He shook his head and smiled. “You could, but I wouldn’t know the address.”
He said it so matter-of-factly that it made my heart ache, because I couldn’t imagine a life without my mother.
At the end of the song I was out of breath, and I didn’t know if it was from being this close to him or the fact that no matter how many miles I ran, dancing always seemed harder on my body.
His heated gaze pierced through me, and he ran his tongue over his top lip. “Do you want to get out of here?”
I searched his eyes, still slightly apprehensive. I needed to be totally sure before I’d put myself out there again. “Depends.”
He cocked his head. “On?”
“Are you really ready to let me in?”
“I just said I am.”
I frowned. “Words are cheap, Starr. Someone with your business sense knows this.”
He leaned closer to me and said, “I can’t really show you in a bar, when a bed is far more suitable.” His breath ghosted over my skin, and a shudder rippled through me.
Well, crap. He got me. An offer I couldn’t refuse. Not with the promise of soft sheets and our bodies pressed together.
“That sounds slightly more convincing,” I mused.
“I think my mouth could do some additional persuading if given the chance.”
Hello, neglected downstairs. Did you hear that? Without wanting to look too eager, I managed a nod. “I need to check in with Zoey first.”
I scanned the floor and spotted her with Jace. She was grinding into him, and her lips pulled into a smile when she saw me.
“You having a good time?” I nodded toward Jace’s hands firmly planted on her hips.
“Very good.” She looked between Brogan and me. “Can I say the same for you?”
A flush filled my cheeks. “Yes.”
“If you need to…you know…get out of here, I’m perfectly fine,” she said.
“I don’t know.” I hated leaving her at the bar by herself, even if she was with Brogan’s friends.
“My driver can take you home,” Brogan offered to Zoey.
Her eyes lit up. “You have a driver?”
Brogan smirked. “Yes. Jace will make sure that no one bothers you, and you’ll get home safe. Right Jace?” He leveled a serious look at Jace, who nodded.
I turned to him. “Thank you.” The fact that he was willing to make sure my friend got home okay made my heart beat sideways in my chest. “Are you okay with that, Zoey?”
“I’m just going to have a couple more drinks with them, and then I’ll have the driver take me home.”
“Okay. But call me if you want me to come pick you up. I’ll only be a few blocks away,” I said.
She looked between me and Brogan again, and then gave me a wink. “I expect a detailed report on my desk tomorrow,” she said.
Chapter Twenty-Two
Lainey Taylor Rule of Life #46
A girl should be properly kissed in the snow at least once in her life.
The air was thick with the promise of snowfall as we stepped out into the dimly lit side street. Frost glistened on iced-over car windows, and the only sound was the occasional truck passing by and the soft clomps of high heels on the pavement.
Brogan walked close beside me, his arm brushing mine a few times. Each time it happened, a fresh set of goose bumps cascaded over my skin, and the deeper I fell into the trap of getting my hopes up. Which was completely silly. But no matter how many times I told myself that he was my boss, that didn’t hit a magic off switch to my wanting him.
His voice finally cut through the silence as we neared his building. “Your friend seems like she’ll give Jace a run for his money.”
I smiled and pulled my coat tighter around me. Zoey always spoke her mind, never was able to lie to save her life—something that got me into a lot of trouble whenever I asked her to cover for me when we were younger. “You could say that.”
We walked in silence for a few minutes more, then Brogan spoke. “I started getting tattoos when I was seventeen. My friend’s brother owned a tattoo parlor a few blocks down from my boarding school, and I’d sneak out after curfew and get inked. It was a way to get back at my parents.”
I kept my gaze focused straight ahead, not wanting to break the spell of the moment. He was sharing something with me, and I wasn’t willing to let this slip through my fingers like grains of sand.
“Which one is your favorite?”
He pointed to the one on his wrist, the one I’d been drawn to since the first day I met him. “The ellipses. To me it means that my story isn’t over. And no matter what obstacles come my way, I can always change it.”
“That’s beautiful.” The hot flush of embarrassment crept up in my cheeks. I was sure he didn’t want his tattoos to be called beautiful, but they were.
“I’ve never told anyone that before.”
Brogan stopped abruptly and an intensity washed over his face, hardening his features, and I was sure that he was going to shut down, stop the whole sharing is caring thing we had going on.
“You make me want to do all these things I’ve told myself I can’t have. It’s fucking scary.”