A Winter's Date (40 page)

I can only giggle at my best friend as we start dancing. I make sure I’m not applying weight onto my bad foot.

“It’s from Noah.”

I watch my Greek god as I entice him with my body. Dill and I are dancing close like we always do and Joel joins Noah on the couch to watch.

Noah leans over and starts talking to him; I love my man and his friendships. What is more attractive than a man knowing what he wants in life? Even down to the type of people he wants involved in it.

Dillen breaks into my train of thought. “Holy fuck, Heather, he is an amazing kisser!”

Oh boy.
“Dill, you can’t just play with all of Noah’s friends.”

She stops dancing and looks at me like I’ve just slapped her. I stop dancing as well. “I’m not playing with them . . . we’re just having fun.”

I can see the hurt and anger on her face. “Dill, stop. You might be having fun, but I don’t think either of those guys feels the same way.”

She looks over at Coen, who is happily dancing with Lana, and then over at Joel, who is still watching us along with Noah.

“I know how much you want to be with Coen right now, and I know it hurts, but you can’t hurt Joel in the process of trying to make Coen jealous. I love you, Dill, and I don’t want you getting hurt either.”

I reach for her hand and try to get her to start dancing again and maybe keep this from going any further, but she pulls back.

“We can’t all be blessed with the man of our dreams,” she spits back at me hatefully. I pray it’s just the alcohol talking, but it hurts like hell.

“Dillen . . . please?” I try once more before some guy comes up behind her and starts sensually grinding his crotch into her ass . . . ugh.

She completely ignores me, opting to dance with him, and I feel deflated. I feel like the worst friend. I turn and mask my features before walking back over to sit next to Noah and Joel. They’re laughing and drinking together when I sit back down. I’m hopeful Joel didn’t see any of that. I wish I hadn’t even been a part of it. I should have kept my mouth shut and just let her run wild like she always does. I’m barely listening to the guys’ conversation when I feel a hand on my shoulder.

I turn to look and see Lana and Coen leaning over the back of the booth. “Sweetie, we’re going to go back to his place. My feet are tired and he promised me a foot massage.” She flashes a brilliant smile at me, and I laugh knowingly.

I watch as Coen’s goofy, drunk grin slides to Noah, and he grabs Noah’s shoulder. Noah looks up at him and laughs.

“Have a few too many, dickhead?” he asks, and Coen smirks before holding up his finger, and leaning in close, too drunkenly close.

Coen’s words are slurred and slow as he speaks. “Lemme tell you something, Ryan. There are two things in this world that smell like fish . . . one of them is fish . . .”

He stops speaking, and Lana and I both collectively gasp in shock. Noah busts out laughing and removes Coen’s grasp from his shoulder.

“Is that right, man? Had a few run-ins with that situation, have we?” Noah asks Coen, but he’s too drunk to answer, and his eyes are closed as he sways back and forth.

Lana smacks him on his chest and scolds, “Dammit, Coen, you did not just say that. Agh! You and your Coen-isms.”

I laugh as we watch Lana shove Coen toward the club’s exit.

“Have fun you two. Text me when you make it home.” I wave at her, and she blows me a kiss. I’m really, really loving Lana.

“See ya, sis,” Coen manages as he stumbles out.

Noah kisses my cheek before getting up and walking over to Dillen, pulling the creep off of her and wrangling my best friend back to the booth while he talks to her.

“Heather,” she squeals and hugs me tightly. “I love you too, you little shit. Can we go home? I’m fucking exhausted and drunk.”

I look over at Noah, completely in shock, wondering what in the hell he said to her.

He winks at me, and I know his love for me is unconditional. Noah speaks to the waitress about paying our bill while Joel helps me get the drunkie out to a cab.

We’ve finally folded her into a cab when Noah walks out and climbs in the back with us, while Joel takes the front seat next to the driver. It doesn’t take long to get home, but when we manage to get Dillen inside, she immediately passes out on the couch.

“Thank you for helping, Joel. You really didn’t have to do that.”

“Yeah, I did. I fed her the majority of those shots, so she’d stay away from Coen. I think she’s got some intense feelings toward him, but I like Lana. I believe she’s what Coen needs right now.”

I nod in agreement and sigh as I slip my heels off. I watch, my heart melting, when Joel walks over to the end of the couch and crouches at Dillen’s feet. He methodically takes her strappy heels off and covers her with a blanket. It looks like Joel has feelings for her that he’s not letting on to.

Noah snakes his arm around my waist and kisses the top of my head. “Joel, you’re welcome to crash here. That couch is big enough for an army.”

“I don’t know, man. I wouldn’t want her to wake up thinking I took advantage of her.”

“I don’t think you have anything to worry about, man,” Noah says as Dill snorts in her sleep.

I hold in a giggle and walk past Joel. “Stay here tonight. I’m going to get you two pillows.”

“I’ll grab them, Heather.” He runs after me, and as I pull the closet door open in the hall, he snags the pillows and two blankets.

“You are too nice, Joel,” I say as I snap one of his suspenders.

He winces and moves away from me. “Fuck, Heather,” he says, laughing. He walks back into the living room where Noah is removing the back pillows from the couch to make more room for each of them to sleep.

I walk over and look down at her. “Should I get her into some of my jammies?” I ask Noah in particular, since he’s previously seen her in her bra and panties. “That dress is going to be extremely uncomfortable to sleep in.”

“I think that would be best. I’d prefer not to wake up to a naked Dillen.”

“Okay. I’ll be right back, guys.” I smile to myself as I make my way upstairs and find some satin Victoria’s Secret jammies for her to wear. With the way Joel seems to act around her, I think it could actually work. He may be just the right guy to tame her.

When I come back downstairs, Noah has Dillen sitting up next to him while Joel kneels in front of her, holding up a pink straw to her lips. “Dillen, it’s just water. You need this more than you know.”

I find Joel’s voice soothing and rough at the same time. Any woman can see that this man is gorgeous from the inside out, and I kind of hope Dill can see it too.

Groaning, she pushes the water out of her way and tries to lie back down, but Noah doesn’t budge. He keeps her sitting upright, and the men start to laugh.

“Jesus, she’s a handful,” Joel says through his laughter.

“Yeah, but she’s got a good heart—she just doesn’t know how to show it. And hell, don’t get me started on her tear ducts.”

I’m smiling, listening to them describe my best friend when Joel tries again. “Come on, doll, don’t fall asleep just yet. You need to get some water into your system,” he prods, and Noah shakes her shoulders just a bit to rattle her eyes open.

“Please, I just want to sleep,” she mumbles groggily.

They both laugh again, and I walk over, unfolding the satin pajamas. “Baby, help me get her dress off?”

Joel’s eyes shoot up to me, and he takes a step back. “I’ll wait in the kitchen,” he says, getting up faster than I’ve ever seen him move and goes to the kitchen, keeping his back turned to us.

I pout my lip out at Noah and mouth, “Awww, how cute.”

“Who Joel?” he says softly as he holds Dillen’s limp body up for me.

I nod and smile as I pull her dress up and over her head. Noah feeds her arm through one of the sleeves and pulls it around her back. “Looks like you’ve done this before, Ryan,” I tease as I get her other arm in.

“Undressing a woman? Yes. Undressing an unconscious woman? No.”

I narrow my eyes at his comment. “Is it me, or is Joel enjoying being around her a lot?” I crouch down at her feet and start maneuvering the pants around her legs. “I think he truly likes her.”

Noah looks up to where Joel is in the kitchen. “Possibly. They are complete opposites, though.”

I shrug at his comment and grunt when I try to get the pants up over her butt. “Are you even helping me?” I joke as I tug them up successfully, and then drop onto the floor out of breath.

Noah lays her down while his chest rumbles with a laugh. “Joel, you’re a good man.”

I hear him rustling in the kitchen before he comes back with another glass of ice water and a sandwich. I start to giggle uncontrollably. “Joel! How did you find the stuff to make that?”

Noah’s looking at him in shock. “What the hell, man? Where’s mine?”

“Dude, make your own because I’m sure as fuck not sharing with you. Heather, I just opened this thing we call a fridge. It’s a great invention.”

I smile and pat my belly as I lie on my back on the floor. “Nu-uh, I’ve got to keep my figure.”

Noah bends over and picks me up, throwing me over his shoulder. “I know what I’m about to eat. Joel, have a good night. Don’t fuck Dillen in her sleep, and we’ll see you in the morning,” he jokes.

“’Night, fuckers,” he replies, and I wave to him as I’m being carried away.

NOAH

I’ve just woken up to my naked ballerina sprawled on top of me. I rub my hand down my face as I try to force myself to wake up. It’s Saturday morning, and I’m usually studying before Heather gets up, but I don’t think I should try to shift her right now.

As my eyes open and focus, I watch her sleep peacefully. I hated how hurt she looked last night when Dillen said that shit to her. There’s only been a few times in my life that I’ve wanted to shake some sense into a woman, and last night Dillen made the cut. Heather has been nothing but sweet and steadfastly caring to her friends and family. She deserves better treatment from everyone, including myself.

She runs her hand up my chest and tilts her head up to look at me. “Good morning, beautiful, did I wake you?”

She squeaks out the cutest damn sound as she stretches and sits up. “No, my stomach woke me.”

I move my hands to her hips and wink up at her. “I can make blueberry pancakes if you’d like.”

Her beautiful jade green eyes light up, and it makes me want to do more things to keep her happy.

“Mmm, yes, please,” she says before giving me a full view of her ass as she crawls to the end of the bed.

I’ve made the pancakes while Joel and Dillen sleep, and Heather gets showered. I’m rather looking forward to Heather’s reaction when she sees them curled around each other.

I wonder how in the hell he’s going to talk himself out of this one.

I look up when Heather flitters down the stairs. Her eyes are focused on the living room, and she changes course from me and over to them. I watch as she creeps quietly and peeks over the edge of the couch. Her burst of excitement puts a smile on my face, and I play it cool when she hurriedly makes her way over to me. Her voice is quiet, but she’s shouting her whisper, “Oh my God, did you see them?”

I wrap her in my arms, just where she should be and lift her onto the counter. “I did, but I still think we win.”