by Tara West
Gah! Boys were such a pain in the butt!
I bent over and gave him a dirty look of my own. “You can’t stay,” I said. “If my parents find you here, I’ll be grounded even longer.”
“I didn’t know you were grounded.” Frankie’s eyes narrowed, and I could read the distrust in his face.
Fine. Don’t believe me. At this point, I was so frustrated and annoyed, I was ready to give up on boys for good. Maybe my mom should send me to a girls’ boarding school.
“Yeah, house arrest through the weekend.” I spoke in the most accusatory tone possible, laying on the guilt thick, just as my mom had taught me. After all, it was sort of Frankie’s fault I’d been put on restriction. “Ethan was just driving me home from rehearsal.” I waved toward Ethan’s car, and cringed when I saw the reflection of his eyes in his rearview mirror. “He wants to back out, so you have to go.”
“But I wanted to talk to you.” I don’t know how Frankie was able to do it, but when he flashed those sad puppy dog eyes, I almost melted.
Almost.
“You can call me later,” I said, unable to keep the panic from my voice as a car drove past my house. I quickly scanned the road. I knew my parents would be home from work any moment. They didn’t trust me and wouldn’t leave me alone for long.
Frankie shook his head. “No, this has to be done in person.”
My pulse began to quicken as I nervously shifted from one foot to the other. I stole a quick glance at Ethan’s car.
Omigod! His windows were fogged up and I couldn’t see inside. The boy was definitely upset. Even more reason to get Frankie the hell out of my driveway.
“Frankie,” I pleaded, folding my hands together in a prayer pose, “you’re really stressing me out. Can we please talk later?”
I thought about walking away from Frankie and going inside the house, but I feared he’d just come after me. Then what would Ethan do? I didn’t want his mood setting my house on fire or causing a blizzard. I had no idea exactly what he was capable of doing and really didn’t want to put his powers to the test.
Frankie’s shoulders fell as he cast his gaze to his lap. I felt terrible forcing him away, but there was nothing I could do for him at the moment.
“Maybe we can talk at lunch,” I offered, but even as I spoke, I regretted the words. I wanted to eat lunch with Ethan, not Frankie.
“Fine,” Frankie grumbled as he shifted into reverse.
I let out a slow, shaky breath as he drove away, then I turned to see Ethan leaning out of his window while backing out of the drive. My heart sank like a stone when he refused to make eye contact with me. Keeping his eyes on the road behind him, Ethan navigated around two large garbage cans before he put the car in drive and sped away.
He didn’t even bother to say goodbye.
Chapter Nine
Just as I’d suspected, my drama club friends opted to eat lunch in the drama room again, although nobody bothered to tell me. Why did I get the feeling they had followed Ethan so he wouldn’t have to watch me eat lunch with Frankie? Oh, because I’m a telepath. That’s right.
Even though I had kind of made myself a promise to respect other people’s privacy and stay out of their heads, I just couldn’t help myself. When I walked into the drama room, Ethan, Finn, and a few others were already there working on set design. Finn’s jaw dropped when he saw me, and he quickly looked over my shoulder. Curiosity got the best of me, and I popped into his head for a moment. What I found there shocked me.
I hope she didn’t bring Frankie. Ethan will have to find a new hiding spot.
My heart sank to my gut, and I froze, my gaze darting from Finn to Ethan. Ethan was standing beside a work table wearing a carpenter’s belt around his waist. Though his jeans weren’t tight, they hugged him in just the right places. My gaze swept his body, and for the first time I noticed his long, lean physique, with a hint of muscles stretching his tight T-shirt. He stopped hammering a nail long enough to look at me, his bright blue turning dark and brooding.
“Hey,” I said in the most casual tone I could manage while flashing a smile at Ethan. “Mind if I eat here, too?” My voice cracked on the very last word. Crud. I’d almost spoken an entire sentence without sounding like an idiot.
Ethan answered with a nod before averting his gaze. “Do whatever you want. You can finish painting the set.” He nodded toward the paint cans stacked along a table against the wall.
“Okay.” I shrugged my bag off my shoulder and reached inside for the sandwich and water bottle I’d packed that morning.
Yeah, I’d already formulated a plan to get Ethan to talk to me. Or at the very least to show Ethan I wasn’t interested in Frankie. It was a mean thing to do to Frankie, I know. I’d sent him a text five minutes ago that I wouldn’t make it to lunch and then I’d powered down my phone. I didn’t want any more disruptions while I tried to work things out with Ethan.
I only hoped Frankie wouldn’t be too mad at me, even though I shouldn’t have cared what he thought. I was still pissed about the traffic ticket incident. Then again, he’d seemed so upset yesterday, and I’d told him we could talk at lunch. Instead, I’d avoided him to spend time with Ethan. I couldn’t help but feel guilty, although I guess it didn’t matter, because if I’d chosen to eat with Frankie instead, I’d probably be feeling guilty about leaving Ethan.
Besides, Frankie said he had something important to tell me. Whatever it was, I didn’t want to know. I feared he’d try to take our friendship to the next level, and I knew now, without a doubt, I didn’t want to be Frankie Salas’s girlfriend.
I was meant for Ethan. Now all I had to do was convince Ethan of that.
I scanned the room, noticing how the other students had quietly moved to the adjoining hallway, which led to the rehearsal and dressing rooms. I was hoping they’d done it to give me and Ethan some privacy.
“Aren’t you eating?” I asked, standing behind him. I peered around his shoulder and watched him pencil in lines on a plank of wood.
He shook his head before retracting a tape measure. “Nah, I’ve got too much to do.”
Watching Ethan work reminded me of my dad whenever he built or fixed stuff around the house. Somehow, knowing Ethan was skilled at more than just magic made me like him even more. My dad would refuse food whenever he was immersed in a job. My mom would have to drag him in from his shop and force him to eat dinner.
I remembered the time he built my sisters and me a tree house. He’d put in long hours every day after work and all weekend until it was finished. It was huge, two rooms with a ladder on one side and a slide on the other.
An image flashed through my mind of Ethan building a tree house for our children. I stifled a gasp and shook my head. What the heck was I doing thinking, of Ethan and me having kids?
Good thing Ethan wasn’t a mind reader.
“You may want to back up,” he said over his shoulder as he lifted a saw off the table.
I stepped back, clutching my sandwich in one hand and bottle in the other, feeling the different plastics crinkle beneath my grip. The muscles in his arms and shoulders bunched as he sawed the board in half. Funny, but I hadn’t noticed he was so toned. Though Ethan wasn’t as wide or buff as Frankie, he had a lean physique that was tight in all the right places.
He swore when he dropped his tape measure, and as he bent down to get it, tight denim stretched across his legs and butt.
Yep, all the right places.
Oh, holy heck, I had to get my hormones under control.
I cleared my throat. “Want half my sandwich?”
“No, you eat it.” He measured another piece of board.
“Are you sure?” I stepped forward until I was standing beside him. “Peanut butter, jelly, and banana. It’s delicious.” I removed the plastic wrapper and waved the sandwich under his nose.
He turned toward me then, his eyes widening. I could clearly read the hunger in his gaze and the loud rumble that erupted from his stomach was pro
of. I couldn’t repress a smirk as he looked down at his midsection then looked back at me, flashing a sheepish grin.
“Then you’ll be hungry,” he said, licking his bottom lip.
“Nah,” I shook my head. “I’ve got fruit and chips in my bag.” I pulled the sandwich apart and handed him a wedge. The smell of gooey peanut butter and fresh bananas was heaven to my senses.
When Ethan bit into it, his eyes nearly receded into the back of his skull. “Mmmmm,” he moaned. “This is good. I’ve never tried it with banana.”
“Told you.” I grinned. “It adds a whole new level of awesome.”
“Wow. I’m gonna have to make these.” He shoved the rest of the wedge into his mouth, smacking his lips together, making a popping sound. Yeah, I hadn’t skimped on the peanut butter.
I took a bite of my sandwich. Peanut butter, banana, and sweet strawberry jelly were totally having a party in my mouth. “I can bring some more tomorrow…if we’re eating lunch in here again. You want two next time?”
“Yeah.” He licked each finger. “I’ll bring chips.”
Watching his full lips suck each finger did something to me. I don’t know how else to explain it, other than at that moment I was totally jealous of peanut butter.
There go those hormones again, Sophie.
I turned from him, feeling the heat creep into my cheeks while I finished my sandwich and then awkwardly wiped my hands up and down my pants.
“’K,” I said. “I need to go set up.” Without risking another glance in his direction, I walked toward the paints and set my water down on the table.
“I’ll help you.” Ethan walked up beside me, bending over the table to open a can of paint.
I had no idea why he was suddenly giving me attention. All I knew was I never wanted it to stop. My fingers brushed his when we both reached for the paint brushes at the same time. Okay, I admit it. I “accidentally” on purpose skimmed my hand across his. Just as I’d suspected, his hand was hot, but not scalding like before. No, he actually felt nice, and despite the warmth radiating off his flesh, a chill rippled across my forearms, causing me to break out in goose pimples.
I couldn’t help myself. Even as he pulledback, I reached for his hand again, and repressed a moan as my nerves began to hum with energy. I had an unexplainable feeling, as if the blood pumping through my veins was alive. This euphoria circulated through my entire being, warming me to the core.
Holy hell! Ethan’s touch brought my raging hormones to a whole new level. I wondered if I was just easily excitable or if this had something to do with his elemental powers. I feared it was Ethan, which meant this boy was way more dangerous than I’d imagined.
I was relieved Ethan hadn’t been the one alone with me in my bedroom the other day, because his touch excited me way more than I’d thought possible.
Way more than Frankie’s explosive kiss.
“Sorry,” he mumbled as he pulled away and stepped back.
I shook my head, hardly believing the words that poured from my mouth. “I’m not sorry. Not at all.” I stepped forward, craving his warmth.
I took a chance and looked up into his eyes. They were grey again, clouded by what looked like a smoky filter. I briefly wondered what that meant, but then his feelings of desire and need projected into my brain.
I gasped and let go of the can. I was vaguely aware of it clattering to the floor beside my feet, but I didn’t care as I leaned into him. “You’re so warm,” I moaned as my mouth sought his.
He gently stroked my cheek, heat flooding my skin and making me hum with need.
He smiled softly while looking down at me, his gaze trained on my lips. “You smell like bananas.”
At that moment, I wanted nothing more than a kiss. “So do you,” I rasped, breathing in the scent of his soft musk mixed with the sweet flavors of banana and strawberry.
When he lowered his head, I leaned up, my lips parting on their own accord. And when I felt the soft caress of his mouth on mine, my legs wobbled, and I fell into him, circling my arms around his neck. He deepened the kiss as he wrapped his arms around me, pulling me tighter toward him, crushing his lips against mine. I moaned as a wave of euphoria washed over me, sending an electrifying current all the way to the tips of my fingers and toes. His hands were roaming the length of my back, warming every inch he touched. The heat soothed and teased my senses all at once. I never wanted the moment to end.
“I smell bananas! Do you guys have food?”
Finn’s booming voice echoed behind us, reminding me we were not alone. I pulled back from Ethan just as Finn was slapping him on the back.
The boy had terrible timing, or else he was deliberately trying to break us apart. Either way, he was a major pain in the rear.
“No.” Ethan turned toward Finn, growling. “Go away!”
Finn must have taken the hint, because he quickly backed up and disappeared down the hall. As my body heat began to cool, and I began to think with my head and not my teenage lust, I was grateful for Finn’s interruption. Kissing Ethan like that, and I’d forgotten we were still at school.
Actually, I’d forgotten everything except Ethan Maeson’s heavenly touch.
I could hear murmurs out in the hallway. Great. It wouldn’t take long for the rumors to spread that Ethan and I were a couple. I imagined a few of the drama students probably snapped pictures with their phones while I was totally tuning out the world and getting turned on by Ethan.
When Ethan turned back to me, I could see his face and neck were still flushed. But when I looked up at his hair, I gasped in shock. All his wavy strands were sticking up on end like he’d just stuck his finger in a light socket.
“Ethan.” I pointed a shaky finger at his head. “Your hair.”
Ethan’s hands flew to his scalp, and his cheeks turned a bright crimson as he fought to push it down. He backed up a step and then nodded to the workstation behind him. “I should probably get back to work.”
“Yeah,” I said on a rush of air. “I need to finish painting.”
I bent down to pick up the fallen brushes and had to bite my lip to repress a smile as I thought about what our kiss had done to him. As I leaned toward the floor, I was aware of the sound of my heart hammering out a wild staccato in my eardrums. Had it been pounding all this time?
Wow.
What a kiss.
Chapter Ten
Frankie was waiting for me outside the door to Mr. Sleznick’s room. Judging by the scowl on his face, he wasn’t happy.
I knew Ethan wasn’t happy, either. As he kept pace beside me, a chill stole up my spine and made the hair on my arms stand on end.
I had to get Ethan away from Frankie. Fast.
I turned to Ethan, and taking a chance, I reached for his hand. I was relieved to find that it was warm, but only slightly. “I need to talk to him for a moment.” I squeezed Ethan’s hand and looked into his darkened eyes. “Alone.”
The muscles in Ethan’s neck visibly tensed, and I could feel the heat from his hand spreading through my palm.
He flashed what looked to be a pained smile. “How’d I know you were going to say that?”
“Hey. Relax.” I squeezed his hand tighter and then leaned up against him. Behind me Frankie was grumbling, but I ignored him. I had chosen Ethan, and Frankie was going to have to understand that. “I told you, he’s just a friend.” I whispered into Ethan’s ear. “I wasn’t lying. Do you trust me?” I ended on a plea, hoping my girly charms would quell his rise in temperature.
It must have worked, because the building warmth in my palm eased ever so slightly.
“Yeah. I trust you. I don’t trust him, though,” he ended on a growl.
I pecked Ethan lightly on the cheek, and then I pulled back and smiled. “I’ll only be a minute.”
I don’t know if it was the smile or the kiss, but Ethan was grinning from ear to ear when he let go of my hand and breezed past Frankie. I had no idea if Frankie bumped him or Ethan bumped Frankie,
but as I watched their shoulders scrape together before Ethan pulled open the door to Sleznick’s class, I was reminded of the Titanic colliding with that iceberg.
I sucked in a breath, waiting for one of them to throw a punch. Imagine my relief when Ethan went inside the classroom.
Frankie arched a brow while walking over to me. His hands were in his pockets, and he had that sullen look in his big puppy dog eyes, reminding me of a pouting child who hadn’t gotten his way. For a moment, I don’t know why, I felt the slightest bit of guilt for choosing Ethan over Frankie. Then I reminded myself that Frankie could have contacted me the entire year he was gone, but he’d chosen to ignore me instead.
Frankie looked down at me, scowling. “Turn your phone off?”
I hated how the tone of his voice sounded just like my father right before a big lecture.
I shrugged. “Yeah.”
A tic worked in his jaw while his expression darkened. Whatever he was thinking was not good.
You blew it. Now he’ll never forgive you.
The force behind Frankie’s thought was like a punch to my brain. I could feel the despair behind it, and my knees nearly weakened with the depression that overwhelmed me.
Who would never forgive Frankie? And what did it have to do with me?
“We were supposed to talk at lunch today.” Though his words came out calm and evenly measured, I could feel the undertone of anger behind them.
“Sorry,” I said. “I had to work on the set. Our play is in a few weeks.” I had to avert my gaze as the lie poured from my mouth. It was total BS. They didn’t need me for the set. Someone else could have painted trees on a canvas, but Ethan was working on the set, and I’d rather be with him than Frankie.
I could tell by the look Frankie was giving me, he didn’t buy my lame excuse, either. “I thought you were my friend.” He stepped closer to me, so close the rich scent of his musk enveloped me.
Funny, how just a few days ago his musk had turned me on. Now, I resisted the urge to fan my face as I took a step back. Wow. The boy did wear a lot of cologne.
