by Trent Evans
“I like this — whatever this is.”
“The Game.”
“Yeah, I guess. But there’s something I wanted to ask you.”
She could feel her mouth going dry, and she swallowed. Did she have the courage to bring this up? Would Keihl run screaming?
“What’s wrong, Kirsten? You’re frowning. Was I that bad?”
“Oh, God no — not that.” She rubbed her cheek against the warm cloth of his dress shirt. “I’ve been thinking about… this.”
“The Game.”
She nodded against his shirt.
Courage, Kirsten.
“Okay, what about it? Do you want to stop?”
“NO!”
Keihl laughed, hugging her closer to him. “Okay, okay, just asking.”
“Sorry.” She shook her head. “It’s just, as much as I like this, I don’t know how to say this.”
He took a deep breath, and she luxuriated in the sound under her ear.
“Tell me, Kirsten. I’m your husband. Whatever it is, we’ll figure it out.”
“I’ve been reading this book — I can’t believe I’m going to tell you this — and it goes over some things. Some things that I… that I think I want.”
“Oh?”
His hand pushed her chin up, and he tilted his head to look down upon her.
Just get it out, Kirsten. At least you can say you tried.
“What if The Game wasn’t a game anymore? What if I wanted more?”
He looked out the windows a moment, the light from the street lamps outside sparkling in his hazel eyes. “What do you have in mind?”
“This book. It actually showed me something. That what I… like. It isn’t so uncommon.”
He looked down at her again. “What do you mean?”
She closed her eyes, and nuzzled him again. “This is hard. Please just let me say this.”
“Okay.”
“In the book a very rich man takes on an innocent girl as his — submissive.”
His gaze snapped back down to hers. “What?”
“His submissive. You know what that is, right?”
“I’m not stupid, dear,” he said with a rueful quirk of his lips. “I know what it is. I’m just — why were you reading this book?”
“Joely loaned it to me.”
“Ah, I see. So, what are you saying? Is that something you want to try?”
“Yes,” she whispered, her heart pounding.
Facing the revealing of a deeply held fantasy to her husband was about the most terrifying thing she’d ever done.
He was silent for several agonizingly long moments, then drew a long breath.
“Keihl, talk to me. I don’t want to freak you out here. Tell me you aren’t freaked out.”
“No, I’m not freaked out. But I need to think about it, okay?”
Cold fear clutched her heart. She shouldn’t have said it! Fuck, she was so stupid.
“Look, if it’s not something you think you could do, just tell me. Please just talk to me. It’s not exactly easy to admit… something like this.”
He laid a finger over her lips, squeezing her chin. Her cunt stirred, and she held her breath.
“I didn’t say I didn’t want to try it. I just need to think about if I’m ready to.”
“When?”
“What do you mean when?”
“When will you decide?”
He sighed, and cupped her bottom with his hand. She felt his cock rising beneath her, the hardening flesh pressing against the back of her thigh.
“Let’s go to bed.”
Chapter Eight
“Thanks for seeing me, Tom.”
“No problem, buddy.” Tom sat down on the exam table, and Keihl leaned against the exam room sink.
“Is this too weird? I mean the nurses are probably wondering why a dude has an appointment with an OB.”
Tom chuckled. “You’d be surprised, pal. The nurses have seen it all. Don’t worry about it.”
Keihl paced the small room, his arms crossed over his navy suit.
“So, I wanted to talk to you about what you told me up at the house.”
“Ready to see more?”
Keihl didn’t miss the pleasure in Tom’s voice.
“Maybe someday.” Keihl turned and held out a hand, palm up. “But I need to talk about how. How it works.”
“Why are you asking me this?”
“Kirsten. She told me something a couple days ago, and I’m not sure what to do about it.”
“Okay, what is it? She having cold feet about the baby?”
Keihl shook his head. “She’s so fucking excited. I’m actually scared shitless about it, but at least I have eight more months to get used to the idea.”
“It’s perfectly natural. You’ll do great, Keihl. You love her, and you’ll love the baby too.”
Keihl glanced at him while he paced. “I hope you’re right, man.”
“What did she say that’s spooked you?”
“I didn’t say I’m spooked. Just because you minored in psych doesn’t mean you know shit.”
“Then you’d better tell me before I have to shrink that huge head.”
“Dick.”
Tom laughed, the paper on the table crinkling as he propped his thigh on a padded corner.
“She said she’s interested in… submission.”
“Really?” Tom’s voice was carefully modulated, neutral.
“Yeah, a little surprised. I mean, she’s a tough chick. A lot like Sharon in that regard.”
Tom nodded, steepling his fingers together across his lap.
“I mean, I’m not going to lie: we fucked like rabbits that night after she told me. Three times.” Keihl leaned against the counter again, looking down. “I shouldn’t have told you that.”
“It’s okay to admit that you liked it, Keihl.”
“Now, I really know I shouldn’t have told you that.”
“Look, you remember what I told you, don’t you? Do you want to see more? Learn more?”
Keihl looked at his friend, incredulous. Tom seemed as unperturbed as if they’d been talking about sports or the weather. Serene.
“Yeah, I guess. But I don’t want to touch or join in.”
“Look, but don’t touch? You sure?”
Keihl scowled.
Tom held up a hand. “Sorry, I shouldn’t be tempting you. I forget sometimes.”
“Forget about what? The fact that I’m a married man, faithful to his wife?”
“No. I forget that you guys aren’t where we are — yet.”
“What? Look, slow down. What do you mean?”
“My marriage to Sharon has… evolved, over the years.”
Keihl snorted. “I’d say so if you have her eating off of the floor.”
Tom was silent, his gaze fixed on Keihl.
“That was a shitty thing to say, Tom. I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be.” Tom lowered his voice. “What I mean is that I share Sharon with whomever I want. Anyone.”
“What? I thought you— “
“You thought I was just fucking with you when I offered to have Sharon take care of you, right?”
Keihl nodded, wincing.
“Nope. I was serious. She’s mine to do with as I please. I enjoy sharing her. I once loaned her out to a group of members who were going out on a hunting retreat.”
“Loaned? What the fuck, Tom. She’s not property.”
“Yes, she is. My property.”
“Jesus. That’s way beyond… what we’d consider. Sharing her?”
“That’s what I was getting at.” Tom tilted his head, an eyebrow raised. “Like I said, you guys aren’t there — yet.”
“Why does that matter? What does that have to do with this?”
Tom rubbed the back of his neck. “Because otherwise, I’d offer to have you come stay with us for a few days to see how it really works. I could even — train you. But you’d have to be able to “touch” Sharon in or
der for us to do that.”
“You mean ‘fuck’, don’t you?”
“Yes.”
Un-real.
“There is no way Kirsten would be okay with that. Shit, I’m not okay with it.”
“Maybe she will be, at some point.”
Keihl stared at his friend. “No, I mean it. Not happening. It’s just…”
“Now that I said it, you’re interested, thinking about it. Seeing where the road eventually leads.”
“Yeah, I guess. I shouldn’t have come. God, I’m an idiot.”
“Stop.” Tom’s voice was firm. “This is the first thing you need to learn.”
“What’s that?”
“You’re not evil, or fucked up for being interested. You’re not, so stop. She doesn’t need that from you.”
Keihl had never heard Tom talk like that before. Maybe it was yet another part of him that he’d kept from his long-time friend?
“How do you know what she needs?”
“She’s a sexual submissive. It’s kind of my job to know what they need. With time, you will too.”
Keihl bounced his hip away from the counter, running both hands over his face. “Why? Because she asked about something she read in a book?”
“Books, Keihl.”
“No, it was a book her friend gave her to read—”
“Listen to me. Connect the dots, my friend. You told me what you found on her e-reader. Now she’s bringing up trying submission.”
“Heh. Maybe she wants me to submit to her.”
Tom grinned. “Did you see any of that in the books you found?”
“Uh, no.”
Sadistic vampires, cowboys with very heavy hands, strict, no-nonsense husbands. No, not a submissive male to be found.
“Then I think you’re smart enough to draw your own conclusions about what she’s after.”
“What did you guys do? I mean, how did you start things — at the beginning?”
Tom looked down at his hands. “A lot like you guys, actually. Sharon was the one who brought it up. I can tell you all about it, but it’ll get a little… graphic.”
“Why stop now,” Keihl muttered, waving his hand.
“I don’t think I have time.” Tom looked up at the clock. “I’ve got a few more patients the rest of today. You want to meet for dinner? I won’t be able to until late, but if you’ve got nothing going on, I’ll buy.”
“Sure, Kirsten flew out this morning anyway. She won’t be home for a couple days.”
“All right then.” Tom’s dark eyes glinted. “I’ll call you later on.”
* * *
The restaurant was so loud Keihl wasn’t sure he’d be able to hear a word Tom said. It was a Mongolian grill place that was an institution in town. The food was unbelievable, cheap, and plentiful. Kirsten had expensive tastes in restaurants, and Keihl was fine with indulging them, but he missed a cold beer, good uncomplicated food, and time with his friend — despite the fact that his friend was apparently an industrial strength perv.
Pot calling the kettle black, don’t you think?
Keihl asked the server for a booth, and they were fortunate to get one tucked toward the back, furthest from the kitchen and the round, sizzling prep table that was the centerpiece of the place. The noise was at least tolerable.
“It’s been years since I’ve been to this place. Great call,” Tom said, digging into a steaming pile of noodles and vegetables.
“I keep trying to drag Kirsten here, but this is way too low-brow for her.”
“Classy lady.”
“Completely. Makes me wonder why she married me.”
Tom nodded, wiping his mouth with a napkin.
“All right, let’s get this over with.” Keihl took a drag from his bottle.
“Hey, I can just sit here and stuff my face if you don’t want to hear it.”
Keihl tapped the neck of his bottle against Tom’s beer. “Nope. Let’s hear it.”
“What exactly do you want to know?”
“How the fuck should I know? Tell me what you think I need to know.”
“What do you plan to do with Kirsten?”
Keihl looked at his friend a moment. “I have no idea. They don’t have manuals for this shit, do they?”
“So you do plan to try it?”
“Yes, but I have no clue what to do.”
“Be yourself.”
“Wow, sage advice that. How would I ever have gone on without that nugget of wisdom?”
“Prick.”
“Seriously, Tom. Be myself?”
“Yes. Do what comes to mind, regardless of whether or not you think it’s right or proper.”
“That’s it?” Keihl leaned his arm on the chair next to him. “Simple as that?”
“Essentially, yes. Dominance is doing what’s instinctive. You direct, she obeys.”
Keihl gulped, and took another drink.
The server came by the table, and Tom ordered another beer for each of them.
“So what? Order her around? Tell her to do the dishes?”
Tom lay his napkin on the table. “You’re a highly educated man, Keihl. Try again.”
He had to try something else. This was just too… weird.
“Maybe this isn’t going to work for me.”
“The first time it happened with us, Sharon asked me if I wanted to spank her.”
Keihl’s mouth gaped. “Uh, wow.”
“That was what I thought too. Had no idea. None.”
Keihl knew what he meant too. Reading through those books on Kirsten’s e-reader was like getting a glimpse into her mysterious mind. She tended to be a little bit aloof to most people, even with her own husband. And he really was surprised at the hidden little white-hot furnace that seemed to power her fantasies. A furnace drenched in dominance, submission, spanking and even slavery. He still wasn’t sure what to think about it.
Tom continued. “I just decided to do it one night. It was easier than I thought it would be, actually. And when I saw her ass covered in pink hand prints? Let’s just say a light bulb went off for me.”
“So, it just progressed from there? To… slavery?”
“Yes, but it took time — and a couple of false starts.”
Keihl raised an eyebrow.
“Sometimes I went a little too far,” Tom said, holding up his hands. “And she had to take a step back to decide what she wanted to do.”
“What happened?”
“The first was when I wanted to collar her.”
“Collar her?” He remembered seeing something about that in one of Kirsten’s books, but wasn’t entirely sure what it meant.
“Yes, it’s a very serious commitment between a Dominant and their submissive.”
“You guys were already married, so what was the point?”
“That’s the exact argument she made. It is like marriage, in a way, but deeper than that. She thought it was creepy at first, like I was reducing her to a dog.”
“Uh, I can kind of see her point.”
Tom grinned. “She came around eventually — and then some.”
“I don’t want to know,” Keihl said, waving his hand over the table.
“Yes, you do.” Tom dove into a plate of rice. “Damn, this is good.”
They ate in silence, yet immersed in the general din of the restaurant all around them. Their server cleared away the dishes, and left the check along with two fresh beers.
“I don’t know how we’re getting home,” Keihl said. “We’re both gonna be ripped if we keep this shit up.”
“You can just call Nathan for us then.”
“Speaking of that,” Keihl said, putting his beer down on the table. “You’re gonna have to tell me more about the Dominion Trust.”
Tom’s expression sobered, and he leveled a gaze at him from under dark brows. “Not here. We’ll talk at my place.”
“We’re going back to your place? I’m not that easy.”
“You wish, pal.”
/>
Keihl laughed, rubbing the bridge of his nose between thumb and finger. “I guess I probably can. Nobody at home.”
He missed her every time she was gone, though he’d never tell her that her absence affected him so, the stab of longing he felt every time she left for another trip. It was worse recently as they’d grown closer, even more so once they knew they were expecting. He didn’t think she should be traveling in her condition, but he was reticent to start dictating what she could do for her job.
Tom leaned back in his chair. “There’s a lot I haven’t told you yet, and I want to be sure I don’t overwhelm you with it all. Just be patient and you’ll learn all you need to know.”
“Cryptic.”
“For good reason.” Tom pushed his chair out, and stood. “Let’s get out of here. Give Nathan a call. You’ve still got his card, don’t you?”
Keihl frowned, trying to think through the haze of his buzz. “How did you know he gave me his card?”
“Because I told him to.”
“Tom, what the fuck is going on here?”
“Call Nathan, and I’ll tell you.”
Chapter Nine
“You’ve gotta be kidding me.”
Tom leaned into the open door, looking toward the driver’s seat. “Nathan, do you want to explain this?”
The hulking driver turned and leaned over the front seat. “Was in the middle of transporting her to Conall’s. Then you called.”
Tom turned back to Keihl, smiling. “See? Perfectly normal explanation.”
“Tom, this is insane.”
“No, it’s not. Just get in.” He pushed Keihl into the truck, closing the door and walking around to the other side.
“Mr. Warren, nice to see you again.”
“Hello, Nathan,” Keihl muttered, averting his gaze to look out of the deeply tinted windows. He felt the absurdity of the situation keenly. Just when he thought he’d seen it all, Tom and his cohorts upped the ante.
Tom slipped in to the other side of the back seat, slamming the door with a rush of cool air. He slapped a palm down on the bare thigh of their companion. A young woman, almost completely naked, sat in the middle of the back seat. Her wrists, bound together in thick leather manacles, lay neatly in her lap. She stared straight ahead, a stout collar of black leather around her neck forcing her to keep her chin raised. A snug mesh of netting encased the girl’s heavy breasts, the stricture of the netting huddling the globes together high on her chest. A cruel gag of dark leather stoppered her mouth, the corners of her lips compressed by straps that wrapped around the back of her head. Her blonde hair, cut into a short bob, would have accentuated a pretty face, were it not distorted by the strictures of the gag.