Yeah, right.
By the time they reached the bar, his fingers ached from gripping the steering wheel. He needed a stiff drink or two to ease the tension.
“Thanks for the ride,” she said in that distracting voice of hers.
“No problem.”
She smiled and hesitated with her hand on the door.
Since he was still on the case, he’d better do his pseudo–big brother duty. “Who’s the guy? Have you been on many dates with him?”
She shook her head. “His name is Henry. I’ll be meeting him for the first time. My friend set me up on a blind date.”
His spine stiffened. “You don’t know the guy at all? You’re meeting a stranger?”
“Blair said he’s nice.” Her brows creased. “I’m hoping he’s better than the last guy she set me up with.”
He swiveled in his seat to face her. “This isn’t the first blind date you’ve been on?”
She shook her head.
Shit. Maybe Ethan’s concern for her was justified. Who knew what weirdos she’d been set up with? “What was wrong with the last guy?”
She shuddered. “Too many things to explain.”
“Blair is setting you up with creeps? What kind of friend would do that?” He needed to drive her back to her apartment, not hand her to some asshole.
“It wasn’t her fault. He’d given her and her husband the impression he was a nice guy.”
“And you trust her with her next choice? What if he’s not what they think he is either?” The urge to turn the car around grew stronger.
She shrugged one shoulder and sighed. “I have to try. I don’t know anyone in New York, so I need all the help I can get.” Opening the door, she swung her legs from the car. “Thanks again for the ride.”
He drew her to a stop, tugging on her wrist. With her skin so soft and delicate under his fingers, he wanted to trail his hand up her arm to her neck and pull her to him, not let her walk into that bar to meet a stranger. But he let go, cleared his throat, and said, “If you get into any trouble, call me.”
She smiled over her shoulder and nodded. He rubbed his chin and watched her walk into the bar to meet a guy who could be some psychopath.
God, he was starting to sound like Ethan.
Although, his friend did have a point. If she was meeting with random strangers, it wouldn’t hurt if someone watched out for her. Handing his car off to a nearby valet, he walked to a bar opposite the one Chloe sat in waiting for her date. The window he was seated at gave him a clear view of her.
He told himself this wasn’t creepy at all. This was what Ethan had asked him to do—keep an eye on Chloe—and that justified what he was doing because she was meeting a random guy. But if she knew he was spying on her, he had no doubt that she’d knock his lights out. As a kid, he’d seen her throw a punch or two at her brothers, knocking them on their asses.
While she sat and waited for her date, she ordered a glass of wine, flicked through her phone, and twirled the ends of her hair around her finger. She wiggled in the seat and adjusted the neckline of her top; she drummed her fingers on the table and drank the wine.
As time went on and her date hadn’t yet showed up, the routine repeated until she was on her fourth glass. It had been almost an hour since he’d dropped her off, and the guy still hadn’t made an appearance. Her date had stood her up. What a stupid fucker! Did he know what kind of woman waited for him? Obviously not, because there was no way a man in his right mind would ghost a woman like Chloe.
Chloe flicked through her phone again and must have made up her mind not to wait any longer because she called the waiter over and paid her bill. Rising from her chair, she swayed slightly. She clutched the table until her legs were steady then walked out of the bar. She’d had a lot to drink, and on an empty stomach, alcohol became more potent. He needed to get her home safe.
Leaving money on his table, he rushed outside, dodging cars as he crossed the street to get to her. “Chloe!”
She kept staggering along the sidewalk. Tripping over her feet, she steadied herself by clutching a lamppost.
Shit!
He picked up the pace. People around him gave him curious looks as he pushed past them. “Chloe!” he yelled. Again, no response. “Glowy!” She spun around and wobbled. He caught her just in time, holding on to her shoulders to steady her.
“Hey, are you okay?” He stared into her glassy eyes.