Playing for Keeps (2 page)

He wasn’t sure he was going to be able to give her what she wanted, but he couldn’t stand seeing her miserable and he couldn’t contemplate the thought of losing her.

“Really?” Her eyes lit up with excitement; he was surprised it meant so much to her.

“Really.” He gathered her close to kiss her hard, his tongue thrusting inside her mouth as he stroked around her recess. God, he loved the taste of her. Her arms sneaked around his waist pulling him in closer. He ground his growing erection against her soft mound. She moaned and whimpered the kitten-like sounds at the back of her throat he loved to hear.

He pulled back slowly, breathing hard. “So what role do you want me to play tonight?” he asked, praying that she didn’t ask him to play the headmaster again.

“Hmm… let me think a minute.” As she deliberated, her eyes glowed with excitement. A light flush washed over her face and her nipples started to peak through the silk bodice of her dress.

He prayed she’d choose a role that he could feel the same level of anticipation about, as he waited to hear what she had planned for him. He wished he could look inside her head and work out exactly what it was that excited her so much.

“Don’t take too long.” He took her hand and rubbed it gently across the front of his pants, letting her feel how turned on he was. “I’m just about ready to burst.”

“Right… okay, let’s see.” He held his breath, wary of what she was going to suggest.

“You pretend to be the landlord come to collect my late rent. Of course I haven’t got the rent money, I’m so poor, you see.”

He had trouble swallowing. Another abuser role and he could see exactly where she was heading with it. He just hoped he could pretend to get into the role enough to convince her.

Her smile was wicked as she continued, “You demand sexual favors in lieu of the rent payment. How does that sound?” she looked at him hopefully.

How did that sound? Awful, sleazy, like I’m some kind of Victorian pervert come to demand his wicked way. Crap, why did she always pick such lousy roles? Where was the romance in acting a scumbag? It was bloody stupid, but he wasn’t going to say that to her.

“Are you sure that’s what you want?” Her idea of role-play sure as hell wasn’t doing a lot for him.

“Yes, I’m sure.” Her eyes were bright with excitement.

Shit. He had to at least try and persuade her to try and choose a less abusive role.

“Look, Cassie,” he pleaded, “do you not fancy trying something more traditional? Something a bit more...” he paused as he searched for the right word, “romantic?” His tone hardened, “A bit less abusive?”

“What are you saying? I haven’t asked you to do anything abusive.” She was looking at him warily, as if she expected him to back out at any minute. “What kind of role are you thinking of?”

“Christ, I don’t know.” He paced, thinking for a few moments before turning back to her, “How about a boss and his secretary? Or a pirate and his captive?”

She was shaking her head, negating his suggestions. “Nope, don’t fancy either of those.”

“I’m not sure I can do this, Cassie. You always seem to pick abusive roles. I just can’t get turned on by them.”

“Well, you were turned on plenty when we got home!” Her tone was a combination of disappointment and belligerence and he felt another row brewing. Were they ever going to be able to agree on this issue?

He held up his hands in surrender, hoping to avoid a repeat of their previous arguments.

“Well, it’s your choice. Still sure that’s the role you want me to play?” he asked, one last time.

“Certain,” she returned curtly.

“Fine, honey, if that’s what turns you on.” The idea sure as hell didn’t do a lot for him. He classed himself as gentleman. No real man would demand sexual favors in return for payment.

“Okay, you go outside and knock on the door and I’ll let you in as the ‘landlord’.” She giggled as she re-opened the front door.

Oh, Shit. He couldn’t believe he’d agreed to play along!

It was clear Cassie could hardly contain her excitement. As she smoothed her hands down her body, lingering lightly on her breasts to rub her fingers over her already tightening nipples, she wriggled as though she could already feel the muscles of her sex starting to pulse with excitement. She was panting softly as she waited for the game to begin. Seeing her become so turned on made him determined to try and get it right this time. He really wanted to make her happy.

Wanting to make her happy didn’t make him feel any less of an idiot as he stood on the front step knocking at the door. He looked around furtively, hoping none of the neighbors were about.

“Who’s there?” Cassie called from inside the apartment.

“Cassie you know who’s here. Open the door!” Matt was irritated already. He let out a loud sigh, straightening away from the door to run his fingers through his hair.

“No. You’ve got to say, ‘it’s the landlord come to collect the rent’.”

Huh, landlord. Scumbag more like! And he didn’t like it, not in the slightest.

Hoping none of the neighbors heard him, he leaned toward the door and said quietly, “It’s the landlord come to collect the rent.”

“No, no … You have to be more forceful!” She didn’t unlock the door.

I’m going to throttle her before this night is through. He felt like a real idiot talking to her through the door, and he sure as hell didn’t want the neighbors coming out to see what was going on. He flushed, just imagining the embarrassment. Losing patience, he banged on the door loudly. “Open the door, Cassie.” He’d had enough of this game already. “I’m not standing out here any longer.”

The door opened slowly and he surveyed her. Her arms were crossed defensively across her chest, and her lips were pinched with disapproval. She obviously wasn’t happy. Oh shit, now he was in trouble! Maybe if she had picked a happier or more romantic role, he might have been able to get into it, but he just couldn’t play someone out to take advantage. Morally it didn’t sit right.

“You’re not even trying to get into the role,” she accused, her lips pursed in displeasure.

“Well, it’s not a role I’m comfortable with,” he tried to explain. “Why can’t you pick something more conventional, something non-threatening?”

“Because that’s not what I fancy,” she snapped, her eyes flashing in anger.

“Well, I don’t fancy your roles, either.” They were going around in circles and getting nowhere. His temper was starting to fray with frustration at not being able to understand what she was looking for.

“Let’s forget it for tonight.” Knocking at the front door and feeling like an idiot had cooled his ardor. “It’s late, I’m tired.” Too bloody tired to play these kinds of games, but he didn’t say that to her.

“Well, maybe you should just go home now and get your beauty sleep!” She glared at him.

God, that hurt. Matt closed his eyes in despair and took a deep breath, composing himself before he replied. “I think we should talk about this before you send me home.” He really needed to understand why role-play was so important to her. He had to make her open up and talk to him.

“What’s there to talk about?” With hands on her hips she stood looking up at him. “I want to experiment a little, you obviously don’t!”

Shit! “It’s not that I don’t,” he tried reasoning, “It’s just that I don’t understand why you would want… that?” Why did all the roles she asked him to play have to be abusive? Why did she always cast him as the baddie? They really needed to talk about this.

“Want what?” Cassie fired back. “You’d think I was asking for something kinky, something dangerous. I’m only after spicing up our love life a little.”

He could tell she was getting up steam now. Perhaps if he could just get her to sit down and talk about it, she would realize that the roles she picked for him just weren’t him. He didn’t see himself in the role of abuser. He imagined himself playing other roles; roles were he got to play the take charge lover and make mad passionate love to her. Sure didn’t look like it was going to happen tonight though.

He put his hands up in a sign of surrender and backed slightly away from her. “Look at it from my point of view, Cassie,” he started. “Think about it. If you were really behind with the rent and the landlord came demanding sexual favors, are you going to satisfy him?”

“Of course not,” she snapped, eyes blazing. “Don’t be stupid!

It’s a game we’re playing.” She threw her arms up in the air as if she couldn’t believe he would ask something so stupid.

“Well, why not if the idea turns you on?” he shouted at her.

“Because,” she took a deep breath before continuing through gritted teeth, as though he was being dense, “I don’t want to play games with my landlord. I don’t fancy him.”

“Listen to yourself,” he bit out. “If you did fancy him, would you oblige?” Christ, he hoped not!

“Now you’re being silly! It’s not like that, you’re just trying to twist my words,” she accused, and he felt guilty when he saw her eyes fill with tears.

He couldn’t bear the thought that he had reduced her to tears. He softened his tone, trying to reason with her, trying to get her to understand his point of view.

“No. I’m not trying to twist your words.” Matt shook his head, still trying to fathom her reasoning. “I’m just trying to make you understand why I can’t do this. It feels wrong, Cassie.” He held up his hand to stall her. “The thought of someone, the landlord, anyone demanding sexual favors because you owe them money turns my stomach.” He paced the room, unable to stand still in his agitated state. “I can’t get turned on by that idea, Cassie. Hell, I would want to beat crap out of the bastard; it’s abusive and immoral. I don’t understand how it can turn you on.” He looked at her perplexed.

Minutes before her face had been flushed a becoming pale pink with arousal. Now it was stained a darker tone with anger. Her arms were folded across her chest, hiding the nipples that only moments before had been begging to be kissed, and she was glaring at him.

“It’s only role-play, nothing else. Why can’t you see that?” She was pouting again.

“I can see that!” he retorted sharply. “It’s the kind of role-play you want to try that bothers me!”

“You just don’t want to play, that’s what you are really saying. You are quite happy with a vanilla sex life!” She spat the words, clearly disgusted with him. “I’m not discussing this anymore tonight. I’m tired, I’ve had enough and I’m no longer in the mood.” Ouch, that hurt. “I’m going to bed.” She looked him straight in the eye and finished, “Alone.”

God, give me patience. Surely she wasn’t going to send him home just because he wouldn’t play along with her games. She was acting like a spoiled brat. He closed his eyes and took several deep breaths to get himself under control. At that moment he could have quite happily put her across his knee and paddled her backside.

Never in his life had he thought she could tempt him to spank her, but at that moment she was acting like a child who deserved a good spanking. The way she had been behaving lately, she might just like it. And he certainly wasn’t about to indulge her while he was in a temper.

“Okay, if that’s the way you want to play it,” he said carefully. “We’ll talk about this another time when you’ve calmed down.”

She nodded, not speaking to him.

Shit, she really did mean to send him home!

He hated the idea of going home now. She would be left on her own to worry about their argument, convince herself that they were not right together. If he wasn’t careful, he was going to end up losing her. “Is it okay if I call myself a cab?” he snapped. Fear that she was going to end their relationship churned his stomach, and he couldn’t help that his question was abrupt.

He hadn’t taken her need to experiment sexually seriously; it obviously meant a lot more to her than he’d thought. He would really have to think about what she wanted, if he was serious about taking their relationship a stage further.

“Help yourself. I’m going to bed, so let yourself out.” She sounded mad as hell. “Lock up when the cab gets here. Goodnight.”

She walked away, and he was left standing alone as he watched her retreating toward the bedroom. He was stunned that the evening had come to this and vowed that he would make her sit down and talk the issue through when they had both calmed down.

He couldn’t relax and sit, so he paced her living room while waiting for his cab to arrive. His muscles bunched tight with disappointment and frustration. He cast his eyes around the room and spied her stack of romance novels, the novels giving her all these stupid ideas. He felt like throwing them in the trash can, as if by getting rid of the books he would rid Cassie of the notion.

As he looked down at the stack the cover on the top book snagged his attention. The title ‘The Dom Who Loved Me’ caused him to pause. The Dom? Like BDSM? Cassie hadn’t mentioned wanting to experiment in that direction, at least he didn’t think that was what she had been getting at. He decided to sit down and have a look through the titles she had been reading.

What an eye opener. Cassie obviously had desires he hadn’t yet explored. All the books appeared to have the same theme. He read through the titles, My Master, His to Command, Slave to Submission. There was a definite pattern emerging and he began to wonder about the stories contained within the pages of her books.

He grabbed a couple and put them in his jacket pocket. Maybe if he read them, he would figure out exactly what it was about the idea of role-play that turned her on. Perhaps then he could come up with a role-play scenario they could both enjoy.

He arrived back at his own apartment, bewildered, not able to believe the evening which had started off so well, had ended so badly. Unable to even think about sleep as he was still so wound up, not to mention sexually frustrated, he poured himself a drink and settled down to have a look at the books which he blamed for all their troubles.

Several hours later Matt finished the first of the books he had taken from Cassie’s apartment. The book had been an anthology of short stories, all of which were based around a BDSM club run by bikers. The men were all Dominant, the women submissive. No wonder she wanted to play. The stories she had been reading were sexy enough to turn a corpse on! He had taken himself in hand several times throughout the book, especially when the action heated up between a Master and sub.