Whipped) (6 page)

I stare at the blindfold as if it's a poisonous snake intent on biting me. "Seriously?"

He grins. "Seriously. It's a surprise. You have to be blindfolded. Besides, what better way to begin this budding romance but with a game of trust?"

"Fine, you want trust? You wear the blindfold." I hold the black silk out to him but he doesn't accept it.

"I could, but I'm not sure you want me driving while blindfolded."

"I'm perfectly capable of driving," I tell him. We're standing by the front door and were just about to leave for our first date when he sprung the blindfold on me.

"But you don't know where we're going."

"You could tell me, and then all of this would be moot."

"And the fun would be spoiled. Come on, Vi. Let those impenetrable walls down a bit and have some fun. I promise, I won't break you." He takes the blindfold from my hand and lifts it to my eyes.

I have to make a choice. Surrender to him, or ruin our first date before it's begun?

This wouldn't be a hard choice for most people—but then I'm not most people, I guess. Still… I'm loath to ruin what might be just because it's hard to relinquish control.

So, I do it again. I surrender. I close my eyes, and he ties the silk around my eyes and leads me to his car, the cold morning air nipping at my exposed flesh.

It's unnerving, trusting someone to guide me. I'm usually the one putting on the blindfold, not wearing it. But excitement builds for this unusual date as he drives us to our destination in the still dark morning, made darker by the black silk over my eyes.

"What kind of date has to happen before the crack of dawn?" I ask, yawning. I'm not the best morning person in the world. Fortunately for Lach's sake, he had coffee ready before waking me up for this experience.

"The kind that's a surprise," he says. "Did no one ever explain the concept of a surprise to you?"

"I'm familiar with it in theory, but I prefer to know ahead of time what's happening with my life. I've never been a huge fan of surprises. I find anticipation is more exciting than surprise. If I know what's going to happen I can look forward to it, think about it, imagine it. A surprise leaves nothing but shock. It's not worth it." I sip at my coffee, carefully navigating it to my mouth so I don't spill it everywhere.

"We're going to have to work on this. I can't accept a
no-surprise
clause to our relationship along with everything else."

I swallow my argument along with the last dregs of sugary sweet liquid as he slows the car to a stop.

"We're here!" He sounds like a kid about to open their birthday present, and it's endearing in an unexpected way. And almost makes me excited about a surprise.

I grin, and pull my leather jacket around my body as he guides me out of the car and into the still cold morning. "When do I get to actually see this date?" I ask. "Please tell me I don't have to do the whole thing blind. I'm not sure I can handle that."

He laughs, and I enjoy the deep timbre of it. "Soon, babe. Soon, you will see everything."

My arm is linked into his, the warmth of his body filling me as we walk the few feet to this mystery date. When he breaks contact to take my blindfold off, I’m surprised to immediately miss the feel of him.

"Ready?"

I would glare at him, but he can't see my eyes, so I stick my tongue out instead. So mature, I know, but the teasing is fun, if juvenile. This is something new for me. I'm not used to being so… relaxed? Fun? I don't know the word, but there's a sense with Lachlan that I don't have to be in control all the time. That I can actually let my guard down and be silly. It's a bit disconcerting, but not in a bad way.

His hand brushes against my cheek as he unties the black silk. When my eyes open, it takes a moment to adjust to the still mostly dark sky, but then I see where we are and my heart does a little leap.

Before us a man is spreading out a yellow and orange tent of material attached to a large basket. Goosebumps cover my arms as all the pieces come together. "We're going hot air ballooning?"

"Yes." I can tell he's waiting to see if this is good for me or not, and in an out-of-character display of physical enthusiasm I throw myself into his arms.

He's quick to respond, his arms tightening around my waist as our bodies press together, my lips finding his before I have time to think. His lips are soft and his kiss is the perfect mix of slow and teasing that builds into something more. Passionate, probing, full of sexual desire. We're interrupted by the man behind us clearing his throat.

"We're all set," he says, and Lachlan pulls away and introduces us.

"Vi, this is Clint, an old buddy of mine who gives the occasional tour via hot air balloon to tourists."

I hold out my hand and accept his handshake. He's not as tall as Lachlan, and not as athletically built, but he's got a kind face and a welcoming smile. He reminds me a bit of a farmer in a fairy tale, with his flannel and jeans and bearded face, and his hands are callused, like someone who works hard with them.

"Nice to meet you, Clint. What do you do when you're not doing this?"

"I train horses," he says.

Lachlan pats Clint's back. "He's a jack-of-all-trades and was kind enough to set up a private balloon ride for us."

"Have you ever been?" Clint asks me.

"No, but I've always wanted to. I recently went skydiving for the first time. I loved it." I grin at Lachlan. "You pretty much nailed my first date fantasy, by the way. Horseback riding would have been a close second."

He takes a dramatic bow. "Glad to be of service to milady. Would you say this was worth a surprise?"

I purse my lips and try not to smile so broadly my face cracks. "I suppose you get a pass on the no-surprise clause for this one."

He slips an arm around my shoulder and leans in. "I still haven't agreed to that one, and am not likely to. I have many surprises planned for you, babe. And you'll love them all."

My knees quiver a bit at the implied promises his voice holds.

Clint is already turned away from us, prepping the balloon. We watch in silence as it fills with air, expanding larger than I imagined it would until there's space for us to enter the basket.

"We can accommodate a much larger group," Clint says as we enter the basket. "But Lachlan made it clear this needed to be a private party."

Once inside, I expect to feel a jolt, a sudden lurch from the earth as we became airborne. Instead, I'm caught up in a dreamlike flotation that lifts us from one plane of existence and into the heavens. I hold my breath and lean against the side to take in everything. The sun is starting to rise, filling the sky with the brightening hues of pinks, yellows, oranges and reds. Lachlan comes up behind me and embraces me, his arms reaching around to grip the edge of the basket on either side of me as we soar higher and higher over Nevada.

Clint leaves us to our own world, and it's easy to forget he's even there as we glide gently along, the humming of the fires giving us occasional lift. The movement through the sky is exhilarating, and my heart pings a new rhythm of happiness as I enjoy this moment with Lach's arms around me.

He leans in, his lips brushing my ear. "You're stunning when you smile," he says.

I turn in his arms, facing him instead of the vista before me. He's just about as breathtaking as the view. "You've outdone yourself. I fear you've set up our relationship to fail, though," I tease, my hands on his muscular chest.

"How so?" he furrows his brow in mock-worry.

"What could compete with this? You should have started small. Halfway decent pizza with some live music that didn't quite suck. Work your way up to the magical. But now, you've blown your wad on the best date ever. We have nowhere to go from here but down." I twist to look below us. "Literally."

He laughs. "Babe, if you think I've blown my wad…" he presses his hips into me, and I feel his hard cock throbbing beneath his jeans, "…then you don't know me very well."

"That's true," I admit. "I don't know you well. This is, after all, only our first date."

He grazes my cheek with his long fingers and smiles down at me. "The first of many."

We spend an hour in the sky, and before we get ready to descend, Lachlan pulls two flutes and a bottle of champagne from his bag. He pops the cork and pours our drinks. "To us," he says.

We clink glasses, and I sip the bubbly drink as the last of the darkness is pushed away by the sun.

***

I'm reluctant to leave the otherworldly magic of the balloon. Lachlan grins and reaches for my hand, leading me back to the car. I turn and wave at Clint. "Thank you," I say. "This was amazing."

He smiles back at us. "Glad to help! You should come see the horses some time."

I nudge Lachlan and grin. "Thank you too, for this most amazing date."

"You're very welcome. Thanks for trusting me." He stops and caresses my face. "I know it's not easy for you, and I appreciate it."

His words melt me and by the time we arrive home, I'm horny. I want him bad. But he
tsk
s me. "You have work, and this is only our first date. We have two more before sex can happen, remember?"

I groan. "You were serious? You of the perpetual one night stand? Seriously?"

He kisses my forehead. "Babe, you're not one of my perpetual one night stands. That's the point."

"Fine," I say, pulling away with a grin. "But I get to plan the next date. And I know just the thing."

He raises an eyebrow. "Very well, mistress. I'm open to being wooed by my woman. When shall I be ready?"

"Tomorrow night," I say with a smirk. Because that third date needs to happen.

Fast.

Paintball. That's Vi's idea for our next date. So I'm dressed in camouflage. Not sure if the designer was trying to create clothing or an oven, because I'm slick with sweat. My head's covered in a helmet that recreates the experience of being blind. It makes breathing hard. I feel like Darth Vader.

Vi's dressed the same, but the uniform hugs her curves in just the right way. I wish I could see her better. She shows me how to load my gun with paintballs. There's so many colors, I feel like I'm about to shoot people with skittles.

She escorts me out of the office building and into the arena. It's a giant pit of sand covered in sporadic blocks and hollow houses. The sun is bright. It burns my eyes and destroys the remaining bits of vision I have left. That's fine. I don't need to see, right? There are a few dozen people with us. No way I'm fucking counting them. The supervisor divides us into two teams. Reds and blues. Vi and I are red. The supervisor goes over the rules. All I remember is, if you're shot in the torso or head, you're out. Before the battle starts, we're allowed to take positions on opposite sides of the arena. Vi and I hide out in a one-story bunker.

"How do we win?" I ask.

Her voice is muffled. "We kill them all."

"Great. So, how do we do that?"

She points at a building near the center of the arena. "We advance to that bunker. From there, we shoot everyone."

"Sounds simple."

Vi scoots toward a window. "You go first. I'll cover you."

I'm reminded of a war movie. "I can't leave you behind."

"I'm the better shot. I'll be fine."

She's got a point. I have no idea how to shoot. "Fine. I'm going."

Vi nods. "Ready. Set. Go."

I turn a corner and charge toward a bunker, yelling at the top of my lungs. Things whoosh through the air. I assume people are firing at me. I hear Vi yell behind me. "You shoot at my man? Take this, you motherfuckers!" And I may be imagining this, but I feel like her voice sounds more and more like Arnold Schwarzenegger by the second.

"Lach, get down!" Okay. That one was like a perfect Arnold impression. I’m almost waiting for her to tell me to "get to the chopper!"

I dive forward, landing in the bunker. Sand shoots up around me. Some gets in my mouth. Helmet, what the fuck are you good for?

As I climb further into the bunker, something bites my leg. What the fuck? Snakes? Vi did not tell me there would be snakes. Wait… I notice the yellow paint on my foot. Someone shot me. Motherfucker. It hurts. I massage my foot.

A shadow fills the doorway. What the—

The enemy jumps out a few feet in front of me. I close my eyes and fire.

"Lach. Lach, it's me."

I stop firing and open my eyes. Vi stands in the doorway, a rainbow of colors around her. I sigh in relief. "Sorry, babe."

"It's okay. It's your first time. At least you got to the bunker."

"I did, didn't I? Sorry for shooting you… Wait. There's no paint on you. You were like four feet away."

"Yeah. Your aim sucks."

I couldn't hit her from four feet away.

I.

AM.

FUCKING.

DOOMED.

Vi pats me on the shoulder. "Lach, you okay?"

"Yeah. Sure. Why?"

"You sound like you need an inhaler."

I chuckle. "It's the helmet."

She sits beside me under a window. "Okay. Now, stick your head out. Tell me how many people are in that next building."

"Why do I stick my head out?"

"You're less valuable."

Can't argue with that. I stick my head out. There's one, two… oh yeah, I can't fucking see. I lower my head. "There's like four guys."

Vi smacks me on the helmet. "Like four guys, or four guys?"

"I don't know. I just saw blobs of darkness."

"Okay. I'll take care of it." She stands and starts firing. I get a blurry view of her ass. It inspires me to keep going.

Something hits my hand. It goes numb. "Fuck!"

Vi sits back down, hiding behind the wall. "What happened?"

I show her my hand. "It's bleeding."

"That's red paint."

Oh. It does not feel like red paint. And if you think it can't possibly hurt that much, then let me shoot your hand with a Skittle of Evil. You. Will. Cry.

Not that
I'm
crying, that is. Just… just shut the fuck up.

"Pay more attention," says Vi.

"It'll be a lot easier if you weren't so distracting."

"Oh, so it's my fault you got shot."

I smile. "Exactly."

Though I can't see her face, I imagine her smiling back. She raises her gun and shoots my other hand.

"What the fuck?"

"
Now
it is my fault you got shot. Want to blame me again?"

"Nope. I'm good." I flex my hands, trying to regain feeling. It doesn't work. "So, what's next?"

Vi looks out the window and then ducks her head back in. "Fuck. We're surrounded."

"It's the end, isn't it?"

She makes a fist. "We can't give up."

"What can we do?"

"Wait. Then die." She pulls off her helmet and frowns.

My jaw falls. "We can take our helmets off?"

"No. But who'll see?"

She's got a point. I rip my helmet off. Vision returns. I can breathe again. When I tell my children my favorite memories, this will be among them. Breathing.

I toss the vile thing aside. "Well, since the world is about to end, we might as well make the best of it."

Vi bites her lip. "What do you have in mind?"

I drop my gun and grab her waist. I press my lips against hers. "I need you, Vi."

"Lach. We can't."

I cup her ass. "We may never get another chance."

Her hand trails down my chest. Lower, lower. She stops. "No. We can't. People are counting on us."

"What people?"

She pulls away. "Our teammates. They need us." She shrugs. "Well, they need
me
."

"But—"

"No. Get your helmet back on. Besides, we're only on date two, remember?"

I grit my teeth and do it. Just one more date, Lach. Just one more date.

Vi puts on her helmet and grabs both guns. "I'll take the motherfuckers out. You'll help."

I yank on her uniform. "How can I help without a gun?"

She pauses. "A lot more than
with
a gun."

She's got a point. "What should I do?"

"Run out and distract them. I'll use you as a human shield."

I raise a finger. Before I can object, she shoves me out of the bunker.

Oh fuck.

I charge with my hands out. Paintballs swish around me. I think I see a box to hide behind. I dash forward. And then I am hit where no man should ever feel pain.

I collapse behind the box. Tears pour from my eyes. I feel like fireworks are going off in my balls.

Vi takes cover beside me. "What happened… Oh my God. Didn't you rent a cup?"

I spit as I talk. "I thought I'd save on the discomfort."

"Yeah. You look really comfortable."

"Fuck. Vi." I pull her closer. "I'm not gonna make it."

"Hang in there, stud."

"Tell my balls that." The pain builds. I can't take it anymore. My limbs go limp. I lie lifeless on the sand.

Vi screams at the heavens. Then she leans downs and whispers. "I will avenge you."

I see her blurry form jump up and unleash the Skittles of Evil. Blobs of darkness collapse under her assault. She is vengeance incarnate. She is death.

My cock starts to get hard before her beautiful display. Oh fuck, that's not a good idea. Not when your testicles have been replaced with bowling balls on fire. I squeeze my thighs together to stop the erection. Thank God I googled this shit.

Vi spins in a circle. A tornado of rainbows and death. And then she freezes. She collapses. Her voice is half a sob. "Oh God. The paint got in my mouth." It's all over her helmet.

With my last breath, I crawl toward her. I grab her hand. Darkness comes for me…

Because I can barely see shit.

Cheers erupt all around us. Someone announces. "Blue team is victorious!"

We pull off our helmets, and I help Vi stand up. "We did our best," I say.

She puts a hand to her mouth. "This is so disgusting. Fucking helmet." She stares at it as if it betrayed her. "You had
one
job, helmet. You failed."

The blue team members around us remove their helmets. They're pretty short. One guy has braces. We lost to a bunch of tweens? As we limp out of the arena, I nudge Vi on the shoulder. "Let's never speak of this, okay?" I say.

She laughs. "You never speak of it. I'm telling everyone how you got shot in the balls."