Page 69 of Lead Me On
“That’s ridiculous.”
“Because you knew I’d beeasy.”
“No!” he barked. “That is not true. Just calm down and listen to me.”
The door to the office opened behind Chase, and Jessie walked out. “Dude,” he said when he saw Jane. “I thought you left without me.”
“Let’s go,” she ordered past numb lips, gesturing toward the opening elevator doors. Unfortunately, Chase stepped into the elevator, too, and they rode down to the first floor in pulsing silence.
Jane pictured herself as she’d been then, her nearly white hair and the black eyeliner she’d worn like a mask. The short skirts and belly-baring tops. But her appearance had been the least of it. She’d been desperate for male attention, and that desperation hadn’t manifested itself subtly. Hell, she’d sat on Chase’s lap and giggled at the feel of his erection.
What else had he seen her do?
They stepped out of the elevator and were in the parking lot within five footsteps.
“Jane, wait a minute, damn it.”
“I’ve got to get Jessie home,” she muttered.
“Jessie,” Chase snapped, “go wait in the car. I need to talk to your sister.”
Jane set her jaw and watched her treacherous brother saunter away.
“I didn’t know who you were when I met you. I thought you werecute.That’s why I asked you out.”
“When did you know?” She felt as if she’d been violated and she wanted to know the exact moment it had happened. “At Ryders?”
“No, when your grandma called you Dynasty.”
She nodded, crossing her arms together and squeezing tightly. “Right. Of course.”
“I was shocked. I had no idea, even when Mac said he was your stepfather. But it doesn’t matter.”
“Of course it matters. I don’t… No one knows.”
“I know. And it doesn’t matter to me.”
She dug her nails into her elbows. “It matters tome!That girl is supposed to be dead. Gone. I don’t even know what… Did I sleep with you?”
“What do you mean?”
“Did I sleep with you back then?”
“No!”
“Because I might not remember. Some men…some men I don’t even remember.”
“Jane—” his voice dropped to a hoarse whisper “—you were just a kid.”
Cold sweat prickled her brow and her stomach tightened as if it might start rolling at any moment. “You said you were raised in Grand Junction.”
“I was. We moved to this area when I was sixteen.”
“Oh, God,” she groaned. “I’ve got to go. I don’t want to talk about this.”
He said her name one last time, but she was already rushing toward her car, hand shoved into her purse, scrambling to find the keys. Jessie, lounging against the hood, raised a curious eyebrow at her mad scramble to open the door.
“What’s up with that guy?” he asked.
