Breaking All the Rules

Chapter 1

The waiter poured the last of the wine into their glasses and retreated with the empty plates. John took Carol's hand as she put down her glass. Looking into her eyes he spoke in a serious tone.

"What do you think is the most intimate experience two people can share?"

"I don't know, sexual intercourse I suppose."

"I think there is something much more intimate than that."

"Oh yeah, what?"

"Telling someone about your sexual fantasies."

"Oh wow, that would be something."

"You would have to have such trust in the person."

"I'll guess. You would not want it talked about."

"And you would have to make yourself so vulnerable."

"Incredibly. The other person could think you were really weird."

"Not if they were willing to reveal their real fantasies too."

"But what if they held back? They could describe some 'socially acceptable' imaginings."

"Well, you could agree ahead of time that you had to talk about the most far out of your thoughts."

"What's the point? Why take the risk? What if your relationship goes sour and you've given this person something powerful that could be used against you?"

"I think the point is the closeness that would result. No secrets. You have opened your soul."

"I suppose. Scary."

"And then there is the possibility that your fantasies may coincide. That could greatly enhance your sexual relationship."

"You mean live out your fantasies?"

"Why not? You could do it just between the two of you, providing of course that it wasn't dangerous or hurtful."

"But what are the chances that your fantasies will coincide? It seems to me it is more likely that you could be disgusted by the other person's weirdness, and the relationship would go downhill."

"Maybe it should. Do you really want to spend your life with someone who is turned off by what turns you on? Wouldn't it be better to find someone you could really be yourself with?"

"You have a point there. But still, there is much more to a relationship than sex. Does it have to be all that important?"

"Ah, I have given that question a lot of thought."

"And...."

"I think it depends on the person. Some people have very strong sex drives, and others don't. If you have a mismatch in that area, I think you are asking for trouble. The person with the strong drive is going to have to find an outlet."

"Well, my experience has been that the relationship never even gets started if you have that situation. When I sense that a man is interested only in sex, I don't go there."

"The smart guy knows that, so he conceals his desire in the beginning."

"I know soon enough."

"Ah ha, and by the second or third date you may be interested is a little sex yourself. Right?"

"Sure, but not weird stuff."

.

"Again, the smart guy is not going to spring that on you. In fact he may marry you and still you would have no clue. Then he may or may not act on his fantasies at a later time and cause you and him a lot of pain. And in the meantime, because of this big secret you have missed out on the chance to be really close to someone."

"I feel really close to you already. Even though we have been going together only a couple of months, we've shared a lot, including some pretty fantastic sex."

"You'll get no argument from me there. Maybe you're right; keeping some things secret is a good thing."

"Well, when you put it that way, I don't know. Let's go now; the waiter wants our table. We can talk about this some more tomorrow if you want."

Chapter 2

The next night they were back at the same table in the same restaurant. As soon as they had received their drinks and placed their orders, John began again.

"Have you thought anymore about our conversation yesterday?"

"You mean the one about sharing fantasies?"

"Yeah, that's the one."

"Why do I get the idea you want to do this?"

"Because I do."

"I don't know. It's hard for me to imagine actually putting things like that into words."

"I understand. Me too. But let me ask you something: do you feel safe with me?"

"Absolutely. You have never done anything to hurt me, and I feel you would do whatever you had to do to protect me. And I know you love me."

"You are so right, and I'm really happy that I have been able to make you feel that way."

"You have."

"So do you think there is anything you could reveal that would make me disrespect you or love you less?"

"I guess not. You have accepted me the way I am."

"Okay. We have established that you should have no fear about letting me in on your fantasies. The question now is whether there is value in doing it, given the emotional energy it will take."

"Why do I get the feeling I am a witness being lead by an expert lawyer?

"Are you ready to concede?"

"All right, since it is so important to you. But you have to go first."

"I will, but you have to promise not to freak out and to open yourself to me too."

"You have a deal. This should be interesting."

"I think we should do it in a private, romantic setting. Tomorrow is Friday, and I am going to fix dinner for you at my apartment. Be there at 7 and bring your tooth brush."

"It's a date."

Chapter 3

Carol and John had both gotten married in their early twenties to the wrong partners. Now ten years later they were both divorced and leery of committed relationships. Fortunately neither had children, so they felt that they could start over with a clean slate. They had met on the elevator in the large office building where they both worked, and John had asked her to meet him for lunch.

She was surprised that a man as desirable as John had asked her out. There were many younger and more attractive girls in the office building every day, and she has seen more than one of them flirting with him.

But something had clicked on that first date. For the next two months whenever John was not traveling for his job he got together with Carol. They went to restaurants, movies, and sports events. They went on long walks and had long talks. And they went to bed together. It was all good.

John had been infatuated many times before, but after the initial attraction something always seemed to come up to undermine the relationship. Usually it was when he realized that his gorgeous partner was more interested in herself than in building a relationship. Sex with a beautiful woman was always fun, but he wanted more than just the standard coupling and cuddling. It was too easy and becoming tiresome. He was weary of the one or two night stands that did not result in any real closeness.

One thing he had learned from his disastrous marriage was what could happen if you let a relationship drift and failed to face reality in time. He was pushing the sex fantasy issue with Carol to find out what she was really like. How she responded to what he planned to reveal about himself would tell him a lot about her.

Ever since he had been aware of sexual urges, John had been turned on by the idea of making a woman give up control and submit to his every desire. Reading comic books as a boy he had felt a strange excitement when the heroine was tied up and carried away by the bad guy. The pretend games he like the best were the ones where he was a pirate and could tie up his little girl friends after he captured their ship.

There had been a girl in his neighborhood who was a couple of years older and liked playing sex games with him. She would come into the pup tent he had in his backyard, and they would pretend that he was an Indian who had captured her. Lying on her back with her hands over her head like they were tied down, she would let him pull off her shorts and underpants. Little noises would come from her mouth as he probed and explored.

Sometimes they would reverse roles, and John would be the captive. That could be even more exciting. She would play with him and talk about how interesting his parts were. He couldn't remember whether he was old enough to have erections, but he remembered really liking it.

He would never forget the time she came into the tent all worked up and anxious to show him a new development. The new thing was peach fuzz on her pussy. It was soft as a kitty's fur and felt so good. Unfortunately for John, there weren't many more visits after that.

John did not really expect Carol to share his fantasies; that would be too good to be true. But it was important to him that she be understanding and accepting. If he detected the slightest hint that she thought his desires were perverted, he would have to cool down their relationship. His first wife had found some of his reading material and pictures and had let him know of her disgust.

He knew his sexual bent was not going to change, anymore than a gay person could change theirs. And living your sex life in a closet was definitely out of fashion. If he was going to commit himself to a woman again, he had to be sure that she knew and accepted him at this level.

But what if Carol not only accepted his fantasies, but had submissive thoughts of her own? Several times during their love making he thought he had detected a desire on her part to be dominated. Could he be a Dom in real life? So far all the scenes that excited him had occurred only in his imagination. Although his good looks had enabled him to have sex with lots of women, he had never encountered a woman with whom he felt safe enough to act out his fantasies.

In his everyday relationships he was generally tolerant and nonconfrontive. Instinctively he knew that a submissive woman would need a strong personality to force her to give up control and unleash her passion. He would have to open a door into a side of his personality that had never been expressed. He would have to be like Doctor Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, only in playing the role of Mr. Hyde he would be acting, and not really a crazy man with two personalities.

He longed to do this and was determined to play the role to the fullest. If only he had a woman who would be turned on by it. Could Carol be the one?

Chapter 4

Carol had a hard time concentrating on her work the next day. She sensed that her relationship with John was at a turning point. He was so serious about this sexual fantasy thing. On the one hand it was encouraging that he wanted to get closer to her by opening himself up in such a personal way. Most men, including her ex husband, kept stuff like that in a tightly locked compartment, and would never allow themselves to be so vulnerable.

On the other hand, what dark secret was he about to reveal? Was he bisexual? Did he want to dress up in women's clothes? She thought she knew him well enough to dismiss these extremes as unlikely, but still...

It was definitely risky to agree to this idea of fantasy sharing. She liked John a lot and could imagine a future with him. But sex was a very powerful force that she had been raised not to talk about, especially with a man. She knew a number of happily married women who would never do such a thing—at least she thought they were happily married.

But John had been so persistent she came to believe that to refuse him carried more risks to the relationship than going along. Anyway, she knew he liked sex with her, and she felt she could manage the situation by skating around any problems and taking him to bed.

Then there was the issue of facing up to the fact that she had some pretty unconventional fantasies herself. Sex had always been a strong force in her life, and in spite of her conservative upbringing she had experimented quite a bit. Certain non vanilla activities and thoughts did seem to stimulate her in a deeper way. Could she really talk about things like that with a man?

She dressed carefully for the private dinner date. Whatever his fantasies she knew that her body would play a central role, and she planned to wear a tight, revealing top and a snug, short skirt to please him. Carol was a curvy, slightly plump blonde, who knew how to make the most of her assets. The right bra made her average sized breasts ride high and firm on her chest, and she chose ones that were skimpy enough to make her look very sexy when her shirt came off. Her past lovers usually couldn't wait to peal her bra away, at which point they would become mesmerized by the size of her areolas and nipples, which quickly grew very hard and long...

In spite of not having a model's narrow waist, she had well proportioned legs and hips and a small, round ass that she knew looked good in tight clothing. John loved filling his hands with her cheeks and pulling her up against him. She was pretty sure that would be happening that night.

Looking at herself in the mirror she accepted the fact that while her face was attractive, especially her emerald-colored eyes, her features were not what people would call beautiful. But when she worked at it, with good make up and the proper styling of her naturally curly light blonde hair, she was able to make herself quite glamorous. For this important occasion she wore her hair up and took special care with her eye make-up.

After trying several outfits, she chose her tightest mini skirt with a form-fitting silk top. A colorful Indian bead necklace with matching ear rings added a feminine sparkle that matched her mood. And knowing how John liked her in high heels, she wore the highest ones she owned.

At promptly 7 pm she knocked on his door. When he opened it she was standing there with a smile on her lips, holding up a toothbrush.

He laughed. "I am glad to see you took my instructions literally. You look terrific! Come on in. I have a delicious dinner almost ready."

Carol kissed him quickly on the lips and walked past him into his bachelor pad. Although it was by no means her first visit, she again noted the strong masculine flavor of the place. He had a long, leather couch with two matching chairs arranged around a sturdy coffee table that was made from a sliced redwood trunk. The same kind of wood had been used to make the custom bar that ran along one wall. There were chrome and leather padded stools for four people.

One wall was all floor to ceiling windows looking out over the city. An iron bar that looked like it came from a medieval castle served as a heavy duty curtain rod above the windows. The curtains bunched at the sides were made of a burgundy-colored brocade, and Carol knew from experience that daylight was completely blotted out when those curtains were pulled. On several sunny afternoons, she and John had watched movies in the darkened room.

Two other walls contained very colorful abstract art, displayed in a way that made the pieces look like original canvases. Modern lighting and hidden speakers playing soft guitar music enhanced the overall impression of being in the quarters of a well-off, discriminating man.

Several large carved wooden sculptures of female dancers were located near potted plants in the corners. They were graceful and at the same time semi-erotic. Even as a woman, Carol appreciated the beauty and sexuality of the figures.

Then there was the aroma. She didn't know where it came from, but the apartment smelled like a pine forest that had been sprayed with a light mist of male sweat combined with Old Spice lotion. It screamed maleness. Just being in this room with John was arousing.

John handed her a glass of her favorite wine, and raised his in a toast. "Here's to the night when we really get to know each other."

She smiled and clicked his glass. "In for a penny, in for a pound," she said. "I'm ready."

He kissed her again, a little longer this time, then turned to go the kitchen/dining area. "Make yourself comfortable while I do the finishing touches," he said. "By the way, you look stunning."

Blushing slightly at his compliment, she took note of how he looked as he stirred whatever was cooking in several sauce pans. He was dressed casually in khaki pants and an open collar blue shirt. John was what her friends called a "hunk". He was a tall, several inches over six feet, with brown curly hair and sparkling blue-green eyes. She had to admit that his looks were a big factor in her attraction to him.

She smiled as she remember that after introducing him to one of her girl friends, the friend had sent her an email quoting the lyrics from the old "Big John" ballade: "Kind of wide at the shoulders and narrow at the hips, everyone knows you don't give no lip to Big John." Her friend had then added a comment about how she wouldn't mind giving lip to Big John.

"Come sit," he said. "We'll enjoy the food first. Afterwards we will have plenty of time to talk."

The dinner of salmon, wild rice, and asparagus tips was delicious. They ate silently, with frequent pauses to sip their wine and smile at each other. She felt his foot under the table nudging her ankle.

"That was a really nice dinner", she said when their plates were empty. "I didn't know you were such a good cook."

"I went all out. Do you like the wine?"

"Oh yes. It's very smooth--just like you. I know you are setting this up as a lead in to our fantasy discussion."

"Am I that transparent? You are so cute when you smile like that."

"Let's open another bottle and get on with it. I must admit I am interested to hear about the sexual fantasies of such a normal appearing good guy like you."

"Okay. Here, let me fill your glass. Let's go sit on the couch."

They each sat on an end of the couch, facing each other with their legs curled under them. Their positions resembled wrestlers about to make contact.

"Are you comfortable?" he asked.

"Quit stalling and start talking," she laughed.

"Okay. Here goes. My fantasies all have to do with a man having power over a strong woman, making her do whatever sexual thing he wants, and having her being excited by being forced to submit to him."

Carol was relieved, and at the same time felt a little rush in her stomach. "Umm... that's not so kinky. I'm glad you don't want to dress up in my underwear. Just how does the man get this kind of power over a strong woman?"

"In my fantasies the man has some hold on the woman. Maybe he knows something that can get her into trouble, or greatly embarrass her. He uses this power to force her to do things she might have fantasized about herself, but would never have done if not pushed. Then when she is forced to give up control and is obviously aroused by it, the man gains further power over her."

Now butterflies were taking off in Carol's stomach. "So she becomes his slave?"

"No. That is why she must be a strong woman, someone who is the man's equal in all areas except things sexual. She is accomplished and everyone respects her, including him. No one knows what goes on in private when she submits to this man."

"But... what if he orders her to do things that she finds disgusting?"

"She must obey him or be physically punished. He will learn what gives her pleasure and what turns her off. His pleasure will be the greatest when he is pushing her in directions that excite her."

"Physical punishment? You mean spanking?" She could feel herself getting wet.

"Yes, among other things. He would not do anything to cause permanent damage, but there would be physical pain involved. The woman would learn her role and be sexually excited by it in spite of herself."

"I see ...."

"You are being very quiet. And you have a strange look in your eyes."

"I am processing what you are telling me. It is making my heart beat faster," she said, realizing what a big understatement that was.

"Does that mean you can relate to my feelings?"

"Yes, and it's a bit frightening. I had invented a fantasy to tell you about that was remote and safe, like wanting to make love with a particular movie star. But now...."

"Yes?"

"Oh John, I never thought I would tell anyone this, but I have to admit that my real fantasies are similar to yours."