by Amy Brent
“I’m sorry. It’s been a long first day at work. Whoever said working from home was easy, was a liar.”
“I think that depends on the job.” We shared a laugh and then much too soon she thanked me for a lovely dinner and excused herself out the side gate and crossed the small distance to her own house. And I finished my wine as I watched her walk away.
Chapter 8: Katie
I got up and poured another cup of coffee before my last session of the day. I’d booked Mr. Roberts—Grant as my last client of the day. I hoped that we could take our time and make the most of it assuming he showed. Surely Halle had dropped the bomb about who and where the sessions would take place and I waited for a call any moment to tell me he’d cancelled.
That call never came and minutes after I sat down with my fresh cup of black, the doorbell announced his arrival.
He stood on the front step looking gorgeous as always with a fresh scent of cologne penetrating my nose. His clothes were casual, but he was still more put together than most men I knew, with his hair perfectly styled and his jeans dressed up with a nice jacket and tie. But most stunning of all were his eyes, steel gray and heavily shadowed by his thick, dark lashes. Despite the fact that he seemed uncertain, my heart skipped a few beats as I welcomed him inside.
“Surprise.” I said as he walked in still giving me the side eyed expression from the door.
“Yeah, that daughter of mine is a bit tricky at times. Remind me why I spoil her?” He took a seat and I leaned against my desk beside him.
“Because you love Halle and you’d do anything for her?” I folded my arms and gazed into his eyes waiting for his smile that was teasing around the corner of his lips.
And then it beamed and he nodded. “Yes, you’re absolutely right. So tell me, Katherine, this doctor/patient relationship, how serious are you about keeping things discreet?”
My core burned with a sudden heat as the word left his lips. “Discretion is everything, so you can be assured that I’ll not share any information you disclose to me in our sessions with Halle. As a matter of fact, I’ve already explained as much to her when she asked me to see you. My concern is that you would have a problem opening up to me since I’m her friend.”
He leaned back in his chair, his posture open to me, as if to let me know he was more than okay with it. “I like you, Katherine. You’ve surprised me. You’re not as childlike as my daughter. She’s always been immature for her age, and while I know how close the two of you are, I can’t quite see you on the same level.”
“I guess that’s a plus, considering what we’re about to delve into together.” I stood straight as a smile spread his lips and I wondered what was going on in his mind. Part of me wondered if I should counsel him at all considering I was more than attracted to him, but I had to do it for Halle. She needed me and I wasn’t going to let her down. “Would you join me over here? I don’t like to work from my desk. This is a bit more relaxed.” I gestured to my sitting area near the big window and he followed me over and lowered himself to the small loveseat, moving a throw pillow to the other side as I sat in the chair beside him.
He grinned and gave me a sideward glance. “Would you like me to lie down? If so, this little couch is going to be a bit short.” The thought of his spread out on the sofa had me adjusting the front of my blouse, as if everything I wore was suddenly a bit tighter.
“No, you’re fine.” I crossed my legs and his gaze slid down their length but he met my eyes quickly. I couldn’t help but smile, but I had to get things kicked off. “So, how would you say things have been going lately with life in general?”
“You mean since my wife died?” He leaned back, again his open posture telling me he was relaxed. “I’d say things have been good. I mean, I went through a long period of grief and then eventually I found other things to occupy my time.”
“Things like?” I lifted my chin and waited for his response.
“Hobbies, I play a lot of golf, work when I’m needed.” He stared at the ceiling as if it helped him think.
“So do you feel like you’re needed? I mean, as far as your work and your family?”
His smile spread wide as it always did when he thought of his daughter as if she was his true light in life. “I do. I don’t have to pound the pavement as much as I used to, now that I’ve made an insane amount of money I have more time for hobbies and other things. But I do still have to keep the companies afloat and you know Halle, if I don’t keep her in line, she’ll run a bit too wild. We keep each other sane.”
“So those other things you were talking about, are those relationships?” I was eager to find out if he had a girlfriend or if the woman on the balcony was the type of self-therapy I imagined she was.
“I haven’t really been in a serious relationship since my wife died, but I have relationships.” He lowered his chin and bit his lip as he grinned. “I’m sure you’re wondering about the woman the other night?” He met my eyes and seemed to search for my reaction, but I kept my poker face in check.
“Yes, but since you don’t do serious relationships, I’d have to assume that your relationship with her is purely sexual.”
“I don’t have a relationship with her.” He sat up and rested his elbows on his knees and steepled his fingers in front of him as if he wanted me to challenge his answer.
“How often do you two hook up?”
“Here and there.”
“Whenever you need a release?” I needed to know the nature of their relationship to see if my speculation was right.
“No, not that often.” He brushed out the front of his pants and then sat back.
I raised a brow and smiled, breaking my resting bitch face. “How often do you feed your sexual needs?”
“Every day in some for or fashion.” He searched my eyes as I nodded, keeping mine fixed on him.
“Such as?”
“I have several sexual partners, women I meet at random, weekly appointments, and I’ve even been known to hook up in public now and then. I like people to watch.” He leaned in again. “You know, like the other night.” He took in a long breath and then his eyes narrowed. “How long did you watch me?”
I smiled and wagged a finger at him. “We’re here to talk about you, Grant.”
He chuckled and then looked away toward the window. “So I guess you’re not going to answer.”
“Is it important to you that I do? What do you think you’d gain knowing that I watched you for a good ten minutes?”
His eyes lit with surprise. “Ten minutes?” He looked away and pursed his lips as if thinking. “Well, I guess it would turn me on.”
“Does it turn you on?”
“Yes.” His answers were as direct as my questions and I kept them coming as fast as he answered.
“Does that bother you?”
“That it turns me on, yes and no.”
“Why yes and no?”
“Because I have boundaries.”
“What are your boundaries and why do you have them?”
“I never fuck anyone close to my daughter’s age and I’d never fuck one of her friends. I think the reason is obvious.” He stared deep into my eyes and lifted a brow. Before I could fire off another question he leaned forward again, closing the distance between us even more than before. “How did it make you feel?” His voice was barely a whisper and the blood rushed from my face and straight to my mound where it ached with need.
I almost slipped and responded, but I swallowed my words and gathered my thoughts. “We’re here to talk about you.”
“Fine, so tell me, did you think about me since? You know, in that way.” He reached out and put his hand on my knee and the need inside me throbbed aching for his hand to be elsewhere. He had me shaken, and that was something I didn’t allow in this space.
“I’m afraid our time is up for the day.”
“Good, because I’d like to talk to my neighbor now.” He flashed his perfect teeth and the flirting burn of hi
s eyes into mine was almost more than I could handle. “Tell me if you thought about it. I did.”
“And you’ve already told me that I’m off limits. Does it turn you on knowing that even if I wanted you, you’d never reciprocate?” His smile fell and he sat back. I stood and walked to the door and opened it as he rose from his seat.
“I’m sorry. I’ll see you next week.” He left without another word and I gave a curt nod as I shut the door behind him.
Chapter 9: Grant
I hadn’t heard a peep from next door all week and I knew I’d have to go back into my next session and apologize, but dammit, she worked me up.
I walked to her door and knocked hoping she’d let me in and not turn me away and tell me to find someone else. Halle had asked me how things had gone and I’d lied about it, but hopefully I’d make things right and we could continue on. If this was the only way I’d get to see her or be a part of her life, I’d take it and I cringed inside knowing I felt that way. I was breaking weak for her.
“Hello, Grant. Come on in.” She gestured for me to sit on the couch again and this time I took the middle cushion hoping if I put some distance between us, things would end better. She wore her thick dark hair up in a messy bun and the tight knee-length skirt she wore with the plum-colored blouse made her look every bit like a naughty librarian. Even the glasses were an added turn on and I’d never seen her wear those before.
She lingered at the door. “Can I get you some coffee? Tea? Water?”
“Coffee is good, thanks.”
“How do you take it?”
“Any way you want to bring it.” The words left my mouth before I could think about them because I wasn’t that particular about my coffee. I could drink it any way, but I didn’t want her to think I was coming off as fresh again. “I mean, surprise me, I’m not picky.”
She smiled and turned away as I thought my recovery wasn’t any better. I couldn’t believe I was more nervous this time than the last, but before I didn’t know what I knew now. That she’d watched me having sex for ten solid minutes and I had a pretty good idea that she wanted me as much as I wanted her.
She returned and handed me a cup of coffee and I sipped it. “Sugar and cream?”
She smiled. “Yes, I thought you might like a little something sweet considering how bitter our last session went.” Before I could interrupt she held up a hand. “Let’s start with a fresh slate.”
“That sounds fair.”
“So, considering what we did discuss last week, do you feel you use sex as a crutch in place of grieving?” Her deep green eyes penetrated mine from behind her frames as she waited for a response.
“No, I grieved my wife. I look at it as a way to move on. A hobby, if you will. I mean, some men build things, others go fishing or play sports. I like sex.” I paused a moment waiting for her to ask another question, but she tilted her head as if waiting for more. “My wife and I had Halle when we were so young and we didn’t really have time to live or experiment or find out what made us tick. I hadn’t ever had sex with anyone other than my wife for all those years, so I guess it’s a way that I can finally live a little. Do something I’ve never done.”
“So you weren’t ever with anyone but your wife?”
“Well, I never cheated on her and since we were so young when we met and got together, I’d only been with two other women.”
“How many women have you been with now?” Her head cocked to the side and she kept her expression unreadable. I had a feeling she was deliberately keeping things professional because of how bad the last session went.
“I don’t know. I don’t keep count.” Her eyes blinked a few times and then she shook her head. “Sorry, I must sound like a real slut.” I stifled a laugh and raked my hand through my hair. This wasn’t going anything like before and I wasn’t as comfortable with her. She seemed to be a different person.
“Does it make you feel like a slut to have so many partners? Does it ever get to you or do you think you should stop?”
“No. I don’t really do it for emotions, I do it for release. So I don’t really care if it’s frowned upon. I’m not doing anything wrong. I don’t pay for sex, I don’t force myself on anyone, things are completely consensual between adults.”
“And you set moral limits as well.” She tacked on to my list like she was getting the picture clearer than before.
“Right. Does it bother you?”
“Does it bother me that you’re promiscuous? No. Do you want it to bother me?” Her tone was different from before and I’d just about had enough of it.
“You seem bothered.”
“Do I?” She uncrossed her legs and crossed them the other way.
“Yes, it’s almost like you’re trying too hard to be professional. I mean, even the hair and glasses are different.”
She let out a frustrated breath and removed her glasses. “Does this help?”
“Not if you can’t see without them. But this might.” I edged myself closer to her and reached back to remove the clip from her hair. Her wavy, chestnut hair spilled down her shoulders and the scent wafted around me making me instantly hard.
Her face was but a breath away and it wouldn’t take more than a slight move to kiss her. “Are you happy now?”
“You’re beautiful, Katherine. You’ve always been beautiful.” I sat back a bit, still close enough to touch her. “I remember that time you came to the island with us. You were so quiet and plain, but I could see that you were a real natural beauty beneath the insecurities. You surprised me when you backed out on that zip line adventure. I remember strapping you into that harness, so close to you, so awkwardly fumbling for your straps and making sure you were snug, and it took so damned long. Then you looked up at me with those big green eyes and said you didn’t want to do it.” I laughed remembering my wife’s expression. “I’d finally gotten you buckled in and then you backed out.”
“I felt bad because of that too.”
“I wondered if you’d ever regret not going.” I met her stare and it was quiet for a moment. “Have you ever let yourself jump, Katherine? Have you ever taken a chance or done something you knew was wrong or bad for you, just to prove you could.” I hadn’t noticed how close I was to her again until she spoke.
“I’m not the only one with limits, Mr. Roberts. Her breath was warm against my cheek. The name was used as a shield and I knew it. Just like the hair and glasses had been an attempt for me to see her as more professional. Her voice was a soft whisper. “We’re here to talk about you.”
I didn’t want to upset her into ending another session, so I sat back, keeping my arm down to hide my throbbing erection. I wanted her so bad that it ached and I was rethinking my own rules to justify seducing her. It wasn’t like I’d known well all these years. She wasn’t exactly my daughter’s age and she was much more fucking mature. To make matters worse, she tugged at her collar again and then loosened the tie on her blouse.
“You want me to be honest with you, Katherine?”
She fixed her gaze on me and I took a deep breath of courage. “You make me want to push my limits. Every fucking one of them.”
Her breath hitched and she cleared her throat. “How does that make you feel?”
“Hard.” Her gaze dropped to my lap and her eyes widened as she bit her lip and smiled.
“Are you trying to shock me, Grant? Because I think you like to. I think you like to tease me knowing that I’m against your rules in more ways than one.”
“I’m not trying to tease you at all. You want to know what’s in my head, and I’m telling you and your whole playing it professional act didn’t work either, I called that bluff.”
She leaned forward and glanced down in regards to my cock which was bulging so tight against my pants that I could almost hear it begging to be free. “You should be careful, Mr. Roberts. One day I might call your bluff.”
Chapter 10: Katie
It was hard getting Grant off my mind but thankful
ly I had some more unpacking to do since my cabinets had finally gotten finished. I couldn’t believe how much he’d affected me and especially how bold I’d gotten.
I couldn’t help it, though. I try damned hard to be a professional, but even I have my breaking point. Our last session had finished up not long after I’d warned him that I was going to call his bluff, and I think I surprised him. It wasn’t long after that he’d gotten a call from his chef and hurried home.
Luckily, I hadn’t had to face Halle. It wasn’t as if I’d have to tell her everything or anything for that matter, since it had all went down on the clock, but I was afraid she’d see the guilt on my face. I couldn’t help the things I wanted to do to her father and the thoughts were there no matter how hard I’d tried to push them away.
