One Last Dance

by Nancy Stopper

“Hot monkey sex will do that, fry your brain. It’s probably cold now. I’ll go have Diego warm it up.”

  She gasped. “You will do no such thing. They’ll want to know why we’re just getting around to eating. You can eat it cold.”

  Joey placed a gentle kiss on her lips. “I don’t care what they think.” And he realized he didn’t. Because what Brittany thought, somehow in the last week, had become more important. “But if it makes you uncomfortable, I won’t.”

  “Thanks.”

  They settled on his couch and ate lukewarm burgers and greasy fries. It was easy, contented. He waited for his mind to formulate the niggling reminders that she wasn’t right for him, that he had been there, done that with Shelby. But none came.

  “Did you bring a dress?”

  “What?” she asked, wiping her mouth with a napkin, missing a dab of ketchup on the corner. Instead of grabbing her napkin, he leaned over and licked the spot off before placing a kiss on her lips.

  “I want to take you out tomorrow night. Did you bring a dress?”

  With a confused look on her face, she responded. “Yeah, I did. But where are we going that I need a dress?”

  He grinned. “You’ll see. Tomorrow night, you in your dress, wearing those stilettos from the first night I met you.”

  “Okay. Sounds like fun.”

  Chapter Twenty

  JOEY’S KNEE BOUNCED. He hopped up from the couch, paced to the fireplace, and then sat back down. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d been this nervous about a date. Maybe because he couldn’t remember the last time he’d had a date. The past few years could be categorized as hook-ups and nothing else. Nothing that smacked of serious or committed. And certainly not with a woman who for all outward appearances was exactly the wrong person for him. But that was why tonight was so important. Joey wanted to show Brittany the big city wasn’t all that far away and she could have the best of both worlds. They could have the best of both worlds.

  He’d gotten ready early, giving Brittany full run of the bedroom and bathroom while he waited, somewhat impatiently, for her to finish. As he did, he looked around his living room. What did she see when she looked at his house? did it confirm her image of him as small town?

  His simple house suited him. The slightly scratched hardwood floors showed their age and experience in each divot and groove. He rubbed his hand over the soft leather cushions on the couch and eyed the matching chairs. Just across from him was his favorite feature in the room—the floor-to-ceiling fieldstone fireplace. Most of the houses in town built at the same time had a fireplace, but his had character. He fiddled with one of the photos on the mantle, a family photo taken a couple of years ago. His entire family, including Rachel with a huge smile on her face and her arm slung around him. He fingered the picture beside it, taken the day he stood in front of Last Call—the bar he’d bought and turned into J.J.’s. That was a proud day. The day he’d proven himself to all of the doubters who believed he’d never amount to much without a college degree or military service. Last, he studied the most recent addition to his mantle, Lucas with Sarah and Lily, right after they’d gotten engaged. His brother was happy and it showed in his expression.

  Joey envied the happiness in Lucas’s eyes when he gazed down on his fiancée. His new family. For a long time, Joey assumed that kind of future wasn’t for him, but Brittany had him rethinking a lot about his life. His stomach tightened and his pulse raced. This dinner had become more important than even he realized.

  The woman in question cleared her throat behind him. He turned and stopped short. A lacy black dress clung to every curve of her body, stopping several inches above her knees. Damn, even her knees were sexy. His gaze trailed down her legs to the red stilettos he’d asked her to wear. Then he raised his eyes until they met hers and desire stared back at him. Striding across the room, he pulled her into his arms. “You are the most beautiful woman I have ever seen.”

  She lowered her gaze, an unexpected shyness. He slid his lips across hers. “You…” He nudged her under the chin and her shimmering eyes met his. “Are…” He pecked her on the lips again. Warmth washed through him. “Beautiful.”

  “Thank you.” Her soft words brushed across his mouth, her warmth on his skin.

  “Are you ready to go?”

  “Almost. Will you tell me now where we’re headed?”

  He grinned, pleased he’d been able to hide the arrangements from her. “Nope. You have to wait and see.”

  “You and your surprises.” She leaned against him, pressing her breasts into his chest, stretching her arms up and around his neck. Her hot breath tickled his neck as she licked her way to his chin. “Are you sure you won’t tell me where we’re going? Or we could stay in. I’m sure we could find something to eat and something to do.”

  For a moment, he considered taking her up on her offer, but no. Tonight was about showing her how she could have a full life here in Oak Grove. He gently grabbed her wrists and pulled them away from his neck, nudging her away from him. “Tempting, but no. Grab your purse.”

  Joey escorted her out the door, waiting for the moment of surprise to cross her face. He headed to the silver four-door sedan that sat in the spot his truck normally occupied.

  She looked to him, her eyes bright. “Where’s your truck?”

  “I thought you’d be more comfortable riding in a car. I borrowed it from Sawyer.”

  She grinned. He placed his hand on her lower back to escort her around the car. The heat of her body washed over his hand, even through her dress. As she lowered herself into the leather seat, her long legs stretched out, the creamy skin calling to him. He ran his hand up the back of her calf. “Hmm, sexy.”

  She laughed as she pulled her legs into the car. He drew in a deep breath and adjusted his zipper before hopping in the driver’s seat and heading toward town.

  The lights from Mug ’n Muffin shone onto the sidewalk as he drove by. “Have you talked to Karen since she went home?”

  “Briefly. She asked when I was headed back to New York.”

  “What did you tell her?”

  “I told her I wasn’t sure. Sunday?”

  He extended his hand across the console, grabbing hers and squeezing. “You’re welcome to stay as long as you want.” Forever hung on the tip of his tongue, but he bit it back. Maybe he could invite her to Sunday dinner. If only he could be sure his brothers wouldn’t embarrass him… or her. If anything went wrong, she could scoot back to the city before he could stop her. “I like having you in my house.”

  She smiled at him, but her happiness was forced. “As much as I’ve enjoyed this week, much more than I expected, I live in New York.”

  While her words said one thing, her expression faltered.

  His stomach leapt. Maybe she wasn’t as happy in New York as she let on.

  The ride into Philadelphia passed quickly, the conversation light. Not once did she ask about their destination on the eighty minute drive into the city. In no time at all, the lights of the city brightened the darkening sky in front of them.

  “Where are we going?”

  “I thought we’d spend the evening in Philly.”

  The absolute happiness on her face made his arrangements worth it. “Really?”

  “Really.”

  She bounced in her seat and a bit of the city girl he’d met the first day shone through. His spirits fell. He wanted to show her she could have the best of both worlds, and instead, he’d only reminded her of New York. He was a goddamned idiot.

  After pulling in front of the historic Barclay Building, he rounded the front of the car to open Brittany’s door before the valet. He didn’t want any young, good-looking guys touching Brittany tonight. She placed her hand in his and he helped her from the car.

  “Thank you.”

  She might be in her element in the city, but he was like a fish out of water. He tugged at his shirt collar, slackening the tie that strangled him like a noose. After handing the keys to the
valet, he rested his palm on the small of Brittany’s back. He hustled her through the door and escorted her to the hostess station of the five-star steakhouse located on the first floor.

  “Oh, wow. I’ve heard of Barclay Prime. This is a fantastic restaurant.” She turned to him. “I can’t believe you did all this for me. I would have been happy with burgers from J.J.’s. Hot ones this time.”

  She would? Good to know. Maybe he’d misjudged her need for the fancy things in life after all. But from the delicious look she shot him, he knew she was thinking more about what they’d done before the burgers last night than the burgers themselves.

  He shook his head, still surprised he’d taken her in his office. Despite his reputation, he tried to make it good for his partners. Not that it wasn’t good last night… it was very good.

  He eyed the door. He wouldn’t mind moving this night right along to more of the good stuff. Nope, he needed to stick with his plan. He leaned down until his mouth hovered right above her ear. “This is just the beginning.”

  After a minute, the host escorted them to a table in the lounge. “Could I interest you in a cocktail or a glass of wine before dinner?”

  Joey gestured to Brittany.

  “I’d love a cosmopolitan.”

  “And for you, sir?”

  “Could I have a scotch and soda?”

  As the host collected their wine lists and left, Brittany turned her attention to him. “I thought you’d ask for a beer.”

  Another example of how she saw him—small town, simple. He had to prove to her he could be more. “I actually don’t drink a lot, but it’s nice to share a beer with a friend or two at the bar. Tonight, though, deserves good scotch.”

  A waitress brought their drinks, and Brittany ran her fingers along the edge of her glass. She grabbed the lime and placed it in her teeth, sucking on the fruit. As she pulled it from between her lips, his groin tightened. An image of her lips wrapped around him like they’d just been sucking that lime ran through his mind. Her eyes never left his as she picked up her drink. Setting the little straw on her pouty lower lip, she took a sip. That little minx. She knew exactly what she was doing to him.

  She teased the lime across her mouth, trailing it along her lips before extending her hand and offering it to him. Two could play this game. He snatched the lime with his teeth, sucking on her fingers. He grabbed her wrist and held her hand there while he caressed her with his tongue. Her eyes smoldered with each stroke. Eventually, he released her hand and tossed the lime on the napkin like nothing had happened.

  “Ahem.” Joey’s head snapped to the tuxedo-clad man beside their table.

  “Sir, madam, your table is ready. If you’d follow me.”

  Joey grabbed his untouched drink and Brittany’s cosmopolitan and gestured for her to follow the waiter. At least with both hands full, he wouldn’t be tempted to touch her. Scratch that. He always wanted to touch her. If not for the drinks in his hands, he’d be touching her right now.

  As they walked across the crowded restaurant to the corner table he’d requested, a quick scan of the room told him what he already knew—every male eye in the room was fixed on Brittany. Her hips swayed beneath the clingy fabric of her black dress, her long legs extending well below the thigh-high hem. The dress’s scooped neck showed enough cleavage to entice a man. Classy, not slutty. In a word, it was perfect. She was perfect. And despite all odds, she was here with him. No matter what every other man in the room thought when they saw them together, he’d be the one going home with her tonight.

  Brittany sat down on one side of the booth. Joey nudged her aside and slid onto the bench beside her, pressing his thigh against hers under the table.

  “Very well, sir.” The waiter placed two menus in front of them and left them alone.

  Brittany chuckled. “You could have sat across from me.”

  “But then I couldn’t do this.” He brushed his fingers across her knee and up to the edge of her dress where it strained across her thighs.

  She laughed and smacked his hand away. “Behave. This is a respectable place.” She looked around the room, as if she’d just noticed the sophistication. “This restaurant is beautiful. I don’t go out to fancy places very often.”

  What? Didn’t living in the city mean living large? “I thought you’d like it.”

  “Oh, don’t get me wrong. I love it. I just don’t eat out at nice restaurants much. It’s usually takeout in front of the TV or grabbing a burger on the patio of a nearby pub.”

  That sounded a lot like his routine. They had more in common than he originally thought. Despite that, he didn’t want to set himself up for another heartache.

  But he couldn’t help the warmth inside him that felt a lot like falling in love.

  After taking a few minutes to look at the menu, his eyes shot to Brittany to find her focused on the menu, her teeth nibbling on her lower lip. He leaned over and pressed a kiss to her lip and she jumped back.

  “You looked so cute sitting there. I needed to have a taste.”

  She grabbed his hand and squeezed. The smile on her face grew as she stared back at him. The swirl of emotions in her eyes reflected their mutual confusion. In just a few days, he could read her well. He also saw anticipation… for tonight or their future together? Did it really matter? The desire was obvious, focused solely on him. The gentleness, the shining in her eyes, could only mean one thing… was she falling in love with him, too? He could only hope. “Did you see something you liked?”

  “Well… um…” Her eyes locked on his, her menu forgotten.

  He opened his mouth but didn’t speak before she continued.

  “Oh, you meant on the menu. I think I’ll get an order of the seared diver scallops and the rack of lamb. What about you?”

  “I’m getting a steak. No way I’m coming to a great steakhouse like this and missing out on the chance to have someone else do the grilling.”

  They laughed together as they gave their orders to the waiter, who took them quickly and left. Brittany shifted in the booth so she faced him. “So, what’s going on?”

  “What do you mean?”

  “The wining and dining, the fancy restaurant. You didn’t need to do all of this for me.”

  “I wanted to. I know you hadn’t planned to stay in Oak Grove and maybe you were getting bored, so I wanted to do something special for you. I wanted you to see the city wasn’t far. We have the best of both worlds in Oak Grove, small town living and big city life right around the corner.”

  “You’ve definitely opened my eyes to a different side of small towns than I experienced growing up. I’ve had a good time with you this week.”

  “This isn’t all.” He smirked at her as she searched his face.

  “What else do you have planned?”

  “You’ll see after dinner.”

  She stuck her bottom lip out, the cute pout sending shocks through his body. “Please?”

  She wielded that look like a weapon. But it wouldn’t work. He crossed his arms and pressed his lips together. “Nuh-uh.”

  She grabbed his crossed arms and shook him. “Come on, Joey. I wanna know. Please.”

  The pleasure in her eyes nearly broke him, but he shook his head. Teasing her was quickly becoming one of his favorite things, after making love to her, of course.

  “Joey!” The voice from behind him shocked and startled him. He turned and his eyes widened.

  Shelby.

  He brushed his hands down his pants and tugged at his collar, throwing a look at Brittany before standing.

  “Shelby, what are you doing here?”

  She bubbled with excitement, even more than he remembered. “I live in Philadelphia now. Isn’t it great? Well, really, I live outside Philly. How are you?”

  She stroked Joey’s arm, his skin prickling everywhere she touched.

  He tucked his hand into his pocket. “I’m doing good. I bought Last Call last year and turned it into a bar and grill. Just finished a
major expansion.” Why in the hell was he explaining anything to her? If she cared, she’d have checked on him after leaving him brokenhearted to flit off to college in the city.

  A throat cleared behind him and his stomach leapt. Damn, he’d left Brittany sitting in the booth. She belonged beside him. He pulled her to her feet and wrapped his arm around her waist.

  “Shelby, I want to introduce you to Brittany. Brittany, this is an old friend from home, Shelby Wright.”

  “An old friend? Is that all we were?” Shelby again ran her finger up Joey’s arm.

  Brittany extended her hand. “Nice to meet you, Shelby.”

  “You don’t live in Oak Grove, do you?” Disdain dripped on every word Shelby spat. Still the snob—he hadn’t seen this side of her until she’d left him.

  Brittany squared her shoulders, and the strong woman he’d met that first night emerged. “No, actually. I’m visiting from New York.”

  “Uh-huh. Nice to meet you.” Shelby dismissed Brittany and focused again on Joey. “Some things never change, huh, Joey? I’m not far away now. Feel free to look me up… anytime.”

  Shelby trailed her fingernail up his arm before she spun around and strutted off, her hips swaying with each step. It did nothing for him. All this time he’d thought he’d never get over the pain of her desertion, but he was wrong. Seeing her now, he felt nothing for her. And everything for the woman who remained by his side.

  He motioned for Brittany to sit down and slid close to her, his hand pressed firmly on her thigh. Their comfortable mood was broken.

  “So that was Shelby, huh?”

  “Yep.”

  “When was the last time you saw her?”

  “When she left town six years ago.”

  “What did you think, seeing her again?”

  He shifted in the booth so he could face Brittany. “Nothing. I know we haven’t discussed her much, but obviously you know about her. I thought she’d ruined me for relationships when she decided to go away to school. When she left me, she told me I’d never be anything but a small-town hack and wouldn’t amount to anything.”

  Brittany sat, her eyes focused on his, as he continued.