25
" Thanks,” Jordan said. “Did you say Dad was here, too?”
Kyle threw her a you-are-so-busted look. “Why, yes, he is. He’s out in the waiting room, grilling
Tall, Dark, and Sarcastic.”
Jordan’s mouth formed a silent O. She was busted. “You’ve met Nick?”
“Yep, we’ve met, all right. He was kind enough to inform me that I have absolutely no say in
whether you two date.”
“Well, you don’t.”
“You know, you all could at least pretend that my opinion makes a difference.” Kyle shot her a
sideways glance. “You like this guy, don’t you?”
Jordan couldn’t keep the smile off her face. “Yeah, I like this guy. He rescued me from a crazed
man with a gun, he makes me laugh, and he calls his mother Ma. I’d say he’s a keeper. "
― Julie James , A Lot like Love (FBI/US Attorney, #2)
28
" Let’s just call it an adjustment of priorities.” Nick saw no reason to beat around the bush about
this next part. Pallas was a good guy, and an excellent agent. “There’s more. You and I both know that
Davis has been thinking about retiring. I told him today that when that happens, I’d like to be
considered for the special agent in charge position. I wanted you to hear it from me first. Thought you
might be eying the job, too.”
Jack considered this. “I’ve given it some thought,” he admitted. “But politically, I doubt it would
go over well if the special agent in charge of Chicago and the U.S. attorney of the same district were
involved in a personal relationship.” His expression was one of pride. “And since Cameron got there
first, it looks like I’m adjusting my priorities, too.” He paused. “Plus, I hear that people think I’m
cranky.” He rubbed his jaw, musing. “Not sure why that is.”
“Maybe it’s all the brooding and glowering.”
“No one complains when you break out the don’t-fuck-with-me face. "
― Julie James , A Lot like Love (FBI/US Attorney, #2)
33
" One more second and he would’ve hit you with the gun. And who knows what else. When I think about what could’ve happened . . .” He gripped her shoulders determinedly. “I should’ve told you this earlier, Jordan. Now that I’ve got my chance, you’re going to hear it whether you like it or not. You came into my life and messed the whole thing up and now I’m screwed. Because I’m in love with you. As in balls-out, head-over-heels, watching-Dancing-with-the-Stars -on-Monday-nights, wine-and-bubble-bath kind of love. Hell, I think I’d even wear a scarf indoors for you.”
Jordan smiled, her eyes misty, as she touched his cheek. “That’s the best kind of love. "
― Julie James , A Lot like Love (FBI/US Attorney, #2)
36
" Maybe you could tell us how you and Jordan met, Nick.”
All conversation at the table stopped.
Frankly, Nick was surprised it had taken this long for someone to ask. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Jordan take a nervous sip of her wine. He knew this was the part of the evening she’d dreaded, the part where they told more lies to her friends.
Perhaps he could help her out with that.
“Jordan and I met two weeks ago, at her store,” he said. “On the night of the big snowstorm.”
Pete chuckled. “You really must’ve been jonesing for wine to go out in that mess.”
Nick reached across the table and linked his fingers through Jordan’s. “I think Fate had a higher purpose for bringing me to her store that night.” He winked at her. I’ve got this.
Melinda melted. “That’s so sweet.”
“Then what happened?” Corinne prompted.
Nick faced Jordan’s friends. For her sake, he’d tell the truth—perhaps not the whole truth—but at least nothing but. “Well, I asked Jordan a few questions, some quips were exchanged, and I distinctly recall her making a sarcastic comment about chardonnay. I can’t tell you exactly what happened from there, but five days later I found myself at Xander Eckhart’s party drinking pink champagne.”
Her friends laughed. Charles raised his glass. “That’s how it happens, Nick. A cute smile, a few clever words, and five years later you’re watching Dancing with the Stars on Monday nights instead of football.”
“Hey, don’t knock it until you’ve tried it,” Pete said indignantly.
As the group teased Pete, Nick felt Jordan squeeze his knee underneath the table.
She spoke softly as she held his gaze. “Thank you.”
It took far more effort than it should have to make his tone sound as cavalier as always.
“Any time, Rhodes "
― Julie James , A Lot like Love (FBI/US Attorney, #2)
40
" Isn’t this the weekend of Xander Eckhart’s party?”
“Yes.” Jordan held her breath in a silent plea. Don’t ask if I’m bringing anyone. Don’t ask if I’m bringing anyone.
“So are you bringing anyone?” Melinda asked.
Foiled.
Having realized there was a distinct possibility the subject would come up, Jordan had spent some time running through potential answers to this very question. She had decided that being casual was the best approach. “Oh, there’s this guy I met a few days ago, and I was thinking about asking him.” She shrugged. “Or maybe I’ll just go by myself, who knows.”
Melinda put down her forkful of gnocchi, zoning in on this like a heat-seeking missile to its target. “What guy you met a few days ago? And why is this the first we’re hearing of him?”
“Because I just met him a few days ago.”
Corinne rubbed her hands together, eager for the details. “So? Tell us. How’d you meet him?”
“What does he do?” Melinda asked.
“Nice, Melinda. You’re so shallow.” Corinne turned back to Jordan. “Is he hot?”
Of course, Jordan had known there would be questions. The three of them had been friends since college and still saw each other regularly despite busy schedules, and this was what they did. Before Corinne had gotten married, they talked about her now-husband, Charles. The same was true of Melinda and her soon-to-be-fiancé, Pete. So Jordan knew that she, in turn, was expected to give up the goods in similar circumstances. But she also knew that she really didn’t want to lie to her friends.
With that in mind, she’d come up with a backup plan in the event the conversation went this way. Having no choice, she resorted to the strategy she had used in sticky situations ever since she was five years old, when she’d set her Western Barbie’s hair on fire while trying to give her a suntan on the family-room lamp.
Blame it on Kyle.
I’d like to thank the Academy . . . “Sure, I’ll tell you all about this new guy. We met the other day and he’s . . . um . . .” She paused, then ran her hands through her hair and exhaled dramatically. “Sorry. Do you mind if we talk about this later? After seeing Kyle today with the bruise on his face, I feel guilty rattling on about Xander’s party. Like I’m not taking my brother’s incarceration seriously enough.” She bit her lip, feeling guilty about the lie. So sorry, girls. But this has to stay my secret for now.
Her diversion worked like a charm. Perhaps one of the few benefits of having a convicted felon of a brother known as the Twitter Terrorist was that she would never lack for non sequiturs in extracting herself from unwanted conversation.
Corinne reached out and squeezed her hand. “No one has stood by Kyle’s side more than you, Jordan. But we understand. We can talk about this some other time. And try not to worry—Kyle can handle himself. He’s a big boy.”
“Oh, he definitely is that,” Melinda said with a gleam in her eye.
Jordan smiled. “Thanks, Corinne.” She turned to Melinda, thoroughly skeeved out. “And, eww—Kyle?”
Melinda shrugged matter-of-factly. “To you, he’s your brother. But to the rest of the female population, he has a certain appeal. I’ll leave it at that.”
“He used to fart in our Mr. Turtle pool and call it a ‘Jacuzzi.’ How’s that for appeal?”
“Ah . . . the lifestyles of the rich and famous,” Corinne said with a grin.
“And on that note, my secret fantasies about Kyle Rhodes now thoroughly destroyed, I move that we put a temporary hold on any further discussions related to the less fair of the sexes,” Melinda said.
“I second that,” Jordan said, and the three women clinked their glasses in agreement "
― Julie James , A Lot like Love (FBI/US Attorney, #2)
