Stripped Love (Guys Next Door #1) - Baylin Crow Page 0,64

be right—"

Loud laughter drew my attention over his shoulder, and my heart sank under the weight of complete devastation. "Never mind. I found him."

The dancer spun around and his shoulders squared. "Fucking Aiden. I knew it."

Half hidden behind a gauzy curtain, Aiden dressed as a cop grinded against Phoenix from behind to the deep bass pumping out of the speakers. My boyfriend was dressed in a prisoner outfit—if it could be called that. The fabric was striped black and white, but otherwise was really only a pair of tight shorts and a sleeveless shirt, ripped open down the front. His ink on display, he sold the look of a naughty inmate. Too well.

Numbness gripped my limbs as I stood frozen and unable to look away. A flash of silver caught my eye. One of Phoenix's wrists was shackled in a handcuff, and Aiden held onto the other half. My hands pressed against my stomach as it turned at the sight.

Why would Phoenix allow that to happen, and why wasn't he pushing him away? A blanket of insecurity folded around me, and a spark of anger lit momentarily before it fizzled in my misery.

Heavy hands landed on my shoulders, gripping tight. The dancer moved until he blocked my view of Phoenix. "You can't do anything, okay? Phoenix will lose his job if you cause a scene."

Cause a scene? My heart was a gaping, bleeding wound, draining me of all my energy. It hurt. Everything hurt.

I trusted Phoenix when he said he kept away from Aiden at work. It didn't make any sense. I replayed what happened at the party and began questioning myself. Had Aiden been so jealous for a reason? Was I completely naive when it came to Phoenix's feelings for me? I swallowed hard.

"Phoenix…" I cleared my throat to cover the way my voice trembled. "He told me about Aiden—about them—but he said it was over."

The guy pulled me out of the way of a group of men who were trying to squeeze by. "Whatever you're thinking, don't. They've been over."

My gaze was drawn back over his shoulder, and I jolted when a pair of light green eyes locked with mine. Aiden's lips curled into a cruel grin as he brought his hands to Phoenix's chest. His fingers skated over his bare skin before Phoenix caught his wrist and stepped forward. Phoenix shook his head, a teasing grin on his lips. My stare shifted to the men clearly enjoying the performance.

"I think I'm going to be sick," I whispered.

"Nope. Look at me." He ducked until we were eye-level, turning my face toward his. "I can promise you now, Archer, that isn't what it looks like."

"I… I don't know what to think. Why would he text me to pick him up, only to let me see that?" My hand weakly waved in the pair's direction. I needed to get as far away from them as possible.

"Listen, I don't know if Phoenix mentioned me, but I'm Damon. We go way back, and I'm telling you now, Phoenix isn't a liar." He stared down at me as if he could prove it with a single look. "He's told me about you, and he wouldn't have done this." Damon winced. "But Aiden would have. You guys have been set up."

"He's told me about you too, and maybe you're right about Aiden. But…" But it didn't change what I'd just seen. Shaking my head, I took a step back. "I just need to leave."

A commotion sounded behind Damon before he was roughly pulled away from me so fast, he stumbled to the side. And then I was staring up into shadowed hazel eyes that scanned my face with worry. Phoenix wrapped his arms around me. "What are you doing here, Arch? Are you okay?"

I lowered my eyes and shrugged out of his grip. "I'm fine."

"Arch?" His voice rasped louder. When I refused to reply or look at him because I knew I'd break, he growled. "Damon, what's going on?"

"Unless you want to find a new job, lower your voice," Damon snapped. "He came looking for you and found more than he bargained for."

The silver handcuff was still attached to his wrist and it swung when he reached for me. His fingers curled around the side of my neck. Using his thumb, he tilted up my chin. Once our eyes connected, mine stung with unscheduled tears.

He reared back before swooping back in, capturing my face with both hands. "No, Arch. That probably looked bad but