Her Anchor (103 page)

“And then wouldn’t back down, even when you lost feeling in your arm and couldn’t move it anymore.” Chris said.

“And we freaked out and took you to the hospital because we thought we hurt you.”

The guys were laughing, reliving the stupidity of my youth. Except Nash. His eyes were still on Jake, scowl on his face. Before Nick and Chris could think of another thing to embarrass me with, the waitress returned with our food. While she busily set plates out, Nick stepped back.

“I’ll let you get to your meal before the band gets going, but I’ll catch up with you later.”

As watched Nick and Nash pass through the pub I couldn’t help but feel slightly disappointed. It seemed as though all these years apart didn’t do anything to convince Nick to see me as anything other than Chris’ little sister. I was forever doomed to have all attractive men fail to see me as a woman.

*****

I sat back in my chair savoring the last bite of my steak sandwich. The band was just finishing up their sound checks and Bree hadn’t been able to sit still since our food arrived. She also hadn’t stopped talking, either. After she finished picking through her supper she pushed back from the table and trundled her way to the washroom.

Watching his wife leave, Chris leaned across the table to me.

“Thanks, Ri. This is as relaxed as I’ve seen Bree in weeks.”

“Well I’m glad, though I’m not sure I am doing anything.”

“I think she likes you for your comedic value.”

I rolled my eyes at Chris, “Gee thanks.”

Just as the band took the stage, Bree came back to our table. Without even sitting, she grabbed Chris and pulled him to the floor, joining the small group already gathered there. Jake, who had been relatively quiet throughout supper, got up too and held out his hand to me.

I looked at his hand with disgust. “Not happening.”

“Come on Ariana. That’s why we’re here.” Jake said, grabbing at my hand. I pulled it away from him.

“Don’t touch me Jake.” Jake grinned down at me, apparently feeling rejuvenated after being forced to take a break while his sister was around. Just as he moved to grab my hand again he paused, looking past me. I turned in my seat to see what he was looking at and saw Nash standing by the bar, eyes fixed on Jake. I turned back in my seat and smiled at Jake’s retreating form. It was too bad I didn’t have someone like Nash with me every time I had to endure Jake’s antics.

The band started playing their second song, and I headed to the bar. As I leaned my side against the bar, watching the band while I waited for the bartender, I felt the familiar draw of someone watching me. I turned to catch Nick’s eyes on me from behind the bar. He held a clipboard, listening to one of the other bartenders. He nodded his head at him, but his eyes remained on me. After he had finished talking, Nick pushed the clipboard back into the bartender’s hands and started around to the outside of the bar. He ambled up to me, leaning his hip against the bar beside me.

“Not dancing?”

“That’s not really my style. The band is good, though. You must be proud of this place.” I looked from him to the band on the stage, and took in the whole pub.  “You’ve come a long way since the last time I saw you.”

“So have you, Ariana. I think the last time we saw each other you were, what? 18?”

“I think you’re right. At Chris’ bachelor party. I’m pretty sure the last image I have of you is your bare ass streaking across the parking lot.”

“I forgot about that.” Nick cringed.

“I wish
I
could. It’s burned in my brain.” I said, laughing.

“What I
do
remember is you being teased for being the only girl invited to the bachelor party.”

“In Chris’ defense he didn’t even think about it like that. He was just so used to me hanging around him and his friends that it seemed normal for me to be there. Until all the stripper jokes started up. Just my luck to have a brother who doesn’t even notice I’m a girl.”

Nick chuckled. “Yeah, that sounds like Chris.” Nick studied me for a beat, his eyes gauging me. When he spoke again the humor had faded from his voice. “He might not notice, but I do.” His fingers met mine on the bar, hesitant at first, but when I didn’t move them away, Nick trailed his fingers up my arm to my elbow, his body angling closer. I shivered at the sensation, at the closeness of his body, at his clear green eyes on me.

“You notice me?” I asked, cocking an eyebrow.

“I do. I did even when we were kids, when it was way too inappropriate to do so. When all of your brothers would have gladly pummeled me if I ever acted on it. Despite that I couldn’t stop thinking of you.” Nick reached out and brushed a strand of hair out of my face. His touch was light but it ignited a spark. His fingers lingered on my cheek for a moment and I tuned out the band and all the barroom noise, my focus solely on Nick.

He pulled his hand away, this time letting it rest on the bar between my arm and my waist, a tremor of desire passing through me. “Now here we are, in the same city again.”

“My brothers would still gladly kick your ass.” I said with a cocky smile, though my voice came out in a whisper.

Nick mimicked my smile and moved in close, his lips a mere breathe away from my ear. “Especially if they knew just what I wanted to do with you.”

Heat spread through my body, liquid heat pooling as his implications registered. I stepped into him, my hand reaching out and found his waist. I curled my hand into his shirt. My heart was beating loud as I waited for his next move. He still wasn’t touching me, but I ached for him to. He made me wait another beat before I felt his lips against my earlobe, his teeth nipping. I gasped at the unexpectedness, at the way my sex throbbed.

He pulled away, grin still in place.

“You planning on sticking around tonight?” I nodded, not wanting my voice to give away just how turned on I was. “Good. We can catch up more later.” He said, stepping back. His fingers trailed down my arm until they were no longer touching me. Nick gave me one more sweeping glance before turning and heading away from the bar.

I stayed at the bar, my head spinning at what had just happened. Nick had been the star of all my fantasies growing up, and a fair share of them even now. I never thought anything would come from my attraction to him, but perhaps tonight would change that. The pulsing between my legs surely hoped it would.

I eased myself up onto a stool and sat back. I watched the band without really hearing them, Nick’s voice in my head instead. I relived his hand on my arm, my waist, his mouth on me. Thinking back I began to remember times when Nick and I would somehow end up together, alone. Innocent things, like my brothers sending me on a chip run to the store and Nick coming along because he needed to pick up something too. Or we would end up crashing at opposite ends of the same couch after house parties. My mind whirled thinking that Nick contrived some of those situations instead of being lucky flukes like I had thought.

I was so lost in my thoughts that I didn’t see any commotion on the dance floor until Chris burst through the crowd, Bree in tow, Jake following behind. Bree was smiling wide, Chris looked like he was going to throw up.

I slipped off of my stool and met them as they rushed the table,

“Everything okay?”

“Okay? Bree is having contractions. She’s been having contractions all night.” Chris said, hurriedly gathering Bree’s purse, her jacket, his jacket.

“You’re blowing this out of proportion. They just started at dinner. I knew I shouldn’t have told you yet.” Bree said as Chris grabbed her hand and began tugging her through the pub. I too grabbed my jacket and followed them.

“Shouldn’t have told me? When were you planning on telling me?” Chris asked, pushing open the doors. We all exited onto the street.

“After the band was done. Or before if they got too painful.” She said with a shrug.

“I’m going to get her to the hospital. We’ll take a cab. She can’t walk all the way back to the car.” He said, thrusting his keys in my hand before stepping off the curb into traffic to stop the nearest taxi.

“Sure. Is there anything else I can do?” I asked as Chris opened the door and all but shoved Bree in.

“No. Oh wait, yeah, run back into the restaurant and make sure everything is square with Nick. We can’t dine and dash on a buddy.”

I watched as Chris filed into the taxi behind Bree and pulled the door closed.  I sighed and shook my head as I turned back to the door, people still lingering, watching. I made my way to the bar, Jake in tow. Apparently I was also responsible for getting him home, too. From my vantage point at the bar I looked around the pub. It was crowded and I couldn’t spot Nick.

“Where can I find Nick?” I asked the bartender.

“I think I saw him head back to his office.” She said, pointing down a hallway past the bar.

My stomach fluttered at the thought of facing him in the quiet of his office. My body was a torrent of excitement and nerves, most of which was caused by the knowledge that Nick rarely said anything he didn’t intend to act on.

After telling Jake to wait at the bar, I made my way past the bar and the loud sounds of the kitchen and down the corridor. The hallway was quiet and I passed a few empty offices before coming upon one with light stretching out from a mostly closed door.

As I approached the office I could hear Nick’s voice and another voice as well. Standing outside the door I recognized the rich deep rumble as that of Nash’s. Even though the door was open a few inches their voices were low. I didn’t want to interrupt, and I hesitated before knocking, deciding if I should go back to the bar and wait instead. Before I did, though, I caught a glimpse of Nick and Nash through the partially opened door. Their bodies were angled into each other, Nick’s hand rested on Nash’s hip. Curious, I stepped closer.

They weren’t speaking anymore, merely looking at each other, focused. I held my breath. The quiet pull of the moment, the indecency of watching them undetected, both working to pump my blood faster. With not so much as a word between them, Nash ran his hand along the back of Nick’s neck, his big hand caressing far gentler than I could have imagined. I watched as Nash pulled him in, their mouths melding into a single solitary moment of quiet passion. From the door I caught a glimpse of tongues merging and I clenched my thighs together. An unexpected jolt of lust ran through me, heat settling low in my belly. I was shocked and confused at my natural response, but despite that, the intimacy between these two hard bodies may actually have been the hottest thing I’d ever seen.

Nick slid his hands around Nash and grabbed his ass, pulling his hips into him. Nash’s growl was swallowed by Nick’s mouth and I gasped at the fierceness of the act, the fierceness of the reaction. Detected, the men stopped, pulling apart. Nash’s eyes found mine and I backed out of the doorway. I hadn’t meant to alert them to my presence and I wasn’t sure what to do, so I turned to flee back down the hallway.

I hadn’t made it very far when I heard Nick’s voice beckoning to me. “Ariana. Stop.”

I stopped in the hallway but didn’t turn around. I felt an overwhelming sense of guilt for having spied on their moment, and even more so because I was turned on by it. I wanted to leave and not have to face Nick’s disappointment.

Nick spoke again, but this time he was right behind me. “Will you come back to my office? Talk a minute?”

I was surprised he would want to talk to me after what I did. Though, I was his best friend’s sister, he probably wanted to make sure I didn’t tell Chris before he had a chance to. But tell him what? That he was gay? Bi? Nick had come on to me in the bar earlier, and now he was making out with his moody security man. If I wasn’t confused before I sure was now.

I turned around and walked back to the office, letting Nick lead me. He crossed the room to the front of his desk, turning and perching on the edge. I stood before him, eye level but not eye to eye. Instead Nick was looking to the side of us at Nash. Their eyes saying more to each other than I could imagine, a whole conversation passing between them. With a curt nod at Nick, Nash turned and left the office leaving me wondering what had just happened. Leaving me alone with Nick.