Slow Dance with the Best Man

by Sophie Pembroke

  His phone rang, loud and shrill, on the table, cutting her off. ‘I do,’ Noah said, picking it up. ‘Now, if you’ll excuse me? It’s my agent.’

  Even Melissa had to respect the importance of an agent’s phone call. She sat, sulking, in her chair while he got up and paced across the lobby and through the front doors out onto the steps.

  ‘Tessa? What’s the news?’ The winter air was bitter and Noah huddled against the side of Morwen Hall to stay out of the wind. He figured this weather was still warmer than the chill Melissa was emitting in his direction today.

  ‘Not your love life, for once. Not a hint of an inappropriate sexual encounter anywhere on social media today. I’m impressed.’

  ‘I can show restraint when it matters,’ Noah lied. ‘Did you get me the video audition?’

  ‘Yes, I got you your call,’ Tessa said. ‘But they want to talk early this afternoon—evening for you, I guess. You’re free, right?’

  ‘Right now, yes,’ Noah said. ‘But it’s the rehearsal dinner for this wedding in an hour or so—’

  ‘Then you’ll have to be late,’ Tessa interrupted. ‘If you really want this part, this is your one chance to convince him.’

  Noah took a breath. This was his career at stake. ‘What do I need to do?’

  ‘You need to sell it, more than ever before. You need to show them that you get this guy, inside out.’ Tessa paused, and Noah knew she was wondering whether he was really capable of it. Ouch. ‘Should we talk it through now? Get some ideas going? I’ve been making some notes...’

  ‘No,’ Noah said firmly. ‘I’ve got this. I know this character. I do.’

  ‘So, convince me.’ When he didn’t answer, she sighed. ‘Noah. If you can’t sell it to me you’re sure as hell not going to sell it to these guys. Then we’ll both be on their blacklist for wasting their time.’

  ‘Fine. He’s...he’s grieving.’

  ‘I think we got that from the dead wife.’

  ‘Yeah, but he’s not just grieving for her. He’s not just lost a woman he loved. He’s lost all hope that he can ever have that again. He’s scared—so damn scared to take any more risks with his heart, now he knows how much it can hurt. How it can destroy you, take you right back to the bone and leave you to rebuild everything. And when you do...you’re not the same. You can’t be. You’re a mass of scar tissue that can’t feel anything any more, and you’re happy about it. Because at least it hurts less that way.’

  Tessa was silent on the other end of the phone. Noah grasped for the stone balustrade lining the steps down from Morwen Hall, desperate for something to keep him balanced. Grounded.

  Because he hadn’t been describing a character, he realised. He’d been talking about himself, the same way he’d talked to Eloise in bed the night before. The way he never talked.

  ‘Where did that come from?’ Tessa asked after a minute. ‘Noah, I’ve never... Are you okay?’

  ‘I’m fine,’ he managed. Then he laughed. ‘Let’s just say I’ve found a new muse.’

  ‘Are actors allowed muses?’

  ‘This one is.’ Except he wasn’t, not really. Eloise wasn’t his. She was just a temporary distraction.

  ‘Well, whoever she is, hang onto her. Sounds like she’s just what you need. As long as you’re not sleeping with her,’ Tessa said crisply. ‘Now, go. Get ready for that call. You’ve got thirty minutes.’

  Time enough to get ready for the rehearsal dinner, so that when he was done with his call he could head straight down there and find Eloise. Not because she was his muse, or because she might be mad at him, or even because she was so sexy he couldn’t go another few hours without her again.

  Just because he wanted to see her. And because they didn’t have much time left.

  But Noah intended to make the most of every second.

  * * *

  Eloise smoothed down her cocktail dress as the lift doors opened at the restaurant floor. The dress the stylist had chosen—a beautiful silver and black-edged halter-neck—had looked so good in the photo shoot that she’d asked if she could keep it to wear to the rehearsal dinner that evening. Yes, it was a little more showy than she’d usually wear, but she couldn’t wait to see Noah’s face when he saw her in it.

  If nothing else, it was definitely not a boring dress.

  She might not be as beautiful as Melissa, in her pale pink gown that showed off every curve and slender line of that famous body, and she knew she couldn’t live up to the beauties Noah usually had on his arm. But, in this dress, Eloise felt beautiful in herself. And that was enough for her.

  The restaurant floor was already buzzing by the time Eloise arrived. Whereas a more normal wedding might just have a rehearsal dinner for the wedding party and family members, Melissa and Riley had wanted a wedding extravaganza and that was what Laurel and Eloise had given them. For the rehearsal dinner—ignoring the fact they hadn’t actually had a rehearsal of the wedding itself because Melissa said she’d played a bride on screen often enough to know what to do—they were holding another drinks reception in the bar area, then a special dinner for all the guests in the restaurant. The wedding party, along with Melissa and Riley’s families, would then retire to a private room, where they could do the usual speeches and gift presentations.

  ‘Now that is a dress.’ Noah’s voice, warm and appreciative, behind her, was already so familiar that Eloise smiled even as she turned to face him.

  ‘Somehow, I had a feeling you might like this one.’

  ‘I do.’ He raked his gaze up and down her body and for once Eloise didn’t even blush. He’d seen more, after all. ‘It looks fantastic on you.’

  ‘But let me guess.’ Eloise leant closer to keep her words private. ‘It would look better off.’

  Noah met her gaze and smiled, and Eloise knew there was a promise in that smile. ‘That goes without saying.’

  ‘You’re in a good mood,’ Eloise said, taking in his sparkling eyes.

  ‘I just gave the best audition of my life, over video chat.’

  ‘For the part? Eight Days After?’

  ‘That’s the one.’ Noah grinned again, as if he couldn’t quite bring himself to stop. ‘If they don’t give me the part after that, then they never would have. I gave it everything and was pretty darned good too.’

  Eloise wondered what it must be like to live with that sort of self-confidence, even if only in a professional sphere. ‘You found a way to go deeper, then?’

  ‘Yes.’ His expression dropped into something more serious, but so compelling Eloise couldn’t have looked away if she’d wanted to. ‘You. You helped me talk about Sally, helped me examine what I felt back then, so I could transfer it to the character. I’d been putting off dealing with that for a long time.’

  ‘I’m not sure one conversation counts as dealing with it,’ Eloise warned. Grief was a tricky thing—especially when it had been blocked and ignored as long as Noah’s had.

  ‘But it’s a start,’ he said. ‘And I have you to thank for it. However can I repay you?’ His lips curved up into a smile again, but this one felt more intimate. More seductive.

  ‘I have some ideas...’ she said.

  Noah leant in, just a little more, and in a flash Eloise remembered where they were—in the middle of the bar, surrounded by celebrities and at least one photographer. She pulled back, and spotted Melissa watching them from across the room. She didn’t look happy.

  ‘Time to mingle.’ Eloise gave him an apologetic smile. ‘But I’ll see you later?’

  ‘Most definitely.’ She felt Noah’s eyes on her as she walked away and she knew, deep down, he was definitely imagining her naked. And she loved knowing that.

  She spent the drinks reception chatting with the other guests, many of whom she’d failed to speak to at all before then—a side effect of b
eing so caught up with Noah, she supposed. Since many of them just expected her to nod and smile politely as she listened to them regale her with their best stories of celebrity life, she had plenty of time left for daydreaming about the night ahead, once she and Noah were alone again.

  Tonight, there would be no secrets between them. No emotional outpourings and confessions.

  Just them, and one perfect night before the wedding from hell.

  She couldn’t wait.

  Eventually, it was time for the party to move through to the restaurant for the dinner. Eloise groaned inside when she spotted the menu, and remembered that Melissa had wanted a seven-course tasting menu, with matching wines. Add in the speeches and the gifts for the groomsmen and bridesmaids and it would be hours before she could escape with Noah.

  Then she saw him, sitting beside her place at the table, and realised there was no way she was going to make it that long.

  ‘You switched the place settings,’ she whispered as she slid into her seat. ‘Melissa will be mad.’

  ‘It’s worth it,’ Noah replied. ‘I’m not taking the chance of another groomsman seducing you away from me while you’re wearing that dress.’

  ‘You get very territorial over your flings, don’t you?’

  ‘Not usually.’ Noah frowned just a little, then glanced around to make sure no one was listening. Leaning in, he murmured, ‘Look, I reckon I can make it through maybe two of these taster courses before I have to have you again. So, when I leave, wait a couple of minutes and follow me, okay?’

  Heat flared through Eloise’s body. Just knowing he wanted her as much as she needed him was an incredible aphrodisiac. Still, the more sensible part of her brain was screaming that this was a stupid idea. It was the rehearsal dinner! They would definitely be missed, and Melissa would be furious if she realised where they’d gone...

  She should say no. She had to say no.

  ‘Okay,’ she whispered, and Noah smiled.

  * * *

  A storage cupboard wasn’t exactly high on Noah’s list of Most Seductive Spots, but right now he’d take what he could get. Sitting next to Eloise in that dress and not touching her—not even a hand on her back or a kiss on her cheek—had been physically painful.

  And okay, fine. It wasn’t the dress that was causing the problem.

  It was her.

  In lots of ways, it was just as well that in two days’ time there’d be thousands of miles between them. Any less and he’d be tempted to hurry back and have her again, regardless of the rules.

  He just hoped five thousand miles would be enough.

  Time passed excruciatingly slowly as he waited to hear Eloise’s footsteps in the corridor outside. Surely it had to have been three minutes since he’d left the table? He’d chosen the cupboard for its proximity to the restaurant, and the fact he could see out the crack of the open door to watch for Eloise. Any further away and he’d run the risk of her not finding him. And that was not an option.

  But right now he had to think about something else. Imagining Eloise was driving him insane, and if he didn’t slow down that dress she looked so incredible in wouldn’t survive its first encounter with his hands.

  Think about the film. The audition. Noah smiled in the darkness. The director had pretty much offered him the role on the spot, he’d been so impressed. Noah had managed to channel all those emotions he’d been repressing into the part, just as he’d planned. And, yes, it had stung—but it wasn’t quite so painful when it was a character feeling those things instead of himself. He could do it, he knew now. He’d do the part justice; he’d win that award—and he could move on and leave all the awful pain and emotion behind him when he did.

  Stefan had reiterated Tessa’s point about how important it would be to keep his personal life low-key, so the focus would be on the film not the stars, and Noah had agreed readily. Whatever he had with Eloise would be over soon enough and afterwards...he didn’t think he’d be hurrying into anything else for a while. He could take a break.

  He’d dropped Tessa an email to let her know how it went, then hurried straight down to the rehearsal dinner to tell Eloise, to celebrate with her.

  And what a celebration he had planned...

  Apparently it was impossible to think about anything but her.

  Finally, the restaurant door swung open and Eloise stepped out, her cheeks flushed with more than just wine, he was sure. She’d sat so tense beside him at dinner, he was certain she’d been resisting her urges almost as hard as he had.

  It was hard to imagine that when he’d first met her he’d thought her reserved and stand-offish. Maybe with others. But with him she was a free spirit, giving everything she got and more.

  He waited until Eloise was about to walk past the cupboard, then reached out a hand and dragged her inside. She squeaked with surprise, but then her hands were slipping under his jacket and up his back so he didn’t think she was too traumatised.

  ‘That was excruciating,’ she murmured against his neck, as he lifted her to rest against a conveniently located pile of boxes.

  ‘You’re telling me.’ He nudged her knees open with his hips and stepped between them, pressing up against her body. ‘I almost didn’t make it past the first course.’

  ‘I noticed.’ Her hands moved round to the front and unbuttoned the top few buttons of his shirt, and she leant in to kiss along his collarbone. ‘I thought you were going to drag me out of there ten minutes ago. Or maybe just take me on the table, in front of everyone.’

  ‘Not very secret, that.’ He slid his hands up her bare thighs.

  ‘No, not very secret.’

  For a moment he held his breath, waiting for her to say something more. To say it didn’t have to be a secret. To say that she wanted the whole world to know about them. That she didn’t care what Melissa or anyone else said about them. That she trusted him not to let them mock her in the press.

  But she didn’t. And she shouldn’t. Because that wasn’t the deal they had. It wasn’t even what he wanted really, logically.

  This was a fling. That was what she’d asked for, what he’d promised.

  So that was what he had to give her.

  Even if he was starting to feel as if he wanted more.

  As if he wanted everything.

  ‘I’ve never had sex in a cupboard before,’ she murmured against his ear, and Noah dragged himself back to focus on what he could have. Eloise, here and now, wanting him. ‘You’re providing me with all sorts of new experiences this week.’

  ‘I’m a full service secret fling,’ Noah said, untying the back of her halter-neck and lowering the zip to reveal her bare breasts. ‘No bra?’

  ‘Seemed like a waste of time.’ Eloise gasped as he dipped his head to kiss her.

  ‘Agreed,’ he said when he came up for air. ‘Now, let’s see what else you’re not wearing under this—’

  A flash of light cut him off as the cupboard door he was leaning against opened, sending him tumbling into the hallway, pulling Eloise with him. He blinked at another flash and saw Melissa, Sara the journalist and her photographer standing over them.

  And suddenly nothing was secret any more.

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN

  ELOISE YANKED HER dress back up, trying to make herself respectable again, even though the sinking feeling inside told her it was already far too late.

  Scrambling to his feet, Noah pushed her behind him, giving her the cover she needed to fix her dress. But his shirt was still open, exposing exactly what they’d been doing.

  Not that anyone could be in any doubt after that display.

  What had she been thinking? She’d known this was a terrible idea from the start. But then Noah would say something to convince her and there she’d be, half naked in a cupboard.

  Or outsid
e a cupboard. With her teenage nemesis arching her eyebrows and the world’s media taking photos.

  ‘Well, really,’ Melissa said too loudly, her words echoing off the walls. ‘Some people just don’t know how to behave at a respectable wedding, do they?’

  Eloise wanted to ask her to keep it down before anyone else heard and came out to investigate, but that was probably why Melissa was doing it in the first place, she realised. She hadn’t managed to keep Eloise and Noah apart, so she’d decided to go the other way. If they were intent on stealing the limelight at her wedding, she was going to ruin them.

  Abject humiliation. Melissa wouldn’t settle for anything less than making sure Eloise’s whole world knew who she was and what she’d done—the same way she had when they were teenagers and the guy Melissa had a crush on asked Eloise out instead. Soon, the whole school knew every story about Eloise’s mother and believed that she was just the same and the guy never spoke to her again.

  The only difference was that this time Melissa had made sure the actual whole world would know, through the power of the media and the Internet.

  Never mind the humiliation Eloise’s mother’s antics had brought her over the years, this was a million times worse. And the most awful part was that she’d done it all herself. There was no one to blame except her own suddenly overactive libido...and the secret part of her heart that hoped to be something more than a fling to someone like Noah Cross.

  She’d had ideas of her own importance, her own entitlement to the spotlight—and now she’d been burned.

  ‘Melissa, come on,’ Noah said, laughing lightly as he tried to reach for the photographer’s camera. She stepped back out of his reach and Eloise knew that no one in their right mind would give those photos up. Noah Cross, caught in the act? That had to be worth a fortune.

  And nobody would care if her reputation was shredded in the process.

  She had to get out of there. She had to get a million miles away from this spotlight, right now.

  ‘I have to go.’