Gabe's Revenge
Page 18
Josh swung round, and her heart skipped another beat when she caught sight of him. His infectious smile lit up his rugged features, as he grinned at Dawson over her head, and some sort of unspoken communication seemed to be going on between the two of them. Not that she had any time to ponder the strange feeling that she was missing something, because, in the next instant, Josh pulled Naomi away from his new husband and into a bone-crushing hug.
“I missed you, sweet cheeks. We need to dance before my Lord and Master whisks me away to destinations unknown.” There was a curious undertone in his words, which made unwanted and utterly useless tears want to well up again.
Seriously, what was wrong with her? She wasn’t normally this emotional, dammit, especially not in full view of people.
Josh hugged her tighter still, and closing her eyes, she gave herself this moment of simply being held by the one man she loved most in the whole wide world. And what a day to realize how much she loved him.
“Are you all right, baby?” His whispered question, for her ears only as he grasped her nape and rested his forehead on hers, made her force a smile on her face.
“Of course, I am. Why wouldn’t I be?” The words burned a path of humiliation and despair across her bruised heart, one which she hid under a practiced smile as she pulled away from him.
“Honeymoon, huh? I thought you were staying here at the hotel?”
Josh smirked at Dawson, who’d appeared in Naomi’s peripheral vision. Hands stuffed into his tailored trousers, he gave off an air of nonchalance, were it not for the intensity in his darkening eyes as he took in the scene in front of him. When Dawson smiled it didn’t reach his eyes.
“Secret location. Call me old fashioned but I want my husband all to myself for a couple of weeks anyway.” Dawson paused, and the air thickened with unspoken tension, all of a sudden. “Once we’re back … well, I might indulge Josh a little.”
He inclined his head toward her friend, and before she could say or do anything, Josh laughed.
“Don’t mind him, sweet cheeks. This is a party, so let’s party.”
When she pulled a face and tried to extricate herself out of his embrace, Josh wouldn't let her. Instead of allowing her to pull away, he yanked her closer, so close that her breasts were squashed against his chest. It made breathing difficult, as Josh's scent enveloped her. It was a curious mixture of his and Dawson's, as the other man chose that moment to step up right behind her. Naomi was trapped, caught between the two male bodies, enveloped by their combined body heat, and she closed her eyes lest they betray her conflicted emotions.
Josh's sigh brought it with it a trace of the champagne they'd drunk and the scent of mint, which she would forever associate with him, thanks to his obsession with chewing mouth mints after every meal. Being a dentist by profession did that to a guy, she supposed, and she liked to tease him about it, but not now. Not when her hormones were going into overdrive because Dawson's strong fingers grasped her chin and forced her head up.
“Do him the courtesy of looking at him when he’s talking to you, girl.”
The icy demand behind those words caused Naomi's eyes to fly open, and her world tilted anew at the concern she saw in Josh's blue gaze. He flicked a glance at Dawson, and she swayed slightly when the other man released his hold on her chin and stepped away abruptly. Josh frowned and shook his head at her.
"All work and no play make Naomi a dull girl. Dance with me, babe."
Before she could utter a protest, the band struck up, and Josh pulled her into an energetic waltz. It left no time for talk, or indeed worries of any kind, as her friend whirled her around the dance floor at dizzying speed, in direct contrast to the tentative dance lessons they’d taken together in the run up to the wedding to help him prepare for this.
It took all of Naomi’s concentration to keep up with him, and when the music eventually slowed and Josh stopped the dance by tipping her backward over his arm, they were both laughing. Her amusement dissipated somewhat when Dawson stepped up to them, slowly clapping his approval.
Around them, couples swayed to the next, much slower number the orchestra played, and she didn't know where to look when Josh spun her round to face the other man.
"You two look good together, and you, husband, have been holding out on me. When did you take dance lessons?" Dawson asked.
Josh's arm around her waist tightened for a moment before he released her with a gentle push in Dawson's direction.
“Naomi is a good partner.”
Dawson’s smile slipped, and Naomi swallowed nervously at the flash of disapproval that crossed the other man’s features.
"I just bet she is," he murmured, grasping her around the waist and pulling her close against him. A shiver of need went down Naomi's spine at the contact because this close to him she couldn't help but notice the long, hard evidence of his arousal digging into her. He smirked when he seemed to notice her reaction. "Perhaps I should find out for myself how good our girl is?"
It wasn't a question so much as a statement, as he began to sway his hips to and fro in tune to the music, and Naomi had no choice but to dance with him. It was that or cause a scene in the middle of the dance floor, and with Josh running an unsteady hand through his dark hair, and offering them both his lopsided grin, she couldn't bring herself to do that. If Dawson would even let her go. The arm around her waist, one hand clamped possessively on her hip, seemed made from steel.
Josh made a big show of shrugging and winked at her. “I convinced our girl,” he paused and grinned when she gasped at the intonation he put on those two words, “to take lessons with me, before the wedding, so that I would be stepping on her toes, and not yours when the time came to dance in front of everyone. As you can see she feels good in one’s arms, doesn’t she?”
Naomi barely swallowed her moan this time because Dawson chose that moment to bring the hand on her hip, down to her ass. He yanked her closer still, dipped his head, and dropped a kiss on the rapidly beating pulse point in her neck. His breath ghosted across her perspiration-slick flesh when he spoke.
“Indeed, she does, all soft and curvy like I like my women.”
The inherent promise—or was that a threat—in those murmured words meant she missed a step, and her heel made contact with Dawson's polished dress shoes. He winced, and Josh laughed.
“I’ll leave you to it. Gonna start making our goodbyes.”
Naomi was dimly aware of Josh’s departure, too caught up in the feel of being in Dawson’s arms as he started to move them around the floor with effortless ease.
“Relax, and let me lead.”
His dark eyes flashed in amusement when she took a deep breath in an effort to do so.
“That’s better, girl, saves my feet, too.”
On impulse, Naomi stuck her tongue out at him, and Dawson threw his head back and laughed.
“Oh, if you were mine, you’d pay for that, girl, for sure. Now behave yourself and dance.”
“Yes, Sir.”
Naomi had meant for that to come out flippantly, but the instant flare of heat in Dawson’s gaze meant it took on an entirely different meaning.
“Erm, I mean…”
“Oh, I know what you mean, girl. Watch the sass.”
The music kicked up a notch, making conversation impossible, which was just as well because Naomi had no idea what to say.
By the time Dawson finally danced her to the edge of the floor and let her go with a courteous bow, Naomi knew one thing. It was just as well, they were going away, or she would be in serious danger of throwing herself at both of them. And that would never do…
End of sample chapter
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