CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
Raine Beau’s had only been open for a few weeks, but everyone Cameron knew was buzzing about it. Both Nico and Derek had mentioned it, as well as his receptionist Amelia. Even his freaking mom had heard about the club.
“Holy shit,” Luke said from behind him, lifting his voice to be heard over the pulse of the music. “Didn’t you say this place is new?”
Cameron shrugged, but he understood what Luke meant. The club was packed from wall to wall with hundreds of scantily clad, gyrating bodies.
“There’s the bar,” Nico called, pointing toward the west wall.
“There’s another one,” Derek added, nodding in the opposite direction.
Luke smirked as he jerked a thumb over his shoulder. “I found the dance floor.”
Chuckling, Asher took Cameron’s hand and pulled him away from the entrance. “They’re like Google Maps for the club scene. ‘In four feet, make a U-turn. Proceed to the bar. Your drink will be on the left.’”
“Laugh all you want,” Nico called, following behind them. “We’ll be the ones with drinks while you die of dehydration. ”
Cameron looked over his shoulder with a frown. “Technically, alcohol contributes to dehydration. That’s one of the reasons you get a hangover when you overindulge.”
Nico and Derek glanced at each other, then snorted at the same time. Cameron didn’t really see what was so funny.
“Actually,” Asher interrupted, “we will be the ones sitting in the VIP section while a half-naked guy in spandex shorts delivers our drinks.” His lips turned down at the corners, and he shook his head sadly. “Good luck with getting the bartenders attention, though.”
“Wait,” Derek said, stepping around them to block their path. “VIP?”
A heartbeat later, Nico and Luke joined him, all three of them staring back at Asher expectantly.
“I have a booth reserved in the Sky Lounge.” Jerking his head upward, Asher indicated a dimly lit section on the balcony overhead. “Like I said, though, good luck at the bar.”
“How the fuck did you get a booth in the Sky Lounge?” Nico demanded. “I’ve been trying to reserve one since this place opened.”
It was the first Cameron had heard of the reservation as well, but he couldn’t summon the same level of shock as his best friend. Whether Asher wanted to admit it or not, his name—and his bank account—opened a lot of doors.
So, instead of surprise or indignation, he found himself laughing. “He’s a celebrity. What did you expect?”
Asher made a face. “That’s what Becca called me.”
“That bitch,” Cameron deadpanned, and was rewarded with one of Asher’s beaming smiles. It was the first genuine smile he’d seen on the guy in days, and it loosened a knot in his chest he’d been carrying around since the day Kyle had barged into his office.
Unaware of the gravity in the moment, Nico waved his hand toward the staircase on the other side of the dance floor and huffed. “Lead the way, pretty boy.”
“Who said you were invited?”
Nico cocked an eyebrow as he shoved at Asher’s shoulder. “I did. Consider it a best friend tax. Cameron and I are a package deal.”
Asher shrugged and started walking. “I always thought of you more like baggage.”
“Carry-on or checked?” Derek asked. He looked a lot happier than the last time Cameron had seen him.
“Hmmm.” Rubbing his chin, Asher pretended to think about it. “Checked. I keep waiting for him to get lost.”
Everyone dissolved into laughter as they approached the purple, velvet rope that blocked off the staircase. Even Nico chuckled before giving Asher another playful shove .
“Okay, I have to admit that was a good one.”
“Don’t look so put out, love.” Snaking an arm around Nico’s waist, Luke cozied right up to his side and batted his lashes. “You’ll get him next time.”
Cameron didn’t doubt there would be a “next time.” Nico and Asher couldn’t be within a city block of each other without hurling insults back and forth.
Neither of them hit below the belt, though, and their ribbing remained good-natured.
They’d lose their shit if Cameron ever told them, but it was actually kind of cute.
Standing to the left of the staircase, a giant of a man lifted his head when they approached, his features illuminated by the tablet in his hand.
“Name?”
Pin-straight raven hair fell past his shoulders, and his steely gray eyes seemed to peer right into Cameron’s soul—and disintegrate it. He had enough piercings to set off any metal detector within a five-mile radius, and more ink than anyone Cameron had ever met, including Nico.
Dressed only in a pair of black, leather pants and boots that laced halfway up his shins, his broad chest flexed with every inhalation as he towered over them all. Jesus, the guy’s fucking muscles had muscles, and there didn’t appear to be an ounce of fat on him.
He looked…brutal .
Luke’s mouth fell open, and his eyes rounded. Derek swallowed so hard he winced. Even Nico took a step back. Cameron didn’t retreat, but he might have pressed closer to Asher’s side.
Clearly not used to being ignored, the guy lowered his tablet and glared. “Do you have a fucking name or not?”
“Nice, Raine. Real classy.” Another, far less intimidating man joined them, coming to a stop next to the growling giant.
“I just asked for a name,” the guy named Raine answered, his voice rumbling like thunder. “It’s not like I demanded a blood sample.”
New Guy spared Raine a dispassionate look, then turned and offered his hand to Asher. “Hi, I’m Kieran Brady. I’m the manager here at Raine Beau’s” He motioned to the man beside him. “You’ve met Raine Calaveras. He owns the place.”
A few inches taller than Cameron with a bit more muscle on his frame, Kieran Brady was the anti-thesis to Raine’s dark and brooding demeanor.
Dressed in dark jeans and a basic white tee, he wore an easy smile that seemed to radiate from his entire being.
His square jaw and high cheekbones made him look like one of those movie stars from the classics, but his short blond waves and big brown eyes screamed quintessential boy-next-door.
Asher nodded, and after shaking the guy’s hand, gave him his name .
“See?” Kieran asked Raine. “That wasn’t so hard.”
Flicking his meaty index finger across the tablet, Raine grumbled under his breath. “I asked for a fucking name.”
“Ignore him.” Unhooking the rope, Kieran stepped up on the first stair and motioned for them to follow. “He’s a good guy once you get to know him, but he has all the tact of a wrecking ball.”
From what Cameron had witnessed, he considered that a fairly apt description.
At the top of the stairs, Kieran turned to the right and led them past another bar to a corner booth in the back of the room.
He waited for everyone to take their seats, then brushed his hair away from his face to reveal a small earpiece.
He pressed a button on the top, and after a pause, he said a number and someone’s name.
“Jace will be right over to get your drink orders. If you need anything else, just ask for me.” With another smile and a quick nod, he backed away from the table. “Enjoy your evening, gentleman.”
“Well,” Derek said when they were alone, “that was interesting.” He dipped his head toward Asher with a smirk. “I am definitely rolling with you more often.”
The others voiced their agreement, but Cameron paid little attention.
With its pale blue walls and gleaming white furniture, the Sky Lounge seemed a fitting name for the VIP room.
The lamp that hung over the center of their table cast a circle of silvery blue light, and the white leather that covered the cushions felt incredibly soft against his palms.
“Welcome to Raine Beau’s.” A young man dressed only in pair of white, spandex shorts that hid absolutely nothing stood at one end of the curved booth. “I’m Jace. What’s your pleasure tonight?”
“Well, hello,” Luke sang, sitting up a little straighter, his eyes raking over the server.
Jace popped his hip out to the side, showing off his lean frame—narrow at the hips and shoulders, but with tightly packed muscles encased in glistening tawny skin. Black, messy spikes stuck out all over his head, the tresses striped with neon pink that practically glowed in the light.
His gaze flickered from one man to the next, his dark eyes big and beguiling, framed by long, thick lashes.
Along with the soft planes of his face and the gentle slope of his nose, the combination created an oddly youthful appearance.
Not young exactly, but more innocent than his knowing smirk would indicate.
It was a strange mixture of pure sex and sweet naiveté, but it definitely worked for the guy.
“Martini,” Luke purred. “Dirty. Very dirty.”
Cameron chewed his bottom lip to muffle his groan, but he must not have done a great job, because Asher leaned into him with a snort. Clearly, he was used to Luke’s behavior by now, but Cameron could feel the heat creeping across his cheeks .
Derek looked Luke up and down with a devious grin before turning back to their server. “Sit on My Face.”
Cameron nearly swallowed his tongue, and his face lit on fire, the burn traveling down his neck and up to the tips of his ears.
Sitting back, legs splayed out in front him, Nico licked his lips. “Suck, Bang, and Blow.”
“Jesus Christ,” Cameron breathed. “Are you guys ordering drinks or a hooker?”
Nonplussed, Jace turned his attention to Asher. “For you?”
“Adios Motherfucker.”
“Rude,” Luke called from across the table, but he started to laugh, which kind of ruined it.
“And for you?” Jace asked, turning those big eyes on Cameron.
Clearing his throat, Cameron did his best not to look down at the table when he spoke. “Uh, just an Amaretto Sour, please.”
Jace gave him a nod and a saucy wink before sashaying off to the bar.