The Unidentified Redhead (Redhead #1)(24)
Author: Alice Clayton

That’s when I saw him. He was by the bar, several feet away from Holly and Nick, and he was staring at me, smiling. I sucked back my breath with a whoosh and grinned back at him, feeling my tummy flip. I was so knocked out by this guy—it was seriously twisted how into him I was.

So I began to sing, and I could not tear my eyes away from his. They penetrated me, all the way down to my tingling tiptoes, and it was all I could do to get through the song. I focused on the lyrics, asking with my eyes if he was up for this, for all of it, for all of me. I had chosen “Strong Enough” by Sheryl Crow, and the song was perfect for tonight.

His gaze locked on mine through it all, nodding his head along with me, as the words in the song asked him all the questions that it was way too soon for me to actually ask. He stayed with me throughout, and when it was over, he applauded louder and longer than everyone else did, even adding a few wolf whistles. I thanked the audience, handed my mic to the host, and strode purposefully through the crowd. I was taking what I now considered mine and damn the consequences.

“Grace, that was amazing—” I silenced him with my mouth, grabbing the back of his neck and pulling his face to mine, forcefully meeting his lips with my own. With my free hand, I grasped his wrist, placed his hand on my ass, and pushed him up against the bar. His eyes were wide with surprise, but quickly mirrored back my own growing need.

I couldn’t think, I couldn’t hear, I couldn’t focus on anything except this man in front of me and the fact that, if I couldn’t feel him, and very soon, I would quite literally burst. As I pressed my tongue against his frantically, I felt his hands grow urgent, pulling me closer against him, and I was ready to mount him on the freaking bar. Luckily, there was enough of my brain working and enough of his British manners to prevent this, and as we became aware that the clapping had shifted from my singing to our very public groping, we separated, although reluctantly.

I looked at him, blonde curls messy and sexy, and I nearly lunged again. As it was, I had already started trying to kiss his neck when I felt Holly’s hand on me.

“Grace, there’s a lot of people watching. And there are at least ten girls that recognize Jack. Settle,” she warned, attempting to step between us. Jack wasn’t having any of it and kept me tucked against this side.

“Fuck all that, Holly. I don’t care who they recognize,” he said, his hands still roaming across my hips and working their way up and down my back. I heard Holly exhale, and I dragged my eyes away from Jack’s long enough to look around. She was right. There were at least three groups of girls staring at us, and one was pulling out her phone.

“Shit,” I swore, backing away from him, leaving him alone at the bar. He grimaced and tried to pull me back.

“Hold on. Just wait a minute. Holly’s right,” I started. He tried to interrupt, and I placed a finger over his lips. I heard the fangirl posse closest to us collectively hiss.

Holly watched me closely. I removed the offending finger slowly, as to not antagonize the seething posse. I continued. “Holly’s right, and I think Holly would also like to remind me at this time that she and Nick are going out for a late dinner, isn’t that right, Holly?” I turned to look at her, as a slow grin began to creep across the Brit’s face.

“We are?” Holly asked, looking confused. Nick just looked happy to be standing so close to Jack and was trying to accidentally-on-purpose touch his elbow with his own. None of this was lost on Jack, by the way.

“Yes, I believe you are. And I also believe that you will be gone for at least two hours,” I added.

“Two hours?” Jack interrupted, looking insulted. “A really good, thorough, dinner will take at least three to four hours, maybe even longer.

It depends on how hungry you are, how satisfied you want to be. You might even want multiple courses … in fact, I can guarantee, when I have dinner … I usually cannot stop at just one. I practically insist on multiples. Courses, that is,” he finished, surreptitiously snaking his arm around my waist and pulling me back against him. His eyes were on fire as he looked at me, and I could no longer feel my legs. What was directly above my legs however, I could feel intensely.

During this last exchange, Nick had begun to breathe rather heavily and was now leaning on the bar fanning himself. Holly’s eyes even got a little glazed over listening to Jack, to say nothing of the bartender, who was now leaning across the bar, looking quite beside herself.

I peeled myself off the Brit, looked at Holly and said, “OK, you heard the man. Dinner, right now, you two … at least three hours. If you come home before that, I make no promises that you won’t see a little ass.” I turned back to Jack and said, “You and me, let’s roll.” He grabbed my hand and started to pull me toward the front door.

Hol y stepped in front of him. “Hey, can I be your manager for just a minute?

It’s not a good idea for you to be photographed with anyone, and there could be cameras out there. Not to mention, you know, those girls are all watching you like a hawk. It’ll be all over the internet tonight if you leave with Grace, especially holding her hand, which I personally think is sweet by the way.” She stopped briefly to flash a quick smile at me. “You should stay here for a few minutes, talk to them, let Grace get out of here. You can meet her at my house in just a little while.”

Jack looked back and forth between me and Holly, listening. He thought for a minute and glanced at me. I shrugged. I didn’t care. I just needed the man so badly at this point—it didn’t much matter how it happened.

“I’ll do this your way, but then you have to do something for me,” he told Holly, winking at me.

“What’s that?” Holly asked.

He pressed something in her hand. “Get dessert too. It’s on me,” he answered.

With that, he tapped on his watch, holding up ten fingers, staring devilishly at me. He bit down on that perfect lower lip, and as I felt my tummy go silly, he walked over to the first group of girls.

I didn’t see Nick swooning. I didn’t see Holly waving her arms across my field of vision, trying to get my attention. I didn’t see the seething posse begin to squeal as he made his way over to them to sign a few autographs. I only saw him, and then the asphalt in the parking lot as I ran to my car.

Thank God you waxed.

As I drove home, I began mentally checking off what I might need for my little British tryst.