Daring the Bad Boy (Endless Summer)(11)

Turning, I headed toward the lake, not surprised to see a small group clustered out on the dock, most of them sitting on the end, their legs swinging over the water. A girl squealed and soft laughter followed, but I ignored it. Most of them were around my age, but they were all campers. I couldn’t really hang out with them, since Uncle Bob frowned upon it. I noticed Kyle was among the group, and we were cool, but he was kind of a dipshit, so yeah. Not someone I really wanted to be friends with for the long term.

Worked out well, then, that I couldn’t.

I was about to go left when I collided with someone. A female someone, if the muffled “sorry” I heard was any indication. I grabbed hold of slender shoulders and set her away from me, surprise washing over me when I realized it was the new girl. The cute blonde with the swishing ponytail. I didn’t recognize her at first, what with all the makeup she was wearing and the fact that her hair was down, waving past her shoulders.

“You shouldn’t be out here,” I tell her, my voice low, like a warning. Helplessly I ran my thumbs across her soft skin, catching just beneath the sleeves of her T-shirt.

She frowned, pulling out of my grip. I let my arms fall at my sides, surprised that my fingers were still tingling from…what? Touching her? That was insane.

“Seriously, I could write you up,” I continued when she still said nothing. “You should go back to your cabin.”

Her lips parted, and my gaze fell to them. They were full. And glossy. And…tempting? “You can’t tell me what to do.”

I jerked my gaze from her mouth, surprise filling me at her defiant tone. Her eyes bugged out, like she’d just shocked herself, before she turned and ran toward the dock, her hair streaming behind her.

What the hell just happened?

“Hey, lover boy.”

I turned to see Lacey running up to me, nearly tackling me to the ground when she grabbed hold of me. She pressed her hand against the back of my neck and pulled me down for a kiss, but I broke away from her before our lips connected, taking a step back. “Not here, Lace,” I muttered, looking around to make sure no one saw us.

Specifically the blonde that I just ran into. And thought about kissing.

Had I lost my mind or what?

She frowned, her lips forming a little glossy pout. “Why do we have to meet in secret?”

“Aw, come on. Don’t you think it’s more fun that way?” I smiled, trying to convince her that what I said was true. I needed a distraction from the new girl, and Lacey could help with that.

But she just continued to pout, her hands on her hips as she glared at me. “It’s all we do, Jake. Sneak around after lights-out just so we can what? Make out for ten minutes? Then you tell me you have to go to sleep and you end up ditching me. Every single time.”

Damn, she was ruining my mood. “I just…I don’t want anyone to catch us, you know? I can’t have a bunch of gossip spread about me. About us,” I added. I didn’t want my uncle to find out I was doing this. He expected me to be some sort of example, which was laughable. And if I did something that pissed him off, he’d send me back to my dad—who’d send me back to court and that mean judge.

I didn’t need that sort of trouble. I needed to stay clean. Or at least, look clean.

Messing around with Lacey would be bad enough. Having…thoughts about that new camper was way out of line. And they were just thoughts. You shouldn’t be held accountable for thoughts, right?

“Well, everyone’s out tonight so…what? You want to call this off?” She curled her arms in front of her chest and studied me, waiting for an answer. “I don’t like being treated like a side piece.”

“Oh, come on. Like you’ve seen me with anyone else around here?” I’d been working so hard I hadn’t noticed anyone else—until tonight. The first week of camp with a new group was basically me running around at full speed and working from dawn until dusk. That I even made time to hang out with Lacey for a little bit was a big deal, not that she’d see it that way.

“I don’t know, but you sure don’t seem that interested in me.” She lifted her chin. “I could find someone else, you know.”

“Then go for it.” I didn’t need this. Not like we were a real couple. Funny, the sense of relief that suddenly flooded me. I didn’t like being drilled, especially by a girl I’d never see again once the summer was over.

Lacey’s gaze turned downright murderous. I bet she wasn’t the sort of girl who dealt much with rejection. “Fine. I will.” She stormed off, taking the same path the blonde just had and headed straight for the dock.

Rubbing the back of my neck, I watched her go, frustration making my stomach knot.

Women. They were freaking crazy.

…

ANNIE

I stopped at the beginning of the dock, my breath coming in quick, sharp bursts. I wanted to look back and see if Jacob was still there. But then again, I didn’t want him to see me checking for him, either. Would he assume I was scared by his threat? Or worse, that I liked him or something?

Because I so didn’t. He freaked me out—and made me angry. Who did he think he was? My father? Trying to say he’ll write me up or whatever? Everyone else was out tonight, but I was the one who would get in trouble?

I didn’t think so.

“Annie!”