Bliss Series Boxed Set: The Whole Damn Harem (100 page)

Feeling bold, and with three shots and two whiskeys in me in short succession, I shrug to myself and decide to let fly.

Zoe:
As much fun as I’m allowed to have in front of my brother and his friends.

Noah:
I’ve already told him I’d be on my best behavior. No more drinks for me, otherwise who knows what I’ll do.

Zoe:
Worked out okay for me last time . . . well until it went bad.

Noah:
Cue awkward radio silence.

Zoe:
So no inappropriate kissing of strangers tonight?

Noah:
I’m behaving myself.

Zoe:
You’re no fun :P

Noah:
Yes, I am. Must say though, if I was giving out awards tonight, the award for best showing of skin would go to you. That dress is fucking phenomenal.

Zoe:
Could that be classed as inappropriate?

Noah:
If I were going to be inappropriate I'd add that you'd also win best ass and best rack . . .

Noah:
And the ultimate award, winner for having the longest legs that I'd most love to get between.

Zoe:
How do I claim that prize?

Noah:
Give me a minute. I'm still stuck on the highlight reel from the judging.

I lift my eyes and see him looking at the hemline of my skirt, making me self-consciously pull it down a little. Returning my attention to our text conversation, I decide to push him.

Zoe:
Would I have to give a speech for these awards?

Noah:
Screaming ‘Oh god’ and ‘Noah’ over and over would suffice as an acceptance speech.

Zoe:
You're incorrigible.

Noah:
I'm just looking at what I want and deciding on how I can go about getting it.

Zoe:
Play your cards right, and you might just have a chance.

Noah:
Never been much of a gambler. I'm more into positive affirmations.

Zoe:
Such as . . .

Noah:
Yes please . . . right there . . . harder . . . faster . . .

Jeez, am I too young to have hot flashes? I shift around in my seat, my breathing coming faster now as a wave of heat travels from my cheeks all the way down to my toes. Even my best pornographic imaginings of Noah don’t have such an intense effect on me as the thought of him taking me into one of Sean’s back rooms and giving me my prize is.

Zoe:
I need a minute.

Noah:
I need a hell of a lot longer than a minute.

I look up to see his retreating back as he walks away, phone still in his hand.

Well then, safe to say the feeling is mutual.

“What I Like About You”

Noah

That woman is driving me crazy. Crazy and suicidal, because if I wasn’t sure about my growing feelings for Zoe before, I sure as hell am now.

Zander had already given me the ‘back off’ speech at the bar.

“We’re cool, as long as you stay away from my sister. You’re a friend and I respect you, but that’ll all be lost if you touch her. You’re six years older and she’s been through the ringer lately. The last thing she needs is another guy screwing with her head like the last one did.”

“She told me about him.”

His head had reared back in shock. “She told you about Justin?”

“Yeah, and if he’s stupid enough to show his face around here then it won’t just be you he has to worry about, put it that way.”

He’d stared at me for a beat before nodding, that respect he’d talked about evident in his intense glare.

Then he’d slapped me on the back and walked back over to his fiancée.

And in a moment of weakness, I’d sent a text to Zoe telling her I liked her dress.

It had gotten out of hand and now I’m walking away to get some breathing room. I’m giving myself a time-out because if I don’t walk away, I’m likely to ignore everything her brother just told me, and drag Zoe to the nearest private room, supply closet, dark corner . . . you get the point.

About an hour and a few drinks later—something I make sure I keep in check—Daniel gives me the sign that it’s go time.

We both walk over to Zander, who’s leaning back against the leather seat with his arm draped possessively around Kate. She gives me a wink when she sees us, sitting up straight and turning toward her man.

“Zan,” she almost purrs, running her hand over his chest to get his attention.

“Yeah babe?”

“I have a surprise for you . . .”

He looks at her suspiciously with a furrowed brow. “Really? Does it involve you, me, and a spanking bench, ’cause right now that look on your face has me wanting to find one.”

She giggles and blushes but continues on. “No, but this
is
your bachelor party, and you’re only going to have one of them. So the boys have organized a stripper for you down the hall.”

His eyes widen and he chokes on his drink. “You got me a stripper?”

She shrugs. “Yep. So go enjoy the show and I’ll see you soon.” She moves onto his lap, her legs straddling his legs, and plants a big fat kiss on his lips before jumping off and nodding at Daniel and I.

“C’mon, man, the stripper charges by the hour and you don’t want to keep her waiting.”

Zander gives Kate one last cautious look before standing up and following us past the bar and down into Sean’s room at the end of the hallway. I’ve never been in one of the rooms here, but the reputation of his club is still so secretive and illicit, that he’s told us there is never a shortage of patrons wanting to go ‘upstairs.’

“Here you go, Zan. Your one last hurrah before the ball-and-chain shackles you for life.”

His teeth tug at his bottom lip, as he looks between Daniel and I, the most unlikely of friendships but one that we all value. You’d think it would be awkward the way we came together, but because it was Mac and because of the way she is, she paved the way for all of us to stay friends without the baggage.

“She’s more than okay with this. Just go inside and wait, okay?” Daniel urges. Zander nods and walks into the room, and we pull the door shut behind him.

“Jesus, he’s going to flip his lid after this,” I mutter as we walk back down the corridor toward the bar.

“Nah, this is revenge I’m told. Something about a strip tease in which she couldn’t touch him. She wanted her chance to do it to him, and now’s she’s got it.” Daniel shrugs and looks around for Mac, his eyes softening when he sees her. “And as for me, I think it’s time I got my wife home. She looks like she’s preparing for a bender, and it’s never pretty the next day when she has a hangover.”

“And here’s the stripper now . . .” I announce as Kate walks past us with a shit-eating grin on her face.

There goes those two for the night.

When I spot Zoe talking to Zach, Zander’s best friend and ex-roommate, an unfamiliar surge of jealously courses through me. He’s more honorable than me though, and his body language is friendly toward Zoe but nothing more than that.

She says something to him and nods before downing the rest of her glass and walking toward me at the top of the stairs.

“I’m going home. I’m feeling drunkenly mellow, but any more and it’ll get messy, and me and messy don’t go well together. So I’m catching a cab.” She smiles up at me, and as if I’m having a major brain malfunction, all I can think about is pulling her body against mine and kissing the shit out of her. Again. “See you at work on Monday.”

I throw my arm out and hook it in hers, pulling her back as she tries to walk past me. “I’m not letting you go outside by yourself when it is . . .” I look at my watch, “ . . . eleven p.m. Besides, I was about to leave anyway. At least if we leave now we can share a cab and I won’t get hunted down by Zan. Well, it’ll give me a good head start on him anyway.”

“You wanna . . . share a cab?” Her eyes are full of hope, a flash of heat running through them.

“It’ll save you money, and I’m going that way anyway to get to my place. So it’s a win-win. Wait right here and I’ll just say my goodbyes.”

Nodding, she fidgets adorably as she just stands there waiting.

“Right. I’ll be back.”

I find Mac and Daniel talking to a group of people I don’t know. Tapping Mac on the shoulder, she spins around and shoots me a hilarious drunken grin. “Noah! Come join us. More shots!”

“Next time. I’m heading home. Going to share a cab with Zoe and make sure she gets home alright.”

“Noah . . .” Daniel growls, his eyes narrowed

“It’s just a cab ride, Dan. No harm, no foul.”

“Zander will throw a shit-fit. No, he’ll hunt you down and feed your cock back to you,” Mac says, simply stating fact.

I snort with laughter. “And what has my cock got to do with any of this?”

“You’re thinking with it.” She giggles. “And that’s a
lot
to think with.”

Daniel chuckles and pulls Mac into his side. “As you can see, my wife has had far too much to drink. But just be careful, alright?”

“Yes, Dad,” I reply. I give Mac a hug and Daniel a shoulder hug—anything more is for pussies—and turn back around to find Zoe, who is still standing where I told her to, those long legs of hers seeming to go on for miles.

It wasn’t a lie when I told her I wanted them spread for me. How I wanted her screaming my name as I made her come. Or, how she does have the best ass and rack in the place, an ass that I’m staring at right now and imagining my hands cupping as I hoist her up to straddle my hips.

Dammit. Now my cock has decided to come out and play, and that’s something that is
not
easy to disguise when you’re as . . . gifted . . . as I am in that department.

“We need to get out of here,” I growl when I reach her.

She tries to turn around to look at me, but I put my hands on her hips and push her forward, guiding her down the stairs carefully before grabbing her hand and literally dragging her outside onto the sidewalk.

The bouncer, whose name I can’t remember but I do know him, gives me a nod and a knowing smile. “Lucky bastard.”

It’s on the tip of my tongue to set him straight and tell him that there is not going to be a lucky night for either of us, but Zoe tugs at my arm and pulls me toward a taxi.

Opening the car door for her, I stupidly watch as she slides along the seat, her skirt inching up higher and higher, showing me what I’ve wanted to see more of all night—including the edge of blue lace underwear hugging the curves of her ass cheek.
Fuck my life
.

I give the driver her address and lean against the door, digging deep to find the new Noah—the one who won’t go inside with Zoe when we get to her place.

The entire cab ride is quiet, Zoe staying on her side of the seat and staying unusually quiet. Whenever I look over at her she looks contemplative, as if she’s mulling something over in her head.

Fifteen minutes later, we pull up to the curb outside their brownstone townhouse. I get out first, offering my hand to Zoe and helping her out of the car. “Keep the meter running. I’m just going to get her inside,” I instruct the driver.