by K. Lyn
“You like Lawrence?” he asked Leah.
Leah, startled and a little ashamed for eyeing the forbidden books, answered quietly, “I have always wanted to read his books, but my grandparents thought they were a bit too risqué.”
Camden was eager to share his love of literature with Leah, and he wanted her to read whatever she wished. He knew that she couldn’t quite reach his collection of D. H. Lawrence, so he offered, “Here, I’ll get one of them down for you.” He stood directly behind Leah and placed his left arm around her affectionately, resting it on her flat stomach as he reached over her head to retrieve the book.
Leah was not expecting Camden’s actions and she didn’t quite know what to do. Her family was not a physically affectionate family, and she was confused about what his touch had meant, if anything. Feeling Leah’s body stiffen under his hand, Camden sensed her uneasiness and realized that his arm was still around her waist. He quickly handed the book to Leah, whispered, “Enjoy,” in her ear, and backed up, removing his arm from around her waist. He wasn’t sure why Leah had tensed, so accustomed was he to physical affection, but he decided to let it go for now. Leah was still facing the bookcase, embarrassed and not knowing why, when Camden said to her, “That is my favorite of Lawrence’s works. I think you’ll like it.”
Leah finally snapped out of her trance-like state and looked at the book she had been given. Lady Chatterley’s Lover was the title of the book she held in her hands. It sounded like a book that her grandparents would have deemed forbidden and it intrigued her. After all, she was twenty-two years old, an adult, and she could live her life as she chose and read whatever she wanted, and she wanted to read this book. “Thank you, Cam. I’m sure I will.”
“When you are finished, we can discuss it together. Books are better when shared,” Camden remarked.
Leah was hesitant to look into Camden’s eyes, but when she finally did she thought she noticed a sort of warmth in them, and she was beginning to feel comfortable with her new friend. She felt almost ashamed for tensing at his touch. “I had better be getting back,” she said, her voice a little shaky. “I usually read in the evenings until my mother comes home which is pretty late sometimes. Then we discuss our days with each other before going to bed.”
Camden liked talking to Leah, and they had so much in common that he hated to see her go. “Would you like to stay for dinner, Leah? I’m an excellent chef.”
Leah did want to stay. Until now she had not found anyone with whom she could share her love of literature, but she was very intimidated by Camden’s physical beauty as well as the ease with which he gave affection. “I should probably take a rain check, if that’s okay?” She thought this a safe answer and it would also give her a little time to think about how she truly felt about sharing her thoughts with Camden.
“Sure, Leah, how about tomorrow then?”
Camden was not going to let this go, thought Leah.
“Okay,” Leah said, somewhat hesitantly.
“I have a meeting in the afternoon, so I won’t be at the beach tomorrow, but let’s plan on six tomorrow evening, okay?” Camden asked.
Leah nodded a yes, and Camden showed her to the door. “See you tomorrow, Leah,” he said enthusiastically.
As Leah walked down the beach to where she had left her beach towel and chair, Camden couldn’t help but watch her. He was intrigued by Leah and for some reason he wanted to impress her more than he had wanted to impress anyone, though he wasn’t at all sure why. Camden had turned twenty-nine a month ago and he hoped that Leah didn’t think of him as some sort of father figure. She had seemed embarrassed or perhaps frightened when she mentioned her father’s death.
When Leah walked into the apartment which she and her mother shared, she noticed immediately how small it was compared to Camden’s beautiful spacious home. Her mother had been so busy that they had not had time yet to look for a house, but Leah was going to suggest that they look for one soon. She would love to have a home even half the size of Camden’s, and she would have a grand time decorating it, possibly with Camden’s help and suggestions. She was surprised to find herself thinking about the man she had just met. There was something about him, though, that she couldn’t help but try to figure out. He seemed mysterious, as if he were hiding a deep dark secret, and Leah was drawn to him as if by some invisible magnetic force.
When Leah walked into the kitchen, she found a note from her mother stating that she would be home very late due to a faculty meeting, so she was on her own for dinner. Leah wasn’t very hungry, so she ate a quick sandwich and drew a hot bath. As she lay back in the bathtub with the steamy warm water caressing her entire body, she closed her eyes and thought about the events of the day. This afternoon at the beach was different from any of the days before when she spent the afternoons alone. She had met Camden today, who not only was interested in literature as she was, but who had mesmerized her with his smoldering dark eyes and sexy physique. She had never been one to date very often and she had not had much fun on the few dates that she had accepted. The guys she had gone out with were nice and well mannered, but she just didn’t seem to be interested enough in any of them to go out more than once. They seemed immature and to be living for the moment and they had none of the same interests as Leah, namely literature. Leah could read for days at a time and she would have loved to have had someone with whom she could share her love of books.
As she turned on the hot water once again to warm up her bath, she thought again about Camden’s invitation to discuss various works of literature with him, and she realized that she did want to spend time with him and regretted somewhat not telling him this afternoon. The hot water felt good upon her flesh, and as she thought about her afternoon with Camden she began to become aroused. She remembered how good Camden looked in his swim trunks, how well he filled them out, and her mind wandered. She was suddenly very aware of how aroused she had become. She reached down into the water and eased her pussy lips open and began stroking her clitoris. As she thought more about Camden and this afternoon’s events, she couldn’t keep herself from stroking harder and fasting. She spread her legs wide and gave her body what it needed. She imagined Camden’s hands and mouth on her as he made passionate love to her. Lost in her own pleasure, she didn’t hear herself moan aloud, but at the culmination of the intense pleasure, she heard very clearly, “Ohh, Camden.” Her eyes opened wide and she was suddenly very aware of her surroundings. Why had she cried out Camden’s name during such an intimate act? She didn’t even know the man. She tried to dismiss it as a fluke. She probably said his name because she had spent so much time with him today. It didn’t mean anything. She quickly forced the erotic thoughts to the back of her mind and forced her tired body to leave the warm water, quickly dried herself, and got into bed with Lady Chatterley’s Lover in which she quickly became immersed.
Leah was still reading, imagining herself as Lady Chatterley and Camden as her secret lover, when her mother came in at around midnight. When she noticed Leah’s light on, she knocked on the door. Startled, Leah said a quick, “come in”, not realizing how late it was.
“You could read forever, couldn’t you? Sorry I’m so late, Leah. I hope you did okay without me.” The woman was half joking, as she knew her daughter was a grown woman and no longer her little girl.
Leah realized then how tired she was and she placed the book on the nightstand. She told her mother goodnight and went to sleep. Leah liked her mother. She understood that Leah needed her own space and she didn’t pry into her daughter’s business. She respected the fact that she was no longer a little girl and didn’t require supervision. She was much more liberal than her own parents, Leah’s grandparents, and she wanted Leah to experience life to its fullest. She didn’t monitor the books that Leah read or the company she kept. Many of Leah’s classmates had reminded her time and again that she had a cool mom which was not the norm. Leah was proud of her mother and how hard she had worked to complete her doctorate so t
hat she could teach in the United States, and also so that Leah could experience many of the freedoms which had been denied her. She had always wanted a better life for Leah, and Leah loved her for it. She fell asleep quickly that night, not realizing how tired she was. She had read over half of Lady Chatterley’s Lover and she planned to read the rest of the sensual book tomorrow afternoon while relaxing on the beach.
When Leah’s mother walked into her room the next morning at seven, Leah was still deep in slumber. She didn’t have to be at work until half past eight, but her mother woke her at seven in the morning every day to wish her daughter a good day before she left for a long day at the medical center. Leah lay there for awhile after her mother left, thinking about yesterday, and feeling a little anxious about what tonight might bring. She was looking forward to discussing the book she had borrowed from Camden, and yet she was a little troubled by what she had felt last night in the warm water of her own bathtub.
The morning at the ice cream parlor seemed to last forever. Leah couldn’t wait to get to the beach and finish her book, and of course see Camden again. Immediately after work she stopped by the apartment to pick up her beach things and Cam’s book and headed for her favorite spot on the beach. As she made herself comfortable, she looked up toward the far end of the beach where she could see the very edge of Camden’s house and she wondered if he had left for his meeting yet. She didn’t know why she cared so much for a man she had just met, but for some reason she did. She read the remainder of the book in only two hours and then she lay back on her beach towel and let the warm rays of the sun lull her to sleep. She must have been much more tired than she had thought because this was the first time she had fallen asleep during her many afternoons at the beach.
Leah had fallen asleep thinking of Camden again and her reaction to his touch yesterday, and she thought she was dreaming when she felt the warm touch of a hand on her bikini strapped shoulder. In her dream it was Camden’s hand and she liked the feeling of it on her nakedness. As she dreamed, she thought she could feel herself moving upward, hoping that the hand would move downward to where her nipple was hard as it stretched the material of her bikini top. She was beginning to experience the same arousing feeling that she had felt last night in the warm water of her bath. She realized that the hand wasn’t going anywhere and that someone was calling her name.
“Leah, Leah,” the voice said.
Leah awoke with a start and realized that it was Camden’s hand on her shoulder and that he was trying to wake her. “Oh, hi Camden,” said an embarrassed Leah.
Cam told her that it was after six and he had been worried that she may have forgotten which house was his. “I was hoping I would find you here,” he said.
Still half dazed, Leah quickly sat up, pulled her towel from the sand and wrapped it around her waist. She hoped that Camden hadn’t noticed the hard points tenting out her bikini top. “I’m so sorry, Camden. I loved the book so much that I stayed up too late last night reading it. I must have dozed off.”
“Dinner awaits, my dear. It’s very casual. No need to change.”
Leah pulled on her shirt which fortunately was a little oversized. Camden was wearing a fitted t-shirt which showed off his muscular physique and the very short swim trunks he had worn yesterday which showed off his muscular legs. As they walked up the beach toward Camden’s house, Leah couldn’t take her eyes off of the man. Camden mentioned that he had grilled kabobs and suggested they eat outside on the deck. Leah was quiet on the walk to the house but Cam didn’t mind. The young woman is probably just a little shy, he thought.
“Kent and Kobi will be happy to see you again, Leah,” Camden remarked as they walked through the door. “I think they missed you.”
That brought a smile to Leah’s lips. She had fallen in love with the two puppies in no time at all. Camden loved Leah’s smile. It seemed genuine, and her lips looked absolutely delicious. He would feel those lips on his own if the night went as planned.
Leah was awestruck again by the size and beauty of Camden’s house, but she hurried back to where Kobi and Kent were sleeping peacefully in the family room. She and Camden petted the two pups, but decided to leave them alone while they slept.
“I have everything set up out on the deck. You haven’t seen the deck yet.”
Leah followed Camden to the kitchen which led directly to a deck that seemed never ending. It was just as big and beautiful as the rest of the house, and from the far end of the deck a swimming pool could be seen nestled in the meticulously manicured lawn. Leah followed Camden to the opposite side of the deck where the sexy man had set an immaculate table in a very intimate setting. It all looked and smelled delicious, and Leah was starving. She had been in such a hurry to finish the book she had borrowed that she had eaten only half a sandwich for lunch.
“Have a seat, Leah. Hope you like it,” Camden said proudly of the spread. He was an accomplished chef and extremely proud of that achievement, possibly more so even than his ability to teach, which was expert, as was witnessed by the awards which proudly displayed his name.
“It looks and smells delicious,” Leah returned.
“I thought that after we eat we would relax in the hot tub; that is, if you would like to,” Camden invited.
Leah hadn’t noticed the hot tub at the edge of the deck until Camden pointed it out. She had never been in a hot tub, and she was always excited about trying something new. The water looked warm and inviting, and Leah had slept so long in one place that her muscles were quite stiff. She wanted Camden to know about her lack of hot tub experience, so she said in response, “That sounds great, Cam, but I have to admit that I’ve never been in a hot tub before. In fact, yours is the first hot tub I have seen.”
“Oh, you’ll love it,” Camden remarked, eager to share this wonderful new experience with the remarkable young woman.
Leah ate hungrily. Camden was, indeed, a wonderful chef. He finished eating before Leah did, but he enjoyed watching her devour his prized meal that he had prepared especially for her. He was attracted to the woman more than he had been attracted to anyone in a very long time. His past relationships had been fleeting, save for one, and he hoped that he and Leah could establish something more long-term, something more meaningful. He missed and craved having a special someone in his life. You’re getting ahead of yourself, he cautioned himself. You don’t know anything about this woman.
Camden hadn’t noticed that Leah had finished eating, until he heard her say, “Camden, that was delicious. You can cook for me any time.”
“Thank you, Leah. I’ll certainly keep that in mind.” What Leah said in passing Camden took to heart. He did want to cook for her for a very long time, maybe even for the rest of their lives. “Are you ready to try out the hot tub? I promise you it’s just the thing for any aching muscles you may have acquired while sleeping on the beach. It has eased my sore muscles many nights after lying on the beach or following an endless stream of boring teachers’ meetings.”
“Sure,” said Leah.
As Camden led Leah to the warm inviting water of the hot tub, Leah found the bubbling water a curiosity. She watched as Cam pulled his shirt up over his head revealing the thick mass of black hair that covered his entire chest. The raven colored strands didn’t stop as they reached his swim trunks which seemed to contain the same mass of hair within and extended beyond, and down each leg. Leah didn’t realize she was staring until she heard Camden’s voice.
“Come on in,” he said as he climbed into the warm water.
Leah took off the oversized shirt and stepped into the water as quickly as she could. She felt a little uncomfortable being nearly naked with this man, though he had already seen her in a bikini. This was somehow different. It was just the two of them now. Leah was relieved to see that Camden had slipped down into the water until it came up to his shoulders, and she was more than happy to do the same so that her nipples made hard by the water were not quite as prominent. The warm water massaged her
aching muscles, relaxing her entire body.
“It feels good, doesn’t it?” Camden asked, knowing that Leah was enjoying herself.
“Oh, yes”, answered Leah, “It’s just the thing I needed, and I am feeling more relaxed by the minute.” She closed her eyes and allowed the warm water to do its thing.
Camden watched her lovingly. He really liked her, yet he was still unsure of her thoughts and feelings toward him. She was a quiet young woman, and Camden wanted to be very careful how he approached her regarding her feelings.
“So, you finished Lady Chatterley’s Lover,” Camden asked more than stated.
Leah opened her eyes. “Yes, and I loved every page of it.”
Camden admitted that it was one of his favorites. “Would you like to read another of D. H. Lawrence’s works?” he inquired.
“I think I might like to read other authors to start with, if that’s okay, Cam. I hope to broaden my literary knowledge as much as I can.”
This last statement was a real turn on for Camden. Leah had a sharp mind, and she had a body that he would love to give pleasure to. He could feel himself becoming aroused by her as well as by the warm water which was pulsating around him. He was relieved that he was underneath the water so that Leah couldn’t see what was happening rapidly inside his swim trunks.
“Well, let me think,” said Camden. “Is there any particular author you might like to read?”
Leah indicated that she would like to try one of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s works, if he would allow her to borrow one.
“You can have anything of mine that you want,” Camden said lovingly. He meant what he said in every way. He would share his mind, body and soul with this woman if she would let him.
“Which of his works would you suggest, Camden?”
“Without a doubt it would be The Great Gatsby. You simply must read that great work of literature.”
Leah was thrilled to know someone who had read so many of the greatest literary works of all time, and she hoped that she and Cam could spend more time together. She had never met anyone like him, though her experience with men was minimal to bordering on nonexistent.
