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  You Bet Your Sass

  Melanie James

  You Bet Your Sass

  Summary

  Books by Melanie James

  Acknowledgements

  Dedication

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Chapter Twenty

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Epilogue

  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  Summary

  After losing a bet with Taavi Olsen, Lars Jakobsen finds himself on stage for a weekend doing something he never thought he’d do: Stripping for the ladies at one of Blue Creek’s most infamous establishments, The Horny Wolf.

  When the unmistakable sweet scent of his mate nearly knocks him on his ass, all bets are off. Or are they?

  Sofia Martinez wants a one-night stand, but Lars wants more. Will she keep him chasing his own tail? Or will they get their happily ever after?

  Books by Melanie James

  Literal Leigh Romance Diaries

  Accidental Leigh

  Serious Leigh

  Hopeful Leigh

  Haunting Leigh

  Joyful Leigh

  Disastrous Leigh

  Tales from the Paranormal Plantation

  Gertie’s Paranormal Plantation

  Back to the Fuchsia

  When You Witch Upon a Star

  Karma Inc. Files

  Karma Inc.

  Mission Impawsible: A Karma Inc. Novella

  Shame of Clones

  Black Paw Pack

  Fur Ever Yours

  Fur Ever Witched

  Black Paw Wolves

  A Hot Piece of Sass

  Twice the Sass

  You Bet Your Sass

  Éveiller Drive

  Ava & Will

  Kara & Dave

  Laura & Alan

  Jamie & Brad

  Ashley & Jeff

  Valerie & Greg

  Stand Alones

  Conjuring Darkness

  Snowflakes, Exes & Ohs

  Riverton Romance

  A Valentine’s Surprise

  A Deadly Obsession

  Acknowledgements

  Thank you to all of my readers for the continued support. You have given me more than you know!

  Dedication

  To my wonderful husband. Thank you for being my best friend, and always being there for me.

  Chapter One

  Lars Jakobsen looked around at his surroundings and wondered again why the fuck he’d ever made that stupid freaking bet with Taavi Olsen. He knew better. Seriously, knew better. Everyone knew better when it came to making wagers with Taavi. The boy always had a trick up his sleeve, and never failed to capitalize on it.

  “What the hell was I thinking?” Lars asked his wolf, suddenly feeling the need to bolt as Aric Wolfe approached with a knowing smirk on his face.

  “That there was no way that scrawny little fucker would beat us at our own game,” his wolf replied.

  “Bastard.”

  “I couldn’t have said it better.” His wolf huffed. “Let’s get this shit over with.”

  Agreeing with his wolf, Lars planted his feet, sucked in a deep breath, and held his ground. He knew damn well he had to man the fuck up and do what needed to be done. If he dared to so much as show his face without completing the challenge, he’d never live it down. Somehow, some way, the last laugh would be on Taavi. Lars would make damn sure of that.

  Besides, it’s not like he’d be totally naked, right?

  When he got back home to Black Paw he was going to kick Taavi’s balls up around his eyes. Twice.

  “You must be Lars.” Aric extended his hand, offering the customary greeting.

  “Unfortunately, I am.”

  “You look a little green. Are you sure you can do this?” Aric motioned to the stage, which Lars had yet to make eye contact with.

  “Let’s hope so. I’d hate to get up there and make an ass out of myself.”

  “Have you ever done something like this?” The skepticism was clear on Aric’s face.

  “Nope, but there’s a first time for everything, right?”

  “It’s not as bad as you might think. By the looks of it, you’ve got a decent body, and the chicks’ll dig that. Big time. Work the crowd and you’ll do well.”

  Lars scratched the stubble on his chin, trying like hell to hold back on the sarcasm, and failing. “Awesome.”

  Finally gathering up his nerve, Lars glanced at the stage for a glimpse of exactly what it was Aric expected of him, and his jaw nearly hit the damn floor. “Sweet Odin. Not that bad? Is he smoking crack? What the actual fuck? There is no motherfucking way I’m getting up there and doing that!”

  Bitching to his wolf about the buff guys in G-strings strutting around the stage like peacocks on the prowl was his only possible reaction. His beast would hopefully back him up, and have some sympathy. After all, they were one.

  Instead, his wolf rolled on the ground in a fit of laughter, looking more like a hyena than a rough and tough wolf.

  “Asshole.”

  “Are you sure you want to go through with this? From what I understand it was a bet that brought you here.”

  As much as he wanted to take Aric up on his offer and run away with his tail tucked between his legs like some punk-assed little bitch, he refrained. “I’ll figure it out. Thanks for the offer, though.”

  “Good. I’ve had three no-shows tonight. I’d probably end up herding you up on the stage against your will at this point anyway. I’m that desperate right now. Don’t worry, though—my right hand man, Jasper, is going to find you an outfit to wear, go over a few moves guaranteed to make the ladies squirm in their seats, and with a whole lot of luck get you up to speed as quick as he can.”

  “Thanks. I have no idea what the fuck I’m doing. I could use a few pointers.”

  “If you try to relax and have fun with it, you’ll do just fine. It’s all about showing off to the women, making them feel special, and having a good time.”

  Lars would try to remember those words—sweet Odin, how he would try.

  Making his way to the area just behind the stage was more difficult than Lars had imagined. Throngs of horny women blocked his path at damn near every step, allowing the women seated at the nearby tables to do a thorough inspection of the merchandise. A blush covered his face with each slap of his ass by a stranger.

  “If these women keep up the ass-grabbing and slapping, both sets of cheeks are going to be beet red,” his wolf teased.

  “Hush!” Lars warned his wolf, as he tried to keep his attention off of h
is stinging ass cheeks. Trepidation piled up in the pit of his stomach with each slow step he took. It left him wondering if he should consider himself a prude. No one had ever called him one before, nor had he considered himself to be one, yet here he was, dreading the thought of stripping for the horny, screaming women who filled the establishment.

  Lars had no idea where the fear came from. It wasn’t like he had a bad body or anything. He looked in the mirror from time to time and his eyes worked just fine. His six-pack abs, toned muscles, and tight ass didn’t come from hours spent at the gym. At Black Paw he liked to work hard and play even harder.

  Unlike Tad and Taavi during the height of their male-whore days, Lars was never one to strut around like a peacock on parade for the girls. Wanting to be a bit more discreet, he had always kept a low profile, not wanting everyone in the pack privy to the details of his latest hookup.

  “Almost there.” Aric pushed his way through a metal set of double doors.

  Lars breathed a sigh of relief as the doors clicked shut, muting the shouts and catcalls from the audience. Dear Odin, what the hell had he been thinking, making that bet with Taavi?

  “You must be Lars. Nice to meet you. I’m Jasper.”

  “I have a few things I need to take care of, so I’m going to leave you with Jasper. He’ll take good care of you, and if you have any questions, don’t forget to ask.”

  “Thanks.”

  “No problem. Hit me up before you leave tonight.”

  Chapter Two

  It feels so damn good to be home, Sofia Martinez thought as she kicked off her shoes and set her purse on the table, thankful the week from hell was over. Her feet hurt and her back ached. All she wanted was a nice long soak in the tub—and sleep—but that wasn’t going to happen. She’d promised her friends she’d head out on the town with them tonight. She had cancelled last time because her boyfriend wanted her to go out with him instead, so there was no way they’d let her off the hook this time.

  Turning the corner to the living room, Sofia came to a dead stop as sounds of heavy breathing filled the air.

  Motherfucker, she said to herself. A lump formed in her throat; her heart felt like it stopped beating. She sucked in a deep breath, forcing herself to continue on her path, no matter how bad the fallout would be. Bile rose in her throat at the sight she walked in on.

  “Are you fucking kidding me?” She shook her head in disgust. How could I have been so fucking stupid?

  “Baby, it’s not what you think, really. We were just—”

  “Oh really, Sam? Just what? Care to tell me what this,” Sofia motioned to her boyfriend lounging naked on the couch with a woman sprawled on top of him, “is then? Seriously? The only thing I see is my boyfriend banging a skank on my couch.”

  “Who are you calling a skank?” The woman rose up to her knees, straddling Sam. “You said she was a big girl, but I had no idea she was that big.”

  The woman’s cruel remark cut deep, hurting even worse than catching her boyfriend cheating, but she refused to let herself show even the smallest bit of emotion in front of Sam or his ho.

  “You’ve got five minutes to get out, and take your trash with you. Else I’m calling the police.”

  “I’m sorry you have to go through this again.” Her wolf, who had been uncharacteristically quiet, finally spoke up.

  Instead of responding to her wolf, Sofia grabbed her phone from her purse, ready to make good on her threat. She would have a pity party for herself later—right now there wasn’t a damn thing she wanted more than to get that man out of her home.

  “Sofia, you’ve got to listen to me, please.”

  “Save it, Sam. There’s nothing you can say that will change my mind. You need to hand over my keys and get the fuck out.”

  Her wolf’s snarl rose from her throat, a clear warning to Sam, telling him to back the fuck up. The woman nearly jumped out of her skin. “Wow, Sam. You really know how to pick them. No wonder she’s so ugly—she’s part dog.”

  Sofia could feel the glow in her eyes. Her wolf was on the verge of taking control of the situation, and Sofia couldn’t be held responsible for what her wolf might choose to do. Well, she could, but they didn’t need to know that.

  “Bitch, you need to get the fuck out of my house before I rip the heart right out of your flat chest.”

  The barb aimed at Sam’s lover was petty and Sofia knew it, but she didn’t care. She had zero fucks to give. There was nothing in the rulebook that stated she needed to be nice to anyone in her current predicament.

  Chapter Three

  With Sam and his bullshit gone, Sofia collapsed into a heap on her favorite chair. So many thoughts swirled around in her mind. Most of them involved anger of mass proportions, which in this instance was to be expected, and a whole lot of self-pity. Again, to be expected.

  Sofia knew the break-up with Sam wouldn’t be the end of her world. She’d lived through finding out she’d been cheated on before, on numerous occasions, and had grown to expect it in her relationships. Every man she’d ever dated had cheated on her. Why had she hoped Sam would be any different?

  The sound of the doorbell pulled her from her thoughts. “That’s odd. Who would be popping by at this hour?” Sofia asked her wolf.

  “You forgot girls’ night out.”

  “Shit!”

  Sofia jumped from the chair and sprinted to the door.

  “Girl, why are you still in your work clothes? Did you forget we were going out tonight?” Chloe asked as she strolled through the door, followed by Gabby and Alexa.

  “Where’s Sam at tonight? Did he finally get a life and find someone to hang out with?” Gabby asked. She had never been a big fan of Sam’s.

  Last through the door and always keenly aware of others’ emotions, Alexa wrapped her arms around Sofia and pulled her into a tight hug. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t want it to be true. You know that, right?”

  Sofia nodded.

  “What’s going on? Did we miss something?” Chloe looked to Gabby for answers.

  “I came home this evening and found Sam fucking some chick on the couch.” Just saying the words was like a kick in the gut, making Sofia feel sick all over again. It wasn’t that her heart was broken, because it wasn’t. She hadn’t been truly in love with Sam, which was probably part of the reason they had grown apart over the last few months.

  What tore Sofia up was the embarrassment of having to admit to another failed relationship. It ate away at her confidence.

  “What? Are you serious? What an asshole.” Chloe pulled Sofia into a hug.

  “I know you’re hurt and pissed right now, but please believe me when I tell you that you’re better off without him.” Gabby was the last to offer a hug and her support.

  “I knew things had been rocky between us lately, but I thought we were getting along okay. I didn’t think we were at the lying and cheating end-stage of the relationship.” Sofia chewed on her bottom lip, wondering if there were guys out there who were actually worth the hassle. Ones who wouldn’t cheat. “I think I’m going to stay home tonight. I really don’t want to face the world right now.”

  “Uh-uh. Not happening. What you need more than anything is a night out to get your mind off all the bullshit.” Chloe was the first to shoot down Sofia’s request to stay home.

  “And vodka. You need vodka.”

  “Lots and lots of vodka,” Gabby said, agreeing with Alexa.

  Chapter Four

  His heart pounded. “I look fucking ridiculous.”

  It was time for Lars to swallow his pride and do what needed to be done. The preposterous getup Jasper had stuck him in didn’t help matters one single bit. He felt like a clown. He would have probably felt better about the entire debacle had they chosen to actually dress him as a clown. But they hadn’t. Jasper had instead handed him a leather jacket, chaps, and boots. Chaps, for fuck’s sake! The feeling of fresh air hitting his ass while semi-clothed left him feeling a bit demoralized. Yeah, he’d
much rather take a pass on the entire situation.

  “Fucking bet. Fucking Taavi. I’m going to strangle that boy when we get home.”

  Lars reached around to fix the G-string for the thousandth time. It wasn’t like he could forget the damn thing. Gods knew he’d tried, but the tiny black string of Lycra shoved up the crack of his bare ass was the proverbial icing on the cake. It had to have been used as a medieval torture device.

  It took Lars far longer than he wanted to admit to when it came to finding a way to preserve what little dignity he had left, and keep his junk safely covered. He was determined that, come hell or high water, there would be no wardrobe malfunctions while he was shaking his ass on stage.

  The introduction to stripping Jasper had provided convinced Lars pretty fucking quickly that he had never been meant for this type of work. He hated being there. He also hated Jasper, and his sense of humor. Maybe ‘hate’ was too strong a word when it came to his feelings for Jasper. Had the man not insisted on Lars wearing the ridiculous biker getup, he might have liked him a bit better. Under completely different circumstances, that is.

  Just because he had a few tattoos didn’t mean he looked or acted like a biker. His close-cropped hair certainly didn’t suggest biker either. Hell, he’d rather shift and set his wolf free than ride a motorcycle.

  Lars shook his head as Jasper nodded in his direction. It was his cue that shit was about to get real: He was next up.

  “Fuck a goddamned duck. I don’t think I can do this.”

  “I’d rather not fuck a duck. Their quacks do nothing for me, but thanks for the offer.” His wolf had never been one to miss an opportunity for a bad joke and a bit of sarcasm. “You can and will do this, because I sure as hell am not going to submit to that little asshat’s puppy.”

  “That’s right. If I fail to make good on the bet you’ll have to show your submission to Taavi’s wolf.” Lars had to admit, Taavi had covered all bases when making the bet. By accepting the offer, each man had knowingly locked their wolves into the wager.