A Tricky Proposition(40)

“What’s the matter? Did all the dancing wear you out?”

Her eyes flew open at Jason’s question. His head and shoulders filled the limo’s open door. Heart pounding in delight, she clasped her hands in her lap to keep from throwing herself into his arms. That was not how friends greeted each other.

“I’m not used to having that much fun.” She scooted along the seat to the door, accepting Jason’s hand as her foot touched the pavement. His familiar cologne mingled with the faint scent of cigars. She wanted to nuzzle her nose into his neck and breathe him in. “How about you? Did you enjoy your strippers?”

“They preferred to be called exotic dancers.” He showed her his phone. “They weren’t nearly as interesting as this performance.”

She gasped at the picture of herself dancing. How had Jason gotten ahold of it? So much for what happens at a bachelorette party stays at a bachelorette party. She eyed the women behind Jason. Who’d ratted her out?

“It was just some guy who asked me to dance,” she protested.

“Just some guy?” He kept his voice low, but there was no denying the edge in his tone. “He has his hands all over you.”

She enlarged the image, telling herself she was imagining the possessive glint in Jason’s eye. “No he doesn’t. And if this had been taken five seconds later you would have seen me shove him away and walk off the dance floor.”

“Whoa, sounds like a lover’s spat to me,” Rachel crowed.

Confused by the sparks snapping in Jason’s blue eyes, Ming realized a semicircle of couples had formed five feet away. Six faces wore various shades of amusement as they looked on.

Jason composed his expression and turned to face the group. “Not a lover’s spat.”

“Just a concerned friend,” Max intoned, his voice dripping with dry humor.

“Come on, we’re all family here.” Sebastian’s gesture encompassed the whole group. “You can admit to us that you’re involved.”

“We’re not involved.” Ming found her voice.

“We’re friends,” Jason said. “We look out for each other.”

“I disagree,” Max declared, slapping Jason on the back. “I think you’ve finally realized that your best friend is the best thing that ever happened to you.” He glanced around to see if the others agreed with him. “About time, too.”

“You don’t know what you’re talking about.” Jason was making no attempt to laugh off his friend’s ribbing.

Ming flinched at Jason’s resolute expression. If he’d considered moving beyond friendship, Max would be the one he’d confide in. With Jason’s adamant denial, Ming had to face the fact that she was an idiot to hope that Jason might one day realize they belonged together.

“Oh!”

All eyes turned to Emma, who’d bent over, her hand pressed to her round belly.

“Are you okay?” Nathan put his arm around her waist. “Was it a contraction?”

“I don’t know. I don’t think so.” Emma clutched his arm. “Maybe you’d better take me home.”

To Ming’s delight everyone’s focus had shifted to Emma. What might or might not be going on between Ming and Jason was immediately forgotten. As Nathan opened the passenger door for Emma, she looked straight at Ming and winked. Restraining a grin, Ming wondered how many times Emma had used the baby in such a fashion.

“Alone at last,” Jason said, drawing her attention back to him. “And the night is still young.”

Ming shivered beneath his intense scrutiny. “What did you have in mind?”

“I was thinking maybe you could show me your dancing skills in private.”

“Funny. I was thinking maybe you could give me a demonstration of the techniques you picked up from your strippers tonight.”

“Exotic dancers,” he corrected, opening the passenger door on his car so she could get in. “And I didn’t pick up anything because I wasn’t anywhere near their dancing.”

The last of her tension melted away. “I don’t believe you,” she teased, keeping her relief hidden. She leaned against his chest and peered up at him from beneath her lashes. “Not so long ago you wouldn’t have missed that kind of action.”

“Not so long ago I didn’t have all the woman I could handle waiting for me at home.”

“Except I wasn’t waiting for you.” Lifting up on tiptoe, she pressed her lips to his and then dropped into the passenger seat.

“No, you were out on the town breaking hearts.”

The door shut before her retort reached Jason’s ears. Was he really annoyed with her for dancing with someone? Joy flared and died. She was reading too much into it.