In the past, Jim had found sex to be a laborious experience. He simply liked to keep himself in control, and sex could make it difficult. This time, however, his thoughts were far from his concept of control. Besides, the preliminaries were always to be enjoyed.

Jim unbuttoned Karen’s blouse one button at a time, kissing down her chest as he went. When he reached the snap in her jeans, he kept right on going, undoing it and pulling the jeans down around her standing form. He gave her time to step out of them before standing again, leading with his hands - over her breasts and removing her blouse.

Karen reached under Jim’s shirt and pulled it off over his head, although Jim had to stoop a bit to get this accomplished. She knelt in front of him and undid his jeans, and then pulled them down with his underwear as well. She spent a moment or so tonguing his cock before standing again and removing her panties.

Jim picked up Karen to carry her to the bed, about 15 feet away. Between kisses, Karen commented on the large size of the room. Jim distractedly mentioned that he liked it that way, and would consider a tour. Later.

He set Karen gently on the bed and ran his hands over her body, stopping briefly to arouse her nipples and working to her clitoris for a massage. She stopped him though, looking at his cock, then his eyes, then his cock. “I want you,” she said. Jim could not remember being so aroused.

Jim slid his cock in; a tight, pleasing fit. They got a rhythm going quickly, and both closed their eyes out of ecstasy, not choice.

When Jim was almost ready to come, he felt a wave of excitement run through him. He had never wanted to please someone as much as this woman, and he had all the confidence he could do it. He lost track of time, and all of his senses except those sexual.

When it was finally over, Jim let himself calm a little, with his eyes still shut. He felt good - the best he had been in a long time. Then it was gone. Jim felt a moment of absolute terror as Karen’s grip tightened around his back and then that too was gone. But not before he opened his eyes.

They were floating eight feet above the bed.

Jim looked looked directly into Karen’s eyes. “Do not,” he said, “under any circumstances, let go of me until I say so.”

Karen’s eyes were wide open in shock, but she obviously heard and gripped Jim’s back even tighter.

They floated down slowly, until Karen’s back was a mere inch off the bed. Then Jim said, “Now let go.” She fell the remaining distance to the bed, but landed softly.

Jim still floated above her. He reached down and grabbed the bedsheet, then pulled himself next to her. Then he too fell, face first, onto the bed.

Jim quickly got out of bed and backed away, watching Karen as she huddled herself to the head of the bed, still wide-eyed. As she was trying to cover herself a bit, Jim thought it best to put his pants on, although he skipped the underwear.

After a few moments, Karen recollected herself and appeared closer to her former self. She finally asked, “How?”

“I’d been wondering that myself, actually,” Jim replied. “I’m not totally sure...” how much I can tell, he finished to himself. He thought about the experience, and how focused he had felt. He remembered the sudden fear he had felt. Then realization hit him. Hit him hard. He quickly decided he could tell a lot.

“It happened,” Jim said, “because of me, and because of you. You’re a true empath, aren’t you?”

Karen looked wide-eyed again, then puzzled, confirming Jim’s words.

“Put some clothes on,” he said, “and I’ll explain.”

“It has a lot to do with physics and mathematics,” Jim said.

They were in the kitchen of Jim’s Brentwood home. Karen sat at the kitchen table with a cup of coffee in her hand that Jim had given her. He paced with a Coke in his hand while he explained.

“What happens,” he continued, “is that every action and reaction happens under a set of rules that can be explained with mathematical equations. That’s what theoretical physics is all about. What I have the ability to do is to change the values of the numbers in the equations that govern me into anything I choose.”

“Even constants?” Karen asked.

“Even constants. And don’t ask me how; even I don’t know that. But it only affects me. That’s why I had you hold on. I can lift you.”

“Obviously. You don’t do telekinesis?”

Jim laughed. “No. If only it were that simple.”

“What does all this have to do with us being so high above the bed? And your deduction about me?”

“Well,” Jim took a sip of his Coke, “there are certain times under which I can lose control. When you hit me with that emotional wash I lost it. Be thankful we floated up.”

“We could have done something else?”

“It’s possible, although to be honest the only other time it happened I also floated up. The girl passed out, fortunately, before climax. Only time in history a man wouldn’t have died of embarrassment in that situation. It became easy to explain.”

“So if it wasn’t me, you would have kept control?”

Jim nodded. “The other girl was somewhat empathic, too. You’re a good deal better, though.”

Karen thought for a moment. “So,” she finally said, “what number did you plug in?”

Jim considered for a moment. “Something between eight and nine, near as I can tell. I don’t really remember.”

Karen looked a bit disappointed. “I’m not a ten?” she asked.

Jim smiled. “I consider a ten on the sexual scale worthy cause to pass out. On a relative scale you’re past there though.”

“Thank you,” Karen replied.

“Look over here.” Jim pointed to a stack of magazines. Karen got up from the table and walked to the pile. She picked up the top volume.

“Physics America?” she asked.

“I subscribe,” Jim said, “to this and about thirty other magazines like it. For self defense.”

“Self defense?”

“So that I don’t hurt myself, or anyone else. Some little subtlety could mean a lot of trouble if I think of the wrong numbers.”

Karen chuckled. “How did you ever survive childhood?”

“Without windows.”

Karen laughed. “I see why you like that bar, then,” she said. She then reconsidered the laugh. “You’re serious!”

“You know,” Jim continued, “I never knew how bright the outdoors was until the age of seven? Sunlight was such an odd concept at first.”

“Your parents finally let you out?” Karen asked.

“Social worker. Seven years old and not in school? State of California frowns on that.”

“Oh.” Karen finished her coffee. “May I ask you something?”

Jim drank down half the Coke, and burped. “Excuse me. Carbonation is harder than liquor. Go ahead, ask.”

“Why are you a rock musician? It seems to me you could be very powerful.”

“I’d never get any privacy. Actually, the music has nothing to do with my abilities. Just happened, I suppose. Actually, simple things are all I can manage.”

“You call what happened to us in there simple?”

“I only have to change one formula. Things much beyond that require many simultaneous formulae and I can tell you from experience that you rarely get enough time to alter them properly. My turn.”

Karen was startled, but she recovered quickly. “Ask away.”

“How do you handle the empathy?”

“Not always easily.” Karen sat back down. “As you have seen, I can lose control just like you can. I can read and project what others around me are experiencing, as well as my own emotions. For a bit there, I needed that ability to handle what happened here.”

“You seem okay about it now.”

“I’ve had time. Besides, you adjusted to me real fast, the least I can do is try to do the same.”

“Thanks! Tell me, is sex always that...intense?”

“No.” Karen smiled. “You seem to be more receptive than most.”

“Not too surprising I should think. I think I see why we found each other.”

“Oh? Why?”

“We make a good pair. We each have some of what the other is missing.”

“You,” Karen said, “are weird. You’re not in love, are you?”

Jim laughed. “Not yet dear,” he replied, “not yet. However, the thought of ripping your clothes off and fucking your brains out right here on the kitchen table is becoming harder to resist.”

Karen smiled the ironic smile Jim always seemed to use. “Is the ceiling High enough?” she asked.

“I’m not sure,” Jim answered. “That’s why I’m resisting.”

Karen undid the buttons of her blouse and shrugged it off her shoulders, revealing her small, shapely breasts. “This help any?” she asked.

Jim felt the hard-on coming. “Some,” he replied.

She stood up to undo her jeans, then let them drop. She was naked. “This?” she asked.

Jim motioned her over to him, and let her put a hand down the front of his pants, onto hard cock. As the emotion flooded over him, all he could do was say “Yes....” as he closed his eyes.