“I mean in the queue.” I laugh.
“Two,” he responds, lifting the bottle of Jack to his lips. “I’ll have you know, I’m a master at this.” He puffs his chest out.
“Oh, so you’re ready?” I cock a brow. “Digger can be brutal in his choices.” I smirk.
“What? He chooses the songs too?” Ember’s eyes widen.
I nod, and we turn our attention over to Desi. He shifts in his seat, suddenly looking nervous, and I wink. Not so cocky now, are ya, big boy?
“Desi here is going to be performingSince you've been gonefromPitch Perfect,” Dig announces, and I nearly spit my drink out. Desi hates chick-flicks, andPitch Perfectis on the top of that list. This night just went up a notch.
Emma and Grant join us at the booth, and I swear I laugh so hard at Desi’s miserable singing, I feel light-headed. I look up, and Grant is recording it. “Gonna send it to Rez,” the smug asshole says.
“Absolutely, not,” Emma scolds, but she’ll cave. I know these two.
Desi walks off the stage, looking humiliated. “I need a shot. I have never felt more violated.” Emma passes her a shot of tequila.
“You’re up,” I yell at Ember, with a smug look on my face. “Can ya match that?”
He grazes his teeth on his bottom lip, and I cannot take my eyes off them. “Oh, it’s on, baby.” Fuck! Why does every word out of his mouth sound like foreplay?
He swaggers off to the stage, leers at me, then flips his cap around. The room roars at that. Dig announces that Ember will be performingPonyfromMagic Mike. Ember doesn’t hesitate. He jumps onto the stage, not bothering to use the stairs leading up to it. His hips sway and gyrate in time to the music, he straddles a chair, and I swear I hold my breath so long, someone has to pass me a glass of water. I’m intoxicated and mesmerized by the man’s every movement—the way he bends and glides, his hips bucking. When he rips his shirt off, while on his knees, my stomach tightens, my thighs press together, and I swear if I don’t get some air, I’m going to fucking lose it.
“Take it all off,” Desi shouts.
“Wipe the drool, girls,” Grant mumbles.
“Excuse me, guys. Need some air.” I stand up then stagger through the crowd to the door, and the burst of cold air is a welcome distraction from the hot man inside. I have never felt this way, well, not in years, the urge to touch and taste and do the unthinkable with a man other than Drew. I lean against the wall, and fuck, do I wish I brought my beer outside with me.
The door opens a few minutes later, and Ember steps outside. “I was wondering where you went. I pretty much stole the show in there. I was surprised you weren’t in the autograph line,” his voice is filled with amusement as he steps closer to me. In a few seconds, he’s standing in front of me under the light, thankfully with his shirt on. He looks down at me, and I have to strain my neck to look up at him. “What’d you think of the show?”
“I—” I can’t breathe, his scent surrounds me, and I feel like I’ll pass out. “It was okay.”
“Didn’t impress you then?” he asks, and those dents appear, his eyes are so dark they’re like whirlpools, and I’m scared I’ll drown in them.
“I didn’t say that exactly.” I swallow. He tips his head to the side.
“Maybe you’d like an encore?” He winks, and I swear if gravity wasn’t holding me down, I’d be floating. “I am open to private shows.”
“Is that the line you use on all girls?” I grin.
“Just the beautiful ones. Just you, in fact.” He leans in, his arms on either side of me, caging me in. “Want a private show, Shelby?” His voice is a whisper, and I feel goosebumps erupt on my skin.
I close my eyes, sucking in a breath.
“’Cause, I’d like to give you one.” His breath caresses my face.
I open my eyes, my gaze falling to his mouth, then back up to his eyes.
“There you two are,” I hear Desi, but I can’t break free from Ember’s gaze.
It challenges me, dares me to move, to break the spell he has me under. He pushes off the wall, and I feel his absence.
Desi steps beside me, wrapping an arm around my shoulder. “We better get going.” She giggles. I snap out of it, and she looks at me knowingly.
“Yeah,” I manage.
“Nice dancing back there,” Desi tells Ember, his eyes lighten when he looks at her.
