If We Dare - J.H. Croix Page 0,17

her. Casting about in my mind, I couldn’t put my finger on what was unsettling her so. I’d seen Jade handle assholes at Lost Deer Bar on more than one occasion. But something about this situation wasn’t comfortable for her, and I didn’t like seeing her like this.

“Do you want to go back to our room?” I asked, leaning down to whisper in her ear.

She shook her head. “No, let’s just get a table.”

Keeping my arm around her waist, I guided her away from the bar. Only to have that asshole’s voice follow us. “You might as well take the drink. I already ordered it, so I have to pay for it.”

“I’m not taking his drink,” Jade whispered with her teeth clenching.

Glancing over my shoulder, I shook my head. “She doesn’t want your drink. Drop it.”

Just when I thought he was actually going to persist, another woman approached the bar, and his attention was redirected.

With Jade’s warm, albeit tense, body pressed against my side, we walked across the restaurant. I spied a table in the corner and snagged it. Pulling out a chair, I waited until Jade was seated before sitting down across from her. Her expression had softened, and that hint of fear I’d seen was replaced with annoyance.

“I hate guys like him. One thing that’s nice about being a bartender is I can make sure idiots like him don’t take advantage of anyone,” she said. She must’ve seen the confusion on my face. “It may sound paranoid, but it’s not that unusual for guys to buy drinks to spike them first with one of those date rape drugs before handing it over because they can’t get laid on their own merits.”

It’s not as if I hadn’t heard of that before, but still, it was shocking to consider. After a beat, I said, “I’ve heard about that. Can’t say I like having to think about it much. I do appreciate the way you frame it. On their merits.”

“Well, it’s true. They actually include that in our training at Lost Deer Bar. I’m just a fill-in, and I still had to get the training on that. It’s kind of depressing, but it’s a thing.”

“I suppose so.” Pausing, I reached for her hand, only to find it cold. I gave it a gentle squeeze. “Thanks for coming to the rehearsal dinner.”

Jade smiled and slid her hand out from under mine before drumming her fingertips on the table. She’d painted her nails a deep purple to match her wrap dress. My eyes were drawn to the bright color. I had to force my gaze to return to her face and not linger on the sweet curves of her body on the way up.

A waiter stopped by our table. “Y’all need anything?” he asked politely.

I gestured for Jade to answer. “I’ll take one of those frozen strawberry margaritas. I saw someone with one earlier, and it looked amazing,” she said.

“You got it.” He tapped something in the small computer tablet he held in his hand before his eyes bounced to me.

“I’ll take a scotch on the rocks.”

“Be right back,” he said before striding quickly to the bar.

“Dave and Jenny are a sweet couple,” Jade commented when we were alone again.

I grinned. “I’ll have to tell Dave you described him as sweet. He’ll appreciate that.”

Jade let out a throaty laugh. The sound sent a hot jolt of lust through me. I was reconsidering whether a bolster of pillows between us on the bed would be sufficient. I just might need a cold shower and to sleep on the floor. Even though I’d originally thought some time with Jade would be a good way to burn through my attraction to her, that didn’t seem like a wise plan. There was too much power to it, and Jade was too damn tempting.

“In all seriousness,” I added, looping back to Jade’s comment. “They’re a great couple. I’m happy for Dave and Jenny.”

“Your ex approached me in the ladies room.” Jade’s eyes held a sly gleam.

“Oh God. You’re kidding me, right?”

She shook her head slowly. “God, no. I overheard her talking to some other woman whose name I didn’t catch. I was in the stall, and they didn’t know I was there. Apparently, she thinks Dave’s brother might be cheating on her. She was all upset about it. And, she’s pissy that you brought a date. I guess she thought she might have a chance to talk to you. So when I came out of the stall, I