Of all the irresponsible acts I’d ever committed, this had to be number one. Deflowering a virgin beneath her father’s roof. I couldn’t be sorry for what had transpired between us. I wasn’t lying to her when I’d told her how good the sex had been. I couldn’t remember being enclosed in such tightness, not even when I’d been in high school. Sex with Debra was like everything else about her. Perfect.

But she scrambled off the bed and I saw her wince. Her inner thigh was streaked with dried blood and I badly wanted to kiss her belly and tell her everything would be okay. I’d not been sure where things between us would lead but I couldn’t picture her out of my life now. Not after what we’d both just shared. Whether the feelings would develop into something more substantial and lasting or whether they would fritter away over time, I didn’t know. But here in this moment, I was struck with the possessive feeling that Debra Hoskins was mine.

And not even a very livid father could put a stop to that.

“What can I do to help?” I asked, getting out of bed as well. My cock also had flecks of her blood from me taking her virginity. I needed a shower as much as she needed one.

“Nothing,” she answered in agitation and walked towards the closet. I snagged her towards me into a hug and she squirmed.

“Not now, Lucas. I’ve got to go talk to my dad.”

“It’s probably best to take a shower first,” I responded, letting her go. She reached the closet and pulled out fresh bed linens as well as two towels. She threw one at me and wrapped one around her body like a sarong.

“I know, but I’ve got to…” she trailed off at the slamming of what had to be the front door. Her shoulders slumped and she looked about ready to cry.

“Baby, it’s going to be okay,” I told her. “It was probably wrong for us to have sex under your father’s roof and hopefully, he can forgive us for it, but it’s done. We just have to try to fix it.”

“How?” she asked, scrubbing at her eyes in frustration. “I don’t know what’s going through his mind and that’s the upsetting thing. We’ve never had to deal with situations like this before. Hell, I’d never even talked to him about liking a boy. Now, he comes home and he sees this. There was no easing into it. It was too much at once.”

“Well, you’re adult,” I reminded her. “He must know there would be a guy you would sleep with at one point or another.”

“I don’t expect you to understand,” she cried, her frustration leading to anger. “You grew up in a society where this sort of thing happens. Just fuck the willing girl and be done with it. Where we are, it’s different. We have different values.”

Her words hurt. She spoke out of anger but they hurt nonetheless.

“Is that what you think this is?” I demanded. “Just a fuck with you and be done with it.”

She shrugged and toed the rug. “Maybe.”

I worked hard at controlling my anger, not wanting to add more to the stress of the moment. “I think we should avoid this argument and go take a shower,” I suggested but couldn’t resist adding, “because you’re talking a whole lot of bullshit right now.”

I found it ridiculous that she wanted us to use separate showers after what we’d just done but given the situation, I conceded. She opted to use her father’s bathroom while I used hers. Like the rest of her house, the bathroom was basic. Painted in a bright peach color, she had a shower, no bath, a toilet and a vanity sink with a mirror over it, and a medicine cabinet. Her bathroom organizer contained potpourri and several Bath & Bodyworks products.

I turned on the hot water and had to wait a while for the shower to run hot to get started. Seeing the flecks of her blood again reminded me of the severity of this moment. Although I dreaded it, it was a good idea to confront her father about what had happened in his house today. I didn’t expect the man to be thrilled to find me in bed with his daughter. What father would? Worse, he didn’t have any idea about me. Would he ask my intentions towards his daughter? Because I didn’t have that answer.

I only knew I didn’t want to lose her. I had a fierce protective instinct toward her, but so did her dad based on the way she spoke about him. God, what a fucking mess. Why hadn’t I gone to the hotel as planned and then we could have made love there. I could have made it more romantic at the hotel. There was nothing like a dad walking in to ruin the moment. Hopefully, I wouldn’t be winding up with a gun pointed between my eyes.

I shut the hot water off, aware that out of cowardice, I’d spend more time than necessary in the bathroom. The minute I did, I heard the loud argument. Shit. A man still didn’t load his gun if he caught his daughter having sex, did he?

I towel-dried my body and slipped my hands into the robe Debra had provided me. I cracked the door and their voices wafted through the house.

“…was disrespectful,” came the masculine voice booming through the house.

“I know and I’m sorry,” Debra replied remorsefully. “Dad, believe me, I didn’t plan for this to happen. He flew me down here from Denver and I thought it better for him to stay here rather than a hotel.”

“And you felt the need to sleep with him out of gratitude?”

“No! Oh, Dad, I don’t know how to talk to you about any of this. We’ve never had to discuss it before. It’s just that things happen.”

“Look, Debra, if you want to go to a hotel with your rich friend instead of staying here, then go.”

“Why would I do that? We always spend Christmas together. Besides, I didn’t say he was rich.”

“You didn’t have to. I saw the car parked out front. And you just said he flew you down here. I guess the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree, after all. You’re indeed your mother’s daughter. I knew you were up to something the minute you decided Pagosa Springs wasn’t good enough for you anymore and wanted to go to Denver.”

“Dad, you’re not being fair.” I could hear her heartbroken tone and I walked in the direction of the guestroom to get dressed and lend her my support. They seemed to be in the kitchen and I left the door ajar so I could hear the rest of their conversation. I was curious as to what her father meant about her being just like her mother.

“How am I being unfair?” her father insisted. “Your mother was a gold-digging, opportunistic bitch who ran off with the first wealthy man she happened across.”

It all made sense now. Debra had warned me not to mention her mother in the presence of her father. Why would the man think his daughter was about the same business as her mother? The thought alarmed me. Was that what she had done? To use her virginity to try to trap me?

I got cold on the inside. She’d certainly warmed up to me quickly enough. Sure, she had been an innocent, but I for one knew it didn’t take much more than the flash of the green paper and women sang a different tune. She’d turned down my invitation at first, then her car had died and she’d caved in. And to think of the Christmas surprises I had for her. I had bought her a new car which was ready for her when she got back on campus. I hadn’t given it to her before because she wouldn’t have had any reason to spend Christmas with me if she didn’t need me to drive her.

Was this what she was hoping for? She was poor and I could give her the monetary things she needed. Was that what her virginity was worth? Monetary gifts in return? I felt nauseous at the idea. Many girls did it. I’d put her on a pedestal, though, thinking her different, honest.

I thought about how eager she had been to have sex an hour ago. For a virgin, she hadn’t hesitated any at all, had insisted we had sex when I had tried to stop us. And while I’d hurt her in taking her virginity, she’d practically begged me that she didn’t want me to stop although by her scream, I’d hurt her plenty. Had this all been a scheme to get her father to catch us in bed together?

I was confused by all these questions and so caught up in my own mind that I drowned out their argument still ensuing. What her dad said stuck in my mind. You’re indeed your mother’s daughter. Was that what had motivated her to go along with this? To take advantage of the opportunities I’d created for her to do so with my gullibility. How could I have been so foolish to believe the best of her? I already knew what women were like. All my step-mothers were just like her mother and her. Gold diggers and opportunists, and she’d used her innocence to weave me into a web. I’d made the colossal mistake to think that because she seemed different, she wouldn’t see an opportunity when it faced her.

My knees buckled under me and I sat heavily on the bed where we had just made love. Where I’d thought we created something beautiful. A relationship worth keeping this time instead of always on the quest for something else. Where we’d had unprotected sex.

Of all the stupid things I’d done! I was a connoisseur when it came to sex. I never forgot to use protection, even when the woman in question professed to be on the pill. I always used a condom. There was nothing I feared more than having a baby of my seed born to be used as a pawn to force child’s support out of me. I’d seen my father’s ex-wives who had children for him do this. They sat very pretty with all the child support checks rolling in.

Had Debra just secured her meal ticket?

I hastily dragged on the same clothes I wore earlier and grabbed my bag. I walked in the direction of the kitchen where I’d last heard the angry voice. I was relieved to find she was alone, sitting at the table crying. My heart clenched and I knew I had been falling for her. Like a damn fool.

“I’m going,” I announced, not venturing from the entrance of the kitchen. She looked up at me and I saw the disappointment in her eyes. Disappointment her plan hadn’t worked?

“You don’t have to go,” she responded, getting to her feet to approach me. I fought hard not to step back but the closer she got, the more emotions assailed me. Desire. Betrayal. Hurt. Anger.

“It was a big mistake coming here,” I returned passively. “The jet is supposed to be back to pick us up on Friday. Since that was the original plan, I’ll still send the pilot for you. Be there at nine or he’ll leave without you. I’ll also have your car ready for you when you get back on campus.”

Her face paled. “Where are you going?”

“Where I should have gone had you not manipulated me to bring you here. Aspen.”

She gasped. “Manipulated you? You’re the one who volunteered. I told you to just give me my car back. Why are you behaving this way?”

“I dislike gold-diggers, opportunists, and liars,” I retorted, barely reigning in my anger. “If you were hankering for money, you could have simply asked without sacrificing your precious virginity. Then you could have saved it for the next rich bloke who catches your fancy.”

“I don’t know why you’re saying all this Lucas. You know I’m not after your money.”

I stared at her distastefully. I hated that although I wanted to shake her, I also wanted to kiss her.

“If you don’t want my money, you’ll ensure you take the emergency contraceptive pill,” I told her and for good measure, reached for my wallet and plunked out a wad of hundred dollar bills I didn’t bother to count. “Just in case you want to use the excuse you don’t have the money to get one, this should be enough to pay for it and pay you for your services.”

“You bastard!” Her hand swung towards my face but I caught it and held it tightly before dropping it, remembering how our fingers had interlocked and gripped each other’s while we were in the throes of passion.

“I’ll tell you right now, Debra,” I said through clenched teeth. “I’ll fight you every step of the way if a kid comes out of this and you try to get child support. There, I’m giving you enough money to take care of it before the problem happens.”

I flung the money on the table and started to walk out the kitchen. But I couldn’t leave without one taste of her. Although her betrayal cut me open, I still wanted her. I grabbed her none too gently and took her lips angrily between mine. She started fighting me before she melted against my chest, her hands gripping my shoulders for support as I kissed her hard. I had a good mind to throw her on the table and sink my cock into her one last time. I pulled away from her to banish the thought.

I wasn’t going to get suckered again.

“One last kiss for the road.” I grinned maliciously at her and walked out the kitchen. I would always remember the way I’d left her standing there, her lips bruised from my harsh kisses and her face deathly pale.