"It is. Don't get the wrong idea. I'm just a silent partner here."
A waitress dressed in a tight, white T-shirt that left nothing to the imagination and skin-tight black shorts interrupted our conversation to deliver our drinks, and I saw Nina's eyes grow wide in the dim light as the woman ran her fingertips over my shoulders as she left. Looking up, I saw it was a girl named Brandi who'd worked at the club for the last year.
"Haven't seen you in ages, Tristan. Nice to see you back," she purred in a silky voice.
"Do you know her?" Nina asked as she watched her walk away.
"No."
"Well, she knows you. She called you by name."
I didn't exactly know Brandi. She'd been Chase's girlfriend when he hired her, and more than once I'd had to listen to her as she cried on my shoulder about his inability to remain faithful.
"She's just someone who works here," I said casually as I took a sip of my drink.
"Oh. What's her name?"
"Brandi."
"Of course it is," Nina bit out.
I could tell she was jealous, which in some twisted way made me feel good. Her feelings had been relatively tepid since coming home from the hospital, even though I'd hoped she was beginning to feel something for me. Maybe if she was jealous, that wish was already coming true.
Her eyes kept darting to the screen behind me, and I couldn't tell if she was curious or embarrassed by what was playing out on the television. I didn't want her distracted by one of Chase's kinky flicks, though.
There was a lounge area on the other side of the room with couches and chairs, so I suggested we move there instead, hoping to turn her focus back to us. The couches were the best money could buy. Chase was nothing if not eager to spend his investor's money. As we sat down next to one another, her jealousy and my hope crashed into each other.
"These are very nice," she said as she rubbed her palm over the back of the black leather couch. Then abruptly, she said, "I think you know that woman."
"I told you I didn't."
"Then why would she touch you like that?"
"Maybe she thought she knew me or maybe she got the sense that I was available and we weren't together?" I said half-jokingly.
"Why would she think that? I'm just as dressed up as you are and we're sitting here together."
"I think she might be used to something different here. Maybe the women are more obvious with how they feel about the men they're with."
To be honest, I was more than thankful Chase's girl had made that little gesture that I knew she did with every male in the club. At least it had gotten Nina to show something of how she felt. Her jealousy was flattering, but I didn't want just that.
Nina turned her body to face me. "Are you saying that I should be more obvious?"
"When in Rome..." I teased.
I saw a tiny pout form on her lips and then she looked away and sighed. She was silent for a long moment and then stood from the couch and smiled down at me. "Well, then I guess I better act more like the locals."
Nina hiked up her dress and straddled me as I sat looking up at her stunned. My hands instantly found their way to cup her pretty ass, pulling her closer.
"Is this better? I've never been to a club like this, so I'm not sure. Maybe I need to be wearing what she had on. Would you prefer that?" she said in a teasing voice.
My cock was rock hard in five seconds, and I had to rein in my urge to fuck her right there. Struggling to keep my voice calm, I smiled and said, "You look beautiful just as you are, Nina."
"Am I being obvious enough for you, Tristan?"
Her tone was almost biting, as if she was angry. My guess was that she was nervous, but I liked a challenge.
"Just enough."
Nina's mouth covered mine, and she snaked her tongue past my lips to tease the tip of my tongue. Running my hands over her hips, I slid my thumbs along the crease of her legs, dying to know if she was as ready as I was.
She relaxed just a little and lowered herself until she was fully seated on my lap. In her tender way, she looked down at me shyly and whispered, "I didn't think this out completely. Now that I'm sitting here like this, I'm not sure I want to do this here."
I couldn't help but smile. God, she was the same honest Nina I'd fallen head over heels for months before.
Shaking my head, I leaned in and kissed the tip of her nose. "I don't want to do this here either, so don't worry. It's okay. What do you say we go somewhere nicer and get back in this exact same position there?"
Nina bit her lip in that cute way she always did when she was nervous and nodded. Finally, tonight we'd begin making those memories.
Chapter Six
Tristan
Jensen followed my orders and got us to the penthouse in record time. Even though Nina and I had begun to get comfortable at Top, we kept it together in the car. I don't know what she was feeling, but it took every ounce of self control I possessed not to try for a repeat of that night in the back seat of the Rolls. By the time we got to the hotel, I wanted her so bad I wasn't sure I'd be able to control myself once we hit the elevator.
We rode up to the penthouse with both of us staring at our reflections in the mirrored walls of the elevator as I slid my arm around her waist to pull her close to me. She melted into my body, and I watched as she closed her eyes and her face relaxed. She was happy, and I planned to make her much happier in just minutes.
The elevator door opened and she stepped out into the penthouse, her head swiveling back and forth as she admired the designer's work that I never cared much for. She turned in my hold and looked up at me with a surprised expression. "This is stunning, Tristan!"
As she ran to look at the view of the city in the living room, I followed, happy that she was impressed. I wanted her to like everything in my world, even the parts of it I didn't give a damn about.
"I've never seen anything like this! How do you live here and not just stare out the window all day?" she asked as she pointed toward the twinkling lights of the city below.
"I don't really pay much attention to it," I said, remembering how she'd asked me that the first time. "Do you want something to drink?"
"Any chance you know how to make that chocolate drink?"
"No, but I could have the concierge bring one up for you," I offered as I made my way to the bar to find my bottle of scotch.
She walked over and stood next to me, smiling. "Looks like I'm going to have to drink the hard stuff. Well, I'm a tough chick. Hit me with that scotch."
I poured her a glass neat and handed it to her. "You sure?"