been…dating long.”
Actually, she wasn’t entirely certain that’s what they had been doing. While he’d stopped by the diner and they’d enjoyed a couple of meals together, tonight was the first time he’d actually asked her out.
Of course, there was the sex.
Regina was glad Jax and Megan were engaged in conversation and weren’t looking at her face, which she was afraid might reveal more than she cared to consider.
“Hey, Jax,” Jason said from across the table. “You and Megan have absolutely nothing to talk about.”
Conversation stopped as the younger man looked at his brother.
More awkwardness.
Regina guessed there was a lot more going on within this group than she could ever hope to figure out in a single night. So she resolved not to try.
But Jackson held up his hands, said his goodbyes to Megan, said it was nice to meet her and left the table.
Megan leaned closer. “Never mind all that. Jax’s been angling for a job at Lazarus forever, but Jason doesn’t want him there. Long story.”
Regina smiled at her and took a sip of her beer, searching for a way to change the subject. “He work here?”
“For now, yes.”
Instead, she looked to find Linc rising to his feet. She gazed at him hopefully.
A simple nod of his head told her he was ready to go…
15
L INC COULDN’T HAVE ushered Regina from the bar quickly enough.
What the hell was all that?
If he’d had a clue that any of that would have gone down the way it had, he would never have brought Regina here.
Hell, he wouldn’t have come himself.
His partners might be the closest thing he had to family—except for his aunt, of course—but he wasn’t about to put up with meddling from them.
He handed Regina into the SUV and then rounded the car to get into the driver’s side.
They’d driven in silence for five minutes when Regina said, “Everything all right?”
He glanced at her, taking note of the concern in her eyes, the seriousness of her expression.
Damn. He must look like a mad bull loose on the streets of Pamploma.
He forced himself to relax. “Yeah. Everything’s fine.”
Liar.
Truth was, he was wound up tighter than a major-league pitcher who should have retired years ago.
He put it down to the ambiguity of the situation between him and Regina. So long as Johnson was at large, the criminal would hover over them both, a constant, unwanted presence.
The irony that Johnson was indirectly to credit for his being near her at all was not lost on him.
Neither was the possibility that the felon could be the thing that pulled them apart.
Regina’s soft laugh drew his gaze back to her. “I can practically hear your teeth grinding from here.”
He realized she was right: he was grinding his teeth.
He was surprised at his chuckle. More surprised at the tension that seemed to leach from his muscles at her noticing his state of mind and trying to ease it.
“Where are we going now?” she asked, looking through the window at the road in front of them.
He hadn’t realized he was driving to his apartment until just then.
“My place. I thought I might make us something to eat. You hungry? Or would you rather go out?”
She seemed to consider his words. “I’d like to see your place. Yes, I’m hungry. I work ‘out’ all day, so I’d enjoy a homemade meal.”
He couldn’t seem to look away from her smile. But a warning horn from the driver behind him told him he’d better.
They both laughed.
And just like that, the awkwardness he’d experienced at the the Barracks slipped away. His mind turned to what he could pick up to make for her, wondered what she’d think of his place…and imagined what she’d look like lying bare against his sheets…
L INC’S PLACE WAS comfortable. In fact, it wasn’t all that unlike hers, really—a one-bedroom apartment that held the bare necessities and not much else. Well, except for the mammoth flat-screen TV. Judging by his taste in magazines, and the parts
Actually, she wasn’t entirely certain that’s what they had been doing. While he’d stopped by the diner and they’d enjoyed a couple of meals together, tonight was the first time he’d actually asked her out.
Of course, there was the sex.
Regina was glad Jax and Megan were engaged in conversation and weren’t looking at her face, which she was afraid might reveal more than she cared to consider.
“Hey, Jax,” Jason said from across the table. “You and Megan have absolutely nothing to talk about.”
Conversation stopped as the younger man looked at his brother.
More awkwardness.
Regina guessed there was a lot more going on within this group than she could ever hope to figure out in a single night. So she resolved not to try.
But Jackson held up his hands, said his goodbyes to Megan, said it was nice to meet her and left the table.
Megan leaned closer. “Never mind all that. Jax’s been angling for a job at Lazarus forever, but Jason doesn’t want him there. Long story.”
Regina smiled at her and took a sip of her beer, searching for a way to change the subject. “He work here?”
“For now, yes.”
Instead, she looked to find Linc rising to his feet. She gazed at him hopefully.
A simple nod of his head told her he was ready to go…
15
L INC COULDN’T HAVE ushered Regina from the bar quickly enough.
What the hell was all that?
If he’d had a clue that any of that would have gone down the way it had, he would never have brought Regina here.
Hell, he wouldn’t have come himself.
His partners might be the closest thing he had to family—except for his aunt, of course—but he wasn’t about to put up with meddling from them.
He handed Regina into the SUV and then rounded the car to get into the driver’s side.
They’d driven in silence for five minutes when Regina said, “Everything all right?”
He glanced at her, taking note of the concern in her eyes, the seriousness of her expression.
Damn. He must look like a mad bull loose on the streets of Pamploma.
He forced himself to relax. “Yeah. Everything’s fine.”
Liar.
Truth was, he was wound up tighter than a major-league pitcher who should have retired years ago.
He put it down to the ambiguity of the situation between him and Regina. So long as Johnson was at large, the criminal would hover over them both, a constant, unwanted presence.
The irony that Johnson was indirectly to credit for his being near her at all was not lost on him.
Neither was the possibility that the felon could be the thing that pulled them apart.
Regina’s soft laugh drew his gaze back to her. “I can practically hear your teeth grinding from here.”
He realized she was right: he was grinding his teeth.
He was surprised at his chuckle. More surprised at the tension that seemed to leach from his muscles at her noticing his state of mind and trying to ease it.
“Where are we going now?” she asked, looking through the window at the road in front of them.
He hadn’t realized he was driving to his apartment until just then.
“My place. I thought I might make us something to eat. You hungry? Or would you rather go out?”
She seemed to consider his words. “I’d like to see your place. Yes, I’m hungry. I work ‘out’ all day, so I’d enjoy a homemade meal.”
He couldn’t seem to look away from her smile. But a warning horn from the driver behind him told him he’d better.
They both laughed.
And just like that, the awkwardness he’d experienced at the the Barracks slipped away. His mind turned to what he could pick up to make for her, wondered what she’d think of his place…and imagined what she’d look like lying bare against his sheets…
L INC’S PLACE WAS comfortable. In fact, it wasn’t all that unlike hers, really—a one-bedroom apartment that held the bare necessities and not much else. Well, except for the mammoth flat-screen TV. Judging by his taste in magazines, and the parts
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