This wasn’t playacting. This was real. His mouth was warm and his lips were soft as he kissed her.
Then he lifted his head. “Sorry,” he said shaking his head. “I’ve stepped over the line but I…”
“Please. Kiss me.”
His eyes widened and he didn’t need asking again. He lowered his head and his mouth was on hers, his lips warm and soft, his tongue between her lips. His hips were pressing into her, grinding into her and she pressed back, arching into him, wanting him to do more, go further.
But he won’t want you, not once he’s seen what you do with Daniel. She closed her mouth gently, turning her face to the side.
“Too much? Do you want me to stop?”
No. Kiss me again, make love to me, hold me and never let me go. “No but until, until…”
“Yes. I see. Wait until we’ve got the job done?” He raised his eyebrows, questioning.
She nodded.
“And then?”
She leaned up to him and kissed him, wanting to feel his lips on hers, his body pressing into her again full with desire.
They kissed for moment then he pulled away. “Promise?”
She nodded and he rolled away, groaning a little. “What have you done to me?” He laughed a little as he rearranged his clothes.
She stood, feeling self-conscious too. She wanted him so much. She could have made love to him there and then, knowing the cameras were filming it from four different angles and not caring.
Chapter Fourteen
Ruthanne poured them both more coffee as Ed hooked the receiver up to the TV, ready to review the footage. She sat on the sofa watching Ed lying down, stretched out as he fixed the cables into the back of the TV.
The kiss. Ruthanne could still feel it on her lips. She tried to think about Ed objectively. Was he really boyfriend material? He was scruffy, he was unconventional, he needed a shave, a decent haircut and some new clothes. He was obviously into filmmaking, not making money.
He turned to her and smiled and all her thoughts vanished. She wanted him and nothing else really mattered. He was kind, he was capable, he was fun to be with and he was really hot. She smiled back. But this made it worse, she thought. Now if he couldn’t bear to look her in the eye once he’d seen the footage of her with Daniel she would really care.
He joined her on the sofa. “Ready for the show?” He grinned and they clinked mugs.
Ed was all business and she could see how passionate and how knowledgeable he was about making films. He talked about angles and focus and depth of field. All she could look at was Ed and how good they looked together. She wished they were doing it for real, not playacting scenes.
He talked her through how to stay in the center of the frame, how to hide her face, how to exaggerate the sound.
They got to the bedroom scene. He was flicking between the different cameras, showing her how each one took a different angle, talking about how she could position herself best for each one.
Then they got to the moment where Ed pushed her back onto the bed and lay on top of her. “Shall I skip that?” He looked embarrassed.
“No.” She wanted to see it, to see how they looked together. She watched him kiss her, their bodies pressing together. She watched carefully. They looked like they fit, like they were meant to be together.
“Can I keep that for my archive?” he asked suddenly. “I’ll call it ‘Best Moments of My Life.’”
“Do you really keep film of stuff like that?” she asked, a bit shocked.
“I haven’t before. This would be number one. This is this is the first best moment I’ve had.” He laughed. “I’ve had moments. Don’t think I’ve not had moments but not ones like that.” He looked into her eyes and she leaned into him again and they were kissing again, slow and soft and warm.
“Damn. I didn’t get that one on camera. Can we do it again sometime and film it?”
She smiled.
“Otherwise my Best Moments file will be a bit thin.”
She smiled again but it had made her think and she suddenly felt anxious. “If you edit it, you won’t keep any of the footage between me and Daniel?”
He shook his head. “You can check. Come to my studio, bring the receiver and we’ll do it together. You can see exactly what I’m doing, where I’m saving things to, what I’m deleting.”
“Okay. That would be reassuring. “
“And I’d like you to see the studio anyway. Where the magic happens,” he joked.
“I’d like that too.”
“But you might get bored. Editing takes hours and hours. Would you mind hanging out there all day?”
“I could bring a picnic and a book for if I get really bored.”
“Sure,” he said. “And I’d like you to be there.”
But will you? Once you’ve seen me on my knees, whipped, dildo in, choking on Daniel’s cock. Will you still want to hang out with me then?
“Okay. It’s a date.” He grinned at her. “But for now you might need some body cams in case it goes outside the apartment, for your hair and handbag. And how do you feel about getting a picture for that bedroom wall today? We could hang it this afternoon, get a camera in it and then you’d be covered properly.”
“Really?” she said. “Do you have time?”
“I’ve got all day. And all night if you like.”
She laughed. “There’s a Sunday market near here. We could try there.”
* * * * *
They wandered round the stalls in the spring sunshine looking for old pictures. They found dusty old prints of galleons sailing into the sunset, faded landscapes that could have been anywhere and one of a senorita doing the flamenco dance which Ed tried to persuade her to buy.
“Do the flamenco.” He held one hand above his head, striking a pose and grabbing her by the waist. “Come on senorita, get your castanets.” He stamped his feet. “Olé.” She couldn’t stop giggling.
People looked at them and smiled. She smiled back, wondering how long it had been since she’d felt so relaxed.
They rummaged through another pile of dusty pictures. She pulled out a big print of Gustav Klimt’s “The Kiss.”
“I love this,” she said. “I used to have it on my wall when I was a student.”
“I like it too. And look, the detail means I could even put the camera into the picture. See, down here, among the flowers. The center of one of them could be the camera. What do you think?”
She looked at the picture again. It was an old print in a cheap plain wood frame, the glass dusty but it reminded her of happy, carefree times.
“Yes. Why not?” She paid for the picture but Ed insisted on carrying it.
“I’ve got some tools with me but I need some picture hooks and wire so I can hang it.”
They found a stall selling hardware and bought what they needed.
Is this what it would feel like to live with him? We’d wander the market on Sunday, maybe do some home improvements. Instead of sounding dull and middle-aged it suddenly felt like it might be nice, fun even.
They stopped for coffee, finding a table out in the sunshine and propping the picture up against the table.
“I’m taking up nearly your whole day,” she said to Ed.
He shrugged. “Can’t think of a better way to spend it.”
“You really don’t mind? And I can’t pay you for your time?”
He looked hurt. “No.”
“Oh good. I just meant—because I’m having a good time and I didn’t want to assume you were.”
“Are you having a good time?” he asked.
She nodded and smiled at him. “I am.”
He looked doubtful.
“Really. I am.”
“Enough to want to do it again? You know, hang out, have lunch, go the market, the movies or a gallery or something? Would you?”
“Yes,” she said.
“Okay, when?”
She laughed.
“No,” he said seriously.
“I want you to commit before you can change your mind. So assuming you get some footage during the week on Saturday we could edit the film and Sunday we could have a date day? What do you think?”
She laughed again and nodded. “I’d love to. It’s a date.”
“Excellent.” He reached over and held her hand. He looked at the picture. “Look at the way he’s holding her head and she’s kneeling. It looks like he might be a dom and she’s a sub.”
Is that what I am? A sub? She looked at it again. A dom and a sub, perfectly matched. And when she was in college she had just thought it was a pretty romantic picture.
“The original’s in Vienna. They have loads of his pictures in a gallery there,” he said.
“How do you know that?”
“I studied film at college but I took a few art history courses too. It’s all related.”
“I’d like to see the original.” She looked at it, wondering how the colors would look, how the gold leaf would glint and shine.
“Me too. We’ll do it one day. It’s another date.” They both laughed.
But she knew inside that all this talk of art galleries, of trips and dates was in the future—a future that probably would never happen, not once Ed had seen her with Daniel.
They chatted more, about his college days and hers and the courses they’d taken and the way life hadn’t turned out anything like they’d thought or planned. Ed talked about the documentary he was working on and his eyes lit up as he spoke.
It seemed clear to Ruthanne that however good it was, he’d need some effective PR for it when it was finished. She suggested a few ideas and approaches to making sure it was well-received and got good press coverage when it was finally released and he was delighted.
“You’re hired! But seriously, will you help me?”
She promised she would, hoping it meant they would have an excuse to stay in contact after all this.
Eventually a gust of wind made her shiver and she realized they’d been there for almost two hours.
“Come on,” he said. “We’d better finish this.”
Back at her flat, he put the picture up quickly and installed the camera and checked it.
Ruthanne wondered about opening a bottle of wine, suggesting he stay for dinner but she knew where that would lead. And she didn’t want that, not yet. Not while there was still the risk—the almost certainty, she told herself—that he wouldn’t want her once he’d seen her with Daniel.
It was time for Ed to go and suddenly she felt nervous. When Ed was there it seemed like fun. It seemed easy. But once he’d gone, she’d be on her own, checking the cameras, waiting for Daniel. She stood at the door, thanking him for everything he’d done, putting off the moment when he’d leave.
“Don’t thank me. You know I did it for you. Because I, because of this.” He put down his tool bag and held her face gently between his hands. He leaned in and kissed her again.
She closed her eyes and concentrated on the feel of his lips on hers, firm and full and the way his tongue insistently pressed against her lips until she eased them open and his tongue touched hers.
She felt the flicker of electricity between her legs and his tongue pressed into her deeper and she responded, pushing back against him. Then his tongue eased back and she closed her lips again, feeling him pressing on her lips, kissing again. She didn’t want him to stop but he did.
“Until next week. Saturday and Sunday. It’s a date. Two dates.” He smiled and she smiled back.
“Two dates,” she agreed and he left.
Chapter Fifteen
It wasn’t long until she heard from Daniel. On Tuesday, mid-afternoon, a huge bunch of flowers and a gift bag were delivered to her in her office. She knew they were from Daniel—they were expensive, exotic flowers which looked more like miniature sculptures which could eat flies whole rather than something pretty to look at.
She opened the gift bag. Inside it was a package wrapped in silvery tissue paper. It looked so pretty. Could it be jewelry? Somehow she didn’t think so. It was too heavy, too big and she felt sick wondering what was inside it. She read the label before she opened it, written in Daniel’s flowing handwriting with a fountain pen and old- fashioned ink. It said, “To wear now, all day, until I see you.”
Checking that her door was closed, she unwrapped the package. She could tell from the feel and the weight of it that it wasn’t clothes either. There were three things inside. One she recognized immediately as a large pair of love eggs, joined together, the larger one covered in a silicone sleeve with soft spikes all over it.
The second thing was tiny bottle of “Fire Power.” She read the label “Extra-hot lube—for an ultra-intense burning sensation inside and out.” Finally there was a pair of tiny black panties. She examined them and felt a bullet in a pocket in the front, like a mini-vibrator, positioned so when she wore them it would fit against her clit. But there wasn’t an on-off button. Perhaps just the pressure was supposed to feel nice. She was to put these on now and wear them for the rest of the day.
She checked the clock. It was half past four. Not long left at work, then she could go home—maybe take a cab instead of the bus—and wait for Daniel. He was usually there by seven. But that was still two-and-a-half hours with these in. She’d put it off for a while. He wouldn’t know what time the delivery came.
Her office phone rang. She picked it with a heavy heart. “Mr. Rolleston for you,” her intern said brightly.
“Hello,” said Daniel. “How do you like your gifts?”
How did he know? He’d probably insisted the delivery company call him as soon as they’d dropped it off. “Hello. I’ve just opened them.”
“Good. And are you wearing them?”
“Not yet. I was just going to.”
“Make sure you do. And use all the lube. I’ll call you back in ten minutes.” He hung up.
She sighed irritably. What if she had been in a meeting or had some important stuff to do? As it was, she only really worked on Daniel’s company case now. What would happen after she ended things with Daniel? Would she still have a job?
She went to the ladies’ room, her packages tucked into her handbag. Lucy was in there and started chatting away to her but Ruthanne couldn’t concentrate.
She locked herself in a cubicle and stared at the items. She checked her watch. She’d better hurry up. First the lube. She opened the tiny sealed bottle and squirted it onto her fingers. She immediately felt a burning sensation. Nervously she covered the double sections of the egg in it and eased them inside her. She waited, wondering when she would feel something.
It didn’t take long. She felt warm inside, then the warmth became a hotter, burning sensation. She wriggled, feeling the eggs shift inside her, feeling pleasantly full and hot. Then she tucked her panties into her handbag and slipped on the ones Daniel had sent her. They fit well but tightly and she could feel the little bullet shape pressing against her, edging between her lips and against her clit. It felt nice—not too much, just a pleasing pressure, a gentle reminder of the pleasure to come.
She left the cubicle, feeling the eggs moving inside her as she walked, thinking it wasn’t so bad. She could easily handle this for a couple of hours. Back in her office the phone rang again and it was Daniel.
“Mission accomplished?” he asked.
“Yes.”
“Everything in place?”
“Yes,” she said.
“Are you feeling nice and warm?”
“Yes,” she said again, shifting in her seat.
“Are you alone?”
“Yes.”
He laughed and she felt an incredible sensation as the eggs started to move inside her and the bullet buzzed her clit.
“Oh. Oh.” She gripped the edge of the desk.
They stopped as suddenly as they had started and she relaxed.
“It’s working then? Both of them?”
“Yes,” she said, breathless.
“Good. I can d
o them one at a time.” The clit toy buzzed and she gasped and crossed her legs, not sure if she wanted to stop or to press it harder against her. Then the love eggs moved inside her, not so much vibrating as turning up and down, like something alive.
“Oh, God. Stop.” Both toys were very quiet but in her office someone could still hear the faint buzzing.
“I know,” said Daniel. “Someone could hear. Someone could walk in and hear you using sex toys at your desk, even—” The clit toy buzzed again. “Even having an orgasm right there and then in front of them. Imagine that.”
“No,” she said urgently. “No Daniel, that’s not fair. I’m going to take them out.”
“Oh dear. If you do that I’ll have to punish you.”
“I can’t do this at work, Daniel. Be reasonable.”
“Very well. If you ask me nicely I’ll promise not to make you come at work. Ask nicely.”
“Please, Daniel. Please don’t make me come at work.”
“Spell it out. Say exactly what it is you don’t want me to do.”
“Please don’t turn on the toys and make me come.”
“Because?”
“Because someone might hear me or see me.”
“And why would that matter?” he asked. “Don’t they know what a dirty girl you are? Don’t they know you’re really a bit of a slut?”
“No,” she insisted. “I’m not.”
“Really? I would suggest that wearing sex toys at the office means you a dirty girl and most definitely a slut, wouldn’t you?”
She sighed. “I suppose so.”
“So say it.”
“They don’t know I’m a dirty girl and a slut.”
“And if I turn the toys on for too long you might come in front of them and then they’d know for sure you’re a dirty girl and slut wouldn’t they? Say it then.”
“Please don’t turn on the toys,” she said, her voice low, hating the things he made her say. “Because I might come in front of them and then they’ll know that I’m a dirty girl and a slut.”
“Oh very well then. Seeing as you asked so nicely. I wasn’t going to anyway. I just like hearing you beg.” He laughed. “Text me when you’re on your way home.” He hung up.
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