“But of course,” she says, her glasses sliding down her nose as she enters more notes.
Chuckling, I turn to the beauty in my lap, her honeysuckle smell mingling with the cloying scent of perfumes from other patrons. “What about you, Bellamy? What do you think about Jack?”
She studiously watches the sculpted dancer as he exits the stage, then gives her ruling. “Jack is an excellent choice. Not only does he have charisma, I hear he’s a fabulous listener.” Then she dips her voice for my ears only. “And that’s so very important.”
“It is,” I say.
“Now, here’s Jones with the long, hot hose,” the DJ croons.
I gesture to the dancer, so she can evaluate him next. “Tell me about Jones,” I say, low and just for her as the guy slinks to the lip of the stage, threads his hands through his hair, and jerks his head back.
Bellamy is all over the new guy’s pros, whispering to me once more. “A hose is nice, but that’s not his greatest asset. What they don’t tell you about Jones is he’s very quick with his tongue. He can fire off commentary on any subject like that.” She snaps her fingers. “News, politics, books, wine, songs . . .”
“My, my. He sounds fabulous,” I say.
“But he can’t back down from a bet,” she adds with a pout.
“Is that a bad thing?”
She cups my jaw, roams her soft fingers down my day-old stubble. Her questing touch sends lightning-bolt tremors through me. “As long as he doesn’t let it get in the way of his heart’s desire.”
I know where we’re going, and I like this game. “And finally, what about him?” I point to the last guy on stage—an Asian man who gyrates his pelvis at Mach speed.
“He’s a beast in bed,” Bellamy says, but she’s not looking his way as she slides her fingers through my hair again. “But that’s not the most important thing. He’s the kind of guy who treats his woman like a queen. Makes her feel like she’s the center of the world. Like nothing else even matters. Because he wants to find the one. The one who makes his heart thunder.”
My chest hollows because I can’t be that guy for her. I know what happens when I play that role. I’ve been there, and the pain is too much. The dark days terrify me. But I’d love to give her everything she craves, so I play along for now. “He should give that to her,” I say.
Her irises flash with vulnerability. “So, is that the kind of man you’re going to find for me at Carpe Diem? Someone who’s all of those things?”
I run a hand down her arm, torn up inside between what I want and what I fear. “I’ll find you someone you deserve. You deserve all of those things.”
“Find him for me. I’m getting tired of kissing all these frogs,” she whispers, but there’s a note of sadness in her voice.
For tonight, I can give her that. “Spend the night with me. Kiss this frog for a little bit longer.”
Before she can answer, though, my gaze snags on the man in leather making a beeline for my grandmother.
“Hello, beautiful angel. I’m Rod, and I wanted to personally see if there’s anything at all you need tonight,” he says to her.
Afraid of nothing, Coco eyes him up and down. “What could you offer me, Rodney?”
“A drink on the house? A lap dance? A scintillating conversation with this strip club mogul?”
“I’ll take door number three.” She rises and hands her iPad to TJ so she can join the owner for a drink.
I turn to my friend, but before I can say a word, he waves me off. “Go. I’ll make sure she gets home safely.”
Bellamy lifts a finger. “Jones, the fireman with the long, hot hose,” she tells TJ. “Go for it.”
He just laughs. “We’ll see.”
“Coco will be my eyes and ears,” Bellamy says, but I’m not so sure she will. Or that TJ will do a damn thing about the dare.
And right now, I don’t fucking care.
I’m leaving with my woman.
That’s who she is for tonight because that’s all I’ll allow.
37
Good Things Come
Bellamy’s hands rope around my neck the second we slide into the cab. “I can’t wait,” she says.
“But good things come to those who do,” I murmur against those lush lips.
Yet when she hauls me close, waiting seems damn near impossible.
Then, it feels like scaling Everest as she sucks on my bottom lip and spears her tongue in my mouth. Bellamy takes over my entire brain, the kiss crackling through my nervous system.
When she grabs my hand and slams it between her thighs, my staunch control snaps. A groan rips from my chest as I palm her through her jeans, the heat from her center short-circuiting all sense of decorum.