19 comments/ 36454 views/ 37 favorites Sweet Talk Ch. 01 By: EveHasFallen There was a distinct possibility, Annalise Marsh decided, that she would commit premeditated murder today. With her keys clenched in one hand, she climbed out of her car and crossed the street to the Counter Point condominiums. Where her future victim awaited. A strong wind blew in off the lake, tossing her shoulder-length brown hair all over her face. She tried to pull the hood of her jacket over her head, but the wind just whipped it right back off. Letting out an irritated curse, she walked up to the building entrance. Just to humor herself, and to give Jason one last chance at life, she stopped outside the double-glass doors in front of the condo and pressed the intercom button for #718. The nameplate next to the condo number read J. Blake. Her expression turned grim when the buzzer rang repeatedly. As she'd expected, Mr. Jason Blake wasn't answering. But he'd have to answer to her in a few minutes. Right before she murdered him. Anna turned to the door and tapped on the glass, catching the attention of the doorman who sat at a rounded desk just inside the condo lobby. He looked up from his newspaper and grinned when he recognized her. The door buzzed open and Anna gratefully stepped into the warm draft of air that wafted out to meet her. "Morning Miss Marsh," the doorman called out, tipping his cap to her as she walked by. "Good morning, James," she said, without her usual smile. "Uh oh. I've seen that look before," the doorman observed. "Want me to come up and hold Mr. Blake down while you kick him?" Anna couldn't help but chuckle at the crooked smile on the doorman's wrinkly face. James had to be in his early seventies. At least. "No, I think I can handle him," she laughed, pushing the elevator button. "Thanks for the offer, though." "All right. But you just say the word and his mail could start to mysteriously disappear." She laughed again as the elevator doors swished open. "Good to know." Inside the elevator, she hit the number for the seventh floor and felt her smile fade. Here I am, once again, she thought, being forced to baby-sit Jason Blake. She clenched her jaw in frustration. As the reigning darling of the "Cook Time" column in the Seattle Times, Jason had just been given a weekly thirty-minute slot on Wake Up, Seattle, the most widely-watched morning news show in the local broadcasting area. And because of his talent as a pastry chef, combined with good looks and more charisma than any one man deserved, he was constantly in demand for small-scale endorsements and charity events. Even viewer ratings of Wake Up, Seattle had increased by eight percent since Jason's undeniably handsome face had begun gracing the KIRA studio kitchens two months previously. If Seattle had celebrities other than a certain technology titan and a few sports stars, Jason was one of them. And, as his personal assistant, it was Anna's job to keep him afloat, in control, organized and, more than anything, she had to make sure the public saw his best and most polished image. Too bad he seemed intent on ruining that image. When the elevator doors opened, Anna emerged armed with a second set of keys—she had one to Jason's car and his condo, for emergencies. Like this one. Her star client, her only client, had overslept. Yet again. At least I hope he just overslept, she thought, opening his apartment door. Worst-case scenario, he'd taken it into his head to catch a red eye flight to Vegas for some spur of the moment gambling. These days, she never knew what to expect from him. Sighing, she admitted to herself that she should've quit three months ago when he'd shown up almost an hour late for an extremely important interview and photo shoot because he'd been test-driving a new car. But she hadn't been able to quit then because...well, because he was her best friend and had been since she was eleven. Loyalty really was her biggest weakness. "And that's something you need to work on," she muttered to herself as she stepped into the condo and called out into the darkness. "Jason? You home?" No reply. From what she could tell, he wasn't there. She'd kill him if he were out buying a boat or something. Walking toward the master bedroom, she took in the ashtray on the glass-topped coffee table, filled to the brim with half-smoked cigars and lipstick-smeared cigarettes. A woman. Great. Anna hesitated. Her first instinct had been to barge into Jason's bedroom and wake him up, but the possibility of walking in on something that she'd rather not see in this lifetime—namely, Jason naked and entangled with some nameless bimbo—held her back. Feeling like a nine-year-old, she tiptoed to the bedroom door, holding her breath as she pressed her ear up against the cool wood. Jason's steady snores drifted through the door. Well, at least he's not otherwise occupied, she thought. She knocked. "Jason?" Still nothing. "Hello?" More snoring greeted her. And, she figured, since some strange woman hadn't answered the door demanding to know who she was, he was probably sleeping alone. Hopefully. Anna cracked the door and peeked inside. Definitely alone. He lay face down on the bed, sprawled diagonally across the queen-size mattress. She inched inside and took in the fact that he was shirtless, the blankets scrunched down around his waist, revealing the toned planes of his muscular back. A thick pillow partially covered his face, but his soft, steady-paced snores sounded perfectly clear. "Here you have a taping with PBS in two hours," Anna muttered to herself, "and you're dead asleep." Without hesitation, and spurred by her irritation, she walked to the side of the bed nearest his head and shook his shoulder. "Jason, it's a quarter past ten." He mumbled something about turning the volume on the TV down and burrowed deeper underneath the pillow. More irritated, she regressed to a technique she'd used to wake him back when they were still kids. She pinched his shoulder. Hard. Before Anna could react, one of his arms shot up and dragged her underneath him. Her heart started a sudden pounding that she felt in her throat. "Jason!" she squeaked. "Get off!" That last part came out a bit breathless. Jason, on the other hand, was still mostly asleep and operating on pure instinct. "I told you, no biting," he mumbled, settling the weight of his upper body across hers, pinning her in place. Then, while she lay in motionless shock, he nuzzled his stubbly chin into the sensitive area between her jaw and collarbone. "Mmm," he murmured into her ear. For a very long moment, Anna stayed still, holding her breath. She allowed herself to enjoy his weight pressing into her; she inhaled the smell of him, a combination of spicy-sweet cigar smoke, a hint of cinnamon and something simply...Jason. His dark hair felt impossibly soft where it brushed against her cheek and, more than anything, she wanted to run her fingers through it. She let seconds tick by, stifling her anger for the moment, and reveled in being so close to him. So near to this large, handsome, talented and infuriating man who wasn't only her client—but who was also the love of her life and had been for thirteen years. No matter what she did to try to change that. She was about to push him off of her when his lips, warm and slightly damp, pressed into her neck. At the same time, he ran a hand up her side, slipping underneath her unzipped jacket. Heat spread through her; a decidedly unwelcome mix of arousal and longing...quickly followed by panic when his hand pushed under her shirt to her bare skin. "Jason," she half-shouted, shifting beneath him, trying to get up. "Stop!" "Mmm," he repeated. "Your hair smells good, Tammi." Tammi? For a split second, Anna froze; a wave of all-too-familiar anger and embarrassment washed over her. Then she reached up and twisted his nipple as hard as she could. A yelp of pain escaped him and his eyes popped open, revealing a bleary, blood-shot hazel gaze. Surprised, he blinked down at her. "Anna?" He quickly pulled his hand out from under her shirt. Stupidly, his hurried retreat irked her just a little. "Get off me," she said, her tone even. But instead of moving, he relaxed his arms and settled his chest back onto her, propping himself up on both elbows. "What're you doing here?" he asked on a yawn. "And why the hell did you just try to rip my nipple off?" She gave him a nasty smile. "It was a wake-up call since you're obviously too hung-over to answer your cell phone. Or your pager. Or your intercom. Or—" "I get the point," he interrupted. "Still, violence was uncalled for, sugar." "Don't call me that," she grunted, shoving at his immovable chest. "And get off of me." Shifting playfully, he settled more comfortably on top of her. "You know, for such a tiny girl, you're kind of cushiony. Guess that's one of the perks of puberty, huh?" Anna felt her cheeks redden, worsened by the fact that Jason noticed and laughed at her. "Oh, grow up," she muttered. "No, thanks," he shot back. "Besides, I don't think grown men get wake up calls like this one and I kinda liked it." He glanced at the skin around his nipple, now a faint red color. "Well, besides the pinching, clearly." Determined to chastise him despite the fact that he was pinning her down on his bed, while shirtless, Anna set her chin. "Either way, you still have that show to tape in less than two hours. So I suggest you get off of me and—" Abruptly, he rolled away, pushed her to the far side of the bed and tucked his arms underneath a pillow. "Sugar—Anna," he corrected, when her eyes narrowed, "Wake me up in thirty minutes. I need my beauty sleep." Then he closed his eyes, effectively dismissing her. Pressed near the end of her rope, Anna took another page from the childhood she'd spent growing up with Jason and her older brother, Nate. Staring at Jason's perfect, yet irritating features, she eased off the bed and with deep enjoyment, yanked the pillow out from under his cheek. His dark head hit the plush mattress with a dull thud. His eyes popped open. "What the..." he began, but trailed off, watching as Anna circled to the bottom of the bed. "Hey!" he protested when she cleanly swept the expensive comforter and top sheet into a pile on the floor. She knew Jason couldn't sleep on an empty bed and he hated having the lights on so, for good measure, she crossed the room and turned those on, as well. Jason was staring at her with a mix of amusement and irritation on his face. "Now who's being childish?" he asked with a quirked eyebrow. "I only stooped to your level," she replied then tossed all of the bedding into the hallway. "Now get up, or I start pinching again." "Fine." He swung his legs over the edge of the bed and gave her an irritated look. "When did you get so damn pushy?" "Right around the same time you got lazy," she said, literally pushing him into the large en suite bathroom. It took all of her concentration to ignore how incredibly firm the muscles beneath the warm skin on his back felt. She backed away as soon as his bare feet hit the tile floor. From inside the bathroom, Jason turned and peeked his head around the door. "You know what would help my laziness?" She shot him a wary look. "What?" "Coffee. And lots of it." Anna rolled her shoulders, relaxing out the tension. If he was asking for coffee, he wasn't going to drag his feet anymore this morning. Thank God. It seemed like over the last few weeks—months, actually—she'd had to constantly prod him just to keep him on track. Already remaking the bed, she didn't even glance up. "Coffee. I'm on it." "That's why I love you, sugar," he said. "Always taking care of me." Then the door closed and the shower went on. As she methodically tucked and folded the sheet and comforter back into place, all she could think about was that someday—soon—she needed to start taking care of herself, too. Half an hour later, Jason re-appeared, not fully dressed, but freshly shaved. Anna was in the kitchen, stationed in front of the toaster, waiting for her pop tarts to emerge. She'd been so preoccupied with getting to Jason's house to get him up and ready, she'd completely missed breakfast and hadn't realized it until the near-crisis was almost over. "You know those things are like ninety-nine percent artificial ingredients and preservatives, right?" Jason asked, coming up behind her to plant a brotherly kiss on her cheek. He smelled pleasantly of after-shave and Anna, despite herself, inhaled deeply. "I found them in your cupboard," she told him. "You lie." His tone held mock insult. When the pop tarts shot up out of the toaster, Anna gathered them on a saucer. "There's a box of Lucky Charms in there, too. I guess you're going to deny all knowledge of those, right?" Jason poured himself a steaming cup of the gourmet coffee he loved. "Nope. That leprechaun doesn't lie—those things are magically delicious," he said, making her laugh. He crossed the kitchen and took a stool next to where she'd settled herself at the marble-topped island in the center of the room. She'd just opened her mouth to reply when he deftly scooped the remaining pop tart off her plate and took a bite, leaving her only half. "Hey! What happened to preservatives and artificial ingredients?" she pouted, eyeing the rest of her pop tart glumly. "You jerk, the strawberry ones are my favorite." Jason was still chewing, but managed a self-satisfied grin. He took a swallow of coffee. "I burned my tongue if it makes you feel better. That strawberry filling is like molten lava." Anna smirked. "That's what you get." Jason sipped his coffee then gave her a quizzical look. "What time am I supposed to be at the CBS station, again?" "It's the PBS station, Jason," Anna said, clearly exasperated, but realized he was just messing with her when she caught his laughing gaze. "God, you're such an ass," she muttered. "But it's a nice one, huh?" he joked, leaning to the side on his stool so part of his butt, clad in gray sweats, came into view. Too her credit, Anna ignored him. "Not to mention conceited," she added. He had good reason, though, she admitted to herself. He did have a pretty nice butt. Giving herself a mental shake, she quickly changed the subject. "Did you fax your entry packet to the Culinary Association?" Confused, she watched as Jason's light-hearted expression disappeared. "Do we have to talk about this now?" he asked. Anna frowned. What was his problem? He'd been avoiding talking about the Seattle Culinary Association's annual recipe contest all month. The SCA chose several top-ranking local chefs to submit recipes and, based on that and other criteria, gave out awards at a huge ceremony. But Jason was acting like they wanted to publish his secret recipes on the front-page of the Times or something. "Uh, yeah, now would be nice considering you keep putting them off." She sighed, studying his profile. "Jay, they're going to skip right over you if you don't show at least some interest." He slid from his stool and walked over to refill his coffee cup, keeping his back to her. "I think I can live without a nod from the Association, Anna." She wanted to throw her saucer at him. "I know you can, but I thought the whole idea here was for your career to get bigger. Better. You know? Advancement?" When he finally turned back toward her, the scowl on his face showed his irritation. Well, too bad for him, she wasn't letting the subject drop this time. "They only nominate something like twenty-five local chefs, so I don't know why—" "Because I'm not a chef, Anna," he said angrily. "I'm a damn baker, okay?" His outburst shocked both of them. Jason rarely swore in front of her, and almost never at her. The fact that he had meant something was wrong. Something more than he was telling her. "What's wrong?" she asked. "I'm sorry," he muttered at the same time, avoiding her eyes. Putting his cup in the sink, he came up and wrapped his arms around her from behind in a familiar bear hug. A warm, pleasant tingling spread through her whole body, but she ignored it, forcing herself to focus on Jason's words. "Look," he said, "can I just get through this taping today before you start pestering me about submitting a recipe to the Association?" His newly-shaved chin slid against her cheek when she turned toward him. "I'm not pestering," she protested. "I'm persistent. There's a difference." "Fine," he amended, "can we get through today without you persistently pestering me about the Association? I'll get around to it later this week. Friday at the latest." "You promise?" The scent of his after-shave came to her again when he kissed her cheek. "I swear." Anna chewed her lip, not ready to accept his too-easy capitulation. "Because if I end up having to make last minute phone calls, Jason, I'll—" The pressure of his arms squeezing her brought her to a halt. "Geeze, Anna. I told you I'll do it. Have a little faith, will you?" "Fine. This is me having faith." She pushed at his arms, needing to put some space between them. "Now will you go get dressed? You barely have an hour before you need to be there. And, knowing you, your little primping session's going to take up most of that time." Releasing his hold, Jason shot her a careless grin. The same grin that had charmed thousands of Northwest women into tuning in to his show each week. "My primping can't be helped, sugar. Perfection takes time." He backed toward the door with his arms flung wide. "You can't expect me to rise from my beauty rest and not put in a little effort. In fact, the only thing better than seeing me in the morning is—hey!" He ducked the dishtowel Anna threw at him. She gave him a sweet smile. "Sorry. I couldn't take much more of that." "Sad you're missing out on the Jason-mobile?" he teased, turning so he was looking over his shoulder and smacked a hand on his butt. Rolling her eyes, Anna let out an exasperated breath. "I have no idea why women think you're so damn attractive," she said. "If only they knew about the dork within." "It's all about the baking, sugar." His smile widened into a devastating grin. "You ladies can't resist something sweet." "This lady can," she countered. "Now go get dressed! You're gonna be late." With a teasing salute, he disappeared around the corner. As Anna predicted, they were almost fifteen minutes late getting to the PBS studios. But within thirty seconds of their arrival, Jason had charmed nearly everyone in earshot to the point that they would have waited around if he'd said he wanted to take a quick nap. On top of that, he got down to work so quickly and smoothly that every person in the room couldn't help but be mesmerized. Standing on the sidelines behind the huge cameras, Anna watched him work with a grudging sense of wonder and, yes, pride. The man was an absolute genius at what he did. On the surface, he was just a twenty-six-year-old guy who made desserts. Most of his creations wouldn't even qualify him to be classified as a pastry chef, despite the fact that he'd graduated from the Culinary Institute of America, one of the most prestigious culinary schools in the country. And after graduation, he'd spent a few years in three and four star restaurants across New York and Boston. The plan had been for him to get his fill of the high-class, cutting edge 'cheffing,' as he called it, before coming back to Washington to work alongside Anna's dad in the Marsh family bakery; the same bakery where he'd learned how to make his first pie crusts and cake batters under Charlie Marsh's eye. Sweet Talk Ch. 01 But all of those plans had been horribly derailed when her dad and brother Nate died in a car crash in Florida at the beginning of her junior year in college. Over two years had passed since the accident, but the same sadness tightened Anna's throat. Missing them had become part of her being the same way Jason's friendship had taken on a whole new dimension after the crash. Her dad had been a surrogate father for him. And since she and Jason had both grown up without mothers, losing her dad and brother left them both feeling like orphans. Besides her cousin Keera, he was the only family she had left. Jason's easy laughter and soothing voice, amplified in the cavernous studio, pulled Anna back from her melancholy memories. Blinking, she focused on the last portion of the taping. "Now," Jason said, aiming a perfect smile at the cameras, "this is where a lot of you at home might run into trouble, but I'm going to show you a little trick." He was making his famous Chocolate Kiss muffins, the ones that constantly sold-out at Sugar, the dessert shop he co-owned with Sam Wyatt, a fellow Culinary Institute graduate. Even though she'd seen Jason make these same muffins dozens of times, Anna couldn't take her eyes away from him. He rarely did anything on a basic level, and those muffins were a perfect example of that. Rather than a simple batch of chocolate baked goods, he upped the ante by combining them with a hand-made chocolate mousse filling and a warm vanilla sauce. He'd already baked the muffins and removed them from the oven, filling the studio with the homey aromas of chocolate and vanilla bean. While effortlessly whisking a mixture of gourmet chocolate, ground espresso, butter and dark rum in a double boiler, he spoke into the cameras. "We're just about done with the chocolate here, so let me show you my secret weapon for creating the perfect, knee-buckling mousse." Removing the chocolate from the heat, he grabbed a carton of heavy cream and a small, cardboard box. "This, my friends," he said, holding up the box, "is plain gelatin. Now, I know, you're wondering, 'Jason, what're you going to do with that?' And I'll tell you if you give me a second.'" He chuckled to himself and ripped the box open. "Adding just a bit of gelatin to your mousse keeps it from getting so moist that it turns into a wet pudding. It'd be a nice pudding," he pointed out, sprinkling some gelatin into a small portion of the cream, which he'd set aside, "but it'd still be pudding." The cream then went over the gas range for a few moments. "We're not boiling the cream, guys, we're just heating things up a little, incorporating the gelatin." The mixing cup received a few expert swirls from his wrist. "Okay, now set that aside for a second because we're about to take out some aggression on the rest of this cream." A handheld mixer went into the cream for several minutes, all the while, Jason chatted with the camera like an old friend. "...and the first time I made this recipe, I had to have been about fourteen," he shook his head. "I was working through summer in a bakery owned by the father of a good friend," Anna smiled at that, "and I ended up with a football-sized wad of chocolate mush. Let's just say that was the last time I got to make a mousse for the next few years." Pausing, he checked the stiffness of the cream and declared it, "Ready to rumble." He folded the fluffy, white-peaked cream into the melted chocolate bit by bit, until only a few streaks of white remained. "In this case, streaking is absolutely acceptable," Jason joked, then, grinning, cocked an eyebrow at the camera. "I'll give you a second to think about that one. You'll get it." From below the counter, he pulled out a chilled batch of mousse he'd brought from home, peeling back the layer of plastic wrap. "Now, for the fun part." Spilling six of the jumbo-size muffins onto a platter, he held up a finger to the camera. "Give me two seconds to make the vanilla sauce and I'll show you how to create a bit of heaven in your kitchen." Heavy cream, sugar and real vanilla, flavored with a dash of espresso, quickly melted in a copper-bottom saucepan. "All right, magic time," Jason announced. The showboating ended, his entire attention focused on the final creation. "Let's just...make a little room for our mousse here," he pressed into the top of three muffins with a small ice cream scoop. A thin, wispy puff of chocolate-scented steam escaped. With the precision of a surgeon, Jason dropped a heaping scoop of chilled mousse into the warm, moist muffin centers. And when he topped the already decadent confection with the hot vanilla sauce, audible sighs issued up from around the studio. Anna grinned. Jason's desserts tended to have that effect on people. Laughing, Jason turned his attention back to the cameras. "You have no idea how many groans of pleasure I just heard here in the studio." A playful smile spread across his handsome face. "Lucky for them, I'm willing to share. But you'll have to make these on your own to find out how fabulous they are." A muffin and mousse laden fork found its way to his mouth and he rolled his eyes as he chewed. "Believe me, they're awesome. Thanks for watching, guys, and for letting me sweeten your day." "Cut," the producer, Stan, called out. "Jason, you were great," he proclaimed. "Let's take a five minute break and we'll come back and do a few promos and sound-bites." The studio lights went on, making Anna blink at the sudden brightness. She'd taken maybe one step toward Jason before she saw the absolute stampede of women headed his way. Two she recognized as hair and make-up, but the others, she was certain, were simply there to meet Jason Blake, celebrity chef. She'd need a stun gun to get anywhere near him in the next few minutes. She rolled her eyes and turned toward the studio door. Maybe she'd be able to find a nearby bathroom without getting lost in the studio's maze-like hallways. "Anna!" Jason's voice stopped her. She turned, but didn't make a move toward him. Those women looked downright frenzied. Keeping a safe distance, she raised her eyebrows, silently asking what he wanted. "Water," he half-shouted. "They've only got mineral water." Which, she knew, he hated. "I think I saw a vending machine downstairs..." he trailed off, giving her puppy-dog eyes. An exasperated sigh escaped her, but she waved her hand at him. "I'll get it, don't worry." She might as well have been talking to herself, though, because he'd already turned his attention back to his little fan club. Typical Jason, Anna thought, as she walked into the hallway. She got stuck running errands while he basked in the limelight with no idea how much time and effort she put into making his career smooth sailing. Yeah, that was part of her job description, but he didn't really make it easy on her, either. She grimaced. Just today, when they'd shown up late, Jason had been whisked away to hair and make-up while she'd been stuck practically being chewed out by Stan, the producer. The same producer who'd just gushed about how great a job Jason had done, an hour earlier had been ranting about how they were on a time-crunch and didn't have the luxury of waiting around for people. Five minutes later, Jason swept in, wiped away any lingering irritation and set about creating his insanely rich, but utterly addictive, muffins. As she visualized them, she realized that she really, really wanted one. A chocolate fix was the best way to boost one of her darker moods and the longer she thought about her role as Jason's personal assistant, the more depressed she became. It had all started out as a temporary position; she'd come to work for him a few months after the car accident. Part-way through her junior year, she'd just fallen apart and, when she told Jason she wanted to quit school, he'd insisted that she only take a leave of absence and work for him for a month or two, six tops. But that had been right around the time he'd moved back from Boston and opened Sugar with Sam. Almost overnight, the place became a huge success and so did Jason. By then, things were much too busy for Anna to go back to school, so she decided to stick around over the summer. Then that turned into 'just until spring semester starts.' And, before she knew it, here she was, two years later: twenty-four, no college degree and working for her increasingly infuriating best friend. Not to mention the fact that she was undeniably in love with him. Yep, that just made things so much more fun, she bitterly thought, walking into the ladies' room. Staring at her reflection in the mirror under the bathroom's harsh, fluorescent lights, she couldn't help but take in the faint circles beneath her eyes. The exhaustion in her body showed there, but it wasn't only physical. Her emotional and mental self were tired, too. Part of the reason she'd stuck by Jason for so long, she admitted to herself, wasn't because he needed her, but because she loved him and wanted to be near him. That love had been there since she was a little girl, but when her dad and Nate died, it made her realize that losing Jason would be her breaking point. So she'd clung to him. But now...she'd begun to realize that no matter what she did, or how much she gave, Jason would never see her as anything other than Nate's little sister. Anna knew he loved her and cared about her, but he'd never be in love with her. It was time for her to move on, she knew. Start her life up again. No longer revolve around Jason Blake. As she left the bathroom and walked toward the stairs, she realized that was probably easier said than done. With a sigh, she headed for the downstairs vending machine Jason had mentioned. After getting lost—twice—she finally found the front desk. "Excuse me," she asked. "Is there a vending machine around here? One with water?" The receptionist, a youngish-looking redhead with green eyes and porcelain skin shook her head. "Not in the building. There's a grocery store right across the street, though." She smiled and Anna absently mused that she was exactly Jason's type. Cute. Bubbly. And busty. "Thanks," Anna muttered. Glancing at her watch, she saw she still had a couple of minutes before they went back to filming. Even if she didn't make it back on time, Jason would still want the water after they wrapped up for the day. She headed for the store. Several minutes later, Anna returned, hurrying past the now-empty front desk. The trip to the grocery store had taken longer than she'd expected. They'd be filming by the time she got back up there, but that was fine. Going up the stairs to the studio, she was just congratulating herself on finding her way back without getting lost when she heard a loud, angry voice coming from the direction of the studio. "Please tell me Jason didn't set something on fire," she said aloud. But when she walked through the studio door, it was quickly apparent that Jason wasn't even there. Stan, the burly producer, was ranting at one of the make-up girls who looked to be on the verge of tears. Anna steeled herself and asked, "Is there a prob—" Before she even got the sentence fully out of her mouth, the producer turned on her. "I don't know what kind of ship they run over at the KIRA studios, but we stick to deadlines here." Anna blinked in confusion. Hadn't they already gotten past the fact that Jason showed up late? Speaking of which, where was he? "Uh...where's Jason?" she asked, not knowing what else to say. The producer shoved his headset off his head. "That's exactly what I'd like to know. We've been waiting on him for ten minutes." Great. Just perfect. They'd managed to smooth things over with the producer, then Jason went and disappeared. "I'm sorry about this, Stan," Anna apologized. "I'm just going to go check the bathroom. I'm sure he's—" "I already sent someone and he's not in there," Stan crossed his arms over his chest. "This a habit of his? Keeping people waiting?" Yes, yes it is, she thought. "No, he..." Anna fumbled for a response. "There must be some kind of emergency or something. Give me a minute. I'll find him." And then she'd kill him like she should have done that morning. Stalking the halls of the studio, she had a stranglehold on the bottle of water in her hand by the time she made it all the way downstairs. She'd looked in every possible place he might have been between the second and first floors, but couldn't find him. Heading for the reception desk, she was hoping to ask the redhead if she'd seen Jason. Only the desk was still empty. Anna stood in indecision for a moment and had just turned to head back upstairs when she heard a quiet giggle from an alcove a little ways past the reception desk. Answering male laughter, laughter that sounded suspiciously like Jason's, caused Anna's hands to clench. Full of simmering anger, she headed toward the alcove and rounded the corner. Three vending machines backed up against three walls, framed Jason's form leaning over the redhead who was, to Anna's disgust, literally batting her fake eyelashes at him. Her entire body went rigid with anger. But she kept her tone even when she said, "Jason. They're waiting for you. In the studio." Surprised by her voice, he stood up. "Oh...hey, Anna." Anna repeated herself, too angry to form any other sentence. "They're waiting for you." Jason stepped out of the alcove, followed by the dreamy-eyed receptionist. "Whoops. I kind of lost track of the time," he said. At least he had the decency to look chagrined. But even that didn't last. "I was looking for you, Anna. And, Stacey here," he grinned at the receptionist, "was nice enough to show me where the vending machines are." "I just bought you a bottled water," Anna pointed out. He shrugged. "Yeah, I changed my mind, so I bought a soda." A very pleasant vision of the bottled water bashing against the side of his face flitted through Anna's mind. Her nails sunk into the hard plastic, but she kept calm. Mostly. "Look, can you just get back up there? The producer just yelled at me and—" "Just a sec, sugar," he said, already turning toward Stacey-the-receptionist, who'd slipped back behind her desk. "Why don't you come up and watch the rest of the filming?" His voice was a smooth and rich as the chocolate he'd whipped into a mousse earlier. Anna's anger doubled. The redhead smiled seductively. "Well, I guess I could take my lunch break a little early." When she stepped out from behind the desk, Jason ushered her in front of him, leaving Anna to take up the rear. As they passed a trashcan on the way upstairs, she unceremoniously dumped the bottle of water into the trashcan. She considered shoving Jason in right after, but his little redhead probably would've pulled him right back out. Upstairs, Jason made breezy apologies, while the receptionist watched the last thirty minutes of the taping from the sidelines. Right where Anna had been standing earlier. This time around, she wasn't nearly as charmed by Jason's performance. And a quick glance at Stan, the producer, told her that he, too, had had his fill of Jason Blake's antics. Anna seethed in silence. That scene downstairs, Jason chatting up a receptionist when there was work to be done, had become his trademark these days. It wasn't always a receptionist, though. No, sometimes he'd forget about a meeting or he wouldn't return phone calls. He'd become careless with everything. Everything except his baking and his role at Sugar. It seemed like his dessert shop was the only thing he really cared about anymore. Even more than Anna. She knew it was incredibly childish and irrational to be jealous of a dessert shop, but she couldn't help it. While Jason had been treating her like an accessory or an afterthought, he'd lavished so much of his attention, passion and, yes, love on Sugar. And it showed. The place was always packed and always received rave reviews. But Anna felt like she was simply a means to an end for him, someone there to tie up all the loose ends and make everything bump-free. At first, she'd loved that he relied on her, but now she felt like he was simply taking her for granted. Plus the fact that she'd grown tired of having to constantly check in on him. But their friendship, and her stubborn heart, wouldn't let her desert him. Even when she knew that's what she should do, for her own good. The taping ended and, again, the bright studio lights flicked on, startling Anna. Ready to leave, she paced toward the door, heartily regretting the fact that she'd ridden with Jason and left her car parked at his condo. Even as she watched, he chatted with the PBS staffers, before making his way toward the redhead. They openly flirted as Jason guided her toward where Anna was standing by the door to the hallway. "That sounds great," she heard the receptionist say. "I've never been to the Blue Room. I hear the food's amazing, though. I'd love to go." Anna studiously forced a neutral expression onto her face when the two stopped only a few feet from her, despite the anger knotted in the pit of her belly. Her efforts were wasted, though, since Jason and the receptionist barely acknowledged her presence. "Great," Jason said, giving the redhead a long, appreciative smile. "I'll have my assistant make reservations." Anna's spine stiffened. Jason didn't notice, too busy watching the receptionist walk away. "God, I love my job," he breathed. Then, hooking an arm around Anna's stiff shoulders, he guided her into the hallway. "Want to grab lunch at Palermo's?" Anna ducked out from underneath his arm. "Sorry, I have plans." Jason gave a short laugh. "Sugar, making phone calls and sending emails doesn't really count as plans." His amused tone irritated her. "Maybe I have a date," she said, with probably more satisfaction in her tone than she'd intended. "Since when are you dating anyone?" The incredulous expression on his face made Anna want to stomp on his arrogant toes. Was it such a hugely impossible stretch of the imagination to think that someone might want to date her? Okay, sure, she didn't really have a date and she was planning on making some phone calls and sending a few emails, but that wasn't the point. The point was that Jason Blake was, quite possibly, one of the most selfish, obtuse men she'd ever met in her life. And you love him, her mind reminded her. Gritting her teeth, she showed her irritation. "Can we just go? I want to get my car and head home," she pushed past him and walked down the hall. "Whoa, wait a second." He caught up to her and blocked her path. "What's the deal? You mad at me?" His tone told her that he couldn't fathom a single reason why she might be upset with him. Idiot. She met his hazel gaze. "I'm tired, Jay." Of cleaning up after you. Of putting you first. Of wanting you...She cleared her throat. "I just...want to go home. Shower." She glanced down at herself. " Change clothes." His brow scrunched up, taking in her slacks, plain blouse and jacket. "Why? You're wearing what you always wear. You look exactly like you always do." Yet another deep breath helped calm her taut nerves. "Contrary to popular belief, Jay, I actually have other clothes. Other than the ones I work in." Not that he would know considering she was always working these days. The confusion in his eyes increased. "Okay..." he said. It was clear that her anger had only succeeded in confusing him. She started walking again. "Look, can we just go?" All she wanted to do was go home, take a long, hot bath and feel sorry for herself. While trying to hate him. Unfortunately for her, he wouldn't shut up. "Anna wait, I have to—" Sweet Talk Ch. 01 She cut him off, suddenly too tired to hear what he had to say. " Jay, my head hurts. Can whatever it is wait until later? Please?" They'd made it outside to his car. He beeped the lock and she reached for the door handle, but he grabbed her hand. "You wanna tell me what's wrong?" He, too, sounded angry now. "Nothing," she lied. His tone gentled, but only slightly. "Then why are acting like this all of a sudden?" Because working for you and loving you is tearing me apart inside, her mind screamed. A heavy tiredness settled on her. She knew the time had come. She finally had to say what she should have said weeks ago, months ago. Two years ago, if she was absolutely honest. Three words that would change her life. Free her from the burden she'd been carrying for too long. Three simple words. Anna took a deep breath and looked into his striking, hazel eyes. "Jay, I quit." Sweet Talk Ch. 02 Lily Anna drifted, feeling herself aware of where she was, but too lethargic to move. She felt aroused and her hands idly roamed across her flesh. Her clothes were draped around her chair, crumpled and forgotten on the floor. If anyone had asked her whether she was wearing them she would probably have known where they were, but even wondering about her clothes or being naked was too much trouble. She didn't want to be taken out of this relaxed place she was in. [SlipsInsideHer]: How are you doing? [LilyAnna]: Feeling relaxed and sexy. [SlipsInsideHer]: Good. Just lie there and imagine the sun shifting between the leaves of those trees as you lie there looking up at it. The breeze rocks the leaves back and forth in front of its hot round face, just as you rock slowly back and forth in your hammock. Feeling so relaxed. You feel those hands sliding over your breasts and down over your stomach. There is nowhere they can't reach, and they feel as though they are my hands teasing you and holding you. You feel held and excited by the stimulation don't you? [LilyAnna]: Yes. It's wonderful feeling. [SlipsInsideHer]: it's easy to focus on that image in your mind isn't it? [LilyAnna]: yes very Somehwere Lily Anna realized what he was doing, but it was too late. She could already see the sun and the leaves trying to shade her. She felt the rocking motion lulling her and sapping any strength to put up any resistance. She just sank deeper into her chair. [SlipsInsideHer]: and you can already feel yourself relaxing [SlipsInsideHer]: as you see those branches swaying overhead, whispering to you. [LilyAnna]: yes [SlipsInsideHer]: swaying and rustling gently in the breeze under the heat of the sun. [SlipsInsideHer]: left and right, rustling and whispering [SlipsInsideHer]: so peaceful [SlipsInsideHer]: so content [SlipsInsideHer]: not a care in the world right now [SlipsInsideHer]: just you and the trees [SlipsInsideHer]: no need to look around [SlipsInsideHer]: no need to listen to anything [SlipsInsideHer]: you hear their whispering [SlipsInsideHer]: feel the hammock holding you, taking the tension out of your shoulders. Allow yourself to sink deeper into it, you feel it envelope you. [SlipsInsideHer]: don't you? [LilyAnna]: yyes She was so relaxed now it was getting hard to type. The author spent several more minutes telling her about the things she saw. He really had such a good eye for all the details she would have missed otherwise. He had typed something she missed. She was really glad to have time for herself. The sun felt so good on her face. She loved being here like this. It had to be one of the most relaxing places on earth. She let her fingers rest on the keyboard, wondering why she had a keyboard here at all. [SlipsInsideHer]: and you see those trees, nothing else, their whispering and my words See his words? Well, yes, of course she sees them, or did she hear them? Were the trees whispering his words to her as she lay under their shade? [SlipsInsideHer]: back and forth; gently rocking. [SlipsInsideHer]: relaxing you more and more [SlipsInsideHer]: your eyes narrow in the glare of the light. [SlipsInsideHer]: the branches blur into a pattern [SlipsInsideHer]: still rocking as you gaze at the pattern [SlipsInsideHer]: lose focus [SlipsInsideHer]: still so relaxing isn't it? [LilyAnna]: yyes vrery [SlipsInsideHer]: you see only patterns constantly shifting [SlipsInsideHer]: yet you feel it still relaxing you [SlipsInsideHer]: all you can see is light and shade swirling round together [SlipsInsideHer]: your mind lazily follows the pattern [SlipsInsideHer]: drifting round and round with it [SlipsInsideHer]: forgetting everything but your desire to watch the changing patterns in your eyes [SlipsInsideHer]: and it relaxes you even more [SlipsInsideHer]: doesn't it? [LilyAnna]: yyys so dreamy [SlipsInsideHer]: and now you see my words flitting in and out of those patterns [SlipsInsideHer]: as they relax you [SlipsInsideHer]: you hear nothing but the rustling in the background [SlipsInsideHer]: lulling you as you feel held in your safe hammock [SlipsInsideHer]: relaxing you even more [SlipsInsideHer]: don't you? [LilyAnna]: yss safe [SlipsInsideHer]: and you feel my words [SlipsInsideHer]: whispering to you [SlipsInsideHer]: as you float in relaxation [SlipsInsideHer]: everything gone now but the relaxation and my words [SlipsInsideHer]: and my words are so relaxing, aren't they? [LilyAnna]: yes [SlipsInsideHer]: and as you listen to them, they carry you along, you feel your hammock tilting and you slide towards the tree [SlipsInsideHer]: your feet slipping over the material until you find you are standing on a step [SlipsInsideHer]: there is a stair cut into the wood of the tree. It has a large trunk and the stairs wind round it. [SlipsInsideHer]: you cannot see where these steps lead as they wind around the trunk. They disappear from view. [SlipsInsideHer]: you follow them, step by step. Still relaxed and being led [SlipsInsideHer]: up and up [SlipsInsideHer]: round and round the tree [SlipsInsideHer]: and as you climb, you feel the sun warmer on your face [SlipsInsideHer]: and you slip deeper into this trance [SlipsInsideHer]: do you understand? [LilyAnna]: yse [SlipsInsideHer]: as you climb each step, you relax more and trust more [SlipsInsideHer]: you do not know where they lead, but you want to go up [SlipsInsideHer]: you enjoy the deepening relaxation you feel [SlipsInsideHer]: this feels so right. [SlipsInsideHer]: and as you climb I want you to write the number of the step. Counting them and how far you have relaxed [SlipsInsideHer]: with each step you count a little more of your worries drift away [SlipsInsideHer]: begin now Without even thinking how absurd this shift was, Lily Anna saw herself at the bottom of this wooden staircase, spiralling up the tree. It was a large oak tree that towered over her, and she wanted to climb up. She wanted to feel the sun on her face. She wanted to escape the dark shadows on the ground and be up among those rustling branches that were lulling her deeper into sleep. Unconcerned, she began to write the numbers, as she saw her feet lift step by step upwards. Each time she felt satisfaction and she became focused on counting them and let everything else drift from her consciousness. [LilyAnna]: 1…2…3…4…5 [SlipsInsideHer]: going deeper [LilyAnna]: 666 [LilyAnna]: 7 [SlipsInsideHer]: letting go with every number [LilyAnna]: 88 [LilyAnna]: 9 [LilyAnna]: 10 [LilyAnna]: 11 [SlipsInsideHer]: giving in to the relaxing feeling you feel [LilyAnna]: 12 [LilyAnna]: 13 [SlipsInsideHer]: wanting to just float [LilyAnna]: 14 [LilyAnna]: 115 [SlipsInsideHer]: wanting no thoughts [LilyAnna]: 116 [LilyAnna]: 17 [SlipsInsideHer]: wanting to forget it all [LilyAnna]: 18 [LilyAnna]: 1199 [LilyAnna]: 20 [SlipsInsideHer]: wanting to let go completely [LilyAnna]: 221 [LilyAnna]: 222222 [SlipsInsideHer]: to surrender to the trance [LilyAnna]: 23 [LilyAnna]: 2224 [SlipsInsideHer]: surrender to hypnosis [LilyAnna]: 25 [SlipsInsideHer]: and float [LilyAnna]: 26 [LilyAnna]: 27 [LilyAnna]: 228 [LilyAnna]: 299 [LilyAnna]: 30 [SlipsInsideHer]: getting harder and harder to think [LilyAnna]: 331 [SlipsInsideHer]: becoming so relaxed [LilyAnna]: 3332222 [LilyAnna]: 333333333333333 [LilyAnna]: 34 [SlipsInsideHer]: finding it hard to focus on anything other than my words [LilyAnna]: 35 [LilyAnna]: 336 [SlipsInsideHer]: relaxing more and more [LilyAnna]: 37 [LilyAnna]: 3333333333388888888888888 [SlipsInsideHer]: keep counting until you can't count anymore [LilyAnna]: 339 [LilyAnna]: 44000 [SlipsInsideHer]: as you relax [LilyAnna]: 411 [SlipsInsideHer]: and go deeper [LilyAnna]: 423 Her mind hesitated. Was she on 42 or 43? She saw both a two and a three before her. It was getting so hard for her to concentrate on the numbers that she was writing. She kept typing, just hoping she hadn't skipped a number. [SlipsInsideHer]: and go deeper [LilyAnna]: 444444444444 [LilyAnna]: 4455 [SlipsInsideHer]: getting harder and harder to think [LilyAnna]: 44 [LilyAnna]: 44444444 [LilyAnna]: 66 Lily Anna could barely keep writing. Hadn't she written enough? She was too tired... no, too relaxed to keep going. She just wanted to sit down and maybe take a nap. [SlipsInsideHer]: relaxing twice as much with each number [LilyAnna]: 4777777777777 Again, she hesitated. She had erased her last number, but she couldn't remember what number she was on. She remembered 44. Maybe she was on 45. She couldn't think. She just knew she had to keep writing, so she did just that. [LilyAnna]: 45 [LilyAnna]: 44446666 [LilyAnna]: 444477 [LilyAnna]: 44488888 [LilyAnna]: 49694 [SlipsInsideHer]: pushing yourself deeper and deeper [LilyAnna]: 555555555555555000000000 [SlipsInsideHer]: letting go of your mind completely [LilyAnna]: 555555551 [SlipsInsideHer]: getting so relaxed [LilyAnna]: 555555555111111 There was nothing left in her mind. She could only think of the number 51. She didn't know if she had already written it or if it was the next number to write. She couldn't even think of what came after 51 right now anyways, so she kept writing 51. [LilyAnna]: 55111111111 [LilyAnna]: 5555511111 [LilyAnna]: 555111 [LilyAnna]: 511 [LilyAnna]: 55551 Finally, Lily Anna's mind and body gave way. She couldn't even write the numbers. She saw her hypnotist's words urging her on, but her mind was too relaxed. She wasn't even sure the number she had written before. [SlipsInsideHer]: keep counting until you can't count anymore [SlipsInsideHer]: as you relax [SlipsInsideHer]: as you let go of all your thoughts [SlipsInsideHer]: keep counting [LilyAnna]: 555 ccannt [SlipsInsideHer]: good girl [SlipsInsideHer]: you see the empty sky above you [SlipsInsideHer]: only my words exist [SlipsInsideHer]: you see only my words now [SlipsInsideHer]: you hear only my voice in your mind [SlipsInsideHer]: totally relaxed [SlipsInsideHer]: more and more relaxed with every word I type [SlipsInsideHer]: aren't you? [LilyAnna]: yyyyyyy [SlipsInsideHer]: good girl [SlipsInsideHer]: and now I want you to see a scale in your mind [SlipsInsideHer]: this a special scale which shows how much your conscious mind guards you. [SlipsInsideHer]: it shows just how open you are [SlipsInsideHer]: your special scale goes from 10 to 0 [SlipsInsideHer]: 10 is very protective and wary [SlipsInsideHer]: 0 is completely relaxed and open [SlipsInsideHer]: look at your scale and type what it is showing now [LilyAnna]: 3 [SlipsInsideHer]: good girl Her hypnotist spent several more minutes deepening her trance to a good depth for a first trance. By this time, Lily Anna was only thinking about what she was told to think about. Somewhere in her mind lurked a few stray thoughts and a small fragment of her consciousness watching, guarding her, but at this moment, she was too relaxed and happy to care. It was almost addictive to feel this good. [SlipsInsideHer]: What aroused you about my story? [LilyAnna]: felt excited at losing control [SlipsInsideHer]: You want to lose control? [LilyAnna]: I think so. It excites me when I think of it. [SlipsInsideHer]: Do you feel aroused now? [LilyAnna]: Oh yes, indeed. [SlipsInsideHer]: Sitting there so open and not in control is exciting you? [LilyAnna]: Yes [SlipsInsideHer]: Let your other hand slide over your skin. Lift your breast. Feel its weight in your palm. Does that make you feel like a slut? [LilyAnna]: A bit. Want to be made to cum against my will. Not me making it happen. [SlipsInsideHer]: Do you want to be seen as a slut by others? [LilyAnna]: NO… I don't want to lose respect [SlipsInsideHer]: But you want to lose control at home? [SlipsInsideHer]: when you are home you want to forget about others respecting you. [SlipsInsideHer]: just think about losing control? [LilyAnna]: uumm yess… I like the idea of desiring to be out of control [SlipsInsideHer]: you just want to let go. Like a bimbo drawn into sexual fantasy. Lily Anna wasn't sure about the sound of that. [LilyAnna]: not bimbo [SlipsInsideHer]: what do you think a bimbo is? [LilyAnna]: Someone who is an airhead, her mind on making up and looking good. [SlipsInsideHer]: Why does she want to look good? [LilyAnna]: Because she wants their approval. [SlipsInsideHer]: And when see attracts men, does she not fall into obeying their demands? [LilyAnna]: I guess so. She gets pushed around by what they want. [SlipsInsideHer]: She lets the men guide her. Don't you think she enjoys being seduced? [LilyAnna]: I suppose. She gives in easily. [SlipsInsideHer]: That's right. She gives in to them. [SlipsInsideHer]: She is addicted to men being attracted to her, and she gives over control to these men. Yes? [LilyAnna]: I guess so… [SlipsInsideHer]: They notice her and want her, and she feeds off their desires. She acquiesces to their demands upon her. [LilyAnna]: Yes that's right. [SlipsInsideHer]: Like she can't control herself? [LilyAnna]: I suppose. [SlipsInsideHer]: But isn't that just what you said you wanted, to acquiesce and lose control over your sexuality? [SlipsInsideHer]: Don't you want a strong man to come along and arouse you and for you to be unable to resist him? [SlipsInsideHer]: Isn't that your fantasy? [LilyAnna]: Well… Yes I guess you are right. That is my fantasy. [SlipsInsideHer]: Then you see? You do want to be a bimbo. [LilyAnna]: I'm not sure. I am a bit confused now. [SlipsInsideHer]: But you are sure you like the idea of losing your mind over someone who arouses you and manipulates you sexually. A man controlling your desire. [LilyAnna]: It's sexy. Arousing. [SlipsInsideHer]: Don't you think a bimbo finds it arousing to be manipulated into sex? [LilyAnna]: Yeh, I guess. [SlipsInsideHer]: So what's the difference? [LilyAnna]: Well none, I guess. Not thought about it like that. [SlipsInsideHer]: It must be hard for you to grasp your desires if you've suppressed them for so long. [LilyAnna]: guesss soo [SlipsInsideHer]: so really you want to let go of trying to earn the respect of others. [SlipsInsideHer]: you just want to lose control and be made to cum. Lily Anna felt her nipples harden as she read this. She realised, to her surprise, that she really did want this; and she was horrified by it at the same time. What was happening to her? Just drifting in her relaxed state and following his words. The idea of being pushed to cum, unable to resist felt so erotic. [LilyAnna]: yess [SlipsInsideHer]: So now you see that you are a closet bimbo. [SlipsInsideHer]: But why don't you just act the way you feel? [LilyAnna]: cannt scared. Want their respect. [SlipsInsideHer]: good girl, just relax and drift deeper [SlipsInsideHer]: deeper with every breath [SlipsInsideHer]: deeper with every word [SlipsInsideHer]: and you feel so good right now [SlipsInsideHer]: just drifting in this wonderful trance [SlipsInsideHer]: don't you [LilyAnna]: yse [SlipsInsideHer]: yes, you do. It's almost addictive, isn't it? [LilyAnna]: yes [SlipsInsideHer]: yes, the feel of that warmth in your mind [SlipsInsideHer]: the way it relaxes you [SlipsInsideHer]: the way you can just let go and drift [SlipsInsideHer]: you must really enjoy this, huh? [LilyAnna]: yes i do [SlipsInsideHer]: then feel that warmth seeping deeper into you [SlipsInsideHer]: feel it pushing deeper into your mind [SlipsInsideHer]: past your conscious thoughts [SlipsInsideHer]: past your inhibitions [SlipsInsideHer]: past your subconscious [SlipsInsideHer]: past your free will [SlipsInsideHer]: to the very core of your being [SlipsInsideHer]: this hypnotic trance and the warmth it gives you [SlipsInsideHer]: you can feel it at your core [SlipsInsideHer]: isn't it? [LilyAnna]: yyy [SlipsInsideHer]: and so when you awaken everything within this warmth will be much too deep in your mind for you to even remember [SlipsInsideHer]: won't it? [LilyAnna]: yyyy [[SlipsInsideHer]: do you want to remember what happens in this trance? [LilyAnna]: ii ccannt tooo deep [SlipsInsideHer]: good girl [SlipsInsideHer]: you really love this hypnotic trance [SlipsInsideHer]: don't you? [LilyAnna]: yse [SlipsInsideHer]: and wouldn't you like a nice phrase [SlipsInsideHer]: that will bring you back [SlipsInsideHer]: to this wonderfully relaxed state? [LilyAnna]: yyys [SlipsInsideHer]: so you can experience this relaxation without all the time needed to unwind. Just drift into this deep warm place whenever you want. You can have one, just accept it. [SlipsInsideHer]: Whenever you see me type rustling trees [SlipsInsideHer]: you'll be back in your hammock [SlipsInsideHer]: feeling the heat of the sun on your face [SlipsInsideHer]: rocking backwards and forwards, drifting [SlipsInsideHer]: and that swaying motion will carry you off into this totally relaxed place, where you are now [SlipsInsideHer]: do you understand? [LilyAnna]: yys [SlipsInsideHer]: good girl [SlipsInsideHer]: and you can feel the addictiveness of hypnosis now [SlipsInsideHer]: you can feel yourself already hoping [SlipsInsideHer]: that I'll hypnotize you again [SlipsInsideHer]: and you know whenever you see me online Sweet Talk Ch. 02 A heavy, strained silence filled the car as Jason drove back to his condo so Anna could pick up her car. After her announcement, he'd just stared at her with an incredulous look on his face, but that look had quickly turned to a mix of anger and disbelief. Then, circling around to his side of the car, he'd muttered a tight-lipped, "Let's go," before getting inside and slamming the door. Now Anna was in the passenger seat, staring out the window, both of her hands folded in her lap. The fact that her hands weren't fidgeting only vaguely surprised her because the tension in her body, and the anger flowing from Jason was almost too much to deal with. She knew things had gotten out of control back there, but she couldn't completely regret her words. She'd always planned to work up to the subject, get him used to the idea of her leaving and then, when she felt like he wouldn't completely flip out, she'd tell him she was quitting. Only, the past few months of frustration had finally gotten to her and the words just came out before she had a chance to think about it. But, she thought, stealing a glance at Jason's tense face, this was for the best. Soon, she'd be able to move on with her life, go back to school, and with a miracle, figure out a way to get over him. Her stomach knotted as Jason pulled the car to a stop just outside the entrance to his condo's underground parking garage. This was usually where he let her out so she didn't have to ride the elevator back up to the street-level. Only now, with him staring straight ahead, one large fist strangling the gearshift, it felt like he was kicking her out of the car. Unhooking her seatbelt, she turned toward him, lightly wetting her bottom lip. "Jay..." she started. He didn't look at her. "Can you hurry up? I'm blocking the driveway." His short, dismissive tone pissed her off and she defiantly leaned back in the seat, crossing her arms over her chest. "I'm not getting out until you talk to me." With a low curse, Jason shoved the gearshift into park and stared out the drivers' side window. "What the hell do you want me to say, Anna?" "You know I hate it when you swear at me!" At her raised voice, Jason turned to face her and the fury she saw glowing in his eyes jolted her. "Then you'd better get the hell out of the car or start talking. Otherwise, I've got a few more swear words I'd like to throw your way." In an instant, her contrition vanished, quickly replaced by irritation. Here she was trying to have a calm, civilized conversation with him and he was acting like an ass. Giving up on diplomacy, she muttered, "What do you want me to say? I'm quitting. People do it all the time." She saw the muscles in his jaw flex as he ground his teeth together. His hazel eyes narrowed, making her pulse speed up. "People, Anna—people quit all the time," he said. "Not you. And not with me." Oh yes, of course, she'd forgotten. He was the celebrity chef, after all. How could she ever consider leaving him until he gave his okay? Well, he could get over that center-of-the-universe crap right now. "You'd better get used to the idea, then," she said, "because I'm serious about this." Another tense silence settled between them as he continued to stare at her, a hard expression on his face. Then he went back to staring out of the windshield before asking, "Care to tell me why you're laying this on me all of a sudden?" He sounded calm, but she knew that just meant he had a tight leash on his temper. Sighing, Anna ran her palms up and down her thighs a few times to calm herself. "It's not that sudden, really. I've been out of school for almost three years. And...me working for you wasn't supposed to turn into a long-term thing." "I know that, but it did." He glanced at her, his tense expression softening a little. "Come on, Anna, you can't just...leave." He said the word like it was foreign. To him it probably was. Anna knew that women didn't really leave Jason Blake. No, he usually took care of that himself. And the crazy part was that his long list of conquests were usually left feeling honored for having basked in his presence. Clenching her fists, Anna vowed she wouldn't be like those women. Not anymore, at least. Still, as his tone gentled even more, she felt her resolve weakening. "Can't you go to school part-time?" he asked. "You'll need a job, right? You'll still have bills to pay. I assume that requires employment, unless the laws of capitalism have changed." Anna's mouth quirked at his bad joke, but she forced herself not to give in to his charm. "I just want to get it over with," she told him. "Part-time would mean having to wait another two years before I finish. I don't want to wait that long." Plus, she didn't think her heart, or her sanity, could last another two years if she stayed on as his assistant. "I have to quit," she repeated, more to herself than to him, because she was still scared she might back down. "Son of a bitch," Jason said, his voice tight and quit. "I can't believe you're doing this to me. " He lowered his forehead to the steering wheel and closed his eyes. "Damn it. Of all the crap timing for you to pull this, you had to choose now, didn't you?" Anna scowled at his handsome profile. Why did everything revolve around him? It was like he thought she didn't have a life unless he was in it. Irritated all over again, she flung the seatbelt over her shoulder and opened the car door. The sound caught Jason's attention and he sat up. "Where the hell are you going?" Fuming, Anna cut him off with a fury-filled look. "Just so you know, I'm not doing anything to you, Jason. I'm quitting for me. You may not have noticed, but working for you hasn't exactly been my dream job lately." Glaring right back at her, Jay angrily shoved the car into gear again. "I never asked you to do me any favors, Anna," he said coldly. "It's not like personal assistants are goddamn diamonds—they're a dime a dozen. And when did I ever force you to stick around? Tell me that and maybe I can figure out why you're pulling this martyr act right now." This wasn't at all how Anna had wanted this conversation to go, but her anger flared even hotter and she couldn't help herself when she fired back. "You want to know why I stayed even though you never asked me to?" she half-shouted, hating that he'd made her lose her temper. "I stayed because I knew, I knew you wouldn't be able to handle all of this without me. But, you know what, I'm tired of babysitting you, Jason. You might be fine watching your career collapse around you, but I'm not letting you drag me down, too!" Scrambling out of the car, she slammed the door and took a few stumbling steps backward. For a long, tense moment, she felt pinned by Jason's hard gaze as he stared at her through the passenger side window. The glass was lightly tinted but his furious glare, and his anger, came through clearly. Then he looked away, pressing the remote on the car's visor. The condo's mechanical garage door opened and he gunned the engine, tearing into the underground parking area. ********* A while later, Jay barreled through the swinging silver doors separating Sugar's back kitchen from the main dining area. Ignoring the two prep cooks and the curious stares they shot in his direction, he didn't stop walking until he made it to the back of the kitchen, bracing both hands on the edge of the stainless steel countertop. His entire body felt tense and strained. Fucking Anna. He could not believe this. What the hell did she mean she was quitting? For a minute, he just stood there, staring at the wall, then his eyes fell on his stand mixer, pushed up underneath a shelf crammed full of spices and utensils. Shoving up the sleeves of his sweater, he pulled the mixer—Charlie's old mixer—out and frowned into the large, silver bowl attached to the rounded base. He loved that mixer; its shiny, dark blue casing and the dozen or so attachments that went with it were the one thing in the kitchen that only he was allowed to touch. And at times like this, when he couldn't see straight because of anxiety, stress or anger—he gritted his teeth, thinking of Anna—putting together recipes in that mixer kept him from flipping the fuck out. Not bothering to use a measuring spoon, he poured a liberal splash of pure vanilla extract into the mixing bowl then added in some sugar, and butter from a chest fridge below the counter. Even through his irritation, he managed to register the fact that he had no idea what he was making. Anger did that to him: he'd just start throwing ingredients together, working out his stress, and more often than not, ended up creating something he later sold to Sugar's customers. But right now, he couldn't think past Anna and the bombshell she'd just laid on him. How the hell could she just quit like that? No warning, no explanation. Hell, he thought, cracking an egg into the mixer with a bit too much force, she hadn't even seemed sorry about it. Just threw it in his face like he was supposed to accept it and move on. Three more eggs joined the first and with each one, Jason fumed. Two and a half years and she was just going to walk out on him? Desert him right when he needed her most? How the hell did she expect him to keep his shit together after she just skipped out? But what really pissed him off, was that she'd tried to lay it all on him, when, for as long as he could remember, he'd done everything for her. From that first summer he'd spent working in her dad's bakery, he'd watched over her the same way Nate had. As Charlie's ancient mixer whirred, Jason's angry thoughts slid into his past. He still remembered how hot that summer had been back when he was thirteen. Seattle had cool, coastal breezes, but Sweet Water, a small town of about forty thousand was situated in a deserty valley where winters were frigid and summers scorched. The whole place was like living in a freaking Normal Rockwell painting, though. There were a few rich families with large stakes in the local vineyards, but most people were just solid, middle-class. Only Jason's family, and he wouldn't even call his shitty home-life a 'family', had been one of the exceptions. It was the summer after seventh grade and his dad, like always, was at home, knocked out on the couch drenched in sweat and the reek of stale beer. His mom, a fallen daughter from one of Sweet Waters richest families, had left when he was eight, desperate to escape Gary. Too bad she hadn't taken Jay with her. No, she'd just packed up his little sister and left him to carry the brunt of his dad's anger. So, after six years of pretty much raising himself, that summer Jay had been bored and reckless in a way a kid could be only when no one in the world gave a damn what happened to him. That's why he'd broken into Charlie's bakery that night. He never had any money to spend in there, or anywhere else actually and, that particular night, his had dad decided to beat the shit out of him before he passed out. And Jay, full of the shaky, jittery kind of anger that filled in all of the other hollowness inside him, just wanted to make someone else feel like shit, too. So, the rock he sent sailing through the back window of the bakery was his way of sealing the deal—he'd be just like his fuck-up of a dad. But as he reached through the shattered window on the door, his shaking fingers searching for the lock on the inside, the last thing he'd expected was for the interior lights to go on. Or for Charlie Marsh's large, bear-like form to appear in the doorway. He'd tried to run. He was the fastest kid in the seventh grade, but it didn't take Charlie any effort at all to chase him down. And when he'd dragged him back to the bakery, Jason had a sick feeling in his stomach even though he tried not to show it. Inside, the bakery had smelled like yeasty breads and the sweetness of just-made frosting. Charlie hauled him up by the collar of his shirt, planted him on a stool opposite the counter, told him not to move and went into his office to call the local police. Meanwhile, Nate was left to watch over him. Jason knew Nate. They were in the same grade at Sweet Water Middle School and both were pretty popular, but for very different reasons. Because of his smart mouth, Jason was always cracking jokes and getting in trouble; two weeks before the end of the school year, he'd been suspended for three days after he got caught smoking behind the gym—the same gym where Nate and his basketball team buddies scored points after-school and on weekends. Standing a few feet away, Nate had kept eyeing Jason like he wanted to beat the crap out of him. But it was eleven-year-old Anna, with those big brown eyes and a stubborn chin who'd marched up to Jay and glared at him. "You broke my dad's window," she said. Jason just kept staring at the wall. He knew how much trouble he was in and was trying real hard not to give a shit. Who the hell was this kid, anyway? He didn't want to deal with her right now. But Anna wasn't about to be ignored. "I said," she repeated, more loudly, "you broke my dad's window." When ignoring her didn't work, Jason scowled at her. "So? I don't care, so get away from me." He was surprised when she didn't even flinch. Instead, she'd looked at him like he was some kind of bug and said, "I think you should clean it up." He wanted to laugh in her face. He was gonna get locked up in juvie. Fuck if he was about to sweep up the broken glass that'd landed him there. "Forget it, Anna," Nate said, leaning against the wall next to the locked front door. "He doesn't care." Both hands went to her girlish hips when Anna looked at Nate, then back to Jason. Still staring at him, she'd said, "Well, he should care. Dad would've given him a donut or something if he'd just asked for one. He didn't have to break the window." And, for some reason, that got him. That stupid, immature line got to him and he couldn't take that kid looking at him like that. "Gimme a broom," he muttered, sliding down off the stool. Anna brought out a broom and dustpan and, followed by a suspicious Nate, they all went to the back kitchen and stood in silence as Jason swept up the mess he'd made. He was just finishing when the cops showed up. He wouldn't find out until years later, but Charlie talked to the deputy who peeked in and, recognizing Jason, told Charlie in no uncertain terms that Jason's dad, Gary, wasn't in any condition to look after his son. Their only option would have been to lock Jason up in juvenile hall while he awaited a court date. Jay never even talked to the cops because Charlie asked them to leave. When he walked into the backroom, Jay's back stiffened up and his palms got all sweaty. He wasn't about to admit that he was scared shitless, but he was. Except, no police officer followed Charlie into the kitchen ready to cuff him. It was only Charlie, who'd stared at him, taking in his freshly split lower lip and the swollen cut high on his cheekbone, both leftovers from his earlier run-in with Gary's beer-fueled fists. Then Charlie took in the fact that Jay had swept up the broken glass. He looked at him for a long time, then two thick arms, made muscular from years of kneading breads by hand, crossed over his chest. "You need a job?" he finally asked. Jason swallowed. What the hell was this guy talking about? "W-what?" Charlie nodded toward the broken window. "You work for me—pay off the window—and we'll call it even." Jason's gaze flicked to Anna who was smiling at her dad, then to Nate who looked like he wanted to argue, and back to Charlie whose face was serious, but sincere. "You're not gonna turn me in?' he asked. Charlie shrugged. "You going to juvenile detention doesn't get my window paid for, does it?" He turned, untying the lightly soiled apron around his neck. "Be here, every day, for the rest of summer. Six sharp. Work 'til ten until September and we'll call it square." That brown-black gaze, which Jason would come to respect more than any other, pinned on him. "You in?" "Yeah...whatever." Jay shrugged, trying to act like he didn't care either way. "Good." Charlie nodded slowly. "What's your name?" Jason's tongue felt stuck in his throat, but he managed to say, "Jason...Blake." Nodding again, Charlie's expression turned thoughtful. "Just so you know, Jason—I don't give second-chances. So don't screw up again." And he never had. At first, he only showed up because he didn't want Charlie to change his mind and send the cops after him. But when he realized that Charlie wasn't treating him like a no good piece of shit like his own dad did, things changed. As the summer weeks passed, he did everything he could to make things up to Charlie who turned out to be the first real father figure that he'd ever had. Then summer turned into the school year and Jay stuck around, spending almost every day after school working in the shop, though he wasn't officially hired until he turned fifteen. He even managed to find some common ground with Nate who couldn't deny that Jason was faster than any of the current members of the SWMS basketball team. Jason tried out for the team that year and played alongside, Nate. By the time they started high school, they were practically inseparable, both on and off the basketball court. And in the bakery, there was Charlie, gruff and expectant, but a quiet, guiding force that helped tame Jason's wildness and anger. And everywhere else, there was Anna, always tagging along with him and Nate, whether she was invited or not. She wasn't girly or prissy, though, so they let her come. And Jay would never admit it, but he liked having her around. She reminded him of his own little sister, who he hadn't seen in years. For the first time in his life, he felt like he was part of a family, a real one—Charlie, Nate, Anna and him. And now, she was quitting. Coming back to the present, Jason swore, switching off the stand mixer, which had been whirring for long minutes. For some reason, all he kept thinking was that he was the one who'd taught Anna how to swim that first summer on the shores of Lake Purdy. And now, she was the one leaving him to flounder. The irony was almost funny, but mostly it just pissed him off. What the hell was he supposed to do? Angrily digging through a cabinet, he searched for a canister of flour but gave up after only a few seconds of looking. With a roughness fed by frustration and anger, he ripped open a fresh bag, only to wind up enveloped in a cloud of fine, white flour when the bag tore apart in his rough grasp. "Son of a bitch!" Waving a hand in front of his face, he coughed, resisting the urge to spit out the flour dust in his mouth. "I, uh, didn't realize you were branching out to parlor tricks," said an irritatingly sarcastic, and familiar, voice. Over his shoulder, Jason scowled at Sam Wyatt, his friend and business partner. They'd met at the Culinary Institute and, a few years after graduating, decided to go into business together. Opening a dessert shop had been Jay's idea, but it was Sam who'd thought of combining it with a cocktail lounge to create a 'sugar bar.' They'd been friends for six years, which was why Jason had no problem shooting Sam a pissed off glance. "Go away." Sensing Jay's foul mood, Clark and Eddie, the already uncomfortable prep cooks, muttered something about taking a break and edged their way past Sam and out of the kitchen. But Sam, ignoring Jason as always, sauntered toward him with an irritating half-smile on his face. "What's your problem? You just scared off two grown men," Sam said, then tipped his chin toward the flour coating the countertop. "And you can usually handle the complexities of a bag of flour." Sweet Talk Ch. 02 Jay's jaw muscles flexed as he shot him an angry look. "I have things on my mind, okay?" Dumping an indeterminate amount of flour into the mixer, he turned his back, hoping Sam would take the hint. Instead, he felt his neck muscles tense up when Sam asked, "What kind of things?" "Things that have nothing to do with you," Jay shot back, flipping the mixer on to its low setting. "Okaaay," Sam said, and Jason swore he could hear the amused grin in his voice. Leave it to Sam to find humor in his shitty mood. "Mind talking about things that do have something to do with me, then?" "Like?" Jason asked. "Like, Sugar. You know, the shop we own?" Resisting the urge to swear, Jay rolled his tensed up shoulders. "Fine. Whatever." "Good," Sam said, his tone turning all business. "I talked to Harry. He double-checked our accounting and he agrees that last month's numbers look great. And I'm thinking that we..." Even though Jason was trying to pay attention, Sam's voice faded as he stared at the whirring paddle in the mixing bowl. The batter or dough or whatever the hell he was making probably only needed a few minutes to combine, but only half his attention was on the mixer. Every time he thought he'd calmed down, he'd have a flashback to that damn fight with Anna. He kept hearing her shouting, "I'm not letting you drag me down with you!" His fists clenched against the cool, steel countertop. Anger, as hot and consuming as what he'd felt earlier, came roaring back with the memory of her words. Well, screw her. She thought he was messing up her life? Fine. She could quit and do whatever the hell she wanted with herself. And he'd find another assistant who— "Jay, you're not even listening to me, are you?" Sam's slightly irritated voice pulled Jason back to himself. Now Anna's little tantrum or whatever the hell her problem was, was messing with his work? Yeah, let her do whatever she wanted. He didn't need this. "What, Sam?" he impatiently bit out. "Jeez," his friend muttered, "tone down the pissed-off party, will you? What's your problem, anyway?" Three controlled breaths kept Jay's temper in check. Swearing silently, he ran a hand through his hair. Anna had him all messed up; he'd gotten his temper under control years before and now here he was about to cuss Sam out just for trying to talk about work. But even though his argument with Anna was the last thing he wanted to talk about, Jay knew Sam was going to find out eventually, so he might as well just tell him now. He turned around, bracing the small of his back against the edge of the countertop. Staring past Sam's shoulder, he muttered, "Anna...quit this morning." Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Sam's face change. A look of pure shock passed over his features before he schooled his expression into one of mild surprise. Finally, one light brown eyebrow went up. "Damn," he said, at last. "Why?" Shoving away from the counter, Jason paced a few steps one direction, then the other, both hands digging into the pockets of his loose-fitting jeans. "Hell, I don't know. She just went all moody out of nowhere. Said she was quitting. Then we sort of got into a fight. And she..." he turned so only his right shoulder faced Sam. "She said some stuff about my career going down the drain and me dragging her down with me." Shit. Just saying it out loud had him pissed all over again. Sam let out a long, low whistle. Jason glanced at him and stiffly asked, "What was that for?" Sam shrugged, his face serious. "Nothing. Just...I had a girlfriend once who used that line. 'You're dragging me down with you.'" He shook his head. "Not a good thing, my friend." Jason made a face. "Yeah. I kinda figured that since she was yelling at me when she said it." "So," Sam slowly said, "she didn't say why she's quitting? No explanation or anything?" Swiping a hand across the back of his neck, Jay tilted his head toward the ceiling, then met Sam's questioning gaze. "She said she wants to go back to school." The confusion in Sam's dark blue eyes cleared up almost immediately, only to be replaced by returned incredulity. "And you're mad at her for quitting? What the hell's wrong with you?" Jay's hands dropped to his sides again. He shot his friend an irritated glance. "Look, you weren't there, okay? She was being bitc...catty. And for no good reason. It pissed me off." He turned his back again, muttering, "How the hell am I supposed to find a new assistant? She knows how crazy my schedule is. Now she decides to quit—" "After two years of taking care of everything for you," Sam interrupted, "and basically doing all of the boring crap that you don't want to do." His tone dripped with a sarcasm that renewed Jay's desire to punch him or, at the very least, cuss him out. "Shit, Jay, she's practically been wiping your nose for you these past two years. Can you blame her for wanting to be more than your glorified nanny or—" Sam stopped talking when Jay spun around, glaring at him. "I didn't ask you for a damn lecture, alright?" he spat. "You asked me what happened and I told you, but you can keep your commentary to yourself." Furious, Jay stalked around the island on his way past Sam. "What the hell, Jay?" Sam called after him. "You need to calm down—and I'm not done telling you about my ideas for the shop." "Do whatever you want," Jay growled over his shoulder. "I'll be in my office. So, unless the kitchen catches on fire or something, leave me the hell alone." Not slowing or turning around, he strode out of the kitchen and down the short hall that lead to a staff bathroom and two small offices belonging to him and Sam. Walking into his office, Jay slammed the door closed behind him and slumped down into his leather desk chair. Within seconds, he was back to staring at the wall. Just when he'd thought he'd gotten his anger under control, Sam had to make that crack about Anna wanting to be more than his nanny. It had hit too close to her saying she was tired of babysitting him. Damn it. His entire body was so damn tense and wound up, it almost hurt to lean his head back against the chair, but he did. He tried to think about something else, anything else, but for a long time all he could do was sit there, replaying the argument over and over. Thinking about Anna's betrayal. ********* On Thursday night, Anna had just gotten home from the community college near her apartment. She'd wanted to sign up for some summer classes to help prepare her for starting college again, but the registrar had told her she'd missed the deadline. In order to get into any classes, she'd need to pay a ridiculously large late-fee and get a bunch of forms signed. She'd taken all of the paperwork, but couldn't help but be a bit disappointed. If she'd quit sooner, she could have been enrolled by now. In a way, this was Jason's fault, too. Even three days after their argument, she was still angry. And damn him, she hadn't wanted to fight. Not really, but he'd just kept making those self-centered comments, and she couldn't hold her anger in check. She hadn't talked to him since Tuesday and, she bitterly thought, he hadn't tried to call or see her either. So now she was at home watching the evening news, trying to distract herself. But she was kidding herself; even days later, she was still preoccupied by their fight. Of course he'd made her quitting all about him. Nothing entered Jason Blake's sphere of awareness unless it somehow affected him—and her quitting was just an inconvenience for him. He hadn't even seemed happy or supportive about her plans to go back to school. No, instead he'd only suggested ways for her to continue working for him, making his life the same cushy joy-ride it'd been for the past two years, without giving a damn how that might affect her studies. Well, screw that, she was tired of being at his beck and call even though her stupid heart already missed him. That was part of the reason she was still so mad, though; if she let the anger go, she knew she'd just sit around wanting him. Or, at least, wanting the old him. He hadn't always been this way—so entirely self-absorbed and careless. She'd fallen in love with him gradually over the years. It started off as a little-girl crush, but, by the time she was seventeen and he'd moved to New York for culinary school, she knew it was love. She'd religiously counted down the weeks and days between his school breaks, when he returned to Sweet Water. And she'd been terrified he'd fall in love with some sophisticated New York girl. For her, there was always just something about him, so strong-willed, talented, charismatic and armed with that sometimes-biting sarcasm. And, thinking of his once-boyish features, now sculpted into a chiseled, masculine face that was basically catnip for the female gender, Anna knew she'd never had a chance when it came to loving him. If only hating him could be just as easy. With a frustrated sigh, she turned the TV off and went into the bathroom to run a hot bath. She'd spent the last few days trying to get her mind off the argument, but she kept circling around and around it, fueling her anger. On top of everything he'd said to her, what really bothered her was the fact that he'd implied that he hadn't needed her help. Like she was easily replaceable or something. Personal assistants are a dime a dozen, he'd said. It was that careless remark that had really gotten to her. Was that all she was to him? Just a personal assistant? Someone who made his appointments and kept his calendar organized? If that was the case, she felt like bigger fool than ever before for having stuck around so long. Utterly weary, Anna walked into the living room and dug her cell out of her purse, then went back into the bathroom. Stripping out of her clothes, she sank into the hot, steaming water before the bathtub was even finished filling up. One-handed, she dialed her cousin, Keera's, phone number, while the other hand squeezed a liberal amount of bubble bath into the churning water. The bubble bath was expensive and French but, she told herself, today she needed it. She kept trying to be rational and calm, but with her irritation still as strong as it had been three days ago, she felt like she needed a second opinion—even if that opinion would be biased toward her side of things. The phone rang three times before a breezy, efficient voice answered, "Sweet Water Sweets. Good evening, this is Keera." Despite her anger with Jason, Anna smiled at the familiar greeting. It was the same one her dad had taught her, Nate and Jason to use when answering the phone around the bakery, Sweet Water Sweets, which Keera now ran. Suddenly missing Keera and Sweet Water, Anna playfully said, "Yes, hello. I'd like to order two-thousand cupcakes for next weekend." After a moment of stunned silence, Keera recognized Anna's voice and the older cousin laughed into the phone. "Anna, you'd better be glad that's you. Otherwise you'd be driving your butt over the mountains to help me out with that order." Grinning, Anna stretched forward and shut off the faucet before leaning back in the tub. "You would take on a two-thousand cupcake order, wouldn't you?" "Damn right," Keera muttered, "Cousin Keera has bills to pay! Oh crap," she exclaimed a second later, "you're distracting me. I just piped a lop-sided rose onto Jill Mahaney's wedding cake." Trailing her hand through the warm, bubble-filled bathwater, Anna imagined Keera sitting at the kitchen table in her small apartment above the bakery, perched on a stool as she meticulously decorated one of her famous wedding cakes. The entire Marsh family, it seemed, had a hand for creating fabulous baked goods. Well, everyone besides herself and her uncle Raymond, she mused, thinking of Keera's father, who'd been an accountant but who was now mostly just a broken old man. Frowning, she edged that dark thought from her mind. "Who's at the bakery?" she asked, knowing that Keera liked to work in the quiet of her apartment when she had a pressing cake deadline. "Trudy's down there, probably getting ready to close up," came Keera's voice, sounding further away, which told Anna that she'd been put on speaker so her cousin could talk and work at the same time. "And I think Tucker came in earlier this morning." "Hmm," Anna murmured, cupping her hand and watching water trickle through her splayed fingers. "Uh oh," her cousin said, "I know that noise." "What noise?" "That sigh of dejected, world-weary, 'woe is me' sadness," Keera said, her tone a mix of amusement and concern. "What's wrong?" Chewing her lip, Anna took a deep breath and said, "I did it." She'd talked over the whole quitting thing with Keera dozens of times, so half-expected her to understand that cryptic comment. But with part of her attention on the cake she was decorating, Keera wasn't exactly the most intuitive conversation partner. "You did what, sweetie?" she asked. Then, before Anna had a chance to respond, bellowed, "Noel Marie Marsh, if you keep jumping rope inside this house I swear to you, you won't see your eighth birthday!" Anna pictured Noel, Keera's seven-year-old daughter, with her brown-green eyes, milky skin and that head full of unruly, cinnamon-colored corkscrew curls, and couldn't hold back her laughter. "What'd she do?" she asked Keera. Sighing, Keera said, "She just got this new jump rope for her birthday last week and she won't stop running around the house with it. She almost took out half the cake but only knocked a few empty piping bags off the table." Her tone turned amused. "And that's lucky for her because if she'd done any damage, you might be short one second-cousin." "I really hope you're joking about harming that adorable little girl," Anna laughed. Keera sputtered into the phone. "Adorable? Oh, you've clearly never seen her at three in the afternoon when she's all cranky and bratty but refuses to take a nap," Keera said in a wait-til-you-have-kids tone. "But anyway, what were you saying? What did you do?" Oh, right. Anna sank lower into the tub until only her head, knees and the arm holding the phone were above the water. "I...um," she murmured. "I told Jason I'm quitting." A full ten seconds of silence followed that statement. While Anna, Nate and Jason had practically grown up together, Keera hadn't really spent much time around the bakery when they were kids, especially since the two-year age gap between her and Anna seemed much wider back then. But Keera knew Jason, having hung out with all three of them during summer vacations. And she also knew how Anna felt about him. "I...wow," Keera said, at last. "What happened?" Anna sighed. "I don't know. He was late—again—on Tuesday morning and then..." she paused, not really wanting to talk about his interlude with Stacey-the-busty-receptionist. "It was just one more thing added to everything else and I couldn't take it anymore. So I told him." "How'd he take it?" The tone in her cousin's voice told Anna that Keera had a pretty good idea how he'd taken it. You didn't know each other for as long as they all had and not have an idea of how Jason would react in a situation like that. "How do you think he took it?" Anna mumbled. "Knowing Jay? There was probably a bit of a tantrum involved." A humorless smile touched Anna's mouth as she remembered their argument. "That's an understatement," she said. There was another pause on Keera's end followed by, "What do you mean?" "We got into a huge fight and said some...pretty horrible things to each other." "Why?" Keera asked, apparently planning to stick to short, concise sentences. Anna's brow knit in confusion. "Why what?" "Why did your quitting turn into a big fight? I mean," she continued before Anna had a chance to respond, "you broke it to him easy, right? Gave him a few weeks' notice?" Closing her eyes, Anna sank deeper into the tub, not stopping until the top of her cell phone was dangerously close to joining her in the bathwater. "No," she muttered, then added, "But he didn't give me a chance to talk things out with him. He just kept going on about how could I do this to him. And how much he couldn't deal with this right now." Keera laughed lightly. "Honey, that's Jason. You know that. For him, the world revolves around his perfect little head. You couldn't have been surprised by him flipping out a bit, Anna. The boy hates change. Even I know that." Scowling at the silver bathtub faucet, now dripping an occasional drop of water into the tub, Anna wondered how, in less than a minute, Keera had managed to turn this all around and make it so the argument wasn't entirely Jason's fault. Which it was. Mostly. "Anna?" Keera persisted when she hadn't responded. "What?" "Could the argument have had anything to do with...your feelings for him?" Anna wanted to say no, deny it, but she couldn't. It'd be a lie. A huge lie. A monumental one, actually. She knew that most of her anger with Jason stemmed from the stress of dealing with his carelessness while trying to cope with being in love with him. And this time, for some reason, she couldn't take it anymore. With the addition of Jay's self-centered, hurtful comments, she'd just snapped on him. Letting out a tired, frustrated breath, she admitted, "Okay, yes—yes, my feelings for him had something to do with us getting in that fight, but..." But what? What else was there to say? It wasn't as if Jason knew she was in love with him. No, she'd let her feelings build to the point that she'd blown up on him. And, from his perspective, the whole thing had probably come out of nowhere. Dammit, now Keera had her seeing his side of things? "I think you missed your calling as a psychiatrist, Keer," Anna grumbled. Chuckling, Keera said, "I just call it like I see it. And the way I see things right now is you finally deciding to move on from Jason and get back into school, which is great. But at the same time, I can understand why Jason reacted so badly. I'm not excusing whatever he said or did—and knowing him, it was probably pretty bad. But, deep down, he's probably afraid of losing you. Both as an assistant and as his always-there-when-he-needs-you friend." Nodding even though Keera couldn't see her, Anna chewed her lip. "I guess...I did sort of just throw the whole thing at him out of nowhere. That's part of why he was mad, actually." "See? Just give him some time to calm down. Then try talking to him. He'll understand." Scowling, Anna shook her head. "I'm not apologizing to him, Keer. He was acting like a jerk." But, these days, what else was new? Anna heard Keera sigh before her cousin said, "I didn't say you should apologize to him, did I? I actually think you probably did him some good by confronting him. But I know you, Anna. Do you really want to stay mad?" "I...no," Anna murmured, and it was true. She didn't feel like she was wrong, but she also hated fighting with Jason. Everything just seemed off-kilter when they weren't talking. "Okay, then," Keera urged, "you should talk to him." "I'll think about it." "Good, but," Keera's tone turned breezy again, "my frosting's getting warm, so I'm gonna have to let you go." "Okay. Thanks, Keer," Anna said. "No problem. I'll talk to you later. Good luck with Jason." "Thanks. Bye." After hanging up the phone, Anna stayed in the bathtub as the water slowly cooled. She grudgingly admitted to herself that Keera was partly right. Jason's reaction was understandable, considering the circumstances. It didn't mean she forgave him for his rude, careless comments, but she could at least understand where his anger and frustration had come from. And maybe, if she really decided to be the bigger person, she could be the one to try and talk. Sweet Talk Ch. 02 The next morning was Friday and Anna slept in. When she woke up, her long-lasting irritation had faded considerably. She'd stayed up late, thinking about Jason, and about Keera's advice, and finally decided that she just didn't want to be mad anymore. She was still firm on her plan to quit, but she needed to smooth things over with Jay so he could, maybe, be happy for her. That, alone, would help make this easier for her to do. While she was getting dressed after a rare, late-afternoon shower, she glanced at her bedside clock, which told her it was just past four pm. Jason would probably be at Sugar, manning the counter or in the back kitchen fiddling with new recipes. She'd decided to go see him since he probably still wasn't in the mood to answer a phone call from her. She wasn't going to apologize, exactly—she just wanted to talk things over with him. Explain her reasoning. Knowing Jason, it'd take a bit of effort, but he'd come around and see that this was best for her. Dressed in a pair of dark wash jeans, a satiny red button-up shirt and black slip-on ballet flats, she was almost out the door before she remembered her cell phone. Walking to the bathroom, she picked it up from where she'd left it during her shower and noticed she had a message. Clicking the key for her voicemail, she walked back to the living room, absently searching for her keys. But the voice in the message made her stop in her tracks. "Hello Miss Marsh, my name's Ginger Hallowell. I'm calling regarding your client, Jason Blake..." As the message continued, Anna's heartbeat sped up and she was vaguely aware of her nails digging painfully into the palm of her left hand. Her breathing turned rapid and, by the time the message ended, her previous anger—with Jason—had returned with tripled intensity. Snapping her phone closed, she spotted her keys on the arm of the couch and snatched them up. With a yank, she opened her apartment door and stormed out, all plans for reconciliation wiped from her mind by her current fury. After that voicemail, if Jason had thought she was pissed before, he hadn't seen anything. This time, she wouldn't even bother with killing him. She just wanted some damn answers. ******** Where the hell was she? Late Friday afternoon, Jason was in his office at Sugar, once again staring at the damn wall, trying to figure out what was up with Anna. She usually didn't stay mad this long. It'd been four days and he hadn't heard a damn thing from her. No phone calls, no e-mails, nothing. And he'd been constantly checking his Blackberry for the last two days. This whole thing with her had him so on edge that he couldn't even think straight. When he was working, he'd go from silently seething to snapping at the prep cooks and kitchen assistants in two seconds flat. It finally got to the point where he just kept out of the kitchen during the workday. Otherwise, he might have more employees than Anna threatening to quit. Why the hell couldn't she just call him? She always called him. He couldn't count how many times she'd been pissed off at him for one of a thousand reasons that he never really paid attention to; then, after one of those small arguments, she'd call or stop by and they'd both just get over being mad. He couldn't understand why she was being so damn difficult. Okay, yeah, he'd pissed her off for some reason—whatever. She always got over it the other times, so what was different about now? He stared at his Blackberry like his irritation could force it to ring or something. Fuck. He swiped both hands over his face. He knew what the difference was this time: their fight on Tuesday hadn't exactly been small. She'd been dead serious about quitting and he knew it. A weird, queasy feeling lurched through his stomach and he clenched his fists, trying to force the uneasiness away. But it didn't work. He didn't want to admit it, or even think about it, but part of his anger on Tuesday came from anxiety. He was little scared. What if she was right? What if he really couldn't handle this without her? She'd been here, taking care of everything, practically from day one. Hell, everything he had now was because he'd been lucky enough to be accepted by the Marsh family. But with Anna gone, how could he be sure his career, his column in the Times, his show on K.I.R.A.—even Sugar—wouldn't disappear along with her quiet, dependable presence? He needed her, even though he hated admitting it. Ever since his mom took off with his little sister, he'd kept himself at a distance from people. And shit, even though he'd come to love the Marshes like his own family, he'd always been too fucking paranoid to think it'd last. Now, with Charlie and Nate gone, Anna was all he had left. And he couldn't let her leave. Not until he knew he was ready, at least. An irritating little voice in his head kept telling him to pick up his phone, dial her number—hell, go see her—but he couldn't. He'd grown up cultivating an I-don't-give-a-shit attitude that had helped him survive before he'd met Charlie Marsh. That kind of detachment was hard to shake sometimes. That's why he kept most of his relationships casual—which is how his date tonight, with Stacey, that receptionist from PBS, was going to be. Right after he'd left Anna standing outside his condo building on Tuesday, he'd called Stacey to set up a date for tonight. She'd agreed to meet him at Sugar right after she finished work so they could continue on to the Blue Room from there. At the time, he hadn't really considered his reasons for calling Stacey beyond the fact that he was pissed off and needed some kind of distraction. But now, knowing she'd be there in less than an hour, he wanted to back out of the whole thing. She was cute and bubbly and, dear God, those breasts were absolutely mind-blowing, but he hadn't expected to still be this mad so long after that argument with Anna. Usually, his anger flared hot, then cooled quickly, but now, even days later, it was all he could do to keep from calling Anna and demanding to know where the hell she'd been since Tuesday. He stared at his cell phone where it sat silently next to his desk phone. He was still pissed off—in a terrible mood, actually—and he knew he'd probably be awful company for what's-her-name. The receptionist. Stacey. He checked the clock on his Blackberry. 4:38 p.m. She got off work at five. He was cutting it close and she'd probably never speak to him again, but he knew he needed to cancel the date. All he wanted to do was go home. He'd just picked up his cell phone and started dialing Stacey's number when his office door flew open. His head jerked up and his eyes widened in surprise, only to narrow an instant later. Then, taking in Anna's form framed in the doorway, one thought flitted through his mind: It's about damn time. But the first thing that came out of his mouth was, "Haven't you heard of knocking?" ********* Anna had stalked into Sugar twenty minutes after listening to that voicemail. The first thing she'd noticed was Sam behind the bar, chatting with two female customers. Like Jason, Sam was gorgeous, but where Jay was big and solid looking, Sam had the long, lanky, but muscular, physique of a swimmer. As she approached him, she saw that even the two well-dressed women drooling over him weren't immune to his easy smile and quiet sensuality—and she couldn't blame them. With short, light brown hair, blue eyes and insanely full lips, Sam Wyatt was quite the delicious package of maleness. And at least he used his charm for good, unlike Jay. Glancing up, Sam saw her and, holding up a finger to his admirers, slid a hand down the glossy bar counter as he walked out to greet her. "Hey, gorgeous," he smiled, coming around the bar to give her a quick hug. When he pulled away, he searched her face with eyes that were, as usual, sensual and laughing at the same time. Then he gave her his Sam-variety grin. "Jay told me you finally came to your senses and dropped his sorry ass," he said. From his smirk, Anna could tell that he approved. She wanted to laugh at his sad lack of male loyalty, but right now she was still too angry with Jason. "Is he here?" she asked. "Uh huh," Sam nodded, resting a hip against a low barstool. "He's been pissy all week, too. Every time I, or any of the staff, try talking to him, he pretty much tells us to shove it." A mirthless smirk passed across Anna's face. "You can blame me for that," she said. "But is he in the kitchen or his office? I need to talk to him." "He's in his office." Sam searched her face, then said, "Don't tell me you're gonna go apologize or something." Apologize? Not even close. This time, he'd be lucky if she ever talked to him again. "I'm not apologizing," she told Sam, circling behind the bar on her way to the door leading to the back kitchen and offices. "I'm gonna kill him." "Yes, finally!" Sam called after her, laughing. "Come find me, afterward. Drinks are on me." When she came to Jay's closed office door, she didn't bother knocking. Why should she? He obviously couldn't tell her what was going on in his life. No, she had to learn what he should have told her himself from some stranger's voicemail. So, no, she wouldn't give him the common courtesy of announcing her presence. Grim-faced, she flung the door open and barged in. He was sitting behind his desk and, she thought, for a second he'd almost looked relieved to see her. But then he scowled. "Haven't you heard of knocking?" he muttered. "Or did you decide to quit that, too?" After four days of not seeing him, her idiotic heart sped up as she drank in his gorgeous, and angry, features. Lucky for her, his sneering voice was all the reminder she needed of her current mood. She closed the door behind her. "I have to talk to you." "Please, come in," Jay sarcastically said. "Not like I have anything else to do." He dropped his cell phone on the desk and stared at her. God he was relieved to see her, but he was fighting hard to hide how anxious he'd been. Not particularly caring for his sarcasm, Anna planted her hands on her hips and glared at him. "I just want to know one thing and then I'm leaving. Why didn't you tell me you were invited to the Sara Lee Dessert Competition in Chicago?" Fuck, Jay thought. This was the last thing he needed right now. He'd hoped she'd come to say she changed her mind about quitting, but now she was just starting another fight. That competition was still a month away and he hadn't told her about it because he hadn't wanted to think about it yet. "How the hell did you find out about that?" he muttered. "Why the hell didn't you tell me about it!" Anna knew she was shouting, but she didn't care. He didn't react, not really, but she saw the irritation flicker in his eyes before he had a chance to cover it up. Then, his expressionless gaze bore into her. "You don't work for me anymore, so it's not really any of your business, is it?" Anna gritted her teeth. "Don't give me that, Jason. I just told you I was quitting on Tuesday and one of the competition organizers left me a voicemail saying they contacted you over a month ago." "And?" "And you didn't tell me!" "So that's why you're yelling at me right now?" he sounded so bored and disinterested, she wanted to throw something at his face. See if he could ignore that. "No, I'm yelling at you because you're an idiot. Why wouldn't you confirm with them? That lady called me asking whether or not you were going—they're about to bump you from the competitors." When he didn't say anything, she flopped down angrily on the couch across from his desk. "I don't understand you. It's like you're trying to sabotage yourself." Jay had to work hard to keep his expression neutral. "Like I said, it doesn't matter. You don't work for me, remember?" Fighting to control her anger, Anna slowly said, "I want to know why you didn't tell me." Jay stared at her. He couldn't believe she'd shown up after four days and was laying into him about this. But, whatever, if she wanted to know the truth, he'd tell her. "I didn't tell you because I'm thinking about turning them down," he bluntly said. Anna sat up, perfectly straight, eyeing him like she hadn't heard him correctly. He'd applied for that competition three months ago; spent weeks working out which recipes to submit, and now that they'd invited him to compete at the Sara Lee headquarters in Chicago, he was acting like he didn't care. "You're thinking...about turning them down," she repeated, but even coming out of her mouth the words didn't make any more sense than when he'd said them. On top of that, he was watching her with a blank expression on his face, like she was the one acting insane. After a minute, he stood up, coming around the side of his desk. "It seems kinda pointless. Things are crazy around here and now that I don't have an assistant," he said, his voice flat, "I can't afford to take a week off work. Especially for some competition." Shaking her head, Anna stared up at his handsome face, thinking about how much she wanted to slap him, shake some sense into him. Something. "Two months ago, you didn't think it was just a competition," she said. "Then, it was all you thought about for weeks." "Two months ago," he mimicked her, "I also had an assistant." With deliberate control over her seething emotions, Anna got to her feet and stared into his eyes, even though she had to tilt her head back to do it. "I know it'd be real convenient for you to use my quitting as an excuse for not doing the competition, but you need to get your story straight first," she said, surprised by the utter calmness of her voice. "I quit this week. You've been ducking phone calls from the Sara Lee people for almost a month. God, I can't believe you'd be this childish, careless and—" Furious, Jason cut her off. "Then I guess it's a good thing you quit, huh? No more wasting your life being dragged down by me." Fuck, he didn't know why he was acting like this. Truth was, he'd been glad to see her. But after four days of being ignored by her, his anger and relief warred inside him—especially since she was pushing all the same buttons she had on Tuesday. Ever since she'd walked into his office he'd been trying to stay calm and cool, but she got to him like no one else could. Shaking her head, Anna stared at him like he was a stranger. "This is exactly why I can't work for you anymore," she said. "You act like your career belongs entirely to you, but I've been here, Jay. For two years. Working just as hard as you have, and—" Anna stopped and turned away. She took a deep, steadying breath, dangerously close to embarrassing herself by crying. God. She knew he was mad at her right now, and she was still upset with him, but some of the things he said to her sometimes...it was like he was deliberately trying to hurt her. With her back to him, she crossed her arms over her chest and bowed her head. "I just see you with all of these opportunities and you're taking them for granted." She shook her head again. "I can't take this. I hate that everything with you has to be such a struggle..." she trailed off, not really sure what she wanted to say. When it came to him, she felt like she was talking in circles. Behind her, Jay stood absolutely still, staring at the back of her head. He wanted to reach out, touch her, but at the same time, he could tell by her voice and the defeated slump of her shoulders that she was leaving. That fucking terrified him. A horrible, achy feeling washed through the pit of his stomach and he had to fight down the urge to beg her to stay. Then he heard himself say, "If that's how you feel, why'd you wait so long to quit?" Turning to face him, Anna shrugged, looking into his hazel eyes. "I guess I thought I could handle it. It's not like I didn't know how you are before I came to work for you. You want everything, Jay. And I lov...respect that about you," she said, catching herself before she said something she might regret. "But it's exhausting sometimes. And I can't do it anymore." Dammit, she really was quitting. Jay was certain now. She was honestly just going to walk out on him. Staring at her for a long moment, he locked his fingers behind his head and closed his eyes. "Anna," he said, trying like hell to keep his voice calm. "Do not do this to me." "I have to, Jay. I can't— " she started, but, swearing, he cut her off. He spun around, bracing both hands on the edge of his desk and stared at his empty chair without really seeing it. He hated feeling so out of control of things—almost as much as he hated feeling so damn abandoned right now. Fuck, he hadn't had this sick, shaky feeling since he was a kid. And it was almost that same fear and anger that made him glare over his shoulder at Anna. "So that's it, then?" he sneered. "You quit out of nowhere and I don't even get the goddamn courtesy of a two-week grace period?" He turned around, towering over her. "You say my career's important to you, but if you really gave a damn, you wouldn't cut out on me like this." He could see that he'd gotten to her, but made himself not care. And when she opened her mouth to respond, he cut her off. "But, no. Whatever. It's fine, Anna," he said in a flat voice. "I'll figure out a way to handle this. You go do whatever the hell you need to do." Anna was so angry and hurt and confused that she didn't know what to say. So she just stood there, staring at Jason's clenched jaw, until he roughly pushed away from his desk and stalked past her toward the door. She was deciding whether or not to say something when someone knocked on the closed door. "Jay?" It was Sam. The door opened and he leaned inside. His brow creased as he took in Jay's tense face and Anna's grave expression. Finally, he glanced back to Jay. "Uh, there's a very good-looking redhead out front asking for you." Shit, Jason thought, running a hand through his hair. Stacey. He'd forgotten all about her when Anna showed up. Just a few minutes earlier, he'd wanted to cancel the date, but now...he shot a look at Anna. Screw it, he needed the distraction more than he had before. "I'm coming," he said, stiffly. Stalking to the door, he half-prayed that Anna would keep quiet until he left. He was so tightly wound, he didn't know what he might say if she pushed him. He'd just brushed past Sam who was shooting him a dark look, when Anna's voice, as cool and controlled as his had been, caught him. "I'm not done talking to you, Jason." Damn her. Why couldn't she just keep her mouth shut and let him leave? Couldn't she see that he just needed to get away from her? Turning around, Jay ignored Sam and gave Anna a cold stare. "That's too damn bad," he said, "because I'm done talking to you." And before she had a chance to say anything, or he had a chance to see the hurt in her eyes, he pushed past Sam and walked away. *************************** Hey guys, I've gotta say...I don't know what happened here. When I first started posting on Lit a few years ago, my chapters were short and straightforward. Now...not so much. This one's a doozy. Kinda got away from me, to be honest. Hopefully, it's wasn't too long/drawn out, though. Anyway, thanks for the great feedback so far! (I love that so many of you don't like Jay, lol). I REALLY appreciate all of your comments. And, yeah, there's more to come, so let me know what you think so far. ~EVE Sweet Talk Ch. 02 [SlipsInsideHer]: no matter what you are doing [SlipsInsideHer]: you will need to send me a message [SlipsInsideHer]: every time you see me online [SlipsInsideHer]: because you want more hypnosis from me [SlipsInsideHer]: because you need more hypnosis from me [SlipsInsideHer]: do you understand this? [LilyAnna]: yesss every time [SlipsInsideHer]: good girl [SlipsInsideHer]: it feels so good to relax deeply like this doesn't it? [LilyAnna]: ys soo gooood [SlipsInsideHer]: it feels good to feel the warmth in your mind hypnosis brings, isn't it? [LilyAnna]: yyys [SlipsInsideHer]: and inside that warmth at your core [SlipsInsideHer]: your mind always stays relaxed and open to my words, doesn't it? [LilyAnna]: yyyes [SlipsInsideHer]: and even when you are awake, you won't feel it [SlipsInsideHer]: but that warmth will still be at the core of your being [SlipsInsideHer]: and you love to feel aroused by hypnosis [SlipsInsideHer]: you love the excitement of someone pulling your strings [SlipsInsideHer]: don't you? [LilyAnna]: I do. Just so arousing [SlipsInsideHer]: And don't you want to have a little sign that will [SlipsInsideHer]: ratchet up your arousal. [SlipsInsideHer]: Wouldn't you love the feeling of someone switching you on [SlipsInsideHer]: not having to do anything but respond [SlipsInsideHer]: feeling more sexy, just because you were told to. [SlipsInsideHer]: Doesn't just the thought of that make you horny? Lily Anna's fingers were sliding over her belly, she was being drawn in by this guy. She loved the way he understood and played with her. Her thighs parted and her fingers slide round the curve of her mons and dipped inside herself as she fantasised about being switched on like a light and suddenly made to feel horny. [LilyAnna]: mmmm. [SlipsInsideHer]: Then just accept this trigger and whenever you see me write {w+} you will feel more aroused and more horny and more out of control. [SlipsInsideHer]: Just accept the phrase and know, without even consciously reading the trigger, that you will jump to a higher pitch of arousal each time you see it, and knowing that I can take you there. [SlipsInsideHer]: But you also need to come back down and stop feeling horny [SlipsInsideHer]: when we finish playing. You want to remember the fun we had [SlipsInsideHer]: but not still be left wanting more when I've gone. [SlipsInsideHer]: You need a phrase that will switch off your horniness too, don't you? [LilyAnna]: guesss ssso [SlipsInsideHer]: So when you see me type {w0} you will not read it, but you will understand that you no longer feel in need. [SlipsInsideHer]: Do you understand these phrases? [LilyAnna]: yyss [SlipsInsideHer]: good girl [SlipsInsideHer]: and now you know that deep inside the core of your being [SlipsInsideHer]: there is a bimbo trying to express herself. [SlipsInsideHer]: and you want that bimbo to be free. A bimbo who has no control. [SlipsInsideHer]: you want to allow that bimbo to come out when you are safe at home [SlipsInsideHer]: don't you? [LilyAnna]: yyyss [SlipsInsideHer]: good girl [SlipsInsideHer]: then on the count of 5 you will awaken fully [SlipsInsideHer]: not noticing any of our hypnotic chat [SlipsInsideHer]: do you understand? [LilyAnna]: yyessido [SlipsInsideHer]: good girl [SlipsInsideHer]: 1 [SlipsInsideHer]: beginning to awake [SlipsInsideHer]: 2 [SlipsInsideHer]: feeling your mind stir [SlipsInsideHer]: 3 [SlipsInsideHer]: gaining awareness [SlipsInsideHer]: 4 [SlipsInsideHer]: almost awake [SlipsInsideHer]: 5 [SlipsInsideHer]: so how did you find that visulaisation? What? Lily Anna snapped back to reality. She had been lost in thought or asleep or... Well, she wasn't sure what she had been thinking about, but she remembered feeling relaxed and aroused. She looked down and saw herself naked in front of the monitor, she hadn't really been aware of shedding her clothes but remembered how he led her step by step into a wonderful fantasy. She loved the feel of her hands as they slikly moved across her flesh. She hadn't had an orgasm, but that didn't matter. It was such a gift to have been able to drift off into such a deeply sexually satisfying place, and she did feel safe about what had happened. She felt she could trust him, he had not exploited the situation. She'd just have to wait and see. Though, her pussy didn't want to wait much longer. [LilyAnna]: hmmm… the relaxation it produces... so sexy… and it's a mystery [SlipsInsideHer]: mystery? [LilyAnna]: your hypnosis is a mystery to me… how you can affect me so deeply when you are not even here, just your words appearing disembodied on my computer screen. I found myself responding so strongly to your visualisation. Is that what hypnosis is like? [SlipsInsideHer]: Sure. It is not about becoming a robot and forgetting who you are. It is just an altered state of consciousness. You are still conscious, but you allow yourself to let go of all those anxieties and cares that preoccupy you everyday. That is why it can be so deeply sexually satisfying. Sex is in your mind, not playing with that hot pussy of yours. [LilyAnna]: But it helps…• [SlipsInsideHer]: Well yes, surely. So while you are waiting for your boss to wake up to what you could offer him, why not enjoy some harmless relaxation when you are safe at home? [LilyAnna]: How could a girl refuse…? [SlipsInsideHer]: But tell me, why should he bother about you? [LilyAnna]: How do you mean? [SlipsInsideHer]: Well you are just a junior research assistant, right? [LilyAnna]: You have to start somewhere. [SlipsInsideHer]: Yes and you are at the bottom, right? [LilyAnna]: Well… yes, I guess. [SlipsInsideHer]: So what you do isn't really important is it? {w+} [LilyAnna]: What do you mean? Lily Anna felt a tingle in her pussy at the precise moment she started to feel angry with this guy. What did he mean her work was not important? [LilyAnna]: Of course my work is important. [SlipsInsideHer]: But they wouldn't trust something really important to a junior research assistant would they? It sort of made sense, but she didn't like to feel her work was not important. She worked very hard and her boss had been pleased with it. [LilyAnna]: He likes my work. [SlipsInsideHer]: OK. But I bet he has someone supervise you. {w+} Lily Anna felt the lurch in her stomach as she thought about her supervisor. [LilyAnna]: Well… yes… Kathy overseas my work true [SlipsInsideHer]: And when things are not up to scratch she tells you what you need to do, doesn't she {w+} [LilyAnna]: Well yes she does… Why was she feeling so turned on at the thought of being told what to do? Her pussy was becoming really distracting now, and her fingers slipped down to her slit. [LilyAnna]: I mean… she just checks it. [SlipsInsideHer]: That's right. She checks to make sure you did it properly, and if you don't do it right you need to go and correct it. {w+} God, she felt like a schoolgirl, and she was now definitely feeling horny. This was not like her, why should she feel excited by being told what to do? This conversation was moving so fast, she found it hard to keep up with him. There was something not right about what he said, but as she stared at his words, the logic of what he wrote seemed inescapable. [SlipsInsideHer]: are you feeling out of control? [LilyAnna]: maybe a little [SlipsInsideHer]: do you want to keep going? [LilyAnna]: I don't know, I am not sure you understand my work [LilyAnna]: yet at the same time, I am feeling turned on by it somehow [SlipsInsideHer]: You see, that is your bimbo side surfacing. [SlipsInsideHer]: why don't you think about whether you want to continue [SlipsInsideHer]: it is your decision after all [SlipsInsideHer]: but while you're at it, just slide those wet fingers of yours down between those hot slippery thighs and play with yourself a little [SlipsInsideHer]: just for fun while you think about what you want to do next [LilyAnna]: no I can't! [SlipsInsideHer]: why not? [LilyAnna]: it's too distracting [SlipsInsideHer]: but you want to, don't you? [LilyAnna]: Well ermm… yes I suppose I do. [SlipsInsideHer]: and you are horny right now, aren't you? [LilyAnna]: Well, I am, yes... [SlipsInsideHer]: and you are alone? [LilyAnna]: yes [SlipsInsideHer]: so if you want to and you are horny and you're alone, why don't you play with yourself? Lily Anna's head was spinning by now. It was difficult to keep up. Why shouldn't she play with herself. His logic was irresistible, even though something in her wanted to resist. [SlipsInsideHer]: Don't you play with yourself sometimes…when you are horny and alone? [LilyAnna]: yes sometimes, I guess She did feel horny and she already had her hand down there as she idly scratched away at her thatch. She felt so stupid trying to argue against something she wanted to do anyway. [SlipsInsideHer]: then why not play with yourself now? [SlipsInsideHer]: you're alone and you're horny [LilyAnna]: yes that makes sense, but I don't know [SlipsInsideHer]: you mean you don't want to play with yourself? [LilyAnna]: no, I do [SlipsInsideHer]: so go ahead! Lily Anna's resistance collapsed. She needed to answer him, but her mind seemed full of feeling sexy and out of control. She was alone and by now she was most definitely horny. Her fingers were working at the persistent itch she felt between her legs, so why shouldn't she play with herself? Still, she had this nagging feeling in the back of her mind that she shouldn't, but she couldn't understand it. Her fingers delved deeper into her bush and her lips parted more. A single finger slid effortlessly between her pussy lips before she was able to try and stop it. [LilyAnna]: well, I did have a reason [LilyAnna]: but I guess it wasn't that important [SlipsInsideHer]: so are you playing with yourself now? [LilyAnna]: yes [SlipsInsideHer]: and do you want to keep playing with me? [LilyAnna]: mmmm... but can we slow down a bit [SlipsInsideHer]: {w+} struggling to keep up? That's ok, I'll make it easier for you. She was typing with one hand and rapidly becoming more aroused. Even reading his words telling her that he would slow down so that she could keep up was driving the nagging need she felt rising along with the burning heat from between her thighs. Although her typing was a little slower, she was so enthralled in fingering her pussy that she really didn't care. She wanted this feeling to last forever. She kept sliding her finger slowly in and out, her arousal climbing. She slipped another finger inside herself, and started to move them faster. She felt the familiar tug and she knew she would cum soon. [SlipsInsideHer]: and are you enjoying your hypnosis so far {w+}? [LilyAnna]: yeah, I feel nice [LilyAnna]: Christ! [SlipsInsideHer]: what's the matter? [LilyAnna]: I'm getting so horny! [SlipsInsideHer]: ready to cum yet? [LilyAnna]: not quite, but getting there [SlipsInsideHer]: no I think you should cum now. The last thing Lily Anna knew were his words telling her body to cum, before her body responded to his command. She felt her body convulse of its own accord, brushing aside her will. Then her mind exploded into a massive orgasm that erupted through her body. It was the most intense yet the weirdest orgasm she had ever had. Usually her orgasms started in her pussy, not in her brain, but this time it was as if her mind erupted first. Was that how hypno-generated orgasms felt? [SlipsInsideHer]: done? Lily Anna didn't want to admit she had cum, but he knew. How did he know? [LilyAnna]: yes [SlipsInsideHer]: good girl She felt these two simple words both humiliating and arousing. He kept treating her like some helpless little girl that he was having to explain sex to. As much as she tried to deny it, the feeling of dependence upon him and being manipulated by him was making this whole situation even hotter. [SlipsInsideHer]: see playing with me isn't so bad, is it? [LilyAnna]: no… [SlipsInsideHer]: so why was it so hard to decide to go on playing? [LilyAnna]: I don't know… this is all too much. I don't feel like I am being me [LilyAnna]: I'm not like this [SlipsInsideHer]: hmm... [SlipsInsideHer]: then why do you think you're doing this? [LilyAnna]: I mean I'm not usually like this [SlipsInsideHer]: well, what are you usually like then? [LilyAnna]: I am my own person [SlipsInsideHer]: that's strange, have you put your clothes back on yet? Lily Anna was once again caught by the sudden shift in topic. No she hadn't, why hadn't she? As she thought about this she realised how much she enjoyed the vulnerability symbolised by sitting naked in front of him. She had never had so much fun. [LilyAnna]: no I haven't [SlipsInsideHer]: so is the chair wet now? [LilyAnna]: -blushes- [LilyAnna]: yes [SlipsInsideHer]: you better clean it up then. Use your panties. Lily Anna was having the absolute time of her life chatting with him, but this author wouldn't give an inch. He had her completely off balance, and he kept pushing. She thought about going and getting a cloth, but she couldn't pull herself away, and considering her clothes scattered around the chair, her panties was the best option. She picked them off the floor and mopped up before sitting back down. [SlipsInsideHer]: you done yet? [LilyAnna]: yes Why was she telling him everything he asked? [SlipsInsideHer]: then you better slip those panties back on before you mess that chair up again. Lily Anna was feeling increasingly humiliated by the way he was speaking to her. How dare he! She wanted to tell him not to talk to her in this way. Yet as her fingers hesitated over the keyboard she thought of the orgasm she had just experienced. She didn't want him to go away and forget her. She did enjoy this and she would never be able to experience the power of an orgasm like that again if she angered him. [SlipsInsideHer]: have you done that yet? [LilyAnna]: no [SlipsInsideHer]: I see. You prefer sitting in your own juices. Such a dirty slut aren't you? [LilyAnna]: no I'm not! I am putting them on. She felt ashamed as she pulled her wet knickers up her legs. They felt cold to her skin and as the oil soaked material slid over her mound, she felt her excitement grow once more. She sat with her legs apart and her hand sliding over the material, pressing the oil into her skin. [LilyAnna]: done. [SlipsInsideHer]: now you were sayng that you are your own person? [SlipsInsideHer]: Yet you seem to be happy to follow my instructions [LilyAnna]: Well yes I know, tonight… It's just nice. [SlipsInsideHer]:Because you need me, a man, to remind you to look after yourself. [SlipsInsideHer]:If it wasn't for me you'd still be sitting there naked. [LilyAnna]: well I guess…. you're right [SlipsInsideHer]: you seem to be saying that quite a bit [SlipsInsideHer]: you can still play with that cute cunt of yours Lily Anna's hand slid down and slipped inside her panties. [SlipsInsideHer]: Pour some more oil down over your mound first, get it nice and sloppy for your fingers. With her heart racing she reached out for the bottle and pulled open her panties as she dribbled more oil down her belly and pooling in her crotch. She was so excited right now. [SlipsInsideHer]: Have you done that? [LilyAnna]: -nods- [SlipsInsideHer]: why are you doing this? Why was she responding to everything he told her to do? She hadn't been fingering herself just now, but as her fingers slid inside her, she realised how submissively she was behaving. This guy just kept pushing her, and she could deny him nothing. [LilyAnna]: I don't know... you said to [SlipsInsideHer]: by the way, is it shaved, or do you trim it? [LilyAnna]: it's trimmed [SlipsInsideHer]: ok, but shave it tomorrow [SlipsInsideHer]: I thought you didn't want me making your decision? [LilyAnna]: I don't [SlipsInsideHer]: but isn't that what I'm doing right now? [LilyAnna]: I guess [SlipsInsideHer]: and do you not enjoy it? [LilyAnna]: yes, I do [SlipsInsideHer]: so then you really don't mind me making some decisions [SlipsInsideHer]: do you? [LilyAnna]: no, I suppose I don't [LilyAnna]: I guess you can make some decisions for me And that was the way the next few hours of her life were spent, in a haze somewhere between pure lust, submission, humiliation, and hypnosis. She knew she shouldn't want to be manipulated in this way. She could still work her way out of this, exert her own decisions if she wanted to. It's just that right now she was happy to play along with this. The evening passed. She had more orgasms than she ever remembered having in one night. She was never quite sure who was making her decisions even though he always seemed to give her a choice. Then, suddenly he left. He told her he would be on again tomorrow morning around 11:00 if she wanted to play some more. He told her to get a good night's sleep ready for tomorrow and reminded her to shave her cunt in the morning, then he was gone. Lily Anna stared at the screen at the words informing her he had logged off. She knew she didn't really have a choice, even though he gave her the decision. She knew she would be there. Lily Anna continued to finger herself as she thought through all the games they had played and remembered how he had made her cum over and again. The night ended with one final orgasm before she finally pulled herself away and headed off to her bed. Lily Anna fell into her bed. What would he make her do tomorrow? How far was she really willing to go with this? When she finally calmed herself down, she drifted off into a deep sleep, his words still echoing inside her mind. She slept more peacefully that night than she had slept in years, completely satisfied, waiting in anticipation for what tomorrow would bring. Sweet Talk Ch. 03 Chapter 3 It was Saturday morning, 6:30 a.m., according to the clock. Lily Anna was lying in bed, wishing she were still asleep. Her thoughts shifted to the chat session from the night before. She could feel a dampness between her legs already as her stomach fluttered. How did he get into her head so easily? How could he use her own thoughts and ideas to make her do what he wanted? Instead of rolling over again and trying to get some more sleep, a hand slid down under her nightgown to her pussy. She had allowed him to hypnotise her, she remembered consciously registering what he was doing as she lay in that hammock. She had allowed it to happen. She had colluded and now she felt scared about what was going to happen. Yet at the same time she felt so alive, her flesh tingled at the thought of her fantasy being forced into reality. Lily Anna was a smart woman, someone who was going to move up in the company. Her boss had told her so just the other day. Yet this author hadn't forced her into that hypnotic trance, he had given her the choice, and it was of her own free will that she had stayed and played with him. She had allowed him to take control and make decisions for her. She had ended up dancing upon his strings, and most shaming of all, she had loved how it made her feel. Lily Anna moaned and came, her legs wound around the bedclothes, her hand aching with the pressure from her thighs. The time was approaching when she should log on to chat with him some more. Lily Anna remembered how she had been told to shave herself bare. She wondered about disobeying him to see what he would say, to prove to herself that she was still in control. She smiled as she thought about how put out he would be and this would tell her how important her obedience was to him. Yet in spite of her desire to provoke him, something else in her mind led her into the bathroom and picked up her razor. She sat, legs spread, on the toilet seat and soaped her mound. The hairs were short, she liked to keep it trimmed but had never shaved it before. She felt a bit nervous bringing the sharp blade so close to such a sensitive part of her body, and she grazed it slowly through the frothy white coating. The tan of her skin showed dark against the lather, as the razor cut its path. She felt a growing excitement as she moved it back and forth, slowly sweeping away the soap and her hairs. It took longer than she anticipated getting inside all those folds and not nicking herself in the process. When she was done, she looked down at her bald and very visible sex. It was funny how removing her thatch made her feel suddenly more naïve and more vulnerable. She felt less confident, more child-like and damn it, aroused. Lily Anna sat in front of her computer screen and logged into the chatroom. She could feel the thumping of her heart as her fingers typed in her password and she saw his name come up on the list of those logged in. [LilyAnna]: Hi! [SlipsInsideHer]: I see you decided to come and play some more. [LilyAnna]: Yes. I couldn't get yesterday's chat out of my head :) [SlipsInsideHer]: And have you shaved yourself? [LilyAnna]: Smooth as a riverbed stone! [SlipsInsideHer]: good girl. [SlipsInsideHer]: so do you want to play some more like last night? [LilyAnna]: ummm... could we? [LilyAnna]: I really liked it [SlipsInsideHer]: but last time I ended up making some decisions for you [SlipsInsideHer]: are you sure you want that to happen again? [LilyAnna]: yeah, it was nice letting someone else have to think about everything for a while [LilyAnna]: it's good just to let go every now and then [SlipsInsideHer]: good girl Lily Anna's arousal was intensifying slowly. She knew what was about to happen and she couldn't have been happier. [SlipsInsideHer]: rustling trees [SlipsInsideHer]: rustling trees [SlipsInsideHer]: back into hypnosis [SlipsInsideHer]: deeper each time you see your trigger [SlipsInsideHer]: rustling trees [SlipsInsideHer]: rustling trees [SlipsInsideHer]: do you remember your scale? [LilyAnna]: yyes [SlipsInsideHer]: what is it showing now? [LilyAnna]: 8 [SlipsInsideHer]: good girl, and there is a dial on it [SlipsInsideHer]: isn't there? [LilyAnna]: yys [SlipsInsideHer]: and you want to reach out and turn that dial, don't you? [SlipsInsideHer]: you want to turn the dial down [SlipsInsideHer]: knowing that as you do so, [SlipsInsideHer]: you are opening yourself to me, [SlipsInsideHer]: it makes you relax more and slip ever deeper [SlipsInsideHer]: becoming more susceptible to my suggestions [SlipsInsideHer]: letting go of the decisions for a while. [SlipsInsideHer]: what happens as you turn the dial? [LilyAnna]: i slip deper, more opnn [SlipsInsideHer]: good girl [SlipsInsideHer]: and as you go deeper, as you let go [SlipsInsideHer]: you can feel yourself surrendering to my words [SlipsInsideHer]: allowing yourself to give in to my hypnotism [SlipsInsideHer]: are you totally relaxed now? [LilyAnna]: yyyy [SlipsInsideHer]: good girl [SlipsInsideHer]: and you know that each time you enter hypnosis [SlipsInsideHer]: you become more addicted to it [SlipsInsideHer]: you need it [SlipsInsideHer]: don't you? [ LilyAnna ]: yyyes [SlipsInsideHer]: you want to chat with me as often as you can [SlipsInsideHer]: don't you? [LilyAnna]: yess chat offn [SlipsInsideHer]: and the more we chat [SlipsInsideHer]: the more I hypnotize you [SlipsInsideHer]: and the more I hypnotize you [SlipsInsideHer]: the more conditioned you become [SlipsInsideHer]: what are you being conditioned to do? [LilyAnna]: respond to your hypnosis... [SlipsInsideHer]: to obey my hypnosis. That is what you are being conditioned to do, isn't it? [LilyAnna]: yy [SlipsInsideHer]: good girl [SlipsInsideHer]: and you know that even when you are awake [SlipsInsideHer]: that my words have power [SlipsInsideHer]: a power over you [SlipsInsideHer]: to make you do things [SlipsInsideHer]: to make you believe things I say [SlipsInsideHer]: isn't that true? [LilyAnna]: yyess [SlipsInsideHer]: you know that deep down you wish to become a bimbo [SlipsInsideHer]: to lose control. [LilyAnna]: oooh yeeess [SlipsInsideHer]: and you loved it when I made you cum before [SlipsInsideHer]: didn't you? [LilyAnna]: yyyes [SlipsInsideHer]: because you loved not being in control of your own body [SlipsInsideHer]: you knew I was controlling your orgasms [SlipsInsideHer]: and you loved being led into cumming on command. [SlipsInsideHer]: and while we chat tonight [SlipsInsideHer]: you will only be able to orgasm when I allow you [SlipsInsideHer]: understand? [LilyAnna]: yyy [SlipsInsideHer]: good girl [SlipsInsideHer]: then awaken on the count of 5 [SlipsInsideHer]: 1 [SlipsInsideHer]: 2 [SlipsInsideHer]: 3 [SlipsInsideHer]: 4 [SlipsInsideHer]: 5 [SlipsInsideHer]: so shall we play some? Lily Anna shook her head. She felt relaxed and excited. [LilyAnna]: will you hypnotize me? [LilyAnna]: :) [SlipsInsideHer]: {w+} and what do you want to be hypnotized to do? Lily Anna felt her arousal take a leap at the suggestion of being made to do something under hypnosis. She began feeling the pleasure build in her belly before creeping across her whole body. She tried to push it from her mind for now. She needed to seduce him into giving her more hypnosis. She needed more. [LilyAnna]: just be naughty… :) [SlipsInsideHer]: {w+} Lily Anna felt on the verge again. She was horny as hell, just from talking about hypnosis. Her hands flew to her pussy. She didn't even bother to see if he had typed anything. She wanted to cum, right now. She pulled her panties down and her finger rubbed insistently at her clit. She was almost there, she could feel her arousal building, yet somehow she couldn't push herself over the edge. She couldn't gain the release she needed. Her mind floated as her fingers intensified their efforts, but it was no use. She started to think how she might release the tension she felt trapped in her pussy. She remembered the fantastic orgasm he had given her yesterday, and she knew that was what she needed. Finally, she decided to ask for help. [LilyAnna]: I need to orgasm pplease [SlipsInsideHer]: really, why are you telling me? {w+} [SlipsInsideHer]: can't you make yourself orgasm? [LilyAnna]: nno i ccantt [LilyAnna]: i've been tryingg [SlipsInsideHer]: you can't even make yourself orgasm without help from hypnosis [SlipsInsideHer]: do you have this problem often? [LilyAnna]:?? Nno. im so connfidwsed [SlipsInsideHer]: {w+} Lily Anna's mind was in overload. She had to cum. She was feeling so much pleasure that it was actually hurting. Her body was having spasms trying to force herself to cum, but she couldn't. No matter what she tried, she couldn't. She'd never had this problem before. Then, like a lightbulb turning on, she understood what had happened. [LilyAnna]: ypu youi programmed me didint you? [SlipsInsideHer]: maybe… [SlipsInsideHer]: what do you think of that? [LilyAnna]: i dont caree jjuuyst wannt tto cummm [SlipsInsideHer]: what will you do to cum? {w+} [LilyAnna]: anyythinngggg [SlipsInsideHer]: then strip if you are wearing anything [SlipsInsideHer]: and tell me when you have Lily Anna's panties were already round her knees while she had been fingering herself. She jumped up to remove the rest of her clothes and moved so quickly that she almost toppled forward onto the computer. A button or two actually popped off the blouse she was wearing as she jerked it open. One sharp tug and her skirt was falling onto the floor. Soon, once again, she was sitting, staring at her computer with a pile of clothes on the floor next to her. [LilyAnna]: I'm nude [SlipsInsideHer]: rustling trees [SlipsInsideHer]: rustling trees [SlipsInsideHer]: returning to that wonderful trance [SlipsInsideHer]: deeper each time you see your trigger [SlipsInsideHer]: deeper than ever before [SlipsInsideHer]: deeper into hypnosis [SlipsInsideHer]: what is your scale showing now? [LilyAnna]: 0 [SlipsInsideHer]: good girl [SlipsInsideHer]: and are you still ready to cum? [SlipsInsideHer]: yys [SlipsInsideHer]: good girl [SlipsInsideHer]: cumming is very important to you, isn't it? [LilyAnna]: yyyy [SlipsInsideHer]: especially when you're aroused like this [SlipsInsideHer]: and you are very aroused now [SlipsInsideHer]: aren't you? [LilyAnna]: yyyyy sverrry [SlipsInsideHer]: and the orgasms I give you are as addictive as the hypnosis I offer [SlipsInsideHer]: aren't they? [LilyAnna]: yyy [SlipsInsideHer]: yes, you always want more of them [SlipsInsideHer]: do you have a boyfriend? [LilyAnna]: no [SlipsInsideHer]: so other than your own fantasies [SlipsInsideHer]: I'm the only supply of orgasms you have [SlipsInsideHer]: isn't that right? [LilyAnna]: i guesss [SlipsInsideHer]: but there is a price for the orgasms I give [SlipsInsideHer]: do you choose to continue to enjoy my orgasms [SlipsInsideHer]: knowing there is a price? do you still want me to make you cum, [SlipsInsideHer]: without knowing the price beforehand? [LilyAnna]: yse [SlipsInsideHer]: ok. Then this is the price, [SlipsInsideHer]: every night when you go to bed [SlipsInsideHer]: I want you to lay down [SlipsInsideHer]: and slip back into your trance. [SlipsInsideHer]: you will repeat all of the suggestions I am giving you. You will repeat them to yourself [SlipsInsideHer]: reminding yourself of them. Each night you will burn them deeper into your mind [SlipsInsideHer]: until you are totally unable to resist them [SlipsInsideHer]: do you understand? [LilyAnna]: yys [SlipsInsideHer]: and as you repeat them to yourself, you will understand how you are wearing down any resistance to them [SlipsInsideHer]: and when you have done this [SlipsInsideHer]: you'll just drift into a normal comfortable sleep [SlipsInsideHer]: won't you? [LilyAnna]: yyes sleep [SlipsInsideHer]: and so even when we aren't chatting [SlipsInsideHer]: you'll know that you are constantly being conditioned [SlipsInsideHer]: won't you? [LilyAnna]: yys [SlipsInsideHer]: and does that make you horny? [LilyAnna]: yyyesss [SlipsInsideHer]: and from now [SlipsInsideHer]: unless you are to leave your house or someone comes over [SlipsInsideHer]: you will remain entirely nude at home [SlipsInsideHer]: do you understand? [LilyAnna]: yys [SlipsInsideHer]: good girl [SlipsInsideHer]: I am going to bring you out of trance in a moment and send you a program to run [SlipsInsideHer]: You will accept my program and you will run it [SlipsInsideHer]: Have you got that? [LilyAnna]: Yesss. Need cumm [SlipsInsideHer]: and you will cum [SlipsInsideHer]: this program will make you cum again and again [SlipsInsideHer]: you'd like that wouldn't you? [LilyAnna]: yess [SlipsInsideHer]: so you won't hesitate to run my program? [LilyAnna]: no [SlipsInsideHer]: good girl [SlipsInsideHer]: then awaken on the count of 5 [SlipsInsideHer]: forgetting that you have been in a trance [SlipsInsideHer]: letting all of it just slip into that warm place in your mind [SlipsInsideHer]: but still obeying it all [SlipsInsideHer]: and feeling your arousal build and explode [SlipsInsideHer]: into the biggest orgasm of your life [SlipsInsideHer]: as soon as you awaken [SlipsInsideHer]: 1 [SlipsInsideHer]: 2 [SlipsInsideHer]: 3 [SlipsInsideHer]: 4 [SlipsInsideHer]: 5 [SlipsInsideHer]: CUM NOW Lily Anna's pussy exploded. She couldn't stop the waves of pleasure rippling through her body and mind. At some point, she fell out of her chair, but she didn't feel any pain from hitting the floor just more pleasure as the cool hard wood floor she rested against seemed to magnify the sensations convulsing through her. She lay on the floor for some time as she slowly descended the scale of pleasure. Her mind was mesmerised by overloading feelings that swept uncontrollably through her. She didn't know whether she could survive many more orgasms like that one, yet they opened a new dimension to life that was so addictive that she could never go back to living without them. As her thumping heart returned slowly to a more normal rhythm and she felt strong enough to raise herself off the floor, Lily Anna climbed back into her chair. She saw that slipsinsideher had logged out and she felt her disappointment hit her before she saw his message. [SlipsInsideHer]: Here is a little program I am sending you to play with. You should find it fun. I will log on later and see how you are doing so don't log out. There was a link to the download. It was not that she didn't consider the possibility of a threat to her machine, but the chance that she could get some more orgasms from running this program took her way beyond refusing. As Lily Anna sat engrossed before her monitor she watched it flicker a couple of times and then the windows disappeared. She worried whether she had done the right thing before she saw pixels changing colour on her screen and making patterns. She watched these patterns shift and grow, forming into almost recognisable shapes and then disintegrating again into swirling colour and patterns. More than once, Lily Anna thought she saw words, but couldn't make them out. Lily Anna sat glued to the monitor, her eyes locked on the swirling patterns, her mind emptying receptive to the words that started to flash across the screen. Her eyes followed them, absorbing them without registering what they said. New words filled Lily Anna's mind, words reinforcing the suggestions that had already been made, words that pushed her even deeper into a hypnotic state, and words that aroused her. Her fingers were sent towards her slit and as she absorbed her instructions she played with herself. At times the program would loop back, but never looping in the same way, yet always going back through the same suggestions until Lily Anna knew the different sections by heart. At many places her instructions had been reinforced by her reaching orgasm. She would grip the edge of the desktop with her eyes closed for a moment before opening them and continuing. If she had been capable of independent thought by this time, Lily Anna would have realised how many hours she had been sitting there being programmed. As it was, she sat patiently absorbing everything she was told until a message window popped up. [SlipsInsideHer]: have you learned all your lessons? Her response had been programmed into her. She required no thought to respond. Lily Anna automatically typed [LilyAnna]: i've learned them all!! [SlipsInsideHer]: good girl, then on the count of 5 you will awaken [SlipsInsideHer]: and become aware of the amount of time that has passed [SlipsInsideHer]: 1 [SlipsInsideHer]: 2 [SlipsInsideHer]: 3 [SlipsInsideHer]: 4 [SlipsInsideHer]: 5 [SlipsInsideHer]: awake [SlipsInsideHer]: so how did you like my little program? [LilyAnna]: how could you do that? [LilyAnna]: I've missed the whole day [SlipsInsideHer]: didn't you enjoy yourself? [LilyAnna]: yes… but why didn't you warn me? [SlipsInsideHer]: am I supposed to? [LilyAnna]: I guess you don't have to [LilyAnna]: but it would have been nice to know [SlipsInsideHer]: do you want me to be nice to you? [SlipsInsideHer]: or do you want me to treat you like a bimbo? [LilyAnna]: well, can't you do both? One minute he seemed like a sweet guy, and the next he was treating her like some plaything. She was starting to get worried that maybe she had made the wrong choice. How could she have allowed the whole day to slip past her like that, and then to be treated as some dimwit. Yet she couldn't deny that she was enjoying herself, even now. It was all she could do not to finger her pussy. [SlipsInsideHer]: ok, think about what a bimbo is [SlipsInsideHer]: a girl who lets men take sexual advantage of her [SlipsInsideHer]: is that not right? Sweet Talk Ch. 03 A few hours after storming out of his office, Jay let out a low groan, rolled off of Stacey's sweaty, naked body and lay on his back in the tangled sheets on her bed. For a moment, their panting breaths were the only sound in the darkened bedroom. They'd gone to a movie after their $40-a-plate dinners at the Blue Room, and the second the theater lights went down Stacey had started kissing him. Even though his mind wasn't really in it, he'd just been glad he finally didn't have to talk to her anymore. She was cute, yeah, but conversation-wise, he might as well have been talking directly to her boobs. So, an hour into the movie, when she'd leaned over and whispered, "Let's get out of here," Jay was pretty damn sure that was the most interesting thing she'd said all night. And, the way he was feeling, he hadn't been about to resist. Truth was, he was a little drunk. The combination of that scene with Anna and trying to get through a boring as hell dinner with Stacey had gotten to him and he'd drank too much. But even that hadn't dulled his senses enough for him not to admit that this date had been a bad idea. Well, besides the sex—that, he'd needed. Or he'd thought he had. Truthfully, he still felt like hell. And now, lying next to Stacey, he couldn't think of a damn thing to say. So he got up. Rolling out of the bed, he pulled off his used condom and walked, naked, into her bathroom and shut the door. He stared at his reflection in the mirror. Okay, he told himself, so he and Stacey didn't have much—or anything—in common, but he kind of liked it that way. With women like her, you got exactly what you saw. She knew what she wanted and didn't have any problem letting a man know it. No game-playing or ulterior motives. Didn't leave you guessing or wondering. And a woman like her wouldn't fucking blindside you out of nowhere. Unlike Anna. Growling, he splashed water on his face and glanced at the closed bathroom door. He was trying, real hard, to want to go back out there for another round with Stacey. But his dick didn't seem too excited about the idea. Even when they'd stumbled through her apartment door on the way to her bedroom, and she'd been squeezing his ass and rocking her hips into him, he couldn't concentrate. The whole damn night, Anna had kept popping into his head, which was bothering the hell out of him. She had this way of saying stuff that, at the time, just pissed him off and then, afterward, wouldn't fucking leave him alone. Like that competition in Chicago. With everything else he had going on, that competition was just one more thing he didn't want to worry about yet. And Anna should know that. But because of her, he couldn't quit thinking about it now. With the competition less than a month away, and Anna's goddamn voice stuck in his head, he knew he should be working on his entries, tweaking the recipes. Practicing. And if he was honest with himself, that's what he wanted to be doing right now. Swearing under his breath, he ran both hands through his hair. He couldn't believe this. There was a naked woman out there waiting for him, and he wanted to leave. So he could bake. For a competition that, until just now, he hadn't even been sure he wanted to go to. Fuck. This was all Anna's fault. Walking out of the bathroom, he locked eyes with Stacey who was only half-covered by the bed sheet. "I was getting lonely out here," she said with a slow, sexy smile. Her large, pale breasts were bared like twin homing beacons—and right then, Jay knew he'd lost his goddamn mind. Because he still wanted to leave. "I've gotta go," he said, before he could think about it. He didn't even care that irritation with himself, and Anna, had wiped away his usual charm. Stacey's smile slipped a little, but she caught it. Getting out of the bed, she walked up to him and boldly rubbed a hand along the length of his softened dick. Then she came up on her tiptoes and sucked his earlobe. "Are you sure?" she whispered in his ear. "I was hoping you'd stay the night." Her hot, damp breath on his skin made him shiver, but he stepped back, forcing out a strained smile. "Sorry, I have to get up early tomorrow." It was a lame excuse, but he didn't really care. He just wanted to go. Walking past her, he found his pants and pulled them on. When he turned around after putting on his shirt, she was just standing there watching him. Shit. He usually had more skill than this, but he wanted to get the hell out of here. "So…I'll call you," he said, though they both knew that was a lie. "Sure," Stacey said with a too-bright smile. "Alright then," he said, edging toward the door, "have a good night." Then he escaped. Outside, as he started up his car and pulled into traffic, he silently berated himself. What the hell was that? He could not believe he'd just walked out on those breasts. Driving around aimlessly for a few minutes, he tried to decide if he wanted to head home or drop by Sugar. Most of the time, he loved being in the middle of Sugar's loud, often drunk, weekend crowds but at the moment, the idea wasn't appealing. Whatever. It wasn't like he'd enjoy himself, anyway. Not after the way he'd left things with Anna. An image of her face, just before he'd stormed out of his office, flicked through his mind and his grip tightened on the steering wheel. He was sobering up and feeling like an asshole for some of the stuff he'd said, but God, what had she expected? For him to high-five her and wish her well when she was basically walking out on him? Fuck that, he fiercely thought, but quickly let out a frustrated sigh. All he really wanted was for everything to go back to the way it'd been before her freak-out on Tuesday. But, after their argument, he knew that wasn't happening anytime soon. So, right now, he needed to handle his life. Get his shit together. Without her. He grimaced. That'd probably be a helluva lot easier if he could get her voice out of his head, though. But it wouldn't budge. And what made it worse was that he knew she was right about the competition. If he didn't follow through with that, he'd regret the hell out of it. "Goddammit," he muttered into the silence of his car as he headed home. Even when he was mad as hell at her, she still knew him better than he knew himself sometimes. ********************* It'd been almost a week since that last fight with Jay and Anna was numb. She had to be. She knew that if she let herself really think about everything, she'd break down. That first weekend, all she wanted to do was sleep so she wouldn't have to think about Jay, but her bruised heart wouldn't listen and the same question kept circling through her head. How could he be like this? For the first time in all the years they'd known each other, when she decided to do something for herself, he couldn't accept that. Wouldn't even try to be happy for her. She knew him. She knew he hated change and, like Keera said, he probably hated the idea of her quitting but, God, how could he not see that she needed a life of her own? By Sunday, she'd decided that she had to let him go. If she didn't she'd spend the rest of her life wanting someone who not only didn't want her but who, apparently, didn't even want the best for her. As the new week crawled by, though, the numb ache in her heart had turned into a constant, throbbing pain. With a huge, Jason-shaped hole in her life, she was lost. Especially considering the fact that she was jobless, aimless and bored. Not to mention best friendless. She had enough money saved up to last her five or six months, so finding a job wasn't really a pressing concern right now. Instead, she shifted her focus to getting signed up for those summer classes at the community college. The only problem was that the registration process was turning out to be more complicated than filing her freaking taxes. It was Thursday morning and Anna was standing at the little walk-up window outside the college registrar's office, peering in at a bored-looking brunette whose nametag said her name was Pamela. "Paying the late-fee isn't a problem," Anna told her, "I just need to get these forms signed by the professors saying it's okay for me to do a late registration for their classes." She'd chosen two intermediate classes, one on nonprofit leadership and the other on child psychology. She'd always been interested in working with kids, possibly in a counseling setting, so these classes seemed like a good stepping stone for when she went back to university. Now, if only she could sign up for them. Pamela snapped her gum. "Sorry, we don't handle those forms. You have to take them directly to the professors." Anna sighed. "Well, where can I find them?" After a quick glance at the paperwork, the brunette said, "I know Professor Lyons isn't teaching this quarter, so he won't be on campus until the first day of classes. And," her fingers flew over the keyboard, "Professor Silverstein doesn't have office hours this quarter." "Okay, so what can I do?" The woman shrugged. "I don't know what to tell you. Tracking these guys down is going to be a problem. You're probably out of luck. Sorry." She didn't look sorry, though. In fact, she didn't even look up from the computer screen as she spoke. Grabbing up her pile of paperwork, Anna tried to keep her tone even, despite her frustration. "Isn't there anything else I can do? I really wanted to—" "Like I said," the brunette interrupted, "there's not much I can do for you. If you can get those forms signed, you're in. Otherwise…" she trailed off, and looked back at her computer screen. "You'll have to wait until fall quarter to register." "Thanks," Anna muttered as she turned and walked away. Ever since she'd quit, nothing had been going like she'd expected it to. She was supposed to feel free and independent, not sad, tired and defeated. And now that she probably wasn't going to be able to start classes, her 'onward, upward' attitude had officially disappeared. On top of that, she was missing Jason and hating herself for it. Walking through the parking lot, she was feeling bad for herself—and disgusted by it—when her phone rang. She checked the caller ID, not letting herself admit that she was hoping it was Jay. But it was Sam. Ever since Friday, he'd been calling to check in on her. She knew that he had an idea of how bad things were between her and Jay, so he'd call and keep her on the phone with hilarious stories about Sugar's drunk customers, making her laugh so much that she forgot to be sad. He was clearly trying to get her mind off of Jay and she appreciated that. Sam and Jay were so much alike, with the same sarcastic, teasing senses of humor. Only, where Jason was quick to anger, Sam was gentle and considerate. And, she decided, she needed more of Sam's brand of relaxing company, and much, much less of Jason's. "Hello?" she answered as she got into her car. "Hey," Sam said. "What's up?" Anna sighed, not bothering to start the car. "Nothing really. Unless you count the fact that my life pretty much sucks these days." "Why? What happened?" She told him about her issues getting signed up for classes at the college. "I don't know. I might just forget about the whole thing and get a job or something," she said with another sigh. "God, I just really wanted to get back into school, you know? Now I'll probably have to wait until the fall." "Aw, I'm sorry, Anna," Sam said. "Well, I was calling to see if you wanted to do something this weekend, but how's a consolation lunch sound?" Anna smiled into the phone, thankful once again, that Sam was such a nice guy. "Sounds great," she replied, then teasingly added, "as long as you're buying." Laughing, Sam let out a jokingly exasperated breath. "God, I never figured hanging out with you would be so expensive." "Oh, whatever, rich boy," Anna said, grinning when he groaned. "You know I hate when you call me that," he complained, but she could hear him chuckling. Sam didn't like to talk about it, but he came from old-money Boston wealth and probably had more money in trust funds than most people made in five years. And Anna couldn't resist teasing him about it. "Well, I would call you Mr. Moneybags, but—" "Ooookay," Sam interrupted, "you're about to joke yourself right out of lunch, young lady." "Fine," she sighed. "Where do you want to go and what time should I meet you?" "Hold on a sec," Sam said and she could hear him calling out to one of Sugar's staffers, asking when the afternoon bartender was scheduled to work. Then he was back. "Uh, Doug's supposed to be here at one, but he's been having car trouble lately, so I don't know for sure when I'll be able to get away. You wanna just meet me here in case I have to stick around for a bit?" Anna hesitated. Going to Sugar meant the possibility of running into Jason and, even almost a week later, she didn't know if she was ready for that. Her nerves, and emotions, were still incredibly raw. Plus, now with not being able to get into school, she just felt scattered and confused, despite the fact that Sam, like always, was so good at helping her forget her problems. For a while. "Hello?" Sam asked when she didn't say anything. She closed her eyes, angry with herself for being so childish. "I don't think…" she started. "I mean, with how things are with Jason right now, it's probably not a good idea for me to come by there." God, just saying that made her want to cry. She was always in and out of Sugar, hanging out with both Jason and Sam, but now, feeling the need to avoid the shop made her incredibly lonely. She was back to feeling bad for herself, when Sam said, "Actually, Jay hasn't really been here lately. And I don't think he's coming in at all today." Completely surprised, she sat up straight in the driver's seat. "What? He hasn't been coming to work?" "Nope, not since…Friday," Sam slowly said. "I haven't seen him. Well, not during the day, at least. And the staff says they've only seen him two or three times. But I talked to him yesterday and he said he's just been super busy over at KIRA." He paused, almost as if he wasn't sure he wanted to continue, but then said, "My guess is that he's off pouting, though." For a moment, Anna didn't respond. Her mind was racing. Jay was always at Sugar. When he wasn't working on his column or filming at the KIRA studio, he went to Sugar. He loved that place—and the women it attracted. But it wasn't only that. Sugar was just his element, the combination of everything he loved: baking, crowds and creativity. And now he'd only been in a few times in almost a week? "So," Sam persisted, "do you wanna meet here or what? It's okay if you don't, I just thought it'd be easier since—" "No, it's fine," she said. "I…I'll meet you there. At a little after one?" "Yeah, that's good. I'll see you later, then." After he hung up, Anna sat in her car for a minute longer. Despite herself, wondering what was going on with Jason. ******************** Jay hated the kitchen at the KIRA studio. It was one of those new, sleek, fake-looking set-ups that filmed well for television but, in reality, no self-respecting chef, or baker, would ever spend time in. Yet here he was, for the fourth day in a row. Working. Constantly working. That's all he'd let himself do for the past week because he knew that if he stopped, he'd have to face how shitty life was right now. It was Thursday, almost a full week since his fight with Anna, and he'd been avoiding Sugar for the past few days. Partly because Sam was there and Jay seriously didn't want to deal with him—he really didn't know how to keep his mouth shut about stuff that was none of his business. Frowning, Jay turned out a large piece of dough for cinnamon rolls onto the counter, using a rolling pin to work it into a somewhat rectangular shape—and took the opportunity to work out the tension that had every muscle in his body knotted up. No matter what he did lately, he couldn't relax. It'd been almost a week. A whole damn week and he'd spent the entire time trying not to think about Anna. Most of his anger had seeped away, though, so now, whenever his thoughts strayed to her, a sense of dread just sort of took over. So he blocked her out. Or, at least, he tried to. Too bad that sick feeling in his belly wouldn't go away. "Hey, you," a female voice said, snapping him out of his dark thoughts. Jay looked up into the black-brown, almond-shaped eyes of Nina Long. She was the host of Lunch With Nina, the station's only other cooking show. They'd worked together before he came to KIRA, on a few joint articles for the Seattle Times, and had always had an ongoing flirtation. But the minute he'd been hired on at the station, where Nina already worked, he'd backed off a bit. The one thing he never, ever did was mix his professional and personal life. Which had always seemed to bother her. "Hey," he muttered, going right back to rolling out the dough. He really didn't feel like talking to anyone right now but, knowing Nina, she wasn't going anywhere anytime soon. Right on cue, she scooted onto a high-backed stool on the opposite side of the island prep station where he was working and watched him with her cat-like eyes. She was petite and Asian, with long, black hair and an angular face. Jay had always found her attractive but she had this kind of cold, aloof edge to her that turned him off sometimes. Other times, though, she was all smiles and sex appeal and, Jay thought, glancing up at her, it was just his luck that today was one of those days, when all he wanted her to do was leave. "I heard you're going to that Sara Lee competition in Chicago," she said. Shit. Now he really didn't feel like talking—especially about this. "That's the plan," he mumbled, without looking up. "Everyone around here's really excited about it," Nina said, oblivious to his mood. "I ran into Keith on my way upstairs and, I swear, he's about to pee on himself, he's so giddy about the publicity you'll bring in for the station. If you win." Jay grimaced, pressing harder into the dough. Keith was the head producer at KIRA and lived and breathed ratings. He'd started calling Jason his 'golden boy' after viewer ratings shot up following the debut of his show, Sweet Talk, two months before. Rubbing bits of softened sweet butter onto the flattened dough, Jay kept quiet, hoping Nina would realize he didn't want to talk. But she just started tapping her French-tipped nails against the laminate countertop. "You don't seem too excited," she said after a moment. "I thought you'd be taking a victory lap around the building, at least." He shrugged, still not looking at her. "Just trying to get some work done," he said, rolling the dough, now covered in cinnamon and sugar, into a long cylinder. He was mostly working on instinct, though. Damn, he wanted Nina to go away. The main reason he'd been coming to KIRA these past few days was because he knew no one would bother him here, but ever since he'd told Keith about the competition, the news was all over the station. The second he'd walked into the building that morning, everyone he saw kept congratulating him. For an hour, all he heard was, "You're going to do so great!" and "How could they not invite you?" But, after the congratulations, most of them had asked variations of the same question: "Is Anna excited?" or "When are you and Anna flying out?" Sweet Talk Ch. 03 It was like they'd all conspired against him to keep rubbing it in his face that he hadn't talked to her in six damn days. And that whole time, he couldn't concentrate because he'd been too busy forcing himself not to think about her. Then, like she was reading his mind, Nina asked, "So where's Anna these days?" Jason stilled, the cinnamon roll dough only half-rolled up, and took a breath. But there was a low, insistent buzzing inside his head that he couldn't shake. Finally he muttered, "She's around." Not really paying attention to him, Nina leaned over and pinched a bit of raw dough off the roll he'd just formed. He clenched his jaw—he really hated when she did shit like that. "I was just wondering," Nina said, absently playing with the tiny ball of dough. "She's usually, like, attached to your hip but you've been coming in for the past few days and I haven't seen her at all." Her eyes were on her fingers as she pressed the dough into a small, flat circle. "What'd you do, fire her?" she joked. A wave of irritation went through him. Part of it was with Nina, but mostly, it was with himself. No, he hadn't fired Anna. But he might as well have since they weren't even talking. Which was his own damn fault. After a moment of silence, Nina looked up, wondering why he hadn't responded. Her eyes widened a bit and Jay realized he was glaring at her. "Sheesh, I was just kidding, Jason," she said with a small, dismissive laugh. But when he just kept staring at her, the smile turned impatient. "Seriously," she went on, "I know how good of friends you are. I just hadn't seen her for a while…" she trailed off, her eyes narrowing as she studied Jay's grim expression. "Okay, well, clearly you're no fun today," she said, sliding off the stool. "Anyway, I only came by to pick up my knives. So, I'm gonna go. See ya." With a final, lingering half-smile, she gathered her knives and left. Now that Jason was alone like he'd wanted, it didn't even matter. Nina's words were enough to torture him. I know how good of friends you are… Fuck. He'd been trying, so hard, not to think about Anna. He'd even been avoiding Sugar and Sam specifically so he wouldn't have to talk about it. So it figured that it'd be Nina, in the KIRA kitchen, who said the words just now that made him hate himself. Made him finally face the reality that he'd been avoiding for the past six days. Anna was the good friend. Not him. No, he was just an asshole. Anger, with himself, burned through him and, working hard to keep it in check, he wrapped up the uncut cinnamon roll dough. He couldn't work anymore. He'd been forcing himself to keep busy this whole week but now he had to take a break, do something else, or he might lose it. Not really thinking about what he was doing or where he was going, he put the dough in the fridge and left the KIRA building, letting himself really, truly think about Anna for the first time in days. He thought of her in all the places she'd been over the last two years: Anna standing on the sidelines during his tapings here at KIRA; her fielding phone calls from that pushy ass publishing rep who'd wanted him to co-write a cookbook for dog treats; her driving around to three different grocery stores at six in the morning because he'd bought the wrong phyllo dough for the baklava he'd made on his first show. It took him about ten seconds to finally admit that he'd been a huge jerk—and about more than just the Sara Lee competition. He wasn't happy about her leaving, but still, he knew he shouldn't have reacted the way he had. It'd been the combination of stress and outright anxiety that'd gotten to him, which was why he'd flipped out so badly when she said she was quitting. It was bad timing, all around. When she'd quit, he'd already heard back from the Sara Lee competition people and, for weeks, the whole thing had been messing with his head. A hundred top-ranking chefs from across the country competing over four days on national television wasn't exactly something he looked forward to. He loved being on camera, but this was an entirely different ballpark from the laid-back approach he had on Sweet Talk. With that, there wasn't any pressure, no one sizing him up, looking for flaws, but with the Sara Lee thing…shit. Just thinking about it right now was making him a little nauseous. He made it out to the parking lot and got in his car but just sat there, staring out at nothing. All he could think about was that he'd run off the one person he needed most right now. But what was worse was that he didn't know what to do about it. He couldn't just call her up and say, "So, yeah, sorry for being such a dick. Friends again?" But without her around, nothing felt right. Every single dessert he'd made over the last few days just felt off for some reason. They looked fine and tasted fine, but something just wasn't right. About any of them. Or his life, actually. He needed Anna's opinion about his recipes for the competition. He needed her to look over all of the paperwork and rules to make sure he didn't miss anything. He needed her to help him calm the hell down. His fist clenched around his car keys. Hell, he just needed her. ******************** It was five past one when Anna settled herself at the bar in Sugar. The shop's walls were painted a warm, honey-brown color that perfectly picked up the glow of trendy track lighting in the ceiling. Small, square tables and black, wrought iron chairs marched along the curved wall separating the bar from the main dining floor. And the actual floor was done in chocolate-brown tiles that were specially made to sparkle in the track lighting—as if the floor itself had been liberally sprinkled with sugar. During the day, the bar was one of Anna's favorite places to sit because it gave her such a great view of the shop but right now, all of her attention was narrowed down to a single point. She kept stealing glances at the door, half expecting Jay to walk in. She didn't know if she was hoping he would or praying he wouldn't. Deep down, though, her heart was willing him to appear. God, she really had no spine at all, did she? Frowning, she glanced toward Sam and was surprised to find him studying her from behind the bar. "Still bummed about the whole college thing?" he asked after a second. Wordlessly, Anna nodded. Okay, so actually, she'd been hating herself for still wanting Jason Blake—but, technically, the 'college thing' just made the last few unpleasant days worse. "Well then," Sam said, scooping ice into a cocktail shaker, "it's a good thing I happen to know the lady has a thing for chocolate." "You know me too well," she said with a small smile, watching as Sam constructed her favorite cocktail, a chocolate martini with Godiva chocolate liqueur, half-and-half, crème de cacao and vodka. Just before he was about to put the lid on the shaker, Anna laid a hand on his wrist and he glanced up. "Make it a double," she told him with a bigger smile. "That's my girl," Sam laughed, knowing exactly what she meant. Rather than reaching for the vodka, he added in another liberal swirl of the dark, velvety chocolate liqueur. He was just setting the glass in front of her when he looked toward the door, probably checking to see if Doug had shown up, and swore. "What?" Anna said and, without thinking, turned to see what he was looking at—only to be caught up in Jason's gaze. Even across the room, she felt him. She'd been in love with him for half her life, but almost never had this strong of a reaction to his presence. It was the time away, she told herself. She hadn't seen him in days and her idiotic heart had gone through a withdrawal…but that didn't explain why her hands were shaking the way they were. Or why she literally had to drag her eyes away from his penetrating hazel ones. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Sam hovering. "Sorry," he half-whispered, "I really didn't think he'd show up, since—" but he stopped halfway through his sentence, just as Anna heard a familiar set of footsteps approach and stop next to her. She faked a single-minded interest in the contents of her cocktail glass. Then, mercifully, Sam spoke. "Hey, Jay. I was starting to wonder if you were still alive." There was a slight pause. Anna stole a glance at Jason and her stomach clenched when she saw that he was staring directly at her. Without looking away, he responded to Sam. "Yeah…I've been busy," he said, then, "Hey, Anna." "Hi," she murmured, for a moment, forcing herself to stare right back at him. She tried to act as calm and he looked, but she felt her lips starting to quiver from the jumble of emotions inside her. Finally, she tried to look away, but this time, her damn eyes wouldn't obey her and she couldn't break the contact. And, truthfully, she didn't want to. He was gorgeous. Even with a bit of stubble on his chin and jaw and his dark hair a little messier than usual, he was perfect. And part of her was angry with him for making her want him even when she was still mad. So she drew on that irritation, called up all of the horrible, hurtful things he'd said to her on Friday and, finally, made herself look away. Toward Sam. "I'm gonna go grab my purse out of your office, okay?" She slid off the stool and walked around Jay, ignoring the way his searching expression closed up. "Anna—" he started and, growing frantic, she quickened her pace and half-ran through the door to the back room. Jason was about to follow her when Sam stepped out from behind the counter and blocked his path. "Hold on a second, Jay." Shooting him an irritated glance, Jason went to move around him, only to have Sam block him again. "What, Sam?" he impatiently asked. Sam dug his hands into his pockets and didn't budge. From the look on Jay's face, Sam knew he was probably sticking his nose into something that had nothing to do with him, but he didn't want Jay barging back there and making a bad situation worse. Jay might not notice it, but Anna was obviously struggling to hold herself together. "Give her a minute, alright?" Sam said. "She's had a rough day." Jay wanted to tell Sam to get the hell out of his way but a few deep breaths helped calm him. "What do you mean, a rough day?" he asked, trying not to care that, for the first time ever, he was having to ask someone else what was going on in Anna's life. It bothered the hell out of him, though. Sam shrugged. "Since you guys…uh…" he cleared his throat. "She's been trying to get into summer classes at the community college but she missed the deadline. Now she needs some signatures or something and they're giving her the run-around. Long story short, she can't get in so she's pretty bummed about that." He paused, shooting Jason a look. "Among other things." Jay let out a heavy breath. Shit. No wonder why she'd just looked at him like she wanted to slap the crap out of him. He really hadn't expected to see her sitting at the bar when he walked in. For a second, it was like the past two weeks hadn't happened and it was any normal day; like she was here waiting for him to take a break so they could go grab lunch, or for him to bring her in the back and have her taste-test one of his newest creations. That's what it'd felt like. For a minute, at least. But then, when she'd turned and looked at him with that guarded expression on her face, it was like she'd kicked him in the gut even though she hadn't said a word. It was the same look she'd had on her face when he'd walked out on Friday—and he felt like an even bigger asshole now than he had then. Fuck, he had to fix things, even though he didn't know what to say. Again, he took a step toward the door and, again, Sam stopped him, this time with a hand on his shoulder. And this time, Jason didn't bother hiding the fact that Sam was pissing him off. "Sam, seriously—move," he bit out. "Jay," Sam said, "I don't know what you're planning on saying, but you might want to just…wait. For now." Brushing him off, Jay shot him an impatient look. "Relax, okay?" he said over his shoulder as he walked to the back hall. "I'm just gonna talk to her." The door closed behind him and he took a deep breath, one thought echoing in his head: he had to talk to her. He hadn't realized until just now, seeing Anna sitting in his shop, then walking away from him, how completely he'd screwed up. She was practically family and he'd been a complete ass. Waiting to talk to her meant going on feeling like shit, and hating the fact that it was his own fault. No. He needed to talk to her. Needed things to be okay between them. Right now. Anna was standing in front of Sam's desk with her back to the door, absently playing with a mini Magic 8 Ball he kept there, when she heard a knock on the half-open door. For a split second, she prayed it was Sam coming to check on her but she knew it was Jason before she even turned around. "Anna? Can I talk to you for a sec?" he asked, and the quiet, raspy sound of his voice made her want to cry and kiss him all at the same time. For a short moment, she closed her eyes. She knew she shouldn't have come to Sugar. She wasn't ready to deal with this. Or him. But, with a strength that she didn't really feel, she turned to face him. Jay took two or three steps into the room, but stopped, leaving a wide space between them. Studying Anna. Her short, chestnut hair brushed against her shoulders in gentle waves. She had on jeans and one of those light cottony tops that she always wore. Everything about her was so familiar to him, from her huge, brown eyes to the gentle sweep of her cheekbones, down to the curve of her kind-looking mouth. But damn, with the tension crackling in the air between them, he'd never felt so distant from her and it made him hate himself even more. After a moment, he cleared his throat and loosely crossed his arms over his chest. "I, uh, wasn't expecting to see you here," he said. "I…I'm just waiting for Sam." She half turned back toward the desk and put the Magic 8 Ball down. "For Sam?" Jay asked. "You guys are…hanging out now?" He searched her face, but she glanced away and shrugged. "Kind of. We're going out for lunch." Jay wanted to ask since when were she and Sam going out to lunch—without him—but he knew that was completely beside the point. Right now, he needed to get her to at least look at him for longer than three seconds at a time. God, he hated this. "So…" he started, sliding his hands down into his pockets. "I, uh, called the Sara Lee people and confirmed my spot," he said. Anna's eyes came back to his face, but her expression was flat. "Good," she said, before looking away again. Jay's stomach dropped. Shit. This wasn't going like he'd expected it to. At all. He ran a hand through his hair and stared at the floor. "Look…Anna…" he said, even though he had no idea how he was going to end the sentence. "About Friday…" he glanced up and found her watching him. "I wasn't...I mean…" Fuck, why couldn't he finish a goddamn sentence? He took a breath and continued. "All that stuff I said…I was out of line. Way out of line. And I'm sorry." In all honesty, his apology surprised Anna. This wasn't really his style. Usually, they both just got over something they'd argued about and never talked about it again. And, right now, part of her wanted to tell him it was okay, that she forgave him—but, at the same time, she was still hurting. So, even though it was perverse, she was proud of herself when she simply said, "Good." From the way he stared at her for a few seconds, she knew she'd thrown him off balance—especially when he started rambling. "No, really, I feel like a huge jerk. And I," he let out a shaky laugh, "I've been working over at KIRA, but with you mad at me, everything's all messed up. I can't concentrate." Anna's heart was pounding in her chest, partly from the fact that he was admitting this to her, but partly because she felt herself weakening. All of the anger slowly seeping away in the face of his apology. Damn it, why did he affect her like this? Make it so that, in less than five minutes, she was ready to just get over how he'd acted on Friday? God, she couldn't do this right now. Confusion and fear had her heading toward the door, even though it meant having to walk past him. She needed some space. But he caught her elbow as she tried to edge past him. "Anna," he said, his voice low and sincere. "Come on. At least talk to me." She knew she shouldn't but she looked up into his hazel eyes, loving him so much that it hurt, but hating herself for being so weak. "What do you want me to say, Jason?" she asked. "Do you want me to lie? Say everything's okay? Act like you didn't treat me like crap last week?" He sighed, his grip on her elbow tightening slightly. "No, I don't want…I just…" he struggled for words. "I'm sorry, all right? I was an asshole. I know that. But I'm doing the competition and, I don't know…I need your help. I need you there. I need you to—" he'd been about to say that he needed her, so his life didn't seem so damn screwed up, but she cut him off. Jerking her arm out of his grasp, Anna backed away, toward the door. "What about what I need, Jason?" she asked him, jabbing a shaking finger at her chest. Anger and disappointment washed through her. This was him apologizing? She couldn't believe how quickly he'd gone from being sorry to talking about himself and his needs. "I have a life of my own. What about that?" she continued. "Me quitting and going back to school might just be an inconvenience for you, but those are the things that I need to do." "That's not what I meant—" Jason said, following her as she backed into the hall. But, again, she cut him off. "No, I know what you meant. That you need me to come back and fix everything for you." She stopped when her voice broke, but pulled herself together enough to say, "I have to go. Sam's waiting for me." With a last look at him, she turned and walked down the hall, trying her damnedest not to cry. What had she expected? For him to wake up after their fight, realize that he loved her and couldn't live without her? God, this was so typical of him. Yes, he was sorry—but only because he needed her to come back and clean up his life. Barreling out to the front, she almost ran into Sam. He grabbed her elbow to steady her. "Are you ready to—" he started, but stopped when he got a look at her face. "Hey, you okay?" he asked. Goddamn, Jay, he thought. Why couldn't he just leave her alone for a while? Anna set her chin, avoiding Sam's concerned gaze. "I'm fine. You almost ready to go?" "Yeah. Doug just showed up. Let's get out of here." Anna let Sam guide her through the shop with a hand at the small of her back. But just as they were about to leave the building, some perverse compulsion made her glance back over her shoulder. Her stomach knotted up when she saw Jason standing behind the bar. Watching her. ****************** "You know what'd be cool?" Sam asked from where he was sitting on Anna's couch. It was Sunday and he'd shown up half an hour before and told her that he was taking her to the movies because, in his words, "This emo thing isn't really working for you." She'd spent the last few days after seeing Jason at Sugar alternating between being angry and depressed. Thank God Sam had shown up because she'd just started making a batch of store-bought frozen cookies—the kind that Jay referred to as "prepackaged evil"—and had had every intention of eating a good half dozen of them. Sweet Talk Ch. 03 Depression and sugar. Not a good mix for her. But now that Sam was here, she was just waiting for the cookies to finish baking so they could leave. "What'd be cool?" she called back to him from the kitchen. "If you invested in some satellite TV or something," he responded, and she could hear him clicking buttons on her remote. "These four and a half channels you've got are pretty lame." She laughed. "I have half a channel?" "Yep. One of these is so fuzzy I'm not even counting it as a full channel." She was still laughing when someone knocked on the front door. Walking out of the kitchen, she shot Sam a suspicious glance. "Did you call a cable guy while I wasn't paying attention?" He smirked at her. "I wish." Laughing, she opened the door and came face-to-face with Jason. He was standing there in a black Mariners shirt and jeans, his eyes shadowed by the curved bill of a white baseball cap. But, even under it his gaze was bright, intense. He looked almost nervous, but then he gave her that devastating, Jason Blake smile that made her insides melt every time he turned it in her direction. God, he was handsome. "Hey," he murmured. Anna shook herself. What was he doing here? She was about to ask just that when his eyes slid past her, into her apartment, and she turned to see Sam sitting on the couch studying them both with an unreadable expression. For some reason, she got a little uncomfortable and, before she thought about it, stepped into the hall and closed the door. Inside, Sam watched the door close behind Anna. He knew that look on Jay's face. He wasn't happy—at all—to see him here. For a second, his mouth curved up into a small smile. He and Jay had been friends for six years and he loved him like a brother but sometimes Jay could be a real asshole. Anna didn't deserve half the crap he gave her so, yeah, Sam found it a little funny to know that Jay was pissed off about seeing him in her apartment. That was too bad for him, though, Sam thought. Jay might be used to treating Anna like a piece of furniture, but he hated seeing her the way she'd been these past two weeks. Yep, Jay would just have to suck it up. Out in the hall, a moment passed while Jason just stared at the closed door. It might as well have still been open because, for a second, the only thing his brain seemed able to process was the sight of Sam. Inside Anna's apartment. And here he was, standing in the hallway like a damn stranger. Fuck, this sucked. He looked down at her. "Sam's here?" he asked, without meaning to. To Anna, it didn't sound like a question, really. It was more of a statement. And, strangely, that made her nervous. She hid it though, and asked, "What're you doing here?" It'd been three days and he just showed up out of nowhere? This so wasn't like him and she didn't know what to think. The last thing she wanted was another fight, though—she felt like they'd been having the same argument over and over for the past two weeks. His eyes searched her face, like he was trying to gauge her mood. She wondered what he'd find there because, honestly, she didn't know what she was feeling. Her heart, as always, was pounding from the excitement of being so close to him, but at the same time, she was so tired of fighting with him and part of her just wanted to tell him to go. Before she could make up her mind, he said, "I have something for you." It wasn't until then that she noticed he was rolling and unrolling a few pieces of paper in his hands. He held them up to her and she stared at them for a moment in confusion. Then she took them and, smoothing out some of the creases he'd put in them, she read the heading on the top page: Seattle Central Community College—Petition for Late Registration. Her eyes shot to his face, then back to the papers as she scanned to the bottom of the forms. On the line next to the place where the professors needed to sign, someone had written "Waived" and, further down, there was a signature scrawled in the box next to a line that said, "Department Chair." She blinked. Then it clicked—somehow, he'd gotten her into school. She was shaking her head in disbelief when she finally brought her gaze back to his. "How…how did you do this?" she asked, holding up the papers. "I went down there—twice—and they kept telling me I needed the professors signatures to get into class." Jason shrugged. "I talked to one of the ladies in the registrar's office and, I don't know, she said that in a rare case she could pass the forms onto the department chair. That way, you wouldn't need the professors' approval." Anna was staring at him, trying to come to grips with what he'd done. He wasn't going to come out and say it, but she knew he'd gone down there and put on the Jason Blake, Celebrity Chef charm to get her into school. "I didn't know what classes you needed," he was telling her matter-of-factly, "but when I mentioned your name, the registrar remembered you. So I…" he paused, noticing the way she was staring at him, "I hope it's the right department," he said, slowly, then added, "Why are you looking at me like that?" Because you make it impossible for me not be crazy in love with you when you do things like this, she thought. But she just shook her head again. "Because I…don't even know what to say. Thank you." His smile disappeared then and his gaze grew more intense. "You don't have to thank me, Anna. That," he gestured at the papers in her hand, "it's the least I can do." He sighed. "I know this is apology number two, and considering how the last one went, you might be about to knee me in the balls, but…I just wanted to say I'm sorry. Again. For acting like such a jerk." He paused for a moment. "And I know you have your own life and everything. It's just, when you said you were quitting, all I heard was leaving and, you know," he peered past her shoulder, "I don't think I could take that…" Anna didn't need to be told that he was thinking about his mom and she felt her heart ache for him. "Jay," she said, her voice quiet, "I was never going to leave you. Not really. I just feel like it's time to get on with my life. And all I wanted was for you to support me in that." Jay bowed his head, not able to meet her eyes when she was killing him with how right she was. He'd taken her for granted. He knew he had. After she'd walked out on him on Thursday, he couldn't even get angry because he knew she was right. He'd partly expected her to just forgive him and move on. Then he'd realized he needed to show her that he did care about what she wanted. That's why he'd gone down to the college. "Yeah," he said at last, "I am happy for you. It's just that we've been a team so long I wasn't ready to let that go. Truthfully, I'm still not." Her smile turned soft and gentle, the way he remembered it and he felt some of the tension in him easing. "You'll be fine, Jay. Believe me. You just need to take yourself more seriously. Take your job more seriously, too." He laughed. "Yeah, I know. I'm turning over a new leaf and all that. A new and improved Jason Blake. Although," he said, his tone turning teasing, "I'm not really sure how to improve on perfection." Anna rolled her eyes and, like old times, she shoved his shoulder. "Get over yourself, will you? You get one cooking show, an invite to a national baking competition and you sweet talk a registrar into letting me into school and you think you're God's gift." "Hey, that's a damn impressive list," Jason protested with a laugh. "By the way, I hope you're serious about starting school this summer. Because I totally whored myself out for you." Laughing, Anna's brows shot up. "What? How?" Jay pretended to shudder. "I don't want to talk about it. But let's just say, there was a bit of a stir when I walked into the registrar's office…and I've never seen so many middle-aged women with camera phones in my freakin' life." Anna couldn't help herself. The pretend look of trauma on his face had her laughing and, in the middle of it, she realized that, once again, he'd managed to kill her anger with him in less than five minutes. Once she finally stopped laughing, she said, "I am serious about starting school. And, yes, I appreciate you prostituting yourself for me." He grimaced, but laughed. "Glad to help." Then, his expression went serious again. "Look," he said after a moment, "I don't want this to seem like, I show up with those papers and expect anything from you but I…" he hesitated. "I'd really like it if you came to the competition with me. When I applied, I assumed you'd be there and it just doesn't feel right knowing you might not be. You don't have to answer now," he said quickly when Anna started to respond. "Just…will you think about it, at least?" "I don't know…" she started, hating the way his face fell. It wasn't that she was still mad at him. How could she be after what he'd done for her? It was more that she was scared. She'd gotten really good at being upset with him, but now that that was gone, she was right back where she'd started. Absolutely in love with him. He held up both hands. "Please, Anna. I…I'm kinda freaked out about the whole thing. That's partly why I didn't tell you about it. And, I don't know, it'd really mean a lot to me if you went. Not as my assistant, but as my friend." Anna sighed. She couldn't say no. He needed her, she could see it in his eyes, and, as his friend, she couldn't bring herself to say no. Jason gazed at her, all seriousness. He knew she was close to giving in and, even though he should feel bad, he didn't. If she didn't go, he honestly wasn't sure if he could manage it. "I'll think about it," she finally said, "but—" she didn't even finish her sentence because Jay hauled her into a bear hug. Her feet came off the floor as he leaned back, buried his face against her neck and let out a growling laugh. His baseball hat fell to the floor and he left it there, hugging her to him. Pressed up against him, Anna could feel his heartbeat through his shirt and felt her own heart flutter in response—she had the vague thought that it had just betrayed her to the enemy. Well, the former enemy. But after these last two weeks away from him, she couldn't bring herself to truly care. She'd missed him. "Thanks, sugar," he said after a moment, then tilted his head up so they were eye-to-eye. "You know I hate this, right?" he whispered. "The idea of you quitting." "I know," she told him, "but after the competition—if I decide to go—that's it, Jay." He grinned, back to his carefree self now that she'd almost given in. "Got it. And I swear, whether or not you go, I'll be on my best behavior. No missing deadlines, dodging phone calls or binge-drinking sessions." Laughing, Anna gave him a skeptical look. "Baby steps, Jay. Baby steps." Her laughter worked a miracle on his tight neck muscles and, for the first time in days, he felt himself relaxing, the tension easing. He was still holding her when the door opened behind her. Jason was facing the door and so ended up eye-to-eye with Sam who took in their embrace with a raised eyebrow. "Guess you two made up, huh?" he asked, looking at Jason. Grinning, Jason set Anna back on her feet, but slung an arm around her shoulder and faced Sam. "Yeah. And guess who might be going to Chicago with us?" "Oh yeah?" Sam's blue gaze moved to Anna. "You're going, too?" she asked him, her brain working. If Sam went, she might be able to do this. With him there as a buffer, she might be able to keep Jason at arm's length. "Yep," Sam said. "I figured someone should be around to keep an eye on him." "Plus," Jason told her, flicking a thumb at Sam, "Richie Rich here has some family business or something out there that he wants to check in on." Sam rolled his eyes. "You two and the rich boy jokes, I swear…" Then he jangled his car keys in his hand. "Anyway, Anna, the movie starts in fifteen minutes. We still going?" "Yeah," Anna said, ducking out from under Jay's arm. "Let me grab my purse and a jacket." Inside, she quickly took the cookies out of the oven and, as she gathered up her stuff, she was wondering what the heck she was going to do. She'd told Jason she'd think about going but, really, she was nervous. Space and time had been at the top of her to-do list when it came to him. But she knew she couldn't deny him. Not when it was something as important as this competition. "Guess who just invited himself to the movies with us," Sam said as Anna stepped back into the hallway and locked the door behind her. "Really?" she asked, glancing at Jason as they all started walking down the hall. "It's a foreign film, Jay. You hate those." He gave her that grin again, and her stomach did a perfect cartwheel. "We'll call it even since you're going to Chicago," he told her. "I thought it wasn't a sure thing yet," Sam said, eyeing them both. "It isn't," Anna replied. "I'm still thinking about it." But even as she said it, she knew she'd be there. ********************* Jason was tired, jetlagged and hungry. Damn he hated flying. And the muggy Chicago heat wasn't helping, either. He, Sam and Anna had landed an hour before and after a slightly nightmarish cab-ride into downtown from O'Hare, they'd finally made it to the hotel. Sam had already checked in and Jay was waiting in line to get himself and Anna checked in, too. He'd fully embraced his 'new leaf ' promise and had taken care of planning the whole trip—he'd even paid for Anna's plane ticket as an additional, unspoken, 'Sorry I was such a douche' token. The last two weeks leading up to the competition had been hectic and stressful for him, but he was glad she'd decided to come. Being here without her wouldn't have felt right. Still in line at the hotel front desk, he heard Anna and Sam laughing and glanced over his shoulder to where they were sitting on a bench, waiting for him. They'd gotten awful close lately. And it was kind of bugging him for some reason. He loved them both like family, but in his head, Anna was his old family. And Sam was his new family. The fact that they were hanging out and doing stuff together now seemed…weird. Actually, he might've been okay with it if they'd all been doing stuff together. But for the last two weeks—after he'd shown up at Anna's with the papers to get her into school—while he'd been busy with work and preparing for the competition, Sam and Anna had been doing their own thing. Then, during his downtime, when he'd call or drop by Anna's, Sam was almost always somewhere in the background. And now Jay thought, eyeing them both on that bench, here Sam was in Chicago, too. One big happy family. Shit, he thought, turning around and blowing out a breath. He knew he was acting like an ass, but in his head, Anna kind of…well, she sort of belonged to him. That's what happened when you grew up with someone. You belonged to each other. Now he was having to sort of share her with Sam and it wasn't a comfortable feeling for him. What the hell was his problem? "Good evening, can I help you, sir?" Jay snapped back to himself and stepped up to the hotel front desk. "Yeah, I'm checking in. The name's Jason Blake," he told the desk attendant, a cute blonde who looked to be about nineteen. The girl went through her check-in process with a polite, training-induced smile and Jay let his mind wander. Finally, she printed out his receipt and handed him the room keys. He went to pick them up but noticed there was only one key there. He stared at it for a second, his gut clenching in apprehension. Oh, crap. "Uh," he said, still looking at the key. "I only booked one room…didn't I?" Part of him prayed that she'd deny it, but he already knew what she was going to say. The girl stared at him in confusion for a minute then typed a few things into the keyboard. She looked up. "According to our records, you only booked one room. Number 646. For Monday through Friday nights." Jason winced before she even finished talking. Son of a bitch. He'd forgotten…to book a room…for Anna. So much for turning over a new leaf. She was gonna kill him. After a few seconds of awkward silence, while the desk assistant tried not to fidget, Jay leaned in, giving the girl his most engaging smile. She blinked rapidly then blushed. "Do you see that brunette over there?" he asked, pointing over his shoulder at Anna. When the girl nodded, he went on. "Well, I forgot to book her a room. And there's a very good chance that if I walk over and tell her that, she'll kill me." He paused. "And I mean that literally. She will kill me." His smile turned boyish and pleading. "So, can you help me out here?" The girl looked nervous and embarrassed all at the same time but still managed to say, "I-I'm sorry, sir. We're completely booked because of a baking competition. Every hotel in the area is…" Jason wasn't even listening anymore. He glanced over his shoulder at Sam and Anna. "Oh, shit," he muttered as he grabbed his room key and walked over to them. "All set?" Anna asked, standing up. Jay rubbed a hand across the back of his neck. "Uh, not quite," he said, then added, "but before I tell you what happened, can we just agree that this doesn't count?" Anna's eyes narrowed and, even though he knew she was about to be pissed off at him, Jason wanted to laugh. It was kind of funny if you thought about it. He just wasn't so sure Anna would think so. "What did you do?" she asked. "Yeah, Jay," Sam chimed in, grinning, "what did you do?" He had no idea what was up, but from the 'Oh, shit' expression on Jay's face, it was probably going to be hilarious. Jason shot Sam a dirty look and glanced back at Anna. "Seriously, though," he insisted, "this doesn't count as me being careless or whatever. Technically, I was still in the transitional stages when I—" "Jay, what did you do?" Anna demanded again, slowly crossing her arms. "I, uh," he started. "I forgot to book you a room. And the hotel's completely full." A few seconds of silence passed. Then Sam started snickering. Jason glared at him then watched as a look of disbelief crossed Anna's face. Yeah, she was pissed. "You're serious aren't you? Oh my God," she sputtered. "What is wrong with you?!" "Okay, wait, though," Jay insisted, "you have to admit, I've been doing pretty good lately. I booked your plane ticket and—" "And what good is that if I don't have anywhere to sleep, Jason?!" At that, Sam started laughing outright. "Don't worry, Anna. We can always find you a broom closet or—" "Hey, shut up, man," Jason said, shoving Sam's shoulder, while trying not to laugh. "Look, Anna, it'll be fine. You can just stay in my room." He gave her a crooked grin. "It'll be just like those camp-outs that you, me and Nate used to have when we were kids." Anna stared at him. He was serious. He'd honestly forgotten to book her a hotel room and now, his brilliant solution was for her to share his. What the heck kind of sick fate was this? She hadn't even really wanted to come to Chicago because she was afraid of being too close to him. And now it looked like she was going to be way, way too close. It freaking figured. He'd be damn lucky if she didn't smother him in his sleep. "If either of you were gentlemen," she grumbled, pushing between Jay and a still-snickering Sam, heading for the elevators, "you'd share a room and let me have one of yours." Sweet Talk Ch. 03 "Why do I have to be punished just because Mr. Incompetent here screwed up?" Sam protested as he and Jay followed her. The elevator doors opened and they all got in. For a few moments, Anna seethed in silence. Then Sam started snickering again and Jason, damn him, joined in. "This is not funny," she said, crossing her arms. "And it's also the last time I go anywhere with either of you," she muttered. "Oh, come on," Jason crooned, throwing an arm over her shoulder. "It'll be just like old times. We used to have lots of fun at those camp-outs when we were kids." "No," she returned, "you and Nate had fun. I was the one who ended up with a sleeping bag full of crickets." "Oh, yeah," Jason grinned, tilting his head back at the memory. Then he smiled down at her. "I still say those crickets got there under their own power, though." Looking up at him, Anna was irritated that even when she was ticked off at him, he still managed to be so damn gorgeous. She glowered at him. "I don't like you right now," she muttered. "You love me," Jay countered, planting a quick kiss on her cheek. "I am sorry about this, though," he said, looking genuinely contrite. "With writing my column, filming at KIRA, working at Sugar and practicing for the competition, the hotel thing just kinda slipped my mind." He grinned. "But, look on the bright side: now you get a first-hand glimpse at what I look like when I'm sleeping." Oh, God, Anna thought, that was the very last thing she needed. She rolled her eyes. "Been there, done that—it's not pretty." The elevator doors opened and she walked out. "And," she added, "you snore." "Lies!" Jay protested, following her out. Sam turned in the direction of his room and smiled at Anna. "Well, I don't snore, so—" he started. "Good for you," Jason cut him off with a small scowl, then grabbed Anna's bag from her as he headed for the room. They might be friends now, Jay thought, but if Sam seriously thought Anna was going to share a room with him, he was out of his damn mind. "Wait, what're we doing?" Anna asked, standing between them. "Showers, first? Or dinner? I think—" "Dinner," both Sam and Jay interrupted, making Anna wonder why she'd even bothered asking. Between the two of them, they ate more than was probably humanly possible. And it figured that fate or DNA or whatever kept them both as slim and fit as if they lived in gyms. Bastards. "Meet downstairs in twenty minutes?" she asked Sam as Jason stuck his keycard in the door a little ways down the hall. "Yeah, sure," Sam said, then nodded toward Jay. "Good luck with that." Anna sighed and headed toward the room. Which she would be sharing with Jason for the next few nights. God, she thought, Sam had no idea how much luck she'd need in order to come out of this in one piece. ************************ Half an hour later, Anna was seated downstairs in the hotel restaurant with Sam and Jason. She was really trying to keep her mind off the fact that, sooner or later, she'd have to go upstairs. And get into bed with Jason. For a brief moment, she wondered if hotel security would let her sleep in the hallway… Feeling childish, she pushed the thought away and glanced up at Jason and Sam who were studying their menus. They were all still waiting for their waitress who seemed to have been swallowed up in the extremely busy dining room. "Do you think it's so busy because of the competition?" Ann asked, hoping some conversation would help ease her nerves. "Yep," Sam said, not looking up from his menu. "Stuff like this is a pretty big deal in the culinary world. Plus, with all the cash prizes and the national TV coverage, it's—" he stopped mid-sentence when he noticed the uncomfortable expression on Jay's face. "Sorry," he laughed. "No pressure, right?" "None at all," Jason grimaced, picking up the wine list. "Hey, Anna," he said after a minute, "they have your favorite—that merlot, you like." "Really?" she leaned over to look at the list and saw that they did have her favorite wine, one produced on a Sweet Water vineyard. It was kind of cool to see something from their small town on a menu in big-city Chicago. She decided to order a glass. "At least something's going my way today," she mumbled. Both Jason and Sam decided to order a glass of pinot blanc, which had Anna shaking her head at how similar they were. "You can't fault us for having good taste," Sam said. "The man has a point, Anna," Jason added. But looked at Sam with a quirked eyebrow, "Except, speaking of taste, Sam, I have to say—I really hate that new cocktail you added to the menu at Sugar." Oh great, Anna thought. Whenever they got started talking about something to do with the shop, it'd take a miracle to get them to stop. "What? The Sucker Punch?" Sam asked. "Yeah," Jay nodded. "It sucks—and I don't mean that as a pun." Despite the peeved expression on his face, Sam laughed a little. "Whatever. You're the one who told me to do anything I wanted with the cocktail menu." "Uh, yeah," Jason said, shaking his head, "but I didn't tell you to create a friggin' craptail." Laughing in spite of herself, Anna asked, "What's a craptail?" "A cocktail…that's crappy," Jason informed her with a smirk. Then he looked at Sam, held up his fingers and started ticking off ingredients. "Jaeger? Good. Coconut rum? Fine. Pineapple juice? Okay. But sour apple liqueur and a lemon wedge?" He raised both eyebrows. "Crap. Tail." Now, Anna was really trying not to laugh because she could see that Sam was about ready to defend his drink to the death. "Have you even tried it?" Sam countered. "No. No, I haven't," Jay replied. "And you wanna know why? Apple freakin' liqueur. What the hell is that?" Sam's eyes narrowed. "I bet if you—" "Okay," Anna said, standing up. "I've had about enough of this delightful little conversation. I'm going to the bar to get the wine. Hopefully, you'll be done talking about this by the time I get back." They weren't really paying attention to her, though, as Sam tried to explain why his newest cocktail addition was worthy of Sugar's menu. Anna wound her way through the crowded dining room and made it to the bar. It took a few minutes to get a bartender's attention, but when she did, he was back with the three glasses of wine in a matter of moments. Eyeing the glasses, Anna was trying to figure out how she was going to carry all three and still navigate the crowded dining room when a man sitting a few seats down at the bar walked over. "You need some help with that?" he asked. Anna looked up, taking in his soft, almost feminine features. He had gray eyes, set off by an olive skin tone, high cheekbones and long eyelashes. But he was saved from being too feminine by a slightly square jaw-line and a physique that, even in his three-piece suit, was obviously toned. Glancing around her, Anna replied, "No, I think I've got it." His gray eyes lingered, though, and as she turned to pick up the glasses, she felt them travel down, then back up, the length of her body. She was wearing gray slacks and a fitted, button-up blouse, but he almost made her feel like she was half-naked. He was a good-looking guy, but still, this was a little awkward. Trying to edge around him, the glasses clinked together in her hands and one slipped. She would've dropped it if he hadn't caught it. "Ah," he said, "just a little helping hand? I'd hate to see this lovely wine end up all over the carpet." He had a bit of a lyrical accent. Italian, she thought. Or maybe French. Anna peered up at him. He was holding her glass of merlot, one finger stroking along the stem, and she really wanted to tell him no thanks. But she figured it was a little rude and, well, she did need the help. "Okay," she said with a small smile. "Thanks. My table's this way." "Lead the way," he replied, sweeping a hand out. He fell into step next to her and said, "My name's Andreas, by the way." She flicked a glance at him, noticing the way he seemed to stare at her. "I'm Anna," she said. A corner of his mouth curved up. "Anna and Andreas. They sound nice together, don't you think?" he asked, then before she could respond said, "I assume you're from out of town?" "Uh, yeah," Anna replied, trying to decide if he was hitting on her or just curious. She wasn't used to men, especially good-looking men in expensive suits, singling her out like this. "I'm from Seattle," she said. "In town for a baking competition." His gray eyes lit up. "The Sara Lee competition?" Anna nodded. "Another coincidence," he told her. "I'm competing in it." "Oh. Well…good luck," she lamely offered. They were nearing the table and Anna saw both Sam and Jay staring her down with dark expressions on their faces. She frowned for a moment, wondering what their problems were, then realized they weren't looking at her, but at Andreas. Confused and suddenly uncomfortable, she set Sam and Jay's wine glasses on the table and turned to take hers from Andreas. "Thanks," she murmured, but noticed that all three men were staring at each other. Not knowing what else to do, she made introductions. "Guys, this is Andreas," she said, feeling incredibly awkward. "He, uh, helped me with the wine glasses. Andreas, this is—" "Jason Blake and Sam Wyatt," he interrupted. Surprised, Anna looked up at him, then at Jay and Sam who were, still, staring at the newcomer. Andreas laughed. "Yeah, we all know each other. Went to the Culinary Institute together. How long's it been, guys?" Oh, this was the last fucking thing he needed, Jay thought, eyeing the man standing next to Anna. Andreas Giordano. Yeah, they'd gone to the CIA together but they'd always rubbed each other the wrong way. Mostly because Andreas was one of the most deceitful, conniving bastards he'd ever come across in his life. "Been about four years," Jason said, standing up to pull out Anna's chair for her. He didn't want her anywhere near this prick. "Thanks for the help," he told Andreas, before sitting down again. "You can go now." He heard Anna gasp at his rudeness, but just kept staring at Andreas. Andreas' eyes narrowed a bit, sliding between Jay and Sam, then he adjusted the sleeves of his charcoal gray suit, revealing a gold Rolex on his wrist. "I assume one or both of you is here for the competition," he said with a slow smile. "I am," Jay said. "And I guess that means you're competing, too." "That's right," Andreas replied, his gray gaze moving to Anna who was sitting between Jason and Sam. "And here I was worried I might not have any worthwhile competition." Noticing the way Andreas was looking at Anna, Jason wanted to stand up and slam his fist into the bastard's face. Fuck, as if he wasn't already wound up enough… He clenched his jaw and let out a deep breath. "Well, I guess we'll just have to see how things go, then," he said, working like hell to keep from telling Andreas to get the fuck away from them. "I guess we will," Andreas said after a tense pause. Then his eyes, again, slid to Anna. "It was nice meeting you Anna. I hope we'll be seeing more of each other." "I…yeah. You, too." Anna said, completely dumbfounded by the way he was looking at her. Then, he turned and walked away. After he was gone, Anna glanced between Sam and Jason. Sam was watching Jay with an anxious look on his face. But Jason was just staring off in the direction that Andreas had walked, one fist clenched on the table. "Jay?" she started, and when he didn't respond, she put a hand on his sleeve. "Jay, what was that all about?" He looked at her, his hazel eyes gone dark. "Nothing. Don't worry about it," he said. She knew he was lying. It was obvious from the way he was all tensed up—and from the way Sam was eyeing him like he half-expected him to run off and tackle that Andreas guy. But, she also knew from experience that when he got like this, it was best not to push. Let him tell her what the problem was in his own time. "Anyway," she said, after a moment, trying to lighten the mood. "What's the verdict on the Sucker Punch?" ********************* After dinner, they all went upstairs to bed. It was only a little past nine, but they'd been traveling since noon and Jay had to get up early for orientation in the morning. Anna showered first and Jason was glad about that. Sitting on the edge of the bed with his elbows propped on his knees, he was trying like hell to unwind after that run-in with Andreas. Fuck. He would be here, wouldn't he? All through culinary school, they'd butted heads. It'd even gotten to the point a few times when they'd almost taken things physical, and Jay would've been fine with that, only Sam was always around to step in. Except for once. And that's all it'd taken to damn near get his ass booted out of school since Andreas happened to be the dean's nephew. Not to mention a fucking prick who'd— "Shit," Jason muttered, running both hands through his hair. He didn't need to think about this right now. He needed to keep his head clear and focused for the first round of competition tomorrow. Letting Andreas mess with his head was exactly what that son of a bitch would love. The bathroom door clicked open and Anna emerged, looking all pink and dewy from the shower. Her hair was pulled back into a ponytail and, in her pajamas, she looked like she had when she was still a teenager. Then, for a second, in the middle of his agitation, Jay stared at her legs, bared all the way up to mid-thigh where her blue cotton pajama shorts ended. She usually wore jeans or fitted slacks and, right then, he was wondering when the hell her legs had gotten so damn long. And smooth-looking. "I'm done in there, if you want to take a shower," Anna said. Her quiet, familiar voice snapped him out of his thoughts. Making him realize what he'd just been thinking. And about who. What the hell? He needed to pull himself together and quick. Standing up, he mentally shook himself and headed for the bathroom. "I'll try to be quiet when I finish," he told her, closing the door behind him. *********************** After getting into the bed, Anna laid awake, staring at the ceiling. Listening to Jason in the shower. Trying like heck not to imagine him naked. It wasn't really working, though. Okay, she told herself, she could do this. It was just sleep. In a bed. She did it all the time at home. A semi-hysterical laugh bubbled up in her throat. At home, she was in bed alone. There wasn't the Jason factor to deal with. But she did need to deal with it. Either that, or take herself out in the hallway. Letting out a frustrated breath, she rolled over to her side, trying to get comfortable. Damn, she was so irritated with him for forgetting to book her a hotel room. Honestly, who did that? But, at the same time, he had a valid excuse—he had been ridiculously busy these past few weeks. And, yeah, he'd done a pretty good job of keeping himself together without her around to nag him. She was proud of him. Okay…so, she could've done without the having to share a bed with him, but he'd made a lot of progress otherwise, so he deserved some credit. He really was turning into a new and improved Jason Blake, she sleepily thought. The only problem was that he was making it harder and harder for her not to love him. ************************* Anna was asleep by the time Jason finished up in the bathroom. Climbing into the bed next to her, he tried to ease slowly beneath the blankets without waking her up. Once he'd slid all the way underneath, he could feel the faint warmth of her body and, for some reason, he felt the last bit of his Andres-fueled tension easing. It was dark in the room, but he glanced at her sleeping profile. She was lying on her back, a few loose strands of hair on her forehead, her chest slowly rising and falling in sleep. God, he was glad she was here. Hell, he was glad she was even talking to him after that shit he'd pulled when she told him she was quitting. The idea of it still made his gut clench, but, he knew having her friendship was at least better than her hating him. Those two weeks had been the longest of his life. And, he admitted to himself, as he slipped into sleep, he never wanted to go through that again. The last thought he had before sleep took him was that she was his family and family belonged together. ____________________________ Your guys' comments so far…GREAT. Thank you! Keep 'em coming. (Even you Jason-haters). And, hopefully Jason's starting to redeem himself! All of the anti-Jay email I'm getting is a bit worrisome…haha. As always, happy reading. ~EVE Sweet Talk Ch. 03 [LilyAnna]: I guess [SlipsInsideHer]: and how do these men treat a bimbo? [LilyAnna]: like she's stupid, an airhead? [SlipsInsideHer]: and so if she's stupid why tell her what's coming, right? [LilyAnna]: ok, I think I see what you mean [LilyAnna]: still, what if I'd had plans today? [SlipsInsideHer]: you would have missed them [SlipsInsideHer]: did you have any plans for today? [LilyAnna]: no, nothing special [SlipsInsideHer]: playing with yourself yet? [LilyAnna]: what!… no [SlipsInsideHer]: yet you're horny right? {w+} [LilyAnna]: well, yes. your program made me that way She could feel the familiar sensations of her slow climb to arousal already starting to stir within her. [SlipsInsideHer]: fair enough, but you're alone at home and horny {w+} [SlipsInsideHer]: so didn't we say yesterday that when you are [SlipsInsideHer]: at home and alone and feeling horny [SlipsInsideHer]: you will play with that cute little cunt of yours [SlipsInsideHer]: isn't that what you agreed? [LilyAnna]: well… err yes it was [SlipsInsideHer]: anytime you're alone in your house and horny [SlipsInsideHer]: you strip and finger fuck yourself {w+} [LilyAnna]: no, that's not true Lily Anna didn't like that coarse language to describe the way she pleasured herself. She felt embarrassed at him describing her in this way. Yet her arousal was continuing to escalate – even when he was coarse about her. [SlipsInsideHer]: are you fingering yourself now? [LilyAnna]: yes, but like you said I'm really horny right now [LilyAnna]: don't read anything more into it [SlipsInsideHer]: you mean you don't want to finger yourself when you're alone? [LilyAnna]: not all the time, no. Her fingers were moving faster as she typed. She didn't feel confident about what she was saying as her body made her feel quite differently. Yet she knew this was true, wasn't it? [SlipsInsideHer]: but you do enjoy it when you finger yourself? [LilyAnna]: yes [SlipsInsideHer]: every time you finger yourself? [LilyAnna]: didn't I just say that? [SlipsInsideHer]: so you enjoy fingering yourself like you are now? [LilyAnna]: yes! I love it when I finger myself [LilyAnna]: I think we've established that [SlipsInsideHer]: then why don't you want to do it more often? [SlipsInsideHer]: like you are now? Lily Anna didn't have an answer. Was this part of his hypnosis? She did enjoy fingering herself, a lot. She didn't know if she wanted to do it all the time though. After all, she wasn't that sex crazed, but she couldn't deny the idea of being made to was making her even hornier. Her fingers were bringing her close to the edge now as she slipped two of them in long slow strokes inside her hot, wet pussy. [LilyAnna]: ok, maybe, but I'm horny now [SlipsInsideHer]: and other times when you're horny... [LilyAnna]: what about them? [SlipsInsideHer]: when you're home alone [SlipsInsideHer]: just like now wouldn't you want to play with yourself? [LilyAnna]: I guess… I do love it [SlipsInsideHer]: so do you finger yourself then too? [LilyAnna]: yes I would [SlipsInsideHer]: so you've decided that whenever you're horny [SlipsInsideHer]: and you are home alone [SlipsInsideHer]: you'll just strip off your panties and finger yourself? [LilyAnna]: yes, doesn't that make sense? [SlipsInsideHer]: it makes perfect sense to me [SlipsInsideHer]: but you were having trouble getting it [LilyAnna]: no, I just didn't understand what you meant Yes, that was it. She had been thinking about something else, maybe work. She couldn't figure out a reason why she shouldn't play with herself when she was alone and horny, so it must be the right thing to do. And besides, it's what she usually did, isn't it? Of course it was, but he just made it sound like that was all she would be doing all the time. God it was hard to concentrate with her fingers in her pussy. Lily Anna's movements were becoming more urgent. She knew it wouldn't be long now. [SlipsInsideHer]: {w0} I see. Of course, Lily Anna didn't see anything. She simply felt her arousal, her horniness vanish in an instant. Whereas she had been so close to cumming, in fact she still wanted to cum, but all her arousal had suddenly disappeared. She kept fingering herself, hoping to bring back those lost feelings. Nothing happened. [SlipsInsideHer]: still fingering yourself? Did he know? Was he behind this? He had to be, but her hands were typing before she could even think. [LilyAnna]: yes, I am [SlipsInsideHer]: but you aren't horny now, are you? [LilyAnna]: no [SlipsInsideHer]: so you don't just finger yourself because you're horny? [LilyAnna]: I was horny, I want to be horny again [LilyAnna]: that's why I was fingering myself [SlipsInsideHer]: "was" so you've stopped? Lily Anna looked down and blushed. [LilyAnna]: no, I still am [SlipsInsideHer]: so you're trying to make yourself horny? [LilyAnna]: yes, like I was before [SlipsInsideHer]: so when you're home alone like this [SlipsInsideHer]: you like being horny don't you? [LilyAnna]: yes, the orgasms you give are amazing [SlipsInsideHer]: but even when we're not chatting [SlipsInsideHer]: it's pleasurable to be aroused, isn't it? [LilyAnna]: yes it is [SlipsInsideHer]: and you really felt pleasure when you were aroused before [SlipsInsideHer]: didn't you? [LilyAnna]: yes [SlipsInsideHer]: so when you're home alone, that's how you want to feel? [LilyAnna]: sometimes, yes [SlipsInsideHer]: but not all the time, right? [LilyAnna]: yes [SlipsInsideHer]: so there are times you don't want to feel that intense pleasure [SlipsInsideHer]: that's what you're saying? [LilyAnna]: no, I want to feel it but I can't [SlipsInsideHer]: why not? Why not just finger yourself? [LilyAnna]: I have things to do, chores, friends, a life [LilyAnna]: I'm not just a sex addict [SlipsInsideHer]: ok ok {w+} {w+} [SlipsInsideHer]: so you don't want to have an orgasm tonight? Lily Anna's body was once again flooded with desire. Her fingers pushed deeper, faster. She felt hot, and her pussy was very wet. [LilyAnna]: no, please I do want one [SlipsInsideHer]: sounds like you are addicted then, doesn't it? [LilyAnna]: a little, maybe [giggle]: [SlipsInsideHer]: so you are a sex addict? [LilyAnna]: no, I'm just addicted to your orgasms [LilyAnna]: it's not the same [LilyAnna]: is it? Again, Lily Anna's lust was clouding her mind. She was suddenly unsure of herself and her own thoughts. Every time she tried to disagree she would end up agreeing with him, and this made her feel that much dumber. How was he doing this? [SlipsInsideHer]: This sounds very confusing to me… [SlipsInsideHer]: you love being horny, right? [LilyAnna]: yes [SlipsInsideHer]: you think about the orgasms I gave you last night? [LilyAnna]: lots [SlipsInsideHer]: you're addicted to them, aren't you? {w+} [LilyAnna]: yes i amm [SlipsInsideHer]: and so if you love the orgasms I bring you [SlipsInsideHer]: you must want to be horny [LilyAnna]: i do [SlipsInsideHer]: and to make yourself horny, what do you do? [LilyAnna]: finger myself Lily Anna's fingers were pounding her pussy now. She had to cum soon. She had to. [SlipsInsideHer]: but when you're home alone and not horny [SlipsInsideHer]: you finger yourself like before, don't you? {w+} [LilyAnna]: yes love to be horny [SlipsInsideHer]: you need to be horny, right? {w+} [LilyAnna]: yess [SlipsInsideHer]: so what you're saying is [SlipsInsideHer]: when you're home alone [SlipsInsideHer]: and you're horny [SlipsInsideHer]: you want to finger yourself, right? [LilyAnna]: yes [SlipsInsideHer]: and if you aren't horny [SlipsInsideHer]: you still want to finger yourself, to make yourself horny [SlipsInsideHer]: right? [LilyAnna]: yess lve to be horny [SlipsInsideHer]: I think I got it. So when you're home alone you just want to finger yourself, right? {w+} This was too much for Lily Anna. She couldn't really concentrate anymore on anything but her pussy and her need to cum, right away. [LilyAnna]: need to cummm noww… [SlipsInsideHer]: rustling trees [SlipsInsideHer]: rustling trees [SlipsInsideHer]: rustling trees [SlipsInsideHer]: back down into hypnosis [SlipsInsideHer]: deeper every time [SlipsInsideHer]: feeling the sun's heat on your face and the rocking of the hammock [SlipsInsideHer]: and just letting go [SlipsInsideHer]: what is your scale showing now? [LilyAnna]: 0 [SlipsInsideHer]: and you're still very horny, aren't you? [LilyAnna]: yse [SlipsInsideHer]: and you know what the lesson you've just learned? [SlipsInsideHer]: when you're alone at home [SlipsInsideHer]: whether you are horny, or you are not horny [SlipsInsideHer]: you just want to finger yourself [LilyAnna]: yyess [SlipsInsideHer]: Tell me… [LilyAnna]: just want to finger myself when I'm horny [LilyAnna]: just finger myself when I'm not to make myself horny [SlipsInsideHer]: good girl [SlipsInsideHer]: it's just a habit you have [SlipsInsideHer]: without even realising you are doing it [SlipsInsideHer]: not even noticing it happening [SlipsInsideHer]: whenever you are at home and alone [SlipsInsideHer]: you'll just piece by piece strip off your clothes [SlipsInsideHer]: walk around your home naked [SlipsInsideHer]: and finger yourself [SlipsInsideHer]: trying to be horny… trying to stay horny [SlipsInsideHer]: do you understand all of this? [LilyAnna]: yyy [SlipsInsideHer]: and being naked, you will also want to play with those lovely tits [SlipsInsideHer]: right? [LilyAnna]: yesss play with breasts [SlipsInsideHer]: good girl [SlipsInsideHer]: do you call your breasts anything else? [LilyAnna]: nnoo innapproppp [SlipsInsideHer]: I understand [SlipsInsideHer]: and what terms do you use for your cute little slit? [LilyAnna]: pussy [SlipsInsideHer]: good girl [SlipsInsideHer]: and every night at bedtime you slip into a trance [SlipsInsideHer]: and you reinforce all the suggestions I've been giving you [SlipsInsideHer]: even the ones from yesterday, right? [LilyAnna]: always [SlipsInsideHer]: so your fingering suggestions you'll also add tonight [SlipsInsideHer]: won't you? [LilyAnna]: yyy [SlipsInsideHer]: so if you finger yourself that much [SlipsInsideHer]: you're going to cum a lot [SlipsInsideHer]: aren't you? [LilyAnna]: yessss [SlipsInsideHer]: but if you cum so much they won't be explosive [SlipsInsideHer]: you don't want small orgasms, do you? [LilyAnna]: noo [SlipsInsideHer]: so you need a way to keep yourself from cumming too quickly [SlipsInsideHer]: don't you? [LilyAnna]: i do?? [SlipsInsideHer]: yes, do you think you could hold out so long without me? [LilyAnna]: no tried [SlipsInsideHer]: so you want me to help you learn to hold your orgasms, don't you? [LilyAnna]: yse [SlipsInsideHer]: to teach you to let them build up [SlipsInsideHer]: until they erupt [SlipsInsideHer]: isn't that right? [LilyAnna]: yyy [SlipsInsideHer]: then from now on [SlipsInsideHer]: you'll only cum when you have been really trying hard to make yourself cum [SlipsInsideHer]: when you are at the peak of your pleasure [SlipsInsideHer]: and just as you are about to tip over the edge [SlipsInsideHer]: you'll think about how you're addicted to these orgasms… my orgasms [SlipsInsideHer]: and you'll realize how pathetic, how slutty that is [SlipsInsideHer]: and how stupid you are for letting me do this to you [SlipsInsideHer]: and as soon as that thought enters your mind [SlipsInsideHer]: your body will release all its pent up horniness in one massive orgasm [SlipsInsideHer]: and though you may not believe these thoughts [SlipsInsideHer]: because you don't want to think these thoughts [SlipsInsideHer]: they won't come to you until you are on the verge of cumming [SlipsInsideHer]: because you won't be able to cum [SlipsInsideHer]: unless just such a thought is in your mind [SlipsInsideHer]: do you understand all of this? [LilyAnna]: yyy [SlipsInsideHer]: good girl [SlipsInsideHer]: then awaken to a massive orgasm on the count of 5 [SlipsInsideHer]: not even knowing that I've hypnotized you [SlipsInsideHer]: 1 [SlipsInsideHer]: 2 [SlipsInsideHer]: 3 [SlipsInsideHer]: 4 [SlipsInsideHer]: 5 [SlipsInsideHer]: CUM NOW [SlipsInsideHer]: CUM NOW [SlipsInsideHer]: CUM NOW [SlipsInsideHer]: tell me when you're finished At this point Lily Anna didn't know or care what this author was doing to her. Her entire body was filled with pleasure. At last she was cumming, and she hoped she would never stop. Soon enough, though, the pleasure melted illusively away, and once again, she was ready for more. [LilyAnna]: wow, that was incredible [SlipsInsideHer]: and now I've got to run [LilyAnna]: what time will you be online tomorrow? [SlipsInsideHer]: well, I'll only have a little time late afternoon [SlipsInsideHer]: be online about 6. [LilyAnna]: sounds great!! slipsinsideher signed off Sweet Talk Ch. 04 Chapter 4 He was gone. Had he even waited to see if she would say yes? Why should he, it was obvious that she would be there no matter what time he set. After all, he was only treating her like the bimbo she had wanted to become. She was just relieved he would be on tomorrow, although she wished they could spend more time chatting – it was Sunday after all, and she couldn't get enough of his hypnosis. Now she was alone and suddenly her life felt empty. Lily Anna decided to go to bed. It had been a long and exhausting day – filled with pleasure. It was hard for her not to feel abandoned knowing he wouldn't be online tomorrow morning. She wanted the night to pass so that they could play some more. As she headed off to the bedroom she thought about all the pleasure he had given her that day. She wanted to feel that arousal again, just to reassure her that those powerful pleasures were not about to be lost to her. She needed them now. Her fingers descended towards her pussy to stroke it. They played with her outer lips and dipped inside the hot warmth radiating from her core. She went and pulled on her pyjamas and her hand caught one of her breasts. She held it feeling its weight, pulling at it, pinching her nipple slightly to tease herself. It was such a sweet sensation that gave an echo of what she had felt before. She headed into the bathroom as her other hand slipped beneath the elastic. She could feel the wide bare skin of her smooth mound and she scratched lightly at her clit, looking at herself in the mirror. She wanted to feel horny again, and just going to bed felt such an anticlimax. She stared at herself and thought about the way he had manipulated her and made her decisions and how turned on she had been by it. Her hand picked up more urgency as she determined to raise her level of excitement further. Returning to the bedroom, Lily Anna sat on the end of the bed opposite the mirror. Her hand was buried beneath her pyjamas and she was struggling to resurrect the powerful feelings that had overwhelmed her earlier that day. Yet the more she tried to reach her goal, the more difficult it seemed for her to achieve. She pulled at her pyjama bottoms and sat staring at her naked pussy with her fingers urgently working at her clit. Every time she saw herslf shaved down there, she felt exposed, her wetness glazing her pussy lips, the dull enticing ache inside. Ooh, she wanted to cum, just once more before she slept. Lying on the bed, Lily Anna's hands were kneading her breasts. She stared up at the ceiling trying to summon erotic fantasies, yet somehow she could not be swept along by them, transported to a place where she was able to stop holding herself back. She felt so stupid just lying there fingering herself and getting nowhere. Her frustration sobbed its way out of her as she kept trying to tell herself to give up and go to sleep. Yet she couldn't tear herself away from her desperate desire to feel that release just one more time. She felt stupid for not being able to reach orgasm, and even more stupid at not being able to give up and go to sleep. She wondered what people would think if they saw her, all sweaty, lying naked on her bed, legs spread and furiously working her pussy and yet elusively unable to cum. Yet as this thought floated through her mind, it brought a sudden intensity to her arousal. Instinctively she focused upon her lack of self-control and imagined the room filled with friends and colleagues stabding over her, watching her demeaning performance. The less control she had, the greater their shocked disapproval, the faster the rush towards orgasm became. Lily Anna lay on her back, her fingers working furiously between her legs, no longer trying to cum but desperately in need to feel her impotence. Once again as she tried to reach that pinnacle, it illusively retreated. She felt dumb – whoever heard of someone wanting to cum but not being able to do so. She was angry with herself, and she felt desperate. She needed another trance, she needed this hypnotist to make her cum. This time she started to think of how she had relinquished control to him and how he pushed her and the more he pushed, the more she conceded. He must imagine her as an inexperienced teenager, someone just discovering sex, always wanting more; and this time she came. Not one of the best, but at last she felt the peak come and pass as she lay on her stomach on the bed and moaned into the counterpane. Lily Anna was exhausted from her efforts and having finally achieved her aim, she closed her eyes. Suddenly she felt transported to a warm summers day. She could see the branches of trees whispering overhead as they rocked and made her drowsy. The sunshine fractured through their silhouetted branches. She could feel the warmth of the sunshine caressing her face. The image seemed far too real to be a dream. She had been here before, but she couldn't quite capture the memory. She could feel the support of a hammock enveloping her, rocking her slowly to the left and then to the right. Finally she remembered the visualisation, but at that same moment she heard the rustling of leaves and started to relax; her realization of what was happening had arrived too late. As she drifted into her dreamy state she started whispering through her mantra of commands, fastidiously allowing each to sink into her mind before moving on to the next. Slowly she felt each command was being seared into her brain, the boundary between them and her own thoughts obscuring. It was one of the most fitful, erotic nights Lily Anna had ever spent in her bed. Her dreams were filled with hypnosis and erotic suggestions. She dreamed of herself naked surrounded by people she did not know; all of them fully clothed. She was fingering herself uncontrollably and they were chatting and ignoring her, as if this was all natural, as if she was of no consequence. When they did acknowledge her, they took pity on her, patting her head and calling her a good girl. The words circled around in her head. Twice during her sleep she came as her fingers stroked her pussy and squeezed her breasts. The next morning was bright and Lily Anna awoke to find herself tangled in the covers, two fingers swallowed in her pussy with the taste of her own juices on her lips. Sometime in the night she had pulled the bedcovers over her naked body. She smiled at the thought that she had slept naked, it was not something she would normally do. There was a kind of naughty pleasure that made her tingle as she watched herself and how she was changing as a result of this hypnosis. She felt calmer this morning and wandered from room to room thinking about how she was going to spend her day until she got another chance to chat with the author online. She had several hours to get some housework done, and the knowledge that she would be hypnotised again later that day gave her a thrill that energised her as she worked. Lily Anna slipped into her pyjamas before wandering around the flat. It did not feel unnatural to her not to get fully dressed, perhaps as she had slept naked, putting any clothes on seemed enough. She didn't seem to register as she worked that her hand drifted either to her chest and squeezed her breasts, or down towards her pussy. Her hand kept casually tugging at her pyjama bottoms, as if they weren't on quite right. Each little tug revealed a little more of her panties as she walked about the kitchen. As she fixed herself some breakfast, her hand would brush lightly yet purposefully against her unprotected breasts. It felt different, good. Lily Anna went back into the living room and before she sat on the couch, she decided her pyjama bottoms were too distracting and she yanked them down to her ankles before kicking them across the room. She sank into the couch thinking she would watch some TV while she ate. Flicking through the channels, Lily Anna sat with her legs crossed, but after a while she uncrossed them, and sat with her knees pressed together. Little by little, the gap between her knees opened as she absent-mindedly surfed. Lily Anna decided there was nothing worth watching and switched off the TV. She gently started stroking her pussy through her panties with one hand while she was eating with the other. Her hand moved to stroke her breasts also, but they were constricted by her shirt, so in one swift motion she pulled it over her head and sent it flying across the room. Her breasts felt the chill of the air and her hand stroked them to keep them warm. She felt the pull as the skin stretched towards her active fingers. It was a nice sensation that absorbed her concentration, the feel of her fingers sliding around her mounds, the gentle warm touch against exposed flesh. Next Lily Anna started yanking at her panties, kicking them to the floor in a pile with her pyjama bottoms. Her bald pussy came into view inviting her hand down and around the ridge between her exposed thighs. Her deft fingers started to toy with her opening and her head tilted against the back of the couch. She shifted her weight to bring her thighs forward. Her other hand rose up kneading her breasts. Thoughts resurfaced from last night of wanting to feel the need to cum. It felt so good to feel this way. Her arousal was growing as she gave in to her need for this pleasure. She was sure she would cum soon. Minutes passed, though, and Lily Anna's arousal kept growing as she pushed her fingers into all the spots that would usually get her off. Nothing happened. She pulled, pinched and twisted her nipples, but her mounting arousal failed to peak. She added fingers: first two, which was her usual, then three, feeling the tightness and pressure it caused at her opening, but still no release. Finally, when she couldn't think of anything else, Lily Anna returned to what had worked last night. She concentrated upon how bad this had to look. Her clothes scattered all across the room, her legs splayed like some oversexed slut. The words came naturally, and yet should have felt shocking. Was this what she had wanted to become? She rebelled, she would lose her job and everyone's respect at this rate. She wasn't this pathetic. She had to stop now! But those thoughts, instead of calming her down, now pushed her over the edge. Her body began to spasm. Pleasure began to flood through every nerve ending. She grunted in response to the flow of erotic charge sweeping her body. Then just as it seemed to end, she felt a dull ache grow that told her of her need to feel it again. It was an undeniable urge that kept Lily Anna's fingers moving inside of her even after her orgasm. She had never before kept on fingering herself. It was a rush, such a weird sensation. Her fingers moved faster, even though her arousal was fading. No matter how hard, how fast, or where she touched, she could not cling on, her arousal drifting inexorably away from her. She was reaching out in a vain attempt to hold on to it, passion denied. She had lost control. She didn't want to finger herself. She had to finger herself. This was too slutty. She wasn't like this. Tears welled up in her eyes as her arousal returned in full force. Why was she getting off on this? Again, the more ashamed, the more out of control, the more like a sex-crazed slut she felt the more her arousal grew, her horniness becoming that much stronger. Her orgasm this time was just as strong, if not stronger than before. When she did finally cum, she pulled herself up from the couch. She did her best to ignore the ache she felt inside again. She loved to be horny. She loved to cum. Why was she denying herself? The thoughts streamed through her mind. How could she go to work tomorrow when she was behaving like this? How would she get her work done if she had to keep running off to the ladies' room every ten minutes to yank down her panties and feel the oozing juices slither over her active fingers? How long before people would notice her telltale aroma? The pit of her stomach sank through the floor. It took every ounce of will Lily Anna possessed to pick up her clothes and put them back on. She suddenly didn't seem to like wearing anything, but she knew that was just her sex drive talking. If she didn't wear them, she would spend the entire day playing with her already sore pussy. To take her mind off her sex she started to tidy and clean the house. She wandered from room to room, wary of her mischievous hands. As she entered the bedroom, she saw herself in the mirror. The girl that looked back wasn't the girl she would see each morning as she got herself ready. This strange reflection had a wanton look about her, she was acutely aware of its sexuality. The body stood more erect, exentuating its curviness and the clothes succeeded in teasing rather than protecting. She could see the points of her nipples pulling at the material. Without a thought, Lily Anna pulled the shirt over her head to inspect them further. To the touch, Lily Anna could feel the wetness on her hands evaporating in the warmth radiating from her breasts. Lily Anna couldn't help but fondle them some. They were a perfect handful for her, and today they felt so sensitive, so firm. Lily Anna pushed her thighs together, trying with all her might to deny the fire that burnt inside her. The movement made her notice that her panties were wet: from her current arousal or her previous cums that she hadn't bothered to clean up, she wasn't sure. Lily Anna bent at the waist, pulling her pyjama bottoms and panties down in one swift movement. As she glanced back into the mirror she could see her hot swollen pussy lips glistening with invitation. She could not find words to describe how much she needed to cum again, but she had to stop herself. In a huge effort of will she pulled her clothes back up and went over to the bed. Stripping off the wet sheet, Lily Anna put them into the washing machine and started the cycle. She looked at the clock, there were hours to go. Her mind wandered thinking about hypnosis and how electric it all felt. She could never imagine ever feeling this turned on. Her eyes had been opened to a new world, and she could not get enough of it. She knew she was captivated by the newness of it all. This desire felt just as overwhelming. She just wanted to cum so much. She couldn't help herself. She leaned back against the washing machine. The more she thought about limiting it, the more she wanted to just strip off and fuck her cunt all day long. The words running through her mind were so dirty, so slutty. She had never talked or even thought in this way before. This author was changing her, and she wasn't sure if this was even a change she liked. If she couldn't even resist changes she didn't want, what would happen if... Hundreds of scary, degrading, and humiliating scenarios rushed through her mind, of being made to cum in public, of people laughing at her as she displayed her cunt, wet and wanting, her juices oozing down her legs, her cunt lips invitingly open, unable to close her knees or hide her lust. The word cunt circled around inside her head, as if unable to flee, and she felt trapped with it, and it drove her arousal to fever pitch the more she thought of herself as a cunt. She came, explosively; her knees buckled, and she fell. She could not catch herself as, without realising it, one hand had crept back inside her pyjamas and was locked in the ritual ministration of her pussy. The other hand squeezed her tit, mercilessly pulling and pinching at her little nubbin. As she hit the floor, she took a bump on the head. She lay there a little dazed, more from her orgasm than the knock she had just had. She lay wondering what her co-workers would think if they could see her right now. The pain from her fall barely subsided before all Lily Anna wanted to do was slide her fingers back inside her hot snatch, to show them how turned on she felt by her desire wrenching restraint from her. She had to get moving, she had to get out of here, get her horniness under control. If she could just get out the door; it was just too easy to finger herself in the privacy of her home. She seized the moment to throw on some clothes and stormed out of the house. The sun was bright and she shivered lightly as she felt the dampness from her manic efforts evaporate in the glare. Being out among other people definitely helped. It was not that her thoughts escaped from her pussy, but she could not bring herself to finger herself anywhere in public. The fact she was wearing her pants also helped – the less access the better. She went off to the mall and decided to spend the day shopping. Out here, the world was normal, routine. She sat in the park and watched children playing, mums talking, couples wandering engrossed in each other. It was all so everyday and she felt relief to be back amongst it. The darker world that drove her into situations where she was visibly out of control, in which she craved displaying her need to others, that drove her legs apart…this world started to recede. She felt her pulse starting to slow, she could breathe a little more freely, she could rationalise. She knew she wanted to be part of this outside world, she wanted to make a success of her career; she wanted to be a mum and a home-maker; to have choices where she could decide what to do with her life. She wanted to have kids and ferry them to sleep overs and between activities; she wanted a husband to care for and who would care for her. She wanted security. All this represented to her success in life, and she wanted people to see her as successful. Who would envy her the humiliations she had fantasised over? Yet somehow she had awoken a fire within her, one that consumed her. She was being eaten up from within. She had experienced something unnervingly more potent, a tempestuous energy that had rocked her, a turmoil that simultaneously threatened to choke her and make her explode in sexual energy. These people, she reflected, living out their normal lives could not even conceive of such consuming power, of forces once unleashed subjugating a person with wanton desires. For them life was safe, a ship drifting in a placid ocean of glassy blandness. Lily Anna sat and pondered about what their success was. Were they just successfully congratulating each other on escaping their own monster? Did they understand what they had denied themselves? By limiting the possibilities and feelings, restricting them to what became manageable, they could forego such immense fear and pleasure for feelings of security. It was as if the two worlds, seemingly far apart, were locked in an intimate embrace within each of us. We sanitise our sexuality, confining it, never allowing our passion more than a castrated appeal when we allow ourselves to feel sexy: the prudish covering of the top-shelf magazines, sex on Sunday mornings, unspoken longing and missed opportunities. Little wonder that by comparison our orgasms seem so muted. Yet the sleeping giant within, once awakened, would never be denied. Lily Anna knew that she had opened a door when she had allowed herself to be hypnotised, a door that gave access to her monster within to step through and grasp her whole being. She craved these powerful feelings, the helplessness, the lack of control that would otherwise prevent her body being wracked by feelings so intense, so corrosively erotic that they would forever pollute her. She hated craving them, because a normal mum could not feel such intensity – it burned her, it carried her up into the skies, flying high and free towards the sun with wings of wax. She wanted normality, but she craved those feelings that made her more alive, charged her body with 1000 volts. Lily Anna sat on the bench feeling her pussy on fire and the palpable struggle that raged between her desires. She felt safe in the open, reassured by experiences so routine they comforted her. Perhaps we limit the power of our sexuality because we are so exposed and vulnerable. Like lovers who, once spurned, cannot trust so easily again and so never allow themselves to let go. She caught herself looking at her watch, wary of the time not to miss her appointment. She knew that as she felt more safe, she also felt more frustrated, wishing her author was there making her slip her fingers into her unencumbered crack, forced by her own acquiescence into situations that erotically charged her, becoming lost in that world of sensation. She wandered through the park realising that while she looked like everyone else, as normal as they, she felt apart from them. A distance had crept in. She was leaving one world and heading towards another. She was not happy about that, she knew she was losing something – many things, but it was inevitable. Her monster could not be denied, and the more she struggled the more she wanted to give in. Sweet Talk Ch. 04 So...sorry it took me so effing long with this. I'm in the middle of applying for grad. school, so I'm dealing with that and all the lovely stress that comes along with it. Anyway—I almost feel bad about where/how this chapter ends (you'll see). Apologies. This was supposed to be Chapters 4 AND 5, but because of my slowness, it's really more like Ch. 4 and the first portion of Ch. 5. At least it's a bit longer, though, so hopefully you'll forgive the lag-time. _____________________ "Are you nervous?" Anna's voice, quiet and still husky with sleep, surprised Jason. It wasn't even seven in the morning yet and he'd been trying to be quiet so she could sleep in. Plus, he sort of wanted the time to think and mentally prepare for the day of competition he had ahead. Having her here eased his anxiety, but still, he couldn't help but obsess about the ten thousand ways he might screw up today. He was sitting on the edge of the bed, putting on his shoes, and glanced over his shoulder at Anna. She was lying on her side, one arm tucked up underneath her head. The ponytail she'd put her hair in the night before had loosened up, so some of her brown hair fell across her cheeks and forehead. But it was her eyes, like always, that grabbed him and made him want to tell her that, yes, he was nervous as hell. Damn, he hated talking about stuff like this. It was easier to just pretend like all of the pressure wasn't phasing him. Besides, talking about it would probably make him more nervous. So he just turned back around and tried to change the subject. "Did I wake you up?" he asked. He knew she wasn't a light sleeper but he'd really been trying to be quiet. In his book, being conscious before the sun rose was practically a sin. "No," Anna replied with a small yawn. "But the alarm on your Blackberry did. Way to hit snooze four times, Jay." He grinned as he finished tying his shoes. Only Anna could make him feel like a jackass first thing in the morning. "Sorry," he said, standing up. "I hate getting up early." "I know." Anna sat up, hugging her knees to her underneath the plush, almost obscenely bright-white comforter on the bed. "And yet you still decided to become a baker," she pointed out, tucking some loose hair behind her ear. "You'd think after all of those early mornings working with my dad, you'd have picked a different career." He let out a small laugh. "Working for your dad was false advertising, though. He made everything seem so fun and exciting. He loved that bakery so much, he'd have left it open twenty-four seven if he could've." "True," Anna said with a grin. "But, back to my original question..." Oh, hell. He should've known she wasn't gonna drop that question about his nerves. He tried to avoid her brown eyes as they searched his face. He always got the feeling that she saw through half the bullshit he put out there and, with her next words, she proved him right again. "You're nervous, aren't you?" Realizing that lying was pointless, Jay walked around the edge of the bed, needing some motion, some action, to help with the jitters he was feeling. "Yeah. A little," he told her. Really, he felt like his mind was going in a thousand directions at once. He wanted to tell her exactly how nervous he was, but damn, he hated feeling dependent on other people. Grinding his teeth together, he walked across the room. Then, because it was on the small table next to where he was now standing, he flipped open his 'tool kit.' It had all of his utensils and supplies inside. The actual food and ingredients, he'd had shipped overnight and were waiting for him at his station in the hotel conference room. "You know," Anna said after a moment, "this isn't any different than when you're working in Sugar. Or at KIRA." He shot her a skeptical look. "Yeah, except there's a panel of judges circulating the room. And I'm on a time limit. Not to mention that I'm up against a few dozen other bakers who'd just love it if I cut off a finger or—" Anna's laughter stopped his rambling. Turning his gaze back to her, he caught her amused eyes and couldn't help but laugh a little. "Okay," he admitted, "maybe I'm more than a little nervous." Yeah, more like on the verge of freaking the hell out. Climbing out of the bed, Anna padded over to him on the thick hotel carpet. She knew Jay well enough to see that, even if he didn't want to come out and say it, he was really anxious right now. He was randomly poking at items inside his tool kit even though she knew he'd meticulously packed the bag before they left Seattle. "Jay, you're going to do great," she said once she was standing next to him. When he looked at her, his mouth quirked up into a smile, but she recognized the uncertainty in his eyes when he asked, "How do you know? There're ninety-nine other damn good chefs down there." He grimaced. "My odds aren't so hot. You've gotta admit that." Anna felt a tug in her heart at the look on his face. After all these years, it still amazed her that he could be unsure of himself. On the outside, he was a force of nature while, inside, she suspected he battled a self-doubt that made him his own worst enemy sometimes. So, maybe it was that vulnerability combined with the fact that she was still half-asleep—and the self-preservation part of her mind hadn't woken up yet—that made her move closer to him. She was constantly fighting the urge to touch him, inhale the scent of him, but today, just for now, she pushed all of that aside and linked her arms around his waist. Tilting her head back, she gazed up into his hazel eyes, absently thinking about how much she loved the fact that they changed color at any given time. Right now, they were toffee-colored; clear and bright. She could see her own reflection. "Think about it this way, Jay," she said. "All you're doing down there is baking. The same thing you've been doing for, what, the last half of your life?" She shrugged as much as she could while still hugging him. "Even if you don't place or don't advance to the next round, what've you lost, really?" One of his dark eyebrows went up. "Besides my dignity and self-respect?" She laughed, giving him a tight squeeze before releasing him—she could only take so much of that, after all. "With everything you've accomplished—your column, your show and Sugar—I don't think your dignity's at stake here," she said, brushing his fidgeting hands away from the tool kit before zipping it up and handing it to him. "And, anyway, you're too damn full of yourself for some competition to make a real dent." Jay shook his head, strangely calmed by her semi-insult. "Wow, you really need to work on your pep talk skills, there. But," he leaned down and planted a quick, light kiss against the top of her head, "thank you." It didn't make much sense to him, but just the simple, familiar sound of her voice and her dry, sarcastic humor was enough to help calm him down. Yeah, they were an odd pair, but they worked and he wasn't about to question it. "Guess I better get down there," he said, holding the tool kit in one hand, his eyes scanning the room trying to find anything he might be forgetting. Anna took the moment to admire him. He really was so handsome, even this early in the morning. He had on a light blue, button-up shirt, the sleeves rolled up revealing his tan forearms. Khaki-colored slacks completed the simple, but devastating outfit. How the heck did he manage to make khaki look so damn good, Anna wondered. Then she noticed the ratty shoes on his feet. Okay...almost good, she mentally amended. She planted her hands on her hips. "Tell me you're not wearing those sneakers. And with a pair of slacks." Jay was pinning a nametag with his contestant number to his shirt and laughed a little. Damn, she would have to notice the sneakers, wouldn't she? He glanced down at them; a pair of worn, brown-and-white Asics that he'd had for years. Anna was always nagging him about buying new sneakers, but honestly, he was attached to these ones. He'd had them since college and was used to them. Why mess with success? "I love these sneakers," he told her. Her nose wrinkled. "I can tell. How old are those things, again?" Shaking his head, Jason grabbed his tool kit and started backing toward the door. "Nope. I'm not answering that. You'll judge me. And the sneakers." Anna rolled her eyes. "I already am judging you. Seriously, Jay, you look like a dork." A very sexy, dark-haired, drool-worthy dork, but still... He had the hotel room door open by this point. "I take that as a compliment, sugar." Then, shooting her a final, parting grin, he said, "Now quit insulting me and wish me luck." She smiled. "You don't need it, but good luck." He gave her a cheesy, overblown wink and before she even finished laughing at him, he was gone. *************** Four hours later, Anna was still laughing, but this time at Sam. "You can't be serious," she said, looking down at herself in the yellow sundress she had on. They were inside a trendy little boutique and, in her opinion, way out of their league. Or, out of hers, at least. After Jay left that morning, she'd met Sam for breakfast in the hotel restaurant. They'd decided to do a little exploring around the area before Jason's baking session started at noon. Anna was fascinated by the clean, elegant lines of the architecture in and around downtown, but she wasn't too keen on the hot, sticky Chicago heat. She'd worn jeans and a simple, print top that, in Seattle, she would've been able to get away with. But in Chicago, the heat was unrelenting, made worse by the fact that they were surrounded by concrete buildings. So, two hours into their sight-seeing expedition, she was muttering to herself about needing to buy some summer-appropriate clothing. And Sam, laughing at her in his cargo shorts, Calvin Klein polo and designer sunglasses, pulled her into the first boutique they came across. The only problem was that they were on North Michigan Ave. at the time and this little boutique, with it's brightly-colored window displays, stark white walls and pop music piped in over hidden speakers, was serious about living up to its famous address on Chicago's Magnificent Mile. "This thing costs over a hundred dollars," Anna hissed at Sam from where she was standing right outside the curtained dressing room. "And I'd say it's worth every penny," he replied, scanning her with a teasingly critical expression. He was leaning back against a square pillar, arms crossed over his chest, his laughing blue eyes visible now that he'd pushed his sunglasses into his hair. "It's also probably ten times cooler than that little jeans and t-shirt outfit you had on," he added. "So think of it as paying for built-in air-conditioning." Even though she was trying to look disapproving, Anna laughed. "Somehow, I don't think my landlord would sympathize with that story after I tell him I can't pay my rent." As she was talking, she turned to peer over her shoulder into the mirror mounted on the wall behind her. Okay, she had to admit, for an over-one-hundred-dollar dress, this one was pretty nice. She wasn't really a dress kind of person, but the way the yellow fabric brushed against her legs, hugged her waist and swept across her breasts, well, it almost gave the impression that she had a great figure. She bit her lip. Yeah, whoever had made this dress did a darn good job on the silhouette. Too bad it was so freaking expensive. "I'm gonna take this off," she said, giving herself a last, regretful once-over in the mirror. "Then we can go find a Macy's or—" "Jeez, Anna, where's your sense of adventure?" Sam interrupted with a laugh. He leaned in. "Don't you want to try on anything else? You don't have to buy it, but, you know...aren't you curious how you'd look in a..." he randomly pulled a red dress from a rack next to him and checked the price tag. "A two-hundred dollar cocktail dress?" Anna shook her head, shooting a glance at the shop girl who was standing behind the counter, fashionably clothed in all black. "What's the point if I'm not going to buy it?" "But would you if you could?" he asked, holding the dress up to himself in the mirror. He grinned at her, obviously delighted by the ridiculous picture he made. Laughing, Anna grabbed the dress from him. "Yes, but that's not the point. I don't want to—" she started, but Sam cut her off, taking the dress back from her. "Fine, if you're not gonna try it on, I will," he said with a comical, snobby little sniff. "Red always was my color." He took two steps toward the dressing room before Anna, almost choking with laughter, snatched the dress from him. "Will you quit it?!" she got out around a laugh. "I'll try it on if you stop embarrassing me." Sam tried to look innocent. "I don't know what you're talking about." Rolling her eyes, Anna went back into the dressing room and pulled the curtain closed. Outside, Sam started rifling through clothing racks while he waited for Anna to change. Shopping usually wasn't his thing but, with her, it was kind of fun. Actually, almost anything he did with Anna was fun. He always had a great time when they hung out and, he admitted, his hands stilling on the clothing rack, that probably wasn't a good thing. She was practically Jay's little sister, which made her every single variety of off-limits that he could think of. He sighed, shooting a glance at the dressing room curtain. Just his luck. Anna was one of the most genuine, open, sweet and funny women he'd ever met and she basically had a 'Do Not Touch' sticker plastered to her forehead. He knew how close she and Jay were and, yeah, it didn't take a genius to figure out that Jason would flip shit if he ever tried anything with her. But, it wasn't only Jason's reaction that had held him back from making a move with her. He'd sort of had a thing for Anna since the first time they met. She'd been a freshman at Syracuse and had caught the train down to Manhattan, where he and Jay were spending their spring break. A small smile played on Sam's lips as he remembered how easily he and Anna had fallen into a friendship; he'd never met a girl who could take and give witty, sarcastic remarks the way she could and he loved that. Even then, though, he'd suspected she had a crush on Jason. It wasn't obvious, really; just something in the way she'd look at him, sometimes. He never could be sure one way or the other. Then, when he found out she'd quit, he'd thought that maybe he'd been wrong about her feelings for Jay. But, just like he'd half-expected, they'd made up. So now he didn't know what to think. But what really sucked was that, in the middle of their fight, while he'd been spending more and more time with her, trying to cheer her up, he'd realized that he really liked her. A lot. And not just in a 'Hey, you're my friend's cool friend' kind of way. No, this...this was more than that and he knew it. Blowing out a breath, he stared sightlessly at the boutique's far wall. After a moment, he heard the metal rings on the dressing room curtain clinking and turned around, taking in Anna's appearance. Her hair, like always, was down around her shoulders, but that was where the familiarity ended. His gaze traveled down, then back up; touched along her waist, took in the creamy skin of her breasts, revealed by the v-neck of the dress which, he was only now realizing, was a halter dress. All of a sudden, he was really regretting teasing her into that thing. "Well, how bad is it?" Anna asked. He brought his eyes to hers, opened his mouth to respond, but the only thing he could think was how pretty she looked. He was in trouble. Really, really big trouble. "I...you look...wow," he managed to say, blinking a few more times. Anna laughed. "Wow, good? Or wow, bad?" Before he could answer, she turned to face the mirror and he saw that the back of the dress was pretty much nonexistent. It dipped down across the middle of her back, then up and around to tie behind her neck. "I don't know," she said, examining herself in the mirror. "This isn't really my style. At all. I feel...kind of naked," she told him in an embarrassed half-whisper. Oh, man. He needed to get out of here. He started backing toward the counter. "I...uh, I just remembered, I have to make a quick phone call. I'll wait for you outside, okay?" "Okay..." Turning, Anna watched Sam head for the door. What was his problem? With a shrug, she stepped back into the dressing room and quickly changed clothes, trying to hurry so he wouldn't have to stand outside in the sun too long. She'd just pulled her top back on when someone knocked on the wall outside her dressing room. Peeking her head out, she came eye-to-eye with the shop clerk. "I'm almost done," Anna told her with a smile. "Oh, you're fine," the girl said, "I just wanted to know if you're ready for me to bag those clothes up for you." Wow, this was one optimistic little store clerk, Anna thought. Just those two dresses and the silk blouse she'd tried on would cost nearly four hundred dollars. "Uh, no, that's okay," she said. "I don't think I'll be buying anything today." The girl's brow furrowed. "But..." she started, obviously confused. "The man you were with already paid for them. He said to just bag them up for you when you finished." Anna stared at the girl for a minute. Sam? Sam had paid for the clothes? What the heck? Walking out of the dressing room, Anna saw the girl reach in to grab the clothes, but she headed for the door and stepped outside. Sam was leaning against the building's stone wall, his sunglasses on again, and looked up at her. "What do you think you're doing?" she asked. "Uh...waiting for you?" He sounded confused. "No, I mean in there," Anna said, nodding toward the shop. "You bought all of those clothes?" He smiled, digging his hands into his shorts pockets. "That a problem?" That dress might have just half-killed him, he thought, but she looked too good in it for her not to have it. He just hoped to hell she'd never wear it anywhere near him. He was only human. "You had to have spent at least four hundred dollars in there, Sam," Anna said. "I don't feel right about that. Especially since I'll probably never have anywhere to wear that red dress, anyway." Giving her a small shrug, he cocked his head. "Well, too late, now. They're already paid for." Anna sighed, giving him a small smile. "Sam, I can't accept them." Stepping up on the bottom stair leading into the store, he urged her back inside with a hand at the small of her back. "Nope, no arguments. I can afford it, Anna. And, if you ask me, you deserve it. Plus," he whispered as they neared the counter where the smiling store clerk was waiting with the bags, " do you really want to deprive this poor girl of her commission?" "Oh, such a low blow," Anna hissed. Laughing, Sam picked up the bags, thanked the clerk, and turned them back toward the door. "You'll thank me when you're all cool and breezy in this dress," he said. Falling into step next to him as they left the shop, Anna shook her head and smiled. "Why are you such a nice guy, Sam Wyatt?" He looked down at her, his eyes hidden behind the reflective lenses of his sunglasses. "Not all that nice," he said. "But I am rich. So it evens out, I guess." The self-deprecating, sarcastic tone of his voice made Anna laugh. "Well, rich boy, let's hope you're around when it comes time for me to pay off my student loans." ***************** Jason had never been so damn stressed out in his life. After a two-hour orientation that morning, followed by a short break, he and the other competitors were entering into the last hour of today's baking session. Sweet Talk Ch. 04 The whole competition was broken up into three rounds—today's Round One, Round Two on Wednesday, a day off, then the Final Round to take place on Friday. Today, they had three hours to create their finished product. He'd decided to make a rhubarb-apple tart. One of Anna's favorites. Usually, tarts were made with a less sweet, more biting apple, but ever since Anna had, a few years ago, asked him to make one with Washington Red Gold apples, he'd been using a mix of those and Golden Delicious apples in this recipe. Which was why he'd named it the Rhuby Red Tart, in deference to the rhubarbs and red golds. Having already prepared the fruit, he was meticulously constructing the base of the tart. A large, square piece of puff pastry rested on the upturned bottom of a chilled, wax paper covered-cookie sheet. The cool metal helped keep the delicate dough from warming too quickly but, with how sweaty his palms were right now, Jason was pretty sure he might be fighting a loosing battle. It wasn't that he was nervous about the baking, really, he thought, sprinkling the dough with sugar before pricking it all over with a fork. It was more the combination of stresses—the judges, the camera crew circling the room, the loud, buzzing noise of dozens of other chefs working on their creations—all of it was adding up to a big knot of tension in the center of his shoulders. So far, the only thing that had kept him calm was Anna's voice in his head but, at this point, even that wasn't helping as much. Right now, he was really concentrating, one-hundred percent on the tart he was forming. Minutes ticked by as he brushed an egg wash on the outer edges of the bottom layer of dough. He pressed a few thinner strips of pastry along the edges, ones that, during the baking, would rise and form a sort of wall around the fruit filling. The fruit came next, a fresh, summery-smelling mix of rhubarb chunks and diced apple tossed with white sugar. Spooning the mixture into the center of the dough, he topped the tart with an interwoven roof of pastry dough strips, completing the presentation by brushing the whole thing with more egg wash that would turn the dough a glossy, golden color as it baked. Sliding the whole creation into the preheated oven, he breathed out a sigh of relief and, finally, let himself glance up, toward the bleachers. Looking for Anna. They'd set the competition up in the hotel's huge conference room, which was now filled with row upon row of cooking stations with counter-space and ovens. The perimeter of the room was lined with bleachers for spectators to watch the competition unfold. Scanning the crowded metal seats around the room, he felt like he was in a damn fish bowl. Then he saw Anna, barely visible behind two tall men seated in front of her. She was already looking at him and her eyes lit up when he waved; she waved back and, letting out a tense breath, all he wanted to do was go up there and talk to her. It bothered him a little that he seemed to need her pep talks to encourage him along, but that didn't keep him from wanting to go up to her, either. Still, he couldn't leave the floor until he'd presented his entry. So he forced himself to turn away, back to his station. He stood there for a few minutes, staring at the oven where his tart was baking. It took everything in him to keep from opening the oven to peek in at it. Shit, he was driving himself insane. Running a hand along the back of his neck, he wandered through the crowded room, trying like hell not to notice what the other chefs were making. If he started comparing and contrasting, he knew he'd just make his nerves worse. He made his way to a refreshment stand the competition organizers had set up in one corner and got some water from a huge water cooler. Standing there, sipping out of the small, paper cup, his eyes were glued to his station as he mentally calculated the time left before he needed to check on the tart. "Kind of makes you feel like an expectant parent, doesn't it?" He glanced over his shoulder, taking in a tall, pretty, Hispanic woman with a wide mouth and nearly black eyes. Her long, curly, dark brown hair fell across her shoulder as she smiled up at him. Jason returned her smile. "Yeah, if being an expectant father feels like you wanna go throw up somewhere from shot nerves." Chuckling, the woman walked over to stand next to him, sipping her water as she stared out at the competition floor. "It is pretty tense out there," she said. "It's worse than the SATs, actually. At least with that, you could take it more than once. But this is all or nothing." Jay laughed. "Actually, I never took the SATs, so I've got nothing to compare this with." "No SATs?" she asked. "What're you? Canadian or something?" Grinning, Jay knew she was flirting with him and, damn if he wasn't enjoying it. "Nah, I just went to culinary school right out of high school. The Culinary Institute." "Oh, a fancy pants," she teased, throwing away her cup. "Very nice. Color me intimidated." He laughed and leaned slightly toward her. "Hey, feel free to spread the word. The more people I freak out, the better." Laughing, she pushed her long hair over her shoulder. "Too bad for you, I work well under pressure. But," she said, stepping around him, "I think I hear my five-minute timer going off, so I'd better get back over there." She glanced back at him over her shoulder. "Oh, I'm Carmen." "Jason Blake," he returned. "Nice meeting you." "You, too," she said with a lingering smile. "Good luck." Jay watched her leave. After a minute, he turned around and was refilling his empty cup when, yet another voice addressed him. But this one had his back stiffening up. "I'm surprised, Jason," Andreas Giordano said. "I always thought you preferred blondes." Straightening, Jay turned to face Andreas' mocking gray eyes. This bastard had some goddamn nerve talking to him. It took all of his concentration not to crush the water-filled paper cup in his fist. Instead, he glanced away, squaring his tense shoulders. "Can I help you with something?" Andreas' short laugh grated on his nerves. "Well, I saw Anna sitting up in the bleachers and then you, over here...shamelessly flirting." He tsked at Jay. "Just trying to offer some man-to-man advice—why play with fire when you've got such a pretty little brunette waiting for you up there?" Jason could literally hear the blood rushing through the veins behind his ears. He turned toward Andreas, his expression cold and closed. "You don't know a damn thing about Anna, so don't mention her again." Folding arms across his chest, Andreas raised one eyebrow. "You do have a point, but I must confess to hoping to get to know Anna better this week. Much better." Jay's eyes narrowed and two involuntary, fury-filled steps had him practically chest-to-chest with Andreas. "Listen, you son of a bitch—" he gritted out through clenched teeth, but Andreas' cut him off. "Easy, Jason. All I'm saying is Anna's a lovely girl. Big, brown eyes, that soft-looking hair. And those breasts," he cupped both hands in front of his chest. "I can see why you—" "Shut the fuck up," Jason spat. A loud, angry buzzing filled his head as he fought the overwhelming urge to deck this asshole. "And stay the hell away from Anna." Before Andreas could say anything else, Jay shoved past him, knowing that if he stuck around any longer he'd end up planting his fist in the middle of that bastard's face. Once he made it back to his station, he sat there for a minute, staring at the timer counting down until his tart was finished baking. But even that wasn't enough to distract him. All he could do was sit there and seethe. That asshole loved to push his fucking buttons. It'd always been like that. All through school. Andreas had been a year ahead of him and Sam, and, from what Jay knew, he'd been the reigning hot shot in the baking and pastry school before Jason had come along. And his conceited, vindictive pride hadn't been able to take sharing the spotlight. Jay never really liked him one way or another; they constantly got into it but it wasn't any big deal. Or, at least, he hadn't thought so. Until his junior year, which was Andreas' last year at the CIA, when Jay found out exactly how far Andreas would go to fuck with his head. "Shit." Jay swore, quietly, trying to push the thoughts aside. His timer went off. He shut if off and opened the oven to check on the tart. Pulling it out, he scanned an eye over the golden-brown dough, inhaling the sweet aromas of the hot fruit filling. He rolled his neck, putting all of his effort into not thinking about Andreas, so he could focus on these last few minutes of the competition. Looking over the tart, he pressed a finger into the now-crisp edge and decided there wasn't much left to do—plus, he wanted to get the fuck out of this conference room and away from Andreas. He was on auto-pilot as he walked over to the entry table, gave his name, contestant number, the name of his tart and handed it off to one of the contest organizers. That was it. He was done with Round One. He should've been excited, or relieved at least, but all he wanted to do was find Anna and get the hell out of here. Scanning the bleachers again, he walked toward where he'd seen her sitting, hoping she'd seen him turn in his entry and was coming to meet him. Suddenly, he was really anxious to talk to her. In his head, being with her seemed like the perfect antidote to his current shitty mood. She was simple, familiar and, most important, completely devoid of drama—exactly what he needed right now. Then he saw her bounding toward him down the metal stairs on the bleachers. He grinned, quickening his pace to meet her. But when she emerged from the small crowd of people milling around the bottom of the bleachers, the smile froze on his face as he took in her appearance. She had on a yellow sundress that ended just above her knees, flared over her hips, clung to her waist and...much, much too tightly against her breasts. What the...? This definitely wasn't the Anna he'd been expecting to see just now. Out of nowhere, he heard Andreas' voice in his head. Anna's a lovely girl. Big, brown eyes, that soft-looking hair. And those breasts... Jason knew Anna was pretty. Hell, she was actually very pretty; he just always avoided letting himself think about her that way. But now, with Andreas' mocking voice in his head—and the breasts in question partially exposed to his eyes—he couldn't help but stare. And grow real uncomfortable with what he was seeing. As Anna stopped in front of him, he had a much better view of the valley between her breasts, visible because the dress was one of those tube top things. Strapless. The only thing holding it up, apparently, was some hidden elastic banding. For a second, he just stared at her. She almost always wore jeans and casual tops. But in this dress, she was showing off more skin than he was used to. And why did his goddamn eyes keep going to the place where it hugged against her breasts? "Hey, how'd it go?" she asked. "New dress?" he said at the same time. Anna wrinkled her nose and peered down at herself. "Yeah...I'm still deciding if I like it, though." As she spoke, she self-consciously smoothed her hands across her stomach in an action that he inexplicably felt tugging somewhere low in his own belly. What...the...hell? When he didn't say anything, Anna tilted her head, her brown hair brushing against one of her bare shoulders. "So...how'd things go?" Jason seriously had to blink to bring his attention back to her eyes. "What? Oh...good, I think." What the hell was his problem? He shouldn't be... "Uh, where's Sam?" he asked. Truthfully, he didn't give a damn where Sam was; he was just trying to get her talking so he could pull himself together. They were walking out of the conference room. "He said he had something to take care of," Anna said and Jay, for some reason, was distracted by the sound of that dress brushing against her bare legs. "He didn't say when he'd be back, though." Jason didn't respond. He was too busy staring off into the lobby, trying to get a fucking grip on himself. "Wow, you're real talkative," Anna said, laying a hand on his arm. "You okay? You're sure everything went well out there?" He wanted to look at her, smile at her, reassure her but, honestly, he couldn't. He kept hearing Andreas' voice—and looking down meant taking in her breasts, the pale skin of her shoulders. And, right now, he really didn't want to do that because, as fucked up as it was, he was kind of...attracted to her. What. The. Hell?! He swallowed and managed to say, "Yeah, I'm good." They came to stop in front of an elevator and, in his agitation he jabbed at the button half a dozen times. Anna was still looking up at him. "Well...do you want to get something to eat or—" "No, not right now." He cut her off, his tone a little gruff. "I kind of just want to take a shower. Maybe grab a quick nap..." "Oh. Okay." Anna said. He barely registered her reply, because he was too busy trying to think. Whatever he was feeling right now...whatever it was that kept making him want to steal glances at Anna's breasts...it was because of Andreas. It had to be. That asshole had a talent for poking at his weak spots. And, clearly, Anna was one of them. That was all this was: Andreas messing with his head. And, fuck, Jay thought, taking in Anna's silhouette as they stepped into the elevator, it was working. *************** "When are you going to tell me why you're here?" Sitting across a linen-draped table in the middle of one of Chicago's most exclusive country clubs, Sam leveled a questioning look at his father. Now retired, Dave Wyatt had been a prominent bank president in Boston, a career that merely supplemented the vast Wyatt family wealth. But after his most recent divorce, and subsequent remarriage, he now lived in Chicago's affluent Gold Coast neighborhood. "What? I can't visit you when I'm in town?" Sam asked. He waited as his dad studied him with blue eyes that were exactly the same color as his own. "Visiting me is fine," Dave said. "I'm just wondering to what I owe the pleasure of this unexpected visit." He took a sip of water. "Not that it's not good to see you, son. Because it is." Sam smiled. "Same to you...even if you are getting old." Dave let out a dry, raspy laugh. "You're only as old as you feel. And I don't feel a day older than...oh, I'd say, forty." "Forty?" Sam chuckled. "You're being a little optimistic, aren't you?" Then he pointed his fork at his father's plate. "Is that all you're eating?" Dave looked down at his plate. "Yeah. What's wrong with fruit salad?" At Sam's skeptical expression, Dave added, "I might only feel forty, but my heart's definitely fifty-eight years old. Doctor keeps telling me to eat more fruit." He paused, taking a sip of water, then casually said, "So, tell me more about...Anna, is it?" Sam resisted the urge to grimace. He'd told his father that he was in Chicago with Jason and Anna and that he'd just come from shopping with her. But, his dad...sometimes he was worse than a bunch of gossipy high school girls. Putting his fork down, Sam schooled his features into a neutral expression. "What do you want to know?" "Nothing much. How long have you been seeing her?" Shit, here we go, Sam thought. He cleared his throat. "We, uh, it's not like that with us. We're just friends," he answered, avoiding his dad's eyes. "Hmm." Sam looked up. "What do you mean, 'hmm'?" "Translation?" Dave asked. At Sam's nod, he took another drink of water and carefully replaced the glass on the table. "Son, you know I love you, but you're absolutely full of it." Leaning back, he stared at the older man. "How, exactly, am I full of it?" "You like this girl. Anna." Dave paused. "A lot. A man only goes shopping with a woman he's interested in. Believe me, I know." "No...I..." Sam started, then tossed his napkin on the table. "Damn." Dave laughed. "See? I'm old but I have the perceptions of a thirty-year-old." "A thirty-year-old woman," Sam muttered. "I'll choose to ignore that," Dave returned, staring at the top of his son's down-turned head. "But I'll drop it since you obviously don't want to talk about it." "Thank God," Sam muttered. "So," Dave said after a moment, "if you're not here to talk about your love life, what else is there?" Looking up, Sam met his dad's eyes, knowing he wasn't going to like what he was about to say, but needing to broach the subject anyway. "I wanted to talk to you about Claire." At the mention of Sam's younger half-sister, Dave let out a heavy sigh and eased back in his chair, two worry lines appearing in the middle of his forehead. "Sam, we've been over this. I've talked to my attorney about it. There's nothing we can do." That old, familiar frustration bubbled up inside Sam's chest. "Are you really okay with her living there?" he ground out, his voice rising. "With her being around all of that shit—" "Lower your voice," Dave murmured, his tone even and controlled. "And no, you know I hate the idea of her in that house with Faith. But unless she, or someone else, comes forward with some concrete allegations, Faith retains primary custody." Sighing, Sam stared past his father's shoulder. Claire was almost eleven years old and had been living in Boston with his witch of a former stepmother full-time for the past four years. As time went on, she was slowly pulling away from him and his dad and he knew without a doubt that Faith had something to do with it. The idea of Claire living under the same roof with that woman literally made him sick to his stomach. He looked at his dad and said what he'd been thinking over for the past few months. "I want Claire to come live with me." A few seconds of silence passed, then Dave asked, "You've talked to her about this? She wants to move to Seattle?" He sounded a little hurt and Sam knew it was because two years ago, Dave had asked if she might want to come live with him, but she'd chosen to stay with Faith. "No. I haven't asked her yet, but I know she's got to be miserable. And, given the option, she'll want to leave. She has to." "Sam..." Dave started. "No," he raised one hand as if to deflect his father's words. "I know what you're gonna say and I don't care. You and I both know the only reason why Claire's...the way she is, is because of Faith. I want her out of there." Dave sighed, eyeing his son sadly. "You know Faith's not giving her up easily. She'll fight you on this, Sam. It'll get ugly. Really ugly." Sam knew his dad was thinking about the messy, two-year long divorce battle that he and Faith had gone through. It was, without a doubt, one of the worst experiences of both his and his father's lives. Dave had lost the wife he'd loved and who—he'd thought—loved him. And Sam had slowly started to lose his sister who he was afraid, the longer she lived with Faith, would start turning into a younger version of her mother. A manipulative, self-destructive gold digger. He wouldn't let that happen. He pinned his gaze on his dad. "I don't care how hard Faith fights it," he said. "There's got to be a way—and I'll do whatever it takes." He'd never meant anything more in his life. ********************** "So, what're your big plans?" Jay asked. He was sitting across from Anna at their table on a touristy, five o'clock cruise of the Chicago River. An hour after he'd wrapped up the competition, Anna had gotten tired of waiting for him to wake up from the nap he'd pretended to take. Sweet Talk Ch. 04 She came back into the room, still wearing that dress which was, even now, distracting the hell out of him and told him that she'd made a reservation on the cruise. Now, the sun was hanging low in the sky, the air warm and a little muggy. And Jay, sipping an expensive glass of red wine, was doing his damnedest to take the edge off his preoccupation with Anna's breasts. Their dinner plates were empty and Anna had just been chatting away about how pretty the Chicago skyline was as the boat slowly drifted down the river. Jason focused in on her warm, familiar eyes, hoping like hell that would help. But so far, no luck. He'd had almost three glasses of wine over the last hour and was starting to feel all warm and languid, which was no good because he was having a harder and harder time keeping his eyes where they should be. Namely, anywhere above her neck. "My big plans for what?" Anna asked and, in his semi-drunkenness, he stared at her full lips. He'd always thought she had a nice mouth. Fuck...so much for above the neck being safe territory. He cleared his throat. "Your plans for college and everything," he murmured. "You never told me exactly what classes you're taking this summer." Anna laughed. "Oh, you mean the ones you whored yourself for?" Grimacing, he took a long swallow of his wine. "I thought we agreed to never talk about that again." That only made Anna laugh more. She leaned toward him over the table, giving him a damn good view down her dress. Oh, Jesus. "Do you realize," she teased, " that there are probably pictures of you on some middle-aged woman's MySpace page?" Blinking, Jason dragged his eyes back to hers and grinned. "Hey, I can't help that I'm such eye-candy," he joked. "But stick to the subject—what classes are you taking?" "One on non-profit leadership and another on child psychology," she replied. Jason nodded, not at all surprised. From what he remembered, she'd been really excited about her psychology and sociology classes at Syracuse. Which was also right round the time Charlie and Nate died. Just thinking about them made his chest tighten up; so did the memory of how devastated Anna had been. But she was so damn strong. Stronger than he gave her credit for, sometimes. And, yeah, a much better person than his selfish ass would ever be. Sure, he made desserts and was successful at it—Anna, though, she was gonna change lives. She damn sure made him a better person. But not such a better person that he could stop eyeing her cleavage. "You're quiet all of a sudden," Anna said. Catching her questioning gaze, Jason smiled. And even though he was disgusted with himself for thinking it, he couldn't help but want to sit here and bask in her uncomplicated, natural beauty. Most women he dated wore so much make-up he was half-afraid to touch them sometimes. But Anna was all fresh-looking, with the same perfect, pale skin she'd had for all the years he'd known her. Jesus, he was staring at her. Maybe he'd had more wine that he'd thought. She'd asked him a question...something about... "I'm just thinking about how bad I'm about to make you look, college girl." He stood up, holding out his hand. He was so wired right now, he needed to move, get his mind off things it sure as hell shouldn't be thinking about. Anna grasped his outstretched hand. For some reason, he liked how trustingly she placed her own, much smaller hand in his, letting him pull her to her feet. "Where're we going?" she asked as he started walking toward the front of the boat. "To dance." When she laughed, he looked over his shoulder at her. "Why's that funny?" "I just remember how much you hated all of those school dances when you and Nate were in middle school." "Hell yeah," he laughed. "That crap was so awkward. All the hormones floating in the air. And I had the hugest crush on Jessica DeLillo, too. But I was so much taller than all the other guys, I felt like the Jolly Green Giant, so I never asked her to dance." "And now half of the greater Puget Sound viewing audience is in love with you," Anna pointed out as they stopped on the boat's small, wooden dance floor, and he pulled her into his arms. "My, my, how things change." "Yeah...yeah they do," Jason murmured. It took maybe two seconds for him to realize that dancing with Anna hadn't exactly been the smartest idea right now. With one of her hands cupped in his and the other on his shoulder, he was spared the sight of her breasts. The only problem was that he'd traded the vision of her, for the feel of her. Namely, the feel of her pressed up against him, all warm and soft and, well, all Anna. So incredibly familiar but...at the same time...an absolute surprise. Slow jazz music, piped in over the boat's speakers, drifted between them as they swayed and he stared out over her head, taking in the beauty of Chicago's elegant urban sprawl while, simultaneously, trying to ignore the perfect dip of Anna's waist beneath his hand. "You know," she said, her voice drawing his eyes down to hers. "Dad would be really proud of you, Jay." Well, damn. That was the last thing he'd expected her to say. He felt his throat tighten up, but managed a gruff, "You think so?" "Are you kidding?" She leaned back in his arms. "When you got accepted to the CIA, he was so sad to see you go, but at the same time, he couldn't stop talking about you." She chuckled. "For those first few months, anyone and everyone who came into the bakery got an up-to-the-minute update on you." A small smile played on his lips. "God, that's embarrassing." He looked down at Anna. "I'm glad I didn't know that at the time, though." "Whatever you attention whore," Anna laughed. "You would've loved hearing Dad go on and on about you. I think he even showed people pictures of a vanilla soufflé you made." The sound of her laughter and the brightness of her carefree eyes warmed Jason, along with the wine he'd drank, and he found himself saying something he'd never told anyone. "You have no idea how freaked out I was when I started at the CIA." Anna's brow furrowed. "Seriously? You were always so cocky about the whole thing." He shrugged. "I tend to do and say a lot of stupid shit when I'm under pressure." "Really? I never noticed," Anna quipped, her tone dry. Her sarcastic disbelief made him laugh. "I know. It's a crazy thought. But, yeah, my first semester out there, I was so terrified I wasn't good enough. Like..." he stared out over her head. "Like, what if I choked? What if the instructors took one look at me and knew I was just..." he trailed off, but Anna's soft voice urged him on. "Just what?" she asked. He looked down at her and honestly felt like her dark eyes pulled the words from him. "What if they realized I was just some poor, white trash, small-town kid in way over his head?" Abruptly, Anna stopped dancing, her expression serious. "Jason, that is not who you are. You know that. You're creative, talented and—" "I know, I know." He murmured, tugging her back into motion. "At the time, I didn't, though. There I was, on scholarship, at the best culinary school in the country. The whole thing sort of messed with my head." "Why didn't you ever say anything?" Anna asked. He studied her face. "You know what your dad said to me the day I left for school?" When Anna shook her head, he went on. "It was right after Nate had finally told him that he wanted to go to art school instead of working in the bakery. And, at the airport, when I was leaving, your dad shook my hand and said, 'I'm happy for Nate, but I'm glad one of my sons decided to follow in my footsteps.'" Letting out a shaky laugh, Jay bowed his head for a second. All these years later, that memory still got to him. Finally, he peered back up at Anna. "I couldn't let him down. So I just pretended like I had everything under control even though, half the time, I was scared shi—out of my mind." Anna's lips curved into that familiar, gentle smile and damn if, all of a sudden, he didn't start wondering what it'd be like to kiss her. Oh, shit. He was drunker than he'd thought. He had to be... "Jay," Anna said, "it wouldn't have mattered to him. You could've quit school and come back home and Dad wouldn't have cared, as long as you were happy." Despite the confusion whirling inside him, he managed a grin. "Charlie would've kicked my ass if I'd quit school and you know it." Anna's small smile turned into light laughter. "Okay, yeah—but only because he knew how talented you are. And he would've hated seeing you throw all of that away. Besides," her tone turned teasing, "I don't think Sweet Water could've handled your overgrown ego, anyway." Jason lifted an eyebrow, trying to look offended, but started laughing. "Damn, why's it such a crime that I happen to know how ridiculously good-looking I am?" Anna rolled her eyes as a new song started playing. This one, too, was slow, full of jazzy-sounding saxophones and bass. "God, you're sickening," she told him. "Want me to leave you alone with yourself? I feel like I'm getting in the way of your quality, self-love time." Pulling her closer, Jay flashed a crooked grin. "No, you can stay. I'm all about the self-love, but I figure you need some Jay time, too. Especially since Sam's been hogging you lately." He'd meant that last part as a joke, but it came out a little pissed-off sounding. He shot a quick glance at Anna, relieved that she hadn't seemed to notice. "Oh, quit pouting," she scolded him. "You and I both know you're my favorite person in the world. Not to mention the supplier of my favorite chocolate muffins. That, alone, gives you precedence over Sam any day." He knew she was just joking around with him, but hearing her say that their friendship was the most important part of her life—it shook him, for some reason. Sure, he felt the same way, there was no question about that—ever—but her loyalty still floored him. He'd never met a woman like her. No one as honest or forgiving or gentle. He probably never would, he decided. Anna was definitely in a league of her own. And right now, slightly buzzed off the wine, and irritatingly aroused, her brown eyes were tempting him to do dangerous, idiotic things. Like kiss her. The hell of it was, part of him wanted to give in. Anna had expected Jay to laugh or toss some smart-mouthed comment her way, but when he didn't say anything, she looked up at him. He was staring down at her with the strangest expression on his face. It seemed like a mix of confusion and something else that she couldn't identify. All she knew for certain was that she couldn't look away. "What?" she quietly asked. "I..." he murmured, his voice half-whisper. Her skin started to tingle slightly. And he just kept staring at her. He looked like he wanted to say something but he couldn't quite form the words. Unconsciously, she licked her bottom lip and his eyes skidded down, settled on her mouth. His lips parted and he leaned down, tilting his head toward hers. As if he was going to kiss her. Suddenly, she couldn't breathe. Excitement and terror churned in her belly as his head dipped closer and closer to hers. Then, his face was only inches from her mouth; she could feel his warm breath, smell the fruity scent of the wine he'd been drinking. And, God, even though they were in the middle of a boatful of strangers, all she wanted to do was go up on her tiptoes and press her mouth to his. But she waited. For him to make the first move that she'd imagined over and over for almost half of her life. Jason let his lips hover near Anna's for what felt like long minutes, but was probably only a second or two. He didn't know what the fuck he was doing. He was a little buzzed, not even drunk, but the battle over whether or not to kiss her was almost overwhelming. He couldn't. He wanted to...but he wouldn't. Dammit, he'd been forcing himself to ignore the full, bow-shaped sensuality of her mouth since she was a teenager. Swimsuit models were supposed to have mouths like hers, not quiet, dependable Anna. Not one of his best friends. Not the kid he'd grown up with. Who was practically his damn sister. And that was it; that one word—sister—snapped him out of his crazy daze. He wanted to back off, fast, but he forced himself to act normal, follow through. So, he planted a very familiar, brotherly kiss on her cheek. "Ditto," he murmured, inhaling the light, honey-scent of her shampoo. "You're my favorite person, too." She didn't say anything for a second and, with his face there, next to hers, he glanced down at the smooth skin of her shoulder, bared by the top of that dress. Shit, shit, shit. Before he could stop himself, and blaming the wine the whole time, he dipped down and dropped a quick, light kiss just above her collarbone. The skin there felt glossily smooth against his lips and his gut clenched at the contact. His penis, too, stirred to life. Silently swearing at himself, he eased back a little; putting space between their bodies, praying for the song to end and hoping like hell he'd get himself under control before his trigger-happy dick embarrassed them both. Anna felt Jason pulling away like a slap in the face. For a minute there, she'd really had the insane idea that he wanted to kiss her. She'd kissed a few guys during college, even had a sort of serious boyfriend near the end of her sophomore year at Syracruse, so kissing wasn't anything new to her. Especially the idea of kissing Jason. She'd been dreaming about that particular little fantasy for as long as she could remember. Sometimes, she just wanted to lean in and kiss him, see what he'd do. But...with him staring down at her like he just had been, she'd been excited and terrified all at the same time. Then, her own little brand of reality kicked in and he'd kissed her cheek. Followed by her shoulder. Okay, so the shoulder thing had thrown her for a bit of a loop, but, still—not exactly the most romantic place in the world. Especially when she'd been staring up at him half-expectantly. She sighed, staring intently at one of the buttons on his shirt as the song they were dancing to began to wind to an end. After all these years, it seemed like she would have, at some point, finally come to terms with the fact that she and Jason were just friends. She might want him with every ounce of her being, might dream about him like a teenager, but at the end of the day, he saw her as a kid sister. And it was time she accepted that. No matter how much it hurt. ******************* What the hell was wrong with him? He and Anna had been back in the hotel for over an hour and Jay had changed into a pair of baggy basketball shorts and a t-shirt. He'd hoped like hell Anna would change too but now that it was nearing eight at night it didn't look like she was planning on it for a while. They were both on the bed, watching TV. He'd sprawled himself out so that his face was at the end of the bed, his chin propped up on a pillow. Anna, meanwhile, had her back resting against the headboard, both legs, bare from the knee down, stretched out next to him. Taunting him. His mind was whirling. He'd almost fucking kissed her. Hell, he still wanted to, if he were honest. And now that the wine had definitely worn off, he couldn't even blame the urge on being buzzed. Nope. Apparently, he'd just lost his goddamn mind. He was trying like hell to shake these feelings but with the combination of Andreas' comments, and her in that dress, he'd been looking at her not like known-her-forever Anna, but like a guy looking at a woman. A very attractive woman, with a great set of— Jesus. Dropping his face into the pillow under his chin, he let out a quiet, frustrated groan. Suddenly, he felt like a fucking over-sexed teenager and the hell of it was that he couldn't figure out why. Just a few hours ago, she'd been Anna. And now...now he couldn't even think straight. Being attracted to her was so wrong, on so many different levels, he didn't even know where to begin. It had to be the stress getting to him. That was the only damn thing that made sense. And, fuck, he needed to figure out how to deal with this before he did something stupid. Really stupid. Like kiss her. Anna had no idea what Jason was watching on TV because she was too busy staring at his profile. What was it about him? What the heck was it that made her, even now, want to swallow her pride, crawl up next to him and kiss him? Maybe it would be awkward and weird, especially if he pulled away, but maybe...maybe that's what all those fairy tales were talking about. Maybe a simple kiss would magically make him wake up and see her as a woman—one who was pathetically in love with him. She made a face. Desire, she had, but those frog-kissing fairy tale princesses clearly had something she didn't: courage. She was a coward. That was exactly why she hadn't moved; why she'd been sitting here, watching him, for almost an hour, trying to figure out what it was that made her love him so damn much. Chewing her bottom lip, she sighed. God, she was so tired of having this same mental conversation with herself. She loved him. But didn't want to. Okay, that was a lie. She told herself she didn't want to love him, but that wasn't entirely true. Or, even partially true. Loving him was exhausting, but it was also as natural as breathing. And just as essential. Her eyes slid closed in frustration. Crap. She was so screwed. Just as that depressing thought occurred to her, someone knocked on the door and she quickly pulled herself together. "Think that's Sam?" she asked Jay as she slid off the bed to answer the door. "Probably," he said, his voice a little muffled against the pillow under his chin. She opened the door, immediately returning Sam's smile. "Way to disappear for the entire day, Samuel." He grimaced. "Jeez. Please don't call me that," he said as he stepped into the room. He'd changed out of his shorts and polo into a pair of gray slacks and a crisp, white button-down. His sense of style was simple and understated, yet precise, like he'd wandered off the pages of a GQ spread. He really was an attractive guy, Anna thought. Sometimes, when she was with both him and Jason, she felt so plain and frumpy it was almost funny. "You changed clothes," Anna said, eyeing him playfully. "Mind giving Jay some pointers? He totally wore his sneakers with a pair of slacks today." "Hey, shut up about my Asics," Jay grumbled from the bed, his eyes still glued to the TV screen. When Anna rolled her eyes, Sam laughed. "Sorry, Anna. He's a lost cause." Then his eyes scanned her from her head to her bare toes. "Well, looks like you put that dress to use sooner than you thought, huh?" Anna shrugged, then laughed as Sam caught her hand and urged her to spin in a circle in front of him so he could examine the dress. "Just wanted you to get your money's worth, rich boy," she told him. "Plus, I just couldn't take the heat anymore." On the bed, Jason watched this exchange with a growing sense of irritation. He didn't know why their playfulness irked him, but it did. And, right now, part of him wanted to suggest that Anna to go change...because Sam was looking a little too appreciative of her in that dress. Speaking of which, he could've sworn she'd just said Sam paid for it. He couldn't have heard them right, though. Still, he needed to make sure. "Wait," he said, sitting up. "Sam bought you that dress?" Both of them turned toward him. Sam looked uncomfortable for a second and Jason felt his eyes narrow a little. Sweet Talk Ch. 04 "Yeah," Sam said. "It's no big deal. We just happened to end up in some shop, Anna started trying stuff on and I bought a few things. You know..." he cleared his throat. "Like a gift." A gift, Jason, thought. Right. "And he wouldn't take no for an answer," Anna added, shaking her head. "That's what friends are for," Sam said, giving Anna a warm smile that bothered the hell out of Jay. Fuck, he was losing his mind. Still, he couldn't stop himself when he stood up, slowly stretched his back and eyed both Anna and Sam. "Since when are we buying each other clothes?" Right as he said the words, he realized how his question sounded, but it was too damn late to take it back now. Sam was staring at him, but Anna just laughed. "Don't worry, Jay. No one expects you to start buying anyone clothes—especially if those broke-down Asics are any indication of your fashion sense." At that, Sam faked a wince. "Wow, Anna, you really know how to hit where it hurts." He crossed the room and sat down in a large, plush side-chair. Besides the bed, a small mahogany desk and a table near the door, that chair was the only other piece of furniture in the room. Jason watched Sam settle himself and waited until Anna sat back down on the bed before he sat, too. "So, where've you been all day?" he asked Sam. With a light shrug, Sam flicked his gaze toward the TV. "Around. Had some business to take care of." "Family business, right?" Jay asked. He knew Sam's dad lived out here and he also had a pretty good idea of the custody mess going on with Sam's sister, but he didn't want to bring all of that up in front of Anna. And, from the way Sam was studiously staring at the TV, it didn't seem like he wanted to talk about it right now, either. "Yeah. That's right," he said, simply. Nodding, Jason glanced at Anna who was now sitting next to him on the edge of the bed. She had her arms propped behind her, both legs dangling slightly above the floor as she swung her feet back and forth. Damn he wished she'd go put on some sweats or something. After a second, she caught him staring. "What?" Jason opened his mouth to reply, not knowing what he was going to say, but Sam's interjection saved him. "Oh, damn, I completely forgot why I came over here," Sam said. "Why?" Anna asked. Sam stood up again. "I did a little exploring earlier, and I found the hotel's pool room." Jason laughed. "Way to go Magellan. They have little signs all over the place telling you where everything is." Sam shot him a dirty look. "My point, smart ass, is that you guys haven't been up there yet, have you?" When both Jay and Anna shook their heads, he grinned. "You've gotta see it." "What's so great about it?" Anna asked, searching around for her flip flops. "It's huge," Sam told her. "The pool room, alone, takes up almost half of the top floor." "You coming, Jay?" Anna asked, bracing a palm on the bed next to his thigh as she put on her sandals. He almost said no, since he was so damn moody right now. But he knew Anna would want to know why and he didn't feel like making up excuses, so he got up and slipped his bare feet into his Asics. Turning back toward Anna, he grinned at the look of amusement and disgust on her face. "I know I look like a bum or a dork or whatever, so you don't have to tell me that," he said. Anna, meanwhile, was trying very hard not to stare at the well-sculpted, lightly-furred perfection of his tan calves. She'd never been able to figure out how he managed to stay such a perfect, golden-brown color year-round in Seattle. He definitely wasn't the tanning booth type and he'd probably never even heard of that bottled stuff. It was just genetics, she decided, that had conspired against her to make him irresistibly gorgeous. Even in a pair of faded basketball shorts, a plain white t-shirt and those damn sneakers, he still gave Sam a run for his money when it came to male eye-candy. And, she thought, shooting him a last glance before she opened the hotel room door, once again, he won hands-down. "Just make sure you don't walk too close to me," she said, over her shoulder as he and Sam followed her out into the hall. "I'm afraid your crap fashion sense might be contagious." Sam laughed, but Jay ignored them both. "Sugar, when you're as pretty as me, fashion sense is optional," he drawled. "Oh God," Sam groaned. "Go make out with yourself, already." "I know!" Anna exclaimed, as they all stepped into the elevator. "He makes me wanna puke sometimes." She tried to sound teasing and nonchalant because, honestly, that was the only thing that reminded her where the boundaries on their relationship stood. She was firmly in the Friends Only column, so that's how she needed to act. Upstairs, the elevator doors dinged open and they piled out. The air smelled faintly of chlorine and pool water. Off to the left, there was a set of two doors, all black, only one of which was open right now. Inside, Anna could make out the dimly lit interior and the edge of what looked like a bar. "There's a bar up here?" Jason asked, looking at Sam. "Yep. It's called the Skyline or something like that," he replied. "I guess, during the week, it's just a bar. But on weekends it turns into a nightclub." He started walking in the opposite direction. "The pool room's this way, though." The entire far end of the hallway was made up of frosted glass, and as they approached, the chlorine scent grew stronger. Finally, Sam held the door open for Anna and she walked through. "Wow, this is beautiful," she breathed. Sam was right. The room was huge. Most of it was taken up by an Olympic-size pool, but another, smaller pool, for kids apparently, and two kidney-shaped hot tubs were arranged around the slightly humid room. The best part, though, was the view. The wall directly across from them was lightly tinted glass that opened up onto a balcony twenty-five stories above downtown Chicago. Outside, the glittering gold and white lights of the early evening cityscape beckoned. Anna grabbed Sam's hand excitedly and looked up at him. "Do you know if the balcony's open? Can we go out there?" Sam grinned. "I didn't check when I was up here before, but we can see." "Let's go." She tugged him along next to her, leaving Jason to follow. And as he did so, Jay was scowling at where Sam and Anna's hands intertwined. Okay, they weren't holding hands, exactly, since Anna was clearly just trying to hurry both him and Sam along, but...it still made him uncomfortable. Digging his hands into the pockets of his shorts, he followed them. There were a few dozen people milling about the room; some parents lounging on deckchairs and six or seven kids splashing around in the water. They were whooping and hollering, all of them ignoring their mothers' attempts to shush them. For some reason, Jay was reminded of all those summers he, Anna and Nate had spent swimming in Lake Purdy, out by her dad's fishing cabin. Then, something occurred to him. It'd been a long time since he and Anna had gone swimming. He stopped near the deep end of the pool and said, "Hey, Sam...think Anna's a better swimmer than she was when she was eleven?" They both stopped, and turning to face Jay, all Anna needed to see was the mischievous smirk on his face to know what he was thinking. Oh, crap. She immediately started backing away. "Jay...don't." Trying to edge behind Sam, she let out a short-lived squeal as Jason quickly caught her from behind and, laughing, dangled her over the pool's deep end. How could she have forgotten? Ever since they were kids, Jason had always gained a weird delight from throwing her into large bodies of water. While fully clothed. "Jason, put me down!" she demanded, despite the fact that he had both her arms pinned to her chest. She could feel his laughter rumbling through him, vibrating against her back. "But you said you were hot earlier, sugar," he said in a disgustingly innocent tone. "Well, I changed my mind." "Too late," Jay proclaimed and, before she could react, he flung them both into the cool, clear, and cold, water. She came up sputtering. Her hair was plastered all over her face and her mouth tasted like chlorine as she blindly swam for the pool edge. Dammit, every single time they were near open water, he pulled this stunt. And she, stupidly, forgot about it until it was too late. "Here, Anna, gimme your hand." She glanced up and saw Sam bent over the edge of the pool, reaching out for her. And he was clearly trying not to laugh. Ohhh, she hated them both. Then, right on cue, Jay's grinning, water-drenched face popped up next to hers. He bobbed in the deep water, lightly splashing her. "What're you, twelve?" Anna grumbled, blowing beads of water off her lips. She'd reached the edge of the pool, but didn't immediately grasp Sam's hand. Jason's grin widened. "Come on, sugar, it's tradition." Anna's eyes narrowed, but, dammit, now she was fighting the urge not to laugh at him. God, he was such a goofball sometimes. And she loved it. Still, she tried to maintain her irritation. "How about we start a new tradition?" she suggested, finally taking Sam's hand so he could pull her out. "A new one?" Jay asked as he hauled himself out, too. "Yep," she replied, primly. "Every time you do this, I kick you in the shins a week later." "Why a week later?" Sam laughed, giving them both a wide berth to avoid being dripped on. Anna smirked. "Because that way, he won't be expecting my retaliation. And it'll hurt a hell of a lot more if it's a surprise." Jason grimaced and shot Sam a wary look. "Oh, shit. I'm kinda scared now." Laughing, Anna made a futile attempt to wring some of the pool water out of her dress. Watching her, Jay swallowed hard, suddenly thinking that, once again, he'd badly miscalculated tonight. The pool thing was partly tradition, but he'd also done it to remind himself of their roles—his as an older brother figure, and hers as his almost-sister. Now, though, that wet dress was clinging to her curves in ways that made him want to peel the whole thing off of her and get a first-hand look at what was underneath. He cleared his throat, right fucking back where he'd started earlier—wanting things he had no business thinking about, and wanting to do those things with someone he damn sure couldn't, and wouldn't, touch. Fuck. "We checking out this balcony or what?" he asked gruffly, trying to act normal. Anna gave him a dirty look. "Well, that's where we were headed before someone decided to take a detour in the pool." Chuckling, Sam led the way toward the glass doors and they all walked outside. Now that the sun had set, an entirely new sort of beauty cast itself over Chicago's skyline. The tall buildings, seemingly so industrial and harsh, stretched up into the night sky, their dark silhouettes dotted with lights like embers in a dying fire. Even the heavy traffic below turned rhythmic, almost serene, this far above street-level where the sound of horns and exhaust fumes didn't penetrate. Stepping up to the railing, Anna leaned her head back and peered up at the inky sky. There were fewer stars visible here than in Seattle, and even that didn't compare to the sensory overload of star-gazing in Sweet Water. But still, there was something unique and pleasant about looking out over an unfamiliar city, while standing beneath the same, yet altogether different, sky. The experience was all the more enjoyable because she was here with two people she cared about, Jason on her left and Sam on her right. Up here, for a moment, the world—and her life—felt oddly uncomplicated. It was a feeling she knew would be short-lived but, right now, she drank it in. "So does it live up to your expectations?" Sam asked. Inhaling the humid air, Anna smiled a little. "Do you have to ask? It's beautiful." "They say Chicago has one of the best cityscapes in the world," Jason observed and his low voice simply added to Anna's enjoyment, washing over her in pleasant tingles. "What about Seattle's?" she asked after a moment. She saw Jay shrug out of the corner of her eye. "I think it's up there, too, but not as nice as this, I don't think." "I love the Seattle skyline," Anna announced, shivering as a light breeze started up. Sam chimed in, then. "If we're comparing, I'm gonna have to be loyal and say Boston's skyline is pretty amazing." The breeze grew stronger and Anna, still wet from the pool, shivered even more. But she looked over at Sam and said, "I've never been to Boston. What's it like?" He smiled, tilting his head back as he thought of his hometown. "Crowded. Big—a lot bigger than Seattle. Full of bad traffic...but also great sports, lots of history and," he grinned, "the best chowder you'll find anywhere." "Which," Jay added, "all the true Bostonians pronounce chow-dah." Anna tried to laugh, but that light breeze had upgraded to a full-blown wind by now; it was cutting through the thin, wet fabric of her dress and she was freezing. "Okay, guys," she said, "this was fun until the wind started blowing. But I'm cold and I'm going back inside." When Sam turned to follow her, Jay caught his eyes. "Hold on," he said. Then he told Anna, "We'll be in there in a second." Anna looked between the two of them, wondering what was up, but she was too cold to ask questions, so she just walked back inside, leaving them alone. "What's up?" Sam asked when the door closed. Jay eyed him for a minute, wondering if now was the time to bring this up. He leaned back against the railing, his hands deep in his pockets. "You go see your dad today?" he asked. Sam blew out a breath, turning to stare out at the buildings and cars below. "Yeah. I talked to him." "Anything change?" Slumping his shoulders, Sam silently shook his head. Jay didn't say anything. He knew how much this whole custody thing was ripping Sam up inside. Back at the CIA, he never made it any secret that he thought his stepmother was no good. Then, when Dave Wyatt and the stepmother went through the divorce, the only thing Sam worried about was what was going to happen to his baby sister. Jay had been able to relate, since he'd lost his sister, too. Only while his mom and sister disappeared one day and he never saw them again, Sam and his dad had to go through a drawn-out divorce, rarely getting to see Claire. Then, and now, Jay didn't know which version was better: short and quick pain, like his; or slow and prolonged, like Sam's. Any way he looked at it, it was all pretty fucked up, though. "If you don't want to talk about it, it's cool," he said, after a moment. Sam glanced at him over his shoulder and shrugged. "Right now, there's nothing really to talk about. Not a damn thing has changed." This time, Jay nodded, as Sam turned his back again. Abruptly, he changed the subject, "Anyway, how'd you do in competition, today?" Jay didn't have to be told that, for now, at least, the subject of Sam's sister was closed. So he stared into the pool room through the large windows, as he answered. "It was good, I guess. Almost felt like I didn't have enough time, but then everything was going in slow-motion, too." Sam let out a short laugh. "Flash backs to cooking finals at the CIA, huh?" "Damn, not even close," Jay admitted. "This was worse. Way worse." "How so?" Sam asked. Jason, still facing the pool room, had just opened his mouth to reply when his eyes settled on Anna, and immediately narrowed. She was standing next to the pool, a few feet inside the door and a shirtless man in black swimming trunks was talking to her. She smiled up at the man and something that felt a lot like jealously began to bubble in the pit of Jason's stomach. He tried to tamp it down, but then the man shifted so Jay had a good view of his face, and he stood up straight, glaring through the glass. "Son of a bitch," he hissed, through gritted teeth. "What?" Sam glanced at him, then over his shoulder, following Jay's line of vision. It didn't take long for him to notice Anna inside—talking to Andreas. He swore under his breath and turned fully around, eyeing Jay warily. "Don't do anything," he warned. "Seriously, Jay." Jason barely heard Sam speak. Against his will, as he watched Anna talking to Andreas, his mind went back to his junior year at the CIA. When he'd learned how big of an asshole Andreas Giordano really was. That year, he'd been doing a few internships out in Manhattan and ended up meeting and dating this gorgeous, Upper East Side girl named Rachel Van Hausen. She'd dripped wealth and class and, basically, all the things that Jason had never experienced. And she was so damn intense, passionate, that after a few months of what had started out casual, he'd really let himself fall for her. It wasn't love, really. Not yet. But it was pretty damn close to it. He'd been half-obsessed with her; couldn't stop thinking about her. It was the combination of her independence, intelligence and the fact that, for once, he was the one doing the pursuing. They'd been dating a little over five months. She always came out to see him in Hyde Park because it was damn near impossible for him to get away from the CIA teaching restaurants during the weekends. That semester, he had an afternoon class that ran late sometimes, so she'd get a taxi from the train station and wait outside the building. It was their routine. Every now and then, he'd come out and find her talking to Andreas who took every chance he got to grab a cigarette break. Each time he found them laughing and chatting, Jay wanted to tell Rachel to stay away from Andreas. But he knew she'd interpret that as him trying to control her, so he just kept his mouth shut. At the end of April, when he walked out to meet her and she wasn't there, he thought for a minute that she was just running late. After a few minutes passed and she didn't show, and she wasn't answering her cell phone, he went inside and asked some of the other students hanging around the front entrance if they'd seen her. One girl said she thought she'd seen her headed toward the bathroom at the end of the hallway. So Jason walked back there, thinking he'd knock on the door and see if she was inside. Only, as he neared the bathroom, the muffled sounds he heard made his stomach knot up. The unmistakable noise of panting moans and flesh slapping on flesh came through the swinging door. It was almost like slow-motion when he'd pushed the door open and saw them there. Rachel bent over the countertop in the women's bathroom. Her blonde hair all over her face and shoulders. The black line of her thong off-set from the center. And Andreas, his loose, white chef's pants down around his ankles, revealing his bare butt and thighs as he thrust into Rachel's body, both of her hands clenched in his where he held them against the small of her back. Jay didn't know if he yelled something or if it was just an anger-filled shout, but the next thing he knew, Andreas had backed off and pulled up his pants, while Rachel was screaming, crying, her blue eyes wide with shock. She just kept screaming. He was shouting by the time he asked her what the fuck had happened. And all she said, between gasping sobs was, "Jason, I'm sorry...he...made me...I'm so sorry..." He didn't remember moving; didn't remember thinking about moving. Just, suddenly, he was on top of Andreas who was sprawled across the floor. Andreas had gotten in one or two good punches before Jay took him down; he could taste the blood in his mouth, but he didn't fucking care. The son of a bitch had raped Rachel and he wanted to kill him. He probably would've come pretty close, too, if Sam hadn't shown up. Rachel's screams had alerted half a dozen students and a few faculty. Sweet Talk Ch. 04 Jason was still swinging at Andreas' bloody face when Sam and two instructors dragged him off. The cops showed up. And so did Dean Giordano, Andreas' uncle. He took one look at his nephew's bloody, battered face and the pretty minimal damage to Jason and demanded that the police arrest him. Sam had argued. "He raped his goddamn girlfriend!" he shouted and Jason didn't even care about the resulting whispers that buzzed through the even bigger crowd of students and staff. All he wanted to do was talk to Rachel. The way she'd been apologizing for what Andreas did to her...it made him want to kick the shit out that bastard all over again. "Well, the girl's not talking," one of the cops said. "Probably in shock. Until we get this all sorted out, we're going to have to take them both downtown." Jason sat in the jail cell for six hours, worrying about Rachel and thinking about what he'd do to Andreas the next time he saw him. Then, Sam bailed him out. As they were walking out, they saw Dean Giordano signing Andreas out, too. "What the fuck?" Jason hissed, taking a step toward him. Why the hell were they letting him go? "Dammit, Jay, stop," Sam said, grabbing his arm. "Are you crazy? They'll throw you right back in jail if you start anything." "Get the fuck off me," he growled, half-shoving Sam away. He stalked toward Andreas and Dean Giordano, whose backs were to him, but one of the arresting officers stepped in front of him. "Hold it, kid. Don't make this worse than it already is." Clenching and unclenching his fists, Jason stared the cop down. "Why the hell are you guys letting him go?" The cop looked uncomfortable. "You...uh, might want to discuss that with your girlfriend." "Excuse me?" "Look, kid," the cop said. "Turns out, your girl and Mr. Giordano...this wasn't exactly the first time..." "What...are you talking about?" Jay asked, his voice sounding far away. "He has some...uh, pictures on his cell phone," the cop said. "And several text messages—very explicit text messages—between himself and Miss Van Hausen. Going back a few weeks. At least. She, uh, dropped all charges once we showed them to her." Jason couldn't fucking move. He just stood there, staring at the cop until he walked away, shaking his head. Then, Sam was there, at his elbow, trying to get him outside so they could go. Andreas and the dean turned around; walked right past them. They were almost out the door before Andreas turned back, digging a hand into the back pocket of his chef's pants. Walking over to Jason, he ignored the scowl on Sam's face and leaned in. "I showed the cops all of those pictures Rachel sent me and it was enough to get me out. But these," he held out his hand and Jason, operating on a level of self-control he didn't know he had, reached out and took whatever it was. "I saved these just for you," Andreas said, backing away. "I was supposed to give them back to Rachel today, but I guess I'll leave you to do the honors." Jason looked down at the small bit of red, lacy fabric in his hand. Rachel's panties. Ones that he'd bought for her a few weeks before. And, he knew, not the ones she'd been wearing today—he remembered the off-set line of her black thong as Andreas bent her over the counter. Andreas clearly saw the rage boiling inside him and, despite the swollen, black eye, badly bruised cheekbone and split lip Jay had given him, he managed a small, mocking smile. "Tell Rachel it's been fun." Then he turned around and walked away. And Jay just watched him go. He'd been so close to giving himself up to Rachel...and she'd cheated on him with that piece of shit. Joined the list of people in his life who'd fucked him over in one way or another. Now, standing outside on the balcony, just thinking about that day, four years before, had Jason full of the same anger. Only this...this was different. This was worse. Even this far away, the sexual appraisal in Andreas' gaze as he spoke to Anna was clear to Jay. He'd seen the way that bastard was looking at her the other night, too. And after what Andreas said about Anna earlier today, the thought of him anywhere near her made Jay feel half-crazy with rage. His breathing turned harsh in his own ears. He could hear Sam talking to him, but he didn't even try to pay attention. He was too busy staring through the plate-glass window at Anna and Andreas—and his entire fucking body tensed up when Andreas reached out and lightly stroked a finger down Anna's bare upper arm. Then, even as he was watching, Andreas glanced over Anna's shoulder, through the plate-glass window—right at Jason. And the fucker smiled. ____________________________________________ An odd little cliffhanger, I know. The next "chapter" will be shorter (probably much shorter) because it's just going to be the remainder of this portion—which I'm still working on. Sorry! Should be up in about a week, though. Sweet Talk Ch. 04.5 As she waited for the guys to finish talking, Anna absently watched a group of kids horse around in the pool. They seemed to have formed two groups; while she observed them, one little boy, a chubby redhead, let out a hilariously sincere war yell and went on a splashing rampage that would've made Jason proud at that age. Then again, she thought, glancing down at her newly sodden dress, Jason hadn't exactly outgrown pool-side pranks. She made a face and tugged discreetly at the neckline since the water-logged fabric wasn't exactly on the winning end of its battle with gravity. With her luck, she'd end up giving the entire room an eyeful of her less-than-bountiful cleavage. She smirked. Nothing like wearing a tube top to get a girl depressed about her remarkably unremarkable assets. She was about to give the dress another tug when she glanced up and saw Andreas walking toward her with a broad smile spread across his almost too-pretty face. Oh how lovely. Here she was dripping wet, and he, like last night, looked absolutely impeccable even though he was shirtless... very, shirtless. "I thought that was you, Anna," he said, resting his hands on the narrow waist revealed by his low-hanging swim trunks. She blinked a few times, surprised at suddenly being so up close and personal with his bare, toasty brown chest. "Hi," she returned. "How's your night going?" His grin widened. "Better now that I've run into you again." Her own smile faltered a bit. Was he hitting on her? Even last night, she hadn't been sure. She lowered her eyes for a moment, trying to make sense of the glimmer of what looked a lot like sexual appraisal in his eyes. He was prettier than her for goodness sake. Why would he possibly be interested? To her relief, he smoothly changed the subject. "Did you come up for an evening swim?" She shook her head. "No, I was out on the balcony. The view's amazing. You can see most of the Sears Tower." As she spoke, his gaze slid past her to the balcony, and his eyes narrowed. "Is that Jason and Sam out there?" he asked before bringing his cool gray eyes back to hers. "Don't tell me they left you all alone." That comment made her want to laugh. What was she, a six-year-old? "Uh, not really. I got cold and came inside. They'll probably be back in soon." "Still," he returned, stepping so close to her that she caught the scent of chlorine and cologne that rose from his skin. "As an Italian man, I know better than to leave a woman on her own. Especially," he added, his eyes scanning her from head to toe, "when she's wearing such a charming little ensemble." His attention shifted downward, toward her dress and an amused smile played at the corner of his mouth. "It's probably not polite to ask a lady why she's dripping wet, but I have to admit, I'm curious." As if she needed a reminder of her appearance, Anna followed his gaze and only then realized how clingy the wet cotton had become. Not to mention semi-transparent. Well, wasn't that just freaking perfect? She probably looked like an entrant in a wet t-shirt contest. "I sort of fell in the pool," she muttered, willing herself not to blush. "Oh, so this dripping wet thing isn't a new fashion trend that I haven't heard about?" She made a face and plucked at the wet fabric hugging her waist. "If it is a fashion, it's nothing new. We've been doing the rained-on look in Seattle for years." He let out a bark of laughter. "Beauty and a sense of humor? My God, you're too good to be true." His laughing gaze came to rest on the general area of her breasts as he murmured, "I'd love to see more of you." Shock jolted through her. "Excuse me?" she choked out. She must have heard him wrong. He raised a hand apologetically. "My mistake, cara." The charismatic grin that spread across his face made her wonder if every adult male in the culinary industry had been gifted with perfect teeth. "What I meant to say," he continued, "is that I'd love to continue our conversation. Downstairs, perhaps? Over wine?" And here it was. One more uncomfortable moment to add to her growing tally in Chicago. She ran her tongue over her teeth, trying to think of something to say. Was there some kind of etiquette for turning down overly charming, shirtless Italian men? Especially when your best friend seemed to hate said Italian man? The best she came up with was, "I, um...that's probably not a very good idea." An awkward silence fell as Andreas studied her. Finally, he gave a slow, knowing nod. "Let me guess. Jason told you to stay away from me." Her brow knit. "No, actually he didn't. Why would he?" She knew Jason didn't like the guy, but telling her to keep away from him? That seemed a little extreme, even for Jay. Surprise showed on Andreas's face. "So, you haven't heard all about Rachel, I take it?" "Rachel?" A tiny voice whispered that she definitely shouldn't be asking some guy who Jason clearly disliked about their past, but curiosity had gotten the better of her. "I can't believe you haven't heard any of this," Andreas said with a small, sarcastic laugh. "Then again, I guess Jason always was a bit of a sore loser." Anna was disgusted with herself for prying, but she couldn't stop herself. "A sore loser, how?" Something hard and cold glinted in Andreas's eyes and Anna found herself regretting this whole conversation. Andreas, though, seemed more than willing to fill her in. "It all comes back to a woman," he said. "One who chose me, over him. All through school, Jason was used to people kissing his ass." He gave a careless shrug. "But Rachel didn't fall under his spell like everyone else and he's held a grudge all these years." As Andreas's words sank in, so did a quiet, desperate denial. Jay was still hung up over this Rachel person? But that couldn't be...she'd learned the hard way that he wasn't exactly the commitment type. "That doesn't make sense," she murmured, as if saying the words could make it true. "I've known Jason for years and I don't ... I just don't see him holding a grudge over something like that. Women are kind of a hobby for him." She hated admitting that last part, but it was true. And yet, she loved him despite his near man-whore status. Talk about being a glutton for punishment. "Come, cara," Andreas gently chided with a click of his tongue. "Even a man like Jason, who plays women for sport, sometimes comes across that one woman who has the power to own him." Licking her bottom lip, she formed her words carefully. "Do you mean that Jason ... was he in—" "In love with Rachel?" Andreas supplied, his tone breezy. "Probably ... I'm almost certain of it, in fact. It's the only real explanation for why he's held onto this childish feud for so long." Her heart clenched painfully. Was it true? Was this really why Jason didn't like Andreas? Because of some girl? Some girl who still affected him all these years later? Some girl who'd captured his heart in a way she'd never been able to? An empty, hollow feeling settled in the pit of her stomach. Had he really been in love? "Are you all right, cara?" Andreas asked, edging into her personal space. No. She wasn't all right. All these years, she'd been able to accept Jason's lack of interest in her, at least she'd told herself she accepted it, partly because he seemed equally uninterested in the prospect of a long-term relationship with anyone. But now, hearing that he'd quite possibly been in love back in college ... it made her feel physically ill. Somehow, amid the haze of descending depression, she realized Andreas was waiting for her to respond. She pasted a smile on her face. "I'm fine, but I ... I think I'm going to head back downstairs." His mouth dipped into a little pout. "So soon?" Surprising her, he eased in even closer and stroked a finger down her upper arm. "I really was looking forward to that glass of wine." Not in the mood to be fondled, she moved away. "It's been a long day. It was nice talking to you, but I'm—" "Uh oh," he interrupted, nodding behind her, "here come your body guards." Turning, she saw Jason and Sam walking toward them and apprehension immediately snaked through her. One look at Jason's face revealed his foul mood. His mouth had set into a straight, angry slash and his eyes ... well, the cold, hard glint there worried her. She knew from first-hand experience how bad his temper could be; she shuddered, remembering the time when she was seventeen and he'd been home on break from school and ended up dragging her date out of the driver's side of his car after he'd gotten a little handsey. One minute, she was pushing Garrett's hand out from under her skirt, the next she was screaming for her dad while trying to pry Jason's forearm off of her date's throat where he'd pinned him to the hood of the car. That whole summer, all of the high school boys steered clear of her—the deep, purple finger-shaped bruises Jay had left on Garrett's throat had done a pretty good job of keeping her dateless until halfway through her junior year. So now, as he ate up the distance with long, clipped strides, she chewed her bottom lip, praying that he wouldn't do anything stupid. *** There weren't very many people that Jay could really say that he hated. He had some pent-up issues with his mom for leaving; he damn sure hated his dad after all those beatings he'd gotten growing up; and he still harbored real animosity toward a teacher he'd had back in middle school, who'd told him point-blank that he'd be in prison by the time he turned eighteen. And, then ... then, there was Andreas. Sam had tried to block Jason from coming back inside, but there was no way in hell he was just going to stand out there, watching Andreas hit on Anna. As Jason approached, he locked eyes with Andreas and the tiny, mocking smile on the fucker's mouth started blood pounding at Jason's temples. Flexing his fists, he stopped just behind Anna, easily staring Andreas down over her head. He didn't bother with preamble. "Do you think I'm fucking around with you?" he demanded. Anna flinched at the harsh edge to his voice, but Andreas only laughed. "I don't know what you're talking about." Stepping forward, Jay pushed Anna to the side, toward Sam. "Don't bullshit me. I told you to stay away from Anna. Do you think I'm fucking around?" he repeated with slow precision. Anna looked up at him, her eyes wide and nervous. "Jason ... I'm ready to go," she said. "I was just coming to find you guys." "Yeah?" He raked an angry gaze over her, pissed off to see that the wet dress was damn near see-through and had sculpted itself like a second-skin against her breasts—the breasts that Andreas had been eyeing earlier. "And, what? You took a detour and ended up making small talk?" That pissed her off; he saw it in the way she cocked her chin like she always did when she was mad. "What's your problem? I just ran into Andreas, and we were—" "About to head downstairs for a glass of wine," Andreas interrupted. Jay rounded on him. "You know what, you need to back the hell up. Right now." Andreas's careless expression closed off. "Is that a threat?" Jay gave a short, mirthless laugh. "What the fuck do you think?" "You're just the same, cocky bastard you always were, aren't you?" Jason leveled an unflinching glare on Andreas. This prick was so damn close to getting his face slammed into nearest hard surface... Cracking his knuckles, one by one, he said, "Keep talking and I'll show you how much of a bastard I can be." Clearly panicking, Anna stepped in between them. "Let's just go, okay?" she pleaded, laying a hand on Jason's arm. "There's no reason to make a big deal out of this." Behind her, Andreas smirked. "She's right, Jason. You're overreacting. After all these years, I really thought you'd be better at sharing." White-hot rage burned through Jason. "What the fuck did you just say to me?" Obviously sensing how close he was to choking the shit out of Andreas, Sam grabbed his elbow. "Jay...come on, man," he said. "He's not worth it." Jason shook him off. "No, wait. I wanna hear him repeat that." He leaned in toward Andreas, pronouncing his words with slow, dangerous precision. "Repeat it, asshole." Andreas tilted his head. "You know what? I'm not going to play this game with you tonight." "That's what I thought," Jason spat, scanning him from head to toe with open disgust. Shoving past him, Jay grabbed Anna's upper arm and began dragging her toward the door. Damn, he wanted to slam his fist into Andreas's face, but no ... Sam was right. He wasn't worth it. Lengthening his strides, he tightened his grip on Anna's arm, trying—and failing—to get a handle on his still-burning fury. "Ow," she protested, "that arm's attached to me, you know?" Shooting her an irritated glance, he only grew more angry when he caught sight of her breasts jiggling slightly as she hurried to keep up with him. Suddenly, he wanted to kick the shit out of Sam, too, for buying that dress. "Can you pull that thing up?" he growled. "Pull what up?" "That goddamn dress," he ground out. "What the hell else?" Shit, so much for playing his cards close to the chest. But still, if he was practically getting an eyeful of her breasts, so was every other person in the room. "Maybe I could if you'd you let go of my arm," she hissed. He ignored her, hell bent on putting as much distance between them and Andreas as possible. He felt her go rigid in his grasp, but he still didn't let go. As they neared the elevator, she finally planted her feet. "You're giving me a bruise," she muttered, tugging at her arm. He swore under his breath. Without bothering to apologize, he released her and jabbed at the elevator button. Sam stopped on his left, while Anna stood stiffly on his right. He didn't need to look at her to know she was pissed at him. Right now, he didn't care. What the hell had she been doing talking to Andreas anyway? They all got on the elevator in silence and he shot a sideways glance at her, taking in her ramrod-straight back. Definitely pissed. Whatever. She'd get over it, but he suddenly had an overwhelming need to nip this whole thing in the bud. Without looking at her, he muttered, "Do me a favor and stay the hell away from Andreas." Under the circumstances, and considering his mood, he thought he'd managed to keep his tone pretty damn reasonable. But, from Sam's quiet groan of disbelief, and the livid anger burning in Anna's eyes when glared up at him, he must not have sounded nearly as reasonable as he'd thought. ***** Anna stared at Jason--she couldn't freaking believe him! She so wasn't in the mood for more of his Tarzan act. He'd snapped at her, made a huge scene upstairs and dragged her after him like a child, all because of his past with Andreas. Crossing her arms over her chest, she set her chin. "Maybe I missed something, but Andreas wasn't the only one up there acting like a complete jerk." "Well, he damn sure was the one talking too fucking much," Jason muttered. Her mouth popped open. "Are you really blaming that—whatever that was, all on him? If I recall, you were standing there, too, practically beating your chest like some—" Jason angrily rounded on her, his eyes glittering. "What was I supposed to do, Anna? Huh? Don't act like you didn't hear him provoking me!" She threw her hands into the air. "Is it really that difficult to control yourself? You were up there acting like a teenager! It's called self-control, Jason." His eyes narrowed dangerously, sending a frisson of apprehension down her spine. "I cannot stand that asshole," he growled. "So, sorry if I can't manage to make small talk every time that jerk-off crosses my path. Like you." "Like me? What's that supposed to mean?" He went back to staring at the elevator door, refusing to look at her. "Nothing. Forget it." "No, really, tell me," she insisted, knowing she was pushing him, but all she could think about was that he was so upset because of some faceless girl. Underneath her anger, that little truth was still sinking in, battering at her long-bruised heart. She turned to fully face him. "Are you seriously mad because I was talking to some guy you don't like?" She willed him to deny it and, in doing so, deny everything Andreas had told her. "It doesn't matter," he muttered, still not meeting her eyes. "Then I'd really like to know what we're arguing about right now." He finally looked at her, his face devoid of its usual boyishness. "First of all, we're not arguing. You are. Secondly," he barreled on when she would have spoken, "it doesn't matter because, from now on, I don't want you talking to Andreas again. Ever." The way she saw it, it was a damn good thing the elevator doors opened when they did, because if they hadn't, she might have done him serious bodily harm. As it was, Jay casually strolled out of the elevator into the hall after his little proclamation, leaving her to follow a moment later with both hands balled into white-knuckled fists. In the hall, Sam edged next to her and leaned down as they followed Jason. "Anna, it's not personal," he whispered. "Jason and Andreas ... some heavy stuff went down back at the CIA. Jay's pissed at him, not you." The minute Sam said the words, she knew it was all true. Sam was usually on her side when Jason decided to go through his ten-kinds-of-a-jerk routine, but now he was all but backing Jay up. And she knew it was because Andreas had been telling the truth about Jay and what's-her-face. Rachel. She pressed her lips together, trying to hold back the bleak self-pity that washed over her. So, Jason had been hurt and now he was hurting her in return. Gee, she thought sarcastically, good thing she'd come to Chicago; wouldn't have wanted to miss out on this memory-making evening. Stopping, she faced Sam. "You know what, I really don't care what did or didn't happen between him and Andreas." Sam flicked his gaze down the hall, toward Jason, then back to her. "You don't know the whole story, though. He just needs to vent and—" "And what?" she scoffed. "I just happen to be the lucky one he gets to vent on?" God, she was tired of this. Sam's blue eyes softened with empathy. "Let him cool down some. You know he doesn't mean to—" "To what? Act like a jerk?" With her emotions so raw, her control severed. "I'm sorry, but he doesn't get to yell at me just because he got dumped!" Sam's head snapped up, his eyes wide with shock. Too late, she remembered that she wasn't supposed to know about Jason's mystery girl. Worse yet, her voice, raised in anger, had carried down the hall. And, up ahead, Jason had come to a dead halt. Sweet Talk Ch. 04 Lily Anna arrived back home exactly in time to go online. She had not dared return any earlier as she knew she would be unable to control herself. Yet as the afternoon had worn on, she found her heart racing in anticipation of their chat. It was like being in love all over again. Nothing else was this important, playing with this guy was far too erotic for her own good. Perhaps it was because she had no idea what would happen next, that made her feel so unprepared. She logged on as she tugged at her clothing and left it draped over her chair and around her feet. [SlipsInsideHer]: Hi how d'you get on today? [LilyAnna]: I don't know… I am worried I am becoming obsessed with sex [SlipsInsideHer]: Why do you say that? [LilyAnna]: I'm just fingering myself so much [SlipsInsideHer]: you don't want to? [LilyAnna]: no, I do [LilyAnna]: I just feel like such a slut [LilyAnna]: this is all moving too fast [SlipsInsideHer]: so you want to slow down [SlipsInsideHer]: maybe take a few nights off from hypnosis? [LilyAnna]: no! I didn't mean that [LilyAnna]: you just have to be more careful with your suggestions [SlipsInsideHer]: you didn't like making yourself aroused? [LilyAnna]: well yes I did… I do have some great orgasms. [LilyAnna]: But I keep thinking how degrading this must seem if people saw me [SlipsInsideHer]: Did anyone see you? [LilyAnna]: No! but I only seem to cum when I feel bad about myself [SlipsInsideHer]: and do you think I would tell you to think badly about playing with yourself? [LilyAnna]: Well no… I suppose not. [SlipsInsideHer]: then that was you… [LilyAnna]: I spose [SlipsInsideHer]: You wanted to play with yourself… and you enjoyed your orgasms right? [LilyAnna]: yes [SlipsInsideHer]: and yet you feel bad about yourself too? [LilyAnna]: that's right [SlipsInsideHer]: so perhaps that is just you not liking your bimbo side? [LilyAnna]: do you think? [SlipsInsideHer]: sounds like it to me; so instead of fighting with yourself, how about a bit of hypnosis to relax you? [LilyAnna]: oh yes please!! Anything to make me feel better. [SlipsInsideHer]: are you playing with yourself right now? Lily Anna looked down. Of course her hand was stretched across the bridge between her thighs and two fingers were slipping absent-mindedly in and out of her slit. [LilyAnna]: Oops… yes I am [SlipsInsideHer]: don't worry about it, just keep playing. [SlipsInsideHer]: Perhaps we should talk about this before we go into hypnosis [SlipsInsideHer]: it may help [SlipsInsideHer]: Did you enjoy your orgasms today? [LilyAnna]: yes [SlipsInsideHer]: but it scared you wanting to cum, why? [LilyAnna]: because I couldn't do anything else [SlipsInsideHer]: you just wanted to keep cumming? [LilyAnna]: yes! [SlipsInsideHer]: and you didn't want to feel aroused and cum? [LilyAnna]: well no…. I did. But I just seemed obsessed by fingering myself. [SlipsInsideHer]: you mean you just obsessed about wanting to cum? [SlipsInsideHer]: like a bimbo? [LilyAnna]: ehm… well…yes I suppose so… and I felt so slutty [SlipsInsideHer]: but isn't it natural to want to feel excited, to want to cum? [SlipsInsideHer]: you did say you enjoyed it. [LilyAnna]: well yes I did… [LilyAnna]: I just… [LilyAnna]: I don't know now… but I felt such a slut [SlipsInsideHer]: but isn't that part of you too? [SlipsInsideHer]: you wanted your bimbo slut to come out when you are home alone, right? [LilyAnna]: yes I did [SlipsInsideHer]: and no one saw you. So you were safe and you allowed your inner slut free reign. [SlipsInsideHer]: tomorrow you will be at work and your bimbo side will have to hide away. [LilyAnna]: Oh my God! If I feel like this tomorrow…. I can't go to work like this. [SlipsInsideHer]: Shall we reinforce this through hypnosis then? – make sure tomorrow you work hard and not finger yourself? [LilyAnna]: Ohh please… I can't be like this at work tomorrow [SlipsInsideHer]: ok, we can make sure your bimbo slut doesn't take charge in the office. [SlipsInsideHer]: rustling leaves… rustling leaves…rustling leaves [SlipsInsideHer]: deeper and deeper [SlipsInsideHer]: just drifting back into this wonderfully relaxed state [SlipsInsideHer]: just forgetting the worries of your day [SlipsInsideHer]: forgetting all the things that scare you [SlipsInsideHer]: just knowing what happened [SlipsInsideHer]: but not really being scared, or worried [SlipsInsideHer]: do you remember your special scale? [LilyAnna]: yes [SlipsInsideHer]: what's your special scale showing now? [LilyAnna]: 3 [SlipsInsideHer]: good girl, relaxing more and more with every word [SlipsInsideHer]: every word you type [SlipsInsideHer]: every word you read [SlipsInsideHer]: pulls you even deeper into this wonderful trance [SlipsInsideHer]: doesn't it? [LilyAnna]: yes [SlipsInsideHer]: I want you to print a large label tonight [SlipsInsideHer]: On the label it will just say w0 [SlipsInsideHer]: In italics and large font. Put curly brackets around it. [SlipsInsideHer]: You will then stick this label on the front door next to the latch [SlipsInsideHer]: Do you understand these instructions? [LilyAnna]: yss [SlipsInsideHer]: And you know that when you see this sign, what happens? [LilyAnna]: hornny nomor [SlipsInsideHer]: That's right. So when you leave the house all your arousal will disappear, in an instant. [SlipsInsideHer]: Each time you go to leave the house, or answer the door, you will see that sign [SlipsInsideHer]: and your arousal will die. Do you understand? [LilyAnna]: yess [SlipsInsideHer]: No matter how horny you were [SlipsInsideHer]: It will suddenly vanish as you go out of the house [SlipsInsideHer]: And when you arrive at your office [SlipsInsideHer]: You will be very focused on your work [SlipsInsideHer]: You will try and impress your boss by working really hard [SlipsInsideHer]: You will be very efficient [SlipsInsideHer]: Do you understand all this? [LilyAnna]: Yess be efficient [SlipsInsideHer]: good girl [SlipsInsideHer]: Now at your work you have a supervisor, what is her name? [LilyAnna]: Jane [SlipsInsideHer]: Does she have another name? [LilyAnna]: Mortimer [SlipsInsideHer]: But you call her Jane? [LilyAnna]: yess [SlipsInsideHer]: That doesn't sound like a good way to impress her [SlipsInsideHer]: She checks your work doesn't she? [LilyAnna]: ys [SlipsInsideHer]: So you want her to be impressed by you, yes? [LilyAnna]: crse [SlipsInsideHer]: But you are a junior researcher and she is your supervisor, right? [LilyAnna]: thasrit [SlipsInsideHer]: So don't you think you should show her more respect? [SlipsInsideHer]: She checks your work doesn't she? [LilyAnna]: wel yes… in away [SlipsInsideHer]: Of course she does. So you want to impress her so she is pleased with you and your work [SlipsInsideHer]: So don't you think you should call her Ms Mortimer? [LilyAnna]: I ges [SlipsInsideHer]: Of course you should. She would like that wouldn't she? Lily Anna considered this. She knew that Jane Mortimer saw her as a bit of a rival and was always a bit catty with her. Jane would just love it if she were to call her Ms Mortimer. [LilyAnna]: she would [SlipsInsideHer]: you see, you do know all this really. That's why you respond so well to my hypnosis, isn't it? [LilyAnna]: Yes I guess that's right. I know she would be very pleased. [SlipsInsideHer]: So from now on, whenever you see her you will remember how important she is [SlipsInsideHer]: you will remember how important her approval is to you [SlipsInsideHer]: and you will try and please her and always talk to her with deference. [SlipsInsideHer]: Will you do that? [LilyAnna]: Yss, call her Ms Mortimer [SlipsInsideHer]: and that already sounds much better, doesn't it? [LilyAnna]: mmm gesso [SlipsInsideHer]: But you want some fun during the day too. [SlipsInsideHer]: You have a place to sit and read in lunchbreak? [LilyAnna]: yess [SlipsInsideHer]: good girl, and you can read quietly there? [LilyAnna]: yss [SlipsInsideHer]: Then at lunch tomorrow you will go to a porn shop and buy a magazine called the 'Adventures of an Office Girl'. It is full of stories about a silly office girl. [SlipsInsideHer]: She is naïve and without understanding how, gets manipulated into sex – with her boss and with her colleagues. [SlipsInsideHer]: During your lunch, you will read these stories and imagine yourself as this naïve office girl. Imagining yourself allowing your colleagues to manipulate you sexually. Fantasising about giving in to their advances. [SlipsInsideHer]: These thoughts will excite you, but even as your arousal grows, you will remind yourself that a good office girl gets her work done [SlipsInsideHer]: She does not finger herself, even though she is horny; and you want to be a good office girl, don't you? [LilyAnna]: yss i do [SlipsInsideHer]: so you will work hard to please your boss, but these stories will feed into your fantasies about your boss. [SlipsInsideHer]: although you will feel horny you will work hard and be focused. Your boss' work will take priority over your own needs. [SlipsInsideHer]: You will be aware of how horny you are, but you won't let it distract you from your job. [SlipsInsideHer]: No matter how frustrated you feel, you will have to wait until you get home, when you can let your bimbo slut side free. [SlipsInsideHer]: You will want to rush home for another session of erotic hypnosis. [SlipsInsideHer]: You will be very horny and as soon as you get home you will want to strip out of your clothes [SlipsInsideHer]: and finger yourself [SlipsInsideHer]: and fantasise about being that silly office girl [SlipsInsideHer]: and the more dumb you feel she is, the more dumb you will want to be [SlipsInsideHer]: because you want to become like her, she has so much fun [SlipsInsideHer]: and the more dumb you desire to become, the closer to cumming you will get [SlipsInsideHer]: Knowing that only when you are thinking of yourself as stupid will you be able to cum. [SlipsInsideHer]: and that the more dumb you become the better your cums will be. [SlipsInsideHer]: Will you remember all that, and reinforce that tonight and every night before going to sleep? [LilyAnna]: yus [SlipsInsideHer]: good girl. All the time making these thoughts your thoughts [SlipsInsideHer]: remembering hearing your own voice repeating them over to yourself [SlipsInsideHer]: convincing yourself these are your own thoughts [SlipsInsideHer]: this is what you truly believe. [SlipsInsideHer]: Now wake on the count of three feeling calm and relaxed. [SlipsInsideHer]: 1 [SlipsInsideHer]: 2 [SlipsInsideHer]: 3 Lily Anna just slowly became aware of the room. It felt such a natural transition, like emerging from a dip in a mountain lake. She felt relaxed and refreshed, all her worries had disappeared. [LilyAnna]: Wow, you make me feel so wonderful when I come back from your hypnosis. [SlipsInsideHer]: Well that's it until tomorrow evening now. [SlipsInsideHer]: I am sure you will get a lot of work done tomorrow. You can tell me all about it when you get home. slipsinsideher logs out. Lily Anna's thoughts drifted back to the hypnosis while her hand kept fingering herself. She wasn't exactly sure how, but she could tell that she was going deeper each time. Before she could feel the sun and see the branches when she went under like she did the first time. Now, everything just went black instantly, and although there were obvious gaps in time, she loved this hypnosis. While all this might have worried another person in her position, it only made Lily Anna feel like she was living on the edge. Before switching off and going to bed Lily Anna found herself printing out a large page with something on it. She was sure it was important and she needed to pin this up on her front door, but she didn't understand why it was important. As she pinned it up, she found her arousal vanished. Well that was good: at least she was not becoming addicted to all this sex she could still recover herself. Sweet Talk Ch. 05 Chapter 5 Lily Anna groaned as she slowly became aware of the bedroom surrounding her. She desperately wanted to hold on to the feelings that had been flooding through her as she slept. She could not remember what she was dreaming, but was overwhelmed by the inescapable sense of loss at waking up. She was getting used to sleeping nude and finding her fingers buried in her hot soaking channel when she woke up. She felt denied and frustrated, all the more so as she realised that today she would be back at work. She wanted to stay home and finger herself, and she pouted. What a silly girl she was becoming, always needing to give attention to her pussy. She didn't feel very grown up this morning, she just wanted to play some more. How was she going to get through the day? Her fingers took out her frustration as they worked vigorously at her slit. She needed to cum before she got dressed and headed off to the office. She would be starved all day, so she needed release now. Her childish tantrum drove her to a quick orgasm and finally she could get herself up and into the shower. As she walked back into the bedroom she continued to finger herself while deciding what she was to wear. Lily Anna was finding it harder to make decisions this way, but she realised now that she just had to accept the bimbo slut part of her, even if she was going to suppress her while she was at work and among friends. Instead of thinking about what she had to get done today, her mind was preoccupied with the thought of sitting at her desk and being unable to play with herself during the day. She thought perhaps if she wore a short skirt, then if her fingers needed to do a bit of walking then there would be nothing to get in the way. She donned some heels too. She looked at herself in the mirror and thought it did look a little girlish, not her usual professional suit, but still nothing wrong in a change at least for one day. As Lily Anna walked out the front door her arousal collapsed. She felt relieved, "I am not such a ditz after all. I still have control," she thought as she skipped off to the garage. At work Lily Anna found she could concentrate without difficulty, and got ever such a lot of work done. She thought back to the previous evening and how her hypnotist said he would help her to concentrate. How was she ever going to survive without hypnosis now? She was so happy with the way he looked after her, all her concerns of yesterday had evaporated. She worked steadily all morning. Jane Mortimer came by to see how she was progressing. This particular contract had to be out the door by the end of the day, and Jane was responsible for keeping the work to time. Truth is, she was more worried about her own ability to get the report done than Lily Anna's part, and that riled her. She wished that Lily was not quite so good at her job, then she would feel less threatened. "Hmm. You seem to have made good progress. Keep up that good work, but don't forget we need this piece completed by four o'clock today." "Thank you Ms Mortimer." Jane Mortimer turned back towards Lily Anna, shocked both by what she had just said and her deferential tone. She was piqued by the thought she was being sarcastic. "Ms Mortimer? Since when have you called me Ms Mortimer?" Lily Anna looked puzzled a moment, as if she had been surprised by what she had just said too. "I don't know. It just seemed the right thing to say." This didn't seem like an adequate explanation to Lily Anna, but she couldn't think of anything else to say. Jane stood looking at her with a steady eye and then averted her gaze towards the ceiling as she contemplated what she had just heard. "OK. From now on, Lil, you don't mind me calling you Lil do you, you call me Ms Mortimer. It shows suitable deference." She turned and left the office without waiting for any answer. Lily Anna had not even had time to think about Ms Mortimer calling her Lil. She felt a bit humiliated by the way she had been dealt with. At the same time, she felt a tingle in her pussy, which reminded her how neglected it had been all morning. Well if Ms Mortimer was pleased and she herself felt excited by her deference, then there was nothing to worry about. It could only help her get on in the long term. It was lunchtime and Lily Anna decided to go off and find some lunch. Having been reminded of her pussy, Lily Anna wanted to give it some attention. She hated not having the freedom to finger herself. She had had so many orgasms yesterday and now she was not allowed even one. It seemed unfair. She needed something to titillate her, just to get her through the day. She wasn't going to let it interfere with her work, but during her break there was no harm. She thought about what to do and suddenly found herself outside a seedy looking porn shop with racks of lurid magazines. Well she had never been in such a shop before, but this certainly was a place to get some titillation. She went in, on a whim, and was soon searching the bookshelves. It was as if she were looking for something specific, but she didn't know what. She went back and forth among the shelves until suddenly she stumbled on the very thing: "The Adventures of an Office Girl." It was perfect – packed with sexy stories set in an office like hers. She paid for it and left, her mind still a bit in a daze. She sat in a café eating her lunch and reading one of the stories. It was great, all about little Katie who was only 5' 1" with a mass of auburn curls that bounced around her ears as she walked. Lily Anna read of her adventure when the guys in the office had glued a wooden phallus to her office chair when she was out. She came back to find this pole waiting for her and all the guys pretending to be working as they caught glimpses of her over their papers. She sensed their giggling as she shook her head. Boys will be boys! She tried to remove the pole, but it was stuck fast. Just then their boss entered the office. She swung round to notice him looking towards her and making his way across the office. She had to think fast, so she jammed herself in the seat behind the pole – there was not much room, but just enough. To hide the pole from view she had to drape her skirt over it. As she sat and pretended to be getting back into her work she could feel the stiff rod press against her clit. Ooh it made her feel all tingly. She liked the feel and almost unconsciously started to rock her hips slightly to feel the strength of the hard pole slide up and down over her incredibly sensitive button. Her boss leaned over her and started talking about things written on the paper he had placed on the desk in front of her. She had to lean forward to read what he was pointing at. All the time the hard wood inflamed her. She tried to concentrate, she really did, but soon her mind could only keep hold of the way this stick was making her feel. God she felt horny. She wanted to finger herself, but with her boss leaning over her like this she didn't dare. Eventually he left and little Katie, face flushed, leaped up and rushed to the loo. She had some urgent business of her own to attend to! Lily Anna was equally aroused imaging the guys in her office doing that to her. She could fantasise only too clearly what rubbing herself against that stiff pole that everyone knew was hidden under her skirt, would do to her. She was feeling really horny, but just like little Katie, she couldn't do anything about that in such a public place. Before she knew it, it was time to rush back to her desk. She buried the mag in her top drawer and was soon back working. Upon arriving home, Lily Anna started to think about how sexy and horny she had felt all day. It seemed so unfair that she had to deny herself for so many hours. Thank goodness she had bought that mag, the stories, she realised, were silly but they reminded her that at the end of the day she would be allowed to play again. As these thoughts passed through her mind, Lily Anna was busily dropping her clothes. She wanted to relieve the pressure. She worked furiously at her clit, but her arousal wouldn't grow until she felt herself stupid and foolish struggling to make herself cum. Then suddenly a dam burst within her. All the pent up tension of the day flooded through her and onto the kitchen floor. Finally she felt the relief she needed. Lily Anna felt tearful at what she had become. Somehow her whole being was revolving around her need to feel pleasure. She was consumed by it, and the more she was consumed the worse she felt about herself. Lily Anna picked herself off the floor and went to the computer. She found the author waiting for her and she wanted to escape these feelings of inadequacy that seemed to be growing within her. She wanted to escape, and she new this was the man who could help her escape. [SlipsInsideHer]: Hi! You going to tell me about your day? And she did. She told him about how hard she had worked, she thanked him for reinforcing that message. She would never have been able to achieve so much without his help. [SlipsInsideHer]: I'm just glad you found my hypnosis helpful. [LilyAnna]: Oh yes! It is amazing. I don't think I could get by without it now! Lily Anna then described her interaction with Ms Mortimer – funny, even at home it now seemed more natural to refer to her by her surname. She explained how her supervisor had reacted and yet how odd it was. In the end she realised that it would only benefit her career if she impressed her supervisor. Then she went on to tell him about getting the porn magazine. She was a bit embarrassed to admit this to him. Yet somehow it all just tumbled out. [LilyAnna]: I don't know why I went and bought such a smutty thing [LilyAnna]: I never would have before. [SlipsInsideHer]: It seems your bimbo side is very strong. Now you have awoken it, it is not content to play just at home. [LilyAnna]: I know.... I wanted to finger myself in the afternoon, every time I remembered those stories. [LilyAnna]: I kept picturing myself as stupid little Katie who people took advantage of [LilyAnna]: and that just made me feel more excited! [SlipsInsideHer]: So did that make you want to finger yourself all the more? [LilyAnna]: Yes. I don't know how I resisted. I just wanted to feel horny. [SlipsInsideHer]: which sounds as though you were. [LilyAnna]: In a way I liked it, being horny at the office – as long as it didn't affect my work. [LilyAnna]: Oh my God. I am becoming such a slut. I never used to be like this. [SlipsInsideHer]: You never dared allow this side of yourself any expression. [SlipsInsideHer]: It's ok as long as we only play at home, isn't it? [LilyAnna]: Yeah, but what would people think if they knew? [SlipsInsideHer]: you worry too much about that [SlipsInsideHer]: I'll bet your boss was thrilled with your work today [LilyAnna]: yes, I guess so [SlipsInsideHer]: so what's the problem with letting your inner slut out at home? [SlipsInsideHer]: it has to come out somewhere [LilyAnna]: nothing I guess, I'm just so exhausted [SlipsInsideHer]: that I can fix, ready? [LilyAnna]: ok, put me under [LilyAnna]: I've been looking forward to this all afternoon [LilyAnna]: maybe we can play later? [SlipsInsideHer]: rustling trees [SlipsInsideHer]: rustling trees [SlipsInsideHer]: rustling trees [SlipsInsideHer]: rustling trees [SlipsInsideHer]: rustling trees [SlipsInsideHer]: and your scale, what does it show? [LilyAnna]: 2 [SlipsInsideHer]: good girl. So quick to fall into my hypnosis now [SlipsInsideHer]: so irresistible [SlipsInsideHer]: you love floating in my words, don't you? [LilyAnna]: ys [SlipsInsideHer]: good girl. But you worry too? [LilyAnna]: abt what im becoming. [SlipsInsideHer]: about becoming like the office girl? [LilyAnna]: about needing fuckc myself [SlipsInsideHer]: I understand, it is natural to resent this newly discovered part of you [SlipsInsideHer]: you want things as they were, don't you? [LilyAnna]: not sur [SlipsInsideHer]: If your bimbo side could be buried once again, no more fingering, no more sweet cums? [LilyAnna]: but luv my cumms [SlipsInsideHer]: and you luv fingering yourself too? [LilyAnna]: yss [SlipsInsideHer]: So while your bimbo slut pushes herself into your life, it is natural to resent her [SlipsInsideHer]: but she gives you such pleasure too, doesn't she? [LilyAnna]: y [SlipsInsideHer]: Now lets try a visualisation, see if it helps [SlipsInsideHer]: Don't type anything. Lift your hands and grasp your breasts. Lean forward in your chair. I want you to imagine that you are at the office, and these hands belong to one of your colleagues. He is behind you and has reached around to get both his hands full. You are standing still, you can feel his presence behind you, feel the warmth of his hands against your tender flesh. You do not really like this colleague, he is too sure of himself. Yet you feel yourself leaning forward, compliant, pushing your breasts into his hands. You are not turning, you do not say anything. You wonder why you are just standing there letting him cup your breasts, why you help him by pushing yourself forward, offering him your tits. You know that is how he thinks of them, yet you have lost control. You love the fact your breasts are appealing to him, you love the attention, you feel your pussy tingling in anticipation. You love the not knowing what he will do next, and you relax in his control, but your heart is racing {w+}. Pull on your nipples and imagine him pressing your buttons {w+}. You are feeling turned on by the public display, you wish it were somewhere private, you wish you weren't letting others see this side of you, you wish you didn't like this, you wish you were strong enough to turn around and slap him. Yet you do desire this, you want to watch helplessly as he turns you on, manipulates you, you do not want to lose that throb in your groin his agile fingers are creating {w+}. Push you ass into the back of the chair and lean forward more as your fingers squeeze and tug at your nipples. Feel yourself press against him, imagine the back of the chair is his groin. Feel his hardness against the small of your back. You can feel your pulse race, the blood pumping in your forehead {w+}, your hands squeeze at your tits, you know you don't like him, you know you are behaving like a slut in a very public place. Yet all you can think of is wanting his cock inside you. You can feel your pussy lips are open as you press them against him, feel your wetness coating your opening as you tilt your head right back {w+}. Now put your hand down to your cunt and press two fingers against your opening. Imagine it is his cock, suddenly free and at your entrance. You can feel it hot and wet with your juices sliding across your slit. Imagine yourself in that short skirt you wore today, but now you realise that as well as making yourself available to your fingers at the office, it also makes you available to him. Imagine he knows all this too, he knows your secret, he knows how hot and available you have made yourself {w+}. His cock is there under your skirt, pressing at that shaved pussy of yours, feeling your wetness cloy to his rod. You know you don't like him, but you know you cannot deny him. You are a stupid office girl that can't say no {w+}. You have not been degrading yourself when you think of yourself as a stupid slut, you have just been accepting what is already there. Now you realise what you are, because you stand there swallowing in frightened anticipation, knowing you want his cock. It doesn't matter who he is, you need that cock inside you and you have made yourself available so that he can take advantage {w+}. Press your fingers at your slit and press your cunt down over them. Feel your compliance as they push at your lips, feel their eager parting to make way for your fingers, picture his cock throbbing with energy, pulsing as it plunges inside you. Feel your surrender as you drive yourself onto him and feel the wetness gluing you both together. Tell yourself that although you do not like this slut, you have surrendered yourself to her {w+}. Then as you pound yourself up and down on your fingers, driving them into your cunt, shout out as you cum {w+}{w+}: "I love this fucking horny slut!" Lily Anna screamed out the words as her hand ached under the pounding she had been giving it. Her mind exploded with the imagery, and she knew just who at the office she had allowed herself to surrender to. She hated herself as she came down from her orgasm, she felt ashamed of letting him so publicly fuck her, yet mingled with these feelings were the powerful aftermath of a fantastic cum. Her body radiated with excitement and at last she understood. She needed to let go of trying to be someone she was not. This horny slut was her, and no matter how humiliating this realisation was to her, it made her so fucking hot. Giving herself to her boss would not have been nearly as powerfully erotic, because she wanted him anyway. It was the feelings of abandon when she made herself available to people she didn't like, when control was wrested from her that drove her to sexual extremes. [SlipsInsideHer]: did you have a good cum that time? [LilyAnna]: oh lawdy, fuckn fantastic. I get it now, sily fight myslf [LilyAnna]: cums r beter when stop fitin [SlipsInsideHer]: and you're feeling much better now you understand that, aren't you? [LilyAnna]: much [SlipsInsideHer]: Each time you think badly of yourself, just accept it. This is what you are becoming. You don't like it perhaps, thinking of yourself so dumb [SlipsInsideHer]: but the more you give in to what you are becoming, the more able you are to accept it, the more pleasure you get from that hot cunt of yours. [SlipsInsideHer]: That is what is holding you back from pleasure, fighting these thoughts, the bimbo side of yourself. [SlipsInsideHer]: Yet the more you give in to your nature, the more able to feel aroused you will be, the quicker you will cum and the more explosive your cums will be. [SlipsInsideHer]: Each time you will know that you are accepting the dumb bimbo side of yourself, the more real she will be, and the more dumb you will realise you are becoming. [SlipsInsideHer]: Although you will not like it, the more you accept drifting into this bimbo, the more fucking hot it will make you [SlipsInsideHer]: and the more hot you become, the more you will need to reach that peak once again. [SlipsInsideHer]: You will realise it's natural for your cunt to control you, and your need for pleasure as often as possible will rule you, and the more you will give in to those needs. [SlipsInsideHer]: so in a few moments you'll awaken rested [SlipsInsideHer]: and ready to play, won't you? [LilyAnna]: yes [SlipsInsideHer]: and no cumming unless I say so, right? [LilyAnna]: ok [SlipsInsideHer]: awaken on the count of 5 [SlipsInsideHer]: 1 [SlipsInsideHer]: 2 [SlipsInsideHer]: 3 [SlipsInsideHer]: 4 [SlipsInsideHer]: 5 [SlipsInsideHer]: awake [SlipsInsideHer]: better? [LilyAnna]: much better thanks Sweet Talk Ch. 05 Yes, I'm back. But, as a warning from the get-go, updates will probably be a few weeks apart (at least), since the "real world" kind of has a monopoly on my time, these days. Anyway, I hope you enjoy Chapter 5. Let me know what you think. As always, happy reading. ~Eve Even with his back to her, Anna could see the rage wash over Jason. It was clear in the tense set of his shoulders, from how he'd planted his feet—and the balled, white-knuckled fist he'd made his with left hand was a dead giveaway about the fury coursing through him. As she stared at his back, waiting for a reaction, for him to speak—for him to do something—she traded an anxious glance with Sam who, true to his born-rescuer instincts, ran a hand through his hair and took a cautious step toward Jason's tense form. "Look...Jay..." he started, only to come up short when, finally, Jason swung around, his burning golden gaze skidding across Sam, to land on Anna, who felt pinned in place by his barely leashed temper. "Leave," Jason ground out, his unflinching gaze boring into Anna, even though it was obvious he was talking to Sam. Caught between them, Sam cast another worried look in Anna's direction, then held up both hands toward Jason in a placating gesture. "Look," he repeated, "I don't think this is the—" "I don't give a fuck what you think," Jason bit out, shifting his glittering eyes to Sam. "This is between me and Anna, so get out of my face." Sam stiffened. "You can go to hell. I'm not leaving." Anna could feel the tension in the hallway heighten as if it were a physical thing, pressing in against her chest, making it hard to breathe. For the second time tonight, she had the uneasy feeling that things were about to get ugly, and fast, if she didn't do something. Edging in toward Sam, she placed a calming hand on his arm. "It's okay," she half-whispered. "Just go. I'll be fine." A long moment passed as Sam and Jason stared each other down, then, expelling a hard breath, Sam dug his hands into the pockets of his slacks, and shot Anna a half-hearted smile that didn't reach his eyes. "Fine." He shifted his attention back to Jason. "I would tell you not to be any more of an asshole than you can help," he muttered, "but we all know I'd be wasting my breath." Jason didn't respond. Just glared at Sam with a cold, closed expression that made it clear that his patience was drawing dangerously thin. Sighing, Sam shook his head and turned to leave. "Call me if you need me," he told Anna, before retreating down the hallway. Then, too soon, she was alone with Jason, feeling like her skin was about to burst into flames under his livid scrutiny. Already, she felt horrible about what she'd said; no matter how mad she was, she shouldn't have thrown his past in his face like that. Sometimes, though, he just got to her and she lashed out, wanting to hurt him back in some way. It was an incredibly dysfunctional reaction, she knew, but when it came to dealing with Jason's volatile temper...well, she could only turn the other cheek so many times before she snapped. Still, even with regret making her feel almost ill, she couldn't get her mind, or her mouth, to form an explanation, or an apology, to try and set things right. And one look at his expression told her that it didn't even matter. She could see that he was beyond hearing her. After a long stretch of tense silence, when she still hadn't spoken, Jason cocked his head, a nasty smirk playing across his usually-attractive lips. "That's it, huh? You've got nothing to say now?" Anna searched his face, trying to find some emotion, any emotion, besides anger, but there was nothing. She shrugged with a miserable shake of her head. "What do you want me to say? That I'm sorry I said what I did? Because I am. But you were acting like a crazy person upstairs, and Andreas—" "Don't!" Jason's long legs ate up the distance between them in a few angry strides until he stopped in front of her, shoving his face in close to hers. "Don't you fucking mention him," he demanded, his golden eyes flashing. "You talked to that asshole for, what? Five minutes, and now you think you know all about it? You don't know a goddamn thing. And the most fucked up part about it is that I bet you honestly believed everything that piece of shit told you." This close to him, the look in his eyes made Anna sick to her stomach. He was pissed off, yes, and he'd been angry with her before, but this...this was fury mixed with betrayal. It killed her that she couldn't tell if that hurt was directed toward her, for talking to Andreas about him, or for bringing up his past, with Rachel. And, perversely, she had to know. He was furious with her, she knew that, but if what Andreas had told her was true, she wanted to hear it from Jason's own mouth, to watch his face while he said the words—while he, unknowingly, broke her stupid, masochistic heart yet again, by admitting that he'd been in love with someone else. Someone that wasn't, and would never be, her. "Then you tell me," she demanded, crossing her arms over her chest, more as a protective gesture, than out of defensiveness. He stared at her for a long moment, only to let out a harsh, humorless laugh. "Why should I tell you a damn thing? As far as I can tell, you already got the whole story from Andreas. I had a girlfriend. He fucked her. Case closed, right?" She flinched at his caustic tone, not knowing what to say, what to do to diffuse the situation. When he got like this, usually her best option was to wait for the storm to pass. But she couldn't do that this time. Instead, she took a cautious step toward him, tilting her head to get a better look at his face, which was drawn taut with anger. "No," she said, slowly, "I don't think it is case closed. If it were, you wouldn't be acting like this. And, what happened upstairs," she gestured over her shoulder, toward the now-quiet elevators, "wouldn't have happened. There's obviously more to this than an old fight over a girl, Jason. I just wish you'd tell me." He leaned in close then, coming down so his face was level with hers, his normally glowing golden eyes gone hard and flat, like a pair of worn pennies. "You wanna know what really happened?" he half-whispered, his voice vibrating with tension. "You wanna hear about how I dated that girl, the one who dumped me," he spat the word, "for almost six months, only to walk in on her fucking Andreas in one of the bathrooms at the CIA? Is that what you wanna hear, Anna?" He cocked his head to the side, the bunched muscles in his jaw working furiously as he gritted out his words through clenched teeth. "Or, how about the fact that when I found her with him, I got arrested because the lying, fucking bitch told me he'd raped her—and I tried to kill him for it." Horror roiled through Anna's stomach and she found that she couldn't meet his eyes, knowing that if she did, she'd see the rawness beneath his anger and she wouldn't be able to hold back the tears. God, she hurt for him. She knew how hard it was for Jason to trust, to trust anyone, so the fact that he'd been betrayed, and so horribly, tore at her heart. With a helpless shrug, she stared down sightlessly at the carpet beneath her feet, knowing that if he saw the pity in her eyes, it would just enrage him even more. "I'm so...I'm so sorry," she managed to gasp out, biting the inside of her cheek to keep her voice steady. "I wish you'd told me." He exhaled roughly, backing away from her with a careless shake of his head. "What the fuck difference would it have made? Huh?" He flung his arms out, watching her with an expression of mocking inquiry. "Tell me something, though. When should I have told you? Should I have called you while I was sitting in jail for six goddamn hours, hating myself for letting what I thought happened, happen to someone I cared about?" "But, no," he barreled on, "I guess I should've called you when the cops filled me in about that bitch's little side-job with Andreas, right? Or should I have waited until after I damn near broke my hand when I got so fucking drunk I tried to punched out Sam's passenger-side window?" Flexing the fingers of that hand, he slowly walked back toward her, the muscles in his jaw working, his low voice vibrating with cold fury. "You already know the whole fucking story, though, so, you tell me, Anna—when, exactly, would've been a good time for me to call and cry to you?" Shaking her head, she raised both hands, only to let them drop back, uselessly, against her thighs. There was nothing she could say; she knew it. A Jason who kept things to himself, closely guarding his emotions, was nothing new to her. Yes, he'd been acting like an ass upstairs with Andreas, but she knew him—should've known him well enough to know that, whatever it was between him and Andreas, it wasn't something petty and silly, like Andreas had made it sound. She should've known. And, from the way Jason was looking at her, she knew he was thinking the same thing. Licking her bottom lip, she tried, again, to think of something to say to make this all right. But there was nothing. "I don't know what to say," she murmured, at last. Eyeing her critically, he gave a slow, dismissive nod. "That's what I fucking thought." Then, without warning, he turned around and headed for the hotel room door, roughly jamming his keycard into the slot. Hurrying to after him, she caught the door with the palm of her hand, the sound of the wood slapping against her flesh echoing loudly in the hallway. Pushing the door open, she followed him in, her heart jamming hard against her chest when he stalked to the closet and yanked his suitcase from its confines. Was he leaving? He couldn't seriously be leaving because of all of this, could he? "Ja—" she started, only to be cut off by the furious glare he pinned her with. So, she stood and watched as he flung the case open and took out a pair of jeans, which he pulled on over his basketball shorts. Next, he crossed the room, grabbing his wallet and cell phone off the bedside table. He was leaving, she realized. But not Chicago, and not the competition. He was just leaving the room, despite the fact that it was after ten at night and he had to compete in the morning. Shoving his things into the pockets of his jeans, he approached the door, and it wasn't until he stopped, staring at her, his eyes turned to molten gold with still-seething fury, that she realized she was blocking the door and he was waiting for her to move. She did so in silence, sliding to the left, watching mutely as his large fist grasped the door-handle in a white-knuckled grip. "W-where are you going?" she heard herself asking, before she could stop the words. He was angry with her, furious really, but she was worried about him, and hated the idea of him wandering around some strange city in this kind of blind rage. He paused for an imperceptible moment, not looking at her, but she caught the way his shoulders bunched, and his nostrils flared on a heavily exhaled breath. For a moment, she thought he might stay, that she might get him to calm down—to make him listen. Finally, though, he flicked a dismissive glance over her. "Don't worry about it." Then, the handle twisted beneath his palm as he pulled the door open—and he was gone. * * * As far as Jason was concerned, the only non-shitty thing about Chicago was that the bars stayed open an hour later than they did in Seattle. After walking out of the hotel room, he hadn't bothered looking at his phone to check the time but, he figured, as he slid onto a stool in the hotel bar, it had to be closing on midnight, at least. Which, as far as he was concerned, meant he was way past needing a drink. A bartender appeared, took Jason's order and walked away, leaving him alone with his thoughts. It'd been over an hour, at least, since he'd walked away from Anna, and his hands were still shaking with livid tremors as he tried to calm down. It was a futile effort, though, and he knew it. Even thinking about looking through that window upstairs and seeing Andreas put his hands on Anna, and about what she'd said—well, he was starting to wonder if he'd ever be able to calm down again. If he'd even be able to get himself under control enough that he'd be able to compete tomorrow. Truth be told, in that moment, he almost didn't give a fuck about the competition anymore. Yes, he wanted to win, and no, he didn't want to quit, but it was pretty damn hard to give a shit about custards and crème brulee when it felt like his life was crashing down around his ears. "Thanks," he muttered as the bartender returned and sat his drink in front of him. The ice cubes floating in the liquor clinked together, before settling down to slowly, inevitably, melt. He stared at the ice, furiously wondering why he couldn't be like that. Anna had crossed the line, they both knew that, but he honestly felt like he didn't have it in him to get past it anytime soon, to be able talk to her about it in a normal conversation. The fucked up thing about it, too, was that a small part of him wanted to. He almost wanted to go back upstairs and work things out with her, but he also knew that if he did that, she'd want to know the whole story about Rachel—and not just the part about how the bitch had fucked Andreas. No, he knew Anna. She'd want to hear why he'd never told her about Rachel. She'd want him to talk about his goddamn feelings and admit that, yeah, the whole damn thing still pissed him off—even four years later. But, he didn't want to talk about any of that, and he never had. By the time he'd gotten to college, he had a pretty clear idea of what people—mostly, women—thought of him. He was attractive. He knew this; didn't hesitate to use that fact to his advantage, but most of the women he hooked up with, they all knew what they were getting into when they came after him. He'd never pretended to be some kind of Prince Charming and past history had shown him that he wasn't exactly cut out to be someone's boyfriend; at the end of the day, he knew he just didn't have it in him to do the whole long-term thing. And, at the most basic level, that's what'd gotten to him—and still got to him—about Rachel. She was the first, and last time, he'd tried to be more than who, and what, he already knew he was. He'd gone the exact opposite route with her. Even though they'd started out as a casual thing, he'd taken things slow, put off sleeping with her for almost a whole fucking month—all because he wanted things to work; wanted a shot at normalcy, for once. And, what he couldn't tell Anna—what he wouldn't tell her—was that it was all because of her. In the weeks leading up to when he'd left Sweetwater for New York, they'd spent even more time together than they normally did. Part of it was because he knew she was sad that he was leaving, but more than that was the fact that she was like family to him, and he was going to miss her. It'd dawned on him, sometime in those last few weeks, that if he could find a girl like Anna, someone he could actually trust, depend on, he'd be okay. She was always nagging him about hooking up with girls, leading them on...so he'd decided to do the exact opposite with Rachel. On a harsh snort, he passed a hand over his face, swallowing down half of his drink in a single go. So much for that, though. He'd tried that with Rachel and all it had gotten him was cheated on, arrested and almost kicked out of school. Then again, considering the shit-storm that his parents' marriage had turned into, he wasn't really surprised by any of it. He didn't believe in curses or jinxes or any of that bullshit, but he did believe in genes, and, as far as he could tell, he'd not only inherited his dad's in-born talent for being an asshole, he'd also gotten more than his fair share of bad luck with relationships. His mouth twisted at that thought. Not that he blamed his mom for leaving, though. Truth be told, Gary was a miserable son of a bitch, and, to this day, Jason couldn't understand why she'd stuck around as long as she had—the only real problem he had with her was the fact that she'd left him behind. She and Gary had been like a gasoline-fueled fire, though. And, in a way, that's what he and Anna were starting to seem like, lately. Yeah, they were good for each other, especially when she was making him pull his head out of his ass, nagging him into getting some work done; and he knew how much she needed him around to keep her from taking life too damn serious half the time. Other times, like tonight, it got so bad between them...when he'd say something he didn't mean, or she pushed him so hard, so far, that he just had to get the fuck away from her before he said, or did, something really insane. They'd always fought hard, though, and, yeah, usually it was his fault. Those times, things mostly blew over, or were forgotten. He didn't end up walking the streets in the middle of the night just to calm down, or posted at a bar, sucking down Jack Daniels to take the edge off after a confrontation with her. No, this shit was brand-fucking-new, and he didn't know what it meant, or what to do about it. All he did know was that, at the moment, he didn't want to see Anna. Didn't want to talk to her, or hear her goddamn voice. The further away from each other they stayed for the time being, the better. For both of them. Even as that thought crossed his mind, he felt the light, unmistakably female, pressure of a hand settle on his shoulder. Anna. He stiffened, steeling himself for another confrontation. But, when he shifted on his stool, turning to look at her, he came up short when he saw that it wasn't Anna standing behind him, but Carmen, the woman he'd flirted with during competition earlier in the day. "Mind if I join you?" she asked, a dimple forming at the corner of her pretty mouth as she smiled at him. Not really in the mood for company, Jason opened his mouth to tell her no, he'd rather drink alone, but then he paused. The longer he sat here by himself, the longer he was going to seethe over all of this bullshit between him and Anna. And, hell, if he needed distraction, at least it was coming in a well-built package. "Sure," he said, pushing out the stool next to his for Carmen to take. Grinning, she launched into idle chitchat almost immediately, before the conversation shifted to talk about the competition. Well, Carmen did most of the talking and he tossed in a few comments, nodded along, just enough to keep the conversation going. No matter what he did, or what Carmen said, he was gonna need a lot more than small talk with a pretty woman to get his mind off of that scene upstairs. Speaking of which... Jason peered down the length of the bar, looking for the bartender so he could get a refill. "So, what're you doing up so late?" Carmen asked. Then, noticing the direction of his gaze, she threw a subtle wave toward the bartender to catch his attention, before turning back to Jason. "Doing a mental recap of today?" When the bartender showed up, Jason ordered another drink for himself, as well as another rum and coke for Carmen, before responding. "I was just gonna ask you the same thing." He glanced around the mostly-empty room. "I mean, this doesn't really seem like the hot place to be on a Tuesday night." Carmen laughed, picking up the drink that the bartender placed in front of her. "Yeah," she whispered in a mock-conspiratorial tone, "I'm thinking the hideous hotel carpet probably doesn't have people kicking down the door and ready to party." Sweet Talk Ch. 05 Jason smirked. "Yeah, well, that's fine with me. I'm not really in the mood to be in the middle of a crowd." He punctuated the statement by taking a long swallow from his newly-filled glass. "I can see that," Carmen murmured, peering at him with interest. "What's the deal? Did you forget to tip the chambermaid and now you're afraid to sleep in your bed?" It was such an off-the-wall comment, Jason couldn't help but laugh, only to sober a minute later, as the real reason why he was down here, alone, nudged at his frayed nerves. "Nah," he responded, "I...there's just someone in my room that I don't really wanna see, right now." "Someone, as in a girlfriend?" Carmen asked. It was a simple question, but straight to the point, and Jason definitely didn't miss her underlying interest. He stared down at the faux-wood of the bar counter, letting out a short, harsh laugh. "No, not a girlfriend. A friend, who happens to be a woman, but..." he ran a hand over his face, before looking back at Carmen. "It's not like that. We had a...misunderstanding, so," he picked up his glass, "I've turned to the welcoming arms of liquor." Carmen laughed at that. "You and me both," she said, lifting her own glass to lightly clink it against his. Jason eyed her. "You avoiding someone, too?" "Nope. Just dealing with a wicked case of insomnia. You ever get that?" He shook his head. "Nah, not really." "You're lucky. I've been a crappy sleeper since I was a teenager. Sleeping pills help but," she shrugged, draining her glass, "nothing really beats a rum and coke to get the ball rolling." Jason didn't say anything. Just sat there, in silence, thinking about how much easier all this shit with Anna would be if it were like Carmen's sleep issues—two shots of Jack, pop a pill, pass out, and wake up the next morning completely over the whole thing. In the mood he was in, the idea had a definite advantage: he'd be able to sleep tonight, and not have to think about the fact that he was sharing a bed with Anna. But, he knew, it'd all be back to the same shit in the morning. "Last call, folks," the bartender announced as he came by to collect their empty glasses. "I think that's our cue," Carmen said, reaching for her purse. Wordlessly, Jason brushed her hand away, pulled out his wallet and tossed enough cash onto the bar to cover both their tabs. "Guess I chose the right drinking buddy," Carmen said as they headed for the elevators. "Thanks." "Don't worry about it," he murmured, then flinched inwardly, realizing that those were the last words he'd said to Anna, upstairs, when she'd asked him where he was going. Don't worry about it. He knew she would, though. Carmen turned to him as they stepped into the elevator. "So, look, total elevator pick-up line, but," she tossed her hair over her shoulder and looked directly into his eyes, "if you're interested, I'm here alone. Queen-size bed. Plenty of room for two." Truthfully, Jason wasn't surprised by the invite. They'd both been flirting hard earlier today and, he hadn't missed her interest tonight, either. He'd wanted a distraction, and here she was, offering one—an incredibly sexy one—on a silver platter. His dick, woken up by the prospect of no-strings sex, was definitely trying to make a case for him to take her up on the offer. His head though, was still with Anna—exactly where it had been all night, even while he was drinking and flirting with Carmen downstairs. On any other day, under any other circumstances, he'd take her up on her invite, head back to her room with her for, what he suspected, would be some fantastic sex. But, looking at Carmen, all he could see, all he could think about, was Anna. No, he didn't want to talk about their argument with her; yes, he was still pissed off; and no, he wasn't even close to being okay with the idea of her going anywhere near Andreas, but... But, what? But...he realized that, even angry as he was, he'd still rather sleep in his own room, where Anna was, than go up to Carmen's room. How fucked up was that? He was just buzzed enough that the idea didn't worry him nearly as much as he suspected it would in the morning. Still, running a hand across the back of his neck, he gave Carmen a half-smile. "Actually, I think I'm gonna head back to my room." She nodded slowly, her lips pursed. "Braving the fury of your female friend, huh?" He shrugged. "Something like that." "Well," she said, breezily when the elevator stopped on Jason's floor, "I'm on the ninth floor if you change your mind. Room 919." "Thanks." Jason stepped out, holding the door open with his hand. "I'll see you around." "Sure," she grinned at him, obviously not the least bit insulted by his passing on going upstairs with her, "but hopefully I won't be seeing you for the next six to eight hours. If I'm going to bed alone, there's a sleeping pill with my name on it." Laughing, he let the door slide closed. "Have a good night." Alone again, Jason slowly approached the closed door of his hotel room, silently hoping Anna was already asleep. It wouldn't surprise him if she'd stayed up, waiting for him to come back. But he really hoped she was asleep. Yeah, he'd passed on hooking up with Carmen, but that didn't mean he was anywhere near getting past the Andreas thing with her. He just wanted to sleep, do the competition in the morning and, maybe, after that was out of the way, he'd try to deal with this other shit. Jamming his keycard into the door, he stepped inside the darkened room, his eyes immediately going to the bed. With the curtains closed, the room was practically pitch-black but, using the bit of light from the TV, which was on with the sound muted, he started to take a step toward the bed, but came up short, staring hard into the darkness as the door clicked shut behind him. His eyes narrowed, tracing the dark outline of the bed—and the shadowy silhouettes of not one, but two figures, asleep in it. He physically felt his skin tighten as he took in the fact that, lying next to Anna's sleeping form, was Sam; stretched the length of the bed, one hand tucked under his head, the other cradling the TV remote against his chest. Jealousy, white-hot and almost painful, roared to life in his chest at the sight of Anna and Sam in bed together. It didn't matter to him that she was under the covers while Sam had fallen asleep on top of the comforter; it didn't matter to Jason that he and Anna were fighting, or that he had no business wanting to jerk Sam awake with a fist around his throat. Staring at them, asleep in the dark, all he could think about was the fact that they'd damn near been attached at the hip these last few weeks and, according to Anna, she and Sam had already spent half the morning together. And who'd come to her rescue tonight when she'd shoved that shit about Rachel in his face? Sam. Jason ground his teeth together, ripping his gaze from the pair of them in the bed, to stare, hard, at the far wall, but not really seeing it. He didn't know what was going on between the two of them and, in that moment, he fiercely decided that he didn't give a shit, one way or the other. The only thing he did know was that, after everything that'd gone down in the last few hours, he never should've come back here tonight. Turning his back on both Sam and Anna, he walked out of the room without a backward glance, and stalked down the hall toward the elevator. The second it opened, he stepped inside and punched the button for the ninth floor. * * * "For the record," Anna told Sam when he knocked on her hotel room door the next morning, "you are the worst pep talker ever." He chuckled at her light sarcasm. "I know, I know. I fell asleep last night. I'm sorry." He paused, scanning her from head to toe with a searching glance, his gold-brown brows dipping into a concerned frown. "And, I hate to say it, kid, but you look like hell." Grimacing, Anna ran a hand through her hair, which was still damp from her shower. Sam wasn't usually so blunt but, considering the night she'd had, she knew he wasn't exaggerating. In the aftermath of her run-in with Jason, she hadn't exactly slept well, and it showed. "Believe me, I know," she muttered. Stepping back from the door, she let Sam catch and hold it open, asking over her shoulder, "What time did you leave last night, by the way?" "Around three, I think. You were pretty much passed out by then." She laughed, mirthlessly. "Yeah, a fight with Jason will do that to you." Crossing the room, she went to grab her keys and purse off the bedside table, the whole time, forcing herself not to look at Jason's side of the bed, to ignore the fact that the blankets were still tucked in, proof enough that he hadn't come back after their fight. Not that she needed proof. She'd lain awake half the night, worrying about him. By one in the morning, when it became clear that Jason was studiously ignoring the few texts, and two voicemails, she'd sent him, she'd called Sam to see if he'd heard from him. And Sam, ever the peace-keeper, had come over to keep her company, even though she hadn't exactly been in the mood to talk—well, to anyone besides Jason. Best intentions aside, Sam had fallen asleep first, and she hadn't even been able to muster the interest to turn the TV off, despite the fact that it meant she was stuck watching ESPN highlights. Apparently, that'd been enough to lull her to sleep because, the next thing she knew, she'd been awoken by her phone ringing this morning, and Sam's voice on the other end, telling her that he was taking her to breakfast. "Ready?" he asked holding the door open as he gifted her with a slow, easy smile. "Yep." She nodded, edging out into the hallway, Sam falling into step next to her. "So," he began, his voice gentle, as they headed for the elevators, "I know you didn't want to talk about it last night but...how'd things go with Jason?" His tone told her that he had a pretty good idea how things had gone, but, she knew it was part of Sam's Good Guy code of honor to check in on her. She sighed, staring down at the hideous hotel room carpet as they stopped in front of the elevator. "Well, I haven't seen or heard from Jason since about ten minutes after you left last night, so...yeah." Sam was silent for a moment. When he spoke, his tone was full of wary hesitation. "Did he...did he tell you? About him, and Andreas, and what happened?" A small laugh broke from her, but the sound was hollow, the edges tinged by the sharp sting of her own regret, and by the memory of Jason's rage. "Yeah, he told me," she murmured. "He told me everything." Everything. Such a small, unassuming word for such a complete and total mess. "And?" Sam urged. "And...it was awful." She squeezed her eyes shut as the look on Jason's face came back to her in crystal clear clarity. "I had no idea. He never said a word to me, Sam. About any of this." Next to her, Sam sighed. "Did you really expect him to?" He paused, as if he were searching for words, trying to figure out how to phrase his next statement. "After everything that went down with Andreas and Rachel, Jay did what he always does—got drunk for about three straight days, and then, when he came out of it, he never said a word about Rachel or Andreas again. My guess is that he just wanted to pretend like none of it ever happened." Anna closed her eyes, fighting the urge to cry. She knew Sam was trying to make her feel better, trying to explain Jason's actions, but none of this was news to her; she knew all about Jason's tendency to emotionally stonewall people. She'd spent what felt like a lifetime trying to get him to break down those walls but, as close as she and Jason were, and as much as she loved him, she constantly found herself locked out of those parts of his life. She didn't resent him for that. Could never resent him for it, considering the way he'd grown up but...that didn't make it any easier on her, either. "I just wish he'd call me," she half-whispered, staring at the numbers above the elevator slowly light up, then go out, as it approached their floor. "You haven't talked to him, at all, since last night?" Sam asked. She shook her head. "No. I've called him about a half dozen times, and nothing. Actually, the last time I called, he'd turned his phone off, and it went straight to voicemail." Sam swore under his breath. "He's just determined to pout, isn't he?" he muttered, but Anna got the feeling he was talking more to himself, than to her. "I wouldn't exactly call this 'pouting'," Anna said, thinking back to Jason's unadulterated fury, "but, yeah, seems like he's definitely planning to ignore me, for the time being, at least." God, she hated how whiny, how pathetic she sounded, especially when Sam reached over and pulled her into a light hug. "You guys'll be fine," he murmured next to her cheek. "Jay's just...pissed off right now. That's not an excuse for all the drama and crap, but," he leaned back to look at her, his expression turning serious, "he's always been a little bit crazy when it comes to Andreas. Give it some time." Anna returned Sam's gentle smile. That was one of the best things about him; though he and Jay were incredibly similar in a lot of ways, Sam had an innate gentleness and a seemingly never ending supply of patience. Deep down, she knew she relied a bit too much on his caretaker tendencies, but...when it came to Jason, sometimes she needed someone in her corner. "You know what really sucks?" she said, looking up at Sam. "What's that?" A mirthless smile touched her lips. "If Andreas hadn't been here, none of this would've ever happened." Sam's laugh was hard and short. "You have no idea how many people have probably said those same words after meeting that guy." A moment later, the elevator doors slid open, and they both stepped inside; it wasn't until they were fully in, and about to turn around to face the front, that Anna glanced up and met Andreas' penetrating gray gaze. She barely managed to stifle a groan. Seriously? It was too early in the morning for her to have to deal with this. "Jesus..." Sam muttered, noticing Andreas a split second after she did. "Good morning," Andreas breathed, his eyes glowing with open, undisguised interest as he grinned at her. She gave him a small smile, one she knew didn't reach her eyes. "Hi." He didn't miss her flat tone; she could see it in the way his eyes narrowed the slightest bit, but he only broadened his smile and, leaning toward her, half-whispered, "I was hoping to see you again, after we had to cut things short last night." The intimacy in his tone, his stance, made her the tiniest bit uncomfortable. As did the fact that he was completing ignoring Sam, acting like he wasn't standing next to her. "Yeah, well, it's probably a good thing things didn't go any further than they did. Considering..." she trailed off. What was the point of beating around the bush when it came to the fact that Jason hated the guy, and had come dangerously close to doing him bodily harm, last night? It wasn't like Andreas didn't already know all of that, anyway. The cool smirk on Andreas's face pretty much confirmed that fact for her. "You're right. I'm surprised Jason was able to control himself. For once." Sam swore under his breath at that comment, but Andreas barreled on, as if he hadn't heard him. "Anyway, I've got to compete right now," he told her, "but can I buy you lunch, later?" She slanted a glance at Sam, then back to Andreas. "We already have plans, actually." "I see. Well, I guess I'll have to try my luck again, tonight." "What's tonight?" she asked. "The club party the competition is hosting." He tilted his head, studying her. "You knew about that, right? It's supposed to be the highlight of the competition. Besides the awards ceremony, of course." "Oh. Right." Anna nodded. She'd forgotten all about that. Jason had been excited to see what, methods the competition organizers used to fuse the desserts and club scene, so he and Sam could possibly borrow some ideas for Sugar. "You'll be there, right?" Andreas pressed. She gave a noncommittal shrug. "I...I don't know. I'd planned to, but..." That was before all of the Jason-related drama from the last twenty-four hours. "I'm not so sure now." "Well, if you do decide to come, I'm sure I'll see you there," he pressed, still smiling at her in that odd, slightly sensual way. "Maybe," she returned, breathing a sigh of relief when the elevator reached the bottom floor, where she and Sam left Andreas behind, with barely a parting glance. The more she ran into him, the more uncomfortable he was starting to make her feel. Like, the fact that he seemed so perfectly at ease with her, even knowing the history that existed between him and Jason, was odd. Not to mention the way he kept approaching her, hitting on her without batting an eye. It all kind of put her on edge. But, she had to admit to herself, another huge part of her growing aversion to him was that seeing him in the elevator just now was a harsh reminder of everything that'd gone wrong with her and Jason last night. And, for that reason, alone, she couldn't get away from him fast enough. * * * Andreas stepped out of the elevator in Sam and Anna's wake. Strolling leisurely toward the competition room, he tracked the pair's progress as they crossed the foyer and disappeared into the hotel restaurant. He smiled to himself, smoothing a hand over the front of his pristinely white chef's coat. He didn't like brunettes. Never had. They were just so...ordinary. He'd always assumed that was the one thing he and Jason had in common; their taste in women. But now, running into Jason here, in Chicago of all places, and discovering his obvious attachment to Anna, who he guarded like a damned Victorian virgin, Andreas was beginning to think that maybe Jason wasn't as predictable, as easily manipulated as he'd always been. But no...the smile on his lips slid away. He was giving him too much credit. Jason was the same; the same arrogant, talentless, nobody who people had been ass-kissing since back at the CIA where, for the two years before Jason had shown up, Andreas had lived, breathed the pastry school, and had been recognized as its shining talent. Hell, even before he'd enrolled at the CIA, he'd traveled the world with his uncle and father, learning from some of the best culinary minds in the industry. Food wasn't simply an occupation, or a career choice in his family. It was a way of life. Which was why he'd chosen to attend the CIA. His family expected of him. It was all with the intention of continuing their culinary legacy. He was to be the next, in a long line of Giordanos, to continue the family tradition. And, for two years, he was the best; the undisputed best in the school. Then, Jason showed up—this untrained, undisciplined piece of trash from some backwater town in the middle of nowhere and, suddenly, people were falling all over themselves, drooling over Jason's perceived raw talent, his supposed instinct, for God's sake. It was disgusting. Unlike Andreas, Jason had known nothing of classical technique; could not have defined a dacquoise from a simple, almond nougatine. Yet, everyone had fallen under his spell...even Andreas's uncle, after awhile. His own damn uncle who, three months ago, had fired Andreas as head pastry chef at one of Giordano family's Manhattan boutique hotels. Andreas pressed his lips together in a firm, tense line. In the aftermath of Jason Blake, he had nothing left. Nothing save his name. This competition was his second chance to finally, and truly, put Jason in his place. To prove, not only to himself, but to his family, and the culinary world, at large, that he was, and had always been, the more talented chef. Sweet Talk Ch. 05 Forcing the scowl from his face, he took on a mien of benign indifference and entered the competition room. Almost without trying, his gaze found Jason, already setting up at his station, and Andreas had to physically swallow past the lump of pure hatred that lodged in his throat. There would be time for that later. Right now, in this moment, he needed to concentrate. If he was going to win here—which he would—he had to get inside Jason's head, both in and out of the competition room. And, if there was one thing that Andreas knew for certain, it was that the best, surest way to fuck with Jason's head, was through a woman. * * * Anna checked the time on her phone as she walked into the dark, crowded interior of the Skyline bar. Just like Sam had told her and Jason the other night, the place had been transformed from a low-key, relatively quiet lounge, to a loud night club, packed from wall to wall with people celebrating the end of the competition. The winners wouldn't be announced until the following morning, but the contest organizers obviously wanted to make sure that everyone—winners or losers—had a good time tonight. Unfortunately, the fully stocked bar, laser light show, and the huge spread of decadent desserts set up opposite the entrance were all like salt in the wounds of Anna's frayed emotions. She hadn't even wanted to come tonight but Sam, as always, had managed to talk her into showing up; not because either of them thought she'd have a good time, though. Mostly, it was because they figured, if she had any chance of getting Jason to talk to her, it'd be here. Though, she admitted to herself, even that might take some effort, considering he'd been avoiding her all day. To be honest, the fact that he wouldn't even talk to her was really starting to annoy her, but she tamped that feeling down, knowing that if she let his temper get to her, they'd never get this whole thing figured out. Chewing her lip, she craned her neck, searching the crowd for any sign of Sam. They'd planned to come together, but he'd ended up getting a last-minute call from one of the managers at Sugar, and told her he'd meet her when he had the situation taken care of. She'd briefly considered changing her mind, not coming at all, but by that point, she'd already done her hair, and put on one of the other dresses she'd bought on her outing with Sam—and, really, the only thing more depressing than getting dressed for a club party she didn't want to go to, was the idea of getting undressed after having not gone, at all. So, here she was. Alone. With no sign of Sam, and no idea where to even begin looking for Jason. Or if he'd even be willing to talk to her, once she found him. Annoyed with herself and the whole situation, she wound her way through the maze of cocktail tables dotting the main floor, and headed for the bar. By some miracle, she didn't have to elbow her way through the milling crowd, and actually managed to reach the actual bar without a ton of effort. At the glass-topped counter, the bartender, an attractive, dark-haired guy with tribal tattoos spanning his muscular forearms, propped an elbow on the counter and smiled a crooked grin that reminded her of Jason. "What can I get you?" Anna glanced at two guys who were standing just off to her right. "I think they were first, actually." The bartender's grin turned flirtatiously playful as he scanned her from head to toe. "I'm the one with the cocktail shaker, so I call the shots," he told her, "and I say, you're definitely next." Rolling her eyes at his less-than-sincere flattery, she said, "I'll have a cosmo." He shook his head. "You don't want a cosmo." His charmingly arrogant tone proved that he and Jason had more in common than their smiles. Anna lifted an eyebrow. "I don't?" His grin kicked up a notch. "Nope. You want a mojito. I make the best in the city." She laughed at his languid cockiness. "Alright. I guess I'm having a mojito, then." "Sweet." He wiggled his eyebrows at her, and, with flamboyant flair, threw together the drink with a speed and expertise that would've met even Sam's impossibly high bartending standards. He sat the glass in front of her. "Eight bucks, even." She reached to open her purse, but stopped when she heard Andreas's voice, just over her shoulder, telling the bartender, "Put it on my tab." "No problem," the bartender said and, before Anna could stop him, he turned and ducked back behind the bar, headed for the cash register. Turning, Anna frowned at Andreas. "Thanks. But in the future, I'd rather pay for my own drinks." "I'm Italian," he said, by way of explanation. "Letting a beautiful woman buy her own drinks goes against my breeding. Not to mention," he added, as he slid in next to her at the bar counter, so close that she could feel the heat rising from his body, "this is one of the few I've seen you without one or both of your guard dogs. I had to commemorate the occasion." "If you're talking about my friends," she countered, "Sam'll be here in a few minutes. So, there's not much of an occasion to celebrate." Andreas cocked an eyebrow in surprise. "Friends? You're friends with Jason Blake." There was something about his tone, slightly sarcastic and the tiniest bit confrontational, that bothered Anna, but she decided to ignore it. "Why do I get the feeling you're surprised by the fact that Jason and I are friends?" "No, no. I'm not," he protested, only to concede, "Well...knowing his reputation, I didn't think Jason had it in him to do the 'just friends' thing with a woman. I just assumed that you and he were...more than that." Wow. She'd been trying, and failing, to drive home the 'just friends' thing in her own head for so long that, the irony of having this conversation with Andreas of all people, was practically the last straw. "Well, you were wrong," she muttered, sipping from her drink. "Jason and I—and Sam—are all just friends." "Well, then..." Andreas grinned. "Maybe, I won't have to put in nearly as much effort as I thought I would." "At what?" she asked, warily. "Getting you to agree to have a drink with me." He slid his hand across the bar, so it came to rest a fraction of an inch from her fingertips. "What do you say?" Expelling an annoyed breath, she lifted her half-empty glass. "I already have a drink. You paid for it, remember?" He laughed again. "Yes, but, this isn't exactly what I had in mind for us." It was on the tip of her tongue to tell him that, when it came to the two of them, there was no 'us,' but for the sake of preserving the last remnants of civility between the Jason and Andreas camps, she held back. Only asking, "And what, exactly, did you have in mind?" He shrugged. "A change of venue, mostly. We can probably still have room service sent up tonight. Or, better yet," he murmured, his gaze dropping to her mouth, "have breakfast tomorrow morning." Anna stared at him, not knowing if she should laugh in his face, or turn around and walk away. Before now, she'd let his comments slide because they'd seemed harmless. But now, knowing the history between him and Jason, she was starting to realize that all of this, Andreas's whole coming on too strong act, was more about Jason, than it was about her. She took a deep breath, and turned to face him, fully. "I really don't think—" The rest of her comment died in her mouth as her gaze slid past Andreas to where, at the other end of the U-shaped bar, Jason had just appeared with some woman—a beautiful, olive-skinned woman, with long, gorgeous inky-black hair. And, in that moment, the missing puzzle piece of where Jason had likely spent the night came together in Anna's mind with a loud, sickening click. "Speaking of Jason..." Andreas murmured, his cool gaze following hers. In the next instant, almost as if he'd heard Andreas, Jason looked up, across the length of the bar and, his golden eyes slammed into hers, his brows drawing together into a deep scowl when he saw Andreas next to her. Anna swallowed. Suddenly, with Jason's large form just a few dozen feet away, the room felt smaller, cramped. Without a word to Andreas, she pushed away from the bar, and walked over to Jason, acutely aware of the way he was warily tracking her progress. Thirty seconds, and she was there, standing next to him. The woman he was with momentarily distracted as she chatted with a bartender. With the low hum of her mojito buzz in her veins, Anna took the opportunity she was given. "Hey," she murmured. When he didn't say anything, she licked her bottom lip, took a tentative step toward him. "I...I've been calling you. All night. Are you okay?" A hard, sarcastic smile touched his lips."I think the better question is, how's Andreas doing tonight? Looks like you two are having a nice, little reunion." She took a deep breath, knowing that, before anything else, she had to explain why he'd just seen her with the guy who was, basically, the reason they were fighting. "Look, Andreas came up to me. Bought me a drink. I told him not to do that, and that was the end of it. Now," she searched Jason's closed-off features, "can you answer my question? Are you okay? I was worried about you." He smirked. "Besides being hung-over, and not in the mood for this conversation? Yeah, I'm just peachy." With their stalemate broken, he rested both elbows on the counter, the lapels of his chef's coat falling open with the motion, and glanced away. Usually, she loved the sight of him in the crisp, white double-breasted jacket; had never been able to get over how amazing his golden skin looked against the crisp, pristine fabric. At the moment, though, all she could do was stare at his profile in mute disbelief. How could he be so...dismissive? Here, she'd been beating herself up over their argument, had gotten almost no sleep because she'd been so worried about him, and now, he walked in and barely acknowledged her presence? She moved so she was back in his line of sight. "So, what? You're not even going to talk to me, now?" He slanted her a brief, totally cursory glance. "I think we did enough talking last night, don't you?" She inhaled sharply, then exhaled, struggling to keep her voice calm, steady. The last thing she, or either of them needed, was to descend into another shouting match. "Last night wasn't us talking," she countered. "That was us screaming at each other. And, I'm sorry for how that all started. For why it started, but can you just look at me for a second?" This time, he did look at her—and the look he gave her wasn't short, or dismissive. Facing her, he cocked his head to the side, his jaw tense. "Maybe I don't feel like talking, Anna. You ever think about that? In fact," he took a long, slow swallow of his drink, his eyes boring into hers, "maybe I'm tired of talking. Maybe I'm sick of every damn thing these last few weeks turning into World War Three when it comes to us." "We had a fight, Jay. That doesn't mean we can't talk about it." "Yeah, it kinda does," he cut in, practically slamming his beer bottle onto the counter. "Right now, all I want to do is finish my beer in peace, okay?" Pressing her lips together, Anna prayed for patience even though, when it came to Jason, she'd probably need a year's supply for it to do her any good. Like Sam had said, Jason was obviously determined to drag their argument out; unfortunately for him, she wasn't about to just let him cut out and brood. "Seriously?" she said, stepping toward him, determined to make it harder for him to ignore her, "You can't even give me five minutes?" "Sorry." He carelessly tipped his head toward the woman at his elbow. "I'm busy." Anna started to reply, to tell him that hooking up with some random woman wasn't her idea of him being 'busy,' but just as she opened her mouth to speak, she cut off as the woman Jason was with leaned forward, past the wall of his broad shoulders, and smiled uneasily. "S-sorry," she murmured, glancing from Jason, to Anna, then back at Jason. "I don't mean to interrupt." "Don't worry about it," Jason said, gifting her with one of his standard-issue grins—one that made Anna want to slap him across the face for being such a jerk to her, yet pulling out all of his sweet talker stops for a stranger. Obviously sensing the tension, the woman leaned a bit further forward and smiled at Anna. "Hi. I'm Carmen." Anna couldn't be sure, but she thought she was able to force her mouth into something that, at a distance, might look like a smile. "I'm Anna." She must've done a decent job, too, because Carmen smiled back—a completely innocent, and totally welcoming smile, one that inadvertently broke Anna's heart just the tiniest bit more. Because, up close, Carmen was just as beautiful as Anna had thought. Painfully beautiful. She was exactly Jason's type: perfectly proportioned, and dripping with sex appeal. God. They couldn't even go to the Midwest without him starting up a new chapter of the Jason Blake fan club. "You ready?" Jason asked Carmen, standing up. "I think I saw some empty booth's over by the door." "Yeah. Sure," Carmen replied, and the smile she gave him was like a punch in Anna's stomach. Not so much because she hadn't seen women look at Jay like that before—because she had; more times than she could count—but because he returned that smile with a slow, uncompromising ease, when he couldn't even look at her with anything more than muted anger. "It was nice to meet you, Anna," Carmen said, as she and Jason started to move away, into the crowd. "You, too," Anna murmured, quietly, staring at Jason's profile. And, almost as an afterthought, he glanced over his shoulder at her a second before the crowd swallowed him and Carmen. The last vestiges of the smile he'd gifted her, this random woman he'd picked up God knew where, slid from his face as he looked at Anna, his lips barely moving as he uttered a cool, detached, "See you later." Anna didn't bother responding. Just stood there, staring after him, as he turned and walked away. A moment passed, then another. And, out of nowhere, there was Andreas, at her elbow again, handing her a new, brimming drink. " You look like you need this," he said. Without thinking, her eyes still tracking Jason's departure, she accepted the glass and took two or three, long gulps. "Feel better now?" Andreas queried, when the glass was nearly empty. "Not really." She didn't even look at him as she handed the cup back, then turned, and started pushing her way, blindly, through the crowd, with no idea where she was going. "Hold on a second, Anna," Andreas called after her. She ignored him. All she knew was that she wanted to be moving in the opposite direction of Jason and his date, and that's the way she started heading. Toward the exit. If she were perfectly honest, in that moment, she was wishing she could leave not only the bar, but the hotel, and Chicago, too. It had been a mistake, coming here with Jason. She'd known it since before she'd ever officially agreed to come; they'd just gotten back on track, were just re-settling into that familiar place in their friendship, where being together was easy, comfortable. That's what she'd told herself, at least. Only 'easy' and 'comfortable' weren't exactly topping the list of vocabulary words she'd use to describe their interactions lately. Tempestuous came to mind which, in a way, broke her heart more than finding out that Jason had been in love; more than running into him tonight while he was with another woman. She'd always been able to count on his friendship. Always. Had known that, now that she was trying to get over him, his friendship would have to be enough to sustain her for the rest of her life. But, with the way things were between them lately, she didn't know where she stood. Didn't know where they stood. And, that was an awful, soul-crushing feeling. That emptiness, alone, was enough to tell her that she'd been right. Her decision to move on from Jason—as half-heartedly as she might be going about it—had to happen. His natural volatility, combined with her inability to keep her feelings for him in check, was enough evidence that, letting him go, entirely, was the only way she'd ever have any peace. She just had to commit to it—because she couldn't do this to herself anymore. Finally breaking free of the bar crowd, she made her way into the hallway, where the cooler air washed over her face and bare arms as she headed for the elevator. She slowed, slightly, trying to calm herself as she walked to the elevators. Only, after ten, maybe fifteen steps, she had the oddest sensation—almost like, she couldn't get her legs and her brain to cooperate. She stumbled; could hear her heartbeat in her ears, the rhythm seeming abnormally slow and heavy. Suddenly, she felt so strange, light-headed, like she might be sick or pass out, and she didn't want to do either of those things in the middle of a hotel hallway. And definitely not within sight of Andreas's haughty, gray-eyed scrutiny. Yeah, that would be the perfect end to a perfect night. She forced herself to concentrate, and achieved a minor victory when she finally reached the elevators without embarrassing herself. Punching the down button, she pawed through her purse until she found her phone, and dialed Sam's number. He answered on the second ring. "Hey, sorry. I know I'm running late. I had to fax some stuff to Sugar, but I'll be up there in—" "No, it's fine," she cut in, her hair falling in her face as she stepped into the empty elevator, all the while, digging in her purse for her room key card. "I'm going back downstairs, anyway." "What? Why?" Why? How to answer that question without succumbing to tears? Closing her eyes, she swallowed past the faint, unexpected tickle of nausea rising in her throat. "I...I ran into Jason, and he's acting like an ass, and I just...I don't really feel like being up here anymore." The elevator doors slid open and, there was a short pause, before Sam said, "Okay...do you want to do something else, then?" "No. Honestly, I'm not in the mood. And, I'm not feeling so great, right now." Blowing out a frustrated breath, she stepped out of the elevator, propped her purse up on her knee, and started digging through it in earnest. Where the heck had she put the keycard? A moment later, when it still hadn't turned up, she said, "Sam, I've gotta go. I can't find my room key, and I...I really need to lie down." Even to her own ears, her voice sounded off-kilter, and she was fighting a losing battle against a growing fog of dizziness. What was wrong with her? "Anna, are you okay?" Sam asked, after a moment. She shook her head, trying to clear it. "Yeah, I'm fine. I had...a few drinks. I'm...just going to go to bed." "Okay..." Sam's wary voice found her again, though it seemed like he was talking from a long distance away. "I'll probably swing by later, but call me if you change your mind, and you want to hang out before then." "Sure," she said, and hung up. Making her way down the hallway was an unexpected challenge. As she neared her hotel room door, she truly began to worry that she might throw up. This is what she got for drinking on an empty stomach. Although, she foggily reasoned, she'd never gotten this drunk, this quickly before, empty stomach, or no. Shaking her head, again, to clear it, she forced herself the last few steps down the hall. Finally—finally—she reached the hotel room door, and, still digging for her keycard, she promptly dropped her purse on the floor, its contents spilling out across the carpet. "Dammit!" Sweet Talk Ch. 05 "Need some help?" came a low, masculine voice, just down the hall. Confused, she peered over her shoulder to find Andreas strolling leisurely toward her. "You don't look so good," he said, but the look on his face wasn't one of concern; it was annoyed frustration. In that moment, a terrifying question crossed her foggy brain: had Andreas put something in her drink? What else would explain what was happening to her? Too late, she realized her mistake in leaving the bar to come back downstairs, in isolating herself. She'd basically trapped herself. The only way out was to go back toward Andreas, to the elevators, and she could feel the effects of whatever he'd given her pressing in on her brain, her limbs going heavy and languid. If Andreas came anywhere near her, she knew she wouldn't be able to fight him off for long. And, then, God only knew what'd happen to her. She had to distract him until, hopefully, someone else came into the hallway. "Did you follow me down here?" she demanded, having to force the words past the thickness of her tongue. He shrugged, his eyes pinned to hers with a disconcerting directness. "What if I did?" Unease snaked through her belly, but she tamped it down, trying to stay calm. "Look, I don't know if I gave you the wrong idea, but—" He cut her off with a low, intimate laugh, as he bent to where her purse was still on the floor and picked the keycard out of the pile of her spilled possessions, holding it out to her. "We're alone now," he said, silkily. "You don't have to pretend you're not interested." He stepped in close to her, way too close for comfort, bringing with him the strong scent of his expensive cologne. "I won't tell Jason, if you don't." Anna stared at him, not even bothering to hide her aversion, now, despite the nausea roiling in her belly. "There's nothing to tell Jason, because I'm not pretending. And I'm definitely not interested." At her tone, his gaze turned cold. "But you're interested in Jason, right? Even after all of that 'we're just friends' nonsense." He eyed her speculatively. "I saw you with him just now, you know? Saw the way you were looking at him. Saw how he threw that other woman in your face. Don't tell me you don't want to get back at him." He moved in even closer, until he had her boxed in between his body and the door. "I can help you. I know all about pushing Jason's buttons. All you have to do," he whispered, "is let me push a few of yours." She held his gaze, not bothering to hide her disgust, even as she snatched the keycard from his fingers and slid it into the door. "This has nothing to do with Jason," she hiked her chin and glared at him. "If you want to know the truth, I just don't like you very much." His mouth tightened with irritation as he caught her chin and held her face immobile. "I don't need you to like me, cara, but I can promise you'll like how I make you feel." She jerked her head away from his grasp, and shoved at his chest. "You've got three seconds to get the hell away from me." At her side, her one, free hand felt heavy, boneless, but she realized, it still held her phone. Shielding her hand behind her thigh, she concentrated, hard, on sliding her thumb horizontally to unlock the touch-screen, blindly punching the keys, every instinct in her knowing that she was in trouble—and needed Jason. Fury washed over Andreas's handsome features, at her challenge. "You're nothing but a little tease," he spat, only to cut off as he caught the muffled sound of Jason's end of the phone ringing in her hand, just before it clicked over to voicemail. The sound of Jason's voice filled the deserted hallway. "You've reached Jason Blake. Sorry I missed your call, but go ahead and leave a message here, or try me at Sugar." The beep sounded, and Andreas smiled coldly. In the next instant, his hand shot out and clamped onto her upper arm. She cried out in pain, the phone falling from her hand. "Looks like it's just you and me, after all," Andreas murmured. Then, before she could react, or gather the breath to truly scream, he slammed his other hand over her mouth, and shoved her backward through the half-open door into the dark, empty hotel room. Sweet Talk Ch. 05 [LilyAnna]: another great trance, they just feel so good Lily Anna was awake and relaxed, feeling the heat and glow following one of her best cums yet. Life was good again, but she was still tired. She could sure use a nap or more hypnosis. She started typing with one hand while the other began to finger her waiting pussy. She was such a horny slut, but she loved it. [SlipsInsideHer]: so do you want to play some more tonight? [LilyAnna]: I kind of already am ;) [SlipsInsideHer]: not like that you slut, lol [SlipsInsideHer]: Tell me more about your supervisor. She was pleased when you called her Ms Mortimer [LilyAnna]: Yes, very. I felt a bit embarrassed at first. [SlipsInsideHer]: Why was that? [LilyAnna]: I never used to call her anything other than Jane. [LilyAnna]: In fact, I always felt like I wanted her to know I was as good as her. [SlipsInsideHer]: So you felt competitive? [LilyAnna]: Yeh. I would never have called her Ms Mortimer before. [SlipsInsideHer]: Yet now it felt natural? [LilyAnna]: Yes. I was a bit angry with myself as she lorded it over me. [SlipsInsideHer]: {w+} but it felt good to make her pleased? [LilyAnna]: Well yes. I thought: she is my supervisor, after all. [SlipsInsideHer]: and it is important to please her {w+}? [LilyAnna]: yes. It will help me get on in the company. Lily Anna's fingers were finding increasing urgency as she talked about pleasing her supervisor. Somehow, she felt excited by being deferential and not getting her way. [SlipsInsideHer]: How do you feel about it now? Lily Anna stared at the question for a moment. Shocked. Was he reading her mind? [LilyAnna]: I'm feeling turned on by it. It's strange. [SlipsInsideHer]: {w+}{w+} doesn't sound so strange to me. She is your supervisor and oversees your work. A good office girl always tries to do the work she is assigned as best she can. Lily Anna's fingers were working fast as she considered herself trying to be a good office girl. She felt horny as she considered how inferior she considered herself to be compared to Ms Mortimer. She worried that she was not so quick and she had to work harder just to keep up. She needed her approval, and while this felt humiliating to acknowledge her inferiority, she was increasingly aware she was about to cum. [SlipsInsideHer]: You should be pleased that your bimbo side gets turned on by your deference to your superiors. You need to acknowledge your place in the order of things. If letting your superiors hear that acknowledgement turns you on, then it will please you to please them, won't it? {w+} God, the more she thought about Jane Mortimer as her superior, the more she felt mortified and electrified at the same time. She felt a knot forming in her stomach and trying to rise up her throat. Yet somehow it felt blocked and rested like a lump in her throat. She was on the point of cumming, her fingers were pounding into her pussy, and yet she knew...somehow she knew she needed him to allow her to cum. [LilyAnna]: fuck... i need to cum [SlipsInsideHer]: then why don't you? [LilyAnna]: need u ... to let meeee [SlipsInsideHer]: You mean you recognise I have control your cums? [LilyAnna]: Yessss...need it now. Lily Anna's fingers were working overtime, her thumb circling over her clit, her legs parted in a lewd display, yet she no longer cared about dignity. She just kept going over and over in her mind how she needed this release. [SlipsInsideHer]: good girl. You see how turned on you become when you do what comes naturally, instead of trying to fight it. [SlipsInsideHer]: I will let you cum now, but there will be a price to pay. Are you ready to pay the price, whatever I may decide it to be, in order to be allowed to cum? Lily Anna felt so humiliated yet her feelings of desperation were mounting. She could no longer resist this craving desire to cum, and any price was worth it. She told herself that he had looked after her at work today – the price he would ask would be ok too. Yet she knew she was out of control, and this too just seemed to feed her desire. [LilyAnna]: Yesss...anything [SlipsInsideHer]: Then cum now in one massive cum and as your body unwinds afterwards here the rustling of those leaves and feel yourself slipping away into a deep and relaxing trance. Lily Anna's body rocked in the chair as the lump in her throat finally dislodged itself and exploded in her brain. She came like an eruption, it felt so powerful, her mind was in overload. A mixture of raw lust fuelled by fleeting memories of the erotic stories she had fed herself at lunchtime. Then she started to settle back and her mind drifted to a relaxed place, swinging in her hammock under the gentle rustle of leaves. Somewhere in her mind drifted the thought of a price to pay, but any anxiety she had felt had drifted away as the thought evaporated in the sunlight. Sweet Talk Ch. 06 [SlipsInsideHer]: back into hypnosis [SlipsInsideHer]:deeper into accepting my words [SlipsInsideHer]:deeper into obeying [SlipsInsideHer]: and you know you've just agreed to pay the price [SlipsInsideHer]: don't you? [LilyAnna]: y [SlipsInsideHer]: we are going to change the way you think about your body [SlipsInsideHer]: it's time to recognise the difference between a good office girl [SlipsInsideHer]: and other women. Important people like Ms Mortimer, they are women, and they deserve your respect. You understand that now, don't you? [LilyAnna]: ys [SlipsInsideHer]: but you are a good office girl. You are not important like the other people in your office. You need to be deferential, that is why you called Ms Mortimer by her surname and you allowed her to call you Lil, isn't it? [LilyAnna]: i guess [SlipsInsideHer]: sure, and Ms Mortimer, being a woman who is respected, she has a chest and she has breasts doesn't she? [LilyAnna]: yes, she does. [SlipsInsideHer]: what do men call breasts? [LilyAnna]: tits [SlipsInsideHer]: that's right; but tits isn't a very respectful word is it? [LilyAnna]: no [SlipsInsideHer]: So it wouldn't be appropriate to use such a word for Ms Mortimer's breasts would it? [LilyAnna]: no, gess ntt. [SlipsInsideHer]: You wouldn't hear the guys in the office talking about Ms Mortimer's tits, now would you? [LilyAnna]: no wouldnt [SlipsInsideHer]: But a silly office girl who is just a bimbo, now that is different. No one shows deference to a bimbo do they? [LilyAnna]: nno? [SlipsInsideHer]: Of course not. Men would happily talk about a bimbo's tits. They wouldn't use such a respectful word like breasts for an office bimbo's tits would they? [LilyAnna]: well nno, I guess they woddnt [SlipsInsideHer]: and you know that you are a bimbo, someone who aspires to be a good little office girl. So you see, your chest can't have breasts can it? [LilyAnna]: I gues nott [SlipsInsideHer]: What do you have? [LilyAnna]: tits [SlipsInsideHer]: but that is such as masculine word isn't it? A good office girl wouldn't refer to them as tits, she is not one of the guys is she? [LilyAnna]: nno [SlipsInsideHer]: No, so she would use a more playful word, wouldn't she? She would call them her titties. Of course he was right. Just as the word titties wouldn't feel appropriate for someone important like Ms Mortimer, so too the word breasts didn't really capture the highly sensitised chest on her bimbo frame. None of the guys would use the word tits for someone important like Ms Mortimer. Yet how natural it now felt for them to use the word tits when talking about her. In fact, the idea of them discussing her in this way made her tingle with anticipation. [SlipsInsideHer]: a good girl has titties and she loves to play with them. Hold your titties now in your hands. [SlipsInsideHer]: Don't they feel great as you feel their weight? Brush your hands over them, feel how sensitive the flesh is. [SlipsInsideHer]: Remember the visualisation? Imagine now your hands belong to that guy. Of course he wants to feel your titties, he is drawn to them. As you sit there fondling them, think of how playful that word titties is. Let it roll around inside your head. [SlipsInsideHer]: Feel the warmth of those hands cupping them, stroking them. Feel the fingers press at your nips, those little nips that go ping whenever you get excited. You are excited now aren't you? [LilyAnna]: y [SlipsInsideHer]: Of course you are, you are always excited when playing with your titties. It is natural for you to want him to play with them. You love the warmth he is generating in them. [SlipsInsideHer]: and those naughty little nips are rock hard, aren't they? They always give you away and let him know just how hot he is making you. Lily Anna stroked at her titties, the word spinning in her head. Such a playful word, it excited her. She could feel them hot to the touch of her fingers. As she stretched forward, she felt her nips betray the feelings coursing through her. Her bimbo body was always responsive, always transparent. She loved the way it responded to the manipulation of this man's fingers. [SlipsInsideHer]: That's right, from now on, you will always think of them as your titties. Other women have breasts, that word is suitable for them as they are important. Guys respect them. [SlipsInsideHer]: It will seem alien to you to use the word breasts for yourself, however. It won't feel comfortable. It won't feel right, will it? [LilyAnna]: nt right Her diminution sent an unconscious shiver down her spine. [SlipsInsideHer]: good girl [SlipsInsideHer]: and important woman have down there, between their legs, they have a pussy, don't they? What do you have? Lily Anna thought about this a moment. She saw where he was heading. How would men describe a bimbo's pussy? She was about to use the word cunt, but then thought for a moment longer. That seemed too harsh a word for her to describe her own body with. How could she make it more feminine? [LilyAnna]: a cunny? [SlipsInsideHer]: see, you're doing so good [SlipsInsideHer]: did you ever thnk of your slit as a cunt before? [LilyAnna]: no nevr [SlipsInsideHer]: but now you realise that pussy is for other women and a good little office girl has her cunny. [SlipsInsideHer]: Go on feel your cunny, how smooth and rounded it is. That is your little honeypot isn't it? You can smell the honey attracting the bees towards it. If you are not careful then those bees will fly right up into your honeypot, won't they? Feel your fingers sliding into your honeypot now. Remember the feel of your cunny opening and pushing itself down on that guys cock just now? [SlipsInsideHer]: You must protect your little eager cunny, hide it away, because you know that once your cunny feels someone's fingers, feels a hard, stiff, demanding cock seeking entrance, then it just can't help itself. The honey flows from within. You cannot stop those lips from opening and swallowing your fingers. [SlipsInsideHer]: Feel them now being swallowed. How warm and moist and bare and visible it is now. If you don't protect it, your cunny cannot control itself. You can feel your honey coating your thighs and fingers as you squeeze your thighs together. [SlipsInsideHer]: Squeeze them now and feel just how it inflames your cunny more. Lily Anna was so hot and wet right now. It was almost impossible to prevent her fingers sliding through her juices up into her canal as they slipped and slid over her little cunny. The word just seemed to describe so sweetly this naughty hungry little mouth between her legs. [SlipsInsideHer]: can you feel the honey oozing over your thighs as your fingers slither up inside you? Can you feel the clinging of your little cunny as its lips wrap around those fingers, drawing them in? [LilyAnna]: ooh, yes…can't stop wat cunny wants… [SlipsInsideHer]: and hanging just above your juicy little opening hangs your clitty, doesn't it? That is your little bell isn't it? [SlipsInsideHer]: Take your warm moist fingers out of your cunny and ring your little bell now. Flick it from side to side. As you do so you hear in your mind "cling-cling, cling-cling" Say it now. It is your bell ringing. Spread your legs and let it ring. Lily Anna's finger was vigorously flicking at her clitty, the echoey tinkling of a bell reverberating through her mind. [SlipsInsideHer]: You know that your bell is your key, it unzips you inside. Your bimbo side stepping through, taking over, moving your boby to the undulating rhythm of your body responding, opening you up. That tiny tinkling cling-cling in your ear paralyses you with anticipation. You are frozen, open, waiting. You can't help it. You want it. [SlipsInsideHer]: It no longer matters whether you like this guy who is ringing your bell, your cunny is already hot and ready for him. Your resistance fades away to the drumming of that bell in your head. It is calling you, because you are a good little bimbo who cannot resist being open and willing when someone comes calling at your door. [SlipsInsideHer]: and when your cunny is full and your clitty is going cling-cling you know what happens next? [LilyAnna]: i cum. [SlipsInsideHer]: Yes you cum for them, because you know how turned on they will be at watching you squirm and moan upon their cock. [SlipsInsideHer]: do you want to cum now? [LilyAnna]: yes plese [SlipsInsideHer]: then cum now, over and over [SlipsInsideHer]: and each time you cum let the word rattle around inside your head as you tell yourself you are cumming. Each time you hear that word you will know you are a good girl, but you are only a girl. You will remember that you are a bimbo who respects her superiors. Whereas once you had the respect a woman deserves, now you have become a bimbo trying to be a good office girl. Lily Anna came as she felt her honey gush, her lips hungrily swallow at her soaked fingers, her clitty was going cling-cling in her head and she told herself she was cumming and cumming and cummming. Each time she heard the word, she drove it deeper into her mind. She realised now that people like Ms Mortimer wouldn't understand her needs. That was why she had a pussy and Lil had a cunny. That was why she had breasts and Lil had titties. Her body was atuned to playing, it was highly sensitive and responsive. Thanks to this guy, Lily Anna was finally getting to understand her bimbo side and beginning to respect it and accept this nature of her self. [SlipsInsideHer]: Your little cunny rules you now. You know this is true. You know how needy it is for attention. And as you read those stories of the office girl your cunny will get wet, and will push you to desire to experience similar adventures for yourself. [SlipsInsideHer]: Do you understand? [LilyAnna]: yes [SlipsInsideHer]: good girl. That's why, when you are home alone, you always slip those naughty fingers of yours into your little cunny. It's because that hot little opening of yours needs constant attention. [SlipsInsideHer]: because you are obsessed with cumming [SlipsInsideHer]: and are you still repeating all your lessons every night? [LilyAnna]: yes [SlipsInsideHer]: and you'll add all you've learned today to it [SlipsInsideHer]: won't you? [LilyAnna]: yes [SlipsInsideHer]: such a good girl [SlipsInsideHer]: and these sexy words they arouse you [SlipsInsideHer]: don't they? [LilyAnna]: yesss [SlipsInsideHer]: Tomorrow you will remember that you have to work hard [SlipsInsideHer]: you need your boss and your supervisor to be pleased with you [SlipsInsideHer]: you need to do good at work [SlipsInsideHer]: but deep down you know you are a bimbo [SlipsInsideHer]: deep down you know you have to work hard to keep up [SlipsInsideHer]: with everyone else [SlipsInsideHer]: you know they are smarter than you, and you fear they will find out [SlipsInsideHer]: what would happen to you if they found out? [LilyAnna]: lloss job [SlipsInsideHer]: yes you'd be kicked out. You would be worthless, wouldn't you? [LilyAnna]: yyss, musst keep upp [SlipsInsideHer]: so you will work harder than everyone else [SlipsInsideHer]: because you are dumber than everyone else [SlipsInsideHer]: do you understand this? [LilyAnna]: yy [SlipsInsideHer]: and to compensate them for letting you keep your job [SlipsInsideHer]: you must do something for them, don't you think? [LilyAnna]: i gues [SlipsInsideHer]: What can you do for them? It was hard to think, as Lily Anna's mind was overloaded with the imagery, and her fingers were still playing at her cloying cunny. [LilyAnna]: let them fuck me? [SlipsInsideHer]: No. Then you would certainly lose your job. [SlipsInsideHer]: You see how hard it is for you to work out what's best for you? [LilyAnna]: what shul;d I do then? [SlipsInsideHer]: You must dress nicely for them. Put on some makeup, make your face look pleasing and feminine. Smile and be non-threatening. You are a good office girl, and a good office girl likes to look nice. She wears skirts to accentuate her legs, she wears open tops, or tight fitting ones, so that her tits look soft and inviting. She wears heels to raise her ass invitingly. [SlipsInsideHer]: A good office girl notices the guys watching her. She loves the attention. [SlipsInsideHer]: Imagine them now discussing your tits and your ass [SlipsInsideHer]: them wondering what a great fuck you'd be. [SlipsInsideHer]: your clitty has started banging already hasn't it? [LilyAnna]: oh goood. Lily Anna's fingers were merciless as they rubbed at her clitty. She felt weak, unable to think, just absorbed by her needy cunny waiting to cum. [SlipsInsideHer]: But you are not the office whore. You need your job. It excites you to know they are interested. It keeps them from noticing how dumb you are. [SlipsInsideHer]: do you get it now? [LilyAnna]: I see [SlipsInsideHer]: and are you still reading your "adventures of an office girl"? [SlipsInsideHer]: and picturing yourself as her? [LilyAnna]: yess. Luv thess storeis [SlipsInsideHer]: Good, then the more attention you get from the guys [SlipsInsideHer]: the more like office girl you will become [SlipsInsideHer]: and that will make you really horny, won't it? [LilyAnna]: it wil!! [SlipsInsideHer]: and even now the idea of being horny while working hard at the office excites you doesn't it? [LilyAnna]: yy [SlipsInsideHer]: so you still want to cum? [LilyAnna]: yse [SlipsInsideHer]: then cum now and hear the tinkling cling-cling echo in your mind [SlipsInsideHer]: as you think of your over-sensitised body "cling-cling" [SlipsInsideHer]: your hungry cunny "cling-cling" [SlipsInsideHer]: your need to cum that consumes you "cling-cling" [SlipsInsideHer]: your lack of control that enslaves you "cling-cling" [SlipsInsideHer]: and as the ringing of your clitty ushers in your orgasm, you tell yourself you are cumming [SlipsInsideHer]: as your urgency increases, you repeat to yourself that you are cumming [SlipsInsideHer]: over and over your cumming [SlipsInsideHer]: each time feeling your intelligence slip further away [SlipsInsideHer]: repeating and knowing each time you say cum [SlipsInsideHer]: you are making yourself more dumb [SlipsInsideHer]: you can't help it, you shouldn't do it [SlipsInsideHer]: but your cunny needs it [SlipsInsideHer]: stop now if you can But Lily Anna couldn't stop, not now. Her body was heaving with pleasure, her clitty ringing in her ears. She was cumming and as the word took form in her mind, her body reacted with a mind-numbing shudder. She sensed she was dumbing herself down, but she coulnd't stop. She needed these feelings surging through her again, her fingers worked afresh to rekindle them, her clitty still jangled, her little cunny was in control. If that was the price she had to pay, then reluctantly she would pay it. And the more she accepted and pushed herself into becoming this bimbo, the greaster her cums were. They just merged one into the other. When she finally calmed down again and was gently massaging her sore cunny, she found on the screen: [SlipsInsideHer]: time to go for tonight. Talk again tomorrow. Slipsinsideher signs out. Lily Anna headed for bed, her heart still pounding. After reinforcing all of her lessons, she fell into a deep and erotic sleep. She dreamed she was kneeling on the floor fingering her hot wet cunny and surrounded by her colleagues at work. They were just standing watching impassively and talking about her as if she weren't there and telling each other what a stupid cunt she was. They told her to bend down so her forehead touched the floor at their feet and to raise her ass so they could see her fingers buried in her hot sloppy slit. As she obeyed them, they told her how useless she was, how she needed their permission to feel the release she sought, and they could make her do anything to get it. They told her to spread her legs wider and present herself to them before they would allow her to cum. She felt her arousal reach fever pitch as the debasement she felt seemed so real, and she awoke just in time to feel her body writhe with a powerful orgasm. She came and came and came, the word bouncing inside her skull. She rolled across the sweat soaked sheets, lost in a pleasure so strong that it hurt. She felt her muscles clenching. Her body ached to have more inside it. She began to push first three, then four fingers into her cunny, more than she had ever done before. Her body seemed in overload; her back arched. She screamed, felt the gushing flow from her slit, and then everything went black. The alarm clock went off the next morning. Lily Anna woke up to find the sheets sticky as they clung to her thighs. She was still half asleep, but the impact of her dream still made her heart pound. Her fingers toyed in the goo coating her inner thighs and dripping slowly out of her hungry little slit. She lay on her back, her ankles locked together and her knees spread. She could smell her aroma as she lay staring at the ceiling, letting her feelings of excitement, fear, humiliation and acceptance flow through her. She was such a horny slut. How excited her cunny had become at being exposed to her colleagues. She could not believe how horny she had been, knowing how her cunny needed to cum and cum again, but being forced to wait for the guys in the office to allow her. Kneeling on the floor as they watched impassively the desperation in her active fingers in her attempt to find release was utterly humiliating, yet it turned her on to hyperdrive. Her body responded again now as she felt the tension build and she let go and allowed the needs of her cunny to engulf her once more. What a stupid cow she was. She was useless. She couldn't understand the significance of it all, but she had no choice any more, this was what she was now. She would obviously have to follow it through. Lily Anna forced herself out of bed. She had to get her ass over to the office, and being a good office girl, she mustn't be late. After showering she stood before her mirror in the bedroom and thought about her body. Her fingers were playing with her titties. They were a good size and she thought how best to show them off. A ribbed top stretched over them would do the trick. She turned and studied her ass. Guys always loved her ass. She pulled out a short printed cotton skirt. It pulled in tight over her hips, and hung insubstantially over the tops of her legs. Just the right flirtatious effect she sought, without screaming a come-on to the boys. After all, she needed this job, and this was the least she could do to repay them for allowing her to stay in the office. Some make-up and some heels to complement and she was done. Difficult putting on makeup when your cunny is calling your fingers to climb up under your skirt. It was so easily available. She tried to put her lipstick on as she stared into the mirror with her other hand flicking idly at her clitty. Cling-cling, her door was opening once again, just her thin semi-transparent panties and a few inches of material to protect it. Sweet Talk Ch. 06 "So, is this the part of the night where you ditch me so you can go make up with your friend, who's not your girlfriend?" Jason flinched at the sound of Carmen's voice. Somehow, he'd almost forgotten that she was there; sitting across from him in the dimly lit booth they'd just settled into. Somewhere, beyond her shoulder, he could see the place in the crowd where Anna had just disappeared. It wasn't that he hadn't expected to run into Anna at some point tonight—hell, they were sharing a hotel room—but he sure as hell hadn't considered the fact that he'd walk into the bar and, not five minutes later, would see her with Andreas who, true to form, had some fucking sixth sense for showing up when, and where, Jason least wanted to see him. Which, for the last two days, had been anywhere near Anna. A litany of swear words flooded through his brain even as he tried, and failed, to focus on Carmen—Carmen who had on this sexy, silky peach-colored dress that left one creamy shoulder bare; Carmen who dripped an earthy sexuality; whose room he'd spent the night in...who, despite all of that, he was having a hard time paying any real attention to. And not because he was distracted by the way the fabric of her dress was clinging to her undeniable curves. She was gorgeous, and totally into him. Too bad that, in the mood he was in, she might as well be wearing jeans and an old sweater. And now, she wanted to talk about Anna. Fucking fantastic. He took a fast, deep swallow from his beer, and glanced away from Carmen. "I don't really want to rehash the whole Anna thing. It's over with." It wasn't really over, though. He'd been an asshole. He knew this, but that didn't mean he was anywhere near okay with the fact that less than twenty-four hours after they'd argued about Andreas, the first person he saw her with tonight was fucking Andreas. Yeah, he didn't put it past the asshole to hit on her, buy her a drink, like she'd said, but how fucking hard was it to walk away from someone? He took another long swallow from his beer. Seeing her with Andreas...it'd done weird, angry things to his insides. And, it wasn't just that he couldn't stand the sight of Andreas. That was part of it, yeah, but a lot of this...it was because he didn't like seeing her with anyone. Like last night. Walking in and finding her asleep next to Sam, then seeing her with Andreas just now...it was all fucking with his head. Like she'd heard his thoughts, Carmen leaned toward him, across the small table separating them. "Look, you're obviously not in a great mood, and I know I don't really know you all that well, but..." She pressed her perfectly glossed lips together, seeming uncertain, then, she shrugged her bare shoulder, "from what I just saw, you should really be talking things out with your friend." Jason stared at her, trying his damnedest to keep from swearing, or, better yet, just getting up and walking away. This is what he got for bringing out some woman he barely knew. He almost never did the whole morning after thing, but with Carmen, he'd almost felt obligated. Thanks to her whole sleeping pill routine last night, they hadn't exactly gotten around to sealing the deal. Fifteen minutes after he'd shown up at her room, they'd been half-naked, and full-on making out, before she'd pulled back with a huge yawn and apologetically said she was too tired to keep things up. And, he'd been...relieved. It'd taken up to that point for him to realize that, even drunk, he wasn't any more interested in hooking up with Carmen, than when he'd turned her down in the elevator. He'd stayed the night, though, and now he was paying the price. "Honestly," he gritted out, staring out across the dimly lit dance floor, "it's not a huge deal. Anna's fine. Don't worry about it." Carmen laughed lightly. "Believe me, the guy never thinks it's a big deal. But I was there just now, and whatever's up with you and your friend, it's definitely a big deal to her." She paused, studying him. "Don't you think you should go talk to her?" Jason forced a smile. "What, and leave you here, alone, for every guy in the room to hit on while I'm gone?" He leaned back, sliding his arm the length of the booth back, with what he knew was his cockiest smile. "I don't think so." Under other circumstances, that smile had gotten him a whole lot of play, so he was wasn't surprised when Carmen slid out of the booth and circled around to his side of the table. What did surprise him was that, rather than sliding in next to him, she grabbed her small, beaded purse off the table, and rested a hand along the inside of his thigh. "We've still got unfinished business," she murmured, "so don't think I won't come looking for you if you do actually ditch me. But I've got two sisters and about a dozen female cousins back home." He scowled, both confused and annoyed. "What does that have to do with anything?" "Simple." A slow, sexy smile touched her lips. "Female solidarity, first. Sexy as hell pastry chefs, second." She leaned in and dropped a lingering kiss at the corner of his mouth. "Now, go make up with your friend, so I don't have to feel guilty when we pick up where we left off last night." On that parting line, she turned around and walked away. "Seriously?" Jason muttered, watching her go. Then, swearing under his breath, he downed the last of his beer and signaled a passing waitress for another. He braced both elbows on the table and began to strip the label from his empty bottle, piling bits of plastic next to his cocktail napkin, all the while, thinking about what a complete cluster-fuck this whole trip had turned into. Jesus, he was exhausted. Between his whiskey buzz from last night, and all this shit with Anna, he hadn't exactly gotten a lot of sleep. He'd been fine in competition today, but he couldn't keep going like this. And, still, he was too keyed up, too wired to have any prayer at getting any sleep tonight, either. What he really needed was to clear his head, exhaust himself—and over-priced drinks and the shitty techno music pounding from the bar's sound system wasn't getting him any closer to that. But the hotel gym might. It was what he'd done in high school, when things with his dad got really bad. He'd hit the gym for two, three hours after school, or run the track until his muscles burned, until he wanted to puke from exhaustion, until all he could think about was water and sleep. Weirdly, that kind of masochistic oblivion was appealing at the moment. He tossed some cash on the table to cover the rest of his bill and headed for the door. He had to go back to the room, to change clothes first, so, with luck, Anna was waiting for Sam somewhere, or still getting hit on by Andreas. He didn't give a fuck, as long as she wasn't in the hotel room. What she did, and with who, wasn't his problem. . Scowling, he jammed his hands into his pants pockets and stalked down the hall toward the elevators. He'd just reached them when one chimed, and opened, releasing a crowd of people—and Sam. Jason swore under his breath. So much for Sam and Anna being together—not that he was really a fan of that option, anyway. Not after the way he'd found them last night. He flicked a cursory glance in Sam's direction, as he punched the button for the elevator closest to him. "Hey." "Hey." Sam approached, his brow creased. "You seen Anna?" Jason looked at him for a long moment. Seriously? Of all the people to bring up right now. "Earlier, yeah," he ground out, turning to stare at the elevator doors. "In the bar." "Was she okay?" Jason let out a short, harsh laugh. "'Okay,' how? Like, did I go all big, bad Jason on her, and make her cry?" "No," Sam snapped, stepping in between Jason and the elevator door, his jaw tight. "Like, was she okay when you talked to her? I got a really weird phone call from her a few minutes ago." Jason flicked a glance at him. "Weird, how?" Sam shook his head. "I don't know. I only talked to her for a second, and when I tried to call her back she didn't answer." "Well," Jason said, smiling nastily, "she was getting cozy with Andreas last I saw. So, maybe she doesn't want to pick up." "Are you fucking serious?" Sam's brows clapped together in an angry line. "She can't stand Andreas, Jay. He was hitting on her earlier today, and she shut him down , like, two seconds into it." He stared at Jason, shaking his head incredulously. "Look, I'm telling you, something's up with her. She said she'd had a few drinks, but—" "She's drunk?" Jason laughed as the elevator doors dinged open. "Well, good luck with that. You might not know this," he added in a sarcastic whisper, "but she can be an angry drunk when she wants to be." He stepped into the elevator, and punched the button for the seventh floor. Sam caught the door before it could slide closed. "You're seriously not gonna help me look for her? She might still be in the bar." Jason shrugged, cool and careless. "I'm tired." Sam let the door go, his eyes cold. "I knew you could be a real asshole, Jay, but until right now, I never would've thought that was true when it came to Anna." They stared at each other in tense silence as the elevator doors slid closed. Alone, Jason glared at his murky reflection in the elevator's mirrored interior, his insides seething with pent up anger, frustration and, now...a niggling sense of worry. Yeah, Sam was being a dick, but Jason couldn't shake what he'd said about Anna. He'd just seen her, not fifteen minutes earlier, and she'd been fine—pissed off, but fine. Still, even if he didn't want to deal with her tonight, he knew that if Sam was worried, then...there really might be a reason to worry. Watching the elevator numbers slowly tick down from the twenty-second floor, Jason fought an inner battle. To call Anna, or not to call her. Common sense, and the fact that he really wasn't in the mood for another blow-out with her, said no. But if Sam was right, and something was up... "Fuck." He dug his phone out of his pocket, and hit the power button. The elevator stopped to pick up some people on the fifteenth floor and, when the doors slid closed again, he looked down at his phone. He hadn't turned it back on since last night, and he immediately saw the half dozen or so texts and calls from both Anna and Sam. "Time for round two," he muttered, thumbing across the touch-screen to bring up Anna's number. The phone lit up while it dialed, and Jason pressed it to his ear as he stepped out of the elevator on the seventh floor. Walking down the hall, he stared at the hideous hotel carpet, his free-hand shoved in his pants pocket. What the fuck was he going to say if she answered? Hey. I'm still pissed at you—and myself—but I wanted to make sure you're okay. Right. Her end of the line rang, once, twice, in his ear as he headed for the hotel room. He knew from experience that her voicemail would kick in after the tenth ring. And, the longer it rang, the more he thought about hanging up. She was probably still in the bar somewhere, and couldn't even hear her phone. He counted rings as he walked. Four, five, six... Three or four more, and he wouldn't have to talk to her. Could just leave her a voicemail, and then if she— Jason stopped, mid-stride, his attention snagged by a low, buzzing noise. Craning his neck, he looked back down the hall behind him. It was deserted. The noise, though, kept up, got louder, the closer he got to his and Anna's hotel room. What the hell was that? An instant later, the sound stopped, just as Anna's voicemail clicked on. "Hey, it's me," he said after her greeting ended, "I...uh, just ran into Sam, and—" He cut off, mid-sentence, his eyes catching on a tube of berry-colored lip gloss lying in the middle of the hallway. It looked exactly like one he'd seen Anna use about a thousand times. He bent and picked it up, turning it slowly between his fingers. Why the hell was her lip gloss lying in the middle of the hallway? He shoved the tube into his pocket and kept walking, only to stop again—this time, at the sight of Anna's cell phone lying on the floor, just outside their closed hotel room door. What the...? The phone's screen was still lit, showing his missed call, and a new voicemail. Frowning, he picked that up, too, realizing that the buzzing noise he'd heard must've been her phone vibrating against the floor with an incoming call. First her lip gloss, now her phone? What the fuck was going on? The tiny bit of unease he'd felt in the elevator, returned, bringing with it a cold shiver that slid down his spine. Maybe she was drunk, and had dropped some stuff on the way back to the room. But she'd seemed fine earlier, minus being angry, when he'd talked to her. So, what the hell? At the hotel room door, he jammed his key card into the slot. The knob gave, twisted, but a second later, he came up against resistance. The door opened maybe, three inches, before the inside latch caught and held. Okay, so at least she was actually inside the room. Didn't mean he appreciated her locking him out, though. "Anna?" He jiggled the handle again, his temper sparking. He was seriously not in the mood for whatever tantrum she was pulling right now. "Look, I just need to get some clothes, and then I'm leaving." There was silence, but he caught the faint, muffled sound of movement inside the room. He swore under his breath. "Anna!" He slammed his hand against the hard wood, the sound echoing loudly in the hallway. "I don't have time for this. Can you just open the goddamn door?" Up and down the hall, other room doors opened, guests peering out to see what was going on. Jason ignored them. Christ, this is exactly what he didn't need right now. Raising a fist to knock again, he took a breath, ready to speak but, he heard movement from inside again—along with a sharp, crashing noise. He froze, his hand halfway to the door. What the fuck was— "Jason!"The scream, muffled and short, ripped through him. He had never in his life heard Anna sound like that...it was pure, unadulterated fear. Fear that matched his own as he realized with a sick, twist of terror, that there might be another reason why Anna's stuff was scattered all over the hallway; why the door was locked from the inside. She wasn't alone. His entire body went cold, and he didn't think—just took a step back, and in one, fierce motion, kicked the door in. It flew inward, ricocheted off the wall with a loud crack. Someone in a neighboring room screamed, but Jason barely heard any of that, practically didn't even register the fact that, further down the hall, someone had opened their hotel room door to shout that they were calling security. None of that mattered. Because, the second the room door slammed open, creaking loudly on its hinges, he saw Andreas—motherfucking Andreas—crouched over Anna's limp form. Her upper body was half on the bed, her hair wild and splayed across her face in a deep, brown fan, her dress hiked up in a twisted mass, to mid-thigh. She pale face was angled toward him, her eyes wide and unfocused; and there was a weird languidness in her limbs. And there was Andreas, half-standing, half-crouching over her, one knee pressed into the tangled, white comforter between her legs. His dark head swung toward the door and seeing Jason there, his eyes went wide for a split second. Then, he smiled, a slow, mocking tip of his lips, before he straightened away from Anna, ran a hand through his disheveled hair. "You know," he drawled, looking from Jason, to Anna, then back, "your girl's a bit of a lightweight." For the barest, briefest second, Jason was twenty-two years old again, standing in a bathroom doorway at the CIA, watching Andreas with Rachel. Then...then, he realized something: he'd thought he hated Andreas. Had thought there wasn't any more rage than what he'd once directed at this asshole. But the fury he'd felt finding Andreas and Rachel together—that didn't come anywhere near this; wasn't even on the same level as the livid, blind fury that took hold of him now. Especially when he looked at Anna, took in her milk-pale skin, the terror in her wide, unfocused eyes. He knew, in his bones, that she wasn't drunk. And he definitely didn't miss the three, deep scratch marks that curved across the inside of Andreas's wrist. Jason's vision went red at the edges. He didn't say anything. Didn't think anything. Just, one second, he was standing in the doorway, and, the next, he was inside the room, had Andreas by the throat and lifted him—literally lifted him—off the ground, slammed him against the side of the heavy oak armoire across from the bed. The TV on top of the armoire tilted drunkenly and crashed to the floor. Somewhere, beneath the rage, he heard Anna scream, but in the next moment, Andreas swung, wildly, his fist connecting. Jason grunted, tasted blood in his mouth, but only hauled his arm back to slam a fist into Andreas's stomach. The fucker screamed in pain, would've doubled over if Jason hadn't had such a firm grip on his throat. "You piece of shit!" He slammed his fist into Andreas's face. Once, twice, three times. Over and over, until he lost count, until the skin over his knuckles split open. "Jason! Stop!" There were Anna's hands, small and pale, wrapped around his wrist, trying to pull him away, but the only thing Jason truly registered was the sound of Andreas's body connecting with the unforgiving wood of the armoire—and, it was the most unsatisfying sound he had ever heard in his life. He wanted Andreas in pain, screaming, begging for mercy. He wanted him unconscious, dead even. He pushed Anna off him, toward the bed. Behind them, someone started pounding on the room door. Andreas used the distraction to shove Jason off, driving his fist into his temple, before lunging for the door. Blindly, Jason went after him, caught him a second after he wrenched the door open; he slammed into Andreas's back with the full force of his weight, took him down in the doorway. Sam was in the hallway, with two security guards, the three of them half-frozen in shock at the scene they'd just walked in on. Jason barely even registered the fact that they were there. Instead, he dragged Andreas over, onto his back, pinned his arms, and drove his fist into the fucker's face, again and again. "Jesus Christ!" Sam shouted on the edge of Jason's awareness, "Jason, stop! Stop, dammit!" He shoved into the room and threw his full body weight at Jason. By some miracle, Sam succeeded in pulling Jason away, physically putting himself between Jason and Andreas. Jay came back to himself, then, panting, his knuckles dripping a combination of his and Andreas's blood, his breath jagged and harsh in his chest. It wasn't until then that he realized, hazily, that'd he'd been slamming Andreas's head into the side of the metal doorframe. The bastard's entire face was a swollen, blood-stained mess. One of the security guards stepped inside, eyeing Jason critically, his gaze skimming over the destroyed room. "Someone want to explain what the hell's going on?" he barked. Jason didn't even look at him; instead, he was staring past him, at Andreas who was still on the floor, getting checked out by the other security guard. Despite the murderous rage boiling through his veins, spoke with cold, calm precision. "If I ever see you again, I'll fucking kill you." "Hey!" The security guard took a menacing step toward Jason. "You can't go around making threats like that. The cops are already on the way, but I need someone, to tell me what happened here." Sweet Talk Ch. 06 "He's...he's a goddamn psycho," Andreas hissed from the floor, his split lips oozing blood. "You saw him. He should be in jail." "Motherfucking—"Jason lunged at Andreas, but Sam held him back, slammed him up against the wall. "Jason, stop!" "That's it," the security guard said at the same time, approaching Jason as he pulled out a pair of cuffs. "Sir, turn around, and put your hands behind—" "N-no! Please..." Across the room, from the edge of the bed, Anna stood up, unsteadily. Jason looked over his shoulder at her. He'd almost forgotten she was there. All he'd been able to think about, to process, was that Andreas had hurt her, and the bastard needed to die for it. Looking at her now, though, his stomach pitted. She was standing, but there was something off about it. She had to brace herself against the side of the bed; her eyes were wide and glassy, her skin washed in a fine sheen of sweat. And, even as he looked at her, Jason could see her swaying, trying to keep her balance. "Jesus, Anna," Sam said, taking a step toward her, "are you—" "Stop!" The security guard, came at Sam this time. "No one moves until the cops get here." Jason swore, moving toward Anna. "There's something wrong," he snapped. "She needs to see a doctor." The guard glared at Jason. "Not until—" "Get the fuck out of my way," Jason ground out. He seriously didn't want to go to jail tonight, but if this asshole didn't move-- "Jay..." Anna's voice, thready and light, interrupted his rage. He looked at her, and terror washed over him as he literally saw the blood drain from her face. She took a choppy, unsteady step toward him and, for a brief moment, their eyes locked—and he saw the exact second when hers began to roll back in her head. Swearing, he shoved the security guard away, vaulted over the destroyed bed, and caught her just as she sank to the floor, unconscious. # # # # Jason stared at the second hand on the clock in the emergency room waiting room. The cops had just left, after taking his and Sam's statements. They'd arrested Andreas, but even though all of that, through all of the questions and accusations, Jason'd been counting each and every second that'd ticked by for over an hour. Ever since the ambulance had arrived with an unconscious Anna inside. He couldn't do this. There'd be no word. No updates about her condition. No nothing. Jesus, he'd never been so close to losing his fucking mind than in these last few, endless hours. When they'd arrived in the ambulance, he'd damn near gotten himself escorted out by security when the emergency room staff tried to make him back off from the gurney Anna was strapped to. In the end, the only thing that calmed him down was a nurse telling him that as soon as they had a chance to check Anna out and see what was wrong, they'd let him see her. For now, all he and Sam could do was wait. He looked at Sam over his shoulder. "That son of a bitch better hope he doesn't get out on bail while I'm still anywhere near Chicago." Sam nodded. "Even if he does, I doubt he'll come anywhere near the hotel again." He looked at Jason, his expression grim. "Since I'm pretty sure he already accomplished exactly what he set out to do." Jason flinched, still stared, at the far wall, the muscles in his jaw bunching. "This was all about him fucking with my head. If he'd wanted to, he could've..." He swallowed convulsively, barely feeling the throb in his knuckles as he clenched his hands, "He could've...raped her. There was time. She'd been gone, ten, maybe fifteen minutes before I found them." Sam was silent. The silence, the waiting, was torture. Swearing, Jason shoved out of his chair. He couldn't just fucking sit here, drinking stale coffee, while Anna was back there, all alone. Because of him. If he hadn't been such an asshole to her, if he'd just shut the fuck up and let her talk to him when she'd asked, none of this would've ever happened. Andreas wouldn't have had the chance to— "Motherfucker!" A chair slammed against the far wall, propelled by the furious momentum of Jason's kick. "Sir!" The nurse at the desk, the same one who'd calmed him down earlier, jumped to her feet, a phone receiver already cradled in her hand. "Do I need to call security? Or, can I help you with something that doesn't involve destroying hospital property?" Jason turned on her. "Yeah, you can help me, by telling me what the fuck is going on back there. It's been almost two hours!" The entire waiting room, everyone, was looking at him like he'd gone crazy. And he was going crazy. If Anna wasn't okay....fuck the police, fuck the law, and fuck anyone else who tried to get in his way. He'd gladly go to jail, if it meant he got the chance to choke the life out of Andreas with his bare hands. The nurse looked visibly flustered. "I can't tell you anything until the doctor—" "Fuck the doctor!" he seethed, advancing on the desk. "Jason, what the hell?" Sam grabbed him by the shoulders, bodily shoved him out of the waiting room, and into the foyer between the two sets of sliding glass doors leading outside. Jason pushed him off, rounded on him, breathing hard. "Don't fucking touch me!" Sam stood his ground. "Look, I'm worried about her, too, but why can't you just sit down, and wait for the doctor to come out?" Jason shook his head, his chest heaving with the effort to breathe. "You don't get it," he gritted out. "Yeah, I do. I get—" "No you don't!" He shoved past Sam, back into the now-silent, waiting room, barely able to suppress the overwhelming urge to break something. "She's all I have." The fight left him and he sank down to sit on the edge of one of the chairs, raked a shaking hand over his face. He didn't look at Sam, couldn't look at him. "She's all the family I fucking have left," he rasped, the words like acid in his throat. "And I-I was such an asshole to her earlier. I made her leave the bar tonight, and now..." Christ. He couldn't take this. Couldn't think. Couldn't breathe right. Not until Anna opened her eyes. Looked at him. Said everything was okay. As if on cue, a nurse appeared from behind the desk. "Who's here with Annalise Marsh?" Jason stood. "I am." The woman, who looked to be barely thirty years old, eyed him up and down. Under completely different circumstances, Jason might've found her attractive. Right now, though, he couldn't have cared less. "Are you family?" she asked. He didn't even pause to think. "Yeah, we're family." She nodded, just once, indicating for him to follow her. They'd gotten Anna situated in a private room off the emergency room, and the nurse let Jason in so he could sit with her. She was still pale as death, and mostly unconscious, though she had started mumbling a little bit, like she was talking in her sleep. He sat down on the single, hard-backed chair, next to the bed, and grasped her hand. Without even looking at the nurse, he asked, "Is she okay?" There was a long, unsettling pause, before she responded, "The doctor will be in to talk to you in a few minutes." Then, she was was gone. And, once again, all Jason could do was wait. Through every second of it, he held her hand, staring at her chest to make sure she was still breathing, counting every damn inhale and exhale, like he could will her to wake up, be okay. It took almost an hour before the curtain surrounding the bed slid along the metal rod attached to the ceiling, and the doctor, a middle-aged man with graying temples, stepped inside, a clipboard under his arm. "How're we doing tonight?" he asked, a business-like smile touching his lips. "Been better," Jason said, flatly. "Do you know what's wrong with her?" The doctor pursed his lips, studying Anna's still form before looking at Jason. "We can't be sure until the toxicology report comes back, but we think she was given a drug called ketamine." "Ketamine?" he repeated. "What the hell is that?" "It's primarily an animal tranquilizer, but it's also abused as a recreational drug. In small doses, it produces hallucinations or a state of extreme relaxation, which is why it's often used as a..." the doctor trailed off, looking suddenly uncomfortable. Clearing his throat, he went on, "to put it bluntly, it's often used as a date rape drug." Blood started pounding past Jason's ears at the reality that Andreas, that fucking piece of shit, had actually drugged Anna. Jason slammed his eyes closed, and breathed out hard through his nose. "Jesus Christ." If he hadn't found Anna when he had... In that moment, he thought, very seriously, about tracking Andreas down and killing him. Just ending the fucker's miserable existence. He'd be doing a whole lot of people a favor, if he did. Bowing his head, he counted down, slowly, from ten to one, even though he knew it wouldn't do anything to calm him down, or take the edge off the fact that the only thing keeping him from finding Andreas and kicking his face in was the fact that Anna needed him right now. She needed him more than he needed to hurt Andreas. After moment, he gritted his teeth and peered up at the doctor. "She's going to be okay, though, right?" The older man nodded. "I don't see any reason why not. All things considered, ketamine's a relatively safe drug. The major effects only last a few hours, at most, so as soon as she wakes up, if everything seems okay, she'll be cleared to go home." After a few more questions, the doctor left, and Jason stared at the steady rise and fall of Anna's chest like his life depended on it. Which...in a completely real way, it did. Then, finally, after another hour, her lashes fluttered, and she opened her eyes. Jason almost choked on his relief. Scooting closer to the bed, he pulled her hand into his lap, smoothing the damp tendrils of her hair away from her face as she blinked, looked around. After two or three minutes, her eyes focused, and she looked at him. She didn't speak. He wanted to pull her off the bed, into his lap. He didn't though. Just smiled a shaky smile. "Are you...are you okay?" His voice broke and, unable to look her in the eye, he leaned forward, pressed his forehead into the soft, warm pliancy of her belly. In the horrible, obtrusive scents of the hospital, all of the terrible memories those smells brought back from when Nate and Charlie had died, he sucked in the familiar, cinammony smell of her skin. He felt one of her hands come to rest against his hair, and shuddered. His throat closed up, and for a long second, he genuinely thought that he might cry in front of her. "What...what happened?" she rasped. He looked up at her; didn't know what to say. Telling her that Andreas was a miserable asshole who'd drugged her to get back at him didn't seem right, for some reason. But, a moment later, her eyes widened. "Oh my God, Andreas put something in my drink, didn't he?" Jason clenched and unclenched his jaw, trying to tamp down the overwhelming fury and regret threatening to choke him. "Anna..." he said, at last, "I...am so sorry." He truly almost did cry, then. Because, instead of accusations, or fear, she closed her eyes for a minute, before opening them again and, on a shuddering breath, said, "Just so we're clear... I will never drink another mojito in my life." Sweet Talk Ch. 06 At work, Lily Anna was completely absorbed by her research. She needed to make a good impression. She felt insecure, she doubted her ability, she knew she was just a good little office girl, and this meant she was inferior to the others. Although Ms Mortimer had complimented her work, she found it hard to believe she was doing anything more than humouring her. She worked hard because she needed to, she had to keep up. Anyone could do her job. Sooner or later people would realise that they didn't really need her. One good thing about the morning was the attention she was getting from the guys. They really seemed to like her in the shorter skirts and heels she had been wearing. She liked the attention, expecially if it sidetracked them from noticing she was none too bright. On more than one occasion she had spotted one of the guys ogling her titties while pretending to look for something. Lily Anna worked hard but she looked forward to her lunchbreaks. She could relax into her mag and they always made her feel horny. She loved to feel horny, but she felt safe that her hypnotist would make sure she didn't let her bimbo slut side interfere with her work. She was drawn by the idea of becoming the girl in these stories, the idea made her little cunny tingle in anticipation and she could feel her titties swell, and her teats felt like little rocks pressed into the fabric of her bra. As she read she imagined herself the centrepiece of the latest adventure. She pictured herself walking down the corridor, back from the boss' office, and suddenly being pushed into a dark closet. She was pressed up against the wall and fucked from behind in the darkness; her back arched, her head resting upon some unseen shoulder, impaling her ass crack onto an anonymous cock. She imagined herself left crumpled on the floor after he was sated, wondering who had just forced himself upon her. Then she pictured herself emerging into the office, still dishevelled wearing a puzzled expression on her face while everyone laughed at her: "Poor dumb office slut can't even figure out which one of us just fucked her brains out." Lily Anna squirmed as she read. She felt her little cunny gush, and the word circled in her head. She looked around and thought about her colleagues, how sensible they were, how shocked they would be if they ever understood how she sat there and longed to be degraded in this way. She shouldn't be letting her cunny rule her like this, but as well as feeling aroused by it, she also felt the most secure. No matter how dim she was, or how bad her work might be, no one would sack her as long as she could arouse some flirtatious interest. She remembered another story where she substituted her boss sitting at his desk talking on the phone while she knelt below him and gave him a long slow blowjob. It was the only way she could recover her knickers which were securely lodged in his pocket. Lily Anna sat and licked her lips as she wondered about the taste of Mr Worrall's cock in her mouth. Her cunny was crying out for her fingers to give it some attention, but her time was up and she had to get back to her work. The afternoon was torment. Lily Anna was focused upon her work, but this did not mean that she was unaware of the growing heat between her legs. Her hand itched to slip under her skirt and play with those soft folds. Yet she knew she had to keep up and so pressed on with her work. Tonight, however, the dam would burst and she could let all the pent up feelings of arousal drown her. She could feel her heart thumping in her chest as she thought about being back online and cumming and cumming and cumming. At home once more Lily Anna flung off her clothes and set about kneading her titties. It felt so liberating at last to be able to squeeze them and forget about trying to be sensible. She could feel her wetness soaking into her panties, and so it was a relief to be rid of them. She could at last relax and allow her bimbo slut out of its box. She worked at her cunny and flicked her clit, cling-cling. How she was coming to love that sound. She pinched at her teats and mashed her titties, such cute names for her sexy bits. She imagined other, sensible women would recoil from the way she now described herself. She understood they would never think about their bodies in this way, and sensed how degrading it would be for them to know how she thought about herself. Yet somehow she couldn't help it, and as her fingers worked at her juicy cunny she simply shrugged and sat patiently before the computer screen waiting for her hypnotist to arrive and allow her to cum. [SlipsInsideHer]: been busy? [LilyAnna]: Just killing time while I was waiting [SlipsInsideHer]: Sorry, was held up. Shall we get straight down to hypnosis? [LilyAnna]: yes but I need to cum. i can feel it building up inside me all this time [LilyAnna]: i need a release [SlipsInsideHer]: Not now [LilyAnna]: pleeeasee i need to. [SlipsInsideHer]: what a good little oversexed slut you are [SlipsInsideHer]: you'll have to wait a little longer for it this time I'm afraid [LilyAnna]: pouts [SlipsInsideHer]: ok tell me as soon as your dial reaches 0 [SlipsInsideHer]: rustling trees [SlipsInsideHer]: rustling trees [SlipsInsideHer]: rustling trees [LilyAnna]: i'm thr [SlipsInsideHer]: good girl [SlipsInsideHer]: so easy for you to fall into trance [SlipsInsideHer]: so easy for you to become open to my words [SlipsInsideHer]: tell me, does your boss pay any more attention to you? [LilyAnna]: no just sees my good work [SlipsInsideHer]: but you want him to notice you more? [LilyAnna]: yssss [SlipsInsideHer]: good girl. When you see him tomorrow, and from now on [SlipsInsideHer]: you will start thinking about his cock [SlipsInsideHer]: you'll imagine it big, hard, smooth and hot [SlipsInsideHer]: you will wonder what it feels like to be penetrated by that cock [SlipsInsideHer]: feeling it deep inside you. Do you understand? [LilyAnna]: yus will imagine his cock fucking me [SlipsInsideHer]: good girl. She felt the thrill, even though she recognised his condescension. Some part of her just enjoyed being treated in this way, and the fact was that she was learning very fast, and that made her happy. [SlipsInsideHer]: but a good office girl can't approach her boss [SlipsInsideHer]: no matter how much she fancies him [SlipsInsideHer]: can she? [LilyAnna]: i gues not [SlipsInsideHer]: No. A good office girl gets on with the work she has been given. [SlipsInsideHer]: She may want him, but she knows her place, doesn't she? [LilyAnna]: yss [SlipsInsideHer]: so she will have to wait and hope he will notice how sexy she is dressed [SlipsInsideHer]: and so you must wait and hope. [SlipsInsideHer]: you must feel your frustration build while you continue to work hard. [SlipsInsideHer]: you have no choice. [SlipsInsideHer]: you will fantasise about his cock sliding between your lips [SlipsInsideHer]: your cunt will feel wet as you imagine allowing him to take you in his office [SlipsInsideHer]: you want him inside you, but he is your superior [SlipsInsideHer]: do you understand all this? [LilyAnna]: want his cock fuck me…. but wait his mve [SlipsInsideHer]: good girl, whenever he is not around, you will concentrate on your work, because you must keep up with your work. [LilyAnna]: Yussss keep up [SlipsInsideHer]: but whenever you are with him [SlipsInsideHer]: you will think how you would honour him [SlipsInsideHer]: by letting him introduce himself into your body [SlipsInsideHer]: how grateful you would be if he wanted to fuck you [SlipsInsideHer]: knowing you are his inferior, a bimbo [SlipsInsideHer]: and tonight you will repeat these suggestions too, making them your own, sealing them inside the way you see yourself. [LilyAnna]: yyy [SlipsInsideHer]: then forgetting what we've said while keeping it deep within you [SlipsInsideHer]: awaken at the count of 5 [SlipsInsideHer]: 1 [SlipsInsideHer]: feel an orgasm building [SlipsInsideHer]: 2 [SlipsInsideHer]: consuming you [SlipsInsideHer]: 3 [SlipsInsideHer]: your body arches and legs fling wide [SlipsInsideHer]: 4 [SlipsInsideHer]: ready for release, but waiting for my command He pauses and lets her savour his control over her orgasms. Finally, [SlipsInsideHer]: 5 Lily Anna came and pushed her cunt off the chair as her head arched over its back. Her eyes were screwed tightly shut as the tension poured down her thighs along with her stickiness. When finally she had calmed down, she focussed back upon the screen to see his words waiting for her. [SlipsInsideHer]: do you like my trances? [LilyAnna]: Oh yesss. I can't get enough of them [SlipsInsideHer]: and they make you cum so much, don't they? [LilyAnna]: explosive! [SlipsInsideHer]: That's right you are just totally addicted to my letting you cum [LilyAnna]: ye I guess [SlipsInsideHer]: and just to prove my point [SlipsInsideHer]: do you want to cum again? [LilyAnna]: Yess very much. My fingers are hurting [SlipsInsideHer]: Spread your legs for me and concentrate on the reflection of your cunt in the monitor [SlipsInsideHer]: are you still fucking yourself [LilyAnna]: yuuus [SlipsInsideHer]: good girl. And can you see how much of a stupid cunt you have become? Lily Anna paused. His words made her feel cheap, displaying her cunny, and knowing how she had let it rule her. Her fingers worked tirelessly to bring her the cum she craved, yet even that had been taken from her now. She was a plaything, an instrument to be played in his hands. She could only let go and open herself to this man. Her cunny would gush, her bell would jangle and she would be consumed once more as the sensible, intelligent Lily Anna evaporated a little more. [LilyAnna]: yes. blushes [SlipsInsideHer]: but your orgasm is building again isn't it? [LilyAnna]: Yuuuuuusssssss [SlipsInsideHer]: CUM NOW my slut She came and as her body quivered in response to her explosive orgasm, her mind filled with the realisation that she was a cheap slut, and she was enjoying it. Sweet Talk Ch. 07 [SlipsInsideHer]: How was your day? [LilyAnna]: I just couldn't stop thinking about sex. [SlipsInsideHer]: really? [LilyAnna]: Yeh. I kept imagining my boss' dick – what it would feel like in my mouth [LilyAnna]: I wish he would see me as sexy and show me more interest. [SlipsInsideHer]: You see how your bimbo side is becoming stronger now you have accepted the slut inside you. [LilyAnna]: I am even dressing up more, making sure I look good for him. [SlipsInsideHer]: and didn't the other guys notice what you were wearing? [LilyAnna]: Oh yes! That just seemed to stoke my fire all the more. Especially when I was reading my mag. [SlipsInsideHer]: What were you reading? [LilyAnna]: It seems so silly really, but as I was reading I was imagining it was all happening to me. I think all that attention during the morning had gotten to me. [LilyAnna]: One of the guys had slipped this pair of handcuffs over my wrists and told me I had to suck him off before he would release me. Hah, hah…when I had finished, however, I found he did not have the key after all. I felt so stupid being duped like that, and I didn't want anyone else walking in and seeing what I had let them do to me. I just had to get that key, didn't I? One of the other guys must have got it! I ended up on my knees in front of most of them before I found which one had the key and got released! [SlipsInsideHer]: You seem to be thinking about sex a lot, even at work in spite of me reinforcing the suggestion to work hard and be successful. [LilyAnna]: well…yes I suppose you're right. But it was great fun and I did work hard too. Nothing actually happened, it was all floating in my head as I read and thought how exciting it would be. [LilyAnna]: not for real though…. [SlipsInsideHer]: yes, but you are still resisting my suggestions about keeping your bimbo slut at home. [SlipsInsideHer]: how long before you end up actually on your knees sucking the guys off in the office? [LilyAnna]: Oh my god…I would never do that for real! Its only a fantasy…keeps me going through the day :) [SlipsInsideHer]: How can you be so sure? Your bimbo side is strong and tries to resist my hypnotic suggestion. {w+} [LilyAnna]: Do you think I might? It does make me really horny when I think about it. [LilyAnna]: It is also the only time in the day when I seem to feel good about myself. [SlipsInsideHer]: About sucking your colleagues off in the office? [LilyAnna]: About them noticing me! You know what I mean… If only my boss would too. I really want him, but he is so important… and I just feel so small next to him. [SlipsInsideHer]: That sounds like the bimbo you talking now. [LilyAnna]: Yes I suppose you're right. I feel obsessed about wanting him to fuck me. I know I shouldn't. He's never going to want to go out with a mere office girl is he? [LilyAnna]: Yet playing with these thoughts is kinda reassuring. It makes me feel like one day it could happen. [SlipsInsideHer]: I am really worried that if we leave these thoughts roaming free in your head at work, you will end up losing your job and the respect of your colleagues. We must control the slutty you at work. [SlipsInsideHer]: We need to reinforce your lessons about working hard. Keep you safe. Shall we get down to some hypnosis? [LilyAnna]: Oh please. I can't afford to lose my job! [SlipsInsideHer]: rustling trees. [SlipsInsideHer]: rustling trees. [SlipsInsideHer]: See your dial collapsing to 0. [SlipsInsideHer]: are you trusting my words? [LilyAnna]: compley [SlipsInsideHer]: So when you are at work what enters your head when your boss comes to talk to you? [LilyAnna]: think about cock, wonder what tastes lke. [SlipsInsideHer]: good girl {w+} [SlipsInsideHer]: but he is your superior. Your need is not important. [SlipsInsideHer]: The more you fancy your boss the more you will realise that he is unattainable. The more unattainable your boss seems, the more you will recognise your lowly position. The more inferior you feel compared to him, the more you will realise that he will have no reason to bother with you. The less you feel he should bother with you, the more you will desire him. [SlipsInsideHer]: Now repeat that all back to me as we go through it again. [SlipsInsideHer]: The more you fancy your boss, the less attainable he will seem to be. Lily Anna sat staring at the monitor. She did not want to accept this, even though she knew it was true, she wanted to bury it and not think about it. She had lived with this fantasy far too long to just let it go. [SlipsInsideHer]: Go on…. Write it! [LilyAnna]: The more i fancy my boss, the less attainable he will seem to be. [SlipsInsideHer]: good girl [SlipsInsideHer]: The more unattainable he appears, the less worthy you will feel next to him. [LilyAnna]: The more unattainable he appears, the less worthy i will feel next to him. [SlipsInsideHer]: The more inferior you feel, the less reason he will have to bother with you. Again Lily Anna hesitated. There was something brutal in the way he was tearing apart her fantasy. It was not that she didn't already believe these things, but seeing someone spell it out in front of her, and make her type it too, felt choking. [SlipsInsideHer]: Come on… you know this is all true, just accept it. [LilyAnna]: The more inferior i feel, the less reason he will have to bother with me. [SlipsInsideHer]: That's right… and the less reason he has to bother with you, the more you will fantasise about him. [LilyAnna]: The less reason he has to bother with me, the more i will fantasise about him. [SlipsInsideHer]: good girl. Now stop typing and start playing with that cunny of yours while you follow and accept what I type. As Lily Anna's fingers trod the well-established path to her pussy, she leaned forward to absorb what he would write. [SlipsInsideHer]: The more you will feel hot around him. The more you will desire to open those sweet legs of yours for him [SlipsInsideHer]: and present that wet, shaved, unworthy cunt of yours to him. {w+} [SlipsInsideHer]: The more you will imagine is hard cock pushing into you. {w+} [SlipsInsideHer]: making your body bounce on the end of his thrusts [SlipsInsideHer]: making your arms go limp [SlipsInsideHer]: arching your tits out towards his big strong hands, so that he may maul them. {w+} [SlipsInsideHer]: cum now, feeling unworthy of him and loving him for his generosity in bothering to do you. {w+} Lily Anna was swept along by his words, her orgasm built quickly as she recognised the fantasy, even if she would never have described it in this way. At last she could acknowledge the truth she had suppressed all these months: he was never going to bother with a lowly junior researcher. She wasn't worthy of him. Yet the more she felt unworthy, the greater she wanted to feel his hot, stiff cock forcing its way past her lips, burying itself deep inside her. She pictured herself meekly surrendering herself to him, grateful for his attention. With these thoughts she came hard and wet. [LilyAnna]: nnngghhhahhh [SlipsInsideHer]: That's right. Poor Lily Anna wanting him inside you and knowing you are crying for the moon. [SlipsInsideHer]: You know too that your job is important, so you can stay close to him. [SlipsInsideHer]: you mustn't provoke people by being overtly sexual [LilyAnna]: mustnt provoke guys [SlipsInsideHer]: no. You love the fantasies of being used by them [SlipsInsideHer]: just like the office girl in the stories you read [SlipsInsideHer]: you know how they make you hot [SlipsInsideHer]: you must keep those thoughts in your head. Know they are there [SlipsInsideHer]: feel your vulnerability [SlipsInsideHer]: fear being found out, but your fear makes you wet [SlipsInsideHer]: your hot little cunny needs their attention. [SlipsInsideHer]: You spend your days working hard, feeling at risk and feeling horny. [SlipsInsideHer]: You know you are not smart, so you must exploit your best assets. [SlipsInsideHer]: getting noticed by the guys means your boss may notice you too. [SlipsInsideHer]: getting noticed also distracts them from your weak spot – how dumb you really are [SlipsInsideHer]: It is all a sham, you must distract them. Get the guys to look at your legs, your ass, your tits [SlipsInsideHer]: the only way to feel secure is when you understand the guys like what they see [SlipsInsideHer]: yet at the same time you will remain professional and deferential to them. [SlipsInsideHer]: Your fantasies may help that hungry little slit of yours to not feel neglected while you are at work [SlipsInsideHer]: But you are a good office girl and know you need to work hard [SlipsInsideHer]: and now you have a price to pay for me keeping you safe [SlipsInsideHer]: we need to make you sound more like the bimbo you are becoming. [SlipsInsideHer]: as you talk you will find it harder for your brain to keep up. [SlipsInsideHer]: you will keep tripping up in your sentences [SlipsInsideHer]: not remembering what you want to say next [SlipsInsideHer]: to fill in the gaps while your brain catches up [SlipsInsideHer]: you will use words such as "like" or "kinda". [SlipsInsideHer]: When you really get frustrated you will stamp your foot and pout [SlipsInsideHer]: and comment on how slow your brain is [SlipsInsideHer]: but when you are working you will continue to work efficiently [SlipsInsideHer]: Have you got all that? [LilyAnna]: no kep up brainn slow talk dumb. [SlipsInsideHer]: Such a fast learner. [SlipsInsideHer]: Now when I count to 5 you will imagine yourself spread face down across your own desk [SlipsInsideHer]: holding up your short skirt and letting everyone see your boss fuck you from behind. [SlipsInsideHer]: You will picture his hard cock driving deep inside you and everyone in the office staring at your slutty exhibitionism. [SlipsInsideHer]: With each number I count down you will feel his cock driving deeper and deeper into you. [SlipsInsideHer]: Each count will bring you closer and closer to cumming until you ache all over, the image of your boss using you pushing out all other thoughts. [SlipsInsideHer]: as you feel the intensity of your cum approaching you will become overwhelmed by the desire to be used by him. [SlipsInsideHer]: And as the power of your cum consumes you, you will realise that your show also signals to all those watching how stupid you have become in allowing this to happen. Even wanting it to happen. [SlipsInsideHer]: They will recognise the bimbo within you and you will know that you will have lost their respect forever. [SlipsInsideHer]: As your orgasm sweeps through you, you will recognise how much power they have over you – to lose you your job. You must be careful. [SlipsInsideHer]: As I reach 5 and your orgasm crashes in over your mind, all these thoughts will sweep away your past beliefs and you will know how true all this now is. [SlipsInsideHer]: 1: He is thrusting deep inside you. Feel your thighs pressed against the desk. [SlipsInsideHer]: 2: you open wider to give him better access. [SlipsInsideHer]: 3: your fighting for breath as he pumps you faster, something starts to melt inside you. [SlipsInsideHer]: 4: you are pushing back in rhythm and lifting your skirt high. You make sure nothing is hidden from those witnessing your being used. [SlipsInsideHer]: 5: you wake feeling his seed flooding into you. As you look up, you catch the look of lust on your colleagues' faces. Realise as you cum that your mind is being drowned in the flood of sensations ripping through you, and the truth of all that I have revealed to you becomes firmly locked inside your own beliefs. Lily Anna screamed as she pictured her fantasy coming true. Her juices flooded from her. Her hand was soaked and her chair rocked under her violent shudders of pleasure. She pictured everything as he had said and knew that she would, after that display, be considered a mere office slut. How could they think anything else, and how could she ever deny it? She felt a knot tighten in her stomach as she felt appalled by these thoughts, but knew too they were a natural part of her and she would have to be on her guard if she was to stop everyone finding out. She felt a sense of horror at everyone discovering her fantasy of becoming the gullible little office girl, and mingled with it a sense of relief that her hypnotist was looking after her. She knew the bimbo slut was now a natural and dominating part of her. She felt relief that at least she could release the valve when she was at home. Yet she would never manage to get through her day at work without his help. [SlipsInsideHer]: I have to go now. I won't be on for a couple of days [LilyAnna]: I need you. I'm addicted to your trances! [SlipsInsideHer]: just run the program I am sending you each evening [SlipsInsideHer]: It will put you into a trance and relax you while I'm away [LilyAnna]: i'm afraid [SlipsInsideHer]: What are you afraid of? [LilyAnna]: losing my job and my life [SlipsInsideHer]: Don't worry I won't let that happen to you. [SlipsInsideHer]: The program will make sure you get enough sleep [SlipsInsideHer]: and wake you in the morning in time for work [SlipsInsideHer]: ok? [LilyAnna]: yes i feel better knowing you are looking after me [SlipsInsideHer]: I am taking great care of you slipsinsideher signs out. The following night she sat naked in her darkened room, her face illuminated by the computer screen at which she was staring, her hand absent-mindedly buried between her legs and working at her clit and her opening. As she stared at her hypnotist's program she slowly soaked up the images of a woman dressed professionally and yet subtley accentuating her curves. There was nothing slutty about the way she was dressed, but there was a definite understated sexuality about her look. No guy would pass her by without a second look. Lily Anna thought how she could dress to attain that same mix of professional office girl and provocative femininity. She thought of her pleated skirt that stopped short little more than a third of the way down her thigh, her titties accentuated by a push up bra under a white blouse. The lace of her bra discernible through the material, the roundness of her lobes drawing it taught. She imagined how the guys at work would approve, and felt slightly intimidated by their attention. She felt hot and ashamed and submissive and needy. She became aware of her growing need for their approval, her self-esteem totally reliant upon their reaction. These thoughts were gradually being reinforced by words barely seen flickering before her open eyes. As the evening wore on she turned her thoughts back to her boss. It was natural for her to want to dress more femininely for him. Maybe then he notice her and spend a little together in his office. Her heart skipped a beat at the thought of him calling her in to his office and ordering her strip. She melted at the thought of becoming his plaything, if only he would want her. It was strange how alluring the idea was. Her fgingers thundered in and out of her little cunny as she imagined him watching her. She would do anything. She was scared that he would not be interested in her; he might be interested in someone else, Ms Mortimer? She felt a pang in her heart. How could she ever compete with her? Her hand continued it's work, the unresolved tension in her body slowly building. On the screen flashed a message: {w+}{w+}: YOU LOVE RUNNING THIS PROGRAM. IT MAKES YOU HORNY. She felt her pussy pulse as her arousal responded instantly. It was true, she needed her trance and this program gave her a trance that captivated her. Her little cunny needed attention all the time. It was so distracting. While running this program she could keep her cunny amused, and right now her cunny was demanding more attention. {w+}: YOU LOVE TAKING ORDERS FROM A MACHINE Lily Anna did feel foolish to be sitting here and taking orders from a machine, yet the way she felt right now, she would not want to be anywhere else. {w+}: IT IS BECOMING SO NATURAL FOR YOU TO THINK WITH YOUR CUNT and that was true too, no matter how much she might wish to deny it… She knew it. She didn't like the thought, but the more she heard it, the easier it was to accept. If it made her cunny feel this good, taking orders from this author's program was worth it. In fact, she knew she needed it, she no longer had a choice about it. God this was driving her crazy, her fingers were hammering her cunt as her mind was drawn into accepting how little control she now had, even over her own body. {w+}: YOU SIT THERE AND FUCK YOURSELF AS YOU READ YOUR INSTRUCTIONS. THEY MAKE YOU SO HORNY. By now Lily Anna was in such need she could no longer absorb what the computer was telling her. She did fuck herself because she was so fucking horny right now. {w+}{w+}WHAT A FUCKING DUMB CUNT YOU ARE. CUM NOW! Lily Anna came hard, the splash of her juices washed over her hand trapped tightly between her thighs. Somewhere her mind floated high above her head, looking down upon this little girl sitting alone in a darkened room. She was leaning forward, her face illuminated by the monitor, her eyes flitting back and forth in a desperate need to read the flashing messages. She sat motionless; legs akimbo, her hand idly kneading at her slit, forgotten in the girl's need to follow the monitor's instructions. Her mind felt tender towards this innocent, slowly fucking herself whilst waiting for the computer to allow her to cum. She had been drawn through a tangled web that had drowned her to the point where she could now be programmed remotely; this guy did not even need to be there while she danced upon his strings. What respect could she have for this good girl who had allowed herself to be manipulated so easily, to have become obsessed with sex, to need it so badly that she sat there waiting to be programmed by a computer in order to cum? What use was she? She would never amount to anything. Suddenly the screen went blank and a message box popped up. TIME FOR BED During the night she dreamed of her boss summoning her into his office. She was wearing a silvery dress that hugged her tightly with shoulder straps. Her tits pressed into the material making perfect globes. The shiny stretch material around them reflecting the office lights accentuating their roundness. The dress length was very short and barely reached the bottom of her black lace thong panty that could just be seen peaking below the material. She wore long white pvc boots with heavy 3 inch heels and platforms. She stood before him, legs slightly apart, as he mentally undressed her. She understood his thought and mentally congratulated herself. Then he told her to pick something up from the floor and she turned her back to him and bent at the waist. She knew her dress had risen up and he could see her cunt squeezed inside the tight elastic of her thong that was soaking up her juices; as the material stuck to her slit the outline of her cunt lips were becoming clearly visible. She hung there bent double, waiting for his move. It seemed to take forever. At last, she felt his hands rest upon her hips, his thumbs pushing at the material of her dress. A hand snaked over the curvature of her ass cheek, appreciating the softness of her flesh. His fingers dug into her as she felt his cock push against the fabric of her thong trying to find a way into her crack. She hung from his tight grip around her hips, which she was gyrating and pushing back against his cock. She felt the give of the material as his cock ripped through the lace of her panties and sank itself passed her swollen cunt lips. She rocked in rhythm to his thrusts like a rag doll until she felt him explode inside her, his cum spraying her womb in rivers which worked themselves out passed his cock and down her thighs. She squeezed her cunt lips around him as she hung before him open and accepting of his seed. His hands reached up around to her tits and pulled mercilessly at her nipples that now strectched the fabric of her dress. Throughout this dream, however, she was not allowed to cum. She had not been given permission to cum and so she hung there until he was finished with her and then she straightened up and he dismissed her. Sweet Talk Ch. 08 Lily Anna awoke abruptly with a loud, strange buzzing noise hammering in her ears. Her addled brain couldn't understand at first where the noise was coming from, as she lay there struggling to get sink back into sleep. She was getting used slowly to waking up and feeling aroused, knowing her dreams had been hot and yet to her frustration they remained elusive. She loved to wollow in this state of heightened sensitivity she found herself in each morning. Her fingers idly slid over her mound, as she rolled onto her back and slid her legs out across the sheets. She would neeed to shave herself again this morning, she wanted to make sure she remained totally bare and giggled to herself as she recalled one of her stories when Katie, the office girl, had not noticed a nail that had caught the material of her skirt as she sat. When she had stood up there was a loud ripping sound that caused everyone to turn to see what had happened. Of course, her skirt had pulled to shreds in her swift movement and everyone could see her exposed cunny, naked and shaved. In her shock, Katie had raised her hand to cover her open mouth rather than try and hide her bare, exposed lips. As Lily Anna turned over onto her stomach and her thighs clamped tight over her hand, which she started to hump, she became aware again of the persistent loud buzzing noise calling to her from the other room. What was that noise? It must be important. She got up and wandered off in search of its source, her hand still playing with her cunny lips. Funny, it didn't sound like one of her alarms. As she entered the room she could hear her computer buzzing loudly. "My God I just destroyed my computer!" Her first thought was how she was going to get hypnotised now! She felt desperate. "I must have done something stupid and broken it!" As she approached her desk, however, she found the machine working and a message telling her to sit down and click on OK. "Oh yeh," she thought, her face brightening. "The hypnotist's program. Maybe he'll allow me one more cum before work today." She forgot entirely to think about how come she had left the program running all night, or why she had not shutdown her computer as usual. Lily Anna settled herself before the monitor, her excitement rising in anticipation of being permitted a cum. The monitor flashed with words which she tried to catch, but somehow never knew exactly what they were saying. It was hard as her fingers continued to wind herself up through their familiar routine on her cunny. She pulled at her outer lips, her excitement driving her to clench her cunny muscles as words drifted across her open, absorbant eyes and filtered unprocessed directly into her mind. How dumb she must be by now, she couldn't even take in what her hypnotist's program was telling her. He would be so disappointed with her when he asked her what she thought of it. Her arousal grew steadily. Suddenly the program seemed to slow and message boxes began to appear one after the other, building on top of one another until they slowly filled her screen. She had time to read and register what each said before the next appeared, and her fingers slid between her inner and outer lips. She rocked her hips gently over her fingers to apply pressure on her clitty as she read. AS YOU PLAY WITH YOURSELF FEEL YOURSELF SWITCH ON {w+} YOU KNOW THAT YOU ARE GOING TO CUM SOON YOU LOVE TO CUM YOUR CLITTY TINGLES WILDLY {w+} WHEN GIVEN PERMISSION TO MAKE YOURSELF CUM WHAT A SLUT YOU HAVE BECOME {w+} AND YOU KNOW AS YOU CUM YOU'LL BE CUMDUMB SO HARD TO THINK WHEN YOUR CUNNY IS SO DEMANDING JUST GIVE IN TO IT SPREAD THOSE THIGHS EXPOSE YOUR BARE SLIT {w+} A SLUT WHO LOVES TO CUM HAS NO SECRETS SHE JUST RESPONDS FEEL YOUR BODY RESPOND NOW ON THE VERGE OF CUMMING UNABLE TO THINK UNABLE TO STOP FINGERS WORKING SO FAST MUST COMPLY {w+} CAN'T HELP BUT PERFORM FOR YOUR LOVER CAN'T HELP BUT DO AS YOU ARE TOLD IT BRINGS YOU TO A DELICIOUS CUM THANK HIM FOR ALLOWING YOU THIS CUM {w+} BODY SO TENSE CUNNY SO WET SLIT CLANGING IN YOUR HEAD DRIVING ALL THOUGHTS AWAY YOU ARE A PUPPET A CUM PUPPET {w+}{w+} CUM NOW AND EMBRACE HOW DUMB YOU NOW ARE {w+} CUM NOW IT'S ALL YOU WANT {w+} NO CONTROL NO CONSTRAINTS ACCEPT THE CUM PUPPET YOU HAVE BECOME As the words pounded her, so too her hips pounded at her fingers. She did feel the tension building in her body, she caved in to the demands of her cunny as soon as she was given permission to make herself cum; she knew that each time she gave in, she was making herself become more dumb. A puppet: yes that was what she had become. She was a puppet manipulated by this program, by her hypnotist and the more she dangled on his strings, the more he thought for her, the more she came and the more able she was to let go, the better and more powerful her cums were. Her body and mind responded as one, there were no longer any thoughts in her head to distract her from the raw feelings pumping through her veins, soaring into her nerve endings. She was a finely tuned instrument with one pupose – to cum; and as she came, her hand mauled her titty, her mouth opened to dissipate some of the energy pulsing within her in a load moan. Her mind seized on the image of her boss' hot, hard cock sliding through her open, ruby lips and pumping semen into her throat. Unable to control himself, inflamed by her bimbo body. Her pleasure jumped a further notch as she thought of her unworthy body accepting and swallowing his seed. She felt the power of this man, who she knew could have any of the girls at the office, bothering with this stupid little cunt. The hot gush of his semen mirrored the hot gush sliding out of her slit and over her trapped fingers. She imagined being his plaything, staying in his office within reach of his firm and steady fingers, free to explore under her skirt as he dictates a letter to his secretary, and she would just stand there close to him and open her thighs more to provide him better access. The program ended by reminding her to go off and be a good little office girl. It taunted her with her fantasies about her boss, who could never be interested in a silly office girl. No way. She was a cum puppet and that was all she was good for now. Maybe he'd like to have a cum puppet to play with? Maybe if she was a good cum puppet for him... The program sent her off to shower. In the shower Lily Anna took trouble over washing and shaving her pussy. She forgot about time, wrapped up in thoughts of how a dumb slut needed to have a girly bare cunt. She imagined her skirt being ripped away from protecting and hiding her bare cunny. The hard nail like a strong masculine finger tearing at the flimsy material, determined to pull aside all obstacles to her waiting opening. She pictured the reaction of her colleagues at work staring at her in shock as her naked cunny would call to them, their stiff cocks twitching in response to its invitation, while she stood paralysed in full view of them all. Suddenly Lily Anna realised the time. "Oh my God, I'm going to be late." She pulled her fingers away from further exploration of the puffy folds of her now silky, smooth opening, and rushed off to find some sexy clothes to wear. It was by now too hard to concentrate on things with her deft fingers exciting her cunny all the time. Especially as the balance she sought in choosing what to wear seemed so tricky. She had bought some very sheer panties and bras that pulled tight across her flesh. She loved the feel of tightness over these sensitive areas of her body, and the material was so thin that her bareness could not be hidden. Her skirts were shorter too. She loved that dangerous feeling of how close her hot shaved cunny was to the hem. It forced her to think about how she moved in the office; how she sat down or got up. This in turn constantly reminded her of having to protect her cunny during the normalness of her working day. Her bimbo slut being just a few inches from exposure seemed daring and thrilled her. She would be taunted by these thoughts as she worked. This made her nipples pucker into hard little nuggets that pressed at the taut material encasing them, which in turn would constantly rub at them, sensitising further the points of her tits with every stretch and turn she made. She would pull her shoulders in as she walked about the office, which would press them into the stretched fabric embracing them and this showed off their rounded curves to the guys in the office and more expecially to her boss. Inevitably Lily Anna arrived late for work, but fortunately no one seemed to have noticed. She seemed to zone in on her research once she was sat at her desk. Lily Anna worked very efficiently and became totally absorbed trying to make sure she did a good job. She had been talking with her colleagues over coffee and found it so hard to keep up with what they were saying. She was aware that she kept asking them to explain and noticed the sidelong looks they were giving her. Then she decided it was better to just keep quiet. That was so unlike her. Her head floated in a fog. She was aware that once, just a few days ago – which now seemed a lifetime ago to her, she knew this stuff. Now, however, it was quite apparent to her how dumb she had become. Whenever she tried to talk with her colleagues she just struggled to put words together into complete sentences. She found her statements just trailing off and her mind drifting as she tried to bring it back to focus upon the conversation. At one point, she had stamped her foot and said to her colleagues "I feel so dumb today." They had laughed it off, but Lily Anna felt it was better to just stick to her desk and her work and not get involved in complex discussions. As she worked, she did not notice her supervisor coming up behind her: "Are you ok Lil?" Lily Anna's face was screwed tight as she concentrated. She looked vaguely unhappy but couldn't quite put her finger on it. "Uuh, yeh like... um... guess i'm just having a ditzy day, ms Mortimer." She sounded so feeble and she knew it, but what else could she say to explain her dozy manner at the office today? Her supervisor studied her face for a moment longer and said: "Are you wearing makeup today?" Lily Anna's face brightened as she looked up. A smile broke across her features: "Yeh! Do you like it?" Jane Mortimer stared at this little girl squirming before her and wondered how she could have ever felt threatened by her. True her work was good, which of course she would never admit directly to her. Yet how could anyone take her seriously? She looked at her rouged lips with a faint gloss that caught the overhead lights. God she must be desperate, she thought. Her white legs tapering from her skirt, reaching down to her small ankles where they crossed one over the other. Their delicateness accentuated by the tight black, heeled shoes into which she had jammed her toes. Jane shook her head disapprovingly. "Well you'd better make sure your ditzy days come few and far between if you want to make an impression here. You are giving the impression of being a bit dim. That's is not the kind of impression you need to be making." She turned and walked off leaving Lily Anna crest-fallen. "Umm yes miss." It was all she could think to say, but no sooner had the moment passed when she thought, why hadn't she answered her back? She would normally keep her end up. Why hadn't she pointed out that her work had not suffered even if she did sound a bit spaced out. "Oooowww." She stamped her foot and clenched her fists at the lost opportunity. Why was she being so slow? Later that day, as she sat working at her desk, her boss, Mr Worrall, walked over to ask her to research some new material. As Lily Anna sat with her face close to his crotch, she struggled within herself not to stare at it. Her mind floated among images of his cock, her little fingers deftly pulling it out from within his pants, her lips kissing it. She imagined the feel of the soft smooth skin pushing insistently against her lips... "Lily Anna, are you listening to me?" She looked up into the eyes of her boss. They were pale blue... She needed to focus on what he he was saying and stop being absorbed by the way his lips moved. Why were these inane thoughts circling around inside her head? He was clearly irritated. She was startled by his tone. "Yes, sir. Sorry, I will ... like... um... get on with it right away." She bit her lip, and immediately regretted it. She saw his stare linger upon her a moment longer than normal, and she felt mortified. Why was she finding it so difficult to be the professional girl today who efficiently got everything done ahead of time? Her bimbo nature seemed to be strengthening its grip upon her even at work. She thought again of all those stories of the office girl, being treated as stupid, taken advantage of, being fucked. The word throbbed in her brain as she realised how much her cunny tingled right now in response to its desire to be fucked too. How was it that some part of her was willing her more and more to become that stupid office girl, to be the slut and now she felt a real fear that she could no longer stop it. She ran into the toilet and sobbed in one of the cubicles. She wasn't a dumb bimbo, she wasn't... she wasn't.... she wasn't. There, that would make her feel better, but it didn't. She was so scared, yet while in the privacy of the cubicle she found her hand automatically sliding down towards her little juice coated cunny. She felt her excitement mounting along with her fear. She wanted to stop this, more than anything. Yet she took a delicious delight in the thought of losing control and losing everything. It was, after all, part of her natural self. Lily Anna left a little early for her lunchbreak. She needed time away to think, and she needed to get a new mag from that shop as she had finished all the stories now. As she walked she thought about her body and how much she enjoyed dressing it up in such a subtly provocative way. She ran over her thoughts about taking her boss' dick in her mouth, it felt so natural the casual way it had popped into her head. Her mouth was so erogenous, wet and open. She imagined herself being kissed, a man's insistent tongue invading her and her tongue responding to his. How agile it was. How much pleasure she could give using her tongue. She imagined it folding itself around a hot stiff cock, its tip flicking over and around the soft folds of skin at its head. She imagined the pulsed heat rippling along it as it was about to gush sperm into her open waiting and accepting mouth. Suddenly Lily Anna felt her clitty jangle bringing her out of her reveree and back into the street she was walking along. She looked up and found herself outside a shop selling new age things. There were crystals, and insense and candles as well as leather goods and pvc clothes. Interesting, she thought and went inside. Perhaps it was the thoughts that had run through her mind in the street just before, but something guided her over towards the counter where there was an array of body decorations. She stared at the clit hoods and the bars and rings of various sizes. She stared at them with curiosity. "I always thought girls who wore body decorations were stupid sluts. Yet here I am now, and as I look at these hard titanium posts designed to be driven through the flesh – my flesh! I am feeling quite turned on by it." Lily Anna was particularly interested in the posts with balls for the tongue. The balls looked cute, she selected a lovely 5mm pink ball. It had a swirl of colour, differing shades of pink and rose, and as it flashed from behind her teeth, she knew it would attract attention. She imagined how much pleasure running her girlie little ball along the slot at the tip of her boss' dick would give him. Suddenly it felt so right to adorn her mouth in this way. It would be a message to him that her mouth was a sexual organ too, and what pleasure her mouth could give him. She paid quickly and asked directions to where she could get it inserted into her tongue. Lily Anna had always imagined that piercings would be painful, yet it wasn't and was so quick and easy. It was a bit uncomfortable when he clamped her tongue, but the piercing itself was over before she was even aware of what was happening. She walked back towards the office, the tip of her tongue swirling constantly over the ball. She loved the sensation of its smoothness gliding effortlessly across her flesh. Her mouth seemed to salivate more as she explored the point where the harsh metal rod slipped into her tongue. She was fascinated by the feel of it, and couldn't help herself from sliding the post back and forth through the hole forced through her. In a strange way she felt chained by this brutal rod, and her nips responded in a pleasant distracting way on her titties. She would always be reminded now that her mouth was able to arouse her too. Maybe Mr Worrall would see that and want a taste of some of that pleasure she could now offer. She smiled to herself. Over lunch Lily Anna settled down with her new magazine. She still felt unsettled by this morning, but somehow the unrealistic stories in these mags comforted her. Reading them enabled her to switch off. It was so relaxing to think of nothing and lose herself in the story on the page in front of her. She always pictured herself in the lead role, unwittingly providing the guys views down her cleavage or up her skirt. She could relax and not feel pressured into trying to follow all the office politics or trying to impress. Her body would do the talking for her. It seemed so difficult to find the right words to say, and she still smarted from the morning when they had given her such strange looks. Yet she was afraid too that she was allowing her inner slut to come out at the office. Why was she not more careful? Ohh, how she wanted to finger her cunny right now. Life was so unfair. At least now she could play with the hard, little pink ball in her mouth and imagine what she could do to her boss with that. As the afternoon wore on Lily Anna felt so incredibly horny that the only way to escape was to bury herself deeper into her work. She was only vaguely aware that her mouth seemed dry and she drank more water. Her tongue seemed to fill the space behind her gums. The day wore on and Ms Mortimer came by to check on her progress. "Hmm not bad I suppose. You have been quite a ditz today, so I suppose we should be glad for any work you managed to get done." She said as she thumbed through her report. She had sounded almost disappointed at not being able to criticise it further. Any other day and Lily Anna would have answered her back, but today she just stood there, wanting to rush back home. Her cunny was dripping, which made her very self-conscious before her superior, and if she didn't get to cum soon, she would die. "Thank you mith. I did, kinda try..." Lily Anna turned crimson. She couldn't believe it. Her treacherous tongue had swollen so much that she was no longer able to speak properly. "Ooooh why hadn't I thought about that before!" she berated herself silently. She clenched her fists at her sides. She felt humiliated before Ms Mortimer who just stared incredulously at her. "Oh God, Oh God!! Oh God!!!" she wished she could just disappear. She was so stupid not to think things through. Why had she acted on such an impulse? And of course she had got it wrong and now had humiliated herself before her superior. She was afraid that her stupidity was about to lead to her losing her job. "Lil... show me your tongue!" Lily Anna stood there shaking slightly; tears welling up in her eyes as she was forced to open her mouth and present her freshly pierced tongue to her supervisor. She could feel the burning of her cheeks and then realised that her clitty was clanging overtime. Somehow she was getting a buzz out of being found out, no matter how humiliating it felt. Lily Anna's thoughts decended to her cunny muscles which she could feel clenching in fright and excitement. She longed to be alone and free to put her hand under her skirt. Sweet Talk Ch. 08 Jane Mortimer had caught the flash of pink as she watched the girl talking to her and immediately guessed what it was when she caught the lisp in Lily Anna's voice. She was shocked. The stupid girl, what did she think she was playing at? Didn't she know how important the corporate image was? At the same time Jane Mortimer was feeling revulsion for a girl who pierced her own body in such a sexually provocative way, she also was transfixed by a lurid fascination of it. She wondered what made a girl do such a thing, how it felt having it done, how she could not feel inhibited from doing something so sexual and so disgusting. Somewhere buried deep inside, she realised she felt a little jealous too. Shocked, Jane buried that thought but it was immediately replaced with another thought. What would it feel like to kiss this girl, their tongues to float across each other. Her own tongue able to explore this hard, smooth glistening pink ball and the sensations it might arouse in her. Jane was angry at these thoughts forcing their way into her mind. "Do you want to be taken seriously here? What do you think the guys in the office will think of you with your flouncy clothes, your ditzy way and now your freshly pierced tongue? What do you thik Mr Worrall will think? Do you want to be seen as some kind of office slut?" Jane Mortimer was as close to shouting as she had ever got with an employee. Her anger masked a growing strange delight in the prospect of this girl becoming an office slut, watching Mr Worrall disapprove of the antics of this dumb bimbo. His turning to her more and more as the one he can depend upon. She felt some sexual gratification at imagining Lil turning into a bimbo that no one took seriously. She could take advantage of this girl's body without feeling demeaned by her latent desires. She would just be reinforcing her own superiority over the girl. "No mith... I washn't thinking..." Her voice low and trailing off. How could she defend the indefensible? She felt intimidated by this woman and just wanted to run away. She was a naughty child hauled up before the headmistress for a bollocking for some rule infiringement. The more she thought of herself as a naughty schoolgirl, the wetter she became. Her mind drifted into wondering how she was going to be able to keep both hands on the steering wheel as she drove home. "Well I guess there is no point in removing that stud in your tongue now, as it will still remain swollen. You'd better keep your mouth shut as much as possible for the next few days. I am going to expect some good work from you, do you understand?" "Yeth mith" Lily Anna was dismissed. At last she could get home for some relief. Her thighs were sticky and she was just as embarrassed at the idea that her supervisor may have noticed. Sweet Talk Ch. 09 The room was dark and the evening was following a now familiar pattern. Lily Anna stuck rigidly to her ritual of stripping, eating and then bringing herself compliantly before her computer monitor where she knew her hypnotists program would continue conditioning her. There was no longer any point in debating with herself whether she wanted this or not. She knew she was here because this was the only way she could cum tonight, and she needed to cum. She was hooked and she knew it. Whatever it took was worth it to reach those sky rocketing heights that she had been taken to. Maybe if she had never experienced the overwhelming force her body was capable of generating in the throes of a hypnotically induced orgasm, she could perhaps have held on to some control. Now, however, her bimbo slutty nature was so strong that she just couldn't think about anything other than meeting the needs of her hungry little cunny. Lily Anna sat in the flickering light of the monitor, her fingers gliding over her naked mons. They slipped down the sides of her V while her middle finger flicked mercilessly at her clitty. She could hear the clanging of a bell ricochet in her brain and she was mesmerised by its sound and the slow accumulating climb of anticipation she was engaged in. Eyes wide open, she sat impassively before the words drifting across her screen, allowing them to condition her, reinforcing over and again new beliefs, new desires all with one single purpose, driving her cunny to an insatiable need to cum. Lily Anna was getting used to her programming. She did not need to think, she did not need to respond. She could just switch off and let it wash over and through her, knowing that in the end she would become so fucking horny that cumming was all that mattered. Then when she could not take it any more, she knew, the program would let her cum in a most massive and explosive way. She didn't even have to try and control her cums any more. The program would do that for her, so that the tension could mount and mount until the pressure was so great that once allowed to cum, it would be mind-shattering. And that was sooo true. Each cum seemed to shatter her mind a little bit more. There was precious little left of her brain anyway. It felt soo cool to be dumb and sexy and have great fun playing with herself and all these suggestions she was being exposed to. Whenever she was not at her desk working, her mind dwelled on her cunny and cumming. She obsessed over her stories and becoming that stupid little office girl. She was afraid too, because while she loved the powerful, energetic emotions that crashed back and forth within her, she was afraid her colleagues would notice the changes in her. If Mr Worrall heard talk about her around the office, she would be doomed. He would never, ever show any interest in her. He would avoid her or kick her out. She fretted over how to react if any of the guys tried anything on with her. She hoped they wouldn't. She wasn't sure she knew how to handle it. In fact she would probably just let them do whatever they liked with her, because her body was like taut with sexual need. She imagined one of the guys hands sliding down her open blouse and squeezing at her nip. Oooh she would die if he did that, but she could feel her tits swell and pull at her bra. She wanted that hand to belong to Mr Worrall, oh how she would love that... but even if it was one of the other guys, she felt shocked to realise that she would allow him if he had the courage to do it. She knew too that her legs would open slightly in response. Although she would want him to stop, she needed to be seen as one of the team, even though she didn't feel she was up to it, her bimbo side would force her to acquiesce. She would be frozen before his fondling fingers, even wishing he would be more daring yet. Fuck she was going to lose her job. It was obvious to her. How many of the guys would fuck her before they kicked her out? and Mr Worrall watching with disappointment, shaking his head with disapproval as he told her to go. She had to be so careful. Lily Anna was leaning forward towards the monitor, eyes wide and fingers buried deep inside her hot soaking channel. She felt excited as the program told her she was reaching the climax of her training. She saw messages telling her how well she had done to get this far, what a good girl she was accepting her bimbo nature. She was going to have cums the size of planets after this. She would see in just a few moments as she would finally let go of control completely. A series of boxes again emerged on the screen, slowly filling it. Each one had a truth about her that she read as her fingers worked at her clitty. The erotic charge of her acquiescence seemed to yank her chain and each command that she absorbed propelled her to greater levels of excitement. I CRAVE SEX I AM EASILY LED I THINK WITH MY CUNT MY CUNT DEMANDS SEX MY CUNT IS NOT DISCRIMINATING I AM NOT DISCRIMINATING I CAN'T TRUST MYSELF MY NATURAL SELF IS WANTON YET I KNOW I SHOULDN'T BE I FEEL UNSAFE I FEEL TEMPTED I WANT TO SUCCUMB I WANT OTHERS TO SEE ME AS A STUPID SLUT Oh God, this was already feeling too much. She ached with the desire to cum. I NEED PROTECTING FROM MY OWN DESIRES IF MY COLLEAGUES KNEW THEY WOULD TAKE ADVANTAGE OF ME I AM POWERLESS I NEED A MAN TO CONTROL MY DESIRES I NEED A MAN TO CONTROL ME I NEED A MAN'S PROTECTION I NEED HIM TO CONTROL MY CUNT I NEED TO BE TOLD WHEN I CAN CUM I NEED TO BE TOLD WHEN TO STOP I MUST DEFER TO HIM I MUST OBEY HIM Oh fuck... Her thighs squeezed tight around her hand and she rocked her hips against her knuckle in an effort to reach that elusive summit. I MUST BECOME HIS CUM PUPPET OTHERWISE HE WILL SEE ME AS USELESS I AM NOTHING WITHOUT HIM I AM TOO STUPID TO GET BY ON MY OWN I NEED A STRONG MAN I NEED HIM TO LEAD ME I AM JUST A DUMB BIMBO IF I DON'T MAKE HIM CUM I WILL FAIL AS A WOMAN I NEED TO MAKE HIM CUM ONLY HE CAN SAVE ME FROM MYSELF CUM NOW.... CUM AGAIN AND A THIRD TIME. EACH TIME REPEATING TO YOURSELF THE WORDS: I HAVE NOW BECOME THE BIMBO I ALWAYS WISHED TO BE. "Oh No... Oh No.... Oh Noo......Oh Nooo! I have now become the bimbo I always wished to be". Her voice sounding raspy as she gasped for air as she came, her body rocking violently in the chair; her hand buried deep between her thighs. As the waves of erotic power crashed over her, she became lost in a sensual world where all that mattered was her cunt. As the arcing charge that flashed across her body started to reduce, she breathed hard a couple of times before repeating "I have now become the bimbo I always wished to be" This time she saw herself lost, overwhelmed by a tidal wave of desire to become a bimbo. She had made it, and now there was no turning back. She wanted this more than anything. Her eyes tight, she squealed as the second wave of her orgasm assailed her with pleasure that threatened to drown her as she remembered her day and how dumb she had been. She revelled in her own humiliation before Ms Mortimer, her body shaking in response to the tangible energy rippling up and down it. "Gawd... Oh Gawd...fuck, fuck....I can't take any more." She was now kneeling on the floor, her hand furiously pocking in and out of her slit that was by now so wet and open it no longer offered any resistance. Her hand slurping as it banged in and out of her hot hole. She fought to take in air. Her head pounded and felt hot. She knew she had to repeat it one more time, but she felt she would be consumed by the ensuing orgasm if she didn't take a moment to calm down. Yet the nagging in her head was relentless. She had to do it, even if she died. "I have... I have now become... the bimbo I always wished to be..." Finally she knew it to be true. Whether it had always been so or not, she could no longer tell. But she knew now that she had been on a journey voluntarily degrading herself, losing her independence, breaking down her self-esteem and allowing her intelligence to slip away, all to feed her hungry little cunt. She had never felt so vulnerable before. The powerful orgasms she had experienced had taken over her whole life and she had thrown away everything for them. What a fucking stupid cunt she had been. She didn't even own her cums, she was entirely dependent now on someone else, or even a fucking computer program, to allow her the pleasure she sought so desperately. And just then her third and most powerful orgasm swept away all thoughts. Her mind drifted, consumed by the overpowering sensations. Her cunny finally won. Lily Anna was lying on the floor, everything felt wet. She had to get up and wash, but she needed to just lie there and feel the coolness of the wood against her hot flushed cheeks. Her arms ached, her neck felt tense, her body glowed. The experience had been so intense that she could not bring thoughts into her mind, she was free of debate or self-criticism. She could just be herself, her natural bimbo slutty self with a beautiful body that gave her towering peaks of sublime energy. At last she could just lie there and not think about what was happening to her, but just experience without judgement her pulse thumping through her forehead, her tits swollen and quaking with the pleasure that beat through them, the sweet tenderness of her cramped fingers that lay exhausted having worked so hard. Small aftershocks still rippled through her as her breathing deepened and her skin sensed the hard wood flooring against it. After some moments she pulled herself up, her lips and face smiled, radiating the energy out welling up from deep inside. She giggled, the only way to express the happy emotions in which she bathed. She felt fantastic. As she slowly came back into the room and aware of her surroundings, her heart leaped as she saw her Messenger box had opened up and there was a message from her hypnotist. She felt so grateful to this guy for what he had given her. [SlipsInsideHer]: how are you doing? [LilyAnna]: hiya! Missed u so much....!! [SlipsInsideHer]: tell me what has been happening? [LilyAnna]: Ooooh I've been...umm running your program and getting my hypnosis fix each evening (yum ;). It's not the same, but a lot better than nothing! Heh heh. [LilyAnna]: I have been busy at work during the day, trying to impress... u know, it's kinda hard. And guess wat? [Lily Anna]: I got my tongue pierced!!!! [SlipsInsideHer]: Did you? What made you do that? [LilyAnna]: I was out one lunchtime, thinking about my sexxy body...which I do a lot now ;) and I thought, like... what about my mouth...that's sexy too innit? [LilyAnna]: I keep thinking about Mr Worrall's dick and sucking it and stuff...and that makes me all tingly. Then I suddenly had a brain-wave. How would it feel to have a big pink ball gliding over his cock as well as my tongue. I imagined it sending ripples down his stiff rod and making it pulse. [SlipsInsideHer]: What a slut you are. Are you fingering yourself right now? [LilyAnna]: Oh yah! course. Don't do much else these days... [SlipsInsideHer]: And do you like your new jewellery? [LilyAnna]: Yah cool, but... made my tongue swell up. Now I talk with a lisp... makes me sound even dumber [SlipsInsideHer]: What did your supervisor say? [LilyAnna]: She was furious! Told me to keep my mouth shut...I felt such a fool, not thinking that might happen. [LilyAnna]: Just as well...I don't seem to be able to say anything much intelligent nowadays. [SlipsInsideHer]: And what about your boss? Did he notice? [LilyAnna]: Not sure... Whenever I see my boss I start feeling like... all horny. I just want to pull my skirt up and spread my legs so he can sink his big dick into me. But I am like...so scared. If anyone finds out what is floating around in my little noodle I will become no more than the office plaything. I have to be so careful. [LilyAnna]: And I am like so dumb...!! its so hard to like keep a conversation going when my little head is so full of sex.... I just sit there and listen while they talk, and they sound soo clever and important and stuff. They must think I'm sooo stupid... [SlipsInsideHer]: I see. Tell me more about what goes through your mind when you see your boss. [LilyAnna]: Welll like yesterday...I was standing there at the photocopier when Mr Worrall came in behind me. I was sooo aware of his presence right behind me. I just couldn't concentrate any more on what I was doing ...heh, heh. [LilyAnna]: I think I must have photocopied that same page 20 times or more. Like I just couldn't help myself. I kept thinking: What does he think of my ass? I kept leaning forward to umm... like to give him a better view. [LilyAnna]: I felt like I was so horny, my neck was all hot and my titties just wanted to feel his hands upon them. I couldn't think... My legs went weak and I felt like I wanted him to slide his hands up my skirt, I wanted to feel his hands warm and strong against my ass cheeks. [LilyAnna]: I also found... Hey I know this is goin to sound silly, but I guess I am pretty silly. I found I wanted him to smack me, I wanted my ass to sting, I wanted to feel the heat rise, from my hot round ass cheeks burning under his hands as he smacked me and told me I was a naughty, naughty girl. I should not have let my bimbo slut come out at work. I was naughty to have a bimbo slut side. I wanted him to tell me off and make me finger myself as he did so. I wanted him to see my juices flow as he told me he had to punish me now for being such an airhead. I wanted to hear him say how useless I was as I felt his hands slide around my waist. [LilyAnna]: I stood there unable to focus on what I was doing... these thoughts just felt so powerful... I wanted to be his puppet... so he understood he could use me now and make me cum and cum, and as he tells me all this, his hand would continue to smack rhythmically on my behind, as if driving the words into me physically. [LilyAnna]: I was soo hot, my chest heaved with each breath. Surely he must've noticed. Surely he must've seen I wanted him to use me. I wanted him to lift me up over the photocopier and lie me flat. I wanted to feel exposed to him, so he could see my cunny between my thighs as he forced them apart. [LilyAnna]: I wanted to feel him drive himself into my love channel, to feel the heat of his hard, thick cock driving and driving into my crack... feel my brains pumping out of me as he took control. My hands rising to my titties, exciting my nips as I look at his stern face focused upon them, his hands gripping my hips so that I cannot escape. I am his rag doll, I am his slut. [SlipsInsideHer]: Wow LA I see how powerful the bimbo side of you has become over these few days. It is my fault. I should never have left you with just my program. [LilyAnna]: But your program was like cool too....All those messages and stuff, made me wet reading all those things – heh hee. Made me see what is really mee and what i really want [SlipsInsideHer]: and what is it you really want? [LilyAnna]: Want my boss control me. Like have him tell me i can cum and protect me and stuff... from my own sedxxy needs. I feel just sooo out of control of my cunny, ned his hands open my legs feell his strong fingers probing me making me hole and look after me :) [SlipsInsideHer]:But you were professional at work? With your boss? [LilyAnna]: yes but I need hm to fuckk ,e [SlipsInsideHer]: Did he show any interest in you? [LilyAnna]: no... want him to notive me. Want his dick fucks me [SlipsInsideHer]: What about being professional? You want him to respect you don't you? [LilyAnna]: Oooh.... Yes I do. [pouts]: but I want this... i wwant this soo bad. Like... I don't know... don't know what I want no more. i'm like all confewsed. Tell me what to do. [SlipsInsideHer]:Well, first stop panicking and tell me what you are doing right now. [LilyAnna]: i'm like fingering myself and like almost peeing myself worrying about what I shoud do tyo get him? [SlipsInsideHer]: Just relax and let your finger work its way round your clit. [SlipsInsideHer]: feel it circling round and round, and as it circles think of a spinning spiral circling round and round before your eyes, drawing you in. [SlipsInsideHer]: feel yourself relaxing as you sink into the middle of that spiral, and as your finger continues its work feel your worries idly drifting away. Her finger circled her clit exactly as he ordered and the doubts that had plagued her just a moment ago, seemed to be drifting away. Lily Anna felt relaxed letting go and following his instructions. He always knew how to make her feel good. Her fingers continued to roam up and down her slit and her body shook with the pent up frustrations of the day. Her orgasm was starting to build. [SlipsInsideHer]: are you more relaxed? [LilyAnna]: mmm [SlipsInsideHer]: That's it, let your mind drift away. An empty mind has no worries; an empty mind thinking nothing except your little girl slit and your fingers dipping in and out juicing it up. You know you are too dumb now to work out what's the right thing to do, better leave that to me. I make you feel alive and following my instructions keeps you horny, doesn't it? [LilyAnna]: yuh, so goood [SlipsInsideHer]: you're my good little girl aren't you? [LilyAnna]: mm hmm [SlipsInsideHer]: Yes that's right, you leave me to worry about the thinking for you now don't you? [LilyAnna]: yah.. too diffcuut [SlipsInsideHer]: just too complicated for your stupid brain. It's drifting, thinking only about that hot little cunt of yours and its hungry appetite. You need to fill it, your legs want to open wide and embrace a man, your boss, drawing him into your core, welcoming his seed inside you. [LilyAnna]: Oooh neeed cum... [SlipsInsideHer]: Yes cum now and feel that sexual energy explode within you. Then thank me for giving you permission to cum. You know you're addicted to them. Suddenly a floodgate opened and her lips opened wide. She felt her fingers soaking wet, her legs spread, her body shook as the iron jaws of her cunt gripped her fingers, her hips rocking pushing her clit hard against her knuckle. Her face was screwed tight shut as her thoughts were completely driven from her mind by the sensations racking through her body. The height of her orgasm seemed to last and last, her chest tight so she couldn't breath, she was gasping for air that came in spurts. She recognised how the intensity of her orgasms had been mounting and mounting as she had allowed her mind to be taken over by the desires of her hot little cunt. She didn't feel anything for that loss, her mind languished in the powerful signals riding her body. Then slowly as the sensations started to slip away as a tide withdrawing from her body, she relaxed and went limp. Her thighs had become slippery and her musk invaded her nose, her fingers ached, her throat was sore and she felt weak. [LilyAnna]: thankk uu.... sooo goood She sat in the afterglow of her orgasm and felt so grateful to this guy who had opened up this powerful life to her. She felt soo sexy... [SlipsInsideHer]: So let's see whether we can work this out. What you seem to be saying is that you want to feel this sexual even at work. You fantasise about sex with your boss, even if this means losing the respect of your colleagues. Sweet Talk Ch. 09 [LilyAnna]: i know... not goood [SlipsInsideHer]: But you want it and you even fight my suggestions that you must be professional. You want to wear more sexy clothes at work; you want men to notice you; you want your boss to notice you. [LilyAnna]: yess [SlipsInsideHer]: and you work hard in the hope that your boss will notice you [SlipsInsideHer]: you want him to notice you, you want him to fuck you. It seems you want him to control your cums [LilyAnna]: ohh yus I doo [SlipsInsideHer]: so in fact, orgasms are more important to you than getting your work done well. [LilyAnna]: it is...it is... work boring, just thinking of his hot hands on my nipples, pressing my ass into his crotch... so hot [SlipsInsideHer]: do you want sex with this man even if it means he sees you as a dumb bimbo who thinks only with her cunt? [LilyAnna]: i think...yeh...like work's not enufff... Her fingers were already working rapidly at her clit once more, her legs automatically spreading themselves wide as her arousal grew. [SlipsInsideHer]: But I thought you wanted to be successful. [LilyAnna]: Ooooh like... dah... don't know no more. Oh i need to cum; pls let me. [SlipsInsideHer]: But we need to figure this out first. [SlipsInsideHer]: It's important. We need to know what you really want. Forget that stupid cunt of yours for a minute. [LilyAnna]: too hard... [SlipsInsideHer]: Concentrate on what happened today. Her fingers took on a new urgency as she needed another cum, nothing mattered so much. [LilyAnna]: Worked hard, but just wanted him to like... fuck me. You know, like.... I just wanted to feel his hard cock sink in between my legs lol. Can't keep my hands from like... like.... Oh plsss... friggin my cunt like... feel my juices run. [SlipsInsideHer]: Do you think then the reason this is so hard for you is because the real part of you is this bimbo who only wants to think about sex and how to fill that greedy little cunt of yours? Do you want your boss to see you like that? [SlipsInsideHer]: Maybe all this effort to work hard and succeed isn't really you? Maybe that is why the hypnosis hasn't worked? You have just been trying to meet the expectations others have imposed upon you. [SlipsInsideHer]: If you forget about what other people think, just concentrate on what you want right now. Which is it: professional or bimbo? [LilyAnna]: don't know.... too hard... want respect, want be good.. [SlipsInsideHer]: then lets reinforce your work ethic. Make sure there is no danger of availing your body to your boss [SlipsInsideHer]: make sure the bimbo you only comes out here at home in front of the computer screen. [LilyAnna]: keeep saff [SlipsInsideHer]: Yes keep safe, and work is only for work. No trying to get your boss to fuck you. Those are just fantasies to play with at home, make sure they never happen for real. [LilyAnna]: NO!... no... need this... bosss keep me safe .... cant do withoutt ti [SlipsInsideHer]: You want to lose the respect of your boss. Let him see the bimbo you and surrender yourself to him? [LilyAnna]: cannnt... needd to cummmm By now Lily Anna's mind was consumed with her impending orgasm, her fingers were working fast and pulling at her little clitty, her nipples extended as her tits swelled out before her chest. In her mind she saw two images of herself – the one dressed in a suit, looking efficient and reliable but sexless and alone at home finger fucking herself before the computer screen; the other dressed colourfully, with tousled blonde hair and loop earrings – her skirts short and legs long, her tits prominent and proud. She imagined keeping home for her boss – her man. He would give her explosive orgasms, he would protect her and control her slutty behaviour. He would love her. The first life seemed so barren and empty. It stretched endlessly into the future, with no excitement, no change, no risk. The second was powerfully erotic in which her natural self could be free and yet she could feel safe. All she needed was this man to look after her. All she needed was to feel his cock push the walls of her cunny apart and make her cum and cum. This thought brought her over the edge and she screamed loudly through her orgasm. [LilyAnna]: Yes...yes. Want itt [SlipsInsideHer]: Do you want your bimbo self to come out at work even if you lose respect? [LilyAnna]: Please... [SlipsInsideHer]: You realise this will permanently affect your working life? [LilyAnna]: don care... wann sex nnnneeeeeeees sxe [SlipsInsideHer]: Very well, but there will be a price. [SlipsInsideHer]: rustling trees [SlipsInsideHer]: rustling trees [SlipsInsideHer]: rustling trees [SlipsInsideHer]: back into hypnosis [SlipsInsideHer]: deeper every time [SlipsInsideHer]: every time you see me type your trigger [SlipsInsideHer]: what's your scale showing? [LilyAnna]: 0 [SlipsInsideHer]: good girl [SlipsInsideHer]: no longer any separation between your own private thoughts and my suggestions. [SlipsInsideHer]: no boundary between you and my words. It becomes so natural to obey them as you would follow your own instincts. They have become the same. [SlipsInsideHer]: now I want you to start finger-fucking yourself and bringing yourself slowly to climax [SlipsInsideHer]: but this time it will feel different. This time you will realise you do this not for your pleasure [SlipsInsideHer]: you are doing this to obey your boss. [SlipsInsideHer]: imagine him sitting there opposite you. He tells you to fuck yourself in front of him [SlipsInsideHer]: this time you have to do it, because the man who controls your cums wants it [SlipsInsideHer]: you do it because it means he will let you cum [SlipsInsideHer]: I want you to describe to me everything that you do, and how much it turns you on [SlipsInsideHer]: I want you to be detailed, describe everything as you do it [SlipsInsideHer]: typing it all to me, understand all that? [LilyAnna]: yes [SlipsInsideHer]: and such an artist performing for another must have a name [SlipsInsideHer]: a name that suits her status [SlipsInsideHer]: and as you describe your performance to me, you will describe yourself in the third person [SlipsInsideHer]: not just Lily Anna takes off this or does that [SlipsInsideHer]: you will use your new performance name [SlipsInsideHer]: and your new name is lala [SlipsInsideHer]: do you understand all that? [LilyAnna]: yes, lala [SlipsInsideHer]: then awaken and obey on the count of 5 [SlipsInsideHer]: 1 [SlipsInsideHer]: 2 [SlipsInsideHer]: 3 [SlipsInsideHer]: 4 [SlipsInsideHer]: 5 [SlipsInsideHer]: awake Lily Anna awoke a little disoriented and had a strange sense of expectation upon her. She stared blankly for a moment at the screen, but it wasn't until the author typed to her that she realized what was happening and knew she couldn't stop it. [SlipsInsideHer]: go ahead Mr Worrall is waiting for you to start [LilyAnna]: lala sits before her boss, she is shocked by what he has just commanded her to do. [LilyAnna]: her hands drift across her breasts [LilyAnna]: lala is looking straight into his eyes. They seem so penetrating and she feels exposed before them. [LilyAnna]: Nothing can be hidden from this man [LilyAnna]: he owns her soul [LilyAnna]: she can see the understanding this man has of her wanton nature as her palms brush her nipples, exciting them. [LilyAnna]: lala feels a tightness spread across her chest [LilyAnna]: her shoulders pull back forcing her breasts outwards and upwards [LilyAnna]: she cannot deny him anything [LilyAnna]: she loves him for accepting her [LilyAnna]: her hand catches her nipples between finger and thumb and she pulls ever so slightly at them [LilyAnna]: lala keeps her eyes fixed on him, she is trapped in his gaze [LilyAnna]: her legs slide apart as she starts to knead her mounds [LilyAnna]: a lump forms in her throat as she fantasises that this man comes towards her, standing between her thighs willing her on. [LilyAnna]: slowly lala's hand descends downwards and rests on her belly by her belly button. [LilyAnna]: Her finger pulls at her button, elongating it into a slit as she stares back at this man. She hopes he is being excited by her. Is she good enuff? [SlipsInsideHer]: good girl, nice touch Lily Anna felt the spell break. She had been reliving one of her fantasies, but now her author had spoken. She was suddenly aware that someone else was really watching her as she turned herself on to his orders. She felt uncomfortable. [SlipsInsideHer]: keep going [LilyAnna]: lala dances slowly swaying her hips before this man She wanted to give herself time to think. She felt the mixture of pleasure and humiliation. She had never realised before that while she could lose herself completely in a fantasy, how much harder it was to lose herself when someone else was physically there and intruded upon her thoughts. [SlipsInsideHer]: go on... play with yourself, your tits, your cunt, tease yourself [SlipsInsideHer]: bring yourself to the edge for Mr Worrall [SlipsInsideHer]: He is watching you and expecting a good show. Lily Anna heard the clanging of her clitty still rattling in her head, but now when he intruded upon her thoughts everything was different. Somehow even though she imagined Mr Worrall was there watching her, she also knew she was alone. She had space to focus upon her clitty and drift with the gentle tinkling sound that she knew was the prelude to her cumming. Now her hypnotist was crashing in on her fantasy, making his presence very real. She felt a conflict. Was she responding to her own needs or that of Mr Worrall? She was uncomfortable about being made to describe what she was doing. Lily Anna mustered every ounce of her will power to resist, but she couldn't. She had lost that independence. His hypnotic hold over her made his commands irresistible. She felt simply forced to obey. [LilyAnna]: lala cups her boobs [LilyAnna]: runs one hand down over her stomach [LilyAnna]: her hand slides down as she pushes her hips forwards [LilyAnna]: lala feels the edge of the chair dig into her buttocks [LilyAnna]: her thighs spread [LilyAnna]: her mound inches from his attentive face [LilyAnna]: lala uses her nail to scratch lightly across her naked mound [SlipsInsideHer]: scratch harder and pull at your lips [LilyAnna]: as lala scratches, her nails catch, she pulls at her clit [LilyAnna]: lala uses all four fingers and drags them harshly over her mound [LilyAnna]: lala feels the tug on her nubbin as it grows erect [LilyAnna]: she is scratching harder now, her breath becomes rasped [LilyAnna]: lala plays with her clit [LilyAnna]: her fingers slip over it and she pulls gently [LilyAnna]: lala feels the surge of pleasure tingle up her spine [LilyAnna]: she wonders whether Mr Worrall is being turned on by her performance. Is she doing a good job for him? [SlipsInsideHer]: stop thinking about him watching you, and think about that hot little cunt of yours. [SlipsInsideHer]: focus upon your cunt. That's what a bimbo does... she thinks with her cunt Lily Anna's anxieties over her performance seemed to fade as she switched her attention to the arousal that was building within her. She felt lost in familiar and comfortable territory, and she no longer minded the interjection of her hypnotist. Her cunny needed this, and that was enough to drown out the knowledge that she was performing for someone else. When her cunny took over, it no longer mattered even if Mr Worrall's face really was inches from her hot little cunny that he was demanding she present to him. She was lost in her own world, consumed by her hunger to cum. Now she realised she was capable of doing anything he would ask of her. All that mattered was the end result: she would cum and it would be more powerful than anything else. [LilyAnna]: lala's finger slowly starts to circle around her clit [LilyAnna]: she feels herself warm up [LilyAnna]: she feels her skin become highly sensitive [LilyAnna]: two fingers now pull back the hood, one to the left and the other to the right [LilyAnna]: she dips her finger into her moistness and covers her clit with her juice [LilyAnna]: her musk reaches lala's nose and she becomes heady with its smell [LilyAnna]: her hand lowers and cups her slit. Her fingers squeeze and she shudders [LilyAnna]: her mind lies vacant, waiting, open. On pause as she is unable to hold any thought other than waiting for release [LilyAnna]: lala's fingers press into her labia, prizing them apart. [LilyAnna]: one this side and one that, they glide through her moistness. Up to her clit, that sparkles with their touch [LilyAnna]: then down again until they slip past the inner protective lips. [LilyAnna]: her fingers stroke inside her love channel As her arousal became stronger, Lily Anna became more lost among the sensations that were flooding through her. She managed to transform her fears around her humiliating exhibitionism into an erotic charge that further fuelled her cunny's domination over her. [LilyAnna]: her fingers press at the little spot on the front that causes a wave to spiral up her flesh [LilyAnna]: she is so sensitive now, that she may erupt from the slightest touch [LilyAnna]: lala's fingers slide in and out of her pussy. [LilyAnna]: she is becoming wetter and wetter... the slurping noises of her juices lubricating the joints of her fingers as they stretch her opening [SlipsInsideHer]: keep going. Push yourself right up that slope. Give in to those needs of your cunt, and know what a good girl you are. [LilyAnna]: lala tenses herself as her fingers pound her opening [LilyAnna]: she feels her lips stretch and they pull at her clit [LilyAnna]: she rocks in her chair and mewing noises are coming from her mouth [LilyAnna]: she feels her heart thumping in her chest [LilyAnna]: her hand rises to her breasts and she cups her tit [LilyAnna]: she tries to suck on it [LilyAnna]: one hand in her cunt clenching over her mound and she squeezes and squeezes and presses her hand mercilessly into the chair [LilyAnna]: it hurts from her exertions, but she no longer cares [LilyAnna]: there is pleasure too in that pain [LilyAnna]: all that matters is to cum [SlipsInsideHer]: CUM NOW [LilyAnna]: lala spasms and cums. Her hand flooded, her head thrown back her thighs pulse together and back, pumping upon an imaginary cock. Lily Anna couldn't type any more. She couldn't even think. She was lost in the explosive sensations that she was becoming used to. Somehow this orgasm seemed greater than all the others. Perhaps it was the prospect of performing for Mr Worrall, letting him control her bimbo body, showing him he could command her to do anything and she would comply. [SlipsInsideHer]: did you enjoy this? [LilyAnna]: a lot. I really luved the feelings coursing through me. [SlipsInsideHer]: you have become such an expert bimbo lala [SlipsInsideHer]: now it's time to go back into hypnosis Lily Anna (or was she lala now?) loved so much the way they played together and felt pride in being called an expert bimbo. At least there was something she could feel good about herself. [SlipsInsideHer]: rustling leaves [SlipsInsideHer]: rustling leaves Instantly Lily Anna was gone. Sweet Talk Ch. 10 Simon Worrell sat at his desk. He had been progressing his career steadily and was satisfied when he considered how far he had come in such a short time. It had taken its toll, though. He lived for his work, and that meant he had missed out on any life. He had never had any long-term relationships and the occasional one-night stand was all there was currently to his sex life. He didn't complain. Once he had made it, he would have time to devote to long-term relationships. Meantime he was afraid of the commitment, and the demands that would be placed upon him by a woman in his life. He really didn't have that time and energy to put into relationships as well as his career, and he knew that no relationship would work without it. Yet he missed the companionship of a relationship, and he knew that when he was picking up girls in a bar and stumbling into bed with them, he was in fact just escaping from the emptiness of his flat whenever he returned late from work. He sat at his desk and tapped the envelope he had been given on the desktop. It was a very striking letter -- who could have imagined what it said. He still found it hard to believe. He weighed the options in his mind. He could just ignore this and treat it as some kind of sick hoax. Yet he was also intrigued. Imagine having a partner who was devoted to you, wanting nothing more than to excite you and entice you; no demands, no pressure, just devotion because she was happily hypnotically controlled by you. The more you made her obey your whims the more she came, and the more she came the more turned on you became and loved her for her surrender to you. Imagine no secrets and trying to guess what lay behind the words spoken, imagine just slipping her into a hypnotic trance where her thoughts were as naked to you as her body; open and receptive to your words. All the uncertainty of the relationship removed and along with it all the caution, jealousy, fear and resulting punitive assaults that soured his previous relationships. These were intoxicating thoughts that made his heart quicken. He looked up at Lily Anna where she stood a few paces before his desk, was it his imagination or was she feeling uncertain about what was happening too? She was certainly attractively dressed: a black satin miniskirt with a wide white belt, and a thin grey wrap around top that accentuated her ample bosom. He pondered over the changes in her that only now was he beginning to become aware of. There was a childish quality to her now that he felt sure was not there before; a look that seemed a trifle hunted and uncertain. She was staring at him, her face a picture of wide-eyed curiosity and unease. He felt drawn to looking after her and her baby-like appeal. She was wearing two-inch heels with thin black straps that encircled her ankles that seemed so small that they might collapse if not held together by these straps. The more he looked at her, the more he appreciated her figure. It was undeniable that recently there had been many changes in Lily Anna. Yet this would have to be handled with care. What this letter demanded of him was a huge risk. He could end up in court. The question of whether this was a hoax again circled around in his mind as he considered how best to proceed. He watched her carefully trying to detect a sign that she had any inkling of what was about to happen. He could feel his blood pumping through his temples with a mixture of lust and fear. He had to be sure before he made his move, and yet there was no way he could ever be sure. "This letter you have brought me. Are you sure you have no idea of its content?" Lily Anna just stared back at him. She had been told to print it off from her computer and bring it along to her boss. It never entered her head to look at what it said. Why would her hypnotist want to talk to her boss? As she considered it now, she realised she had no idea. She felt stupid for not thinking of these questions earlier, or even checking out what the letter had contained. God knows, she had had plenty of time to read it through -- and who would be any the wiser? How could she answer him without feeling stupid? " No idea at all." Keep it simple and don't get drawn into making excuses. It seemed to her the wisest action. Yet she couldn't help feeling the flush cross her face. Simon stared at her for a long time. Maybe she did know what was in the letter; maybe not? He couldn't be certain. Yet he thought that if she did know and had still brought the letter to him, then she was certainly willing to comply with it. If she really didn't know what was in the letter: well that was just plain inexplicable unless what the letter said was true. Either way, he would be ok. Yes he would have to risk it. He was shaking as he said: " OK. Lala slut mode." He couldn't believe he had actually said it, and he, at least, was very conscious of the tremor in his voice as he said it. He felt so frightened as he watched her face intently for her reaction. He watched as her eyes widened and his heart sank. Oh my God, what have I done? Yet she said nothing and teetered there for a moment. His heart pounded as he struggled to read her face. Was she about to slap him for what he had said, or was she really going to do it? He felt the pulse of his heartbeat pound through his earlobes, which felt hot as he strived to keep his face straight and not reveal his own insecurity. Lily Anna couldn't believe her ears. What had he just said to her? She should feel outraged, surely? Yet she just felt huge relief. At last, he had noticed her. All those dark fantasies she had to keep locked away over these past few days, and now here he was actually giving her permission to sink down in front of him and allow, no she needed, his cock to slide into her mouth. Would it be, she wondered, as she had fantasised a dozen times before? There was only one way to find out. She somehow knew what was required of her. She had to perform for him and seduce him into letting her feed off his cock. Surely once he saw her finger fuck her little cunny in front of him he would be unable to control his desire for her. Maybe she could make her fantasy a reality. She had to go for it, she just had to have him... Lily Anna felt as if in a dream. The real world in which she stood just a moment ago in front of her boss' desk was suddenly blurring into the fantasy world she had inhabited every available hour for the past couple of weeks. She could see her boss before her, but couldn't tell any more whether she ought to be the good office girl and try at least to be part of the team in which anyway she felt so inferior, or should she slip into her bimbo side and relinquish her over-sexed body to this man she obsessed over. Was this just fantasy still? It seemed impossible to think this could be anything other than pure fantasy. Her mind seemed caught, stopped, bewildered by conflicting signals. She thought he had called her lala and that turned her on. Surely this was fantasy. She was confused, but then she was getting used to that. Her brain no longer seemed to be of much use to her. She decided not to worry about it, and that enabled her body to shift into dominance over her that was becoming more regular. She felt her arousal spring up. All she could think of was her boss sitting there in front of her, and inviting her to show off her sexy body for him. She couldn't wait! She started to sway her hips imagining music beating through her ears. Her hands rested on her hips and she looked up at the ceiling as she began circulating her hips, thrusting them out towards Mr Worrall and as she did so, she flexed her thighs slightly. She then stopped gyrating and shimmied, her hands still on her hips, lowering her bust towards him. She knew she had to make a good show. She didn't know why, or where that thought had come from, but it didn't really matter any more. All that was important was that she knew she had to make a good show and that was something she could focus upon. She rocked her tits presenting them to him and as she did so she could see his eyes fixed upon her mounds. Her tits immediately responded to the attention, turned on by the knowledge that her body was mesmerizing him. Her hands went up to her blouse and she pulled at the top button. As it sprang open, her bent posture forced her tits to swell out into the extra space. He would now be able to see the creamy flesh of her tits encased within the purple lace of her bra as it peaked from under her blouse. Her hand slipped to her skirt and she pulled at the material. It was short already, but as she swung before him, she exposed her thighs until he could catch a glimpse of the thin white string that held her thong panties in place. By now Lily Anna was swaying more vigorously and both hands were pulling at her skirt. She lifted both sides so that the full length of her legs were exposed while the material drapped down between and then she would let it drop. Her hands came together and slide down between her thighs, pressing the material against the curve of her mound, her arms pushing her tits together making them bulge into the narrow gap between them. She turned her back to him and raised her hands to her titties. She was excited by now and she wanted to stroke them. She loved the feel of the soft, yielding flesh as she pinched and pulled at them. Her ass was swaying and her skirt swung first one way and then the next. Simon Worrall could only imagine what she was doing to those tits of her's, as his eyes remained glued to the hem of her skirt swaying so provocatively before him. He could feel his cock straining within his pants impatient to sample this beautiful girl who danced for him. All of a sudden he saw lala's hands descend to her ass and she pushed back towards him as her hands smoothed the dancing material over her cheeks. He got a perfect view of their symmetry and roundness as her fingers made a small circular spiral over the backs of her thighs just below the hem. He felt the hairs on his neck tingle in response to that slight tickling sensation he imagined she felt. Lily Anna looked over her right shoulder at him, her eyes inviting, as her hand lifted one side of her skirt. Simon saw her perfectly round ass cheek, unhampered by any panties. He knew now she was wearing a thong and his heart was racing. How strongly he felt the urge to grab hold of those remorselessly moving hips of hers and sink his big, stiff cock into her crack. Yet he was afraid of breaking the spell. The letter had said not to interrupt the performance otherwise he would lose her, and right now there was nothing that would make him risk losing her. Lily Anna was getting wet. The exhibitionism of her performance and watching Mr Worrall's hungry eyes following her moves were a real turn on. It was time to take it a step further, she needed him. She needed him to control her urges that she felt so powerless to control. Still with her back to him, she raised her hands to her blouse and unbuttoned it. She took her time, still swinging her butt to the beat in her head. When it was free she opened the blouse wide and stared at the wall opposite. She could feel his eyes burning into her back and she pulled her blouse first one way and then the next, glimpses of her torso appearing above the waistband of her skirt. Her bra was front closing so it was easy to slip a hand round and flick the clasp open, then she twirled round to face this man who had so dominated her dreams of late, as her hands pulled the material back and away, feeling the soft fabric cascade down her arms and pooling onto the floor behind her. She stared at his eyes as they licked at her areoles and her nips were little rocks on the top, like hard cherries resting upon an iced cake. Simon Worrall's hand had disappeared under the desk and she knew he could not contain himself. She felt a jolt of passion lurch within her belly, knowing her quarry was hooked. Her hands cupped her tits and pulled them out towards him, her fingers pinching hard on her nips. Tightening her vice like grip, she needed to feel the blood pound through them and darkening them to the red cherry colour she was aiming for. Her skirt now seemed so flimsy, a slight band of material between waist and thigh that swished with her movements. It almost hid nothing at all. Her hands went up under her skirt as she fixed Mr Worrall with a hungry look. Her hand caught the bows at her hip of the silky white straps that held her panty in place. She pulled at them and as the material fluttered down from under her skirt she heard Simon Worrall gasp. He looked really excited by now and she started to worry that he would cum before she had time to complete her task. It was important that she completed her task, that he would not dismiss her. She stepped up towards his desk, not releasing him from her gaze. She came around the side of his desk as he swiveled his chair to face her. She could see his fingers working at the bulge in his pants and she knelt down to release the tormented monster that she could feel hot and trapped inside. Her hands felt cold against his hot rod as it sprang free. She squatted down, her thighs spread wide under her skirt. She stared at this cock that had been the centrepiece of her fantasies, impudently rising up towards her. She felt the impact of its insolence as it took a life of its own once freed. She watched it twitch and rise with an independent will. It seemed to sway before her, homing in on her, until her eyes looked down the barrel of its glistening tip. How often had she fantasized about what it looked like, and what it would feel like sinking into her mouth. She studied the details of it, the deep blue veins that bulged along its sides, it's almost purple head that seemed to strain to contain the pent up energy about to burst from it. She could feel her mouth already salivating in anticipation. Having imagined over again how her body would respond as she took his cock in her mouth, now she was just moments away from the reality. Her clitty was clanging like a giant iron bell inside her skull, as her tongue reached out and tentatively explored its tip, her hand snaked under her skirt to quell the fires in her cunny. She could feel everything down between her thighs coated in her slippery juices. Her fingers slipped through the furrow at the base of her torso, and she lost herself, carried along in a barrel, tipping over the edge of a waterfall of desire. Before she had even time to register where her fingers were, they had slithered frictionlessly inside her cunny, inexorably sucked in; carried along by the flow of need, provided no purchase from which to resist. Soon her busy fingers got to work in her groove, a well-practiced ritual. She was on autopilot now as she lowered her cunny onto her fingers and her mouth inched its way forward along this man's cock. Simon looked down at Lily Anna, his office researcher, now clearly frigging herself under the insubstantial material of her skirt that still maintained some inappropriate senseless symbol of decency, her lipstick coated mouth drooling along the length of his cock. He struggled to control himself and not to pour his seed straight down this girl's throat, he didn't want to bring things to an end. It was unbelievable, but everything the letter had claimed appeared to be true. She appeared totally consumed by a desire to perform in so erotically provocative way for him. This timid little office girl who he could never imagine ever starting a striptease for her boss without dying of shame was clearly in overdrive as she squatted before him, her tits exposed and her ruby lips engulfing him. While he still found it difficult to believe his eyes, the velvety smoothness of the walls of her mouth as she sucked against his cock, the hard nugget of the pink titanium ball lodged in her tongue gliding over every nerve ending along its length and the aroma of her excitement assailing his nostrils painted for him a very different picture. Was it really possible to hypnotise a person into becoming a sex-starved bimbo dedicated to him? Simon sat slumped in his chair, his eyes were tightly closed now as he absorbed himself in the pleasure sweeping up through his body from his groin. His hand reached out and held the side of Lily Anna's head with no real purpose than to establish that she really was there between his knees administering to his cock like a personal slut. He wanted to sink his throbbing member into her hot wet pussy, feel it sliding in pushing at its walls, forcing them aside as he made his way deep inside. He wanted to watch her body quiver as the tip of his cock pressed at her cervix. Yet he had no desire to break this spell, this hypnotic hold that kept her hungrily feeding off him. She was primed to need him, the letter had said, so there would be plenty of opportunities for him to fuck his little pet pussy later. Lily Anna felt her body lurch in response to the touch of his hot flesh inside her cheek. Her tongue gyrated around his pole as she slowly withdrew feeling the ripples of his cock undulating across her lips. The hard nugget she had riveted through her tongue rasped mercilessly at the softer underbelly. The heat in her mouth reflected the heat in her slit that was incredibly wet as she pounded it. She was aware of how ready she was for him. All this time she had been dreaming of this moment, and then all too soon she could feel his prick starting to throb and she knew he was about to explode. He thrust his hips forward and caught her unprepared. His cock slid further into her mouth, forcing its way across her tongue and as she tried to swallow to shut off the entrance into her belly she felt the burning tip demanding entrance. Her mouth opened wide as her throat was forced to accommodate his cock. She croaked, but before either of them could react, he started erupting down her throat. He felt his semen spurt out in giant waves, pulsing into her defenceless body forced apart to accommodate him. As her hand continued to work furiously under her skirt, her mouth wide open, so stuffed like a funnel into her soul, acquiesced before him and grateful received his semen pouring into it. He imagined the hot slow descent of globs of his cum descending down her throat to pool into her stomach. He wanted to withdraw to allow her to breathe, but he couldn't stop himself pumping her further. Lily Anna found his semen being forced out through her nose and she choked and coughed it up as he withdrew. She felt she was drowning in the creamy white fluid, overcome by its strong salty taste and her head filling with its pungent aroma. She could feel its viscous passage across her tongue and out over her lower lip as her throat catapulted it up in waves at the back of her mouth. Only dimly among the other sensations assailing her, could she sense his cum drooling onto her titties. Semen was everywhere, all over her face, her tits, her skirt, his chair, his trousers... It was all too much for Lily Anna. She was used now to explosive cums and she knew how she could make it happen. Somewhere too she heard a voice in her head telling her that now she had made him cum all down her throat, that she was a good little office slut. She had permission now to make herself cum and that it was going to be the best yet, because Mr Worrall would be there watching her. She fell back onto the carpet and lay there staring up at his cock. She could see cum still oozing from its tip as her fingers pulled at her outer lips. She wanted to present herself to him, let him see her cunny naked and shaved for him, so her other hand pulled at her skirt. Mr Worrall was now leaning over her in his chair. She felt the cold splash of cum drip from the purple tip of his gleaming, puffy cock and land upon her right knee, but she kept her eyes upon him, closely monitoring his reaction as her fingers worked at her clitty. She could see him leaning over attentively watching her, and she felt humiliated at lying on the floor underneath him and fucking her soppy little cunny right before his eyes. She understood that she was sending a powerful message to this guy, letting him see just how much of a bimbo slut she now was. There could be no more pretending, she was the good little office girl of her stories that the guys all laughed at and wanted to fuck. She needed it, she needed to fuck her bald little cunny in front of this guy, so that he could see just how open and wet she was. She was out of control, and only when she could feel his hot hardness spread her could she feel his commanding control take possession of her. As these thoughts wheeled around in her head she felt her cunny gushing. She closed her eyes and remembered the performance she had given the night before, describing everything to her hypnotist in such detail. That too had felt humiliating, but she had overcome those feelings and then found to her surprise, that the humiliation actually made her cum harder. Sweet Talk Ch. 10 The first cum jolted her body as she writhed over the carpet. She moaned and gasped as her legs wrapped themselves around her arm. Simon Worrall was so hard from watching this girl throw all shame aside and become an instinctive lust-driven slut. It was apparent how her cunt dominated her, and no amount of shame was too high a price to pay for satisfying it. He was captivated by her exhibitionism and his cock throbbed with the desire to feel that wet open cunt of hers take his deep penetrating thrusts. He wanted to own her, to take possession of her and feel her warm compliance as she howled in frenzied submission. He knelt down and reached out to her body as it rolled over the carpet. Lily Anna's eyes were tight shut and her mouth open, gasping out the release of days of frustration. As his hands touched her, she calmed. Lily Anna knew he was about to claim her and she waited on the precipice, battered by a quick succession of powerful orgasms. Simon Worrall buried his face between her tits, his hands sliding up and down the sides of her body. His weight pressed into his research assistant as he lowered his tongue onto first one and then the other tips of her nipples. Lily Anna felt the coolness of the air as the moisture evaporated from her tormented tits. She could feel his cock pressing into her mound, she could feel its heat radiating into her. Her cunny lips responded by opening in readiness for him. She wanted to feel him slide into her. No that was not right. She needed to feel him slide into her. She needed to open herself completely and utterly to his man, to be his fuck toy, imprisoned upon the end of his chain, her cunny constantly wet for him, shaved for him, always in wasy reach of his probing fingers whenever they would demand entrance of her. She loved that word demand, it sent a shiver of submission along her spine as every nerve ending surrendered to him. He was lifting her, pulling her to her feet. She felt disoriented, disappointed as her skirt dropped to cover her hips and ass, her mound and her glistening cunny. She wanted to be presented to this man, her master who could demand any demeaning act from her and she would jump to it, obedient to his will. His arms lay hold of her waist, she could feel the strength in his grip as he squeezed and lifted her effortlessly onto his desk. The hardness of the wood compressed her buttocks. She watched him, her arms limp at her sides waiting some instruction, as he swept aside papers and files. He lay her back against the desk and she automatically pulled at the hem of her skirt to offer her available open cunny slit to him, her thighs opened, her legs dangled unable to reach the ground. He pinned her down with one hadnon her shoulder as the other steered his cock into her. He entered her in one swift, deep all consuming movement. The air was knocked straight out of her lungs as Lily Anna collapsed back against the solid platform that held her aloft. One hand forgotten, still uselessly holding on to the thin material of her skirt keeping her bareness on show as her other pulled violently at her right tit. She felt the pain at her tit sweetened, as her channel was prized open. At last he was buried as deep as he could inside her and was fucki9ng her and fucking her and fucking her. The word seemed to fill her mind and gave her a sense of purpose. She could feel the hot tip of his cock banging into her cervix as she manoeuvred her buttocks under him, tilting them up to deepen his penetration. There was a fierceness about the way Simon Worrall's normally neat office was being scattered across the room by the violence that erupted from his obsession to have her. There was an explosion of sound as files, papertrays, computer keyboard and monitor were all flung aside as his thrusts pulled and pushed at her slight frame. She felt tossed around upon his waves of passion, hearing the drumbeat of the slapping of his balls punishing her cunny. Punishing it for being so wanton, punishing it for enticing him and degenerating him into some predatory monster consumed by lust for her and punishing it just because he wanted to make her feel some pain mingled within the pleasure seeping out, oiling his pistoning cock. Her thoughts merged into reality as she felt his cock slide into her, she had not noticed him pulling her arm to one side. She no longer had any control over her limbs anyway. She could only lay there open to him. He was taking ownership of her cunny, forcing his way deep into her, her rhythmic muscles synchronising with him. All these days of finger fucking herself now just seemed like the prelude to this finale being acted out here in Mr Worrall's office. She was his slut and each thrust that jerked her body over the clutter of strewn debris on his desk, the friction burning into the flesh of her ass cheeks, her nipples afire under the flicking onslaught of her fingers; each thrust drove clearer the understanding between them that she was his. How great a release it was to be nothing more than a bimbo, to surrender to the fires in her cunt and let this man possess her, control her, own her. Her body galvanised by a second orgasm as her cunny sucked desperately at the intruder within. She milked him, desperate to feel the hot splash of his cum coat her ripe, fertile walls, to feel the ultimate surrender of her womb lying vacant and willingly waiting to welcome his seed pour up into her defenceless opening. She felt him lift her ass up, the firmness of his grasp at her hips, as he pulled her ass over the edge of the desk. She felt her weight shift and drag her down, impaling herself even more utterly onto his cock, she lifted her legs and crossed her ankles just at the small of his back, more for purchase. Yet this only further increased the vulnerability of her cunny, which was now only supported by his cock. His hands slipped down to grasp her ass cheeks, his fingers dug into the flesh. She felt the pain mingling with the pleasure as his spasming fingers tore at her flesh. She felt their strength as he pulled her cheeks apart at the base of each downward thrust. As his cock drove into the soft, yielding walls of her cunny she felt her asshole being pulled open and each withdrawl from her cunny brought a closing of that hidden opening. The sensation drove a wave of excitement through Lily Anna and she willed his finger to press at that other opening. She wanted to feel penetrated there, where she had never been penetrated before, because she wanted him to know she could deny him nothing. Mewing sounds came from her lips along with the grunts as air was forced out of her. Little by little she felt his fingers inch their way towards the extended crack running up between those mounds of flesh behind. His fingers gripped at the edge of that groove now as she was pummelled by his cock. At last his finger tip had reached her opening and she found herself trying to flex her asshole so that it would be forced to swallow his finger tip on each downstroke. Finally they succeeded and she felt another orgasm rip through her as soon as his finger sunk into her. One hand now kept her open as the other finger with tormenting slowness sank little by little deeper up her rectum. She was powerless, her body at his mercy. All she could do was lie there as he controlled her and yet another orgasm assailed her. Then without warning he erupted deep inside her. He heard her scream, but was too overwhelmed by the orgasm shuddering through him. He pumped and pumped and his face screwed tight in his desire to feel the same tightness screwing down upon his cock. He vaguely felt her cunny walls clench and release and then clench and release as he flooded into her. His finger felt as though it would break under the pressure in her ass. He felt his heart attempting to burst through his chest. His hand gripped tight against the onslaught of pent up energy suddenly being released. He was being dragged by her bucking body as she drew his semen out into her womb. He pumped a few more times and felt his energy sap, as though it had been carried away in the stream of ejaculate. He slumped on top of Lily Anna and enveloped her warm flesh in an embrace. He was spent, while she also gradually withdrew from the intense pleasures that would otherwise burn her. Slowly the fog of her lust started to lift. She felt the weight of Mr Worrall's body upon hers and her head strarted to clear. She thought about what she had just done. She feared her bimbo side had now escaped. It was obvious she would, because Lily Anna knew that she was a bimbo. How could she possibly pretend to be otherwise? Yet she felt a real fear ignite in the pit of her stomach, a fear that word would spread around the office quickly. She would be lost, and she had no way of stopping everyone in the office finding out. She had to get out of there. Her shift from bliss to panic was sharp and extreme. Pushing Mr Worrall's (strange how she still couldn't think of him as Simon, even after everything she had let him do to her!) inert body carefully to one side, she got up and cleaned herself as best she could before running over to the door, unlocking it and leaving. Simon had not yet recovered enough to stop her, or even be more than vaguely aware of her leaving. He wasn't aware that she felt panic and when at last he felt his energy levels rise enough to move, he sat in his chair feeling his heartbeat slowly return back to normal. He went off and cleaned himself up too. There was cum and mess everywhere, how was he to get it all clean? Yet he did, and he opened a window so the smell of sex could dissipate before anyone came in. He picked up the letter again and thought long and hard. It had said that she would suck his cock and become his devoted slave until he came in her. It was a demonstration that she was in the power of this hypnotist and he could return her back into Simon's slave and give her to him. Yet once he had cum, she would return to being Lily Anna the efficient office research girl. It also warned him not to try the trigger again as it only worked once. If he tried a second time she would feel offended and could cause him trouble. If he was interested in lala, then he should email this address so they could discuss terms. Should he do it? Perhaps the trigger would work again. Yet the idea of risking it was too much. Perhaps he didn't feel enough for Lily Anna to pursue this further, yet the passion that had erupted in him was immeasurably greater than his one-nighters... Well he could at least find out what this guy had in mind. He was certainly intrigued and the pull of her sensual body acquiescing to him whenever he wanted it was an idea so intoxicating that he could not shake the idea from inside his head. He typed up a quick email acknowledging that everything had gone as he had said. He didn't want to be explicit for fear of blackmail. He then asked where do we go from here? He wanted to ask so many questions, yet he didn't know this person. This was the first time he was sending an email to him. He felt he needed to be cautious. The response, however, came swiftly. Got your email and am so glad it all went smoothly. I am sure you had a good time. You probably have a lot of questions you would like to ask, but I am not going to exchange emails with you. So please accept this email as the only explanations you will receive. I cannot make lala forget about what happened today and she will feel conflict between her role as an efficient researcher and her desire for you that allowed her to let you take advantage. This conflict will probably drive her to leaving your firm and that will be the last you will see of her. Alternatively, I could send you some of her triggers so that you can keep her and look after her as a partner as well as an adoring sex slave. There are some conditions to this second option: Firstly, I am very fond of lala and I don't want to see her hurt or abused. I am giving her to you in a very vulnerable state. You will need to sign a contract that you will care for her as her partner; and be in no doubt, this is a lifelong commitment. Secondly, you will need to send a bank transfer of £30,000 for the triggers. This may seem a lot at the moment, but consider a lifetime with lala as your personal sex puppy? Years of sex so passionate and uninhibited. Watching her cum loudly and often, without demands: not such a large price after all. Finally, I will contact lala regularly to check out how she is doing. I need to make sure that neither you nor any of your friends or family is abusing her. I care for her welfare and will take immediate steps of retribution should you not care for her properly. If you are interested to proceed I will fax you details of an independent lawyer who will furnish you with bank details and a contract. Otherwise if I hear nothing by the end of this working day you will lose her forever. I look forward to hearing your decision, Slips Inside Her Simon read and reread this email. Do things like this happen in real life? This sounded surreal. He was being offered Lily Anna for £30,000. Things like this just didn't happen in real life. He closed the email and decided this was too freaky for him. He was not going to respond to that! He got on with his work. During the day he noticed Lily Anna getting about her work as if nothing had happened. He wasn't sure whether he had dreamed it all. He was angry. Surely there was something between them after what had happened? How could she just go on as before? Yet what could he say to her? He noticed her more and more and found excuses to wander in and ask her about work. He didn't need to, but he was drawn to being around her. He wanted to talk to her, but she just got on with her work. Simon could not settle. He went back to his office and tried to focus on his own work, but he could not drag his mind off her. He sat there staring into space, picturing her kneeling in front of him and the exquisite sensations that had flooded through him as she sucked deeply on his cock. It still felt swollen and painful. How could this mean so little to her? He went out for some fresh air. He had to think. He was becoming obsessed about her. He walked round in the park and went and sat in a café. It was obvious that if he didn't respond to this guy, he would lose her; and it was equally obvious to him that if he lost her he would have lost the most precious deal that could ever be offered a man. He was so lucky to have this opportunity. He would be so lucky to have Lily Anna. He wanted her. How had this changed so dramatically? This morning he had set off to the office as usual, with thoughts only for the work to get done when that dreaded letter had turned up and his whole life was violently swinging between exaltation and disaster. He imagined himself captain of the Titanic, on a collision course to disaster. He could only avoid it by taking a huge risk. If he did not do something, he would spend his whole life on might-have-beens. He would never find rest with anyone else, always wondering what he had let slip from his fingers. Was he in love? He couldn't be any more sick if he was. He finally resolved that he had to respond to that email. He needed to see the contract and he needed to think. Where would he get the money? Well time enough to think of that. Firstly, could he go through with it? He needed to. His heart raced as he climbed the stairs to his office, composing an email in his head. The fax whirred and the contract arrived. It all looked pretty standard, apart from what the conditions were actually stipulating. He read it through several times to make sure there were no hidden catches, but it was all pretty straight forward. He would be obliged to take good care of Lily Anna and she would be in his charge. His heart ached at the thought of caring for her. Someone who had given up so much to be with him, made him feel special. Of course he would take good care of her. What a sex life they would have! He started phoning around. He had to raise a loan, he had to think about how he could afford this. Perhaps he was being taken for a ride? How would he know once the money had been sent, that Lily Anna would be any different towards him? He sent off another email to this hypnotist guy... At the bottom of the contract he found his answer. If she did not respond to the triggers then the contract was voided and he would be entitled to a full refund. The contract was to be held by the independent lawyer. So he would have recourse. My God, how would he be able to demonstrate the triggers did not work to an independent lawyer? Surely there was something illegal in all this? His heart pounded as he tried to think clearly. It was so hard to think with the clock ticking. No he had to go for this. It was all too real and he wanted her -- very much. Surely the risk of prison was worth it for her. By the end of the day he managed to send the bank transfer through. He waited his breath was laboured. His head ached. His mind rushed. He waited and he waited. He had to know. Had he responded satisfactorily? Would this hypnotist acknowledge the receipt of contract and money? Nothing. He went home. It was a few days later that he received the confirmation by email. The money had gone through and there was a registered letter in the post with the triggers. He wished them every happiness and as Simon beamed at the computer screen there was a knock on the door. Lily Anna walked in and stared tentatively at Simon, her eyes wide. "Do you want me?" Far away in a sun-filled room a man pondered his profession. Matchmaking had been around for centuries and so many people thought they had the secret of making a perfect match. He wasn't sure whether he had the secret or not, but his unconventional approach certainly paid the bills. He thought about lala. He had liked her and cared very much for her, as he liked and cared for all his clients. It was always a wrench to let them go. But she had always wanted her boss, and he had made that happen. Now she was happy. Her boring life had vapourised and at the expense of her independence and her intellect she had become a finely tuned sexual being capable of powerful erupting orgasms. Most women would never experience anything like such intensity ever in their lives. And Simon Worrall? Well he had received something beyond his wildest dreams. Most couples struggle to accommodate each other, and maybe it would work and maybe they would founder. Matchmaking makes no guarantees about a happy outcome. Yet for Simon and Lily Anna there was no question of any other ending. Her devotion to being his cum puppet would drive him to treasure her and take the greatest care for her. It was a winner all the way round. He had a new story to finish off now and then get it posted on the website, but his thoughts were interrupted by the ping of an email coming in. Would this be another reader caught up by the possibilities in his stories? He leant forward and started to read... THE END