Ryan Hunter

nailed me with her baffled gaze, and that was everything I needed. She’d be there tonight. And in my house it would be my rules. She didn’t know it yet, but she wouldn’t stand a chance. In the end, she’d be mine.
    Smiling to myself like a lovesick fool, I grabbed my backpack and headed for my car.
    I had only reversed out of the spot and turned onto the road, when I spotted Susan Miller walking on the pavement. She was the only new member on our team, who hadn’t been at my house yet, and I had totally forgotten to give her an invitation for tonight’s party. Slowing down to match her pace, I let the passenger window roll down and leaned a little forward, so I could see her face. “Hey, book lover!”
    She didn’t stop but turned her head in my direction. “Hi, there.”
    “Can I take you somewhere?”
    Taken aback, she raised one brow, something I knew I used to do a lot and it was weird to see it on someone else’s face. “Um…no thanks. It’s not that far.”
    “Would you get in, anyway? I need to talk to you.”
    As she stopped, I did, too. She looked up the road then back at me. “I guess that’s okay then.” With her backpack on her lap, Susan sat down in the passenger seat and buckled herself in. “What’s up?”
    “I forgot to tell you something,” I began as I pulled away from the curb and cruised up the street. “Where are we going?”
    “Half a mile this way, then turn into Rasmussen Avenue. So what did you want to talk about? If it’s about the cheating with Liza’s scores, you don’t have to worry. She’s my friend, but I won’t tell anybody.”
    “Okay, that’s good to know then.” This was in fact the other thing I really felt the need to discuss with Susan. “Mitchell asked me to bring her in, so it’s a personal favor. Matthews doesn’t have to know that. I don’t want her to feel bad because of it.”
    She nodded like she totally understood, but then she sucked her bottom lip between her teeth and started chewing on it. I cut her a glance through speculative slits. “What?”
    “Nothing.”
    I chuckled, because it sure wasn’t nothing. “Come on, you can say it.”
    “Yeah, maybe I can. I mean I’m sitting in this hot car with you, something that half of the school will envy me for if I tell them, right? And then I have no idea why that is, but it’s cool so…I’ll be honest. I was wondering if it really was only a favor for Tony.”
    “What, taking Matthews into the team?”
    “Yep.”
    I felt a grin tugging on the corners of my mouth as I quickly glanced at her from the corner of my eye. “What makes you think otherwise?” I looked back at the street, but I knew she was staring at me openly now, because she’d shifted in the seat so that she was facing me.
    “The way you checked out Liza’s butt while she was running for instance.” She made it sound like a suggestion, but then she added quickly. “Unless you were checking out Tony’s butt, which I seriously hope you didn’t do. And then I saw you sniffing your hands in a very weird, very romantic way after you touched her, which made me think you liked how she smelled.”
    The more she said, the wider my smile grew. “Did you spy on me, book lover?”
    “Is it bad to say I watched you?” she whined. “I was just curious what you would do today after you so secretly flirted with her yesterday.”
    I gulped as I turned into Rasmussen Avenue. “It certainly wasn’t that secret if you noticed it.” And then Frederickson and Alex had, too.
    Now she gave a sigh. Something dreamy and longing. “I guess I’m just marred in that way. I read so many romance books that I can smell it from ten miles away when a guy is falling for a girl.”
    “ Falling for her?” My voice held a hint of defensive accusation, but I probably sounded caught red-handed enough that she knew she was dead on.
    “Don’t panic. Like I said, I’m not telling anybody. And Liza certainly isn’t aware of it just yet. Could you stop here? The yellow house is mine.”
    Bringing the car to a halt in front of her door, I watched her opening the seat belt and said, “I guess I’ll be seeing you in the evening.” As she lifted her head and gave me a questioning look, I added, “At the party? You’re coming, right?”
    The next second, I realized she was just winding me up again like earlier with the secretary thing, because her expression turned sickly romantic then, and she hugged her backpack dreamily to her