“Damn it, Laney, you can trust me.” I slam the locker beside me with my fist. She jumps. “Have you seen me with one other girl since we broke up? And don’t say Darla, because that doesn’t count. Nothing happened.”
“No,” she answers.
“And why do you think that is?”
“No fresh meat?” She digs.
I groan. “Are all city girls as frustrating as you?”
“Yes, it’s part of our charm.”
That causes me to crack a smile. “Do you want to know why I messed around with all those girls?”
“Do I want to know?” She curls her lip.
“Yes. Maybe it will give you some perspective. You know who my ex is, right?”
“Of course, everyone knows who Cheyenne is. Head cheerleader, prom queen, student bo
dy president.”
“Yup, that’s her. She’s also self-centered, egotistical, and a mega bitch. I spent three years of my life with a girl who didn’t give two shits about me. All she cared about was her social status and what I could do for it. I finally had enough when she showed up to my grandfather’s funeral two hours late and didn’t even kiss me hello or offer her condolences to my father. Who wants to date a person like that? So I dumped her, vowing I was going to spend my senior year having fun and not be tied down.”
“Well it sort of worked out that way,” Laney comments.
“Yeah, everything was going fine until a smart-mouthed city girl with blue eyes and crazy streaked hair strolled into first period and sat next to me. I was attracted to you the first second I saw you, and you wouldn’t give me the time of day.”
“You shouldn’t have called me sugar right off the bat.” She shrugs.
“I call everyone sugar. It’s habit.”
“Exactly. I didn’t want to be part of your bad habit. I didn’t want to be another girl on your roster.”
“You had to know you weren’t just another girl.”
“For a second I thought I was different.”
“You are.” I grab her hand. It feels so good in mine. “And I’m collecting on our bet. I’m not letting you get away again.”
“Bet?” She raises her eyebrows.
“Yeah, the one we made in chem the morning of the state championships. If I recall, we won and covered the spread.”
“You’re devious.” She leers.
“Yup, and I want you.”
“That bet was just my body. No strings attached.”
“We can start there, Lemon. You got a taste of what I can do to your body.” Laney’s eyes flash. “And that was just the tip of the iceberg.” I lean in and brush my lips against hers. She stiffens, fighting me. “What do you say? Will you give me one night to prove myself?”
Laney looks up at me with confliction in her eyes. “One night, Kam,” she sighs, giving in.
“That’s all I need.”
Chapter Eight
Laney climbs into my pickup a little after ten pm.