Free Charm School After Dark: Lesson 1 by Lynn Carmer Page A

she wasn’t mistaken, he looked pea-green with jealousy, like Jolly Green Giant shades of green. Ignoring him was fun, and it was working. She could feel his light-brown gaze burning a hole through her. The intensity made her shiver, deep and low. And even though she needed him, her decision solidifying as each second passed, she couldn’t help tormenting him a few minutes more.
    Karma was a bitch. And so am I .
    It was the least he deserved after reminding her of all those nicknames and outing her to her sisters. She never would have had to come clean about moving in if he’d never mentioned her car. Oh yes, things were looking up. Until Frank had to go and open his big mouth.
    “Wait a minute. Didn’t you guys have nicknames in high school? What were they?”
    Her blood ran cold. “The Calvo Quads,” Caelen interjected quickly, trying to get him off the scent. Please, God, give this idiot enough sense to let this go.
    “No, no. That wasn’t it. Let me think.” He signaled to the bartender and Caelen looked over at Brynn, helplessly. “Brynn, you were a total bookworm, but Caelen?”
    Brynn hopped up and said, “Let’s go over here, and get the bartender’s attention. That guy takes forever. The waitress over here will—”
    “I know!” He snapped his fingers and pointed at Caelen. “Bag—Wait, no ,” he laughed aloud. “I remember now! Punching Bag. They called you Punching Bag, right?”
    Caelen froze, looking down at her hands, unable to look Dare in the eyes. It was her worst nightmare come true. She was deeply ashamed of the name, because it’d been well deserved.
    Frank was oblivious. “Why’d they call you that, anyway?”
    “Don’t really want to talk about it,” Caelen said, grabbing for her backpack, getting ready to leave. The feel of Dare’s gaze burned. Suddenly, she wanted his attention anywhere but on her. The shame scalded; she had the scars to prove it.
    “I remember it was really funny.”
    Dare’s hand flew out, palm open, as he slapped Frank right against the chest. Hard . Frank went backwards off his stool but quickly righted himself.
    “Don’t.” Dare’s voice was low, like a scrape against her skin. His anger barely leashed, the group of four froze. The attack had been so sudden, it felt as if the slap still echoed in the space around them.
    “Don’t what, man?” Frank looked genuinely confused.
    “Don’t. Call. Her. That.” Dare leaned in, his voice soft but deadly. “Ever.”
    “O-okay, man. Come on, I was just…”
    Frank blathered on, his voice fading from her notice. Looking up, she was seared by the intensity of Dare’s eyes. He was speaking to her without speaking to her, and he wouldn’t let her look away. She couldn’t. But instead of shrinking back, she jutted out her chin in defiance. She wasn’t that same teenage girl, and she wasn’t going to act like it.
    Frank still looked stunned. More like a recalcitrant puppy who’d peed on the carpet and didn’t want to be reprimanded by his master. Dare dismissed him, Caelen gave him a disgusted role of her eyes, and Brynn must have decided he needed a little schooling on bad behavior, because she led Frank toward the waitress on the other side of the bar.
    Caelen stood and checked Dare out, from his half-tucked, long-sleeved shirt, to his torn jeans and scuffed boots. His rumpled hair was short on the sides and it stuck up in the front, his chiseled jaw was well past five o’clock shadow. Overall, he was a casual with an edge. Coupled with his dark eyebrows, a busted nose, and plump lips, he should have looked like a serial killer. Instead, he was sex on a stick, and she wanted to take a lick.
    But old memories died hard. High school had been rough for her, and bringing up that stupid nickname brought back all the insecurities and corrosive feelings she’d tried to put behind her.
    One of her exes, well the ex, as far as she was concerned, had been rough with her. Her first love was mostly verbally