by Allyn Lesley
“Who are you looking for?”
Sofie’s eyes connected with Avi’s, realizing she was caught. “No one.”
Avi backed away, smirking. “Uh huh. And does this Mr. No One have a real name?”
“Maybe. But it’s not like it’ll go anywhere,” she grumbled.
It was clear Sofie would change the situation if it was left to her, but it didn’t sound to Avi as if she could. She decided to get her new best friend back to a happy place where nothing mattered and all was right.
She bumped Sofie’s shoulder. “Chin up. If this Mr. No One can’t see what a catch you are, then he’s an idiot. Come on. Let’s dance.”
Just like Sofie didn’t wait for Avi to follow her into the club, her hurried pace didn’t give Sofie a chance to voice her opinion. The girls stopped in the middle of the floor and let the catchy beats take over their bodies. Avi was shocked by her friend’s carefree movements, and was quick to mirror Sofie.
“I’m twenty-four, biyatch,” she yelled at the top of her lungs to no one in particular. She swayed her hips in Sofie’s direction.
I’ve buried this part of me for too long.
Someone grabbed Avi from behind.
Uncaring who it was, she danced with the same abandon from a few years ago, closing her eyes and pouring herself into her movements. She was turned around and the man trailed his hands down her sides, pulling her closer.
The stranger nudged her head to the side, his cool breath and whispered words sending tingles along Avi’s spine. She arched her body into his. “I’ve been watching you since you stepped on the floor.”
She ground her lower half into his instead of verbalizing her response. It’d been too long since she felt the hardness of a man.
His hands captured her hips. They landed—warm and heavy—and boy was she enjoying how he felt.
“The name’s Jayson, and you are?” His voice dripped deliciously in her ear, making her think of sweaty nights and sore thighs.
Throwing caution to the wind and summoning up her old self, she never stopped her sinful movements. “It’s Avi, and I’m yours for tonight.” She smiled, brushing her back against his hardening front.
Butterflies floated in her stomach. She wondered if they were a result of Jayson’s rich chuckle or the Bad Girl Concoction she’d chugged earlier.
Noah sunk backward, enjoying his drink.
About a minute or so later, he heard the clearing of a throat. Opening up his black eyes, Zach hovered a few feet away. His fidgeting was aggravating. Noah motioned the nervous young man forward.
Zach bent near Noah’s left ear. “She’s downstairs, boss.”
Where the fuck is that little she-devil?
Zach pointed toward the dance floor, addressing his employer’s unvoiced question. “Under the ball.”
Clear as day, she danced way too close with someone who might soon leave the club with a limp. He blew out a breath. She knew better than this, yet she still tested the limits set up for her protection.
A restraining hand on Noah’s arm paused him mid-stride. “Boss?”
Noah’s eyes widened at Zach’s hand. Immediately, the younger man’s hand fell away, and he wisely stepped back. Even in the dim light, Noah saw embarrassment tinge Zach’s face.
“I, um. Excuse me, Mr. Adams, but I can’t let you go over there,” Zach said, swallowing the fear his boss evoked.
“Let me?” Noah pointed at himself and straightened to his impressive six feet and five inches. “And who’ll stop me?”
“I’m just saying...” Zach wished he had alerted security on their way down.
Taking a step toward his employee, Noah responded through gritted teeth, “This is my club, and she’s my responsibility.” He stalked off, weaving through sweaty bodies.
A woman with her arms up and eyes closed distracted Noah. Her body moved sensuously against a man he knew of as Poindexter. His quick scan revealed he wasn’t the only one caught in the woman’s web of seduction.
Her curvaceous frame was tempting, but he was on a mission. Noah looked to his left, groaning when he saw the reason he had left a good drink upstairs. Her slender arms were draped around a random man’s shoulders, whose hands were where they had no business resting. He stalked toward the woman who needed rescuing.
Thank fuck her unc—
The she-devil’s dance partner’s hands got frisky, choosing that moment to cop a feel of her ass, interrupting Noah’s thoughts.
“You’ll want to let go,” Noah whispered in the ear of the man, who clearly had a death wish.
Said dead man didn’t lift his head, choosing instead to dismiss Noah as if there hadn’t been a word uttered. The corpse continued to dance, holding the young woman tighter against his drunken body.
The man had to be drunk. Only someone completely intoxicated would be stupid enough to display this level of disrespect. Noah tapped the man’s shoulder with more force.
“Fuck off.”
Noah circled the man whose lifespan dwindled with each ignored warning. His movements drew the eye of the sometimes sane and reasonable woman in the idiot’s arms.
Her eyes widened in shock when she spied Noah’s determined stance.
“Sofie, let’s go,” he said, using his head to show her where she should walk.
“Noah.” Sofie’s lips quivered with indecision. She attempted to move out of her partner’s embrace.
“Baby, where you going?” The fool’s words slurred and his hold tightened.
Noah folded his arms over his well-toned chest and stood with his feet spread apart, giving Sofie a final opportunity to deal with the man, who was certainly wearing out his welcome.
I’m about two seconds from fucking up her boy’s face and her damn night if she doesn’t step the hell away.
As if she were privy to Noah’s thoughts, Sofie said out loud, “Please, this isn’t necessary.” Embarrassment seeped into her tone while her mint-colored eyes silently pleaded with him to let her handle the situation.
Sofie’s upturned palms held Noah at bay. She whispered something to her companion, and the few brain cells Noah might leave the man with after rearranging his face began working. Sofie stepped out of her dancing partner’s hold.
The woman whose moves had earlier caught Noah’s eye approached them, and without acknowledging the powerful man before her, she pulled Sofie a safe distance away.
Noah saw that her nerdy friend didn’t follow her.
“Take a hike.” Noah aimed his words at the idiot behind him.
Dismissing the joker, his gaze flickered over to the two, but his focus remained on Sofie’s friend. What the hell are they whispering about? He focused on the other woman’s mouth and used his lip-reading skills to decipher their conversation.
“Who’s that?” the woman asked Sofie.
Her twisted, sneering lips—luscious, fuckable lips—drew frown lines to Noah’s forehead. Who the fuck is she to question who I am?
Peering over Sofie’s shoulder, the woman’s scrutiny challenged Noah’s stare. The haughty lift of her arched brow made one side of Noah’s lip quirk upward. Sofie’s girlfriend didn’t cower from anyone. Her defiant spirit turned him on, especially when packaged in that dress.
His smirk switched to a full-on grin when she was the first to break eye contact.
Gotcha.
It was Sofie’s headshake that pulled Noah’s gaze from the intriguing woman. She shook her head so fast Noah wasn’t sure the other woman caught on that her line of questioning was being shut down. He stared harder, willing Sofie’s friend to meet his eyes again. When she finally did, there was no confusion—she recognized his power.
He stood taller while her heated gaze roamed over his domineering stance. They regarded each other for a moment, and then writhing bodies and heavy beats gave way to the vision of a distant time past of ice cream trucks, popsicles, and wild laughter. The closing of the woman’s lids silenced his youthful memory. She licked her lips and averted
her gaze.
Noah raised an eyebrow, daring her to come to him.
The drunk who had been grinding on Sofie bumped into Noah’s shoulder as he walked by the group, dragging his attention away. It was obvious the man felt slighted. What had he thought would happen? Only passive-aggressive dicks expressed their anger like that. Those kinds of assholes, when confronted about their bullshit, ended up saying either: ‘my bad’ or ‘excuse me,’ rather than the ‘fuck you’ their actions intended.
Noah’s years of military training and a daily fitness ritual led to a solidly built figure; the other man’s move was more of an annoyance than a threat.
“Said something?” Noah called out to the grumbling man’s retreating back. Such a pussy he thought to himself.
Sofie’s dance partner slinked away and disappeared into the crowd with a member of Club Envy’s security team discreetly following. Jerking his chin in the man’s direction, Noah’s muted command was clear: teach him an unforgettable lesson about respect.
Taking a few steps toward Sofie, Noah said again, “Let’s go.” He stepped to the side, indicating that Sofie should walk ahead of him. Noah’s thick eyebrows arched upward when he noticed Sofie’s tight hold on her mysterious friend’s arm.
“Our stuff is back that way.” Sofie was focused on the woman now standing by her side, as if asking her to tag along.
Women and their shit. Why can’t they stuff everything in one damn pocket? They bring bags that look like luggage, or tiny-ass ones that can hardly hold a condom.
Aloud, he said, “Get them and meet me upstairs.” Noah tipped his head to Zach, who then moved to Sofie’s side. Noah stepped between her and her friend, staring intently at the woman with the violet eyes.
“Noah,” Sofie said with a whine.
He raised his hands in surrender and chuckled. “Go on ahead. I just want to talk,” he said, hoping to convince Sofie to trust him. I won’t bite…unless she asks.
Sofie walked away, but turned right back around. She stretched up on her heeled feet, balancing herself with her hands on his shoulders. “Be nice to my friend, Noe.”
Oh, she’s pulling out the big guns. She rarely used his nickname unless she wanted to get his attention or there was trouble. The longer he stared at Sofie’s friend, the more confident he became that a storm was brewing.
“Come on, Ms. Walker,” Zach suggested.
“Take your time,” Noah called out, half-joking.
I’m going to have to give that boy a raise. He mentally congratulated Zach, who was leading Sofie to wherever the hell she needed to go. When Noah turned back around, Sofie’s friend was looking everywhere but at him. He smiled at her evasion tactic, which gave him time to appreciate her guarded, almost too deep-set eyes, upturned nose, and full, kissable lips that might have overpowered another woman’s face, but on her it all came together in a distinct look. He definitely liked what he saw. She would be going home with him later on.
Noah shoved his hands in his pockets so he wouldn’t touch her without permission. “What’s your name?”
She straightened her posture, meeting his stare while folding her arms under her chest. “What’s yours?”
Noah laughed out loud.
Well, look at this. She has the balls to question me to my face?
He stepped closer to the woman who awoke his interest. “I like that you don’t scare easily. But I asked you first.”
Damn, she’s short. Her head just reached his chin. His gaze lowered to her open-toed gold shoes that showed off the cutest digits he’d ever seen. He appreciated that even in heels he towered over her. Her glare greeted him when he returned his attention to her face.
“And I asked you second,” she countered with a hand on her hip. “We could play this all night, Mister.”
Noah’s eyes were intentional in their pursuit: from her tasty-looking lips down to her green dress with a cutout that flirted with her thick thighs. Noah slowly retraced his path up her body.
Oh, yeah, I’m so fucking you tonight.
By the time their eyes connected again, Noah’s grin had split his face, revealing a set of deep dimples and gleaming white teeth. She failed miserably at making her small smile into a scowl. His grin disappeared when she took a step backward.
“Noah Adams.” The name you’ll be screaming later. He stretched his right hand out, hoping she’d be polite enough to shake. The feel of her hand would have to suffice until he got to the rest of her in his bed later.
“Avi,” someone yelled behind her, dragging her attention away from Noah.
Pissed at the interruption just when he was making headway and that the interloper knew her name before he had the privilege of getting it, Noah’s lips twisted into a grimace.
Poindexter jogged over to them. The younger man took stock of their defensive poses, attempting to assess the situation. Noah’s lips parted to encourage her to continue, but snapped it closed when she wove her fingers through Poindexter’s hand with a defiant look directed at Noah. It wasn’t lost on him how the other man clutched her fingers in return.
He contemplated his next move.
On the one hand, he could give the couple room to breathe, and if Sofie’s sexy friend was taken, even by this joker, then so be it.
But on the other hand, I could tell him to fuck off, at least until I’ve gotten my taste.
Noah’s eyes flicked in her direction, then to the man, and finally down to their joined hands. “You know each other?” Noah asked.
“Ye-yeah,” he stuttered, draping an arm over Avi’s shoulder. “Yes.”
He eyed the shorter man; the response irked Noah, but her answering nod cemented his decision to step away.
“I’m ready.” Sofie handed her friend her belongings.
Noah swept his quasi rival another look, testing the truth behind his words.
However, Avi’s eyes stopped his interrogative gaze. She angled her body away, telling Noah in no uncertain terms that she wasn’t interested.
That didn’t sit well. ‘No’ wasn’t a word usually directed at Noah Adams. He’d heard ‘not yet’ a few times, but never ‘no’. Her being hugged-up on the nobody when she’d look better in his bed was just plain wrong.
His lips moved, but the words held no warmth. “You and your girl should come upstairs.”
When the group made no move, Noah planted a tight smile on his lips. Sofie shot him a quizzical look when she stepped past him to walk up the steps. He was puzzled at Avi’s hesitation. Her face was pinched with concern, but Avi made no move to follow her friend who climbed the stairs calmly.
“Come on,” Poindexter said. He dropped his arm from around her, then just as quickly, he was up the stairs, trailing behind Sofie and Zach.
Noah heard, “Blame the damn alcohol,” as a mumbling Avi walked past him. He took a deep pull of the fragrance that clung to her. He tracked the movements of her unblemished legs as they carried her up the first couple of steps. The smooth, brown legs that wouldn’t be wrapped around his waist tonight teased him. That dress is too damn short.
Avi picked up her pace and caught up with her nerdy friend, making a show of putting her hand in one of the man’s back pockets.
Noah’s stomach muscles tightened and his pulse quickened. A foreign emotion swept over him, tingling his scalp and pooling bitterness on the back of his tongue. The over-the-shoulder smile and the dork’s appreciative gaze that drank up the woman’s form gave a name to the unfamiliar feeling.
Jealousy.
The word, and admitting it, almost choked Noah.
He was jealous of him...an unknown. He slowed his ascent.
By the time they all arrived upstairs, he still hadn’t come to grips with the new word that had now, unfortunately, become a part of his vocabulary. The private lounge was filled with familiar faces that Noah used to ground him. Over in a corner stood Gavin, and a few feet away was Cassian with his wife.
Poindexter pulled Avi to an empty bar stool.
Sofie ran over to her uncle and aunt and began an animated conversation while Gavin failed at masking his longing for Sofie. Noah knew he’d have to talk with Gavin sooner rather than later. He crossed the room and stood beside his friend, clapping Gavin on his back and pulling his attention away from trouble. Noah’s head tipped to the side. Gavin’s countenance turned sheepish and a red tinge spread across his high cheekbones.
They took several steps toward a bevy of beauties who flitted around the lounge. “Those are more your speed.” He pointed to a few who waved at his heavily tattooed friend. Gavin bowed his head.
“Stop thinking about who you shouldn’t. Live in the moment.” Noah gritted his words out and pushed Gavin into the women’s welcoming arms.
Maybe he’ll stop thinking with his cock and start using that Princeton-educated head of his before Cass chops them both off.
Two good deeds done for the night and multiple crises handled, Noah settled back in his seat. He was grateful when his drink was refreshed. People talked and laughed; the vibe was right. The advice he’d given Gavin replayed itself when his friend cornered a giggling woman, while Sofie pretended not to notice.
Stop thinking about who you shouldn’t. He decided to take his own advice.
In front of him, an impromptu dance floor formed and couples paired up. Noah’s partner was his third whiskey sour, which failed to induce its normal feeling of relaxation. He reached his desired state after covertly eying the not-so-innocent swaying of Avi’s ass and hearing the tinkling of her laughter.
Fuck this shit.
Jealousy over what some other man had wasn’t Noah Adams’s style.
He evoked envy in others, not the other way around.
Rising, he walked over to Cass and Beth. Even after all these years, they still acted like two giddy, love-sick teenagers. The pervert had her pinned to the wall, pretending to dance when, in truth, Cass was groping his wife. She whispered in Cass’s ear, pushing him off her.
“I’m out.”
Cass faced his boss with a decisive response, “I’ll follow you.”
The man looked like he was two seconds from getting laid, and Noah wasn’t into cock-blocking.