The Bad Boy's Dance Read Online Free PDF Page A

hot.” My frustration grew, as did the blush on my traitorous cheeks. His smirk grew, as if he could sense the rise he was getting out of me.
    He was wearing his leather jacket and ripped jeans. Was that blood I saw on his hand? Holy cannoli!
    Asher followed my gaze to his hand and chuckled. “It’s ketchup, babe.”
    I scowled. “Don’t call me babe.”
    “That’s sounds an awful lot like an order, babe, ” Asher leaned across the table toward me.
    My friends finally animated. “Back off, dude,” Caleb said, putting his hand on Asher’s arm.
    He sat back and glanced at Caleb’s hand. Caleb rapidly retracted it.
    My poor friends. That terrorist was giving them heart attacks. Standing, I grabbed my backpack and lunch. Ignoring the curious stares, I dumped my lunch and started to storm off.
    A hand wound around my elbow, stopping me. “Where are you going? Lunch isn’t over.”
    I whirled to glare at him. “Let go.”
    His grip tightened, and that smirk on his face grew. “I’m actually pretty comfortable.”
    I wanted nothing more than to make that smirk of his disappear. My vision went red, and my self-control snapped like a twig. So, in front of most of Darwin High, I yanked Asher toward me using his grip on my elbow. It would have looked like I was reeling him in for a kiss if I hadn’t promptly shoved him away.
    Electricity zinged along my body at our proximity, and when his hair brushed my cheek, the air in my lungs whooshed out.
    Asher wasn’t even dazed. He blinked, rubbed his forehead absently, before breaking into a dazzling smile.
    Oh for the love of…
    “That was great. Next time, go for something less, I don’t know, hard. Oh wait,” he glanced down at his body as if surprised to find that he was lean and fit.
    Bringing my lips close to his ear, I whispered his kryptonite. “If you don’t let go of me right now I’ll hit something a lot more sensitive than your head.”
    His smile faltered in surprise. He gazed at me like he was really looking at me for the first time. “Where have you been hiding?” he mused.
    Oh-so-slowly, Asher removed his fingers, one by one. “See you in a few minutes,” he said.
    The treacherous bell rang. Nobody in the cafeteria moved. The scene playing before them was much too interesting. It was the first time Asher Grayson looked even remotely animated during school.
    I turned and marched to Physics, ignoring the whispers trailing behind me. What had I gotten myself into?
    Anyone near me in the hall scrammed. Usually, I was mellow to the point of appearing slow, so getting me riled up was quite a feat. Yet somehow, Asher Grayson could to it with his mere presence and a few choice words.
    I took my seat in the far back. The class filled slowly. Not many people noticed me, thankfully. I was too well hidden. An unassuming junior sat next to me and smiled gingerly. I smiled back at her.
    “Hi. I’m Phoebe,” she said, stretching her hand. We shook cordially, and I almost laughed at the formality. “I’m Ivy. It’s nice to meet you.”
    We exchanged pleasantries. She was a small girl, and her glasses sat crooked on her nose. I had to resist the urge to straighten them for her while we spoke. She was slightly skittish, and I admired her academic resilience. We chatted for a few minutes, and I felt the protective Mother Hen in me rearing it's head. She was sweet, naive, and trusting- a combination for disaster at Darwin High . The bell rang, and I’d almost forgotten why I was so angry until a shadow loomed over Phoebe’s desk.
    “I’m sitting here,” Asher said, completely matter-of-fact.
    Phoebe’s glasses slid to the bridge of her nose as she gaped at Asher. I imagined what she was seeing. A tall, savagely good-looking, scary senior. Too bad it wasn’t easy to see how arrogant and irritating he was.
    “Actually, you sit over there.” I pointed to the front, where Tristan and Kelsie were sitting, unaware that their leader was in the ‘non-Plastic’