"Mr. Demovic, would you like to take a seat?"

He nodded and began to cross the room. Melissa followed behind him, watching his tall, muscular frame move in front of her. She couldn't help but notice that he was superbly healthy, radiating strength and athleticism. The suit he wore looked like a thin veneer of civilization on a man who was obviously a primal and instinctual being. Most of her few clients were older, or had the

appearance of age. They were fatigued, anxious, worn down by their troubles, but not this tall, straight and self-assured man. He was downright hot and Melissa was feeling the heat.

He sat down on the couch and she took a seat next to him in the armchair. "Make yourself comfortable." She said. "This is your hour, so I suggest we

get started before anymore time is wasted."

"I'm all for that." He said. "I don’t want to waste any time at all with you Dr. Price."

What did that mean?

Before we fuck. The words crossed Melissa's mind like a voice from a stranger in her head. She sat up straight in the armchair, taken off guard by her own reactions. She had been attracted to clients before but never quite like this. If she had felt things before it was after a period of getting to know the person, gaining insight into who they were and building a relationship of sympathy and trust. No one had ever walked into her office before and made her just want to...

A feeling of foreboding crossed over her. This client was bad news.

Somehow she could feel it.

Just tell him to leave. Another voice inside her spoke with urgency, but she dismissed the thought. Don't be ridiculous, Dr. Melissa Price! This is just a client like any other. A little more attractive than usual but nothing to come undone about. Just pull yourself together.

And besides, she needed the money. What kind of therapist would send a new client away just because they felt an unusually strong sexual attraction to them?

"Would you like some water?" She offered.

"No thank you." Jason looked around her office, first to her degrees and then to the collection of prints next to them. Melissa watched and waited.

"You obviously like Fernanda Salazar." Jason said without inflection, as though the preference were commonplace and the artist well known. Melissa was stunned. Almost no-one had ever commented on her wall art and not a single person had ever known the artist's name.

"Yes I do." she said. "Do you know her?"

"Not that well, but she has been over to the house a few times. I see you have one original."

Melissa tried hard to look unimpressed at his intimacy with her artistic hero. Fernanda Salazar was an artist she revered not only for her work but for her dedication to the plight of poor women in rural Latin America.

"Mr. Demovic, as much as I would love to, we're not here to talk about my interest in art--"

"It's what I want to talk about. It'll help me with my problem."

"And your problem would be?"

"Well, firstly, that my new therapist is an extremely attractive woman."

"Mr. Demovic--"

"We need to deal with that. I have it on good recommendation that you are one of the best new psychotherapists in the city, but I hadn't expected you to be the most beautiful as well."

His voice was calm and totally serious.

"Mr. Demovic--"

"But that's not the main problem. The truth is that I don't really need to be here at all."

Melissa laid down her pen and pad on the table between them and then sat back in her chair.

"Okay, then. If you don’t need to be here, can you explain to me why you are here?"

He watched her silently for a moment, thoroughly considering his reply.

"Not quite yet." He said at last.

Melissa had infinite patience for those she believed she could help with her training, but for silly mind games she had no time at all. 'Not quite yet' sounded like playing around to her.

"That's odd Mr. Demovic, because you give me the impression of being someone who likes to get straight to the point. Why don't we cut to the chase here and save us both a lot of time."

Jason looked mildly surprised, but not unpleasantly so.

Are you here for therapy or for something else?" Melissa continued.

"I thought mental health professionals liked to do everything slowly Dr. Price. Are you rushing me for answers? I've only been in therapy for..." he checked his watch, "just under fifteen minutes and you want to cut to the chase already?"

He looked her fully in the eyes and Melissa had the awkward feeling of being caught out. Had she been too hasty in challenging him?

His intense eyes watched her mercilessly as color began to rise from her rapidly beating heart, through her slender neck and the n slowly, slowly into her face.

This is ridiculous. She thought. Ridiculous or not, her blush response was outside her conscious control.

"Is it getting hot in here?" Jason asked with a hint of a smile that Melissa couldn't help but find incredibly sexy. She gave a resigned sigh, took off her glasses and then lifted her reddening face defiantly towards him. She sat up straight again.

Okay Mr. Beautiful Asshole. She thought. You win. For no w.

Jason continued to smile as she undid the top button of her blouse. It surely was getting hot in there. He raised an eyebrow and then frowned in disappointment when she stopped after the second tiny button.

She folded her arms across her ample breasts and felt the subtle swell of her nipples. No man and certainly no client had ever made her feel quite this way before.

"Well done Mr. Demovic." She said. "You managed to make me feel uncomfortable. Are you happy now?"

"It's only fair." He grinned. "You've made me feel uncomfortable from the moment you looked at me with those gorgeous green eyes of yours and now I'm supposed to tell you about my problems? Just imagine how I feel."

Melissa looked at him and mercifully felt her heat and color gradually recede.

"Do you always blush when men comment on how attractive you are?" He said.

Bastard. She thought.