“What the...” I shake my head.
My nipples feel like they are being pulled and sucked, but when I blink the sweat out of my eyes, there is still no one. There is no mouth covering my breasts, no fingers pulling and teasing my nipples. No one is touching me. I am alone in the sphere, tightly cuffed to the steel table, but I can see that my nipples have lengthened and darkened, and I can still feel the fierce suction on them. With a cry, I arch my back, feeling the delicious, decadent pressure mount on my nipples. I can hear a faint buzzing as the suction increases. The globe seems to spin around me and with my arms stretched out above my head, I suddenly feel as if I am free falling. Falling into some dark place where my pleasure is the only thing that matters.
I sigh and moan. My whole body is pulsating and heaving with raging desire and sensuality. My skin is glistening and glowing, and I am blushing deeply all over. This hot, punishing air is like a lover, demanding yet giving, pleasuring and consuming. Unconsciously, I try to spread my legs apart, wanting to feel more of this searing, hot air against my sex.
The air begins to move more furiously, swirling and churning against my skin. Beads of sweat ooze from my pores and I begin to pant softly. I can feel the wetness between my legs, dripping down into the crack of my butt. I strain to spread my legs wider but the clamps don't budge. I try flexing my knees, hoping to part my legs but instead I feel metal arms push against my thighs, forcing them tightly together.
“What? What the...?” I writhe, trying to part my legs to allow the air that is so full of the smell and heat of sex to press up against me. When the metal arms don't budge, I let out a low, feral growl of frustration.
I start to clench my aching muscles, feeling the emptiness acutely. I want to be fucked, hard, furiously, urgently! I struggle to spread my legs, to ease the growing ache and hunger spreading through my body but the clamps hold them tightly in place. I arch my back as the air blows against my hardened nipples, stroking them, sucking them, punishing them. More, more, more, I want to scream. My whole body is drenched in sweat as the heat presses down on me. Something drips onto my breast. I force my eyes open to see smoldering drops of a clear liquid drip from a nozzle on top of the sphere. The liquid lands on various parts of my body, scorching my skin for just an instant before melting into a gentle warmth. My skin is reddening, tingling, sensitized and throbbing. The sharp pain of the dripping liquid and the immediately warmth and comfort which follows makes me moan in pleasure and delirium. This feels so good, so damn good. The drops land on my thighs, legs, stomach, shoulders, arms, breasts. I squirm as more drops plop onto my breasts, cresting nearer and nearer to my nipples. My muscles are clenching so hard, I can hardly breathe. Finally, the liquid lands directly on my nipples and the searing, pulsing heat and pain sends me over the edge. My whole body is on fire as I come undone. I grit my teeth, feeling the flames of pleasure consume my body, spreading and burning through my consciousness. I writhe and shudder as waves of blinding pleasure wash over my body. Every muscle and nerve in my body tightens and clenches painfully, beautifully, uncontrollably, until finally my body releases me and I slump onto the table, spent and sated. The white heat slowly drains from my mind and my eyes and I gain a semblance of control over my senses.
I blink the tears from my eyes. “What the hell just happened...? How did...?” I suddenly realize that the clamps are no longer around my wrists and ankles and I jerk my arms down and hug my knees, curling into a ball. I start to shiver uncontrollably as the walls of the sphere lower into the metal circumference around the operating table. Julian steps over the circumference, holding out a coat. “Here.” He wraps the coat round my shoulders and holds me. “You did well. You're all right now. You did so well, Sophia.” He kisses the top of my head, and I burst into tears. What the hell is wrong with me?
“You are perfect. I knew you were perfect. I just knew,” he says softly.
I lurch away from him and stumble off the table, my legs wobbly and my mind groggy. “I...I'd prefer if you don't touch me right now.” My words come out in a fierce whisper.
Julian nods, pushing his hands into his pockets.
I clutch the coat tightly around me. It is too large and too long for me but it shields my naked body from Julian's wide, dark eyes. His throat moves, as if to say something, but I know that nothing he can say right now can make me feel better. I just feel so naked and...violated, even though nothing has been inserted into any part of my body. In fact, nothing solid seems to have touched me.
I sway on my feet.
Julian has kept his promise. He has not hurt me or humiliated me. Yet...
“I'll go to my room now. I know the way.”
He nods again and I can feel his eyes on my back as I yank the door open and stumble out of the room.
I badly need a bath. I feel I need to scrub myself raw and then I need to sleep, a deep, dreamless sleep to lose myself and perhaps to convince myself that I haven't lost my mind. Not yet, anyway.
Pulling the coat tighter around my body, I stagger across the shadowy landing. I reach out and jerk frantically at the knob of the first door I reach. The door swings open immediately, and I hesitate for an instant at the doorway. The interior is dark, but I can make out a king-sized bed and a writing desk at the corner. My hand feels past the door frame and make out a switch. Snapping the lights on, my eyes dart into every corner to make sure there is no one in the room.
I hear a step behind me and I whirl round to see Julian pause near the top of the stairs. “Would you like...” he begins gently.
“No! No, just no...” I back into the room and slam the door. I would like nothing to do with him right now.
I lock the door behind me and make my way to the bathroom. I let the coat fall to the floor and step into the shower straight away. Maybe the water will wake me up.
As the water starts pelting me like bullets, the memory of what just happened begins to play on the back of my closed eyelids. My fingertips skim across my skin and I shiver violently. While I was strapped to that machine, there had been no fingers or hands or anything solid touching and stroking me. The only things solid against my skin were the restraints and the surface of the steel table. I must be out of my mind, but I'm pretty sure it was just air that was pressing against me, stroking, sucking and caressing me. It was air that had stimulated me and made me feel such lust and desire. I had been aroused by air! And I think I had climaxed...just by being in contact with air! Oh. My. God. I must be some sort of freak!
Shuddering, I hug myself as the water continues pummeling my back. Air! How is that possible? The thought is enough to creep me out. It is as though I had made love to a ghost or something. Brrrr!
I turn off the water and step out of the shower. Grabbing the towel off the rack, I wrap it snugly around my body and immediately curse under my breath. I had forgotten to grab my clothes from the chair. But there is no way I am stepping back into that room.
I see a small cupboard at the far corner of the room and I just hope against hope that there would be some clothes in there. Ill-fitting is okay. I just have to wear something. It can be a plastic bag or a sack. Anything.
I open the cupboard doors and see a neat stack of t-shirts and shorts. They don't look new, but they feel and smell clean. Not that I have a choice. I pull on a large white t-shirt that reaches down to my mid-thigh and try on different pairs of shorts. They are all too big. The t-shirt is baggy and long enough, so that will have to do.
I lick my lips and swallow, feeling desperately thirsty. The air, that infernal air in the sphere, must have been very hot and dry. And I did perspire quite a bit. I had felt the sweat trickling down my breasts and legs. Tiptoeing to the door, I open it a crack and peep out. There is a line of light under Julian's bedroom door. The rest of the house is in absolute darkness.
I decide that I know my way to the kitchen well enough, even in the dark. And I really need a drink. Even though the experience hadn't been unpleasant, in fact it had been rather pleasu
rable but I'm not ready to admit that yet, even to myself, it had felt rather strange and surreal, and eerie in a way. I had never had such an experience.
I try to swallow but my throat feels parched and painful, as if I had been screaming. But I hadn't. Had I? I definitely need a drink, to quench my thirst, clear my head and calm myself.
Creeping down the stairs, I look behind me frequently to check that Julian has not emerged from his room. Keeping my hands firmly on the railings, I make it to the bottom of the stairs without incident.
Chapter Six
In the darkness and quiet, the house looks bigger, with more hidden corners and spaces lurking behind the shadows. I turn hurriedly away from the ground floor office, the room where I had signed that seemingly simple and harmless contract. I should have known. If anything is too good to be true—it probably is. I should have asked more questions. I should have screwed my head firmly on my shoulders, instead of drooling over the handsome doctor and the unbelievable thirty thousand dollars. What if...what if he won't pay me at the end of the three weeks? What would I do then? Sue him? Slap him? Screw him?
Shit! What have I gotten myself into?
Balling my fists, I stride into the kitchen and flick on the lights. The warm glow from the light makes the kitchen look cozy and inviting. There is a lingering smell of pasta sauce and I take a deep breath before stopping short in a spluttering cough. Maybe...could he have...was there something in the pasta? Could Julian have put something in the pasta sauce and caused me to hallucinate and hyperventilate? Maybe it was those damn mushrooms!
I shake my head hard. I'm going crazy. I really need a drink. Right now.
I put the small kettle to boil and start opening the cupboards. I find what I am looking for, a tin of hot chocolate. You just can't go wrong with chocolate. Chocolate will make everything right.
Soon I am cradling a steaming mug of hot chocolate in my hands and sniffing hungrily at the aroma. I take a sip and lean back. Much better. I stare out the kitchen door into the spacious foyer. The immense space and quiet makes me wonder if Julian feels lonely in this large, empty mansion. His housekeeper goes home in the evenings, leaving him alone in his office. He only has his work and his machine to keep him company. And his house is such a long way from the city, and his nearest neighbor is miles down that long, winding road.
My thoughts start to gallop off in a hundred different directions. Did he have company often? Female company? Did he bring many women home? How many women has he subjected to his experiments and research? Did the women have the same involuntary response to that machine? Did they climax as violently?
The questions reel through my mind as I gulp down the hot chocolate, almost scalding my throat. So many questions, and no answers at all. A little knowledge can be a dangerous thing. By that token, more knowledge should be a less dangerous thing. So—it's better for me to get my questions answered pronto. Never mind that it's way past midnight now.
Almost knocking the chair over in my haste, I march to the sink and rinse out the mug. I scramble up the stairs and stand at the door to Julian's bedroom. I can see that the light is still on. Raising a trembling fist, I knock softly. There is no response. I clear my throat and call tentatively, “Julian, it's me, Sophia.” I blow out a breath. Of course it's me. There is no one else in the house, is there? I press my ear to the door and listen. There is a muffled sound, but I can't make out what it is. I knock again. “Julian?”
I frown. The noise behind the door is more distinct now. It sounds like a groan. My eyes and mouth round. Could he have fallen and hurt himself? He might at this moment be bleeding to death while I dither outside his door!
My hand flies to the door knob and twist. The door gives and I push in soundlessly. What I see makes my heart stop and my breath catch but I find myself unable to look away, much less move away. I stand behind the door, staring in disbelief and awe at Dr. Julian James.
Julian is lying on the bed, completely naked. His lean, lanky frame is spread out on his rumpled sheets, a wet towel draped carelessly over his hips. His dark hair is wet and his body is glistening, like he just had a shower. I watch his face contort as his hand moves between his legs. His eyes are closed and his breathing grows harsher and heavier as his erection swells and pushes out from the towel.
I gasp. He is huge...and beautiful.
His eyes are closed as he turns his head to the side and murmurs into the rumpled, satin sheets framing his long, muscular body. His body is toned and sculpted. I watch in fascination as he muscles tense and ripple under his skin, his cock growing longer and bigger as he strokes himself, moaning softly. His face contorts in ecstasy as he touches himself. He tilts his head back, his throat moving and his eyes tightly closed. Against my will, I take a step closer towards the bed. I am drawn to him like a magnet. I gaze into his face, wondering which woman is occupying his fantasies at this very moment. Is it a celebrity, a colleague, a friend, a stranger...?
I soon have my answer. As his passion overtakes his senses, he whispers the name of his fantasy lover.
I stop breathing altogether.
The name escapes his lips again. “Sophia.”
My hand flies to my mouth. Did he just call my name? I must have imagined it. I watch his eyelids flutter and his throat moves a few times before he rasps out my name again, “Sophia, oh, Sophia.”
This time Julian turns his head towards me and opens his eyes slowly. His eyes widen just a fraction as he takes in my presence in silence. Neither of us blinks and in that frozen moment we simply stare at each other without moving, without breathing. Julian's hand moves down to his towel and he wraps the towel around his waist quickly. But his eyes never leave me. I see his lips form my name again, but he doesn't speak it.
I am not sure what to do. I feel like an intruder, barging in on his most private, intimate moment. I start to stammer an apology and turn in circles, suddenly forgetting where the door is. To my horror, I realize that Julian has gotten up and is walking towards me. He is wearing his towel around his waist and I can still see the huge bulge pushing against the damp, white towel. Julian stops barely an inch from me and I watch a bead of moisture trickle tantalizingly down his broad chest. Why do I have this insane urge to lick it off his chest, or smear it across his light brown nipples with my tongue and my fingers?
I only realize I am shaking when he puts his hands on my shoulders to steady me. “Sophia,” he says softly.
“I...I think I should just...” I keep my eyes on the ground and try to back away.
“Wait.” He trails a hand down my arm, making my whole body quiver. “Please,” he sighs.
I force myself to look up at him, expecting to see anger or shame or some kind of reproach in his eyes. Instead, all I see is sadness and a searing, simmering emotion that I cannot identify.
“I'm sorry...I didn't mean to...I just heard something and I thought you...you...”
He puts a finger to my lips. “It's fine. In fact, I think it might even be good.” He smiles, but he looks sad.
“Good?” My question comes out as a startled squeak.
He takes my hand gently. “I know that you think I'm an eccentric, cold, unfeeling, mad scientist who has been cooped up alone in his mansion with his work and his machines too long. I do know what some of my colleagues are saying behind my back, but they leave me alone, perhaps out of respect, perhaps out of fear, perhaps out of pity. I don't know. It doesn't bother me. I...was happy to be left alone. I wasn't ready to connect with anyone. But Julia is right. It's been more than five years. I should stop dying and start living. Those are her words exactly. Julia's been trying to set me up with her single friends but I just never met anyone that I wanted to be with. Until...now.”
I blink up at him. “Julia? She...”
Julian laughs, his face lighting up. “Oh, Julia is my sister. My kid sister, though she acts like she's my mother. She's just gone off on a mission. Doctors without borders. She's amazing. I'm really so proud of her. I
just wish I'm a better brother to her, instead of...”
“I'm sure she just wants you to be happy.” I squeeze his hand. “And wow, two doctors in the family. Your parents must be real proud.”
“Yeah. They were.”
I note the past tense, but I don't comment on it. I can see the deep hurt etched on his face.
Finally, I swallow and ask tentatively, “What happened five years ago? Would you like to talk...?”
“I lost my wife and my unborn child five and a half years ago,” he answers without emotion. “We were driving home from a dinner, when a drunk driver ploughed into the passenger side. They died on the spot.”
“I am so sorry,” I whisper.
He shakes his head. “It happened a long time ago.”
I look down, unsure of what to say. Losing a partner, a spouse through death is completely different from being rid of them through a divorce or break-up. My divorce had been shocking and painful, but when it was over, I'd felt a rush of relief and gratitude. I was glad and grateful that I had gotten out relatively unscathed, broke but not broken. And I can honestly say that I don't miss that cheating piece of shit at all. But in Julian's case...
“All these years,” Julian begins softly, breaking into my thoughts. “I've never felt like I wanted anyone else. There's just no interest, no attraction. Julia was beginning to worry for me. Heck, I think even I was beginning to worry for me. I just never wanted anyone, until I saw you. I'm just...I am really glad that you came, Sophia.” His voice drops to a whisper. “You don't know how much...”
“Julian, I...”
He silences me with a light kiss at the very corner of my lips. “I am very attracted to you, Sophia. And I think now you know how much,” he laughs lightly, and this time I see hope rather than sorrow in his eyes. “The moment I saw you, I just wanted to get to know you better. The moment I saw you at the gate, I wanted to rush out and talk to you, to try to stop you from leaving. I wasn't even sure what I'd have said, ask you to stay for supper? I really don't know. I just wanted to hear your voice, and have you near. I...I've never felt this way about anyone, any woman, since...”
How You Tempt Me Page 5
