7. Zac

SEVEN

zac

I HAD TO hand it to East. The guy made things happen in a way I'd never seen before. I'd grown up around money, so it wasn't like I hadn't seen my fair share of wheeling and dealing, but the power East wielded at such a young age was staggering. I didn't even want to know how he'd managed to find information on King, or how he planned to get us inside the building, much less how we'd make a move.

But he'd told me to let him handle it all and to show up looking "sexy as fuck" in all black and ready for a wild night, so…there I was, waiting on the corner with my hands in the pockets of my tailored slacks and wondering if I was about to have the best time of my life or if this was all a monumental mistake.

I'd barely been able to look at King at school earlier, feeling like he'd see right through me or catch sight of the hard-on I'd sported just thinking about touching him. He'd been the star of my fantasies from the second I walked into his class years ago, and it'd only gotten worse. Now I knew how his deep voice sounded when he said my name. Knew the smell of his skin when he was close enough to touch. Watched the way he moved when his back was turned.

As confident as I felt about my skill between the sheets, though, there'd been no way in hell I was going to make a move on King, and he definitely wasn't looking my way.So really, I should be thanking East if this whole thing actually went down.

"Sexy as fuck indeed," East said from behind me, and let out a low whistle. "I should tell you how to dress more often."

He strolled in my direction with that ever-present smirk on his face, his black dress shirt unbuttoned down his chest. It was definitely not the pompous look I was accustomed to seeing, other than his perfectly smooth dark hair, and he looked really damn good, hardly like the uptight guy I knew—though he was still running his mouth in a way that made me want to fill it with my cock.

"Wow, look at you showing your neck," I said. "That's a first for you, huh?"

"All the better for you and our conquest to suck it."

"That's presumptuous, considering you'll be busy on your knees. If we can even get in this place."

East closed the gap between us until we were toe to toe. "Betting against me? I thought you were supposed to be a smart guy."

"I showed up here, didn't I? Even though this whole plan is insane."

"Feel free to leave. You'll miss out on a glorious night you'll never forget, but if you want to be a lame-ass?—"

"All right, all right." He was so close I fisted his shirt in my hands to keep him right where I wanted him. Leaning in, I ghosted my lips over his—also a good way to shut him up—and said, "You win. Now show me what you're made of, East ."

He grinned against my mouth before going to kiss me, but I took a nip of his lower lip before pushing him away.

"Get me King and maybe I'll let you have another taste."

Arousal flickered in his eyes. "Challenge accepted."

East headed in the direction of a plain black door that had no signage, no adornments, nothing to indicate what it was. I wouldn't have even noticed it was there with the way it blended in with the building around it, and maybe that was the point. No one would give it a second glance. But what the hell was waiting inside?

Anticipation flooded my body, because holy shit , what was about to go down tonight? Besides me, if East delivered.

He came to a stop in front of the door and looked around for the buzzer system, but there was nothing to indicate a way in. So he knocked, three loud pounds on the door with his fist, and when a full minute went by with our standing there in silence, he did it again.

"Maybe no one's home." I smirked.

He shot me a glare over his shoulder and knocked again.A small panel at eye height opened suddenly. A pair of brown eyes, the rest of the face hidden behind a mask, appeared through the thin slot. Whoever it was didn't say a word, but East was ready to charm his way past them.

Or what he considered to be charming and disarming, anyway.

A self-important smile curved his lips. "James Easton, and I've brought a guest."

That was it. That was all he said. Like his name was enough to gain us entry. Something that must usually work, considering he was an almost nightly VIP guest of all the hottest clubs and events in this city.

The eyes behind the door didn't blink, only stared at East before flicking to me briefly, and then back again.

The panel slammed shut and East turned back to me. "See, what'd I tell you? We're in."

I looked to the still -closed door, then back to East's slipping smirk. "Maybe they're having trouble with the locks?"

The death rays that shot from his eyes made me chuckle. "I just want you to know these smartass remarks of yours make you a little less attractive."

I slipped my hands into my pockets, and when East's eyes fell below my belt, I scoffed. "Yes, that's very clear."

East rolled his eyes and turned back to the seemingly impenetrable door, not about to concede defeat. He straightened his shoulders as though he were about to go into battle and raised his arm to knock again.

The small panel opened, brown eyes once again peering out at East as he tried what I assumed was his usual plan B.

"I'm sorry, but maybe you didn't catch the name? James Easton. Cover fees are no issue, my friend. I've got mine and my guest's, no problem."

If it had been anyone but East begging to be let in somewhere I might've felt sorry for what was clearly about to be round two of rejection. But it was East, and I couldn't help but enjoy this unlikely turn of events.

The panel slammed shut—again.

East cocked his head to the side as he stared at the shut door, and I couldn't help but wonder how many doors he'd slammed in people's faces. Maybe this would be a good wake-up call, letting him know that you couldn't always get what you want because of who you were.

"This is unbelievable." He shook his head and turned back to face me, a confused look on his face. "Are they even hearing my name?"

Or maybe not.

"I'm pretty sure they can hear you. You're standing right in front of them."

"Then explain why they aren't opening the door."

I shrugged, enjoying his bewilderment a little too much. "I don't know, maybe they don't want to?"

"They don't want to? Really? This is a club, for fuck's sake. Pretty sure they want business, Zac."

"Did it ever occur to you that they just don't want yours?"

"No. Everyone wants my business. This doorman or guard dog must be new to New York. Maybe I need to be more aggressive."

"More aggressive?"

"Yes. Clearly my charm and money haven't impressed him. Maybe I just need to be direct."

Oh God, I couldn't even begin to imagine what East planned to say next. But as he steeled his shoulders like a man on a mission, I braced myself.

After a much heavier knock, the panel slid open, and while all I could see were the eyes, I could've sworn they looked…annoyed.

This wasn't going to end well for East.

"Clearly you're new in town, so I won't tell your boss about this little mix-up. But if you could please let Tyrone Kingston know that James Easton would like access to the club, he can vouch for me."

That ballsy motherfucker. Did he seriously just throw out King's name like he was expecting us? The arrogance East exuded was mind-blowing and awe-inspiring at the same time.What did he plan to do if we did get inside? If we did see King? Just walk up and tell him we were there to fuck him?

I wouldn't put it past him. But I thought he was going to be a little stealthier about it, that he'd have an actual plan.

Several seconds passed, then: denied. The panel slammed shut for a third time, and when several more seconds passed and nothing came of his request, East began to knock on the door again.

Nothing. The panel didn't even open this time.

He tried again, and again, until he was knocking incessantly and finally I had to stop him. I reached for his hand, halting it as his knuckles were about to meet with the wood, and shook my head like one might at a petulant child.

"No more," I said, tugging him back from the door. "It's over. It was a good try, but it seems this is one place the James Easton can't talk or buy his way into."

East's chin kicked up, his eyes shifting past my shoulder back to the door. "I don't accept that."

"Then you can spend the rest of the night out here on the street." I turned on my heel, about to go and track down a ride home, when I heard my name.

East was still standing in front of the building, a baffled expression plastered all over his features. "I don't understand what just happened."

I walked back to him and clapped him on the shoulder. "You were rejected."

"Rejected?"

"Yes. Turned down. Told no. You know, all those things that have probably never happened to you until right this very second."

"I don't like it."

"Welcome to everyone else's reality. Now, let's go suck back a few shots, since we won't be sucking on anything else tonight."