Page 28 of Dance for Me

Rainbow or Jimmies?

“I think you’ve had enough.” But Vanessa ignored Jack as she downed another shot. She was drunk, maybe trashed even. The bartender retracted his offer as Jack raised a hand, stopping him right before he set another shot down in front of her.

“You are so mean,” Vanessa said as she slurred her words. “I lied. You’re not mean. However, I highly enjoy your buttery nipple.” She laughed and touched his chest. “Not your buttery nipple, the drink, buttery nipple.” Jack stared at her with an eyebrow raised, taking the piercing with it. “Okay, I think you’re right. I’m done.”

“Yeah,” Jack put an arm around her shoulder tugging her into him as they walked out.

The crowd had already thinned out and Jazz and Owen left about an hour ago. As soon as Jack threw Doug out, Vanessa had the urge to just forget about everything. She wanted to drown out the hurt and embarrassment and this was the best way she knew how.

The summer night breeze was cold enough to bring a chill to Vanessa, even with Jack’s massive body next to her.

He shrugged out of his leather jacket and threw it over her shoulders. She immediately gripped it tighter as if to feel like she was wrapped in his arms. His scent lingered off of it and she couldn’t help but breathe him in.

She saw a motorcycle parked outside the bar. It was all black, sleek, with a matte finish. She always wondered what it would be like to ride on the back of a motorcycle. To feel the wind in her hair. It was probably how birds felt when they flew. Like they were free and happy.

Jack left her side and she watched him as he walked up to the bike. He unlocked the back and took out his cell phone.

“T-That’s yours?” Vanessa was surprised, but not really. Of course, he owned a motorcycle. Just when she thought he couldn’t get any hotter. He nodded, but continued to hold the phone to his ear.

Vanessa looked at him with fascination. “You’re perfect.” After realizing that was said out loud and not inside her head, her hand flew over her mouth. Did he hear her say that? God, she hoped not.

“I just called one of my drivers. He should be here soon.” He had a driver? Just how rich was he?

“Oh, you mean we won’t be taking that?”

He let out a, are you kidding me, laugh. “No sweetheart. You’re too drunk.” Sweetheart made her heart melt.

The car that Jack called pulled up alongside the curb. The driver opened the back door and tipped his head in a greeting. He held out a hand for Vanessa and helped her into the car.

Climbing into the back seat of the Mercedes, she scooted to the far window and Jack followed in next to her. Everything was spinning as she rested her head on the window and she really hoped she didn’t puke her shots out all over his nice Mercedes. He sat next to her, but kept his gaze out of his own window, giving her an occasional glance and she, too, looked at him once in awhile. Sneaking a peek of his profile because there was no denying that he was gorgeous.

They rode in silence all the way to her apartment, but it wasn’t an awkward silence, rather a comfortable one.

The car stopped outside her place. Stairs, she thought, there was so many of them and how the hell was she going to climb them. She went to grab Jack’s hand for help out, but she slipped on her heels and landed right on her ass onto the concrete.

“Fuck, Vanessa, are you okay?” Jack knelt and tried to help her, but he stopped in surprise when he heard the amusement coming from her. She was laughing.

There she was, ass first outside her apartment, and she was hysterical. She couldn’t stop laughing, it just kept coming. “I… I lost my job,” she paused to laugh more. “I lost my job, became a stripper for like a day… now, I design their outfits.” She hiccupped. “Oh! Can’t forget about how I ran into my ex who now thinks I’m a whore… and I couldn’t be any more pathetic.”

She laughed until the laughing turned into tears, and the tears turned into sobs. She buried her face into the palms of her hands. Her attractiveness was probably below the meter right now and she couldn’t imagine what Jack thought of her in this moment. She was pretty sure that she had lost her ever loving mind and his driver was probably thinking the same thing.

Jack didn’t say anything, nor did he look at her with any type of judgement, either. All he did was wrap an arm under her legs while the other was on her back and he effortlessly lifted her up. Vanessa was now cradled in his arms, still crying, but maybe not as crazy. She was about to be carried by Jack like he was her knight in shining armor. So, without protest she wrapped her arms around his neck and rested her head on his chest in defeat. His chest felt like a stone wall. His heartbeat sounded directly underneath her and it wasn’t as still as she thought it would be.

His strength was showing in every stride as he held her in his arms. She peered up at him from where she laid on his chest and her heart fluttered. In a way that made her realize she was falling hard for Jack and there wasn’t any way she could stop it. Though, she wasn’t so sure she wanted to.

He set her down, only when they made it safely outside her apartment. She was expecting him to leave as soon as she opened the door, but he followed her inside. “You really don’t have to stay. I’m fine.”

“I’m staying,” he said firmly.

Vanessa kicked off her shoes and plopped down in one of her chairs at the coffee bar as he looked around her studio. First glancing around the kitchen, taking in the floral lavender and grey print on the walls. His gaze went to her sitting, bedroom area and then back to her. “Where’s your coffee?”

Vanessa pointed to the cabinet while she rested her chin in her hand. He took out the coffee grounds and poured it into her machine. When it was finished, he poured her a cup and slid it in front of her.

“Drink it, it’ll sober you up.”

She laughed on the inside, after her little meltdown, she sobered up really quick. He sat down next to her, his thigh brushing hers and she gripped the cup in her hand as she sipped the dark roast. It had been awhile since a man was in her apartment and she would have never guessed that someone like Jack would be sitting at her coffee bar, while she drank the surprisingly tasty cup that he made for her.

Sprinkles trotted over and sat down next to Jack’s feet, letting out a meow. “Crap, I forgot to feed Sprinkles.” Vanessa left the chair, feeling more brushing of their thighs. Why did he have to be so large? She opened a can of wet food and set it down.

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