Lost in Starlight (Starlight Saga) (21 page)

Wow. Just wow. His heartfelt declaration turns my insides into a mini-Chernobyl.

Hayden’s fingertips explore the underside of my jaw and roam to my cheek. His head lowers and his lips move to mine in a gently nibbling kiss, causing a sweet ache to spread beneath my ribcage. It so nice not to have to hide our relationship tonight and be openly affectionate for a rare moment.

“I know what you mean…I feel it too when we’re together.” My voice is faint. “But maybe we’re just being irresponsible—”

“I don’t believe that. Not anymore. You—
we
—are not an impulsive decision,” he says. “There’ve only been a few times in my life when something felt so right that I didn’t care about the consequences. And this is one of those times.”

As the rain patters on the ground like candy falling from the sky, I’m unaware of moving backward, until the stucco wall rubs against my back, the sharp edges digging into my skin. He pulls me closer, tighter, and his mouth seeks mine, all hot silk and possessiveness. This is by far the sexiest, hottest kiss I’ve ever experienced. Vehement flushes of heat rise through me, bringing the desire to overwhelming proportions. These forbidden kisses become fierce, then lazy as if melting from their own passion.

He pulls back his head and tightens his arms around me. “You have no idea how much you’ve changed my world,” he says softly. “My life seemed so empty before we met, Sloane. Devoid of this warm feeling I have in the middle of my chest now…one I can’t ignore any longer.”

Hayden lifts me with astonishing ease until my legs are wrapped around his waist. A small moan erupts from his lips. I slide my hands up to his hair, so soft and thick, like golden silk in my palms. He takes my mouth again, slower, longer, while something unravels within me. Time freezes. The kissing and touching seems everlasting while we hold each other. Cold droplets stream down my face as our bodies intertwine. I’m not only soaked with rain but with anticipation, and part of it is because Hayden, who always seems so in control, is struggling for self-restraint. His breath comes out in ragged puffs, his hands gripping my butt and holding me upright. He kisses my throat, tasting the skin, his lips caressing my pulse.

My fingertips graze the unshaven bristle on his jaw. “We need to stop. Someone might see us.”

“You’re right.” He eases me to the ground and kisses my forehead. “We should go before I teleport you somewhere more private.” His thumb brushes across my cheekbone and down my neck.

I shift my position, creating space between us. “Mr. Lancaster, I fear my virtue is at risk,” I tease. “Seriously, though. Cool it, Alien Boy. One of us needs to think, and I’m afraid you may not be in the right frame of mind to make tough decisions.”

What I don’t say is that I’m not at all sure
I’m
the best one to keep us from doing the horizontal mambo any second, either. Freakin’ hormones.

He smiles, slowly trailing his fingertips down my arm, and interlacing our fingers. “You’re right. Come on.”

As we walk back to the SUV, I find myself beaming. Hayden Lancaster can’t keep his hands off me.
Me!
And the feeling is mutual. Oh, so mutual. I have no idea what the future holds for us, but right now, I don’t even care. Because it really doesn’t matter. As long as we’re together, we can confront any snobby hybrids, outwit any special agents, and avoid any mind-wiping gadgets.

Reaching his wheels, Hayden opens my door and draws me close, his lips brushing mine. “Sloane, you undo me. You may be the only good thing I have going on in my life right now.”

My face flushes under his heated stare. “Mine, too,” I whisper. “Do you believe in destiny, Hayden?”

“I do now…but before I met you, I didn’t think there was any such thing as love-at-first-sight, or one person for everyone, or a soulmate. But when I’m near you, I think...I might be wrong.” He runs his thumb across my bottom lip, causing the blood to sear in my veins. “You know what I believe now? That the universe has no conscious will, only inevitabilities, and it was inevitable that we should be together. It was fated—written in the stars—that no matter what, I’ll never stop trying to make you happy or wanting to keep you safe. I am lost in you, with no desire to ever escape.”

Words escape me. My breath snags in my throat. Even my knees wobble. How is it that he can say the most romantic things?

He lowers his lips to mine again and the kiss deepens briefly. Just as I get up the nerve to grab his cute butt, he pulls away.

“In you go,” he says, sliding his hands to my waist and helping me onto the seat.

My heart throbbing, I fumble with the seatbelt and finally get it latched. He still hasn’t gotten in on the driver’s side, and I glance in the side-mirror. Hayden’s standing about ten feet away from the rear of the car, hands on his hips and staring down the secluded road. I peer over the headrest out the back window.

What is he looking at? Have the hybrids discovered us? Agent Dixon?

Hayden runs his fingers through his hair and scans the terrain once more. Maybe we both just needed to take a moment after the intensity of that make out session. His shoulder muscles bunch up, and then relax. He turns back toward the Ranger Rover and I quickly shift in my seat. Without a word, Hayden slips inside and starts the engine.

“Everything, okay?” I ask.

“Of course.” He grabs my hand and brings it to his lips, placing a soft kiss on my palm. “Thanks for helping me slow down. I was getting a little
too
caught up in the moment.”

“You’re a guy. It’s expected,” I say lightly. “Tonight was cool. Wait. That isn’t a strong enough word…”

Hayden nods. “Yeah. I know what you mean.”

As we drive off, even after all the warm kisses still warming my lips and Hayden’s passionate declaration, my stomach suddenly churns. When I think back to all the sneaking around we have to do now, a dark mood settles over me, smothering the sparks of desire and elation I’d felt only moments ago in Hayden’s arms.

If we get caught, they’ll be hell to pay. So I’d better be damned sure that this star-crossed romance is worth risking my own life.

I roll out of bed before the alarm goes off and jump in the shower. Wanting to look extra pretty today for Hayden, I put on a cute black dress with sheer shoulder straps that stops just above my knees, over tights with a skull-and-crossbones print. Then I dig out my black ankle-boots with military style patches from the pile in the closet. I glance at myself in the mirror. Even though the dress is tight across the D-cups, the swoop neckline only shows a hint of cleavage.

I slip out the front door before my mom can ask me to take Jonah to school. I want to catch Hayden in the parking lot. Just as I’m shutting the door, the squeal of tires on the driveway has me whipping around.

Hayden’s Range Rover parks behind the Jetta and he waves at me through the windshield. Guess he had the same idea.

I can’t repress the ridiculous grin that’s threatening to split my face in two. I go over to the SUV and open the passenger-side door.

“What are you doing here?” My grin fades and I look around anxiously. “Someone might see you.”

“Doing what? Giving a friend a lift to school?” He shakes his head. “I’m sure it’s allowed. So, shut up and get in.”

I hesitate and tug up the strap of my backpack over one shoulder. My gut clenches. Being a secret couple kind of blows.

He looks serious yet amused. “Are you getting in? Or do I have to get out and throw you over my shoulder?”

I turn away from him. “We’re going to get caught.”

“No, we’re not.” He taps his fingers on the steering wheel. “Everyone knows we’re friends, Sloane. If you just act natural, we’ll be fine.
You’ll
be fine. I promised to keep you safe and I will.”

“I know all that…but it still makes me super nervous.” I glance up at him, but his expression gives nothing away. “It’s easier for
you
not to worry because you’re not the one in danger of being mind-wiped.”

“Okay. You’re right. I’ll go.” He shifts into drive. “Sorry, I wasn’t thinking.”

Hayden looks behind him, and then starts backing out.

“Wait!”

He stomps on the brakes. I open the door, hop onto the seat, and dump my backpack on the floor.

“Change of heart?” he asks.

“I’m over-thinking this.” I sigh. “You’re right, you giving me a ride to school means nothing. I don’t know why I got so freaked. No one suspects anything and I trust you.”

“That’s the right attitude,” he says with a nod. “Ready to roll?”

“Yup. What brings you here so early, anyway?”

He takes a deep breath and exhales slowly. “I was dreaming about you last night. And when I woke up this morning, I just felt like I
had
to see you, so I drove here instead of school.” He shakes his head, a blush staining his cheeks. “Uh, that didn’t sound quite as creepy in my head. Scratch that.”

I smile. “Was it a sexy dream?”

Hayden crookedly grins. “Something like that…” He backs out and merges with the traffic. “And I missed you, Peaches.”

My mood lightens. “Did ya now? And what did you miss most?”

He downshifts and glances over at me, those mismatched eyes dancing. “Oh, I don’t know...maybe it was your cute smile. Your beautiful hazel eyes. Your gorgeous purple hair. Or that headstrong personality. All the things I like in a girl.”

“Good to know I meet your standards,” I tease with a smile.

His gaze burns with emotion. “I don’t want someone who meets my criteria, Sloane. I’d rather have someone so amazing that they
change
it...someone like you,” he says softly.

My heart becomes a big gooey mess inside my chest. The knots in my stomach loosen. There’s no one else on this entire planet I’d rather be with than Hayden. And while that’s a scary thought, I feel strangely content and safe with him. Which is crazy weird because the odds that we can ever have a normal relationship are stacked against us.

I lick my lips. “Last night was awesome. Thank you so much for sharing the observatory with me. I haven’t ever…I mean I’ve never felt…”

What I really want to say is that I loved kissing him, touching him, and that he’s totally worth the risks.

Hayden clears his throat. “Me either, Peaches.”

Haven High looms in the distance, and I groan. Right now, I want nothing more than to skip school and teleport to a private beach on Maui.

“School’s gonna suck now that we have to go back to being strictly platonic.”

He sighs. “I know…it’s going to be even worse because I can’t kiss you or touch you.”

Hayden and I both reach over to turn up the radio. His fingers brush mine, sending a crackling current throughout my body. We share a brief glance before I sit back and let him control the tunes. Through the speakers,
Plumb’s
“Need You Now” begins playing, and the tender moment unravels. It douses the heated, emotional exchange with a splash of the reality. Being back at school in front of people all day without touching sucks.

“I think our sham of being
only friends
is going to kill me.”

“Me, too…” I say.

When we arrive at school, Hayden opens my door for me. His hand touches the small of my back as we weave our way down the hallway.

I stop at my locker. “See you at lunch, friend?”

“Yup. I’ll save you a seat.” He waves and takes off.

I mess with the lock, spinning the dial and reentering the combo, but it doesn’t open. After a few more failed attempts, I bang a fist on the locker.

“Need some help?” Devin asks from behind.

“No thanks.”

I try the combo again, willing it to work, and this time it unlocks.
Yay!
I reach for my textbook and fumble with the heavy book, which slips from my fingers and lands on Devin’s foot.

“Owww.” He moans.

My hands fly up to cover my mouth. “Oops! Sorry, Devin.” But I don’t feel the slightest bit guilty.

“It’s cool.” He grimaces and hands me the book. “My, my, Sloane, you look stunning today.”

I would say thank you, if he weren’t talking to my breasts.

Rolling my eyes, I tuck a piece of hair behind my ear. “I’m late for class.”

“You still coming over to my house this weekend to watch the movie?” he asks.

“Yup. Count me in.”

“Great. See ya later.” He walks in the opposite direction.

I have the strongest urge to go home and shower, but I head to next class instead.

Hours later when the lunch bell rings, I can’t get out of class fast enough. Hayden is waiting in the busy corridor for me.

“You want to go off campus today and eat?” he asks. “So we can be alone?”

“Definitely.”

We push down the hall and out the double-doors into the afternoon brightness. We get into his SUV and Hayden drives us to get greasy fast food. We eat outside at the cement tables under huge plastic umbrellas. The cool air brushes our skin and seagulls peck at the crumbs left on the ground.

Hayden sips his drink, his long bangs covering his one blue eye. My pulse throbs when I look at him. He really is smoking hot.

“See something you like, Peaches?” He has a mischievous glimmer in his eyes.

I lift one shoulder. “Maybe.”

He smirks. “Cause
I
like what I’m seeing.”

The butterflies in my stomach go wild, and for a crazy second, I want to tickle Hayden just to have an excuse to touch him and witness that incredible smile.

I shake my head at him. “Shut the hell up.”

“Language, Sloane,” he taunts.

“Like yours is any better.”

“Point taken.”

Snatching one of Hayden’s deep-fried mushrooms, I dip it into the container of ranch dressing and pop it into my mouth. It tastes heavenly, much like the guy sitting across from me.

Hayden blushes. “So, last night was fun.”

“Yeah. It was certainly interesting.”

“So…um, is that something you’d want to continue at a later date?”

The air is sucked out from beneath that plastic umbrella in the space of a heartbeat. My mouth dries. Shifting on the bench, I formulate a response that’s a bit more intelligent than a lame,
Hell, yeah!

“That would be permissible.”

He pushes his food aside, staring deeply into my eyes. Something fervent passes between us, like a magnetized invisible current, linking us together. His long sexy look is like a silent challenge, which makes me sort of uncomfortable, but I won’t give him the satisfaction of glancing away first. His ego might inflate even more, if that’s even possible. So instead, I gaze right back at him, until the air around us sizzles and threatens to go supernova.

Finally, I surrender and hang my head. Damn him.

I peek at him through my hair. “You win.”

“Of course.” A wicked grin quirks Hayden’s lips. “We’d better head back now.”

Throwing our leftovers in the trash, we drive back to school. Since Hayden and I both have calculus, we walk to class together. But instead of taking his usual seat near Emma, he takes the empty one beside mine again. Emma and Kaitlyn exchange a look, but don’t say anything snotty. Mrs. Brooks bustles in with a cup of steaming coffee and writes on the chalkboard.

A piece of folded paper lands on my desk. I look over at Hayden, but he’s facing the front, tapping his pencil on the desk. I open the note and read: S
till on for the movies tonight @ 7?

I smile and scribble
You betcha,
and toss it back.

Hayden and I part ways after class, but meet up again at the end of the day. He drives me home and says he’ll be back later to take me to the movies. I never even asked what was playing. Who cares?

Classical music is blaring from my mom’s studio and machine gun fire explodes from my brother’s bedroom. As I pass by his open door, I spot Jonah slouched on a chair in his room with a controller in his hands and his eyes glued to the television.

I make an early dinner for Jonah and me—parmesan chicken and seasoned tater tots. He only eats the tots and I wrap the leftovers and leave them in the fridge for my mom. My dad isn’t home. He flew to Los Angeles last night to interview someone about the murder trial for the article he’s writing. Back in my room, I do my homework and touch up my makeup.

By seven o’clock, I’m overly anxious to spend the evening with Hayden. Jonah is busy playing another game when I go downstairs to sneak out and meet Hayden. In the kitchen, I write a quick note telling my mom that I’m going to the movies and leave it on the counter.

I dash out the backdoor and hike through the wooded area behind my house. The mild heat of April weather blankets the entire island. Bright moonlight gleams on the heads of the remarkable Victorians lining the street with lawns a pretty golf course green.

I tiptoe across someone’s yard to the main road and look both ways to make sure it’s safe before I dart out into the open. Hayden is waiting in the Range Rover with the engine running and he peels away from the curb as soon as I get inside.

As we leave the island and drive across the bridge into Oakland, it’s like entering another world. The city is an odd combo of dangerous ghetto, but also beautiful culture, with a lot of diversity.

On the outskirts of the city, Hayden pulls into the drive-in lot, pays the cashier in the booth, and then parks in the center, so we have a great view of the screen.

“Is this okay?” he asks, cutting the engine and setting the parking brake. “The drive-in? ’Cause I’m not trying to be a cheap date.”

Scary movies by starlight? Certainly the way to a horrorphile’s heart.

I bob my head. “What’s not to like? Staying up late and watching fright flicks while we gorge ourselves on popcorn? Perfect date.”

A naughty grin appears on Hayden’s lips. My favorite. “I’ll go get the munchies. Be right back.” He hops out and hurries to the concession stand located behind us.

My iPhone vibrates in my purse and I fish it out. The display reads: Zach Lancaster.

Great. What does he want?

Reluctantly, I click open the text and my shoulders cave inwards.

Zach: Told you to stay away from my brother, fat ass.

Wow. Tell me how you really feel.

I grind my teeth and my hands shake. How the hell did Zach get my phone number? I want to text back and tell him off, but the number’s blocked.

Glancing into the side-mirror, I spot Hayden walking back with his arms full. I turn off my phone, thrust it inside my bag, and decide not to tell Hayden and ruin our night.

I hop out and rush over to help. He opens the back door, puts the snacks on the seat, and tunes the radio to the drive-in’s station so we can listen to the movie through the car speakers. We sit in the backseat and snuggle under a blanket. The huge tub of popcorn rests on our laps with the sodas secured in the drink-holders.

Feeling a bit insecure and trying to put the text from Zach out of my mind, I pick up a few kernels of popcorn. I hold one between my fingers and smile.

“Catch!” I toss the popcorn into the air.

Hayden moves his head and grasps the fluffy snack between his lips.

“Your turn.” He picks up a piece of popcorn and tosses it upward.

I don’t have any super skills, and the popcorn ends up lodging itself in my cleavage. Groaning inwardly, I decide to play it off with humor instead of berating the ginormous tatas.

“You did that on purpose. Well played.”

I reach to retrieve the stray kernel and Hayden grabs my hand. “Allow me.”

He looks into my eyes, as if searching for permission. My heart catches in my throat. His hand reaches out and caresses my cheek, his fingertips trailing down my neck. My skin is hypersensitive, and his touch causes an electric spark to invade every nerve ending in my body. He trails one finger along the base of my throat, creating a lazy path down my chest. His breathing slows, as though he’s willing himself to stay in control. But passion blazes in his eyes once he reaches the errant kernel. Hayden quickly snatches it up and pops it into his mouth, and I giggle.

We talk a little about the previews, but it’s really obvious that neither of us care much about what’s coming soon to a theater near us.

I lean my head back against his shoulder, feeling all kinds of utter happiness. My nose is inches away from the skin on his neck, and I inhale his earthy, wild, complex scent. The opening credits roll, but all I can think about is sitting so close to Hayden under a blanket. Alone. In the dark.