Novel Palace
11
JOANNA
“S
hake it,” Monica sang as I ground my ass against hers, the music flowing through me.
Going to clubs and dancing was a big part of our nightlife in Miami, so it only made sense that we would do the same while we were in Vegas. The best thing about doing it here was that this city was full of strangers. The chances of us running into someone we knew was beyond slim. We could dance however we wanted, dress however we liked. We could just let loose and not care and let the music take over.
At least, that was what I thought.
Until I looked up from the speaker we were dancing on and saw Jenner and his crew in the VIP area.
Oh God.
I was positive he hadn’t seen me because none of the guys were looking in our direction.
I wasn’t surprised he was here. This was one of the most well-known clubs on the Strip. Whenever I read about celebrities visiting Vegas, it was always mentioned that they made a stop here. I was sure they were seated in the same section as Jenner-an area my girls and I couldn’t enter, as we didn’t have the right passes. We hadn’t tried to get those passes because we only came here to dance.
“Monica …” I tugged her arm, getting her attention. “Look.” I pointed toward Jenner and watched her face as I said, “That’s him.”
She glanced back at me, almost spilling her drink. “Like him, him?”Original content from NôvelDrama.Org.
I nodded. “Yes, that’s Jenner.”
“Daaamn, girl.” Her eyes widened as she took him in. “He’s like a much sexier, younger version of Ben Affleck. The J. Lo version, not the Jennifer Garner version.”
“Right?” I hadn’t made the connection, but she was dead accurate. “Man, he’s delicious.”
“Are those his brothers on either side of him?” She was practically meowing. “If they are, you need to hook me up. Like, I can’t even …”
“Yep, that’s Ford and Dominick, although I’m honestly not sure which is which. The guys across from them are their friends.”
They were all certainly good-looking.
But they weren’t Jenner.
His face was so sharp, edges that made him so manly and sexy, his scruff such a natural addition that I couldn’t imagine him without it.
And then there was his body.
Sigh.
“I don’t know if it’s all the liquor we’ve downed tonight or what, but, holy hell, you look like you’re in heat, woman.”
I giggled as I faced her. “He’s irresistible. I seriously can’t help it.”
And he was dangerous, but I didn’t add that description.
I kept that one to myself.
She touched my face, like she was taking my temperature. “He’s that good, huh?”
“You have no idea.”
She lifted my cup, forcing me to take a sip. “Did he know we were going to be here?”
I swallowed before I responded, “I never said a word about where we were going for dinner or after.”
“Then, it’s fate, baby.”
“What’s fate?” Courtney said from behind us, wrapping her arms around both our shoulders, as Lex moved to my other side.
“Jenner’s here,” I told her.
“Whaaa?”
“I know,” I agreed. “But it’s not like it matters. We’re just having fun, and he’s here with his boys, probably looking to pick up another girl-”
“It matters,” Lex said, cutting me off. “And he’s not picking up anyone. There isn’t a single girl at their table.”
She had a point.
From what I could see, it was just the guys and several bottles of booze.
Still, whatever this was, it couldn’t extend beyond Vegas.
We were different ages, living in much different worlds, and there were a million other reasons why we wouldn’t work.
“So?” Monica said.
I turned toward her. “So, what?”
She pushed my butt. “So … go talk to him.”
“You’re nuts.”
“She’s right. You need to go talk to him right now,” Lex said.
“And then score us access to the VIP area, so we can see if there are hotter boys up there than down here,” Courtney added.
I glanced at all three of them, not believing my ears. “You’re kidding, right?”
Monica laughed. “I think you know I’m positively not kidding.”
Courtney turned me around, so I faced Jenner, and said, “Go tease that boy,” in my ear.
“And hurry,” Monica added. “I need to get a better look at those brothers and see if they’re as juicy up close.”
I chuckled, but it was more out of nerves.
I wasn’t just teasing that boy. I was playing with fire.
I attempted to turn around, and the three of them said in unison, “Go!”
“All right, all right.”
The speakers that we were dancing on ran across this whole side of the club, leading past the VIP area, where Jenner was sitting. The problem was, my girls and I weren’t the only ones on them. They were packed full of people. If I was going to get Jenner’s attention, aside from texting him, this was the only way.
But I needed to be careful, or I would fall at least ten feet to the ground.
To keep my balance, I flattened my hands on the wall and apologized to everyone dancing in front of me as I weaved my way toward him. The closer I got, I saw that he was in deep conversation with one of the guys, his back still facing me.
When I was only a few feet away, I tiptoed the rest of the distance, making sure not to trip in these heels, and shouted, “Jenner!” When he didn’t respond, assuming he hadn’t heard me, I tried again, “Hey, Jenner!”
He turned, a smile warming his face when our eyes connected. He stood and leaned over the banister that separated the two sections, putting us closer together. “What are you doing here?”
I held the spot next to his fingers, clinging for dear life as two girls twerked behind me. “I came with my friends.” A grin moved to my face-I couldn’t help it. “How about you?”
“This is the best club in Vegas. We always find our way here.” His stare dipped down my body, a look of satisfaction filling his eyes. “Fuck, you look gorgeous”-he slowly made his way to my face-“but I still like having that dress on my floor.” A heat burst across my cheeks as he added, “Why aren’t you in the VIP area?”