Playing for Keeps

Playing for Keeps

Glenda Horsfall

Copyright 2014 by Glenda Horsfall

Cover Art Copyright 2014 by Richard Savage

This eBook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This eBook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to your favorite eBook retailer and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

All characters in this book are completely fictional.  They exist only in the imagination of the author.  Any similarity to any actual person or persons, living or dead, is completely coincidental.

Published 2014 Black Velvet Seductions Publishing Company in the United States of America

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www.blackvelvetseductions.com

Chapter 1

The night was coming to a close and Matt was enjoying holding Cassie in his arms as they swayed together on the dance floor. He held her close as he gently nuzzled at her nape. They were a perfect fit. Although she was tall at just over 5’8, her head rested just below his shoulder. He only had to bend his head to whisper in her ear. He breathed in deeply, God he loved the smell of her. The light floral scent of the shampoo she had used mingled with the smell of her arousal and he was looking forward to taking her home to bed.

“I love the outfit, sweetheart,” he murmured, his hands caressing up and down her back, “but I can’t wait to get you out of it.” Before she could reply, he continued, keeping his voice low as he whispered in her ear, “Mind you, I think I’ll let you keep the shoes on. Love the idea of fucking you in high heels.” Christ, he’d been fantasizing about it all evening. He was still wondering if the sheer stockings she wore were, in fact, stockings or tights. Was she wearing a garter belt? Shit, he sure hoped so.

She blushed in response to his teasing and glanced around the room as if to see if anyone had overheard his heated comments. As her eyes widened in arousal, he pulled her a little bit closer.

They had spent a lovely evening having dinner at the local Italian restaurant with another couple, Zack and Emma, old college friends who had married while still at college. During the evening, Zack and Emma had announced that they were expecting their first child. Amid the excitement and baby talk, Emma had joked that it would be his and Cassie’s turn next. Matt sure hoped so. He would like nothing more than to settle down with Cassie and start a family. Unfortunately, they still had one major obstacle to overcome. He just hoped she didn’t bring it up again tonight and spoil the mood.

“You’ve been teasing and driving me mad all night. When we get home, I’m going to make you scream for me. I love watching you come!” he teased.

“Oh yes,” she whimpered, closing her eyes. “Love the idea enough to play a little?” she asked softly.

Shit! He stopped dancing, unable to get his feet to move as he tried to damp down his irritation. He held her close, and she had also stilled, as if she were waiting for his answer. “Oh, Cassie,” he groaned, “let’s not go down that road again!”

“What’s so wrong with wanting to experiment a little?” she wriggled sensually against him, tempting him, but he felt her tense up. He felt like a bastard. He knew she was upset, he just wished to goodness he understood what it was she really wanted. Her need to experiment was starting to cause a rift in their relationship. He wished she would just open up a bit more and explain to him exactly what she hoped to achieve with role-play.

He pulled her closer, letting her feel his erection, and was gratified when he heard her soft moan of surrender as she rubbed herself in a slow grinding motion against him. Oh man, was she tempting him.

“What’s so wrong with what we have?” he cupped her bottom, pulling her up hard against his thighs as his hands slid sensually against the silk of her dress.

Disappointment crashed over Cassie. It didn’t matter that she had made an effort dressing to please him; she wasn’t going to be able to tempt him to indulge her. What was wrong with trying to bring a little spice to their love life? She had talked to her friends and a lot of them indulged in a little role-play.

The romance novels she read were full of it. She nibbled her lip, worried that perhaps he just didn’t fancy her enough.

“Nothing’s wrong, but I don’t understand why you don’t want to play a little.” She lifted her head and looked him straight in the eye. “It’s not like I’m asking you to beat me or anything. I just want to try a little role-play!”

“If there’s nothing wrong with what we have, why do you feel the need to play silly games?”

She pulled out of his arms as she fought to hide her tears. She held herself rigid as she tried to contain her anger. How dare he call her ideas silly? Why couldn’t he understand?

“Well, I don’t think they are silly,” she returned snappily.

“Of course, they’re silly, Cassie.” He stepped back and raked his fingers through his hair, exasperation showing in every feature. “I’m not playing games with you.” His tone was unequivocal. “I love you. I want to make you happy. I just can’t see me dressing up in some stupid outfit pretending to be someone I’m not. Why would you want that?” He stared at her.

“Role-play is meant to be exciting, to add a bit of spice.” She returned defiantly. “In some of my romance novels--”

“So now you’re saying I’m boring in bed!”

She was getting angrier by the minute. Of course she didn’t mean that. Why was he deliberately turning things around? The evening was going all wrong. She reached out to grab his hands.

“No I’m not!” she returned quickly. “All I’m saying is that I don’t see any harm in experimenting a little! I just don’t understand why you won’t even try.” Christ, the last thing she wanted to do was hurt his feelings, but he just wasn’t listening to her.

Matt grabbed her hand and steered her away from the dance floor. “Let’s go,” he said. He sure as hell wasn’t having this conversation in the middle of a public place. They bade a goodnight to their friends and he hailed a cab.

Cassie sat at the opposite end of the cab seat. He was irritated that she’s chosen to sit apart from him, but he was also annoyed with himself because he knew he’d disappointed her. Why had she had to bring the subject of role play up tonight when they had been having so much fun? Why did it mean so much to her? Damned if he knew!

They didn’t call him the ‘problem solver’ at work for nothing. On the ride back to Cassie’s place, he made up his mind to get her to open up, to talk to him about what she really wanted. If he understood exactly what it was she wanted, then he could set about solving their problem.

He watched her closely as her delicate brow puckered and she nibbled softly on her lower lip, her thoughts obviously troubling her. He only hoped it didn’t mean that she was having second thoughts about their relationship. His hands clenched at his sides and his jaw tensed just at the thought of losing her. He was going to make her sit down and talk to him as soon as they were alone.

They had practically grown up together with their families being neighbors. He had watched her go through her teens dating other boys and not even seeming to notice that he was around. It wasn’t until she had started working at the same design company as he did, that she had appeared to see him as something other than the boy next door. His work as an architect meant he was often out on site; whereas, her role as a buyer within the company meant they didn’t cross paths often within the office. However when they did cross, he had done everything in his power to make sure that she connected with him. It had taken him nearly six months of office repartee to pluck up the courage to ask her out.

They had now been dating for nearly ten months, and he had seriously been thinking about proposing. However, if they couldn’t get over this role-play issue, then he didn’t think it was going to happen. He loved her and he wanted nothing more than to make her happy.

He hoped that when he sat her down to talk about her desire to role-play, he could make her understand his reluctance.

The cab pulled to a stop outside her apartment and as Matt followed her up to her door, he couldn’t help but notice how rigid she held herself as she marched up the path. He had a feeling that the evening was still going downhill. He was going to have to do something drastic to rescue it. Not only was the night going down the tubes, he had a feeling their relationship was going to bottom out fairly soon unless he did something to save it. He didn’t want their relationship to end. He knew he could make her happy again if she just gave him the chance. Trouble was she was in such a bad mood now, he didn’t know if she would take a chance on him.

He grimaced as he resigned himself to the thought that he would have to give this role-play thing a try. How the hell he was going to convince her that he was getting into the idea when he was still skeptical there was any aspect of role-play he liked, he wasn’t sure. He would have to tread carefully. Maybe if he agreed to try a little role-play tonight, he could coax her back into a better mood. He took the key from her hand and crowded her against the door as he reached over her shoulder to unlock the door to her apartment. He rubbed himself against her bottom, underlining his need for her and reminding her that he was still there, still wanted her.

Cassie could hardly wait to get into her apartment. She felt like crying, she was so disappointed. How could he possibly think that she still wanted to make love to him tonight? How dare he rub himself up against?

“Matt, go and sit down in the living room,” she threw over her shoulder as he followed her into the apartment, “and I’ll go and make us a coffee.”

“I’ll help.” He started to follow her down the hall, toward the kitchen.

“No, please.” She turned and pointed towards the living room, “Just go and sit down, I need a few moments alone.” She walked away from him, and he was left with no choice but to do as she asked.

She needed a few minutes to get her act together or else she was going to end up losing her temper. As she walked into the kitchen, she rubbed the back of her neck, trying to ease the tension she felt in her muscles. Why could he not understand that she was trying to bring them closer? Every time she raised the subject of role-play he rejected it out of hand; she never would have believed that he would be so ‘straight’ and unwilling to experiment. She’d thought all men wanted a bit of spice.

Why did he persist in seeing her desires as silly? In all the erotic romance books she read the couples engaged in role-play; the eroticism in some of the stories had really turned her on. Stories of a tall, handsome Dom pleasuring his adoring submissive really got her juices flowing. All she wanted to do was act out some of these roles with Matt playing the role of the Dom. She wasn’t really trying to change him. The way things were going, it didn’t look like she was going to get the chance.

As she moved around the kitchen, preparing their coffee, she had time to think about their relationship. He was the ideal partner for her in many ways; they had similar backgrounds and held the same values, so why did she feel like there was something missing? Why couldn’t she settle for what they had? You know why? Her conscience kicked in.

Reading romances filled with Domination and submission had turned her on more than she’d thought possible. Just the thought of letting Matt take complete charge and submitting totally to him, filled her with sexual craving. A craving so intense she wanted to experience the submissive role for real.

Matt escaped to the living room, feeling like he had been granted a reprieve. He felt lousy because he knew she was upset and it was his fault, because he wouldn’t agree to her request to try a little role-play. He knew he needed to make it up to her, he just wasn’t sure how. When he had tried to rub himself up against her at the door, an action that would normally have been well received, she had stiffened her spine and pulled away from him. She was obviously still upset with him.

He hated disappointing her. He could have indulged her desire for role play if she’d picked different roles for him, but she always seemed to pick controlling abusive roles for him to play. He just couldn’t imagine himself ever spanking her hard, which is what she had asked for one night when she wanted him to play a headmaster. He didn’t want to hurt her. He wanted to pleasure her. If he remembered correctly, that night had ended up in an argument, with him back at his own apartment.

A few minutes later Cassie entered the living room, two coffee cups balanced on a tray that she placed on the coffee table in front of him.

“Help yourself. I’m going to get changed.” She spun on her heel, turning her back on him.

Oh, no. He wasn’t going to make it that easy for her to avoid their problem. Leaping from his chair, Matt grabbed her by the wrist as she went to sweep away from him.

“Not so fast, sweetheart.” He pulled her toward him so that he could look into her eyes. “If trying this role-play idea means so much to you, we’ll give it a go.”