Free Goddess of the Night by Lynne Ewing Page B

his face flushed. "I've
been trying to catch you all day." He touched her arm. A drop of
sweat trickled down his cheek.
    She tried to
pull her breath in slow even draws. She didn't want him to see her
nervousness. She almost made an excuse to flee, but the sweetness of
his smile closed her mouth and made her stay.
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    "I'm sorry
about what happened at the Bowl." His eyes drifted to the third
button on her shirt, then pulled away. "I was pretty rude
after."
    She thought
he'd be angry about the way she had acted. But he thought he had
ruined the night. She wanted to cheer. "I had a great time,"
she said.
    "Yeah?"
    She cleared her
throat. "I loved the music."
    He shifted his
books and put an arm around her. When his hand touched her waist, new
heat rose inside her, a fire for something forbidden.
    "Stanton
pushes my buttons," he said as they walked across the basketball
courts. "It's like ... do you think someone can be evil?"
    "What do
you mean?"
    He seemed a
little embarrassed. "It sounds crazy, but the guy creeps me
out."
    Like how?"
she asked. But she couldn't pay attention. Her mind drifted to
thoughts about his hand on her waist. What would it have felt like if
his hand had brushed over her at the Bowl, and it hadn't been an
accident, but invited?
    "He pushes
me, like he wants to make me
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    mad. Usually he
can't get to me, but when I saw the way he looked at you right in
front of me, something happened inside me. At first I thought he
liked you, too, but then I knew he was flirting with you because he'd
heard how much I like you."
    "Me?"
Her stomach fluttered.
    He smiled, and
his eyes said you. "The last time I really liked someone,
he tried to take her away from me. I figured he was the one who was
spying on us. I was so furious that all I wanted to do was drop you
off and go back to have it out with him."
    "You went
back?"
    "I started
to, then I realized . . ."
    "What?"
    "That's
exactly what he wanted. So I didn't." He guided her away from
the bus stop toward the students' parking lot.
    "You think
he was following us?"
    "I
wouldn't put it past him," Michael said. "So I acted like
an ass. Forgive me?"
    "Yes."
She smiled. And then they were at his van.
    "Can I
give you a ride home?"
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    "Okay,"
she said. Her heart beat wildly. Was this another chance for a kiss?
    He smiled and
opened the van door. She untied her sweater and rolled it into a ball
on top of her books, then climbed in. The air was tight and hot
inside. The plastic seat burned her back through her blouse.
    Michael got in
and started the van. She rolled down her window and let the velvet
breeze cool her face. He babbled on about school, his guitar, and
surfing. She sank lower in the seat, listening to the song of his
voice. Sweet melody, don't stop.
    The van parked
and her eyes opened. They were in front of her house already.
    "Don't get
out yet," he said.
    She paused.
    "I really
like you, you know, because you're so different."
    Her heart
flipped. If he only knew how different.
    "You're so
mysterious." His eyes smiled slyly. "I like a mystery to
unravel." Then he leaned over. He stopped when he was close
enough to kiss her
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    and waited, as
if he were asking for permission. She closed her eyes. His lips, warm
from the heat, rested on hers, and then he pulled away.
    She didn't want
him to stop.
    "I really
like you, Vanessa," he said, his face still close to hers, his
breath caressing her cheek, and then he kissed her again. Soft,
gentle, sweet. His hand touched her knee. Her body tingled, longing
for more. The tip of his tongue traced over her lips. His other hand
slipped lazily to the back of her head. His fingers traced through
her hair. Her body was spinning. The molecules stirred. She shouldn't
let him kiss her again. She did.
    His mouth
pressed harder. She knew what was happening, but she continued to
kiss him anyway. At the last possible second she jerked back and
hoped her face wasn't drifting into a whirl of golden light. She
glanced in the