Page 83 of Glitz & Goals

“Blade…” I warn.

He grunts and lowers his head, altering his trajectory for the enormous dog bed Vivian made for him. He’s stopped barking about most things and pouts instead, mostly because Vivian is a soft touch and lets him get away with shit any time he looks sad. He knows the furniture is off-limits, though.

As Blade circles in his bed, Vivian turns to me. “Before I forget, there’s some more wedding stuff I want to talk about…”

I press my finger to her lips. “Hold that thought. Until tomorrow, at least. We have plenty of time, and you know that I’ll defer to you on most of the details. As long as you’re there,and my family’s there, I’ll be happy. I’ll do whatever you want me to do, but I know you’re the design queen. I bow before you.”

“Do you really?” She licks her lips. “I think I’d like to see that.”

“Speaking of which, I have something to show you, and I think it’s going to take up the rest of the night.”

Viv’s eyes light up. “Is that so?”

“Think of it as practice for the wedding night.”

Her eyes sweep over me. “I like the sound of that.”

I take her hand and lead her upstairs. When we walk past the bedroom door, her wicked smile transforms into a frown of confusion. There are three other rooms upstairs, ostensibly bedrooms, though I’ve never needed that much space. I set them up as guest bedrooms, but in the two weeks since the end of the season, I’ve been using my free time to convert the last room into something more… intimate.

“Remember how you said we should have a sex room?” I open the door and gesture to the interior. “Voilà.”

The bed that was in here when my sisters visited remains, but the red silk sheets are a new addition. I got a new frame for the bed, complete with a canopy, and new lights with low-wattage bulbs that fill the room with a golden, diffused light. Viv walks through the room, dragging her fingers over the curve of the sensual lounge chair I special ordered for the purpose, admiring the dark wallpaper and studying the abstract art on the walls. I went for a sort of Georgia O’Keefe vibe when picking the art, opting for images that were suggestive rather than explicit. The art alone wouldn’t give away what kind of room this is.

The display of toys on the far wall, though? Dead giveaway. Good thing I installed a locking cabinet.

“Grady.” Viv stops before the assortment of items and turns to me. “This is so much.”

“There’s room for more, if there are other things you want to try.” I sit on the edge of the bed and gesture up the canopy frame. “There are hard points here. So I can tie you up. Or you can tie me up. I’m not picky.”

Viv hesitates. “Would you like that?”

“I thought I made it clear that seeing you get turned on is my biggest kink.” I grin and flop back on the bed, splaying my limbs wide. “What do you think? Would you want to try that?”

“Yes.” Her voice is thick with desire. “Yes. I would. Can we…?”

I’m already pulling off my clothes which, I admit, are not the sexiest things I own. Bright green and purple venom merch doesn’t exactly match the sensual mood of the room.

Once I’m naked, I show Vivian the restraints at each corner of the mattress and the hard points on the canopy. “How do you want me?”

“On your back,” she says.

I swallow and lower myself onto the covers. “Okay.”

She takes her time fastening the restraints around my ankles, then my wrists. They’re made of soft fabric, with velcro attachments. If I wanted to get out of them, I could do so easily. If and when Viv is ever in my place, she won’t be trapped. Listen, I’m older than she is. I sawGerald’s Game. I don’t intend to fuck around and find out.

Vivian is still dressed. When she finishes with the restraints, she wanders over to the wall to consider her options. I didn’t realize it when I set up the room, but it’s hard to see the display from this angle, especially with Viv in the way. I can’t see what she picks up until she brings it back to me.

An eye mask. Black silk, made to block the light.

She sits on the bed and leans over to slide it onto my face. As soon as the room around me disappears, my breathing quickens.

“Is that okay?” Viv asks.

“Yeah. Very much so.” As much as I’d like to watch her, the temporary loss of one sense only heightens the others. I’m painfully aware of the swish of fabric as Viv undresses. The floor creaks beneath her feet as she returns to the wall of toys.

“You already cleaned these?” she asks.

“Yeah. There’s cleaner and supplies in the cubby below the lube, too.”

---