Page 23 of Lessons with the Mothman

"Was it an offer?" she asked.

I frowned and sat down in the matching armchair across from her. "Not explicitly, but I intended the insinuation of one."

She nodded. "I intended the insinuation of accepting it, then—you're right."

My hands settled on the arms of the chair and I crossed one leg over the other. "But?"

But it would be unprofessional. But my work is important. But it was a result of my arousal and not a sincere interest in you.

Her answer didn't match any of my guesses.

"But I want to know how it would work between us," she said. I sat up, and her eyes softened before shying away. "I'm not rejecting the offer, Elias. I just need there to be…appropriate boundaries between sex with you, and working on the study with you."

"I can draw back from the study more," I said.

She smiled. "You're more interested in having sex with me than helping with the study?"

I opened my mouth to say yes, then thought over the question. Actually, I really enjoyed the subject of her study, and I enjoyed watching her work.

"I'm not sure I need you to draw back. I just need the…the Elias and Victoria working on that study to be different people than the you and me having sex together."

It was impossible, of course, but I could think of a couple solutions that might appease her. And I was selfish enough not to point out the flaw in her plan.

"And I need this to be about you getting off. Using me," she said, her voice growing thin, words halting and starting as color rose to her cheeks. Her eyes met mine, and they were bright again, eager. "I don't want you to try and make me come."

It took everything in me not to argue her point. I wasgoodat what I did, and that was figuring out what got a person over the edge of their pleasure and then giving it to them. Repeatedly.

"Please, Elias," she said, gaze fixed to mine, breaths growing short.

Then again, maybe her request was about more than a pattern of frustrating connections with others. I leaned forward, resting my elbows on my knees.

"You want to be used?"

Her breath hitched, and she nodded in a small jerk.

I chewed over her answer in my thoughts. "Do you want to be forced?"

Her lips parted and she drew back, and then relaxed and shook her head. "N-no. I think it's… Not forced, but not about me or my pleasure. Like it's my role to make you come." She bit her lip and her brow furrowed. "Like it's all I'm good for."

Some degradation, but not force. A toy, perhaps, or… An inkling of an idea started to stir, and I glanced around the room.

Not here. Notyet. Just as I'd done for Atlas and Cyril's performance, I would have a stage to set and some roles to consider.

"Very well. Give me time to plan," I said.

Victoria's eyes widened once more. "Plan?"

I smiled, relaxing into my seat. "Trust me. This is what I do. And I promise you, I do itverywell."

CHAPTER 9

Victoria

"There's notmuch to support a thesis here."

I frowned, squinting over his right shoulder into the glare of sunlight from the window. "Of course not. I'm only a couple weeks in."

Phillip shrugged and held his hands up. "I'm just saying, as I've said before, you have too broad a scope."

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