Lust - 1 by Robin Wasserman

together with duct tape. Prized possession? It didn’t speak very wel for his taste—of course, from what she’d seen so far, neither did Beth. But she was wil ing to give him the benefit of the doubt.
    She looked over her shoulder at Kane, who was climbing into a vintage silver Camaro. And he was just as hot as Adam, though he lacked the adorable Southern accent. But the guy was obviously a total player—and thus not nearly as much fun to play with. No, she decided, climbing into the backseat and slamming the door shut behind her, Adam it is. At least for now.
    Beth and Adam chattered together in the front while Kaia sat in silence, watching the dark streets fly by.
    “You want to come back to my place?” Adam asked his girlfriend. “My mom’s probably out for the night ….”
    There was a long pause, and Beth looked over her shoulder and glanced at Kaia. “I’ve got a lot of work to do,” she said eventual y. “And, you know, curfew.”
    “I just thought that—”
    “Why don’t you drop me off first,” Beth cut him off. “I’m on the way.”
    Trouble in paradise? Kaia wondered. Interesting.
    Adam just grunted and turned off onto a side street. He pul ed up in front of a squat ranch house, sandwiched between a row of identical y impersonal boxes. A tricycle lay on its side in the middle of the smal front lawn, which looked as if it hadn’t seen a lawn mower in years. The cramped patch of overgrown weeds was the perfect companion to the house itself, with its peeling paint job and rusted aluminum siding. Home sweet home.
    Adam turned off the car and unfastened his seat belt, but Beth stopped him with a quick kiss.
    “You don’t have to walk me in,” she whispered. “I’l just see you tomorrow.” She kissed him again, this time long and hard, and then got out of the car and raced up the front walkway, a narrow path of loose gravel and chipped cement. She paused in the doorway, fumbling in her purse for the key, then, final y, pul ed open the door and slipped into the house, the slim beam of light cut off as she closed the door behind her.
    Adam was stil for a moment, watching her figure disappear into the darkness. Then he twisted around in his seat and grinned at Kaia.
    “Why don’t you come sit up here?” he suggested, patting the seat next to him.
    Perfect. Kaia hopped out of the car and switched into the front seat. As she fastened her seat belt, she lightly brushed his hand, which rested on the gearshift—he tensed, almost imperceptibly, and she knew he’d felt the same electric charge of excitement that she had at the touch.
    She ignored it, however, and began playing with the radio stations, searching in vain for something that was neither country-and-western nor fire-and-brimstone.
    “Not much to listen to out here, is there?” Kaia complained, as Adam started the car and pul ed back out onto the road. She flicked the stereo off in disgust. “Not much to do, either.”
    “No,” he admitted. “But it’s a good town. Good people, you know?”
    Could this guy be any more of an al -American cliché? She didn’t know they made them like this in real life.
    “Anyway,” he continued awkwardly, “I’m sorry again about before, in the diner—Harper’s just, wel …”
    “An acquired taste?” Kaia suggested, faking a smile.
    “I guess you could say that,” Adam admitted. “See, the thing you’ve got to understand about Harper is …” His voice faded off, and he squinted his eyes in concentration, trying to find the right words.
    “Her bark is worse than her bite?” Kaia offered.
    Adam laughed rueful y and shook his head. “No, I’d watch out for her bite, too.”
    Good to know, Kaia thought. “Then what?” she persisted. “I mean, you seem like such a nice, genuine guy, and I guess I’m just surprised that you’re … that not al of your friends are … I’m just a little surprised.” Kaia guessed there was no particularly polite way to say, So, your friend is an