Fear: The Aphrodisiac

Let the games begin!!! A couple of house keeping issues from your favorite author (I hope):

sticky shoes and kittykat60304: Thanks for reading! I hope you continue to enjoy.

deblovesdragons: I don\'t give you a name. When I dream about it, it\'s me. When a straight girl or happy boy reads it, I hope they pretend it\'s them. One size can fit all...please keep reading! It\'s starting to get interesting.
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I woke up the next morning, groggy and disoriented. I didn’t recognize where I was or remembered what had happened the night before. I sat up as I scrubbed my hands across my face and neck; there were black sheets pooled around my naked body. I looked down and wondered where the red marks had come from; where the hell was I? The answer walked through the door, carrying a cup of coffee. Col smiled as he handed me the cup, “Well, good morning sunshine. Don’t you just look yummy?” I grabbed the cup out of his hands and gulped at the hot brew; I burnt my tongue. “Let me guess…you don’t do mornings very well, do you?” he laughed. “I’ll have to keep that in mind if I want to keep you off-balance. You surprised me.”

“What the hell happened last night? I can’t remember anything.” I asked.

He sat on the bed next to me. “You have committed yourself to be mine for the next six weeks.”

“Did I?” I said, deep in thought. Images and sensations drifted through my mind as I started to recall bits and pieces of what had happened. “Was I drinking last night?”

“Not as much as you think. Sometimes, the body can overdose on endorphins and cause hangover like symptoms when you come down. A minor side effect, if you ask me. You were magnificent…beyond what I even dreamed about,” he said as he pulled open the front of his robe. I saw the red and bloody claw marks I had left behind in my frenzy of payback. He pulled the robe closed and took the empty cup from my hands.

“Oh my…did I hurt you?” I asked as I swung my feet to the floor.

“No, just my pride. In my arrogance, I thought I could control such a savage creature like you. How are you wrists and ankles, by the way?”

I looked down and saw the raw marks that the scarves left behind. “I thought silk didn’t do that to skin. Isn’t that why it’s the ideal choice for tying someone up with?”

“True, but you weren’t willing to just lie there and take it. No more blindfolds for you either. I think I might have had more warning as to what your mood was like if I could have watched them. Do you know your eyes turn ebony black when your survival instincts kick in?”

I stretched my arms over my head as I stood up. I put on the clothes I had worn the night before and looked at the time. I had long enough to drive home, change clothes, and grab my backpack before my first class started. I walked back out to the living room and followed my nose to the kitchen. He followed close behind me, still wearing just his robe. “Will you be on campus today?” I asked as I poured a second cup of coffee. “I usually don’t go as I haven’t any classes but I’m making the exception for you. Will you be down in the breezeway, playing Spades?” he replied.

I sipped the coffee slowly this time, “Yeah, I’ve got classes until ten o’clock and then a break until one. I’m usually finished for the day by two thirty, at the latest.”

He walked me to the front door. “Okay, so I’ll meet you in the breezeway at five minutes after ten. We can negotiate the rules of the game then.” He caressed my cheek and smiled softly. “Don’t be late…or else,” he whispered as he leaned in for a kiss. I whispered back, “Or else what?” He pressed his lips against mine with out replying and pushed me out the door. I laughed as I turned to walk towards my car.

Morning classes passed quickly; before I knew it, it was ten o’clock and Col would be waiting for me. I was half tempted to see what he meant by ‘or else’, but my curiosity didn’t get the better of me. I walked out to the breezeway and pulled out my cigarettes. I was wearing a long sleeved, lightweight blouse to cover the marks on my wrists. “God, aren’t you hot wearing long sleeves?” Diane asked from the usual Spades table. I whipped out my Zippo and lit my cigarette as I sat my backpack on the bench. “No, not really,” I replied as I exhaled. Red pointed to the empty place across from where he sat, “Sit down and we’ll get a game going.” I glanced down at my watch; Col would be there in just a little bit. “No, I’ll pass. I’m meeting Col in a couple of minutes.” I said as I pulled the sleeve of the blouse down to cover my wrist. Red stared at me, “You and him got something going on? How did the date go last night anyway?”

Diane’s jaw dropped, “You had a date with Col last night? He doesn’t ever date girls on campus.”

I shrugged, “Technically, it wasn’t a date. He was giving me pointers on how to improve my game.”

“Did you have dinner with him?” Red asked as he dealt out the cards. I sat down but didn’t touch the cards.

“Well…yeah, we had dinner.”

“Then, it was a date!” they chorused together.

I felt my face flush a tiny bit. Diane peered closer at my face, “Are you…blushing?”

I pushed her face away from mine, “Hell no…I don’t blush.” I picked up the cards and started to sort them by suit. “What you got, Red?” I asked, trying to change the subject. I was trying so hard to focus on what was in my hand; I didn’t sense when Col walked up behind me.

“How are you going to bid this mess?” he huskily whispered in my ear. Startled, I yelped and jumped up from my seat. The sleeves of my blouse rode up enough to expose my raw wrists; Diane’s eyes grew to the size of saucers. I jerked them back down into place and felt my face go red again. Everyone at the table laughed; I hated being the butt of the joke. Angrily, I smashed my half-smoked cigarette into the ashtray and stood to leave. Col grabbed my hand, “Oh honey, don’t go.” I looked at Diane; she mouthed the word ‘honey?’ at Red and waggled her eyebrows. I wanted to lunge across the table and knock that smartass smirk off her face. Col felt my body tense, ready to spring; he pulled me down on to his lap as he sat. He whispered in my ear, “If you don’t behave, I’ll punish you in front everyone present. Hey…you are blushing!” He turned us so that we were facing Red once again. “I asked you a question…how do you plan to bid this mess?”

I still had the cards clenched in my fist. I relaxed my hand and looked at them again. A mix of other suits and two spades; both low. I sighed as I glared over at Red.

“Can you cover a nil?” I asked through clenched teeth. He smirked back at me.

“Sure…honey. I can cover. I’ll put us down for a nil-six…honey.” Col snickered as we started to play. We made our bid and Col stood up, still holding me in his arms. He bent down to grab my backpack without letting me loose.

“Well, deal her out. We have some things to go talk about,” he said as he pulled me away.

“BYE HONEY!!” everyone shouted as we walked over to an available table. I flopped down in a huff. Col sat across from me, using my body to block the view from the Spades table. He grabbed my cigarettes from my open purse and lit two of them. He passed one over to me and stared at me through the light haze of smoke.

“I don’t think I could have planned my revenge any better. You hate it when people think you’re not tough. Is it weakness, in general, you despise?”

I shot a heated glance in his direction but refused to rise to the bait. He continued to muse out loud.

“No, you don’t want people to see you have the potential to be vulnerable. You’re a rough, tough creampuff. You can’t stand to be hurt or humiliated.”

“Screw you…I don’t need this kinda crap,” I growled at him. I moved to stand when he tossed a small box across the table.

“Open it…it’s the token you asked for last night. Your ‘physical symbol’ to show I can play by your rules.” I snatched the box off the table and opened it. It was a heavy silver ring with two gemstones: a diamond and a ruby. They were joined together in an unusual manner; a tiny pair of handcuffs held them together. I looked up at Col and cocked an eyebrow at him.

“Is this a joke? Where the hell did you find a ring like this?” I demanded.

“I have a friend who does custom jewelry. I called him last night after you went to sleep. I believe that the diamond is your birthstone; the ruby, obviously, is mine. If you look at little closer, you’ll see the six tiny links that hold the cuffs together. You have your token; let’s talk terms.”

“Six weeks and I get to set the rules. You crook your finger and I’m supposed to come running. Have I missed anything?” I asked sarcastically.

“You don’t fuck anyone but me; I can only fuck you. Any time and any place. No permanent marks where people can see,” he looked pointedly at my wrists. “And, no scars. Other that that, anything goes.”

“I see…what’s the catch?”

“No catch except whoever sets the date, names the game.”

“What happens after six weeks? All bets are off after that?” I asked as I slid the ring on my finger. Dammit…a perfect fit. How could he have possibly known my size?

“Yup…unless we figure that we would just curl up and die without the other,” he stated, seriously.

I snaked another cigarette. “How does yesterday count? The elevator was a fluke. And, I’m not sure how to count last night.”

“Yeah…the elevator was a fluke and we can call last night a test drive. A way to see if the chemistry was there; it definitely was.”

“What about them? Do they get to find out?” I jerked my head towards the group at the Spades table.

“Not unless you want them to know. Personally, I’d rather they mind their own damn business. This is about you and me and what we can do for each other.”

I took a deep drag and exhaled slowly. I had to smile; this was utterly ridiculous. He raised an eyebrow of his own.

“Oh yeah, no solo gratification. We agree to this and I get your toy box…no one fucks you, including yourself. No touchy; no feely on your own.”

“Whoa…no one said anything about my pocket rocket. I need that stupid thing; it helps me…sleep,” I stammered.

“No one including yourself. I want you so hot and bothered, you’ll do anything to get off. So, do we have a deal?” he held out his hand for me to shake. I stared at it in disbelief; was I selling my soul? I put my hand in his and we shook on it. He pulled a larger box out of his backpack. He tossed it on the table as he got up to leave.

“Be wearing this when I come to pick up you and your toy box at nine tonight. If you’re smart, you won’t keep me waiting,” he said as he walked off. I opened the box: a black leather skirt, black silk top and a bottle of sandalwood oil. Oh my god…
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I\'m not a doctor and I don\'t even play one on TV; I took certain liberties regarding Col\'s remark about the endorphins hangover.
Please read and review...thanx in advance!!!