Page 78 of Atlas
“Prove it, Gwen. Prove that you trust me. Prove that you’re not holding back. I can’t help you if you don't.”
“How?” The woman sounded British like him.
“Be creative. Find a way to show me.”
“Now?”
He smiled. “Yes. I have a waiting list of people eager to work with me, and you know I’m strict on limiting the number of people that I help. I called you in here because I want to make sure we’re committed to each other. If not, I’m not the right teacher for you. You understand that, don’t you?”
“I am committed to you.”
“Then show me that you’re not holding anything back.” He lifted his hand to her, and she took it.
“Show me,” he encouraged her again.
She kissed his hand.
“That’s nice.” With a smile, he caressed her face, and then he placed his index finger on her lips. “Kiss it.”
She hesitated but kissed his finger and opened up when he pushed his finger inside her mouth.
“Lick it.”
Gwen pulled her head back.
“What’s wrong?” He caressed her hair again.
“I… I don’t think… ehm, I mean, it’s only been a week since I broke up with Calvin.”
“That’s okay. I won’t take his place. You and I share something deeper and more spiritual.” Lifting her finger to his lips, he licked it, and then he sucked it to the hilt. “This isn’t about sex or being in a relationship. It’s about letting each other in and accepting each other fully. Our bodies are just simple vessels that we can use to share our spiritual connection. Now is your chance to show me that you hold nothing back, Gwen.”
This time, when he brought his finger to her mouth, she sucked.
“That’s it, my sweet child. Good girl.” Conor tilted his head and watched her lick, first his index finger, and then his thumb, before he guided her to sit down on the desk.
“Let me teach you what full acceptance looks like.” Conor placed an almost paternal kiss on Gwen’s hair, and then he pushed her back to lie on his desk. “Do you trust me?”
“Yes.” Her answer sounded uncertain.
“Lift your feet and place them here. That’s right. Relax your head back and close your eyes. Just like that.”
I could feel Atlas watching me, but I didn’t take my eyes off the screen or blink. Conor was manipulating a young woman into putting herself in a highly vulnerable position. Everything I knew about the psychopath on the screen made me fear for her safety. My pulse raced from seeing Conor walk around Gwen like she was a virginal sacrifice, and he was the devil about to devour her.
Letting his hand run over her body, he touched her hands, arms, shoulders, and waist, and then he moved on to her shins, knees, and thighs. His hands went all the way up her legs, and his thumbs slid over her private area but didn’t linger. When Conor moved away, Gwen’s chest sank as if she’d been holding her breath. He stopped by her head, letting his fingers massage her scalp.
“How does it feel?”
“Good.” She kept her eyes closed.
“Being accepted and cared for is a wonderful feeling, wouldn’t you say?”
“Yes.”
As if it were his right, Conor moved his hands down to massage her face, and again he pushed his thumb into her mouth.
While Gwen sucked like he’d instructed her to do, his other hand wandered down to her breasts and squeezed them. Her body stiffened.
I watched him pull up her sweater and touch her naked skin without invitation. When he peeled off her shirt, Gwen tried to hold on to the fabric, but Conor eased her with a soft, “Shhh. Relax. You said that you trusted me.”
