“Colorado.”
“Ah! Welcome to Hellburn Falls.”
“Ms. Pennington is going to be in a lot of your advanced classes, Jayson. She’s smart and has goals in life. She also takes classes at the local community college since she’s met all but three of her credits for graduation.”
“Thanks. I’ll make sure to show her around then.” Jayson smiled over at Lana.
Jayson didn’t pay attention when the principal left. He was too busy checking out Lana and getting a feel for her.
“So, your dad is helping start the new plant that’s going up over in Swannanoa?”
“Yeah.”
“Not much of a talker, are you?” Jayson asked, studying Lana.
“Not really. I’m mainly a loner and I don’t need your girlfriend attempting to kick my ass.”
Jayson couldn’t help the laughter that burst out of him at her statement. “What makes you think I have a girlfriend?”
“You’re hot, which you already know. You’re built since you’re a football player. You’re the captain of the high school team, so you’re either fucking the head cheerleader which would be your girlfriend, or you’re a dog who fucks anything coming or going if not both. It’s the old cliché of high school.”
Fuck, this chick was a riot. Jayson couldn’t help but chuckle at her assumption and shook his head.
“Sorry to disappoint. I’m single, no girlfriend. Was dating the head cheerleader until three months ago when I caught her fucking a teammate after she led him to believe we had broken up. It was inevitable, anyway since she has no ambitions after high school other than riding on her family’s name and money through life. She wanted me to work for said daddy and stay here,” Jayson found himself saying.
“Ah, and you don’t want to do all that? What do you want to do after high school?”
Jayson looked into Lana’s eyes. She had beautiful fucking eyes that sparkled when she was listening to someone speak.
“I want to join the Army and see the world. My goal is to go Special Forces. I want to be an explosives expert. Make things go boom.”
“You want to join the Army, too?”
“Too?” Jayson couldn’t help the shock that sounded in his voice at her question.
“Yeah, I’m joining when I graduate. Although, I won’t be making things go boom. I want to go intelligence.”
CHAPTER
TWO
Lana couldn’t help the hitch in her heart when she heard the cute guy mention he was going into the Army to go Special Forces. It was actually a huge issue between her and her father.
She wanted to join the Army, like her mother had, and see the world. Her father wanted her to find a nice boy to settle down with. To just be content with being a housewife and pop out a bunch of screaming crotch-goblins.
She understood her father’s reasons for not wanting her to join the Army. Her mother had been killed six years ago in Afghanistan, and it nearly broke him.
Her mom had been an intelligence officer for the Army, working with the Special Forces teams. Her father had also been in the Army, a Ranger, which was how her parents had met and fell madly in love.
“Maybe, if we’re lucky to achieve our dreams, we’ll get to work together.”
Lana couldn’t help the smile when the hot guy smirked at her. Well, shit. Her first day and she was already salivating over the high school football captain.
When the teacher came in and started talking, Lana turned her focus on to class. It was hard as hell with the hot guy sitting next to her.
“Want to be lab partners? I promise I won’t blow up too many experiments in class.”
Lana looked over at Jayson and quirked an eyebrow at him. She could see he was teasing her with his statement but couldn’t help the shaking of her head at his statement.
