Punishing The Players (Spiritual Discipline Book 1)

by Ivy Barrett

  He pushed his hand into her hair, curving his fingers around the back of her head. “No actual fucking, just hours of teasing with an occasional creative release. Sounds like fun to me.”

  She smiled. “I should probably be angry at Josiah. I didn’t give him permission to discuss our arrangement with you.”

  “And yet you’re clearly not surprised that I already knew.”

  “I’ve accepted that you and Josiah share everything.” Her cheeks tingled as she realized the unintended double meaning.

  “Glad to hear it.” His mouth found hers and caressed her, his tongue teasing yet never pushing past her lips. “You seemed to enjoy being shared the other night. Are you ready for more?”

  “Has Josiah given you permission to crash his party?”

  He swooped down for another kiss, deeper more demanding than the first. “Let me worry about Josiah. You can shower here while I scrounge together something for you to eat.”

  She still hesitated, seriously tempted, yet knowing it would seem suspicious if she gave in too easily. “Why the sudden interest? We were playing roles the other night.”

  “We might have been roleplaying at the party, but what happened here was real.”

  “Real what? Letting both of you touch me was wild and wicked. I was feeling particularly lonely and I allowed myself to be swept away. That doesn’t mean we should get involved.”

  He crossed his arms over his chest, biceps bulging. “I’m not asking for forever.”

  “What are you asking for?”

  “The same thing you’re giving Josiah.” In the span of two sentences, his voice went from a dissatisfied rumble to a sharp demand. She started to push past him, but he stopped her again. “I didn’t mean it like that. I’m not jealous of you and Josiah, just the opposite. I want to be part of it. Most of the women I’ve dated have been intimidated by him. I really like you and the fact that you’re attracted to Josiah too opens a world of possibilities we haven’t been able to explore in a very long time.”

  She stared back at him silently, trying to maintain her cautious role while picturing him naked. It wasn’t easy. Josiah was long and lean, while Chase was compact and more heavily muscled. “The lessons are about my sexual exploration. I won’t be pressured into situations I’m not comfortable with.” One corner of his mouth quirked and she easily guessed what he was thinking. “Yes, the point is to push my limits and test my boundaries. Even so, I won’t be bullied.”

  “We would never bully you.” His hesitant smile turned wicked. “Well, Josiah might, but I’ll make sure he doesn’t take things too far too fast.”

  If Chase participated in the lesson tonight, he’d quickly realize Josiah’s tendency to expect more of her than she expected of herself was the primary reason she was attracted to him in the first place. He wasn’t afraid of anything, at least in the sexual arena, and she wanted to experience a similar fearlessness. She wanted to be bold and reckless, free to try all the things she’d only dreamed about for years.

  “Well then,” she tugged Chase’s T-shirt out from inside his jeans, “why don’t you join me in the shower and we’ll raid the kitchen together as soon as we’re finished?”

  “If I can stop kissing you long enough to let you eat,” he growled against her parted lips, then he tore his shirt off and tossed it aside.

  She paused to appreciate the symmetry of his body. His wide shoulders led to a sculpted chest and washboard abs. Physical therapy required a reasonable level of fitness, but Chase obviously enjoyed working out.

  Reluctantly dragging her gaze away from his torso, she motioned to the kitchen. “Are you going to spray me down at the sink?”

  He chuckled as he took her by the hand. “I had something a little more intimate in mind.”

  They were halfway up the curved staircase when her curiosity got the better of her. “If Josiah owns the house, why does he let you sleep upstairs? If memory serves, the second-story balcony is off the master bedroom and I’ve never seen Josiah up there.”

  Chase looked at her, eyes narrowed, but his steps didn’t falter. “If memory serves? When and why were you in this house?”

  “I’d bet half the people on this street have been inside this house. The listing agent had two open houses before you, or rather Josiah, bought the place.”

  “I see. Are we really that much of a curiosity?”

  “Your house was the main attraction before you moved in. Now all anyone can talk about is the wild inhabitants.”

  “Glad we can add some spice to the mix. This neighborhood is much too bland. And to answer your question, the guest suite is next to Josiah’s office, which is really where he lives. If there had been room enough for a bed in the office, he wouldn’t have bothered with a bedroom at all.” They reached the top of the stairs and Chase led her down the railed gallery and into the master bedroom.

  “I guess a better question is why did he bother buying such a lavish house in the first place?”

  “Real estate is still a solid investment and the tax benefits are important when you’re self-employed. Besides, where would we throw our weekend orgies if we didn’t have a lavish house?”

  The main level, with its sensible furniture and minimalistic decorating might escape the lavish label, but the master bedroom deserved the adjective and more. With steeply vaulted ceilings and large, decoratively etched windows, the room took up at least half of the second story. A king-size bed was the centerpiece in a modern wall unit while the matching armoire cleverly concealed an entertainment system.

  After giving her a moment to gawk, Chase pulled her into the adjoining bathroom. Her jaw dropped and her steps faltered. The room had been renovated since the open house. Cream and gold had been replaced with black and white then accented with midnight blue. The result was dramatic and unquestionably masculine.

  “Josiah ordered the changes before we switched rooms. He still grumbles about missing his steam shower, not to mention the jetted tub.” He motioned to the oversized bathtub situated in the far corner of the room.

  “It’s beautiful. Very exotic.” And very reflective. A large framed mirror had been mounted above the double sinks and a full-length mirror hung on the wall adjacent to the shower. Everywhere she turned she was faced with her reflection, in glaring detail.

  Chase moved behind her and unfastened the clip holding back her hair. He tossed the clip onto the counter, then raked the thick strands with his fingers. She closed her eyes and enjoyed the sensual pull, but he grabbed the bottom of her top and pulled it upward. Tension coiled through her as more and more of her skin was revealed. She wasn’t willowy like Vanessa or ruthlessly toned like Chase. It was all she could do not to snatch the material out of his hands and pull the top back down. Instead, she took a deep breath and raised her arms. Chase had found her attractive the other night. He’d called her breasts “spectacular”.

  He let her top drop to the floor and deftly unfastened her bra. She instinctively held the front in place as he slid the straps down her arms. His fingers lingered against her skin. Their gazes locked in the mirror as he whispered, “Why so shy? I want to see if they’re as amazing as I remember.”

  He’d been thinking about her since that night, picturing her naked. The realization empowered her enough to remove the undergarment.

  “Very nice.” He encircled her wrists with his fingers and drew her arms up and back. She grabbed his shoulders, her back slightly arched, breasts thrust outward by the position. His hands swept down her sides then up to cup her breasts. He squeezed firmly, shaping her flesh to fit his palms. His gaze devoured her reflection, leaving her no doubt that he found her desirable. “Kick off your shoes, then grab the counter.”

  She did as he directed, but his commands surprised her. Josiah was the one who usually ordered her around. Chase tended to be more playful.

  Still behind her, he untied the drawstring then pushed her scrubs down past her hips. Cool air teased her naked folds. He must have caught her p
anties along with her pants. He caressed her legs as he worked the garments lower, then he knelt and used his lips. Featherlight kisses tickled the small of her back then drifted onto her ass cheeks. She lifted one foot and then the other so he could pull off her socks and rid her of the scrub bottoms.

  Naked and anxious, she waited for his next command.

  “Move your legs apart and tell me about the other night. I want to know everything Josiah did to you.”

  Dread dropped into the pit of her stomach, heavy and cold. He hadn’t sounded particularly jealous, yet the request itself was telling. “Why do you want to know?” He grasped the inside of her thighs and slid her feet outward. She gasped, tightening her hold on the counter.

  “I’m not jealous of Josiah. I need to be part of it.” With his lips pressed against her spine, he eased one hand between her thighs. “Did he undress you or did you undress for him?”

  “He made me undress.”

  “Typical.” His hand moved out from between her thighs and stroked over the curves of her rear end. “Did he spank you again?”

  She tensed and looked over her shoulder. “Again? He told you about the first time?”

  Chase nodded, his gaze passion bright. “He was worried that he spanked you too hard the first time. It’s one of the reasons he agreed to let me help with the lessons. He’s afraid he’ll lose control completely if he tries to mentor you alone.”

  Not sure how she felt about that, she just nodded.

  “So did he?”

  She sighed. Clearly he wasn’t going to stop until he had the complete blow by blow. “Yes, he spanked me again.” Chase didn’t need to know the specifics.

  “I know he bought a bag full of toys, but he wouldn’t let me see them.”

  A bag full of toys? He’d only used two. Did that mean he’d bring the others into play as their lessons went on? She shivered. Did she want these lessons to go on? “He used two,” she admitted, her voice breathless and shaky. “Apparently, there will be more to come.”

  He chuckled, his fingers lightly teasing her folds. “‘More to come’? I certainly hope so.” With each pass of his fingers, he pushed deeper. Slickness eased his way and guided him right into the aching heart of her sex. “Describe it for me. I want to picture everything that happened.”

  It was unusual for any lover not to be jealous, but she’d seen them together, enjoying what the other was doing as much as what they did themselves. “After the spanking, he played with my breasts, sucking and squeezing until I felt the pressure in my clit.”

  He withdrew his hand from between her thighs and spun her around. Then he returned her hands to the counter and moved her legs even farther apart. “What red-blooded male could resist these?” He drew one tip deep into his mouth while he worked the other with his fingers. “Go on,” he said between firm sucks. “What else did he do?”

  “He told me to lie down on the bed and use the toys to get myself off.”

  He glanced up at her, eyes passion bright. “Did you? Did you fuck yourself with a toy while he sat back and watched you?”

  She shook her head. Was he also trying to desensitize her to hearing and using sexually explicit terms? She was all for honest communication, but did it need to be so crude? “I wasn’t wet enough, so he had to help me.”

  “And how did he help you?”

  “With his mouth.” She gasped again as Chase’s lips returned to her nipple. He drew harder now, pushing the sensation right to the burning edge of pain before releasing her breast and moving over to the other side.

  “Josiah likes eating pussy almost as much as I do. And that’s saying a lot.” As if to prove his point, he lifted one of her legs to his shoulder and sealed his lips over her crease. His tongue traced her, sweeping back and forth until the folds parted for him. Then he drove into her core, swirling and thrusting while sensations ricocheted through her body.

  Specks of light danced in front of her eyes and she arched her back, pushing herself farther onto his tongue. Why hadn’t he waited until she showered, until she was clean and—pleasure cut through her concern, scattering her thoughts. Her inner muscles rippled around his tongue as tingling heat spiraled through her body.

  With her leg still draped over his shoulder, he raised his head and thrust into her with his fingers. “Did he fuck you with the toy or just his fingers?” Urgency roughened his voice, made him sound hoarse and breathless. “I want to know everything.”

  Overwhelmed by his consuming stare, she glanced to the side and tensed. Their reflection greeted her, so starkly sexual she could barely believe the naked woman, utterly abandoned to pleasure, was her. “He used the toy and I came really hard, but he wasn’t satisfied.” She tore her gaze away from the mirror and looked back into his eyes. “He wanted to find my G-spot, even though I told him I didn’t have one.”

  He kept his fingers fucking into her, yet his gaze remained locked with hers. “Did he find it?”

  “Yes.”

  Without warning, he lowered his head again and tenderly licked her clit. His caress was soft and skillful and the tension inside her obediently built. She gasped then shivered as he closed his lips around the swollen knot. Each careful suck sent pleasure zinging through her abdomen. She was so damn close. All she could think about was how badly she needed to come.

  “G-spot,” he prompted then went right back to sucking.

  How was she supposed to speak when she could barely breathe? “He...turned me over and—” She gasped again as the pleasure swelled. “I came. He didn’t...even touch my clit.”

  With his fingers deep inside her, he circled her clit with his tongue. She held perfectly still, focused entirely on the sensations gathering with each caress. Her nipples tingled and her clit twitched, hardening against his tongue. Then her pussy clenched, driving the pleasure higher. She dropped her head back and pushed to the ball of her foot as her legs began to shake. Then he caught her clit between his lips, tugging on the cluster of nerves until she shattered.

  Crying out in helpless wonder, Katie trembled as surge after powerful surge inundated her senses. His fingers slowly pulled out, but his mouth continued to adore her, licking and sucking as she drifted back down.

  She opened her eyes as he rocked back onto his heels. “I told you it turns me on.” He grinned, then wiped his mouth on the back of his hand. “Now I might be able to behave myself in the shower.”

  “I seriously doubt it,” Josiah drawled from the doorway. “If you have a naked woman in your arms, you’re going to misbehave.”

  Her first instinct was to cover herself, but she managed to squelch the impulse. How long had Josiah been standing there? If the desire smoldering in his dark gaze was any indication, he’d seen quite a bit of the action.

  Chase didn’t bother trying to hide what he’d been doing. He wrapped his arm around her hips and pressed his cheek against her belly. “Especially this one. She’s particularly tasty.”

  “I’ve noticed.” Josiah shifted his gaze back to Katie’s flushed face. “Our appointment isn’t until eight so I have no right to intrude, but I’d love to join you two in the shower.”

  Was he actually asking her permission? Excitement washed over her in a tingling wave. All three of them naked and wet, soapy hands sliding, lips clinging. Could anything be more appealing? She looked at Chase and said, “I don’t mind. Do you?”

  Pushing to his feet, Chase held out his hand. “Josiah’s always welcome.”

  Chapter Nine

  Chase lowered his zipper and slipped off his jeans, all the while watching Josiah undress. Less than a year had passed since he last saw Josiah naked, but it felt like a lifetime. Chase had fought his attraction to Josiah, denied that anything stronger than friendship connected them. Vanessa had insisted Chase choose. It was either her or Josiah. She would allow no compromise. He understood her position. She offered loyalty and fidelity and expected the same in return. The only problem was he’d loved Josiah long before he met Vanessa and it
felt just as disloyal to completely shut him out.

  Still, Chase had tried. Vanessa was everything he’d wanted in a wife, beautiful, smart, ambitious, and totally devoted to him. So he’d focused on her, working to build the sort of future they both dreamed about. A traditional family with children, backyard barbeques and double dates with other couples. It had all seemed so idyllic—and so phony. Chase wasn’t the man he was pretending to be and no amount of self-denial would make it true.

  Vanessa sensed his restlessness, his discontent. She was warm and affectionate toward Chase, yet bitterly cold toward Josiah. No, she wasn’t just cold, she was hostile. Each time she caught Chase looking at Josiah with regret or longing, her resentment grew. Chase assured her that he hadn’t touched Josiah since he’d agreed to end all intimacies, but that hadn’t been enough. She wanted him to move out of Josiah’s house and break off all contact with his former lover.

  “Are you going to stand there brooding or get your ass in here?” The gentle mockery in Josiah’s tone snapped Chase back to the present. Josiah and Katie stood beneath the spray, which fell like rain from a large ceiling panel.

  Chase moved into the shower stall and closed the door. Three sides of the stall were covered in brightly colored tiles forming exotic flowers and birds. The front wall was glass etched with a jungle pattern similar to the tiles. Steam gathered around Chase in in a humid cloud, completing the tropical atmosphere.

  Katie snuggled against Josiah’s body, her face pressed into his throat. Eager for more of her softness, Chase moved up behind her and wrapped his arms around both of them. Josiah fisted the back of Chase’s hair and pulled his head back, tilting his face up. They both pressed in close and kissed right in front of Katie’s face. She’d seemed intrigued by their passion the other night. Would her curiosity remain when she was this close to the action?