Whipped (Hitched #2)(21)

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."





CHAPTER 13





VI


Lachlan insists on planning our third date and once again makes it a surprise. I'm pretty sure this man is trying to kill me with happiness. And, surprisingly, I'm okay with that.

In fact, he doesn't even tell me when the date is happening. I stumble upon it coming home from work two days after our paintball war and a day before my birthday. And yes, things happened in my normal everyday life in those two days. But do you really want to hear about me getting an oil change or balancing the accounts at Whipped or how I ate too many cupcakes when one of our vendors brought them to the shop and I spent all afternoon whining to Zoe about it? I didn't think so. Dates with Lachlan, and especially the third date with Lachlan, are way more interesting.

It's Friday night. I don't have plans specifically, but I assume my evening will involve Lachlan in some capacity, since every evening this week has. Though sadly it has not involved his cock since the night at his show. But that shit better be changing soon. Because third date!

So I'm expecting something tonight. Just not this.

This is my entire apartment covered in sheets when I open the door. "Lachlan?" I'm afraid to take a step inside. I'm not even sure there's a spot I can actually step into. Multi-colored sheets, including the ones from my bed, are pinned to the walls and draped over furniture as the edges fall to the floor in different patterns.

"Hey, babe!" I hear his voice through the curtain of cotton, but I can't see him. "You have to get on your hands and knees," he says, as if this explains everything.

"What are you talking about? What is this?"

His head pops out from below one of the sheets near me, a big grin on his handsome face. I gasp and jump. "Haven't you ever built a fort from sheets before?"

I shake my head, heart rate still high from the sudden appearance of his face. "Nope. Never."

He holds a hand up to me, and I drop my purse by the door, kick off my red stiletto heels and sink to my knees, accepting his hand as he draws me into the world he created with our bedding.

"You're missing out," he says. "This is a rite of passage for any child, but it takes on a different energy as an adult. I've created a labyrinth of rooms, each containing a tease for your senses and culminating in the final surprise of the night. You must experience each room fully before progressing to the next. Understand?"

"I think so." But I'm regretting my choice of attire for the day. Namely, the black leather mini-skirt that makes crawling on my hands and knees less than comfortable.

He smirks when he sees me tugging on my skirt. "It's time for the first tease," he says, leading me over to a white box with a giant red bow. "This is for you."

"Presents!" I may not like surprises, but I love presents. My excitement is palpable as I open up the box, and I sigh in delight at the contents. It's a beautiful silk nightgown in jewel tones of red, purple and emerald green. "Oh, Lachlan, this is gorgeous. Thank you so much!"

He makes a pretense of covering his eyes. "You must change into it before we can proceed to the next room."

Grateful to relieve myself of the clothing I'm wearing, I quickly change into the new nightgown. It's like wearing a cloud. I feel sexy and alluring in it, my shoulders bare and the plunging neckline accentuating my best features. The top of the sheet tent brushes against my head as I kneel before Lachlan. He has to slouch not to burst out of it entirely. I'm guessing these tents are easier for children to navigate, but it's still fun.

He runs a hand over my shoulders and slides a finger down my neckline, our eyes locked in heated anticipation. "What do we do now?" I ask, hoping I won't need the nightgown for long.

"Now, we move to the next room and see what awaits us." He points to a pillowcase hanging from the sheet. I assume it's meant to be a door, and I crawl through it and am greeted by a picnic of delectable desserts spread out on the rug with brightly colored pillows arranged artfully around the feast.

Lachlan positions himself over a few of the pillows, resting on his elbow, so I do the same, facing him. He holds up that black silk blindfold, and I moan. "Again?"

He nods and ties it around my eyes. "For this tease, you must focus on your other senses while I feed you."

This exercise is unbelievably sensual as I open my mouth and he places a small bite of something sweet. I savor the melting chocolate with a hint of mint, letting the taste fill me. Next is a strawberry dipped in more chocolate, and then he holds a glass to my lips, and I sip champagne. Next comes something salty. Oyster. An aphrodisiac. I smile as I let the cool salty bite slide down my throat.