Touched By The Devil (Boys of Preston Prep 3)

“Well…” I touch a few things, feeling excited. “Not completely, but new to this car. A lot of these parts are salvaged and just cleaned up. It’s amazing how this old stuff lasts. Way better than the disposable, plastic shit they use nowadays.” I jerk my thumb over my shoulder. “Once that shiny radiator is back in, it’ll look even better.”

“I can’t believe it.” She runs her hands over the clean additions. “Merle has done such a good job, I don’t know how I could ever repay him.”

Jealousy wars with pride in my chest, but I manage to keep a cool exterior. “He’s a pro, alright.”

She leans against the front of the car and asks, “So, hey, those kids in my photography club, the Adams twins? Do you know much about their family?”

I grab a rag and wipe off my hands. “Micha and Micheala? Yeah, big family. I know they’re all adopted. Their oldest daughter, Gwendolyn, graduated last year. They have another daughter and son, but I don’t really know them much.”

“The parents… they’re the ones who gave me my scholarship so I could attend Preston.” She reaches into her bag and pulls out an envelope, the top torn and wrinkled. “They invited me to this dinner so they could meet me.” She looks weirdly anxious when I take it, eyes fixed to the paper.

I skim the details. Dinner at a nice restaurant in town. Seems pretty informal. “Are you going?”

She twists the strap of her bag in her hand. “I don’t know that I have a choice.”

“Well, for what it’s worth,” I say, tapping the paper against my palm, “they all seem like nice people. Not really your average Preston type of family, if that helps. Gwendolyn’s dating my brother’s former best friend, Hamilton.”

“Former?”

“Oh, yeah. Definitely former. Hamilton and Heston were kind of the kings around here last year. Well… kings of the Devils. But then Hamilton fell for Gwendolyn, and my brother didn’t like her, so he stirred up a bunch of shit.” I shake my head at the memory of it all. “Anyway, when is this dinner?”

She chews on her lip. “Next week.” I’m not sure what she’s so nervous about, but it’s plain as day in her eyes that she is.

I hand the invitation back to her, boldly offering, “Do you want me to go with you?”

She stills, eyebrows rising. “What? You mean like… as my date?”

“I might not look like much, but I clean up well.” I spread my arms. “I’m absolutely escort material. Use me.”

“You’d do that?”

“Sure.”

“I don’t know…” She pushes off the car and paces anxiously. “You really want to go to a stuffy dinner with me and a group of people neither of us really know? Especially if there’s bad blood between their daughter’s boyfriend and your brother?”

“First of all, I’m not Heston.” I reach out and grab her dog tags when she paces by, stopping her in her tracks. I’ve noticed that, more and more, she’s started wearing them outside of her shirt, almost like she’s indulging my impulse to touch some part of her. I use it to gently tug her between my legs as I lean against the car. “Second of all, like I keep saying, people find me endearing. Including parents. I’m likable as hell. Everyone really needs to stop underestimating my talent for sweet-talk.”

She rolls her eyes, but I see the small tug of a smile on her lips. Damn, I just want to kiss her. I don’t, instead tucking her hair behind her ear. “We can figure that out later. Is Georgia waiting for you?”

“She dropped me off,” Sugar says, holding my stare. “I was actually hoping you’d give me a ride back to school when you’re done here.”

“I can do that,” I answer, still thinking of that shiver from class, “but how about we go for a drive first?”

Her eyes dart to my mouth then back up. Yeah, she wants to kiss me, too. “A drive, huh?”

“Yeah, I know this place that might be good for taking pictures. A nice view. Thought I’d show it to you.”

She purses her lips like she’s thinking about it, but I already know she’s down long before she responds, “Okay.”

“Let me go clean up and we’ll go.”

I do my best to scrub off the grease and oil, then change clothes in the back room. When I walk out, Sugar’s leaning against the Shelby, her dark hair showing tints of red in afternoon sunlight. Fuck, the sight of her against my car, staring into the distance as the wind blows her hair around, is a better view than anything else in this town.

I open the door for her, taking the opportunity to catch a whiff of her hair, and then slide into the driver’s seat. I crank the engine and look over at her, grinning to myself.

“What?” she asks, shifting in her seat.

I shrug. “I just like seeing you over there.”