“We’ve been through this.” Gianna gave an exaggerated sigh. “You have to get back on this horse at some point.”
“I thought it was a bike.”
“I’m being serious. You want to have sex sometime, right? Like sometime in the next decade?”
“Yes, but…These people are into whips and tying each other up.”
“Damn, that’s hot.”
“Yeah, it is, and I’m not ready for anything like that.” Which was not the same as not wanting it. But after years of no sex, she wasn’t ready to jump in at the deep end.
Gianna was quiet for a moment, and Emily said, “I did have one idea, but maybe it’s terrible. What do you think people would say if my fantasy was watching other people have sex?”
“Like voyeurism? That’s perfect. Do you think you’ll get off watching them?”
“No. I mean, I don’t know. Maybe?”
The image of Madison naked and tied up popped in her head. Walking in on anyone having sex would have been unsettling, but she’d really been thrown when she’d recognized Alex and realized she was packing. That Katherine had a crop she seemed about to use on someone only put everything over the top.
It didn’t seem possible that something like that could happen in real life, something right from her fantasies. And yet as intimidated as she’d been, she’d also been turned on. Maybe if she wasn’t ready to participate, she could watch.
“You really think it works as a fantasy?”
“Definitely.”
“Gianna, I owe you. Thanks for picking up. I’m going to pee now.”
“Good luck, sweetie. And call me later. I want to hear everything.”
Chapter Fourteen
After dessert, the party moved downstairs to the bonus room and Emily rejoined the others there. No one seemed to notice she’d been gone, but as soon as she returned Katherine immediately cleared her throat and asked everyone to take a seat.
Emily spotted a black fedora on one of the coffee tables and guessed it was the infamous hat. Next to it was a notepad and several pens.
“Ready for this?” Shay asked. They rubbed their hands together. “It’s almost as good as Christmas.”
Emily sat down on the same sofa Shay had picked. Nicola sat next to her and, once everyone was settled, said, “I look forward to this more than Christmas.”
“Me too,” TJ seconded. She’d picked the sofa directly opposite them and Alex sat down next to her.
Between their almost argument at dinner and her anxiety over picking a fantasy, she wasn’t ready for the rush of arousal that came when Alex’s gaze settled on her. If only she could turn her attraction to someone else—ideally someone Katherine wasn’t in love with.
Emily scanned the room. There was Ava, of course, but she’d pulled Emily aside right after dinner and whispered she’d decided on a fantasy involving either Katherine or Lara. TJ was certainly as hot as Alex but seemed to only have eyes for Nicola. And, Emily had come to think of Nicola as too much of a confidante. Madison was beautiful and flirty, but her connection to Katherine, and Alex as well, made things too complicated there. Lara was a possibility, but Emily was still annoyed with her for the conversation over dinner. She’d realized the ribbing was more for Katherine, but she hadn’t appreciated being a part of it. The only other option was Shay, but Emily wasn’t up for a role-play fantasy. Well, technically there was one other option. Katherine.
What would happen if she went for Katherine? She shook her head before her mind ran with the idea. It wasn’t going to happen. Yes, Katherine was hot. But she worked for her. She couldn’t have sex with her and pretend everything was normal after. And that wasn’t the only problem. If she did anything with Katherine, she’d think of Alex.
Once Madison and Lara claimed the third sofa, Katherine picked up the notebook. “For most of you, this isn’t your first time,” she started. “You know all the rules.” She tore off several sheets of paper and handed them to Shay to pass out along with pens. “But we do have two virgins.”
Lara let out a whoop and started clapping. Emily knew her cheeks had gone scarlet, but Ava was smiling like she’d won an Oscar. When she stood and curtsied, all the attention was on her. Thank God for Ava.
Shay handed her one of the notebook pages and grinned. “Didn’t realize you’d be the main attraction?”
Emily didn’t get a chance to respond before Katherine was tapping her wineglass.
“As I was saying…” Katherine raised an eyebrow at Lara, who only laughed like she enjoyed the reprimand. “We do have rules we agree to follow. You’ve all been tested and sent me your results. Thank you for that. As you know, anything goes as long as it’s consensual. That means everyone picks a safe word. You can start with writing that word down now.”
Emily picked up her pen. She hadn’t anticipated needing a safe word, but one instantly came to mind. Raisins. Even the word looked unappetizing. So far, so good.
“Under your safe word, please write down your fantasy—”
“Or fantasies,” Lara interrupted.
Katherine narrowed her eyes at Lara and said, “As Lara likes to point out each time, more than one fantasy is fine, but I’m only going to read one. Once you’re finished, put your name on the back of the paper and drop it in the hat.”
“And, Shay, don’t write someone else’s name on your paper.” Lara chuckled.
“I was the virgin then,” Shay said. “I didn’t understand the rules. How many fantasies you got this time, Lara?”
“Three. But I’m thinking of adding a fourth because I do love me some pirates.”
When Shay sat down, Emily leaned over and whispered, “Why’d you write someone else’s name?”
Shay lifted a shoulder. “I thought we were supposed to write down who we wanted to have the fantasy with. Lara was the person I wanted to tie up. It didn’t go that way.” They laughed. “But it was a lot of fun.”
Emily stared at her paper. Everyone else was busy writing, but suddenly she had more questions. Once her fantasy went into the hat, what exactly happened next? How did they pick who to have sex with—or in her case, who she would watch? Would Katherine decide all that?
Her heart hammered when she stood up. She’d apparently finished first but didn’t want to hold on to the paper for appearance’s sake. She folded the sheet in half and then in half again before dropping the little rectangle into the hat.
Katherine immediately followed—apparently as quick with her writing or maybe as brief. Everyone else was still writing, and as Emily scanned the room, the only one who caught her eye was Katherine. Emily remembered the first moment she’d met Katherine. She’d been enamored with her then, though she’d fiercely kept that secret and tried not to let any attraction show. Now, as Katherine held her gaze, she wondered if she’d known all along.
Emily broke away, deciding her black polished heels were safer to stare at. Jazz music played in the background. A horn solo blended with the sound of the crackling fire and pens scratching paper. At least her fantasy wasn’t a terrible one and she wouldn’t be laughed out of the room. She took a steadying breath, then looked up from her heels to the one person her thoughts stubbornly kept returning to.
In her defense, it was hard to not look at Alex. They were sitting directly opposite each other, exactly like at dinner. Still, the flood of longing surprised her all over again. Why did she have to have it so bad for the one person who made everything more complicated?
Alex’s brow furrowed as she squinted at her paper. Emily couldn’t see what she’d written, but she told herself that it didn’t matter. She didn’t need to know Alex’s fantasy. She certainly wouldn’t be playing any part in it.
The door to the private room was closed, but Emily’s eyes strayed to it. Was Alex thinking of tying someone up again? But she’d already done that… Maybe when you’d done so many things it was harder to come up with a fantasy.
Alex was the last to finish, and Emily decided that alone answe
red her question. Been there, done that. Probably nothing was all that exciting when you’d tried everything.
* * *
Alex had never liked this part, but she knew how much the others did. Mostly it was the rules and the feeling that they were all at a middle school dance waiting to pick partners. Tonight was worse than ever. Her eyes were drawn back to Emily again and again, and each time she saw only coolness reflected. No way was Emily going to pick her.
“Now for the fun part,” Katherine said, reaching for the hat. She gave the hat a shake and then pulled out the first slip of paper. After she’d scanned both sides, she said, “Safe word is, ‘Corvette.’”
“That’s Madison, right?” Shay said.
Katherine gave Shay a piercing look, but before she could reprimand them, Madison tossed a pillow at Shay’s head. “You’re not supposed to know whose fantasy it is based on the safe word!”
“Well, you should’ve changed your word.”
“It’s not like a password with a reset button.” Madison threw her arms in the air. “If I use a different one each time, what happens when I forget?”
Alex couldn’t help laughing along with the others. Shay was sweet, although at times clueless.
“Oh.” Shay scratched their head. “I change my safe word every time. I never thought about what would happen if I forgot the word.”
“Relax, Shay, we all love you,” TJ said. “Although every time you do mess this hat thing up somehow.”
“Yeah, but if it’s not Shay getting in trouble, it’d be one of us,” Alex said, elbowing TJ.
“And Shay’s too cute to stay mad at for long,” Madison added. She stuck out her tongue at Shay, making it clear she wasn’t truly upset.
“Since apparently some of us have memorized all of our safe words, I’ll read those after we’ve picked partners for the fantasies.” Katherine eyed the paper again and read, “‘I’d liked to be spanked—’”
“Who wouldn’t?” Shay interrupted.
A round of laughs followed.
Katherine arched an eyebrow. “I’m not finished. Since we all know who this belongs to anyway, Madison would like to be spanked by a teacher who secretly has the hots for her. Who’s up for role-playing?”
Shay’s hand shot up in the air, followed by Lara’s. Katherine looked at Madison. “Would you like to pick, or shall I?”
“I’ll take both.”
“You only need one for this fantasy,” Katherine said. “Unless this is happening in the teachers’ lounge and you want someone to catch you in the act.”
“Ooh, I like that. Then definitely both. Shay and I have some things to settle, so they can be the one to catch me sucking off Lara.”
Lara whistled. “Hot damn.”
Shay narrowed their eyes at Lara but said, “Wait, so am I the teacher who gets to spank you?”
“You can try,” Madison returned evenly. “You’re the teacher who walks in while Lara’s schooling me on how to get her off. And you’re jealous. You say you’re gonna turn us both in and then I change your mind.”
Katherine reached into the hat again. “Big D, little s. In the sex dungeon. Ahem. Since there’s no sex dungeon, I’m assuming whoever wrote this was referring to the private room.”
“Otherwise known as the sex dungeon,” Lara said.
Alex caught Emily looking her direction. Was she into D/s play? How much experience did she have with kink?
“Anything the Dom wants?” Shay asked, looking right at Lara.
“Anything the submissive wants,” Lara said.
Shay and Madison both raised their hands. Ava tentatively wiggled her fingers in the air. “Is there an option for a possibly interested but nervous first-timer?”
“Always.” Lara smiled. “Everyone’s welcome in the dungeon.”
Shay said something to Emily that Alex couldn’t hear. She hoped Shay wasn’t encouraging Emily to join. Not that she could stop her—and she didn’t want to if that’s what Emily wanted. But if only they had a moment alone… It seemed like they’d come to an understanding at dinner, and Alex’s hopes had buoyed, yet by the time dessert was served, Emily’s mood had cooled again.
“Open invite? I might have to make an appearance myself,” Katherine said.
“The more the merrier,” Lara said. “You joining as a D?”
Katherine narrowed her eyes. “When have you known me to be submissive?”
TJ bumped Alex’s shoulder and subtly winked. The only person Katherine ever switched for was Alex. Lara knew that as well as everyone else. Well, the newbies wouldn’t know. Alex glanced at Emily again, wondering if she was thinking of what she’d seen in the private room earlier. That had been tame compared to what would go down with Lara and Katherine running a dungeon.
“We doing this tonight?” Shay asked.
Lara eyed Katherine for a moment and then nodded. “I’ll need some setup time, but I wouldn’t want to keep anyone waiting. Especially not you, Shay.”
Shay laughed. “So thoughtful. I’m not going to be able to stand later, am I?”
Katherine reached into the hat again and read, “A massage that turns dirty. Well, that leaves plenty to the imagination.” She flipped the paper over and read the back to herself, then added, “Whoever takes this one is in for a good time.”
Alex knew the fantasy belonged to TJ, but Emily’s eyes zipped right to hers. Did Emily think it was hers? Would she volunteer for it? If Alex could have picked anyone for Emily—other than herself, of course—it would have been TJ. Katherine looked Emily’s direction as well, and Alex wondered if she was thinking the same thing. Was that why she’d made the extra recommendation? Before Katherine could ask for volunteers, Nicola raised her hand.
Shay whispered loudly, “Is that one TJ’s?”
“I’d bet money on it,” Nicola said, not bothering to whisper.
“And you’d be right.” Katherine smiled. “You two look ready to devour each other. Try and leave a little for the rest of us, will you?”
TJ grinned. “I’ll try.”
“I won’t,” Nicola smoothly answered back.
As the others laughed, Katherine picked the next slip of paper. She scanned it and said, “Hmm. Okay. This person would like to watch. Considering how many of you are exhibitionists, I don’t think a voyeur will be any trouble at all. Anyone have any issues with an audience?”
Alex instinctively looked at Emily. Her blush gave her away. A voyeur didn’t exactly fit what she thought she knew about Emily, but clearly she had more to learn. Everyone in the room was shaking their head—no one minded being watched. Katherine didn’t single Emily out, which Alex was thankful for, and she wouldn’t bet that the others knew whose fantasy it was. The only problem was that Alex couldn’t exactly volunteer.
“I’ll leave it up to the person whose safe word is ‘raisins’ to decide who they’d like to watch.” Without waiting for Emily to say one way or the other, Katherine reached into the hat for another fantasy.
* * *
All that stress and it was over that fast? Emily could hardly believe it. She also had more questions. Was she allowed to simply walk around and watch everyone? Even in the private room? And what about Alex? Could she watch her have sex with someone?
As soon as Katherine had read her fantasy, she’d felt Alex’s gaze on her. Somehow, she’d known it was hers though no one else seemed to. And was it disappointment on her face? Emily thought it might be. Did that mean Alex had been waiting to volunteer for her fantasy and was disappointed that she couldn’t? Emily felt a pang of regret. Maybe she should have simply written what she really wanted.
“Well, I guess I can still be surprised,” Katherine said, breaking into Emily’s train of thought. “This person would like to have sex on the floor in front of a fire.”
A murmuring went round the room. Apparently, no one was exactly certain who had written the fantasy.
“Any takers?” Katherine looked right at Emily as she asked the questio
n.
Emily swallowed. It was a perfect fantasy. Exactly what she wanted, in fact. But with Katherine eyeing her, she couldn’t bring herself to raise her hand. What exactly would she be signing up for? There had to be a catch.
“Is that one yours?” Shay whispered.
Emily shook her head. It didn’t seem likely that it was Katherine’s fantasy either, given how she seemed truly surprised as she’d read it. Maybe it was Nicola’s or Ava’s? Maybe Katherine wanted to set her up with one of the two of them. She might have noticed that they’d already become friends. But Katherine hadn’t read Alex’s fantasy yet either.
“Can you give us a hint on the safe word?” Shay asked.
Katherine looked over at Alex and said, “Kiwi.”
So much for a hint.
TJ slapped Alex on the shoulder. “Of all the crazy mofo things you’ve done, you’re telling me you haven’t had sex in front of a goddamn fireplace?”
“Well…no.”
Lara turned to say something to Madison, Shay and Nicola started joking about sex on hot coals, and Katherine simply stared right at Alex. “Sometimes you skip over a few things,” Alex said over the noise.
“You like to keep us guessing,” Katherine said. “I’ll repeat, any takers?”
Ava’s, Madison’s, and Nicola’s hands went up. Shay’s went up a moment later. Emily looked over at Shay and mouthed, You too?
Shay shrugged and murmured, “Alex is worth it.”
Alex quickly said, “I wouldn’t mind all of you. One at a time. That’d be hot.”
“Because it’d be in front of a fire?” TJ shook her head. “I can’t believe I said that out loud. Alex, your bad jokes are wearing off on me.”
“My jokes aren’t bad.” When TJ raised her eyebrows, Alex playfully pushed her shoulder.
“To be clear, is this going to be an orgy?” Katherine asked. “Or would you rather I pick for you?”
“She’s waiting for someone else to raise her hand,” Lara said. She might have meant to say the words under her breath, but everyone heard, and the bite in her tone made Emily wonder what she was missing.
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