Cody took her hand, ignoring all the speculative looks they got as he led her through the crowd. The last song ended and Jason Aldean’s “Night Train” began to play.
Perfect.
He felt about ten feet tall. He was so proud to be there with her, even if it was only during a break. For just a few minutes he wouldn’t watch the club, he’d only watch her. He spun her as they reached the dance floor and smiled at her practiced response. She knew how to dance, all right.
The tempo was perfect but the music was louder near the dance floor so it was hard to talk. He pulled her close, letting his left hand slide down her back to the upper swell of her curvaceous ass, enjoying the feel of her supple body against his as she followed his lead. He gazed into her upturned eyes and tucked a stray lock of hair back from her cheek. “You look like you need to talk.” At her vigorous nod, he said, “I’d like to talk now but we’ll keep getting interrupted. Things are pretty fast-paced on Saturday nights. Would you think about coming home with us? Just to talk? I promise, nothing else will happen and we’ll take you home afterward.”
“I understand,” she replied as she reached up to his shoulder. “Can I just tell you one thing?”
“Sure.” He bent down so she could speak near his ear. No one else needed to be party to their conversation.
“I’m so sorry about this afternoon. I know I probably looked like a coward, scurrying back from you like that. I felt awful about it all day.”
Cody smiled as he pulled back enough to look into her sincere eyes. He stroked the hair at her temple, enjoying the wild mass of curls so much. Sliding his hand to the back of her head, he sank his fingers deep in the silken strands. On impulse, he kissed her as they kept dancing, and he felt her tremble against him. “There. That made up for it. I was sure you had a good reason for pulling back and I didn’t let it bother me. I knew you’d explain when you could.” He felt her relax against him and was glad. “The anticipation to see you has been building all day, as you could probably tell earlier…and now…I want you to know that it’s up to you if anything else ever happens. I want you to understand that. We all do.”
Her smile was radiant as she nodded. “I understand. One of the women in that group outside O’Reilley’s was Beverly Dumphrey. She’s a teacher at the elementary school and she’s on the school board. And one of the others, Tabitha Lester, is friends with several members of the school board. She’s done her best to make Lucy’s life miserable and she would do the same to me if she had half a chance. I know I have to be careful, but…” She leaned her cheek against his chest.
“But what?”
She looked up at him. “But I want this, too.”
He breathed a sigh of relief. “Then we’ll make it work.”
“It’s going to be harder than I thought at first.”
“You’re right, angel. We can talk about all of that tonight, if you’d like.”
She bit her lip, uncertainty in her eyes. “Just talk?” At his nod, she said, “Can I let you know? I need to check with the girls first.”
“Of course. And if you’d rather not, I’d understand. We can get together one day this week.”
He smiled when she frowned a little. Waiting wasn’t a pleasant thought to him either. He felt the same sense of urgency.
They held each other for the rest of the song, her body following his lead with as much grace as if they’d been dancing together for a long time. He wanted this to work out so much it was like a physical hunger that wouldn’t be satisfied. She looked up at him and he wished he could read her mind.
Chapter Eight
As Maizy looked up at Cody, she was sure that if it didn’t work out between them, she would feel the pain of loss a lot longer than she had for Chaz. A lot longer.
Gong to their house to talk was tempting but she knew if she did, it was very likely she’d stay the night…and not just to talk. As individuals they were captivating, but the three of them combined—with their differing but complementary temperaments—would be impossible to resist.
The song ended and she glanced up and saw Cody scanning the crowd as he escorted her over to the table they’d reserved for her group. Once there, Cody kissed her gently, dazzling her with that smile that was a disarming combination of sexy and shy. She could feel the girl’s eyes on her as Cody kissed her one more time and then he murmured, “We’ll be keeping an eye on you but you come to the front if you need me.”
His eyes communicated that he’d gladly take care of any need she had and her pussy tingled and grew even wetter than it already was. The smooth leather of his pants had slid against her legs and between them occasionally during the dance, turning her into a throbbing aroused mess by the time the song had ended. His hand lingered on her shoulder before he sauntered back to the front. She blushed when she turned to her friends and found them gaping at her.
“What?” She giggled as she lifted the sangria they’d ordered for her to her lips.
Grace had a gleam in her eyes as she sat back in her chair and lifted her margarita to her lips. “I know that look. They’ve already won you over, haven’t they? If I doubted it before I don’t now. And you’re probably worried that it’s moving too fast, right? What did he say to put that blush on your face?”
“I am worried it’s moving too fast but…I don’t want to slow down either. He wants me to come home with them tonight.” She held her hand up when Lucy opened her mouth to speak. “Just to talk. That’s it. Just to talk.”
“Right,” Jayne murmured then sighed happily. “This margarita is really good.” Another giggle-snort escaped her. “Good thing y’all are driving.”
“She’s ‘y’alling,’ Lucy,” Grace said with a giggle of her own, “We’d better make sure the bartender knows to mix her margaritas a little more on the virginal side.”
“Yeah, uh-huh, because that pesky Señor Patrón kicks my darned butt,” Jayne said and snorted again.
The girls shared a look and then laughed but Maizy saw Lucy note the time on her watch and guessed that Lucy was watching out for Jayne. Even Maizy knew Jayne was a notorious lightweight where tequila was concerned.
Jayne said, “Is it time to dance yet? I feel like dancin’.”
Grace chuckled and said, “In a few more minutes. You just enjoy your buzz.” She turned serious eyes on Maizy and said, “So they’d like to sit down and talk with you tonight?”
“Yeah, what do you think? I mean, you remember what it was like with Jack, Ethan, and Adam, right?” Grace had already shared a few details about her relationship with the three men who adored her and she obviously adored in return.
Grace settled her elbows on the table and the others also leaned forward. “I remember being afraid it was moving too fast. In retrospect, I realized that my relationship with Jack, Ethan, and Adam felt that way to me because I was used to waiting and waiting…hoping for good things. And when something really good fell into my lap, I didn’t trust it at first because I was in a perpetual state of waiting.”
Maizy nodded. What Grace was saying was ringing true for her, too.
Grace sat for a second and smiled, obviously remembering. “They weren’t pushy with me at all. I noticed that they each brought something special to all the encounters I had with them, like they contributed to the whole and the whole felt so right, so wonderful. I came to think of us as a foursome from practically the beginning. I had a crush on Jack forever, it seemed, but once the four of us spent time together, that was what I wanted. Is that how it is with Cody, Heath, and Spencer?”
Maizy nodded. “They’re so different, and together, so wonderful. Cody is…” She let out a slow sigh, still feeling his touch and the taste of his kiss on her tongue. “Imposing, but so gentle. When he talks to me, there isn’t a lot of subtext. He’s straightforward.”
Grace smiled and nodded knowingly, and Jayne emitted a happy, contented sigh and said, “Yeah,” then giggled, evidently realizing she’d spoken out loud. “Sounds like Seth. Doesn’t talk a lot but I
know where he stands and what he thinks.” The cat-that-ate-the-canary look on her face, combined with the blush in her cheeks, spoke volumes.
Lucy nodded. “Patrick is that way, too. And a little bossy. I’ll bet Cody is bossy.”
Maizy felt a blush heat her own cheeks. “I think I’d let him boss me. And Heath is such a tease. His eyes sparkle when he talks to me. I think sometimes he does that to make me feel comfortable with the three of them.”
Grace said, “He reminds me of Ethan sometimes. He’s good at reading people which feeds into his need to take care of people. Heath was sure all along that they’d find you, Maizy. He follows his gut. Being like that makes him good at his job,” she said, pointing to where Heath stood behind the bar watching the club. At that moment, he looked right at Maizy, grinned, and blew her a kiss.
Grace said, “If I was single and in your shoes, I couldn’t resist that.”
Maizy sighed, knowing resistance was futile. “I know,” she said drawing out the last syllable and making the girls chuckle. “And Spencer. Something about him pulls at my heart. He’s the most reserved of them. I don’t know if that’s because he’s shy or because he’s been hurt.”
Grace shook her head slowly. “I’m not sure. Of the three I know the least about him, but I get what you mean.”
“When I see him, I just want to curl up into him, not just for my own benefit but for his as well. He makes me feel safe when he hugs me. They all do, but there’s something very comforting about him.”
Grace had rosy cheeks when she said, “I think I know exactly what you’re talking about. Great kissers?”
“Oh, boy,” Maizy said as she put her hands on her cheeks to cool them. “They turn me into a warm puddle of goo.”
Lucy said, “It sounds like you’ve decided to go home with them then?” Maizy could see the concern in her future sister-in-law’s eyes.
“I think so, Lucy.”
Grace reached out and patted Maizy’s forearm. “Cody, Heath, and Spencer wouldn’t rush you into anything.”
Lucy smiled. “I’ve known them for the shortest period of time of the three of us, and even I know that much. What about your work? Do they understand about all that?”
“That’s part of what we need to talk about tonight. I explained some of it to Cody just now but he said we could work it out tonight.”
Grace looked around the club and then peered at Jayne, who was bobbing her head to the music. “Hey, Tequila-Sheila, you ready for a dance?”
Jayne giggle-snorted again and nodded. “That’s funny. I’m gonna tell Seth about that one.”
Lucy chuckled and said, “We’re gonna have to watch her margarita count tonight or Seth will have my butt in a sling.”
Grace got up from her seat and excused herself. “Stay put, I’ll be right back.”
They watched as she sauntered across the nightclub. When Ben saw her making her way over, he came out from behind the bar and hugged her and they spoke for a moment or two. He nodded and went back to work and Grace grinned back at them before she sidled over to Heath, who must’ve been watching security monitors given the focused look in his eyes. He gave Grace an easy grin when she greeted him and put a friendly arm around her shoulders. As she spoke to him, Heath’s eyes came to rest on Maizy and he smiled.
“Wonder what she’s saying to him?” Maizy said as she waved at him and then searched the club, easily spotting Spencer visiting with a couple at the back entry into the club and then Cody who was at the door, talking with a tall dark-headed woman.
The woman seemed to know him well and Maizy wondered who she was. She had an easy manner with him and treated him like an equal. As she spoke, she put her hand on his shoulder and Cody nodded at whatever she was saying.
“Who is that woman Cody is talking to?” she asked, resisting the urge to point. She’d never experienced possessiveness over a man but the feeling in her gut must be it. She needed to dial that back. He works in a nightclub for Pete’s sake. He knows lots of women.
“I see that look in your eyes, sweetie, but you don’t need to worry,” Lucy said. “That’s the nightclub manager, Sylvan Anders. They’re coworkers. She’s very cool.”
Jayne patted her shoulder encouragingly. “They had access to any number of women but it was you they were looking for all this time, Maizy. I know how you feel,” she added with a sympathetic nod. “Seth gets a lot of attention from women. Some of them are downright blatant because of the industry he’s in. He doesn’t think I know, but I’ve heard women proposition him while he’s worked on their tattoos. I didn’t mean to overhear but that’s kind of hard to walk away from, you know?”
With raised eyebrows, Maizy said, “I can’t imagine.”
Jayne crossed her arms over her chest and Maizy could see the certainty in her gaze. “But I know when I look into his eyes that he loves me more than his own life. Those women that proposition him? He doesn’t just turn them down, he tells them all about me, and how much he loves me. I’ve heard him do it. I think Cody, Heath, and Spencer could come to feel the same way about you, if they don’t already.”
Maizy looked from Jayne to Lucy and said, “I don’t know if it will work out but that’s what I want. I want someone who loves me just the way I am, not how I’d be if I lost fifty or sixty pounds, and who’s proud of me because I love to belly dance, not ashamed of me because of what it might mean to his job if anyone else found out.”
It was a fine line she walked. In essence wasn’t that her main worry—what the school board and school district would say if they found out she was entering a relationship with three men? It was happening so fast it made her head spin.
Grace returned to the table and Lucy said, “Is everything okay? What were you talking about?”
Grace sat back in her chair. “I wanted to make sure it was all right with Ben if we danced together. I knew he didn’t like it when we did that at the Pony. He said that the bears and the new guy, Ryan, would be keeping an eye on us. And evidently a certain sexy mind reader I love already called him to talk about it.”
Lucy scoffed. “Are you kidding me? Ethan called to give you permission to dance?”
Grace shook her head. “He did the opposite. He knew I wouldn’t dance because the guys aren’t here. He wanted us to have a good time.” Grace giggled. “He even made a song request. Ben told me I’d know it when I heard it.” There was no doubt that Ethan loved Grace, knew her well, and watched out for her even from a distance.
Maizy caught Cody watching her from the front, so damned sexy with his black hair tied back. He blew her a kiss and on impulse she reached up and mimed catching it. She couldn’t hear him but he burst into laughter before turning to a group coming in the door.
She looked over at Heath and giggled when he made a “you-and-me” gesture between them with his hand and then mimicked dancing together. She nodded. Warmth filled her and she turned to where Spencer had been earlier and found him gazing at her. He didn’t do anything else, like the other guys, but she saw the warmth that entered his eyes when she found him, the change that came over him. He was so big and strong, they all were, but there was something essential and safe about him that she was attracted to on a very earthy level. Grace had told her she thought he was a woobie, and then had gone on to explain that those comforting qualities were what defined a woobie.
The song changed and Grace suddenly cried out, “There it is!” as “Dayum, Baby” by Florida Georgia Line began to play. “I should’ve known.” She climbed from her chair and the others joined her. “Ethan caught me dancing to it a couple of nights ago.”
“By yourself?”
“Yeah, I was in my office writing and I got…inspired and he caught me.”
“What happened?” Maizy asked as Grace blushed a little more.
Grace laughed as she led the way. “Did I mention there’s a bed in my office?”
The girls laughed as they made a beeline for the dance floor and Maizy got to join them for her ve
ry first girl’s dance. They formed a circle on one of the outside corners of the dance floor, which also made it easy for Cody, Heath, and Spencer to see her, as well as the new bouncer, who she finally spotted watching them from several feet away.
The middle-of-the-road tempo was perfect for a sensual dance and the girls egged her on and she dusted off some of her basic belly dancing moves. It wasn’t the same without the costume and her jingling coin scarves but just moving like that, the sensual twist and shimmy of her hips and rolling of her shoulders and chest, was immensely freeing. She felt like one of them.
She had her hands in her hair as she rolled her hips and caught sight of Heath who had moved to within just a few feet of her. His eyes burned with pride and approval. Instead of shying away from his obvious interest, she used her arms and hand movements to entice him and actually succeeded in drawing him a little closer before he realized what she was doing and grinned at her.
The girls were watching her, too, and adding some of what she was doing into their dances. She spied Spencer near the DJ booth and directed her dance moves his way. The heat of his gaze was like a caress and she shimmied playfully, gaining a momentary smile from him, which made her feel like cheering.
As the song drew to a close, she found Cody watching her from the halfway point between the front door and the dance floor. He looked like he wanted to come closer but couldn’t and then she realized why. A blonde club goer was chatting him up, or at least trying to. He looked slightly irritated as she kept trying to get his attention but he focused on Maizy and smiled when she rewarded him with some moves just for him. He glanced away to watch a crowded table nearby and then shifted his gaze back to her. Club business, she supposed.
She glanced between all of them and wished that last Halloween had had a different outcome. She could’ve met these wonderful, sexy men that much sooner. She sunk her fingers into her hair again and shimmied for him and giggled when he licked his lips.
As the song ended, Ben stepped forward and offered Grace his arm, and Spencer approached and spoke quietly to Jayne and she wrapped her hand around the crook of his elbow. The new bouncer, Ryan, offered the same courtesy to Lucy and the men escorted the three women back through the large, predominantly male crowd that had formed in that section of the club. Maizy sensed Heath behind her and turned to smile up into his pale green gaze.
Maizy the Bear Charmer [Divine Creek Ranch 16] (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting) Page 8
