A Winter's Date (39 page)

He follows my gaze and I see him raise his eyebrow. The smile that forms on his face is strictly arrogant alpha male.

“I might need some help with this one. Let me get you cleaned up and I’ll get Dillen or Lana in here, whoever is more sober.”

I stare at him with my mouth agape. “What do you mean ‘get them in here’? I’m completely naked. My panties are shredded, and my dress looks like you had a fight with it!”

“You’re sure as hell not leaving this closet naked. I’m sure Lana can help somehow.”

He’s looking around the room, and I feel our orgasms leaking out of me, dripping down my thighs and onto the floor. I’m not even entertaining the thought of Lana or Dill seeing me like this. “No. No way, Noah.”

“Don’t push me, Heather. We’ve already had this conversation.”

He pulls his phone out of his pocket and types something out before he looks up at the rack of cleaning supplies. I watch in horror as he reaches up to the top shelf with ease and pulls down a box of Swiffer refills, pulling out the fluffy apparatus, meant for dusting. He turns to me and fans the thing in front of me.

“Spread those legs, sweetheart. We don’t want you a mess when you’re about to have company.”

My mouth just hangs open.

“There is not a chance in hell you are putting that on me. I could be allergic and then you won’t be touching me for weeks.”

He cocks his head to the side and stares me down. “Don’t give me that shit, Heather. I’ve seen you use these at both your place and mine. Spread em’. Now.”

I cup my hands over my eyes because I can’t watch. He has never cleaned me up before, let alone with something fluffy. I’m going to die of embarrassment.

I hear him chuckle and bend down in front of me. I feel the soft cloth caress my skin and I’m suddenly relaxed. He’s being sweet and gentle, and this is less embarrassing and more intimate than I thought. I peek through my fingers and watch him work gently but quickly.

Once he’s done he tosses it in the available trashcan, along with my dress before checking his phone again just as there is a knock at the door. “Noah? It’s Lana.”

I exhale in frustration and possibly whimper as I hold my arms over my body. I look at Noah before he reaches for the door and let him know just how mad I am. “How. Fucking. Embarrassing.”

“My fucking you is embarrassing? Heather, get your damn priorities straight. The lights are off,” he states, and I think I’ve pissed him off.

He moves in front of me, unlocks the door, and pulls it open just enough for her to slip in through the crack. When he shuts it, the music that blared through is once again muted.

“Why the heck are you two in here?”

“Lana, I’m so sorry,” I say from behind Noah.

I clutch at the back of his shirt and lay my forehead against him in shame. I hear her giggle before Noah speaks. He sounds just as cocky as he did moments ago. “I had to take care of business,” he adds before nodding to the trashcan. “My hands got carried away, and Heather’s dress paid the price.”

“Is there anything in here she can wear? I didn’t bring a sweater or a shawl, and I don’t think Dillen did either.” She stops talking for a second and claps her hands. “Noah, do you have an undershirt on?”

“Yeah, but she’ll be flashing her ass to everyone if she even bends over in it,” he states before reaching behind himself to touch me.

“Will you just trust me?” she insists and holds her hand out. “Take your button-down off.”

I feel his broad shoulders move and I can hear the rustle of clothing being maneuvered. Lana tries to fill the awkward silence. “So . . . you guys looking for the mop n’ glow or something?”

Noah chuckles and must have held up his shirt to her. “No, she was asking for it.”

“Hand it to Heather,” she directs him. “Heather? I’m going to need you to put his shirt on, but just simply wrap it around yourself with the collar around your chest.”

Noah slips it into my hands and I shiver when I feel the warmth encompass me. I do what Lana says, and I finally feel comfortable again with just this little bit of clothing on.

“Button it up and then I’ll help you with the rest.”

I do as I’m told and button his shirt up my front. It’s long enough to cover everything it needs to cover, but I look ridiculous with the arms hanging at my side. It’s obvious I’m just wearing a man’s shirt . . . at least it smells like my Greek god.

“Can we turn on the light now?” she asks, and I feel Noah move away from me.

“Yes, I’m covered up.”

Lana walks up to me, and smiles sweetly. “Lift your arms up.”

I do as I’m told and she wraps the arms of the button down around to my back and then brings them both forward again, tying them in a bow off to the side before inspecting her work.

“I think it’s perfect.”

I look down at myself and smile. It actually looks like I’m wearing a super cute grey and white pinstriped dress. “Holy crap, Lana,” I squeak out.

“Well, I’ll be damned,” Noah says, leaning against the wall like an arrogant, sexy underwear model.

“Thank you so much; we owe you one, big time.”

“Oh hush, you don’t owe me a thing. Now come take some shots with me, please?”

“God, yes!” I take a step in the direction of the door and wince.
Oh holy shit. Ouch.
My eyes fly to where Noah is standing and watching.

He winks at me, and steps forward to hold the door open. “I’m still pissed,” he whispers to me as we walk out and back into the crowd.

Oh yeah?
I think to myself as we reach the VIP booth. Well, you’re about to be furious, Ryan.

I ignore his hand at my back and scoot to the end.

He raises his eyebrow at me, taken by surprise when I move away to sit next to Lana. He takes a seat next to Dillen and Joel, and I can feel the heat from his storm envelop me when he looks up at me from across the table.

I avoid his gaze—no, his stare—and look back at Lana. “Thank you for coming to my rescue. I’m sorry you had to see that. You’re a lifesaver.”

“You don’t have to keep thanking me. What are friends for, right?”

Coen leans over to me then. “Were the two of you fighting? Noah looks pissed the hell off. I don’t think he should drink, Heather. We both know how that ends.”

“He’ll be fine, Coen. And no, we weren’t fighting. We’re okay,” I say, putting my hand on his knee to pat him lightly. He tenses and refuses to look away from me.

“Holy shit, Heather, please tell me he didn’t see you do that.”

I scoff and roll my eyes. “Oh stop it, you’re overreacting.”

I decide to peek up at him, and he’s staring at me like I’m torturing him. He breaks eye contact with me and reaches for the bottle of vodka. Before the waitress could even think about pouring him a drink, he’s already downed two double shots. Coen clears his throat and moves my hand off of his knee. “That, Heather,” he says, his eyes on Noah and the vodka, “that is him
not okay
. That is him planning my funeral, and Dillen encouraging him is not helping worth a shit.”

I look back up at him, and he has a shot glass to his lips again as Dill fills another one and hands it to him.

“Dillen!” I shout over the music to try to get her attention. She looks over at me, grins, and waves happily before pouring herself a shot.

Noah takes his other shot and sits back against the booth, draping his arm over the back of it. Even in his jeans and plain white undershirt, he looks so damn sexy. He and Joel look like they’re in a pretty serious discussion so I move from in between Coen and Lana and let them have their space. I move over to the end of the couch away from all of the couples and pour myself a glass of champagne that’s sitting in the ice bucket in front of everyone.

While I’m staring off onto the dance floor below, I’m lost in thought, off in my own little world. What had transpired throughout the day and into the evening? What happened between us in the closet? How intense things got between us, and now . . . he’s pissed at me for what I said before Lana stepped in. I’m sorry, but it was embarrassing. Being naked in front of a woman you’ve just met recently? Being naked in front of another woman, period. Well, he can just stay angry.

I sit there and sip my drink when my skin begins to tingle. I don’t even look—I don’t have to. I know from the way my skin feels that he’s locked on me. And just as soon as the feeling came, it went.

The bass through the speakers pounds through my chest as I sit there. Everyone is having a great time, flirting, drinking, and dancing. It’s in this moment that I start to realize I’m the only one not having fun. What started off as a fantastic night has quickly spiraled into something entirely different. There’s a storm raging all right, and I’m standing in the middle of it in a flimsy makeshift dress, all alone.

“Heather, sweetie? Are you okay?” My tumultuous thoughts are interrupted by Lana’s sincere voice.

I plaster on a fake smile and turn in her direction. “Huh? Oh yes, I’m fine, thank you, babes. And thank you again for helping me. We got a little out of hand.” I try and play my embarrassment off and take another sip.

“Oh s-stop it,” she says, over-enunciating the word stop.

It makes us both laugh, and she turns back to Coen, leaving me alone with my thoughts once again. I don’t notice him until it’s too late; Noah pulls me up to his chest and wraps me in his arms, holding me fast. “Come dance with me.”

I look up at him and almost burst into tears. I offer him my hand, and he leads me to the middle of the dance floor. We’re not dancing as the crowd around us moves, but he just stands there, holding me against his chest. “I love you, sweetheart.”

I stare up at this man and get lost in his dark green eyes. He’s still in a state of arousal, that much I can tell.

“I love you too.”

He pulls me against his chest and holds me in place; we’re both unmoving. I suck in a deep breath, taking in his warm masculine scent mixed with the clean smell of his cologne, now tainted with sex. “Do you want to go home? I can stay at my place tonight. I didn’t mean to hurt you, if I did. You’ve never not wanted to be around me . . . until tonight.”

I hate how I’m being bumped into on all sides, so I move to a secluded corner where we can hear each other better. I turn and rest my back against the wall and look up at him. I’m hurt that he would even suggest that we should sleep alone, but I can’t find the right words to describe it.

He cups my face and presses his lips to mine slowly. “I’m sorry.”

I nod but pull away to speak. I don’t want him to think I’m upset over that. “Don’t be sorry—I’m fine. I’m just really sore.”

“But you pulled away from me . . . and then touched Coen instead. While you could still feel me inside of you.”

“I pulled away because you said you were still pissed. I intended on pushing you more to see how far I could take you,” I say as he leans against the wall with his arm over my head. He loves to trap me like this. “And I just patted his knee as a friendly reassurance, Noah, not to make you upset.”

“I was pissed because you said you were embarrassed that I fucked you. You were embarrassed that Lana would know what we had been doing.”

I roll my eyes and shake my head.
Men.
I grip his white shirt and forcefully pull him down, his lips an inch from mine. “I was embarrassed that she would see me naked. Not that we had sex. I don’t care who knows.”

He looks surprised and interested with his brows raised as his hands move from my hips down to my ass in his shirt. “I don’t like when you pull away from me, Heather.”

“So I’ve noticed,” I quickly reply and push my hips forward, feeling his length again. God this man is a machine.

He circles a hand around my neck and smiles. “Don’t underestimate me, sweetheart.”

My lips part, and my tongue darts out to lick them. Having his hand around my throat is highly erotic, and I can’t help how it makes me react. “I think I enjoyed underestimating you.”

“I believe you did. Now come drink with me.”

I hide my pout when he takes my hand and leads me from the darkened hallway back to our group of friends. I find myself wanting him to be rougher with me; I find myself wishing he would have taken my ass. Maybe soon?

We take our seat in the booth, and he pulls me onto his lap. Lana shoots me a drunken smile and claps her hands excitedly. “I’m so happy you two are all lovey again. Coen and I almost won for a second.”

“Won?” I ask, confused, and bend forward to reach for my champagne.

“Yup, you two are the cuter couple,” she huffs and reaches over Coen to hug me.

I laugh and hug her back. “You’re as ridiculous as Coen is.”

“Maybe I’ll keep him then,” she says excitedly, and my eyes dart to Dillen, who is smiling happily, sitting with Joel.

Everyone looks as if they’re happy and having a good time.

Noah nuzzles my neck and bites my shoulder. “You’re mine.”

I look back at him. “Are we okay now? Am I still in trouble?”

“If you’d like to be, then yes, you are.”

I smile at his playfulness and turn on his lap more. I lean down and rest my forehead against his, testing his boundaries with my next question.

“What would you say if I told you I can’t possibly have sex with you for about a week?”

“A week? Hell, baby, that’s a long time.”

I kiss the tip of his nose and pull away, taking a drink of my champagne. “I guess you should have thought of that before you almost literally tore me apart, Ryan. Now you have to pay the price.”

“Mmm, maybe if you’re lucky I’ll kiss that pussy better.”

I wiggle my ass against his lap and laugh before turning my attention to what’s playing out before me: Joel and Dillen. My shoulders slump minutely and I set my glass down. These two are obviously hot for each other, but I’m wondering if Dill is just playing games.

Noah seems to notice my unease and whispers in my ear, “Go and dance with Dillen.”

I don’t even hesitate to get off his lap and walk over to the two of them. “Dill, dance with me,” I shout over the music and tug on her hand.

She breaks away from his kiss and her lips are red and swollen. “My little shit! Where did you get that dress? I want it!” she shouts back as she assesses my ensemble.