Chapter Six
Clubs weren’t Noelle’s thing. Never had been, never would be. She’d ventured out to a few over the years with little success. Alcohol, which seemed to cure the anxiety of other shy people, was never an option. And the flirting and blatant come-ons? She shuddered just thinking about them. She usually ended up in the corner, playing the inadequate wing woman and studying the mating habits of the human race.
But there she stood, determined to live up to her responsibilities. She’d played right into Tate’s nefarious hands. Not that she’d ever tell him, but he was right in one respect. She abhorred being wrong. No way was she going to let him win this bet, especially since she truly believed Shannon and Mike could make it based on the way Shannon had gushed about her boyfriend when they’d set up this excursion.
So, per Tate’s instructions, she’d come to Lush, the newest, hippest club in Dallas, according to her internet research, with Shannon and Caitlin, determined to show Shannon what else was out there.
“Ready to do this?” Noelle asked her charge.
Shannon was cute, a little shorter than Noelle’s five four. Noelle had noticed a few guys already checking out the other woman’s caramel-colored skin, button nose, and black hair styled into soft curls.
Shannon ran her hands down the front of the black dress that showed off her curvy figure and impressive cleavage. “I guess. I haven’t been part of the dating scene in a long time. I’m not sure I can follow Tate’s three Cs.”
Noelle mentally patted herself on the back for not letting a “pssh” slip out at the mention of Tate’s stance. Chill, cling-off, and change. A load of crap, but for tonight at least she had to go along with it. No way would she give Tate reason to claim she’d sabotaged the competition.
“Don’t think about following any rules,” she said. “We’re here to have fun. If you see a cute guy, let him buy you a drink. Or buy him a drink. Dance. Put your problems with Mike on the backburner. And hey, if the guy turns out to be a dud, take Tate’s advice and change. This place is crawling with men.”
Shannon took a measured breath. “Okay. I said I’d do it, so I’m going to do it. I haven’t gone out without Mike in forever. Tonight is about me and me only.” She pounded on the bar until she got the bartender’s attention. “Shots on me!”
Noelle’s gaze cut to Caitlin’s. Her producer’s eyes had gone wide with shock. Noelle gulped. What had they unknowingly unleashed?
An hour and a half later, she had her answer. Apparently, Shannon was a party girl in hiding who’d been biding her time until an opportunity to let loose and wreak havoc presented itself. Other than the black dress and soft curls, she bore little resemblance to the woman who’d timidly stepped into the club. Noelle wished she could blame it on liquid courage, but as far as she could tell, Shannon wasn’t drunk. She was simply reveling in the attention she received from the men in the club.
“Hey, baby, why don’t you give a brother a chance?”
For the love…Noelle tore her eyes away from a gyrating Shannon and glanced heavenward before turning to Ron, the man who’d decided he was Mr. Irresistible and she was playing hard to get. Earlier, while Caitlin and Shannon were dancing, she’d sat at their table minding her own business. He’d bought her a Screaming Orgasm because that’s what he could be counted on to “give all the ladies” and someone as “lovely” as her “shouldn’t be sitting alone.” She’d politely thanked him and listened to him self-aggrandize for several interminable minutes before making her escape by claiming a desperate need to visit the bathroom, only to return to find him hovering by her table.
Even if she hadn’t seen him, she would’ve smelled him. From a million miles away. He’d doused himself in an entire bottle of Old Spice. Seriously, the entire bottle. She’d politely turned down his request to dance. Finally, he’d taken the hint and left.
But now he stood in front of her again. Reeking. She didn’t know why she worried about hurting his feelings. He’d shown absolutely no sense of self-awareness. She very much doubted she could put a dent in his self-esteem, but she’d been raised to always be polite even to those who didn’t deserve it. The only person who made her forget her normal state of mind was Tate, but, hey, he did deserve it. And it wasn’t like he didn’t give it right back to her.
To Ron, she said, “I’m sure you’re a nice guy,” something she doubted greatly, “but I’m not looking to get involved with anyone right now.”
That sounded good—courteous and impersonal. Surely he would get a clue and leave with a shred of dignity intact.
“Oh, come on, baby. How can you stand there pretending you don’t want a piece of this?” He waved a hand down his body. “I’ve noticed you looking at me all night.”
Yeah, because he was wearing a bright purple suit and she’d wanted to make sure they were at opposite ends of the club. Clearly, he had no intention of taking her polite hints. Time to break out the big, blunt guns…if she could. If he was a caller, she could at least assume he’d listened to the show before and was prepared for some tough love, but a random guy in a club? She had no idea how he would respond. Crap. She worried too much about hurting people’s feelings. “Look, Ron, I’m not…interested.”
“Why not? Look at me.” He held his arms out wide and raised his chin.
Because you’re a Creepy McCreeperson, who’s going to make me lose my mind in this club. “Because…”
“Because she’s with me.”
Noelle jumped at the sound of Tate’s lazy drawl behind her. She stumbled when he curled an arm around her waist and drew her in tight into the shelter of his hard body, her hand landing on his chest for balance. In any other circumstance, she’d elbow him in the stomach to force him to let her go, but she wasn’t dumb. She wanted Ron gone, and if Tate’s interference was going to make that happen, then so be it. She pasted on a smile and shrugged.
Ron scoffed. “Who’s this guy, baby? He can’t compare to me. You need to get with a real man.”
“I’m the guy who’s going to pound you into the ground if you call my girlfriend ‘baby’ one more time and don’t leave her alone. Now.”
Despite the loud, pounding music, Noelle heard the quiet menace in Tate’s voice. Ron must have, too, because his Adam’s apple bobbed up and down twice. He coughed and backed away, palms up. “Hey, hey, no need for that. No harm, no foul, right?”
Noelle glanced up and froze. The menace hadn’t stopped at Tate’s voice. His face, usually full of lighthearted humor, had donned a mask of anger. Hard, cold eyes drilled a hole into the self-proclaimed Casanova. He didn’t say a word. He didn’t have to. Ron whirled and disappeared into the crowd.
“Having fun?” All the unpleasantness disappeared from Tate’s voice. He actually sounded amused.
It broke the spell she was under. Seeing her hand resting on his chest like it had found its rightful home, she snatched it away and retreated a much-needed step out of the sphere of his overwhelming charisma. Hoping her heart, which had picked up speed and was still tripping along alarmingly fast, would calm down. “What are you doing here?”
“Is that all I get after saving you from Don Juan’s clutches?” His lips, which really should be outlawed for being so distracting, stretched into a way-too-charming smile.
Not that she was affected by a charming smile, of course. “How did you…?”
“How did I know you were having trouble getting rid of him? Because I’ve been watching you, Doctor. I’m the only person who meets with your constant disapproval. Everyone else is a wounded soul who needs your help.”
Noelle took the second sitting on a stool allowed her before answering. “Yeah, well, that’s because I know you can’t be saved. You are who you are.”
“Damn straight.” Tate leaned against the pub-height table, putting him much too close for her comfort. He smelled incredible, but that was a given. She should be used to it by now.
She forced herself to look him in the eye. “But be that as it may, you still helped me out of a sticky situation. Thank you.”
He grinned. “See. I knew you had it in you to be nice to me.”
She inclined her head. “Of course that begs the question—why did you do something nice for me? I thought you enjoyed watching me squirm.”
“I do.”
Her eyes narrowed to slits.
“But the situation was going from amusing to potentially scary, so I stepped in.”
“Oh.” The steel in her spine softened. “Thanks again, but what are you doing here?”
He tilted his chin to the right. Noelle followed the line until she spotted Shannon on the dance floor plastered to a stocky, good-looking guy she assumed was Mike.
“Mike wanted to prove he could be at the same club as Shannon and have fun without her.”
She turned back to her cohost, her eyebrows raised. “Looks like that’s working.”
Tate shrugged. “It’s early in the game. Still plenty of time for them to realize there’s a whole world to explore. I’m sure he’ll come around to my line of thinking sooner or later.”
“Don’t count on it. Look at them. They’re meant for each other. You might as well give in now and admit I was right.”
“Get real. This is as close as they’ve gotten to a real date in who knows how long, so they’re enjoying themselves. You look nice, by the way.”
Stunned by the abrupt change in topic, Noelle froze. Caitlin had expressly forbidden her to wear any of her work outfits. The red jersey dress was a little flashier than the clothes she normally wore and showed a lot more leg than she was used to, but it flattered her figure, molding to her breasts and nipping in at her waist. She hadn’t been able to resist it when she spotted it in a store window. It had hung at the back of her closet for the past year.
“Uhh…thanks.” Noelle clasped her hands together in her lap to stop herself from tugging the dress down, although she couldn’t resist a quick peek to make sure the dress hadn’t ridden up on her thighs. She looked up in time to catch him taking a measured tour of her body. He missed nothing. She quivered under the intensity of his gaze.
His eyes met hers. “Red suits you.”
Was he flirting with her? Yes, he was. His wicked grin confirmed it. Breathing became nearly impossible.
Get it together, Noelle. He wasn’t attracted to her. He was just being Tate, the eternal flirt.
“You do, too,” she said to break up the lingering silence. “Look nice, I mean.”
Black pants and a black button-down shirt were a major departure from his usual T-shirt-and-jeans combo, but no less flattering. The rolled-up sleeves and untucked hem screamed, “I’m relaxed and comfortable in my own skin.” Sexy, in other words.
“Thanks. Let’s dance.”
Every muscle in Noelle’s body drew up tight in rebellion. “Uhh…let’s not.”
“Why not?”
Because letting loose, especially in public, was anathema to her. “It’s not my thing. I prefer to observe.”
“It’s time you stopped observing. Come on.” He straightened from the table. “Don’t hold the wall.”
“I am not holding the wall,” she said through clenched teeth. Except she totally was, metaphorically speaking anyway. “Why do you care anyway?”
“Because it’s the only thanks I’m prepared to accept. Come on, Doctor. You’re supposed to be participating fully. That’s a stipulation of the bet. Don’t tell me you’re reneging already.”
She knew he was messing with her. Again, his wicked grin confirmed it. Her competitive side didn’t care. She stepped off the stool. “Fine.”
Noelle marched to the packed dance floor with Tate right behind her. She noticed the envious looks other women sent her way, but she couldn’t concentrate on that. Not when she was about to make a fool of herself.
But even that possible unpleasant outcome lost its importance at her first contact with Tate’s muscular body. An electric current zipped through her body. An unwelcome electric current. She took a hasty step back and closed her eyes to block out how close he was, how distracting his body was. She concentrated on the music, letting it flow through her and moving her hips to the drum-heavy beat.
“I thought you said you couldn’t dance.” Tate’s lips brushed her ear.
“I said I don’t like to dance. At least not in public.”
“In private?”
“I crank up the music and drop it like it’s hot.”
Noelle’s eyes flew open. Had she said that out loud?
Tate had stopped moving and was staring at her like he’d never seen her before. A peal of laughter bubbled up in her chest. She’d surprised him. Good.
The corners of his mouth tilted up. “I would pay good money to see that.”
“I bet you would, and it would be worth every penny.”
Tate’s eyes darkened with an emotion she didn’t want to put a name to. “Would it?”
“Without a doubt,” she murmured.
What was she doing? Why was she doing it? Instead of trying to find answers she was pretty sure she didn’t want, Noelle resumed dancing. Tate didn’t back away. No, he stood much too close for her sanity, his hot, inquisitive eyes focused squarely on her, his movements mirroring hers. Of course he could dance. Was there anything he couldn’t do? If he moved this well on the dance… Stop. No need to go down that road.
She backed up a few inches, but he followed her, bringing his heat so close. Making her think things. Long for things. What if she let go of some of the rigid control she kept over her life?
“Hey, everybody having a good time?” the DJ yelled into his microphone. The capacity crowd yelled out a collective “yes.”
“Good. It’s never a bad time for some MJ, right?” he called out as the opening bars of “Billie Jean” played.
A woman who’d obviously had too much to drink stumbled into Noelle, jolting her back to reality. What was she doing? It had been a long time since she’d acted without thinking and been selfish. Now wasn’t the time to alter her life path. Noelle made a move back to her table, but Tate’s hand landing on her arm stopped her.
“Where are you going?” he asked.
She blinked up at him. “The song’s over.”
“Come on,” he said with a wry twist of his full lips. Lips she shouldn’t be noticing. “I don’t think that thirty seconds counted as a dance.”
“I should go check on Shannon.”
“She’s a big girl. She can survive without you for a few minutes. It’s okay if you relax for a while. Have some fun.” A raised eyebrow issued a challenge.
Which she couldn’t resist. “Fine.”
He grabbed her hand and twirled her around. She laughed at the formal move. Laughed harder when she spotted his wide grin. He was having a good time. And why wouldn’t he be? He lived life on his own terms and, unlike her, wasn’t worried about whether or not he deserved to be happy. She could use some of his confidence and unrestrained joy in her life. She blinked at the realization that she was enjoying the moment. The music. Tate.
They danced until sweat pooled on her skin and her limbs were pleasantly heavy. He looked like he’d taken a leisurely stroll across the beach. Amazing how much nonstop energy he possessed. She stopped moving and pressed a hand against her heaving chest. “I need something to drink.”
“I could use something, too.” He held out his hand. “Ladies first.”
She nodded and headed off the dance floor. She tried not to concentrate on the fact that he’d placed a hand at her waist. For the second time that night. He’d only done it so they wouldn’t get separated in the crowded room. Knowing that didn’t prevent little tingles of pleasures from radiating from the spot he touched to every corner of her body. She breathed a silent sigh of relief when they reached the bar and he dropped his hand.
“I’ve got it,” he said. “What do you want, a vodka tonic?”
Her good mood evaporated in a flash, darkness settling over her soul. “I don’t drink.”
“You don’t?”
“I have my reasons.” Avoiding his gaze, she caught the bartender’s attention and ordered a ginger ale. She took a hasty swig of the drink and coughed as the liquid went down the wrong pipe. She held up a hand when Tate moved closer. “I’m fine.”
“You sure?” His eyes searched hers.
His concern was almost too much for her to take. She pushed her lips upward. “Yeah.”
What else could she say? She certainly couldn’t say she didn’t drink because alcohol had cost her the two most important people in her life and it was all her fault. Talk about TMI. Instead, she looked around his right shoulder. “Do you see Mike and Shannon or Caitlin? Maybe we should call it a night. We have a long day tomorrow.”
She glanced up at him. He studied her for a few seconds, his eyebrows drawn into a deep vee. Don’t look away. Finally, he nodded. “Okay. Let’s call it a night.”
“Great. I need to find Shannon and Caitlin.” She turned to scan the crowd, only to jump back in shock when Shannon suddenly appeared right in front of her face. The woman dodged around Noelle and shook her finger in Tate’s face. “This is all your fault. The bet is off!”
Not waiting for a response, she whirled and darted through the crowd. Tate shrugged at Noelle, his face stamped with confusion.
“What did you do?” Noelle didn’t wait for an answer. She went after her charge, who smoothly weaved through the masses of people. Noelle wasn’t quite so graceful, dodging flailing limbs left and right, barely keeping Shannon in her sights in the dim lighting.
Disappointment rained down on her. Frustration. Anger. She was going to kill Tate. Shannon disappeared behind a couple making out in the middle of the dance floor. Crap.
Oh, there she was.
Noelle quickened her pace as Shannon slipped through the front door. She wasn’t leaving, was she? Noelle had driven, but Shannon could grab a taxi. She strode out the door and scanned the parking lot, finally spotting her leaning against the brick wall about twenty feet away. Noelle’s shoulders collapsed in relief until a nearby streetlight threw Shannon’s features in sharp relief. Tears slipped down her round cheeks.
Noelle’s heart stuttered in sympathy.
God, Tate was impossible. Right when she’d started softening toward him, he had to ruin it. But she wasn’t going to let him sabotage Shannon’s relationship. Whatever he’d screwed up, she’d fix. And then she would set him so straight about his insensitivities he’d never think to interfere with Shannon and Mike again.
Noelle carefully approached the other woman. “Shannon, what happened? What did Tate do?”
Shannon wiped the tears away with both hands. “This is all his fault.”
“Yes, you said that, but why?” Noelle leaned against the brick wall.
Shannon sniffled. “Because…because he wants to keep Mike and me apart. He wants Mike to hate me.”
“What makes you think that?” Tate could be clueless, true. But heartless? She’d seen no signs of that.
“Mike got mad when he saw a guy trying to give me his number. He yelled at me and said that Tate was right, that he shouldn’t have come.” Shannon hitched a breath. “Tate said that if Mike really wanted to feel what it was like to be single, then he needed to stay away. He said seeing me talk to other guys would be too hard for him.”
Noelle waited for her body to fill with outrage. It didn’t. She gave it another second just in case. Still nothing. “Um, Shannon?”
“Yeah?”
“I don’t think Tate said that to get Mike to hate you. It sounds like he was trying to protect Mike’s feelings. After all, this night was supposed to be about each of you experiencing the single life. How would feel if you walked into a club and saw Mike dancing with another woman?”
Shannon’s reddened eyes widened. “I would hate it.”
“Exactly.”
She wiped her cheeks. “But I didn’t even like that guy who I was talking to.”
“You know that doesn’t matter. The fact that you looked like you were thinking about accepting that guy’s number hurt Mike.”
“Oh.” Shannon stared at her shoes. “That makes sense, I guess.”
Noelle laughed, recognizing a kindred soul. “Admitting you were wrong is hard for you, I take it.”
Shannon looked up. “Yeah, it is. I guess I won’t kill Tate.”
Maybe she wasn’t the only one. Crap. Noelle had welcomed the outrage. Because then she could deny that the absolute last man who should’ve gotten to her made her feel more alive than she had in a long time.
Noelle took a fortifying breath. It didn’t matter. She had a plan. She wanted a long-term relationship filled with love with the right man. Tate wanted twenty minutes with the nearest woman. She didn’t know if she’d ever find what she was looking for, but she knew she wouldn’t find it with Tate Grayson.
Which meant her unruly hormones and feelings could go back into hibernation.