Playing with Her

“Jealous?” Mac asked in a smug tone.

Dean shook his head, amusement sliding across his features. “Hell no, I’m not jealous. Not even a little. You weren’t the only one to get some action before getting here.”

Mac arched a brow. “Yet you deem it necessary to give me and my dick a hard time.”

“That’s because I at least managed to be on time,” his friend pointed out.

After tossing back the last of his drink, Mac smirked at Dean. “Sounds like one of us has more stamina than the other.”

Dean burst out laughing, taking no offense to Mac’s implied insult. “You are so fucking full of yourself.” He took another sip of his whiskey, his curious gaze traveling to Stephanie, surrounded by her friends. “So, does the birthday girl have any idea what she’s in for tonight?”

While Dean knew about the custom piece Mac had commissioned from one of their mutual acquaintances who created furniture and other depraved gadgets for sexual pleasure, his friend had no idea that Mac was having second thoughts about the illicit apparatus he’d bought for Stephanie.

Mac exhaled a deep breath. “She doesn’t have a clue.”

His friend gave him an envious glance. “Should be a fun evening, for both of you.”

That’s what Mac hoped, but he couldn’t stop the bit of anxiety that stirred in his stomach, and he suddenly wished for a refill on his Crown Royal but instead set his empty glass down on a nearby table. No matter what he might crave to settle his own uncertainties, he gave himself a one-drink limit when he intended to play with Stephanie. His aggressive inclinations required his mind to be completely present and in the moment to gauge her level of desire when he held all the control during their scenes together, and he’d never risk her safety for an extra shot of whiskey.

But he’d be lying if he said that this evening’s surprise for Stephanie didn’t have him feeling uncharacteristically nervous, which happened when he introduced her to something more shocking and outrageous than anything they’d ever done before. While there had been times when she’d been hesitant to try a particular kink he introduced into their lives, she’d never used a safe word with him, always trusting that the outcome would be pleasurable. She was daring and adventurous when it came to sex, but he was well aware that tonight might be the first t

ime she balked at the hard-core gift he’d had designed specifically for her.

Stephanie loved when he dominated her. It turned her on when he tied her down, took control, and forced her to do every wicked thing he demanded. But there was no doubt in his mind that this new toy would test every single one of her limits and push her beyond anything she’d ever experienced sexually or even mentally.

She’d either love the wicked, filthy gift or hate it. There would be no in-between, and his greatest fear was that she’d think he was beyond depraved for creating such an over-the-top, forbidden contraption for her—even if it did play into one of her own dirty fantasies. What he wanted to do to her was outlandish, licentious, and twisted as fuck. And just imagining Stephanie being strapped on to such an unconventional machine, her face etched with lust as she was forced to endure such intense, extreme pleasure, made his dick hard in his pants.

Or . . . she’d freak out over the depravity of the act, scream her safe word, and never forgive him for putting her through something so traumatic. Fuck.

“You are way overthinking things,” Dean said quietly from beside him, clearly sensing Mac’s inner turmoil. “Stephanie is far from being sexually repressed or a shrinking violet when it comes to trying new things here at the club.”

Mac shifted on his feet. His friend was right, and his words helped to put his head on straight again. He knew the insecurity was his own, based on a past relationship where he’d been branded a monster for his taboo desires—something he’d never experienced with Stephanie—yet that niggling fear was like an annoying form of PTSD that crept up on him at times and caused him to second-guess himself. Because if he ever hurt Stephanie or shattered the trust between them by pushing her too far, it would destroy him.

Rick Dunne, the head of the Cyber Security Division at Noble and Associates, walked up to Mac and Dean, and Mac was grateful for the interruption. Another man strolled beside Rick, and while Mac didn’t recognize the tall, well-built, lighter-haired guy, he assumed it was Rick’s stepbrother, for whom Mac had approved an invitation to The Players Club, upon Rick’s request about a week ago.

“I wanted to introduce you both to my stepbrother, Declan Burke,” Rick said when the two of them reached Mac and Dean. “He’s on leave from the army for a few weeks, and I figured he deserved to have some fun and blow off some stress before returning to Iraq for another tour of duty,” he said in a lighthearted tone.

“Damn straight,” Mac said with a chuckle as he shook the other man’s hand, impressed with Declan’s firm, confident grip. “Welcome to The Players Club. Enjoy yourself.”

“Thank you,” Declan replied with a curt but polite nod. “I appreciate the invitation. Nice to meet you both.”

“Army Special Forces, right?” Dean asked, repeating what Mac had told him a few days ago about the other man. And he was an expert sniper, to be exact.

“That’s correct, sir,” Declan replied.

Mac knew the other man was being respectful with his use of sir, but he shook his head and slapped Declan on the back in male comradery. “You can leave military etiquette at the door. No need for formalities between any of us here.”

A small smile quirked the corner of Declan’s mouth, the only hint of humor he displayed. “After ten years in the service and constantly addressing superiors, it’s a hard habit to break.”

“Dean and I definitely remember those days,” Mac said of their own time spent in the service.

The four of them conversed for a few minutes, mostly about the places Declan had been on tour and when he was heading back to Iraq. Even knowing the two men weren’t blood related but had grown up together as young boys when their parents married, Mac still found the contrast between Rick and Declan interesting, because they appeared to be complete opposites.

Rick, who was older than his stepbrother by a few years, had been working at Noble and Associates for a while, so Mac knew him best. While the other man definitely had a serious side when it came to work, his personality outside of the office was easygoing, sociable, and flirtatious when it came to the ladies, as Mac had discovered when Rick had initially set his sights on Stephanie. Before Mac had come to his senses, realized he wanted her for himself, and become a fucking caveman about having her.

In comparison, Declan came across as austere, confident, and a bit rough around the edges—which was to be expected considering what he’d probably seen and done in the military. Even in a relaxed atmosphere, his expression was unreadable. He stood at attention—spine straight, hands at his sides, and shoulders back. Yeah, some habits were so ingrained they came as naturally as breathing.

Mac recognized that air of control and dominance about Declan, and how aware of his surroundings he was despite being guarded. He was the kind of disciplined man that Mac wouldn’t hesitate to hire for his security team in a hot minute, given the chance.