Last Christmas (Private 0.60)

"The worst thing?" Ariana leaned back too, molding her back as they amused him, then moved on once he

decided he was bored. The kind of guy who hadn't batted an eye when his best friend, Eli Tate, had gotten

expelled last year after the dean found him high in his room next to a half-empty bottle of Xanax-a bottle

that everyone knew Thomas had sold him. More than that, she was supposed to be in love with Daniel.

But for some inexplicable reason, she couldn't turn away from Thomas. Couldn't break eye contact. Couldn't

help but want to do something wrong for once. Couldn't help but want him.

"Someone's thinking naughty thoughts," Thomas sang in a whisper, gazing at Ariana's lips.

Ariana's entire body tingled. She opened her mouth to speak, not knowing what she was going to say.

"Ariana!" Daniel's bark obliterated the moment. "Let's get the hell out of here."

Ariana instantly slid all the way to the other end of the bench, as if Thomas had just burned her with a hot

iron. Had Daniel seen anything? Not that there was anything to see, but-

"Wow. When he says 'jump,' do you say 'how high?'" Thomas teased.

Ariana narrowed her eyes at him, even as her heart pounded a painfully fast beat.

"Be there in a second," she called to Daniel. But he had already disappeared back into the hallway.

Suddenly all Ariana could feel was the sting of Daniel's disinterest. Wouldn't most guys be a little bit

concerned if they spotted their along the slats of the bench. She made a mental list of the things Paige and her

friends had forced the new girls to do to prove their devotion to Billings. Like the time Paige had made her

break into Hell Hall with a Sharpie and black out parts of the assistant headmaster's name plaque so that it

read ass master. He started to whistle the theme to Jeopardy. "Stop it," Ariana said.

"I want to hear something real. Something bad. Something hot." His voice dropped to a whisper, and he

nudged her knee with his. Ariana froze. The light contact sent her skin humming. Suddenly his face was only

inches from her own. She could feel his breath on her neck. Her own breath caught in her throat. "Come on,

Osgood. Shock me."

"Well ..." Ariana stalled, working to retain her composure and calm her racing heart. It was hard, though, with

Thomas's eyes probing every inch of her body, as if uncovering every last one of her many secrets. She felt

exposed. Naked. Exhilarated.

What would he do if she reached up and touched his cheek?

For a moment she felt dizzy, heady with the possibility that she could actually do it. He was right there. They

were alone, relatively. He wouldn't be able to tease her anymore if she did something that risky. Yeah, that

would wipe that knowing smirk right off his incredibly handsome face.