My Lucky Charm (8 page)

Brandon

I’m waiting for Leah in the school parking lot. I wanted to be sure she’d see me again, so I tried to act like I’m not worried about our friends, but I can’t lie. I’m a little worried about how we could be together with our worlds being so different at school.

I don’
t care what people think about me dating her. What concerns me is how we could include our friends in some of the time we spend together, so we don’t have to see each other less. Also, I have a feeling someone will try to sabotage us.

Although
I knew I liked her before we spent time together, I guess there was still a part of me who figured it wouldn’t go anywhere. But after last night, there is no way I’m letting her go. No. Way.

She pulls in, and I see
she’s back to being my Lucky Charm. She gets out of the car and gives me a smile, her pastel hair making her adorable. How does she switch it up that fast?

I jump out of the j
eep with the intention of opening the door for her, but I’m too late. I’ve been staring too long.

“I’ve got it,” she says before I’m complete
ly out of the driver’s side.

“Sorry. I was checking out your hair. I really like it that way.”

“Thanks.”

I have to touch her t
his instant, so I lean over and kiss her cheek. She turns to me and smiles.

“So, what are we doing today?”

“Where’s your jacket?” I ask.

“I don’t need one, remember?” Sh
e gives me an alluring look.
Oh hell yes
. I’m going to get to hold her and kiss her. It’s like Christmas in September. 

“Have you been to any tourist attractions since you moved here?”

“No. I haven’t gotten out much.”

“Then it’s a surprise.”

She gives me a bashful smile and takes hold of my hand. I have the feeling that once I get to know Leah, she won’t be bashful with me at all, especially after that kiss she instigated last night. The kiss that kept me up all night long.

Leah

I’m holding Brandon’s hand, doing everything in my power not to have mine become sweaty. I think about the trees lining the road, the impending bomb I’ll soon drop on him, and the evil man who’s created this nightmare for me.

“You get into deep thought often, don’t you?” he asks.

I turn back to him. “Um, yeah. I guess so.”

“Besides your love for music, cheese fries, chocolate shakes and footsi
e, I don’t know much about you. Anything you want to share?”

Sweet J
esus
. He’s giving me a boyish smile that makes me think about his juicy lips, which in turn makes my belly flip-flop and causes my hand to sweat. I’m screwed today.

“I like t
o make jewelry. I even made this bracelet.” I let go of his hand and raise my wrist to show him the jade encircling it. I then take the opportunity to rest my palm on my thigh to rub the sweat off, disguising my action by fidgeting with the bracelet.

“That’s
cool.”

“I can play the piano
, too.”

“Do you plan to go to college?” he asks.

“Um, eventually. I’ve dreamed of traveling across Europe first. That would be ideal.”

“Seriously? Like alone?”

“Yep.”

“If it were
possible, you’d go to Europe all by yourself?” He asks this again as if it’s mind boggling, and I haven’t an inkling as to why. I also get the impression he doesn’t think it’s possible, meaning he doesn’t think I can afford it.

“Of course. I want to see the Louvre and the Eiffel Tower
, eat pasta in Italy and explore the countryside. I want to see Buckingham Palace and go to Ireland. Then there are the mountains in Switzerland. The list is endless, really.”

“
I think that would be awesome, too. It seems so out of reach in my immediate future, and I can’t believe you would have the courage to do that alone.”

What I can’t tell him is
I’ve been to France and Italy four times. My mom wanted to shop, and Maxwell was too busy working. I was always promised a tour of the cities, but it never happened.

A nanny took me to the Eiffel Tower once, but we didn’t stay lon
g, and I was too young to truly appreciate it. The next time will be different. I’ll stay as long as I want, wherever I want, and I’ll appreciate every second of it.

“Come back to me, Leah.”

“Huh?” I glance over and see him smiling.

“Oh, um,
I speak French, Italian and Spanish, and there are few other languages I could speak well enough to get by, so I’m not worried about going it alone. I mean, it’d be nice to have someone with me who could appreciate it as much as I would.”

“That’s incredible. You’re really smart.”

I stare out the passenger window. I don’t like to talk about the good qualities I have. In the past, my friends would only work to outdo me or cut me down.

“Oh my goodness. Where are we? I thought it was beautiful w
here we live, but it’s breathtaking here.”

“
We’re starting our way up Flagstaff Mountain. Wait until you see the view from up there. I don’t know how it compares to Switzerland, but I think it’s awesome.” Brandon takes my hand again and gives it a squeeze.

I’d noticed that we
went west, taking about a fifteen minute drive. We take Baseline Road and start our way up in the jeep. It’s very winding and narrow, and I imagine it wouldn’t appeal to those afraid of heights. I can’t get over how many bikers are going up the steep, hairpin turns.

We park at the top, and Brandon
takes a jacket out of the back. I understand now why I needed one. It’s about sixty degrees with a breeze. He chuckles every time I “ewe and awe” over the view and seems pleased that I’m enjoying myself. I imagine I’d be happy anywhere with him.

There are plen
ty of sand and rust colored boulders for us to stand and peer out from. We’re surrounded by almost every color of nature. Really, the only thing missing are some of the vivid colors of spring and summer blooms, but it’d be wrong to even ask for a more enthralling view, especially in late September.

“Put this on,” Brandon says as h
e holds out his black, Columbia windbreaker jacket. I debate on giving a witty comeback about him warming me up as I slip my arms into it, but I don’t want to rush things. At least, I think I don’t.

My attraction to him is so strong that all I can think about is him kissing and touching me. He turns me around toward him and grips both sides near my chest, bring
ing them together.

“Don’t worry. I still plan on keeping you warm,” he says, smirking.
“Come on, I’ll show you what we’re looking at from up here.” He takes my hand and helps me up onto a large boulder with a wide, flat surface that’s safe for both of us to stand on comfortably.

He gets behind me and wraps his arms around my waist. Resting his mouth near my ear, h
e points, showing me the direction of the Rockies, Denver, and the view of Boulder to the east.

I’m desperately trying to focus on his words, but the feel of
his scorching breath in my ear and his arms against my fluttering stomach have me trembling.

“Are you still co
ld?” he asks, seeming worried.

“No. You um … you make me nervous.” His breath is heavy in my ear again.

“You smell really good,” he says as lips find my cheek and work down to my neck. He’s so not making me less nervous here. Chills run down my spine, causing me to shudder. I feel the goose bumps about the time he chuckles against my neck.

“I think you’re enjoying t
his a little too much.” I turn my body inside his arms to face him. I’d guess him to be six foot three to six foot four, so his powerful build towers over my five foot six, thin frame.

Sparkling green eyes
stare down at me, and I’m urgent for air. “Thank you for bringing me here. It’s magnificent.”

“You’re welcome, Lucky Charm
.”

“What did you call me?” I ask quizzically. “I really can’t wait to hear this.”
I give him a smirk, unsure yet if I’m going to find what he says funny or irritating.

“Your hair remind
s me of Lucky Charms. You know, the cereal?”

“Yes, I know of the cere
al. I like it. Are you teasing me?”

“No. I love your hair. It’s what came to mind the first t
ime I saw you at school. Also, it was confirmed when you started tutoring me. I mean, you might really be my lucky charm if I get to stay on the football team because of your discovery.”

“OK, I like your reasons, so you can call me that
.” His hot breath is sizzling on my skin, and his piercing stare is going from my eyes to my lips, back and forth, making me crazy. Kiss me already.

He
grants my wish, his lips touching mine, the softness stirring up the desire inside. His tongue pushes its way in without a fight, and I whimper when he pulls me even tighter against his broad chest.

This kiss is hot
, and neither of us care that we’re guilty of major PDA. My hands fist his sweatshirt with an urgency to bring him even closer as my arms stay pinned between our chests.

“Ewww, gross, Mommy. That boy and girl are kissing,” a young voice says. Brandon swiftly releases my lips, and we look in the direction of the voice. It’s a little boy about the age of five. He’s furrowing his little brow and pointing at us.

I see that Brandon is blushing, so I’m sure I am, too. He pulls my head to his chest, his hand holding the back of it. His chest rumbles against mine as he begins laughing.

The boy’s mother g
rabs his hand and appears embarrassed before she pulls him in the opposite direction. When I lift my head back up, hottie is boring me with his intense gaze.

“Leah, I hope you’re not going to try to stay away from me since I won’t
be able to stay away from you. It would make my goal more difficult to obtain, but I don’t believe impossible.”

I gaze back at him, the sp
ace between us heated with want as my name off his lips makes my heart pound. It makes me want to be “Leah.”

“Can I ask what your goal is exactly?
”

“My goal is to get you all to myself. I don’t want you seeing anyone else.”

“There isn’t anyone else I’m interested in.”

“Not even Jarred Bowling?”

“No. Oh, I guess I can see why you’d wonder that. I think he’s interested but I’m not. I don’t want to stay away from you, either. I don’t know how we’ll make this work around our friends, but right now, I couldn’t fight it if I tried. Does this mean you’re asking me to be your girlfriend?”

“I am, so
please say yes.” He dunks his head and gently plants his lips to mine one time.

“Yes.”

He gives me a mighty grin that’s oozing satisfaction. Men and their quests to conquer. I believe he really wants this, but I also know with him being a dude, he wants to pound on his chest and scream, “Take that, Jarred Bowling.”

“
If you’d like, we can come back sometime and hike to get an even better view and see some wildlife, or we could come and watch the sunset and see the city lights.”

“I’
d really like to do both of those. So, do you bring all the girls you date here?” I poke him in the chest and smile at him playfully.

“I’ve only ever been here with my family. None of the girls I’ve d
ated would’ve appreciated this, but I had a feeling you would. You’re different, Lucky Charm. There doesn’t appear to be anything superficial about you.”

Humor i
s dancing in his eyes once again, a smile hiding behind those juicy lips. I have it bad for Brandon Jennings.

Brandon

I feel as if I’ve won the state championship having Leah already say she’ll be my girlfriend. There
haven’t been enough opportunities today to touch her and taste her sweet mouth, so I can’t part ways with her yet.

“Would you like to go to my house? I mean, would your
mom care if you came over?”

“I can go,
but will your parents mind?”

“No. Not at all. Mine are probably out, anyways. Saturdays are the one night they usually spend together. You’ll have to meet my obnoxious brother. Just ignore him. He’ll go to great lengths to embarrass me.”

“This should be fun,” she says before reaching over to squeeze my leg. She can’t get me excited before we get to my house. I plan on taking her to my room, so I have to behave to the best of my ability, and in the past, that has not been a high achievement.

I watch Leah soak
in her surroundings as we enter my neighborhood. It’s one of the nicer parts of Boulder. I pull into the driveway, and when I park and look over, she’s eyeing the house while biting down hard on one of her fingernails. Her forehead is scrunched up, and I see the wheels are turning again in her head.

“You have a really nice place.”

“Thanks, but I sure can’t take credit for that.”

“True. I mean, kids can’t help what their financial status is. That’s on
their parents, right? So, kids shouldn’t hold it against each other, but many do, you know?” She’s speaking hurriedly.

“Are you worried about me seeing your home
?”

“Um, yep. That’s it exactly.” She
’s nodding her head and still chewing on her nail as she looks around my property. I pick up her hand and put it between mine.

“I wouldn’t judge you based on where you live or
how much money your family makes. You’re right. That has nothing to do with you, and it doesn’t define you.”

A huge breath escapes her with a sigh. She finally looks my way, a sweet smile appearing as her teeth stop assaulting her innocent thumbnail.

“You’re a great guy. I feel bad for the assumptions I made before we got to really talk. I’ve never met a handsome jock who was as kind as you.”

“You think I’m handsome
?”

She
rolls her eyes. “That’s what you got out of that? Well, I can’t say I make it a habit of kissing ugly guys.”

I love everything that comes out of that mouth of hers, and I can’
t wait to get her inside to taste it again.