Broken Hill Hurt (Broken Hill High 3)

Brylee and Courtney return to the table a few minutes later with a plate of French fries that makes my mouth water. They sit down and I find it impossible to take my eyes off them. “Would you like some?” Courtney laughs as she grins across the table at me.

“I thought you’d never ask.” I reach over and grab a handful of French fries off the plate before annihilating them and reaching for more.

“Jesus,” Nate grunts, making me look up to notice the sparkle in his eyes. “If you were hungry, you should have said so.” I scrunch my face up at him but all he does is grin and shake his head as though he finds me amusing. A moment later he gets up and walks over to the counter before ordering me a bowl of my own.

I get the warm fuzzies when he does stuff like that. I absolutely love it. Especially when he leans up against the counter and looks back at me with a smirk, making my panties disintegrate. God, I love him.

I don’t know how I spent five years hating him. He’s the best thing I never knew I needed, and the way he loves me makes me feel like the only girl in the world. It’s incredible and all consuming. I wouldn’t have it any other way.

The guy hands him the bowl of French fries and he takes it with a mischievous gleam in his dark eyes. Oh, dear God. I know that look. I narrow my eyes on him and wait for whatever game he’s about to play. He walks forward with his eyes on me and the excitement bubbles up within me as our friends remain completely oblivious to what’s going on between us.

He plucks a French fry off the top and… wait, is that gravy? Damn. That looks so good.

He raises the gravy covered French fry to his mouth and bites down before licking his lips. Holy crap that was hot. The French fry disappears and I don’t know whether to be cranky that he’s stealing it or jealous that it’s not me all over those lips.

I go with cranky. I want those French fries.

He takes another.

Nope.

I push myself up out of my seat, this time being a little more careful not to face plant into the ground, as I’m sure there’s no way I’ll be that lucky again. I mean, I’ll probably end up needing some sort of plastic surgery if I was to go down a second time.

I step out from the table and watch as he tightens his hold on the bowl. A wicked grin takes over his face before the laughter spills out. There’s only one thing on this earth that Nate loves more than teasing his brother, and that’s teasing me.

“Nate,” I warn as I walk towards him.

“Yes?” he questions like an innocent little boy.

I raise my chin to him, letting him know I’m up for a challenge in the same way I used to. Only before, it wasn’t fun. It was never fun. Things have changed and because of him, I’ve grown one hell of a backbone. “I think you have something of mine.”

“Really?” he asks, taking another delicious gravy filled French fry and slowly raising it to his mouth. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

I come to a stop right before him and look up into those dark, smoldering eyes as he raises the bowl of French fries way above my head. “You dare eat that French fry, Nathaniel Ryder, and I’m going to rain down hell on you.”

His eyes bore into mine, studying me and trying to work out my game plan. But jokes on him. I don’t have one.

His eyes tease me as the French fry gets closer and closer to his delicious lips. I suck in a breath and watch as it disappears.

My eyes narrow. His raise. My knees bend. He nods. I charge.

I push myself into him but two big arms wrap around me from behind and pin my arms to my sides. “Let me go,” I demand as Jesse’s booming laughter rings in my ear and Nate’s grin triples in size while they gang up on me.

Jesse lifts me so my feet dangle off the ground and I do my best to get myself free, but probably look like a fish out of water. “I thought you’d learned your lesson by now,” Nate taunts as he eats another. “Remember, I always come out on top.”

I can’t help but grin back at him. “Really? Because last night I got the impression you loved it when I was on top.”

“Nope,” Jesse grunts behind me as he releases his hold and lets me drop to the floor. He looks up at Nate as I steady myself. “I don’t want to know. You’re on your own.” With that, he walks away.