I turned and looked at her and immediately noticed that her eyes had that smoky, sultry look, pupils enlarged, the way they get when she’s very aroused. That rocked me, but I managed to speak more or less normally anyway. “Are you actually interested in doing something like this? You’d be comfortable posing in front of a camera like this – in these types of suggestive, sexual poses?”

Her hand squeezed my shoulder as she spoke. “No, I’d be terribly uncomfortable, I think – at least at first; but that’s one more reason to do it. I want to challenge myself… and Derek thinks I could do it, and he’s so very talented.” She paused and leaned in to kiss me on the temple. “And it’s very exciting, don’t you think?”

She knew what I thought, of course; she could see the bulge in my pants quite easily, as could Derek, I’m sure. I’d developed a pretty good ‘poker face’ over the years, to keep my feelings hidden while negotiating deals, but I knew that my abilities to affect a ‘poker crotch’ were considerably more limited, and it had betrayed me once again.

“Yeah, babe, it is exciting, but it’s not you. I mean, look at some of these; would you be okay posing naked with another man – or men? Or with women, or doing any of this really wild, outlandish stuff? I’ll tell you up front, I’m not crazy about it and I can’t see you doing it. It just doesn’t fit.”

She started to answer, but before she could, Derek cut her off. “David, your wife is actually quite good at overcoming her shyness and embarrassment. She listens and follows instructions incredibly well, and she uses that ability to deflect her innate shyness, to divert and distract herself from her discomfort.”

The thing is, I kind of enjoy her shyness, her ability to become embarrassed or blush at things that most others take in stride. It’s a bit of innocence that she’s somehow retained to this point in her life, the age of twenty-seven, long after most have become jaded and immune to such things. When I just looked at him and didn’t respond, he took it upon himself to demonstrate his point.

“Allison, sweetheart, come here for a moment please and we’ll show Dave what we’re talking about.”

Even as I sorted out the “what we’re talking about” portion of that statement – she’d scarcely said anything, after all – she rose from beside me and crossed to him. She stopped in front of him, demurely looking down at the floor, her hands clasped behind her back like a shy schoolgirl.

He reached out and touched her hip with his fingertips and softly said, “Kneel here, dear, in front of me, but face your husband.”

She slowly dropped to her knees as requested, not facing me directly but with a three-quarter angle instead, so that she could still see him off to her side if she looked up. She wasn’t looking up, however; her eyes were still downcast, and it added to the effect of creating a very submissive posture on her part, which made me ache with both jealousy and arousal while at the same time making my skin crawl just a bit at how bizarre it seemed.

He gave me a moment to absorb her posture and attitude, knowing exactly what he was creating, and then he reached over her shoulder, his wrist against her neck as his graceful fingers quickly unfastened the top button of her thin sweater, and then the next. Before I could object – and I was about to – he removed his hand but said to her, “Allison, my beautiful girl, why don’t you undo the rest of them?”

To my utter astonishment she quickly began to do just that, without raising a word of protest or even glancing at me to see if I approved. I didn’t. “Hold on a second! What the hell do you think you’re doing? This is nuts; we’re not doing this.”

He leaned back on the sofa, smiling as he looked across at me. “Dave, she’s been modeling in front of my camera all day in this much clothing or less,” he waved his hand toward her to indicate her now-exposed lace demi-bra and the swell of her incredible breasts above that tiny garment, and then continued, “I’m simply trying to give you an example of how we work together. You really should come to the studio and watch a shoot sometime; it might ease your mind.”

“Doubtful.” I looked at Alli. “Honey, are you really comfortable with this? This is okay with you?”

She gave me a sidelong glance, her head angled more toward him than me. “I am, Davey; it’s all right, and Derek is right about me being around him in less than this today. We’re just trying to show you how it works, if that’s all right with you. There’s only the three of us here and all three of us already know what I look like in my underwear.” She giggled softly as she said this, a reassuring sound that told me that she wasn’t entirely oblivious to the bizarre nature of the situation. She went on, “Let us do this and you just watch for a couple of minutes, okay?”

We stared at each other for a moment, her eyes holding mine in a way that she never seemed to do with him, and I shrugged. “I guess – if you’re comfortable with it. It’s weird as hell, but go ahead.”

My reluctant approval in hand, she finished unbuttoning her sweater and continued to kneel there at his feet with it now hanging open, her lace bra and the swell of her lovely breasts above it fully exposed. He nodded approvingly. “Good girl. Now slip it off, Allison, and I’ll take it.”

She shrugged her sweater off her shoulders, and as she pulled her arms free and it slid down her back he reached out and took it, his fingers grazing along her spine as he did. It may have been an innocent move, possibly inadvertent, but I heard Alli’s sharp intake of breath at his touch. He folded the sweater neatly and laid it alongside of him on the sofa.

Alli glanced quickly at me before again looking down; I think she knew that I was finding the idea of her here in our living room, half-naked in front of another man, highly unusual. And that’s probably a huge understatement!

He looked at her and nodded thoughtfully. “Okay, let’s get to work. Allison, shift over so you’re sitting, but keep your knees bent and tucked under, just alongside of you.” She did, putting her left hand out onto the floor and leaning that way.

He reached down and adjusted the position of her feet slightly “Good, perfect; you are so very lovely, my dear. Now turn your head to the left, as though looking over your shoulder, but look down.”

She immediately followed his instructions, and her pose went from submissive to demure, just that quickly. Fascinated now, and less creeped-out, I watched them. He ran his fingertips along the angle of her neck and jaw. “Very pretty. You have such graceful lines, Allison, so very fine. Okay, now tilt your head just slightly.” She did, and he smiled. “Arch your back just a bit, show us that flat tummy and those lovely breasts.”

I shook my head as she did exactly as told, but it was impossible to ignore the sexy, erotic image he had created with just a few simple instructions. He made a few adjustments to her hair, pulling some of her long chestnut locks over her shoulder and forward, framing her face with a very natural-looking tumble of her dark waves.

“Very good, sweet girl; you look lovely, so sexy and innocent.” He looked across at me and said, “Now, if I had my camera, I would be moving around her, taking photos from all angles, crouching down… you get the idea. Your wife is a natural, Dave, so perfectly malleable and pliable, so eager to bend to my will.”

He must have seen the expression on my face because he laughed. “In the studio, Dave; in a professional capacity.”

I nodded, meeting his eye as I said, “Yes, I’m sure that’s what you meant.” If he heard the sarcasm in my voice he ignored it.

I looked at Alli and caught her watching me out of the corner of her eye, biting her lower lip tentatively as she did so. I smiled at her. “He’s right about one thing at least; you do look beautiful and sexy. That’s kind of amazing how you do that so perfectly, considering you’ve never done any modeling until now.”

She gave me a dazzling smile. “Thank you, honey! It’s kind of fun, too, and I’m making lots of money for my shelter.”

He was looking at us, a soft smile on his face. “So it’s a win-win situation; I get a superb, beautiful model, you get the support for your shelter and your animals, and you…” he turned and looked at me. “Well, you get the satisfaction of knowing you’re married to a beautiful model, which comes with certain bragging rights. What else can I offer you to sweeten the pot?”

I stared back at him for a moment, silently trying to figure this guy out; one moment he seemed like some kind of Svengali, eager to control and subjugate my compliant wife, and the next like a straight-forward businessman and artist simply trying to advance a project. I shrugged and gave him an honest answer. “It’s not about sweetening the pot for me, Derek; it’s about what’s best for her, and for us as a couple. If it’s something she shouldn’t do then she won’t be doing it, and there are no incentives you can offer that will change that decision.”

Alli rose to her feet and crossed to me, once again taking a spot on the arm of my chair and leaning into me. The difference this time was that she had no blouse on and her warm, soft skin and the swell of her breasts were very distracting. She stroked my neck as she said, “But you will hear him out? Please – for me? I really do enjoy doing this, it’s very… liberating, somehow, and the money is allowing me to do a lot of things that we’ve been putting off at the shelter.”

“I am hearing him out; I have no objection to listening, but I have serious reservations. You can understand where I might, can’t you?”

She leaned in and kissed me on my right temple. “I know, and I understand – but I’d never do anything to hurt you, or to hurt us. You do know that, don’t you?”

She has this infuriating habit of answering a question with a question, and turning my worries back on me. The fact that she’s usually very perceptive – and very right – doesn’t help at all. “No, I know – and I do know that, really I do. I’m just curious about this book, and what kind of photos he’s considering. It sounds to me like it could become very… sexual in nature. To put it mildly.”

Derek, who had been leaning back and quietly following our exchange, chose that moment to re-enter the conversation. “Sensual, Dave. I do sensuality and erotica, not pornography. Please remember that.”

“Six of one, Derek; you’re going to have her posing naked with other people. There’s a sexual element to that no matter how you slice it. It’s inevitable; two people – or more – close, touching, bodies against each other as they pose in various erotic positions. Arousal happens, it’s only natural, but that doesn’t mean I’m okay with it.”

We all looked at each other for several seconds, seemingly at an impasse. I finally broke it. “Tell me more about what kinds of poses or scenes you’re considering; ease my mind, if you think you can.”

He shrugged. “The poses? I don’t know for sure. It’s often a situational thing; I let people move individually or together, allow them to relate to each other with as little direction from me as possible and take the shots.”

I shook my head. “Not good enough; you must have some ideas, some themes or concepts in mind. Enlighten me if you really want me to consider going along with this.”

He thought about that for a long moment before replying, and when he did, I could see that it was with some reservations. “A variety of things, Dave; obviously, given the number of plates I’m considering. Some would just be Allison in all her beautiful glory, perhaps posed as a submissive, or in outlandish garb, or even in the guise of a BDSM-type dominant mistress. She’s extremely versatile in the number of ways I can use her.”

He said things like that in reference to the ways he could “use her” in photographs, I realized that, but it still stuck in my craw just a bit. I ignored it and waited for him to go on, which he soon did.

“For others I might use certain props, which could be anything; a car, flowers, a bed or other furniture, athletic equipment, a motorcycle, animals – I have an associate that owns several well-trained exotic animals. Posing Allison in sexy lingerie, or perhaps even nude with a Bengal tiger, or perhaps a leopard, a python - it would be an incredible opportunity.”

I sort of thought that getting Alli to pose nude for him at all might present far too good of an opportunity – for him - but at the moment I was more focused on the tiger. “Yeah, I’m not sure that’s a great idea. They may be trained extremely well, but they’re still wild animals. You read all the time about that kind of shit going horribly wrong.”

I noticed Allison looking at me, a disappointed look on her face. I shrugged and smiled at her. “I’m sorry babe, but just because you look good enough to eat doesn’t mean I want you to be a snack for a damn tiger!”

They both laughed, and he rushed to assure me that it would be perfectly safe. I knew better of course; there is no such thing as totally safe when dealing with powerful, unpredictable wild animals. It was Alli that eventually made the convincing argument. “Oh, honey - you know how much I love animals! It would be worth a little risk to me to have a chance to be that close to a tiger or a leopard. How exciting!”

I knew it was true, and her shining eyes and obvious excitement told me that he’d just sweetened the pot for her, even if it had been unintentional on his part. Allison is crazy over animals of all types and sizes; the opportunity to get up close and personal with a big cat or two would be irresistible to her. I ceded that point to him and moved on.

“Yeah, okay. I guess I more or less understand about her posing alone or with various props. Tell me about what you have in mind involving other people in the shots with her.”

In response, rather than explaining or detailing what he planned to do with my wife, he picked up another book and handed it to me. It was a largish volume, probably twelve by fourteen inches, but not particularly thick. It was titled “Couples”. Upon opening it, Alli and I were treated to a series of color plates of couples posing in various states of undress – and various states of erotic, often sexual, poses.

All of the shots contained two people, but beyond that they varied widely. Some of the couples were younger or older, some were of two people of the same race, with different races represented, while others were interracial shots, and some were of either two women or two men. The one thing they had in common was that they were unquestionably both sexual and erotic, with sensual touching and visibly aroused bodies prevailing.

The photos were mostly of just regular people, not models, although there were some very beautiful examples of “just regular people”. There were innocent nude shots, but there were also enough hard, jutting nipples and rampantly erect cocks that I was having trouble seeing how most of the book was anything but hardcore sex, and I said so.

“This is basically just a porn book, isn’t it?” I asked. “There are enough sex scenes – or at least incipient sex scenes – here that it sort of crosses the line between erotica and smut, don’t you think?”

He shrugged. “Eye of the beholder, is it not? There’s no sex, no intercourse or oral sex or penetration of any kind. Many – most, even – of the subjects are clearly sexually aroused in this example, but that’s one of the conditions in which the human body exists at certain times.” He paused and looked across at us for a moment, trying to gauge our receptiveness before continuing. “All of these books as well as what I’m envisioning for my own book are a celebration of the human form in all of its glory – an homage to our beauty and a visual paean to both our similarities and our differences.”

He made sense – and I don’t consider myself to be a prude. In fact I had become quite aroused myself while looking through the book, my cock hard and throbbing in my pants, where I could feel a small wet spot growing cold against my flesh. Seeing the various couples so visibly aroused had appealed to my prurient senses, there was no denying that. What didn’t appeal to my prurient senses, however, was the thought of my wife snuggled up to some well-hung stud with a giant hard-on sticking out inches from her face or pressed against her flesh. Then again, even that mental image made my balls ache with lust even as it pushed all my jealousy buttons.

I nodded, looking back at him across our coffee table, extremely aware of Allison’s lush but semi-nude body pressed against me as she leaned in from her perch on the arm of my chair. “I can appreciate that, Derek – in fact, I do; I just have a tough time accepting my wife in a whole book full of this kind of thing.”

I’d held up the “Couples” volume as I said that, and he chuckled. “I can understand your reluctance – but remember, my book will not be dedicated to that type of thing. Mine will run the gamut from pure, old-fashioned forties-style glamour to creative, artistic, and possibly fetish shots - and more.”

“But there will be some shots of this nature - Allison with another man, right?”

He nodded. “In all likelihood, yes – or with more than one man, or a woman… and yes, I do anticipate that in some of them both your wife and the other subjects, male or otherwise, might appear to be quite aroused.” He paused as he focused on Alli for a moment. “Would that be a problem for you, my dear?”

She looked across at him for a moment before lowering her eyes, and then turned to face me. “I’m aroused now, just thinking about it – and that’s all right, isn’t it? It’s like I told you that very first time we danced together, David. It’s a very natural thing, and it would be more of an issue if men and women didn’t feel that urge… that arousal. We’re programmed that way; we’re supposed to respond to each other.”

She paused long enough to kiss me as I sat there somewhat in shock that she had so freely admitted to her arousal in front of her photographer friend. I was too, of course – achingly so, something her blunt admission had only added to – but I wasn’t about to say so!

She continued, “But my arousal from the photo sessions, if any, would come home to you, Davey! It’s not as though I’m going to become so turned on that I get out of control and start indiscriminately screwing anyone that’s hard and handy!” She laughed, and it eased the tension a bit.

I suppose, in a way, that was exactly what I had been imagining. “No, I know you’re not – and that’s not what I was thinking,” okay, so it was a little white lie; I went on, “but just the idea of you doing this kind of thing with other men – total strangers - I can’t help it, Alli, I’m jealous. You can understand that, can’t you?”

She gave me her best brilliant smile and wrapped her arms around my neck. “Yes, I understand it – and I’m glad you are! It just means you care and you love me, and I’d be just as jealous if the shoe was on the other foot. But think about actors and actresses and professional models and things. They do this kind of thing all the time! Do you suppose they have jealous spouses at home?”

“Probably.” They both laughed, and I did too. “At least at first, don’t you think? Unless they knew their significant other was doing this kind of work before they even got hitched, in which case they have no basis for any complaints. But this is all completely new to me – to us. So yeah, I’m jealous about it. I can admit that.”

Derek nodded. “I appreciate your honesty. I think maybe there’s something I can do to ease your mind a bit, but it will require your cooperation. Are you willing to work with me for a few minutes?”

“In what way?” Even I could hear the hesitancy and suspicion in my voice.

He laughed. “Nothing painful, I promise; you’re going to be my male model for a few minutes.”

“I’m not really male model material – and this is probably not a good idea.”

Alli bent in and kissed me. “Oh come on – it will be fun! Just relax and think of it as role-playing for a few minutes. Please? For me?”

I sighed. “I’m not taking my clothes off.”

He laughed. “No, you don’t need to. As a matter of fact, what you’re wearing is ideal for what I have in mind.” He bent and retrieved a black leather hard-sided case from alongside the sofa. It had been up against the end, below the armrest and out of my line of sight, and I’d not noticed it previously. Opening it, he pulled out a sleek digital SLR camera with a low flash attachment, and I heard a tiny high-pitched electronic tone as he switched it on.

He looked around the room and asked to have a couple of lamps on the end tables lit, which we did. As we were moving about, doing that, he crossed to the foyer and carried over a small Bungalow-style armchair that we kept there as an accent piece, one of several nods to the Arts and Crafts style that we both admired. It was an antique and typical of that style and era, with wood slats below the square wooden arms, a seat cushion upholstered in leather, dark tan with a rich patina, and two-inch wide wood slats making up the back which matched those along the sides below the flat armrests.

It was interesting watching his eyes move about the room as he evaluated lighting, angles, backgrounds and the positioning of the other furnishings and accoutrements in our home; he seemed to move automatically into professional mode, even though all he was doing, ostensibly, was setting up a little demonstration for my benefit.

After his quick evaluation he selected the spot he wanted for the chair and placed it there, stepping back to look at it for a moment before making a minute adjustment to the angle. Apparently satisfied at last with his impromptu studio, he motioned me to the chair. “David, you sit here and rest your arms on the arm of the chair.”

As I moved to comply, he turned to Allison, saying, “Alli, sweetheart, slip out of your skirt please, and sit at Dave’s feet in the same position you assumed a few minutes ago when you were near me.”

I objected. “Hey! Hold on a second - is that really necessary? There’s no reason in hell that she can’t at least stay half-dressed.”

They both stopped and looked at me, and I could almost see her defer to him to explain the reasons that he required her to be nearly nude. He sighed, “Dave, if you can’t get past the idea of your wife in bra and panties, here in your own home with just the three of us present, we’re dead in the water.”

“That wouldn’t be the worst news I’d ever heard.”

He glanced at Allison, his look practically begging her to talk some sense into me. She came and kneeled in front of me, her hands on my legs, and looked up at me imploringly. “Honey, it’s okay – really, it is. I don’t have any issues with being in only my bra and panties in front of you, ever, and Derek does this all the time. I spent half of my day today in practically nothing with him and Jennifer; it feels very natural to me.”

“Yes, well, that makes one of us. It feels weird as hell to me.”

She smiled. “I was totally naked in front of a lot more people at Charlie’s party. So were you.”

It was a valid point, although not a particularly helpful one. “Yeah, I know, but everyone else there was naked too, so it was okay – still weird, but okay.”

Derek laughed. “Well, you really must tell me more about this party someday! Would it help if I got naked too? I can take pictures naked, I suppose… a bit unorthodox, but if it eases your mind…”

I snorted, shaking my head.

“No, somehow I don’t think that would help the situation at all.”

Alli giggled, “I’m in favor of that approach, if I get a vote!” I glanced at her sharply, and noticed that she was blushing crimson even as she said it. Despite her comment it was actually nice to see her joking around and laughing rather than behaving so unusually submissively, and it sort of broke the tension for me.

Derek smiled at her as he said, “I don’t think we’ll be doing that today – and Dave, you need to stay just as you are, because the whole dominant/power image of the suit and tie play directly into what I’m thinking here.” He paused as he considered Alli again, his eyes roaming over her body appraisingly. It was about to draw another comment from me when he said, “All right, the skirt; let’s leave it for now, I can work with that. Okay, sweet girl, stay there for a moment, on your knees at Dave’s feet, and put your hands on his thighs, a few inches above the knee.”

She did as instructed, and he went on. “Look downwards; bow your head as though looking down at the floor. Now turn your head slightly… perfect.” He stepped forward and made a few adjustments to her hair, and tugged a fold out of her skirt before straightening the lapel on my suit. He then stepped back and took a couple of quick shots before beginning to move around us, shooting from different angles as he did so.

Seemingly satisfied with those shots he again stepped in, this time sliding one bra strap off her shoulder and down onto her upper arm, his fingers lightly caressing her skin as he did so. With her hands on my thighs I felt a small shudder run through her and I knew it was due to arousal. My own arousal spiked in response, right alongside my jealousy.

He had her lower and turn her head a bit more, almost tucking her chin down against her collarbone; it was an almost painfully submissive pose, as though she was waiting to be struck or belittled, and it made me ache to see her like that. It also made me throb with arousal, the way she so eagerly conformed to his instructions, my cock hard and aching, bulging against my suit pants. Her nipples were hard, thrusting out as prominent visible nubs through her thin bra, and I knew she was also aroused.

He took a few more shots, moving around us, and then asked me to lean forward slightly and put one hand on her shoulder and the other on her head almost as if I was petting her, the way you would a dog. I did as he asked, but it felt weird, unnatural, a sensation only increased by the shudder of arousal that I felt run through her body. Without any instruction from him Alli’s hand slid up my thigh, her fingertips coming to rest almost touching the swollen head of my cock where it lay trapped against my leg. I knew she’d done it intentionally, teasing me, something a quick, playful glance out of the corner of her eye confirmed.

I was massively aroused, my cock stone-hard and pulsing. It was very visible to me, a pronounced ridge along my right thigh against the fine worsted of my suit pants, stretching toward my wife’s fingertips. I knew that Alli could tell too – which meant that Derek, with his photographer’s eye for detail, could scarcely have missed my condition. As he moved around us, taking additional shots, Alli’s fingers slowly slid up until her fingertips were gently stroking the tip of my cock, setting off fireworks in my body and making me tense up, which only accentuated the swelling of my erection as it thrust against the confining fabric.

Derek, to his credit (I suppose…) made no pretense of not noticing my condition. He chuckled softly, saying, “Yeah, Dave; now you understand how easy it is to take very erotic photos with virtually no nudity, and absolutely no sex. Alli, dear, put your hand over your husband’s rather impressive bulge - yes, like that, and form your fingers over him, as though caressing it. Perfect!”

There was no “as though” involved. Following his instructions she was “caressing it”, as he’d suggested, and while it felt incredibly good it was also hugely embarrassing to have him so casually tell my wife to fondle me! I know I was bright red, extremely uncomfortable with the whole situation. He paused for a moment, observing, and as he raised his camera up to examine one of the settings he reached down with his other hand and adjusted himself; for the first time it dawned on me that he was also very aroused, and was sporting a significant bulge of his own. As Alli watched him re-position himself she breathed in a deep, shuddering breath, biting her lower lip, and I knew she was as intensely aroused as I was… hell, as both Derek and I were!

That little revelation catalogued, I watched as he began to move around us again, taking photos; to my combined pleasure and chagrin, Alli continued to gently squeeze and stroke me as he had us make subtle changes to our body positions, the angle of our heads, or the placement of our hands. At one point he asked her to lay her head against my thigh so that her eyes were inches from my bulge, as though longingly admiring it; she complied, and was very convincing!

As he moved in for a closer shot, he lowered the camera from his eyes and looked at me. “Dave, did you come?”

I glanced down and quickly noticed that Sir Leaksalot had been up to his usual tricks; I had a very obvious dark, quarter-sized wet spot over the tip of my cock. My blush deepened, but Allison giggled. “No, he didn’t come – but my guy is apparently very aroused, because that’s what happens when he gets very turned on; he leaks like crazy, all that nice slippery stuff!”

He laughed. “Perfect – and it works in the pictures, and would be good in my project too!”

I took a deep breath and blew it out. “Okay, time to wrap this up – and I’m not a part of your ‘project’, so if we can stop casually discussing my genitalia and various sexual foibles it would be appreciated. I think we’ve seen about enough here, and I now have a general idea what you’re talking about, so let’s just move on, shall we?”

He shrugged. “If you want. I was just getting started, and I really think you should reconsider being in some of the pictures; you’re really very photogenic, and you’d be perfect for scenes just like this one, a subtle dom/sub thing.”

“Yeah, don’t see that happening. Sorry.”

“I hope you’ll reconsider.”

Allison was quietly watching the exchange, her hand still on me, not joining in. I glanced at her, and then looked back to Derek. “Bud, we haven’t established that Alli is going to be in these photos, much less me. Let’s not get ahead of ourselves.”

He looked shocked, as though he’d thought he’d won that battle already. “You can’t be serious! Even though I’ve shown you how utterly harmless it is? What are you so worried about?”

“I’m not worried. Either it happens or it doesn’t – and I’m leaning toward doesn’t – but that’s something that we need to discuss as a couple. I think I have a pretty good concept of what you’re planning…” and here I looked at him, making him aware of the fact that I felt there was more to his project than met the eye “… and I don’t know that it’s anything that we should be involved in.”

He sighed, clearly exasperated, one hand holding his camera down near his hip as he ran the other through his hair. He turned and paced away, gathering his thoughts, and as he came back toward us he picked up his coffee cup and held it out to Alli. “Sweetheart, can I impose on you to get me another cup of coffee while I speak to Dave? I’d appreciate it.”

She rose smoothly to her feet, taking her hand off my bulge and leaving my wet spot exposed. My erection was slowly fading, the discussion with Derek anything but arousing, but I couldn’t help but notice – and notice Alli noticing – that his cock was still apparently hugely erect, the thick ridge and prominent head clearly outlined against his khakis.

Her eyes rose from his groin to his face, and she smiled. “Sure, no problem. Black, right?”

His eyes narrowed. “Mmm, it’s been on the warmer for awhile – maybe just a bit of sugar, if you would.” I had the sense that he didn't want coffee so much as he wanted to get Allison out of the room so that we could speak man-to-man.

She took the proffered cup from him and turned toward the kitchen, and as she did he reached out and let his fingers trail lightly down her upper back, from the base of her neck to her bra strap, just below her shoulder blade. She didn’t acknowledge his touch in any way; she simply moved away, her lithe body in only a skirt and bra drawing our eyes as iron filings to a magnet. We watched her until she disappeared around the corner.

It would not have been possible to not look and I couldn’t fault him for that; I did, however, call him on the touching. “What’s the deal with you constantly touching my wife? It’s unnecessary and uncalled for - and way the fuck out of line.”

He looked at me, surprised - or at least feigning surprise very convincingly. “Does that bother you? An innocent touch? It’s something I do all the time, Dave, with all of my models; it relaxes them, puts them at ease with their bodies and my presence, especially when they are nervous about being fully or partially naked.”

I shrugged. “Fuck that, it's still out of line. Don’t do it anymore.”

He stared at me for a moment. “It bothers you that my touch clearly arouses her, doesn’t it?” When I didn’t answer he went on, “That’s part of it too, Dave. For these types of shots I need her aroused, involved; the visuals of her arousal can’t be faked, and when she’s somewhat aroused it’s fascinating, both erotic and compelling, and it comes through clearly in the images. It’s one of the reasons that I need her for this project.”

I simply looked at him for a moment, trying to figure him out. The contrast of professional businessman, artist, and (in my view) lecherous voyeur had me puzzled. “You seem more than a little fixated on my wife. I’m not sure that’s healthy for any of us. Why Alli and not some professional model that you’ve known and worked with before?”

He nodded thoughtfully. “Fair question – and in fact, I’m not merely fixated on Allison; I’m utterly obsessed with her, and therein lies your answer. She has qualities that come through on camera in a way I’ve never run across before. Nobody else I’ve ever worked with has the ability to change persona and mood so readily - to become, by a simple expression or change of pose, a completely different subject - and then to project their own fascination with the metamorphosis.”

I shrugged. “Maybe. She’s beautiful and brilliant; you’ll get no argument from me on that score, and she does have an innate ability to look great no matter what. Look, I know you have artistic talent a trained eye for these things and I don’t, but it still strikes me that you could use a professional model.”

He sighed. “No. They’re spoiled already. When they’re working, they’re working, and it comes through in the photos. For Allison this is all new, an adventure and she’s living it, having fun and enjoying herself. I need that innocence, the excitement she shows for the work and that thrill with all that life has to offer, that eagerness to enjoy it to the fullest. When you combine that with her sensational looks it’s simply something I won’t be able to re-create with anyone else.”

I understood his point. It would have been hard not to recognize the truth in what he said, because those same qualities of innocence, excitement and wonder with all that life had to offer were a big part of what I found so compelling about my wife. She has a way of making people around her feel alive in a way that perhaps they hadn’t for years. If he could actually capture some of that in his photos… well, that would be something I’d treasure forever. He had finally made the one argument that had a chance with me; that he could possibly capture Allison at this incredibly beautiful stage of her life in a way that we could look back on and cherish in later years as we shared our memories of this amazing time together.

“Okay, I get that. I really do, and the idea that you can capture for posterity this woman that means so much to me… well, that’s intriguing. Very intriguing.”

“So you’ll give my project your blessing?” He thought for a moment. “I’ll put together a special album just for you with many of the shots nobody else will see; for every shot that goes into the book there will likely be dozens that are set aside.”

“Getting a little ahead of ourselves,” I said. “Alli and I need to have a talk about it, reach some understanding – and if we do reach common ground on moving forward, I’ll need to see a contract.”

He smiled. “You’re going to act as her agent?”

“No,” I told him, shaking my head, “but Alli would ask me to look it over in any event because we each defer to the other on things more in their field of expertise; legal contracts are mine. And I have an attorney friend that I might ask to review it as well.”

Allison returned with a steaming cup of coffee. “That other pot was nasty so I made a fresh one.” She looked from me to him as she handed him his cup, and then back at me. “Did I hear you discussing contracts? Are you going to be okay with me doing this project?”

I shrugged and bent down to give her a quick kiss. “Not entirely sure, babe, but maybe. You and I need to talk about it, and Derek is going to consider and define what his expectations are so that he can have a contract prepared. It’s just preliminary stuff, a little groundwork to avoid any later misunderstandings. Then we’ll see.”

She smiled happily, her excitement almost palpable. “Oh good! I hope it works out, it would be so much fun.” She hugged me and then stretched up for another kiss before turning and kissing Derek chastely on the cheek. “I told you he’d be reasonable, didn’t I?”

He looked at me, his eyebrows going up. “Mmm, yes you did – you didn’t mention that he’d also be fiercely protective, but I completely understand that; I would be too, in Dave’s shoes.” She gave him a hug which he returned, and I was startled to realize that the sight of him him hugging my wife, even though she was still in only a bra and skirt, didn’t seem all that strange. Odd how quickly our minds accept such a complete paradigm shift. I did note that he curbed his wandering hands – smart move for a guy that needed my cooperation.

We chatted for a few more minutes, discussing a timeline and clarifying our respective positions. He finished his coffee and began to gather up his books and equipment. Alli asked if she could keep some of the books for a few days, including the ‘Couples’ volume that we’d looked at, and Derek seemed more than willing to have her hang onto them – presumably because he figured that she’d use them to continue to sell me on the idea.

Our parting was cordial, another hug from Allison before he shook hands with me. After he’d gone we just sort of stopped and looked at each other for a moment before she gave me an impish smile. “Now can I take my skirt off?”

Her timing is just so perfect! Laughing, I replied, “Now you can take off whatever you want – you know me, I enjoy you in anything or nothing at all. I’m just amazed at the way my shy wife has morphed into this woman that loves to take her clothes off in front of other people.”

She quickly unzipped her skirt and stepped out of it, looking at me as she unhooked her bra and added it to the pile of discarded clothing. As I admired those perfect breasts of hers, noting the erect and clearly aroused condition of her fine nipples she said, “Not in front of just anyone – you make me sound like some weird flasher or exhibitionist or something. It’s just that you, and now Derek… you both make me feel so beautiful and desirable and special that it makes me very comfortable with it. Maybe it’s just an ego thing but I enjoy it, and yes, it arouses me. Is that wrong, for me to feel that way?”

I stepped forward and took her in my arms, my fingers tracing the graceful arc of her spine, very aware of the amazing tactile sensation of her smooth, warm skin. “No, it’s not wrong. You are beautiful, incredibly so, and you should always feel that way. In fact the idea that he can capture that beauty, that unique… well, whatever it is that makes you so amazing that I can’t even put it into words, that’s the main reason I might be willing to go along with this cockamamie concept.”

She laughed. “It’s not that strange of a concept – and he is very talented; you said so yourself.”

I shrugged. “I’m not denying his talent. He’s good, very good, which is the draw I suppose. The thing is…”

When I paused she prompted me. “What? ‘The thing is’ what?”

I pulled her close and nuzzled her neck before continuing, kissing her jaw and neck and nipping gently at her earlobe. I then leaned back so that we could look into each other’s eyes as I answered, “The thing is, he seems to exert some kind of weird control over you. He tells you to do something and you go all squishy and submissive and do whatever he wants. It’s weird, and I’m afraid that he might push you to do things you’d regret – that we’d both regret.”

She frowned. “Really? What kind of things? Things like this?” With a quick tug she unzipped my pants. Before I could respond she’d reached in and seized my still semi-erect cock through my boxers. “Or maybe things like this?” She gave me a quick squeeze and a couple of strokes.

I stuttered slightly. “I…uh, no, not necessarily thi…”

“Well then, how about this?” she continued as I slowly realized that she was toying with me, grasping my package and lifting me, balls and all, out into the light of day. My package free, she took my cock in one hand while the other closed around my balls, both squeezing and fondling. “Or maybe you even think he could order me to do things like this for him, and I’d just do them, no questions asked?” She bent and took me into the warm, wet sanctuary of her mouth and I groaned, hardening quickly in the fifteen or twenty seconds that she sucked my cock.

“Ohh, fuck, babe. About another thirty seconds of that and it’s going to be all over.”

She pulled away, giggling, and straightened up to kiss me, her lips wet, hot, and slick. “Oops, can’t have that!” She squeezed my balls firmly before releasing them to dangle, blue and aching, against the front of my slacks. She continued to hold my throbbing cock in her hand but was careful not to apply any stimulation. “Now, what was it we were talking about?”

Shrugging, I said, “I forget.”

She laughed and that made me laugh too. “Hey, you know damn well that God gave man a brain and a penis, but only enough blood supply to operate one or the other. You can’t expect me to be all big and hard and sexy like this and still carry on an intelligent conversation at the same time.”

She lightly stroked me, barely touching, a maddeningly arousing sensation that made me tingle all over but would not drive me over the edge. I groaned, and she smiled wickedly. “You are big and hard and sexy – but not too bright it seems.”

“You’ll settle for three out of four, I hope?”

She ignored me. “To stir your rather weak memory, you were saying that you thought that Derek had some kind of control over me, that I was submissive and would unwittingly bend to his will and that maybe I’d do something I shouldn’t, something I’d regret.”

“Was I? Oh yeah, that’s right, I was. Well, it does sort of seem that way; you do whatever he tells you, and your posture goes all submissive, you keep looking down and won’t meet his eye. It just seems very… I don’t know. Manipulative, maybe?”

She nodded thoughtfully, her eyes narrowing – as did her hand, which moved to my balls and closed tightly on them. It wasn’t a painfully tight grip, but it was on the verge of becoming one. She moved closer so that her breasts pressed against my chest, and her hand tightened a bit more on me as she looked up into my face. “Did it ever occur to you that maybe I’m the one that’s been manipulating him?”

“Umm… I’m thinking that probably ‘no’ would be the wrong answer.” Her hand tightened slightly more on my scrotum, and I groaned. “Okay then, yes! Yes, obviously that occurred to me, clearly that’s what you’ve been doing – I was just testing you to see what you’d say.”

She laughed. “You’re a horrible liar.” Her grip mercifully loosened.

“I thought you loved that about me.”

That earned me a smile. “Actually I do – it’s a very desirable quality in a man. I didn’t hurt you, did I?”

I rubbed myself gently. “No, but I was starting to get worried. You’ve got quite a grip, in case anyone asks.”

"Davey, did you really think that I wasn’t aware of what I was doing? That I’m so weak-minded and easily manipulated that he could just seduce me into doing anything, that I’d kiss his feet – or whatever he asked me to kiss – just because he’d somehow turned me into a mindless submissive drone?”

I stepped back warily. “Before I answer that, you’re not going to grab my balls again, are you?”

She laughed. “No, I promise – unless you want me to. I can also treat balls very nicely you know.”

“Now that’s something I was aware of.” I paused for a moment as we just looked at each other and then continued, “I don’t know, babe. It was a very weird vibe, just really out of character for you, and I wasn’t quite sure what the hell was going on. You seemed almost like you were mesmerized or something the way your whole personality changed. You just, you know, bent so readily to his will.”

“I was giving him what he wanted, David. I was allowing myself to be manipulated to make him feel in control. It’s called acting. It gave him a sense of power and appealed enormously to his ego – creative, artistic people like Derek always seem to have an ego that resides very close to the surface.” She paused for a moment and then seized my still-erect cock and, with that convenient rudder in hand, led me over to the sofa where she pushed me down and climbed onto my lap.

Straddling me so that I could feel the heat of her pussy against my erection through her panties, she continued, “He loved it, Davey; he just ate it up, he couldn’t get enough – which means he kept calling me back for more, and paying me more and more money, and now he wants me for this project which is the most exciting thing ever! Oh, and potentially very lucrative if you do a good job negotiating my contract.”

“So you’re saying that this whole ‘submissive’ thing you do, that’s on purpose? You’re just acting, faking him out?”

She smiled as she ground herself against my hard cock. “That’s what I’m saying – and it’s allowed me to do a lot of things for my shelter that I’ve been putting off.”

I chuckled and shook my head. “Man! Gotta say, babe, you were very convincing. He’s pretty gullible, huh?”

She laughed, then leaned forward and kissed me. “All you men are; it goes back to that penis vs. brain argument - and by the looks of his bulge he was using a fair amount of his total blood supply to operate that cock!”

“Oh, you noticed that huh? That figures.”

“Of course I noticed. It was a very impressive bulge – but I like yours better.” So saying, she reached down and tugged the crotch of her panties aside and guided me into her wet velvet sheath. She was slick and ready, and she rode my cock all the way down in one smooth, slow push. I groaned at the sensation of her forming around me, her pussy so perfect and tight, so hot and welcoming.

She sat still and just held me inside of her but I could feel her pelvic muscles squeezing and contracting on me, seeming to milk my cock. “God, you feel so good inside – I think I’m in heaven! Is that why you’re so wet and ready, from looking at his cock?”

She shuddered slightly as I tensed, causing my cock to swell and pulse inside of her. “Mmm, partly, I guess. It was nice, I could see the head of it and everything outlined against his pants – very sexy. But also from you and your beautiful bulge, and your wet spot, and playing with you and looking at all those pictures.”

She wriggled on me just a little, causing both of us to moan, and then went on, “Plus like I told you, posing for him only partly-dressed makes me horny. If that makes me a terrible person I’m sorry, but it just does. I can’t help it.”

“No, it doesn’t. He enjoys it – we could both see that – you obviously enjoy it and you make good money, and I get all the fringe benefits. That’s a win-win-win situation like he said, right?”

She giggled and leaned forward again to nibble on my ear and neck as we began to slowly move together, my cock sliding smoothly in and out of her tight sheath. She spoke softly, her lips close to my ear. “I think so – and I’m so glad you do too. But how do we know that Derek wasn’t all hard and aroused from looking at you? You did have a very nice bulge showing – and Derek is totally bisexual. I kinda think maybe he wants you too, studmuffin.”