Game (Gentry Boys, #3)(35)

Everything. And more.

Chase put his water glass down and gave me an arch look. “Can I ask you a question now?”

“Yes.” And the answer was indeed yes. Whatever his question was, my answer was an immediate, undoubted yes.

Chase crossed his arms and appeared to be puzzling over me. “Who are you, Stephanie Bransky? All I really know about you is that you’re from New York, you want the world to believe you’re a raging bitch and you drive me nuts in the most outrageously beguiling way.” He leaned forward again, nudging me with his knee under the table.

“What do you want to know?” I asked.

Chase asked pointed questions and I gave him honest answers. I knew he hadn’t come from a fairy tale background and wouldn’t look at me sideways when he learned about my family. I was okay talking about my father’s trial. Nick Bransky had crossed the line when he branched out from an illegal sports book to extortion and race fixing. I could accept that the material comforts I’d grown up with were gone. I had trouble talking about my mother’s death though.

“What kind of cancer?” Chase asked gently.

“Pancreatic.”

He frowned. “That’s a tough diagnosis. I’m sorry, Steph.”

I cut my steak into tiny pieces. I hadn’t eaten much of it. “At least she died two days before Robbie. She never knew her son was murdered. I’ll always be grateful she never knew.”

“And what about your other brother?”

I shrugged. I could track Michael down if I really wanted to. And then what the hell would we talk about besides the agony of our shattered family? Michael was only a little over a year older than me and he had been born a tyrant. Out there in the world on his own I would be surprised if he wasn’t involved in something really bad.

“And guys?” Chase asked with a small smile. He’d already eaten every bite of his food.

“I’ve known a few,” I said curtly.

“No one special?”

“What do you think?”

Chase wasn’t smiling anymore. “Honestly, I think someone might have hurt you. I also think you’re not going to tell me a damn thing about it.”

I would have been willing to summarize my limited experience with men. But there was no way in hell I was going to let him know what I’d endured courtesy of Xavier. Chase would pity me and there was nothing worse than pity. I heard the sharp sarcasm coming out of my mouth, even though I knew Chase didn’t deserve it. “Damn, Gentry, how do you stand being so hot and so packed full of insight into the female mind? You must be busting at your muscular seams.”

Apparently Chase didn’t get offended easily. He leaned back in his chair and laughed.

“More,” he said with a sparkle in his eye.

“More what?”

“Yell at me some more.”

“You’re sick.”

“And hot apparently.”

“Like you need me to flatter you. You’re Chase f*cking Gentry. You have a floating campus fan club.”

Chase cocked his head and gazed at me. “God, you’re beautiful.”

I swallowed and looked at the table. I’d never been good at accepting compliments, even when they flowed far more often and freely than they had these last few years.

Chase called for the check and paid with cash. He got annoyed when I tried to chip in.

“I’m trying to be a gentleman,” he grumbled, giving me a stubborn glare. “So let me be a gentleman.”

He took my arm again as we left the restaurant. The feel of his muscles underneath his shirt was making me a little bit unsteady. I just kept flashing back to the way I’d run my hands over his shoulders this afternoon as he got on top of me and put his mouth on my breasts.

“What’s wrong?” he asked. He was smiling again. Damn him, he knew exactly what was going through my mind. Chase didn’t wait for an answer though. He wrapped his arm around my waist and gestured down the street. “Let’s walk over to The Hole. Creed’s singing there right about now.”

The street was quiet. Chase kept his arm around me as we walked. When I glanced over at him his expression was deep, pensive.

“What do you know about me?” he asked in all seriousness.

The question caught me off guard. I knew he was sexy as shit, that he seemed to enjoy attention and that his chronic sarcasm mixed strangely with his sharp intelligence. I knew he fascinated the hell out of me.

From the things Truly had told me I also knew he came from an abusive background, loved his brothers fiercely and that lately he’d been battling an addiction to prescription pain pills.

“I know there’s nothing simple about you,” I said.

Chase held me closer. For some reason I felt my answer made him happy. He paused briefly and gave me a quick kiss on the lips.

The bar was the only pulsing spot on an otherwise dark street. I could hear music already and recognized Creed’s voice. He did have an amazing talent. Despite the gruff way he presented himself he was able to put such feeling into the words he sang.

Not being a country western fan, I’d never been inside the bar popularly nicknamed The Hole. It was small and a little more well-lit than other bars. There were over a dozen tables lining the walls and all were occupied. A tiny dance floor in front was likewise crowded. Nonetheless, Truly found us immediately.