He's Coming in Hot (Salacious Summer Singe #6) - J. D. Light Page 0,17

his bottom lip, looking confused. "Was I supposed to give them beads or something?"

"That would be the best way to show your appreciation," I said, nodding.

"Your family…"

"Oh yeah." Enough said, really.

I opened my mouth to say more but was interrupted by a man I vaguely remembered as being a friend of Dawes's from the police station. He talked to me for several minutes, and when Newell tried to step away, probably bored out of his mind, I excused myself and followed, only to be interrupted by someone else. After about the fifth person stopping me to talk about everything I'd lost my date in the crowd, and I wasn't the least bit happy about it.

I finally found him standing a little ways from the alpha groom's cake, looking a little confused, and I couldn't say that I blamed him since there was a very large section cut from the thing in a way that definitely hadn't been done by an adult, and a crumb trail leading away from the scene of the crime.

"I think we should get as far away from this as possible. I don't want to be blamed for this," I said, grabbing his hand and leading him away. "I'm sorry I got tied up."

"What? It's fine. Everyone loves you. That's not a bad thing," he said with a soft smile that I couldn't stop myself from leaning down and tasting.

"It's late. We should head out. There's somewhere I'd like to take you, anyway."

"Okay," he whispered, his eyes still closed and a small smile on his face.

I pecked his mouth again and led him toward the entrance, nearly growling at the next man to step in front of me.

"You're leaving already, Lawt?"

Lawt? I didn't even recognize the man, but he thought we were on a shortened name basis.

Sighing, I exchanged pleasantries, still holding Newell's hand and still working my way to the front as we spoke.

By the time we finally made it through the door and out into the parking lot, three other people had tried to stop me, but I was done, so I hadn't done more than the necessary his and how are yous because I had a date to finish, and I wasn't about to miss out on it when the man I was on a date with was Newell Waters. I'd been waiting too damn long for this date to give it up for people I barely knew.

"You brought me to work?" Newell asked with a smirk on his face when we pulled up in front of the school, and I rolled my eyes.

"Yeah. Nothing sexier than you grading papers. I think it's the way you hold your red pen."

He snickered, easily following me as I led him into the building and then up the stairs in the very back that led to the roof, making it clear that he trusted me and was up for whatever it was I was leading him to.

"This is where I always used to come in high school. I still do sometimes."

The night was the slightest bit chilly, so I pulled him into my arms from behind as we leaned over the wall to look out at the rest of the tiny city and the darkened mountains surrounding it. The moon was high and bright, even if it wasn't full, and I sighed.

"High school me would be so jealous right now," I said quietly, as he leaned his head back against my shoulder.

"I thought you said you came up to the roof all the time in high school."

"Yeah, but I never got to bring you." He stilled, turning his head slightly to look at me, clearly confused, and I chuckled, shaking my head. "I had the most ridiculous crush on you in high school."

"What?" He turned quickly, stumbling slightly, and I grabbed him before he made it too far, my heart racing.

"Whoa. Careful," I said glancing over the edge of the building. "That trash can is a long way down."

He looked down, chuckling when he saw the wire trashcan right outside the entry of the school before shaking his head and looking back up at me. "Did you say you had a crush on me in high school?"

The shock on his face made me laugh all over again. How could he seriously be that oblivious? Nobody else who spoke to me during that time in my life would doubt my claim. They'd all seen it. How the hell had he missed it?

"Absolutely."

He shook his head, closing his eyes