“No way.” He turns to me, brows knitted. The thought of a crowd that size gives me heart palpitations. “I’m more of a watch at home type of gal. If I watched football. Which I don’t. So…” I roll my eyes at my rambling. “This is going well.”
Raiden’s laugh warms my heart. His square jaw looks even more pronounced when he’s smiling. With his sparkling eyes focused on me, I feel like the most beautiful woman alive. I don’t want this moment to end, but the cab comes to a halt and we’re in front of a large building with people spilling out of the front door.
My mouth goes dry at the size of the crowd. Raiden pays the Lyft driver, a good thing because now I can clutch my purse. This is my nightmare. At least I’ll have Raiden by my side.
I throw open my door before he can offer, then wait for him to walk around and meet me. He tugs at the front of his jacket, then takes my hand once more. The closer we get, the louder the music grows. The hallmark thumping bass and rowdy crowd can only mean one thing.
“You didn’t say it was a club.” I try not to break his fingers with my grip.
“It is. Is that okay?” His eyes melt me, filled with concern.
“It’s fine,” I lie. That’s the second time tonight.
“Good,” he stops and turns me around to face him. He brushes his lips against mine, soft and sudden. My eyes are still closed, body tingling when he pulls away. “Because I’d hate to go inside without you.”
When I look up at him I’m dizzy. His perfect bone structure. Thick hair pulled away from his face. Broad chest just right for morning cuddles.
In this moment he looks like a custom-made dream man I’d ordered from the internet. How in the hell could I walk away now? The answer is that I can’t. With Raiden’s hand on my lower back, my heart beats in tandem with the thumping base as we make our way inside the club.
5
Raiden
Mimi seems nervous. Hopefully it won’t last long. The last thing I want is for her to be uncomfortable in any way. That’s not how she should feel around me. It’s my duty to protect her and make sure she’s taken care of. She looks unbelievable tonight, tits popping out of that shirt like she’s trying to make me drag her into the bathroom and have my way with her. I would, if everyone from my team wasn’t going to be here tonight. And, I’d rather save up all that angst for afterwards so I can take my time with her and make her feel more pleasure than she could even dream of.
I want to see that gorgeous body of hers splayed out before me, naked and ready. I can barely contain myself as we approach Mike, the bouncer. He fist bumps me before pulling me into a bro hug. Mimi’s hand remains in mine, but Mike’s a motormouth tonight. He was part of the construction crew before the club hired him. A line begins to form behind us but Mike doesn’t seem to notice. Mimi does, though. She rocks from foot to foot, glancing all around. Even when I introduce her, she doesn’t seem to settle.
“We’re going to head inside, have a good night, Mike.” I lead Mimi inside, her body language stiffer than yesterday’s interaction. Maybe she doesn’t go to clubs? I can’t imagine not being out in the heart of it. Living in New York City, why would you ever stay home when there’s something to do every night of the week.
The music crashes around us once we’re inside. The place looks stunning if I do say so myself. Upscale but not snooty. The blue lit bar is surrounded by mid century modern stools. The dance floor, small but accessible, lies in the middle of the room. It’s early, so it’s not packed, which is probably a good thing considering Mimi looks like she’d rather be anywhere but here.
I lean in close, take a whiff of her delectable perfume. She smells good enough to feast on, and I plan to before the night is over. “You look like you need a drink.” My lips brush ear when I speak, and I feel her shoulders loosen a bit.
She presses her soft cheek against mine and says in response, “Vodka Soda.”
My hand flies to my chest. “No shit? Me too.”
Her eyes narrow, a smile playing at the corner of her lips. It’s good to see her relax a bit. It’s an opening, and supposed to be fun. “You’re lying.” Her red lacquered lips look sticky in the low light. It makes me twitch in my pants thinking of them wrapped around my length.
“You’re right,” I say, and shrug. “I’m a whiskey guy.” She playfully slaps me on the arm. The bar area is packed, so I lean in to Mimi once more. “Stay here, I’ll be right back.”
“Okay,” she says. The hesitation in her voice doesn’t register until I’ve already turned away.
“I won’t be long, the bartender knows me.” It takes a few extra minutes due to the size of the crowd, but finally I snag both of our drinks and am back to Mimi within five minutes tops.
“Thanks,” she says, virtually ripping the drink from my hands and sucking down three large gulps. I watch her eyes dart around the room as she bounces her straw around in her drink. I’ll do whatever I can to make her comfortable. If that means finding my team and then getting the hell out of dodge, I’ll do it. But I can’t leave yet. No one’s seen me, and it’s important that they all know I came. My reputation depends on little things like that.
“Do you want to dance?” I ask, hoping to God she’ll say no. Mimi shakes her head and a flood of relief washes through me. “Do you want to go and sit?” Mimi shrugs and I lead her to a nearby, two-person booth that happens to open up as we pass.
The lights beam across her worried face. I’m not sure what I can say to make her feel better. I just know that I have to find my team, and fast so that I can get her out of this place. And from my lips to God’s ears, my partner Brett slides in front of us, his arms spread wide.
“Hey, you made it!” He yells over the crowd.
I stand and take his hand in mine. “Of course I made it. Have I ever missed an opening?”
Brett looks down at Mimi, and I hope it’s just a coincidence. “Who’s this?”
“This is Mimi. She works at the library.”