Chapter Twelve
Morgan
I wasn’t the type to party every weekend, but I was usually up for a good time whenever my closest friends suggested it. Tonight though, I had serious doubts about whether or not this was a good idea.
I was reluctant to accept Henry’s invitation, but Whitney seemed excited about the idea, and I didn’t want to let her down.
I wasn’t sure if she wanted to go because she liked Henry or if she was just eager to let loose a little.
She had a serious and tiring job as a physical therapist at a hospital, so I knew that she preferred to enjoy her weekends as much as possible.
Whitney had driven us to the sushi restaurant, so she also drove to the club, following Liam’s car so we’d end up at the same place. Traffic was heavy, typical of a New York Saturday night, and it took us about thirty minutes to get there, even though we were only traveling a few miles.
“So, are you mad that I accepted the invitation?” Whitney asked while we were in the car.
“No,” I assured her, keeping my true feelings about it to myself. “I wouldn’t have agreed otherwise.”
Whitney glanced at me quickly before looking back at the road. “It’s just that despite everything, there still seems to be something between you and Liam.”
I couldn’t deny her observation, but I wasn’t about to admit it out loud, either.
Whitney drummed her fingers on the steering wheel. “When I agreed to go to the club, I was kind of swept up in Henry’s flirty personality, and I wasn’t really thinking about your situation with Liam. We can go somewhere else if you’d like.”
I placed a hand on her arm and squeezed. “It’s fine, really.”
She shot me a sideways look. “How are things going between you two at the office?”
Since we’d sat with Liam and Henry at the sushi restaurant, we hadn’t had the chance for any kind of private conversation, or to discuss my working relationship with Liam. “Well, we almost kissed on Thursday afternoon.”
Her eyes widened as she pulled into the parking lot behind the men. “Well, that’s…something. What happened?”
“Absolutely nothing,” I said quickly. “We were interrupted.”
She grinned at me. “But will it happen again?”
I shook my head vehemently as Whitney parked her car across from Henry and Liam, and we watched them exit their vehicle. “No.” The conviction in my voice might have been more for me than her.
Whitney tipped her head curiously. “Because you don’t want it to, or because it’s a bad idea?”
I groaned. “You always ask the hard questions.”
“That’s what friends are for. So, what’s your answer?”
I sighed, and I realized that the guys were looking at us now, probably wondering why we were still sitting in the car. “A little bit of both,” I admitted. “I’m still attracted to him, but I wish I wasn’t. And, kissing him again is a terrible idea.”
“Yeah,” Whitney said, a sly smile on her lips. “But sometimes terrible ideas are the most satisfying ones.”
“You are such a bad influence,” I said, and laughed.
We exited the car and met up with the men. We didn’t have to wait long to get inside. Liam slipped a large bill to the bouncer, and we bypassed the long line and stepped into the club’s dark, pulsing interior.
The music was loud and there were people crowding in on all sides as we made our way farther into the club.
Half of the space was a dance floor, and the rest was the bar area where there were tables and chairs as well as booths against the walls.
Every seat was occupied and people were pressed up against the bar, trying to get the bartender’s attention for a drink.
I started in that direction, but Liam gently grabbed my arm to stop me. “Henry will get the drinks while we try and find a table.”
We gave Henry our drink orders and Liam placed a hand on my lower back and guided me forward.
I thought that Whitney and I would go our separate way from the men once inside, but a table with four chairs emptied, and Liam ushered us over to it.
I figured it would be rude to wander off now that he had secured us premium seating, and Henry had bought us drinks.
We settled in. I wore a red leather jacket over a black dress with strappy heels.
I probably would have chosen something a little more revealing and done more with my make-up if I’d known we were going to a club, but I figured this was good enough for an impromptu night out.
And, it wasn’t like I was trying to impress anyone.
I stripped off my jacket and hung it on the back of my chair.
Liam sat across from me at the table and when I glanced his way, his gaze was fixed on my chest. I raised my eyebrows and stared at him.
It only took a couple of seconds for him to realize he’d been caught ogling me, but he didn’t look the least bit contrite.
His eyes were dark, direct, and appreciative.
A familiar heat rolled through me before I looked away and toward the dance floor where multi-colored lights flashed over the crowd.
“Here we go,” Henry said as he returned with our drinks and set them on the table. He and Liam had ordered basic beers while Whitney and I had opted for fruity cocktails.
The DJ’s music was too loud to allow for easy conversation, so we didn’t talk much as we enjoyed our drinks.
Whitney and I sang along to the music, popular pop and rock songs from the last decade, while Henry’s gaze scanned the crowd like he was searching for his next fling.
I hoped that Whitney wasn’t too attached to the flirty guy.
I figured Liam would be doing the same thing, but every time I glanced his way, his eyes were on me. The intensity of his gaze made my entire body feel warm and restless. My breath hitched as memories of our night together flashed in my mind, of how it felt to be the object of his focused desire.
This has to stop.
We’d just agreed to a truce and set boundaries. To be friends. To keep things uncomplicated between us and professional at work. I knew if I allowed myself to be swayed by that heated stare, I would break every rule I’d made for myself when it came to this man.
I needed a distraction. Something, anything, that didn’t involve imagining what he’d look like pressed against me in the shadows of this club.
“Excuse me,” a deep voice said from behind me.
Turning in my chair, I found a man with shoulder-length blond hair and blue eyes looking at me with a smile on his lips. “Would you like to dance?”
Direct and good-looking. I liked both of those points. And he wasn’t a complicated coworker that was driving me crazy.
“Yes,” I said without pausing to even think about it.
I stood, allowing Blue Eyes to take my hand and lead me to the dance floor. I caught Liam’s gaze as we passed by him, and I could have sworn I saw a surprising spark of jealousy flash in his copper-colored eyes.
Embrace the distraction, I reminded myself.
The DJ was playing a Bon Jovi song that half the dance floor was singing along to, and I joined them, shaking my hips and raising my arms in the air.
I didn’t hold myself back, singing and dancing and sending flirtatious smiles at the man that led me out here.
He stayed close but mostly kept his hands to himself, aside from the occasional skimming of his fingers along my back or arms. He was respectful and didn’t cross any lines so I didn’t mind his subtle touch.
I had fun through the first two songs, but then Blue Eyes excused himself and left the dance floor. I guessed he wasn’t that into me, but I was fine with that. I was still hung up on the last guy I met in a bar, and I didn’t need to get attached to someone else. No pressure fun was better anyway.
I stayed on the dance floor, hoping that Whitney might join me, and I was only halfway through the next song when another man stepped up to me.
Immediately, he took the opportunity to get handsy.
His palms landed on my hips, and he pulled me back until my ass was pressed against his groin.
He started to grind into me, and I quickly stepped away.
Spinning around, I saw a man with black hair, a smarmy smile on his face, and his eyes glassy from too much alcohol.
“Hands off,” I shouted loud enough to be heard over the music.
His grin widened, but he lifted his hand like he was being cooperative, which lasted all of about thirty seconds before his hands were back on my hips, fingers digging in uncomfortably hard.
I stiffened immediately and shoved his hands away.
This time, I glared as I sidestepped several feet away and started dancing again, determined not to let one creep ruin my night.
But the man was persistent, and clearly intoxicated.
This time, he moved in front of me and reached around to grab my ass with both hands.
I gasped in outrage, and I was about to push against his chest to make him back off, but I didn’t get the chance. He was ripped away from me so fast I staggered a step back.
My jaw dropped as Liam shoved the man to the ground, his face lined with rage. His eyes quickly swept over me, sharp and focused, not ogling like earlier but instead likely checking for injuries. Protective in a way that hit me straight in the chest.
Once he seemed satisfied that I was okay, he turned back toward the jerk, who was scrambling to his feet.
Liam’s jaw tensed, his fists clenched at his sides, and his eyes blazing with fury.
A circle had formed around us, people eagerly watching, waiting to see what unfolded.
Phones were already out, ready to record a fight.
My stomach twisted. I didn’t want a scene. I didn’t want Liam arrested or the star of some viral video of a club brawl that would remain on the internet long after this night was over.
Liam stepped toward the other man, and I grabbed his arm. “Liam, I’m fine,” I said, hoping to diffuse the situation.
“Fucker needs to learn to keep his hands to himself,” he growled furiously.