Emma turned to face the bathroom mirror and looked at what magic her cousin Andy had worked.
"You look hot, Emma. It's been a month, and you need to get out and start seeing some guys again. So Dr. Hottie wasn't the right one; we'll find someone better." Andy tucked the red lipstick back in her purse.
She hadn't told anyone what had happened between her and Jason...well, Andrew. She and Prince were a little cramped in this small apartment in Kansas, but it allowed her money to stretch farther until she could get a job. That meant a tight fit in the bathroom with her and Andy in it. She surveyed the short red dress in the mirror and her dark hair piled in a mess on her head. Andy had somehow made it look like a sexy mess. "I look like a hooker."
Andy looked at her in the mirror. "Okay, maybe the red lipstick and dark eyeshadow is too much. I'll lighten it up."
"Thanks for coming out from Chicago, Andy." She turned and let Andy start wiping some of it off.
"Of course. I'm glad you moved here instead of South Carolina. I was worried about hurricanes."
She didn't say anything. At first she'd been so panicked that she'd taken Prince out on the coast. But then after thinking about some of the things her dad had talked about from work, she'd come back to the west Kansas border. Sometimes staying under someone's nose was the best place to hide. In time Jason would likely stop looking for her, if he even was anymore. Her heart ached thinking about him. One night she'd woken up from a nightmare and wept because he hadn't been there to hold her. But that was the past.
"Alright, let's go." Andy put on a finishing touch with soft pink lipstick and pulled her out the door.
She walked into the dark bar/dance club with Andy. This loud, pop music place with a DJ was not the first thing that popped to mind about Kansas. A couple of cute guys eyed them pass by to get to the bar. "Are you sure this is a good place to meet nice guys?" she called over the music as Andy dragged her by the hand through the crowd.
"Totally. I met loads of hot guys at places like this in college." Andy leaned over the bar and ordered two drinks from the bartender.
That hadn't been the question. She sighed and glanced around. When Andy had said over the phone she was out this way for a business trip and would get her out of the apartment for an evening, a dance club hadn't been on the agenda.
"Hi, there. A bit crowded, isn't it?"
She turned to see a guy with kind blue eyes and dark blonde hair smiling at her. He wore a dress shirt and khakis with black dress shoes. A pang shot through her chest. He dressed a bit like Jason. "Yeah," she replied, forcing a smile.
"My brother wanted to come here for his bachelor party." He pointed over to a table of boisterous men talking with some girls. "Not really my thing. Are you here with your friend?" He nodded to Andy.
Andy turned to him before she could respond. "Hi. This is my cousin, Emma. I'm Andy." She shook his hand. "She's getting over a breakup, so I'm taking her out for a night on the town." Andy smiled and nudged her back.
She lost her balance in the stilettos and fell against his chest. "Oh, I'm sorry." Her face burned in embarrassment as he caught her elbow and steadied her.
"No worries." He glanced at Andy and seemed to bite back a smile, as if knowing Andy had nudged her on purpose. "You don't look like this is really your thing either," he said in a low voice under the music.
She shook her head and looked away. "I guess it's pretty obvious. Andy said it's a good way to get over an ex."
"Ugh, that sucks. Must've been a jerk to lose a girl as sweet as you seem. Can I get a table...?" He looked around. The few tables were taken, but a slow song came on, and half the dance floor cleared. "Well, maybe a dance?" He rubbed his temple. "Thank God for some quiet music, huh?"
She smiled, her head thankful for a break in the pulsing music too. Then she glanced at Andy, who nodded and had a guy steal her attention away. He gestured for her to lead the way through the crowd. She stopped a couple times, trying to squeeze through around people. Another pang of grief hit. Jason would have offered his arm or taken her hand and parted the crowd himself for her. Jason who wasn't really Jason.
When she reached a bare spot on the dance floor, she turned, automatically ready for a waltz dance hold. He set his hands on her hips, and she tensed for a moment. Then she scanned the dancers. Everyone danced close. She rested her hands near his elbows to put some space between them.
"I'm Aaron, by the way. I don't think I introduced myself."
She bit her lip, that nervous feeling around men inching up. This feeling hadn't existed with Jason. She snorted. Apparently her instincts didn't work well.
"Is everything alright?" He looked a little offended.
"Oh, sorry. Something popped into my head."
"Oh." He smiled and seemed to relax. "Are you from around here?"
Before she could answer, a burly red-haired guy stepped up, dwarfing Aaron. "May I cut in?"
Aaron looked a little surprise and then at her. "Do you know this guy?"
She shook her head and looked at the man. He had the badass biker look about him. The scary badass look. She shrank a little closer to Aaron.
"I think she's done for the night." Aaron took her hand and started to lead her off the floor.
The biker guy put a hand on Aaron's chest. "I didn't hear her say so."
She threw her shoulders back, utterly sick of men. "Guys, I'm just going home. Alone." Then she pulled away from Aaron and swept past. A hand locked on her wrist. She turned to face Aaron, only it was the biker who held her wrist. And he looked angry. Aaron stood behind him looking nervous. Great, no help from that corner. Her heart beat faster when a couple other bikers flanked the man's sides. Shit, this wasn't good.
"Let the lady go. Now," a deep voice growled behind her.
Her heart stilled. She should've been frightened and terrified about how Jason had found her, but relief swept through like a breath of fresh air. Out of the two evils, the bikers were definitely worse.
"Or what?" the man snickered and pulled her closer. She stumbled forward into his rotund gut, barely coming up to the man's shoulders even in her heels. His friends cracked their knuckles and smiled, anxious for a fight.
She looked over her shoulder at Jason with wide eyes. These guys had experience with fights, and there were three of them. Jason wore the plastic skin-toned mask and, of course, a suit. He didn't seem worried at all.
He shrugged off his suit coat and handed it to Aaron. "If you're not going to be any help, at least keep this free of blood for me," he drawled. Then he looked at the bikers.
"Are you sure you can aim with one eye there, pirate?" the man snickered. "Ya gotta hook hidden in there somewhere too?"
She wanted to punch his rotund gut for making fun of Jason.
"Let her go. The lady clearly doesn't want the attention," he repeated, as calm as could be.
The man laughed. "Sure she does." He started to reach to grope her.
In the next instant, he laid flat on his back. She blinked down at him and then at Jason. His hand unfisted, and he adjusted his cufflink as he looked at the other two bikers. "Anyone else?"
They both rushed at him at once, and she startled and looked around for something or someone to help beat them off Jason. But Jason simply let one biker run into his fist and the other slam a chest into his outstretched arm. The man's feet flung out from under him and he crashed onto his back on top of the other guy.
"Get out, or I'm calling the cops!" the bartender yelled.
"Gladly." Jason took his suit jacket from Aaron. "How about next time you protect a lady's honor?" Then Jason grabbed her hand, caught Andy's arm as she stood with her mouth hanging open, and pulled them outside.
She tried to absorb the last five minutes and stood in the snow staring at him dumbly as he pulled on his suit jacket and coat.
"Andy, I have no doubts you were the one behind this. Did you two at least bring coats?" He looked at her and Andy standing on the sidewalk shivering.
"You don't bring a coat to a dance club. It'll get stolen," Andy answered.
He heaved an irritated sigh and pulled off his dress coat to wrap around her shoulders. Then he gave his suit jacket to Andy.
Stevens pulled up. "Andy, get in the front," Jason ordered.
Andy did without hesitating.
Then he opened the back door for her. She shook her head. "Emma, you're going to catch your death. Get in the car." His voice was tight with irritation.
She raised her chin. "No."
He slammed the door but calmly leaned against it and folded his arms over his chest. "Fine. We can stand out here and freeze."
"Why would I get in a car with a man I don't know?!" Her temper snapped and she pointed at the car, his coat sleeves completely hiding her hands. She didn't need him. Or his jacket or heat or love. The tears welled, blurring her vision. She didn't need him more than she needed air. Ripping off his coat, she threw it at him and started marching away.
Within two strides, his coat enveloped her in his heat, and Jason's strong arms wrapped around. His breath warmed her ear. "Emma, stop." He whispered. She stilled, tears falling from her lashes. His safe embrace was what she missed the most. "I'm sorry. I realize my temper that day scared you when you were already frightened from finding out I'm not who I said. How I feel about you was all real, Emma. I'd never ever physically harm you, and I'm so sorry I broke your heart. Please, just hear me out."
"How do I know this time it's the truth?" she whispered, losing the will to resist him. How she'd missed his smell and touch, his voice and...everything about him.
"Because I have documents and newspaper clippings in the car to back it up." His cheek rested against hers. "God, I've missed you. Please, Emma," he whispered. "It ripped my heart out when you left. Let me at least explain. If you still choose to go, I vow you won't ever have to see me again."
The pain in his voice broke her heart. Part of her wanted to push him away, to keep sealed the part of her heart that had hardened to hide from the pain of losing him. But there was a part that would never stop loving him either. "Five minutes," she whispered. "The car doesn't move."
"Alright. You're getting snow on your toes in those sandals." His voice remained quiet, as if resigned to the idea that she hated him. Then he gently scooped her up and carried her to the car.
Her heart broke. Despite everything, he still wanted to take care of her.
Stevens got out and opened the door. Jason set her inside and shut the door before walking around to get in on the other side.
He turned a bit in his seat to face her and looked her in the eye. "My name, until four years ago, was Andrew O'Malley. Everything else I told you was true, Emma." Then he paused for a moment and took a deep breath. "I was also your dad's case for the FBI. Your birthday wasn't the first time I'd met him."