Elle Thorpe

A large body landed in my back seat, and I yelped, slamming my foot down on the brake automatically.

Banjo gave me a lopsided grin. “Told you I’d see you around. This wasn’t exactly what I meant, but hey, I’ll take it. Man, these seats are like butter.”

“Getting a lift?” he asked cheekily.

“Could have asked!”

“But you would have said no.”

“You don’t know that.” He was right. I would have, to save myself further embarrassment. Being this close to him was stirring things inside me that I needed to keep a lid on. Especially since we weren’t alone.

“Lacey, can I get a lift in your sexy-as-fuck car?”

“No!”

“See?” He grinned. “That’s why I didn’t ask!”

It was hard to keep a straight face. He was so cute with all that blond hair flopping in his eye, his smile full of mischief.

I guided the gearshift back into park. “Banjo. Get out of my car.”

“Lacey. Go out with me.”

Jagger let out a gasp from the passenger seat and then clapped her hands with glee. “Well, this just got interesting!”

“You don’t get to judge me.”

Jagger sucked in a tiny breath beside me. She shook her head ever so slightly.

“Untouchable,” she said beneath her breath.

Colt bent down, leaning in until we were eye to eye. “You should listen to your friend there, princess. I do whatever I want around here. If I want to judge you, then there isn’t a thing you can do about it. Is there?”

Then he ran one finger down the side of my face, starting at my temple and tracing his way along my jaw.

I knew a power play when I saw one. He expected me to back down. To flinch away.

I wouldn’t. Not now, on day one. Not ever. It took more than a handsome face who overestimated his importance to intimidate me.

So instead, I got closer. I got so close our faces were less than an inch apart. If I’d been across the parking lot and seen a guy and a girl this close, I would have assumed they were going in for a kiss. My body flushed with heat at the thought, even as I fought to keep my anger under control.

I knew what he expected.

I wasn’t going to give it to him.

“The pauper bows to the princess, Colt. You’d do well to remember that.”

And with that, I threw the car into reverse once more, slammed my foot on the gas, and shot us out of the parking space. The three guys scrambled to get out of my way, but my gaze never left Colt’s. I put the car into drive and hightailed it out of the parking lot, tires screeching, back end fishtailing, leaving the three boys behind in a cloud of black smoke.