The Game

An Ellora’s Cave Publication, May 2005

Ellora’s Cave Publishing, Inc.

1337 Commerce Drive, #13

Stow, OH 44224

ISBN MS Reader (LIT) ISBN # 1-4199-0232-6

Other available formats (no ISBNs are assigned):

Adobe (PDF), Rocketbook (RB), Mobipocket (PRC) & HTML

THE GAME Copyright © 2005 MACKENZIE MCKADE

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. This book may not be reproduced in whole or in part without permission.

This book is a work of fiction and any resemblance to persons, living or dead, or places, events or locales is purely coincidental. They are productions of the authors’ imagination and used fictitiously.

Edited by
Heather Osborn
.

Cover art by
Syneca
.

Warning:

The following material contains graphic sexual content meant for mature readers.
The Game
has been rated E–rotic by a minimum of three independent reviewers.

Ellora’s Cave Publishing offers three levels of Romantica™ reading entertainment: S (S-ensuous), E (Erotic), and X (X-treme).

S-
ensuous
love scenes are explicit and leave nothing to the imagination.

E-
rotic
love scenes are explicit, leave nothing to the imagination, and are high in volume per the overall word count. In addition, some E-rated titles might contain fantasy material that some readers find objectionable, such as bondage, submission, same sex encounters, forced seductions, and so forth. E-rated titles are the most graphic titles we carry; it is common, for instance, for an author to use words such as

“fucking”, “cock”, “pussy”, and such within their work of literature.

X-
treme
titles differ from E-rated titles only in plot premise and storyline execution. Unlike E-rated titles, stories designated with the letter X tend to contain controversial subject matter not for the faint of heart.

THE GAME

Mackenzie McKade

Dedication

To Bill, Tia, Samantha, Ashley, and Dusty, thanks for believing and never giving up on me. And to Debbie, a wonderful friend and mentor, I owe you my deepest gratitude. Hugs to you all.

Trademarks Acknowledgement

The author acknowledges the trademarked status and trademark owners of the following wordmarks mentioned in this work of fiction:

Twilight Zone: CBS Broadcasting, Inc.

The Game

Chapter One

If paybacks were a bitch, Chastity Ambrose was about to be hit by two-hundred pounds of solid retribution.

Frozen to the stage, camera lights glaring, she strained to see clearly. Starbursts and black spots blurred the man’s features. Nevertheless, his stormy gait said it all. Seth Allen was mad and ready to wreak vengeance.

A thunderclap of female and male appreciation filled the air. It was always that way with each personal appearance of the 2104 Astral-ball Champion. Men envied him for his virile masculinity and prowess. Women loved him for his more elemental aspects—sexy good looks and a to-die-for bod. Six feet two inches of honed muscle and dark charisma.

And he had been all hers two years ago.

“
Seth Allen!
” Monty Jamison, the game host of the Voyeur II series, announced him once again, clearly in awe. Any minute Chastity expected the man in the tan designer suit to fall to his knees and cry, “I’m not worthy!”

Okay, so she wasn’t the greatest athlete of all time or worth over a billion dollars. Nevertheless, she had her own notoriety. A recognized figure in the modeling circuit, she was known as the only woman who had ever brought the great Seth Allen to his knees.

Fact was, she needed the prize this contest promised. Failure was not an option. She had to win. If not for the money, she wouldn’t be caught dead participating in a sexually explicit game show like Voyeur II. There was never a hint as to what kind of situation or feat you might be asked to perform. It was simply icing on the cake that her opposition was her ex-fiancé. The man she had left at the altar two years ago.

“2104 Astral-ball Champion and the
new
owner of the Los Angeles Annihilators!”

The stage shook as the crowd roared hanging on to each of the announcer’s words. So Seth had done it. Purchased the very team he played for. Her heart swelled with pride. It had been his dream and she was happy for him. And she wasn’t the only one. Vibrant faces beamed admiration. Many lunged to their feet, the applause deafening. Still, it didn’t drown out the rapid heartbeat pounding in her ears. The audience adored Seth Allen. He was a man’s hero, a woman’s fantasy. Chastity watched the play of muscles beneath his soft, transparent shirt as he approached. The chameleon material was a favorite of hers. In fact, Seth had purchased her several outfits made of the mesmerizing cloth that changed colors and hues with every movement, defining the mounds and curves of her anatomy. Body heat made the 5

Mackenzie McKade

cloth glow. And judging by the fiber optics radiating enough energy to cause a power surge, the man was hot.

Yet it was the bulge between his thighs that quickly caught her eye. His jeans were a perfect fit, outlining an extremely generous package.

He was magnificent.

No one could make her pussy weep like him. No one else could bring her off the bed with an orgasm that shattered all threads of reality. Regret squeezed her heart. If only they could forget the past. If only he’d forgive her, she would willingly spend this night with her legs wrapped around him, his cock buried deep within her wet core. If…if…if…

As always, Seth was gracious and humble to his fans. He bowed and his shoulderlength hair fell, flashing blue-black as light filtered through it. She swallowed the knot in her throat. Even now, she could feel the silky strands glide through her fingers. Feel its coolness slide over her naked breasts, down her stomach, pooling at the apex of her thighs. Her nipples tingled and her crotch ached with the need to once again feel his touch. A tremor caught her unaware as she inhaled a ragged breath. Four large cinema-plasmic screens suspended in the air narrowed in on his handsome face. Now everyone was up close and personal with his piercing blue eyes and dark features. Even without his combat uniform, he appeared like a gladiator torn from the pages of the Roman days. And she had always loved his sexy Van Dyke goatee and mustache. Not only did it give him that strong, dangerous mien, but it was a helluva ride.

Spellbound, she watched as his sensual lashes lowered lazily to shadow even more sensual eyes. Then he winked, sending half the women to their feet and scrambling toward the stage. A barrage of bodyguards fought back the onslaught of lust swamping the platform.

Rich, thick laughter spilled from his lips like honey. A heady aphrodisiac that made every woman in the theater this October evening crave a taste of him. Acoustics in the building amplified the soft moans of appreciation. A sliver of jealousy crawled beneath Chastity’s skin. Over the years, she had heard rumors of his prowess. A boldly sensuous lover whose name women whispered like a prayer. But she knew the real truth. None of the tittle-tattle had even come close to his virile masculinity.

The scent of raw desire seeped into the air. Flung from somewhere in the back of the theater, a pair of black silk panties soared through the air and landed at Seth’s feet. He stood for a pregnant moment, and then he stooped to retrieve the lingerie. Pressing the material to his nose, he closed his eyes, an expression of rapture crossing his face. The audience went deathly still.

He inhaled.

6

The Game

The roar was deafening as the crowd came alive. Through heavy bedroom eyes he mouthed “thank you” and slipped the lacy thing into his pocket. As if on cue the room filled with womanly sighs and several deep-throated “yeah, baby”s. Chastity’s stomach churned. She was going to be sick. Seeing Seth again was excruciating. Assuming he was here to wreak havoc was too much to bear. She looked toward the stage exit and briefly considered a quick getaway. Only the thought of how badly she needed the money held her in place.

I can do this
, Chastity quietly assured herself. But when Seth’s heated glare glanced her way, her confidence took flight like a flock of skittish
henna-henna
birds. Emanating effortless power and a strength held under control, Chastity knew he was about to detonate. The man was the essence of the quiet before the storm. On the outside people saw what he wanted them to see. On the inside he was preparing for battle.

And she was his enemy.

Tension vibrated between them as he stalked toward her. A demeaning gaze raked over her, coolly appraising. Slowly his lips curled and a flash of pearly white teeth smiled a predator’s grin. She felt her heart fall to her feet.

“Chastity.” Her name was rancid on his tongue. Sapphire blue eyes that had once looked at her with love were black with fury. His chest expanded before her, a sign that he was ready to attack.

God, Seth, don’t do this
. It was a silent plea—she knew even if he heard her it would go unheeded. Clearly, he despised her.

Why then, if he hated her so much, hadn’t he exiled her to the moon? He had the money and the connections. Instead, here he stood ready to finish what she had set into motion two years ago—the total devastation of any love or feelings left between them. At least if she was banished to the moon she’d be with…

Chastity shook her head. She had to focus. Too much was riding on this contest. A quick assessment revealed nothing had changed. He was gorgeous. And that earthy scent he always wore was a sexual assault upon her senses. She pulled at the neckline of her silk blouse.
Whew
! Had someone turned up the weather regulator? Judging by the desert that had just teleported into her mouth, the room felt as hot as a cruise around Mars.

Damn the man
. He knew what she liked, and by the gleam in his eyes he had worn the cologne purposely.

Chastity squared her shoulders and let determination settle the tide of emotions begging for release. She forced her mouth into a smile.

“
Seth
.” A whisper? That’s all she could manage? A weak, tell-the-world-she-wasstill-in-love-with-Seth-Allen whisper. Devilish laughter broke out beside her. “So, you two know each other?” The not-soinconspicuous game host’s eyes flashed a conspiratorial glance toward Seth. “That’s 7

Mackenzie McKade

right, Chastity, it’s your ex-fiancé.” He turned and with an exaggerated wave of his hand he pointed toward the audience. “And right after this message, I’ll reveal what’s in store for these two reunited lovebirds.”

The disgusting smell of a setup assaulted her. Had the show been fixed, arranged so that Seth could have his revenge?

An eruption of heat streaked up Chastity’s neck and stormed across her cheeks. Fingers curled into fists. Through a red haze she faced the man who had haunted her dreams.

Before she could utter a single defamatory word, she was swarmed by a team of women. Female chatter filled her ears, their words inaudible in her muddled brain. It felt like a thousand hands tugged and pulled as they whisked her from the stage and into a small room just behind the curtains.

The enclosure was a cross between a dressing room and a costume storage closet. Everyone had their part to play—as one woman began to refresh her makeup, another set out to look at shoes, while still more fluttered around the room. A blonde woman scrutinized her. Her identity chip glowed “Bitty”.
How apropos
, thought Chastity. The female was itty-bitty, small of height and physique. Her own five-foot-ten frame towered over the woman.

“Yellow?” Bitty asked the redhead tearing through a chest of jewelry like she had lost a family heirloom. “No, red,” the other woman replied. Bitty cocked an appraising eye. “Silk?” She tugged at Chastity’s skirt until the strips of Glootium—a substance discovered in the mid-twenty-first century that replaced buttons and zippers—gave way. The material slipped off her hips, pooling around her ankles. “No, leather.”

Chastity turned her head and looked at the stout redhead who held a golden chain with something connected to both ends. “Leather?”