Tessa's Escape to Athena's Ground (15 page)

-32-

Tessa studied Russell’s face as he drove them back to Tessa’s hotel.

“What’s the wildest thing you’ve ever done with a client?” she asked.

“I never talk about clients to anyone except the client’s therapy team at Athena’s Ground.”

“Not even in a generic way?”

“Not in any way.”

Tessa was relieved—she certainly expected her experience here to be kept confidential, in fact, if military grade Top Secret was an option, she’d demand it.

Again, Russell seemed to read her mind. “You’d skin me alive, after you sued the stuffing out of me, if I told my next client all about you, right?”

“Right you are. I know some very good lawyers and my receptionist’s husband is a sous chef, very skilled with sharp instruments.” Tessa smiled. “I was curious about your experiences, but I’d have been disappointed if it turned out you had loose lips.”

“There’s nothing wrong with my lips,” Russell said, smiling, “as I’m sure you’ve noticed.”

“Well, if you aren’t going to talk about past clients, let’s talk about the current one,” Tessa said. “What are we doing this evening?”

“Like the Big Man in the Red Suit, I’m taking your list and checking it twice. Except in your case, my job is to make sure you’re naughty, not nice.”

Tessa laughed. “Just how naughty are you going to get me to be?”

“As naughty as you like. This is all about you, Tessa, so take full advantage.” The light ahead turned red. Russell brought the car to a stop and used the opportunity to focus on Tessa instead of traffic. He looked into her honey-colored eyes. “I’m going to spread out an assortment of toys—the ones I picked up at Laces & Ties—and you’re going to try them.” Russell smiled. “What kind of cuisine have you never tried before?”

“What?”

“Name a type of food you’ve never eaten before. Like Thai or Brazilian or whatever.”

“I live in New York, we have everything.  But for some reason I’ve never tried authentic Swedish food, except a drink called glogg, which will put you on your ass in no time if you aren’t careful.”

“Okay. Think of tonight as an all you can eat Swedish Buffet. You’ll taste a little of this and that, and eat a lot of whatever you like. If you hate something, you can spit it out, but you must at least taste it.”

“What if it looks so bad I can’t even put it in my mouth?”

“Then I’ll blindfold you.”

They pulled into the hotel parking lot. Tessa wondered just how much of the buffet she would like and Russell hummed. It took her a a minute to recognize his song: Three Blind Mice.

While Russell showered, Tessa checked her email. There was the usual junk from websites Tessa occasionally shopped at. There was an email from Stacy, her right-hand woman at work. Tessa held her breath as she opened it, paranoid that some terrible thing had happened while she was gone. A fire. A burglary. An order cancellation from Dillards or Macys or Saks. Or worse, an order cancellation from Dillards and Macys and Saks.

Hey Tessa. Just a note to tell you all is well here. Everyone survived Christmas and will, we predict, survive the craziness that is New Year! We all hope your vacation ‘down under’ is fabulous and that you’re having the time of your life. You deserve it. See you shortly after New Year. Stacy.

Tessa smiled. A friendly note was so much nicer than finding out her entire office was gutted by fire or a very greedy burglar.

There was one other email that caught Tessa’s eye. It had been sent just after she’d left with Russell this morning and it was from David.

Are you alright? I read your email first thing (Hawaii time) and you sounded a little lost. 

Tessa searched her memory. What had her last email been? She’d written when she couldn’t sleep and… Oh yeah, she was feeling sad that the hot sex she’d had with her sex therapist hadn’t been hot sex with her wish-he-was-my-boyfriend David. She’d also been feeling more than a little guilty. Apparently she had worried David, and she felt terrible.

You know you can call me if you need me, right? I have an early breakfast meeting, after which I’m done with work. I’ll have a few days off before I have to head back to Chicago. Thought I’d soak up some Hawaiian sun as long as I’m here. Well, got to get ready for my breakfast meeting. Call or text me and let me know you’re okay. David.

Tessa grabbed her phone. She was a little fuzzy about the time difference between her and David, now that he was in Hawaii, but she was pretty sure he’d sent this email many hours ago. While she was lap dancing with Russell, David was worrying about her. She felt sick to her stomach as she pulled up her contact list. She wasn’t sure she could calmly tell David that she was happily sightseeing or even laboriously tackling personal issues without her voice screaming
I’m a harlot having raw, steamy sex with three Australian hunks
. Never mind they were her therapists. Never mind David wasn’t, yet, her boyfriend and therefore had no right to expect sexual fidelity. Never mind she had only done this to fix herself, so she could offer a healthy, happy, sexually secure Tessa to the next relationship, which might turn out to be David. None of it mattered because nothing would keep guilt and embarrassment from her voice right now.

So she texted him instead.

I’m ok, just was lonely and wanted to be with you face2face. Sorry I worried you. I’m fine now and will be home B4 2 long. Enjoy Hawaii. Thnx 4 caring.

She hit send and hoped her text would reassure him. She didn’t want his days off in beautiful Honolulu to be tainted by worry, especially since it was worry she caused.

“It’s all yours.”

Tessa startled. Her mind was with David in Hawaii but her body was in Sydney with Russell. And Russell, naked save a towel loosely wrapped around his hips, was looking at her with an odd expression.

“The bathroom,” Russell added, when Tessa didn’t respond. “I thought you might like a shower.”

Tessa glanced down at herself. Rather than put her clean street clothes on a body that smelled of sex and sweat, she’d thrown a borrowed set of Russell’s sweats over her naughty outfit, but she’d shucked them off as soon as Russell had gone to shower. Tessa stood in a black lace corset, poorly tied in place, and a still damp G String. She felt grubby and disheveled, but realized Russell might not share that opinion when his towel twitched, as if a small rodent nesting in his groin had stirred.

“Thanks, I’ll just…” Tessa sat her phone down and walked toward the bathroom. As she passed Russell, he grabbed her hand.

“Your face looks sunburned. Strange, since we’ve spent no time in the sun today.” He was smiling and Tessa thought the glint in his eyes was more than a little wicked.

Tessa shrugged.

He dropped the towel at his waist. “When a man’s dick does this, it’s confirmation of your appeal. You shouldn’t blush, you should beam.”

Tessa glanced at what the towel had hidden. The small rodent from moments ago was now a large, hungry rat.

“I’m grubby.”

“You’re very sexy.”

“I’m going to shower.”

“I’m going to get the buffet set up.”

It took Tessa a moment to understand what he meant. When she did, she turned a deeper shade of pink and scurried off to the privacy of her shower.

-33-

Tessa turned the hot water off and breathed in the lingering steam. She toweled off, squirted a generous dollop of moisturizing lotion in her palms and massaged the lightly scented balm all over, from neck to toes. As she smoothed lotion into her skin, both mind and muscles began to relax. When she stepped out of the shower, she noticed the black lace outfit was no longer on the counter where she’d left it. Instead, there was a neatly folded pile of new clothing, and resting on top of it, a single red rose. She’d been so absorbed in the shower she hadn’t heard Russell make the clothing exchange.

Tessa lifted the first item in the pile. It was a red satin bra. She held it up against her skin and glanced in the mirror, which was still a little foggy from the shower steam. The cups were cut to cover only the lower half of the breast, beginning just below the nipple. A quarter inch of fine black lace stood up along the edge of the cups, providing peek-a-boo camouflage for the nipple and areola. Underwire and a standard hook and eye back closure kept the strapless bra in place. The next item was a matching red garter belt with black lace accents and black lace stockings. The last piece was a thigh-high kimono. The fabric was a very loose weave of black lace and it was entirely see through. The satin waist tie was red and a perfect match to the bra it was meant to cover. Tessa pawed through the pile a second time with the same results: there was no panty.

Well, she’d wanted to learn how to be sexy. If this didn’t do it, she didn’t know what would. She wiggled into the outfit, fixed her hair and makeup, grabbed the long stemmed red rose and strode out of the bathroom. Outside, she was a bombshell. Inside, she was shell-shocked, and determined not to let Russell see it.

“Very nice,” Russell said, looking up as Tessa walked into the room. “You are stunning.”

“Thank you. You are…” Tessa didn’t quite know what to say. Should she compliment him on his washboard abs? His thick, muscled thighs? His tight round butt? Or the star of the show, his six inches of thick manhood, growing larger even as they spoke, now that he’d seen Tessa in her red satin bra and black lace stockings.

“Stunning?” he said, winking.

“Absolutely, though I was thinking naked.”

“Oh, I left one thing out. Hold on a minute.” Russell reached into a large bag and pulled out a shoebox. “I’m not sure if they’re your size.”

Tessa lifted a red high-heeled shoe from the box. It was open-toed and shiny. A college friend of hers, Kim, had a wicked name for shoes like this.

“Fuck-me shoes!” Tessa said, slipping one on as she thought about Kim. It was two sizes too big. “Not a bad fit, if I don’t walk,” she said, and this time she winked as Russell roared with laughter.

Russell pointed to the table. “Your buffet awaits.”

Russell had been busy while Tessa was in the bathroom. All the usual things one finds on a hotel room table were gone, replaced with a smorgasbord of stuff, from sex toys to food.

“Let’s start with some mood music.” He tapped a screen on his iPhone and Tessa jumped, not expecting the rich sound to pour from a small Bluetooth speaker Russell had placed on one of the nightstands. It was jazz, Tessa thought, with sensual, bluesy guitar and a raspy voice she didn’t recognize. He took Tessa’s hand and led her to the table. “All the things we need to feed body and soul,” he said. “All washed and prepped and ready to go.”

Tessa nodded. Of course she recognized the food. Beautiful pink shrimp resting on a silver plate nestled on ice. Soft, flakey rolls and butter. Thin slices of cheese. Deep purple grapes. And a huge ice bucket with chilled champagne and bottled spring water. What she wasn’t as clear about was everything else.

“Let’s start with this.”

Russell handed her something that reminded her of her Lelo, but this one looked quite different. It was shaped a bit like a very chubby tampon, complete with removal string.

“The vibe is inserted into the vagina, or it can be pressed against the clitoris,” he said. “It’s operated remotely, by this.” He held up a disc, also bright pink, and pressed a button. The chubby four inch toy began to vibrate in Tessa’s hand. She almost dropped it. “Obviously you can use it solo, but it’s got great potential as a couple’s toy. I could explain, but as they say, a picture is worth a thousand words.”

Russell gently pushed Tessa onto the edge of the bed. “One of the things on your list was to learn how to be more sexually playful in an intimate relationship.”  He pulled up a chair for himself and positioned it at the foot of the bed, in front of Tessa’s knees. “I’m going to show you a tool—a toy—that is intimate and sexually gratifying and, when used right, is also very playful.” He firmly pressed her legs until they were fully spread apart. “Relax, this is fun, not a trip to the gynecologist.”

Tessa giggled nervously, but she relaxed a little.

“Even if you feel turned on, always use a generous amount of lubricant. It makes things a lot more comfortable for everyone, and if you make a sexy little game out of it, it can be part of the pleasure.” Russell grabbed the tube and squirted it on the vibrator. Then he made a show of spreading it over the chubby pink toy, using long sensual swipes. “If you let your lover prepare and insert the toy, you’re making him a partner, not an observer.”

Russell leaned forward and buried his face in Tessa’s mound. His tongue slipped through her slit and found her clitoris.

“Mmm,” Tessa said. “Nice.”

Russell waited until Tessa was wet and ready before sliding the four inch vibrator all the way into her center. Only the removal cord peeked out.

“Sit up,” he said to Tessa. “Your lover inserts the vibe, and you both go about your business. In our case, we’re going to have a bite to eat.”

“Really?” Tessa said. “A guy puts a vibrator up a woman and then they eat dinner?”

“Or go dancing. Or watch a football game. I once knew a man who inserted the vibe into his wife, and then turned the thing on while she cooked dinner.” He shook his head. “One night he forgot to turn the vibe off until he smelled something burning. Ran to the kitchen to find Wifey on the floor finishing herself off while the meatloaf burned.”

“Serves him right!” Tessa said, laughing.

Russell made a small plate with shrimp and grapes, poured a glass of champagne, and returned to the bed. He pulled Tessa on to his lap, facing him. “Your lover can feed you.” He popped a ripe grape into her mouth, and after she chewed and swallowed, he lifted the champagne to her lips. She took a sip and so did he. Then he dipped his index finger into the champagne, slid the black lace aside, and traced his finger around Tessa’s exposed nipple. Tessa shivered.

“Feels good, doesn’t it?” Russell licked the champagne from her nipple. “Touch my cock while I do this,” he said, the ‘teacher voice’ replaced by the voice of a man now fully aroused. When Tessa’s hand grasped him, he sucked her nipple until she became lost in the sensations of cold champagne and warm tongue. “When your lover choses, he can excite you further.” Russell pressed the remote and the vibrator whirred into action.

Tessa jumped. She hadn’t expected the sensation to be so powerful. She wiggled with pleasure.

“Your lover can pleasure you, and himself, by taking control of your orgasm.” Russell changed the vibrator to pulse and pulled Tessa to a lying position on the bed. He flipped himself around, so his face was between her legs. “Lick my cock while I lick your pussy.” Tessa’s soft tongue struck his hardness, and Russell sucked Tessa’s swollen nub and pressed the remote to intense pulse. She squealed and bucked and Russell rode her with his mouth and the vibrator until she shuddered to climax.

“Do you…?” Tessa said, when she’d caught her breath. She pointed to Russell’s hard on.

He shook his head. “I’m saving that for later.”

They drank more champagne and fed each other shrimp and grapes. “How long have you been doing this Russell?” Tessa asked as she laid a grape on his tongue.

“Three years.”

“Aside from the sex and the money, why do you do it?”

They both laughed.

“Seriously, though,” Tessa said, “it can’t be easy. Every woman you deal with has big issues and insecurities and problems that you have to address and nurture and fix.”

“I don’t have the power to fix someone, Tessa. I do have the knowledge and skills and temperament to help a woman fix herself. And it’s a privilege to watch a woman come in broken and leave standing on her own two feet.”

When the flush of Tessa’s orgasm had completely faded, Russell waved the vibrator control at Tessa. “Another way you and your lover can pleasure each other is to keep low-level stimulation in you while you do something to stimulate your man.” He turned the vibe on low. “In fact, you can use it as a communication device, of sorts. He keeps the control while you tend to his needs. He lets you know you’re successfully exciting him by increasing the vibration inside you.”

“Like you scratch my back and I scratch yours?”

“Something like that, though what you’ll be scratching won’t be a back. Well…” he began to fondle Tessa’s rear, “…maybe a backside.”