Shaking my head firmly, I reply. “No.”
Noah sighs, like he’s dealing with a toddler. “Look, Naima. I get that you’re gun-shy about relationships. If you want to take this thing between us slower, it’s cool. I’m good with that. In fact, I think it’s a good idea. Gives you some time to focus on what you need from me and what I need from you.”
Wait…what? Is that what I said?
“Noah, that’s not what I—”
“Ny,” he interrupts. “Let’s just have fun tonight, OK? Everything else will work itself out.”
Flabbergasted, I shrug. I smear on my bored expression and climb out of the Escalade. Smoothing the extra-short skirt on my dress, I stride toward the warehouse.
Noah, an arm slung over my shoulder, leads me to an unmarked door. We join Noah and Bryn, who were waiting for us.
He pounds lightly on it with his fist, and the door opens immediately.
“Game on.” Noah’s voice is commanding, and the big, burly guy at the door sizes him up. Seeming to recognize Noah and the words he just uttered, he nods. Handing the guy a wad of cash, Noah holds out his wrist, and the big guy places a black wristband on it. Noah walks past him, grabbing my hand to pull me along behind him, but the burly dude stops me.
“She needs a band,” he reminds Noah.
Noah pauses, glancing at me. “She’s not gambling, man.”
I lift a questioning brow. Gambling? Like, for real? I assumed this would just be a stupid poker game among friends.
The bouncer shakes his head. “Doesn’t matter.”
Noah lets out a giant sigh, and behind us, Jaxon speaks.
“Don’t be a dick, Noah. She’s your date.”
Noah reaches into his wallet and pulls out some more bills. Glancing at me with something in his eyes I can’t decipher, he hands the money over. The bouncer fits my slender wrist with a pink band, which makes Bryn squeal a little behind me. “Pretty.”
Rolling my eyes, I let Noah pull me into the warehouse, but stop him as soon as we step inside.
“Friends?” I whisper, looking him directly in the eye.
He shrugs. “Sure.”
It’s not a huge space, but it’s broken off into three distinct sections. There’s a bar area, where a man stands behind the counter, along with cups and beer in a glass-door refrigerator. My eyes move toward the other side of the room, where several poker tables are filling up with players.
I recognize some kids from campus here and I wonder why I’ve never heard of this place before.
Swinging my gaze over the other side of the room, I see an entire wall of flat screens, showing an array of games varying from college football to the NFL to the MLB.
Guys and girls alike sit on the comfortable-looking couches, facing the TVs. From time to time, a hoot or a holler will go up about something that’s happened on the field, but most of the girls are just talking quietly or hanging all over their boyfriends, working desperately to keep their attention.
Enormous dudes who I’m assuming work as bouncers or security mill around, their gazes sharp.
I turn to Noah, my eyes widening. For just a moment, I lose my suit of armor due to my shock. “This is a gambling place. An underground one.”
He doesn’t look at me, but shrugs nonchalantly. “So?”
I want to punch him. Anger runs hot in my veins, forcing me to shove him, hard, with one arm. “You brought me to an illegal gambling ring?”
My voice rises, and several sets of eyes rivet toward me.
Noah throws the room an apologetic, “she’s with me” smile, and then grabs my arm, yanking me to a dark corner.
“Shut up, Ny. Like you said, this is an underground ring. The owner won’t appreciate you announcing it, or acting like you don’t wanna be here”
His voice lowers, and he pulls me closer, whispering in my ear. “Don’t. Embarrass. Me.”
I reel back, staring him down. “You should have told me where we were going. I’m no shy flower, but I like to know when I’m doing something illegal.”
Shoving away from him, I fold my arms across my chest. Without realizing it, I’ve accentuated my cleavage, and Noah’s eyes flit straight to the spot. His expression softens at the same time his gaze goes hungry.
“Look…I’m sorry. Want a drink? I’m gonna play poker, maybe you can sit on my lap while I get dealt in.”
My lip curls. I’ll sit on your lap just as soon as you grow a second pair of balls.
“I’ll take a beer.” I put on the smile. “Thank you.”
He backs away from me two steps, shooting me what he feels is a winning grin, before turning to head to the bar area.
As soon as he turns, I relax my face into its normal state of boredom. And then Bryn prances up to me, linking her arm through mine.
“So this place is rad, right?”
I toss her a sideways glance. “Sure. Illegally rad.”
She scoffs. “Oh, you’re not actually gonna make a big deal about that, are you? The guys play here all the time. It’s their money they’re gambling away. So I don’t care.”
I glance over at Jaxon, who’s taken a seat at a table. There’s an empty one beside him I’m assuming has Noah’s name on it. “Yeah, I guess. So we’re just supposed to sit here while they play?”
She gestures toward an empty couch. “And drink. And hang.”
She sounds way more enthusiastic than I feel. But I did agree to come out tonight. So acting like a spoiled brat isn’t doing my friend any favors. She tips her beer to her mouth and sips.
Noah returns, holding out a bottle of something dark and bitter. I accept it with the most genuine smile I can muster. “Thanks. I’ll stay right here and hang out with B while you guys play, okay?”
He leans over and plants a wet kiss on my cheek. At the same time, his palm finds one of my
