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Her husband murmured something in her ear and she laughed as the valet rolled up in a Lexus. “That’s our ride. Nice to meet you.”
The couple disappeared into the interior of the car.
“A consultant, Gage? Really?” Cass muttered as the valet parked the Hummer behind the Lexus. A horn blared behind her but she didn’t take her focus off the traitor at her shoulder.
“Yeah.” He opened her door and helped her into the monstrously high seat without asking. Which she appreciated because she hated needing help.
As he handed her up, she pretended she didn’t notice that his fingers brushed her thigh and hung around a little longer than was absolutely necessary. Just like she was pretending she wasn’t remembering what had happened a few minutes ago. But noticing was a little hard to stop once she’d opened that Pandora’s box.
When he slid into his own seat, he glanced at her. “Would you have rather I corrected you? I can run up to the window of Mark and Laurie’s Lexus and let them know it really is a date. I’m sure the company grapevine would catch fire as quickly as that news would travel.”
“I get the point.”
“Thank you, Gage,” he mimicked in a high voice. “You’re the best, Gage. Your quick thinking saved me, Gage.”
A spurt of laughter burst out through her clamped lips. How dare he make her have a good time? He was not allowed to be funny and charming. And sexy. Or such a good kisser. There should be a law.
How in the world did Gage get her to have fun on this date that wasn’t a date?
She sobered and crossed her arms. “It wasn’t a terrible cover. Now you can come by in the morning to continue digging into the leak. The other girls know you were my mentor and they’ll believe me if I say I’m consulting with you.”
He shot her an amused once-over, brows raised and she resisted sinking down in the seat.
“Thank you, Gage,” she said in a high voice, imitating him mimicking her because she was not about to admit she should have already thanked him. “You’re the best, Gage. And so on.”
She didn’t like how masterfully he’d handled her. It was supposed to be the other way around.
“That’s more like it.” Oblivious to her sarcasm, he grinned and nodded out the windshield. “Where to?”
Everything rolled off him like water off a duck’s back. She wished she had that skill; she had to work at making it appear as if she did, when in truth, nothing rolled off. He’d missed teaching her that back in college—how to not care about anything and always squeeze the maximum amount of fun out of everything.
Perhaps she needed to practice. Retreating wouldn’t get her what she needed—answers. She threw her shoulders back.
“Turn at the next light,” she instructed impulsively. “There’s a great little area that overlooks the lake.”
As it wasn’t too far from her house, she often used the trail for jogging, though she’d never been there at night. The spot had nighttime assignation written all over it.
“Are you asking me to park, Ms. Claremont?” The innuendo in his tone was half amused and half hell, yeah.
She forced a laugh as he followed her directions and pulled into the parking lot. “I’m asking you to stroll. It’s a walking path.”
They could walk along the secluded moonlit path and she’d get him comfortable enough so she could ask a few pointed questions. And then when he least expected it, she’d move in for the kill.
It was no less than he deserved.
And she’d keep the reminder front and center, no matter how good it felt to be with him again. He’d kissed her. She’d kissed him back. No big deal. She didn’t have to fall in love with every man she kissed. In fact, she’d never fallen in love with any man she’d kissed. Except one.
The key here was to work with Gage to find his connection to the leak and go on. A kiss was just a kiss. Emotions didn’t belong in the middle of this and she’d make sure to keep it that way.
No problem.
She wished she didn’t have to keep reminding herself of that.
“There’s a gate with a keypad,” she called over her shoulder as they slid from the car. “This part of the lake is only for residents. Follow me.”
The area was secluded, with one dim light that illuminated only a small circle of the concrete lot. Trees marched away from the lot along the line of the path, sheltering it from the outside world.
“Sure.” Gage’s voice had deepened in the dark, skittering along her bare skin and burrowing underneath to heat up her insides, as if he’d whispered erotic instructions instead of merely agreeing with her.
