Page 34 of Lead Me On
How utterly idiotic.
Her eyes burned with sudden tears, but Jane simply closed them and chewed. Every bite left her feeling a little stronger, a little more clearheaded. She couldn’t trust the police or the D.A. to treat her brother fairly. But there had to be a better way than this. There had to be.
“Hey, are you okay?” Chase asked.
“I…” She opened her eyes, praying that no tears had escaped her control. They hadn’t. “I think I am, actually. Thanks.”
“So you don’t want me to escort you around the bar in hopes we can overhear a criminal confession?”
Jane narrowed her eyes. “Are you making fun of me?”
“Only because you have hamburger grease on your nose.”
“Oh. Crud.”
“Also, you look very cute, dressed like that and saying things likecrud.”
“Shut up,” she demanded, though she was laughing when she said it. And just a few minutes ago she’d been on the verge of crying. Maybe it was the comfort food. Or maybe it was Chase. He was the human version of comfort food. Bad for her. Delicious. A physical reminder of her past. Warm and filling.Relaxing.
He reached toward her with a paper napkin and swiped at the end of her nose.
“I’m a mess,” Jane groaned.
“No, I got it.”
“I mean I’m amess.A real mess.”
“No way. You’re the most together person I’ve ever met.”
“Clearly I’m not.”
“Jane,” he scoffed. “You’re smart. You’re calm. You’re professional and capable and a total office badass. You scare big construction guys into behaving like frightened schoolgirls, and you’re what? Thirty?”
“Twenty-nine.”
“Sorry.”
She waved off his cringe. “I’m not professional and capable now.”
He flashed a grin. “No, but you are pretty amazing.”
Jane automatically glanced down to her chest, then looked up to find his eyebrows rising.
“That’s not what I meant. But, um…bravo.”
“Oh, God.” Mortification heated her cheeks to instant fire.
Chase burst out laughing, and suddenly Jane was laughing, too, leaning against the table and laughing and trying to keep her cleavage from becoming indecent exposure, all at the same time.
She was on a date at a biker bar with an inappropriate guy. She was eating a greasy hamburger in slutty clothes while her brother was in jail. And she was having fun.
Jane started on her fries. When she looked up a few moments later, she found Chase frowning at her plate. “What?”
“I’m trying to figure out your fry selection process.”
“My what?” She laughed.
“Your selection process.” He gestured toward her plate. “You’re picking through those fries like you’re looking for something specific. What is it?”
