In the Bad Boy's Bed by Sophia Ryan Page B

best gifts money could buy and I was miserable.
    But I wasn't sure my character was strong enough not to care that any dates with him would be to hang out somewhere that didn't cost money. Or not to cringe in guilt every time he pulled hard-earned singles from his wallet to pay for our hamburger at a fast food place. Or not to care that my parents would absolutely flip at the thought of their daughter, their only child, getting involved with a man who had this present and an uncertain but likely similar future.
    What am I doing with him? I thought, panic overtaking me. I had to end it before I hurt him.
    "Nick, I—"
    He pulled me to him again, kissed away the words I'd planned to say, making them melt on his clever tongue. I went weak in the knees. Fortunately, he picked me up and carried me to his bed. Every stupid thought I'd had of leaving him had vanished as he loved me with his hands, his mouth, his body, and his sweet, sweet words.

Chapter Five

    We headed back to school for our afternoon classes, and I parked at the very back of the lot. We shared a final kiss in the car, then he headed in one direction, toward the History building, while I headed the other way, toward English.
    I saw Mr. Wilson stop Nick on his way into the building, but I was already two minutes late—another minute and I'd be counted absent—so I went on in to class. As I slid into the seat next to Gina, I remembered that I'd forgotten to warn him about Sean.
    Fifteen minutes into class, a girl I recognized only as a freshman came to the door and gave my teacher, Ms. Gonzales, a note.
    "Angela, you're to report to Mr. Wilson's office. Take your things."
    I got the usual you're-in-trouble noise from the class, and I shot Gena a questioning look and grabbed my backpack.
    "What's your name?" I asked the freshman as I followed her back to the office.
    She looked scared that I'd spoken to her, but she managed to mumble her name.
    "Ariana. That's a pretty name."

    She smiled then quickly covered her braces with her hand.
    "Why does Mr. Wilson want to see me?"
    Ariana kept her eyes on the path, her long red hair covering her face but not before I could see the blush flaming her cheeks.
    I caught her arm and stopped her. "Ariana, please tell me."
    Her brown eyes wide, she looked around to make sure no one was watching or listening. She leaned in. "Your boyfriend Sean accused Nick Donnelly of smashing in the windshield of his Jag. Sean's, not Nick's. Nick doesn't have a Jag. He has a—"
    Crap! Had Sean seen me with Nick? Was that why he was falsely accusing him?
    "First of all, Sean's NOT my boyfriend. And second, why does Sean think Nick did it?"
    "He said he saw Nick leaving the parking lot right before he went to his car for lunch."
    "Do you know what time this was supposed to have happened?"
    She shook her head. "Not exactly, but sometime after second lunch."
    Nick and I were in the middle of each other before, during, and after second lunch.
    "Thanks."
    Again the hand came up to cover her smile. The girl would have such a pretty smile when the braces came off. Too bad she couldn't envision it, yet.
    We'd reached the office. "When do you get your braces off?" I asked her.
    She blushed again and dropped her head. "Not til next year."
    "I wore mine until the middle of sophomore year."
    He head jerked up. "You wore braces, too?"
    I nodded. "You're going to have a beautiful smile. Just wait and see."
    "Ariana, those folders won't file themselves." Carla Stone, Mr. Wilson's secretary, snipped at the girl, sending her to scurry away into the file room.
    Mrs. Stone then turned her venomous stare on me and pointed at the row of chairs lining the front of Mr. Wilson's office.
    I looked at them but remained standing. "Why was I called here?"
    "Take a seat, please."

    She'd said please, but the pinhole mouth the word had to pass through squeezed any sweetness from its meaning. In defiance, I stood against the wall with my arms crossed. I heard her sigh in