He raised a single eyebrow.“You’re pretty damn proper for a waitress.”
Of course he knew she was a waitress.Gossip seemed to be the only thing Callaway Rock and Boston had in common.It wasn’t something she was ashamed of.She had a job, which was more than many people could say.She glanced at his beer, but it wasn’t a brand she recognized.“I don’t suppose you have another one?”
Jude threw back his head and laughed, the sound deep and cruel.“Go home, honey.You couldn’t handle me on your best day.”
She took a step back, about to argue that she wasn’t trying to handle anything, but her courage failed her.Why did I think this was a good idea?She pressed her lips together, hating that her eyes burned at his rejection.Keira wouldn’t cry over some man who probably isn’t worth her time.
Carrigan wouldn’t have been rejected in the first place.
She spun on her heel and hurried back to her home, vowing that her explorations into this new life were strictly to exclude flirting from here on out.She’d gone this long without sex or a relationship.She could just keep on going for another twenty-four years.
***
Jude felt like a piece of shit as he watched Sloan scurry back to the O’Connor place.He took a swig of his beer, hating the guilt that rose when he pictured the hurt and humiliation on her face.He’d been doing her a fucking favor, not that she needed to know that.She might be a part of this because of her connection to Sorcha, but that didn’t mean she had to be caught in the crossfire.
Must have taken some pep talk to get her ass over here to begin with.
And he’d shot her down in two seconds flat.
He drained the rest of his beer.What the hell was he supposed to do?Apologize?He might like her tight little body and soulful eyes, but that just meant he’d be down to rock her world for a few hours.Call him crazy, but Sloan didn’t strike him as a woman who was down for a dark and dirty fuck.She was toosweetfor that sort of thing.
Jude didn’t do sweet.
But…
He set his bottle down and turned to consider the O’Connor place.If he went over and shared a beer with her, it didn’t have to mean a damn thing.If she was living there, it was possible she knew where Sorcha was, or at least when the old woman would be back.He could be charming when it suited him.
Maybe.
Reconnaissance.That’s all it was.
You’re a goddamn liar.
Wouldn’t be the first time I’ve been called it.
He ducked back into his place and grabbed two beers from the fridge.Ten minutes, thirty tops.He’d be in, get the information he needed, and get out.Then he could go back to researching and planning out his next step.
She answered the back door, her big dark eyes surprisingly shiny, which only served to make him feel more like an asshole.Jude held up the two beers.“I was out of line.Sorry.”
She blinked.“I don’t know if I want the beer now.”
Well, hell, he didn’t exactly blame her.But since he’d made the effort to come over here, he wasn’t about to leave without accomplishing what he’d set out to do.Jude tried for a smile.“It’s better than the shit they sell at the general store down here.”
Her eyebrows slanted down, making him think of a disapproving kindergarten teacher.“That’s rude.From my experience, beer isn’t all that wonderful, regardless of its brand.You don’t have to be a snob about it.”
It never failed.Even when he was doing his damnedest to be charming and meld into the world around him, he invariably said something to set himself apart.He doubted Sloan had that problem.She fit right in with the people of Callaway Rock, sliding into the rhythm of life in this place without missing a step.He didn’t really understand what that was like.He could fake it for a time, but the truth always outed.
And the truth was that Jude didn’t fit in anywhere.
He held up the beer.“Do you want it or not?”
Her shoulders slumped, but she made a visible effort to pull herself together.“Yes.”
He could do better than this.He had to.Jude sank onto the wicker chair on the porch across from where she stood and popped the cap off his beer.She really was a petite little thing.He had the strangest urge to sit her down in front of a pile of food and make sure she ate.Jude shook his head and waited for her to take the other chair.They were delicate to the extreme, and he felt like an idiot perching there, half-sure it would break under his weight and send him sprawling on his ass.
But he was trying to be less threatening, so he didn’t surge to his feet like he wanted to.
Sloan took a tiny sip of her beer and made a face.“This is…good.”
