Page 12 of Breakaway

Remi hugged Delise and then turned and hurried toward the front of the club, looking for Jase. He stood near the entrance, a long black coat loose over his suit, hands in the pockets. Her breath stuck in her throat at how gorgeous he was. She fumbled in her little purse for her coat check ticket, then Jase held the new silver trench coat Delise had made her purchase earlier while she slipped her arms into it.

“Let’s go.” She turned to him with a smile, lifting the ends of her hair out from the collar.

“Where are we going?” They climbed the red-carpeted stairway to the door, one of his hands on the small of her back.

“My place.”

“Okay. We’ll have to take a taxi. Unless you…”

“No. I came with my friend.”

“Me too.”

The frosty March night air greeted them as they stepped out of the club onto the sidewalk of East Van Buren, beneath a green canopy. The small street lined with older buildings was relatively quiet, and Jase took hold of her arm to lead her toward Michigan Avenue. “We’ll get a cab on Michigan.”

The windows of the office towers climbing into the sky around them glowed golden, and tiny white lights twinkled on the bare trunks and branches of the trees lining the street. Jase was right. As they rounded the corner a yellow cab appeared and he lifted a hand. They climbed in and Remi gave the driver her address.

“Is it far?” Jase asked, his hand warm on her bare knee.

She glanced at him. “No. Lincoln Park.”

“Oh. I’ve only lived in Chicago a few years.”

“Oh, really? Where did you live before?”

“Canada.”

“Oh.” Curiosity pinged inside her. They’d agreed they didn’t need to know a lot of personal details about each other, but that was such an unexpected answer she wanted to know more. She studied him. “Why are you in Chicago now? Your work?”

“Yup.” He reached out and touched her hair. “What about you? Have you always lived here?”

“My whole life. The house I live in is the house I grew up in. When my parents died, we inherited it, and it was lucky because it was paid for. We didn’t have much money, but at least we had a roof over our heads.”

“That must have been hard for you. You were what…twenty-two, you said?”

“Yes. I’d just finished college, was just starting my first job.”

“And you had to look after your little brother and sister.”

“Mmm.” She hitched a shoulder. “I did what I had to do.”

His eyes grew a bit distant. “I couldn’t have done that when I was twenty-two. Hell, I couldn’t do that now.”

She laughed. “Well, hopefully you won’t have to. Are your parents still living?”

“Oh, yeah. Alive and well.”

“In Canada?”

“Mmmhmm.” He focused back on her, his gaze warm and intent. She quivered inside.

“And do you have brothers and sisters?”

“Three brothers.”

“Whoa! Four boys! Your poor mother!”

He grinned. “She’s a tough lady.”

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