Want Me by Jo Leigh Page B

and there she was, outside the gate. She had her hands stuffed in her coat pockets, and the last rays of the sun were showing off in her hair, making her look like something created by magic. As he walked toward her, his grin got bigger with each step.
    “How’d you know I was here?” he asked.
    “Mom saw you leave with the basketball.”
    “I didn’t see her.”
    “She’s good at that.”
    “Stealth Mom.”
    “I think it comes with the territory. Especially with four boys.”
    “What,” he said, standing inches away, watching her through the wire fence, relieved there was no awkwardness, no averting of gazes, “you don’t think she had to keep her eye on you?”
    Shannon shook her head. “I was the Princess, remember? I got off on being perfect.”
    “Sounds excruciating.”
    “It was. Certainly no fun.”
    “There’s still time to make up for that,” he said. “Catch.” He tossed the ball over the fence and she caught it easily. After grabbing his jacket, he started climbing, jumping down on the other side a little too soon. He jarred his neck and cursed his vanity.
    “I’m not good at getting into trouble. Not enough practice.” She slid him a look he couldn’t interpret, but something about it got his cock’s attention.
    “Good thing you’re friends with a master, then,” he said, studying her reaction.
    “A master, huh?”
    He slipped on his jacket, his mind racing. So neither of them was bringing up the kiss. Not overtly, anyway. Trouble was he had no idea what that meant. That they were going to pretend it never happened? Or pick up where they left off as soon as humanly possible? His body emphatically voted for the latter, but his head warned him to watch his step.
    “You coming?” she asked. She’d taken a few steps toward home and he hadn’t noticed.
    He decided to test the water. Put a toe in, nothing too drastic. He caught up with her. “After dinner, you want to do something?”
    She looked at him, eyes narrowed, and if he had to guess he would say that she was testing the water, as well. “What did you have in mind?”
    “It’s obvious you’ve missed out on a large part of your education. It’s a moral imperative that I corrupt you to make up for the lack. We could start with stealing a candy bar at the Duane Reade.”
    “No.” She laughed the word more than said it. “I’m not going to steal things from the drugstore. Jeez.”
    “Ah,” he said, as they walked very slowly, “a challenge. Which is fine. I’d be disappointed if you made this too easy.”
    “And there’ll be no cherry bombs in toilets, or toilet paper wrapped around trees, or crank phone calls, either.”
    “Those are classics for a reason.” Her laughter made him ridiculously happy. “You don’t have to work tomorrow, right?”
    “I don’t have to, but I’m going to. I have to make a million Easter baskets.”
    “A million?”
    “Give or take.”
    “Okay, so that means I can get you drunk, but not epically hungover.”
    A big man walking a tiny little dog shared their sidewalk for a moment, forcing Shannon’s right side against Nate’s left. When the coast was clear, they didn’t shift back. “I don’t like being drunk,” she said.
    “I’m beginning to see why you aren’t very good at getting into trouble.”
    “I don’t think you were drunk every time you got sent to the principal’s office.”
    “Not every time, no.” He turned to find her grinning up at him.
    “I don’t like to be drunk because I don’t like to miss things,” she said. “Especially not wonderful things. I want to be where I am and remember what I’ve done.”
    “You think getting into trouble with me would be wonderful?”
    “Not a doubt in my mind.”
    They had slowed down so much they were barely walking. They’d reached the steps of the house, cars continued to zoom past, the night had finally come to stay. She stood in a pool of lamplight, and he couldn’t hold off any longer.
    He had to