When he turns and faces Nate, doing some hand slap and foot kick with him, I settle in against the shadowed wall with Ember and feast on the show. My eyes zoom in on our men, both of them working the main bar and dancing together as if they've practiced some routine, playing off the other in favor of hyping up the ladies screaming below them. Shane's got his dark button-down shirt wide open, flapping around with each move of his body to the rhythm echoing around us--making the music feel even more powerful when you're watching the show that accompanies each beat. The taut ab muscles flexing with each thrust and dip of his hips. That V dipping into the waistband of his black slacks makes my mouth water, wanting nothing more than to lick each hard ridge.
"They need a warning when they're acting like this," I muse, speaking loud enough for Ember's ears only.
"You aren't wrong." She giggles, taking a sip of her drink. I look over and frown at her water. She just shrugs and winks.
"You aren't!" I exclaim.
Even in the darkness, I can see her whole face come to life. She's radiating happiness as if someone stuck a light bulb in her butt and cranked it up to full power.
"We found out two weeks ago. I told Nate, after this one, my baby factory is on temporary strike."
"Yeah, right." I snort. "That man was out of control when you were preggers with Quinnie. I told you then, and I'll remind you now; he's got some weird fetish with you being pregnant."
She shrugs, her bright red shirt falling off her shoulder, exposing the top swell of her boob. She doesn't move to adjust it; instead, she turns to smirk at her man while he continues to move seductively. When I look back at her, I understand why she didn't catch the fact that her shirt was about to flash anyone close to her.
"Are they ... wet?"
"Mmmhmm," she confirms, still not looking away.
"How ... when ... aren't they going to chafe?"
Her elbow jabs me in the side, and she has to hold herself up against the wall as she laughs uncontrollably. I frown at my best friend, which only makes her laugh even harder.
"You're something else, Nik. Only you would see some of the hottest moves outside a strip club and be worried about them getting a rash."
"What?" I exclaim, frowning. "It's a valid concern."
The guys jump from the smaller platform in the middle of the main bar, over a laughing Denton's head, and back to the bar top they started on, directly in front of the female patrons still going nuts. The song had, at some point in our gawking, changed to a popular dance song I couldn't recall the name of. I don't remember the guys ever doing their spotlight dances for more than one song, so they must be just as lost in their enjoyment of performing as we are in their enticing moves. An idea sparks in my head, and I make a note to bring it up to Shane. He might not want me to work here, but that doesn't mean I can't help make my man's business a little more successful. Plus, with Nate's growing family, I doubt he would say no to guaranteed income.
"When did they add the wet stage?" I ponder, pushing my other thoughts back until I see Shane later, watching him toss his head back and laugh at something Nate says. The longer strands of hair on the top of his head spray the crowd with water.
"He looks happy."
"Well, of course, he looks happy, chica. He's got the second-best woman in Hope Town," Ember titters.
"Second best, huh?" I jest, ignoring the heat that blooms on my cheeks for being busted speaking my thoughts.
She just shrugs. "He does, though. I've never seen him this ... I don't know, carefree? He always seems so tense. As if he's holding the weight of the world on his shoulders. It's a good look on him. You too, for that matter."
"Me? I'm always happy!"
Her smile gets soft with a hint of sadness. "You haven't been, but that's not important now, Nik. I like the look Shane gives you."
"And that would be what?"
"Contentment."
I look at Ember, and she studies me with a serene expression on her delicate features. She knows me better than I know myself sometimes. I shouldn't be shocked that she came to that conclusion, but hearing it out loud makes me wonder just how unhappy I had been without even realizing it.
"Back to your other question. They added the center stage a couple of weeks ago, but just got the plumbing rigged for that little nugget of wet hotness the other day. I knew Nate was eager to try it out, so I'm not shocked Shane was too."
"That was a good call."
"Oh, you aren't wrong." She giggles. "I make Nate practice his moves in the shower all the time. Something's insanely hot about them moving like that anyway, but you add in the water and plaster their clothes to their skin ... and, well, it's downright sinful. Every hard inch is in your face, if you know what I mean."
"I think it's safe to say every woman in proximity knows what you mean," I add on a laugh, watching the ladies go a little crazy when the song ends and both Shane and Nate drop back down behind the bar, slapping each other's backs in a manly hug.
"Are you okay with that?" Ember asks, genuine concern in her question.
"With what?"
"This," she says, pointing the top of her water bottle toward the large room before us. "Him dancing, the flirting that's involved in what they do, exposing his skin to capitalize on the fact that these people keep coming and fantasizing about them being more than just a nightlife attraction. I know they don't dance much anymore, just once or twice a week, but it still happens."
"You sound like Shane now," I huff, leaning back against the wall. "He's mentioned his concern that I wouldn't be okay with it. Em, I am, honest. Maybe some other girls wouldn't be, but it's just a big freaking turn-on for me. You've never been jealous of Nate."
She continues to nod after I stop talking. "That's how I look at it. It's like a big game of foreplay between Nate and myself. I just wanted to make sure."
"Yeah," I breathe, moving my head to the side to try to glimpse Shane through the packed room. It still amazes me that, on a night in the middle of the week, this place is full to bursting with people.
"What do you say we go surprise our men?" she coos, tipping her head toward the bar with a wink. "I'm feeling the need to be a little naughty."
I hook my arm with hers, smiling at my friend. "I forgot how horny you were when you were pregnant with Quinnie. I swear, Em, you're like the angel who gave in to the dark side and just wants to be bad all the time when you're pregnant."