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“Hey, you never know. It could be fun.” He sent her a sideways glance. “And maybe if you get tipsy enough, you’ll tell me why West looked at me today like he wanted to challenge me to a duel.”
Marin’s smile stalled. “What?”
Lane draped his hand over the top of the steering wheel and leaned back, relaxed as you please. “Look, I’ve known Donovan for a while now. He’s a good doctor and smart as hell. But he’s a cool customer—not a guy you’d want to play poker against. And I’m telling you, I’ve never seen him look at a woman like he looked at you today.”
Marin forced herself not to react. She could not slip up like this. Had they been that obvious? “Lane—”
He shrugged. “Don’t worry. I don’t tell people’s secrets. And you don’t need to say one way or another. It’s just, sex is my job. I know heat when I see it. And you two just about burned me down in the crosshairs today. So I wasn’t surprised you turned me down for a date if you have that going on.”
Marin rolled her lips together, watching the dark road disappear beneath their tires, her heart pounding so loud she was sure Lane could hear it.
“Just be careful.” The words were quiet, the message loud.
She peered his way.
He kept his gaze forward, but his hands flexed around the steering wheel. “All that fire can burn you right up, you know? Leave nothing but ashes.”
She sensed the warning was coming from personal experience, but the words reverberated through her, making her stomach twist.
“Right,” she said lamely.
Lane got quiet after that, and she let him. No need to continue the dangerous conversation. It would lead nowhere good. So she tried to focus on counting the mile markers instead of letting her worried thoughts overtake her. But she didn’t get a respite for long.
Her cell phone vibrated in her lap, startling her from the mindless task. She lifted her phone, expecting a message from Nate. But the name on the screen wasn’t his.
Your safe word is BLUE. Be ready, Rush.
Little black letters on a white screen. But strung together they changed everything in one quick second. Her lungs deflated, edgy desire stabbing through her, and her muscles went tight.
Donovan. He was out there somewhere tonight and ready to play a game.
She glanced over at Lane.
Don’t get burned.
She could already feel the flames licking at her feet.
23
Marin decided to nurse one drink while enjoying the music in the club. She didn’t know what Donovan had planned for later, for one. But she also didn’t want to risk a loose tongue with Lane. The guy was easy to talk to and though he obviously suspected something was going on with her and Donovan, she didn’t want to slip up and confirm it. Let him have his suspicions.
Lane, to his credit, hadn’t brought it up again or pushed for any information. Instead, he’d told her about the band, about living in the city, and he’d picked out a few appetizers from the bar menu for them to snack on while they chatted. Marin felt herself relaxing after a while, enjoying the music and the company. She told Lane about her brother and about how she ended up at The Grove. He gave her the inside scoop about some of the people they worked with. And he artfully dodged questions about how he’d ended up in his chosen career when she asked.
It was comfortable and pleasant and . . . fun. She realized how long it’d been since she’d just hung out with a friend. So when he asked her to dance, she didn’t feel strange or awkward taking him up on it.
He swept her out onto the floor and pulled her into his hold, settling his hand on her lower back but not dragging her too close. On her first step, she managed to stomp his toes. “Shit. Sorry. I should’ve warned you that my dancing experience is limited.”
He smiled down at her. “Don’t worry. I’ve got tough feet. We’ll go slow.”
He guided her into a turn, his lead effortless, and she settled into his grip.
“There you go,” he said. “The trouble happens when both people try to lead. Your job is just to relax and let me take you where you need to go.”
She bit her lip, fighting back a smile.
His brows went up. “What?”
“Nothing. I can just see why you’re good at what you do. Why clients let you take them where they need to go. You inspire calm and confidence.”
