Chapter 3: Shower Fun

My nose woke me to the wonderful smell of Bacon!

"Bacon!" I said when I reached the bottom of the stairs.

"Yup!" Was Cleo's smug reply. "you missed it completely yesterday"

I stopped in my tracks. It wasn't Cleo doing the cooking.

"Well have a seat. I'm Molly the maid. And don't even start with the jokes, I've heard em all." Molly was already serving me up a plate.

"What time is it?" I asked.

"7. It's the price we have to pay for this" Cleo closed her eyes with a bite of her omelet. "ah Delicious."

"What's on the agenda today?" I asked.

"Today is free day." Cleo said around a mouth full.

"Oh?"

"Yeah. Do whatever you want or nothing at all. Read a book. Watch them open the pool for the season. Take a horse for a ride. Go back to bed. Whatever."

"And what are you going to do?"

"Alas. I have to work. Sunday I know, but Jake has a big deal going down Monday morning and I went shopping all day yesterday so..." She smiled at me and jogged up stairs with her white panties flashing under the pink over-sized t-shirt. I shook my head wishing I could be that free.

I spent the day doing a lot of nothing. I called mom and told her I was on vacation with Cleo and doing ok. I avoided any serious questions and ended the call early. I then grabbed a silly romance book dressed down to nothing more my old shirt with a simple panties and went back to bed where I laid and read. I found I could actually keep my mind on the story and concentrate. Not that reading a dime store romance takes heavy concentration, just that of late I wasn't able to break free of the zombie spell long enough for anything. I'd forgotten how sexy these stories could really be.

Standing toe to toe with him, she became aware of her chest rising and falling fast beneath her bodice, the tops of her breasts quivering with fury and a passion she cursed herself for feeling. His eyes lowered, gaze lingering on her trembling flesh. Inside that gaze, she recognized a ravenous hunger, a blue flame that burned both hot and wild...

Lying there in bed I could feel my own bra-less breasts respond to the words on the page in front of me. My own nipples tighten and the flesh get heavy for want of the feel of a large hand to cup them. I closed my eyes and used my own hands in substitution. I remembered well what Derek's hands felt like. I hefted their weight and felt the flesh indeed jiggle. I pushed up the T-shirt and touched the satin smoothness of my skin. I pushed them together and let each thumb and fore finger gently stroke and pinch the nipples forward, encouraging their growth. Releasing the nipples I let each breast fall only to move my hands under them and again press them upwards and together avoiding the nipples. Feeling the desire of the nipples to be touched again. Oh how I missed Derek's mouth closing over each breast. I closed my eyes and turned my head towards the wall sighing softly. The palms of my hand lightly rubbing each nipple.

"I miss you." I whispered to Derek's memory. "It's not nearly as nice as having you touch them."

A feather light touch of a finger traced an invisible line under my right breast as the voice softly said "Touch is wonderful"

"Cleo!" I screamed and sat up. Quickly pulling down my shirt. My face flushing beet red in an instant.

"Sorry." She shrugged. "I was passing by and the door was opened I couldn't help but see..."

I didn't think it possible, but I flushed even redder.

"Oh get over it. It's not like I haven't seen those before you know!" And she pulled up her top with the bra, letting her freed tits flop down. "See, I have my own pair!"

Stunned I gaped at her tits for a moment, both rosy nipples pointed right at me. Then we both bust out laughing. With that, the tension was gone and we began to talk about her day at work as she readjusted her top, putting things back in place. The invisible line on my breast burned for the remainder of the night.

In the morning, I beat Cleo down stairs for breakfast.

"Hey Molly. What's for breakfast?"

"Morning Kat. Pancakes." A small stack dripping with butter and hot syrup awaited my attention.

"Yum" I dove in with fork and knife.

"I see you've waited for me." Cleo's voice came from the spiral stairway.

"Just like you waited for me yesterday!" I looked up to watch her approach. "pancakes."

I noticed this morning she wore a very tight thin tank, her nipples showed through the thin white cotton clearly. The shirt ended before her belly button and a string binki bottom was all she wore below. I was ashamed to note my own nipples perked up at the sight.

"Damn girl, you going to come down nude tomorrow?" I asked, failing to avert my eyes from the sights.

"I may if you ask nicely," before sitting she leaned over my plate and reached for the syrup. "What about you, you're a bit overdressed aren't you?"

"Careful! You'll get that nipple in my syrup! Over dressed?" I stared dumbly down at my jeans and t-shirt. "oh! I was going to see if you're off of work you could show me around a bit, maybe find those stables you talked about earlier."

"Sure. I can introduce you to Billy. He's in charge of the stables and has a knack for matching up horse with rider skill. Maybe he can loan us a pair and we'll cruise along on 4 legs today instead of 2? I'm free till Jake is done with his meeting. Which won't be till mid afternoon at the earliest." Cleo dug into her pancakes with gusto. "They're opening the pool today, I'll show you where that is. Also the hot tub."

Molly sat down a cold glass of OJ for Cleo.

"Thanks." Cleo continued to eat. "Maybe show you the RV area and where to avoid. They can be an unsavory lot." Nodding to herself she went on, "also show you where Jake's place is and maybe the lake."

"Don't forget to point out that old trail where the mountain lion was spotted last season either." Molly added.

"Yeah. Another good place to avoid. Ah well, best get dressed." Cleo hopped to her feet and disappeared, bouncing up the staircase, her plate only half eaten, if that.

An hour later would find us entering the stables.

"Billy? Oh Billy?" Cleo called in a sing song voice.

"Yeah in here." A voice came from down the line of stalls. Sunlight played off of the small particles of hay and dust in the morning sunbeams.

As we walked down the line of horse stalls, great heads popped over gates to look at the new arrivals. Curious eyes, and flaring noses with ears all perked forward in welcome. Several snorted, others pawed the ground to gain attention. The smells of fresh hay and horse were a delight to the senses after so long absent. In the last stall the head that popped up was human. Billy.

"Oh. Hey there Cleo. What can I do for you?"

"Hiya sexy. I need a couple of horses and tack. I wanna take my friend here, Kat, around and show the place off."

At that Billy exited the stall and stood before us. Clearly he was sizing me up as he took in everything about me. While he studied me, I couldn't help but study him. Booted toes Long legs, lean hips, light blue knit tank tucked into tight jeans. All topped off with a genuine cowboy hat. Oh my. The tight shirt showed off a hard body hardened not by the gym, but by hard work.

"Do you ride?" Billy asked me bluntly, holding out his hand in greeting.

"Ride?" I'll ride you alright, any time and anywhere my mind was screaming.

He chuckled. "Horses?"

"Oh!" I blushed. "Horses, yeah. I used to. It's been a few years but as a kid I took lessons and spent a few summers on horse back."

"Ok. Why don't you take a look at our beauties here and see who strikes your fancy." Billy gestured towards the stalls.

I walked back down the line, petting noses and scratching foreheads as I went. I knew Billy was watching, seeing how I handled each greeting, even as he and Cleo talked.

"That's Pepper." His voice was suddenly by my shoulder. "Like him?"

Without waiting for an answer he grabbed a bridle off of the nail by the stall and stepped in. I guessed Pepper was to be my ride. Cleo was busy with her own horse. I stood silently in the stall petting Pepper while he was saddled. I could have done it myself. But for some reason I couldn't seem to find my voice. Pepper and I were lead outside where Billy tightened the cinch and offered his hands, cupped, for me to mount. Cleo came out and Billy took a moment to double check her cinch as well. Billy helped Cleo mount and off we rode.

"Don't you like Billy?" Cleo asked, puzzled.

"I like him. Sexy thing. Odd, but I just couldn't speak." I shrugged.

"Yeah. His looks are awesome." Cleo sighed dreamily. "If only he'd come off his high horse."

"High horse?" I was puzzled.

"Well yeah. Billy is a complex critter. He comes across as the quiet rough country boy type but there's more there."

"Are you saying he's hiding something?" I asked.

She laughed. "Yes and no. I don't think he's hiding a criminal past, or anything like that. But I do know he was educated well and he was on a very direct path. Yet, now he tries to hide it for some reason. Content to come across as a..." She shrugged. "Laborer, uneducated and like he's here only for his pay check."

We rode over to the pool area. Suddenly there were people everywhere. Some were cleaning the pool. Some were lounging in the sun. Others were playing lawn games in the grass. Still others were walking with purpose like they had somewhere they were overdue to be. Everyone seemed to be enjoying the warm sunshine. As we rode Cleo would greet people but she never stopped to chat.

I wasn't sure what to make out of the pool area. It appeared like the idea was to make it look rustic and it kinda failed. The in-ground pool was hard to see as people were all over it but the hot tub was raised on it's own deck and the wood around it was a dark gray weathered wood, like you'd see on an old pier. It stood out oddly on what was clearly a very modern hot tub. Plants were being brought out and arranged, taking the harsh edges off.

"Over there, that's Jake's place."

Cleo pointed a short distance away to what was hardly a cabin. "The people around here really need to learn their definitions, camping and cabins which are hardly thus..." I said looking about the landscaping.

Cleo laughed. "Yeah well, after a while you learn to accept the terms here, even enjoy it. Jake's place is hardly a cabin I agree. It's huge and has every luxury you could want. As well as a fully stocked office. Walking in his office is like entering another world. He says he has to be able to be in touch out here in the 'woods' so he's got high tech everything! Most of which he has no idea how to use. The rest of the place he attempts to keep a 'rustic' look. But walking in there is like stepping through a time machine. He had it built to suit his tastes which are unique." Cleo laughed, "Maybe you'll see it soon."

The landscaping was done very nicely. There were private nooks everywhere to sit and enjoy the flowers or quiet places to read. Full ferns and bushes created natural privacy everywhere yet somehow didn't crowd the grounds.

"Looks like Pepper wants a bit of a run." Cleo noted, breaking through my thoughts.

Indeed Pepper was full of fidgets.

"I'm game," and with a light nudge from me we were off.

Cleo lead the way at a trot and once out of people we let the horses run at their own pace, which was a steady gallop. A Gallop doesn't make light chatter easy so we were silent as we enjoyed the ride and the sights. Over by the RV's area, a few were set up, people were sitting under awnings. Something was missing but I couldn't place my finger on it. The duck pond was beautiful, the Spring flowers, a blooming willow tree with its branches fingering the top of the water, even the mother duck with her ducklings were out to soak up the warm sunlight. Pink blossoming cherry trees gave the entire scene an enchanted look from a fairy tale. A Couple was enjoying a pre picnic snuggle tucked between two towering oaks.

We soon left it all behind and headed to the deeper woods to the north. Here Cleo reined in and patted her horse, Ginger.

"There's a trail that runs through the woods. It's a great hike, long and challenging. However last year some hikers came face to face with a big cat finishing it's dinner of a deer."

"Mountain Lion I heard." We started a slow walk along the tree line.

Cleo shrugged. "That's what they said. Who knows? I wouldn't think any mountain lions would be around here. Bob cat maybe. It's not been seen since. They were so spooked it could have been a fat house cat!" she laughed "they just pumped up the story. I dunno. Anyway, Jake asks everyone to stay out of this area if they're alone, groups of 3 or 4 ok."

I nodded. "The place is so perfect. I mean everything I've seen just seems so ... so ... surreal almost. Something is missing but I can't place my finger on it."

Cleo nodded. "Yeah. Kids."

I blinked. "That's it, kids! I haven't seen one. Not a baby not even a teenager."

"Jake says every adult needs time off and says no kids." Cleo shrugged. "So no kids."

"I like that. I mean I like kids, but there are times when you'd prefer to enjoy the quiet and just ... I dunno." I nodded.

"Jake's family has owned this land for years. It started out as an old plantation of the south. The old house still stands, although Jake barely uses it. He was raised there. Once he got control of it all he had his 'cabin' built. He said he wanted something less drafty and more modern."

"Which? Civil?"

"Yeah. He could tell you more if you want to hear it, but once you get him talking..." Cleo warned me with a smile.

I laughed lightly.

"I like Jake, he seems ... charming."

"Un-threatening you mean?"

"Hmm?"

"Oh nothing. Anyway, Jake got the land and had no love of it, Jake is not a farmer. He was a city boy and planned to stay that way. But at the same time the Irish in his blood didn't allow him to let lose his land when his parents died. So he changed it. Made it his get away. And funny enough, when he comes here he ends up bringing the city with him." She shook her head with a grin. "Works hard he does. He doesn't need to. He has tons of money. He's turned most of the land into pastures for horses. This area he's turned into a vacation area for his employees"

I nodded, silently. I know a man who has tons of money too. Wonder what he's doing now. Which family is he with, has he found someone new to become another one of his wives? How does this stuff happen in this day and age? He was so...

"Kat?"

"Hmm? Oh sorry. I was thinking."

"Yeah. Let it go girl. Come on, race ya back." With that she dug her heels in Ginger sides who leaped ahead.

"No Fair!" I shouted, "Come on Pepper, lets get 'em!" And we followed close on their heels.

The ride back took no time at all. The horses were sweating and but still had lots of spirit in them when we arrived back at the stables.

Billy came out and grabbed Peppers reins. "Nice time?" he scratched Peppers nose and I wasn't sure if he was talking to the horse or me.

It didn't matter, Cleo answered. "sure did, you need a hand with the rub down?"

We dismounted and I gave Pepper an affectionate pat.

"Ah no, my helpers arrived." And even as he finished telling us two younger guys came, one for each horse. "Be sure to walk em and cool em a bit guys. It's turning out to be a hot day"

It had gotten hot. I hadn't noticed. But realized now my shirt clung to me with sweat and could feel my face burn from the sun. Cleo spoke with Billy for a bit and I crouched down to pet a barn cat.

"Ready?" Cleo asked as she rejoined me.

I nodded.

"Oh. Maybe I shouldn't have ridden so long today." I noticed my legs felt like rubber and didn't seem to be responding at all to my command to walk.

Cleo laughed. "Come on, time to get you out of the sun. A year in hiding has made you so pale you're burning already."

I muttered something under my breath about it not being a year yet and did my best not to waddle while I forced the rubber trunks for legs back to the cabin. I knew Billy stood in the shadow of the barn watching. I felt his eyes on me like a touch. Probably trying not to laugh. Had I looked back, indeed Billy was watching, but not with mirth in his eyes.