“Well, I might have left out old Henry. He lives way up at the top of the garden. A large black snake. Totally and utterly harmless, but he’ll be seeking out those rats tonight I’ll bet you,” Ben replied with a chastened grin.
“Big? Just how big is big?” Lillian asked.
“About six foot or so. He shed his skin down here a few weeks ago and that was easily five foot. So I guess he’s grown a bit since then,” Ben continued. “Look, honestly, neither the rats nor the snake will come anywhere near you. Don’t worry over it,” Ben answered before sitting back in his chair and taking a long drink of his mojito.
“We’re not big lovers of snakes, Ben. Lots of nasty ones where we live. But if you say it’s fine then we’ll know who to blame if we get bit, right?” Lillian remarked as she too took a drink of her mojito and reclined back in the lounger.
“As I said, don’t let them worry you. Now enjoy your sun lounging and I’m off back to work for a while. I’ll be back later to cook up some BBQ, okay? Around six?” Ben said, standing up to leave.
“Six will be great. We’ll see you then. Don’t work too hard, honey,” Mary said waving to him from her lounger.
Ben had left before Lillian turned around to Mary.
“Snakes indeed. He’s just trying to wind us up,” she said, trying to convince herself as much as Mary.
“Well I won’t worry until I see one, and to be honest, those rats don’t look like the nasty things we get back home,” Mary replied.
“No they look more like squirrels. Still. We won’t let it ruin our day. Shame Ben went,” Lillian replied.
“Why? He’ll be back later.”
“Because I have no idea how he makes these mojitos. They’re delicious and I didn’t want to sound like some mountain hick and admit I’d never tasted one before.” Lillian laughed.
Mary laughed too as she finished her glass and placed it in the table.
“Good point and no I had no idea what one was either. I’ll get him to show me how he makes them. If we go home with nothing else, it’ll be at least how to make a fancy cocktail.”
True to his word, Ben reappeared at six o’clock to cook on the charcoal grill. Lillian hadn’t attempted to get it lit this time, hoping Ben would sort it all. Apart from waving hello he went straight to the grill to get it going without a word.
“Everything okay, Ben, honey?” Lillian asked as she arrived at the table with a pile of chicken legs and pork chops.
“Everything’s great thanks, Lillian. Just glad to get my work finished and then realised how starving I was. How about spicy chicken tonight? I brought a bottle of piri-piri sauce with me to liven up the chicken,” Ben answered, looking at the charcoals he was nursing into life.
“Hot and spicy sounds great, just not too hot. Unless of course you’re going to make some of those mojito’s again to help cool it down.” Lillian chuckled.
“Ah, I see you’ve got a taste for them. I didn’t know if you’d like them or ever had them before. No problem. I’ll get this grill going and make some in a few minutes,” Ben replied.
“Can I come with you, Ben? I’ve never seen a proper one made before and I’d love to see where you live,” Mary asked.
“Oh crikey, of course! All this time you’ve been here and I never once invited you to see my little bachelor pad,” Ben replied, laughing.
“This should be good to cook on in fifteen minutes or so. Come on, let’s go make us a mojito,” Ben said straightening up from the grill.
Leaving Lillian to guard the fire, Ben led Mary back to his apartment. They stepped into the cool, airy kitchen and lounge that made up the ground floor and Ben headed for the fridge, taking out a large and smaller jug.
“I made this up before. I can’t stand that horrible cola stuff you Americans drink,” he said, laughing.
“So what’s in the jugs?” Mary asked as she sniffed at each, ignoring his dig. As if the British didn’t have equally offensive stuff to drink, she’d seen the stuff in the British section of the Super Mercado. What the hell was Tango? It looked radioactive.
“Well the big one is just a syrup I made, with sugar, mint and water. The other one is lime juice. That plastic bottle stuff just doesn’t do it for me so I squeeze plenty for when I need it,” Ben replied as he lined up three glasses.
Mary stepped back and watched carefully as Ben broke mint into each glass and crushed it with a wooden spoon.
“Could you pass me that bottle of rum?” Ben asked pointing to the bottle beside Mary. She passed it over and Ben continued to mix up the cocktails and return the jugs to the fridge.
“Now just a splash of club soda and voila. A real Cuban mojito,” Ben said smiling. “Grab your drink I’ll show you upstairs if you like.”
Mary took her drink and followed Ben up a steep staircase to the top floor.
The thick walls and screened windows kept the whole apartment cool. Mary understood why nobody bothered with air conditioning in Portugal. The houses were made for the weather. She loved the quaint nooks and shelves built into the walls. Ben had filled the spaces with bits and pieces from his obviously well-travelled journeying.
Stood at the entrance to the bedroom, Ben waved her inside, noting how tense she was all of a sudden.
“Please, enter my domain. This is where I bring all the good looking visitors,” he said, laughing.
Mary stared at him, her tongue darting out to wet suddenly dry lips.
“Seriously?” she asked nervously, staring at him longer.
“Well no, actually. We never really get attractive visitors until you arrived. Nobody has ever been in here,” he replied, smiling and guiding her out back to the stairs, conspicuously leaving out the guest bedroom. “You, of course, are different. I usually crash on the couch downstairs watching a movie or something.”
“And that room?” she asked, pointing at the only closed door.
He swallowed before answering. “Just the guest room, nothing in there that’s interesting. Let’s get those drinks to your mum, eh?”
“Ben, I…” She caught his attention by touching his arm and Ben looked down at where her fingers rested before looking back at her. Her eyes gave away her fear, the nervousness she felt, and he wanted nothing more than to take her into his bedroom and take all of it away. He’d fuck every last doubt she had about whether he wanted her or not right out of her mind. If her mother wasn’t waiting for them, that is.
Instead of taking her into his room and giving her the best of fuck of her life, Ben patted her hand and tried to play it all off. He just hoped she didn’t take it the wrong way.
“Later, alright?” He waited for her to smile before he took her hand in his again and led her to the stairs.
They went back downstairs and out of the cool, fresh apartment into bright sunlight. The brightness made their eyes water.
“And this of course is where I spend the rest of my time when I’m not working. That mint came from here for the drinks and the limes were from the tree in the garden in front of your place. Wonderful isn’t it?” Ben said, patting the mimosa tree at the centre of the courtyard with affection.
“You sure love your plants. It’s really beautiful. Everything is. You too,” Mary replied, feeling a thrill of coyness as she said the last.
“Ah, but nothing like you, sweet Mary.” He moved closed to her, her body heat radiating out to tempt him even closer. His finger went under her chin, tilting her head up to his. He wanted to kiss her, her eyes begged him for it. Both of them were breathing heavily, their mouths slightly open, ready to taste each other. But it wasn’t the time. “Let’s go rescue your mother shall we?”
Carrying their drinks, they returned to Lillian, both wondering if they should have lingered just a little bit longer.
“So how did you find Ben’s man cave?” Lillian asked as she gratefully took the drink Ben offered her.
“It’s adorable, Mom. That and now I know his secret to making these,” Mary replied waving her glass at Lillian.
Ben took his place at the grill and cooked spicy chicken and chops for them all. They sat around the table exchanging stories from home and their experiences so far in Portugal. As the afternoon drew into evening, Lillian made her excuses and left the two of them in the garden as she retired to her bed.
Ben poured them both a glass of wine and Mary leaned in close to him and took his arm. She lifted it so she could slide herself under.
“It cools off a bit at night, don’t you think?” Mary smiled as she snuggled into him.
Ben smiled back at her. “Yes a little, some nights, I guess,” he replied as he gave her a gentle hug with the arm wrapped over her shoulder.
They watched Lillian’s bedroom light go out and quietly drank the last of the wine. Ben gently began to rise from his chair, surprising Mary. Almost as if she thought they would be there for the rest of time.
“It’s late, Mary. Nearly three in the morning. I should go and try to get some sleep,” Ben said, trying to give her an out if she wanted it.
“Is it? Is it really so late? Dammit. I didn’t want it to fly past so quickly,” Mary replied sadly.
“There is one thing though I need to ask you. It’s been on my mind since the other night when the power went off,” Ben said as he turned to face her.
“Ask me what?” Mary asked, feigning surprise.
“I’d like to know,” Ben murmured, then stopped. He started again with more assurance. “I’d like to know, what it would be like to kiss those lips of yours.”
Without saying a word, Mary pressed her full lips to his. She didn’t think about it, didn’t plan or ponder it, she just went with her gut instinct and kissed him. She gave him a long lingering kiss as they embraced, his arms wrapping around her to pull her closer. The kiss became deeper and more intense as she parted her lips.
Their tongues tangled as they tasted each other for the first time and Mary felt her pulse rising as her body responded to his nearness, to the warmth coming from his body. She felt her temperature rising and knew it had more to do with him than the night air or the drinks they’d shared. This explosion of arousal was all Ben’s doing.
Mary didn’t want to but finally broke the kiss.
“It feels like that. Do you approve?” She smiled dazedly up at him, wondering if he felt just as flustered as she did.
“Perfect, Mary. Just perfect.” He kissed her on the nose, wanting to do more as he fought to catch his breath but held back. She’d stopped for a reason. He didn’t want her to but he respected her and would have never have pushed her. He gave her a peck on the nose and stood up. “Goodnight sweetheart. Perhaps tomorrow we can spend the day together, alone. Maybe at the beach?”
Ben looked down at her with hope in his eyes and a deep warm smile resting on his lips. Please say yes, he thought at her, needing some time alone with her.
“That would be perfect, Ben. I’ll let Mom know in the morning. Good night, sleep well.” Mary gave him a dreamy smile as she began to clear the table.
With a final glance, Ben left Mary to wander to his own apartment. She had wanted to take it further; she’d longed to let herself run away with the passion he’d aroused in her but knew that she’d have to behave until they were totally alone. Maybe they could find a private spot on the beach and explore further tomorrow.
Chapter 10
As the sun shone bright in a cloudless sky, Ben knew it was going to be another glorious Algarve day. He sat himself out in the courtyard with a mug of tea and reflected on the night before. Mary, Mary, Mary. She was pretty much all he reflected on. He’d spent the night pacing downstairs before climbing up to his bedroom only to stand gazing at it in horror. This was a man’s room. It was only ever intended for him. Somehow he would have to make it more Mary friendly. Assuming of course, Mary had any intention of coming back up there.
Ben drank his tea and heard his name called from the gate next door. He realised he’d just spent the best part of five minutes discussing his mental anguish with the mimosa tree. He turned and walked to the gate.
“Hey, hi! Mary! How are you this morning?” he asked, still anxious that he might have overstepped the mark the night before.
“I’m wonderful, thank you. So are we going to the beach today? I’ll be ready in fifteen or so. We’ll be going on our own. Mom is going to have a slow ride to town on her bike later I think.”
“Yes! Yes, of course. Good. Give me a shout when you’re ready. Say hi to your mother for me,” Ben replied, smiling widely.
Mary was soon sat on her bicycle alongside Ben at the front gate both waving to Lillian, who’d chosen to take the lazy day option and was still in her bed robe as she waved back at them.
They took their time as they made their way down to the crossing of the main road. Today it was peaceful and they were soon on the other side and riding down the quiet lanes again. Ben took them on a detour and Mary was quick to point out they’d gone the wrong way.
“Nope, we’re going somewhere different today. That’s why we brought a picnic. A prettier beach near the nature reserve but not so many people. You’ll love it, trust me,” Ben said, allaying Mary’s worry about getting lost. He knew she’d done enough of that lately.
Not much further they came to a small bar and restaurant. Outside sat a few locals enjoying an early beer and in a field beside the bar, more locals enjoying a game of boule. They cycled past, returning the waves of the boule players and then on to a narrow winding, sandy, rock strewn track that headed towards the sea.
“That looked a nice place, have you been before?” Mary asked as they cycled on.
“They do great chicken. We’ll call in on the way home,” Ben replied as he directed them down a still narrower path that led onto the beach.
Mary gasped as she looked around. The sea was clear as crystal and not too far out the waves were breaking on a sandbar leaving the waters close in calm and perfect for paddling. Rather than the hustle and bustle of the beach before, this one had only the nature reserve around it and flocks of flamingos gathered in some of the pools that were formed to collect salt.
“Oh, Ben, this is paradise. How come there are so few people?” Mary asked.
“People seem to like to have everything to hand these days, even in paradise. That and it means parking the car way back at that bar we rode past. Some folk can’t walk a few feet without getting out of breath. We get the place more or less to ourselves,” Ben answered.
A few sun umbrellas dotted the beach. Beach blankets and towels were spread here and there but Ben was right. Only those determined enough would make the effort to come here.
Ben spread out a large beach blanket and unfurled the beach umbrella before he gestured Mary to it.
“Here you don’t need to feel too self-conscious, right?”
He didn’t need to say anything. Mary had already stripped down to her bikini bottoms and was staring at him with a bottle of sun tan oil in her hand.
“Well? You don’t want me to burn them do you? Best get some of this on me,” she teased, jiggling her breasts at him with a laugh. Gone was that pure, shy girl from the mountains, in her place a woman that knew what she wanted.
As Mary stretched out on the blanket, Ben worked oil into her body, enjoying every moment as he caressed and stroked her. She was without a doubt, beautiful, and he never wanted the moment to end.
There were people around them, but that didn’t stop him from blocking her from their view as he stroked her. She looked up at him, totally innocent, but full of desire. She was sexy; a mix of pure and sultry that was appealing in a way he’d never experienced before.
His fingers brushed over her nipples, causing Mary to moan his name. He looked down at her, propped up on his elbow, and couldn’t resist kissing her. Their lips came together, an exploration at first, b
efore passion kicked in and they forgot they weren’t alone.
Ben’s fingers found her oil-slicked nipples again, teasing her until her hips came up from the blanket they were resting on.
“Ben, oh baby, don’t stop.” Her pleas didn’t fall on deaf ears and he slid a hand down her slick stomach, down to her bikini bottoms.
She broke away from his kiss as his fingers found her damp heat, and the one place that would give her relief. Her fingers dug into the sand as his lips closed around a tight nipple.
Music came to him from across the sand, and he glanced up to see the other couple had repositioned their umbrella, their legs entwined. They weren’t the only ones letting the sun and heat impact them.
Ben smiled to himself, pleased at the whole situation, but more pleased with Mary, her hips moving in rhythm with his hand as he stroked her clit. She was so responsive, so easy to please, to stoke into a flame.
He watched the sun play over her skin, so beautiful and silky, and he inhaled her scent, wanting nothing more than to bury himself deep inside of her. Later, he promised himself, later when they were alone and he had her to himself.
For now he contented himself with grinding into her hip as she moved beneath him, her body now quivering, small tight gasps breaking from her throat as her stomach rippled with the pleasure she was experiencing.
“Ben, fuck, Ben.” Her fingers splayed in the sand before clenching again as he heard her stop breathing, her head going back as the ultimate pleasure tore through her.
“That’s it baby, come for me. Let me see it. Fuck, you’re beautiful, Mary. That’s it baby, come on my fingers.” He stroked the throbbing organ between her nether lips, waiting for her body to relax but she kept gasping, writhing.
Ben let her ride it out, his tongue laving at her nipple until her back arched and collapsed against the sand and she lay there, breathing heavily.
“Just rest now, baby. Let that play over you.” He fell beside her, wondering how the fuck he was going to ride home with a hard on.
* * *
Lillian had smiled to herself as she watched Mary and Ben ride away. This, she had decided, was exactly what Mary needed, and having heard Ben’s sad story, it was what he needed to. Mary was a good and kind girl. Not wealthy and not as well travelled as Ben, but good and kind.
Professor next Door Page 80
