Edge of Chaos (Love on the Edge #1) by Molly E. Lee

the table across from us.
    “Oh.”
    “Does he give you a hard time about it?”
    I broke our gaze, staring down at the table. “I haven’t told him.”
    He stayed silent so long I finally glanced up. Damn it, he looked at me with pity in his eyes. I never wanted to see that from him. “I’ve gathered, from the stories you’ve told, and what little I heard from him that first day I hid in your room, that he is the kind of man who wouldn’t approve of us getting close. Regardless of us just being friends?”
    “It’d be a battle, and I’m so tired of fighting. Do you think I’m an awful person for hiding this? Is it . . . crazy?” The more I thought about it the more it felt like I was having an affair minus the whole sex part.
    “You’re an amazing person, Blake. Never think otherwise. You know him better than anyone. And if you need me to pop the brakes I can—”
    “No.” I cut him off, hoping he didn’t hear the desperation in my voice. My happiness had increased tenfold since he’d come into my life. “This is all on me. It would be fine. I’m just not ready to have that argument yet.”
    Dash bit the corner of his lip. “Sounds like he gives you too much grief over everything. Do you want to talk about it?”
    I did. “No. It’s just me. Over analyzing is what I do.” I paired my answer with a full smile, trying to shrug off the serious turn the conversation took.
    “Well, you do have a talent for it.” He leaned a little closer over the table. “But if you ever do want to talk, about anything, you know I’m here, right?”
    I nodded because I was afraid my voice would crack if I responded. A warmth soothed the confusion and guilt that bit my insides.
    The waitress set down the check and cleared our plates, completely breaking the tension that I had brought to lunch. I reached for the paper, but Dash snatched it from me.
    “It’s my turn.” I tried to grab it from him.
    He held it out of my reach. “I know, but you’ve already had one man hitting you up for money today. I will not be the second.” He winked at me.
    Heat rushed through my core and kick-started my heart. “This is different. It’s lunch, not a stack of video games.”
    Dash dug in his back pocket for his wallet, the corded muscle in his forearm flexing with the motion. I grabbed my iced tea and took a good long drink.
    “I’m well aware of that, Blake,” he said, planting his green eyes on mine and daring me to argue. “Just consider it my attempt to show you not all men are self-centered video game addicts.” He handed his credit card and the check to the waitress who’d returned to our table.
    My eyebrows shot up at his not so backhanded rip on Justin.
    “Thank you.” I hoped Dash knew I encompassed his kindness and mad listening skills within the phrase.

I’D WATCHED COUNTLESS thunderstorms from my back porch and seen clips on Dash’s site, but I knew neither of those things could prepare me for a real chase.
    My eyes darted between Dash behind the wheel of his truck and the gray sky that filled his windshield. I had a hard time choosing whether to focus on the gathering storm or Dash weaving in and out of traffic.
    My heart pounded in my chest, adrenaline pumping to each of my nerve endings. Dash had shown up at my place a little over an hour ago, offering my first chance at a chase. A severe thunderstorm with tornado-producing capabilities was accumulating just an hour outside of town, and when he prompted me to get ready in a hurry, I leaped into action.
    “Where’s my exit, John?” Dash spoke into a black walkie-talkie, his voice tight.
    “Three miles. Exit and then head southeast,” John’s voice blared from the device. I glanced behind me, easily finding the Tracker Jacker—a beat-up nineties model Toyota 4x4 with long antennas sticking out of the top and two large yellow lights attached to the back corners.
    Dash set the walkie-talkie down, and I raised my eyebrows at him when he snuck a