He stepped forward, pulled me against him, and held me. “I’m really sorry.”
My first reaction was to pull away, but the feel of his warm (hard) chest against my cheek felt inviting, and I nestled into him. “You don’t have to console me. I’ll be fine.”
“But I do have to. I want to.” He tightened his arms around me and rested his cheek on top of my temple. “It kills me to see you upset. Is there anything I can do for you?”
“This is nice.” I breathed him in, then something tingled on the back of my brain, and I stepped back. “Actually, there is something you can do for me.”
He brushed a piece of hair back from my face. “Name it.”
Feeling shy, I lifted my lashes. “I need you to be my boyfriend for more than fifteen minutes. One more night.”
His eyes lit up. “Does this have anything to do with Madison McKenzie?”
“Yes.” I bit my lip, wishing he didn’t smell so good standing this close to me. “She’s going to this dance club tomorrow night with her husband. Since she thinks we’re together, she asked if we wanted to meet up with them. I was going out with my friends anyway, so you don’t have to stay long. In fact, you’d probably only need to drop by long enough to meet her husband.”
He raised his brows. “Just to be clear, you only want me to come for Madison.”
“You’re the one who offered to help.” I stepped back, reaching for my briefcase. “If you can’t spare time from your busy social calendar . . .”
Grabbing my arm gently, he lifted my chin. “I’ll be there. You can count on me.”
My belly fluttered as my gaze met his. “Thank you.”
He nodded, made his way toward the door, then turned back. “Anytime, buttercup.”
I gave him a grateful look in return, wanting to hate him for ruining my life, but finding it harder and harder to do so.
* * *
Friday night, Ginger, Sarah, and I arrived at The Oasis in downtown Sacramento a little before nine o’clock. In my black pants and white sequined top, Madison would have no doubt that Jill Parnell was ready for fun—thus balancing out the demanding position I wanted her to give me. And the whole supportive boyfriend thing would be the icing on my cupcake, too.
“IDs ladies.” A burly bouncer wearing a tight black shirt scrutinized our driver’s licenses, which I took as a compliment considering I turned twenty-one nearly a decade ago. I paid the cover charge, then ducked through the door into eighties night at The Oasis.
“When was the last time you came out dancing?” Sarah yelled over Duran Duran’s New Moon on Monday as she adjusted the strap of her green halter-top.
“I believe we had a different governor in office.” I scanned the crowded club for Ryan, who had texted that he’d meet me here around nine. I didn’t spot him, but the place was huge and had a lot of dark corners.
“Shall we get a drink before grooving with our hot moves?” Ginger grabbed my hand, leading me through the crowd, then we stopped at the edge of the dance floor.
“I’ll get this round.” Sarah offered, waving away the cash I held out. “Mojitos all around?”
Ginger smacked her lips. “Sounds delicious.”
“Be right back.” Sarah squeezed her way up to the crowded bar.
“Still thinking about Victor?” I watched the crowd dance under the colored strobe lights as the DJ switched songs to Tainted Love by Soft Cell. The familiar beat had my body itching to let loose all of this pent up stress from work.
“I broke it off with him.” Ginger slipped her arm through mine, then led me to the center of the wooden dance floor.
I wanted to cheer as I turned to my friend. “Are you okay?”
She shrugged. “I’m bummed, but not going to let him ruin my girls’ night out.”
“Don’t forget my fake boyfriend will be making an appearance.” Securing our spot, I swung my hips to the beat, letting the music wash over me.
While we danced, Ginger nodded toward a tall blond with a nice build. “Maybe I should ask that guy to dance?”
My gaze drifted down to his left hand where a flash of gold glinted off his ring finger. “Married.”
“Figures.” Ginger laughed, then nodded toward a guy with short brown hair, and a nice smile. “What about him?”
With my hands in the air, I glanced to my right. “He looks nice.”
She nodded. “I know, right? But does he seem like the kind of guy who’d ditch me when I need a date for a wedding?”
“Just ask him to dance and have fun,” I shouted, surprised at my own advice. Since when was I not worried about planning, evaluating, and making sure we didn’t waste our time on the wrong man?
Kristen’s advice to “just have fun” must seriously be rubbing off on me. I wasn’t sure if that was a good thing or not, but Ginger’s face lit up and she zipped off toward the brown-haired hottie.
Alone on the dance floor, I glanced around, and caught sight of Sarah waving me over. Our drinks were set on a round, chrome bar table. Fanning my hot cheeks with one hand, I lifted the Mojito with the other hand, and took a long, refreshing sip.
“Looks like Ginger met someone.” Sarah tilted her head toward the dance floor where Ginger and her dance partner were getting down to the music. Sarah scrunched her nose. “Now we just need a dance partner for me.”
I put my hand on my hip. “What do I look like? Soggy tofu?”
A slow smile crept across her face as she glanced over my shoulder. “Your dance partner just arrived. And, oh my. . . Ryan looks even better out of the office, and that’s saying something. I see why you smooched him on the dance floor at that wedding.”
Holding my drink, I turned around, and spotted Ryan coming toward me. Oh, wow. Sarah hadn’t been exaggerating. Colored lights flashed across his handsome face as he wove through the crowd, wearing a button-up shirt opened at the collar, and a knowing smirk that had me dying to find out what he was thinking.
Ryan stopped in front of me, brushed his lips over my cheek, then whispered in my ear. “You look amazing.”
A rush of jittery pleasure flowed through me, then my brows came together when I remembered he was just playing a part. “You can knock off the act. Madison’s not here yet.”
His eyes narrowed in a sexy way, and he nodded at Sarah. “If this is how she responds to a compliment, imagine how she’d react if I upset her.”
Sarah choked on her Mojito, laughing, then put on a serious expression. “Maybe she needs a dance to loosen her up.”
“You’re absolutely right.” He slipped his hand into mine. “Let’s go, buttercup.”
I wavered for a moment, then decided it would be beneficial for Madison to see us on the dance floor together. It would validate that I adhere to her theory of having a full personal life that releases my stress (yeah, right) so I can thrive better at the office. “Okay,” I agreed, shaking my head at the stunts I had to pull to advance in my career.
The feel of Ryan’s warm and slightly rough hand made me sigh, as he led me toward the dance floor. Were they rough as a side effect from playing basketball? I found myself wanting to know everything about him—even down to the little things. Not good.
Joan Jett’s I Love Rock ‘N’ Roll blasted out, enveloping me in that soothing beat, as my body started moving to the music. Watching Ryan, I wondered if things might’ve been different if we’d first met tonight at this club. He had fantastic rhythm as he swayed his hips, and his hazel eyes lit up as we exchanged a smile.
Then I remembered his friend’s words at Kristen’s wedding. That Ryan had a short attention span when it came to women. When I’d called him on that, he hadn’t denied it either. No, it was better that we’d met the way we had. Otherwise, I might’ve fallen for those sexy hazel eyes that made my legs wobbly.
He stepped closer. So close that I breathed in his cologne, which was an intoxicating spicy scent. And no, it wasn’t the few sips of Mojito affecting me. It was him. How he’d devoured me with his k
iss at the wedding. His playful emails at the office. And how he’d noticed I’d been crying, and held me. I felt an invisible pull toward him, giving me the strong urge to nuzzle him. But, I resisted, knowing it would only lead to heartbreak.
Wait, heartbreak? No, it wasn’t like I’d exposed my heart to this gorgeous playboy. No way. But I had to admit I’d been nudged toward him a little. I needed to reel my feelings back pronto.
Rock Steady by Whispers came on, and we continued in our little spot on the dance floor together. Ryan’s neck was inches away and I inhaled deeply. The spicy scent pulled at me, making me want to close the distance between us and press my mouth to his. I mean, would that be so bad? Maybe Madison would see, and want to hand me that promotion tonight.
As I started to lean forward, someone’s hip bounced into mine, and I turned. It was Ginger and her dance partner. I felt both relieved and frustrated by her timing, but I managed a smile for her. She seemed to be having a great time, and this new guy seemed to be enjoying himself as well.
After several more songs, I figured we should take a breather to regroup. I fanned my face, then leaned toward Ryan. “Let’s take a break.”
He nodded, slipped his arm around me, and guided me through the sea of bodies. “Would you like something to drink?”
I scanned the table for my Mojito, but it seemed to have disappeared. Just as well, anyway. Sarah was nowhere in sight, and I wouldn’t want to risk that someone had slipped something into my drink while I’d abandoned it. “What do you want? I’m buying, remember?”
He winked at me. “I’ll get this one. What were you drinking earlier? Mojito?”
I nodded.
“I’ll be right back.” He dropped his palm from my back, and I missed the warm feeling of his hand against me.
Ignoring that crazy thought, I scanned the area for Sarah, wondering where she’d disappeared to. No luck. I pulled my cell out of my pocket to see if she’d texted me. No incoming texts, but I did have a voicemail. I squeezed my way around the crowd to the ladies room, where the music was infinitely quieter. I dialed voicemail, typed in my password, then brought my phone to my ear.
Hi, Jill. It’s Madison. Dan and I were all dressed to go out when an unbelievable fatigue settled over me. Must be the baby wanting me to rest. So, I’m sorry to say we won’t be able to meet you tonight. I look forward to seeing you Friday at three, though. My partners are excited to meet you as well. Give my best to Ryan. Have a good night.
Disappointment made me close my eyes and lean against the wall. But then I reminded myself that she’d said the partners were looking forward to meeting me, and that sounded promising. I clicked to the sink in my heels, jerked a paper towel from its rack and ran it under the faucet. What would I do with Ryan now? It would be rude to desert him after he’d come out tonight just for me.
Although, maybe he’d just come out because he felt sorry for me since he’d gotten the job I wanted. I had made a pretty big stink about it and, despite his affinity for hopping from woman to woman, he did seem like a really nice guy.
My stomach knotted, thinking he’d only come out of pity. I dabbed the cool paper on my forehead and temples, and told myself to chill out. He seemed to be having a good time. I eyed myself in the mirror, remembering him saying I looked amazing. My cheeks turned pink, but that was probably from a mixture of exercise, heat, and liquor. I ran a hand through my gold streaked hair, letting it fall back into place.
I needed to get a grip. I’d just tell Ryan that Madison had canceled, then he could decide if he wanted to stay or not. Taking a deep breath, I pushed out the restroom door into the crowd, and headed for the bar. One look at the blonde sidling up to Ryan and all thoughts of getting a grip were gone.
Irritation snaked down my spine as I strode toward Ryan, who had his drink in one hand and my Mojito in the other. His head was leaning toward the blonde, listening to what was most likely her best pick up line. The blonde was tall, sexy, and wearing a black dress that, in my opinion, was cut a little too low in the front. But, whatever.
“Thanks for getting my drink, snookie.” I narrowed my eyes at Ryan. It’s not that I was jealous, per se, but the blonde didn’t seem like his type.
The corners of Ryan’s mouth turned up. “Kim, this is my girlfriend, who I was telling you about.”
The blonde pursed her lips. “She really does scowl at you a lot.”
Ryan chuckled, then squeezed me against him. “She’s fighting her feelings for me, but I’m a patient man.”
“Whatever works for you.” She raised her brows, then sashayed away.
My mouth dropped open, and I nudged him with my elbow. “You make me sound terrible.”
“I just tell it like it is, buttercup.” He sipped his beer, and kept his arm around me. “I haven’t seen Madison yet. Did she say what time she’d arrive?”
“She actually canceled on me.” I grimaced, waiting for him to salute me then hit the road.
Instead, a small line appeared between his brows. “Are you disappointed?”
“Not really,” I said, discovering it was true. “I just feel bad that I dragged you out for nothing.”
He rubbed my arm. “Then you’d better make it up to me on the dance floor.”
“You’re going to stay?” I peered up at him, wondering if he hadn’t come tonight just as a favor. Maybe, just maybe, he wanted to be here with me. My heart rate kicked up a notch as the corners of my mouth turned upward. “That’s . . . nice.”
“You’re starting to see I’m a nice guy. Progress.” He thrust a hand to his chest, making me laugh. Then he gestured toward the guy who was still dancing with Ginger. “Greg and your friend seem to be hitting it off.”
“Greg?” My eyes narrowed as the realization sank in. Ryan wasn’t staying to spend time with me. He couldn’t ditch his friend.
Ryan sipped his beer, then glanced at me. “Uh-oh. The scowl is back. Did I do something wrong?”
“No.” I shook my head, knowing those sexy hazel eyes had distracted me. The comfort of his arm around me wasn’t helping either, so I stepped away. “How do you know Greg?”
“Grade school.” His brows came together when I moved away, but he merely took another sip of his beer. “Greg lives in San Diego, and flew up for an interview this morning at Marmaduke Medical Center. If all goes well, he’ll be moving to Sac.”
I nodded, then spotted Sarah making her way over to us, bringing a man in tow. “Jill, look who I ran into.”
A blond, beefy guy appeared before me, and I recognized him from the lounge at the Geoffries hotel. “Bud. Nice to see you again.”
“The pleasure is mine.” He smiled, revealing straight white teeth, then eyed me up and down. “You are looking just as gorgeous as ever.”
My mouth curved upward. “Well, thank you.”
Ryan stiffened beside me. “And how do you two know each other?”
“He bought Jill a drink last weekend,” Sarah said, matter-of-factly.
I turned and glared at Sarah, but she just shrugged as Ginger and Greg walked over and joined us.
Bud crossed his (very) muscular arms. “Then I asked Jill to run away with me, but she turned me down. You must be the boyfriend, who’s keeping the woman of my dreams away from me.”
Ryan eyed Bud’s outstretched hand, before gripping it in a way that appeared more firm than necessary. “That’s correct.”
Noticing Greg’s wide eyes at Ryan’s comment, I wrinkled my nose. “I’d like to point out that Ryan’s not keeping me from anyone. I make my own decisions.”
“But I don’t see a ring on your finger.” Bud’s gaze lifted from my hand and he turned his attention back to Ryan. “You plan on making it official?”
Ryan’s horrified expression spoke volumes, so I looked at Ginger and then Sarah. “We about ready to head home?”
“Uh, sure.” Sarah slipped her arm through mine, then led me several feet away. “I would rather stay and watch these two guys duel it out ove
r you. F.Y.I.”
“Ryan’s my boss.” I rubbed my forehead, knowing nothing could ever happen with him. “He’s the partner’s nephew.”
“And you like him.” She put her hand on my shoulder, and leveled me with a look. “Admit it.”
I shook my head. “He’s not my type.”
She laced her fingers together in prayer position. “He’s every woman’s type. And he likes you, Jill. Give him a chance.”
I glanced over at Ryan, who was talking intently with Greg and Ginger. “All I want to focus on right now is getting back on the partner track. Love doesn’t last forever, anyway. Look at my parents.”
A wide grin spread across Sarah’s face. “Did you say love?”
I crossed my arms. “You know what I mean.”
“I think I do.” She smirked, then turned as everyone joined us.
“Greg and I thought it would be fun to get a snack at the diner around the corner.” Ginger gave me a meaningful look. “Do you guys want to come?”
I squinted, trying to decide if she wanted us to join them or not. “No?”
A relieved look spread across her face. “Since I picked you up, Ryan offered to drive you home.”
“Very sweet of you, Ryan.” Sarah stretched her arms above her head, then gave Ginger and me hugs. “Since I have my car, I’ll head out. Thanks for the fun.”
Ryan’s gaze met mine, and my stomach flipped.
I was so in trouble.
Chapter Seven
In the parking garage, Ryan pressed a button on his key ring and the rear lights flashed on the black BMW with new plates. He opened the passenger door and I slid in. Inside, I took a deep breath, and inhaled the combination of leather and new-car scents. My brows pinched.
Ryan got a new car, my job, and his friend up for the weekend, while I was stuck pretending to have a boyfriend so my potential new boss would hire me.
My life was golden. Not.
My head fell back against the headrest, and I shut my eyes. I’d go home, get some sleep, and start fresh in the morning—maybe afternoon.
The driver’s door opened and I heard him slide into his seat, and that delicious spicy scent wafted up my nose. I gave him a side-glance. “Your date duty was over. I could’ve taken a cab.”
Lucky 7 Bad Boys Contemporary Romance Boxed Set Page 81