Eleven
“You’re not taking this seriously enough,” Norah said, bracing her hands on her thighs as she tried to catch her breath. The training session had been brutal. Every one of her sweat glands was working overtime, even the ones between her fingers and toes. One saving grace was that Dash had cleared the gym for her, so he was the only one to see her punch and kick and throw elbows until her muscles were floppy noodles.
“Yes, I am.” His fierce inner badger was evident in his narrowed, furious eyes, but he was angry for the wrong reason. “He was in your bedroom .”
“That’s not the important point.” Sure, it was extremely creepy that someone—Zach or another of his criminal buddies—had been poking around in her room, but she wasn’t the target of the implied threat. “You need to be careful. They’re going to try to go after you to get to me… us .” She stumbled over the last bit, knowing it revealed just how devastated she’d be if something happened to Dash. He’d done nothing but help her, and in return, she’d dragged him into a dangerous situation.
“Let them.” His casual half shrug made her absolutely wild. He needed to be cautious, not literally shrugging off any threat toward him. “I’ll squash them and then dump them on your porch.”
“Of course, that would be the ideal resolution,” she said, straightening as her breathing slowed to normal—or at least closer to normal than the fish-out-of-water gasping she’d been doing. “But Zach is my mom’s friend, so I know how he operates. He’s sneaky. He doesn’t care about fairness or morals or anything except for money and staying out of prison. He’ll play dirty.”
That annoying shrug reappeared, joined by a small smirk that made her want to stomp her foot in frustration, which was something she’d never done in her entire life. “So can I.”
“At least keep some backup around. Bruiser, maybe?”
His eyebrows drew together into a grumpy frown. “I don’t need Davies to help keep you safe.”
She stared at him, trying to come up with a logical argument that might get through to him, unlike all the other logical arguments she’d tried that hadn’t penetrated his stubborn skull. “I don’t want you to be hurt.”
“I can’t promise that I won’t be.” His expression softened as he reached out to catch her sweaty hand. “But I can promise to hurt Fridley—and whoever he sends after us—more.”
As sentimental promises went, it was unorthodox, but for some reason, it caused a whole herd of butterflies to take flight in her belly. Her feelings must’ve been evident, because he took a step closer, his eyes darkening in a different way than his earlier anger at Zach. His free hand cupped her jaw, his fingers as gentle as if he was cradling something precious. Her breath caught as sensations overwhelmed her—the burning heat of his hands, the flare of desire in his eyes, the way her own body seemed to ignite as if his fire had engulfed her.
She couldn’t look away as he leaned closer. Usually in unfamiliar situations, her thoughts would race around chaotically like go-carts on a track, but now her mind was oddly clear. She was focused on one thing, and that was Dash.
He hadn’t even touched her except for her hand and face, but she was already addicted to the experience. Not only was her body fizzing with energy and anticipation, but her brain was giving her a rare break from the constant mental monologue of self-doubt and anxiety. She’d thought she’d be nervous and stressed in this moment, but everything in her was calm and certain. All she wanted was the man in front of her.
He was so close that she could see every detail of his fascinating face, but then he hesitated, staring at her as if trying to read her thoughts. Rather than say anything and possibly break the spell of settled certainty that had fallen over her, she gripped a handful of his T-shirt and yanked. For the split second before that final gap between them closed, she saw his lips quirk up in that tiny smile that was so Dash , and the glow in her chest warmed even more.
Then they were kissing, and that was all she could feel.
As their lips explored each other, she wondered how she’d ever lived without this connection. For her, touch had always been something she avoided. It had made her feel trapped and awkward when she’d been enveloped in an unwanted hug, her skin prickling unpleasantly until she shied away. When she’d occasionally wondered how it would feel to be kissed like this, she’d figured her thoughts would be occupied the entire time with how uncomfortable and unsanitary and just plain weird the whole process was.
That wasn’t how it was at all though.
She couldn’t imagine anything more natural or wonderful or weirdly comfortable than kissing Dash. From the way he groaned deep in his throat as he pressed closer, he couldn’t imagine anything better than kissing her. His hands moved to her waist and then skimmed down over her hips to her thighs. He hoisted her up, lifting her until their faces were level. The movement startled Norah, and she broke the kiss for a moment. He held her easily though, as if she weighed nothing, and she quickly adjusted to her new height. Wrapping her legs around his waist and her arms around his neck, she marveled over her newfound confidence as she leaned in to resume kissing him.
The new position was even better, she quickly discovered, making it so he didn’t have to lean over and she didn’t have to crane her neck back. When he turned and walked a few steps, she barely noticed, even when he pressed her back against the wall. Tightening her legs around him, she slipped a hand up the back of his neck and over his closely shorn hair. Dash seemed to like this, judging by his rumbling groan and tightening fingers.
He deepened the kiss, pressing her back harder against the wall as he reached for her ponytail, wrapping it around his hand. He tugged gently, and she tipped her head back, allowing him to run his lips down her neck, leaving a line of tingling, oversensitive skin in his wake.
“Whoa!”
A male voice that wasn’t Dash’s brought her back to earth with a thump. Peering over his shoulder, she saw Davies whirl around so his back was to them.
“Sorry, man. Just let myself in since it’s after eleven, and the guys are getting restless out there.”
Dash closed his eyes, looking pained and extremely irritated at the interruption. “Tell them—”
“Nothing! You don’t have to tell them anything. We’re done,” Norah hurried to interrupt. Releasing her legs from their hold around his waist, she tried to slide down, but he still held her pinned. When she gave him an entreating look, he huffed out a frustrated sound but slowly lowered her to her feet.
He turned to face Davies. “Might as well let them in,” he grumped.
When Norah tried to wiggle around him to get her bag, he hauled her back to his side. The feeling of someone’s arm over her shoulders usually made her count the seconds until she could skitter away, but it was different with Dash. His enveloping arm made her feel cocooned in warmth and safety, and if she hadn’t been feeling mortified by Davies walking in on them, she would’ve been all too happy to stay tucked against him.
As Davies headed to unlock the door, she wiggled away.
Dash frowned at her. “Are you embarrassed to be seen with me?”
“No.” The sheer absurdity of anyone being embarrassed to be seen with the ever-so-impressive Dashiell Porter almost made her laugh. “I’m just weirded out that Davies saw us kissing and…” She wasn’t sure how to describe the most incredible event of her life so far, so she just sketched a hand in the air. “And everything.”
His lips quirked up at the corners, hinting at a smile. “I’m glad he saw.”
“You are?” She looked at him out of the corner of her eye. “That’s kind of pervy.”
An actual crack of laughter escaped him. “It’s not pervy. This way, he knows he’ll never be more than the fake boyfriend.”
“Hey!” It was the guy who’d tried to chat her up after her last training session and had been shut down by Dash. He bounced toward them, beaming, looking so much like an enthusiastic golden retriever that Norah couldn’t help but smile back. “Hot girl’s back!”
“No,” Dash said with such a stern expression that happy golden-retriever man did an abrupt ninety-degree turn.
“I’ll just go work on my side kicks.” He scurried away like a scolded puppy.
Although Norah wanted to laugh at how Dash sent the man on such an abrupt detour with a single word and a glare, she also felt a little bad for the golden-retriever man.
“No,” Dash said again, but he was looking at her this time.
Confused, she blinked at him. “What?”
“Quit smiling at him. You can’t have Tucker as a second fake boyfriend.”
This time, she laughed out loud. “I don’t want a second fake boyfriend. I didn’t even want a first fake boyfriend. What would I do with two?”
His grunt didn’t sound convinced.
“I was smiling because he’s just so bouncy and happy. Can you even imagine going through life so…exposed like that?” Feeling brave, she patted Dash’s arm.
He immediately grabbed her hand and tucked it into the crook of his elbow. “No. I can’t.”
As he started toward the cubby where she’d stashed her bag, she gave him a sideways glance. The way she held his arm was more suited to a formal occasion than a stroll across a gym filled with sweaty, grunting men. If Dash was about to sweep her into a waltz, she should be in a long, flowing dress rather than her shorts and wilted tank top.
“Again with the manners?” she asked dryly, hiding how much she liked their running jokes. Usually, people didn’t understand her humor, or she didn’t get what others thought was hilarious. With Dash, she got to be in on the joke with him. It was a novel and frankly addictive place to be.
He just slanted her a look that pretended to be dark but actually sparked with amusement.
Smiling, she released his arm to grab her bag. Moving to the door, she gave him a stiff wave. As comfortable as she was starting to feel with Dash, there were still awkward moments when she wasn’t sure how to act…like right now. After their make-out session, how was she supposed to say goodbye? Had the kissing door been left open so every encounter between them would begin and end with a peck? On the cheek or mouth? She wasn’t about to initiate it, and he wasn’t leaning in, so she figured her odd little wave had sufficed. Just to make sure, she added, “See you later.”
“You have a ride home?” He was scowling as he pushed the door open, scanning the empty alley as his frown deepened.
“I’m meeting Cara at that Thai restaurant we went to.” He still looked unhappy, and she wasn’t sure why, so she asked. “Why are you extra grumpy?”
“Extra grumpy?” His expression lightened a bit before his eyebrows crashed together again. “I don’t like the idea of you walking alone, but I can’t be away from the gym since Davies has to leave early today.”
“I’ll be fine.” Even though they were in an alley, it was a wide, clean one in a good part of town. Besides, the warm fall sun was almost too bright, banishing any sinister shadows or possible hiding places in which a stalker could lurk. “It’s broad daylight, and lots of people will be out. Leifsen is a chicken. He’s not going to bother me unless I’m alone, and even then, he hides behind his electronics.”
Dash rubbed his cheek, not seeming convinced. The quiet rasp of his palm against his jaw made her shiver, reminding her of how that same stubble felt against her skin. He dropped his hand and grumbled, “Text if you need me.”
“I will.” Still she hesitated, not wanting to leave yet. “You too.”
That brought out his crooked grin. “I will.”
“Okay. Bye.” The awkward wave reappeared, making her wince as she turned to go.
“What are you doing tonight?” he asked before she’d taken three steps.
“Tonight?” she repeated, turning so she could see him again. “Eating dinner, researching, and then sleeping. Unless something surprising happens. Why?”
“The gym closes at ten. Meet me after.” Although he said it like an order, there was a question in his eyes. That rare tentativeness gave her a warm feeling in her chest.
“Meet you here?”
“Yeah.” He pointed at one of the second-story windows. “I live upstairs.”
“You live above the gym.” Even as she said it, she could see how it would make sense. The gym seemed as much a part of Dash as his grunts and the scars that marked the left side of his neck and jaw. “Okay.”
“Good.” A real smile curled his mouth, making him look younger and sweeter than she ever imagined he could. “Will you need a ride?”
“No. I’ll meet you here.”
He dipped his chin in acknowledgment as she started down the alley again. It seemed a bit cold for her to just walk away, so she waved over her shoulder. Yet again, it was so awkward. It felt just like it had at Bubbles, with Dash getting the rear view of her as she struggled not to walk in a weird way or sneak a peek to see if he was still watching. When she finally reached the street and turned out of his view, she let out a breath that was partly relief but mostly disappointment.
“You’re so contrary,” Norah muttered under her breath, drawing a glance from the older man walking past. Clamping her lips shut, she quickly walked toward the restaurant where she was supposed to meet Cara. A glance at her phone showed that she was running late, which she absolutely hated. Still, a part of her whispered that spending extra time with Dash had been worth it. Shaking off a smile that she knew even without seeing was much too mushy, Norah sent a quick text to Cara to let her sister know she was on her way.
Slipping her phone back into her bag, she wove between pedestrians who were moving slowly as they basked in the warm fall sun. Just as she’d told Dash, the beautiful weather had brought out the hordes, and no one would be able to harass her without it being witnessed by dozens of people. Even so, a tiny chill made the fine hairs on her arms stand up. She rubbed at the goose bumps, glancing around in a way she hoped came off more casual than paranoid to anyone watching.
Anyone watching… The thought bounced around in her head. Maybe Leifsen wouldn’t approach her, but that didn’t mean he wasn’t following her. As expected, Zach was out on bail, so it wasn’t just one guy she had to worry about. Norah was suddenly glad that the gym had solar shades on all the windows so no one could see inside. She moved a little faster, wanting to get off the street. Everyone she saw seemed suspicious now. They could easily be one of Zach’s cohorts or another fortune hunter wanting a chance at finding the necklace.
She blew out a relieved breath when she reached the Thai restaurant and hurried to open the door. Cara waved from the same booth Norah had sat in with Dash, and that little thing made her smile. Her knees were still a little wobbly as she wove through the tables, but she blamed her intense workout rather than her panicked thoughts on the walk from the gym.
“Hey,” Cara greeted as Norah took the seat across from her. “You’re a mess. What happened?”
A cursory glance at her rumpled and sweaty gym clothes showed that the stressful speed walk over hadn’t improved matters any. Her face was probably red from exertion, and her hair almost certainly looked like she’d survived a tornado. With a shrug, she said, “Intense workout.” It had been intense, especially the kissing that had immediately followed the working-out part. She pulled a hoodie from her bag and put it on as the hostess dropped off menus and waters. Norah gratefully drank half the glass in one go.
“Uh-huh.” Cara rested her chin on her hand, her eyes dancing with laughter. “Tell me about this intense workout you just had with your lovely trainer, Dash. The one that made you so thirsty .”
It was like her sister could read her mind. Norah was glad that she was already beet red from exercise so her embarrassment was hidden for once. “I warmed up by running a mile on the treadmill and then jumped rope—”
A wave from Cara cut off her step-by-step recitation. “Never mind. If you’re not going to tell me the fun stuff, I don’t want to hear about the boring stuff. Felicity makes me live through enough of that torture.”
Norah hid her triumphant smile behind her menu.
“Don’t think I don’t know what you just did.”
Obviously, she hadn’t hidden it well enough. “What’s the plan with Chloe?” she asked, more than ready to change the subject. “Stakeout at her work?”
“Nope.” It was Cara’s turn to smile wickedly, and Norah’s heart sank. “I have a much better idea.”
***
Norah hesitated outside the music store, feeling the same sense of overwhelming dread that she’d had the first time she’d gone to Dash’s gym. That ended up turning out well , her mental cheerleader reminded her, but it didn’t matter. Her fingers were still clammy with sweat, and this time, she didn’t have exercise to blame.
The door swung open, and Norah hurried to step out of the way as a younger guy in a beanie left the store. Spotting her standing there, he held the door for her. She hesitated long enough for the moment to grow awkward.
“Are you going in?” he asked, and she made an affirmative noise in her throat before diving into the store just to get away from the now-uncomfortable interaction. Once inside, she came to an abrupt halt as she looked around, getting her bearings.
“Can I help you?”
At the familiar throaty voice, Norah turned slowly, using the time to try to wrestle her ping-ponging thoughts into a coherent sentence. “Ah…” was all she managed to get out before Chloe’s eyes widened along with her smile.
“Norah! Why haven’t you texted me?”
“Um, because I haven’t needed beat-down backup?” she answered tentatively, her own smile starting. Despite her true reason for being here, something about Chloe made her feel more at ease. “I saw you at Dutch’s.”
Of all the things she could’ve said, that was one of the weirder and more random choices. Norah wanted to squeeze her eyes closed and pretend she was no longer there—or at least no longer visible. By sheer force of will, she managed to keep from cringing.
“Yeah? What’d you think?”
“It was… You were amazing.” Great. Now she was gushing. “Since you were playing at Dutch’s, I thought it would be more…death-metal-y? But your songs were easy to dance to.” Worried that she’d sounded shallow, she added, “And your voice is stunning.”
To Norah’s shock, that babbling mess of words made Chloe’s smile widen until she was beaming. “Thank you. People—especially musicians—tend to take themselves too seriously. I like to add a pop-y edge. It’s hard to be pretentious when you’re jumping up and down. Helps keep me grounded.”
That made quite a bit of sense. Even after their encounter at Chico’s, Norah hadn’t expected her to be so easy to talk to. “Do you write your own songs?”
“Sure do.” Chloe boosted herself up to sit on the counter, and Norah marveled again at the woman’s apparently shatterproof confidence. This was the type of person she would’ve expected Dash to date.
At the thought, a rush of possessiveness roared through her that shocked her with its ferocity. She had to calm her inner beast by reminding herself that she’d just invented the competition in her mind. Chloe didn’t even know Dash, much less want him. She forced herself to get out of her head and tune back in to what Chloe was saying.
“Donner—he’s the drummer—has a carnival brain, so he’s great to collaborate with. He knocks me off my comfortable musical path and into the deep, dark woods.”
Norah cocked her head. Something about Chloe eased her anxiety, so she was comfortable enough to ask, “What does that mean?”
With a laugh, Chloe shoved her hair over her shoulder. It was loose today except for two thin braids encircling her head like a crown. It was very Renaissance-looking, which made an even more interesting contrast to the tattoos exposed by her strappy sundress than her usual milkmaid braids. “It means he comes up with ideas I would never think of, even in my wildest imaginings. He doesn’t just make me think outside the box, he drags me out and then drop-kicks me into Fun House Land.”
Although she still wasn’t completely clear as to what Chloe was talking about, Norah just nodded.
“But you didn’t come in here to listen to me talk about Donner. Can I help you find something?”
“Uhh…” All band names and every song she’d ever heard completely abandoned her, leaving her brain empty. She glanced around the store, but her thoughts were too chaotic for anything to register. Desperate, she settled on a version of the truth. “No, I actually just came in here to ask…if your band will be playing somewhere this weekend?”
“Yeah, an outdoor show in Saturn Canyon on Saturday night.” Norah must’ve looked blank at the name, because Chloe chuckled as she continued. “It’s a pretty small event in the mountains west of Denver. Closest town is McCann, which I know you’ve never heard of, because almost no one has—well except for the forty-two and a half people who live in McCann.”
“Forty-two and a half?” Norah echoed, making Chloe laugh again.
“Don’t ask. Not a huge crowd and doesn’t pay much, but the people are friendly, and the staff’s amazing. Performing outdoors is a nice change too—smells so much better than Dutch’s.”
“Saturn Canyon by McCann.” Norah mentally filed away the name and location. That could be another opportunity to possibly catch up to Leifsen. Even though it looked less and less likely that Chloe willingly spent any time with him, he did turn up at her last gig. There was a good chance he’d come to this one too. “I’ll see if I can make it. Sorry if coming in here just to talk to you was too stalkery of me.”
Chloe laughed so hard she almost fell off the counter. When she’d recovered enough to speak, she reached over and gave Norah a slap on her upper arm. “Don’t worry about it, but you could’ve just texted me.”
Norah tried very hard not to grimace at the huge hole in her excuse. She could’ve just texted, but this way, she could possibly spot Leifsen if he was lurking around Chloe again.
“Don’t worry about it. It’s good to see your face. If I was going to be stalked by anyone, I’d definitely choose you.” Leaning back on her hands, Chloe looked so open and carefree and comfortable in her skin that Norah felt a pang of envy. She knew people weren’t always as confident as they projected on the surface, but Chloe seemed authentically solid.
Norah was trying to figure out how to respond to that, but another woman approached the register. Hopping off the counter, Chloe gave a small wave.
“Work calls, but it was great to talk to you, Norah.” She headed for the register, calling over her shoulder, “See you Saturday!”
Norah returned the wave, although she was pretty sure hers looked stiff and strange compared to Chloe’s. She squashed that little tendril of envy again. “Bye. Thanks. Okay, bye.”
Chloe laughed in response, but it wasn’t mocking like Laken’s. It was warm and appreciative, as if Norah’s babbling was meant to be a joke just between the two of them.
As Norah walked outside on autopilot, she headed toward where Cara waited in the car a half block away, startled to realize she was now in on not only one but two inside jokes. The most incredible part was that she hadn’t had to magically become a different person to accomplish that. As a kid and then a teenager, she’d imagined she’d have to go through a rom-com makeover montage, but for her personality rather than her appearance, in order to have any kind of social life. Now though, she was still the same severely introverted, extraordinarily awkward, seriously weird Norah Pax—only now she was the Norah Pax with two very interesting potential friends.