Unorthodox Therapy (8 page)

His grip became a little rougher the second I mentioned the asshole and his eyes turned a darker shade of green. He quickly loosened it, though, but continued to caress the back of my hand.

“I guess I should say I’m sorry but break ups usually happen for a reason. You sound like you're much better off without him. Do you want to talk about it?” Thomas didn't look too thrilled at the thought of listening but I could read the genuine concern in his gaze.

“There's not much to talk about.” I shrugged and took a healthy gulp of the Syrah. “I suspected he was just using me for financial support. He lost his job and things quickly went downhill. However, the moment I caught him with his pants down and the girl from next door sucking him off was the breaking point.”

“I was right then.” He kept his soothing movements on my wrist, staring straight at me. “You deserve better.”

“Oh, Thomas. Haven't you learned yet that no one gets what they truly deserve? At some point we are all forced to settle.” I laughed nervously. Thomas shrugged and raised my hand. He studied it as if he would write a thesis on it.

“Maybe, but that isn't a reason why we shouldn't aim for the moon.” He brought his lips to my wrist and placed a small kiss at its base. It was a simple, almost chaste touch but it set my heart aflutter. Part of me wanted to beg him to continue and that realization nearly made me choke with horror.

I yanked my hand away and narrowed my eyes into slits.

“Why did you invite me? What's with all these seduction games?”

“I'm sorry.” He leaned back in his chair but his voice didn't show even a distant sign of remorse. “I didn't mean to make you feel uncomfortable. There's a reason why I asked you to come here tonight.”

“Obviously!” I snapped at him more viciously than I’d intended.

“I didn't think you'd let your guard down with some fine wine and compliments if that is what angers you. The true reason was... I was worried by the sight of the woman I saw today at the fire escape, this pathetic, convulsing creature who was falling apart because her lighter was broken. I really didn't like her. I hate it when you turn into her. This is not the Lina I know and admire so much.”

I slammed my fist against the table and glared at him.

“Do you really think I like it? I already told you, I tried absolutely everything.”

He silenced me with just a simple sentence.

“I may be able to help you.”

I raised my eyebrow and stared at him with mistrust.

“How?”

“Two of my ex-girlfriends had bad habits that were poisoning their lives.” Thomas ran his finger over the edge of the glass. “When they allowed me to intervene, they stopped indulging in them for good. You should know it was a rather intense experience and it required their full trust and dedication.”

It was getting stranger and stranger the more Thomas talked. His cryptic, even tone and unreadable gaze didn't help me feel at ease. However, I was really sick of the infinity loop of smoking I was closed in, unable to break out of it. The panic attacks caused by the absence of nicotine were getting more violent. I always had the fear in the back of my mind that my life would spiral out of control. Moreover, it was taking an effort to breathe after climbing a few flights of stairs. At this point, I was ready to try absolutely anything.

Still...

“You confuse me. What is this method?”

“I can't really tell you, Lina. You should allow me to show you what it's all about. It may end up solving more than one problem for you.”

“All right, go ahead and show me already,” I growled at him. Perhaps I shouldn't have been such a bitch but he was truly testing my patience.

Thomas didn't say another word, just got up from his chair. He walked slowly around the table, just like a lion preys on an antelope. His face was perfectly still, which drove me mad with apprehension. After taking his sweet time to circle the table, Thomas finally stopped behind me. The room had gotten unnaturally quiet except for my loud breathing. I was clutching the armrests of my chair for dear life. My heart was beating hard and I could feel a bad premonition forming.

His fingers slid down my exposed neck and he traced its curve with a slow, sensual movement. It lasted only a short instant but the warmth spread down my skin. The next thing I knew, blood rushed to my nipples and the wetness against the silk of my panties caused me to shudder. Thomas moved his palms to my shoulders and leaned forward to whisper in my ear.

“You can leave whenever you want, Lina, if it becomes too much for you. I'd hate to put you through any real distress. But just so you know...” His warm breath on my skin nearly caused me to whimper. “I'd be very disappointed if you chose that path. You're too strong to forfeit.”

Thomas pulled away from me and spoke again in the same even tone.

“Follow me. Bring your cigarettes with you.”

CHAPTER FOUR

Lina

We walked down the stairs in complete silence. Occasionally, I stole glances at Thomas but it only made my heart pound even harder. His expression behind his glasses remained just as calm as his earlier tone of voice. There was no way to guess what was going on in his head, which just added to my physical discomfort. I looked down and clenched my hands, trying to deal with an even stronger sensation. The nervousness was dampening the apex of my thighs and the wet spot of lust on the front of my panties was getting larger. The thin silk would usually bring me comfort and cool down the waves of lust. At this moment, though, every small touch of the fabric against my skin was enhancing the sudden ache.

It made no sense. Thomas had barely touched me and I wasn't attracted to him, even if his body felt incredible next to mine. Then why was I having such an intense physical reaction to him?

Earlier, when he’d shown me the house, I’d completely missed the door he was now taking me to. It was right beside the coat rack at the foot of the staircase on the first floor. However, the entryway was painted in a soft shade of blue, which matched the walls, so it was really easy to miss. Clearly, my ability to notice details had taken a day off. I'd also failed to notice the chain hanging around Thomas's neck. His black shirt was unbuttoned enough for me to see the simple silver links.

He gave me a very light smile, which didn’t reach his eyes, and removed the chain from his neck, pulling it over his head. There was a small key dangling from it that Thomas used to unlock the mystery door. He held it open and reached out to turn the lights on. The sight of steps winding down to what was probably a basement didn't help me feel any less nervous. From what I could see, the space was free of webs and dirt. However, with Thomas being so elusive about his plans, I was more than a little reluctant to step inside. The steep stairs were lit up by such a dim bulb that I could not distinguish anything beyond them.

“After you, ma'am.” That deceptive smile appeared on his face again. “Just be careful with your high heels. I'd hate for you to tumble down the stairs.”

“Thomas, I don't think–”

“Lina...” His fingers grasped my shoulder again and massaged it soothingly. “You've known me for years. Have I ever let you down or abused your trust?”

“No, but–”

“Then trust me again. Now, you must be aware by now I'm a firm believer in the
DRY
3
principle.”

Thomas smiled wider, leaning into me, and brought his face to mine. “Get inside, Lina. Now,” he whispered and stepped back.

There weren't many people in the world entitled to tell me what to do. Orders caused nothing but irritation in me. I was the woman in charge at all times and everyone knew it, but the moment his voice caressed and whipped my hearing, I nodded and did as he commanded. I moved past his lean frame as if in a dream and stepped into the unknown like Alice down the rabbit hole. Little did I know crossing the basement’s threshold would be the point of no return.

As I went down, the cold temperature of the basement made me shiver. The structure didn't smell of mold and rot as expected. The stone walls that set up the foundation of the house kept it rather chilly, though. There was no time to study my surroundings.

It happened so quickly I couldn't even turn around. The next second the door slammed behind me, the flip of a switch reverberated in the empty space and the room was drawn into pitch-black darkness. A quiet scream escaped my throat and I nearly lurched forward. Six inch heels were really not the best option to balance on such a narrow staircase. Especially when the lights were off. I couldn't even make out the outline of my own body and the black walls started to close in around me like a snare. The sweat from earlier was back in full force and its icy droplets were running down my back and legs.

“Thomas?” I cried out with panic rising in my voice. Fuck not being a damsel in distress! The little bastard had scared the hell out of me. “Thomas, where are you? This isn't funny.”

Clearly, that was just my opinion. Shortly after my desperate shout in the dark, the space boomed with his laughter. He wrapped his sinewy arm around my waist and turned me around to face him. Fear was strangling me so hard I was unable to utter a word, but at least I was not alone. That was the only thing preventing me from choking him to death.

Another hissing sound cut through the air and Thomas's face revealed itself to me in the light of a burning matchstick. He looked so damned pleased with himself, feeling my body with one hand and holding the only source of light in the other.

“Now at least I know why I never visited your house before. Is this what you do with all your guests?” My words would have sounded badass or authoritative in other circumstances but not when my voice was shaking.

“Why, boss, don't tell me you're afraid of a little darkness?” His fingers kept rubbing the upper area of my waist and he didn't loosen his grip one bit.

“You nearly gave me a heart attack,” I hissed and tried to release myself from his grasp but he was not keen on letting me go yet. I should have been mad but I enjoyed his strong embrace. How messed up was that?

“Stand still while I light the candle. Whatever you think, breaking your neck isn't part of my plan.” His lips curled in a mischievous smile. “I told you, no harm will come to you, Lina... Unless you ask for it like a good girl. Don't move, okay?”

If my heart had been beating loudly before we entered, now it threatened to destroy my ribcage. The raw taste of fear was like acid on my tongue when Thomas let go of me and proceeded to light a big, thick candle. The flame killed the darkness in one shot but didn't ease the horror raping my brain. Fuck, I needed a cigarette.

“There really is no need to tremble so violently, Lina. You're not in
Silence of the Lambs
.” He was whispering but his voice echoed through the basement.

“Where the hell did you get that candle?” Honestly, it wasn’t the most logical question to concern myself with, but people are rarely rational when they are scared shitless.

“Magic.” Thomas refused to elaborate further and raised the tall wax column so it would light the way down. “Go ahead and step carefully.”

“I must be losing my mind.” I groaned in exasperation but obeyed once again, in the hope that my mild-mannered protégé wasn’t suffering from a gruesome case of split personality. Every step down to the murky terrain was testing my trust in him. Why I didn't try to demand my way out was anybody's guess.

At one point, I started to make peace with the thought that I would never leave this place alive. The descent couldn't have taken more than a minute or so but in my mind, it was an infinite crawl to hell. We reached the ground floor but I wasn't sure whether to be happy about it. The candlelight was strong but it was still hard to figure out the contents of the room. Thomas told me to stop at the foot of the stairs. He moved past me and our flesh brushed for a minute, which caused the thrill of arousal to run through my hard clit again.
It's all some sick manipulation. I'm not attracted to him!
Or was I?

“Don't move. I need to make some adjustments.” Thomas circulated around the room, lighting candles at different spots. Gradually, the darkness lost the battle with the sinister streaks of fire. It was dark at this point but I could see what type of place he had dragged me into. It shouldn't have come as a surprise given all his small hints. Still, the hopeful, naïve part of me wasn’t prepared for the sight revealed before my eyes.

If I'd thought the rooms upstairs were spacious it was only because I hadn't seen the basement. It covered at least two thousand feet and its ceiling was high. At least there wouldn’t be chance for my claustrophobia to kick in. The ambiance of a medieval torture chamber was enhanced well by the frigid stone walls, the foggy illumination, and the manacles hanging from the top of the room. I narrowed my eyes in an attempt to make their out shape. The highest point of the ceiling and the floor had several eyebolts mounted. A few long chains with D-rings at the end were hanging from the set on the ceiling. There was a wooden frame next to the center of the basement in an X shape. I recognized it as a basic St. Andrew’s cross but the restraints installed at each of the four ends of the device were much shorter and had leather cuffs instead of rings. The leather spanking bench to its right looked like regular fitness equipment.