Charitable Acts

Alex leaned his head a little closer to Claires. "I'm going to dip you."

Claire's eyes widened with alarm. "What?"

"Trust me."

Without giving her any time to think or any further warning Alex shifted his hands onto her back and leaned forward making Claire yield backwards. Reflexively she tightened her grip on his shoulder and his hand, she didn't yelp with surprise though she was sure it showed on her face. The dip caused the split in her dress to fall open and a new fear of accidentally flashing any onlookers popped into Claire's mind. Alex didn't dip her too far and the way the split in her dress opened shouldn't have revealed anything except maybe part of her ass. She couldn't be sure though and when Alex brought her back upright she heard some chatter and clapping that she couldn't help thinking might partially be for an inadvertent show she had given. Alex whisked her away from that spot on the dance floor to a space some way away. Alex smiled gently. "I think that was a success, don't you?"

With the surprise of being dipped long gone and most of her concern about flashing onlookers having been dismissed, Claire was left with only the exhilaration. She had to admit that she was impressed that Alex had been able to execute the move so smoothly. She shook her head. "That was all you, I'm just glad it turned out well."

The current song ended and as they stopped dancing Claire found she was breathing hard. Alex noticed and released his hold on her. "Let's stop before we get too carried away."

Without thinking Claire responded. "I think you've gotten pretty carried away already." Her eyes widened as she realised what she had said.

Alex grinned. "Actually I've been fairly restrained so far." He winked and to Claire's relief he genuinely appeared to have enjoyed her remark. His response made her a little more comfortable about how Alex might take any pushback she gave him on something he asked her to do.

Leaving the dance floor by the shortest route, they ended up quite some distance away from their table. When Alex started walking, it was in a direction that didn't lead back to the table. Claire gently tugged on his arm. "What are we doing now?"

He gestured toward the bar area. "I was thinking we should get some fresh drinks"

Alex led Claire to the bar and asked for some water and glasses of champagne. The bartender serving them complimented their dancing before fetching their order.

Claire and Alex took their drinks out of the way of the other people lining up at the bar. A few of those people smiled at Claire and commented on how she and Alex looked on the dance floor. Hearing the comments and looking over at all the other tables in the ballroom, the reality that she had danced in front of so many people and had certainly caught a lot of attention caused a flare up of self-consciousness. "I can't believe I danced in front of all these people. Do you really think we looked good?"

"I think we put on a decent show."

Claire's eyebrows rose at Alex's choice of words. "My dancing would have been okay at best. Is everyone being so nice because they got to see something private?"

Alex frowned slightly. "I don't think anyone saw anything more than you're already showing. I'm sure everyones' eyes were caught by how you look in that dress and they overlooked some of our less graceful moments."

Thinking that people were admiring her dress and appearance erased her self-consciousness and even gave her a boost of confidence. She smiled at Alex. "I hope that's the case."

Alex and Claire both drank the water fairly quickly and when they picked up the flutes of champagne they headed back towards their table.

Back at the table Alex and Claire were greeted with some compliments on their dancing which Alex modestly deflected. They sat there casually sipping their champagne while around them people talked. After the excitement of dancing faded, Claire started feeling detached from what was happening around her. The lack of engagement from the people sharing their table and her disillusionment with the 'charity' aspect of the event had her disinterested in what was going on. She turned her attention to Alex and tried to guess what he might do next.

Alex drained the rest of his champagne and turned to Claire. "I'm pretty much ready to move on from here. How about you?"

Claire was definitely feeling like she'd had enough of the event. She wasn't dreading what was coming next enough to want to stay longer. "I'm fine with leaving now."

Alex made some polite insincere farewells before rising from the table and helping Claire up as well. Without any further fuss Claire and Alex walked away and headed to the entrance of the ballroom. On the way out Claire saw a number of people looking their way and briefly regretted that there wouldn't be a photograph of her and Alex together.

Once they had exited the venue, Alex called the limo driver to come pick them up. He and Claire moved further up the street away from the building entrance. They stood a casual distance away from each other, enough that someone seeing them would guess that they were together but not a couple.

Now that they were away from the charity dinner Claire was expecting Alex to start taking more liberties with her. He was keeping his distance for the moment though and Claire was curious about how Alex was going to have the rest of the night play out. She hoped that he would continue to treat her the way he had so far. However, she wasn't about to dismiss the possibility of Alex turning into an asshole and just using her like she was a sex doll.

Claire felt a jolt of arousal that made her nipples tighten and her thighs tense. Apparently the part of her that was craving physical contact and remembered just how long it had been since she last had sex apparently liked the idea of being used roughly. Internally Clare sighed, that her body was ready and willing really undermined her mind telling her to stay on guard.

As they stood there waiting, Claire could feel anticipation building for Alex to make a move. Eventually he cleared his throat, drawing Claire to look at him. Alex had a nonchalant expression on his face. "I thought the night turned out to be quite enjoyable. How about you? Did you have fun?"

Claire arched an eyebrow and shot an incredulous look at Alex who smiled semi-apologetically and shrugged. Claire couldn't stop a small smile coming to her face. While Alex had played with her all night, he hadn't done anything that was clearly humiliating or degraded her. If Claire was being honest she'd had quite a good time. Even if just for the opportunity to wear her new dress in front of people. It had been kind of affirming to have people look at her with lust or appreciative awe.

More than that though, Alex's teasing throughout the night had been terrifying and exciting. Thinking of how she had to keep a straight face while Alex was doing something a little naughty to her as they were surrounded by stuck up people was now giving her a feeling of accomplishment. She smiled and nodded to Alex. "Some parts were definitely great."

Alex's mouth quirked upward at the corners as if he knew which parts she was thinking of. His eyes quickly went down over her body. "You look amazing. You were probably the most beautiful woman there."

He sounded sincere, not merely giving her a compliment. Claire felt her face heat slightly and hoped that any flush to her face was concealed by the relative darkness outside. "I'm not sure that's true but thanks."

"Don't be modest. You're stunning and the dress really accentuated that." Alex reached into the inner pocket of his suit and took out a slip of paper. "Before the limo arrives, I want to give you a choice."

Claire's attention sharply focused on Alex and she wondered just what he had in mind. He passed her the slip of paper which was a cheque for $50,000. Claire looked back up at Alex with a small frown of uncertainty.

He gestured to the cheque Claire was holding. "You've been great company tonight and you went along with the antics I've put you through. If you want to end the night here, you can take the $50,000 donation and I'll take you home. If you want the full $100,000, we'll continue on as originally planned. What do you want to do?"

Claire was surprised by the offer and it took her a moment before she was able to really think about what she should do. On one hand 50k was still a good sized donation, she hadn't told Ms Chambers a specific amount that Alex was considering donating. It would also mean not having to have sex with Alex, though at this point she wasn't sure if that was altogether a positive.

On the other hand, she had the opportunity to secure a donation double that size. She had already committed to having sex with Alex, why not go ahead with it?

The fact that choosing the full donation meant she would effectively be a sex worker was difficult to get past. Since Alex was giving her a chance to not go ahead with sleeping with him, continuing on meant that she was choosing to have sex. It kind of felt like Alex was trying to put the decision on her so that it was less like she was being coerced. Either that or it was an attempt to minimise the amount he was going to have to donate. It would be smart to take the $50,000 and walk away. Other than some touching and exposing her breasts nothing had happened that Claire was overly bothered by. A part of her wanted to do the opposite of what Alex preferred but it was difficult to determine what that might be. Unless Claire was willing to twist her mind into knots trying to understand what kind of mind game Alex could be playing, she would have to make her decision based on what she thought was best.

Claire was leaning toward going for the $100,000. The main reason being that she had agreed to the bet and put herself in this position to get that amount. She could take the easy option but that would have felt like she had failed. If she could get $100,000, only getting $50,000 would mean that she had made a half assed effort.

A slight sense of obligation also weighed on Claire. Alex had gone to quite a bit of expense with her dress and shoes in order for her to fit in at the dinner. He hadn't made any mention of the extra costs he was responsible for but nonetheless she was well aware of them.

Claire couldn't stop feeling that she was being manipulated but that was being ridiculous. There was no way that Alex could know that she wouldn't take the easy option. Realising that her mind was running in circles trying to find what she wanted to do, Claire decided to act like nothing had changed.

She met Alex's waiting eyes. "I'll stick with what we originally agreed."

Alex nodded and smiled with pleased respect. "I admire your commitment to your charity."

His comment prompted Claire to think of Becky and how great it was going to be to see her reaction to the donation from Forrest Financial. That thought led to the question Claire previously had about the meeting Becky must have had with Alex.

"Did you meet with someone from the Green Trust named Becky?"

Alex was puzzled by the seemingly out of nowhere question and it took him a moment to process. Recognition flashed across his face before he smiled and nodded. "Yes, I remember Becky. Why do you ask?"

Alex's tone was amused but Claire wasn't sure if it was due to his memory or because of her question. Having brought the subject of Becky up Claire had to ask the next question. "Did you offer her a similar kind of wager you did with me?"

Alex was actually taken aback and then frowned with his expression looking disgusted. Claire worried that she had somehow made a big mistake. Thankfully Alex's expression eased and he shook his head emphatically. "No, absolutely not."

Claire found herself pleased by his response and was interested in the strength of his reaction. "Why not?"

Alex's face briefly twisted with disgust again. "She had the most condescending, entitled attitude I've seen, I couldn't bear to spend more than a few minutes in her company."

"She's good looking though."

Alex's expression instantly became dismissive. "In a very manufactured way. Anyway, looks aren't everything, personality and attitude are important too." He gave Claire a warm smile. "When I saw you in the foyer, there was just something about you that stood out to me. Hearing you talk confirmed you were intelligent and that you were actually invested in your charity's cause."

Hearing the sincere admiration in Alex's words, Claire felt herself warming up with arousal. She was still a touch wary but from what she had experienced so far she was fairly certain that he would treat her well. Claire smiled widely. "And so you thought you would try your luck at getting me to sleep with you by making a ludicrous bet?"

He gave her a wry smile and shrugged. "That was a spur of the moment thing. I don't think there is any way I could have asked you out without it being somewhat creepy." The expression on Alex's face became sheepish. "I certainly didn't think it would work like it did."

It was Claire's turn to look a bit sheepish. "I guess that I really am committed to the Green Trust's cause."

The minor feeling of embarrassment passed as Alex moved in close to Claire and placed his hand on her lower back. The touch of his hand spread warmth through her body. Claire readied herself for the kiss, another flush of warmth went through her body in anticipation. Alex stopped and pulled away causing some confusion until he gestured down the street. "Our limo is here."

Another flush went through Claire but this time it was from embarrassment at how much she had wanted Alex's kiss. She didn't think her attitude to what was happening to her would change so easily. Claire knew that her body was going to be responsive to physical contact but she thought she could at least keep mentally detached.

When the limo pulled up beside them, Alex opened the door for Claire and she entered, moving all the way over to the other side of the seat. Alex followed behind, staying on the side by the door. He didn't so much as give the space between them a curious look. He instructed the driver to head to his apartment building and then put up the privacy screen.

As the limo started moving Claire kept herself reserved but as soon as Alex asked her to do something she knew she had to follow his instructions. It wasn't long before Alex made a move, he shifted on the seat to face Claire. She considered ignoring him but dismissed that as being childish.

Turning toward Alex, Claire saw him looking at her with restrained interest. Seeing her turn toward him, Alex leaned slightly toward her. "Is it alright if we sit closer together?"

Claire couldn't detect any mockery in Alex's voice and the simple sincerity disarmed her misgivings. She gave him a small smile and moved herself closer to him. At the same time Alex also moved toward her and they met around the middle of the seat, their legs lightly touching.

They sat there in silence for a moment and Claire was briefly reminded of the drive to her high school prom. However Alex wasn't her slightly nervous prom date. Despite the silence it wasn't awkward, there was only the tension of expectation. Any moment now, Alex would begin to make his claim on her body.

"Claire." Alex said her name gently, more requesting her attention than demanding it. She turned toward him and found him with a small smile that brought a similar smile to her face. Alex then leaned in to kiss her. Claire had been expecting Alex to take a more aggressive approach but if he wanted to build things up slowly she had no problem with that. She received the kiss without any resistance and even leaned in to meet Alex.

The kiss was firm but gentle. The pleasure receptors in Claire's brain lit up and her body immediately warmed up with arousal. When Alex pulled away Claire almost followed him to maintain contact. He pulled back far enough for them to study each other's reaction. Claire was happy to see that Alex had a pleased but not smug smile. Whatever Alex saw in her expression must have been encouraging as he leaned back in for another kiss.

This time the kiss was more insistent and hungry. Claire hummed with enjoyment and Alex moved his body closer to hers. She felt Alex place a hand on her chest and shift over underneath her dress to cup one of her breasts. Claire felt a vague concern that despite the privacy screen, the driver might be watching her get felt up but that was forgotten when Alex's fingers found their way to her hard nipple and slowly strummed against it.

At the same time Alex broke the kiss and began to trail small kisses down to Claire's neck. With her mouth free, Claire took a quick breath and immediately let out a small gasp from the jolt of pleasure caused by her nipple being touched.

Alex's mouth lingered at Claire's neck for a while as he pressed his lips firmly on her delicate skin. Claire was briefly simultaneously worried and excited that Alex might leave a mark on her neck but then his mouth continued further down to her clavicle. His hand on her breast squeezed firmly while his thumb brushed back and forth over its nipple.

The touching and kissing had Claire heating up with arousal and she was starting to lose her reservations about having sex with Alex. She was still quite aware of the weirdness underpinning the situation but it wasn't as central in her mind. For the moment Claire was happy to let things happen.

Alex's hand left Claire's breast and slid down the fabric of her dress to the leg slit. When Alex's fingers made contact with her thigh Claire automatically spread her legs wider. After the couple of times that Alex had teased her by touching her thigh, Claire was happy for her pussy to get some attention. His fingers made their way to her inner thigh and Claire's core tensed in anticipation. As Alex's hand inched upward, his mouth moved back up to meet hers for a kiss.

The expected touch on her pussy never came. Alex's fingers were once again stopping just short of her pussy. As he pulled back from their kiss, Alex gently massaged her thigh.

Claire gave Alex a slightly confused stare which he responded to with a small shrug. Alex removed his hand from Claire's thigh and she almost sighed with frustration. She then realised that the limo had come to a stop and looking outside she saw that they were parked out the front of an apartment building.

"Is this your apartment building?"

Alex nodded. "Are you ready to exit the limo or do you need a moment?"

Claire took a breath and adjusted her dress. "I'm ready, let's go."

After getting out of the limo Alex went up to the driver to thank him. As the limo drove away, Alex walked back to Claire and with a smile offered her his arm before leading the way into the apartment building.

Alex and Claire behaved casually as they walked through the lobby and waited for the elevator. When the elevator arrived, it was empty. Inside, Alex pressed the button for one of the higher floors and then turned to Claire with a wide smile that made her pulse race. The thought of fooling around in the elevator would previously have seemed tacky to Claire but at the moment it had quite an appeal. At this time of night they weren't likely to be seen but even if they were it wouldn't concern Claire all that much.

Before the doors had fully closed Alex was right beside Claire, pulling her body into his and moving his mouth to hers to kiss her hard. Claire readily kissed him back. The unsavoury element of what was happening fled her thoughts. When Alex's mouth opened, Claire automatically followed along. Their tongues met and Claire practically melted inside. She was heating up quickly in both arousal and her temperature.

He slipped his hand underneath her dress through the slit in the skirt and grabbed her bare ass. Claire moaned into his mouth and pressed her pelvis into Alex's. She felt the hardness of his cock and a raw need welled up inside her. The elevator slowed and stopped but Claire only noticed when Alex pulled away from her.