Walker opened the door and helped me exit, Noah quick to follow and offer his arm to escort me inside. Joshua kept his distance, following behind us, as did Walker. The brisk cold was just enough to calm my aching body and help my mind refocus on the evening ahead. As we approached, I could see through the windows that the launch was already in full swing, the small gallery filled with people. As we entered, a young man popped up from nowhere to take my wrap. Walker was suddenly there, blocking the poor guy's path with his massive body, holding his hand out to collide with his chest.
"Stay back," Walker warned.
The boy held up his hands in surrender. "I was just going to take her things to coat check," he squeaked.
Walker gave him a quick dip of the chin and he handed me a ticket number and ran away before I could thank him.
"Please, let's not scare all the employees away." Noah sighed, grabbing champagne off a tray from one of the catering staff members as she walked by.
"He's doing his job."
The sound of Mark's voice soothed the nerves inside me. I hadn't completely realized they were even there.
His scowl surprised me as I turned to smile at him.
Then Joshua cursed as he took in the back of my dress.
"What in God's name do you think you're doing wearing that?" Mark stepped close to tower over me, his voice low and full of warning.
"Looking amazing, that's what."
His eyes narrowed in on the high slit in the dress, my leg peeking out as I cocked a hip. "Are you wearing anything under that?"
"She isn't." Joshua drained his champagne in one gulp.
Mark closed the few inches of space between us. The heat from his body erased the last of the chill from outside. It was pure instinct to press my body into his, and he bared his teeth with a low growl.
"Everyone's eyes are on you, wanting you and wishing they could have what that dress hardly covers."
My smile was coy. "So then your men should have no problem keeping their eyes on me all night."
"You think Joshua's punishments are bad. Just you wait."
Noah took my arm when Mark stalked away, steering me into the crowd and further from the entrance. He hadn't been lying. Everyone's eyes were on me. I doubted they were all thinking illicit thoughts about me. Some were obviously curious who I was or if they already knew that, seemed interested in how Noah kept his arm around my waist, holding me close while we maneuvered by. Noah and Joshua nodded and smiled, greeting a few people by name but did not stop to make introductions.
As they directed me to the back of the gallery, where the crowd was thinnest, I allowed myself time to scan the room and get a quick inventory of my surroundings. The gallery was clean and crisp, with exposed brick walls, high unfinished ceilings, and gleaming hardwood floors. Interior white walls separated groupings of paintings, all illuminated under the bright track lighting that encircled the entire room. A few of the people in attendance were from the office and most of the others I didn't recognize. Thad spotted us as he chatted with a couple near the back corner of the room and raised his glass in greeting. I gave a demur nod in his direction, noticing his eyes lingered on me longer than needed.
"I was prepared to endure watching him flirt with you for at least a small part of the evening but didn't realize it would begin so soon," Noah grumbled from my side, taking a rather large sip of his champagne.
"A little flirting won't hurt anyone."
Joshua glared. "Just make sure he knows that's all it is."
I cocked my head up at him. "Don't be jealous, boys. You're the only ones that will be making me come before we leave here tonight."
They both took another drink of champagne and waved for another. I laughed. "Regretting this game you started?"
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Marci arrive along with a stunning blond woman. Marci had on a gorgeous blue dress, long and sleek, that showcased her lithe figure, her short dark hair slicked back and tucked behind her ears for the occasion. Noah saw her and raised his hand in greeting as they approached.
"Marci, Viv. I'm so glad you were able to make it," Noah greeted, dipping to kiss Viv on the cheek.
Joshua shook hands with Marci. "Regan, you know Marci from work, and this is her gorgeous wife, Vivian, or Viv for short."
The curvy blond waved off his compliments and shook my hand, then immediately took Marci's in her own. "So nice to meet you, Regan. I've heard quite the stories about you."
"Viv," Marci scolded quietly, a little embarrassed that she had been talking about me with her wife.
I was a good sport and smiled, unconcerned. "Considering the entrance I made on my first day, I'd be shocked if you hadn't heard about me at all."
That earned a laugh from everyone and Marci relaxed. "As if I wouldn't tell Viv how the new owner not only told off our head of security in front of everyone but also put that brat Melody in her place."
Noah passed a quizzical look over me. "What happened with Melody?"
Marci jumped in and began telling the story, highly animated with her gestures and even imitating Melody's irritatingly girly voice. When she got to the part where she repeated my displeasure at being ordered around by her or Noah, she clapped her hands together loudly. "And boom. Total shutdown. It was awesome."
"Sorry, I missed that." Joshua smirked into his glass, his eyes on me over the rim.
"I probably shouldn't have done that where everyone could see. It wasn't very appropriate."
"Please," Viv spoke up. "No one likes her in the office. The only reason she's still there is because Riley and she were smashing it, but now that he's dead – " She clasped her hand over her mouth, eyes wide. "Shit, I'm sorry! Sometimes my mouth gets ahead of my brain. That was really stupid."
The mood suddenly shifted, my smile becoming tight-lipped. I wasn't mad at her, she was quite endearing. But I couldn't tell her it was okay because it wasn't. Nothing about Riley being dead was okay. Noah didn't miss a beat, though, and started telling his own story about how I handled William in the meeting yesterday. I couldn't help but notice how proud he sounded. By the end, Marci and Viv were both nodding as if they were listening to a play-by-play.
"And boom. Total shutdown," he ended, stealing Marci's words, which she loved.
"Damn, Noah, your new girl is kind of a badass." Viv giggled.
He looped an arm around my waist and pulled me close. "Yeah, Viv, she kind of is."
Someone was waving to Marci from across the gallery, so she and Viv threw some goodbyes our way and headed over to say hello. A few other people from the office came over to introduce themselves to me and offer condolences for Riley. Everyone seemed very nice and welcoming; a couple of others also joked around about my first-day meltdown, trying to make light of a fairly humiliating first impression. I appreciated their efforts to make me feel better about the whole thing and some even shared some embarrassing stories about Riley to make it even. Noah and Joshua joined in on a few of them, and it was nice to laugh with them while remembering my brother.
Sean was in the midst of a rather engrossing story about a time Riley had gotten into a heated argument with a client over their internet campaign and had thought he muted his phone before calling him a 'fucking tragic human trash hole' when Melody came gliding over, effectively killing the jovial mood.
I had to admit, she was quite a vision in her red strapless gown. It hugged that nice ass of hers - which was getting quite a few appreciative looks from the men in attendance - before fishtailing out around her shins. Her signature red lipstick matched perfectly with it, her straight hair gathered back into a low ponytail.
"No – Mr. Spencer," she corrected herself, forcing a smile. She nodded to Joshua. "Joshua. A few of the guests from ProStyles have arrived and would like a moment of your time." She motioned toward a small group standing near the entrance.
"Of course, thank you, Melody. I'll be right over."
I looked over to where three men stood together, glancing our way. "Prostyles? Isn't that the client you closed on Wednesday?"
"The one and only. And the group that will make us even richer and more popular if we handle their gig correctly." Noah set his glass down on a passing tray and placed a quick kiss on my cheek, waving his hand at the crowd around us. During our trip down memory lane with Sean and the others, it had grown even more.
"I invited them to see firsthand what kind of work we can accomplish. Nothing says success like a room full of people in tuxedos and evening gowns."
Joshua offered a hand to escort me over, I gently shook my head. "If it's okay, I'd like to sit this one out."
His hands captured either side of my face, thumbs softly stroking my cheeks. "Are you okay?" Noah watched, concerned. "We can leave is this is getting to be too much."
As if I needed any more excuses to fall harder in love with him, his immediate concern and offer to walk out of a huge event just for my well-being were completely withering me. "No, we can stay. All the talk about Riley hit me a little harder than I was expecting. I just need a few moments to myself, maybe admire some of the lovely paintings."
"If you're sure you're okay." Joshua was hesitant to leave my side.
"I'm fine," I answered more confidently. "Go. They're waiting. Show them how awesome we are."
"In case I haven't told you yet, you're the most beautiful woman I've ever seen in my life. And I don't deserve you." With a quick kiss, Noah turned and walked over to where the group waited, Melody making small talk with them until they got there. I stiffened when I saw her put her hand on Noah's arm as he stepped up beside her and it lingered there while he greeted them with something that caused them all to laugh. She leaned in a little too close for my comfort, her hand leaving his arm and momentarily resting on his shoulder.
I turned away, jealousy rearing up inside of me, and chugged the rest of my champagne, swapping it out with a full one as soon as another of the catering staff came by. I also grabbed a few hors d'oeuvres from another tray figuring if I'm going to be slamming back drinks all night, some food would be a good idea.
I needed to remind myself that I shouldn't be jealous. He had said multiple times that he wasn't interested in her, and his adorable jealousy over Thad's flirtations reminded me that it was a two-way street. He was mine, and I was his, something he continuously made clear with his actions and his words.
When I gave another glance in their direction, Melody was no longer with them, and it made me feel infinitely better. He may belong to me, but that she-devil apparently still needed some reminding to keep her hands off of things that weren't hers.
Another time. Not here.
It was better that I just do what I told Noah and Joshua and take some time to look at Thad's paintings. It wasn't hard to get lost in some of the imagery. He was incredibly talented. His work could definitely be classified as impressionist, which I had always been a fan of. His use of bold colors brought life to otherwise mundane scenery, such as a random city street or the façades of a row of brownstones.
As I wandered along the wall near the back of the gallery, I noticed a small collection of very realistic portraits hiding there, all of the beautiful women in bed with strategically placed sheets to cover their nudity. It was a lesson on female seduction, each showing just enough skin to hold your attention. One woman lay on her side, her back to the viewer, with a sheet draped over her backside. The next lay on her back, staring straight at me with her arms draped over her head, a sheet masterfully wrapped around her naked body that covered her breasts and hips. Another kneeled on the bed, the top of her curvaceous ass just visible from beneath the sheet she had covering her hips, a smile on her lips as she looked at me from over her shoulder.
"And they all pale in comparison to your beauty."
Thad had joined me, standing just behind me as I admired the line of gorgeous women in front of me. I turned to look at him over my shoulder as his eyes traveled slowly down my back and along the rhinestones and lace at the base of my spine. His hand rose as if he was going to trace a line there, but then he dropped it back to his side.
"And your dress has suddenly inspired a new version of that painting." He nodded towards the one I had stopped in front of, the dark-haired beauty kneeling on the bed and smiling at us over her shoulder. "I would love to paint you."
My blush was impossible to hide. "And I would love to see the result."
He grinned. "I usually only paint live models. For the sake of my friendship with Noah, I'd be willing to make an exception in this case."
Noah would lose his mind if I posed nude for Thad. The thought of doing so excited me, though. At that moment, I wanted nothing more than to surprise Noah with a painting of me, looking like one of these girls on the bed.
"I think Noah would understand." My tone wasn't convincing either one of us.
"Then you have no idea the level of desire that man has for you." Thad took a step forward to stand next to me. "Not to mention Mark and Joshua. I'm beginning to understand better myself, having met you."
I turned toward him, needing to take my eyes off of the woman. "You've known Noah long?"
"Oh yes," he nodded, sipping his drink. I noticed it wasn't a champagne glass like the rest of the crowd had but a lowball with a dark liquid. I wondered where his stash was. "I used to work for his father."
That got my attention. "You worked for R&R? I mean, when it used to his dad's firm?"
Thad gave me another casual once over as if deciding how much of his backstory he should divulge to me. "I owned a printing company, mainly to replicate my own works and sell but I would occasionally do the same for others. They used my services frequently. Noah's father eventually bought the whole operation from me so I could focus on what I do best." He motioned with his glass to the crowd. "And the rest is history."
"So now you hire them to promote you?"
"Your brother worked very hard to keep my business with R&R. I eventually gave in to his incessant sales pitches."
"My brother always did get what he wanted."
"I didn't do it for him. When Noah came back, the choice was made for me. He's worked himself to death to maintain the company in his father's image."
I tilted my head at Thad and narrowed my eyes. "You sound proud of him."
"I am. Look at what he's accomplished. It's tremendous. And to see you at his side finally, I couldn't be prouder." Thad's eyes wandered over me again. "Envious, but proud."
"You knew about me?" I had mixed feelings about that. Once again, someone other than me knew of Noah's quest for redemption. It ruffled my feathers a little bit. I was starting to feel like some kind of trophy Noah had been hell-bent on winning just so he could cart me around and show all his buddies.
"Noah once told me about a girl that had stolen his heart years ago and how he had ruined his chances of being with her. It's what drove him to do better, to be better. Just a chance that he'd see you again someday, whether you accepted him back or not, and being a better man than the one that left you, that's all he wanted."
I downed the rest of my drink, and Thad chuckled, procuring another one for me within seconds. "He can be intense, no?"
"You have no idea," I mumbled into my glass as I took another drink.
"If I had a striking woman like you on my arm, I couldn't say I'd behave any better." He raised his glass to mine in a quick toast. "To one day finding my own Regan."
A hand brushed my hair over my shoulder before slowly tracing a line down my spine, and I shivered, my body recognizing Noah's touch. My eyes closed for a moment, and I quickly lost myself in the sensation of his fingers on my skin. Thad watched my reaction and swallowed the rest of his drink.
"Good luck. There's no one else like her." Noah's hand came to rest on my back, right where my dress stopped, his thumb tickling the sensitive skin there. To make his point, he leaned down and placed a kiss on my neck, his eyes on Thad as I leaned back into his touch.
"And I am envious of that, dear friend." Thad took my hand and gave it one of his lingering kisses. "Let me know when you'd like to pose for me."
Noah scoffed as Thad waltzed away, quick to be swallowed up in the crowd. I felt his hand apply a little more pressure to my back. "You are not posing for him."
"Why not?" I knew why, but I felt like toying with him a bit. Get him riled up.
His eyes narrowed at me and his smile started to fade as he tried to figure out if I was serious or not. "Because he paints nudes, and I'm not really keen on the idea of him seeing you naked, that's why."
I turned and smiled teasingly up at him, my hand resting on his chest. "Thad seemed rather intrigued at the idea." I inclined my head toward the kneeling girl. "He wants to recreate that one. I told him I would love to model for him."
Noah swore and hauled me away toward a hall of offices in the back. We passed Walker on our way and he was trying to hide a smile and shaking his head at me.
I winked as Noah pushed me into the first unlocked room we came to.