Letting My Brother's Best Friend Take My V-Card

PART 6- CHAPTER 195 JESS

By the end of the night, the art exhibition had transformed into a bit of a blur, a dazzle of colors, chatter and too

many glasses of champagne, courtesy of Laura and her charming determination to lift my spirits. We'd been

laughing our way through the last gallery room wher a tall, dark-haired Frenchman who seemed to radiate that

effortless Parisian confidence, his smile subtle and warm, his laugh low and lingering.

"Enchanté," he murmured when Laura nudged me, his eyes holding mine a bit longer than seemed polite. His

English was thick, with a French accent. He'd said something that madelaugh, something witty enough that |

didn't hesitate when he offeredhis arm and a Now, as we stumbled up the winding, dimly lit staircase to

Laura's apartment, we tripped on the final stair, collapsing against each other with laughter and shushed voices,

a tangle of hands and dizzy,

shared glances. He leaned into me, his breath warm on my cheek, his hand drifting to the small of my back as |

fumbled for my key, his lips a mere inch from mine.

He chuckled, the sound low and smooth. "You are... charmingly terrible at this," he teased, his fingers brushing

mine as he took the key from my hand and tried it himself. For a second, | allowed myself to fall into hist gaze,

an intoxicating blend of amusement and attraction close, and the champagne made everything feel just a bit

more surreal.

The door finally gave way, and we tumbled inside, bumping into the wall with giggles that we tried to quiet but

couldn't quite manage. His hands lingered at my hips as he steadied me, then leaned in, his lips a whisper PART

& CHAPTER 195

away from mine. A flicker of nerves ran through me, and my instinct kicked in-I tilted my head away, laughing it

off, making it seem casual even though my heart thudded in my chest. | needed a second. A breath. "Wait," |

said with a smirk, making my way to the kitchen. "First, drinks."

| could feel his curious gaze onas | grabbed a bottle of wine and poured a glass. The room felt too quiet and

loaded with expectations, and | could feel an unsettling hesitation.

His eyes tracked my every movement, studyingwith a slight tilt of his head. The idea that | was really here,

really about to do this, settled heavily in my mind.

| took a long sip, then another, letting the warmth of the wine push back the memories that kept clawing their

way to the surface. Luke. It was like his ghost was haunting every corner of this city, lingering in every shadow,

every familiar place where | felt just a bit too much li He was woven into every memory, his smirk, his laughter,

the way his touch could set my skin on fire with a single brush. It was like trying to scrub ink from my skin, and

no matter how much I drank or how hard | tried, | couldn't seem to erase him. But tonight, I'd finally had enough.

Tonight, I'd drown him out. Tonight, I'd bury him with a memory of my own making. | glanced over at the

Frenchman-Marc, maybe?-his gaze

was warm. a

there was a spark of interest and something else in his eyes. He was here, ready, and he was nothing like Luke,

which was exactly what | needed. He was patient, givingthe space to make up my mind, and he didn't know

my past, didn't cwith the baggage that seemed to trail my every thought back home.

With one last sip of wine, | felt the courage settle inside me, a simmering decision that tonight, | would do this. |

was going to erase Luke, no

PART & CHAPTER 195

matter how hard it was. So | set my glass down, crossed the room, and closed the distance between us in one

breathless moment, my lips finding his before I could even second-guess myself.

He was surprised at first, his breath catching, but then he responded, hist hands finding my waist, pulling me

close in a way that was both careful and confident. His kiss

was warm and gentle at first but quickly gained momentum as he deepened it, drawingin with a kind of

practiced grace. His fingers traced along my back, his touch firm and steady, groundingin the moment,

chasing away the ghosts lurking in my mind's edges.

I leaned into him, trying to lose myself in the sensation, the unfamiliar thrill of being with someone new,

someone who didn't know my history, didn't know my heart. My fingers tangled in his hair, and | let myself forget

for a moment, shutting out the lingering ache that seThis is what | need, | told myself as he pressed me

back against the wall, his hands anchoring me, his kiss consuming.

But as his lips trailed down my

jawline, somethin Sey ickers din

fad The way he held me-so

practiced, so smooth-it The content

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didn't have the wild, maddening spark

|

I'd once known, that srush that

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Luke's presence seemed to ignite

without even trying (] wasateady,

cin, ndthiAg like the raw, jagged

feeling | craved. | tried to shove that

: |

thought away, tried to let Marc's

warmth envelop me, t But in that dim

room, with the lingering taste of wine

on my tongue, | knew | was chasing a

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feeling that wasn't there. The content

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relief washed pyer| ife( Dadra = The

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