Club Naked

RAINEY

I throw on a simple black T-shirt and skinny jeans in a hurry. Jeff is preoccupied in the kitchen, rummaging through the cabinet, so we seize the chance to slip past him.

I’m not a fan of driving, but I opt to take one of my mom’s Mercedes. Riley and I are clueless about the club’s location, and we might end up cruising around aimlessly.

As luck would have it, as soon as we reach the town square, the massive, glittering lights on one of the buildings welcome us.

Naked: Club & Pub.

I spot an open parking space and switch off the engine. Riley grins as we watch a few people entering the building.

“Wow, I never pegged Ansel as a club guy.”

I nod in agreement. “Neither did I.” I unbuckle my seatbelt. “Let’s go.”

We exit the car and head towards the club. I was expecting to see bouncers at the entrance, but there’s no sign of security, so we just saunter in like everyone else.

The moment we step inside the room, filled with groups of people gathered around mahogany tables, a soulful acoustic rhythm greets us. My pace slows when I recognize the face on the stage.

“Wow,” Riley murmurs.

Ansel’s perched on a stool, strumming a beige guitar with passion, while a girl stands next to him, singing a cover of “Call Out My Name” by The Weeknd in perfect harmony.

I’m rooted to the spot as I watch the incredible scene unfold. I had no idea he could play the guitar. It’s a huge revelation for me.

Just when I think I’ve got Ansel figured out, he always surprises me with something new.

The music is soothing, stirring up a whirlwind of emotions within me…joy, sorrow, fury, agony.

But it also brings me comfort. It reassures me that, despite all these pent-up emotions inside me, everything will eventually be alright.

He lifts his gaze, and among the sea of attentive faces, he spots me. My cheeks heat up, but thankfully the room is dimly lit, so he won’t notice my flushed face.

His lips curve into a smile, and he maintains eye contact while he gently strums the nylon strings of the guitar. Each pluck sends out a soft, melodious sound.

“Wow, who knew Ansel could play?” Riley grins. “Is it just me…or is he looking at you?”

I avert my gaze, shifting awkwardly. “He’s looking at everyone.”

“No, he’s not. He’s not. His eyes are on us, and I can see him looking at you,” she whispers.

I look up again, and his focus is still on me, causing a wave of warmth to wash over my face. His gaze is quite intense, even from a distance.

The girl singing the cover glances at him, flashing him a smile, but he doesn’t notice, as his attention is fixed on me.

She wraps up the song soon after, and the room erupts in cheers and applause as Ansel rises from his stool.

“Thank you, everyone!” she announces into the mic. “For those who don’t know me, I’m Emma, and this is Ansel. We perform here occasionally as a duo.

“Please feel free to support us. It’s always a pleasure to sing for you.”

The crowd’s cheers grow louder, and Ansel finally tears his gaze away from me and extends his hand towards his partner.

Instead, she pulls him into a hug, planting a quick kiss on his cheek. He looks surprised and visibly uncomfortable, and I’d be lying if I said my heart didn’t just do a weird flip in my chest.

She steps back, bowing to the crowd.

“That sneaky little thing. She’s got a thing for Ansel,” Riley grumbles. “I should’ve known. She kept looking at him throughout the entire song. That little sneak.”

The unease in my chest intensifies, and I swallow hard, hoping it’s enough to suppress the surge of jealousy. I need to stop feeling this way. It’s not like Ansel and I are dating or anything.

Emma whispers something to him, and he nods, handing her the guitar. She smiles, then vanishes behind the curtains.

Ansel hops off the stage and starts weaving his way through the crowd towards us. I see girls gazing at him dreamily as he navigates the packed space.

Riley jabs me in the side so hard I wince.

“Ouch, Riley.”

“He’s coming, he’s coming.”

“Hey.” He greets us with a bright smile, his dimples nearly taking my breath away as he stops in front of us. “I didn’t think you’d come.”

I smile back, praying my tongue doesn’t betray me. “Yeah, I was home, really bored.”

I take in his outfit. He’s dressed in a black T-shirt, black jeans, and he’s not wearing his glasses. He looks good.

“I didn’t know you played, Ansel.” Riley grins. “That was so cool.”

Ansel chuckles. “Well, I play here from time to time. It helps me earn a little extra cash.” He shifts his gaze to me, a spark I can’t quite decipher twinkling in his eyes. “I’m glad you’re here.”

I meet his gaze, our eyes locked on each other. Riley glances between us, a mischievous smile playing on her lips.

Deliberately, she bumps into my back, sending me straight into Ansel’s arms. My chest presses against his as he raises his arms to steady me.

“Whoa, be careful,” he chuckles. “You okay?”

His hands rest on my waist, sending a strange jolt through my body. And the proximity of our faces isn’t helping either.

~I’m going to kill Riley after this.~ Or maybe I won’t. Being this close to Ansel feels heavenly.

His lips aren’t thin, but they aren’t too full either. They’re just perfect, with a salmon-pink hue.

His skin is perfect, shining with sweat from his performance. I can feel the hard planes of his abs and chest through his thin T-shirt.

Suddenly, I realize that if I can feel him this clearly, he’s probably feeling my chest just as much.

“Sorry.”

My face turns a deep shade of red as I try to pull away, but his grip on my waist tightens, stopping me.

I look up, and he’s already looking at me, his eyes filled with so much admiration it’s almost blinding.

“Ooh, get a room you two!” a familiar voice calls from behind us. Ansel lets go of me, and I step back, smoothing my T-shirt as I turn to see Alex walking toward us.

“Did I miss something? Sorry I’m late. I was—” He stops mid-sentence when he sees Riley. His face breaks into a grin as he runs a hand through his dark hair.

“Whoa, look who’s here. Riley, it’s been a while.”

“Alex.” She smiles, crossing her arms as she looks up at him. She seems so small next to his tall figure, and I can see a hint of pink on her cheeks. “It’s only been a week, dude.”

“Felt like forever.” He bites his lip, holding her gaze.

~These King boys and their intense stares.~

Ansel shakes his head at his brother’s obvious flirting. He turns to me. “Keep an eye on your best friend with my brother. He’s a smooth talker.”

I smile. I could say the same about him. I’m pretty sure he held me tighter when I tried to pull away earlier. Or maybe I’m just overthinking it?

Either way, I’m still blushing from being so close to him.

“Whoa, what a coincidence. Ansel King!”

A voice comes from beside us, and I turn to see Jace strutting up to us. Tate, Olivia, and Lisa are with him. I knew they’d be here. My night just got worse.

“You guys are just the people I want to see. This must be fate, right?” Jace smirks, spreading his arms wide.

“Who’s this jerk?” Riley whispers to me.

Olivia is glaring at me with pure hatred, but I try to ignore her as I stare at Jace with a look of annoyance. I don’t even know this guy, and he’s already getting on my nerves.

“Damn, you could have told me you’d be here, baby,” he coos, throwing an arm around my neck.

Ansel’s eyes narrow.

I grimace, pulling his hand off me and shooting him a furious glare. “Don’t do that.”

“Don’t do what, love?” he laughs.

“What are you doing?” Ansel asks, tilting his head and looking at Jace with suspicion.

He chuckles, crossing his arms and standing up straight.

“What? Am I not allowed to talk to her? We were texting earlier, so I thought she would have told me she’d be at Club Naked tonight.”

I shake my head at his nerve. “We weren’t texting. The minute I found out you were the creep who stole my number, I blocked you.”

“Ansel, you were amazing up there.” Olivia reaches for Ansel’s arm, but he pulls away, his eyes never leaving Jace’s.

“Don’t touch her,” Ansel warns him. “She clearly doesn’t like it.”

I look up at him. He looks ready to explode.

Jace laughs, shoving his hands in his pockets and lifting his chin. “Defensive much? What? You two fucking?”

Tate sighs, grabbing Jace’s shoulder. “Dude, stop. Just leave them alone.”

He shrugs off Tate’s hand roughly, shooting him a hard glare before stepping closer to Ansel. “Answer the question. Are you two fucking? Yes or no?”

“Watch your mouth when you talk to my brother, you son of a bitch,” Alex steps in. “Because I swear to God, I’ll mess you up so bad you’ll be eating your dinner through a straw.”

Jace giggles, shifting his gaze to Alex. “Are you sure you want to challenge me, you little wimp?”

“Are you sure you want to challenge my brothers, you jerk?”

A stern voice draws everyone’s attention, and I turn to see Alaric and the twins joining us.

Riley gasps, her eyes widening in surprise.

“Whoa…there are more of them?” Her eyes dart between them all. “This is amazing. There are even twins! And they’re all so handsome. Damn.”

Alaric’s jaw tightens as he stops in front of Jace. “I suggest you get the fuck out of here. You and your friends.”

Jace suddenly looks scared as a muscle twitches in his face.

“You heard him,” Aiden adds, his eyes darkening. “Get. The. Fuck. Out. Of. Here.”

Jace swallows, nodding his head as he steps back. “Let’s go, guys.”

Olivia frowns, shooting me a hateful glare as they walk away in defeat.

Alaric shakes his head, shoving his hands in his pockets. “This is why I hate high school kids.”