Chapter 6
Aaron
The bass from the speakers didn't just rattle the glass walls of Aura Lounge; it thudded straight through my chest. But honestly, I'd lost track of the rhythm the second Pepper got pulled onto the dance floor by Mars and Nia.
I leaned against the edge of the VIP riser, a fresh drink sweating in my hand, utterly captivated.
Watching her move was pure torture, the good kind.
Her asymmetrical micro mini skirt shifted with every roll of her hips, and that slinky halter top left her smooth, caramel-skinned back bare under the pulsing purple neon lights.
She was in her zone, a vibrant streak of ginger hair swaying over her shoulders as she caught the beat.
Then, the vibe instantly soured.
Some random guy stepped into the section, sliding entirely too close into her personal space. I watched Pepper's posture stiffen. She put a hand up, giving him a sharp look of dismissal. Even over the roar of the music, I could read her lips.
No, thank you.
But the guy didn't take the hint. Instead of backing off, he stepped right into her, trying to press his body up against hers.
A sudden, hot rush of pure adrenaline flooded my veins.
My jaw clenched so hard my teeth ached. I didn't think; I just reacted.
I was already heading toward them, cutting through the crowded riser.
I stepped up directly behind Pepper, towering over her and casting a shadow over the stranger.
I let my broad shoulders block out the strobe lights as I glared down at him.
"Move," I said.
My voice wasn't a shout, but it carried enough weight to slice straight through the bass.
The guy took one look at my face and quickly scurried out of the section, disappearing into the dark crowd.
The tension left my shoulders the second he was gone.
I looked down at Pepper, and my heart did a violent flip.
She was looking up at me, her big hazel eyes wide, shimmering with an intense heat that told me she was focused solely on me.
"Thank you," she murmured, a breathtaking smile creeping onto her lips.
Before I could speak, she stepped flush into my chest, wrapping her arms around my neck. I didn't hesitate for a fraction of a second. My hand instinctively fell right onto the curve of her waist, pulling her securely against me.
"So manly," she flirted, her eyes locking onto mine with a devious sparkle.
"Oh, yeah?" I said, a proud smile breaking across my face.
She smelled absolutely delectable, an intoxicating mix of sweet perfume and a sharp hit of tequila.
As I drew her nearer, the sheer softness of her skin pressed up close to me made my head spin.
I buried my face in the crook of her neck, inhaling her scent as our bodies began to sway.
The music playing through the club was fast, but our bodies moved slower, in perfect sync with each other.
We were in our own world. The lights, the noise, the people, everything faded away.
Slowly, she turned around, her bare back sliding along my chest until she was pressed right against me.
I let out a jagged breath, my grip on her waist tightening as she began to sway slowly and deliberately to the heavy rhythm of the bass.
The physical reaction I was having was undeniable; she had me wrapped up, and I was powerless against the feeling of being so close to her.
"You're bad," she whispered over her shoulder, her breath fanning my ear and sending chills straight down my spine.
"I'm usually not," I said, being honest as I leaned down, my lips brushing the edge of her jaw. "But you make me want to."
"Hmm," was all she said, letting out a soft, pleased hum that vibrated right against my chest.
I wasn't shy by any means, but I'd always been a bit more reserved, a little more guarded with my space.
Some of my boys would joke and call me a nerd due to my obsessive love for film editing, art, and anime, but it took a special kind of woman to pull this side of me out. Pepper was doing it effortlessly.
Eventually, she took my hand, leading me back up the steps into the main VIP area where the others were laughing over food and fresh drinks.
I had lost track of time; we had been so deeply invested in each other that the rest of the group hadn't even existed.
Pepper's hand left mine as we reached the table, where a fresh row of shot glasses sat poured and waiting.
"Let's all have a toast!" Jalen shouted over the music, raising his glass high. "To life!"
"To life!" we yelled in unison, throwing back the burning liquid. Then another right after.
The night began to wind down, the lounge lights slowly rising, but apparently, Nia wasn't ready to call it a night just yet.
"After-party at Pepper's!" she shouted excitedly.
"Hell yeah!" Pepper shouted back, hopping up and down.
"Text us the address, we'll meet you ladies there," Cal said, checking his watch with a grin.
We walked the girls down to the curb where their truck was idling.
I watched Pepper slide into the back seat, eager to head over to her place considering I wasn't ready to stop looking at her.
I had no clue how long she was even visiting for, but I fully intended on asking her out the moment I could get her alone again.
We hopped into Jalen's truck, and the quiet of the car was a stark contrast to the thumping club. I sat in the backseat, knowing damn well I was about to get roasted.
"So, Aaron..." Cal started, turning around in his seat with a massive, smug grin.
"Quiet," I muttered, not even looking up as I scrolled rapidly on my phone, searching her name.
The second I typed in Pepper Swanson, her verified profile appeared, and my heart dipped.
Damn.
She was stunning. Her feed was incredibly popular, filled with high-end fashion photography from Paris, Milan, and Tokyo.
A photographer. Wow. That explained the camera I'd seen around her neck at Mars and Jalen's wedding reception.
We had that connection in common, a shared language of lenses and lighting, and it caught me by surprise.
"You and Pepper look good together, bro," Jalen said from the driver's seat, catching my eye in the rearview mirror.
"Yeah..." I breathed, distracted by a photo of her smiling brightly into the camera, a professional Nikon body resting against her chest.
Before the guys could tease me any further, Jalen pulled the truck down a gated driveway, stopping in front of a plush, ultra-modern mansion.
The moment we stepped out into the humid air, the girls' loud laughs drifted over from the back of the house.
We pushed through the front doors and walked into the open living room.
Through the glass walls, we could see the four of them already jumping into the swimming pool, wearing their bathing suits and splashing around.
My eyes immediately wandered toward Pepper. She was rocking a white bikini that showcased her amazing figure under the moonlight.
Yeah, I am in serious trouble, I thought, swallowing hard.
"About time!" Stormy called out, floating near the steps.
"We stopped to grab more drinks," Cal said, holding up a fresh bottle of champagne.
"Forgiven!" she yelled back. "Get in, guys!"
Mars called out from the deep end, wiping water from her face.
Cal turned to Pepper.
"Pep, I bet you can't do your cannonball like back at the community pool!"
Before anyone could even react, Pepper let out a wild laugh, flung her body forward, and plopped right into the center of the water.
A huge splash erupted, drenching the entire deck.
Cal threw off his shirt and pants and cannonballed right in after her, followed by Nia, everyone laughing hysterically.
Pepper surfaced, shaking her head, and swam straight over to the edge where I was standing. She rested her forearms on the stone, looking up at me. A bright sparkle glistened in her eyes, water droplets beaded on her face, and her hair was already transforming into a crown of tight red curls.
"Come in," she said, her voice dropping into a flirtatious tilt.
"Okay," I said, a slow smile breaking across my face.
I stripped down to my boxer briefs, feeling her eyes track my movement as her smile widened. Walking a few paces back onto the wet stone patio, I framed the distance in my mind.
"Y'all ready for a real cannonball?" I challenged.
"Oh, move out the way!" Jalen yelled, scrambling backward.
I took a running start and plunged heavily into the deep end, sending a massive wall of water over the deck.
"Oh my god!" Nia shrieked, wiping her face. "Now, that's a cannonball!"
"You amazon!" Mars joked, splashing back at me.
I laughed, surfacing, and immediately cut through the rippling water toward Pepper. She was still anchoring herself by the edge, watching me with a soft, amused expression.
"So, you're trying to upstage me," she teased.
I moved closer, letting the underwater current drift us together until our chests were nearly touching.
"Competitive?" I asked, looking down at her.
"A little," she admitted, her voice dropping an octave.
On the opposite side of the pool, the others slowly trailed off into their own conversations, leaving the two of us floating in a quiet, isolated frame.
A genuine smile broke across my face. There was an infectious, free-spirited energy about her that made my usually rigid demeanor feel loose.
For a guy who calculated every second of his day, I was completely fine losing track of time.
"How long are you visiting Houston for?" I asked, tilting my head.
"A couple of months," she replied, her breath catching as the water nudged her an inch closer.
"Any chance that during those months... I can take you out on a date?"
"A date?" she repeated, looking thoroughly amused and pleasantly surprised.
"Yes," I laughed softly, leaning my forearm against the stone next to hers. "Is it a crime that I want to take you out?"
"Not a crime at all," she said, swirling the water with her fingers. "I just don't know how crazy my schedule is going to look while I'm here. I have a major project launching."
"I understand," I said, a tiny hint of disappointment pulling at my chest.
"But..." she finished, a devious smirk returning to her lips, "...I'm sure we can make something work."
Relief washed over me, replacing the brief sting of rejection.
"So, Mr. Aaron, what do you do for fun when you aren't crashing pool parties?" she asked, pulling herself even closer. The intoxicating scent of her perfume cut right through the chlorine.
"Swim with beautiful redheads in the middle of the night," I murmured.
She burst out laughing, playfully shaking her head and spraying water droplets across my face.
I smiled, gazing down at the mass of wet ringlets framing her face.
Under the moonlight, the contrast of her rich skin and ginger hair looked like a perfectly graded cinematic shot.
Before logic could stop me, I reached up, letting my fingers run through her hair.
The curls coiled around my touch, incredibly soft.
Slowly, I cupped the back of her head, pulling her forward just enough for our lips to meet. The kiss was deep, hot, and electric. But knowing we had an audience, I forced myself to pull back, practicing a rare moment of restraint.
"Sorry," I said, my breathing hitched as I stared at her mouth. "I couldn't help myself."
"Don't be sorry," she whispered, her eyes dark with a sudden intensity.
Before we could lean back in to finish what we started, Nia's voice shattered the silence from across the deep end.
"Chicken fight!"
Pepper instantly hyped up, the romantic tension breaking into pure mischief.
"Oooo! Me and Aaron against Nia and Cal!" she blurted out.
I shook my head, laughing.
"I haven't played this game in ages."
"Well, we're going to win," she stated firmly. "Help me up! You're going down!"
"You are so corny!" Stormy shouted from the patio chairs, cheering us on.
"Help me up, stud," Pepper said, placing her hands firmly on my shoulders.
I dunked under the surface, and she slid over my neck. With one swift movement, I stood straight up, lifting her high out of the water.
"Wooo!" she squealed, totally unprepared for how easily I handled her weight.
I tried my absolute best to keep my composure, but having her thighs resting directly over my shoulders was doing wild things to my focus.
"Get ready to lose, Aaron!" Cal challenged, adjusting Nia on his own shoulders.
"Brother, please," I scoffed, planting my feet firmly on the pool floor.
Nia and Pepper were already laughing hysterically before they could even reach each other.
"Stay still, you little slut!" Pepper yelled, leaning forward and trying to swipe at Nia's shoulders.
Nia was laughing so hard she could barely breathe, and Cal kept pivoting his body, keeping her out of reach.
"Aye man, you're playing dirty!" I yelled, shifting my own weight and backing Pepper up so Nia couldn't pull her down either.
The girls completely lost it, hysterically trying to tear each other's arms down.
Suddenly, Cal charged forward, slamming his hand right into my chest to break my center of gravity.
"You're a menace, bro!" I shouted, wrestling back against his torso.
Within seconds, all four of us lost our footing, crashing down into the deep end together and creating a massive splash.
Jalen stood at the edge of the pool, shaking his head.
"Y'all are sick," he muttered, though a massive grin split his face.
I surfaced, wiping the water from my eyes, and looked around for Pepper. She popped up right next to me, gasping for air and laughing harder than anyone else. As her wet red curls framed her face, I smiled, completely content.
So far, this weekend had been a dream, and for the first time in years, I didn't want it to end.