"I just don't know what 10 year old boys think is cool," she said, gazing hopelessly at the clutter of brightly packaged toys that filled the aisles. "I can't afford a GameBoy but I don't want to get him something he'll think is dumb since I have to mail it half-way across the country." She looked hopefully at the young man who'd offered to help her.

"John," as his employee badge identified him, was tall and nicely put together, with sandy hair and the tab of a goatee making an exclamation point below his full lower lip. He was probably ten years younger than she but she couldn't help looking at him out of the corner of her eye when she thought he wouldn't notice. He was undeniably cute and that little fringe of facial hair kept pointing to his mouth in a way she found entirely too suggestive.

He adopted a pensive attitude and scanned the shelves again. He'd already suggested the most popular items but she'd dismissed them with "he'll probably get that from someone else" or "I think he has that already."

"Well," he said slowly, "it's a bit old fashioned but there's always the 'Cops 'n' Robbers' set." He pulled down the box from an upper shelf so she could see it. "Police belt, radio, gun, nightstick, badge, handcuffs...."

An involuntary shiver ran through her as she shook her head and fingered the sturdy metal handcuffs. "I don't think my sister would appreciate him handcuffing his little sister to the kitchen table for the afternoon."

He laughed, a rich sound that seemed entirely genuine yet carried a hint of something else. "Oh, these have safety releases on them." He deftly removed them from the display packaging and showed her the little levers that allowed them to be opened without the key.

"I don't know..." she began.

"Let me show you," he said, quickly cuffing her left wrist then pulling it behind her and cuffing it to her right wrist.

She struggled for a moment in shock, her sharp intake of breath and the slight arching of her back betraying the sudden thrill she felt. She felt a flush of embarrassment creeping up but he continued as if he hadn't notice her reaction.

He guided her thumb to the safety catch and the cuff slipped off. "See," he continued, "no danger there." He removed the cuff from her other wrist and stood there awaiting her response.

She was completely flustered and, if she had been confused about her choice before, she was now completely unable to focus on her task. She could still feel the cold steel around her wrists and the warm strength of his hands as he'd pulled them behind her; still felt the slight pressure of his body against hers. She swallowed hard several times and tried to calm her breathing.

He stepped back and replaced the cuffs in the package. "Well," he said finally, "there's always a gift certificate."

"Yes," she managed to say softly, "that's probably best."

He looked her full in the face and nodded. "The cashier can take care of that. Sorry I couldn't be more help." His gaze lingered a fraction of a second longer than it needed to then he smiled and walked off, leaving her trembling slightly and biting her lower lip.

"Gift certificate," she said to herself even as her eyes drifted back towards the shelf where the 'Cops 'n' Robbers' set lay.

She carried her steaming paper cup of Cha through the crowded Food Court, searching for a table. She was still distracted from the incident in the toy store and, to make matters worse, she'd made a foolishly impulsive purchase of sexy lingerie. Her fantasies were definitely running amok.

Turning distractedly, she nearly bumped into John who was standing inches away from her, smiling.

"Why don't you sit with us?" he asked, indicating a table at which a very pretty blonde girl about his age and wearing a short, tight, black vinyl dress was sitting. The girl did not look entirely pleased.

"No, I don't want to intrude..." she began but he somehow guided her to a chair before she could finish her sentence.

"Cindy works at a toy store too," John said with a twinkle in his eye. "Only it's an adult toy store."

Cindy snorted and rose. "Well," she said, "I guess I'll see you later..." Cindy paused and looked at her, then at John and added, "or not."

She was definitely uncomfortable with the scene and started to get up herself but John placed his hand gently on her arm and said, "Don't worry about her. Cindy's just someone who works in a store I know. We're not going out or anything. She gets a little weird at times."

She stared at her Cha, not sure what to say.

"More shopping for your nephew?" he asked with a hint of mischief in his voice.

She looked up and saw him staring at the "Intimate Moments Lingerie" bag by her chair. She blushed furiously. "Oh! No..." she started to say then didn't know what to say.

He simply grinned and rose. "Well, I have to go back to work. Nice seeing you again."

She gulped nervously, not sure whether to be relieved or disappointed as he walked away. She was sure, however, that he had a very nice butt.

She wandered through the parking lot in a distracted state, only half concerned with remembering where she'd parked her car. The other half of her still remembered the feel of the cold metal encircling her wrists, his smile, the sure gentleness of his hands.

She shook herself back to reality and shivered, silently cursing herself for having decided to go shopping right after work. Friday night meant the parking lot was full and she'd had to park a long way from the mall and, to make matters worse, it had turned cool now that the sun had gone down and her thin blouse and mid-thigh skirt weren't nearly enough to keep her warm. Now, in her distracted state, she had no idea where she'd parked.

She was about to give up in frustration and endure the ridicule of the Security Guard in the golf cart cruising the next aisle when she finally found her silver Corolla at the edge of the parking lot.

Dropping her packages and fumbling in her purse for her keys, she heard the Security cart hum to a stop behind her. She was about to turn and wave him off when she heard the guard say, "Hold it right there ma'am."

Stunned, she turned around. "This is my car...see," she said, jangling her key chain, "keys?"

The guard, a typical couch potato stuffed into a cheap uniform, shook his head. "We've had a complaint about you," he said. "I'll have to ask you to wait till someone from the store comes out."

"What?" she gasped. "This is crazy."

"That's okay Fred," she heard someone behind her say. "I'll take it from here."

She whirled and bumped into John.

The guard nodded and buzzed off in his golf cart.

John took her keys and put her purchases in the trunk.

"What was all that...?" she started to demand when he grabbed her wrists and pulled them behind her, pushing her against the cold, damp trunk of her car. She felt the chill of metal encircle her wrists and heard the cuffs click shut before he pulled her upright again and walked her to the passenger side door.

The condensation from the car had soaked the front of her white blouse, making it and her thin bra nearly transparent. She struggled in his grasp as he turned her around and stepped back.

"You have the right to remain silent..." he began, his eyes admiring her hard nipples clearly visible through the wet fabric.

She gasped in stunned amazement, unable to believe any of this was happening. Confusion, anger and fear coursed through her and, beneath it all, an intense rush of dark, sexual excitement. She started to protest but before she could say anything, he continued.

"...although any whimpers or moans you utter may be used as an indication of ways to heighten your arousal."

Her heart was thundering in her chest and she was having trouble breathing. Had she heard him right? His eyes were warm and smiling, not at all threatening. She noticed that they were almost the color of old bronze, a mixture of gold and green. He stood, almost touching her, in a relaxed way, as if ready to back away or move forward in an instant.

The safety catch, she thought and fumbled for the little levers on the cuffs. But these weren't the play handcuffs, she suddenly realized, they were real ones. That realization sent another shiver of dread and excitement coursing through her.

"You have the right to tell me to stop. If you do not tell me to stop now, you may do so at any time in the future and I shall honor your request."

Pressed back against the cold surface of the car, her wrists pinned behind her, her blouse pulled tight across her chest and she was afraid the top button would come undone. That image became confused with the image of him slowly unbuttoning her blouse, one button at a time, as she jumped and twitched as each button came free and exposed more and more of her.

Her breathing was ragged and her thoughts confused. She felt so completely vulnerable and yet he made no move. It was as if he was waiting for her to tell him to stop. And she would. She had to put a stop to this before it went any further. It was...it was...the most exciting thing she'd ever experienced and she could not force herself to utter a single word.

He waited a moment longer then nodded. He unlocked and opened the passenger door. "Get in," he said. It was a request, not a command.

Getting into the car was awkward with her wrists behind her but he helped her with practiced ease. He buckled her seatbelt, closed the door then walked around and got in the driver's side.

He moved the seat back, started the car and drove carefully out of the lot.

Her blouse was plastered against her, covering very little, and her skirt had ridden but, no matter how she squirmed, there was no way she could adjust it. He noticed all this but made no comment. She leaned her head back against the headrest and gazed out the window, unable to believe she was not screaming for help.

She watched his reflection in the window. He was a good driver, attentive and cautious. He wasn't ogling her as he drove. Maybe he knew he'd have enough opportunity to do that later. A momentary shiver of fear ran through her as she realized that he could just as easily driver her someplace secluded and kill her as he could do anything else. Yet somehow she knew she was in no real danger. And the moment of fear only made her more aroused.

She squirmed in the seat again but, this time, it wasn't because she was trying to get her skirt down.

He led her to his apartment in a complex not far from the mall. She was intensely aware that someone might see her, cuffed and obviously aroused, as they walked up the path to the front door. She almost pulled away from him just as he released her to open the door.

She stood there, panting as if she'd just run a marathon, as he held the door open for her. He waited. It was clear he wasn't going to make her go in, wasn't going to force her to do anything.

"This can stop now," he said quietly, holding out the keys to the cuffs.

Biting her lower lip, she walked through the door.

She did not notice the details of his apartment. She was aware only of the heat of his body next to hers, the gentle but unyielding grip of his hand upon her elbow as he guided her into the living room and pressed her against the wall.

She expected him to make her kneel then and there, for him to take his pleasure immediately. And she hated to admit that she wouldn't have minded at all. Worse, she hoped he would. She wanted to feel him, to taste him, wanted something that would relieve the awful, intense need that was driving her.

Instead, he gently cupped her chin and ran his thumb along her lower lip as he gazed into her eyes. She took his thumb between her lips and sucked on it, gently at first then more hungrily. The anticipation was making her mad with desire and she wanted him to get on with it.

He smiled, as if sensing her unvoiced demand, and fractionally shook his head. Then he lowered his mouth to hers and gently brushed her with his soft lips then tracing her mouth lightly with the tip of his tongue.

She heard someone whimpering and realized it was her. She wanted to touch him, to make love with him but he was taking things so slowly she was sure she would explode before that happened. She tried to press forward, struggling unconsciously against the constraints of the cuffs, but he held her easily in place by her chin.

She thought her arousal complete until he backed slightly away and toyed with the top button of her blouse. She watched in fascination as his fingers slowly released it and the top of her breasts became visible. She bit her lower lip again, hard, trying to keep her desire from consuming her completely.

He smiled and caught her eye as if knowing the embarrassment it would cause her for her lust to be so nakedly revealed.

He undid the next button and she jumped fractionally as it came free. Slowly he worked his way down, watching her reaction as each button was undone.

She was gasping for air, her knees weak, waiting for him to expose her breasts.

He kissed her again, his tongue lightly flicking into her mouth. She sucked on it as if she could pull all of him into her but he tangled his fingers in the hair at the back of her head and pulled her back.

She realized he was speaking, softly and low. She didn't listen to the words, just the sound of his voice as it caressed her in a way his hands were not.

His hands lightly traced along her shoulders and pulled open her blouse. She saw the light of delight and approval in his eyes as he exposed her breasts. His hands hovered briefly above them then his fingers lightly traced the edges of her bra before gliding up to her shoulders to slide the straps down.

She was no longer aware of anything but his touch and her need. She closed her eyes and let the sensations take her.

He leaned close to kiss her neck and shoulders as his hand released the hook on the back of her skirt. She felt his breath on her skin, the moist pressure of his lips. She felt the zipper slowly descend and her skirt fall to her feet.

She felt him tugging at the front of her pantyhose, then felt them give. She heard the snip-snip of scissors as he cut away the seam of her pantyhose below the waistband, laying bare her trimmed pubic hair. He continued cutting up the back to the waistband.

His hands returned to her breasts, slowly sliding down her bra till her breasts were completely exposed. With her eyes closed, she could feel the warmth of his hands as they hovered over her skin, almost but not quite touching her. She stood as if mesmerized, unable to move or act, able only to feel.

She could feel his warm breath on her face, could feel the raggedness of his breathing as he struggled for control of his own need. She wanted to beg him to take her, to release both of them from their need but she could not speak. She could only stand there and wait, knees weak, flesh burning, heart pounding, breath ragged. God, she thought to herself, I must be a total slut. Looking into his eyes, that though only added to her arousal.

His hand lightly trailed up the inside of her thigh and she moaned with frustration and need. He lightly brushed across her pubic hair then down her other thigh. She wanted to trap his hand, to make him bring her to climax but she could not move.

His fingers lightly traced the creases at the top of her thighs, then the edges of her lips. Each touch drove her to even greater levels of need.

His mouth moved slowly down to her breast and his tongue lightly licked her nipple before he took it into his mouth.

He kissed her breasts, licked and sucked her nipples while his hand continued the maddening circle between her legs, teasing, tantalizing but not quite touching her most private places. She was desperate with need, would have done anything at that moment for release, would have begged for it if she could have formed words in her mind.

She was on the verge of tears when his fingers brushed fully across her making her shudder and arch her back sharply.

His fingers slid knowingly across her, eliciting every pleasurable sensation as his mouth did the same to her breasts.

His fingers probed her, finding the hidden center of pleasure within her, stroking and pressing it till she whimpered on the verge of orgasm.

His teeth fastened on her nipple and he tugged on it as his thumb brushed across her clitoris.

She screamed and wept and whimpered as her orgasm took her in wave after wave of pleasure that he seemed to draw out impossibly long.

She collapsed into his arms, unable to stand or think.

He carried her to the bedroom and laid her on the bed then shared the result of her excitement with her, sucking his wet fingers and letting her do the same.

Once her breathing had returned to nearly normal, he rolled her onto her side and removed the cuffs. She stared into his eyes, unable to speak for the moment, then wrapped her arms around him and kissed him deeply.

He responded with a passion that mirrored her own and she gently took the cuffs from his hand.

Before he had a chance to react, she cuffed his wrists behind him and pushed him back onto the bed. She stood, kicked off her shoes and threw off her blouse and bra before pulling off the remnants of her pantyhose.

Then she returned to the bed and tugged at his belt buckle, grinning wickedly.

"You have the right to remain silent," she said, "but I sure hope you don't."