Hunting Tess by Kathryn Summers (best novels to read in english .TXT) 📗

thigh. Music blares through the speakers as a couple of students practicing their dance on stage utilize their time efficiently. Unfortunately, that means the rest of the class, while supposed to be practicing forms, uses time to gossip.

Professor Dache left us at the beginning of class for some kind of emergency with the wardrobe department. If he returns to juniors and seniors standing around, he’ll flip his lid. Especially with the showcase next week. We’re to practice our routines in case we make the cut. I switch legs to loosen my left.

“Hello? Earth to Samantha?” a hand waves in front of my face, breaking me from my reverie. Emily stands with her dancing shoes in one hand, the other now falling limply by her side. “I asked if you had a good extended weekend?”

“Oh, yeah, it was fine.”

“Just fine? Come on! You’re holding out on me. I saw that hunky guy drop you off this morning, and he picks you up all the time. Are you telling me there’s nothing going on?”

I open my mouth to steer her away from the dangerous topic of my feelings, but her face looks so hopeful that I can’t just change the subject. Of course I’m attracted to the guy. Parker is an incredibly good looking individual. Plus, he’s funny, when he wants to be. But he invited me to stay for the sole purpose of my protection. Nothing more. “Sorry to disappoint, but no. Nothing is going on.”

A sickly-sweet scent mingles with Emily’s fresh lilacs and I turn around to see Dmitri with his arm draped across the shoulder of Cece, the red-head determined to make me partnerless. Her cocky grin runs my blood cold and I heighten all my senses, prepared if Dmitri makes a move against me, or, annoyingly, Cece.

“And who is this?” Dmirtri asks, playing with Cece’s hair.

“Don’t worry about her,” she pouts, looking more like a seven-year-old who doesn’t get her way instead of the twenty something year old she is. “Let’s go grab a bite to eat.”

“Tempting proposal,” he replies, now moving the hair away from her neck. His eyes flicker to me, gauging my reaction. “Be careful out there tonight, I hear there are dangerous criminals about.”

Cece giggles gratingly, the high-pitched noise reverberating off the walls. “You’ll keep me safe, right?” she says, nestling closer to Dmitri. Nathan’s pale face hangs over Cece’s shoulder on the other side of the room, his message now making sense. Before Dmitri can follow my line of sight, I look back to the couple standing before me.

“Are you sure you don’t want to stay here and practice?” Dmitri purrs. “I’d sure love to see how you dance.”

“If Dache comes back and notices you’re gone then all of your chances for performing in the final showcase goes with you.” I hope my words are enough to tempt her to stay. Nathan may not have gone to the police after being persuaded about the monsters in the night, but I don’t think Cece will have the same common sense. I would rather not have to decapitate her date in front of her.

The snide look she gives me is nothing less than what I have been graced with all year. “But then dinner after,” she sways, running a finger up his chest. I have to swallow the bile rising in my throat. She seats him close to the front of the stage for the best viewpoint but his eyes never leave mine as he walks away.

“Do you know him?” Emily asks softly as she peeks around me.

“Yes. Stay away from him.”

About to send a text to Leo, I remember Parker’s vehemency in contacting him if anything is wrong. The internal debate doesn’t last too long since I’ve been getting to know Parker more, or I’m simply allowing myself an excuse to message him. Shooting off the text, I grit my teeth for what I’m about to do. Keeping Dmitri in my line of sight at all times, I go up to Cece who stretches prolifically, showing off all her advantages.

“So,” I say in my most gossipy voice. “You two seem cozy. How did you meet?”

“Don’t even try it, Wigg. He’s out of your league.”

I bite my lip and have to force my legs not to walk away. “I’m just saying he looks like a great guy. You probably see each other all the time.”

“As a matter of fact, we do.”

“Right. Right. Does he have a job?”

“What is wrong with you?”

“Cute guy,” another girl from class interjects, looking at Dmitri. “Do you spend all your time together? I would.”

“Just about,” Cece answers proudly.

“He looks strong,” the girl comments. “Does he work out?”

“He works for his family’s business. I guess it’s pretty labor intensive.”

I have to hold back a snort. “Let me guess. He works all day so you only see him at night, right?”

“Is there a point you’re trying to make?”

“Oooh, you should watch out for that,” says the girl. “I dated a guy who would only see me at night because he was with another girl all day.”

Oh thank goodness she said that. Any kind of doubt I planted would immediately be expunged. “Nope, no point. Have a nice life.”

Swiftly checking my phone doesn’t show any response from Parker so I return to my stuff with Emily still there. “Ready to practice?”

Dmitri slips out of the auditorium sometime later, and one frantic check for Cece tells me he left alone. My body buzzes to go after him. After all, vengeance would be sweet. But the rational part of my brain says to wait. If a trap is spring loaded outside, I want as much muscle power as possible to walk into it. Plus, Dmitri now knows I’m still in the area and will blow that whistle as loudly as possible. I can feel myself start to shake but clamp my hands tightly across my arms, pushing down the fear that wants to override my brain. I will not be scared.

By the time class is