Page 128 of Beauty
My mind is still reeling. Over the course of the last hour, I’ve been offered an incredible career, I’ve been given back my ability to chase my old dreams, and I’ve found closure with an ex.
And now this man is here, flipping the script. Again.
“I could ask the same thing of you.”
Looking unremorseful, he angles closer, his forearms on the table, and zeroes in on me, his usually warm eyes hard. “Is it over with him?”
I lick my lips and nod. “For a long time.”
“And us?”
Eyes shut, I sigh. To say this evening has been eventful would be the understatement of the century. And this is not the place to have this conversation.
As if the universe wants to emphasize that point, a sexy redhead in an indecently low-cut dress appears beside our table. As she eyes me up and down, I can’t help but do the same. Her tits are practically in my face as she leans forward and pulls a black card from between them. “Interested?”
My mouth drops open and a shocked sound escapes me. I don’t think I’ve ever been propositioned by a woman before. At least not this blatantly.
“What’s happening?” Noah mutters.
I shake my head and inhale deeply, finding my bearings. “Um, no thank you. Not tonight. Appreciate it, though,” I add awkwardly.
When her attention drifts to Noah and she adjusts the card, like she’s considering holding it out to him, I reach across thetable and set my hand on his, squeezing, claiming. And with the slightest shake of my head, I let her know he’s off-limits.
The woman saunters off, unbothered by our rejection, and when she’s out of earshot, Noah lets out a breath. “That was hot.”
“She was?” I dart a look at him, my brows pulled low.
With a breathy laugh, he shakes his head. He stands and saunters over to my side of the table to join me in the booth, then drapes one arm over my shoulders and rests the other on the table, effectively blocking my view of the bar. Demanding my full attention. “No.You. The way you just told her I was yours.” He presses a kiss to my shoulder.
The tension is so thick, I can barely breathe.
“And you’re right,” he murmurs. “I am.”
“Do you want to get out of here?” I need oxygen. If I don’t clear my head, I’m liable to maul this man in public.
He slides his hot mouth across my bare shoulder and up my neck, then kisses the sensitive spot below my ear. “No. I want you to tell me what this place is, butterfly, because right now, my mind is racing with all sorts of wild ideas.”
“They might not be so wild,” I mutter, my mouth going dry. “The card she just showed me? The man at the door gives them out to the women who come in. The rule here is that women can approach the people they’re interested in. Men cannot. And the card unlocks a room for—” I shrug. The last part seems pretty self-explanatory.
If Noah came here looking for me, then he has to know what this place is.
A slow, wicked smile pulls at his lips. “You have a card?”
“They give them to every woman who enters.” The rasp in my voice is inadvertent and a little embarrassing. I swallow thickly to clear the sex from my tone. To get a hold of my runaway thoughts.
It’s no use. Being this close to this man, here, surrounded by his warm, musky scent, makes me a bit reckless. Makes me lean in a bit closer, chasing the feeling of his lips on my body.
“Give me your card, Sienna.”
Lost in thought, I blink up at him. “What?”
“You want me to touch you. I see it in the way your pupils are blown out. In the way you’re licking those lips. And the way your pulse thrums against your throat.” He inches closer and runs his nose up my neck. “You want me to taste you. Slide the card my way, baby. Let me make you feel good.”
My pulse takes off at a sprint, my heart pounding so wildly I worry it will burst out of my chest.
But I hold back. He can’t be serious. This isn’t a random bar in the Bahamas, where everyone is a perfect stranger. This is a fuckingsex clubin the heart of Boston. Frequented by the city’s elite. My best friend is here with her husband, probably fucking as we speak.
“Anyone could see us,” I whisper.
