“What are you talking about?” she immediately replied, dismissing his words with a shake of her head that sent her hair over her shoulder.
“I mean, you’re so tense it’s ridiculous. Be thankful he’s too blind to notice stuff like that otherwise you’d have been interrogated from the start of this meal.”
Too blind? That was how James saw Aidan? Huh.
She always thought Aidan saw far too much.
Still, that didn’t hold her attention for long. She bit off, “The implication being that… what? That’s how you’d have handled me?”
Because that was exactly what she needed. Handling.
James' grin was sly. “You know me well, sugar.”
“Don’t call me sugar,” she snarled, instantly bristling. “I’m not one of your blonde sluts who asks how high when you tell her to jump.”
“Such anger, Hannah,” came the immediate response, but she could feel him eying her up, trying to suss her out like she was a puzzle in need of solving. “If we ever got together, you’d never be able to lie to me. You’re adorably horrible at it,” he told her silkily.
“You’d never be able to handle me if we ever got together, James. Then you’d have to care about someone other than yourself.”
Hannah’s sharp tone had James cocking a brow.
“That’s a little harsh, wouldn’t you say? I care about Aidan, and I care about your parents, and believe it or not, I care about you.”
“You don’t need to care about me. That’s not what I want nor is it why I’m here.”
Almost too quickly James asked, “The reasons for which are…?”
She slashed a hand through the air. “I’m not talking about this with you.”
“Why not?”
“Because it’s none of your business,” she snapped, the frustration building.
“What isn’t?”
Hannah blinked, startled to see that Aidan had reappeared, and just in time to hear her last hissed retort. She had all the luck today it seemed.
“Nothing,” she said with a weary sigh. “Nothing that matters anyway.”
Aidan frowned. “If it matters to you, then it matters to me, sis. You know that.”
“I do, but now isn’t the time.” She shot him a weak smile.
“I was asking Hannah if she’d like to try out the Orion with me, Aidan.” James cleared his throat. “She said yes.”
Hannah’s eyes widened, but before she could refute that, her brother turned on James. “What the hell, man? It’s a prototype. You know it’s not road certified!”
“I tried her out this morning. She’s driving like a dream. Surely you want Hannah to see exactly why you’re doing so well? And who better than with me? You know I’ve got advanced licenses. She’ll be as safe as houses with me.”
Hannah gawked at him. “I don’t want to go in that pimp mobile!”
“Hey!” her brother retorted. “That baby is my pride and joy, sis.”
Guilt flooded through her. “I didn’t mean it as badly as it sounded.”
“She did,” James retorted archly, shooting her a grin so wicked she longed to slap him.
Aidan huffed. “Now my pride’s hurt. Take her out but be damn careful with her, James. And I’m not even talking about the Orion.”