Dead Pretty - Samantha Towle Page 0,34

with a side of nerdiness that makes all the girls swoon.

But I’m not swooning.

Okay, I’m totally swooning.

I’m stopping now.

Any … minute … now …

Jack swings a long leg over the bike and comes to stand in front of me. “Let me.” He brushes my hands away from the strap, which I stalled on, taking over.

His nearness sets me off again.

And I’m standing here, just gawking at him.

Because, you know, he’s so damn attractive.

In my defense, any girl would find it hard not to stare at Jack.

It would be like asking the stars not to shine at night. Im-frigging-possible.

The clasp clicks open, freeing me from the helmet. Jack gently pulls the helmet off for me.

“Thanks,” I say, hastily smoothing back the strands of hair stuck to my forehead and cheeks.

My cheeks are warm from the helmet heat and the internal heat that I have going on.

I sweep my braid back around over my shoulder, checking that it’s still in decent shape.

When I look up, I catch Jack watching me.

“What?” I say self-consciously, giving my braid a tug.

His lips curve into one of those easy smiles of his. Stepping closer, he tucks a strand of hair I missed behind my ear.

Everything inside of me stops.

His finger traces around the outer shell of my ear, making me shiver. “Nothing.” He shakes his head, eyes holding mine captive. “I just like looking at you.”

Right back at ya, babe.

Obviously, I don’t say this.

I just swallow down, feeling every single thing in this moment.

The heat in his eyes. The caress of his warm fingers against my cooling skin. The sentiment of his words.

I’m starting to quickly realize that the feelings I have for Jack aren’t just entirely sexual.

And that’s not good.

I don’t want to feel like this every time he is near me or touches me or says something nice to me.

What I want to feel is nothing at all.

Maybe it was a mistake, coming on this date.

I take a step back away from him, moving my eyes down to the ground.

I don’t want to see the disappointment in his eyes that I undoubtedly put there.

You want him to stop liking you. This is the way to do it. Being cold. Acting like a bitch.

Only Jack doesn’t deserve any of it.

And now, there’s this awful silence between us that not even the noises of passing cars and people walking down the busy street fill.

“So …” I start, needing to say something. “Will your bike be okay, parked here?”

“Here is as good as anywhere.” He hangs my helmet on one of the handlebars.

“Will that be safe to leave hanging there?” I ask, gesturing to the helmet.

He only just bought it, and I would hate if someone stole it.

Also, I’m a little attached to it.

Attached to a motorbike helmet. Stupid, I know. Because it’s not like I plan on riding on the back of his bike again after today.

It’s just that he was sweet to buy it for me. And I really need to stop thinking of Jack as sweet.

“Yeah, it’ll be fine.”

He seems unconcerned, and I guess it’s not like I’m back in Chicago, where you can’t leave a piece of gum out without someone stealing it.

“So, where are we going then?” I ask him.

“Here.” He tips his head in the direction of the building we’re standing outside of.

I give him a confused look. “Here? Why? Are you getting another cat or something?”

He chuckles, and I like the sound.

I like making him happy, yet I’m insistent on making him unhappy, so he’ll stop liking me.

For God’s sake.

I’m baffling the hell out of myself, so God knows what I’m doing to Jack.

I just need to … what?

Honestly, at this point, I have no frigging clue.

“No,” he answers me. “We’re here to walk a couple of rescue dogs.”

“Walk dogs? So, is … this our date?” I check.

Not that it’s a bad thing. But I just figured we would be going to the movies or something like that. Basically, like any other date I’ve ever gone on in the past.

But then Jack’s not like anyone I have ever dated in the past.

He steps closer to me again, but there’s caution to his approach. “Yeah. Well, it’s the first part of it.”

“First part?”

“Yep. First, we’ll take a walk with a couple of really cool dogs. And then, afterward, I’ll feed you.”

A dog-walking date.

It’s different. Unconventional.

And I absolutely love it.

I am so totally and undeniably screwed.

Jack holds his hand out to me.

I hesitate here for a second. Staring down at his hand.