I shuddered to myself.

Wasn’t there a better term for it? Like, “Hosting a V-Pageant Celebration?” I mean, “Turning in your V-card” was about as romantic as “Winning the Megafucks V-stakes Sweepstakes Giveaway.”

I shook my head, trying to clear that nasty thought. The next thing I knew, I was imagining Christos and I naked in bed together in a more traditionally romantic fashion. My heart accelerated and my entire body flushed with electric heat. I wanted to fan myself, but opted instead for blinking away my steamy fantasy. No need to call more attention to myself.

So why was the gang grinning and staring at me? Were they reading my mind, or what?

Normally, I indulged in my bedroom fantasies about Christos privately. Not with my best friends scrutinizing me with expectant smiles. They may as well have been surrounding my bed while Christos and I finally did the deed.

I suddenly pictured Romeo holding up a scorecard like a figure-skating judge when Christos and I shared our first mutual orgasm. He would say, “Was it good for you two? Because I know it was good for me!”

I grimaced.

“What?” Christos asked innocently.

I choked out a laugh. “Oh, you so don’t want to know.”

“Oh, we so do,” Romeo chided.

He would. All eyes were still on me. I desperately needed a distraction. Now would’ve been the opportune moment for our yacht to hit an iceberg. Unfortunately the waters off the coast of San Diego were generally iceberg free, from what I understood.

“It’s almost midnight, you guys!” Tiffany cheered. “Get ready for the countdown!”

For the first time since I’d met her, I could honestly say to myself, thank god for Tiffany.

“Ten, nine, eight…” Tiffany started.

The crowd joined in.

“Seven, six,…” everyone chorused.

I glanced up at Christos. The warmth in his eyes wrapped around me as he pulled me into his rock hard chest.

“Five, four…”

Christos leaned down, his lips loose and plump, about to kiss me…

“Three, two, one…”

The universe disappeared as our lips met and we plunged into each other. Heightened by the moment, it was possibly the most intense kiss I’d ever experienced.

“Happy New Year!!!” everyone shouted. The horns and whistles blew, the noisemakers clacked, and the champagne-poppers popped and shot confetti around the room, all while balloons burst and the entire room cheered in 2014.

I was nearly lost to the sounds around me as Christos deepened our kiss, submerging me in an ocean of love. He consumed me, taking my soul into his. I let him devour me entirely with his lips. I gave all of myself to that kiss, and he felt it. His hunger for me was palpable. His tongue teased the tip of mine. My heart raced and my pulse pounded from my head to my toes. I ran a hand down the thin sweater material covering Christos’ rippled abs. I grabbed his belt and pulled him toward me. I wanted him. Right now.

His tongue slid deeper into my mouth.

Oh my goodness…

Oh my Christos…

The fact that I felt a bulge in his jeans pressing into my taut stomach may have had something to do with my intense desire. Heedless of the chaotic crowd around me, I was coaxed by sudden lust to release my grip on his belt and slide my fingers down between his washboard abs and his pants while we continued our kiss.

Although our passionate kiss nearly held my full attention, something else tugged at my awareness. My fingers were now officially submerged in uncharted waters. My hands had never been this close to Christos’…

The signals tingling through my fingertips were like sonar messages that sent hazy mental images to my brain. My hand dove deeper and I caressed my fingers along a rigid velvet submersible.

Oh.

I wasn’t at all prepared for it.

Apparently, neither was Christos. He spasmed and sucked in a hissing breath, but our lips remained locked.

A distinct visual impression penetrated my brain, igniting my core with desire.

In a word: massive.

Not that I had much experience in this department. Beyond my recent but brief brushes with fate and Christos’ manhood, my only frame of reference in the touching department had been picking out mammoth bananas or ripened cucumbers at the grocery store, or maybe squirreling up tree trunks as a little girl, because that was how huge he seemed to me.

I giggled to myself, realizing that sandwiched in the middle of the word cucumber was the word cum. Whoa! I was turning into a female Romeo!

I withdrew my hand from Christos’ pants with exquisite slowness, sliding it back up the bottom of his chiseled eight-pack. His feathery hair down there tickled my fingertips. That sensation alone caused my entire body to quiver in Christos’ arms.

After my pleasant shudder passed, I peered up into his ravenous eyes. I was so ready for him to devour me…

But we were on Tiffany’s yacht, surrounded by revelry and my closest friends. My V-card would have to wait. I reluctantly broke off our kiss and snuggled my cheek into his chest. I slid my hands around his waist and caressed his back. “I love you,” I whispered. I was sure my words were lost in the din of everyone’s shouts and all the strident noisemakers.

Christos kissed the top of my head. “I love you too,” Christos whispered. “Happy New Year, agápi mou.”

I stared up into his loving eyes.

“Did you make a New Year’s resolution?” he asked.

“Yeah,” I said quietly.

“Care to share?”

I squinched up my face timidly. “Not at the moment?”

“Aww, come on. Just a tease? I’m dying to know.”

“Let’s just say…” I grinned, “…it has something to do with hosting a pageant.”

Christos’ smile widened and his dimples appeared.

I stood on my tiptoes and licked one dimple, then the other, before pecking him softly on the lips.

I was desperately in love with this man.

I sighed contently. This was the best New Year’s Eve I’d ever had. Nothing could ruin it.

My 2014 was going to rock, I was certain of it.

I was so swept away by the moment, I almost completely missed the double-dagger glare Tiffany was giving me.

SAMANTHA

The New Year’s celebrations were in full swing.

It turned out there were audio speakers hidden all over Tiffany’s yacht, so when someone cranked up the party mix tunes, every flat surface on the ship became an impromptu dance floor.

Christos and I were on the wooden deck on the top floor of the boat, dancing like lunatics, laughing and gyrating under the moon and stars.

Romeo and Kamiko climbed the stairs, drinks in hand, and danced next to us.

“You guys are so cute together,” I said to them sarcastically.

“Too bad it feels like dancing with my sister,” Kamiko joked.

Romeo planted a big fat sloppy kiss on Kamiko’s cheek. “I’m the big sister you wish you had, dearest.”

“Gross! You kiss like a fish!” Kamiko cried. “Aren’t there any available gentlemen on this boat?”

“Here comes one now,” Romeo mumbled as Brandon walked up the stairs. “Where’s your date, Brandon?” Romeo asked suggestively.

Brandon chuckled. “I came stag.”

Romeo leaned over to me and whispered, “I’d love to bag his stag. It is rutting season, isn’t it?”

I giggled into the back of my hand.

“Here,” Romeo said, “I’ll let you dance with my date.” Romeo grabbed Brandon by the hand and practically threw Kamiko into his arms.

“Romeo!” Kamiko blurted, tripping over her heels. Her dress spun as Brandon caught her and twirled her smoothly, swing style.

“Do you mind if I have this dance?” Brandon asked without missing a beat.

“Uhhh…” Kamiko was wide-eyed with embarrassed excitement.

Brandon led while Kamiko fell into step with him. They were actually quite good together, although Brandon towered over her.

Kamiko flashed me and Romeo a look of stark disbelief. She silently mouthed the words, “I can’t believe I’m dancing with Brandon!”