“The view is very inviting.”
“It’s a curse.” He grins as he whips up the eggs. Gathering fruit, he places everything on the island in front of me. Beautiful china plates are set out.
“No paper plates?” I tease.
“Oh, I have those too, but I save those for the second date.” He shakes his head and smiles. His eyes reach mine and I feel the tension slowly vanishing.
“To new beginnings.” He clinks his plastic cup filled with orange juice against mine.
We enjoy our breakfast while touching on the hypnosis and what I learned from my research. He seems more comfortable with it now. This could be a pivotal point in his life, and I want him to be ready for whatever happens.
“I’ll help clean up.” His appliances are state of the art. I have to admit, it would be a thrill cooking here.
“Now that I’ve fed my woman, shall we complete the tour? I’d like you to see my studio, my escape from the world place.”
“Of course.” He reaches for my hand and I take it.
“Follow me.” He leads me down the hall and opens the door to a large room filled with electronic panels and a glass enclosure. I see a dozen guitars hanging on the wall and one microphone on a stand behind the glass.
After walking around the entire room, needing to touch everything, I glance at him. He’s leaning in the doorway, watching me.
“This is your recording studio?”
“This is my hideaway. Where I go when I need to escape or find peace or just relax and have fun.”
“It suits you, the real you. Truthfully, you’re very talented.”
“Go on.”
“You’re modest, for sure.” I turn and smile. “I hope to hear you again. It literally brought me to tears.”
“Maybe.” He hedges. “You’re antsy. What’s up?” He asks as I walk over and take his hands in mine.
“Just overwhelmed, but in a good way.” I give him a kiss.
He kisses me in return, increasing the heat.
“All talk and no action?” I provoke him.
“Is that a challenge? Because I’ll rise to the occasion, literally. Upstairs is where all the magic happens.”
“Magic? Women need a reason to have sex. Men just need a place.”
Nathan scoops me into his arms and we climb the stairs. “I see.” He’s not even a little out of breath. “I’ve thought of us together here so many times.”
We reach the end of a long hallway, arriving at dark double doors. He sets me down and opens them.
“Never another woman, huh?” I say as I stroll in.
“Not exactly the reaction I was going for, but, no, never.”
“Impressive, yet comfortable. I love it.”
I gaze at one dynamic feature after another. The king size bed dominates the room, but it’s softened by under lighting that’s set low for a romantic atmosphere. The bedding is all caramels and creams.
“I could see myself curled up right there.”
“Any damn time, baby.” His dimples show when he smiles.
I continue on through this enormous room, admiring every detail. The picture of his parents and him as a child provides a glimpse into his past--a place he rarely goes.
The moments of silence are blissful as I span his oasis. I know he’s watching.
A vaulted ceiling stretches above me and a beautiful skylight spans the area over the bed, its only purpose to let light in. A fireplace sits at the front of the room.
“Let me start that,” Nathan says, and with the click of a remote, we have a fire.
Fuck-pad comes to mind, but I reassure myself I’m the only one who’s seen this and push that thought away.
Floor to ceiling windows run along one entire wall, looking over the garden. “Yes, I see the magic.” Smiling, I slowly walk to him.
“The magic happened when you walked through the door, Bryer.”
“Are you trying to seduce me, Mr. James?” Our bodies press together.
“I am, Miss Reid.” He kisses me softly, seducing his prey.
“YOU SEND ME
over the edge with one kiss.” I’m an easy mark and she knows it. I nibble on her ear until I get the moan.
“Ummmm.” And there it is.
My hands bury in her hair and I hold on tightly. My mouth meets hers and sensation rushes straight to my cock, creating pressure in my jeans.
“Tell me what you want,” she says.
“What I always want, to be as close to you as humanly possible.”
When I break away, she whimpers, but I hold my hand out. She takes it as I walk over to the bed, rip the comforter off, and start undressing her slowly.
“Arms up.” Kissing every inch as I slowly take her shirt off.
Revealing an innocent white bra, scarcely confining her luscious tits.
“Let me.” With one move, its unhooked and tumbling down her arms. Her tits bounce and I almost lose control. Taking a step back, I admire her beauty. “Jesus, Bryer. Take everything off.”
She unsnaps her jeans and wiggles them down. As I’m looking at the matching white panties, my cock twitches. “Let me,” I say as I slide them down her legs. My breath quicken.
“God I want you.”
I slide slowly down her legs, softy pushing her to sit on the bed. On my knees, I spread her legs apart. She inhales a sharp breath at the same time her head flies back.
“Nathan.” She sighs.
“God, you’re exquisite.”
My breath touches her pussy and she lifts up as I slide my tongue between her folds in a steady rhythm. Her hips move with my pace and she tastes so sweet.
“So wet for me.” Frantically, I attack her clit while I watch her.
Our eyes meet, as I lavish her.
“You undo me, Nathan.” She pants.
I spread her wider and support her legs. I want to taste her as she falls apart.
“Oh God.”
She grips my hair as her movements become more frenzied. She’s losing control, so I take the sensation to another level. Her hunger for release is apparent. I suck on her clit while my finger slides in to find the magic place that takes her to heaven. She yells as her orgasm overtakes her. While she quivers in my hands, I devour her, making her pleasure last as long as I possibly can. She shakes as she comes down from her high, and I watch.
“I love your tongue and the things you do with it,” she says while her head falls back. “Do you know what you do to me, Nathan?”
“I saw. My turn.”
I spread her legs with my knee, and cover her with my body. I pinch her puckered nipples she arches her back and moans. I aim my cock, but slide it up and down her wetness. Then, with little effort, I drive it home.
“Feel that? It’s amazing. It’s a fucking rush.”
“Yes. Deeper.”
“You like being fucked hard?” I don’t wait from an answer. I reach for her hands imprisoning her like this gives me complete control, and I slam my hard cock into her again.
“Nathan.”
My name on her lips drives me crazy and my punishing rhythm increases, igniting every sensation in my body. Watching her body beneath me, her tits moving from the force of my thrusts, is pure fucking ecstasy.
“Feel me, baby? Do you want more?” I growl as she tightens around me.
With her legs wrapped around me, she meets my pace. Within seconds, I feel her inner walls squeeze me.
“Fuck, Bryer.”
We both come together, each murmuring words of pleasure that don’t register at the moment. Still buried deep in her, I embed my hands in her hair and graze her neck with my lips while I catch my breath. I love this woman, really love her, but don’t dare say it.
Yet.
“You’re really good at that,” she says.
I chuckle. “My work here is done.” With a smile on my face, I hold her against me.
“I hope not.” She beams.
“Bryer.” I hold her face between my hands. “No one else in the world exists but us. Nothing else matters but us in this moment. We don’t have to let the world in right now.”
She only nods, but there’s mist in her eyes.
I wake to the smell of Bryer on my pillow and the scent of coffee floating in from the kitchen. What did I do to deserve this?
Nothing good.
Soon, I’m up and half-dressed, on a search for coffee and my woman. “There’s my Kodak moment.”
She stands in my kitchen, coffee in her hand, and my t-shirt on. Mercy!
“I hope this is going to become a regular thing before work,” I say.
“Do you now?”
“Why are you up so early?” I’m shocked anyone would do this on purpose.
“I knew your schedule, and I have to work too.”
“I could get used to this.”
***
WHEN I ARRIVE
at work, it’s still dark, and my first client is at five am. I know it’s crazy, but dedicated clients earn my respect. If he wants to work out before he goes to work, I’ll help him achieve his physical goals. That’s my job, and that’s what I love.
I notice that all of my uncle’s paperwork came in, so I glance over it and sign every page, trusting him completely. Then I call the carrier on the envelope to pick up. Done.
My first break comes at nine am. Starting up my laptop, I type in the web address Bryer gave and it comes up. I watch the therapist’s video, but I’m more interested in his techniques.
I click on age regression therapy, which is supposed to help achieve access to childhood memories. Hypnotherapy. I click on it. The term describes a process in which the patient returns to an earlier stage of life in order to explore a memory or get in touch with some difficult, hard to access part of one’s experience.
My hair rises on my neck as I continue reading and feel an eerie connection. There are three levels. In the first level the patient will be able to recall a past event as if it were occurring in the present. A memory can be frozen but still accessed and explored more in depth.
The second level is medium, where the patient is in a very relaxed level of consciousness and is less aware of their body. Memories become easier to reach, and patients are less aware of their surroundings.
The third and deepest level is described as a dream-like stage. In hypnosis, this is the most profound relaxation. During this level, patients have difficulties recalling certain details of what happened while they were under, like a dream.
I read all the testimonies and know Bryer researched this as well. So I call and make an appointment for Friday and clear my schedule. Apprehension comes over me, but I know if I want the nightmares to stop, this may hold the key. I text Bryer so she can adjust her schedule. I’m anxious about the day to come, and what we may uncover, so I’m deep in thought when in walks Clayton.
“Who were you talking to?” he asks as he sits in his office chair and powers up his laptop.
“A doctor.” I know he’ll understand. He’s witnessed this first hand.
“Not feeling well?”
“I feel fine. I’m finally going to address the nightmares.”
“And how is a doctor going to help you with that?’
“He’s a doctor who uses hypnosis.”
“Oh, okay.” Then he smirks as he continues, “Guess who my next client is?”
“Don’t tell me.”
“You guessed it. Camilla.” He swings his chair towards me. “What’s the plan, boss?”
“Fuck if I know.” I cringe.
“You better think fast because you have ten minutes.” He laughs. “Make it one minute.”
We both look up to see her heading our way. Great.
“Just the person I was looking for. Camilla, have a seat.” I stand and indicate she should sit in my office chair.
She does, smiling up at me.
“I hear there was an altercation in the ladies’ locker room the other day.” I lean over my chair and angrily grab each arm rest, trapping her. She squirms like a caged wild animal. “I want you to listen to me and listen close.” My anger hits the boiling point. She rolls her eyes, which sends my blood pressure off the charts. “Tomorrow, I’m going to my father and then to yours. I’m going to tell them that you’ve been harassing my clientele, and that this club has zero tolerance for bullying. You’ve already been warned once. Your membership is canceled as of this very minute.”
“I don’t know what you think you can do, Nathan. I’ve never touched her.” She tries to stand, but I don’t allow it.
“That’s where you’re wrong, Camilla. You don’t have to touch her. The threat was there, and you bragged to my partner.” I glance over my shoulder at Clayton. He stands beside me with arms crossed, not uttering a single word. His body language speaks for him. “You’re leaving, and I don’t want you to breathe a word to your father or mine. I’ll do all the talking. You will stay away from this gym, Bryer, and me. Have I made myself clear?”
“You’ve got some nerve,” she answers in a huff. “Let me the hell out of here.”
Backing away, I allow her to walk out. “I hope I never have to deal with that bitch again.”
“Fuck, remind me not to piss you off.” Clayton laughs. “I don’t want you busting my balls.”
“Well, I’m late for a client.”
“Not me. You just canceled mine.
***
NATHAN CALLS MONDAY
to let me know we’re on for a Friday doctor’s appointment. I’m sure he’s nervous, and I’m nervous too. But I’m also encouraged and feel confident that we’re about to find out some answers.
Jake walks by my office and peeks in. “Did you hear?”
“Apparently not. What?” He looks delighted, and I can’t help but smile in excitement.
“They fired Morton.”
I freeze. Those three words have just changed my life. “The big bad boss is gone?”
“I thought you’d have more to say, girl.”
“There is a God? Karma can be fast and swift.”
“I heard it happened last Friday, at the end of the day.” Jake happily fills me in.
“Who’ll be replacing him?”
“Well, rumor has it they’re going to move someone up.”
We glare at each other, knowing it could be any one of us. Four managers are in the running, and it would be for the national position.
“You have seniority,” I say.
“But you have the numbers.”
“There’s two more in the running.”
“Both are close to retirement. I don’t think they’d choose either of them knowing they’d have to replace them in a couple of years.”