Chapter 7

February.

LUKE'S VOICE

The seductive rhythm of work and progress took over my life for the next month. Scarcely a sexual thought entered my head as I prepared classes and helped Ulrika and Karl to absorb new knowledge, working with them while they practised using it, rejoicing with them as it became automatic and natural and their ability to express themselves grew. As the end of the month approached, and with it half term I went looking for Angela.

'Hello, Luke, I haven't seen you for ages. Is there a problem?' I shook my head cheerfully.

'Just the opposite. I'm prepared to bet that Karl and Ulrika's half term reports will knock your socks off, and I've come to ask you to declare a three day holiday as a reward. I'd like us to go to Salzburg and hear a concert at the Mozart Hall, and make them think that hard work brings rewards. You can justify it as behavioural reinforcement.' She looked thoughtful for a moment.

'That'll fit in nicely with my plans. It's about time I hosted something, and if you're all out of the house Trudi can get everything ready while cook supervises the caterers.' She looked in her bag and pulled out a Gucci diary. 'I'll tell you this evening which days and Frau Kurtz can order tickets and book hotels. She'll throw a fit, of course.'

'She's got a vested interested in the kids being incorrigible. I'll let you break the news to them. Don't tell them it was my suggestion.' She beckoned me towards her then pulled my head down and kissed me.

'You are something else. I feel another invitation creeping up, but not just yet. You've turned this into a happier house, Luke, and I don't know how or why.' She let go of me and I retreated, feeling pleased.

When I got back to my room Trudi was lounging in an armchair leafing through a book. She looked up as I entered.

'I had to something to get your attention. When you focus you focus, don't you? I could be walking round the house stark naked with a rose between my teeth and you'd still nod vaguely and be absent-mindedly polite. I don't know why I'm not offended. Come and give me a kiss.' It seemed to be kiss day so I did as I was told and flopped into the armchair opposite.

'You want to tell me something and you're a little bit nervous. Anything serious?'

'How the hell do you know these things?' I shrugged.

'I watch people and sort of know what they're feeling. Tell me what's up.' She'd come to confess that she'd been spending time chatting to Ulrika, who'd fallen into the habit of going to the kitchen and getting a hot drink before homework.

'We've been having girl talk and I sort of tricked her into saying more than she meant to about Christmas and now I feel bad about it.' She looked at me apologetically and I shrugged again.

'She's in the middle of a crash course in becoming autonomous and she need lessons in what the real world's like, as well as school subjects.' A thought struck me. 'Did you whisper any confidences back to her?' Trudi looked guilty.

'Nothing specific, but she's probably wondering how come I know so much about you. I didn't tell her directly that we're fuck-buddies, but she's not stupid'.'

We'll deal with that if it comes up. How's Olga?' She made a face.

'Back with her mum, poor thing, in the middle of nowhere with just her vibrator for company. I'm going down this weekend to see her and charge her batteries'.' She giggled at her own joke and went to make a start on supper.

Angela appeared at the supper table to make the announcement, Frau Kurtz had a head attack, Karl and Ulrika looked overjoyed, and I stayed quiet and tried to look surprised and pleased. After the meal we went up to what I was beginning to think of as the teaching suite, and the kids settled down to the rest of their homework. The fire was glowing and I slumped in my favourite armchair and closed my eyes. The next thing I knew was a pair of soft lips grazing mine and a warm hand stroking my cheek.

'We've finished, Luke. Karl's gone to watch TV and I'm going to have a shower and read for a while.' There was laughter in her voice. 'You look quite tired, you poor thing. Have all your women been tiring you out?'

'What's that supposed to mean?' Her eyes were bright and loving.

'It means that I know you're not a one person guy. I'd already worked that out and Trudi's a dead giveaway. I saw her face when she was talking about you, and I was hurt at first, but after thinking about it I'm not going to try to change who you are. You've done too much for me to be selfish. Would you mind if I let Trudi know that I know? She's different from me but I feel as if she could teach me lots of the things that you can't.' I reached up and drew her onto my lap and bit her ear gently.

'Talk to her as much as you can. Underneath all the surface froth she's a sensible person who knows herself and lives happily with the knowledge. That's a good trick to learn. I couldn't do it when I was her age.' I kissed her ear. 'You've been very patient and studious lately.' She squirmed as my tongue traced down her neck.

'I'm trying to copy you. Calm and patient and thoughtful.' She wriggled off my lap. 'Go back to sleep. Maybe you'll need your energy when we're in Salzburg.' She ran her hand down my cheek again and left, humming quietly.

Our plans solidified. Frau Kurtz was told to book a suite and to hire a car so I could get us all down there in comfort and on the Tuesday of half term I watched the kids piling luggage into the boot. Trudi came and stood by me.

'I wish I was coming too. The party's on Thursday and it's going to be horrendous. Still the caterers and cleaners will do most of the hard work.' Her eyes strayed to Ulrika. 'God, she's beautiful. I don't know what you've done to us, Luke. You've taught me not to grab everything all at once, Olga's happier about her body than she ever used to be, Ulrika's turned into someone who's totally different. She's so good with clothes and she's been helping me to alter some of my stuff while we've been chatting. Even Frau Fischer's less tense than she used to be.' She cocked her head and looked up at me. 'Ulrika and I have talked a lot about you, completely honestly, and neither of us resents the other; we still don't know how you do it.' I felt the familiar shrug starting.

'It's a gift. I don't work at it.' She looked at me exasperatedly, then reached up and ruffled my hair. She blew me a kiss over her shoulder as she went back into the house.

Austria isn't a big place and we were rolling into Salzburg by mid-afternoon. Our hotel was a gaudy wedding cake of a building, and I boggled as we pulled up, but Ulrika wasn't fazed. She slipped out of the passenger seat and nodded at the doorman.

'Herr Fischer's party, ' she said simply, and an army of porters descended on the back of the car. I handed the doorman the keys, feeling like someone important. The comfort level in the suite was bordering on the sybaritic and I was hard put not to join the kids as they explored it. We were a step beyond mini-bar country, and I opened an elegant cocktail cabinet and extracted a bottle of wine. My case had been unpacked by a cheerful chambermaid and there was nothing to do until the concert the next night. Karl and Ulrika came out of their rooms.

'Help yourself to drinks, guys. You're the ones who've been working, so you get to decide what we're going to do this evening. If you argue I'll cast a deciding vote.'

To my horror they elected to go to MacDonald's and then a movie. I was about to protest but remembered that it was their treat and that this was something they'd hardly ever done. I braced myself and we went out.

Actually, it wasn't as bad as I'd feared. I had a beer and stole some of their fries while they ate greedily, then managed to sleep through most of the film, and as we came out I was planning what to order from room service. We walked briskly, Ulrika between Karl and me, her arms hooked through ours. I glanced sideways and looked at their profiles, flushed and happy, and congratulated myself.

As we entered the hotel Karl gasped and tore himself loose from Ulrika's arm. A girl in the check-in queue turned at the sound of his voice and her face broke into a smile. The couple in front turned too. They recognised Karl, and he shook hands with them. Ulrika and I strolled over and Karl introduced us. The girl was one of the party that he'd joined on his skiing holiday and I guessed that they'd been more than friends.

'My sister Ulrika, and this is Herr Lancer, our tutor, ' Karl was saying to the girl's parents. They looked me over and appeared to approve of what they saw. They were in Salzburg for the concert too, and had arrived later than they intended. The girl, Bea, could scarcely take her eyes off Karl and I smiled at her parents.

'I was about to order supper. Karl and Ulrika ruined their appetites in MacDonald's, but I restrained myself. If you could join us we'd be delighted.' My eyes flicked sideways to Karl and Bea and her father grinned.

'It's most kind of you. In half an hour, shall we say, when we've had a chance to clean up a little?' I grinned back at him.

'Karl will show you our suite. In fact I think that for only the second time in his life he's going to offer to help someone with their luggage.' Karl's ears turned red and Bea's father smiled again. We made polite goodbyes and Ulrika and I walked sedately across the lobby to the lifts. As I opened the door to the suite she pounced.

'I know you a little bit, Luke Lancer, and you've got a plan. What is it?' I chuckled and unwound her arms from my neck.

'Do you want us to be a trio the whole time we're here? Bea's parents seem nice enough. Let me work on them over supper. I bet they wouldn't mind some time together without her.' Ulrika shook her head and went off to her room to shower.

Supper went like a dream. Bea's parents were relaxed and cheerful, obviously happy that their daughter had met people her own age, and we talked idly as we ate and drank. Karl and Bea were engrossed in each other and Ulrika edged her chair round, pleased to be one of the 'adults'. After an hour Bea's father looked at his watch.

'I've driven too far today, and I'm going to bed.' He looked at his family. 'Come on, you two.' Bea turned to him.

'Can I stay a little while longer, please? I slept in the car. I won't wake you, I promise.' Her mother looked at her husband, and to my surprise he winked at her.

'I don't see why not. Half term only happens once a term.' He laughed at his own joke and they stood up, ready to leave. I saw them to the door and as we shook hands he looked at me. 'If she's down in less than an hour I'll hold you responsible.' He looked at his wife fondly. 'I rather hope that I'm going to get some after-driving therapy.' She smiled and leaned towards me.

'Herr Lancer, two hours would be better if you can bear it, but if you get fed up with her just send her away.' I looked back at Karl and Bea.

'I'll have to prize her loose with a fork however long it is. Don't worry. Can I tell her that's she's welcome to join us for all or part of tomorrow?' Mother nodded.

'Of course, or if Karl would like to he could join us; he seems to be a nice lad, and Bea's talked of no-one else since she came back from skiing.' They left and I saw them put their arms round each other as I closed the door. Karl and Bea had moved to the sofa and were playing with the TV, zapping channels.

'If you two are going to do that all evening you'd better do it in your room, ' I said, 'or I'll go mad and start throwing things.' Bea giggled and Karl tried to look casual as they got up. As the door to Karl's room closed I winked at Ulrika and she stifled a smile.

'You're really bad sometimes. What next?'

'Go and help them choose a risky film and when they start necking, be a good sister and say you'll keep me occupied. I'm going to have a shower.' She smiled a secret smile and stood up.

I was out of the shower and lying on my bed wrapped in one of the toweling robes that the hotel provided when Ulrika slipped in. She'd showered too and her hair was still damp. Her robe was tied tightly and she bounced onto the bed and knelt beside me.

'They're watching some soft porn and getting really worked up. More lessons please, teacher. Trudi says that you're the best at oral sex that she's ever known and she told me to try it. She says she wants to compare notes.'

'She's a great one for comparing notes that girl. She's been telling you lots, hasn't she?' She nodded.

'I was shocked at first, especially when she told me about you and her and that other girl, and I felt hurt and jealous, but she made me listen and understand. She made me feel better about your cock too. She said she can only manage half of it without choking and she's had lots of practice.' She hitched herself up and straddled my chest, flipping the robe open as she did so. 'Show me what it's like, Luke, and then I'll show you what I've learnt. Trudi helped me practise on a banana.' I sighed exaggeratedly.

'A teacher's work is never done. Move forward a little.' Her little pussy was winking at me and I could see drops of lubricant forming amidst her soft petals as her excitement mounted. She kneewalked up my body and her subtle aroma filled my nostrils as I moved my hands to her firm buttocks and caressed them, pulling them apart slightly. Her pussy gaped wider and I extended my tongue, flicking her asshole and then swirling lightly up and around her pink slit. Even as I watched it darkened and engorged and she gasped quietly. I raised my head and licked delicately round her clit, probing the sides of the hood and running my tongue up to the soft fur above. Her lips and mound were smooth and I guessed that Trudi had been offering some useful advice in that department too. Her hips began to roll gently and she pushed herself more firmly onto my face. I pinched her ass.

'Rule number one, try not to suffocate the person who's eating you.' I heard her giggle, then gasp as I let her sink again and slid my tongue gently into her virgin channel, rimming the walls of her cunt with feather light strokes and moving my mouth over the intricate folds of her inner lips. I let my thumb slide up into her crack and licked it too, then drew it down to the puckered flesh of her anus, probing the little clenched rosette with the tip and feeling her muscles flutter as the thrill of intrusion darted through her. Her hands had moved up to her breasts and she was pulling and pinching her taut nipples, her head thrown back, lost in a world of mounting pleasure. Her sphincter quaked again and I let my thumb glide smoothly into her bowels, moving my tongue back up her slit as I did so. Her clit was straining towards me, begging to be touched, but I deliberately avoided it and merely circled it again, then dragged my tongue down through her pleats, feeling her begin to shudder. The strong muscles in her buttocks tensed under my hands and her breathing quickened.

I eased my thumb out of her asshole and lifted her gently, coaxing her onto her back and arranging her body so that her legs were on the edge of the bed. Kneeling on the floor between them I dipped into her crack and swiped my tongue up and down once, then pursed my lips round her clit, bathing it with my tongue as I pressed a finger firmly into her anus again. Her hips bucked and she grabbed a pillow, holding it to her face to muffle the groan forcing its way out of her. I suckled the little stump of nerve endings and her lower body began to thrust against my mouth as her breathing grew more ragged. I sucked harder and flexed the finger in her asshole. Her slit gaped and I thrust two fingers into her cunt, turning and crooking them slightly so that the pads glided over her G spot. The spongy flesh trembled under my fingertips and the rhythm of her hips quickened. I flexed the fingers in her vagina and rectum and blew on her clit gently, then flicked the tip of my tongue across it quickly and she fell over the edge, screaming softly into the pillow. Her orifices contracted over my fingers and grasped them hungrily as her body shivered and the muscles in her belly tightened and released. I withdrew from her holes, letting my mouth lie quietly over her cunt, pressing gently with the flat of my tongue as she quietened.