Cursed Hearts (A Crossroads Novel) by Light and Lowell Page A

him.
    She
reached up and grabbed him by his tie, tugging him down. “You should at least
try and hide. Just in case,” she said, peeking out the window. “You know, we’re
not exactly supposed to be here, either. If you were trying to avoid getting in
trouble, running from one place you’re not supposed to be to another is a
little counterproductive.”
    “Yeah,
but it’s fun, isn’t it?” Rome twisted towards her, leaning in and smiling as
she slid back against the window. He very much wanted to pick up where they’d
left off. He licked his lips as he stared back at her.
    “You
taste like vanilla,” he smiled.
    Aria
blushed, swallowing around the lump in her throat. The next thing she knew his
lips were on hers. She let out a startled moan, pressing her hands to his
chest. “What are you doing?” she breathed.
    “…Kissing
you? Do you not want me to?”
    She sat there uncertainly as a contemplative sound
wiggled its way up
her throat. His breath was gentle and hot
against her skin, distracting her from the fact that they probably
shouldn’t be doing this. After all, she didn’t even know him. She brushed her
fingers over the soft stubble on his cheek, caressing his skin as he smiled
against her palm. She looked up into his eyes as soon as she realized she’d
been staring at his lips. It wasn’t until then that she noticed he’d been doing
the same.
    Her lips came crashing over his without warning,
completely stealing his breath. She was pulling him
against her and making him practically climb over her to get closer. They were
two seconds away from ending up sprawled across the seat with her on her back
and him pressed on top of her.
    What
they didn’t know was that Christian was standing just outside the bus with his
arms crossed and his eyes narrowed. The sight of them kissing was nearly enough
to make him want to puke. He liked a challenge, but chasing after her now meant
finding a way to distract Rome. Christian knew that until he did, the real fun
couldn’t begin.
    He
smirked when he saw Eliza walking out to her car. She was hands down the most
popular girl in school, and for good reason. If her long legs and golden skin
weren’t enough to make you drool, she had the figure of a model and the
attitude to match.
    “Thank
you,” he muttered towards the sky.
    “Eliza,” Christian called out. It was clearly the voice
of someone who
wanted something. “I see the summer sun has treated you well.”
    Eliza
sighed at his lame compliment, not bothering to stop or turn to face him. “Not
now, Christian.”
    “That’s
not what you said the last time we talked ,” he said, slipping himself
against the door of her car.
    “Move,”
Eliza said blandly. “I don’t have time for your games.”
    “What,
is there a shoe sale in town?”
    “As
a matter of fact…”
    “I’m cashing in on that little debt you owe me,” he
explained . “Unless
you want me to tell daddy you were the one who crashed his car.”
    “If
you recall, that was Dallas, not me.”
    “And
who gave him the keys?”
    Eliza
relented. “What do you want?”
    “I
need you to go after someone.”
    “Who?”
she asked.
    “Rome
Navarro.”
    “Not
a chance.”
    Christian
sighed. “You don’t have to actually do anything with him, I just need something
pretty to keep him preoccupied.”
    “What’s
your angle?”
    “What
else?” he said, smiling lasciviously.
    “Right,
stupid question,” she breathed. “Fine, I’ll do it. But this squares us, you got
it? Don’t come to me looking for any other favors.”
    “Not
even sexual favors?” he laughed.
    Eliza
shoved him on the shoulder for the comment.
    “Stop,
I’m going to get excited. You know I like it rough.”
    “So
are you going to give me anything else to go on other than a name and a sense
of nausea?”
    “You
might be able to catch him alone in the morning. I saw him running down at the
track,” he said.
    Eliza
squinted at him curiously. “What are you, his