Learning the Rules Ch. 04

"Is it the wine Alexandra or are you actually comfortable enough to trust that you can tease with me. Maybe even "play" a little with me tonight." He laughs, but is hopeful.

"I have to admit, I do enjoy our volley of words. You're very good at word play."

Jamison laughs. "Well don't get too use to 'volleying words' with me. It will be something reserved for rare occasions. Also, just so you know, I'm very good at more than word play, Alexandra, very good." His eyes are full of promise and yet she also sees a warning in them as he looks directly at her.

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Jamison continues their conversation as he positions himself next to her on the couch. He is sitting so close to her that their legs touch and he can feel the heat from her body. He reaches out and takes her hand, stroking his fingers over her palm and massaging each finger between his forefinger and thumb. His voice is soft and husky as he reminds Alexandra of her earlier comment. "You my dear Alexandra venture correctly, I am all male, every inch. And if all goes well with our conversation, I'm hoping it won't be much longer before you get to find out just how male every inch of me truly is. Do you care to explore?"

Alexandra watches him intently. His fingers are magic and his voice boarders on hypnotic. Just his touch is making her wet. The heat emanating off their bodies is almost unbearable to her. She shifts her bottom on the couch to try to relieve some of the tension building up in her sex. In doing so, she is now closer to him and looking directly into those dark sexy eyes. The movement only made her "discomfort" more intense. This feeling is unsettling and she readjusts her position again.

This time, Jamison reaches over and takes both of her hands in his. "Stand up." Two simple words but they appear to hold a strict demand and require she follows it.

Alexandra isn't sure why she does it, but almost automatically she does as requested. She immediately stands and he positions her directly in front of him. He looks at her and slowly glides his eyes down her body. Her hair is thick and shiny. He remembers the floral scent from earlier. Her neck is long, sleek and beautiful with the exception of that annoying chain necklace. Her shoulders and arms are firm with lean muscle. She must work out. Her breasts are of nice proportion, her cleavage is ample, and her breasts appear supple. Jamison can't wait to stroke them, lick them, and suckle them. Just thinking of it brings his erection to the forefront of his thoughts.

"Alexandra, I want you to sit on my lap. I want you close to me." He informs her as he holds her gaze.

She hesitates and licks her lips. She doesn't know why she is hesitating. Her body definitely wants to be closer to him, to touch him. Everything in her body is saying, "Do it, just do it." But she is thinking, over thinking actually.

Jamison knows she wants to, he can feel it in her touch. He can see it in her body language and her facial expression. She's turned on but she is over thinking it. In a calm, but commanding voice he continues. "Stop over thinking everything Alexandra. You know you want to do as I say. Stop thinking and just do it. Now." He says the last word a little more forcefully than he had expected to, but it has his desired effect.

Alexandra is startled by his tone and command. Her body jerks as if coming back to life and she sits on his lap without further thought or delay. Her face reddens as she feels his erection through his pants. She is nervous. Nervous and sexually aroused, a bad combination considering she is on his lap and can feel the moisture building in her sex. Oh God, please don't let him feel the heat or wetness between my legs. Please don't let there be any sex scent.

Jamison smiles, looking into her eyes is like having subtitles on a screen. She literally lets you know her thoughts. She is nervous, but there is also a sexual connection here. I can feel the warmth from her sex and if I were to touch her, I'm sure she would be wet. By the color in her cheeks, she knows I'm hard for her.

"Are you comfortable Alexandra?" Jamison's voice is calm and melodic. His tone is steady almost hypnotizing. It doesn't alter it just remains commandingly reassuring.

"Yes." She responds but there is a little nervous thrill in her voice. Jamison can feel the slightest trembling in her body as she sits stiffly on his lap. He can feel the tension in her muscles as he stokes her back.

"The truth, Alexandra. Only complete truths between us. I know it's difficult but it is necessary. It's one thing I need at all times." He is talking to her very calmly and in a quiet non-threatening manner, but his tone is unyielding. He adjusts her body on his lap in order to see her face better; to view her eyes and watch her facial expression. He continues with his one hand on her lower back and softly stokes the area back and forth while he continues to talk to her.

"This is how we will learn about each other Alexandra. This is how we will learn each other's comfort areas and areas for exploration and growth. I promise, everything will get easier as we move forward; but not without complete honesty. Even when it's hard or you feel a little embarrassed, you need to be honest with me. It's the only way I can know what you need from me. Now, let's try it again."

"I'm nervous Jamison. I'm very nervous and a little confused. I can't tell you why exactly, but I can't seem to control myself. I think I'm feeling so many conflicting emotions and feelings, that none of them are clear. It's like multiple thoughts, emotions and feelings running on a movie reel, they just keep entering my head and I can't organize them. It's confusing. It's frustrating as hell. This is not something I'm used to and I don't like it. I'm used to being in control of everything, especially those aspects of my life." Alexandra is looking at him hoping, almost pleading that he has an answer for what she is going through.

Taking a minute to think about what she has just shared, Jamison decides on how best to proceed. He wants to help her, but he knows she is a woman who will not do well, at least not yet, with him simply giving her directives at this point. He realizes he has to guide her through the process to reach his desired outcome. The choices have to be made by Alexandra for now. She has to be willing to share in this process. She has to want to put in the time and effort it will take to make this work. She has to commit to him and he knows that will take time. Jamison knows this will be a long process. It may take longer than most because she is so independent and willful. But he's confident that if they work together, it will benefit both of them.

"I want to thank you for sharing your feelings with me. I know how difficult that was for you to do and I want you to know it means a lot to me that you trust me enough to do it." Jamison changes the motion of his hand on her back and is now massaging up and down her spine. He goes up one side to the base of her skull and down the other to the curve of her ass; making sure that his hand never loses contact with her skin. He repeats this motion with every sentence he speaks.

He can see Alexandra start to relax. She takes a deep breath in and slowly exhales. "Are you feeling a little calmer?"

"Yes." She closes her eyes as she nods her head in response.

"Good. Alexandra, I want you to keep your eyes closed for me." Gently he places his other hand on her hands. They are resting between her legs, just inches below where her legs meet her sex. His hand is on top of her clasped hands. His fingers lightly stroke her hands and he maintains a constant pressure there.

"Why?" She opens her eyes to look at him. "Why do you want me to close my eyes?" He hears the tension in her words, not fear, but confusion.

"Alexandra, I want you to close your eyes so you can concentrate. I want you to do exactly as I say after you close your eyes." He takes one of her hands in his and brings it to his lips. Placing the lightest kiss on her hand, he keeps her hand close to his mouth as he speaks. With every word he speaks, she will feel the warmth of his breath on her hand. "I promise I will not do anything you do not want me to do. I will tell you everything I am going to do. Before I make even the slightest move, I will wait for your consent. I will not hurt you; I want to try and help you organize these confused thoughts and feelings you are having."

He lightly kisses her hand again while maintaining eye contact with her. He feels her body relax a little more. His hand continues to move up and down her back in a steady motion and rhythm. He whispers over the surface of her hand, "Alexandra, will you please trust me to do this? Will you trust in the fact that by helping you to get what you want, I will also be getting closer to what I want?"

"That's a big part of what I don't understand. What do you want Jamison? You're a good looking, intelligent, well-educated man who can have almost any woman he wants. Why did you choose me? There isn't anything so very special about me, so, why me?" She's staring into his eyes. Fearing his answer won't be anything close to what she wants him to say; what she needs him to say to make this situation right for her.

"Alexandra, I never want to hear you say that again! I chose you because you are so very special. To me you are the most special woman I have met in a long time. Whether you acknowledge it or not, you are beautiful, intelligent, caring, and Oh so very sexy." He kisses her hand and lets his lips rest against it for a few seconds.

"You are also independent, stubborn, demanding, and Oh so very frustrating." He smiles at the look on her face and kisses her hand again, this time he touches it with his tongue. Gently gliding it over the surface of her palm before continuing to speak.

"These are all qualities I like in a woman, my woman. Alexandra, these are all qualities that attracted me to you. It was simply a physical attraction when we first saw each other in front of Stephan's house. You saw something you liked; I saw something I liked and we took a mental picture. But that was superficial. Had I not planned to be going to the same dinner party as you, we may have been the proverbial two ships that pass in the night. Agree?"

She nods, "Yes, I think that is probably true." That didn't sound quite right; something he just said isn't right.

Noticing the question on Alexandra's face, Jamison hastens on with his explanation. "Instead, we met each other. We were meant to be at the same place at the same time." He winks at her and gives a little laugh, "More likely, after seeing you come out of that taxi, I may have arranged some other way to meet you. Who knows?" He gives her a look as if he knew he was going to meet her tonight. "Some would call our meeting tonight luck, some fate, and some serendipity. I believe everything is planned to happen. You just need to make a valiant effort. You just need to be the person who has the better plan; the person who is prepared in advance. Don't you agree?"

He leans in and kisses her pouting mouth; she lets him without pulling away. "Stop pouting. Things are not as bad as you may think."

"How are you so sure? How do you know? All of your talk about serendipity and plans; how are you so sure?"

"Because, I know it is not in the meeting of two people that make a relationship. It is in what we do with our time together after the initial meeting that will set our destiny. We could have met, realized after our first few comments that things were not going to happen and said good bye. But, no matter how confused your feelings are, no matter how nervous you are, you know you want to be here with me. I know you want to be here with me."

"Jamison, are you just being cocky or are you really that sure?

"Alexandra, I am really that sure. Do you want to know how I'm so sure?"

"Yes. I'm dying to know, because I still have fifty conflicts going on in my head."

"Alexandra, I'm going to tell you the truth about something. I want your promise that you will listen to everything I have to say and not interrupt until I'm done. Then I will explain why I'm sure about what I want and why I know you're here because it's what you want. Do you agree?"

"Yes."

"That means NO interruptions, NO questions until I'm done explaining? Can you do that?" He stresses the word no and asks with doubt in his voice.

"For God's sake Jamison, I'm not a child. I can control myself and wait until you're done speaking to ask my questions. I won't interrupt you. Just get on with it." She huffs out a breath.

"Once I'm done explaining, if you agree with my explanation, you have to promise to give me twenty-four hours. That means for the next twenty-four hours you will listen to what I say and follow my instructions. You will do this without hesitation and without constant questions. Agreed?"

"That's a lot of reward for one answer. I get one answer and you get twenty-four hours of rule over me. That doesn't seem fair."

Jamison takes her face in his hands. "It's not going to feel like I'm ruling over you. You have to trust me. If you can do this for the next twenty-four hours, you will see how different it really is for you. If at any time, it's too much for you, you just need to let me know. Do I have your agreement, your word?"

"Ok. If you convince me with your explanation, I will do as you ask. At least for the next twenty-four hours."

"Well the first thing I want to address deals with our meeting and rule number one. The truth of our meeting wasn't exactly per chance and this wasn't exactly the first time we met." He waits for her reaction or outburst, but true to her word she refrains from comment. But he sees the questions in her eyes and in her facial expression.

"In fact, you and I have, in a way, known each other for quite a while. We have actually worked together on a project, although you never saw me and we never actually met. I was the primary benefactor on the Children's Museum project and one of my construction companies did the work. You were working with my Project Manager. Every time he brought you changes to the design plans, they were mostly my changes. When you video conferenced with him or the planning team I saw the video feed on my laptop. So in fact, we do know each other in a way." He looks at her and her face is one of disbelief or shock. He can't decide.

"Are you with me Alexandra?" Jamison asks, hoping she doesn't turn around and walk out the front door.

Alexandra is tempted to say something, but she just can't put her thoughts together right now. Plus, she promised not to interrupt until he was done and she would rather cut out her tongue than to give him the satisfaction of an "I told you so." So she simply nods in the affirmative.

Jamison continues with just a little hesitance. He realizes this can be a make or break moment. He is hoping it isn't a break moment.

"The last part of the truth is that I sort of planned our meeting tonight. I found out you were a friend of Stephan and Ashely's by accident. One day, Stephan came up to my offices on business and saw me going over the museum designs. He told me his friend, Alex was the primary architect on the team. I told him that I thought you were extremely bright and talented, not to mention beautiful. I told him I thought you were an innovative designer and that our likes and dislikes were similar. I asked that the next time he planned a get together that you would be at to invite me. He did, a few times. But I was going back and forth closing up some projects in London, and I couldn't make it work until tonight. So, that is a part of how we met tonight."

There is silence in the room. She looks at him with hurt in her eyes. Alexandra is truly at a loss for words. So, all this talk about truth, and half-truths, and lies of omission being important to him is all bull shit. This has all been one big lie. One big set up. God, when will I learn if it seems too good to be true it probably is just that?

She looks hurt and that is not what he wanted. "Alexandra, it's not a joke. I just asked for the introduction, the meeting. Everything that happened after that has been just us relating to each other. The last thing I want is to hurt your feelings. Listen to me Alexandra. You are here because you want to be here. It is as plain and simple as that. I gave you multiple opportunities to be anywhere else but here. Each and every time, you chose me you chose to be with me."

"What are you talking about? When did I ever choose you?"

"Oh Baby, you choose me, us multiple times tonight. The first time was on the street at the trinity. You looked me over before I even saw you standing there. Whether or not you know it, your facial expression and your eyes said, "I want that!"

"They did Alexandra, I swear. I heard them!" He practically cries out the last two statements in order to get her attention.

She smiles and shakes her head at him in disbelief. She laughs sardonically at him and hits him in the chest. "God you really are insufferable. You really are an egotist. Ashley had it right when she called you a 'megalomaniac.' It describes you perfectly. Just as liar, cheat, and manipulator do! So I guess the rules don't really apply to you, so much for rule number one!"

He holds her hands tighter and closer to him. "Let me finish. The second was in the trinity, when I said we could end the discussion here and say good bye. You refused. The third was during dinner when I gave you the very same option. Again, you refused. The fourth time was right before we left the trinity. I asked if your conversation with Ashley changed your mind. I asked if you wanted to refuse my offer of a ride home. You could have been safe and sound with Stephan and Ashley, but you refused."

Alexandra is looking at him in disbelief. This time the disbelief is that everything he is saying is true. He did give her multiple opportunities. Why can't she think straight when it comes to this arrogant man? Why is everything so confusing?

Jamison continues pleading his case in hopes to win her over. "The fifth time, we were walking to my car and I offered to end it there and call a taxi to take you home. Baby, you refused again. And lastly, when I asked if I should take you home or were you willing to come to my home. Alexandra, you are here with me, because you want to be. It is as simple and as complicated as that. The way we met doesn't matter. What matters is that you chose to be here. You chose to be with me if for no other reason than to explore the reasons why. But it was of your free choice."

Alexandra is sitting there, tears are running down her face but she doesn't realize it. Her body is trembling and she is very quiet.

"Alexandra, Baby are you alright? Why are you crying? Alexandra, you're shaking. Alexandra, answer me. Say something, you're scaring me. Damn it Alexandra, answer me now!" With each sentence, Jamison's voice gets stricter sounding until his last statement when he uses his strong command tone. He briskly rubs his hands up and down her arms waiting for her to answer him.

Alexandra takes a second. Shaking her head as if to clear a fog, she looks at Jamison and gives him a weak smile. Tears are still streaming down her cheeks, but she ignores them.

"I can't believe it. Jamison, you are right. You are so right. You did give me a number of opportunities to leave, to end this. Whatever this is. I didn't take them. In fact, I adamantly rejected them. I remember each and every time and I remember thinking, 'No, I don't want this to end. I want to know this man.' I remember thinking that I felt like I already knew you. I even said as much to you. I was making the conscious decision then, every time. I don't know why I didn't see that. But that doesn't change the fact that you lied by omission. You lied to me and you promised you never would. You broke rule number one."