Chapter 14 #2
Lottie stops looking into Spike’s eyes and snaps, “Oh no you don’t, D.
For fuck’s sake …” she mutters as she gets up out of her seat and making her way over to me.
She swats Denham’s shoulder. “Go sit over there and calm your raging hard-on, will you?” She doesn’t give him a lot of choice before she wiggles her bottom in next to me and makes Denham shuffle around until he’s next to Spike.
“There …” Lottie says smugly. “That should do it!” I still can’t believe how direct this girl is.
I love her. “And you!” Lottie points one of her long talons at me.
“You little tease, try not to raise his main sail all night. The poor boy will explode before you get your hands on him,” she chastises before knocking back what’s left in her glass.
“Now drink up, you lightweights. I wanna go party!”
The Limo circles the strip one more time as we finish off the champagne and settle into friendly banter.
Luckily, the sexual tension diminishes somewhat and it makes it more comfortable for Denham to relax and have a good time.
It doesn’t vanish completely, and I’m feeling sassy enough to have some fun with him a little later, but for now we’re all out to have a good time.
We finally pull up outside a very plain looking building.
I glance at Lottie for an indication that we have stopped at the wrong place, but she grins and holds out a hand to help me out.
When I stand, I straighten out my dress and shake my hair out a little.
There is no signage, just a roped area with a queue as long as the road.
I inwardly groan. Even though the evening is warm, I don’t want to stand here for what will probably take the best part of an hour to get in.
Denham and Spike exit the Limo. Denham takes my hand and kisses my cheek before steaming ahead and jumping the queue.
I half walk half jog to keep up until we get to the front of the very long line of people.
He greets the bouncer with a slap on the back and we walk straight in.
I shouldn’t have expected anything less. Denham knows everyone, everywhere.
He walks us to the back of a long hall, dipping through a door to the left and down another shorter hallway.
When we reach the end, there’s an elevator and he presses the button.
We wait for the doors to open and he squeezes my hand while we wait, prompting me to look to him.
He still looks ahead, but a sexy grin plays on his lips as he knows I’m smiling at him.
We step in when the doors open and it immediately strikes me that it’s made of glass.
I can see the steel and brickwork surrounding it which is bizarre when we start to move.
There is no indication of how many floors we travel, but some time passes and I know that we’re not traveling a couple of levels.
As it starts to slow, a blue glow starts to get stronger.
We emerge from the brick tunnel and the image we are presented with is fabulous.
We’re on the roof. The elevator has taken us to the open air, and the doors open wide onto a spectacular platform situated six foot above the main area. I’m pleased that we went all out with the outfits this evening as it looks like the dress code is ‘dress to impress’.
In LA, the people dress to make a statement.
Who can wear the best designer? Who paid more for their dress or shoes?
In Vegas, the people seem to want to look good regardless of the price.
Don’t get me wrong. I’m sure there are plenty of “moneyed” people here, but the atmosphere tells me they are all here to have a good time rather than to see who they can impress.
Everyone looks awesome—quirky and unique.
It’s my kind of look and I love it immediately.
There’s a huge bar, a dance floor which is pumping out sultry R&B tunes, many tables and a couple of roped off areas around the perimeter.
Lottie comes up behind me as she exits the elevator. “Welcome to Sky lounge. Get your ass to the bar, babe!”
We weave our way through the crowds of people, Denham nods in acknowledgement to many patrons as we walk on by. They all look like they want to stop and talk, but a tight nod is all he gives and we keep moving.
“What would you like to drink, Stunner?” Denham asks, his sole focus on me.
I feel a tug on my arm and look to my left at Lottie’s excited expression. She’s practically bouncing. I grin back at her and we both blurt out at the same time, “Dirty martinis!”
Denham shakes his head affectionately at us and turns his voice to the bartender. “You heard the girls. Gimme the best dirty martinis you’ve ever made and keep them coming until I say stop, understand?” His authoritative voice is not to be messed with and the bartender gets to it instantly.
Hearing him be so bossy when I know how soft he can be, just makes me want him even more.
I feel my core twinge and I know that I have to have him sooner rather than later, before I combust with lust. This is how it should be, all of it.
Wanting someone, and having them want me equally.
Friends, fun, and family. Living life to the fullest and having a future to look to, not living each day just to get through it. This is what being happy feels like.
Before the drinks are made, we’re shown to a table in one of the elevated private areas by a very long-legged, stick thin waitress.
She runs her eyes over Denham’s body, and I understand why she can’t look away because in his gray slacks and fitted white shirt he looks edible.
With the top few buttons of his shirt undone, the definition of his chest is almost visible and she has a hard job even looking him in the eye.
When she does look up, past his body, she locks her eyes to his and bats her lashes like a hooker waiting for her next lay and clearly has no shame about it.
Denham is seemingly oblivious and takes no notice whatsoever, but I can’t help myself.
I clear my throat rather loudly. “You seem to have a problem with your eyes? Did one of your fake lashes come unstuck?” My tone is threateningly sweet, just the way I meant for it to be.
The waitress’s cheeks flare red and she opens her mouth, presumably to come back with something smart to say, but catches my pointed look and struts back in the direction of the bar.
I sit down to find everyone looking in my direction with very amused expressions on their faces. “What?”
“You just marked your territory, babe, that’s what,” Lottie announces.
“I did not! I just … she had …” Did I really just mark my territory?
The waitress looking at Denham like she wanted him made me jealous and that’s something I’ve never felt before.
Even when I was at my happiest with Aaron, I was never jealous of anyone who flirted with him. He didn’t matter to me enough.
“Get out of that head of yours, babe. That was fucking hot.”
Denham is leaning into me, but his lips aren’t touching me at all.
His words travel up my shoulder, along my neckline and settle in my ear where the hairs stand on end and jolt my body into a chemical reaction.
The whole world falls away and it’s just us there for a minute.
I’m looking into the depths of his eyes and I see so much passion, I don’t know what to do with it and I can’t tear myself away.
It’s so freakin’ intense and powerful that I’m consumed.
Lottie’s sharp elbow to my upper arm brings me back to the present. “Ow! What was that for?” I grumble, rubbing what I’m sure will now become a bruise.
“Will you two stop eye-fucking each other. You’re not the only ones here, ya know. Jeez.”
“I’m sorry, Lotts,” I say, patting her knee.
As if on cue, the drinks arrive at the table.
Lottie’s eyes light up and I know what she’s thinking.
We’ve never gone out together and not downed the first drink.
It’s tradition. Lottie swears that it gets you warmed up, ready for the night ahead.
I swear that it gets you drunk quickly so you don’t remember much.
I haven’t done a lot of drinking in the last few years so I’m a lightweight and I have no intention of getting wasted.
Just fuzzy enough around the edges to let go and have some fun.
“Ready?” Lottie asks.
“Ready as I’ll ever be,” I mutter, not entirely looking forward to the burn I know will come from downing the drink, but it’s balanced out by the excitement of recreating happier times with my best friend.
I can feel Denham looking at me, but I don’t want to risk Lottie’s pointy elbow being shoved in my arm again, so I pick up my glass, chink it with Lottie’s and we grin at each other before knocking it back.
It takes her a very skilled four mouthfuls before it’s all gone and she’s banging her glass down on the table.
I take a deep breath and gulp down as much as I possibly can in one mouthful.
I screw my eyes shut while the liquid burns my throat and I force it to stay down.
Denham whispers huskily in my ear, “I hope you enjoyed that one, Stunner. I’m not gonna let you do any more like that.” My head snaps round to meet his hooded stare. “I want you compliant, not comatose when we leave tonight.”
I have mixed feelings about his statement.
I don’t want him to tell me what I can and can’t do, but I also want what I think he’s offering and I want it more than losing the use of my legs and a blinding hangover.
If I’m honest, I don’t think he would actually stop me if that was what he thought I wanted to do.
If I thought for one minute he would dictate to me, he would be kicked to the curb in a blink.
I feel a sharp stab in my chest at the thought, and I brush it off because …
well, because I just don’t want to even venture to those thoughts.