Free Built to Last by Jean Page

it. My, did he ever make her feel brazen.
    “A late dinner then, at my place?” Flashes of Noelle under him on the floor in front of his fireplace filled his head and made his jeans feel too tight suddenly.
    “I don’t know how long I will be, but I’ll call you before I leave okay?”
    “Sounds like a plan to me. I’m looking forward to it ‘Elle.”
    If Noelle smiled any harder, she felt her face would split in two. She heart skipped when he used her nickname. It sounded so incredibly sexy when he said it. How was that possible? “Me too.”
    She hit the end button and stared at her phone for several minutes before putting it back into her purse. The phone on the desk in front of her jarred her back to reality. She couldn’t wait to get off of work now.
     
    ***
     
    The little club was busier than Noelle had expected. She was glad she’d chosen an outfit that was sexy but casual. Her black skirt came to her knees. It was made of a soft material that swished silkily when she walked. Her top was made of the same kind of material n a rich burgundy (her favorite color). It hung off one shoulder leaving just a thin strap to hold it up and covered the other. She had pulled her hair up liking the way it made her neck look longer and accentuated her jawline. All of her five foot four frame stood on heels. Something she only wore when she wanted to feel sexy. Stilettos made her feel naughty, and for Cade she wanted to feel naughty.
    When Griffin appeared next to her at the bar, she jumped a little and laughed. Her nerves were feeling shot from the excitement of the evening. Here she was with him but longing for their time to end so she could go be with Cade, his boss. She briefly wondered if one knew about the other. This was confusing enough for her without adding trouble at Cade’s workplace.
    “You look amazing tonight. Here,” Griffin half-shouted over the music and near her ear so she could hear him and handed her an open bottle of beer.
    “Thank you,” she replied, took her drink from him and walked to the table she had chosen in the back. They sat and listened for a bit, the sound of the crowd and the live music making conversation nearly impossible. The group that was playing ended their set and packed up, giving Noelle a chance to speak with Griffin. The longer she was here, the less she wanted to be and that just wasn’t fair to him. “When does your friend play?” she asked taking a sip of her beer.
    Griffin shrugged, “I haven’t seen him yet so probably not until later.” Before she could catch herself, she frowned. “Why?”
    “I just have to work in the morning. The office is really busy and I don’t want to be overtired.” It was a boldface lie, but it wasn’t as if she could tell him she had to get to a date. He nodded and looked disappointed.
    “I’m sure he’ll be up soon.”
    “Is there a bathroom around here?” she asked and he pointed to a back corner. “I’ll be right back. Get me another one of these would you?” She asked pointing to her beer. Taking her purse, she walked off in the direction he pointed.
    The bathroom was quite a bit quieter, as she had hoped. She had felt her cell buzz in her purse and wanted to check who had called. Two missed calls it read. One call from Del, whom she would call back later and one call from Cade. She hit send on his number and waited breathlessly for him to pick up hoping that he wasn’t cancelling on her.
    “Hi,” he answered.
    “Hey,” she replied in return. How could such short little words hold so much promise? “I’ll be another hour I’d guess.” Another woman entered the bathroom and walked into a stall, making Noelle feel self-conscious about talking on the phone.
    “Just wanted to know if you had any allergies, I realized I am making you dinner and I haven’t a clue what you don’t eat.” He sounded like he was rushing around the kitchen as he talked to her all out of breath and nervous. More like the teenager, she