Free Round the Clock by Dara Girard

tweaked her nose. “You’re lucky you’re not my type. Or you’d be in serious trouble.”
    She already was in trouble. Anna Marie had never loved anyone before, but that day, that touch changed everything. She didn’t know why and she didn’t care. She remembered the first day she’d seen him in school. She was a new student and he was the boy with a reputation. At that time shedidn’t know what his reputation was, but she admired his aloof manner and handsome looks. Once she’d given him a pencil and he’d smiled at her as if she’d given him something a lot more personal. She’d blushed, although by that time she knew what his reputation was.
    He never returned her pencil, but she never asked for it back. Today he’d taken her heart and she wouldn’t ask for it back, either. She knew she loved him and nothing would change that. “Why did you do it?”
    “My herbs?” he said with a note of sarcasm.
    She nodded.
    “I didn’t plan on getting caught.”
    “You’re a smart guy, you could do anything. Why do you do what you do?”
    Desmond glanced away. “Because it’s what people expect, but one day I’m going to—” He looked at her and shook his head. “Never mind.”
    “Tell me.”
    He paused. “Promise not to tell anyone?”
    She crossed her heart. “I promise.”
    “One day I’m going to be rich. I don’t know how, but that’s what I’ll do.”
    “I believe you.”
    He grinned. “You probably still believe in the tooth fairy.”
    Anna Marie shook her head, her gaze serious. “No, but I do believe you can do anything.”
    Desmond met her gaze for a long moment then lowered his head, uncomfortable, and cleared his throat. “I’d better get back to work.”
    “I can help you,” she said. “I’m fast and strong.”
    “You have the time?” he said, amazed.
    “Yes, I have lots of privileges.”
    “Like what?”
    “I can roam, get books from the library, choose my dessert.”
    His face brightened. “You can get ice cream? I’d rather have that than another cupcake.”
    “We could switch at dinner.”
    “You’re on.”
    “So can I help you? I have nothing else to do.”
    Desmond motioned to another rake, then winked. “Then get to work.”
    For the next week and a half, Anna Marie became Desmond’s shadow. Luckily, their monitor didn’t seem to mind. They ate together—he ate ice cream every day—worked together—he told her he’d like to get a Swiss Army knife one day because it had everything—but at night they went to different dorms, where Anna Marie dreamed about him. Anna Marie didn’t want their sentence to end, but it did the moment a silver Mercedes drove up and a young woman in her late teens got out and saw Desmond. She kissed him and he spun her around while Anna Marie watched them, hot tears burning her eyes. She turned and marched back to thestables. She rested against the stable doors and watched one of the horses eat.
    “There you are.”
    She stiffened at the sound of his voice and blinked her tears away. She was good at that. So when she turned to look at him, there was no sign of her sorrow.
    He walked toward her. “Who’s coming to pick you up?”
    She shrugged. “I’ll take a taxi.”
    “What about Mrs. Bell?”
    She shrugged again. She hadn’t wanted to bother her.
    “Let me take you home.”
    “I’m all right, really.”
    He leaned against the stable door and looked down at her. “You owe me.”
    “What?”
    “I don’t want to be left alone on a two-hour drive with that girl. Dana thinks there’s more between us than there is and it suits me because she has an influential father, but right now things could get sticky.”
    “But you kissed her.”
    He raised a sly brow. “You saw that?”
    “Yes.”
    “I kiss a lot of girls.”
    Except me.
    He took her hand. “Please let us take you home.”
    “Okay.”
    “Good, we’ll wait for you.”
    Minutes later Anna Marie emerged with her suitcase, prepared to face Dana’s annoyance.