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. Cutesyball 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.
Dixon rolled next, striking out again. He’d been one space away from the ‘Instant Match’ and his mood had further soured at that fact. If he’d landed there, he could have chosen himself and someone else to fully strip and end the game. If I had to guess, he’d have chosen Tessa. If wewere playing the game the way it was supposed to be played, that was an instant win… in our case we’d call it an instant loose. As in, loose every stitch of material on your body. There was a dark cloud forming over Dixon. We needed to just bend the rules a little bit and get that man naked. If he and I were both out, I could easily relieve some of his tension. The thought made my dick harden. It was easy enough to imagine the mountains of muscles under Dixon’s outfit, but I’d still rather glimpse it in reality.
The game moved forward while I daydreamed about sinking myself into Dixon’s awesome fucking body.
Ryder made quick work of rolling, landing on Dix’s property.
“Just take off the shirt.” Dixon said absentmindedly. He was definitely losing interest. He didn’t go crazy anymore, our fighting ferality days were behind us, but he still had a penchant for letting his demons get the better of him in different, less destructive ways. Tessa noticed the shift in him, his scent taking on a slight acidity. She stood up, struggling because of the layers and layers of clothing, and she shuffled over to him.
“It’s all fun and games, Dix.” She dropped to her knees, soothing him. “It’s supposed to be fun.”
