by Dean, Ali
Jared stopped walking suddenly, and turned to me, holding the straps of his backpack. “So…if not Dominic, is there anyone in particular you’re hoping will kiss you?”
I sucked in a breath. When had all the air left my lungs? And, why was it so freaking hot all of a sudden? Was the air conditioner busted? Oh, man. Jared’s eyes were so gorgeous. Had they always been such a beautiful shade?
“Um…” Don’t look at his lips, Cassie. Don’t you dare look at his lips. “I don’t…”
Crap! I’m looking at his lips!
“Excuse me, uh, Cassie? Cassie Caldwell?”
The interruption startled me so badly that I jumped sky-freaking-high and let out a squeak. The kid who’d tried to get my attention flinched. He was a short pudgy kid with a head of out of control curls and a ton of freckles. His pale skin was bright red in splotchy patches all the way up his neck into his face and to the tips of his ears. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to startle you.”
The poor kid looked so terrified, it was impossible not to take pity on him. “It’s okay. I just didn’t notice you walk up.” Because I’d been fantasizing about kissing Jared Clayton… “Yeah, I’m Cassie. What’s up? What can I do for you?”
His face paled and he looked at his shoes. “Um…well…I’m sorry to bother you…it’s just…that guy over there stole my backpack, and said he’d lock me in the girl’s locker room in my underwear if I didn’t come tell you that he’ll only give my backpack to you for a kiss.”
“What?” Unbelievable.
“What guy?” Jared asked. “Where?”
Shocked by the steel in Jared’s voice, my head whipped towards him. Jared’s so relaxed and easy-going all the time, but he sounded like he could murder someone right now. He looked it, too. His eyes were blazing with anger, and he was gripping the straps of his backpack with white knuckles.
The kid swallowed audibly, and pointed toward the cafeteria. Following his gaze I was prepared to see some total creep. Instead I saw my friends. Eli, Dom, and Kolby were standing near the cafeteria doors watching me. Kolby was looking mighty proud of himself, dangling a backpack in the air.
When Jared took a step Kolby’s direction, I grabbed his arm. “Don’t.” I gave him my best reassuring smile. “I’ve got this. I promise.”
“You sure?”
“Yeah. I can handle that idiot.”
When Jared relaxed, I smiled at the poor freshman Kolby was torturing. “What’s your name?”
“David Abrahams.”
“It’s nice to meet you, David. I’m sorry that you got dragged into my drama. We’ll fix it. First of all, Kolby Sanderson is all talk. You understand? He’s more likely to get himself locked in the girl’s locker room than lock anyone else in there. And, if anyone ever tries anything like that to you—especially him—you come and find me. I’ll take care of them for you. K? I’ve got your back from now on.” As the kid’s eyes widened in disbelief, Jared threw his arm around my shoulder and said, “Me too.”
He was as serious as me. I could see it in his eyes that he would watch out for the kid for the rest of the year. What a sweetheart.
I shook my head to focus it. Now was not the time to swoon. “Second of all,” I said, “let’s go get your backpack.”
I stomped over to my friends. Eli and Dominic were trying so hard not to laugh that their faces had to hurt from the effort. Kolby gave me a huge grin.
“Douche move, Sanderson. Douche move.”
“Oh, come on. I was just messing with the kid. It was all in good fun. I wouldn’t really do anything to him; you know that. And he can have his bag back right now.” He shook David’s bag again. “All you have to do is kiss me. I’ll trade you the bag for kiss number six.”
“No way. The bag, or I’ll kick you in the junk.”
His eyes narrowed as he considered my threat. After a moment, he decided I wouldn’t do it and shook his head. “No, you won’t. Come on, Cassie. A kiss for the bag.” His smile turned smug, and he pointed at my new friend. “I’ll even give you a choice. Him or me.”
He thought he had me because David wasn’t exactly a hottie, and Kolby was completely shallow like that. But he’d actually just given me the perfect out. “Fine.”
I turned to David and pressed my lips firmly to his. Jared, Eli, and Dominic burst into roaring laughter, and I plucked the backpack from Kolby’s fingers. “Nice try, Sanderson. Maybe next time. And, if you torture anymore innocent people in pursuit of my lips, I won’t kick you in the junk, I’ll take it out with a paintball gun. Ask Ben what that’s like.”
All the guys winced at the memory. “Be afraid, Sanderson,” Jared said. “Ben couldn’t walk for a week.”
David was so red-faced now that I was pretty sure he’d stay that way for the rest of the day. “Sorry, again.” I handed him his bag.
Despite the blush, David stared at me with a sense of hero worship. “T-thanks C-C-Cassie.”
Aw, he was kind of a cutie. I grinned at him. “No, thank you. You saved me having to kiss that idiot.”
His blush turned impossibly deeper. It was nearly purple. Unable to speak any longer, he nodded and scampered off down the hall, practically running to his next class.
A heavy hand clamped down on my shoulder. “That was pretty cool of you, Cassie,” Dom said, as we watched David disappear around a corner. “The lucky little jerk.”
Dom gave me a pointed look.
“Oh, good grief!” I was getting tired of this game. “Fine! Kiss me if it’ll make you shut up already.”
The words had barely escaped me when I was swept into his arms and dipped far back. He grinned down at me, enjoying my look of shock. “Don’t mind if I do,” he teased, and lowered his face to mine.
I expected something close to the passionate display I’d gotten from Wyatt on stage earlier, but Dom surprised me, taking a softer approach. He was gentle with me, but firm as well. He kissed with confidence and, when he nudged my lips open, I followed his lead instinctively. Then I felt his tongue and the kiss reached a new level of intensity. My head swam, my arms wrapped around his neck, and he lifted me out of the dip, pulling me tight against him. I’ve never been a big fan of France, but I’ll never knock their kissing techniques. Dude. This one was every bit as good as Asher’s kiss.
A stern voice snapped me out of the moment. “That’s enough. Break it up.”
We pulled apart, gasping for breath, and turned to the teacher frowning at us. I didn’t know him, and he was already writing out detention slips. “No more inappropriate displays of affection, you two. Detention is right after school in the theater.”
I sighed as the teacher walked away, leaving Dom and me with one last disapproving frown. Dom turned to me with a smug smile. “I told you it’d be hot.”
There was no denying that, so I nodded, accepting the truth. “Definitely hot.” Then I smacked his arm. “You got us detention.”
“Worth it. Besides, detention could be really fun now.”
Dom wriggled his eyebrows at me, grinning wickedly. I groaned and shoved him. “Stop. Don’t make it weird.”
Laughing, he slid his arm around my waist. “Happy birthday, Cass. Lunch is on me today.”
“Sweet. I want pizza.”
“You got it.” He plopped a quick kiss on my head, then disappeared into the cafeteria.
As soon as he left, another arm fell around my shoulders. Eli propelled me forward into the cafeteria. The look he shot me both annoyed me and made me blush. “So, you and Dom, huh?”
“No.”
“You sure? Because it really looked like you guys—”
“We’re just friends.”
“Does Dominic know that?” Jared muttered behind me.
I was so embarrassed that I lost my temper and glared over my shoulder. “We’re just friends.”
I felt bad for snapping at Jared until he held his hands up in surrender and laughed. “All right, Little Cass. All right. Believe me, I’m not complaining about that.�
�
I stumbled to a stop, cheeks flaming and eyes popping out of my head. That was flirting. Blatant flirting. Seeing my shock, Jared laughed again. “I’ll see you after school,” he said, and left me with a parting wink.
As I stood there, watching him stride confidently across the cafeteria to his normal seat with my brother and their senior friends, Eli let out a low whistle. “So…definitely not Dom, then.”
My shoulders hunched. The embarrassment was never-ending today. “Shut up, Eli.”
Eli laughed. “It’s cool, Cass. He’s an all right guy.”
I was so surprised by Eli’s easy acceptance that I forgot to deny his accusation. Or maybe I didn’t deny it because I didn’t want to. Then again, maybe I was just too shocked by this whole situation, and I simply couldn’t keep up anymore.
“How come he didn’t kiss you? You already reach sixteen?”
I didn’t realize Eli was talking again until he elbowed me. “What?” I asked.
“Jared,” He said. “The guy’s clearly interested. How come he hasn’t kissed you? He’s got the perfect excuse. Unless you already got all sixteen of your kisses.”
He hadn’t kissed me because I’d been an idiot and told him no when he’d offered. Not that I was going to explain that to Eli. I shook my head. “Dom makes seven.”
“Seven.” Eli nodded. “Not bad. All that kissing worked up an appetite yet?”
Grateful for the change in subject, I flashed Eli a wide grin. “I’m starving. Dom’s getting me birthday pizza.”
Eli’s jaw dropped. “What? I said I was going to buy you lunch for your birthday! That jerk stole my idea!”
“Nice.” That was so Dom. I felt bad for Eli, though, so I said, “Well, there’s still the chocolate pudding to think of. I can’t have birthday pizza without chocolate pudding.”
Eli laughed. “Very true. Birthday pizza without cafeteria pudding would be a tragedy. I’m on it, birthday girl.”
Aw, my friends were seriously the coolest. “Awesome. Thanks.”
“You’re welcome.”
Before taking off for the lunch line, he surprised me with a quick peck to my lips even though he’d told me earlier he wasn’t interested. At my questioning look, he shrugged. “Couldn’t resist. Halfway there, Cass. Happy birthday.”
Chapter 6
Half my lunch break was gone and I had detention, but I had free lunch and was surrounded by the best friends in the world. Life was good. Still, as I sat there joking with my friends about my crazy day, my attention kept drifting across the cafeteria to Jared. I was surprisingly disappointed that he hadn’t joined me for lunch even though he’d never sat with me at lunch before.
I pulled my gaze away from him, and back to my food, when a chocolate Hostess cupcake on a napkin was placed in front of me. Kolby, who was sitting directly across the long rectangular lunch table from me, was still pouting, but gave me a grudging smile and said, “You can’t have a birthday lunch from your friends without cake. And because you’re the coolest friend I have…”
Kolby stuffed a candle in the top of the cupcake, and lit it with a lighter. I was shocked. Lighters were big time no-nos at our school. Seeing my surprise, Kolby’s pout turned into a real smile and he said, “I’ll even risk suspension so that you can make a wish.”
As he lit the candle, my chest tightened up. Seriously, it was a stupid vending machine cupcake and I was about to cry over it. Selena, on my left, and Victoria, on my right, both put their arms around me and led our group in the Happy Birthday song. When they finished and it was time to make my wish, my eyes flicked across the room again. Jared was already looking my direction, and caught me glancing his way.
I was so busted. Jared totally knew what I was thinking. I knew he did, because his lips quirked up into the tiniest, almost secretive smile. Blushing, I quickly looked back to my cupcake and blew out my candle. My wish didn’t change, even though Jared knew exactly what it was.
Everyone cheered, and I was turned into a Cassie sandwich as Selena and Victoria each kissed me on my cheeks. “That’s nine and ten!” Rylin said. “Only six more to go.”
As I waited out my best friends’ sloppy cheek kisses, I met Kolby’s eyes across the table. He stuck his bottom lip out and gave me the most pathetic puppy-dog eyes I’ve ever seen.
I cracked. The poor guy. I’d been so mean to him all day, and he’d turned around and risked suspension for me. I loved the moron. I truly did. I had no desire to kiss him, but he’d earned it. “Oh, all right. You win, you big baby. Kiss me.”
I stood up and leaned over the table, puckering my lips. Kolby’s face lit up and he let out a whoop when he realized he had my permission. “Oh, hell yes!”
I expected antics of some kind—this was Kolby, after all. I did not, however, expect him to climb over the table, push Selena out of the way, plop down backwards onto the bench next to me and pull me into his freaking lap.
“What the—Kolby!”
“Are you ready to have your world rocked, baby?”
I was not the only person to laugh at this, just the only one lucky enough to get Kolby Sanderson’s tongue in my mouth. He didn’t give me any warning, and his mouth was on mine so fast it made me dizzy. Then he kissed the crap out of me. When his hand dropped and lightly brushed against the side of my chest, I returned the gesture by giving him the world’s biggest titty twister. He let go of me with a yelp and grabbed his sore nipple.
“What the hell, Sanderson?” I climbed to my feet and wiped my face, glaring at him. “I said a kiss. Not a whole freaking make-out session. And don’t even try to pretend that boob graze was accidental!”
“What?” Kolby gasped as if offended. “I can’t believe you think I would—” He laughed at the look on my face, and quickly caved. “Okay, fine. Maybe there was a slight graze. Barely. But, come on, we both know you’re never going to let me kiss you again. It was my one opportunity. I had to make it count.”
I snorted. “Mission accomplished, jerk. You ever even think about touching my boob again and I will email that video I have of you from the fifth grade to the entire school.”
Kolby’s eyes narrowed. “You wouldn’t.”
“Don’t think so?”
Kolby went through an imaginary girlfriend phase in fifth grade. I have a picnic he had with his “date” caught on camera. He feeds her strawberries and everything, but the kissing part is my favorite. He swore me to secrecy years ago, but it’s always made excellent blackmail material.
Kolby held up his hands in surrender. “Fine. The boobs are off limits from now on.”
My brother appeared from out of nowhere. “Damn right they are. Don’t ever touch my sister’s chest again. Don’t ever look at it. Don’t ever even think about her like that, or I’ll kill you, bro.”
I slapped my hands over my face. My brother did not just talk about my chest. “Oh, my gosh, Ben. I can handle myself.”
He frowned at me. “So I’ve heard. Is there anyone in this school you haven’t kissed yet?”
Was he seriously harping on me for the kissing? It wasn’t even my fault. It was his friend who started it, and he himself had been teasing me about it this morning. The jerk gave me breath mints for my birthday, for heaven’s sake. He was so not allowed to get on my case about this. “I haven’t kissed your best friend,” I snapped. “Can you say the same to me?”
Ben sucked in a sharp breath through flared nostrils and, behind me, Selena choked on her food. Kolby started pounding her back while she coughed. I felt a little bad for outing her. She must have really not wanted anyone to know about her and Ben because she hadn’t even told me what happened between them yesterday. She hadn’t breathed a word about it. Her not giving me the juicy details of her love life was a first.
But I didn’t technically spill the beans. I just hinted enough to make my brother mad, and it worked like a charm. “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he ground out through gritted teeth.
Standing up
straight, I folded my arms over my chest. “Then I don’t know what you’re talking about. There are a hundred guys in this cafeteria I haven’t kissed yet.”
Before Ben could give me some snarky, macho, overprotective big brother reply, Scott Williamson stepped up beside him and said, “Want to make it ninety-nine?”
My pulse spiked. Scott Williamson had just offered to kiss me.
Scott. Freaking. Williamson.
Scott was…well, he was beautiful. Hot, gorgeous, yummy, drool-worthy. He wasn’t a jock. At least, he didn’t play on any of the school athletic teams. But he obviously worked out. He was going through a program to become a firefighter, and, let me tell you, he’d be the kind of fireman that would make girls set fire to their homes just so that he’d have to come rescue them. He was destined to be on a wall calendar someday. The guy was the most popular guy in school because he was so hot. And he was offering to kiss me.
“Dude! That’s my little sister.”
“I know. She’s a little hottie.”
His eyes came back to me, and he smiled. I sighed. Dreamily. He chuckled and stepped closer. Ben moved closer, too, stepping in Scott’s way. “She’s sixteen.”
Scott’s smile grew. “I heard.” To me, he said, “It’s your birthday, right?”
Since I wasn’t capable of producing any coherent words, I simply nodded.
“Have you gotten all of your birthday kisses yet?”
I shook my head.
“Well, honey, it’s your lucky day. You’re cute, and I’m in a charitable mood.”
I started to grin, and then blinked. Um…excuse me? Did he just call me a charity case? I snapped out of my ogling and realized that his smile wasn’t so much dreamy as condescending. He was hot, but he obviously knew it. That kind of made him less hot.
“Not happening, Scott,” Ben said. “Her lips are done.”
“Shut up, Ben. I can speak for myself.”
I didn’t need some kiss from a guy who thought he was God’s gift to the world and considered kissing me an act of charity. I also didn’t need my brother fighting my battles for me.
Ben glared at me, misunderstanding my intentions. “You’re done with this game, Cassie. Melissa Videla? Do you have any idea how many guys have been talking about you today? I’m going to have to put you in witness protection after this.”