Breaking Rein (Horse Play Series Book 3)

by A. D. Ryan

  “I knew it!”

  Chapter 7. Winner Takes All

  It was my turn to be speechless as I tried—and failed—to wrap my head around what she was saying. “Wha—? I don’t—? How?”

  Willow looked at me like I was the crazy one, , her short black hair bobbing around her chin as she tilted her head to one side. “Give me a little credit, Madi. You weren’t drinking when we went camping, and you were pretty sick. I can put two and two together.”

  “Well, if you knew, why didn’t you say anything?”

  She laughed and pulled me into a tight hug. “Because you clearly had a reason for keeping it to yourselves, and I wasn’t going to steal your moment by telling you I knew. I did tell Brandon, though.”

  I turned to Brandon, who was smiling sheepishly. “Congrats, you two,” he said, hugging with one arm while giving Jensen an awkward left hand-to-right hand handshake.

  After a brief congratulatory period, we all put our bags in our designated rooms and piled into Brandon’s huge Navigator. Willow had made reservations for dinner at a popular restaurant downtown. There wasn’t much traffic, and I was thankful for it, because I was craving steak.

  Everyone but me indulged a glass or two of wine with their dinner, and while we enjoyed our meals, the topic of conversation veered toward the club Willow wanted us to go to the following night.

  As she was talking about it, she turned to me, the look in her eyes seeming worried. “You’ll be feeling okay, right? I figured we could go dancing while you were here.”

  Smiling, I nodded. Willow knew I hated to dance and that I wasn’t entirely skilled at it, but I didn’t want to spoil everyone’s fun. “Of course. I can’t wait … Really,” I assured her, hoping it came off as convincing. Jensen saw right through it, though, and shot me a knowing smirk. “I’ll even let you dress me up.”

  As I’d hoped, that seemed to gain a positive squeal from her. When we all finished our dinner, Brandon paid the bill, much to Jensen and Kyle’s chagrin. He simply told them that this weekend was on him and Willow, and that he didn’t want to hear anything else on the matter. Bellies full, and appetites satiated, we drove back to the apartment where Willow told me she had a surprise for me.

  It was my turn to squeal with delight when she led us all to the living room to see that she had hooked up her old Super Nintendo and had Tetris waiting for me to friggin’ own. Over the years, other gaming systems came out, rendering the older classics like Atari, Sega, and the original Nintendo systems obsolete, and some of them came out with Tetris, but none of them could ever compare to the hours and hours that Willow and I would spend playing on the Super Nintendo.

  “It’s only two-playered,” Kyle complained. “Xbox allows for more—and you can play online with even more players.”

  Turning to him with my hands on my hips, I cocked an eyebrow. “What’s the matter? Can’t stand to get beat face-to-face?” I challenged. Kyle was a big guy, and there wasn’t much I could do competition-wise to best him. I mean, judging by the fact that his arms were the size of me, I knew arm wrestling was out. Tetris was all I had.

  “You think you’re that good?” he asked, the right side of his mouth quirking upward.

  “Good enough to take you on,” I countered, egging him on.

  Narrowing his eyes, he accepted my challenge without question, clapping his hands together and rubbing them furiously. “Game on, Madikins. Be prepared to lose.”

  “Oh, we’ll see who the loser is,” I told him, plopping down on the floor and folding my right leg out to my side while placing my left foot flat on the floor so my chest rested against my thigh. I was fully aware of just how uncomfortable it looked, but it wasn’t to me; I’d been sitting that way for years.

  The game started, and it took a few minutes for me to find my groove, screwing up a few times by letting blocks fall where I didn’t intend for them to, or accidentally rotating them at the last minute—it wasn’t looking good for me. Kyle was doing surprisingly well, even going as far as to trash talk me from his position on the couch behind me.

  After clearing up my last jam, I started building up my stacks on the sides, leaving a narrow strip down the center where one of those tall, skinny pieces would fit nicely. However, the closer I got to the top, the more nervous I became about the possibility that I had royally screwed myself.

  “Madi, Madi, Madi,” Kyle taunted, probably shaking his smug head behind me. I couldn’t be sure since I was unable to turn around to glare at him without losing the game.

  I had room for maybe two or three pieces at the top of my stack on either side, and no sign of the damn pieces I needed. Didn’t they work on a rotational basis? What the hell was going on? I hadn’t seen the straight piece since halfway down the screen when I was building it up!

  Then, finally, it was as if the game got sick of hearing Kyle’s gloating and showed me a line-up of not one, not two, but three pieces! The game was over for Kyle before he even knew what was happening, and I jumped up, celebrating my flukish win with a dance that was probably better suited to the end-zone. Or private.

  “Oh yeah, oh yeah, oh yeah,” I chanted, smirking at him as I bounced around the living room. “I totally kicked your ass.” I could tell that Kyle was having trouble keeping the smile off his face—as was everyone else in the room.

  “You and me are going to have a rematch,” he told me. “You got lucky.”

  I shrugged. “Okay, but when I win again—”

  “You won’t,” he said, sounding pretty sure of himself.

  “Don’t you think we should let someone else have a turn?” I suggested.

  Kyle’s boisterous laughter filled the living room. “You that afraid to lose to me?”

  “All right, cocky-pants,” I said, turning on my heel and flopping down to the floor to resume my previous gaming position—this was serious business, after all. “Don’t hold back.”

  “Wouldn’t dream of it,” he responded, starting the next game.

  Having had a practice round (that’s what I was calling it since it was my first game in years), kicking his ass the second time was easier than the first. He was a good sport about it all, though, teasing me a little about having horseshoes and four-leaf clovers up my ass, but it was all in fun.

  We relinquished our controllers to Jensen and Willow next and watched a pretty evenly matched game. I knew Willow and I could play for hours, and that each and every game would be pretty even in score, so to see Jensen able to hold his own excited me. He would be a worthy adversary.

  We stayed up for a bit longer, passing around the controllers and playing those we hadn’t yet. I didn’t know what time it was as I was so lost in a game with Jensen—who had joined me on the floor, lying flat on his belly as he stared at the huge flat screen. The tip of his tongue was peeking out the side of his mouth as he concentrated on our game, and it made me snicker.

  For the third time that night, I lost (the first and second both being to Willow), and Jensen seemed to enjoy the feeling of winning. Pushing himself to his knees, he gloated as I turned around to find the room completely empty. When had that happened?

  “Where did everyone go?” I asked.

  Jensen smiled. “They said they were turning in, it is after one in the morning, after all.”

  “What?” I said, looking at the clock on the Blu-ray player. Yup, sure enough it was one twenty-four in the morning. We’d been playing for hours.

  “Should we turn in?” Jensen suggested.

  I considered it briefly; I was feeling pretty tired and was almost certain I’d played long enough that when I closed my eyes I’d still be seeing Tetris blocks.

  Then I had a positively devilish idea. “How about we have one more game. Winner takes all.”

  Jensen chuckled. “Were we wagering before now?” There was a brief pause where he stared at me before continuing. His grin widened, eyes scorching. “What exactly did you have in mind?”

  “Well,” I said, shifting until
I was on both knees and moving toward him. “If I win”—I wrapped my arms around his neck and lightly brushed my lips over his without making complete contact—“you’re going to do whatever I ask of you.”

  Jensen moaned, his hands moving to ensnare my hips as he locked his deep green eyes on mine. “Which would be?” he asked.

  “I guess you’ll have to wait and see when I win,” I teased, kissing him quickly.

  Before I could move to take my seat next to him, he stopped me. “And if I win? What do I get?”

  “Whatever you want.” His responding moan was all I needed to know he was game.

  “Maybe a hotel room would have been a good idea,” he said, his voice straining about as much as—if not more than—the front of his jeans.

  I smirked. “Are you saying you’re incapable of keeping it down?” I realized my Freudian slip only after it left my mouth, and Jensen grinned.

  “While I’d like to point out that it is anything but down at this point in time”—I snickered again as he spoke in a husky voice—“I’m going to accept your challenge and show you who’s boss. Out here … and in the bedroom.”

  This time when we played, Jensen sat next to me, one of his legs extended behind me. His body was so close to mine, I could feel his warmth, feel the way his every breath fanned over my neck; it made it hard to concentrate. I messed up more times than I cared to, but I was still doing okay. Until Jensen moved even closer. He was trying to distract me, and damn it, he was succeeding.

  Four more blocks fell, and every time I started to rotate them, Jensen would move less than an inch, his warm body brushing against mine and causing me to drop the block fast before I had gotten it in the right position. I had created quite the mess on my screen and was certain I wouldn’t be able to fix it before he won the round.

  As I predicted, Jensen won, shutting off the system and helping me to my feet before leading me down the hall and to our bedroom. I couldn’t say I was too upset that he’d won, because no matter what, I was getting some.

  The minute our door was closed, Jensen turned to me and smiled, his eyes hard and commanding as he spoke. “Strip.”

  Complying, I reached down and lifted my shirt over my head, tossing it playfully at him as he stood in front of the door while I stood at the foot of the bed. Next, I lowered my hands to my jeans and unfastened the button before letting them fall to the floor. I stepped out of them, removing my ankle socks next, and I stood before him in my bra and panties.

  “I. Said. Strip.” Each word was precise, and the way his tone lowered in tenor pulsed through my body, warming every inch of my skin and exciting me further. I wondered just how defiant I could be …

  Reaching behind me, I released the clasp to my bra and let it slide down my arms, joining my jeans at my feet. Our eyes locked as I looped my thumbs into my panties, pausing for just a moment, and I slowly lowered them over my hips.

  Now that I was naked, I started to wonder if having sex in Willow’s home bordered on inappropriate. I mean, I know she and Brandon had done so in my house, but she had lived with me back then, therefore it was her home too.

  Jensen stared at me, his eyes scorching a trail down the length of my naked body, lingering on my lower half. A shiver traveled through my frame, settling at the apex between my thighs. I was wet already, and he hadn’t even touched me. My hunger continued to build, my body itching to go to him.

  Clearly just as eager, Jensen crossed the room in two giant strides and pulled me to his body. Every hesitation I had about fucking him in Willow’s home evaporated, leaving only lust and love pulsing through my veins. His lips descended on mine, pressing firm before softening. Between kisses, I gasped for air, my hands moving down his body until I gripped the bottom of his shirt in my hands and started tugging it upward.

  After removing his shirt, Jensen turned me roughly to face the bed, and each tick of his zipper being lowered made my fingers twitch and my body ache with need and desperation. Heat flared beneath my skin as he ran his hands up my back, then back down my arms before gripping my waist firmly. My entire body trembled in anticipation when I felt his erection brush against my ass and his teeth nip at the shell of my ear. God, the feelings this man evoked in me were indescribable. I burned for him, and it felt like the only way to extinguish the flames was to smother myself in everything he had to offer me.

  I had to bite the inside of my cheek to hold back a whimper when his thumbs started to massage the flesh of my ass, his fingers digging into my hips simultaneously. His cock was still just resting against my backside as I fought like hell against the urge to push back and impale myself on him. The only thing stopping me was that I told him he would get to do whatever he wanted, so I would have to just be patient—he always made the wait worth it.

  Slowly, he moved his left hand over the swell of my backside and between my legs, running his talented fingers back and forth through the wetness that had accumulated because of him—for him. When he stopped to stroke my clit, his arm almost awkward between my legs, I groaned a little louder than I should have.

  “Now, now,” he warned, his voice low and gravelly. “You’re going to have to keep your voice down … unless you want everyone to know what we’re doing …”

  His hand stopped moving as he waited for my response, but I was having none of it, moving my hips and forcing his touch. “I think they all know we fuck,” I said brazenly, hearing him hiss behind me as his cock was now pressed firmly between us.

  Shockingly, I felt a sting before the sound of his hand (very lightly) slapping my butt registered. I gasped, turning my head to look at him. “Did you just …?” The heat from where his hand was rubbing my ass—soothing it—traveled through me, increasing the ache of my arousal. I had to squeeze my legs together as I registered what just happened. He fucking spanked me. What was even more surprising was I kind of liked it. Interesting …

  The scruff on Jensen’s jaw tickled my shoulder, moving in toward my neck before I felt his hot breath on my ear. “Was it okay?” he whispered, his voice husky, his dick harder against me—like that was even possible.

  I nodded—or tried to through the lust that clouded my senses—as I focused on the tingle that now resided on my backside. Using his other hand, Jensen’s fingers moved again, leaving my clit before circling my entrance and continuing … back. I inhaled sharply, not sure what to expect as he lightened his pressure before moving forward again, gathering more moisture and teasing once more. My legs began to tremble beneath me, and I found it hard to keep myself upright.

  “Bend over,” he growled. “Support yourself with your arms.” I nodded slowly, doing as he asked and looking over my shoulder as he watched me approvingly. “Very good, love.” His hand began to rub where he spanked me only moments before, and I wanted to ask him to do it again—which was weird. Meh, whatever …

  I had just opened my mouth to misspeak in hopes I’d earn (weird) another one, when I felt the tip of his erection moving between my legs, gently easing between my swollen and tingling flesh. He didn’t enter me right away, but what he was doing seemed to be increasing my pleasure as well as his.

  “Jensen …” I whispered breathlessly as his right hand moved around my body to tease me some more. “Oh, yes.” I rode the sensation of his fingers working my body like an amusement park ride, enjoying the way my stomach knotted in anticipation of my orgasm while his erection continued to slide back and fucking forth between my legs. God, it felt so good, and I found myself thrusting my hips back against him impatiently.

  We both gasped when my over-zealous action caused the tip of his cock to graze No-Man’s-Land, and I froze, unsure whether or not I should tell him I didn’t exactly hate it … So weird …

  Turned out I didn’t get the chance to before he pulled his hips back so he could align us … uh, properly? “Sorry,” he apologized softly, like I was horrified by what very nearly happened.

  The sensation of him pushing into me, filling and stretching me deli
ciously, was enough to force the incident from my mind for the time being. “’S ok …” I moaned quietly, focusing on the feeling of him slowly pumping away behind me, giving, taking and then giving some more …

  His hands came back to grip my hips, pulling me back to meet his forward thrusts as I clutched the blankets in my hands and bit the inside of my cheek to keep quiet as he fucked me hard and fast from behind. The room was filled with the soft sound of our skin slapping together, and it only made everything that much more erotic.

  “Put your legs together, baby,” Jensen panted, unrelenting in his manic thrusting as he worked us toward our release. I was so lost to pleasure, his instructions didn’t make sense at first, but the minute I did as he asked. I hummed in intense approval, and all it took were a few more deliberately rough thrusts into me before Jensen and I collapsed onto the bed in a mess of strangled cries of ecstasy, sweaty flesh, and numb, trembling limbs as we tried to catch our breath.

  Chapter 8. Roles Reversed

  “She’s been through a lot, you know,” Brandon said, taking another deep pull from his cigarette, the end lighting up and then fading as he leaned over the railing casually, looking down at the tiny people walking along the sidewalks below. I had no idea he even smoked until he mentioned heading outside.

  The girls had been gone all afternoon while the guys and I hung around the apartment. After cleaning up our lunch dishes, Brandon invited me out onto the terrace while he had a smoke. He invited Kyle, too, but Kyle chose to practice his Tetris skills. He apparently wasn’t going to “let” Madison beat him again.

  “Yeah,” I told him with a short nod. “I know.”

  “Look, I know we haven’t known each other that long, but I feel like I can be straight with you, Jensen.” Brandon’s firm tone kept my attention trained on him. “Madison’s like a little sister to me. She and Willow have been close their entire lives—she’s our family.” I nodded again, starting to wonder if that was all I was capable of doing as I struggled to swallow. “While I can’t know for sure, I’d bet you’ve got your own shit to wade through”—another firm nod from me; apparently Madison hadn’t shared my past with him—“but I’m telling you right now, if you hurt her …”