HIGHER (The Indigo Lounge Series) (4 page)

More air kisses were exchanged.
Then Keely was sashaying her way into the interior of the nightclub, her pert
little ass twitching in the red micro skirt she’d worn with her black backless
top.

Shades
was all about the lighting. One section - the first floor
bar, was lit in bold shades of green and purple, with more subdued colors of
gold and silver cutting across the dance floor.

A wide cordoned-off staircase
bathed in amethyst light led to the upper floors. On the wraparound balcony
overlooking the downstairs bar, guests sipped cocktails and grooved to the
sound of hip-hop blaring from the speakers. A walkway connected to an upper
level dance floor. Two girls, clearly well on their way to being hammered,
danced provocatively in the middle of the dance floor.

Bethany felt a tug on her arm,
and followed Keely to the sitting area marked Gold VIP.

“What would you like to drink?”
Keely indicated the touchscreen listing the various cocktails. Bethany read
through the list and laughter bubbled up her throat.

“Are these names for real?”

Keely laughed. “Yep. Wanna try
the
Studded Reverse Cow Girl
? I’m
having one.”

“How about just a plain
Dirty Cowgirl
?”

“Chicken.” Keely clicked their
order through and flung her tiny clutch on the seat just as Justin Timberlake
started crooning about taking back the night.

Keely was a fabulous dancer with
very little inhibition. And in her tiny skirt and endless legs, she was soon
attracting avid male attention. When she urged Bethany to join in, she groaned
under her breath. Refusal wasn’t an option, however. Keely had been determined
all week to do something special for her birthday and Bethany hadn’t had the
heart to refuse her best friend’s efforts to cheer her up.

Their cocktails arrived, followed
steadily by more drinks until Bethany’s inhibitions, heartache and misery began
to dull around the edges. They never went away but the alcohol flowing through
her bloodstream helped her believe she could finally take a breath without her
heart contracting with pain.

Perhaps things weren’t as bad as
they felt. Perhaps she could welcome her twenty-fifth birthday with laughter
and pleasure, not tears and heartache.

With a whoop, she threw herself
into the music.

She was popping her hips to the
addictive beat of
Blurred Lines
when
her gaze connected with a tall, dirty blond haired guy in dark trousers and a
wine shirt. He was leaning against the balcony railing, one leg crossed over
the other, with a smile on his face. There was an appreciative gleam in his
eyes that made her want to smile back.

She glanced away. Beside her,
Keely laughed as the long haired, spectacled guy she was dancing with murmured
something in her ear. The guy looked as if he was about to spontaneously
combust with adoration.

Bethany looked back at the guy in
front of her. She watched as he slowly straightened and mouthed, “Dance?”

She was about to nod when the
tingle shot down her spine. There was nothing subtle about it. It slammed
through her, nearly knocking her off her feet.

Heart racing, she whirled,
feeling momentarily dizzy. Keely grabbed her arm, concern stamped on her face.
“Hey, are you okay?” she yelled to be heard above the music.

Bethany shook her head and turned
her head sharply her gaze darting around the ambient space. Aside from a few
VIP guests who’d drifted in to join them about an hour ago, nothing seemed out
of place.

And yet…

Remembering when she’d first
experienced that sensation - on the first day of her Indigo Lounge trip,
staring up at Zach’s office in Newark - she shivered.

Heart hammering faster, she
glanced around again but all she could see were bodies moving to the music and
her own reflection on the mirrored walls. Her face appeared flushed and her
eyes sad and haunted. She looked away quickly, unable to face the truth that
stared back at her.

“Hey.”

The guy who’d asked her to dance
stood in front of her, his smile wider, his gaze expectant. From the loud
speakers, Rihanna demanded to know where some guy had been all her life.

Bethany started to smile just as
another tingle surged up her spine.

She heard a gasp beside her
before Keely’s “Shit!” exploded in her ear.

Zachary Savage materialized out
of the darkness, pure fury vibrating from him, just as Blond Guy stepped
forward, his hand extending to slide around her waist.

He never made the connection.

“
What the hell!”
His smile turned to a grimace of shocked pain as
Zach grabbed the back of his neck, his fingers digging in deep.

“You lay one finger on her and
I’ll break every fucking bone in your body.”

Chapter Six

Bethany stumbled out of the club
into the smoky night air, her heart racing with equal parts anger and…oh God,
she hated to admit it but…
excitement
.

Behind her, she heard Zach’s
heavy footsteps and Keely’s lighter ones coming after her. She quickened her
steps, sucking in desperate breaths.

“Where the fuck do you think
you’re going?” Zach snapped behind her. She turned to face him and almost
wished she hadn’t.

This close, his body, his face,
stunned and dazzled her into near incoherence.

“I think the better question here
is - who the fuck do you think you are, Savage?” Keely, suffering no such
debilitating compunction, demanded. “It’s a free country. And she’s single.”

“No. She isn’t,” he snapped
without taking his eyes off Bethany. She stared back at him. Fury, hunger and
deep, dark possessiveness blazed from eyes turned almost black with his chaotic
emotions.

“Zach,” she rasped, then stopped
to wet her dry lips. “You can’t keep following me around—”

“And you sure as fuck can’t go
around hitting people, you know,” Keely flung at him.

Zach’s gaze didn’t waver once
from Bethany. “Trust me, if I’d hit that asshole, he’d know about it.” The
menace in his voice was unmistakable.

“Jesus.” Keely threw out her
arms.

She finally attracted Zach’s
attention. He faced her, hands on his lean hips, his jaw tight enough to break
through concrete. “I trusted you to take care of her. You let me down. As of
now, you’re relieved from that task.”

Keely’s mouth dropped open. “Are
you kidding me?”

Bethany finally managed to unglue
her tongue to string words together. “Wait, what do you mean you trusted her to
take care of me?”

Both Keely and Zach stared at
her. Guilt flicked over Keely’s face but Zach remained tight-jawed and
unapologetic.

Her insides hollowed out.
“Someone better answer me, right now. Did you plan tonight with him, Keely?”

Her friend flushed and shook her
head. “No. Not exactly.”

“Then how…
exactly
?”

“He was just supposed to turn up
and wish you happy birthday. At least that’s what we agreed. I had no idea he
was going to turn into a homicidal maniac the moment another guy looked at
you.”

Zach’s hands curled into tight
fists at his side.

“He was doing a hell of a lot
more than looking,” he growled, low and dangerous.

Keely stepped back, her eyes
widening as her gaze flicked back to Bethany. “Let’s go back inside, B,” she
said.

“No—”

“
Hell, no
,” Zach tagged on harshly. “The only place Bethany’s going
is home with me.”

“If you think I’m letting you
anywhere near her—”

“I’m going home.
On my own
,” Bethany slid in quietly.
“Keely, I’ll talk to you tomorrow.”

“Bethany—” Zach stepped
toward her. She turned away sharply. A cab was offloading a couple headed for
the club.

The moment the couple alighted
she dived into the back and slammed the door shut.

“Shit, wait!” He lunged for the
door but the driver was already pulling away.

Her last glimpse of Zach and
Keely showed their astonished faces as the cab sped away.

She lost track of time as her
brain reeled from being bombarded with what had just happened. Zach had
colluded with Keely to turn up and see her on her birthday. In that moment,
Bethany wasn’t sure whether she was madder at Zach or at Keely. Or whether she
could stop her heart from slamming excitedly against her ribs when she recalled
Zach’s face. His eyes. God, his hands…

He was waiting when she stepped
out of the cab at her apartment.
How the
fuck had he gotten here so fast?

Shock held her immobile for several
seconds before the cab driver’s impatient prompt pulled her gaze away. She
refocused to find Zach slipping him a handful of bills.

Her breath evaporated from her
lungs when he turned to face her. “If you do that to me again, I’ll put you
over my knee and spank the hell out of that tight ass of yours.”

“You…God, Zach, what will it take
for you to get the message?”

“What will it take for you to
understand that I’m going nowhere? That I’m not prepared to let one question
and one answer stop us from happening?” he grated out.

His fury hadn’t abated. In fact,
if anything, it’d escalated. He reached out and grabbed her arms, jerked her
forward until she collided into him.

Heat from his body rushed over
her burning her from the outside in. He lowered his head until his face was one
heart-stopping inch from hers.

“You got into a cab, alone, after
fuck knows how many drinks. And after you nearly let another guy
put his hands on you
. Tell me why I
shouldn’t be hauling you off somewhere to teach you a lesson?”

“Because you don’t own me,” she
yelled. “Because this is my life! Because what you told me is life-changing
enough for me to want to reassess whether I let you near me ever again.”

He frowned. “Let me near you…what
the hell are you saying? That you’re afraid
for your life
?” He uttered the words with a shocked breath. A shade of
color receded from his face and his eyes widened. “You think I’d
ever
deliberately
hurt you?”

He looked so stunned, a wave of
shame rushed through her. But then she shook her head. “I won’t let you guilt
me into defending my feelings, Zach. The reality is I don’t know
what
to think. You’ve given me nothing,
and you expect me to just trust you when you don’t trust me enough to be open
with me. I can’t live like that.”

He clawed a hand through his
hair. “Why can’t you trust that if it were up to me, you’d know everything by
now?”

“Oh, change the tune, I’m over
hearing your excuses. As for the cab thing, I’m a big girl, Zach. A whole
quarter of a century old as of,” she peered at her phone, “thirty-one minutes
ago. As you can see, I’m pretty good at getting myself home in one piece.”

“Be that as it may, you’re drunk
and I’m still seeing you upstairs.”

She lurched away from him and
walked into her foyer. “Do what you want. It’s not going to get you anywhere.”

“It’s going to give me peace of
mind to know you’re safe, Bethany. I told you, taking care of you is now my
job.”

She couldn’t stop her heart
flipping over as she stabbed the button for the elevator. “If that’s supposed
to make all soft and gooey inside, you’re outta luck. I don’t know if you do it
deliberately or if you’re just so used to getting your way, you refuse to see
or acknowledge anyone else’s way, but you don’t stop to think twice before you
hurt me. So pardon me if I find it hard to believe every word that falls from
your mouth.”

He stared at her for long
seconds, his hot angry eyes raking her from head to toe. Then he sighed. “Baby,
I warned you that returning to the real world would be difficult for us. You’re
not making things easier by showing off that sexy body and letting assholes
leer over you. And if you think I’m going to stand by idly and watch that
happen, you’re seriously deluded.”

He turned away and watched the
floors count down.

Suddenly she wanted to lash back
at him. “What if I liked it, Zach? Other men watching me?”

He stilled, those piercing eyes
cutting straight into her. “Are you sure you want to go down that road,
Peaches?” He taunted softly.

“Don’t call me that.”

He raised an eyebrow. “Want me to
stop? Come over here and make me.”

She actually took a step before
she realized his trick. He wanted contact. He knew it would give him the
advantage. One touch from him and she would be putty in his hands. She locked
her knees and glared at him. “Nice try.”

His smile was filled with pure
masculine confidence and gritty determination. “I play to win, baby. Never
forget that.”

The elevator arrived. She stepped
in and held her breath as he entered behind her. With a hand she willed not to
shake, she pressed the button for her floor and clutched her tiny purse,
avoiding eye contact.

He lounged against the opposite
wall, his eyes never leaving her. His scent surrounded her, invading her
senses,
viciously reminding her of the hunger
clawing through her belly.

“Peaches,” he
murmured in a low undertone. The anger still vibrated in his voice but
alongside it reeked dark, dirty sex. Pure, lethal Zach Savage, intent on
getting his way. “Stop pushing me away.”

“No. I can't keep
doing this.”

“Doing what?”

“Going against my
better judgment. Believing that things will turn out okay. I did that with
Chris. I refuse to do that again.”

His jaw clenched
hard. “I'm not fucking Chris, Bethany. If you’re saying that to drive me away,
I suggest you quit while you’re ahead.”

Her breath shuddered out. The
elevator slid open and she rushed out to her door. Inserting the key, she
opened the door and turned to face him. “I’m home now. You can leave.”

His eyes narrowed. “I’m not
leaving.”

“Yes, you are. I
have a birthday date with my vibrator and I’m not going to let you keep us
apart.”

His eyes darkened
dramatically. His jaw clenched hard and he breathed in deep. “I can't go. I've
been without you for a week. It's driving me fucking insane.
You're upset and you’re determined to make me suffer. I get it.
But I'm not leaving. Not until you tell me you can find it in your heart to
give me one hour of your time soon.”

Looking at him
hurt so much, she turned away abruptly. His low growl the burn of her skin told
her his gaze had found his favorite part of her body - her ass. The magnetic
pull of his gaze threatened to undo her.

Glancing over her
shoulder, she sent him a brittle smile.

“
Stay. Leave. I
don't care. But don't interrupt me,” she said with more bravado than she was
anywhere near feeling.

With every step
she took her legs shook with the need to reverse her direction. She wanted to
run into his arms, jump his bones. But she didn't.

She entered her
bedroom and stopped. Breathing in deep, she dug her feet into the carpet,
fighting the screaming desire to give in.

No way was she
giving in. Zach would get the message eventually. She'd been blind where Chris
was concerned. She'd made a fool of herself in Marrakech for Zach. She'd given
him her love and he'd thrown it back in her face. He loved to fuck her. But he
didn't love her. Would never love her.

His heart
belonged to a wife long dead and buried and she sure as hell wasn't about to
compete with a ghost whose life…
and death
she still had no clue about.

Her hand trembled
and she hesitated, then her mouth firmed.

It was her birthday
.

And she had
needs, dammit. She'd denied her body's craving for far too long. With an angry
jerk, she tugged off her dress and let it drop to the floor, followed quickly
by her panties and strapless bra.

She left her
jewelry on and sat, naked, on her bed and slid the bedside drawer open. The
rabbit Keely had gifted her what felt like a lifetime ago was still wrapped in
its package. She ripped it off and flicked it on. The low hum thrummed along
her nerves.

Her heart began
to pound. Heat raced under her skin, flaring within her at the excitement
building inside.

She slid onto the
bed and braced her back against the headboard. Her nipples were puckered hard,
her breasts heavy and aching as desire rampaged through her. Her bracelets
jangled as she slid her hand down her body toward that tight, needy place that
throbbed its incessant demand between her legs.

At the first
touch, she gasped.

She was wet. God, she was so wet.
And hot. And agonizingly hungry for the one thing she wouldn’t let herself give
in to.

The door she’d left ajar slowly
gaped wider.

Zach stood on the threshold,
those sizzling, intense eyes zeroing in on her with the force and heat of a
laser beam.

She froze, her fingers a bare
inch from her clit. Her breath panted out as he took another step into the
room.

“
Don't stop on my
account.”

“Go away,” her
voice was a hoarse croak. “I don’t want an audience.”

His laugh was low
and mocking. “Yes, you do. You left the door open deliberately. You knew I'd
hear everything you were doing in here.” His eyes moved from her face to her
breasts, over her stomach to the glistening arousal between her legs. “In fact,
you were counting on it. Weren't you? Did the thought make you wet?”

“No.”

A tense smile twitched
his gorgeous mouth. “Liar.”

Her clit swelled
and throbbed under his feverish scrutiny. His mouth dropped open and his tongue
flicked against his lower lip. “God, how much do you want to punish me,
Bethany?”

She slowly slid
two fingers on either side of her clit, the sensitive flesh screaming for
attention. “Very, very much.”

His harsh laugh
echoed within the room. “Well this is extremely effective.” He stepped deeper
into the room, and kicked the door shut. His hands fisted and released at his
sides. His eyes never left her, and his breathing grew harsher by the second.

Seeing the
torment in his eyes soothed her bruised heart. Witnessing how much he wanted
her satisfied her battered feminine defenses. For as long as she'd known
Zachary Savage, this had been her only effective weapon. The urge to hit him
where it hurt roared through her.