by Raine Thomas
She followed his gaze to the ballroom’s entrance. Nikki and Mal had just entered and were walking over to Suddenly Something’s side of the ballroom. Nikki’s arm was around Mal’s waist and his arm was draped over her shoulders.
Sydney turned back to Keith. A House of Archer camera operator was aiming his camera right at him, almost as though he had expected Nikki’s grand entrance. Seeing that Keith’s gaze was following Nikki, Sydney moved a few feet to the side and into his line of sight. He blinked and focused on her.
She signed, Remember the cameras. Don’t give her the satisfaction.
His jaw flexed once and then he returned his attention to the fans in front of him. His expression eased into the politely aloof look he usually wore at these events.
Relieved, Sydney returned to the table. Aria studied her as she chewed on a stuffed olive.
“Want to tell me what that was all about?” she asked.
Sydney told her.
“Wow. What a bitch,” Aria said, shaking her head. “I guess she’s willing to do anything to stay in the spotlight.”
Sydney considered that. Had the House of Archer camera person just happened to be filming Keith when Nikki arrived, or had the show’s team somehow been forewarned?
Also on her mental list of questions was whether Nikki’s selfish actions had hurt Keith. They hadn’t ever talked about his relationship with her. Yes, he had done the dumping, but had he held some real affection for her?
If so, seeing her with another guy the day after he broke up with her had to feel awful. Nikki was the smallest kind of person to flaunt her new relationship like this. She was basically telling Keith that she’d had no trouble getting over him and he was easily replaceable.
To Sydney, she looked like a desperate rebounder grasping at straws.
After she and Aria finished eating, they headed back to the bar for refills. Sydney glanced at her watch while they waited for their drinks. She and Keith planned to leave the party at midnight because they were picking Lex up at eight the next morning. That was still almost an hour away. She was going to have to find a way to entertain herself until then, especially because the bands were now starting to make their way around the room for the mingling portion of the evening.
Sydney and Aria managed to find two open seats on a couch in one of the casual seating areas set up in the room. Aria sat with Sydney for about ten minutes before she was approached to dance by a handsome stranger.
“You okay on your own for a while?” Aria asked.
Sydney smiled. “Of course. Have fun.”
“Thanks, Syd.”
Once she was alone, Sydney scooted as far back on the couch as she could, pretending she was part of the upholstery and praying no one tried to talk to her. That lasted for about fifteen minutes. When a couple of people wandered by looking for seats, Sydney gave hers up and looked for somewhere to stand and remain unnoticed. She headed back towards where The Void had been sitting earlier, figuring Lily might still be there in her chair. It didn’t take long to see Lily wasn’t there.
Who was there was Vic Crawford. He spotted her over the shoulder of the woman in front of him.
Remembering what she walked in on in the Suddenly Something green room and how she had reacted, Sydney felt her cheeks heat up. She turned and walked in the opposite direction, not caring where she ended up. A few seconds later, a hand grabbed her upper arm and stopped her.
“Where are you going, Princess?” Vic asked. “You were looking for me, weren’t you?”
She pulled away from him. “No,” she said, trying to step away from him. He followed. “I’m looking for my friends.”
“Come on. You know you liked what you saw.”
She took another couple of steps back. He advanced to fill up the space. “You’re making me uncomfortable,” she said, hoping that being straightforward would make him ease off.
Instead, he lifted a hand close to her face, grasping a wisp of her hair and rubbing it between his fingers. “You say that now, but when I get you back into our green room the last thing you’ll feel is discomfort.”
Since she couldn’t retreat any further, she shoved him back a foot. “Quit touching me. We’re surrounded by cameras. I’m saying this now and I’d better not have to say it again. I have no interest in you or any other member of Suddenly Something. So back off.”
Vic took a breath as though he was going to respond, but a glance behind her had him pressing his lips together and walking away.
Sydney turned, half-expecting to see Keith. Instead, she found all six-feet, five inches of Xander. He had his muscular arms crossed over his chest and was staring death-rays at Vic. It wasn’t a look Sydney had ever seen from the laidback rhythm guitarist.
“He buggin’ you?” Xander asked when he returned his attention to her.
“Yeah, but that should do the trick. Thanks.”
He nodded and glanced at the dance floor. “You dance?”
“Oh, no. I leave that to Lily and Aria.”
“Lilliputian won’t be doing any dancing tonight,” he observed, looking over where Lily was now sitting with a plate of roasted vegetables on her lap. “Seems like the night for piss-poor examples of the male species trying to take advantage of my lovely female friends.”
She smiled. “Not all men can be as gentlemanly as you, Xander.”
He let out a loud laugh. “Nah. I’m no gentleman. Just raised in a military household. My old man would never have allowed behavior like that from his sons.”
“I’d love to shake his hand.”
“Wish you could. Lost him in Iraq when I was twelve.”
Empathy had her reaching out to rub his upper arm. “I’m sorry. I’m sure he’d be proud of you.”
He laughed again, humorlessly this time. “Hell no, he wouldn’t. I was supposed to go into the military like my two brothers and my sister. I’m what you’d call the proverbial black sheep.”
Sydney met his gaze, feeling a kinship with him. “I know that feeling. But believe me, he’d be proud.”
Xander’s amusement cleared enough to give her a glimpse of the lost soul beneath it. “Thanks, Sunshine.”
His gaze moved back to the dance floor. Sydney noticed that he was watching Aria, who was on her fifth or sixth different dance partner.
“You know,” she began, questioning her own sanity, “I don’t dance, but I’m always open to learning new things. Maybe you could teach me some moves.”
He grinned. “You’re on.”
She allowed him to lead her onto the thriving dance floor and was grateful when he moved into the middle of the chaos. She didn’t want everyone watching her while she did this.
“Follow my lead,” he said over the music.
She looked around at everyone else, feeling completely out of her element. Xander took her hand to draw her attention and pointed at him, reminding her to focus on him. She nodded and began to mimic his moves. He smiled to encourage her, occasionally reaching over to hold her arms or hips a certain way so she could accomplish a move. He encouraged her to listen to the beat and allow her body to move with it, which helped her loosen up.
For a couple of songs, he turned her so her back was to him and held her close so she could feel how he moved with the music. Despite his size, he moved fluidly and didn’t cause her any concern over his nearness. She laughed frequently, having more fun than she thought she would.
It didn’t take long before she worked up a light sweat. She peeled off her thin cardigan and tied it around her waist, not feeling cold for the first time since she had been coming to these parties.
As the dance lesson continued, Aria noticed them and joined them. Sydney was happy about that, knowing Xander really wanted to dance with her. She decided to wait for a transition in the songs to make a polite retreat and leave the two of them together.
“Taking all the ladies for yourself again, Chill?”
Sydney looked over at the sound of Keith’s voice and found him
standing nearby in the middle of the dance floor. She smiled at him. He didn’t return it. His gaze traveled along her body, making her highly aware that she was without her sweater and wearing a spaghetti strap dress. Though it was hardly revealing, Keith’s scan made her feel naked.
“Is it time to go?” she asked, looking at her watch. She was astonished to find that it was nearly midnight. “Aria, we’re heading out.”
Her friend smiled and waved as she moved closer to Xander. Sydney didn’t think Xander even noticed that Keith interrupted.
The song transitioned to a slow song. Aria put her arms around Xander’s neck. Sydney thought he might be in heaven. It made her grin as she turned to walk with Keith to the edge of the dance floor.
She looked up as a few of the dancers parted. Her gaze fell on a nearby table, one that she and Keith would have to pass on their way out. Sitting in one of the chairs was Mal holding Nikki on his lap. They were kissing like they were in the middle of a porno. Sydney was convinced that it was for Keith’s benefit, especially when she saw his posture go rigid out of the corner of her eye.
Before they stepped off the dance floor, she turned to him and said, “Dance with me.”
He gave her a searching look.
“Trust me.”
He took her left hand and guided it up so it was cupping the back of his neck, then held her right hand in his. His right hand drifted to the small of her back, holding her close to his hard body.
Leaning close to her ear, he murmured, “Care to explain what this is all about?”
The feel of his warm breath on her neck made her pulse race. She almost tilted her head enough that his lips could graze her earlobe before she remembered herself.
“I just decided that two could play at Nikki’s game,” she said. “Fair warning, though. I don’t plan on sticking my tongue down your throat.”
“Well that’s a damn shame.”
She laughed and leaned against him, closing her eyes and allowing her head to rest on his shoulder. She was sure when Nikki saw them—and she would, since she was waiting to see Keith’s reaction to her make-out session with Mal—it would seriously tick her off. Sydney had never seen Keith dance, not even a slow dance with Nikki.
She forgot for a moment that they were in a room full of people. She so enjoyed being in Keith’s arms, drawing in his clean, masculine scent and allowing his body heat to warm her. The feel of his hands on her made her want so much more.
But the song had to end. When it did, she stepped back and looked up at Keith, not letting go of his hand.
“Now we’ll walk off together,” she said loud enough for only him to hear, “talking about nothing while looking only at each other so they think we never even noticed their existence.”
“You females and your games,” he muttered, but he didn’t pull his hand from hers as they got moving. “It’s easier to just punch O’Dell.”
She grinned, pleased that he was following her instructions. “We can’t risk you injuring these hands. You’ve got a month-and-a-half of touring yet to do.”
“So damn practical.”
“One of us has to be.” She had enough of a view of Nikki and Mal just beyond Keith’s shoulder to know they were watching, so she kept the conversation going. “I just need to grab my purse from the green room and then we can head out.”
“Okay.”
Keith opened the event room door for her, holding it open so she could walk through it. She started to release his hand as he stepped out and allowed the door to close behind him. He secured his hold on her. When she gave him a look, his gaze slid to the right. She got enough of a sense of what was there to understand they were currently being recorded. She linked her fingers with his, trying her best to look casual as her heart raced.
He didn’t release her until they reached the green room. She walked in and got her purse and then they headed out to the parking lot. She was partly relieved to see the camera operator wasn’t following them and partly disappointed that she no longer had a reason to touch Keith.
He made no move to change that as they walked. She could practically feel his emotional wall building between them. It was tempting to break the silence. She knew him well enough by now, though. If he wanted to talk, he would.
Thankfully it was a short drive to his apartment. He didn’t say a word the entire time. Sydney parked where she usually did in a designated visitor’s spot and popped her trunk so she could get her bag. Keith got out of the car first and walked to the trunk, wordlessly opening it and retrieving her bag without her having to mention it. It was a kind gesture that helped ease some of the concern she felt over his lack of conversation.
They headed up to his apartment. She hung her purse on one of the dining chairs when they entered and expected Keith to deposit her bag on the couch. Instead, he headed to the hallway leading to his bedroom.
She took a few steps after him, wondering if he forgot he was holding the bag.
“You can sleep in the bed,” he said as he walked back out into the living room and peeled off his jacket. “I changed the sheets earlier.”
“You don’t have to give up your bed for me.”
“Yeah, I do.”
She eyed the couch. “You’ll never fit on that.”
“I’ll be fine.”
“You won’t. You’ll sleep miserably. It makes more sense for me to sleep on it.”
“Jesus. Just take the damn bed.”
Frowning, she said, “Fine. Then you take the bed, too.”
His astounded expression alone was worth making the suggestion.
“It’s a huge king-sized bed,” she went on. “I’ll take one side and you take the other.”
“No way.”
She crossed her arms over her chest. “Fact of the day. I’m incredibly stubborn when I think I’m right. I’m going to get my way on this.”
He gave her a narrow-eyed stare that didn’t budge her. “Will it shut you up?” he asked.
“Yes.”
“Fine. But I get the right side.”
“Fine,” she echoed, turning and heading into the bedroom. “I guess it’s only fair that you’re right about something tonight.”
Chapter Seventeen
Keith woke up before the alarm thanks to the incessant chirping from some kind of bird in the tree outside the window. He hadn’t been sleeping very soundly anyway.
How could he with Sydney laying only a couple of feet away?
She had somehow managed to monopolize his thoughts ever since the after-party. He’d seen her the moment she entered the room, of course. She was impossible to miss with her unique sense of style. His gaze drifted her way more often than not throughout the evening.
He saw her smiling shyly at a guy in the buffet line who talked to her, shaking her head at whatever he asked her. He saw her have a similar interaction with a guy in the bar line. Then several more when she sat by herself while Aria danced.
By the time she hit the dance floor with Xander, Keith was pretty sure Sydney Ward had turned down advances from nearly every available male in the room.
Was that usually the case? he wondered. He hadn’t paid enough attention at past events to know. He wasn’t sure he wanted to.
But he suspected the answer was yes.
She had managed to surprise him several times that evening. The first time was when she removed her cardigan while dancing with Xander. He’d been watching them from across the room after Xander intervened between Sydney and Vic Crawford. Keith had only caught the tail-end of that confrontation but he got the gist. He didn’t know what kind of game Crawford was playing. All Keith knew was that he would be keeping an eye on Crawford from now on.
Seeing Sydney with her shoulders and arms bare had stirred something inside him. He was intrigued to find that she had some solid definition in her shoulders and biceps, indicating she worked out to keep in shape. Her skin was sun-kissed rather than pale, something he couldn’t figure out how she managed when she wa
s always covered up.
Her skin was also deliciously soft and smelled like vanilla and cinnamon. When he’d registered all of those things as he danced with her, he’d wanted to yank her cardigan from around her waist and cover her back up with it. God knew why that impulse had struck him, but there it was.
Now he looked at her sleeping beside him and remembered the second time she had surprised him. It had been when she emerged from the bathroom in her pajamas. He had envisioned a floor-length nightgown with long sleeves and a high neckline. This was Sydney, after all.
Instead she was wearing a faded Angels T-shirt that fit her upper body entirely too well and a pair of ladies boxer shorts that showed nearly every inch of her long, spectacular legs.
“I thought you got cold easily,” he had said in a strained voice.
She shrugged. “A blanket is usually all I need when I sleep.” When he just stood there trying very, very hard not to stare at her braless chest, she had asked, “Is everything all right?”
Hell, no, it wasn’t all right. He had just been slapped with the fact that Sydney was seriously built.
He needed to stay as far from her as possible. But he had already agreed to share the damn bed with her and she was proving stubborn as a mule about it. He was stuck now.
“It’s fine,” he had muttered, making a strategic retreat to the bathroom to get changed.
While he was in there, he reminded himself that he had just gotten out of a relationship he didn’t want. There was no way he was about to get involved with another woman at that level, and Sydney would never settle for less.
Besides, he absolutely was not interested in her that way.
He was eternally grateful that she had gotten under the covers by the time he returned. She had already settled on her side and was watching him with a smile as he climbed under the sheets.
“What are you smiling about?” he had asked.
“I’m just looking forward to tomorrow. Lex is going to have so much fun.”
“Yeah.”
He reached over and turned off the light. At least she hadn’t kept chattering, he mused now. She had simply ended the conversation with, “Good night, Keith.”