Chapter 8: Lydia
An SUV was waiting to pick us up by the time we were standing outside the hotel.
Brian was in front with the driver and he stepped out to help us into the vehicle. My eyes couldn’t help but take in how well he wore his clothes. He was in all black which complemented his blond, blue-eyed looks. His shirt was dressy and opened at the throat and the pants he wore emphasized his trim, athletic looking hips.
He was ‘HOT’ in capital letters and it amazed me how he made such a simple attire seem so classy and trendy. I saw the way Brandi couldn’t help giving him an admiring stare and I couldn’t say I blamed her.
We chatted easily as we were driven to the venue of the club. Brian pointed out a few of the sights as we went past and I noted the nightlife in the area looked very promising.
We arrived at the club which delivered as promised in terms of the ultra-modern setting and the secure surroundings which set one instantly at ease. The music was pumping along with the nice-looking crowd. There was energy pulsing through the speakers and already I felt my spirits uplifted.
The beats were somewhat different from my usual tastes but I could totally see myself letting off some steam tonight. I’d enjoy the company, as well as the drinks which I rarely indulged in.
“I feel like shaking off the last traces of jet lag,” said Brandi over the noise of the club.
We’d found a table and had just ordered our first round of drinks. Brandi wriggled her shoulders bared by the strapless top she wore, dancing to the lively beat. “Hey, what do you say, Brian? You look like you know your way around the dance floor.”
“When the music’s right,” he said with an agreeable shrug, then grinned. “And this just happens to be my favorite.” He held out his hand to the beaming Brandi and turned to me. “How about you, Lydia? Are you up for a little dancing?”
I shook my head humorously. “I’ll stay busy enjoying my drink for now. You two go on ahead.”
The music was loud and the lights were low. I could still get a good sense of the crowd and easily followed the figures of Brian and Brandi as they headed for the dance floor.
I watched as Brian made Brandi laugh, their bodies moving easily to the music. Suddenly I felt like I had tunnel vision and all I could see was the two of them dancing. With every passing song Brandi seemed to close the gap between them.
It was easy to see how comfortable Brandi was with her body and how she loved to dance. Brian moved right along with her, matching her tempo and steadying her with his hands on her hips whenever it looked like she’d lose her balance and fall against him.
Brandi faced him with a happy smile, and once or twice she too sought to maintain her stance by placing a hand on his shoulder. Every time they came in contact I felt my teeth grit together even as I admired how well Brian could move.
Great, I thought a little sourly as I sipped on my drink; he’s a superb dancer to boot.
I was beginning to wonder if there was anything about Brian I didn’t like. He was incredibly good looking and had a cool sense of style. He was undoubtedly personable – the kind of man women warmed to immediately.
He was one hell of a man and I wasn’t surprised how well he got on with Brandi.
Brandi always knew a hot catch when she saw one and had no problems mixing with strangers. Even back in our early days in school, it had been Brandi who’d been the one to approach me and instantly we’d clicked. Watching Brandi and Brian had me thinking how well they suited each other, a realization that made me suddenly down the rest of my drink with a hasty gulp.
My eyes were irresistibly drawn to Brian again and again - and I didn’t fail to notice I wasn’t the only female in the club ogling the blond hunk. He stood out in the crowd of several European as well as American tourists.
I watched him dance and caught myself imagining him as a lover. He looked like he put so much life to everything and I could bet that he’d be great in bed. Realizing I was fantasizing about a man who wasn’t my fiancé I flushed and quickly ordered another drink. Reading Brandi’s obvious attraction for him made me consider my own reaction to everything about Brian.
Okay so he was hot and I liked him – end of story. If I kept my mind focused, this could just be some harmless case of a handsome man catching my fancy, nothing more. He was...different, no doubt and he got under my skin but all that would pass, I vowed. And once the vacation was over he’d be a forgotten memory no matter how much fun he was to be around.
It wasn’t long after that Brian was returning to our section of the club alone and I noticed with humor that Brandi seemed to have a new admirer whom she now danced with. He had deep brown skin and his thick black dreads tied back. He was ruggedly handsome, lean-hipped in blue jeans and broad-chested in his loose white shirt. And he seemed to have eyes only for Brandi who basked in his attention, dancing with zero inhibitions.
“Nice moves back there,” I said in greeting when Brian took his place next to me. My nostrils flared slightly at the warm, clean aroma of his cologne mixed with his signature scent of masculinity that teased my senses.
“You’re too kind,” he said, looking pleased at my comment. “It felt good dancing again. It’s been a while. There was never time in between tours to really get into the club scene. I’ll be rectifying that oversight now that I’m out of the military and working on a career in hospitality.”
I couldn’t help my curiosity getting pricked. “What do you mean, out of the military?”
He smiled. “I thought that would get your attention. I used to be USMC. Marines. Left after my last tour six months ago. Let my hair grow out and, I’m sorry to say let my body go too.”
I stared at him and it was on the tip of my tongue to say that in no way anyone could accuse him of letting his ‘body’ go. From what I could tell even in his trendy clothes, he was fit as hell.
I hadn’t been able to conceal my bemusement, as he seemed to tell. No wonder he’d moved like a god on the dance floor.
“So what happened? Why the career change?” I asked, wanting to kick myself for prying.
A corner of his lips curved in a small smile. “It had to do with family concerns. I’d been in the Marines since I was eighteen. Now it was time for me to do my duty to my family.” He shook his head as if to dismiss the topic. “It’s a long story. Maybe I could interest you in hearing it in full some time.”
He picked up his shot glass and held it up in a toast. “For now, I’m content to discover all the new, exciting experiences I’ve yet to explore.”
When he said these last words, he sent me a glance and I wondered if I was some kind of new ‘experience’ he was curious to explore. I remembered considering him just a ‘passing fancy’ and it stung to think he might see me as the same.
After all, I was engaged and yet was being much too carefree with another man by letting him take me out to a club, albeit with another friend of mine. What did that say about my principles?
Nothing’s happening, I thought firmly. It’s just harmless fun. Totally harmless, I kept saying to myself on and on.
“A lot on your mind?” Brian suddenly inquired, breaking into my troubling thoughts. “I was hoping you’d get to enjoy yourself as much as Brandi is certainly doing.”
I shrugged. “Oh, I’m having fun just being here. I’ll never be as wild and carefree as Brandi though. She’s always been the life of the crowd while I enjoy simply being on the fringe of things.”
“Or maybe you’re simply missing your fiancé,” Brian said lightly, his eyes averted as he signaled for his drink to be refreshed.
Toying with my half-filled glass, I replied in an easy tone, “Well yeah, I miss him. After all this was meant to be our great romantic vacation.”
I sighed somewhat dramatically even as I wondered if I was trying to make Brian jealous and if so, to what end? I quickly added that I was glad to have bumped into Brandi which almost made up for my fiancé leaving me on my own due to a work emergency.
“You were right; she does know how to rock a party,” Brian said, his grin widening. “She almost danced me off my feet. Which reminds me, I believe you owe me a twirl on the dance floor.”
My eyes rolled expressively. “No, really. I can’t. My dancing skills are far from impressive.”
“Let me be the judge of that,” was all Brian said, before wrapping his hand around my wrist in a gentle yet warmly firm grasp as he drew me up with him.
I wasn’t sure how it happened, but I was following his lead and making for the dance floor. All night the DJ had been playing a wide variety of music, fast tunes for disco-type gyrating, and urban Latin American pop.
It had been fun to simply relax and watch others get lost in the music and yet now, standing in the midst of the energetic crowd I fought back my restraint.
I’d always been a barely passable dancer and never seemed to learn any new steps. Still, the music mix was much too well delivered and then of course there was my handsome partner with the cool dance moves.
Brian soon had me relaxing with his twinkling gaze and his smiles of encouragement as he pulled me in until I felt the beat in my pores.
It had been too long since I’d felt so light-hearted and alive, while feeling tense with excitement from all that adrenaline pumping through my system. It brought a side to me I hadn’t seen in a long while.
Since dating Theo actually.
I’d cut down a lot on my freaky side, the part of me that really wanted to let go and not care who was looking or judging. Brian made it so easy for me to forget it had been ages since I’d ‘got down’ in a club as he moved in perfect rhythm to the music, showing me how to take his lead.
What I hadn’t foreseen though was to have the music suddenly slow down into more romantic strains - which saw couples pulling in close without hesitation. I instantly panicked, even as I saw Brandi across the room casually step into the waiting arms of her partner. The last thing I wanted was to hurt Brian’s feelings by fleeing so I gingerly placed my hands on his upper arms.
His hands rested lightly on my waist and there was a teasing note to his smile as he said, “You sure you want to do this? Wouldn’t want you to get scared off.”
“How do you propose that could happen?” I asked, my palms sliding up to link behind his neck.
I didn’t like the idea he might be laughing at me. If he thought a little body contact terrified me, he was dead wrong. He might be used to women finding him hard to resist, but I would show him I was far from a silly female bowled over by a handsome face.
Brian’s sharp intake of breath from the way my soft, breasts now pressed against his chest made me hide a smile. I could tell he was far from immune to me; his whole frame seeming to tense as our bodies glided together from torso to knee.
There was no single gap between us and I tried to ignore what that meant to my suddenly racing heartbeat. My eyes were level with the corded expanse of his throat and I noted even in the dim club how smooth and silky his skin looked. His hands brushed against my sides, resting on my hips for a few moments as he let his hands truly linger on my body for the first time.
I let his hands stay where they were, thinking inwardly that with so many other people around we weren’t doing anything wrong. Even as Brian’s hands slowly slid from my hips to my lower back and he pulled my body even tighter to his, I wouldn’t let my mind tell me this was going too far.
His strong, firm and towering frame made me feel treasured. It seemed strange to think that way about a near stranger, but it was just that vibe I had around Brian. That first moment we’d met something had flashed between us that had never seemed to fade.
I vowed to never stop fighting that bewildering feeling but for once, right now, I basked in the titillation of him. The way his heat and scent teased my senses and made my belly churn with sensual excitement.
I’d never really known true passion. I was no blushing virgin but there was nothing about my sexual life to get excited over. It had always been merely satisfactory at best even with Theo.
Theo...
How could I be engaged to marry him if another man, a near stranger could swell a stream of desire within my core? I’d heard of the most sensible women falling prey to their basest desires when tempted beyond endurance. Brian could prove enough temptation if I was foolish enough to fall.
Could I really afford to be that stupid?
“It almost doesn’t even feel like we’re dancing anymore,” Brian said in my ear, his deep voice teasing the tiny hairs there.
Sure enough I realized we weren’t actually moving to the music. It felt embarrassing yet thrilling at the same time just to stay there, locked in that moment with him and blocking out the world.
“And that’s okay,” Brian went on, his voice barely above a whisper against my lobe. “Because I’d gladly stand here all night so long as you stayed in my arms.”
I chose to laugh his husky, sexy words away. “Not sure how good that would be for my fragile limbs, Brian.”
He let out a low, deep groan as he tugged me harder against him. “Just the way you say my name drives me crazy,” he confessed, burying his face in the hollow of my neck and drawing in a long, appreciative breath. “Even the delicious way you smell...like something out of a moonlit, rain-swept garden. You’ve been pretty bad for my sleep ever since I met you, Lydia.”
“I could recommend a few remedies to cure your case of insomnia if that’s what you need,” I said with a hitch in my tone despite the way I clung to humor.
“I need you, Lydia.”
I felt my nipples harden beneath my dress from the harsh craving in his voice and the way his hands skimmed dangerously higher to rest beneath the swell of my tingling breasts.
Against my will, I shivered at his touch, my eyes closing for a moment as I succumbed to the feeling of being desired by a man I wanted just as much. When I opened my eyes I was looking up straight into his tortured face, before his next words chilled me spine.
“But you belong to someone else. Someone I doubt is truly even worthy of you.”
Smarting, my hands flattened against his chest to strain away from him as I glared into his eyes. “You know this much after what, a week of meeting me? I guess you think a man like you would be far more deserving.”
“I’d work damned hard to be,” Brian said, blue eyes blazing darkly. “I’d do what I have to do to be the man of your dreams.”
I laughed. “I’ve heard some come-on lines in the past but this takes the cake. I mean this is sweet of you, Brian but I happen to believe in the real world and not in fantasy. And dream guys are for fairytales. I’m no Snow White and I certainly don’t need you to play Knight in shining armor. Though I’ll admit...you almost can get a girl confused.”
My smile was impish as I tapped a reprimanding finger on his jaw.
“Don’t think I’m playing,” Brian said thickly, catching my wrist and pressing his lips to the errant finger.
His words sobered me up as I sighed, tugging my hand from his sensual touch.
“I can’t let myself take you seriously, Brian. I hardly even know you. I don’t understand why things seem so...different with you. But it’s not something I’m at liberty to explore. I’m getting married to someone else.”
“Are you sure that’s the only reason?” he asked, his voice turning cool as his hands abruptly fell from my body. “Or is it something to do with the fact that I’m just a hotel employee and not a billionaire mogul.”
The music stopped and the dim lights brightened. I stared at him with a bruised, angry look.
“You know what, forget it,” I said, spinning round and stalking back to the waiting table.
I should have guessed. People always choose to believe the worst: that I was a beautiful young woman playing the rich man’s bimbo.
They saw Theo throwing his money around and because I was with him and wore designer clothes, shoes and jewelry, they simply assumed I was all about that life.
I never dreamed Brian would think I was that type of woman. Or someone who would care about how much a person was worth in money terms.
Did I really seem so shallow?
Brian followed closely behind me, but thankfully chose not to continue our conversation, simply ordering us more drinks just as Brandi finally emerged.
“Had to tear myself from my new admirer,” Brandi said as she fell into her seat. Her full-bodied hairdo had lost much of its bounce and now hung in lustrous waves around her face that was slightly tinted with perspiration. She was obviously trying to catch her breath and thanked Brian when he handed her a glass of wine.
“I mean imagine the hotshot thinking I’d just go home with him just because we danced and I let him buy me a few drinks. Not all girls like the fastball approach.”
“I totally feel you on that one,” I said with a pointed look at Brian. “Some guys need to know when you just want to have fun.”
There was no way for me to read his closed expression, but the slight ticking in his jaw told me maybe my words had hit home. I added sweetly, “Too many men think romance can be put on speed dial. A lady shouldn’t try to keep up.”
Brandi laughed. “That’s hilarious. I’d like to meet a man who can actually keep up with me.” She saw Brian glance at his watch and she let out a groan of dismay. “Don’t tell me it’s our bedtime yet.”
“I’m afraid so,” Brian said, a small smile directed at the pouting Brandi. “You princesses will need your rest and it’s already past one a.m.”
He took hold of Brandi’s elbow, helping her steady on her feet which seemed to stagger a little when she stood.
“Whoops, looks like I overdid it with the tequilas,” Brandi said sheepishly.
“We all had a bit to drink so it’s great we have a driver available. Shall we?” he said in general, sending me a glance.
I felt chastised that he hadn’t risen to the baiting from my debate with Brandi.
Once we made it out of the club the SUV drove up in no time. I sat in back with the drowsy Brandi and my thoughts were confused all through the quiet drive back to the hotel. Along the roads the bright lights hadn’t dimmed and the nightlife was far from asleep yet but I now longed for my comfy looking bed in my new room.
Once we got to the hotel Brian insisted on seeing us up to our doors. Brandi seemed dead on her feet but happy and she hugged Brian, thanking him for a great night out. We said goodnight as we too quickly embraced and Brandi disappeared into her room. Turning to the door just opposite, I started to let myself in when I heard Brian say my name from behind.
I turned slowly to face him again, my eyes guarded.
He let out a deep sigh before he spoke. “I made a very unfair statement back at the club,” he said quietly. “I had no right to make hasty conclusions and I’m asking you not to do the same with me. I know how it might seem: you’re engaged, we only just met and here I am trying to simply get in your pants. I’m immensely attracted to you, Lydia but I’m not simply seeking a fast thrill. What you see is what you get with me and like you, I believe in the real world – where a man makes sure he works to get what he wants. And I want you. Sleep on that.”