We fight our way to the mirror and gaze at our slightly messy reflections. I’ve grown a sheen over the evening from the heat in here and the dancing and my hair certainly isn’t in place anymore, but I don’t look terrible. I kind of look sexy and wild, not like myself at all. It makes me giggle.
“Seen any hot guys yet? There was a really sexy one at the bar?”
I turn to see Kayleigh applying her trademark thing red lipstick. “Nah, not really.”
“I bet not. Because you’re hung up on Mr. Sexy from the gym.”
I try to ignore her teasing tone. “I don’t think so. I haven’t seen him since that moment.”
“That moment which sounded like the hottest moment of your life.”
In a weird way, even though nothing happened it was the hottest moment ever. I wanted it to go further and it sent me flying back to painting. Everything that I’d created since was incredibly sensual and fun. I liked it. It was as if I’d turned into a sex kitten, purring for him, begging him to touch me.
“If you’re hung up on him, what’s his name, Nigel…”
“Noah,” I correct her.
“If you’re hung up on Noah, then you should just ask him out already, like I said. This is supposed to be a practice night to flirt with someone, get you back up to scratch, remember?”
“I know, but I’ve been out of the loop for too long.”
“It doesn’t take long to get back into the right frame of mind. Start with dancing. You’re a sexy dancer.”
I nod and slug back the rest of my drink, trying to get into it. “Okay, let’s go.”
She takes my hand, commanding me, and takes me through the crowds until we get to the dance floor. Then she starts shaking her hips with her hands flung high above her head. I was dancing earlier and didn’t feel self-conscious then, but now with the thought of men on my mind, I’m all awkward and weird.
It doesn’t help that me and Kayleigh are on a health kick for the marathon and I haven’t had much to drink. I don’t need booze for fun but some Dutch courage right now wouldn’t go amiss.
I slide my eyes closed and try to just lose myself. It isn’t hard to tune the rest of the world out when the music is so all consuming, the beat literally feels like it’s crawling through my skin. So, I go with it. I slowly move my hips and just switch off any pressure. Actually, what I want is to just have a good night.
When I open my eyes again, Kayleigh is grinning at me. We dance together but it doesn’t take long for one of the guys around us to spot my friend’s beauty and her confidence. He starts dancing behind her and as soon as she sees that it’s someone she might actually be interested in, she grinds against him. Luckily, I don’t mind being left alone now that I’ve let go and I’m actually having a good time…
“Hey…” I jump as a gruff voice whispers into my ear. Still, I can barely hear him over the music, but I spin to see my dream come true. Noah is here. I didn’t even realize how badly I wanted that to happen.
I must have conjured him up because how crazy it is that we would be in the same place at the same time?
“Hi.” I mouth back, everything jolting inside of me.
He grabs me around the waist, no longer being careful with me since we aren’t in his gym anymore. He yanks my hips into him and I go willingly, pressing right back up against him to my favorite place in the world. Everything around me fuzzes into nothingness. All I can hear now is the furious beating of my heart pounding in my chest. I wonder if Noah can hear it too. Judging by the look on his face, he’s feeling it as well.
We remain frozen for just a couple of seconds, staring at each other, until he starts moving and I go with him. This time, I’m not just shaking my hips, I’m grinding into him, embracing every inch of him. I don’t know if everything has slowed down or if it’s just me, I don’t really know anything anymore.
He mouths something to me but I don’t know what he says so I lean in close, offering him my ear.
“I said what a surprise to see you.” I close my eyes and breathe him in. He smells delicious.
“Yes, it is.” My breath tickles over his neck. “A real shock.”
His hand slowly moves up my back and eventually cups around my neck. I can see in his eyes that he’s claiming me, putting a stake in me as if I’m his own. This is an alpha move to put everyone else off me, but I don’t mind. Screw practicing my flirting on anyone else when I can have the real thing.
No one does this to me anyway so there isn’t any other point.
His fingers lightly brush against my ear lobes, igniting an unexpected fire. I lean into his touch, a groan inadvertently rumbling out of my throat. His other hand edges down from my neck and cups my butt. The intimate touch has me pulsing for him, want his hand to slip further down, to brush against my core. I don’t even care that I’m in public now. I would let hm do whatever the hell he wants to me right now.
I tilt my head towards him, gazing lovingly in to his eyes. The powerful magnet between us draws me in, I rise up onto his tip toes as he leans in towards me too, the exciting, thrilling anticipation building by the second. I suck in a deep breath, flattening my lungs completely while I wait.
Any minute now… my brain screams at me. I’ll be kissing him. Any minute now…