Gripped (Prescott #2)

by Joanne Schwehm

When I chanced a look at his face, he grinned. “They’ll start another; just stay here with me. I’d rather be dancing than go back to the table. I think you feel the same.” His fingers tightened on my bare skin just above the curve of my ass.

  Who was I to disagree? I’d stay with this sexy man on a deserted island. Drawing in a shaky breath, I nodded.

  He was right; the band did start playing another song. When I realized it was a tango, I laughed and started to walk away.

  “Oh no, you don’t,” he said as he reached for my hand and tugged me back. “I got this. Just follow me.”

  I continued to laugh, sure he was joking, but Dane’s expression told me he wasn’t kidding. My nerves kicked in and I froze, praying he did have me because my legs were trembling.

  As the music played, he twirled, spun, and led me in the best dance I’ve ever experienced. He was a fantastic dancer, confident and sure as he used his fingers to gently urge me this way or that. Our bodies were in sync as if we’d danced together for years. His leg slipped between mine and he put his hands on my hips, urging me to gyrate with him to the beat of the music.

  I was so engrossed in him . . . in us . . . that I didn’t notice everyone else had left the dance floor. It wasn’t until the song came to an end and people applauded that I realized we were being watched. This wasn’t what I’d expected tonight, not at all.

  When Dane bowed to our audience and waved his hand in front of me, I spun into his chest in an attempt to hide my blushing face. The band struck up a slow song, and we began to sway together.

  A moment later, my chin was lifted by strong fingers. As soon as our eyes met, my body reacted. My skin prickled and my heart raced as he leaned in.

  “You’re an excellent dancer.”

  The spicy scent of sandalwood hit me as I whispered, “Thank you.”

  Of course, I’d be able to follow his lead. Growing up the way I had, ballroom lessons were a must, but that didn’t make me any less nervous. This man had moves, and I couldn’t help but wonder what else he was good at.

  As our bodies swayed together and his hand on my back guided me into the exact spot he wanted me, I said, “So, Dane, what brings you to the Royale Country Club? Do you live on Long Island?”

  His prolonged intake of air clued me in to the fact that he didn’t want to talk about it.

  “Never mind,” I said quickly. “I don’t need to know.” Uneasy, I felt my back stiffen, and at that moment I wanted nothing more than to get back to our table to grab my bag and head home.

  Before I could pull away, he tightened his grip on my hand. “I’m working toward my pro card, and this was one of the stops.”

  His voice seemed troubled, but I let it go and just nodded. No more questions. I didn’t need or want to know any more. Getting involved with this beautiful man was the last thing on my agenda. After all, I’d be leaving for Virginia soon. Why start something?

  Tilting his head at me, Dane caught my eye. “Would you like a drink?”

  If I drank any more champagne, my head would be screaming at me in the morning. “I’d love one, but I think I’m going to get my purse and go home.”

  “Good, because I wasn’t planning on staying here to drink. Come on.”

  As we made our way back to the table, all eyes were on us. Older couples I’d known my entire life watched us cross the room, most giving us small smiles, while women nearer my own age practically glared at us.

  Dane pulled out my chair and asked me to wait for him a moment. As I watched him walk out, he passed my parents as they entered the ballroom. When Dane nodded a hello to my dad, I couldn’t help but wonder if they knew each other. I’d have to ask Dad later.

  When the president of the club stepped up to the mic again and asked everyone to take a seat, I sighed. Great. Now I’ll be forced to endure more of this torture rather than leaving.

  “Ladies and gentlemen, I’m proud to announce that the silent auction raised over thirty-five thousand dollars tonight.”

  Everyone applauded politely, but I sat there stunned. Considering there were only five items in the silent auction, I’d say we did quite well for charity tonight.

  Mr. Herrington took a moment to list the prizes along with the winner’s name and the amount that was bid. None of this mattered to me until he said, “Five private golf lessons goes to Beverly Whitfield for the bid of fifty-two hundred dollars.”

  What the hell?

  My body temperature shot up and I began to sweat as everyone turned to look at me. I most certainly did not bid on golf lessons, so there had to be a mistake. Or maybe there was another Beverly Whitfield.

  As my tablemates joined in the applause, Margaret shot me a look that I couldn’t decipher. Intensely uncomfortable with the attention, I needed to leave, but first I had to talk to the person in charge of the auction and explain that I didn’t bid on anything.

  I pushed off my chair with shaky legs and picked up my clutch as I gave a quick wave of good-bye to the table in general, leaving before they could respond. Or in Angelica’s case, make a snarky comment.

  As I made my way through the crowd, one of my parents’ friends, Mrs. Browning, stopped to congratulate me for having the winning bid on the lessons. Not knowing what else to do, I thanked her, but remained confused.

  A warm hand touched my back. “You ready to go?”

  I turned to find Dane smiling at me, and nodded. When I looked back at Mrs. Browning to say good-bye, I was taken aback by the look on her face. If her eyebrows shot up any higher, they would be in the back of her head as she focused on Dane.

  “It was good seeing you, Mrs. Browning.” I took Dane’s arm and he steered us toward the exit.

  “So, about that drink,” he said. “How about we go to Louie’s?”

  “Louie’s?”

  “It’s a pub that I like to go to. We’ll definitely be overdressed, but I’m okay with that if you are.”

  “Yes, I know the place.” In fact, I loved it there. “But before I leave, I want to make sure the auction item I won goes to the right Beverly Whitfield. You go ahead, and I’ll meet you at the pub.”

  He chuckled. “You think there’s another Beverly Whitfield here?”

  The wry look he gave me made me realize that he was probably right.

  “Who knows? But I didn’t bid on anything, and I most certainly didn’t spend that much money on golf lessons.”

  Dane stopped us at the exit and patted my hand. “Okay. You go take care of that and I’ll meet you there. Can I see your cell phone?”

  I reached into my clutch and started to hand my phone to him before I pulled it back. “Wait. Why do you want it?”

  “Just going to put my number in it, in case you need to call me.”

  Well, that made sense. I placed it in his hand, surprised to find how calloused it was.

  He looked down at the screen and then to me. “Can you unlock it?”

  “Oops. Sure.” I took the phone from him and punched in my code before handing it back. What am I doing?

  He tapped something in, and his phone rang from his pocket.

  “Now I have your number.” He returned my phone and winked. “See you soon.”

  With that low, sexy voice reverberating in every cell in my body, I mumbled something witty like okay and walked away, trying to remain calm as I entered Bogey’s to inquire about my prize. My parents were standing at the auction items table with the president of the club.

  “There’s our winner,” my mom said as she beamed at me.

  Giving them all a polite smile, I said, “I think there’s been a mistake.”

  Mr. Herrington handed me an envelope. “Here you go, young lady. You’re signed up with one of our very best pros. Enjoy your lessons.” Then he walked away, apparently not having heard what I’d said.

  I gave my parents a beseeching look and held out the envelope. “Can you take care of this, please? I didn’t bid on it.”

  Dad grinned at me, looking pleased with hims
elf as he slipped his arm around my mom’s waist. “Sweetheart, we did.”

  “What? Why? I know how to play golf. I don’t need lessons.”

  Oh my God. Why in the world would they do this?

  “We know that,” Dad said, “but the charity that will benefit from the auction will provide books to underprivileged children. And when we heard that, we thought this would be perfect for you because of your own volunteer work. Each auction item was for a different cause, and this one spoke to us.”

  My eyes pricked with tears. “That’s very generous. Thank you.”

  Mom gave me a sad smile. “Darling, we want you to have fun this summer before you move.”

  Trying not to look like I was completely forcing my smile, I hugged her. “Thank you.”

  Why fight this anymore? At least underprivileged children would benefit from my parents’ donation.

  “I’m heading out,” I told them. “I’ll see you both tomorrow.”

  “Sounds good, honey. See you then.” Dad leaned over to kiss me on the cheek, and I gave Mom a quick hug.

  Once in my car, I wondered what the hell I was thinking telling Dane I’d meet him at Louie’s. The man was a walking orgasm waiting to happen, and since I was overdue for one, I would love for him to give it to me.

  As I slid my key into the ignition, I sighed. No matter how great a one-night stand sounded, it wasn’t going to happen. I wasn’t that type.

  My phone dinged and a message appeared.

  DANE: If I didn’t tell you before, I think you’re beautiful.

  A grin spread across my face. The only thing I could think of was how beautiful he was too, wondering if beneath that tailored tux . . .

  Get a grip, Beverly! I chastised myself, frowning as I backed out of my parking space. I needed to clear my head of all things orgasmic. Giving myself a stern talking-to, I pulled out of the club parking lot and headed to meet Dane at Louie’s.

  CHAPTER 3

  ~ Dane ~

  Louie’s wasn’t an upscale place, so when I walked in wearing my penguin suit, I naturally garnered a few stares, especially from people I was familiar with. A couple of women glared at me while a few guys whistled, but I didn’t pay them any mind. This crowd was full of dicks. There was only one woman I was interested in at the moment, and she wasn’t here yet.

  When I took my place on a bar stool, the main man himself, Louie, looked at me and let out a rumbling chuckle as he leaned on the bar.

  “Prom date stand you up?”

  “Ha-ha, very funny. I had to go to an event tonight and thought I’d end my night here.” I reached into the bowl he pushed toward me and popped a peanut in my mouth, letting the salt linger for a bit on my tongue.

  Louie grabbed the white bar towel that was slung over his shoulder and wiped the glossy mahogany in front of me. He tossed a cocktail napkin down and set a vodka neat with a twist of lime on it.

  “I figured this wasn’t a night for a beer,” he said slyly, “unless you want a cosmo or appletini?” With another little chuckle, he left to wait on someone else.

  I stared at my drink and thought of Beverly. She was absolutely stunning. The contrast of her creamy skin and almost jet-black hair made me feel things that I never thought I would.

  Hell, I left the emotional things to my brothers. My oldest brother, Drake, recently fell in love, and even though love wasn’t for me, I couldn’t be happier for him.

  Lifting the glass to my lips, I took a large sip. As I set it down, I felt twenty pairs of eyes on me, but when I looked to my left, I realized they weren’t staring at me but beyond me.

  I turned toward the door and there she was. The sight of her in that sexy black number she was wearing was mind-numbing, and I couldn’t prevent my heart from pounding or my dick from stiffening. Most women from the club wouldn’t come to a place like this, a place where peanut shells carpeted the floor and the patrons most likely worked blue-collar jobs, but Beverly was different. The moment my lips touched her hand, I knew she was genuine.

  As soon as her green eyes met mine, I was lost. She never wavered, just glided toward me despite the crunch beneath the soles of her fuck-me shoes. Her toned bare leg slipped out of the slit of her dress with every other step. I caught my lower lip with my teeth as I continued to drink her in. Confidence and beauty oozed from her pores, and I decided I needed to get to know this woman.

  Beverly tossed her small purse on the bar and sat next to me. “Hi. Sorry it took me longer to get here than I thought.”

  She made eye contact with Louie, which wasn’t difficult since he was only four feet away. He had to have known she was here for me; it wasn’t like there was a meeting of formal wear going on.

  But when I looked at the portly, middle-aged bartender, I had to stifle a laugh as he pushed out his chest and rolled his shoulders back. Too bad he was about fifty pounds too heavy and twenty years too old for her. I raised an eyebrow at him and he glowered at me, but then shot me a smug grin. I hoped he didn’t think he was making a play for Beverly—she was so far out of his league, it wasn’t funny.

  “It’s fine,” I said, taking a moment to appreciate her. “What can I get you to drink?”

  She looked at Louie and smiled. “Hey, Louie. Can I have a bourbon neat?”

  “How you doin’, pretty lady! It’s been a while, and I must say you look great. You want another one, Dane?”

  “No, I’m good for now. Put hers on my tab.”

  Beverly shook her head. “You don’t have to do that. When I said I’d meet you for a drink, I didn’t expect you to pay.”

  She reached out to grab her bag and I placed my hand on her wrist. “Whether you expected it or not, I want to buy you a drink.” I could feel her skin warm under my fingers and her pulse quicken. Yeah, I have an effect on her too.

  “Thank you.”

  Louie smiled and placed her drink in front of her, and I watched greedily as her pink-tinted lips touched the amber liquid.

  Getting women to respond to me had never been an issue, and one-night stands came and went. But that wasn’t what I wanted with this beauty. For some reason I wanted more—not exactly sure how much more, but I knew one night between the sheets wouldn’t be enough.

  Damn, I don’t just want her, I need her. But why?

  “So, you know Louie?” I asked her.

  “Yes, I love this place.” She let out a laugh. “I’d planned on coming here tonight anyway. But I was going to go home and change first.”

  “I’m glad you didn’t,” I said in a low voice, “because you’re stunning. I would have looked like an undertaker if you weren’t here next to me.”

  She laughed. “Pretty good-looking undertaker.” When my eyes widened, her face reddened and she shrugged one bare shoulder. “You know, as far as undertakers go.”

  “Can I ask you something?”

  “You can always ask, but I might not answer.” She picked up her glass again, looking up at me through her eyelashes as the corners of her lips rose.

  I had to use every facial muscle to stifle a smile of my own. “Fair enough. What was that back at the club? You didn’t seem happy with our tablemates.”

  She tilted her head back and inhaled, which of course drew my gaze straight to her chest. Quite a nice one, as a matter of fact. Luckily, I was looking at her face again when her eyes met mine.

  “Do you mind if we don’t get too personal?” she said with a frown. “Why is it that people always need to know about the past? I mean, that’s what it is, right? When I met you tonight, you seemed different, and I don’t know, fun maybe? But if all you want to do is rehash my childhood, we can end the night now.”

  My jaw dropped at her no-bullshit attitude. Damn, I was just trying to make conversation.

  “Okay, that’s fine. Then what do you want to talk about?”

  “I don’t know,” she said, staring down at her glass, “and I’m sorry if that sounded rude, but those people at the club just need to get a grip. I’d love for
one of them to come to District Twelve with me and see how some of those kids are forced to live. But they’d never be caught dead there because the wrong person might see them or they might get attacked like Angelica said. She hasn’t changed at all; she’s still a stuck-up bitch. Despite what they think, there’s more to life than fancy parties, social status, and golf.”

  When I looked at her with surprise, the corner of Beverly’s lip lifted in a snarl. “I’d like to take a golf club and shove it up her ass,” she muttered, her voice dripping with disdain.

  The woman rendered me speechless. Not because she didn’t like the people at the club, because I could totally understand that. I’d had my own issues with holier-than-thou, arrogant people. But for someone who didn’t want to answer, she had a lot to say. Just seeing the way Angelica had looked at her and cut her down only proved to me why Beverly would want to stay away from them, and I couldn’t blame her.

  So I agreed with Beverly, for the most part, but not when it came to golf—it’s in my blood. Aside from my family, golf was my one and only love.

  She gave me an apologetic smile. “Sorry. I know you have a date with her on Wednesday, but she’s nasty and you could do much better.”

  Her comment brought me out of my thoughts. “What? A date with who?”

  “You said you have to check your black book.” She laughed. “Why are they always black? Be creative and bold. Get a little red book or something.” She took a sip of her drink.

  “I don’t have a date with Angelica; not the way you think anyway. For the record, I love the little red book that I do have. It’s one of my favorite possessions. I’ll show it to you sometime. And yes, you’re right, I can do better,” I said with a grin. “Look who I’m with now.”

  She waved my comment off. “You don’t need to explain. Just be careful . . . Angelica has serious claws.” Beverly’s hand clamped over her mouth, and when she moved it away, she looked ashamed. “I’m sorry. This isn’t like me at all. It’s that club,” she said with a shudder. “It brings out the worst in me.” The giggle that came next made me appreciate her even more.