At that moment, the strangest set of feelings passed over her. She felt the exhilaration of racing with the wind in her hair alternating with the languor of lying in a hammock on a hot, sunny afternoon. The sensations thrilled and warmed her at the same time.
She sang on about walking together on a cloudy day and a love that would never stop.
Noah’s gaze flickered, though the rest of his face appeared etched in cement, and sexual awareness wrapped itself around her like a blanket.
When she was done, her eyes lingered on his. He gazed at her intensely, as if he was stopping himself from bounding onto the stage, sweeping her up and making a beeline for the door.
The thought gave her goose bumps and she told herself to stop being ridiculous. She replaced the microphone on its holder and headed back to their table.
Noah met her in the middle of the room as he made his way to the stage. “Impressive,” he murmured. “You should do more than sing in the shower.”
“Th-thanks.”
When she’d taken her seat again, the DJ began Noah’s selection. She recognized the song within a few notes and tensed.
He wouldn’t.
But he did.
She felt hot all over as Noah began singing Billy Paul’s “Me and Mrs. Jones.” Tim and Ben turned around to toss her amused looks, but her gaze was caught and held by Noah’s.
As Noah sang about how he and Ms. Jones had a thing going on even though they knew it was wrong, she resisted the urge to fan herself. He had changed the lyrics to “Ms.” instead of “Mrs.” and she was in danger of dissolving into a puddle under the table.
She lowered her lashes and tried to look around the room. She hoped no one here knew either of them, because he was practically inviting headlines in tomorrow’s paper!
Her gaze moved back to his. The look on his face matched his voice: smoky and full of sensual promise.
Oh, God.
Kayla wasn’t sure how she lasted through Noah’s song, but, helped by a few fortifying sips of a martini, she did.
When the song ended, Noah grinned, breaking the spell, and then thanked the DJ. As he made his way back to their table, several of the women in the room cast him inviting looks.
Well, she concluded glumly, Noah had proven he was good at one thing in the shower. She couldn’t prevent herself from thinking about what else he was good at.
Bed. That was Noah’s first thought. The second was: he had to ditch his Silicon Valley sidekicks.
As he approached their table, he noticed Kayla appeared flushed and flustered. She seemed to look everywhere but at him.
The air was so sexually charged between them that he was almost afraid to touch her. As it was, he gave them two-to-one odds of winding up in an empty cloakroom, tearing each other’s clothes off.
He’d chosen “Me and Mrs. Jones” on a whim, thinking he’d have some fun with her. But along the way, while he’d been singing about hopes being built up too high, the mood had turned from playful to hot and intense.
He couldn’t remember the last time he’d had a connection that strong and fast with a woman. The realization left him bemused.
As he neared, Ben turned to Tim and cracked, “And he can sing, too.”
Tim looked up and shrugged, a wry look on his face. “Okay, dude, the T-shirt, the Billy Paul imitation…I guess I’ve gotta concede.”
Noah noticed Kayla continued to remain silent, sipping her drink. To Tim and Ben, he said easily, “If I couldn’t top you guys on my home turf, I’d have to toss in the towel.” He withdrew some bills from his wallet and threw them down on the table. “Since we’ve got a victor, let’s call it a night.”
While Ben and Tim thanked him for picking up the tab, Noah cast a covert look at Kayla. She seemed to be getting her bearings.
“You okay?” he asked.
For the first time, she looked directly at him. A range of emotions flickered across her face before she seemed to school it into a polite smile. “Yes, of course.”
He moved back so she could precede him to the door. A part of him couldn’t wait to get rid of Ben and Tim. The other part warned him that being alone with Kayla right now was not a good idea. He was supposed to be giving her a story. Instead, he was thinking about the shortest route to the bedroom.
He didn’t have time to dwell on his thoughts, however, because when they got to the front of the bar, Tim suddenly turned and motioned Noah over. “Bad news,” Tim said. “The valet mentioned that a paparazzo with a camera has been spotted outside. The staff here have been telling everyone who’s leaving in case they’re the reason the guy is here.”
Noah muttered a curse under his breath.
Next to him, Kayla tensed.
“Friend of yours?” he asked.
“Don’t be ridiculous,” she retorted. “Besides, if there’s anyone who has a history of siccing journalists on the two of us, it’s you.”
“Just checking.”
“Anyway,” she added, “we don’t know it’s us that he’s waiting for. This street has lots of trendy places. He could just be on a fishing expedition, hoping he’ll get lucky and snap someone good.”
Noah pulled his car keys from his pocket. “Maybe,” he said, because he thought she was engaging in wishful thinking, “but the fact is he’s out there now, and he may spot us when we walk out of here.” Catching the panicked look on her face, he asked, “What’s the matter?”
“We can’t be photographed together! At least not yet, and definitely not leaving a bar and driving off alone together! Not so soon after Sybil published your denial of a relationship between us. It will undermine everything.”
“Ah,” he said, because he understood her predicament, having been there one too many times himself.
“Welcome to my world, baby doll.”
“We can’t go out there!” she reiterated.
“Throwing yourself on my mercy, are you?” he said, then added, relenting, “Fine. We’ll make the most of the fact that he may not know we’re in here.” He looked toward the rear of the bar. “There should be a fire exit at the back.”
“What—?” As comprehension dawned, she shook her head. “Oh, no.”
“Don’t worry,” he said, then pretended to grin lecherously. “If there are any walls to scale, I’ll give you a boost—unless you have a better idea?”
She sighed.
“Great.” He shook hands with Tim and Ben. “Gentlemen, I believe this is where we part company. Kayla and I are going to use the back exit to make our getaway. I doubt our cameraman is after either of you, but your leaving will provide a distraction in case Kayla and I need one.”