Justice Inked (Cowboy Justice Association 7) by Olivia Jaymes Page B

put her finger on, but she knew she was right to be cautious.
    “Maybe I’m becoming more careful in my old age,” Rayne smirked, standing to finish putting on her makeup. Right now she had eyeliner but no mascara. “I just think that this relationship might not work out, and sleeping with him tonight might make ending things that much harder.”
    “Do you realize that you haven’t even gone out with him yet but you’re already planning on how to break up with him? That’s a bit harsh, not to mention pessimistic. Dare’s a nice man. Grouchy as all get out, but nice.”
    “We’re just so different.”
    “Maybe, maybe not. But you’ll never know unless you go out with him. Go finish your face and have fun. Just relax and have good time. Worst case scenario you get to see a movie tonight. That’s not so bad.”
    Rayne had been on some terrible, no-good dates. The kind that made you want to crawl out of the restaurant’s bathroom window so you could escape. She doubted tonight with Dare was going to be that bad, although there was a better than average chance they’d end up sniping at each other about something.
    “I’m sure everything will be fine. I’ll call you with the details.”
    “Call me in the morning.”
    “I’ll call you sometime tomorrow.”
    “In the morning. If Dare doesn’t spend the night you don’t have any excuse,” Misty laughed delightedly. “Call me or I’ll call you.”
    “Fine—in the morning, but late. I want to sleep in.”
    “You’d sleep better with a handsome hunk of man in your bed.”
    So very true, but still quite scary. Rayne had a feeling one night with Dare wouldn’t be enough.

Chapter Fourteen

    T he date was going well.
    The movie had been better than Rayne expected. Dare had chosen an action-thriller and it wasn’t her first choice in entertainment with all the shooting, blood, and guts, but it had ensured that the date wouldn’t get too amorous.
    Add in the fact that he’d chosen an out of town theatre and seats in the back row, all the way in the corner, and it felt like they were sneaking around, cheating on imaginary spouses. As thrilling as it had seemed at first, now it felt kind of icky and dirty. Not in a good way.
    “I hope you’re hungry.”
    Dare led her to a back booth in a rundown diner on the outskirts of Springwood. The old linoleum floors were dingy and the soles of her shoes stuck as she walked, making a sucking sound with each step. The smell of fry grease hung heavy in the air along with the remnants of what she thought might be motor oil. Not the most appetizing combination, but she’d had a strong stomach since the summer she’d spent at camp eating what had been essentially prison cuisine along with the three hundred other kids sweltering in ninety degree heat.
    Rayne still gave her mom and dad a hard time about that summer. They’d swore that the brochure looked much better than the reality and had been so apologetic she’d scored a new computer from the debacle.
    Sliding into the booth, her rear end came to a quick halt and she winced at the thought of what was gluing the material of her jeans to the vinyl. More grease? She had to lift up to be able to move farther into the booth, shuddering as she placed her handbag on the oily bench seat.
    One look at the table didn’t tell a much different story. It looked and felt like it had been wiped off with a rag that hadn’t been washed or rinsed in days. She could certainly suck it up and eat here, but she wasn’t sure why she should when there were literally dozens of restaurants within a fifty-mile radius.
    “Do you come here a lot?” Rayne decided to answer his question with another question. If he said yes this was definitely a strike against him.
    Dare squirmed in his seat under her steady regard. “Actually I’ve only been here once. I met an informant here about a drug deal.”
    Oookay.
    Looking at the clientele that made sense. Everyone in the joint looked like they