The Empath Cycle: 2010 Carpe Diem - Book 1

"Do you know them?"

"No. They were before my time and I never had occasion to meet them when they came back."

"So, you hunt, you skin the carcasses and you barbecue the meat. Is there anything you don't know how to do?"

"I'm sure there is." Ann laughed. "Hunting was a way of life for us. It's nothing special."

"Like cooking it?"

"Yes. My mother and her friends love to try new recipes, whether they found them on the internet or in an old granny's journal."

"And here I thought your delicious omelettes were the extent of your culinary talents. I can't wait for you to seduce my stomach as you have the rest of my body."

"I've seen you eat, remember? You're way too easy... for that too."

It was a good thing Anne-Marie insisted on a water-proof floor and drain when she had the bathroom remodeled because the overflow caused by the comment would have been disastrous. As it was, it became an excuse to pinch, goose and caress.

Ann found that under her cute and petite exterior, her girlfriend hid strength. She had thought Anne-Marie would be easy to overpower. To her surprise, she was the one who found herself pinned against the wall, a hand kneading her firm breast as fingers tweaked a nipple hardened with desire, while another reached around her waist to twiddle her pearl.

As pleasure mounted, the caresses grew in intensity. Her normally sensitive nipples were manhandled to the edge of pain, each pull, every pinch, shooting bolts of pleasure to her brain. The growing pressure, the rougher the treatment of her pearl, the more she abandoned herself to her aggressor.

Anne-Marie enjoyed giving so much pleasure to her lover. It was a new experience for her. With her previous lovers, what few of them there had been, she was always the object of their pleasure, there to please them at their convenience. She had submitted as it had been drilled into her by a lifetime of skewed education. It was different with Ann. She wanted to give her pleasure. Her girlfriend was giving her control of their lovemaking. She found she got a lot of pleasure from it herself.

She was also getting attuned to Ann in a way she had never been with another woman. The previous evening, she had felt a change in her, a subtle difference in muscular tension. She had assigned it to the mounting orgasm as it could be this time. Still, she remembered the experience in the truck and in Ann's office. They had scared her at the time, but the common theme was that Ann was putting herself in her hands wholeheartedly, without reservations, body and soul. It was her responsibility to insure her safety, both physical and mental.

But how? What was really happening to her? Why did she feel like she knew more than she remembered?

The now familiar soft voice reached Ann again.

"Stay with me, my love. It's okay. I love you so very much. Feel my hands on you. Feel my breasts on your back. Feel my mound pressing against your ass. Come back to me, my love."

Anne-Marie went on for long minutes as she kept Ann on the verge of orgasm, hoping desperately she had made the right decision. It was an intuitive leap of high flying proportions based on their limited experience together. Still, it had worked before after the strong emotions had ebbed. Would it work while she was still at a peak?

She kept crooning her love and for Ann to come back to her while maintaining her caresses. She was getting worrying, then she felt a slight tremor amidst the shaking of pleasure. She let out a silent sigh of relief when Ann pushed against her, hands covering hers, guiding Anne-Marie where she wanted her.

"YESSSS! Take me, my love! I'm coming for you! Aaaaaaaah! Yesssss!"

When Ann would have collapsed, shaking from the aftershocks of her orgasm, Anne-Marie supported and guided her to their former positions, but with her behind, holding Ann in her loving arms as she recuperated.

"What did you do to me?" Ann asked softly, her voice husky. "I remember our tussling, then you were caressing me and, all of a sudden I was having this incredible orgasm." She reached over her shoulder and pulled Anne-Marie's mouth to hers. "I'm definitely not complaining, mind you. It's just that I seem to have missed a bit there."

"I know, my love. I think we need to talk. Should we adjourn to a more comfortable setting or add more water. You're shivering and I'm not sure it's from making love."

"You're right. I wouldn't want you turn into a shriveling prune either."

"Oh, you give the best compliments." She laughed as she tweaked Ann's nipple.

"Ouch! Who's mean now? You're acquiring aggressive habits."

"Are you complaining? Who's the baby?" Anne-Marie teased as she turned Ann's face into her soft breasts.

"No, I'm not... Oooooh! Yes!" Ann moaned when she felt a heel press against her still sensitive mound. "Are you sure you want to move elsewhere? I have everything I need right here?"

Laughing, they got up. Anne-Marie got a squeegee and pushed the remaining water off the floor into the drain as Ann followed her to dry it summarily with an old towel. The women dried each other of what had not already evaporated. Things degenerated when Ann got her revenge by pushing her girlfriend against the wall.

She held her there firmly, holding her arms over her head by holding her wrists in one hand her other arm encircling her waist.

"Except for a few quickies, you've been the one making love to me. It's my turn now." She growled in her lover's ear, biting it as a punctuation.

Anne-Marie whined her submission, instinctively arching her neck to offer it to her mate. Her knees buckled when she felt teeth close firmly on the side of her throat.

She ended on all fours, Ann covering her back, kneading her breasts firmly, then mock-milking her nipples as she ground her mound on her lover's buttocks. 'We'll have to get a strap-on if she doesn't have one.' She thought.

Anne-Marie arched her back to push into the hands manhandling her breasts. She pushed against the grinding hips. Reaching between her legs, she strummed her clit. She had been at the edge and, her body taking over, she wanted, she needed to crest.

She almost did when Ann slapped her breast hard. "Take you hand away! You've done it yourself long enough. I'm the one who will make you come now."

She screamed when she felt however many fingers invaded her pussy. "YEEESSSSSS! Take me, lover! Make me yours! FUCK ME!" She humped as hard as she could, trying to get as much as possible of the pounding. When Ann grabbed a handful of her hair and pulled to make her back arch even more, she screamed herself raw as she experienced the most intense orgasm of her life.

When reality reasserted itself, Anne-Marie was in Ann's arms, held her in a loving embrace.

"Wow! You are quite the firecracker, baby. Do you always come this hard?"

"It's your fault, my love." She tried to say, but it came out as a raspy whisper.

"Take it easy. Let me take you to bed. This floor is too hard for you."

This time, Ann took her in her arms so she could wrap her own around her neck and lean her head against her.

When they arrived at the bed, there was no way Anne-Marie would let go. She had Ann bend and reached to turn down the sheet and blanket. Ann deposited her gently and made both of them comfortable.

They cuddled until she woke at dawn.

Chapter 7

Ann watched her sleeping lover, reveling in the sight of her angelic features. She still could hardly believe the twist of fate which had brought them together.

On the one hand, Anne-Marie had asked to join her before she went to work. On the other, she looked so peaceful and she needed her sleep. She hadn't woken at the cock's crow all her life, after all.

Leaning in, she lightly kissed the smooth brow. She had meant to slip away to get ready for work, but a pair of arms held her firmly in place.

"I know we both have morning breath, but I don't care." Anne-Marie told her.

A minute later, she had straddled Ann and snaked a hand between their bodies to reinforce her point.

"You really don't have to go in this early, my love. Stay with me and I'll make it worth your while. We can go in together later."

"I do, baby, at least today. I want to... Ooooh! You're a cruel... Humph..."

The mouth covering hers muffled whatever protestation she meant to make.

'Ah, well.' She thought. 'It's not that urgent.'

Ann jumped when she felt a hand grab her ass.

"You know there is a security camera in the elevator?" She whispered to the woman beside her.

"It can't see my hand and you don't have to whisper. There's no microphone."

"Still, they can tell something is going on."

"I'm sure they can. It's that goofy grin of yours that gives it away."

"At least we're alone. You wouldn't do that in front of other people." She gulped when she saw Anne-Marie's wicked grin.

Sylvie looked up when she heard whispers outside her door. She grinned when she saw Anne-Marie trying to pull Ann's mouth to hers.

She was glad these two had come together. As good as Anne-Marie was at her work, Sylvie had been worried about her ever since she had been brought to her notice by her network of contacts at the Poly. The woman was socially adept and got along with her co-workers, participating in all the activities with enthusiasm. Still, in unguarded moments, Sylvie had noticed shadows of pain and unhappiness cross her face. She had never pushed to find the reason for this, but had kept an eye on her.

Last year, Sylvie had been surprised when Anne-Marie had volunteered to replace Nadine whom she had asked to observe Annabelle Taylor at company functions. She was glad when she noticed a new energy in her step, a more natural, less affected tone in her laugh.

That, as much as anything else had made Sylvie give a second look at Ann.

Sylvie gave Ann a thumbs up when she met her eyes over Anne-Marie's head. She laughed out loud at her blush.

When the petite woman turned to her, unabashed, she greeted them.

"Good morning ladies. I wondered if Ann had overslept. Now I know."

"Good morning, Sylvie. No, she didn't oversleep. I insisted she make one of her delicious breakfast." She was standing in front of Ann with her hands behind her back. Ann jumped at the same time as Anne-Marie licked her lips, intimating whatever Sylvie chose to think.

Both Sylvie and Anne-Marie laughed at Ann's embarrassed reaction. Anne-Marie was still laughing when she walked away after kissing her girlfriend.

"So you see, sir, even if all I ever am is Purchase Officer, I'd very much like to stay on. I like the people. It's a great place to work and learn."

Jack White looked at Annabelle Taylor seriously as befitted the occasion. Inwardly, he was crowing in triumph.

"In that case, welcome to the team, Ms. Taylor. From everything I heard, there is no doubt in my mind that you will be a fine addition to our division. As to being only a Purchasing Officer, I already have three requests for your services and expect more. You can count on being courted shamelessly in the near future."

"Thank you, sir. I suppose we'll have to wait until you've decided what my actual tasks will be to decide where I belong in the organisation."

Jack guffawed at the self-deprecating statement.

"We'll see. So, back to business. As you've been made aware of, we have had our eye on you for a while. We foresee great things for you and we would be happy to nurture your talents while you go to school and work for us part-time during the school year. To protect our investment as well as give you a sense of security, I offer you a contract for the next two years or until you earn your Bachelor's degree since I understand you take Summer classes to accelerate the process."

"Yes, sir. I want to go on to the MBA as soon as possible, but if we can make minor arrangements, I don't have to work part-time only." Ann said. She hurried on at the man's expression of surprise. "You see, I can take many classes in the evening and on Saturday. There will be a few that are offered only during the day, but it's a quick ride to the HEC from here and back by metro. Plus, if I can judge by last year's classes, most of them are lectures which I don't have to attend. I was beginning to regret my choice, in fact. Frankly, I expected it to be more of a challenge."

"If it's a challenge you want, I'm sure we can accommodate you. As for working full-time, ask John for the special package. Then, look it over and give us your answer on Monday."

"Thank you for the opportunity, sir. You won't regret it."

In the outer office, John handed her a USB key without looking from his screen. Ann would have felt offended if she hadn't seen his grin. The man's grouchy act would be so much more effective if he didn't give it away at every turn.

'Hum.' She thought, reflecting on the past weeks. 'Lesson understood, Grumpy.'

Coming out of the office, she made the round of the team leaders to ask if they were available for a meeting later on. When she told them the reason, they all readily agreed.

She was just in time to scare the living daylights out of Anne-Marie as she stepped out of her office, to the amusement of the people who had stopped to see why she was standing against the wall.

Anne-Marie was bent over, a hands over her heart, trying to catch her breath.

A few women offered their services to give her mouth to mouth resuscitation, doubling in laughter at Ann's waging finger and fierce show of protectiveness.

"You know payback's a bitch don't you?" She managed to growl between gasps.

"Yes you are, baby."

She barely managed to jump away from a foot aimed squarely at her shin.

Anne-Marie stopped by Ann's office later and deposited a file on her desk.

"Here. I forgot to give this to you earlier." She said and bending over on the pretext of giving her girlfriend a kiss, she quickly ran her sticky fingers over Ann's lips before running away with a tinkling laugh of her own.

Ann sat there, nonplussed, for the seconds it took for the taste to register.

Before leaving the office, Ann went to see Sylvie.

"Have you got a minute, boss?" She asked.

"Sure enough, Ann. I was getting ready to go out myself. There are a few gorgeous women waiting for me. We're going home for the week-end."

"Could you give me your friend Karlie's phone number, please? She said I could call on her if I needed help with a contract."

"I heard. Congratulations and welcome to my team." Sylvie grinned evilly. "Karlie is in St-Jovite. You can ride there tomorrow. The scenery is beautiful if you take the side roads. The forecast is for a hot and sunny week-end."

"I don't know. Anne-Marie wanted to visit the Eastern Townships."

"Hum... Let me sweeten the pot. Tell her you are both invited for supper. A 'cousin' of mine is in town from Texas and he swears we haven't tasted real BBQ yet. He promised to amaze us with his hand-rub ribs."

"Tell him he's blowing it out of his ass. The Montagnais invented open fire cooking. There's nothing better than a side of caribou slowly roasted with the secret spices picked-up fresh from the tundra."

"Why don't you pass the message yourself? Check your email later. I'll send you the coordinates."

Anne-Marie was drowsing on the couch with her head on Ann's lap,

After a fairly quick shower to get rid of the sweat and stink from the bus ride home, they had gone to the Marché de l'Ouest in Dollard-des-Ormeaux to get some steaks and fresh vegetables for supper.

While they ate, they had a good laugh over the file Anne-Marie had delivered that afternoon. Ann's secret project wasn't so secret after all. Anne-Marie had printed the brochures for different low budget cars with a spreadsheet comparing cars and features. She had included the cost of parking downtown.

Ann brought out a file of her own with the same kind of cars, but used. She had factored the cost of transit passes and parking... at the LaSalle metro station to avoid most of the construction and traffic. As she explained, parking there plus the passes would still be two-thirds of most places downtown and half of some. She could pay cash for the car and they could easily repair it themselves for the cost of parts, if it broke.

They argued good-naturedly. Anne-Marie insisting that everything she owned was paid for and her salary was more than enough to cover her expenses so she hadn't touched her trust fund in years, reinvesting the interests as they accrued. Ann wished to carry her part of the load. This was her idea after all and an added expense due to her presence in Anne-Marie's life.

By the time they gorged themselves on the chocolate mousse Ann had whipped from scratch, they agreed to table the discussion for the moment.

Ann watched her girlfriend sleep as she lightly stroked her silky hair. She still hadn't fully internalized the concept that she had a girlfriend, one with whom she was in love. If the relationship was astonishing in itself, there was no doubt in her heart that she was deeply in love. She tried to envision her life without Anne-Marie and had to wipe her tears hurriedly unless they fall on her face and wake her.

After watching her for a while, smiling as she listened to the dainty snores, she gently picked her up and carried her to her... to their room.

Ann had been scowling since she quietly left the bed to go to the bathroom. Regardless of the forecast, the fickle weather had decided to play its tricks on them. Rain was pouring down in a deluge.

She relaxed and smiled as she slipped back under the covers to cuddle against Anne-Marie. 'Ah, well. It will give me more time in bed with her.' She barely had time to think before she fell back to sleep, her nose buried in the woman's hair, lulled by her flowery fragrance.

When Anne-Marie came back from the bathroom, dejected by the lousy weather, she perked as she saw the covers on her side turned down.

She slipped in and faced her bedmate, falling in the pale eyes as she pressed her body against hers. Grinning at the realization that they both had the same idea and brushed their teeth.

"Good morning, my love."

"Good morning, baby. It looks like we're not riding anywhere today."

"Oh, I don't know about that. Sometimes, because Montreal is an island, it acts as a wedge on the weather system and while it pours on the South shore, it's dry on the North. So we could bring the bikes to St-Jovite and hope for good weather there."

"That's a plan... for later, much later."

They spent their first leisurely morning together, making love and napping to replenish their energies.

They talked between bouts.

Anne-Marie felt she had to be upfront with Ann, to let her know she was damaged goods before she heard it from someone else. So, Ann learned how poorly used her girlfriend had been in her previous relationship. She managed to stay calm to support her and keep her talking because she knew she needed to, but, inwardly, she seethed, vowing that if there was any way she could get back at the bitch for the abuse she had heaped on sweet, lovely Anne-Marie, she would make her pay in kind.

She was shocked to find how Anne-Marie had been used as a sex toy for the woman's perversions, how she had suffered psychological abuse which explained why she had stayed in the relationship and her aversion to having sex while in her period because it was disgusting, how the bitch had milked half of Anne-Marie's first installment of her trust.

Ann was so proud of her for the courage she had shown by breaking off the relationship and sticking to her guns despite the woman's repeated entreaties and then threats of violence. She had read a lot about the subject when a friend had been victimized in a similar way, so she knew the kind of support that was needed. Still, it showed uncommon strength of character and resilience to have pulled through to become the self-reliant woman she was.