Authors: Cat Phoenix
My
eyes bugged out and I whipped back toward Ethan in frenzied disbelief. He held
out a hand to me and I looked between it and his face as my guard instantly
raised and I shook my head. He jerked his chin up at me, trying to persuade me
into giving in but I was resolute in my refusal. I glanced around the room and
saw there were people everywhere! Watching! I couldn't do that!
He
crouched down by my side and curled the hand that he had offered out to me
around my knee and then leaned in close to talk directly into my ear. "It's
the bet. You have no choice. Them’s the rules," he joked, trying to
lighten my demeanor.
I
glared at him mutinously but he didn't give up. "Come on, I know you want
to," he coaxed. "You always watch the dancers everywhere we
go."
He
leaned back to watch me shake my head vehemently and slice my eyes through the
crowd and our crew's expectant, watchful faces.
He
touched his lips to my ear and curled a gentle hand around the back of my
neck. "Just let go, baby. Just be with me. You know I don't dance either,
but I'm willing to. For you, because I know that deep down, you really want
to."
I
had flashbacks to when I watched Gwen dancing in the kitchen with Brooks and
how I wanted to be able to let go and live in the moment like she could, even
though she had an audience.
He
moved his face to hover inches from mine and said loud enough for me to hear,
"Just
let go
and focus on me. Only on me."
God,
I loved this man and how he not only knew me, but accepted me.
I
swallowed nervously and my toes curled with both apprehension and
anticipation. I glared at him but reluctantly placed my hand in his after he
offered it to me. He smiled brilliantly and I tried not to melt into a puddle
at his feet. I stiffly trailed after him with fidgety eyes to the crowded
dance floor that was bathed in deep blue light until he stopped in the middle
and turned to face me. He brought our joined hands up and positioned my free
hand on his shoulder and flattened his free hand against the small of my back.
He drew our bodies close together so our faces were barely an inch apart and he
moved us oh so slowly to the lazy beat of the sultry blues song.
The
guitar wailed and the singer crooned as I let Ethan lead me in a circle and
focused solely on his blue eyes that were exceptionally brilliant and
bewitching as they reflected the soft blue light. My heart was beating out of
my chest, but it slowed as I did what he said and concentrated on just him and
his heat and how his hand felt in mine. He brought our hands to his chest and
pressed mine against it before he released my hand and skated his palm down my
back from my neck to the top of my jeans. I slid my hand up his chest and
around his shoulder so my hands were inches apart behind his neck. I took a
step closer to him and we moved so that our cheeks and chests pressed together,
our hips swaying and brushing against each other. I closed my eyes as I
breathed him in deeply and he moved us to the music in such a way that I was
completely alone with him and we were the only two people in the entire
restaurant. I feathered my fingers through his hair and tucked my face against
his neck. His arms tightened around me and I felt his lips against my bare
shoulder, just barely touching my skin. He tickled his finger over the goosebumps
that popped up across my shoulder from the touch of his mouth and I felt him
smile against my shoulder.
I
floated through time with him like that and then drew back so that we were face
to face. I was totally relaxed by now and he knew it. He smirked at me and
raised a hand to the side of my face to thread through my curls and bring our
foreheads together. He closed his eyes and I marveled at the fact that I found
someone who not only loved me, but lifted me up and challenged me to step out
of my boundaries to live a fuller life.
There
is no way that I deserved this life with him, but this is what I fought for,
what we fought for, and I absolutely refused to give it back.
I
slid my hands down his chest and down under his arms so that I hugged him
around his waist and smoothed my hands over his back. If someone would have
told me months ago, when I still worked at that bookshop, that I would one day
soon be wrapped around a man and slow dancing with him in a club full of
strangers, I would have laughed in their face and told them to get the fuck
out. But here I was, doing just that and I wasn't even making a joke out of
it. I was reveling in it, wishing we could stay like that for longer. But
every song comes to an end eventually, and ours did then. We came to a
standstill and he didn't open his eyes or pull his face away from mine before
he kissed me very softly. I wrapped my arms around his neck and kissed him
more fervently than he initiated, and I couldn't care less that people were
watching. In fact, I felt a little possessive as I kissed him, knowing that
there were other women in the joint who were undoubtedly disappointed to see
that he was taken.
That
he was all mine.
He
pulled back as the next song began and I asked, "You used your bet for
this
?"
"Did
you think I was going to make you do something dirty?" he laughed.
"Well
. . . yeah," I said.
He
laughed harder and shook his head as he towed me back to the table. About an
hour and three beers later, I wanted a refill on my drink but our waitress was
currently tending to a table of ten, so I took it upon myself. I leaned over
and kissed Ethan's jaw and left without a word. I slithered through the crowd
and had to wait a hot minute before I found room to lean against the bar and
wait for the server's attention.
"You
look barely old enough to drink," a voice said from my side.
I
looked over and saw an attractive guy a few years older than me leaning a hip
against the bar with his body faced toward mine. His eyes scanned my face
while he smiled at me, all charm. If only he'd known what I did to the last
man I found charming.
I
was
barely old enough to drink. "Never judge a book by its
cover," I said, taking my own advice and humoring him while I waited.
"Even
when it's flawless?" he asked.
I
kind of wanted to scowl and laugh at the same time but I settled for a harmless
grin. It was lame, but weren't most pick up lines?
I
pointed to the lights hanging above the bar. "That's the magic of low lighting.
It alters perception."
His
smile grew and he held up his beer. "Not as much as this, but I've barely
had a sip and my vision is twenty, twenty."
I
opened my mouth to reply but was distracted when the bartender stopped in front
of me. She focused on me and leaned over the bar toward me. "What'll it
be?" she asked.
I
held up two fingers and pointed to the tap. "Beer."
She
turned to grab two glasses and fill them from the tap as I watched her and the
man beside of me watched me. He was already pretty close because the place was
packed but he still managed to slide closer so that the knuckles of the hand
gripping his beer bottle brushed against my forearm. I inched away enough to
send a message but not enough to be overtly rude.
"So
how old are you, anyway?" he asked, interest heavy in his voice.
"Old
enough."
"I'm
Chris."
"And
I'm flattered," I said, shaking my head that no, I didn't want what he was
selling.
It's
always flattering when a decently attractive man gets vocally appreciative, so
long as he isn't creepy about it. I stayed facing the bar and only glanced in
his direction when I spoke to him. Dude took my evasiveness as playing hard to
get. He smiled and dipped his head closer to mine, giving away tells that he
was interested in me like he thought I didn't have twenty, twenty vision.
Which I did.
"Let
me buy your drinks for you," he suggested right as the bartender placed
the full glasses in front of me.
He
reached into his back pocket for his wallet as I paid for the drinks with my
money and two hands landed heavily on the bar on either side of mine, arms
caging me in but not touching me. My eyes darted to the hands and I didn't
even have time to twist around to see who it was or do any damage before I
recognized the hands and forearms. I relaxed and was about to say something to
Chris but he wasn't looking at me.
Chris'
eyes flicked to just over and behind my head and he pilfered through his wallet
blindly as he said, "That's a little too close, pal. Take a step back and
give the lady some room while you wait."
Ethan
pressed his chest against my back and I leaned into him slightly, liking him
just where he was and willing to threaten to pull him closer if he did back
away.
"I
was just thinking the same thing," Ethan said, his voice hard and two shades
away from asking not to be fucked with.
Chris'
gaze flashed to mine and back to Ethan before he said firmly, "She's with
me and I want you to step back. Right now."
I
raised my brows and wanted to laugh at his audacity, though I'm sure he thought
he was being brave, standing up for my honor against Handsy McGee, but he
didn't know I was
with
Handsy.
I
couldn't see Ethan's face but I heard his voice darken enough that I knew he
didn't have the same reaction as me even though he said, "That's
hilarious."
Chris
put a bill on the bar, not having noticed that I already paid, and tucked his
wallet back in his back pocket as he straightened and his brows slammed down.
"Say again?"
Ethan
moved his arms to cover mine so his triceps pressed down on my biceps and I
suddenly knew what was happening. Oh, fucking hell. Ethan was usually very
subtle with how he touched me in public. It was usually a hand on my leg under
the table or an arm around my shoulders. He had never really outright publicly
claimed unless we were acting parts for a con, but that was what was happening
now.
"I
said that's hilarious," Ethan repeated.
"And
why is that so funny, asshole?" Chris asked, temper flaring and voice
carrying.
Ethan
lifted the arm farthest away from Chris and wrapped it across my chest and over
my breasts possessively. I sucked in a quick breath at that unexpected gesture
and his fingers curled around the shoulder closest to Chris.
Chris
dipped his eyes to take in the show and back up in time for Ethan to say,
"Because tonight, when she comes, it'll be
my
name she's
screaming."
Okay,
fuck
, that was a nice joke between us but a little too explicit for talking
to a complete stranger, especially because he wasn't joking. Chris' eyes
flared and he looked between us. Ethan was drinking but I didn't think he was
drunk enough to actually start a bar fight. All I knew was he sure as hell
wasn't provoking someone and starting one over me, and not just because he
would decimate his adversary no matter the level of his sobriety.
I
pressed back harder against Ethan's chest to mollify him and put my hand on top
of Chris' money and slid it back toward him. "Thanks, but no
thanks," I said lightly.
Chris
looked at me. "Are you with this guy?"
"Obviously,"
Ethan answered for me.
Chris'
nostrils flared but he ignored Ethan and looked at me expectantly.
I
gestured to my drinks. "The second beer is for my boyfriend," I
said, liking the sound of that.
Ethan's
arm pulsed around me, apparently also liking the sound of that, and he had to
have felt my nipples harden.
"You
could have told me you were taken," Chris said.
I
shrugged. "I was being nice."
Chris
swiped his money and turned his body away from us. "Nice to meet
you," he said politely in resigned dismissal.
If
I were him and looking into Ethan's scowl, I'd do the same thing. Not that I'd
ever admit that out loud.
Ethan
dipped his mouth to touch my ear. "New rule. You only be nice to
me
.
No more humoring men at bars who eye-fuck you hard enough for me to notice
across the room. Or at all," he said gruffly, obviously unhappy.
I
probably should have gotten angry or indignant or something along those lines,
but all I felt was warm and wanted. If they were
actually
fighting over
me, I probably would have gotten mad because that's stupid. Seriously, I can
speak and choose for myself and I'm not a toy.
I
didn't say anything, which he took to mean I was angry because he couldn't see
my face. He wrapped his free arm around my stomach and his thighs brushed mine
so I was pressed against the bar and wrapped in a cocoon of Ethan.
"Baby,
did you hear me?" Seemed he didn't care that I was mad. Not that I was.
I
wrapped my hands around his arm that was across my breasts but didn't pull it
away and turned my face to the side so that his lips brushed my cheek and he
didn't move away. He inhaled deeply and hummed his voice on the exhale. I
grinned, knowing that I affected him, too.