Page 26 of Back in Black

For him, there was a fine line between bold enough to be sexy, and so brazen that it became a turnoff. Courage from drink was always a pain in the ass. And he couldn’t abide kissing women who tasted like an ashtray.

Audrey Porter, with her moral crusade, intrigued rather than annoyed. Brett liked women dolled up or dressed down. He liked it when they fussed with their nails and makeup, and when they went natural. He liked them sexy in short dresses and comfortable in worn jeans.

Until he set eyes on Audrey and knew that she pushed every single one of his buttons, he’d never really thought about preferences.

Just as the lady down the way sidled up to Brett, determined to strike up a conversation, a small car pulled up to the curb. Beneath the light of a street lamp, Brett could see Audrey in the passenger seat. Tonight she had her hair in a high ponytail and thin gold hoops in her earlobes.

Anticipation sparked in his gut and before the hopeful woman vying for his attention could get a word out, Brett said to her, “Excuse me,” and went to the car to open Audrey’s door for her.

Behind the wheel, Millie waved to him. When she was smiling and happy, she really was cute, Brett thought.

“Hello, ladies,” he said. “Looks like you just beat the storm.”

Audrey stared at him with nervousness, and that endeared her to him even more. She didn’t say anything, just froze with her hands on the seat belt latch.

Brett leaned in and unhooked it for her. “I see you hitched a ride.”

“My car is being serviced,” she blurted out. “New tires, long overdue. I thought I’d have to cancel, but Millie was nice enough to chauffeur me.”

“Not a problem,” Millie said. “I was going out anyway. What time should I come back for her?”

Audrey started to reply, but Brett beat her to it. “How about I bring her home and save you the trouble? We really don’t know how long we’ll be, and I’d hate to interrupt your plans.”

“You wouldn’t be interrupting,” Millie told him. “I’m just meeting at a restaurant with some friends. I’ll be in the neighborhood anyway—”

Brett took Audrey’s arm and urged her out of the car. “But hey, if it works out, I might be able to talk Audrey into staying late.” Now with her standing at his side, he put his hand to the small of her back. Even through her jacket and sweater, he felt the vitality of her. “What do you say, Audrey? Okay if I drive you home?”

Put on the spot, she stalled, then nodded. “Sure. That should be fine. Thank you.”

Millie asked, “Are you sure?”

Brett didn’t know if he should be amused or annoyed. If either of them really considered him untrustworthy, why accept his invitation in the first place?

“I’m sure.” Audrey leaned down. “Thanks again, Millie. See you tomorrow?”

“Noon. I’ll be there.” When Brett shut the door, she gave a friendly wave and put the car back in gear.

Audrey shivered in the brisk wind, giving Brett the perfect excuse to pull her protectively against his side. “Where did spring go?” he asked her as he led them inside.

“The weather report said it’s just a temporary cold front. It should be nice again by Wednesday.” She wore a puffy down jacket with skinny jeans, black ankle boots, and a black turtleneck. Her fair skin and blonde hair made a striking contrast against the dark sweater.

She hadn’t exactly piled on the makeup, but Brett could see a hint of lip gloss and her lashes looked darker, longer, surrounding her deep brown eyes.

When she cleared her throat, he realized that he stood there staring down at her.

“Is there a place for us to put our coats?”

Shaking himself, Brett grinned. “Yeah, sorry.” He helped her out of her jacket and, along with his, gave it to the coat check. “I got distracted looking at you.”

“Why?” She put her palms to her cheeks. “Is something wrong?”

“Not a thing.” Running a hand along her ponytail, Brett took in the sleek softness . . . he’d love to see her hair fanned out on his pillow as he made love to her. “You look terrific tonight.”

Her shy smile flickered. “Thanks.” Indicating her jeans, she said, “I wasn’t sure what to wear, but I figured jeans went everywhere.”

Because he couldn’t help himself, Brett put his hands on her slim waist. “On you, jeans look especially sexy.”

Her eyes widened, but she didn’t move away.

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