Stay With Me

by Alexa Powers

  “Okay. I just need to rest for a few and then I’ll be right,” she assured Josh, as she nuzzled beside him, resting their joined hands on his thigh.

  As the song came to an end, Noah slid from the booth, stalking towards Emma and the randy bugger who was eyeing her a little too fondly for his liking. Sizing up the competition was something Noah was used to, what he did for a living, and from the looks of things, this man wouldn’t be a problem for much longer.

  “Excuse me, mate, but I’d like to dance with the lady now,” Noah glared intimidatingly down at the shorter man, then turned to Emma. “If it’s alright with you, Emma?” he added sweetly.

  “Um…okay.” Emma watched as her dance partner took a step back, unintentionally making room for Noah to slide between them.

  The annoyed look on the man’s face, as he jerked his head towards Noah, was quickly replaced with one of surprise as recognition set in. “Good as gold, mate. Nice to meet you, Emma,” he smiled, raising his hand to wave goodbye.

  “Bye,” Emma awkwardly returned the gesture, before focusing her attention on Noah as a popular hip-hop song began to play.

  Noah stood back and watched in awe as Emma started moving to the music. Damn, she looked good as her body swayed seductively and her arms lifted above her head. The motion highlighted the swell of her round breasts, as well as exposing more of her long legs. And silky blonde hair fell softly over bare shoulders, as she turned her head from side to side.

  Settling closer to her, he slid his arm around her waist and gently maneuvered her body against his as they moved together as one. She felt so good in his arms, and when she looked up at him through thick, dark lashes, he almost gave into the urge to kiss her.

  Striking green eyes, sprinkled with tiny yellow flecks, had his heart doing a little flip in his chest when they met his. There was something about her that intrigued him; all he could think of was that he wanted to know everything about her.

  “You’re a great dancer. Do you go out a lot back home?” Noah asked curiously, trying to find out if she was a party girl seeking the spotlight.

  Noah was looking for someone to settle down with, not trip the light fantastic. After indulging a bit too much, he was tired of club girls and groupies. He was ready for more.

  Watching Josh fall in love with Lily had made him long for that too. Lily complemented Josh in a way that no other woman had before. They were truly happy together. Noah was impressed with Lily’s devotion to his best friend as she stood by Josh, supporting him during his career-ending injury.

  Josh wasn’t always pleasant to be around back then, but Lily never piked out. She helped see him through his recovery, then never left his side when he received the heartbreaking news that he’d never play again.

  Noah wanted a partner who’d stick with him through the good times and the bad times, someone to go the distance with. He was weary of the dating scene and wanted the security and comfort of a loving relationship. He wanted someone to come home to at night and eventually have a few kids with.

  “Thanks, but no. I don’t get to go out dancing that often. There aren’t a lot of dance clubs in Boone, where I go to school. You’re more apt to find a pool table than a dance floor in the bars there. At least the ones that I go to. But I do love to dance, so it’s nice to get out once in a while and let off some steam.” Noah couldn’t help but smile as his hand splayed across her lower back.

  Trying to focus on anything other than the way her lithe body was caressing him, or the movement of her soft lips as she spoke, was proving extremely difficult. But with a herculean effort, he forced his mind off the feel of her soft curves, and back to the conversation at hand.

  “Where is Boone? I’ve never heard of it,” he inquired sincerely.

  “It’s a small town in the mountains of North Carolina,” Emma paused, and when the tip of her tongue peeked out to moisten her lip, Noah was sure he was about to thoroughly embarrass himself. “Um…have you always lived in Auckland?” she asked.

  “No, I grew up in Hamilton. My father’s a professor at the university there. I try to visit as much as I can, but Auckland’s home to me now. I moved here for university and then got picked up by the team I play for, the Blues. That’s how I met Josh. We were roomies when we traveled, so we spent a lot of time together.”

  “Ah, I probably should have guessed you played rugby, based on how big you are,” Emma giggled adorably, pulling away slightly to admire his muscular physique. “I’ve never been to Hamilton; the only place I’ve been south of the Auckland area is Wellington.”

  “Wellington’s a great place. Lots to do there,” he held onto her as a new song began to play. It was slower and he was thankful she didn’t move away.

  Noah liked that she was tall, and the added height from the sexy sandals she was wearing aligned their bodies perfectly. As if waking from a long slumber, his body came to life as her softness pressed against him. And his fingers itched to slide over the round globe of her bum, to find their home there.

  Warm breath tickled his ear as she leaned against him, to be heard over the music, and for a brief moment, her smooth cheek brushed against his. He had to physically restrain himself from tilting his head just slightly to the left, to capture her lips with his.

  Afraid of scaring her off, he focused instead on the sound of her voice and the overwhelming realization that something had shifted inside of him. And the fact that that realization didn’t send him sprinting for the nearest exit should have freaked him out, but it didn’t, it comforted him.

  Emma hesitated, not wanting to appear too eager, but then gave into the desire to hold Noah close as she wound her arms around his neck, twirling a lock of his hair around her finger. “I’m sure it is. I’d like to visit while I’m here. We went so many years ago that I don’t really remember much, except going to the zoo. I cried when my parents let my older brothers feed the lion, but said I was too little,” she glowered, the memory of sitting idly by while they got to do the one thing she’d been looking forward to still irritated her.

  “Well, maybe you could come down for a match with Josh and Lily. I could show you the sights. Hopefully leave you with a better impression this time around. And if you still want to get up close and personal with a lion, I think that could be arranged.” He gave her a promising smile that left her a bit breathless.

  “Thanks, Noah, I’d love that.”

  Emma wondered how it was possible for his grip to be firm yet relaxed at the same time. The heat from his hand, holding her snugly against him, was making it hard to concentrate on anything other than his touch. His thighs brushed against hers as they moved to the music, in a slow rhythmic dance, and the rest of the crowd melted away, leaving only the two of them on the dance floor.

  Little sparks of electricity followed the circles his fingers were tracing on her back, and she tried to remember the last time she’d been so aware of another’s touch before…and couldn’t.

  At five-foot nine Emma wasn’t a short woman, but Noah had to be at least six-foot three, if she had to guess, and surprisingly, she felt small next to him. She fit perfectly against his broad muscular chest, her head tucked into the crook of his neck as they swayed together.

  When the song ended, Noah was uncomfortable with the size of the crowd that had grown thick around them. Ignoring the curious glances from the people surrounding them, he took her hand in his and led her back to the table.

  Not missing the moment Lily spotted their linked fingers, based on the sly smile that spread across her face, he reluctantly let go of Emma’s hand as she slipped into the space next to Lily. Taking the seat across from her, he let his knee rest against hers under the table, still wanting to feel the connection.

  He watched as Emma slid a long lock of hair behind her ear, then took a sip from the bottle of beer that Lily placed in front of her. After she set the bottle down her tongue skimmed the length of her lips from corner to corner, leaving a sheen of moisture in its path, and Noah wa
sn’t sure how much more he could take.

  Trying to concentrate on the discussion taking place around him, he was jolted from his wandering thoughts of Emma’s pretty mouth, and the naughty things he’d prefer she was doing with it, by the sound of her laughter. Noah closed his eyes to savor the sound of it. It was the infectious kind of laugh that left anyone who was lucky enough to hear it…happy.

  Emma nudged his knee with hers, and damn if he didn’t want to reach under the table and run his fingers up the length of her thigh. “I think they’re trying to get your attention, Noah.”

  Following her line of vision, he twisted to see a pair of scantily-clad girls grinding against each other, eyeing him intently. The look on their faces, clearly an invitation to more than just a go on the dance floor.

  Noah snickered and had to smile at the irritated look on Emma’s face. “Seriously? That’s not my style. I don’t like to share. Especially in the bedroom,” winking at Emma, while tapping beers with Josh, he didn’t miss the way her pupils dilated at his statement. Interesting. Maybe he wasn’t the only one who felt like they’d been struck by lightning.

  Chapter 4

  “Do you mind if we go, Emma?” Lily asked hopefully. “It’s getting too loud in here. My ears are starting to ring.”

  “Not at all,” Emma sneered, glancing at the two women, who were now so close to their table, they were practically giving him a lap dance.

  “You need a lift, Noah?” Dustin asked, as he stood to his feet.

  “No. Left my car at Josh’s place. I’ll walk back with them.” Saying goodbye to Dustin, he guided Emma through the crowd, glad to be out of there. He wasn’t all that comfortable with large crowds, or predatory women, for that matter.

  Exiting the club, he watched Emma pull a white sweater from her bag.

  “Here, let me help you with that,” he offered, as he took the sweater, holding it up behind her.

  “Well, aren’t you a gentleman? Thanks,” Emma mused happily, glancing over her shoulder at him. Pulling her hair from its entrapment beneath the sweater, her long locks fell in shimmery waves down her back, and he wanted to comb his fingers through it. To feel its softness.

  “My mum raised me right,” he beamed with pride, thankful his parents had always emphasized the importance of good manners while he was growing up.

  “My compliments to her then.” Emma gave him a flirty smile, and the soft glow from the street light cast an angelic halo around the crown of her head.

  Falling into step next to her, he was grateful for the peacefulness of the foot path, as they walked together in a companionable silence behind Josh and Lily. He’d needed a few minutes to gather his racing thoughts. Giving up, Noah shoved his hands in his pockets to resist touching her, when what he really wanted was to put his arm around her, to feel her warmth, to tuck her protectively under his shoulder. Or maybe just hold her hand.

  “You know…you didn’t have to leave just because we did,” Emma said, breaking the silence, as she turned towards Noah.

  “You trying to get rid of me already, eh?” he teased, and Emma instantly wanted to swallow her words, to take them back.

  Cocking her head to the side, Emma looked at him curiously, hoping he wasn’t offended by her comment. “I didn’t mean it like that. I just…I don’t know. Forget I said anything.” Giggling nervously, Emma felt the heat of a blush tinting her cheeks, which she was sure was evident even on the darkened street.

  “I’m just giving you a hard time,” Noah joked, as if sensing her discomfort. “We usually don’t stay too late anyway. Just go to relax and have a few, then head home. Oi, I sound terribly boring, don’t I?”

  “No. Not at all,” Emma hurried to assure him. “I’m home or at a friend’s place most nights. I lead a pretty quiet life in Boone. I like it that way, though.” She’d never thought of her life in Boone as boring, she just enjoyed a peaceful, quiet life, with as little drama as possible.

  “I reckon you might be right. Being boring isn’t so bad after all,” Noah agreed, giving her a gentle nudge with his shoulder.

  “You’re not boring, Noah. Boring people have nothing relevant or interesting to add to a conversation. They’re just, blah, blah, blah.”

  When she lifted her hand and pinched her fingers and thumb together, in sync with her last remark, an irresistible smile spread across his lips, before accepting her compliment. “Thanks.”

  “I wouldn’t say that preferring a quiet life makes someone boring either. I love that I can drive down the Blue Ridge Parkway in any direction, hike to a beautiful overlook and spend hours there just reading a book, playing my guitar, or watching the clouds float by…just enjoying the beauty of nature. Now, to some, they’d be bored out of their minds…restless. But for me…” she paused, reliving some of her favorite memories. “it’s a little slice of heaven. It’s all in how you choose to look at it, I guess. Does that make sense?” She glanced at him to gauge his reaction, looking for reassurance.

  “Perfect,” he answered honestly. “There’s something about being alone with your thoughts that puts things in perspective. Living on my own, I have a lot of quiet time, by myself.”

  “Well, my brother and sister both live in Boone. And a bunch of friends that I’ve known my whole life live there too. So, I don’t get a lot of alone time,” she chuckled. “There’s always someone around. I have a roommate too and he’s usually home. But it’s nice to get away once in a while.”

  Well, damn. He didn’t see that coming. “He? You live with someone?” He didn’t like the thought of her with another man…at all, and was a bit taken aback by the sudden twinge behind his breastbone.

  “I live with my friend, Chris. But we’re not together, together. Ew…no. I can’t even think about that without feeling dirty. He’s like a brother to me. Love him to death, but have no desire to see him naked in any way, shape, or form,” Emma laughed, flashing Noah a dazzling smile that left him a bit shell shocked, and relieved that her roommate was securely in the friend zone.

  Silently giving thanks that she was still available, he asked, “So…do you have a lot of blokes as friends?”

  “Yeah, I do actually. I have female friends too, of course. But I’d have to admit that most of my friends are male. Less drama with men, I’ve found over the years. What about you? I’m sure you have a lot of friends of the female persuasion?”

  Noah offered a reluctant laugh, then admitted, “Not really, most of my mates are guys I play footy with or used to play with, like Josh. I have female friends, but they’re mostly the partners of my mates, like Lily. I spent almost all my free time growing up playing footy or training, so there wasn’t a lot of time for anything else. Reckon I missed out on all the drama, yeah?” he agreed, then hurriedly continued, not wanting to sound like a total loser. “It’s not that I didn’t have girlfriends, but once the relationship was over, we didn’t stay friends or anything, just went our separate ways.”

  “I’m friends with most of my exes,” Emma replied openly. “Maybe not right away, but over time. It’s not like we call each other to shoot the breeze or anything, but if we see each other at a party or out somewhere, we can hang out and it not be awkward. That would upset me. I’ve genuinely liked most of the guys I’ve dated and enjoyed their company.”

  “How many exes are there?” Noah probed, curiosity getting the best of him, but not wanting to press. “You don’t have to answer that if you don’t want to,” he added quickly.

  “I don’t mind. There aren’t that many. Thankfully,” she hesitated, but continued, “I’ve had three serious relationships, but I’ve had boyfriends that never went much further than a few dates or going to a party together. I’m too picky, I think. At least that’s what I’ve been told on a number of occasions,” she finished with a resigned sigh.

  “Nothing wrong with being selective, I’d say, eh?” Noah assured her.

  “My mother always drilled the saying, ‘Be careful who you associate with because that�
��s who you will date, and who you date is who you will fall in love with, and who you fall in love with is who you will marry…So be careful who you associate with.’ into our heads. I can’t tell you how many times she said that to me,” Emma smiled thoughtfully with a soft, almost imperceptible, shrug of her shoulder.

  “Sounds like a very wise woman.” A very wise woman indeed. He’d met more than his fair share of crazy women over the course of his rugby career. He was sure Emma’s mother would definitely not approve of them…or his mum either, for that matter. That’s why he rarely brought anyone home to meet his parents.

  “She is a wise woman. My parents are still happily married after thirty-five years, so she must be doing something right.” Emma’s parents were still madly in love, and set the standard for a happy and healthy marriage, and the type of relationship that Emma hoped to have one day.

  “Too right, I’d say. Any other nuggets of wisdom?”

  “Well, let’s see…Life’s too short to waste it being unhappy. Always treat people the way you’d like to be treated. If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again. And…don’t forget to pack your undies.” At Noah’s loud outburst of laughter, Emma couldn’t help but join in. “Don’t laugh. It’s not funny. I actually did that once.”

  “I guess that’s good advice then, eh?” Noah chuckled, still amused by her cheeky comment, as they entered the lobby and turned towards the lift.

  Emma’s easy smile lit up her entire face. “Words to live by.”

  Catching up to Lily and Josh as the doors to the lift opened, Noah stood next to Emma as she leaned against the wall. Lily was watching them suspiciously, and he didn’t blame her. He’d been falling all over himself to gain Emma’s attention all night, and was practically making love to her on the dance floor. Lily knew him well enough to know that he was interested in her cousin. Very interested.