Free Outrageously Yours by Susanna Carr Page B

playing? That was probably it. He shouldn’t assume there was any meaning behind her touch or her kisses. Claire Miller always acted with intent. Nothing was casual or accidental.
    Why did he care? He wasn’t looking for a serious relationship. But there was something about Claire. Whenever they were together there was an awareness simmering underneath their talks, just waiting to be explored.
    “How did it feel to be in the spotlight?” he asked.
    She jerked at his voice as if she had been lost in thought. What had she been thinking about? Had she forgotten he was there while she planned her strategy for their fake fling? Or was she dreaming of the glamorous job waiting for her in Los Angeles? Jason scowled at the thought. He couldn’t compete with what Max Blair was offering.
    “It was a little harsh when we left the bathroom together.” She shifted uncomfortably in her seat. “Before that it was all right.”
    “Just all right? You had them eating out of the palm of your hand.”
    “It made me nervous,” she said softly.
    Jason spared a glance at her. “Why? The men thought you were a goddess.”
    She scoffed and peered out the passenger-side window. “You exaggerate.”
    He wasn’t. The men had been desperate for her attention but she hadn’t seemed to notice. She had always checked to see where he had been instead. “You could have told them that the sky was orange and they would have nodded their heads and believed you.”
    “They were really smart. Scary smart like my parents, only these guys have made millions off their creations.”
    “Yeah.” Compared to the men at the party, his contributions to society were insignificant. He hadn’t considered that when he had invited Claire to attend. He’d always been confident of his strengths and abilities. Maybe too confident.
    “And it was exhausting having their whole attention,” Claire said.
    His surprised bark of laughter echoed in the car. “I don’t think I’ve heard anyone complain about that before.”
    “It was nice but odd,” she admitted. “And it also didn’t mean anything. The people were interesting but they didn’t make an impact on me. I don’t care how rich and influential those guys were. I would rather have the undivided attention of someone who was special to me,” she said wistfully as she sank back into her seat.
    He would, too. He wanted Claire’s laser focus on him. Have her make a flowchart and a strategy to snare him. Not that she needed one. All she had to do was give him a signal and he would crawl on his hands and knees to be with her.
    “Those geniuses used technical words I didn’t understand. It was like a flashback to my childhood,” she said with a groan. “And when they started getting into detailed discussions about their creations, I just smiled and nodded my head.”
    “You faked it well. I thought you were following along.”
    “It’s a trick I learned years ago when I was stuck at the dinner table with my family. The less you talk, the more knowledgeable you appear.”
    Jason frowned. Why would she have to fake it with her family? Did she feel as if she had to show interest in their work? “You don’t have to pretend to be someone else.”
    “And miss my chance to be a lady of mystery?” she asked in a teasing tone.
    “You play it every day.” He clenched his teeth. It was the wrong thing to say. It would put her on the defensive.
    “No, I don’t. You know almost everything about me.”
    He couldn’t let that slide. “I only know what you want me to know.”
    Claire straightened her shoulders. “That almost sounded like a complaint. There’s nothing wrong with giving people the edited version. Consider it the highlight reel as opposed to the behind-the-scenes footage.”
    “I wouldn’t mind seeing the unedited version,” he murmured.
    She fell into silence and looked out the passenger-side window. Jason stopped at the red light and automatically glanced at the overgrown field