might as well go for it. Quick and painless—well as painless as possible. Now all I have to do is find the right, willing guy. On a campus of 20 thousand students, it shouldn’t be too hard. Hot and experienced, just like she said.
Remind me never to listen to Reese again.
