Playtime is Over (Red Velvet Rope)

by Nadia Aidan

  Her breasts had always been overly sensitive, almost as sensitive as her clit, and he knew that. He tugged at her peaks, twisting them between his fingers, drawing a soft moan from her lips. Pain hurled through her body, dulled by the searing haze of pleasure. The dual sensations clashed inside her, fighting to override the other.

  As he stuffed her pussy full of his cock, Sonya shattered, her cunt drenching him as she came on a splintering cry. He was right behind her. A hoarse shout roared out of him at the same time she felt his hot release inside her.

  Her pussy milked his flesh, causing him to shudder against her until finally he collapsed against her back to bury his face within the small space at the base of her neck. His warm breath came out on harsh pants against her sweat-slick skin and she could feel the thundering rhythm of his erratic heartbeat vibrating through her entire body.

  Sonya allowed herself to bask in the afterglow of their lovemaking until she realized what she was doing. Immediately, she cringed at what she’d just done. She’d lost control, and in turn he’d taken it.

  She pushed him off her in disgust. It was so easy for them to slip back into this same routine, this same mindless pattern they’d once followed, except she didn’t want to go back to that time.

  “Get off me,” she snapped when he didn’t budge quickly enough.

  Joshua stumbled back, and she could tell by the way he watched her warily that he sensed her inner turmoil. She guessed he knew her so well that he knew to give her space in the face of her mounting fury.

  It was her dressing room, but Sonya didn’t care. He could stay there, she decided as she hastily fixed her clothes and grabbed her purse. She practically raced to the door, her hand freezing on the handle when he finally spoke.

  “You can run from me all you like, but I will not stop coming after you.”

  She didn’t reply as she left the room, but his words haunted her. Hearing them had sent a shiver down her spine.

  His statement was not a promise, but a threat, and Sonya believed he meant every single word.

  Chapter Nine

  “What is he doing here?” Joshua glared at the unexpected guest, his foul mood growing fouler. Erik was not to blame for the reason why Sonya was now a Dominatrix at The Sanctuary, and he certainly wasn’t to blame for the problems between them, but Joshua had run out of reasons for blaming himself, and Erik was a convenient target right now.

  If Erik hadn’t hired her, that would be one less problem between them. And Joshua knew Erik had mostly hired her to spite him.

  “I invited him,” Seth replied, his voice as smooth as his calm demeanor, something Joshua resented at the moment.

  Actually, at the moment he resented the three men before him—Seth, Aaron and especially Erik. Once a week he met up with Seth and Aaron at the same bar after work to just chill, play some pool, have a beer, and watch whatever game was on that night. Though he was considered a friend to them, Erik had never been a part of their weekly ritual. It was more of a territorial thing, something only a Dom would understand. Erik was a different type of Master from them, his tastes more extreme. While he was always welcome, in their long association with one another it had become clear that he just didn’t fit, which was why he’d opened his own club.

  Just the thought of The Sanctuary heightened his anger. There was only one reason why Erik was there, and it had nothing to do with male bonding.

  “What is this? An intervention?” Joshua sneered. Aaron and Erik sat at the bar, each with a beer in hand, while Seth casually leaned against the bar, his attention focused solely on Josh.

  “We’re not here to lecture you. You’re a grown man.” Josh pretended to ignore Seth as he signaled the bartender, and he didn’t return his attention to his friend until after he took a deep swig from his bottle.

  “I guess you told them then.” Joshua gestured over his shoulder to Aaron and Erik. His back faced the two men while his gaze fixed on Seth, his statement spoken in a low voice intended for Seth’s ears only.

  Seth’s eyes narrowed in response, and the dark shadow spreading across his face was answer enough for Joshua.

  “No. And I won’t. Only Katherine and I were invited last night, so I can assume that Katherine and I are the only ones who are aware of what happened there, but Sonya is free to tell whoever she wishes, and I wouldn’t be surprised if Erik knows as well. After all, it is his club.” Seth paused to take a sip from his beer bottle. “But you should never have to ask me that. Your secrets are yours to share. As far as I’m concerned, it’s none of my business.”

  “Then why are you here?” Joshua stepped back just enough so that he could address all three men. “If what’s between me and Sonya is our business, then why are you here?” He glared at Erik. “Especially you.”

  Erik shrugged. “My club, my liability. Seth told me I might have a problem on my hands with you and Sonya so I showed up. I’m just here for you to assure me I don’t.”

  “I’m not the one who called you,” Joshua shot back. “Maybe you should ask him if there’s a problem.” He jerked his head in Seth’s direction, but before he could allow the man to speak, Joshua turned his attention to Aaron. “Let me guess, you’re here to arrest me if there is a problem.”

  A cop, Aaron was known for his intense nature, but today he appeared relaxed as a small grin spread across his face.

  “I actually have no idea what’s going on. I still thought you and Sonya were done.” He lifted his bottle as if he was about to give a toast. “Seth called and said drinks were on him—I’m just here for the free beer.”

  Joshua wasn’t in the mood for humor, but he felt the hint of a smile at Aaron’s joke.

  “I’m going to go rack ’em up,” Aaron said as he slid off the stool. “I’ll be at our table when you guys are ready to shoot some pool.” He left the three of them at the bar, apparently so they could hash out whatever it was that had brought them there that evening.

  “All right, say what you have to say,” Josh stated brusquely. “In case you’ve forgotten, I still have plans to see Sonya this evening.” His last statement he directed toward Erik, who possessed a similar demeanor to Seth—cool and unflappable. He hated that he couldn’t get under their skin while he was wound so tight he would gladly start a bar brawl with either of them. Hell, why choose? He would gladly take on both of them.

  “Fine, let me just be blunt then,” Erik began. “I know what happened in Sonya’s dressing room last night. And I can tell you, a woman struggling to understand her dual nature as both sub and Dom is going to react badly to your aggressive behavior.”

  “Meaning?”

  “She’s going to lash out at you,” Seth offered. “Even more so because of the history you two share. Forcing you to submit to her was her way of vindicating herself. It was a victory of sorts, but you took that away from her last night by forcing her to submit to you. She still resents you and she won’t stop resenting you until she feels you are truly remorseful for your actions. The next time you’re together she will fight to reassert herself and regain her control of the situation, but most importantly of you.”

  He glanced between the two stoic men, their words finally sinking in.

  “You think Sonya’s somehow dangerous to me?” When they both nodded, he almost laughed out loud.

  “You’re serious?” He managed to stifle his laughter, but his smile he could not hide.

  “This is not a joke,” Seth said sharply. “My advice to you is to bring an end to these sessions, give her some space, and try to sit down and talk out your problems with her in a week or so—”

  “No. Sonya would never intentionally hurt me.” That Seth and Erik believed she would pissed him off. He was just starting to make some inroads with her. He wasn’t about to back off now.

  Erick shook his head at Joshua’s stubbornness. “At least let me leave the cameras on. If something happens I can stop her befo—”

  “No. That was our agreement—no cameras, no outside
intervention.” Joshua took a deep swallow from his beer bottle, hoping the extra seconds would dull his anger. When it didn’t help, he knew this conversation was over.

  “I get it, you’re both my friends. You’re just trying to watch out for me. Thanks. But the truth is Sonya would never hurt me. And guess what, gentlemen, even if you’re right, and she did, that’s a risk I’m willing to take. Just last night I told her no matter what she throws at me, I wouldn’t stop my pursuit of her until I won her back, and I meant it. So if she needs to beat the shit out of me, humiliate me or whatever, I am prepared to suffer through it because if that’s what she needs to finally realize I will never abandon her again, then so be it.”

  “You’re putting yourself at risk—”

  He cut Seth off with the swift shake of his head. “Which I was fully aware of when I agreed to submit to Sonya.” He looked to Erik then. “And speaking of which, as far as liabilities to go, I signed a waiver. I hope both of you feel better now.”

  Joshua left Erik and Seth at the bar and headed over to the pool table where Aaron waited. He knew he hadn’t reassured either of them, but Joshua didn’t care. He understood their concern but didn’t appreciate their interference. What happened between him and Sonya was their business and nobody else’s.

  * * * * *

  Joshua didn’t entirely dismiss Seth’s and Erik’s words, and when he glimpsed the desperate wildness in Sonya’s eyes that evening, he acknowledged both men were probably right.

  It didn’t matter. Whatever she needed from him to quiet her inner turmoil, he would freely give to her. His rejection of her had driven her to this place—both physically and emotionally—and she was struggling to find her equilibrium. They would get through this, of that he was determined.

  She entered the room, her flashing gaze fixing on him. It brimmed wildly with anger and the hint of pain. Joshua hung from the harness in the center of the room, his feet planted on the floor, while his arms were secured above him.

  He followed her with his gaze until she glared at him.

  “Do not look at me, slave.”

  He hesitated a long moment before he let his gaze drift to the floor. Out the corners of his eyes, he saw her cross the room and grab a long black leather whip from the wall. Every muscle in his body tensed. He hovered between addressing her and letting this play out. Eventually, Joshua settled on the latter, although he knew it was a mistake.

  The whip, if wielded incorrectly, could be immensely dangerous, even fatal. It could strip the skin with a single misplaced strike, going deep into one’s flesh. The whip was not something to be wielded by a novice—and Sonya was nothing if not a novice.

  Pleasure and punishment.

  Pleasure and pain.

  He and Sonya now existed between these two extremes. When he pressed her too strongly, forcing her to let down her guard. When he unselfishly gave her pleasure, it made her vulnerable to him. Her only response was punishment—pain.

  Tonight would be the last time he allowed her to hide behind her wall of domination, subjecting him to her twisted machinations. No matter what happened tonight, he was determined it would not end until she faced their past—until they both did.

  He owed her an explanation, as much as it was time for her to set this vendetta aside and admit the truth. She loved him.

  She’d commanded him to look away, but he refused to allow her to detach herself from him. Whatever punishment she had prepared for him, he would not allow her to pretend as if he meant nothing to her, as if he was just another sub.

  “I said do not look at me.” Before she could even get the full sentence out she struck him across the chest. He winced at the pain, knowing an angry red welt was slashed across his chest. Josh was certain that was the first of many to come.

  “You cannot pretend it’s not me, Sonya.”

  Her eyes widened before they narrowed with fury. He stared her directly in the eyes and addressed her by name—both acts he knew would provoke her. Joshua just hoped that her anger would die quickly so they could get past this charade and address the deep-seated problems that still remained.

  “How dare you? You are not to look at me. You are not permitted to address me by name. You are not permitted to speak at all.”

  With each statement, she whipped him across his chest, his thighs, one nearly struck his face. He gritted his teeth against the searing pain burning beneath his flesh.

  Joshua did not speak, but his gaze upon her remained.

  She screamed in frustration, revealing how little control she possessed. She began to strike him uncontrollably until he lost count, until he thought he might black out from the agony.

  She hurled cruel words at him, revealing to Joshua this was no longer about him. She did not hate him as she claimed. In that moment, and for whatever reason, he knew she hated herself.

  This had everything to do with her. His presence, his actions were the catalysts, but her rage was too volatile to be attributed to him. She shook violently as perspiration trickled down her furrowed brow. She was exhausted, trembling, and still she did not stop.

  When she struck him across the face, the end of the whip breaking skin, he realized he was on the verge of losing consciousness and that if he did, he wasn’t certain she would stop.

  “Enough, Sonya,” he shouted finally. “Enough!”

  He hadn’t expected her to stop, but she froze immediately, her eyes blinking as if she was coming out of a trance.

  There were no mirrors in the room, but Joshua had an idea that he looked like shit, his assessment was only further confirmed when Sonya stared at him for several seconds, her eyes wide with horror. With a scream that sounded more animal than human, she hurled the whip across the room. It struck the wall with a loud smack before it fell to the ground.

  Every inch of his body felt as if it were on fire, burning from the inside out. He ignored the sharp knives of pain stabbing his body, his concern for Sonya alone.

  “Oh God,” he heard her whisper. “What have I done?”

  What happened in the next instant shocked him into silence, but it only proved to him what he’d already suspected. The demons riding her had nothing to do with him.

  Sonya did not remember how she ended up on the floor at Joshua’s feet, huddled into a ball. The sobs that left her body were so violent they were painful and her heart felt as if it were being cleaved from her chest.

  Beneath the rushing of blood pounding in her ears and the cries racking her body she heard the faint sound of his voice, calling her name. She could barely lift her head on her stiff neck but managed to look at him.

  “Baby, release me.”

  “I—I’m sorry.”

  He tried to smile but winced, likely from the throbbing of his swollen cheek. “It’s okay, release me.”

  She didn’t move immediately, instead she took in the welts that crisscrossed his body, the single slash across his cheek. What have I done?

  The violent purging she’d unleashed upon his body was inexcusable, and she owed him more than an apology. She also owed him an explanation—but how did one explain her loss of control? How did she tell Joshua none of this was his fault, that it had nothing to do with him, and everything to do with the inner ghosts that had resurfaced to haunt her, ghosts she’d thought she’d buried long ago, but had been quietly awakened by Joshua’s rejection of her.

  Oh God, how could she ever possibly tell him the truth, when she would never be able to face him again?

  Stumbling to her feet, she charged toward the door, ignoring his voice calling her name, urging her to come back and release him.

  She couldn’t undo his restraints because she knew he would come after her and make her face what she’d done. That was Joshua—unrelenting, persistent, stubborn. As soon as she let him go, he would come after her, demand an explanation. Sonya was already on the edge of another breakdown, she wasn’t capable of facing him right now.

  Flinging open the door, she met the gaze of one of
the startled guards who stood watch.

  “Release him in five minutes,” she instructed, not standing there to see if he nodded. Five minutes was barely enough time, but any longer and the guards would have been suspicious.

  Every single second she used wisely as she gathered her purse from her dressing room and headed to the sublevel garage where her car was parked. Exactly five minutes later, Sonya was tearing out of the parking garage, speeding as fast as she could, hoping that if she couldn’t escape her past, at the least she would escape Joshua.

  Chapter Ten

  She didn’t go home immediately, instead she drove around the city, but that was her first mistake. At one o’clock in the morning, the devil’s playground was alive and bustling with tourists. Sonya absorbed the sights and sounds of Sin City, although she saw none of it, and felt nothing inside.

  Three hours later when exhaustion began to make her eyelids droopy, she finally headed home, and that was her second mistake.

  She should have gone home right after she’d left the club, or she should have stayed at a hotel for the night. That she’d done neither was her biggest mistake.

  The moment she pulled up to her gated community, she glimpsed the black Ford Mustang parked just beyond the iron gates. She could have outrun him. She could have sped through the gates and left him far behind, but he didn’t give her the chance.

  Her hands trembled on the steering wheel as she watched him climb out of his car and head straight toward her. He stalked her like a predator, his dark glare probing through her tinted windows to stare her down and bare her soul.

  The guard on duty stepped out of his booth, prepared to stop Joshua. She rolled down her window to halt him. Joshua’s eyes flickered wildly, his hair whipping in the wind, likely mimicking his raging emotions. He would never hurt her, but she wasn’t certain he wouldn’t go through Harold, her security guard, to get to her.