Page 47 of Beg, Borrow, or Steal

“Thank you for what you did back there. You went above and beyond. You are terrifyingly good at maneuvering people. You’re like the James Bond of social situations. So charming no one would actually know what a monster you are in private.” I say it as a spicy little cocktail of a compliment and old-school barb. The kind we’ve become comfortable in shooting at each other lately.

I expect him to smirk at me and toss one right back, but instead, I watch the light in Jack’s eyes dim.

“Yeah. No problem.” He lets go of my door and takes a step back toward his bike. “I’ve gotta get going.” He quickly zips up his jacket, pulls on his helmet, and throws his leg over the bike.

Umm…I definitely said the wrong thing somehow. Jack has completely shut down and is ready to get away from me as quickly as possible.

“I’ll see you back in our neck of the woods,” he says, and then gives me a brief two-finger wave before he backs his bike out of the spot and cruises toward the parking lot exit.

I watch him go, wondering what in the hell I said wrong, before turning my key in the ignition and only earning a little whine from the engine before it quits altogether. I try again, but the second time I turn the key all I get are clicks.

“Dammit,” I say, hitting my steering wheel.

I really don’t want to have to go back inside and endure Marissa while I ask to use her landline because my phone never gets service at the school, but Jack is already gone and—

I hear the sound of his bike getting louder again. Out my window, I see he’s turned around and is heading back in my direction. Had he been waiting to make sure I got out of here okay?

Gentleman, indeed.

“Is it dead?” he yells over his engine after pulling his bike up beside me again.

“I think it’s just napping.” I try one more time but again nothing happens.

I look up when movement beside my window catches my eye. It’s Jack, holding out a motorcycle helmet to me. “I’ve got a spare just in case.”

“No, no, no. I’m not getting on that bike with you.”

He shrugs. “Your call. Either you get on here with me and let me drive you home to call a mechanic, or you go back in there and beg your favorite person to let you use the phone.”

He extends the helmet farther in my direction. I look toward the school, and then again at Jack perched on the bike, looking tempting as sin.

“Damn you, Jackson.” I get out of my truck and slam the door behind me.

Chapter Fourteen

Emily

“You okay?” Jack asks, getting off his bike to help me.

I have the helmet on my head and am trying to latch the hook under my chin, but my hands are shaking too bad.

I swat his hand away when he tries to help. “Of course, I’m okay. I’m fine! Great. Perfect.”

He holds his hands up. “You just seem a little jittery.”

“I’m not jittery. I just can’t see these damn fasteners under my chin! And it’s so hot in here. And…Agh!” I drop my hands and stomp once against the ground.

Jack’s helmet visor is flipped up so I can see his infuriating smirk. “That was a cute tantrum.”

“I don’t throw tantrums.”

He has the audacity to laugh. “Yes, you do. I’ve witnessed four so far in this year of our Lord and Savior. And that was definitely one.”

“I’m going to smack you.”

He points to his head. “Can you do it while my helmet is still on?”

I drop my eyes from his face to the sleek, black death trap beside us. My heart rate ratchets up and suddenly hanging out withMarissa all day doesn’t seem so bad. Maybe she likes to puzzle. Puzzling sounds nice right about now.

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