Justice Inked (Cowboy Justice Association 7) (11 page)

Camy fidgeted in her seat. “I’m not like you. I actually care what people think about me.”

“Don’t let Mom and Dad hear you say that,” Rayne warned. “They didn’t raise us like that but I think you’re brave to admit it.”

Camy laughed nervously as the waitress slapped their cheese fries in the middle of the table.

“I’ll never tell and you better not either. You won’t, will you?”

Rayne made a pretend “X” over her heart like when they were children. “Your secret is safe with me but these cheese fries aren’t. I’m going to demolish them and you’re going to help. Damn the diet, sis.”

They munched away at the gooey cheese and fried goodness, chatting about the upcoming holidays. Rayne had gone home to San Francisco last year but she doubted she’d be able to get away again, as busy as the shop had been lately.

She’d stuffed a huge mouthful of fries and cheese in her mouth when the front door of the bar swung open and Dare Turner strode through it, his usual surly expression in place. Despite his grouchy demeanor Rayne could see almost every single girl in the joint perk up, retouching their lipstick and smoothing their hair. He was a sexy devil but still a demon. She hadn’t been in the best of moods since he’d left the other night. Getting kissed within an inch of her life and then having the gentleman not want to do it again wasn’t what she called a terrific Saturday evening.

Choking on her snack, Rayne held a napkin up to her lips as her gaze met Dare’s. He simply stood there for a long moment before turning toward the bar and ordering a drink.

Camy’s eyes were wide as she took in the spectacle. “Um…that was interesting. Is there something you want to tell me?”

Not a single, solitary thing. Camy would blow the entire situation – such as it was – out of all proportion and make it into something it wasn’t.

“Not particularly. Dare’s been ducking my calls about the break-in and he probably feels guilty or something.”

“Or something,” Camy echoed, her gaze on Dare as he joined the men in the back of the bar playing pool, his jeans stretched over his taut ass as he bent over to take a shot. “If I wasn’t a married woman, I’d go for him.”

“He’s hot,” Rayne conceded. “But he’s kind of unpleasant to be around. He’s always growling at people like every day is his worst on earth.”

Camy shrugged and dug another fry from the cooling cheese. “He does have a tough job but I’ve seen him be nice.”

Nice and happy were two different things. Rayne wasn’t sure she could be with a man that was as sad – or mad – as Dare was all the time.

“Did he smile?”

“Well…no. I don’t think I’ve actually seen him smile but I’m sure that he does. Maybe when he’s alone.”

“That’s not a creepy thought at all, sis. Dare sitting by himself grinning like the Joker in
Batman
.”

“All I’m saying is you could do worse. He seems like the kind of guy that wouldn’t cheat on you or hit you or anything.”

Rayne knocked back the last of her wine. “I hope my standards for a man are a little higher than someone who won’t slap me around and screw my friends. That bar shouldn’t be that hard to clear, honestly.”

“And yet, it is,” Camy sighed. “Remember Paul? I think he slept with every girl in my study group.”

Of all Camy’s loser boyfriends, Paul had been particularly loathsome. He’d even made a pass at Rayne one night at a family party.

Asshat.

“Paul was a jerk, plain and simple. He seemed to revel in it too. He enjoyed cheating on women and being an asshole. There’s a whole lot of screwed up inside him, that’s all I’m saying. The fact is, I shouldn’t have to beg a guy not to be a horndog. Is that too much to ask?”

Camy patted Rayne on the hand and gave her a sympathetic smile. “It shouldn’t be but it can be. Some guys just never grow up. Everything is a party. The real challenge is telling between the boys and the men. That’s the hard part.”

Dare was one of the men, of that Rayne was sure of. But there was no way she was going to chase after him. He’d made his position clear on Saturday night.

He wasn’t interested. Period.

Chapter Twelve

“A
re you okay to drive, Rayne?”

Dare’s large hand pressed over hers as she pulled on the door handle of her car, his touch sending a streak of heat through her veins and a tremble to her knees. She’d spent the last hour and a half trying not to watch him, and doing a pretty decent job, but now here he was talking to her in the deserted parking lot of the bar. Not another soul around as she’d parked on the outskirts to keep anyone from door dinging her rather new vehicle.

“I’m fine. I had one glass of wine and then I drank water. Are you okay to drive?”

With his massive body mass he could probably drink a hell of a lot more than she could and still stay under the limit.

“I could use a ride home. If you’re offering.”

She hadn’t expected that answer. Was she offering? If she didn’t give him a ride home there were others inside that could, but it would be churlish to refuse. She didn’t hate Dare after all. It was just embarrassing that he’d kissed her and never wanted to do it again.

“Sure. Get in.”

Rayne didn’t bother to turn around, his nearness making it hard to take a deep breath. Instead, she climbed into the driver’s side on trembling legs while he punched something into his phone before swinging in beside her. Suddenly she wished she’d purchased a giant SUV instead of the low-slung fire engine red coupe. Dare was sitting a scant few inches away and she could smell his cologne and feel the warmth coming off of his skin.

It was the last thing she wanted. The sooner she dropped him off at home the better off she’d be.

Starting up the car, she flipped on the heater and backed out of the space before turning onto the main road. She kept her eyes forward but couldn’t help but take a quick glance as his profile. He appeared relaxed, content almost, if not happy. Whatever alcohol he’d consumed must have done the job.

“Is this new?”

His question pulled her out of her reverie and she shook her head as if to shake away the cobwebs. “I’m sorry. What’s new?”

“The car,” Dare explained, sniffing the air. “It has that new car smell.”

It certainly did and Rayne loved it. It was the first new car she’d ever purchased. All the others had been used, and she couldn’t help but feel the thrill of ownership whenever she drove her new baby.

“It is new. Less than a month old. My old car needed to be put out of its misery.”

“It’s pretty but not very practical.”

Was he talking about the car or Rayne? Probably both, she conceded.

“I didn’t want practical. I wanted sexy.”

“You got it then. Do you know where I live?”

Rayne laughed at the question. “Everyone knows where you live. The town isn’t that big.”

“I guess not. I appreciate the ride home, by the way.”

Shit, he was being nice. She didn’t want him to be nice. If he was an asshole this whole drive would be much easier.

“Just how many did you have?”

“A few too many. Not enough that I’m drunk but enough that my reflexes are slightly slower. I have to set a good example for the town.”

He stretched out his long legs and she had to concentrate to keep her attention firmly on the road and not on those muscular thighs.

“I’m sure you do. How are you going to get your truck in the morning?”

Shit, she needed to keep her mouth shut or she’d be dragging her ass out of bed tomorrow extra early to give him another ride.

“Billy or Sophie can bring me back for it. It’s not a big deal.”

She turned onto his street and then into his driveway. The two-story home with an inviting front porch was dark, as were most of the houses on the street. Sane people were already in bed, which is where Rayne should have been over an hour ago.

“Thank you. I appreciate the ride.”

Dare’s fingers were on the handle but he didn’t move to get out of the car.

“No problem. Have a good evening.”

Get out. Move along. Nothing to see here.

“Listen, I think we need to talk about the other night.”

It was the last thing she wanted to do. Rehashing how he hadn’t enjoyed kissing her was pretty low on her to-do list. If anything, it was an absolute to-don’t.

“I don’t think that’s a good idea. Maybe we should just forget about it.”

His hand captured her own and he was suddenly even closer than before, leaning toward her over the console in the middle. “I seem to be having trouble with that part. I’ve been thinking about it since it happened. Are you doing any better?”

“You didn’t have any trouble running out the door after it happened,” Rayne snapped, unable to keep a lid on all the emotions that had been torturing her the last few days.

“I…regret leaving the way I did. I didn’t plan on kissing you and I sure as hell didn’t plan on liking it was much as I did.”

She wasn’t sure she believed him.

“You didn’t act like you enjoyed it. I asked if you wanted to do it again.”

“I did want to, but I’d acted so incredibly fucking stupid about Sophie’s tat that I was embarrassed. I figured you wouldn’t want me to kiss you again.”

So he had wanted to. If she were brutally honest with herself she wanted to do it again as well. She’d been distracted and there was really only one cure. More Dare. It was almost laughable when she thought about it. They were complete opposites. Two people that should never be together, but damn if that kiss hadn’t lit something inside of her that she hadn’t felt in a long time. Too long. She wanted to feel it once more.

Rayne sucked in a breath and gathered her courage. What was the worst that could happen?

Deep, grinding humiliation with a side of Oh my God, why did I do that? She’d have to move, leave Valley Station. Maybe even change her name. Possible plastic surgery to modify her appearance. She could talk to Presley about witness protection.

“You could kiss me now.”

She couldn’t help herself. She was a romantic at heart and the thought of making this giant man smile or even laugh was too heady to pass up no matter what the cost.

Dare leaned in until his lips were just millimeters from her own. He could probably hear the wild thumping of her heart and the whoosh of blood singing through her veins. His hand cupped her chin as his other arm slid around her waist to land on the small of her back, right under her jacket.

When his mouth touched her own it was as if she had been struck by a stray lightning bolt, and the sensation sizzled through her limbs until her fingers and toes tingled. His probing tongue brought a heat that settled in her belly and she clung to his shoulders as the universe spun around them. She lost herself in that kiss, her eyes tightly shut to keep out all the thoughts of why she shouldn’t be doing this. It wasn’t smart or wise and it was probably going to end badly but dammit, she needed this. Just one more. Like a junkie with her next fix, she wanted Dare’s lips on her own.

So amazingly good.

When he finally pulled back, his breathing was ragged and his blue eyes were dark with passion. He might not want to like the kiss but he did anyway. There was something between the two of them that simply could not be denied.

“That was good.” Dare’s voice was low and gravelly as if he’d just woken up. “Real good.”

“Yep. Good,” she echoed, not knowing what else to say.

She stared out of the car window for a few moments waiting for him to speak…say something. Anything.

“What do you think we should do about this?” he asked, his gaze trained on his hands which were fiddling with his house keys that he’d dug out of his pocket at some point. “I mean, do you think we should do it again?”

I don’t think I can help myself.

“You mean like a relationship? Like dating?”

The thought of getting to kiss him whenever she wanted, and perhaps even do more made her stomach twist into nervous knots. Happy, nervous knots though. The idea wasn’t an unpleasant one, which came as a shock. A week ago she’d been cursing his name and now she was contemplating letting him have use of her girl parts. It was a quick turnaround.

“Yeah, maybe like dating, I guess. Would you go on a date with me if I asked?”