by R. Casteel
“Now what do I do? There is no way I can get into that tub without her realizing how much I want her. Hell, I haven’t been this hard since my wedding night!”
“I told you not to do this!”
It had been six years since any woman had had this effect, and he had only known Cynthia for less than two days. Charles watched her face as he got in. If she wasn’t looking at his crotch, then she was having an erotic dream for even in the dim light he could see the blush that blossomed like a rose after a summer shower.
“I thought you might have changed you mind.” Her husky voice, barely loud enough to carry over the sound of the pump, seemed strange to her ears.
As he had stepped into the tub, she noticed that he was aroused. She had been raised on a horse ranch. Growing up with three brothers and ranch hands, who treated her like one of the boys, there wasn’t much she didn’t know about sex. Except for the actual experience.
Right now, she didn’t feel like one of the boys. She felt exhilarated and alive. Her pulse quickened and her breathing became labored.
He paused to contemplate his answer. “I thought about it…had to find my trunks.”
Now was the time for opening up a can of worms, it was bound to happen sooner or later, might as well get it over with. He looked at her and fell into those beautiful eyes as they stared questioningly back at him.
“I’ve been here five years, and you’re the first woman that’s been in this tub, besides my baby sister. It’s been six years since I have been in any kind of relationship with a woman other than family or business.”
“Why,” she turned toward him, the pale outline of her breasts visible below the water, “have you been hiding for six years?”
Any other time or place, any other person, Charles would have responded with, “It’s none of your damn business!” He had told countless people over the years that very same thing. He looked at Cynthia and realized that answer wouldn’t work here. Very few people knew the truth behind the tragedy that had changed his life. He found himself wanting, no needing to include Cynthia in that small circle.
Charles closed his eyes and let the memories rush in. Slowly, painfully he began, “Six years ago my brother Steven, his wife Karen, and I worked side by side. We designed together, built together.
“We were young but experienced. Karen was and is the interior decorator for Randall Construction. Her department also handles the ordering of material and supplies. Steven’s department handles the job site supervision.
“Shelly, my wife, was expecting our first child. We were all happy, looking forward to another Randall joining the team. Every day she would come around at lunchtime and eat with us. We were one big happy family.
“One day Shelly was walking around, looking at what had been done since the day before….
He paused. This was where he had built an inner wall, refusing to let anyone in. Now he was tearing a hole in that wall and the pain was as fresh as if it had just happened.
Cynthia saw the anguish on his face, slid over, and took his hand.
Charles held on like he was drowning and she was the rope to safety.
“We heard a noise, small at first, like a splintering of a tree branch. As we looked at one another wondering what it was, another noise followed, this time deafening. As we rushed through the cloud of dust billowing out the door we were greeted with disaster, a pile of debris was now in the center of the floor.
“Shelly was under the pile. A specially designed wooden beam had exploded under the weight of the floors above it. The ambulance rushed to a nearby hospital where they did all they could do. She made it through surgery but…Shelly and the child she was carrying died in intensive care.
While he was speaking, Cynthia wrapped her good arm around him and tried to give him comfort. Charles felt nothing except heart breaking pain.
“The investigation that followed was extensive. Engineering experts were brought in, blueprints studied. Material requisitions checked against material received. They cleared the company of any fault, said a manufactures defect in the beam caused it to break.
“The company almost went under. If Dad hadn’t stepped in, it would have. I couldn’t work at a site any more. I looked for problems where none existed and I caused delays on the job site. My life was a wreck and I was making everybody else’s miserable.
“Dad finally told me to go and when I could figure out what I wanted to do, let him know. After about six months, I had made my decision. I would design the buildings and Steven and Karen could build them.
“I wouldn’t go near a construction site again, I couldn’t.
“I also found I couldn’t work in the home office anymore. Seeing the people that Shelly and I both knew and treated like part of the family was more than I could handle.
“That’s when I bought this place. I designed the house, and helped Steven build it.”
As he finished, Cynthia put her face to his and kissed away the tears.
His life had once again been profoundly altered. Only at the time, he didn’t realize it. When their lips met it was like giving oxygen to a man who suddenly realized he couldn’t breath. He couldn’t get enough. As Charles looked into her face that was inches from his own, he realized that he could happily look into it for the rest of his life. The thought both frightened and amazed him. He just hoped she couldn’t read his mind running on high-speed replay with the question.
Where did they go from here?
Charles became aware of her breasts pressed tight against his chest, and the water temperature rose several degrees. Slowly, he lowered his head and took her lips, tasting her sweetness. Never a wine had been created to equal her taste. He had been lost in self-pity and despair until that kiss. "I think it’s time to go in,” he suggested. His hands slid down the sleek contours of her back. His hands cupped the cheeks of her tight bottom and pulled her tighter against his hardness.
She agreed by standing up and holding out her hand. As he helped her into his robe, he was thanking the stars above that he had seen those tracks off the side of the road.
There was a God in heaven, and for the first time in years, it felt like He was smiling down on Charles’s life.
When Charles started his story, she had seen the anguish and pain flash across his face. His eyes held shut against the memories, couldn’t stop the tide of tears that flowed down his cheeks. Her lack of a bathing suit forgotten, she reached out and held his hand. It was like a vise around hers, like he was afraid to let go.
Cynthia felt honored that Charles had shared this tragic part of his life with her. She also realized that the barrier had only been breached. It wasn’t completely torn down. Somehow, she knew deep down that she, Cynthia Petterson, was the one person who could help. Charles had been building walls for too long. Now it was time to tear them down.
She reached up to kiss him. It was meant to be just a kiss of kindness. Instead, it felt as if she had suddenly caught fire.
The first kiss started a flame. The second caused it to spread to every fiber of her body. She was suddenly and acutely aware that her breasts were flattened against his chest, her nipples hard and throbbing. There the fire intensified until she thought the water would ignite and burn. She had somehow straddled his legs during the kiss and could feel his erection pressing against the very core of her womanhood. One of them had on too many clothes, and Cynthia wasn’t wearing any.
If she was about to lose the long held title of virgin, she couldn’t think of anyone else she would rather surrender it to than Charles. Maybe they would be snowed in for a long time.
As they entered the house, neither of them noticed the chill the low fire had allowed. There was an inner heat, which even the frigid cold outside couldn’t dampen.
He carried Cynthia upstairs, and laid her gently on the bed and opened the robe. The desire that pulsated through him was like a jackhammer. Even in the swirling vortex of passion, he sensed somehow that this was her first time.
/> Charles forced himself to slow down to make this a moment of pleasure for her. What she was giving him was special. He meant to give her something to remember and to smile about in the years to come. Only a selfish cad would rush a girl like Cynthia and he was done with being one of those.
As he sat beside Cynthia touching her, feeling her soft silky hair slide through his fingers, he leaned over and gently kissed her. “You’re absolutely beautiful.”
As he lowered his hand and lightly caressed her breast, the kiss deepened, their tongues met in a duel of fierce desire that knifed through them like the lightening bolt of a thunderstorm.
The lights flickered, dimmed and then went out. The absence of the low whirl of the fan that circulated the heat, the hum of the refrigerator and the always-present sound of the computer cooling fans made the house seem deathly quiet.
Charles got up however unwillingly from the bed and walked out to the office. He could see a glow reflected off the snow.
“It’s the generator. I think…”
The explosion shook the house. Charles ran for the back door. Cynthia was right behind him. Disaster greeted them when he flung open the door. The building, which housed the generator, was totally engulfed in flames. Even though it was over eighty feet away, the intense heat forced them back inside. Charles grabbed his coveralls and boots and started for the front door.
“Where are you going?” she asked in a voice that bordered on panic.
“I’ve got to shut off the fuel supply. The tank is on the hill and gravity feeds to the building,” he yelled as he ran out the door.
Cynthia ran for the bedroom and grabbed her clothes.
“I managed to shut off the fuel.” Charles stood in the open doorway. “Hopefully it will burn itself out quickly. I’ve got to check and see that the explosion didn’t send burning embers onto the house.”
She picked up another coat and followed. With the fuel supply shut off, the fire had started to die down. The heat of the fire was still intense. The house was steaming from the sudden temperature change. As she watched, a small wind funnel came out of the fire and whirled off into the night.
“I found a few burning boards around but the roof is so steep they fell off. I don’t see any damage except a broken window and the side scorched in places.”
They stood arm in arm watching the fire burn down to a pile of smoldering embers.
“Let’s go in. There’s nothing more to do out here.”
Charles got some boards from the workshop he had at the back of the house and boarded up the window. He went out, and brought in an armload of wood and filled the wood box by the fireplace.
“This is the only heat source we have. We’ll have to make sure to keep the fire built up. I’m afraid there won’t be enough heat to make the whole house very warm. But, we can keep it above freezing.”
He got his coat and started out. “I’ve got to put the cover over the hot tub to keep the pipes from freezing.”
A few minutes later Charles came back with another armload of wood.
“Any thing I can do?” she asked.
“Thanks. Open up the cabinets under the kitchen and bathroom sink, also the laundry room door so the heat can get in there. Maybe the pipes won’t freeze.”
“If you’ve an old teakettle or coffee pot around I’ll brew up some campfire coffee.”
He looked at her and smiled. “That sounds wonderful right now. The pot is in the bottom left cabinet. What are you going to use for water?”
“The same thing we’re going to use until the power comes back on,” she shook head in amused wonder. “Snow.”
She stepped outside, brushed the top layer of snow away, and came back with a large pan full, setting it in front of the fireplace. A short time later, the coffee water was ready and the pot was placed near the hot coals. The house had already taken on a chill except for around the fire. Charles came over and settled down beside her, their shoulders touching.
“We’re going to need more water in the morning.” He headed for the kitchen. “I’ll get some more pans.” Together they filled all the pots and pans in the house, by the time they finished the coffee was done.
“You’re a remarkable woman Cynthia.” He kissed her briefly on the lips.
She had been called a lot of things before but never remarkable and very seldom even beautiful. It was her riding ability or her way with horses that generally invoked a compliment. The doubt must have been visible on her face.
“It’s true. Here you end up in a strange situation with a person you hardly know. I haven’t heard you complain or whine about your poor plight. At the first sign of trouble, you’re right there offering to help. You have a level head; you’re warm and have a sense of humor.”
She started to say something he stopped her.
“Let me finish, please. Before the fire, I saw a very passionate woman begin to emerge. I saw in your eyes the same desires I had, and still do. I want to make love to you. But what I want is not important, if you say no I’ll survive and I promise to honor your decision.”
“Charles, wouldn’t you rather kiss me again, instead of talking so much?”
He drew her head close to his. “An excellent idea.”
“It will be more comfortable upstairs,” he said offering her his hand.
She took his hand and rose to her feet. “We’ll make our own heat.” She smiled, leading him towards the stairs. They lit candles to give them light away from the fireplace and then ascended the stairs hand in hand.
The flickering candles cast sensuous shadows as they slowly undressed each other. No matter how many times Charles saw her like this, it would never be enough. Just like one taste of her lips was not enough, but demanded he return time and again to sample their sweetness.
She turned back the covers and got in, scooting over to make room for him. He got in and sought her mouth in a kiss that sent fingers of warmth to her breast and to the core of her being.
In the dim wavering light, Charles watched as Cynthia’s eyes changed. He had only caught the glimmer of passion in the hot tub, and before the fire. If her eyes were a prelude of what was to come then, the earth would disappear, and they would reach the stars.
Charles palmed a ripe breast; its fullness filled his hand, the dark rosebud hard against his palm. Passion exploded in the depth of her eyes as her breathing deepened. As he kissed the other breast and licked her sensitive nipple, a quick in- drawn breath lifted her off the bed.
By her response, she was already in orbit. Charles smiled. She could make the first trip by herself. Get her used to flying, before they went together. His hand trailed teasingly down over her stomach to the black mound at the apex of her thighs. She gasped and moaned as his fingers slowly entered her moist haven. He looked at her face before his lips followed the path of his hand. Cynthia was in orbit. Time to reach for the stars.
She gasped when his face brushed the soft curls covering her vagina. The girls at school talked about this, at least the ones with the reputation for being wild. Good girls didn’t…do this. She rose up on her elbows and the word, no was on her lips when his tongue parted the silky folds of her flesh.
“Ahh,” she gasped in pleasure. Gone was the embarrassment of his head between her legs as the warmth of his mouth filled her with heat.
Cynthia reached heights that she couldn’t find words for. The sensation was overpowering as her body responded, moving in response to each stroke of his tongue. Her back arched off the bed and a low throaty moan escaped her lips. She collapsed, shaking on the bed.
She felt his mouth on her, this couldn’t happen again so soon, and yet it was. Now, not even halfway back from where she had been, the hot coals of desire were already burning out of control like a raging firestorm. Pulling at his head, her fingers woven in his hair, she urged him up from between her legs. She felt the control he was using in not rushing the final commitment.
The musky taste of his lips shocked her and yet drove her o
n. “Please. Now.” Cynthia felt him start to enter her and then a sharp stab of pain. Charles lay still for several moments, supporting his weight with his arms. Slowly, he withdrew and then filled her again.
The initial pain was gone. With each stroke of his hardened shaft, she was climbing that stairway to the stars, only this time they were together. Charles’s eyes were wild as she stared with wonder at his face. The tension and power within his body caused the muscles of his neck to stand out.
Frantically she pulled his head down and invaded his mouth with her tongue.
He felt her tighten around him, felt her body shake with the force of her release. Charles’s body responded with his own explosive climax, taking them across the threshold.
Charles lay beside her, Cynthia’s head pillowed on his shoulder.
“Are you alright? I didn’t hurt your arm did I?”
“No, the arm is fine it just throbs a little, actually I have never felt better.” She raised her head up to meet his lips in a tender caress. “Is it like that all the time?”
Charles gathered her closer and kissed the top of her head. “Only with the right person,” he softly replied. Only with you my Cynthia, only with you.
Chapter 5
Cynthia realized that with what they had just shared it was time for her to open up to Charles the way he had to her.
“I’m glad that you were my first,” she started. “On the day you found me I was supposed to be married. We had been engaged for over three years. When I had told him I wanted to wait ‘til we were married, he said that was fine. Everything was going along great, or so I thought.
“My best friend, Shannon kept telling me he was a jerk, but I wouldn’t listen.
“She tried to tell me that he was sleeping with other women. He denied it, and I, like a fool, believed him. Shannon was starting to strain our friendship with her insistence about what he was up to. I had promised her that she could be the maid-of-honor and even though we were in disagreement over my choice of husband, I still honored my promise.
