Free Kiss of Fire by Rebecca Ethington Page A

that melted away as I registered everyone looking between us, and my joy deteriorated into a half-hearted anger.
    He waved at me, and to my horror, Cynthia McFadden waved back, her blonde hair flipping in an obvious attempt at flirting. Ryland moved past her without seeing her, pushing her to the side, and my anger melted away into laughter. He rushed to me then, sweeping me up in his arms and spinning me around as if this was some strange scene from a chick flick.
    I couldn’t help but laugh at his actions, the movement sending my stomach into cartwheels. He pressed his cheek against mine as we spun, his deep chuckle echoing in my ear.
    “I’m in so much trouble, aren’t I?” His warm breath tickled my ear as he whispered to me.
    My heart sputtered. “You have no idea.”
    “Then, I might as well do the thing thoroughly.” He set me down again and kissed my jaw line. His lips lingered for a second longer than they should have, freezing me into place. I just hoped I didn’t look too much like a deer stuck in the headlights.
    If my heart had been having troubles before, it was nothing to how I felt now. I couldn’t move as my head began to swim around me, my legs feeling like Jell-O.
    Ryland wrapped his arm around my waist and pulled me beside him. My body melded into his as he led me forward, towing the long board behind us. He kissed my temple before placing me in the passenger seat, his lips burning against my skin even after I lost contact.
    Ryland walked around the Lotus much slower than he usually did, as if he were giving everyone one last chance to see me in the car and him with me. Most of the football team stood together, staring the car down. Cynthia McFadden stood in the middle of them, her face flushed red with anger, her arms folded across her mid-section. It wasn’t her face that caught my attention, though, it was Wyn’s.
    She stood behind the crowd, hiding behind a large conifer tree next to the red brick school. Her mouth moved as if she were talking to someone out of sight. Her face was screwed up with what could only be described as a furious worry. The combination of anger and concern did not sit well with her and only made her look like she was about to catch fire.
    I looked toward Ryland as he hopped in, a huge smile on his face. By the time I looked back to Wyn, she had disappeared.
    “Let’s get out of here!” Ryland sang, kicking the car away from the curb and speeding down the street well above the speed limit.
     
    ---
     
    If it weren’t for the yells of excitement that echoed around the school hall, I might have been punched. I swerved to the side at the noise and saw the angry, little fist whip through the air in front of my face. My quick movement upset my balance, and I tumbled to the ground, my hood falling off my head as I landed hard on my tailbone.
    One, little punch and the crowd gathered around me. I saw the eager faces jostle over each other in their attempt to get a better view, many of them yelling “catfight” over and over again. I looked away from them, unsurprised to see Cynthia pacing in front of me, her face screwed up in furious anger.
    Seeing her fuming form made me cringe. Hell has no fury like a woman’s scorn. Ryland’s dismissal of her yesterday was going to cost me big.
    “So, you thought you could show everyone how popular you are by paying some rich stripper to come pick you up?”
    “He’s not a stripper.” The words escaped me without warning. While I should have been surprised that I had chosen to stand up for Ryland before myself, I was more surprised that I had responded to her taunts; I hadn’t done that in years. That fact didn’t escape Cynthia’s notice either; her face lit up in joyous expectation for the coming fight.
    “Prostitute, stripper; it’s all the same.” She walked up to me, her high-heeled foot swinging wide in a poor attempt at a kick.
    I swung out of the way, sliding against the floor and into the crowd who stood me up