The Bad Boy Bargain (Suttonville Sentinels #1)(38)

When the doorbell rang at six, she took one last look in the mirror, nodded, and bounded down the stairs. Kyle was standing next to her mom, but when he saw her, his eyes widened.

“What do you think?” she asked. “Good?”

He had to clear his throat before he answered. “Yeah. Perfect.”

Mom turned her head so he wouldn’t see the wry smile on her face, but Faith caught it. “You two be good. Don’t stay out too late.”

“We’ll be back by nine,” Kyle said, before Faith could answer.

“We’ll be back before curfew.” Faith raised her eyebrows at him. “But maybe by nine.”

Mom coughed over a fit of laughter. Kyle’s expression was that of a guy who’d been spun in a circle twenty times, then told to walk straight ahead.

“That’s fine,” Mom said. “Have fun.”

Faith knew as soon as they left, Mom would laugh until she cried, so she might as well put her out of her misery. “We will. Bye.”

She clasped Kyle’s hand and dragged him outside. He didn’t look like he could move on his own. “You okay?”

“Um, yeah. You look…different. Um…look, I’m sorry, but all I can come up with is damn.”

She leaned against his side. “That’ll do just fine.”

“I was worried, you know, after the whole ‘lovely’ discussion, that it wouldn’t be.”

He was giving her a teasing smile, and she squeezed his arm. “Honestly, it’s nice to be appreciated.”

“More reason for us to go to Dolly’s and show that ex of yours how this works.”

Once they were on the road, Vi texted: Cam’s here with his bimbo. Time to shine, kids.

“Vi says he’s there.” Faith’s knee bounced. She halfway wanted to jump out of the car and run home. There really wasn’t any turning back now, not after Violet spread the word, but she still felt like she’d swallowed live grasshoppers.

Kyle rested his free hand on her knee, stilling it. The warmth of his hand flooded her brain and calmed her nerves. “It’ll be fine,” he said in that slow, sure voice of his.

“Right, okay.” Faith’s shoulders relaxed. She hadn’t noticed how tight they’d been. “Seriously, if all we have to do is make out a little in front of a crowd, that’s not so bad, right?”

His hand tightened briefly on her knee, then he released it, but now he looked nervous. “Right.”

They turned into Dolly’s. The drive-in had been in Suttonville long before Sonic thought about coming to town, and most of the locals would go to Dolly’s before they’d go anywhere else. During school breaks and on weekends, though, it turned into the informal high school hangout. Everyone would park, order shakes, and go car to car to visit friends. Now, if someone dumped some rum into a coconut cream shake, that was his business.

When the Charger glided into an empty spot—one next to Violet’s car, which Vi had been standing in with her arms crossed, waving off anyone who wanted this prime real estate—every head turned.

Including Cam’s.

Violet came to Faith’s window. “Full audience. Curtain up.”

Faith wiped her sweaty hands on her jeans. Kyle nodded. “You want some ice cream?”

She laughed. Ice cream seemed way too ordinary for this, and for some reason that steadied her nerves. “Chocolate shake, extra whipped cream.”

He raised an eyebrow. “You like whipped cream?”

The way he said it turned her imagination on full blast. “Love it.”

“Good to know.” He ordered their shakes, then motioned for her to get out of the car. “You ready?”

She took a deep breath and tossed her hair. I’m Laurey. I’m strong, and I can do anything. “Yep.”

They climbed out of the car at the same time and Kyle walked with measured steps around the hood to her side. Violet shot him a quick thumbs-up and vanished. He didn’t seem to notice. His eyes were glued on Faith, looking her over slowly. Only a quick tilt of his chin indicated he was asking her, one more time, if she wanted to do this.

In answer, she smiled, grabbed hold of the belt loops of his jeans, and pulled him against her. He let out a surprised gasp when her mouth met his. They melted together, and Faith forgot all about the dozens of students watching, Cameron and Holly, and the carhops. Not even Violet’s pleased, and very, very evil cackle made her want to stop.

Kyle’s hand ran up her back. He pulled away to kiss her temple. “I’m saying something witty. Laugh.”

Faith, drawing on her acting chops, let out a peal of laughter. Vi’s delighted grin told her it was pretty convincing.

Then Kyle’s mouth was back on hers. The shocked silence at the diner broke, and chatter slowly rose all around them. A few whistles. A few grumbles.

And best of all? Tristan yelling, “God damn it, Sawyer! I hate it when you’re right.”

Faith had no idea what that meant, but Kyle’s mouth popped off hers. He turned a cheerful smile on the gaggle of baseball players across the patio and flipped off Tristan. They hooted and hollered. Tristan gave them a slow clap.

If she’d cared about her reputation at all right now, she would’ve blushed to the roots of her hair and dug a hole nine feet deep to hide in. Instead, she put her hands on Kyle’s cheeks, turning him to face her again, and planted another kiss firmly on his lips.