Laughter bubbled between my lips as I attempted to ignore the fact that I had a new ache from missing Lukas too. In my intense pain over losing Jake, I’d almost forgotten how much I cared about his little brother.

We yammered on for a while about family and then somehow, the conversation got turned around to my dating life.

“Am I in a relationship?” I repeated Jake’s quiet question and then slowly shook my head. “No. I was back in freshman year. Since then, though, I’ve not really been looking for anything serious. I’m just focused on college and my friends.”

Jake nodded thoughtfully and then asked, “What happened to the guy from freshman year? Were you together long?”

“About ten months.”

This appeared to surprise Jake, and not in a good way. I still knew him well enough to know that the flicker of hardness in his dark eyes meant he didn’t like something. I pushed it aside. “That’s a while,” he finally responded, taking a long sip of his cooling coffee.

“Yeah.” I didn’t say anything else because I didn’t want to talk about it. Especially not with Jake. “So,” I drew in a deep breath, hating that my stomach churned just at the mere thought of my question, “how long have you and Melissa been together?”

He stared at me a moment, perhaps trying to gauge if I could really handle the answer to my question. He put his empty coffee mug down and sat back. “We were friends first. We met sophomore year at the study abroad meeting, actually. Our friends started hanging out and uh, Melissa wanted to date but … um, well, we finally got there at the end of sophomore year so that takes us to six months of actual dating.”

“She’s beautiful. And she seems really nice, Jake,” I said. And I meant it. I didn’t like it, but I meant it.

Jake’s expression softened. “I almost forgot how kind you are.”

“Our history is not her fault.”

Our eyes locked and the air around us grew so thick and hot, it felt like even my skin couldn’t breathe. I stood up, exhaling heavily, like I’d just come out of an oppressive sauna after being trapped inside for days. “I’ve got to go. I need to hit the gym.”

“You work out?”

I nodded, watching as he unfolded himself from the chair and stood to tower over me. “I still haven’t given up on the idea of applying to the police academy after college, and I think a cop should be in good shape.”

“Of course. I work out too. We should go together.”

I opened my mouth to say no but as soon as I looked up into his warm, eager eyes, I melted. “Okay.”

I was such an idiot.

Chapter Eight

Seconds after I threw the door open and saw Jake standing there, I burst out laughing, delighted at what he was wearing. “You didn’t!”

He grinned back at me. “You said you were going as a cop.”

I giggled as he reached out and wrapped an arm around my waist, pulling me against his body so he could duck his head and kiss me. My hands automatically wrapped around his neck and my lips parted to let his tongue dance with mine. We came up for air at the sound of a throat clearing. I tensed as I turned to find my dad in the doorway, glaring at Jake.

“Have her back by ten.”

Uh, I didn’t think so. “Dad, we’re going to Hub’s after the dance. A whole group of us.”

Dad’s mouth pressed tight as I begged him with my eyes. “Fine,” he sighed heavily. “Eleven.”

I was going to protest this as well, but Jake squeezed my waist to silence me and answered respectfully, “Eleven it is, Mr. Redford.”

Dad gave him a wary nod before his eyes flickered back to me. He took in my costume and grimaced. Feeling another argument coming on, I pulled out of Jake’s arms and gave my dad a quick kiss on the cheek. “Tell Mom I said goodnight.”

My dad’s expression softened and he brushed my jaw affectionately. “Have a good time, sweetheart.” His focus sharpened on Jake. “But not too good a time.”

“Dad, I’m going with Jake … I’ll have an awful time.”

Jake grunted behind me but I made Dad smile, so it was worth it. I said another goodbye and then Dad closed the door behind us. Jake held my hand as we walked to his truck.

“So, if you’re going to have such an awful time with me … why are we going?” Jake teased.

Glancing up at him from under my lashes, I checked him out in his tight, black, long-sleeved top, black jeans, black boots, and the black cloth with eyeholes cut out tied around his upper face. “I said that to loosen up my dad. If I told him the truth, he’d lock me up until I’m thirty.” I got into Hendrix as he held the door open.

“And what’s the truth?” he asked and then hurried to get into the driver’s side.

“That I’m even more smitten with my boyfriend since he dressed up as a robber to go with my cop costume.”

Jake chuckled. “Smitten?”

“It’s a good word.”

“It’s a little tame.”

“It’s too early in the night for anything racier.”

He quirked an eyebrow. “But you were thinking something racy?”

“Let’s just say I like your costume. A lot.”

As Jake slowed at a red light, he turned to look at me, his eyes drifting down my body and back up again. “I like your costume a lot too.”

After speaking to Lacey and Rose about costumes for the Halloween dance, I knew my cop costume was nowhere near as revealing as what they planned to wear, but my girlie cop costume was tight, so tight my dad nearly had an apoplectic fit. There was a point I didn’t think he’d let me out the door, but my mom managed to talk him around. I didn’t see what the problem was—I wasn’t showing any cl**vage or leg. Okay, so maybe the pants fit like a second skin and I was wearing a padded bra under the snug blue shirt, but other than that, it was perfectly acceptable attire.

“Lukas is dressed like a robber too.”

I smiled. “Why?”

“Because it was an easy costume.”

“That’s really why you chose it, right?”

“Nope.” He smiled boyishly. “I chose it to increase the possibility of you using those cuffs on me later.”

Sometimes I wondered if he was trying to fluster me when he said stuff like that, but he really should know better by now. I patted the cuffs clipped to my belt. “Well, if you play your cards right …”

Unfortunately, Jake was hard to catch off guard. Rather than choke and get all turned on like any normal sixteen-year-old boy would, he just smiled like I amused him. “Baby, we ever really use cuffs, I won’t be the one in them.”

Now I was the one making strangled noises. “Jake!”

“What?”

“We’re sixteen!”

He laughed as he pulled into the school parking lot. “So?”

“It’s one thing to joke about it but another to actually ... you’re like a thirty-year-old trapped in a teenage boy’s body.”

“Wow.” Jake stopped the engine and turned to me. “I did it. I finally got you ruffled. Over handcuffs.” He winked at me. “I’ll keep that in mind.” He got out of the truck before I could punch him in the arm.

I got out after him. “You’re not funny.”

“I’m hilarious.” He pulled me into his side, letting go of my hand so he could wrap his arm around my waist.

Approaching school we saw a bunch of freshman hanging out at the main entrance. A tall kid dressed head to toe in black turned and I recognized him instantly. Lukas. Jake and I had been dating for almost two months and had each been to the other’s house for dinner. This meant I’d spent some time with his brother only to discover that Lukas was a younger version of Jake, brimming over with cocky charm and charisma.

As we drew to a stop in front of him, Lukas gave me a body scan as he whistled. “Looking hot, Charlotte.”

“Luke, eyes up or I’ll detach your retinas,” Jake warned.

Lukas grinned mischievously. “Not my fault your girlfriend is hot.”

“Lukas, stop checking me out. It’s weird. You’re a fetus.”

Looking affronted, Lukas held his hands to his chest. “Moi? I’ll have you know I’ve been sweeping women off their feet since I was five. I have a wealth of experience, baby. Ditch the old guy and I’ll show you the time of your life.”

“You need to stop spending time with your brother.” I glanced up at Jake, glaring at him. “He needs to stop spending time with you.”

Jake’s body shook against mine as he laughed quietly. “This,” he gestured to Lukas, “has nothing to do with me. If this is how I act, shoot me, shoot me now.”

“Pfft.” Lukas made a face. “You wish you had my game.”

Jake closed his eyes as if in pain. “It hurts, it physically hurts.”

I laughed and tugged on Jake’s waist. “C’mon. Let’s leave the player to play.”

Throwing me a wink scarily like the one Jake had given me in the car, Lukas turned back to his friends and my boyfriend led me into the dance. Lacey and Rose hurried over as we strolled into the darkened gymnasium, avoiding black and orange streamers, string, and fake webs. A paper spider fluttered into my face, almost scratching my cornea. I batted it away, tripping over Jake’s foot.

“Someone overdid it on the decorations,” I grumbled as Jake righted me.

“What are you wearing?” Lacey screeched and I turned in Jake’s arms with wide eyes.

“Ow!” I shook my ear out pointedly.

Lacey winced. “Sorry. But what are you wearing?”

“My cop costume. I told you.”

“But … I thought it would be like a skirt version. A short skirt version.” She gestured meaningfully to her and Rose’s costumes. Lacey was wearing a sexy vampire outfit, her dress a good few inches above her knees, while Rose was wearing a very short sexy nurse costume. Both were also showing off a lot of cleavage. It was a wonder they’d gotten past the chaperones, but as I studied the room, I saw there were quite a few sexy outfits and a lot of uncomfortable-looking male teachers. “The tight pants are hot, I’ll grant you, but a skirt would’ve been hotter.”

“I think she looks great,” Jake interjected.

Lacey rolled her eyes. “Of course you do.” She grabbed Rose’s hand and dragged her away. Rose, who hadn’t even gotten the chance to say hi, gave me a weak wave and followed Lacey through the crowd.

“Hey, Jake,” a senior girl cooed as she walked past. She was wearing the same sexy nurse costume as Rose.

“Hey,” he gave her a small nod but turned back to me.

I raised an eyebrow at him. “You are good.”

“Good, how?”

“She just gave you ‘the nod’ while wearing a naughty nurse costume and you barely batted an eyelash. I appreciate the effort that must’ve taken.” I squeezed his hand.

Jake didn’t laugh, however. Instead he ducked his head, his lips grazing my ear as he replied, “I’ve got the most beautiful girl in the room on my arm. Why would I look elsewhere?”

I shivered and leaned closer into him as he grazed his lips across my neck.

“Dance with me?”

I nodded my throat clogged with emotion and the sharp realization that it took very little for Jake to turn me on. When I’d been dating Alex, I’d barely felt a thing. It was like Jake had flipped the switch on my hormones.

Dancing with my cheek on Jake’s shoulder, my body enfolded against his, I saw Alex across the room. He had his jock friends around him and they all seemed to be having a good time, but Alex was staring a little forlornly at me and Jake, hitting my guilt button big time. He’d gotten more and more distant these last two months and Brett had become an even bigger douchebag, making snide remarks to me and Jake in class and out. We were doing a good job of ignoring it, knowing Brett was deliberately trying to provoke Jake into a fight. Jake wasn’t easily provoked, especially since it was him I was making out with on a daily basis. The only time he’d gotten close to losing it was when Brett had made some sexual remarks about me. I’d had to pull Jake away and take him into the library to cool off.

Jake’s family still hadn’t been having the easiest time of it in Lanton. Whether it was Trenton or Brett or a loyal sheep from either posse, someone had been making prank calls to the Caplin house, Logan’s car tires had been slashed at Hub’s, and worse, Jake’s mom’s cat had gone missing five days ago. We didn’t know if it was foul play but my mom said she wouldn’t put anything past Trenton Thomas.

It wasn’t a surprise to me that an hour later when Jake wandered off to the punch table to get us a couple of drinks, I saw Brett corner Lukas and his friend in the back of the gymnasium. I narrowed my eyes, not liking the sight of Brett and Damien Nixon towering over the freshmen. Where the hell was Alex? He was usually the one that reined in their behavior.

When Brett shoved Lukas and Lukas got in his face, my stomach churned.

Brett was really a big enough as**ole to target Jake’s little brother?

I jerked my head around to make sure Jake hadn’t seen it yet and was relieved to find Amanda Reyes talking to him, keeping him distracted. Anger fueling me, I strode toward Brett ready to kick his ass, only to be abruptly stopped by Alex.

He did not look amused.

“Don’t, Charley. I’ll handle Brett.” He turned on his heel, followed by two more of his buddies, both of them seniors and on the football team. Lukas saw them coming and I saw a flicker of fear in his eyes that I hated. He clearly thought Alex was there to create more hassle. I was so relieved when Alex grabbed Brett by the neck, dominating him. Whatever he said made Brett blanch and nod. Alex let him go and Brett’s face darkened with humiliation. He nodded at Damien and they backed away from Lukas.