Page 31 of Date with a Devil
“Liar,” Austen said, forcing a giggle. “I know it’s in your pocket. C’mon, show me.”
Is she seriously jealous right now?Dane wondered, amused.
He opened the back door of the SUV and held it open for Austen. “Come on. Get in.”
But Austen refused to get in. She stood with her hand held out. “Just let me read it. I want to see what girls say to Dane DeHardt when he’s out on the town. It’d make for great TV. She wants to be on TV, right? Well, here’s her chance. Let’s read the note for the camera.”
“There’s no note, Austen.”
“Oh my God, you’re such a bad liar,” she teased. But her anxious laughter made it obvious that she was bothered.
Truth was, ever since Austen downed a martini, she’d had a harder time staying in her bubbly TV personality. A single martini was all it took to make her cheeks all pink and flushed. She’d regret it tomorrow, once she viewed the interview tape and realized that she let Dane openly talk shit on her moron boss—but that wasn’t Dane’s problem. He was just glad Austen finally dropped the act and acted a little more genuine.
Even if her genuine selfwasa little jealous and crazy.
Dane motioned at the car. “Get in already, will ya?”
“Not until you let me see the note she slipped you.”
“She didn’t slip me any note!” Dane lied. “And even if she did, who cares?”
“Ah-ha!So you admit it!”
“I didn’t admit anything. I’m just saying,ifshe did it, would it really be that big of a deal?”
“A waitress shouldn’t flirt with guys and give them her number when he’salready on a datewith another girl.”
“This isn’t a real date, remember?”
“So? You really believe she wouldn’t do that to someone else’s boyfriend or husband, if she thought he was hot? That’s not right. I have half a mind to go complain to her manager. I could be saving someone else’s relationship.”
Austen made a beeline back to the restaurant.
In two giant strides, Dane caught up with her and blocked her path. “You want to get some poor girl fired over this? Over something that you don’t even know for sure happened?”
“No, I just want to see what she wrote. Show me the note and I won’t complain.”
Dane groaned. “Babe, come on! There’s no note. You’re being crazy.”
“Once again, don’t call me cutesy pet names like that. I’m not your babe.”
“Yeah? Well, you’reactinglike you’re my babe, so which is it?” He put his hands on her sides and walked her back to the car himself. “Just please get in. Our time is up and I wanna go home. We play Colorado tomorrow and I need my rest.”
With a sigh, Austen finally gave up the fight and slid into the backseat of the car. Her crew climbed in and the car sped off for Dane’s house.
It was a short drive, less than five minutes. The ride was quiet, but not without tension.
Dane smiled. He knew what it meant when a girl acted as jealously as Austen had. She wanted him. And hell, he wanted her. She just needed a small push.
The car pulled into his driveway. Dane and Austen exchanged pleasantries to wrap up the shoot.
Dane extended his hand for a shake. “Well, hey. Thanks for the interview.”
But when she gave him her hand, he pulled her closer and whispered into her ear.
“Pst.Wanna come inside?”
But Austen pulled away and said, loudly, “I had fun, too. Have a good night, Dane.”
