Page 101 of Old Habits

“We’ll have dinner with my parents,” he says. “I’ll call Mom in the morning and tell her we have news. She’ll probably set it up for tomorrow night, so be ready.”

“Okay,” I nod.

“Then, we probably don’t even have to tell anyone else.” He chuckles. “It’ll spread.”

I grin. “And I’ll be one step closer to party planning my way back onto Clover’s nice list.”

“You know, as evil and maniacal plans go…” he says, “this one isn’t bad.”

“It’s definitely one of my better ones.”

“It’s not the great Steal the Principal’s Wallet and Put it in Bryan Sumner’s Car caper but it has its charm.”

I raise a brow. “I had nothing to do with that.”

“Yes, you did.”

“No, I didn’t.”

He smirks. “I saw you do it.”

My jaw drops. “No, you didn’t.”

“Yes, I did.”

“You were there?”

“I watched you jimmy open Bryan’s car in the parking lot about an hour before the school was placed on lockdown. Put two and two together once they found it in his glove box.”

“Son of a bitch.” I beam with pride. “Why didn’t you ever say anything?”

“Because I was no snitch…” He shifts over me and I roll onto my backside. “And he had it coming anyway.”

We sink deeper into the mattress and I tense up from the pleasurable ache lingering beneath me.

“Careful.” I smile. “I’m still a little sore back there.”

His lips graze mine. “I thought you said I could be too gentle.”

“Gentle is good sometimes,” I whisper.

He rolls us around to lie on his back instead. “I must be rubbing off on you, Ross,” he says, kissing me once.

I take a breath but the butterflies wreak havoc inside.

“Yeah,” I say. “Must be.”