The music kicked in, a heavy beat that felt more like a battle cry than a song. I knew I was fucked the moment I stepped forward. My body moved before my brain could catch up, trying not to think about the fact that every eye in the room was locked on me. They weren’t just watching, they were waiting for me to fucking explode. And yeah, I was going to. This was completely insane, but also? A little thrilling. If I was going to do this, I was committing. No holding back. All in, all the way. Okay, maybe some holding back. I mean, I''d never actually been to a strip club. Hell, the last four years at the Genesis Shipyard had been a dry spell.


    That place was firewalled to hell. Between the brute force attacks, the hacking attempts, and Dad controlling the bandwidth like a hawk, access to certain... sources, was limited. But we had trips back to Earth, videos got shared, and there were other facilities around Sol where we’d staged out of. Porn was everywhere, even if our home base was a bit static. And yeah, I''d had access. I had done my research. Still, putting on a show like this? Terrifying. Now it was my turn, and I was terrified. But, neither Emily nor Zoe had any idea what a real strip tease was, probably. A lap dance? I had no fucking clue, that… I hadn''t really done any research into that. I''d have to figure it out. Raise the bar from Ryan''s tame but steamy show, but not go overboard. The rest of the idiots would want to beat my dance, and I desperately wanted to keep things from going too far.


    Swinging my hips to the rhythm, I took slow, deliberate steps, trying to channel... something. Confidence? Delusion? Who the hell knew. Why the fuck did we even agree to these outfits? I looked at Emily and Zoe, sitting side by side, exchanging those smug, knowing glances that said they were absolutely in charge of this entire moment. Puppet masters. And me? Yeah, I was the damn puppet, and I was totally fine with it.


    But then I focused on Zoe. God, she was so fucking hot, sitting there like she owned the room. Which, let''s be real, she kinda did. Her dark nipples were visible through her top, the faint line of her neon thong catching the light. She was magnetic, and I couldn’t look away. And, okay, I had to admit it, there was a certain logic here. I was already making out with Emily every chance I got, and she was always teasing me. Maybe focusing on Zoe was payback. Fair was fair, right? Plus, I didn’t want to be like Ryan, all tunnel vision on Emily. Someone had to balance this out. Equity. Totally makes sense. And those tits. I couldn''t wait to get my hands on them, to play with her nips, one day, hopefully soon.


    I spun once, giving them a view of my ass, because why not? It was probably stupid, but the rush of it was exhilarating. Then I reached for the hem of my shirt, heart pounding as I pulled it up, slow and deliberate. I gave the girls a teasing glimpse of my abs, something I’d been working my ass off to achieve, before yanking the shirt off entirely. Swinging it a few times above my head, I locked eyes with Zoe and launched it her way, like I was throwing down a gauntlet. Focus on me now, little fox. Let’s see who’s really in charge.


    For a split second, everything in the room felt charged, electric. My shirt landed in Zoe’s lap, and her smirk widened. Emily’s eyes flicked between us, that amused glint still firmly in place, and yeah, maybe I was playing with fire. But damn if it didn’t feel good to burn. A little competition between them? Bring it on.


    Zoe squealed, catching the shirt midair before sniffing it loudly and theatrically. Of course, she was loving this, she always loved being the center of attention, and she was so damn good at it. Her laugh rang out over the cheers and claps filling the lounge, and yeah, everyone was enjoying my humiliation. Somehow, that only made me want to lean into it more.


    “Oh my god, Luca!” she said playing it up and holding the shirt to her chest like it was some kind of prize. Her dark eyes sparkled with mischief, and she was all teeth in that grin, like she was ready to eat me alive.


    “Enjoy it while it lasts,” I shot back, smiling wide even as I felt warmth creep up my neck. My heart was hammering, my pulse pounding in my ears, and yeah, I was playing a dangerous game, but what the hell? I was already in it.


    With my shirt gone, I let the music take over. The cheers from the guys grew louder, and I could feel the air shift; thicker, charged. They were all watching me, and I’d be lying if I said I didn’t love it. Alright, Rossi, I thought, feeling both exhilarated and terrified, if you’re gonna go down, go down swinging. Or, you know, grinding. But also, maybe don''t go too far. Remember, when you have no idea what you''re doing, you improvise.Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.


    The beat shifted, faster, more intense, and I dropped to the floor in a controlled slide, because that''s what you do in strip teases, right? The move drew a fresh wave of whistles and laughter. I didn’t hesitate; I shuffled forward on my knees, wiggling my butt a little bit, every inch pulling me closer to Zoe. The tension in the room was suffocating now, the air crackling with it, and I could feel her eyes burning into me. Keep it together, Rossi, don''t do anything stupid. Don''t get hard, don''t get hard. Focus on something else. The mission. Engine schematics. Anything but her.


    Zoe leaned forward, her smile daring me to keep going, and god, she could see right through me. That knowing look of hers, the way she owned every moment. It was maddening, and it made me want to keep pushing, just to see how far I could take it. But also, maybe don''t push too hard. You''re not exactly a pro at this. And you''re definitely getting hard. Fuck. Think about... space. Vacuum. Cold, empty, dead space.


    When I reached her, I stood up slowly. For a second, it was just us, her dark eyes locked on mine, and the rest of the room faded away. She wasn’t just playing along; she was daring me to take this further. I bent my knees slightly, lowering my torso to match hers on the couch.


    And I really, really wanted to. But also, I really, really didn''t want to make a complete fool of myself. Or get hard. Which was definitely happening. Abort. Abort. No. Keep going. You got this. Maybe.


    “Don’t stop now,” Zoe teased, her voice low, just for me, and god, she was dangerous. That smirk, that glint in her eye, I could feel myself melt just a little. She had me wrapped around her damn finger, and I didn’t even care.


    “Oh, I’m not done,” I murmured back, my voice barely a whisper, matching her tone. My brain screamed at me to back off, but my body? My body had other plans. I started swinging my hips slowly, not quite humping her, but getting close, my bulge brushing against her chest. I might have even purred, I was so into it. Okay, maybe that was a bit much, even for me. And yeah, definitely too much. Way too hard. This is bad. This is so bad.


    Her gasp turned into laughter, sharp and breathless, and holy shit, I did that. The rest of the crew lost their minds; they were hollering, whooping, and clapping, but it all blurred into background noise. My ears were pounding, my pulse racing, my body buzzing like I’d just downed a shot of pure adrenaline. What the hell is this night turning into? And also, how the fuck am I going to live this down? And why am I so fucking hard?


    Then, the music stopped. And I was just standing there, bent over in a squat like an idiot. Way to go, Rossi. I straightened up, breathless, grinning like a damn fool as the room erupted into applause. Ryan was already on his feet, clapping like this was the best show of his life, that absolute moron. Joey? Nearly fell off the couch, cackling like he couldn’t breathe. And me? I couldn’t stop smiling. My heart was racing, my body a mess, and somehow, I didn’t regret a second of it. Well, maybe a few seconds.


    Zoe leaned back on the couch, still clutching my shirt like it was a trophy, her eyes wide with shock and something else, admiration? She looked like she couldn’t decide if she wanted to laugh or kiss me, and yeah, I was a little proud of that. Her expression was this perfect mix of disbelief and awe, and for half a second, I wanted to do it all over again. What the hell is wrong with me?


    <hr>


    I was a complete mess, and I needed a breather. Feeling a sudden wave of self-consciousness, because yeah, I had probably just made a fool of myself, again, I grabbed Ryan’s beer off the side table without asking and took a quick swig. It was cold and bitter, but I needed something to cool me down. Dropping onto the couch next to Emily, I leaned back, trying to play it cool, even though my heart was still hammering in my chest. “And that,” I said, still catching my breath, my voice raspier than usual, “is why you never dare me to dance.” Total lie, but it sounded good.


    Emily didn’t respond, just smiled at me with that mischievous glint in her eyes, the one that said she was absolutely in control. She slid closer, her body brushing against mine, and before I could fully process what was happening, her arm wrapped around my bare torso. Her touch was warm, electric, and it felt like every nerve in my body was suddenly on fire. I froze for half a second, just enough time for her to tilt her head up, her lips brushing against mine. The kiss? It knocked the rest of the air out of my lungs, leaving me completely undone. It was slow, soft, and so damn perfect, and it was like she had been waiting for the exact moment to do this, and god, I was ready for it.


    The room erupted into cheers and whistles, snapping me back to reality, and I couldn’t help but smile against her lips. This is really happening, I thought, my head spinning. Zoe’s voice cut through the noise, loud and dramatic as ever: “Get a room!” Of course, she had to add her commentary. But it didn’t matter. We were already lost in each other again, and nothing else existed in that moment. I couldn''t wait to do this with Zoe.


    When the kiss finally broke, my face was burning, and I was definitely a blushing mess, but I couldn’t stop the grin spreading across my face. Emily’s cheeks were flushed too, and her green eyes were sparkling like she knew exactly what kind of chaos she’d just unleashed. “What the hell are you doing to me?” I murmured, low enough for only her to hear. She just smirked, leaning her head against my shoulder like she hadn’t just turned my world upside down.


    Well, I thought, still feeling the heat from her lips, if this is team bonding, I’m all in. I looked around the room, Ryan was laughing, Joey looked stunned, Chris just raised his drink like he was toasting to my insanity, and Danny, well, he looked pensive, probably planning how to beat me.