Jake’s other arm came around my waist and he pressed me even deeper into him so my arms had to slide up around his neck. He bent his head, his eyes flaring as my br**sts brushed his chest. Our mouths rested close to one another as he answered softly, “My mom came down on me last year for moving too fast with girls, breaking hearts, for not taking girls seriously. I told her I never made any promises and she told me it was about time I did. My dad heard and told her to lay off, that I was young, but that one day I’d meet a girl who would knock me flat on my ass.” He grinned, his nose brushing mine. “Well, he was right, and it happened sooner than I thought it would. You’ve knocked me on my ass, Charley. I think it might have something to do with the fact that you make me laugh a lot and you’re really smart. And really hot. Really, really hot,” he murmured against my mouth. “All I know is that you probably deserve better than me, but I’m too selfish to let you. I’m into you, and I want you to be so into me, you don’t even care that I’m not good enough for you.”

I teased my lip with my teeth, his confession firing up my blood and spreading this beautiful ache across my chest and into my stomach. “If this is a line, I’ll kick you in the nuts, Jacob Caplin.”

He made a face. “It’s not a line. I don’t need a line.”

“You are so unbelievably arrogant.”

“I know.” He chuckled and smoothed a hand up my spine. I shivered as it caressed my back and then slipped under my ponytail. His hand cupped my nape and gripped me gently, tipping my head back so I was looking him directly in the eye. “I need you to keep me on my ass so my ego doesn’t become a major problem. Please, Charley … go out with me.”

Teasing him, I didn’t say anything for at least ten seconds, which felt like an awful long time. I felt his fingers flex with tension and slowly I smiled. As I did, he relaxed against me and I nodded. “Yeah, okay. I’ll go out with you.”

“You did not drive a pickup in Chicago.” I smiled widely as Jake led me by the hand to his truck.

He’d been the perfect gentleman, coming to the house to meet my mom and dad before taking me out on a date. My mom thought he was fantastic, I could tell, but my dad was wary. He’d heard the stories about Jake and wasn’t too keen on Casanova taking his daughter out on a date.

Jake smiled back at me as he pulled open the passenger door of the Ford. “It was a bribe from my dad. I’ve always wanted one, don’t ask me why.” He shrugged. “It eased the pain of moving to bumble-fuck Indiana.”

I got in, huffing at the insult to my town. “So you’re telling me I’m going out with a spoiled brat.”

He laughed and shut the door. When he got into the driver’s side, he smirked. “Just so you know, I’ve worked every summer but this one as a car valet for my uncle. I saved it all and put it toward this. My dad didn’t want me to sell my car for the pickup, but he eased up on me as a bribe to keep me sweet on the move.” His smiled turned cocky. “If I’d known you were waiting for me, I wouldn’t have needed the bribe to keep me sweet.”

I rolled my eyes. “Okay, Mr. Smooth, so you’re not spoiled, but try to refrain from insulting my town.”

He tried to swallow his smile and failed. “You got it. My sincerest apology.”

We were quiet as we drove out of my neighborhood and toward Main Street. When we passed the high school and turned onto the road that would lead us out to the highway, I shot Jake a curious look. “Where are we going?”

He didn’t answer. Instead he turned off onto Brenton Fields and pulled the truck to a stop in the middle of the open. There was nothing around us but grass, trees in the distance, and a starry sky above. Jake grinned at me again and got out of the truck, leaving his MP3 player playing through the radio, the truck’s headlights on. He helped me out and holding my hand led me to the truck’s rear. I stood, my belly still fluttering with girlish excitement as I watched Jake spread out a blanket on the truck bed and pull a cooler out of the corner. He took out some sandwiches, cookies, chips, and two bottles of water.

“Dinner awaits.” He held out his hand. I laughed as he pulled me onto the bed.

I was glad I’d brought a sweater. We were nearing October and the temperature drop was more noticeable at night.

Still laughing, I bit into my peanut butter sandwich.

Jake smirked at me. “What?”

“Nothing,” I giggled now, which made him grin even harder. “I just think you might’ve watched too many movies set in small-town America in the fifties. We don’t really do the date in the back of a pickup thing. We usually hang out in each other’s rooms surrounded by modern technology.”

He clamped a hand over his chest as if I’d shot him. “I’m crushed. And here I thought this shit was romantic.”

I laughed harder. “This shit is romantic.” I stifled my giggling and gave him a genuine smile. “Thank you.”

Jake nodded in return and settled back against the truck. “You know, you’re not like other girls our age.”

I quirked an eyebrow in interest. “I’m not?”

“Nope. I find it incredibly hot how cool you are.”

“I think that’s what they call a paradox, my friend.”

“I mean … you’re not into drama or gossip or mindless, stupid stuff that doesn’t matter. I watch you with your friends and if one of them starts drama for no reason, you walk away or ignore it while the rest of them fan the flames. When they gossip about someone, you roll your eyes, and if it’s mean gossip, you tell them to grow up. Not a lot of sixteen-year-old girls have the balls to do that. Not a lot of fourteen-year-old girls have the balls to throw themselves in front of an SUV to save their sister, either.”

I groaned. “Oh God, don’t buy into that, Jake. Anyone else would’ve done the same.”

“No.” My eyes sharpened on him at the gravity in his voice. “No, they wouldn’t.”

I squirmed a little under his intense regard. “Jake …” I sighed, lowering my sandwich and staring at anything but him, “for all my cracks about being awesome … I don’t want you to build this idea of me in your head … an idea that I can’t live up to. I’m just Charley. An ordinary girl from Lanton, Indiana.”