Page 13 of Stars and Scars

“Yes, of course, but I’ll have to abstain.” Easton runs a hand over her rounded belly.

“That makes two of us,” Lexi adds, grinning ear to ear. “You’re lucky, Avery. You can drink again already.”

“Did somebody mention bubbly?”

All our gazes draw to Ryker, who is still wearing gym clothes. He wipes his hands on a small white towel and hangs it around his neck. Ryker walks up to Griff and they do their signature hand slide/fist bump handshake.

“Oh, hey, Gray is here. Is he finally going to earn his keep?”

“Nice to see you too, Ryker. Come back when you can’t stay as long.”

Laughter rolls through the room.

“Yeah, real funny,” Ryker says. “You want me to pour you a glass?”

I shake my head. “I’ve got to drive soon.”

“You drive like shit anyway, Gray. Anyone who looks at that beat up Jeep of yours knows it.”

I chuckle, and then turn to Charlotte. My heart quickens when our gazes meet. If she’s going to have this effect on me all the time, it’s going to be hard to do my job. Very hard.

“Are you ready to go?”

She nods, waving goodbye to the group, and I hold the door open for her. We both squint in the afternoon sunlight as it lances down from the sky.

“Did you drive yourself up here?”

“Yes. I have the Lexus over there.”

“It will be fine in the lot. Let’s take my Jeep.”

She looks from her sleek, fancy car to my beat up old Jeep.

“Why? What’s wrong with my car?”

“The Order knows what you drive, so we take the Jeep.”

Her lips tighten up, and I can tell she wants to argue. To her credit, she doesn’t give in to temptation. I guess she knows that I’m right, even if she doesn’t want to admit it.

I go to open the door for her, but it sticks. Cursing, I slam my shoulder into the door panel a few times and give it another try. This time the door opens.

She keeps her face carefully neutral as she climbs into the passenger seat. I try not to be distracted by the sinuous way she moves. The aqua yoga pants cladding her legs show every exquisite curve in amazing detail.

This is bad. I’m too attracted to her. Why couldn’t I have gotten an ugly ass old producer as my first gig for Platinum Security? I promised Jax I wouldn’t ruin the firm’s reputation, but Charlotte is going to be a distraction. Period.

I move around the front of the jeep and get into the driver’s side. As I yank down the seat belt across my body, I remind myself to be the portrait of cool professionalism. I will not talk to her unless it’s necessary. I will not get comfortable with her. And I will most certainly not flirt with her.

I repeat this to myself like a mantra as I put the Jeep in gear. We rumble out of the lot and onto the road, angling for the highway. I glance over at Charlotte. Her expression is grim, but that might just be because we’re driving into the sun.

“The Order is probably just using your name to get attention for itself. It’s entirely possible you’re not in any danger at all.”

“Yeah,” she replies, without even looking at me.

I suck at being reassuring. I have to get better at it. It’s part of the job.

“Look, these kinds of people are not professionals. I’ll see them coming a mile away.”

“Okay.”

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