“I’m right here,” Nixon said, sounding irritated.

“So, he’s my cousin which gives me familial rights.”

“What?” I shrieked.

All eyes turned to me. Chase shrugged. “I thought you knew?”

“What, through mind reading?” I threw my hands up in the air. “Unbelievable, are all of you related?”

“Oh God, I hope not.” Tex winked at Monroe. Overshare.

“Nixon said you met my dad.” Chase took a swig of water.

“Anthony?” I looked really closely at Chase, it made sense now. Why he and Nixon were so close, and why they had similar features. Chase had dark hair and a muscular build, but nowhere near what Nixon had. He was also missing the lip ring and the all-around wicked glint in his eyes.

Chase cleared his throat. “Uh, could you not stare like that? I’m not as used to it as Nixon.”

“What do you mean you’re not as used to it?”

Chase shrugged. “Simple, I’m not the man-whore of the group. Women don’t gawk at me as much when he’s around. I mean, come on. Look at him. He’s trouble, with a capital T.”

Nixon rolled his eyes. “If you weren’t my cousin I’d think you were hitting on me.”

“If I wasn’t your cousin I just might.”

“And too far.” I threw my hands over my face as I felt it heat. The guys all started laughing while Monroe patted my back. “You are trouble though. Hmm…”

“What?” Nixon grinned. “Tell me.”

Was it possible for someone’s head to heat so much it fell off their body? “No, no, it’s no…” I bit my lip.

Now all the guys were watching me.

“Tell us.” Tex clapped his hands.

“Fine, it’s just, Nixon reminds me of that Taylor Swift song, Trouble? You guys heard it?” I laughed as they all shook their heads. “Yeah, well, if I didn’t know any better I’d think Nixon dated her, dumped her, and she wrote a song about him.”

I kept laughing.

The guys all stopped, including Monroe.

You could hear a pin drop in the lunchroom.

My eyes widened. “Shut up. No way! Did you date Taylor Swift?”

Nixon chuckled and pointed at Chase who in turn opened his mouth to say something and then pointed at Tex.

Tex turned around and pointed at an empty chair. “Damn. I have nobody to blame.”

“What you all dated her?” I crossed my arms.

“What happens in the Elect, stays in the Elect.” Chase gave Nixon a high-five.

“This isn’t Vegas.”

“Drugs, gangs, sex, money, and guns? You sure about that?” Nixon winked.

Okay, he had me there. I mean if it was possible to name a second Vegas, Elite would be it.

The bell rang in the distance. I quickly grabbed my bag and moved toward the door. A hand came out and tugged my bag, successfully making me fall back into strong arms. “Where do you think you’re going?”

“Class?” My voice squeaked.

“Hmm…” Nixon’s arms tightened around my body. He rested his chin on my head. I could feel the muscles beneath his shirt flex against my back. A million different sensations ran through my body in that moment. It was nearly impossible to breathe.

“How about you skip?”

“I can’t just skip class!”

He released his hold and turned me to face him. “But you kind of want to, don’t you?”

“No.” I looked down at my shoes. Brave. I know. But whenever I looked into his eyes it was impossible to deny him anything! It was both aggravating and exhilarating. Sometimes it hurt to look at him.

He wore his perfection differently than most guys. The beauty of Nixon was in his imperfection. His crooked smile. The lip ring drew attention to his lips, making them look larger. And then his nose, it looked like it had been broken once, but it was in that tiny crook at the bridge that you saw something fierce about him. And his eyes. His ice blue eyes would warm within an instant when he was amused. His hair would fall across his brow giving him a rough yet vulnerable look.

Agh! I needed to stop. It sucked that if you took all of those perfections in one by one he wouldn’t be perfect, but together they made a masterpiece.

“Fine.” He sighed and released his hold on me. “But, don’t forget about tonight. No faking illness or saying you have homework, okay?”

Still looking at the floor, I grinned and nodded my head once.

“Okay, off you go.” Nixon stepped in front of me and opened the door. Head down, I walked through. I should have known better. I mean, it was Nixon. The minute I breezed by him, he smacked my butt. And then slammed the door in my face, so I couldn’t yell.

However, I did hear his laughing on the other side of the door, which just infuriated me more. With a curse I stomped off to math. At least that would take my focus off Nixon, which is really all I’d been thinking about lately.

I couldn’t figure him out.

I don’t think he even had himself figured out.

He was like a giant puzzle with missing and broken pieces.

And, as much as I knew I would live to regret it… I was on a hunt, for the missing and damaged ones. Every. Last. One.

Chapter Eighteen

“Ready?” Nixon held out his hand. After much coaxing, Monroe had convinced me to wear a short black dress with nylons and the boots from Chase. I added a short jean jacket and wore my necklace. I mean, I was with Nixon — nothing would happen to it.

I’d like to see someone try to mug me with him around.

“Yup.” I took his hand.

And so the date with the devil began.

“Still hate me?” he asked once we were in the Range Rover.

“Still not telling me who you are?” I replied.

“And off we go!” He laughed and started the car. “So, you may have noticed we don’t have security tonight.”

Telling myself to stop sweating so profusely, I nodded and tilted my head toward him. “Why?”

“Other than the fact I’m packing?” He lifted his eyebrows at me and let out a bark of laughter.

All signs pointed to him not kidding.

“Chill.” The car turned right as we left the security gate of the campus. “It was a joke.”

“So you aren’t packing?” I gulped.

“Not technically.”

“Right.” I turned the air on in the car and closed my eyes. “So where are we going? I’m guessing it’s safe since we’re not having to worry about security?”

“Absolutely.”

“Cool.”

“Want to know where?” Geez, he was grinning like a little kid.

“You want to tell me, don’t you?”

“So bad.” He leaned over the steering wheel and laughed. I’d never seen him so animated or excited.

“Surprise me.”

“I get too excited when it comes to surprises,” he grumbled. “Okay, I’m going to try, but you can’t talk to me, or else I’m going to blurt everything and ruin it, okay?”

“Not talk to you? Whatever will I do?”

His smile turned wicked. “I’ve got a few ideas of other things you could do with your mouth—”

“And I’m pretty sure if I searched hard enough I could find a gun and shoot off your manparts, so, say that again, I dare you.”

He gulped. “Silence it is.”

“That’s what I thought.”

“Damn.” He shook his head. “Well played.”

“I know.” I smirked and leaned against the window, trying not to be too obvious about the fact that I was watching every single move he made.

Seriously, the guy made driving sexy. In that moment, watching him lick his lips and every once in a while suck on his lip ring, I realized, if he was in Hollywood, he’d be a hit. He’d make millions and women would cry in his presence.

If he was in corporate America, he’d be the hot CEO that secretaries would stab each other to work for.

No matter what Nixon decided to do, he’d be successful, and it wasn’t just his good looks, though they helped. It was the confidence behind his good looks. I mean, I knew I wasn’t supermodel gorgeous, yet being with him didn’t make me feel as insecure as it should. Instead, it made me feel like I could do anything.

If he told me I could be a rock star, I might just believe him.

It was scary when someone’s presence had that much power to alter the way you felt about yourself, because what happens when you lose yourself in that person? Do you disappear, or do you just mold into what they view you as?

Too many deep thoughts for a first date.

“Almost there.” Nixon reached over and touched my thigh. His hand stayed there, warming my skin until his touch was almost searing.

Holy Superman, his touch even had magical powers.

“Okay.” Nixon pulled down a dirt road. “Close your eyes.”

I did as he said, totally noticing before I closed them that we were nowhere near the city. “Are you going to kill me?”

“No.” He laughed.

I relaxed, until he added. “I didn’t bring my silencer.”

Stiffening under his touch I tried to jerk away from him. His laughter made me want to give him a black eye.

“Trace, calm down. This is supposed to be fun, remember?”

“Yeah,” I said breathlessly.

The car turned off. Cold air hit me as the door opened and then shut again. Seconds later, my door was opened, my seatbelt unbuckled, and Nixon was picking me up in his arms.

I leaned against his firm chest and told myself to stop sighing like the hormonal teenager I was. I could have sworn my estrogen spiked just being around the guy, as if my feminine body was begging me to do more than touch him.

Clearing my throat, I licked my lips and waited.

Finally, he set me on my feet. “Open your eyes.”

I did.

And almost collapsed into blackness. Not, because he hit me on the head, or because what he did was so incredible, but because it was the most thoughtful thing anyone had ever done for me, and it was the devil giving me the one thing I missed more than Grandpa.

Home.

“Are those—” I told myself to swallow back the tears.

“Cows.” Nixon laughed. “Yes, real live cows. I hear they even moo from time to time.”

“And this…” He pointed behind us. “Is our picnic under the stars.”

“With the cows,” I added, still stunned.

“With the cows. Though I’ve heard a few goats live out here too. Don’t want to leave out any farm creatures and take a chance on offending them.”

“Right.” My lower lip trembled. Crap. I was going to cry.

Nixon didn’t say anything. He simply pulled me into his arms and kissed my head. “I know you miss it. I know you miss your grandpa.” He sighed and ran his hand across my chest where my cross necklace lay. “And I know you miss your grandma. But being at Elite, it’s where you belong. As much as you miss all of this.” He pointed at the pasture. “You’re home. Right here.” In my arms is what was implied, and I still couldn’t figure out why I believed him. I mean, I’d only known him for two weeks. So why did it feel like I’d known him all my life?