The Naughty List (The Naughty List #1)(33)
Author: Suzanne Young

He was smiling, no doubt still smelling my perfume. But he knew. Christian knew something about me that no one outside of the Smitten Kittens knew. Not even Aiden. We were spies. I’d have to find out how he’d compromised us, but first, I needed to skedaddle before Mitch found me hiding among his rosebushes.

“Now what?” I asked, jetting my glance around the property. My face was tingling. I hated that I needed to ask Christian anything, but I knew that boys didn’t unmask a secret society of snooping cheerleaders, catch one falling off of a roof, and then just keep their mouths shut about it.

“We should get out of here,” he said. “Let me take you home.”

I groaned. Sure, it sounded simple, but this Kitten wasn’t born yesterday. Christian wanted to offer me more than a ride home. Did I have a choice? That was the better question.

The SOS cell phone vibrated in my pocket. My eyes flicked to Christian’s. He was grinning madly. I turned away and put the phone to my ear. It was Kira.

“Tess.” She was frantic. “Oh, my, are you hurt?”

“I’m fine,” I whispered, although my ankle did feel a little sore. “You guys go to Leona’s, and I’ll meet you there later.”

“What?” She was freaked out. The second rule of SOS was never to leave a Smitten Kitten behind.

“It’s okay,” I said. “I have to take care of something. I’ll see you in an hour.”

I could sense her worry. Poor thing, she wasn’t good at making split-second decisions—like that time she let Mike Rambler get to second base.

“K, I have to go. Wait for me there.” I hung up. That was bad manners, not saying goodbye. But I needed to get this little rendezvous over with, and I couldn’t let my squad have a chance to talk me out of it. I was the leader. I needed to cut the red wire. Or was it the blue wire? Dang it!

“You ready?” Christian asked like he was picking me up for a date.

Right. Ride home, my rear. I felt sick. It felt unnatural to be getting in another boy’s car. I just wanted Aiden. I wanted my sweetie.

Instead, I nodded and led the way through the overgrown side yard to the street. Christian jogged ahead of me to the car and opened the door for me to get in.

Well, that was polite. But I wasn’t impressed. It only succeeded in making me uneasy. When he closed my door and ran around the front of the car, I closed my eyes. This might not go well. In fact, I might just have to do something I didn’t want to do: be rude.

I didn’t have to give Christian directions to my house. He already knew where it was. See, total stalker. When he pulled into my driveway, he cut the engine. Pirates of the Caribbean! What did he want now?

He exhaled. “Okay, so I know this may be coming off as a little frightening, but I swear I’m not a creep or anything.”

“You sure?” I was angry. I was angry that I’d let myself be so vulnerable to a stranger. I had to tell Aiden. He shouldn’t find out from Christian.

“Tessa,” Christian said. “I’m not, like, going to blackmail you or anything, if that’s what you’re worried about.”

I turned to him, feeling a little less terrified. I had been afraid of that. “What do you want, then?”

He smiled but stared down at his steering wheel. “Well, you already know I like you…”

I shifted uncomfortably.

“But more than anything, I just want to help you. You’re in over your head. You could have been killed tonight.”

He was right on both accounts. “Can’t you just drop this?” I pleaded. “Forget that you know?” It was a long shot, but worth asking.

He shook his head. “No. I can’t.”

So it was blackmail. “And how do you propose you help me, Christian?” I felt prickles of anxiety crawl over my skin as I looked over the interior of his car. It was a Honda. Old, but clean. Such a sensible car. And yet I felt trapped. In this situation, I was trapped.

“I just want to spend time with you. And I think I can help with SOS.”

That couldn’t happen. My eyes glazed over with a sense of dread. “How did you find out about us anyway?” I asked, my voice monotone. I felt completely overtaken.

“I saw some of your notes to Cassandra Heart.”

I faced him. “What? She let you see those?” We’d helped Cassie! She knew all communication was top secret. How could she betray us?

“She didn’t really mean to tell me,” he said, as if he thought it would make me feel better. “It was sort of in the heat of the moment—”

“You hooked up with Cassie?” There was a tug in my chest. It wasn’t jealousy or anything, just surprise. Okay, maybe a small bit of jealousy. I thought I was the only one he stalked.

“I was with her once.” He shook his head. “Right after she found out about her boyfriend. She went on and on about these pictures, and then I remembered seeing you at Applebee’s. So I started following you. Then I spotted you at mini-golf and then later on some guy’s porch. I put two and two together, but I haven’t said a word to anyone. I swear.”

I met his dark eyes, trying to decide whether or not he was telling the truth. He looked honest, but didn’t I look honest? And I was a liar. Aiden.

“Aiden doesn’t know,” I blurted. Suddenly, I felt a tear run down my cheek. Jolly Green Giant! Now I was crying in front of Christian. I was so completely vulnerable.

Christian’s mouth opened, but he didn’t say anything. I wiped my cheeks quickly, embarrassed by my temporary lack of control. I pulled it together.

I sniffled. “Sorry.”

“It’s okay. I won’t tell him.”

That made me feel better. Relieved. “So that’s it?” I asked. “You’re not going to tell anybody?”

He smiled softly at me. “I won’t.”

“And you’re not asking for anything in return other than quality time.”

He paused. My heart stopped. “That’s all. Just time with you. Helping you.”

“I can take care of myself.”

“You fell off a roof.”

I rolled my eyes. “You’re exaggerating.”

Christian shook his head and reached out to touch my knee. My body flinched. Oh, no. I would not stand for this.

“Don’t do that,” I warned. “I have a very good high kick.”

He chuckled, picking a leaf off my pants and holding it up to me. “Relax,” he said. “I’m trying to look out for you.”