Chapter One

Sadie

The click of the front door opening woke me from a hazy dream about broad shoulders and a wide male chest. The kind of dream that turned my insides into mush. The fact that it centered around Jake Dawson might have had something to do with it.

It was Jeanie returning from an extended night out. Again. I reached over and turned on the bedside lamp.

"Damn," Jeanie muttered under her breath. "I didn't want to wake you. Sorry."

My sorority sister, roommate, and best friend this past two years, Jeanie Parkinson entered our room wearing a short slinky black dress. The same dress she'd been wearing when she left last night to go dancing. Her beautiful blond hair looked like it'd been through a washing machine and the porcelain white skin of her neck looked like it had been gently rubbed with sandpaper. Some guy in need of a shave obviously.

Shaking my head, I sat up and swung my legs onto the floor. "Again Jeanie, really? That makes the fourth time in the last three weeks."

We were so different. Where Jeanie was voluptuous and curvy, I was slim and athletic. She had blond hair and usually wore it down and in waves. I had auburn hair and wore it in an easy to manage ponytail. Jeanie was wild and fun loving. I was reserved and always in control. She had the guys eating out of her hand. If you believed her, other parts as well. While I was a nineteen-year-old virgin.

"I'm a college sophomore,” Jeanie said. “Use it while you got it. I always say."

"Yeah, but a different guy every time. Aren't you worried about getting a bad reputation?"

She laughed and glanced up at the ceiling. “What decade are we in again? Listen, Miss goody two shoes,” she replied with a frown. “I'm working hard for this bad reputation. I want to go through life being thought of as the wild and crazy chick. The kind of woman that virgins like you are secretly jealous of." With that, she pulled her panties out of her purse and tossed them into the laundry hamper. Giving me a look as if daring me to say something.

Flinching back, I bit my lip before I said something I shouldn't. Jeanie immediately looked contrite. "I'm sorry," she said. "I didn't mean to bite your head off. It's been a long night. A great night, but a long one."

"That's alright," I said with a shoulder shrug. “It's just that I worry about you. Sometimes I think you're addicted to sex."

"Ha," she said with a laugh.

"No, I'm serious. I bet you couldn't go a month without sex."

"I could if I wanted. But why would anyone want to do without sex."

I decided to let the matter drop. Things were never going to change. Jeanie stepped into the bathroom to change and then stepped back out in a light blue baby doll nighty

“Missed you last night,” I said. “The sorority had a meeting, planning next months’ Haunted House fundraiser.”

“Was Stacy mad I wasn’t there?” she asked.

I sat up in bed and grabbed my phone. It was still way too early for this conversation. But now that I was awake, I should really go for my morning run. “Not mad, Stacy is the president of the sorority for a reason, she is level-headed. But she did assign us the job of taking tickets.”

Jeannie shrugged. “Could be worse I guess. This Halloween haunted house is really all about the sexy costumes,” she said with a laugh.

I reached for my tennis shoes and sports bra, dressing quickly. Snorting I said, “And raising money for the children’s hospital, right?”

“Right,” she says quickly. “Sorry, my mind is all over the place.”

I smirked as I laced my shoes. “You sure, because it seems to be in one place pretty firmly.”

“It’s not my fault I love sex.”

“I never said it was a fault,” I rolled my eyes. “But honestly? I bet you couldn't go a month without sex."

"You already said that.”

I twisted my lips, reached for my earbuds. I can’t run without a playlist.

"You really think I couldn't go a month without sex. Don't you?" she said as she got into her bed.

"Yes, don't you?"

She was quiet for a moment. "What would you bet?"

"Huh?"

"You said, you'd bet I couldn't go a month without sex. What would you bet?"

"Uh, I don't know." This conversation had shifted. I hadn't really thought it through.

"I know,” she said with a wide smile. “If I go thirty days without sex then you have to give up your virginity. What's more, I get to pick the time and place."

"What?" This was not how I had planned on losing my virginity. I had always thought it would be with someone I had fallen in love with. Maybe after a year of dating. I knew I was old to still be a virgin, nineteen, but the idea of sex scared me. Not the physical part, the emotional part frightened me, making my stomach clench into a knot. Maybe doing it with some stranger would be better.

"You know you want to Sadie,” Jeanie said. “I’ve seen how you couldn’t stop from staring at the Gamma Gamma guys at their carwash last week. How a beautiful girl like you got this far without doing it I'll never know."

Not guys. Just one guy, Jake Dawson. The man was a walking Greek God. I tried to make light of it by laughing it off and said, "It doesn't really matter, there is no way you can go thirty days without sex,"

"Does that mean we have a bet?" she asked, her eyebrows rising in surprise.

I blanched. How did we ever get to this point? I should laugh it off but something inside of me couldn't let her win. "No sex means no vibrator, no oral sex. Nothing. Not even touching yourself in the shower."

Her face became red. She hadn't known I knew about her shower escapades, but I don't think she was aware of how loud she moaned when she got herself off.

"Okay," she said. "Just to make sure we agree. If I go thirty days without sex, you have to lose your virginity to a guy I pick."

My stomach turned over. This was getting serious. Could I go through with it if I lost? Something inside of me almost wished I would lose. The decision would be taken out of my hands. I could rationalize it. Not beat myself up about it. And, finally learn what the big deal was.

"I get right of refusal. I'm not doing it with some creep."

"Believe me, honey. I'll make sure you're satisfied."

My stomach clenched up again. I was sure Jeanie wouldn't make thirty days, but my lady parts became warm and wet thinking about the possibility.

“And it can’t be Jake Dawson,” I added in a half whisper.

Jeanie leaned up on her elbow and shot me a look of shock. “Now I know you are weird. The man is sexy as hell. A star athlete who gives up his chance at a professional baseball career, instead he chooses to go to med school. So, hot, intelligent, and a future doctor, and he’s not good enough for you?”

My insides turned over. How could I explain it to her? The man was everything I had ever dreamed of. But the thought of having him take my virginity then walk away like it meant nothing. No, the pain would be too much.

“It doesn’t matter why,” I said. “No Jake Dawson.”

She laughed and shook her head. “I’ll think about it.”

I swallowed hard and headed out the door for my morning run. Unfortunately, I knew I’d spend it fantasying about Jake Dawson.

.o0o.

My stomach twisted itself into knots when a month later, as Jeanie and I walked towards the mansion hosting the haunted house, Tonight was to be the night. She’d won the bet. Somehow, she’d surprised me and spent the last thirty days alone.

Now it was time to pay up. The thought was eating me up inside.

The cool autumn air and the sweet scents of fall made me almost smile as Jeanie and I walked down the tree-lined street. It reminded me how much I really did love this place. Or at least I did until tonight.

“Tell me again why I am dressed up this way?” I asked Jeanie as I looked down at my sexy Red Riding Hood costume. The bustier and low cut gown made my chest look big. Bigger than I had thought possible. The red velvet brushed against my skin, sending tantalizing shivers up and down my spine. All of it designed to make me feel aroused and succeeding very well.

Of course, knowing what was to happen that night might have had something to do with it.

Jeanie laughed. “It’s a haunted house, for charity no less. And don’t forget, we are here to see that you lose your virginity. The place is going to be filled with guys. The perfect opportunity. No backing out. I didn’t sacrifice for the last month, so you could change your mind. I can’t get those thirty days back. It meant passing on Trent Cheavers. Not something I like to do.”

I looked over at her. She had come as a Marilyn Munro. Blond hair up, pearls, super red lipstick and a killer golden evening gown that hugged her like a second skin. The woman exuded sex every time she breathed.

She was dead serious about me not backing out. It had been a major struggle for her to remain celibate for one month. Under no circumstances would she let me change my mind about our bet.

My insides turned over. Who would it be? How? Where? A thousand different thoughts danced through my head. And tomorrow? What would I think tomorrow? Shame, happiness? A desire for more? And how would it come about? Jeanie said she got to pick the guy. Did that mean she just walked up to him and asked him to come please take her friend’s virginity?

My cheeks grew warm thinking about the embarrassment. Some guy I hardly knew was going to know I was a virgin. Take me to some room, and …

Jeanie saw my hesitation and shook her head. “Hey listen, this is so much better than the back seat of a Camaro at the drive-in. Where the guy knows even less than you do. No. this way is better.”

I swallowed hard. A part of me believed her. I really did think it was time. And I’ve got to admit, I was way curious. Heaven knows I’d thought about it every day for the last six years or so. No, it was better this way. Jeanie would make sure it was someone I could trust. Someone who knew what he was doing. Besides. I could always walk away. No one was forcing me to go through with it, not really.

Taking a deep breath, I nodded, adjusted the small wicker basket I’d brought along to go with the outfit. Jeanie had smiled when she saw it then slipped a box of condoms under the apples and muffins.

“The important goodies,” she said with a wink.

Setting my chin, I pulled at my bodices to make sure everything was in place and followed her up the steps to the large mansion.

“There you are,” Stacy Baron said at the front door. “All the rooms are staffed. I need you guys to take tickets. Okay?”

Both Jeanie and I nodded. What else could we do?

“Let me take you on a quick tour so you can answer questions,” Stacy said as she led us into the house. “It starts here, weaves through the downstairs.” The place was draped with cobwebs and someone had set up a sound system with rattling chains, monster moans, and an occasional scream. My body shivered, and no one was jumping out.

As we walked through the house, I noticed several other girls scrambling around adding finishing touches. All of them in costumes. Everything from French Maids to Slutty nurses and Dragon Queens. Suddenly my outfit didn’t seem too risqué, in fact, it was almost chaste compared to the women around me, even with my boobs threatening to fall out at any moment.

 “Just tell everyone to stay inside the ropes,” Stacy said as she led us upstairs. “That room back there is not set up. It’s just a bedroom. “Be sure to knock first,” she added with a knowing smile.

I sighed heavily and glanced over at Jeanie, did people know about her plans for me tonight. She subtly shook her head, letting me know she hadn’t told anyone.

Once we were through with the tour, Stacy took us back down to the front and showed us how to take tickets and how to sell more.

“Don’t forget,” she said, “This is for charity, so no freebies.”

I started to tell her I understood, but she was already turning away. “Okay people. Places,” she yelled loud enough to be heard upstairs.

“Showtime,” Jeanie said as we got set up. “This is perfect. We will get to check out every guy as they go through.”

My insides turned over. This was getting very real, very fast.

One of the first guys through was a frat boy in an armored gladiator costume. He smiled at me as he handed over his ticket before going through.

Jeanie watched him go, admiring him before turning to me and raising an eyebrow.

“What? Him?” I asked, my heart had suddenly jumped into overdrive. This was ridiculous. Every part of me was telling me to run. To get out of there before I made a stupid mistake.

Jeanie’s brow softened for a moment. “Listen, Sadie, if you don’t want to do this. You don’t have to.”

I sighed heavily. “No, I do, but, give me a moment. Not the first guy who comes along.”

She smiled as she looked after the guy. “You sure? he’s got a great butt. And that whole gladiator thing. Come on, he could totally concur you.”

I rolled my eyes at her and turned away to let her know that I was changing the subject. My eyes roamed over the line of customers then my heart slammed to an instant halt.

There he was, in the back of the line. Jake Dawson, himself. Dressed in a Tux of all things. Why? I wondered. What was he supposed to be? Batman in civilian clothes, The billionaire from Fifty Shades of Gray? Possibly. He did have that dangerous air about him.

Or had he just come from some high society gala and decided to slum with the rest of us lower life forms.

Handsome, even more so in a tuxedo. Wide shoulders, and an air of confidence that just melted my insides.

My eyes locked onto him until I realized he was looking back. Staring straight into my soul. Piercing gray eyes. A wolf’s eyes, I thought. The kind to see you better. My mind was dancing around so many different thoughts it took me a moment to realize we were staring at each other.

My cheeks erupted into full red, not a pretty look with my red hair. I quickly turned away. He had seen me staring at him like a silly girl, flabbergasted to be in the same town as him. Oh, how attractive.

Jeanie saw my quick turn and white face. She looked over my shoulder to find what had scared me so much.

“Interesting,” she said with glee as both her eyebrows rose halfway to her hairline.

I looked back at her, giving her my most serious look. The one I saved for idiot professors and creepy library guys that wouldn’t leave me alone.

“Don’t you dare,” I told her.

She smiled sweetly as if butter wouldn’t melt in her mouth. “Who me?” she said, and I swore to myself that I would find a way to ruin her life.

“Don’t forget,” she continued. “I never agreed to your condition. Jake Dawson. Who knew you set your sights so high. No wonder you’ve been able to keep your legs closed all these years. Only someone as perfect as Jake Dawson can even think about breaching your fortress.”

I held my stare on her then said the one thing I thought might have some influence. “If you try to set me up with Jake Dawson. I will back out and your thirty days of sacrifice will have been for nothing.”

Her mouth dropped in mock surprise then she smiled and nodded. “Very well. But I’m not crossing him off my list. But we can see if someone else might do.”

My heart fell, I was almost willing to take on Mr. Gladiator to avoid the possibility of Jake Dawson taking my virginity. Under no circumstances could I allow Jake Dawson to make love to me tonight. I would spend the rest of my life regretting the fact that it only happened once.