She watched him glide effortlessly through the packed hall and saw the way that girls stared at him as he passed. He truly was handsome; his white T-shirt showed off tight biceps, and the brown leather strap on his wrist looked good against his dark tan. A small sigh escaped her lips and she wondered how she’d been so lucky to befriend him. The tingling that she felt each time he touched her was weird, though. Awesome, but weird.
After a while he returned and placed an apple and juice in front of her.
“Thank you.” She smiled.
“You’re welcome.” The plastic chair moved slightly as he sat and peeled cellophane from a huge muffin. He wolfed it down in seconds.
Aspen swallowed a mouthful of her lunch and nearly choked as Justin walked toward them, Miriam in tow behind him. He had blond hair that was fashionably tousled, and his clothes were expensive. Many of the girls at school found him attractive, but Aspen didn’t. His eyes were too deeply set and his nose too thin for her liking.
Once he’d stopped at their table, Justin ignored her completely, focusing his attention on Dylan. “So you’re the new guy.”
Dylan nodded without getting up from his seat. He crumpled the muffin’s wrapper into a ball and let it roll onto the table.
Justin had his usual posse with him. Amber, Miriam’s best friend, sucked in her stomach and batted her eyelashes at Dylan, which made Aspen roll her eyes. Doug and Kyle, two of Justin’s best friends and fellow football players, stood like bodyguards at his side.
Justin raised his knee and placed his foot on the chair next to Aspen. He bent down and leaned his elbow on his knee, speaking directly to Dylan. “Miriam says you want to hang out with us. Do you play ball?”
Dylan swung his gaze to her stepsister, and Aspen noticed that her cheeks reddened. “I’m trying out for the new season, if that’s what you’re asking,” he answered evenly.
“What position?” Justin asked casually.
“Center.”
Justin smirked. “Perfect. I’ll send the girls to get you next break.” Standing up, he headed for the exit with his entourage following him.
Aspen’s face must have shown her disappointment, because Dylan reached over to touch her arm. She shuddered silently. Heat tingled down her spine and wrapped around her muscles as he traced a pattern on her skin.
“Don’t worry about them,” he whispered softly in her ear. “I’m with you now.”
By the time Aspen got home and climbed into bed later that night, she was exhausted. Thoughts of Dylan consumed her, and she tossed and turned for a long while before finally falling into a restless sleep.
Chapter 3
Entering Lanta
A cool breeze touched Aspen’s cheek. When she opened her eyes, the first thing she noted was that the sky was violet. The location was different, but she knew that she was dreaming again. With a jolt, someone jerked her backward and pulled her against a stone wall.
“Are you stupid?” a low voice hissed close to her ear.
She whirled around in surprise. Dylan stood behind her, his eyebrows raised and his forehead wrinkled in disbelief. Glaring at her, he reached out and drew her body closer.
Too stunned to protest, she stared at him mutely.
“Come with me now!” he demanded, and dragged her toward a nearby open barn door.
An electric current simmered in her veins at his touch. That was just the trigger she needed and she pulled back, nearly dragging her feet on the ground. “Hey, wait just one minute.”
“Save it,” he hissed. “We’ve got no time, they’re almost here. We have to hide.”
She stumbled after Dylan as he pulled her into a small barn and aimed them toward a pile of hay stacked up to the roof. Wooden crates of all sizes were scattered around the floor.
“Get in now!” he ordered.
“Where, why?” Aspen tried to speak but he shoved her underneath the hay without waiting for her consent. Dried grass tickled her nose and scratched her skin. He shushed her as she tried to speak again, and his grip tightened on her arm.
Confusion caused panic to rise in her chest. Her lungs burned from the short burst of energy while her body tingled euphorically from his touch. The light under the prickly hay was enough for her to see into the darkened barn, and she used the opportunity to study Dylan’s face as he sat next to her. Breathing rapidly, he peered through the hay into the large room.
The clean, soapy fragrance that she’d smelled before filled her senses, and she wondered why she could smell so clearly while dreaming.
She glanced down at her clothing and grimaced as she touched the heavy linen skirt draped around her legs. So uncool.
Nothing happened. While it was nice to sit next to him, she couldn’t hear a thing and the minutes ticked by. Even though he’d released his grip on her, she was hot and uncomfortable from the hay that jabbed her. About to stand up and argue with him, she stilled when a noise drew her attention to the open door.