The Erotic Mind-Control Story Archive

Monday

We woke Monday morning to the alarm. As I started moving, she pulled me to her.

“That was a very nice surprise last night,” she rumbled as I settled in on her breast.

I held her in response. I felt her hands going around my head. She squeezed me and started speaking softly. My world became very relaxing.

I felt calm going into work later. Sunday night, I didn’t know how I was going to do it, hold myself together. Linda provided an amazing solution. Under my dress shirt and slacks I was wearing a white leotard. Linda had taken me deep into trance and helped me put it on in the morning, and I knew the way it held me, snug against my body, reminded me of the way they held me. It was quite comforting.

I didn’t see Dave until nearly lunch time; I was headed into the men’s room as he was coming out. He held the door open for me, inviting me in.

I needed to pee, but realized I needed to undo a different layer of clothing.

“How did it go?” I asked him, pausing outside the toilet stall.

“Really well,” he said with a smile. He took out his wallet and pulled out a card. “I greased things for you—you need to give ‘em a call though.”

I took the card from him. “When will you know?”

“They said offers on Wednesday. Running the usual checks.”

“When will you give notice?”

He smiled, but shook his head, putting a hand on my shoulder. “I hate to do this to you. I’ll turn in my two-week notice about a minute after I hang up the phone.”

“And be out the door three minutes later,” I said.

“Ain’t that the truth. Oh, Nancy is going with me, possibly some others.”

“So that’s why she’s all smiles this morning?”

“I don’t think she won the lottery.”

I shook his hand. “Walk by my office on your way to the old man, that’s all I ask.”

“You got it.”

He left and I took care of business.

Deb was at my old place when I got there after work; I left quite early, just about six. I hadn’t picked up any more chickenshit assignments during the day, but then again, I had plenty.

“Wow, this place has never been so clean!” I called out as I stepped in the doorway.

Deb came out of the back, and gave me a strong hug. “Just finishing up. Everything has been moved to the house. The building management people were by an hour ago and were happy—you’ll get your deposit back.”

“I should hope so! The place was a mess when I moved in!”

She laughed, putting an arm around me. “Oh, I wish we had the time...”

I squeezed her waist, resisting the urge to run my hand up to her neck and head. “We will. I thought you were a runner, not a cyclist...”

She turned red and laughed a bit, a low laugh. “Where did you hear that?”

“Project Bicycle?” I said.

She nodded, moving in front of me, pressing her hips against mine.

“I asked Linda. She must have explained it to me, because I know about it now.”

“You’re not upset?”

“About being Project Bicycle? Not at all. I’m supposed to tell you that Linda says I’m high maintenance for a while, and you need to talk with her before taking me for a ride.”

Deb sighed, rocking her hips against me. “She told us all, Mister Bicycle, in no uncertain terms Saturday evening. I’ll check with her, but I’m looking forward to riding you.”

I held her to me. “So am I, dear.”

“Get going or you’ll miss dinner, and Ellen doesn’t like that,” she whispered in my ear.

“You’re right. I’ll see you later.”

I headed back to the house, parking in “my” spot. I took the clean clothes and miscellany I’d brought from the office and put them away in “my” room. I had time to clean up before heading down to dinner.

They’d had their eyes on a “bicycle” for a while, and when the opportunity presented itself...

After a very nice staff-prepared and served dinner, Ellen, Annette, and I moved to the large parlor. We were joined by two outsiders, finance people I’d worked with before. They were happy to hear I’d be handling things, and they told Ellen that having me around would make things a lot smoother. I thanked them, and made sure they understood my presence here was still confidential. I looked to Annette and told them I’d be relying a lot on Annette. We spent a couple of hours going over the structure of the agreements holding our family together.

Ellen and I sat together for a while after they left, and Annette excused herself.

“Rob, how did that go?”

“Very well. I’ve got the basics. I’ll need time with the actual documents, and another session or two with them. Annette has done a superb job.”

She smiled, sipping the last of her tea. “That’s the impression I got. It’s going to be great to have more visibility into things. I’m going to be taking up a good deal of your time.”

“But for now, you’re mine,” Bernadette said from the doorway.

I sighed and Ellen laughed.

“Good night, Mistress Ellen,” I told her. “Thank you for bringing me into the family.”

She stood and hugged me. “Oh Rob, you’re quite welcome.” With a squeeze, she growled, “and we’re not going to spend all our time on books.”

I walked over to Bernadette. She put an arm around me and we headed for the stairs.

“You’ve talked to Linda?” I asked her.

She chuckled. “Oh yes—you’re mine tonight, and I’ll take very good care of you.”

I entered her bedroom a while later. She met me at the door, wearing a silky robe. I put my arms around her; she held me and I started melting into her.

She held me so well. We made gentle love, and she held me again, rocking me to sleep on a nipple.

Another Step

I got in Tuesday morning about the normal time, even though the drive was less than a third of what it had been from my old place. Bernadette had held me to her, helping to heal those empty and hurt places within me with her warmth. She’d helped me into the leotard again, and then held me, taking me back to the bed for a bit, letting me know I was still being held.

Then after a quick breakfast it was back to the salt mines and piles of work.

About ten thirty I heard the old man bellow. Everyone in the office heard him bellow.

“Patterson, in my office, now!” he yelled.

My heart started racing. I slipped a hand inside my shirt, touching the leotard. That calmed me.

“Patterson, I said now!” Banister yelled out.

Dave smiled, sticking his head into my office, setting down his briefcase and then straightening his tie. He had his coat on.

“Do me a favor and place this outside the front door, would you old friend?” he said.

“This is it?”

“Must be—someone must have screwed up,” Dave told me. He gave me two thumbs up and started to walk out.

“Wait!” I said, pulling the letter out of my coat pocket where I’d been carrying it. I showed it to him. He laughed and clapped me on the back.

“Patterson!” came another bellow.

He smiled and walked to the lion’s den.

I took his briefcase and put it outside the front door as he’d asked. I didn’t have anything personal left in my office. They could keep the extra ink cartridges for my fountain pen.

I went back to my office and closed up files on my computer. I put the extra ink cartridges in my coat pocket—I’d paid for them, after all.

I was surprised to see Nancy standing in my doorway. She was smiling.

I got up quickly and gave her a hug.

“It’s been nice working with you, Rob,” she said. “Sorry to do this to you.”

I sighed as I held her. I was a lot more comfortable holding women now. “Wait in the parking lot for a few minutes. I’ll be right behind you.”

She pulled away a bit. “You will? Are you joining us? Dave said you might.”

I shook my head. “Nope. Took another offer.”

“Oh, that’s great! We’re trying to pick up some associates as well, from what Dave told me. Oh, the volume is dropping—I need to get out of here. Dave is telling him for me.”

The momentary lull was pierced by Banister’s unintelligible rage once more.

“I think he just found out,” I said, giving her one more hug. “Thanks for all your help, and for putting up with it for so long. Are you Catholic?”

She stepped back with a puzzled look on her face. “No, why?”

I smiled. “If you were Catholic, then you could count this as time you wouldn’t have to spend in Purgatory.”

She laughed, shook her head, and said, “We’ll wait a little while, then meet you at Fontana’s on Stevens Creek for lunch.”

“A deal,” I said, waving to her.

Let’s see—Gibson was out with a client today. Poor kid’s going to catch it. Of course, he has done nothing but suck up to the old goat. Certainly going to reap what he’s planted.

A few minutes later I heard Banister shouting, “Your final check will be in the mail, Mister Patterson, along with those of your co-conspirators. Now get out!”

Well, that sounded like the customary amicable parting. I was just putting my coat on when he yelled out, “Gibson! Get in here... Oh hell, he’s not here. Flynn! In my office, now! Flynn? Do you hear me? In my office, now!”

I touched the smooth fabric under my shirt again. Something seemed to click—Linda had prepared me for this. I had my dictation machine in one pocket of the coat. I started it recording, dropping it back in my pocket.

I walked into his office, leaving the door open. His face was red as a beet and veins were standing out on his neck and forehead. He looked more beady-eyed than normal. His hands were shaking, poor bastard.

“You wanted to see me, Mister Banister?” I said.

He took a couple of rapid breaths—must be building up steam.

“Flynn, are you going with those other two traitors?”

He must mean my colleagues, Dave and Nancy. “No, I’m not.”

His hands were still shaking as he tried to steady them on the top of his desk as he stood next to his chair. What if he has a coronary on me?

“You’re lying, Flynn, and I know it—they’re doing checks on you as well. That’s how I found out about your little plot! I...”

“Sir!” I said quite loudly, reaching in my pocket and pulling out the letter again. I dropped it on the desk in front of him. “I am not going with Dave and Nancy. I’ve accepted a different position. I’m giving you two weeks notice.”

His hands went to his balding head as sounds of great anguish erupted from him.

His cry settled into a stream of threats as to what he was going to do to all of us for betraying him. It took a few minutes, but he ran out of steam again, standing there shaking, red, sweat on his head and foam in one corner of his mouth.

“Will that be all for now, sir?” I asked.

I thought his eyes were going to pop out of his head. “Get out of here! Out, now! I want you out of my office!”

“Then you don’t want me to stay for...”

“Get out! Get out now or I’ll call the police!”

“Mister Banister,” I said. I waited for him to catch his breath.

“What is it, Flynn!”

“I’ve learned a great deal working for the firm. Thank you, sir.”

He stood there doing fish imitations, his mouth moving but no sounds coming out.

I turned and left his office. I walked by our receptionist. “Good luck—you’re going to need it,” I told her. She nodded, looking shocked.

Dave and Nancy were still in the parking lot. Dave smirked and looked at his watch. “What kept you?”

I walked over and hugged them both. “Wanted to thank him. Had to wait for him to run out of steam.”

Dave laughed and pounded me on the back. “Damn, I feel good. Nancy? Rob? May I buy you lunch?”

“Certainly.”

I walked to my car, turning off the recorder in my pocket. Dave led the procession out of the parking lot. I saw him using his cell phone as we drove the three or so miles to the restaurant.

Dave started to get out of his car at the restaurant parking lot, but his cell phone rang. He sat down in his car again. I walked to Nancy’s car, opening her door for her.

“Why thank you!” she said.

“My pleasure,” I told her. “Shall we go in? Dave may be a while.”

We were seated, Dave joining us about five minutes later.

After putting his napkin in his lap and taking a gulp of ice water, he sighed.

“Nancy, we can pick up our offer letters this afternoon. Someone screwed up as they were doing background checks. They’re very apologetic. I spent the last few calls on the phone with their legal folks, letting them know about the threats Banister made. They’ll take care of anything that pops up.

“I had my dictation machine in my pocket the whole time. Got him on tape,” I added.

Dave smiled and lifted his water glass, saluting me. “Great. Don’t think he’ll go through with it. He went through the same hysterics when Peter and Karen left for KPMG.”

We settled in a bit, ordering lunch.

“Rob, where are you going?” Nancy asked.

“Local office of a private foundation.”

Dave broke off a piece of bread. “I’d have thought you’d go into photography full-time.”

I smiled. “Oh, I’ll be doing that as well—I’m a shutterbug as well as pencil pusher.”

Dave laughed. “Well, congratulations! Pay? Fringes?”

I nodded. “Yup, it’s got those. Oh, mind if I make a call?”

Nancy scowled. “Rob, go ahead.”

I laughed a little as I dialed Ellen’s number. One of the staff tracked her down for me.

“Ellen, I thought I’d let you know I gave two weeks notice this morning, and was summarily thrown out of the office.”

“That’s wonderful news! When will we see you?”

“I’m at lunch with my colleagues who also departed the firm. I’ll be home by two or so.”

“Wonderful! We’ll celebrate when you get here!”

After putting my phone back in my pocket, I loosened my tie. Then it hit me. I’d called it “home.” That’s the way it felt.

I arrived “home” shortly before two. Without asking, I knew the code to punch in to open the side gate. I parked my car. Do I need to lock it here? Couldn’t think of a reason why. I picked my tie up from the seat—Dave had insisted I take mine off after he’d removed his. It did feel better, symbolizing our freedom from Banister.

I walked over to Ellen’s office. Her door was open. I knocked on the doorframe.

She looked up and smiled. “Please come in!”

I walked in and sat down.

She picked up her phone and punched a button. “He’s here. ... Okay, good.”

“Things moved faster than you’d expected, then?”

“Yes—somehow Banister found out that Dave was looking. I guess the same folks were doing background checks on me. Anyway, I’m no longer a member of the firm.”

“And how does that feel?” Linda asked from the doorway.

I stood up and gave her a hug. “Thank you for whatever you did to help prepare me,” I whispered in her ear.

I sat down again, and she pulled up a chair next to me. I looked at her, then Ellen.

“I’m not sure how I feel. It went as you’d expect—Banister screaming at Dave, then me, howling at how we’d betrayed him after all he’d done for us.”

“He doesn’t want you for two weeks?”

“He threatened to call the cops if I didn’t leave immediately. We’ve heard it before.”

“And?” Linda asked.

“I don’t know. It’s over. I’m still kind of numb, I guess. When I left Whitehall & Marx, I felt the same kind of relief. I thought I knew what I was getting into when I joined Banister. I was wrong. I still don’t know what I’m getting into here...”

Linda moved closer. “It’s emotionally unsettling, making a change like that. We’re here to help. Why don’t you change into comfortable clothes and come back down so we can talk about it.”

I looked to Ellen. She nodded and smiled. “Yes, Rob—that sounds like the thing to do.”

I stood up. “I feel tired all of a sudden,” I told them, “or like a big weight is gone.”

“That’s a good sign,” Linda told me.

I put a hand on her shoulder as I walked by.

I hung up my clothes. I left the leotard on the bed. Needed to talk to Deb to see if I could put my tie rack up on the inside of the closet. No ties! I put on my weekend Dockers, a sweatshirt, and my old running shoes. I dropped my keys on the desk. I still had the office key—should drop that off, even though the old goat probably had the locks changed already. He’d done that with every departing group of employees.

I left my room, closing the door.

“You’re here!” Deb cried, coming up the staircase.

I smiled. I started to speak, but found myself in an embrace, and a kiss. Soon I found myself backing into her room, then backing onto her bed. I pulled her on top of me, her weight pressing down on me filling some deep need.

She pushed up on her elbows. “You’re here to stay now?”

I tried for her breasts. She was somewhere between Linda and Bernadette in size. “I think so.”

She held me, holding my head between her breasts. “Oh, I’m so glad...”

I squeezed her. “So are Ellen and Linda—they’re waiting for me downstairs...”

She sighed and started moving off me.

“They can wait a minute more. Please hold me.”

She moved back on top, letting me nuzzle her through her blouse. After a bit she sat up on top of me.

“Oh, that feels nice,” I told her.

She moved her knees closer to my chest and gave me a squeeze with her legs. “I agree... I want you, and when Linda gives us the all-clear...”

I put my hands on her legs. “I’m going to spend a night in the tea house with Suzanne.”

She sighed, then smiled. “I think I understand.”

“Thank you. I owe her a lot.”

“More than you know... Still, I’m disappointed. I guess I can wait a little longer...”

“I’ll make it up to you.”

She smiled and moved off me. “That’s what I wanted to hear!”

She helped me stand. We hugged again.

She looked me over as I started for the door. “You’ll need a dress shirt for dinner.”

I nodded. “I thought so—I expect Linda is going to be taking me on another trip, and wanted to be comfy just in case.”

“Probably correct. Now why the hell did I come up here? You’ve completely ruined my concentration!”

I stepped closer, putting one hand around her back, caressing a breast with the other. “I’ll make it up to you,” I told her again.

She gave me a sighing moan, then said, “Get out of here while you can!”

“Yes, dear!”

Bernadette had joined Linda in Ellen’s office. I had a seat.

“You look more relaxed,” Linda said.

“Bumped into Deb on the way.”

Bernadette muttered, “Surprised you made it down here so soon! Did she help you change?”

“No—you’re helping with that,” I said, looking at Linda.

“Well,” Ellen said, trying to regain control. “Rob, we’re glad things have happened so soon. Your office is ready to be unpacked. Suzanne suggested you might want to get better storage for your negatives and prints. Your little refrigerator with the film is all set up.”

“That’s great. I’m ready to get started.”

“And that brings us to the next topic,” she said.

Bernadette stepped closer. “We want you to take the rest of the week off. If you want to do some photographic work, that’s fine, but no business work until Monday at the earliest.”

I nodded. “Okay. Can I unpack?”

She sat down next to me. “Yes—Suzanne wants to help, actually.”

“Rob,” Linda said from the other side, “we also want you to spend some time with Kendra, getting a fitness program established. You and I also have some other things to continue.”

It was Bernadette’s turn. “I’m going to update your vaccinations, starting today.”

I chuckled and looked to Ellen. “And you?”

Ellen laughed and sat back in her chair. “I’ll wait my turn...”

I turned to Linda. “When can I spend a night in the tea house with Suzanne?”

Linda smiled. “Tomorrow night, if you’d like.”

I took one of her hands and kissed it. “Thank you. I owe it to her.”

Ellen said, “Yes, you do.”

“So, what’s next?” I asked.

“Rob, are there things you’d like to do?” Linda asked.

I glanced back at Bernadette, then to Ellen, and said, “Silly question...”

They laughed. I liked that.

“No, other than that,” Linda said with a chuckle.

“I need to get a smog check on my car and renew the registration, address changes ...”

“Deb or one of the staff will take care of that,” Ellen told me.

I nodded. “Then let’s go play pincushion, and chase demons.”

Ellen looked to Bernadette and Linda. She said, “See you for dinner—if you want to help make pizzas, you’re welcome to.”

Outside Ellen’s office, we ran into Kendra. After a brief but intense hug, Linda decided Kendra could have me for a while after Bernadette was through with me.

That left Kendra, Bernadette, and I walking over to Bernadette’s office. Bernadette waved me to the next room over, the one with the cot. “Go in and strip to your underwear while I get things together.”

As I undressed, Kendra looked me over carefully.

“On the scale for me,” she said.

I got on the scale. She checked my height as well. She had me sit on the floor. We did some flexibility tests.

Bernadette came in, rescuing me from doing leg-lifts.

“Oh shit,” I said, getting up and seeing three loaded syringes on the tray she was carrying. “And I thought I was being rescued...”

“Problems with needles, Rob?” Bernadette asked.

I sat on the edge of the cot. “Not serious ones, I guess—I don’t have problems donating blood, but I do tend to tense up.”

She smiled. “We can take care of that. We don’t want you tensing up—that’s what tears muscles. On your back and close your eyes.”

I spread out on my back, closed my eyes and took a breath. As I exhaled, hands held my head, squeezing oh so nicely. I gasped, and inhaled that scent again. “Relax, Rob—let go and relax,” came Bernadette’s voice.

A hand was rubbing my back. I rolled over, opening my eyes. Kendra helped me sit up.

“How was that?” Bernadette asked.

I sighed. “Should have had that kind of attention as a kid. What did you give me?”

She handed me a cup with some pills, and another cup with some water.

In response to my inquisitive look, she said, “The pills are anti-inflammatories and fever reducers. You got a number of boosters, and the first of the hepatitis series. You’ll get more next week.”

I moved my arms and wiggled a little. “Can’t feel much. Where did they go in?”

Bernadette smiled. “Both glutes and your left bicep. I’ll have to remember that technique.”

“What do I watch for in terms of bad reactions?”

“I’ll check you in the morning—I want to do a blood sample before Kendra’s class to get fasting levels. That means nothing to eat or drink except water after nine tonight.”

“I can do that,” I told her. “Done here?”

“For now. Fever, headache, dizziness, anything unusual, let me know right away.”

“That means you’re all mine!” Kendra exclaimed, rubbing her hands together with glee.

I frowned and sat back a bit.

The glee dropped from Kendra’s face. Bernadette took on a look of concern. She came over to me. “What is it, Rob?”

“I need help understanding what I’ve gotten into. Am I the family bicycle, to be taken at whim? Can the bicycle have headaches and decide where it’s heading?”

Kendra nodded and pulled up a chair. Bernadette sat on the cot, a few feet away from me.

“Closer,” I said to her, “please.”

With a slight smile she scooted closer.

I looked at both of them. “Maybe I should be having this conversation with Linda. Let me know if you think so.” I paused, but they didn’t say anything.

“I’m confused. A lot of things are up in the air. Where do I fit in? I feel such strong attractions to some of you—Linda, Suzanne, you Bernadette, Kendra, Deb, Ellen... I know you can hold me, squeeze me, and I’ll melt in your arms—I want that so much, and it scares me. I’m not used to feeling so vulnerable, I guess.”

Kendra spoke, a firm look on her face. “Rob, we expect people and their wishes to be respected. I was very impressed with what I was told about your test with Suzanne, and with what you’re telling us now. You can say, ‘no.’ People can say, ‘no’ to you. And, there is a firm dividing line between family and staff. That line cannot be crossed, will not be crossed.”

Bernadette put a hand on my back. “Rob, I asked you—Linda asked you. Did Suzanne ask you?”

“Yes, she did. So did Deb.”

“And I expect everyone else interested in you will ask as well. There are some who won’t. ‘No,’ and ‘not tonight’ are pretty easy to understand. Let me ask you another question. Once you’ve said, ‘yes’ to someone—to Linda or to me, or Kendra for example, do you want to be asked every time, or can we ambush you, take you quickly?”

I shuddered at that thought. “God... I’d like that, a lot... But I know that before I could do that to someone, I’d have to know them, and after I did it, I’d want to talk to them to make sure what we did was okay...”

Kendra said, “That’s a very good response. You keep exceeding our expectations!”

I looked to her. “That’s because I hadn’t done very many leg lifts when Bernadette came in...”

Kendra laughed. She turned to Bernadette and asked, “Ten pounds, fifteen?”

Bernadette nodded. “Something around there.”

“What?” I cried. “Lose weight?”

Kendra laughed. “No, silly—put it on. After a month or so, I may want you to go to an outside gym for weight work. We’ll see. Right now, I want to get a better idea of how flexible you are.”

“Here?” I asked.

Kendra stood up. “Nope—let’s go to the mat room. I think that’s where Linda expects to find us, anyway.”

I got dressed. Bernadette gave me a hug.

“One thing I’d like to do,” I told her, “is spend a lot of time being held.”

She smiled and hugged me again. “You’ll draw a crowd saying that.”

Kendra patted me on the back. “I’ll say. Let’s go. I was going to call you tiger—but for now I’ll make that snuggles...”

“Let me take a peek,” I told her as we walked by my office. A lot of boxes—I checked the camera equipment quickly. The film looked fine in its refrigerator. Prints were placed carefully, with the corners protected.

“A lot of us are really looking forward to seeing more of your pictures,” Kendra said.

“I’m looking forward to being able to display them,” I told her, closing the door.

We walked over to the carriage house. It smelled as if we might have more rain tonight, a little unusual for this time of year.

In the exercise room, Kendra said, “I’ll get my clipboard. Why don’t you strip down to your briefs again?”

I nodded and started undressing. She came back quickly.

“You know,” I told her, “we could put prints up along that wall, under non-glare plastic. Would sunlight hit them?”

She smiled. “No, not over there. That would be really nice! Give us something more to look at! I like that!” Then she dropped the towel she was carrying on to the mat and said, “On you back—let’s see what kind of shape you’re in.”

I tried to groan, but it turned into a chuckle.

I was groaning a while later, after being pushed, pulled, twisted, and stretched. Then it was leg-lifts, sit-ups, and push-ups.

I was on my back trying to catch my breath. Kendra was sitting on the floor next to me. She patted my stomach and said, “Not too bad for a bean counter. Want to get on the treadmill for me?”

“Why not—I’ve had everything but the finger up the ass.”

She laughed. “I’m sure Bernadette has already done that...”

I sighed as I put my socks and shoes on—I couldn’t say for sure she hadn’t.

I ran on the treadmill for a while. It wasn’t bad, actually, being able to look out over the estate. She took my pulse periodically. We stopped, and she checked my pulse after a minute.

“Well, am I going to live?” I asked her.

She laughed and sat on the floor, motioning me to do the same.

“Rob, considering your occupation, you’re doing fine. In terms of what we want and expect, you’ve got a ways to go, though. We’ll take it easy, though, and help you build up both strength and flexibility.”

“There were some calls for endurance, I seem to remember.”

She laughed again. “Yes—well as far as aerobic endurance, that I can help with. Wouldn’t mind helping with the other, either... Actually, you’d be good running or doing aerobic work with a number of the others. When’s the last time you attended an exercise class?”

I shook my head. “A few years, at least. Why?”

“I’ll take it easy tomorrow morning then. You’ll be able to keep up, but you’ll undoubtedly feel it afterwards.”

“I’d kind of expect that.”

“Would you like to go through some of the floor sequences? You’re warmed up, and it would help you keep up tomorrow. You’d have some familiarity at least.”

“Sure—let’s do it.”

I remembered why I didn’t like a lot of aerobics classes—I have no dance talent. But Kendra was persistent, and I caught on.

Linda walked in as we were doing a yoga sequence, trying to flow from one position to the other.

“Starting him early?” she asked.

“That’s good, Rob—relax on your back for me, on the towel.”

“With pleasure,” I told her.

I relaxed with a sigh.

“Some familiarization,” Kendra said. Then to me she said, “Palms up, arms out a little more, eyes closed, and relax...”

I felt her pulling my feet, then she moved my head, pulling it a little. It felt delicious.

I felt a hand on my chest—must have been Linda, as Kendra was still holding my head.

Linda said softly, “Let go for me, Rob—nothing to do in this moment but relax. Relax and let go...”

She stroked my chest softly. I did what she asked.

When I opened my eyes, I knew that only a few minutes had passed. Still, I felt relaxed.

Linda was sitting on the mat next to me. “You look surprised,” she said.

I started to sit up, but she put a hand on my chest.

“We didn’t take another trip through hell...” I told her.

She sighed. “We’ve made it past the hard parts... No, you need a vacation from that. And frankly, so do I.”

“So what’s next?”

With a smile she moved over and sat on me, putting her hands on my shoulders and pressing down. I sighed and my eyes closed.

“I thought so,” she said, and moved off.

“Why did you do that?”

“What?”

“Move off. That feels so good—what is it about weight on top of me? You, Bernadette...”

She smiled. “It’s special... Get dressed and let’s walk. I talked to Bernadette—you asked some tough questions, and from what I heard, came up with some good answers.”

“We could talk here—I liked where you were...”

She laughed and moved to stand up. “So did I, believe me—but people will be coming in here to exercise in a short while.”

I rolled to my side and sat up. “Okay. I’ll get dressed. I’ve really been working up appetites lately!”

“Then you can help build pizzas—you won’t have to change clothes if you do, and if you help cook, you don’t have to help clean.”

“Sounds like a deal to me,” I said. She tossed my pants at me.

“Tree?” I asked as we left the building.

She nodded, putting an arm around my waist.

“So, Doctor,” I asked as we were walking back to the tree. “What do you think of men who go around having unprotected sex, two women in two days?”

She chuckled. “Normally, that indicates quite risky behavior... But Bernadette and I are in favor of it—and I think I may know some others who would agree as well... Seriously, Rob, none of us are at risk—of pregnancy or disease. Does that help? I realize this has been sudden.”

“Sudden and intense,” I added, hugging her as we walked.

We sat on the bench under the tree once more. She sighed louder than I did.

I scooted over closer, putting an arm around her. “What do you need? What can I do for you?”

She smiled. “This is nice. As you said, some times it’s nice to just be...”

“And being in your arms, being held is so nice,” I told her.

“Oh, you don’t know how nice it is, the way you hold me, the way it feels when you suck on me, what you did for me last night,” she said, closing her eyes, letting her head go back as I held her.

Some things fell into place. I moved my hand up her back to her neck, stroking gently.

“I understand more now,” I said softly. “I curl up at your side, holding you and you holding me, and both of us have a chance to unwind and start to relax. Then when I’m ready, I move to a nipple, start sucking, sucking myself into trance, relaxing and going deeper and deeper, so safe in your arms...”

I moved my other hand to her left breast and stroked it gently through her blouse and bra. She sighed.

“Sucking and going deeper and deeper, more and more relaxed. Feel me sucking, so nice, relaxing more and more...”

I eased her back and moved a little as I had to support more of her weight.

“I’ve got you, holding you so well, sucking on you... I’m so hungry for you, I need to go down on you, kiss you and tease you... Feel my lips and tongue on you, oh so good...”

She moaned as I stroked her breasts.

“Enjoy it and come if you want to—come for me, come for me as I hold you and please you...”

I moved my hand slowly down her front, and as I slid it between her legs she moaned and shook, her thighs squeezing my hand in waves. “Oh thank you—enjoy, enjoy, tell me what you need...”

“Kiss me,” she moaned.

I pulled my hand from between her legs and held her, pulling her into a kiss. Our lips met, and she shook again, moaning into my mouth. I held her with one hand behind her head, the other going around her shoulders. Her arms went around me and she hugged me.

When we finally sat back, she still had a dreamy look on her face. I reached over and tapped her on the forehead. She blinked and looked at me, then laughed.

She reached over and pulled me into an embrace. “Oh, that was grand,” she murmured in my ear.”

“Glad you liked it,” I told her. “Hope I did okay...”

She gave me another squeeze, then sat back. “You did very well. Are you remembering things, or what?”

I took her hands. “Remembering, feeling... It’s hard to say. At times it’s like listening... If I want I can hear your voice, or Bernadette’s, or someone else’s... I hope you didn’t mind...”

She shook her head. “Not at all—I needed it. You’ll learn to recognize it; you drop so fast when you’re really hungry for it...”

I must have still been hungry for it—she stroked the side of my face with her fingers and I dropped like a rock. Soon I was in her arms, rocking with her, my head resting on her bare bosom, feeling the softness and warmth of skin, and hearing the beating of her heart.

But when I opened my eyes, my head was in her lap, and we were still under the tree.

”That was so amazing,” I sighed.

She helped me sit up. “Tell me,” she asked.

“We were rocking—I could feel it. Holding each other, my head on your chest—I could feel, smell, your skin and hear your heart beating in my ear. So real...”

She nodded. “That’s what you needed.” With a smile she held my hands again. “Need some dinner?”

“Oh yeah—let’s go help out.”

We walked back, hand in hand. “What would it be like,” I mused, “to spend an afternoon wrapped up in your arms, holding you, being held...”

She laughed. “We’ll just have to find out, won’t we?”

I was put to work slicing pepperoni, bell peppers, and onions. I skinned garlic cloves for a garlic and chicken pizza that looked really good.

Penny, one of the staff, an assistant to Deb, also had me opening jars and cans. She was a kick to work with. She’s short, with straight brownish hair, a quick wit, and a sharp tongue.

We’d put the last of the pies into the oven and finished the salad when Suzanne popped into the kitchen. She must have just showered—her hair was still wet. She gave us a look of disappointment.

“You can clean up, love,” Ellen told her. Some of the others chuckled.

“One more thing for you to open,” Penny told me, handing me a large and cold jug of white wine.

I took it, looking at Suzanne and saying, “Stick around.”

She smiled a bit. “If you’re going to pour, sure...”

“If someone finds me an opener first, I’ll be happy to!”

We set the big table for ten. Usually it was the nine “family” members. Sunday had been somewhat special, so we’d had twelve, Miriam and the two staff folks, Penny and Kathryn joining us. Tonight Penny was dining with us.

Dinner was good. Suzanne sat to my right, Bernadette on my left. I was more at ease now, and started noticing things—the way Annette behaved around Deb for instance. Hmmm, she had looked a bit out-of-sorts Sunday night.

We sat around talking for a while. Suzanne was getting the grounds ready for winter; that was almost done. Deb was concerned about a painting contractor and getting one of the ancillary buildings repainted before rains started in earnest. Ellen was pleased with the way Deb and Suzanne had taken care of some grounds work, evidently getting it done well under budget.

Deb stood up with a sigh and said, “Ladies, it’s our turn...” She picked up her plate, and Annette’s.

Suzanne looked at me with a sigh. I stood up, got my plate, then walked around to Deb. “I’ll take those. I’ll help clean up—you take it easy tonight.”

She handed me the plates. “You don’t have to offer twice!” The others laughed.

The cleanup was actually fun. I stood next to Suzanne—she washed, and I rinsed and dried. Her spirits picked up immensely, and at times, so did her nipples.

As we finished wiping down countertops, I asked Suzanne, “Like to help me unpack and look at some pictures?”

Her beaming smile was her answer.

“Need some help?” Bernadette asked. Then she looked at Suzanne, giving her a questioning look.

Suzanne said, “I don’t mind.” She turned to me and said, “I’m helping you tomorrow morning as well, to help you get settled.”

Kendra said, “Yeah, settled...”

Bernadette chuckled and said, “You can come along and move boxes, you know...”

Kendra gave her a haughty look, then replied, “Okay, I’ll do that.”

I ended up with the four of us in the office. It held us all, even with the boxes. Bernadette did borrow two chairs from her office, though. Some things had been unpacked already. When I mentioned something about that, Suzanne blushed a little.

“I wanted to get started. I hope you didn’t mind. I just did desk-type things, and catalogs. Oh—this one,” she picked up a photo supply catalog and opened it to a marked page. She pointed to a nice storage system for negatives and prints—much nicer than the file folders in cardboard boxes I used currently. “This is what Vivian says you should be using for storage. Is that okay?”

“Ah, yes, they’re about the best.”

“Okay, Deb has seen this. I’ll have Penny order it tomorrow.”

“Really?”

Suzanne gave me a strange look. “Yes, really—Vivian was very upset that you’re still storing things in cardboard boxes.”

“What do I say?”

Behind me, Bernadette said, “You say, ‘Yes dear,’ and give her a hug.”

To some chuckling, that’s what I did.

As much as we could, we got things straightened away. I did need better storage for negatives and prints, and for my camera equipment.

Linda came in as we were talking about photographing parts of the estate.

“It’s getting late—you’ve got a full day tomorrow,” she told me.

“Yes, dear,” I sighed, to laughter from the others.

“I must have missed something,” Linda mused to nobody in particular.

“And you need to stop by my office on the way to class tomorrow morning so I can get a blood sample,” Bernadette reminded me.

I nodded and stood up. “And what time does your class start?” I asked Kendra.

“Seven on the nose,” she told me, standing up and stretching. “I’ll help you with the chairs,” she told Bernadette.

We said our goodnights. Suzanne tried to get out the door, but I held her back. I gave her a gentle hug and whispered, “Thank you for everything,” in her ear. Then I bit her neck. She left quite upbeat.

Linda and I walked back to the house. “How are you feeling tonight?” she asked.

I had one hand around her waist. I groped at her side with that hand, and moved the other to a sensuous breast, caressing.

She wiggled in my embrace, laughing. “Better, I’d say!”

“Much better, thank you.”

“That was sweet of you after dinner—just don’t make a habit of it, or people will walk all over you.”

“I figured. There seems to be something between Deb and Annette—or am I imagining?”

“What makes you think so?”

“Oh, the way Annette seemed bummed out Sunday afternoon and evening—didn’t make sense to me at the time, but then the way she looked at Deb tonight... It was kind of the same way Miriam looked at Deb.”

“You’re catching on... I’d call Annette Deb’s pet—and I think Annette likes thinking of herself that way as well. Be careful—Deb can be voracious.”

“As opposed to you and Bernadette? Or Kendra? Suzanne?”

She laughed. “Point well taken. Told Suzanne yet?”

“Told her what?”

“About spending the night in the tea house tomorrow?”

“Not yet—didn’t have the chance. Figure I’ll have the opportunity tomorrow.”

We were at the top of the stairs. “Spend the night with me, please,” Linda whispered.

I held her gently. “Oh yes...”

As we cleaned up in the bathroom, she asked me, “What did you think of Miriam?”

I shook my head. “I need to photograph her, and her hands... The way she looked, the way she played—of course Deb just might have had some influence there...”

“How about as part of the family?”

I paused for a moment. “Please don’t repeat this—and tell me if I’m off base. Talent, oh yes, but she’s eugenically flawed.”

Linda paused and looked at me. She nodded her head slightly. “That’s pretty cold... But absolutely correct.”

I sighed. “Same with Penny—I felt a lot of envy in her, jealousy.”

Linda nodded more. “I don’t think she’s picked up on the pattern yet. I’m working with her, in subtle ways. You need to be careful around her—she’s been around here long enough to see most of our tricks.”

I nodded. “And if she caught me at the right moment, I don’t know if I could resist... I know with you and Bernadette especially, but also with Suzanne, Deb, Kendra, Ellen—I wouldn’t want to.”

She smiled, moving closer. “And how do you feel about that?”

I put my arms around her waist. “Mixed—scared, but also hungry for it. It’s... I don’t know, liberating in some sense. Why?”

She put her hands on my shoulders. “I want to know—men are so different; I’ve never had the opportunity to work at those depths before. I want to know how you feel...”

I moved my hands along her back, one going to her neck, the other to her bottom. “Like this...” I pulled her into a kiss.

When we came up for air, she said, “You are such a practical person!”

I laughed. “What in the world is practical about this? I’ve left a promising career to become the sole knight at Castle Anthrax?”

She laughed. “We’re all over the age of twenty one...”

“I should hope so... This is happening so fast—you’ve shown me so much, changed me so much. I feel I belong here...”

“But?” she said, raising an eyebrow.

“But this afternoon I felt as if I was rocking in that porch swing with you. ‘Real’ has suddenly become a surprisingly flexible concept.”

“Do you trust me, Rob?”

“I have to, Linda...”

“Why do you have to?”

“Because the alternative is madness.”

She nodded. “Do you still want to spend the night with me?”

“Yes,” I whispered, and hugged her again.

“Rob, I will not hurt you,” she told me.

We finished up in the bathroom and returned to her room. I put my things down, took off my robe, and turned to her. She’d just finished turning down the bed, and looked to me with a smile.

“Tell me what you need,” I whispered, sliding my hands inside her robe. She sighed as my hands slid across her skin.

I kissed her neck and shoulder as I slid my hands up her back, holding her to me. “I want you,” I rumbled, kneading her shoulder blades and pressing her breasts against me. She moaned and shuddered, moving her hands to my arms. I backed her to the bed and pushed her to her back, lifting her legs up on the bed.

I settled beside her, putting one hand behind her head. I leaned over to kiss her, my other hand roaming over her body. I squeezed the back of her head and neck gently when she started to move, and she moaned in my mouth. My free hand moved between her legs. I started teasing her.

I let my mouth slide off hers as she gasped for air. I kissed along her neck as her head arched back. “Let go and enjoy, Linda—let go and enjoy,” I whispered in her ear.

When the motion of her hips had become insistent, I moved my hand away, to her quite audible dismay. I moved on top of her, spreading her legs, and slid into her. She moaned and I sighed.

After a few glorious strokes, she pulled her knees up. I spread my knees, sliding up closer, pushing in deeper. I put my hands on her shoulders and gasped to her, “Linda, Linda, please...”

That set off a series of moans and tremors through her. I felt myself getting close, and looked down at her breasts, so far away. She shifted her hips, and I moved my hands from her shoulders to her thighs, pulling myself in more. As I held her thighs, her heels slid behind my back, and she squeezed me as I pulled and pushed, trying to fill her more. She squeezed me again, pushing me over the edge. “Squeeze me,” I cried as I momentarily lost control of my muscles. She squeezed me and rocked me with her legs and I held on, filling her.

She let her legs spread, and I collapsed on top of her. As we slid apart, I moved to her side. I found a nipple, her hand found the back of my head, and that’s all that mattered.