Samhain Publishing

Erotique

It was midnight when Emmeline put away the last of the mess Martha had made in the kitchen taking her bath. She’d have thought her cousin was nine instead of nineteen the way she splashed and acted.

She was absolutely miserable and as exhausted as she ever remembered being. She stepped out on the back porch and threw the last bucket of water out. She yelped in surprise to find Uncle Virgil standing on the porch, smoking.

“Uncle Virgil! I didn’t know you smoked.”

His face was illuminated in the glow of the cigar as he took a puff. He was grinning a bit.

“Neither does your aunt, so don’t tell, okay?”

Emmeline smiled back. “Won’t say a thing.”

She turned the bucket over and sat down, scratching her filthy head. What she wouldn’t give for a bath herself.

Uncle Virgil sat down on the steps next to her.

“I’m sorry your aunt has been so hard on you.”

Emmeline shrugged. “Life gives you only as much as you can take.”

“I reckon that’s rightly so, sugar,” he drawled. “You know, there’s a pond not too far from here. I’ll bet on a night like tonight, the water is just the right temperature for a swim.”

She perked up a bit. “A pond? Really? Where?”

He ground out the cigar, then put the rest of it in his shirt pocket and stood.

“About half a mile north. It’s on town property so no one owns it. Most folks use it to, ahem, take baths on hot summer nights.” He pointed toward the trees across the meadow. “The moon is real bright tonight, so you should be able to find your way easy. Right through those pines over there, can’t miss it. Be careful, now, ya hear? There are only a few critters out there at night, but that don’t mean there aren’t any two–legged ones too. Holler if you need help, I’ll be listening.”

With that, he patted her shoulder and went inside.

A pond! Swimming! Oh, Hallelujah!

Emmeline bundled a towel, soap, her brush, and clean clothes and marched out into the night. She should be afraid, but she was too excited. The sweet smell of the magnolia blossoms and the honeysuckle bustled through the breeze and teased her nose. The grass under her feet was damp with dew and tickled her calves like small tongues licking her skin. Her dress swished softly in the night, blending with the sounds of the crickets and katydids chirping around her. The moon hung high, shining like a new coin. The stars sparkled and twinkled in the black velvet sky. It was so peaceful, so beautiful, and for the first time, she didn’t miss her old home. Living in the wilds did have its blessings.

She reached the trees and headed in cautiously. She hugged her bundle to her chest and tiptoed in, careful not to step on any sticks or twigs. She didn’t know why, but somehow she knew she wasn’t alone.

And oh, how she hated being right. A splash in the darkness confirmed her fears. Then she heard a voice, a male voice, humming off-key. She crept closer, skirting around the pine trees, grateful for the prickly needles that coated the ground beneath the prolific pines. When she got closer to the water, she could hear him more clearly. She didn’t recognize the song, but that didn’t mean much. He was humming it badly enough to make the frogs stop croaking.

Emmeline finally arrived just beside the pond. She pressed her damp, sticky back against the rough bark of the pine and felt a small broken branch pushing into her spine. Ignoring the discomfort, she braced herself to peek around the tree.

And promptly forgot her name.

The moonlight shone through the trees onto the pond like a porch light, illuminating both the water and the wet, naked man.

He was beautiful. It wasn’t a word she had ever applied to a man. But he was.

He was tall and slender with broad shoulders and a matt of hair on his muscular chest. She couldn’t tell the exactly color of his hair, but it was probably blond. He was floating on his back, sweeping his long arms up and down, gently moving from one side of the pond to the other. He looked like a creature of the sea, full of liquid strength and grace.

Lustful

A story within the LUSTFUL collection

As a go-go dancer at a busy club, I get hit on a lot. Young guys, old guys, ugly guys and gorgeous guys. You’d think they’d hit on the strippers that worked the main stage, but it seems those that only tease and don’t show everything are more attractive to the men. I don’t make as much money as the strippers do, but it’s enough. Anyway, I rarely take anyone up on it because it takes more than a pretty face, or even a big tip, to keep my attention.

Carter managed to do it though.

He’d been dropping into the club every once in a while since I started working there six months ago. He always came in alone and I would feel the weight of his eyes on me as he sat at the bar and nursed a pint or two before quietly paying his bill and leaving. At first, I tried to flirt with him, to get him to come over to me. But I never got much of a response, and he never stepped up to any of the platforms, so I backed off and tried to forget about him.

Carter’s not ugly, but he was by no means the best-looking guy I’d ever seen either. He was just your average Joe that came in for the occasional drink. Except there was something about him that called to me.

Something about the look in his eyes when he watched me, when I shook my booty for him, made my heart pound in my chest and my nipples stand at attention. So one quiet night, after I’d basically given up on him, he finally came over and asked me out for a drink. And I, of course, jumped at the chance to get him alone.

The night I was meeting him for drinks, I took special care with my preparations. A long hot shower was just the start. I shaved everything. I mean everything. My underarms, my legs, and my pussy were all shaved completely bare. I shampooed and deep conditioned my hair, and while the conditioner worked its magic I aimed the showerhead between my thighs, and gave myself a fast, intense orgasm.

It was a smart move. I needed to take the edge off my excitement or I might really embarrass myself in front of Carter.

The pampering continued until there was no doubt in my mind that I was completely sexy and desirable. I picked out an outfit that I thought would encourage my quiet date without being too trashy, called a cab, and tried not to think too much during the short ride to the pub.

The Zodiac was a neighborhood pub, full of the familiar sounds and smells that most drinking establishments have, and I was immediately comfortable when I entered the dim room. Carter was already there, in a booth near the back of the room.

“Hi there,” I greeted him as I slid my bottom across the vinyl bench.

“Elise, I’m glad you could make it.” His deep voice rolled over me, and tiny bumps jumped out on my skin. Why does he affect me so strongly? It was as if my body already knew him.

Unable to stop myself I skimmed my own hands up and down my arms, needing to feel skin touching skin. With what I hoped was a sultry smile, I leaned back in my seat and tried to concentrate on having a normal conversation.

Soon, I was engrossed in our discussion about traveling and what being alone in a foreign country could teach a person. Conversation turned to how people kid themselves about who, and what, they were and about what really made them happy.

“Knowing oneself is essential to finding true happiness,” Carter said.

As open and honest as our conversation was, I felt as if he was hinting at something I wasn’t quit grasping. Not wanting to seem like the dim dancer with no brains, I just changed the subject. Lightened things up.

“So…why did you wait so long to ask me out?” The question came out sounding very blunt, and not at all like the flirtatious query I’d intended it to be. My cheeks heated and sent hot blood humming through my veins.

Carter’s full lips titled into a sly smile, as if he could read my mind. It was almost as if he knew all my innermost secrets and desires, and was just waiting for me to realize it.

My impatient nature got the best of me, and I gave up on pretending to want anything other than the hidden promises I saw in his dark gaze. After taking a deep breath I invited him back to my place for another drink.

Carter quickly agreed.

He may have seemed quiet and mild-mannered when we were in the pub, but the minute we entered my apartment his whole demeanor changed. He took charge immediately.