Chapter 17
CHAPTER
SEVENTEEN
RHYS
Pulling the short, silky dressing gown tightly around me, I rush out front in search of Angel. He’s on the other side of the club from the stage door, so it takes a bit of weaving through the crowd to get to him.
I’m stopped a few times by men who compliment me on my routine, and a couple more by guys who flash me flirty smiles. I manage to politely put them off before I continue toward Angel.
Then there he is. He looks amazing. The jewel-toned green shirt hugs his wide shoulders and shows off the little swell of his belly. It’s unbuttoned at the collar, dipping low enough for some dark chest hair to poke out. A thick gold-link chain lies flat against his chest. The shirtsleeves have been rolled up to reveal his forearms, and dear fucking god, those forearms! They should be illegal, with how strong and furry they are.
Angel looks up as I approach and his eyes brighten when he sees me. He breaks out into a grin so wide it throws me off balance.
I didn’t bother to stop and change my boots, so I’m still tiptoeing in my sky-high performance heels. Normally, I can saunter around in them without a second thought. But the things Angel does to me are entirely abnormal.
I stumble toward him and he catches me, drawing me flush against his deliciously cushioned chest. With the extra six-or-so inches on my feet, I’m eye level with him. And even though it’s dark in the club, I can still see the deep, rich browns of his irises.
So close to him, I’m completely enveloped in that distinctly Angel scent. Fresh sawdust cuts through the sour, alcohol-soaked air of the club. I breathe deep, greedy for more.
“Hey,” I breathe, just loud enough for the sound to travel the few inches from my lips to his ears.
“Hey,” Angel replies, and I feel the rumble in his chest more than I actually hear the words.
“You made it.”
“I wouldn’t have missed it for anything.”
I blush. At least, I think I do. Blushing isn’t really my thing, I’m too shameless for that. But the heat in my cheeks is undeniable. See? Angel does abnormal things to me. He turns everything on its head, changes all the rules, makes me want things I’ve never wanted before.
Next to us, someone clears their throat loudly. I drag my gaze away from Angel to find Hayden standing right there, arms crossed, eyebrow lifted.
“Oh, hi, I didn’t see you there,” I say, guilt creeping in.
“Yeah, I know.” Annoyance mixes with amusement in his voice and our earlier conversation comes back to me .
Reluctantly, I pull away from Angel so we’re not blocking Hayden out. But I can’t stop myself from keeping a hand on his shoulder, and Angel keeps one of his on my lower back.
Fuck, that’s so hot. There’s something so possessive about a man touching me like that. Like he can’t bear to lose the contact. Like he’s making a public declaration that I’m his.
I lean into it. The heat from his palm seeps through the thin fabric of my robe and directly into my skin. The weight of it is perfect, just solid enough for me to know he’s there. It sends a sumptuous shiver through me, and I think I might have discovered a new erogenous zone.
Hayden looks back and forth between us, gaze lingering on the hand I still have on Angel’s shoulder. I can see the concern in his eyes, but he doesn’t say anything. More guilt creeps in, ruining the high I’ve been riding since spotting Angel from the stage.
I know he’s worried about me. He doesn’t want me to get hurt. I appreciate how much he cares, I really do. It’s just that…
Angel’s not like any of the other guys I might have foolishly pursued in the past. He’s gentle and tender. He’s innocent and sweet. There isn’t a single malicious bone in his body. I’d bet my entire wardrobe that he’s never had a single negative thought about anyone.
How am I supposed to stay away from him? How am I supposed to resist? Even if he is straight or so deep in the closet he’ll never see daylight. There’s just something about Angel that calls to me and I can’t ignore it.
“You were amazing up there,” Angel says, interrupting the silent conversation Hayden and I are having .
Gratefully, I turn my attention back to him. “Aw, thanks, teddy bear.”
“It’s really cool to see it in person instead of in a video.” The earnestness in Angel’s eyes is breathtaking.
Just how many videos of me has he watched? How many times has he watched them?
“You’ve seen videos of Rhys dancing?” Hayden asks.
Angel nods. “Yeah, that first time at your dad’s birthday. And then… I looked up more on my own.” He scratches his jaw a little sheepishly.
The look Hayden shoots me is conflicted. As if he wants to like Angel—because, come on, who can resist him?—but then remembers why he has his reservations.
“Just the dancing videos?” Hayden continues.
Angel flushes red, visible even in the dim and flashing lights of the club. “Uh, no, I’ve also seen… the other ones.” He sneaks a glance at me before dropping his gaze. “You were in some of them,” he says to Hayden.
“Oh.” A slight furrow appears between Hayden’s brows as he turns to me. “I didn’t know that.”
Shit. Hayden knows I’ve been talking with Angel a lot, obviously. But I didn’t tell him that Angel’s apparently been watching videos of me—dancing and fucking—almost nonstop since that party. It’s the type of thing I would normally share with Hayden. In fact, it’s something I’d usually brag about to all the boys. But I haven’t mentioned it because, well, I wasn’t sure how Hayden would react.
More evidence of Angel’s abnormal effect on me.
The hurt that flashes across Hayden’s face upends the bucket of guilt that’s been steadily dripping on me the past several minutes. But he quickly replaces it with one of his broad smiles, the same one his fans have dubbed his golden-retriever smile.
“I’m glad you got to come and see Rhys in person tonight,” Hayden says to Angel.
I have no doubt he’s sincere. Hayden is nothing if not always sincere and gracious. But I can still hear the tightness in his voice, the hint of discomfort.
His gaze suddenly shifts over my shoulder and a spark of relief colors his expression. “The guys are here. Let me flag them down.”
Hayden moves to slip past me. Angel’s arm around my waist draws me closer to give Hayden a couple extra inches of space. It leaves me pressed against Angel again, and I let myself melt into his body.
“Is he okay?” Angel asks, and I blink in surprise.
“Uh, what do you mean?” I’m usually the only one who can read Hayden’s microexpressions. And that’s because we’ve been best friends for years. Most people—even Sebastian and Noel—can’t read him nearly as well as I can.
“I dunno.” Angel scrunches up his face. So damn adorable. “He just seemed… off.”
My heart is already in danger of falling head over heels for Angel, and this only inches me closer. He pays attention. He notices the little things. He cares about someone who is basically a total stranger. I never realized how fucking sexy kindness could be.
I glance over my shoulder to where Hayden is saying hello to Sebastian and Noel and their respective boyfriends. He looks fine now, his typical grinning and cheerful self .
When I turn back to Angel, he’s watching me like he can’t tear his gaze away.
I don’t know what to do. Hayden is the most loyal friend I could ever ask for. He only wants what’s best for me. I understand where he’s coming from, and under any other circumstances I would wholeheartedly agree.
But I can’t help it. Maybe Hayden’s right and I’ll end up getting hurt. But that’s a risk I have to take.
The guys come over and I introduce Angel to Noel and Bellamy. Then we grab the VIP booth that’s usually reserved for The Camboy Network as part of the sponsorship deal Sebastian negotiated for us.
Angel and I sit next to each other, squished into the booth so tight I’m practically in his lap. He’s got his arm looped around my waist, hand resting on my opposite hip, and I’m leaning back against his chest.
Every now and then, I catch Hayden regarding us, wary and guarded, and I feel myself getting tugged in opposite directions. I keep fending off his concerns with claims that Angel is straight and there’s nothing but friendship between us. But the truth is, it’s frighteningly easy for me to forget that Angel’s not mine.
He’s so free with his touches, so casually intimate. He’s always looking at me like I’m some rare and precious jewel. How am I supposed to keep my defenses up? How am I supposed to stay away?
I leave the table for my second act of the night. It goes off without a hitch and my attention stays on the VIP booth the entire time. After I take my bow, I hurry back to the dressing room to change into my street clothes. I’m just behind the privacy screen, tugging on my shirt, when I hear Hayden’s voice .
He says hello to Anna and the other dancers hanging out back here.
“Oh my, and who is this you have with you?” Anna asks
I freeze. Did Hayden bring Angel to the dressing room? Why would he do that? I poke my head around the edge of the screen to find Angel with his ears glowing pink.
“Hi.” He waves shyly. “I’m Angel.”
“The newest addition to The Camboy Network,” Hayden adds.
That sends them all atwitter, shooting a barrage of questions at Angel.
“That’s supposed to be a secret,” I jump in, pinning Anna with a look. “Our video’s not out yet and Sebastian wants to do this whole launch thing, so you can’t tell anyone.”
Anna’s eyes grow even wider than they already were. “Our? You mean…” She points between me and Angel.
Ah, fuck. I didn’t mean to let that slip. And there’s no point in denying it now that Angel’s ears have gone fire-engine red. I move to stand in front of him, as if I can physically block him from view.
“It’s a secret!” I hiss at Anna, who just breaks out in laughter.
“Down girl, I wasn’t about to out your man.”
Longing surges through me at the description of Angel as my man. God, I want that so much, it’s staggering.
I glance cautiously back at Angel, not sure how he’ll take being called my man. But his only reaction seems to be the flush that has spread across his cheeks. His gaze is cast to the side and he scratches his jaw. Does it not bother him? How come he’s not denying it ?
“Anyways, it’s lovely to meet you, Angel.” Anna holds out her hand, palm down.
After a moment of hesitation, Angel takes it and brings it to his lips for a quick brush.
“What a gentleman!” Anna exclaims. “I wish I could stick around longer, but the show must go on!”
She can’t leave fast enough, in my opinion.
I take Angel’s hand, the same one he used to hold Anna’s, and drag him over to my makeup station. It makes zero sense, it’s completely irrational, but I want Angel to kiss my hand, not Anna’s. I want him to hold my hand, not hers.
“I, uh, should probably get going,” Angel says quietly, looking sheepish.
I step closer to him, a mild panic seizing me at the thought of Angel leaving so early. “Do you have an early morning? You don’t work on Saturdays, do you?”
“I told Mama I’d clean up the garden first thing.”
“Oh.” My disappointment is so thick, it feels suffocating.
“I was going to offer to drive you guys home, but it’s probably a little early for that, huh?”
“No!” In my excitement, the word comes out a tad too loud and the rest of the dressing room falls silent. Hayden and the other dancers are staring at us now. “I mean, I can leave now. I’m done for the night.” And not at all desperate to spend every last second with you.
“I’m going to stick around a bit longer.”
My head snaps around when Hayden speaks, and only then do I realize that Angel’s offer had been for the both of us. Oops. I totally forgot about Hayden, totally forgot he was still in the freaking room. Ugh. I’m a terrible friend .
“Are you sure?” I ask, torn between loyalty to my best friend and this wild, untamed thing I feel for Angel.
Hayden’s smile is strained around the edges. He knows what’s been running through my mind. “Yeah, I’m sure. I can split a ride with Sebastian and Christian.”
I try to telegraph my apology and Hayden gives me a slight nod to say he’s received the message.
“In that case,” I say, turning back to Angel. “Let’s get out of here.”