Expert Witness: A Romantic Suspense Novel (19 page)

“To be honest, it does feel good. Well, except for the water and sand in my tennis shoes. My favorite tennis shoes, might I add.” She directed a mock frown at him and shook her head. “You’re right though. Being here, I can see that I needed to get away from everything more than I realized,” she said.
 

“So, how about we focus on more times like this while we’re here?
Carpe diem.
Are you in?” He raised an eyebrow.
 

She slowly nodded. “I’m in,” she said in a decisive tone. “And in the spirit of seizing the moment, I will suggest we get dinner. All of this
water play—
” she gave him a look of admonishment, “—has made me ravenous.”

“Did you actually just say ravenous?” He cocked his head to one side.
 

“Yes. What’s wrong with that?” she asked, skimming the tops of her fingers along the water while she spoke. “It’s a perfectly legitimate word.”
 

“Plain hungry wouldn’t do?” He pressed his lips tightly together in an attempt to restrain a grin.

“No, because I’m more than hungry.”

“Uh-huh.” He pretended to consider her explanation. “For some reason, I’m not surprised.” He let out a chuckle.
 

“Hey,” she said, pretending to be offended. “This is no laughing matter.” Enjoying the moment, she used the side of her palm to send a spray of water his way.
 

He jumped back as the wave of water landed inches in front of him. “Okay, I get it. Back to our very
serious—
” he emphasized the word, “—dinner planning.” He stepped forward. “Why don’t we check out the restaurant we passed before our condo? It’s only a few buildings down from here, and it overlooks the water. In case you haven’t gotten enough of the ocean yet,” he said, snickering even as he reached to steady her when a strong wave rolled over them.

“Uh-huh. You can laugh now. Just know that I’m like an elephant,” she said.

“Oh, really.” His eyebrows raised, while the corners of his mouth twitched slightly. “So, I’m guessing you’re not going to forget this anytime soon?”
 

“There’s no way I’ll forget this.” She winked at him. “You’d better watch your back.”

Chase leaned forward until they were only inches apart. “You realize we haven’t even made it out of the water yet. You might want to save the threats for retaliation until you’re safe on land.”

Jordan swallowed as his nearness made her heart jump. He was so close she barely had to speak above a whisper. “And what else is there for you to do? I’m already soaking wet.” Belatedly, she realized the double entendre in what she’d said.
 

Chase’s expression changed from playful to one of pure desire. He stared longingly at her for a moment. Then, with a pained expression, he backed away. “There’s so much I could say to that…and a huge part of me wants to say, but I’m going to do the right thing this time.” He gently took her hand. “Let’s get back to the condo. Maybe we can make it to the restaurant in time for the sunset.”

Jordan silently followed him out of the water. Neither of them spoke, but he didn’t drop her hand until they’d made it back to shore. So maybe that didn’t actually count as being brave and sharing her true feelings. After all, she hadn’t intended for the words to come out like they had. A Freudian slip, maybe. But the consequences were the same. She’d unintentionally laid it out on the table, and he’d walked away…again.

CHAPTER ELEVEN

The crash of the ocean was like a melody in the background as they sat on bar stools, perusing the menu at a local hangout. Chase could smell the warm salt air mixing with the seafood cooking on the grill. Every once in a while, a lone sound from the mic would break in as the band tested the equipment for their upcoming show.
 

“This may be one of the worst places I’ve ever had to work in,” he said, leaning back and interlacing his fingers behind his head.
 

Jordan put her sunglasses back into her purse and then turned toward him. She wore a white sleeveless blouse that dipped down into a V in the front with a turquoise skirt. A delicate turquoise pendant hung from her neck by a thin silver chain. His heart sped up as he took in how the outfit highlighted her hourglass figure and her long legs. “Yeah, this is pretty rough, all right. Couldn’t imagine having to put up with all of this—” Jordan gestured around them, “—every day.”
 

Curved lines formed around her mouth as she tried to restrain her smile, and he noticed how the dimple on her left cheek became more pronounced. For a split second, he wished he could pull his phone out and use his camera feature to capture how beautiful she looked tonight.
 

A waitress made her way to their table, carrying a tray of empty glasses balanced on her hip. “What will y’all be having to drink tonight?” she asked.
 

Chase turned to Jordan and raised his eyebrows.
 

“Hmm.” She stared down at the menu, her finger running down the drink descriptions. “How about I try one of your specials? The Sunset Serenade?”

“Good choice,” she said with a nod of approval. “And for you?” She directed her attention to Chase.
 

“I’ll have a club soda and lime.”
 

“Great. I’ll be right back with those drinks.” Then she maneuvered the tray from her hip to her shoulder and treaded toward the bar.
 

“You know, I don’t mind if you drink,” Jordan said, leaning forward. “I mean, I can understand why you aren’t, but it wouldn’t bother me.”

“I appreciate that. But it’s no bother. I’m used to situations like being in a bar and not drinking. Minor hazard of the job, I guess,” he said with a shrug. “Though, now that you mention it, I can’t remember the last time I was in a bar to actually have a drink.”

“I’m no expert. Well, maybe I am.” She smiled again. “But that probably means it’s been a little too long.”

“You could be right. I may have to remedy that soon,” Chase said.

“Seriously?” She tilted her head. “Or are you merely caught up in the ambiance of this place?”
 

Chase hesitated. He’d already told himself that he wasn’t going to confide in Jordan about this, but it struck him how much he’d come to respect her opinions. She was logical yet also resourceful. A good listener but honest and objective in her feedback. And she was a client, and eventually, all of his clients would know if he altered his services. Having rationalized his concerns away, he decided a brief overview of his potential plans wouldn’t be too much. “Actually, it may be time for a change for me. All work and no play has begun to feel more like too much of what was once a good thing. Now, I’m wondering if it’s time to scale back a little.”

Jordan paused before responding to take a sip of the orange-and-red frozen concoction the waitress had set in front of her. “Is that a real possibility for you? I mean, would it be feasible for you to remove yourself somewhat from your own company?”

“Good question. I’ve considered that one, too. Frankly, I’ve got some great guys. I’ve built a top-notch team over time, and I’d trust my life with any one of them. And let me tell you, that’s saying a whole lot, because there aren’t many people I’d say that about. In or out of the field. Though we stay pretty busy, I’m not pompous enough to think that my guys couldn’t handle the details as well as I can. So I guess the answer to your question is yes, it could be a real possibility.”

“So, this is something you’ve thought about before?” she asked.

“For a while. Maybe more often these days. I enjoy the work, but lately it seems I’ve let it consume me. I’m not so much worried about how the business will fair without me, as how I’ll fair without the hands-on part of the job,” he said, staring out toward the gulf. He stopped himself from saying more and turned back to her. “I’m not sure how I got started on that. It’s more of a question on what direction to take the business in.”

Jordan didn’t comment, but he could see that he had her full attention. She was perched on the edge of her chair, leaning toward him, her eyes locked on his.

A part of him liked that she’d taken her time in considering what he’d said without needing to jump in with her comments as soon as he was through talking. But her silence was also a little unnerving, given that he hadn’t intended to share the bit about his personal worries.
 

“You aren’t analyzing me, are you?” he asked, only partly joking.

“If you aren’t paying me, I’m not working,” she said in a matter-of-fact tone. “Though…” She placed her index finger on her chin. “Maybe we could arrange some type of bartering system, like free protection for ongoing therapy?” She gave him a grin.
 

“I think that may cross some ethical lines,” he responded, his tone light-hearted.

She let out an unladylike snort. “More like obliterate them. You’re right. No good for either of us,” she said. “So I guess we can go back to you just talking and I’m a friend listening.”

The word
friend
sobered him instantly. “Jordan, I know I’ve done this wrong before, so I’ll try to do it right this time. I really do like you and I’m probably enjoying this detail more than I should.”
 

Her eyes widened slightly and her lips parted, and he fought like hell to keep from kissing her.
 

“But there can’t be anything more than friendship between us. Not now. Our friendship alone is more than I planned for and probably not the smartest move. I’m not the kind of guy to lay everything out there, so I’ll just say this. I’ve made some mistakes in the past. One of them happened when I was protecting someone. I can’t open the door to that type of mistake again… And most of all, I can’t risk anything happening to you because of something I missed. Something I missed because I was distracted.”

She was silent for a moment. “I like you too, Chase. Probably more than I should,” she said, using his own words against him. “And I understand where you’re coming from. I wouldn’t want to do anything that would compromise the services I offer my clients either. It wouldn’t be fair, and I get that.” She sighed. “So where does that leave us?”

He looked over at her and gently grasped her hand across the table. “I don’t know. Right now, I’m focused on keeping you safe. It’s where my mind has to be. And to be honest, that’s quite a challenge when it comes to you.”

Jordan leaned farther toward him. For a second, he thought she was going to disregard everything he’d said and kiss him. And God help him, he knew he wouldn’t even stop her. But instead, she whispered, “Up for a dance?”

“That’s it?” He gave her an incredulous stare.

“I guess it is for now.” She lifted the corners of her mouth in an attempt to smile, but her eyes reflected regret.
 

Chase realized she was right. There wasn’t anything more to say right then. Wanting to see her happy again, he grabbed her hand. “Then let’s dance.” He led her onto the small dance floor in front of the stage.
 

The band was playing Jimmy Buffet hits, and they found a quick rhythm together with Chase whirling her around. He tried to ignore the fact that he felt like the luckiest guy on the dance floor, even though she wasn’t even his.
 

§

Jordan surprised herself by letting go on the dance floor. They were so close to the band that she felt like she was part of the music. Though the timing saddened her, Chase’s admission caused the events from earlier in the week to come together for her. If anything, his honesty made her respect him even more.
 

Ducking under Chase’s arm and curling into him, she laughed as he pulled her hand and she spun out from him. She had to hand it to him. He might feel like he was all work, but he’d learned how to play at some point and he was pretty good at it. After dancing to several songs with him, she felt almost giddy.
 

As the band played the final notes of a song, Chase placed a hand on the small of her back and steered her back toward their table.
 

“What is it?” she asked, moving in closer to him. She scanned the restaurant, trying to make sure nothing seemed amiss.
 

“Nothing bad,” he clarified quickly. “But we’re about to view a spectacular sunset, and I don’t know about you, but I’m kind of missing the dinner we seem to have forgotten about. Particularly seeing as how you’re ravenous.” He gave her hand a squeeze then pulled her chair out for her.

“Oh my gosh, you’re right. That’s very unlike me,” she said, wide-eyed. “Being out there was so much fun though! I haven’t danced liked that in a long time.” She was almost breathless with excitement.
 

“Me neither,” Chase said. “And…” He stopped to clear his throat. “Friend to friend, you looked absolutely beautiful out there. Well, and here. Really, all night.”

Jordan was taken aback by his compliment. Her chest fluttered. “Thank you.”

Chase gave her a wink, and her stomach dropped like she was descending down a steep hill on a roller coaster. Though she didn’t say so, he looked gorgeous tonight as well. The simple white polo shirt he wore accentuated his dark hair and dark olive skin and showed off his muscular arms. She took a deep breath and reminded herself of their conversation earlier.