She's Mine - Jenika Snow Page 0,19

heart and stared at him in the eyes. “You feel your heart beating? You feel the strong, heavy pumping within your chest?”

Reese nodded.

“I’ve told you this a million times, but I’m gonna tell you again.” He leaned forward an inch. “You don’t let anything nasty that has happened in your past affect your future. You’re strong, smart, and damn good-lookin’.” Max chucked him on the chin before standing. When Reese didn’t say anything, Max looked at him again. “You understand me, right?”

Reese’s throat tightened, but he nodded. Max may be gruff and be hard-talking, but he never once let Reese down.

“Good. Now keep me company while I tattoo my next appointment’s ass.”

Reese lifted a brow, and Max chuckled. Leave it to Max to help settle the conversation so it wasn’t so heavy.

“He’s getting his ex-wife’s name printed right on his left cheek.” He slapped his ass to emphasize his point. “Told me she would always be kissing his ass.”

Reese couldn’t help but start laughing.

“I don’t get it.” Max shrugged as he started setting things up. “I mean, you want your ex-old lady’s name on you for life, regardless if it’s a slap in her face? Hey, what the hell ever.” He murmured the last part.

Max turned and leveled a serious expression at Reese. “But no more skipping class, you hear, not even spending time with your girl. You do well and graduate so you can go to a good college and get out of this toxic fucking town.”

Reese smiled, because hearing Max scold him just proved that there was someone out in the world who gave a shit about him.

13

The week at school passed by faster than Keira anticipated, but maybe it had something to do with these growing feelings she had for Reese, and the fact that they were hanging out more. It was nice, really nice, but she knew Molly was curious about what was going on. Keira just didn’t feel like it was the right time to say anything, especially when she didn’t know what this was between her and Reese.

She still heard whispers and rumors circling about her, and even more so that people saw her and Reese hanging around each other at school, but she’d taken a play out of his book and… just didn’t give a fuck.

And God, it was so liberating.

But then at the end of the week, the rumors of her and Reese died down as shit started being stirred about a tuba player in the marching band having been found with cocaine in his locker.

She made her way through the lunch line and grabbed a sandwich and bottle of water, when someone gently bumped her in the shoulder. Reese came to stand next to her and gave her a big shit-eating grin. Someone shouldn’t be that gorgeous, especially not every damn day.

“Hey.” He was so close to her that his arm touched hers as he reached for a sandwich as well.

She’d been thinking long and hard about how she felt and what this might mean, and frankly it scared the shit out of her. Never had something consumed her in life so much as her desire for Reese.

Finding him attractive and wanting him from afar was a lot safer—and a hell of a lot different—than being close to him like this and realizing her feelings ran far deeper.

“How you doing today?” His voice was deep and slightly scratchy in the most attractive way.

They continued to make their slow move through the lunch line, and as comfortable as she was becoming around him, the truth was, the more she let her thoughts and emotions take over, the more she became very aware of every part of him.

“Good. I’m doing good. You're good?” Her face flamed as she stumbled over her own words.

He stared at her for a moment as if trying to decipher why she was acting weird as hell.

Because what I feel for you is a lot stronger than what I thought. Because getting to know you has made me fall harder.

“I’m good,” he responded and flashed her a crooked smile that had her pulse jackhammering behind her ribs.

After paying, she started for where Ian and Molly sat but stopped and looked at Reese. “You want to eat with us today?” She hardly ever saw him in the cafeteria and assumed he went off campus for lunch.

“Nah, got some shit to do this hour, but next time, yeah?”

She nodded, forcing herself not to blush at how good it felt hearing him