Taking a deep breath, I kept walking until I was almost even with hoodie guy’s seat, placed my hand on the chair back and swung my body over—right into his lap. Over his shoulder, I saw his security react. Too late.
He gasped, but I didn’t have time to explain.
“Sorry about this,” I whispered right before sealing my lips to his.
I’d taken him by surprise—that much was clear from the way his body tensed beneath mine. But he wasn’t trying to push me off. I’d intended it to be quick. A single brush with danger, a nod to teen girl impulsiveness, but the way his mouth melted under mine was unexpected. I fisted my hands in his shirt, pulling him closer. My lips, my entire body, went up in flames, but I couldn’t get close enough. It wasn’t until his hands came around my back that I remembered myself.
Pulling away, I came face-to-face with the greenest eyes I’d ever seen.
“I’m sorry,” I muttered again.
“I’m not,” he said.
And then his guards grabbed me.
I shook off the kissing daze, and my training kicked in. This was part two of my plan: The Great Escape. Using their weight as a counterpoint, I planted my feet on the armrests beside hoodie guy and launched myself backward. It was a risky move, too flashy that’s for sure, but it worked. I landed an aisle down from them, feet firmly planted on the ground, the guards looking at their hands as if I’d pulled a Houdini.
As they started to turn, I was already running.
Getting a grip on the wall, I launched myself over the side. It was a bigger drop to the theater floor than hoodie guy’s lap, but my landing was perfection. Straightening my knees, I looked up into the face of a theater usher, holding a broom and standing there with his jaw hanging down.
“Great movie, real entertaining.” I patted his shoulder then sprinted outside.
I’d have to hide out until Min came out to her car, but I’d done it. Thinking back, I went down my mental checklist.
1. Prove you’re a girl.
Check.
2. Escape angry-looking security detail.
Check.
3. Get an amazing first kiss from a total stranger.
Double check.
This was officially the best Girls Night ever.
CHAPTER 2: ASH
I reached for the knot at my throat. The school-issued tie was choking the hell out of me. Over by the doors, Agent Evers caught my eye. He raised a brow at my hand and gave a slow shake of his head.
Don’t make your dad look bad.
I pulled the knot loose and flicked open the top two buttons of my shirt.
Screw. You.
Evers glared, but I ignored him.
The khakis were bad enough, but the jacket with the stupid silver buttons? Who wore this shit? The worst thing about private school (besides their lack of a decent soccer team) had to be the stick-up-your-ass uniforms. Any guy who dressed like this was just asking for a punch to the face.
I grinned at a passing blonde who was giving me the eye. At least I made this look good. The girl blushed, giggling with her friends. I got an eyeful of long legs and knee socks as they passed. Guess there were some things I didn’t hate about this school.
Principal Orsino stepped up to the mic at half court. As usual, his bald head looked like it had been spit shined.
“Good morning students of Crispin Catholic Day School,” he said. “And welcome to this year’s Cultural Exhibition!”
A few people clapped, teachers mostly.
“Now, I know it’s a bit warm, but we have an exciting show lined up.”
Warm? I scoffed. It was hot as a mother. Didn’t matter how much cash CCDS put into their “state of the art facilities.” Cram enough people into one place, and even my dear old dad, Wesley Ash Stryker Senior, the would-be senator, was sweating bullets. I’d bet anything there were sweat rings under that monkey suit of his.
“As you all know,” Orsino continued, “today we celebrate our differences, our heritage, and the melting pot that we have at CCDS. With over forty nationalities from European to Latino, African to Asian, our school represents the most culturally diverse educational institution in the state of North Carolina, and we are darn proud of it. Here to celebrate with us and deliver today’s keynote speech is a man who is currently leading in the political polls, a candidate so well-known and well-respected he needs no introduction.”
I rolled my eyes.
“Chariot’s own Wesley Stryker.” As the applause erupted, Orsino and Dad shook hands. “We’re happy to have you at our Cultural Exhibition.”
“Thank you, Charles. I’m honored to be here.” Dad smiled for the crowd. “When my German parents immigrated from the old country, I’m sure they never dreamed their son would one day run for the U.S. Senate. But here I am, just a good old country boy, trying to make a difference.”
I eased back on the bleachers as he turned up the charm. Dad was the reason I’d had to transfer to this jacked up school in the first place. It was senior year. My life should’ve been cake, partying weekends with my friends, training for another winning season over at Chariot High, hopefully with a state title at the end of it. Instead, I was stuck here at CCDS, playing the “good son,” so Dad could look better to the public.
We weren’t even Catholic for crying out loud.
Glancing around, my eyes locked on a girl with long dark hair. The height seemed right, petite but not tiny. I sat up straighter. It could’ve been her. It looked a lot like her—but then she turned and flipped her hair, ruining the illusion. This girl’s eyes were too big, her face too made-up.
Definitely not, I thought, looking away.
The mystery girl from the movies didn’t need all that crap on her face. She was hot without it. A pair of deep brown eyes and full lips flashed through my mind. I shook my head. My girl was a natural beauty—and she’d managed to surprise the hell out of me and my detail.
Usually, Dad was the only one who needed security. But after the threats we’d received, Mom had insisted months ago that I have a tail, too. Agent Evers was just on loan from Dad since one professional babysitter apparently wasn’t enough.
I smiled. Evers and Smith completely lost their shit when she landed in my lap and then got away. She’d been ninja fast, and they’d looked like idiots. Freaking hilarious.
What wasn’t hilarious was that kiss.
God, I could still feel her. Almost like we’d never stopped making out. And when she’d apologized? I’d wanted to laugh in her face, but I was too damn turned on for that. Any girl with that kind of brass was worth searching for. If I ever found her again—when I did—it was so on.
“…would like to thank Principal Orsino and everyone here at CCDS for having me. It’s been a real pleasure.”
My head snapped up. Dad was finally done talking. Thank you, Lord.
“That brings me to our first act of the day,” he said. “I’m told this one’s a real showstopper. Isn’t that right, Mrs. Lee?”
For the first time, I noticed the tiny woman standing next to him. She was obviously Asian, pretty with dark hair and eyes. The woman smiled up at Dad, but didn’t say anything. I wondered if English was her first language.
“Without further ado,” Dad said, “I’m proud to present the students of The Academy, a local center that focuses on martial arts training and discipline. Their motto: Learn, live, but be not caged.”
Music with kick-ass bass started to play. Dubstep. Niiiiice. Dad and the woman moved to take their seats.
And then the ninja dropped from the ceiling.
The guy was dressed in black, full body covered except a small strip for his eyes. Rappelling crazy fast, he shot out of the rafters and landed directly in the center of Wylie the Wombat’s eye. I didn’t think the picture of CCDS’s mascot had ever been more disrespected. There was a moment of silence—then everyone went wild.
Hell of an entrance, I thought, cheering with the rest of them.
But the real fun starte
d when his buddies showed up. They all looked like him, ninjas covered from head to toe, except these guys were wearing red. Good guy, black, bad guys, red. Got it. It was like a live-action scene from Xbox. But better.
The black ninja took them on in groups of two or three, always outmaneuvering, always a second faster, sharper. The guy was going off. Nothing could touch him. He was a master at hand-to-hand, kicking ass the likes of which I’d never seen in real life. Even when the red guys brought out the sticks and he was forced to fight four at a time, there was no contest. I knew it was all choreographed. I’d recognized the homage to Bruce almost immediately, one of the best fight sequences of all time. But I still held my breath when the last opponent pulled the nunchucks.
Before I could blink, they were in the black ninja’s hands.
Man, I sat back. This guy was something else.
Nunchucks had always scared the shit out of me. One good knock could cause a man permanent damage. Just the thought had me tensing up. But the black ninja didn’t seem to care. Fast as he was moving, those things could’ve flown out of his hands at any time. Still, he never seemed to lose concentration.
Shit, was this Bruce Lee’s ghost or something?
The last bad guy went down, timed perfectly with the music. The ominous note faded to nothing, and applause roared through the gym. The black ninja held his pose just feet from me. As he straightened from his crouch, raised a hand to remove the mask, I couldn’t wait to see the identity of the dude with such lethal moves.
I recognized her eyes first.
My breath caught in my chest. Shit, I was such a girl. But those were the same eyes I’d dreamed about last night. I blinked to clear my vision, but she didn’t disappear. Mystery girl from the movies just stood there, smiling while the rest of the guys in her crew formed a line behind her. They bowed. Her long hair fell over one shoulder, held back today in a ponytail. I could still remember the feel of the ends tickling my fingers as she kissed me.
It could’ve been the shock. Or maybe it was the fact that she’d just beaten the crap out of all those guys, but God. She was even hotter than I remembered.
“Gamsahabnida,” she said, making me grin.
Korean. I could definitely work with that. The ninja hadn’t spotted me yet, but I sat forward, waiting for her reaction.
“The Academy members would like to thank Principal Orsino,” she continued, “and the faculty of CCDS for inviting us to your Exhibition.”
They bowed again—and when she came up, her eyes went straight to mine.
For a second, she looked unsure, her face a question. I could see the exact moment it clicked. Her eyes widened. Her gasp echoed through the gym. And, was it me, or did her skin look a little pale?
I grinned back, nodding at her.
Yeah, I remembered—and she obviously remembered me.
Principal Orsino stepped up to shake her hand, but her eyes didn’t leave mine.
“That was simply terrific, young lady,” he said, smiling wide. “I’ve never seen anything like it in my life. Simply amazing how you all move.”
“Um, thanks,” she mumbled.
“If any of you students are interested in finding out more about The Academy or any of our other acts, we’ll be holding a meet-and-greet session directly after the last performance. What a great start to our day! Our second act comes to us all the way from South Africa…”
Meet-and-greet? Hell, yes.
One of the red ninjas had to nudge mystery girl, who started and said something to him over her shoulder. When she looked back, I winked, and she blushed. I tracked her movements to the gym exit. As The Academy members filed out the door one-by-one, mystery girl paused and glanced over her shoulder at me.
Oh, it was on.
CHAPTER 3: SNOW
Shit, shit, shit.
“It says in the brochure there are self-defense classes every Thursday. Who teaches those? You?”
Of all the high schools, of course, hoodie guy goes here, I thought, shaking my head. Not that he was wearing a hoodie today. In the sea of private school snobs, he was dressed in the same hoity-toity uniform as everyone else. No way should I have recognized him, even if he was in the third row—but I’d know those eyes anywhere. His piercing green gaze had caught mine immediately. The same striking green I’d seen right after The Kiss.
“You don’t teach them?”
I scoffed. Attacking some guy I’d never even spoken to with my lips, thinking I could get away with it? Yeah, right. First time I do anything even a little ballsy, and I get caught. Bruce would be so disappointed.
“Wait, wait, so do you or don’t you?”
I sighed and looked up, finally registering the guy in front of me.
“Sorry,” he smiled, nearly blinding me with a mouthful of metal. The braces looked a heck of a lot better on him than mine had on me, but the weatherman haircut was freaking me out. “I’m really interested in learning more about self-defense. You were quite impressive there, missy.”
Wow, he even sounded like a sixty-year-old man.
“Thanks,” I said as people milled around us. The meet-and-greet was in full swing, booths for the acts surrounded by CCDS’s finest. The place was packed. “And I teach the class.”
“Oh, you do? That’s great. My name’s Wilbur, by the way.”
I nodded. Wilbur the Weatherman. Were his parents trying to make him a target for jerks everywhere or just that clueless? In addition to the hair, Wilbur had also taken a fancy to highwater pants and argyle socks. I could definitely see why this guy would need self-defense. Luckily, The Academy was here to help.
“Let me just give you my card.” He fished something out of his pocket. “I’ll call The Academy later in the week to make arrangements. Do you do private lessons by any chance?”
“Um…no.” He looked so deflated I decided to throw him a bone. “Some of our other advanced members might be willing to help you out, though.”
“Alright.” Wilbur passed me his card and shook my hand. “Hopefully I’ll see you at class.”
“Sure thing,” I said, examining the little square as he walked away. Yep, just as I suspected. A professional card, printed on heavy stock, complete with his name, cell number and email address. High school kids with comb overs and business cards. I frowned. What was the world coming to?
“I don’t think you’re right for him.”
I whipped around…and came face to chest with hoodie guy. My heart stuttered as my eyes traveled up to his. He’d whispered the words directly into my ear. More than that, he hadn’t backed up, still standing in my space with a bad boy grin that’d make good girls everywhere weep.
“What?” I said like an idiot.
The grin turned into a full-on smile, and I could only stare. For the first time, I thought maybe he didn’t recognize me. Just because the light from the movie screen had flared right after we’d kissed, making his face perfectly visible, didn’t mean he could make me out. It was totally possible.
“A girl like you and a guy like him?” He shook his head, causing light to dance off the gold in his dirty blond hair. “It’d never work out.”
Frowning, I repeated, “A girl like me?”
“Yeah.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” It obviously hadn’t been his first kiss. Not with the way those lips of his set fire to my bones. Even if he’d seen my face, maybe I wasn’t all that memorable. God, what a depressing thought.
“It means,” hoodie guy lowered his voice, “you need someone who won’t run away when you surprise the hell out of him in a dark theater.” His eyes locked on mine. “You need a guy who’ll kiss you back.”
Shiiiiit.
“You okay there, ninja girl?” The nickname should’ve pissed me off—but right then, pissed off was the last thing I was feeling. My mind was officially blown. “You look a little dazed.”
“Yeah, right,” I said, hoping he couldn’t hear the breathlessness in the words. “I’m fine.”
“You sure?” He winked. “I’ve been known to devastate members of the opposite sex from time to time.”
No doubt, I thought, taking him in. He was the definition of fine—and he knew it. This guy could not seriously be flirting with me. Could he? Like Nara said, I was a tomboy. He’d just seen me beat up on twelve other guys. No way, I decided. Hoodie guy was just playing.
“I said I’m fine.” I crossed my arms, trying to regain some of my cool. “And besides, why would you care? You don’t even know me.”
“But I want to.”
My jaw dropped.
He arched a brow. “What? Too honest for you?”
“A little,” I said.
“I’ll have to work on that. But right now, I’ve got to say you’re amazing. Those were some sick moves. Those other guys didn’t stand a chance.”
His smile hadn’t wavered once. Guys didn’t usually talk to me like this. Heck, guys didn’t usually look at me like this.
“Hey, Ash. How’s it going?”
A long-legged redhead walked by, smiled at him, and he nodded before turning back to me. It hit me then like a roundhouse kick to the head. What an idiot. The guy wasn’t flirting. He was playing me, nothing more. Guys like him went out with girls like her. End of story. I should’ve known better than to let him get under my skin.
“Whatever,” I muttered, shouldering past him. The stunned look on his face almost made it worth it.
“Hey, wait.” I hadn’t expected him to follow, but he did. If nothing else, the guy was persistent. “What happened there? I thought we were talking.”
“Talking?” I snorted, heading for The Academy table. Bae, my best friend besides Min-Hee, was looking at me anyway. He’d said he wanted to talk after our act, but Wilbur and hoodie guy held me up. “Pretty boys like you don’t talk to girls like me.”
“You think I’m pretty?” He put a hand on my wrist. “I’m a little offended by the word choice, but I’ll take it.”
I pulled up short. “Let go,” I said quietly.
“Why?”
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