An Indecent Proposal(12)

“It used to be a strip club. They haven’t changed the sign yet,” Chase said, sensing my confusion.

“Exactly your thing, I bet.” The words left my mouth before I could stop them. To my surprise, Chase just laughed and opened the door, then walked around the car to help me out.

I grabbed my handbag, pressing it against my chest in case we were mugged, even though, from the look of the dark parking lot, there were only a few parked cars and no people around. It probably wasn’t a particularly popular place, I deduced as I watched Chase lock up behind us.

“Initially, I wanted to take you to a nice restaurant, but I figured you might need to loosen up a bit.” His eyes bored into mine, and for a moment we just stared at each other. In the moonless night, the ocean-blue color looked like a raging storm.

“That’s nice. At least we can share a BBQ plate and get the beer thrown in for free,” I muttered. “That is, if we don’t get involved in a bar brawl.” Or catch hepatitis, I added mentally.

I had taken a shaky step forward when his arm wrapped around my waist and he pulled me close, towering over me.

“Relax, Laurie. No one’s going to bite you,” he said with a glimmer in his eyes. “Unless you ask nicely, in which case, make sure to ask me first.”

His hot breath brushed my earlobe, cutting off my air supply and sending an electric frisson of excitement down my spine. From so close, he smelled amazing, of aftershave and something else. Something dark and earthy and way too sexy.

I pressed my handbag harder against my chest, ready to sling it over my shoulder and put some space between us, but his arm released me, and he stepped aside.

Opening the door to the bar, he motioned for me to enter.

“Ladies first.”

I had no idea whether he was laughing at me again, so I nodded a “thank you” and stepped inside the bar.





Chapter 3





The bar was a crowded single room with tables on one side and a bar area on the other where the mostly male patrons had gathered in a neat row, nursing their drinks. As suspected, the place looked like it had seen better days, and its clientele seemed past its prime, too. AC/DC was playing at a bearable level in the background. As we walked in, a few heads turned. Bleak eyes slipped over me, barely paying me a second look, which I assumed was the result of my outfit. I didn’t mind because I didn’t like to stand out in a crowd anyway.

Chase’s fingers touched the low of my back and guided me to the bar area. Immediately, two guys with tattoos covering most of their exposed skin stood and offered me a seat. I whispered a thank-you and sat down, slowly relaxing the grip around my handbag.

“This is the last place you probably expected to meet chivalry,” Chase remarked, amused, and turned to greet one of the guys who, from the look of it, he seemed to know pretty well.

I sighed inwardly.

Not only was I stuck with a guy who thought it might be a good idea to have a job interview in his regular bar, he also seemed to have forgotten all about me while touching base with his buddy.

Crossing my legs, I ignored them as my attention focused on the bar area and the man serving drinks behind it. He was maybe in his early thirties, clad in jeans and a black T-shirt featuring the logo of a band that had seen better days—both the band and the T-shirt. His eyes met mine and his face lit up, his dark eyes glittering with something.

I smiled shyly.

Now, he seemed like a better candidate.

Candidate.

I really liked that word. It almost made me feel like Donald Trump on The Apprentice. Right now I would have loved to point my finger at Chase while saying, “You’re fired.”

“Drink?” The bartender pushed a bottle of beer over the counter before I could declare my distaste for anything alcoholic. It wasn’t that I didn’t like the taste of it; I just didn’t like what alcohol did to me. I smiled again and took a customary sip. “Not your usual place, huh?”

I nodded. “I guess you could say that.”

He wiped his hand on a towel and held it out. “I’m Adam.”

“Laurie.” I gave his hand a quick squeeze and pulled back quickly.

“Great to meet you, Laurie,” he said. I laughed because, for some reason, his open smile was infectious. “I’m sure Chase will show you the ropes.”

Following Adam’s line of vision, I turned and found Chase behind me, watching me with a strange look. Suddenly uncomfortable, I took another sip of my beer, even though I had already overstepped my personal limit, and followed his movements as he grabbed a bottle from Adam, then pointed to the back of the room.

“There’s a free table over there. Given the purpose of this meeting, I thought you might welcome the privacy.” Chase shrugged, as though it was a mere suggestion, but his fingers wrapped around my elbow decisively. I had no doubt if I didn’t get up, he’d help me to my feet—possibly by dragging me up. I remained seated.