to the elevator, Julia felt her tension ratchet up again. And when the silver doors slid closed, Noah asked, “Is there something you want to tell me?”
Her gaze darted toward him. “Why would you ask that?”
“Because you’re wound tighter than I’ve ever seen you.” His eyes scrutinized and probed. “Is one of your exes going to be there?”
“No.” She laughed the word. “I just hate these big events.”
“Drake says you’re an introvert, but you handled the Guru staff like a mediator, and you run our workout group like a professional trainer.”
“Small groups are fine. And this will be fine too. It’s just not my favorite thing.”
The doors opened, and she stepped out, trying to look like she knew how to walk in these four-inch heels. Noah was the perfect gentleman, opening doors and guiding her through with a hand at the small of her back. And even that small touch made her nervous. Which in turn pissed her off. If it weren’t for Phillips, none of this would matter. She would never be so uptight about people thinking she and Noah were together. But reality was reality, and her future depended on the impression she made on athletes, trainers, and sponsors tonight. Even more so in the wake of Phillips’s accusations.
In the Lincoln, she saw Noah watching her from the corner of her eye and tried to relax. She knew he wanted to ask a million questions. Knew he wanted her undivided attention. But she couldn’t give him answers or attention tonight, and he’d just have to deal with it.
Inside the car, his scent filled the space, making Julia’s craving for him stir. She shifted on the seat and recrossed her legs, holding her thighs tight to ease the ache at their apex.
His touch on her neck made her startle out of disjointed thoughts as he ran the back of his finger along her throat, then across her collarbone. “You really are beautiful.”
“Thank you.” She smiled and curled her fingers around his, giving them a squeeze before releasing them. “Noah, remember—”
“I know, I know,” he said, his voice frustrated. “No public displays of affection, no innuendos, no speaking of our one night of—”
She covered his mouth and whispered, “Drivers hear everything.”
When she removed her fingers, he murmured, “If I weren’t so full of myself, I might think you were embarrassed of me.”
The hurt in his voice made her meet his eyes, where suspicion lurked. “But you are that full of yourself, right?” she said, searching for their normal banter. “So you know that’s not true.”
“You don’t want to be seen with me because of the way it will reflect on you. How is that not being embarrassed by me?”
Shit. Not now. Don’t do this now. “My concerns are professional, not personal. Look, I know the world revolves around you,” she teased, “but this one really tiny thing is about me.”
They approached The Playroom, and Julia tried to smooth things over and give them both space. “I have a few friends here tonight, plus Finn and Jake. You don’t have to worry about me. Just do your own thing, and if you meet someone you like, don’t let me keep you from jumping in. You’re a free agent.”
Her door opened, and a man in a doorman’s outfit offered her his hand. But Noah put a hand on her arm to stop her. “What if the person I like is already staying in my suite?”
The raw desire in his eyes set her on fire. She smiled, trying to memorize his expression. It had been so very long since anyone had wanted her like he did in that moment, and it could very well vanish in a matter of hours.
She smiled and squeezed his knee. “Just have fun, okay? There will be no hard feelings between us, at least not on my part.”
Turning, she took the stranger’s hand and stepped out of the car. She paused to look around at the people milling outside the club, some whom she recognized from television and magazines, but no one she knew personally. She let out a little nervous breath and rolled her shoulders.
Noah came up beside her just as Annabelle caught Julia’s eye coming out of the club to meet her, the promised glass of wine in hand. She looked stunning in a sequined blue dress the color of her eyes, her blonde hair long and wavy. Her mountain of a husband followed, his wide, welcoming grin lighting up his handsome face. Julia’s stress drained, and she opened her arms to pull Annabelle into a hug.
“Oh my God,” Annabelle said in her ear, “you look better than ever, you bitch. Who’s the hottie you came with?”
She pulled back and smiled at Annabelle but kept her voice low when she said, “A client. It’s very important that it’s clear to everyone he’s nothing but a client.”
“Right, a client. But please tell me you’re lying through your teeth. He is way too good to waste.”
Nearby, Julia overheard Linc and Noah introduce themselves and chat about Linc’s recent trade to the Raiders and Noah’s upcoming X Games.
Julia glanced down the length of Annabelle’s dress. “You look like you should be at the Academy Awards. How are you?”
She leaned in with a giddy grin and whispered, “Pregnant. I’m pregnant.”
Julia gasped. “Oh my God. Congrat—”