Page 107 of Tainted Romance

“Yeah, Zane. We have a deal.”

A deal that will seal your fate so I smiled at him because that boy had no idea what he was in for.

Chapter Forty-five

"Are you even listening to what I am saying?" My words were soft and inviting, hidden with a happy note, but I was playing this game like a professional.

Zane hadn't managed to take his eyes off me since I walked into the room. Literally, his eyes ran down my body twice as I had walked towards him. That would be down to what I was wearing.

"Um, yeah. Listening. All ears." He played with his pen and glanced at the blank piece of paper in front of him. "Just not big on notes that's all."

"Right," I dragged the word out. "Or I'm terrible at teaching."

"Nah, it's not you, sweetheart, it's all me."

Sweetheart. How could that one word be like a hot needle through my heart?

"Well, I think that's enough for our first session anyway. I don't know about you, but I'm over studying, and it's a Friday night. Sure you have a hot date lined up or a party or something." Words were just tumbling out my mouth, and they weren't stopping. It wasn't part of the plan for me to get tongue-tied.

"You mean more like you do." His eyebrows arched with curiosity.

"If a rerun episode ofMcleod's Daughtersand popcorn counts as a hot date then, yep, I totally have one." I closed the textbooks.

The school library would be closing around now anyway.

"Well then, considering I've ruined most of your Friday night already, you wouldn't care if I made it up to you?"

"Oh, really and how will you make it up to me?"

"I've got the game at six but after that what do you say to a late-night tea if your mom doesn't mind of course."

I stared at him.

Blankly.

Zane Harris just asked me out on a date, I think. I had forgotten he played on the school football team. I had also forgotten that tonight was meant to be some sort of big game. I remembered walking past a few posters.

"Um, you won't have time after your big win."

"So, I have a supporter on my hands."

I smiled, and to my utter disgust, it was a real smile. "Maybe."

"Come on, come to the game?"

"I'm not really into football, anyways, you'll have cheerleaders there for you."

"Yeah, but they don't have your looks. Come on, I'm begging."

How could I let his smile still melt my layers of hate away?

"You'll be too busy with the game to notice who is in the stands so I could just say yes and not go, and you would never know."

He leaned in closer to me, "Trust me, I would notice."

I swallowed sharply. "I'll think about it."

His hand came down on mine, and my eyes ran up his perfectly tattooed arm, until I met his eyes.

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