"There you are!" Sean's voice filled my ears seconds before his arm came swooping around my shoulder. "You ready to hit the club?" he asked as the others filed out of the bar.

"That woman is such a b.i.t.c.h," I muttered as I watched her walk arm in arm down the street with both Ciarn and Liam.

"Now, now, Babe," Sean chuckled, tucking me into his side and protecting me from the cold. "Jealousy is an ugly trait."

"I'm not jealous of her, Sean," I shot back, disgusted he would even think that. "She's welcome to Liam, since he apparently likes to talk about his bedtime antics." Knowing Liam had told her about us made me sick to my stomach. Memories of how he had treated me when we were teenagers flooded me. He was the same rat b.a.s.t.a.r.d who had dumped me during my very first b.l.o.w.j.o.b, then jumped into a relationship with another girl from school before the bed was cold. I was far from pristine but Liam was no knight in shining armor either.

"Then what's the problem?" Sean asked when our friends were well out of earshot.

"I'm mad because she had the cheek to corner me outside the bar," I grumbled. "And start spurting all this c.r.a.p about how I should have thought about Liam's feelings before my dirty laundry was splashed on the papers." Shaking my head, I leaned closer into him. "That woman is warped."

"Ahh...about that," Sean chuckled nervously when we reached the entrance of Krash Bar. "You kind of made the front page of today's papers with Noah."

"What?" I shrieked, twisting around to gape at him. "And you didn't think to tell me?"

"I thought you already knew," he replied, grinning shamelessly as he paid us into the club. "And that's why you were holed up in the apartment."

I removed my jacket and took Sean's one out of his hands before handing them into the cloakroom attendant, along with my bag.

"No," I hissed following after him as he stepped into the club and made a beeline for the bar. "I didn't f.u.c.king know. If I knew I wouldn't be here." I gestured around and then back to myself. "And especially not dressed like this!"

"Well we're here now," he said cheerfully. "And you look fierce. So let's just enjoy the night."

"Fine," I muttered, ordering a round of tequila and paying for it with the emergency twenty I had stuffed into the cup of my dress. "But I'm getting drunk," I told him as I sprinkled a dash of salt on the back of my hand and then his before quickly licking it off and tossing my shot back. Grabbing a slice lemon, I shoved it in my mouth and sucked, cringing when the salty tang was overpowered by the bitterness of the lemon juice.

"Guys, are you coming?" Imogen called out, waving us over to a security guarded door. "Stephanie just talked us into the VIP section upstairs."

"We're coming," I called out before s.n.a.t.c.hing Sean's shot and tossing it back. "Consider it compensation for your omission of the truth," I slurred, patting his chest with my hand.

Sean raised his brow and smiled. "Come on you little firecracker," he chuckled, taking my hand and helping me over to the door. "Let's get you away from the bar for a while."

Surprisingly, security did let us up the staircase to the VIP section and I snickered when we reached the top of the stairs. "I wonder which one Steph the Cougar slept with to get a free pa.s.s in here."

"Never mind which one of them she slept with," Sean muttered, pointing towards the far corner of the room.

My gaze trailed over to where Sean was pointing and my heart sank into my a.s.s. "Oh c.r.a.p," I whispered, coming to an abrupt stop the second my eyes landed on Noah. He was in one of the leather booths on the other side of the dance floor, surrounded by staff, fans and our f.u.c.king friends.

Disgust and envy flooded me as I watched Stephanie squeeze past the other men who were sitting in the booth. When she reached Noah, I watched like a hawk as she leaned into his ear. I couldn't hear what she was saying to him, the music was drowning everything out, but when Noah nodded once and Stephanie pulled out her phone, gesturing for the others to follow her, I quickly figured it out.

I was fairly certain that my mouth was hanging open as I watched our friends all squeeze into the booth to get their picture taken with Noah. "Did she just..."

"Sit on his lap? Yep." Sean filled in for me, watching the same spectacle unfold, as Stephanie sank down on Noah's lap and wrapped her arms around his neck, flaunting her big b.r.e.a.s.t.s in his face like a weapon of male destruction.

"Come on, Babe," Sean said in a determined tone of voice, reaching for my hand. "Let's squash this."

I shook my head when he took my hand to lead me over. "I'm not going over there," I told him as panic clawed its way out of my stomach and into my throat. Tonight, I was determined to be on my best behavior. No outbursts and no slapping, but Stephanie was pushing me. Seriously, that woman was number one on my throat punch list. I watched Noah as he smiled and placated his admirers. Envy swirled inside of me. It was a natural emotion for me and when it came to Noah Messina, jealousy was my middle name. Tugging on his hand, I dug my heels into the plush carpet. "I mean it, Sean. I...I need to go."

"No," he countered, dragging me across the dance floor to the booth where our friends were fan-girling all over my ex. Shoving me forward, Sean kept a death grip on my hand. "You need to step up," he argued. "That is your man, Teagan Connolly. So get off your high horse and go claim him."

"What if he doesn't want to be claimed?" I asked, admitting my deepest fears. "What if we go over there and he ignores me?" Or worse, walks away again...

"Well, it looks to me like you have two choices," Sean grumbled. "You can either go over there and face him like a woman, or be a coward and let Stephanie sink her claws into him. Pick your poison, Teagan."

"Okay," I whispered, steeling myself for rejection and giving up the fight of trying to breakaway from Sean. I was going to have to face Noah sometime. I knew I didn't deserve him, but I wanted him badly enough to make a fool of myself trying. Noah was worth swallowing my pride and, as Sean had so sweetly pointed out, getting off my high horse for. I wanted to be the woman who went home with him tonight. Pathetic or not, there it was. I wanted Noah Messina more now than when I was seventeen and I was, once again, willing to bend my morals in order to be with him.

I was in serious s.h.i.t.

NICK AND HIS MEN DIDN'T STAY LONG, just long enough to sign and raise a toast to my extended contract, before leaving to catch his flight.

He'd put a tab on the bar for us for the rest of the night, with strict instructions for me to let loose and enjoy myself before the grueling training started up next week.

Letting loose and enjoying myself was a f.u.c.king impossible thing for me to do after the information I had received tonight, but I was trying.

It was like Lucky had said; if they knew where she was, they would have got to her by now. Teagan was safer here than anywhere else, and I needed to calm my a.s.s down.

Quincy was celebrating the good news by drinking himself into a stupor and mauling every woman that looked sideways at him. For a man in his forties, Q had the stamina of a horned up teenager.

Lucky was being his normal self; cool, calm, collected and completely unfazed by the multi-million dollar contract I had just signed or the women who were throwing themselves at us.

I watched in amus.e.m.e.nt as he continued to drink it up, all the while fending off overly friendly female admirers, grinning and politely declining every offer, like I knew he would.

I had met the kind of women he messed around with and I knew full well that none of the women that had approached us tonight would work out for him.

The guy had two rules he lived and f.u.c.ked by never bring them home, and never go back for seconds and none of these women fit that bill. The women here tonight were good women, h.o.r.n.y and up for a good time, but no way in h.e.l.l would they be up for the kinds of things he was.

To be fair to Lucky, it was a good f.u.c.king rule, guaranteed to keep feelings and emotions out of it, but sometimes it bothered me that nothing seemed to faze him. It was like that part of Lucky had checked out years ago when his girl was killed and he was just...blank inside.

Sitting back with a beer in my hand, I felt on edge as I studied everything that was going on around us. As much as I tried, I couldn't f.u.c.king relax. I was coiled tight with tension, waiting for that p.r.i.c.k to make his next move...

"You're Noah Messina, right?" a smoking hot redhead asked, stepping into my line of vision and distracting me from my thoughts.

"The last time I checked," I replied dryly. Never mind the fighting; I deserved that huge a.s.s pay rise for putting up with this constant f.u.c.king interruption into my life.

Stifling back a growl, I put on my professional face and asked, "what can I do for you, Red?" even though I already knew what she wanted. They only ever wanted two things; my d.i.c.k and a photograph. Well, one of those was out of bounds, so I gave her the nod for the picture.

Squealing, she flagged down her gang of friends and waved them over before squeezing past Quincy and Lucky and landing her a.s.s down on my lap.

"I watch all your fights," she purred as she wrapped her arms around my neck and posed while her friend snapped away with her phone. "You are so much bigger in real life."

"I bet," I grumbled, resisting the urge to toss her on the floor. "Are you done?"

"Just one more," she promised before calling out, "Guys, come here. I want a photo of all of us with The Machine."

"Jesus Christ," I muttered under my breath. "Fine."

"Excuse me," the brunette who was taking the photos said to Lucky. "Would you mind taking a photo of all of us with Noah?"

"Sure thing," Lucky chuckled standing up and taking her phone, highly amused at my discomfort. "That's what I'm here for."

I glared at Lucky who was laughing his a.s.s off at my expense. He knew I hated this s.h.i.t. Within seconds of calling her friends over I was surrounded by three guys and the brunette, who had settled down beside Red. I tolerated the photographs, I even did the small talk and pretended I was interested, but when Red dropped her hand, I'd had more than enough.

"No chance, sweetheart," I growled in her ear. I wasn't putting out. She needed to discover some boundaries and learn not to put her p.u.s.s.y on a taken man's lap. "Up. Now."

"What's the problem?" Red purred, clearly not taking the hint, continuing to ma.s.sage my d.i.c.k with her hand. "I'm not looking for anything serious," she added, "just one night with no strings."

I wasn't f.u.c.king buying, but from the hungry gaze Quincy was giving her, he was, so I stood up and dumped her on his lap before sitting back down.

"Not interested?" Lucky chuckled, b.u.mping my shoulder with his when he sat down beside me.

"If I'm getting my d.i.c.k wet, I can guaran-f.u.c.king-tee it won't be her p.u.s.s.y around it," I growled, feeling p.i.s.sed off and fl.u.s.tered.

Swiping a bottle of Bud off the table in front of me, I chugged it back, draining it dry. "I need to go see her, man," I hissed, slamming the empty bottle back down on the table. "I can't f.u.c.king sit here and pretend nothing's wrong."

"Your luck just rolled, Messina," Lucky replied in a low tone, inclining his head towards the dance floor. "Looks like the bait has come to you."

My eyes scanned the room and locked on Thorn. She was huddled next to a lanky, blonde clearly gay guy who was trying to force her over to our table.

All of my anger over the way she had treated me the other day evaporated the second I laid eyes on her, which was what always happened; I couldn't stay mad at her and I couldn't stay away from her.

I wished she would hurry the f.u.c.k up and make her decision. I needed to know whether I was chasing after her a.s.s tonight or not.

A burning ache settled in my chest and I found myself rubbing the skin over my heart as I watched her. Jesus Christ, she looked like an angel, dressed in white with that blonde hair of hers flowing down her body. All she was missing was the halo.

"An angel with a devil tongue," Lucky piped up, reading my thoughts, and I smirked. Teagan had a tongue like a cobra; venomous and posed to strike when threatened. She was constantly on guard and I loved the fact that I had always been able to penetrate those walls she built around herself. From day one I had gotten underneath those walls she put up to keep people out. Problem was, it was the same for me. At some point between wrecking my car and breaking my heart, she had gotten under my skin and had become my greatest weakness.

Slapping my shoulder, Lucky added in a serious tone, "see, man, she's perfectly fine," before getting up and making his way through the crowd to the bar.

"Hey there," Teagan's companion said cheerfully when they reached our table. "Mind if we join you guys?"

"It's actually pretty full here, Sean," Red replied in a sickly sweet tone, lifting her head from Quincy's mouth long enough to speak. "Maybe you guys should find somewhere else to sit."

Teagan's face turned bright pink and that protective streak inside of me roared to life. "Then move," I told the redhead without hesitation.

"Sit down, Thorn," I said gruffly, eyes locked on Teagan as I shoved up and made room for them to sit.

The friend I now knew as Sean took the spot furthest away from me, giving Teagan no option but to sit next to me. I made a mental note to buy the man a drink later.

Teagan looked like a skittish foal as she maneuvered her way around the table before sitting down beside me, using her hair as a curtain between us.

"My name's Sean," the friend gushed with a smile, leaning over Teagan to shake my hand. "I'm a huge fan of yours, Mr. Messina."

"It's just Noah," I replied, accepting his hand. I could feel Thorn's body trembling as she kept her head down and spent an uncharacteristic amount of time studying her neatly trimmed fingernails. "And thanks for the support," I added, and oddly enough meant. "Appreciate it."

"Could I...bother you for a photo?" Sean's cheeks reddened as he looked from Thorn's face to mine. He smiled almost guiltily. "Please?"

"Yeah," I agreed, smirking when Teagan's head snapped up and she mouthed the word traitor to him.

"Great," Sean chuckled, pulling his phone out of his pocket, visibly sagging in relief. Clambering awkwardly over Teagan, he knelt in front of me with his phone held out for a selfie.

When he was finished taking his picture, I tossed him my phone and drew Teagan into my side, holding her possessively, letting all the f.u.c.kers here know don't touch. Sean's eyes lit up as he took several pictures with my phone.

"Now," I whispered into her ear when her friend returned my phone to me. "I'll have a photograph of you."

She nodded once before dropping her head to stare at her hands again.

"You not gonna talk to me?" I asked after a moment, highly amused at this coy version of Teagan. She was usually all p.i.s.s and smoke. It was why I loved her. Reaching for my beer, my hand grazed her bare thigh and she jumped. "Easy baby," I chuckled, before leaning back and snaking an arm around her. "I've touched you in far more intimate places."

"I don't really know what to say to you," Teagan said in such a quiet voice that I had to lean closer to hear her properly. "Well, obviously I do know what I should say," she added, eyes cast downwards. "But I really don't see how it can change things now." Sighing heavily, she whispered, "Never mind. I'm rambling."

"You look real f.u.c.king good tonight," I told her, wanting to put her at ease. It was obvious she was on edge and I didn't want her to feel that way around me. Clamping my hand down on her smooth, bare thigh, I shifted closer, aligning my body with hers as I leaned into her ear. "Stop hiding your face from me," I whispered, tucking a curl behind her ear. "Look at me."

She shivered and looked me up and down slowly before flushing the color of the sun. "You look...dapper," she choked out. Throwing her hands up, she covered her face and sighed heavily. "The clothes." She gestured at my attire. "That's what I...meant."

"I'm just out of a meeting," I replied, smirking, enjoying her eyes on me. f.u.c.king loving the way she looked at me with that hungry glint in her eyes. "You know me, Thorn," I added huskily. "They can put a suit on me, but they can't change me."

"I don't want to change you," she blurted out of nowhere. "I want to own you."

Her words caught me unaware and I blanched. "You already do," I said slowly, eyes locked on her face as I tried to gauge her reaction. She looked so unsure as she searched my face, desperate to see if I was joking.

I wasn't.

I meant every word.

I felt it right down in my bones when she reached over and took my hand in hers, entwining our fingers. The feel of her flesh on mine f.u.c.ked with every fiber of my being, and set me on fire. Jesus, I was burning for her. I could smell her she was all coconut scented shampoo and woman and I leaned closer, breathing her in, reveling in her. Loving her more than she would ever know.

A large group of women approached us then, shoving their way into the booth and asking for a picture.

Teagan's face fell when I got up and stood for a photo with the women and I felt weirdly guilty. Like I'd done something wrong by just doing my job. After I politely declined their offers of buying me a drink, I sat back down next to Teagan, and growled in frustration when she slid further away from me. "What?" I asked. "You p.i.s.sed with me for taking a d.a.m.n picture now?"

"I'm jealous," she shot back without an ounce of hesitation. "I don't like girls throwing themselves at you, Noah." Looking me in the eye, she tucked a stray curl behind her ear and scrunched her nose up in distaste. "Especially ones with plastic t.i.ts and peroxide hairstyles."

"Yeah." I grinned. "Those ones are the worst."

"It makes me sick to my stomach," she grumbled huffily. "Seeing them touch you and paw you and...ugh!" she threw her head back and sighed, clearly fl.u.s.tered. "We're supposed to be in a fight and here I am b.i.t.c.hing and moaning like some jealous girlfriend when I have no right."

"Do you know how many nights you've kept me up?" I asked in a soft tone, tipping her chin up towards me. "Every. Single. Night." Leaning in, I pressed a hard kiss to her lips. I couldn't f.u.c.king stop myself. She was so adorable when she was being all p.i.s.sy and cute. "You have no reason to be jealous," I told her, stroking her pouty bottom lip with my thumb. "They can look, they can talk, they can invent all the imaginary stories they want, but at the end of the day, it doesn't change a d.a.m.n thing for me," I a.s.sured her. "Because I only want you."

"Really?" She was shaking so bad the vibrations were running up my leg, and causing f.u.c.king havoc to my self-restraint.

Looking in her eyes, I wanted so much to give her my all. I wasn't going to lose her again. "Come back to the hotel with me," I whispered. f.u.c.k tact. I needed her. Right f.u.c.king now. No f.u.c.king way was JD getting his hands on Thorn. I didn't care what I had to do to keep her safe. I would do it and I would do it gladly. She was my G.o.dd.a.m.n life. I wasn't letting a hair on her head go astray.

"I can't," she moaned weakly, shifting closer to me.

"Why not?" I purred, clenching her hip tightly.

"What about...Sean," she breathed, eyes dark with l.u.s.t. "I came here with him."

"He'll survive without you," I told her in a gruff tone, "I won't," I finished before crushing my lips to hers. Snaking my tongue out, I licked her bottom lip and immediately she opened up, giving me access. Her fingers dove into my hair, tugging and yanking, as she kissed me back with a desperation that mirrored mine.