The Shame Game A good marriage is built on love, trust and kink… James and Amanda have been together for fourteen happy, playful kinky years. That’s the way they both like it, and neither feels there’s anything missing, until one day, a typical scene morphs into something atypical—humiliation play. They’ve never played with this kink before, but it was shockingly hot, and satisfying in a way their more playful scenes aren’t. They’re both excited to try something new after so many years together, but James is leading his beloved wife and submissive into uncharted territory where their comfort zone will be stretched and their bond tested… It will take all the love and trust they’ve built over fourteen years to survive The Shame Game. Read Excerpt | Behind the Book | Content Warning BUY: Totally Bound | Amazon | B&N | Kobo | iBooks | GooglePlay The Shame Game – now in KU!

I love this story for a lot of reasons, but my absolute favorite part about it is that it’s not an origin story. James and Amanda have been together for a long time. They know each other, they enjoy each other. As someone in a relationship of similar length (I’ve been with my husband for thirteen years, and as I write this, our ninth wedding anniversary is only days away) I was intrigued by the idea of a story where a couple is in the middle of their happily ever after, instead of the beginning. I learn new things about my husband all the time (for example, he apparently has a ‘favorite physicist’—I mean, what the hell?), so I wondered what new things James and Amanda might discover about each other—and themselves.

I had such fun with them, and I hope you do, too.

“Up on the table, please, and lie back.”

The ‘please’ was automatic, she knew, a result of the impeccable manners drummed into him as a child, but in no way were the words a request—they were an order. She drew a steadying breath and obeyed.

The vinyl was cold under her bare butt, and clung to her skin, chafing as she wiggled into place. She lay down, her legs out in front of her. The table was short, so her feet and ankles poked out over the end, but not so much that it made her uncomfortable, and the built-in padding at the top made for an adequate pillow.

“Comfortable?”

She wiggled experimentally, wincing when she realized that lying flat would very quickly put a strain on her lower back. She rarely slept on her back, and when she did, she had a pillow tucked under her knees. “Being flat for a long time will probably aggravate my back.”

He patted her thigh. “Thank you for telling me. Anything else?”

“No, Sir.”

“Good. Sit tight for a moment while I get you strapped in.”

He bent low, out of her line of sight. When he rose again, he had a flat fabric strap in his hand. “Scoot down just a bit.”

She complied, the vinyl rubbing against her skin again.

“That’s good. Hands at your sides.”

She moved her hands to the table, tucking them slightly under her hips so they wouldn’t slide off the narrow space, and he laid the strap across her belly. It was thickly padded on the side that would lie against her skin, and the fabric was something soft that wouldn’t chafe if she wiggled against it.

“Nick, would you get that side?” James said, and Amanda looked up to see their friend stepping up to the other side of the table.

She smiled up at him. She hadn’t seen him in a while, not since the night he’d brought Sadie and his girlfriend Rebecca over so they could go out for their monthly submissives meeting. She was fond of Nick, and even fonder of Rebecca, and she opened her mouth to offer a greeting, then faltered. He wasn’t looking at her, she realized, hadn’t glanced her way at all. He picked up the strap that James handed him and threaded it through the slot on the other side to yank it tight across her belly.

Her startled gasp was loud, and a little pained, but even then, he didn’t look at her.

“Too tight?” he asked, but he wasn’t asking her.

“Ease off just a touch,” James answered, and the strap loosened a fraction. “That should do.”

Nick secured it, then sidestepped up to the table and took the next strap as James handed it over. This one would lie across her arms and over her ribcage below her breasts. Nick fastened it down efficiently, once again checking with James on its placement and tightness without even looking at her and did the same with the strap positioned above her breasts.

“Hands?” Nick asked.

“I’m leaving them free, for now.” James decided. “Let’s get her legs.”

Both men moved down the table towards her feet, and Amanda tried to relax. Bondage was nothing new for her, and this kind of bondage wasn’t even that restrictive. She was strapped to the table, but she could move her hands and turn her head. Having her legs bound would immobilize her further, but that wasn’t new either. She liked bondage, she reminded herself. It turned her on. Even just the little they’d done so far was having a predictable effect—her nipples were hardening, and her pussy was already wet in anticipation. She was used to all that.

What she wasn’t used to was the anxiety that made her breath come short and her palms dampen. That was new and strange, and the fact that it seemed to be making her pussy wetter was even more strange.

“Amanda.” A sharp tap on her calf jerked her out of her thoughts. “Raise your legs.”

By his tone, this wasn’t the first time he’d asked. “Sorry, Sir,” she said, and lifted her legs.

A strong arm came under her knees, and she raised her head to look. Nick was holding her calves up while James fiddled with the table. Probably getting the straps in place, she thought, then there was a metallic shriek, and the bottom half of the table disappeared.

She jerked a little at the noise, and Nick’s grip on her legs tightened. James continued to fiddle with the table, clangs and clunks sounding as he worked. Then the table jerked a little, James said, “There we go,” and with one more metallic screech, a stirrup appeared.

Amanda was so shocked to see it that Nick had set her leg in it and had it strapped down before she could react. The knee brace was padded, and the same type of sturdy straps that held her torso wrapped around her leg above and below the knee. A third strap secured her foot to the footrest. Her leg was comfortably supported and completely immobilized.

A small sound of distress slipped from her lips as the other leg was similarly positioned and secured, then James was back at her side, his hand resting on her belly. He bent low, his mouth next to her ear. “All right?”

“Stirrups?” she managed faintly.

“Stirrups,” he said firmly. “Give me a color.”

“Green, with a bright yellow streak,” she answered, and drew in a deep, hopefully steadying breath. Her legs were spread apart, not garishly so, but enough that air swirled over her exposed genitals like a cool breath. She was wet, her inner thighs slick, and to her consternation, the knowledge made her blush, which somehow made her even wetter.

“Good to know,” he said mildly. “Remember, I’ll be with you the whole time, even if you can’t see or hear me.”

“Why won’t I be able to see or hear you?” she asked, panic making her voice squeak.

“Because,” he said cryptically, and raised an eyebrow when she opened her mouth to protest. “Trust me?”

“Yes,” she said, trembling with nerves. She did trust him, she reminded herself. That her trust felt as though it were being tested gave the scene an added edge and made her determined to prove to him that she did.

“Thank you,” he whispered, and bent to brush a gentle kiss on her mouth. “I trust you to use your safewords if you need to.”

She nodded slightly, knowing he meant it. It didn’t matter how many people were watching or what the stakes were, she knew it wouldn’t matter to him if she safeworded out of a scene. In fact, he’d be more upset if she didn’t, if concern for how it would make him look made her push past what she could endure. “I will, I promise.”

“All right.” He brushed a last kiss over her mouth, his tongue darting out to tease and tempt, then straightened and looked past her. “Are they all set?”

She turned her head to see Nick waiting on the other side of the table. “All set.”

“Let’s get the brakes off.”

There was a muffled thump from both sides of the table, almost simultaneous, the table shaking slightly with it, and she realized they’d unlocked the wheels. Her body tensed instinctively as it rolled slightly. Nick and James each grabbed the sides and began to push, and it picked up speed.

“James? Sir?”

“Hush.” He said it almost absently, but the way he was bent slightly to push the heavy table brought his face close to hers, and she could see that he meant it. “No talking unless you need to safeword.”

No talking? Oh, God.

Her fingertips curled on the edge of the table, clinging helplessly. Lights and faces flashed by as she was rolled through the room, snatches of conversation and speculative whispers reaching her ears as she was wheeled past. The sight of a naked woman strapped to a gynecological exam table wasn’t anything new for this crowd, but it appeared to be generating some buzz.

They hit a small bump on the concrete floor, jarring the table. It was no more than a little shake, and the straps held her securely, so she was in no danger of sliding off. But it jiggled her breasts and belly and thighs, and suddenly she remembered that she was completely naked, legs spread, everything out there for everyone to see.

It’s nothing new, she told herself, watching the lights flash by overhead. You’ve been naked in public plenty of times. Bent over spanking benches, tied to crosses or stakes, even tied spread eagle to a bed while your husband fucks you. This isn’t different.

Except it was.

She closed her eyes. Embarrassment washed over her, heat flooding her face, and she heard James chuckle.

“Already?” he murmured, and since she didn’t know what to say to that—and he’d told her not to speak—she didn’t answer.

There was a short jerk as the table was brought to a halt. Amanda kept her eyes tightly closed, hiding, but she couldn’t close her ears.

She heard Cade’s voice, raised slightly, asking if someone understood the rules. She thought he must be doing a scene with someone nearby, but the chorus of yeses came from at least a dozen people, and they were close. She heard James quietly tell Nick to lock the wheels, and knew that they’d reached whatever their destination was. She could hear the low murmur of voices, the words indistinct, but the excitement in them was almost palpable.

There was a soft touch on her cheek. “Open your eyes, Amanda,” James ordered softly, and she did.

There were lights. More than just the overhead fluorescents, shining down from the warehouse’s high, unfinished ceiling—she was surrounded by them. She squinted, trying to see past the glare. They were stand lights, she realized, the ones Cade brought in from his construction company from time to time if they needed extra lighting for a demo. They flanked her, a set on either side, shining brightly onto her bound body, and embarrassment flooded her anew.

James chuckled lightly, amusement and affection and, yes, lust in the sound. “Can’t hide from that,” he said, loud enough for his voice to carry, and a wave of laughter swept through the crowd.

Before she could react—though what could she do, tied to a table and ordered not to speak?—James pushed to his full height. “Well, let’s get started, shall we?”

He stood next to the table, still close enough for her to see, though he was far enough away to be blurry now. She’d forgotten her glasses again, and for the first time she was torn between annoyance and gratitude that she couldn’t see clearly. Whatever he had planned—and oh, he has plans—she wasn’t sure being able to see what was happening would help her.

“Can’t see, can you?” he chided, then he was slipping her glasses onto her nose. “You won’t be able to see much, but I want what you can see to be crystal clear.”

He smiled at her, warm and wicked, and pulled a pair of black nitrile gloves out of his pocket. He pulled them on with a snap that echoed in the cavernous warehouse, even over the continuous rumble of voices, and she jerked at the sound. His smile widened, and he glanced up. “Last light,” he said, and when she swiveled her head to see who he was talking to, she saw Nick dragging a stand lamp over.

It was tall, though not as tall as the construction lights, and it wasn’t until Nick set it down at the end of the table next to her left foot and switched it on that she realized what it was for.

“There we go,” James said cheerfully, and walked down to stand between her spread legs. She couldn’t quite see him, flat on her back as she was, but with her feet in the stirrups and her pussy on full display, she couldn’t imagine his gaze was anywhere else.

“That won’t do,” he said, disapproval clear in his voice, and she tensed, worried she’d done something wrong.

“Not you, Amanda,” he said, giving her inner thigh a reassuring pat. “I just need to make a slight adjustment to the stirrups. Be a good girl and hold still while I fix this.”

There was another little metallic thump and a slight jerk, then the stirrup was moving, swinging out, forcing her leg to follow. The muscles of her inner thigh burned, stretching under his hand as he pushed steadily, forcing her leg wide.

“That’s better,” he decided. He locked the stirrup into place and gave her thigh an approving pat before doing the same on the other side.

Amanda lifted her head slightly to look. She was spread out, far more open than she would have been for any gynecological exam, her legs so far apart that three people could’ve stood between them. James adjusted the lamp, moving it to the inside of her leg and aiming the light so it shone directly on her pussy. Her face flamed.

“Well, well,” he purred, his voice once again carrying over the crowd. “Somebody likes being all spread out, doesn’t she?”

He touched her then, and she flinched in an instinctive response that got her exactly nowhere. The straps kept her immobile, and though she could move her hips slightly, he paid her wiggling no mind as he slid one gloved finger through the slick wetness between her legs.

“Oh, yes, someone likes this a lot.” He held up his hand, the glove glistening in the light. “Seems like I’ve got a little slut on my hands, folks.”

There was a rumble of laughter, voices calling out in agreement.Amanda’s belly quivered, and her face heated with shame, but at the same time her cunt clenched.

Everyone was looking at her, bound and spread and helpless, and it was embarrassing and mortifying and oh God, so fucking hot.

James lowered his hand and this time slid two fingers into her, shoving them deep with no warning, and the moan escaped before she could stop it.

She heard him chuckle, heard the crowd laugh with him, but it was lost in a swirl of sensation. She was shocked to realize she was close to orgasm, dangerously close, and she felt a moment of panic. He hadn’t told her if she was allowed to come, and while he hardly ever restricted her in such a way during private play, public play was a different story.

“I didn’t tell you if you were allowed to come, did I?” he said conversationally as he fucked his fingers into her. The slick sound of his gloved fingers sliding in and out of her was loud, so loud, and she knew if she could hear it, everyone else could, too.

“I don’t think you’re going to be able to stop her,” someone said, and she dimly recognized Cade’s slow drawl. “That pussy is primed and ready to go off.”

“It does look that way,” James replied while the blood roared in Amanda’s ears. “Are you going to come, Amanda?”

She bit her lip and struggled to keep her hips still. Oh God, she was so close. The little flutters deep within, the pressure and tension coiling tighter, harder. She didn’t know if she wanted to come with all these people watching, but she was very much afraid that in a moment, she wouldn’t have a choice.

“Oh, I forgot. I told you not to speak, didn’t I?” James slid his fingers out, then back in again, hard enough to make her grunt. “That’s all right. I don’t really need an answer. I can see that you are.”

He brushed his thumb over her engorged clit, chuckling when her cunt clamped down on his fingers. “Yes, you are close. You know what? I’m feeling generous tonight, love. You go right ahead and come when you’re ready. And you can scream all you like.”

Relief flooded through her at the words, but it didn’t last long. She fought against the need to come, trying to hold it at bay, not wanting everyone to see it, but his fingers were relentless, curling forward to hit the front wall of her cunt with every thrust, and when his thumb pressed down hard on the top of her clit, she lost the battle.

She pulled against the restraints, gritting her teeth as the contractions hit, hard pulses that he pushed through with stabbing fingers. He fucked her through the orgasm until she went limp, still and sweaty on the now slick table.

“Nice,” she heard someone say, and realized with a jolt that it was Nick’s voice. “She always come like that?”

“Usually she’s a little more vocal,” James told him, “but I think she’s feeling a bit self-conscious tonight.”

Nick’s laugh was low and wicked. “Tough to blame her. At least thirty people saw that slutty little display.”

“Oh, she likes being on display,” James replied, and patted her swollen pussy.

“She must,” Cade put in as shame washed over Amanda once again. “I’ve never seen anyone come that fast just from being fingerfucked.”

“Well, she’s a slut,” James replied easily.

“Hmmm. How fast do you think she can come again?” Cade asked.

“We’ll see, won’t we?” James said with a wicked chuckle. “Bring me the machine.”

General CW:
This is a BDSM romance, and while it includes many common BDSM elements (spanking, bondage, deliberate infliction of pain for sexual pleasure, etc.) it specifically explores a kink known as Erotic Humiliation. While these themes may be uncomfortableor triggering for some, I want to assure you, my valued readers, that James and Amanda’s journey of discovery is made with care and love, and with the full and enthusiastic consent of all parties. And while the emotional stakes of exploring a new kink are always high, this book was written to be a low angst, high heat journey that ultimately strengthens and enriches an already established relationship between two people who love each other deeply.

I was so focused on the kink-related warnings, I neglected to mention that there is also brief mention of parental and spousal abonnement (occurs in the past, off the page). I apologize for the oversight.

Specific CW with possible spoilers:
James and Amanda decide to explore erotic humiliation through some specific types of scenes, which include:

• Dehumanization – which they explore through puppy play
• Being on display – this involves a scene with Amanda strapped to a medical table, at a public play party, and involves a fucking machine
• Objectification – where James treats Amanda as an object there solely for his pleasure
• Verbal humiliation

They take specific care not to include degradation in these scenes, but while nothing they do is degrading to them, your milage may vary. If you have any triggers around humiliation, I recommend you tread carefully. And as always, please feel free to contact me directly if you’d like further information.