Free Burnout (Jack 'Em Up Book 0) by Shauna Allen Page A

time. Before I could pull away, he reached up and cupped my head, keeping me close and opening his mouth to deepen the kiss with a swirl of his tongue. I stifled a moan and put my flowerless hand on his shoulder, wonderful warmth seeping through his leather jacket into my fingers. I idly noticed he needed a shave as his stubble rubbed across my sensitive face.
    When he let me go and I stepped back, I caught Mrs. Dunbar’s startled expression as she walked into the room.
    I offered her a small smile and waved with the rose in my hand before sitting, feeling my heart swell to near bursting.
    Once class was underway, Blake folded one of the papers on his desk into an airplane and launched it toward me. I caught it and unfolded his note.
    You’re so pretty. Wanna be my girlfriend?
    My eyes snapped up, a confused frown building on my face. He was grinning at me, his pen still clutched in his hand as he tipped it back and forth between his fingers.
    Sorry. I have a boyfriend , I wrote back, playing along.
    I watched his brows thunder down. Who is he? I’ll kill him.
    A giggle escaped before I could help it. I slapped a hand over my mouth and glanced up to make sure nobody had heard me. This really hot, funny, super sweet grease monkey who buys me flowers. Nobody you know. <3
    Huh. My loss then. Hope he treats you right.
    Something strange curled around my heart. He had no idea how perfect he was for me. How he treated me more like a princess than anyone ever had. He does.
    I nearly wrote ‘I love him,’ but stopped myself. How would he react? It was too early in our relationship for all of that. But it didn’t stop my romantic heart from drowning in the emotion.
    After class, Blake walked me to Physics as usual. We passed Rachel in the hall and she grinned when she saw us holding hands. “Hey, guys.”
    Blake nodded once, his ever-observant eyes tracking the crowd around us.
    “Hey,” I said. “How was your holiday?”
    Rachel shrugged, causing the curly red ponytail draped over her shoulder to shift. “It was all right. Mom burned the turkey. Again. But they got me a car.”
    I squealed. “A car?”
    “Yeah. It’s no Beamer, but it’s pretty nice. Come see it after school.”
    I agreed, guilt nipping at me that I had been so wrapped up in Blake over the break that I hadn’t even talked to my best friend.
    Blake and I walked on and I noticed for the first time how many friends he really had. He waved to his friend, Jesse, and they tossed insults back and forth as we passed. Then we ran into Jesse’s little sister, Leta, then his other friend, Micah, who was with a tall guy I’d met briefly at the Christmas party.
    “Dee, you remember my bud, Micah, and Moose Boy.”
    The stranger’s gold-green eyes sparked with amusement. “Name’s Trace, Hot Rod.”
    Blake laughed, deep and loud, and the sound hugged my heart.
    “Hot Rod?” I asked. “I can imagine where that came from, but . . . Moose Boy?” I turned my attention back to Trace.
    “I just moved here from Alaska. These two numbskulls think it’s funny to make fun of the indigenous wildlife.”
    I grinned, liking this guy. He was fun-natured, obviously smart. And good-looking, too. Though he had nothing on Blake’s rough, storm-like appeal.
    We moved on before the warning bell and Blake got me to class on time. He pressed a kiss to my lips, his breath whispering out across my skin. “Bye.”
    “Bye.”
    He turned to go then stopped. “So, think you’ll reconsider dumping that grease monkey guy for me?”
    His grin made my heart stop then flutter madly like a moth at a flame. “Never.”
    “Really? Why not?” He was taking steps backwards as he talked. I knew he was going to be late to class.
    “Because . . .” He was several feet from me now, so I raised my voice. “He’s special.”

Blake
     
    T he winter passed in a blur. My life had become consumed by Delilah Jackson and our stolen moments together. Her sweet, clean scent, her laugh, the