It was a few hours later when I regained consciousness. The chloroform was strong acting. My head throbbed with a dull ache. I felt like a truck had hit me.

As I ascended to the conscious world, I was aware of my lying in a bed. My eyes blinked rapidly, each time a little longer, until my vision stabilized.

Howard sat on the corner of the bed. He was still dressed in his Hawaiian shorts, without a shirt, peering at me. From the look he sent me, it seemed as though he was slightly concerned with my physical well being.

"Are you all right?" he asked, grazing my arm with the tips of his fingers.

Slowly, I nodded. I couldn't find my voice. My vocal cords seemed numb, dysfunctional. I tried to sit up, but found that too taxing. I ran my fingers through my hair, scooping it out of my face.

Howard swung his arm behind me, assisting me to a sitting position. His touch was gentle, caring. "You worried me. I was afraid I gave you too much. You've been out for hours."

A faraway look warmed his face. Those dark pupils glowed with satisfaction. " Alex won't permit you to stay as my guest for long. He'd rather pay a premium for your safe return than let his imagination run away with him."

His comment sent a chill down my spine. "What do you plan to do with me?"

"Nothing. All you need do is stay here with me until Alex gives me the money."

My heart hammered in my chest. "We could be here for a considerable time."

"Perhaps not. If Alex wants to buy your freedom, the money could come sooner."

I didn't like the role I was to play. A lot could happen.

Howard gestured to the telephone. "Alex should have recovered by now. I didn't give him nearly as much. It's my guess he's been thrown into a panic. He knows I have you."

"I'm sure you're proud of yourself."

"I'll be glad when I get my half of the money." He snatched up the receiver and punched out the sequence of numbers. "He'll probably want to talk to you." A nasty smile beamed on his face. "Sound terrorized. Make it good. It'll speed things up."

I watched his virile profile and willed myself to hate him. Strangely, I couldn't muster hatred, only desire.

"Alex? It's Howard. Have you found the note I left you? Great. Then you know I mean business. Yes. I've got her right here." His eyes shifted to me. He assessed me with a raw look. His tone was sedate, yet smacked of authority. He let both Alex and I simultaneously know he was in control. He sat in an upholstered chair, assuming a relaxed position. His gaze never left me. "Sure, she's okay. I didn't hurt her. I took her for insurance."

"This is ridiculous," I complained. "You're keeping me hostage in lieu of the money Alex supposedly owes you. Why do such a stupid thing?"

He dismissed my comment, drawn into his conversation with Alex. "That's right, I want every cent you owe me. If I don't get it, well, we'll talk about that later."

I didn't like his unfinished sentence. It worried me. What would Howard do to me if Alex failed to give him what he wanted? I refused to accept Alex would be that insensitive. Money couldn't rank higher in his affections.

"Think on it, buddy. We'll talk later. Oh, I know you won't go to the police. This whole thing would open up an unpleasant investigation for you. You wouldn't want to air dirty laundry. They're probably waiting to get the inside track on your operation."

I couldn't believe it was Howard saying these things. He must really detest Alex to take such extreme measures. The fact they were partners widened the puzzle.

Howard put the phone down, and then went into a strange transformation. The tough façade was abandoned, replaced by the caring person he was upon my awakening. His face lacked the scornful lines I'd seen earlier. "Are you hungry? Would you care for something to eat? I have food."

I didn't have much of an appetite. The chloroform must have dulled it. "What did you mean, 'if you don't give me the money'?"

Howard shrugged. "Skip it. He knows what I mean. That's crucial."

"I want to know."

He got up and paced the floor. "Look, I'm sorry you were drawn into this mess, but I needed a guarantee. Alex was fucking me over. There had to be a way of getting my hands on that money."

"You aren't afraid to use force but to what extent? Does it stop with chloroform, or will you go further?" I was chilled as I spoke my mind.

He sighed aloud, and then threw himself on the bed. His arms were folded behind his head, his eyes fixed to the ceiling. I wasn't sure if I touched on a hot button, or if he was baffled as to what course he might take.

Seeing him stretched out like that, visibly frustrated, caused my pulse to jump. I didn't want to be distracted with horny thoughts, but their seizure was irrevocable. I gazed at the sinew in his hair-rough thighs, the muscles in his upper arms, the powerful forearms, that well developed chest with its heavy matting, I thought about the moment it served as a wall against which I fought while he subjected me to that awful smelling cloth. I studied that profile, that feral look.

If the machinations of an irrational man brought me to this place, I would have to count on my female instincts in order to leave. Howard's impetuousness might have been driven by money, but I was betting on the male side of him to be his Achilles' heel. By submitting to him, I could control his sexual urge. I could get him to do anything I wanted; even release me. I had to proceed with caution. The slightest mistake on my part could mean danger.

"You're not really sorry you bought me here are you?" I spoke in a low, seductive voice. "You're kind of glad to be alone with me."

I spotted a glimmer of desire in his eyes, despite their not being focused on me. He didn't stir, but instead permitted me to massage him. I wove through the dense ringlets until I located his nipple. I circled it several times before stroking it. He jerked involuntarily. I doubted he was aware of how great an erogenous zone that was. Most men discounted the stimulation that could be had in that area.

"Do you like that?" I teased.

He failed to comment. His verbal acknowledgment was unnecessary. I knew of his satisfaction. His expression was telling. It amazed me how simply I abandoned my uneasiness and replaced it with emotion. I supposed our being sequestered was partially the reason. Had I been at my place, or Alex's, temptation wouldn't have dared enter my mind. Though it was delightful to pursue these submerged impulses, I started to question where they would lead. Would I stop with a plain massage, or go further?

My question was assigned an answer in the next heart-pounding minute. My fingers slithered across the flatboard of his stomach and went beneath the waistband of his Hawaiian shorts. I touched the tip of his maleness, noticing it wasn't completely hard, but definitely getting there.

Suddenly, he grabbed my wrist and yanked my hand from him. "No, don't." His voice was strangled, urgent.

"Why?" I was frustrated, wanting.

"I didn't bring you to this place so we could fuck. That wasn't my objective." He sat up, his cheeks crimson. "I just want my money."

Although spoken with sincerity, I didn't accept his statement as true. Not for one second. Oh, I believed he originally had honorable intentions, but now he couldn't fool me. A man can't exist in the same room with a half-naked woman, one whom he has fantasized about in the past, and not expect to satisfy that burning urge. I flattered myself a principled person, but couldn't ignore the deep sexual longing that swept through my body. I couldn't explain my feverish reaction to him, nor was I about to examine the reasons.

I ran my hand down the length of his stomach, stopping just before the rim of his Hawaiian shorts. His flesh was firm, covered with hair. I wiggled over the manly section before dipping my fingertips below the waistband.

"Don't," he said, hastily removing my hand. His knees slammed together to forbid me entrance. "I didn't bring you here for that."

My lips curved. My enthusiasm wasn't the least dampened. "Then why did you bring me here, Howard? Surely, that was partly on your mind.

"No, it wasn't. Your presence was to only expedite settlement. I'm not going to take additional advantage."

"You can't mean that. Not when I know you're attracted to me. You are, Howard. I can tell. I've seen how you stare at me. That spacey look is a dead giveaway. The corners of your mouth twitch. You know you want to see my breasts, gaze at their heftiness, their shape. You can't fool me. I can feel your head crane when I've squeezed myself into a low-cut dress. You want to check out my cleavage. You're trying to find those elusive nipples, as though the top of them will poop into view."

I could see I was arousing him. He was visibly less resistant to my sexy lilt. His dark pupils were on me, unblinking. I could feel the horny vibrations emanate from his body. I reached deeply into my vocabulary for every turn of phase I could use to seduce him. I wanted to get him achingly hard. I was going to make him my slave.

I took his hand and steered it between my legs. I met no resistance. I let those long fingers slip into my bikini bottoms.

"Can't you feel how damp I am? Did you think I just happen to be that way? Move your fingers through it. Find my clit. Go ahead, it's okay."

I had Howard under my spell. I felt movement, gentle twitching. Moisture filled my center. It seeped from my molten core, a natural extension of my hidden desire. I had always harbored this passion for him, and now that fate had given me a chance to express it, I permitted his knowledge.

"Ohhh." I sobbed as his finger went into my hot, honey pot. "oh, yes, I want you to do that, Howard, I love it. Ohhh."
I wasn't sure if he was fully aware of what he was doing to me. The intensity of his features had me puzzled. Was he lured into a web of sexual intrigue? Were his instincts on automatic pilot, his mind numb with desire? Was it me he pictured in his mind as he worked his finger, or was his lust warranted by an erotic hallucination? I hoped I was responsible for the glazed look in his eyes.

I returned my hand to his stomach. There was no deflection on his part. He was breathing a little harder, listening to my sultry tone. The sweep of my fingertips accentuated his excitement. I felt palpitations as I stroked him. I noticed his knees come apart, his crotch elevated, that glassy look superimposed on his face.

"You're as attracted to me as I am to you, Howard. This situation, although unanticipated, gives us the opportunity to explore that attraction. We don't have to be afraid of it. Alex doesn't have to know. I certainly won't tell him."

Once again, I slipped my hand into his shorts. I felt the bulb of his dick. I caressed the top with my thumb and encountered a bead of cum. Hmmmmmmmm. Perhaps I'd better slow down. I didn't want to overexcite him.

"Is it true?" I asked him. "Haven't you fantasized about being with me? About fucking me?"

His Adam's apple rippled. Without speaking, he nodded. Naked desire echoed from his rugged scowl.

"Yes, of course you have. I thought about it, too. When you were around Alex and me, I felt as though your presence dominated the room. I couldn't block it until long after you left. By then, I was so turned on; I could go for hours with Alex. I closed my eyes and pretended that you were inside me. I would moan beneath Alex, letting him thrust deep into me, and see your face supplanted. I would cum so hard, so fucking hard."

My fingers slid down his towering shaft. He was completely swollen, filling my grasp. I couldn't wait to look inside his shorts. His size excited me.

Again, he made no attempt to sever the connection. His chest rose and fell as I stroked him. I was afraid to take my eyes off his, believing it would break the spell. Howard seemed drawn into my mesmerizing stare, affected by my silken voice. I couldn't risk ending this prematurely.

"How could you feel that way after what I did to you?" he asked in a husky tone.

"I've already forgotten. Being near you like this sharpens my appetite. I don't care what you had to do tot get me here. All I want is to pleasure you."

Without taking my eyes off him, I tilted my head and let out my tongue. I slurped his enlarged dickhead.
"Oh, Sherl." He gasped, shuddering.

Little by little, I pulled his Hawaiian shorts down and uncovered his swollen dick. A long, thick column of male excitement was revealed. A lump formed at the base of my throat as I stared at it. He was enormous.

"Howard, you have a really nice dick," I purred. "I'm getting hungry looking at it." My tongue reached for the bloated crown. I dabbed him with saliva. "Mmmmm, tastes so good."

Howard's face was marred with contortions. I don't think he was prepared for that scorching sensation. I watched his fingers curl and uncurl, his thumb shake and wondered if he wasn't going to snatch himself away once again. He didn't appear comfortable with what we were doing. Perhaps a small part of him remained loyal to Alex. Having a big dick in my face canceled my guilt.

I lashed him a second time. Howard sank onto his back, exhaling harshly, his eyes centered on my darting tongue. Those dark pupils began to guide me in my subsequent licks.

His hand went to the top of my head. I felt the exertion of his fingertips. He was showing me what to do, how to get him off. I let his varying pressure instruct me. I thought it sexy how his need for my mouth finally surfaced. He gave no verbal instruction, merely physical prompting.

I lowered my face to the prescribed areas, working my limber tip. I slurped his dick carefully, giving him the enjoyment he craved. My tip ran over the taut, pulsing surface. I listened as he groaned. Through my oral ministrations, I felt his nervousness subside. Whatever prohibited his taking benefit of my head giving no longer overruled. I was allowed to sober him to my satisfaction.

Howard dragged air into his lungs. He had difficulty breathing. "You're getting me too excited, I'm going to cum."

I heard the warning but let it pass. I wasn't afraid of his cumming. I planned on swallowing all that he had.

"Sherl," he murmured, trembling as I took larger mouthfuls of him. "Oh Sherl."

I worked him into a feverish commotion. My lips were more than he could handle. I didn't let up for a second. I plunged over that throbbing mass, having it fuck my mouth. He was going to remember this blow job for the rest of his life. It was going to serve as a sweet reminder of holding me hostage.

"Sherl, if you don't stop doing that, if you keep that up, I can't hold back."

The tight clasp of my lips must have been too much for him. He couldn't contain the heavy load for another second. I t shot from him and I was thirsty for it.

My feverish sucks didn't diminish in intensity. I stayed attached to him, stroking him with my mouth. I wouldn't even consider stopping until he finished cumming.

When the last of him was spent, I lifted my face. I released his dick very slowly, letting it drop from my lips.

Howard was weak from being sucked. He lay back, rolling his head from side to side, fighting to replenish his oxygen. His face was moist, his furry chest matted. Sweat dribbled down his forehead. His eyes weren't entirely closed; it was as though he struggled to remain conscious. The urge to sleep undoubtedly gripped him.

He looked so vulnerable. Another session like this might deplete him of enough energy so I could make my escape.

His hand dropped on me. I was surprised by the weight of it. He indicated for me to lay next to him until he fully recovered. Even though I had just given him incredible oral pleasure, he still retained enough presence of mind to know I had to be watched.

I wasn't going to chance escaping at this particular minute. It would be my luck for him to regain his strength and come after me. I still wasn't entirely comfortable in his company.

I placed my face on his chest and rested with him.