Submit (Surrender #2)(40)
Author: Melody Anne

When he went back over to the other guys, they gyrated slowly, accentuating their prized possessions, before two of them stalked toward her and rubbed up against her. Even through all the din, Ari could hear Lia shouting up at her to grab his ass. Ari thought it wiser, after her one lapse, to keep her hands to herself.

Soon, only one man remained before her. He stripped down to his boxer briefs and swayed around her several times before laying her down and lying right on top of her! She was sure that if the power suddenly blacked out, the heat from her face would be enough to light up the entire room — heck, the entire hotel.

After swiveling his h*ps provocatively above her for a few seconds, he finally sat her up, and then helped her stand as he grabbed her in a big hug, lifting her off her feet.

“Thanks for being a good sport, love,” he said, his accent causing her insides to turn to jelly. He assisted her off the stage, and then finished his performance.

Ari was still glowing when the show finished. The dancers set up for pictures as soon as they were all presented by name. Lia, of course, insisted on having a few photographs taken.

The three of them stood in line, then each sat on a dancer’s lap, and received a kiss on the cheek as the picture was snapped. Ari seemed to be walking on clouds as she and the rest of the audience departed. How fun to hang with two amazing women and receive so much attention from serious sex gods. So what if they were doing a show, the same thing they did night after night? She still felt beautiful and desirable. Yes, Rafe made her feel gorgeous when he was worshipping her body, but afterward, he just left.

To have a man want her so much that he couldn’t possibly sleep in another room would be amazing. To have him want her in bed and out of it? Priceless. Rafe couldn’t possibly ever give her that — he’d told her so.

If only she didn’t have Lia and Rachel’s voices in her head telling her a different story. She needed another drink.

“I can’t believe they pulled you up onstage. I’m so jealous right now,” Rachel said as they made their way downstairs toward the casino.

“This totally stays between us. You have to burn that picture,” Ari responded with a laugh.

“There’s no way I’m ever turning loose of this night. Are you kidding me? That was the most fun I can ever remember having. Those guys were so freaking hot.”

“Mmm, can we take them home, pretty please?”

“Rachel, I’m sure if you bat your eyes at them, they’ll be begging you to go home with them.”

“Now that sounds like a plan. I could do all sorts of kinky things with that group.”

“You two are terrible. Seriously, you have to promise me that Rafe will never find that picture,” Ari insisted. Silently she added, At least until our relationship is over.

“There’s nothing like having a little blackmail on a friend,” Lia replied as she pulled out the photo and laughed.

“OK, the night’s still young. Let’s go downtown and lose some money,” Rachel insisted.

“Yes. Ari’s buzz is wearing off. We need to get her a liquor fix — stat.”

Ari gave up fighting the two women. She’d learned that when they were determined to do something, it was best just to go with the flow and see where the adventure led, because otherwise she wouldn’t put it past them to drag her off kicking and screaming — probably in handcuffs. In her semi-sloshed state, that thought gave her the giggles.

Linking arms with the girls, she smiled as they went off to whatever Lia had planned for them next.

Chapter Twenty-Three

“Nineteen!”

“Yea! Great job, Ari,” Rachel called as she leaped in the air, then turned to high-five several of the men surrounding them.

“You are good luck, baby!” one of the guys said as he picked Ari up and spun her in a circle. Ari laughed when he set her down, and she wobbled unsteadily on her feet.

Ari was losing complete track of time, but winning everything else as they moved through the casinos on Freemont Street. The girls were dragging her from table to table to enjoy her amazing run of luck, and a group of guys having a bachelor party was following the three around.

“Come on, Ari. Give Stephen a kiss for good luck. The poor sucker is getting married tomorrow, so he needs all the luck he can get,” one of his friends shouted.

In the heat of the excitement, Ari leaned forward and kissed a blushing Stephen on the cheek as Rachel took a picture. Stephen then picked Ari up and twirled her while Rachel continued snapping shots.

Because of the sheer number of margaritas Ari had consumed, she saw nothing wrong with Rachel’s documenting their night on the town.

“OK, pick a number,” the dealer called, and Ari set a bunch of chips on seven. All the men followed suit and the dealer spun the roulette wheel. The guys all started chanting seven over and over, and Ari, Rachel and Lia joined in as the wheel started to slow.

It clicked closer and closer, then stopped on seven. The crowd around them exploded in triumphant cheers.

“Lucky number seven it is,” the dealer called as whoops and hollers and whistles of celebration filled the air again.

When Ari was finally back down on her feet, she swayed as the room began to fade out. It was long past time for them to retire, but she hated to call it a night. She knew Rafe was going to be furious with her and she didn’t want to face that sort of music.

“Whoa there, Ari, you just about face-planted. As much fun as I’m having, I think we have to head back now,” Rachel said, looking slightly bummed.

The crowd around them all protested, promising them everything from free drinks to jewelry if they stayed just another hour longer.

“Sorry, boys, but we have to go before her boyfriend comes looking. It’s only a matter of time — and no one wants to be here if he finds her like this,” Lia warned.

Ari was grateful that Lia and Rachel were stronger than she was, because they managed to get her out of the casino and to the front doors, where they hailed a cab in what seemed like seconds. Her head was spinning.

“Do you know how mad my brother is going to be?” Rachel asked with a drunken giggle.

“Yes. Lucky for you both that I’m the one he’s going to take it out on. Lucky for me that I’m drunk enough I don’t care all that much. Did you know he is phenomenal in bed?”

“Ooh, that’s way too much information, Ari. Please, please promise me to never say anything so horrific again,” Lia begged.

“I can’t promise, but I’ll try,” Ari conceded as she laughed with them.