“Yes. She is.” But Gabriel kept thinking of Nick’s comments about graduation.

He kept thinking about Layne’s expression when she’d figured out he was cheating.

It made him want to shrink down in the seat.

Michael glanced over. “At least you’re doing something about it.”

“Whatever.”

Michael sighed. “Which house?”

Gabriel pointed. Layne’s house was immaculate in the sunshine, all white pillars and stone facing that reminded Gabriel of her comment about a serial killer living there. Perfect landscaping, too, though he’d bet Michael had already spotted twenty areas where the workers had cut corners and used crap plants.

Gabriel was unbuckling his seat belt and trying to figure how to spin the transportation issue, when Layne came flying out the front door.

Jeans. Forest-green turtleneck. Braid. Glasses. After the getup she’d been wearing last night, it reminded him of those super-hero cartoons he’d watched when he was a little kid. The ones where only a few select people got to know what hid behind the meek-mannered exterior.

How had he never realized how hot she was?

She hesitated halfway to the truck, noticing that he wasn’t alone. Gabriel slid out of the cab.

“Sorry,” he called. “I don’t have the car, so my brother had to drive.” He came around the front of the truck to meet her.

She cast a glance at Michael, looking flighty. “There’s a problem.”

“Is your dad still home?” Gabriel glanced at the front door, ready for her father to burst out with a shotgun.

“No . . . but Simon is.” She hesitated. “Our mom never showed up.”

The more he heard about her mother, the more Gabriel wanted to find the woman and shake some sense into her.

“He can’t stay home alone,” Layne rushed on. “I’d say you could come in, but if my dad came home early ”

“Statutory rape. I remember.”

Her cheeks turned pink. “Yeah.”

God, this figured. Nick taking the car was probably an omen.

Unless . . . could this be an elaborate way for her to back out?

Maybe she’d had second thoughts when he’d pulled up the driveway. Maybe she didn’t want anything to do with him after all.

“Don’t worry,” he said. “I get it.”

“No! I’m not . . .” Layne licked her lips. “I’m not backing out. I’m wondering . . .”

Some hair was coming loose from her braid, and if Michael wasn’t sitting right there, Gabriel would have tucked it back into place.

No, he’d be pulling the elastic free, unwinding the plaits . . .

Focus. “Wondering what?”

She took a deep breath. “Would it be okay if Simon came with us?”

CHAPTER 27

Layne sat at the kitchen table and watched Gabriel glare at his trig textbook. He had a fresh piece of notebook paper in front of him, a sharpened pencil clenched between his fingers.

A murderous expression on his face.

“Come on,” she said. “You can’t hate math that much.”

“Trust me. I can.” He glanced up. “You hungry? Want something to drink?”

“I want you to quit stalling.”

“I am not ”

“Oh.” She raised an eyebrow. “Does it usually take twenty minutes to hook up your PlayStation, or was that just for Simon’s benefit?”

His voice dropped. “I was hoping Michael would leave.”

His brother? Layne remembered Gabriel mentioning that they fought, but Michael had been perfectly nice to her. He’d barely said a word during the drive over here, and then left them in the kitchen with the excuse that he had work to catch up on.

“He said he had to run to Home Depot,” said Gabriel. “But he’s probably sticking around to make sure I don’t con you into going upstairs.”

The words almost made her breath catch. Thank god he couldn’t feel her heart rate stutter. “No chance.” She tapped the book with her pencil. “I’m here to help you work.”

“Hmm.” He leaned in and pushed a strand of hair off her face. “Is that a challenge?”

Now she couldn’t breathe at all.

She hadn’t bothered to look at the Internet last night. This morning, either. Kara hadn’t called, and she couldn’t bear to check her e-mail. She had no idea whether Taylor had ever followed through on her threat to put everything online, but if she had, what could Layne do about it?

Nothing.

And it was so much nicer to think about the moments with Gabriel, after the party. She’d turned his words over in her head all night. Not just the kind ones, when they’d been sitting by the water. The harsh ones, the really honest ones, when they’d sat on the tailgate of his car.

What do you think, that I’m some kind of thug player who’ll screw anything in a skirt?

“You’re blushing.” His breath was against her neck, his lips whispering into her skin.

“You’re still stalling. We need to ”

She gasped. His teeth grazed her jaw, the sensitive area below her ear. His hands found her waist, shifting her toward him.

Everything suddenly felt ten degrees warmer.

“See?” he murmured. “Who needs math?”

That woke her up. She used her pencil to rap him on the forehead. “You do.”

He sighed disgustedly and drew back.