Emerald (Steele Investigations) Read Online Free Page B

sure is beet red, I stand and lean over the table to offer my
hand to Clint.  He’s got strawberry blonde hair and blue eyes, his eyes are
broody and serious but when he grins it lights up his entire face.
    “Hi,” I smile tentatively
    “Hi,” he replies, letting my hand go so I can direct it
towards Theo.
    Theo is dark skinned, I think he’s (at least) part Italian. 
With mocha colored skin, dark eyes and black hair, he’s like a God.  His eyes
light up when my hand meets his and he gives me a panty dropping smile. 
Complete with a dimple in one cheek.  I suck in a breath and mentally chastise
myself. 
    “Hi,” I say as I exhale, which makes me sound needy and
breathy.  I know about panty dropping smiles and flirts and all that crap
because I watch TV…like, a lot.  But never in my life have I flirted or been
flirted with…until Theo.
    “Hey, beautiful,” his voice is husky and suggestive.
    I try to pull my hand from his but he grips it tighter.  My
eyes leave his eyes and dart down to where our hands are joined, then they fly
back up to meet his.  I give another tug and this time, thankfully, he lets me
go.  Being restricted like that gives me flashbacks and used to bring on panic
attacks.  Thankfully, well, thanks to a whole lot of therapy, it would take a
lot more than to send me over the edge.  But that doesn’t mean I liked it.
    I shakily sit back down and my eyes, totally of their own
accord, look across to Travis.  I’m shocked when I find his are glaring at me,
and the nerve in his jaw is ticking.  His eyes are a mesmerizing, emerald green
that goes so deep you could get lost in them.  He also has dimples – one in
each cheek – I’ve seen them for afar when he smiles or laughs, because I
certainly haven’t made him do either.  Look away. Now! My brain shouts. 
But I can’t.  My eyes are glued to his and the rest of the bar melts away.  My
heart studs to thud and I have an overwhelming urge to launch myself across the
table and into his arms.  I bet being in arms I would feel safe, loved and
protected; three things I have never felt in my life.
    It is Tom clearing his throat that jolts me back to reality
and I’m able to tear my eyes from his.  I pick up my drink and down the
contents in one go before I place it back on the table slightly harder than I
probably should have.  Rae touches my arm and quietly asks, “Come with me to
the restrooms?”
    At the risk of embarrassing myself because I can’t talk at
the moment, I simply nod my head and stand. 
     

 
     
     
    Chapter 4
     
    Rae grabs my hand and pulls me toward the restrooms,
slamming the door behind her, she turns me and says (loudly), “What the fuck was that about?”
    Holy shit.  She’s mega pissed at me.  And why
wouldn’t she be.  I’m her employee.  Travis is her Fiancé’s brother.  Even
though nothing physical has happened, even I’m not naïve enough to know that something happened out there.  I just don’t know what it was.  Ice floods my veins as I
realize just how bad this is.
    “Please don’t fire me, Rae.  I swear I have no idea what
just happened.  Travis asked me out on one date, I turned him down.”
    “Jem-,” Rae tries to cut in, but I’m a roll and I can’t seem
to stop.  I need to convince her to let me keep my job.
    “Please, you have to know, you have to know, I would
never go there.  I can’t go there with anyone.  Maybe it’s the drinks.  This is the first drop of alcohol I’ve ever had and to be honest, this is also the
first time I’ve ever had friends and I’m not exactly clued in on social
etiquette and I’ve never read the ‘What you can and can’t do when it comes to
friendships’ book, so please understand.”
    “Jemma, lis-,“  Rae tries again to stop my rant, but I can’t
rein it in.
    “This is all very new to me.  It will never happen again, I
can assure you, but please Rae, I can’t lose my job, I can’t.  If I lose my job
bad things