Flirting With Danger (10 page)

“It’s true. I’m kind to animals, and I’m against animal testing. Unless it’s multiple
choice. Anything else, they get nervous and fail.”

She shook her head. “So, you don’t need a bucket list because you’ve done everything
you want to do in life?”

“Not quite, but I won’t die wondering. My point is that one day you’ll look back on
your life and wish you’d had more fun.”

She pressed her lips together.

“You know, people don’t lie on their deathbeds wishing they’d spent more time renovating.”

His words were like a punch to her stomach, taking away her ability to speak. He was
right. She was still in her twenties; she was
supposed
to go to parties at her age.

“Anyway, I’m not asking you to BASE jump off a building, just to go to a party with
me.

She did want to go. She wanted to have fun. To dress up. To show him that she was
not
his sister. “Okay.”

“What?”

“I said, okay. I’ll go to the party with you.”

His smile started small and gradually spread across his face. “All right, then. Now
we’re talking.”

“I need to borrow something to wear for a party,” Jasmine said into the phone as soon
as Aaron had left.

Once she’d explained what she wanted it for, Sasha said, “I’ll be over there in fifteen
minutes.”

“But Kane—”

Sasha had already hung up. Jasmine could only hope that she hadn’t interrupted a romantic
date.

Aaron had said he’d be back to pick her up when she’d had time to get ready for the
party. That was when she’d realized she didn’t own any appropriate clothes, and it
was too late for a trip to the shops.

When Sasha arrived, she was barely visible over the pile of clothes in her arms. “Let
me put these on your bed.”

“You didn’t have to do this. One would have been enough.”

“Nuh-uh. We have to find the perfect top. You can wear it with your best jeans, assuming
you have a decent pair.” As she spoke, Sasha held up a glittery shirt in front of
Jasmine, then dismissed it. She tried another, and another, then said, “With your
eyes, this would look fabulous, but you wouldn’t go for it. Too revealing.”

Jasmine looked down. Although there didn’t appear to be a lot of the top, she loved
the gorgeous topaz color of what little there was.

“Oh, wait, I brought shoes too. I left them in the car.”

While Sasha dashed out to her car, Jasmine took off her T-shirt and slipped the filmy
topaz top over her head, then looked in the full-length mirror. Blimey. She’d never
worn anything so revealing—at least, not intentionally. She wouldn’t even be able
to wear a bra with it, and she could see why Sasha would say it wasn’t her thing,
but even she had to acknowledge that this was a sexy top.
And
that she looked like a sexy woman in it. All her workouts had paid off, giving her
toned arms and a flat stomach, as well as the strength she needed to do her job.

But still…she wasn’t used to dressing for male approval.

“Oh,
wow
.”

Jasmine’s eyes snapped up at the sound of Sasha’s voice.

“Are you going to wear that one?”

“I think it suits me.” She shrugged. “Does it?”

“Does it ever. Aaron won’t know what’s hit him.”

Jasmine frowned. Was that why she’d chosen it? Because she wanted Aaron to see her
as a beautiful woman? Or because she wanted to look good for herself?

Both
, she decided.

There, she’d admitted it. She drew in a careful breath. And wanting to look nice for
Aaron didn’t make her her mother, she reminded herself. But if he still saw her as
a sister after tonight, she might as well give up any hope of him ever changing his
opinion and seeing her as a desirable woman.

“Now, I know you don’t like stilettos, so we have here a choice between a kitten-heeled
strappy sandal in tan, or these chocolate wedge heels that are probably not so sexy,
but they’re supercomfortable.”

Jasmine curved her lips into a smile. “It has to be the kitten heels.”

“Really?”’ Sasha’s eyes widened. “You’re going all out to hook him, aren’t you?”

“No, I’m not stupid. I know there’s no hooking Aaron. I just want to look good tonight,
for a change. Is there anything wrong with that?”

Sasha snorted. “Not in my book. I think it’s about time you made the most of what
you have, because I’m telling you, when you get old you’ll wish you’d flaunted it
while you had it.”

Not quite the same words that Aaron had used earlier, but similar enough that Jasmine
stared, stunned into silence. Life was passing her by, and if she didn’t do something
about it soon, it would be gone before she’d screwed up the courage to get on board.

“I have a suggestion,” Sasha said. “I think you should leave your hair loose. Forget
the ponytail for once. It’s not like you have to be practical tonight.”

Jasmine started to shake her head, then changed her mind. “All right, I will. Can
you help me with my makeup too?”

“Sure. I’d love to.”

Sasha had only just left when Aaron arrived. Jasmine was starting to have second thoughts,
wondering whether she was asking for trouble in going all out to attract Aaron. She
probably was, but now it was too late to change her clothes. She pulled open the door
to see Aaron standing there, radiating masculinity through his smart-casual clothes.
She kept forgetting how good-looking he was, which meant that when she saw him, she
lost her breath all over again.

His gaze moved from the top of her head to her feet, and up again. Then it dropped,
but only as far as her chest. Which made her tingle madly.

“You’re staring,” she said sharply.

“Hey…” He turned his hands palm upward, and shrugged. “I can’t help it. I’m a man,
I’m awake, and you’re beautiful.”

“Well, quit.” She closed the door behind her. “Or I’ll have to rethink the whole idea
of going out with you.”

“You’re not going out with anyone else dressed like that.”

She squinted up at him. “Says who?”

“Says me.” He rubbed a hand across the back of his neck. “I feel responsible for you,
since I talked you into this. I’m not letting you out of my sight tonight.”

“Caveman,” she said, secretly pleased as she started toward his car. “I had no idea
you were so old-fashioned.”

He moved ahead of her to open the passenger door. “I’m not. Normally.”

She tutted and got into the car, letting her hair swing forward to hide her smile.

Chapter Eleven

Aaron had to park some distance from the venue due to road closures for the Fringe
Festival. He took Jasmine��s hand as they wound their way through the streets that
were busy with impromptu street-theater performances and circus acts. He always enjoyed
the buzz in the city around this time.

She didn’t tug her hand away, to his surprise, and he led her around a small crowd
that was watching a troupe of impossibly lithe acrobats.

“Reminds me of a friend of mine,” he said.

“Spare me the details.” Jasmine looked at him with disgust, and he laughed. “No, really,
this is a sad story. My friend was engaged to a contortionist, but she broke it off.”

“Hmmph.”

“And then another one was married to a trapeze artist, but she caught him in the act.”

“You’re hysterical. You crack me up. And in case you couldn’t tell, that was sarcasm.”

He smiled. She always did great sarcasm. She never bored him. He didn’t think she
ever could.

Ever? That was a long time. He didn’t want to think about that.

She looked fantastic too. Not that she didn’t always look great, but tonight he could
hardly believe his luck, and he couldn’t deny the swell of pride that she was with
him. And only him.

He’d meant what he said about not letting her out of his sight. He’d already caught
male passersby shooting her loaded glances, and he wished he had a jacket that he
could throw around her shoulders, but no such luck. He wasn’t sure that a crowded
party was such a good idea now. A cozy dinner for two in a dimly lit restaurant might
have been a better choice.

These were new feelings for him. Possessiveness had always been an abstract concept,
but he was getting a taste of what it felt like to want one woman all to himself.
This night was a one-off, though, not the start of a new way of life. He had to remember
that.

…

The venue was dark—not so much intimate dark as power-cut dark. “Is it supposed to
be like this?” Jasmine asked Aaron.

“I’m not sure.” He took a firmer grip on her hand. “Don’t go anywhere until we know
what’s going on.”

Lights suddenly lit up a stage in one corner, and she realized that they’d happened
to walk in right at the moment between the room lights going down and the stage lights
coming up. What were the chances?

A group of musicians started to play a soft-rock type of tune, and then two girl singers
added their voices to the mix. Not bad.

More lights illuminated a dance floor and a bar, and her eyes began to grow accustomed
to the dimness in their corner of the room. A few people started to dance straightaway,
as if they had excess energy they needed to offload and couldn’t waste time just listening
to the music.

“Drink first or dance first?”

“Drink.” She surveyed the venue, glancing at the trendy crowd; she didn’t know how
to behave in this setting. She needed that drink to settle her nerves. “Wine, please.”

He did a double take. “Not a beer?”

“Not this time.” She was going to act like a woman tonight if it killed her.

She watched Aaron walk to the bar. Immediately, a group gathered around him, and yet
he’d only just arrived. He was one of those people who had an attractive energy; others
were drawn to him the way paper clips clung to the end of a magnet.

It was educational to watch the way both men and women reacted to him. The women especially.
He flashed his megawatt smile at them, and each one no doubt thought she was in with
a chance of being the chosen one. They just about dissolved into pools of desperate
hormones at his feet. There was a lesson in how
not
to behave, if she needed it, because that would just add her to the long list of
women who presented no challenge to him, and she was beginning to see that Aaron needed
a challenge.

No wonder he was so sure of himself. As long as there were women around who were willing
to take a number and wait their turn, he had life as a single man all worked out,
and it didn’t look like the numbers were in danger of diminishing. But where was the
fun in never having to work for something?

He wouldn’t change until someone gave him a reason to do so.

Somehow he managed to drag himself away from his adoring fans to deliver her drink,
and just in time because she was beginning to wonder whether she should head over
there and claim him as hers—just like she’d done at the grocery store, only this time
she wouldn’t be play-acting.

“Thanks.” She took a sip. Maybe after a drink she’d feel less like a fish up a tree.
It wasn’t because of the way she looked, which, thanks to Sasha, was spot-on for the
venue. It was just that she was out of her comfort zone. “So, which one is Joe’s brother?”

He pointed out a good-looking man. “I’ll introduce you to him later. He’s busy at
the moment.”

Jasmine noted the tall model type at his side. Right. That sort of busy.

“You knew Joe well, did you?”

“Yes. He…” Aaron paused, took a drink. “He probably saved my life. In fact, I’m sure
he did. I was getting into some risky stuff when I met him.”

“Like what?”

He hesitated, then sighed. “I was a typical young bloke in search of a thrill. I did
all the things we tell kids not to do. Jumping off cliffs into the ocean, diving into
abandoned quarries—”

“You idiot.”

“Yeah, I know. I’m not telling you any more—you can use your imagination for the rest.
The point is, I could have gone off the rails completely if I hadn’t met Joe. He straightened
me out.”

“What about your parents? Didn’t they have any control over you?”

“Ah…by that time, they weren’t around.”

“Where were they?”

He shook his head. “Just not around.”

He didn’t want to talk about them, clearly. Well, she, of all people, should understand
his reticence. Being let down by a parent felt so personal; it hurt to a person’s
very core, and the wound remained forever raw. Not something that could be discussed
easily. She should know.

The lump of emotion in her throat was as much about herself as Aaron, and she made
an effort to swallow it, to put her own feelings out of the picture. Ignoring the
questions she wanted to ask about his parents, she said, “So, how did Joe sort you
out?”

“I joined an amateur football club after the coach spotted that I had some raw talent.”
He shrugged. “I wasn’t committed to it and I let myself down by not turning up to
training, not being a team player. Joe was the captain. He was tough, and he knew
what it took to bring a young bloke to his senses. He helped me see that there was
another way to live. It changed who I thought I could be.”

“And you paid him back by joining the service?”

He looked startled. “No. I did that for me. Are you ready to dance now? Just one dance,
and then we’ll sit down to rest your ankle.”

He gestured at her empty glass, and with some reluctance, she gave it up. At Leanne’s
wedding she’d had plenty of champagne by the time she braved the dance floor with
Aaron. This time, one tiny glass was going to have to be enough.

The band was playing a slow ballad now, so Aaron drew her into his arms. The vocals
increased in volume, making it difficult to talk, so she didn’t bother to try and
focused on the music as they moved across the floor. Or tried to. But when she drew
a breath she got distracted by his aftershave and the way it made her smell receptors
swoon. How come she never noticed how any other man smelled, only him?

Then there was the warmth and weight of his hands on her waist. That was distracting.

And his eyes. Even in the dim light of the party she could see the blue flecks in
them as he gazed down at her.

He was one big distraction.

When the song ended, the band took a break, and Aaron let her go with obvious reluctance.
He guided her to an empty table, then went to fetch her another drink. When he returned,
he put her wine and his beer on the table and gave her a strange look.

“What?”

“Nothing.” He glanced away as he sat down, then brought his gaze back to meet hers.
“I was just thinking how incredibly beautiful you look tonight.”

Oh. Her bones felt like melting candles. She managed a small laugh, then flapped a
hand at his glass. “Beauty is in the eye of the beer holder.”

His answering smile was so sexy, her melting bones turned to liquid.

Then his smile changed and shifted over her shoulder. She turned and saw Joe’s brother
approaching the table.

Once Aaron had introduced him, Tony smiled and shook her hand. “Wow. I didn’t know
Aaron had such good taste.”

“He doesn’t.” She grinned back. “We’re not a couple.”

“Oh?” Tony glanced at Aaron. “Then it’s not a problem if I ask you to dance with me
when the band comes back onstage?”

She shook her head, still smiling. Tony was older than Aaron, late thirties at a guess,
and not so tall or muscular. He took a seat at the table and before long they were
chatting as if they’d known each other for ages. She felt comfortable with him. Comfortable
was not what she felt with Aaron. There was too much tension in the air when she was
near him, too much awareness that he was the worst person she could be attracted to,
and yet she most certainly was.

She had nothing to lose by dancing with Tony because she wasn’t attracted to him.
It would be straightforward fun, and she’d show Aaron that she was just as ready and
able to have fun as anybody else.

When the band started up again, they didn’t play the type of music that required contact
between dancers, and Jasmine discovered that she did have a sense of rhythm after
all. With any luck, she didn’t look like a frog in a blender. She relaxed and smiled
at Tony, and when one song ended, was happy to stay out on the floor for another.

At the end of that song, a tall, blond surfer type approached them. Tony introduced
him, and excused himself. Jasmine found herself dancing with Sam and enjoying herself
just as much.

…

Aaron had found a quiet spot at the end of the bar and was leaning back against it
with a view of half the room, the half that included the dance floor. While he pretended
not to watch Jasmine dancing with Tony, he mulled over the question she’d asked earlier.

Had he joined the fire service to pay back Joe for rescuing him from the brink of
disaster? He’d always believed that the job had been his reward for cleaning up his
act, not some form of recompense.

It was true that if it hadn’t been for Joe, he wouldn’t be where he was today, but
he did the job because he loved it, not because he thought he owed it to his friend.
What about the rest of his life, though? How many of his values and standards had
been borrowed from Joe, and how many were his own?

He probably should think about that and work out what guiding principles he’d take
with him into the future.

Hell, this was getting deep. Time for another beer.

Jasmine was still out there on the dance floor, dancing with some blond guy now.

Tony turned up and leaned on the bar alongside him.

“Thanks,
mate
,” Aaron said.

“What?”

“Why did you leave her out there with him? Who is he, anyway?”

“He’s fine. He’s a friend of mine, name’s Sam. And what’s your problem? You’re just
friends.”

Aaron ground his teeth. “She has a sore ankle.”

Tony blinked at him. “She wasn’t complaining. She seemed happy to keep on dancing,
and I didn’t get the impression that she’d agree to anything if she didn’t want to
do it.”

No, she wouldn’t. But dancing with her had reawakened all the desire he’d tried to
bury since Leanne’s wedding and their disastrous kiss. He hadn’t succeeded, of course—it
had been there all along. He knew that Tony was right, that he shouldn’t have a problem
with her dancing with other men, but irrationally, he’d hoped she’d feel the same…need.
Clearly she didn’t, or she wouldn’t be out there laughing and joking with Sam while
he was propping up the bar.

Tony fixed him with a thoughtful stare. “You normally have trouble getting rid of
them, mate, not making them want you. Remember that Suzy What’s-her-name who went
berserk at the football club?”

Aaron winced. “That was a long time ago, and in my defense, I was young. That sort
of thing doesn’t happen anymore. Girls like Suzy who want the whole marriage and babies
thing are off my radar.”

“Right. It’s safer to stick to experienced women who don’t expect you to settle down.”

“Exactly.”

After a pointed hesitation, Tony said, “So, how do you explain Jasmine?”

Aaron opened his mouth to respond, but the right words eluded him. He closed it again.
He knew what he
should
say: That they were colleagues and friends, and nothing more. It was all they could
ever be, and they both knew the score. But…

“Jeez.” Tony folded his arms. “Don’t you think you’d better make up your mind about
what’s going on between you, if anything?”

“There’s nothing going on. We work together.”

Tony sucked in a breath through his teeth. “Dangerous territory.”

“Tell me about it.” Aaron took a long drink of his beer.

“Especially in your line of work.”

“I know, all right?”

“Do you want to know what I think?”

“Not particularly.”

Tony sighed. “She’s a lovely girl, and if you get involved with her, one of you is
going to get hurt. Badly. I wouldn’t want it to be her.”

“Cheers, mate.” Aaron raised his beer in an ironic toast, then turned to watch Jasmine,
who appeared to be having a seriously good time out there on the dance floor. Without
him.

All the way home in his car, Aaron had been debating whether to suggest going back
to his place for coffee. But he hadn’t. Instead he’d driven her directly home, and
now here they were, sitting outside her house.

“I had a great time,” she said, turning an adorably flushed face to him. “I’ve decided
that I love dancing, so that’s a new interest I have and I owe it to you. Thanks for
inviting me, and for convincing me that I need to get out more and…live,” she finished
with a shrug.