Chapter 6

Carole finished drying me, the soft fluffy towel felt so sensuous against my skin, prolonging the lingering, slowly fading over-sensitivity that was the legacy of my orgasm. Taking my hand she led me back to the bedroom and opened a wardrobe, she threw me a silky dressing gown, a gorgeous wine-red colour.

"I bought that for you on my way home from the pool yesterday, I thought the colour would suit you, and I really hoped to see you in it this morning."

I slipped into the gown, relishing the feel of the cool silk on my skin.

"And besides I didn't think you would want to have breakfast in your best frock."

I giggled,

"It's been years since I spent a night away from home, I never gave a thought to what to wear in the morning if I came home with you."

She laughed,

"Yes, and turning up for a first date with a suitcase would have been a little bit forward. Next time we will plan things a bit better."

'Next time, ' I thought, 'there's going to be a next time.'

For the next few minutes we were busy tidying up, gathering up our clothes from where they had fallen last night, then making the bed. As we pulled the covers up a waft of air laden with our combined scent tickled my nostrils triggering memories of Carole's taste, a taste I longed to savour again and again.

"We will have to go back to the main house for breakfast, I didn't have time to lay in supplies," she said, "and after we have eaten I'll find something for you to wear."

I followed her back down the stairs and through the other door at the bottom, it was a strange, almost wicked feeling, entering the house with my high heels dangling from one hand and my dress and underwear bundled up in the other. Carole must have felt something similar because she laughed,

"I feel like a teenager sneaking home after her first all night party."

I giggled,

"That's what we are doing, we're just a little bit older."

"God, remember what it used to be like, creeping in and trying to get up to your room without waking anyone up."

I laughed,

"Yes, and those questions at breakfast," I put on a deep voice, "and just what time did you get home young lady?"

Carole giggled helplessly,

"Once you become a parent yourself you realise just how much they must have known about what you got up to."

"They probably did exactly the same themselves."

"Probably, and then you become a parent and find yourself doing it to your kids. If I had a pound for every time I've said something and thought 'god I sound like my mother' I'd be a rich woman."

We had been walking through the house as we spoke, looking around I thought that Carole appeared to be pretty rich anyway, certainly very comfortable. The house was lovely, expertly and tastefully furnished and equipped, we had made our way into the kitchen and it, like the bathroom upstairs, looked as if it had come from the pages of a glossy magazine. She waved me towards a stool at a large breakfast bar and bustled about, measuring and pouring coffee into a machine and turning it on, the aroma of fresh coffee began to fill the room.

"Coffee and croissants ok with you?"

I nodded and she produced some croissants, split them and popped them into the oven to warm through while she collected butter from the fridge and plates from a cupboard. Within a few minutes we were sitting down and enjoying a leisurely and perfectly delicious breakfast.

We sat quietly over our second cups of coffee, both of us seemed thoughtful, unsure of what to do next. Carole broke the silence,

"What are you thinking darling?"

I reached out and covered her hand with mine, lacing my fingers through hers,

"I was just thinking that this is like a dream, a dream I don't want to wake up from. Ever since I stepped into that Jacuzzi yesterday it's as though I've been in another world, last night and this morning... well, it's been so long since I have had such a lovely time and I don't want it to end."

"I don't want it to end either, it was so nice making love last night and then sleeping in each other's arms."

I stood up and moved towards her, taking her in my arms I kissed her gently,

"Yes it was," I grinned wickedly, "the sex was pretty awesome too!"

She laughed, her arms tightened around my waist pulling me closer,

"Dear Marge," she said into thin air, "my girlfriend is a sex maniac. What should I do?"

I chuckled and replied in a dead pan voice,

"Dear Worried, make the most of it!"

"The agony aunts don't usually give such good advice, I think I should do as she says don't you?"

My lips met hers again, passionately this time, my hands stroking up and down her back feeling the silky robe sliding over her soft skin,

"Good advice should always be listened to."

I wondered at the way I was acting, this was nothing like the way I usually behaved, then something clicked in my mind and I recognised what was happening to me. I was falling in love, that dizzying feeling of needing to be near her, needing to hold her, kiss her, make love to her. I felt like a teenager with her first boyfriend, involuntarily I sighed, it had been so long since I felt like this. So long that I hadn't even recognised my feelings for what they were.

Carole felt my sigh,

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing," I smiled shyly, "I just realised why I feel the way I do, I'm falling in love with you Carole."

She gave a gasp and leapt to her feet. Her arms grabbed me and her lips showered tiny kisses wherever she could reach.

"Oh thank god," she said, "I thought it was just me, that I was turning into some silly hormonal middle aged woman."

"You're not middle aged," I said, "you are only seven years older than I am."

She giggled,

"Does that make you a toy girl?"

I laughed,

"I think the usual term is 'trophy wife' but I don't think that's quite right either."

Carole took my hand and dragged me towards the door,

"Come on, it's Saturday morning, no kids to worry about, it's time to do what women are best at."

"What's that?"

"Shopping!"

I followed her upstairs, everywhere I looked were signs of comfort and wealth, the furnishings were all high quality and very tasteful. I was beginning to feel a little out of place, Carole and her husband obviously enjoyed a standard of living far higher than my own. My feelings grew worse as she led the way into her bedroom and threw open the wardrobe doors saying,

"Let's see what we can find for you to wear."

The double wardrobe was crammed with clothes, even a casual glance revealed not just quantity but quality. My only decent dress was in a bundle on the kitchen table downstairs and I would have bet a years salary that it had cost a fraction of the price of any one of the dozens of dresses hanging in Carole's wardrobe. I sat on the bed feeling more and more depressed, not envious, just worried that my new love and I seemed to come from different worlds, I couldn't imagine any way that we could continue our relationship, the gulf between us was too wide. Carole seemed oblivious, she was sorting through drawers and pulling items out glancing at them muttering to herself then stuffing them back again.

"That should do," she said at last tossing a couple of items towards me.

I caught them automatically gave them a cursory glance and put them on the bed beside me. Eventually my silence penetrated Carole's monologue and she turned. Seeing the expression on my face she came over and sat beside me,

"What's wrong darling?"

"Nothing."

"I can see that's not true, tell me what's wrong."

I felt a tear trickle from the corner of my eye. Carole saw it and her arm went around me, pulling my head down onto her shoulder.