by Bliss Devlin
"Well," Katie said, apologetically. "I might like it if it was actually happening to me...but just hearing about it? Uh, no."
"All right," Andras said, easily. "Would it make a difference if you imagined that scenario playing out with another woman instead of a man?"
Katie had an extremely uncomfortable mental image of kissing Amanda. "I'm straight!"
Andras simply raised his brows, and waited.
"Well, it would be different, and kind of interesting," Katie finally admitted. "But no, not really a turn-on."
His next scenario had a blindfolded woman being fed by her lover. That felt sexier, but still not what Katie would classify as a turn-on.
"That sounds like something I'd see in a French art-house movie," she told Andras, and won another laugh from him.
"All right, next scenario. You're naked, he's clothed. He orders you to kneel and give him a blow job."
The sudden rush of heat between her legs made Katie squirm. Of course, Andras noticed.
"Looks like a definite 'yes' to me. So, what interests you about this scenario?"
Katie tried to summon rational thought. It was difficult though the haze of lust. "Well, the thought of being ordered around was kind of hot..." she began, feeling shy. "And I'm pretty good at blow jobs. I wouldn't have to worry about whether I was getting turned on fast enough, or whether I was taking too long to, um, react to him. All I'd have to do is concentrate on him."
"I see," Andras said, looking thoughtful. "Let's continue in this vein, shall we? How about a scenario where you are a powerful woman, and you order your lover to service you? You don't have do anything except give him access to your body. And he's not allowed to climax until you do.
Katie had an instant mental picture of herself lolling on a throne, wearing a black leather corset, thigh-high boots and wielding a whip, while a cowed-looking man wearing a red satin G-string knelt at her feet and called her Mistress.
"Hmmm...intriguing, in a porn-movie kind of way," Katie responded, "but, honestly, I'd probably feel sorry for that poor guy working away on me, and then I'd start worrying about the fact that I was taking too long."
"You have a soft heart." Andras chuckled, but his expression was not unkind. "And it's very interesting that you assume that anyone pleasuring you would automatically consider it a tedious chore. Why is their pleasure more important than yours?"
"Um," said Katie, and was spared by a wave of his hand.
"Rhetorical question, but we'll definitely have to work on that." He gave her a penetrating look. "Would you believe me if I told you that arousing my lover and making her climax was the best and most fun part of making love?"
"That sounds really nice," Katie said, hoping for casual and sounding wistful, instead.
Andras looked wry. "I guess I'll just have to prove it to you."
He said it so casually that Katie felt a bolt of pure heat shoot through her.
"Next scenario: you're at a restaurant like this one, with semi-private booths. You're wearing a small, remote-controlled vibrator, and your partner has the control. He is using it to tease you to the edge of climax, until you're begging to be allowed to come. He says you can, but you're not allowed to make a sound or react in any visible way, because you're both in public.
Katie was instantly and uncomfortably aroused. "Oh yeah," she managed. "Yeah, definitely."
"Mmmm," purred Andras, leaning closer. His lips brushed the rim of her ear as he spoke in a low murmur, sending shivers through the pit of her belly. "I adore that game. It's all about using power and control to excite your lover to a frenzy."
"Power?" Katie mused.
"Having it, or giving it up to another—both work as potent aphrodisiacs, or so I've noticed." Andras caught her earlobe between his teeth, and Katie inhaled sharply, squeezing her thighs together.
So far, he'd only touched her hand and her ear, and talked dirty to her, and she felt as turned on as if she'd been making out with him.
Andras spoke again, nipping at her ear between words. "How about a scenario that plays out a little more roughly? Where your hands are tied behind your back, then you are ordered to your knees and commanded to service your lover's cock with your mouth. When he is fully aroused, he bends you over the arm of a sofa, kicks your legs apart, and fucks you hard from behind."
"I—" Katie swallowed hard. I'd let you do that to me, in a heartbeat. But she couldn't say that to a guy she had just met two hours ago.
Andras' voice, though still soft, was relentless. "...or how about a threesome? Two men using you in whatever way they like. And you are tied, spread-eagled, to a bed, and completely at their mercy." He paused, and his voice dropped even lover. "They make you beg for permission to climax."
Katie could imagine, all too well. And she was sure that Andras knew exactly what kind of a turn-on his suggestion was. His thumb was caressing the inside of her wrist now, and she was sure he could feel her pulse hammering madly away.
A bondage threesome? That was the hottest scenario she'd heard so far, not that she'd ever actually go out and do something like that, but God, what she wouldn't give right now to have this gorgeous man tie her up and do whatever he wanted to her!
And he hasn't even kissed me yet...
Bill would have made fun of her for getting so turned on by the scenario, but Andras was just encouraging. "Well, I think I'm getting an idea of what you might like. And you know, light bondage can help anyone who has trouble relaxing enough to let go and simply enjoy sex."
"You really think that bondage could help me?" Katie asked, striving to sound skeptical, rather than desperate and horny.
"Yes. You responded to those scenarios with an element of power exchange just now, and most strongly to the ones that cast you in the role of submissive. I think you will find that giving up control to someone else can be very erotic. It certainly helps with performance anxiety, both men and women." He looked at her intently. "I would like you to consider submitting to me."
Katie felt a wave of powerful lust sweep through her at the idea of letting this gorgeous man do whatever he wanted to her. She had never felt anything like this before.
Yes! Yes, oh yes! Don't let this one get away!
She took a deep breath. Don't act like you're desperate, Katie. "I don't know," she said, trying to sound cool, sophisticated. "I mean, I'm tempted, but I'm wondering if I'd really enjoy being whipped and humiliated. I've never been into pain."
"Is that what you think of power exchange scenarios? That they're about pain and humiliation?" He shook his head. "I assure you that I don't intend anything of the sort, Katie."
"I didn't mean to—" she began, but he wasn't finished speaking.
"If you agree, and if you like what I can do for you...then, later on, if you're interested in pushing your boundaries, we can explore a little bit. But for now, I would simply like you to relinquish control in our sexual relationship. You're a beautiful woman, and I'm eager to see if I can make you respond—if you'll let me."
He wants to have a sexual relationship with me? Oh, goodie! Down, girl!
"I promise that I will always tell you what to expect ahead of time, and that you will always have always have the power to say 'no,' either at the beginning, or at any time if you find that you are not enjoying what I'm doing to you."
"Like a safe word?" she asked, glad she knew at least that much.
"Exactly. And in return, I want you to be completely honest with me. No faked orgasms, no pretending to enjoy something just because you think it will please me."
"Okay," she said, less sure about this part. It seemed like a recipe for failure.
"And one other thing," he said, sounding stern now. "If you agree to my terms, I'll need proof of your submission."
Katie licked her lips nervously. Was this the part where he asked her to wear a dog collar? Get a tattoo? "What kind of proof?"
"I want you to give up control of your orgasms. From this point on, you don't get to climax unl
ess I give permission. If you say 'yes,' to me—and I really hope you will, Katie—I want you to put away your vibrators as soon as you get home tonight. No touching yourself unless I tell you that you can. And if you're seeing anyone else, you need to stop. I want exclusivity as long as our relationship lasts."
"I'm not seeing anyone," she hastened to assure him. "And as for the, uh, other thing, well, that'll be an easy promise to keep. I wasn't kidding about being horrible in bed."
"And I'm determined to prove you wrong about that," he said, sounding serious."If you submit to me, I swear to you that I will make you come so hard and so often that you won't be able to move. I'll introduce you to experiences that will astonish you, and I'll make you crave things you never knew you wanted."
It sounded too good to be true. "But what do you get out of this?" she asked shrewdly. "I mean, look at you: you're gorgeous, you're rich, you could have anyone you wanted."
"And I've decided I want you. As for what I'm getting out of this—" He smiled at her and looked good enough to eat. "Frankly, the thought of tying you up and playing with you to the point where you're so turned on that you're writhing in your bonds, begging me for permission to climax, begging me to fuck you, maybe even calling me Master..." His smile went from heartbreaking to predatory in a heartbeat. "You can't imagine how much I'm looking forward to that."
She shivered, deeply aroused at the mental picture he had just drawn.
"Say yes," he ordered. "Say you'll submit to me."
Oh God, she was so turned on right now. And he had done it with just his voice, his eyes.
The folds between her legs felt hot, and they were throbbing with a pleasant ache. Her nipples had contracted to hard points and she knew he could see them poking through the thin silk of her blouse.
She licked her lips again, wondering if she was hallucinating this date with Mr. Too Sexy for Words.
"Yes." Her voice was hoarse. "Yes, I'll do it."
"Good." He stared at her, his green eyes so intense that she wanted to look away—but couldn't. "And now to seal the bargain," he said, and leaned in slowly to kiss her.
He was an incredible kisser, as she'd known he would be. He cradled her face between his hands, and started slow, just gentle brushes of his mouth against hers.
Andras slowly intensified the kiss, taking possession of her mouth with incredible skill, until some timeless period later, she was all but sitting in his lap. She never wanted it to stop.
She so turned on that she was ready to have sex with him in this booth, right now, in front of the waiter and God.
"Do—do you want to go somewhere—?" she managed to say when he finally pulled away, though that kiss felt like it had melted her brain.
"I do," he said, his green eyes hot now with lust. "Very much. You're so tempting, so utterly delicious. But not now. Not yet. Come to my apartment on Wednesday. Same time. And remember—absolutely no touching yourself until then. If you do, I'll know. And I'll know you aren't the right match for me."
She nodded, and felt him press a card into her hand.
In a daze, she watched him pay for their tapas and drinks, then allowed him to escort her from the club and hail a taxi for her.
She climbed in, feeling ridiculously infatuated, and he leaned in for one more quick kiss before closing the door. "Until Wednesday, Katie. I'm looking forward to it."
As the cab pulled away from the curb, her only coherent thought was: Oh God. Wednesday is going to forever to arrive.
* * *
Andras' phone buzzed when he was halfway home. He had decided to walk back to his downtown loft, the cold night air as intoxicating as the Cava he'd been drinking.
He pulled the phone out of his pocket and glanced at the screen. Amanda, of course.
"So?" she demanded, as soon as he answered.
"Your pretty blonde friend?" He found himself grinning as he strode along. "You were right. She has definite potential."
"So you want her?"
He chuckled. "Amanda. We're meeting again on Wednesday, and that's all I'm going to tell you. How did your date go?"
Amanda made a rude noise. "He loved to hear himself talk. Next!"
2. Katie Finds Release
"Katie!"
Andras opened the door to his loft apartment, located in what had formerly been the city's factory district, but was now a trendy neighborhood with lots of upscale restaurants and bars. The old factory buildings now housed at least three successful startups, and at least eight other companies on the verge of making it big, as well as several hundred loft-style apartments and condominiums favored by the young and the hip. "I'm so glad you came."
He sounded sincere, and his pleased smile made Katie's chest feel funny—in a good way.
Since their first date on Saturday evening, she had been simmering with anticipation.
The first half of the work-week had crawled by every bit as slowly as Katie had known it would, the memory of that incredible kiss alternating with occasional moments of Oh God, what have I gotten myself into?
True to her promise, Katie had buried her vibrator at the bottom of her linen closet, under a pile of her guest towels. She had been so turned on when she arrived home that it had taken all of her self control not to use it.
But she found Andras' command exciting too, and badly wanted to find out whether he could fulfill all the sexy promises he had made.
Amanda's ecstatic reaction to the news that Katie had enjoyed herself on the first date, and that there would be a second date, hadn’t helped Katie's nerves. But mostly, she had been looking forward to seeing Andras again.
Feeling self-conscious, she'd even gone shopping at Coup de Foudre, an extremely expensive lingerie store that claimed they had something to make every body shape look sexy.
Katie now dreaded the arrival of her credit card bill, and hoped that her quarterly bonus would cover the expense. But it had been so worth it, and if things went well tonight, she'd go shopping there again, even if she was forced to dip into her new-car fund...
Her trusty little Toyota had already been used when she bought it right after graduating from university, and it was still running reliably, but years of fighting for a parking spot on the city's crowded streets had not been kind, and it wore a collection of dings and scrapes like battle-scars.
Rushing home after work to take a quick shower and get dressed for her date, Katie had looked at herself in the mirror, admiring the deep teal shade of her new lingerie, which made her skin glow like ivory, and set off her blue eyes and short blonde hair. And the new bra and panties were really sexy, in a very tasteful way.
Even if she wished that her tummy looked more toned.
Andras ushered her inside his apartment, which smelled of ginger and curry. She looked around in admiration.
"Would you like quick tour before dinner?" he asked, following her gaze.
"Yes, please!" she said, enthusiastically.
Her own apartment was a quirky little place in one of the city's older neighborhoods. It had originally been a mansion belonging to a prominent newspaper publisher in the 1920s. The family had lost everything in the Great Depression, and their home had been subsequently divided into apartments.
Her place wasn't elegant, but it felt cozy, with beautiful old molded-plaster ceilings.
But Andras' place was like something out of a magazine spread, or maybe a movie set—a single huge space with hardwood floors, sleek Scandinavian furniture in leather and teak, and walls covered with tastefully-framed prints of modern landscapes and cityscapes done in style of classical Asian brush-painting.
The apartment was saved from model-home sterility by a pile of yellowing, tattered science fiction paperbacks shoved under the coffee table, funny cartoons about banking stuck to his refrigerator, and a mountain bike with mud-encrusted tires parked on a canvas drop-cloth near the front door.
Most of the framed prints on his walls were modern works, by an artist she didn't recognize, but when he l
ed her up a spiral metal staircase to the open loft that served as his bedroom, she saw that the painting over his large, four-poster bed was very old, done in oils, set in a heavy, ornately-carved gilded frame.
In it, a young, beautiful red-haired woman leaned over a sleeping, spectacularly-nude young man. She was wearing draped garments that looked ancient Greek or Roman, and held an oil lamp raised high in her hand. The lamp illuminated her intense expression and the muscled body of the youth on the bed, but the rest of the painting was depicted in dark colors, as if the lamp were the only source of light in the room.
The artistic quality was extraordinarily life-like, and yet larger than life, the emotions on the woman's face vivid with apprehension, longing, and desire.
His hand resting lightly on her waist, Andras let Katie study it.
Finally she said, hesitantly, "Seventeenth-century. Maybe Dutch from the use of lamplight, but figures and composition look very much like they were influenced by Caravaggio, so it could be Italian."
She noticed his gaze on her face, and bit her lip, hoping she wasn't coming across as pretentious. "Uh, sorry, seventeenth-century painting was one of my favorite college classes, and I try to visit exhibitions whenever I can. It's amazing, though. Who was the artist?"
"You're absolutely right that it's seventeenth century, and it's Italian. Family legend has it that this Cupid & Psyche was a private commission done by Caravaggio or one of his followers, possibly Bartolomeo Manfredi. The lack of a signature has always been troubling." Andras pointed at the painting. "There's no documentation to support either of those assertions, but as you noticed, the quality is superb."
"Aren't you worried that someone might steal it?" Katie breathed. Now that Andras had mentioned the painting's theme, she could see the young man's wings, half-concealed by shadows and rumpled bedclothes, and a bow and quiver filled with arrows hanging from one of the darkened bedposts.
