The chill finally banished, I sink a little lower in the bath, lulled by the gently flickering candles and soothed by the rich, warming scents of rose and cinnamon. I shake my hair free of its final clasp, and lean back, turning my head a little, watching my already damp and limp locks tumble into the water, where they swirl and coil, as if imitating the dance of a sea anemone. A childish game, but one that never fails to make me smile. Not all the games I play are as innocent. My smile broadens, and I shiver involuntarily as a chill memory kisses my hot damp skin with its frosted lips.
The door opens, and he enters, proffering the olive branch, disguised as a mug of tea. I study his face as I reach for it, sitting up and causing a mini tsunami of pink foam and hot silky water. Greedily I swallow the strong liquid, feeling it coursing down my still dry throat, refreshing me, helping to replenish all the fluids lost earlier, in the heat of the moment.
In the heat of the moment!!
"Bastard" I mutter, grinning as the significance of that particular turn of phrase makes me think back to just a couple of short hours ago..
I didn't have the energy left to cry even. I felt as if I were melting, the heat itself unbearable enough, but my own sweat, trickling in rivulets down between and under my breasts, flooding down my back and seeping from every pore of my baking body was adding to the discomfort a hundred fold. I moaned and writhed, trying to gain some relief from this relentless blast of super-heated air. I pulled at my bonds, not caring if it rubbed my wrists raw, the need to scratch my head, itchy beyond belief under the weight of my hair, was paramount. I was burning up, wet and sticky with sweat, and I was sure I was starting to smell. If I could have cried, I would have, believe me! In that particular instant all I was feeling was sorry for myself. My eyes were stinging, part sweat, part running eye make up, and I would have sold my soul for a drink of cool water. I ran my fuzzy tongue across equally dry lips, licking even at the grimy sweat beading on my upper lip and my chin.
I'd expected something soon of course - no sex for nearly a fortnight coupled with over-acted yawns and feigned exhaustion made it obvious that my beloved had plans. And I had been eager in my anticipation, dressing with care each day, selecting underwear which was cut a little more intimately than the norm, feeling a little nauseous with excitement in the pit of my stomach whenever I went anywhere, because today might be the day. THIS might be the journey. But nothing had happened.
I had even - the thought made my burning cheeks flush even redder - taken to playing with myself in the toilet at lunchtime this past week.
Resting one foot on the toilet seat and with the other leg spread wide, I would lean my back against the cubicle wall and retreat far into myself in my head.
With eyes closed and teeth sunk into my lower lip to remind myself not to cry out, I would spread my pussy lips wide with one hand while I rubbed myself to orgasm with the fingers of the other. It was brief, frantic and very unsatisfactory. It brought relief for a few seconds, relief which was rapidly swallowed up by even more desperate lust.
The fantasy scenarios I ran through in my head were increasingly humiliating and degrading and the taint of these often lingered with me through the afternoon, making me more demanding and harder to please where work was concerned.
Typically, that had been my undoing today.
A routine contract signing should have been a walk in the park, maybe even beneath my swiftly rising star. Except that it was exactly that attention to every minute detail that had helped me rise to my current position, and I fully intended to go much further. I liked going all the way, you might say.
Accordingly, I'd stubbornly scrutinised the documents, ignoring my current boss's slightly risquΓ© comment that he could find me something better to do than checking his work.
Maybe he noticed the air of sexual tension that I surely was giving off?
Whatever the cause, I smiled grimly when I noticed the 2 glaring spelling errors, the most notable being the client's company name itself!
The secretary had already left for the day. The evil mood I was in it was as well for her. In a flash of cold inspiration I swiftly re-typed the document, and waited until seconds before the client was due. Lingering by the window I saw his car glide into its reserved bay, and I smiled sweetly as my boss shot up from his seat, rubbing his hands and looking for all the world like a modern day Uriah Heep.
Pointing out the mistakes in the contract gave me a rare twinge of conscience as he blanched and clutched at his chest. I wanted to advance in my career, but preferably not through dead men's shoes! I rushed to soothe him, offering to re-type the contract quickly, in return for a small consideration of course...
Hence my preoccupation on arriving home, richer by Β£2000 annually, with my own personal assistant. Not bad for 2 minutes typing.
My mind was full of plans for enjoying the extra money, and I was bubbling over at the thought of sharing my news, and seeing the respect and approval glint in his eyes. I just knew he'd appreciate the style that I had executed this particular coup with!
So when the light didn't come on as I pressed the switch, no warning bells sounded their alarm in my head. I pushed it twice more before giving up, and calling it a rude name. Shrugging off my coat I finally gave in to the ache in my tired feet, so I kicked my shoes off too, and sighed at the instant relief I felt as the firm, cool floor cushion my hot soles.
I closed the front door, shutting out the harsh hallway lighting, and automatically smoothed my crumpled jacket - an aversion to ironing more than was absolutely necessary having prompted an almost compulsive neatness where clothes were concerned.
Turning back to the living room I picked up my briefcase and padded softly onwards, resolutely ignoring the probability that my stocking-clad feet were leaving sweaty marks on the silky polished wood of the floor.
My mind had raced ahead of me and was mixing a drink in the kitchen.
I thought I'd allow myself the luxury of a pre-dinner drink tonight, although it would have to be a take-away dinner β the flat was obviously empty, and I had work still to do. I would order from the deli on the corner, and he could collect the food on his way home to me, provided I could reach him. Thank heavens for mobile phones, I thought, already tasting the tang of an Italian sandwich, pungent with garlic and herbs, and rich with sun-dried tomatoes. I'd got as far as contemplating some lemon cheesecake for dessert when the creak of a floorboard snatched me rudely from my gastronomic daydream, and before I could look round an arm was around my throat, squeezing, and a voice, harsh and unnatural, hissed at me not to move.
Good advice, totally ignored.
Shock and panic took over and of course I moved. I struggled and kicked backwards, clutching at the choking arm. I wasn't thinking, I could feel the rough stubble grazing my soft cheek, stinging a little, and I could smell cheap aftershave and old leather. My struggles increased as a surge of fear pumped up the adrenalin, coaxing my muscles to fresh effort, and I felt my elbow hit something, but it was my arm that hurt, and brought tears to my eyes. Gasping and seeing my focus blurring, I stopped fighting and just sagged, holding onto the sleeve across my neck and desperately trying to draw a deep breath. I didn't want to faint now; I needed my wits about me.
The fact that I didn't recognise my assailant even then was testament to my distracted state of mind.
I mumbled compliance as he continued to snarl threats of violence, shoving me forwards as he did so, and slamming me against the door. I saw stars, and then brighter super-novas exploded in my skull as the door burst open and he forced me into our lounge β but not our lounge. The lighting dazzled me, and I closed my eyes against it, the strange furniture layout burned into my retinas β a stage, set with one chair for the main participant, and a bare expanse of floor. My fuddled mind tried to make sense of what it was seeing and I offered no resistance as my jacket was torn from me. A brief moment of freedom and I whipped my head around, but succeeded in catching an impression only, and that attempt at defiance earned me pain as my arms were wrenched behind me and I was forcibly dragged and slammed down into the chair. The pain loosened my tongue and I swore at him β it had to be a him β and then yelped as my wrists were pinched tightly by some rough rope.
The feeling of being bound drove me to even more frantic struggles, and a tiny part of my mind was yelling at me, but I couldn't quite hear what it was saying.