by Bete Noire
“Then we’ll consider this a christening of sorts,” she told him, turning back to the garden view after flashing him a smile.
“You should do that more often, Diana. You’re lovely when you smile.”
“Just keep fucking me until I come, and I’ll smile every time.”
Diana stayed where she was with her skirt bundled around her waist and his cum starting to drip down her thighs. He gently took her skirt and pulled it down over her. She waited while he pulled up his pants, the noise unmistakable. When she figured he was settled, she turned, and he kissed her full-out, tangling with her tongue and pumping her breast with his large hand. A car door slammed in the distance, and they broke apart. It seemed their mood had been broken.
“I’ll take you back to the market,” Dane said, reaching to pick up her panties. When she thought he’d give them to her, he smiled and pushed them into his pants pocket.
The ride back to the center of town was silent. She simply said, “Thank you,” and left his car. She picked up a few groceries, feeling his cum drip onto her thighs with each move she made. When she came out of the store, a cab was waiting for her.
“I’ll drive you home, miss.” The driver took her purchases and helped her into the backseat of the air-conditioned cab. Arriving at her home without being told the address, he carried her bags to the front door and refused the tip she offered.
Chapter Five
That night Diana primped as she might for a date, sliding onto the cool sheets with anticipation. She didn’t pull out her toys, rather forced herself to sleep. It never came. She tossed and turned all night, no dreams or dream lover. The next day she lay around the house hoping to nap, but she didn’t. That night she dropped on the bed, exhausted. The next morning she woke more disappointed than she could ever remember. Now that she wanted to embrace her bête noire, he was absent from her subconscious. She was lethargic and annoyed, not to mention sleep deprived. Now she had to go back to work. While she wasn’t embarrassed about her actions with Dane, she was a bit apprehensive. Holding back her burgeoning feelings for him was tougher than she’d expected, and she was surprised by the tears that fell onto her cheeks. She hadn’t cried in years, yet here she was stifling emotions she held back. Was this her new reality? In the last years, she’d kept herself distant from men, using them for sex as they had used her in the past. Adapting herself to past lovers’ habits, she’d come to detest emotions and just wanted the completion of the actual sex acts with them. She was looking for fulfillment, not a permanent mate. Was this a backlash of how she had dealt with the men in her past?
In the past, men had been disposable. Deep inside, she didn’t want Dane to fall into that category. It had been years since she had found a man she was attracted to and wanted to fuck. Now that she had, she knew she’d be crushed when she saw him with another woman. And ultimately, every man she’d ever liked or wanted left her for someone else, a woman who wasn’t so aloof. She let out a sigh and knew she had to push forward with her everyday life. There were no other options. Being enamored with a man who didn’t feel the same wasn’t productive. Diana cursed Dane for stopping by that first Saturday, and she cursed herself for letting him touch her. Once they had consummated the act, she had known he’d consider her a conquest and move on to another woman when he found one he was attracted to. It was a fact she’d dealt with all her life, one she apparently would continue to deal with. On that notion, she decided to forget about Dane. She’d known sleeping with her new boss wasn’t a good idea, even if he was handsome and charming, and knew how to make her body come alive. It dawned on her she could change the dynamics with Dane, but that would send her into uncharted territory she wasn’t sure she was ready or willing to commit. “Damn you, Dane.”
“I guess I’ll go back to my toys and self-satisfaction.” She spoke to the empty house as if it were an old friend letting her work through her situation. At least she knew ultimately she’d find her own path again, one she controlled along with her orgasms. That didn’t mean she couldn’t use Dane’s image to bring her to her peak. Right about now, she wanted to find her dream lover again. She knew if she did, he’d bring her to a new level of sexuality, even if it was only in her sleep. Diana still didn’t know where the original nightmare came from, but lately she wasn’t viewing her Minotaur as a monster but rather a lover she could never have again. She was disappointed but realized she’d have to move on with her life instead of stagnating over things she couldn’t change.
For two more weeks, work and her private life continued on this way with no visits from Dane or her dream monster. Even though she felt secure in her position, it was difficult to see her coworkers suffering. Coworkers she’d never been concerned with before. She hated that the whole atmosphere was endangered and hated her inner sense that kept telling her things weren’t as they were being presented. Exactly four weeks to the day Dane showed up, Sloan arrived, or so she assumed it was Sloan. He was there when she arrived, in the office talking with Dane. Both men nodded as she passed. At that very instant she felt sick, as if someone had punched her in the stomach and hit her in the head at the same time.
Hurrying downstairs, she made it just in time to lose her breakfast in her small bathroom. Splashing cold water on her face, she forced herself not to look in the tiny mirror above the sink. It was hard but necessary to go to the workroom and turn on her equipment. As she set up the first pile of work for the day, she did so by rote, her mind wandering back to the man she’d seen with Dane.
He was tall and dark. Standing next to Dane, he was a head taller, his shoulders wider. He had black hair that brushed his shoulders. He wore a black shirt and pants with a black jacket, all ensconcing him in darkness. While she hadn’t been able to see his features, she knew they would be pronounced, his cheekbones defined, his chin strong. Without actually seeing them, she knew his eyes would be black. All she could picture were the images from her nightmares. Nightmares she realized had stopped as abruptly as they’d started over a month before. Stopped before the afternoon she’d had sex with Dane in the empty house.
“Oh God,” she said, continuing to copying process. “Sloan was the man in my dreams. I must have caught a glimpse of him around the office and never realized.”
“What dreams would those be?”
The voice behind her had an accent, British or Australian, she thought. She didn’t need to turn around to know it was Sloan. Her face heated with embarrassment when she realized he’d heard her. Her whole body went hot then cold and clammy. The only other time she’d felt that way was passing a horrible car accident on the road when she was a child. No, you won’t be sick, she reinforced. Once today was enough. Turning in her chair, she noted how tall he truly was. Standing at the bottom of the stairs, he was surveying her workspace and her.
“Can I help you?” She tried to sound professional, but to her own ears she sounded weak.
“You said I was the man of your dreams. I was curious about what that meant.”
“I’m sorry. I was just talking to myself. Down here, nobody notices.”
“How could anyone not notice you?”
“You’d be surprised,” she said then was instantly sorry she had. His hearty laugh made her cringe. “I mean, I’m used to being alone, so it’s easy to think some things over aloud without anyone taking notice.” That sounded worse, she decided. “And you are?”
“Sloan, of course.” He took a few steps forward, and her heart started to beat wildly. “Sloan Shayla, Dane’s partner in this new endeavor.” He reached his hand forward, and she knew hers shook when she reached to take his. She remembered to pull off her ink-stained glove before actually touching him. Her hand felt cold and clammy against the heat of his skin.
“It’s nice to meet you, Mr. Shayla. Of course, by now you know I’m Diana Wilson. I’m preserving the archives for prosperity.”
“Are the issues worth it?” His face was serious, and her initial thought that his eyes would be black was
realized.
“All history is worth preserving. What we consider insignificant today may change the way people think and act in coming generations.” She made a conscious effort to pull her hand from his.
“Are you that much of a historian or just looking to keep job security?”
“Actually, I was hired because of my computer abilities, but the longer I work here the more I appreciate the work and history of the town.”
She wanted him to back up, to give her space and air to breathe. She stayed sitting, knowing if she stood she’d still feel small next to him. The worst part was she wanted to feel him in all ways, especially inside her body. Her nipples hardened under her shirt, and she leaned forward, crossing her arms in front of her to cover the protrusions. Crossing her legs, she pressed her thighs together to stop the ache that had developed since he’d invaded her space. His space, she corrected, and he was the owner now. But not of me, she reminded herself. He continued to stare at her as if he was reading her thoughts.
“You have strong feelings for a city you have no personal history with.”
“I may not have been born and raised here, but since I decided to relocate permanently, I’ve developed loving feelings for the area. I’ve come to feel very protective of the city.”
“So you’re a post-Katrina transplant?”
“Yes. I decided to take my chances with an occasional hurricane or flood than live with the snow and ice.” She hesitated and added, “I hate being cold. I’ll take summer over winter.” Diana wasn’t sure why she was being so talkative with him. In reality, she wanted his attention, and that made her pull back the friendly banter she was trying to establish.
Sloan wandered down one of the aisles while she was talking, so she shut up and went back to her work. He did the same thing Dane had done, walking up and back each aisle, running his hand along the older wooden cabinets then the metal ones. Diana took deep breaths to control her mind and body. She was still squeezing her legs together, but the ache was worse.
Forcing herself to stop watching him, she continued to scan her pages. She glanced up when he came to the end of the aisle where her workspace was. He stood silently until she looked up. When she did, she realized she was sitting just at his crotch height. He was erect under his pants, long and thick, almost beyond what she could comprehend. She licked her lips to wet them at the idea of trying to suck such a large cock down her throat or having him stretch her body to fit.
“It was nice to meet you, Diana. I’m sure we’ll be spending a lot of time together in the near future.”
“I’m pretty much on my own down here. I took this job because of the surroundings.”
“Yes of course, the basement mouse.”
Diana narrowed her eyes and stared at him. “I’m not sure what you mean by that nickname or what you want. Do you have questions about my work?”
She got a quick visual of Dane and Sloan sharing a drink while Dane told him how she begged him to fuck her ass. She had to let it go. In the weeks since that episode, Dane had been very careful to avoid her, not coming into her work area while she was there. At first, she had thought it was him being gallant and taking her instructions to leave her alone. Now she realized, from the way Sloan was watching her, that they had something different in mind, something she’d never figure out until they were ready to tell her. Now she hoped she’d be one of the employees phased out, and she could leave both men behind.
“Well, it’s been interesting to meet you, Diana. I’m sure we’ll get along fine. We can talk more during our interview.”
“Interview?”
“Yes, of course. Dane has given me his impressions of the staff, and now that I’m here, I’ll make my own conclusions.”
“So when he told me my job was safe he lied?”
“No, probably not. But I reserve the right to interview all my new employees.”
“As long as it’s during work hours it’s your call.” She turned and moved the next page into place.
He laughed at her again, and she instantly disliked him more. “I’ll let you know when I schedule our interview.”
“Fine,” she said sharply, refusing to look at him again. She swapped out another sheet and waited for the machine to start its scan. When she heard him on the steps, she let out the breath she had been holding. She knew he’d reached the top but hadn’t left yet.
“Do you want the door open or closed?”
“Closed, please. The noise interferes with my concentration.”
“We wouldn’t want to break your concentration.” He took a step back and shut the door. Diana let her weight fall back in the chair and reached to her neck to rub the aching muscles. She didn’t realize she’d been holding herself so stiff. Glancing back to the top of the stairs, she wanted to make sure it was still closed.
“Maybe I should put a bell over it so I’ll not get caught talking to myself again.”
Even with him gone, he still seemed to fill the space. She realized their meeting had gone very similar to her first with Dane. That was where she had to stop the similarities. Sleeping with both her bosses was not an option, especially since Dane had apparently referred to her as the basement mouse to Sloan. Just how close were they, she wondered?
The rest of her day was filled with dread waiting for the door to open and one of the men approach her. She forced herself to try and forget the nightmares, especially since meeting Sloan, only she had to admit lately she didn’t consider them nightmares, only dreams. “Damn Sloan, too.” He resembled the creature her subconscious summoned. But how? She’d never met, seen, nor heard of either man when she had the first dream. None of it made sense to her, which was annoying on many levels. Too many, she decided to contemplate. In reality, she knew she would control her future. She just wasn’t sure if it was still on the same path as it had been a month back. Diana decided she couldn’t take back the days she fucked Dane and had to hope he was a gentleman and hadn’t told tales about her. But in reality, she knew Sloan probably knew every detail. That idea gave her a new thrill, one she hadn’t considered before. What would it be like to have both men at the same time? It was ridiculous, of course. She had enough trouble handling one man, let alone two, but the idea was planted.
“When did I become this sex-crazed woman, starved for cock?” She quickly glanced to the door to make sure she was alone. This was way too out of character for her. It was time to let the fantasies go and get on with her real life, where ever that led.
I’ll ignore them, she decided, just as I have since the last encounter. Besides, what I do on my off time is my business.
One bad decision because of a handsome man would not ruin her future here. This was her home now, and she wanted to keep this job to keep her home. She changed the page and pushed the buttons. As it scanned, she forced herself not to rub her pussy. It would be easy to drop her hand to her lap and just give herself a quick rub. Glancing down, she saw her ink-stained gloves and laughed for the first time that day. Against her chinos, the ink would have been a dead giveaway.
Diana changed the page and thought to go to the bathroom and soothe herself, figuring she’d get some peace from it, but she didn’t. Masturbating in her office bathroom didn’t seem the wisest choice on the new boss’s first day. She smiled again, wondering if she had touched herself and left ink marks if anyone would mention it.
She ate lunch at her desk, continuing to scan page after page of the newspapers. She liked reading the everyday workings of the city and liked the connection it gave her. There was a sharp knock on her door just after two, and then it opened. There was an immediate din of noise from upstairs, tapping computer keys, phones ringing, but no conversations or laughing as she used to hear when Walter was in charge. Dane ducked his head in and waited until she gave him her attention.
“Sloan will see you at three in the office.”
Then he was gone, and the door was shut, the noise gone.
At ten to three, she went to her bathroo
m and washed up, brushing her hair out and braiding it again to tame it in a more professional look. She had a passing thought that she wished she’d used makeup today but then realized she never had in the past, and to start now would be noticed and something she would have to continue.
At the top of the stairs, she drew a breath and opened the door. All eyes were on her, and she smiled and nodded, not singling out any individual. The door to the office was closed, the blinds closed tight. She wished it had been open so she’d have some inkling of Sloan’s mood, but instead, as she raised her hand to knock, it was opened from inside. One of the older staff reporters took a step back to allow her to enter before he left. His eyes were wide, and he seemed stunned.
“Thanks,” she said, stepping to the side to let him out. He shut the door tightly behind him. It was just short of a slam, she decided. Sloan was standing with his back to the room, gazing out the window that overlooked the main street. “Are you ready for me?” she asked and realized how that sounded. “I mean, Dane told me you wanted to see me at three.”
“Yes,” he said without turning around. “Have a seat.” She wasn’t sure if not seeing his face was more unnerving than having to face him. “I was told you…educated the older employees on their computers when you came here two years ago.”
Diana edged to the empty chair before the desk and sat, planting her feet firmly on the floor and folding her hands in her lap. “They were computerized when I got here. I merely gave some of the staff tips on using their word processing programs.”
“Did you know a few of the reporters still handwrite their articles and only type them into the computer? That they don’t know how to navigate the Internet for research? Hell, I’m lucky some of them know how to check their voice mail.”
