The Erotic Mind-Control Story Archive

Descending into Boulder, Colorado

“Thus, though we have heard of stupid haste in war, cleverness has never been associated with long delays.”

I’d spent nearly a week in San Diego and I couldn’t delay things any longer. I hoped that I wasn’t making the stupid haste General Tzu had cautioned against centuries earlier.

Sleep had come easily because I’d been emotionally drained. It hadn’t lasted very long, though. I awoke alone for what seemed like the first time in months.

My sleep had been restless and my muscles and joints were stiff. I needed to get out loosen up. Boulder, Colorado was a little less than halfway to my home in Michigan. It seemed like as good a place as any to ground, stretch my legs, and maybe get some breakfast.

My departure from San Diego had been a surreal mix of business and personal sadness, repeated several times.

Ashley had been at her apartment when I’d gotten there, after my interlude with Teresa Alvarez. I’d wanted her to be the first one I talked to. We’d expressed the deep romantic love we each felt for the other, and shared embraces. There was no time for anything more intimate.

She helped me pack the few items I had in her apartment and load them into the Saab. I gave her the rest of the case of water displacer spray and asked that she use it and share it with the others. I didn’t want any of my girls getting locked out of their apartments.

I told her about my purchase of the apartment complex and my plans for the new building. I also explained about Teresa and Martin. I told her that I wanted her input on the design of the new apartments and daycare/preschool and also the input of the others.

I promised to return as soon as possible and told her that would still depend on what I could find out about Harrison’s intentions.

With a mutual declaration of love and a final tearful kiss, I reluctantly left her apartment. It felt like I was leaving part of my soul behind.

A call to Gina revealed that Arianna was out for awhile. I went to Gina’s apartment and made her very happy when I told her that I loved her as she loved me. Of course the news that I was leaving for Michigan soured the mood considerably. I made the same promise to return as quickly as possible as I’d made with Ashley, then asked her to select one of the vacant apartments to be mine when I returned, since I expected it to be sooner than the three or more months it should take to get the new building in place. One of Gina’s soft, loving kisses quickly built to passion shared by dueling tongues.

“Just wanted to remind you to hurry back,” she said with sadness in her eyes.

“I will, my love. I will.”

It wasn’t any easier to leave Gina’s apartment than it had been to leave Ashley’s.

I wanted to let Cheryl sleep, so my next stop was at Shelby’s apartment. She answered the door naked and pulled me inside her apartment and into a deep kiss.

She moaned into my mouth as my hands found the firm globes of her bare ass and pulled her tight against me. It was a slow, luxurious kiss that lasted forever in my mind, but ended too quickly on my lips. She kept her naked body against me as she leaned her head back to look at me.

“I feel the same love for you that you feel for me, Benjamin, but you already know that. I already miss you, but I know that you have to go. You have to make things right for us and for others. Remember that we are always here for you. I will help you in any way I can. I will come and stand by your side, and I know that I am not the only one who will do that. Please return soon, Benjamin.”

“I love you Shelby. I know that you can see things and feel things that other people can’t, but you still amaze me in so many ways. I wish that there was some way that I could give you a feeling of permanence—of knowing that we have something special and lasting. I wish I could do that for all of you.”

“I already know that, Benjamin. I know in my soul that you are my man and I am your woman. I am not your only woman, and that’s fine, but I am your woman.”

I kissed her again.

“Let me love you now, Benjamin, as a woman loves her man.”

She slid herself down my body until she was crouched in front of me, then deftly undid my pants and slid them down, freeing my cock. Grasping me with both hands, she stroked me slowly a few times before leaning forward and licking around my glans with her pink tongue. Her focus was completely on my cock, with all of her magical senses telling her how to love it the best it had ever been loved.

She engulfed me in the soft, wet, loving warmth of her mouth, sucking, licking, and stroking me toward my climax. It didn’t take long before I had to brace myself against the wall to keep from falling as I blasted my orgasm into her mouth. My knees were still weak as Shelby gave my cock one last, sweet kiss, then carefully slid my underwear and pants back up and refastened them. She stood.

“I will always be your woman, Benjamin, and I will always love you and stand by you—while you confront Clifford Harrison, and beyond that.”

“You are the magical one, aren’t you, Shelby? I swear that you’re reading my mind half the time.”

“No, Benjamin, I am listening to your heart all the time. You have a wonderful heart, my love, and I will always love listening to it’s song.”

How do you say goodbye when you are connected to someone like Shelby and I were connected to each other? We did it with just a soft, gentle kiss that spoke more than any words could have.

Martin answered the door when I pushed the announce button. Teresa had called him as soon as I’d left. He’d caught a waiting San-Trans and gotten home in just a few minutes and they’d spent the past half hour talking about their future.

I explained that I needed to go back to my home in Michigan and I didn’t know how long I’d be there, but I’d return as soon as I could. I hadn’t told them anything about Harrison or all of the other things that the rest of the girls knew about. I didn’t want to drag them into that mess because they had their own life as a married couple.

Martin gave me a hearty hug and spoke of brotherly love, thanking me repeatedly for making Teresa’s dream come true and finding a way for them to still be together. I loved him like a brother, and I told him that. He really was an extraordinary man.

Teresa was still a steamy sexpot who ignited my desire. She told me that she loved me as the brother of her husband and also as the father of her child. Her embrace and scorching kiss were decidedly of the “father of my child” variety, leaving us both flushed. Martin smiled his acceptance and gave me another firm handshake of thanks before I departed.

Cheryl was asleep in her bed. I carefully laid down on top of the covers behind her and gently kissed her bare shoulder. She stirred, then rolled over to face me.

“Took you long enough,” she said sleepily. “Are you going to get naked and get in here with me?”

“No, babe. I’m sorry.”

She looked at me.

“What’s wrong, Ben?”

“It’s time, hon. I have to go. I have to find out what’s going on and do whatever I can to make sure that our future is safe.”

“Take me with you, Ben. I’ll quit my job right now.”

“I can’t ask you to do that, Cheryl. What about your dreams of becoming a nurse?”

“I can be a nurse anywhere, I just want it to be with you. At least until you figure out…” Her voice trailed off.

“That you love me, Cheryl?”

She nodded.

“Baby, I love you, too. I love you with all my heart. I know now how I feel about all seven of you. I love you all. I love each of you separately and specially, but I do love you all; especially my little insatiable exhibitionist.”

She smiled and kissed me, then pulled back with a puzzled look.

“Seven? I thought there were five of us. Have you been busy while I was asleep?”

“Um… guilty as charged, but only with Teresa Alvarez. Do you know her?”

“Isn’t she married?”

“Yes. She and her husband Martin both want her to have a baby. He was actually the one who asked me.”

“And he’s OK with you loving her?”

“I know it sounds strange, but Martin, Teresa, and I have a loving relationship that is almost like two husbands for one wife.”

“Wow! That’s… Hey, do you think you could work out something that involved seven wives for one husband? And who is number seven?”

“You want me to have seven wives?!? Actually, that’s a pretty good idea up until you get to the part where it’s illegal.”

“Well, it was just a thought, Ben.”

“It was a good thought, but the government wouldn’t approve. Oh, and the seventh lady was actually the fifth. Dr. Lauren Steiner is also a member of our family.”

“I think I’ve heard of her. Is she at the hospital?”

“Mostly she’s at Pacific Women’s Health, but she said that she and the other doctors there have privileges at the hospital. She’s a gynecologist and obstetrician.”

“She delivers babies? Cool! I probably should go see her.”

“Either her or one of the other doctors at her clinic. She says they’re all old-school obstetricians.”

Cheryl was silent for a few moments, then she gave me a sad look.

“You really have to go?”

“Yeah, hon, I do. It tears me apart, but I have to.”

“And you’re not going to take me with you, are you?”

I shook my head.

“When will you be back?”

“I don’t know, but it will be as soon as I can come back.”

“Promise?”

“Of course I promise, hon. I couldn’t possibly stay away from you.”

She kissed me quickly.

“You better go before I get Ashley up here to help me double-team you and keep you here forever.”

“I love you, Cheryl Masterson.”

“And I love you, Ben Lincoln. Now go before I call Ashley.”

I went, painful though it was to leave. The heaviness in my heart as the Saab smoothly exited the complex fueled a grim determination to deal with Clifford Harrison so that I could get back to these women who had healed me and given so much of themselves.

I called ahead to make sure Lauren Steiner was at the clinic. The receptionist connected me to her, and she appeared on the vid with the familiar setting of her office in the background.

“Good afternoon, Dr. Steiner.”

“Good afternoon, Dr. Lincoln. To what do I owe the honor of this call?”

“I’m just calling to see if you like pizza and conversation.”

“Why, as it happens, I do. What did you have in mind?”

“Would you do me the honor of accompanying me to dinner?”

“Of course. Did you have anywhere special in mind?”

“I’ve become quite fond of Giovanni’s.”

“Oooooh! Somebody definitely pointed you in the right direction.”

“Yes, they did. And there’s a wonderful lady there who I want to introduce you to.”

“Hmm. Does she have something in common with me?”

“Well, she’s not a doctor…” I grinned at her.

“You’re impossible! You know what I mean, Ben.”

“Yes, Lauren, she has something in common with you.”

“Then I definitely want to meet her. I feel… I don’t know what it is, Ben. Maybe I feel a kind of kinship with these women I don’t even know. That sounds pretty strange, huh?”

“Not at all. I’ve heard that sort of description of it before, and seen it, too.”

“Well I’m almost done for the day, once I finish up the records for my last patient. When will you be here?”

I glanced at the console.

“In four minutes and twenty-three seconds.”

“I guess I better hurry, then. I’ll see you soon.”

She was all giddiness and giggles when she came outside.

“I swear you make me feel 30 years younger, Ben. Here I am all nervous about a dinner date, and hoping that…” Lauren’s voice trailed off.

“Hoping what?”

“Well… Oh, it’s nothing.”

“Dr. Steiner, are you hoping to get lucky?”

“No… well, yes, but that’s not…”

I looked in her eyes and saw hope, caring, and a little apprehension. I pulled her to me and kissed her, drawing it out for several seconds.

“Ben! What will everyone think?” She tilted her head back toward the clinic.

“Maybe they’ll think that you’re falling in love, Lauren.”

She looked at me, her mouth open in surprise. I took advantage of it with another kiss, which she returned enthusiastically.

“I love you, Lauren. It’s a complicated situation, but I do love you.”

“Oh, and I love you, too, Ben.”

“Hon, we need to talk about a lot of things.”

As the roadable navigated it’s way toward Mission Valley, I explained everything, just as I had with the other girls. Lauren became very upset when I told her about Harrison’s nano-proteins, so I grounded the Saab at a nearby shopping center and parked so we could talk.

“That son of a bitch! What gave him the right?”

“Nothing gave him the right, Lauren, he just did it.”

“You don’t understand, Ben. It was a horrible time. People died. A LOT of people died. Countries accused each other of using biological weapons. There were what the politicians called ‘armed conflicts’ which were really just little war battles. That went on for a couple of years until we figured out that everyone on the planet was affected.

“Some people thought it was the end of the world. Hundreds committed suicide. And all the while us doctors and researchers were scrambling to try to find out what was happening to us. People were killing each other and themselves and we couldn’t find the answer. It was horrible!”

There was nothing I could say. I just held her until she stopped shaking from the memories.

“He has to pay for what he did, Ben. The truth has to come out. This is the Holocaust all over again, only on a much larger scale.”

“I agree, Lauren, but right now that may be a very dangerous proposition.”

I told her about Dimitri’s story of Maurice St. Claire and the other men who had wanted to expose Harrison, then had suddenly disappeared.

“I apologize for not giving you a choice in this Lauren, but I love you and I need you to be safe. You cannot talk to anyone other than me about this, and only when we’re sure that we can’t be overheard. We also have to assume that all electronic communication between us is being monitored. Please know that I said that as a command only because I need you to be safe. I wish there was some other way.

“Yes, the truth about what Harrison did does need to come out, but we need to be careful. He got his version of the story out first and people tend to believe the first thing they hear more than the things that follow. He has a considerable head start and basically unlimited resources to promote himself as the savior of humanity. Even if St. Claire and the other men didn’t run into any foul play, just coming out and telling the world what really happened will get us branded as lunatics. Harrison’s story is plausible, and it’s what people want to believe.

“I think that we need to assume that Harrison did do something to the men who wanted to expose him, and act accordingly. A low profile won’t cut it, we need to have NO profile when it comes to this. I need to find out where he has influence. I know that he’s spent a lot of time with those in political power, and I’m pretty sure that he has absolute control over many women in powerful positions due to the effects of the nano-protein. I need to find out where his influence lies, what he’s doing with that influence, and what he’s planning on doing. To that end, Lauren, I need to go back to Michigan immediately.”

She hugged herself tighter to me.

“I understand, Ben, but… please be careful. Please?”

“Of course, Lauren. We all need to be careful.”

“I’ll be careful and… Oh shit!”

“What?”

“You said that the nano-protein self-replicates and spreads quickly, right?”

“Yes, why?”

“It was in the medical news today. The Queen of Norway has announced her intention to nationalize the Future Hope project to keep it from going under. The press statement said that she was happy that women are getting pregnant, but she’s concerned because her science advisors think that there won’t be enough genetic diversity with only about 1200 fathers in the world. They think that the frozen Future Hope embryos should be used to broaden the global gene pool.”

“When were those embryos frozen, hon?”

“About fifteen years ago. The nano-protein would have still been active then, right?”

“Almost certainly. And I don’t know if background radiation will affect it when it’s cryogenically frozen. If they thaw those embryos out, it could release the nano-protein and start the cycle all over again, only this time there wouldn’t be a bunch of guys stuck in time for twenty years to save the day. Oh shit is right, Lauren!”

“We have to tell the Queen.”

“We can’t. Not until we know what Harrison is doing. Telling the Queen is the same thing as going public with the information. If Harrison is ‘silencing’ people who try to go public, we’d jump right to the top of his list. Was there any information about when she’d be nationalizing Future Hope?”

“Not that I saw. The news just said that she’d made a statement that she intends to do it, not that she already has.”

“OK. Last I knew, Norway’s a constitutional monarchy. To nationalize Future Hope would probably require debate and then voting in their parliament. They only have one house in their parliament, so just one vote could pass it. Governments almost never move quickly, so I think we have some time. I can’t really estimate how much with any accuracy, though.”

“If you’re trying to impress me, it worked. How do you know so much about Norway’s government?”

“College roommate. My freshman year they decided to assign the child physics prodigy to a room with the petro-geology genius from Oslo. Rolf was proud of his homeland and never missed an opportunity to talk about it to anyone who would listen.”

“How are we going to stop the Queen from releasing that virus…”

“Nano-protein, actually.”

“OK, nano-protein. How are we going to stop her when Clifford Harrison seems to be making people who talk about it disappear?”

“I need to do something to at least dilute his power and influence. I don’t know what that is yet, but I need to do it soon.”

I tapped the console and the roadable lifted and merged into the traffic, once again on a course to Giovanni’s.

“…and Doctor Lauren Steiner, this is Janet Morton, our server tonight... and so much more.”

Of course I’d requested that we be seated in Janet’s section.

“Aren’t you at Pacific Women’s Health, Dr. Steiner?”

“Yes, I am.”

“I knew I recognized your name. I see Dr. Robinson.”

“You’re in good hands, then. Nora’s one of the best obstetricians in the business.”

“Obstet… You know?”

“Well, Ben did say that you were much more than just our server.”

Janet blushed.

“Besides, I felt a connection with you as soon as I saw you.”

“I felt it too… wait… You too?”

“Yup. I’m going to have Nora deliver my baby, too.”

Janet stepped to Lauren’s side of the table and gave her a quick hug.

“Welcome to the family,” she said, then she fixed me with a mock glare.

“Must you take advantage of EVERY woman you see, Ben?”

“Hey, I let Anya and Amanda from the salon get away, didn’t I? But I suppose that I might have taken advantage of them if I hadn’t been so smitten by the lovely Princess Janet.”

“He’s impossible, isn’t he?” Janet asked with another blush.

“It’s part of his charm, Janet.”

“If you say so. But still I think he just likes finding ways to embarrass me.”

Dinner was outstanding. I repeated the pizza delivery trick, sending a note to Shannon to let her know that I was headed to Michigan. I figured that I could “nonchalantly” let Dimitri know when I logged into the discussion group for the downstreamed men, but I was still trying to keep my communications with Shannon secret; hence the cloak-and-dagger bit with the note again.

My departure from Lauren back at the clinic parking lot was tender and a little tearful. We shared hugs and soft kisses, and she sniffled a bit about how much she was going to miss me. She refused to let me go before she secured a promise from me to return soon and, as she put it: “…help me knock the slats out of my bed.” Of course I promised.

I made it back to Giovanni’s with time to spare before Janet’s shift ended, so I brought up the comms system and logged into the downstream discussion group. Jorge Melendez’ video image was featured, indicating that he had the floor for the discussion at the moment.

“…moving well, but I think I’m still several weeks away from having a potential cure for Van den Haas Syndrome that I’d be willing to let go to testing. Not that the men who are afflicted have any other hope, but scientific ethics still demands that… Ben? Is that you, Dr. Lincoln?”

“Hi Jorge. Yes, it’s me. Hello everyone. I don’t want to interrupt you, though. You were talking about some syndrome that I’ve never heard of?”

“Yes, Van den Haas Syndrome. It’s not surprising that you’ve never heard of it. Even though it seems to have been around at least for several decades, it wasn’t discovered until 18 years ago, during the big push in fertility research. Dr. Van den Haas in Rotterdam isolated it as a genetic defect that impacts most of the organs before eventually becoming terminal. One of the common effects is dramatically decreased sperm production. Fortunately it’s extremely rare. At the moment there are probably less than fifty men afflicted with it worldwide.

“I got the mandate from HGT corporate to focus on Van den Haas Syndrome as the first target for a new line of nano-proteins to cure genetic diseases. It seemed like a waste of time, given the small number of people who are victims of the disease, but corporate insisted. I can see the value of starting with something like Van den Haas, though. It’s genetic, non-communicable, and 100 percent terminal 100 percent of the time. And it’s been a difficult one to unravel.”

I brought up a resource window and glanced through the information available about Van den Haas Syndrome. It was a nasty little bugger. It often announced it’s presence via the skin, which is the largest organ of the body, though most people don’t think of it as an organ. Extreme skin photosensitivity was usually the first noticeable symptom, but by the time that showed up the victim would already have decreased sperm output, the beginnings of calcification in the lungs, and any number of other organ problems either starting or well under way. It didn’t matter, though, because once the disease activated, it would eventually end in death.

“So as I was saying, in a few months I think I may have a nano-protein that will cure Van den Haas Syndrome and stop the progressive damage to the body organs so that they can repair themselves to the best of their ability. I look forward to using the technology to cure this disease and hopefully many more.

“What have you been up to, Ben?”

I saw the featured vid image switch to me, indicating that Jorge had passed the floor to me.

“I’m actually in San Diego right now. I’ve been, um, fulfilling my biological responsibility for the past few days.”

There were a few chuckles from the men in the room.

“Like you, though, I want to get back to work and improve the technology of the Temporal Singularity, with an eye toward finding productive uses for it. I’m heading back to Michigan soon. I’m going to get myself situated at home and then see what I can do at HGT to advance the Singularity and adapt it for practical use.

“I met with Dimitri Kyriakos… is he here?”

“Hello again Ben.”

“Hello Dimitri. Anyway, Dimitri and I met and he had some good ideas. He encouraged me to continue my work with the Temporal Singularity. I’m taking your advice, Dimitri, and I’m going to look into all the things we talked about.”

“That’s great news, Ben. I look forward to hearing about the results.”

“Say, how did you make out with those two who were having confidence problems?”

“I’m making good progress, Ben. Things are much better, and I think they’re going to be OK with a little more fine tuning.”

“Great. Well, I need to go say goodbye to someone before I head off to Michigan, so I’m going to drop off here. It’s good to see you all, and I’ll poke my head in when I can.”

I disconnected and exited the Saab as I saw Janet and Denise coming out the door of the restaurant.

“Good evening ladies. Can I offer you a ride?”

Denise had said goodbye and jumped out of the vehicle as soon as we got to their apartment. She’d ridden in the back, at her insistence, and she’d probably spotted my bags and figured out that I was leaving.

“Thank you, Ben,” said Janet.

“You’re welcome, Princess. No need for you and Denise to wait for the San-Trans when…”

“No… well, thank you for that, too, but I meant thank you for making me your woman. Thank you for giving me your baby. You’ve made me feel… complete. I was OK before, but now my life is wonderful. Now I know that I am yours and I’m going to have your baby. You call me Princess Janet, but I think that you’re brave Prince Ben who rescued me from an incomplete life and won my heart. Thank you, Prince Ben, for bringing me into your family and making me one of Prince Ben’s women.”

“You’re always Princess Janet to me, but right now I’m talking to Janet Morton. I love you, Janet. I knew it the moment Dimitri asked if he could sleep with you and Cheryl. I didn’t want him to, but I do want you to live your life as you want to live it, so I pushed my jealousy aside and told him that it was up to you. But I knew that I loved you. And Cheryl. And others, including Lauren. I know it sounds strange that someone could romantically love several people, but that’s what I feel. Most importantly right now, I love you Janet Morton.”

Her kiss was warm, soft, elegant, and perfect. The poise and grace she’d found in Princess Janet was now a full-time part of her.

“I love you, Ben Lincoln. I am your woman; first, last, always, and only your woman. I knew I loved you from the moment you made me yours, and now you’ve found yet another way to give me even more by loving me back. You’re an amazing man, Ben.”

The tenderness and love that we were sharing made it all the more difficult to tell her that I was leaving, but she took it well. Princess Janet was definitely an integral part of her.

A few stretches and a brisk walk down the street to find a restaurant for breakfast had been just the thing to loosen up my stiff muscles.

Boulder was a college town, and there were plenty of students at the restaurant. I requested a table near the back, and the hostess accommodated my request, after treating me to an unmistakably seductive look. Despite my desire to be unobtrusive, I started getting glances from the girls in the restaurant.

The service was quick, and I ordered a “Boulder Omelette,” which appeared to be a local variation of the Denver Omelette, with diced beef replacing the traditional ham. I checked messages on my mobile while I waited for my breakfast, still aware of the increasing level of attention I was getting from dozens of college girls. One table had a group of eight small girls, none of whom looked older than 16. They were shooting not-so-subtle glances at me and whispering among themselves constantly. As soon as my order arrived, a girl with a ponytail of flaming red hair stood up from the table and strutted toward me. She may have looked 16, but she knew how to move like an adult.

“Excuse me, but are you Dr. Benjamin Lincoln?”

“Yes, I am. Please call me Ben.”

I stood and offered her a seat opposite me at the table. She sat and I followed suit.

“Hi Ben. I’m Tanya.”

“Hello Tanya. How do you know who I am?”

“I’m a physics major, so it was pretty obvious, but you’re kinda a big deal anyway, with the whole Morocco thing and all.”

“Hmm. I guess I never thought of myself as a big deal.”

“Trust me, Ben, being able to make babies is a big deal. Having a bazillion dollars is a big deal. You’re a big deal.”

“I’ll take your word for it, then. So what brings you to my table? Was it just a mission to identify me, or did you and the others over there have some other plan?”

“Well, half of them didn’t believe me when I told them it was you, and none of them have the guts to come over here and ask for what they want.”

“What would that be?”

“Come back to my dorm and I will fuck your brains out as only a nationally-ranked gymnast can, as long as you’ll knock me up.”

I’d been expecting some kind of request like that, but her bluntness was astounding. Still, I managed to just keep chewing on the bite of omelette I had in my mouth as if I got that kind of request every day at breakfast. I took my time with it, thinking as I chewed and swallowed. If she wanted blunt, I’d give her blunt.

“Tanya, I want you to look at me, listen to me, and keep your shit together while we talk, because the entire rest of the gymnastics team is staring at you right now. Can you do that?”

She nodded.

“You are a gutsy girl. If you got into a physics program, you’re also a smart girl. What year are you in?”

“Junior.”

“So you’re gutsy, smart, athletic, good looking, someone who takes action, and someone who’s a year and a half from graduating college. If you’re nationally-ranked, then I’m guessing that you may have a gymnastics scholarship?”

She nodded.

“How do you plan on keeping that scholarship if you’re pregnant and can’t compete? And how do you plan on finishing your degree and raising a baby at the same time?”

“I’ll quit school. I want a baby. Everyone wants a baby, but nobody else in this restaurant has the balls to walk over here and ask the world’s most eligible bachelor to give them one.”

“Well, that’s a problem for me, Tanya. I want the mothers of my children to live up their fullest potential. You’re a hottie, but let me tell you about a girl I know who is so overwhelmingly sexy that she could practically raise the dead. She’s a LOT hotter than you, Tanya. I couldn’t sit and talk to her like I’m talking to you because she’s far too sexually stimulating. I know, because I tried. She’s a college freshman and do you know what she did to me?”

Tanya’s eyes were wide. She shook her head.

“Tanya, she stripped naked within five minutes of meeting me for the first time. And then she dragged me into her bathroom, took my clothes off, and pulled me into the shower with her. I was practically helpless to resist, she was so incredibly sexy.”

Tanya’s lips were parted and she was breathing deeply, clearly aroused by the story of Arianna and I.

“She turned her back to me, Tanya, then she bent forward, then she begged me—she BEGGED me, Tanya—to get her pregnant. Do you want to know what I did?”

She nodded vigorously. I sat back in my chair and let her wait for a few moments as I had a few more bites of my omelette.

“I told her to finish her college degree. No degree, no baby.”

Tanya looked at me in shock.

“You… you didn’t touch her?”

I leaned forward, my face close to hers, and took her hands in mine. Her teammates were watching us in rapt attention. I spoke quietly.

“I fucked her ass until she came like a freight train, Tanya. She screamed so loud when she came, it almost hurt my ears.”

Tanya’s eyes bulged. I released her hands and sat back.

“So, Tanya, I want you to finish your college degree. I want you to live up to your fullest potential. I can understand your desire for a baby, but I’m not going to be the father of your baby… UNTIL…”

She looked at me in surprise.

“…until you have at least your Bachelor’s degree. Show me your name on a B.S. or, even better, a B.A, and then maybe we can talk. Prove to me that you’re someone who follows through. I admire your smarts, your guts, your willingness to take action, your beauty, and your athletic skill, but being a mother requires that you follow things through to completion. Show me that with your degree, Tanya. Do you think you can do that?”

She nodded.

“Do you think you’ll still be interested in having a baby after you graduate?”

“Yes,” she husked.

I pulled out my mobile and set it on the table in front of her.

“Tanya, ONLY if you want to, you can scan your information into my mobile and I will put you in the calendar to contact a year from next June. At that time we can talk about what is best for both of us. But I only want you to do it if YOU want to.”

She picked up the phone and scanned her thumbprint, then handed it back to me.

“Thank you, Tanya. Now, I’d say that in your current state of arousal you could go back and tell the rest of the team pretty much any story you want and they’d believe you. The truth is that we made a date to get together after you graduate, and that’s the way that I would tell it, but you do what you think is best. You’re a gutsy lady, Tanya, and I admire that. I certainly don’t want to make you look bad in front of your team.”

“Thank you, Ben.”

I stood as she did, then sat again when she turned away and started walking back to her table. I waited until she got halfway there.

“Oh, and Tanya?”

She turned back.

“Don’t be surprised if you hear from me sooner than you expect.”

THAT got stunned looks from the gymnastics table and a smile from Tanya. Whatever story she told them would now have plenty of credibility. I made an additional note in the mobile to call her after the new year to see how her studies were going.

The incident with Tanya, combined with the things Dimitri had told me on the beach, got me to thinking. Tanya wasn’t likely to ever be a “concubine.” How would I deal with women who would be mothers of my children, but not be romantically linked to me? The “control and command” approach that Dimitri tried had failed miserably, and I knew that wasn’t something I’d try anyway.

As the Saab lifted, I called the main number for Meyer, Paulson and Franck. By the time I’d ascended to the main cross-country travel lanes, I’d been connected to their Detroit office and I was describing what I wanted to Julie D’Ambrosio, an associate who specialized in contract law. She promised that she would have things completed by the end of the day, but said they would be closed by the time I arrived in Michigan. I told her it could wait to the next day.