Playing His Way

by Erika Wilde

  Then she leaned back against his chest, her hands wandering and her body moving to the heavy, pulsing beat of the music as Def Leppard rasped the filthy lyrics to the song.

  From the view over her shoulder, Mac watched their reflection in the numerous mirrors in the room as Stephanie rocked and rolled her hips against his, and she fondled her breasts and nipples before her hand trailed down her stomach to her pussy. With her legs spread wide, he had an unfettered view of her sexy figure and those busy fingers circling her clit while his cock slid in and out of her gyrating body.

  Her eyes closed and her lips parted as she lost herself in the moment—in the dirty beat of the music, the way her body undulated against his . . . and how she fucked herself over and over on the thick column of flesh between her thighs, using him for her pleasure. Boldly. Brazenly. Shamelessly.

  It was one of the hottest sexual experiences of his life, and he hated it because it went against his grain, and loved it because he was utterly mesmerized by her, even if she was killing him. Jesus, this woman had him questioning all the sexual preferences he’d lived by for so many years. There were no toys or devices enhancing their desire. It was just the two of them. Skin on skin. Pleasure born from attraction and a chemistry that burned hotter and brighter every time they were together. For a man who normally had no issues controlling women, this woman was unraveling him, piece by piece.

  A wave of searing heat blasted through him, threatening his ability to hold back much longer as her back arched and her hips writhed against his, faster and faster, matching the tempo of her fingers plying her pussy, while soft, nearly desperate sounds fell from her lips. His stomach muscles tightened as he forced himself to wait for her, even as his hands continually tried to reach up to take over so he could slam into her the way he needed, but the handcuffs securing his wrists mocked his attempts to take charge.

  So he used his words instead to get her there quicker. “Grind down on me harder . . . deeper,” he commanded, his voice a hoarse rasp. “I want you to feel my cock inside of you for fucking days.”

  With what little leverage he had when she lifted a few inches, he punched his hips upward, thrusting back into her so hard and deep she cried out at the startling impact. Their bodies collided again and again, and as soon as she started to shudder and shake and moan in ecstasy, his orgasm followed suit. He came long and hard, his own groans of pleasure obscene and incendiary as the clenching of her internal muscles milked him dry.

  As they both came down from the high, and she turned her head to give him a lazy, satisfied smile, he was forced to admit that if there was one woman in the world who could handle him, it would be her.

  Chapter Nine

  Stephanie smiled as she pulled up the picture that Jillian had texted her of Kendall and Jase’s new baby boy, Oliver, who’d been born earlier that day after putting his momma through eighteen hours of hard labor. The nearly nine-pound infant’s face was pink and squished after his traumatic entrance into the world, his little features as of yet indistinguishable in terms of who he looked like most. At least to her.

  Another text came in from Jillian. He’s so sweet. Just holding him and smelling that powdery baby scent makes me want to have another one.

  That made Stephanie laugh, because Jillian was almost forty with two grown sons. She also loved her job as one of Stephanie’s designers, as well as enjoyed the freedom she now had in her marriage and life in general. It was hard to imagine her giving it all up to raise another child.

  Stephanie shot back a reply. Yeah, you might want to run that by your hubby. I don’t think he’d be too happy to have to share you again. Not even with a baby.

  Yeah, you’re right . . . But just wait until you see him and hold him. Baby fever, I’m telling you!

  It was easy to understand Jillian’s emotional reaction. When Stephanie’s sister had each of her babies, Stephanie had gone through a similar feeling . . . in that moment. There was something about holding an infant that brought out a woman’s maternal instincts, and she’d be lying if she said she hadn’t experienced that instinctual pang when her nieces had been delivered, because, well, babies. They were sweet and cuddly and their newborn scent was like pheromones to a woman’s uterus.

  But for as much as Stephanie loved her nieces and enjoyed spending time with them, she’d never felt like she needed a baby in her life to be fulfilled, like some women did. She’d never had that biological-clock-ticking feeling, whereas her sister, Abby, had been all about having kids as soon as she was married. In fact, Abby’s firstborn had been a honeymoon baby, that’s how anxious her sister had been to start a family. And that was her life now . . . being a stay-at-home wife and mother, and Abby loved every minute of it.

  Jillian’s next text interrupted her thoughts. Are you coming by to see the baby today?

  Stephanie quickly typed out her response. Yes. I have a few more things to finish at the club, then I’ll head over to the hospital to visit Kendall and the baby.

  I’ll let her know, since I’m in her hospital room with her right now. Jillian followed that text with an emoticon of a baby sucking on a pacifier.

  Stephanie grinned in amusement at Jillian’s new obsession with baby Oliver. Okay. TTYL

  After tucking her cell phone back into her purse, Stephanie returned her attention back to the last few things she needed to get done in the Fifty Shades themed fantasy suite . . . and the very last room to be finished. Which meant, according to Mac, that their playtime was also coming to an end. Stephanie intended to change his mind.

  A week and a half had flown by since their evening in the Stripper’s Den, when they’d struck an agreement to enjoy their sexual attraction until her job at The Players Club was done. Well, that had been Mac’s deal, not hers. She’d just gone along with his proposal because she’d wanted him any way she could have him and believed it would buy her time to show him just how compatible they really were. Not just when it came to the sex, which was phenomenal. But the two of them on a more personal level. Their conversations were easy and relaxed, and he smiled and laughed more often around her than he ever had. He just got her, more than any other man she’d dated, and she could feel herself falling for him every single time they were together. Her heart was already halfway in love with him, maybe even more.

  She’d like to think that all these subtle changes were just the beginning of something bigger and better between them. She didn’t want any part of their relationship to end, and if she had her way, it wouldn’t. Mac, however, was a whole different story. She’d like to think that they were on the same page after the few weeks they’d spent together, but he wasn’t an easy man to read and there was no way of knowing where his thoughts were until she forced him to confront them.

  And that was going to happen sooner rather than later, because they were down to the last themed room. She wasn’t ashamed to admit that he’d fucked her in all the others as she’d revealed them, and each successive time seemed to be hotter than the last . . . in fantasy and in reality.

  But she wanted Mac in this Red Room of Pain the most, because she thought it represented the two of them the best, and she was hopeful that a night in this final suite would be a turning point for them and their relationship. She definitely had a go big or go home attitude about what she had planned for them in this suite—his dominance, her utter and complete submission—and it would either make them or break them.

  But it wasn’t going to be tonight, as she’d anticipated. Their last fantasy would have to wait, because plans had changed due to Kendall and Jase’s baby being born.

  She walked out of the Fifty Shades room and closed and locked the door, then put the key into her purse, because the first time that Mac saw the inside of the suite, she wanted to be present . . . to see his reaction and be there when he decided what he was going to do to her and with her first.

  A delicious heat coursed through her at the thought, because there were a hundred different things in that room that would m
ake a dominant man like him very, very happy. Which, in turn, would make her very, very happy, because he never failed to satisfy.

  Smiling and feeling good about everything, she withdrew her cell phone from her bag and sent Mac a text. Don’t come by the club this evening like we talked about. Kendall had her baby this morning and I’m going to head over to the hospital to see her tonight.

  A series of bubbles popped up on her screen before his reply came through. I’ll probably do the same thing in a bit, since Jase is there, too. So I’ll see you at the hospital.

  Sounds good.

  They might not be fulfilling their one last fantasy tonight, but Stephanie realized she was just as happy to be spending time with Mac outside of the club.

  Yeah, she definitely had it bad for him.

  * * *

  Mac walked through the corridors of the maternity ward at the hospital toward the private suite where the nurse had indicated Kendall’s room was located. He passed pregnant ladies walking the halls, moans—and occasional screams—of women in labor drifting from various rooms, and the wail of cranky infants piercing his ears. He couldn’t remember feeling so uncomfortable in a public place, but he was genuinely happy for Jase and his wife and wanted to congratulate the two of them in person—although a part of him was disappointed that Stephanie had cancelled the Fifty Shades room reveal that she’d scheduled for this evening at the club.

  Since it was Wednesday, the club was closed, which would have been the perfect opportunity to have the place to themselves. Since the night that Stephanie had seduced him in the Stripper’s Den, they’d enjoyed christening each and every one of the fantasy suites. Some of the scenes they’d played out had been erotic, a few playful and fun, and others downright dirty and raunchy.

  He’d learned that his girl was game for anything, that she trusted him implicitly, and that lack of inhibitions only enhanced their connection, which he couldn’t deny had grown increasingly stronger over the past few weeks. He’d known Stephanie a year, but the past month had been one revelation after another about who she was as a person, and it had shifted his feelings for her in a way no other woman had managed to touch since his divorce.

  Then again, Stephanie wasn’t just any ordinary woman and he certainly couldn’t label her as submissive either—unless she chose to be, he thought as a smile tugged at his lips. She was a fascinating mix of vixen, sweetness, naughtiness, and a whole lot of stubborn attitude tossed in for good measure. The intriguing combination of personality traits turned him on every single fucking time.

  Things were great . . . almost too good and perfect, and for as much as he was enjoying his time with Stephanie, there was always that nagging voice in the back of his head that he had to constantly battle because of the odds stacked against them. But day by day, and the more time he spent with Stephanie, the more those doubts were gradually being alleviated, and it felt good to let down those walls and let her into that place he’d shut off to women all those years ago.

  He heard Stephanie’s sparkling laughter right before he reached the open door to Kendall’s room, and a satisfying warmth spread through him at the familiar sound that never failed to make him feel equally light and happy inside—imagine that. With a smile on his face, he turned the corner and entered the room, his gaze taking in the scene before him—a tired-looking Kendall sitting up in the hospital bed with Jase standing on one side with his fingers entwined with his wife’s, and Stephanie on the other side holding baby Oliver, who was wrapped in a soft blue blanket.

  Since Stephanie was facing the doorway, she saw him first, and gave him a delighted smile that he was certain was meant more for the bundle in her arms than him. “Hey, Brent.”

  “Brent?” Kendall asked, glancing at Mac in confusion, as if she’d expected to see someone other than him.

  “It’s my real name,” he clarified. He’d gotten used to Stephanie calling him Brent and liked that it was reserved for just her, but other people were still getting used to hearing it.

  “Oh.” Surprise lit Kendall’s eyes. “I didn’t know that, but the name suits you.”

  “Thank you?” he said, and laughed, then handed Jase the bottle of Macallan he’d brought for the new dad. “Congrats to both of you.”

  Jase shook Mac’s hand, a proud grin on his face. “Thanks, man. Appreciate it.”

  “The gift basket from Noble and Associates just arrived,” Kendall said, pointing to the huge woven basket overflowing with a variety of things for a baby boy that looked as though it had cost a small fortune. “Thank you for sending it. That was so thoughtful.”

  “Umm, yeah. Happy to do it.” He’d have to remember to pass on that gratitude to Gail, their receptionist, since she’d been the one to order and send the gift on his and Dean’s behalf.

  “Oh, my God, Brent. This baby is just the sweetest, most precious thing ever,” Stephanie said on an affectionate sigh, her fond gaze taking in the infant’s face peeking out from the blanket before she glanced up at him from across the hospital bed. “Would you like to hold him?”

  He automatically stiffened and pushed his hands into the front pockets of his slacks. In his entire life, he’d never held a newborn, and the thought of being responsible for a squirming baby was damn intimidating. “No, that’s okay. I’m good.”

  “You’re missing out on that sweet newborn smell,” she said with a smile, then nuzzled her nose against Oliver’s fuzzy head and inhaled the baby’s scent before placing a soft kiss on his forehead.

  The baby wriggled and made a fussy squeaking cry that made her and Kendall laugh. Mac watched as Stephanie talked softly to Oliver, even cooing at him while rubbing a fingertip to his little chin, and the infant quickly settled back down and quieted.

  “You’re like a baby whisperer,” Jase said in awe.

  Stephanie shrugged. “I’ve had a lot of practice. I have two nieces, and I spent a lot of time with them during that newborn stage when my sister needed a break or a nap or a shower,” she said humorously. “But honestly, I love babies and I enjoyed every minute of helping my sister with them.”

  Her words, combined with the affectionate tone of her voice, made Mac feel as though he’d just been punched in the stomach. As he listened to Stephanie talk with Kendall about the baby and caught snippets of their conversation, that unease grew to startling proportions. He’s such a good baby . . . Seeing his cute little face in person, I think he has your eyes and Jase’s nose . . . I can see what Jillian meant about baby fever, because this could get a woman’s biological clock ticking.

  That last comment blindsided him. It was a harsh slap-in-the-face kind of wake-up call—the one he’d spent the past few weeks believing didn’t matter or wasn’t important or wouldn’t be an issue, when he knew damn well Stephanie’s ability to have babies, a family, would matter, because it was important and would be an issue someday. Hell, it was a fucking issue right now. He’d just let his desire and feelings for her get in the way of his common sense.

  Because no matter how he felt about Stephanie, this was the one thing he’d never, ever be able to give her. By his own choice. And he cared enough about her that he’d wouldn’t deny her that opportunity, which meant ending things between them as he should have weeks ago. Any more time with her would be pure selfishness on his part and would only draw out the inevitable, and that wasn’t fair to her.

  His chest hurt, and he had to resist the urge to rub the sharp pang that was making it hard to breathe. The twisting pain was excruciating and he suddenly realized why . . . because, holy shit, somehow, someway, he’d fallen in love with her. And it was going to devastate him to let this very special woman go.

  The next half hour passed in a fog for him. Watching Stephanie with Oliver and wishing he could put that kind of look of adoration on her face. Attempting to stay engaged in the conversations around him, even as his mind was already preparing him for the discussion he needed to have with Stephanie as soon as they left the hospital. And trying to figure out
how he was going to go back to the way it had been before this woman had changed his life in so many ways.

  When the nurse finally came in to check on Kendall, who was looking more exhausted than before, Stephanie and Mac decided it was time to leave so the new mom could get some rest. They said their good-byes and rode the elevator back down to the first floor, then headed out the double doors to the walkway that led to the parking lot.

  Stephanie slid her arm through the crook of his, leaned close, and glanced up at him with a sultry expression he forced himself to ignore. Because he knew that look and was well aware of what was coming next.

  “So . . . it’s still early,” she murmured, her voice suddenly husky. “How about we go back to The Players Club and I can give you your first real look at the completed Fifty Shades room?”

  He knew what that meant, could easily imagine indulging in that fantasy with Stephanie, and his body was totally on board. His conscience, however, couldn’t let him take advantage of her or the situation. Not when he’d made the decision to end their affair.

  He shook his head. “Stephanie . . . we need to talk.”

  She blinked at him in surprise, clearly not expecting that particular reply. “That sounds so serious.”

  “It is.” There was no point in sugarcoating the truth.

  “Are you okay?” she asked, her tone now concerned.

  No, he was fucking dying inside. “Let’s go sit over here,” he said instead as he led her to a private courtyard with a few benches and lamps that were already lit, even though the sun hadn’t fully set yet. The area was currently unoccupied, and he walked her over to a bench where they both sat down.

  “Brent . . . ” Genuine worry tinged her voice as she searched his expression, which he made sure didn’t reveal his turmoil. “What is it? What’s going on?”