“Want some more salmon?” Helen reaches out to gesture at the cooked fish. The table is full of food. “Or couscous?” There’s salad, too.
I just stare at her.
I’m officially in hell.
If only I’d gotten away with my little snatch and grab, I could be halfway to Selbyville on a bus by morning.
Why did I run like that? Sostupid.
I just panicked, and the next thing I knew, I was eating grass with Silas pulling my hands behind my back like he’s the po-po. The nerve ofhisex-con ass of all people treating me that way.
“I’d love some more, Mom,” Caleb says from beside me, holding his plate forward even though, like me, he’s still got most of the original serving of salmon intact on his plate. He taps the edge of his plate four times before extending it—weird—and I notice his fork and knife are arranged in a perfect parallel line, exactly an inch from the plate’s edge.
God, even his table manners are uptight.
Caleb. That’s Hot Boy Scout’s name.
No, I pinch my thigh. It’s mystepbrother’sname.
My stepbrother, whom I am completely ambivalent toward and completely, one-hundred percent notattracted to.I totally donotwant to turn and lick up his neck because he smells so goddamn good. What is that? It’s not the gallons of cologne most guys his age douse themselves in. He just smells… masculine andlickable, dammit.
I only kissed him to snatch his wallet. I was only thinking about getting back to Z—Iswear. As soon as he walked up, I couldn’t help thinking: easy mark.
Okay, that’s not exactly true.
When he walked up, I thought: shit, that boy’s even sexier up close.Andhe looks like an easy mark.
“So!” Helen claps her hands with the enthusiasm of a talk show host. “How was your first day, Harper? I can only imagine that starting at a new school senior year must be challenging.”
I shrug, focusing on the pattern in the tablecloth. “It was fine.”
“Just fine?” She’s still smiling with all her teeth. God, she’s trying so hard it’s physically painful to watch. I use my fork to poke at the fish. “Caleb said you’re in his AP English class. That’s wonderful! You two will have something to study together.”
Oh, we already studied together, all right.
I bite my bottom lip, remembering how his lips felt against mine.
I didn’t have to kiss him to lift the wallet. I’d wanted to. It was just a little harmless fun.
But then he kissed me like he was giving instead of taking, and his hands grabbed my waist in this desperate, worshipful way.
I already had his wallet in my hand. I should have been pulling away. Instead, I leaned in and started kissing him back.
I’ve never been kissed like that.
He made me feel like I was flying. I still feel light-headed.
Seriously, what the hell is it about howgoodhe smells? I can’t help taking another deep inhale. Is this just a pheromone thing? Or am I close to my period? What the fuck?
I shift in my chair to grab my napkin.
And our knees bump.
Immediately, our gazes lock, and my stomach does two somersaults before I yank my gaze away. What in the actualfuck?
Was that?—?
Did he actually just make me feelbutterflies?