by Jamie Begley
Arin unhappily plopped down on the bed to watch Jewell go through the bag.
“Why do good-looking men have to be such jerks?”
“Because women like you let them,” Jet volunteered.
“That’s harsh.” Silently she agreed with Jet, though the truth still stung.
Jewell tossed a flimsy peach thong toward her. “If the thong fits, wear it.”
Arin started to toss it back, but it was so pretty and still had the tag, so she laid it down next to her.
“Why would Winter make a bet like that?”
“Winter suckers bets out of the whole club when she decides she wants something for her school, and she can get inventive. I should know. Three years ago, she suckered me out of twenty-six iPads to give as graduation presents. I never bet her during Christmas time—she doesn’t take prisoners. You and Hennessy are fresh meat.”
“She got me last year,” Ember said as she curled up at the bottom of the bed. “She bet me that I couldn’t go a week without fucking Moon. I thought it was a safe bet since he wasn’t even in the club—he was in Ohio. He ‘mysteriously’ ”—Ember raised two hands up, making air quotes—“showed up the next day. I lost the bet within ten minutes and had to volunteer for a month to organize and stock new books in the library.”
“She got me, too,” Sasha said, taking the pile of thongs from Jewell to go through them. “She bet me that, if I didn’t eat lunch for a week, I wouldn’t have to do kitchen duty for two months. She even let me pick the week I wanted to do the bet. I chose the week that I was making lunch, knowing I could win by not making anything I wanted. I should have won that one, right?”
Arin felt the beginnings of amusement break through the fury that had her planning to put Hennessy’s dick in a nutcracker if he made a move on her.
“You didn’t?” Arin tried to maintain her anger and failed miserably when Sasha shook her head, nabbing a bright green thong and stuffing it into her jeans pocket.
“Fuck no! The first day, she ordered pizza, saying Viper hated hamburgers, which we all knew was a fucking lie. But I was strong. I didn’t cave … unlike other people who gave it up in two fucking seconds.”
Ember made a comical face. “Yeah … you’re so fucking strong. Fucking tell her how you lost.”
“Fucking microwaved popcorn.” Dejected, Sasha gave the rest of the thongs back to Jewell. “I’m not in the mood to hang out. I’m going to eat my stash of chocolate.”
Before she could leave, Arin couldn’t help asking, “What’d you lose?”
“Who do you think had to buy the books? She found twenty pallets of books for sale at Buy Books For Suckers for three thousand dollars.”
“That was some expensive popcorn.”
“Yes, it was.” Sasha gave her a wondering look. “What was the bet between Winter and Hennessy?”
“Winter bet him that he wouldn’t get another chance at a home run. She’s going to win.”
Sasha laid a hand down on her leg. “Not so fast. Let’s think about this for a second.” With a calculating gaze, she swept around the room before coming back to her. “This could be a sweet deal for us if you’re willing to help us out?”
Suspicious, Arin thought Winter wasn’t the only one who liked to make bets. “How?”
“We typically make side bets when Winter suckers one of us in. If you’re really sure you won’t be taking up where he left off last night, we could ask some of the men if they want to bet that Hennessy wins, while we all wager that you do.”
Jewell leaned back on her elbows. “There’s only one flaw with that plan. Winter’s winning depends on Arin. I know my friend. She’ll cave.”
Her jaw dropped open at Jewell’s betrayal.
Picking up the plastic bag that Jewell had shoved the thongs inside of, she hit her with it. “I will not.”
“You will, like a candle being lit by a blowtorch. You’ll melt just as fast as Sasha did when that fucking popcorn bag was opened.”
“You’ve lost it. Most of my friends think I’m a prude. I’m so particular about men that I haven’t slept with one in four years.”
“Which is precisely why you’ll cave. Did you not tell me in the dining room that he was fine?” Jewell’s eyes dared her to deny it with everyone watching.
“I may have said that before he opened his big mouth to Winter and the other men in the kitchen.”
“I think she could resist him.”
Arin gave Stori a “thank you” smile.
“I saw his dick when you were beating the fuck out him, Jewell.” Stori made space for herself by moving Ember’s legs over so she could sit down on the huge bed. “Hon, you don’t want to break your fast with one of those weenies that can fit in a can. You want a big piece of man steak to make that pussy come alive again.”
Arin gaped at Stori.
“To give Hennessy credit, his dick wasn’t that small.”
Sasha raised a finger, hushing her. “But, did you have to work at it to get that size?”
“Yes …”
“Then it’s not a beefsteak; it’s a wiener. We have a whole club full of beefsteaks you can choose from. I can help you pick a nice, large one if you want,” Sasha magnanimously offered.
“We could hedge our bets.”
Arin was thankful Jewell had stopped Sasha from describing the various members’ … members.
“She could join the Naughty Santa contest. No sucking or fucking, remember? Even if she wanted to, she wouldn’t be allowed.”
“I told you to tell Viper that I didn’t want to.”
“I must have forgotten.”
Arin rolled her eyes. “Don’t worry; I won’t cave. I don’t want to play the game anymore, anyway. I’m done with men.”
Sasha’s face dropped in disappointment. Then, giving her a beseeching glance, she tried to convince her. “Each of us would split the money we make off the bet with you.”
“Sorry, but I don’t need the money.”
“Everyone needs money.” Ember added her own pleading gaze to the mix.
Arin shrugged. “I don’t.”
“Damn,” all the women muttered except Jewell.
“How bad do you want me to quit The Last Riders and go to work for you?”
Arin frowned. “Bad enough that I’m spending Christmas here trying to convince you to accept my job offer.”
“If you let Winter and the girls win the bet, I’ll come work for you, but if Hennessy wins, I stay put.”
“Who will you be betting on?” Arin already knew the answer. Her friend had no intention of leaving The Last Riders.
“Hennessy.”
Jewell was always honest. That was why they had been friends since they were twelve years old and why she needed her so desperately for her business.
“You won’t play sneaky and help Hennessy out?”
“You know me better than that.”
She did. Jewell would never do anything to hurt her, even to win a bet.
“I’m going to take you up on that bet, Jewell. I’ll get human resources to send you an employment packet to your email.”
“Slow your roll. You haven’t won yet.”
“I will.” Arin started to mentally plan the office that Jewell would be in. She would have to move her vice president, who wouldn’t be happy, but Nathan would get over it in a few weeks. She and Jewell would be able to eat lunch together every day, and most importantly, what she hadn’t mentioned when she had repeatedly asked Jewell to take the job … she wouldn’t be so lonely.
She hadn’t spent years building a successful business on her own without having to be cut-throat when she needed to be. Jewell would be in the office next to hers next year. She just had to make sure Hennessy didn’t win the bet. He might look like a gigantic stud muffin, but in the sack, he didn’t seem promising. If she was going to break her fast, it damn sure wasn’t going to be something that wasn’t going to satisfy her needs and leave her hanging.
Inwardly, Arin
rolled her eyes at herself. She had a club filled with pasties of every variety. If she was going to break, she had her choice of options.
“Quick question.” Arin interrupted the women pooling their money together to place their bets, except for Jewell, who was looking too confident for her own good. Maybe she should hedge her own bet. “Would you consider Moon a long john or a donut hole?”
Chapter 8
Arin entered the kitchen with the crowd of women who were so excited for the contest that they were practically bouncing off the walls.
The room attached to the television room was packed, with Viper holding a cloth bag in his hand, waiting for everyone to get situated inside.
Trying to get a better view, she started to go behind the kitchen counter where Jewell was when a loud voice caught her attention.
“Come here, baby girl. I saved you a seat.”
Arin looked over her shoulder to see Hennessy’s pearly whites flashing a seductive smile toward her while he patted an empty chair next to him.
“Are you talking to me?” Arin put a hand to her chest just to make sure.
“Baby girl, you know I’m talking to your fine self.”
“Just checking.” Before she took a man down, she wanted to make sure he deserved the letdown he deserved. “I told you not to call me baby girl.”
Arin felt his eyes drop to her red top that was straining to keep her generous breasts contained. She had a loose gray sweater over the tank. Neither had been able to prevent the visible swells of her breasts.
“I’m sorry. I can’t help it when I see how cute you are.”
Really? She fumed. He was trying to sweet-talk her while eye-fucking her tits! It was going to be easier to resist him than she had anticipated. Men like him were why she hadn’t had sex in four years. What brains they had were in their dicks, and they wouldn’t know how to carry on a conversation that wasn’t geared toward getting laid.
“I can hear just fine from over here.” Taking a spot between Ember and Jewell, Arin expectantly waited for him to deliver another comment that she could shoot down.
His smile disappeared. “I’ll wait.”
“Please do.”
“Ouch. I felt that from over here.”
Arin turned to see who had made the remark and saw it was Nickel. Damn, she had forgotten about him.
“Is Nickel a cannoli or a macaroon?” Tilting her head to the side, she whispered the question into Jewell’s ear.
“What’s the sudden obsession with pastries?”
“Craving carbs, okay? Which is he?”
“He’s a cannoli.”
“Thanks.”
“Don’t mention it.”
“If you get his name, switch with me unless you get Moon, then I want him.”
“We can’t switch …” Jewell began.
“Listen up.” Viper raised his hand in the air to quiet everyone. “I’m going to go over the rules. Although we play this every year, someone always tries to pull the ‘but I didn’t know’ bullshit when they get caught trying to play unfair.
“Short and sweet, the rules are simple. Each woman gets to draw one name. They can give one present a day, and you can be as nice or naughty as you want, just confine the game to the club. Men get three guesses as to who their Santa is. If you guess wrong, you’ll get a lump of coal in your stocking. Three pieces of coal, you’re out of the game. If you guess right, you can have at it, spend the remaining day off from the factory with paid leave. The game starts tomorrow. Oh, and the most important part: don’t forget that any sexual activity has to be confined to upstairs bedrooms with locked doors, so no one sees who has figured out who their Santas are. If you’re caught out of the bedrooms, you’ll be back at work the next day. The original members don’t participate in the game, so we can cover your shifts.
“Santas, during the game, you’re not allowed to have sex with anyone, and that includes your recipient until they figure out who their Naughty Santa is. That includes sucking, fucking, and yes, Moon, that includes masturbating. I’m not going to argue over this again this year. If you get caught, a penalty lump of coal will be placed in your stocking. I think that about covers the rules.
“There is one other thing that we need to go over before we draw names, and I’m leaving it to all of you to decide. Jewell’s friend, Arin, wants to participate in the game—”
Arin jumped when a beer bottle fell to the floor.
“Hell no, she isn’t.”
Her jaw dropped at Hennessy’s furious expression. She started to yell at him, but Jewell gave a warning shake of her head.
“It’s not up to you, Hennessy; you’re not a Last Rider.”
Arin shivered at Viper’s hardened expression. The man was scary as hell when he was asserting his authority over everyone in the room.
“Then I accept the job at the factory. Do I get to vote now?”
“No. But if you want to join in the game, you’re welcome. With the numbers uneven, I was going to ask if anyone wanted to sit out or ask any of the brothers if they want two Santas. You’ll solve the problem.”
“I’m not playing any fucking game!”
“Then sit down and shut up.”
Hennessy sat, but his anger was palpable in the room.
“Core, you interested?” Viper asked the man who sat beside Hennessy.
Damn, she had forgotten about him, too.
“Is Core an éclair or a truffle?” Arin whispered.
Exasperated, Jewell raised her hands in an I-don’t-know gesture.
“Hell no.”
Arin was disappointed in Core’s answer. She would have liked to have learned her answer firsthand. She might not be as done with men as she had assumed.
“No other objections about Arin joining that count?” Viper waited for a brief second.
“I have a question.”
Arin blushed when she saw it was Moon talking, and he was staring at her.
“What’s the question?” Viper asked.
“She does know that whoever’s name she draws will be expecting sex, and I mean a lot of sex, right? I don’t mean to be a jerk, but if I’m not allowed to fuck anyone for the next twelve days, and she draws my name, then she can play the reindeer games with the wives.”
“I talked to Arin. She knows the game involves a lot of sex, especially if she draws your name, Moon.”
The whole room laughed, except for her and Hennessy. She didn’t laugh because all the men were looking at her like she was a rib roast and they were starving to death, which she knew from the last four nights in the clubhouse that that was the furthest thing from the truth. The only thing that relieved her embarrassment was that Hennessy looked like he was about to spit nails. He was glaring at the men so hard that the diamonds in his ears were catching the light as his head went back and forth to stare the men down.
Arin became worried that one of The Last Riders would give in to his threatening glare and voice their objections to her playing.
“You don’t have to worry about my game, Moon. If I pull your name, just worry about if you can keep up with me as your naughty Santa. I’ve heard you’ve been a bad boy this year.”
Stori giggled. “He has. I can vouch for that.”
She gave Moon a sensuous smile that she had seen Jewell give Nickel the night before as the other women laughingly vouched for her. It took Viper raising his hand to quieten room.
“Are there any objections?” Viper asked again. “Good. Now, which brother wants his name placed in the bag twice?”
All the men raised a hand in the air.
“Fuck.”
Viper’s lips tightened. “You have something to say, Hennessy?”
“No.”
Viper glared. “Then shut the fuck up. I want to get to bed sometime tonight.”
“Pick me!” Moon yelled out. “I’ve been the naughtiest this year.”
“Who gets to pick the name that goes in twice?” Jewell spoke out.
“I
was going to.”
“Nothing personal, Viper,” Jewell spoke up, “but I think a woman should pick. Some of the men can’t keep one woman satisfied, much less two.”
“Then you choose,” Viper offered.
Unobtrusively, Arin poked Jewell in the ribs. “Moon,” she whispered out of the corner of her mouth.
“Nickel,” Jewell called out.
“Traitor.”
“His éclair is bigger than Moon’s long john.”
“Oh … Then good choice.”
Arin blushed when she caught the wink that Moon gave her, seeing that she was upset that Jewell hadn’t chosen him.
“Okay …” Viper began, reaching for a pen that Stori eagerly gave him.
“Dammit, I’ll play.”
“You say something, Hennessy?”
“I fucking said I’d play!”
“It’s too late,” Moon protested.
“You want me to work at the factory, Viper? Then I get to play the game.”
Viper sighed in aggravation. “You can play. Do I need to go over the rules again?”
“No. I fucking got them the first time. Just make damn sure my name is in there.”
“You do know that the men don’t get to pick, right?”
“I think I fucking figured that shit out,” Hennessy snarled.
“Hennessy …”
He raised his hands, forestalling Viper’s reprimand. “I’ll shut the fuck up.”
“Thank God.”
Arin watched as Viper wrote on one piece of paper then wadded it tightly closed before placing it into the red bag. Then, walking to each of the members around the room, he let the women draw out slips of paper. Each one kept their faces carefully blank.
“Women, don’t forget that you get a penalty lump of coal if you switch names. And make sure you text me the name you drew—”
“How many fucking penalties—”
Hennessy snapped his mouth shut when Viper took a step toward him.
“Never fucking mind,” he snapped. “I just want all the fucking rules before I start a game.”
“Why do I have one pain in the ass every year?” Viper complained to the group, moving the bag so Jewell could draw a name.