“I am. But I don’t make a habit of getting numbers or giving out mine to just any of my customers.” He gives her a slow once-over. “Then again, I’m thinking I’d like to make you the exception.”
Oh damn. That was a seriously good line. And judging by the expression on Jess’s face, it worked perfectly.
“Here,” I tell him, leaning over the counter and grabbing a cocktail napkin. I tug a pen from my purse and write down her name and digits. “She’s really smart though. And driven. And a vegetarian. So, if you can’t deal with any of those things, don’t take it.” I wave the napkin in front of him.
Jess’s ears turn a bright pink, her telltale sign of total embarrassment as she smacks at me. “Bitch.”
He snatches it out of my hand without a second’s hesitation. “I like smart, driven, beautiful women and since I’m vegan, I have no problems with vegetarian.”
Wow. He might be so full of shit with all of this, but right now, he’s playing it just right.
“I’m Ben.”
“Jess.”
“Here, ladies.” He pours me two shots of Patron—one a freaking double—and then Jess her single. “This round is on me because I’m hoping you’ll stick around until the end of my shift so we can talk some more.”
Jess is all wonderful, happy smiles. “I think we can manage that.”
I start with my double and then my single. Like bam freaking yes ma’am. Smart idea? Likely not. Do I care in this moment? Not a whip. While my BFF is making her love connection, I’m trying to forget all of mine.
I lean over and give Jess a kiss on the cheek, whispering into her ear so only she can hear, “I’m going to dance. You stay here and talk to hot bartender Ben. Be safe and be smart and no more alcohol, only water. I have my phone and I won’t leave until you’re with me or I know you’re good.”
She gives me a kiss in return. “I’m good. Promise. Love you.”
“Love you,” I tell her as I pull back. “I’m going to dance,” I announce so Ben can hear. “Hold my place at the bar.”
Jess grins and I point a finger at Ben. “She’s a goddess. Treat her like one or I know people who will cut up your body and dump you in so many places even a dentist won’t be able to identify you. Get my meaning?”
Ben looks stunned for approximately three seconds before he pulls himself together and nods. “Got it.”
Right then. Time to dance.
All around me, drunk gyrating bodies move in the darkness, arms over their heads, hands swaying. My body moves with them as I meander my way through the fray into the heart of the floor. My pulse climbs to the beat as I start to lose myself in the hypnotic sound.
This is exactly what I needed.
No thoughts. No men. No nothing.
Just my body and music.
My heart. My heaven. My life’s blood.
No sooner are those thoughts in my mind than a large hand meets my waist. My eyes snap open only to be immediately greeted with a man so close you’d think he was sewn to my shirt. I shift back, removing his hand and shaking my head no. He scowls but smartly moves on quickly.
I spend the next I don’t even know how long dancing alone, pushing off unwanted suitors, and occasionally checking on Jess who is getting cozier and cozier with Ben the bartender. She’s rocking a big beaming smile that says I was right about her falling in insta-love tonight.
My view of them is cut off as a tall, dark body shifts directly in front of me, forcing my eyes to cast up and my legs to take a step back. The guy grins down at me, inching in a little closer to me despite my blatant head shake. Grabby hands reach out at me when two others firmly grasp my waist, spinning me in place.
I don’t need to see his cold green eyes to know who it is.
I smell his cologne before he even rights me in front of him.
“She’s with me. Shove off,” Henry orders at the guy who is now behind me. Henry menacingly stares him down for another long beat and then the guy must do as he’s told because Henry’s frigid, dark gaze falls on me.
Ugh. There have to be hundreds of clubs in this city. Why is he here at mine?
“This is supposed to be a man-free night, Gauthier. You can shove off too.”
“Stalking me again, Dragonfly,” he muses, ignoring my request.
“Clearly, since I was here first,” I deadpan, rolling my eyes. Hell, I’m not even an eye-roller but this man just brings out all my bad habits and multiplies them. Wait… “Dragonfly?”
“Yeah, you know, big eyes. Colorful. Long body. Bites.”
“Put a lot of thought into that nickname, did you?”
Instead of saying something dickish in return, he wraps his hands around my waist, resting them confidently on the crest above my ass as he draws me in. His eyes hold mine as he starts to move us, tossing me back into a swing of a dip that has my hair and hands skimming the floor before snapping me upright just as quickly.
Just like I forced him to do with me that night three years ago.
A breathless laugh escapes before I can stop it, but it dies instantly on my tongue as he presses our bodies seductively together. “What are you doing?” I gasp.
“Dancing with you.” As if it’s that simple when it’s anything but.
One hand slides up through my hair, lifting the heavy sweaty strands from my neck. The other roughly grips my hipbone. His face hovers over mine, his head angled down until our noses practically touch. He’s daring me to stop him. To tell him no.
And I should.
But we both know I won’t.
That cocky take-no-prisoners smirk curls up his face as he presses in. He doesn’t grind or swivel. He just sways, moves in perfect synchronization with the beat, my body a helpless vessel tagging along for the ride. A tirade of angry expletives and snarky words swirl through my mind but just as quickly slip away.
I forgot how well Henry can move.
Add to all this hot as all fuck dancing, he hasn’t removed his eyes from mine. Not once. Not even for a moment to get lost in the music. He holds me prisoner. A willing captive. While his lips remain sealed, his eyes are open wide.
“Such a pretty pest, aren’t you?”
His words are an angry growl as his forehead drops to mine, his hand tickling the exposed skin of my lower back. I shudder against him, trying to stifle it down, but there is no hiding the way my body responds to his. He licks his lips, his eyes dipping to mine, and I’m about eighty-six percent positive Henry is hard for me. A number I quickly confirm and then add to as I grind my pelvis against his.
“This dance won’t end the same way the last one did,” I promise. “Despite what you said earlier, I was not daring you into a repeat.”
“Sometimes a dance is just a dance, Eden.” His hand comes up, his thumb roughly dragging across my lower lip. “Still, I don’t need words to know you want me. It’s written all over you.”
My eyes narrow. “I can say the same about you. Lucky for me, I hate you a hell of a lot more than I want you.”
“And if I were to lean in and kiss you?”
“You won’t,” I snarl, though I practically swallow my tongue at the way he’s touching me.
He grins impishly, but it doesn’t quite reach his eyes. “You’re right. I won’t. This dance is already a hell of a lot more than I should be doing with you.”