Chapter 286

Amber Grant rolled over and nuzzled Laura's naked back with her nose, encircling Laura's body with both long arms at the same time and cupping each of Laura's breasts in her hands. Laura could feel Amber's own soft, puffy nipples and small, perfect breasts pushing into the skin of her back, a sensation that immediately aroused her all over again.

"Come with me into the living room," Amber murmured, "and we'll sit naked in front of the big windows and watch the city down below and drink champagne."

Laura lifted one of Amber's hands from her breast and pressed her lips into the palm. "How could I resist?" she whispered back. "And then will you fuck me again?"

Amber feigned aloofness. "I might... if you're good."

"I thought you said I was always good," Laura joked as they slid off Amber's huge bed and walked naked down the hallway to her spectacular living room.

Laura watched in silence while Amber, still totally naked, opened a bottle of champagne, holding it in a white linen towel in case it bubbled over. The apartment was dark, lit only by the reflected glow of the city lights and the quarter moon. Since they were on the sixteenth floor of The Fontana, no one could see them, and Laura felt deliciously wicked walking around naked in front of the window with a champagne flute in one hand. The moonlight gave their naked bodies a delicious sheen that made the whole moment thrilling and scintillating. They had spent an hour happily screwing, and now were relaxing in the sweet, warm aftermath of a stirring shared orgasm, aware that more was to follow.

Amber rejoined her in the living room and they stood in front of one huge plate glass window, looking out at the sparkling view of the city at night. She raised her champagne flute to Laura in a toast.

"You are good," she said softly, her dark eyes smoking. "If you only knew how good. Sometimes I think it's too bad you're involved, if you know what I mean."

Laura raised her glass to Amber's and clinked it. They each took a sip of champagne. "I thought you had a sweetie pie too, as you put it," Laura smiled.

"I do," Amber said thoughtfully. "In fact, I have two. One in Paris, and one in Chicago. They don't know about each other."

"At least they're far enough apart not to cause any risk. My sweetie pie lives right here, in Ocean View."

"Sit down over here, I've got something to tell you. I've got a little present for you."

"Another one?" Laura laughed, following her to a black leather sofa that was about ten yards long.

She flashed the tennis bracelet Amber had given her earlier, which she always wore when coming here. Amber enjoyed seeing Laura naked wearing only the bracelet. The small blue sapphires sparkled brilliantly in the faint light.

"Different kind of present," Amber said, with a veiled smirk.

She curled her long, sleek, glossy black legs up under her butt. Laura tried not to stare at her scrumptious thick gleaming nipples. She realized that their nakedness and the soft moonlight and the champagne were heating up her blood again, and fast.

"I sponsor this club over at Cal State Hayward for minority women. Euphemism for young black girls who need a hand up. I give them money, through the club. For activities. I meet with them, I introduce them to successful people, I give them a boost and lots of encouragement. Sort of the 'You too can be rich' approach. They all love me and call me Miss Grant, isn't that sweet?"

Laura couldn't tell if she was being cynical or truthful. It was sweet, she thought. "I think it's very sweet. I think it's terrific of you to help them out."

"So." Amber took a deep breath. "My proposal. A lot of these girls want to get into business, after college. Why, I couldn't know. I keep telling them it's just a bunch of boardroom killers and overworked peons. But they want to go into it anyway. So I told a couple of them about you. I said you might be willing to come over to Hayward with me and speak to them. You know, tell them about what you do, how you do it, how you got the job, et cetera. What do you think?"

"Of course I'll do it," Laura smiled. "How could I refuse? But what does that have to do with a present? Are you going to give me one for going?" She flirted, twisting her naked body a little to see if Amber's lust was reawakening, as hers was.

Amber smiled mischievously, then mysteriously. "Sort of. One of the girls is named Arthell Parrish. Pretty thing, in a plain sort of way. Girl next door type. By which I mean, just your type," she said with a long, satirical face.

"How do you know my type?" Laura taunted her back. "Maybe you're my type. And you're definitely not the girl next door."

"I know a lot of things," Amber said, solemnly. "Trust me, she's your type. You'll fall like a rock for her."

"If that's true, why don't you make a pass at her yourself?"

Amber smiled and shook her head. "Not my type. I like white girls like you. You like black girls like Arthell."

"And like you," Laura added.

Amber sighed and stretched in the moonlight, letting it play over her lean, long, naked black body. "So, I'm beginning to feel like a procuress here. Isn't it against the law or something? Maybe I've gone far enough."

"Is she a lesbian? Do you think she is... shall we say, approachable?"

"Gosh, I don't even know," Amber said, wide-eyed and again satirical. "I guess you'll just have to find out. I can't do everything for you, you know."

"What if I don't find her attractive?"

"You will." Amber stretched again. The long smooth muscles of her midriff rippled and her perfect breasts jiggled. "Don't you find me attractive? After all, I'm right here, and I'm naked. I'm getting jealous of Arthell already."

Laura sat her champagne flute on the glass-and-chromium table in front of the sofa. Then she took Amber's from her hand and placed it beside her own. She scooted down the sofa so that their naked thighs were touching.

"Don't you think we should fuck on the sofa here, in front of the window?" she purred, caressing Amber's perfectly round black shoulder. "We can pretend there's some guy with a telescope over, say, in that building there." She pointed out to another high rise. "And he's watching these two gorgeous lesbians doing it. And we're the ones. Doesn't it bring out the exhibitionist in you?"

Amber grinned and leaned forward a little, close enough for their naked breasts to brush. "I don't care about the guy with the telescope," she murmured, her eyelids heavy. "I just want more of this."

Laura had never been to California State University at Hayward, but Amber insisted that they take separate cars.

"What if she falls in love with you on the spot?" she said, again with her sharp, satirical grin. "You want to be able to drive her home, don't you?"

"I hardly think that's going to happen," Laura said.

She was nervous. Public speaking made her nervous in the first place, and the thought of doing it in front of an audience of black college girls, a large percentage of whom she would, no doubt, be physically attracted to, made her doubly nervous. On top of that, the girl Amber was trying to set her up with would be there, and Laura would feel constrained and pressured to look gorgeous and be intelligent and witty and poised.

Nevertheless, she sucked it up and mustered her deepest reservoirs of charm, counseling herself that this Arthell would probably be either indifferent or completely hetero, therefore nothing to get so worked up over. Unfortunately, in this case she turned out to be wrong. Arthell's sexual orientation was impossible to discover just from looking at her, but Amber had been right about how Laura herself would feel.

Fortunately, Laura did not meet her personally until after giving her little speech. There was an audience for this of about fifteen college girls, mostly black, some from other minorities, who all seemed to know Amber, and were very attentive to Laura. She did not dare to look very closely at any of them as she stood behind the rostrum, gazing out at their young, expectant faces, fearing that she would focus on one and thereafter be completely flummoxed and speechless. After all, I'm not here to further a seduction, she reminded herself. Whatever Amber might insinuate. I'm here to motivate, and answer questions, and help these lovely girls get on the track to success.

After an introduction by Amber, she gave a little talk on her job, then answered questions. The whole thing took about half an hour. Then they had soda pop or coffee, and cookies. Laura mingled, led by Amber, who introduced her again individually to each girl.

"Where is she?" Laura whispered to her when they were briefly alone, unable to stand the suspense.

Amber looked around, brow furrowed. "I don't know. Maybe she went to the bathroom. She was here earlier. The one in the red jacket."

"I didn't notice," Laura said. "I was too nervous to look."

Amber broke out in an amused grin. "Now don't you go blushing when I introduce you. You're supposed to be a strong, confident business woman. She's the shy college girl. Not you."

"You know, you are sounding a little like a procuress," Laura teased her bluntly. "Maybe you ought to back off a little."

Amber gave her an exaggerated faux innocent smile. "Moi? Certainly not. I am merely a facilitator. Trying to make everybody happy and get a little for myself at the same time." She looked over Laura's shoulder. "Oh, there she is. Come with me. Come along now. Don't blush. Just be cool."

Laura took a few deep breaths and suddenly came face to face with Arthell, who was being dragged in her direction by Amber.

"Arthell Parrish, Laura Robbins," Amber said concisely, handing Arthell's slim brown hand to Laura, who took it and felt a tiny hot thrill race through her body all the way from Arthell's fingers to her tingling pussy.

She struggled not to let either of them see it, see how excited she had suddenly become. Arthell was exactly what Amber had described. Pretty in a plain sort of way, not drop dead gorgeous by any stretch but perhaps even better than gorgeous. She was completely real, normal, sweet, and friendly. She was nearly as tall as Laura and Amber, with long legs concealed in nondescript bulky black pants. Her hair was reddish brown and cut short so that her delicious dark brown ears were visible. She had jet black eyes and a wide mouth, with thick lips of the sort that Laura loved to crush with hungry kisses.

Her nose was probably a little too big for beauty, and yet you didn't notice it at all because her smile was... there was no other word for it, Laura thought: sweet. She was surpassingly sweet, open, friendly, and wholesome. Sweet. Laura knew she and Amber sometimes made little jokes about 'sweet, ' but this girl was the genuine article. Laura was willing to bet that if you asked any of the other girls in the room what one word best described Arthell, they would all say: sweet.

It was not a quality Laura often found sexy. True, some of her lovers had been sweet, at least from time to time, and of course Sara was a paragon of sweetness masquerading as a tough chick. But none had exuded this simple, pure, and unassuming sweetness the way Arthell did. And Laura's sensual feelings were aroused by other aspects of her, over and above her essential sweetness. For one thing, she had a wonderful lanky yet curvy body, with long legs and full breasts. For another her skin was exquisitely smooth and dark brown, not deep coal black like Dee Dee's or Charise's, but not golden like Joy's either, more a rich deep reddish brown that went beautifully with her hair. Laura wanted to touch it with her fingertips and her lips.

Arthell wore a small silver chain choker around her neck, which called attention especially to her throat and her beautiful straight clavicles. My god, fine bones, Laura reflected. Beautiful bones. She would make a good model were it not for that precious nose I would love to kiss.

All these reflections passed at the speed of light through Laura's mind as she stood there holding Arthell's hand.

"I loved your talk," Arthell was saying, earnestly. "I would so love to have a job like yours some day."

Amber smiled, touching each of their shoulders, almost as if to push them closer together. "You two go ahead and talk. I'll be back."

Laura was lost in Arthell's sweet face. Oh god, I'm going to have to stop thinking about her like that, she realized. She may be sweet, but that's beside the point. She found that Arthell was very easy to talk to, and by the time Amber rejoined them they were discussing, of all things, Sarah Vaughan and Dinah Washington. And Laura was trying not to look again at Arthell's throat, or her beautiful clavicles.

"My father was a jazz musician, so that's the kind of music I grew up with," Arthell said. "Shoot, I've got records of Sarah where he's playing in the band. I even met her once when I was about three, which I hate not being able to remember." She frowned with genuine, though mild, desolation.

"I heard her sing once. With Count Basie. I actually had to go by myself. Couldn't get anyone to go with me. Everybody else made a face. They were crazy for the Rolling Stones or something, I guess." Laura made a face herself. "But I spent my own money and sat right in the front row. Where I could watch her sweat."

"I can't believe you couldn't find anyone to ask you," Arthell said. "You look like a super model or something."

"Listen to you," Laura laughed, poking her shoulder affectionately. "I do not." She shifted the subject away from herself. "You said 'was'. I mean, about your father. I hope he's not-"

"Dead?" Arthell smiled and shook her head. "No. He's alive and kicking. He quit to teach music in the schools. All those smoky bars, and being on the road all the time, it was killing him."

"Well, you two are really getting along together, I see," Amber said meaningfully as she returned. "Good thing, too, since I have to run." She glanced at her spectacularly expensive watch. "Laura, I promised Arthell I would give her a lift home, but I have to meet my financial advisor in the city in thirty minutes. Could I impose on you to give her a ride?"

She gave them both the sweetest, falsest expression, which Laura immediately saw through but Arthell apparently took for genuine.

Laura came very close to blushing since, to her at least, Amber was so transparent about pushing them together. But she realized that Arthell had no notion that it was happening. "I'd be happy to," she smiled. "Do you live far?"

"Not far. I live in San Lorenzo."

Laura looked blank. "As long as you can show me the way, and then show me how to get back to the freeway."

"Of course," Arthell laughed, throwing back her head a little, showing off that gorgeous smooth dark brown neck.

They watched Amber leave. There were still other girls who wanted to talk with Laura, some of whom also looked good enough to eat, so it was half an hour before she was able to escort Arthell to her car. San Lorenzo was a community close to Hayward, and it only took about fifteen minutes to get there. The house Arthell directed Laura to pull up in front of was dark.

"Nobody home," Laura said.

"My parents are in Fresno at a family meeting. My uncle died recently, and they have to divvy up his stuff, I guess. Want to come in? We could listen to some of those Sarah records I told you I have. That is, unless you have to run."

"I don't." Laura couldn't stop her heart from fluttering. "I would be afraid to go into a dark house like that by myself anyway. Safety in numbers."

Arthell laughed. "Just the two of us? We're going to fight off evil rapist murderers? Don't worry, this is a peaceful neighborhood. I come here all the time when it's dark. We know the neighbors, and they keep an eye out for me."

Oh, great! Laura thought. And if we're in the throes of hot fucking, one of them is likely to ring the doorbell, right? But then she castigated herself sharply for even thinking this. Sex was clearly the farthest thing from Arthell's mind. And it should be the farthest thing from mine, Laura thought. She truly is a sweet, friendly girl. Please control your self-indulgent sexual urges, Laura.

She locked the car and followed Arthell into the house. Inside, Arthell immediately shed her light-weight red jacket, the one Amber had alluded to, and threw it on a dining room chair. Under it she wore a loose white blouse that draped alluringly around her very nice upswept breasts. Laura could see the outlines of her bra under the fabric. She was very relaxed and asked Laura if she wanted anything to drink.

Laura, on the other hand, was extremely nervous. She knew this was a chance to make a move, but she was very reluctant to do it, though the more time she spent with Arthell, the more enchanted she became. Just the fresh, healthy scent of her body as they rode together in the car had been enough to set Laura's juices flowing. But somehow making an obvious, even though subtle, sexual advance seemed to her like it would completely ruin whatever chance they had to be close, if Arthell rejected it. She might not have another chance.

She declined anything to drink and waited while Arthell found the records she had mentioned. They spent the next half hour listening to them, which was a thoroughly enjoyable experience unsullied by Laura's ugly sexual urges, as she had begun to think of them. This girl really is a darling sweet thing and doesn't deserve an overbearing lecher like me breathing down her sweet brown neck.

Another hour passed and it began to seem like the visit had been unnecessarily prolonged. True, they enjoyed each other's company, and the music. Laura could gaze at this enchanting creature for hours without getting tired. And yet, she knew she was only staying longer in hopes that the right moment would arrive, that she could touch or caress or otherwise let Arthell know that she wanted more than mere conversation. It never did.

Finally, she resigned herself to it. "God, I've got to go," she said, looking at her watch. "I have to get home to feed my cat or she'll scratch my eyes out."

Where do I come up with these things? she wondered.

"What's her name?" Arthell asked innocently.

"Her name is Rhonda, and she can be a real bitch. I have her on a restricted diet so she won't get any fatter, and she hates me for it."

"I love cats. I can't have one because I'm allergic."

They were already at the door, Laura having collected her handbag and her own jacket. Oh god, I want to kiss you! she realized as they stood there. I want to desperately! Arthell's thick, sensual lips looked like paradise to her.

But she restrained herself, with immense difficulty. Instead, she got a quick inspiration. "Why don't you come over to the city some day when you have a few hours and I'll take you to lunch. I'll show you around the office, and you can get an idea what it's like."

Arthell looked overcome with joy. Her face lit up, her black eyes shining. "Really?"

"Of course, 'really'. When can you come?"

"Oh god, I don't want to impose on you. I can come almost any time. God, I would love that."

"You're not imposing. I want you to come." Boy, do I, she thought. "In fact, you could take BART over and I could drive you back, if you want."

"That would be best because I don't have my own car."

"Fine," Laura said, decisively. "It's settled. How about tomorrow?"

Arthell shook her head. "Can't come tomorrow. Classes. I could come Wednesday, though."

Laura could feel her pussy fluttering at the thought. They quickly made arrangements, and Laura left before the urge to kiss Arthell became too strong to suppress. Just the sight of her waving, sweet and winsome and dark and lovely, from the front porch as Laura drove off was enough to sent squirmy little hot arrows of happiness through her moist pussy.

She drove straight to The Fontana, calling Amber on her cell phone when she was only blocks away.

"Laura... why, I thought you'd be panting in the grasp of those long brown arms by now," Amber said, sardonically. "I'm afraid I'm busy right now. Can you call me back?"

"Get rid of her. I'm just so depressed. I need to see you."

"Ohhhhh," Amber clucked, "did pretty Arthell turn you down? Maybe Auntie Amber should teach you a few tricks about seducing sweet young things like her."

"Please let me come up."

"I can't just tell her to leave," Amber said, speaking seriously now under her breath. "She's... let's just say an old friend."

"Then she'll understand."

"Maybe you'd like to join us."

The prospect of a threesome for once nauseated Laura. True, she wanted flat-out torrid sex, frenetic fucking of the hottest kind with Amber, to make her forget about Arthell. But only with Amber, not with anyone else.

"I'm not in the mood," she sulked, idling her engine outside on the street, afraid to drive down into the parking garage for fear she would lose cell phone reception.

"You sound in a bad way, girl," Amber said, appearing to give in. "Okay... give me twenty minutes. Go buy a magazine or something. Then come up here and let Auntie give you a lesson in love."

Laura grinned and switched off the phone. She hated to disrupt Amber's little rendezvous, and yet she was entirely, almost ego-maniacally, focused on her own needs at this moment. Amber got me into this, she thought. Now, let her get me out.

Thirty minutes later she knocked on Amber's door. Amber took a while to answer it, and when she did she was wearing a fluffy pink bathrobe. She might have been fucking her brains out with her friend only minutes ago, Laura thought, but she was at this moment as ravishing as the first moment Laura had seen her, her silky dark skin wildly alluring in contrast with the fluffy pink fabric of her robe. Amber's dark eyes flickered with amused concern.

"There she is, the rejected one," she said with a long face. "Come on in, angel." She held the door open for Laura, then closed and locked it behind her. "Let me guess. She said 'I'm sorry, but I'm not that way.' Isn't that what they always say?"

"Actually, she didn't get the chance," Laura confessed. "I never... even tried to push it. She's so... sweet. So genuine, so... I don't know... nice."

Amber nodded, a hint of scorn forming around the corners of her luscious mouth. "You just couldn't propose anything so ugly and basic as fucking to her, right?"

Laura sighed. "I guess. I got nervous. I want her to like me."

She followed Amber down the entry hallway, past the Georgia O'Keeffe vagina/flower pictures. Again she felt pierced by how fetching Amber was in her pink bathrobe. She was much darker than Arthell, with a willowy, sinuous body that Laura had embraced in fierce rapture many times, and the thought of doing it again right now was very enticing. Even the fact that Amber had been fucking someone else minutes earlier didn't detract from Laura's desire but somehow only made it stronger.

She couldn't detect any odor of sex on her, but that didn't mean anything since Amber had so many varieties of expensive perfume at her disposal that she could easily cover any scent trail. She always smelled ethereal and delicious and faintly sexual, like a carnal angel.

"You want a glass of champagne?" Amber inquired, before continuing on to the bedroom. "Or do you just want to get on with what you couldn't get from her?"

Laura ignored her attitude. "I could use a cup of coffee, if you've got any. Forgive me, but champagne doesn't do it for me every time. I guess it's a handicap from not being born rich." Touché, my darling, you catlike spoiled gorgeous rich girl, I could devour you this instant.

Now Amber grinned broadly. She loved this little game of thrust and parry with Laura. "How do you like it?" she asked, with a droll moue. "Let me guess again. Hot and black. Right?"

Laura reached out with one arm, encircling Amber's neck and drawing her close. She brushed her lips against Amber's. "Skip the coffee," she whispered. "You know what I want. Arthell's darling and sweet, but she's not in this class."

Amber in turn brushed her full lips against Laura's. "Maybe what she needs is to be in this class. With two expert teachers like us."

Laura shook her head. "I don't think she'd go for it, somehow. I didn't sense any... you know, positive vibrations."

"You mean, no gaydar oscillations?" Amber grinned even more broadly.

"None."

Now Amber kissed her, slowly and methodically. At the end of the kiss, she pulled back slightly. "That doesn't mean anything. She is totally focused on something else. You've got to get her in a place where it's truly a temptation. But I'm sure you know that. You've done it before, right?"

"A few times. Sometimes successfully, sometimes not."

Amber nodded. But she had clearly lost interest in talking about Laura's disappointment. She was kissing Laura's cheek, and her jaw. "You know, I was just about to hop into bed with a very old friend of mine when you called," she purred softly. "It was mean of you to deprive me like that."

"Your 'financial advisor, ' right?" Laura said caustically, tilting her head.

Amber did not flinch. "Right," she lied. "She and I were going to roll all over my debentures."

"It was mean. I'm sorry," Laura purred back, smiling, enjoying the kisses immensely, kissing Amber back, kissing her black neck, sliding a hand between the lapels of her fluffy pink bathrobe. "Is there anything I can do to make it up to you?"

"Mmmmm," Amber appeared to ponder the question. She reached down and pulled Laura's hand out of her bathrobe, where Laura had been cupping a small, perfect, warm breast, feeling the heavenly swollen protruding bulb of Amber's soft puffy nipple against her palm. Amber lifted the hand and scrutinized it. "You know, she does something special for me that no one else can do. I won't let them. But it looks like you could fill in."

"Now it's my turn to guess," Laura murmured.

Amber smiled back mysteriously. "But first I'm going to make you forget about sweet little Arthell." She pulled Laura by the same hand toward the bedroom. "Temporarily, at least."

"Did she mind leaving? Your friend?" Laura asked, as they entered the bedroom, still holding hands.

Amber smiled ambiguously back over her shoulder, then shook her head. "I gave her one of my speedy specials, and she was happy enough. That's why I asked you to wait twenty minutes."

She winked at nodded at the bed, which was unmade and rumpled, as if indeed a couple had been quickly and furiously screwing there only moments ago.

"I'm sorry you had to cut it short," Laura said, dryly.

Amber smirked. "That's okay. I know you can give me what I need."

While Laura watched, she untied the sash of her bathrobe and slipped it off her shoulders. Laura was enchanted as always by her naked body, dark and gleaming and devastatingly sexy in the half-light she perpetually had on in her bedroom. Amber smiled at her and motioned with her head for Laura to undress too.

"It helps if we're both... this way," she said, pointing to her own nakedness with one finger.

Laura nodded and quickly began to unbutton and unsnap. "Sorry."

While she was undressing, Amber disappeared into her huge walk-in closet, really a wholly separate adjacent room, and returned with the translucent purple strap-on dildo and harness that she had asked Laura to use on her their very first time together. Laura realized that their relationship was about to jump a few notches upward.

They had been doing this for several weeks now without ever having resorted again to the strap-on, or to any other toy or special twist, having found quite enough pleasure so far in merely ordinary but consummately skilled fucking, at which they were both experts. In fact, Laura had occasionally wondered if they would ever get beyond that, or want to. And yet she knew from the way Amber had examined her hand that fisting was going to happen tonight, and as she watched Amber slip into the strap-on harness she knew that she too was going to get a pleasurable workout.

I do believe this gorgeous naked woman means to fuck me, she thought, feeling tiny secret muscles everywhere in her body clench in anticipation. She was naked now and could feel Amber's dark eyes burning into her body. Amber smiled and drew her over to the bed, holding the thick, shiny dildo with one hand so it wouldn't bob too much as she walked.

"I hope you don't mind that I didn't change the sheets," she said in a low, sultry voice. "Actually, I don't ever change the sheets. I have a maid who does that. Rich girls have some privileges."

Laura growled playfully and pulled her down into the rumpled mess left by Amber's previous brief fucking with her old friend. "I don't care about the sheets," she growled, biting Amber's neck and squeezing her small, perfect breasts aggressively. "I just want you to fuck me. Anywhere. On the floor, if you want to."