Having Lincoln own Aces benefited Side Effects tremendously when we first started out. It gave us a steady venue to play. Now we bring in a large following, but Linc keeps us on the schedule. He gave us a chance when no one else would. Aces is and will always be like home to us.
Lincoln’s other club, Redemption, has a totally different feel from Aces. Whereas Aces is more laid back and is a great place to hang out, Redemption is a full-blown club. Lincoln’s girlfriend, and Camryn’s best friend, Morgan, is in charge of this club. She handles everything from entertainment, private parties for high profile clients, hiring and firing of staff along with promotional work for both Aces and Redemption. Morgan is great with pulling in crowds, she spotlights up-and-coming bands and also scores some big names to play at both clubs. Morgan was also able to bring on DJ Magnum, one of the hottest DJs in the New York City scene. His name, alone, on the sign out front packs the house.
When I get a text from Christian, I grab my jacket and head down a few floors to his apartment.
When I walk in, he’s in the kitchen grabbing shot glasses from the cabinet above the stove. “What poison are we starting the night off with?”
I shrug my shoulders, “Whatever you have is good with me. Just nothing sweet. That shit doesn’t sit well in my stomach.”
“Decision made, Absolut, it is.” He pulls the freezer door open and grabs the bottle of vodka. He pours three shot glasses and grabs the lemon from the fridge, I assume in case Camryn wants to do her favorite shot, a Lemon Drop.
“Hey, Cami, how much longer are you gonna be? I told Lincoln that we’d meet him there around ten,” Christian shouts down the hall. We do our shots, and he pours us another. We down our second shot, when the door finally opens. I hear the click of Camryn’s heels on the hardwood before I see her.
When my eyes meet her standing before me, I damn near fall off the stool. My heart pounds against my chest and I feel like there is a lump in my throat. I attempt to discreetly clear my throat, as her eyes narrow in on me. “Are you okay?”
Standing before me is the most beautiful girl I’ve ever seen. Her hair is down tonight with wavy curls. It rests just above her breasts. Her make-up isn’t painted on, she still looks natural but my attention is drawn to those damn hazel eyes. Camryn makes her way over to the counter to stand by Christian.
I can’t pull my eyes away from the way her ass looks in her skinny black leather pants. The pants fit her like a second layer of skin. Her black shirt shows off her chest as it hangs loosely off of her left shoulder revealing the red bra strap she has on underneath. Camryn is a petite girl, not tipping the charts at more than five-four. But tonight with those damn ‘fuck me’ heels she has on, she is pushing close to five-eight. She’s one of those girls who doesn’t know she’s gorgeous. She is the most down-to-earth girl I’ve ever met. And that’s what makes her so beautiful.
Fuck . . . I can only hope that Aces isn’t packed tonight, because my eyes will be locked on her all night. This girl is going to be the death of me.
I pray that I get a minute alone with her tonight to feel her out about us. I know she loves me as a friend, but I want to see if she picks up the feelers that I plan on putting out about possibly seeing if something could spark between the two of us.
Clearing my throat. “Um . . . yeah . . . I’m fine.” I give her a once over. My eyes roaming the entire length of her body. Cami catches my appraisal of her attire.
“Don’t EVEN start your critique of my outfit, Jamie!”
She thinks I’m tripping over my words and going to break her balls about her outfit. Is she kidding? Trying to make light of the situation and not make myself look like a fool, I mumble, “Um . . . yeah, you look gorgeous. I’m sure I’m gonna have my hands full tonight keeping the vultures away.”
Christian comes up and slaps his hand on my shoulder and laughs, “Don’t worry, buddy, she won’t get too far out of our sight. We won’t let her get into too much trouble.”
Looking at Camryn dressed the way she is brings my feelings for her to the forefront of my mind. She is the reason why all of my relationships have failed. She has held my heart in her hand ever since she was a little girl. When she moved to California to go to college she took my heart with her. When she’s around me, it’s the only time I feel whole again. Knowing this is a struggle every day. Somehow over the years, my feelings toward her have changed from friendship to so much more. I no longer look at her as a sister or even as my best friend, I look at her as a want-to-be-lover.
I never had the courage to tell her how I feel. Risking our friendship was always my main concern. It was never something I had on my agenda, but things have changed. I can’t suffer in silence anymore, I have to figure out a way to let Camryn know how I feel. I have been holding my emotions in for years. I can’t keep this façade up. I have no choice. I have to risk everything in order to gain the woman I want. No pain, no gain, right? I can only pray that she feels the same, and if she doesn’t that our friendship isn’t ruined. With Camryn being home, I think it’s a sign. Neither of us are in a relationship, so I’m going to have to go out on a limb and lay it all out.
Turning my attention toward Christian, I motion for him to pour me another shot. I need something to settle my stomach or simply to numb the tingling sensation I feel creeping up my spine.
Holding up his shot glass, he motions, “Here ya go, buddy. Cheers.”
Knocking back my third shot, I feel my nerves begin to settle. I’m not much of a drinker, but the shots are definitely making me feel good. “How many of these have the two of you done already?” Hands on her hips, Camryn raises her eyebrows at us as if we are little school boys being scolded by the teacher.
“Just a few,” Christian answers. Pointing to the bottle where a quarter of the vodka is now gone, he points to Camryn, “This is your fault. If you would have been ready a half-hour ago, then we would have already been on our way to Aces, not standing around here in my kitchen knocking back shots.”
Camryn walks over to Christian and takes the bottle of Absolut and pours two shots. Taking the glass, she swallows it with one gulp, then grabs a piece of lemon that Christian has on the counter. She takes the second shot and downs that one and places the piece of lemon in her mouth and begins to suck on it. She makes eye contact with me, raising her brow silently asking if I am enjoying the show. I can’t tear my eyes away from her lips wrapped around the wedge of lemon. Immediately my dick is hard. I wish those lips were wrapped around something else. What the hell is wrong with me? This is not good . . . so not good. I am hard in the middle of Christian’s kitchen.
After Camryn is done putting on her show with the lemon wedge, she throws it in the trashcan. “Whatever, boys, you don’t need to use me as an excuse to drink. You could have at least waited for me to join you in the festivities.”
Christian’s phone rings. He looks at the screen and nods toward the door, letting us know the cab is here. We grab our things and head out.
About fifteen minutes later, we pull up outside of Aces. There’s a line to get in the place, but we go around to the side entrance where the bouncer is standing by the door waiting for us. Lincoln must have told him to keep an eye out for us.
When we walk in, Lincoln immediately waves us over to the bar located along the entire back wall. There are several bartenders shuffling around one another to fill requests. Patrons are lined up in rows around the small area. The waitresses are hollering orders to the bartenders, as they weave through the masses with trays held high in the air. Lincoln is finishing up talking to someone by the bar when we approach.
“Yo, whatz up?” Lincoln says, shaking my hand.
“Same shit, different day. You know how it is.”
He motions us toward the table over by the stage where Morgan, Lindsey, Karsen, and my bandmate, Parker, are already sitting. “Everyone is already here.”
When we approach the table, Morgan jumps up and throws her arms around Camryn’s neck, making
her fall back into me. I grab her so she doesn’t lose her balance and end up on her ass.
“Oh my God . . . I missed you so much. Please tell me you are in town for a while. What are your plans for the rest of the weekend?” Morgan shoots out question after question, never giving Camryn enough time to answer the first question before she hits her with another one. When Morgan is finally satisfied with all of Camryn’s responses, she is able to hug Lindsey and Karsen.
The girls make themselves comfortable around the table and fall into their own conversations. Filling Camryn in on what she has missed since her last visit home. It’s nice to have Camryn back in the folds of the group.
We are a close-knit group, more like family than friends.
A tall brunette with legs that go on for miles approaches the table. Christian nods his head to the waitress who asks what we would like to drink. After she makes her way around the table, getting everyone’s order, she heads back toward the bar.
Lincoln approaches our table and grabs a stool. “So, what brings you here tonight? I figured with Cami in town, you would have wanted to go to Redemption rather than here. Thought you’d want a night of drinks and dancing with the girls.”
Christian speaks before I have a chance, “Nah, we figured we’d keep it low-key tonight, probably hit up Redemption tomorrow night. Cami had an early flight this morning, so we didn’t want to be out ‘til the sun comes up.”
Lincoln nods, “Gotcha.” He turns his attention to Camryn, “So, baby girl, what’s a guy have to do to get a hug tonight?” Knowing that Lincoln adores Camryn but wouldn’t miss a chance to break her balls at the same time, she crumbles up her napkin and throws it at him, hitting me in the process.
“Tink, are you off your game? You never miss a shot. Your arm must be rusty,” I tease with raised brows.
A devilish smile appears on her face. “I’ve never had any complaints on my game, and I assure you . . . I’m anything but rusty,” she says in a silky voice.
Lincoln lets out a huge laugh, smacking me on the shoulder, “Shit, man, I’ve missed seeing the two of you go back and forth.”
Pushing him away from me, I grumble, “Fuck you, dude.”
Staring across the table, my eyes meet Camryn’s. She has this look in her eye, like ‘Game on, Mr. Banks.’ Well, game on, Miss Townsend. Both of our competitive sides show, and neither one of us ever backs down. With Camryn being in town for a while, I’m going to have to up my game. This is my time to make a move. I have been accused by many of my exes that I was in love with Camryn. Of course, I denied it, but in reality . . . I was in love with Cami.
The waitress arrives at the table with her tray balanced perfectly with all of our drinks. She hands me my bottle of Miller Lite, and continues to pass the rest of the drinks out around the table.
Music blares through the speakers and the girls squeal. Hanging On, which I immediately recognize from the movie Divergent, begins to play. Morgan grabs Camryn’s arm and drags her to the dance floor. Karsen and Lindsey follow them out and they all begin to dance to the beat. Camryn has always been a great dancer. Her hips move so naturally. I have to admit that I’m visualizing her moving that way in bed and it’s not helping out my current predicament in the least.
Morgan and Camryn are putting on quite the little show, while Karsen and Lindsey dance next to them. The girls are getting some attention from a group of guys who are playing at the nearby pool table. As the beat of the song slows down, the girls slow down, then when the beat picks up, their bodies match the tempo. You can tell that the girls are having a great time, with the huge grins on their faces. They know the attention that they are getting and they love it.
The song changes to Toyfriend by David Guetta and the girls grind up against each other. Morgan runs her hands up and down Camryn’s sides, while Camryn sings the song to Morgan. They are definitely putting on a show for their audience. Camryn moves her hips quickly, never missing a beat. She turns around and dances with Karsen. The girls have formed their own little circle on the dance floor, each taking their turn in the middle.
“Yo, you like what you’re seeing? The girls sure have formed a fan club out there,” Christian yells across the table. He is being such a ball breaker today. Do I have ‘I’m in love with your sister’ written on my damn forehead?
“You gonna let those guys try and make a move on the girls, or are you going to show them what you got?” he continues with a raised eyebrow challenging me.
Sitting here at the table watching the girls dance is killing me. My fists are clenching under the table as I notice guys approaching the girls. The girls aren’t paying them any mind until one dude walks up behind Camryn. He stands there, eyeing her up like she’s a freaking piece of candy. He hasn’t touched her yet, but the idea of him being that close to her has my blood boiling. My jaw begins to clench, and my body tenses. I look over at Christian, and he has this shit eating grin on his face.
Not being able to stand it anymore, I grab my beer and take a long swig. It’s nearly empty, so I motion to Lincoln to order me another one then I head to the dance floor. Camryn’s back is toward me so she doesn’t see me approaching, but Morgan does and she has a huge smile on her face. If I were to bet, I would think Morgan knows more than she lets on about Camryn’s feelings for me. But, of course, Morgan being her best friend, her lips are sealed yet she never misses an opportunity to make comments about the two of us.
Morgan continues to dance in front of Camryn, never letting her know that I nudged the guy out of the way. Desnudate by Christina Aguilera comes on and Morgan moves in between Camryn’s legs so she can grind up against her. Morgan wiggles her eyebrows at me and yells over the music and motions to me behind her, “Cami, keep dancing. You’re good.” Camryn doesn’t turn around to see who is behind her. I’m guessing she figures if Morgan said to keep dancing, she’s going with the flow. It could also be that she had a huge grin plastered on her face when I approached, so Camryn knew it was okay to continue to dance.
My body is now against Camryn’s back and my hands are on her waist moving her to the beat. Camryn hasn’t attempted to turn around, and I want to keep it that way. I don’t want her to know it’s me . . . not yet. Camryn continues to dance, her hips moving to the beat and her ass is grinding against my straining dick. Heel, boy . . . Down. I move back a little, trying to adjust myself, but it’s not working. Screw it, moving closer to Camryn I pull her ass into me and move my hips. I know she can feel how hard I am for her, but she doesn’t pull away, so I move my hands so they are around her waist and rub her stomach. I can feel her muscles tense up under my touch, but she is enjoying this as much as I am.
Morgan laughs while she dances. She moves away from Camryn to Karsen and Lindsey, leaving Camryn with me. I lean down and gently move Camryn’s hair away from her neck. The smell of her lavender vanilla body spray makes my mouth water.
Whispering, “Are you enjoying yourself?” I can feel her laugh as my hands glide across her stomach. She simply nods her head and continues to push against me. Camryn’s body relaxes, so my hands continue to roam up and down her lean body. She knew it was me the entire time. Camryn would have never allowed a stranger to dance with her the way I am. When Morgan gave her the okay, she knew it was me. Camryn knows my body, this isn’t the first time we’ve danced like this. Leaning into her ear again, I ask “Do you feel what you’re doing to me, Camryn?”
I know I am being bold. Putting myself out there, but I am tired of fighting my feelings for her.
She quickly spins around and throws her arms around my neck. Now we’re facing each other and she has a wicked smile on her face. That grin tells me she knows exactly what she’s doing to me. She tippy toes so she’s next to my ear and says with a seductive voice, “Were you jealous that those boys were close to me? Did you think I didn’t know the minute you walked up behind me? I felt you, Jamie. I know when you’re near me, I can sense it deep inside my body.”
My words catch in m
y throat. This is not what I was expecting tonight when I came out. I know we flirt all the time, but I have never rubbed my hard-on up against Camryn’s back. She gives me an evil grin, telling me she knows exactly what she is doing to me. I don’t pull away, but continue to dance. I’m all in now. I’m crossing that line. There’s no going back for me. She’ll have to be the one to pull away.
The song ends and Camryn grabs my hand, leading us off of the dance floor toward the bathroom. “Wait here, I need to pee and wet my face.”
All I can do is laugh at her. I lean against the wall and wait for her to come out of the bathroom. I can’t believe she just pulled me off the dance floor. For a moment, I thought she was going to kiss me after she asked me if I was jealous.
Dancing with her was definitely a work out. Any little bit of buzz I may have had from the few shots I did is gone. The only buzz I have is the one that Camryn induced. When she walks out, she’s glowing, I put my arms around her tiny waist, pulling her close to me. With me being six-two, and Cami being the size of a ‘Polly Pocket’, even with her heels, she’s just shy of my chin.
My heart pounds against my chest. This isn’t just from dancing. When she is close, she makes my pulse race. I can still smell her scent on my clothes. Having her body pressed against me felt so natural.
Looking at me with her wide, hazel eyes, she asks, “Are you attracted to me, Jamie?” She looks away nervously before continuing. “I mean . . . not just that you think I’m pretty. Like . . . you want to kiss me . . . maybe you’d want to be with me?”
Her questions catch me off guard. I never expected her to be so straightforward. I figured I would be the one who would have to ask her those questions. When I don’t answer immediately, she pulls away from me, leaving me feeling empty, as she rushes past me to find our group.
Unspoken Words (Unspoken #1) Page 4
