Strings and Shadows

Archie's lips curled into a knowing smirk. "Well?"

Linda frowned.

"Well, what?"

"What do you think of that one?"

He nodded toward the TV, where a woman in an entirely too-small bikini was sauntering across the screen.

Linda barely glanced before turning back to him.

"She's fine."

Archie sighed dramatically.

"Just fine? That's a tragedy. Couldn't you just imagine licking that ass?"

Linda's head snapped toward him.

"What?!"

Archie only grinned, stretching like a lazy cat.

"What? I could. Hell, I actually did that once. In college."

Linda narrowed her eyes. "You -- what?"

"Oh yeah. Just a one-time thing. Probably." He shrugged. "Hard to say. College was a blur."

She stared.

"...Are you actually saying you don't remember?"

Archie chuckled, tapping his temple. "Oh, I remember. I just like making you work for it."

Linda crossed her arms. "So? Spill."

Archie tilted his head, considering. Then, in a voice that was both casual and very deliberate, he said:

"She told me to kneel."

Linda inhaled -- just a little. He caught it. His smirk deepened.

"She?" she asked.

"Liz." He let the name hang there, watching Linda's reaction like a cat watching a dangling thread.

"Senior. Swim coach. Knew exactly what she wanted."

He leaned in slightly, lowering his voice like he was sharing a scandal.

"And what she wanted... was me on my knees."

Linda's breath was slow, controlled.

"And?"

Archie made a show of thinking. "Hmm. What was it she said next? Oh right -- "

He turned, mimicking Liz's calm authority.

She turned. One hand against the tiled wall, her toned ass right in front of me. A slow glance over her shoulder, lips curving.

"'You like my ass?' she asked. Then she said, 'Touch it.'"

He let out a small, nostalgic chuckle.

"It was perfect -- muscular and round. I reached up, touched her, and she giggled a little."

"Kiss it," she murmured.

My pulse pounded in my ears. I leaned in. My lips brushed against her skin -- warm, smooth, slightly damp from the humid air.

Archie shifted, his voice quieter now.

"Then she said, 'Go lower.'"

Linda exhaled through her nose, watching him.

"I hesitated," Archie admitted, rubbing his thumb against the couch cushion.

"She stood there, waiting.

So... I did it. I spread her open, leaned in, and -- " he gave a small, half-embarrassed chuckle,

" -- I tasted her."

Linda's fingers curled against her arm.

"She barely reacted at first. Just breathed slow and deep. Then, after a while, she murmured,

'That's nice.'"

He smiled, distant.

"I don't even know how long I stayed down there licking her.

Time kind of... disappeared.

Then, out of nowhere, she said, 'OK.'"

He snapped his fingers.

"Pulled her panties back on.

He let the pause linger.

Long enough for Linda's mind to start filling in the blanks.

Then, just as she was about to speak -- Archie snapped his fingers.

"And then she patted my ass like a good little intern."

Linda blinked. "Wait. That's it?"

"That's it," he confirmed, stretching out on the couch.

"Oh -- except for the other time."

Linda arched an eyebrow.

"Other time?"

Archie grinned lazily.

"Different girl. Different situation."

Linda shook her head, but she was leaning in now. Just a little.

"You love this, don't you?"

He smirked. "Maybe."

Then, as if letting her in on a secret, he murmured:

"Carly told me to get on my knees, too."

Linda exhaled. "And you did."

"Obviously."

A pause. Then Linda asked, almost absently: "Did you lick her ass, too?"

Archie's grin sharpened, wicked and knowing.

"Nope," he said. "She had other plans."

Linda tilted her head. "Which were?"

Archie took his time, watching her watching him. Then, finally:

"Let me lick her pussy while I kept a finger in her ass. Kept her entertained like that for a month."

"And then?"

"Then she dumped me." He sighed theatrically.

Linda snorted.

"No wonder."

Archie grinned.

"Hey, silver lining -- I became a damn good cunnilinguist."

Linda leaned back, arms crossed, a teasing glint in her eyes.

Sounds like I should be thanking her."

He winked. "You definitely should."

And then, without another word, he turned back to the TV, leaving her hanging.

Linda let the silence stretch between them, her fingers drumming lightly against her arm.

Archie had turned back to the TV, looking casual -- too casual. But she knew him. He was waiting.

Waiting for her to take the bait.

******

She shifted slightly, tilting her head. "So."

Archie barely glanced her way. "So?"

Linda smirked.

"You've been on your knees for these women..."

She let the words settle between them. Then, a slow, deliberate pause.

"Tell me -- when's the last time a woman got on hers for you?"

Archie's lips parted slightly, then curved into that lazy, knowing grin.

"Oh," he murmured, stretching as if he had all the time in the world. "Interesting question."

Linda lifted an eyebrow.

"Do you have an answer?"

Archie finally turned, eyes gleaming with mischief.

"Are you offering to be my good little learner?"

Linda exhaled through her nose -- half amusement, half intrigue.

"You wish."

Archie chuckled.

"Oh, I do."

A pause.

Then: "Let's play a game."

Linda arched an eyebrow. "A game?"

Archie leaned in, his voice smooth, teasing. "You know what I want."

Linda did.

He wanted her to mirror what he had just described -- wanted her to play the role that Liz and Carly had played for him.

She let the idea settle in her mind. Then she sat forward, resting her elbow on her knee.

"Alright," she murmured. "Game on."

Archie's pupils dilated slightly.

Linda tapped her chin, feigning contemplation.

"Stand up."

His smirk deepened.

"Oh," he mused, rising to his feet with a slow, languid stretch. "You are going to be fun."

Linda didn't respond.

Then she asked, almost idly,

"So, did you have a good time last night?"

Silence.

She continued, her tone light, almost playful.

"Looking at that Barbara?"

Another pause. This one heavier.

Finally, Archie's voice: "Honey, I -- "

"Quiet." Her command cut through the room, sharp and sudden.

Archie froze.

Linda smiled, slow and indulgent. "I like it better when you don't talk."

She was circling him now, predator-like.

"Looking at little Barbara again? Probably..."

No answer.

Linda let the moment drag before her next move.

"Take your clothes off."

A brief hesitation -- then the sound of rustling fabric.

Linda let out a soft giggle. Then silence.

She stepped closer, her voice a velvet caress.

"She might get your attention, but I have your obedience, don't I?"

"Yes, ma'am."

She laughed out loud. "And your naked body. What are you?"

"A worm."

"You got that right." She dragged a finger down his chest, then lower. "You're my worm, aren't you?"

"Yes, ma'am."

"And it's looking like you like it, isn't it?"

"Yes, ma'am."

"Better than looking at your Barbara?"

"Yes, ma'am."

She cocked her head. "But you did get hard looking at her, didn't you?"

Archie hesitated. "Uh... no, ma'am."

Linda laughed again.

"Ha! Maybe not fully hard, but she did interest you, didn't she?"

"...Yes, ma'am."

"Mmm..."

Something about her tone -- it wasn't anger. It was amusement, indulgence. She was enjoying this.

"Maybe just a little bit hard?"

A pause.

"...Maybe, ma'am."

Linda chuckled, a rich, knowing sound. "Thinking about what she'd be like naked?"

"Yes, ma'am."

"Now we're getting somewhere."

She circled behind him, her breath brushing against his ear.

"Thinking about another woman, right there in front of your wife. What does that make you?"

"A worm, ma'am."

Linda hummed, satisfied. Then:

"Thinking about fucking her?"

A small hitch in his breath.

"...Yes, ma'am."

"Undoubtedly." She trailed her nails down his spine. "Her ass, right?"

"...Yes, ma'am."

Linda tsked.

"I saw you eyeing that little rear of hers."

She leaned in, voice dropping to a whisper. "I know how your mind works, don't I?"

"Yes, ma'am."

She smiled. "Well. We know what to do about this, don't we?"

She reached into the drawer.

A quiet moment.

Then:

"Are you ready?"

No answer.

Linda giggled. "Okay, buster. Lean over."

A sharp inhale. A shift of movement.

Breathing.

"You like this, don't you?"

Still no answer.

Linda grinned. "My own little Barbara."

Archie was lying over the edge of the bed now, face down.

Linda remained fully dressed, standing behind him, something firm in her grip.

A click.

Handcuffs.

A sharp gasp as she moved.

A shuddering breath.

Archie's hands were bound behind his back now, his body tense beneath her control.

Linda leaned over him, whispering directly into his ear.

"Are you my little Barbara?"

A beat.

"...Uh..."

Linda's smile widened.

"My little slut. To do with as I please." She giggled again.

"...Yes... ma'am..." His voice was strained, barely above a breath.

Linda's grip tightened.

"You're going to come now, aren't you?"

No answer.

"Pathetic worm..."

Then just more noises -- needy, desperate sounds filling the room.

They went on for a while.

Then, suddenly --

"Stand up."

Archie barely managed to comply, his legs trembling slightly.

Linda giggled, stepping back, arms crossed. "You must really want to come now."

"Yes, ma'am."

She pouted, mockingly sympathetic. "You want me to touch that cock?"

"Yes, ma'am."

Linda tilted her head, feigning thoughtfulness. "Oh, you'll have to do better than that."

Archie swallowed. "Please touch my cock."

Linda let the moment linger. Then she giggled, shaking her head. "Begging your wife again, aren't you?"

"...Yes... please."

"And you're going to pleasure me, aren't you?"

"Yes."

"And love it, too, I'll bet." She trailed a finger along his jaw. "And you think I'll touch you?"

"Please."

Linda smirked. "After ignoring your wife for what's-her-name?"

Silence.

She exhaled, as if exasperated.

Then she waved a hand dismissively.

"Take care of yourself."

A pause.

"In the bathroom. So I don't have to watch."

*****

Archie hesitated, the words hanging in the air like a spell.

The moment stretched, time unspooling like silk, twisting in ways that made no sense.

His breath still came in short, ragged pulls, yet the room around him felt frozen -- suspended between heartbeats.

Linda simply smiled, satisfied.

Game over.

Or was it?

Archie stood there, naked and flushed, his body humming with an energy he didn't quite understand.

His fists clenched at his sides, nails pressing into his palms.

He felt the weight of her gaze, heavier than it should have been, as if her amusement itself was something physical, something oppressive.

Linda sat back on the bed, still fully dressed, a lazy smirk curling her lips like a cat stretching in the sun. Behind her, the shadows moved strangely, like they had their own will, their own breath.

"Well," she mused, tilting her head just so, "you did what I asked. That's something."

Archie swallowed hard. His body was aching, his need carved into him like an ancient script, but he knew better than to beg.

"But," Linda continued, her voice curling in the air like smoke, "I'm not sure I'm satisfied yet."

Something shifted. The room pulsed, the walls rippling as if the space itself were breathing.

He exhaled sharply. "What... what do you want?"

Her smirk widened. "I want another story."

Archie hesitated.

The air thickened. The floor felt farther away, like he was sinking, like he was drowning in the weight of her demand.

Linda's foot lifted, pressing lightly against his thigh.

The warmth of her touch spread through him in unnatural waves, curling into his spine, tightening around his ribs.

"Oh, don't get shy on me now," she purred.

"You just admitted you were thinking about fucking Barbara. You can't possibly have anything more embarrassing than that."

His jaw clenched.

Linda leaned forward slightly.

"Unless..." Her voice dropped into something softer, something more insidious.

"...you do."

A long silence stretched between them, the room stretching with it.

"Tell me, love," she whispered, tapping her fingers on her knee like a metronome measuring the rhythm of his humiliation.

"What's the most pathetic thing you've ever done for a woman?"

Archie felt something shift in his chest. The floor tilted. His skin felt too tight, his memories bleeding into the air. He tried to hold onto himself, to steady his breath, but the past was slipping free, uncoiling like a serpent.

"...In college," he started hesitantly, voice thin, unreal,

"I had a crush on this girl, Megan."

Linda hummed, pleased. The sound vibrated through him, deep and rich, as though it was coming from inside his bones.

"Go on."

"She knew I liked her," he admitted, shame creeping in like ink spreading through water.

"And she used it. She... she had me do things for her. Run errands, buy her drinks, even do her homework."

Linda's silhouette flickered.

For a moment, she wasn't sitting on the bed -- she was lounging on a throne of unseen hands, fingers caressing the air around her, grasping at something invisible.

"You were her little servant?"

"Yes."

A slow, knowing smile curled her lips.

"Oh, Archie. That's adorable."

He looked away.

"What was the worst thing she made you do?"

Archie hesitated. The words felt lodged in his throat, thick and heavy like stones.

Then, in a near whisper: "She made me hold her purse at a party. The entire night. While she flirted with other guys."

Linda's laughter rang out, bright and sharp. It echoed in the space where it shouldn't have, bouncing off walls that seemed farther away than before.

"Oh, my poor little worm," she cooed, reaching out to cup his chin.

Her fingers were cool, yet they burned.

"Standing there like a good little lapdog while she ignored you completely. And you took it."

The scene flickered. For a moment, he saw himself back at that party -- saw Megan, laughing, hair gleaming under neon lights, saw his own hands clutching that ridiculous, sequined purse.

But something was wrong. The purse was heavier now, filled with stones, with weights, with something alive.

His younger self tried to drop it, but his hands wouldn't open.

He was trapped in the memory.

Linda's fingers trailed down his chest, pulling him back to the present.

"Tell me," she murmured, her breath too close, too warm, curling into his ear.

"Did you still get hard for her, even when she humiliated you?"

His breath hitched. The question slithered through him, wrapping tight around something raw.

"...Yes."

Linda bit her lip, delighted.

"You really are pathetic," she whispered, voice curling around him like a noose.

Then she leaned in, lips grazing his ear. The air between them felt electric, charged with something unnatural.

"And that's why you belong to me."

Archie swayed, the room tilting again, his body pulsing between past and present. The weight of her words pressed into him, through him, anchoring him in place.

Linda tilted her head, watching him. "You like this," she mused.

He swallowed. "You know I do."

"That's the problem." She tapped a finger against her lips.

"If I push you too far, you'll just melt into submission, won't you?"

He didn't answer right away. That was answer enough.

Linda leaned back, crossing her legs.

"That's not what I want, Archie."

His brows furrowed slightly.

"No?"

"No." She smirked. "I don't want a pet."

Her foot brushed against his thigh again, firmer this time. The touch rippled through his skin like something alive.

"I want a cunning opponent. A rival. Someone who can play with me."

Archie's breath hitched.

Linda's gaze darkened, glinting with something feral.

"You know what happens to a man who lets himself be tamed?"

He didn't reply.

"He gets boring."

Archie's jaw tightened.

Linda chuckled, standing up slowly.

"So tell me, love..."

She walked around him, circling like a specter, her steps impossibly light.

"Are you going to just stand there and let me pull your strings?"

Archie let out a slow exhale.

Or was it a laugh?

Linda narrowed her eyes.

"Ah," she murmured. "There he is."

Archie finally met her gaze fully, and there it was -- that mischievous spark, flickering back to life.

"You're good," he admitted. "I was almost gone for a second."

Linda grinned. "Almost isn't good enough."

He smirked, rolling his shoulders as if shaking off invisible threads. "Fine. You want a partner-in-crime? Then you'd better be ready."

She arched an eyebrow.

"Oh?"

In a flash, he moved.

Linda let out a small gasp as Archie grabbed her wrist, spinning her so she was the one pressed against the bedpost. His body was still bare, still aching, but now it was charged with something else -- something wild, something untamed. His grip was firm, his eyes alive, and the shadows around them flickered in approval.

"You push," he murmured, voice thick with amusement. "But you forget -- I push back."

Linda's pulse quickened. The air between them crackled, stretched, twisted.

"Oh, Archie," she breathed, lips curling. "That's what I wanted."

And just like that, the game shifted.

The world tilted.

And it started again.