Fight Like You've Never Lost (Summer Lake #14) - S.J. McCoy Page 0,12
thoughts?”
He had to smile. He wasn’t, but she was smart, she’d picked up on his hesitation.
He caught hold of her hand and brought it up to his lips. “No way. I was just figuring out that since you’re a lady, I should treat you as such.”
She raised an eyebrow.
“You know, buy you a drink. Get to know each other better.”
She laughed. “You need a shot of Dutch courage? Sure, let’s go get a drink.”
She was tough. He had to give her that. Part of him wanted to tell her that he’d only been thinking of her. But it wasn’t true. He didn’t need a drink, but he did want to get to know her better before he undressed her and got to know that body.
When they got to the bar, he was pleased but not surprised to find an empty booth in the back—it was only mid-afternoon. He waited for her to take a seat and then slid in beside her.
She gave him a puzzled look, no doubt having expected him to sit opposite. He rested his hand on her thigh and winked. “What? You thought I was going to keep my distance?” He slid his hand a little higher and was pleased to see a hint of pink on her cheeks. “I told you. I want to get to know you better first.”
He turned when the server appeared behind him. “What can I get you, guys?”
Ryan looked at Leanne, wondering what a girl like her would order.
“A Jack Daniels, please.”
“Neat?”
She nodded.
“Make that two,” said Ryan.
Once the guy had gone, he smiled at her. “Are you a whiskey kind of girl or are you the one in need of a shot of Dutch courage?”
She laughed. “I’m a whiskey kind of girl—though, generally speaking, I don’t do shots. I prefer to take my time and savor.”
He let his gaze rove over her before he answered. “Good to know. Me, too.”
She shifted away from him and leaned back against the wall. “What else do I need to know about you, Mr. Ryan Brady?”
He raised an eyebrow. This was where things got difficult. Women always wanted to know your story, and he didn’t like to tell. Why hadn’t he just taken her straight back to his place? “What do you want to know, Miss Leanne Miller?”
She smiled. “Well, that’s good. You know my name, at least.”
He nodded. “I do. And I don’t mind admitting that I also know that you’re a law student …”
The server came back and set their drinks down.
“You’re taking this cryptography class because you’re interested in IP law.”
“Correct.” She smiled. “And you’re not an anything student. You’re only here for the cryppie class.”
He smiled back at her. “So, Dan wasn’t kidding when he said he was sick of us asking him about each other?”
She chuckled. “Apparently not. And there I was thinking I’d only dropped the occasional innocent question here and there.”
Ryan took a sip of his whiskey. “If it’s any consolation, Dan’s a lot more perceptive than he makes out.” He gave her a rueful smile. “I thought I’d been subtle, too. And I’m a master at getting information out of people without them knowing it.”
Damn. Why had he said that? Her smile looked more hesitant now.
“Why’s that?” she asked.
He shrugged. “Probably just a hangover from the way I grew up.”
That seemed to satisfy her. And it wasn’t a lie. It wasn’t the whole truth, but it wasn’t a lie. She sipped her whiskey. “And what do you do at the bank that has you needing to take a cryptography class?”
He chuckled. “Security?”
She rolled her eyes. “Well, duh! I figured that much … so, what don’t you want to tell me?”
He shrugged. “Either it’s boring as hell or it’s top secret and I’d have to shoot you if I told you. You decide.”
She laughed. “I think it’s probably the former, but I’ll choose to believe the latter.” To his surprise, she rested her hand on his thigh. “It’s sexier.”
If only she knew. He knocked back the rest of his drink.
“Are you in a hurry all of a sudden? I thought we were here for a few—or have you decided that you’d better seal the deal now before I figure out that you’re just a boring banker who happens to work out a lot?”
He had to laugh. “I’m in no hurry.” He caught the server’s eye and held up two fingers before turning back to Leanne. “Are you?”
He had to close his eyes when her hand moved farther up