Elsa unplugged her laptop and went down thehall to Viv’s place and was given permission to borrow her WiFi fora short time. Once connected, she hit the jackpot with a simpleGoogle search.

Mr. Black wasn’t just any run-of-the-millbusinessman as she had suspected. He was a well-known criminalprofiler for the FBI with a long list of accolades and honors tohis name. He also had a list just as long of criminals he hadhelped to capture and cases he had helped to solve. Elsa continuedon her quest to seek out all that she could about him, stunned ateverything she was reading. He was truly an amazing man, even if hewas a harsh task master.

If the community only knew of his bizarrerequests and rules, they might not think so highly of him. Not thatshe would ever disclose that sort of thing. Everyone was allowedtheir secrets. But surely she wasn’t the first of his conquests. Hewas nearly thirty-six years old and by his actions with her, heclearly had presence of mind and experience in dealing with women.Most especially in the manner he was dealing with her.

With his government connections, it was nowonder he could manipulate her computer and phone access and wasprivy to all her personal information. He truly was a noseydouchebag of epic proportions – albeit an intelligent,crime-solving, gorgeous, sex-depriving douchebag.

Overcome with everything she had learned, shesank into Viv’s couch and laughed ironically at herself. What wasit about her that she could attract the most screwed up anddemanding men? Did she have a target on her head that said: ifyou’re an asshole, here I am! Use and abuse me! Break my heart!Maybe the bull’s-eye was on her pussy. She must be secreting somejacked up pheromones to be attracting such weirdoes.

Why couldn’t Mr. Black be like he was afterher punishment: The one who had read her mind and body and takenher like she had always wanted to be taken; the man who had heldher close as he slept next to her; the person who had watched andtouched her gently when he thought she was asleep; the gentlemanwho had hand washed her skirt and set out one of his own cleanshirts for her to wear. That guy. Why not him? Was that tender manthe real person hiding behind the cold façade or was she justdeceiving herself like she had with Patrick?

She leaned her head back and sighed heavily.Now what was she going to do? The answer remained unspoken, buthovered on her lips: follow his rules until he says otherwise.

8: Unpredictable

Monday at work was every bit as frustrating asher weekend had been. After everything she had learned about Mr.Black, she was having a difficult time motivating herself and herlack of sleep was only making matters worse. She wanted to knowmore. The internet search had only produced basic facts about theinexplicable and handsome man, not the kind of details she couldreally sink her teeth into. Like was he married? Despite exhaustiveefforts and staying at Viv’s until the wee hours of the morning,she could find nothing at all about his personal life. The onlything of real interest was an obituary for his mother who had diedthe previous year and revealed that he was her only survivor.Unsurprisingly, there were no details of her death and Elsa wasleft to her imagination as to what had happened. Mr. Black had beenthorough in keeping his personal life private and it was maddening.What made a man like Victor Laurenzo tick? What kinds of atrocitieshad he seen with his job? She could only imagine.

She was eating an early lunch alone in heroffice while obsessing over Mr. Black when her phone notified herof a text message.

MrBlack: 1:00 pm, Albans Gynecology, 926Center St.

With everything that had happened and allthat was on her mind, she had forgotten about her appointment. Atleast this time a phone number was associated with the text messageand she promptly stored it in her list of contacts. Frowning at theimpersonal message, she considered whether or not to go. Of courseshe would go. Contract or not, she was too curious and intrigued byMr. Black not to. She began typing a response, but decided to justlet sleeping dogs lie. Anyway, what would she say?

After her appointment, she found her way backto her office and closed up early. There was just too much on hermind to try and get anymore work done.

Back at her apartment, she rummaged throughsome of her still packed boxes and found several items that shewasn’t planning on using and loaded them up and took them to 2500East Grace Street. The stark white walls and sterility of the homewere unwelcoming and if she was going to spend any time there, thenit would have to be made to feel like a real home.

The small hand woven rug that she had boughtat a flea market looked nice in the tiled entrance and gave theresidence a homier feel. Two pictures, one of the seaside and theother of a beautiful sunset, she hung over the mantle and in thedining area. She placed an old, small music box that was hers as achild on the night stand in the bedroom in hopes that it wouldbring some kind of peacefulness to the cold, empty house. The lastitem, a brightly colored comforter, she lay out on the large bed.It immediately gave the barren white room life and she smiled asshe looked around, pleased with herself, though the troublingthought crossed her mind that Mr. Black might not appreciate herpresumptuousness and efforts.

Two more days had come and gone without somuch as a phone call or text message from Mr. Black. She had drivenpast the brownstone several times to see if there was any lifewithin it, but only darkened windows glared back at her.

Wednesday was proving to be just asuneventful. The only good thing was that in the time away from Mr.Black, her mind had somewhat stopped fixating on him. Theunfortunate side effect of that was that her thoughts were nowdrifting back to Patrick.

On her way home from work, she bought abottle of chardonnay to ease her boredom.

Showered and with her bottle of wine freshlycracked open and Laura Palmer by Bastille thumping noisilyon her MP3 player, a knock on her door took her by surprise. Inonly a terrycloth robe, she chained the door and peeked out. On theother side stood Mr. Black, wearing the same form-fitting leatherjacket he had worn the first night she met him and dark, wornjeans. His expression was relaxed as he watched her through theopen door with his hands by his side and keys dangling casually ashe twirled them. When he shifted his stance, the smell of nicotineand his unique cologne erased any rational thoughts from herbrain.

“You told me to come to the door like anormal person and now you’re just going to leave me out here?” helifted an eyebrow at her.

Elsa sputtered and gave him a feeble smile asshe unchained the door and opened it wide for him to enter. Hemoved past her, brushing up against her purposefully. Tighteningher robe around her body, she watched him with new found interestas he moved about the room, touching her personal belongings andlooking over the family photos that she had scattered throughoutthe room.

She moved close to him and when she did, hepeeked over his shoulder, his eyes darkening with desire.

“You look and smell suitable for eating” hepurred, turning to face her and pulling her close to him by herwaist. “What are you wearing underneath?” he sneaked a hand underthe fabric.

Hell yes, she wanted to be devoured byhim. With cheeks flushed, she answered. “Nothing. I justshowered.”

One side of his mouth lifted, his crooked,wicked grin speaking directly to her pussy as he touched the fleshof her labia. “I know.”

“You’ve been watching again?” She felt herknees weaken as his mouth descended on hers and he thrust twodigits into her.

His tongue only probed her mouth briefly whenhe answered in a whispered tone against her mouth. “Again?” hepumped his fingers. “I’m always watching you, Elsa. I see and heareverything - where you go; what you do; who you’re doing itwith.”