A Little Night Therapy

"I'm sorry, Deena," her lawyer was saying. "You can't expect to stay in business the way you're spending money. My god, girl! You made almost $300,000 last year, and you're $22,000 in the hole, now!" He shook his head. "I'm glad you and my wife aren't friends," he muttered, walking away.

"Oh, and you have to be out of the office by next Thursday," he added, over his shoulder.

Dr. Deena Merrick stood on the sidewalk, watching the men load the truck with her repossessed computers, chairs, and even the carpet from her former waiting room. She sighed. "Damn!" she muttered. "I never was any good at crunching numbers. Should'a brought in an accountant." The attractive brunette in the tailored business suit turned and headed for her sports car, humming to herself. It was only to cover her crushing sense of failure.

"Well, at least I salvaged the phone," she thought. "That'll keep the doors open...even if there ARE no doors!"

* * *

Their son's cry was like a siren in the night.

"Dammit!" Tom muttered. His wife was already getting up.

"I'll do it," Mindy said sleepily, pulling on her robe. Of course. She always did it. At least 3 times a night, she'd go in and hold little Rob, and tell him everything was okay; mommy and daddy were right in the next room. She'd rub his back until he got sleepy again, then lay him down and hope he didn't scream for her before she got to the door. Sometimes she even got 2 or 3 hours sleep at a time, between his interruptions.

Sex with Tom? Maybe, in between bouts of sleeplessness.

Tom turned over and lay on his back, his ears attentive, in case there was an actual problem. No sound, except for Mindy's soft voice, comforting their son. He dropped his hand to his groin, rubbing the hairy halo around his cock. He was half-hard, as he always seemed to be these days, and he began to respond to his own touch almost immediately. His fist slipped down to surround his hardening member, and he thought wistfully about this evening.

Mindy had been in her usual mood, which was not in the mood. He'd come out of the bathroom after brushing his teeth and getting ready for bed, and she was sitting on her side of the bed, setting the clock. She looked good, despite her exhaustion. Sexy. The short blue nightie, with its deep-cut neckline, really showed off her full, lush body. Her long auburn hair fell across one shoulder, and she could still kindle memories of the college hottie he'd chased for months, before securing that first date.

"Hey," he said, slipping an arm around her waist as he sat next to her. She looked at him with a look of non-interest and sighed.

"Please, honey," she said softly. "I really need to get some sleep, before Robbie wakes us up." She slipped from his grasp, rose, and walked to the bathroom. Tom watched her ass beneath the shortie gown. The cheeks were full and tight on either side of the thong bottoms, and he felt his cock hardening. When he got into bed, he stroked it beneath the sheets, just as he was stroking it now, bringing it to full hardness.

Mindy didn't protest, however, when he turned and gave her more than their customary peck on the lips, once she had settled into bed. She responded when his tongue slipped past those lips, breathing a bit deeper as he explored her mouth. She felt his cock against her thigh when he scooted over next to her, and her hand sought it out, closing around the pulsing shaft and squeezing lightly. She moaned softly, and he smiled inside. Her need was written in that sound.

Tom's hand went to her breast, cupping its fullness, and stroking the nipple with his thumb. Mindy's breasts were still firm and full, even after Robbie had quit breastfeeding, and the rest of her little body was just as plush and inviting. He loved every inch of her body. Always had. She knew it, and the sex they had before their son was born was wild, often bordering on kinky. Mindy moaned again, and slid her leg against Tom's.

Tom dropped his hand to her waist, then her hip. His lips left hers, and he kissed a trail down her chin and neck. "Oh, yeah," she sighed. She knew where he was going. She needed to feel his mouth on her pussy, and she allowed him to push her hip away from him, flattening her to the bed. As his kisses traveled between her breasts, she spread her legs and pulled her own panties to one side, letting the thin material of the thong rest along her plump lips. His mouth toured the area around her navel as he shifted his body across one thigh. He could smell her wetness.

Positioning himself between her thighs, Tom pushed them further apart, a hand on the back of each knee. His head dropped, and his mouth covered her furry mound. As his tongue slid up between her dewy lips, Mindy moaned, the sound coming from the back of her throat. Her pelvis arched upward.

"Oh, god, Tom," she hissed. "That feels so..."

That was the first time Robbie cried, and it had killed the mood effectively enough. When Mindy came back to bed, her robe was pulled tightly around her, and she turned away from him as she lay down, on top of the sheets. Now, after the third bout of sleepless waiting, he was resigned to pleasing himself. He rose and padded into the bathroom, where he locked the door and, looking past the mirror, began to bring himself off.

* * *

"I'm telling you, Mindy. This woman is supposed to be the best." Carol kept pace with her friend, as the two of them hurried through the busy mall. She told her, "If she can't tell you how to get Robbie to sleep through the night, nobody can. Here," she said, stopping to dig a pen and pad of paper from her purse.

Mindy took a few steps, then turned and rejoined her friend. She sighed. "Carol, hon, I appreciate what you're trying to do, but he'll grow out of it. I'm sure of it."

"Yeah. And meanwhile, Tom will grow out of you," her friend said solemnly. "I'm telling you," she said, handing the number to Mindy. "If you aren't fucking your husband, someone else will be." She laughed at Mindy's obvious discomfort at discussing their sex life in the middle of the mall. "You know," she said with a wink, "I might slip in there myself some day. He might be tired of red hair!" She curled Mindy's hand around the piece of paper. "Call," she said.

Mindy sighed again, but when she got back to work, she dialed the number, and spoke to Deena Merrick herself, when she answered. The woman agreed to meet Tom and Mindy that evening for a first consult. Mindy hung up the phone, smiling. Maybe there WAS hope!

* * *

"God," Tom thought, shaking the tall brunette's hand. "She's gorgeous!" He tried to brush the thought from his mind, knowing that pretty much any woman he met these days seemed gorgeous to him. "Terminal horniness," he thought with a rueful grin. Still, her professional gray suit couldn't entirely hide the lithe body beneath it, and Tom watched her body language with interest as she greeted Mindy. The woman pressed herself close to his wife as she hugged her, their cheeks touching, bodies molding together as if they'd already met. She was a sexual woman, as was Mindy, and the two of them seemed to respond to each other immediately.

Interesting.

Deena Merrick, unlike Mindy, was almost 6 feet tall in high heels. She had long, dark brown hair pulled into a bun, intensely green eyes, an animal magnetism that Tom felt immediately. She sat with them in the living room, asking questions and detailing what she would like them to do, as a first step. Tom was surprised when she asked if she could stay over for a night or two, to start. She explained that she would stay out of Robbie's sight, but it would be easier for her to coach them on their responses to him, if she were there. The couple agreed. "You can stay in the spare bedroom right down the hall," Mindy volunteered. She looked at Tom meaningfully. "That is," she said, "If he can manage to get his stuff out of there." Tom smiled tensely.

"Of course, dear," he said. "I'll start right this moment."

His sarcasm wasn't lost on Deena, and she made a mental note. "Husband shows a lot of tension. Must be the sleepless nights." She could already tell that she had a lot of work to do with this couple.

Deena showed up at 4:30 the next afternoon, right after Tom arrived home. Mindy was still at work, for another half hour. "Hey, doc," he said as he pulled the door open, surprised to find her in shorts and strappy sandals, and a blouse that exactly matched the green of her eyes. Her hair was loosely caught up in a butterfly clip, and long tendrils draped either side of her face.

"Please," she admonished. "Until tonight, I'm just Deena. I'm sorry for not calling. I just came from the beach. I thought I'd drop my stuff by, and then come back later tonight, when you put Rob to bed." She had a large suitcase on rollers and a small overnight bag with her, which Tom offered to carry in. "Such a gentleman," she said, smiling, as she stepped through the door and waited for him. Glancing at him, she was surprised at the ease with which he hoisted the big bag.

"Strong, too," she said, and laughed. "That bag weighs a ton."

"It's not so bad," Tom lied. "Oh, your room's upstairs, at the end of the hall, on the left," he told her. "Robbie's room is between ours." As she started forward, Tom caught himself watching her bare legs, and the way her ass moved. "Those shorts are gonna make Mindy awful nervous," he thought, ruefully. They were certainly making HIM nervous!

Following her up the stairs was sheer torture. The thin white shorts were sheer enough to show the outline, and even the color, of her bikini bottom. Her thighs were tanned and lean, and never touched...a "3-finger split," as his friend Mike used to say... until they met at the tantalizing apex beneath those shorts.

Deena could sense his eyes on her. "Horny husbands," she thought, not entirely disliking the thought. She sensed a definite sexual tension between them, and thought maybe she shouldn't have dressed so casually. She hesitated at the top of the stairs, and allowed Tom to brush past her on the landing. When his arm contacted hers, they both flinched at the touch. Tom cleared his throat.

"Uhhhh...I'm sorry. The room's right this way."

He turned to lead her down the hall, and it was her turn to appraise him. "Mmmmm... Nice butt," she thought. "Good build. Very nice hair, and a killer smile." She already liked this couple. Mindy was cute and pleasant, if a bit withdrawn, and Tom was friendly, and certainly easy on the eyes. They both seemed to be open to her suggestions on how to wean their son's reliance on their presence at night. She felt good about them.

Her last assignment had been for a couple in their 40's, who had no clue on parenting. The husband had hit on Deena at their first meeting, right in front of his wife! It took Deena several minutes to decide that they were swingers who'd gotten pregnant, and didn't really want to take time away from the lifestyle to raise a child. Deena had recommended another therapist, and gotten out. She had plenty of boyfriends. She didn't need any more complications.

This man, however...Deena couldn't deny the attraction, however much she wanted to remain professional. She hoped it wouldn't turn into a problem for her. She desperately needed the money this would provide. Her business was struggling, and that new Nissan 300x had turned out to be a luxury she really shouldn't have allowed herself.

The room was nice, if a bit crowded, still. Tom's softball and rowing trophies lined the shelves. A lot of the floor space was occupied by various boxes, and Deena wondered where she'd stow her bags. She smiled at the unkempt masculinity of the room.

"What? No elk head?" she teased, pointing to a bare wall. She giggled, then reminded herself to remain professional. Tom looked sheepish.

"I was gonna clean it up this afternoon," he explained. "You got here earlier than I expected." He looked at her suddenly. "Not that I mind," he blurted. His eyes took her in once more. "Not at all."

Deena felt the significance of his glance, and it stirred a heat, deep inside her. She cleared her throat and said, "I, uhhhh...didn't mean to bother you, Tom. I'd better go." She turned to leave, and suddenly his hand was on her arm. It was hot, the touch electric.

"It's a good bother," Tom said seriously. His hand lingered as their eyes met. She didn't look away, nor did he. Suddenly her mind was overwhelmed by possibilities. Conflicting thoughts. Pleasures. Risks.

"I'd better go," she said, and Tom seemed to realize he'd overstepped his bounds.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean..." he began, releasing her arm, and she laughed suddenly, and a little too nervously. She turned back toward him.

"Oh. No!" she said. "I didn't...well, you know." Her green eyes held him in her gaze for a long moment, and then she smiled. "We sound like a couple of teenagers," she said softly, impulsively taking his wrist in her hand. "I just...didn't want you to get the wrong idea, Tom."

Her touch, and her use of his name in such a familiar manner, told him exactly the opposite of what her words were saying, in that one moment. She recognized it, too, and her mind was suddenly filled with one thought, as clear and lucid as any she'd ever had.

"I'm going to fuck him," she realized. "Sometime, and probably soon."

Their moment was broken by the chiming of the grandfather clock downstairs. It reminded each of them that Mindy would be home soon. Deena reluctantly released Tom's wrist.

"I really do have to go. I'll be back after 8:00 o'clock or so."

The walk downstairs was a long one, for both of them. Tom's mind was filled with Deena's smile, the color of her eyes, and the smell of her perfume, and Deena's was filled with images of Tom. Dark, erotic images. At the door, she avoided his eyes as she passed quickly outside, into the fresh air. She thought, as she walked to her car, that if she had stayed another minute, any thoughts of professionalism would be dashed by her own overpowering desire for him.

* * *

"She's an attractive woman," Mindy was saying, as she pulled the dishes from the drainer. Tom was dutifully washing, trying not to get into a conversation about Deena, but Mindy had been bringing her up ever since she got home. She seemed to be on both their minds, tonight.

"Hmmm?" he responded. "Who is?"

"Deena," his wife said, exasperated. "Dr. Merrick. Haven't you been listening at all?" She swatted the back of Tom's head with a dish towel, laughing. "Don't tell me you didn't notice her body. I know you, Tom. You like 'em tall and willowy."

"Right," he said, noncommittally. "And dark-haired. And athletic. And, of course, no older than 18!" He flicked water from the sink at her, smiling at her shocked expression.

"Everything I'm not," the little redhead suddenly said, her mouth falling. She feigned a pout, and he turned from the sink to pull her into his damp embrace. His dishwater hands dropped to her butt, and he squeezed her cheeks appreciatively as he pulled her against his groin. Her ass felt good beneath the short skirt she wore, and he pulled it up, sliding his fingers up along the lace of her panties as he did so.

"Exactly," he said as he bent to taste her lips. His hands kneaded the supple flesh of her ass through the sheer material of her abbreviated panties as they kissed; a long, passion-filled kiss.

"Mmmm, I like these. Boy-shorts, right? Are they new?" he asked, sliding his fingers beneath the lacy material. Mindy only moaned, enjoying the feel of his hands on her, and pushing into him. When he jokingly asked, "So tell me...did you wear these for me, or for her?" Mindy laughed into his shoulder.

"Whatever," she said, mysteriously.

An hour later, they were putting Robbie to bed, and Tom asked his wife if he should call Dr. Merrick to come over, now. As if on cue, there was a soft knock at the door downstairs. "You get it," Mindy said. "I'll just be a few minutes."

Tom's mind was racing as he walked to the door. He didn't know exactly what to say to the sexy brunette, after their strange encounter this afternoon. Thankfully, though, Deena was dressed very conservatively, in slacks, a blouse, and flat-soled shoes, with a clipboard for her notes in her arms. Her hair was pulled stylishly back, and secured with a clip. She smiled quickly, said hello, and waited to be invited inside. Tom held the door for her.

"Have you put Rob down yet?" she asked, as he closed the door behind her.

"Mindy's up there, right now. It'll take a while," he said. "He likes her to talk to him, and rub his back until he gets sleepy." He avoided her eyes, while asking if she wanted a cup of coffee.

"Is that what you usually do?" she asked. "Sit alone and drink coffee, while your wife puts your son to bed?" It sounded like an interrogation, and Tom bristled at the inference. Turning to Deena, he took a breath before launching into his explanation. That's when he noticed her sly smile.

He grinned broadly. "Got me, didn't you?" he said, shaking his head. They both laughed, enjoying the moment. The tension that had resumed, before she even walked through the door, seemed to have been released, for the moment. Tom hooked his arm into hers and turned her toward the kitchen. "C'mon," he said. "Coffee's on me."

They were still laughing when Mindy entered the kitchen. She took the cup offered by Tom and sat in the chair at the end of the breakfast island. It was the only lighted room in the house; an oasis, of sorts, for the adults, it seemed. Deena asked if they spent a lot of time there at night. Mindy answered.

"Sometimes I head for bed as soon as Robbie's down. I try to make the most of it." She looked at Tom. "Other times, I'll hang out here until he cries the first time, and let Tom get some sleep. It depends."

Deena considered. "Either way, it doesn't sound good for your sex life," she said, gazing at each of them in turn. Tom studied the cabinets, while Mindy began to talk.

"Tom and I don't have a sex life," she began. "Every time I think we do, we get another interruption. Night after night. Every time!" She paused, sniffed suddenly, and began to cry. "I swear, I get so frustrated..." She looked up at Deena, who moved to comfort the smaller woman. As her arms enfolded Mindy, Deena murmured into her shoulder.

"There, there, hon. Take it easy. We'll get you fixed up, you'll see." She glanced up at Tom, who was leaving the room, perhaps in embarrassment. Men didn't like to talk about their sex lives, she knew, or the lack of them. And they didn't like to be around crying women! Deena held onto Mindy protectively as the redhead shook once, then took a deep breath and squared herself.

"Thank you," Mindy said, finally. "I'm okay, honest." She held onto the other woman, though, somehow unwilling to let her go, and breathed in the subtle aroma of her perfume. She moved her face against Deena's neck. "That smells good," she said, softly.

Suddenly the comforting hug became something more, and the two women, conscious of the mutual attraction, moved even closer together. Deena's arms tightened around Mindy's neck as her upper body molded to the seated woman, and Mindy's hands slipped slowly down to Deena's waist, pulling her closer. Her head swiveled, and her lips brushed Deena's cheek. Then they were on the brunette's lips, and twisting, molding to the other's mouth.

Mindy drank in the taste of Deena's mouth, her breathing becoming more labored as they kissed. She had initiated this, she felt, but she wasn't sure why. The chemistry between them was just undeniable. She thought briefly about Tom, but forgot him when Deena's tongue wedged itself between her lips, and she opened her mouth to the brunette eagerly. Her breath was fresh, her body so undeniably sexy. It brought back memories of the one college affair she'd had with one of her roommates, and the sense of loss she had felt when Allison had moved on.