Here With You (11 page)

"Does she know?"

Startled, he looked up to find the curious gaze of Nicole's roommate on him.

Standing in the doorway of her bedroom,
Susan
nodded at the shirt. "Does she know you have a crush on her?"

It wasn't a crush. He didn't know what it was—lust or love,
nostalgia
or forever—but whatever it was, it was stronger than a crush. "No."

"Don't tell her."

He blinked. "Excuse me?"

She gestured him closer, waiting to whisper, "Nicole flits from thing to thing. Men
are no different. She loses interest in them faster than she grows tired of her fancy
underwear."

"What are you saying?"

"I don't know." S
usan
smiled wide. "I just like you. I'd have thought you'd be a big
phony
, but I think you might be good for her. She's one in a million. You understand what
I'm saying?"

"I think so," he said even though he wasn't sure.

He was rewarded with a brilliant smile. "Good," she said, patting his chest. "Have
fun tonight."

She retreated into her room.

Nicole's door opened. She looked hot in tight jeans, dark red boots, and a sweater.
Her hair was pulled into a ponytail, and she'd put on a little lipstick—not that it
covered the surly downturn on her mouth.

"You look eager," he joked. He tipped his head toward the door. "Come on. I promise
it'll be fun."

She slipped into her jacket, grumbling under her breath. Then she said, "D
i
d I hear you and
Susan
talking?"

"Yeah." He
grabbed a cap and his coat before
escort
ing
her out of the apartment. "She's a nice girl."

"Where
's your car
?" Nicole asked
when she saw the town car waiting at the curb.

"Parked." He opened the door for her and gave the driver the club's name. "I thought
it'd be better, in case we decided to drink."

"Responsible of you. Where are we going?"

"A little club. A friend of mine is playing there tonight."

"You have friends?" she asked as she slid into the car.

"Trey's not picky."

Nicole curled onto the back seat, looking around with wide eyes. "I've never been
in a limo."

"It's just a town car."

"In my world, it's a limo." She ran a hand over the leather seats. "You must be used
to this though."

He shook his head. "We travel in a bus most of the time. It's a luxury bus, but nothing
is luxurious when you have six unshaven guys around you twenty-fou
r/
seven."

She faced him. "And when you're home?"

"My parents' house?"

"Is that what you consider home?"

"It's more home than my apartment
in L.A.
" He smiled ruefully. "I'm at my apartment so rarely that I have a hard time finding
the bottle opener."

Nicole frowned at him. "That's sad."

"It's certainly pathetic." It wore on him, especially since he'd become less than
enchanted with music.

They arrived at the club. He got out and held his hand out for Nic.

She stared at it too long before she put her palm in his. Her grip felt hesitant and
he hated that, so he held her hand firm and sure. When she looked at him askance,
he said, "The
neighborhood
is sketchy. I'm protecting you."

She rolled her eyes. "It's the Tenderloin, not Libya. I think I'll be fine."

"Is holding my hand so awkward?" he asked as they walked into the bar.

"Yes." She faced him, but she didn't withdraw her hand. "Are you saying it's not?"

"It's different." He held their entwined hands between them, looking down at her fingers
wrapped in his. Yes, it felt strange, but new-strange rather than bad-strange. It
was like trying on a pair of new boots—they felt a little stiff but you knew they'd
be your favorite pair soon. "But you have to admit that it feels nice."

"I don't have to admit anything."

He grinned. "You're in a mood. Come on. I know what'll help."

He dragged her to an empty bar stool and seated her on top
. He pulled his cap lower over his forehead and caught
the bartender
's attention
.
He ordered two beers and then impulsively requested two shots of whiskey as well.

Nicole raised her brows as the bartender slipped the shots across the counter. "I'm
not partying hard tonight," she said as she lifted it.

"One shot, to warm us up." He lifted his glass.

She touched it to his and tossed it back, grimacing and taking a sip of her beer.
"We've never had drinks together, much less shots."

"That's not true." He set the glass down. "Remember the time we raided your parents'
liquor cabinet?"

"Of all the liquor, we picked Chartreuse because of the neon green color." She laughed.
"I still think Chartreuse is disgusting. Why did my parents even stock it?"

He loved the sound of her laughter. He'd sample it into a song, only he wanted it
all to himself. "It was a blessing that we hated the taste. Think of the hangover
it'd have caused."

"The band is good." She turned around so her back was to the bar and
beat her hand against her thigh in rhythm to the music
. "The lead
isn't bad.
H
is voice isn't as good as
your
s, but he can play the guitar.
"

"You think my voice is good?"

She made a face at him. "Don't fish. You know I've always believed in you and your
talent."

He wanted to take her hand again. He wanted to confess everything that was filling
his heart right in that moment. He wanted to tell her he'd been a fool to leave her
for so long, and that her absence had left a big gaping hole in his world.

"A good friend of mine is in the audience tonight," a voice cut over the music. "Maybe
he'll come up and play with us?"

Grif looked up to see Trey looking at him questioningly.

Nicole nudged him. "Go. It's what we're here for."

No, tonight was about being with Nicole. But the way she looked at him, like she wanted
him so desperately to sing, got to him. He nodded, taking his cap off and running
a hand over his hair.

There was a collective shocked gasp from the crowd, and then Trey announced, "Give
it up for Griffin Chase."

A rousing round of applause filled the room, but he only saw Nicole's pleased smile.
He kissed her cheek, unable to help it, and then joined the band on stage, accepting
the guitar Trey handed him.

He took the instrument respectfully, giving it the due it deserved. He slipped the
strap over his head, took a moment to tune it, and then smiled at the audience.

They smiled back, excited and eager.

Something in his chest shifted. He truly did love seeing the happiness in the faces
when they listened to him.

Then he looked at Nicole.

She sat on the edge of her seat, her beautiful eyes wide and full of belief in him.
She smiled and nodded in encouragement.

He returned his attention to the crowd, his fingers strumming idly, getting the feel
of the guitar. "I wrote this song for my best friend a long time ago," he said, launching
into
Lost
.

The band took a second and then jumped in, playing along expertly. He sang the words
directly to Nicole, seeing the shock in her eyes. The song ended, and they launched
right into the Beatles, followed by the Rolling Stones.

He winked at Trey and lifted the guitar strap over his head. Trey leaned into the
microphone and said, "Griffin Chase, everybody."

The applause was loud. Waving his thanks, Grif headed back to Nicole. The band began
singing their next song as he made his way through the crowd. He paused to acknowledge
fans, but he only had eyes for her.

When he finally reached her, he held out his hand. "Dance with me."

For a second, he didn't think she was going to accept his invitation, but then she
put her hand in his and slid off the stool. He led her to the dance floor and whirled
her into his arms.

She nestled into him, raising her mouth to whisper in his ear. "W
ere you serious?
Y
ou wrote that song for me?"

He touched the corner of her mouth, trying hard to resist kissing her. "I
t was my first big hit. I was playing with some band that broke up years ago, and
I was homesick, and I missed you. The song came to me in a wave. You've always been
my inspiration
, Nicole
.
"

They swayed slowly to the music. At first,
she didn't say anything,
but
then she said
,
"You still have the arrowhead."

"I never take it off."

Her lips pursed into a frown.
"
You don't have to say things like that just to score points.
"

"
I'm not.
" He gazed into her eyes so she could see the truth in his.

She rested her head against his shoulder. "We can't do this."

"Why not?"

"You're going to leave."

"I'm here with you now. Besides, won't it be better that way? You don't like to be
trapped by any one thing. This is good for both of us. You don't have to worry about
me wanting more."

"And you?"

He got to love her, even if it was for entirely too short. He pulled her close, so
there was no question that he was aroused. "What do you think?"

She gazed at him. He slowed down their dance, pulling her flush against him. She wrapped
her arms around his neck, shimmying sexily against him.

He ran his hand up her side, resting just below the swell of her breasts. His grip
tightened of its own volition.

She licked her lips, lifting her face. It was the most natural thing in the world
to lower his mouth to hers and kiss her.

Chapter Thirteen

Nicole
saw the kiss coming
and did nothing to stop it
.

She didn't want to.

She didn't want to think about it either. She closed her eyes and just felt.

It felt wonderful.

They stopped swaying to the music despite the people gyrating around them, bumping
into them. The noise of the room faded until the only thing she heard was the beat
of her heart heavy in her head. Nothing else existed—just Grif and the touch of his
lips.

His arm snaked around her waist, anchoring her to him, while his other hand cupped
her face, his fingers trailing over her as if he was trying to memorize her.

She pressed herself closer, feeling him hard and insistent between them.

She'd dreamt of kissing him again. She'd spent hours thinking about it, imagining
it—praying for it, if she were being honest.

The reality of the kiss now was nothing like she'd imagined.

His fingers slipped into her hair, massaging the base of her skull so she felt like
purring. She pressed closer—she needed to be closer.

He kissed across her cheek, to her jaw, and then whispered in her ear. "
Unless you want to be on the front page of
People Magazine
tomorrow we should take this party someplace more private.
"

More private.
She shivered, knowing what he was suggesting, knowing he was asking for her consent.
"
And then what?
" she said.

He gazed at her soberly. "
Whatever you
want, Nicole
.
"

That was the problem: she wasn't sure what she
wanted
, though at the moment she was pretty sure it involved more of his talented mouth
on various parts of her body.

Grif rubbed his thumb along her jaw. "
Doubts?
"

He knew her too well. "Yes."

"We're not eighteen, Nic." He brushed her hair aside. "We're going into this with
our eyes open, right?"

Her eyes may be wide open, but she wasn't sure what she was seeing.
"We're crossing a dangerous line, and we won't be able to go back. What if sex sucks?"

Smiling slowly, he touched the corner of her mouth. "If our kisses are any indication,
sex might kill us but it definitely won't suck."

"True." She nodded.
"Get me out of here."

"Let's go."

The car was waiting for them outside. The driver hopped out to open the door for them,
and they slid in.

Grif turned to
her. "Where should we go?"

She almost said her place, because they were both staying there after all, but then
she thought about the logistics.
Susan
was there, and did she really want a strange man in her bed?

Well, granted, it was Grif, not a strange man. But she'd never brought any man home
. S
he'd never had sex with anyone in her bed, not even the guys she dated. It seemed
so personal and, frankly, she never stuck with them for very long. So she said, "Hotel."

He
didn't bat a lash
. "Which one?"

Was it odd that he didn't question her
choice
? "Any hotel. Pick one."

He pulled out his phone. In a few seconds
,
he
motioned to the driver
. "
The Four Seasons
."

It was only a few blocks away, on Market Street,
s
o t
hey were there in minutes. She looked out at the subtle placard on the hotel's
entrance
as a doorman opened her door for
them
.
Fancy
. She shrugged. If you were going to have an affair, why not the Four Seasons?

Grif
took her hand and led her inside
. Nicole knew she should have felt mortified at
checking in
at a hotel—a
really
nice hotel—after midnight
, with a well-recognized celebrity no less. But
she was more excited than anything. This was romantic in a big way. No guy had ever
done this for her.