Bad Boy (An Indecent Proposal) - J.C. Reed Page 0,35

What are you having?”

His wife.

As if.

His words had me blushing, so I scanned the seafood. There was so much of everything, it looked like someone had prepared an entire dinner table for a dinner party rather than for just the two of us.

Everything looked so delicious I didn’t know where to start.

“No idea. Maybe everything?” I said.

“Try this.” He picked up a shrimp taco and held it up to my mouth. “It’s spicy.”

I laughed. “My stomach won’t tolerate it.”

“The taste is worth the stomach pain.”

I laughed again, realizing he acted as if nothing had happened between us, even though everything had changed. I stared at him, my heart plummeting as I became aware of how intimate the entire situation was—and how close he had come to tricking my mind into thinking that we could go on with our lives, never talking about what happened.

“Fine. But you’ll wish you had tried it,” he said.

My laugh died on my lips as I watched Chase withdraw his hand and bite into the taco. He took a napkin and wiped off his hands, nodding appreciatively.

“Chase.” I sighed. “Why are you doing this?”

“What? Taking you out for lunch?” he asked. “I’m treating you nicely. It’s the least I can do for you after…” he trailed off, leaving the rest unspoken.

“I meant this.” I motioned to the air between us. “Acting like nothing happened.”

He shrugged. “I’m making a fresh start.”

I let the thought sink in for a moment. Grabbing a fork, I started to pop food into my mouth, barely registering the taste.

“You haven’t even started to explain your motives, and you already expect me to give you a second chance?” I asked casually. “Wake up, Chase. It’s not going to happen. It won’t work out.”

“It won’t work out that I spill my motives, or it won’t work out between us?”

Argh.

What was it with this man and his inability to keep a conversation on track?

“Both, obviously,” I said dryly.

“I was just asking,” he said.

“I thought it was all pretty clear.”

“Not to me.” He moved his chair to sit closer to me. “You mind?”

I did.

Very much.

The last thing I needed from him was to touch me. To fool me. To remind me that things weren’t over—not in my heart anyway.

“Go ahead.” I shrugged, as though his proximity didn’t faze me.

“I didn’t plan this,” he started. “I didn’t plan to like you, Laurie. You see, in my line of work, you have to be hard and unattached.”

“Work?” I asked slowly, my pulse speeding up. “What line of work are we talking about?”

God, my heart was beating real hard. I popped another shrimp into my mouth as I considered his words.

Hard and unattached.

Jude already said that Chase was no actor, so what was he?

Somehow, I couldn’t imagine Chase being anything but an actor. Even a porn star would do. Or maybe he was a criminal who had to stay away from all emotional entanglements.

On a second thought, he probably was a crook, considering…

“Law,” he said casually, interrupting my thoughts.

My breath hitched, and suddenly I had the terrible vision of me choking on a shrimp and that he’d have to perform the Heimlich while everyone was watching, maybe even cheering for him. And then he’d save my life, and I’d owe him for all eternity.

For real.

“What did you say?” I had never felt so faint in my life.

He wiped his fingers on his napkin, then fished out his wallet to retrieve a business card, which he slid across the table toward me.

“I’m a lawyer, Laurie,” he said matter-of-factly.

“You’re a fucking lawyer?” I asked agog, staring at his card.

Of course, that made sense. If someone knew how to pull a stunt like he had while playing within the constraints of the law, then definitely someone who knew the law.

“Your lawyer.”

My heart skidded to a halt. He leaned forward, whispering, “Or how else do you think I was able to bail you out, all without a trial?”

He had a good point. All of a sudden, I could imagine him in there, asking for evidence, talking about my rights. Oh my god, he probably was really good at it.

Sexy as hell in his tailored suit and with those burning eyes.

A lawyer!

Who would have thought?

A man of the law. Someone to fight for justice. And he tricked me into marrying him.

For selfish reasons.

Without meaning to, I started to laugh, the onset of hysteria bubbling at the back of my throat.

“What’s so funny?” His voice was still calm, but carried the slightest hint of irritation.

“You,