Something had torqued him off. His face was hard. Focused... but not on work or anything else. It was controlled. Firmly controlled... and that was never a good thing. Because it meant he was itching to lose it.

And there were no shortage of people capable of doing just that. Still... it did nothing to take away from his overall attractiveness. His shoulders seemed to shift slightly, but they remained strong. Powerful. Yet always subtle. Just like him... subtle. As Raymond passed by, Janice smiled briefly.

His eyes flicked towards her for a moment. In that one look, he pried into her... then, just for a brief second, an honest smile played across his lips. But that was only a moment... and the hardness returned.

* * * *

The end of a hectic day. Not because of mistakes, just annoying customers who refused to be satisfied. Janice logged off for the night, sighing heavily as she tried to forget the entire stressful day. After several failed attempts to massage the ache from her temples, she rose from her desk. The kitchen felt like a war zone about to happen.

Only Raymond and Xan's iron control and loyal followers kept things from exploding. Xan was new to being a sous chef. And Raymond... seemed to be a natural leader.

It was something she found curious. He did not possess the skills to be considered more than a cook, but if the chain of command ever broke down, he was there... and always did an excellent job given the drek he had to work with. Snarked off wait staff jazzed to the gills on novacoke.

Sober cooks... which was decidedly worse in her thinking. Xan pretty much followed Raymond's lead, improvising here and there. She watched as the two exchanged words. Then Raymond turned to leave. His eyes acknowledged her, but little more. She could see the control slipping... the exhaustion settling on his shoulders. "You look like you need a break."

"That good? Huh... I feel like drek warmed over. Thrice." "First round on me?" "Deal."

* * * *

It should have been simple. Maybe two drinks. Shoot the breeze about the whacked out requests that made the night hell. Then... part ways. Simple. But, she got drunk. Royally... utterly smashed. Raymond wasn't as bad. But then again, he did take several trips outside. Which meant he was probably smoking marijuana with the other cooks. Still a favorite even now... the drug was barely looked at by NOPD.

Still... old habits die hard. Like her... getting drunk in a bar. Which normally meant waking up naked next to some nameless drekhead... also naked. So it wasn't a surprise to wake up in bed next to Raymond. What was surprising was that she was dressed in a nightshirt... a long black tee-shirt that fit too well to be anything but designed for women. She looked over at Raymond, fast asleep in the old but comfortable looking comforter.

* * * *

"Did we..." "Nah," he replied easily.

"I was tempted... but I've got a really bad Honor kick. Just won't let me be that scuzzy. "And it snarked you off... for a bit. You don't drink that often... do you." "Occasionally. Though why I got that smashed..."

"Hell. That's the easy part. Sex helps relieve stress, chica. Were you sober and just seduced me... damned right." He chuckled softly. She looked at Raymond. He'd cut his hair... sometime during the night. The black mass was reduced to semi-grayish stubble. He'd gotten dressed, but even the simple jogging shorts and tee-shirt could not hide what she knew lay beneath the fabric. Strong arms... much stronger than they appeared. She'd felt them. Caressed them.

Flashes came back to her, and Janice lowered her head. "Sorry about that." "No worries. Next time... ask. I'd be honored." His words rolled through her. Tumbled around inside her head until their echo deafened her. "Are you off today?" she asked. He nodded.

* * * *

It should have been easy to seduce someone who was willing to be seduced. It was not. Janice found it difficult to express herself sober, something that gnawed at her while she watched the movie.

She snuggled closer to him, inhaling the fresh scent that gently drifted from him. He stroked one arm lazily. Just like he'd been doing for the past fifteen minutes. At the thirty minute mark, she felt sleep claim her. The stress from the past day vanished. Her eyelids slowly lowered... and she purred as she placed her head in his lap and fell asleep. When she awoke, he was holding her.

Just holding her. Another mindless movie was playing. Not that she cared. Janice rolled over, nuzzling into his neck. That's when she felt it... and gasped. She was by no means a prude or conservative. But, Raymond was apparently well hung. More so, than any of her former lovers.

The thin material separating their crotches could not mask his arousal, or her own. Taking a deep breath to steady her nerves, she felt her stiff nipples drag across his chest. And his soft rumble of pleasure. Then... it happened.

* * * *

No real thought was given to the why. It was pleasure that was needed... and given.

Freely. From the gentle caresses to the feather light kisses on suddenly bare flesh... only pleasure. Slowly the fire within her grew. Slowly it blossomed... taking her senses with carefully measured steps. His tongue trailed along her inner thigh as he lifted the nightshirt from her frame.

No thought was given to her ample curves... which often drifted up to haunt her. No... this was about pleasure... her size didn't matter. Not to him. Her eyebrows jerked as she fought to keep her hands tightly bound to the bed sheets. Closer... and with such patience. She wanted to scream. Grab him by the head... So when her clit was suddenly and violently being licked, sucked and nibbled, she came. Hard.

Everything came out. Her back jerked into an arch as one hand flew down to press his head into her inflamed sex. The scream tore from her lungs. She whipped her head back and forth, howling as she screamed.

Everything was white-hot. And he continued to feast on her sex, never giving her a chance or even the hope of catching her breath. Her eyes flew open as yet another orgasm slashed across her already shattered senses. This time... she knew why. The single finger... inside her asshole. A secret.

* * * *

Gray. That is what first came to Janice. Gray. Slowly... more. Soft music. An odd warm/cool... one that comes from afterglow. And there he was. Holding her.

Dimly... she became aware. "You didn't..." "Hush." He smiled. It went against everything. He didn't cum. And was quite content with that. Then the rumors were true... he did prize a woman's pleasure over his own. It was so ancient... and more than welcome. It went against everything. So did her actions. Janice could not stand the taste of semen.

Which was ironic since her lovers all agreed she gave outstanding blowjobs. Even the coldest hearted slitches were butter when she gave head... and she knew it. Had used it countless times when necessary. But this... wasn't just a blowjob.

She wasn't giving Raymond head. She wanted him to cum. He'd gotten dressed. Janice smiled... kissing her way up one powerful thigh. She watched as his member slowly snaked its way beneath one leg of the shorts. Her nostrils filled with the musk scent... and for the first time she hungered for it. Gone was the revulsion. She let her tongue slither across the tip... and was pleased to hear the moan from his lips.

She did not remove the shorts, chose to tease him instead. Her lips encircled just the tip as she gently nursed. His legs moved along her naked body, as did his hands. He could not simply take... he had to give as well. Already she could feel her body responding. And she sucked harder. Shivering once, she stopped. His clothes were gone. She didn't care; he was there. Holding her.

Naked flesh. She tried to pull him on top of her... but he refused. Pulling her on top of him. With more power and grace than she expected. She gasped, expecting to feel him suddenly within her... only to find herself waiting. Eyes closed. Slowly... they opened. He was smiling playfully.

She returned the smile, sliding her hand down his chest. Wrapping each finger around his massive member. This was about pleasure... not strength or power or anything. Taken and given freely... He chose the position. She... need only take what she wanted. All thought vanished as he entered her.

Rather... as she impaled herself on his cock. It seemed to never stop filling her up. Then... it hit bottom. She had to know... One hand reached between them. Too much room... She looked at him, suddenly intoxicated by what she wanted to do. It was then that she saw it. Again. * * * *

It was nothing. Maybe. Just a look. A warning... but not only from Raymond. From something else... something inside of him. Something that was even more powerful than Raymond Burns... and that was frightening. He wasn't magical; his records clearly stated that. Or were they wrong? Whatever... this thing was... there. And it warned her. She did not listen.

* * * *

Janice inhaled deeply. She dimly heard Raymond speak her name... before ramming him fully within her... breaking well past the bottom barrier. She felt his hands grip her... but only barely. He was truly inside of her... and even the pain could not stop the overwhelming orgasms that tore her apart.

Janice fucked him because she had no choice... her body moved of it own accord... fueled by Lust. And, strangely, pain. It hurt every time he blasted past the barrier. Less and less... but it was still there. And she thrived on it.

The very idea... that he could very well place his seed right there... no need to see which seedling was strongest... a free-for-all. The idea did little to cool her. Then... she bit his neck. It was an accident. Just another orgasm ripping apart her soul. She bit down on his neck. Just an accident....

* * * *

The pain exploded in her mind. Crashed headlong into the pleasure... and became something else entirely. Something alien... Wild. Primal. She knew she was being moved. He fucked her now. Savage. Brutal. Primal. And she begged for more, kicking his ass with her heels. Spurring him on. This was good.

Pure pleasure... being taken. Being given. Freely. She was no longer where she was. Now... he took her. Like a Beast. Her head hung low as he plowed into her. She bellowed... demanding more. Then... the explosion. Flesh on flesh.

He'd slapped her ass... and she howled in pleasure, her sex gripping his member even more tightly. The pleasure blinded her... even her thoughts were just white hot images.

Then... emptiness...

He's pulled free... but not totally. She felt the tip... just there... and smiled. Her hips wiggled... daring him. The sound of his lust bloated rumble of pleasure filled her ears... soaked her sex. The howl. Suddenly... full.

Powerful. Pounding. Again and again and again. And still she wanted more. Thunder... pain. The slap again. She reveled in the sensations. Orgasms. Pain. Full. Everything. And still he refused to cum.

* * * *

He slowed. But she knew he wasn't spent... disappointed? Ashamed? Janice struggled to turn around, but her body... so recently stripped of anything but random chaotic nervous impulses... refused to obey. She tried to remain awake... but knew her efforts were futile. She cried.

* * * *

She did not look at him as she left. It hurt... and she did not know why. It wasn't his fault... of that she was sure.

And it wasn't some dysfunction. It was something laughable... He couldn't cum unless he at least cared about the woman. Which meant he didn't give a rat's frag about her. It hurt... but at least he never once lied about it. No false promises... just sex. Good sex. Amazing sex. Sex that she wanted again... but with one difference. She wanted him to cum. It festered in her.

Pissed her off. She'd given so much... but could not give him that. She tried to tell herself that it was his bad luck... but her gut never felt solid with the thought. Raymond may have had his secrets... but she knew a Good Guy when she saw one. This one happened to be an excellent lover... and an even better human being it appeared.

And she knew there would be a next time. She knew she'd get to know Raymond. And then... one day. Or night. Or whenever...