Seduced by the Game

by editor Lisa Hollett

  He went still and she could tell by the way his eyes widened, by the way his grip on her hand tightened, that he understood. There were Doms who didn’t understand how liberating a punishment that gave a clean slate could be.

  But he wasn’t a Dom. He’d stood on both sides of the leash, and he really, truly could appreciate what she needed for them both.

  “I agree.” Tim brought her hand to his lips and kissed her knuckles. Then he lowered his hands to his sides and held on to the chair exactly as she’d instructed. “I’m sorry.”

  “I know.” She bit her bottom lip, nodding back at Dean before putting her hands on Tim’s knees to brace herself. Dean placed his hand on the small of her back, a solid, supportive gesture before he folded her skirt up to bare her ass and thighs. She pressed her eyes shut, prepared for the heavy thud.

  Tim cursed under his breath.

  The flogger cut through the air with barely a sound. Hit the fleshy part of her thigh with a Whack! A vicious sting, slicing like a white-hot razor. Another on the other side. She hissed through her teeth, her legs shaking as she fought not to drop to her knees to escape the pain. By the fifth, the pain had shifted faster than it ever did, with the dull pain of a leather flogger coming down with harder and harder thuds. There was a sweet edge to the heat, tantalizing her nerves until she was rising up to meet each strike of the falls.

  Dean laughed and dropped the flogger by her feet. A rubber flogger.

  You son of a—

  No, Madeline wouldn’t insult his mother. She was Tim’s mother, too.

  Asshole!

  Tapping her butt lightly, then taking hold of her wrist to pull her up straight, Dean spoke softly. “I could have drawn that out a little longer, but I wanted to end it on a pleasant note. And he’s suffered enough.”

  Her behind throbbed, but she dismissed it as she followed Dean’s gaze to where Tim was sitting at the edge of the seat, his white-knuckled grip seeming to be the only thing that kept him there. He looked like he wanted to kill his older brother.

  “I’m all right.” She pressed her hand to Tim’s cheek and kissed him, long and slow, relieved with how quickly he responded to her. “I have been punished before.”

  Helpful as ever, Dean came up to her side with a smirk on his lips. “She liked it.”

  Rolling her eyes, Madeline held her hand out. “Could you pass me a flogger, Dean? And not the rubber one?”

  “I wouldn’t have you start on him with a rubber one.” Dean reached into his bag and took out a midsized flogger with long black and red suede falls about the length of her forearm. He smiled as he handed it to her. “You can keep this one. It’s new, a gift from a Domme I trained. She made it herself, but I didn’t have the heart to tell her the strands are too short for the impact play I do.”

  Considering the rubber flogger he’d used on her, Madeline wasn’t surprised. But she was feeling a little airy and quite happy. A nice rush of endorphins.

  Maybe he’s not really an asshole. He can be…decent.

  “Thank you.”

  “You’re very welcome. Now, stand facing Tim, feet shoulder-width apart.” Dean shook his head as she did as he asked. “No, not like you’re waiting for a bus. Like you’re a queen, tall and proud. Yes, that’s better. Find the hand you feel most comfortable with.”

  Her whole body quivered with excitement. She looked at Tim and laughed when he grinned at her. If she hadn’t felt magnificent with the stance, his appreciative gaze, so full of heat and something close to worship, would have done it.

  “We’re going to keep this light. Trail the flogger over his flesh and…” Dean stopped and cleared his throat. When she turned to him, he was staring at the wall. “I apologize. This is awkward. You can try a few light thuds by running the falls through your hand. Aim at the same spot every time. When you practice, use a pillow to see if you can go harder with accuracy. I’ll show you further techniques when my brother isn’t sitting in front of us almost naked with a fucking hard-on.”

  Struggling not to laugh again, this time at Dean’s discomfort, Madeline gently teased Tim with the soft suede, running the falls up his thigh, avoiding his swelling dick and letting them drift over his chest. She made them sway with a playful flick of her wrist. Wrapped one arm around Tim’s neck and kissed him as she flicked the flogger against the side of his leg.

  A little harder than intended. She winced as half the falls hit her own leg.

  Dean groaned and took the flogger away from her. “The lesson is over. My pupils don’t accidentally flog themselves. No toys for you two tonight.”

  Tim dropped his head back as she slid her hands between them and cupped his balls through his boxers. “We don’t need them.”

  She knew Dean had walked away, but she realized Tim was right. She’d taken over all on her own, and right now, no tools or toys or instructions were needed. She knew what she wanted and exactly how to get it.

  Every scene she’d ever participated in had tapped into the passive side of her that was so eager to please. This, this was different and exciting. Instead of giving, she could take. Tim wasn’t as big as his brother, but he was still strong. She couldn’t physically overpower him, could do nothing if he decided he wanted the control back. But that was part of the thrill.

  At this moment, he would do anything she asked. In a breath he could flip her on her back and demand she give in to his every desire. She couldn’t decide which she wanted more.

  The wonderful thing was, she didn’t have to. She could simply go with whatever felt right.

  Thigh muscles hardening as she straddled his lap, Tim tipped his head back as she kissed and bit along his throat, giving her better access. She tasted his pulse under her tongue and undulated her hips to feel it race. A little past the thick vein his neck muscles were tight and hard. She kissed him there, opening her mouth to lightly suck, then bit down hard.

  His whole body jerked. He groaned and the sound traveled through her like an intimate touch slipping from low in her belly to the moist heat between her thighs. She leaned back a little, smiling at him as she slid her hand into her panties to touch herself and ease the needy ache building more and more with every second she drew this out.

  He licked his lips and dropped his gaze to her hand. “Madeline, you’re killing me.”

  “You.” She arched her body, riding her fingers, her tone breathless as she brought herself to the very edge of climax. “Do not have permission to speak.”

  He let out a hungry growl and she had to withdraw her fingers before she came. Years of playing had taught her to read her own body well, and the right touch, the right sound, would set her off. But she wasn’t ready to let go just yet. She flicked her tongue over his moist lips and rose, stepping back so she could remove her panties. Bending over, she hooked her fingers to the elastic of his boxer briefs. He didn’t wait to be told to lift his hips.

  She had him completely naked, available for however she wanted to use him. She took a moment to enjoy the sight of him, his skin a light golden shade, as though he spent some of his time in the Southern states in the sun, but not much. His body was toned, but he didn’t have a cut six-pack, just nice definition under a light brown sprinkling of curly hair. And his dick…she lowered herself slowly to her knees, running her hands up his thighs, admiring the length of him, slightly darker than the rest of his skin with the blood pulsing into the thick head of his cock.

  “Yes.” Tim whispered as she kissed him, just the slightest brush of her lips at the top of his feverishly hot dick. He was behaving so well, keeping his hands where they belonged, so she wouldn’t chastise him for that one word.

  No, she would reward him for his surrender. He wasn’t demanding more. She could feel him trembling with desire, but as she took him in her mouth, he didn’t attempt to thrust in. To take more.

  A slightly salty slickness filled the slit under her tongue. She lapped it up, then opened her mouth wide to take him in, using only her lips on him. Her gaze on
his face, her own body responded to the lust in his eyes, in his every breath, in how hard he fought to remain perfectly still. She slid up, then down, changing the pressure of her tongue on the underside of his cock with each pass.

  Her knees were a little sore, but she liked that. The ache kept her grounded, kept her from going too fast as she savored the texture of his flesh, the heat. The way her lips stretched around him as she took him deeper and deeper had her pussy tightening, craving the fullness he could give her. She swallowed around him as he hit the back of her throat, and brought her hand up to squeeze his balls when he shuddered and his thighs clenched against her shoulders.

  She released him with a long, slow suck as she lifted her head. Stared up at him. Loving the unrestrained passion in his eyes. Desperate to feel it. “Let go of the chair, Tim. Touch me.”

  He lifted her even as he lunged out of the chair, his knees hitting the floor hard while he carefully lowered her to the floor. He kissed her, his tongue exploring her mouth as he freed her breasts from the top of her corset. He cupped her breasts in his hands and bent over her to bury his face between them. The shift in control had her shifting restlessly beneath him, the ache between her thighs almost painful as he pressed against her, not trying to thrust in, but pleasuring her with the slick glide of his dick between her wet folds.

  “I want you so fucking bad, Madeline. It killed me not to touch you before, but the way you looked, like a Goddess.” He caught a hard nipple with his teeth and tugged, shooting a sweet pain into her breast. “You’re not a sub. You wield control so naturally, so beautifully.”

  His suction on her nipple made her whimper with need. She clawed at his back as he stretched her flesh in his mouth. “But this is perfect. Not always me, right?”

  She wasn’t sure if that made any sense, her brain had ceased functioning, but he made a muffled sound of agreement as he moved to her other breast.

  “Not always you. Whatever feels good.” He reached out blindly, slapping the floor before pushing off her. “He left his bag.”

  Tim not touching her was not working for her. She pushed up on her elbows to see what he was doing. “Dean? You’re worried about your brother forgetting his things? Now?”

  “No, I need the bag for… There we go.” He plucked out a condom and lunged at her. “Fuck my brother. I have what I need.”

  She laughed as he tried to kiss her and open the condom at the same time. “No thank you. And give me that.”

  He grinned at her, then bent down to kiss her throat. “I have done this before.”

  “You’re a mess.” She snatched the condom and shoved him off her. For some reason, their play being lighthearted and fun aroused her even more. She’d never laughed or smiled or talked to a man so much before sex. Anything that didn’t go perfectly had always killed the mood, but she was pretty sure the warehouse collapsing on their heads wouldn’t slow them down at all. She climbed over him as he lay on his back and took a firm grip of his dick before covering him. “And you’re beautiful.”

  “Men aren’t beautiful, love.” He gathered her in his arms, her hair in his hands, his lips pressed to hers as she held him between her thighs. “I love you.”

  She shook her head, trying to bite back the smile that wanted to spread across her face. “Only teenagers start saying that so fast. We shouldn’t—”

  “Tell me you don’t love me.” He tugged at her hair when she tried to distract him by easing herself down on him. “Say it.”

  “No.” She bent down and bit his bottom lip, letting her smile loose. Then she took him into her body with a swift dip of her hips. “I won’t lie to you, Tim.”

  There was a coolness in the room, breaking through the patchy warmth from the heaters, but her skin, and his, was slick with sweat. The rise and fall of her hips dragged her closer and closer to the edge until the pleasure boiled out of control like a pot of broth on a burner set on high. Everything inside her locked down on the sensation, torn between wanting more and resisting the overwhelming ecstasy. She couldn’t force herself over.

  Winding her hair around his hand and pulling her head back, Tim kissed her throat and slammed up into her, over and over until she cried out. Wave after wave, billowing through her mercilessly, stealing all her strength.

  In a swift motion, Tim brought her onto her back, still kissing her, still moving. His thrusts became erratic, but he couldn’t seem to find his release. He slipped his hand between them and stroked her clit, sparking the flames within yet again. His need to satisfy her reached beyond her aroused body and gave them a connection that was so much more fulfilling than just getting off.

  She latched her hands behind his neck, pressing her sweat-slicked lips to his, her every inhale and exhale mingling with his. “Come with me, Tim. I want to feel you let go.”

  He nipped her bottom lip, then moaned as she clenched all the muscles within. His fingers found the perfect rhythm to set her off. She dug her nails into his ass with the final thrust and he shouted as he came.

  They lay on the floor next to each other for what seemed like a very long time. He got up first, but didn’t go far. He covered her breasts, then found some baby wipes in his brother’s toy bag to clean them both.

  For some reason, even dressed and sated, she couldn’t stop touching him. A brush of her fingers on the back of his hand, a nudge with her elbow as they walked and his hand slipped from the small of her back to her butt, her head against his chest when they stopped to watch Silverfalls whip one of the two subs she’d chosen to play with for the night.

  They brought Dean’s bag to him and went to fetch their coats. Outside, Madeline hesitated and looked around for Tim’s car in the parking lot. When it occurred to her that he might have gotten a ride from his brother, and the reason he wouldn’t have wanted to drive his own car home, she jerked her hand from Tim’s. It made her afraid and sick and angry to think he’d been prepared to be in no condition to drive by the end of the night.

  “Madeline?” Tim put his hand on her shoulder and made her face him. “Talk to me. What’s wrong?”

  Being mad at him now wasn’t fair. The punishment scene meant she had to let it go.

  She forced a smile. “It’s nothing.”

  “It’s not nothing.” He frowned and looked across the parking lot. Sighed and nodded. “My car isn’t here. And you know why. I understand your still being upset about what I almost did.”

  “No. I won’t let this ruin the night. We shouldn’t even be discussing it anymore.”

  “Why not? Because you punished me and we have a clean slate?” He shook his head and pulled her into his arms. “I give you permission to keep being mad at me. Would it make you feel better to yell at me?” He wiggled his eyebrows. “You can bring me home and spank me.”

  She slapped his chest and laughed. That felt much better. “I won’t reward bad behavior. And I can’t stay mad at you when you make me laugh.”

  “Then there’s only one thing I can do.”

  “And what’s that?”

  Cupping her face in his hands, he kissed her forehead, then the tip of her nose. His lips hovered over hers as he spoke. “Make sure you smile and laugh every single day.”

  She closed her eyes as he kissed her, wrapping her arms around him to bring him closer. Tiny snowflakes landed on her cheeks, clung to her hair, but she hardly noticed them. His presence made her forget everything beyond the moment. She could easily see him doing exactly as he’d promised.

  And there was nothing to stop either of them from finding out.

  Chapter Five

  Mid-April

  Bracing his hands on White’s and Kral’s shoulders, Tim glared at the ref standing on the ice, only a few feet away from the bench. This was the last game of the regular season and the Cobras hadn’t made the playoffs, but he wasn’t going to see his boys beaten to a bloody pulp against the boards because the refs were fucking blind.

  “The puck was at the other side of the damn rink! In case you�
�ve forgotten, that’s called interference!” He shoved away from his players and paced behind the bench, tugging at his tie to loosen it. For some reason everything was pissing him off today. He threw his arms up in the air as Callahan passed the puck rink-wide about five steps ahead of Perron, leading to an easy interception by the Senator forward. “What the fuck are you doing? Are you trying to hand them the fucking game?”

  The men in front of him leaned away, keeping their heads down as he continued to pace. Even Paul was steering clear of him today. They could all tell he was at the end of his rope, and no one wanted to be the one to set him off.

  Over the past few months, life had been pretty damn amazing. Between his schedule and Madeline’s, they were apart more than they’d like, but they made the most of the time they had. They went to the club, or sometimes to Dean’s house when his daughter Jami was visiting with family. The team wouldn’t be chartering another flight until September, which meant Madeline had to take more regular flights.

  He refused to complain about how often she was gone; he’d been away for weeks at a time during the season, but he couldn’t help missing her. The days without her were empty. There was no one else he could talk to about his frustration with Jami’s mother, who’d come down to spend the day with Jami and take her shopping, on Dean’s dime. Then disappeared for a month without a word. Or with Dean himself, who worked so hard, who did his best as a father, but resented asking anyone for help. He didn’t seem to understand that Jami spent more time talking to Tim, to some of the players, simply because she knew her mother had hurt Dean too, and tried to pretend everything was okay for him.

  Madeline would know the right thing to say, to do.

  But she had enough of her own problems to deal with. Two of her brothers had moved back home, and her mother was in and out of the hospital after a mild heart attack. He needed to be there on the nights she was frustrated to the point of tears because her brothers were selfish bastards. The days she wanted to go home, but her father asked her not to because he wanted to avoid confrontation. Which meant nothing changed and Madeline would pace and rage until she calmed down. Then she’d let Tim hold her.