Dungeon Crawl, page 7
I wanted to yield, but I didn’t want to cave. “Are we still on?”
For the bet.
“Damn straight. Rules of sex still the same?”
The ones we’d established the other night. Before everything fell apart. Why would those still be on the table?
Because I still wanted him. “Yes.”
“Good.” Elliot nipped the edge of my ear with his teeth.
Fuck, that was delicious. It also told me exactly how I needed to act. I would swallow the part of me that wanted this entire clash to vanish, and I would prove to him that I was right—I was better off being bold and brash, and he wasn’t as in control of his heart as he pretended.
Fortunately, if my goal was to make him fall in love, I still got to be meek and submissive to a point. As long as I remembered that wasn’t my final destination. “So, you see me wearing fewer clothes than normal, and that means I’m here for you to use?”
“No.” His answer came without hesitation. “You could be fully clothed or wearing nothing, and I’d feel the same. I think because you want me to help you live your fantasies of being fucked in public, that you’re here for me to use.”
“Mmm…. You say the most arrogant things.” I ground into him. “Tell me more about what an asshole you are.”
Elliot pressed a hand to my throat and his chest to my back. My terror returned—the pulse-pounding fear I felt the other night—and it was blended with just as potent a desire.
“No, I don’t think I will.” Elliot teased a hand up my bare stomach. When he brushed the bottom of my breast, my heart flipped in an entirely new way, and when he slid under the fur bikini top, to lightly brush my nipple, my core clenched in response.
I didn’t have the words to argue. Stop, that was all I had to say. But I didn’t want to. The way he was teasing felt so good. Was that wrong?
“Here’s the thing.” Elliot’s breath was hot on my neck. “I don’t think any less of you because you’re letting me do this.”
I was going to dream specifically about that sensation. And how did his words make this hotter? It wasn’t a sexy thing to say. “You could think less of me?”
“Oh, Fallyn.” His voice rumbled through my back, and the way my name growled off his tongue was intoxicating. “I could think so much less of you. But the bar is lower than it was a week ago.” He slid his hand down my stomach and over my skirt, to lightly brush my pussy through the fabric of my leggings.
This was incredible and wrong and I was already wet enough to soak my panties. I didn’t know where that line was between bad ass bitch and being compliant enough to seduce Elliot, but I was pretty sure I couldn’t do both. I was also pretty sure if he kept this up, I was going to lose this round.
And I wasn’t even upset about it. “Your point is?”
Elliot pressed against me harder. Rubbing with enough intensity I felt it everywhere. He tightened his grip on my throat. “My point is, I’m not going to make you come because I think you’re an object to be used. I’m going to do it because I know you want it. Because you’ve told me you want it. Because good girls get off, and I like the sounds you make when you do.”
The way he stroked my clit… The crass, egotistical words… The precision of his grip and his fingers digging into my clit through layers of fabric, had me close to climax.
“Tell me to stop or tell me you want to come.” He didn’t ease up, but he didn’t dig in harder either.
There were so many voices outside. People right there. Anyone could walk in on us at any minute. It would destroy his career. It would be worse for mine.
My fear was sweet on my tongue the way it mingled with my need.
“Pick one.” Elliot lightened his pressure, but not a lot.
Wait. Come back. Please. “I want to come.”
Elliot pressed into my clit harder, stroking and letting me grind to get the right angle. This was incredible. Pleasure mounted inside, surging then ebbing, growing stronger the more he worked me over. I couldn’t hear anything over the roar of my pulse in my ears, and my heart was about to hammer out of my chest.
I dug my fingers tighter into his arm, needing him to hold me up. Needing—
Fuck. I bit the inside of my cheek when I came, to keep from crying out. A copper taste hit my tongue, and I didn’t care. I was consumed by orgasm, and the rest of the world paled in comparison to the rainbow splash that flooded me.
As the sensation faded, Elliot eased up, but he didn’t pull away. He held me until my legs stopped shaking. He helped me steady myself against the wall.
And then his touch was gone, its absence followed by another door in the room opening and closing a few seconds later.
I’d never actually seen him.
But fuck I was going to remember this for a long time, and not for bad reasons.
When I regained my footing, I pushed away from the wall and headed back into the throngs of the crowd. My face was still hot. Could anyone tell what I’d just done by looking at me? I might soak through my leggings soon, so a stop in the bathroom was in order. Thankfully, there wasn’t a line. I grabbed a handful of paper towels, wet a couple, and headed into an open stall to clean myself up,
How was that entire exchange with Elliot supposed to change my mind or help him win? And why was I more conflicted than ever about him? He came across as cold. Removed. Not the kind of guy whose opinions I’d trust for much of anything.
But if I was looking for someone I trusted to get me off, and leave me alone the rest of the time, he was at the top of my list. How weird was that? He and Link were the first men I’d ever been with who didn’t make me feel like they’d take it from me even if I told them to stop.
Experience insisted it didn’t matter what a man said—sex and love were intertwined. If he was coming back for more, and I was enjoying the results, doing more of the same seemed like the perfect way to make him fall for me. I was going to embrace Bad-ass Bitch Fallyn, who didn’t care if she left a casualty at the side of the road.
I finished up, and made my way into the con again. The food was overpriced and I’d never pay so much for it if I weren’t here, but for some reason cheap pizza hit the spot. Then it was back to work-plus-fun.
I was heading from the exhibitor hall to one of the developer panels, when I heard someone call my name. Not unusual, it’d been happening all day. I spun to find a man right there.
“Fallyn.” He grinned. “Hi.”
“Hello.” So far most people had been friendly, even the awkward ones, so I could return the favor.
He stepped closer, and my back hit a pillar. “I’m a huge fan of your show.”
“Thanks.” I tried to move to the side, to put more space between us, and he angled his body. Now I was pinned between him, the pillar, and the escalator. “Did you want a picture or something?”
His expression darkened. “No. I just wanted to meet you. Hey, do you want to get lunch? I’m buying.”
“I just ate, thanks.” Why wasn’t anyone interrupting us? We were surrounded by people and no one cared.
He frowned. “Oh. Okay. Maybe coffee then?”
This felt very different than with Elliot. This made bile rise in my throat, and if I dropped to my knees and crawled away, would that help? Should I push him? He was more than a foot taller than me. I didn’t know how that would be effective.
I very much did not like this.
10
link
After I talked to Fallyn, I stayed at the convention center long enough to make sure the booth was set up, and headed back to the offices. Most of the staff was doing a lot of double duty, rotating between the show and the game. Everyone had a say in where they went, but most of us chose both to keep our minds fresh.
It didn’t matter if I was helping move tables into place on the convention center floor, or fixing bugs, the exchange with Fallyn never left my mind.
I didn’t want to be mad at her. I wanted to find that same connection I had with her—with Kittie—in the game. But that wasn’t an option if I couldn’t trust her, and what she’d done…
I was returning to the convention center to take my turn working as security for the booth. Which really meant that those of us on duty stood around with looks that said behave or else.
A familiar voice reached my ears, though I couldn’t quite place it. But the second one was distinctly Fallyn. I followed the sounds to find her literally with her back to the wall, talking to Bryce. I’d worked with Bryce for years, first at Rinslet and then at AcesPlayed. His specialty was digital security, and we’d thought he was one of us.
Judith fired him a few years ago, because he used the excuse of working on a game with sex in it to let his predator side show through. We’d discovered he was using his access to beta applications to stalk some of the female players.
And now he had Fallyn pinned in a corner, and she looked very much like she didn’t want to be there.
“Bryce, hey.” I made sure my voice carried over the crowds, not just for him to hear, but everyone around us. “I’m surprised they let you in.” As I reached them, I maneuvered myself between the two of them.
Bryce took several steps back. His scowl was priceless. “Anyone can buy a ticket.”
“Anyone can have their ticket revoked, as well.” Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Fallyn move further away, but not out of earshot.
“We were just talking. You know who she is, don’t you?” The way Bryce squared his shoulders, stood taller, was probably supposed to intimidate me.
It didn’t. “Does it matter who she is if she doesn’t want to talk to you?”
“Of course she wants to.”
“I don’t.” Fallyn’s voice was tiny.
This fucking asshole. “Problem solved,” I said. “You can go about the show, knowing she’s done with the conversation, or I can find security and have them keep you from returning.”
Where Bryce’s fingers dug into his crossed arms, pale indentations appeared. I held his gaze, not blinking.
He flinched first. “I’m good.” He turned away.
“Thank you,” Fallyn said softly, when Bryce was gone.
I wanted to stay and chat, as much as I shouldn’t. She looked even better in her outfit than I remembered from this morning, and she also looked like better company than standing around glaring at con-goers would be.
But I was on the afternoon shift with Elliot, and that was pretty tempting too. Besides… Work. “I have to get to the booth. You okay?”
“Yes.” Despite the words, a frown flitted onto her face.
“Good. See you around.” That felt weird in a way I didn’t like, mostly the walking away part of it, but what else was I supposed to do?
I was halfway to the booth, when I saw Chloe walking in the other direction. She had started at Cord as a writer, decades ago. Her fan-fiction of their games landed her the job. Now, she was Rinslet’s Chief Marketing Officer. This was her show. She’d made it what it was, and continued to outdo herself every year.
I had nothing but respect for Chloe. I waved and gave her a warm smile. “Hey. Loving the event. Of course.”
“Thanks.” Her grin was bright. Her gaze darted around the room, and she fidgeted even as she stopped. “Loving the game.”
“Thanks. I won’t keep you, but you should know, Bryce is here.”
She was familiar with both the man and our reasons for letting him go. “I assume you mention it because he might be a problem?”
“He already has been. He’s not going to stop because I asked him too—He never has before.”
She already had her phone out and was jabbing at the screen. “We’ll revoke his pass, so he won’t be able to get in again once he leaves, and if security finds him before then, we’ll escort him out.”
Someone called her name, and she was heading in a new direction before I could thank her.
My next task for the day awaited. I headed to our booth. Not that it was hard to find—as headliners, we were front and center in the exhibitor hall. I was surprised to see Xander standing next to Elliot, doing the I’m imposing thing.
Xander was a friend of Judith’s, and like Elliot, he was an investor. But Xander was more of a silent partner, and he was rarely around.
I greeted him with a smile and a handshake. “Didn’t expect to find you here. Well, not here.”
“Had to see the payoff, you know?” Xander said. Which made sense. Even though he didn’t work with us, he’d been here from the start. “And I’m someone who can stand-in if needed, since I don’t have to go fix the game if it breaks.”
I was grateful for that. I relieved him of his security post, and took his place with Elliot. This was a good spot to be right now. Calm. Quiet, despite the roar of the crowds around us. Despite the hectic tone in the booth. There was a pocket of chill around the two of us.
When I was younger, I had a harsher temper, and it got me in trouble. I was happier now, having learned to embrace positivity, but I was also fine with looking imposing as long as I didn’t have to be imposing.
Seeing Bryce tugged me closer to anger, though. He’d cost us one of our best programmers, when he decided if she was okay with writing a game with sex in it, that she should be okay with fucking anyone who wanted her.
She’d been so intimidated by the information he dug up on her, that she hadn’t told anyone why she was quitting. It was on us, on me, because I let myself believe that anything he said was as much playful as what the rest of us did. So many of us had been fucking around for so long that I didn’t think twice about it when it was happening.
One of our other devs, Alys, had been the one to report him, and we put the pieces together about Cara once she did.
Bryce was out at that point, but I still got furious when I thought about the way he’d treated them, and that he was still doing so to others. I just wanted to make him feel a little of that same fear he’d projected on them—
I needed to stop, or I’d spiral into that mood. “You see Fallyn today?” Maybe not the best topic to bring up with Elliot, but it was the next thing on my mind and it was better than sinking into rage.
“Everyone has.” Elliot’s tone was flat, but in a forced way. “You?”
“I’m part of everyone.”
“Hmm.” Elliot did his best Witcher impersonation.
The clock sped toward the top of the hour, and the crowds surged as people got out of panels and headed in to see what was going on in here. The foot traffic in the booth surged to the point where we needed to step in and get people to form a line if they wanted to play the game.
When the bedlam was under control, we returned to our station.
“You talk to her?” Elliot asked.
“Yup. She apologized. Again.” And she looked both adorable and fuckable, and by the way, did Elliot really need to go through with this stupid bet?
I already knew the answer—he didn’t back down from anything. For some people, for me, any argument like the one he had with Fallyn was a heat of the moment thing. For him, that bet might as well be carved in stone.
“You?” I asked. As in, you talk to her?
He shrugged. “She didn’t apologize to me. I think she got the point Monday night.”
“But you talked to her.”
A group of people all cosplaying as X—Rinslet’s most popular character—stopped just a few feet away to let several people take their pictures. We watched. They were close enough that conversation didn’t seem like a good idea.
Fallyn joined them, and I couldn’t stop staring. The only acknowledgement she gave us was a quick glance in our direction.
A murmur rippled through the booth as more of our people recognized her, and died just as quickly as the group of cosplayers moved on and she went with them.
“Talked to her,” Elliot said. “Felt her up in a back room. Got her off…”
Fuck me. Wasn’t expecting that, but the instant he said it the images flooded my mind, and rented a space. Hot. Scorching even. I was saving that idea to beat my meat to later. “She return the favor?” Because that image could be the first one’s neighbor.
I was half hard and should probably clear both thoughts from my mind, but I didn’t want to.
“Didn’t give her a chance.” Elliot’s reply didn’t quell my desire.
I’d simply adjust the fantasy. “Bryce was harassing her.”
Elliot’s arm where it pressed into mine stiffened, and a glance confirmed he was standing more rigidly. Bryce had threatened Elliot’s people, and he didn’t stand for that. There was no question he felt at least as strongly about the situation as I did.
“They’re working on ejecting him.” If they hadn’t already.
“Good,” Elliot said.
The next few hours passed quickly, with the exhibitor’s hall getting busier as people finished work and stopped in, and as panels wrapped up for the day. The last hour before the doors closed, the line to demo the game grew out of control, and Elliot and I spent most of our time handing out ‘jump the main line’ passes to anyone we had to turn away for the night.
When the hall doors closed, the group breathed a sigh of relief. Everyone from the office who wasn’t on call had shown up, because the entire group was attending Opening Ceremonies. We were the star of the show, and Plaid Peanut Butter was playing at the end, to officially kick this event off.
Dustin had arranged for one of the Mexican food vendors to bring dinner by the booth, and for the next hour or so, we all sat wherever we could find—on the stools for people visiting the booth, Luna was perched on a folding table, on the floor—and ate and joked.
Moments like this, like the team conference call the other morning, were the ones I really lived for. The reminder of what a great family I’d found.
