Page 6 of Breakaway

“Oh. Okay. Thank you.”

She picked up the full drink and did that sexy little pull on the straw with her pretty mouth.

“So you’re a free woman.” Just like he was now a free man.

“Whatever.” She waved a tiny hand. “Jasmine’s twenty-one, it’s not like I had to baby sit her. But it feels a little weird to not have two kids at home to look after. I’ve never lived on my own.”

Her bangs lowered and the corners of her eyes creased.

“You don’t want to be alone?”

She lifted a shoulder. “I don’t know. Delise thinks we’re celebrating tonight. And I guess…I should be happy. I will have more freedom to do whatever I want.”

“But you don’t seem happy.”

She looked a little lost for a moment, staring past his shoulder. Then she focused those glowy turquoise eyes on him and smiled again. “It’s just hard to let go. My brother’s been partying hisfreshman year away at college. And my sister’s boyfriend is a jerk. I can’t help worry about them even though they’re on their own now.”

He studied her for a moment. “You like being needed.” Her eyes flew open wide at his words. He smiled. “That’s okay. I think it’s very cool that you care that much about them. But maybe you need a distraction. Something fun to take your mind off them.”

“Like I am tonight,” she said. “But Delise thinks I need a man to do it.” She rolled her eyes.

“Having a fun night at Rouge is a good start.”

“Except I wasn’t having much fun.” She wrinkled her little nose. “This place is cool, but not really me.”

“Me either.” Yeah, when the other guys had wanted to come here after the game, he’d agreed because, hell, he could go out and do whatever he wanted now without having to worry about Brianne, but the edgy, agitated, almost desperate-to-have-fun vibe in the room made him feel tired.

“Where would you rather be?” she asked.

He pursed his lips. “There are a few places in Wicker Park I like. They play live music, sometimes the bands are just starting out, but they’re pretty good.”

“Oh, like Underground and Lucky’s. Yeah, I know those bars.”

“How about you?”

“Mmm. I like Blue Moon. They make awesome martinis and they have great jazz music.”

“Yeah! I like that place too.”

“But actually…” She looked down at her drink. “I really just like staying home.”

He laughed. “You know what? So do I.”

They stood there smiling at each other. Then Remi looked at her watch. “Well. I should get back to my friends.”

“Yeah.”

A sharp nudge to his shoulder made him flinch. “What?” He turned to Griff, who’d just elbowed him.

“Look who’s here.” Griff jerked his chin. Jase followed his gaze and saw…Brianne.

Fuck.

Stunning as usual, she stood nearly six feet tall in her three inch spiky heels, wearing a purple dress that looked like it was wrapped tightly around her body in complicated layers. The deep V in the front showed off what he knew to be expensive implants. Long dark hair hung in curls and waves nearly to her waist.

One corner of his mouth deepened. He sighed.

Remi said, “What’s wrong?”

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