CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
“THIS WAY,” NOAH INSTRUCTED as he led me into the lobby of a luxurious hotel across the street from the Common. My heels clicked on the marble tile of the cavernous entrance, people dressed in designer clothes surrounding me. He steered me down a long corridor and toward a palatial ballroom. Crystal chandeliers hung overhead, servers roamed the room carrying champagne on trays, and guests wearing beautiful gowns and perfectly tailored tuxedos milled about.
Spotting the bank of restrooms just past the entrance, I turned to Noah. “Can you excuse me for a minute?”
“Are you okay?”
“Of course. I just need to reapply all the lipstick you kissed off in the limo, you fiend.”
“I don’t think you’ll be complaining about that later tonight.”
“Or sooner, if I have my way.” I winked.
“Is that a challenge?”
I gave him a demure look, then walked away. Able to feel a pair of lust-filled blue eyes watching my every move, I swayed my hips a little more than necessary and slipped into the restroom. Once inside, I locked myself in a stall, shimmying out of the pair of red silk panties. I grinned as I considered how Noah would react when he found out I wasn’t wearing anything under my dress.
I scrunched my panties in my hand and left the restroom, spotting Noah chatting with a group of people. When he saw me walking toward him, his smile brightened and he excused himself from whomever he was speaking to.
“What is it?” he asked, noticing the conniving expression on my face.
“Let the games begin, Dr. McAllister,” I whispered, shoving my panties into his hand.
He looked down, toying with the soft fabric, then shot his eyes toward mine. Stuffing them into the pocket of his pants, he bit his lip, his nostrils flaring. He brought my body against his, gripping my hip hard. “Are you telling me you have nothing on underneath this gorgeous dress of yours?”
“How observant of you.”
His hold on my hip tightened as he blew out a heavy breath. “You’re killing me, Molly.”
“That’s the point.” I smirked.
“You’ll pay for this later.” His tone was deep, guttural, hungry.
“I do hope so.”
“Dr. McAllister!” a voice called out.
Noah shot his head in the direction of the voice, secretly adjusting himself. He cleared his throat. “Daniel!” He placed his hand on the small of my back and leaned toward me. “I’ll deal with your panty issue later,” he muttered. “For now, there’s someone I’d like you to meet.”
“Great.” I plastered a smile on my face. Once I gave Noah my panties, I’d hoped we’d rush straight upstairs. No such luck. I was going to have to up my game.
Skirting the tables and the hundreds of guests, Noah led me across the floor toward a man of average height with broad shoulders, sandy hair, and narrow eyes. When his features became clearer, I inhaled quickly, my heart dropping into the pit of my stomach. Bile rose in my throat.
“Good to see you again, Dr. McAllister,” he said, shaking Noah’s outstretched hand.
“You, too, Daniel. I appreciate the mayor taking the time to make some remarks here tonight.”
“Not at all. As you know, his mother suffered from this horrible disease.” He offered a tight smile.
“Daniel, this is Molly Brinks. Molly, this is Daniel Cardiff, the mayor’s chief of staff.”
Everything seemed to move in slow motion as Daniel turned to me, his smile becoming borderline salacious. I wanted to smack it off his face. “Molly. Nice to see you again.”
Noah straightened his spine, shifting his gaze between us. “You two know each other?”
I blinked, wishing I could find a hole to bury myself in. I worried this day would eventually come. That I’d run into someone I used to have an arrangement with. I had shrugged those fears away. Most of the men I’d slept with in the past ran around in different circles. Now I was faced with a ghost of my past, and not even a good one. The idea of Noah learning about all my former indiscretions made me sick.
“Oh, yes,” Daniel responded, still the slimeball I remembered him to be when he’d been my muse for a book about an up-and-coming young senator who fell for the daughter of his opponent. Things took a turn toward the end, making me attempt to write my next book without a muse to avoid going through the same drama with yet another guy.
“I know Molly quite well,” he continued. The smugness in his gray eyes made my skin crawl.
“Yes,” I said quickly. “It’s been a few years. How’s your wife?” I tried to hide the irritation in my voice. “Is she here tonight?”
While my approach to dating could have been described as unconventional, at best, I refused to get involved with a married or otherwise attached man. Daniel lied to me, insisting he didn’t have time for a commitment or any other serious distractions. I took him at his word. He didn’t wear a band, and there was no tan line where one should be. I’d never felt as humiliated and guilty as I did when I saw him one day, a wife and two kids in tow.
“Unfortunately, she couldn’t make it,” he responded, oozing all the professionalism he could muster. This man was the reason I hated politicians.
“Please give her and the kids my best. The Museum of Science just opened a butterfly garden exhibit. You should take them.”
His lips formed a straight line, his irritation with my comments loud and clear. “I’ll be sure to do that.” Adjusting his belt, he looked from me to Noah, offering him a curt nod. “I hope you both enjoy your evening.”
“You, too,” he responded, smiling as Daniel walked away. Once he was out of earshot, Noah turned to me. “What was that about?”
“Nothing,” I insisted. “The butterfly exhibit is really cool. I figured his kids would enjoy it. Alyssa and Charlotte did.”
He studied me. “Are you sure?”
My response to seeing Daniel was probably not the best. Still, I didn’t know how to tell Noah all the shit I’d done in my past, all the men I’d slept with. Men could hook up with a different girl every night of the week and be lauded a stud. If a woman slept with the same guy for a long period of time but refused to have a committed relationship, as I had done for years, she’d be labeled a slut. I couldn’t bear the thought of Noah thinking of me that way.
“Of course.”
“You’d tell me if there were?” The compassion in his eyes made me want to tear up. Nevertheless, I lied.
“You know I would.” Wanting to move on and forget about seeing Daniel, I stood on my toes, nibbling on his earlobe. “Tell me,” I said in a throaty voice, “how are my panties? You seem to be keeping your hand in your pocket an awful lot this evening.”
“Do you blame me?” His voice turned light. “I’m not going to lie, Molly. I really want to haul you upstairs.”
“I won’t protest. Just a quickie, then we can come back down and you can do all your doctor schmoozing.”
“There’s no such thing as a quickie with you. I told you before that you’re a gift. You deserve to be pampered, to have all of your desires and fantasies catered to. I need all night to do that.”
“All night?” I lifted a brow.
“That’s right.” He kissed me softly, sweetly, freely, with no reservations about who was watching. “All. Night.”
“I do hope Sir Braveheart is nice and rested.”
He threw his head back and laughed. “Come on. They’re getting ready to serve dinner. Eat up. You’ll need the energy.” He placed his warm hand on my lower back and steered me toward a table.
~~~~~~~~~~
AS THE EVENING WORE on, I’d been able to relax and forget about the fact that a vestige of my past sat at the table directly behind me. Noah was right. His friends and colleagues had been impressed to hear I was a writer. Several of the females at the table had heard of me and read my column regularly.
Glancing at Noah to see the pride in his eyes as I discussed my writing, I felt empowered, emboldened. So much so that I even mentioned my alter ego, Vivienne Foxx. Much to my surprise, quite a few people, both men and women, were familiar with my books. Once word got out, the conversation at our dinner table turned down a path I hadn’t been expecting. While most other tables probably discussed advances in Alzheimer’s research, the purpose of the evening, our conversation had been a bit on the naughtier side. Before Noah entered my world, I never considered what I did to be a real profession. He changed all that. I began to realize that Noah had changed everything.
“I’ll be right back,” I said to him as we mingled by the bar with a few of his associates after finishing our decadent dinner of roasted lamb. If I didn’t think I’d look uncivilized, I would have licked that plate clean.
“Are you okay?” Noah asked. I loved how concerned with my well-being he had been throughout the evening, even going so far as to keep clear of Daniel.
“I’m great, but nature calls.”
“You’re not going to come back and hand me a bra, are you?” He raised his eyebrows.
“No.” I leaned toward him. “The only thing left is the dress,” I murmured. “And the shoes and jewelry, of course, but what’s the fun in that?”
“Try to keep the dress on.” He winked.
“I can’t make any promises.”
Groaning, he stepped back. “On that note, I’ll let you do what you need to do.”
I kissed his cheek, then headed toward the restrooms. After I went about my business, I checked myself in the mirror, reapplying more gloss to bring my lips back to life. Once satisfied with my appearance, I headed back to the ballroom. As much as I wanted to finally have some alone time with Noah, I loved how he showed me off, how he looked at me with such pride and adoration, how his hand always seemed to find mine.
A lightness in my heart, I scanned the area for him, finding him standing by the bar. About to make another attempt to lure him upstairs, I strode toward him, my head held high, when Daniel’s nasally voice made its way to my ears. I stopped in my tracks, my chest tightening as I watched him approach Noah.
“So, you and Molly?” Daniel remarked over the sound of a jazz quintet playing standards. “That’s a thing?”
“Yes, it is,” Noah responded.
Daniel whistled. “Careful with that one.”
“What do you mean?” he asked curtly.
“I know Molly.” There was a sort of innuendo in his tone.
“Aren’t you married?” Noah shot back, picking up on what he inferred.
“My wife and I have an understanding. Sometimes you have to go elsewhere to satisfy your cravings, particularly when your wife is pretty vanilla in the bedroom. And Molly was certainly good for expanding my palate, but not for much else. That’s just the type of girl she is.”
When he put up his hands defensively, I could only assume Noah shot daggers at him. At least I’d hoped he had. In truth, I would have much preferred Noah knee him in the balls, but he wasn’t the type to get into a fight surrounded by colleagues.
“Listen, man. I don’t mean anything by it. I’m just looking out for you. I’ve known you a few years and have seen the women you date. Molly’s not it. I hope you don’t expect more than just a fun time in the sack. She’s not into relationships.”
“Not that it’s any of your business, but things are different with us.”
An ache building in my chest, I stepped closer, their voices becoming louder.
“You can tell yourself that all you want. A whore can put on a nice dress and expensive jewelry, but at the end of the night, she’ll still fuck you for money. Like I’ve always said, some women you date, other women you fuck. I’ll let you decide which category the woman you think is your girlfriend falls into.”
Unable to listen to any more, I spun on my heels, slipping out of the ballroom as inconspicuously as possible. I couldn’t help but think there was some truth to Daniel’s words. Maybe I was fooling myself to believe I could have a normal, healthy relationship with someone like Noah. Maybe I wasn’t the type of girl he should date.
Stepping out of the lobby, I drew in a breath of the city air. It was a Saturday evening in late July and the downtown area swarmed with people in search of a good meal, a stiff drink, or something in the middle. I was in search of something, too. I just didn’t know what. Clarity? Answers? Reassurance?
My brain playing Daniel’s words on repeat, I was lost in my mind as my legs carried me across the street and toward the Common. It was as if they were on autopilot, taking me exactly where I needed to be at that precise time. Just as they had done back in April when I ran into Noah in this very park. I came to a stop beneath the same exact tree and lowered myself onto a nearby bench.
A sudden movement out of the corner of my eye caught my attention and, just like that day all those weeks ago, I was treated to the sight of Noah running toward me. This time, he appeared frantic, agitated, worried.
“Noah.” I shot up, pulling my bottom lip between my teeth. I hadn’t expected him to find me out here. I had every intention of going back to the gala. I just needed a minute to figure out how to make him see me as the woman he’d gotten to know the past few months, not the woman Daniel described to him. “How did you know where I was?”
“I saw you leave the banquet room and tried to catch up to you. One of the women you met earlier, Karen, was out front having a cigarette and noticed you cross the street.” He shrugged. “Once I heard that, I had a feeling you’d be here.”
“I guess this place kind of helps me think.”
“About what?” He stepped toward me, worry etched on the lines of his face.
“Us,” I answered honestly, then paused, avoiding his eyes. “I heard what Daniel said to you.” I peered at him, bracing myself for him to end all this.
His expression softened. “He was just running his mouth, like a typical politician.”
“Still defending my honor, are we, Dr. McAllister?” I asked in a small voice.
“Always, Molly.” He took my hand in his and placed a soft kiss on my knuckles. “Always.”
I met his benevolent gaze, losing myself in the sincerity within. Then I pulled away, lowering myself back to the bench, staring at what I’d been calling “our tree”.
“There was some truth to what he said,” I admitted. Noah sat beside me, studying me. “Before you, I didn’t date. I guess I never saw the purpose in it. I had no desire to go through the hassle of getting to know someone when it would never work out. So I’d just have casual flings.”
“Who hasn’t done that?” he argued. “Most adults I know go through that stage. It’s part of figuring out who you are as a person.”
I cocked a brow. “Noah McAllister, I didn’t peg you for a player.”
He shook his head, a blush building on his cheeks. “I wouldn’t call myself a player, but med school can be somewhat grueling. It was impossible to have a real relationship with someone, but I still needed to blow off some steam. A lot of my fellow med students did the same thing.”
My tone turned serious once more. “I wasn’t in school, but I still had these arrangements.”
“And Daniel was one of your arrangements?”
“I had no idea he was married. I met him in a bar by City Hall,” I explained, leaving out the fact that I used him as a muse. “I thought he was handsome, mature.” I shook my head. “I couldn’t have been more wrong about him. One day, when I was at the Museum of Science with Drew and the girls, I saw him there with a woman and two little kids. Then I noticed a ring on his finger, which he never wore when he was around me. The next time we planned to get together, I confronted him and ended it. Apparently, no one’s ever told him no before.” I rolled my eyes. “Let’s just say he had some choice words for me. You got a little glimpse at what those were earlier.” I gestured across the street toward the hotel.
“So that’s why you came out here?”
“I guess I’m worried you’ll look at me differently now that you know the truth about my past. The Molly he knew is not the same Molly you know.”
“I already know that.”
“You do?”
“Of course.” He wrapped his arms around me, pulling me into his chest and planting a soft kiss on the top of my head. “Do you think I’d toss away what we have just because some pompous asshole started throwing around accusations about the girl you used to be? I’m not that shallow. I get you have a past. So do I. I don’t care about any of that. Hell, one of your columns is titled ‘Confessions of a Serial Dater’. I knew what I was getting into when I started dating you, Molly.”
I looked at him, cringing slightly. “See, that’s the thing. I didn’t really date these guys. We only got together to, ya know…”
“That doesn’t matter,” he assured me. “Everything you’ve done in your life, including the guys you had these so-called arrangements with, led you to this very spot on that Saturday back in April. Miraculously, my past led me to this same exact spot. Anything that happened before that moment is inconsequential. The only thing that matters is the now. Nothing else. And right now, I just want you.”
Clutching his cheeks in my hands, I brushed my lips with his, my body relaxing at the contact. “Even if you found out something horrible about me?”
“Like what?”
“I don’t know.” I pinched my lips. “Like maybe I had a strange fascination with clowns and had an entire room in my apartment devoted to the creepy fuckers.”
“Then I’d get you a pair of clown shoes to add to your collection.”
“What if I’m secretly one of those people on Hoarders and have an attic filled with animal carcasses?”
“Then I’d hire a dump truck to clean all that stuff out so you can have a fresh start.”
“But what if I had horrible taste in music and made you listen to ‘80s power ballads around the clock?”
“Molly, I already heard the story about you dancing around to Air Supply in your younger days, yet I’m still here.”
I gave him an indignant look. “You can’t sit there and tell me you don’t enjoy the sultry tones of Russell and Graham.”
He cringed. “I’m a bit scared you know their names.”
I smiled, deciding now was the perfect moment to serenade Noah with a few bars from “All Out of Love”.
“No! Stop!” He covered his ears, his face contorted in pain. It did nothing to dissuade me. I sang louder and with more conviction. Passersby stared, but I didn’t care. Noah tackled me so my back lay flat against the bench, but I still sang. “I can’t take it anymore!” he bellowed.
Laughing uncontrollably, I finally stopped singing when I couldn’t recall any more of the lyrics. Noah loomed over me, his fingers brushing my forehead. His smile faded, a warmhearted expression covering his face as he seemed to study every inch of me.
“Hey,” I breathed, the atmosphere between us turning charged.
“Hey,” he responded.
“I’m not wearing any underwear,” I reminded him.
He groaned, burying his head in my neck. “Don’t you think I know that? That’s all I’ve been able to think about since you put them in my hand.”
“Maybe it’s time you stopped thinking about it and actually did something about it.”
His teeth skimmed my flesh, fire burning in its wake. “You know what, Miss Brinks?” He leaned back. “I do believe you’re right.”