An Unlocked Mind (Secrets #2)(52)

“That’s stupid,” Rob groused. Hell, he wasn’t sure he could find something that made him happy.

It seemed Vic wasn’t about to be deterred. “We’re going to try it regardless.” He pointed to the cushion. “Didn’t I say I wanted you on your knees?”

Rob sighed. He knelt, doing his best to take the position Vic said, and then allowed his eyes to drift shut.

When it came, Vic’s voice was lower. “Focus, Rob. One thing. Just one. Maybe your favorite scone. Or a nice cup of tea before bedtime. How about a film you love? Anything that makes you happy.”

Thoughts collided in Rob’s head. He still had those bills he had to pay, and soon he’d be getting a second notice before everything was passed to a debt collection agency. And from what he’d read, those people were bloody tenacious. Rob had filled out an online application form to work at Vic’s company, but he had yet to hear anything. Give it time. It’s only been a few days. His mother continued to call. He—

“Rob.”

Vic’s voice startled Rob from his train of thought, but what surprised him more was when Vic ran his hand over Rob’s head.

“One thing, Rob.” Vic’s voice was soft. “Everything else is a distraction. Find something in that jumble of thoughts that doesn’t worry you.”

Rob nodded. He did his best to block out other thoughts. Favorite tea? He liked all kinds. Scone? Since when did he have enough money to buy scones? He had to settle for inhaling the scents at the supermarket. A film he liked? Oh. Yes, there it was. Something that had made him so happy when it happened. The scene began to roll through his mind, and Rob smiled.

“That’s it. Good. Now concentrate on that image. Keep it in your mind. I want you to think about nothing but that for five minutes.”

For the next several minutes, Rob did his best to hold that thought in his head. It wasn’t as difficult as he’d figured it would be. But then reality intruded and the other things he’d tried to push away washed over him, and he sagged beneath their weight.

Cautiously he opened his eyes. “I’m sorry,” he whispered. “I tried, really.”

“You did, and I’m proud of you.”

Rob jerked his head in Vic’s direction. He’d anticipated a rebuke, not praise.

Vic nodded deliberately. “For three minutes you were able to maintain focus. I know that might not sound like much, but it’s a start. So, we’ll work on this every day, and soon you’ll find you can do it for much longer.” He tilted his head to one side. “Care to tell me what you were thinking about?”

Rob stilled. When Vic had told him to think of just one thing, he’d tried to imagine Ella, his friend with benefits, but he couldn’t even recall what she looked like. When he tried to pull up a scene from a film, something flashed through his mind that shocked Rob to his very core. The image he pulled up, the one that made him smile, was when he and Vic had watched Shaun of the Dead and had pizza. Vic’s serious demeanor had cracked slightly, and he’d laughed at something in the film. Rob couldn’t recall what had elicited the laughter, but that first glimpse of a Vic he had yet to see had been… intriguing.

Would he laugh if I told him he was the center I’d focused on?

Rob didn’t want to find out.

“Nothing in particular,” he hedged.

Vic unfolded his arms and crouched down so their eyes met. “You don’t have to tell me. All that matters is that you’ve got something to focus on. In fact, if you’re willing, I’d like to try something different. Now, it may not be something you’ll enjoy, so I want you to choose a word that will make everything stop if you say it. It doesn’t matter if you’re scared or just not willing to go any further with it. You say it and it ends immediately.”

Rob rolled his eyes. “I know what a safeword is.”

“Hush, brat. I want to be sure you know your options. So, what do you say? Are you willing to give it a try?”

With a certainty born of trust, Rob said yes.

“Excellent. I want you to come into the bedroom with me.”

Bedroom. The word was enough to cause Rob’s cock to harden.

“And you can get that out of your mind. That’s not what we’re about to do.”

What surprised Rob most was that he wasn’t sure if he was happy or disappointed.

He trailed after Vic into the bedroom. It was the first time he’d actually been in the place. A large king-sized bed dominated the available area, but it didn’t seem overwhelming. Rob glanced around, taking in the dark wood bed with a black duvet that covered crisp, white sheets. Dotted at intervals over the wall were pictures that gave a splash of color to what would otherwise have been a bleak area. A black leather armchair sat in one corner, with a small table next to it. A book lay on it that Rob recognized almost immediately. “The Firm? You’re reading Grisham?”

“Someone told me he enjoyed the books. I wanted to see what the fuss was about. To be honest, I’m glad he told me. They’re excellent.” Vic smiled.

“They?”

“I bought three. The first one I’ve already read and then started on this. I can’t wait to discuss them with you. At least as soon as you finish Oz.”

Rob hadn’t thought about the book since he’d lost his job. “Sorry, I’ve been… distracted.”