Page 108 of Ace My Heart

“Okay, Mel, I promise that I’ll be a gentleman for the rest of the evening,” Joel assured me chastely.

I rolled my eyes. “I’ll believethatwhen I see it,” I grunted. Joel picked up my hand and passed it through the crook of his elbow. I watched him surreptitiously as we walked. He was wearing such a pious expression on his face that I almost laughed, but I stopped myself just in time. I was too interested in seeing how long he could keep it up for.

We arrived at a blacked-out glass door with a bouncer standing outside it. Joel produced two tickets from his pocket and the bouncer opened the door and let us in. There was a set of steps leading down.

“This isn’t a sex club is it Joel?” I asked nervously. Joel the Gentleman gave me a horrified look. I tried not to grin.

“I would never take a lady to any such establishment!” he gasped. I did grin then and he winked at me, before returning to his chivalrous persona, taking my hand and assisting me down the steps.

It was dimly lit at the bottom of the stairs, but there were a lot of people on the dance floor, surrounding an empty stage.

Joel led me towards the bar and ordered two bottles of water. He unscrewed the lid on one and passed it to me. I thanked him with a mock curtsey. Two could play at this game. I took a sip from my water.

The crowd started whistling and I turned my attention to the stage. I dropped the bottle of water. Joel managed to grab it mid-air, taking the lid from my hand and securing it. I gaped at him and he smiled indulgently at me.

“I thought you’d enjoy this,” he leaned close to my ear so I could hear him over the music. I held him down at my level and turned my lips to his ear.

“I don’tbelievethis!” I exclaimed, bouncing up and down with excitement. “How did you know he was going to be playinghere?”

Jace McKenzie was notorious for doing sneaky little gigs in small independent venues. Even hardcore fans didn’t often know about them until it was too late.

Joel tapped the side of his nose and didn’t say anything more. He moved through the crowd until we were much closer to the stage. I bounced along in time to the beat behind him, and when he stopped, he positioned me directly in front of him.

I was sure I hadn’t said anything to Joel before about my love affair with Jace McKenzie; with his unique, soulful Brit-alt-pop sound.

I was hoarse from screaming about six songs in, when Jace slowed the tempo down, and the opening chords of the song that had first made me fall in love with him began.

Joel turned me towards him and put his arms around me, pulled me close against him. I was so euphoric that I didn’t try to resist. I put my arms around his waist and swayed with him in time to the music.

Joel leaned down and his lips were against my ear, and when the lyrics started, he sang the words along with Jace. He had a husky singing voice that sent my nerves tingling. I closed my eyes and let the song flow over me, feeling Joel’s warm body against mine.

The song lifted towards its climax and I took a deep breath. Joel stopped singing and I opened my eyes. His face was so close to mine that I could feel my lips tingling from his breath on them. I realised that my hands weren’t on his waist anymore – they were under his shirt, my fingers splayed against his skin. One of his hands was under my hair, curled around my neck. His eyes were closed.

The song ended and the audience screamed for more. I tore myself away from Joel and turned, cheering and clapping and acting as if what had just happened, hadn’t.

I made sure that I kept some distance between us after that. I didn’t let him turn me towards him again. If he put his hand on my waist to keep me close to him in the crowd, I pulled away slightly.

When Jace left the stage for the last time, and the audience started moving towards the door, I looked down at my watch. It was almost one.

“Did you have a good time?” Joel asked quietly as we climbed the stairs and headed back out onto the street.

I refused to look at him. “Yes! It was … I have no words. Thank you so much, Joel. How did you know I like Jace McKenzie?”

Joel snorted. “I’m not sure if ‘like’ is a strong enough word, Stinky. And I’ve heard you singing in the shower enough times to have worked out your obsession with him.”

I flushed, my eyes downcast. “Didyouhave a good time?” I asked. I didn’t like him thinking about me in the shower. I didn’t like thinking about him thinking about me in the shower. It made me throb in places I was trying not to feel when I was with him.

Joel sighed. “I had a fucking great time, Mel,” he replied fervently. I looked at him then. His eyes were blazing.

“A gentleman wouldn’t use a word like that in the presence of a lady,” I chided him teasingly.

He bit his lip and bowed his head. “I apologise, Miss Black, formy language,” he responded formally. “And now I’d better get you home to bed, before I turn back into a pumpkin.”

I giggled despite myself. I didn’t want to find him charming, but it was almost impossible not to.

“Okay, you can drop the act now, Joel. I’m not sure I like you as much when you’re not being a rogue.”

He glanced sidelong at me and before I knew what was happening, I found myself up against the wall of the nearest building. People continued to walk past us as if nothing was happening. As if I hadn’t suddenly found myself pinned between solid brick and six foot four of pure muscle and sex.

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