By the time I pulled into the high school parking lot most of the spaces had been filled. I drove to the front to the space we’d been parking in since Bobby started driving six years ago, knowing it would be open. Built like a tank and blessed with about as much subtlety, nobody messed with my big brother. Even though he’d graduated three years ago, people still left his spot open for Joe before he graduated and now for me.
Until today.
Today, in Bobby’s parking spot sat a sleek looking Audi.
Thankfully, the driver still sat behind the wheel. Shoving my car into park behind his, I got out, prepared to tell him to get the heck out of my spot.
“Hey! What do you think you’re doing? That’s my spot,” my voice trailed off as the door to the offending car opened and out stepped the most beautiful guy I’d ever seen. With jet black hair and deep olive skin, he had an exotic look that made my heart race.
Swallowing hard, I took in his dark eyes framed by the kind of lashes women paid big bucks for. Normally, I’d think lashes like his were a waste on a guy, but not this one. He deserved every accessory the good Lord blessed him with, if just for my own viewing pleasure.
His perfectly sculpted lips twisted into a scowl. Even his scowl was gorgeous. He could scowl on the front of a teen heartthrob magazine. They’d fly off the rack.
Then he opened those beautiful lips. “You’re spot? Funny, I don’t see your name on it.” And the words coming out weren’t so beautiful.
My mouth opened and closed in a decent imitation of a fish before I finally formed a coherent thought. “Yeah, but that doesn’t make it any less mine.”
His eyes brushed down my body, from my hair to the white tank top I wore with dark wash skinny jeans, bright red Chucks, and one of Joe’s old flannel shirts tied around my waist.
I’d never been self-conscious of my appearance before, but this guy’s wrinkled brow had me rethinking everything. Which was crazy. I’d been raised to be confident, taught to never change myself to make other people happy. If someone didn’t like me for me? Not my problem.
Squaring my shoulders, I recommitted to owning me. Jordan Parks. Tomboy.
“I say it does.”
My mouth dropped open. Hypnotic, lyrical voice aside, the words coming out of this dude’s mouth grated over my nerves like a loss on the ice. I hated nothing more than losing. Not a game. Not an argument. Not my parking spot.
Fists clenched at my side, I took a step closer to the parking lot interloper. “That. Is. My. Spot.”
Dark eyes never leaving mine, he leaned forward, obviously not intimidated by my five-nine frame.
“Not today, it isn’t.”
For five seconds too long, I let myself get sucked in by his gorgeous good looks. I might have even stared at those perfectly shaped lips. Basically, I lost it just long enough for him to think he had the upper hand.
Unfortunately, he totally did. Without a word, hot guy turned back to his car and opened the back door. He reached inside and removed a guitar case. Then, just before walking away, he glanced over his shoulder and winked.
How dare he!
Buzzing with impotent rage, I marched back to my car with visions of slashing his tires and keying the word ‘thief’ into his door. But since the school monitored the lot with cameras, I had to satisfy myself with my vivid imagination as I drove to the now only available parking spaces at the back of the lot.
Jerk!
Well, he better believe Jordan Parks wouldn’t let him have her spot tomorrow. No, sir-ee. I’d make sure of it. In fact, I hoped he had to lug his stupid guitar from the street.
“What’s got you in an uproar this morning?” my friend, Natalie asked, falling into step beside me once I’d made it inside.
Hannah and Alex were my camp besties, but Natalie and Kelly were my go-to girls at school.
“Some jerk took my parking spot.” Thankful for my tank top, I flapped my elbows at my side to create a breeze. Summer temperatures would soon be a thing of the past, but it wasn’t the heat outside making my armpits damp.
Natalie’s eyes widened.
“I know, right.”
“Probably someone new. No one else would park in that spot. I swear people still think Bobby’ll pound ‘em if they park there.” Natalie shuddered, but she didn’t fool me. I knew she had a mild case of hero worship when it came to my brother. Heck, everyone did. The guy was a freaking legend in these parts. At twenty-one, Bobby lived on the other side of town and went to school at the community college while playing for the minor league hockey team in the next town over. He and Joe shared an apartment, but Joe mostly lived there alone during hockey season while Bobby traveled.