by Faith Starr
She opened it, eyeing me suspiciously. Guess the stupid grin was still on my face. But now I wore it for a different reason. She looked like a runway model.
“I think I like your neighbor and I haven’t even met the man. You look stunning.” I wiped my hands on my slacks to dry them. Profuse sweating had never been an issue for me. I didn’t understand why I suddenly experienced it now.
“Thank you. You look breathtaking yourself, if you don’t mind me saying so.”
What the fuck? Was I blushing? I rubbed my neck. Something was definitely wrong in my body.
I leaned forward and kissed her cheek, causing my own to feel warmer. I didn’t want to ruin the makeup on her lips.
“And you smell as good as you look.” She wore a warm smile.
See Noah drool. See Dick rise. Fuck me.
“Where’re we off to? You didn’t give me any details other than to wear this beautiful dress.”
Feet, don’t fail me now.
“Come. You shall see shortly. We better get going or else we’ll be late.”
As soon as we got in my car, I turned the A/C on high.
“Is there a purpose to this dinner that I need to be aware of?”
“My uncle wants me and my brothers to get together with some of the board members in an informal setting.” I adjusted the vents up and down. I couldn’t seem to get them in the right position.
“I never even asked you how you feel about your new position with the publishing company.”
Maybe I needed to bring my car to the shop. The A/C wasn’t working as well as it usually did.
“It’s really not new for any of us. My Uncle Phil made all three of us work at the publishing house at one time or another over the years, frequently reminding us that we’d eventually take over so had to be prepared. When Derek approached me with the idea of opening the club, I was all for it. My Uncle Phil was ecstatic because it meant my brothers and I would run it together. He considered it a practice run for when the time came for us to take the reins at the publishing house.”
The frickin’ A/C still wasn’t helping to cool me off.
“So you’re a businessman by day, club man by night?”
“In my case, that’s pretty much how it’s been for the last several years.”
“Would you mind turning the air down, it’s a little chilly in here?”
Fuck. I did as she requested.
“Thanks. So I guess it doesn’t leave you much free time, huh?”
“I consider myself lucky in that I’m a boss at both jobs, so as long as I take care of my responsibilities, my schedule can be somewhat flexible. Although you are correct, there isn’t too much time left over for anything else.”
The conversation helped my body temperature return to a normal state.
“Don’t you ever feel like you need a break? Like you’re burned-out?”
“Not at all. I love what I do. My brothers and I are currently in the process of making necessary changes so that we can keep all the bases covered.”
“You must be very close with them. It seems like you guys are together twenty-four seven.”
“You’d be surprised by how little time we actually spend together on a daily basis. We all have different roles at our respective jobs.”
“I admire your ambition.”
“It’s in my wiring, babe.” I took hold of her hand, finally feeling able to touch her without burning up in flames.
“I bet in high school all the girls wanted to date Noah Dorian. Am I correct?”
“That wasn’t important to me. I had a path to follow, and that was my focus.”
“Even though you were guaranteed a position with your uncle?”
“My uncle made us prove ourselves to him. It wasn’t like things were handed down to us on a silver platter. It was required that we all get graduate degrees and show him we were willing to do whatever it took to be successful.”
“Do Derek and Mitch have the same mind-set as you?”
“I would say Derek and I are the most similar. But Mitch is coming around. He knows he can’t ride our coattails for the rest of his life.”
“Is that why you guys don’t like Darla?”
“Who said we don’t like Darla?” I glanced over at her.
“She did, at your aunt and uncle’s party. She said your family doesn’t approve of her.”
Fucking big mouth. “Darla should learn to keep her mouth shut.”
Jordin shifted in her seat. I hadn’t meant for my comment to come out so harsh.
“I don’t think she meant anything bad by it. I think she was simply voicing her opinion.”
“The bottom line is that Mitch doesn’t need any more distractions. He has had too many in his life. He needs to show my uncle that he wants to be part of the team, whether it’s at the club or at the publishing company. His past behaviors haven’t always displayed that. Darla’s holding him back from doing so.”
“So are you saying women hold men back?”
“They can. That’s why it’s important to have your priorities in place.” Shit. That didn’t come out right.
She slipped her hand out of mine and placed it on her lap, clasping hers together instead. “I see.”
“You’re not an anchor. I didn’t imply that if that’s what you’re thinking.” I tried to reach for it again, but she had them tightly knotted. Fuck. “What are you thinking?”
“You’re a difficult man to read, Noah. That’s what I’m thinking.”
“How so?” I put the hand she didn’t want to hold on the steering wheel. If she didn’t want it, I had to do something with it.
“I don’t really know what you want from me.”
Huh? “I don’t want anything from you other than for us to spend time together and enjoy each other’s company.”
“Well, to be honest, I feel blind in this thing we have going on between us. Every time we part ways I have no clue as to if or when I’ll speak to you or see you again.”
Shit. I squeezed the steering wheel. The inevitable relationship talk was about to take place. “Do you need that reassurance?”
“Yes. I believe I do, but I also wouldn’t want you to feel pressured into doing something you’re not comfortable with.”
“If you need me to be more specific about things like that, I will be.”
“Really?” She sounded so surprised.
“Yes, really, I don’t want you to feel like you’re in the dark about our involvement.”
“Thanks. That was easier than I thought it would be.” She relaxed and unclasped her hands. Yeah. That was me. A fucking Staples Easy Button.
“Contrary to what you might believe, I’m not a difficult person. Just tell me what you need, and I’ll do my best to take care of it for you.” This time, she allowed me to take her hand in mine. I brought it toward my mouth and kissed it. My uncle was right in what he had taught us about women, just agree with them. It makes things that much easier. “We’re here.”
“We’re eating here?” She practically gasped, looking at the entrance out the passenger window.
“Yes. Do you have a problem with that?”
“Umm, no, of course not.”
“Good. Then let’s go.”
59
Jordin
The Ivanhoe Club was a place that catered to the who’s who in town. I had seen and read about it many times in a variety of gossip magazines.
“Are you okay? You look like you’ve seen a ghost.” Noah extended his hand toward me.
“Yes. I’m fine.” Gee, that was convincing.
“You sure?”
“Yeah, I’m positive. I’ve just never been to a place like this before.”
The doors were grand, made of solid oak. Noah opened one of them, and a blast of cold air blew across us. The view was breathtaking. Marble floors, granite check-in area, stately wood furniture. It was similar in style to Noah’s apartment.
A maître d’ stood in front of us, ready to
greet us and escort us to our table.
“It’s just a place, and the people in it are just that,” Noah whispered.
His hand pressed against the small of my back was confidence boosting. It gave me a high to walk through the dining room with a man like Noah Dorian.
The maître d’ opened a set of double French doors.
“You ready?” Noah’s warm breath and close proximity tickled my ear.
There was a small group inside the private room. Fewer than I expected. Piece of cake. I nodded and we entered the secluded area.
“Noah! Jordin! It’s so good to see you both.” His beautiful aunt rushed toward us, gleaming.
Yikes. She squeezed me so tightly I could barely breathe. Now I knew where Noah got it from.
“Hi, Aunt Jenny, it’s good to see you too.”
Yup, that’s definitely where he got it from. The two of them were now sandwiched together without an inch of space between them.
“Don’t forget I still want to host a dinner for the two of you.”
Either she really liked my dress or was really excited Noah had brought me, because she wouldn’t stop rubbing my arm underneath my sleeve.
“Just be sure to give me plenty of notice. Uncle Phil’s working me to the bone.”
“Speaking of which, go and say hello to him. He looks like he needs to be rescued.”
A pat on the back later and we were speaking to Uncle Phil. Several older gentlemen dressed to a tee stood with him. One of them eyed me up and down. Jeez. Could the pervert be any more obvious about his perusal of my body?
“Noah, I’m so glad you’re here. And Jordin, it’s so nice to see you again.”
Oh boy. Another round of how hard can you squeeze Jordin. It actually warmed my heart that his aunt and uncle greeted me so lovingly.
“You too, Mr. Dorian, thank you for having me.”
“Are you kidding? I haven’t seen Noah smile like this in ages, and please, call me Phil.” He patted Noah’s back.
“Hi, Uncle Phil.”
Noah made the proper introductions while I stood next to him. I listened as they talked shop. I found it interesting to hear some of the ins and outs of the publishing business. Dorian had multiple best-selling authors as well as worldwide distribution. It was definitely not a mom-and-pop company. Rather, it was a household name like HarperCollins and Simon & Schuster. And the fact that Noah was on the board totally blew me away. He was so intelligent. Listening to him converse about business with men at least twice his age when he was so young had me beaming with pride and honored to be standing next to him as his date. And when he began to talk numbers, he looked like a child at Christmas. I saw yet another side of Noah Dorian, and I liked this one just as much as all the others.
“Hello, all.” Derek greeted us with a head nod.
Wow. Who was the stunning blonde holding his hand? Hopefully Noah didn’t see me doing a quick sweep of his brother’s body. He looked mighty fine in that suit and tie of his. Yay! No reaction.
The woman was introduced as Stevie Watson. She exuded confidence and had all three gentlemen in front of us practically drooling, except Uncle Phil. How I would love to know how that felt just once.
“You’re much prettier.” Noah’s warm breath cascaded over my ear, his finger caressed the exposed part of my back. “Don’t give it another thought.”
How in the hell did he always do that? It pissed me off that he could know me so well yet barely know me at all.
Mitch and Darla joined us several minutes later. They weren’t holding hands or anything affectionate like that. Surprisingly, they stood relatively far apart for two people who were supposed to be a couple. How interesting.
Her eyes remained focused downward while Mitch made pleasantries to the group. When she did finally look up, our eyes met. I smiled to show her my support.
Soon afterward, we were all ushered to our seats. Luckily for me, I got to sit next to the Barbie doll. Woo-hoo!
We had two private waiters catering to our every need. Noah’s aunt and uncle politely placed themselves in the middle and made sure everyone was included in the discussion. The shocker of the night was that the Barbie doll was some kind of a James Bond. It was difficult for me to picture the long-legged California beauty sitting next to me holding a gun and chasing down bad guys. But once she opened her mouth, I could definitely see the connection. She was soft and pretty on the outside yet rough and tough on the inside. You wouldn’t catch me messing with her, that was for damn sure. But I much preferred her to Sydney and her shenanigans.
After coffee and dessert, the older men excused themselves to go outside and smoke cigars. We remained inside with Phil, Jenny, Noah’s brothers, and their dates.
The atmosphere changed immediately. It was kind of like being with my own family. The jokes and teasing started, followed by laughter. I found myself feeling so comfortable that I too began to participate in the fun as well.
Jenny told us stories about how when the boys were young they would sneak and watch scary movies late at night, even after being told not to, and how she would wake up in the morning to find all three of them tucked in bed with her and Phil. It was difficult for me to picture big, confident Noah being afraid of anything.
“There was another time when the three of them sneaked downstairs to the wine cellar with Sydney and got locked inside.”
Ugh.
Noah’s hand slid onto my lap, taking mine in his, and gently squeezing it.
“They were stuck in there for hours. Phil and I were frantic, calling neighbors and friends to question them about their whereabouts. It took the police coming to the house for questioning to discover that the four of them had been locked downstairs all along.”
Everyone laughed except me. Call me a sore sport, but Sydney didn’t deserve to get a smile from me.
From what I could gather so far, Phil and Jenny were loving people. It was obvious how much they cared for the boys in the stories they shared with us. I didn’t know how happy the boys were about the stories being televised, but the rest of us had a great time.
We didn’t leave the Ivanhoe until almost midnight. It was such a fun night, and I was so glad to have spent quality time with Noah’s aunt and uncle. It provided me with some insight as to how he had become the wonderful man he was.
“Jordin, we’re so glad you were able to come tonight. We do hope to see you again soon.”
This time I was ready for it. I took a deep breath right before Jenny came in for the kill. I too gave her a loving hug.
Interestingly, Darla and Stevie only got a handshake. My orthodontist would’ve been so proud to see my perfectly straight teeth as I smiled wide.
We drove to my apartment, and I wore that same smile the entire way there. “I really like Phil and Jenny.”
“I think they feel the same way about you.”
My cheeks hurt from smiling so much. I opened my jaw to stretch it.
“It was so nice to see all of you interact together. It made me feel a bit homesick.”
“Will you be going home over winter break?”
He glanced at me. It was quick, but I caught it.
“No. Not this year.”
Another look, but this time with a grimace. “You mean you’ll be alone for the holidays?”
“I don’t mind. I’ve missed a lot of holidays since being away. Sometimes I go to Casey’s house and celebrate with her family, although this year I don’t plan on doing that. I don’t think I could stand to be in the same room with Dr. Sloan and his family, especially knowing the kind of man he really is.”
“I completely understand.”
Noah got an earful about me walking in on Sloan and the female student in his office and how the jerk tried to threaten my career with the university afterward.
“The sad thing about all this is that I used to want to work for the department more than anything, but the more I learn about Dr. Sloan, the less I like being there.”
The
dark road ahead of us was somewhat of a metaphor for the gloominess suddenly making a presence inside me.
“You can’t let one person affect your entire outlook.”
“I know. The clinic offered me an internship position, and I’m actually considering it. It’s been such a great experience for me so far. I get along with all the therapists, and I love working with the women. I find the more I do it, the more I enjoy it.”
Look at that, streetlights again. How ironic.
“It’s good to have options, and you still have some time to decide. Sloan’s a dick. Just be sure you’re not walking away from the university position solely because of him. You’re a much better and smarter person than he’ll ever be, and he’d be a fool not to hire you. But then again, he’s thinking with his dick, not his brains.”
Amen to that. I nodded in agreement, not that Noah could see me. His eyes remained focused on the road ahead of us.
“I have to agree with you on that point. Do you know how difficult it is for me to carry around this burden of truth when his daughter’s my best friend?”
“I certainly don’t envy your position.”
The sudden warmth of his hand taking hold of mine provided needed comfort.
“There’re times I wish I could tell Casey the truth about her father so badly, but I can’t. It really sucks.”
“It does, but enough about Robert Sloan. I don’t want thoughts about him to ruin the wonderful evening we’ve had.”
“Me neither. Every time I think about him I end up feeling angry.” Since his hand was in mine, it had no choice but to get lifted in the air to emphasize my point.
“Maybe I could help change your mood?”
“And how’s that?”
“Come. Let’s go upstairs to your apartment, and I’ll show you.”
“You mean we’re already here?”
60
Noah
“I think my zipper’s stuck. Would you mind giving me a hand?”
“It would be my pleasure.”
That sexy back of hers was like an open invitation. The dress didn’t call for a bra either. What a shame. I couldn’t resist grazing my hand across her soft skin as the zipper made its way downward. Too bad it stopped just above her hips.