“Wow, what?” I ask her.
“Does every waitress hereknowyou so well?”
“I’m here quite a bit, so if they work the VIP section, I’d say it’s likely. Why? Are you jealous?” I jab, while Justin and Lucy sit back, amused.
“Uh, negative, just an observation.”
I raise my eyebrows in her direction, calling bullshit, but don’t have a chance to argue as Warren appears.
“Hey, buddy, glad you made it,” I say in greeting, accompanied by a bro-shake.
“Yeah, me too.” Warren goes to Justin next, a familiar face at the table. “Hey, Justin, good to see you out of the office for once.”
Justin shakes his outstretched hand. “No shit. Lucy, this is Warren. He works with Braden. Warren, this is my girlfriend, Lucy.”
When they’re done exchanging pleasantries, I take the opportunity to introduce Poppy—the reason Warren showed up tonight.
“Warren, come meet Poppy.” Then I tell Poppy, “Warren is my right-hand man in the office.” Calling him my assistant never feels adequate to explain his position.
“Ah, so you’re the guy who has to put up with Braden’s crap every day. I’m sorry,” Poppy says right out of the gate.
Warren laughs. “Well, aren’t you a firecracker. I like you already. Braden’s been feeding me lies about you.”
“What did he say?” she asks accusingly.
“That you’re on the shy side, but I think he’s been holding out. I’m glad I came to see for myself. I figured you must be something special since he hasn’t shut up about you.” Warren, the smooth talker, needs to shut the fuck up.
“Hey, asshole. Go order your drink and give the girl a minute to breathe.” I shove Warren’s shoulder and note Poppy’s blush. He’s working his magic all right.
Warren goes to the bar to chat with the bartender when our drinks arrive, giving the girls time to talk while Justin and I discussa few cases he’s helping with. The second Lucy suggests they hit the dance floor, Justin’s up and out of his seat in a heartbeat, and I’m following suit.
Poppy stops when I rise, turning to face me. “You don’t have to come.”
“Yes, I do.”
“We’ll meet you out there, Poppy,” Lucy says before Justin leads her away.
“Okay, thanks,” Poppy responds to Lucy, then turns back. “What about our drinks?”
“We’ll order fresh ones. Come on.” I place my arm over her shoulder and try walking us forward, but she digs her heels in and crawls out from under me.
She starts toward the dance floor, calling back, “I don’t need you to watch over me. Especially since I want to dance with someone else.”
Having had enough of that, I step alongside her, wrap an arm around her waist, then lean down and growl, “Listen, Little Mouse, only one person is putting their hands on you tonight, unless I decide to share, so you’re sticking with me or sitting back down. Your choice.”
She tries to break free, but I tighten my grip and propel us forward until we reach the dance floor. She’s scowling as I turn her toward me and stiff as we start to move.
Then Lucy yells from the side of her. “Hey, you made it.”
Poppy grins back at Lucy and relaxes a little. For the sake of Lucy or because she gives up, I’m not sure, but I’m glad she’s done fighting me for the moment. While Lucy and Justin do their thing, Poppy and I begin to dance in sync.
I can’t resist grabbing her hips and pulling her closer as we sway to the music. The feel of her body on mine causes my dick to respond, and it’s not long before the bulge in my pants is unapologetically grinding against her stomach. It feels fucking fantastic, but it isn’t near enough.
I snake a hand to her ass and squeeze, holding her tight when she raises her lustful gaze to mine, prompting me to grip her neckand lean in for a kiss. Damn. My memory is instantly validated the moment our lips meet.
Moments in, she jerks her head back as someone comes in from behind, sandwiching her between us, and I look over her shoulder at Warren. I tighten my grip, instinctively moving my hand up as he grabs her hips and matches our rhythm.
Her eyes go wide in shock, causing me to smile. “It’s okay, Mouse, it’s only Warren.”
