Page 68 of Electric Touch

“Hey, Tia,” Dylan gets up and greets me with a hug. Nash doesn’t let my hand go, a fact his brother does not miss.

He introduces me around and we join their table. Apollo returns with a drink for us both and starts a conversation with Jack. Nash moves his chair closer to me and eyes me up and down again.

“What are you doing here?”

“Apollo works for the owner. He helped him with all his IT stuff.”

“That was the guy you were talking to down there?”

“Yes… Why?” I’m not sure I need to ask. It’s written all over his face. “You were watching us.”

His lips tilt down in a ‘sure, but I’m not bothered by it,’ kind of way. “Only for a few minutes. I was surprised to see you,” he replies. I smirk until he shakes his head. “Fine, I was seconds away from coming down there and making a fool of myself.”

I preen, and he leans into me, putting his forehead on my shoulder as he laughs. His breath warms my skin even through the fabric of the dress. When he moves closer, his lips skim the bare skin where my neck meets my shoulder, making me shiver.

“Is this okay?” he asks.

“More than,” I breathe out.

“Good,” he nips my earlobe, then sits back up. “I’m glad you’re here.”

“So Mr Tall, Big and Intimidating who brought us up, is he the security Pippa has arranged for you?” I take a sip of the drink Apollo brought me. I cough. It’s strong as hell.

“Yeah, Blake. My personal shadow, here to protect me,” he says with an eye roll.

“I don’t know,” I shrug. “It seems like a good idea, in this kind of place, anyway.”

“I’m sorry about that video,” he grabs his beer, turning in his chair so he’s facing me.

I wave him off. “Not your fault.”

I’d been shocked initially. After watching the video a couple, or fifty times, I was unrecognisable. I was also mesmerized by how he held me, and the memory of his lips on mine. After the high I’d felt at getting up on that table and singing, everyone around us disappeared. All I saw was him encouraging me, smiling at me.

I didn’t have time to get scared about it, given we had to run away. The more I watched the video, the more I saw something I haven’t wanted to admit to myself. Still don’t. But once again, without even trying, here we are. I don’t believe in fate. Or the things Mama believes about the universe answering when we reach out. It’s not like I’ve been wishing for him to be mine.

The conversation with Pippa was eye opening. I went to the Dean of the Mathematics Department to discuss the implications of me becoming embroiled in this. She’d been more excited at the prospect of me knowing Nash Jameson, asking for an autograph. She said what I did outside of the university was my business. Provided it didn’t interfere with my professional role.

Which could mean anything. So having a guard to look out for us would be beneficial.

If things go further.

“Yeah, but it wouldn’t have happened to you with a normal guy.”

“You’re a normal guy,” I nudge him with my shoulder.

Nash grins at me, happy to hear me say that. As much as he wants his band to succeed, Nash wants to remain that ‘normal’ guy. Things will change for him. They already are. He’ll figure out that he needs to adapt to a new normal.

“Hey, look who’s here.” Jordan interrupts another one of our stare offs, putting a hand on Nash’s shoulder as he smiles at me. He gives Alessa a conspiratorial look. She is about to sit down, but Jordan takes the seat, forcing her to sit on his lap.

For as much as she pulls faces and looks exasperated, I know she adores him. Both from observing them and the way she talks about him when I get involved in the group chat. She often defends him when they talk about something crazy he has done. Jenna, Elsa and Brooke, the latter who I have not met yet, have welcomed me into their chat. I don’t take part too much. Most of the time, they are fishing for information on my relationship with Nash. Especially Jenna. I enjoy reading their sometimes long and bizarre chats. Getting insider information on the men from BreakNeck is fun too.

Apollo has been folded into Jack’s group. There are three others from Dirty Crew with them.

After an hour of drinking and chatting, Nash asks me to dance. Although this is a VIP area and smaller than the main club, there is a dance floor.

“I’m a terrible dancer,” I let him know.

“I don’t believe that for a second,” he says, getting to his feet. He holds his hand out to me.

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