‘Caspar’s is down there.’ She gave him a defiant look. ‘You don’t mind if Ella comes with us, do you?’
Grayson shrugged, took her hand and headed for the stairs. He wasn’t prepared to get into an argument about Ella, yet. A wise man waited until he could see the extent of the trap before he blundered right through it.
At the bottom of the stairs a flashing fluorescent light spelt out the name of the club. A guy of line-backer proportions stood by the single entry door in a traditional bodyguard stance, hands clasped in front of him. He smiled as Ella approached him.
‘Hey, baby cakes, how’re you doing?’
Ella kissed the guy on the cheek. ‘I’m good, Jack. I’ve brought Lauren and her cowboy to sample the evening’s entertainment.’ Grayson strained to hear as Ella whispered something in Jack’s ear.
After opening the door and ushering Ella in, Jack turned to Lauren. ‘Nice to see you again too, babe!’ He nudged Lauren in the ribs. ‘I’m surprised you decided to show your face after what you did last time you were here.’
For a second, Lauren looked startled and then she blushed and pushed past Jack. Grayson followed more slowly and allowed his eyes to adjust to the dim lighting. The overpowering rumble of house music vibrated through the floor making his feet ache.
His smile widened as he realised that ninety per cent of the occupants in the bar were women. Either, he was about to find out that Lauren and Ella had a very special relationship indeed or be a very popular man.
He took his time finding his way through the small tables to where Lauren and Ella stood at the bar. By the time he reached them he’d had five phone numbers stuffed in his pants pocket, two requests for a dance and the dubious pleasure of being groped by a woman old enough to be his mother. Just to add to his secret amusement, Lauren was frowning at Ella.
He tipped an imaginary hat. ‘You were right, Lauren. This sure looks like a great place to spend a few hours. Can I buy you both a drink?’
Lauren couldn’t believe she’d allowed Ella to bring Grayson here. She’d never really thought about the predatory females who prowled the room on the lookout for anything remotely male. Grayson seemed to be enjoying himself. Lauren glared at three women who were attempting to get up close and personal with Grayson’s unprotected left side.
She smiled sweetly at Ella. ‘How about we let Grayson sit in between us?’
Grayson shot her an enquiring glance. ‘I’m quite comfortable here.’ He winked at the three women to his left. Lauren could almost smell the waves of lust mingled with cheap perfume that drifted towards him. ‘Don’t move on my account.’
She grabbed Grayson’s arm and he let her pull him off the bar stool. ‘That’s OK. We’re already moving.’ Damn, she hated having to shout every word.
Grayson clinked his beer against her Cosmo, a satisfied smirk on his face. ‘So what did you do to make Jack the bouncer remember you so well?’
Ella laughed as she took off her black jacket and revealed her black lace bra. ‘She got drunk and tried to strip off whilst doing a karaoke version of Madonna’s “Express Yourself”.’
Grayson spluttered into his beer. Lauren wasn’t sure if it was because of Ella’s scanty attire or the old story about her.
‘Damn, I wish I’d seen that.’ He grinned at Lauren, his slate-blue eyes full of heat. ‘Maybe you’ll do a private performance for me later?’
Lauren sipped at her drink and tried to ignore the ever-growing circle of women around Grayson. She knew from personal experience how hard it was to get a date after the age of 25 but surely some of them could show a little more restraint?
Ella tugged at her hand. ‘Come on, I need to use the restroom.’
Lauren glanced at her hardly touched drink. ‘I’m OK, Ella. I’ll wait here with Grayson.’
Ella tugged harder, her expression so threatening that Lauren allowed herself to be marched off to the ladies’. Her view of Grayson was instantly blocked by an indiscreet tidal wave of women surrounding him.
The restroom was full to bursting. Ella pushed Lauren into the only empty stall. Lauren slammed the door behind her and confronted Ella, hands on hips.
‘Are you crazy or something? He’ll be eaten alive.’
Ella opened Lauren’s purse and took out a colourless lip gloss. ‘We already discussed this. It’s a great opportunity for you to see how honourable Grayson is. If we go back out there and he’s making out with someone else, you’ll know he’s not to be trusted.’
Lauren snatched her purse back. ‘Ella, some of those girls are really hot. He’d have to be dead from the waist down not to notice how many of them are better looking and younger than me.’
Ella pressed her lips together, and walked out of the stall. She gazed at her reflection in the mirror and smiled at Lauren. ‘Sweetie, I didn’t say he has to stop looking but he’s married to you. If he wants to remain married to you he needs to show you that you’re the only woman in his life.’
Lauren felt a childish desire to stamp her feet. ‘But I don’t want to be married to him. I don’t want to be married, period!’
Ella raised her eyebrows. ‘Then why are you getting so upset? You can’t have it both ways. If you don’t want the guy, give someone else a chance.’
Lauren didn’t even attempt to answer Ella. She made an ineffectual attempt to smoothe down her hair. In the harsh overhead light, she looked tired and drained. How much longer would Ella expect them to remain at the club? When could she take Grayson home and have him all to herself?
They exited the restroom and headed back to the club. Lauren’s stomach dropped as she realised Grayson was no longer sitting at the bar.
‘I don’t see him, Ella. And I don’t like it at all.’
Ella had the gall to laugh. ‘Take that grim expression off your face and try to look glad to see him. Grayson’s coming straight for us.’
Lauren tried to smile as Grayson reached her side. He curved an arm around her shoulders. ‘Thanks for abandoning me, ladies. I felt like fresh meat at a piranha convention.’
Ella led them towards a table on the edge of the miniscule dance floor. ‘Most men enjoy the attention.’ She sat opposite Grayson and continued talking. ‘In fact, most of the men I meet seem to think they can just sit back and wait for me to do all the work.’ She made a face. ‘Sometimes I think equality sucks.’
Grayson left his arm around Lauren’s shoulders. ‘At the risk of being called sexist, I agree. I have friends who think that. They reckon the girls crawling all over them should put out on a first date. They claim to love equality.’ He smiled softly at Lauren. ‘Trouble is, I think it scares most guys when a woman comes on to him. I hate to sound old-fashioned, but men need the thrill of the chase to really appreciate a good woman. You can make it too easy for some guys.’
Lauren sighed. ‘You have no idea how hard it is to get a date in a city this size when you’re over twenty-five. When a half-decent guy turns up, he can pick and choose and nobody faults him for it.’
‘Women can’t win can they?’ Ella sneered. ‘If they go after a man like a man would a woman, they’re considered easy. Women aren’t supposed to just “want sex”. If they don’t go after a man, someone else will, and they’ll remain single and lonely.’
Grayson shrugged. ‘As you said, equality sucks.’
Ella poked a finger in Grayson’s face. ‘Yeah, well, that’s men and their double standards. Nothing’s really changed, has it?’
She got to her feet and headed for the bar leaving Lauren alone with Grayson for the first time. The music increased in volume until their small table vibrated. He gave her a long slow smile and took off his jacket and tie. Unable to resist the temptation, she leant forwards and undid the top two buttons of his shirt. He caught her fingers and brought them to his mouth.
‘I don’t treat women like that.’
Lauren tried not to meet his amused gaze. ‘I never said that you did.’
‘But you thought it. I can see it in your eyes.’ As he spoke, Grayson dug his other hand in his pocket and began to pull out pieces of paper, ripped bar mats and business cards. All of them had phone numbers and girls names scrawled on them.
Lauren jerked her fingers from his strong grasp as he emptied his other pocket and added more from his jacket. He frowned as he finally removed two business cards jammed in the waistband of his pants.
He studied the mound of paper in front of him before compressing it in his fist. He darted a glance at Lauren. ‘Damn, I wish I was single. I could’ve got laid from here till Christmas with that little collection.’
‘Don’t let me stop you,’ Lauren huffed as she folded her arms in front of her. Grayson started to laugh.
‘Hey, Lauren, are you jealous or something?’
Lauren got to her feet, swept the crushed mass of paper to the floor and ground her heel into it. ‘Now why would you think that?’
Grayson rose in one fluid motion and encircled her in his arms. He nuzzled her neck and instantly re-ignited the passions Lauren hadn’t yet had a chance to satisfy. She sighed and allowed her body to lean into his strength. When she opened her eyes, Ella was glaring and gesticulating at her. Lauren knew she was supposed to be playing it cool but she didn’t feel like testing Grayson any more. After seeing the competition, she wanted to take him home and let him make love to her.
Ella pointed at the restroom sign and Lauren gathered herself to leave the security of Grayson’s arms. She pushed at his chest. His head came up, his eyes full of thwarted lust.
‘I’m off to the powder room. I’ll be back in a minute.’
A muscle flexed in Grayson’s jaw as he stepped away, his hands on his hips. ‘Again?’
Ella gave him a sweet smile as she swept Lauren along with her. ‘It’s a girl thing, you wouldn’t understand.’
‘We’re leaving, Ella. I mean it.’ Lauren strode into the restroom and turned to confront Ella.
‘Not yet, sweetie, calm down. He’s doing real good but we’ve got to ask the one-million-dollar question.’ Ella struck a provocative pose. ‘Will he hit on your best friend?’
Lauren studied Ella for a long moment. ‘If I agree to this, will you let us go home?’
Ella grinned. ‘Of course I will – that is, if you still want him by then.’ She winked seductively at Lauren. ‘Hey, he might prefer me after all.’
Chapter Seventeen
Grayson sipped his second beer as he waited at the bar for Lauren and Ella to return. He glanced around the small packed club and wished he was back in Oregon watching the sun set behind his ranch. Damn it – he was definitely getting old.
He couldn’t decide what Lauren was up to. His instincts told him that he’d met the real woman at his ranch. A woman sympathetic enough to find him a new dog and to photograph his horses in an attempt to make his house feel more like a home.
Grayson scowled into his beer, scaring off yet another woman who’d begun to approach him. Hell, she’d been different in Vegas too. Which was the real Lauren and what did she want from him?
Ella appeared on his left and linked her arm through his. He gave her a polite smile and pointedly looked over the top of her head for Lauren. Ella put her hand on his arm and stood on tiptoe to shout in his ear. ‘She’ll be back in a minute. She’s just gone to make a phone call.’
Grayson nodded. It was all he could manage over the noise. Ella grinned and dragged him towards the miniscule dance floor. He only just managed to put his beer down on the bar without spilling it.
In the press of gyrating bodies, Grayson tried to keep his distance as Ella began to dance. After she rubbed her lace-covered breasts against his chest for the third time, he locked gazes with her. She ran her tongue over her lips and blew him a kiss.
Grayson looked around again for Lauren but couldn’t see her anywhere. Had she called a cab and left him to the tender mercies of her chauffeur? God he hoped not. To add to his discomfort, the music slowed and Ella wrapped her arms around his neck and pressed against him.
Already half-aroused from his unfinished encounter with Lauren, Gray tried to avoid the insistent pressure of her hips against his hardening cock. He made the mistake of looking down and saw her triumphant smile.
Grabbing her elbows, he held Ella away from him. ‘Whatever you’re thinking, that’s not for you. You’re just stoking the coals.’
She reached between them and scraped her long fingernails down the zipper of his pants. She whistled her approval. ‘Are you sure about that, cowboy? You seem pretty damn fired up to me.’
Grayson abandoned Ella on the dance floor and spotted Lauren hovering by the exit. He took her hand and marched outside.
‘Did you tell her to do that?’ Beyond angry now, Grayson faced Lauren, his hands fisted at his sides. ‘Does your best friend and some-time chauffeur always get to make out with your boyfriends or am I a special case?’
Lauren opened and shut her mouth, a blush rising on her cheeks.
‘Is this some kind of weird test? Does Ella get to sleep with us or something?’ Grayson demanded. ‘Hell, why not? It wouldn’t be the first time I’ve satisfied two women.’
‘You’ve had sex with two women at the same time?’
Grayson squared up to her. ‘Yeah, I have. Why? Are you interested? Shall I go back inside and tell Ella to come and join us?’
Lauren lifted her chin. ‘No. I don’t want to share you with anyone. I’ll tell Ella to behave herself.’
She turned to the door but not before Grayson caught a glimpse of her satisfied expression. He let her go, giving himself time to calm down and to contemplate his next move. Staring at the flashing neon sign, he grinned. He’d been set up. She’d had no intention of allowing Ella to join them. It had been a test all along.
Had she expected him to back off and leave her with Ella? Unfortunately, he wasn’t a gentleman cowboy and she hadn’t shocked him. He’d lived in San Francisco for a few years, some of his best friends were gay. He began to smile. Now what could he do for payback?