An Assistant With Benefits

It was about three in the morning when he suddenly awoke. The red LED clock in the corner confirmed the time. For a moment he struggled to remember where he was. The vague idea that he was now in Delhi, slowly turned into certainty that he was right. Of course, this was the Taj Hotel Delhi. It's your own fault you can't remember and that you have a raging thirst, he thought. God, he needed some water. How many bottles of Prosecco had they drunk last night? But it had been a good night; if ultimately frustrating.

For them both it had been a very tough week. He hesitated for a moment, thinking he should put a shirt on. It was way too early to be worrying about such things. Laughing at his shyness, he headed out of the bedroom to find the fridge.

This was some hotel room. It was called the Presidential suite, an upgrade because of some booking problem but it was a great treat. Other rooms would have a minibar but no this had an American-style larder-fridge. They had done seven meetings, in five days, across five cities. A brutal schedule, but at least they had a nice hotel to end the trip in and the upgrade had been very welcome. He had been debating about staying another night, had even got as far as checking out whether it was possible but then had chickened out suggesting it. If she had said no, he would have to stay here alone and that seemed like no fun. It would also rob him of the journey home together.

There had been several moments last night when he could have suggested it, but he had let it slide. You might think he had chickened out, and he had, but deep down he knew it was both inappropriate and dangerous. Just too risky, he had decided then, but now he was regretting it.

The rooms were dully lit from the glare of the city outside, so he proceeded without turning any lights on, as he headed from his bedroom. He stopped short as he entered the palatial lounge/ kitchen. Diana had beaten him to the fridge and was bending over, retrieving some water from it. For a moment he froze, distracted by her wonderful ass in the very tight and very short shorts she was wearing. The light from the fridge placed her in a kind of yellow spotlight which showed off her tight backside very nicely. Suddenly he could feel that his heart was racing, but whether this was excitement or fear he was not sure. Ideas about fate and chances swirled through his head in a muddled mix of thoughts. And then the sensible side of his mind spoke.

Go back quietly to your room he told himself, but before he could move, Diana became aware of him standing there. The result was disastrous. She screamed very loudly, and the bottle fell to the floor, shattering on the hard-tiled surface. Water and more worrying glass scattering all around her.

"Shit," she said, looking down at the mess around her.

"Don't move! Stay right there!" He ordered. "Just let me get some shoes."

"Brian, what the fuck are you doing sneaking up on me like that?" She yelled angrily after him, but when he returned with shoes on his feet, they looked at each other for a moment and then burst out laughing. "Oh crap," she said, looking down again at the floor, "I think I am stuck." Brian was willing his eyes to keep looking at her face, aware that she had a top on that left her midriff bare and did nothing to disguise the fact that she had wonderfully large breasts. Her eyes dropped to the floor which gave him a moment to sneak a quick lecherous look. Her nipples were poking through the top. It was obvious she was bra-less. Her eyes were back on him now and he made his eyes snap back up to her face. She smiled. "You could have brought me a gown from one of the wardrobes." She said. "You know Brian Large; you are perhaps not the gentleman you think you are." The words were spoken in a very measured way, but he did not doubt she was teasing him, rather than still being angry.

The reference to him being a gentleman was from the way he had convinced her to stay in the Presidential Suite with him. Of course, it had been a little awkward for both of them, the idea of having a work colleague effectively sharing your hotel room. Even if it was like an apartment, with three ensuite bedrooms and a separate lounge. They had debated for a while about it. They had played a kind of silly game because they both knew they were not going to give this opportunity up. World leaders and celebrities had stayed in this room and anyway this was the only available one. In the end, he had told her he was always the perfect gentleman; they had laughed and had taken the key to the room.

"I'll show you what a gentleman I am," he said, stepping across to her, glass crunching under his shoes as he did. He grabbed a fresh bottle of water from the fridge and then he stooped down and with one easy movement he picked Diana up.

"What? No! Put me down!" She squealed, kicking her legs. "Put me down," she repeated over and over, in the same high-pitched voice. As he turned, he managed to kick the fridge door closed and despite her protests, he made sure she was safely clear of any glass on the floor before placing her gently back onto the ground.

"There you go milady," he said, and with a mock bow, he handed her the bottle of water, having undone the lid for her as he lowered his head.

"Hmmmmm," she said, staring hard at him. At the same time, she self-consciously pulled at her top, trying to cover a little more of her stomach. This just had the effect of tightening the material across her chest, making the size and shape of her breasts, not to mention her nipples more defined. Diane stood for a moment thrown by what had just happened and unsure whether to be angry or amused. For the moment she could not think of a response. In the end, she settled for, "a gentleman would get a lady a glass," as her response. She took a long drink. The raising of her head and stretching of her body gave Brian another wonderous view of her breasts and protruding nipples. When she took the bottle away from her mouth, she stared at him again. Brian had the feeling; she knew exactly the impure thoughts he was having. In reality, though her heart was beating as fast as his now and she was aware of a sense of thrilling danger. "Guess you couldn't sleep either?" She said, hoping that sounded a casual thing to say. "Thirsty?" And when Brian nodded, she handed him the bottle. He found drinking from the same bottle as her, appealed to him a lot, and not just because he was thirsty.

He drank long and deep.

Diane for the first time took a long look at Brian. Dropping the bottle had meant she had not registered that he had no shirt on until he had picked her up. Then pressed against his muscular chest, she was very aware of how close he was. His athletic physic and the strong musky smell of his cologne. Now she had noticed there was also a distracting bulge in his pyjamas and was finding it hard to keep her eyes from it. She realised suddenly he had stopped drinking and was now looking at her, as she was staring at his groin. Again, their eyes met, and it was her turn to worry that her impure thoughts were obvious.

This was all very awkward, two work colleagues bumping into each other in the kitchen, while neither of them was decently dressed. Diane knew she should get out of there, and yet she could not bear the idea of just going back to her room. She was not sleepy, and this was the last night before they both went back home, and she went back to the agency. To what now seemed like her dull life. It seemed weird that a week ago she had not even met Brian. The job from the agency had popped up out of the blue. It had sounded exciting. Organising and supporting him during his business trip across India. She had never been to India, or anywhere else for that matter. The agency had said they could sort a visa and even her boyfriend had been supportive. Maybe that was not so surprising. He was always about the money and through the agency Brian was paying her extremely well.

"Shall we sit and talk for a bit," he said, cutting across her thoughts. She was thrilled that he had the same idea she had and had saved her from making the suggestion.

"Let's put some clothes on first," she said defensively. God, had her eyes flicked to his groin again as she said that? She decided to move so he could not see her face and so she walked quickly past him.

Brian's thoughts were similar. Were his feelings showing on his face? This was what was going through his mind as he agreed. When he turned too, she looked back at him. She could not help herself and he was correct when he became certain that his face was betraying what he was feeling. Especially when she added softly.

"Don't worry I will be back in a moment." However, it was much more than a moment. He had quickly put on a tee-shirt and returned to the lounge. For Diane what to wear was a big dilemma, even though she told herself she was being ridiculous. Put on some jeans and a sweater she told herself? After all, that was what she should do, but somehow, she couldn't bring herself to. She was now sure he wanted her and could not resist the feeling that she liked that and wanted it to continue. Of course, they were not about to do anything, she firmly told herself. She had a boyfriend and he had a wife, and anyway it would be unprofessional. She worked for him. Not after tonight! The last thought instantly overwriting the previous one, but she pushed it away. Diane settled for the idea that she could still enjoy the sexual tension that was between them, without feeling any guilt or anything happening.

All too soon they would be heading to the airport and then they would never see each other again.

In the end, she settled for a white fluffy robe. There was one in each bedroom. It still seemed risqué, but she liked that. A bed robe was not the sort of thing a work colleague saw you in but on the other hand apart from her legs, she was covered. There was no more or less leg on show than some of the skirts she had worn that week. Finally, she returned to the lounge, robe wrapped tightly around her waist. She found Brian on his knees cleaning up the mess in the kitchen with a dustpan and brush.

"Oh my god let me do that," she said. Dropping to her knees so she was beside him and ignoring his warnings about, "mind the glass!" They briefly fought over doing the cleaning, but Diane quickly lost the argument as she had no way of helping. She still wanted to offer moral support, so she stayed by him, as he scooped up the last of the mess. He had already thrown one lot of glass in the bin. As he worked, he took a deep breath and asked the question that he had been plucking up the courage to ask.

"Would you come and help me on my next trip?" He blurted out and turned to look at her. Diane was thrown by the suddenness of the question and the out of the blue offer. Brian took the opportunity to stand up. He still only had his pyjama bottoms on. The bulge as she called it in her mind was at eye level and now very close. So distracted was she, that she did not realise that her gown had come open and Brian was looking straight down at her breasts. Her own eyes dropped to the ground, as the words both thrilling and threatening sank in.

Brian smiled; good she still wore the cropped top. The one she had been wearing earlier and he could not take his eyes from those hard nipples poking through. "Come and work for me full time," he added. Brian could not stop making a gulping sound, while saying the last word, betraying how nervous he felt. However, it was a relief to find the courage from somewhere to say what he wanted to. He had concluded it was not another day he wanted, he wanted her to work full time for him. He had learned this week; he badly needed an assistant and Diane was good at all the things he was bad at. If she was easy on the eye, then that didn't do any harm either.

"Gosh," she said in surprise. This second revelation meant her eyes rose, they paused at his waist and then came up to his eyes. They both blushed as they absorbed the awkwardness in the room. The sexual tension in the air ratcheted up a notch. Diane rose too, and her hands fumbled as she tried to regain some dignity by rewrapping her robe around her. Why had she not just gone back to bed? Why could she not stop picturing Brian topless? Why did her mind keep going back to that bulge? She finally finished trying to wrap the robe around her but within seconds it just fell open again. "I don't think carrying on working with you is a good idea," she finally said, and disappointment washed all over her. Inevitably he looked hurt, but way more wounded than she was prepared for and of course he asked for an explanation.

"Well," she said very carefully. "I really like you." Oh god, that was just making it worse. Wasn't that what people always said? I really like you... but. "I really like you," she repeated slowly, playing for time. God the look on his face was unbearable and so wanting to ease his hurt and to say something she added, "too much." He frowned. "I like you too much and in the wrong way." She added. Diane still felt the need to continue. "If I worked for you," she said in a very measured way. "Perhaps not today, maybe not even next time but sooner or later we will end up sleeping together." Then finally in control and feeling like this was a good approach she finished with. "You Mr. Brian Large are a gentleman but a very dangerous gentleman. Oh, dam I wish this bloody robe would stay in place. Give me a moment!"

As she had been speaking, he had finally finished clearing up. So, he tossed the dustpan and brush on the side. Diane turned to retreat and as she did, he gently but firmly grabbed her arm.

"Let me go, Brian," she said turning back. "I am sorry okay," she added, although she had no idea what she was sorry for. All she felt was an overwhelming sadness and disappointment.

"You know I want you very much," he said quietly.

"I know," she whispered back, looking unhappy. "That's what I am saying. That's why it makes it so dangerous. You and me wanting each other so much." In her nervousness, she managed to stumble slightly. She put out her arm to steady herself, resting on the kitchen top. Brian smiled and he took a step towards her. "Don't," she said fearing what he might do and whether she had the will to resist. For a moment, unsure what else to do and feeling overwhelmed she placed her head on his shoulder.

"Hold me," she said, adding quietly, "I am frightened, Brian. I love my boyfriend," she added, "and you have a wife. We can't do this. It isn't right." The words came out so slowly and with lots of pauses that were not necessarily in the right places to make sense. This was because he was holding her so tightly, she could barely breathe, but god she loved it. She felt so small in his arms but strangely safe and secure. Brian observed that she was making no sense. "You know what I mean," she said in a whisper and lifted her head from his shoulder.

Their eyes met in a long and lingering stare. Brian smiled weakly and put a finger on her bare stomach just above her waist. His eyes narrowed as Diane closed hers and breathed in very deeply and very slowly before finally exhaling.

"Don't Brian," she said, "please don't." But she knew she sounded unconvincing. A thrill went through her, as she thought about how easily this particular top came undone. It had buttons down the middle. The material and buttons were already under considerable strain wrapped tightly across her 34E tits. She held her breath as his hand moved cautiously up her stomach to the bottom of her top. The world seemed suddenly so still and quiet, the only sound the ticking of a clock on the wall. This made her aware of each second very slowly passing. And yet Diane was unable to move as Brian's finger slipped underneath her top. He felt her breathe in deeply again. Brian tensing for a reaction as he gently twisted his finger. The bottom-most button came easily undone and a fraction of a second later the next one came apart as well. The slightest of tugs opened the next two, leaving just another two holding the top across her chest. The very top one had been open anyway.

He pulled his hand away. Diane let out an audible sigh as she finally exhaled.

"Do you?" He said casually.

"Do I what?" she said, thrown by a sudden unclear question to answer when she had been so lost in the events unfolding.

"Love your boyfriend?" Brian said mechanically. His right hand was now lightly stroking her right breast, through the material of her top and Diane was struggling to focus on anything other than two opposite forces fighting in her head. He smiled, noting the nipple that had always been poking through the top was now rock hard.

Walk away and stop this madness from continuing Diane told herself.

"But he is my boyfriend," she managed to say. It was lame and of course not an answer. Or was it? Robbed of concentration she did not want an argument about whether she loved her boyfriend or not. Anyway, right now she was painfully aware of how much she had moaned on about him during the past week. Diane was also thinking about how suddenly full of faults he seemed and boring compared to Brian, and the opportunity being offered. Then the other side of her head-butted in again and told her sternly that this was wrong and should not be happening.

She lifted her hand and placed it on his, meaning to stop him stroking her tits, but he brushed it away. This seemed to evaporate the little will she had to try and interrupt him from doing what he was doing. The problem was it felt so good.

"But he is not here," Brian said, and with a swift movement, he placed two hands on her bare waist and moved her around, so she was pressed against the fridge. There was a sense of being hemmed in that left Diane struggling with the idea that she liked being trapped. Pull yourself together she told herself. Nothing has happened yet. Stop it before it does!

"I know he is not here," she said. "But that does not," Her voice faltered because Brian's hands were all over her body now and his face had a look of concentration on it which got her attention. Like he was checking her out. Assessing her. She knew she should be cross at this treatment. She was not a piece of meat, but she could not help but want him. Diane could see he liked what he saw and that excited her. Then the other side of her head-butted in. "What about your wife for one thing?" She said, trying to sound stern, but she knew it had come out as a weak and pathetic. His hands were either side of her face now.

"I don't think you give any more of a fuck about my wife than I do about your boyfriend," he said. The harshness of that jolted her back to reality for just a moment. That wasn't true, was it? In the same instance, she gasped realising what he was going to do. Diane's eyes widened as she watched his hands go down again to her top. They moved fast but it still felt like slow motion to her. Her hands rose to stop him but again she allowed him to easily brush them away and they fell limply to her sides.

"No," she whispered but he made no reaction to her feeble protest. Very slowly and deliberately his fingers slipped the remaining two buttons open. For a moment he held the two now separated sides of the top together. Diane held her breath and then with a smile, he opened it, revealing her tits.

"You have beautiful breasts," he said, looking down for just a moment and instantly cupping them in his hands. Diane once again found that she was delighted at what he had said and his fingers touching them brought them instantly alive. Every gentle touch sending waves of pleasure through her body. From far away a thought wandered through her mind that she should be angry or at least self-conscious about what he was doing but she was not. Slowly his hands caressed her chest, one hand on each bare breast.