Chapter 3

A sound filtered its way into my awareness, and I opened my eyes. The morning light filtered through the blinds on both sides of the bed, giving more than enough light for me to see. I was lying on my left side, and Sharon was lying on her right side, facing me from about a foot away. She took another breath, and snored softly as she inhaled.

Her hair was delightfully tousled, and her mouth was open slightly, showing her front teeth. I watched her as she slept, and the warmth in my belly came back in force. She had a slight gap between her front teeth, and a spray of golden freckles ran along her cheekbones and across her nose. I lifted my hand to cup her cheek, thought better of the idea, and pulled it back.

The movement awakened her, and she opened her eyes. I smiled. “Good morning.”

Her gaze sharpened, and she lifted her head. “What ... oh. I’m sorry, did I keep you awake?”

“No, I just woke up, myself.”

“I need to get...” she started to sit up.

“Watch you-” I said quickly, but it was too late.

Sharon tried to sit up in the bed, and ran straight into the padded ceiling. “Ow!” She dropped down onto her back, and clapped one hand to her forehead.

“Watch your head, there’s not enough room to sit straight up,” I said neutrally.

“It’s okay,” Sharon said after a moment. “I think I can skip the trip to the ER. I see why it’s padded here, too.” She rose, more carefully that time, and propped herself up on one elbow. “I need to go to the bathroom. Does the shower work?”

“It does,” I nodded. “Careful with the hot water, though. The water heater is one of those instant types, and there’s only three gallons available. Shut it off while you lather up, or you will be rinsing in cold water.”

“Okay.” She scooted her way to the foot of the bed, and sat up where the ceiling was higher. I followed suit on my side, and she climbed down to the floor. Anticipating her next request, I opened the wardrobe and pulled out her bag.

“Thank you.” She smiled and set the bag on the chair, and opened it. “Where are your towels?”

“Right above the chair, all the way to the right.” I cleared my throat. “If you give me a minute, I’ll go outside so you can shower and get dressed.” She wore only her T-shirt and boy shorts panties, and I resolutely looked at her head as we spoke.

She half turned to look at me for a moment, with an expression I couldn’t quite parse. “We’re both adults, and I’m sure you’ve seen everything I might have.” With that, she reached for the hem of her T-shirt, and stripped it off over her head. She bent at the waist, and skimmed her panties down to her shins, and then stepped out of them.

My mouth dropped open, and my pulse thundered in my ears as I beheld her. She had definitely worn a bikini in the recent past, as the faint tan lines were visible across her breasts and her groin. While my wife had been curvy, with more of a Rubenesque figure, Sharon was leaner and more defined. Her medium-sized breasts were firm; capped by large nipples and areolas that were golden brown like the freckles that decorated her chest and belly. Her neatly trimmed mat of fine pubic hair was a shade redder than her hair and eyebrows, and her pubic mound stood out from her belly.

Sharon colored a little, and she glanced down at herself as her hands moved toward her torso.

“You’re beautiful,” I heard myself say. I managed to close my mouth, but I couldn’t take my eyes off her.

“Really?” Her eyes met mine for a moment, and she looked down again. “I mean, I’ve gone to nude beaches, and it wasn’t a big thing.”

I nodded, and took another breath to steady myself. That wouldn’t do anything for my raging erection, but that was a secondary concern at the moment. “I will get dressed and go out so you can bathe and dress, okay?” I smiled at her while making damn sure to keep my eyes on her face. It was hard, but I mostly managed it.

“Okay.” She stepped to the side as I stood up and plucked my shirt and pants from under her suitcase. As I passed by, I saw her gaze drop to my crotch. Her blush deepened, and she raised her hands a bit, as if to cover her breasts.

“It has a mind of its own,” I said as calmly as I could. I had no overt urge to grab her and have my way with her, but I couldn’t remember the last time I’d had such a reaction to a woman. Oh, my wife was a wonderful lover, but that phase of our relationship had passed, and we had moved into a deeper intimacy that went far beyond mere attraction.

I pulled on my clothes, dragging my pants almost painfully over my erection, and slipped my feet into a pair of heavy sandals. “I’ll be outside for a few minutes.” I stepped past her, cracked the door to be sure no one would be able to see inside, and made my way down the steps, closing the door behind me.

The sun was barely over the eastern horizon, and I took a breath to clear my head. I’d seen my share of women, although I’d never cheated on my wife, not even once. I’d been temped a couple of times – one of my former work partners had been desperately unhappy in her marriage, and it was a near thing in the end to avoid an affair. Sad to say, but she had been the stronger person in that decision. She liked and respected Megan, and she had my back in ways that went beyond our job descriptions. Megan and I had even gone to topless and nude beaches a handful of times while we were on vacation.