“So, what happened next?” James gave her a slow sexy grin that betrayed he knew the answer.
Shay rolled her eyes, not wanting to give him the satisfaction of making her say it. “Can’t remember. Probably Myles and John ran off together and lived happily ever after.”
James’s laughter made the table shake.
Shay joined in, and felt the weight of the week slide away.
Conversation came to a near halt until all that remained on their plates were smears of ketchup, mustard, and crumbs.
Shay looked up from her empty plate and glanced around in search of the source of the live music that was starting up. Instead, she spied the woman who called herself Carly standing at the near end of the bar. She had been staring at their table. Caught in the act, she lifted her beer bottle in salute and then turned her back.
Shay bit her lip as familiar alarm bells jangled in her head. Why was a stranger so interested in how her date was going? Something told her it was more than mere curiosity. She glanced again at the bar. Carly was talking to a guy.
She scanned the room again, this time looking for hints of something not right. Had Eric sent someone to spy on her? Or was he here now, lurking in the crowd? Waiting for … for what?
Shay glanced away. Oh God! That sounded totally paranoid, even after the day she’d had. She was losing it. More likely that Carly person was one of those female predator drones who got their kicks from targeting another woman’s man. She’d certainly tried to pry personal information about James out of her. Where was he from? How long had they known each other? Now that she thought about it—
“Something wrong?”
Shay was surprised to find James gazing intently at her. “No, just thinking.” She leaned in a little, hoping to block his view of the bar. “Sorry.”
He reached out and ran a finger over her upper lip. “You have a smear of mustard.”
Vibrating from his touch, she reached up and carefully wiped her mouth with her napkin. “Better?”
“The view from here is great.”
Right. We’re on a date. Not part of some thriller movie.
But the mood was spoiled. Shay could feel herself sliding back into her protective shell. It was a short trip from unease to suspicion before her acutely tuned protective instincts slammed into overdrive. No, no, not tonight.
She looked across at James, using his open honest gaze to shock her heart back into its regular rhythm. Nice guy. No, great guy. He deserved better than her. She didn’t doubt he would find that better woman without much effort. “You date a lot?”
He chuckled. “I’m not a horn dog.”
“But you’re dating someone?”
His expression sobered. “Maybe. I’ll know more if she says yes to seeing me tomorrow.”
Shay looked away, embarrassed that she didn’t have enough experience to successfully flirt with a man who made her want to flee one minute, and jump him the next. Her reactions to him were too strong to control.
She shifted her gaze back to the bar. Carly was gone. That should have made her breathe easier but it didn’t. She needed to get out of here.
James had been watching Shay all evening, absorbing details like the fact that for the past few minutes she kept glancing nervously over at the bar. At first, he thought she was on the lookout for someone. Maybe Eric. Then he saw the dirty blonde in Daisy Dukes lift her beer in salute. Shay’s reaction had been to go as pale as his tighty whities. That didn’t make any sense.
On second inspection the blonde wasn’t as young as she first appeared to be. And there was something about her attitude. Then he had it. Cop. It was difficult to shed the posture of a law enforcement officer once it had been learned. This woman was, or had been, on the job. He’d swear to it. That didn’t explain Shay’s reaction to her.
What are your secrets, Shay?
He reached for her hand, as it lay on the table by her plate. His warm palm slid over the back of her cool hand, covering it entirely. “You want to tell me why you need protection? Is it Eric?”
Shay hesitated. “What do you mean?”
“I’ve seen him in action. Was he abusive throughout your relationship?”
The warmth in her eyes died, and her whole body visibly tensed. She pulled her hand away. “Are you asking as a friend, or a police officer?”
She had asked him that question once before. His answer was still the same. “Whatever you need to be comfortable.”
She stared at him for several seconds, no doubt trying to decide how much to trust him.
“Not here. Okay?” She began looking around as if she couldn’t wait to get out of the restaurant.
He stood up. “Then let’s get the hell out of here.”
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
“Damned if I know.”
James ducked out from under the hood of her car. “You say the check engine light was on earlier?”
Shay nodded quickly, her arms wound tightly about herself against the autumn chill. “I guess I should have believed it.”