by Box Set
“Yes,” she whispered. “And I liked it.”
“Just say the word,” he said. “And I’ll take you back.”
“Is there….” she paused, her lips trembling slightly. “I liked it, but I just want to be with you, maybe….”
Aaron’s pulse raced and his cock grew heavy. He felt as though he could read her thoughts, at least he hoped so, because if he was wrong–
“I have an idea,” he said. “If you don’t like it, we’ll stop–”
“I think I’ll like it,” she said quickly, and Aaron felt warmed by her trust.
“Don’t move,” he said.
Stepping away from her, Aaron’s avatar moved its fingers in the air as if it was typing on an invisible keyboard.
“What are you doing?” Katie asked.
“Just a quick program,” he said, without looking up. “Nothing too fancy, just one more….there.” He grinned at her. “Command,” he said. “Execute Scenario titled In the Master’s Chamber.”
The air around Aaron’s avatar glittered and began to take shape. Three perfect copies of Aaron appeared on either side of him. Same face, same clothes, and when he stepped forward and spoke, they mirrored him exactly.
“What do you think?” asked the Aarons, as they crossed the room toward her.
“Oh my God!” Katie gaped at him, at them. She turned in place as they circled around her, trying to determine which Aaron was the original.
“They’re all me,” he said, his voice coming from every direction. “It doesn’t matter who you interact with. It’s all me.”
“Incredible,” Katie said, reaching up to caress the face of the Aaron that stood in front of her.
The Aaron behind her pressed the hard warm length of his body up against her naked form, and Katie’s skin tingled at the sensation of his suit, rough against her skin. He circled his hands around her waist, palms flattening across her belly and up to her chest. Large hands cupped her breasts, fingers denting her flesh as they moved up, plucking and rolling the tips till her nipples pebbled.
The Aaron to her left, leaned in close and kissed his way up her neck. “Hey,” he said in her ear, “Pretty sure we promised you a spanking.”
“Fuck. Me,” Katie stuttered.
“That can be arranged,” said the Aaron’s.
With perfectly synchronized movements the Aaron’s lifted her into the air, and deposited her on the bed. The Aarons at her head captured her hands, and using copies of the tie that original Aaron had wrapped around his hand, they bound her wrists and secured her to the headboard.
A text message flashed up in the middle of Katie’s visor. It was from Aaron.
We forgot to talk about safe words. So, if at any time you want to stop, just say Command: Home and your avatar will be teleported to your home on Celestia.
“Thank you,” Katie said to the Aaron that was nearest her. “I doubt I’ll need it.”
Crack! The Aaron at the foot of the bed had a belt in his hand. He smacked the leather against his palm again and winked at her.
There were subtle differences in the Aaron avatars now. One had taken his jacket off, his dress shirt unbuttoned to the waist. Two was nude from the waist up. Three had taken off his suit jacket too, but his shirtsleeves were rolled to the elbow. And four, four was still fully dressed, standing at foot of the bed staring her down.
Aaron Four arched an eyebrow and tilted his head.
“Alright. Let’s play.”
Katie gulped.
How had they gotten here? How had he gone from spilling tea on this woman yesterday to tying her up in his castle tonight?
Aaron watched as the three copies of his avatar fondled and caressed Katie’s naked body as she writhed, breathless on the bed. He could feel everything that was happening, even as he stood there, just an observer.
When one avatar cupped her breasts and rolled her nipples between his fingertips, standing Aaron could feel it. Another was stroking the inside of her thigh, his erection hard and eager against her hip. Aaron could feel that too. The third was kissing her neck, one hand traveling over her belly, down to her…
“Turn her over,” he croaked, his cock throbbing for release.
Katie gasped as the Aarons lifted her, unbinding her wrists to flip her, and then securing her again.
With a wave of his hand he dismissed the copies of himself, and they dissolved into thin air.
She lay there on her belly, panting, twisting her torso to get a look at what was going on.
“I sent them away,” he said. “I want you all to myself now.”
Aaron smiled and knelt on the edge of the bed. He raked his gaze over the length of her body, then reached out, his fingers following that same path. Up Katie’s thigh, over the curve of her ass to the small of her back.
He moved behind her, thrust his hands under her hips and yanked her up onto all fours.
“Holy shit,” Katie yelped.
“You okay?” asked Aaron.
“Yeah I’m great,” she chuckled. “It’s just that I forgot I’m not actually in a castle. In reality I’m in my own bedroom and well, we just scared the hell out of my cat. He probably thinks I’m possessed.”
Aaron laughed so hard he fell against her. His hips pushed into her backside and he leaned over her, stroking her shoulders as her body shook along with his.
The laughter subsided, and Aaron felt the tension building as Katie’s breath quickened. He lay still, reveling in the feel of her against him. Snaking one hand around her torso, he cupped her breast. She moaned softly and the sound sent shockwaves down his spine, torturing his already aching cock.
Aaron pushed back, and slid both his hands down her body, relishing the curve of her waist, her hips, the swell of her ass.
“This may not be your skin…but this is your shape I’m feeling in my hands. This is your body that is responding to my touch. God, you are so sexy.”
Katie moaned as his hands continued to caress her.
“Katie,” he said, hearing the rough edge of desire in his voice. “I really want to spank you.”
She moaned something into the bed and Aaron strained to hear.
“What was that? I didn’t quite–.”
“Yes,” she spit out the words. “Yes, please–”
Aaron swung his arm back and then released it. His palm made sharp contact with her skin, and Katie jumped, her pert bottom bouncing in the air.
“Holy moly, that was–”
He spanked her again.
“This suit is insane. I cannot believe the accuracy of the sensation–”
He spanked her once more, a little harder this time, and she stopped talking.
Grinning, he bent over her and growled in her ear. “Do I have your attention now geek girl? Or do you want gush more about the tech?”
“No, no,” she said, a giggle in her voice. “Keep doing what you’re doing.”
He did, and when the skin of her avatar was nice and pink, when she was writhing in his lap and his cock was begging for release, when he just couldn’t take it anymore, and he was sure she couldn’t either, he calmed and ghosted his palms over her backside, his fingertips teasing between her legs.
She sighed and melted under his hands. Aaron reached above her and undid the ties on her wrists, then helped her over onto her back.
“I want to make you come,” he said. “Will you let me?”
“Is that possible?” she said, turning her face to his.
He smirked. “Technically, sure. The S-suit won’t simulate penetration, but any stimulus I apply in that area should translate via the haptics–”
“I love it when you talk geeky,” she said, throwing her arms around his neck. “Give it your best shot.” She arched an eyebrow. “But, on one condition. I want to stimulate haptic translations too.”
“Too late, I think I just came,” he said. “That was so fucking hot.”
Katie threw her head back and laughed, and Aaron took that opportunity to div
e right in. Laughter turned to moans as Aaron’s fingers slicked between her avatar’s legs, and Katie’s S-suit did its best to keep up with his technique.
He thought he had the upper hand, the way her chest was heaving and how she kept biting her lip. Her eyes were closed and her avatar’s skin was pink and dewy. But then he felt her grip around his cock, and he knew she’d been serious about reciprocating. He felt her other hand on his chest, and he looked up, deep into her avatar’s eyes, and grinned.
“Your eyes are so real,” she said softly. “It’s like I’m really looking at you.”
“You are,” he said, straining to keep his voice steady as Katie’s hand fisted up and down his avatar’s cock. “The visors we’re wearing go both ways, in a sense. I’m seeing your eyes in real time, as you’re seeing mine.”
“Like two way video,” she said with wonder. “But just our eyes.”
“Yes.” He groaned with pleasure as her grip tightened around him.
Katie’s avatar sat up, threw one leg over his and straddled him. Hovering over his hips, she anchored her palms to his chest and pressed her core against his cock. Then she began to move. Swiveling her pelvis, Katie’s sex slid against his length, as the S-suit translated the sensation. She lowered her face to his, her hair curtaining around them.
“Look at me,” she said. “I want to see you. The real you.”
“You want to watch me come?” he said, half question half statement.
“Yes.”
Aaron fisted his hands in her hair and held her tight. He met her gaze, steady and unblinking, as if the deeper he fell into those eyes, the deeper she would feel his touch. Thrusting his hips against hers, he matched her rhythm until their breath was panting in time and they came together, instincts driving them to cling to each other’s bodies as they fell, kissing cheeks and lips that couldn’t feel the touch.
Katie’s smile was lazy and her eyelids fluttered. She looked up at him tentatively through thick lashes. Those dark eyes were full of a thousand unsaid things. She was beautiful.
“Hi,” said Aaron softly.
“Hi,” Katie whispered back. “Aaron?”
“Yes?”
“I really like you.”
“I really like you, too, Katie.” Aaron laughed, then groaned and covered his face with his hands. “Honestly, tonight has been amazing. But it’s also shown me that all our tech fucking sucks.”
“What?” Her mouth gaped. “You cannot be serious.”
“Totally serious,” he said. “Because all I want to do right now is kiss you, and that’s the one thing we can’t do.”
“Then hold me,” she said. “I can feel that.”
“Yes.” He tucked her into him, drawing her arm across his chest and kissing her palm. “For tonight that will have to do, but soon, I hope you’ll let me take you on date.”
“We ate pizza, watched a movie and virtually dry humped,” Katie mumbled sleepily into his chest. “This was a date.”
“Okay second date then? Can I get an affirmative on that?”
Katie lifted her arm, gave a wobbly thumbs up, and drifted off to sleep.
Chapter Ten
Something was buzzing in his ear. Aaron swatted it away, but it came back, diving at his nose repeatedly.
“What the fuck?” He sat up, opening his eyes to look for the assailant. Disoriented, he lost his balance and fell off the marble counter of his kitchen island onto the hardwood below.
Well that’s a first, he thought. He’d fallen asleep in HyperLyfe. Fallen asleep in virtual reality with a virtual beauty lying in his virtual arms.
Shit, Katie!
The visor was still on his face, and Aaron turned back to the bed to look for her. She was gone, but there was a slip of paper on one of the pillows. He picked it up.
Aaron,
Thanks for an amazing evening. Sorry I had to go. Pink baby dragons wake up early apparently, and are very demanding about their breakfast. :)
Looking forward to that second date,
Katie
“Well, well, well,” said a voice in his ear. “Looks like you got lucky last night.”
The hell? Aaron dodged away from the sound and scanned the room. There was large purple bug hovering in mid-air. It was definitely another avatar, which should have been impossible. Last night, when he’d brought Katie to his castle, he’d locked the area down, so that no friends could pop by for a visit and interrupt them. There was only one friend of his who could’ve managed to hack through his security. Aiko. Since the bug avatar was purple, and wearing a baseball cap that said #bitchesgetshitdone, he was pretty sure his guess was correct.
“Aik?” he said, swatting her with the piece of paper. “Why are you spying on me?”
“Not spying, just waking your late ass up.” Aiko’s avatar folded its tiny arms across it’s bug chest and glared at him. “You were supposed to buy me breakfast this morning, but when you didn’t show, I kind of hoped it was because you were up late getting frisky with my girl.” She grinned. “Glad to see I was right.”
“I’m sorry I missed breakfast,” said Aaron. “But we’ll have to continue this awkward and intrusive conversation at the office.” Aaron rolled up the paper and swatted at Aiko again. This time she dodged, flew up out of his reach and flipped him the bird. “Better yet,” said Aaron. “Let’s skip it altogether.” He returned Aiko’s gesture, and said the words to log out of HyperLyfe. “Command: Exit.”
When he got out of the shower, somebody was knocking on his door. Actually it was more like pounding, shouting, and whining.
Aaron wrapped a towel around his hips and opened the door, frowning when he saw Aiko. “Seriously?” he said.
“Don’t get a tone,” she responded, sweeping past him into the kitchen. “I brought donuts, and I won’t share if you aren’t nice.”
Aaron stalked down the hallway to his bedroom to get dressed. “Has anyone ever had a talk with you about boundaries?” He called over his shoulder.
“Yes!” Aiko shouted down the hall. “And I totally respect boundaries dude. That’s why I didn’t jimmy the lock and let myself in!”
When he returned to the kitchen she handed him a cruller and a cup of coffee. Aaron took the lid off the coffee cup and inhaled the scent of perfectly roasted gourmet beans. The shower had done little to soothe his sore muscles, maybe the caffeine would breathe some life into him.
“Want to tell me why there were four copies of your avatar in HyperLyfe last night?” Aiko asked sweetly.
Okay, now he was awake.
“How did you know that?” he asked.
Aiko shrugged. “I sit up and watch the code scroll when I can’t sleep, and when an administrative password pops up I take notice. Shortly after that, the website showed three additional Aaron Eldridge avatars in world.”
“The website showed that?” Aaron asked.
“Yeah the PR team set up this like “Where’s Waldo” map for your month in VR.”
“No, I know, but I shouldn’t have shown up at all. Katie and I went exploring and I had our names changed. ”
“Does your name automatically change back when you teleport to your castle?”
“No it, shouldn’t have.” Aaron shook his head, chewing thoughtfully. “Wait. Yes it did, because I had security on so the system had to double check anybody trying to enter. When it did, it must have reset our user names, otherwise we wouldn’t have been allowed access.”
“And when you two were at the castle, that’s when you wrote that nifty little piece of code that made three copies of your avatar.”
“Yeah.” Aaron met her questioning gaze and shrugged. “I don’t owe you any sordid details Aik,” he said. “Suffice it to say I was showing off for a pretty girl. Okay?”
“Okay…but it’s a problem.”
“Why?”
“Because somebody was paying attention. The minute four copies of the Aaron Eldridge avatar showed up on the map, some stupid little gaming blog started scr
eaming foul.”
“Why do they care?” Aaron said, running a hand through his hair in frustration.
“Because people are assholes, and you’re really famous and rich, and people like being extra assholey to famous rich people. Here, have a look.” Aiko took her phone out of her pocket, swiped the screen and scooted it across the countertop for Aaron to see.
Aaron Eldridge Resorts to Fraud to Avoid Playing His Own Awful Game.
Aaron read the headline out loud and shook his head. “Fraud? Is this shit for real?” He handed Aiko back the phone. “And it’s not a game,” he muttered. “It’s an immersive three dimensional virtual–”
“Yeah, yeah.” Aiko waved a hand, shutting him up. “Sadly for you,” she said. “This is a slow news week, so a few other blogs have already picked this up and are running wild with irresponsible speculation. They’re spinning it like you’ve got extra people in HL pretending to be you so that you don’t have to actually spend twenty-four-seven in world.”
“Well of course I’m not in twenty-four-seven. We never promised I would. I literally cannot be in there all the time. I need to shower, eat, and take a shit. We gave the press an itinerary. I’ll be spending most of each day in world. Doesn’t that count for something?”
“Not really.” Aiko shrugged. “They don’t think it’s really you, and they’re pretty excited about a narrative that says your game sucks, you know it, and you don’t want to spend time in it.”
“Not a game,” he muttered again.
“I know, honey.” Aiko patted Aaron’s arm sympathetically and stuffed a huge piece of donut in her mouth. “I know.”
“Jesus.” Aaron leaned against the island and picked up a napkin, wiping his mouth. “Well, I guess, thank you for being on top of this,” he said with a sigh. “Any ideas how to fix it?”
Aiko nodded. “Yep. You’re gonna have to spend as much time in world as possible, and we’re going to have figure out a way to show it’s really you.”
