Thankfully she seemed happy to spend time at his place. The beach and his house had become their havens... unless of course there were people at the beach and then she spent most of her time looking over her shoulder.

He rolled his eyes. It wasn't okay. He was over it.

She kissed his cheek and was about to apologize. He stopped her with a finger to the lips. Hearing those two little words again wasn't going to change anything. He cleared his throat and looked out to the ocean.

"Still want to go hiking tomorrow?"

"Definitely. I've told my mom I'm meeting Courtney for shopping at ten, so we'll have to swing by a mall on the way home to quickly grab some stuff... make it look legit."

He suppressed his eye roll and distracted himself with his next move instead. Since he had her here, he may as well take advantage of the situation.

Her sweet smile grew a mile wide as he leaned towards her. He could have kept the kiss going until nightfall and sensed she felt the same. Using every ounce of self-control, he backed away. They were both a fiery, blushing mess.

"See you tomorrow."

"Bye."

She had parked her Ducati at the other end of the lot, hoping no one would connect their two vehicles. He watched her stride towards it. Her steps looked light and happy, making him smile.

"Well, ain't that just adorable."

Harrison cringed. He didn't have to turn around to recognize the condescending tone. Before he took another breath, a hand clamped onto the back of his shirt and whipped him around. His back slammed into the car door, making him wince. He spotted Jordan's two goons smirking behind him. His heart sagged as he realized his chances of successfully running were zilch.

"What do you want, Jordan?"

"I want you to stay away from my girl."

Harrison couldn't stop the grin. "Your girl? I thought she hated you."

"You thought wrong!" Jordan grabbed the front of his shirt and slammed him into the car again. "You little weed, going after my sister then ditching her for a girl you got no right to. That freak belongs to me."

A black anger flashed in front of Harrison. He pushed the bulking senior away from him and enjoyed watching him stumble backwards.

"Gemma doesn't belong to anybody. She can choose who she wants and she chose me. So stay away from my girl."

Harrison straightened his shirt and was digging his keys from his pocket when Jordan came towards him with a ferocious roar. He tried to block the blow like Gemma had taught him, but mistimed it and got a fist in the face. Pain pulsed from one cheek to the other as he was pounded a second time and knocked to the ground.

Jordan's foot swung towards him. He caught it with his hands and pushed it away. Jordan snorted like a rhino and charged him again, but his body was flung out of view before it connected. He glanced up to see Gemma standing over him. Her face was steel, her muscles bunched for battle.

Jordan stood up, rubbing his throat after the clothesline move she'd inflicted. His lips curled with rage.

"I don't want to fight you." She raised her hands. "Please just walk away, Jordan."

"Like that's ever gonna happen."

His fists bunched into canon b.a.l.l.s as he stepped towards her. She blocked his first punch with ease and pushed him back. Harrison went to get up, but she ordered him down. Jordan was indicating to his buddies that three on one would be a fair fight.

"I mean it you guys. Walk away while you still have the chance."

She may as well have waved a red cape in front of them. Jordan snorted and balled his fists again.

Unperturbed by the bulls, Gemma crouched into a fighting stance and took them on together. It was like watching a well-ch.o.r.eographed dance. Her kicks were elegant, her powerful punches impressive. She looked like she wasn't even breaking a sweat as she downed one guy with a kick to the crotch before stretching back her leg and dispatching the other with a boot to the gut. She finished off Jordan with a punch to the face that had him whirling to the asphalt. Rolling over with a groan, Jordan dabbed at his nose, his eyes popping wide with surprise as he noted the blood on his fingertips.

Straightening her shoulders and flexing her neck, Gemma stood over his slumped form.

"You done?" She quirked her left eyebrow and let a small smile flit across her face. He stood on shaking limbs and chased after his buddies, mumbling empty threats as he went.

She watched them leave. Her posture seemed relaxed, but Harrison noted the slightly shaking hand that ran over her head and down her ponytail.

He slowly stood up. His face was throbbing and he felt useless. The role reversal in this relationship was going to take some getting used to. Sure it was s.e.xy that his girlfriend just kicked b.u.t.t, but wasn't that his job?

Gemma gently held his chin, turning his face to examine the damage.

"I don't think you'll avoid a black eye." She looked guilty. "Sorry I didn't get here sooner. I didn't see Jordan until I was already at my bike."

"Don't worry about it." He brushed a tendril of hair behind her ears. "You were... outstanding."

"And you forgot everything I taught you."

"Where was I supposed to run?"

She grinned. "I mean about the fighting."

"Oh." He frowned. "I guess I need more practice."

"That can be arranged." Her wink made him smile, but it soon faded.

"I think our cover's blown."

"Yeah." Gemma sighed, running a hand down her ponytail. "I guess that's not all bad."

"Really? I thought you'd be freaking out."

"I'm a little worried. But as long as my parents don't find out, we're safe. And..." She shrugged. "At least it means I can do this..." She stepped towards him and laced her fingers behind his neck. "And this..." She pressed her lips against his, stealing his breath and knocking his senses to Jupiter and back. "Whenever I want." She finally finished with a grin so big it made him laugh.

"Good to know." He held her face in his hands and kissed her softly. He knew she was putting on a brave front for him. "It'll be okay, Gem. A little gossip's not going to stop this. Nothing can."

He kissed her again. She returned it, but he could feel her hesitation. Somehow he knew she wasn't thinking about school anymore.

The rumors started as a low murmur. Come Monday morning it was well spread that Harrison was dating the freak. He found it totally ironic that there was no mention of his b.u.mping into Jordan. As far as the story went, Jordan had broken his nose playing football on the beach with his buddies, where as Harrison had scored his black eye when he tripped over while running and landed on a rock. That was actually the story he'd used on his mother so he wasn't worried about that one circulating.

He kept his lips closed about Jordan and held his head high, taking each jibe with a wink and a smile. If they knew Gemma even a quarter as well as he did they would turn five shades of green.

Clutching the strap of his bag, Harrison quietly sauntered through the library, weaving his way to the back corner.

A smile curled his lips when he spotted Gemma, knees up to her chin, engrossed in a novel. Her nose was twitching and she kept tipping her head to the side, a sure sign she wasn't taking in a word on the page.

"Hey." He snuggled in beside her, stretching his arm around her shoulders. Feeling completely safe in this secluded environment, she shuffled into his embrace.

"I thought you were lunching in the cafeteria today."

"I am. I just came to get you."

She shot away from him as if she'd been stung. "What?"

"I want you to meet my friends."

"No! Forget it." She shuffled so far out of his reach that she fell off the pillows and landed on the floor.

He chuckled softly and reached for her hand. Hauling her back up beside him, he held her tense body tight.

"Just because everyone now knows doesn't mean we have to flaunt it," said Gemma.

"Who said anything about flaunting. I just don't want to spend every lunchtime in the library."

"You don't have to," she mumbled into his shoulder. "You can eat with your friends and I'll eat here."

"I want you to have lunch with me in the cafeteria." He repeated the words slowly.

"I don't think your friends like me very much."

"That's because they don't know you." He squeezed her shoulders. "It's important we start getting to know each other's friends. We don't want to become this reclusive couple that everybody hates."

She leaned back to look at him. "In case you haven't noticed, I don't have any friends."

"A problem I am trying to remedy."

He stood to his feet and dragged her north.

"I can't do this."

"Yes, you can." He squeezed her hand. "I won't leave your side. It'll be fine."

He pulled her out of the library. Her steps got heavier as they inched towards those dreaded double doors. He could feel her palms grow sweaty and he swore if she didn't stop chewing on her lip it would start bleeding.

Stopping outside the door, he held her face in his hands. "Now breathe and relax. This won't hurt a bit."

He pushed the door open with his b.u.t.t and pulled her inside. He wasn't sure what she had been expecting. Maybe a quiet hush and all eyes drilling into her, but it didn't happen. The noisy buzz of the cafeteria didn't falter. Sure, as people spotted them the buzz grew faster and louder, but only until he'd collected a tray of food and sat down next to Darren.

Gemma had refused a tray. It took a firm tug on her hand to get her to sit next to him, but sit she did. He placed an apple in front of her. She picked it up and nibbled at the skin.

"So." Harrison smiled at his buddies. "This is Gemma." He nodded towards her. She tried on a smile, but it came out as a weird grimace instead. He bit back his grin.

"Hey." Courtney beamed.

In contrast Dana and Chelsea looked as if they'd just shared a gla.s.s of a.r.s.enic.

"Excuse me. I have to go." Dana stood from the table and strutted away with Chelsea two steps behind.

Courtney rolled her eyes and Darren fidgeted with his fork, looking awkward. Between Gemma's apple nibbling and the sidelong glances from everyone at the table, it was a painful two minutes. Harrison was scrambling for easy conversation when he was rescued by the hulking form of Dominic Hart.

"Hey little sis."

Her lips jumped into a quick smile before she reverted to her eyes on the table, Hunchback of Notredam impersonation.

Dom grinned and leaned over the table. "You look so scared you might puke. Need a bucket?" he whispered.

Her look was as dry as the salt flats, but her lips did twitch.

"Dominic, move your big behind so I can sit down please." Ruby's pet.i.te hand shoved his shoulder to the side. She squeezed in beside him and a junior who was scared off after a pointed eyebrow raise. "That's better." She gave Harrison a broad grin.

He felt Gemma jerk beside him.

"Ow." She rubbed her shin and shot her sister a black look.

"Well, are you going to introduce me to your friends?"

Gemma cleared her throat and shuffled in her seat as she made the quick intros.

It was easy to see the presence of these two popular seniors had everyone a little in awe. Courtney giggled as Dom commented on the grossness of his chicken sub, yet ate it anyway. Darren sat goo-goo eyed as he watched Ruby pick at her salad. Gemma kept nibbling her food, but Harrison could sense she felt a whiff more confident with her siblings beside her.

The twins rambled on in easy conversation, trying to draw Gemma out of her sh.e.l.l. She said a few small words, but remained pretty quiet as he engaged in an animated discussion about Jackie Chan movies with Dom.

Harrison put his hand under the table and squeezed Gemma's knee. Her tight-lipped smile was starting to relax. He kept his hand in place, hoping to ease the rest of the tension from her body.

"Oh, there's Felicity." Dom straightened his shoulders.

"Going to make your move, Mr. Stallion?" Ruby smirked.

"No, I'm just going to ease my way in. A nice casual h.e.l.lo. I'll be subtle."

"Oh please, you're about as subtle as a fireworks display."

Gemma chuckled. It was a sweet sound that floated across the table and everyone who didn't know her suddenly paused to watch. Harrison saw Darren and Courtney both look at each other and grin. So the freak knew how to smile.

As Dom left the table, with Ruby following in his wake seconds later, Courtney shuffled down so she was sitting opposite Gemma. Darren slid his tray along and started mumbling about the latest action movie to hit the screen. Before Gemma knew what she was doing, she entered into the conversation and by the end of the lunch the four of them had agreed to see it on Friday night.

Harrison leaned back in his seat with a triumphant grin as Gemma munched her apple to the core. Leaning forward, he wrapped his arm around her waist and whispered, "Hey, you're still alive. Well done."

She pinched his hand with a grin.

"Think you can do this again sometime?"

She nodded then looked at him. Her eyes shone with grat.i.tude. She blinked a couple of times then grabbed her lip with her teeth. Squeezing her middle, he pecked her cheek and stood as the bell rang. She let him hold her hand all the way to cla.s.s.