Five
“Right, where were we? Ah, yes, do I think you’d be happy giving up control?” He sliced one of his juicy scallops in half and speared it with his fork. Melted butter dribbled onto his plate as he raised the morsel to his mouth. I found myself watching in fascination as he chewed. When I realised what I was doing, I subsequently wanted to slap myself, but how can you war with your own hormones? I was a mess.
“I’m going to rely on my intuition for this one, I think,” he continued, unaware of the inner struggle I was having. “I don’t think you’ll be happy giving up control. I suspect you might even be a control freak and have your life ordered out to the smallest detail, but that’s not what you asked, is it?” He finished his mouthful, and his words had just about registered in the haze of pheromones that surrounded me, jolting me to my core because he had pegged me with frightening precision. “But yes, I think you’ll find the relief you seek. In body more than mind, perhaps.”
And what the hell did that mean? Too stunned to speak, I swirled my spoon around in the bowl of miso soup before me. Clouds of fish stock began swimming around, and little slivers of seaweed stuck to my spoon. Bringing up a mouthful to my lips, I tasted it tentatively. I was surprised to find that it was actually quite refreshing, and it wasn’t long before all thoughts of talking left me. We didn’t say another word to each other until we’d cleaned our plates dry.
Upon finishing his starter, James took a long sip of the Sancerre and sighed in contentment. I concurred with his opinion of the wine. It was the perfect accompaniment to seafood, bone dry and deliciously aromatic. I would have to be very careful not to guzzle too many glasses. Having my tongue loose and wagging around this man would be exceptionally foolish.
“Any more questions, Lois? Or are we going to talk about knitting and babies for the rest of the evening?” He eyed me with a smirk.
Choking on my wine, it annoyed me to see he thought himself thoroughly amusing. It appeared he’d caught me checking him out. Sighing, I decided I’d need to be more discreet in the future. His ego would spontaneously combust in a few seconds if I wasn’t. “I usually like to get to know someone a couple of weeks before I think about having babies, but I’m game if you are.” I winked at him. It should have wiped the smirk off his face instantly, but instead, it just got wider. Taking a deep breath, I ploughed on, “As to the knitting needles, you’ll have a better chance at improving your life expectancy if I don’t have any.” I lavished an icy stare upon him, which had absolutely no effect whatsoever.
“I can picture you with a set of knitting needles, you know. Not actually knitting but fending off all the annoying males that might make the mistake of entering your world. You are a prickly one, Ms. Reeves. I bet you haven’t managed too many long-term relationships in your past.”
“I don’t need knitting needles to defend myself,” I replied. “I can do enough damage with my hands and feet.” I picked up my black, Chinese lacquered bowl of soup and drank the remains. I didn’t particularly care if it offended the ogre opposite me.
“That I don’t doubt,” he replied. “And the long-term relationships? Managed any?” He slowly wiped an imaginary spot of food from his lips. My eyes found themselves entranced, and all of a sudden I could picture myself kissing him. What the hell? This was so unlike me, I nearly dissolved into a fit of hysterics. It looked like I was about to have my first crush, and the guy across from me was an absolute animal.
“You’ve had your question time,” I replied with saccharine sweetness. Wondering if two could play his game, I ran my tongue across my bottom lip to see if he was similarly affected. Sure enough, his eyes dropped, and it was several seconds before he realised I had asked another question.
“Sorry, you’ll need to repeat that,” he said. “My attention is being shamelessly diverted.” He sucked his finger into his mouth as if to clean it, although I knew for a fact it was not dirty. He’d wiped it on his napkin only a few moments ago. Somehow I managed to glance away, though it took considerable willpower on my part.
Clearing my throat, I attempted to rid my mind of distractions. As long as I didn’t look at him, there wouldn’t be a problem forming logical sentences.
“Let’s say the session does go ahead tomorrow. What can I expect from the moment I enter the scene?” It was a good question, superbly executed bar the lack of eye contact, and I was pleased with myself.
“Are you talking to me? Because if you are, you’ll have to look at me if you want an answer.” His hand reached across the table and he curled his fingers under my chin, drawing me closer to him. I desperately wanted to recoil and take refuge in a dark, quiet place somewhere, but I was damned if I’d let him see fear. “Look at me.” His voice pounded in my ears, and my arteries were filled with blood that was rushing around at ninety miles an hour. “You can’t be afraid of me. So, what is it? Are you frightened of the attraction between us?”
Dragging my eyes back up to his was harder than walking through quicksand. All my poise and elegance had left for the moment, and I cursed myself for ever having agreed to this stupid meeting in the first place. The trouble was that every time I looked at him, I saw Kiel in those ghostly blue eyes. I needed to get over it. “I’m looking at you. Where’s my answer?” I didn’t want to give James any more than I had to. A little knowledge was a dangerous thing, especially in my line of work. He released my face, and I silently sucked in a bucket load of air. Breathing was such an important commodity.
“Fine, if that’s the way you want to play it, we’ll go for the abbreviated version.” I nodded. Short and sweet worked for me. “Well, as soon as the door closes, I’ll ask you to get naked.” I immediately lost the air I’d just struggled to inhale, but honestly, what had I expected? This wasn’t a sparring match. This was sex. Not in the conventional sense, perhaps, but it was close enough. “Then I’ll tie you up with either ropes or cuffs, depending on which is your preference. Do you have a preference?” The thought of being completely immobile whilst naked in front of him was dancing around excitedly in my head. It turned me on. Who was I kidding? It felt like someone had punched me in the gut and rewired my brain all at the same time. Squirming uncomfortably, I let my hands fall to either edge of my chair and gripped it tightly. This was yet another scary thing I would have to deal with - intense arousal. My vibrator was going to get an impressive workout at the end of my date. There was no way I’d be able to sleep as worked up as I was. There was an uncomfortable silence as James kept looking at me, and I realised he was expecting an answer to his question.
“Oh, right? Um, no, I don’t think I have a preference.” If my voice was slightly breathless and rough, he didn’t seem to notice.
“Some girls don’t like marks. Cuffs tend to leave marks if I do my job right, but even rope will chafe if you pull and twist within your bindings.”
“I can hold myself still. That won’t be a problem.” I was more than capable of remaining perfectly still, just as I was able to move exceptionally quickly. It was almost an ingrained part of me now.
“You won’t be able to hold yourself still in a scene with me. I guarantee it.” He pressed his lips together, and his eyes twinkled, as if he was trying hard to hold back laughter.
I rolled my eyes. “You’re not a god. A sound spanking and a few swats with a paddle aren’t going to make me wail and scream.”
“You see, Lois, this is where we have a problem. What do you think will happen in that room? A little light spanking and a bit of hair pulling?”
“You pull hair as well? My, you are multi-talented.” A large, pink lobster was then paraded past me, and the pungent smell of garlic was upon the air. It was divine. My mouth watered, and I wondered why I’d never been brave enough to tackle it before. My sea bream, on the other hand, although perfectly cooked and seasoned, looked insipid in comparison.
“You have no idea how talented I am. There’s a reason women pay an awful lot of money for my services.”
I took a mouthful of perfectly cooked fish, which disintegrated on my tongue with a delicious tang of lemon before I answered him. “And why do they part with so much money, Mr. Leverett?” Having a few suspicions of my own, they rested mostly on the fact that he possessed a singularly beautiful face and the most mesmerising eyes I’d ever seen. How many women had fallen for that package, I wondered? Setting your sights on him would be akin to chasing a fairy tale. Thankfully, I didn’t want something that ephemeral, which was why he was only getting twenty-four hours of my time.
“Call me James. Tomorrow’s session will be informal address, as it’s your first time. Everything else about it will be formal, though.” He winked at me.
My face remained impassive, and I paused for a second. “And the answer to my question, Mr. Leverett?” Goading him was too much fun to resist.
“You have no idea how much I want to take you over my lap right now and spank the living daylights out of you.” He flexed his fingers and his expression went dark. My delicate lace panties turned to mush.
“You’d probably be arrested for that kind of thing in a public place,” I offered helpfully. “But feel free.” I was enjoying myself. The chemistry, the wine, the food, the banter… whatever it was, electricity began to spark in fiery white light around me.
“And it might almost be worth it.” James peeled the tail flesh out of his lobster and cut it up into small bite-sized pieces. Picking one up with his fingers, he popped it into his mouth and a look of serene contentment crossed his face. “Delicious. You should try this.”
“I don’t know if I’d…” I had no chance to finish my sentence because James was pressing a small sliver of lobster against my lips. When I tried to decline his offer, the lobster was pushed firmly into my mouth and I bit down on his fingers in protest. Glaring at him, I released my hold, but did not appreciate his heavy-handedness.
“What if I was allergic to seafood?” I barked after I’d chewed and swallowed the most amazing thing I’d ever eaten in my life. I was now contemplating knocking him out, just so I could steal his dinner.
“If you were, you probably wouldn’t have ordered fish for dinner,” he pointed out reasonably. It did not make me feel better. I wanted to yell at him to ensure he kept his fingers to himself for the rest of the evening, but I also wanted more lobster. It was a painful battle of mind over matter, and it would lead to my own personal destruction if I didn’t choose wisely. It was a struggle I was sorely tempted to lose, but somehow I stayed on the path of righteousness. “Who’s diverting the conversation now?” I said. “Why do women pay you an awful lot of money? Are they so masochistic they’ll do anything for an adrenaline high?”
“If they were, sky-diving, mountain climbing, or pot-holing would be cheaper.” He cracked open a lobster claw and sucked the contents into his mouth. I swallowed tightly and looked forlornly at my fish. Sighing, I decided to stare at him until I got my answer.
“You have no idea, do you?” He shook his head and licked his fingers, one by one. My pulse couldn’t take much more of this. Wanting to growl at him in frustration, I kept my gaze cool and held the stare. Eventually, he would give in. I hoped.
“Pleasure. Intense, unadulterated, fucking amazing pleasure. There isn’t a single woman who’s withheld an orgasm from me, and I make ninety percent of them go multiple. An average scene will have my client climaxing anywhere between five and ten times. The figures are more dependent on her stamina than my ability, for the record.”
My jaw wanted to drop open, but I was chewing, and it wouldn’t be a good look. He was lying. He had to be lying. Ten orgasms in a two-hour session? My stamina was good, but that would probably kill me. As to multiples, they were a thing of myths and legends. I have fun during sex, don’t get me wrong, but that much fun? If I signed up for this gig tomorrow, I’d probably have a heart attack. When I’d finally finished eating, I said, “Talk is cheap,” but he had me worried. Beginning to wonder if I had bitten off more than I could chew, my appetite quickly waned.
“You’ll regret that statement, because I’ll see it as a personal challenge. I may even break my all-time record of fifteen orgasms. I suspect you’re one of the few women who might be able to handle me at my worst.”
“So, our scene is going ahead?”
“I’ll probably regret it, but yes, providing you answer my last few questions satisfactorily, if you’re still interested, I’ll see you tomorrow afternoon at two o’clock.”
My stomach felt like it had dived to the bottom of the Pacific Ocean and, as it was about eleven thousand metres deep, it was quite a dive. Oh God, what had I just signed myself up for? Quit worrying, I admonished myself. It wasn’t like I had a choice. Duty called.
“Now do you want some kind of indication as to what will happen to you when you’re in a scene? What are your hard and soft limits, safe word, allergies, and anything else you think I should be aware of?”
This was happening. I felt terrified and excited all at the same time, and I wasn’t sure if it was a good combination. “No allergies, I’ll use the traffic light system, and I have no limits - hard, soft, or otherwise.”
He nearly choked on his wine, but recovered himself just in time, setting his glass carefully back down on the wooden table. “None?” The way his eyebrows had just risen, you’d think I’d just told him Brad Pitt was gay.
“None,” I repeated. I sensed I was going to regret that decision, but there was a reason for my madness. Besides, I suspected that even at his worst, James wouldn’t be that scary.
“Trust me when I say you do not want to give me free rein over your body, Lois, because I will take you at your word. If you have limits, you need to talk to me now. I’ll reel off some of the things that I think you’ll object to, shall I? Vaginal fisting, anal fisting…”
“Don’t make me repeat myself again, Mr. Leverett.” I had no wish to hear all of the things that might be in store for me. I’d read the checklist that Elite Encounters had sent me, and it was an eye opener, but I could handle pain. Besides, the session was only two hours long. It would be a piece of cake. “Surprise me.”
He shook his head in disbelief, but he said no more. His eyes captured my attention, though. They were laced with concern. Great, I’d gone and got exactly what I wanted, and he thought I was a complete nut. He was probably wondering if he could revoke his earlier offer and wash his hands of me. How did I get myself out of this one? Several of my fastest brain cells were put under immense pressure before I came up with something halfway believable.
“I don’t want to know what’s coming. This is all about the experience for me. I want to see how much I can take, be it pleasure or pain, and I trust you not to dish out more than I can handle. Does that make sense? I live my life on an adrenaline high, and I need another fix.” My eyes pleaded with him not to rescind his offer, because I wasn’t sure I could complete this process all over again with another agency.
“Advertising is that good, huh?” he asked dryly.
Cursing myself for my stupidity in revealing too much, I held my head up to face his gaze. Somehow, James had put me at ease, and I found it ridiculously easy to talk to him. That would have to change. I could not continue to let my guard down like this. The attraction flew between us like charged ions, and some kind of electrostatic force irrefutably called my body to his. I hated it. It wasn’t something I could fight, and he filled my body with an unpleasant abundance of nervous energy that desperately needed to be released. Tomorrow. I needed tomorrow.
“Nailing a big client is lots of fun,” I whispered, plastering a bright smile upon my face.
“Tell me about it,” he said, and the amused sarcasm in his voice did not go unnoticed. My eyes danced as I swam in the bright gleam of his teeth. The man was a predator, and if he were a shark, I was fish food. I considered crawling under the table but settled for kicking him in the shins. He didn’t even wince.
“You need to give me something to go on, sweetheart. I plan the scenes around you. They’re based on what turns you on. The aim of the game is to have you sobbing in pleasure and unable to articulate a single word because your body is convulsing so damn hard. In order for me to get you to that state, I need to know what makes you tick.”
He looked at me expectantly, while I looked at a corner of the ceiling. I couldn’t have his eyes on me if I wanted to think. My poor brain cells were under such pressure this evening, and with relatively easy requests. The “attraction thing” was going to be the death of me. I simply could not concentrate. Focus, damnit! Retreating to a quiet, distant part of my psyche, I slowly came back to earth. Okay, what turned me on? It was a reasonable question, given the circumstances. Until now, I’d never really thought about it. Figuring I should just be honest, my gaze refocused upon his beautiful face and I took a deep breath.
“I’m not really sure how to answer that question,” I confessed. “My sex life has been rather tame up until now. I enjoy all the usual things, like kissing, oral, missionary, on top, and I’m familiar with a few sex toys, but I’ve never really fantasised about anything in particular.” My life was far too busy for fantasies and idle thoughts. Maybe I’d been missing out all these years. Perhaps I should have explored the naughty book corner and been a bit more adventurous.
“So why are you here? One of your girlfriends dare you or something? I can’t, for the life of me, figure you out.” James looked utterly confused for a moment, and I took no small degree of pleasure in his discomfiture. He could have a little of what I’d been having.
Forking a mouthful of green beans into my mouth, I chewed slowly. Why did this have to be so hard? I hadn’t figured on needing a cover story just to get my ass spanked. Trust me to get the most particular dominant in town. Thankfully, I could think on my feet… or not, as the case might be.
“I’ve watched Fifty Shades of Grey. It looks like fun. I’ve imagined myself in Anastasia’s place and I’m taking the next step. Whilst I may not know exactly what turns me on, my body’s booked two hours for you to experiment upon it. I’m sure you’ll figure something out, being as you’re the best there is.” I arched an eyebrow at him.
He cracked the other claw of his lobster open, towards me, and juice splattered upon my face. Blinking furiously, my hands turned into two tight fists itching to wrap themselves around his neck, knowing he’d done it on purpose.
“If you’ve got grease on my dress, I am sending the cleaning bill to you,” I bit out.
“Don’t goad me.” He raised both of his eyebrows at me and returned my angry stare. “I never said I was the best, and you aren’t going to get what you want that way.” Pulling out another juicy titbit of lobster from its shell, he waved it in the air and watched as my eyes followed it. “How about I run some scenarios by you, and you tell me if you fancy trying them? If you answer nicely, I’ll reward you.”
He waved the garlic-scented fragment in front of my face, and my eyes followed it as if hypnotised. My mouth instantly watered, and I craved the creamy taste of it upon my tongue. I’d lost my earlier battle. “Begin,” I whispered.
“Hmm. Let me think. Well, after we get you naked, the first thing I’d do would be to tie those hands of yours behind your back. That should tame your feisty streak. Then I’d pull my favourite leather chair out, take a seat, and drape you over my lap. I might leave you like that for a few seconds, because anticipation is a bitch, and then my hands would very gently run up and down the length of your body. Gentle little flurries of my fingers would caress you, from your neck all the way down to your back, then they would focus on the two globes of your ass, before traversing all the way down your legs, kneading and stroking. I’d probably do that for a minute or two, to see whether you’d start squirming. If you’re squirming, I’m happy, because it’s obvious that you like what’s happening. Just to be sure, I’ll ask you to spread your legs before dipping a finger inside you. If it comes away wet, I’m generally on the right track.” He tilted his head at me, and his eyes devoured my face. “What do you think so far?”
I wasn’t sure I could speak after that, but I was desperate to learn what came next, and just about managed a weak, “Continue.” My hands were once again gripping the edges of my chair, but this time it was to stop them diving under my dress and embarrassing myself in public.
He fed me the small piece of lobster he’d been teasing me with, although I’d almost forgotten it was there. I sucked it greedily deep inside my mouth and sighed blissfully.
“See, it isn’t that hard to play nice, is it?”
“I’m waiting,” I said darkly.
His eyes cut straight through me. “Say ‘please.’”
I didn’t even hesitate. “Please.”
He made a funny sound in the back of his throat. “Maybe you’ll be easier to work with than I thought.”
I licked my lips slowly. “Doubtful,” I said, before taking a hearty gulp of my wine. I would need it to get through this. When the silence seemed to drag on, probably because he was trying to figure out where that statement had come from, I decided to encourage him. “Pretty please, continue in that deep, sexy voice of yours, and don’t stop until you get to the good part.” He gave me an annoyed look, and I couldn’t resist a small smile of victory. The man could be ruffled. Dominant or not, he was at least human. It was reassuring.
“You’re going to regret that,” he said, swirling the contents of his wineglass around and grinning wickedly at me. It was with shock that I realised I wanted to kiss him. I was already imagining the taste of his lips on mine and the sharp, acidic twang of wine as I inhaled him. The thought was far more delicious than my lobster, which meant it had to be banished immediately. Thankfully, he chose that moment to distract me. “Where was I? Ah, yes, I was seeing if you were wet. Are you?”
My mouth went wide, and I spluttered. “Good try, but we’ll keep that a surprise for tomorrow.” My eyes narrowed. The man was ridiculously disarming. I had nearly, oh so nearly, answered that question.
“The squirming around was as good an indication as any, but you’re right, it’ll be more fun if I do my own research later. Let’s move on. Assuming you were aroused by my antics, I’d get you used to the idea of a little pain first, to see how you coped. A few gentle hand spanks would rain down upon your ass to see how resilient your flesh is. Different skin tones colour up at different rates, and as you don’t have too much flesh covering your bones you will bruise easily, which means I’ll need to be careful. Although we call the session ‘The Ultimate Guide to Pain,’ we try not to leave any lingering marks. I’m not going to lie to you, though. You will feel sore for a couple of days afterwards, but we’ll give you a few tips to manage that.”
He was trying to tell me that I would not be able to sit down comfortably for a day or two. I tried to imagine myself with two bright pink ass cheeks, and an involuntary tremor ran through me. It was bizarre. I hadn’t thought about sex for so long, and now I was horribly horny at the thought of a hand slamming against my butt. My poor vibrator was going to get a fast and furious workout tonight, make no mistake.
“The trick with spankings is to start slowly and build up a good, steady rhythm. By the time I’m finished with you, your ass should be a brilliant shade of crimson. If we were talking the ‘Ultimate Guide to Pain Package,’ then I wouldn’t stop until there were tears. Depending on your pain tolerance, I’d probably move on to a flogger, then a paddle, and if needed, a crop. How does that sound for a warm-up?”
He looked at me inquiringly, and his concentrated focus on my face made it clear he was very interested in my answer. The devil in me responded with more audacity than it should have. I uttered a single word so softly he’d have to strain his ears to hear it, but he was close enough to read my lips. “Tame.”
I watched as he sucked in a breath. His eyes slowly blinked, twice. The silence in that second was deafening. Frozen in place, I wondered how he would react. Too late, I was just beginning to realise that this man could be very dangerous when pushed.
“That’s why it’s called a warm-up,” he said just as quietly, and he leaned over the table towards me, so close I could smell the exotic warmth of his aftershave. Slowly, I breathed in clary sage and a hint of lime. It was divine, and I had to stop myself inhaling a lungful of the stuff.
“So, what happens in act one?” I’d moved further forward, my pose just as aggressive as his, and having his face a hairbreadth away from mine didn’t intimidate me in the slightest. It affected me, of course, in a primal, lust-filled, I-need-to-mate-with-this-man kind of way, but I could control that. Just.
“Can I assume you are not going to embrace the BDSM lifestyle after this date?” I did not miss the trace of irony in his voice.
“And why would you assume that?” I queried, batting my eyelashes at him provocatively.
Twirling a loose strand of my hair around his finger, he tugged me closer towards him, and I felt a painful jolt of arousal fly through me. “Because I have never seen someone less suited to becoming a submissive than yourself.”
“Well, you know what they say about assuming things, don’t you?”
He bared his teeth, and I wasn’t sure if it was a smile or a snarl. “It’s your ass over my lap tomorrow, and don’t you forget it, young lady.” He released my hair, and I slowly returned to the safety of my seat back. “I am curious, though. Are you planning on entering the lifestyle? As a Domme, perhaps?”
I smiled. “I’m going to be a submissive. I have a three-week training period to ease me into the lifestyle, and then the fun and games begin. This is just a taster session.”
James poured himself another glass of wine as he digested this. He looked like he was having trouble connecting the dots, which was understandable. “Why would you choose an extreme package for a taster, if you’re going to be put through weeks of training?”
“Let’s just say I’m curious as to how much pain I can handle.” It wasn’t too far from the truth. When I entered my three weeks service, there would be no escape, and I needed to know what the worst-case scenarios were up front. If I couldn’t make it through two hours of James’s time, there’d be no point taking the matter any further.
“Hmm,” was his only reply, but his eyes were disbelieving.
My plate was then whisked away from under my nose - I barely even noticed. I had eyes only for James, and my head was miles away, absorbed in fantasy. My body was wet, my mouth was dry, and my skin prickled with vibrant energy. It was like being on top of a precipice and knowing that the only way was down - frightening but fucking incredible at the same time. For the first time in months, I felt alive, and it was a good feeling.
When the waiter came back, he asked if we wanted dessert and coffee. I was about to refuse his offer, but James interrupted and ordered for both of us. My mouth hung open in shock at his high-handedness. Who did he think he was? As soon as we were alone again, I chewed his head off.
“What on earth are you doing? I am more than capable of ordering my own dessert. For your information, I didn’t actually want anything, and it would have been nice to have been asked!”
He grinned at me. “I have a rough idea of what you’re capable of. I’m purely demonstrating, in advance, what loss of control will do to your head. Tomorrow, this is how it’s going to be. I’ll be calling the shots and you’ll have no choice but to do exactly as I say. You think you can handle that?”
I rolled my eyes at his underhand tactics. “You’ll find out soon enough,” I said.
“I’m thoroughly looking forward to it,” he replied.