Fatefully Yours

by Misha Anderson

  I do my business, helped by Renato, though today I was better about it than yesterday. And after being put in my mighty chair, I sit on the table with Anahí, waiting for the breakfast she ordered.

  Breakfast comes and I couldn't be more disappointed... I frown when I look at the meal Anahí gently pushes in front of me: a bowl of cut-up fruit, cereal, sugar-free watermelon juice, coffee with milk, and some kind of goo that looks like vomit that she informs me is oatmeal.

  I look at the huge slice of corn cake she serves herself and my mouth waters.

  "Why do I have to eat this shit?"

  "Oats are a great cereal, it’s good for bowel movement and the porridge..."

  "Is still a cream shit that looks like vomit. Fuck! It's not enough I'm up to my neck in shit, you still feel the need to torture me? I'd do anything for a piece of that corn cake, and since you only asked for one slice, can I have some?"

  Anahí sighs forcefully. After thinking for a while, she smiles, and I'm sure she's going to say something dreadful.

  "You'd do anything? Even exercise? Watch a movie with me?"

  She forks a bit of the cake and bringing it to her mouth, she tastes it with such pleasure that I can't help but wonder what she looks like when she comes. This sweet thing, tanned naked skin, lying on this table, thighs open and my tongue never getting tired of tasting all the subtleties of her pussy's flavor: sweet, spicy, intoxicating.

  "You want some, Klaus?"

  "Yes," I answer without thinking, still under the effect of my perverted thoughts. "Do you? Then get up and lie down..."

  "Huh? Lie down? Why lie down? Don't you want corn cake anymore?"

  Fuck, what the fuck did I say? My God, she's going to think I'm insane, or some kind of perverted handicapped man.

  "Yes, I want the cake. I meant that if you wanted to go back to sleep, I can eat breakfast by myself. It's fine. Got it, little cabocla?

  "Little cabocla?"

  "Sorry, I didn't mean to offend, it's just..."

  "Affectionate," she finishes, smiling and nodding. "If it will get you to eat all your fruit and eat the rest of breakfast, I don't mind. You can have the cake and call me 'little cabocla'. After all, it is what I am, cabocla, and I'm proud of my roots.”

  "I know that, and admire you for it."

  Anahí brings the fork full of cake to my mouth, daring me to taste it.

  Delicious! The only wait to improve it is if I could taste more than just the breakfast. Stop it, Klaus, why do you torture yourself if you're dead from the waist down? But now I think, am I? I think I'll ask Felipe to set up a doctor's appointment, I have so questions about these things.

  "Hmm, delicious."

  ANAHÍ SARAÍBA

  Klaus savors the cake as if it’s a rare delicacy, the tip of his tongue stroking his thick lips. Stop looking Anahí, he's your patient, you've always been professional and ethics are far from your mind when you admire his tongue stroking his lips.

  Funny, it's the first time that I regret still being a virgin. I've never wanted to be more experienced than right now. Klaus must be a perfect lover... Shit, I spill coffee on the table, ridiculous, why do I have to behave as such an idiot in front of him? This guy will never be mine, even recovering he's still Klaus Braun Schneider, rich, playboy, sleek, one of the most eligible bachelor's in the country, with a long list of blonde, tall, skinny, and sophisticated lovers.

  I'm the opposite of sophistication, I love the liberty of simplicity, feet on the ground, skinny dipping in the river, gobbling up ripe fruit. That for me is luxury, being able to be myself.

  "I'm sorry, I'm going clear the table. I’ll be right back."

  "Finish having breakfast with me, forget the mess on the table. I imagine you're going to make me suffer, right? Besides the exercises, which movie do you want to watch. Some syrupy rom-com?" I pull myself together.

  "Horror," I say, teasing him. "Tonight. Are you watching with me or are you scared, Klaus?"

  "Of course I’m not scared, we can watch whatever movie you want."

  "Then I want to see all that courage later tonight. For now, let's do some exercises then I'll leave you alone with Renato for a little bit. I'm going to your place to list all the changes that are going to have to be done in order to get you back there. I'll be back for lunch. I don't want you filling yourself with junk. You've such an athletic body, we need to keep your good shape."

  After breakfast I guided Klaus in a series of exercises where I flex and extend his lower limbs, and then another series to strengthen the muscles in his arms. He looks tired, but won't admit it. I finish the series with a welcome relaxation, over soft nature sounds and guide him in breathing correctly. Even grumbling sometimes, I thought our first session would be harder, but Klaus positively surprised me. He's a competitive man, he likes to conquer challenges, and that kind of attitude is great for his recovery.

  I left Klaus with Renato and went to his place. There are a lot of changes that need to be made: ramps instead of stairs, an overhaul of the bathroom, including grab bars, a new toilet, and a shower that allows Klaus to clean himself. One of the rooms will have to be remodeled into a PT room.

  I write down all the necessary changes, buy the movie I want to watch with Klaus later and go back to the apartment as fast as possible, but traffic in Rio's Zona Sul makes me late for lunch. I take the elevator, mad at myself for having promised to have lunch with Klaus and flaking. When I open the door I can hear him arguing with Renato, who, it sounds like, has insisted that he eat, without any success.

  "I told you I don't want to eat right now, fuck man. Leave me alone, Renato."

  "And what if she only gets back later? Do you intend to skip lunch entirely? You know how women are, she probably got distracted with something!

  Klaus squeezes the chair's armrest.

  "The little cabocla..." he says, pouting.

  "Huh?"

  "Anahí," Klaus tries to cover, and keeps talking. "Anahí promised we'd have lunch together. It hurts no one to wait just a little bit more. Besides, I'm not hungry anyway."

  "It's already half past two, she's probably had lunch already. I'm going to ask–"

  "I'm late, but I'm here," I interrupt Renato, pretending I hadn't heard their conversation. "Traffic was awful today. What do you think about ordering a delicious salad, vegetables, rice, and a tasty fish?"

  "Sure." Klaus shrugs, and forces an expression of indifference on his face to show that he wasn't waiting for me, not paying me any attention. "I was discussing with Renato what we were going to have for lunch, since Miss Red Riding Hood decided to take a walk through the woods and was late. But since you’re here, whatever you order is fine by me."

  After we eat a delectable herb grilled fish, I’m feeling dusty from the city.

  "I'm going to change clothes. What do you think of ordering some dessert? Please, something tasty and healthy,” I suggest, ready for Klaus’s disagreement.

  "Go ahead, I'll order something."

  I went back to my bedroom to change clothes and, as PT was done for the day, I chose something light, a cotton yellow dress, thinking we could go to the boardwalk later on. When I come back to the dining room, Klaus has the dessert tray waiting for me. When I see the mammoth-size bowl of chocolate ice cream, smothered in syrup, and next to it, strawberries and whipped cream, I shake my head in denial. Ah! Sneaky Klaus. He was smiling and I end up laughing too, just waiting to see what kind of made up excuse he's going to make.

  "Ice cream is very healthy and chocolate comes from cocoa, therefore it's fruit. I followed the rules!" He says so shamelessly he surpasses himself with no effort.

  "Bad Klaus...a man this size cheating like a sweet-toothed boy."

  "The ends justify the means. I love mint chocolate ice cream. Come sit next to me." I do and he fills the spoon.

  "Try this and see how refreshing it is!" He tempts, crooking his finger so I'll get closer.

  I try one spoonful and some of the syrup falls down
the corner or my mouth, he uses his finger to clean it up then licks it, leaving me feeling embarrassed. Klaus takes a bite of the strawberries with cream and, closing his eyes, he purrs satisfied.

  "Hmm, delectable. Open up, Anahí."

  "You don't have to, I can..."

  "Shh, don't be such a spoilsport. Taste it so you can see how good it is!"

  I open my lips slowly and he pushes the spoon inside, and what should have been an innocent dessert turns into something so sensual that I can't resist and lose myself in the magic for a few minutes. He feeds me ice cream and I dare offer him some strawberries, hypnotized by his deeply blue eyes gazing into mine, hard in a way that makes me believe he desires me, but also leaves me feeling rattled.

  Argh! Why does she have to moan like that, soft and low when she opens her lips to take the strawberries that are as plump as her bewitching lips. I gaze into her eyes and feel almost drunk, even if discreetly, on this girl’s hidden smiles. The path we're going down is dangerous, but I still take a bigger risk. I rub and slide my thumb on her lower lip, realizing they’re soft to my touch and when I lower my head to taste her, she turns her face and my mouth slips to the corner of hers. I know I'll probably won't have another chance like this one, so I forget about doing what's right and I lick the corner of her lips, taking in the taste of strawberries and temptation.

  "Fuck, you're sweet, little cabocla."

  "Huh?"

  "I said you're sweet, just like I imagined."

  Anahí gets up quickly unable to face me, running away from the tension between us, no apologies.

  "I... I have some things to do."

  She runs to her suite and I yell after her.

  "See you later. Don't forget about our movie!"

  I run into my room and close the door with my heart in my mouth. God! We almost kissed. How can I work with Klaus every day, wanting him the way that I do? I could almost feel his mouth on mine, almost... It's impossible to remain immune to those hypnotizing crystal-blue eyes. Klaus excites me in a way that leaves me defenseless. In a way that's wrong, I need to keep it together, to show him that our relationship is going to be strictly professional, I need...

  I just need to resist him, that's all.

  CHAPTER 7

  ANAHÍ SARAÍBA

  I pace in the bedroom, feeling the walls suffocating me. I try to distract myself reading a badly written romance but my mind is stuck on Klaus: his compelling scent, the subtle touch of his warm skin on mine, his deep blue eyes that attract me like a moth to fire, the conflicting and opposing feelings that he evokes in me: fear, tension, insecurity.

  Coward, I'm nothing but a coward. Before I allowed Klaus to do what I desire: kiss me until I'm out of breath, I left the room like a bat out of hell, behaving as an idiot, innocent teenager.

  I see the hours slowly pass and I'm afraid of leaving my shelter, because I know if he touches me like I imagine and want, I won't be strong enough to resist.

  I go to the bathroom and look at the shower, laziness engulfs me. I end up taking my clothes off and taking a bath. There's no way out, I'm going to have to face him, I'm a perfectly rational woman and can behave according to my role in Klaus's life: his physical therapist. That's what I am, his therapist, a professional hired because of her credibility, professionalism, and ethics. Not a cat in heat that shakes her ass and opens her legs to every guy that wants her.

  I wrap a towel around me and survey my clothes in my closet. There's nothing both comfortable and proper that I can use to watch a movie with Klaus. I curse my habit of dressing so informally, I'm going to need to buy some understated tracksuit sets to work with.

  I chose I new pink mesh lingerie set and a random thin shirt and a simple cotton skirt and put them on without thinking too hard if I look hot. That's a lie! Why do I lie to myself? If I didn't want to look hot in Klaus's eyes, why would I take so long to spread some skin cream? And the perfume I rarely use, and the discreet lip gloss. Who am I trying to fool? I want him to find me pretty, even if it's wrong. I want to get near the fire, no fear of getting burned, of feeling the heat of bodies... That's how I've been behaving near Klaus, improper, passionate, irresponsible, hungering for the forbidden.

  If I can't have him, why do I let myself play this silly love game?

  My fingers tremble on the knob, I take a deep breath and count to three. I leave my room and walk towards the living room, ready to face him maturely and easily. My plans break down when I go near the couch and see that Klaus is dressed in nothing but loose shorts, his chest bare. The chest muscled from too much exercise and still athletic. His strong arms, muscled just enough, and his six-pack beg for a second look. A second, third, fourth...I try to take my eyes off his bare body, his long lean legs and can't.

  "Hey, Anahí. I thought you got scared and given up," Klaus breaks the silence, looking relaxed.

  Of course that's what he thinks of me, after the way I ran like mad from the room I'm certain he realized that I was afraid of giving in to desire and kissing him. But, even so, I try to hide the fact that I'm weak and pretend I don't know what he's talking about.

  "Me? Run away? Why would I run from you?"

  "I was talking about the movie," Klaus raises an eyebrow, silently daring me to admit he confounds me. "I thought you were running from the horror movie. Does that mean that you were running from me? May I ask why? I don't bite, little cabocla, only if you ask nicely."

  "You got it all wrong," I tell him rudely and shake my head, trying to hide my discomfort in saying more than I should. "Are we going to keep chit-chatting for are we watching the movie? Or are you afraid of a silly little movie, Mr. Klaus Schneider?

  "I'm afraid of nothing, honey!" Klaus says, pointing to the DVD, laughing. "Unlike you girls, that can't watch a horror movie without turning into scaredy-cats. I was only waiting for you, you can put on the movie. Ready to scream, Anahí Saraíba?"

  Before I can answer him the bell rings. "I ordered room service for the movie. Can you get that, please?" Klaus asks.

  I answer the door and a hotel employee comes in with a trolley, I thank them and look at what Klaus has ordered. Junk food, piles of it. This guy is a child, only likes to eat junk. A big bowl of popcorn, sweets, chocolates. I frown at him and he holds up the jar of juice.

  "Don't make that face! I ordered orange juice. I thought of everything. Orange is healthy, very healthy!"

  I can't help but laugh, he's just so sneaky! I push the cart closer to the couch, give him the bowl of popcorn and sit next to him, trying to keep a safe distance.

  Nightmare time begins and with every brutal scene on the screen Klaus and I are closer and closer to each other. Klaus innocently offers me bits of chocolate and then feeds them to me, and I accepted those treats pretending I'm not disturbed by the feeling of his fingers rubbing my lip. Freddy Krueger cruelly guts one more of his victims and my heart jumps. I hide my face with my hands and hide my face on Klaus's shoulders and he holds my waist, pulling me closer to him. The heat of his skin calms me down and completes me. Klaus slyly puts his fingers under my shirt and his huge warm hand wander carelessly up and down, going from the top of my back to under my waist. Between killings, I sigh deeply, hooked to the delicious sensation of his possessive male touch on my traitorous body.

  Before I can complain, Klaus pulls me up and holds me between his legs. I squirm weakly and one hand grabs my hair tightly while the other holds my waist solidly. I can't move, even with no movement beneath his waist, Klaus is a very strong man. He forces me to face him and when I think of escaping his eyes lure me in, pulling me to the darkness, drowning in this desire that is like a solid living being.

  "Quiet down."

  His eyes fall slowly to my mouth and he attacks my lips, not giving me a chance to fight. I'm not strong enough, I can't free myself when our kiss deepens. His lips are soft but firm, male, there's no subtlety in the way his tongue plunders my mouth, enticing, licking slowly, I try to close my lips in an attempt to fight b
ack and the tap in my ass makes my whole body tremble. Before I can think of the slap Klaus gives me, he growls, rubbing his lips on mine.

  "I said quiet down, little cabocla."

  His mouth takes mine again and I surrender, give up trying to fight this devastating fire. Our tongues touch and Klaus's taste overwhelms me, my taste buds, my blood, my sex pulsating uncomfortably, as if there's a heat between my legs. Klaus bits my lower lip and sucks it between his teeth while his hands sweep my thighs, the curve of my hip, his fingers holding my ass.

  "Ah! Your mouth is as sweet and soft as I thought, sexy little cabocla."

  Our erotic dream is shattered by a knock on the bedroom door, I jump quickly out of Klaus's lap and still staggering I try to flatten my mussed-up clothes while Klaus swears up a storm.

  "I'm sorry, Klaus, do you need anything?" Renato asks being considerate, sticking his head in.

  "Yes, for you do die," Klaus snaps, nervous hands grabbing his hair. "Disappear, get out, Renato, go fuck yourself, fuck!"

  Renato looks at us stunned, ducking his head and apologizing. My God! Is it that obvious what just happened here?

  "My bad, Klaus. I didn't mean to get in the way. Good night to both of you. See you tomorrow."

  "Go die somewhere else."

  Klaus grabs the bowl of popcorn, throwing it in Renato's direction but missing.

  Renato slams the door close and I mumble nonsense, leaving the room quickly, like the coward I am, one more time.

  "Anahí, come back here now."

  I can hear Klaus yelling my name but I don't turn around.

  I slam the door to my room, escaping the hoarse strong voice of the man that corrupts my senses at every minute. Why did I allow us to get that far? How can I face him tomorrow after giving in this way? I have to do something! I need to put an end to this game before I lose my ability to think once and for all.

  Damn Klaus, damn mouth, damn hands. Damned desire that pulls me into his arms.