The Heart Series: Complete Boxed Set (51 page)

“Izzy . . .”

I didn’t answer.

Correction, I couldn’t answer.

“Izzy.” His soft lips kissed along my jawline, his stubble reminding me where he had been only moments earlier.

“Izzy, come back to me.”

My eyes fluttered open to stare into his delicious blue. “Is that my name?” I asked teasingly.

A huge smile spread across his face. “Oh baby, I did a good job then?”

More than a good job.

“Oh you did good, baby.”

He moved closer, his breath tickling my face, stirring something inside me again. “Well, my girl should never expect anything less.” He kissed and teased the skin on my shoulder, slowly making his way to my favourite spot.

I sighed in complete contentment, lifting my chin to give him better access.

“Joel, if you keep this up I may never move from this bed again.” Right now that sounded like heaven.

“Hey, I wouldn’t be complaining. You, me in this bed forever, sounds like a plan.”

I giggled at his straight face, I think he was actually serious. “I wish that were true.” I sighed, with all my heart. “Speaking of getting back to the real world, Elijah has picked the venue for our next double date night.”

Joel groaned turning onto his back, running his hand down his face, sighing loudly. “Oh god, I don’t want to ask.”

Joel had picked the place last time. It was a more manlier pub. I think he was trying to prove a point, which I knew would only fuel Elijah’s payback even more.

“Do you not want to know where we’re going?” A huge smile crept along my face.

Yep, payback was a bitch.

He dropped his hands down from his face, looking hesitant. “Where?”

I bit my lip, trying to stifle the laugh. “Sparkles.”

Joel’s eyes widened in horror. “I am not going to a gay club.”

Sparkles was one of the cheesiest gay clubs in town, it wasn’t a place where Elijah hung out but I guess all of this was for Joel’s benefit.

He sat up in annoyance. “I mean it, Iz. I’m not going there, I’ll be eaten alive.”

“Well, someone thinks a lot of themselves.” It was true, he would be the main attraction. I’d be fighting them off all night, but it would be funny to watch.

He flounced out of the bed. So much for staying here forever! I closed my eyes unable to watch him pace the room like a mad man.

“I mean it, I’m not going. Do you know how much shit I’ll take from the guys going somewhere like that?”

I rolled my eyes in annoyance. “Relax, Joel, your man card will be firmly in place. We’ll just go for an hour. You have to do this to prove to Elijah that you can adapt and not be so uptight around gay guys.”

He spun around fast, jeez, he was going to make me dizzy at this rate, I was grateful to be lying down. “I’m not uptight around gay guys.”

Yeah, whatever. “Just go to prove to Elijah you are the bigger man.”

A smirk touched his lips. “Well, we know that already.”

And I so did. I winced slightly, still feeling deliciously sore.

I sat up, feeling the sheet pool around my waist. Joel’s eyes instantly heated.

Already?

“Look, I’ll sit on your knee all night if you want, there will not be a moment where anyone will question your sexuality, alright?” I pleaded with my eyes for him to say yes.

He snorted his disapproval, but I could see already he was slowly wavering. “Okay, but you tell no one, and you owe me big time.”

Wow, he was such a drama queen, though I kept that thought to myself.

“Come back to bed, baby.” I reached out my hand teasingly knowing he’d take the bait.

He smiled mischievously and my insides clenched. “I think you need to start making it up to me right now.”

“Whatever do you have in mind?” I asked, looking forward to the answer.

“Let me show you.”

* * *

The music was pounding and with each step closer I felt Joel stiffen and his hand tighten around mine.

Oh, this was going to be fun!

Joel’s eyes silently pleaded with mine to turn around, he’d already tried using sex as a weapon to persuade me. But despite his best efforts we were going into this club, whether he liked it or not.

Elijah and Sam were stood proud outside, enjoying every moment of horror currently spread across Joel’s face. Sparkles was one of those dated gay clubs. I was pretty sure this was Elijah’s twisted way of making a point. Joel looked hot as per usual, his black shirt only seemed to emphasise his frame, while his guns were out on show for all to see. His jeans were cut in a way that only accentuated his amazing thighs. Elijah and Sam gave him the once over; they were practically drooling. If their response were anything to go by, I’d be fighting them off with a stick all night.

What the hell was I thinking?

I was dressed in a pretty little floral playsuit with nude heels, but I might as well have worn a bin bag as all eyes would be on Joel tonight. I just had to sit back and enjoy the show.

The moment we walked through the door, Joel was pinned with a look from virtually all eyes in the room. He pulled me in tighter. I could smell his fear a mile off. These men were more than ready for the fresh meat that had just entered the room.

“I’ll go to the bar,” Elijah suggested, and we all walked off to find a table. We finally chose one in the corner, it was Joel’s decision, trying to keep as far out of the limelight as possible.

“Just an hour, Iz, and then we’re gone and as punishment I am going to keep you up all night for dragging me here.”

I flushed hoping Sam couldn’t hear us, but I was pretty sure no one could hear anything over the 80s disco style music currently filling the room. The music wasn’t to our taste, but Elijah would be in his element of course.

“That doesn’t sound like punishment to me,” I teased, squeezing his thigh. I then felt movement. Oh god, this was the last place I wanted him to be hard.

He shuffled looking slightly uncomfortable, adjusting himself. “I think we have a few more walls to christen. You are going to be hoarse by the time I’m through with you.”

“Can’t wait.” I grinned, grabbing the cocktail from Elijah, taking a long hard swig.

Was it suddenly hot in here?

“What’s wrong, baby? You look a little flushed. Do you want me to help you with that?” His fingers skimmed up my leg, leaving a trail of goose bumps in their wake. But I captured his hand before he could do any more damage and send me over the edge.

“Don’t,” I warned, grabbing his wrist, his face instantly broke out into a smile.

“You want me, baby?” he teased.

God, I always wanted him.

He stroked his nose lightly along my neck, breathing in my scent, sending a chill throughout my body.

“When you two have finished making out in the corner . . .” Elijah barked. Both our heads shot in his direction, before we burst out into laughter. It was soon wiped off when a group of guys walked over.

Holy shit, if their eyes were anything to go by then they looked like were about to devour Joel.

“Who’s the hot guy in the corner?” the blonde guy asked, while eye-fucking my boyfriend.

Elijah grinned, enjoying watching the colour drain from Joel’s face. “Oh, he’s my sexy friend, you guys like what you see?”

“We more than like. Are you single, mate, ’cause we’re up for a good time if you are?”

Oh god, even I was scared.

Joel’s hand gripped my thigh tight. “Yeah, sorry I’m taken,” he bit out. I was pretty sure his teeth were about to snap, I could hear them grinding above the music.

“He’s way out of your league, Tom,” Elijah scoffed.

Which was very true.

Tom shot Elijah a blazing look. “You weren’t though.”

Elijah’s face dropped, and Sam’s with it as he glared over at Elijah.

“What? He’s one of your hook-ups?” Sam said in disgust as Elijah tried his best to diffuse the situation.

“Oh purlease, you don’t ride that horse twice. I was drunk. I had the vodka goggles on.” Elijah laughed as Tom shot him daggers.

This was not good.

Tom’s eyes widened in anger. “Fuck you, Elijah,” he shrieked, flouncing off leaving us all sat open mouthed.

“God, he’s such a drama queen,” Elijah stated, taking a sip of his cosmopolitan.

Hello, pot meet kettle.

We both muffled our sniggering when Elijah looked over at us. “What?” he asked.

“You know what.”

“Oh I’m not half the drama queen he is,” Elijah protested, rolling his eyes.

“You sure about that?”

“Well, can I get your number then, Joel?” a voice suddenly piped up.

“Oh for god’s sake, Neil, can’t you recognise a straight guy twenty yards away? He has his hand clamped to Izzy’s thigh. Dear god does he need it tattooed across his forehead?”

“Jeez Elijah, calm down already, he could swing both ways.”

Joel’s eyes widened and his hand tightened against my leg, anymore and it would snap off.

“He doesn’t, trust me, I would have been all over that if he did.”

“Elijah,” I barked, not amused by his remark.

“Oh pipe down, Izzy, it’s a joke.”

Pffttt. Really?

He would pounce on him in a minute.

Neil huffed, storming off. We needed to leave. I thought girls were bad enough. But this was way worse than expected.

Joel pulled a face, turning my attention back to him.

“Hey, what’s wrong?” I asked. Well aside from the obvious of being potentially mauled by a room full of gay men.

“How much longer do we have to stay here?” Joel whined.

“One more round, which I do believe is yours.” Elijah sloshed back the last of his cosmo as Sam drained his beer.

“Izzy, the same?” His eyes flicked to my glass, and I nodded my approval. He dipped down to whisper in my ear. “Only one more, I want you fully awake for the torture I’m going to inflict on you the moment we get home.”

“Looking forward to it,” I breathed, gliding the cherry slowly along the cocktail stick before rolling it around in my mouth.

Joel’s eyes narrowed, he knew I was teasing him. I wanted to leave already, but it wasn’t fair to ditch Sam and Elijah just to let the games begin earlier. He walked over to the bar, into the lion’s den. Within seconds, he had a crowd around him like flies around honey.

“I think I should . . .” I moved to stand, but Elijah grabbed me, pulling me down.

“I think Joel’s a big enough boy, Iz. Well, we know that already.”

Sam snorted and I pursed my lips. My eyes continually flicked towards the bar as Elijah and Sam tried their best to keep me occupied. Ten minutes later Joel strolled over smiling with a tray full of drinks.

“You took your time.” I eyed him warily to check for teeth marks.

“Oh, just making some friends.” He quickly distributed the drinks, placing the tray on the vacant table beside us.

What the hell?

He sat down beside me, lifting his arm, resting it over the back of my chair. I sipped on my cosmo, the silence slowly growing between us. Elijah flashed me a look, waiting for Joel to spill the beans, but he remained tight-lipped.

“So Joel, have you met some new friends? You seemed awful chatty at the bar,” Elijah asked casually, though I could tell he was dying to know.

“Yeah, we were mainly talking football.” Joel shrugged, taking a sip of his beer.

“Football?” Elijah scrunched his nose in disgust.

“Well, one guy recognised the Arsenal badge on my tattoo sleeve and then we just got talking.” He didn’t elaborate further, he obviously didn’t know Elijah had persuasive ways of making him talk.

“And . . .” Elijah urged him with his eyes to continue.

“We swapped numbers, and we’re going to go see a match together.”

What? Oh shit.

I broke out into a coughing fit, a mixture of disbelief and the sheer fact my drink had went down the wrong way.

“Iz, are you okay?” he asked, patting my back. I was just grateful for the choking as I truly was lost for words. “Football,” I managed to croak out.

“Yeah, Nathan is a big Arsenal fan too.” Joel beamed.

Seriously?

My eyebrows raised in intrigue. “Was he hitting on you when he suggested it?” I bet he was. I should have gone with him, rookie mistake!

“He didn’t suggest it, I did.”

My eyes widened in horror. “Joel—”

“Izzy, he’s a sound bloke, he’s not like that.” He shook his head in irritation at my words, taking another sip of his beer.

Elijah gave me the raised eyebrows look. He wasn’t completely convinced either. “You won’t be saying that when he has his tongue down your throat at half time.”