Chapter 5
Lily
The Cointreau hits the back of my throat, but the heat is nothing compared to the fire burning in the pit of my stomach. If the wetness between my legs is meant to dampen the flames, it’s having the opposite effect.
As Shade unwraps his arm from my waist, I tense.
I want him to slip his hand beneath my dress and between my thighs.
I want him to know that he’s had the same effect on me as I’m having on him.
Except, I can’t feel that hardness against my spine anymore.
As I set the empty glass on the bar, my gaze flicks to the mirror.
There are no green eyes staring back at me, and his lingering scent is disappearing too quickly.
I spin to find the space behind me empty.
Beyond the private world I’d been pulled into only seconds earlier, the crowd bumps and grinds to the heavy beat of the music my psycho’s mere presence had silenced.
He’s tall enough to stand out in the crowd, but as I scan the heaving bodies, there’s no sign of him.
Damn, I still don’t know his name. Or have his number. I’m back to wondering if I’ll ever see him again.
I could almost believe I’d imagined the whole thing. Maybe the cocktail I’d had on arrival had been spiked. The only evidence that Shade was real are the two empty glasses on the bar. I search out the barman who’d served us.
“Excuse me,” I call over.
He comes over immediately. “What would you like?”
I shake my head. I’ve been told not to have any more drinks. “I was just… We didn’t pay for the drinks. Do I need to settle up?”
He smiles. “It’s been taken care of.”
“By the man I was with?” When the barman nods, I add, “But he didn’t give you any payment. Does he have a tab? Do you know his name?”
“I’m afraid I wouldn’t know,” he says, but his eyebrows rise in what looks like a silent apology.
I huff out a sigh. “You’re not going to be any help, are you?”
His smile returns. “I can get you another drink.”
“Ooh, that sounds good,” Kaitlyn chirps as she appears next to me. “I’ll have whatever she’s having.”
My friend’s cheeks are flushed, and her dark hair has become a frizzy halo that actually suits her. Kaitlyn never has a bad hair day. “In that case, make it two bottles of water,” I say to the barman.
“Wait! What?” Kaitlyn says. “Oh, no, that won’t do. Make that two margaritas, kind Sir.”
“One water, one margarita,” I correct.
“What’s got into you?” my friend asks.
I rest my back against the bar and scan my surroundings. My gaze travels upwards. “I’m being watched.”
“By who?”
A giggle escapes me, but it’s tinged with anxiety.
The first time I met Shade, he’d implied he was a psycho.
This time, he’d not only suggested he could have drugged me, but he’d pretty much confessed that he’d kill the next man who touched me.
If this is his sense of humor, it’s pretty sick.
And that makes me anxious. Not because I’m scared of him. But because I like how his mind works.
“Remember the guy I had a run in with on the Kennedy Expressway?” I prompt Kaitlyn.
“The one who practically licked chocolate off your face, then flashed his gun?”
I nod. “I think we have him to thank for our welcome cocktails.” My memory nudges me a little further back. “In fact, I’m pretty sure he’s the reason we were allowed to jump the queue.”
Kaitlyn’s mouth falls open as I go on to describe my second brief encounter with my still nameless counterpart.
My friend’s jaw remains slack and her eyes do a little dance as if she’s decoding the thoughts racing through her head.
When the barman serves our drinks, she knocks back her margarita. Her eyes widen.
“Oh, my god. He must be a Moncrief. There’s a whole clan of them. Look them up.”
I do a slow eyeroll as I retrieve my cell phone from my purse. Kaitlyn’s right, there’s a whole clan of Moncriefs, and although each and every one has that rugged Celtic vibe, they don’t capture my attention. “My man is darker, broodier, more…” I shake my head. “Just more.”
“So, he’s your man now?”
I take a swig of water. “I don’t see anyone else being able to measure up to him tonight,” I admit, eyeing the dance floor. “I’m going to have one more dance and then I’m done. I don’t suppose I can interest you in an early night?”
Kaitlyn sets her empty glass on the bar. “Absolutely not. I have two guys promising to take me home, and I’m yet to decide which one.”
I give her a knowing look. Kaitlyn loves to push boundaries. “Why choose?”
“My thoughts exactly.” Her eyes twinkle with wickedness. “You could join us…”
I step back. “Please take that thought out of both our minds,” I plead. “I’m a one-man at a time kind of girl.” And after this week, there’s only one man I want. I’m going to be so mad if I don’t see him again.
As we go to join the dance floor, I check the water bottle in my hand. I didn’t pay for our drinks, but when I turn back, it’s as if the barman was waiting for the question I haven’t asked. He shakes his head. No charge.
I choose wisely not to follow Kaitlyn as she searches for her double date. If a certain person is watching, I don’t want him thinking I’m interested in another guy. And while I’m pretty sure he wasn’t serious about harming anyone who touched me, I don’t want to put it to the test.
Finding a space on the dance floor, I let the music soothe my soul.
As I begin to sway my hips, I relive the touch of his body pressed hard against mine.
Heat pools in my belly again as I lift my gaze upwards.
Those lucky enough to be allowed upstairs are all in silhouette, but on the very top floor, there’s a tall figure leaning over the balcony.
He’s definitely watching me, but his frame doesn’t match the man I had my back pressed against, and there’s an auburn halo of hair around his head.
Or could it be ginger? Is he one of the infamous Moncriefs?
My interest vanishes the moment my gaze moves to the figure next to him.
I smile. Hello, Shade. Reassured that he’s kept his promise, I close my eyes, tip back my head and I dance as if he’s standing right in front of me.
I dance through several songs, and it’s only when the crowd starts to crush against me that I bring myself out of my imaginary world.
I avoid eye contact with some guy who’s obviously sizing me up, and decide it’s time to go.
When I glance up, my heart sinks. My shadow man has slunk away again, and niggling self-doubt has me imagining his interest has been pulled away by another woman. It’s time to go home.
As I climb the stairs and enter the corridor, I pull out my phone. I should have ordered an Uber before leaving the dance floor, but it really was getting too crowded in there. I have the app open as I reach the exit.
“Goodnight, Simon,” I say, waving at the surly doorman who let us in earlier.
“Miss Kendrick,” he acknowledges with a polite nod.
I come to a stop in front of a line of limos. I’m concentrating on ordering my cab when Simon appears next to me.
“This one’s yours,” he says, ushering me towards the limo at the head of the queue.
A nervous laugh escapes, turning to vapor in front of my face. “No, it isn’t.”
Simon opens the limo door. “This one’s yours,” he repeats.
My teeth are chattering as I take a tentative step towards the vehicle. I hold my breath as I dip down to take a look inside. It’s empty.
“Please, Miss Kendrick,” Simon says. “You’re holding up the queue.”
I straighten up and stare at the doorman for the longest time. Then I blink. “Have you ever had one of those nights when you think you’ve stepped into the twilight zone?”
He raises an eyebrow. “I’ll pass on your complements to Mr. Moncrief. That’s the kind of feedback he’d enjoy.”
I hold up my hands in defeat. If I’m ever going to make sense of what’s just happened, it’s not going to be with the help of anyone who works here.
“You can also tell your boss, and whoever else is giving the orders,” I say with a wave of my arm in the direction of the club, “that you’re damn good at your job. ”
“Thank you,” Simon replies with an amused grin. “I’ll definitely pass that on.”
As I settle into the back of the limo, I’m still slightly dazed. The driver isn’t chatty and doesn’t speak beyond checking that I want to go home. It’s only later when I’m lying in bed, unable to get to sleep, that I realize I never told him where I lived. Nor did I give Simon my name.