Jade shrugged. “Yeah, well, I’m not married and supplying the next generation of McKenzies. I also have yet to do any type of showy parties where she can invite her friends and talk about my greatest accomplishments. I haven’t logged in charity time for the sake of bragging about helping others less fortunate. I like to run marathons and teach yoga and I left my seven-figure job in Atlanta over a sexual assault claim—forget the fact I was the victim. Trust me, I’m quite the failure in her eyes.”
Wow, saying it out loud made her growing list seem even more of an issue than Jade originally thought. Her mother had numerous things to bitch about next time she saw her.
“I really don’t see where any of that is a reason to be let down. Clearly the sexual assault wasn’t your fault. From what I heard, your coworker was a bastard. I hope he’s out of a job and his dick fell off.”
Jade stopped and stared at him. After a few steps, Cash stopped, too, and glanced over his shoulder. “What?” he asked.
Her heart did some weird flip thing she didn’t want to analyze or allow when Cash was the topic. Still, she couldn’t deny that having him immediately come to her defense was not only a surprise but also quite sexy.
“I never thought you’d take my side,” she muttered.
Cash let go of the suitcase and took two steps to close the gap between them. Jade took a step back but stumbled. Cash snaked an arm around her waist and hauled her against his chest.
The way he towered over her had her pressing her palms against him. “Cash.”
He stared at her for what seemed like several minutes, and Jade wished she knew what he was thinking . . . but maybe it was better if she didn’t. They annoyed each other on a daily basis, so what was all this about? The tingling and the long looks and that damn heart flip earlier?
Cash muttered a curse before shaking his head. He righted her, then raked a hand through his hair.
“You think I wouldn’t defend you?” he asked, something akin to shock and hurt lacing his tone. “I’m not that much of a jerk, Red.”
“No, I just . . .” Jade shook her head and attempted to get control of herself. “I didn’t know if you were aware of why I left Atlanta. But the issues with my previous employer made it impossible to stay in a thankless, stressful job.”
“Which is why your mother should be supportive.” Cash propped his hands on his hips and leveled that dark gaze her way. “I’m not sure why you think you have to keep pleasing her, but I can solve one of your problems.”
“And what’s that?” Jade asked.
He flashed that smile that some women might find toe-curling. Okay, fine. Her toes might have curled, but why did she feel that he was about to throw down his secret plan? And why did she suddenly let his naughty grin fill her with anticipation?
“I’m your plus-one.”
* * *
Cash turned away from Jade’s dropped jaw and speechless expression. He gripped the suitcase handle and started pulling and dragging it behind him once again.
What the hell had he been thinking, saying he’d be her plus-one? He didn’t do weddings. Hell, his own had started at a courthouse and ended in disaster a short time later, so why would he want to attend another? They were ridiculous, over-the-top shows in a vain attempt to impress people. Cash lived in the real world, where infidelity thrived and loyalty could only be found in dogs.
“You aren’t going to be my date,” Jade announced as she came stomping up beside him.
He didn’t dare look over at her. Even with those tennis shoes on and her hair starting to cling to her sweat-dampened skin, she was so damn sexy, he’d do best to remember all the reasons she drove him crazy.
Perhaps the way she’d flung her arms around him when they’d landed, coupled with the way he was seeing a clearer picture of her background, made him see her in a different light.
But still, they were clearly from different worlds. Despite the fact that they went to school together years ago, she was older than him, she was loaded, she had never had a good opinion of him . . . the list was seriously endless.
If her best friends and his cousins hadn’t gotten involved, Jade never would’ve said a word to him. Which really made this all the more hilarious.
Well, not the plane issue. His heart still hadn’t started a proper steady rhythm since they’d landed. He had rolled over and over in his mind what could’ve gone wrong, and all he could think was, there must be some computer glitch, because everything else looked perfectly fine. But Jax was the airplane mechanic and would no doubt find the problem.
“Are you ignoring me?” she demanded.
“No. I’m just not arguing,” he clarified. “I’ll go as your date so your mom has one less thing to hassle you about.”
“Why on earth would you do that?”
Because he was a masochist? Because he wanted to see how the other half lived? Because there may be an open bar?
Cash stopped again and shifted to face her. “Listen, I’m trying to be nice here. Do you want help or not?”