Elite (Eagle Elite) - By Rachel Van Dyken Page 0,43

him? It again begged the question, just how old was he? And what type of business… ugh. My brain hurt. “Fine, we’ll watch the stupid movie,” I grumbled.

“Excellent.” Monroe threw the movie at Nixon, who in turn popped it into the computer. He sighed and laid his head on my pillow.

Angry, I jerked the pillow from underneath him and beat him on the head with it.

“What the hell was that for?”

“It slipped.” I shrugged innocently.

“Slipped my ass…”

“Children!” Monroe sang. “Behave or I’m not going to give you snacks.”

“She started it—”

“Nixon Anthony—”

I pinched him and laughed. “She totally middle-named you just now.”

“Trace…” There was a warning edge to her voice, so I shut up and sat as far away from Nixon’s body heat as I could. But it was near impossible, especially when Chase and Tex showed up halfway through the movie. According to Chase, his back hurt when he didn’t have a bed to sit on. Screwy logic, so I let him sit toward the bottom with his back against the wall. My feet would have been touching him, but I sat up. The minute I sat up, Nixon sat up. The minute he sat up, I dipped toward him.

And that was how I ended up falling asleep with my face on his shoulder. At least that’s what I told myself when I woke up at three A.M. to Nixon staring at me like a monster in a horror movie.

“Are you trying to give me nightmares?” I whispered grumpily.

“No.” His voice was hoarse. His arm shot out, and before I could stop him, he had somehow flipped me around so he was spooning me. His hand ran up and down my arm, tracing circles and massaging every inch of exposed skin.

I snuggled back into him further, trying to get comfortable.

He groaned low in his throat. “So not helping, Trace.”

“Oh.”

He brushed my hair aside and kissed my neck as his right hand dipped beneath my shirt. Tiny electrical shocks hummed through my body as his warm hand rested on my bare stomach.

“Nixon—”

“Please,” he whispered in my ear. “I just want to touch you.”

I fell asleep to Nixon, Student Body President, all-around bad boy extraordinaire’s hand burning against my skin.

It was the best night I’d ever had.

Chapter Sixteen

“You drool,” Nixon announced the minute I saw him for first period Monday morning. After everything that went down Friday night, I desperately needed some calm time. Monroe and I stayed in bed all day Saturday and watched movies.

She had family dinner Sunday, so I worked on what homework I did have, and then plunged into a vampire novel in order to lose the drama from my life.

It must have worked because like a total loser I fell asleep at seven at night and didn’t wake up until my alarm Monday morning.

Nixon hadn’t spoken to me since the night I fell asleep in his arms. I was beginning to think I was the one going crazy and nothing happened.

Tempted to flip him off. I merely mumbled thanks under my breath as I walked by his desk and sat down. One more week with him as our stand-in teacher, and then I would be home free!

“Movie day.” Nixon addressed the class, took roll, and then flipped off the lights as a documentary of early America began to play in black and white. Great.

“Hey,” he breathed in my ear.

“Crap!” My desk moved as I jumped away. I turned around and glared. “Are you trying to kill me?” I whispered.

Nixon smirked. “Not at all. Remember? I’m the one who keeps you safe. I’m the one that would die for you and all that? Why, want me to prove my loyalty?” His teasing smile made me want to smack him with my history book, or maybe my lit book. That one was heavier.

“I’m trying to watch the movie.” Oh gosh, nothing about that statement sounded remotely true. My voice even wavered into high-pitched liar pants territory.

“No, you’re not.” He sighed and leaned back. Every other kid was paying attention to the movie. Why was I the lucky one getting haunted by the gangster of Christmas present?

“Yes. I am.” Flipping my hair, I turned back around and focused on the movie about America. Ah Indians, focus on the Cherokees, Trace.

A loud yawn interrupted me, followed by two arms that stretched so far beyond the desk behind me that they practically pulled me back with them.

Letting out a heavy sigh I looked heavenward and shook my head. Ten minutes later Nixon