Page 25

He leaned down to regard her. “Is that the sort of relationship bad girls have with their boyfriends?”

“Hey, just because I’m hypothetically a bad girl doesn’t mean you shouldn’t be a gentleman. My personality doesn’t change yours.”

He came around to her side of the car, opened the door, and held out his arm like he was escorting her to a red-carpet event. “Is this gentlemanly enough for you?”

“Yes. Thank you.”

A memory landed, unbidden in her mind: Jace leading her out to the dance floor for the homecoming dance. He’d looked so impressive in his suit, so grown up and handsome. His blue eyes had drunk her in as though she were an answer to a prayer, as though he would be hers forever. She’d been certain she was the luckiest girl in the school to be on his arm. Back then, every little touch had meant so much. She missed that feeling of unabashedly floating, missed the version of Jace who’d cared about her.

As they headed across the parking lot, he asked, “So how in love are you with me?”

Her head snapped to his. “What?”

“Should we play this date like we’re still tentative about our relationship, or are we picking up where we left off and it seems like we’ve never been apart?”

Oh, that’s what he meant. She needed to keep her mind on the present. “As soon as you saw me at my grandmother’s house, it was insta-love. Total commitment. At this point, you would fight vampires or wolf shifters to the death for me.”

“Wolf shifters?” A smirk grew on his lips. “Do many of those hang out at Legends?”

“Maybe.” By way of explanation, she added, “I also read a lot of paranormal romance.”

“Insta-love isn’t a real thing, you know.”

Well, they were going to have to agree to disagree on that one. She was fairly sure she’d fallen in love with Jace the first time she saw him. On that day back in her freshman year, back when she was more hopeful than cautious, she’d wandered into the library and seen him sitting at a table, glasses perched on his nose, and his books spread out in front of him. The boy had been so good-looking, she’d openly gawked, willing him to glance up and notice her. He hadn’t, of course. He’d firmly concentrated on his homework.

Something in that type of firm concentration, unaware of the girls checking him out, should’ve warned her that his priorities were already set and wouldn’t budge.

She and Jace reached the door to the bar, and Jace opened it for her. “Let’s shoot for we’re picking up where we left off. It’s believable and will worry my family more.”

Legends had a polished western feel—cowhide barstools, weathered wood floors, and iron light fixtures that cast a warm glow over the room. The smell was a mixture of the foods they served—Buffalo wings, sliders, and multiple items that were deep-fried to an unhealthy golden brown.

Jace’s hand hovered at the small of her back, guiding her through the crowd. “There they are.” He nodded toward a booth in the corner. “It’s showtime.”

Lucas and Riley sat side by side in a booth. Lucas, like his brother, was tall and ridiculously handsome. The biggest difference between the two was that Jace wore glasses and pushed his bangs further off his forehead than Lucas did. Most people relied on those things to tell the twins apart. Lucas’s arm was around Riley, a pretty brunette with tanned skin and an athletic build.

Although they smiled when they saw Jace and Marlowe, a questioning look was in both sets of eyes. Were they suspicious that this date was a ruse, or were they just wondering about the success rate of a couple who had already broken up once?

Marlowe recognized Riley from high school. She was a year older and had been on the drill team. She’d seemed nice enough, the dependable sort who was always busy with one thing or another.

Marlowe stepped closer to Jace and softened her expression into something a little more dreamy, a little more Look at me, I snagged Jace Clark. Should she take hold of his hand?

Another memory came back to her. For their first date, Jace had taken Marlowe to see a movie. She didn’t remember which. She’d hardly paid attention. The entire time, she’d been concentrating on her hand lying on the armrest so close to his. She’d wanted him to take hold of her hand so badly. In the middle of the movie, he did. The feeling of his fingers against hers had been electric. Triumphant.

If she slipped her hand into his now, would any of that old electricity be there?

Lucas gave them a wave. “Hey.” His gaze ran over Marlowe, taking her in.

She waved back, greeting him and Riley like she couldn’t be happier that all of them could get together. Jace slid into the bench on the other side of the table, and she scooted in after him.

Marlowe smiled at Riley. “I haven’t seen you for a while. Funny how we can live in the same town and hardly run into each other.”

“Yeah,” Riley said. “Although that’s probably because I make Delancey cut my hair at our apartment. I haven’t been to a salon in ages.”

That was one reason, another was that since Marlowe had started taking care of her grandma, she hadn’t been to many places outside of work and her grandmother’s house. That suddenly struck her as sad. In her day-to-day life, she had more social interaction with senior center participants than she had with people her own age.

“You look good,” Riley said. “I love that jacket. Trés chic. It’s like something you would see in Paris.”

“Is it?” Jace asked. “I thought it had more of a biker chick vibe.”