Page 45

I reached the table, and Tawnee pulled out a chair for me. “Sit. I promise thirty minutes.”

“You said ten!” It was at that moment somebody slapped my ass.

“Just relax. Let’s let single Fern have a little fun.” She pointed as the oiled-up dude on stage leaned down and talked to Fern.

“Ed would not be happy about this. We have to leave pronto!” It was then that two more hands felt up my tushy before I plopped down on the chair.

“My ass is literally under siege right now.” Irritation pumped through me as a waitress gave Fern a shot as she passed.

Great because drunk Fern and naked men always ended well.

Finally dancing man exited the stage when a booming voice shot out of the speakers behind me. “Ladies, welcome!” Continued ear-piercing screams. “It’s that time of the night. Amateur hour!”

It sounded like a Jonas Brothers concert as screeching screams cut my eardrums. “Get your guy on stage for his chance to be a star! The winning dancer gets a five-year supply of Bic razors and a crisp one-hundred-dollar bill!”

Fern whipped around, and I saw that look in her eyes. Fuck.

She reached the table, and I was already shaking my head. “Nope, not happening.”

Tawnee slapped my arm. “Come on. We know you have the moves.”

“No.” I sat back and crossed my arms over my chest.

Fern smiled, and I melted. I hadn’t seen that light in so long I was blinded.

“Gabe.”

“Stop. I’m not doing it, and that’s final.”

She stepped closer. “Gabe, you want to win this. Did you hear? A five-year supply of razors? That’s like the best prize ever!”

“Can’t do it.”

Tawnee slammed her hand on the table. “You can’t win this?”

I shoved out a sarcastic laugh. “Hell yes, I’d win this thing. But I don’t think I’m going to. Unless?—”

The glimmer in Fern’s eyes at the thought of a competitive event told me I might have some bargaining power. “Unless what?”

“There’s only one thing that would make me even consider, or Fern goes home a big old loser tonight.”

She crossed her arms over her perfect breasts. “Spill it.”

I stood up and stepped toward her. “I get a thirty-minute conversation with you when we get back to the hotel.”

Tawnee waved her hand in the air. “What’s going on here?”

Fern shook her head. “No.”

I dramatically turned on my heel and took a step toward the door when I felt her hand on my arm. One touch and the girl brought me to my knees. “Fine but twenty minutes and only if you win.”

I popped a brow. “What’s the magic word?”

She groaned. “Please.”

I leaned in closer. “You know I can’t resist it when you beg.”

She swallowed hard, making me realize that I might actually be in the only place I wanted to be.

Sure, stripping wasn’t anywhere on my fucking agenda, but I had the beautiful blue-eyed woman not only uttering nouns and verbs at me, but I was the only one who could solve the competitive issue she had at the moment.

I whipped my leather jacket off, tossed it on the chair, before I hopped on the stage.

The place went wild.

My heart was racing as I watched the hottest man in the universe jump on the stage. The cheers were deafening, and I knew why as Gabe gave the crowd a wave.

A woman appeared next to Gabe with a microphone in hand. “Well, look who we have here.” She nodded and pointed. “Isn’t this the one and only Gabe Wolkowski from the best hockey team in the world on our stage competing for five-year’s worth of razors?”

She held the mic in front of his mouth. “There’s a lot more on the line for me than razors.”

His intense eyes met mine, and they were screaming, I got you where I want you .

“It looks like we only have two fellas who are up for the challenge tonight. Let’s get it on! The show starts in five minutes!”

She ushered Gabe off stage as I plopped down next to Tawnee who I was avoiding making eye contact.

“Fern, what’s up with Gabe?”

“Nothing.”

“Then why did he agree to suddenly be a show stopping male review dancer in order to get a twenty-minute conversation with you?”

Time was ticking, and I could come up with nothing as she burned a hole in my forehead with her gaze.

“It’s just a Best Man and Maid of Honor thing. Yes, it’s a secret I’ve been sworn to keep from the bride and groom.” I waited for push back, but instead she clapped.

“OMG, did you guys make up an entrance dance for the reception? I guessed it. Right?”

I nodded. “There’s no foolin’ you.” Crap. Now I needed to make up a dance? WTF?

A moment later the lights dimmed to more hooting and hollering as Gabe’s competitor took the stage.

The dude was dressed like a police officer, totally predictable BTW, and started doing a fairly entertaining dance to Ice Ice Baby .

But I’d seen up close and personal what Gabe could do.

This man was not worthy of five years of razors, that was for damn sure.

When he finished and disappeared, the house lights went down for a moment as if cleansing the pallet of the crazy bitches around me.

Then it happened. Out of the speakers Pony, by Ginuwire, pumped through the air while a fog machine somewhere put a little haze on the stage.

The volume of the screaming horny ladies peaked at the same time my nether regions jumped when he appeared on stage.

Gabe was dressed in a black gangster pinstriped suit, pants hanging low on his hips, jacket boasting of what was underneath, no shirt, topped off with a mob style hat.

Clearly, the lady backstage had run her hands along his chest with some oil as Gabe’s abs of perfection were poppin’.

He was literally pushed into this, but now the boy was in it to win it. Not only could he channel those Magic Mike moves that were burned into me like a tattoo, but once his jacket was gone, he rolled his stomach, and I swore my bra would burst into flames at any second.

His pants never dropped, but the shimmies, the biting of his lower lip, the freaking worm, and the walking handstand, you heard me, had the place so hot I swore we’d have to call the fireman dude back to smother out the flames.

Tawnee took my hand in hers. “Holy Mother Trucker, shit!”

When all was said and done, each of us carried a box of razors down Washington Avenue toward Gabe’s truck.

He cleared his throat. “I need both of you to swear you will not mention a word of this to anyone.”

“But you were the winner?—”

“No.” We reached the truck, and Gabe tossed the boxes in the back. “Say nothing.”

Tawnee opened the back door and climbed in. “Fine, mums the word. Nobody will hear about you being the champion.”

While winning was great, I’d agreed to a twenty-minute talk, and I didn’t have Brandon to protect me or my heart.

We all walked into the lobby when Gabe turned to both of us. “To recap, we will not be telling anyone in the entire world of this evening. No disappearing bride and certainly no razor-winning male dancer. Can I get a hell yes?”

“Hell yes!” Tawnee laughed. “I’m going upstairs so you two can discuss your entrance dance.” She clapped. “I’m so freaking excited!”

Gabe shot me a look. “Dance?”

I waved Tawnee toward the elevator. “I’ll fill you in.”

Once she was out of sight, I turned back to find Gabe so close I could feel the heat of his skin. He silently took my hand, pulled me down a hall toward a seating area, and pushed my body into a chair before pulling the other one right next to me.

I instantly hopped up. “Wait, uh, we need a reception entrance dance.” Stalling? Oh, yes.

“That’s stupid.”

“Well, no talking unless we have a dance.”

As if a Jazzercize instructor had appeared like magic, Gabe stood in front of me and taught me some moves.

Our insta-dance was a mash-up of the Macarena and the Renegade with some of the CitiRokk moves mixed in.

I stayed quiet, we got it together, and then he turned to me. “So we’re good with the dance?”

I nodded, realizing the delay of learning a delightful dance that would certainly crush the rest of the wedding party, did not release me from my twenty-minute sentence.

I reluctantly sat in a chair close by.

He plopped down in a chair across from me and leaned forward. “Fern, first of all, thank you for agreeing to speak with me. Well, more like forcing me to become a male stripper sensation. Now that’s a sentence I never thought I’d use.”

“And winner of a five-year supply of Bic razors. Can you even?”

He laughed. “I cannot.”

His smile was so perfect I couldn’t wrap my mind around it. He was all testosterone but seemed tender and sweet as I stared at him with the familiar pull from my inner core.

“We both know about my past. I own it and make no excuses for previous decisions. My bad choices were all mine.” He cleared his throat.

“But my past was before we met. Before you decked me in my own kitchen, rode shot gun as we were chased by drug lords, and prior to you being a hula hoop phenomenon that left me standing there like a goofy teenager as I watched the most beautiful woman I’d ever laid eyes on blow my mind. ”

I knew I was blinking at an alarming rate.

“What I said at the arena wasn’t true. It was stupid bullshit.

I’m here before you as the farthest thing from perfection that could be.

I’ve been a fuck up in the past, but I’m hoping you’ll give me a shot.

I don’t know about you, but what we have when we’re together is something I’ve never known.

It makes me feel like Superman one minute and filled with uncertainty the next.

Basically, three of the four voices in my head do nothing but talk about you and how amazing you are. ”

“And the fourth?” Come on, I had to ask.

He nodded and looked down. “It only talks about the way your body feels next to mine. Yeah, it’s the inappropriate voice.” His eyes peeked at me. “I apologize for that bastard.”

Hyperventilation was on the horizon as I forced myself to release a long breath while his words cocooned me with warmth.

“If you’re able to come with me on whatever blind ride this is, I promise I’ll be on my best non-fuck up behavior. I want to be the man I know I can be all because of you.”

Silence filled the space between us as my heart raced around my chest. To top it off, the English language as I knew it vanished into thin air with a poof of smoke.

His eyes searched for an answer I didn’t have.

I opened my mouth, but nothing came out but a squeak that I didn’t know what to do with.

As if reading my lack of thoughts on the topic, he took my hand. “Don’t say anything now. I hope I’ve given you something to think about, and if you feel this, I’ll wait to hear from you tomorrow.” He stood first then me. The wind was knocked out of me when he pulled me close and hugged me.

Part of me wanted to yank away, but instead I melted into his chest and never wanted to move again.

My arms wrapped around his waist, reminding me of how perfectly I fit in his embrace.

My brain was running down the list of things that could go wrong while my heart was searching for the key to give to this imperfectly perfect man.

I pulled away and took a cautious step back. As if being further away would somehow make me smarter.

He nodded. “Think this through.” He inhaled sharply. “If you don’t talk with me tomorrow, I’ll know your answer. If this is the wrong path for you, I will step aside and wish only the best for you, Fern.”

I stood as silent as a mime, and after a moment, he took my hand, walked me to the elevator, and pushed the up button.

“I guess you should go check on Tawnee.” His hand released mine. “I hope to speak with you tomorrow.”

I entered the elevator, turned, and our eyes locked until the door closed.