Night After Night (7 page)

Sarcasm spilled from him, but it was the hurt she saw in the depth of his eyes that cut her to the core. She’d done this to him. Made him bitter and angry toward her. He was a man who now hated her, with good reason.

“Of course I care.” More than he’d ever know.

“Then you have a shitty way of showing it, Jessie.”

To her horror, hot tears burned the backs of her eyes. What in the world could she say to that? How could she explain to him that what she’d done had been a matter of self-preservation? That leaving him had been her only option, because it would have happened eventually, when he discovered that she was no longer the girl he’d once known. That one terrible, awful incident had changed the course of her life and her future with Noah. By ending their relationship and cutting off all contact she’d managed to salvage a bit of her pride, even if it had been at the expense of breaking his heart and shattering the strong, intimate bond they’d once shared.

God, there were so many questions glimmering in his gaze. And the answers were just too painful for her to reveal—even if he did deserve an explanation.

“Jessica? Everything okay?”

Simon’s concerned voice cut into her thoughts from somewhere behind her, and she watched as Noah shifted his gaze and scrutinized her burly bodyguard with something akin to contempt. She knew Noah was wondering who the guy was, and Jessica didn’t bother to clarify Simon’s presence.

“Yes, I’m fine,” she said, loud enough for Simon to hear. Then, taking the coward’s way out, she said to Noah, “I really do have to go. It was nice seeing you again.”

She walked away, and this time he didn’t stop her.

“Are you sure you still want to spend the evening at Taboo?” Zoe stepped out onto her apartment balcony, joining Jessica by the railing where her friend was drinking one of the leftover wine coolers from the other night and staring off into the distance—much too quiet and contemplative for Zoe’s liking. “I completely understand if you’d rather not, and there’s still time for me to call Sean and cancel the limousine he’s sending for us.”

“Don’t worry about me.” Jessica waved her hand in the air, causing the gold and crystal bracelets stacked on her wrist to make a soft tinkling sound. “I’m fine. Really.”

Zoe’s best friend was such a bad liar. Jessica wasn’t fine. Outwardly she might look confident and spectacular in her sparkly, champagne-colored dress and Jimmy Choo heels, but internally she was an emotional wreck. Zoe could see the pain in Jessica’s eyes, along with the guilt of what had transpired between her and Noah all those years ago.

When Jessica had returned from wherever she’d disappeared to when Zoe was signing her lease agreement, Zoe had known immediately that something was wrong. Jessica had looked shaken and pale, and as soon as they were sitting alone in the back of the Town Car, Zoe had insisted on knowing what had happened. That’s when Jessica had spilled about running into Noah at Taboo. Come to find out he was the general manager of the nightclub.

“But I
am
worried.” Leaning her arms on the railing, Zoe glanced at her friend’s profile, hating that Jessica was hurting at all. “I don’t want you feeling uncomfortable in any way. We don’t have to go to Taboo.”

“Yes, we do,” Jessica said, turning a smile Zoe’s way. “Because your hot man went through the trouble of making sure our group will be well taken care of and it would be rude to back out now. Tonight is all about
you,
and I’m not ruining your evening just because I ran into an old flame.”

Not just any old flame, but the love of Jessica’s life.

“I’m a big girl and I can handle this,” Jessica went on, then finished the last of her strawberry daiquiri for a bit of liquid fortitude. “Besides, I doubt there’s anything left to say between Noah and me. He wasn’t thrilled to see me, so I’m pretty sure he’ll ignore my presence tonight.”

“Do you really want him to?”

“No…but yes.” Jessica sighed, the sound tinged with anguish as she ran a hand through her curls and pulled them away from her face. “God, he looked so good. And he was so angry and bitter. After all these years, I hadn’t expected that.”

“You honestly thought he’d be happy to see you?”

She didn’t even flinch at the brutally honest question Zoe asked. “Well, no, not exactly. But I didn’t think he’d hate me so much.”

Zoe had never agreed with how Jessica had handled things with Noah all those years ago, but she’d always been supportive of her best friend. And Zoe would continue to be so, no matter how Jessica decided to handle
this
situation.

“I doubt he hates you,” Zoe said, trying to be reasonable.

Jessica’s smile was sad. “You didn’t see the way he looked at me. It was as if I’d devastated him.”

Zoe wasn’t sure what to say to that and considered the safest response. “It was a long time ago, Jess.”

“You’re right.” Jessica pulled in a deep breath and visibly shook off her melancholy mood. “Isn’t it about time for us to go? We’ve got some major celebrating to do tonight.”

Jessica headed back into the living room to grab her purse, giving Zoe her cue to follow…and to leave their too-emotional conversation behind.

By the time they arrived at Taboo, the place was already packed inside, with a line out the door. Sean met them at the nightclub’s entrance and led the way up to the private skybox he’d secured for them for the night. Zoe, Sean, Jessica, and four of her band members had free rein of the VIP services, which included a buffet, an open bar, a sitting area, and a balcony that overlooked the lower dance floor and the live band currently rocking the joint.

“Here’s your apple martini.”

Shivering at the sound of Sean’s deep, sexy voice, Zoe turned from where she was standing at the banister securing the lounge area and accepted the cocktail that he’d insisted on getting for her. She took a drink, tasting the tang of apple schnapps and the kind of premium vodka that went down smooth and easy. The sugar on the rim was just a bonus.

“Thank you,” she said, licking a few sweet granules from her bottom lip. “It’s perfect.”

“Good.” Settling in beside her, he leaned against the railing, his gaze taking in the chaos below. Tonight he was wearing a pair of black jeans and a dark purple pullover shirt that was unbuttoned at the throat, making him look more gorgeous than a man had a right to.

After a few moments, he glanced back at her, his blue eyes warm and inviting as they slid across her bare shoulders and took a second to appreciate the low-cut bodice of her dress and the soft swells of her breasts before making his way back up to her face. Knowing he’d been caught ogling her, he merely smiled unapologetically as he took a drink from his bottle of beer.

“Are you having a good time?” he asked.

“I am.” Her only concern was Jessica, but she seemed to be okay.

Currently, she was talking with her drummer and laughing at something he said. All in all, she’d managed to put her own angst aside and appeared more relaxed. Zoe was sure the second cosmo her friend was gulping down was helping to give Jessica a false sense of complacency. Whatever worked to calm her was fine by Zoe.

Taking another sip of her apple martini, Zoe smiled at Sean. “I was just watching the crowd enjoy the music. It’s crazy down there,” she said, indicating the huge, spacious area jam-packed with party revelers. “It certainly isn’t a place for someone who might be claustrophobic.”

He laughed. “I don’t know. It could be fun.”

“You think?” She wasn’t so sure.

“If you enjoy a little dirty dancing, then yeah, I’d call that fun.”

His slow, shameless grin sent a rush of heated awareness through her veins. Feeling her skin warm with what was becoming an ever-present flush around him, she shifted her gaze back down to the throng of people and considered his comment.

Dirty dancing
was an apt description for what was going on below. People were dancing to the music, the tight confines of the floor space forcing them to brush up intimately, and very suggestively, against their partners. There was a lot of rubbing, shimmying, and grinding going on between couples, and Zoe felt a bit like a voyeur watching it all.

After a while, Jessica joined Zoe and Sean at the railing to people-watch. The music was loud, and no one paid any attention to them in their private skybox. The band playing for the Friday night crowd had most everyone up and dancing, including Zoe and Jessica. With a bit of alcohol in their system, they were laughing and having a great time, letting loose and enjoying the evening until the band announced they’d be taking a short break.

Rippling sounds of disappointment filled the air, and as the band members headed off the stage a tall, dark-haired man wearing a navy suit stepped up to the microphone. Zoe did a double take, recognizing the guy as Noah Young. A grown-up, good-looking version of the teenager she remembered. Standing at the railing next to Jessica, Zoe cast a sidelong glance at her friend, noticing the frown that now replaced the smile she’d been wearing only minutes before.

“Hey, everyone,” Noah said, greeting everyone in a loud, jovial voice. “I’m the general manager of Taboo, and I hope you all are having a great time tonight.”

The crowd roared their approval.

“That’s exactly what I want to hear,” he said, and grinned. “Hopefully, it’s going to get a lot more exciting. I’ve been told we have a celebrity in the house tonight,” he went on just as a spotlight flashed up to the second floor of the club, illuminating Jessica and her halo of signature auburn curls. “Let’s give it up for Jessica Morgan!”

The mass of people turned, looked up, and as soon as they spotted Jessica went wild, yelling and clapping enthusiastically. The sound was thunderous and deafening. With everyone’s attention on Jessica, she smiled good-naturedly and waved, a performance in itself.

“Maybe you all could persuade Jessica to come on down and sing a few of her songs,” Noah suggested, encouraging the crowd to increase their boisterous, relentless cheers.

It didn’t escape Zoe’s notice that Noah’s gaze was locked on Jessica, and vice versa, in a silent battle of wills. He’d just issued her a direct challenge and was waiting to see how she handled the dare.

Zoe expected Jessica to be a little upset that she’d been put on the spot so blatantly, by someone who was clearly trying to goad her, but much to her surprise her friend was incredibly poised and a consummate professional in front of so many fans. Whatever animosity was simmering between Noah and her, Jessica wasn’t about to show it with hundreds of people witnessing her every move.

Instead of politely declining the invitation, Jessica leaned over the railing and dazzled them all with a wide grin. “I’d love to give you guys a miniconcert! I’ll be right down.”

When Jessica turned back around and moved away from the banister, there was no missing the fire of determination blazing in her green gaze. It probably didn’t hurt that she had a few drinks under her belt to help bolster her fortitude as well.

“He’s such a jerk,” she muttered, voicing her frustration to Zoe. “He knew I wouldn’t say no to all these people and risk looking like a self-centered diva.”

Unable to argue Jessica’s point, Zoe instead grabbed her friend’s hands and gave them an affectionate, and reassuring, squeeze. “Just treat this like any other concert. You’ve done this hundreds of times before and you’re good at entertaining your fans.”

Jessica released a low groan, revealing a moment of vulnerability with Zoe. “It’s unnerving to know that
he’ll
be in the audience watching me.”

“Then give him a show he’ll never forget.”

Her chin lifted and she pushed her shoulders back, standing tall and proud. “You’re absolutely right. I’m going to do just that.”

Two men, part of the club’s security, came up to the skybox to escort Jessica and her band members down to the stage.

“Do Noah and Jessica know one another?” Sean asked as soon as the others were gone and the two of them were alone on the balcony.

“Yeah, you could say that.” Noah and Jessica’s story wasn’t hers to tell, so Zoe kept the explanation simple. “They have a bit of a history.”

“And chemistry, if I’m not mistaken.”

So, Sean had noticed that, too. Interesting.

It took about fifteen minutes for Jessica to get up to the stage and for her band members to familiarize themselves with the previous group’s instruments so they could play Jessica’s songs for her.

She picked up the microphone and addressed everyone in the club. “How’s everyone doing tonight?” she asked, ramping up the crowd again as they answered with resounding applause and zealous hoots and hollering. “Let’s get this place rockin’!”

As if on cue, her guitarist started strumming his electric guitar and her drummer hit a heavy, driving beat that seemed to shake the floor beneath the soles of Zoe’s shoes. Jessica started the set off with “I’ve Got It Bad,” a recent number-one hit that showcased her sultry, husky voice, then followed that up by the more emotional “I’m Good Enough.” When she started in on a rousing rendition of “Forget About It,” the mob responded by jumping and screaming and pressing closer to the stage.

Zoe had been to a few of Jessica’s concerts, but this performance was like none other she’d ever seen. Tonight, Jessica brought on the sex appeal, the heat, the energy that got people up on their feet and moving to the beat of the music. She strutted across the stage in her four-inch heels and sparkly, form-fitting dress and tossed her long hair like a sexy siren as she seduced the crowd with her voice and lyrics.

All for Noah’s benefit, no doubt.

Suddenly Zoe wanted to be a part of the crowd’s frenzy of excitement, instead of being alone with Sean up on the balcony, too removed from the fun and merriment happening below.

She turned to him. “Let’s go downstairs.”

After their conversation about how crowded it was on the lower level, her suggestion seemed to take him by surprise. “Are you sure?”

“Absolutely.” She tossed Sean’s own words back at him. “Could be fun.” Especially if it meant dirty dancing with him.

As if he’d read her thoughts, a rakish grin spilled across his lips. “I’m game.”

He grabbed her hand tight in his, and within a few minutes he’d managed to wend their way right into the middle of the melee, where they were shoulder to shoulder with the rest of the crowd and had a great view of Jessica up on the stage. With Sean standing behind her, Zoe rolled her hips in time to the pulsing beat of the music, bold and uninhibited, and all too aware of every time she brushed up against Sean.

It wasn’t long before she felt his hands drift along her waist, tracing her curves and following the sway of her hips. Then his palm slid around and he splayed his fingers low on her abdomen, pulling her closer, until her bottom was tucked firmly against his groin.

There was no mistaking the erection nestled against her buttocks, made all the more erotic and forbidden because no one could see what was going on below their chests. Through the material of her dress she felt the pressure of his hand on her belly, felt the heat and slow caress of his fingers just a few inches away from that sweet spot between her legs.

She leaned into him and let her head fall back on his shoulder. Lifting her hand, she ran her palm along his jaw and into his soft hair and moaned when his lips touched her neck and skimmed up to the shell of her ear. She continued to dance, to shimmy her hips deliberately against his, and he picked up her seductive rhythm and moved his body in sync with hers.

Breathless and incredibly aroused, she turned in his embrace, and he locked an arm around her, crushing her breasts to his chest. Mixed in with the mass of other people, he pushed a knee between hers, firm and insistent, until she was riding his thigh and so turned on she almost no longer cared that they were in a public place. He could easily slide his hand beneath her dress, touch her, make her come, and no one would ever know.

She shivered at the thought while he stared down at her, his gaze dark and hot, and smoldering with need. No man had ever looked at her with such blatant lust, wanting her with a hunger that matched the one tightening deep inside her.

The next thing she knew Sean was pulling her through the packed nightclub, and she willingly followed, trusting him and whatever he had in mind. They exited Taboo, and with her hand securely in his, he strode purposefully through the casino and adjoining hotel lobby, then out a set of glass doors that led to the Onyx’s pool area.

The immediate site was dimly lit, but as they passed the main pool and outdoor bar the pathway darkened, illuminated only by the soft glow of moonlight. The air outside was cool compared to the nightclub, but the evening breeze did nothing to douse the flame of desire still burning through her.

A manicured garden of foliage, flowers, and hedges gave way to another pool with rock formations and waterfalls that fed into various lagoons. “Where are we going?” she asked curiously.

“Somewhere dark and secluded where we can make out and not get caught.”

Oh.

They reached the farthest pool, where it was completely unlit and deserted for the night. Private and isolated, just how he wanted it. They passed rows of cabanas, and he finally ducked into one of the tented structures furnished with a table and chairs and a few oversized, cushioned chaise lounges.

He settled onto one of the chaises, sitting upright and stretching out his long legs, then crooked a finger at her. “C’mere, Zoe,” he said, his voice a mesmerizing blend of sex and sin.

As if she’d refuse the chance to make out with him again. The chair was wide, enabling her to climb onto his lap and straddle his waist with her knees. The hem of her dress stretched taut across her thighs, making it difficult to get as close to him as she wanted to.

He took care of the problem for her, boldly pushing the material of her dress higher, until the fabric bunched around her hips and he’d exposed her black lace panties. With a slow, wicked grin, he smoothed his hands around to her butt and dragged her forward, until her crotch came into contact with the hard ridge of his erection straining against the fly of his pants.

The wholly sexual contact made her moan. Aching to taste him, she framed his face in her hands and settled her lips against his. Slow, soft kisses gave way to a deeper hunger, a more aggressive need that had her moving restlessly against him. Her breasts swelled, her nipples tightened, and desire twisted and tensed between her legs.

One of his hands tangled in the hair at the nape of her neck, and he gently tugged her head back, his open mouth moving along her jaw before trailing damp, hot kisses down her throat. Her entire body shivered, and she whispered his name, a plea for more.

A lot more.

His lips skimmed back up the side of her neck to her ear, his breathing heavy. “I want to touch you,” he said huskily, and she knew he was asking her permission to take things further than just kisses and fleeting caresses. “Let me make you feel good. Let me blow your mind, without sex.”

For as much as every molecule in her body shouted
yes
to his generous offer, it didn’t seem fair that he’d go without. In her experience, not many men would be so selfless. “That’s very one-sided. What do you get out of it?”