Hateful Games: (An arranged marriage billionaire romance) (Arranged Games Book 2)

Chapter Fifty-four

“You dirty little girl, you’re still blushing,” I tease, shaking Iris’s shoulders.

“At first, you were like a deer caught in the headlights but then… whoa, a flip switched and the inner vixen came out,” finishes Bianca, fanning her cheeks.

“I still feel like I hallucinated it all,” Iris mumbles, the color on her cheeks still dark while her hair is slightly messy from when Chris teasingly pulled it.

“She’s definitely not drunk now.”

“Don’t worry, our lounge has all the alcohol she needs.” Bianca winks.

“I bet our Iris is thirsty.”

“Stop, you both!”

“I’m going to be telling your grandchildren this story about how their grandma got a lap dance from a stripper.”

Iris smirks and proudly says, “Hell, I’m going to tell them myself.”

“Atta girl!”

The three of us enter the private lounge with a fully stocked bar, velvet couch against the wall, and a stage with a pole in the middle. I’ve always been curious about pole dancing and the way women so easily work it. Although, I’ve never heard of a man using a pole.

“Why is there a dance pole?” I question Bianca.

She looks up from behind the bar, setting up shot glasses and holding a bottle of tequila in her hand. “I think it’s for the women strippers, if they get invited back here.”

“Oh, makes sense.”

“Line up.”

Iris skips to the bar and grabs one shot. I reach out and do the same.

“Bottoms up, girls,” orders Bianca, and we gulp the hot liquid down.

“Whoa! That’s it for me!”

“Already?” pouts Iris at me.

“Not everyone is a party girl here, babe.”

A secret door clicks open behind us and in walks two of the male strippers we saw dancing during the first performance. Their cut upper bodies naked and glistening. It was specified on the terms and conditions as part of the VIP treatment that we can hang out with them. I think I see mild disappointment shadow Iris’s eyes when Chris doesn’t walk in. Their chemistry fell more toward friends who flirt zone.

“Hello, I’m Aiden,” introduces the blond one.

I wave my hand and do the same, followed by Bianca and Iris.

“And you are?” I ask the second guy, a broody one with closely cropped hair.

“Ross.”

Huh. Did not expect that. He gives more of a Brad or Damon vibes.

“Where are you ladies from?” asks Aiden, joining us at the bar along with his friend. Or colleague. I don’t know.

“India.”

Their brows shoot up in shock. “That’s quite far.”

“Well, we’re flattered if you came all this way to see us,” says Ross.

“You should be,” I tease, earning a small smile.

“What are we having?” asks Aiden, slapping his palms on the counter. “And is there something we’re celebrating?”

“How do you know?” Iris asks, bewildered.

“Wild guess,” answers Aiden.

Bianca clears her throat and with mischief darkening her gaze, reveals, “It’s our best friend’s belated bachelorette.”

I wave my ring finger with the diamond ring that I’m stuck wearing unless I want to draw blood when Bianca points at me.

“Congratulations!” Aiden grins, raising one impressed eyebrow after staring at the ring. “Husband looks loaded.”

“Something like that.”

“She deserves a lap dance or a strip tease, if any one of you would be kind and willing,” flirtatiously purrs Bianca. “I mean, we’ve come all this way.”

“Yes, please!” yells an excited Iris.

Ross and Aiden exchange a look before turning seductive eyes on us. “Your wish is our command.”

It all happens so fast that I don’t get a chance to protest. Suddenly, the lights are being dimmed and I’m being seated on a chair, directly in front of the stage. Iris and Bianca flagging my sides.

Slow and sensual music filters in through the speakers and I stare with bated breath at the two beasts. Their friendly energy now evaporated into something darker. A liquor shot is passed into my hands and desperately needing liquid courage, I gulp it down.

I’ve never blushed as hard as I do right now.

But slowly, as they remove their jeans, I fall into a groove. Mesmerized. I’m hooting and cheering at the men, along with my girls. The song shifts to something more upbeat and sexier. Next thing we know, the three of us are onstage.

They follow the unspoken rule of no touching, which I’m grateful for.

Yet somehow, Iris is being dared to put money into Aiden’s G-string. I think it was Bianca. Iris rises up to the challenge and without batting an eye, completes it.

“Woo!” I cheer. “Ever the perfectionist.”

“Who’s up for a lap dance?” suggests Ross.

Aiden issues his own filthy request, “And a body shot?”

I call out, “Body shot!”

“Lap dance,” says Iris at the same time.

Except before either of us can take our positions, there’s a sudden sinister shift in the air. A heated shiver running down my spine, making my brow furrow.

Behind us, a dark, threatening voice booms, “What about you, kitten?”

The music keeps blaring but all of us are frozen. Except for Iris, who is way past tipsy. My fearful gaze connecting with a wide-eyed Bianca. Our silent conversation conveying we’ve been caught.

But how?

Oh fuck. We’re so in trouble.

Trembling, I whip around and I’m flayed alive by impassive yet intense brown eyes looking straight at me. As dark as exotic chocolate. They possessively roam down my body, examining every inch of me in my minidress. The skin it shows because of the deep neckline causes the muscle in his square jaw to tic.

Nova looks livid.

I can’t believe I eagerly jumped to do a body shot I probably wouldn’t have gone through. With a man that isn’t my husband. Murderous intentions must be whirling in his head. Nevertheless, my pussy quivers at the thought of being punished by him for lying about going on a vacation.

Bianca and I appear guilty as hell.

Like we’ve been caught at a crime scene, which we—at least I—shouldn’t feel. I don’t need his permission to live my life or attend a strip show.

Nova stands in the middle with an equally wrathful Dash and an unhappy Nathan. They’re all casually dressed compared to their pristine suits, making them appear far more formidable.

Iris, who finally catches on to the threat in the room, turns toward our guys with her hands on her hips and does a double take. Her lips form a perfect O and she says, “Nathan?”

“Did I interrupt your fun?” he quips, gaze skirting to Aiden and Ross.

They haven’t spoken a word. Our roles reversed because we’re giving them a dramatic show now.

“Don’t let us stop you,” drawls Nova with a tight smile. “I believe Rose was about to have a body shot. I’m curious to know who’s going to drink off of who.”

He’s not going to stop me? I stare, flabbergasted.

“I asked you a question, kitten.”

Bianca gulps. “Dash… darling.”

“Neither then? Good,” Dash almost growls the words. Closing the distance between them, he bends and throws Bianca over his shoulder, making her yelp. On his way out, he says to Nova and Nathan, “See you both at breakfast.”

“We’re out too,” announces Nathan, then he proceeds to pick a statue-still Iris bridal style and carry her outside.

“But my lap dance?” drunkenly pouts Iris.

“One wasn’t enough?” I hear Nathan retort just as they leave.

Meanwhile, stunned, I flick my gaze to Nova, “You were following us?”

“You stay,” Nova points to Aiden, ignoring my accusation. “You can leave.”

I hate the flicker of disappointment when he doesn’t do a bold display of affection and possessiveness like his friends. So be it. I’ll do the goddamn shot.

Crossing my arms, I cock my hip and ask, “You wanna watch, hubby?”

“You and your friends went to a lot of trouble to scheme and lie to us and fly here,” he calmly with a hint of impressiveness states. “I won’t stop your little rebellion now. Go ahead, have your fun, Rose.”

Why did that sound like a threat and a dare?

His cold mask doesn’t slip. Biting the inside of my cheek, I watch him roll up his sleeves and stroll farther into the room and take a seat on the couch. One arm stretched over the back, he rests his Rolex-covered wrist on his thigh, spreading his legs wide.

A vicious and volatile king on a throne.

The epitome of masculine beauty.

I’m still clueless on how him and the others found us. We made sure to not leave a trace. Our stories were sealed tight.

Nova tilts his head, giving me a ‘what are you waiting for’ look. I fight the glare at his cockiness that secretly shouldn’t make my pulse race. His presence after two days is like a shot of drugs bringing me back to life.

Does he think I wouldn’t go through with it?

Lifting my chin, I return his look with a haughty glare of my own and face Aiden, my back to Nova.

“He’s intense,” murmurs Aiden for my ears only.

I nod before loudly laying my request so my stalker husband doesn’t miss it. “I want you to lick and drink off of me, Aiden.”

“It’ll be my pleasure.”

I strut toward the bar, swaying my hips. Knowing the short skirt of my dress teases with a glimpse of my ass cheeks. The view both Aiden, who’s walking behind me, and my husband can see. Though the darkness in the room might make it difficult.

Not impossible.

Aiden circles behind the bar and grabs our earlier opened bottle of tequila. Some salt and lime. Glancing over my shoulder at a silent and brooding Nova, I softly hum, “Don’t want a closer view, Nova?”

He knocks at the low glass table in front of him with his boot. “Come and lie down here.”

His eerie calmness masking his true intentions makes me hesitant.

My usual fire to push his limits faltering tonight.

What sorcery has he done to me?

I’ve come too far to back down now. Shrugging, I stalk to where he’s seated. Aiden brings the item and sets it down, before giving me an encouraging smile. He isn’t at all shocked that we’re doing this. As though we aren’t the first couple bringing a third person into the mix.

Without looking at Nova, I step closer to Aiden with my hands raised to touch the man before me.

I don’t get to make contact when the bomb drops.