Chapter Twenty-Nine
If Chance had had an assault rifle pointed at his nuts, he wouldn’t have been able to come up with Jane’s explanation. “Wait— what?”
Even as that fell out of his mouth, stuttering through what felt like a mouthful of cotton, he knew there were better things he should’ve said. But his brain wasn’t connecting the dots in a meaningful way. The nerve endings that should’ve conveyed a response did nothing.
Jane had sunburn. The most painful he’d come across. Burns and blisters sucked. He didn’t deny that. But so the fuck what? They went away and had nothing on the woman. Inside and out. Because, again, gun to his nuts, he’d swear the truth. Jane made his dick jump to attention.
“You’re…” Hot. Sexy. Lush. Sexy. Sexy. Fucking sexy again. More than that, Chance wanted to tell her that she was wrong, and even if she weren’t, he didn’t care.
She wiped a rogue tear. “Don’t.”
His heart twisted. She was beautiful. But so fucking what?
That wasn’t what made his cock jump in his goddamn jeans.
She was smart and strong with a lot of sass behind deceptively innocent eyes.
Jane was sweet and caring. And braver than he could comprehend.
He swallowed hard. “I can come up with a hundred thousand reasons why you’re incredible. ”
“I look like a freak.”
“Yeah, okay. So you say. I disagree.”
Her gaze flitted away. “Even if I wasn’t—” She lurched back. “Oh, God. Come on. I mean, I’m shedding on you.”
He laughed.
“Do not laugh at me.”
“Jane—”
“You don’t get it.” She shook her head. “If I wasn’t burnt to a crisp, smelling like a medicinal coconut, aloe—”
“For the fucking record, you smell like a flower.”
Her brow furrowed as if he’d started singing in Greek.
“Compared to you, I’m plain—” Her eyes widened, then she nodded as if she’d finally uncovered a secret.
“Plain Jane. I normally blend in, except when I finally stand out, I’m like a flaky…
” She gestured. “A flaky something red. Apple. Or, lobster.”
“Kind of a cute lobster.”
She slugged him in the chest.
Chance caught her hand between his palms and held her fists to his sternum. “Careful there, Mary Poppins. I’m not sure I trust myself around you if you want to get physical.”
She gasped, half-heartedly yanking her arm, but he held firm. He could feel her pulse thunder under his palm, and Chance didn’t know what he was doing, but he didn’t plan to let her go just yet.
His day had been a rollercoaster. At the first souk, Chance decided he’d never been more drawn to a woman.
But, by the last souk, he knew they couldn’t have a future.
Their jobs kept them on opposite sides of the globe.
No matter what her opinion of the Thanes, she cared about that boy.
It was crazy and unfair that he wondered whether or not she might leave Teddy while she wrapped silk fabric around his stomach.
The driver slowed in front of the restaurant Chance had planned for dinner. It didn’t cater to tourists but still had the splash that the city was known for. The sedan came to a stop. His thumb caressed her wrist before he released her hand. “Hungry?”
“I’m not sure.”
He chuckled. “That’s a better answer than no.” The driver opened his door. Chance stepped into the heat and waited for Jane to join him.
Tentatively, she stepped out. He offered her his arm, and when she took it, he led her through an opulent arched doorway, and he held the door open for her. “Want to get a drink first?”
“I could use one.”
She excused herself to the bathroom while Chance spoke with the hostess. When Jane returned, he led her to an elevator, which took them to a rooftop bar.
The bar was more crowded than he expected, but he found a small table next to the glass rail that overlooked a bustling market below as the orange sun melted against the horizon.
A server greeted them, offering the drink list, and introducing himself as Sagar.
Jane looked it over after Sagar departed. “What are you having?”
He skipped the cocktails and perused the extensive beer list. “I don’t know.”
Sagar returned, and Jane handed him her drink list. “I’d like to try a great beer that’s not readily available in the US.”
Sagar’s interest had been piqued. “Would you consider a flight that would meet your request?”
Chance grinned, raising his eyebrows. “I’m good with that if you are.”
“That’s perfect.”
“Sweet.” He flipped the menu over. “What about something to eat before dinner?”
Jane nodded. “I’m good with whatever.”
“Yeah, but what do you want?” He nudged her drink list closer to her. “Other than the moutabal sitti, because I’m not leaving this place without trying it.”
She rolled her lips together, smiling as she reviewed the menu. “And the labneh with mint.”
“Nice choice.” Chance nodded and thanked Sagar. Once they were alone, he admitted, “I pegged you as a fruity cocktail girl.”
Her eyebrows arched as she playfully shook her head. “You’d be wrong.”
“So I keep learning.”
Jane rolled her lips tightly and then laughed. “When I first met you, there was a small chance.” She pinched her fingers together. “That I thought you were wrong a lot.”
“Shocking.”
“I thought you couldn’t tell,” Jane laughed and brushed her hair back. “What else have you been wrong about?”
He snorted. “When you’re around, I’m starting to think everything.”
Their flight of beer arrived and cut off her response. Chance let his attention linger on her before appraising the small glasses that rested on a skinny wooden plate. The beer samples were arranged in color from lightest to darkest.
“You choose first.” He waited as she picked the lightest beer. He selected its opposite; the darkest sample. “Cheers to those who have seen us at our worst and our best but can’t tell the difference.”
The corners of her eyes tightened, and she waited a beat. “Cheers.”
His lips quirked, and then they sipped the beers. After trying the other samples, they agreed that Sagar had done right by them.
The cold mezze plates arrived, and their conversation died as they devoured the dishes.
“Guess I was hungrier than I realized,” Jane admitted with a laugh. “And it was delicious. All of this is so… amazing.”
“A little trendier than my style.” He shrugged. “But I couldn’t do this all the time like you.”
“Me?”
“You know. Living life with the Thanes. Everything perfect and just, I don’t know—” he snapped, “arrives when you want it.”
“That’s how you picture my life?”
He chuckled. “The Thanes are as close to royalty as Americans can get.”
“Oh, no.” Her nose wrinkled. “Their lifestyle is way out-there, but it’s not for me. I’m more of a homebody.”
A homebody he met in Syria…
Jane tilted her head. “What’s that look?”
“I’m a bit of one too.”
She leaned forward and dropped her voice. “Want to know a secret?”
“Always.”
“During the summer, Teddy and I sit in the backyard when the sun goes down, and we watch the fireflies.”
“Nice.” Chance wondered how hard Liam’s global commute was. “Why’s that a secret?”
“If he’s up late, Dax and Gigi would prefer he attend events with paparazzi and photo lines.”
Teddy’s parents were first-class douche canoes. “I’d watch fireflies with you guys.”
A sweet grin curled on her lips. “Wouldn’t that be crazy?”
He finished the last swig of a beer, thinking it wouldn’t be that crazy.
Wistfully, she glanced over the glass rail.
The sun had sunk behind the horizon, painting the sky a deep orangish-red that wouldn’t last. It deepened the red of her dress and warmed the lightness of her hair.
He wouldn’t have noticed the light at any other time.
But now, her sunset-cloaked image burned into his memory. “What should we do tomorrow?”
She met his gaze. “I’m leaving tomorrow.”
Oh, right. Here today, gone tomorrow. Likely never to cross paths again.
“So…” He didn’t know what should happen next.
Asking her to go home with him seemed like the obvious and cliché thing to do.
Plus, Chance was certain she’d demur. He didn’t blame her.
There was something odd about a one-night stand with a woman he wanted to see again. “Do you need to head back?”
“Not necessarily.”
What the hell did that mean? Was that a vague way of asking to go back to his place? Chance leaned closer and whispered, “I don’t know what the hell that means, Mary Poppins.”
Her eyes brightened, and she mimicked his behavior. “You don’t have to babysit me all day and night. I’m sure you have things to do.”
Wait. What? “Do you always put others before yourself? Or only when I’m around? Because I can’t tell if you’re—”
Her shoulders stiffened. “I’m a nanny.”
“That’s a job. Not who you are.”
“Sometimes that’s not true. Look at you—”
“Me?”
She bit her bottom lip. “Why do you have your job?”
“Easy. Because I feel a sense of duty.”
Jane smiled as though Chance had walked into her trap. “A lot of jobs could fulfill a sense of duty. But you live where the job says. I bet you only socialize with your teammates. Unless there’s a woman you meet on the job—”
“I never meet women on the job—present company excluded.” He held her gaze until she pulled away.
“You are your job, too.”
He pursed his lips, knowing that his fuckin’ job was keeping him from whisking her off this rooftop bar and into his bedroom. She wouldn’t be a one-night stand if not for Aces. Chance pulled his bottom lip into his mouth, frustrated and not wanting to admit defeat. But she’d made her point.
Abruptly, he stood and tossed his napkin on the table. “Let’s go.”
Carefully, Jane folded her napkin and placed it on the table, then pushed out of her chair.
He moved close enough to rest his hands on her hips and yank her close.
Instead, he shoved his fists into his pockets, refusing to step back.
His heart thudded, knowing that only a few inches of space remained between her warm, soft body and his.
Jane angled her head back to meet his gaze. “Where are we going?”
A server brushed by. They stepped out of the way, and Chance seized the excuse to rest his hand on the small of her back. “Hell if I know.”
Then without another word, he guided her across the rooftop bar. A hot wind blew over them. Flowering vines lined their path to the elevators. Their thick green leaves rustled.
She stopped and turned. “What are we doing?”
That was one hell of a loaded question, and far harder to answer than where they were going.
Except, Chance knew the answer. He’d been falling for her.
That was the truth, whether it was a good idea or not.
“No idea.” Which was an absolute lie, but he followed it up with the God’s honest truth. “But I’m not ready to stop.”