You Bet Your Wife (MF, cheat, rom, slow) Original story by Hungry Guy Reworked by SHATTIMS --------------------------------------------------------------------- A shy young man tricks a couple into letting the wife spend a weekend with him, then slowly and romantically seduces her. This was first posted in Jan 2007 on ASSTR by "Hungry Guy", but he has told me it was really one of his earliest stories. He made a few updates, including a change of location, before posting it. He has given me permission to publish my version of it. The story as posted was set in New York City and New Jersey, but was filled with British terms that would never have been used by anyone living and working in the United States. I Americanized the terms and the Gaelic names of the people, then started reworking the content. I kept the New Jersey section with few changes except for one rearrangement leading to a new scene at the end of it. But I provided a different version of the "bet" part of the story, and I rewrote most of the ending, making it somewhat longer. --------------------------------------------------------------------- It took Carl a long time to save up for it, and put him in debt for the next six years, but he finally did it. He finally bought a brand new Jaguar XJ8 -- a car that was worth what he made in a year as a junior computer programmer for MegaTelco in New York City. At least, being single, he had no other major expenses. He arrived home from work Friday night to his flat overlooking the Hudson river, and pulled a TV dinner out of the freezer. While it was cooking, he dialed Frank and Susie. He had met them at work, and though they were married and he was single the three of them got along well together. Usually they just hung out at his place or their place and watched rented movies, or played poker for small change. "Hey, Frank, you'll never guess what I have." ... "No, a lot better than that. You know that car I was drooling over?" ... "Yeah, can you believe it? I got it -- my own Jag!" ... "Are you kidding? I'd love to show it off! How about if I come over after dinner and take you and Susie for a spin?" ... "Sure, Eight'll be fine. See you then." Carl arrived at Frank and Susie's place, a little row house up in the Bronx, and parked in their driveway. Susie and Frank came out of the house before he even got out of the car, so he just rolled down the window and grinned at them. "Oooh, it's beautiful," Susie said. "Sure, and I got it loaded too! You wouldn't believe what comes standard on it, but I also got the navigation system with DVD maps, Sirius radio, and a 320 watt sound system. I can even control the navigation and AC just by talking to it!" "You're gonna get the babes now, old man," said Frank, jacking his eyebrows up and down as he grinned in Carl's face. Actually, Carl had never had any luck picking up women and, as both his friends knew, was still a virgin at 25. Carl wasn't bad looking, he was tall and slim, and women had actually come on to him on occasion back in college, but he was such a klutz that he always spoiled his opportunities. Susie had even tried to set Carl up with a couple of her girlfriends, but nothing ever came of it. But now he had his dream car, and it was already giving him new confidence in himself. He was secretly hoping he could start to make up for some of those missed opportunities. Carl asked, "Well, you guys wanna go for a ride in my car?" "You bet," said Frank. "C'mon, Susie, let's go!" He already had his hand on the back door handle as he spoke. "Well, OK, just a short ride," she replied, as she walked around to the passenger side and slid into the back seat there. "Oh, wow! This is so plush," she gasped as she settled into the seat. Carl just beamed as he backed out into the street. A few blocks away, after turning onto a main street, he looked into the mirror and asked, "Where to? Maybe head downtown and have a few drinks to celebrate?" Susie shook her head. "Slow down guys, why don't we just go back home, I don't feel like getting wasted tonight. And I'm sure Carl doesn't want to get high and wrap his brand new car around a light pole!" Carl nodded, "Sure, Susie, maybe I shouldn't have come over tonight. You're probably tired from the week's work, and just wanting to relax with Frank." "I didn't mean to say you have to go, it's still early. I'm just not in the mood to go bar hopping, that's all," Susie explained. "You know, I don't think Susie even likes your car," kidded Frank. Carl could tell that Frank wasn't really putting the car down. In fact he'd been leaning up against Carl's shoulder from the moment he got into it, inspecting all the instruments, rubbing his hands over the leather, admiring the perfect fit of everything, and nearly drooling. "Oh, I like it," Susie said quietly. "I like it too much. It's making me jealous." "Oh, oh," Carl joked, "we can't have that. The next thing you know, she's going to want to go home with me. And you've not begun to see jealous until you see how Frank would react to that." They all laughed. "Okay, no bar hopping, so what say we play a bit of poker when we get home?" asked Frank. "Fine with me," said Susie. "Sure, I'm game," added Carl. "But let's up the stakes this once," urged Frank. "Oops, I smell a rat," Carl put in. "Susie, is he going to play me for a sucker and try to win my Jag?" Frank laughed, "Not that I wouldn't like to, but let's say that's well beyond what I meant by upping the stakes." "OK, how about this. If you win, Frank, you get to drive my Jag for a few days." "Oh, man, Carl, don't say things like that unless you mean them. I'd give anything to drive this beauty for a few days." "I do mean it, Frank, but of course you have to put up something equally valuable in case I win." "Yeah, there's the rub. I don't have anything this valuable." "I disagree, Frank, you do too. And I thought you said you'd give anything to be able to drive the Jag." "Uh, that was a figure of speech, but, Carl, I still don't know what I have that is so valuable, other than our house, and that's out of the question." By now they were back at that house, and Susie announced, "While you guys figure out your silly bet, I'm going to go inside." After she was out of earshot, Carl said, calmly, "What I'm thinking is this. If you win, I loan you my car for a week. If I win, you loan me your wife for a week." "That's crazy!" Frank sputtered. "A wife's not just like a car that you can loan to your friends! You don't loan wives. EVER! Besides, there is no way that Susie would agree to something like that." "Don't be so sure. Let me ask you something, Frank. How long have you been married?" Five years. So what?" "So, in those five years, have you ever thought about, you know, being with some other woman? Tell me the truth, now." "Sure, what man hasn't? But that doesn't mean I've gone out and done something about it. I haven't had sex with anyone else since we were married, and I'm damn sure Susie hasn't either." "Did I say anything about having sex? I was thinking of someone to cook and take care of my place. Of course she would be spending the nights there, and I do only have one bedroom, but naturally I wouldn't make her do anything she didn't want to. You do trust Susie, don't you?" "Well, yes, but God, man, that's too much! Besides, it'll never happen because she wouldn't stand for it." "So, that's what I was trying to get at a minute ago. You say you've thought about being with other women. Maybe she's thought about being with other men." Frank started to speak but Carl put up his hand to stop him. "Look. The three of us are friends. If, by some chance, she WAS wondering what it would feel like to spend time with another man, this would be the perfect opportunity. Someone she knows and feels comfortable with; someone she trusts; someone that you can trust her with. So don't be so sure she wouldn't stand for it. Why don't you ask her?" "No way! I couldn't do that. She'd think I was suspecting her of having an affair. Or worse, she might think that I was trying to tell her that I was, or was about to. "But wait a minute," he added, suddenly suspicious. "What do you know that I don't? Are you two already having an affair?" Carl laughed. "No, Frank, we aren't, I assure you. I'm still a virgin. And Susie and I haven't talked about anything like this. In fact, I don't think we have ever talked about anything when you weren't there. "But I see your point. It would be hard for you to bring the subject up without her being suspicious. So, how about this. I loan you my car right now - no bet needed - and you take it to the store to get something. Maybe you can think of something you need. I'll go in and see if I can find a way to broach the subject. If she flat out refuses, I won't say anything further about the bet. But if she's willing to consider the idea, I'll bring the bet up again while we're playing cards. Deal?" "That's quite a bribe," Frank grinned, "letting me take your Jag. Yeah, deal." Carl handed over the keys, then went to the door and knocked. Susie answered, quite puzzled. "What happened to Frank?" "Well, we couldn't come to an agreement on a bet, but I let him drive my car to the store. He said he had something he needed to pick up." "Oh, Carl, that was so sweet! I could tell he was dying to drive it." "Actually," he said with a crooked smile, "I wasn't totally being nice. I'm kinda cooking up a joke to play on him, and I need your help. So I figured that was a good way to get rid of him for a few minutes." "Well, come on in and sit down. I can't wait to hear what you're cooking up." "Well, OK, but I warn you, you're going to be sort of shocked when I tell you. I think before you went in earlier, I was saying that my bet could be that I would loan him my car for a week, and he was saying he didn't have anything that valuable to put up." She nodded, "Yes, except for our house, and thank goodness he wasn't willing to put that up!" "Well, after you left, I told him that he did have something more valuable than my car." Carl looked Susie straight in the eyes as he added, "I told him he had you." "Oh, my, that was nice, ... but ... I hope, ... I mean, ... surely you weren't suggesting ..." Her face was beet red and she couldn't finish the sentence. Carl kept his eyes locked to hers. "Ah, but I did mean. Or at least I tried to make him think that's what I meant. That's the joke I want to play on him. I want him to think that he is offering to loan you to me, for me to keep for a few days and do anything ... anything I want to do with you." Then he broke the eye contact and gave her a boyish grin. "Of course you know, and I know, that we're just friends. Can you even imagine actually cheating on him with me? Me, a virgin?" They both giggled a bit nervously. "What I actually proposed was that if he won the bet I would loan my car to him for a week, and that if I won the bet he would loan you to me for a week." "Carl! I am shocked, but I guess he must have said no, because you told me you couldn't agree on a bet." "Oh, yes, he said no, all right, but wait 'til you hear his main reason. He said there was no way it would happen, because there was no way you would agree to it." "Well, he was certainly right on that," she nodded. "I mean," with a sly smile, "he was right, would have been right, if you and I hadn't talked about it. But a week? No way!" "Yeah, I know. That was just an opening gambit. If we should discuss it again, I would expect him to come back with the business that you are much more valuable than a car - which of course you are - and I plan to let him talk me down to just a weekend. I thought of letting him talk me down to just a day, or just a night, but if I win I want to have you cook for me. You would agree to do that, wouldn't you? And just a day is no good, because he wouldn't have enough of a reason to think -- you know. "So, what do you think, Susie? Are you game for my little joke?" Carl could almost see the gears going in her head, until she finally came to a decision. "You know what, Frank has been something of a prick recently, excuse my French, and I think he deserves it. I'm in, and I hope you win." Carl realized he had cut it a little close, because it was only moments later that they saw the Jag's lights slash across the living room window as Frank turned into the driveway. It wasn't long before the three of them were playing penny-ante poker. Carl saw some questioning looks from Frank, but he ignored them, and before long Frank relaxed, obviously convinced that the bet was off. They had been playing nearly an hour when suddenly both Frank and Carl started betting wildly. Susie dropped out quickly, saying she had nothing. Carl looked at Frank and drawled, "So, it appears you think you have a pretty good hand. Care to increase the bet a bit?" "Sounds good to me, if you've got the money," Frank shot back. "How about a dollar a point." "Sure, I'd do that, but I just cleaned out my wallet for the down payment on that Jag. Speaking of which, how about that bet we were discussing earlier?" Frank turned white as a sheet, and his eyes darted between Carl and Susie. "I thought we said that was out of the question," he squeaked. "And I thought," Carl said with emphasis, "we had some disagreement as to how Susie would feel about it." Frank turned pleading eyes to Susie. "Do you know what we're talking about, hon? Did Carl tell you?" "Yes, Frank, he said if you won he would loan you his car. And if he won, you would loan him," she bit her lip, then cast her eyes to the floor and whispered, "me." "I told him you would never agree to anything like that." "Well, I don't know. Why don't you let me look at your hand." Frank stared at her in disbelief, but then showed her his hand. Her eyes widened, and she said, "Frank, I know you really, really, want to drive Carl's car. With that hand, I think you should go for it." "Are you sure, Susie? Did he tell you that he wanted you to stay with him at night ... and everything?" "Yes, Frank, he told me. Don't you trust me? Besides, how can you lose with that hand?" Frank sighed heavily. "I guess you're right. But it scares me." He stared at his hand moodily for a while, then looked up at Carl. "OK, Carl, but out in the car you said a week for a week. That's no good. You know damn well she's worth a lot more than a car, even a Jag. How about if I loan her to you just for the day. She can go over there tomorrow morning, and come back tomorrow evening." Carl shook his head. "That's not good enough, and you know it." "Well then, just for," he nearly choked on the words, "one night." "Still no good. If you're going to loan me a wife I want one that cooks my meals and cleans my house." "Cleans your house?" Susie burst in. "You didn't tell me about that part." "Don't worry," Carl winked at her, "very light housekeeping only. Actually, for a bachelor I keep a very clean apartment. OK, Frank, final offer. You loan me Susie just for the weekend." Frank glared at him. "Only if your bet is for two weeks with the Jag." "Done. Now, shall we look at those cards?" "Let's do it together, one at a time," Frank suggested. * Frank put down a queen of spades. Carl put down a two of hearts. * Frank put down a jack of spades. Carl put down a three of hearts. * Frank put down a jack of clubs. Carl put down a four of hearts. * Frank put down a jack of hearts. Carl put down a five of hearts. * Frank put down a jack of diamonds. Carl put down a six of hearts. Frank stared at the cards in disbelief. Carl had beaten his four of a kind with a straight flush. Finally he looked up in defeat. "So, when do you want this loan to be?" "I was thinking starting right now." Susie got up from the table, mumbling, "I'll be back in a minute." The two guys just sat there in an awkward silence, not knowing what to say. Finally Frank croaked, "This is a joke, right? You aren't going to really do this, are you?" "Sorry, Frank, a bet's a bet. If you had won I really would have loaned you my car. Since I won, you really are loaning me your wife." "But I love her! I can't believe we're doing this." "It's only for the weekend. You'll have her back on Monday." "Sunday night, you mean." "No, Frank, Sunday night is still the weekend. I'll bring her back here early Monday morning." Susie walked into the living room carrying a small bag. Frank rushed up to her, and kissed her passionately. "I love you Susie, please don't do this." She spoke coldly, "It's too late, Frank, a bet's a bet, and we have to honor it." Carl took Susie's bag. "Shall we go, Susie?" "Sure ..." Susie followed Carl out to his car, leaving Frank standing in the doorway with his mouth hanging open. They both kept a straight face until they turned the corner at the end of the block, then broke out roaring with laughter. When they arrived back at Carl's flat, he brought Susie's bag into the living room, and set it on the coffee table. "I guess you can sleep on the sofa, Susie. I have a spare pillow and some extra blankets. I'll get them." Carl disappeared into his bedroom for a moment, and returned with an armload of blankets and a pillow. "I hope you'll be comfortable. Anyway, I'm beat, so I'm going to take a bath and go right to bed. G'night!" "You mean you don't want me to -- uh -- you know?" "Don't worry Susie, I don't expect you to do anything with me. But! You have to promise me that you'll tell Frank that we did sleep together and that we screwed our brains out the whole time!" Susie giggled, "Okay, I'll tell him that. It'll serve him right to think that we did it all weekend long!" "Anyway," [yawn,] "G'night Susie. Is there anything else you'll need?" "No thanks. This is fine. 'Night, Carl." ~~~~ When Carl woke the next morning and headed for the toilet, Susie was already there and the water was running in the tub. He knocked on the door. "Susie, can you hear me?" The water stopped. "Yeah, I hear you. Is it OK if I take a bath?" "Sure, of course, but, uh, are you already in the tub?" "No, I was just about to get in." "Well, uh, I hate to interrupt you, but, uh, I kinda need to go." "Oh, I'm sorry, I should have thought. Just give me a minute and I'll be out." She was as good as her word. A minute later she opened the door, still buttoning her blouse. He looked at her chest and grinned. She saw he was wearing pajamas, and blushed, but they didn't say anything. Neither of them was about to admit that he knew she knew he had a partial erection, or that she knew he knew that she wasn't wearing a bra. No panties, either, he realized, as he saw her undies draped over the toilet tank. Due to stiffness he had an unusually difficult time peeing, but he finally managed. He would have loved to jack off, but was afraid that would be obvious. He washed his hands quickly, and looked at his morning beard, but decided that would have to wait. He opened the door, and they avoided each others' eyes as they exchanged places. "I'll make it fast," she muttered. She emerged half an hour later with her hair wrapped in a towel. "'Morning Susie! We didn't exactly, uh, greet each other properly before." "'Morning, Carl. Uh, by properly, do you mean, uh, like ..." He smiled. "No, Susie. By properly I meant in a proper fashion, not an improper fashion. You have to trust me. Now if you don't mind, I need to shave." "Carl, you must be one of the last true gentlemen on earth." She shook her head, then looked at him and added earnestly, "I can't thank you enough for the way you're treating me. I'll start breakfast while you're shaving." "Okay, thanks." When Carl finished in the bathroom he saw Susie working in the kitchen, but went into the bedroom and got dressed in a pair of jeans and a blue tee shirt. When he entered the kitchen, Susie was there with her hair combed in its usual way and wearing jeans and a dark blue sweatshirt, making pancakes. "I found some pancake mix in the cupboard," she said. Susie poured coffee and orange juice, and served the pancakes. They ate together in an awkward silence. As they were finishing, Carl broke the silence, "Okay, Susie, I've got a trip planned for us today." "Oh? Where?" "You'll see. Go get your bag ready again." Susie looked at Carl quizzically for a moment, while he just grinned back at her and went to the bedroom. She put their dishes in the dishwasher, then picked up her bag by the sofa, which already had all her things in it. Carl came out of the bedroom with a bag of his own. He went over to her, took her bag, and led her out to his car. Carl's bright white Jaguar had left New York and had been heading west into New Jersey on US-22. About an hour into the drive, he entered New Jersey's notorious Somerville Circle and exited southbound onto US-206. Susie asked again, "Where are we going Carl? Please tell me!" "Just up ahead," he said with a grin. Nearly an hour later, he turned right onto a winding secondary road, which snaked up into the hills. A mile or so from the exit, he slowed and turned into a wide driveway through a heart shaped wooden archway that read, "Lover's Hideout." "I have always planned to take a girlfriend to this place, if I could ever get a girlfriend." "Carl, this isn't a nudist camp, is it?" asked Susie. "Oh no! Nothing like that! It's a nice place. A bed-and-breakfast surrounded by a garden, forest paths, and ponds. At least that's what they say. The thing is, you aren't allowed to explore the place unless you're registered with your lover. Of course we're not really lovers, but they won't know that. You are my chance to find out what the place is really like." They drove up the winding wooded driveway for about a quarter mile until they came to a clearing. There was a small parking lot big enough for, at most, twenty cars. Only five other cars were there. They could see a building just up a brick path that led from the parking lot. Carl got their bags out of the trunk and led her up the path. The building, they saw, was a large two story stone cottage with lots of storybook gingerbread ornamentation. "Cute," remarked Susie, as they entered. Once inside, they were in a cozy little lobby area with oriental throw rugs scattered here and there, and antiques used as lobby furniture. Carl led Susie up to the registration counter, and the woman standing there greeted them in a Slavic accent. "Welcome to Lovers' Hideout," she said with a genuinely warm smile. "I'm Ingrid. How can I help the two of you?" "I'm Carl, and this is Susie. We'd like a room, please." "Certainly," answered Ingrid. "It'll be $250 per night, which includes the room, all meals, and recreational facilities and entertainment." Susie pulled Carl away from the counter. "Carl," she whispered, "please don't spend that much money on me! I'm not really your girl, you know!" "Susie," Carl whispered back, "I'm not spending it on you! Honestly, I'm spending it on me. I want to have a romantic night. I've played this weekend through in my head so many times already. I just didn't expect it to happen quite this way." Carl returned to the counter and said, "One night, please." He handed Ingrid his VISA card, and a bit later she handed Carl a room key. "You're in room seven. Just up those stairs. Checkout time is anytime you want. Enjoy your stay!" "Thank you," answered Carl. Susie merely nodded. Carl grabbed their bags, and they walked out of the lobby into a small anteroom and up a narrow stone stairway. At the top of the stairway a wooden 'cupid' pointed to rooms 1 to 5 to the left, and another to rooms 6 to 20 to the right. They turned right and went past room 6, then found themselves at the one with the number 7 emblazoned on a wooden heart on the door. Carl set the bags down, unlocked the door with the key, and opened it. Susie started to walk in, but Carl said, "Wait! Maybe you're not my wife, but the way things are going, I'm never going to have one of my own. I really want to do this." And before Susie could speak, Carl picked her up and carried her through the doorway. Once in the room he carried her to the bed and sat down, seating her on his lap. Susie put her hand on his shoulder. "You really are a romantic guy, Carl. It's a shame you aren't doing this with your own girlfriend." "Honestly Susie, I'd rather be here with a friend than not be doing it at all!" Susie smiled and started to get off Carl's lap. "Wait! Kiss me, Susie." "What? Carl! I ..." "Susie, I just want a kiss." "Uhm. Shouldn't we get our bags out of the hallway, Carl?" "Oh, right ..." Susie got off Carl's lap and he brought their bags into the room. He looked around for the first time; it was a quaint little room. The most noticeable feature was the four poster king size bed covered with a seemingly handmade quilt. On one table was a marble stylized sculpture of a man and woman embracing, but not otherwise erotic. On one of the night-stands was a small bowl of green M&Ms. Noticeably absent was a TV or phone. Susie was also looking around. "How sweet! A bouquet of fresh flowers." They were standing in a vase on a table by the window. Susie walked over to the flowers to smell them, then opened a door next to the window that led out to a secluded balcony. It was enclosed on three sides, and also protected by an arch on the outer wall. A grove of trees stood just beyond the wrought iron balcony railing, allowing a view onto the grounds, but obscuring the view of the balcony from below. Carl followed her out onto the balcony. "This is lovely, Carl! How did you ever find a place like this?" "I've always been on the lookout for places like this to take a girlfriend. This place was listed in a book of local weekend trips. So anyway, here we are. Now, kiss me Susie!" "But Carl, what if someone sees us? We can go inside -- to kiss ..." "Susie, I'm sure that anyone spying on these balconies has seen a lot worse than kissing!" "But what if someone recognizes me? Maybe we should have stayed at your place." "Don't worry, not a whole lot of people know about this place. The owners like to keep it that way too. That's why I brought you here. "Now, are you going to honor Frank's bet and kiss me, or not?" She approached him and stood stiffly with her arms to her side. He embraced her and gave her a quick, but passionate, kiss. Susie pulled away after about a second. Still holding her, Carl said, "Come on, Susie, let's take a walk around." Carl took Susie's hand as they left the room. Back down in the anteroom they saw that besides the doorway to the lobby there was one into a dimly lit dining room, another to a tiny lounge, and yet another into a small game room. Finally, there was a short hallway that led out to the back of the building, and that is where Carl led Susie. They exited into a thin grove of trees, where a number of brick paths led off in different directions. A large heart shaped sign hanging on a tree there read: The way leading back to the Inn will always be marked wherever you are. But the trails leading away from the Inn are deliberately left unmapped because we want every journey through our woods to be a romantic surprise. "Well, let's go this way," said Carl. They walked up a path and around a hill and came into a hanging garden. For a hot summer day, it felt quite cool standing here among the shady trees. Here, paths branched in all different directions and they ambled down one at random. "Ohhh, these flowers are so pretty! This is just beautiful, Carl!" "Yes, I didn't know they had a hanging garden here! This is nice!" They continued walking through the garden, hand in hand. They eventually passed through an archway in a stone wall, which led out into a heavily wooded area. The brick path split in two and they continued down one of the branches. Another couple approached from the other direction, and as they came near, Susie jerked her hand out of Carl's. Carl said nothing, and the couples nodded to each other as they passed. When the other couple was out of sight, Carl said, "Susie, why did you pull your hand away? Until this weekend is over, you are my main squeeze!" "I'm sorry Carl, I just got nervous." "Well, okay. But listen. I want some PDA!" "PDA?" He laughed, "That means 'Public Display of Affection.' The very next time we are about to pass another couple on the path. I want you to stop, put your arms around me, and plant a long wet one on the kisser!" "Carl -- I ..." Smiling, Carl urged, "No 'Carl, I.' That's what you're going to do when we hear another couple coming down the path!" "I'll try." Carl took her hand again and they continued walking along the path, but they passed no other couples. They soon came to a hilly spring meadow. They walked on and noticed another couple having a picnic under a tree off in the distance. "Let's not disturb them," said Susie, and they turned another way. They walked over to another tree, which was by the bank of a babbling brook. Carl sat down on a rock and pulled Susie onto his lap, then gave her a longer passionate kiss. To his surprise, she didn't try to pull away. As they kissed, Carl began massaging Susie's back with his hands. She didn't seem to mind, and they sat there necking for nearly a minute. Susie finally pulled away, saying, "Phew! I think that's enough of that. I'm starting to get a little hungry, aren't you?" "Only for you Susie! But sure, let's go." Susie got off Carl's lap and they walked back to the path that led into the meadow. They found the path and started walking along it back the way they came. Just as the sign said, they found the signs leading back to the Inn and returned with no problem. They arrived about noon and entered the dining room, which had just opened for lunch. The host escorted them to a tiny table, which, like all the other tables, had a small vase containing a single pink rose. Naturally there were only two chairs at each table. A moment later, the steward appeared and poured two glasses of red wine. Susie took the lead this time, picking up her glass and clinking it to Carl's. "To friendship." "To friendship, Susie." "Carl?" "Yes Susie?" "Uh -- oh, nothing -- I mean, this is such a wonderful place, I wonder why more people don't know about it?" "Well, it wouldn't be so wonderful if they advertised it like a major resort and there were huge crowds, would it?" "No. It wouldn't." The waiter appeared and handed them their menus. As he left the steward returned and refilled their glasses. "This is delicious wine, Carl." "Yes, it's very sweet, I noticed." "I wonder what it is?" "I don't know, but I wonder how they make any money. There's hardly anybody else here." At that point, another couple was escorted in by the host. Though the dining room was small, there was a wide distance between tables that afforded a good degree of privacy. And he sat that other couple at the far end of the room. "Anyway, Susie, what do you think you'll have? It's all included with our room, so have whatever you want." Carl and Susie studied their menus until the waiter returned. "Have you decided?" he asked. Susie looked at Carl then up at the waiter. "I'll have the shrimp and clam fettucini." "Excellent choice, madam. And you sir?" "I'll have the corned beef and a baked potato, please." "Very good sir, anything else to drink?" "Perhaps a cup of tea, Susie said. "Do you have Earl Grey?" "Certainly," he nodded. "Me too," added Carl. "Very well, it will be about ten minutes." The waiter then left. "So, Susie. I hope you're enjoying our weekend together so far." "It's okay," Susie answered softly. "Just okay?" "Okay means okay." Carl stopped pressing the issue, and they chatted about their walk until the food arrived. "How's the shrimp, Susie?" "It's really good! Try one?" "Thanks. Mmmm. It is good." "How's your beef?" "Excellent. Uh, want a bite?" "No thanks, this is enough for me." After lunch, Carl took Susie's hand again as they left the dining room. They walked back outside and up a different brick path than before. The woods grew gradually thicker, though the path was well maintained and the bricks were solidly in place. They kept walking and eventually came to a clearing. Susie looked at Carl, "Ooooh! A wishing well!" There in the center of the clearing where the path made a circle around it, was a stone well -- a real one with a wooden roof and an old fashioned iron crank and bucket. Carl took a quarter out of his pocket and tossed it in the well. The coin clinked as it hit the side of the well, and it was several seconds before they heard the plop echo up the well. Susie grinned and also took a coin from her purse and tossed it in. "What did you wish for Susie?" "I can't tell you! The wish won't come true, then!" They started walking along the path again as they each reached to take the other's hand. The path continued winding through the woods, over a wooden bridge that crossed a small stream, and then down a slight grade. The path became level again and then they came to another fork. "Which way, Carl?" "Oh I don't know -- this way I guess." They walked a little while longer along the brick path through the shade of the trees. They came out in another clearing at the base of a tall waterfall that fell into a small rocky lagoon. The edge of the lagoon was covered by a rainbow of tropical flowers. "Ohhhhhhh, how beautiful, Carl!" Later they were walking along a new garden path, holding hands. Carl was lost in his own thoughts, looking through the trees, when Susie suddenly stopped, stepped in front of him, put her arms around his neck, and mashed her mouth against his. Carl put his arms around her waist and pulled her even tighter against him as they kissed. A moment later, another couple walked past them arm in arm, and disappeared around the bend. Susie broke the kiss, but continued holding him. "Is that what you wanted me to do?" "Oh yes, Susie! But don't stop just because the other couple walked away." They resumed the kiss, which lasted for a long time, They finally broke apart and continued on their way. As they walked, Carl released Susie's hand and slipped his arm around her waist. She then put her arm around his waist, and they walked along together matching paces. "You know, Carl, it's funny how different you and Frank are. Frank won't even hold my hand in public; he says it's vulgar." "Well, Susie, I don't think there's anything vulgar about caring for someone." They kissed again, then continued on their way. They meandered up one path and down another, taking random routes at the forks until they came to a shore of a large lake filled with geese. Another couple was sitting on one of the benches feeding bread to the large brown birds. They walked over and sat down at another bench, but they were immediately surrounded by hungry geese. "These geese are obviously used to being fed," Carl laughed. "Probably, but we don't have anything for them." HONK! "Sorry, fella," Carl answered the goose. The geese finally gave up and left them alone. Carl took this opportunity to put his arm around Susie and snuggle closer, taking her hand in his free hand. Susie put her free arm around Carl and they sat like that for some time just watching the wind blow the trees and the geese swim around the pond. After some time Susie snuggled up closer to Carl and rubbed her cheek against his shoulder. He bent down and kissed her forehead. She tilted her head up and he kissed her nose. It wasn't long until their mouths were joined, and the kisses went on and on. At some point the other couple left, but Carl and Susie didn't even notice, any more than they noticed the geese swimming off together to another part of the lake looking for more food. Eventually, though, the setting sun caught their attention. "Oooh, I guess we'd better head back, Susie." "Yes, Carl, that seems like a good idea." They pecked a few more kisses and got up and returned to the path. Walking along, the evening gradually became darker, but then they noticed that small lights along the edge of the path were starting to glow dimly then brighter. They also found that those signs leading back to the Inn were lit, so altogether they had no trouble getting back to the Inn. "Hmm, that's strange," remarked Susie, "I smell firewood burning. But why would anyone be burning a fire? It's still warm out this evening!" From the anteroom, they entered the dimly lit lounge where there were a few other couples sitting around a fireplace open on three sides, that was popping and crackling. Despite the heat from the fire it was a pleasant 70 degrees in the room, due clearly to air conditioning. There were no chairs, but instead large throw pillows scattered around the thick plush carpeted room. The other couples in the room were lounging arm-in-arm around the fire laughing and talking. Walking through the room, Carl took two glasses of wine from a shelf labeled "help yourself," and handed one to Susie. They found some pillows for themselves and lounged together watching the fire and sipping their wine. "I can't get over how wonderful this place is, Carl." "Yes, and there are still so many of those paths we haven't explored." "I wonder what else they could possibly have." "Well, we'll find out tomorrow!" With that, they just sat there for an hour or so, silently watching the fire, sipping wine, and exchanging an occasional kiss. Carl was starting to get hungry again. "Hey Susie, want to go for dinner?" "Sure, let's go." They left the lounge and once again visited the dining room. There were many more people there this time as they entered. "Good evening," welcomed the host, "this way please." He seated them at a table over in an alcove. The rose, this time, was red. The steward arrived shortly with the wine, followed by the waiter who handed them their menus again. "Well, Susie, what'll you have for dinner?" "Oh, I don't know. Let's see. That fettucini was pretty filling. I think I'll just have the chef's salad. How about you?" "Well, in that case, I think I'll have something light too. I guess I'll have a club sandwich." The waiter came back and took their order. Their dinner passed uneventfully. They took each other's hand as they left the dining room. It made Carl feel very warm inside that Susie now seemed to be taking their physical affection as a given. They walked back to the lobby, then past it to a long hallway. There were a number of small shops along one wall, and they entered a florist shop tended by an older woman. "Hi! I'm Caitlin, what can I do for two young lovers today?" "Ah, we're just - browsing," said Susie. "Actually," Carl spoke up, "I'll take four roses, please. One of each color." "Okay, here you are," as she handed him the roses. "They're one dollar each including tax. Charge them to your room?" "Sure, room seven," said Carl. Then, turning to Susie, "Here, Susie these are for you." Susie took the roses, then Carl's hand, and led him out of the shop. "Carl ..." She was interrupted by a kiss. Carl then took her into the next shop, which was a chocolate shop. "Greetings, said the man behind the counter, "I'm running a special on green M&Ms." "Oh, we have plenty up in our room," Susie assured him. Carl asked, "How much for two caramels?" "Just two caramels?" He handed them two caramels. "Here's two caramels, on the house." "Thank you," Carl and Susie said together. They left, eating their caramels. They walked past a gift shop, a shop selling sexy underwear, a shop selling sex toys, and a shop selling sundries and toiletries. At the end of the hall they came to another stairway, with one flight going up and another going down. Hearing music coming from below, Carl led Susie down the stairs to a small room with two doorways. On the left was a cozy little pub and on the right a small discotheque where people seated around a dance floor were watching a few couples slow-dancing. "Your preference," said Carl. "This way," said Susie as she entered the pub. They found a table, which wasn't too difficult, as the pub was nearly empty. It was dark and quiet inside. A few couples were sitting at other tables. In a moment a waitress came over to their table, "Hi, I'm Bea. What are you having to drink?" Carl looked over at Susie. "Care to try something unique, Carl?" "Sure," Carl answered. "We'll have two sombreros," Susie told the waitress. "Okay, they'll be right up." She walked away. "What's a sombrero?" asked Carl. "Oh, they're good! It's Kahluah and heavy cream. It tastes almost like chocolate milk. You'll love it, really!" Their drinks came shortly and Carl took a sip of his. "You're right, it does taste like chocolate milk! It's delicious!" "Well, don't let it sneak up on you. They're still pretty potent." They stayed there chatting until late. Carl looked at his watch and saw that it was about 11:30, but he was still feeling warm from their earlier sombreros. He reached over and took Susie's hand. "It's almost midnight, shall we go back to our room for the night?" "Yes, sure," replied Susie. They stood and went up the two flights of stairs and found their room. Once he had closed the door behind them, Carl asked, "Did you enjoy your day, Susie?" "Yes, Carl, very much." "Well, do you want to get washed up first, or shall I?" "You can go first." Carl opened his bag and took out a smaller tote bag and pajamas. He took them into the bathroom, and turned on the shower. He finished bathing quickly, put on his pajamas and came out. "Okay, Susie, your turn." As Susie went into the bathroom with some things she had taken out of her bag, Carl stepped out onto the balcony and sat looking at the moon in the night sky. He fell into a dreamy half-sleeping trance. Susie startled him as she poked her head out onto the balcony some time later. "Oh, there you are! I thought, maybe, you had taken off and left me here." "Susie, I wouldn't do that," he protested. He stood, looking at her in her blue terry-cloth bathrobe. He put his arms around her and kissed her, and then led her back inside. He led her to the bed and slipped her bathrobe off, exposing a modest nightgown. Then he pulled back the covers for her and held them invitingly. After she was in and covered, he turned out the light and slid into bed himself from the other side. He rolled over and snuggled next to her, draping his arm around her. He thought he heard a whimper. "Susie?" "I'm scared, Carl." "Shh, all I want to do is snuggle. Okay?" "Oh?" "Sure. Now good night, Susie." He gave her one last kiss before dozing off for the night. ~~~~ When Carl woke the next morning, Susie had draped an arm and a leg over his body. She was still sleeping and Carl lay there quietly so as not to waken her. He was about to doze off again when he caught her eyes gazing back at him. He smiled, with a "Good morning, Susie," then gave her a kiss. "Good morning, Carl!" She gave his kiss back to him. "What do you want to do today?" "I don't know. What do you want to do?" "Well, first let's get some breakfast. Okay?" "Sure." Susie got out of bed, grabbed her bag, and closed the bathroom door behind her. When she came out Carl followed suite, and they went down to the dining room together for breakfast. "Still scared of me, Susie?" Susie didn't answer, and they finished their breakfast without another word. They also needed no words when they left the table, but automatically joined hands and walked to the back of the building and the start of the paths. A look and a gesture, a nod and a smile, were all it took to start them on a new path. As they moved into a wooded area they stepped closer together, and their arms went around each other. They paused for a kiss, then walked on. This path, too, led to a lagoon, but one that was heavily overgrown with reeds. They could hear the sounds of waterfowl among the reeds, but they couldn't actually see them The path continued along the lagoon and over a stone bridge where the lagoon emptied into a narrow brook. After leaving the brook and walking across a grassy meadow the ground became uneven, with numerous small mounds or hillocks. The path meandered among them, maintaining a fairly level course, and finally arrived at another fork. They saw a sign on one side pointing the way back to the Inn, but at the side of the other path was something new; a larger sign that read, Clothing optional beyond this point "Carl, you said ...!" "Well, I guess I was wrong. So," he added with a sly grin, "which way, Susie, do you want to go back?" "No, not really, but ... oh, okay, I guess we can go see what's there; but I'm not taking my clothes off!" "Nor am I," he smiled back at her. They walked down the path a little ways, and came out onto a tiny beach surrounding another small lagoon. There on the beach was one couple, completely nude, making love, totally oblivious to Carl and Susie's presence. Another couple was sitting on a rock in the lagoon with only their heads above the water, laughing together. They walked up to the water and Carl reached down into it. "Hey, this water's really warm!" Susie reached into the water also. "Yeah, there must be a natural hot spring here." "I don't know. Hot springs are supposed to smell like sulfur. I don't smell anything. Hmmm, the water tastes perfectly clear." "Well, I can't believe they would be heating a pond, or this place would have to cost a lot more than $250 a day!" "Let's ask when we get back?" "Sure." Carl looked over at the couple in the water, then reached down and dipped his hand into it again. "Gee, I wish we could go in. It looks so inviting." "Yes, it does," Susie agreed, looking longingly at the water, "but we don't have anything to wear, and we both agreed ..." Carl nodded, "There's no way we're going to undress, so I guess we can't ... No wait! I have an idea. Let's go back to the lodge." Susie shook her head. "Carl, you may have packed a swim suit, but I didn't, so going back to the lodge is not going to make a difference." "Yes it is," he insisted, his eyes sparkling. "Come on, let's go. You'll see." Reluctantly she took his hand, and with a last reluctant look over her shoulder hurried to keep up with him as he started back. They made it in record time, and he led her through the lobby to the shops on the other side. He stopped at the place with sexy lingerie, and started to pull her inside. "No, Carl! We're not going in there." "Yes we are, Susie, but we're not going to buy any of the sorts of underwear they have on display." "You promise?" "I promise. Now come on." Inside they were met by a young lady. "Hi, I'm Lulu. How can I help you?" Turning to Susie, she asked, "Something special for you, hon?" "Well, actually," Carl put in, "this may be a little out of your normal line, but I was wondering if you might have some swim wear." "Why, yes, we do," she nodded, "are you looking for something for both of you?" Carl said, "Yes, we are," at the same time Susie started to protest that she wouldn't feel comfortable wearing anything they would be likely to have for sale here. "Don't worry, you'll be pleasantly surprised," Lulu assured her. "Sir, see if you can find anything you like in those bins over there by the wall while I show your lover some things for her." Susie started to protest the term, but Carl put his finger on her mouth and shook his head. She sighed, and followed Lulu. While looking though the bins Carl heard some giggles from the other side of the shop, and was tempted to spy on the two of them, but thought better of it. Before long he had found something suitable, and apparently she had too. Once again he agreed to charge it to their room, and they left with a bag in his hand. "While we're here," he said, "let me check something," and he led her back to the dining room. "No, Carl, it's too early to eat. I feel as if we just had breakfast." "I agree," he said, "just trust me." She shook her head. "I seem to be doing a lot of trusting this weekend." "And has it gotten you into trouble?" "No, Carl, it hasn't. ... Quite the opposite." They found the dining room empty, as would be expected at that hour, but someone came to greet them in a moment. "Can I help you?" "I hope so," Carl explained. "Yesterday we saw a couple eating a lunch out in the gardens. Would you perhaps have lunches for guests that might like to eat somewhere out of doors?" "But of course! You have your choice of a roast beef sandwich, a turkey sandwich, or a vegetarian pita. And of course they come with drinks, dessert, chips, and some nicely prepared raw vegetables." Carl picked the roast beef, and Susie the turkey, and in only minutes they were presented with a canvas bag that had straps for wearing as a backpack. "Do have a pleasant lunch," the man smiled as he handed Carl the bag. "Of course we expect you to return the bag to us when you get back." Carl slipped the swim wear bag into a pouch on the side of the backpack, and soon they were on their way. They were beginning to be familiar with the paths now, and had no trouble finding their way back to the "clothing optional" sign. Suddenly Susie stopped and stared wide-eyed at him. "Carl, we forgot something. We should have gone up to our room and put our swim suits on. Now we'll have to go back." Carl shook his head. "No, I didn't forget. While we were at the beach before I noticed some dense bushes off to the side. We can go hide in them to change." "Together?" she asked with a shocked tone. "Of course not," he laughed. "Trust me." When they got back to the beach, Carl said, "You wait here while I go find a private place in the bushes and change. Then I'll come out and you can change." "I still don't feel right about this. We said we weren't going to be naked, and now that's exactly what we are going to do." "But no one will see us naked, not even each other. Stay here, I'll be back before you know it." When he came out in his swim trunks she was standing looking pensively out over the water. He led her to the place he had found, then assured her, "Don't worry, I'll stand guard to make sure no one comes near here. And of course I won't peek myself." She sighed. "I know, I have to trust you." He heard some rustling in the bushes behind him as she changed, and then she came out, somewhat shyly, with her clothes in her hand. His jaw dropped, and he couldn't even speak at first. Finally he got out, "WOW! You look fantastic. You're so beautiful, just perfect!" She blushed, then said, "Thanks. It's not too daring is it? I wasn't sure, but Lulu finally talked me into it." It was a bikini, but a rather modest bikini, not cut high at the sides, and with straps rather than strings on the top. The most striking thing about it was the color, a beautiful lime green that set off her features perfectly. He shook his head. "There have been so many wonderful moments this weekend, but seeing you like that is the best one of all. No, it's not too daring, it's just ... you. It's just perfect for you. "You're really embarrassing me," she said nervously. "I think it's time we got into the water." "Indeed," he said, his eyes sparkling as he stepped up to her and took her hand. They waded in together, and remarked at how warm and comforting the water felt. Once in the water up to their shoulders they stared at each other and once again no words were needed. She reached for his neck and he reached for her waist, and their bodies nestled together as if they had been made for each other. There was no way that either of them could have resisted the kiss that followed, a kiss that went on and on without end. Their mouths were open, their tongues exploring, and their bodies squirming and sliding over each other. In time his hands slipped down to caress her buttocks, and, with her arms tightly around his neck, she let her legs spread and float up around his body. She wanted more contact, so wrapped her legs around him and rubbed her belly fiercely against his. This was almost more than Carl could stand. By now he had a throbbing erection, and she had to be feeling it. But she didn't stop. Now she was moaning into his mouth and rubbing her crotch up and down the length of his rod. That was too much. He threw his head back and started thrusting against her pussy. There was no way he could stop now. Seconds later it was happening; he was spurting again and again into his suit. Susie seemed to have it almost as bad as he did. She was panting and humping wildly against him. Suddenly she clamped her legs around his ass, jammed her crotch against his still throbbing cock, and began shuddering. When it was all over they were both too embarrassed to admit what had happened. They released each other, bobbed slowly apart in the water, and started swimming in different directions. When they were some distance apart Carl reached down and pulled the top of his suit away from his body, then pumped it in and out to flush water through it. They finally swam back toward each other, and the beach, and got out without looking at each other. "Now what?" Susie said, somewhat crossly. "We don't have any towels, so we can't get dressed, and there is no way that I'm going back to the lodge looking like this!" "Take it easy, Susie. We have our lunch to eat. We'll sit here on the beach while we eat it, and dry off that way. "I couldn't eat anything right now," she said angrily. "Yeah, I know what you mean. I don't think I can eat at the moment, either. Okay, let's just lie here for a while, then." He lay down next to their clothes and the lunch bag. She made a point of walking around them and lying on the other side where he wouldn't be close to her. They both lay there silently for a long time with their eyes closed, but with thoughts tumbling frantically through their heads. Finally he sat up. "Feeling better?" he asked. She sat up too and smiled wanly. "Yeah, I guess so. "Maybe we could eat something now." "To tell the truth," she admitted, "I am getting sort of hungry." They ate their lunch, still sitting across from each other, and speaking very little. When they had finished they both stood, brushed the sand off their suits and bodies, and pulled their outer clothes on over their suits. "Well," Carl said, "I guess it's about time to head back home." "You're taking me home, now?" Carl thought he heard a sob in her voice. "No, I'm still keeping you until tomorrow morning, Susie. But we should check out soon, don't you think?" They stood and, without touching, followed the paths back to the inn, where they showered separately, packed their bags, checked out, and left. The drive back to New York was going very awkwardly. Susie was nearly climbing the door to stay as far as possible away from Carl. Finally he suggested, "Why don't you check out the sound system, see if you can find something on the radio to listen to." He showed her how to use the large touch-sensitive display between them on the dashboard, and soon she was scrolling though the Sirius radio channels. "Here's one," she said, "but, ... no, you probably wouldn't like it." "Susie, I told you to find something you wanted, and that's what I meant. You're not trying to pick something you think I'd like. You probably don't know what I'd like anyway. Pick what you want." "Well, OK, but you're going to think this is pretty lame. They call this channel 'The Bridge, Mellow Rock'." "Lame? No way! I love to listen to that kind of stuff." Suddenly the car was filled with the sounds of Jefferson Starship. "All right!" Carl exclaimed as he cranked up the volume with a button on the steering wheel. Their 'With your Love' was soon replaced by a Cat Stevens number. Before they knew it, the tension Carl and Susie were both feeling was gone. Susie eased over toward the center of the car, and reached out to the display to reduce the volume, then tentatively put her hand on Carl's arm. "Carl, about this afternoon, I'm sorry. I don't know why I got so angry. Please understand, I really wasn't angry with you." After a pause, she added, "No, actually, I do know why got angry. I was angry with myself, and I took it out on you. That was very wrong, and I'm very, very sorry." Carl reached down and patted her leg. "Thanks for saying that, and I do understand. Susie, we were both thrown by what happened ... out there in the water. We weren't prepared for it, either one of us." She nodded. "Yes, it wasn't supposed to happen, and then, suddenly, it did." "Don't take this the wrong way, Susie, but I'll never forget this weekend, and I mean the whole weekend. We hit a bit of a rough spot this afternoon, but I know, looking back, I'll remember the good parts. And they were really, really, good for me. There's no way I can thank you enough. "I'll remember, too, Carl," she said very softly. He took his eyes off the road long enough to smile into her eyes. The rest of the drive seemed to go quickly as she snuggled against him and they stroked each others' thighs. Soon they were back at Carl's flat. "What would you like for dinner, Susie?" "What do you have?" "Hmmmm -- let's see -- I have a package of hot dogs ... not exactly gourmet. Oh, I have a box of minute rice up here. How's that sound?" "That sounds like an, er, interesting combination!" Their hot dog and rice dinner was on the table in short order. "Carl," Susie offered, "I want you to know I have really enjoyed our weekend together." "Honest?" "Honest! You were so sweet. Frank could learn a few things from you." "Thanks, but the weekend's not over yet, you know." "I know." While they were cleaning up the dishes, Susie suddenly stopped, turned to Carl, and said, "The weekend's not over yet, but it will be in the morning, and Frank will be expecting breakfast. You're going to have to take me home very early." "You're right, I'd better set the alarm clock. Six o'clock?" She nodded, and he went to do that before he forgot. By the time he returned, the dishes were done. They decided on some TV, and snuggled together to watch a sitcom. The show was fun, but Carl hit the mute button when the ads came on. At the first commercial break they started kissing each other on the cheek, and then progressed to a lingering kiss on the mouth before the show interrupted them. At the second break they resumed where they had left off, and the kisses got so passionate that neither of them noticed when the program resumed. Susie finally came up for air, and said, "Uh, Carl, the show is on again." He glanced at the clock on his VCR and replied, "Actually, I think it's almost over. There's no point in trying to catch up now. Let's just leave the sound off until the next show." By the time the next show started they were lying side by side on the sofa, rubbing their hands over each other's bodies, and neither of them had any more interest in TV. Carl finally pulled away from her and whispered, "We mustn't let ourselves get carried away." "OK, maybe we should talk for a while," she suggested. "Would you mind if we talked about our time at the 'Hideout'?" "No," she murmured, "I'd like to talk about that." Soon they were reliving the beauty and seclusion of the place, and secretly aching with the intensity of the feelings the retreat had given them, though neither of them admitted that part to the other. In time, of course, their conversation reached the events at the nude beach. Finally Carl said, "Do you know what was the most incredible part of our time in the water? No, it wasn't the end, it was feeling your body pressed against mine." "Oh, yes, I agree," she shuddered, "pressed together, skin against skin." "I wish I could feel that again," he ventured, "but I don't suppose we should. It might be too dangerous." "Are you sure it would be too dangerous? I would love to feel it again." "Oh, Susie, I want so much to feel your skin against mine like that. I want to do it right now. Do you think we could?" "You mean be naked together? I'm afraid that would be too much for both of us." "Oh, God, Susie, don't even mention it. Oh, I wish you hadn't said that." "What if we put our swim suits on again?" He shook his head. "No, I think they're still wet." "Well, maybe, ... no, I guess not." "What, Susie? Tell me." "Well, I was thinking that our underwear is sort of like a swim suit, but then I thought of you seeing me in my bra and panties, and I ... well I ... I shouldn't have said anything." "Yeah, I see your point. Me seeing you in your bra and panties, and you seeing me in my jockey shorts, no, that wouldn't be a good idea." They stopped talking at that point, and started rubbing their bodies together, wishing so much that they could feel each other's skin. A bit later, Carl whispered, "Susie, I had a thought." "What?" "Well, it's gotten really dark outside, and I don't have any lights on, so the only light is from the TV." "And?" If I turned the TV off, it would be totally dark in here, and I wouldn't be able to see you in your bra and panties, and you wouldn't be able to see me in my shorts." "Do you know where the remote control is?" "Yes, I think I can find it here someplace." "Do it," she whispered intensely. He did find it, and soon they were stripping in the dark, one on each end of the sofa. He finished first, and rolled toward her, stretching out with his face against her panties as she struggled to get her pants untangled from her legs. "Carl," she giggled, "you're being very naughty." "Sorry," he mumbled, "if you stretch out beside me you'll get this tempting bit of cloth away from my face." "Oh, God, yes," she sighed as she complied, "this is what I needed." "I'm in heaven," he agreed. "Carl, baby, would it be all right if I got on top of you? I think I'd really like that." "Here, let me help you, and I KNOW I'd like that." "Oh," she moaned, "I love the way you're rubbing your hands up and down my back. Go all the way up to my neck. Now all the way down to my panties. Oh, yes, like that!" "Susie, hun, would it be all right if I unhooked your bra, so I could rub your whole back?" "Mmmm, hmmmm," she mumbled. "I like," she purred as his thumbs found their way around her rib cage to graze her breasts. After a couple of minutes of his stroking, neck to waist, with ever more breast contact on the way down, she raised her mouth from his and whispered, "I need to kiss your chest." She slid down and began kissing his shoulders and all over his chest, giving special attention to his nipples. Then she slid further down, and started kissing his belly. He was dying to have her keep going, but she stopped at the waistband of his shorts. She crawled back up to his face, lay beside him, and in a throaty voice told him, "Your turn." He wasted no time getting on top, and they kissed passionately as she ran her hands up and down his back. After a bit of that he pulled his mouth away from hers, slid down a bit to kiss her chin, and asked, "Are you sure?" "Uh, huh," she moaned. Carl started kissing his way down her jaw line, and Susie responded with a breathy "ohhh" as she turned her head to expose her neck. Soon he was kissing his way down the side of her neck as she whispered, "Yes, I like." Her hands were still stroking up and down his back, and as his mouth reached the hollow at the base of her neck he started echoing the motion by running his hands up and down the sides of her chest. "Oh, God, Carl, that feels so good," she moaned. While still kissing her breastbone he let his thumbs drift up along the elastic of her panties to her belly. He could feel her quivering there, and he was now on fire. His mouth moved down to kiss her chest just above the top edge of her bra, as his hands, and thumbs, started moving up. Her breathing was deeper and faster now, and was starting to become a series of nearly silent moans. Her hands moved up from his back to his head, and pulled his mouth hard against her chest. His thumbs kept moving, and were soon stroking the bottom edge of her bra, while his fingers slid further up as he hoped to slip them under the strap. With a thrill he realized there was no strap, and remembered that he had unhooked her bra, so that it was lying loosely over her breasts. Scarcely daring to breathe, he slid the fingers of both hands upward, and felt soft flesh. "Oh, my God!" she shuddered, and started clenching and relaxing her fingers in his hair. His thumbs followed his fingers up her mounds, and soon he was massaging her breasts with both hands. Higher and higher they climbed, until they felt the rougher texture at the peak, and then, oh yes, there were her nipples. He began little circling motions there, and she went ballistic. "Ahh, ahhh, AHHHH!" She was almost screaming, now. "MORE! MORE! MORE!" He pinched her tits lightly, and then pushed the material up to expose her breasts completely. He was dying to see them, but it was still pitch black, so he had only the sense of feel. But he was determined to feel them every way possible, and he slid his body down enough to put his mouth in position, then reached his tongue out and licked first one tit and then the other. "YYYEEEEESSSSSS!!!" she screamed, then pulled his head down, forcing his mouth against her horny tit. He began sucking that one while pinching the other, as her whole body writhed beneath him. After a bit he traded off, and kneaded and pinched her hot wet tit with his left hand as he started sucking on the other one. That left his right hand free, and he started sliding it down to her belly. She was bucking up against him as he went down and down, not stopping when he got to her panties, but letting his fingers glide on, over the silky material, until he could feel hair, then her mound. On and on, until he felt her puffy lips through the hot, and sopping wet material. She had spread her legs wide, and pulled her knees up, and her pussy was humping against his hand at a furious rate as she screeched unintelligibly. He knew he had to taste her, and he moved his face down to her pussy, lapping and sucking her juices out of her panties. The smell drove him insane; he couldn't stand to wait any longer. He reached up, grabbed the waistband of her panties, yanked them down off her butt, and dove in. Susie started coming the moment his tongue touched her clit. Her whole body was jerking and shuddering. Strangely, she stopped screaming; every muscle in her body was tensed as tightly as possible, including her throat and her chest. She literally could not breathe or make a sound. Carl had sucked her clit into his mouth before he realized what was happening. Now he just held it there, feeling it jerk against his tongue. He lost track of time, but it seemed like her climax went on and on. Finally her body relaxed and she began breathing, panting hard. He could hear her heart pounding at a furious rate. He pulled his mouth away to give her time to come back to earth. "Oh, GOD, Carl," she finally gasped, "I have never, ever, felt anything like that." Then she reached down with both hands, grabbed her panties, and pulled them over her thighs. Her knees were still up by her boobs, and she pulled the panties to her knees. Then she kicked her feet over her head and slid the garment to her ankles. A few furious kicks and they went somewhere, she had no idea where. Then she reached down, grabbed Carl by the ears, and pulled. "Do it, Carl. Do it now! I need you in me!" Oh, GOD, YES! He shoved his shorts down far enough to free his cock, then clawed his way up her body. When he got into position her hands were right there to guide him in, and he pushed. OHH, GOD! It was incredible! So warm! So wet! So perfect a fit! He kept pushing and slid all the way in without any resistance. He nearly came on the spot, but one corner of his brain kept nagging him. Remember what you have read. Don't come too fast. Make it good for her. He began stroking, willing himself to hold back. NO! NO! It's not possible! I have to! I have to! I can't stand it! I'm losing my mind! OH FUCKING SHIT!!! NOWWWW!!! NOWWWW!!! NOWWWW!!! NOWWWW!!! Nowwww!! Now... As he fought back to consciousness he tried to get his breathing under control enough to speak, but couldn't. So he just lay there on top of her, panting, for who knows how long. Finally he managed to gasp, "Oh, Susie, I'm so sorry! I wanted it to be good for you, and I blew it. I'm such a clod!" She chuckled deep in her throat, then gave him a long tender kiss. "No way did you blow it. You gave me two fantastic climaxes, the first with your tongue and mouth, the second with your cock." "You mean you came when I did? But I didn't give you any time. I wanted to make it good for you, but once I was inside you I couldn't stop." She kissed his nose and then his lips again, lightly. "I didn't need much time; I was already almost there. Besides, I knew it was your first time, and that you wouldn't be able to last long. "So, how does it feel not to be a virgin any more?" "Oh, God, Susie, If I had known it could feel like this I would have stopped being a virgin years ago!" "Aha," she giggled, "I felt that. It seems your little man down there is feeling like it wants some more action." He started moving up and down again. "Yeah, the way I feel I think I could keep going all night." "Well, I kind of doubt that," she laughed, "but at this point I wouldn't mind finding out how long you can go." That was all the encouragement he needed, and he started pumping furiously. "Whoa, honey, I'm not quite ready for the next round, yet. How about if you let me clean myself up a bit, and then we go somewhere more comfortable?" Carl stopped abruptly. "Of course, dearest. I seem to be thinking just of myself again." He pulled out of her. "Oops, I'm leaking. You don't by any chance know where my panties are, do you?" "No, but I still have my shorts around my knees. Will those do?" "Yes, thanks." Susie giggled again as he handed them to her and she stuffed them between her legs. "I can't see what color these are, but they may end up with some stains on them. Carl laughed. "Don't worry about that. They're white, but they have had similar stains on them before. Not," he added quickly, "that the earlier stains were in any way comparable, at least not when you figure in the incredible pleasure that went into creating them this time." "Uh, I have one more problem," Susie admitted. "It's so dark in here that I don't think I can find the bathroom without falling over things." "OK, let me look for that remote control again. ... Oh, here it is. Are you ready for this?" "Fire away." Carl got a quick look at her boobs, and a good long look at her ass, as she scooted out of the room. He made a mental note to try to get a more complete, close up, inspection later. "See you in a minute in the bed," she called back over her shoulder as she disappeared. His cock had wilted a bit during their conversation, but it shot back to attention from her words, and he wasted no time getting into the bedroom. Now, what about light here? He tried the bedside lamp, but it was definitely too much. He wished he had some candles; must make sure to get some for future occasions. He finally went out to the kitchen and turned on a light there, then left the kitchen door partly open. That provided some soft reflected light into the bedroom. He only hoped that Susie wouldn't close the bedroom door. Carl climbed into bed, still naked, and pulled the sheet up to his waist so Susie wouldn't feel too embarrassed. He didn't have long to wait. She poked her head shyly around the bedroom doorway. "Close your eyes, Mark," she requested. "What's this," he grinned, "I thought we had gotten beyond that." "Please?" "Of course, I was just teasing you." He closed his eyes and soon felt her crawl into bed beside him, and pull the sheet up. Then she rolled up against him. Oh, God! He was in heaven. "OK, you can open your eyes," she whispered in his ear. Yes! She had left the door open. He rolled against her and feasted on her face hungrily with his eyes. But not for long because, as he turned, his cock pressed against her thigh, and he realized he had an even more pressing need than seeing her. He quickly pulled her mouth to his and began an urgent, passionate, kiss. It took her a little while to catch up with his intensity, but she did, and shortly after that he rolled on top of her. "Now, let's see, where were we?" His voice was a hoarse whisper. "I think we were right here," she replied, grabbing his joy stick and jockeying it into place. He moaned as it sank into the cradle for which it was designed, and continued moaning on every stroke as he slowly, ever so slowly, brought them both higher and higher. "Yes, darling, yes, that's so good," she sighed as she clung to him and bathed his face in kisses. It wasn't long before her pelvis started coming up to meet his every stroke, and she was huffing loudly. As she pounded up against his pelvic bone her clit was getting stimulated beyond belief. Soon she was humping frantically, and yelling, "Harder, Faster!" He wasn't there, yet, but he happily obliged, and started ramming her as fast and hard as he could. Only moments later she screamed, and he felt her pussy muscles squeezing, squeezing, squeezing. Like hell he wasn't ready! He roared in return, and started squirting in counterpoint to her pulses. This time Carl was still moaning and shuddering long after he came down from his peak. When the shuddering finally stopped, Susie opened her eyes and saw him looking down at her with pure adoration written all over his face. Her eyes reflected it right back up to him. She finally whispered, "Was that as good for you as it was for me?" "BETTER!" he blurted out. He shook his head. "The first time was incredible. This time was so much better that there aren't any words to describe it." Carl's cock was already shrinking, and suddenly it popped out of her. He slipped off to her side, and snuggled up against her, resting his hand on her mound. "I guess you were right, Susie, about not being able to go all night. I am so completely satisfied that I may not be able to move another muscle until morning. Besides, anything more would have to be an anticlimax." Susie giggled. "I think you may want to reconsider that last word. I'll bet I can make you climax again before morning, and no "anti" about it. "What's this? Another bet? But I definitely don't want to bet against you on that one, no matter how limp I feel right now." "And I don't think I could do anything about it either, not right now, Carl. I feel as limp as you say you are." Suddenly Carl remembered something. He stared deep into her eyes. "My muscles are limp, and my cock is limp, but my eyes aren't." Holding his gaze, she shook her head slowly as she said, "No, they're certainly not." He pressed forward with his thought. "My eyes want to do some exploring. They want to explore you." "Oh dear, Carl, I ... I ... don't know ... what to say." "Say 'yes'," he whispered hoarsely. "Say 'yes', and I'll promise to make my lips explore too." "Oh ... yes, Carl, yes." Slowly, very slowly, he started exposing her. He studied every inch of her body up close, with his eyes and his lips and his tongue. The complete expedition took nearly an hour. It finished with her body completely out from under the sheet, and his head at the foot of the bed, nibbling her toes. She was tingling all over. When he stopped, she looked down at his body, now also completely exposed, and saw that his penis had started to come back to life. She reached down to touch it, and it jumped. Then she bent her body in half and brought her face down to that marvelous tool, and thought of all the pleasure it had given her that night. She reached out her tongue to touch the tip, and it jumped again. Neither of them had spoken during Carl's exploration, and neither of them spoke now. There was no need for words. She took his manhood in her mouth and began to suck. It quickly expanded into a rigid pole. In less than a minute he was panting and moving his pelvis back and forth to the rhythm she had set. In two minutes he was bucking. She pushed him on his back, and twisted around to face him, swinging her leg over him. This cowgirl was ready to ride her bronco, and he was more than ready to give her the ride of her life. She wasted no time impaling herself, and was soon bucking as hard as he was. Up, down, forward, backward, around and around, as she spiraled higher and higher. Then with a final thrust she stopped, and threw her head back in a silent scream, her entire body jerking. Carl had the sense to stop while she climaxed. He felt it, did he ever feel it, as her pussy pulsed and squeezed. But this time he held back. When she finally calmed down he started pumping slowly up against her again. He hoped she would understand his unmet need without words. She did. She did more than that. She discovered she still had unmet needs of her own. Once more they were pounding together as they clawed at each other. Faster and faster they went, until the sweat was pouring from their bodies. Carl brought his hands down to her breasts and pressed, then pinched her nipples. She screamed. He fired. Her pussy squeezed. He fired again. And again. Her pussy was fluttering now, and his cock was jerking, though he had nothing more to give. Finally she collapsed on him as they both tried to catch their breath. At long last he rolled her gently over beside him, without ever losing their intimate connection. They looked at each other, kissed, then closed their eyes. They both fell asleep almost immediately. ~~~~ The alarm clock woke them the next morning, still tangled in each other. Carl whispered, "Good morning, lover!" "Good morning, lover!" she replied. "Well, our weekend is over," he sighed. "I really, really, hate to say this, but I guess we have to get back to our normal lives." "Yes, I guess we do." Suddenly she bolted up. "Look at the time! We better start getting ready!" Carl reached up and pulled her down to him and they snuggled for a moment before he answered, "Okay, let's get ready." Susie packed up her bag and looked sheepishly at Carl. "I really did enjoy our weekend together. I never knew you were such a romantic guy, and I'm -- well, I feel funny saying this, but I'm sorry that it's over." Carl took Susie's hand and her bag, and they went down to his car. Little was said on the way to Susie's house. When they arrived, she looked away from Carl. "You do know we can't ever be together again, Carl. Because of what happened, we mustn't even see each other again. Frank and I can't be your friends any more. I'm really very sorry. I hope you will be okay." Carl nodded. "Yes, I understand. But please don't worry about me. I have other friends, and because of you I'm sure that now I will have other lovers." "That's good," she said, still not looking at him. Then she opened the car door and stepped out. Just before closing it she leaned in and said, "Good bye, Carl, I'll never forget you." 'And I'll never forget you,' he thought, as he watched her walk away, up the steps, unlock the door, and slip inside. Then his mood changed as he thought about his plans for this coming Friday night. Rich and Carol had invited him over for dinner, and he was going to try to pull the same bet on them. This first time his scheme had worked perfectly. He knew he wouldn't always be so lucky, but he was sure looking forward to trying.