She's Mine - Jenika Snow Page 0,15

burn before the party. But afterward… he didn’t feel like himself anymore.

And it was the first time in his life that had ever happened. He wanted to hang onto it, dig his nails into it and keep it close.

He inhaled deeply, unable to stop himself. She smelled like hyacinth, or maybe lavender. It was this floral aroma that had his muscles tightening and arousal licking through every single part of his body.

He didn’t know much about her, just the few things he heard here and there at school.

She was quiet. She had an older brother named Alex who’d been some hotshot football player back at the academy when he was a student. She was wicked smart—a bookworm someone had called her. He’d heard guys talking about her being a virgin, heard the filthy things they murmured under their breath when she passed. A quick smack to the back of their heads and a low growl had shut them up. Now they knew better than to talk about her that way in front of him again.

She didn’t think she was pretty, didn’t think she was anyone of importance. He could see that in the way she held herself, in the way she bundled up. Where a lot of girls at school showed strips of skin here and there, their school uniform not hindering that fact, Keira kept herself covered, wore things that were modest.

She was shy, quiet. And God she was pretty. So damn pretty it made his heart beat faster every time he looked at her.

Despite her parents’ financial status being just as high as anyone else that went to the academy, she kept to herself. The only two people he’d seen her hang out with were her friends Molly and Ian.

“You care where I take you?”

She looked at him, and the smile she gave him, the way she shook her head, was purely genuine. “Nope.”

He felt his grin spread. “You trust me like that, huh?”

She lifted a brow. “You haven’t given me any reason to not trust you.”

And he wouldn’t.

She looked out the passenger window, and he glanced at her—again. He felt his heart do something funny. Her profile was delicate, feminine. She didn’t do herself up like half the school female population. No makeup, not fake nails, fake tits, or lip injections.

Did she not see what he saw, what damn near every fucking guy saw when they looked at her?

God, she was so pretty.

He wanted her in the worst kind of way, but it wasn’t just about his physical reaction to her. It was the way she made him feel by just being close.

It fucked with his head… and his heart.

But she was far too good for his ass. What could he give her? She had a bright, successful

future in front of her. Reese just hoped he graduated and got into a decent college so he could do something with his life.

But even knowing that, telling himself to stay away, he knew he wouldn’t.

He couldn’t.

And damn him, because it would probably end up ruining her.

10

Reese pulled into a small diner on the outskirts of town called Spark’s Curve. It was designed in a retro ’50s era, and during the evenings, bright neon lighting lit up the exterior.

Inside was even more of a blast from the past with red vinyl booths, black-and-white checkered flooring, and a jukebox in the corner belting out Frankie Valli and other old school songs to set the mood and feel.

“You been here before?” He looked at her and saw she smiled.

“Once with my brother. It was years ago, but I remember the food was really good. Especially the shakes.”

“Let’s go find out if that still stands.” He climbed out of the truck, and before he made it around the front, Keira was already climbing out.

They headed in, and he held the door open for her. There was a blast of chilled air when they entered, and the smell of food frying filled the interior. Oldies were playing overhead, the sound of dishes clanking came from the kitchen, and a second later, a waitress dressed in a green retro-style uniform was showing them to a table.

It was only a second before another waitress came over dressed in one of those poodle skirts, wearing a black, form-fitting shirt, and had a sheer pink scarf tied around her neck. Her hair was piled up in a high ponytail, and she grinned at them right before popping her gum.

“Morning, kids. I’m Judy, and I’ll be takin’ care of