Page 119 of The Pucking Wrong Man

Camden tossed the keys to the valet, ignoring his apologies as he guided me toward the entrance, his arm wrapped around my waist. Heat was bursting from his fingertips, soaking into my skin and sending all sorts of dirty thoughts racing through my brain.

The brief interlude with the valet had distracted me from the reality of the moment, and I was freaking out again as the bouncers lifted the purple rope and let us in, ahead of the huge line of people that seemed to be frothing at the mouth to get in.

I wasn’t the kind of girl that bouncers just let by at a club. Especially a club famous enough that I’d heard of it. This was where most of the recording artists stopped by to give small performances when they wanted an intimate setting or if it was a special event.

I’d honestly never thought I’d see the inside of this place.

“Just so we’re clear...I’m awkward. If you didn’t already know that,” I whispered to him as he led me up some steps and through a door.

“You’re perfect,” he corrected me. “They’re going to love you.” He kissed the side of my head, and I instinctively melted into his side. I wasn’t sure how he was able to do that. Make me feel so safe and seen...that whatever else was happening didn’t seem as overwhelming anymore.

The space on the other side of the door was dimly lit, with warm, ambient lighting casting a golden glow over the crowd. Small, round tables filled the room, each with a flickering candle in the center. The stage at the front was modest, just big enough for a band to play, and there was a small stool set up currently with a microphone in front of it.

I glanced around, feeling a mix of awe and disbelief. The walls were lined with photographs of famous musicians who had performed here, their signatures scrawled in bold, confident strokes. The air was filled with the low hum of conversation and the occasional burst of laughter, creating an electric yet cozy vibe.

“Wow,” I whispered, more to myself than to Camden. “I can’t believe I'm here.” I was embarrassed the second the words came out of my mouth, but he just smiled at me like I was cute and led me further into the room.

My nerves came skyrocketing back as he led me to a group of the most beautiful people I’d ever seen—besides Camden of course. These were the people Camden belonged with. The gods who walked around us mere mortals.

“Hero.” A tall dark-haired dreamboat with mischievous emerald-green eyes, was the first to notice us. His gaze went to me and a smirk formed. I could almost see his brain rubbing its hands together in anticipation.

This guy was trouble.

“Lancaster,” Camden drawled, pulling me closer into his side. The man watched the movement, his smirk growing.

“And who do we have here?” he asked.

“Ari,” a beautiful, stunning, angelic-looking, blonde woman gently chided as she smiled up at him. “Behave. I don’t want you to scare off my new friend.”

I seriously had never seen a prettier woman before, and she looked familiar. But where would I have seen her before? And had she just said she wanted to be friends with me?

I was swooning.

Ari’s smirk melted as he gazed down at her, and suddenly I was looking at a googly-eyed, love-struck puppy dog of a man—his mischief contained—for the moment.

“Anastasia, that’s Ari. And that’s Blake, his wife. Her, you can be friends with. Him, you cannot,” Camden said. I glanced up at him, thinking he was obviously kidding.

He didn't seem to be, though.

Ari snorted and leaned forward, taking Blake with him as if he couldn't bear to be more than three inches away from her. “Don’t listen to ol’ grandpappy over there. I’m sure we’re going to be best, best friends.”

Ari howled as Camden growled and a giggle slipped out of me. I glanced up at Camden, realizing I still didn’t know how old he was. A lot older than me, but how old...I wasn’t sure. Probably should ask that at some point.

“Did he just call you—” Camden crushed his mouth against mine, cutting off...grandpappy.

“Please never let that word come out of your mouth,” he murmured when he’d come up for air.

“Please keep kissing me like that forever.” The words slipped out and I gasped, wanting to find the nearest trash can to throw myself in because I couldn’t believe I’d actually said that.

“Deal,” he said, instead of running for the hills like he should’ve been.

I was still gaping at him when the next couple came up.

“Hi, Anastasia,” another beautiful girl said. She had pin straight, long black hair and the greenest eyes I’d ever seen. She looked like she was around my age. Just like Blake, she seemed...sweet. Maybe you couldn’t really tell that from two words, but girls who looked like her, they usually had a stuck-up aura around them, like they were doing you a favor by being in your presence.

This girl had none of that.

“This is Monroe, and that’s...Lincoln.” Camden hesitated, pasting me so close to him I might as well have been glued to his side.

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