Page 139 of Sinning for Santa

“Do they know you’re here?”

They all shake their heads.

“No, sweetie. It’s safer for them as well as all of us if no one knows our location,” Miss Barber says, her smile warm when I glance her way again.

“Don’t you get lonely. What about… you know?” I lift my brows looking pointedly at Miss Barber who smirks knowingly.

“Sex? Oh, that’s not a problem here, sweetie. Have you seen all the men guarding us?”

All the women giggle and Allegra scoffs. “Speak for yourself. Apparently, I’m too young to be touched. Why can’t they save a woman with a teenage son? Ugh.” Allegra lulls her head back dramatically, and the women laugh at her. “You can all laugh all you like, but I have needs you know. Just ask my kitty.”

“No one here wants to talk to your kitty, Allegra.” Celeste cringes.

“I’ve told you a hundred times, Alle, I’ll talk to your kitty.” Eden grins, and Allegra waves her off.

“You don’t count. We fool around all the time. I want me a dic—”

“That’s enough!” Marilda leaps up, glancing at her son before glaring at Allegra. “Mind your language around Damon.”

“Fine, whatever.” Allegra slumps in her chair and sips on her mocktail

“So what about the women that jump over the cliff? Why did they do that?”

In unison, everyone turns to glare at Celeste.

“What?” She shrugs. “I was just being honest.” She doesn’t look concerned with their glares and Melissa rolls her eyes.

“Sadie was the only one to do that, Celeste, and she was beyond help. No one could save her from her demons.”

They all fall quiet, like they are remembering this Sadie woman who obviously took her own life.

I feel bad for ruining the mood.

“Enough about poor Sadie.” Miss Barber waves a dismissive hand. “I’m more interested in you, Jaxcen.”

“Oh, uhhh. There’s nothing interesting about me.”

“Pfft. As if.” Allegra waves a hand at me. “Devon brought you here as a guest. Aguest.” She enunciates the word guest like it’s important.

“And you stay in his suite.” Eden grins from ear to ear, wagging her brows.

“Uhhh. Yes.” I’m not entirely sure why this is a big deal, but Celeste, who obviously likes to say whatever comes to mind, fills me in.

“Devon has never brought his fucks back here.”

I gape and Marilda snaps, “Language, Celeste. Seriously you women act like we don’t go over this every damn week.”

“Marilda is right.” Miss Barber speaks up as Celeste goes to say something. “We need to remember there are children here.”

“I, ah… I’m not his…” I can’t string more than two words together, both from the shock of what Celeste said and being called out so plainly.

“Oh we know he’s protecting you from someone.” Natasha smirks. “I got that out of Bruno the second day you were here.”

“Tell them how you got it out of him.” Allegra giggles, and Natasha shrugs.

“He can never say no to a blowie.”

Marilda glares at Natasha, but Natasha just shrugs. “I could be talking about a blow fly, Ril, calm down. Damon has no idea what we are talking about.”

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