Greenfield leaned in a little too close for my liking and said something to her. Bailey shook her head, and what looked like the word boyfriend passed her lips, although I couldn’t hear the conversation from here. He cocked his head and responded. Knowing Greenfield, the retort was probably something classy about how his dick was bigger. She glanced away and scanned the crowd, eyes locking on to mine. We’d hit uncomfortable.
“That’s my cue.” I pushed off from the table and strolled across the room to join them.
Bailey watched me approach with relief written all over her pretty face. I probably should have stepped in sooner. Hard to gauge sometimes when I was trying not to go full caveman. If I let myself, I’d never leave her side. Or let any other guys look at her. Hence my holding back.
I nodded at him. “Nice to see you.” Jesus, man. I could smell his cologne from where I stood.
“Carter,” he said. “Long time no see.” He extended his hand, offering me a firm handshake—way firmer than necessary. Were we doing this now? Maybe we could pull out a ruler next.
“I see you’ve already met my girlfriend.” I slid an arm around the curve of Bailey’s waist, giving her a little squeeze.
Understanding dawned on his face. “I have. You’re a lucky guy.”
“The luckiest.”
His gaze darted back and forth between us like he was trying to find his way out of a dead-end street. And, for him, this absolutely was.
“Well,” he said, “I should go mingle. But it was nice meeting you, Bailey. Good to see you again, Carter.”
He didn’t mean that last part one bit.
“Same to you.” And neither did I.
With a nod, Greenfield turned and walked around us, making his way to the bar to find his next potential target. I had to admit, I was curious about whether he would succeed at pulling someone else’s date tonight. Hell, maybe he could rescue Morrison’s date.
“Thanks.” Bailey glanced up at me with a little smile. Her eyelashes looked impossibly long, framing her round hazel eyes in a way that I couldn’t tear my attention from. Sometimes, like right now, I got a little lost in her.
She shifted her weight, wincing and bringing me back to reality. “My feet are getting tired. Not used to heels. Can we sit down?”
“Sure.” With my hand on her lower back—a little lower than was probably appropriate—I guided her around the tables until we reached ours in the middle. Everyone had left, probably to dance or get drinks, leaving it vacant. I pulled out Bailey’s chair and pushed it in for her before sinking into mine beside her.
I slung my arm along the back of her chair, resting my hand on her shoulder. She leaned in closer, nestling against me, and her vanilla-spice perfume hit me like a drug, doing bad things to my self-control. That dress wasn’t helping, either. It hugged every curve in a way that made me jealous of the fabric. I wanted to hike it up and bend her over the table.
“What did Greenfield say to you?”
“Um…He asked me to leave with him.”
Yup. Pretty on-brand for Greenfield.
I nodded. “I figured.”
“Why?” She angled her head, giving me a questioning look.
“Because I saw the look on your face, and I know what he’s like.” I slid my arm off her shoulders and rested my palm on her thigh. Warmth from her skin radiated through the thin fabric, melting away the rest of my self-control.
“Don’t worry.” Her lips quirked. “It was nothing compared to the things you whisper in my ear in public all the time.”
I should fucking hope not. I’d said some pretty filthy things to her. If another guy talked to her like that, I would cut out his tongue.
“Better not be.”
Beneath the white linen tablecloth, I skimmed my hand down her leg and dipped under the hemline of her dress. Bailey drew in a soft breath as I walked my fingers up the smooth, silky skin of her inner thigh. Too bad it wasn’t my mouth. But later…
“Jealous, Carter?” Her voice turned breathy, taking my mind to even dirtier places.
“Just making sure he was somewhat respectful.”
My fingers traveled another inch, close to reaching my desired target. Bailey bit her bottom lip, crossing her legs and clamping down on my hand with her thighs so that I couldn’t move any higher. She shot me a sidelong glance, fighting a smile. I definitely had her going, and I’d gotten myself worked up in the process too. Was there a coat closet somewhere nearby, or…？
“For the record, Mr. Caveman, I’ve caught multiple girls checking you out tonight. One practically undressed you with her eyes.”
Probably Kristen. She basically eye-fucked me. Awkward. Bailey took that in stride, though. I wouldn’t have been thrilled in her shoes. Hell, I wasn’t thrilled myself.
“There are other chicks here?”
“Well played.” She smirked. “You must want to get lucky tonight.”
“Wasn’t I going to get lucky before?”
“Oh, I meant extra lucky.”
Fuck me. I would be surprised if I left this event without getting arrested for doing something indecent.
“What does extra lucky mean?” I lowered my voice, ducking to catch her gaze. Anyone who came back to our table before I found out the answer to this was going to be on the receiving end of a galvanized death stare.
Bailey’s eyes danced in the warm light. “I don’t know. What do you want it to mean?”
“Are you sure you want to know the answer to that?”
What don’t I want it to mean? That list is probably shorter.
“Tell me and we’ll see.” She inclined her head, bringing her ear closer to my mouth. God, she smelled good. Maybe we could call it a night early. Like right now.
“I picked up those Velcro cuffs we talked about the other day.”
“Hmm.” She shrugged. “Maybe if you’re nice.”
“I’m always nice, baby.”
Unfortunately for me, several hours and three drinks later, Bailey was in no condition to be tied up—or do much of anything other than pass out.
When Siobhan handed Bailey that last drink, I had a hunch it might put her over the edge. I didn’t say anything, but maybe I should have, because by the time we got out of the cab, the drink had worked its way into her system and she could barely walk a straight line. And she tripped on the sidewalk. Twice.
I steadied her with an arm around her lower back as we climbed the staircase. “Are you feeling okay?”
“Yeah, why?” Bailey stumbled as we scaled the last stair.
“Easy.” I was having some vague déjà vu from the night at XS, though the circumstances were dramatically different. Better in every way—I was with her now and also, no one was throwing up. Not yet at least.
“I’m fine,” she insisted.
I steered her over to my dresser and released her once I was confident she’d regained her footing. “You will be once you sleep it off, my little lightweight.”
“Sleep it off?” She looked up, making a pouty face that was both adorable and sad. “I didn’t think we were going to sleep. You said we could…”
“I love you, but you’re minutes away from having the spins, and that won’t be a good time for either of us.”