Light the Fire (Jackson's Hollow #1)

Chapter 18

There was also the fact that every time he touched her it sent a current of electricity through her that made her want to practically jump his bones, but she wasn't going to think about that.

"Good, it's settled then. I'll bring pizza and come by tonight."

Jo blinked at him, not aware they'd been making plans for tonight. No, she was definitely sure they hadn't made plans for any specific day. "Um, what if I had plans for tonight?" Ryker raised an eyebrow at her and Jo found herself getting defensive. "Just because I'm new around here doesn't mean I don't have plans!" Heck, hadn't she just been making some with Ryker?

"Do you?" Ryker asked, a small smirk playing around his lips.

Something about that smirk set her off, and she came out with a much more mischievous retort than what she might've normally said. "Oh yeah, I've got a smoking hot date tonight with the love of my life."

Ryker was silent for a moment, apparently stunned. That was right mister, assumptions make an ass out of...well, just him. Jo watched as his hands seemed to tighten on the steering wheel, knuckles turning white, and Jo glanced out the windshield, confused--traffic didn't seem that bad.

"What?" he asked.

Jo rolled her eyes. "Pizza," Catching sight of Ryker's confused expression, Jo couldn't help but laugh. "The love of my life. You stumbled upon it. I can't say no to a good Hawaiian pizza."

Ryker's face relaxed in amusement, although his voice still sounded a bit irritated when he spoke. "Pineapples, really?"

Oh come on, what was with half the world's hatred of pineapples on pizza?

"Yep, half of that pizza better have them or we can no longer be friends."

"We're friends, huh?" Ryker grinned.

No need to make a big deal of it. Jo smirked, though internally it was giving her the warm fuzzies that Ryker seemed to be pleased with the idea. "Well," she said, with an exaggerated sigh. "It's be pretty crappy of me to deny you the title after you carried me up a mountain, drive me to school on a daily basis, and offer to paint my house for me." She turned in her seat and beamed up at him. "Plus offer to escort the love of my life to my house for me," she teased.

"So you can devour him. What kind of woman have I befriended?" Ryker responded, chuckling.

"You're right," Jo said, leaning back in the seat. "You better be scared of me."

"I'm so scared," Ryker said dryly, not even twitching when Jo lightly thwacked his arm in response to his clearly not afraid tone. Ironically, he really should be scared, but she wasn't going to ruin her morning by thinking about that right now. Their bantering continued to the school parking lot, and Jo found herself getting out of the truck with a smile on the face. It was possible...no, she had to admit...she was going to miss these morning pick-ups.

Ryker came around the front of the truck and leaned against it, looking at her. "You get to hang out with me most of today," he said, smiling at her. Jo tilted her head, frowning in confusion. She knew she had music appreciation with him this morning, as they'd discovered when they compared schedules, but that was all she thought.

It was going to be highly amusing to see what he did in that class though, because he'd complained about having to take it for their arts requirement multiple times already.

"I'm assisting with your wildlife class today too," he said in response to her confused look, taking Jo's coffee from her so that she could get her bookbag on.

"Really? Even though you're a student here?" She took her coffee back from him, a thrill running down her back as her fingers accidentally grazed his. Jo stilled, staring up at him.