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businessclass

NOTICE: This story contains explicit descriptions of sexual

activity between consenting adults. If you are not of legal age

to read such material, or if you find it offensive, then stop

reading now.

This story is (c) Copyright 2001 by Wiseguy and may not be

reposted on any for-profit system. Posting on a noncommercial

site is normally okay, but check with me first and do not alter

the story in any way.

The full text of this and all Wiseguy stories is available for

download (text or PDF) or for on-line viewing (HTTP) at my web

site, http://www.asstr.org/~Wiseguy.

I welcome all comments from readers (wiseguy35@hotmail.com).



Business Class

(c) Copyright 2001 by Wiseguy

Inspired by the real-life erotic hypnosis book _Look

Into My Eyes_ by Peter Masters.



It was her smile that first drew his attention -- a

subtle, secret smile that showed more in her eyes than

on her lips. When the smile was followed immediately

by a furtive glance in his direction, he pretended not

to notice.

But he was hooked. He had to know what she was

reading.

He shifted his laptop slightly on the table in front

of him, the better to covertly observe the woman

across the aisle. She seemed to be of medium height

and slender -- one might even say slight -- build.

Her hair was dark brown, long and curvy but carefully

arranged to frame an attractive, woman-next-door face.

She was reading what looked like a soft cover

textbook. It was fairly thin, maybe 150 pages. A

paper jacket, of the kind school children make from

grocery bags, concealed the cover. She studied it

intently, every now and again letting that hint of a

smile creep across her face and then catching herself.

A door opened and closed behind him. She looked up at

the sound; his eyes darted back to his laptop screen,

hoping she hadn't caught him studying her. In his

peripheral vision he saw her close the book, marking

her place with the inside flap of the homemade book

jacket, and lay it on the seat beside her.

"Your ticket, please?"

She gave a genuine smile to the conductor, who punched

her ticket and returned the stub. "The café car is

the next one up," the conductor explained. "Non-

alcoholic beverages are complimentary for business

class passengers; just show him your ticket stub."

"Thank you," she said sweetly. Her voice was a little

rough -- she'd be taking advantage of that offer soon,

her observer guessed.

Sure enough, a few moments later she stood up and

headed toward the café car. Her eyes met his for just

a moment as she passed, then moved on innocently. The

conductor followed, having finished his job for the

time being.

His curiosity would permit no further delays; with a

quick peek at the other passengers, he casually stood

up and eased across the aisle. He leaned over the

woman's seat, gently opened the book to the spot she'd

marked, and read the title from the top margin of the

page:

EROTIC HYPNOSIS: A Beginner's Guide

by Eric Milton.

His book.

His head dropped with a sigh that was half amusement,

half disbelief. Fate laughs at probabilities, he

thought to himself. He put the book down carefully,

making sure to leave it exactly as he'd found it, and

returned to his seat.

He was back in his seat, staring into his laptop

screen, when she passed him again in a whish of navy

blue cloth. He noted the Diet Sprite in her hand,

already open and sweating. She settled back into her

seat with her book, and he made a serious effort to

apply himself to his work.

It had been almost a year since he'd finished the

first draft of the book his traveling companion was

now reading, an entry-level guide to sexual hypnosis.

Sales had exceeded expectations enough that his New

York publishing house had just agreed to pay him an

advance for the sequel. Which means, he scolded

himself as he forced his gaze back from the reader's

legs to the unfinished chapter of that sequel on his

computer screen, that you'd better get your mind back

on business!

His hands hovered over the keyboard for a moment,

waiting. His brain responded, and the words began to

flow.

Fantasy #4: Sex at Sea

This fantasy may be particularly effective during a

summer holiday at the beach, or by the pool,

especially if your partner is already in a bathing

suit or less. Place your partner in trance and deepen

as much as you can -- the deeper the trance, the more

vivid the fantasy will be for her.

(Spoken to the subject)

We're on vacation in the Caribbean, just the two of

us. We've rented a boat for the afternoon, and are

cruising in a secluded cove. You feel the sun warming

you as you lie out on the deck in your skimpiest

swimsuit. You have plenty of sunscreen on, so you

don't have to worry about burning, and your favorite

sunglasses are protecting your eyes from the glare.

The gentle thrumming of the boat's engine is soothing

to you as you lie there on the deck. The sun's rays

are warm, so warm that even in your skimpiest swimsuit

you can feel tiny beads of sweat starting to form

underneath your suit. (Pause for a few moments to let

the feelings sink in.)

Still you lie there, enjoying the feel of the sun on

your bare skin, but getting warmer and warmer. You

decide to take off your swimsuit because it's just too

warm to be wearing it. Slowly, easily, using the

least amount of energy necessary, you take off your

swimsuit and leave it lying on the floor next to you.

Your skin can breathe now, and it feels so much better

now that it's all exposed to the sea air and sunshine.

(Again, pause a few moments to let her enjoy the

sensation.)

His eyes stole another glance across the aisle: the

woman sat upright, legs crossed, holding the book

close to her face. Her eyes scanned the pages in

front of them slowly and methodically while her lower

lip seemed to recede into her mouth. Between pages,

her left hand toyed idly with the top button on her

blouse. Her visage merged with his thought stream

until the mental picture in his mind was of her lying

naked on the bow of a sailboat. His cock tingled and

stiffened as the fantasy formed in his mind and

energized his fingers.

As you lie there in the nude, so comfortable, you

realize that there are parts of your body that don't

have sun block on them -- the parts that were covered

by your swimsuit. You certainly don't want sunburn on

those sensitive parts; you pick up your bottle of sun

block and squeeze a generous amount of it onto your

hand. It feels cool against the palm of your hand.

Now, using your hand, you wipe the lotion onto your

breasts, working it in to make sure every exposed part

of your breasts is protected. As you rub the lotion

in, you find yourself enjoying the sensation of your

hand caressing yourself, sliding so smoothly over your

soft skin. Your nipples become erect, and you play

with them as you rub the lotion into them, enjoying

the arousing feelings you get when your fingers touch

them. You are feeling very sexy and aroused now, and

it feels very good to indulge yourself. (Another

pause. Depending on her trance depth, your partner

may begin caressing herself as the fantasy plays out

in her mind.)

Now you remember that your crotch is also exposed to

the sun. You apply some more lotion to your fingers,

and with a smooth, easy motion you begin spreading

that lotion over your bikini area. You start with

your mound, letting your fingers run easily through

your pubic hair as you spread the lotion over the skin

beneath. You open your legs slightly and slide your

fingers between your thighs. As you rub the lotion up

and down over your slit, your finger accidentally

brushes your clit and a sudden wave of pleasure rushes

over you. You caress yourself more, and soon you feel

much more wetness in your center than just the lotion.

You slip a finger inside your vagina and fantasize

that you are having sex with me, letting your finger

stand in for my penis. It slides in and out, and you

feel a growing sexual arousal, an urgent need that

must be satisfied.

You hear a sound and sense a shadow falling over you.

Your eyes open and you see me standing over you,

watching you fondle yourself. You can see by the

bulge in my swim trunks that I am very aroused. I

push my trunks down, and seeing the size of my

erection gets you even more aroused than you already

are because you know that I want you.



You don't resist as I spread your legs apart and

settle down between them. You take my penis in your

hand and guide it into your vagina. It feels so good

as I penetrate you, filling you up and pressing

against all the sensitive spots inside you. You feel

your hips moving up and down on their own, working my

length in and out, and bringing you closer and closer

to orgasm.

"Oh, shit!"

She hadn't said it loudly, but the sudden outburst was

enough to break his concentration. He looked up to

see her kneeling on her seat, leaning over the one

beside her, a grimace on her face. She fumbled with

something unseen for a moment, then hustled up the

aisle toward the café car again. The dripping wet

napkin and empty can in her hands told the story.

She returned with the conductor, who carried an

oversized sponge. "It's not a problem," he assured

her as he dabbed at the seat and floor. "All the

fabrics are treated. In half an hour you won't be

able to tell anything happened."

"I'm really sorry," the lady replied. "I didn't

realize it was that close to the edge."

The conductor's friendly smile didn't waver. "Not to

worry, ma'am. It happens a lot." He continued

dabbing at the spill while the lady passenger fretted

over the mess.

The writer watched from his seat, then on an impulse

slid out and walked through to the café car. A simple

snack bar took up most of the space; the rest was

dotted with round tables and stools, all of which were

bolted to the floor. The snack bar attendant greeted

his new customer with a friendly, professional smile.

"How can I help you, sir?"

"Root beer and a Diet Sprite." The writer held up his

Business Class ticket stub.

The attendant nodded and place two ice-filled plastic

cups and two cans of soda on the counter. "Anything

else?"

"This'll do for now." With an answering smile of his

own, the writer gathered his drinks and returned to

the business class car. He set the drinks down on the

table by his laptop and, with a tentative clearing of

his throat, addressed the lady in the aisle. "Excuse

me." When she didn't respond, he reached out a

forefinger and touched her elbow. "Excuse me," he

repeated.

Her head turned at his touch, her eyes darting first

to the intruding finger, then to his face.

"There's plenty of space over here," he offered,

pointing to the table where his laptop sat. "The

table is level, too. Why don't you join me?"

He could see the doubt passing over her face. He put

on his best innocuous smile and lifted the new Diet

Sprite he'd bought. "See? I've even got a new drink

for you -- you wouldn't want that to go to waste,

would you?"

The smile worked -- she broke into one of her own,

chuckling slightly. "I suppose not," she agreed.

"But I hope that laptop is insured against moisture

damage."

"I'm willing to risk it. My name is Eric, by the

way." He put down the soda can and extended his hand.

Her handshake was well-practiced: firm and

businesslike, but not so much so that an insecure man

might feel challenged. "I'm Patty," she replied.

"Welcome to the big table, Patty." He winked at her

and then slid back into his seat, moving the laptop

closer to give her as much room as possible.

Patty took the seat diagonally across the conference

table from him, opened her soda and poured some into

the plastic cup. "This is much nicer than the fold-up

tray," she said, running a hand over the mini

conference table between them.

Eric nodded. "Most business class cars have one of

these tables at each end; I try to sit at one whenever

I can. The extra elbow room is always nice, and my

drink doesn't slide off the edge."

"That's exactly what happened to me," Patty said. "I

set the cup down in the middle of the tray, and the

next thing I knew it was face down on the seat."

"Is this your first train trip?"

"Yes," she answered, her eyebrows rising. "How'd you

guess?"

He shrugged innocently. "Just a hunch."

"I usually fly to DC on the shuttle," she offered,

"but with all the papers talking about a possible

strike this week, I didn't want to get stranded."

"A smart move. I take the train for economy -- a

business class train ticket costs a lot less than

flying coach, but look at the service and the

amenities. I can eat or drink what I want to, when I

want to; I can get up and walk around without being in

anyone's way; I can plug my laptop into the AC outlet

right here and write for the whole trip if I want to.

What airline can match that?"

"So you're a writer?"

He paused a moment to admire the smooth movement of

her throat as she swallowed some more Sprite. "Yes,"

he confirmed, feeling the small rush of pride that

usually came from answering that question. Go ahead,

a little voice inside of him urged. Tell her. He

thought about how to say it, how she might react --

after all, she clearly didn't want people to see that

she was reading an erotic hypnosis book. He needed to

be careful.

The moment passed. "That's nice," she said politely.

"I'm a technical trainer; I teach people to use my

company's software."

"That must be interesting," he replied, feeling his

chance slipping away.

She smiled and opened her book. "It has its moments,"

she remarked, and then turned her attention to the

book.

Eric watched her for as long as courtesy would allow,

then took the hint and addressed his laptop again.

The image of Patty, naked and writhing on the deck of

the boat, came again to the front of his mind and he

resumed his writing.

You don't resist as I spread your legs apart and

settle down between them. You take my penis in your

hand and guide it into your vagina. It feels so good

as I penetrate you, filling you up and pressing

against all the sensitive spots inside you. You feel

your hips moving up and down on their own, working my

length in and out, and bringing you closer and closer

to orgasm.



You sense my penis quivering slightly and you squeeze

down with your pelvic muscles, doubling the erotic

sensations for both of us. The pleasure pulses

through your entire body; you are only seconds away

from a wonderful orgasm. You look up into my face and

see my eyes roll upwards, and you know that I am

coming right now inside you. It pleases you to know

you've made me come, and that knowledge triggers your

orgasm.

(Watch for the physical signs of orgasm before

continuing.) The pleasure sweeps over you as you

come, so that you feel it in every part of your body

all at the same time. The orgasm lasts as long as you

want it to last; it is completely satisfying and

leaves you with a wonderful, happy feeling all over.

(Repeat the last line every few seconds until her

climax appears to be over.)

And now, you are no longer on the deck of a rented

boat. You are back (state your real location) with

me, where we have just shared a nice hypnotic fantasy.

When I count to three you will awaken, feeling

contented and peaceful. (Conclude with a three count

and make sure she is fully awake.)

Eric stopped and saved his work. The erotic charge

hung over him like static electricity; he could feel

it everywhere from his tingling scalp to his throbbing

cock. His toes curled and straightened nervously

inside his shoes. It was normal for him to get worked

up writing these fantasies, but doing it with a

specific person in mind -- a person who was sitting

not three feet away, totally oblivious to it -- had

added a whole new dimension.

Patty, meanwhile, seemed to be enjoying her book. Her

skin was flushed, her nostrils flared, and every few

moments her hips would shift slightly on their own in

a subtle, unconscious rhythm.

Above their heads the PA system clicked. "We will be

arriving in Philadelphia in about 3 minutes," a

nondescript voice announced. "Passengers leaving the

train in Philadelphia, please check around your seats

now and gather your personal belongings. Also, please

use caution when exiting as there will be a slight gap

between the doorway of the train and the platform."

Patty glanced briefly up the aisle at the

announcement, then continued with her reading. Eric

watched out of the corner of his eye, wondering. What

fantasy was she reading? What lover was she picturing

in her mind?

The train lurched slightly on the way into the

Philadelphia station. Patty felt the movement,

snapped the book shut and hid it in her lap under the

table. She sat upright as a few passengers filed out

past her. There was only a short delay before the

train moved on, starting out slowly and picking up

speed once clear of the station.

Eric looked at Patty and smiled. "I think the coast

is clear now," he remarked.

She blushed a little. "Was I that obvious?"

"It's okay," he joked. "Lots of professional women

read romance novels."

"Not this one," she replied, shaking her head slowly.

"Not today, anyway."

Eric played along, looking more closely at the paper-

covered book. "It's too small to be hiding a nudie

magazine," he mused. "It must be some kind of

perverted sex manual."

"No." Patty tensed up immediately and withdrew into

her seat. The sparkle faded from her eyes and was

replaced by a tense wariness.

For a moment, Eric feared she would get up and leave.

"I'm sorry," he said quickly. "I was way out of line.

I get a little too flippant for my own good

sometimes." He watched Patty's eyes anxiously, and

was relieved to see her relax a little bit. "Let me

make it up to you," he suggested. "How would you like

to see the book I'm working on right now?"

Patty blinked. "You mean, the one you're still

writing?"

"The very one. Usually I'd rather have root canal

than show someone a rough draft. But I owe you

something for that last crack, and I have a feeling

you might like this. Are you interested?"

Patty searched his eyes for a moment, considering.

"Okay. But you really don't have to."

Eric smiled, and was pleased to see her smile back.

"Maybe not, but I'd like to anyway. Here you go." He

pulled up the file with the book's title page, turned

the machine around to face his companion, and scooted

back to get a good look at her face.

Patty tilted the screen to improve her viewing angle

and saw the title page:

EROTIC HYPNOSIS: Tips, Tricks, and Fantasies

by Eric Milton

He was not disappointed. Patty's jaw dropped and her

eyes opened wide. The book slipped out of her hand

and hit the floor near her feet, but Patty didn't move

-- she simply stared at the title on the screen.

"It's a sequel, sort of," Eric explained haltingly.

"For people who've finished the first book. It'll

have some new inductions, suggestions for cool

posthypnotic suggestions that lovers can use, and

ideas on how to create more vivid fantasies. I'm also

going to include a companion CD with some recorded

goodies."

Patty looked at the laptop without reading while Eric

mentally crossed his fingers and waited for her

reaction. "You knew," she finally said, in the voice

of a child caught in a lie. "How did you know?"

Now it was his turn to blush a bit. "Curiosity," he

explained. "It's one of my vices. When I first saw

you sitting over there, you were clearly absorbed in

what you were reading; I had to know what it was. So

when you went to the café car for a drink, I peeked.

And boy, was I surprised."

"Is that why you invited me over here?" she asked

skeptically. "So you could play 'I Know Your Secret'

with me?"

"No no no no no," he protested. "Well, okay, maybe.

But not just for that. Sure, I wanted to tell you

that I wrote the book you're reading, and maybe even

find out how you like it. I mean, I've never met

anyone who's read it before -- anyone outside the

publishing staff, anyway, and the couple of friends

who looked at the proofs. You look like an

interesting person, and I just thought it would be

cool to meet you even before I saw what you were

reading."

Patty saw the anxiety in his face and smiled, relaxing

a little. "How do I know you're really Eric Milton?"

she teased. "You could have made up that cover page

while I was reading."

Eric saw the smile and the slight twinkle in her eye,

and a wave of relief swept through him. "You're

playing with me now. Okay, fine -- ask me a question

about the book."

Patty bent over and retrieved the fallen book. "All

right. What's on page 83?"

"You're kidding me -- how am I supposed to remember

one page, by number? At least tell me what chapter

it's in."

She let him sweat for a second before agreeing. "Fair

enough. It's in Chapter 5, and it's the third page in

the chapter."

Eric frowned. "You're determined to make this

difficult, aren't you?"

Her smile grew broader. "You started this, and you

admitted peeking."

He chuckled and shook his head. "So be it. Let's

see, the fifth chapter would be ..." He ticked off the

chapters in his memory. "Posthypnotic Suggestions.

It starts out talking about what a posthypnotic

suggestion is and what kinds of things are possible.

There are a couple of anecdotes about suggestions that

will and won't work. By the third page, you should be

into the Do and Don't list for effective suggestions."

"So far, so good," Patty confirmed, looking into the

book. "What are some of the items on the Do list?"

"Do be specific: use precise language, and don't

leave out any detail, like opening the eyes. Do

repeat the suggestion several times, and make sure it

is okay with the person. Do make sure the suggestion

has definite limits and parameters to avoid unintended

results. And do cancel every suggestion that isn't

meant to be permanent. Convinced?"

"Convinced." She snapped the book shut and laid it on

the table. Her eyes met his and paused there for a

long moment. "Now what do we do?"

Eric made an exaggerated gulp. "Well, I suppose you

could tell me what you think of the book."

"I haven't finished it yet." A faint smile hovered

over her lips.

"But you must have some impression."

Seeing his anxious look, she sighed and let the smile

show through. "I've read my share of hypnosis books -

- at least six or seven, ranging from Jung to Hypnosis

for Dummies. Some of them are so simple and

generalized that all they really seem intended to do

is send people to a professional with a few less

questions to ask. Others are so full of jargon that

you have to be a shrink to understand them. Yours is

the first one that's struck me as something normal

people can use."

"Thank you," he said. "I write from experience.

Everything in that book is something I've done in real

life -- most of them several times." He winked and

added, "Research is important, you know."

She laughed lightly. "I'm sure it must be."

"Have you tried anything from the book yet?"

"Oh, no," she said, shaking her head gently. "I don't

even know if I can be hypnotized."

Eric's eyebrows rose in surprise. "All that reading,

and you've never actually tried it?"

"Nope," she confirmed. "I did try self-hypnosis, just

to see what it was like. I put a little red dot on

the ceiling above my bed and stared at it while I told

myself to relax."

"And?"

She shrugged. "I relaxed, all right -- right to

sleep."

Eric looked around the car: there were about eight

other passengers, most of them toward the back end of

the car, all of them either engrossed in a book,

staring into a laptop, or sleeping. "Would you like

to try again?"

She thought about it for a moment. "You mean here?

Now? Can you do that?"

Eric nodded reassuringly. "Yes, here and now. I've

worked with people under worse conditions than a

moving train; if you really want to experience a

trance, I can get you there."

Her eyes focused on a point in space while she

contemplated. "Do we have time? First sessions

usually take a while, don't they?"

Eric kept his head very still, his voice even.

"What's your final station?"

Patty checked the ticket stub in her blazer pocket.

"Alexandria."

"That's the stop after mine. We have a good two hours

to work with; plenty of time, if you want it."

Holding Patty's gaze, Eric could see desire sparring

with hesitation. He waited quietly while the duel

played itself out in the arena behind her eyes.

Desire won. "I want it," she said quietly.

"Okay. Why don't you go to the lavatory now so we

don't have to interrupt the session later, and I'll

get things ready here?"

While Patty was away Eric saved his work, closed the

laptop and set it aside. He pulled the curtain over

the window and cleared the table of excess debris from

their drinks. His root beer was gone, so he refilled

the can with fresh water from a dispenser near the end

of the car. His mouth felt dry; half the water was

gone before he realized it. Steady, Eric, he told

himself, taking a deep breath and letting it out

slowly. Calm and confident.

He was standing in the aisle waiting when she returned

from the lav. "Right here," he said, motioning toward

the seat she had already been in before getting up; an

unnecessary instruction, he knew, but one that helped

to establish their new roles in both of their minds.

"Go ahead and get comfortable," he told her before she

could do so on her own. "Find a position that feels

right, and that you can maintain for a while."

"Can I recline?"

"A little bit, if you need to. Not more than a few

degrees." He waited until she had settled in before

sitting down himself. He slid over to the window seat

so that he could observe his subject without being

directly in front of her.

"Now what?"

Eric smiled. She was already ceding control of the

situation to him -- an excellent sign. And was that

an extra touch of pink in her cheeks? "We're just

about ready to begin," he explained. "Since there are

a lot of visible distractions, I'll take you into

hypnosis by having you close your eyes and imagine an

hourglass filled with different colors of sand. As

you envision the sand slowly draining from the top of

the hourglass to the bottom, you'll find yourself

relaxing and falling just as easily into trance. Once

you've achieved a workable depth, we'll do a few tests

to show you that you really are under hypnosis, and

then see how much deeper you can go. I don't like to

get too ambitious with a first session, but if things

go very well we'll do a couple of simple, G-rated

posthypnotic suggestions. You'll feel yourself

responding to them without thinking, and that will

prove how good a hypnotic subject you are." He paused

a moment to let his predictions sink in. "Are you

ready?"

She licked her lips and met his gaze directly.

"Ready."

"Then close your eyes," he instructed, letting his

voice drop into a low, soothing tone. "Close them

now, and imagine that you are staring at an old-

fashioned hourglass. See the wooden frame, the shiny

glass, and millions of tiny grains of sand inside it.

The upper half of the hourglass is completely full,

the bottom empty; but as you watch, you can see that

the sand has already begun streaming out of the upper

half of the hourglass into the lower half. See the

sand, Patty. Concentrate on the sand so that you see

every grain of sand in that hourglass; nothing else

that comes to your mind matters. Let any other

thoughts and idea just fall away; they're not

important right now. Focus your mind until the only

things you are aware of are the sand in the hourglass

and the sound of my voice.

"Focus on the hourglass, and you'll find that as the

sand flows smoothly, easily, and inevitably from the

upper half to the lower, your body and your mind will

relax just as smoothly, easily, and inevitably.

You'll feel all of the tension in your muscles fading

away with the flow of the sand, leaving you nice and

relaxed and comfortable. Each breath you take, each

slow and easy breath, will help the sand flow and help

your mind and body relax."

Eric continued his monologue in a smooth, even, well-

practiced voice, watching Patty for the first signs of

physical relaxation. When her face went slack and her

head began to sag several minutes earlier than

expected, he felt the familiar, delicious thrill rush

through his body. It's been way too long, he thought

to himself.

Seeing Patty's body respond, he shifted into the

present tense. "Your head is feeling heavy," he said,

carefully masking the growing excitement within

himself. "It's okay to let your head fall gently

forward, letting it rest, letting those tired neck

muscles relax. Your arms and legs feel limp and

heavy, as if your whole body was turning into a big

rag doll. And with every breath, you feel yourself

relaxing more and more, watching the sand flow through

the hourglass, taking you into hypnosis.

"Keep watching the hourglass, Patty, and listening to

my voice. As more and more sand flows into the bottom

half, you feel yourself floating deeper and deeper

into a nice, relaxing trance. My voice is here to

guide you; listening to my voice takes you deeper and

deeper into trance, gently and easily going deeper and

deeper into trance. You listen to my voice, and you

find yourself responding to everything I say.

"The hourglass top is almost empty now, Patty. Empty,

like your mind is becoming empty of all unnecessary

thoughts. My words help to clear your mind, and my

voice takes the place of your thoughts. You are now

in a deep, relaxing trance and you will respond

totally to everything I say."

And she was deep, he observed, noting the change in

skin tone and the tiny movements of her eyes below the

closed eyelids. Plenty deep enough for the few simple

tests he'd promised her.

"In a moment, Patty, I'm going to lift your arm to see

how relaxed you are. I want you to keep watching the

last bits of sand drain out of the top of the

hourglass, and pay no attention at all to my touch.

When I let go of your arm you will let it fall back to

your lap, and when it does you'll relax even more and

go deeper into your trance." Moving carefully so as

not to jostle her or brush against her relaxed,

extended legs, he got up and walked around the table

to her side. Her right arm was totally limp and felt

heavy in his grasp as he lifted it gently and hefted

it. "This is excellent, Patty," he commended his

subject. "Feel how very relaxed your arm is. You've

gone into a very deep, satisfying trance. Now I'm

going to put your arm down so that you can go even

deeper." He lowered the arm until it was just above

her lap, then let go and let it drop. She seemed to

sink just a little deeper into the seat.

"I'm going to touch you in a few more places now,

Patty," he said. "On your neck, and on your face.

Each touch will send you deeper into trance."

Slipping off his wristwatch, he placed an index finger

against the side of her throat and counted the pulse

beats in 15 seconds. Her heart rate was very slow but

steady. The skin of her face had a slightly clammy

feel, evidence of reduced circulation.

"Patty, in a moment I am going to count to three. On

the count of three, I want you to lift your head and

open your eyes. I do not want you to wake up; just

lift your head and open your eyes. I don't want you

look at anything in particular or try to focus your

eyes on anything, either. Just let them open and look

straight ahead. One, two, three."

Eric watched with satisfaction as Patty's head rose

slowly from her chest. When she was facing straight

forward, her eyes slowly opened. The still, unfocused

stare he saw in them sent another rush of excitement

through Eric's body. A first-class subject, he

thought to himself. Even better than Kelly was. For

a second or two he pictured Kelly's face with that

same blank stare. How long had it been since they'd

ended it -- six months? Eight months? Too long,

certainly.

Stop it, he scolded himself. This is not a sexual

encounter. His cock seemed unconvinced, standing at

half-mast. For all I know, she's married. One look

at her left hand suggested not. She's probably got

someone back home, he tried.

Ask her out, an inner voice suggested. If she's

attached, she'll say so.

"Close your eyes now, Patty, but leave your head

upright." He watched as her eyes closed, then slid

back into his seat opposite her. "Now, Patty, I want

you to imagine a thermometer. This one is different

from most thermometers, though, because it is your

trance thermometer. Its numbers run from zero to 100;

zero means you are not in a trance at all, and 100

means that you are in the deepest trance you think you

can reach. I want you to imagine your trance

thermometer now, and on the count of three I want you

to tell me what number it is showing. You can speak

clearly and distinctly to answer me, and it will not

disturb your trance state. One, two, three."

Patty's lips parted slowly. "Sixty two," she said in

a sleepy monotone.

His eyebrows rose -- Patty was turning out to be a

surprisingly good subject. If only they were in a

quiet, private place ...

No, Eric thought, mentally tying a tourniquet around

his swelling cock. This is not a seduction.

But you wish it was, the inner voice taunted. You

know you want her.

Yes, I do, he argued back. But I can't break trust

again. That's how I lost Kelly.

The voice had no answer for that one.

Eric jerked his mind back to the present. Patty had

passed her tests easily, and was clearly deep enough

to accept a posthypnotic suggestion or two. Time to

get back to the plan.

"Patty," he said, "you have done very well with the

tests. You know now that you are a very good hypnotic

subject; you have no difficulty at all following my

suggestions while in trance. Because you are such a

good subject, we are going to do some posthypnotic

suggestions now. You will listen to my suggestions,

and you will follow them to the best of your ability;

you are such a good subject that you will always obey

my suggestions. Let your head relax again now,

sinking back to your chest, and listen to my

suggestions."

He waited for her head to settle back onto her chest

before continuing. "Your first suggestion is your

trance trigger. Whenever we are together, if I hold

one of your hands and snap my fingers you will go

immediately back into trance. You won't think about

it; you'll forget about whatever you might be saying,

doing, or thinking at the time and just let go into a

nice, deep trance, deeper even than the one you are in

now. You will go into trance only if I snap my

fingers while holding one of your hands, Patty; if I

just snap my fingers, or just grab your hand, it will

mean nothing special. If, when I hold your hand and

snap my fingers, you strongly do not want to go into

trance, you will say 'No' and tell me why you do not

want to. Otherwise, you will always respond by going

immediately into trance whenever I hold your hand and

snap my fingers.

"Your second suggestion is a test, to show you how

powerful my suggestions are to you. Sometime after

you awaken, I am going to say the words 'animal

magnetism' to you. When I say 'animal magnetism',

your hands will feel a powerful magnetic force pulling

them upward towards the roof of the train. The force

will be irresistible; the harder you try to keep your

hands down, the stronger will be the force pulling

them up. Your hands will rise until your arms are

pointing straight up at the ceiling, and they will

remain that way despite any efforts you make to bring

them down again. The force will not be strong enough

to lift you out of your seat, or make you

uncomfortable in any way, but your arms will continue

pointing straight up until I clap my hands once. When

I clap my hands once, the magnetic force will go away;

you will once again have full control of your arms,

and this suggestion will be completely cancelled."

Eric repeated his suggestions, reinforcing them in

Patty's subconscious mind, until he judged she had

absorbed them fully. "In a few moments, it will be

time to wake up. I'm going to count from one to ten,

and with each number I count you will find yourself

slowly rising out of your trance. When I reach the

number ten, you will be fully awake, alert, and

feeling refreshed." He counted up slowly, giving

Patty plenty of time to rouse herself in response to

his commands. When he reached ten, her eyes fluttered

open.

"How do you feel?" he asked.

She considered for a long moment before answering.

"Wow," she finally said. "I feel good. Refreshed,

like you said I would. It was weird, though. I

remember everything, but it's like I wasn't really

paying attention. Does that make sense?"

"Sure it does. A lot of people get that disconnected

feeling when they're in a trance. For me, it's like

my body responds to the hypnotist on its own while my

mind just sits back and watches."

"Was I really that deep?"

"It looked that way. You could have gone a lot

deeper, too, according to the depth test we did."

"Sixty two," she said with wonder on her face. "Sixty

two out of a hundred. I wonder what a hundred feels

like."

"Practice, and you'll find out."

"Speaking of finding things out," she countered.

"Aren't you supposed to say something pretty soon?"

He grinned. "You mean, some kind of remark about

animal magnetism?"

Patty let out a soft gasp as her hands rose quickly

above the table. "Wow!" she exclaimed. Her face

flushed red; Eric could see the concentration in her

eyes as she fought the imaginary force. Her arms

quivered with the effort, but succeeded only in

slowing their ascent. "I ... can't ... stop it ...

arghhh!" She growled and gave up; her hands, already

at eye level, shot up the rest of the way and remained

aloft, pointing to the ceiling of the train car.

"Surprised?" Eric asked, seeing the tiny beads of

sweat that had formed during her effort.

"I shouldn't be, I guess," she replied. "You told me

it would be like this. I thought I'd be able to fight

it for a few minutes, though. Jesus! It's a good

thing you didn't tell me to strip."

I could, the inner voice piped up. He choked it off.

"That might have worked," he said instead, "but

probably not the same way. Unless you're accustomed

to being nude in public, your mind would have found a

way around the suggestion. You might have gone into

the lavatory and stripped there in private, then put

your clothes back on to come back here and tell me

off. Or your mind might have just postponed following

the suggestion until you found yourself in a place

where you felt comfortable taking them off. Either

way, you'd have good reason not to let me hypnotize

you again."

"Can I help you, Miss?" Neither of them had noticed

the conductor entering the car.

"No, thanks," she replied, thinking quickly, looking

at her arms. "Just stretching a bit."

"Okay, Miss."



Eric clapped his hands lightly as the conductor walked

by. Patty made a point of visibly stretching, then

brought her arms to her sides and rested them on the

table. She and Eric shared a conspiratorial giggle.

Overhead, the PA system announced their imminent

arrival in Wilmington, Delaware.

"Nice thinking," Eric remarked as the train pulled out

of the Wilmington station. He held out his hand

across the table.

"Thanks," she said, unconsciously taking his offered

hand. "It seemed like a--" The rest of her sentence

vanished unspoken from her mind as Eric snapped the

fingers of his free hand. Her eyes glazed over and

lost focus, then closed down as her body slumped back

in the seat.

"Very good," Eric said, watching her settle into the

seat. "Your subconscious remembers and responds to

your trigger. Every time I hold your hand and snap my

fingers, you will fall more easily and quickly into

trance, and go deeper than the time before. Let

yourself go now, and sink deeper and deeper. Imagine

your trance thermometer, Patty; as you sink deeper and

deeper into trance, you will see the indicator on the

thermometer go to higher and higher numbers. When the

indicator reaches 75, I want you to squeeze my hand

once."

He didn't have to wait more than a minute for the

squeeze. "Very good," he told her. "You are now at

75 on your trance thermometer. I'm going to count to

10 again, and as I'm counting you will wake up. When

I reach ten, you will be completely awake but unable

to let go of my hand. Nothing you do will enable you

to let go of my hand until I tell you that you can."

He counted to ten again, enjoying the sight of her

eyes fluttering open.

As soon as her eyes focused again, Eric saw her left

shoulder begin to flex. "It's working," she

confirmed, her eyebrows crinkling up in concentration.

"I'm trying to pull my hand away, but the muscles

won't work. I can't do it."

Eric grinned. "Of course not. I told you, you're a

very good subject." Before she could reply, he

snapped his fingers again and she slumped back into

the chair. "That's good," he said. "Deeper and

deeper, deeper than before. See your trance

thermometer, and when you reach 80 you will squeeze my

hand."

It took only a few seconds, then he felt the pressure

around his hand. "Excellent, Patty. Now, on the

count of three, I want you to open your eyes and act

as though you are completely awake. I don't want you

to wake up; you will remain in a deep trance, but you

will sit up and move around and talk to me as though

you were awake, all the while obeying my every

instruction. One, two, three."

Her eyes snapped open and she sat up in the seat. "I

still can't pull my hand away," she observed.

"True -- I haven't cancelled that suggestion yet. How

do you feel?"

"Fine," she said. "A little spacey, maybe, from all

the passing out and waking up."

"Not dizzy at all?"

She looked puzzled. "No."

"Yes, you are," Eric said, watching her face. "You

are becoming very dizzy, as if you were very drunk.

The entire train feels as though it is spinning

around."

The puzzled look quickly faded into a slack-jawed,

disoriented expression. "Holy shit," she said. "I am

dizzy. What the hell is going on? Why is everything

spinning around?"

"It's not," he replied. "Even now, the dizziness is

passing. Everything looks normal again, and you feel

fine."

Patty looked around her and nodded wonderingly. "Yes,

I do. I'm fine again. This is amazing."

"This is hypnosis," Eric told her. "You are in what's

called a waking trance; able to act as if awake, but

your subconscious is still in control -- and I control

your subconscious."

"Wow ... how long are you going to keep me like this?"

"Not much longer. It's an advanced trick, especially

for a first session. I wouldn't even have tried it if

you hadn't responded so well to the other

suggestions."

"You are very good at this, aren't you?"

He smiled. "Pretty good. But it's you doing most of

the work. Do you have any requests before we end the

session?"

She looked thoughtful. "Requests. Do you mean,

suggestions to try?"

"Sure."

She flushed a little bit. "I'd like to try something

a little more ... risqué. Something from the book."

"Really?" Eric was surprised, and aroused. "You

mean, like one of the fantasies?"

"God, no," she said quickly. "I'm pretty loud when

I'm ... you know. The whole train would know what I

was doing. I was thinking about the switch trick from

Chapter Five; you know, 'Switch On' and 'Switch Off'?"

Eric worked hard to contain his excitement; meanwhile,

his cock sprang to full attention. "We can do that,

certainly. On the count of three, you will close your

eyes and return to your deep, relaxed trance state.

One, two, three." On command, she slumped back in her

seat again. "Patty, I want you to let yourself drift

deeper and deeper into trance. Watch your trance

thermometer, and squeeze my hand when you get to 85."

He waited, repeating his mantra of "deeper and

deeper," until he felt the squeeze. "Patty, you've

read the chapter in my book on posthypnotic

suggestions. From now on, whenever I say the words

'Switch On' to you, you will become extremely aroused,

sexy and horny. The foremost thought in your mind

will be having sex at the first available opportunity,

and the longer you have to wait for that opportunity

the stronger that sexual desire will become. Your

sexual need will continue to grow until you actually

have sex, or until I say the words 'Switch Off'. When

I say 'Switch Off', any sexual feelings that have been

caused by a 'Switch On' command will be negated, and

you will have complete control over your sexual

thoughts and feelings again."

After reinforcing the suggestion several times, he

woke Patty one more time. "How do you feel now?"

"Good," she answered. "A little anxious; I can't wait

to find out what being switched on feels like."

"Switch on, then," Eric replied with a smile.

Patty shuddered, and her eyes opened wide. "Oh, God,"

she gulped, her free hand pulling instinctively to her

gut. She stared at Eric as if seeing him for the

first time, studying every aspect of his face. "Do

you have any idea what this feels like?"

"A little bit," he said, grinning openly. "I know

what it feels like when I'm the one being switched

on."

"This is such a rush," she said. "I've never been so

out-and-out horny in my life as I am right this

minute." As she spoke, her free hand crept upward and

cupped a breast.

Overhead, the PA system crackled to life again.

"Ladies and gentlemen, we are approaching Baltimore

station. Baltimore station in about two minutes."

"Had enough?" Eric asked.

She squirmed in the seat and grunted softly. "Yes,"

she said, nodding vigorously.

"Switch off."

She blinked, took a deep breath and let it out with a

long sigh. "Whew," she said, fanning herself with her

free hand. "Somebody turn up the air conditioning for

a few minutes, please."

"Okay." Eric snapped his fingers one more time and

Patty dropped back into the seat. He coached her back

down to 85 on her depth meter, then gave Patty her

final commands. "On the count of ten, you will wake

up and be completely alert and refreshed. Your body

will feel completely comfortable, neither too warm nor

too cold, and all of my hypnotic suggestions to you

will be cancelled--" an idea struck him and he changed

his mind. "Except for your trance trigger. You will

still go immediately into a deep trance whenever I

snap my fingers while holding your hand, but none of

the other suggestions I've given you today will affect

you after you wake up this time."

The train was stopping -- they had reached Baltimore.

He counted her up much more quickly than usual; Patty

struggled a bit to open her eyes. "Wow," she said,

slowly pulling her hand out of his. "That was a

trip."

"I know," Eric replied, willing his cock to settle

down again. "You'd like to do that again sometime,

wouldn't you?" It was a suggestion disguised as a

question.

"Absolutely," Patty replied automatically.

"Good. Did you have any plans for this evening?"

"Nothing -- just check into the hotel, have dinner

somewhere, read some more, and go to sleep. My work

doesn't start until tomorrow morning."

"Let me take you to dinner," he suggested, suppressing

a wince as his conscience flogged him.

"Sure," she agreed, seemingly a little surprised at

the speed of her own answer.

They sat together making pleasant small talk while the

train wound through Baltimore. It stopped at BWI

airport, and again in New Carrolton, Maryland.

"That's my cue," Eric said as the train pulled out of

New Carrolton. "Next stop, Union Station. Alexandria

comes after that."

"Where are we going for dinner?" she asked. "I didn't

bring anything very dressy."

"I know a nice place in Springfield," he said. "Good

service, a nice, casual atmosphere, and succulent

prime rib."

"Sold," she said with a smile.

Pulling a notepad from his laptop case, he jotted down

her hotel name and phone number. "I'll pick you up at

seven, okay?"

"That's fine."

He gathered his things together as the PA system

announced their imminent arrival at Union Station.

"By the way," he said with nonchalance. "Do you have

a CD player with you? Something you can listen to

while in your hotel room?"

"Not with me," she replied. "Why?"

"Just an idea," he told her. "I've done some audio

recordings for the new book, and if you had a player I

thought it might be fun to have you try them out. I

haven't had a chance to test them yet."

She shrugged. "Sorry. I'd love to, but I don't have

anything to play them on here."

The train slowed and stopped. "It's okay. I'll see

you again soon."

"Seven," she repeated. "I'll be in the lobby."

They exchanged smiles. Eric watched the train pull

away from the platform and sighed, feeling excited and

guilty at the same time.





Patty was waiting in the hotel lobby when Eric arrived

at 6:55. She had changed into a lightweight blue

dress and heels. She took his offered hand without

thinking, then suddenly tensed; her eyes met his and

she paused for a breathless second, part of her

wanting him to snap his fingers and part wanting to

pull the hand away before he could.

Eric saw all of this flash across her face and smiled

reassuringly. "Ready to go?" he asked, releasing her

hand.

She nodded and followed him to his car. They headed

west on the Capital Beltway toward Springfield and

stopped at Kilroy's, a cozy restaurant/pub tucked into

a shopping center off Braddock Road. A pretty hostess

led them to a corner booth with high walls.

"Nice place," Patty remarked, looking at the wartime

memorabilia covering the walls of the booth.

"I like it," Eric replied. "It's comfortable, there's

a lot of privacy, and the food really is splendid.

Wait till you taste the honey-buttered biscuits they

serve here." He reached toward her for a menu and was

amused to see that flash of conflict cross her face

again.

"When you took my hand in the lobby, Eric, it felt

like ... I mean, I thought you were going to ..."

"I know," he said, keeping his voice light.

"Occupational hazard. When I'm with someone I've

hypnotized several times, I have to be careful to keep

my voice from slipping too low -- if it gets too close

to my hypnotist's tone, they tend to fade out on me."

Their waitress brought them tall glasses of iced tea.

"Ready to order?"

Eric looked at Patty, who squirmed a little in her

seat. "Can you give us a few more minutes?" she asked

the waitress.

"Sure," she said, and retreated with a smile.

Patty became clearly uncomfortable. "Eric," she

began, looking at anything and everything in the booth

except Eric. "Before you get the wrong idea, I really

need to tell you something."

Eric waited, a lump growing in the pit of his stomach.

Patty drew a deep breath and let it out. "I'm sort of

engaged."

He let it hang there for a few moments. Calm and

confident, he reminded himself. When she gathered the

courage to meet his eye, he was ready. "Sort of

engaged? Is that anything like 'sort of' pregnant?"

"Sort of," she replied, flashing a weak smile at her

feeble joke. "Craig is a great guy. We've been

together for about three years. We live together, in

my apartment on Staten Island, and we're going to get

married eventually. Right now we're just waiting for

his next promotion, and then we'll make it official."

Eric kept his voice light and casual. "Are you happy

with him?"

"Of course," she answered quickly. "We have our off

days, but so does every other couple in the world. We

have a lot invested in this relationship. I haven't

even thought about anyone else since I met Craig. I'm

not even sure why I'm here with you now, Eric. I

really shouldn't be, it's not fair to either of us."

"It's all right," Eric lied. "I wasn't looking for a

life partner on that train. I asked you out because I

like you, because I knew you'd probably be free, being

away from home and all, and because I'd like to ask

you a favor. As for why you accepted ..." Eric

cleared his throat. "I have a good idea, and I feel

pretty guilty about it."

"What did you do?" she asked, surprise and suspicion

creeping into her voice. "Did you use a hypnotic

suggestion to get me to go out with you?"

"No, no, no," he said. "Nothing that underhanded.

What I did do was take advantage of a side affect of

deep hypnosis. When you come out of a good trance, it

takes a while before the critical thinking facility

comes fully back into play. During that time, which

varies with the subject, you're still very susceptible

to suggestions -- especially from the person who

helped put you into the hypnotic state to begin with.

Therapists take advantage of that phenomenon to help

reinforce their suggestions even after the patient is

awake; they call it 'waking suggestion'. I took

advantage of it to ask you out at a time when I knew

you'd be strongly predisposed to agree." He let his

head drop. "I shouldn't have done that, and I'm

sorry."

Patty waited for him to look up again before

answering. "I'm sorry, too," she replied, meeting his

eyes. "Sorry that I didn't tell you on the train that

I'm not available. I think it would have been fun and

exciting to date you, Eric. But as it is, I should

probably go."

"Don't," he insisted, reaching across the table for a

hand. "You don't have to go. You still need to eat,

and this is a good place to do it. So we're not on a

date; that doesn't mean we can't have a good time and

just be friends." Inwardly he winced at the cliché.

"I suppose not," she mused. "As long as there are no

false expectations, I guess it wouldn't hurt."

"I think we've both put our cards on the table. That

is, unless you're secretly a man or something."

The joke was just funny enough to break the tension.

"Not the last time I checked," she replied in kind.

Some time later, Patty slid into the passenger seat of

Eric's car and let out a contented sigh. "That was

delicious," she said. "Thank you, Eric."

Eric smiled and looked into her eyes, wondering.

Patty picked up on the look. "What?"

"We've been sitting together talking and eating for

over an hour," he observed. "In that time, you

haven't said a word about your fiancée."

Patty flushed a bit and became very interested in the

handle of her purse. "I didn't think you'd want to

hear about him."

"But I do," he said. "I'm interested. In writing my

book and doing erotic hypnosis seminars, I've met a

lot of couples; I enjoy hearing about successful

relationships."

His earnest look overcame her initial suspicion.

"Craig's a great guy," she told him. "Confident,

outgoing, just a bit of a tease. Fun to be around."

"Does he know about the book?"

Patty shook her head. "I haven't shown it to him yet;

I wanted to read it first, see if it was really

something I thought we could do. He won't have a

problem with it, though -- as a rule, he'll go for any

activity that ends with us in bed."

They shared a soft chuckle, which subsided quickly.

Patty stared out the window at the Beltway traffic

while Eric contemplated his next move.

She gave him his opening. "You said at the restaurant

that you wanted to ask me a favor," she said. "Do you

still?"

Eric wanted to grin; he limited himself to a friendly

smile instead. "Yes, if you're willing."

"What did you have in mind?"

He popped open the armrest storage bin, removed a

small cardboard box, and handed it to Patty. She

opened the top flap to find a Rio Volt, a pair of

good-quality headphones with a long cord, and a CDR

disk. Eric cleared his throat and explained. "My

publisher thought it would be helpful if the second

book included a CD with some sample sessions on it, so

people can hear what an experienced hypnotist sounds

like. She thinks it will boost sales; I don't know,

maybe it will. So I recorded a long induction, a

short induction, a couple of deepeners, and a few of

the fantasy sessions. The problem is, there's too

much material there for a regular CD -- I had to

convert the tracks to MP3 format to fit them all on

one disk. I need someone to listen to what's there

and tell me which ones work the best, so we can put

the best stuff on an audio CD."

"And you want me to help you with that?"

Eric nodded. "You're such a good subject that it

isn't really a fair test; things that work well for

you might not work at all for someone less skilled at

going into trance. But I need someone other than

myself to bounce these off of, and I hoped you'd give

it a try."

Patty examined the Volt with interest. "I will have a

lot of free time this week," she remarked. "This

would certainly be a relaxing way to spend some of

it."

"You'll do it?"

"Sure. How do I work this thing?"

Eric let himself sigh. "The instruction book for the

Volt is in the box. It's pretty simple, really; I put

a paper list of the tracks in there for you. You can

program the Volt to play an induction, a deepener, and

then one or more of the other tracks for you. There's

a wake-up track to finish off with. All I ask is that

you try each track at least once and rate them for me

with how well they worked for you."

She nodded. "And how do I get this back to you at the

end of the week?"

"My phone number is on the sheet. Give me a call and

I'll come pick up the Volt. Keep the disc if you want

-- you can use it on your home computer. I'll even

give you a ride to the train station if you want."

Patty eyed him appraisingly. "You're making it very

easy to say yes to you."

Eric gave her an innocent shrug. "It would help me a

lot," he explained. "I'm not seeing anybody right

now, so I have nobody to test this stuff on. In fact,

if Craig is interested, I'd love to have you and him

try some of the material from the new book. I go up

to New York every month or so to meet with the

publisher anyway; we could get together and exchange

notes."

"One step at a time," Patty said, giggling softly.

"He doesn't even know about this particular kink of

mine yet. But I'll be happy to be your guinea pig

while I'm in town, at least."

The car came to a stop in front of Patty's hotel.

Eric held his hand out. "That's good enough for me,"

he said. "Thank you."

Patty took his hand and shook it. Then, on impulse,

she leaned over and kissed his cheek. "I'll call you

on Friday."

Eric watched Patty until she was inside the lobby and

out of sight, then sighed and pulled away. On the way

home, he found himself singing along with the Black

Crowes.

Action speaks louder than words

And I'm a man of great experience.

I know you've got another man,

But I can love you better than him ...



Patty sat in the armchair in her hotel room. The Rio

Volt lay on the table beside her, the headphones in

her hand. For the fifth or sixth time, she raised

them to eye level and then put them back down. Her

stomach felt queasy, her knees weak and shaky. Why am

I so nervous? she asked herself.

Because this is powerful stuff, her conscience

answered. You got a taste of how powerful it is on

the train.

Yes, she argued with herself. But it's still just

hypnosis -- it can't make me do anything I don't want

to do.

Oh, really? Are you saying you wouldn't have

willingly jumped Eric right there on the train if he

hadn't given you the switch off command?

She paused, the memory of the experience flooding

through her, bringing a tingle to her erogenous zones.

He'd said, "Switch on," and in that moment every nerve

and fiber in her being had only one desire -- sex, hot

and wet and reckless and right away. If, instead of

"switch off," he'd said "Fuck me," would she have done

it?

In a heartbeat, she realized. Craig or no Craig,

privacy or no privacy, she'd have given him anything

he asked at that moment, done anything to satisfy the

sexual need brought on by the hypnotic trigger. That

was scary.

And titillating.

Patty stared into space, daydreaming. In her

imagination, Craig was sitting on the bed nearby,

smiling. "Switch on," he said to her. She saw

herself moaning, ripping off her clothes, bowling

Craig over onto the bed. A raw, animal lust drove her

as she forced down his pants and took his thick, rigid

cock into her mouth ...

She shivered at the image. Powerful, she thought.

This time she actually put the headphones on. She'd

skimmed the Volt instruction manual; it wasn't too

hard to use, for all the features it had. She worked

the buttons to program a sequence of tracks. Just an

introduction, she told herself, and hit the Play

button.

Eric's voice filled her mind almost immediately. The

quality surprised Patty; there was none of the usual

hiss or background noise she was accustomed to

hearing, just Eric, speaking as if from within her own

mind, telling her to get comfortable and relax. He

told her to find something to focus her eyes on,

either a spot on the wall or a favorite object,

something she would enjoy looking at intently.

Patty's eye settled on her own reflection in the

dressing mirror across the room. She looked deeply

into her own eyes and, on Eric's cue, took a series of

long, deep, slow breaths. As Eric's voice droned on,

Patty became increasingly aware of every detail of her

face as reflected by the mirror: how her eyes had

those tiny flecks of gray in them, how her nose seemed

to flare out as she exhaled, and how very sleepy and

relaxed she looked. Her eyes wanted to close; it

wasn't time yet, she knew -- Eric had only just said

that her eyes would begin to feel heavy and tired soon

-- but holding them open was just too much effort.

The lids dropped, and her head sank down onto her

chest.



Eric sat in the makeshift study of his Dupont Circle

home. The laptop was open on the desk, but his

fingers couldn't find the will to type. His mind

kept returning to the image of Patty, deep in trance;

Patty, eyes open, staring blankly ahead; Patty, in

switched-on mode, radiating sexual desire with her

every move and look.

Patty, at the restaurant, saying, "I'm sort of

engaged."

He let out a deep, unhappy sigh. The good ones always

are, he thought to himself.

Why are you so stuck on this woman? a voice inside

him asked. Just because she's so hypnotizable?

Of course not, he answered. Because she's pretty and

smart and shares my interests. She's classy but still

approachable, easy to talk to, with a really nice

smile.

In other words, the voice remarked sarcastically,

she's just like Kelly.

He had no comeback for that one. It didn't matter

anyway, he reasoned, since Patty was engaged. He'd

see her one more time, to retrieve the Volt and get

her feedback on the recordings, and that would be it.

In his mind, he pictured himself knocking on a hotel

room door. Patty answered, in a silky bathrobe and

slippers, looking surprised to see him. "Switch on,"

he said to her, and watched the wariness in her face

turn to unfettered desire. In seconds the robe came

off, revealing Patty's trim body adorned in a lacy,

see-through bra and panties. He stood still, watching

with interest while she stripped off her underwear and

posed for him, trying her best to be sexy for him. He

smiled as he pictured himself going down on her,

driving her to the edge of incoherence before finally

sinking his cock inside her...

No way, the inner voice proclaimed, breaking his

daydream. Not gonna happen.

Frustrated, and sporting a half hard-on, Eric grabbed

his spare headphones from the desk drawer and plugged

them into his laptop. He pulled up Winamp, pointed it

to a saved play list of old WAV recordings, and hit

Play.

A rich, smooth female voice came through the

headphones. "Relax for me, Eric," it said, and even

though it had been months since he'd heard Kelly's

voice it melted him instantly. Eric let go and

allowed himself to slide out of consciousness,

floating along in the silky smoothness of Kelly's

voice as it guided him into fantasy.

"We're at a party," she told him, "a semi-formal

affair full of people we don't know, arranged by the

publisher. You didn't really want to go, but felt

obligated. To make things a little more pleasant for

you, I'm wearing my pink dress -- the one with the

spaghetti straps and the scooped back, the one that

always seems to grab your eyes and pull them directly

to my cleavage, the one that you love seeing me in

almost as much as you love getting me out of it.

"You've already suggested once that we leave, but

we've been there less than an hour so I tell you we

have to stay and mingle a while longer. You sigh and

we drift apart, working the room. You find yourself

talking to one of the senior editors, saying all the

right things, with half your mind idle and wanting to

take me home and get me out of that dress. You spot

me across the room talking with your editor and his

wife; our eyes make contact, and a playful, impish

thought comes into your mind.

"The next time you see me looking at you, you touch

your left earlobe. It's my trigger, the one that

makes me so incredibly horny I can barely concentrate

on anything except how much I want your hard cock

inside me. You watch with satisfaction when you see

me react to my trigger: my eyes get wide, and my

breath catches. You see me trying to dissemble, to

explain away the sudden change to you publisher and

his wife, all the while being unable to keep my eyes

from searching you out and staring at your crotch.

"You tease me for a while, working the room, letting

the various VIP's draw you into short conversations,

knowing that I'm getting hornier and more distracted

with every passing minute. Finally you come up to me

alone, and ask if I'm ready to go yet.

"You can smell my arousal just standing next to me,

and knowing how desperately I want you arouses you as

well. Taking my hand, you lead me to a nearby office

and shut the door. I wrap my arms around your neck

and kiss you with all the built-up passion in my body.

You lift my dress up and stick a finger inside my

panties; they're soaking wet, and the feel of your

finger against my slit makes me latch onto you even

harder. You pull my panties down, lift me up, and sit

me on the edge of the desk.

"I wave my arms back, pushing desk accessories and

paperwork out of the way, and lie back on the desk for

you. You pull the spaghetti straps off my shoulders

and roll my dress down. My nipples are stiff and

hard, and when you caress them with your hand I can't

help but moan loudly. You can see that I'm ready to

come, and knowing what you've done to me makes you so

hard and ready that you don't want to wait any longer.

You drop your pants and underwear and thrust your cock

deep inside me. I'm so wet that it slides in easily,

all the way, until you can feel yourself pressing

against the end.

"The pleasure is too much for me. I start squealing

and moaning, getting very loud. You know how loud I

can get when I'm excited, so you give me something

soft to bite down on -- a little cloth beanbag, the

kind people squeeze to help relieve stress. I put

that in my mouth and bite down hard on it, muffling my

screams of ecstasy. You thrust your cock in and out,

getting us both so aroused, so ready, so needing to

come.

"Finally, you feel my muscles clamp down on you as I

scream into the stress ball. I'm coming, and knowing

that you've made me come like this feels so good that

you can't hold back any longer. You come, pumping

inside me while I squeal and pant. It is the longest,

best orgasm you can remember having.

"Some time later, our breathing returns to normal.

You withdraw yourself from me and pull your pants back

up. I'm too exhausted to move right away, so you kiss

my thighs and wipe me off with a cloth napkin you

pocketed from the party earlier."

A few minutes later, Kelly's voice counted up and Eric

opened his eyes. He was dazed and a little

disoriented. A wet, sticky stain was spreading across

the front of his pants and a vivid memory of something

that had never actually happened was haunting his

heart.

You had Kelly, the inner voice taunted him, and you

blew it.

I know.



Patty opened her eyes at the count of ten. She

shifted in the chair, stretched and yawned. A good

ride, she judged. She'd set the Volt to play back the

long induction, followed by a deepener, then another

deepener, and then the wake-up track. Her watch told

her that she'd been under for slightly under an hour,

which agreed with the play times on the tracks. She

felt refreshed, calm, content, and a little excited.

See, she scolded herself lightly. No adverse effects.

I'm not suddenly, uncontrollably lusting for Eric.

The voice quieted, she undressed and went to bed.





ii

Patty's smile lit up the lobby of the stuffy

Alexandria law firm. Eric noticed it immediately.

"You look relaxed," he remarked, taking her small

suitcase and leading her out to his car.

Patty waited until they were out of the lobby before

responding. "I've been getting plenty of rest," she

told him. "A lot more than your CD player has. I

should probably buy you some fresh batteries."

"Not to worry," he replied, unlocking the door for

her. "They're rechargeable."

The car eased out into traffic. "So," Eric opened,

"it sounds as though you tried out a few of the tracks

on the CD." And looks it, he thought to himself,

remembering the relaxed, well-laid smile she'd flashed

him in the lobby. A fantasy image came into his mind

of Patty lying on a hotel bed with her eyes closed and

headphones on, pulling at her clothing and writhing in

ecstasy to his words. It was a vivid image that had

been haunting the edges of his imagination the entire

week; it took an effort of will to dismiss it.

"I think I've heard them all at least once," she

replied. "A couple, more than once."

"Well?"

Patty felt the color rising in her cheeks as she

recalled her night sessions with the hypnotic CD.

"The inductions worked. The long one was too slow for

me, though; I kept having this feeling that I was

waiting for you to catch up. The short induction

actually worked better for me."

Eric nodded. "Not a huge surprise, considering how

good a subject you are. Most people will need the

longer one to get into a useable light trance state.

After a few sessions, they can start using the short

one to save some time."

"The deepeners were nice. A couple of times I strung

two or three of them together and totally zoned out --

I think a bomb could have gone off in the room next

door and I wouldn't have noticed or cared."

Eric nodded, making mental notes. "And the

fantasies?"

"Effective," Patty snapped, feeling the heat building

up under her collar. Holy shit, were they effective,

she thought. I've had more orgasms this week than I

had last month!

"I'm sorry," Eric said in a low voice. "I didn't mean

to embarrass you. I just need to know if they ... if

you ... you know."

"I know," she replied. "And they did. You could

probably sell the CD alone under the title Who Needs a

Man?"

"Enough said," Eric agreed, smiling to himself. The

fantasy image floated through his mind again, and he

imagined what Patty might look like in the throes of

an orgasm.

"We're here," Patty pointed out, breaking Eric's

pleasant meditation. He pulled up to the curb in

front of the train station and stopped. "Your

player," she said, handing him the Volt and

headphones.

Eric checked the Volt. "You remembered to keep the

CD," he noted. "Enjoy it." He held out his hand.

"Thanks." Without thinking, she took his hand and

shook it. When Eric snapped his fingers, her face had

a split second to register surprise before her eyes

fell shut and her body slumped against the seat.

Eric watched her face as she slipped into trance.

"It's okay, Patty," he reassured her. "I'm not trying

to take advantage of you. You can trust me and relax.

Just relax and let yourself sink down into a nice,

deep trance, just like you did on the train, just like

you do when you listen to my voice on your CD.

Squeeze my hand when your trance meter reads 70." He

waited for the squeeze, which came after a minute or

so.

"Among other things, hypnosis can be used to improve

memory," he told her. "I'm going to tell you my phone

number in a moment, and when I do your subconscious

will record it carefully so that you will always be

able to remember it. I want you to know that you can

call me any time you want, for any reason, and I will

always be happy to talk to you." He recited his phone

number twice, then woke Patty from her trance.

Her eyes fluttered open, and she shook her head to

clear it. "You didn't have to do that," she said,

smiling. "I've already programmed your number into my

cell phone."

"Oops." Eric managed a sheepish shrug. "Would you

like me to remove the trance trigger before you go?"

She thought about it for a second. "No, don't. It

might come in handy some day."

Eric watched while Patty wheeled her travel bag into

the train station, then he headed home. He drove

mechanically, most of his mind still occupied with

fantasies about Patty. She kept the trance trigger,

he thought to himself. It was an encouraging thought.



There were two conference tables in the business class

car, as there had been on the ride down, but they were

both occupied by serious-looking men who, by the way

their things were spread across the table, did not

want company. Patty took the hint and settled into a

window seat a few rows deep.

She opened the discreetly-covered copy of Eric's book,

hardly touched since the ride down, and began to read.

She read with renewed interest, having experienced for

herself some of the scenarios described in the book.

At times she could almost hear Eric's voice in the

back of her mind, reading the book to her; other times

it was her own voice she heard, imagining herself

giving suggestions to Craig. It would be so nice to

feel his hands on her body again. More than once she

drifted off into a half daydream, scarcely noticing

when the train stopped along the way.

She was almost to the end of the book and the ride

when her cell phone chirped. Patty struggled back to

reality, digging the phone out of her handbag just in

time to answer. "Hello?"

The voice was deep and slightly strained, working hard

to be heard over loud, chaotic background noises.

"Hi, honey."

Patty's face brightened. "Craig! Are you at Penn

Station already?"

The slight hesitation telegraphed his answer. "Uh,

no. That's what I'm calling about. I forgot I was

supposed to play racquetball with the guys tonight.

I'm still at the gym. Do you still need a ride home?"

Patty took a deep breath and let it out before

answering. "Yes," she said, being careful to keep her

voice from showing annoyance. "I was counting on you

to get me home."

"I might be a little late. I have to shower and

change, and we left my car back at the office. Where

should I look for you?"

The hand holding the phone dropped to Patty's lap as

her eyes turned skyward, silently pleading her case.

She brought the phone back up to her face. "Never

mind, I'll just get a cab. You finish your game and

I'll see you at home."

"That's cool," he replied. "Hey, listen -- the other

guys were talking about going out for a beer

afterwards. I could be kinda late getting home."

Patty sighed again. "Have a good time, then," she

said, resigned.

"Thanks, hon. Bye!"

Patty glared at the phone in her hand. Gone almost a

week, she argued silently. Would it have killed you

to meet me at the station? She was still fuming

inside when, during the cab ride home, she spotted an

electronics store. On an impulse, she knocked on the

safety partition to get the driver's attention. "Can

we stop there for a few minutes, please?"

The driver shrugged. "Meter stays on."

"That's fine," she agreed.

The cab driver executed a deft maneuver, crossing

three lanes of traffic and zipping into an alley near

the store. Patty jumped out and hurried into the

store. She found what she wanted quickly: a Rio

Volt. She grabbed one and a package of batteries off

the shelf, found the shortest checkout line, and was

back in her cab quickly enough to draw an approving

look from the driver.



A dark, disheveled apartment greeted Patty when she

opened the door. She tried her best not to look at

the kitchen as she dragged her suitcase into the

bedroom. She straightened up the bed enough to be

usable and sat on it with a heavy sigh. There would

be a lot of cleaning up to do in the morning.

The Volt sat in its plastic bag beside her. She

removed it, inserted a battery, and plugged in the

headphones. Who needs a man? she thought, looking

around at the unkempt room. Not me, I guess.



Setting the Volt aside, she retrieved Eric's CD from

her bag and loaded it into the player. The CD whirred

and spun for a few seconds, then the Volt's navigation

menu appeared. Patty programmed a short playlist and

set the unit down on the night stand. Her mind

replayed the first time she'd listened to one of the

hypnotic fantasies on the CD. She'd sat down in the

easy chair, just like the first night, and programmed

the tracks she'd wanted to hear: the short induction,

two deepeners, and the first fantasy. She remembered

her eyes closing, recalled imagining herself

descending down a winding staircase, and then a vivid

experience of making love with a masked man in the

cloakroom at a costume ball. She'd awakened suddenly

to find herself almost out of the chair, with her

clothing twisted around, half undone, and sopping wet

near the crotch. That experience had taught her to

prepare a little before indulging.

She stripped naked, putting her clothes in the hamper,

and grabbed an extra towel from the bathroom. She

stretched out on the bed, placing the towel underneath

her bottom to catch the juices she knew would flow

soon, and then put on the headphones and got

comfortable. There was a chance, she realized, that

Craig would come home and find her laid out like this,

having dream sex. So let him, she decided. Serves

him right for not being here. She fingered the Volt's

wired remote and pushed Play.

Eric's recorded voice filled her ears and her mind.

Soon she was drifting off into a blissful trance,

following Eric's voice down the spiral staircase

deeper and deeper into herself. She'd programmed

three deepeners into this sequence, but reached an

almost coma-like state during the first one. Patty's

body lay on the bed totally passive, completely

unmoving, until the fantasy sequence began.

Patty saw herself entering a photography studio. She

was going on a dare, she explained to the girl at the

front desk; she wanted to have some very sexy pictures

of herself taken to give to her lover. The

receptionist smiled and led her back to one of the

studio rooms.

There she found herself changing into a provocative,

sexy lingerie that revealed more than it hid. An

expert did her hair and makeup in record time, leaving

her looking and feeling like the sexiest woman alive.

As she approached the photographer, she could feel his

eyes wandering all over her body, trying not to stare

while still peeking through the layers of sheer fabric

and lace. He led her to a huge bed made up with satin

sheets and pillowcases, sinfully smooth to the touch,

and explained to Patty that she should pretend the

camera was her lover and do her best to seduce it.

The session began. Patty focused herself on the

camera, pretending her lover was looking through it.

Each pose was a little more intimate than the one

before; each made her feel bolder and sexier. The

photographer encouraged her, his smooth, mellow voice

urging her to feel her own sexual power, to show her

lover how incredibly desirable she really was. Pose

after pose, camera flash after camera flash, Patty

felt herself growing more and more aroused, more and

more in touch with her sexual side. Soon it wasn't

enough to turn and bend and allow the lingerie to

reveal a glimpse here and there; she found herself

doing a strip tease, slowly, sensually removing layer

after layer and flinging the unneeded garments aside.

The photographer moved in closer as Patty bared more

and more skin, and she noticed that he had a raging

hard-on. She let her hands glide over herself,

feeling herself, letting herself become wet and warm

all over. The photographer had stopped talking to her

so she began talking to him,

telling him how sexy she felt, how much she wanted his

rock-hard cock inside of her, how she longed to feel

him come. Patty didn't know the man, but she had

become so aroused by the posing that she no longer

cared -- she would have him.

Totally nude, she continued posing, drawing the

photographer closer. He was practically standing over

now, the camera recording every rise and fall of her

breast. "You know you want me," she told him, letting

her hand reach out and stroke the bulge in the front

of his jeans. "You're getting so hard, so horny, it

must be almost impossible to concentrate."

The photographer stopped moving at her touch. She

could sense him struggling with himself, wanting her

so badly but being constrained by professional rules.

Patty didn't care about his rules; before he could

pull away, she undid his pants and freed his cock. It

sprang out at her, fully erect and ready, as she

jerked his pants down. She pumped the shaft with one

hand, kissing the head, and enjoyed hearing the

photographer groan in sweet agony. In seconds the

camera fell to the bed beside her and the

photographer's finger was inside her dripping center,

probing for the spot that would send her into ecstasy.

He found it and stroked the sides of her button,

sending shockwaves of pleasure through Patty and

leaving her panting on the bed.

But he wasn't done. While Patty recovered, the

photographer stripped off his remaining clothes and

climbed on top of her. His thick cock found the sweet

spot and plunged inside, filling her easily. His

rhythmic stroking in and out brought Patty back to the

edge and when he grunted and came she came with him,

crying out with the pleasure of it.

Patty's eyes opened to the sound of Eric's voice

finishing its ten count. A thin coating of sweat

covered most of her body; the towel was sticky and

damp in the middle, as expected. I really should take

a shower, she thought to herself, but it seemed like

too much exertion. She took the headphones off,

closed her eyes, and went to sleep.

A low whistle broke the silence of the night. "All

right," Craig murmured appreciatively.

Patty heard the quiet clinking sounds of her man

undressing and started to wake up. She had rolled

over in her sleep and was comfortably settled onto a

nest of extra pillows; not awake enough to move yet,

she just wrenched her eyes open and stared into space.

A heavy, rough-skinned hand touched her bottom and

squeezed a little bit, then headed quickly north. Her

body responded out of habit, lifting a shoulder and

turning her face to accept the kiss that she knew was

coming. Their lips met as his hand slid around and

cupped her breast, then his lips parted and the taste

of beer and smoked sausage crept into her mouth.

Craig lowered himself onto the bed, letting his

already-stiff cock rub against her rear end. His hand

played with her breast like a resin bag, squeezing and

releasing quickly, then moved swiftly down to find the

furry patch at her center. When he found moisture

there, he broke off the kissing and whispered into

Patty's ear. "Feels like you're as ready for this as

I am," he observed. "Just relax and let me do the

work."

Patty felt the weight shifting on the mattress as

Craig got up on all fours and then to his knees,

pushing her legs apart to kneel between them. His

hands grabbed her hips and lifted. She rose to her

hands and knees and pushed back to meet him, reaching

back with a hand to guide his rod into position. She

ran the tip up and down her slit a few times, taking

advantage of the residual moisture from her CD

session, and then took him inside her.

Craig's member was on the short side of average

length-wise, but made up for it in girth; Patty felt

inner walls straining a little as he pushed his way

inside firmly. Craig heard her groan softly and took

that as a signal to begin working himself in and out

like a piston, hard and fast. Patty winced a little

and tried to relax, feeling for her own clit with a

fingertip to get some more lubrication flowing. Soon

her body responded and the sensations became much more

pleasant.

Then Craig grunted and pushed hard against her. Patty

felt his cock quiver and spit as he came, his hands

clenching her hips with all of his strength. The

pulsing slowed and then stopped, and Craig's rapidly

dwindling cock slipped out. "Wow," he said softly,

patting her gently on the butt.

Before Patty could respond, he flopped over onto the

bed beside her. "Welcome home, honey," he said

contentedly, looking adoringly into her eyes.

She kissed him once, then settled back down into her

pillow nest. Within minutes he was blissfully asleep.

Patty watched him for a while, then rolled over and

went back to sleep herself.



The tantalizing scent of bacon and eggs drifted into

Patty's nose, waking her and inducing a pleasant

feeling of being home. She dropped the towel, now dry

and stiff in a few places, in the hamper and slipped

on a short silky robe, belting it loosely around her

waist.

She found Craig in the kitchen, busily stirring the

eggs with one hand and keeping the bacon moving around

in the skillet with the other. He wore a pair of gray

running shorts and a tank shirt that, in better days,

had been white. He looked so adorable, standing there

cooking her favorite breakfast, that Patty forgave him

for the night before. Walking up behind him, she put

her arms around him and rested her chin lightly on his

muscular shoulder. "Good morning."

He turned his head enough for a quick peck. "Morning,

babe."

"What can I do?"

He nodded toward the side counter, where a fresh bag

of English muffins sat ready. "Man the toaster?"

"Aye aye," she replied, squeezing his solid stomach

one more time.

They ate hungrily, without talking. Craig's eye

alternated between the kitchen clock, the Sports

section of the newspaper, and the opening in the

center of Patty's robe. Sensing an opportunity, Patty

surreptitiously loosened the belt a bit. The

newspaper's share of Craig's attention dwindled as the

gap increased.

When they were finished eating, Patty stood up slowly,

pushing up from the table in a way that flashed plenty

of nipple. "So," she asked, giving Craig another

generous eyeful as she gathered up the dishes, "how

shall we spend our day?"

"You're probably tired from your trip," he began.

Patty liked the sound of that; she turned and leaned

back against the counter, trying to strike an enticing

pose. "So why don't you rest up today? The red Sox

are in town for a day/night doubleheader with the

Yankees, and Joe got box seats to both games."

Patty's jaw dropped, and she found herself fighting to

suppress a frustrated growl. Instead, she put on her

best come-hither look and dropped the robe completely,

letting it fall away as she approached Craig and

buried his face between her breasts. "Wouldn't you

rather do something together?" she purred. "I was

gone soooo looooong."

Craig's hands wandered over her naked body for a few

seconds. He stood up and kissed her, and Patty

thought for a second that she'd won.

But only for a second. "Love to, hon," he replied,

"but I'm supposed to be at Joe's in half an hour and I

need a shower. I'll take a rain check, okay?"



Eric stood over Patty's inert form, his rich voice

coaxing her deeper and deeper into trance. As he

talked, his fingers methodically opened the buttons

that ran down the front of her dress.

"Your lover is here with you," he told her. "Even

now, as you let yourself drift more deeply into

hypnosis, he is unbuttoning your dress. The sight of

your body arouses him, and knowing that he is looking

at you, undressing you, planning to make love to you

while you sleep, arouses you more than anything you've

ever experienced before. You feel your body

responding, becoming so warm, so ready to make love,

so willing to give yourself to your lover in every

way."

The final button on the dress gave way to his fingers.

He laid the dress open, exposing Patty's body in just

bra and panties, and let his hand hover just above her

stomach for a moment. "Your entire body is now an

erogenous zone, Patty. Any touch anywhere on your

body will feel as arousing, as pleasurable, as the

most erotic touch of your clitoris. No matter where

you lover touches you, you will respond with

increasing pleasure and desire for him." Very slowly,

very gently, he let his hand come to rest on Patty's

belly. Her sudden moan and gasp at the moment of

contact brought a smile to Eric's face and a surge to

his groin. He rubbed her belly in a circular motion,

maintaining gentle but firm contact, and enjoyed

listening to her moan with pleasure at his touch.

"That's it," he coached her. "Every square inch of

skin a pleasure point, responding to my touch. The

places on your body that are normally pleasure zones

are now ten times more sensitive, ten time more

arousing when they are touched and stroked, ten times

more pleasurable when I touch them or kiss them or

lick them or suck them."

Moving deliberately, he opened the front clasp on her

bra and lifted the cups out of the way, exposing erect

nipples. Patty's chest rose as she took in a deep

breath, perhaps anticipating his touch. He waited,

imagined he saw her breast straining to reach the hand

that hovered just above it. Then he laid his hand on

her breast, squeezing gently and fondling the nipple

with his thumb. Patty's back arched with the

electricity of his touch and a long, hungry moan

escaped her lips. Pleased with his results, Eric

leaned over and kissed the other breast, letting the

nipple poke between his lips for a quick nibble.

Patty cried out in gasps as an orgasm rocked through

her body. Eric prolonged it by sucking on her breast

and running his hand over her body, relishing the

sounds and sights and feelings of a woman in near-

continuous orgasm.

Finally, he'd had enough -- or, more accurately, he

judged Patty had had enough and was ready for the main

event. Spreading her legs slightly, he slid the

soaking wet panties down her legs and dropped them on

the floor. He admired the view of her glistening

center for a moment, then peeled off his own clothes.

His cock felt like tempered steel in his hand as he

climbed up between Patti's heavy legs. She moaned

anew at his touch as he kissed his way up her thigh,

the scent of her inflaming him even more as he drew

closer.

Suddenly a hand grasped the back of his head and

jerked it sharply upward. He found himself face-to-

face with Kelly -- a sad, disappointed-looking Kelly.

"You're not Craig," she said, shaking her head slowly.

"Haven't you learned anything?"

Eric cried out. His body jumped out of bed and landed

on the floor next to it, the sheets tangled up in his

legs. Sunlight streamed in through the bedroom

windows.

He was alone.

It took a few minutes for his pulse to quit racing and

his breathing to return to normal. Holy shit, he

thought to himself.



Craig crept quietly through the door to the dark

apartment. The second game of his doubleheader had

gone five and a half hours, so it was very late at

night. Or very early in the morning, he corrected

himself, looking at the clock. Patty's gonna be

pissed.

Even at this late hour, though, Craig wasn't sleepy.

He took a look around for the rest of the newspaper he

hadn't finished reading, but couldn't find it.



He looked in on Patty. She was asleep, wearing what

he thought of as her chastity gown: a very unsexy

cotton nightgown with a cloth-covered button every

half inch from throat to ankle. Don't even think

about it, he told himself, and went back to looking

silently for the paper.

He searched the bedroom as best he could in the dark,

then turned to the bathroom. A second sweep of the

living/dining room and kitchen area turned up nothing,

not even an old magazine. He took one more look

around the bedroom and was about to give up when he

spotted a paperback book in a grocery-bag cover

sitting on the nightstand next to Patty's side of the

bed. Something about the anonymous, plain-brown-

wrapper look of the book grabbed his eye even in the

dim light from the hallway, which was the most he

dared have on. He picked up the book and peeked

inside at the title:

EROTIC HYPNOSIS: A Beginner's Guide

by Eric Milton.

Intrigued, he took the book back to the living room

and started to read.



Eric sat in his home office, typing away on the

ThinkPad. As usual, he wrote in a light trance state,

his concentration focused on this own thoughts rather

than on his fingers. And also as usual, at least of

late, his thoughts were dominated by images of himself

and Patty acting out the material as he wrote it.

Thanks to the chance encounter on the train, Eric was

well ahead of schedule on the new book. His agent, a

pugnacious Brooklyn-born lady named Eleanor who

normally had to prod him at least twice a week to stay

focused, had called to express amazement at his sudden

burst of productivity. "There's something about a

train that's magic," he'd explained cryptically,

grinning to himself as he imagined the puzzled look on

her face.

His concentration was broken by the ringing of the

telephone. Giving himself a quick three-count, he

picked up the handset. "Hello?"

"Eric?"

He recognized the voice immediately -- the voice that

had been starring in his fantasies for over a month

now. Be cool, he warned himself. Calm and confident.

"Speaking."

"It's Patty. From the train, remember?"

"Of course I do," he said warmly, flushing a little at

the gross understatement. "How are you?"

"I'm good, very good. How's the book coming?"

"Great! I've been on a tear lately. If I keep up

this pace, I'll finish it a good month ahead of my

deadline."

"Wow! Your publisher must be happy."

"Not sure on that front yet. I'm coming up to New

York next week to meet with them; I'll find out then

how happy they are."

There was a slight pause before Patty replied. "Oh ...

so you'll be in New York next week?"

Something in her voice caused Eric's eyebrows to rise.

"Yes, that's right. I'm taking the train up Monday

morning and staying overnight." He weighed his

options and decided to go for broke. "Did you want to

get together while I'm in town?"

Another pause. "Actually, that's not a bad idea," she

said. "I'd like to pick your brain a little bit, and

it might be easier in person than over the phone."

"I'm intrigued. Pick my brain about what?"

"About hypnosis," she replied. "You see, Craig found

my copy of your book after I got home, and he read

through it."

Eric's mouth went dry. Could it be this easy? he

wondered. "What happened?"

"He was a little freaked out at first," she explained.

"But when he got to the section on fantasies and

suggestions, he got interested. When I told him about

what you and I did on the train, he thought it was the

hottest thing he'd ever heard. I let him put me under

a few times, and ... well, he's had a good time with

it."

"That's great," Eric said, carefully masking his

disappointment. "What can I do?"

"Well, things so far have been one-sided. I've tried

to hypnotize Craig a few times, and I can't seem to

get it to work. I was hoping you could give me some

pointers, or maybe recommend a class."

"I know a few good people in New York," Eric replied.

"But I owe you a favor anyway for helping me test the

CD. I could come over Monday evening and give you a

lesson, if you and Craig are free."

"You'd do that?"

"Sure," he said. "It's the least I can do."



Eric took a taxi from his Manhattan hotel to the

address Patty had given him on Staten Island. This is

a teaching situation, he kept reminding himself. I am

not doing this just to size up the fiancé. By the

time the cab stopped in front of Patty's building, he

almost believed it himself.

Almost.

He pulled out his wallet to pay the driver, but the

heavyset man behind the wheel shook his head. "It's

already covered, Doc," he said. "Phone charge,

through the dispatcher."

"Oh. Thanks," Eric replied. He tipped the driver in

cash and watched him pull away.

There was a standard-issue security system on the

building door; he punched in Patty's apartment number,

and after a short delay something approximating her

voice crackled through the cheap speaker. "Yes?"

"It's Eric."

"Great! Come on up." There was a loud buzz and the

door clicked, allowing Eric to open it and come

through. He took the elevator to the fourth floor

and found Patty waiting for him in the hallway. She

was wearing a cream-colored wrap-style dress and

pumps, and looked genuinely pleased to see him.

"Thanks for coming," she told him, flashing that smile

and meeting his eye as he took her offered hand.

"It's right around the corner." She led him down the

hall, took a sharp right, and gestured toward an open

doorway.

The living area was nicely furnished in blonde woods,

with lots of glass and light-colored accessories

complemented by a rich honey-colored carpet. A maple

bar occupied the corner opposite the door. Standing

by the bar was Craig. "Hey there," he said, crossing

the room with purposeful strides to shake Eric's hand.

Eric took Craig's hand and tried not to wince visibly

at the powerful grip while he sized up the

competition. Craig stood a little below average in

height, but had the broad chest and shoulders of a

fullback. He wore a plain white polo shirt and

khakis. The face that examined Eric felt sincerely

friendly.

"Good to meet you," Eric said, willing himself to mean

it. Calm and confident, he reminded himself.

Especially confident.

Craig was heading back toward the bar already. "Wanna

beer?"

"Sure," Eric replied with a broad smile, automatically

starting to establish rapport with his subject.

Craig reached behind the bar and pulled out three

bottles of generic domestic beer. "This do?"

"Long as it's cold." Eric saw a flash of approval in

Craig's eyes; he'd guessed right, apparently.

Patty stood by on one end of the sofa, sipping her

beer and watching the men interact. After a few

minutes, she felt the knot in her stomach easing.

She'd had qualms about putting these two together --

Craig's competitive streak tended to come out in the

presence of other men -- but Eric had done a masterful

job of establishing himself as someone Craig could

accept.

Craig surprised Patty by being the first to mention

the real reason for the visit. "I read through your

book," he said to Eric. "Did you do all of that

stuff?"

Eric nodded, grinning. "Had to test it all

thoroughly."

"I can't believe it. You must have this harem full of

women at home."

"No, just one," Eric replied. "But she was very

adventurous. Like Patty, in a lot of ways -- she went

under very easily and deeply, and could do just about

anything without disturbing her trance state."

"Patty really zones out," he agreed. "It's kind of

fun doing it to her, too." An idea seemed to strike

Craig; he looked over at Patty. "Hey honey, you wanna

show him one of the tricks we can do?"

"I don't know if --" As she spoke, Craig clapped his

hands twice quickly and Patty came to a sudden stop.

Her body simply froze in position, mouth partially

open, eyes staring forward.

Craig bounded out of his seat and over to his frozen

fiancée. "Isn't this cool?"

"Chapter 6," Eric cited. "The time stop trick."

"You got it -- only I changed the trigger to a double

clap, like that thing they sell on TV. You know, clap

on, clap off?"

Eric nodded, admiring the way Patty managed to remain

perfectly still, even as her body continued to make

the usual minute adjustments needed to maintain

balance. Then he saw Craig get down on his knees and

reach up underneath Patty's dress. "What are you

doing?"

Craig looked over and grinned. "Having a little fun,"

he said with impish glee. In a few seconds his hands

reappeared, along with Patty's panties and hose.

"Bad idea," Eric warned.

"Nah, this is fun. Watch." Craig rolled the hose

down to her ankles, then carefully off each foot,

removing and replacing the shoes as he went.

Eric watched in silence. You'll regret this, Craig,

he predicted silently. I know -- I've been there.

Craig finished replacing Patty's shoes, crept back to

his chair and dropped the panty hose on the floor

behind him. He clapped his hands again twice and

Patty came back to life.

"... that's really necessary," she finished.

"Okay, hon," Craig said, twirling her panties on his

finger. "Whatever you say."

Seeing the underwear in Craig's hands made Patty

suddenly aware of where it had come from. She blushed

deeply, unconsciously gathering the skirt around

herself for a moment before marching across the room

and taking the panties back. "Excuse me a moment,

please," she said to Eric, and retreated to the

bedroom.

She slipped her panties back on and sat down in front

of her vanity for a few minutes to collect herself.

It was fun the first time, she mused, remembering the

night Craig had clapped his hands just as they got

home from a dinner date and all of her clothing had

vanished, as if by magic. It was amusing a few days

later, when she had been sitting at the kitchen table

fully clothed going over a new product guide, only to

hear a noise and suddenly find herself stark naked and

holding a Chippendale's calendar. But when she'd

started to open the door for his friend Joe in a T-

shirt and jeans and finished opening it in just her

underwear, she thought she'd made it clear that he was

not to do that again without her permission. He's got

a lot of payback coming when I finally get him under,

she vowed.

She took a few deep breaths and tried to relax. No

point making a scene in front of Eric, she told

herself. She wondered for a moment how much he'd

seen, and whether he'd tried to stop Craig. Then she

consigned the whole incident to the back of her mind

and rejoined the men in the living room.

Eric saw her return and noted the firmness in her jaw,

the forced nonchalance in her face. She's got a

right to be angry, he thought. I'll bet that's not

the first time he's pulled something like that. Then

he became aware that Craig was asking him a question.

"I'm sorry?"

"I said, have you ever had someone you just couldn't

put under?"

"Oh, sure," Eric answered. "Going into hypnosis is a

talent, like playing football. Some people are just

naturally good at it, like Patty; most people can

learn to do it reasonably well with practice. A few

just can't get the hang of it no matter how hard they

try." He noted the faint glimmer of satisfaction in

Craig's eyes, as if he had just seen an out, so he

continued. "Normally, though, I've found that anybody

who really wants to go into hypnosis can get there."

"It's probably my technique," Patty volunteered. "I

have a hard time telling when things are working and

when they aren't."

"It's hard to say without seeing you in action," he

replied. "Which leads us to the first step --

observing your technique."

Craig sat a little more upright. "Are you going to

watch her try to put me under?"

Eric paused a moment and smiled. "No," he countered.

"You're going to watch while Patty hypnotizes me."

Both of his companions looked at him in surprise.

"Trust me," he assured them. "I know what I'm doing."

"But do I?" Patty questioned.

"We'll know soon."

In a few minutes, they had the environment arranged to

Eric's liking. He settled himself into Craig's

favorite chair, a padded lounge chair with leg

support, almost like a very comfortable dentist's

chair, that reclined by rocking forward or back on a

fixed base. He kept it mostly upright so that Patty

would be able to watch his face easily, and see when

his head began to tip forward. They dimmed the lights

slightly, and Eric pronounced himself ready.

Craig observed from the couch, a good distance away.

Patty sat on an ottoman near Eric's side so she could

watch him without being directly in front of him.

"Which induction do you like best?" she asked.

"Remember the hourglass induction I used with you on

the train?"

Patty nodded. "Close your eyes, then," she said,

letting her voice drop to a low, soothing tone, "and

picture in your mind a large, ornate hourglass..."

Eric pictured the hourglass in his mind, the sand

slowly falling from top to bottom. She has such a

nice voice, he thought to himself. Smooth, flowing,

easy to listen to. He listened intently while she

told him, using the future tense, how he would soon

find his body relaxing as the sand ran out of the top

of the hourglass. He continued listening, and noticed

after a while that she was now using the present

tense. "You feel your jaw beginning to loosen up,

your head beginning to tip forward ever so slightly

..." She's right, he realized. She caught the

transition before I did. He felt his body sinking

deeper into the chair, and let go to the sensation.

" ... Eight, feeling the alertness creeping back into

your limbs ... Nine, eyes opening, taking a deep

breath ... And ten, fully awake and alert."

The first thing Eric noticed when his eyes focused

again was that the room was much darker than it had

been just a moment or two ago, when he'd first sat

down. The second thing he noticed was Patty's face,

looking intently into his. Her eyes gleamed at him,

her nostrils were flared, and she was licking her lips

slowly as she watched. He knew exactly what she must

be feeling -- he'd felt it himself, countless times.

The feeling of power, the erotic rush of seeing

someone surrender totally, could be more seductive

than sex itself.

"How did I do?" she was asking, looking deeply into

his eyes for the answer.

Eric smiled. "You did fabulously," he assured her.

"I should get you to record a few tracks for the new

book's companion CD."

"How much do you remember?" Eric was slightly

startled by Craig's voice; he'd half forgotten about

him.

"Nothing after the induction started," he said. "That

happens a lot with me, though. It'll come back as I

need it -- unless Patty told me otherwise, anyway."

He looked the question at her, and was intrigued at

her coy look back.

"Let's try a test," she said, standing up and walking

over to the bar area. "A simple matter of animal

magnetism."

Eric felt the pull immediately, but the direction

surprised him. Instead of lifting toward the ceiling,

his arms went to the armrests of the chair. His body

rose of its own volition from the chair and approached

Patty at the bar. Before Eric could think of what to

say, his arms were wrapped around her in a tight

embrace.

Craig let it go on for a few seconds, chuckling at the

look of consternation on Eric's face. "Hey!" he

called out, "that's my woman you're groping, pal.

Break it up."

Eric tried to take his arms off Patty and failed

miserably. The harder he tried to pry himself loose,

the more powerfully he seemed to stick to her.

"Enough already," Craig said, his voice becoming a

little edgy.

Eric struggled one more time to escape,

unsuccessfully. "I think you've made your point," he

said.

Patty laughed and snapped her fingers. As soon as he

heard the sound, Eric felt the magnetic pull of

Patty's body subside; he quickly broke the embrace and

stepped back several feet. Recovering his wits, he

plopped down on a chair and looked at both of them.

"I think we can safely say that Patty's technique is

not the problem," he announced.

"So what happens next?" Craig asked.

"We switch places," Eric replied. "You take the comfy

chair, while I sit back and observe."

A look of reluctance came over Craig's face, then

vanished. "Okay, I'll try."

Eric nodded. "Let's get you as comfortable as

possible. Why don't you use the bathroom, take off

your shoes, that sort of thing?"

"Sure."

As Craig left the room, Eric turned to Patty. "What

inductions have you tried with him so far?"

"The hourglass, mostly," Patty replied. "Also the

sunset at the beach one. Neither one worked. Craig's

a very concrete guy; I think he has a hard time

getting detailed mental pictures."

"That's a possibility. Have you tried a fixation

induction?"

"You mean eye contact? I thought you said that was a

bad one to use for beginners."

"It usually is," Eric agreed. "It requires supreme

confidence on your part, and the ability to keep

staring into his eyes for as long as it takes. I was

thinking more of a fixation object, like a pendant or

a shiny paperweight."

Patty thought for a minute. "I think I know just the

thing." She slipped down the hallway to the back of

the apartment and returned with a desk toy. It

featured a pair of parallel bars made of plastic,

between which were suspended five metal balls. The

balls were secured to each bar with a piece of nylon

line, and spaced so that they just touched one

another.

Eric recognized the toy immediately. "Yes," he

agreed, "that should do very nicely. I've used

something similar myself once or twice."

They set the toy on an end table next to the lounge

chair, pulling the table out a bit to give Craig a

better viewing angle. Patty steadied the balls,

angling the toy so that the shiny metal spheres caught

the ambient room light and reflected it back in

multiple directions. As she finished arranging the

toy Craig returned, looking a little apprehensive.

"We're ready for you," Patty said, waving him to the

chair.

Craig nodded and took his position in the lounge

chair. "Okay," Eric said, dropping partially into his

induction voice. "You saw how easily Patty was able

to guide me into a deep hypnotic state. If you

concentrate just on her voice and do exactly as she

tells you, nothing can prevent you from entering a

deep hypnotic trance just as I did. Since this will

be your first time, we won't try any posthypnotic

suggestions; Patty will just take you into trance, let

you feel what it's like for a few minutes, and then

wake you up again. Ready?"

Craig looked at them both. "I guess."

Eric's and Patty's eyes met. You can do this, he said

inwardly, willing his gaze to telegraph his conviction

to her.

Patty felt his confidence. Bolstered by that, and by

her success in hypnotizing Eric earlier, she felt

relaxed and ready. This is going to work, she thought

to herself. I can really do this. She lifted a hand

and caught Craig's eye with it. "I want you to watch

very closely right here," she said, using her hand to

guide Craig's gaze to the desk toy. She pulled back

on the rightmost silver ball, lifting it high and wide

of the parallel bars, and let it go. As designed, the

ball came back and struck the next one squarely; the

force of the blow was transmitted through the three

middle balls to the opposite side and sent the end

ball swinging widely to the left. That ball swung

out, then came back in and struck its neighbor,

sending the rightmost ball swinging away again. A

rhythm was established, the middle balls appearing to

sit still while the outer two took turns flying

outward and then slamming back into the middle.

Craig watched the toy with interest while Patty began

speaking. "I want you to focus all of your attention

on the balls in the middle," she told him. "Just

relax and watch those middle balls. See how the light

shines off them. Notice how still they seem to be,

even while the outer balls are swinging and bouncing

against them. Study those middle balls, becoming

aware of every detail, every reflection, every hint of

movement. Let your mind and body become as still as

those middle balls, resting comfortably and quietly

while around you the world keeps moving and clicking.

And while you're watching the balls, notice how smooth

and steady and rhythmic the clicking sound is as the

outer balls swing back and forth, each in turn. Let

that rhythm take you, let the clicking happen inside

your mind as well as outside, so that you become one

with the rhythm."

Eric watched and listened, fascinated. She's ad-

libbing, he realized. Using the properties of the

object to enhance the script -- very impressive.

"And as you listen," Patty continued, "you may notice

that the rhythm of the balls becomes just a hair

slower. The energy that moves those outer balls is

slowly depleting itself, causing the whole system to

slow down little by little. And as you observe this,

you'll notice that your own system will also slowing

little by little, relaxing more and more, slowing down

as the balls slow down."

As Eric watched, Craig's eyes appeared to glass over,

the lids tending to blink more often. Patty caught

the same signs and adjusted accordingly. "Slowing

down now, your mind and body relaxing and slowing

down, your eyes growing tired and heavy, wanting to

close, wanting to rest. Don't let it happen yet,

Craig; keep your eyes focused on those middle balls,

letting yourself experience every detail. You eyes

will remain open until the outer balls come to a

complete stop; you will not close your eyes and slip

into a deep, satisfying, safe sleep until the balls

come to rest."

Patty's words, along with the steady pattern of motion

and sound from the toy, were having their desired

effect. Craig's eyes fluttered, struggling to stay

open, as his body seemed to sink deeper and deeper

into the chair. Patty continued in the same vein,

talking him deeper as the toy slowed, watching with

growing excitement as he succumbed. Soon the toy's

momentum was spent, the steady clicking sound

deteriorating into a soft buzz. "Sleep now," Patty

said with authority, and Craig's eyes dropped shut.

His head dipped forward, and Patty felt that rush of

raw erotic power once again.

Then, in an instant, it was gone. Craig's head bobbed

up and his eyes popped open. "Did it work?"

Patty felt the air rushing out of her, like a balloon

with a fast leak. She looked to Eric, who had a grim

expression on his face. "Almost," he answered for

her. "How do you feel?"

"Fine," he said. "A little spacey, maybe."

"You're awake now," Patty said, following Eric's

instructions from the book. "Wide awake."

"I know, hon," Craig replied. "It was a nice try,

though."

Eric cleared his throat. "What was the last thing

that went through your mind? Right then, just before

you opened your eyes?"

Craig looked into space. "I don't know," he said. "I

just kinda perked up, I guess."

They tried several more times, both with Patty as the

hypnotist and with Eric, but had no better results.

Each time Craig appeared to be slipping into trance,

he would

suddenly cough or laugh or otherwise jolt back to

wakefulness. Eric could see the growing frustration

in Patty's face. Craig, on the other hand, seemed

more at ease as the evening wore on.

Finally Eric saw no alternative but to give up. "I'm

sorry," he said, addressing himself to Craig. "You

must be one of the rare people who just can't reach

the hypnotic state."

Craig's face took on a look of hopelessness. "That

really sucks. Are you sure, Doc?"

"That's how it looks," Eric responded flatly.

Craig accepted his sentence with a sigh. "Sorry,

honey," he said to Patty. I'll just bet, Eric

remarked to himself.

Patty sighed back. "It's okay," she said. Then, to

Eric, she added, "It's late; instead of waiting for a

cab, why don't you let me drive you back to your

hotel?"

There was a clear message in her eyes as well. Eric

responded to that as much as the stated offer.

"Either way is fine with me. Are you sure you don't

mind driving back alone this late?"

"We're in a pretty good neighborhood," she replied.

"After all you've done here, it's the least I can do."

Eric endured Craig's hearty handshake one more time.

"Don't blame yourself, Doc," he said. "Like you said,

some people just don't go under."

"Thanks," Eric replied, not feeling at all thankful.

Patty was quiet as she led Eric through the well-lit

parking garage below her building to her gray Saturn.

She remained silent and thoughtful for most of the

trip. Eric let her be, not sure exactly how much to

say. The silence grew thick and electric before Patty

finally broke it.

"What do you really think, Eric?"

Be damned careful, Eric, his inner voice warned.

"About what?"

Patty shot him a sideways you-know-exactly-what-I-mean

look. "About Craig. Do you really think he's not

hypnotizable, or were you just being diplomatic?"

Eric weighed his quickly. I could tell her, he

thought, and risk looking like a jealous suitor trying

to sabotage the relationship. Or I could bullshit her

and risk getting caught at it. He took a deep breath

before answering.

"It's a possibility," he said cautiously. "I couldn't

rule it out offhand."

"You're talking like a lawyer," she admonished him.

"I don't need that. I need someone to tell me what

I'm doing wrong."

"It's not you," he replied with certainty. "Your

technique is fine. You showed great instincts in that

first induction, and you nearly had him. You

definitely had me."

"Why did you do that, anyway? Be my subject, I mean.

And don't say to observe my technique -- you could

have done that better by watching."

Eric smiled. "A large part of being a hypnotist is

confidence. You have to believe that you can get

people into trance, and so does your subject. I knew

you'd have no problem with me -- I was prepared to

self-induce if I had to, but I didn't have to -- so

what better way to help build that confidence? And it

worked. You seemed positive that you could get Craig

into trance after that."

"I was positive," she agreed. "I'd swear he was under

at least once, maybe two or three times, but then he

just suddenly shook it off at the critical moment.

What happened?"

Feeling the eggshells beneath his feet, Eric tried

again. "Some people are mentally capable of hypnosis,

but have a hard time letting go. Maybe they have

control issues, maybe there's a certain fear factor,

or not quite enough trust. I've seen people before

who would start to enter a trance, realize it, and

unconsciously snap themselves back to alertness

without fully understanding why themselves."

Patty nodded, her mouth turning into a grim line.

"That's what I'm thinking. Either he doesn't trust

me, or he's afraid to give up control, which is really

the same thing. But what can I do about it?"

His inner voice screamed at him not to say it, but

Eric did anyway. "Often times, the answer to this

kind of issue lies in the relationship itself. How

are you and Craig getting along?"

Her brow wrinkled. "Fine," she said. "Perfectly

fine."

Eric was not about to challenge that assertion, so an

uncomfortable silence settled on them again. Soon

Patty pulled up into the service lane in front of

Eric's hotel. There was a short-tem parking space

near the entrance, so she pulled into it and put the

transmission in Park.

"Thanks for coming," she said. "I'm sorry for being

so sullen on the way over here."

"It's okay," he replied, offering his hand. "Good

luck."

As soon as she took his offered hand, Eric snapped his

fingers. Patty's body went limp and sunk into the

seat; Eric caught her head and gently set it against

the headrest. "That's good, Patty," he said. "Slide

way down, deep into trance, relaxing and letting go of

all the tension in your body. When your trance

thermometer gets to 90, I want you to squeeze my

hand." He continued to relax and deepen her for about

a minute and a half before he felt the squeeze. "Very

good. Now Patty, I want you to listen carefully. You

do not have to respond to any posthypnotic trigger

that would cause you to feel uncomfortable or

embarrassed, whether that trigger comes from Craig or

from me or from anyone. Any time he tries to place

you into trance, or use a trigger, that trigger will

only be effective if you are in a safe, private

environment and you feel completely safe and

comfortable allowing it to work. You know this, but I

want you to be extra aware from now on. You can

always refuse a suggestion if you don't want to

comply. Do you understand?"

"Yes," she replied hazily.

"Good. Now, on three, you'll be completely awake and

alert again. One ... two ... three."

Her eyes opened and focused on his face. "Thanks,"

she said sincerely, with her first true smile of the

evening. "I needed that."

"You're welcome," he said, smiling back.

Patty leaned toward and kissed him softly on the

cheek, then whispered into his ear: "Sleep for me

now, Eric." His conscious mind barely registered the

words before the blackness enveloped him and his body

slumped into Patty's waiting arms. "That's it, deeper

and deeper, letting go, trusting me completely. Count

yourself down from twenty now, Eric, and when you've

reached your deepest trance I want you to squeeze my

hand." She waited, letting the erotic thrill wash

over her one more time, until she felt the slow, easy

squeeze on her hand. "Now, Eric," she continued,

"Here is what is going to happen when you get to your

room..."

Eric waved as Patty pulled away, the memory of that

quick kiss tingling on his cheek. With a melancholy

sigh, he turned and trudged into the hotel.

He closed the door to his room and leaned against it

for a moment, eyes closed, wondering what might have

been. Then he flipped on the light and stopped dead

in his tracks.

Before him, sitting on the easy chair across from the

door, was a woman. She was dressed in a silk robe and

wore a veil over most of her face. Only a pair of

powerful, mesmerizing eyes showed above the veil, and

those eyes captured him instantly, leaving him

transfixed. "Hello, Eric," she said softly, in a

voice both familiar and strange. "I've been waiting

for you."

Eric stood still, not thinking, not speaking, unable

to break free of those captivating eyes.

"You feel my power already," she remarked. "That's

good, very good. Look deeply into my eyes, Eric, and

let me take you into that sweet, blissful sleep you so

love. Surrender your will to me, and I will bring you

ecstasy. Sleep, Eric. Sleep..."

Eric's world narrowed until he found himself lost in

those eyes, floating away on soft, gentle waves of the

woman's voice. The next thing he knew, he was naked

and lying on his bed while a sweet voice whispered

things into his ear -- things he didn't quite hear,

but which set his every nerve on overload and made his

cock stand up like a rocket on the launch pad. Warm,

loving hands caressed his body, and a pair of velvety

lips brushed against his face, his chest, his cock.

With great effort, he wrenched his eyes open in time

to see the mysterious woman, naked now except for her

veil, straddling him. The sight of her nakedness

enticed him and aroused him even more, and when she

slid on top of his throbbing cock and enveloped him he

felt the electricity throughout his body. Still she

whispered to him, her words taking him higher into

bliss, until the smooth rhythm of them began to break

down as she approached her climax. Eric felt the

tension around his cock as she gasped and came, and

the knowledge pushed him over the edge as well. A

valve turned in his mind and his cock gushed, every

nerve and muscle in his body participating in the

orgasm. The woman rode him, her words now prolonging

his climax, until he no longer had the energy to move.

Only then, as he struggled to keep his eyes open

another few seconds, did she move the veil and reveal

her face.

"Sleep now, Eric," Patty said. "And thank you."



The apartment was dark when Patty returned. She

flipped on the living room light and spotted Craig

sitting in the lounge chair, naked.

"Hi, honey," he said. "Surprise!"

"You shouldn't have," she replied, meaning it.

"But look, honey," he insisted with a wink. "The one-

eyed viper is calling your name."

Patty blinked twice as the posthypnotic suggestion

took hold. In a flash she had a visceral,

irresistible need to kneel down and suck Craig's cock

until it flooded her mouth. Then, just as quickly,

the desire vanished. "No thanks, Craig," she said.

"I'm too tired for games."

Craig's jaw dropped. "But the one-eyed viper is

calling your name," he repeated.

This time Patty only felt a quick twinge of desire,

which passed before she even fully acknowledged it.

"The one-eyed viper has called my name three times

this week," she told him. "At this point, I don't

care if it stands up and serenades. I didn't buy that

book so you could get blowjobs at will, Craig."

Craig sighed and crossed his arms. "Then why did you

buy it?"

Patty felt her patience fading away. "I bought it

because it looked like something we could do

together," she explained. "Something that might add a

little life and interest that's been lacking around

here for a while. But obviously I was wrong."

"That's not my fault," he began, then gave up as Patty

stomped out of the room and slammed the bedroom door

behind her. "Fuck," he said, looking down at his

semi-erect penis. "Looks like you're outta luck

tonight, pal."

Patty took a long shower, more for the quiet and

privacy than any real need to wash. While the water

ran over her body, she thought about her going-away

present for Eric. I wonder what woman his imagination

conjured up for him, she thought idly. She pictured

him lying naked on his bed, giving in to the imaginary

ministrations of a dream lover. She imagined herself

as that lover, caressing him, kissing him, getting him

so aroused and so ready for her, taking him inside of

her. As she pictured the scene, her fingers wandered

over her own body's sensitive places. The stroking

became more insistent, more urgent, and when in her

mind Eric came, she came with him, biting on a

washcloth to keep herself from crying out loud.

Craig was either asleep or pretending to be when she

came to bed. She didn't care which, as long as he

kept doing it.





iii

Eric sat in the business class car at his favorite

conference table seat. His Thinkpad was open in front of

him and his fingers danced on the keys.

Fantasy #11 -- Hypnotized and Seduced

(Written for a male subject and a female hypnotist,

but can be easily modified for any combination.

Highly effective for partners with a submissive

streak, or who find the hypnosis itself to be

erotic.)

You are out of town on business, and have been for

several days. You are unlocking the door of your

hotel room, tired and bored and missing your lover's

touch, resigned to spending another evening alone.

As the door closes behind you, however, you become

aware of a presence in the room. Across from the

door, sitting and watching, is a mysterious stranger

-- a woman, dressed in a silk gown and a heavy veil

that hides almost all of her face.

You find yourself approaching the woman, not

speaking, wondering who she is and how she got into

your room. "I've been waiting for you," she says,

her voice silky smooth and compelling.

It's then that you notice her eyes. They are deep

and shining, and seem to look right through you. You

feel yourself being captured by her eyes, fascinated,

unable to look away. She stands up and comes closer.

You think about backing up, running away, doing

anything, but all you can do is stand still and lose

yourself in those mesmerizing, powerful eyes. You

are falling into a trance, you know it, and you also

know that there is nothing you can do to prevent it.

Your whole body becomes heavy and sleepy. You take

one more deep breath and the scent of her perfume

wraps itself around your mind, taking you into a

deep, blissful hypnotic trance. Down you go, deeper

and deeper, unable to resist the woman's power, not

really wanting to. (Look for signs of deepening

hypnosis as your subject imagines the trance within

the trance, and reinforce these if possible.)

The mysterious woman whispers to you. Your mind

cannot hold on to the words long enough to decipher

them, but your subconscious feels their effects and

responds for you. Your body begins to feel warm,

itchy, constricted. Your skin begs to breathe, to

feel the air, to be free. It has its wish -- you

feel hands, your own plus another's, gently easing

the clothing off your body until you are naked. It

feels so much better this way, so much more relaxing,

so comfortable.

So arousing. Yes, as the woman continues whispering,

you feel yourself becoming more and more aroused by

her words, by her presence, by her complete control

over your body and mind. You feel soft fingers

caressing your most intimate places, gentle kisses

igniting your body's need for passion. (Ad lib here,

mentioning your partner's favorite specific places to

be touched or kissed or stroked. You should see

physical signs of arousal; keep it up until your

partner appears ready to orgasm.)

Your eyes open, and you find yourself lying on the

bed with the mysterious woman above you. She is

naked now except for her veil, and the sight of her

body hovering above yours, ready to take you inside

her, increases your arousal tenfold. Your body

screams its desire to come, but you know that you

can't until she does. She teases you, rubbing her

body against yours until you want to beg her to just

take you, just do it, but your mouth won't open and

your limbs won't move. Finally she rises up and

guides your iron-hard cock into her, settling down on

you. You penetrate her fully, feeling yourself

pressing against her cervix. She speaks, and your

hips start moving with her, up and down. You feel

the pressure building inside you, and you can tell

she is almost ready.



She moans, then straightens up and looks straight

into your eyes. You feel her body shudder as her

orgasm starts, and you see her throw her head back as

she gives in to the pleasure. Your eyes close and

the pressure releases: you come, harder and longer

and stronger than you've ever come before. (Allow

some time for your partner to experience and enjoy

the orgasm.)

As your body collapses, exhausted from the effort,

the mysterious woman speaks two more words: "Sleep

now." You relax and slide into sleep, happy to have

served her so well.

(Conclude with standard wake-up procedure.)

He paused, remembering with a slight shiver the sensations

he'd experienced the night before. The details were hazy,

but he'd awakened naked on his bed with half-dried semen

all over him and the image of a mysterious, hypnotic woman

in the back of his mind. He'd taken himself back into a

light trance, probing to remember Patty's instructions,

and was so impressed by their effectiveness that he'd

decided to add one more example to the chapter of

fantasies.

His mind wandered to Patty, and to Craig. What a piece of

work, he thought. She gives him the key to her mind, and

he uses it to play childish pranks. What a prick.

That's right, his inner voice mocked him. You'd never

break trust with someone you loved, would you, old buddy?

Oh, wait a minute -- you did!

The image of Kelly rose unbidden to his mind. Kelly,

coming home late again, the stress and frustration showing

in every line of her face. Kelly's voice on the phone:

"Sorry, honey, but I've got to stay until I can get this

paperwork done." Kelly's face, blank and staring ahead,

while he poured suggestions into her ear: "It's okay to

leave some things for the next day," he'd told her. "Time

at home is just as important as time in the office."

Kelly, hurt and frustrated, telling him how she'd been

passed over for promotion because she'd let key, time-

critical details slip and become perceived as unwilling to

put in the extra effort when needed.

Kelly, wounded and furious, slapping him in the face when

he explained why and tried to apologize.

Yes, I did, he admitted, rubbing his cheek as if he could

still feel the sting. And I paid the price, and I've

learned from it. Now fuck off.



Craig and Patty sat in the kitchen, mugs of tepid coffee

sitting ignored on the table between them.

"I said I was sorry," Craig whined. "What more do you

want?"

"I don't know," Patty confessed. "I just know that 'I'm

sorry' isn't enough anymore."

"I don't get it. All this hypno crap was your idea to

start with, and you're blaming me for it."

"It's not just the triggers," she insisted. "What you did

was just an extension of how you are in general. You're a

little boy, Craig: sweet and loving when you want to be,

crude and insensitive and juvenile the rest of the time.

It was charming for a long time, but it's getting old. I

need a grown-up."

"You've already got one," he barked back. "That's not

what you want. You want some pussy-whipped houseboy

who'll do what you want, when you want, all the fucking

time. I'm sorry if it's inconvenient for you that I have

a life and friends outside this goddamn apartment, but I'm

not giving that up to sit here and worship your cunt."

Patty sighed, clenching the table. "You aren't listening

to me. I didn't say a goddamned thing about your friends

or your hobbies, although I damned well could if I wanted

to."

Craig grunted and got up from the table. "I don't need

this shit. Fuck you."

Patty looked daggers at his retreating back. "Not any

time soon, asshole."



"There you are!"

Patty opened her eyes and looked toward the unexpected

voice, using the minimum possible effort. Through the

steam in the sauna she made out a familiar face. "Hi,

Regina," she said in a dull voice, closing her eyes again.

Regina adjusted her towel and sat down by Patty's resting

head. "You know," she noted, "Most people go home when

they decide to take an afternoon off."

Patty moved nothing but her mouth. "This is much better

than home. This is my sanctuary."

Her friend clicked her tongue sympathetically. "I'm

catching a vibe here that the visit from your hypnotist

friend didn't go well."

That got Patty's attention. She lifted her head and made

another visual sweep of the sauna room. Satisfied that

she and Regina were alone, she sighed and laid her head

back again. "Craig pulled another one of his adolescent

tricks -- made my undies disappear, right in front of

Eric. And when I got back from taking Eric to his hotel,

Craig used the 'one-eyed viper' line on me again."

Regina let out a heavy sigh. "Unbelievable. Tell me you

made him earn it later."

"Better -- I felt the trigger hit, but then I just shook

it off and told him I wasn't interested. You should've

seen the look on his face."

"I didn't know you could do that. Ignore a hypnotic

command, I mean."

"You can, if you want to. I have a tendency to respond

first and think second, but Eric helped me there -- he put

me under and reminded me that I don't have to follow a

suggestion, from him or anybody else, if I don't want to."

"I like this guy," Regina remarked. "Did he help you get

Craig under your power?"

"He tried," Patty sighed, "but nothing happened. Every

time I thought we had him, Craig would giggle or hiccup or

something and snap right out of it. Eric stopped short of

saying so, but I think it was deliberate -- Craig just

doesn't want it."

"I could've told you that," her friend remarked. "He

likes his macho image too much. No way is Craig going to

let you into his head, even if it means getting laid. men

are like that."

"Eric isn't like that," Patty said. "He had me put him

under last night, in front of Craig, just to boost my

confidence."

Her friend perked up instantly. "Really? What was it

like?"

Patty hugged herself through the towel, remembering the

sensation. "It was a tremendous rush. Arousing,

exhilarating ... almost primal. It would be very easy to

get addicted to that feeling." She shook her head and

sighed again. "But, there's no danger of that. Not with

Craig, anyway."

"So dump him," Regina advised. "You're long overdue for

an upgrade anyway. Why not have a wild, passionate fling

with your hypnotist friend?"

Patty chuckled. "You never did like Craig."

"Honey, nobody likes Craig except you and that little band

of gym rats that he hangs out with. I sit up nights

wondering why you put up with his crap."

Staring into the distance, Patty answered slowly. "So do

I, sometimes. It wasn't always like this. For the first

year and some, things were good. Lately it just seems as

though I've grown up and Craig hasn't. But I have three

years invested in this relationship, Gina. It would be

stupid to toss that away just because we're not getting

along that well right now."

Regina shook her head vigorously. "What's stupid is

prolonging a relationship that's obviously in decline just

because you're afraid to admit the guy is a jerk."

"He's not a jerk," Patty protested. "He's just--"

"Stop it! Don't even defend the guy. If my Al pulled

that 'one-eyed viper' crap on me, he'd wake up in the

morning with his balls in a bear trap."

Patty laughed. "Come on, Gina, don't hold back. What do

you really think?"

"I told you what I think. The question is, what will you

do about it?"



Eric was taking a mental break, sitting back in his rec

room, watching Unbreakable on DVD. When the phone rang,

he paused his DVD to answer it.

"Eric? It's Patty."

The hypnotist straightened up in his chair. "Hi," he said

cheerily. "What's up?"

"I'm going to be back in Alexandria next week," she

replied, "doing some follow-up with the law firm. I

thought it would be nice to have dinner together one night

-- my treat this time."

Don't ask questions, his inner voice urged, just say Yes.

"That would be great," he agreed. "Do you need me to make

the reservations?"

"No, I've got it. Would you mind meeting me at the hotel?

Say, Monday at seven? Same hotel as before."

"I'll be there."



Patty's smile was warm when she greeted Eric in the lobby

of her hotel. She wore a gray business suit similar to

the blue one she'd worn on that first train ride. When

Eric offered his hand, she took it but pulled in closer

and kissed his cheek.

"Thanks for coming," she said sincerely.

Something's changed, Eric said to himself. "How's Craig?"

"Oh, he's fine. And you?"

"I'm good," he said, feeling encouraged. "Hungry, too.

Where are we going?"

"Actually, I thought the restaurant right here might be

nice. Is that okay with you?"

Eric shrugged. "Sure." He followed her into the hotel's

attached restaurant. It was a more upscale environment

than Kilroy's but still very comfortable and friendly. As

Patty took her seat in the booth, the top piece of her

suit gaped open obligingly, showing Eric a healthy dose of

cleavage and a glimpse of off-white lace.

The dinner conversation stayed light and friendly, keeping

clear of sensitive topics by tacit agreement. It wasn't

until the dishes were cleared and they were sipping the

last of their wine that Eric moved into the danger zone.

"The new book's been going splendidly," he said. "The

editor is loving it, and the cover art they've picked is

very nice. I only have a little bit more to write and the

CD to finalize."

"That's great."

Eric nodded. "If you don't mind, I'd like to name you on

the dedication page. You've had a lot to do with how well

this book is turning out -- more than you know."

Patty blushed and smiled. "I don't mind. In fact, I have

an idea for something that might be interesting to add to

your book."

Eric felt the heat rising in his cheeks. "Another

fantasy? The one you planted in my head that night in New

York is already in the new book. It, uh, really made an

impression."

"No, something different. A joint activity. It's hard to

describe, but I thought we might try it and see how it

works."

Do it! the inner voice shouted, but Eric paused. "I'd

love to; but what about Craig?"

There was an extra sparkle in her eye when Patty

responded. "He's in no position to object. Shall we?"

Eric saw the sparkle. I may regret this later, he

thought, but probably not much. "After you."

He followed Patty to her room on the ninth floor. She

waved him toward the corner, where two arm chairs were

arranged facing each other. "Why don't you get

comfortable?" she suggested. "Loosen your tie, take off

your shoes."

Eric smiled and took the advice. He slipped off his sport

coat and draped it over the back of a chair, then took off

his tie and undid the top two buttons on his dress shirt.

His shoes were comfortable black loafers, but he slipped

them off anyway and tucked them under the same chair.

Patty left her shoes on the floor of the closet and sat

down in the chair facing him. She had her copy of his

first book in hand. "You asked about Craig earlier," she

said. "I found the answer to our problem right here, in

your first book." She opened the book to an early page

and held it out to him. "The last paragraph on the page."

Eric took the book from her and saw that it was turned to

the Forward page. He reread the last paragraph:

And finally, I cannot stress enough that to use

erotic hypnosis effectively requires trust, openness,

and a willingness to share your innermost thoughts

and feelings with each other. If you and your

partner don't have that kind of relationship already,

the ideas and techniques in this book will not help

you to create that. In fact, couples who turn to

hypnosis to salvage a failing relationship often find

that it makes things worse instead of better. If

that's why you're reading this, please do everyone

concerned a favor and return this book for a refund.

Eric finished reading, looked over at Patty and the

understanding passed between them. "I didn't want to

admit it," she told him, "but you were right -- things

between me and Craig really haven't been that good for a

while. But instead of returning the book, I decided to

keep it."

"And Craig?"

"I go back home Wednesday afternoon," she explained. "I

gave him until then to move out. The lease is in my name.

I told the management and the security office that Craig

is now persona non grata; they'll keep an eye out to make

sure he doesn't do anything childish to the apartment,

then change the locks and cancel his door code Wednesday

morning for me."

Her words sank in slowly. "You're sure?" Eric finally

asked.

"Positive."

Eric saw the finality in her eyes and nodded. "There's no

way I can say this without it sounding self-serving, but I

think you made the right choice. He clearly doesn't

respect your feelings. I'd be surprised if he cared

enough to get overly upset."

"We'll see. He hates to lose at anything."

They looked at each other for a moment, letting the

subject die a silent death. Eric cleared his throat.

"Okay, my curiosity is now thoroughly aroused. What's

your idea?"

"Have you read Tart?"

"Tart," he said, thinking. "You mean, Charles Tart?

Altered States of Consciousness?"

She nodded.

"It's been a while, but I do remember reading it." He

paused for a moment, trying to remember the book. His

mind registered the positions they were sitting in, and he

had a flash of insight. "Mutual hypnosis," he said,

looking up and seeing the recognition in her face. "Two

subjects hypnotize each other, leading to enhanced rapport

and increased depth of trance. Is that your idea?"

Grinning, Patty nodded again. "I'd first read about it a

while ago. After that night at the apartment, I dug out

the book and read the chapter again. As well as we seem

to work together, I thought it would be interesting to see

if we could get similar results."

Eric let the idea roll around in his mind. "I've never

tried that," he mused. "As I recall, Tart's subjects had

some pretty vivid experiences. Bordering on the

paranormal, in some cases."

"We don't need to take it that far," she assured him.

"Are you game?"

"Sure."

"All right, then." Patty lowered her voice, made direct

eye contact with Eric, and began. "Sleep for me now,

Eric."

Eric felt a pleasant fading sensation as he let his eyes

close and his body relax. His mind floated down the

stream of Patty's voice, deeper and deeper, willing to go

wherever she might take him. Patty watched him sink into

the chair and gave herself a moment to enjoy the sensation

of power. This time it was tinged with an extra thrill,

knowing he would be doing the same to her. She took him

as deep as she could. "And now, Eric," she said, "I'm

going to count to three. When I reach three, I want you

to open your eyes and lift your head. I don't want you to

wake up, only to open your eyes and lift your head. You

will then hypnotize me and take me as deep as you can.

When you have me at 100 on my trance thermometer, I want

you to have me open my eyes and look into yours; we will

both look into each other's eyes then and go even deeper

still, until we are ready to wake up together. One ...

two ... three."

A shiver of anticipation walked down her spine as Eric

opened his eyes and looked at her. His arm came up and

reached toward her; Patty took his hand in hers, met his

gaze, and heard a snap.

She felt herself falling into a comfortable, familiar

blackness. Eric was with her, his voice guiding her

deeper into trance. She pictured herself with Eric,

riding downward in an old-fashioned elevator, watching the

floors roll past as they went deeper together. A

thermometer materialized in the air in front of Patty and

she watched as the red stripe climbed its glassy surface

past 80, past 90, to the very top markings.

"One hundred," she heard herself say.

"Good," Eric's voice replied, sounding distant and sleepy.

"Now, on the count of three, I want you to open your eyes

and look at me. I don't want you to wake up; I just want

you to open your eyes and look at me. Our eyes will meet,

and when they do we will both sink even deeper into

hypnosis than we are now. One ... two ... three."

Patty's eyes opened. Her head lifted, as if in slow

motion, and turned slightly as it sought Eric. Their eyes

met and locked together and the rest of the world

disappeared as each focused all attention exclusively on

the other's eyes. Patty felt an odd quivering, almost

like a mild electric shock, followed by the sensation of

sinking. "Yes," she heard herself saying, "that's it.

Deeper and deeper we go."

"Deeper and deeper," Eric echoed. "Our minds joining

together ..."

"Blending ..."

"Becoming one ..."

"Going deeper ..."

"And deeper ..."

"And deeper ..."

"Finding that special place ..."

"Where we can explore together ..."

"Our dream place ..."

A dark gray shadow passed over them. They blinked, and as

their eyes opened again a flood of brilliant, shimmering

color poured into them. It was too much to take in right

away, like walking out into the daylight from a darkened

movie theatre. They blinked again, looked around, and

became aware of their surroundings.

It looked like a train car -- their train car, the

business class car. Patty and Eric sat across from each

other, the small conference table between them, just as

they had at their first encounter. The car was moving

smoothly, so smoothly it felt as if they were flying

rather than riding on tracks. Everything in the car

seemed cleaner and brighter than the real thing.

Their eyes met again, and they shared a contented smile.

Yes, Eric thought, this is our place. It all started

here.

Patty reached across the table and took his hand. He

squeezed hers and they leaned over the table for a kiss.

Their lips met and a soothing, warm sensation spread

through them both. They stood up, pulling each other

closer, arms embracing one another atop the table, until

they cold tolerate the interference no longer.

They slid out into the aisle and embraced again, sharing

another long, hungry kiss. Eric felt the hunger growing

inside him and he pulled Patty closer, the energy in her

kisses telling him that she felt the same. They broke off

and looked around: their fellow passengers seemed

completely oblivious to their public display. Eric looked

at the conference table, and considered picking Patty up

and laying her down on it so he could pull off her skirt

and taste her. "Wait," Patty urged him. "Let's try the

café car."

She led him by the hand to the door at the end of the car.

It slid open for them automatically and they stepped into

a dark room on the other side. As soon as the door closed

the lights came on, and they found themselves in a

luxurious bedroom. A giant four-poster bed dominated the

room, its white satin sheets gleaming invitingly. The

carpet was thick and soft, the furniture exquisitely

carved and finished. Only the sight of trees and utility

poles rushing past the windows conveyed the idea that they

were still on the train.

Still holding Eric's hand, Patty pulled him gently over to

the side of the bed. Their eyes met again, and the

electricity flowed between them. "I'm ready," she said,

removing the top to her suit. "Are you?"

Eric was already pulling his shirt off. "I've been ready

since the day I first saw you."

They stripped each other, moving together in the timeless

presentation of self. She rubbed her hands across his

bare chest; he kissed her breasts as he removed her bra.

She closed a loving hand on his already-hard shaft as the

other worked his pants down to the floor; as he removed

her panties he buried his face in her mound and inhaled

deeply, filling himself with her scent. He placed his

hands on her hips and guided her to the bed, gently

pushing her down on it with her legs hanging off the side.

The satin sheets felt cool and decadently smooth against

her skin. Eric lovingly pushed her legs apart and began

kissing his way up her thighs, one side at a time.

Patty gasped sharply when she felt the first kisses at her

knees. His lips as they brushed her skin acted like

pebbles in a still pond, sending ripples of warmth and

arousal throughout her body with each touch. She came so

quickly that it took her by surprise, an intense flash of

light, joy, and energy exploding from her center, sending

shockwaves through her mind and soul. Relishing Patty's

taste on his lips and tongue, Eric didn't pause or even

slow down -- no sooner had Patty recovered her wits than a

second climax scrambled them again, sending her reeling.

Somewhere in the very back of her head, an impassioned

voice pleaded: Whatever you do, Patty, don't wake up now.

"Inside me, Eric," she panted, her mind barely processing

after the second orgasm. "I want you inside me right

now."

Eric stopped long enough to climb the rest of the way up

the bed. He kissed her mound, her stomach, her ribs, her

breasts. She grabbed him under the arms and twisted,

pulling him up and then dropping him down onto the bed

beside her. She climbed up on top of him immediately,

returning his kisses with some of her own as she teased

him with her body, rubbing up and down against him like a

stretching cat. His rigid shaft teased against her,

brushing against her outer lips, bringing her that much

closer. Soon she rose up, reached behind and guided him

inside her.

He filled her nicely, his tip pressing against her cervix

while his shaft rubbed the magic button on her upper wall.

Patty felt the electricity building again. She took his

arms and pulled him upward to a sitting position.

Their faces barely an inch apart, Patty and Eric looked

into each others' eyes one more time and felt the strength

of their bond growing. Their arms pulled one another

closer, until their upper bodies touched everywhere

possible: chest, stomach, groin, even their foreheads

made contact. They felt the power with themselves

joining, becoming one mass of warmth and desire and need.

And still their eyes remained locked together.

"We are one," Eric said.

"One," Patty agreed. "Joined in spirit."

"Giving completely."

"Coming together."

"One ..."

"Two ..."

"Three!"

There was a blinding flash of light as the power exploded

around them, bathing them in the heat of their own

emotions. Eric felt his orgasm rushing through him, an

enormous flow of energy running through his entire body,

flowing outward and into Patty. At the same time, Patty

felt the rush of energy flowing into Eric from herself.

We're exchanging souls, she thought deliriously, and felt

Eric agreeing with her. Time and place became meaningless

as their senses overloaded and their minds let go.



A loud buzzing sound rudely broke the silence. Patty

swatted blindly, her eyes closed and not wanting to open,

trying to make the intruder go away. A firm, gentle hand

caught hers and kissed it, and the sound stopped.

Patty slowly opened her eyes and peered at the fuzzy

figure standing over her. "Morning," Eric said gently.

Her senses slowly came back online, and Patty became aware

of the environment. She was lying on the bed in her hotel

room, nude. She felt relaxed, well-exercised, and

completely satiated. "Wow," she thought out loud. "No

wonder it felt so real."

"It was real," Eric concurred, "parts of it, at least.

Other parts I'm not so sure about. I remember being on

the train with you, kissing, getting up, heading for the

café car."

"And the café car turned into a luxurious bedroom," she

finished for him. "And we made love on a four-poster bed

with satin sheets, and counted ourselves up to the

climax."

"We really did connect," Eric concluded. "A shared

fantasy setting, acting as a backdrop to real physical

activity. I could do a whole other book on this."

"We'll need to do more research," Patty said with a sexy

wink. "Lots and lots of research."

"True." He glanced at the clock on the bedside table.

"It's 6:52. How much time do we have?"

"Plenty," she answered with a contented sigh. "I don't

have to be at the client's until nine." She yawned and

stretched lazily, presenting her body again for his -- for

their -- pleasure.

"Plenty of time for that," Eric countered, his cock

already rising in anticipation. "But we have a lot to

talk about besides."

"I guess we do," she agreed. "Distance relationships are

tough."

"Is that where we are now?" he questioned, his hopes

rising up in his chest. "In a relationship?"

"We can be," she answered, looking deeply into his eyes.

"If you want it."

His eyes took in the picture as Patty lay there, naked,

watching him, waiting for his response. He felt a

familiar turmoil within himself, the one he'd been living

with since meeting Patty on the train: desire sparring

with hesitation. The final round of the duel was intense,

but short.

"I want it," he said quietly, and joined her on the bed.



-wg

9/9/01

Many thanks to Lucky and Lynda for their input on this

final chapter.