The Dom's Game

By Stella Hunter

Speculation over a star football player’s sex life threatens his public image and that of his submissive, a quiet middle school teacher.

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As an NFL star player for the Memphis Kings, Trevor Adams lives his life in the spotlight. All except for one small part. In his hidden moments, he’s a Dom. In spite of the celebrity life and his alternative sexual preferences, none of his partners have managed to keep his interest for long. Until he meets Nina.

Nina Barkley is a quiet middle school teacher. Her life is the exact opposite of Trevor’s. Except for the shared interest in BDSM. She has been involved in the BDSM groups in and around Memphis ever since she moved there right after college. After years of experimentation, she considers herself a switch—able to be either a Dominant or a submissive depending on her partner and what they both want. Being introduced to Trevor turns her life upside down and makes her question her true preferences.

Between the threat of being exposed by the ever-present media, Trevor’s underlying fear he will be transferred to another team, and both their troubled pasts, will they be able to find what they need in each other before they are pulled apart?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Stella Hunter
• Release date: Oct 24, 2015
• ISBN: 9781513044118

Book preview

Chapter One

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I know this woman you might be interested in, Arnie said.

Trevor Adams downed his third beer and signaled the bartender for another. If anyone other than Arnie had said that, he would have instantly dismissed it. But Arnie knew Trevor, knew his proclivities, knew what he wanted in a woman. In a sub.

Arnie took Trevor’s silence as a cue to continue. She’s gorgeous—tall, dark hair, lovely curves. And she’s a teacher. Trevor raised an eyebrow in question. So she’s discreet, Arnie explained. She can’t afford to lose her job over a sex scandal.

Trevor liked the sound of that. He needed discreet. As the newest star player for the Memphis Kings NFL team, he had to work extra hard to keep his sex life private. Especially since his sex life was rooted firmly in the land of the taboo.

What’s the catch? Trevor asked. Arnie wouldn’t be telling him all this without a reason. If Arnie really thought this woman was a good match, he’d have introduced her at one of the local alternative lifestyle get-togethers instead of this beating-around-the-bush bullshit.

Arnie hesitated, and a wave of sound from a crowd at the other end of the bar intruded into their space. When the noise fell to a bearable level, Arnie finally spoke. She’s a switch.

Trevor took the bottle the bartender set before him and shook his head. No, he said emphatically. You know that’s not what I want.

Just meet her. I wouldn’t be telling you about her if I didn’t think there was something there.

Trevor sighed and took a swig from his beer. If he could trust anyone, it was Arnie. Like Trevor, Arnie was a Dom. Arnie introduced him around the alternative scene in Memphis when Trevor moved here two years ago. He had never questioned Arnie’s judgment before; he wasn’t about to start now. What is it that you see in her?

She’s searching for something. I think she just hasn’t found the right partner yet. If anyone can convince her she’s really a sub, it’s you.

I don’t know. Still sounds like a risk.

Look, Trevor, she’s been around the scene for a while. Her job is in more jeopardy than yours if her choices get out. Even if a relationship goes south, she’s not going to be out for revenge.

Trevor winced at the reminder. It had been several months since his previous relationship with a sub had ended. He’d had to pay her off to keep her from spilling his secrets like blood over the papers. Not his proudest memory. But football was all he had. If he lost his place on the team, he was screwed. A lifetime of work down the drain.

Fine. Set it up at one of the regular get-togethers. I won’t do a one-on-one until I make my own assessment.

Oh, you’ll be getting around to the one-on-one soon enough. I do know your type, after all. Arnie grinned and waggled his eyebrows at the thought. Isn’t Anya’s party in a couple weeks?

Yeah, I haven’t RSVP’d yet. Didn’t know if I was quite ready to jump back into that crowd after the thing with Zoe. Even speaking his ex-sub’s name was enough to make him cringe again at those dreadful last memories of her.

Well, do it. I’ll make sure Nina is invited.

Nina?

Arnie nodded and pushed his own beer bottle away and stood to leave. Yep. Make sure you call Anya, or I might just keep Nina for myself, he joked as he slapped Trevor on the shoulder.

Trevor waved him away, shaking his head. On the surface, Arnie looked like a good ole Southern boy. Hair a tad too long, a few too many pounds on him, and more comfortable in jeans than a suit. No one would peg him as Trevor’s best friend. Trevor’s muscled body didn’t have any extra weight on it. His shaved head gleamed darkly under the florescent lights of the bar. And Trevor loved the finer things in life, including his fine suits tailored to show off every inch of his well-developed body. Luckily for both of them, Trevor hadn’t let his initial impressions rule his actions when he first met Arnie. His childhood of moving from place to place had taught him not to judge people too quickly, and it had served him well when he ended up in this quintessentially Southern city.

Trevor wasn’t surprised at how quickly he fell in love with Memphis. Like many Southern cities, it offered big city benefits but managed to hold on to that small-town feel. For the first time in his life, he felt at home. Occasionally the thought of making it his permanent home even slipped into his mind. But he always pushed it away. That was something that would have to wait for a different time, a different life. As long as he played football, he couldn’t expect to be able to stay anywhere for long.

It was the one thing he regretted about his career-football decision. His childhood was spent roaming the country; he didn’t want his adult life to be the same. He had hated not having a permanent home. He had hated trying to make new friends every year. If he was honest, he had quit making real friends before he hit fifth grade, always afraid he would be forced to leave them behind. It was yet another reason he was always surprised to consider Arnie a good friend.

Trevor finished his beer, paid his tab, and followed Arnie out into the night with a new energy in his step. It had been too long since his last relationship, he admitted to himself. He was more than ready to get back in the game.

* *

Nina Barkley stood naked in front of her closet and pushed the clothes hangers one at a time to one side. What the heck can I wear tonight? she wondered. Now that school was out for the summer and she had no teaching responsibilities for two full months, she had more time to focus on her social life, and she intended to make the most of it.

She finally settled on a red silk blouse and a long, straight black skirt with a thigh-high slit. The house party tonight was informal, but that didn’t mean she shouldn’t take care of her appearance. Besides, her best friend’s cousin Arnold said he wanted to introduce her to someone. Not that she could get any more information out of him, but she had a good gut feeling about tonight.

As if Nina’s thoughts had summoned her, Nina’s cell phone blurted out the ringtone for her friend Maggie. Nina stepped two paces to the bed and picked her phone from the folds of the comforter where she had tossed it. Hey, stranger, she said.

Are you ready for tonight? Maggie asked.

I was just picking out something to wear.

Make sure it’s something sexy!

Why? Nina asked. Do you know something I don’t? Did Arnie finally tell you about this guy he wants me to meet?

No, unfortunately. He’s locked up tighter than a bank vault. I can’t get shit out of him. Maggie sighed dramatically. Then in a brighter tone, she said, "But the wait is over after tonight! You just have to call me later and tell me all about it."

Can’t it wait until tomorrow? Nina groused. I don’t expect to be home until after midnight.

Oooh, gushed Maggie. You think it will go that well, do you?

Nina laughed. Not necessarily. I just know how these parties go.

How come I never get invited to these parties of yours?

Nina could hear the petulance in Maggie’s voice clear across the phone line and rolled her eyes even though Maggie couldn’t see her. How many times do I have to tell you? They are not your type of parties.

Okay, but they still sound like fun. Can’t I just go and watch one time?

No, Maggie! It doesn’t work that way and you know it!

Fine. Maggie paused and Nina knew she was still pouting. Just call me tonight or tomorrow at the latest, okay? I’m dying to hear everything.

Nina hung up after agreeing to Maggie’s demands. She really didn’t mind the teasing, even though she acted exasperated every time Maggie begged to get invited somewhere. Maggie was one of the few people who knew about Nina’s lifestyle, and it was nice to have someone to talk to about her relationships, even if Maggie didn’t always understand the needs and desires Nina felt.

Nina dressed in her chosen outfit. She completed her look with a wide black belt to emphasize her curves and black strappy heels. Normally she would wear stockings and a garter belt, but this was just a party, not a scene, and she didn’t expect to be getting out of her clothes tonight.

As she drove out to the suburbs, the butterflies in her chest picked up activity. She was nervous, she realized. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d been nervous about meeting anyone. Her ability to handle the angst of prepubescent teens had taught her the confidence to handle just about anything thrown her way. It’s kinda nice, she thought absently, for something to move me like this.

She pulled into the long paved drive that led to a modern brick estate and parked on one side of the drive behind a line of cars already there. She stepped out of her Mazda, straightened her skirt, and strode to the front door. Taking a deep breath, she pressed the doorbell.

Chapter Two

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Nina glanced at her watch once more, trying hard to keep up with the conversation going on around her. Only three minutes had passed since the last time she looked, and she sighed. Arnie’s mystery man still wasn’t here. She had cornered Arnie as soon as she arrived. Unfortunately, he thought her impatience was funny. Knowing him, he probably called the guy and told him to be late on purpose, just to see her squirm. She frowned at the thought. Arnie better not be making a big joke out of this, she thought. She didn’t like to be played. Would Arnie do that to her?

She brought her attention back to her companions. What was that? she asked.

Connor spoke, Jennifer wanted to know what your plans were for the summer. Jennifer had her back pressed against Connor, but she didn’t speak herself. Connor’s hand drifted from Jennifer’s shoulder down to tease the tops of her breasts, which her corset amplified.

I don’t really have any this year, Nina replied.

Mmm. Perhaps we could find some time to have a little fun, Connor suggested.

Nina glanced at Jennifer. Her expression stayed completely neutral, not a twitch or a grimace crossed it that Nina could see. Sorry, Connor. Not really my thing.

Ah well, I didn’t think so, but thought I’d give it a shot.

Nina felt his gaze travel slowly from her face down her body before he looked back up into her eyes. She repressed a shiver. Of desire or something else? She wasn’t sure. He smiled appreciably at her, his gaze hot.

Connor diverted his attention to the side, and Nina noticed his eyes widen slightly. She turned her head back toward the front door to see a large, impeccably dressed black man greeting Anya. Anya’s blonde hair stood out against his dark skin.

Even from this distance, Nina could tell he was tall. He towered over Anya, and Anya wasn’t short. He was overdressed for the party, in a suit that seemed to hug his body. Nina didn’t know anything about men’s clothes, especially expensive ones, but she guessed the suit had to be high quality and tailored to fit. She smiled, glad she wasn’t the only one who was overdressed.

She turned back to Connor as he spoke again. I can’t believe it, he said.

Believe what?

Don’t you know who that is? he asked her.

She looked again because she wanted to see him. She already knew she didn’t know him. She would have remembered a man that beautiful. As she did, he looked up as if he sensed her gaze. His eyes caught hers. She couldn’t move, couldn’t breathe. It was just a split second in time, but it felt like she lived an entire lifetime in that second. A lifetime with him. Together. The spell was broken when he turned away to speak to someone else.

No idea, Nina said, breathless.

Keeping his voice low, as if afraid to be overhead, he leaned toward her and said, That’s Trevor Adams. At her blank look, he said, He plays for the Kings.

He’s a football player? She looked back toward the man and evaluated him more fully. I can see that.

At that moment, someone in the crowd called Connor’s name, and Connor pulled Jennifer along with him to greet the person.

Left on her own, Nina drifted along the edges of the room, avoiding most of the conversation. She knew what her body was doing. The pull from this Trevor Adams was powerful, and her feet obeyed. She didn’t have a plan, no reason to introduce herself. It didn’t matter. She had to see him up close, see if that magnetism was even stronger, or if it was all an illusion.

She paused when she reached the spot she had last seen him. She glanced about, but he seemed to have disappeared. She sighed in resignation. Perhaps it wasn’t meant to be. What did she have to offer him anyway? She was a simple teacher, and he was obviously someone famous.

Frowning, she looked down at her glass, long empty, and pondered whether to get another or call it a night. She was tired of waiting for Arnie’s mystery man.

You shouldn’t do that, a deep voice reverberated right next to her ear.

She gasped and almost dropped her glass. She fumbled with it before regaining control and looking up into the dark face of none other than the man she had been thinking about.

Do—do what? she asked, breathless. He was even more amazing close up, his eyes intense and captivating.

Frown. He brought a hand up to run a finger along her forehead, smoothing the creased skin caused by her frown. Nina’s lips parted at his touch. She was already ready to throw herself at him. Your face looks more beautiful when it’s smooth. Yes, just like that. Promise me you won’t do that again tonight. He said it as a statement, not a request, not a demand. Like he knew she would obey him.

Yes, sir, Nina said without thought. It was as if a switch had been flipped automatically when she first saw him. There was no doubt about her sexuality in his presence. He was in charge, and she would obey his every word.

He smiled at her automatic compliance. Good. He held out his other hand, which had two glasses in it. I thought you could use a drink.

Nina took one of the glasses. Thank you, she whispered. She brought the drink to her lips and gulped, trying to ease the sudden dryness.

"I