Chapter 50 Tray #2
‘Sinner’s Kiss’ was softly pouring through the ceiling speakers, surrounding us with the reminder that we’d gone platinum again. We were accepting a local award next week for the song, and MCing the KMAs next month.
“Give me the dice,” Ryder prodded Dixon, who was still scowling.
Our lead singer, always roguishly glamorous, was left with only a tattered Ford Mustang shirt and banana boxers hiding his sleek body.
He still donned both socks and sneakers though, so he was six articles away from his birthday suit.
He looked disgustingly comfortable in defeat.
Dixon launched the dice at our pack brother before shifting to stretch one giant, tree trunk leg out, bending the second leg to sprawl one arm atop it, and staring at Tessa with a wild gleam in his eye.
Tessa waggled her shoulders, then puffed out her chest, proudly displaying her winnings. “I feel like Joey in that one episode when he wears all of Chandler’s clothes out of spite.”
“Not out of spite,” Mac corrected, “Chandler hid his underwear.”
“Did he?” Tessa cocked her head, thinking. “Well, whatever. Could I be wearing anything more?” She said the question in a mocking, sarcastic tone trying to imitate the show character.
“You could be,” Mac once again corrected. “You’ve not beaten us all yet, our dear Omega.”
“It’s only a matter of time.” Tessa said with a shrug. “You may have the age, but I have the experience.”
Ryder rolled the dice, hitting a solid seven, though he didn’t land on anything spectacular. His own property, nothing to lose or gain.
I peered around the room again, wondering what mischief we’d get into once the board game wrapped.
Last time, we’d played Slickster, a sexy version of Twister.
Naked. Wrapped around one another, hands slipping and sliding across large colored dots.
Ahhhhh. I sighed mentally. What a time to be alive.
"Your turn again, Tessa," Ryder announced. “I’m happy to talk a piece of clothing off regardless though.” His voice was hopeful.
“Nope,” she said sharply. “We follow the rules. No cheating.”
“Come on, Tessa,” Ryder pushed, “you know this would be more fun if we were all naked.”
"You’re going to tick her off," Dixon warned, but there was no real heat behind his words. Just the playful tension that always existed between pack mates. “You know how she gets.”
“How do I get, Dix?” Tessa peered at him, eyebrows arched. “Care to elaborate?”
Dixon grunted. “Absolutely not.”
We all knew what he meant though. Tessa had a stubborn streak, and she could hold a grudge. We all found it fucking adorable when she got angry. So. Damn. Cute.
Tessa rubbed her hands together, her eyes gleaming with that competitive spark that was so endearing. "Time to show you boys how it's done." She scooped up the die, shaking it dramatically between cupped palms. She closed her eyes, murmuring a little for good luck, and then she rolled.
I shifted my position on the rug, adjusting the neon blanket over my lower half. The way she bit her lower lip in concentration made my pulse quicken. There was something so captivating about her focused determination, even over something as silly as strip Matchopoly.
The dice clattered across the board, landing on twelve.
"Yes!" she crowed, pumping her fist in the air.
Her movement caused one of the hoodies to slip off her shoulder, revealing the curve of her neck, though not much else thanks to the numerous other layers.
My mouth went dry at the sight anyway. I loved love.
People were just gorgeous. All types of people.
Tessa though… she did things to me that no one else ever had.
“It’s just improbable at this point,” Mac commented, standing up to stretch. “I say we call it a night and order Thai.”
“No. Way.” Tessa shook her head. “No quitting until you guys are all naked.”
“I don’t like this game as much as I thought I would,” Ryder said grumpily. “Let’s switch to Knot My Fault.”
“The one game I suck at?” Tessa asked, a moody tone entering her voice.
“Only because you suck at bluffing,” I teased.
“I do not,” she protested, jaw dropping.
“Every time you lie, you bite your lip. You also play with your hair nonstop.” I grinned at her.
“I absolutely do not.” As soon as she said it, she pulled her hair over her shoulder and curled it around a finger. She realized what she was doing seconds later, her cheeks pinking. “Whatever,” she pouted.
She really couldn’t hide anything. We’d talked about that a few nights ago.
Even at Eros, she’d slapped down her real name without thinking it through.
I’d been curious about that… why had it taken the law firm so damn long to find her if her name was known not only at The Institute, but also at the shelter.
Hearts over Seattle surely would have leaked that news.
When me and the guys looked into it though, we’d discovered that Eros paid off the church to keep her existence under wraps.
The whole ‘Omega tricked into being a product’ thing I guess wasn’t great PR for anybody.
Wasn’t going to stop them though. I’d just had a buddy in another pack say they’d signed up for the scent-matching program.
He’d rode off into the sunset a few years back, motorcycle bags filled to bursting and no plan for the future.
Soon after, he’d met his pack—a group of stunt men who traveled with Cirque du Rêves.
Guy was an absolute daredevil, and sometimes I was surprised he was still alive.
I zoned out as my pack bickered good-naturedly.
On a far wall, I clapped eyes on a framed record cover of our first album.
It was overly artistic, a bit psychedelic in a Martin Sharp does Cream circa 1967 way.
Hadn’t sold many copies until we gained a cult following years later.
Our faces were a hodgepodge on it, the only punctuation of color Dixon’s cardinal red hair.
“Your move, Mac Daddy.” Dixon waggled the dice in Mac’s direction. I had to laugh, because Mac Daddy was one of my pet names for our eldest pack brother. “Try not to land on one of Tessa’s monopolies.”
I glanced down at the board. Tessa had, indeed, purchased large swathes of real estate. There was zero chance she’d lose.
Mac gave Dixon a calculated look. “I am hoping to do exactly that.”
He scanned the board, eyes roving over the properties.
Now that Tessa had all the blue, purple, and red sections, she could demand two or three pieces of clothing, instead of one.
Though we’d created a ‘sexy’ version of the game, the rules were pretty similar.
Mac rolled a four and deftly moved his classic thimble piece.
“Parkdale Place.” He couldn’t help the smile that drew the corners of his mouth upward. “What do you want as payment, little Omega?” His eyes darkened with need, waiting for Tessa to make her choice.
The next time we played this game, I had a little surprise for everyone.
It wasn’t going to just be a basic modification of roll and strip.
Nope, I’d ordered sexy little stickers online.
Tiny vibrators. Mini dildos. Cutesy ball gags.
A delicious black strap-on. One sticker just had the letters BJ and there was a 69 sticker too.
I planned to place them on the board, so instead of losing clothing, we’d get to engage in… saucier shit.
“Pants,” Tessa’s eyes widened as she said it, and Mac looked surprised.
“Thought you’d go for the vest next,” he mused, “you seem to prefer the slow route.”
“I think the vest is sort of sexy without the shirt.” She shrugged. “Now. Pants. Oh, and the belt. And let’s lose the pocket watch. That can count. I forgot I can triple threat now.”
Mac stood, making a show of unbuckling his belt with deliberate slowness.
The metal clinked as he pulled it through the loops, and I couldn't help but track the movement with hungry eyes. When he unzipped his pants, the sound seemed to echo in the suddenly quiet room. He let them fall and stepped out gracefully, folding them with military precision, curling the belt atop it, and nesting his well-loved pocket watch in the center of the belt’s protective circle.
He strode over, posture straight, quads bulging, and added the items to Tessa's growing pile. She glanced at them, then at herself, and I suppose decided she couldn’t fit the sleek, vintage pants over the several bottoms she already donned.
"Happy?" he asked once he’d returned to his spot. I licked my lips at the sight of him standing there in boxer briefs that left little to the imagination. The vest against his bare chest and torso was indeed sexy as hell, just as Tessa had predicted. It really was a shame Mac only swung one way.
"Very," she replied, her voice a touch breathier than before.
I shifted on the floor, adjusting my blanket. The energy in the room had changed, charged with something electric. It wasn't just the game anymore—it was the way we orbited around each other, the gravitational pull growing stronger with each discarded piece of clothing.