I wanted to slap the smugness right off his face.
“I’ll make you a deal. If they play a slow song, you dance with me. And I won’t try to kiss you again tonight unless you want me to.” He paused like he was thinking. “If you refuse the dance, I’ll pursue you relentlessly all night and tomorrow too.”
“Put on a shirt and it’s a deal.”
A corner of his mouth lifted. “Not on your life.”
“Fine. But they’ve been playing fast stuff since I got here. Good luck getting something slow on.” It was my turn to gloat.
“I know the DJ. Let’s go inside.”
Damn.
Sure enough, Hayden made a beeline to the DJ and as soon as that song ended, a slow one began.
“A deal’s a deal, McClean.” He pulled me against him and began moving slowly to the music.
It wasn’t only my stomach anymore, but the rest of my insides and limbs that felt it. Tingling, burning, yearning. If he’d been fully dressed, I wouldn’t be in this situation.
Oh, who was I kidding? I would have made out with him, dressed or not.
“I don’t think we should do this.” I withdrew slightly so I couldn’t feel his every movement or his thighs against mine. Maybe my thinking would be clearer if he wasn’t touching me. I wasn’t drunk on vodka anymore, but instead I was drunk with lust for Hayden.
He nodded slowly, searching my face. “You think if you keep your distance, you’ll get over wanting me.”
Yes, but I wasn’t going to say that. He didn’t need the encouragement. I attempted to disengage, but he yanked me back. “A dance, Tessa. That was the deal. Not half a dance. The song’s not over yet.”
Bastard. “You’re a pompous ass, Hayden.” If I kept talking, maybe I wouldn’t succumb. “Not every girl is madly in love with you.”
He ignored that. “It’s not going to go away on its own. If anything, knowing we can’t have what we want makes it worse. It’ll interfere with our classes, my tutoring and it’ll be awkward as hell every day at school.”
He painted an unpleasant picture. I didn’t want to imagine my infatuation for him festering.
“Maybe we should ride it out—”
“I’m not going to sleep with you, Hayden.”
“That’s not what I was going to say, although I’m not opposed to it. I meant that maybe we should… indulge. Just for a while until we cool off. Make a pact that once one of us says it’s over, the other respects it.” He lowered his voice to a whisper. “No one even has to know.”
I smirked. “Oh, I bet you’d love that. I could be your dirty little secret.”
He pressed me closer. “Now why would I want to keep us a secret if it meant I wouldn’t be able to kiss you any time I felt like it?”
I swallowed, really wanting to get started with that arrangement. But I couldn’t. If nothing else, the humiliation of being dumped two days or a week from now kept me on the straight and narrow.
“That’s a nice offer for a girl who’s beneath you, but I’ll pass.” Like my infatuation would sooner or later. It couldn’t last forever.
The song wound down and he released me. “You win this round, McClean. But tomorrow, you’re fair game.”
“It’s not a game, Hayden. I’ll admit, you’re really freakin’ hot, but the fact remains that no matter how you reword your offer to make it seem better, it would still be a fling. I want what I want and you’re the way you are. Nothing’s changed.” I blew out a breath. “If I don’t see you again before I leave, I’ll be at your house tomorrow morning at nine.”
I strolled off in search of my friends and found Nadia in the kitchen making herself a new drink. Alcohol free, I hoped, since she was supposed to drive. I didn’t want to miss curfew and stay longer.
As soon as she saw me, she stopped everything to huddle. “How did it go with Hayden?”
I checked to make sure no one stood close enough to hear. “He lured me into a dark corner of the garage and we made out for a couple minutes. Then he offered to keep doing it for a few days until we got bored, no strings attached.”
“He’s not here, so I assume you told him to piss off?”
“Yeah.”
She laughed. “Should I make you a drink?”
More truth serum? No, thank you. “No, I’m good. Where’s Corinne?”
She set the OJ carton down. “Jared cracked open a bottle of Cuervo and did body shots on her. And vice versa.” She shook her head. “She threw up before she got much of a buzz. I stuffed her in the car with a barf bucket and locked the doors. She fell asleep right away.”
“Hope she doesn’t puke and miss the bucket. You sure she’s okay?”
“Let’s go check.”
On our way to the front door, Jared stopped us, waving a nearly empty tequila bottle. By his flushed face and the way he swayed, I guessed he’d drank a lot of it. “You lovely ladies want to do a shot with me?”
“No, they don’t.” Hayden gently pushed Jared away from us then folded his arms over his chest until the drunk was a safe distance away. “Are you guys leaving?”
“We’re checking on Corinne.” I fled, before I softened up over him getting rid of Jared.
We trudged to Nadia’s car to find Corinne still sleeping. I spotted Blane at the end of the driveway, but he averted his eyes and disappeared. I couldn’t help but smile. My amusement vanished when I saw Brad speeding toward us.
“You two beauties are stunning. May I have this dance, Tessa?”
Would he keep his hands to himself? I thought not. His huge grin and glazed eyes hinted that he’d hit the kegs. Hard.
“Tessa only dances with me. Hands off, Brad. She’s mine.”
Brad staggered, turned and went inside. I gawked at Hayden who was still standing next to me.
“I said I wouldn’t hit on you but that doesn’t mean I’ll let others do it.” One side of his mouth lifted.
“You think you’re pretty clever,” I said.
“Why, yes I do.” He chuckled. His cell phone chimed and he dug it from his pocket. I leaned over to spy, reading the caller’s name: Back Up Plan. He touched a button and silenced it. Back Up Plan… Whatever could that mean?
“Thanks for getting rid of them,” I said.
“So, she’s your property now?” Nadia asked Hayden.
“No,” he answered. “I could say anything and they wouldn’t remember. They’re all too drunk.”
“Unlike you,” I pointed out. Hayden didn’t have a drink in hand. In fact, I hadn’t seen him with anything other than water all night. I thought the whole reason he arranged for me to pick him up the next morning was to avoid driving with a hangover. “Did you quit drinking?”
“No. I promised Christina I’d help out, keep an eye on things until the party died down. We have plans for later though.”
“You and Christina?” I asked.
“A bunch of us. You know, drinking games. After most of the others leave.”
That news made me want to spend the night there to keep an eye on him. But he wasn’t my boyfriend, so he was free to do whatever he wished.
“Unless you’ve changed your mind. Then I’d skip that and hang out with you.” His gaze rested on my lips.
Heat crept into my cheeks as I remembered the kiss. “That’s an interesting offer.” And tempting. “But no thanks.”
He smiled. The same smile that got him every girl in school. “Maybe next time.”
“Maybe.” I wracked my brain trying to think of an excuse to stay the night with Hayden, any possible way I could justify it without feeling like I’d compromised my principles.
“If we leave now, we have enough time to make it to my house by curfew.” Nadia skirted the front of the car and stopped at the driver’s side. “Later, Hayden.”
In a perfect world, I’d get a kiss goodbye. But my world wasn’t perfect and never would be.
We’d driven about a half mile when I remembered I’d left my purse. When Hayden had lured me in
to the garage, I’d set it on the table.
We doubled back and Nadia’s car idled in the driveway while I made a dash for the garage. As I crept in, I saw shadows that looked like two people, busy doing exactly what Hayden and I had been doing. Leaving my purse wasn’t an option though. My house keys were in it.
Interrupting two people making out… Awkward. “I’m sorry. I left my purse in here.”
The couple separated and I recognized the guy. Hayden. I burned with humiliation that he could be with another girl so soon. Pushing forward, I snatched my purse. I should’ve walked away, but I couldn’t.
“Moving on so soon, Hayden? Gosh, I only left a couple minutes ago.” I turned to go then changed my mind. The girl deserved to know she was being used. “He was kissing me in this same spot not too long ago. But don’t worry. It didn’t mean anything.” I whirled around to leave, then threw another barb over my shoulder, “With Hayden, it never does.”
I leaped into Nadia’s waiting car, fury pounding at my temples and promising a sleepless night.
* * * *
I peered into Bree’s room to see her sound asleep. Our babysitter, Isabella, slept on the daybed nearby. I gingerly closed the door and tiptoed down the hallway, but froze about halfway to my room.
Someone was in there. I recognized the energy. It was the same person who’d watched me outside the auditorium the other day. Someone I’d never met. He or she had been in the house a while too, long enough to leave a lingering scent. Bree and Isabella had been alone with this stranger.
I squeezed my eyes shut, my pulse roaring in my ears. I whirled and poked my head inside Bree’s room again, terrified that something bad had happened to them. I listened for their rhythmic breathing, then closed the door and wiped beads of sweat off my forehead.
Think, Tessa, think. Whoever lurked had to know I’d sense their presence. If they meant me harm, they could have accomplished that any number of ways. Earlier tonight at the party, for instance, I’d been a perfect target with the liquor fogging up my brain.
As if my feet were fixed to the floor, I stared at the door to my room. The adrenalin kicked up another notch and my hands quivered. I took a step back and the door creaked open. I stifled a scream.
A guy not much older than me, nineteen maybe, stood with his palms out, showing me he was unarmed. “I just want to talk to you.”
Right. That’s why he broke into my room — because he was on the up-and-up. My throat closed over from panic.
“I can stand here while we talk, just like this.” He spoke slowly, barely above a whisper. “No sudden moves, I promise.”
All the ways he could hurt me whirled through my head.
“Nothing so dastardly,” he said. “If I’d planned to hurt you, we wouldn’t be standing here right now. You sensed me before today, right?”
Remembering that I’d sensed someone outside the auditorium, I nodded.
“Frank and Lila are lying to you.”
I widened my stance and bent at the knees, ready to bolt if I needed to. “Frank and Lila?”
“Or whatever name they’re going by.” He telepathically sent me pictures of their faces.
Ah, Mr. Linton and Fawn.
“Yes, those two. They’re not who they say they are. They’re conning you.”
“They told me you’d say that.” My parents were out, as usual. I never knew when they’d return. For all intents and purposes, I was alone with this stranger. “Your people want to use me so you can take over and rule.”
“No. That’s them — Frank and Lila’s people.” He ran his fingers through his dark brown hair that fell lazily around his perfectly chiseled face. “Their goal, not ours.”
Okay, that was the last thing I expected. Mr. Linton and Ms. Phillips were totally nice. I didn’t think they’d ever hurt me. They even taught me how to use my powers. And like this guy, if they intended harm, they’d have already taken the opportunities. Whatever the bunch of them were up to, I seemed to be more useful alive or they would’ve snuffed me already.
“Of course they’ll try to convince you they’re the good guys. They want you on their side. They found you first but that doesn’t automatically make them better.”
That made sense in a strange way. Damn. How would I know who to trust? My mind reeled in confusion.
“You think we could talk about this? Give me a chance to show you the other side.”
“Now?” It was midnight and my big cushy bed beckoned me. And more than anything, I wanted to avoid being a pawn in whatever game those two groups were playing.
He shook his head. “It’s late. We could figure out a way to meet again without them knowing.”
“Without them knowing? Then they wouldn’t be there to back me up if it turned out you’re the one who’s lying.”
“Then I’ll meet you in your room every night.” He smiled devilishly.
My gaze fixed on his blue eyes. “Apparently, I can’t keep you out.” I’d locked the house up thoroughly when I’d left earlier with Nadia and Corinne — who’d faint if they ever saw him. Hayden would be long forgotten. But not by me. It didn’t matter how flawless this guy was, he could never be more compelling than Hayden’s perfect imperfections.
“Don’t fall in love with a non-sorcerer, Tessa. It never works out.”
Damn. I’d forgotten to put up my shield. I ignored his invasion and unwanted opinions and guarded my thoughts. If my hunch was right about Hayden, and I’d find out tomorrow, getting involved with him wouldn’t be an issue. Not that I intended to take up with him. Ever. “How did you get in here without them knowing?”
“I had help. I know a Blocker.”
“Blocker?”
“Yeah, a Blocker.” His face changed, as if something dawned on him. “I guess they’re not telling you everything. Allow me. Blockers can create blind spots, so the enemy doesn’t see someone like me. Are you ever going to come inside or are you going to stand in the hallway all night?”
I didn’t really want to be trapped in a small space with him, even if it was my room. “You could come out here.” As the words left my mouth, my adrenal spiked. I didn’t want to be in the hallway with him either, but at least I could run if I wanted to.
“The rest of your house isn’t secure. I’ve already adjusted the curtains in here and made sure I won’t be spotted.”
“But Fawn and Mr… uh… your Lila or Frank would still sense you, whether they saw you or not. Unless you’re Blocker friend is still here.”
“She’s right outside.”
“Then why did I know you were here if she blocked you?”
He smiled. “Because I wanted you to know. We can be selective in who we block, who we don’t want to see into our thoughts.”
Okay, he seemed like a nice enough guy. And he wasn’t making any threatening moves toward me. I took a deep breath and let the tension leave with my exhale. Maybe this guy would be a little more forthcoming with information. “What else is there, other than Blockers, Movers, Readers and Detectors?”
“Healers, Seers… Anything you can imagine, I guess. You want to watch out for Allayers.”
“What’s that?” I asked.
“Allay means to calm or give relief. They wrap you up in warm and fuzzy feelings. It’s dangerous because they make you feel safe when you’re really not.”
So that was Fawn’s special ability. She’d worked me and Hayden over that first day. For all I knew, this stranger was doing it too. With an unknown and uninvited person in my house, I should have been afraid. But I wasn’t…
No, this time was different. I was calm now simply because something about this guy wasn’t threatening. When Fawn had used her mojo on me there had been an energy of sorts, like an external force molding my emotions and forcing me to feel content while shutting out the negative.
I’d have to watch out for Fawn in the future. In the meantime, I had a prime opportunity to squeeze information from the newcomer. The more I learned, the easier to f
igure out who was telling the truth. “Your Detector didn’t detect me? Or your side would’ve gotten to me first, right?”
“Detectors are like gold. They find people like you, people for their team. Without a Detector, we’re crippled. We can’t expand. Since our last Detector met a mysterious death, we now rely on Frank to find them.”
If Frank missed detecting Hayden, no one else would detect him either. If Hayden was like me, as I suspected, he and I could team up, possibly figure out who were the real bad guys. With Hayden’s help — if he stayed under their radar — we’d get the advantage. The only problem though would be Hayden staying away from the principal once his powers opened up. He couldn’t afford to call attention to himself because then he’d have the two sides after him. Like I did.
“Frank’s the only Detector in the whole world?”
He chuckled. “No. We have others but they’re working elsewhere.”
“Why should I believe anything you say? What makes you one of the good guys?”
“Anything I say would be well thought out and very convincing. Same with Frank and Lila. It doesn’t matter what we tell you. Watch and listen. Pay attention to the little things.” He leaned against the doorframe, which gave me a better view of him. He was about an inch or two shorter than Hayden, with lean but cut muscles. Whatever he lacked in bulk, his face made up for it.
I liked that answer and felt comfortable enough to venture into my room. He backed up and kept a safe distance. “Do you have any idea what my special ability is?”
“If you don’t know, no one else does either. It could take months to figure it out, but probably only a few weeks. Be patient. “
“So now what?”
“We’d like to meet with you, like you have with Frank and Lila. Eventually you’ll have enough information to decide whose side you’re on.”
“What if I don’t choose sides?” I folded my arms over my chest.
“They might kill you, so you can’t choose us. The bigger our army, the smaller theirs is in comparison.”
“Army?”
He shrugged. “We’re in a battle, good against evil. It’s not fun and games, Tessa, though I wish it were.”