Lucy Coe couldn't get out of bed. She just stared at the little bumps on
the ceiling as the phone message played in her head. She had been in the
shower when the call came and her machine picked it up, and on it was a
very smug Damian Smith...

"Lucy, Lucy.... pick up. Well, it's Damian, just telling you that you owe
me. Our little bet... well it's done. And if that suspicious little mind of
yours wants proof, I have some of that. Although my heart wasn't really
into it, the whole time I was imagining making love to you instead. But our
time will come, and sooner than you'd think. Goodnight Lucy, pleasant
dreams."

That stupid bet. What on earth had she been thinking!!!  It was all his
fault, the smug little bastard. He had claimed that he could seduce any
woman in town, and that's how it all started. The woman Lucy had picked was
Bobbie Jones, the wife of her ex- husband, Tony. Surely Bobbie wouldn't
fall for a man like Damian, she wouldn't cheat on Tony. But she had. And
now came
the payoff. If Damian had lost, Lucy would have gotten his shares in ELQ.
But he hadn't lost, and now he won a night with her.

She pulled the covers over her head as she sighed. What had she gotten
herself into? Maybe Dr. Collins was right, that her jealousy at Bobbie had
forced her to subconsciously destroy her life, and that Lucy's game playing
mentality was unhealthy. She tried her best to go to sleep as a storm moved
in outside.

Lucy realized she was blindfolded. She couldn't see anything, but her sense
of feeling was heightened greatly. She felt soft, warm kisses trail down
her back. She groaned softly in pleasure as the mouth moved to her breasts
and began gently kissing her hard nipples. Lucy arched her back and reached
up to remover her blindfold.
"Damian," she tried to say, but was silenced by his rough kiss. She pulled
him even closer to her, and wrapped her long legs around him. He was just
about to enter her when a crash of lightening shook the room.

Lucy sat up in her bed, all alone. Her body was covered with sweat at the
dream. No it couldn't have been a dream, it felt so real. She turned to
look at the clock but the power was off. Probably the storm, she thought,
as she tried to forget the dream. But she couldn't and every nerve in her
body stood on end. There was no way that she was going to get to sleep
tonight. In fact she couldn't function with these thoughts of Damian on her
mind. She suddenly realized that this had never happened to her before.
With all her other lovers she had always been in control. But the thought
of sleeping with Damian scared her in an odd way, as she felt herself
slipping out of
control. She picked up the phone and called Damian., After three rings he
picked up.
"Hello," he said groggily.
"Damian," Lucy said forcefully.
"Do you know what time it is?"
"No as a matter of fact I don't. The power went out."
"Why are you calling me, Lucy, I'm tired."
"I just wanted to congratulate you on winning the bet, I suppose you
wouldn't want to change it. You know, our arrangement or anything."
"No," he purred, "I would just like to collect."
Lucy felt her heart beat faster as he spoke, but she tried to keep her voice
dispassionate. "Well I guess we might as well get this out of the way. I
mean when there's something you don't want to do, just do it and then it's
done."
"What are you saying?"
"Are you busy?" she said.
"Well, no not really. Why?"
"Because I want to get this out of the way, so why don't you just come over
and we'll do it."
Damian was thrown by this. "Lucy, I was planning something a little more
romantic. I mean, right now?"
"Yes," she said, catching a bit of pleading in her voice. He heard it to,
and wondered if she was wanting this as much as he was.

"Lucy," he said, "I'll send a car over there to bring you here. I have to
get some things prepared. All right?"
Goosebumps covered her body as she tried to figure out what he had meant by
preparation. "That's fine." Damian said the car would be there in about an
hour, and then added., "Don't worry about what you wear, I already have
your wardrobe picked out."

The next hour seemed like an eternity to Lucy, who tried to convince
herself that what she felt was loathing and not lust. It was the game that
interested her, that's all. And just like in all her games, she'd end up
winning. She got ready by candlelight which gave her hair an orange tint.
This was just another affair for her, nothing more. Now if she could just
convince herself of that. One thing was certain, she could not let Damian
know what she felt, since she knew that all he wanted from her was sex.
Lucy put on a red bra and panties and covered herself in a long brown
trenchcoat. He said not to worry about what I wore. He probably has some
tacky sequenced
g-string that he wants me to wear.

Lucy sat in the back of the limo and watched the raindrops fall on the
window. She tried to still her heart and cool her skin but it wasn't
working. She had to admit that she was anticipating this more than anything
else she could remember. But in another way she was dreading it. She was on
the very edge of becoming completely enraptured to him, and then he would
hurt her. Just like she had hurt so many people in the past.

After tonight he'd go back to Katherine Bell, and she'd find a new lover.
Just like she'd done so many times before. The car stopped and Lucy got out
and took the elevator to Damian's penthouse.

The door opened by itself when she knocked on it. She stepped inside and
looked around. 'You did all this in an hour?' Lucy thought. There were
candles everywhere which made the room smell like a forest.

"Damian" she said, finding her voice catch in her throat. She saw a red
rose sitting on the couch, and a package next to it. On the box was a small
note - 'I hope it fits.' Lucy pulled out the dress; long and red, the same
color as the rose. The room was lit entirely with candles, which casted her
shadow onto all the walls. She didn't see Damian's shadow watching her as
she slid
out of her coat and into the dress. It fit her figure perfectly; cut low to
accentuate her breasts, and with a slit to her thigh which showed her long
leg. Damian walked into the light and looked her over.

"You look stunning," he said, "better that I even imagined."
"When did you buy this?" she wondered as she ran her hand against the satin
material. Damian took her hand and kissed it softly.
"A little while after Scott left town, I saw it in a shop in New York and
thought of you."
"Why?" she said coldly, "didn't it fit Kitty Bell?" She saw how her words
hurt him, and felt a surge of familiar pride.

"Katherine, was a pariah," he said, as he led her to the long table in the
dining room. He pulled out her chair and she sat down as he sat across from
her. They say at the sides of the table, which was narrow enough to allow
him to touch her if he wanted to. "The only reason I was even with her is
to use her to pull some cons. She was like a loyal terrier... nothing more.
I suppose that holds true of all my past enamorants. But I'm sure you could
sympathize."

He poured her a glass of champagne and Lucy took a sip. "What makes you say
that Damian?"

"I can tell," his eyes twinkled in the candlelight. "You can't really fall
in love until you meet your equal. Someone who you can control, yet can
control you. People like us don't find that Lucy. Not very often anyway."

She pulled her brown eyes away from his and focused on the table. "I've
always believed that love was terribly overrated. It only ends up with
someone getting hurt."

"That's because Scott never really connected with you." Lucy looked up at
him, slightly confused. "He wasn't ready for you Lucy. He wanted to tame
you, and change you. I personally think that you're perfect just the way
you are."

"I have two ex-husbands who'd disagree with you about that." she said,
trying to change the subject.

"You miss Serena don't you?" Lucy hadn't been expecting this conversation
at all. She had expected a quickie... that's all. Not this seduction.
That's what he's doing, trying to seduce me. He was just playing another
game. She reassured herself of this, only because the other possibilities
terrified her.

"Lucy," Damian said softly, "I know you must feel very alone now without
Serena. She's probably the only person you've ever really loved."

"Thanks." she said sarcastically.
"What I mean is that it must be hard ever open you're heart again, since
the first time you did it you got hurt. I'm not chastising you Lucy, I
haven't opened my heart to anyone yet." His final word hung in the air.
Lucy had began crying without realizing it.

She had never felt as vulnerable and had never really met anyone who could
understand her so completely. Damian took her in his arms and stroked her
hair. "I'm sorry, Lucy, I was out of line."

"No," she said, forcing herself to be brave, "I just haven't talked about
Serena in a while." He kissed the top of her head.

"Lucy, I wish I could say that I felt sorry for upsetting you, but I'm not."

Lucy pulled back, confused. "Why?"

He ran his hand down her back, "because you look beautiful when you cry."

She stared at him for a moment, and then kissed him passionately. Damian
seemed taken aback for a minute, but then kissed her back. His taste
lingered in her mouth long after he pulled away. He led her to the couch
and kneeled in front of her. "You know what part of your body I've always
found most stunning?" She shook her head as he took her leg and ran his
hand against it. "You have the most amazing legs. That's why I knew I had
to see you in this dress, because it would be perfect for your beautiful
legs." He kissed her leg and worked up to her thigh. She ran her hands
through his dark hair, feeling her body begin to warm up. Her skin may have
been on fire, and it only felt relief under his careful kisses. But her
eyes were unreadable, as she made sure to keep her passion buried
underneath. "Don't be scared," he said as he unzipped the dress and
carefully took it off her.

"I'm not scared," she whispered as he began kissing her breasts. Lucy felt
her thoughts slipping away as she focused on the sensations in her body.
His warm tongue made her skin burn as well as give her goosebumps. Her body
was limp in his arms as she was carried to the bedroom. She felt completely
at peace, as if it were all a dream. Maybe it was. It was all some strange
dream brought on by the storm. He removed her panties and kissed her
stomach. Lucy was slightly taken aback be this gesture, and the effect it
was having on her. It wasn't an erogenous zone, but the tenderness and
passion her focused on her small waist caused her to let out an unconscious
moan.

"So this is effecting you, Lucy," Damian said, speaking into her skin, "I
was thinking that you were a statue."

"It's just a bet, just a game," she said, her own voice sounding terribly
distant. He looked into her eyes and got off the bed. Lucy wanted to beg
him to come back, but she couldn't. A moment later he returned from his
closet with a black scarf. "You're afraid to let go, aren't you. You don't
trust me, Lucy." He bound her hands together as he gave her a rough kiss.
As soon as her hands were tied she returned his kiss hungrily. As he tried
to pull away her tongue drew him back, he throat letting out a slight
whimper. "It's easier for you now, isn't it," he finally said to her, "It's
safer to convince yourself that I took all your authority, not that you
handed it over."
"You're reading into this. It's not complicated, it's not like this is
anything more than," he kissed her again. "This is what you want, isn't
it?" he said as he tied the end of the scarf to the bedframe, restricting
her movement. She didn't answer. "If you want I could consider this the end
and say I'm paid in full. You don't have to do this." Again, she said
nothing.

He licked her neck and moved his tongue lower on her body. As he teased her
nipples with his teeth he moved his hand lower, where he carefully messaged
her clitoris. She spread her legs wider and began breathing rapidly,
letting out a moan of delight. Damian took his tongue down there and began
tasting her. His tongue was slow and deliberate, taking it's time. Lucy
wasn't as calm, as her body shook with small tremors that built quickly.
Suddenly Damian stopped and looked at the captured Ms. Coe. He untied her.

"What are you doing," she said breathlessly.
"You can go home, Lucy. I mean, I don't want to force you to do anything."
He looked directly in her eyes, "Unless you want me to go on."

"I don't want you to think that I'm a welcher or anything." she was begging
him to continue.

"Once I make love to you, I'm going to be completely vulnerable. For the
first time ever, I'm going to belong to you completely. And I want the same
from you. I don't want you to just call this whole thing a game and then
walk away." He took her chin and raised it so that he could look into her
eyes. "I don't want your body Lucy, I want your soul."

She rubbed her hair against him like a cat would do to get it's masters
attention. He stroked her long hair gently as she softy said, "I need you,
Damian. Please."

He quickly undressed and kissed her. She moved her leg against his side,
and wrapped them around him as he entered her swiftly. For a moment she
wondered if she was going to wake up again, but this wasn't a dream. As he
moved inside her, he kissed her playfully, and biting her bottom lip. His
movements got faster as her legs tightened around him, and her body began
to tremble with orgasm. She screamed under his kiss, which continued.

A moment later he reached his climax, still kissing Lucy. He didn't break
the kiss as he moved off her and turned to her side. Eventually they broke
apart, and Lucy rested her head on his chest. Neither was sure exactly what
to say next; a mixture of desires and defenses battled inside; both so very
afraid of getting hurt. Finally Lucy spoke.

"Damian," she said coyly.
"Yes?"
"I was wondering if you'd like to make another bet." Damian was suddenly
very intrigued.
"What would the terms of this be?"
"Well," she said as she played with the hairs on his head, "If you can
seduce the woman of my choice, then we get to have another one of these
little rendezvous. And if you can't I get your ELQ stock."
"Who's the woman?"
Lucy moved on top of him and smiled wickedly, "Lucy Coe."