different man, heâd take Lauren out of the city and into the countryside. Driving neck-or-nothing and showing her what it meant to really be alive.
âJack?â
âHmm?â
âYou missed the turnoff.â
He cursed under his breath. Checked for traffic and spun the car in a one-eighty. It was a move that required the driver know both himself and his car. Jack knew both well. He glanced over at Lauren and saw her hands were knotted together in her lap, but she gave him a faint smile.
He felt ridiculous. Like a teenager who was showing off his daddyâs car to a girl he wanted to impress. But hell, he did want to impress Lauren and everything he did was to that end.
âWow,â she said quietly. He really hoped she hadnât sensed anything other than a guy who was a motorhead.
âSorry. I get lost in the power of the car sometimes.â
âNo problem. I drive a really boring compact. I think my wheels would fall off if I tried something like that.â
âIt helps to know what youâre doing,â he said, then realized he was raising a subject he didnât want to touch. His dad had taught him show moves before heâd been able to drive legally. Sometimes Jack felt like being the wild rebel most people believed Diamond Daveâs sons should be.
She was staring at him. Probably wondering if youâre going to try to jump the Porsche over some ravine, he thought with disgust.
With a shrug he said, âMy lawyer has a hell of a time keeping my license.â
She smiled at that. âI canât picture you on mass transit.â
âGod forbid. And Carl, my chauffeur, says Iâm a horrible back-seat driver.â
âIâd think youâd be more overcautious.â
Jack parked the car and turned it off before he twisted in his seat to face her. âBecause of my dad?â
âYes,â she said. A slight flush covered her cheeks, and he knew that she regretted her comment.
Jack knew he should help her out, but a part of himâthe boy whoâd gotten into fights just to prove his dad was still a man after heâd lost the ability to walkâwanted to see how she was going to handle this.
She cleared her throat. âI mean, he canât walk now because of that car accident.â
âThanks for explaining it to me. Ty and I have been wondering for a while why Dad canât walk.â
She bit her bottom lip and crossed her arms over her chest. âSarcasm. Thatâs really nice. You know I wasnât trying to offend you.â
Jack turned away from her. What could he say? First he didnât call her for two days and now he was⦠âSorry. Sometimes Iâm an ass.â
She gave him a sweet smile. âIâm the same way about my parents. People actually call my dad Mister Doctor Belchoir. Heâs a Ph.D. in Egyptian Studies. It makes him nuts.â
âWhat do you say we stop discussing our families?â he asked. He needed to find his footing withher. She had to be like every other woman heâd ever met. As soon as he figured her out, sheâd stop fascinating him.
âSounds good,â she said, but there was a lingering hurt in her eyes.
He got out of the car and saw Lauren hesitating, her hand on the door handle. He realized she did that each time he picked her up. He opened the door and put his hand at her elbow to lead her into the restaurant. âWhy were you watching me like that?â
âLike what?â she asked. A light snow began to fall. She paused, tipped her head back and let the snowflakes land on her face.
When she looked at him again, crystal drops beaded her face like diamonds sparkling in the sunlight. He forgot what heâd been saying. Leaning closer to her, he breathed in her scent and then licked the snowflakes from her face.
He held her face caged between his hands and he felt that if he could keep touching her, he wouldnât screw this up. If