Alongside the flowers, she bought a bottle of wine from a local supermarket. The moving van was in the same place it had been that morning, so on the basis that the new owners were likely to be busy, Paula kept her head down as she walked straight past the property to get to her own home. Remaining curious about who had bought the house after it had been on the market for months, she left the gifts on the table in her hallway for when she worked up sufficient courage to deliver them.
Paula considered the result of putting herself in Joseph’s shoes. On the basis that he imagined her to have a boyfriend usurping his position, she was sure the punishment would continue from the previous call. If he would contact her at all, it would be later than he would normally call. Making her wait was a method he used before to penalise her.
Before she had a chance to decide on the best time to log on to the phone, the doorbell rang and interrupted her thoughts. The unexpected sound made her flinch before she went to answer it.
Opening the door to find a black man turned to look out into the street, her initial assumption was that Joseph had tracked her down.
“Good evening, I’m Ricky. I’ve just moved in down the road.”
Paula was momentarily speechless. With his bald head and broad imposing frame, he was the embodiment of how she pictured Joseph, the man who her lack of confidence had made unattainable in real life, but could still make her heart pound with desire and her body flood with heat.
She recovered enough to be able to take his proffered hand, instantly feeling the strength and heat as his fingers enclosed hers.
“Um, hi, my name’s Paula.”
“Nice to meet you, Paula.” A genuine smile lit his face, making his dark eyes shine in the darkness of the still evening.
Feeling flush, she ran her fingers through her hair in an attempt to cover her face and hide any redness. “Welcome to Castle Street.”
“Thank you.”
While they discussed nearby conveniences and post deliveries, Paula successfully remained lucid. She gave no indication of the turmoil going on inside her at the very sight of the strikingly handsome man. His dark eyes steadily gazed at her, studying her closely as her own eyes flicked between his face and the floor.
A sudden bout of shyness overwhelmed her, making her heart race as she worked hard to give him the impression that she was as completely at ease as he appeared.
Their amiable conversation continued for several minutes before her mind cleared. “Oh, I nearly forgot.” Gathering the items from the table behind her, she handed them across to him. “These are for you, I was going to bring them over later.”
A look of surprise crossed his face as he accepted the wine and flowers. “Thank you.”
“I saw the van,” she explained.
“That’s very kind of you.”
She smiled shyly, pleased to note genuine gratitude.
When the time came for Ricky to take his leave, the strength of her disappointment left Paula surprised. It kept her from immediately closing the door behind him, instead holding it ajar and watching him through the gap.
The casual T-shirt and jeans combination couldn’t hide the body beneath, the strength of his solid frame evident to Paula’s eye. It caused a rush of hot moisture to flood her vulva.
Only when he was no longer in her line of sight did she close the door, warmed by the recollection of his appreciative smile. As she relaxed, all the things she could have said entered her mind, leading her to berate herself for not having done so. Did you move in with your family? Is there anything you need? Would you like to come in? None of it had occurred to her and all she knew was his name.
Betraying Joseph caused a pang of guilt to replace the lust that had arisen when she thought of Ricky—a sensation strong enough to create a sudden yearning to speak to him, needing to affirm her loyalty despite him being unaware.
After pouring herself a glass of wine, she headed straight to the phone to await his call. Her need for him didn’t hang on sex, even if their conversation verged on normal she still relished it. She would soak up every sliver of information he deigned to reveal, to the detriment of Scarlet’s persona since she would often forget what she’d said. His strong influence over her meant she would often automatically give him facts about her true self rather than the carefully designed one about Scarlet. Fortunately, it didn’t seem to matter to Joseph, as he never questioned her about her looks.
Similarly, he had never explicitly told her what he looked like, but she had still been able to build a picture of him from his personality traits and the tone of his voice. It was sufficient for Paula to believe that she knew every inch of him.
The phone calls that night followed the normal path—regular users of the chat line and first timers who had no idea what to do. They were all the same to Paula. She gave them what they wanted, while she waited to get what she wanted.
“Are you nice and wet?”
Nine o’clock had come and gone without a call from him, but she wasn’t prepared to give up. With her stomach beginning to rumble, she distracted herself with the newspaper’s crossword.
“Ooh, yeah.” Two down—sideboard, one employed backstage—seven letters. “I’m stroking my clit.” Seven letters? Hmm, possibly ending with the letter R. “I’m lying on my bed with my legs spread nice and wide.”
Paula sat at the kitchen table, trying to think of the possible answer while continuing to automatically make seductive suggestions and emit sounds of pleasure.
“My fingers are wet with my cream. Mmm, I’m sliding my finger deep into my tight pussy.”
Eight across—stonework showing girl holding boy—seven letters.
Soon she only had a few answers left to find, and she switched to autopilot as she concentrated on getting them all.
“Hello,” she purred seductively, tapping her pen on the page and staring at the clue.
“Are you having a good evening, Scarlet?”
Letting the pen slip from her fingers, Paula breathed a sigh of relief as the familiar, dulcet tones reverberated through her to leave her body warm. “I am now.”
“I’m glad to hear it.”
The tone of Joseph’s voice always told Paula everything she needed to know about his mood. The ability to read every nuance of his behaviour came easily to her, the sound of his voice making her body and mind more sensitive. Feeling as if she knew him only made her hunger for him grow, coupled with the fact that he held her gratification in his hands.
Abandoning the newspaper, she quietly slid out from behind the table and left it for somewhere more comfortable. Her skin tingled with anticipation, a sudden weakness making her legs tremble just before she reached the sofa.
“How are you, Joseph?” The smile on her face transferred to her voice, giving it a lightness that made her feelings evident.
“How do I sound?”
“You sound great.”
“Do I? I’d be even better if you gave me your phone number. No doubt you’re still insisting that you can’t.”
The delight that arose a few seconds earlier instantly dissipated, her heart sinking as the hated topic reared its ugly head. Her lips parted to offer a response, but no words would come. All she would be able to say is exactly what she had already told him many times before. Repeating it would do nothing more than aggravate him and leave her upset at thinking about what would never be.
“What are you afraid of?”
Though her only real fear was the thought of rejection, her mind reeled with all those official reasons she had learnt to recite to bothersome callers. Obviously he wasn’t a bothersome caller, but offering the truth remained out of the question. Knowing the calls were monitored, Paula was petrified that his persistence would lead to his calls being barred.
“I’m not afraid,” she replied, her voice sounding pathetic. “It’s just against the rules and the—”
“Fucking rules,” he exclaimed, sudden and loud enough to make her flinch. “Always the same b
loody excuse.”
“Not an excuse, the company could stop you from getting through to me if you keep asking.”
Undaunted by the potential threat, it only seemed to heighten Joseph’s anger.
“No, they won’t,” he hissed. “The problem is yours, Scarlet.”
Unable to deny his words, Paula said nothing as she held the receiver firmly to her ear, using her free hand to stroke her arm clamped to the side of her body. The thought of losing contact with him was unbearable and she desperately hoped he would drop it.
“You’re weak aren’t you, little one?”
Taking little comfort from his softened voice, the assertion affected her deeply. Phrasing the words like a question was designed to taunt her—she knew that an answer was unnecessary as he had already made up his mind. A lump formed in her dry throat as she waited to hear how else he knew her and wondered why she was surprised.
“Incapable of putting your deepest desires into practice.”
Taking a breath suddenly became more difficult, her chest swelling and her lips parting as she attempted to take in the air her lungs needed.
“I know you, Scarlet, and I know that I want you.”
A shiver shot down her spine, causing heat to caress her back passage before settling at her clit and making it throb. He often confirmed what he would do to her, and she’d been satisfied with that, but hearing him say he actually wanted her was rare and left her elated.
Her first instinct was to somehow make him repeat it, but the emotion that filled her prevented her from saying anything before he did. “Put me on speaker phone and take off your clothes.”
Fearful of cutting him off, Paula took care to only press the speaker button before laying the receiver on the sofa arm. She stepped out of her dress and draped it over a chair, quickly covering it with her underwear.
“I want you standing naked in front of me.”
Standing in front of the sofa as if he was sitting there, his disembodied voice made Paula’s pussy throb. She took a deep breath, parting her lips to tell him that she had done as he wanted.
“Spread your legs.”
She immediately did as instructed without asking any questions.
“I want to watch you play with your pussy.”
This knowledge made Paula spread her legs wider, seeking to improve the view for an absent man as her hand slid between her thighs. Though she knew what to expect, the heat to her swollen clit from her fingers made her gasp. A bolt of electricity shot up and crackled through her pelvis, making her tremble as she pressed harder.
“I’ll watch your body as you get turned on.”
From the change in his voice, she knew that the sound of her deep breaths had an effect on him, which intensified her pleasure. Knowing that she was satisfying him heightened every sensation provided by her fingers. Even the sensation of his eyes boring into her grew stronger, watching her intently as she became increasingly aroused by stroking her engorged clit.
His heavy breaths occasionally gave way to further instructions, which she would immediately comply with to use her body as he would.
“I want you dripping wet.”
With her fingertips coated with her cream, her middle finger easily slid between her cleft and deep into her pussy. A breathy moan flowed from her lips as moisture ran into her hand, clenching her finger with her muscles as she writhed against it.
“Stop touching your pussy. Get on your knees facing the back of the sofa.”
Reluctantly withdrawing her finger, she clambered onto the sofa in accordance with his instructions, breathing heavily as the movement made her clit throb harder.
“I want your arse high in the air,” he commanded, his voice a deep growl.
He barely finished uttering the words before she adjusted her pose to comply, the muscles in her legs trembling as she raised her bum higher.
“I’d spread your cheeks while I decide how I’m going to fuck you first—that wet pussy or your tight sphincter.”
Her body clenched as she imagined the bulbous tip of his cock stroking the crevice between her cheeks as he made a decision. Paula tilted her hips backwards, offering herself to him. Pressure against her clit made her tighten her grip of the back of the sofa, the sensation moving upwards to nudge her back passage as she yearned to feel him inside her.
“Maybe I’d wet my shaft in your pussy first before sliding into your tight arse.”
The words alone made her body react, her pussy pulsating as her body stiffened, a moan of pleasure making her feelings clear to Joseph.
“Maybe I won’t fuck you at all, I’ll just spank you instead.”
“Oh God, please.”
“Are you begging for my cock like a slut?”
“Yes, please. I want you.”
Whether she felt the stinging heat of his hand or the pressure of his thick shaft seeking entry, she didn’t much care. Her body was ablaze with desire to feel his touch, desperate for anything he deigned to offer, to the point where her body began to tremble uncontrollably.
“I want you to feel me deep inside you.”
A bolt of heat shot through her body, making her clench around the shaft she felt rammed into her body. For a moment, she had no breath in her body, her lips parting in a silent cry.
“Holding your hips to slam my body against yours.”
Rocking her hips, she pushed back as if his hands were in control, feeling his body pounding her cheeks. Fighting for breath, her mouth became dry as her lungs worked harder.
“Deep enough to feel me in your belly.”
The visceral sensation flung her head back, making her hair fly about wildly as her body bucked. Pumping his cock like a piston, the movement of her hips grew ever faster as Joseph worked her up into a frenzy with his voice alone.
Every movement became more intense, jerking her body hard enough to make the sofa shift. Above the sound of it thumping the wall, she could still hear his voice despite it lowering to a growl. She could always hear his voice. “I will make you come.”
The explosion of the orgasm deep in her vulva shook her frame, causing a powerful shudder that made her lose control. While no words would come, a piercing cry filled the room that almost masked the deep grunt that came through the phone’s speaker.
Completely spent, Paula collapsed into the sofa, her heart pounding against her ribs as she tried to catch her breath. Though her entire being felt weak, it was worth it for the warm feeling of contentment that flooded her body.
“I want you so badly.”
Through his hoarse voice and her own heavy breaths, Paula was unsure that she had heard him correctly but said nothing. The lengthy pause that followed only increased her doubt.
“I could be there next to you,” he finally continued, his voice back to normal. “I would pinch your sensitive nipples to see how much you could take.”
She let out a sigh as her body jolted with pain from her swollen nipples, twisting her body to sink back onto the cushions. Facing the phone, she could hear his breathing, gradually falling in line with the speed of hers as the echoes of the orgasm subsided.
After several minutes of comfortable silence, Joseph was the first to speak. “I have to go.”
Forgetting her place, Paula immediately rolled onto her stomach to stare at the receiver as if looking into his eyes. “Are you going to see your girlfriend?”
“That’s no business of yours, cock tease. You’ve made that very clear.”
After a click, a continuous tone signalled the end of the conversation.
Chapter Three
Concern about the possibility of Joseph giving up on calling had caused Paula another disturbed night’s sleep, not least because he hadn’t called in several days. The resulting sour mood was made worse by sleeping through the alarm, forcing her to rush to ensure she wouldn’t be late for work.
Finally ready, she had just enough time to get to the train station on time, if she hurried. Despite putting her head down as she
began a fast-paced walk, she couldn’t help a quick glance at Ricky’s place as she approached it. Something about the front garden looked different, though she couldn’t put her finger on it.
“Good morning, Paula.”
The sound of her clicking heels was replaced by the sudden greeting, making her stop in her tracks as Ricky appeared from behind an overgrown bush that bordered his lawn.
“Oh, hello,” she smiled, surprise making her hand flutter up to her chest. “Morning.”
Ricky stood in the garden he was working on, wearing only a pair of cargo shorts to display a torso solid with muscle and glistening with sweat.
For a moment, he remained silent as he eyed her closely, the appearance of looking for something offset by his slight smile. “Didn’t mean to scare you.”
“No, don’t worry, I was in my own world.”
Her hand drifted to her neck, desperate to conceal the bags under her eyes and bitterly regretting tying her hair back, keen to cover a face she knew looked pale and tired.
“I won’t keep you, I just wanted to ask if you would like to come over for dinner tonight.”
Surprise made her hand drop to her side. “Dinner tonight?”
“To show how grateful I am for your friendly welcome,” he explained.
“Sure,” she agreed. “Just the two of us?”
She couldn’t help her gaze wandering over his body, momentarily forgoing his face to gaze at his smooth brown skin, marred by smears of soil and the odd blade of grass.
“Yes, a big house warming party isn’t my style.”
Her stomach flipped. “Sounds great.”
“Good, so I’ll see you around seven?”
“Perfect, I’ll see you then.”
All the worries of the morning floated away as her muscles relaxed, making her legs weak as she continued on her way. No longer caring about being late for work, Paula succumbed to her urge to look back after walking a short distance.
Pulling branches from the bush, Ricky looked up and caught her eye, a beam lighting his face.
Remote Control Page 2
