Going All Out by Jeanie London Page B

one of those quiet smiles that did amazing things to his sculpted features.
    Too many emotions skyrocketed inside her, making a breath flutter inside her chest. She felt hot and cold all at once, blown away.
    Too blown away.
    She was relieved he wasn’t Jude, relieved he’d thought of her and put forth effort to ensure she’d get home safely.
    Too relieved.
    And just the thought made her internal alarm systemgo wild. She had to be careful. As much as it bit to admit it, Bree had a knack for letting the people in her life take over. Jude had been the extreme, but she’d also come to recognize how she always let Tally run the show, too.
    Of course, Tally hadn’t had much choice. Someone had needed to assume the responsibility after their mother had left. But that didn’t change the fact that Bree needed to rely on herself, make her own choices, solve her own problems and not be so quick to let others step in to help.
    Jude was her problem, not Lucas’s.
    She hadn’t even been honest with the guy. She’d sidestepped the real reason she’d landed in his bushes, and he’d been gentlemanly enough to let her. Here he was tonight, and if Jude showed up again, Lucas would be smack in the middle of a confrontation with no clue what was going on.
    Which, Bree thought with a mental sigh, wasn’t fair.
    Returning the valet’s wave, she glanced up at Lucas to find him frowning. Following his gaze, she spotted the trouble. Shift change meant bouncers were milling around the front entrance watching them with their best “Me Tarzan, you Jane” expressions.
    “This is Lucas, boys.” She snuggled close to the man at her side. “Y’all have a great day now.”
    “One of them should have walked you home last night,” Lucas said.
    “Then I wouldn’t have you to walk me home tonight.” Bree looped her arm through his and led him away. “Come on. There’s something I want to tell you about last night.”
    To Lucas’s credit, he didn’t grill her, probably guessed she wanted to get out of earshot before talking. He was proving himself a patient man, and Bree found she liked that.
    “Listen,” she finally said. “I really appreciate you showing up tonight. Much better than taking a taxi.”
    “You weren’t going to walk?”
    She shook her head. “Not tonight. When I told you that I’d noticed someone following me last night, I didn’t mention that it was someone I preferred not to run into.”
    “Someone you know?”
    She nodded. “I try to avoid confrontations whenever and wherever I can. Especially on a dark street at three in the morning. I just thought you should know.”
    “That’s it?” He stared down at her looking all serious and worried.
    “Trust me, I have everything under control.” She gave him a reassuring smile. “Were you worried about me?”
    “Yes, and I wanted to see you again.”
    “As in, we’re on a time limit and you don’t want to waste any?”
    “As in, I saw the perfect opportunity to get you all to myself so I jumped all over it.”
    “Sounds self-serving.”
    “Very. I’m not one to pass up an opportunity.”
    No surprise there either. “You do know that contrary to appearances, I’m not really a damsel in distress, don’t you?”
    “I do. So why’d you walk home last night?”
    They were back to the questions again. Lucas clearly wasn’t satisfied with her explanation, and he deserved one, at least one that would get them through the week.
    “A few reasons. First and foremost is I lent my car to my brother. He’s home from college for the weekend and he flew in. I’d have taken a cab home last night, but before I left work, I found out I was being considered for the head hostess job. Since I was pretty keyed up and it’s only acouple of blocks, I figured the fresh air and exercise would calm me down.”
    “Congratulations. Is this a promotion you hope to get?”
    “Absolutely. Upper management has needed to create this position for a long time. I’m the best