Page 97 of The Laughing Game

Vihaal looked like a god, standing there beside Gideon, making free with all of that restrained flesh. He gave Gideon a slap to the ass and Gideon thanked him for it. Then the other side. More words of gratitude.

“Mmm. You aren’t going to thank me for what I do next.”

A thrill passed through me at those words.

“Gideon likes a bit of pain with his pleasure, even when he doesn’t. And he has his safeword. Don’t you, my dear?”

“Yes, Vihaal.”

“Tell me what it is.”

“Tambourine.”

“Excellent. Let’s get started.”

Vihaal flashed me a devilish smile as he walked the short distance to the bed where he had laid out supplies. He picked up something and came toward me.

“This one’s for you, Angel,” he said, holding up a braided cord with a sliding bead to clasp it together. “To keep you hard and keep you from spilling too soon.”

I’d never worn a cock ring, but I trusted him.

He held my gaze as he wrapped it around the base of my dick and balls, then tightened it so it was snug.

“Thank you, Vihaal,” I said. It was instinctual now, my response.

Vihaal grinned and cupped my chin, then kissed me hard on the mouth, breaching me with his tongue and leaning his body against mine.

A wave of euphoria washed over me. Then Vihaal stepped back, released my chin and bent down. I had a second to think—What the fuck?—before he took the head of my cock in his mouth and swirled his tongue around it as I gasped and groaned in sudden delight.

He pulled off then, a string of saliva connecting his lower lip to my cock for a brief moment before it broke. He straightened and gave me the most incendiary look as he turned and walked away.

He picked up a paddle from the bed—a serious-looking, leather one—and positioned himself behind Gideon.

“Ready, my sweet little pain slut?”

“Yes, Vihaal. Always,” Gideon murmured.

I had a good view of Gideon, and of Vihaal standing behind him. Gideon’s gaze met mine as Vihaal landed the first swat. Gideon’s eyes closed and he whimpered. He cried out as Vihaal landed heavy blows to his poor, sweet ass.

After several blows, it became obvious that Gideon was struggling. I tried to remember that he had a safeword that hecould deploy if he wanted Vihaal to stop, but it was both difficult and hot to watch him writhing and moaning. But I knew by now that, sometimes, the struggle was the whole point. The wish to please your Dom, fighting the urge to give in to your own weaknesses.

I glanced at Vihaal, and something about his face flashed alarm.

There was blood. Blood on his face.

“V,” I said. “V, you’re bleeding.”

Vihaal landed another blow to Gideon’s flesh as bright red blood seeped from his nose, coursed over his lips, and dripped onto his bare chest.

“Fuck,” Vihaal swore, dropping the paddle and moving to the bed where he grabbed a towel, and pressed it to his face. “Tarnish.FuckingTarnish.”

I remembered that it was Vihaal’s safeword. It meant that we had to stop the scene. But Gideon and I were both trussed up, and we’d need Vihaal to release us.

“V?” Gideon said, his voice sounding panicked. “Vihaal!”

“It’s all right. A nosebleed. For fuck’s sake.”

Gideon started laughing.

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