Page 12 of Burning Embers
“Sort of. I mean, I’m friends with the guy, but we’re not super close. His brother’s on the football team with me, though, and he’s pretty cool. But Ethan’s one of the smartest guys around. I fucking love it when I get paired up with him for a class assignment. Him and Ansel have been battling it out for valedictorian all four years now.”
“Language,” Hale chastises half-heartedly.
“Sorry, boss.” Jake gives him a mock salute. “Him andfuck facehave been battling it out for valedictorian all four years now.”
I choke on my laughter as Hale clicks his tongue and sighs.
“I take it you don’t like this Ansel person?” I ask.
“He’s a douchebag.” Jake shrugs. “He could be one of the most popular guys in school if he actually made an effort with anyone. But he’d rather spend his days alone in the library or in the corner of the cafeteria by himself.”
“Maybe he’s just shy,” I suggest.
“Trust me.” Lissa places her chin on my shoulder from behind, causing me to startle. “That’s definitely not why he has no friends. I like everyone…except for him.”
“He’s a real asshole,” Jake adds.
This time, Hale doesn’t even comment on Jake’s language. A tentative smile plays on the older man’s lips. I wonder if he agrees with Jake’s assessment of this Ansel person. Does Hale know him?
“Who’s the asshole?” an unfamiliar voice calls from just below the counter.
Almost immediately, heat gushes through my veins, infusing me with more warmth than I’ve ever felt before. It’s a strange, disembodied sensation that seems to imprint itself on my very soul. Shock rattles through me.
What the fuckwasthat?
As quickly as the heat arrived, it dissipates, leaving me feeling oddly bereft.
The man behind the counter stands up from his crouched position so suddenly I actually stagger back a step in fright.
Sweet Mother Mary…
To say this man is sexy is an understatement if I’ve ever heard one. His skin is deeply tanned, as if he spends a lot of time out in the sun, and contrasts beautifully with his dark golden locks that are cut just below his ears. Even dressed in a hideous red shirt and khakis, he exudes confidence and sexuality.
With his sleeves rolled up the way they are, I can see the beginnings of tattoos creeping underneath the fabric and disappearing from view. A strange birthmark rests on the inside of his wrist, almost resembling a flame. The sexy stranger wears a pair of dark-framed glasses, expertly weaving sexy nerd and bad-boy surfer together into one enticing package.
“Ethan! Hey, man!” Jake calls, but this man…Ethan… He doesn’t take his eyes off of me.
And as I watch, my heart hammering against my rib cage like a sledgehammer, Ethan takes a step forward…
And promptly knocks over a display case of new phones before landing face-first in the pile of crushed electronics.
Five
ETHAN
What in the ever-loving snickerdoodle fuck is happening?
That one thought plays on a continuous loop in my head as I remain face down in a pile of Apple products. For a long,longmoment, I don’t move, half believing that this is nothing but a horrible nightmare, and I’ll wake up at any second to laugh at the ridiculousness of it all.
But…nope.
The woman’s sweet scent cocoons me in a rippling blanket of fire, engulfing me in heat.
Mine,my wolf snarls in the back of my head. The possessiveness in that one word makes me wince.
How can this be happening?
This girl is…human. There’s no doubt about that.