From his place on the couch, Matthew stared at his phone as it vibrated again on the dining room table.
Would it be more this time? How much more?
His mind was already flooded with vivid possibilities. Dan pinning Tara to a barn wall with her legs wrapped tightly around his back, her breasts bouncing each time he thrust into her. Tara on Dan’s lap, pumping herself up and down, taking his friend’s dick deep inside her as she dropped her head back and moaned. Dan, screwing his wife from behind, shoving his cock so deep inside that Tara was begging for release.
Eventually Matthew would weaken and go pick up the device, he knew that already. Was Dan toying with him, sending him some kind of message? If so, what? Had Tara asked Dan to send the texts? Was he a fool for putting the two of them together in the first place?
Matthew had avoided touching his hard cock for the past hour but his resolve was fading. It was inevitable, him looking at the texts and getting turned-on, but that didn’t mean he had to accept it easily. The ache in his groin was more than physical. It was a reminder of what he was missing. A reminder of how he’d let his wife down. And of how badly he missed Tara.
Ready to give in, he got up and went to the table and scooped up his phone. The first picture was his wife, spread across Dan’s clothes. Her head thrown back, her legs spread apart, and her hand cupping her bare mound. The next few pictures were also of Tara stroking herself, giving herself the pleasure that he should be giving her. Soon, he told himself. Soon he would be able to take care of her physical needs.
He tapped again, hoping for another picture of his wife but came to Dan instead. His friend was out in the open, silhouetted by the rugged mountains that had created him, stroking his own big cock, the muscles in his forearms as tight as his look of concentration.
Matthew threw down the phone, got to his feet and stared pacing. Yes, he could jack off, but the desire to do it again and again wasn’t going to take the need away. If anything, it would make him want more of what he seemed unable to take. And the thought of spending yet another night torturing himself with what-ifs was unbearable. He got to his feet and headed to the other end of the house.
The predictability and steadiness of work had always been his standby, his way of keeping control of his emotions and plans. That night, he hoped—but doubted—would be like all the others in that respect.
* * * * *
The next week, Tara drove herself to Dan’s. She’d spent most of the drive up the canyon on the phone, chatting with Alexa, her best friend. The lie, that everything was great between Matthew and her, felt raw coming from her throat but she’d had no choice. A short explanation about what was actually going on with them was out of the question. That conversation would have to wait until she and Alexa were face-to-face. And hopefully, by the time they had the chance to get together, the whole thing would be in the past and the lie would be truth again—that everything was fine. Better than fine.
Tara parked under the oak, got out, left her bag on the seat beside her and headed to the barn. When she reached the edge of the driveway, she spotted Dan, stretched across a lounge chair, his face missing the hint of a smile she’d come to expect when their gazes met. In one long, continuous motion, he spun to his side, rolled to his feet and headed her way.
“Change in plans.” He gave her a quick kiss on the cheek as he took her arm. The pressure from his light grip made her heart stall. “Come inside instead.”
Her pulse skittered as she hurried to keep up with him as she nearly jogged up the walk and porch steps. Once inside the house, he tugged her away from the door then reached across her. The door slammed shut with a thud that made the house shake.
Half-formed words rumbled up her throat but she swallowed them back. It was too late for questions. With Matthew maintaining his silent staring, she’d already decided to continue what she and Dan had started. But what was it going to take to snap Matthew out of his brooding?
Pictures of Dan and her fucking?
Dan led her past the cozy front room where they’d watched movies after sending Matthew the video and pictures, then down the hall to the kitchen. He let go of her arm and headed to one of the cabinets, opened it, took out a mostly full bottle of Johnnie Walker then crossed to a different cabinet.
He took out two tumblers, set them on the counter, then went to the refrigerator for ice. He glanced at her a couple times while he prepared the drinks. When he held one out for her, his gaze was unwavering.
Not him too. Tara couldn’t take two men scrutinizing her every move.
Nerves got the better of her and, unable to take his close examination, she peered into her glass after taking a small sip. Long seconds passed as they drank. The rush of their breathing and faint clink of the ice the only sounds. Tara leaned against the counter, her gaze moving between the golden liquid in the glass and the sparse decorations of the kitchen, until Dan lifted his arm to swallow the last few drops. Then her eyes were drawn to the lean muscles of his forearms and subtle power of his fingers. The low hum of expectation that had started on her drive from the city turned into an electric skitter, snapping across her skin.
Dan set his glass in the sink and touched Tara’s neck. His fingertips, slightly damp from condensation, made her shiver. Or maybe that was anticipation making her skin ignite with electricity.
He watched her response then dropped his hand. “I have something different planned for tonight.”
“Different? What are we going to do, some knitting or plant seeds?”
He didn’t laugh and to be honest her joke didn’t feel funny. She’d just said something to fill the silence.
A drop of ice water ran down her neck but she felt the chilling touch of it trail down between her breasts and then lower in her hips. A dangerous air curled around Dan. It wasn’t frightening. It was compelling. Strong. And even without knowing exactly what it was, she wanted more of its icy heat.
“There’s some stuff about me, about who I used to be, that I don’t talk about.” He dropped his hand and moved away, picked up the whisky bottle and poured more into his tumbler. He took a sip. “I want to share it with you.”
Keeping her eyes on Dan, she drank a long swallow. She didn’t have to ask, she knew it was about sex. “I was pretty wild before I married Matthew. I have some surprises in my past.”
Dan grinned, that trace of apprehension she’d only just realized had been there evaporated. But that dark swirl of tension, it remained. He downed the rest of the whisky. “It isn’t you, Tara, I’m trying to push over the edge.”
Matthew’s face flashed through her mind. “Point made.”
“Matthew and I talked about a lot of things, but not our sex lives. So I’m only guessing that he’s never had any,” Dan’s gaze skittered around the room as he shifted his feet before his finally came back to look into Tara’s eyes, “experiences.”
Tara didn’t need an explanation. “No, not like that.”
“It won’t take much more from us, then, to show him what he needs to see.” Dan held out his arm.
She nodded, wondering how far was too far. It was a dangerous game they were playing, toying with Matthew’s emotions. What choice did she have, though? After all, he’d put this in motion. She swallowed the last of her drink, set the glass on the counter next to his and took his hand. He led her to the basement door then down plank steps that creaked and moaned under their weight. The air was a sweet combination of earthiness and fresh flowers.
They paused at the bottom of the stairs and Dan flicked on a light. The area was split into two sides. The original section had a low ceiling and fieldstone walls. The other side was modern with much newer construction. It was that section he turned into.
Tara had been expecting a dungeon, with the usual wall restraints and ceiling chains. And maybe a cage. But the room he’d brought her to was well-decorated, with beautiful, ornate rugs, accent lamps, gold, velvet chairs, a matching ottoman and a solid, wood-frame bed. Three bouquets of fresh-cut flowers cast a gentle scent into the room, softening the intensely male atmosphere. She pulled in a deep breath and it came out in a sigh.
“Not what you were expecting from a guy who spends most of his nights beating up a defenseless bag?”
“Sorry.” Despite the tension building deep in her body, she managed to offer him a smile. “Was I that obvious?”
He set his hand on the small of her back and ushered her into the room. “It’s good to know I’m not predictable.”
The light touch was enough to make her pulse skitter. Her pussy started to get wet. When she noticed him staring at her, she laughed.
“You should do that more often. It makes you even prettier.”
Tension flickered between them and suddenly Tara didn’t know where to stand or where to set her gaze. For a few seconds she had the odd idea he might apologize for the small compliment but he didn’t.
“I made this space after my parents gave me the house. I guess I needed a room of my own, something to separate me from my younger life.” He looked at her, the expression on his face unusually open. “Know what I mean? I needed a place where I could really be myself.
“I used to come down here a lot. Before the tours.” He crossed the room to stand beside a long, wood-paneled wall. “It’s different now.” He ran his fingers along the wall. “I don’t know why, but it is.” He dropped his hand and moved toward her. She swayed toward him but he didn’t reach for her. “I’ve only been in here a couple times since getting back.”
“It’s beautiful.” She meant it but she also wondered whom he’d been here with before. Of course she had no right to be curious about his personal life or his sexual preferences.
“Thanks.” A flicker of a proud smile passed over his lips as he pushed on the wall that was actually a series of panels. The section slid over, exposing a dizzying display of whips, paddles, chains, and other tools and toys. “Pick one that interests you. Something that will intrigue Matthew. Motivate him.” He added the second line in a low growl that sent a shiver across Tara’s skin.
The challenge propelled her forward. She touched the tight braid of a white leather crop then fingered the soft wool lining of a thin black leather neck collar. As she looked the items over, she admitted to herself that a few of the implements were unfamiliar even to her. One that appeared to be a collection of chains and cuffs might be for a ménage. That wasn’t for her. The barbed paddle was so extreme it’d probably be too much for Matthew. Her selection had to be just right. She scanned the choices again then selected a small whip with a black braided handle.
Dan took it from her and gestured toward the display again. “Select another.”
She pointed to a pair of padded beige leather handcuffs hanging above her reach. He lifted them from the peg. Holding out the two items, he said, “Excellent pairing.”
He set the whip and cuffs on the ottoman and pointed to a tiny shelf above the pair of chairs. “See the camera?”
Tara spotted it and the cable running upward from the floor.
“It’s set up to do a live feed. Once I turn it on, Matthew will see most of the room. He’ll be able to hear everything.” Dan pulled his phone from his pocket and held it up. “I’m ready to send him the link to the feed. Are you ready to start the show?”
Oh yes. Definitely yes.
When Tara started to undress, he held up his hand. “Wait for that.”
She glanced at the camera and nodded as a dense wave of sexual need rolled through her, the heavy weight of it making her tremble. This night had to be the final one.
It just had to be.
Dan dimmed the lights, sent Matthew the message and then turned on the camera. He tossed his phone onto one of the chairs then pulled Tara over, out of view of the camera.
“We’ll wait a minute or two to give him time to open the link.”
While they waited, Dan ran his hand up and down Tara’s spine. Even through the fabric of her dress she could feel the heat of his palm and the strong pressure of his fingers sent her already warm blood pounding through her veins. She arched her back, letting her nipples brush across his hard chest.
He didn’t move away. “Remember,” he said, “he’ll be able to hear everything we say, even when he can’t see us.”
She nodded and reached out to touch him. His body tensed then he gave her a gentle push. She took a few steps away and stood beside the bed.
“Undress,” he said, his voice hoarse as he folded his arms across his chest.
Tara started with the buttons on her dress, slowly loosening each, pulling the fabric apart as she worked lower. The weight of Dan’s all-consuming stare was heavy but it was Matthew she was thinking about.
This has to work. This night has to be the last one.
Once she had them all undone, she shoved the dress off her shoulders and let it fall to the floor. Dan picked it up and lifted it to his face. He took a deep breath then dropped the dress to the floor. “I can smell him on your clothes. But when you go back, you’ll smell like me. Not just your clothes, but your skin, your hair. Your pussy.”
Flickers of arousal already ignited, flared hotter, pulsing through Tara’s blood. She wanted more and she wanted Matthew to see it all. She reached behind her back to unhook her bra but Dan stopped her by holding up his hand.
“I like it,” he said. “Leave it on for me.”
Tara lowered her hands as he came to her, to wrap his hands around her waist and lift her onto the bed. He pushed her backward across the cover and positioned himself between her thighs.
Matthew’s hand hovered over the mouse. If he turned down the audio he wouldn’t have to hear Dan’s rough commands. He would only see Tara as she followed them. The wood desk chair Matthew sat in pressed hard against his back and legs but he barely noticed the edge of the seat cutting into his thighs as he watched Dan arrange Tara on the bed.
Dan’s low voice came through the speakers. “Put your hands above your head and roll over.”
She followed his directions, flipping over onto her stomach so that her ass, barely covered by a white thong, was an arm’s reach from Dan who groaned his approval as he reached out and grabbed one cheek in each hand and squeezed. “It would be a shame not to give this ass the attention it deserves. I’ve been wondering how quickly your skin would brighten, given the right skill, which, lucky for you, I possess.”
He moved away from the bed and returned with something in his hands. Matthew recognized the small whip Dan had tucked into his pocket but it took him longer to recognize the pair of padded handcuffs he was using to secure Tara’s wrists to the posts. Within seconds, his wife was bound to the bed. Dan tugged the waistband of the thong down to the bottom of Tara’s ass cheeks, the white fabric cut across her thighs and added a band of pressure to her exposed ass. Her hips swayed as she wiggled, each bend of her spine a temptation for fingers and lips.
Dan pulled the whip from his pocket, tapped it against his leg, and looked directly at the camera. At him. He stood that way for a long while, smacking his leg with the whip and staring.
What are you going to do about this, Matthew?
The click of his teeth grinding was so loud that it made Matthew jump.
Dan broke away from the stare and raised the whip. The first smack landed on Tara’s bare skin with a light snap. An expectant pause was followed by another flick of leather striking her smooth flesh. Another snap, another strike. Each time the leather grazed her skin, she responded with a light moan and a zing of electricity raced from Matthew’s chest to his cock. When she lifted her hips to welcome the strikes, Dan stopped the motions and pushed her ass down.
“Don’t move.”
After a pause, he started again. The tempo of his motions increased, the rhythmic strikes coming closer and closer together, heating her ass cheeks, making them bright pink.
Matthew felt the heat as well. Burning through his own hips, curling around his groin and making his dick so hard he thought he might come right there in his chair.
Finally, he couldn’t hold still any longer. He leaned forward to unbuckle his belt. Just as Matthew unsnapped the button of his pants, Dan looked up, gazing directly into the camera. The angle of his eyebrow was clearly more than a taunt. It was a direct challenge.
This woman is getting fucked tonight.
By someone.
But who?
Tara had begun lifting her ass again, moaning for more of the whip. Dan glanced away and put his hand right on Tara’s ass and shoved her back down. “Be still. I decide when and how you move.”
He looked back up, speaking not to Tara but to Matthew. “Understand?”
She nodded.
And Matthew understood too.
He buckled his pants as he jogged through the house, stopping only as long as necessary to grab his car keys.
Tara whimpered. The gentle rhythm of the whip was such a wicked combination of relaxation and arousal, she groaned and begged him to continue.
“I need to hear you agree to move only when I allow it.”
She moaned softly, wondering what Matthew must think of her.
“Speak up. I want to hear you say it.”
“Yes. Whatever you say.” A new worry threaded its way through her thoughts. Obviously Dan intended to take her to the edge. How long could she hold out? “I-I won’t move again.”
“Better.”
He began again and the tension rose again then went higher. The warmth spread from her hips into her center then upward along her spine. Instead of awaiting his next touch, Tara concentrated on relaxing into the fluid heat simmering through her limbs. The regular snaps continued and the skin of her ass went from warm to liquid hot.
Her efforts to relax failed and she found herself wiggling again, struggling against the cuffs despite his warning not to move.
The luscious torture stopped. Behind her, she heard him set down the whip. “I’ll be back in a while. We’ll see if you’re ready to follow directions.”
Tara whimpered when she heard the door close. She tried to roll onto her back but was again reminded of the cuffs when her wrists felt a tug. She tried the rub her mound against the bed but the cover shifted beneath her. There was no way to get the pressure she needed.
Gradually, the lust subsided enough for her to think. If Matthew was watching her now, what was he thinking? She lifted up as far as the restraints would allow and rolled her hips. Then spread her legs and arched her back.
Look at me, Matthew.
She recalled the way his hands felt on her skin, his mouth on hers, his cock deep inside her. The heat from the whip, the intensity of her own imagination, the two melted together, creating a blaze that flowed through her veins. Tears of frustration and desire gathered in the corners of her eyes.
“Are you ready to follow instructions?”
Tara turned her neck to find Dan, already in the room, seated in the chair, a fresh whisky nestled in his palm.
“You didn’t even hear me come in? Good sign. We will start again. After I finish my drink.”
Tara was so tense, anxious for more. She listened for each clink of ice as Dan sipped.
Finally, he finished. He got up and selected a heavier whip from the rack. As he came back to the bed, she laid her head so she could watch the motion of his graceful body each time he struck her. The tap of the leather started light then heavier as he gradually applied the punishments with more intensity. He knew exactly when to deepen his swing. Soon her flesh was even more heated and her pussy juices were nearly dripping. Even her nipples, which had yet to be touched, were tight and sensitive.
Over and over the rhythm rolled across her, pulling her deeper and deeper into a wild sexual state.
Matthew took the last turn to Dan’s house at full speed, raced up the driveway then slammed on the brakes. He didn’t bother with taking his keys, might not have even shut the door when he dove out and ran through Dan’s front door.
It was only then that he realized he didn’t know what he expected to find waiting for him. He stooped in the center of Dan’s front room and listened. His heart hammered so loudly it took several seconds for Matthew to get his wits about him and locate the sensual combination of the light smacking and moaning.
He turned to the sound, found the stairs and headed down.
With each step nearer, he could hear Tara’s breathing more clearly and soon he could smell the scent of sweat and the musky slickness of her pussy. He stopped in the doorway. Dan saw him, nodded and continued. Matthew braced himself against the doorjamb and watched, noting the way Dan kept up the smooth repetition and the way Tara’s body softened under the blows. He’d never seen his wife more beautiful and alive. Her midnight-black hair was flowing across her back, the muscles of her shoulders and arms flexed and her exquisite ass was wickedly pink.
Matthew’s heart clenched with uncertainty. Could he compete with Dan’s skill and power? Could he bring her to such a state?
Tara turned her head when the rhythm was broken, sexual haze fogging her dark eyes.
“Matthew.” The raspy words came from deep in her throat. “You—”
Matthew reached for the whip but Dan moved it out of his reach. “You trusted me so far, trust me a while longer.”
Dan began striking Tara again. “Touch her. Grab her. Do whatever you want to her. But the panties stay between her legs because you may not fuck her. Yet.”
Matthew moved to the far side of the bed. Tara turned her face. The haze in her eyes didn’t cloud her love for him. He saw it there as clearly as the day he’d asked her to marry him.
He kissed her. Her taste was familiar but the feral desperation was new. She pressed her lips to his and opened her mouth, inviting the invasion of his tongue. He deepened the kiss as he touched her throat, felt the wild hammering of her pulse. The exploration of her mouth stirred her even more and soon she was panting, the soft puffs of her breath stirring his blood, making his spine tingle. The sensation worked its way through his body, making his cock stiffen and his hands burn with the need to touch her.
Dan continued striking her ass, so grabbing her hips was out of the question. He didn’t want to do anything that would disrupt the sensual daze the whip was creating. The inability to put his hands where he wanted created a new strain in Matthew, an ache that wasn’t going to go away until he thrust his dick deep into his wife and felt her shudder against him.
“You need to fuck her, don’t you?”
Matthew lifted his mouth from Tara’s. He thought he was going to reply, but the only thing that came out was a groan of desire.
“Only a few minutes longer,” Dan said as he handed the whip to Matthew. Then he went to the bed and grabbed the waistband of Tara’s thong. “Lift up, Tara.”
After she did as he asked, he tugged the small scrap down her legs.
Careful not to let his own excitement cause him to be too aggressive, Matthew took the first swing while Dan watched.
“Good. No harder than that. Even though she’d probably like it.”
“Now.” Tara moved her ass, trying to tempt him by opening her thighs as she twisted, fighting against the restraints. “Fuck me now, Matthew.”
Dan stopped him when he took a step forward. “A few minutes more,” he said then left the room.
Matthew continued striking Tara, marveling at the way her body accepted the small punishments and turned them into deep pleasure. Relaxing her and arousing her that way, it was something he could do even on those days when he was tense and distracted. Suddenly, things he had seen as restrictions and worries turned into possibilities.
The need to possess his wife conquered him.
He set down the whip, stripped out of his clothes and released the cuffs. Tara rolled onto her back as he climbed onto the bed. Once he was positioned with his hands above her, she spread her legs and lifted her hips.
“I love you, Matthew,” she whispered.
“I know. I love you too.” He kissed her gently on her mouth then added, “I promise it’s going to be better.”
“It already is.” She smiled as her eyes fluttered shut.
He set the tip of his cock against her slick opening and pushed, slowly at first then with more force. He drove all the way into her with that one slow, determined thrust. Once his cock was inside, he paused, waiting for her body to adjust to him. It had been so long, too long, since he’d felt his wife’s slick pussy hold him tightly. The pleasure was nearly painful. But being sheathed by her body was only the start.
He began pumping into her. Her tight, slick channel squeezed his shaft so perfectly, each thrust taking him deeper and deeper into her body. She wrapped her legs around him, lifting her body off the bed.
Matthew wanted to make it last forever, but the sharp spear of his orgasm ripped through him so quickly that he didn’t even have a chance to try slowing it down. Tara too seemed lost in the ferocious sensation, bucking against him as she came, holding her breath with expectation and then moaning as the release took her over. The ripples of her orgasm fueled his own and near-violent sensations raced through him, exploding into shards of electricity that left his muscles weak and limp for a long moment after.
Finally, he could move again.
“That’s what you do to me, Tara. Make me lose control.” He kissed her on the cheek then moved to her mouth for a longer taste. The exchange was the same as many other times but that didn’t take away from its force. She was a woman he could kiss every day for the rest of his life and never grow tired it. He gave her another quick peck on the cheek. “I’ll last longer next time, okay?”
“I don’t think I could’ve taken much more of that myself.” She laughed in that untamed way of hers that he hadn’t heard in a long, long time. “I do like that you’re making all these promises about the future. I plan to hold you to them, you know. She pushed against him. “Get up. Let’s go say good night to Dan so you can take me home and fuck me again in our own bed.”