“Of course not,” Davie said, never looking away from Chase. “It’s just Ash here hasn’t dated in the four years since she and Danny split up. We want to make sure she’s being taken care of.”
“You have my word,” Chase told him, again draping his arm around Ashley. He grinned into her dark, stormy green eyes. “One beer and then we’ll head out,” he said so only she could hear.
“Behave,” she mouthed, pinching his waist hard enough to make it hurt.
Chase lowered his mouth to her ear, holding her firmly against him. Ashley placed her hand against his chest, but didn’t push him away when he nibbled her ear.
“Learn more about that bracelet,” he instructed her, whispering in her ear.
Ashley didn’t nod, or acknowledge what he said. But turning in his arms, she sipped her beer. “We’ll stay for a few,” she announced, stepping away from him. “But you’re a packed house tonight. We can definitely come back and bowl another night.”
Chris and Angie moved in around her, whispering and shooting him curious glances. They wanted all the details on him and he didn’t worry about Ashley coming up with a convenient story to appease them.
“So how did you and Ashley meet?” Davie asked, his body stiff as he stood, chest puffed out, and prepared for a testosterone showdown.
“Grocery store,” he offered easily. “Our carts bumped into each other and it was love at first sight.”
Davie’s narrowing gaze was proof enough he didn’t believe Chase for a minute. Not that Chase cared. “How long have you known Ash?”
“Since high school when she started dating my kid brother.”
“Her ex?” Chase asked, nodding and making it rhetorical. “I hear he didn’t like her being a cop, wanted her at home having babies.”
“Danny adores Ash,” Davie growled, crossing his thick arms over his even thicker chest. “He didn’t want her hurt. It’s one thing being a crossing guard, but completely different racing down dark alleys after men with guns.”
If his rather chauvinistic attitude was a family trait, it wasn’t a wonder Ashley split up with his brother.
“But all he’s ever wanted for Ash is her happiness. I’ve always predicted they would work out their differences and get back together. See them together and you’ll see the chemistry is still there.” Davie rocked up on his heels, but then turned when his name was called out to take his turn bowling.
A lot less than an hour passed before Ashley was hugging the girls and then Davie good-bye. Chase watched her whisper something in his ear and the stocky man glared at Chase. Then she was whisking Chase out of there and into the refreshing night air.
“Why in the hell did you have to get him so worked up?” Ashley demanded, marching toward his car as she threw her hands up in exasperation.
Chase kept in stride, enjoying how her large breasts bounced under the restraints of her tube top. “It sure didn’t take much, did it?”
“You could have been nice,” she hissed, moving to the passenger side and then holding the handle and waiting for him to unlock her door.
Chase pushed the button on his key holder and his lights blinked. Ashley yanked open her car door and slid in, slamming it shut a lot harder than necessary. Seeing she didn’t expect him to be the gentleman and open, or close, her door, he moved around to the driver’s side and slid in next to her. He put the key into the ignition, but then didn’t start it, and instead faced her, taking in her pouting profile.
“Do you want to get back with your ex?”
“No,” she said, not hesitating.
“Why would he say that?”
Ashley looked at him, shoving her hair behind her ear and then exhaling softly. “I didn’t hear him say that. So I don’t know. There hasn’t been anything between my ex and me for years.”
“Could there be on his end?”
“What would it matter?”
“If there is, your ex might have reason to try and grab your attention. Some men will go to an extreme to try and get a woman back, especially if they feel she’s still theirs.”
“That isn’t how it is with me and Danny,” she said, her expression tight as she continued glaring at him. “At least one good thing came out of tonight. I know where those bracelets came from and tomorrow I can pay the Crossing a visit.”
CHAPTER 5
ASHLEY WORRIED her lower lip as she stared out the wind-shield, more upset by Davie implying something still existed between her and Danny than she wanted to let on. It didn’t surprise her Chase picked up on that. And she didn’t flatter herself thinking he did because he was interested in a relationship. There was a strong physical attraction between her and Chase, but he was an investigator, trained to analyze a scene and pull what clues might exist out of it. She’d never felt Danny wanted to rekindle anything between them. That Davie would suggest such a thing meant either he didn’t like seeing her with another man, or Danny had said something to his brother that he hadn’t revealed to her.