“Told you,” I say, coming over to smack him on the back.
“Does Clara get jealous from all the phone numbers shoved in your butt crack?” I ask while I yank out a paper sticking out of the back of his shorts.
Ben smiles, his annoyance erased just from hearing Clara’s name. “Nah, she trusts me.”
“You bet I do.” Clara wraps her arms around Ben and squeezes him tight.
Ben turns around picking her up, kissing her hard enough to make me turn away to give them some privacy. “We’re about to go on stage and then we can get out of here. Are you ready?”
Clara nods, kissing him on the forehead. “I just finished programming the schedule with Willie.”
“I’ll come get you in the office when we’re done,” Ben says, setting her down on the ground.
“You won’t need to. I’ll be in the audience watching.” Clara winks at him before going out to join the crowd.
“I fucking love that girl,” Ben says, staring at the door she disappeared through.
“We know. Come on, let’s get this done so we can get out of here.” Damien hands me the baby oil. The three of us get ready to make our last appearance of the night.
Ben hits the stage first as our intro music blares through the speakers. The crowd is on their feet, their hands reaching toward the stage. Damien slaps me on the back, “See you out there.”
The screaming intensifies when they notice my entrance. The spotlight hits me, amplifying my muscles. All eyes trace every nook and cranny. My abs are tight from all the hard work I put in and right now they’re getting the appreciation they deserve. When the volume amps up even higher, I know Damien has made his entrance.
Ben turns, shooting me a wink. It’s the signal we made to change spots, mostly so Ben could be closer to the woman he picked for the night. Ben hasn’t used the signal since he met Clara. I scan the crowd, spotting Clara sitting at the bar with her eyes glued on Ben. I give Ben a confused look before smoothly moving into his spot, pulling him farther away from Clara.
Then I see her.
And time stands still.
Emma’s sitting front row with two other girls. Her long blonde hair hangs down her back in big curls. Her whiskey-colored eyes are frozen on me. Her pink pouty mouth hangs open, confirming she has no idea I’m one of the infamous Trifectas.
I don’t even bother hiding the smirk on my face as I slide toward her. She snaps her luscious mouth shut, but her eyes never leave mine. The two other girls she’s with start pushing her when they notice she’s grabbed my attention. Emma ignores them, still staring at me as her cheeks are stained red from a blush.
The rest of the routine is all for her. Her friends go crazy next to her, but Emma just watches me.
And I fucking let her. I let her take it all in, and she does. She studies me not missing a movement.
When the song ends, I make eye contact with Emma and she doesn’t pull her gaze away. We have a silent conversation, nodding in agreement that we need to talk. I head backstage and the crowd goes wild, but none of that matters. The only important thing right now is the heavy stare penetrating my back from my sexy brown-eyed neighbor.
“Well that was interesting,” Ben says, throwing me a towel.
“Was that our neighbor in the audience?” Damien asks with a grin.
“Yep.” I towel off unable to hide the smile on my face. When I’m oil free, I toss the towel in the bin, heading toward the door with renewed energy.
“Where are you going?” Ben asks.
I know he’s teasing, both of my brothers know exactly where I’m going.
“I need to return a favor,” I say over my shoulder before walking out into the crowd on a mission.
6
Emma
“Holy shit, he was looking straight at you.” Sindy, my coworker grabs my arm as she jumps up and down.
“This is going to be easier than we thought. He totally wants you,” Lacey, my other partner in crime, says as she runs her fingers through her jet black hair. “He acted like he knew you.”
“Oh, he wanted to get to know her. I wouldn’t be surprised if he comes out, throws her over his shoulder, and takes her somewhere to be alone. The way he was looking at her on stage made my panties catch fire.” Sindy smiles.
I cringe because I’m pretty sure Axel will be making his appearance soon enough, but not for the reasons Sindy’s implying. “He’s my neighbor.” My confession gets two set of wide eyes placed on me.
“What?” they both screech in unison.
I search the area for one of the waiters, hoping to grab a shot of something strong before having to explain.