by Lucia Franco
“If you need anything, let us know. We’ll ride on over.”
Her brows angled in confusion at John. “So you’ll ride over on those things,” she pointed to the four wheelers. “And do what exactly?”
“Those things,” Jace teased. “Have you ever ridden on one of these things, princess?”
Alyssa scoffed. “First of all, my name is Alyssa.”
“Sugar Plum?”
“Alyssa.”
“Pretty girl?”
“Wow, I’m in the presence of a comedian. No, I have not ridden one of those things.”
Chuckling, John took over. “Well, this right here is called a four wheeler, not a thing, but I’m assuming you already knew that. Wanna take a quick ride with me and I’ll show you how it’s done?”
She totally wanted to, it honestly looked like fun.
“Maybe another time. You’re filthy dirty and covered in mud, not really my thing. No offense, or anything.”
John clutched his chest. “Oh, I think she just insulted me,” he joked, looking at Jace. “You have a lot to learn. You live in the South now. We get dirty here and so will you.”
“Doubtful, considering I wasn’t raised to play in the mud. Pigs play in the mud and I’m not an animal,” she spat back.
The two friends looked at each other and then burst into laughter. “We weren’t raised to play in the mud, sweetheart. It just sort of happens.”
Curious, Alyssa shifted on her feet. “How does it just happen?”
Jace spoke up this time. “When we go muddin’, ride four wheelers, or party down by the river. Mud just happens. You’ll see.”
“Mud just happens?” she stated, dumbfounded. Now she’s heard it all.
“Mud happens,” John repeated with a smirk. He tried to contain his laughter, but Jace was giving Alyssa a hard time and it was funny as hell.
“That doesn’t make any sense,” she said with her perfectly straight nose in the air. “Mud won’t happen to me.”
“Mark my words,” Jace said. “Mud will happen to you. It’s inevitable.”
Was she really standing there having a conversation about mud? Jesus Christ.
“Is that how people down here talk? Mud happens? I’ve never heard of such a thing. Listen to yourself, you sound completely foolish.”
“Mud . . . happens . . .” He looked Alyssa straight in the eyes and said, “Sounds normal to me. Say it with me.” John was having fun teasing the new girl.
“I’ll pass.”
“Well, we need to get goin’. I guess we’ll see ya around town,” he drawled.
His green eyes . . . she could stare at them for hours. They were hypnotizing, and for some reason she had a feeling he knew it since they hadn’t broken each other’s gaze. “See you around.”
Cranking the gas, the engine roared back to life. John clutched the gear with his barefoot and glanced over his shoulder at Alyssa. She was absolutely breathtakingly beautiful. He couldn’t think of any other words to describe her. Alyssa was gorgeous from head to toe.
“Later, sugar.”
“Bye, princess,” Jace threw in.
A smile tugged at her mouth. “Later.”
Alyssa watched as John and Jace took off, a puff of dirt flying up into the air. When they were half way down the street, she turned around and walked back to her house.
Looks like she just got a dose of some of that southern charm she’s heard of and she was okay with it, especially coming from John.
Chapter Two
Stepping inside the lecture hall, the door closed behind her with a loud thud and all heads turned in her direction. She quickly glanced at the students. She wasn’t sure why, it wasn’t like she knew anyone.
“Can I help you?” the middle aged woman down in the front asked. Alyssa pulled her schedule free from her folder and handed it to her. The woman glanced down at the paper. “Welcome to my class, Alyssa Winters,” she said with a genuine smile. “Take one of the opened seats in the back and start jotting down the notes. At the end of the class come see me and I’ll get you what you need.”
“Thank you.”
Climbing the stairs, she passed six rows of beige desks. She rounded the back row and found an opened seat. Sitting down, she pulled out a pencil and her notebook and began copying the notes.
As she was writing, Alyssa could feel eyes on her. She didn’t want to look, but it was like they were burning a hole into her face. A quick glance from the corner of her eye confirmed her suspicion.
Two desks over, John was leaning on the back legs of his chair with a pencil dangling between his lips. Her eyes focused on his mouth for a moment and noticed his tongue flicking the pencil. Then their eyes locked, and the smirk that spread across his face made her body flush. At first she didn’t recognize him all cleaned up, it caught her by surprise. This side of him was more alluring compared to what she met the other day, though see wouldn’t mind seeing him in just shorts again.
Her eyes blinked rapidly, and she tried to focus on her teacher’s voice. He pulled the pencil from his mouth and started bouncing it between his fingers, the eraser tapping lightly on the desk, a sound only meant for her to hear. A grin tugged at his lips, and she found herself trying not to return the smile. It was a futile attempt. Alyssa’s face softened at the playful gleam in his eyes when he whispered hi.
Then she noticed it . . . a dimple. He had one dimple right above his jaw line when he smiled. How had she not noticed a few days ago when she met him and Jace?
An innocent looking dimple, hazel green eyes that spoke of temptation, topped with a sinful smile? Not to mention that southern drawl?
Alyssa was in trouble. Big trouble. John was cleaned up and looking good, completely different from the other day. He waved and her stomach dropped. John was . . . pretty hot.
“Ah, Mr. Jackson,” Mrs. Jones said, grabbing his attention. “Stop flirting with Miss Winters. Focus on the reason why you’re here. Eyes on the board.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
John winked at Alyssa and then did as the professor asked. He spent the next two hours sneaking glances at her.
Class ended and Alyssa quickly gathered up her books. She glanced at her schedule while walking out of her first class when a strong arm hooked around her neck and rested on her shoulders. Startled, she looked up at a grinning John. He tugged her to him and they walked together down the hall as if they had been friends for years, not having just met only recently.
“Figured since you’re new here, I could walk you to your next class. Where you headed?” His deep voice was right near her ear.
Alyssa looked at her schedule. “Physics?”
“Ouch. Not my kind of class, but I can lead the way.”
Alyssa held her books tighter to her chest. “Thanks, Johnny,” was all she could muster. She wasn’t expecting John to wear cologne, or even own any, but the scent that lingered on him smelled divine. She found herself leaning in to get a better drift of it.
“Huh.”
“Huh, what?”
“Well, it’s just that no one’s ever called me Johnny before.”
“Really?” Alyssa kind of felt stupid for calling him that now.
“I would have corrected anyone who said that, but I kind of like it on your lips. Know what else I would like on your lips, sugar?” His eyes were gleaming with wickedness and that stupid dimple of his was showing. His smile caused a flutter in her stomach, but she pushed it down.
Alyssa rolled her eyes. Talk about coming on strong. “If you call me those stupid nicknames, then I get to call you Johnny.”
“Fair enough.”
“Are you going to be late by walking me to class?”
“No, I have a break for the next hour then another class.”
She nodded her head.
“What do you do in between classes?” she asked. John dropped his arm from her shoulders and held the door open for her as they stepped inside another building.
“Depends, I
guess. Sometimes school work, sometimes I hang with my boys. Wherever the day takes us. Where’s your schedule?”
Alyssa handed it to him.
He scanned it. “These are the hours you’re with me, Alyssa. We have two classes together.”
“Lucky me,” she said sarcastically. “I’m surprised you even remembered my name.”
“I didn’t. It’s at the top of your schedule.”
“Hey!” she laughed. Alyssa had the sudden urge to smack him.
“What? I’m being honest.” Laughing, he returned her schedule and asked, “What are you doing after class?”
“Not talking to a guy who can’t remember my name, that’s for sure.”
“Ouch, you wound me,” he joked. “Hang out with me. Let me make it up by showing you around town.”
“No.”
“Why not?”
“Because I don’t know you?”
“But that’s how you’ll get to know me, by hanging out with me,” he stated obviously.
A low chuckle rolled off her lips. She couldn’t help it.
“Well, here we are.”
When they reached the classroom, they both faced each other and locked gazes. John loved a quick witted girl, especially when she was easy on the eyes. “Thanks for walking me to class. At least I won’t be late for this one.”
He winked. “See you around, sugar.”
* * *
The first half of the day passed quickly, and by noon Alyssa found herself in the dining hall. She hated being the new girl. She should have been used to it by now, but she wasn’t. New school, new friends, new everything.
Quickly grabbing a bottle of water and a bag of chips, Alyssa made her way outside. There were groups of students scattered about, sitting under the overhang laughing and chatting away. They were in their own worlds, and she felt like an outsider peeking in.
Alyssa sighed when she found her new lunch spot—a thigh high wall of red bricks other students were sitting on. She sat down near the corner and leaned back against the brick wall staring up at the cloudless sky for a moment.
Georgia was a much slower pace than in California, but she was slowly finding that she liked that aspect. Bringing up her legs, she uncapped her water and took a sip, then pulled out a map along with her schedule. Alyssa had gotten lost on her way to another class earlier in the day and walked in late. She wanted to try and avoid that if she could, so she began studying the map, trying to memorize a route.
* * *
Most days John left in between classes to grab lunch with his friends, Jace and Ford. They would pick up fast food and bring it back to the dining hall to eat or wherever they felt. Parking his truck, they jumped out and made their way to the courtyard as Ford was telling him and Jace about a prank Ford’s little brother wanted help with.
“Just hear me out before you say no. We round up a bunch of cows, like twenty cows, and sneak them into the school. Gather as many frogs as we can and dump them in there. Some stray cats and dogs, drop some dead fish in the air vents, too. Then we wait and watch from a distance the next morning.”
“Where the fuck are we going to get twenty cows from? And no offense or anything, but I don’t want to get rabies as we’re trying to catch some stray animals for your brother.” Jace deadpanned. “Seriously, how many do you think we could find in our small town?”
Ford ignored him and continued. “We could use some Gorilla Glue on all the locks except for one door so no one can get in that day.”
“You gave this some serious thought, haven’t you,” Jace asked Ford, and he nodded.
“You guys are crazy. There’s no way this could work. Not to mention, Ford, your brother could get expelled. You guys are on your own with this one.” As fun as it sounded, John was going to sit this one out.
“My parents have so many cows that they would never notice, say, ten missing,” Ford chimed in. “We can pluck a few from all the farms my parents have and the rest we could probably buy.”
John sipped his Coke and actually gave some thought to Ford’s crazy ass idea. It could possibly work, but before he could think about it further, he spotted a pretty blonde with legs for days.
John didn’t know what had gotten into him, but there was something about Alyssa that made him want to get to know her. The instant he saw her he had to go to her. She looked alone and down sitting by herself.
Jace’s hand flew back and smacked John in the stomach pulling him out of his thoughts. “What the hell, bro?”
“I asked you a question.”
“And clearly I didn’t hear you, asshole. What did you ask me?”
“Want to go muddin’ sometime? We haven’t been in a while.”
When had the conversation moved to another topic? “Yeah, sure.” John was still focused on Alyssa. “Have you met the new girl yet, Ford? She actually lives near us.”
“I call dibs!” Ford exclaimed.
John turned his head, bemused. “You call dibs? What are you? Fucking ten? First of all, no one says dibs anymore, dipshit. And second, you haven’t even seen her yet. For all you know, she could be wearing braces, pimply faced, with some nappy looking hair, all skin and bones. And we all know how you like ‘em thick and younger than you. You still gonna call dibs then?”
Jace barked out a laugh at Ford’s expression and John found himself laughing, too. “I can’t help it if I like a little meat on my girls’ bones. More cushion for the pushin’.”
“Oh, my God.”
“Whatever, douche bag.”
John guided his friends toward Alyssa. “There she is.”
“I think I just saw hearts in John’s eyes,” Jace joked. John gave him the middle finger and a friendly smile.
“Well, hey there, sugar,” John drawled, stopping in front of Alyssa.
Alyssa’s head snapped up to see three guys standing in front of her. The blinding sun shined in her eyes and she blocked it with her hand, then looked at each one and finished at John.
“Johnny. Still can’t remember my name, I see.”
“Johnny?” Jace retorted.
“Alyssa,” he drew out her name, ignoring Jace. “This is Ford. You met Jace already the other day . . .”
“Yup, she ain’t my type, but pretty though,” Ford spoke up. Alyssa’s brows pinched together and her mouth dropped open. Of the three guys in front of her, Ford easily stood the tallest. His physique was quite impressive. He wore one of those ugly muscle shirts that exposed his incredibly defined and toned arms. It had giant holes that looked like he cut out himself.
“I’m glad, because you are not my type either,” she said slowly, enunciating you are not. She hated when people said ain’t.
John snickered. Alyssa was a mouthy little thing. He was feeling her attitude. “So, are you finding your way around?”
“I am.”
“Are you liking South Fork?” Ford asked.
“It’s growing on me. Is your name really Ford, or is that some sort of nickname?”
Ford lowered his eyes. Barely moving his mouth, he responded. “Yes. My name really is Ford.”
“He hates when people ask him that.”
A smile formed on Alyssa’s sweet face. Her heavy black lashes only made her bright blue eyes glimmer in the light.
“We just decided we’re all going muddin’ sometime. Since I know you have no friends yet and I can bet you have no plans, what do you say? Wanna dip your feet in the Georgia mud? Get a little taste of the South?”
Alyssa’s mouth dropped open, utterly shocked. Was he serious? “I told you, but I’ll tell you again since you seem to have a listening problem. I don’t play in the mud. And aren’t you a little old to be going mudding?”
John could barely form words as he stared at her. He just met his match. A chick that wasn’t afraid to hand it to him. That got the blood flowing straight to his dick.
“There isn’t much else to do around here,” Jace jumped in.
“Unfortunately for you, I need
to get a job. So that’s what I’ll be doing this weekend until I can find one.”
“You’re going to be looking all day?” John questioned her.
“Sure am.”
“Well then, I’ll get you on Sunday.”
Alyssa paused. She wasn’t ready for that response.
“Can’t.”
A sly smile curved John’s lips. “Be ready Sunday.”
John glanced over his shoulder as he walked away with Ford and Jace. He locked eyes with Alyssa and with a devious smirk added, “Wear some dirty, old clothes.”
She flipped him off.
Fucking hell. John had one goal right now, and that was to get Alyssa on the back of his four wheeler and some mud on her jeans, just to irritate her for the fun of it. She seemed uptight and needed to let loose. She’d probably try to kill him while doing it, but it would be worth it. Normally, girls tried to get his attention left and right considering who his brother is, but Alyssa was different and did the complete opposite. It was a nice change of pace for once.
John had a feeling about her, and he was going to run with it.
Also by Lucia Franco
All or Nothing series
You'll Think of Me
Hold On to Me
Off Balance series
Balance
Execution
Release
* * *
To my husband, Tony, thank you for your effort to be both Mom and Dad to our children while I was writing this book. Your actions do not go unnoticed. I'm fortunate to have your support with a career that's so demanding. I spend a lot of time on my laptop and you never complain. Thank you for wanting to be part of this journey with me and doing what you can to help. Whether it's the dishes or reading articles on how to market books, I appreciate it so much.
* * *
We ride together, we die together, Jill Mac. It’s clear you can't get enough of me and why you keep coming back for more. I guess I'm kind of the same way. Thank you—these two words aren’t adequate enough to show my appreciation for everything you do—so much for stepping up to the plate in the midst of my usual mid-story writing meltdown and taking control. You keep my head on straight and focused, making sure I'm where I need to be and not to worry about anything else. Thank you a million times.
