Emily stood up, slow, like she was doing it on purpose. The fabric of her lounge pants shifted, and yeah, I caught a glimpse of her ass. Perfect, as always. That thong was practically invisible. I ripped my eyes away, focusing on her face. Not the time, Rossi. Seriously, get a grip. I am in love with this girl.


    She walked over to Zoe, leaning down, her lips practically on her ear. Whispering some shit I couldn''t hear. My gaze was locked on them. A warm flush started creeping up my neck. Whatever Emily said, it made Zoe’s face light up like she’d just won the goddamn lottery. Those black dreadlocks of hers bounced as she nodded, framing that cute face of hers – button nose, big, dark eyes, the whole nine yards. She''s gorgeous. They both are. I am in love with Zoe, too.


    When Emily pulled back, Zoe looked like she was about to unleash hell, biting her lip to stifle a laugh. “Oh, that’s perfect,” she said, her voice dripping with something wicked. “I love it.” What the hell did Emily just say to her?


    Zoe turned to the boys, to us idiots, a predatory grin spreading across her face. She planted a hand on her hip, looking like a goddamn panther about to pounce. “Alright, losers,” she announced, smug as ever. “It’s payback time.”


    Emily stepped forward, raising two fingers in a mock peace sign, her confidence practically radiating off her. “The dare is simple,” she said, her voice calm and collected but with a dangerous edge that made the hairs on my arms stand up. “You’re going to give us a striptease. Right here, right now.”


    The room erupted into chaos. Joey choked on his drink, coughing and sputtering so hard it looked like he might pass out. Danny’s face turned bright red, his hands flying up like he was warding off a demon. “Nope! Nope, nope, nope,” he stammered, shaking his head furiously. “I’m out.” The poor guy looked like he was seconds away from sprinting out of the room.


    Chris, that cocky asshole, just laughed a sharp bark that was way too confident. “Striptease, huh?” he said, already standing up. “You sure you can handle it?” He wagged his hips at them. “This doesn’t exactly leave much to the imagination as it is.” Show off.


    “Oh, we can handle it,” Zoe shot back, folding her arms and smirking like she knew something the rest of us didn’t. She was daring him, her dark eyes glinting with that dangerous energy only she could pull off. She was so hot, it was almost unfair.


    Ryan groaned, rubbing his temples like he already regretted existing. “Why do I feel like this is going to haunt me forever?”


    “It will,” Emily said brightly, clearly enjoying the chaos she’d unleashed. “But hey, a deal’s a deal.” She was ruthless when she wanted to be, and I loved it.


    I stayed quiet, leaning back on the couch with a sigh. My gaze flicked between the girls, Zoe, brimming with that dangerous confidence, and Emily, her mischievous spark on full display, and then to the guys, who ranged from mortified to overly cocky. I couldn’t decide if this was the best or worst idea of the night. It was like watching a train wreck in slow motion. Couldn''t. Look. Away.


    Joey glanced around, wide-eyed, his voice cracking as he squeaked, “We’re really doing this?”


    “You bet your ass we are,” Chris said, cracking his knuckles like this was a goddamn cage fight instead of a striptease. “I don’t back down from a challenge.”


    I shook my head, muttering under my breath, “This ship is a goddamn circus.” But a fun one, I had to admit. A fun, fucked up one.


    <hr>


    Ryan stepped up first, because of course he did. And yeah, he was making a whole thing out of it, rolling his shoulders and flashing a grin that was equal parts confident and, honestly, kinda hot. Shit. Did I just think that? He started swaying to the beat as the music picked up, then pulled his shirt off in one smooth motion, like he’d been practicing this shit in the mirror. He twirled it over his head like a goddamn rodeo clown, clearly loving every second of it. I wanted to punch him. Also, seriously, what was that guy’s workout routine?


    His chest was toned, a few faint scars catching the dim lounge lights. I forced myself not to stare. Great job, Captain Rossi, definitely setting the standard for professionalism. Not. Those scars are kinda great, though. He''s had a rough life, I should know, I was there.


    The rest of the assholes erupted into cheers, like they’d gone from terrified to horny in under a minute. All that earlier reluctance? Gone. They were whooping like this was the highlight of their sorry lives. “Get it, Ryan!” Joey hollered, nearly falling off his seat. I kinda wanted to shove him the rest of the way.If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    Ryan was eating it up, leaning into the act as his hips swayed to the beat. He swung that shirt around, pulling it taut between his hands like he was auditioning for some terrible space cowboy calendar. My body tensed up. I didn’t want to admit it, but… damn. What the hell was happening to me? He looks good. That''s all. It doesn''t mean anything.


    Then he sidestepped toward Emily, and my stomach twisted. He was getting too close, way too close. His waist swayed, like, inches from her, and that teasing grin on his face was unbearable. Emily rolled her eyes in this exaggerated way, but she didn’t seem to mind the attention. That made me want to step in, say something, do something. Instead, I just sat there, stewing in my own jealousy. I mean, she is my girlfriend, probably. Not that it stops me from wanting Zoe, too.


    The thirty-second countdown ended with Ryan tossing his shirt into the air like it was the grand finale of his ridiculous show. He collapsed shirtless onto the couch next to Zoe, his arm draping over her shoulders like it was no big deal. My brain short-circuited. What would his skin feel like, soft, warm, or just… what the fuck, Luca? Stop it. Just stop.


    Ryan made some half-assed attempt to reach for Zoe’s tits, which earned him a smack and a burst of laughter from her. “Get lost!” she said, shoving him off with a grin. She was clearly enjoying herself. It was getting harder to just sit still and watch all this unfold.


    “You’re done, cowboy,” Zoe laughed, still grinning as she pushed him further away. And yet, somehow, he was still sitting way too close to her. They look... good together. I can''t deny that.


    The room buzzed with laughter and cheers. The energy was crackling in the air. I felt it, too, like static under my skin, making my body respond in ways I couldn’t control. Zoe and Emily exchanged glances, their smirks practically daring the rest of us to hold it together. They were clearly loving this, soaking up every second of their power over the situation. And me? I couldn’t stop wondering what it would take to get on their good side. Or, you know, both sides. At the same time.


    “That was incredible!” Emily said, clapping her hands, her face glowing, and damn, she’d never looked more beautiful. My brain was short-circuiting, every wire frayed as she flashed that smile of hers. “Okay, who’s up next?” Her voice was light, teasing, but I could feel the weight of the question like a boulder dropping onto my chest.


    I tensed as the girls turned their attention to the rest of us, their eyes scanning the room like hunters sizing up their prey. My pulse kicked into overdrive. Part of me wanted Emily to pick me, like, really wanted her to. But the other part? The part that had been barely holding it together all night? That part wanted to dive under the couch and hide until this whole thing was over.


    I tried to play it cool, to look disinterested. I even shuffled behind Joey a little, like blending in would somehow save me. But no dice. I could feel their gazes burning into me, like I had a damn spotlight trained on my face.


    Then Emily stood, all grace and mischief, pointing directly at me with that playful smile that knocked the breath out of my lungs. “How about you show us what you’ve got, Luca?” she said, her voice a perfect mix of teasing and something else, something that felt a lot like wanting. And holy shit, my body responded to both.


    My stomach plummeted, like I was free-falling on a roller coaster, and my heart skipped a beat so hard it hurt. “Me?” I managed, my voice cracking between disbelief and full-on panic. Why me? “Come on, pick someone else. Chris hasn’t gone yet.” Yeah, deflect, Rossi. That’ll definitely work.


    “Chris can wait,” Zoe said, her smirk widening into a full-on grin. She was dangerous, hell, they both were. “You’re up, Captain. Show us what you’ve got.” Her words sent my senses into overdrive, the room shrinking down to just their voices, their eyes on me, and the sudden need to prove myself.


    The room erupted into chants, the teasing voices blending into a chorus that made my skin tingle. “Luca! Luca! Luca!” Ryan pounded the armrest, grinning like he was watching his favorite show and I was the main attraction. He was enjoying this way too much. Of course he was.


    I swallowed hard, the weight of the moment pressing down on me as my body already started reacting to the challenge. Alright, Rossi. Time to sink or swim. And yeah, maybe I wanted to show them, to show her, what I had. What I could be.


    <hr>


    I swallowed hard, the weight of the moment pressing down on me as my body already started reacting to the challenge. Alright, Rossi. Time to sink or swim. And yeah, maybe I wanted to show them, to show her, what I had. What I could be.


    I groaned, running a hand through my hair, and yeah, I was probably going to die. But what else was there to do? “I hate all of you,” I muttered under my breath as I stepped reluctantly into the spotlight. They had me exactly where they wanted me, and I knew it. My mind raced, mortified and hyper-aware that Emily’s and Zoe’s eyes were locked on me. And, okay, maybe I was enjoying it a little too much.


    I hesitated, trying desperately to come up with some way to get out of this, or at least make it less humiliating. My brain scrambled for an excuse, but my body? It was practically screaming for this, ready to show off like some dumb show pony. The adrenaline from the earlier rounds mixed with the teasing chants of my crew made it impossible to think straight. And then there was Emily, her smile doing that thing where it melted my brain and made me hate her just a little for being so damn distracting. I mean, I love her. But I also hate her right now. It''s complicated.


    My eyes flicked to the side table, where my half-drunk beer sat forgotten. Maybe I should’ve finished that, or chucked a couple more before this whole circus started. A little more liquid courage would’ve done wonders right about now. But no, here I was, stone-cold sober and about to make a complete fool of myself. Fantastic planning, Rossi.


    With a resigned grin, because there was no way in hell I was backing out now, I nodded. “Alright then,” I said, hating how my voice sounded almost too confident, even though I was shaking inside. Equal parts terror and excitement coursed through me as I took a step forward. “Let’s see what I’ve got,” I added, my tone dripping with mock bravado. Because if I was going down, I was going down in flames. And, yeah, part of me wanted to see how much they’d burn. Maybe I even wanted to burn with them.