Truth or Dare by Denise Hunter

Author:Denise Hunter
Language: eng
Format: mobi
Tags: Romance
Published: 2012-11-09T06:00:00+00:00

Chapter 8

Jake rubbed a hand over his face. He couldn’t believe it. All this time he’d thought . . . The harsh words he'd spoken that day played in his mind. He saw the red patches on Brianna's cheeks and knew she was remembering, too.

"Oh, man." He'd had a filthy mouth in those days. "I'm sorry . . ." The words seemed inadequate. She'd meant all those sweet things she'd said, and he'd thrown them right back at her. No wonder she'd been so snippy with him.

"I thought it was just a game. I wanted to put you in your place."

She laughed nervously. "Oh, you did. Believe me, that's the last time I made a move on a man."

He flinched. His apology seemed lame. There was no taking it back. “Let me make it up to you—I’ll take you to your favorite restaurant." What are you doing, Volez?

"You don't have to do that."

"It'd make me feel better. Just pick the place."

She stopped twisting her ring and stared into the kitchen as if the local restaurants were listed on the cabinet doors. "I haven't been to Casablanca's in years—"

"Done. Next Saturday?" Then he remembered the previous Saturday. “If you don’t have plans.”

"Yes. I mean, no, I don't have plans, and next Saturday is fine."

Later that night, he wondered what he'd done. As if he weren't spending enough time with Brianna, now he was taking her to a fancy candlelit restaurant. And his reason for disliking her was gone. Now the attraction he'd been feeling all along had no buffer. Thinking of her as a spoiled princess had been easier. Safer.

Attraction aside, they were wrong for each other. She was born into money, just like his mother had been. He knew all too well what happened when affluence and working class mixed: a bitter explosion. In his father's case, one that lasted year after miserable year.

******

On Monday Brianna ordered more furniture and wallpaper and bought paint for the scuffed walls. She smiled as she recalled the dainty knickknacks that lined every shelf in the cottage. They'd been fine for Aunt Gerdy, but the pieces practically screamed "old lady." Jake had even admitted his brother harassed him about the porcelain tea sets and miniature music boxes. When she'd pressed him for a decision on the figurines, he'd admitted that he'd rather have no knickknacks at all, which would save her hours of shopping. One less thing to do in the limited time that remained.

Her mother had told her they'd be having Jake over for dinner the night before she left, in celebration of his five years with the Circle Q. Given the way Brianna had been feeling toward him lately, she wondered how she'd feel on the eve of her departure.

She wondered where last night's discussion would lead their relationship. Did he feel the same attraction? Was it wise to indulge her feelings when her life was in LA? She didn't want to make a mess of this.

She glanced at the cherry mantle clock.

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