Read Online Chasing Trouble by Joya Ryan - Free Book Online Page A

unbridled passion, all to himself.
    “So?” He leaned in a little. “Dinner?”
    “I’m sorry, Colt, I have plans tonight.”
    “Just like the other night? When you hung out with my sister in a bar?”
    “Plans are plans.”
    He nodded and looked her up and down. He reached out and tucked a curl that had fallen loose behind her ear and whispered, “I know you need to keep your secrets, JJ. Don’t assume I can’t keep them too.”
    Her breath hitched and Colt pulled back to see her eyes. They were storming.
    “I—ah…”
    Her gaze locked on his mouth. Yes! He’d gotten her thinking about it again.
    She shook her head, as if to break a trance. “I’m sorry, Colt. It’s just not a good idea.”
    “Tell me, right now, it wasn’t incredible between us.”
    “You know it was,” she whispered.
    “Now tell me you don’t want to feel that again.”
    She searched his face. “Of course I do.”
    That made him smile.
    “But, Colt, I can’t afford a misstep right now. And…” She bit her lip and looked at the ground.
    “And you’re worried I’d ruin your reputation?” Though he had an idea this was the case, it still stung.
    “It’s not just you I’m worried about.”
    “Well, look who’s here!” A chipper voice rang out as if on cue, causing Colt to stand up straight and JJ’s eyes to go wide—then narrow. Colt didn’t even have to turn to see who was coming their way.
    “Yvonne, how are you doing?” Colt smiled and the leggy blonde hustled toward him with a little pout on her face. He was on the brink of being in deep shit here real quick, especially since he hadn’t called Yvonne after his quick visit to Diamond last year and even quicker one night with the woman.
    “Not so great considering I didn’t know you were in town.” She didn’t stop, just made her way right to him and plastered a kiss on his cheek. He didn’t miss the way her hands lingered on his chest or the fact that JJ was watching every exchange between them.
    “Hope I’m not interrupting anything?” Yvonne’s voice held an ounce of venom and her pink painted lips pursed as she spared JJ a glance. Barely.
    “Colt was just leaving,” JJ shot out quickly.
    “And what are you doing here in the first place?” Yvonne looked Colt up and down, in a way women did. A way he was used to. A way JJ had looked at him a time or two even. But nothing about the stacked, overly made-up pageant queen did it for him.
    His eyes were set on a curvy brunette with sexy glasses and soft skin.
    Yvonne cleared her throat and Colt realized he was staring at JJ and had ignored the question.
    “Oh, ah, show-and-tell. Alex brought me.”
    Yvonne let out a high-pitched giggle and cupped his shoulder. “Well, of course he did. You’re quite the prize to show off.” When she flipped her hair and added, “Maybe we can get together later tonight like we did last time you were here,” her whisper was purposefully loud enough for JJ to hear and that was all it took for her to put the pieces together.
    He watched JJ’s eyes go wide with realization, and Colt felt like an idiot. Though he never made promises to Yvonne, that one hookup with her last year was coming back to bite him in the ass. And whatever ground had been made with JJ was disappearing.
    “He is quite a prize, isn’t he?” JJ said with a wide smile. But Colt didn’t miss the distaste in her voice or the mask she was putting on. “Looks like you two have a lot to catch up on…like last time.”
    There it was. Those few words punched through Colt’s chest and hurt worse than the damn bruised ribs. He had just lived up to his reputation in JJ’s eyes and there wasn’t a damn thing he could do about it. At least right then.
    Yvonne smiled, seeming to like JJ’s “support,” and turned to Colt.
    “We should really catch up. My lunch just started. Unless…” Yvonne stared down JJ and it was so cold and presumptuous he felt it from where he was standing. “Unless you