The Gauntlet

Spending time being the proverbial third-wheel had taught me two important things about James and Lilian. First, my brother was a horny bastard. I suppose if I had a hot girlfriend like Lilian, I would be too. If I was in his position and Emma was here, I doubt I would be able to contain myself either.

The second was a suspicion that Lilian wasn’t as opposed to his advances as she let on. Oh sure, she playfully swatted at him and told him ‘no’ when he was getting a bit hands-on. Didn’t stop them from sneaking off somewhere. I don’t think she was lying when she told me she was sorry and that they were being disrespectful, but she was every bit as into James as he was to her. I couldn’t deny the magnetism there. Two beautiful people madly in love with one another.

Fuck, James. Why did you have to be such a fucking dumbass?

Then again, I had little room to talk considering the fucked up shit I was wading around in.

I had the entire plane ride home to ruminate on how I was in over my head. No idea what Emma intended with that picture, but it certainly did a number on me. It was the two in the one-two punch combo. First, the kiss. A simple, meaningless kiss that had wormed its way through my head, whispering dangerous thoughts in my head the entire vacation. Then her Christmas text. Opening my gift. Her wrapped up like a present. Was she offering herself? It was certainly what she was implying...

Of course she wasn’t. Not in the way I wanted. But that nugget of hope…

Eyes closed, I remembered that night all too well. Even thousands of miles away, I was still dancing to her tune. The sight of that picture and the whisper of a promise had me going. Risking catching sight of something I really didn’t want to see, I had left the safety of my bedroom. My erection had been too much. Even after ignoring my phone and pushing down my thoughts of her, my mind couldn't stop dredging up everything and anything I had on her.

I took care of it, but it wasn’t to the new picture she sent. No. It was a great photo, but after days of necessary restraint, my lust needed something… more… to be sated.

That was how I spent a quarter of an hour in the bathroom jacking off to the picture of her taking a load to the face. I tried putting myself in place, mind spinning a tale of how it was mine there in the picture. It didn't work as well as I would have wished.

I sent her another text when I got home. A simple, “Made it back.” She sent a smiley face and mentioned she was looking forward to DnD.

The Dungeons and Dragons Gauntlet. Four days of back-to-back DnD sessions. I knew I should be going over my plans and touching up the finer details, but I found my restless mind wouldn’t let me. Instead, my mind made up fantasies about Emma. If it wasn’t fantasies, it was looking at those damn photos again.

My dick was getting sore.

Then I saw her again. She walked back into my world all smiles and friendly banter. The hug she gave me was divine, the sweet scent of her perfume lingering as she pulled away. I gave her the Christmas gift I had gotten her. A glass trinket from the resort. It was shit, but I had been limited in options on such short notice. She seemed to like it anyways, though she cryptically said she would give me mine later.

It felt like something was missing as time went on. The sessions were great, everyone was having a blast, but my mind was never a hundred percent in the game. I was always looking at her. Was she always so distant? Since she had kissed me, it seemed like... I had no idea actually. A shift in mood or something. Yes, it had been on the cheek, but that was still a kiss. Something I hadn’t asked for and something that she implied she would never give. It made me wonder why the hell I was so tied up over something small like that peck. Not even a real kiss. I had pictures, nudes, even videos of her blowing other guys, yet that damn kiss...

When the first session was over, she helped me clean up. My heart was pounding a million times a second as I waited for ‘her’ to come out. To tease me and give me the attention I so desperately craved. Because I craved it. No matter how much it fucked with me, it felt like that special ‘thing’ we had.

But she didn’t. She cleaned up and left with a happy goodbye. Another hug that lingered just a second too long. A second that left things in a state of ambiguity.

Then the second day came. Once more, it was exactly like the first. A great session. Lots of laughter and joking around. Anger when Owen’s stupidity nearly got his character killed. It ended the same way the first did. Emma helped clean up before leaving with that warm smile of hers.

Same for the third.

By the fourth, I was a mess. I was fucking up rules and I nearly tanked the big encounter. All I could think about was Emma and her basically ignoring me. Was this it? Were we done? Probably the best, yet I found myself longing for the heat of the flame that always left me singed around the edges.

Her silence during our post-session cleanup finally pushed me over the edge. I couldn’t stand it any longer.

“Are you mad at me?” I asked in a low voice.

Pausing, she slowly turned to look at me. “Mad? Why would I be mad?”

“You’ve been ignoring me.”

She quirked an eyebrow. “Ignoring you? How so?”

“You haven’t—” The words clogged my throat as I stared at her. Now both eyebrows were raised as she waited for me to say it. “Forget it,” I managed, forcing myself to breathe.

“No. I want you to say it. What haven’t I been doing?”

“This.”

“This?” A light smile graced her lips. Lips I couldn’t stop looking at.

“Teasing,” I whispered. Her mouth made an, ‘Ah,’ shape as she silently nodded.

“I suppose that’s true… Why? Want me to tease you?”

It was hot downstairs. Why was it so hot? And why the hell was it so hard to breathe? “No.”

“Okay,” she said with a shrug. Her attention went back to the trash bag she was filling. I stared at her, unable to move. She was ignoring me completely now.

“Emma.”

“Yes, Isaac?” The way she said my name sent a chill down my back. Was that…?

“Stop.”

She gave me an overacted look of confusion, tilting her head. “Stop what, Isaac?” Again with my name.

“Damn it, Emma! Do you have any idea how fucking crazy I’ve been going? I could barely enjoy my vacation.”

“And that’s my fault?”

“You kissed me!”

She stared at me, disbelief etched into her pretty features. It was an act though. A damn convincing one. This was all part of her thing. She was toying with me. I knew she was, and I hated it. Hated that I sat here and let her do it. Shit. I was practically begging her to do it. Insanity. I was insane. Somewhere along the way, she had broken me. Now I was too far gone to realize how fucked up I was. But now in the moment, my heart wouldn't stop racing. The thrill I got when she looked at me with that knowing smile of hers. The way her presence was always there. So close so that I mindlessly chased, yet forever found it out of reach.

Then she laughed. Laughed. “That? Isaac, it was a small peck on the cheek. Hardly a kiss.”

“Yet you did it. I never asked for that.”

“No, I suppose not,” she admitted. A grin formed. “Did you like it?” I didn’t answer her, which only caused her to give me a fake pout. “You didn’t?” Her voice dripped with disappointment and sadness.

“I…” Shaking my head, I didn’t finish. I refused to finish. She wouldn’t get the satisfaction. I knew her well enough to know exactly what she was going to do. She was going to throw it back in my face, telling me once more that there was zero chance of something between us happening.

Seeing I wasn’t rising to the bait, she sighed and stretched. My eyes ran over her body, once more enjoying the amazing curves she had. Even with clothing, she was a sight to behold. She always dressed to impress for these sessions, and not once had she failed to impress.

Dropping her arms to her side, her face lit up. Turning to face me, she had a mischievous glint in her eye. “Want to play a game?”