“I can’t go with you, Eric.” He stood in my doorway. Seeming far bigger than he was, as he dominated it. His close-cropped blonde hair curling around the top of his head. Flat from him just showering. I noted the series of earrings rolling down one ear as he chewed roguishly on a toothpick.

I’d summoned the gumption to tell him no and saw him walking down the hall past my room. Then I’d been stupid enough to call him over.

He stepped into the doorway and propped his elbows on each side of the doorframe. Leaning leisurely against it. He already wore his red and white Fox racing coat with the custom art up the back.

A bearcat.

“Yes, you can.” He grinned at me. Chewing on a toothpick he turned it down and caught it between his fingertips. Biting it with his square teeth while he gave me a penetrating look. “You just don’t want to go with me.”

“That’s true. But I also have a prior engagement.”

He scoffed. “No one says that, Allie. People don’t talk like that anywhere but in those books you read.”

He flicked one on the stand next to my doorway pointedly.

“Well, anyway,” I shrugged. Looking everywhere but at him. “can’t go with you. Sorry.”

He turned his head to call over his shoulder, without looking away from me. “Jessica!”

I slapped a hand over his mouth. Poking myself on that stupid toothpick in the process. “Oh my God, no!”

He grinned. Lifting his brows facetiously. “I did warn you, didn’t I Allie Kat?”

That he’d tell her I’d shown him my nipples…

“But I didn’t.”

“Saw ‘em nonetheless.” He shrugged. Still smirking triumphantly.

“Oh, My God.” I rolled my eyes. “You’re impossible!”

“I’m so much worse than that, Allie.” He swept a hand around my lower back and tugged me forward a step, but I locked my heels before he could drag me against him.

“That’s probably true.” I grunted before grumbling. “Does it matter I don’t want to go with you?”

“Not in the least. I’ll throw you over my shoulder and smack that sweet little ass, if I need to.”

“Ugh!” I groaned. Slamming the door in his face.

***

“I’m waiting, Allie Kat.” He sing-songed in the hallway. His shifting making the floorboards groan in objection.

He plans to wait right there and come in here and get me in a minute if I don’t come out. I realized. Knowing how doggedly stubborn he was.

Such an ass.

I switched into different clothes. Throwing a plain black hoodie over my shirt and wear a pair of my baggiest jeans. A chain hooked from the loop at the back of my hip and running forward to tuck in my pocket. The little blue stone that brought me such luck glinting from the chain.

Wearing the baggy clothes, I looked a bit plumper than I was. But I kind of like it like that.

Lastly, I tossed my swollen backpack over my shoulder.

I entered the hall and Eric grinned wickedly. Still twisting the toothpick between his teeth as he leaned against the opposite wall. One foot up against it, despite that he knew my mother hated it when he did that. The coat pressed up at his waist so he could tuck his other hand leisurely in the pocket.

He looks like a predator waiting for me.

I stalked up to him. Giving him a withering look as I was forced to squeeze past him.

Still grinning in that unabashed way, he lurched off the wall to follow me. Never more than a step behind me. His low chuckle nearly rumbling along the back of my neck as he followed me out to the driveway. Swatting my heavy pack to be annoying.

It clunked heavily but he seemed oblivious when I tossed a quick look over my shoulder.

I headed for my bike. Knowing it was a fat chance. I wasn’t really surprised when he caught my arm midway there.

“Uh-uh. I’m not waiting for you to pedal your way out to the track. My car.” He jerked his head toward the vehicle. The bright orange Camaro with the dual racing stripes coursing up over the hood and roof and down over the trunk.

He opened the passenger door and gave a gentlemanly gesture for me to hop in.

I gave him a wary look as I tossed my backpack on the floorboard before sliding past him to take a seat.

He reached around to give my rear a slight pinch before I could get it flat on the seat.

I swatted his hand away and glared heatedly at him. “You’re a shit, you know that?”

“I do.”

***

He closed the door and rounded to the driver’s side. Sliding into the black leather seat, making it creak against his leather Fox coat. He was covered in that cologne that drove all the girls at school wild. Something between sandalwood and some type of cool water scent.

I found myself leaning slightly closer to him, to inhale it. On his skin it smelled like a freshly showered male.

He ran a hand over his short hair, making sure it was smoothed back before gripping the steering wheel. Though he usually kept it spiked up, on days he’d be wearing a helmet he simply showered and let it lay flat. Knowing the helmet would just mess it up anyway.

The car growled to life and he expertly reversed it. Shifting silently as we hit the road and headed for the track.

The stretch of road out to the track was fortunately paved and smooth which made getting there in his Camaro simple enough. It was a road that seemed to go to nowhere before peeling open to reveal the dense crowd with signs they toted sporting their cheering for “The Animal.”

Eric parked the car on the bare dirt next to the others. Turning, he gave me a pointed look. “Ready for this?”

“Not in the least. I hate this shit. You know that.”

“You don’t hate Tomboy.”

I glared at him.

As he drove his gaze kept sliding over to glance at my chest beneath my hoodie.

Barely a swell in the baggy clothes, yet he keeps looking.

“What?” I asked snidely. Not really wanting to know but too annoyed not to ask.

“I can’t stop seeing them.” He groaned at the memory. He gave an amused little laugh in his throat. “They’re a perfect picture in my memory. I could practically envision giving them a little tweak…”