Total pages in book: 108
Estimated words: 101764 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 509(@200wpm)___ 407(@250wpm)___ 339(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 101764 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 509(@200wpm)___ 407(@250wpm)___ 339(@300wpm)
“Fuck you.” We laughed as I noticed a group of men striding our way. “Yo, Manny!” I charged at my friend, the first guy I’d roomed with at college before we became frat brothers and best friends. “Damn, it’s good to see your ugly face.” We met and grabbed each other in a tight hug.
“Could never be as ugly as you,” he said as he slapped my back.
God, I’d missed this city. These guys. What the fuck had I been thinking when I decided to go to grad school ten states away?
Oh, right—sun, surf, and hot dudes strolling shirtless on the beach.
Freedom from my father’s reach.
Too bad his arms were so long.
“Yo, Turk.” Manny hugged him next, then turned to the three men I didn’t recognize.
“Ryder, Turk, this is Jack, Spencer, and Clyde, three guys from my firm. Ryder and Turk were my frat brothers.” Manny had taken over his father’s booming investment firm after graduation. He was a nepo baby if there ever was one.
Not that I could talk.
I lifted a hand. “Pleasure.”
One of the guys, Spencer, couldn’t tear his eyes away from Turk. “You’re… holy shit, you’re…”
“John Turko,” he said with a smirk. “Nice to meet you.”
“Christ, Manny, you didn’t tell me you were friends with John Turko.”
“There’s a reason for that.” Manny smiled, looking way too pleased with himself. “Surprise.”
Spencer blinked. His mouth opened and closed a few times before any sound came out. “Man, your rookie season was out of this world. You… you’re incredible.”
“Okay, let’s get inside,” Manny said as he guided his friend toward the door. He’d been born and raised in Argentina and had never quite adjusted to the cold. “You start drooling out here, and it’ll freeze on your damn face.”
“Fuck,” Spencer whispered. “I’m making an ass of myself in front of John Turko.”
Turk laughed and then squeezed the poor guy’s shoulder. “Nah, you’re cool, man. Let’s get inside before my nips freeze off.”
They all filed through the entrance with Turk taking the rear. As he held the door, he turned back to look at me. “Coming?”
Warmth filled my veins despite the frigid temperatures. Why had I left? This was home. Aside from the past year and a half, I’d lived my whole life in this city. Returning made sense but leaving hadn’t. A battle loomed in my future, or at least a bunch of heavy and uncomfortable conversations with my parents, but I belonged here. It felt so good to be back on familiar ground.
“Not yet.” I winked at Turk. “But the night is young.”
He laughed and bounced on the balls of his feet, either excited or trying to warm up, while I kept him waiting outside. “Now you’re getting into the spirit of things. Come on, Ry, there’s alcohol to consume and hot men to fuck.”
As soon as I stepped inside, delicious warmth seeped through my peacoat into my bones. “Wow. This place is swanky,” I said as I tipped my head back to take in the entire lobby.
A glittering chandelier, dripping with long crystals, hung high above our heads, refracting light into tiny rainbows that danced on the marble floor. Walls of deep emerald velvet framed the space, interrupted only by sleek gold accents and mirrors that made the room feel infinite. A concierge station, manned by an attractive host in a designer suit, beckoned us. Behind him, a black façade lit with a single neon sign announced the club’s name and tagline—Top Shelf: Where the Vibe is Premium.
“Right?” Manny grinned as his buddy, Jack, walked to the host.
The place was the perfect example of understated luxury—right up my alley.
“How have I never been here?”
“It’s newish,” Turk said. “Opened about two years ago.”
“Ah.” Right around the time I’d made the stellar decision to leave the state.
“Good evening, gentlemen.” The host stepped out from behind his station. He was on the shorter side, about five feet seven inches, and slim with a snazzy navy-blue suit. Diamonds lined the lapels, twinkling along with the chandelier’s shimmer. “Welcome to Top Shelf.”
“Hey, man,” Jack said. “We have a VIP reservation booked under the last name Hall.”
“Excellent. My name is Luke. I’ll be escorting you to your table, and Raphael here will check your coats.” He gestured toward a beefy bouncer with dark skin, dreadlocks, and a tailored suit that would probably split at the seams if he got into it with an unruly clubgoer.
We took a few minutes to hand over our coats to the man who looked as if he cracked walnuts in his palms.
“Thank you, Raph.” Luke smiled at the bouncer, whose arms were now laden with our coats. “Gentlemen, please follow me.”
Somehow, I ended up in the lead, directly behind Luke. The man had a nice ass and a pretty face, but he wasn’t exactly my type. I preferred a guy more my size or bigger. An equal partner who could match me in the bedroom. Not someone I had to worry about hurting if things turned rough.