Eden High: Series 1 (Eden High 1-6)

Today he was wearing jeans that fit just right in front. My mouth went dry. How did you go from a virgin to having lustful thoughts overnight?

No wonder parents locked their kids away; they were probably remembering how it was to be a teen themselves.

There were lots of murmurs in the background as I’m sure we were making a spectacle of ourselves, and one loud scream came from somewhere behind us.

Not a scream like I’m hurt, I need help, but more like I’m about to throw the mother of all tantrums if I don’t get my way right now. Two guesses as to who that was.

I couldn’t look around to see if it really was Mandy making that racket, because Mr. man crowded me against the car door and did that thing where he sniffs my hair. Why is that even sexy? No clue, but it makes me weak in the knees.

He ran his nose down the side of my face, and then I felt the lightest kiss against that place where my ear meets my cheek. I thought I would swoon. I had to grab ahold of his shirt to steady myself.

“Morning babydoll.” He kissed my lips, but once again it was just a tease. He took my hand and turned and led me across the lot with my hand held firmly in his.

I saw Belle with Tammy and Cassandra off to the side watching us with their mouths looking pretty much like guppies.

Belle gave me a little thumbs up and Cassandra looked as if she were about to pass out. Tammy as always, kept her head down.

I had a quick moment of worry about Cassandra when I remembered her reaction to him that day on the field. I hope she didn’t hate me.

But when she gave me one of her shy smiles I knew it was okay. Jace was pulling me along, but I gave his hand a little tug. Here was our first test.

He looked down at me when I tugged and I pulled him in the direction of my three new friends, who looked like they were about to bolt at any second.

If they did, I wouldn’t speak to anyone of them ever again in this lifetime. They must’ve caught the kill lights in my eyes because they stayed put.

“Good morning ladies.” Jace greeted them with that devastating grin of his; he’s such a showoff. I think these three idiots sighed like those ladies you read about in historical romance novels.

I rolled my eyes and kept going, with them falling in beside us. We pretty much ignored the glares and whispers as my new boyfriend walked me to my first class.

“I’ll see you at break, wait for me outside your lit class and I’ll come get you and walk you down to the cafeteria.”

Another one of his drive-by kisses and he was off. I watched those fine buns all the way down the hall until he got to the end.

“Inside Sian.” Damn, how did he know I was still standing there? The four of us snickered and three of us headed for one class while Cassandra hustled and went to her class on the other side of the building.

Wait a minute, how did he know what classes I had? I didn’t have much time to dwell on it because Belle was dragging me to our tables.

We were in a huddle and you would think I’d won an Oscar or at the very least an Emmy the way they were carrying on.

“You’ve been holding out on us, maybe you need a lesson in friend etiquette, but you do not keep the fact that you’re dating the school heartthrob from your girls.”

“Why Belle, I was sure you wouldn’t have any interest in that seeing as he’s a jock and all.” I batted my lashes at her.

“You’re such a fail, try to follow along please. My interest is not so much in the meat per se, but more in the affect this new turn of events will have on the twat brigade.

I can see only good things coming from this. It will kill her, and a more deserving wench we have yet to meet.”

“Geez Belle blood thirsty much?” I secretly agreed with her assessment but wasn’t about to let her know that. It was early days yet and I’m way into self-preservation.

Now I don’t think Jace would’ve gone through all that he had last night on a dare, or as some sort of joke. But there was so much that could go wrong with a new relationship…

I caught myself in mid-thought. It was finally dawning on me that since my arrival here I’ve been acting like the proverbial twit. I guess I was a bit intimidated, but no more.

“Okay you’re right but this all just happened last night. I’ll tell you guys all about it later, the teacher’s coming in.”

And so were Mandy and her crew. I pretty much expected the bump into my desk that one of them did in passing so didn’t acknowledge the juvenile move.

I was expecting there to be some backlash, in fact I’d spent a good part of last night thinking about that, when I wasn’t imagining Jace and I together. I came to the decision to choose my battles and rise above whatever they threw my way.

“Skank alert.” Belle, not so much!

“It won’t last you know, he’s just mad at me about something, but we all know he always comes back to me, his one true love. I’m sure he probably has some kind of bet going with the rest of the team. You know how those guys are.”

This was said loud enough for everyone who was interested to hear of course, and I had a momentary fear that she might be right.

I mean that made more sense than the hottest guy anywhere ever, being interested in me.

Then I remembered him holding my hand and closing his eyes last night; that look on his face.

There was definitely something there; just the memory of that moment made my heart race and filled me with…something.