Glitz & Goals (Venom Next Gen #2)

Chapter Twenty-Five

Chapter Twenty-Five

Grady

Two weeks into the off-season, Dante gathers us all for a grand reveal of the new Venom mascot. I’ve already seen it, of course, but Dante loves nothing more than a spectacle, and the Puck Drop has great food, so of course we’re going.

What I haven’t seen is the new line of Venom merch featuring the sparkly snake, which is making its debut as well. This information was strategically “leaked” to a fan blog, so when we arrive, the Puck Drop is packed. There’s a line out the door, into the usually quiet streets of the Serenity Shores community, which are bustling and lively tonight.

“I can’t believe this many people came here to buy merch they can get at the arena next season,” Viv yells over the noise of the crowd.

“Hey, it’s premier merch,” I shout back. Dante, a very business-savvy man, isn’t going to make the new merch available to the average fans until the new season starts. Between now and then, the only stuff people will be able to buy online is the old merch at a slight discount. Then, when the new line launches in the fall, he’ll jack up the prices of the “last chance,” “vintage” jerseys.

Truly, the man is an evil genius. Remind me never to get on his bad side.

Eventually, we manage to squeeze our way inside the restaurant, which is standing-room only. Noah and Viktor are helping the owner move tables to a stack in the corner. I offer to help with the last few, but Noah waves me away.

“We’ve got this,” he says. “I’m not going to get your knee busted all over again, you know?”

Fair enough. I wait with Vivian as more people try to filter into the already overcrowded restaurant.

Eventually, there’s a cheer outside, indicating the mascot’s arrival. Those of us who made it inside crane our necks to see out the window. The new Venom Viper dances down the street with an impressive series of dance moves that makes the crowd go wild. Dante, Sergio, and Renee are right behind him. They all look suspiciously smug.

Somewhat belatedly, I realize that Briggs is among the entourage, rubbing his hands together as he walks. When it becomes clear that they will not physically be able to enter the Puck Drop for the time being, the Viper beckons to him, and the pair perform an impressive choreographed dance in the street.

“I don’t think it’s Attila in there,” Vivian shouts.

“Attila?” I repeat. “That kid who tried it out on the ice?”

“Yeah. He was energetic, but he didn’t have moves like that. Something tells me that the person in that mascot suit is—”

“Lenyx Sawyer!”

The mascot has removed his head to reveal the man beneath. I do a double-take.

He’s wearing a Venom jersey with the number 28 and his name on the back. I know what this means. Dante has gone rogue again.

“It’s mini-Briggs!” I yell. “Damn, I hope he can play like his dad!”

“It’s his son!” Vivian yells back. “I haven’t seen him since he left for college.”

Mini-Briggs high-fives his father, the Giovanettis, and anyone else whose hand is within reach. The crowd has reached a fever-pitch.

Once again, Dante’s bringing back the magic and putting on a show in the process.

The photo ops feel like they go on for a million years. I can smell the food Cooper and his staff have put out, but there’s no way in hell I can reach the table through this throng. A few of the servo-bots make a valiant effort to play butler, but it’s a shitshow. People want pictures of Lenyx, and they want to buy the very limited amount of exclusive new merch, and they’re all screaming, and I’m already over it.

I can’t believe my faux boss signed this kid without even consulting me. If nothing else, I should have been in the loop. But if he can play at the NHL level, I guess I’ll forgive all of them.

I take Vivian’s arm and shout over her head in Noah’s general direction. “We have to let Blade out! See you next week for dinner?”

My future father-in-law gives me a mute thumbs up over the heads of the crowd.

I try to do a body block to make sure that nobody elbows Vivian on our way to the door. At least Dante and Sergio are so busy that they won’t notice us leaving. Unfortunately, it’s going to be an uphill battle.

I swing around when someone grabs my arm, but it’s only Cooper. He hooks his thumb toward the back of the restaurant. “You can use the back exit, past the kitchen!” he hollers.

I grin and mouth, Thank you . The perks of knowing the staff, I guess.

Our retreat is much easier than I feared. Vivian and I both breathe a sigh of relief when we step out into the alley.

“I couldn’t wait to get out of there,” she admits.

I slide my arm around her waist. “I couldn’t wait to get you alone.”

“This is the off-season. We’re always alone.”

This is not strictly true. Now that I’m not always on the road, Vivian’s friends and family come and go in a steady stream, helping me unpack, helping her move in, helping set up the new Gnome Gloam, and helping plan the wedding… I’m grateful for them, but we don’t get much downtime.

As if to illustrate my point, Vivian spends most of the drive home weighing the pros and cons of possible wedding venues.

“Getting married at the Mona Lisa is practically Venom tradition,” she muses. “But is that too predictable? Maybe we should pick somewhere outside the city?”

“Most of our guests live in the city.”

“I know. I keep thinking we could do something different, but the Mona Lisa is so convenient… and Dante offered us a really good discount…”

“If there’s someplace more expensive that you really want to go, that’s no problem,” I remind her. “It doesn’t seem like any of the other venues have thrilled you, though. It seems like you’re drawn to the Mona Lisa, but you don’t want people to think you’re being unoriginal.”

Viv groans and lets her head roll back. “Oh, my God, I’m doing it again, aren’t I? I’m making it more complicated than it needs to be.”

I reach over to lay one hand on her knee. “You’re making sure that you know what you want before you commit. Nothing wrong with that.”

She layers her fingers over mine. “Thank you. I’m sorry if I’m being over the top about this.”

“It’s a big deal. I plan to be married to you for the rest of my life. If you ever get married again, you’ll be at least eighty-six, and you won’t have the energy for all this planning.”

Viv snorts. “You’re ridiculous. If you die before me, I’m not getting married again. My pussy will end up moldy, and I’ll meet you in heaven with a crusty vag, so be prepared.”

“Thanks for that visual, fiancée. You don’t have to decide right now, anyway. Weren’t you looking at a place near Red Rocks?”

“Yeah.” She squeezes my hand. “Thank you. I love you.”

“I love you, too.”

At the house, I let Blade out to pee. Vivian follows me to the back door and gives me a little nudge forward. “Will you be joining him?”

I blink. “What?”

“I hear you have a habit of peeing in the backyard.” Her smile widens to a wicked grin.

“No.” I cover my face. “Oh, my God. You mean that blackmail material my sisters gave you? Because I’m pretty sure they failed to mention we had one bathroom and there was always a woman in it.”

“Good thing you have six bathrooms now.” She bends down to pat Blade as he trundles through the door, looking mighty pleased with himself. Since he’s calmed down a lot with most people, I don’t bother closing him in his room all the time these days. Instead of aiming for the hall, he makes a beeline for the couch.

“Blade…” I warn.

He grunts and lowers his head, altering his trajectory for the enormous dog bed Vivian made for him. He’s stopped barking about most things and pouts instead, mostly because Vivian is a soft touch and lets him get away with shit any time he looks sad. He knows the furniture is off-limits, though.

As Blade circles in his bed, Vivian turns to me. “Before I forget, there’s some more wedding stuff I want to talk about…”

I press my finger to her lips. “Hold that thought. Until tomorrow, at least. We have plenty of time, and you know that I’ll defer to you on most of the details. As long as you’re there, and my family’s there, I’ll be happy. I’ll do whatever you want me to do, but I know you’re the design queen. I bow before you.”

“Do you really?” She licks her lips. “I think I’d like to see that.”

“Speaking of which, I have something to show you, and I think it’s going to take up the rest of the night.”

Viv’s eyes light up. “Is that so?”

“Think of it as practice for the wedding night.”

Her eyes sweep over me. “I like the sound of that.”

I take her hand and lead her upstairs. When we walk past the bedroom door, her wicked smile transforms into a frown of confusion. There are three other rooms upstairs, ostensibly bedrooms, though I’ve never needed that much space. I set them up as guest bedrooms, but in the two weeks since the end of the season, I’ve been using my free time to convert the last room into something more… intimate.

“Remember how you said we should have a sex room?” I open the door and gesture to the interior. “Voilà.”

The bed that was in here when my sisters visited remains, but the red silk sheets are a new addition. I got a new frame for the bed, complete with a canopy, and new lights with low-wattage bulbs that fill the room with a golden, diffused light. Viv walks through the room, dragging her fingers over the curve of the sensual lounge chair I special ordered for the purpose, admiring the dark wallpaper and studying the abstract art on the walls. I went for a sort of Georgia O’Keefe vibe when picking the art, opting for images that were suggestive rather than explicit. The art alone wouldn’t give away what kind of room this is.

The display of toys on the far wall, though? Dead giveaway. Good thing I installed a locking cabinet.

“Grady.” Viv stops before the assortment of items and turns to me. “This is so much.”

“There’s room for more, if there are other things you want to try.” I sit on the edge of the bed and gesture up the canopy frame. “There are hard points here. So I can tie you up. Or you can tie me up. I’m not picky.”

Viv hesitates. “Would you like that?”

“I thought I made it clear that seeing you get turned on is my biggest kink.” I grin and flop back on the bed, splaying my limbs wide. “What do you think? Would you want to try that?”

“Yes.” Her voice is thick with desire. “Yes. I would. Can we…?”

I’m already pulling off my clothes which, I admit, are not the sexiest things I own. Bright green and purple venom merch doesn’t exactly match the sensual mood of the room.

Once I’m naked, I show Vivian the restraints at each corner of the mattress and the hard points on the canopy. “How do you want me?”

“On your back,” she says.

I swallow and lower myself onto the covers. “Okay.”

She takes her time fastening the restraints around my ankles, then my wrists. They’re made of soft fabric, with velcro attachments. If I wanted to get out of them, I could do so easily. If and when Viv is ever in my place, she won’t be trapped. Listen, I’m older than she is. I saw Gerald’s Game . I don’t intend to fuck around and find out.

Vivian is still dressed. When she finishes with the restraints, she wanders over to the wall to consider her options. I didn’t realize it when I set up the room, but it’s hard to see the display from this angle, especially with Viv in the way. I can’t see what she picks up until she brings it back to me.

An eye mask. Black silk, made to block the light.

She sits on the bed and leans over to slide it onto my face. As soon as the room around me disappears, my breathing quickens.

“Is that okay?” Viv asks.

“Yeah. Very much so.” As much as I’d like to watch her, the temporary loss of one sense only heightens the others. I’m painfully aware of the swish of fabric as Viv undresses. The floor creaks beneath her feet as she returns to the wall of toys.

“You already cleaned these?” she asks.

“Yeah. There’s cleaner and supplies in the cubby below the lube, too.”

“Ah,” she says. “Perfect.”

There’s a long period of near silence in which the sound of her breathing and the hiss of the AC is the only thing I can hear. With every passing moment, I’m more turned on by the possibilities.

At last, Viv takes something from the display. Two things, I think, by the sounds of it. I wonder what she’ll choose. I brace for the brush of a feather or the snap of the little beginning flogger I picked up.

But her footsteps pass me, and she runs her fingers over the sheets right next to my body before she heads to another part of the room. My dick twitches and swells until there’s a creak of leather… Ah, the lounge chair. Viv has something else in mind.

There’s an electric buzz as she turns on a toy, followed by a soft moan. “Oh, fuck,” she purrs. “That feels good. I’m getting so wet.”

My legs twitch against the restraints. “What did you pick?”

“Quiet,” Viv barks. “Don’t interrupt. I’ll let you know when I’m ready to use you, pet.”

Fuck, fuck, fuck. I’ve never done anything like this before. I bite my tongue and lie there, trying to imagine what I’m missing. I imagine her splayed back, her head on the low end of the lounge, her feet up, one leg slipping off the side as she pleasures herself, her blond hair cascading around her face.

The buzzing intensifies, and Viv’s cries rise in pitch. I want her so badly, and yet, without a single touch from her, I can feel precum leaking from my tip. My balls ache, and they feel so fucking heavy.

Viv utters a long, wordless cry, and the buzzing stops. Her frenetic breathing fills the room.

“Look at you,” she says. “You’re desperate. You thought I was going to touch you. That’s what you’d do if it were me lying there.” She walks back to the display. I’m so attuned to her presence, it’s as if I can see her, walking ghostlike through the dark. “But I know you, Grady. You’re thinking about the face I made when I came just now. You’re thinking about how slick and tight my cunt is right now. How good it would feel if it pulsed all over your cock. Isn’t that right?”

At last, the bed creaks as she sits on the edge. Warm, slick hands caress my erection, and something slides around my length, so tight it almost hurts.

Goddamn it. I wasn’t even thinking about the cock ring I picked up. When I bought it, I imagined taking Viv from every conceivable angle, pleasuring her until she begged for relief.

Looks like I’ll be the one begging tonight.

Her fingers find the power button, and the sudden burst of sensation makes my thighs tense. I let out a noise, the first one since she told me to be quiet.

Viv leans over me. The soft locks of her hair tickle my face and throat. “You’d better not finish until I’m done with you, pet. Bad boys get punished.” She traces her finger over the tip of my cock and wipes away the pre-cum. “Mmm,” I hear her murmur. Then she smacks her lips. “But you’d like that, wouldn’t you? I bet if I strapped on and pegged you right now, you’d fall apart before I even got started.”

Fuck! Do I want that? Would I be willing to venture that far out of my comfort zone? Then I realize if it’s what she wants, I’m willing to try. As long as Vivian’s my partner, I’m down for anything.

At the thought of this woman behind me in a complete role reversal, I jerk so frantically that I dislodge the mask. Viv tugs it back into place before climbing up to straddle me. She guides me into her, and I realize that it’s a good thing she opted for the cock ring. It’s squeezing me just right. Otherwise, I’d finish right here and now.

She sinks down onto me, then moves her arms as if she’s reaching for something she left on the edge of the bed. A moment later, a new, higher hum starts. Viv tightens around me as she presses this new toy to her clit and starts to ride me. One hand presses to my chest, her nails digging into my skin as she fucks herself with my length. Her juices slide up and down on my cock, puddling on the base of my dick. If I were in control, I’d make her stop and lick up every single drop. There’s nothing I love more than making her mouth a sloppy mess and those pretty eyes water when she’s choking on my dick.

Time falls away. The only thing I can think or feel involves Vivian’s body and the places where hers meets mine. I measure time by her number of orgasms, the second quickly following the first, then a long stretch of slow, steady motion, which ends in a sudden clenching as her pussy tightens around me. I lose feeling in the bottoms of my feet as if my body has given up on any sensation that isn’t my immediate pleasure, which is so intense and all-consuming that, at times, I forget to breathe.

“All right,” Viv pants at last. “All right, Grady, you’ve been so good for me. Can you come like this, or…?”

“Yes,” I whine. “Yes.”

“Okay, baby. Let me feel you. I want your cum inside me, Grady, filling me up. Please. I want—”

I come so hard that my limbs strain against the bonds holding me in place. I didn’t know it was possible to feel this good, this much, or this thoroughly. I’ve always conflated orgasm with release, but this is more than that. Viv has taken everything I have, and I’ve given it gladly.

Eventually, she slides off me. The buzzing of the ring stops, and she pulls it free to toss it on the bed. The blindfold is next. I’m left to blink at the ceiling as Vivian collects the toys she used tonight in a little pile so that we can clean them later. When she’s done, she starts releasing the velcro straps. She rubs my wrists.

“How was that?” she asks. “How are you feeling?”

I let out a little blubbering murmur.

Viv bites her lip. “Did I go overboard?”

“No. I’m pretty sure my soul left my body, though.” I roll my head to one side to watch her massage my skin. My wrist is slightly pink from where I rubbed it, but the ties are soft; it’s not like they’ll leave a bruise. “You’re in-fucking-credible, by the way. Who knew you had a dominatrix in you? And who knew I would like it so much.”

“I did.” She smiles. “How do you think I got my reputation as a heartbreaker? Although, I’ve never had anything like this little collection at my disposal before.” She tips her chin toward the display.

“I just bought what interested me. Like I said, there’s room to add more. Anything for my future wife.”

Viv kisses the inside of my wrist. “We should get cleaned up before we go to bed.”

“In a minute,” I tell her. “I’m still recovering from my petit mort.”

She laughs and bends forward to kiss me, soft and sweet, the complete opposite of earlier.

I love this about her: Vivian is so many things. Not just in the bedroom, although, God, if tonight is anything to go by, I have a lot to learn about her proclivities. In everything, though, she’s complex. Nuanced. Layered. She’s never one thing, won’t pigeonhole herself, or let other people tell her who she is.

I can’t wait to learn more.

To spend the rest of my life learning more.

Peeling back every single layer.

“I love you,” I whisper when she pulls away.

Vivian smiles. “I love you more,” she says.

As if such a thing is even possible.