Players (Lessons by Loki) (23 page)

She started to wrap her arms around his neck, but Josiah caught one of her
wrists and moved her hand to his shoulder. She hadn’t heard him move, but he now knelt in front of her. He moved her legs apart and reached for the belt securing her borrowed robe.

“Wait.” She turned her head with a breathless laugh. “
Your ex ruined my lunch break. I really am hungry.”

Josiah ran his hands up and down her thighs. “
You need your strength for tonight. I guess we’ll have to feed you.”

“Then go get the food,” Chase urged. “The sooner she’s fed, the sooner her lesson can begin.”

Josiah pushed to his feet, one brow arched quizzically. “You do remember that you’re not invited. Right?”

Chase tensed, clearly unhappy with the reminder. “
Let’s ask her what she’d prefer.”

“It’s not up to her. From the
moment the lesson starts until it ends, she does exactly what I tell her to and nothing more.”

“Why don’t you want me there?” He sounded so hurt, Katie looked at him, but his expression remained calm, almost indifferent. Surely Josiah wasn’t fooled.

“We’ll talk about it when I get back,
if
she moves to my chair and you stay in yours.”

Chase chuckled as he eased her off his lap. “Afraid we’ll start without you.”

“I know you will if she stays there.”

“Fair enough.”
Chase held up his hands as she moved to the other side of the table. “No touching until you get back.”

“I won’t be long, so behave.” Without a backward glance Josiah raced for the door.

“He’s always been possessive of me.” Chase’s gaze lingered on the path Josiah had taken then shifted back to her. “But you’re the first female he’s acted this way toward.”

“
I’m I supposed to be flattered?” If she were honest, she was pleased by Josiah’s possessiveness. Still, it wouldn’t do for the men to realize how deeply their attention was affecting her. They were playing a game and so was she. None of this meant anything to any of them.

Chase was silent for a long time after her flippant answer. “
Is it just curiosity that keeps you coming back for more?” His face became an expressionless mask. Even his expressive eyes were unreadable.

“Coming has even more to do with it than curiosity.” She offered the comment with a playful smile, hoping to lighten his mood. “I can’t seem to get enough of either of you, and together is even better.
Is there something wrong with that?” It made her sound almost as superficial as Vanessa, but it was important to reinforce her role.

“
There’s nothing wrong with desire. It should be obvious that we’re incredibly attracted to you too.” He hesitated and suspicion flickered in the depths of his gaze. “But it’s hard to believe this is all physical with you. You don’t feel anything but lust for either of us?”

She shook her head as she licked her lips, praying her eyes didn’t give her away. “Where is this coming from? I’ve made my intentions clear from the beginning. I want to keep things light and fun. No expectations. No demands.
We enjoy the heat until the fire burns itself out and then we go back to being curious neighbors.”

His gaze moved over her face
, his features still carefully blank. “Playing with fire is always dangerous. I don’t want you to get hurt and I don’t want you to hurt Josiah.”

He’d left himself out of the potential pain. How interesting. “I appreciate your concern, but Josiah and I have been candid with our expectations. We both understand what this is and what it’s not. If you aren’t comfortable with a purely sexual arrangement, then he’s right. It’s better if you don’t participate in my lessons.” It was a strategic risk. Chase was obviously feeling guilty. He could use the opening as an escape route. Still, she didn’t think he would. Usually telling someone no made them more determined
than ever to do the very thing they’d been denied.

“Josiah’s full of shit.
” She’d tried to shift his focus inward, but she’d obviously failed. His protectiveness was admirable and endearing, two qualities she couldn’t afford to attribute to him. “This isn’t purely sexual for him. He’s already more emotionally invested in you than I’ve ever seen him before.”

It was impossible to combat his brutal honesty. Every word rang with conviction. “I’m not sure what you want me to do.”

“I want you to answer the question. What do you feel for Josiah?” His eyes locked with hers, unblinking as they assessed her reaction.

She swallowed hard. Lying to him now would unravel her web and leave her with the responsibility for everything that had happened so far. She couldn’t allow that to happen. The
spotlight had to be squarely focused on them when she pulled back the curtain. “He’s intriguing and complicated. I’m fascinated by him.”

“Go on.”

She’d done her best to avoid analyzing her feelings, to remain focused on her ultimate goal. “I don’t want to want him as much as I do, but I can’t seem to stop myself. That frightens me. I’ve never been with anyone who affected me that deeply before.”

“So you created a scenario that keeps him leashed, at least to some extent.
And it keeps you distanced from your feelings.”

A sad sort of chuckle escaped as she admitted, “That’s how it’s supposed to work. It’s been less effective than I’d hoped.”

“You can’t control Josiah, believe me I’ve tried. If you try to slow him down, he just smolders until you’re aching for him to pounce and then he’ll be even wilder than before. It’s easier just to admit you need him and follow where he leads.”

A now familiar heat spiraled through her body. She wanted to throw caution to the wind and abandon herself to these feelings. Surely they weren’t still playing games with her. The tenderness in Chase’s gaze couldn’t be faked and
the consuming passion Josiah unleashed… Was she really so naive? This was what they did, how they entertained themselves. Even Vanessa had confirmed that they had done this many times before. Katie was their current target, nothing more.

“I’m
afraid.” The confession slipped out as emotion clogged her throat. The statement was true, yet misleading. She wasn’t afraid of Josiah. She was afraid of herself, afraid of how close she was to giving in to her own weakness. She pushed to her feet, ready to bolt for the door, but the distinct growl of Josiah’s Porsche halted her retreat. She had to see this through. She’d come too far to give up now.

“I know you don’t believe me.” Chase drew her attention back to him. “If you want to know if Josiah really cares about you, I’ll tell you how.”

“All right.” Inside information was always helpful. She sat back down.

“Ask about his past, not his college years, earlier.
If he tells you about his sister, I’ll be shocked and you’ll know this is way more than sexual. He’s never shared that secret with anyone except for me. But you can’t mention his sister specifically or he’ll know I’m coaching you.”

She
accepted the information with a quick nod as the door from the garage swung open.

Josiah watched Katie toy with her food as the tension around them built. For someone who claimed to be starving, she was actually eating very little. “Are you all right? You look sort of pale.”

“It’s the first time you’ve seen her when she wasn’t blushing
.” Chase wasn’t similarly afflicted. He devoured his portion of the Italian takeout with unabashed gusto.

“I thought you liked pasta.”
Josiah was far more interested in their guest than in the meal.

She looked up and forced a smile. “I do and this is
delicious. I’m just anxious about our lesson.”

“Excited or actually anxious?”

“A little of both.” She picked up her wineglass, took the last sip then held it up for more.

“I don’t want you drunk, so make this last.” He filled her glass half-full then set the bottle aside.
He and Chase sat across from Katie like two besotted suitors vying for her attention. “Talk to me, Katie-cat. Why are you anxious?”

“
I don’t know what to expect. You haven’t told me anything except that it will take place in your playroom. Does the lesson have a theme? Are you going to let Chase participate or not?”

“I’ve decided Chase can assist me, if he’ll agree to a subordinate role.” He looked at Chase, silently prompting his reply.

“We both know how it works. Once the lesson starts we obey without question.”

“I never agreed not to ask questions,” Katie clarified with a cheeky smile. “And ‘follow directions’ sounds much better than ‘obey’.”

Relieved to see her brighten, Josiah relaxed. “Being that you’re willing to ‘follow directions’, I’ll reveal the lesson’s theme. Tonight we’ll be exploring the concept of trust.” He stood and gathered the dishes as Chase collected the takeout containers. “Do you want more wine?” he asked Chase before he resealed the bottle and put it in the refrigerator.

“Why can he have more when you cut me off?” Katie stood beside her chair, nearly empty wineglass in hand.

“He outweighs you by half and has a full stomach. I don’t want your senses dulled or your mind clouded. This lesson is too important.”

Josiah refilled his glass then Chase
’s, then put the bottle away. He took Katie by the hand and led her to the basement door. “As with our other lesson, I want you to be honest at all times. I’m going to push you harder tonight, but ‘no’ still means ‘no’.”

She nodded, nervously looking down the shadowy stairwell.

“Are you comfortable with Chase participating? I know that wasn’t part of our original deal.”

“I don’t mind.” She looked at Chase and smiled. “Chase is always welcome.”

She had no idea how important those words were to him and Chase. Without a female third, Chase never would have opened up to him and he needed Chase more than he’d ever allowed himself to admit before. He flipped on the light and led her down the stairs, feeling the import magnify with each step. Chase followed silently, his expression serious. How had she gotten to them so quickly? Josiah had never felt this way about anyone else. Even with Chase his affection had deepened gradually. His desire for Katie was obsessive and incendiary. If he wasn’t careful it would consume them all.

He took her down a hallway and opened the only door on the right. Two large storerooms lined the left. Motion sensors activated the lights as he ushered her inside his playroom. He watched her look around, trying to see the room from her inexperienced perspective. Was she frightened by the equipment or excited and intrigued? Her gaze was wide, but her expression was
surprisingly hard to read.

“It’s not what I expected
, and yet it is.” She motioned toward the wall of punishment aids with her wineglass. “Have you actually whipped someone before?”

“I have, but I prefer the lighter
instruments, like the floggers and riding crops.” He refused to touch her, wanted her to have all the time she needed to satisfy her curiosity. Once the lesson started, he wanted nothing to distract her. “Actually, my favorite is still my bare hand. It gives me greater control over the intensity and placement of each contact.”

“And it’s all about control with Josiah,” Chase offered in a stage whisper.

Katie just smiled and took another sip of wine. Then she continued her leisurely inspection of the room. She motioned toward the storage unit inset in one of the walls. “What’s in there?”

“Various restraints, a wide selection of toys, lubricants, lotions, and of course condoms.
I won’t even suck a cock without a condom. Unless it’s attached to Chase.” The men exchanged a poignant glance before Josiah returned his attention to Katie.

“And why is Chase the exception?”
Her curiosity never faltered. She needed to understand every detail of every situation. It was part of her charm.

“We
make sure we’re clean at least once a year and we stay that way by not making exceptions for anyone else.”

“You used
condoms with Vanessa?” She blushed scarlet then held up her hand. “Sorry. It’s none of my business.”

Chase seemed amused by the question
, which pleased Josiah even more than her curiosity. With every breath, Chase seemed to be exhaling Vanessa and inhaling Katie. “I did, but it probably wasn’t necessary. I’m relatively sure she’s squeaky clean.”

“Yet you didn’t trust her enough to take the chance.”
Her brows arched and she cocked her head just a little. “So why didn’t we use a condom in the shower.” She licked her lips as if the taste of Chase still lingered in her mouth rather than the wine she’d been drinking.

Josiah took her glass from her hand and set it on the counter. He took a gulp of his wine then set his glass aside as well. “You were such an extension of Chase
, I didn’t even think about our usual rule.”

“I had myself tested after I kicked Dillon out. He admitted to two lovers, but I suspect there were even more. I was clean then and I haven’t had sex since, so you’re safety circle is still
intact.”

Unable to resist the urge a moment longer, he buried his fingers in her hair and paused for a lingering kiss. “
Our safety circle will expand to include you as soon as you’re ready to accept the position.”

“What about babies?” Chase’s voice was oddly hushed.

She turned toward him with a smile. “Do I want them or am I protected from creating one unintentionally?”

“Both.” Josiah’s voice was nearly as throaty as Chase’s had been.

“I’d like to have children within the next five years, not the next nine months. Which is why I took control of my reproductive system a long time ago. There won’t be a baby until I’m ready for there to be a baby.”

“Good to know.”

Time seemed to pause as she stared into his eyes, open and vulnerable, then she blinked and a barrier appeared, separating him from her emotions. “That’s obviously a spanking bench, but what in the world is that?”

Part bed, part chair,
operated by an elaborate cable and pulley system, Josiah’s favorite piece of equipment allowed him to restrain his partners in any position he could imagine while still giving him access to whatever body part he desired. “You’ll find out soon enough, but I have something simpler in mind for tonight.”

“All right.”
She caught her bottom lip between her teeth for just a moment until she composed herself enough to relax.

“Lose the robe.” He looked at Chase and added, “Assistants are naked too.”

It took her longer to unknot the belt and shrug out of the robe than it did for Chase to set his wineglass aside and shuck his jeans. Josiah watched them both as excitement zinged through his body. Chase had an all-American appeal that drew people to him in droves. He was friendly and made people comfortable with warm smiles and an easygoing manner. His compassionate nature soothed Josiah and made him grateful Chase had finally come to terms with their attraction.

Katie, on the other hand, still had a long way to go. Emotional potential radiated from her passionate soul, but she was cautious, unsure. That
was why this lesson was so important.

“I can make your body respond to me. We both know that
’s true. I think we’re ready for the next level, but we’ll never get there without trust.” When he said nothing more she simply nodded and her arms crept up toward her breasts. “Don’t. You’re mine to look at, mine to touch. Your body is no longer yours.”

“As long as you follow
my rules.”

She sounded almost panicked, so he gentled his response. “
I’m well aware of your rules and I have every intention of following them.” His cock jerked against the confines of his jeans. He might still be required to wait for the snug grip of her pussy, but no one was leaving tonight until they were sated. “When and if we fuck, you’ll be more than ready for anything we do.”

Her arms slowly returned to her sides and she took a deep breath. His gaze naturally gravitated toward her chest. She really did have amazing breasts, plump and round, the deep rose nipples begging for attention. He closed his hands into fists, not yet ready to surrender.

“I know you’re a curious little thing.” Hoping to reinforce his thinning control, Josiah delved deeper into his mentor role. “I’ve decided to indulge your curiosity, so we’re going to play a game.” She tensed and her gaze suddenly lowered to his chest. “You seem resistant to the idea. Explain your reaction.”

“I’m tired of games.” Her gaze didn’t raise though her
tone revealed her sincerity.

“Then think of it as a challenge.
” He waited until she looked at him to go on. “You can ask us questions and we’ll answer honestly for as long as you resist the urge to come.”

Understanding unfurled within her eyes and a smile slowly parted her lips. “And what are you two allowed to do while I ask my questions?”

“Anything we want—within the confines of your rules.” He added the last with a lazy smile.

“And you’ll
truthfully answer any question I ask?”

He nodded. “Until we make you come.”

She licked her lips then glanced away. “And do I get a turn to challenge you?”

“You think you can snap my control?” He chuckled, pleased by her desire to try. “I welcome the opportunity to question you.”

Chase shook his head and placed his hand on the middle of her back. “He’ll learn your entire life’s story long before you make him lose control.”

“Not if you help me.” She turned toward Chase
, and Josiah could no longer see her face. “You know him better than anyone.”

“I’ll help, if he’ll let me, but you have to answer his questions. He already knows all my secrets.”

She shrugged then pivoted a half turn so she could see them both. “I have nothing to hide.”

“It’s settled then,” Josiah said. “I’ll go first and I
’ll allow Chase to help you. I’ll even allow you to end the round as soon as you realize it’s pointless.”

She gasped and placed her hands on her hips. “
You arrogant jerk. Have you forgotten how stubborn I can be?”

He laughed, loving the sudden surge in her spirit. “Bring it on, Katie-cat. I’m more than ready for the challenge.”

Chase and Katie huddled together, obviously discussing strategy. Josiah kicked off his shoes and pulled off his socks, but left the rest. If they wanted him naked, they’d have to undress him. She’d been remarkably candid during their brunch date, so he felt like he knew her pretty well already. Still, this opportunity was too good to pass up. Besides, having her try to seduce him should be entertaining.

They broke apart with
conspirators’ grins and approached him boldly, Katie in front, Chase in back. She untucked his T-shirt and slipped her hands inside, her warm fingers playing over his taught abdomen. “Arms up.”

He chuckled. “My cooperation comes at a price,
sweetheart. You answer a question
then
I’ll take off my shirt.”

“Fine.”
She huffed though her hands slid onto his chest, bunching his T-shirt up in the process. “Ask away.”

“I know your house originally belonged to your grandmother. When and why did you come to live with her?”

“‘When’ is one question, ‘why’ another. A complete explanation will cost you your shirt and your pants.”

“And any underwear you might be wearing,” Chase added.

“I’m negotiating with the lady.” He seldom wore underwear, so the point was moot. Still, it felt good to empower Katie. He took off his shirt and handed it to her. “I’m listening.”

“You really can’t help it
, can you?” She took the shirt from him and neatly folded it before she set it on the counter near their wineglasses. “You have to issue orders even when I’m supposed to be in charge.”

Her tone was playful, her bearing relaxed, but he needed her to understand
a fundamental truth. “This isn’t roleplaying for me. I dominate my lovers because it’s my nature to do so. Any other approach would be dishonest.”