Did you hear that?

It was like a chicka-chicka-chunk and then this heavy thump that shook the floor like something fell outside.

So my parents live in this nice house at the top of a hill overlooking the city lights. Real fancy, I know. Didn't always used to be this way, but back some time ago we inherited a bunch of money and some property from the great-great-grandfather I didn't know I had. And then, wham, here we were moving into this fancy estate atop the hill and Mom and Dad were out at a long list of charitable and social events and here I was in a new place with a new school and no friends but still feeling like the luckiest girl in the world--because look at this place. You should see the rooftop pool. 

That is, lucky until a moment ago.

Being all alone in a fancy mansion the size of five houses... Can you say, Echo?

"Hello?" I called, creeping towards the balcony that led off the glass door from my room. It was dark outside, so anyone out there would have been able to see in. We still hadn't got blinds for the window and it made me uncomfortable. 

I turned off the light in my room so I could see better. Then--oh my God. There was someone out there. Lying flat on his back on the deck was a black-haired guy.

"Holy. Crap."

I started to reach for my phone, then swiveled and flung open the door. Maybe it was just because he was pretty. I mean, I didn't think a face like that could be dangerous. The angles of his jaw and cheek bones caught in the glow of the distant streetlights, bare arms toned but--ah shoot, not only was he unconscious, he was bleeding.

"Hey. Hey, wake up," I said, shaking his shoulder. "Are you okay?"

When he didn't respond, I knelt to his face to see if he was breathing. That was when--

He snapped up so fast I didn't know what hit me until I realized his hands were on my shoulders and we'd reversed, the guy pushing me down against the balcony and pinning me there, holding me in place with his bodyweight.

Then his lips were on mine, a desperate kiss that deepened as he pulled me up against him. I could hardly believe what was happening. If it was a dream--well, it was a darn good one.

But it was over as soon as it began. He broke away, dropping me to the balcony deck.

Sitting, he blinked several times like he was waking up, ran a hand through his hair and shook it out. Finally he turned to me like he was noticing me for the first time and said, "What the hell just happened?"

I suppose this was the moment I probably should have mentioned something about the fact that he'd just kissed me like they do in the movies and, heck, I wouldn't mind going at it again, but I found that the words stuck in my throat as he picked himself up and I saw again how beautiful he was against the glow of the city. Inhumanly beautiful, as it were.

I was still trying to wrap my head around what had happened. I mean, I hadn't actually expected--I ran my fingers over my lips where a strange tingling hadn't yet subsided. The guy glanced down at me sitting on the deck and something passed behind his eyes, an unreadable darkness.

What was that look? It made my face burn. I didn't know if he remembered what had happened, but that was the moment I knew for sure there was no way I was about to tell him. Especially I wasn't gonna say--that was my first kiss.


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