“You’re okay with my Scion when we could be driving your Viper?”

“I don’t care what we use. I just want to avoid steering anything after a night of debauchery. Friday night is Christina’s Halloween party, remember?”

My engine totally cooled the rest of the way at the thought of Hayden boozing and ending up with some girl in a Naughty Nurse costume — possibly even drunker than him. I’d have to keep thoughts like that handy to periodically jog my good sense and keep things in perspective. I couldn’t allow myself to forget what a creep Hayden was.

“Debauchery, huh?” I smirked. “That’s a big word. And why would I know about any parties your friends throw?” Hayden had to be losing it if he thought I’d know when went on with his crowd or that I’d want anything to do with them.

 “I figured someone must have told you. But now that you know, do you want to go?”

“I have no desire to crash her party.” I flipped the page in the textbook, wondering how I’d allowed him to take us so far off our studies.

“It’s not crashing if you’ve been invited.” He grinned.

Maybe Hayden only had so much room in his pretty little head and smartening him up had caused an overload, making other vital data go poof. “Where am I going to get an invite? Do they sell them at the local Quick Mart?” I smirked.

He laughed, his eyes fixed on mine. “I’m inviting you. I’m your in.”

My mouth dropped open. “Who said I wanted an in?”

“Don’t you want to see how the other half lives?”

“Not interested.” I returned my focus to the textbook.

“A little curious?” He leaned forward but I didn’t look at him. “You can bring a friend.”

“You’re not thinking this through, Hayden. In what alternate universe would Christina want me at her party?” Being with a bunch of superficial social climbers didn’t sound like my idea of fun anyway. I wondered what was in it for Hayden to have me there. But his mental images eluded me for the moment. What was he thinking?

“I’ll pick you up and we can drive over together. You’d be safer,” he said as though my objections meant little.

I didn’t have to wait long to see his thoughts. A flash of us making out assaulted me. Not just kissing — he was lifting me up on a table, my legs wrapped around his hips. My stomach came alive with giant agitated butterflies.

It wasn’t as if I was all revved up to get married or anything. But the idea of finding a nice guy now who would want that someday didn’t sound horrible. Hayden was not that guy, nor did he want to be that guy. No matter how well he behaved or how hot he was, I could never ever let myself give into the temptation. No matter how powerful his pull on me.

He’d drawn me in when he kept his promise and watched over me. He wasn’t all bad — but bad enough that maintaining my distance was crucial. “Safer with you?” I asked. “Are you kidding?”

Hayden lifted one shoulder. “I thought since we’re studying together, things might be easier on you if everyone thinks I’m interested in more than a hit and ditch.”

“You mean easier for you.” Because he’d get to act out his fantasies. If I hadn’t seen the inner workings of his mind, I might’ve bought that he was only thinking of me. Of course, just because he wanted to do things didn’t mean he’d do them. Maybe he’d behave like a saint at the party and my hesitation would’ve been for nothing. But satisfying that question would probably land me in trouble.

“I don’t think hanging out is a good idea. I have plans anyway.” Plans to stay the hell away from him.

He shrugged. “Think about it. I’ll let her know you might be coming.”

Chapter Seven

Hayden

From my car, I watched Tessa drive safely through the school gate and onto the street. A moment later, a silver sedan left the curb and followed. Some days a red Porsche tailed her, other days a black Hummer. I always wondered who sat behind the tinted glass. Good guys or bad?

Something wasn’t right about that whole thing but I couldn’t put my finger on it. Mr. Linton came on the scene and suddenly Tessa was mysteriously in danger. Coincidence? And I doubted Agent Phillips was really FBI. I had a feeling that when Tessa left the school grounds, she was as safe as a turkey before Thanksgiving.

I didn’t know where the attack would come from — possibly the agent… or our principal? Or was there someone else I needed to watch for? At least between tutoring, the Halloween party and teaching her how to fight on weekends, I’d have plenty of opportunity to observe anyone suspicious.

My car would easily keep up with a sedan. I jumped in and took off after it. My yellow Viper wasn’t exactly low profile, so I kept a safe distance without losing them.

With little else to occupy it, my mind wandered to Tessa.

Christina would be pissed that I invited an outsider to her party. But if I hung out with Tessa, at least a little bit, she’d gain social acceptance which translated into the guys not harassing me as much over talking to her now and then. Their joking and ribbing had grown old.

Mostly, it annoyed me that they had so little respect for her… or girls in general. Not that I’d been a saint, but at least with me, the girls always knew where they stood. I didn’t talk about them to the guys and they wouldn’t wait by the phone for me to call. I always made it my policy to lay that out for them ahead of time.

That kind of honesty would get me nowhere with Tessa — and I wanted to get everywhere with her. Even so, I refused to resort to deception to get what I wanted from a girl.

Just because I wanted her didn’t mean that acting on it was a good idea. My spontaneous invitation to the party had been a stupid thing to do and I hoped she’d think better of taking me up on it.

On the other hand, if she made the wrong choice, I’d have an opportunity to get her out of my system. I didn’t think it would take much — a taste would be enough.

* * * *

Thursday morning, I arrived at school earlier than usual, hoping to get a glimpse of the drivers that shadowed Tessa. But I had as much luck as the night before. None at all.

I leaned my foot against the bumper of my car and waited for Tessa. She parked close by and exited the Scion. Her golden hair was pinned up. Thin wisps escaped whatever she used to secure it and fell around her face. She wore a white sundress that revealed more skin than I was used to seeing on her and the skirt swished around her thighs as she walked.

“Hey.” She smiled in a way that told me she suspected I might have scales under my clothes instead of skin. Good. I had nothing to offer a girl like her who would want the old-fashioned everything.

“Hi.” I stared into her green eyes, searching for something more to say.

“What’s up?”

“Nothing.” I shoved my hands in my pockets. “Just thought I should be here when you arrive.”

“Oh.” She averted her gaze.  “You usually avoid talking to me in public.”

I scanned the parking lot. “There’s hardly anyone here yet.”

She narrowed her eyes. “But if you don’t have anything to say, why bother?”

“Just making sure you’re safe and that we’re still meeting in the library after school.” I knew we were since we hadn’t agreed otherwise, but I wanted to keep talking to her.

“Yeah, sure. Why would that change?”

Right… time to switch the subject. “Meeting with Agent Phillips later?”

“No. Not today.” Her gaze wandered past me. “I need to go to my locker.”

I felt myself being pulled to her like gravity. This had to stop. “Go ahead. I’ll catch up.”

She smiled, relief evident by the renewed spark in her eyes. I squashed the welling disappointment and determined, yet again, to keep my distance. Damn. I needed a good hard make-out session with her, so I could get on with my regularly scheduled life.