Perspectives Series: Martin

"Are you having trouble getting sleepy? You look wide awake."

"Yeah. You should just go to bed without me."

Teresa stood up and walked into the bedroom. I listened for a few minutes and watched for the light to go off. She reappeared in the hallway, heading straight for me.

"Here. Take these. They'll help you sleep."

She dropped two Tylenol PM tablets in my hand. Then she walked into the kitchen and fetched me a bottle of water. She stood over me until I swallowed both of them, like a mother watching over her child. She started picking up the newspaper that was strewn on the sofa and floor. She scanned the room with a scrutinizing eye. I couldn't tell if she was evaluating it for cleanliness, or formulating decorating ideas. Who knows with her?

She looked tired but she wasn't about to leave me alone for a second. I began to wonder if that wasn't on purpose.

Another 20 minutes or so passed, and my lids started to grow heavy. I tried to focus on a movie but found that I would miss several minutes at a time, having drifted off to sleep. Teresa finally turned off the television and lights. I staggered down the hall toward the only light on in the house. I stripped, and climbed into bed. I don't remember my head hitting the pillow.

I woke up at 5:30. I felt like I was having a panic attack. I leaned over the bed and lifted my cell phone from the pocket of my jeans. No missed calls. Fuck!

Chapter 16

Jill told me that she simply forgot to call me after David's party. I never mentioned that evening, or Damon again. Since Jill never talked about Damon, I could safely assume that she never saw him. What happened that night is in the past. I kept telling myself.

My housewarming party was rapidly approaching. I wanted more time before the introduction but I wasn't going to get that luxury. I was just going to have to line up all that I could in my favor.

Teresa was wildly busy handling the details of the unpacking, furnishing and decorating. I gave in and increased her budget. My motives were selfish: Jill.

The busier Teresa got, the more time I had with Jill. It was commonplace for me to greet Jill at her apartment after work. In fact, in the days leading up to the party, this was a daily occurrence. We didn't always have sex; sometimes we talked, or went for walks and ate dinner. Every day it was harder for me to leave her and go home. One day it just slipped.

It had been a long day and I could think of nothing but being with her. I was obsessed with everything about her. I honestly felt sometimes like I was on the brink of insanity. It was disturbing how little control I had over it. She must've sensed my mood and greeted me with the most passionate, urgent kiss. I wanted to swallow her whole, possess her completely. She clawed and tugged at my shirt and hers. She was burning with lust and I was overwhelmed with desire for her. She backed away from me and lay back on the bed, nude. We had probably made love over a hundred times, but that vision was still breathtaking to me.

"I love you."

It was barely audible. I probably meant to say, 'I love the way you look', but that's not what I said.

Jill froze while she studied my face. Her chest was rising and falling rapidly with every hard breath that she took. Her eyes were wide, and she looked as frightened as she did excited. Her fingers gripped the sheets underneath her.

I climbed on top of her, never taking my eyes off of hers.

"I...I, uh..." She was trying hard to catch her breath to speak. I pressed my lips to hers and kissed her hard, plunging my tongue deep inside. She spread her legs far apart and lifted her knees. I penetrated her swiftly, pinning her thighs to the mattress with my hands. I rapidly thrust my hips into hers several times. She began gasping and clawing my chest. She was having her first orgasm. I slowed down, and she wrapped her legs around my torso, and locked her ankles.

She smells so damn awesome. I buried my head in her neck, kissing, sucking and licking until she started to breathe harder. I pulled my face away to look at her breasts. Her nipples were hard and her skin was dotted with goose bumps. She was biting her lower lip. I increased my rhythm and then arched my back, bringing one of my knees up farther. I was sinking deep inside her, about to shoot my load. She cried out and arched her back, digging her fingernails into my sides. Two quick thrusts and I caught up with her.

We laid in that position for a long time. Jill unhooked her ankles and released her legs. I very slowly slid out of her and positioned my body so that my weight was mostly on my hips rather than on her. I lay there with my head on her chest, panting.

What was most amazing to me was how hot our exchanges continued to be. Usually, there is some sign of slowing down or cooling off after awhile. I wanted her more then, than I did on our first date. It wasn't just that she was a fantastic lover. It was literally everything about her: her laugh, her giving nature, her honesty, her tenderness, her open-mindedness. She wasn't cruel or pretentious like Teresa. Maybe I AM falling in love with her.

It made my heart ache when I thought about it. I wanted to love Jill, I think. But it wasn't fair for me to say so to her with Teresa living at my house. And what about Teresa? Why can't I just let her go?

I'll figure this out after this deal is done. I can't focus on relationship complications right now.

The day before the party, I called Jill and asked her to meet me in the middle of the day. It would be the only time I could see her, and I desperately needed a diversion. A thousand thoughts jumped around in my head: last minute details, angles, preparations. I wanted, I needed, to slow down my thoughts and focus on something else. I undressed quickly and practically tore her clothes off of her. I was working myself up into a frenzy.

"Slow down, baby." Jill whispered in a gruff voice.

"I can't. I want you so bad."

"I know, I know. Here, lie down on your back." Jill pushed me against the bed and pinned me there. She straddled me, holding me in place with her hands on my chest. "Take a deep breath and relax for a moment. Close your eyes."

"Baby, I can't; I'm too wound up."

"You CAN!" She forced my arms back in place and put all her body weight onto me to hold me down.

I laid my head back on the pillow and shut my eyes. I took a deep breath and exhaled slowly.

"Keep your eyes closed and just focus on me."

She ran her hands down my chest and back up again. I took another breath. She circled my nipples with her fingers, and then I felt her warm, wet mouth sucking each one. She flicked them with her tongue, gently at first and then more vigorously. She kissed my stomach, circling my navel with her tongue. I could feel her hot breath on the head of my dick. I wanted to open my eyes but I didn't dare.

She repositioned her body and I could feel her breath on my scrotum. She gently pressed against my thighs and I spread my legs farther apart. The tip of her tongue touched my balls ever so gently and she began circling around each one. The anticipation of what might come next was delicious. I felt anxious, but in a very good way. She was in no hurry; time was not on her mind.

She worked her way up my shaft and to my head. She flicked the tip of my cock with her tongue, widening the circles until she was outlining the rim of the head. In one motion, she slid the entire length of my cock inside her mouth, allowing the head to squeeze past the back of her throat. She repeated this several times, very slowly, very deliberately.

I felt her hand cupping my balls, massaging them while she worked on my shaft. I was in ecstasy. I started to relax a little more. I didn't feel the sense of urgency I felt earlier. I wanted to just lay here and experience that sensation forever.

With my eyes closed, I could feel so much more. The slurping sounds of my cock sliding out of her mouth just added to the pleasure. That was the second time Jill had made me use senses other than vision while making love. She had brought out a blindfold the previous month.

I could feel her body move but I didn't want to open my eyes. I just wanted to take whatever sensation she gave me next. She was leaning over me; I felt her hair against my face. She wrapped her fingers around my shaft and held me upright. The head started to slide inside her pussy. She was so hot and wet. It felt like a thousand fingers all caressing me at once. I slid in and out of her as she moved her hips. She sat back and pulled her legs forward with her feet firmly planted on the bed. Her hands were on my chest for balance. I could feel myself deep within her channel, hitting the back of her, filling her completely.

She started moaning and panting. These were familiar sounds; they were the sounds of her starting her orgasm. I grew harder. I had to resist the urge to grab her waist and thrust quickly inside her. I was so close to climax. She quickened her pace and started to scream out. It was too much for me to take.

"I'm coming baby. I can't hold..." The orgasm was powerful for both of us. She screamed as she sat way down, allowing me to penetrate her deeply as I came.

I opened my eyes. Tears were streaming down Jill's face. I could feel it, too. I had to choke back the urge to cry.

She collapsed onto my chest and I held her there until we fell asleep. We slept for maybe 30 minutes. Slowly, reality started to creep back in and I felt the anxiety building up again. I had too much to do to just lay here.

Chapter 17

I wasn't completely ready. I felt like I hadn't spent enough time preparing the Tillman brothers. My relationship with Jason was good, however, and a brilliant plan came to mind on my way home from Jill's house.

I stopped by Meirotto's and bought a pair of emerald earrings for Teresa. It was the beginning of my contingency plan. Despite my nervousness over the deal, I was in a fantastic mood. Jill could do that to me.

I walked through the kitchen, changed clothes and made myself a drink. I inquired about dinner but my mind was on my plan. I don't even remember what Teresa said we were having.

I decided to pour on the charm so I could present my contingency plan to Teresa. Her cooperation was integral to the success.

"I bought you something. Come here and sit down."

She sat on the ottoman in front of me. Her suspicious look ordinarily would piss me off, but I was immune to her coldness. I handed her the box. Meirotto's was probably the best local jeweler and so it was naturally, Teresa's favorite.

"Oh, Martin, they're beautiful."

"I thought you might like them. I know emeralds are your favorite and they will match your key necklace. You're going to wear them tomorrow, aren't you?"

"I wasn't planning...of course, I will." That's my girl. "Are members of The Club coming tomorrow?"

"No. But I want you to wear your key, anyway."

Teresa nodded.

"There's one more thing." Look at me.

"A gentleman by the name of Jason Ward is coming tomorrow. He is a very special guest. I'll be introducing him to the Tillman brothers, who own businesses in New Mexico. Remember, I told you about them?"

"Yeah, I remember."

"Well, it's very important that Jason feels welcome in this home and that he feels comfortable with me because I'm going to ask him to invest a LOT of money in one of the Tillman ventures."

"OK. That shouldn't be a problem."

I slowed down for my next point so she would understand.

"I want you to pay special attention to Jason. You'll like him; he is a very rich man who happens to also be single. The best I can tell, he hasn't dated anyone in months. I want you to be as friendly and as charming as I know you can be. Understood?"

"I understand. Do you also want me to take him to the back room and fuck him?" She said, in her bitch voice.

You wish. "No. At least, not yet." It wasn't a bad idea.

I went to bed and promptly fell asleep, thanks to the assistance of OTC sleeping aids, and sweet visions of Jill dancing in my head.

The party was scheduled to begin at 3; however, I wasn't expecting the brothers until closer to 4. Teresa floated around like the perfect little hostess, attending to guests, answering the door, and setting out food and drinks.

Jill brought her friend, Marcus to the party. I didn't face the same problem as with Damon, because Marcus was gay. The only challenge was trying to pass him off as a straight man to Teresa. He did some acting on the side so he viewed this as another professional accomplishment to add to his list.

Jill helped pull off the ruse by being particularly affectionate toward Marcus. It took everything to keep from laughing. Marcus was so entertaining to talk to and Jill was intoxicating, as usual. As my eyes skipped from her to Teresa, I was suddenly struck with the realization that Jill was so much more beautiful. I had never noticed it before, I don't know why.

I couldn't make myself mingle with other people. I really wished I hadn't tried to conduct business in a social setting, no matter how strategically brilliant the plan might have been. I didn't want to leave Jill's side. Jill kept trying to remind me that I had business to attend to, but I ignored her. It was 4:15 when she grabbed Marcus' arm to flee the party.

I turned my attention to business. I quickly located Howard and Edward Tillman. We talked for a few minutes while I scanned the crowd for Jason. I didn't see him anywhere. I shouldn't have invited so many people. People were all over the place; it was no telling where he was.

I finally had to excuse myself to go find him. Jason was in the kitchen talking to Teresa. Good. I didn't have any time for niceties; it was already 4:50. I escorted him to the Tillman's and introduced him to them. They talked business, mostly. Jason already knew the basic concept of the venture; this meeting was about sizing them up and determining how serious they were as business men.

That was where preparation came into play. It was how I would earn the money I'd get paid on the deal. Selling people isn't like selling anything else. It is a soft sell. The process had to be completely transparent or it wouldn't work. I highlighted the Tillman brother's integrity and character in very subtle ways to build trust with Jason, and he took the bait. It went better than I expected, and Jason quickly became anxious to move forward to the next step.

I glanced at my watch. It was 6:03. The Tillman's had to get to their flight. They had a private charter that needed to depart by 7:00pm due to pilot restrictions. I assured them that our business would be completed by then. I escorted them to the door. Jason left at the same time they did. I had already scheduled a follow-up meeting with Jason for that night or the following morning, I couldn't remember which.

I turned and made eye contact with Simon. I needed to spend time with a friend. I really wanted to talk to Jill, but that would be impossible. Simon and Jessie would have to do.

I focused on showing them the house. I didn't want to jinx the deal right away by talking about it. It was, after all, too early to celebrate. A lot could still go wrong.

Jessie was especially complimentary. She was exceptionally sweet and quiet. Jill was right, she was more his type than any of the others we had met. Simon seemed to like her a lot. I knew he was almost never at his house anymore.

We walked down to the basement where I started with the patio and bar area. My cell phone rang. It was Jill.

"Hello?"

~Hey, baby. Is the party still going on?

I walked toward the bar, away from Simon and Jessie. "Just barely. The partners are gone."

~It's awfully quiet.

"Yeah, I'm downstairs with Simon and Jessie."

~Oh, yeah. Then I guess it won't bother you if I tell you that I'm lying here naked thinking about you.

"You are, huh?!"

I looked up to see if Simon and Jessie could hear my conversation. They were in the middle of the room. Simon was standing behind Jessie with his arms around her. They were pivoting toward me and I spotted Simon's hand inside Jessie's shirt. I caught Simon's eye first, and then fixated on Jessie's expression. I could tell that my watching was a big turn-on for her. A little exhibitionist, are you? Jill's voice in my ear while watching Jessie, made my dick start to shift in my jeans.

~Yeah. I was just thinking of last night. How good you felt sliding in and out of me slowly. Do you remember?

"Uh, huh."

Simon's hand slid up Jessie's skirt. I could see that her pussy was clean-shaven. Her clit was swollen; the pink flesh between Simon's fingers was hard to miss. Jessie's pupils were dilated and she began breathing very hard. I could feel my already semi-hard dick growing harder. Someday I will return the favor for Jessie.

~I think I'll just slide my fingers inside. (Long pause with panting) Mmmmm...I'm so warm and wet. Wouldn't you like to be inside me right now, baby?

"Uh, huh."

~You're not saying much. Cat got your tongue?

"Something like that, yeah."

Jessie gasped and shut her eyes. Her head fell backward as she panted and shuddered. Simon supported her with his free arm and then he looked over at me.

~What's the matter? Is this too much for you? I'll stop if you don't think you can handle it?

Simon lifted Jessie's skirt and patted her bare behind toward the bathroom. He smiled as he approached.

"Look, that sounds great. I'll see what I can do to get that paperwork to you tonight. OK?"

~Is that code for 'I'm coming over?'

"Uh, huh."

~Ooooooh, good. Don't keep me waiting too long.

"OK, I won't."

~Bye, sweety.

"Uh, huh. See ya."

I clicked off my cell and pocketed it.

"Business?" Simon asked.

Of sorts.

"You know, she would fit in real well."

"Yeah, well...I don't know. She gets extremely turned-on by people watching but she still has a lot of hang-ups and I think she could get pretty freaked-out, quick."

"Into spanking?"

"No, I did that for your benefit."

"I appreciate it, man. Well, you've been waiting for the right girl to bring to Club. I think she's definitely got potential."

"Yeah." Simon's head dropped so that he was surveying the floor with his eyes. "So, how did the introduction go?"

The bathroom door opened and Jessie walked up behind Simon.

"Oh, good. I did most of the work last week. I spent a lot of time with Jason trying to build trust. Venture capital is mostly about trust. I could've spent a little more prep time with the brothers."

In truth, I should've spent a lot more time with them. They were good business men, but they lacked the ability to sell their ideas. It was a good thing for them that I was around to help.

I showed them Teresa's workout room, or what I liked to think of as the 'ice palace'. It was the one place that was all hers and where I dared not intrude upon her.

Next to it was my 'hobby' room. It was the culmination of years of dedicated service to the industry of amateur filmmaking. I thought about hitting a key on the computer keyboard and logging in. It was habit to do it whenever I passed by the doorway, but I also remembered what Simon said earlier, she could get pretty freaked-out, quick, and thought the better of it. It would've displayed all the tiny live feeds going on in and around the house.

At the present resolution, I had enough disk space to store about 36 hours of footage from the combined feeds, 360 hours total, or 15 days from a single feed. I could dial-up the resolution on the cameras in the pool area and the basement, but then the amount of days I could store would go way down because it would take up twice as much disk space.