Free Forsaking Truth by Lydia Michaels Page B

legs

shut.”
    “Ew! Please stop

talking now.”
    They were silent for a

moment. God, was Sheilagh having

sex already? “Do you know what an STD looks like? You should look it up on the

internet.”
    “Wh at?”
    He couldn’t stop

thinking about his little sister having sex and he needed to make sure she

didn’t. Ever. “Then there’s pregnancy. After that your life and dreams come

second and your body’s never the same.”
    She scoffed. “And you

know this because you ’ve carried how many babies to

term? Jesus, Luke, I thought we could talk about this seriously. I should have

gone to Kelly.”
    “Do not get dating advice from

Kelly.” That would be a huge mistake. Kelly slept with anything female. Yeah,

sort of like you’ve b een doing. Damn it! He gritted his teeth. “Fine. We

can talk about this. What do you want to know?”
    “Really?”
    “Yes, but keep it PG.”
    “What do guys find

attractive in women?”
    “Brains.”
    “Luke!”
    “I’m serious.

Intelligence is the greatest turn on. Nothing’s sexier than a smart girl. A

smart virgin girl.”
    “I’ll ignore that last

comment. What physical traits do guys find sexy?”
    He let out a slow

rumbling breath. “A smile is usually the first thing I notice. If a girl’s frowning I tend to think she’s a bitch.”
    “Maybe she’s just

sad.”
    “Maybe.”
    “What else?” she

asked.
    He thought for a

minute. What did he find sexy? Broad shoulders, toned arms, capable calloused

hands. Fuck. “Boobs.”
    Sheilagh frowned, her chin dipped as she peeked down her blouse. “Do you think a

certain color hair is pretty?”
    Yes. Brown hair with

sun bleached highlights, long, down to the shoulders, and tied back so he could

see the hard line of Tristan’s jaw and every flex of his throat. “Hair’s hair.”
    “Do you think red hair

is ugly?”
    He scowled and faced

his sister then turned his focus back to the road. “No, I don’t think red hair

is ugly. What the fuck, Shei? Every woman in my family is practically a red

head and I think they’re all beautiful. Who’s putting

this shit in your head?”
    “No one. I’m trying to

figure out why no one sees me.”
    “Maybe they see too

much of you. Try reeling it in a bit.”
    “I have been. I hate

that I’m always the loud one. I’ve been trying to act a little more…cla ssy.”
    “Well, classy might be

pushing it. You are, after all, a McCullough. Just be yourself and when the

right guy notices you, it’ll be because who you’re naturally attractive to him.

No one wants to be in a relationship with someone fake.”
    “Do you think age matters?”
    He was grateful they

were almost home, but he slowed down, because that was a question that needed

his full attention. “How old?”
    She shrugged. “It’s

just a question.” She was lying. She had her eye on someone older.
    “You aren’t an adult

yet. It’s statutory rape for a man to be with you.”
    She rolled her eyes.

“It was just a question, Luke.”
    “Bullshit. How old?”
    “Just a few years. It

doesn’t matter anyway. At the pace he’s moving, it’ll take him eight months to

get there. By then I’ll be an adu lt.”
    “No one’s moving

anywhere. Especially not some old clown after your V card.”
    “How do you know that

card’s not punched?”
    He growled. “Not

funny, Sheilagh.”
    She snickered. “It’s a

little funny.”
    “Jesus. Just...don’t

rush into anything.”
    He pulled up in front of his parents’ house and she hopped out. “I won’t.

Thanks for talking to me, Luke.”
    He hesitated. He

didn’t want to suffocate her or himself, but this was his baby sister.

“Sheilagh, if you ever need anything, even if it’ll make me mad to hear about it, you know you can count on me.”
    She smiled and he felt

like the biggest prick in the world. Whatever he’d just said, he meant, but it

seemed like his little sister had been waiting a lifetime for