Owned by Fate (Serve #1)(43)

When Caroline turned and began to descend the stairs, Jonah saw the man sit straighter in his chair with a frown, noticing her departure and looking less than happy about it. Too bad, motherf*cker. Then the guy turned and looked at Jonah, understanding dawning on his face. Jonah sent the man a wink, resisting the primal urge to suck the taste of her off his fingers while the other man watched.

Leaving the man gaping after him, he followed Caroline down the stairs and joined her at the bar, where she was signing a credit card receipt. She handed him his hat, which he’d left sitting on the bar beside his half-empty glass of whiskey.

One corner of her mouth quirked up. “Again with the hat?”

“Baby.” He smoothed her lip with the pad of his thumb. “Don’t act like you don’t love the hat.”

Looking cautiously amused, she let him retrieve her coat from the attendant and lead her from the restaurant. They walked along the sidewalk, letting the sounds of the city surround them. Cabs whizzing past, racing from one fare to the next. Groups of friends laughing and stumbling between bars, cigarettes being lit up and stomped out. Wind tunneling through the surrounding skyscrapers, lifting his coat and Caroline’s hair, weaving the myriad sounds together into a patchwork quilt of noise. Neither one of them spoke for several blocks, still getting used to each other’s presence in a public place. He couldn’t deny the fierce surge of satisfaction he felt having her beside him, looking well f*cked and gorgeous, dangerous as that enjoyment might be.

Noting the block they were on, Jonah took her hand and led her down a side street. He knew of a quiet underground jazz club where she wouldn’t have to worry about being seen by anyone and would hopefully let her guard drop for a while. Even now, her hand was tense in his, eyes scanning the street, presumably for anyone she knew. Jonah refused to let it bother him. Tomorrow, when he inevitably began to miss her again, he would use it as a reason to convince himself he was better off without her. It might even work for an hour or two.

Caroline didn’t question him as he led her down the dimly lit staircase with a single blue lightbulb hanging over the entrance. Before he opened the door for her, Jonah leaned down and kissed her, just a gentle teasing of the lips that had her swaying toward him.

“After you,” he whispered against her mouth.

Her gaze lit with challenge. As she bypassed him into the small club, she let her breasts press and drag against his chest, eliciting a low groan from his throat. Wishing he’d convinced her to go home with him instead, he let his hand skate over her ass and squeeze the supple flesh as he followed her inside.

Almost immediately inside the door, the bar greeted them on the left, while a stage and a handful of tables were stationed on the right. Couples sat close, paying only fleeting attention to the trio of musicians onstage, the sultry music doing its job in creating an intimate atmosphere. No one paid them the slightest bit of attention as they slipped through the darkness and found a round table. When Caroline moved to pull back her own chair, Jonah shook his head and tugged her down onto his lap instead. A gasp of surprise puffed past her swollen lips, sending arousal slithering through his stomach. He thought she still might protest, but after a moment, she seemed to notice the other customers’ lack of interest and relaxed against him.

“Shouldn’t you be at Serve right now?” Caroline asked softly. Respectful of the performers, Jonah imagined. “It has to be packed tonight.”

“I was there earlier. I couldn’t concentrate.” He began rubbing circles onto her back, pleased as hell when she sighed, relaxing further. “Any idea why that might be?”

She shook her head, causing a wave of hair to fall forward and shield them further from prying eyes. “I couldn’t begin to imagine.”

Jonah let that pass without comment, merely sending her a wink. He ordered a scotch from the waitress and, to his surprise, Caroline asked for the same. Although at this point nothing she did should surprise him. “Should I assume, since you were working on a story tonight, that Preston’s has found a way to turn things around without the merger?” He didn’t like seeing the shadow that crossed her face. “What is it?”

For a moment, it looked like she might change the subject. He cursed himself for bringing up the elephant in the room, but it couldn’t be helped. It lay between them like a line in the sand. But when she finally answered him, it wasn’t what he’d been expecting. “My father… He told me this morning he’s retiring…and leaving me the magazine.”

Jesus, such responsibility. Not that he and Caroline were too far apart in age, but as fresh as she looked, Jonah had always thought of her as much younger. Still, he didn’t even have to stretch his imagination to picture her commanding a boardroom. Oddly, it just made him want to smile like an idiot. “Why does that make you unhappy?” And how can I fix it?

Caroline took a deep breath. “This morning, I was just focused on saving us from bankruptcy. This is a whole new level. Even if we manage to pull through…” She trailed off.

“Asher’s idea can save the magazine,” Jonah said carefully, knowing they were getting into uncomfortable territory and wanting to avoid it at all costs.

Her eyes met his, then quickly flitted away. “Yes.”

It went unspoken that she was unwilling to go that route. Her opinion hadn’t changed one iota since the meeting he’d attended. I can’t fix anything for her. I’m part of the problem. Jonah ignored the sting in the vicinity of his chest. “So what is your alternative?”