Chapter 3: A busy morning

Before heading to Gretchen's place, I asked her to stop by the hotel room so I could get my things. I left a note for Ted and Lisa telling them that I would be back in the morning to see them off to the airport. Whether Gretchen and I did anything or not, I wanted to have more than just my short black dress, and since I was already there, I just packed up all my other clothes. If I needed to, I could check into some other hotel.

The drive out of the city and to her place was an odyssey of quiet lust. Gretchen didn't tempt me overtly but her posture spoke volumes. She slumped lower in her seat than before, showing leg all the way up to her thigh. I desperately sought some means to break her hold on me. I recited the multiplication tables to myself, thought about my parents naked, and imagined Rosanne Barr without makeup and naked. I shuddered in revulsion at the last, but sighed in frustration as I realized the desire was still there, exuding sex and looking like an angel.

I was still wrestling with myself when my angel pulled into a driveway in front of a big brick and wood house. I shook my head. When had she become 'my angel?' I need to get a hold of myself. Forcing my eyes away from her thighs, I looked at the house. Very classy looking.

When Gretchen unlocked the door and showed me inside, I was impressed. Tasteful elegance colored everything from the furniture to the artwork displayed on the walls. The subdued, clean and simple look spoke of a great deal of money. Our footsteps on the marble in the entryway were absorbed by the deep white carpets.

"Come into the kitchen and I'll fix us a drink," Gretchen said with a smile. "You can tell me all about your other business since I'll be keeping you company while you finish it."

I nodded. "Okay, but make mine just a beer. I need to keep my head clear around you or I might succumb to your wiles." I smiled to keep it light, but in my heart I heard the truth of my words.

She laughed gaily and led the way into a spacious and modern kitchen. Opening the wine chiller, she pulled out some wine. "I don't have any beer in stock, so you'll have to take your chances. Surely you aren't threatened by little ole me?" she asked seductively, fanning her face with her hand and smiling the kind of smile that made my panties melt.

"Yes," I said hoarsely, my smile now strained. "You are dangerous to my self-restraint. I want to say yes so bad I can taste it, but the answer must be no. I need to respect myself and you." I took the glass of wine she handed me and sipped the ruby liquid.

She nodded and sipped her wine, still standing. "You seem like an alpha type - very assertive. You are probably like that about sex, too." Gretchen set her glass on the counter and stepped into my personal space, almost making me step back. She caressed my cheek with her hand softly. "That might be a challenge for me, Hawk. You see, I'm used to being the alpha in 'personal' relations. I go after what I like and make it mine."

Her touch roused a fire inside me that I couldn't deny, but managed to force back down. My pussy became wet almost instantly but I reined it in savagely. I reached up and pulled her hand down from my face and kissed her palm before letting it go. "No, not tonight. I want to, but I won't be rushed."

Her eyes sparkled with shock, amusement and a hint of admiration. "Well, I am not used to being fended off. At least it isn't usually easy to say no to this." She reached up with practiced ease and slid the dress off her shoulders, and it fell into a puddle by her feet.

My breath caught in my throat as I looked at her body. Her hourglass figure was even more devastating to my resolve than I had feared it might be. Her generous breasts were high and firm, natural looking. Her narrow waist and her flared hips framed a neatly trimmed, and natural, blonde bush. The heels that were her only garment now and made her calves look good enough to eat. Without thought, I found my hands reaching for her, and I again forced myself to step back, bringing them to grip the counter.

"Oh, God, that's simply not fair," I said, closing my eyes. "I think I better sleep in a separate bedroom. With a lock. And a heavy dresser blocking the door."

Gretchen laughed. When I opened my eyes, she had picked up her dress and was walking out. She returned in a moment, wrapped in a silk robe. "Okay, Hawk. You win this round. I'll stop teasing you and let you tell me the rest of your story." She sat at the counter on a barstool, her legs folded beside her almost demurely.

Lord, she was so sexy I almost gave in. I picked up my wineglass and sipped it, looking at her face and trying to savor my victory while my body told me what an idiot I was being. I regretted the decision already but I refused to give in. This had become a matter of pride.

"The rest of the business is finding out if Ted and Lisa got married last night," I said gauging her reaction. "We were a bit toasted and the evidence seems to point that way." I related the details and I could see her struggling not to laugh.

"I suppose I don't understand. If they were drunk, it's not binding. I know you know that, so there must be something else," she said.

I raised an eyebrow. "They don't commit lightly. If they did get married, I think they'll try to make it work. They just need to know and I'm going to find the answers for them. They mean..." It hit me like a blow to the stomach, how important their happiness was to me. "They're my friends. I don't have many and that makes them precious to me. Would you stay married if you found yourself hitched unexpectedly?" I asked, turning the tables.

She swallowed more wine and swirled the glass while she considered her response. "I've been asked to get married by more people than I care to think about. All were men that want what they think I have, men that want to possess me or simply those that think they love me. I've grown leery of the thought of marriage." She set the glass down on the counter. "I couldn't get drunk enough to agree, and believe me, some men have tried that route, too. If I get married, I'll stick with it, though. Not that I see that in my future. Well, not unless someone as interesting as you comes along to sweep me off my feet and make an honest woman of me." She grinned. "What about you? If it had been you that woke and seemed to be married, what would you do?"

I rubbed my hand over my face. That was an interesting question. "It was almost me. It could've been me. I'm not a quitter. Marriage to someone like Ted might work for a while, but I don't love him, or at least not in the right way. I'd try to make it work, but I don't think it would last." I yawned and set the glass down. "Look, sorry to be a party pooper but I'm wiped out. Let's get some sleep and we can start again in the morning, okay?"

She rose to her feet gracefully and took the wineglass, rinsing them both out in the sink and setting them out to dry. "Let me take you to your room and you can get some sleep. I'll dream up a plan to seduce you while we sleep."

I shook my head and smiled. "You do that."

The bedroom was luxurious in a way that even the highest class hotels only wished they could emulate. Plush covers and pillows were scattered across the bed in a dark red wave. A delicate glass sculpture of a swan sat on a doily beside the mirror. No paintings, just soothing color draped the walls. The attached bathroom was a marvel all on its own.

Gretchen had mercy on me, keeping her hands to herself and her clothes on. "Goodnight, Hawk. Sweet dreams," she said with a smile that said she knew what I would be dreaming of, and then she closed the door behind her.

I slowly stripped, putting my clothes in the chair, and padded into the bathroom to take a long, cold shower. I didn't expect it to help and I was right. When I was done, it still took an hour for me to nod off into a dream-filled sleep.

The next morning, after tossing and turning, I finally dragged myself out of bed, showered and dressed before heading to the kitchen. I found Gretchen already up and sipping her coffee. Her robe from last night was replaced by sweatpants and a ragged tee shirt proclaiming the benefits of aromatherapy. I had to remind myself not to jump her bones, because she was looking way too sexy. Her bare feet tapped on the stone floor to an oldie playing on the stereo: Jimi Hendrix asked me to excuse him while he kissed some guy. Okay, I know he said "kiss the sky", but I like my story better.

"Morning, sleepy! It's already eight am!" She beamed at me. Dear God, she was perky in the morning. Before coffee. Normally I hate perky at any time of day, especially mornings, but on Gretchen, perky just made her more human, more alluring somehow. I shook my head. I was in big trouble. "I figured we could stop by this really good kolache place I know and enjoy some good Czech breakfast," she continued. "Do you want some coffee first, though? You look... um, not quite awake."

She poured me a cup with the right amount of creamer and sweetener already inside. She did have a good memory. I retreated to my seat, like a sleeping bear that had just awoken from the winter, greedily drinking in the fine bean.

"So, what first," she asked with a grin. "Pick up your friends and get them to the airport?"

I nodded. "Yeah. I'll call them and confirm the time, but I think they have to be there by noon. The flight is at two. I'll wake their sleepy asses up after I drink my coffee." An evil idea occurred to me. "Or we could go wake them up and drag them off to breakfast."

"Ooooo! I like that idea," she agreed. "I'd like to actually talk to them before they leave. I need to make sure Daddy is following through on his word," she smiled a shark-like grin, "and they can help me understand what makes you tick. That resistance of yours only makes me want you more. You know that, right? I'm going to keep chipping away at that "no" until I get what I want." Her eyes smoked at me.

There was no chance I could suppress that jolt of lust without the conflict showing on my face. Gretchen laughed, obviously enjoying my discomfort. I drank my coffee and commanded my pussy to heel. I'd need to send it to obedience school.

"I should just toss your sexy ass onto the couch and have my way with you." She perked up and licked her lips. "But," I said over my wagging finger, "I'm not going to give in so quickly. When I strike, you won't see it coming." I grinned my own shark-like grin.

"Well! I suppose I've been put in my place!" she exclaimed with a laugh. "We'll see if you hold out or I get my way. Like I said, I love a challenge. Let me go get some clothes on. Want to come and watch?" she asked coyly.

"Go get changed. I'm not that easy and you're not that innocent."

With a distinctly girlish giggle, she swayed back to the bedroom area. I shook my head and went to wander the house. It was even swankier than I thought last night. All feminine in ways my house couldn't match. Or perhaps it was in ways I couldn't match. A home was a reflection of the owner's personality, like Lisa had told me.

Gretchen found me in a room that I would have to call a library. It had a number of bookshelves covered with hardback books on all kinds of subjects. Physics to chess and painting to auto repair. I was leafing through one on ballroom dancing when she came in dressed in a casual blouse and blue jeans.

"Ready? Since we may have company, we'll need something with enough room for everyone and their luggage. This way to the garage," she said, pointing off to the left side of the house.

The garage was much like the house, big and filled with classy stuff. All of it looked to be in great shape, but one had the hood up and a tool box beside it.

"What's wrong with the Beamer?" I asked.

"Something's wrong with one the lights. It goes out sometimes. Probably a grounding issue. I've been kind of busy lately, so I'll get it tracked down later."

I stopped and stared at her. "You work on cars?"

She stopped next to the Lexus SUV and opened the door. "Sure, the easy stuff. It's interesting and can be fun. Do you work on stuff?"

I climbed in the passenger side and buckled in. "I've done some work on my bike but not a lot. I mainly let the shop take care of most things."

Gretchen started the SUV and opened the garage. "You're a biker babe? A macho biker babe, I bet." The grounds were much more covered in plants than I had noticed when we pulled in last night. She must have a nice contract with...

I looked at her suspiciously. "You do have a yard service, right?"

Her laugh lightened my spirits a lot. "Yes, though I have planted some flowers from time to time and I pester them shamelessly for the details of how it all works. Why? You looking to open a yard business?"

My response was cut off when she slammed on the brakes. As I was thrown against the seatbelt, I saw some guy in a brown bomber jacket standing in the driveway, snapping pictures of us.

"What the fuck?" I popped the door open and slid out, already moving around the front of the vehicle.

I heard Gretchen telling me no, but I was already out so I might as well see what this guy was up to.

"You. What the hell are you doing? Shag your ass out of the driveway," I said with the hook of a thumb. "We've got places to be."

Moron boy took some more pictures of me and then grinned over his camera. He really should look into some laser whitening for his teeth. "Is she your bitch now? What's your name? I've never seen her sleep with a woman before. It's worth big bucks. Cough it up, Babe. Was she worth the money?"

Did you ever feel like your head was going to pop off your body? My blood pressure went right through the top of my head and I started for him. "Babe? I'll give you Babe!"

He danced back into the street outside the gate, keeping the camera out of the way. "No hitting! I'm on public property! Touch me and you'll face charges!"

Yeah, right. Damn perverts. I didn't know what his game was, but I wasn't about to let him fuck with us like that. He didn't even turn to run; he just snapped more pictures as I got into his face.

"You get the hell out of here before I call the cops and have your sorry ass tossed in jail, Perv. Give me the film."

He started laughing. That puzzled me more than it made me angry. I wasn't used to being laughed at while threatening someone. "Never happen. First amendment. It doesn't matter anyway. They all got some good ones, too."

I half turned and damned if there weren't two more people across the street in a car with a camera snapping away. What in the hell was going on? The sound of a car door slamming brought my attention back to that first guy. He was starting up a beat up Pontiac Firebird and was in motion before I could decide what to do about him.