Still Jaded (Jaded #2)

"Are you kidding?" he scoffed. "My agent would love it if I were caught with a houseful of sorority sisters. I have another movie coming out. I couldn't buy that publicity."

"We're seriously doing this?"

Denton wrapped an arm around my shoulder and drew me against his side. He squeezed me tight and nodded. "We are, and we're going to have a great time."

"A great time breaking the law."

"A stupendous time breaking the law." Denton dazzled me with a smile. "Right? Just like old times, you and me getting into trouble."

"I don't think this is a great idea." Something tingled in my stomach, and I shrugged off his arm. That was trouble I could do without. "Let me change first."

"Take your time," Leah called out. "So, Denton, are you single?"

I hurried to my old room and changed into dark clothing, tight clothing. Almost feeling ridiculous, I couldn't dispel the butterflies in my stomach, but I was excited. Maybe breaking the law had some advantages. This was the first time I'd felt anything except numbness, suffocating pain, or comfort from Corrigan. All of those emotions were jumbled into one mess. I needed a distraction—this was a perfect one.

As for Denton—I'd figure that out later.

When I walked back into the kitchen, Leah was hanging on his arm while Carolina stood back against the wall. She was watching. She was always watching. Her eyes were narrowed. The star struck expression was gone. Her sharp intellect was back, and I knew she was analyzing everything about him like it was data to her mental computer.

"Does your mind ever shut off?"

Carolina jumped and then pounded her chest. "You scared me! Don't do that."

I lifted an eyebrow. "We're about to break into a house and you don't want me to scare you? Have you ever broken into a house? All you're going to feel is nerves. Trust me, every shadow you see will make you crap your pants. Get used to being scared."

Denton whistled in appreciation. "Looking good, Sheldon. Remember about that trouble from before?"

Leah frowned at me. "You've broken into a house before?"

I ignored both of them and whipped out my flashlight. "Let's go."

Leah groaned. Denton leered. Carolina informed me, "You don't need that. I bought flashlights already. Mine are better."

This girl had to be prepared for everything.

I studied her. "Do you prepare for sex? Spontaneous sex can be the best climax."

Carolina smiled sincerely for the first time that night. The sight transformed her face so that even Denton was surprised. His eyes lingered on the girl a second longer than necessary when she replied, "It's not that I have to be prepared. It's that I'm rarely surprised anymore."

Leah pushed off. "Let's go. The girls are waiting for us."

As we followed her out, Denton whispered in my ear, "What trouble are we going to get into tonight?"

I was uncomfortable with how close he followed, but I was more focused on something else, someone else. Grace.

CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

As we crouched in the bushes and crept forward, Denton poked me in the side. "Ow! Don't do that," I hissed at him over my shoulder.

I had enough problems getting all the girls under control around him. I didn't need him to draw more attention. They'd all gone into hyper-swooning alert when Denton had gotten out of the car. After the hundredth picture and thousandth hug, or so it seemed, we'd finally gotten the show on the road.

He grinned and huddled closer to me. "I feel like we're in some show like Buffy the Slayer or whatever that name was. Should I have a pokey stick?"

"We're breaking into a house, not—who?"

"It was on the CW. Don't you watch those shows? Mena loved them."

"Shhh!"

I dug my elbow into his side. "Be quiet. If I'm shushed by one more person, I'm going to take it out on you. I hate being shushed."

"You hate being told anything."

"Same thing."

"Not really, but…" At my glare, he sighed. "I can't believe you never watched those shows. I was offered a part, but I had another project. My agent made me turn it down. It's too bad. It turned out to be a—"

"Why are you talking so much? Shut up!"

He frowned. "Never mind."

The group scurried forward around some bushes and through a few hedges. Two girls went up a tree. Denton followed close behind and whispered again, "Corrigan told me to talk. He said to never shut up, despite what you would say. He said it helps distract you. This is the new you."

I pushed him back. "Corrigan was messing with you. He knew I'd probably punch you."

"What?" Denton stood upright. "That—you guys are not nice. Mena was right. And you think it's funny. You guys are cruel."

I jerked him back down. "Chill. You're acting like a girl. It was a prank, bucko. Take it with a grin and get him back. Corrigan might like you a little more if you did."

A few of the girls shot around the backyard. I knew they'd be entering through the backdoor, if it had been left unlocked. A moment later they came back, and Carolina approached where we were hidden. She slipped around our bush and knelt beside us. "All the doors are locked."