The Taming of the Shrew Ch. 05

Chapter Five: Madison Surrenders

Seth paced his room like a caged tiger. Her parents will return tomorrow night, he thought, throwing his hands up in agitation. And we're still at this impasse! She had not forgiven him for getting the upper hand during their last encounter. He wondered if she realized how much she was getting under his skin. Madison may have been the one giving in, but Seth was the one falling into the trap. She'd always been able to trap him with those large, innocent eyes of hers.

The thought of moving in with her had thrilled him in the three seconds before she had crushed the idea. If I weren't completely out of my mind, Seth thought, maybe I would know better how to...to... To what? He didn't understand gentle, tender feelings. His life had been full of displays of twisted, dark emotions. Madison was the only person in his life who made him feel anything warm, anything close to love. Seth wondered if she'd understand, if he told her.

She was quickly coming to understand the game, that was for sure. When she gave in to him like that, when he got her to surrender, she saw glimpses of how to fight back. Seth would maintain total control for awhile, until Madison had pieced together every little clue. He looked forward to it, in a way. Her fire could be completely irresistible when she let it loose.

Enough, Seth thought, shaking his head. This time she won't be able to get away so easily. He was determined of that. After her parents returned, he wasn't certain what he would do, but he'd worry about that when it happened. He turned and stared out his window. Across the way Madison's room blazed bright yellow with light. Seth could see her inside, see her sitting on her bed, running a brush through her hair. It gleamed like fire in the light. He was smiling to himself as he left his room.

*****

Madison brushed her hair back from her face. It spilled back over her shoulders, whispering lightly over bare skin. She paused in front of her dresser and pulled open one of the drawers. Pjs, she thought, fishing through the clothing. Something nice and comfy... Since Seth hadn't given her an indication that he would be coming back, she was determined to relax. Tomorrow Madison's parents would be back and she would be safe. Whether that was safe from Seth or safe from herself, she wasn't entirely sure.

Dressed in only an old, worn t-shirt, she dropped down onto her bed and stretched out. Madison used her toes to reach the light switch and click it off. As darkness settled around her, she sighed in relief. Another long day of homework and searching fruitlessly for an apartment. She had found a nice place close to here, a big place that would have been well suited to two. As far as Madison was concerned, that made it an automatic no. Too bad, though, because it was a nice place.

She jumped when the door of her bedroom creaked open, interrupting her thoughts. Heart pounding frantically against her ribs, she stared up at the tall, dark sillohuette in the doorway. Seth, Madison thought, scrambling into a sitting position. Damnit, damnit, damnit. He moved slowly, stepping into the bedroom and closing the door behind himself. There was no escape; from him, or from the part of her that didn't want to escape.

"Hello, Maddy," Seth said, his voice soft and husky.

"Go away," Madison said. "I don't want you here."

Even to herself, her voice lacked conviction. Seth moved towards the bed slowly, rather than trying to overwhelm her quickly. Madison realized a moment too late that he'd given her space to get away from him. Then he was on the bed and he'd caught hold of her wrists. She shrieked as he pushed her down, pinning her hands on the pillow above her head. Seth's mouth covered hers, and the kiss was much gentler, much more tender than the tight, strong hold of his fingers.

Madison struggled beneath him, but he'd gotten in between her legs, and she couldn't push him off. Seth didn't pull away until she was gasping for breath. She could feel the tension in his body and the hardness of him pressed against her thigh. His jeans were rough against her skin. What was more fearful than that was the thought that she'd like to feel him against her without the jeans. Madison struggled harder, to no avail.

"I'm tired of waiting," Seth said, his teeth nipping lightly at her lower lip. "Enough is enough, Madison."

"No," Madison whispered, her voice shaking. "No, no, I won't..."

"You will," Seth told her. Warm breath rushed against her neck. "I know you will."

He leaned back, releasing her wrists. She should have tried to get away, but she was caught like a deer in headlights, watching him pull of his t-shirt. Seth had a nice body, strong and toned without being obnoxiously muscular. Madison's mouth went dry as he began unfastening his jeans. Wait, wait, wait! her mind screamed. Do something, stop him! But that reasonable part of her was quickly being drowned out.

She was staring at him, blatantly. Seth finished removing his jeans and discarded them. He was delicious to look at, although she didn't want to admit it to herself. Madison finally managed to tear her eyes away when he pushed her t-shirt up and over her breasts. He smirked at her when he saw that she wasn't wearing panties. Seth's fingers slid between her thighs and up against her, making her gasp.

"Oh, now this won't do," Seth said, frowning. "Guess I'm going to have to wait just a little longer."

Her eyes widened as he suddenly lowered his head between her thighs. She sucked in a breath as his tongue dragged over her clit. Madison bit her lip, fighting back a moan as Seth licked her and sucked lightly at her clit. Despite herself she couldn't help lifting her hips when he dipped his tongue inside her. He knew her, knew what she liked, what she wanted.

Soon he had a sort of rhythm going, a long, slow drag, followed by a thrust of his tongue inside her, occasionally broken up by the occasional tug of his lips at her clit. Madison reached up, grasping the metal bars of the headboard. She held them tight enough that her knuckles hurt. There was no point in fighting this part. Seth had her aroused and wet and he kept going until she was writhing on the bed, straining to lift her hips against his mouth.

Madison kept some of her dignity, managing to keep from crying his name out what she came. She was panting hard, a thin sheen of sweat already broken out on her skin. She could feel Seth's tongue on her thighs, lapping away her come. When he sat up, drawing his mouth away from her, she bit her lip to hold back a mewl of disappointment. Madison stared up at him, terrified now, but whether of him or of herself, she wasn't quite certain.

"That's much better," Seth teased, his fingers sliding up against her.

Madison gasped. "Stop...!"

"Stop? I don't think you want me to stop," Seth said, his voice not losing that taunting tone.

He hovered over her, his hand falling away. Only his mouth touched her, coming down lightly on her breasts. His tongue trailed wetly over her skin, making her shiver. Seth made his way up over her shoulders and along her neck with soft, gentle nips. His mouth settled over hers, his tongue sliding between her lips to give her a taste of herself. Madison's hands tightened on the bars of the headboard so she wouldn't grab him and drag him closer. She didn't trust herself to push him away if she touched him.

"Now you're ready," Seth murmured.

She felt him press against the inside of her thigh. "No!" Madison gasped.

"Yes," Seth whispered, his voice a soft hiss.

"N-n...ahhh!"

It hurt. He was inside her so fast that it sent a white hot pain shooting up along her nerves. She released the bars and grabbed his arms, digging her fingernails into his flesh. Seth gasped, his eyes widening in surprise. Madison gripped harder, wanting to give him back that pain. But he wasn't moving. He lay inside her, very still, waiting. There was a patience in his eyes that she wasn't expecting. She loosened her grip, not certain what to make of this.

Her heart was thudding loudly in her chest and her body hurt. He felt so hard and so impossibly large. Madison lay as still as he was, waiting for she didn't know what, and she could feel her body adjusting to him. That first flare of pain was mostly gone. Seth was watching her, and he saw the moment she relaxed just a little. It was enough. He withdrew, sliding himself almost all the way out of her, and then pushing back in.

It hurt a bit, but not as much as it had at first. The second stroke hurt even less. At the third stroke, Madison realized she wasn't protesting anymore. Part of her mind was screaming, horrified that she was letting him do this. As Seth thrust into her again, she ignored that part of her. She might be reluctant to enjoy it, but that didn't stop her nerves from singing with the sweet friction of his cock sliding inside her. Madison tightened her hold on his arms again, keeping her nails from his skin this time.

"Now that's not so bad, is it, Maddy?" Seth murmured.

His lips brushed over hers, the lightest of touches, then danced away down over her chin and along her neck. She arched her back, lifting her breasts into the open warmth of his mouth. Seth's teeth closed around one nipple, biting lightly. Not enough to hurt, just enough to tease. His body drove into hers at the same time and Madison forgot to be reluctant. She forgot that she hadn't wanted to admit that she wanted this.

At first she struggled to match his rhythm. It was such an effort to lift her hips up to his that she was soon damp with sweat. Finally Seth slid his hands beneath her ass, cupping her and lifting her up against him. Madison moaned as that motion drove him deep inside her. If she could have thought beyond him thrusting into her, she would have been amazed at his strength.

"How is that, Maddy?" Seth whispered. His voice was husky and slightly ragged. "Damn, you're tight..."

"Shut up," Madison growled, digging her nails into his arms. "Just fuck me!"

She couldn't believe it was herself that was speaking. Seth's soft laughter irritated her, because he was wasting breath. He moved faster, harder, each thrust tearing a cry from her lips. Madison had the rhythm now. He no longer had to help her, so he tangled fingers in her hair and puller her head back, baring her throat. Seth's teeth sank into his skin just a bit, just enough. She could feel her body tightening and that bite sent her over the edge.

"Yesssss..." Madison hissed, her fingers clenching convulsively at his arms. "Ahh...Seth...!"

She shuddered, her body tightening around him. It felt so good that she let herself cry out with it. Madison could feel him come inside her. She closed her eyes, allowing herself those moments to savor it. She may have been the one to have surrendered, but the feeling of his body releasing inside hers was a sweet victory all the same. It was in that moment that Madison began to realize just how she could turn this game around and make it hers.

*****

Seth stretched out on Madison's bed, feeling inordinately pleased with himself. Although his whole point had been that she would enjoy it, he hadn't been quite expecting that. His arms ached where she'd dug in her fingernails. There were thin lines of blood dripping from the crescent shaped gashes. But Seth could deal with the pain. He could deal with it, because the pleasure had been so much more poignant.

The shower turned off suddenly. Madison had wriggled out from beneath him a few minutes after they'd finished and headed into the bathroom. She might have been dripping with sweat, but there was something cool and collected about her manner. Seth sat up, wondering what the next few minutes would bring. When the door opened he realized he was watching it eagerly.

Madison hadn't bothered to put on clothes or even use a towel, although she carried a damp cloth. Water dripped down her bare skin. Her eyes narrowed on him and he was certain to make of that look. It wasn't anger, not exactly. It was a challenge, Seth decided. She climbed onto the bed and his eyes widened as she slipped into his lap. Madison didn't stop him from pulling her up against him.

"Hold still," she said quietly. "I need to clean those."

"Oh," Seth said, blinking in surprise. "Right."

She had a small tube of antibiotic cream wrapped in the cloth. Seth sat still and patient as Madison cleaned the blood away from the gashes. It stung a bit, but in the long run it really wasn't so bad. And the antibiotic cream she smeared over them soothed the slight burn. Although Seth was too busy paying attention to the feeling of her wet skin sliding against him to feel much else.

"Is this payback?" he asked.

"This," Madison said, leaning back, "is only the beginning."

Rather than getting up, she wriggled in his lap as she reached over for something that lay on her night table. Seth groaned softly and buried his fingers into her hair. He pulled her back, settling her more firmly in his lap, so that the tip of his cock rubbed up against her. Madison's cool demeanor slipped just a bit and she rocked in his lap, rubbing against him in return.

"Damn," Seth said, his voice a ragged whisper. "What are you planning, Maddy?"

"This," she said, holding up a piece of newspaper.

Frowning, he took it from her. His eyes had adjusted enough to the darkness in the room, fought off by the faint illumination of a street lamp outside, to be able to read the newspaper. Apartments, Seth realized. Most of the ones she'd circled were now crossed out, except for one. There was a mark on it, as if she'd intended to cross it out, then ended up stopping herself. It was a two-bedroom apartment. Seth looked up at her, fighting to keep a smug smile off his face. He must have failed.

"I'll have my own room," Madison quietly.

"With a lock on your door," Seth added, realizing, in part, what she was getting at.

Madison smiled sweetly. "And a deadbolt."

"How do you know I won't just break down the door?" Seth asked, his eyebrows raising curiously.

Madison leaned forward slightly. She lifted her hands to cradle his face and it was the first time he was really aware of her nails. He realized that if he said the wrong thing or did the wrong thing, she might just dig those nails into his face. Studying her face, Seth realized that she was angry; she was simply more angry at herself than she was at him. He rested his hands lightly on her hips and kept them there, deciding that now was not the time to push his luck.

"Because," Madison said quietly, "that isn't the game you're playing. If you do that, you automatically lose, and you know it."

"And?" Seth prompted. He didn't know why, but he could have sworn there was something else.

Madison slumped. "Parents don't understand the concept of privacy."

It wasn't a lie, but it wasn't the entire truth. Oh well, Seth thought, we'll get to that eventually. He had to admit, he was pretty impressed by her perceptiveness, and her ruthlessness. She was right, he wouldn't cheat in this game, not in that way, because then it wouldn't really be winning. So Madison had given him what he wanted, to move in with her, except she would be sleeping in another room, behind a locked and dead-bolted door. And boarded, too, if I know her like I do, Seth thought.

"All right," Seth said quietly. "You've figured it out. Almost."

"Almost?" Madison asked, her eyebrows lifting.

There were some things she couldn't figure out on her own. Keeping his hands lightly on her hips, he bent down and kissed her lightly. Her mouth stirred beneath his, but not as eager as her body had been earlier. Seth wondered what other things he could do to bring out this side of her. Dominance and force might work like a charm, but it would be boring as a constant.

"I'm tired," Madison said, pushing him back. "Go away."

Seth's eyebrows rose. "Well now, aren't we getting demanding!"

She glared at him. Madison looked so petulant and cranky that he couldn't help but laugh. He slid out from beneath her and pushed her down onto the bed. This time, though, Seth pulled her blankets up around her and tucked her in. That look of confusion, the one she always wore when she showed those kindnesses, flashed on her face. He bent down and kissed her cheek gently, then straightened and began looking for his clothes.

"You confuse me," Madison told him, her voice sleepy.

Seth found all his clothing and began pulling it on. He was sweaty and sticky, but he'd shower at home, leaving her to sleep in peace. If she didn't suddenly change her stubborn little mind, it wouldn't be long before she'd be exactly where he wanted her, anyway. Well, not exactly; he could do without the locked door. Seth finished dressing, the paused and looked down at her. Her eyes were closed and her breathing even, as if she was asleep.

"You're not the only one confused, Madison," Seth said quietly.

If she was awake, she didn't respond. He hesitated a moment longer, long enough to reach over and brush her hair back from her face, then he left. Tomorrow her parents would return. After that, after they got everything sorted out, the second half of their little war would begin. Seth only wished he felt as certain of victory as he had when this had first begun.