Small Town Girl

by Linda Cunningham

  “So long,” he whispered again, hoarsely. Then he bent his mouth to hers again, this time more intensely, his tongue probing between her soft, lightly sugary lips, seeking, searching, exploring. Lauren opened her mouth, flicking her tongue against his, savoring the taste of him, smelling the musky male scent of him. His day’s growth of beard prickled her gently, sending thrilling sensations through her body like she had never felt before.

  His left hand slipped down her throat, softly encircling her graceful neck. His right arm reached around her waist, pulling her firmly to him, pressing her against his chest. He held her there as his kisses traveled down to the fragrant hollow of her throat, to that silken valley between her breasts. Through her dress, he traced her erect nipples with a finger. She moaned softly, unconsciously. His lips were on hers again, more aggressively as his fingers drew a path across the top of her bodice. She could feel her skin burn with desire wherever he touched her. Almost timidly, she lifted her own arms around his shoulders. The animal strength of him overwhelmed her.

  Caleb moved his hand to her leg in a motion that was as confident as it was gentle. Easing her skirt higher and higher, he stroked the soft skin of her thigh. She made no move, but only clung to him more tightly. His fingers traced the outline of her panties.

  “Ah.” A gasp escaped her, and yielding, her thighs parted ever so slightly. Through her panties, he touched her. Lauren thought at that instant she could die of passion, of want, of animal need.

  Caleb whispered in her ear, “Do you want me?” Lauren could not speak, but her body spoke for her, arching up against him. She bent her head to the hollow of his shoulder and nodded. His fingers pressed harder, and she moved to let him have his way. Their breathing became audible.

  Suddenly, in one swift movement, she was in his arms. He carried her down two steps, and then knelt in the fragrant grass, laying her gently down. She was powerless to stop him, or herself, nor did she wish to. Her hair clip had fallen out, and her hair spread over the cool grass. She lay there watching him. He was pulling his shirt off, unbuckling his jeans. She laughed and held up her arms to him as he stood over her with all his masculine energy exposed, for just a moment, before she felt his weight on her, his hands pushing her clothing out of the way, his maleness pushing against the soft warm female place that lay between her legs, begging him to enter. Her body was aching for him to fill her with his hardness, but instead he whispered, “Take your dress off. Please. Please.”

  She rose up slightly and he helped her pull it over her head. He removed her panties with the smooth motion of one hand, and a single snap of her fingers released her bra which she tossed carelessly over her head. She lay back. Caleb knelt over her.

  “You’re beautiful,” he said reverently. “You’re the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen.” Lauren knew she was pretty. She knew her body was fit and firm, curvy where it was supposed to be, but this adulation, this admiration that she heard from the man who had set her to tingling the first time she saw him, made her revel in herself. Lauren was proud he found her beautiful, and glad to offer herself to him, without reservation. There was nothing else to do. At least for this time, this evening, they were one. She would figure it all out later.

  Before her thoughts could go further, Caleb was flicking her nipples with his tongue. Then his mouth paid tribute to her, slowly, almost serenely. He was not in a hurry. He tickled her navel with his tongue. His lips caressed the rose petal soft skin of her belly, making her shudder with the purest pleasure. Then, he paused and laid his head upon her, on her warm lower regions from whence her passions flowed. She felt a deep sigh rack his body. She reached down and ran her fingers through his hair. Caleb looked up at her and smiled, then playfully buried his lips in that most sensitive part of her. She moaned in ecstasy and opened herself to his kisses.

  As his soft, warm mouth explored her most private self, Lauren was overcome by something primal, something atavistic, a fulfillment so basic, a need so deep there were no words to define it. She felt she might die then and there unless he filled that aching void. He must have heard her thoughts, felt it through their mutual touch, for he raised himself up on his knees, his hands on her hips.

  Lauren opened her eyes and reached up to him, placing her open palms on his muscular chest. She ran her hands down his body, until she held the proof of his passion in her hands, tenderly caressing the hard shaft. She felt a quiver in him. She looked up at him and their eyes locked.

  “Do you really want this?” Caleb whispered. “Do you want me?”

  “Please…” Lauren could barely speak. Her body throbbed for him. “Yes, yes. Please. I want you, Caleb. Please!”

  He came into her then, slipping into her wet, secret place. He gasped at her heat. It aroused him even more. He began powerful thrusting with his hips, trying, trying to get even deeper in her, closer to her. Lauren moaned with the inexplicable, piercing relief of it. It made no difference that they had only known each other the better part of thirty-six hours, that they were here, naked on the grass, primitive in their passion, each for the other. Somewhere, on some plane, they were meant to be here, meant to be together, to be entangled like this in body and spirit.

  Lauren was caught in a vortex of physical bliss, as though the whole world had slipped away and it was just Lauren and Caleb filling the emptiness with their passion. She felt the beginning of his climax, heard him moan with anticipation. She clutched her arms around him, struggling to hold him closer, closer. Suddenly she felt her pulse race, her breath caught in her throat as the involuntary sweetness of her own ecstasy washed over her like frothy waves on a crystalline, tropical shore, and she met him, heartbeat to heartbeat.

  At last they lay still, breathing in unison. Lauren felt her vision return, and she opened her eyes. All the stars seemed to be brighter in the velvet sky. The glowing crescent of the new moon hung in the heavens like the most romantic chandelier. Caleb’s face was buried in the hollow of her neck. She could feel his lips pressed against her skin. She felt as though the two of them were encased in a fragile glass ball that kept every care, every worry, every responsibility at bay. She sighed contentedly and softly kissed his ear.

  Caleb raised his head and smiled at her before softly kissing her expectant lips. “You’re so beautiful,” he whispered, then his hands were on her upper arms. He said, “You feel cold. Your teeth are chattering. Come on, let’s go inside. I don’t want you to get chilled.”

  Lauren laughed. “I’m fine.” They stood up, now a little shy of each other. Lauren didn’t know whether her teeth were chattering because of the night chill or because of what had just transpired between them. She gathered her clothes up and holding them to her, she led the way into the house.

  “Come with me,” she said. “Upstairs.”

  “To the bedroom?”

  “Yes. Unless you don’t want to.”

  His spontaneous hearty laughter as he followed her up the stairs filled her with a deep happiness.

  Caleb climbed into the bed first, holding back the covers. Lauren slipped between the sheets and snuggled up close, laying her head on the curve of his shoulder. She could hear the gentle thumping of his heart. He curled both arms around her and kissed the top of her head.

  “Oh, Caleb,” she whispered into his shoulder. “I’m afraid to talk. I’m afraid to wake up from this dream.”

  “Shh. Shh,” he soothed her, kissing her fragrant hair again. “We won’t talk now. It’s not time to talk. It’s time to be together. This is our time. These moments right now. Don’t be afraid. Come as close to me as you can and don’t be afraid.”

  Lauren had never felt so safe, so loved. Then, it wasn’t just physical, she thought dreamily, feeling the rhythm of his breathing. The soft sounds of the night lulled them, and they drifted off to sleep as though they had been two birds in a nest of down, gently rocking in the night breeze.

  Later, they awoke. It was not dawn yet, but the sliver of new moon had set and it was very d
ark. They explored each other all over again, each worshiping the other’s body, reveling in the breathlessness of every moment. Lauren opened herself to him, and Caleb filled her every physical desire. Then it was her turn. With her hands and her lips, she caressed him, thrilling at the power of his muscles, wondering how he could be so hard and yet so gentle at the same time. Wondering how he could raise her to such heights with a simple touch.

  At five o’clock, the dawn crept in. Lauren peered over Caleb’s shoulder to look out the window. She watched as the brilliant rays of the first sunlight pierced the gently swirling morning mists, illuminating the tiny water droplets so that the very air seemed washed in gold. Caleb moved, and she felt his arm around her.

  “Are you awake?” he whispered.

  “Yes. Just watching the sun come up. It’s beautiful. I’m rarely up this early.”

  Caleb chuckled softly. “I get up this time every morning.” He turned in the bed and they lay face to face. Lauren buried her face in Caleb’s chest, loath to let this fantasy end. He said, “I don’t want to get up today.”

  “Caleb, I — ” she started.

  “We’ll figure things out,” he said, laying a finger on her lips. She ducked her head to his chest again and this time her lips found his nipple. She kissed it tenderly, then rolled it in her teeth, biting down, exerting more and more pressure until she heard his gasp. She felt his manhood rise up beneath her. She slipped down in the bed and ran her tongue the length of it, culminating with a succulent kiss on the torrid tip. She licked it feverishly with her tongue and then buried her face in the thick, curly hair fragrant with the odor of lovemaking. She covered his belly with little love bites, tasting the saltiness of him.

  This time their lovemaking seemed more frantic, more frenzied, as though they knew the day was upon them. Suddenly, Caleb threw back the covers of the bed and rolling onto his back, he gripped her around her waist, lifting her over him. She opened her love-flushed thighs, and he settled her down on that silky spear that was his passion for her come to life. Then he thrust up with his hips, piercing her to her soul, again and again until she thought she would faint with the glorious sensation. At last, the culmination of her desire broke over her. She moaned out loud and slumped forward onto his chest as he filled her fiery femininity with the scalding proof of his satiation.

  Lauren lay on Caleb’s chest. They held each other, still physically one. Their sweat mingled. When at last he turned out from under her, their parting was painful in the most pleasurable way. They rested for a while, watching the day get lighter and brighter.

  Finally, it was time to get up. Caleb showered while Lauren made coffee. The gauze was beginning to lift from her mind, and suddenly she was filled with guilt. What had she done? What had she been thinking? She had never in her life done anything like that before, but then again, she had never been quite so drawn to a man as she was toward Caleb. She had actually been helpless from his first touch. Her body had taken over, responding to his body on some primal level. And now the deed was done. She had cheated. She had cheated on Charles. Could she ever tell him about it? Could she slough it off and go on, like nothing had happened? Something had happened, though. Lauren could not forget the way she had felt when their bodies had melded as one. She could not forget the feel of Caleb’s mouth on her mouth, her breasts, on the very center of her femininity.

  Lauren’s hands began to shake a little as she heard Caleb coming down the stairs. She poured two mugs of coffee to steady herself. He entered the kitchen, dressed in his jeans and T-shirt, his damp hair sticking out in all directions in the most attractive manner. They sat at the kitchen table, looking out across the old garden, silently sipping their coffee.

  Finally, Lauren spoke up. “Caleb, I don’t know what to say. I don’t know what came over me, but I want you to know that I’ve never done anything like that before.” She was embarrassing herself, she thought.

  Caleb gave a little laugh as he sipped his coffee. “Well, the important thing is did you enjoy yourself?”

  She stared at him, horrified. Had it all been a charade that she had gullibly and willingly taken part in? Had all his pretty words and touches been just totally self-serving? Had that passion that burned between the two of them been nothing but a ruse to get him what he wanted at the moment? Last night she could have sworn to a bond between them. She knew. A man couldn’t fake something like that. Or could he?

  He saw the look on her face. “Look,” he said, more gently, “I know you’re engaged. I know you’re going back to the city. I’m a realistic guy.” He set his mug down. Lauren thought he was going to reach for her hand, but instead he folded his arms across his chest. She had seen that body language before. He was shutting her out. He had put up his defenses. He leaned back in the old kitchen chair, away from her. “I want you to know, I haven’t ever done anything like that either. I was married before.” Here, he stopped and sighed. Lauren didn’t tell him what Joan had confided. Instead, she waited.

  Caleb continued, in a soft voice, “I met a girl. Her name was Julie. We fell in love. We got married. We bought that little house that I still live in. She was so happy there. So happy. We lived there about a year. Then, she got sick. She got sick and she died. I just didn’t want to go on.”

  Lauren’s eyes teared up, stinging as she blinked them back. She reached her hand across the table, but Caleb kept his posture, arms folded, leaning back in his chair. “Oh, Caleb,” she said, sincerely touched, “I am so, so sorry.”

  “That was almost five years ago,” he said, looking down at the floor. “And do you know, you are the first woman I’ve slept with since the last time Julie and I made love.” He hung his head. Lauren said nothing. How could she comment on such heartbreak? She waited.

  Caleb looked up. He gave a little smile. “My father, he’s a good man. He’s a smart man, too. He told me he wanted to retire, and he made me take over the business. Just like that, he turned it over to me. He saddled me with the responsibility of eleven employees, fifteen hundred customers, and just as we were expanding into fuel oil. I was so busy, I couldn’t see straight. I worked from dawn until way after dark. It saved my life, I think. And my father, he said he wanted to retire, but he was right there with me most of the time, helping me through. I didn’t even know it until I look back on it from this angle. Now, he pretty much is retired, but he barely left my side for the first couple of years.” Caleb stopped and looked at her, a strange, enigmatic grin on his face. “Maybe you fit the bill because I knew nothing could happen. I knew you’d be leaving and not coming back.”

  Lauren felt the hurt as her stomach pitched. She knew he was right, but she hadn’t wanted to hear it. She opened her mouth to say something, but Caleb kept talking. “Don’t get me wrong. You’re a beautiful woman, and there was something about you that attracted me the first time I saw you. As for last night, it felt good. It felt good to hold you, but in the cold light of day, I know there can’t be anything between us. I know you’re leaving. Besides, we’re too different. You like the city and your job and your fancy stuff. You said so. I’ll be here till the day I die and I love it here. I guess I could go anywhere or buy anything I like, but I like where I am and what I have.” He sighed deeply. “Thank you, though. Thank you for…for taking me in.” This time he reached out with one hand and laid it over her hand, limp on the table. He squeezed it gently. “To tell the truth, I was afraid to hook up with other women. I was afraid at first with you. I was afraid I couldn’t do it. The memory of my wife is still there. I can see her face as clearly as if I saw it this morning. You’re different, though, and I wasn’t afraid last night. That’s what I want to thank you for. Maybe if circumstances were different, we could have had something, but they’re not, and we’ve both got significant baggage.”

  Lauren just stared at him. She could think of nothing to say.

  “Lauren, are you all right?”

  She blinked and collected her thoughts. She gave her head a toss and
tried to physically shake herself back to reality.

  “I’m fine,” she said strongly, a bit too loud. She rose to her feet and took the coffee mugs to the sink. “What you say is right, of course. I’m glad you had a good time. I — I did too, but you’re right. We both come from such different worlds. So, Caleb, thank you for a fun evening.” They both forced a laugh. Lauren continued, still facing the sink, afraid to look him in the eye, “And you have a nice life. You’ll find a girl eventually. You’re too warm to spend the rest of your life alone. Me, I’ve got to get back to the city and plan my wedding!”

  Caleb stood up. He came up behind her and encircled her waist with his strong hands. He was very close now. His chest just brushed her shoulder blades, evoking memories of the night before. Lauren turned to face him. She felt dizzy, but she couldn’t bring herself to break free from his grasp or push him away. He said softly, “I don’t really care if I find someone again or not. I can live just fine with my memories, but I would like to kiss you goodbye.”

  Lauren lifted her face. His soft, full lips sought her mouth hungrily, pressing down until her lips parted, allowing his tongue to meet her own. A thought flitted through Lauren’s mind. This is what I want. Immediately, she forced the maverick emotion down, down through to her deep subconscious. It was not a quick kiss. They stood locked in each other’s arms until she could feel his hardness pushing against her, begging her body as it had the night before. Her thighs quivered under her dress.

  Caleb let her go then, touching her cheek with his fingers. He stepped back. “I better go,” he said. “I have a busy day. And I’ll stop at the garage on my way back to town and send them up to get your car.” He backed away from her, his hand reaching out for the screen door handle. “You drive carefully back to the city.”

  “I will,” she said softly. “Goodbye, Caleb.”

  He smiled, nodding at her. Then he was gone. Lauren sat down heavily at the kitchen table. She heard his truck start up, but she would not, could not, look out the window to see it vanishing down the dirt road.