“You should do the same thing.“
“Do what?” Trisha said, focusing on her friend.
“Hot guy. Sweaty, dirty sex.” Shauna made a big show of looking over the men on the patio, then nudged Trisha. “Like him.”
Trisha followed her friend’s gaze and had to admit the man in question was drool worthy, but he wasn’t Zach. “Listening to you got me in this predicament in the first place.”
“Pu-leaze. I said use handcuffs, not fall in love with the guy.” She turned, glancing around the crowded club. “Besides, hot monkey sex is a cure all for a broken heart.”
“I thought that was shoe shopping and chocolate.”
Shauna smirked. “You have your remedy. I have mine.”
“Well, I have a plan.”
The other woman’s brows shot toward her hairline.
Trisha cringed. She’d have to tell Shauna her plan now. “But it involves Nathan and Jace.”
“You invited my guy and Delia’s here? Tonight?”
She nodded.
“Dicks on toast, Trish! What are you thinking?”
“Reconciliation.”
****
Zach sat with his back to the bar, nursing a bottle of beer. Of all the things he expected from Trisha, it was not a phone call asking him to meet her at a club to watch her dance with someone else.
What the hell was up with that? And now he was sitting here like some pussy-whipped punk. Maybe he was, but the woman held his heart and he wanted it back. He scowled at the lanky blond with his arm wrapped around Trisha’s waist. If the man brushed against Trisha one more time he was going to have to pop him one.
“Fancy meeting you here,” a soft feminine voice sang near his left ear.
“And why aren’t you out there with her?” This was from another female on his right.
He glanced from one female to the other. The one on his right wore her shoulder-length hair straight, the only thing different about her was the slight rounding of her belly beneath her red and ivory top. The woman on his left wore her dark hair short, her long dangly earrings matched the silver threads weaving through her black off the shoulder blouse.
“Just want to see what she likes,” he said. He gripped the bottle in his hand. Now the guy had both his arm around her waist and dancing just a little too close.
A giggle on his right drew his attention. “What’s so funny, Delia?”
“You.” She laughed. “You’re jealous. I never thought I’d live to see you jealous.”
“I am not.”
She nodded. “Jace wears the exact same look when he sees me talking to some guy he doesn’t know. Gets all frowny and his eyes go dark and squinty. It’s so cute.”
Zach flicked a glance at her. “Shouldn’t you be with your husband right now instead of here?”
Delia examined a nail. “And miss this? Not a chance.”
“Do you think he knows?” This was from Shauna.
“Maybe she’s keeping it a surprise.”
“I don’t think he knows.”
Shauna appeared to give it some thought, tapping a forefinger against her cheek. “Naw, we were talking about it before you guys arrived. Right in the middle of a good buzz too.”
Delia tucked a curl behind her ear. “Well, maybe she didn’t tell him.”
Zach huffed. “Ladies, I’m sitting right here.”
“Yes, we know.”
Now the guy was running his fingers through Trisha’s hair and she was laughing. Laughing. Zach set his beer bottle on the counter with snap.
“Something wrong?” Shauna said, amusement coloring her voice.
Delia leaned forward, her hand on Zach’s knee. “Right there. You’re jealous.”
Shauna leaned forward as well, peering into his face. “Ah, I see it now. Wow. I wouldn’t have thought it possible. So have you talked to her?” She moved in his line of sight.
Zach snapped his attention to Shauna. “You’re in my way.” He stood and wished he hadn’t. Another man was dancing with Trish and she was effectively trapped between two hard bodies, one white, one black.
A soft chuckle drew his attention and he glared at both women, who promptly dissolved in laughter. He clenched his jaw.
“Fine. I’ll ask. Why did she invite me here if she was just going to dance with someone else?”
“She wants you back.” Shauna waved to get the bartender’s attention. “Tequila.”
“Oh crap.”
“What?” Zach jerked his gaze to Delia.
“One of the bouncers is taking her onstage.”
“Shit.”
Obviously this was a big deal, but Zach didn’t see the problem. “The stage has always been for the ladies.”
Both women shook their heads.
“What?”
“She tricked me with a spa day.” Shauna paid for her drink. “I should’ve known something was up, she was just a little too cheerful about girls’ night out. Then she buys lemon drops, just to distract me from the reason she brought me to this club. That little sneak.”
The opening strains of a hypnotic synthesized beat filled the club. A momentary hush settled over the crowd, before dancing and chatter resumed to full volume.
“Trish asked you to meet her here?” Delia sipped her water.
Zach riveted his attention to the stage. Trisha’s back was to him, her long curly hair brushing the waistband of her skirt. She swayed her hips in a slow, sensual circle to the rhythm of the music, then reached out to grasp the pole.
Shock and surprise coursed through him as he sat mesmerized. Lust, hot and powerful, surged through his veins and zipped straight to his shaft, making it pulse and throb for relief. Was this her way of apologizing? He was almost certain of it when she glanced over her shoulder and locked gazes with him, a flirtatious smile on her luscious lips. She still had the ability to take his breath away.
Trisha twirled around the steel bar as if she’d done it every day of her life. She gripped the bar between her thighs, and his gaze traveled the length of her shapely legs before settling on the curve of one smooth cheek, revealed when her short skirt shifted and bared her voluptuous ass. With practiced ease she released her hands from the bar as she hung upside down, the ends of her hair caressing the stage.
Even as she glided her palms provocatively over her breasts, down her stomach, and dared to go lower still, he bit back a groan as her fingers seemed to dip where she and the pole were joined. His pulse pounded a little harder when she repeated the movement, her gaze never wavering from his. He could read the plea for acceptance, for forgiveness. Or was he misinterpreting her actions? She reached above her head to grasp the pole. The muscles in her arms rippled as she moved into the splits, her legs spread wide in invitation.
This time he couldn’t stop the soft moan from crossing his lips. Whatever their misunderstanding, they could work it out, he wouldn’t allow another day to pass without her in his life. She tempted him from the stage and he longed to bury his mouth, his lips, and his tongue in the prize between her thighs. To reclaim her as his.
“Why didn’t you stop her, Nathan?” Shauna pinched the arm of the blond man when he stood beside her.
“Ow. I didn’t know I was supposed to. Neither did Jace.” Nathan rubbed his arm.
“Damn, baby girl gots some moves,” Jace mumbled.
“Yeah. She does,” Zach agreed.
Aside from the initial jealousy rolling through his gut, he was stunned. He could see how and why she was able to open her salon. There was such beauty and grace to her movements. She exuded confidence each time she stroked the pole, climbed the silver bar just to make love to it again with her lush curves. At that moment he envied that pole, an inanimate object that felt her caress, each stroke of her hips and touch of her legs.
He shifted on the stool, his erection throbbing. A quick glance around the room let him know Trisha had caught the attention of many admirers. He stood.
“Pleasure meeting everyone, but i
t’s time I collected my date.” Zach didn’t wait for a response but pushed his way through the crowd.
By the time the song ended he stood at the edge of the stage. Applause thundered around him. A small thrill of pleasure whispered through him at the response as well as the widening of her eyes when they fell on him.
He offered her his hand. When her smaller digits touched his, he helped her from the stage and dropped a possessive arm around her shoulders.
“You are a surprise,” he said near her ear.
“Really?” Anxiety clouded her voice and she pushed a curl from her face. “I didn’t know how else to say I was sorry.”
He flashed her a smile. “I think I’d like a private dance.”
A blush crept into her cheeks. “Really?”
“Yes. And your friends were a little surprised to find you dancing onstage.”
“Yeah. Dancing is how I met Gordy.” She ducked her head, and it seemed none of her earlier confidence remained.
He pressed two fingers beneath her chin and raised her head until her eyes met his. “Let’s get out of here.”
****
Trisha waved to her friends at the bar and allowed Zach to propel her toward an empty table, next to the patio exit. She could still see her friends clustered near the bar. The music wasn’t as loud and the people around them were too engrossed in their drinks or each other to interrupt them. Her gaze lingered on him, drinking in his appearance. His shoulder-length hair was secured at the nape of his neck and she longed to free his tresses from its confinement and drag her fingers through the silk of his hair. A breath caught in her throat. She’d missed him.
“I shouldn’t have pushed you away.” She tugged at her shirt while something fluttered against her abdomen. She met and held his gaze.
Wariness stared at her, but the heat simmering beneath the caution gave her courage. He was here and he was listening. Maybe there was still hope for them?
“No, you shouldn’t have,” he agreed.
She settled her purse on the table. Again something brushed her skin.
“Why?”
Piercing pain bit at her belly. “No.” She lifted her shirt just enough and a tiny blurred black and yellow body fell out. This was not how this apology was supposed to go. She stumbled forward.
“Trisha?” Zach gripped her shoulders when she slumped against him.
Sweat trickled down her spine and she seemed hot and cold all over. Her heart thudded even as she gasped for air. She fumbled for her purse, but her hands didn’t want to cooperate. Oh god, she had to get her pen. She tried again, this time dropping her bag. Blood roared in her ears as the room tilted. If she didn’t get her pen soon.... Her chest tightened and she struggled to breathe.
When she was jostled Zach pulled her close. She had to tell him. Trisha clutched the front of his shirt. “Please.” She pushed the word past her swollen tongue.
He lifted her, hurried her off the dance floor and outside. “Hold on, baby.”
“Sting,” she whispered, her head lolling on his shoulder.
“Where’s your purse? Is your pen in your purse?” He carefully set her down and reached in his pocket. “Hold on.”
Shauna burst outside. “Hey, she dropped her purse.”
Zach snatched the handbag from her and dumped the contents on the ground. He found the medical device and administered the pen. It had to work. “Call 9-1-1. She got stung.” He focused on Trisha, brushing her hair from her face. “Stay with me, beautiful. Stay with me.”
He cradled her face in his hands. Her eyes fluttered closed and she went limp. “Trisha?” He felt for a pulse and couldn’t find one.
Chapter Thirteen
Four days later Trisha sat on the screened patio of Zach’s condo watching the choppy current of the water rush by. A light blanket covered her shoulders. Dark shades hid her eyes from the early afternoon sun. Her gaze darted around the lake. A couple of children were splashing and playing near the shore, their high-pitched giggles drifting to her ears. So carefree. She was just grateful to see and hear the scenery.
The last thing she remembered was being stung. For a moment she thought she’d dreamed the whole pole-dancing apology until she woke up in the hospital with tubes running everywhere and Zach holding her hand.
A lump lodged in her throat, when she considered the possibility if she hadn’t arranged for him to meet her she very well might not be here right now. Trisha snuggled farther into the fleece. Despite the warmth of the day, she still felt a chill.
So here she was at Zach’s place. When she was discharged yesterday, he’d brought her home. A smile teased the corners of her mouth. Home. Something she hadn’t felt in a long time. He hadn’t asked if she wanted to come to his place. He’d just put her in the backseat of his Audi and driven her to the condo.
Not that she’d have argued. She didn’t want to go back to her place. In the weeks since Gordy had attacked her, she’d spent very little time there. The house just wasn’t the same. She wasn’t the same. Her heart belonged to a man who’d given her everything and she’d what? Walked away because of fear?
She rested her chin on her knees, drawing the blanket more firmly around her. Whatever happened she wanted to explore these feelings she had for Zach, wanted to bask and revel in the love he’d shown her.
The door slammed behind her and she barely spared a glance over her shoulder. Her heart did a curious shift and fluttered a little faster.
“Still cold?” Zach placed a mug of tea in front of her. Steam rose above the rim, bringing the fragrant scent of peach to the air.
She sniffed appreciatively and nodded.
“I think I can help.” He settled beside her and drew her into his arms.
He’d been doing a lot of that too since he brought her home. She snuggled closer. Home. Every time she was with him, he felt like home. Safe. Secure. Acceptance and love. He also hadn’t said much. And for that she was grateful.
Zach swept a soft kiss against her temple. “I’m so glad you’re here,” he murmured. “I don’t know what I would’ve done if I’d lost you, especially with the way things were between us.”
“I shouldn’t have broken things off the way I did.” She tilted her head back until she stared into his face. “I just—I couldn’t see beyond the current circumstances and it was easier to blame everything on you rather than confront how you make me feel.”
He stroked her hair. “How do I make you feel?”
She untangled from his arms and went to stand in front of the wall. Small water boats zipped up and down, creating choppy waves for the children close to the shore. Squeals of delight reached her ears and she smiled. The blanket slipped from her shoulders when she gripped the rough surface of the wall.
If she spoke the words aloud, would it make her feelings any less true or intense? She swallowed hard. What would she have done if he hadn’t come to her rescue, if he’d decided one last conversation wasn’t worth salvaging their relationship? He’d shown her so much and asked for very little in return.
Heat enveloped her as Zach slid his hands down her arms and rested them on hers. Trisha closed her eyes and leaned against the man behind her.
“It’s okay, baby girl,” he whispered. “You make me feel the same way, but I still need to hear it.”
Love swelled and warmed her heart. Never had she felt like this. Not with her husband or anyone else. Slowly she turned. He deserved to hear how she felt about him while she looked into his eyes.
“You make me believe in magic, in a lifetime spent exploring what makes you happy and brings a smile to your face.” She held his gaze, his eyes shining with the passion and desire she’d come to expect. “I love you Zach and—”
A searing kiss was her answer. It stilled her remaining jitters and branded her as his. She wrapped her arms around his neck, surrendering her heart as she’d never done. He held her tighter in his embrace, lifting her off her feet.
She folded her legs around his waist w
hile he carried her into the bedroom. Gently he laid her on the bed and followed her down. The hard bulge in his pants greeted her damp center.
He shifted until he was nestled more fully between her legs and propped on his elbow. “You’re all I can think about.” He traced the curve of her collarbone.
She ran her fingers through his hair, luxuriating in the silky texture.
“I have something for you.”
Puzzled, she waited while he reached beneath the pillow near her head and extracted a ring.
“Oh.” Her pulse jumped into overdrive.
As if sensing her agitation, he grinned. “Don’t panic. This is a promise. When you’re ready for the next step you let me know, but from this moment on, you’re mine.”
She stared at the heart-shaped diamond. The white gold band sparkled in the pale light. Warm fuzzies squeezed her heart at the possessiveness in his voice. She may not be ready for marriage, but she was ready to be his.
“I like being yours.”
He claimed her mouth, his promise, in his kiss.
The End
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