Chapter 5
Pepper
The girls and I linked up at Nia’s house first. She had officially ditched her beautiful downtown condo to move into Cal’s sprawling mansion, and honestly?
I wasn’t mad at her at all. The place was absolutely gorgeous and surprisingly homey.
The moment I walked through the front door, which Nia had texted me to just open, I was greeted by their goofy dog, Brookie, who bounded over to sniff my ankles.
My heels clinked sharply against the pristine white marble floors as I walked inside.
"Are you bitches ready to have some fun?!" I shouted, switching my hips as I strutted straight into the gourmet designer kitchen.
"Damn, girl, you look good," Stormy gasped. She grabbed my hand and spun me around to take in the full view.
I had to admit, I looked incredible. I was rocking an asymmetrical micro mini skirt that hugged every single curve, paired with a slinky black halter top that dipped dangerously low all the way down my back.
On my feet were my favorite six-inch Tom Ford lock-and-key stilettos.
My natural ginger hair was freshly silk-pressed to perfection, thanks to Tasha, our absolute savior of a hairstylist from back in the day who now operated out of a high-end salon in the Galleria.
"Y'all look just as good!" I hyped them up, because they absolutely did. Every single one of them was rocking an impossibly sexy, head-turning outfit.
"Let's have a cheers before the car arrives," Nia said, sliding a chilled bottle across the counter. It was, of course, her absolute favorite: premium tequila. The glass felt freezing against my palm, my heavy stack of silver bangles and rings clinking loudly against the rim.
"Chilled and ready, huh?" I said with a laugh, raising my glass high into the center of our circle. "To my girls, to a fun night, and to us finally being back together!"
"Cheers!" they all yelled in unison, and we threw the shots back, the familiar burn sliding down my throat.
"The driver is here," Mars announced, setting her empty glass down.
We gathered our small clutches and headed out to the luxury sprinter truck waiting to escort us for the night.
The ride downtown was incredibly live. I leaned my head against the leather headrest, peering out the window at the vibrant, chaotic Houston nightlife.
It was so completely different from Tokyo.
I had built a decent life and made a couple of friends in Japan, but they were nothing like my girls.
Nobody could ever match the effortless, loud fun we had whenever we were together.
By the time we pulled up to Aura, the lounge was jumping from left to right.
The line wrapped around the block, but we didn't even have to pause.
A towering security guard spotted Mars and Nia, unhooking the velvet rope and leading us straight through the crowded main floor toward the back VIP section.
I took the lead, pushing my shoulders back and strutting through the sea of people.
We looked so fucking good that the crowd practically parted for us like the Red Sea.
Just as the elevated VIP section came into view, I spotted the guys standing near the leather couches. It looked like they had just arrived, too.
And right in the center of them, my eyes locked onto the man I remembered as Aaron.
Oh, wow.
He was incredibly tall, with broad shoulders that completely filled out a cream-colored knit tee. The fabric stretched tightly across his chest and biceps, paired with dark black jeans and a simple, classic Rolex gleaming on his wrist. He was fine. Like, really fine.
And the best part?
He was already watching me.
He was looking at me like a little kid who had just walked into a toy store, his dark eyes wide and completely captivated.
We approached the section, and Mars stepped in to bridge the gap.
"You remember Aaron, don't you, Pepper?"
Aaron stepped forward with absolute quickness, eager to close the distance.
When his large hand slid into mine for a handshake, a deep, tingling sensation shot straight down my arm.
It felt intense, thrilling, and incredibly fun.
I smiled up at him, maintaining heavy eye contact.
I couldn't help but notice his Adam’s apple bob up and down as he took a hard swallow, clearly affected by how close we were.
"I remember," I said, a devious, playful smile spreading across my lips. For some reason, I was extremely attracted to him tonight. He looked completely different outside of the stiff, formal suit he had worn at Mars’s wedding. He looked raw. Rugged.
As the group settled into the couches, the girls began ordering food and drinks with the waitress. Stormy and I stepped toward the edge of the VIP riser, our hips swaying and vibing to the heavy bass of the music.
"He is just staring a hole into your back, poor guy," Stormy whispered in my ear, bumping her hip against mine as we danced together.
I didn't even look back, just kept moving to the beat.
"Good. Because I'm staring right back. He is so fine, Storm."
I took a quick glance over my shoulder, scanning the surrounding VIP tables.
"Definitely better than anyone else in this room, though there are a few hotties out there tonight."
"Oh, you know I see them," Stormy giggled, her eyes already scanning the crowd for her own targets.
Shortly after, our waitress arrived flanked by two other servers, carrying a mountain of food and drinks. The smell of seasoned lamb chops and hot wings instantly hit the air. Leave it up to Mars to order a full-course meal at a high-end lounge.
"Clubs have the best food," she used to argue back in our twenties, and honestly, she wasn't wrong.
Just as I was about to reach over to the marble table to pour myself a drink, Aaron rose from the couch.
He moved with a quiet confidence, grabbing a clean glass, filling it with fresh ice, and expertly pouring a crisp, bubbling stream from the pitcher of French 75s.
His tall frame completely towered over me, blocking out the rest of the club as he stepped into my space and handed me the glass.
"Thank you," I said, offering him a radiant, smoky smile as I looked up.
In his other hand, he held a glass of chilled tequila.
"What brings you back to Houston?" he asked, leaning his head down close to my ear so I could hear him over the thumping music.
His voice was thick, deep, and smooth, but I could hear a tiny hint of nerves hiding right behind his words.
I absolutely loved a man who was slightly nervous to talk to me.
It showed respect, and honestly, it was kind of sweet.
"Escape," I said easily, taking a slow sip of the cocktail and watching him over the rim with a playful glint in my eye. "Tokyo was getting a little too predictable. I needed a change of scenery. What about you? Cal mentioned you’re celebrating tonight."
"Yeah," he said, rubbing the back of his neck with his free hand, a boyish grin suddenly breaking through his serious, brooding exterior. "Got a huge new contract handed to me yesterday. Still trying to process it, honestly."
"Look at you, a big shot," I teased, stepping half an inch closer. The sharp edge of my Tom Ford stiletto brought me just a little closer to his chest. "Should I be intimidated?"
Aaron let out a soft, low chuckle, his dark eyes crinkling at the corners. The reserved, shy guy from Mars's wedding was completely gone, replaced by someone who was actually incredibly charming and a little bit silly.
"Intimidated? By me?"
He leaned in a bit closer, his nervous edge completely vanishing into a confident, playful smirk.
"Nah. I’m actually a giant teddy bear. But don't tell Jalen or Cal, I have a reputation to uphold as the serious one in the group."
I burst out laughing, the sound completely unforced. The image of this muscular, broad-shouldered man trying to convince me he was a teddy bear was hilarious.
"Your secret is safe with me, Aaron," I countered, tapping the rim of my glass against his. "But I have to warn you, I don't scare easily. And I don't follow rules very well, either."
"I get the feeling you don't follow rules at all, Pepper," he murmured, his voice dropping an octave as a genuine, breathtaking smile broke across his face.
I raised my eyebrows, captivated by the sudden weight of his gaze.
"Is that a challenge?"
"Maybe," he whispered, a quiet, magnetic pull in his eyes. "Guess we'll have to see."
I took a slow, deliberate step backward.
"We will."
Before our conversation could go any further, Mars and Nia reached over.
Laughing hysterically, they grabbed my hands and yanked both me and Stormy straight out onto the crowded VIP dance floor.
We gathered in a tight circle, swaying and letting the heavy buzz of the tequila and the pulsing club lights run straight through our veins.
A little while later, Jalen and Cal found their way toward us.
They snuck up behind their women, dancing up on them like two eager teenage boys.
I burst out laughing, shaking my head at how incredibly silly yet beautifully happy my friends looked.
Turning away to give them some privacy, I closed my eyes and got entirely into my own rhythm, letting the music dictate how my hips moved.
Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed Stormy disappear a short distance away, completely locked in with a handsome guy, leaving me to lose myself in the rolling beat.
Then, the vibe instantly soured.
A stranger stepped into my bubble, getting annoyingly, aggressively close. I immediately put my hand up, flashing him a firm, dismissive look.
"No, thank you," I said over the bass.
The asshole failed to catch the hint. Instead of backing off, he stepped even closer, trying to press his sweaty body up against mine. I frowned, bracing myself to push him away, but before my hands could even make contact, a shadow fell over us.
Aaron towered over the guy, his broad shoulders blocking out the strobe lights. His jaw was clenched, his chest puffed, and his dark eyes were cold as ice.
"Move," was all he said.
His voice wasn't even loud, but it possessed a terrifying weight that cut right through the music.
The guy scrambled backward without a second glance, vanishing into the crowd.
I stood there, my breath catching in my throat as I looked up at Aaron. I was instantly turned on. There was something insanely attractive about the way he handled the situation, and it left me completely undone.
"Thank you," I murmured, a wicked smile creeping back onto my lips.
Without waiting for an invitation, I stepped straight into his chest and looped my arms around his neck. Aaron didn't hesitate. His big, warm hands settled on my waist, his long fingers holding me securely as he drew me close.
"So manly," I flirted, tilting my chin up to look at him.
"Oh, yeah?" he countered, a proud smile spreading across his lips. He smelled incredible, a mix of high-end cologne, clean laundry, and warmth.
He rested his face lightly against the crook of my neck, taking a slow breath as we stood wrapped in each other. The music seemed to fade into the background. Even though the high-energy song kept blasting through the speakers, everything between us felt slower, quieter, more intimate.
Slowly, he guided me around the dance floor, his chest warm against my back. I exhaled softly, moving with him to the steady pulse of the bass. The chemistry between us was impossible to ignore, every glance and every touch carrying a little more electricity than the last.
I couldn't help but smile to myself.
*Oh, he is absolute trouble,* I thought, a devious grin spreading across my face as I melted into the moment.
But it was a good thing I liked trouble.