Page 46 of Falling for Nicole
He shrugs and steps away, essentially putting a barrier up between us. “You just annoyed me, but I’ve always liked you.”
“Okay,” I whisper, because there’s so much more to this that he’s not telling me right now, and it’s left me more confused than ever. “But you’re okay with telling people.”
“Sure, if it’ll make you happy. Put that little jealous streak you have to bed.”
I open my mouth to respond but no words come out. He stands there cocky as you fucking like with a smirk playing at his lips.
“Don’t look so surprised. You think I haven’t been watching you giving out death glares to any woman who looked my way, or the fire that lights up your eyes when you see me acknowledge them?”
So much for trying to play it cool, then.
“Don’t look so embarrassed.” He steps back up to me and places his palms on my heated cheeks. “I like having how you’re really feeling written all over your face like that.”
“But…I…” I try to argue, because while he might be enjoying all this, I still have no idea where I stand with him. Is this just a stupid fling, or is he feeling the same way as me? My thoughts are eradicated the second I feel his lips against mine.
“Are you done so we can get out of here? We’ve got much better things we can be doing.”
“Almost, I need about twenty minutes.”
“You’ve got ten.”
I run out of his office the second he lets me go so I can crack on. I turn the music up as I walk past and lose myself as I sing along.
I feel his stare long before he says anything, but I refuse to turn around. I’ve already shown him too much tonight, he doesn’t need to be aware that I know the second he’s walked in a room.
“Get up on stage and sing for me,” he demands.
“No…I…”
“I dare you.”
“Dec…I can’t.” Images of truth or dare games as kids fill my mind and the stupid stuff we did back then.
“You never step down from a dare, Nicole. You know it, and I know it. Now get up on stage.”
Damn him, why the hell does he have to know me so well? Suddenly his earlier words that he’s always liked me feel that little bit truer. I’ve not noticed it before. But there’s so much he does know about me and remembers from our past—maybe he didn’t hate me so much.
“I’ll do it…if you do something for me.”
“Name it.”
I hesitate, because I know what I’m about to ask is going to make me look like a crazy jealous girlfriend. “I don’t want you to see Georgia again.”
“Fine by me,” he says, before nodding towards the stage.
I glance over my shoulder at the mic stand, waiting for its singer, and my body yearns to be behind it. I used to live and breathe music, and I miss it. I miss the thrill of performing, knowing I’m putting everything out there and not knowing if my audience will appreciate what I’m saying to them. I miss the rush of excitement when the applause begins, and seeing the smiles on people’s faces.
“Go on,” he encourages like he can read my mind.
I put down the cloth in my hand and hesitantly walk over.
As I stand and look out over the empty bar, my heart pounds and white noise fills my ears. I can’t do this without her.
Suddenly the music goes off and the lights dim. When I look up, Dec is slowly walking towards me.
“It’s just me and you, baby.”
Heat races through my body, once again giving my heart the impression that there might be something here—something serious.
