The Obsession(72)
“I . . . Yes.”
The woman sized her up with eyes more gray than blue in the dim light. “All right,” she said with a slow nod. “You’re with Jenny and Kev?”
“Yes.”
“Sam Adams, glass of merlotand what’re you drinking?”
“The merlot’s fine.”
“It’s not bad.”
The woman wore big silver hoop earrings, joined in the left lobe by a trio of red studs that matched her snug, low-necked T-shirt.
“I used to be married to the guy who pretended to take care of the lawn and yard work up at the old Parkerson place.”
“Oh. Pretended?”
“Turned out he was smoking more grass than he mowed. I ended up firing him as a husband before they fired him as groundskeeper. Can’t say he wasn’t a good-natured sort. Do you want to run a tab?”
“Ah, no. Thanks.”
Naomi paid cash, digging bills out of the wallet in her pocket.
“I can have that brought out to you,” the woman said.
“I’ve got it.” Competently, Naomi used one hand to cup the two wineglasses, the other to lift the lager.
“You’ve done some waitressing.”
“Yeah, I have. Thank you.”
They’d slowed it down with the Stones and “Wild Horses.” As she worked her way back, she saw Kevin and Jenny, still on the dance floor, wrapped around each other and swaying.
The sweetness of it struck her straight in the heart.
Love could last, she thought. She’d seen it with Seth and Harry. For some, love could last.
She set the drinks down, sat, and, since the bartender had distracted her from her outline, picked up her wine and looked toward the stage with a smile ready.
Xander’s gaze locked on hers. He sang as though he meant it. As if wild horses couldn’t take him away. Talent, showmanship, she told herself. And she wasn’t looking for love, for promises, for devotion.
Still, where Jenny and Kevin had struck her heart, he gripped it. Just hard enough to make it ache.
She wanted it to stop, just stop. Wanted to empty herself of what he made her feel, made her need. He’d been a mistake, she knew it. Had been a mistake since he’d hunkered down to change her tire on the dark side of the road.
She made herself look away, told herself to watch the dancers. Her gaze brushed over the woman who’d whispered something in Xander’s ear the last time she’d been here. Right now the woman looked back at her with something between a sulk and dislike.
Great. Now she had the attention of some jealous groupie.
She should’ve stayed home with the dog.
The ache stayed lodged in her when they kicked it back up, and Kevin pulled Jenny back to the table.
“Two dances in a row.” Bright-eyed, Jenny pumped fists in the air. “That’s a record.”
“You don’t like to dance, Kevin?”
“Did you see me out there?”
She laughed, and spoke absolute truth. “I thought you looked adorable.”
He’d known the minute she’d come innot because he’d seen her, Xander thought as he let Lelo take the lead. But because there had been a change in the air. The way there was before a storm.
She had that inside her, that storm. He knew why now, but the why wasn’t the whole story. He wanted the whole of it as much as he wanted her.
Should he tell her he knew? He’d asked himself that question a dozen times and more since he’d picked that book off the shelf. Would telling her help her relax or send her running? She remained too much of a mystery to be sure.
If she trusted him . . . But she didn’t.
She didn’t want to be here. She covered it wellhe imagined she was used to coveringbut even in this light he could see that the smile didn’t reach her eyes and stay there.
But she’d come, maybe to prove a point to herself, to him. To both.
If he left her alone, just backed away? He suspected she’d be fine with it. And that was likely something else she was good atmaking wherever she was, whatever she did, fine for the moment.
She’d be used to that.
And he was damn set on giving her something she wasn’t used to.
The hell with fine.
They moved on to Clapton, and Xander ordered himself to concentrate. Even as he watched Naomi and Jenny get up and join the others on the dance floor.
She couldn’t remember the last time she’d danced, but since Jenny had pleaded, Naomi thought dancing might help burn off some of the heat, the tension.
It felt good to move, to let herself go with the music, let her hips clock the beat.
She didn’t think anything of it when someone bumped her hard from behind. It was all part of it. But when it happened a second time, she glanced around.
“Am I in your way?” Naomi asked the sulky blonde.