Oh, my God. Had he looked at his tattoo when he said that? She felt her face heat despite her best efforts to suppress the betraying flow of blood. He’d seen her looking.
But those could have been looks of horror, she told herself. They’d meant nothing. Nothing.
Her pulse wouldn’t listen to her. It gathered speed. Chase smiled and put one hand on her desk to lean closer. His gaze fell to her mouth, and she could feel herself breathing too fast.
Last night as she’d boxed, she’d imagined her trainer was Chase. She’d imagined him grabbing her, his hands sliding across her damp skin, his mouth descending with a growl….
Oh, God, her masquerade was crumbling around her. What if she let Chase—
Her cell phone rang, breaking the man-spell she’d fallen under. Jane looked down to the phone, and the display was a bucket of cold water dumped over her head. “Mom” it read, the backlight glowing red in warning.
She stared at it for a moment, skin cooling as each second ticked by. “Yes,” she finally answered him, “I’m sure.”
“Sure about what?”
“I’m sure you’re not my type, Mr. Chase, but thank you very much for the invitation.”
Though his face fell, Chase didn’t look the least bit angry. In fact he pulled a business card from his back pocket and handed it over. “All right, then. Call me if you change your mind. That’s my cell.”
“Thank you.” She meant to drop it in the trash. She really did. But as Chase turned and walked out, Jane tucked his card into her purse. Then she turned off her cell phone and stuck that in her purse, too.
She was working, and the world of rough men and burned-out cars and bad mothers could go to hell.
“I’M SO GLAD YOU DECIDED to meet me,” Lori Love said. “God only knows how long I’ll be sitting here.” She pushed one of her brown curls behind her ear and set her elbows on the bar.
Jane smiled. Lori and Mr. Jennings were very seriously involved, and Jane seemed to have gained a friend in the deal. Still, they weren’t really the type of friends to hit the town together, mainly because Jane didn’t hit the town. She glanced around the dark hotel bar. “I don’t know why you agreed to meet Mr. Jennings here.”
“Oh, I’m smarter than you think. Quinn’s at a business dinner at The Painted Horse. I refused to go, but I’d already agreed to that damn city council party at eight. So we’re meeting in the middle. I get to avoid the boring dinner but still participate in free drinks afterward.”
“Congratulations.” Jane raised her empty martini glass in salute.
“Why aren’t you coming to the party?”
“I wasn’t invited.” Jane looked up in surprise when the bartender put another drink in front of her. Apparently he’d noticed her waving the glass around. “Oh, thank you.”
“Please come with us,” Lori said. “It’s downstairs in the ballroom. You can keep me company while Quinn talks shop.”
Jane considered it for a moment. A party. Drinks. Eligible, appropriate men. Professional and educated. The party would be the perfect place to meet the kind of man she needed to meet, but the thought of doing that tonight, of being professional and conservative and reserved… Jane glanced down at her drink and found it empty.
“Sorry, but you’re on your own,” she said. “No work for me tonight.”
“Damn,” Lori muttered. “Hey, did you read that book-club book yet?”
Jane had talked Lori into joining the monthly women’s group at the local bookstore. “I did. It was really thoughtful and deliberate.”
“Ugh. I thought it was depressing,” Lori said. “I didn’t make it past chapter six, when she went back to her suicidal husband. I dropped it and picked up one of my dirty books instead. The book-club meeting is right before my trip anyway. I’ll be busy.”
Jane felt a sharp stab of envy. Lori was building a life for herself, too, but it had nothing to do with trying to make herself respectable. Lori was stretching her wings, reading erotic novels and going back to college and traveling to Europe by herself. But Lori had been the good girl her whole life. She’d been responsible and respectable. Jane didn’t have that kind of past to fall back on, so she pretended to like depressing books that educated women recommended.
Another small act of fraud that added to Jane’s growing feeling of unease.
Lori nudged her. “I’ve still got that box of naughty stories with your name on it.”
Jane considered the offer for a moment. She’d turned Lori down flat a few weeks ago, but maybe dirty books would be a good outlet for her now. She’d found herself ogling her trainer during that boxing session the night before, and Tom was 100 percent gay. But gay or not, his shoulders reminded her of Chase’s.
“Maybe?” Lori said with a cheeky smile, but then her eyes shifted and the smile turned to a bright grin. “Hey, Quinn.”
Quinn Jennings slid up to the bar next to his girlfriend. “Hey, Lori Love,” he answered, his deep voice sinking to a purr.
Jane nearly blushed to hear it. Here was living proof that a good, intelligent man could throw off sparks with the right woman. Jane didn’t have to settle for safe and boring. She could find safe and spicy, just as Lori had. Then again, Quinn Jennings had never made Jane perk up and take notice. He wasn’t her type. Just as Greg hadn’t been her type and neither had the dentist she’d dated before him or the veterinarian before that.
“Hi, Jane,” Quinn said. “Are you coming with us?”
Lori took his hand. “Nope, she’s going to stay here and get sloppy drunk.”
The couple laughed at the idea, probably unable to imagine Jane being anything less than dignified. Little did they know.
Quinn muttered something about contributing to the cause, then tossed a ten-dollar bill onto the bar. “Another one for her,” he called.
“Oh, no, Mr. Jennings. I don’t—”
But he was already pulling Lori toward the door. “I’ll see you Monday, Jane. Stay out of trouble.”
The drink arrived, and what could she do but drink it? Fifteen minutes later she was cradling Chase’s card in her hands. He had a business card, so maybe he wasn’t just a ditchdigger. Maybe he was a supervisor of some sort. “W. Chase,” it said. His first name must be something horrific. Something like Worthington or Wessex.
Just Chase he’d kept saying, as if he were embarrassed to be called Mister. And he was right, of course. It didn’t suit him.
Jane glanced up, accidentally meeting the eyes of some guy two stools down. When he smiled and rose from his seat, she bit back a groan. She wasn’t in the mood. Not for him, anyway.
“Hi, there,” he said. “My name’s Dan.”
“Hi, Dan.” Jane didn’t offer her name. He was cute enough, and he was wearing a suit and tie, but he wasn’t her type. None of these guys was. She was hopeless.
“Do you live here in Aspen?” the guy was asking.
“Mmm-hmm.”
“I’m here on business. It’s a beautiful place.”
“Yes, it’s lovely.” God, why was he even coming on to her? She was wearing her ivory suit and her glasses, not to mention her pulled-back hairstyle. She’d designed herself to look uptight and unapproachable. Maybe she just looked lonely and desperate. An easy lay.
Dan leaned his elbow against the bar. “Can I buy you a drink?”
“No, thank you. I’m meeting someone here.”
That finally drove him off. As he sauntered away, Jane watched his back, thinking that he looked rather…petite. About the same height as her, with the same slight build as Greg.
Jane was five-eight and curvy. Was a big man too much to ask for?
She looked at the card again. Chase. He was big. He turned her on. And for whatever reason, he’d asked her out. He clearly wasn’t the marrying type, but did that mean she couldn’t just use him for a good time?
Mr. Jennings had dated a lot of the wrong women before he’d found Lori. He hadn’t taken any of those relationships seriously. Why sho
uldn’t Jane do the same?
And it was almost her birthday. Still, it wouldn’t be smart to sleep with someone from her professional world. It wouldn’t be smart at all, but it would be a heck of a birthday present.
Didn’t she deserve one night of hard, primal sex with a real man? Just one tiny, delicious detour on her journey to a respectable future? No one knew about her past. No one could point and say, “That girl is just as trashy as she used to be.”
Jane took out her phone. “You’re tipsy,” she tried to warn herself, but that only made her feel better about what she was doing. “This is a bad idea,” she breathed. “Really bad. But I’m tipsy.”
Finger shaking, Jane turned on her phone. She reached to press the first number, but she didn’t do it. She set the phone down on the bar. She took a deep breath. And then it rang.
“Oh, jeez,” she muttered, slapping a hand to her chest. Saved by the bell. Except that the screen was flashing “Mom” again, and that couldn’t be good.
“Hello?” she answered.
“Oh, Jane, thank goodness! I’ve got awful news. Just awful!”
“Mom, what’s wrong?” Her heart leaped.
“It’s Jessie!” her mom wailed.
“Oh, no. What’s happened?”
“He never came home and I’ve tried calling you all day. But, oh, my God, I finally heard something. Your brother is in jail!”
“Oh.” Jane’s heart began to slow. “I see. For what?”
“I don’t know. All I’ve heard are rumors. He hasn’t called home. I don’t know what’s going on!”
“Calm down. He hasn’t called home because he knows Dad is going to kill him.” Glancing around, she lowered her voice. “He was probably picked up for possession. You know he gets high, Mom.”
“Will you have your boyfriend find out where he is? Somebody said it might be Pitkin County.”
“Are you—” Jane snapped her mouth closed. Are you crazy? she’d meant to say. “Mom, it’s Friday night. There’s nothing to be done now.”
“But he’ll be there all weekend if we don’t—”
“Mom,” Jane said sharply. “Calm down. If he hasn’t broken down and called you, then he’s probably okay. If he doesn’t get in touch before the morning, I’ll do what I can, all right?” But damned if she was calling Greg.
“But…” Her mother’s voice faded away.
Jane felt her heart twist with worry. “Mom, is Dad there?” Her stepfather, Mac, was solid as a rock. Her mom would be fine as long as he was home.
“Yes, he’s here.”
“All right. What did he say?”
There was a long pause. Her mom’s voice fell to a whisper. “He said we should let Jessie cool his heels until he got the…nerve to call home and ask for help.”
Clearly Mac had used harsher language than that, but Jane just nodded. “Okay. It’s going to be fine, Mom. He’s twenty-one years old, and if he’s starting to get into trouble, a few days in jail will be good for him.”
“It…it just doesn’t seem right.” Her voice went hoarse with tears.
“No, it’s not right,” Jane muttered before she said goodbye and hit End. It wasn’t right that no matter how hard she tried, Jane couldn’t get away from this life. The life of courthouses and bail bondsmen and visits to jail. It didn’t matter how good she was at her job or how hard she worked. All it took was one phone call and Jane Morgan was right back in the trailer park.
She picked up the business card and looked at it one last time.
Yeah, she was spiraling, all right. Might as well enjoy the damn ride.
CHAPTER THREE
AH, CHRIST. Chase slapped down the visor of his truck in a burst of panic. He’d forgotten to shave.
“Shit,” he muttered at his reflection, swiping a hand over his prickly jaw. He popped the visor back up with another curse. There was no time now. Jane Morgan had called and asked him to meet her. Even the quick shower had been a risk. He’d half expected to come out of the bathroom and find that she’d left a message calling it off. Now that he was only steps away from the bar he wasn’t turning back.
He wasn’t sure what was going on, but he damn sure wanted to find out. Chase slammed the door of his pickup and rushed across the street to the bar.
It took a few seconds to spot Jane. She sort of…blended in to the background. Despite it being Friday night, her hair was still pulled back into a tight bun. She still wore her pricey-looking white suit. As he watched, she took off her glasses and rubbed her eyes. Jane was getting sleepy. He was about to miss his chance at a date.
Chase pushed through the mingling crowd and stopped next to her table. “Hey, Jane.”
“Oh!” she yelped, slipping on her glasses before she pushed awkwardly to her feet. “Hello.”
“I’m really glad you called.”
“I…just…I had your card.” Her hands gestured helplessly, so Chase waved her back to her chair.
He glanced down to her glass of water. “Can I get you a drink?”
“Um…sure.”
Chase caught a waitress’s eye, and the woman sauntered over with a grin that faded when he tilted his head toward Jane. She ordered a martini and looked surprised at his request for a Coke.
“Aren’t you going to have something?”
“No, I don’t drink.”
Her eyes flew wide behind the glasses. “Oh! I’m sorry. I’ll cancel mine, then, and—”
“Hey, it’s no big deal.”
She shook her head. “I don’t want to be disrespectful or—”
“It’s no problem. I’m not an alcoholic, so you don’t have to worry that you’ll push me off the wagon. My dad’s a big drinker, and I thought it’d be better if I never started down that road.”
Jane looked doubtfully down at her water.
“Seriously!” He laughed. “You know I work in construction, right? I guarantee my friends can throw back a hell of a lot more alcohol than you can. So drink up.”
Her drink arrived as if on cue. “Well…” She picked up her martini with a bemused smile. “All right. Cheers, then.” Still, she took only a tiny sip.
“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 good birthday 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. She was interested.
“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.”
“I trust you’ll be discreet?”
“Oh, of course.” Chase tried to shake off the feeling he was being interviewed, but Coke sloshed over the rim of his glass when he picked it up.
“If you breathe a word of this to anyone, I’ll have to deal with come-ons and crude remarks. I can’t have that in my workplace.”
Lead Me On Page 3
