Page 11 of Lead Me On
“So why did you call? Not that I’m objecting.” When a blush climbed her face at his words, Chase grinned. A blush was good. Very good. The modest Miss Jane did like him, despite her earlier words. There was something about her that made him want to…mess her up a little. He’d never been interested in a woman like her before, but for some reason her coolness fascinated him. And this new nervousness pushed heat through his skin. She’d probably never even been alone with a guy like Chase.
Jane took another sip of her drink and swallowed hard. Her pearl earrings glinted softly, as if warning him of her modesty. “It’s my birthday. On Sunday, I mean.”
“Oh, happy birthday.”
“Thanks. So I just thought, um… Well.”
Chase blinked at the sudden blush in her cheeks. “What? You thought I’d make a goodbirthday present?”
“No!” she cried. “Of course not! That would be… No, I just thought I’d…celebrate.”
But that hot red burn belied her words. He’d been half joking, but now…
Jesus Christ, was he supposed to be the present she gave herself for her birthday? Chase wasn’t sure how he felt about that.
No, wait. He was sure after all. It felt pretty damn fine with him.
Jane finished her drink in one gulp.
“So,” he ventured, suddenly unsure what to say. All he could think about was the fact that Jane really was looking for a good time, and that good time apparently involved him. Still, she couldn’t possibly mean to be so forward. Maybe she thought they’d hang out tonight and go on another date on Sunday.
Chase cleared his throat. “How’s work going?”
“Fine. How’s the business of blowing things up?”
He grinned. “Pretty damn fun. Not that I get to blow things up very often, but when I do, it’s a rush. You wanna see a blast sometime? Maybe next week?”
“Oh.” Her soft mouth made a lovely little O. He noticed how perfect her skin was and wondered what it would feel like if he dragged his fingers across her cheek. Though her eyes had brightened with interest, she shook her head. “I can’t.”
“Think about it. I’ll call you next week.”
He ignored the way she frowned. She might be shy, but she’d called him. Shewasinterested.
“Chase, I don’t want you to take this the wrong way, but…”
“Shit, did I screw up already?”
“No, I just want to be clear about something.” Jane sat up a little straighter, though he wouldn’t have thought that was possible. She always looked stiff. This girl needed some serious relaxing, and he’d be happy to show her how to get down and dirty.
“I’m not, um…” She cleared her throat again. “I just got out of a relationship, so this isn’t… This is casual.”
“Casual.”
“Yes. Temporary.”
Chase wasn’t sure why he felt a little twinge of hurt. After all, he’d asked her out while still riding an adrenaline wave. He hadn’t thought about much more than the challenge of getting her out for a drink, and then a little more. “Okay. Duly noted. I asked you out because I thought we might have fun, that’s all. No pressure.”
She smiled, her eyes flashing happiness. “Good. Have you had dinner?”
“Yes. Have you? I’d be happy to—”
“I’m good,” she blurted.
So she didn’t want dinner or a relationship. Was he losing his mind or did that leave only one possibility? “Let me buy you another drink,” he offered, the only thing he could think of.
“No, but thank you.” Her eyes fell to the table. “One more thing. I wouldn’t normally go out with men with whom I have a working relationship. I mean, I wouldn’t normally do this at all, but…”
“I’m happy you’re making an exception.”
