Cheat Sheets

Chapter Ten

Chapter Ten

The minute I hop into Braeden’s truck the next day and buckle up I turn to him with a scared expression. “My dad’s onto us.”

Braeden chuckles and waves over my shoulder – presumably at my father, who’s still looming on the front porch – before giving me a nudge and switching on the ignition. “I know; I’ve recruited him to help me, so he’s on my team now.”

“Help you with what?” I question suspiciously as I cross my arms under my chest and consider the cheeky grin smothering his face.

He offers me a nonchalant shrug and pulls away from the curb. “To help me get the girl.” The pointed look he sends me says it all.

My heart beats double time and I’m barely resisting the need to swoon right now. Braeden Reigns wants me! Me?!? And he’s even recruited my father to the dark side so that he can win me over; now that’s low.

“By the way your dad is awesome!” Braeden chuckles at my frozen facial expression and presses a bag from Dunkin’ Donuts into my hands. “Here, I picked up breakfast. Got you a Boston Cream, I hope you don’t mind.”

A small smile tweaks the corners of my mouth as I extract a donut from the bag and bite into it. “Thanks. This is heaven!” I sigh around my mouthful whilst licking crème from my bottom lip. “You want to try some?” 

Braeden’s licking lips is all I need to know before I raise the other side of my donut to his lips for a bite. He practically swallows half of the dang thing in one bite. “Braeden!” I cry outraged, swatting his arm and pulling the donut away from his mouth; leaving cream dripping down his chin,  down his shirt and across his lap as it all oozes from the centre of the mutilated donut.

“Oh man.” I cuss, quickly grabbing the napkins from the bag and dabbing at the white stains on the front of his jeans, rubbing vigorously at a blob of cream that doesn’t appear to be shifting.

When a pained growl emits from his throat and I feel the car start to swerve a little, I realise exactly where my hand is and what that thing under my hand is and I throw myself back into my seat, wedging my body against the door. “Oh god, Braeden, I swear I didn’t mean to grope you!”

His eyes roll back into place and he shakes his head at me as he rearranges himself. “It’s” gulp “fine, honestly.” Although by the choked sound of his suddenly hoarse voice, I know it’s anything but.

We sit in silence for a couple of minutes, my eyes trying to find something out the window to focus on but failing as every time they stray unintentionally to Braeden’s crotch. His hands are fisted about the steering wheel and his chest is heaving shallow breaths as he tries to control that freaking snake he has coiled in his pants.

“Can you stop looking at it, please; you’re really not helping my situation?” He practically growls at me, striking his fist down angrily on the wheel as his burning stare meets mine.

I gasp as the blacks of his eyes nearly swallow the whites. “Braeden what’s wrong with your eyes? They’re pitch black!”

A strangled sob comes from his throat as we pull into school and he parks his truck at the back of the lot. “Braeden are you alright?” I lean forwards and touch my hand to his arms, totally not expecting what happens next to happen.

Braeden suddenly cups the back of my neck and pulls me in towards him. “Don’t worry about me, sweetness” and with that he kisses the top of my head “you just get to class.”

I nod, not fully comprehending what’s going on but grabbing up my stuff and hopping down from his truck none the less. Before I close the door, I give Braeden an award winning smile and chuck a packet of tissues at him. “Don’t make too much mess.” And before his mouth can drop in amazement, I’m off, chuckling at my witty comment. He really wasn’t expecting something as vulgar as that to come out of my mouth.