LOVE QUAKES: BOXED SET (BOOKS 1-4) (11 page)

“Did she ask you to become a partner in the escort service?”

“Yeah. Although I don’t collaborate in that kind of service business directly. It’s too vulnerable – legally and socially -- for someone like me.  I just give her advice and lend her money for her business, in case the escort service runs into trouble,” he explains with a smile.

“You don’t have anything to do with the selection and training of the escorts, then?

“Of course not, Joanna. That’s Kristen’s specialty. She vets the potential escorts to determine their skills, then matches them with the sexual preferences of her clients. She’s got an entire network of clients through the club scene in San Diego.”

A feeling of nausea floods my body but I continue with my questions, “Do you trust Kristen’s business sense?” 

“Yes, she’s very shrewd as you can probably tell from what she’s done to you. I entered into a partnership with her because she’s perceptive and her business thrives. She gives me deep discounts on the escorts services, though,” he mentions as a joke.

“I’m so pleased to know that. Perhaps I can find a job working for Kristen as one of the escorts,” I suggest with sarcasm.

He gives me a warning glance and shakes his head. “Don’t even go there, Joanna.”

“Ok, how about if you give me a massage, Tristan?”

“I’d like to give you a thorough massage, Joanna. I have the most soothing Etruscan oil for your lovely pale skin,” he teases in a seductive voice.

The idea of getting a massage from Tristan makes me hot and wet. But, I can’t think about that right now. My focus must not shift. So, I continue with my questions, “But the two of you are or were ‘friends’. Are you close?”

“Well, we call each other on a regular basis but it’s mostly about the business lately. She asks my advice about the financial risks and where to trim the fat.” His eyes fill with concern as he looks at my reaction.

“Do you find her attractive?” I am surprised that I’ve asked the question but I must know his answer before we’re done here.

“Well, not anymore in a physical way. She was attractive to me in high school but she’s gotten older. I’ve grown up and changed. Joanna, don’t worry. It’s you that I want and find attractive in every way. I can’t explain how connected I feel to you.” He reaches across the island and then softly strokes my hair. A crooked smile spreads across his face.

“She’s got her hooks into you, Tristan, on so many levels. What’s your plan for dealing with Kristen and her control issues?” I finally ask.

“Since we have a business partnership and I control the purse strings, I’m going to demand that she quit having any contact with you. If she crosses the line, even one time after this, I’m going to pull all of my backing. Her business would collapse within months, if I did that,” he assures me with a confident look.

“Do you think that’s a strong enough incentive for Kristen?”

“Yeah, I do. She values money and success much more than relationships,” he states firmly.

“Why is Kristen so threatened by me?” I ask.

“Well, Joanna, up until I met you she controlled all of my ‘intimate’ relationships. As I’ve told you, I used her escorts and before that, I was her lover. I’m moving out of that sphere now and Kristen doesn’t like change,” he explains.

“She sounds like a control freak,” I observe.

“Yeah, she is very controlling, Joanna. She was surprised as hell when you, literally, fell into my life,” he laughs. “I’ve turned the corner on Kristen. You’re my future now.” Wow, that’s an impressive claim. I wonder if he really means it.

His story about Kristen troubles me, a lot, and I need a professional opinion about his sexual issues and her boundary crossing. He stares at me with an anxious expression on his face as he sees me struggle to ask my next question.

 “Can I speak with your therapist?” I ask with a serious expression. 

“Why, don’t you believe me?” he responds with a hint of irritation.

“I want to understand more about aggression and sex, and Kristen,” I reason. “Perhaps we should consider couples counseling since I have issues in that area as well.”

“I’m afraid that you’ll run from me with revulsion once you know all my secrets,” a lost look haunts his features.

“Tristan, if our relationship has any chance of moving ahead it must be on an even playing field. I’m learning too much about your demons through my contact with Kristen,” I say and look directly into his fearful green eyes. My argument eventually triggers something in Tristan’s mind and his resistance shifts.

He stares at me with longing for a moment and then agrees, “Alright,” he says cautiously. “Let me call my therapist and see if I can set something up for both of us, soon.” He picks up his phone and makes the call.

While Tristan arranges for our therapy session, I am trembling with shock over what he’s told me about Kristen. She’s so much more than an old friend. No wonder Kristen wanted to know every detail about my encounter with Tristan. She was his lover. Now she wants to retain power over him. A serious girlfriend and sexual rival would threaten her world on more than just the finance level. Perhaps she still has plans for snaring him in her sexual thrall as he grows older. We need a backup plan. On the other hand, maybe I ought to develop my own plan for dealing with Kristen.

Tristan clicks his phone off and turns to me with a satisfied expression on his face. “My therapist can meet with us tomorrow at 6pm. Does that work for you, Joanna?”

“Since I’ve nothing else on my agenda, that’s a yes,” I joke and nod. “Tell me about your therapist, now.”

“As I mentioned before, I’ve been seeing him for more than a few years. His name is Dr. Wong and he focuses on Reality Therapy and problem solving…,” Tristan begins but I interrupt him as soon as possible.

“Wait a minute. He’s the same therapist who just saw me on an emergency basis,” I announce with alarm. “Then, he already knows about you and me. He looked at me in the strangest way when I began to describe you. No wonder.” I have mixed feelings about this dilemma now that his therapist has already seen me once.

“So, do you want to see another therapist since there could be issues with confidentiality and objectivity?” Tristan asks with concern. His face contorts with discomfort.

“Maybe not. I really like Dr. Wong and trust him. I’m sure he couldn’t have known that I was your girlfriend when I walked into his office the other day but he certainly knew it when I left. He chose not to mention it,” I observe and wonder what I ought to do about it.

“It’s up to you to decide on whether we see Dr. Wong or not as a couple,” he declares with a neutral tone to his voice.

I weigh the options aloud. “Dr. Wong knows your issues so well and he also knows that I have no desire to have an abusive relationship. He gave me good advice about Kristen, demonstrated good insights about my past, and seemed to have my best interests in mind,” I muse.

“Are you concerned that he’ll be biased in my favor?” Tristan asks. “He’s always brutally honest with me, Joanna. He doesn’t take a lot of nonsense from anyone.”

“I can see that he tries to be very fair in his approach,” I reason and then my gut instinct kicks in. I know that Dr. Wong will be my choice.

“I can go with Dr. Wong. He’s already got so much background on you and some understanding of me. That might save us a few weeks or more in therapy,” I chuckle since my decision feels intuitively correct.

Tristan nods and gives me a chaste kiss on my cheek. “Then it’s done,” he concludes with a bow of his gorgeous head.

The next day, we arrive at Dr. Wong’s office building in plenty of time. He’s been updated on our situation by Tristan. When we enter his room, he grasps both my hands warmly in his and then motions for us to sit on the couch. Tristan and I sit very close to one another.

“It’s good to see you again, Joanna. I will confess, after I inferred who your boyfriend was during our recent session, that it put me into a quandary. I weighed the idea of cutting short our intervention. That was because I figured out exactly who you were talking about. Tristan is also my client. I considered that issue against your need for closure with the Kristen crisis. In the end, I felt that your needs came first,” he shares with a conspiratorial expression on his face.

“I’m good with it,” I assure him. “I felt your genuine interest in my situation. Your insights and advice were on target and I trust you.” I give him a confident smile and his eyes crinkle with appreciation.

Tristan carefully tugs me to his side and puts his hand on my thigh. I’m impressed with the affection he so openly shows toward me in front of his therapist. Dr. Wong smiles with satisfaction.

“Well, Joanna, I’m sure you have some questions about Tristan and yourself,” Dr. Wong begins and nods for me to proceed.

“Tristan explained his past needs for rough sex when he was with his escorts,” I state with a somewhat shaky voice. Why is this topic so difficult for me to address with a therapist who knows Tristan’s past so well, I wonder?

“I’m pleased that he’s shared so much with you already, Joanna,” Dr. Wong admits and then waits for me to continue.

“He believes that his feelings of aggression towards his kidnappers or whoever tortured him were worked out through rough sex with escorts,” I explain. “It sickens me to think of Tristan as an adolescent though. He was manipulated and abused again as a teen by Kristen Powers. For some strange reason, he doesn’t see it that way. Perhaps that’s why he liked using whips and belts on other women while having sex. He may not realize how angry he was at Kristen for what she also did to him. In my view, Tristan’s issues all boil down to women, sex and abuse.” I’m starting to sound like a therapist myself.

Tristan looks at me with concern and pets my leg gently. Dr. Wong encourages me to continue.

“I have zero desire for rough sex because of my issues with an abusive step-father in my past. My question is whether Tristan’s sexual aggression will ever surface with me. Further, even if he behaves differently with me, will I be enough for him? Can I meet his psychological needs in the long run?” I’m breathing in a shallow manner as I speak and looking at Dr. Wong with hope.

Dr. Wong smiles at me in encouragement, “Well, Joanna, let’s start with your first question about the recurrence of Tristan’s long-established pattern. I think Tristan should answer your question now. Then I’ll offer some perspective based on similar cases in the DSM. As you probably know, the DSM is the psychological manual that all therapists use for diagnosis and treatment.” I nod yes since I’ve been in therapy already. Then, we both look to Tristan for an explanation.

Tristan smiles gratefully and looks directly into my eyes while responding. “Joanna, I feel absolutely no desire to use any aggressive moves with you. That extends to sexual or any other activity. In fact, your innocence seems to bring out just the opposite emotional response from me,” he emphasizes the word innocence.

“Maybe that’s just for now,” I suggest with fear in my voice.

“Some kind of profound change occurred in me when I met you, Joanna. That feeling was cemented the first time you slept in my arms. I could feel the charge from you in every fiber of my body. It was life changing. I need and want to treat you with care and to pamper you. There are times, not often, when I feel almost like a father towards you,” he confesses with passionate conviction and burning sincerity.

Once again, I’m stunned at Tristan’s willingness to put all of his feelings on the table. I pat his leg and look warmly at my now very earnest boyfriend. There’s a hint of vulnerability on Tristan’s face. I want to reassure him with a kiss. However, something holds me back.

Dr. Wong affirms Tristan’s feelings. “That strong response to you is consistent with everything that Tristan has shared with me, Joanna. You’ve brought out another more caring aspect of his personality.”

“That’s reassuring, Dr. Wong, but our relationship is still so new,” I point out and then continue. “So far, Tristan’s actions show me that he wants nothing but a loving connection with someone he’s attracted to. He sees me as an inexperienced young woman who can give him a life free of nightmares and maybe free of rough sex. On an emotional level, he’s very affectionate and quite kind to me. But I wonder if he has the wherewithal to continue this romantic behavior once our life returns to normal.”

“I want to add that Tristan’s been on the edge of change with his sexual patterns for a while now. I’ve noticed a decline in his need to punish women for a few years. His more recent sexual encounters have been less about hurting women and more about getting a release from sexual tension through anal sex.” Dr. Wong adds with conviction about his insights.

Wong’s observation seems to impress Tristan.

“Dr. I’m glad you’ve noticed that change in my pattern because I’ve certainly noticed it. To what degree are these permanent changes, in your opinion?” Tristan asks with eagerness.

“Tristan, you’re the only person who can commit to this course of sexuality on an on-going basis. The therapeutic literature suggests that once clients are truly ready to move on from an unsatisfying psychological and behavioral pattern, it comes to an end.” Dr. Wong asserts as Tristan lets out a sigh of satisfaction.

“Do you think his need for rough sex with Kristen’s girls will show up if there’s tension in our relationship, Dr. Wong?” I counter.

“That’s something that Tristan will need to examine,” Dr. Wong notes then turns to Tristan for a response.

“What can you do to reassure Joanna about your change, Tristan?”

Tristan turns to me once again and pets my face. His face fills with an earnest emotion as he holds my cheeks between his hands. “I can pledge to you, Joanna, that I will communicate my frustrations to you as soon as possible. I won’t call Kristen ever again, if we are together,” he promises with tears brimming in his lovely eyes. “I’ll let my staff deal with Kristen and turn the business over to her entirely,” he pledges.

I feel stunned that this gorgeous, powerful man wants me so much that he’d let Kristen go as well. His pledge is more than I expected but I’m so pleased that I could burst with happiness.

“That’s a grand gesture and a powerful claim, Tristan,” Dr. Wong concedes. “Your intentions are more than sincere with Joanna. Ultimately, it’s up to you to make good on the pledge however.”

“I think you know how determined I can be, Dr. Wong,” he asserts. “When I want something or someone, I pursue that object with a one track mind. I want a healthy sexual relationship with Joanna more than anything else in my life. She calls to me like a siren. Kristen will no longer be a part of our circle. I’ll tell my attorney about what she did to us recently, if I must.”

We both nod in agreement. Tristan can be a force of nature when he’s made up his mind. I’m more than thrilled with his declarations of love and devotion. I give him my own ear-splitting smile and kiss him gently on the head. He hugs me in return as he sits beside me.

“Does that answer some of your questions, Joanna?” Dr. Wong asks with concern.

“I’m convinced that Tristan wants to be different with me. The sexual interactions between us have been very limited. But he’s controlled, careful and interested in my sexual gratification,” I spill my thoughts out with enthusiasm to Dr. Wong.

“In my professional opinion, Tristan exhibits all the symptoms of a convincing resolution to his latent aggression. He’s had a lot of therapy and it’s yielded a satisfying outcome. You entered his life, Joanna, just when Tristan turned the corner on his past.”

“It was all in the timing,” Tristan tells me with a warm side-hug and gentle kiss on the cheek.

“Is there anything else you want to say, Joanna?” Dr. Wong asks with encouragement.

“First, I need to figure out what I need from Tristan sexually. There’s no doubt I’m incredibly drawn to his looks and personality. I think he’d make a good boyfriend and sexual partner but maybe I’m deluding myself. Our make out sessions leave me filled with desire. In fact, I can’t wait to see what he’s capable of delivering. His package seems to be amazing. However, I worry that he’ll be different once he’s healed from his injuries,” I add in all sincerity.

Dr. Wong looks a bit stunned at my forthright admission about my own sexual needs. Tristan nearly bursts out laughing. Dr. Wong shakes his head with amusement at our interactions. We must seem to be two sex-crazed young adults in his view.