Terraformed Skies

by Anna Lewis

  His voice was soft, and there was no anger in it, even though she was being beyond nosey. She nodded, not sure what to say in response.

  “I’ll show you someday if you still want to see it, but it’s a very private part of my life, and I don’t want to rush into something just because it feels good.”

  “I understand,” she said, though her feelings were a bit hurt.

  He touched her cheek, caressing her soft skin with his thumb and smiling at her with the most serene expression.

  “Would you trust me if I told you that you’re just not ready to see some things right now and that I’m trying not to overwhelm you all at once?”

  “Yes.”

  “Believe me when I say that I would love to take you in that room, but now is not the time.”

  “I understand,” she said again, but this time, she really did.

  “There’s my girl. Now, how about you take a nice, warm bath and I’ll set out some clothes for you?”

  “That sounds wonderful.”

  “I’ll order lunch in, too, and then we’ll go downstairs and see how things are going.”

  Shawna’s excitement grew at the thought, and she smiled.

  “Is it horrible that I’m secretly hoping that man will be there with his wife again?”

  “Not at all,” he laughed. “I would be concerned if you weren’t.” He winked at her and she blushed. “The spa is in there. Fill the tub and use whatever bubble bath you like. I’ll leave your clothes on the bed and I’ll close the door behind me. Take your time and don’t rush. I’m going to order some cold sandwiches and fruit, and I’ll read a book or watch a movie while I wait.”

  “Thank you,” she said, smiling at him as she walked into his private bathroom and closed the door behind her.

  She almost locked it, but she decided not to.

  The room was huge, and pristine, shiny white tiles with marbled gray accents. The spa tub was just that; a large tub with jets that she could lay flat in and not touch her head and feet to the edges at the same time. She started the water, which filled from all the jets in record time, then shut off automatically when the water level reached a certain height. She set the temperature and opened a cupboard beside the tub.

  The cupboard had two shelves; the top shelf stacked high with thick, plush towels and the bottom shelf filled with every imaginable scent of bubble bath, body wash and shampoo.

  She grabbed a bottle of peppermint bubble bath and vanilla scented shampoo and stepped into the tub. Sinking up to her neck, she smiled to herself at the thought of Eric waiting on her. He might regret telling her to take her time, because she didn’t see herself getting out of the tub anytime soon.

  She wondered how many books he had to read.

  ***

  Shawna slipped into the bedroom an hour later, hair wrapped in a dry towel, hotel bathrobe tied tightly around her waist. She eyed the outfit on the bed, but she didn’t pick it up. Was he serious?

  She took a deep breath and closed her eyes, envisioning herself in the skimpy outfit and hoping that she could pull it off.

  He’s paying you thirty grand to look the part, she reminded herself, then grabbed the red plaid skirt and pulled it on. Next came a white shirt with capped sleeves that was cut off just below her lacy, white bra and showed her entire midsection. The skirt had suspender straps attached to it, which completed the look when she slipped them over her shoulders.

  She pulled on the white, knee-high stockings that were knitted and ribbed, then slipped on the black flats and took a look at herself in the full-length mirror.

  She turned slowly, surprised that she actually liked how she looked in the outfit. The skirt was only halfway between her knees and her hips, but it covered her rear end.

  Feeling surprisingly sexy, she walked out of the room and down the hall. When she opened the door to the sitting room, Eric looked up from his book and a slow, sexy smile spread across his face.

  “Did you find everything alright?”

  “I did, but there weren’t any panties. Maybe I dropped them?”

  “There aren’t any panties,” he said simply. He patted the seat beside him. “Come sit down and have your lunch. When you’re done, we’ll go downstairs for a little while.”

  She sat down beside him, trying a few times to pull the skirt so that her nakedness wasn’t exposed, but it was almost impossible. She looked at Eric and blushed when she realized that he was watching her intently.

  “I would give in and give you a pair to wear, but just like last night, your body betrays you.”

  She looked down and closed her eyes. Sure enough, her nipples were rock hard and pressing through the bra and shirt.

  “I can’t help that,” she said.

  “You can’t help what you like, and there’s no shame in that. I’m enjoying this, actually.”

  “Watching me squirm?”

  “I enjoy that as well,” he said. “But I’m more enjoying you finding yourself. As hard as it was to go through that, I think that losing your job in the secretary pool was probably the best thing that could have happened to you.”

  “Except that I don’t have a job right now.”

  “But the money you made last weekend and this weekend will hold you over for a while, right?”

  “It will, but I don’t want to push it. I can live off what I’m making this weekend for a few months, easily. But I want more than that. I want to get a job so I can put this money away so I have something to fall back on if this ever happens again.”

  “I can help you with that,” he said.

  “Can you?”

  “I can help you invest what you’ve gotten this weekend and turn it into more. But, I can’t help thinking that you want more to life than just a decent nest egg.”

  “I do,” she said, taking a bite of her food and chewing slowly while she thought.

  “If there were no limits and no dream was too fanciful or too big, what would you want?”

  She thought about it for a moment, taking a sip of her water and measuring her words carefully. She didn’t want Eric to laugh at her, but she had a feeling that now would be the moment to share her most private dreams with someone. Could she trust him not to laugh at her? Would her dreams seem puerile and silly to a man with a staggering amount of wealth?

  She took a deep breath, then finally answered.

  “I want to make enough money that I don’t have to work. Then I want to buy a horse ranch and ride horses and only work when I have to.”

  She held her breath, waiting for him to laugh at her childish dream, but when she looked at him, he was smiling.

  “That’s a wonderful dream,” he said.

  “Really? You don’t think it’s dumb?”

  “It’s not dumb.”

  “But, it is out of my reach.”

  “Not really.”

  “Now, who’s being silly?”

  “Hear me out. If you let me help you invest this money, and you make five hundred thousand in the next year, I can help you grow that to two million or more.”

  She laughed.

  “And how in the world am I going make that kind of money?”

  “I have an idea,” he said sheepishly.

  “Oh boy. Do I want to know?”

  “Still not sex, but I’m not going to say that sex is completely out of the question. I’m just not going to pay you for it.”

  “Good to know. Do I want to know what this job is?”

  “I need a personal assistant.”

  “Like, in your office?”

  “Yes. That desk outside my office is lonely, and I could use a personal assistant to make my days a little easier.”

  “Something tells me that this isn’t going to be a regular assistant job. And you have to remember, I got fired from the secretary pool. I’m not the best personal assistant.”

  “That’s alright, I prefer to do my own training.”

  “Why does everything you say sound like there’s more to it th
an what you’re saying?”

  “There is.”

  “Oh geez.”

  “I think you’ll like it.”

  “I’m sure you will,” she countered.

  “No doubt. I would like to mix business and pleasure, if you get my drift?”

  “Are you going to make me dress like this?”

  He chuckled.

  “Nothing that obvious. It’s so much more fun when no one knows what’s going on. But I would like to pick your outfits, and I would like to help you explore this more adventurous side of you.”

  “And if I change my mind or it’s too much?”

  “You can walk away anytime, and you owe me nothing. You never owe me anything, and I hope you understand that. The power is yours and you choose what happens and what is too much.”

  “Go on.”

  “I’ll pay you ten thousand a week and you will work the same hours as me, which is ten to four.”

  “That’s a lot of money.”

  “It is. And if I need you to attend any weekend events, I’ll add five grand a night.”

  “I feel like there’s a ‘but’ coming.”

  “There is. I want you to trust me completely. I want to take you outside your comfort zone and help you find that confidence and power that you envy so much in some of the other submissive women.”

  “You want me to be yours?”

  “Not really. I just want to be your first, and I want you to be brave enough to try new things with me. If that turns into something more than that, that would be great, because I feel a definite connection with you that I’ve never felt before. But, if we spend a few months or a year together and you decide that this isn’t for you, I will gladly write you a glowing letter of recommendation and you can get a job with another firm.”

  “If I last an entire year?”

  “Then you’ll have more than enough money to live your dream, and you can walk away and do whatever you want.”

  She took a deep breath, closing her eyes and trying to let all that sink in. Over half a million in a year, and that didn’t even count the weekends she would earn extra. It was only a year, and she would only be working six-hour days. How hard could it be?

  “Can I think about it?”

  “Of course, you can. You can let me know Monday morning if you want, or you can take an entire week off and let me know next weekend. It’s up to you. Remember, you have all the control.”

  “That sounds so good,” she said.

  “I’m sure it does. Just in the past week, you’ve blossomed so much from the timid woman who came into my office after being fired. I think in a year, you’ll be unstoppable, and I really can’t wait to see you grow and flourish.”

  “Wouldn’t that just piss Richard Lange off?”

  “I think he’ll be mad enough when he discovers that I hired you as my personal assistant. He’s been vying for that job for a long time.”

  “If he only knew what all it entailed,” she said wryly.

  “He would probably still want it,” Eric laughed.

  “Now that, I would like to see.”

  ***

  They stepped out of the elevator a short while later, and Shawna was already painfully aware of her nakedness just below the hem of the pleated skirt. Eric was holding her hand today, and she reveled in the feel of his large hand holding hers so tightly.

  She followed him around the still dim room, openly watching the other couples as they lounged around or took advantage of the freedom. One couple was very quietly standing in a corner of the room, having sex as if they didn’t have a care in the world, and Shawna was envious of their free-spirited nature. She was sure that she couldn’t do anything like that.

  Eric picked a sofa near the back of the room, which had a perfect view of everything that was going on. He sat down, and patted his leg, even though there was more than enough room for her to sit beside him. She didn’t hesitate, sitting on his lap so that her back was against him and her legs were on either side of his, which were held loosely together at the knees.

  His breath was hot in her ear when he leaned forward and spoke.

  “There’s no hurry and no pressure, but if you see anything that piques your interest, tell me.”

  She nodded her understanding, almost afraid to speak for fear of breaking the quiet spell that seemed to hang over the room.

  Her legs were open slightly, and Eric’s hand found its way between her legs, stroking her lazily. She opened her legs to him and he kissed the back of her neck.

  “Good girl,” he said softly.

  Heat instantly flooded through her body, and she smiled. She didn’t know what it was about being at his mercy like this, but she was already so aroused by him that she didn’t even think twice about the action.

  They sat there like that for what seemed an eternity while Shawna scanned the room and took in the scene around her. Resting against him with his arms around her felt so right, and she wondered how she had fallen so easily into sync with him. Had she always had these desires and she was just afraid to explore them, or was Eric just so enticing that she couldn’t help herself?

  The elevator opened and a man exited, followed by a gorgeous redhead wearing heels that only accentuated her statuesque physique.

  And nothing else.

  Shawna sat up a little, watching this woman walking beside this man completely nude and looking quite comfortable in her own skin. They worked the room, mingling with others who were obviously good friends, and eventually they found a quiet corner of the room all to themselves. Shawna watched them for a while, then turned away, suddenly feeling ashamed for staring.

  “So,” he said. “What do you see that intrigues you?”

  She thought about keeping her mouth shut, but she decided against it. In almost every situation she’d ever been in, when she’d shied away from doing something or saying something, when she looked back, the moment was always colored with regret. But this time, she wasn’t going to regret things left unsaid.

  This is the start of a life that can buy you your dreams, Shawna, she thought. Just say it.

  “That woman and her husband,” she said, being purposely vague and feeling out the waters.

  “Which woman with her husband?” Eric laughed. “It’s pretty much all married and long-term couples, so you’re going to have to be more specific.”

  Shawna felt herself blush, and she stammered as she mustered up the courage to just come out and say it.

  “I like the, I mean I like, um,” she said, trailing off in frustration. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes. “It’s the naked chick and the woman getting spanked. Those are the things that are turning me on, though I have no earthly idea why and I’m so embarrassed.”

  Eric patted her thigh and leaned over so that his mouth was against her ear again.

  “There, was that so hard?”

  “It was,” she said.

  “Do you feel better?”

  “I do,” she admitted. “That’s not to say that I want you to just spank me here or anything.”

  Geez, Shawna, why did you say that? she thought, regretting not stopping while she was ahead. As usual, her reticence was holding her back. She actually wanted him to spank her right then, and had been thinking about it since the night before, but she didn’t want to admit it. For some reason, admitting it was just too hard.

  “I had no intention of spanking you here; at least not for your first time. Your first time is an intimate, special moment, and not one that I care to share with everyone in attendance at this hotel.”

  She breathed a sigh of relief, even though she felt heavily disappointed. She wanted nothing more than to feel his hand against her skin and to feel completely at his mercy. But it wasn’t going to happen today, and she had probably just ruined her chances of it happening this weekend.

  Oh well, she thought, still kicking herself. Maybe on the plane ride home.

  But that was two days away, and Shawna was feeling the urg
e now. She’d already gone to sleep without releasing her sexual frustration the night before; she didn’t think she could wait until Sunday evening.

  She leaned against him again, wiggling on his lap, then stopping when she noticed his erection. He chuckled when she froze and he pulled her more tightly against himself and hugged her close.

  “It’s okay,” he said.

  “I don’t want to be a tease.”

  “You’re not. You were very upfront with your boundaries, and that’s alright. I respect that.”

  “Is that part of the submissive’s power you keep talking about?”

  “One of the biggest parts. You have boundaries and I have respect for those boundaries. Without those two parts, the game doesn’t get played right.”

  “That’s good to know. I actually feel a lot better knowing that.”

  “I told you, you run the show. Not me. I’m just the man on top. The bottom is the one in control.”

  “It doesn’t seem that way,” she admitted, looking around at the people in various states of play, each enjoying their time with wild abandon. “It looks like a bunch of macho men are doing whatever they want and the women are eating it up.”

  Eric threw his head back and laughed, the sound filling their little section of the room and drawing a few glances from the patrons.

  “If only you knew the work that a top has to go through to get the bottom he or she wants. Bottoms always have the upper-hand, and if they don’t, they’re playing the wrong game.

  Eric’s hand left its spot between her legs, and he shifted her on his lap so she was sitting sideways instead of facing the same direction as he was. Strong arms went around her and hugged her against him, and she heard him inhale the sweet scent of her hair.

  She felt Eric standing before she realized what he was doing. He scooped her into his arms, and that was when she noticed that her skirt was no longer covering her nakedness. She tried to reach down and cover herself, but even with her hand in the way, she knew that anyone that was looking could see everything.

  The heat spread through her body again, and even though she was mortified, she was also a bit excited. She wasn't just blushing; she was aroused by the exposure, and the thought that just anyone could see parts of her that she usually worked so hard to hide from view.