“Des, be serious.”
His friend wiped a hand over his face. “I’m not supposed to say, but bros before woes, so I’ll tell you. If she finds out you heard it from me—”
“She won’t.”
“My pretty ass is on the line. Let’s just get that clear before I say any more.”
Niko growled.
Desmond threw up his hands. “Okay, okay. Chill.” He opened a bottle of Gatorade and drank like there was no tomorrow. He didn’t speak until he screwed the cap back on. “I understand why you don’t know this because you’re you, but Darla’s been head over heels for you since day one, man.”
“She’s what?” Niko’s eyes widened.
“Basically, she’s been signing your name and hers with hearts from the moment you transferred in. Why do you think no one else has made a move on you?”
“Okay, now I feel cheap.”
“Dude, no joke. If Darla finds out you like Ari, who knows what she’ll do?”
Desmond’s grim expression worried Niko. “She wouldn’t.”
“Do you remember Christy Tanner?”
Niko shook his head.
“Exactly.” Desmond ran a hand through his tight curls. “That girl was bullied out of this school just because she decided to stand up to Darla. Most of Blackwood thinks the pep squad owns the school. But Darla owns the squad. And if you have the squad scared…”
“You have the school scared,” Niko finished for him. He didn’t care about what Darla could do, but he understood that she wouldn’t be taking it out on him. He shrugged. “Not that Arianne likes me back,” he said as ineffectually as he could.
“How do you know?”
Niko thought of the toast and how uncomfortable Arianne had been when he hinted at being more than just friends. “She seemed unaffected by our kiss.”
“Whoa! Hold on a sec.” Desmond held onto Niko’s shoulder and pulled until Niko had to twist around and face him. “Are you telling me you
“Actually, she kissed me.”
“When did this happen?”
“That’s not important—”
“I didn’t think I’d ever say this to you, but dude, you’ve got game.” Desmond beamed like a proud father. “My boy’s growing up.”
Niko’s smirk lasted for about a second. “But I don’t understand. I thought she liked the kiss. She completely shut down on me when I hinted at being more than friends.”
“I take it back. You don’t got game.” Desmond clucked. “Niko, Niko, Niko.” The question mark must have shown on the other boy’s face because Desmond continued, “Ladies need a little romancing before you ask for more from them. You need to ask her out, show her a good time.”
Niko opened his mouth to respond, but Coach’s obnoxious whistle didn’t allow him to. Desmond hopped off the bench and strode to the lockers, announcing his need for a shower and removing his shirt for the benefit of the female population.
Gaze plastered to the floor, Niko entered his bedroom after his soul reaping, still thinking of ways to ask Arianne out. He’d first thought of asking her during chemistry the next day, but the memory of what happened to Tammy’s mother might decrease his chances of getting her to say yes. Her sudden shutdown after their kiss continued to worry him. She’d changed the topic so fast that if they weren’t in the In Between, he would have thought she’d run away.
Niko shed his shirt without noticing the figure stretched out on her side across his bed. He’d unbuttoned his jeans before a soft purring interrupted his distraction. He faced his bed and froze, forgetting about being half- dressed.
Janika licked her lips and grazed her eyes over Niko’s chest and stomach, following the light dusting of hair that began at his navel, leading like a path all the way to Wonderland. “Please, don’t stop on my account,” she said.
Niko regarded her with disdain, but he made no move to fix his current state of undress. “What are you doing here, Janika?”
“I can feel the love already.” She caressed the satin sheets with an open palm. “How are you dealing with being babysat?”
“You too?”
Janika lay on her back, propped up by her elbows. She raised a knee and swiveled it from side to side. “The master gave me Travis,” she moaned. “What a bore. Nothing I do gets under his skin. He’s worse than Tomas.”
Laughter had Niko doubled over.
“It’s not funny!” Janika sat up. “Really, Nikolas! Must you continue to antagonize me?”
Niko laughed so hard, he ended up on the floor. His mirth reached a point where he couldn’t breathe.
“That’s right, suffocate!”
“I—” He gulped in greedily. “I’ve—” A new fit of chuckles rolled over him.
“Well, spit it out!” Janika snapped. Her peroxide ringlets quivered.
Niko breathed in deep, held it for a moment, and then exhaled the rest of his humor. “I never thought I’d get away with what I did so easily. You must have offended the master greatly.”
“I call it favoritism! Leaving you under the care of Tomas. It’s unfair. That old Reaper loves you; everyone knows that.”
“Are you jealous?”
“Yes.” Janika looked away.
Surprise had both of Niko’s eyebrows curving upward. “Really?”
The Reaper of New York stuck her tongue out at him.
“Mature, Janika, very mature.” Niko stood. “What did you do that made the master put you under Travis’s care?”
Janika moved from the bed to the bay window. “I threatened him.”
Goose bumps rose on Niko’s forearms. “With what?”
She stabbed him with a stare. “To kill all the younger Reapers.”
“You wouldn’t.”
“You should see your face right now.” She vanished and reappeared directly in front of him. She ran her hand down his cheek and stopped when she reached his chest. “We could be something. You and I.”
Niko’s muscles prepared for battle.
“I never had anyone challenge me before.” She planted a kiss on his chin. “I find that so sexy.”
“Janika.”
“Hmm?”
“Now I know why the master gave Travis the responsibility of your care.” Niko grabbed her wandering hand before it reached places he didn’t care for her to touch.
“Enlighten me.”
His lips lingered just above hers without them really touching. “You forget…the Reaper of Texas is the most debauched among us. Whatever you can do, he’s done tenfold.” Niko pushed Janika into the figure that materialized behind her.
“I wouldn’t say that,” Travis drawled, taking hold of Janika’s arms with his massive hands. “Now, darlin’, what do we have here? Being naughty, I presume? I like naughty.”
“Screw you!” Janika spat, trying and failing to free herself.
“Sorry for the intrusion, Nikolas.” Travis tipped his head at the Reaper of Georgia.
“You came just in time.” Niko returned the gesture. Then he tipped Janika’s chin up with his index finger so he could meet her belligerent glare with a menacing one of his own. “It was nice seeing you again, Janika.”
