Twenty One (Love by Numbers Book 2) (16 page)

Liv gives me a knowing look as we approach the table that has been set up for us in a private dining room of the hotel. Her secret smile indicates that she knows what we’ve spent the last hour or so doing.

“About bloody time.” H looks over at us as Jake pulls out a chair for me to sit. “I was about to file for a
dudevorce
if you didn’t show J.” he grins over at Jake wearing a similar knowing smile as Liv.

“What the hell is a dudevorce?” Nate chuckles before saying Hi to us both.

“It’s what happens when a guy puts a chick before his best mate, and not any old best mate, but one that has just flown across the world to see him.” He looks seriously over at Jake before adding, “and if we get a dudevorce, I’m taking custody of all the x-box games, just warning you.”

Jake shakes his head on small chuckle, “Full custody hey? I seem to remember you abducted all those when you moved in with Bella. Besides I have other things to play with now so knock yourself out H, they are all yours.” He strokes my thigh on the word play, emphasising to me and me alone, exactly what he means.

Ever aware Liv spots his hand under the table and smiles slyly at me, “So Em, I bet you’re tired after your plane journey, did you manage a quick nap?”

She picks up her wine glass and takes a sip, her dancing eyes looking over the rim at me.

My cheeks instantly redden and Jake squeezes my thigh sensing my discomfort at her innuendo.

“I took care of Emmy, thanks Liv, nothing for you to worry about but she is tired so we’ll probably leave early and return to the room.”

“But we’re all going clubbing, you have to come with us. We’re only here a few days and you’ll get her all to yourself soon enough.” She replies instantly with H chiming in, “Yeah J, stop being a party pooper, let’s eat, drink and boogey. You have enough energy for a couple of dances dontcha Jules?”

Even H now calls me by Liam’s pet name, finding the story behind it hilarious.

I turn to the side to look at Jake, gauging his reaction to the begging of our friends, “We could go for a little bit.” His eyes narrow before he whispers in my ear, “Emmy we can go wherever you want, just be prepared for me to cash in my earlier promise.”

His words leave me silent and he caresses the sensitive skin of my inner thigh before he turns to our friends and announces “If Emmy wants to go we’re in but I’ll have to let security know we’re leaving the hotel. I’m not spending my night getting mobbed by crazy VB fans. It’s not as much fun as it sounds.”

W
e spend a relaxed hour and a half chatting with our friends, enjoying delicious food and wine, hilarious tales of H’s crazy escapades and Liv’s University stories. Despite H being the only one not in a couple here, he still thrives on our attention and barely mentions his girlfriend Bella, who is normally a favourite topic of his. I remind myself to ask Jake about that later.

Nate fills everyone in on his clubs and tells us how Liam has taken to running Aurora like a duck to water. He also spills the beans about their brother Josh and his wife Laura finding out she’s expecting their first baby, warning us that even their parents haven’t been informed yet, so we need to keep the news quiet.

Throughout the meal Jake keeps his hand on my thigh, his thumb tracing small circles into my skin. He even eats and drinks using one hand and the gesture is both romantic and a massive turn on. It’s a side to him I never expected.

This confident, successful, bad boy, womaniser and heart breaker, as the press make him out to be, wants to touch me so badly that his hand never leaves my skin.

I have to admit I crave his touch, so the fact that he gives it to me so freely, makes my heart flutter wildly in my chest.

A
s we get up to leave, Jake makes sure to charge everything to his account and arranges for a limo and security to take us to the top night spot in the city.

Nate is eager to see what kind of clubs they have here, Liv can’t wait to drag me on the dance floor and Jake is happy to let me go have fun while he and H catch up.

A short car journey later and we are ushered into a high end, glitzy club called Genius.

Jake’s team calls beforehand to secure us VIP access and a private area. On entering we stand out like a sore thumb, everyone else is dressed impeccably, while we are in typical casual attire of jeans and shirts, I doubt we would have got in if not for Jake’s presence.

It is obvious word of his arrival has spread. Almost immediately, I start to notice many people trying to get a look into the roped off area we’ve been allocated. Jake’s personal security is flanked by extras provided by the club, so it’s not like anyone is going to bother us but it kind of makes me feel like an exhibit in the zoo, especially when Jake wraps his arm around my waist to lead me to the private bar.

I can feel everyone thinking ‘Who the hell is she?’ and how has she managed to snag someone like Jake. Call me paranoid but sometimes you can just sense these things and the numerous camera phones that I can see being held up over the barriers to take pictures, means that all too soon the paparazzi will also know our whereabouts.

“Get the beers in then hotshot TV star.” H calls from behind us.

Jake turns around and clips him playfully across the side of his head “Hey freeloader, no need to nag.”

H doesn’t take offense and I smile at the easy banter they have, pleased that Jake has a close friend that isn’t intimidated by the crazy world he lives in now.

Liv comes up beside me and wraps her arm over my shoulders “Ladies room?” she has a twinkle in her eye and I know she wants a full run down of all the things she’s been dying to ask me since Jake kicked them out of our room earlier.

I lean in and tell Jake where we are going and then ask the bartender to point out the location of the restrooms. He motions to a concealed door at the back of our area explaining that we have a private bathroom.

Jake’s arm tightens around my waist at this information and he exhales in my ear, “I’m going to collect on my promise real soon Emmy”, causing shivers to run down my spine. Then he kisses the side of my head and adds loud enough for Liv to hear “Go gossip about me but don’t be long and make sure she hears all the good parts.”

Liv laughs and I shake my head at his brazenness before I hook my arm through hers and we head towards to the restroom.

T
he door isn’t even fully closed before she spins out of my embrace and bombards me with questions.

“So did you? Was it good? How do you feel? Was he as amazing as he looks like he would be?” Then the killer “Do you love him Em?”

“Oh My God Liv, calm down would you.” I laugh at my crazy friend and lean in to give her a big hug. She squeezes me back tightly, “Don’t go trying to put me off with a show of affection Em, I want deets
now
.” She leans back with a massive grin on her face.

“I’m so glad that details are more important, than me showing you how much I’ve missed my best friend.” I tease causing her to roll her eyes.

“You can tell me you love me later, I need gossip, so spill it.”

She leans back against the counter in anticipation, “C’mon Em, I’m gasping for a drink, just give me the short version.”

I huff out a sigh and lean next to her with a goofy smile on my face.

“In answer to your multiple questions, yes we did, yes it was, I feel bloody fantastic but a little overwhelmed and yes he was.”

I move to enter a cubicle but she grabs my hand forcing me to turn and look at her.

“And the final question, don’t avoid Em, I know the answer but I want to hear it.” She smiles softly.

I pause for a second, not because I don’t know the answer but because it feels private, even from my best friend.

She tugs my hand so I look at her, “It’s okay Em, I know you do, it’s written all over your face, just as it is his.”

She pulls me in for a hug and mumbles into my hair “I’m so happy for you Em, you deserve this, you deserve happiness more than anyone I know.”

Tears prick my eyes, Liv knows me better than anyone, she has always been there for me and even if we are complete opposites, we fit. She’s my sister if not by blood, by soul and I cannot imagine not having her in my life.

“Yes, yes I love him Liv but this is all so new that I just want to take each day as it comes.”

“Em, you know better than most how short life is. Live for the now, not the maybes or the what ifs.” She leans back to look into my eyes before adding, “It’s plain to see he loves you Em, we can all see it, now you need to
feel
it, trust in it and grab it with both hands. I know this is new and God knows he comes with a whole lot of baggage but nothing worth having comes easy. Besides, I’ve warned him if he fucks this up, I’ll cut his nadgers off and wear them as a necklace.”

I can’t help but laugh out loud; only Liv would threaten to cut Jake’s balls off if he hurt me.

“I bloody love you, you know that right?” I pull her into me and squeeze the air from her lungs.

“I adore the bones of you girl but if you don’t let me go I might turn blue from lack of oxygen and that would clash with the dress I’m wearing” she gasps.

“Alright, enough with the soppy stuff, let’s go have some fun, I’m only here for a few days and I want to enjoy every second I can with you.” She grabs my hand and leads me to the door. In this moment, I am more grateful than ever, that Jake arranged for her to be here with us. His thoughtfulness and generosity are yet another reason why I am falling for him and falling hard.

T
he instant we walk out of the ladies room his eyes meet mine and I can’t control the smile that plays on my lips.

His look is filled with heat, want and desire. A wicked thought enters my head. I am not usually one to flirt or play games with a man but seeing him sitting there, ignoring everyone else and solely focussing on me, makes me want to put on a show for him and make him as crazy with need for me, as I am for him.

“Let’s go dance, I’m sure the guys are happy catching up so let’s go and have some of that fun you always keep going on about.” Liv nods excitedly and leads me to the main dance floor, past the club security and Jake’s burly minders.

All our guys stand up when they see where we are going but we just wave over to them and Liv points out where we are heading. Nate and H sit back down immediately with smiles on their faces but Jake looks miffed.

“Uh oh, Mr Possessive doesn’t want you out of his sight by the looks.” Liv shouts in my ear the closer we get to the dance floor.

“Oh he can still see us.” I nod my head to where all the guys are now standing, leaning over the side of the private area, to watch us make our way through the clubbers and into the centre of the floor.

A naughty look flashes across Liv’s face, “Well let’s give them all something to look at.” She immediately begins to find the beat of the music with her hips, her confident and overtly sensuous moves drawing the eyes of almost every male around us.

“C’mon Em, you’ve got to let go a little.” She wraps her arms around me and places her hands on my waist, encouraging my stiff body to sway with hers.

The track fades to the dance song
‘Gravity’
by
DJ Fresh
and even though the beat is faster than the previous song, Liv never stops the tandem movement of our bodies, helping me find the rhythm to let go to the music.

It feels freeing, it makes me feel alive and when I look up to find Jake watching us intently, it makes me feel desired. Emboldened, I link my hands with Liv’s and finally let go of my insecurities, riding on the wave of the heavy beat.

We ignore all others around us and just dance, so when I open my eyes to find Jake standing in front of me, my breath catches and heat floods my body. I do not stop moving, my hips keep grinding with Liv’s and my eyes dare Jake to take me.

Liv’s hands leave mine and she whisper’s in my ear, “He didn’t take as long as I thought”, then she’s gone.

T
his, here, now, feels so familiar.

The electricity between us magnifies and I feel the buzz envelope me as I take a step towards him.

We’ve danced once before in a club, got lost in each others touch but I don’t want to go back to that night. I want to take this moment and use it to wipe away all the bad, replacing it with just this.

Just him and I, just sensations and movement; nothing else.

His eyes never leave mine as he takes one more step, bringing our bodies flush. I can already feel his arousal pressing against my thigh.

I boldly take both his hands and set them on my hips, the sway of my body increasing our connection, causing the heat between us to turn volcanic.

He leans his head down so that we are now cheek to cheek, his breath fanning over my ear, “I want to dance with you Emmy but I want to fuck you more.”

His hand skims over my arse, caressing firmly and pulling me harder into him before he links his hand with mine and practically drags me from the dance floor.

We pass a smirking Liv, who is now dancing with Nate and H. Well Nate and Liv dance while H attempts what looks like twerking. Normally this would make me laugh but my body feels so tightly strung and Jake is striding through the crowds so fast, that I just grip his hand tightly and allow him to lead me back to our private area and straight into the restroom.

T
he door clicks behind us and he is on me instantly.

My back hits the wall with a thud from the momentum and then his mouth is on mine.

I can do nothing but submit to his kiss.

It’s forceful, dominating and so hot my toes curl.

You can tell a lot from a kiss. Some are gentle, soft and filled with love, some are bittersweet and filled with longing but this kiss,
this
kiss is filled with pure carnal desire.

I hitch my right leg up over his hip, needing to increase the friction between our lower bodies, wanting something to soothe the throbbing between my legs. He pulls back, panting heavily, his blue eyes heavy, dark and filled with lust.