Chapter 10
CHAPTER TEN
“Not sure how you talked me into coming here,” Roman grumbled to Finn before focusing his attention on the entrance to the club where a brawny bouncer stood sentry, arms crossed and a scowl on his face.
There wasn’t a line to get in because the club was invite-only, and no one accessed the floor without an invitation.
The nightclub was in a hotel in Greenwich Village.
He wasn’t the kind of guy to go clubbing, and neither was Finn.
Especially not to some high-end, ultra-exclusive club like this one.
He preferred hole-in-the-wall places that few knew about, preferably private without raging house music blowing out his eardrums. He had enough damage to his ears from firing countless rounds even with ear protection over the years.
Harper was going to be in that club tonight, and she’d invited Finn. Not Roman. So, he had no clue how Finn managed to pull him away from trying to relax while reading Sun Tzu’s Art of War.
Of course, his studio wasn’t exactly peaceful. God was playing a cruel joke on him by surrounding him with neighbors who were probably in their twenties and getting laid as if it were their job.
He still wasn’t sure if being Finn’s wingman was the best idea with Harper at the club.
He and Harper hadn’t hung out since their copy machine kiss in January, after which they’d agreed it’d be best if they stick to being just friends.
They’d been on several ops since then, and he hoped they were settling back into a more comfortable routine.
Tonight would be a test of that, he supposed.
“Just not sure if I should have come. Harper didn’t extend an invite.” Was she not ready to test the strength of their friendship? See if it’d hold up without collapsing from the weight of their desire?
“She didn’t ask you because she didn’t think you’d come.” Finn tossed a hand through his thick, dark brown hair as they stood in the hall outside the club entrance, waiting near the elevators for Harper to arrive.
Finn had on dark jeans, short black boots, and a white button-down.
Not too different from Roman. Except Roman was in all black.
Black shirt and dark jeans paired with leather chukka boots.
He wasn’t sure about the dress code, but if the bouncer turned him away, it wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world.
“That’s one reason she didn’t invite me.” Roman blinked in surprise at the fact he’d actually voiced his thoughts.
Finn shot him a puzzled look, but at the sound of a ding, his gaze swept toward the elevators, and he lifted his hand to grab the attention of whoever was exiting. Assuming it was Harper, Roman turned to say hi and explain why he was there, only to be struck speechless.
She stood alone in front of the elevator doors as if glued in place, and Roman took that opportunity to drink in the sight of her.
Harper’s long, tan legs were partially hidden by black leather knee-high boots.
He knew from the night of their first kiss how soft her skin was, and he itched to touch her again.
His eyes drifted up to take in her black fitted dress that stopped mid-thigh—bodycon, if his memory for random information served him correctly.
The fabric clung to her like a glove, leaving little to the imagination.
The neckline was squared, the long sleeves see-through, and her dark hair that spilled over her shoulders looked like pure silk.
The column of her neck was free of jewelry, and he desperately wanted to place his mouth to her collarbone and kiss his way up the side of her throat before devouring her luscious lips.
Maybe I should have stayed home and listened to my neighbors go at it like rabbits.
But Finn was looking to get laid, and Roman didn’t want him to venture out into the New York nightlife alone. Teamguys always had each other’s backs.
He heaved out a deep exhale. Face to face with an angel in black had the devil whispering in his ear. You need her. She’s yours. Screw the danger.
Roman followed Harper’s surprised gaze down to find his left hand clenched into a fist. Fighting for restraint. To knock the devil out of his head.
“Your boots stuck to the floor?” Finn called out when Harper remained frozen in front of the elevator, clearly not expecting to see Roman.
She had no purse or jacket, and did that mean she was staying at the hotel? Was her keycard tucked inside her bra?
And now he was imagining how her breasts would look with that black material stripped from her body. How would her tits feel in his large palms?
“I honestly didn’t think you’d show.” Harper directed her words to Finn while Roman dropped his focus to her legs, which were finally striding toward them in those sinfully sexy boots.
“Nice boots.” Roman’s voice sounded strangled as the compliment rolled off his tongue without a thought.
There was most likely an easy smile parked on Finn’s face right about now, the bastard, but Roman couldn’t rip his attention from Harper to look at his buddy.
“Dolce and Gabbana, and they were a gift from Jackson. I’d never spend a grand on shoes.” Harper tucked her hair behind her ears, revealing small diamond studs.
“And of course I came.” Finn reached out and hugged her as if they hadn’t just seen each other at the office this week. “I wouldn’t miss out on free drinks at the most high-end club in the city.”
Roman knew she wasn’t expecting a hug from him. Besides, he’d never let go if he took her in his arms. As it was, he had to restrain himself from leaning in like a weirdo and sniffing her hair.
He did his best to loosen his clenched fingers and relax, but his entire body remained tense.
“But let me guess, you’d prefer those drinks be in a dive bar, am I right?” she asked with a laugh when she pulled away from Finn.
“Go to a dive bar when Jackson pretty much owns Park Place and Boardwalk?” Finn joked, then turned to the side and put eyes on Roman.
The all-knowing look on Finn’s face should have been enough to shake free Roman’s thoughts, but his head was buried beneath Harper’s dress, mouth between her thighs, his tongue licking up and tasting her sweet—
“Real funny,” a deep voice came from behind them. “I wouldn’t quite say I was Mr. Monopoly.”
“You might as well be him, minus the gray hair, cane, and top hat.” Harper stealthily maneuvered between Roman and Finn without bumping into either one of them and hugged her brother.
Jackson was a stand-up guy from what Harper had said. Roman had met him at Harper’s sister Jenny’s engagement party last year, along with the rest of her family. At the time, he and Harper had been safe in the friend zone, and she’d needed a plus-one.
Jackson had sized Roman up that night as if questioning Roman’s intentions.
He played the role of protective big brother well, at least. He’d been adopted two years before Harper when he was around ten or eleven.
And he looked eerily similar to Vin Diesel from the Fast and Furious movies. Same muscular frame as the actor, too.
He’d swapped his Army Ranger fatigues for a suit about five years ago and had made some wise investments since then, including buying a hell of a lot of Tesla stock, and it paid off. Roman swore the man really did own a few streets worth of real estate in Manhattan.
But Roman didn’t give a shit about his money, only how he treated Harper. Lucky for Jackson, he treated her well, and they were close.
“You brought two Teamguys to the party?” Jackson asked with a playful smile, his eyes narrowing with humor as he greeted Finn with a handshake.
“I asked Roman here to be my wingman,” Finn teased.
Roman had a feeling Jackson’s grip was firmer with him than with Finn, just this side of punishing. He could read the thoughts in Roman’s head right now. Heard the whisperings of the devil. Much stronger now than last year at Jenny’s party.
“You guys go on ahead.” Harper waved Finn and Jackson off to the entrance. “I need a second with Roman.”
Roman dropped his head for a brief moment and tried to prepare himself for a talk he didn’t want to have.
He should leave. Go back to the safety of his lonely studio, but the idea of her in this rich man’s paradise of a club wearing that dress and those damn boots made him crazy.
Sure, Finn and her brother were there to look out for her, but he couldn’t get himself to turn his ass around and leave.
Jackson set a hand to Harper’s shoulder, tapped her twice, then motioned for Finn to follow him into the club, where music faintly drifted from the open doorway.
“I’m sorry I didn’t invite you, but I didn’t think this place was your style. Not that it’s mine, but—”
“I should have asked before tagging along with Finn. I’m sorry.” He shoved his hands into his pockets to prevent himself from grabbing her around the waist and pulling her against him right there in the hall, with her brother not far away.
She had a little more makeup on than she normally wore. Soft touches of light bronze on her high cheekbones. Dark brown eyeliner and shadow made her eyes pop beneath perfectly shaped eyebrows.
Her full lips were painted in a glossy pink, and when she opened her mouth to speak, he decided to beat her to it.
“You want me to go?”
“Yes,” she rushed out, sounding relieved, but her shoulders immediately sloped forward, and she closed her eyes. “The truth is that I need to move on.”
Roman knew it was inevitable, but that didn’t make her pronouncement hurt any less or stop the buzzing in his head. Her eyes were still shut tight, and the three different shades of brown blended on her lids drew his focus as he worked to get his thoughts together.
“I needed a night out to be, um, a single woman.” Harper slowly opened her eyes.
She lived and breathed her work. Same as everyone else. But more and more guys on the teams had families now. Kids. And did Harper want that now too? Was she hoping to meet someone?