Heroic Measures (Blackbridge Security 6)

“If she’s as brilliant as you’re making her sound, then she should be able to take a hint that I’m not interested,” he says as he begins to walk away.

“She’s well aware you aren’t interested. I think she’s trying to make Hayden realize she likes you.” I came to this conclusion after Parker darted her eyes in her friend’s direction for the millionth time tonight, growing damn near giddy when Hayden would clench her jaw or roll her eyes.

“What?” He nearly knocks me over when he spins around, unaware that I started to follow him toward our vehicles in the parking lot.

“Not interested, huh?” I tease.

“What are we, in high school? Just drop it,” he growls.

“I’m not Brooks,” I say, ignoring his demand. “But I know when a woman is put off and when they’re interested. Did you see the way she looked up at you when she was putting her hair behind her ear? Classic flirty move.”

“Are you getting your information from How to Date for Dummies? She did that because it kept falling in her face and tickling her chin.”

“There’s a How to Date for Dummies?” I ask teasingly, because if there’s a book like that in existence, I’ve probably read it.

I read literally everything, so there’s nothing too weird about that fact.

Quinten chuckles at my mustered enthusiasm. “I’m going home.”

“Yeah, okay. See you at the office,” I tell him with a wave because I know better. The chance of the man going home instead of to work is about as great as me landing a date with Parker, and even I know the chance of getting struck by lightning while riding a unicycle in a speedo is greater.

My stomach rumbles, the reminder that I skipped dinner making itself known. A single beer is a poor substitute for a nutritional meal, so I pull out my phone and scroll through the lackluster choices of places to eat that have a drive thru.

“It took him forever to leave.”

My eyes snap up, landing on a smiling woman so gorgeous, I wonder for a second if I’ve fallen asleep standing or if I’m hallucinating. I resist the urge to press the back of my hand to my forehead to check for a fever.

“Hi,” I manage to squeak out like an idiot, but instead of looking disinterested, Parker smiles even wider.

My palms grow sweaty, my heart kicking up a few notches, and this is reminiscent of the time I built the courage to ask Bonnie Smith out my senior year in high school. The only difference was Bonnie rolled her eyes and walked away. Parker is nibbling on the corner of her mouth with beaming, pretty eyes blinking up at me.

“Did you, umm… forget your phone or something?” I ask nervously.

“I have my phone,” she says, but offers no other explanation.

“Did your car break down?” I look back over the lot, but don’t see her vehicle at first glance. “I’m not good with cars, but I can call a tow truck.”

I feel like an idiot. If the woman needed a tow truck, she could call one herself. She just said she has her phone.

“I don’t need a tow truck.”

“A ride then?”

Her eyes dart the length of me, and I grind my teeth in an effort not to let her scrutiny settle in my crotch. She takes her damn time looking me over, and as much as I could understand from looking into Hayden’s and Quinten’s situation that they like each other, I have no damn clue what’s going on right now.

I shift nervously on my feet.

“I might be interested in a ride.”

“My truck is right over—”

Her sexy laugh stops the words dead on my lips.

“You’re so damn cute.”

Out of my control, my eyes slow blink at her in confusion, head tilting to the side slightly to try to understand better.

I snap out of it, eyes darting all around to see if somehow Quinten put her up to this in the five minutes since he left as retaliation for teasing him about Hayden.

“I’m sorry?”

“Cute, Jude. Hasn’t anyone ever called you cute before?”

“Not without a hint of disrespect in their tone,” I answer honestly, growing increasingly irritated that she’s standing here having a good time at my expense, despite not hearing contempt in her voice.

Grown people weren’t supposed to be assholes and bullies, getting their cheap thrills at the expense of others’ emotions.

“Absolutely adorable,” she muses, her eyes once again darting to my chest, making it hard for me to breathe.

“I’m confused,” I mutter, taking a step back that makes her take two steps closer to me.

“And that’s cute, too.” She flips her silky hair over her shoulder, a smile still on her face. “I’m flirting with you, Jude.”

“Why?” I ask before I can stop myself. “Because Quinten isn’t interested?”

“I figured out that Quinten only has eyes for my best friend.”