Page 33 of Dark Rules

He picked up a remote, and a song I hadn’t heard before began playing. Something by a man with a very sultry voice. He sang about how he couldn’t go on without a woman who had left him, and I wondered. Why that one? He led me expertly around the empty space of his office, lit only by his desk lamp.

I watched him and quirked up when he started to sing along. His pitch was a little lower, a little sultrier than the singer’s voice, and I couldn’t look away. I didn’t know he could sing like that.

“Wow,” I said as the song ended, and he dipped me low over his arm. When I came back up, I could only stare at him. “You kept that hidden away.”

“Oh, sweetheart, that’s not the only secret I have.” He gave me a playful wink, and I wondered what exactly he meant.

Dylan

I’d put if off for a few days, but my self-imposed celibacy was starting to get to me. Not to mention the fear I had that she’d walk away if I didn’t do something soon. I’d seen it the night she’d given me the presents. She’d been afraid of what was in that envelope, and it had put me off.

It had to be done, though. I had to offer her the contract or end this. I took a deep breath as I waited for her to come in. She’d left earlier in the day, and I’d assumed she’d gone home for a while. She had her own life, apart from me, and I didn’t pry. She’d mentioned a charity of some kind, in passing, but hadn’t really elaborated. Perhaps she’d done something with that.

I’d cooked dinner, steaks, baked potatoes, and a salad for us both, and it was almost done when she came in. “Hi there! Dinner’s almost ready.”

“It smells delicious!” I heard her say as she came into the kitchen. Dressed in a pair of tight white slacks and light blue sweater that came down to her midthigh, she’d looked soft and beautiful, as always.

She came over to kiss me and looked around. “Need help?”

“It’s done. I’ll bring the plates in. Do you want to bring salad dressing and silverware to the table? Oh, and open that bottle of wine?” She nodded so I went back to the steaks. I plated up the food and took it through to the dining table.

We ate happily, in silence, and shared the bottle of red wine she’d opened. By her second glass I could tell she felt a little silly and playful. I didn’t want to ruin it, so I’d left the contract in the drawer. Not yet. Later. Before bed.

She was in the chair beside me to my right. I was at the end of the table and reached for her hand. She was telling me about some incident that happened at the store, something funny, but I didn’t hear it. All I could see was the way her eyes lit up as she talked, and it wasn’t just the flicker of flames from the candle. There was a light to her when she was happy or excited. It dimmed when she was sad, and dull when she was angry or really hurt.

How could I take that from her? I felt a tremor in the muscles of my arm, a tremor that wound its way up to my neck, and I remembered. I couldn’t carry on with this. But … just a little while longer.

I’d made appropriate noises and laughed when she did, but I still didn’t hear the story. My mind was still on that contract. I could have an entire month of this, if only I knew she’d sign it. From the way she’d tried to avoid the last one, and her reaction to the envelope the other day, I knew it wouldn’t be easy to convince her.

She’d wanted more, and I couldn’t blame her. I hadn’t exactly kept it as businesslike as I’d wanted to. Normally, I’d have kept her at a distance. She’d have come over after I ate, we’d have sex, I’d use my tools on her, and we’d have more, and that would be it. My first mistake had been actually sleeping beside her.

I didn’t want to admit it, but I’d loved to wake up next to her. I’d inhaled her smell and stroked her as she’d slept. I’d woken her up one morning, my dick hard and ready for her, and she’d opened her legs to me. I’d slid into her from behind and sunk into a sweet oblivion. I’d lingered inside of her, not moving at all, just enjoying the way it felt to wake up and be inside of her. She’d fallen back to sleep, I’d heard a soft snore, and that drove me to wake her up.

It had been so very sexual, the feel of her naked breast in my palm, the way her back arched into me when I fucked into her hard and swift. At the same time there’d been an air of sweet innocence to it. That had been when I knew I was in real trouble.

I had feelings for her, some anyway. I’d wanted another month to try to break that spell she had over me. It couldn’t last. My parents hadn’t; they’d hated each other, but they’d been unable to leave each other. Until one of them died.

I’d pushed that thought away and focused on her face. She was still talking, happy to carry on for now.

Relationships didn’t last, and people only hurt you after a while. It wasn’t worth it. Especially when you were, no … that wasn’t worth thinking about either. Fuck, I’d looked away from her, my nerves tight as a bowstring now. I had to do it.

“Stephanie…” I began, but stopped.

“Yes, sir?” she asked, her eyes inquisitive.

“We need more wine.” I got up and went for another bottle. A delay tactic, but it helped me clear my mind. “Look, we need to talk.”

“Okay.” Just like that the light dimmed, and she sank into herself.

I sighed deeply, but I’d started it now. I’d poured the wine and then went to the desk. I took out the folder.

It wasn’t thick at all, in fact it only held two pages of paper, but I’d put it in the folder anyway. Mainly to hide it from myself.

I picked up the pen also in the drawer and took them both to her.

“I know I keep saying this is the last contract, but… Well, will you give me another month?”

It was a proposal, just not the kind she might want. It was an indecent proposal, and maybe a little cruel, but she knew that about me from the start.