No Denying You (Danvers #5)(28)
Emma jumped when she felt a hand on her lower back. When a fruity drink was pressed in her hand, she looked up to give Brant a grateful smile. His answering sexy grin turned questioning when she immediately drained half of the glass. She couldn’t detect any alcohol, and she wondered how bad it would look if she asked him to get her a glass of straight-up vodka.
“You’d better take it easy, baby; drinks like that will bring you to your knees.”
Emma could see the exact moment that they both got a visual of just what she could be doing on her knees. As his eyes locked on hers, he pulled her body closer to his, murmuring in her ear, “Well, maybe that wouldn’t be such a bad thing.”
Her nipples hardened and she clenched her legs together, trying to relieve the pressure there. This conversation so wasn’t helping. She was one suggestive comment away from ripping his clothes off in front of the crowd and making this a reunion that no one would ever forget.
“Emma!” That was the only warning she received before someone almost knocked her off her feet. “Oh my freaking God, I can’t believe you’re here!” She was forced from Brant’s arms when her friend Madison pulled her into a rib-breaking hug.
“Maddie! I so hoped you would be here.” Emma was thrilled to see her old friend. Other than the hem of her dress being even higher now, Madison had changed very little. Her long blond hair was still the same super-straight style that Emma had always envied and her skin still held that sun-kissed golden glow.
Madison had always been much more outgoing than Emma, especially where the opposite sex was concerned. She knew nothing had changed in that area when Madison said, “Girl, I’m gonna be honest. I have been staring at this stone-cold fox you’re with since I got here and hating the tramp plastered all over him. When I finally looked away from his luscious buns long enough to glare daggers at the tramp, I figured out it was you!”
Emma laughed helplessly at her friend’s colorful description while beside her Brant had stiffened. She didn’t know if he was offended at being called a stone-cold fox or by her being called a tramp. Possibly a little of both. She took his hand, giving it a squeeze for reassurance.
“Brant, this is my friend Madison.” And then because she couldn’t resist, she added, “I believe you went to college with her old boyfriend Paul.” She could see the exact moment that he made the connection in his head.
She fully expected him to excuse himself and head for the door, so she was surprised when he gave Madison a dazzling smile and said, “Paul always was a lucky bastard.” As soon as he spoke, it was clear Madison was officially in love with him, and Emma was at a complete loss. As her friend hung all over her fake boyfriend, Emma had to wonder if maybe she didn’t miss the usual tightass Brant just a tiny bit. This one was unpredictable. Things that would normally freak him out didn’t seem to faze him at all.
Before Emma could blink, there were three more of her old friends, Meg, Tina and Jill, gathered around them. Even David, who her mother had targeted as a possible reunion date, had joined them. Emma had to admit her mother was right—David was a damn nice-looking guy. The problem was, though, he, like her other friends, seemed more interested in Brant’s attention than hers. Fifteen minutes later she was sipping her second drink and trying not to stare daggers at her friends. Was this what being jealous felt like? Brant, to his credit, had kept a firm hold on her hand no matter who attempted to squeeze her out. When Jill asked him to dance, she was relieved. Jill was happily married, even though she hadn’t seen her husband yet tonight. Brant released Emma’s hand and escorted Jill to the dance floor. Emma was floored when Jill put her arms around his neck and plastered herself against Brant. “What the hell?”
Madison stood beside her surveying the scene. “Yeah, I can’t believe you let that happen. The girl has turned into a major slut since Dean left her.”
Whirling around, Emma gasped in horror. “What? Why I am just hearing about this?”
“I have no idea; your mother must not gossip as much as mine.” Yeah, right, Emma thought. Her mother never missed anything . . . so why didn’t she know about Jill’s divorce? She would have at least warned Brant ahead of time.
“Damn, would you look at that,” Madison said. “I can’t believe she went there.”
Emma shut her eyes and opened them again before she could muster up the strength to look back over at the dance floor. No, it wasn’t a dream; her friend had her hand on Brant’s ass. She was just fixing to march over there and make a huge scene when Brant took Jill’s hand and gently but firmly removed it from his backside. Whatever he said to her must have been effective because her hand stayed where he placed it without roving again.
David had come back from the bar and turned his head to see what they were looking at. With a sigh, he said, “I don’t guess he’s gay.”
“Um, no,” Emma grumbled, “he is definitely not.” My God, couldn’t any of her friends keep their eyes and their hands off her man? Okay, well, maybe he wasn’t really her man, but he damn well was tonight—and it was time she staked her claim. As she set her drink down, the room started spinning for a moment. When she had cleared her head enough to proceed, she noticed that Jill was no longer alone with Brant on the dance floor. Madison, Meg and Tina had now joined them as the music changed from a slow song to a faster number. Emma watched in shock as Brant moved like he was Justin Freaking Timberlake. Why was he torturing her like this? She had wanted him to impress her friends as a good piece of arm candy, but she hadn’t actually wanted them to admire him enough to follow him like the Pied Piper.