Unorthodox Therapy (17 page)

“Wow, so you already think you’re my girlfriend? I expected I'd have to put more effort into it.” Her gaze burst into blue flames. I used the moment before she pounced on me to hand her a bottle of aloe vera oil. “This will help a lot. I'm sorry I had to be so rough on you but it was necessary. Your problems run too deep and required a hard approach.”

Lina wrapped a palm around the transparent container and ran her nails over the surface.

“Mind if you cut the whole 'pet' and 'good girl' crap? I'm not a fucking dog or a trained animal. It's degrading.”

I smiled and went to the coffee machine while she was burning a hole through my back with her eyes.

“You're definitely not a dog, boss.”

She didn't say a word and I took it as a cue to continue while pouring the hot liquid into a cup for her. When I turned to her, it was obvious she was on the edge.

“You remind me more of a cat. You know cats are notoriously difficult to train, right?” The confusion on her face was adorable. She breathed in and leaned back against the chair, still wincing with every move. I placed the hot porcelain cup in front of her and sat on a nearby chair. It would have felt great to have her sit closer but I tried not to interfere in her private space. “They've a mind of their own and do as they please, but once they're properly tamed and disciplined, their performances are a thing of beauty.”

“Don't think beautiful words will make me ignore the fact you just compared me to an animal. Even if I do love cats.” Lina forgot about ranting as soon as she caught the coffee fragrance. I gave her time to wake up completely and sipped some of the hot liquid myself. Her hands were shaking but her expression once she savored the contents of her cup was one of pure bliss. “You remember how I like my coffee?”

“Yes...” There was no time for hesitation or shyness but I had to choose my words carefully. “I remember everything about you, Lina, and you have fixed habits for everything.”

Lina took another sip and drummed her nails on the porcelain surface. As she brought the cup down to its matching saucer, she stated with a guarded voice, “Spoken like a true stalker.”

“Just a former personal assistant.” I'd sure make her pay for this provocation at some point. Then the memory of her reaction to the pain play resurfaced in my mind. Given her latent masochism, coming up with punishments would be a hard job. “It was not just because I was attracted to you. I wanted to do my job well and that meant I had to get to know you.”

“Let me guess, the fact you wanted to screw my brains out was just a bonus, right?” Her voice was biting but the corners of her lips turned up in a weak attempt at a smile.

“See? And you accuse me of being a stalker. Do you really hate that I know you so well?” The caffeine was kicking in and boosting my confidence.

Lina was studying the light wood of my table and kept her delicate fingers around the cup as if warming herself up.

“It's just frustrating my ex PA and current programmer knows me better than some of my old boyfriends.” It was impossible to miss the sadness in her strained voice.

What was more irritating – the knowledge Lina had dated such sub-par men or that she still thought I was just an employee after our incredible night? These negative thoughts could ruin my efforts so I pushed them out of my mind while considering my next move.

Lina was opening up and that was more significant than my ego.

“I won't comment on your taste in men, Lina, but domination and submission never works so well as it did with us without compatibility. Or are you denying that last night was special?”

She lapsed into silence and lowered her eyes to the coffee cup as if all the answers were there. For the next few minutes, the only sounds in the kitchen were the quiet rapping of smooth, manicured nails against the porcelain and the distant annoying chirping of birds. Even if Lina avoided looking directly at me, it was easy to see the wheels turning in her head. Some would have taken such a quietness as hesitation or a prelude to surrender.

When she finally spoke, she did it with the tough voice of a woman who has reloaded her weapons.

“Look, Thomas, last night was... really curious, different than anything I've ever experienced. I can't say it was unpleasant...”

“That would be quite a blatant lie. The floor of my basement is probably still soaked with how much you came.”

My boss knew me too little if she thought I'd let her forget about her wild abandon and hide in the illusion it had all been a dream. Lina blushed at the reminder and continued with slightly shattered confidence.

“All right, it was sexually enjoyable, but please don't tell me you seriously considered giving me any kind of therapy at any moment. Just admit it was a ploy for you to fulfill your sexual fantasy of bringing your boss down to her knees. It was nice not to be in charge for once so I can't say I blame you.” Her voice sounded nervous and she clutched her cup for dear life. “You wanted to fuck me and you did it. If I’ve got to be honest, I’ve also had occasional sexual thoughts for you. Can we just accept we are two adults who enjoyed themselves last night and move on? You're one of my best programmers and I don't want things between us to get awkward because of a night of kink.”

It didn't surprise me that she used the ‘you only tricked me so you’d get in my pants’ trump card. The funny thing was Lina sounded as rational as if we were leading a negotiation. Right now, though, I had to make her face reality.

“I understand why you may think so. I won't lie, I was being manipulative and part of my plan was to arouse you and earn your sexual submission.” She trembled as I placed my hand on top of hers. “But my initial motivation was to help you take care of your cigarette problem. Believe it or not, I...” Suddenly it was so hard to find the words. Maybe being too close to her made me think with my other head. I'd spent years lusting after this woman but I wasn’t sure if my feelings for her ran deeper. Leading her on or scaring her wasn't what I wanted. “I... well, I really care for you. It wasn't a lie that I helped my previous girlfriends. It was much easier with them because we were in relationships and they identified as subs.”

“This may be the root of the problem, Thomas.” Lina stared at me with determination and uttered slowly, “I don't think I’ve got it in me to be a submissive. I’d much rather have control of my life than have orgasms.”

I nearly burst in laughter. It was always cute when a woman like her tried to deny the obvious. However, I knew enough of human nature. If I made any attempts to persuade her, make her face who she was that would make her fight back with the ferocity of a wild cat. Lina would have to reach the conclusion by herself.

I brushed a lock of hair behind her ear and caressed her cheek as she waited for me to strike. Clearly, my boss expected me to try to bully her into confession. When it didn’t happen, she was at a loss for words.

“Then why did you have such a great time yesterday? I remember you didn't even mind me calling you 'pet'.”

“It was... conditioning.” She lowered her eyes to the cup of coffee. “It's biology. Our bodies are designed to respond to erotic impulses and stimulation. I'm a normal, red-blooded woman.”

“You don't say.” I smirked at her. Watching her plan her moves was almost as much fun as having her naked and at my mercy. Almost.

“So, yes, I guess you're simply great at pushing those buttons and turning a woman into a drenched slut.” Lina said the last word in a casual manner. It was still too early to decide if it was bravado or if she was getting over her slut issues. “We're made of flesh and blood. Practically anyone can become a panting sex slave in the appropriate conditions.”

“I don't know, Lina.” She looked disappointed when I moved my fingers away from her face. “You admitted you had a hard time climaxing...”

“Anything I said–”

“...and yet you were on the edge so many times last night. You confessed no one had made you feel like that before. Let's say you were under duress then and not responsible for your words. How about now?” I got up from my chair and moved to the other end of the table. “Did you ever have such an... enhanced, biologically conditioned orgasm?” I chuckled.

“Listen. Remember how you asked me why I was taking the risk of starting my own company instead of working as a highly paid Silicon Valley techie?”

In other circumstances, I wouldn't have let her get away with not answering my question, but this was an interesting twist to our conversation. I rubbed my chin, feigning deep thought, and gave her a carefree smile.

“I do remember very well. You never gave me a satisfactory response whenever I asked, but that is fairly typical for you, boss.”

“Don't push your luck.” She rolled her eyes and looked amused for a moment. “So, you want answers. I'll tell you why. I'm no good at following orders. At every company I worked for I was the smart ass black sheep who questioned everything and argued with her managers.”

I laughed out loud and inclined further, holding myself by the stomach. Lina looked at me with a raised eyebrow. Her expression was more confused than irritated.

“Sorry. The irony of you calling me 'brat' all those years was just too much.”

“Anyway,” she uttered through gritted teeth, “the most frequent replies I'd get were to start my own company if I thought I was better than everyone else. That’s exactly what I did. I set my own rules and play only according to them. Independence is something I've always craved. This is who I am, Thomas, a control freak. Not a cat on a leash. This will never work.”

The walls around her feelings couldn’t be torn down by weapons of war. She was too strong and even thousands of climaxes per day wouldn't change that, but I didn’t want to take her by force or brainwash her with pleasure. It would count as a victory only if Lina gave me the key herself.

“You know best who you are, Lina.” I raised my hands in pretend defeat. “If you say you're not submissive, I guess you're not, but tell me...” One step backward. “Didn't our play from last night have any effect on you? Do you feel any different?”

Lina blinked in bewilderment at my question. I must have completely defeated her expectations. Otherwise, she'd never have allowed herself such an obvious display of surprise. The shock faded quickly and Lina rested in her chair, not even wincing in pain at the shift in position.

“Well, I must admit this was the first morning for ages when I didn't wake up wanting a cigarette as soon as possible.” Panic rushed in her voice and she squeezed her cup so tightly it nearly broke in her hands. “But maybe it was because I was too busy getting over the fact I'd been dominated by you. It means nothing.”

“True.” A thrill ran through my body as I recognized a nearly invisible crack in her armor. I tried to stay focused but it was impossible to not get excited with how close I was. “But you use cigarettes as a coping mechanism for stress. Doesn't it make sense you would have wanted one before facing me? You didn’t even ask me to give you the pack. You were ready to flee from my house without saying goodbye but the thought of smoking didn't occur to you? That’s interesting.”

Lina looked down and I used the pause to enjoy one of those rare times she was at a loss for words. I returned to her side and placed a hand on her shoulder.

“Listen. You may not be the submissive type but my therapy seems to be working. I have a proposal for you. The next two months, come back to my house on Friday evenings and stay until Saturday morning. We'll engage in extensive play and some intense scenes. You'll be punished for every lapse in your habit, but if you succeed in quitting, you'll receive more pleasure than you've ever felt in your life. You'll keep the safeword you chose last night. All your hard limits will be respected, but you'll have to accept that you're not the boss in these scenes. I'll also demand partial control during the week.”

“Partial control? Oh, no, I'd never let you do anything to me in the office.” Lina paled and looked at me in horror. “I can't afford to be humiliated in front of everyone.”

“Relax.” I leaned forward and kissed her forehead while rubbing the side of her neck. “I'd never do anything to discredit you, Lina. I told you I care for you, but I have to make sure you're not smoking in secret. All my orders during the week will be subtle and I'm sure you'll love them. Give me two months and I promise to help you deal with your addiction.” I pressed my lips to hers and let my tongue sink deep into her mouth. She raised her tender palms and placed them on my chest, as if in an attempt to push me away. I sank my teeth into Lina's tongue and her low, sensual growl of pleasure reverberated inside me.

She must have felt my intense heartbeat and known I was just as nervous as she was. What if I failed? What if...

I broke the kiss and dragged her bottom lip down with my teeth. Lina was panting and pressing her thighs together. She no longer looked in pain or discomfort.

“What do you say, Miss Riley?”

“I... need to think about it.” She composed herself and looked at me. The desire in her blue eyes was in contrast with her harsh words. “But if I agree, you must know it would be just a business arrangement. It won't last more than those two months and we will never have a relationship. I'll only play the part of your pet.”

I was prepared for her to say something like this but it hurt nonetheless. The anger and insecurity made an attempt to take control of my actions. I brushed them off with a shrug of indifference. We were just at the beginning.