Zara walked into the restaurant a few minutes before 7:00 pm. She had taken a motel room for the night so that she could have a shower and get ready without having to drive home after work and then back to the city. She'd stay there if she was too tired to drive home or if she had too much to drink – though she intended on limiting alcohol intake. She'd taken a cab to the restaurant just in case her resolve went all to hell.

The maitre d' took her to Myles' table. He'd made the reservations under his name for himself and “guest” so that he didn't have to give Zara's name, keeping her privacy in mind. He stood and took her hand, giving it a light kiss. “You look lovely, Zara.”

“Thank you.” She had looked through her large walk in closet for a modest dress that suited the type of restaurant they were meeting at, but couldn't find one. So she'd worn a bluish-white just below the knee irregular length garment with a low cut bodice that came to a V shape, ending just below her breasts. She hadn't had time to go shopping for something that did not show cleavage. She put a scarf around her neck so that the ends would fall down the 'V' that exposed her skin. The back was low cut, so she wrapped a white shawl around her shoulders to cover as much as she could. She wondered if she subconsciously chose this dress to turn the doctor on, despite her resolve to not get into another sexual encounter with him.

When she was seated, the maitre d' took their order for a bottle of white wine. While they waited, they perused the menu and decided what they wanted. They ordered when the waiter brought their wine.

“I don't know what to call you”, Zara said when they were alone.

“Call me 'Myles', Zara. We aren't in a therapy session and you don't have your collar on. Call me 'Myles' whenever you aren't in either.”

“That reminds me, I brought the collar to give back to you.”

“That is yours to keep.”

“Oh, I couldn't...”

“I insist. No matter what happens – even if we never do another play session, I want you to have it.”

“Thank you, Myles.”

“You are welcome. Now, tell me why you've been avoiding me.”

Zara looked down. “I ... I couldn't face you after the last time.”

“Look at me, please. Why couldn't you face me?”

She looked up. “Because it can't happen again and I was afraid it would.”

“Why can't it happen again? If you really don't want it to, then it won't. I will not force anything on you. But you said you enjoyed it.”

“Oh, I did, Doct.... Myles. It was amazing!”

“So why can't it happen again?”

“I can't take the risk of anyone finding out. Adrian would have a fit and might take everything from me. And you would lose your licence. I can't risk that for you. Your licence is your career.”

“Like I said before, nobody but us needs to know.”

“But what if someone finds out!”

“How would they?”

“For example, what if one of your other patients is here tonight and sees us?”

“All we are doing is having dinner. And how would they know that you are my patient?” Zara was starting to relax a bit. She didn't know if it was the wine or if the doctor was convincing her. “As for the room in my basement, I keep both the basement door and the door to the room locked at all times and will keep it locked any time we are in there. You already know that your chart is under a false name – at your request – and your appointments in my schedule are listed under the same name. I keep your chart in the safe in my house so if for any reason my files are searched - like if someone breaks in and breaks into the file cabinet - they will not find it. My safe is well disguised. You pay in cash and I give you the receipt in the fake name. Your real name appears nowhere in my office or home. On my phone, you are listed as 'Pet'.”

This was all done because of Zara's fear of Adrian finding out about her therapy sessions and using it against her if they divorced.

“So, as you can see, Zara, there is very little chance, if any, of our 'trysts' being connected to you being my patient, if someone I know were to see us. It is no secret that I have been having my sexual needs met outside my home. Jolene, my wife, hasn't wanted it in years.”

“Why not, Myles? You have a good marriage, don't you?”

“Yes, we do”, he replied with a sigh. “But she has never been enthusiastic about sex. She's older than me, and she went through menopause a bit early and has refused me ever since. It's been over 10 years.”

“There may be a physical reason. Has she talked to her doctor?”

“No, and she won't. She doesn't see an issue as she is perfectly fine without intimacy. I have tried to help her but she threatened to leave if I didn't stop, so I had to – stop, that is.”

“I'm sorry, Myles. You are very nice – and damn good at sex! Jolene is missing out.”

“That is kind of you, Zara.”

“I have to wonder if you are as good at oral”, she said without thinking, then put her hand to her mouth. “I'm so sorry, I shouldn't have said that.”

“There's nothing to be sorry about, my dear. You never know, you just might find out.” Zara blushed.

Their orders arrived and they ate in silence for a while. Myles tried to figure out how to get their conversation back on track – to the issue of future trysts. He had dropped his resolve to not let it happen again. Zara was just too good to pass up. She was new to kink, though, so he had to be careful and go slow. This was a world totally new to her and she had had enough problems with abusive men. Not that he intended to abuse her – he'd never think of doing such a thing. He had to make sure that she always knew that he would do nothing she didn't want him to do and she could end whatever was making her uncomfortable at any time with her safe word. He was a gentle dominant and he did not want a “slave”, which is why he did not ask her to call him “Master”. He was all about pleasure and not into pain – though he did enjoy giving a spanking. It was up to his sub how hard it would be. Zara reacted well to the couple smacks he'd given her on her bottom. He was sure she would enjoy an over the knee spanking.

Zara broke the silence. “Myles, we need to return to the subject of us.”

“You read my thoughts, Zara. How do you feel about it now? Do you still not want to see me again?”

She sighed. “I'd like to sleep on it.”

“That's better than a flat out 'no'.” He smiled. She smiled back.

“Myles, if this does happen again, we need to set a big ground rule.”

“What's that?”

“No emotional involvement.”

“That is one of my cardinal rules, my dear.”

“What are the others?”

“I only play with ladies who are disease free and if they are fertile, they need to be on hormonal contraception.”

“I'm safe on both counts.”

“I know.” She had told him she was on the Pill when she first started seeing him and he had her fill out a medical questionnaire which included listing any medications she was taking. But how did he know she had no diseases? “I hope you are diligent at taking your pill every day.”

“I am. Believe me, I do not need to be getting pregnant. The last thing I want is to have Adrian's child – I'd have to put up with him for the next 18 years, at least. That is, if he wanted anything to do with his son or daughter. But I don't want to inflict a child with his genes anyway – or with him as their father.”

Myles continued. “The last one is that neither myself or my friend see anyone else but our respective spouses. Much less chance of either of us catching a disease this way.”

“That is understandable and perfectly acceptable. I have no intention of doing anything with anyone else. What about condoms as protection?”

“I can't stand them and cannot perform while using them. I wilt as soon as I get one on. That is why I insist on the lady being on hormonal contraception if she is not post menopausal.”

The waiter came and took their empty plates. “Would you like desert?” he asked. Neither one of them could eat another bite, but after he left, Myles poured them each a second glass of wine.

“Are you going to be okay to drive?” Zara asked him.

“Oh yes, two glasses is fine for me. What about you? You are smaller than me, so it might affect you.”

“I took a cab here from the motel, just in case I had something to drink.”

“Wise choice, but I did not know you took a motel room.”

“I didn't want to have to go home after work, then all the way back to the city. It was also in case I had too much to drink.”

“Let me drive you back. It will save you cab fare and I won't have to worry about you getting there safely.”

“I'm sure I will be okay in a cab.”

“Please, let me do it, Zara. Besides, I would like to talk to you about something else.”

“What?”

“Adrian.”

“What about him?”

“We will talk in a bit. Let's go.” He'd already paid for the meal. Out in the car, Zara asked Myles if she was going to need more wine.

“Because if I am, let's get it on the way there.” Myles laughed.

“I hope you aren't going to. I don't want to stress you. But we can get a bottle if you like.” At the motel room, Zara got two glasses from the bathroom and he poured them each a glass. They sat down on the sofa.

“Myles”, she said, “before we go any further, I need to know something.”

“What's that, Zara?”

“Why did you take my journal and read it?” She had been looking for an opening in the conversation at the restaurant to bring the subject up, but lost her nerve. Now was a better time anyway, she thought, with them being alone in the room. No chance of someone overhearing. She clutched her shawl out of nervousness.

Myles sighed. “I've been expecting this question. I noticed a change in you during our appointments.”

“What do you mean?”

“You would come dressed in clothes that were a bit more revealing – low cut blouses or you'd have the top few buttons of a button down blouse undone, crossing your legs and letting your skirt ride up your thigh – things like that.”

“Oh my God, Myles. I hadn't even noticed I was doing that!”

“You were, and I began to wonder if you had a thing for me. I was too afraid to ask, because I knew that if you said yes, I'd have to refer you to another therapist and I also knew that you would stop therapy before going to someone else. Though you have been doing so well, you might be okay if you did stop. However, I'd like you to continue for a while longer, just to be safe. I won't charge you, though.”

“Why do you want me to continue?”

“I just want to make sure you are okay. I fear Adrian's anger is getting worse and I'm scared you are going to get hurt. And, there's the issue of what happened to you in your childhood.” The look she gave him – like that of a deer caught in headlights – told him his suspicion was right. Something had happened back then to cause her to not talk about that time in her life at all. “But to get back to your journal, when you left your bag in my office while you went to the washroom, I made a snap decision to look for it in there, not expecting to find it. When I did, I grabbed it.

“Zara, I am so sorry I violated your privacy. It was very wrong of me and I will never do it again. If you want me to go and never see me again, I will.”

Zara wanted to be mad at him, but she couldn't. He looked so sincere and contrite. “Thank you for the apology. No, I don't want you to go. I'd like you to stay, but under one condition – that you never ask me about my childhood again. There is nothing in my past that I haven't dealt with.” It wasn't a lie, she thought to herself. I have dealt with it, I just don't want to talk about it. “Now, what was it you wanted to talk about? Something about Adrian?”

“I want to make sure that you are okay, Zara. That he isn't physically hurting you. I know he's hurting you emotionally.” He let the topic of her childhood drop, but he deliberately did not verbally agree to her condition.

“I am okay, Myles. Or should I be calling you Dr Holt right now?”

Myles chuckled. “We aren't in a therapy session, so Myles is okay. I'm just someone concerned about a friend. Has Adrian ever hit you?”

“Not seriously.”

“Not seriously? What does that mean?”

“He's pushed me a few times. But never punched me.”

“Has he tried?”

“Why all the questions, Myles?”

“Because you cancelled your last two sessions. I'm not convinced it was only because you didn't want to see me after our tryst. Has Adrian's anger been escalating?”

“It's okay, I can handle it.”

“I don't want to get a call some day asking me to come down to the morgue to identify you.”

“That's not going to happen, Myles.”

“What makes you so sure? I know nobody knows about your sessions with me, but surely my name and number are in your phone.”

“My phone is locked when it's turned off. Nobody has the password. I told Adrian that if he ever hits me, he better hope he knocks me out because if he doesn't, I'll flatten him. I work out, remember? He's just a little pipsqueak.”

“If he has a weapon, you may not have a chance.” Myles took her glass of wine and set both glasses on an end table. He took her hands in his. “Zara, please promise me – if you ever feel he's going to hit you, get out of there. No matter the financial cost. Though I don't think he would follow through on his threat to take you for everything. He's been cheating on you for years, he wouldn't stand much of a chance.”

“I can't prove anything. He has told me that Becky will deny knowing him if I bring up his infidelity.”

“Zara, please promise me.” His eyes pleaded with her.

“All right, Myles. I will get out if I think he's going to try to hit me.”

“Good. You can call me at any time if you need to. If you have to get out, I want you call me once you are safe, okay?” Zara nodded. “You have my mobile number. The phone is always on, though it's on vibrate when I'm with a patient. If I don't answer, text me and let me know you are okay.” Myles leaned in and gave her a hug. Then he did something he hadn't planned on doing – he kissed her. A full, passionate kiss.

Zara was taken by surprise by it. At first she didn't know how to react, but the feeling of his lips on hers was too irresistible and she found herself kissing him back. Oh God, he's a good kisser, she thought. Myles reached under her scarf and slid his hand into the bodice of her dress, finding her left breast. He caressed it and gave her nipple a gentle squeeze. Zara was powerless to stop him. She couldn't even if she wanted to.

“Do you want me to get the collar?” she asked in between kisses.

“Do you want to?”

“Yes.”

Myles took his hand off her breast and looked at her. “I take it that is your answer as to continuing with our trysts?”

“Yes. I will just have to be very careful.”

“Okay, go get your collar.”