This is one of my lighter stories. If you've read "No Tomorrow," you
might recognise a few things.

There are descriptions of female/female love and sexuality here.
There is also some light spanking and some light exhibitionism. All
are fully consensual on the parts of the characters. However, if this
is going to bother you, or you are a minor, then I would strongly
recommend not reading this story.

This story is purely fictional. Any resemblance to persons alive or
dead is coincidence. Some of the writing may have been lifted from
real life, but the characters were not.

As always, I have to thank a multitude of proofreaders, but most of
all, Munk whose comments are always appreciated, and who helped come
up with the story in the first place.

Something new with this story. The story was also polished by the
reclusive Mike Ink. Proof reading is not a simple task, and I
appreciate all the assistance Mike provided. For any errors, however,
I must take full responsibility. They were probably questioned and
unwisely overruled. I'd like to thank Mike especially for cluing me
into the correct usage of past subjunctive mood - a questioned point,
but not overruled. I truly appreciate the help there. I learned
something.

This can be archived as long as it is not for commercial gain and the
text of the story and header is not changed in any way. That means if
you are going to archive it, then no restrictions to access,
including charging for access. This includes AVS systems. For
details, feel free to contact the author.

Comments, but not spam, are always welcome at dcrimson@yahoo.com.

- Crimson


Trouble in Paradise (FF, cons, vacation, exh, light/first spank)

(c) July 1998

By Crimson Dragon (dcrimson@yahoo.com)

Elizabeth stretched as she swung her long legs out of the queen-sized
bed. Yawning, she rose and padded barefoot to the large tinted window
overlooking the pool. It was early, but there was already a multitude
of people lying in the white chairs, catching the early sun before it
became unbearable. She watched as couples strolled towards the buffet
restaurant, some hand in hand, others still sleepy and shuffling
along. One woman jogged easily back to the resort from the beach.

One younger couple stood out as they walked towards the far side of
the pool. The woman still had confetti peppering her dark hair.
Elizabeth smiled to herself. Probably married last night. Elizabeth's
heart ached a little at the thought. Marriage. Probably forever
denied to her. Who would give her away?

She watched as a pair of women followed the newlyweds. One walked
more confidently, her bare feet padding along the cement by the pool.
The confident one sported blonde hair, contrasting against her
friend's brunette. The smaller girl looked a little more nervous, her
step betraying a discomfort, the cause of which wasn't obvious. The
brunette wore a dark blue bikini and running shoes with red laces.
Elizabeth cracked a smile as the blonde touched the brunette's hand.
The touch lingered a little longer than Elizabeth had expected, but
it was hard to tell from the second floor window.

She cracked open the window, sliding it as quietly as she could. It
rolled smoothly to the left until there was an opening wide enough to
see clearly through.

The sky was the colour of cobalt, clear and unmarred by clouds. Soft
mist floated around the tops of the surrounding hills, catching the
morning sunlight. The sun was already warming the tropical air. Soft
voices floated up to the second floor from the pool. There was the
faint clatter of dishes from the buffet restaurant, mixed with the
far off sounds of the crashing surf. The humid, salty air wafted
through the opened window, and Elizabeth breathed in deeply through
her nose, sensing the peace and tranquillity.

Elizabeth yawned again and ran her fingers through her long, tangled
red hair. She sighed gently and softly shut and locked the window.

Turning, she settled herself backward into one of the hotel chairs.
Her chin rested on her hands, which in turn rested on the high
backrest. She relaxed. Her white nightgown flowed around her as she
sat, finally settling like a cloak around her body.

Elizabeth smiled gently as she gazed at the other occupant of the
room, still peaceful in slumber. Dawn's blonde hair fanned out across
her pillow as she slept on her back, the thin sheet rising and
falling gently with her regular breathing. Elizabeth remained silent,
happy to watch the girl she loved sleep. She would never tire of it.
She had once stayed up all night watching Dawn sleep, just because
she wanted to. She felt protective of the girl, and the simple trust
that they shared flowed through her whenever Dawn seemed so
vulnerable.

Elizabeth's heart began to beat a little faster as she watched Dawn
sleep beneath the covers. She forced herself to temper her desires.
Dawn deserved her rest, and wandering back to bed and stroking that
wonderful soft blonde hair would surely wake her. Dawn would awaken
soon enough. It was early yet, and she had been exhausted from the
previous day's travels.

After a while, Dawn murmured in her sleep and turned over. Her hand
gently searched for the warm body that should have been beside her. A
look of confusion crossed her sleepy features when all she touched
were cool, empty, and ruffled sheets. Dawn's blue eyes fluttered
open, and she inhaled sharply. She sat up slowly, her eyes adjusting
to the strong sunlight streaming through the tinted glass.

She smiled as she spotted Elizabeth watching her. The sheets fell
from her as she raised herself with her hands. The thin T-shirt Dawn
had slept in did little to hide her figure. She rubbed at her eyes.

"Good morning, sleepy head," Elizabeth greeted her roommate from her
chair.

Dawn feigned an accusing tone. "You watching me sleep again?"

"Would you have it any other way?"

Dawn smiled in response and pushed the covers off her legs, rolling
towards the side of the bed. She stretched as she rose to her bare
feet. The shirt she wore had belonged to a past lover; it was far too
long, and fell easily below her hips, though the hem rose
tantalisingly as she reached for the ceiling. She yawned and walked
over to Elizabeth's chair. Elizabeth watched her movements without
stirring, her face resting sideways on her hands.

Dawn bent and kissed Elizabeth's cheek.

"I'm sorry about last night," Dawn whispered.

"Nothing to worry about."  Elizabeth shook out her hair as she spoke.
They had not made love last night. They had arrived late, and they
had both been exhausted from the long day of travel. Planes, cars,
and long check-in lines. They had unpacked, changed into sleepwear,
and tumbled into bed; neither one initiating any contact. Elizabeth
assumed that Dawn had fallen asleep as quickly as she had, sex the
furthest thing from her mind.

Dawn's finger traced Elizabeth's jawline carefully and sensually. "I
can make it up to you if you want?"

Elizabeth smiled up at Dawn. "No need. Lots of time for that. A whole
week in Paradise." As she spoke, she pointed out the window at the
view. She immediately regretted refusing Dawn's advance.

Dawn sighed and straightened, disappointment briefly crossed her
features, but she managed to smile. She glanced out the window, a
slow whistle of appreciation slipping through her lips. They were
finally in paradise.

The blonde girl casually stripped off the T-shirt as she walked
towards the bathroom, dropping it in the middle of the suite.
Elizabeth watched, still not believing that she was here with this
beautiful creature. The girl pranced naked to the bathroom. Elizabeth
shook her head as she heard the splashing and the soft singing from
the shower. Then she gazed out the window at the perfect day.

***

Elizabeth finally untangled her hair, and cleansed the dirty feeling
from the previous day's travels from her skin. She wrapped herself in
hotel towels and wandered out to find Dawn watching some old movie on
the television. The reception was terrible, but she recognised
Matthew Broderick driving a red Ferrari through the static.

Elizabeth still felt a little uncomfortable with her recent changes
in sexual orientation. A year ago, she couldn't have imagined being
here with someone like Dawn. Could not have imagined dropping these
towels in her presence and changing into a bikini. She fished a green
swimsuit from the bedside drawer and turned her back to slip it on.
When she turned back around, Dawn seemed far more interested in her
than Ferris Beuller and his day off.

"Still not used to it, are you?" Dawn asked with a sparkle in her
eye, referring to Elizabeth's shyness.

Elizabeth answered with a slight nod and a blush. Dawn was already
draped in a yellow bikini and a light wrap. Easy for her to say; she
had had privacy to change. Of course, she had stripped before going
to shower. Elizabeth had not felt comfortable doing the same. She was
being silly; they had made love many times together, completely
naked. Changing in front of another girl was still different somehow.
It was hard on her. She hadn't been brought up with this freedom.

Dawn rose to her bare feet, her body achingly desirable in the form
fitting suit. Elizabeth hoped silently that her green bikini looked
half as good as Dawn's at the beach.

"Come on, breakfast is only served until 10:30."

Elizabeth grabbed her beachbag and held hands with Dawn until they
reached the elevator. An elderly couple stared at them as the
elevator doors rattled open. Elizabeth scrambled to release Dawn's
hand. Dawn wore a cute smile as they entered the elevator for the
single floor trip to the lobby.

***

The sun was scorching hot by late morning. Elizabeth could feel the
sweat dripping down between her breasts as she lay lathered in
sunscreen. She knew that her pale skin would burn in seconds so she
had been careful with protection from the sun, secretly enjoying
Dawn's fingers rubbing the coconut oil into her.

Her eyes, hidden beneath her dark sunglasses, kept straying to Dawn.
Dawn was a lot braver than her and she simply couldn't keep her eyes
off her. She'd re-read the same passage in her book ten times, and
she still couldn't believe that Dawn had done it.

As they'd arrived at the beach, Dawn had made quick friends with the
women that Elizabeth had seen earlier through the window - the self
assured blonde and nervous brunette. The blonde had changed into a
red bikini since breakfast. Her name was Sara, the brunette was
Rachel. Dawn, being more outgoing, had nudged Elizabeth and pointed
casually over to them as they had approached the beach. The girl
named Sara was sunning herself on a lounge chair, topless. It wasn't
unusual, and nobody was really taking notice, but it seemed so ...
exhibitionistic. Sara was nice looking, Elizabeth thought with a
sense of surprise as Dawn dragged her across the beach. Normally, she
didn't really notice women, except for Dawn.

Dawn easily talked to the two girls. Dawn was like that, outgoing and
friendly. She could just walk up to strangers and talk to them.
Elizabeth never had found socialising easy. It turned out that the
other girls were leaving tomorrow, their tans attesting to the
effects of a week in the strong sun. Rachel seemed almost as
uncomfortable about her topless friend as Elizabeth felt during the
short exchange. Both were quiet as Sara and Dawn made small talk.
Dawn finally rose with a small laugh, wished the girls good travel
and found a more secluded part of the beach. Elizabeth tagged along,
content to let Dawn settle wherever she wanted.

After they were settled, Elizabeth watched in horror as Dawn smiled
and released her top, her slender fingers pulling at the knots of her
bikini straps.

"Try it, you scaredy cat," she goaded Elizabeth gently. "No tan
lines. Nobody is looking." Dawn lay back and closed her eyes,
oblivious to her exposure.

Elizabeth mumbled something about liking tan lines and relaxed as
best she could. Her eyes kept wandering to the girl next to her, and
her state of undress. She could feel the heat of the day, and it
wasn't only the sun. She tried to read the passage in her book again.

***

Dawn rose, and swiftly padded down to the water's edge, dancing with
the heat of the fine sand. The surf rolled over her toes as she
stepped into the cool ocean water.

Elizabeth hesitantly joined her, not quite believing that Dawn was
still topless, her yellow bikini top draped over the back of her
lounge. Dawn's bare breasts were breathtaking in the sun. She
imagined that all the guys, and maybe even some of the other women,
were watching them. A flash of jealousy sneaked through her defences,
but she managed to will it away from her. Dawn seemed unconcerned.

"How can you do that?" Elizabeth whispered to Dawn as the girls wet
their feet.

"Do what?"

Elizabeth pointed, making sure people didn't notice.

Dawn gave one of her musical laughs.

"You still on about that?" she asked playfully. "I'm comfortable. If
men can do it, so can I."

Elizabeth swallowed. She had to admit, nobody but her really seemed
to be taking interest in Dawn's bared breasts, and she was getting
used to seeing her friend without her top in public. It wasn't as
though she was the only one on the beach going topless. It was a
scorcher today. Elizabeth wished that either everyone on the beach
would disappear, or that she was brave enough to do it too. But she
wasn't brave enough, and probably never would be.

They wet themselves in the cooler ocean up to their thighs and then
climbed out.

Dawn smiled mischievously.

"I want to go back to the room," she spoke huskily as they returned
to their chairs.

There was little doubt what she had in mind, at least not to
Elizabeth. A lunchtime tumble wouldn't be entirely unwelcome.

Elizabeth flushed a little, but nodded gently.

The girls rose to their feet, carrying their sandals. They waved at
Sara and Rachel as they passed and headed back to the resort. To
Elizabeth's relief, Dawn casually replaced her top as they walked
along the road on their way back.

***

As Elizabeth fished the room key out of her beachbag, Dawn stepped in
close. Glancing down the empty hallway, she carefully brushed her
breasts against Elizabeth's arm. Elizabeth smiled, glanced down the
hallway herself, and braved a quick kiss. She felt Dawn's cool lips
sending sparks down her body. She shivered and turned the doorknob.

Dawn gasped as they entered the room.

Elizabeth looked up from replacing the room key and shutting the
door. Dawn was standing still as a statue, trembling.

"Oh ... my ... God," Elizabeth whispered.

The room was in shambles. Drawers were pulled out. The bed was messed
up. Their suitcases were opened and the contents strewn across the
floor. Their purses had been dumped on the desk. Every item not
bolted down in the room had been moved or opened.

Taking a deep breath, Elizabeth stepped into the bathroom. All their
toiletries had been opened, or moved. Fighting off the sickening knot
settling into her stomach, she opened the bathroom closet. The safety
deposit box hidden within was still closed. Thank God. She quickly
fished out the key and checked the contents of the box. Everything
still there. Cash, passports, traveller's cheques. Elizabeth heaved a
sigh of relief.

When Elizabeth emerged from the bathroom, Dawn was beside the bed.
She was still trembling, and she was checking her bedside stand,
standing amongst her panties tossed casually to the floor. Dawn was
slowly picking up the bits of cloth, one by one, as if in a daze.

"Elizabeth?" Dawn's voice had taken on a definite frightened tone.

Elizabeth moved quickly to her side and gathered her into her arms.
They held one another for a few minutes.

"Why?" Dawn whispered. "It's our first day."

Elizabeth stroked her hair gently. "Calm, Dawn. I'm going to call
security." She tried her best to cut the waver from her voice.

She felt Dawn nod, and she released the trembling girl. God. Someone
had gone through all their stuff. She felt violated. She felt
vulnerable. She felt frightened. And she felt damn angry.

She picked up the room phone, stabbing at the "0".

The front desk picked up in their usual lilting Spanish.

"I ... I need hotel security. Um. Our room has been broken into."
There was a pause. "2003". She managed to keep the tremors from her
voice somehow.

Dawn wandered the room in a daze, picking up clothing and personal
items, and staring at them. Elizabeth took a deep breath, calming her
breathing.

"Dawn? Honey? Are you okay?"

"It's ruined," Dawn's voice was small and defenceless, like a little
girl's.

Elizabeth wandered over to Dawn, pulling her into an embrace again.
"What's ruined?"

"This. Our trip. Why would someone do this?"

Elizabeth sighed. "I don't know, honey. I don't know. They probably
don't know how much it hurts. What this feels like. Or they just
don't give a damn. Bastards."

"I'm scared."

"I know, honey. I know. So am I."

"They took our keys," Dawn spoke miserably. "And the camera. Why
would they want the car keys? How are we going to get home?"

"We can replace those. I've got an extra set in the safety box. Come
on. Don't cry." Elizabeth stroked Dawn's head soothing her.

"And my credit cards."

"They aren't in the safety box?"

"No. I'm sorry," Dawn sounded more miserable yet. "I never put them
in. It was our first day. And last night was so late."

"Mine were there. We'll use mine. It's okay. We'll cancel your
cards," Elizabeth tried to speak reassuringly.

Dawn began to cry quietly.

They stood in a daze looking around the wrecked room. Elizabeth felt
like crying as well, but she couldn't. One of them had to stay in
control. Dawn might be able to flaunt herself on the beach, but she
wasn't able to deal with this. She was damn near hysterical.
Elizabeth couldn't blame her, but she couldn't deal with the crisis
and Dawn's hysteria at the same time. Where the hell was security?

There was a light knock on the door. Elizabeth rushed to answer it,
after lowering Dawn gently to the sofa.

A big burly man in a white security uniform spoke to her in Spanish.

"I... I don't understand Spanish," her voice trembled a little at the
admission. Dawn spoke a little Spanish, but she wasn't in any shape
to be talking to the security guard.

He nodded, seeming to understand the language problem. He indicated
with his hands that he wanted to come in. She stepped aside and let
him in. He glanced around the room with wide eyes.

"When?" he spoke gruffly with a thick accent.

"Just now," Elizabeth replied slowly.

"You. Here?" His English was broken at best, but he was trying at
least.

Elizabeth shook her head.

The big man sighed and stepped to the windows. He rattled the one
that Elizabeth had opened in the morning. Then he moved to the one
over the sofa. He gently nudged Dawn, who, still crying, scooted over
a little to give the man room. The window opened easily.

It was obvious how the thief had gained access to the room. Elizabeth
hadn't touched that window and she was pretty sure that Dawn hadn't
either, so it had been unlocked from the outside, or it hadn't been
locked when they arrived. There was a flower garden beneath the
window, she remembered. The bastard had gotten up on that and climbed
through in broad daylight in front of a crowd of people at the pool
below.

"Police?" Dawn's voice broke the silence. Elizabeth turned to look at
her lover, surprised that she had spoken at all.

The big man looked at Dawn blankly.

"We. Need. The. Police," Dawn spoke slowly and carefully. Her eyes
were still full of tears.

The big man shrugged.

Before Elizabeth could cross the room to stop her, Dawn was blazing
at the security guard.

"Jesus Christ. We need the police here. Now. We've been robbed."
Tears were rolling down her cheeks in unheeded rivulets. "Jesus, why
can't they send someone who speaks English. God. We've been robbed
for Christ sakes."

She had risen off the sofa and was advancing on the security guard as
she shook and cried, her small fists balled up at her hips. The man
was looking mystified, and stepped back a little at her sudden anger.
Some language was universal.

Elizabeth ran in front of the girl. Dawn had slipped fully into
hysteria. Elizabeth had never seen Dawn like this. She understood,
but attacking a security guard wasn't going to help.

"Dawn. Go easy on him. He's here to help," Elizabeth tried to speak
gently.

"Well, he's not much of a fucking help, is he?" Dawn cried out at
Elizabeth. Elizabeth cringed at the words. She couldn't recall if
she'd ever heard Dawn cursing before. And Dawn had never raised her
voice at her. Not even when Elizabeth had frustrated her, which she
did more often that she cared to think about.

Elizabeth reached out to touch Dawn's shoulder, but the girl slapped
away her fingers. They stung, but not as much as it hurt to be hit by
her lover.

Without thinking, she reached out with her other hand and slapped
Dawn across the face. Dawn's eyes widened at the impact, and her face
flipped to the side. Tears began to fall faster and harder as she
fell into uncontrollable sobbing. Elizabeth managed to catch her and
hug her fiercely. Her palm stung where she'd slapped Dawn.

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry," she whispered to Dawn. She couldn't believe
she'd done that. Couldn't believe that she hadn't been able to
control the girl without resorting to a slap. They were both under
pressure. But that didn't excuse her.

She held Dawn for a minute and then lowered her back to the couch.
Dawn sank into it, holding her cheek and quietly weeping.

Elizabeth kissed her gently on the forehead and apologised again.

She turned to the security guard, who was looking on in confusion.

Slowly, trying to ignore Dawn's crying, she managed to get someone
who spoke more English. The credit cards were cancelled after some
explanations and some creative phone usage. The hotel manager arrived
with the promise of a maid to clean the mess, and an apology. They
never had called the police. Not that the police could have helped.
They probably spoke as much English as the security guard. Dawn could
speak some Spanish, but she was in no condition to help, or even
remember she could speak some. The intruders finally left the room,
the door closing as though on a tomb.

Elizabeth sank to the messed up bed amongst her own panties and bras.
She stared up at the ceiling, completely drained. It couldn't get any
worse than this, at least. She fought off her own tears in the
suddenly quiet room.

After a few minutes, Elizabeth rose and dropped herself onto the
couch with Dawn. She held Dawn for a while, until Dawn managed to cry
herself out. For a moment, Elizabeth thought that Dawn had cried
herself to sleep, but then the girl in her arms spoke quietly.

"Is everything alright?" she asked haltingly.

"Yes. Credit cards are cancelled. You won't get new ones for a couple
of weeks. The camera is gone, and the idiot took our tampons. Could
have been worse."

"I'm sorry I fell apart."

Elizabeth stroked Dawn's hair gently. "Don't worry about it,"
Elizabeth spoke as gently as she could.

Dawn sniffled and rocked herself a little.

"I want to stay in here all week, but we can't have a vacation like
this," Elizabeth spoke quietly. "We have to try and forget this. All
right? The week can only go up from here." She forced herself to
smile.

"I ... I suppose," Dawn glanced up with her teary blue eyes.

"Go wash your face and change. We'll grab some dinner," Elizabeth
suggested.

The day had flown by. It had taken all afternoon to clean up the
details, cancel credit cards, and make out reports. The sun was
sitting low on the horizon throwing deep orange rays around the
disordered room. The maids hadn't arrived yet. The girls had missed
lunch completely in the confusion. Elizabeth ached emotionally and
physically from it all.

Dawn brightened a bit with the mention of food and slowly rose from
Elizabeth's lap.

"It's going to be alright, isn't it?" Dawn asked quietly.

"Yeah," Elizabeth answered. She hoped so.

Dawn walked slowly to the bathroom to wash, trying not to see her
clothing still strewn about the room. When she re-emerged, her face
was glowing, though her eyes weren't.

***

The dinner was excellent. The resort hosted a wonderful Italian
restaurant with the unlikely name of "Hugo's." They were served fresh
pasta, cheese and bread. Maybe Elizabeth was simply hungry, but the
food had been wonderful. She could still taste the garlic from the
noodles.

Dawn had brightened considerably as soon as Elizabeth had led her
into the dim candlelit restaurant. Elizabeth had been careful to hold
Dawn's hand over the table, keeping a sharp eye open for the waiter.
They had ordered wine and a wonderful meal of seafood pasta.
Elizabeth smilingly allowed Dawn to feed her, loving her more as she
did, suddenly not caring what the other patrons thought of them. As
it happened, nobody paid the girls the slightest attention. A
combination of atmosphere and the dry white wine brought a soft flush
to their faces. Elizabeth could see the redness in Dawn's cheeks, and
could hear her own voice becoming lighter and more giggly. They
rarely drank much, but tonight, it seemed somehow appropriate.
Elizabeth could feel her thoughts slowing to a more relaxed pace,
which was exactly what she wanted.

"Behave," Elizabeth whispered urgently as the waiter approached. The
soft bare toes left her calf, and Dawn smirked playfully. The dessert
menu was decadent, and they both ordered the same after-dinner treat.

Their conversation had been slow. They hadn't needed to talk. It
hadn't been awkward, it seemed enough to simply enjoy one another's
company and try to forget the awful afternoon. The soft touches of
Dawn's fingers and toes made up for any lack in conversation.

Laughing gently, they fed each other the mango ice cream that had
come for dessert. The taste and coolness of Dawn's ice cream felt
pleasing against Elizabeth's lips. Dawn playfully licked mango
flavouring off her own lips. They listened to the soft Caribbean
music from the lounge for a while, then together rose to their feet.
Linking fingers, they walked out of the dim restaurant.

Darkness was gathering as they stepped out into the humid air. The
heat of the day had diminished, but still felt oppressive after the
coolness of Hugo's. The low thump of the disco rocked the night air,
as Elizabeth reached again for Dawn's hand.

With a light squeeze of their fingers, the girls walked through the
gathering evening towards the beach. The moon lit their way as the
crickets serenaded them with their shrill night song.

***

The beach was deserted. All the people from the daytime were probably
eating dinner. The beach bar was locked up, and the beach chairs
stretched down the beach like a motionless line of soldiers. The surf
had steadily become louder as they approached over the lagoon bridge.

The sand was still warm beneath Elizabeth's toes. The girls had
slipped off their sandals as they touched the sand, and were carrying
them as they approached the water's edge.

Dawn pointed. There was a couple playing in the pounding surf. It was
hard to tell, but by the playful screams, it sounded like they were
both girls and they were having fun. The darkness provided only
silhouettes of the laughing, screeching participants.

Dawn touched Elizabeth's hand, and guided her down to the far end of
the beach, out of sight and out of listening distance from the other
couple.

They settled into the sand together near the water. Elizabeth picked
up some of the fine sand in her hand and let it fall between her long
fingers. They held hands and stared out over the surf. The water had
a soft luminance from the moon and millions of tiny night creatures.

"It's nice here," Dawn whispered.

"Just the two of us," Elizabeth agreed. "You know, I never thought
that I would ever be doing this."

"What? Taking a vacation? Or taking one with me? Or taking a vacation
in this particular spot with me?" Dawn smiled mischievously as she
spoke.

Elizabeth cleared her throat. "Taking a vacation with another girl,"
she spoke quietly. "As lovers."

"Do you love me?" Dawn asked just loud enough to be heard over the
surf.

Elizabeth nodded, having trouble keeping eye contact.

"I love you too, sweety. There's nothing wrong with this." Dawn
traced her finger gently down Elizabeth's breast beneath her dress as
she spoke.

"I know, and I love it here. I ... I guess I'm just not used to it.
Yet."

Dawn leaned forward and kissed her gently on the cheek. "I know. And
I'm happy you agreed to come. I wouldn't have if you didn't. Couldn't
stay away from you."

Elizabeth swallowed heavily. "My father..." she began.

"Shhhh. I know. Sometimes they don't understand." Dawn touched
Elizabeth's lips with her finger.

"It hurts," Elizabeth could feel the tears stinging behind her eyes.

Slowly, Dawn gathered Elizabeth into her arms. She wasn't crying,
which was new. Elizabeth normally cried whenever her father was
mentioned. They hugged for a moment before Dawn changed the subject.

"I'm so sorry, for this afternoon. I ... I shouldn't have gone nuts
on you," Dawn spoke quietly through the surf. "You did a wonderful
job without me."

"No. You were fine. I can't believe I hit you. I'm the one that ought
to be apologising," Elizabeth again swallowed heavily. She couldn't
believe she'd done it. Even now. "I should be apologising for the
rest of my life for that."

Dawn was silent for a moment. She released Elizabeth and rose to her
knees. Elizabeth could see her struggling with something in the
moonlight.

"Beth?" Dawn never used the short form of her name unless it was
serious. Elizabeth closed her eyes, expecting a lecture on using her
hands. She was dreadfully sorry, but she couldn't blame Dawn for
being upset about getting slapped. It hurts more when it's one you
love. Elizabeth knew all about that. Elizabeth closed her eyes and
took a deep breath, ready to apologise forever if that was what it
took.

"Beth, look at me," Dawn spoke gently.

Elizabeth forced herself to look up at her lover. She was fighting
back tears, both from the long hard day and the fact that she had so
disappointed her best friend.

When their eyes locked, there was no accusation in Dawn's eyes. Only
a hint of nervousness burned behind the dazzling blue eyes.

She whispered, her voice nearly melding with the pounding of the
surf.

"Would you do it again?" Dawn asked quietly.

"What? Slap you? Never! I swear it. No matter what you do, I'll find
some other way. I'm really am sorry," Elizabeth spoke hurriedly, not
knowing what else to say, but desperately wanting forgiveness.

Dawn was silent for a moment, indecision plastered across her strong
features.

She took a deep breath. "Beth, I meant, if I wanted you to slap me,
would you?"

Elizabeth was completely confused. She sat there in the sand, her
dress fluttering in the wind, and tried to make sense of what Dawn
had said. She opted for the intelligent approach.

"Huh?"

Dawn took another deep breath and sighed into the humid air.
"Elizabeth, honey. What if I didn't mind the slap? What if I was the
sort of person that ... that ... maybe liked it a bit."

Elizabeth was silent, not sure where this was going. She was confused
and afraid of saying anything. She stared out into the surf with the
millions of tiny glowing sea creatures.

After a moment of waiting, Dawn quivered on her knees and leaned
forward. She wrapped her arms around Elizabeth's neck and kissed her
full on the lips. The kiss sent shivers down Elizabeth's spine, and
she kissed back, feeling her heat rising. Dawn broke the kiss and
whispered in her ear. Dawn's hot breath against her ear intensified
the tingles so much that she barely heard the words.

"Beth, sweety. Never mind. I ... forgive you. Don't worry about
slapping me. It's forgotten. No marks and I survived."

Dawn pulled Elizabeth down to the sand and they kissed passionately
for what seemed like forever. Elizabeth felt the soft caresses on her
skin through her dress as Dawn's fingers touched her and Dawn's
pliable lips kissed her. She felt her own fingers lightly stroking
Dawn, her hair, her bare thighs, her breasts through the T-shirt she
wore. Their bare toes caressed lower legs and feet. Small
firecrackers were going off inside Elizabeth with the gentle caresses
and the soft kiss.

Breathing hard, the girls finally rose to their feet, Dawn helping
Elizabeth to hers. Dawn arranged her top and they slowly walked back
along the beach towards their room. They had no idea what time it
was, nor did they care.

The other girls were gone from the surf, though Elizabeth thought she
heard a soft cry in a tiny lull of the pounding surf.

They held hands all the way back.

***

Dawn was nearly out of her T-shirt in the elevator. They had kissed
again gently during the short ride up. Elizabeth's fingers had
reached under the fabric, touching and stroking the bottom of Dawn's
breasts as they had kissed. Elizabeth was breathing erratically, as
Dawn's fingers stroked gently at her thigh through the dress.

Dawn had begun to lift her top to let Elizabeth get better access,
but Elizabeth managed to stop her before she completed the manoeuvre.
Only a quick flash of pale skin and one small nipple.

The kiss broke as the elevator door rattled open, to reveal the
newlywed couple holding hands. The young bride had combed the
confetti out of her hair. Elizabeth and Dawn exchanged quick
greetings, hoping that Elizabeth had managed to get her hand out in
time, and that they didn't look too aroused. Elizabeth certainly felt
flushed.

They giggled and ran most of the way to their room. This time, the
room was pristine. All their clothes were put away, the bed was made,
and their suitcases organised. Elizabeth hadn't realised she was
holding her breath until she let it out after it became obvious that
the room hadn't been vandalised again. She walked quickly to the
windows and checked the locks. Same with the entrance door. They were
secure. She carefully unlocked and opened one of the windows, letting
the sea breeze into the stuffy room. It would negate the effects of
the air conditioning, but she didn't care. Humid warm air entered the
room, carrying the cries of disco patrons, the bass beat of the far
off music, and the sounds of the night crickets.

She turned from the window to find Dawn wearing her smile, and not
much else. Her top was by the door, and her shorts were tossed
casually over the desk chair. She'd kicked her sandals under the
table, and was standing there flushed, hands on her hips, looking far
too desirable. Elizabeth wondered idly where Dawn's panties were, but
she was fairly certain she knew where they hadn't been in the first
place. Dawn was always surprising her with that.

Dawn walked slowly to the bed, lowering herself down, and curling her
legs up. Elizabeth stared in awe at the naked girl. She'd never get
tired of watching her. Not as long as she lived.

Dawn beckoned with a mischievous smile.

Elizabeth approached on wobbly legs. Her desire was flooding through
her senses, and she felt dizzy, the night sounds of paradise
contributing to the surreal effect. She wanted to touch, and be
touched. She wanted to lose herself in Dawn.

She crawled up onto the bed, offering her mouth to Dawn. The blonde
girl kissed her playfully and then pulled away. Elizabeth cried out
quietly in frustration.

"If you don't want to, say so. I ... can't stand this much longer."
Elizabeth could feel the insistent throbbing between her legs. She'd
finish herself if need be, but she'd prefer the glorious naked
creature curled up in front of her.

"I want to, Elizabeth. More than anything in the world, no matter
what," Dawn whispered.

Elizabeth shook her head in confusion, not quite sure what Dawn was
on about. She rocked forward, still on her hands and knees, and tried
to kiss Dawn again. Dawn shied away, regret filling her features.

"Please? Don't tease me?" Elizabeth whispered.

"I'm not, sweety. Hold on, for a moment, okay?"

Dawn had never done this before. She seemed uncertain. Dawn had
always been the certain one about this relationship. Elizabeth was
confused and concerned by Dawn's sudden behaviour changes. She hoped
that it wasn't residual from this afternoon's stresses.

Elizabeth knelt back on the bed and looked over at Dawn. She spoke
quietly, "Dawn, honey. What's the matter? Try to forget about the
robbery. It's over. I'm here."

Dawn smiled gently. "It's not that, Elizabeth. Well, not entirely.
And I promise we'll make love tonight. I want to."

Elizabeth sighed. Dawn would explain herself when she was ready. But
she didn't want to wait. She ached with her desire for the girl.

Dawn finally spoke quietly and carefully. She wasn't looking at
Elizabeth.

"Beth, sweety. You know what we were talking about at the beach?"

"Um. Sex?"

"Kind of. I ... oh God ... I told you that I didn't mind being
slapped?"

Elizabeth took a deep breath. She didn't even like thinking about
slapping Dawn.

"Dawn, I didn't mean to hurt you. I wouldn't. I'm sorry. Please don't
let it ruin this. I thought this was over with. I'm so sorry. I'll
apologise forever if that is what you want. I just want you, now.
Please?"

Dawn shivered and finally turned her blue eyes to lock onto
Elizabeth's hazel irises.

"I know you didn't mean it. And I ... God. I don't want you to think
I'm out of my tree. I'm scared. I don't want to frighten you, but I
want to share this with you. And I don't want you to leave me."

"This is about sex?" Elizabeth was finally beginning to see why Dawn
was being elusive.

Dawn nodded, her eyes beginning to tear up a little. No tears
escaped, though.

"Dawn, you know you can talk to me about sex," Elizabeth tried to be
reassuring. The damn throbbing between her legs wouldn't stop.

"But. You still aren't used to this," Dawn reached out with her
finger and lightly traced the curve of Elizabeth's breast beneath her
dress, making the red-haired girl shiver. "Even now, I'm the only one
naked here."

Elizabeth took a deep breath. Dawn had every right to be nervous
about talking to her about sex, considering. She gathered her
internal resources, consciously dropped her defences, and
purposefully pulled the dress over her head, dropping it beside the
bed. She knelt back easily in her bra and panties.

"Dawn, baby, I'm getting used to this. I don't want you to be afraid
of talking to me, though. I've lost enough relationships because of
that," she spoke earnestly. And every one of them had been her lack
of communication, she thought bitterly.

Dawn took a deep breath and held it. She spoke as she let it out.

"I ... I liked the slap. Sexually," Dawn spoke with a flush rising to
her face.

"What?" Elizabeth paused and registered the look of dismay crossing
Dawn's pretty face. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to be that way. I just
don't understand. You liked being slapped?"

Dawn swallowed and spoke gently. "Beth, if you don't want to do this,
or feel uncomfortable with it, I don't mind. I'll understand. I like
what we have. It's just that ... I sometimes fantasise about ...
being spanked. I don't understand it. It's not like I was spanked as
a child. Hell, my parents are great. They never lifted a finger to
me, at least that I can remember. My father even accepts me the way I
am, now, with you. Shit, I'm sorry. I didn't mean ..."

"It's all right," Elizabeth spoke quietly. Her face had fallen at the
mention of family, but she was slowly getting used to the fact that
she couldn't bring Dawn home for dinner. It hurt, especially since
Dawn's parents liked her, but she had to accept it. Dawn did.

The girls looked at one another for a long time. Dawn broke the
silence.

"You ... you never told me what you thought. You know..." she began
awkwardly.

Elizabeth licked her lips. "Dawn? Are you serious? You want me to hit
you?"

Dawn leaned back on her hands. "I ... I don't know. I don't want it
if you are uncomfortable with it. That's for sure."

Elizabeth nodded thoughtfully.

"And I don't want it all the time, exactly. And I don't want it hard.
At least I don't think so."

"I'm not sure I can hurt you," Elizabeth felt a strange sensation
flow through her senses at the words.

"How about just starting lightly? If you want to at all. Seriously.
I'm happy the way we are. I don't need this. It can stay in my
fantasy life, like it has for the last twenty-four years. I'll be
fine," Dawn's voice was earnest. She was being truthful. She could
bury this, if it was going to harm the relationship.

"But you really want this, don't you? You've never done it before?"
Elizabeth struggled to keep her voice from cracking.

Dawn took a deep breath. "I want it, yes. And I've never loved or
trusted anyone enough to ask before."

Elizabeth didn't trust her voice. She merely nodded slowly. The throb
between her legs had intensified to unbearable levels. She wanted to
hold Dawn, stroke her. Wanted to be touched. Wanted to be loved.

Dawn uncurled herself and slowly crawled to the foot of the bed where
Elizabeth was kneeling. She carefully draped her bare body over
Elizabeth's knees. Elizabeth shivered at the sensations of bare skin
against her own.

Dawn moaned quietly as Elizabeth traced the bare buttocks across her
knees. Elizabeth raised her hand and gently brought it down on the
soft skin. Dawn laughed softly into the covers.

"The slap you gave me earlier was harder."

"I don't want to hurt you."

"You won't. I'll stop you if it gets to be too much."

Elizabeth sighed, and wished that Dawn's head were between her thighs
instead of pressed into the bedclothes. She closed her eyes and let
her hand fall again, this time a little harder. Dawn gasped as the
sound of the slap filled the room. Elizabeth traced the slightly
redder skin with her fingers eliciting further soft moans. The
crickets maintained their cadence through the sharp retorts of skin
on skin.

The next three light spanks caused more soft moans from the squirming
girl. After each light blow, Elizabeth let her fingers travel down.
Dawn willingly spread her thighs, allowing her lover access.
Elizabeth soothed the stinging with soft caresses to Dawn's swollen
clitoris. Dawn jumped at each touch, but never complained. Her pale
skin was red, and somehow beautiful lying across Elizabeth's thighs.
To her surprise, Elizabeth could feel her arousal intensify as she
played Dawn's game. This game hadn't really held any interest to her
originally, but now, the sounds and the movements of Dawn were
filling her senses. She could feel Dawn's trust and her arousal and
it was driving her own.

Dawn rolled herself off Elizabeth's legs and lay back into the
pillows.

"Thank-you," Dawn whispered. Elizabeth could feel the throbbing
intensify throughout her body at the words. Her lover was thanking
her for hurting her. It suddenly made sense to her, whereas it had
only been a game before. Complete unadulterated trust.

Elizabeth slipped the underclothing from her body, leaving her nude.
She crawled up to Dawn. She noticed for the first time that Dawn had
tears in her eyes.

"I didn't..." Elizabeth began as a look of concern crossed her face.

"Shhh. No. I'm fine," Dawn reassured her. "I loved it."

Her lips touched Elizabeth's and they fell into a timeless kiss. The
fires intensified yet further in Elizabeth, beginning at the tips of
her breasts and ending between her legs. Her pulse pounded in time
with the unseen and unheard surf on the beach so far away. Every
touch of Dawn's fingers felt like fire dancing across her bare skin.

Her fingers found Dawn's nipples. The nipples were rock hard, and
Dawn moaned at the touch.

"Pinch," she whispered, and gasped as Elizabeth complied.

Elizabeth's fingers stole slowly down Dawn's body, circling her belly
button, lightly playing with the blonde thatch of hair below. She
considered pulling on the tight hairs, but thought that she might
experiment next time, this time she was still getting used to the
game. Her fingers sought out the swollen lips. Moisture coated her
fingers as she delved between the folds of soft skin. She entered
Dawn's body, pumping slowly as she kissed her.

"Please," Dawn begged quietly through the kiss, her voice trembling.

Elizabeth instinctively knew what to do, and what Dawn had begged
for. She gently withdrew from Dawn's vaginal opening and lightly
spanked at the lips. The sound of the contact was charged to her
ears. She couldn't believe she was actually hitting a girl there,
however lightly. Dawn squirmed and begged incoherently. Elizabeth
slowly dipped her middle finger inside again, stroking deep and then
lightly teasing Dawn's clitoris. The pleasure overriding whatever
pain she had caused. Five times, she did it, prolonging the teasing,
and kissing away Dawn's tears of frustration. The air surrounding
them was sticky with their hot breath mixing with the damp night air.
The sounds of the light slaps to the tender skin filled the room,
mixing with the laughing of some couple below the window, probably on
their way to the disco.

Finally, Dawn tensed on the last stroke of her clitoris. It was not
her normal rhythm, Elizabeth knew. She had intended to tease her
lover further before starting into her normal natural rhythms. She
began to speed her lightly stroking finger upward to match what she
knew was Dawn's normal rhythms. A full flush flowed over Dawn's
perspiration soaked body as her muscles contracted. Elizabeth's
finger slipped inside, her thumb replacing the finger from Dawn's
clitoris; she loved the feel of Dawn's climaxes from inside, almost
experiencing the uncontrollable clenching as though she was one with
her.

At last, Dawn touched her still stroking hand, telling her she was
done. The climax had been long, loud and hard, and Dawn was still
breathing heavily with her exertions. The smell of female musk
radiated from her as she struggled to control her breathing. Even her
blonde hair was damp with her efforts. With one last light stroke,
Elizabeth withdrew her fingers from Dawn's sex.

As Elizabeth lay back, she touched her wet fingers to her lips,
savouring the sharp taste of Dawn. Dawn's arousal fuelled her own,
the throbbing nearly making her cry with desire. She closed her eyes
and let her fingers pinch at her own nipples, shivering at her own
light touches.

She felt Dawn move, but didn't open her eyes.

"Going to finish yourself?" Dawn asked quietly. Her voice came from
down near Elizabeth's legs. She could feel the soft skin of Dawn
lying between her thighs.

"I will if you want, but I'd rather you did it," Elizabeth whispered.

"All you had to do was ask, my sweet," Dawn whispered back.

Elizabeth felt Dawn's fingers gently push her own away from her
nipples. Suddenly there were soft touches, softer than her own,
gently rubbing her swollen nipples. A soft wetness pushed between her
lower lips. She almost fainted when the nerves tingled through her
body. Dawn's tongue teased her gently, entering her, exploring her.
She was unbelievably aroused. The gentle probing was going to make
her explode far before she wanted to. She wanted these sensations to
last forever. She was suddenly aware of the deep pounding of the
disco, or perhaps it was her heart. The loud chirping of the crickets
seemed to be in time with Dawn's probing tongue. The heavy scent of
their lovemaking mixed gently with the humidity, almost like the
aftermath of a thunderstorm. Her senses were filled up with Dawn, her
scent, the remembered movement of Dawn's nakedness as she stung her,
the first slap, the humidity, the pounding of the surf. She struggled
with holding back her climax, wanting to prolong the sweet touches to
her nipples, to her centre. Her resistance was finally overwhelmed.
The soft surf washed over her senses as she exploded in pleasure. She
heard a cry, realised it was her own, as all the muscles in her body
contracted in unison. She arched herself, trying to get more contact
with Dawn's softness.

She collapsed into the bed, her heart pounding in her ears, her
breathing ragged. She didn't even have the strength to touch Dawn to
let her know she was finished. Dawn figured it out quickly enough,
and with one final gentle lick, crawled up and lay quietly in the
crook of Elizabeth's arm.

After a fifteen minutes, Elizabeth gently extracted herself and
padded naked to the open window. The warm moist air caressed her bare
skin, evaporating the light sheen of perspiration that still adhered
to her. She leaned on the windowsill, unconcerned about her nudity at
this time of night. Her breasts still heaved with her laboured
breathing. She watched the darkened pool as two lovers swam through
the black water like silent mermaids. She wondered if Dawn's cries
had carried down that far. Or her own, for that matter. Smiling, she
wondered if Dawn and her would use the pool like the young lovers.
They had all week. An eternity together.

She gently closed and carefully locked the window. She padded quietly
around the room, double-checking the locks. Satisfied, she padded
back to the bed. Dawn was fast asleep, curled up towards Elizabeth's
side of the bed. She watched her sleep for a while, then gently lay
down, switching off the bedside lamp as she settled down with Dawn.
Dawn automatically curled up against Elizabeth, sighing quietly in
her sleep, her fingers splayed across Elizabeth's right breast and
nipple.

Exhausted, Elizabeth pulled the sheet over their hot bodies and
sighed. She closed her eyes, feeling the long day finally driven from
her consciousness. She felt like she was falling into dreams of
endless palm trees, oceans, and peace.

She couldn't do much about her family. Perhaps someday her father
might understand. This girl, in her arms, was the centre of the
universe for her. They were going places Elizabeth had never dreamed
of, and she definitely wanted to go. The spanking had been an
unexpected surprise, something good out of something bad. The morning
was going to be interesting. God, she loved this girl. She hugged
Dawn, careful not to wake her.

A soft voice floated up from her bare breast, where the blonde hair
fanned out across her chest. "This is paradise."

The crickets continued their unconcerned night song as Elizabeth
drifted into a quiet sleep. This certainly was paradise.