Shiver of Restraint: The Tease
by Free Thinking Writer © 2008
(Part two of a continuing story)
Read Part One Here
— Alan —
The next day was Thursday. I woke early after a night of odd, half-formed dreams. I didn’t even know what she looked like, I didn’t know what her voice was like, but I was dreaming about her. In my dreams she had long black hair and flashing, exotic eyes. Her voice was like honey. And… Man, I hate dreams, I never remember the best details.
Work was hectic. It’s always hectic. I rescheduled my day to get out by 5:00, which meant I was actually out the door at 5:20. Enough time to get home, change quickly and get to the restaurant.
At home, I changed into a suit and tie. I had a purple Jerry Garcia tie I love, and I was actually looking forward to wearing it.
— Valeria —
I fretted all day. Last night it had all seemed so clear. Even when I’d written the advertisement, it had seemed clear. But now reality sunk in. I had no idea what I was doing.
What was Alan expecting? I shudder to guess. I’m pretty sure he wasn’t expecting what I had to offer.
Society has this image of dominant women. Well, multiple images. Some of them involve the B-word. More of them involve leather and whips.
Was Alan expecting some corset-clad dominatrix? That is so not me.
I just… like having things my way. I’ve tried the traditional relationships and even the very traditional relationships. I’ve let the man assume control. I’ve tried relationships where we’re equal partners. The first was always a disaster, and the second was more of a disaster.
Sometimes my boyfriends have been very adventurous in bed. I tried to indulge their fantasies. That’s what you do, right? To be fair, for the most part they also did their best to indulge me. But no matter what happened in the bedroom, once we left, they always thought they should be the one behind the wheel, the one to hold the clicker.
But that advertisement. Why did I write that advertisement?
— Alan —
I parked and was in front of the restaurant 7 minutes early. I hate being late to anything. It always leaves me frazzled. And when I’m running late, my driving suffers as I attempt to make up for lost time. So I was early.
I was nervous. I don’t know why. I’ve certainly had dates before. Most recently wasn’t that long ago. Eight months isn’t that long, is it?
I tried not to pace the sidewalk.
— Valeria —
I was early. I didn’t want to be early. I wanted Alan to be waiting for me when I arrived so I could check him out before I even parked.
I drove past the restaurant. There were a few people on the sidewalk, but only one of them was male and clearly waiting for someone. How could I tell? He glanced at his watch as I drove past then scanned the sidewalk in both directions. He was dressed in a suit, but I didn’t get much of a glimpse of his tie to be sure it was he. I was going to have to park and check him out by foot.
Maybe it was good if he was expecting a leather-clad dominatrix. He wouldn’t recognize me.
— Alan —
Why is it when we’re meeting someone, but we don’t know what the person looks like, we still peer intently at everyone to see if she is the person we’re meeting? Everyone ignored me and hurried past, either down the road or several into the restaurant.
— Valeria —
I took a deep breath and got out of the car, pulling my coat around me. Underneath I was wearing a red dress, but the September evening was chilly. My boot heels made clicking noises on the pavement.
When I said I wasn’t wearing leather, I meant I wasn’t wearing strictly leather. I loved those boots.
As I turned the corner, I applied a blank face. If the gentleman in the suit was wearing a purple tie and a frightening countenance, I didn’t want him to recognize me. He had his back turned away, so I checked him out.
Not too bad. Hard to tell under the suit, but it seemed he’d been fair when he described himself. I had several seconds to scope him out while I walked in his direction. He looked comfortable in the suit, not fussing at it like someone does when wearing unfamiliar clothing. As I got closer, my boots heralded my approach, and he turned to face me.
— Alan —
I heard the sound of heels against sidewalk and turned to face the approaching woman. My breath caught in my throat.
If this woman is Valeria, I’m way out of my league.
— Valeria —
My first thought when he turned around was simple. I wanted this man. I then experienced something I’ve never had before. I had a series of images flash before me: Alan underneath me, silk wrapped around his wrists; Alan kneeling in front of me; Alan’s tongue inside me.
I felt myself start to flush.
I don’t believe in love at first sight.
Lust, on the other hand, lust I had bad.
— Alan —
“I love the tie, Alan,” she said to me, holding out her hand. I shook automatically, but then she continued to hold my hand, her left coming up to cup the back of my neck. She pulled my head down while leaning towards me, kissing my cheek. After the kiss, she whispered quietly in my ear, “You don’t need to be so nervous.”
Before I could protest, she’d released me and entered the restaurant, ruining my chance to chivalrously hold the door. I followed on her heels.
Once inside, she looked over her shoulder at me and said, “Take my coat,” starting to shrug out of it. I caught it before it could fall, and she gestured towards the coat check on the right.
I caught up to her at the maitre-de’s station.
— Valeria —
I was pleased with my attempts to hide my blush; I don’t think Alan noticed. I decided immediately I was going to have him. I could tell by the way he looked at me I could have him using a more traditional approach, but I wanted him on my terms, and I wanted to set the ground rules from the beginning.
And of course, the best defense is a good offense.
— Alan —
I couldn’t believe she wouldn’t let me have the menu! She whisked it away from me before we were even completely seated, then asked a few generic questions about my food preferences. The waiter arrived to take a drink order, but she ordered both our meals with barely a glance in my direction.
— Valeria —
Poor Alan. He was too shocked to stop me. I hadn’t planned that, and watching his mouth gaping open, I thought I might have overplayed things. I don’t think he would have been any more shocked if I’d started undressing in the middle of the restaurant.
And this so wasn’t me. Or didn’t seem like it. But my mind kept flashing images in front of me, and with each one I grew increasingly sure of what I wanted.
For this to play the way I wanted, he needed to be kept off balance and nervous, but no so nervous he ran away.
— Alan —
“Give me your hand,” she said.
The demand broke me out of my silent shock. “Why?” I didn’t know what I wanted anymore. She was intelligent and lovely, and I could feel myself reacting to her, but I wasn’t used to being pushed around like this, and I wasn’t sure I liked it.
If she was like this already, what would she be like if I let her get her hooks into me. She didn’t say anything when I asked why. She just softly smiled, her left hand resting on the table, palm turned up. I stared at her while she waited. Her smile never faltered; her gaze never wavered. She simply waited.
I looked down at her hand as it rested invitingly on the table. Her fingers were long and delicate, her skin looked soft and inviting.
— Valeria —
When he balked and said “Why”, I knew I’d pushed him pretty hard. I smiled, unsure what I could to do convince him it was safe to trust me, that I wouldn’t hurt him.
I really wanted to touch him, to feel his strength.
To feel his surrender.
We continued to stare at each other silently. While still smiling, I mentally began to compose a speech. Something along the lines of, “Alan, I’m not a bitch.” No, that’s not it. “Alan, I really like you.” Eww. “Alan, I want to climb over there and rip your clothes off, right here, right now.”
Well, it was the truth.
Then he dropped his gaze to my hand held out waiting for his. I stopped composing. When he placed his hand in mine, everything else that had been going on my head was replaced with one simple thought.
Mine!
— Alan —
Her fingers wrapped around mine, her hand on the bottom, mine cupped over it. She looked down then reached over with her other hand and with just her index finger began lightly tracing designs on the back of my hand. Her eyes came back to mine, and she spoke.
I have no idea what she asked me. It just felt so nice to be touched.
— Valeria —
Mine!
— Alan —
Dinner was fabulous. I think. I don’t remember.
She turned my hand over eventually and slipped her fingers inside my shirt to touch my wrist, lightly, so lightly.
— Valeria —
Dinner was lovely. I probed Alan’s mind until the food arrived. Simple things to start. Where he grew up, what he wanted to be when he was a kid, that sort of thing. He spoke intelligently and confidently, even able to tell a story many would be too embarrassed to admit.
Reluctantly, I let him have his hand back when the food arrived. But once we’d eaten and the plates had been taken away, I didn’t have to say anything. I set my hand on the table and he immediately gave me his.
— Alan —
“Would you be so kind as to order dessert for us?” she asked.
I scanned the dessert menu. “We’re sharing?” I asked her. She nodded. “Tiramisu?” I said after a moment. She smiled.
— Valeria —
If there’s any desert that’s my weakness, it’s a well-prepared tiramisu.
I waited until the second bite was in his mouth before I asked him, “What did you think about the reading I assigned last night?”
— Alan —
I froze then swallowed. I used the napkin to buy myself some time, dabbing at my lips, then took some water.
“I don’t know,” I finally admitted. “The entire idea seems a bit contrived. “
—- Valeria —
I felt myself frowning, even though I was expecting a reserved response from him. “You responded to my ad. Why?”
He paused then looked embarrassed. “It was that phrase you used,” he said quietly as if worried anyone would overhear.
“What phrase?” I asked him. I knew exactly what phrase, but I wanted him to be thinking about it.
He turned a lovely color and tried to hide behind his water glass.
“What phrase?” I asked again, somewhat more insistently.
“The shiver of restraint,” he finally said, barely above a whisper.
I reached across the table and captured his hand again, circling my fingers around his wrist. He resisted me a little, but I think he was surprised by my strength. There was no way I was stronger than he was, but after just a moment’s resistance, he acquiesced to my control. I continued to stare into his eyes while clasping his wrist.
I smiled childishly and picked up my fork with my free hand. I used the tines of the fork to draw a dotted line across the top of the tiramisu. “That’s your half,” I gestured with my fork. Then I slowly stabbed through the desert, making sure I was well over the line when I did so.
— Alan —
I still wasn’t sure I liked her. I was even less sure I trusted her. But when the bill came, she released my hand, and my instant feeling was one of disappointment.
She glared at me when I reached for the check. Her hand was already on top of it. “This was my invitation, which means it’s my treat.”
I tried to argue, but her glare deepened, then she smiled. “You’re a good man,” she said as she handed a credit card to the waiter. “You can pay next time.”
I wasn’t sure there was going to be a next time. She was lovely and intelligent and even seemed to like me. But she was so not my type.
Do I even have a type?
— Valeria —
Now what?
— Alan —
She waited for me to fetch her coat from the coat check then allowed me to slip it over her shoulders for her. She thanked me with a kiss on my cheek.
I’ve helped many women put their coats on. Most of the time, they thank me. But that was the first time the thanks included a chaste kiss.
And yet, it didn’t really feel that chaste, either.
I managed to get to the door ahead of her; she thanked me as she stepped through then took my hand when we reached the sidewalk. She pulled my arm to her then wrapped her arms around it, clutching tightly and leaning against me slightly. I loved having her that close. My heart was dancing.
I had no idea what I was doing.
After a moment, she drew us towards the parking lot. “Which car is yours?” she asked. “Wait, I bet I can guess.”
She reviewed the choices then pointed to a pink Cadillac. “You seem like the outgoing Mary Kay type,” she told me with a grin.
I laughed.
“No?” She pulled me further into the parking lot, stopping in front of a BWM roadster. “This one’s cute,” she said, looking back and forth between me and the car. I didn’t say anything. She grabbed my arm again, leaned her head on my shoulder for a minute, then turned us both around to look at the cars across the driveway from where we stood. She pulled on my arm, walked us both to an unassuming Ford, then abruptly pushed my back against the passenger door and leaned into me, pinning me against the car.
— Valeria —
“Do you want this to go any further,” I asked him, our faces only inches away.
He gulped. He actually gulped. I found his nervousness an additional turn on. He finally nodded silently.
“On my terms?” I added.
He looked away. If I’d given him the room to do so, he’d have backed away, too. I wasn’t going to give him too much room, and I wasn’t going to let him think too much, either.
Well, he was going to think, but his thoughts were going to be on my terms, too.
“I don’t know,” he said. “I’m not sure I’m your type.”
He was exactly my type! He didn’t know it yet, but I was his, too.
“You don’t want to make me happy?” I asked him, pouting a little. Okay, that wasn’t entirely fair, but I wanted him further off balance.
“It’s not that,” he started to say.
“You don’t think I can make you want to make me happy?” I said, pressing more firmly against him.
“Um-“ He put his hands on my hips, and I could tell he was about to try to push me away. I didn’t let him. I reached down and grabbed his wrists and pulled his hands away, then up and to the back of his neck. I held him like that, my wrists resting just behind his ears, his hands awkwardly behind his head. I used my hold to pull his head forward and kissed him.
— Alan —
She was kissing me. I’d never felt so out of control of the situation. Her tongue teased my lips briefly before she slowly broke the kiss.
Still pressing against me, looking up at me, she smiled. “I think you might like doing things my way.”
She didn’t wait for me to respond, but kissed me again, but this time didn’t linger. “You just need a little convincing,” she said. She adjusted her grip, holding both my index fingers with one hand. With her other, she reached into her purse.
My eyes widened when I saw the handcuffs. She didn’t ask permission before snapping it around my right wrist. She tried tugging on my arm with the cuffs, but I resisted.
“Alan,” she said quietly. “I won’t hurt you.”
I looked into her eyes. My emotions were all over the place. It was probably stupid, but for some reason, I trusted her. I let her pull my right wrist down and behind my back. The left followed, and she clicked the other half of the handcuffs around the wrist.
She kissed me again.
She hadn’t even finished kissing me before her hands were in my pockets. I squirmed to get away. “What are you doing?” I demanded.
“Looking for your car keys,” she said. “Ah, here they are.” She pulled them out, pressed the unlock button on the key fob, and the car I was pressed against did it’s normal beep-beep when it’s unlocked.
— Valeria —
I opened the front passenger door of his car then pushed him in, making sure he didn’t hit his head. I got him seated in the car and buckled him in.
That’s when I got serious with the kissing.
He kisses nice.
With a small sigh, I pulled away, looking into his face for a moment. He was so sweet! His eyes were still closed. I patted him on the cheek, then pulled my head out of the car and closed the door. I practically ran around to the driver side, got in and started the car.
— Alan —
“What are you doing?” I asked her.
“Kidnapping you,” she replied. She turned to look at me, her head cocked to the side. She reached out and loosened my tie, then started unbuttoning my shirt. Her fingers slipped inside and began to play with a nipple.
I shuddered.
“I’m going to take you home,” she said quietly. “I’m going to slowly remove every piece of your clothing.” She unbuttoned more of my shirt, caressing my skin with the backs of her fingers as she did so. “I’m going to tie you to my bed.” She loosened my belt and pants then slipped her fingers inside.
I was waiting for her. She looked down, then looked back and me and smiled. “And then I’m going to spend hours driving you crazy.”
She was already driving me crazy.
— Valeria —
Mine. Oh, definitely mine.
— Alan —
“Before I’m done with you, I think you’ll be ready to agree to any demands I make.” She cocked her head again, her hand clutching me. “Am I right?”
I gasped then nodded.
She gave me another squeeze, and I almost fainted. Then her hand withdrew and she kissed me on the nose.
— Valeria —
If you love a thing, set it free?
Oh, I hate that aphorism. But in this case, it was probably good advice.
— Alan —
“Unfortunately, as much fun as all that would be, it wouldn’t be fair. Not to you, not to me.”
“What?” I asked.
“Alan, I play for keeps. As worked up as you are right now, you’ll agree to anything, but you might not mean it in the morning.”
“Yes, I would,” I protested.
“Like I said, you’d agree to anything right now. You have a lot of thinking to do, Alan.”
She fished in her purse and pulled out a pad and pen, wrote her address down, and set it on the car dash.
“Saturday night, dinner, my place.” She reached behind me, fumbled with my wrists for a moment, then suddenly my arms were free. I squirmed a little to get comfortable again, and then she was kissing me again, quickly.
“We’ll talk. And then we’ll see.”
I was still stunned. She was leaving me?
“You don’t want me?” I think I asked her quietly.
— Valeria —
“Oh Alan,” I told him. “I want you more than you can imagine. But I need you to come to me with a clear head.”
Getting back out of the car was the hardest part of the entire night.

I was entranced by the back and forth of the charactors. I only wish I could have been alan.
Great job!!!!!!!
A merry dance and we all know who is in the lead.