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She was dressed casually in jeans and a blouse. The jeans hugged her curves and were a designer brand. Most men wouldn’t notice, but he did. The blouse was a deep scarlet, the top two buttons left undone to show just a glimpse of cleavage. Her long, thick hair was braided and lay over her shoulder. The contrast between her raven hair, the ivory of her skin, and the red shirt was stunning.
“You look gorgeous,” he said with a smile, leaning his shoulder against the door jamb.
Her cheeks turned a soft pink. “I wasn’t sure what the dress code was for a shooting range.”
“I think you hit it out of the park.”
She gave him a little smile. “Let me get my coat and purse.”
Blane frowned. Something was off. She seemed as though she was going to a funeral rather than a fun day shooting holes in things. But he didn’t say anything. He had the feeling she’d back out if given the slightest excuse. She returned wearing a thick coat and carrying her purse. It was only after he’d settled her into his car and they were speeding toward Virginia that he brought it up.
“Everything okay?” he asked. “You seem subdued today.”
Anne studiously looked out the window at the passing scenery. It was a lovely day, clear blue skies even though the temperature wouldn’t top fifty-five.
“Anne?”
She turned toward him, her expression resigned. “I know you saw the papers.”
He shrugged. “I was a little surprised that the daughter of a billionaire works at my favorite restaurant, but to each their own. Everyone needs a hobby.” He grinned at her, hoping to coax a smile, and failing.
“I’ve always been the coddled, rich daughter,” she said, gazing out of the windshield. “I didn’t want to end up like my mother, I guess. She’s a wonderful woman, don’t get me wrong. She does a lot of good work for charities and such, but she has no idea what the average life of an American is like. She’s never collected a paycheck in her life.”
She sighed. “I wanted to do something meaningful. Help people. So, I got my degree and now I’m a social worker. I wanted the whole ‘real world experience.’” Her voice held a bitter edge. “I moved out, got my own place, and quickly realized that paying your own bills isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. I refused to go crawling back to my dad with my tail between my legs, saying I couldn’t hack it. Evening jobs are either bartending or serving. Hence, the waitressing gig.”
Blane had been puzzled by the waitressing thing, but now it made sense. Though the social worker aspect was surprising. “And how’s that working out for you?”
“I’ve never been a fan of bureaucracy and now you can say I’m an active hater. The red tape is infuriating.”
“Washington runs on bureaucrats. The elected officials are just window dressing. Fighting the entrenched establishment is like swimming upstream, with lead shoes, while being pursued by sharks.”
“And now, of course, there are the rumors…” Her voice trailed off.
Blane decided to play dumb. “Rumors?”
Her head swiveled toward him, and their gazes caught. He winked. She rolled her eyes.
“This is not a date,” she said.
Blane gave a sober nod. “Of course not.”
“This is just a gun safety lesson that you conned me into,” she retorted. “In a weak moment.”
“Absolutely.”
Blane gave her a sidelong look and she snorted, crossing her arms over her chest. She looked for all the world like a recalcitrant teenager.
“Are you pouting?” He couldn’t keep the amusement from his voice.
He saw her jaw actually drop.
“Not that it isn’t cute,” he amended. “You make an adorable spoiled, pissed-off, poor little rich girl.”
She uncrossed her arms, her cheeks turning bright red. “I amnotspoiled,” she protested, then looked slightly abashed. “Though yeah, I’ll concede that my life is hashtag, first-world-problems.”
“Problems are problems no matter what,” he said.
Anne glanced at Blane. He’d taken her breath away when she’d opened the door to her apartment. While he was stunning in one of his tailored, expensive suits, he was devastatingly sexy in casual jeans and long-sleeved navy-blue shirt. It had a couple of buttons near the collar that had been left undone, showing a tantalizing amount of bronzed skin.
