Faceoff by Kelly Jamieson

and off the bed, leaving her bereft, her pussy aching and pulsing with need. Yeah, she knew what she needed and him leaving wasn’t it. She lifted onto one elbow and watched him bend to pick up a small case from the floor of the tent. He set it on the bed, opened it and pulled out a roll of what looked like wide black tape.
    “What is that?”
    He smiled. He ripped open the roll. It sounded like Velcro. The next thing she knew, her wrists were bound behind her back with the stuff.
    “Bondage tape,” he said, satisfaction deepening his voice.
    She blinked. Her wrists tingled.
    “You can’t be serious,” she breathed into the sleeping bag. “What are you, some kind of sadistic perv?” She rolled over, bending her elbows and fitting her hands into the small of her back.
    He tipped his head to one side and held her gaze steadily. “Maybe.”
    Her stomach did a little flip and warmth spread through her body. “I could just scream for help.”
    “Yeah…no. You won’t.”
    “Why not?”
    “Because you don’t want anyone to know about this. And also because I have this.” He pulled out a black rubber strap with a red ball attached to it.
    Kyla stared. “What the hell is that?”
    “A ball gag.”
    “Jesus.” Her insides tightened and her pulse leaped. “You wouldn’t do that.”
    “Not if you keep quiet.” He held up the gag with a questioning look and a teasing glint in his eye that both excited and reassured her. The idea of trying to get away came into her head and then disappeared. Really, she had no hope of escaping him. And really…she didn’t want to.
    She opened her mouth, then closed it. “I don’t want that,” she muttered. “I don’t want this stuff on my wrists either.” She eyed the case. “What other kinky stuff have you got in there?”
    He smiled. “This.” He pulled out a small cloth bag. From it he withdrew a glass dildo. Her lips parted as she studied it. It was really very beautiful, clear glass with swirling red hearts in the shaft of it. She longed to touch it, to feel the weight of it, the smoothness of the glass. She swallowed. “Some lube,” he added, tossing a small bottle onto the bed. “A paddle. A blindfold. Some other stuff…but I don’t want to scare you.”
    “You don’t scare me.” Oh lord, anticipation curled deep inside her. Her eyes fell on the paddle.
    His grin had her melting into her panties. “I know, dammit. I never have, have I?”
    She cocked her head, unsure what that was about. “No. But why would you want to?”
    “I don’t want to scare you.” He sat on the bed beside her and laid his hand on her chest between her breasts. Her nipples immediately tightened and her skin heated. “Sometimes I wish you were just a little more impressed with me.”
    She gazed up at him, not sure what to say. Didn’t he know how impressed she was with him? How much she’d worshipped him?
    “But then,” he continued, his hand sliding up until it rested at her throat, cupping her there, so gently, yet so compellingly. “I’m actually glad you’re not. You treat me just like anyone else.”
    She continued to gaze at him, studying his face, trying to read what was behind these enigmatic comments. His hand on her throat made her feel…as if she belonged to him. Her heart beat faster. And harder. “I guess…” Okay, the brother comparison was just wrong now after what they’d just done. And truthfully, since she’d been old enough to know what sexual feelings felt like, that whole brother thing had been out the window. “I guess you’re not that special,” she finished.
    His eyes widened, then narrowed—and then he laughed. “See? You fucking turn me upside down, Mac.”
    His use of that old nickname only stirred up her mixed feelings even more. She’d wanted so much to be one of the boys, she’d begged them to call her that. All the other boys had laughed at her, but Tag had started calling her that, and somehow, it had rubbed off on the others.