Ready or Not (The Love Game Book 4) by Elizabeth Hayley (i wanna iguana read aloud txt) 📗

grabbed a chair from the dining room table and lowered Willow into it before turning off their music so I could play my own. Then I pulled my speaker and phone out of my SWAT bag—which always struck me as funny since I was in a normal street cop uniform, though to date, no one had ever pointed out the oddity of it. A few seconds later, I had my playlist going and was moving to the rhythm while Willow blushed in her seat.

A few of the women began fanning themselves when I opened my shirt, and one even began pulling on it when I didn’t take it off right away. I let it slide off my arms before swinging it in the air and tossing it to the side like a bouquet at a wedding that all the women chased after. It was cliché but always earned an enthusiastic response from the crowd.

“Look at his muscles!” the redhead screamed much louder than necessary. “He’s so…big.”

“Let’s see how big he really is,” called another. “Take your pants off.”

I glared hard at her. “I thought I was the one giving the orders.” But I began unbuckling my belt anyway, and I unbuttoned my pants and pulled the zipper down a little but left them on for the time being.

The women groaned in frustration, and I almost laughed.

I moved around Willow, grinding the air between her legs before flipping over into a handstand so my crotch was practically face-level with her.

The women hollered beside us.

Once I was upright again, I kicked off my shoes and pulled off the quick-release pants. Willow was red now, and I wondered if I was too. No matter how many times I did this, it still felt a little strange having people gawk at me while I was almost naked.

Dirty Denise and Raunchy Rachel pulled a few five-dollar bills out of their bras and slid them into the waistband of my black G-string.

I’d never gotten used to that either.

“Here,” Denise said to Willow as she held out a few ones toward her. “Take it with your mouth and put it in his underwear.”

“That’s disgusting.”

“I’m sure he’s clean,” Denise said. “You showered earlier, right?”

“Not him,” Willow said. “It’s disgusting to put money in my mouth.”

“I put it in the washing machine earlier.”

“That’s smart,” Erotic Eve told her. “You’ve always been such a good planner.”

“So you basically laundered money so I could put it in a stripper’s thong?” Rachel asked.

“Yes. But not laundered Ozark-style. I only did the washing part. It’s not like it’s drug money or something.” Denise turned to Willow again while I kept dancing. “Now put it in your fucking mouth.”

I tried to focus on the job I’d been hired to do, but I couldn’t stop myself from wondering if this was what Taylor, Sophia, and their friends would be doing in twenty-some years.

Probably.

Willow put her hands on my chest, and as she went lower, I prepared to move them if needed. Someone turned up the music a little more, and I couldn’t hear much of anything except the song.

That was until I heard, “Mom? Mom!”

I looked to my right to see a girl who couldn’t have been more than sixteen standing with her mouth agape near the door.

“What’s going on?”

Willow jumped up, obviously forgetting that she had her hands cuffed behind her back, and she stumbled as she tried to find her balance. “It’s not what it looks like, Tione!”

“Really? Because it looks like you have some stripper’s balls in your face and you’re enjoying it.”

Okay, so it was pretty much exactly what Tione thought it looked like.

“Does Dad know this is happening?” She was already pulling her phone out to call.

“He knows I was having a girls’ night here for my birthday. That’s why he went to play pool with the guys. I thought you were staying at Madeline’s.”

“She’s a bitch.” Tione’s voice got noticeably more somber. “Kaitlynn told me Madeline put up a Snap about how my jeans make my ass look flat.” She sounded like she might cry.

I need to get the hell out of here.

“I’m so sorry, Tione.” Willow began walking toward her daughter but tripped as she approached her because she was still handcuffed.

I reached out to grab her, but as I leaned down, Willow’s head slammed into my eye, causing both of us to lean back in pain. And because I instinctively brought my hand up to my face, Willow fell backward when I let her go.

“Get these things off me!” she screamed, trying to stand without the use of her hands to help her stabilize herself.

“Sorry.” I crawled toward her on my hands and knees, just wanting this night to end. I liked being almost naked in front of a teenager about as much as I liked getting hit in the eye. I grabbed my pants to fish out the small key but couldn’t find it.

Panicking, I stood without realizing I was under the table. “Sorry,” I said again when my head hit the table and caused a few drinks to spill.

By now, Tione was crying, and I didn’t know if it was because of what she was witnessing or because her friend had been an asshole.

Thank God I never planned to have kids. Parenting seemed like a job I wasn’t cut out for. Like stripping.

A few moments later, I found the key, unlocked the cuffs from Willow, and did my best to help clean up the drinks that were all over the table and carpet. I wondered if the red stains would come out, but I didn’t actually want to ask.

“I’m gonna go.”

“That’s probably best,” Dirty Denise said. “Here’s the balance.” She reached into her purse and handed me some cash.

“It’s not necessary.” I pulled my shirt on but didn’t bother to button it or put on my pants because snapping them up the sides would have taken too long. I hoped my shirt covered my bare ass. “This was a complete disaster. I injured the guest