Chapter 19: Carnival Games

KARA

The lights from game booths lit up our faces as we walked past. My eyes widened as I saw all the different stuffed animals. It’s been a while since I won a carnival game.

“Want to play?” Jason observed me as I turned back to him. We had stopped and were now facing each other.

I shook my head. “I’m bad at games. I don’t want to waste money just to get disappointed when I don’t win.”

Jason gave me an amused smile. “Okay.” He turned toward the booth behind us. “Do you want a prize?”

My back stiffened in excitement that I tried to contain. Jason caught on and laughed. “Which one do you want?” I immediately pointed to the pink Bulbasaur they had on display. I adored it.

“Let’s catch that Pokémon.” Laughter burst out of my chest at his corny line. Jason smiled but rolled his eyes as he led us to the game booth.

Once I realized what we had to do to win, disappointment crept into my chest. It was an axe-throwing game. There was no way he could make five throws in a row.

“Welcome, friends,” the staff member greeted us. “Step on up. Five throws and you get any prize,” he explained to the few surrounding people.

“Has anyone achieved that?” Jason asked the man. The worker glanced back at him in surprise, obviously not suspecting that question.

The tall man flipped one of the small axes in his hand, catching it with ease. “No, but you could be the first one.” He tried to coax us in.

Jason tried not to roll his eyes. “Let’s make a deal. I’ll buy five throws, but I want that”—our gazes followed his finger to the pink Bulbasaur—“if I make at least three.”

The man appeared to be thinking for a moment before nodding in agreement. It was clear not many people won, much less attempted such a challenging booth.

The man was eager for the money as Jason handed over the bill. In return, five small axes appeared on the small ledge in front of us. A few bystanders huddled over as Jason picked one up.

Jason looked at me one more time before fully focusing on the target ten feet away. “Just think of it as a football,” I tried to encourage him.

I wasn’t sure that was true, but those were the first words to spill out.

Jason pulled his hand back, trying to calculate his throw before throwing the axe with force.

The axe whizzed through the air before hitting the wooden wall with a loud thud. I jumped in glee when I noticed it had hit one of the few marks placed all over the wall.

“Phew,” Jason breathed out in relief. “One down, four more to go.” His arm came up again, and he threw it quicker this time.

I watched the axe fly before hitting the wall again. Jason had gotten too confident this try, and the axe landed too high, missing the targets.

Jason made the third try and turned to me on his fourth. “Your turn.” I glanced down with wide eyes to see his outstretched hand that held one of the axes.

I anxiously shook my head. “I made two; you have to make the last one.” Jason stared at me intently.

A smile played on his lips, and my heart raced. There was a crowd at this point, anxiously waiting to see if he’d win.

“I can’t,” I mumbled so only he could hear. Jason set the axe down, standing behind me. I gasped when he gripped my hips and turned my stance so that I was standing directly across from a few targets.

“I’ll help you,” he whispered into my ear, causing me to shudder in pleasure. His scent came over me again, calming my nerves. It felt so pleasing being in his arms.

“Just feel the weight of the axe.” Jason picked up an axe and dropped it into my hand.

I played with the weight of it, surprised that it felt lighter than it looked. Then I lifted it, aligning it with the marks. Since there were multiple, I selected the center one, hoping that it would be easier.

With as much force as I could muster, I threw the axe, and it spun across the distance before bouncing off the wall. The handle had hit the wall before the blade, and it landed on the ground. I frowned.

“Hey, it’s not over.” Jason wrapped my hand around the last one.

“Hold it like this and try to push force through one edge rather than the center of the handle.” I gripped the very bottom of the axe’s handle. It felt more comfortable.

As soon as Jason stepped back, I widened my stance and calmed my breathing, focusing on the mark to the center right.

My arm lifted, and I swung a few times to feel what felt right. When I finally found the position, I threw with all my weight and let go of the axe.

I watched nervously as the axe spun and spun and spun. My heart dropped when it lowered at the last minute, hitting the wood a foot under the mark I aimed at.

Jason threw his hands up in the air, and the crowd behind cheered. My eyebrows furrowed at their positive attitude. I appreciated it immensely, though. It did make my loss feel less embarrassing.

“Holy shit.” Jason stepped up next to me again. “Lucky. I guess it was meant to be.” He playfully nudged me.

My head shook in confusion. “I mean, if you call missing twice luck, then I think you’re a bad luck charm.” I giggled as he stared down at me as if I had just shit myself.

The tall man walked over to me with the pink Bulbasaur in his hands. “Congratulations. Not many have succeeded. You’ve earned this.”

“I thought I missed?” The words slowly left my lips as I stared between the two of them. The man walked over to the wooden wall and pulled out the axe I had thrown.

In its place was a smaller, barely visible purple X that blended in with the wall.

“I did it!” I screamed in joy. “I didn’t even notice that one.” I turned to Jason, who was laughing at my mistake.

“Now you get what I mean.” Jason handed me the Bulbasaur, and I wrapped my hands around it with pure joy. It wasn’t giant, but it was larger than most stuffed animals, and I loved that it fit perfectly in my arms.

“Thank you so much.” I stared up at Jason with large eyes as we walked away. The golden locks of his hair were disheveled from the slight wind.

“You deserve it.” The corners of his lips turned up slightly. We continued walking silently before he asked, “Want to go in the regular maze? There’s still a few hours left of the festival.”

My stomach felt bloated, full from the delicious pizza. A walk was exactly what I needed.

I nodded my head and followed Jason as he led us to the other side of the festival, back toward the tall corn stalks.

The sky was now dark, and I was slightly afraid of going into the maze, but I knew nothing would jump out since it was kid-friendly.

My breath was now creating visible puffs of air in front of me. The chilly air brought a chill through my body.

A dim lamppost stood right outside the small maze entrance. Jason gave me one more glance before walking in, darkness consuming us.

“Is this a good idea?” I whispered as my eyes adjusted to the darkness. The moon was out and shining brilliantly, providing light with its glow.

It was just enough light to cast shadows everywhere, giving it a beautifully eerie feel. Jason continued, turning a few more corners before slowing his pace to walk by my side.

“Look.” Jason pointed to a small clearing ahead.

My eyes widened as I noticed the beautiful sculpture sitting in the center. The statue stood tall, displaying the features of a woman.

Two simple wooden benches sat on either side, indicating this was a rest stop.

“It’s beautiful,” I murmured. “Also, very random to be in the middle of the maze.” I couldn’t help but breathe out a small laugh. It didn’t fit the theme.

“It is,” Jason mused as he studied it. I gazed at him from the corner of my eye. Blond hair ruffled from the cool breeze, blue eyes blazing with curiosity, strong build rigid from the cold.

I suddenly began feeling very warm.

My breathing hitched as he tore his eyes away from the sculpture and to me. I knew that look all too well. The heat between my legs began to ache from the intensity of his stare.

Jason took a few long strides over to me before he stood right in front of me, overwhelming me with his scent.

My lips parted, but he grabbed my hand before any words left my mouth. We took only a few steps before he sat me down on the edge of the bench. I shivered as his fingers traced the inside of my thigh.

“I can’t control myself around you.” Jason’s voice was barely a whisper. Wetness pooled at his words. I already knew where this was going.

My nipples hardened from the cool air and excitement. Jason’s hands gripped my hips as he pulled me forward, butt barely sitting on the bench.

He hooked his fingers into my pants and pulled them all the way down, letting the air caress my skin. I gasped at the sudden rush of air.

Jason pulled them completely off and set them on the bench behind me.

I felt so naked, so vulnerable, sitting like this in the clearing. We weren’t that far into the maze, and my heart raced at the thought of people walking in. The feeling of being caught only added to the excitement.

“What if—” My words cut off as Jason bent down, mouth between my legs. A moan left my lips as his mouth latched onto my clit, warmth contrasting the cold.

My left hand shot out behind me as my body trembled. The rough feel of the wooden bench dug into my nails as I attempted to grip onto anything for support.

I brought my right hand to Jason’s head, roughly tugging at his soft blond waves.

The mixed feeling of his warm lips against my cold skin caused intense pleasure to ripple through me.

My back arched as he sucked and inserted two fingers into me, adding to the intensity. My chest heaved as he worked his fingers, curling against my soft spot.

“Fuck,” I moaned out, involuntarily bucking my hips against his tongue. Jason chuckled, vibrating through my core. Another moan slipped out, and I was overcome with a wave of heat. I wanted more.

Jason momentarily pulled away, gripping my knees and throwing them over his shoulders before returning. My thighs immediately clenched as he pumped his fingers faster while sucking my clit.

The heat became intense, and my core began to tighten. I knew I was close to the release I desperately needed.

“Yes!” The moan came out louder as Jason circled my clit with his thumb, applying aggressive pressure.

My hips continued to buck, craving more friction as I was closer and closer to cumming.

Jason switched his thumb for his mouth again, and my hand immediately found his hair as waves of euphoria trembled through my body.

My grip tightened as I held his face against my heat, enjoying every last bit of my climax.

My chest was heaving up and down, cool air burning my lungs as I inhaled and exhaled sharply. I finally released the death hold I had on his head and let go.

Jason pulled back and stared down at me with dark crystal eyes. If I hadn’t just climaxed, I knew his eyes would drive me crazy.

I loved that look. His glistening lips disappeared as he wiped it away with the back of his hand.

I sat up, legs still quivering. I couldn’t even produce a functional sentence.

Before either of us could say anything, voices came from a distance.

My heart lurched in my chest, and I sped to throw my pants back on, shoving my panties into my back pocket.

Jason grabbed my hand, tugging me deeper into the maze as we giggled uncontrollably.