The Bedtime Tales of Be287m

Friends and Benefits, Chapter Eighteen

I awoke with Christmas on my mind.� It was now early December and I hadn�t given it more thought than it took to book the plane tickets home.� Now I needed plans for a fancy dinner with Sharon.� And a present for her.� And for Tina too.

Tina.� She continued to slumber beside me, peacefully.� What was I going to get Tina for Christmas?

I realized that I�d never really expected to be celebrating Christmas with Tina.� I was supposed to have graduated and gotten the hell out of Tucson.� I�d be getting out soon enough, if I could find a job that is.

I needed to try to look for some jobs while I was back in Colorado.� Christmas wasn�t the best time to look, but I needed to at least start.

Besides, a job might be harder to find than I�d been willing to admit.� I was a newbie astronomer who hadn�t been able to finish his Ph.D.� What was the market for that, really, anywhere, much less in Colorado?

I sighed.� One step at a time, I supposed.� Get the resum� done.� Start figuring out possible employers.� Figure out if I could actually get an interview somewhere over Christmas vacation.

Christmas.� I needed to get presents.� Tina probably wasn�t that hard, I realized.� I could hit the mall and look for a necklace she�d like.� I�d done something like that for Alicia, and discovered that you could get some pretty nice jewelry without spending a lot.

Alicia.� My chest tightened and then I berated myself.� I was over her.� I�d moved on.� Definitely moved on, thanks to Tina and Sharon.

I still needed to get something for Sharon.� I didn�t want to give her erotica books, like I�d done last year.� What else did she want?

I ransacked my memory for any time Sharon had said what she wanted.� Nothing recent came to mind.� I cast back to earlier in the year and remembered the Santa Fe trip.� She�d admired the Steve Hanks poster of the nude woman under the shower.� I could get her that.� Even better�I knew someone who worked in a poster shop.� I decided to talk to Tina about it over breakfast.

Tina liked the idea when I mentioned it to her.

�I could use my employee discount and we could ship it to your parents� house,� she said as we dallied over the remnants of our eggs and toast.

�What about framing it?� I asked.

�You better see where she wants to hang it first.�

�Hmmm.�

�So when are you heading back?�

�Wednesday after finals,� I said.� �I want a couple of days to shop for my family before Christmas.�

Tina nodded.� �My last final is Tuesday morning.� �Want to spend Tuesday afternoon together?�

�What do you have in mind?�

Tina grinned and waggled her eyebrows.� �We�ll think of something.�

�Why wait?� I asked, leaning back.

Tina stood up.� �Why indeed?�

We left the dirty dishes and wandered back to the air mattress where we slowly made love until we�d both come.� Then we cuddled for a while before getting up to clean the kitchen.

* * *

�And here you�ve done the reverse,� Sherri said, gesturing to the now spotless table.� I�d cleaned while I talked, as Sherri sat and watched, growing more amused as I worked.

�What?�

�You said you wanted to go down on me.� I said we should wait until after we�d eaten, but then cleaning the kitchen first?�

I winced and closed my eyes.� �I took your answer to mean you didn�t want me to.�

�I didn�t say no.�

�But you went off on that Goddess Worship stuff�.�

�Which I said we could do later.� That�s not the same as saying no to some simple oral sex.�

�Oh.�

Sherri smiled and didn�t say anything.

�Well, I supposed I should get started,� I said.� �Though I�m not sure it�s a B&C anymore, since we�ve finished breakfast.

Sherri chuckled.� �True.� The breakfast is a key part of it.�

I grinned.� �Brings a new meaning to breakfast in bed.�

�That would be a different type of B&B.�

�Yeah.� Which reminds me, is �B&B� a regular term in your� field?�

Sherri raised an eyebrow and then shook her head.� �I got the term from a friend.� That�s what she called it before she demonstrated it.�

�Demonstrated it?� On a guy?�

Sherri�s smile turned impish.� �Uh huh.� Lucky guy too.� We took turns, once she showed me what he liked.�

I groaned.� �Gawd, I�m envious.�

�Of a double blowjob, or the full threesome?�

�Yes.�

Sherri chuckled.

�Was your friend� another professional?�

She shook her head.� �She�s someone I met in college.� Later, when I was going through a really rough time.� She� she helped.� She helped a lot.�� Sherri smiled weakly.� �Mostly by just being there and listening.�

�Ah.�

She took a breath, and then smiled more strongly.� �It�s okay.� It wasn�t all me crying on her shoulder.� We also had some fun.�� Her smile turned into a leer.

�If you ended up in a threesome, I would suspect so.�

�Oh, that was before.� And after, actually.�

�I�m jealous.�

�Well, what�s preventing you from arranging one for yourself?�

I started to explain, but then stopped.� I�d called the agency and asked for an escort.� I just as easily could have asked for two.

Except I�d been drunk then.� Would I have the courage to ask for one now?

I looked at her.� She smiled, but sat still.� She was waiting.

Waiting for me to make the next move.

�Get up,� I said.

Sherri raised an eyebrow, and then pushed her chair away from the table.

�Let�s go to the couch.� If I�m going to go down on you, I want to kneel on the carpet instead of the floor.�

Sherri chuckled and slowly walked over to the couch, shedding her clothes as she went.� This time I openly ogled her body as it came into view.� When she reached the couch, she turned and sat, spreading her legs.� She�d shaved her pubic region except for a small triangle on her mound.� She slid one hand down and began playing with her lower lips.

I gulped.� She�s had tons of guys go down on her.� I�m probably nowhere in their league.� What made me ask for this?

Because you were too scared to ask for another blowjob.

I could still enjoy this, though.� I sank to my knees in front of Sherri and took a breath as she pulled her hand away.

Her labia were full, almost pouty, and slightly parted.� I gently kissed her mound, and then the inside of each thigh.� Sherri let out a small purr.� I centered myself and licked her slit from bottom to top, before sucking lightly on her clit.

She was dryer than I�d expected, but that soon didn�t matter.� I licked long and deep, and Sherri�s whole pussy got wet enough for me to glide effortlessly across her skin.� She moaned when I thrust my tongue into her and again when I flicked her clit with the tip.� I glanced up while sucking her clit and saw her watching me, through half-lidded eyes.� She grinned and I returned to my ministrations.

Sherri�s clit had hardened under my sucking, but additional flicks didn�t seem to increase the intensity of her moans.� I brought one hand up and gingerly slid my finger inside her.

�Oh, that�s nice,� she said.

I turned it and crooked it, like I had done regularly with Tina.� Sherri let out a hiss and another moan, but then she fell quiet again.� I speeded up, licking harder and faster, stroking my finger to the same tempo.� She let out another moan, but it was soft and low.

I pulled back.� �You�re not going to get off, are you?�

She nodded.� �But that doesn�t mean I�m not enjoying.�

I sat back on my haunches.� �I was hoping you�d come.�

Sherri sat up straight.� �Why does that matter?� It�s not a reflection on you.� I don�t come for a lot of guys.� But I enjoy it, and you enjoyed it.�

�Yeah.�

�Besides, you asked for it.� It�s what you wanted.�

I snorted.

�Well, is it?�

�It�s what I asked for,� I said, �but I�m not sure it�s what I wanted.� I mean, it was and it wasn�t. �In fact�.�

A light flickered in my brain.

��I think part of the reason I have trouble asking for what I want is that I�m not sure what I want.�

�Like?�

�Like, I wanted to be a good guy and return the favor from the other day.� And at the same time, what I really wanted was another blowjob.� But I didn�t think I could ask for it.�� I glanced up at Sherri, to see if she was mad, but she was smiling.

�But I don�t think it�s just now,� I continued.� �I mean, I think it�s more often than that.� Like with Tina before Christmas.� I wasn�t sure what I really wanted when she came over before I left.� I mean, did I just want the sex?� Did I want something deeper?� Did I want to just get the hell out of town?�

�Why don�t you tell me about it.�

�Okay��

* * *

I did a lot of second-guessing when I went to buy Tina�s Christmas present.� What would be too nice?� What wouldn�t be nice enough?� What would be too romantic, to be from a guy who was trying to leave town soon?� What wouldn�t be romantic enough?� In the end, I settled for a fairly nice gold filigree necklace with some small colored stones.

Tuesday afternoon, Tina arrived carrying two gift-wrapped boxes.� I smiled.� We hadn�t discussed exchanging presents, but my gift for her sat in its own box on the table.� We exchanged a deep kiss at the door before returning to the kitchen and sinking into the chairs.

�Merry Christmas,� I said, sliding the box toward her.

�Oh, you first.�� She pushed her own packages toward me.

I paused and raised my eyebrows.� Tina nodded, and I decided not to argue about who was first.� I flipped the first box over and began tearing the paper off.

�The other one first,� Tina said.

I nodded and switched packages.� This one was clearly a book.� I tore the paper off and flipped it over to the title.� Video Guide, 1992, by Martin and Porter.� I thumbed through the pages.� It covered just about every film I could immediately think of.

�Wow,� I said.

�I thought we might use it for movie nights.�

�That�d be good,� I said.� �We can always use more ideas.�

Tina fidgeted as I reached for the next box.� �I hope you like it.�

I smiled reassuringly as I removed the wrapping paper.� �I�m sure I will.�

The box held a three ring binder.� The cover had a picture cut from a magazine of an extravagant dinner.� Block lettering declared it the Miller-Delgado Cookbook.

�It contains every recipe we�ve cooked together,� Tina said.

I paused, digesting that.� �Every one?�

�Well, except for a couple from your cookbook.� But we can photocopy those and add them.�

I nodded and opened the notebook to the first page. Tina had duplicated the cover to serve as a title page, but added a dedication.

�That�s really nice,� I said, looking up.� �Really, really nice.�

�You like it?�

�I love it.� I�m blown away.�� I was.� This had to have been a ton of work.

�I�m glad.�� She reached across the table and took my hand.� �Can you believe we�ve been cooking together for a year?�

�That�s pretty impressive.�

�Yeah.�

�So, how would you like to celebrate?� I asked.

Tina shrugged.� �We could cook something special for dinner tonight, but I�m not sure what.� And I don�t think we want leftovers.�

I nodded.� �I don�t mind going out.� Or we could order pizza.�

�Pizza would be nice.�

�So what should we do until then?� I asked in mock innocence, my eyes wide.

�Have appetizers?� Tina teased.

�Sounds like a great idea.� But first, you need to open your present.�

Tina tore the paper off the small box and cast it aside.� Her eyes widened when she saw it was a jewelry box, and she fumbled with the lid before opening it.

�Oh!� It�s beautiful!�� She extracted the necklace from the box. and let the chain slide through her fingers, admiring it.

�I�m glad you like it.�

�I need to put it on.�

I nodded and followed her to the bathroom, where I stood behind her as she faced the mirror.� She had little difficulty with the clasp and soon had it in place.�

I slid my arms around her.� �It looks beautiful on you.�

�It is beautiful.�� She turned and kissed me.� �Thank you.�

I kissed her back.� �You�re welcome.� And thank you for your presents.�

Tina kissed me again.� One kiss turned into another, and then I took Tina�s hand and led her toward the bedroom.

We kissed passionately as we slowly undressed and then stretched out on the bed.� We continued to kiss, just lying there on our sides, our arms around each other.� Eventually, we shifted so that I could support my head on my arm while I ran the other hand down her side and hip.� I couldn�t quite turn things to caress her front, so I slowly rolled her on her back, only breaking the kiss near the end.� I pulled back and grinned at her.

�I believe you suggested appetizers?�

Before Tina could respond, I lowered my mouth to her nipple.� I kissed it quickly before sucking it into my mouth.� As I nuzzled her breast, I brought my hand up to caress the other one.

Tina purred and stretched a little, clasping her arms above her head.� I took that as a signal to keep going.

I alternated kissing her breast, around the nipple, then along the underside and toward her neck.� After a while, I realized her other breast was being neglected, and slowly shifted on top of her so I could give it its fair due.

Tina purred again, particularly when I flicked my tongue across her skin.� Like a kitten, I mused.� Both of� us�me in licking, her in purring.

Tina continued to purr as I kissed my way down her belly and then across her mound.� I shifted so she could put her legs over my shoulders and then ran my tongue up her slit and kissed her clit.

Tina shuddered.� She was already quite wet.� After a handful of kisses and licks, I slid a finger inside her and she moaned.� Her breath grew shorter and she moaned softly as I sucked her clit and curled my finger inside her.� I sped up slightly, and she gasped and arched her back.� I flicked her clit with my tongue, maintaining the suction, and using the same rhythm I used with my fingers.� Tina began panting and, then, with a loud moan, went stiff and came.� I kissed her mound a few more times before sliding up next to her on the bed.� I waited until she�d caught her breath and was able to focus on me, her smile growing, relaxed and warm.

�Definitely good appetizers,� I said.

Tina chuckled.� �Let me catch my breath and I�ll return the favor.�

�You don�t have to.�

�I want to.�

I shrugged.� I really just wanted to grab a condom and enter her, but if she wanted to go down on me�

We continued to cuddle for a few minutes, me on my back and Tina with her head on my shoulder.� She gently ran her hand over my chest as she snuggled in.� After a few minutes, her hand roamed lower, until she eventually just wrapped her fingers around my cock and began stroking me.

�Feel good?� she asked after a little while.� I hesitated. �I didn�t want to say that it only felt good three out of four strokes, because she was squeezing just a little tight, catching my skin.� But Tina noticed my pause.

�Yeah,� I said.� �Though you�ll have to be a little more gentle.� Or we need to get some lube.�

She grinned.� �I can add some lube.�� With a grin, she shifted and took my cock into her mouth.

Tina�s lips and tongue felt good, but I quickly knew I wasn�t going to come.� She bobbed her head and brought her hand up to caress my balls, but it still felt like just a really good massage.� After several minutes, she seemed to figure it out too, and pulled back.

�What should I do?� she asked.

�I� I don�t know.�

She sighed.� �I really wish I knew what to do.�

�That�s okay,� I said, pulling her up next to me.� �I like the fact that you try.�� I kissed her lightly.� �Besides, there are other things we can do.�

Tina sighed, but also frowned in frustration.

�Besides,� I said, trying to keep my voice light, �we both like the main course.�

I reached for a condom and Tina smiled and nodded.� As she shifted to the middle of the bed, I stroked myself back to hard.� Then I rolled the condom on, knelt between her thighs, and placed the tip of my cock against her opening.

She reached down and slowly guided me in.� As always, she was hot and wet and tight.� I held still for a moment, and then kissed her before beginning to thrust.

Tina gasped and moaned immediately.� She hungrily sought my own mouth, kissing me and pushing her tongue between my lips.� I speeded up my thrusts and she wrapped her legs around me, pulling me in deeper.� I speeded up again, and my own gasps joined her moans.� She trembled, kissing me harder.� My balls started tingling and I fought to hold the pressure down, determined that she should come first.� I thrust hard three more times and that did the trick.� Tina gasped and went stiff, letting out a long moan into my shoulder.� Two more thrusts and I boiled over�loosing my own orgasm deep inside her.

After I�d disposed of the condom, we cuddled on the bed, catching our breath.

�I told you we were good at the main course,� I teased, kissing her forehead.

�Mmm,� she replied, just snuggling in tighter.

�When do you want pizza?� I asked.

�Not yet.�

�Another round first?�

�Yeah, but I want to just be held for a while.�

I caressed Tina�s back and gave her an acknowledging hug.

We lay there, flesh against flesh, for some time.� Then, our idle caresses turned more sensual and then direct.� This time, Tina straddled me and rode me until we�d both come, me playing with her breasts as she did.� Feeling sticky, we decided to take a quick shower before ordering the pizza, but that stretched out as we washed each other and Tina tried once again to blow me.� She didn�t spend long at it though, before we got out and toweled off.�

We remained naked until the pizza arrived, when I slipped on a robe, and Tina wrapped a towel around herself, much to the disappointment of the delivery guy.� After dinner, we had sex again, though only Tina came.� We took a break for ice cream, and then, after some teasing, got the air mattress down for one final round before we collapsed and fell asleep in each other�s arms.

The next morning, Tina had to say goodbye all too soon.� I�d planned to take her to breakfast on our final morning before the break, but we didn�t make it out the door in time.� Instead, we shared a long hug at the door before she headed back to her own dorm.

�I�ll be thinking of you a lot over vacation,� she said while we held each other tight.

�And I�ll be thinking of you.� I replied.� �And I�ll call.� Not just on Christmas, but when I can.�

�Good.�

I pulled back and smiled at Tina.� She managed to return my smile, though she didn�t want to meet my eyes.� I put my finger under my chin and lifted her head.� Her eyes were wet.

�Hey,� I said, �I�ll miss you too.�

Tina nodded and shook my hand off.� She took a breath and gave me another hug.

�It�s just a vacation,� she said.

�Yeah.�

She gave me another squeeze and pulled back, her eyes clear now.� �Talk you soon.�

�You bet.�

We kissed one more time and then Tina left.� I took a deep breath and then started packing for my own departure.

* * *

�So, did you get what you wanted?� Sherri asked.� I�d moved onto the couch next to me, and she had leaned into me while I talked, her head against my shoulder.

�I don�t know,� I said.� �It was more bittersweet than I�d expected.� I mean, the sex was great, and I was blown away by her gifts, but� but I was still leaving.� And I knew that this wasn�t just a vacation where I�d be coming back, but a vacation where I was trying to find a permanent job.

�But you didn�t tell her that.�

�No.� Maybe I should have, but I didn�t tell her about my job hunting plans back in Colorado.� I didn�t want to hurt her.�

�Honesty doesn�t hurt as much as not knowing.�

�I don�t know about that,� I said.� �Sharon was pretty honest about me not being boyfriend material, and that hurt a lot.�

�Mmm.�

I couldn�t tell whether that was a supportive noise or disagreement.� �Of course, Sharon wasn�t always clear.� Let me tell you about our fancy dinner�.�

* * *

By the time I�d arrived in Boulder, I�d largely put the farewell conversation with Tina out of my mind.� I had called her the day after I�d arrived in Colorado, but since we�d just seen each other, we didn�t have much to say.� After that, I focused on getting my shopping done for Christmas and getting organized for my job search.� All too soon, it was Saturday and time for my dinner with Sharon.

As I got dressed in my suit, I didn�t quite know what to think about the evening.� On the one hand, I liked going out for fine dining, and we�d have fun.� I also knew that Sharon didn�t see this as a real date.� She�d had a few of those this past semester and this was just a consolation for a string of bad luck with the guys.

Except it still felt like a date.� I was dressed as best I could manage, wearing a dash of cologne, and carrying a very large gift-wrapped package.� Admittedly, it wasn�t very heavy, or thick, since Tina had insisted that I not leave the poster rolled up longer than necessary.� I�d found that sandwiching it between two flattened boxes worked well. It was still an awkward-shaped gift, though.

Which Sharon remarked on immediately upon opening the door.� �Awful big and flat.�

�You�ll see,� I said, my voice lilting in a tease.

�Well, set it in the living room,� she said.� �I�m not quite ready.�

One of the eternal mysteries of women is how they can be �not quite ready� when their appearance seems perfect to the man.� Sharon�s �little black dress� was tight at her waist, pulling the fabric tight across her breasts.� The hem stopped two inches above her knees, revealing black hose and pumps.� Her hair was already curled and blow dried, and she wore new diamond earrings.� I had no idea what wasn�t �quite ready.�

Nonetheless, Sharon slipped away to get ready while I set the poster against one wall.� When she returned, I couldn�t honestly tell what she�d done.

�Ready?� she asked.

�Ready when you are.�

�Then let�s go.�

I hadn�t wanted to work too hard to pick a restaurant, so we went to an old favorite, The Little Russian Caf�, on the Pearl Street Mall.� I loved their stroganoff and verenki and I knew Sharon liked their borscht.� I ordered us a bottle of wine before Sharon could speak up.

�Uh, how about doing some of the flavored vodkas?� she asked.

I shrugged.� �I�m not a huge vodka fan, but you can.� We�ll be here for a while.�

She nodded and promptly ordered a garlic-flavored shot and a pepper-flavored shot.� I toyed with canceling the bottle, but decided that that�d make me look cheap.� In the end, I finished most of the bottle before dessert anyway, as Sharon worked her way through a half dozen flavored shots.

�I really shouldn�t drive,� I said, as we sipped coffee over dessert, several hours after we�d begun the meal.

�It�s not far,� she said.� �We�ll be careful.�

I grimaced.

�We could call a cab,� she said, �but they�re expensive.� Or we could walk around Pearl Street for a while until you�re okay to drive.�

Walking sounded okay, so I agreed.� Unfortunately, it was cold out.� We barely got to Broadway before Sharon wanted to turn back.� I felt a lot more sober after sucking in the freezing air, so I agreed.

Back at her apartment, Sharon immediately headed for the kitchen.� I followed after kicking off my shoes.

�I found a Muscat you�d like,� she said, brandishing the bottle.� �Since we don�t have to do anymore driving tonight��

I nodded and she uncorked the bottle, pouring us two glasses.

�This is quite good,� I said.� Orange and sweet, it was definitely a dessert wine.

�It�s one thing I got from Tony.�

�Tony?�

Sharon waved a hand dismissively.� �Three dates and out this semester.� But he introduced me to this.�

�Glad he was good for something,� I said, reading the label once again.

Sharon refilled our glasses and motioned for me to follow her to the living room.� As a settled onto the couch, she disappeared down the hall.� She returned, standing in front of her, holding something behind her.

�Here�s your present,� she said, handing me a gift-wrapped box.� It was heavy�books, I guessed.

�Well, open it.�

I tore the paper off and lifted the lid.� It was indeed books�two of them.� Stephen King�s Gerald�s Game and The Illustrated Kama Sutra.� I flipped through the latter.� The �illustrations� weren�t sketches like I�d expected, but photographs.� You couldn�t see the penetration, but both models were fully nude.

�I thought you and Tina might like trying some of the positions,� Sharon said.

I raised my eyebrows.� �Maybe.� But I remember the line from The Hotel New Hampshire. �Some of those positions hurt.�

�Oh, they can�t be that bad.�

�Really?�� I held up a picture where the woman clung to man, her body completely suspended from him.� �I think this would get hard on my arms.�

�Oh, it wouldn�t be that bad.� Most of her weight�s going to be on his hips.�

�Which would make it hard to thrust.�

Sharon frowned.� �You�re certainly pessimistic.�

I shrugged.� I flipped through a few more pages until I came across a picture of the woman sitting in the man�s lap with her legs wrapped around him.� They were kissing.�

�This could be nice,� I said.

�Let me see.�

Before I could tilt the book to show her, Sharon moved next to me on the couch.� With the book on my lap, she could see quite well just by leaning in.

�Oh, that would be nice.� I�d like that.�

�You�d probably like this too.�� I flipped to a page showing the couple going at it doggie style.

�Oh, god yes.� That�d work for me.�

I chuckled.� �Me too.�

Sharon put her hand on the book.� �I haven�t actually gone through this. Do you mind?�

�No.� Not if you don�t mind going through them together.�

�Let�s start at the beginning.�

I nodded and took another sip of Muscat before flipping to the beginning of the book.� We slowly turned the pages, each commenting on the pictures.� Sharon liked the ones that involved kissing or some variant of the woman being taken from behind.� I liked the ones that showed off the female model to the fullest, and particularly the ones where she seemed to be enjoying herself.

�I wish they�d been more explicit in this one,� she said when we turned to a picture of a woman giving a blowjob.� Her head obscured the view, so it wasn�t clear if she was actually doing it or just posing.

�Why?�

�I�m curious.� Is she doing anything special?�

�I�m sure she is,� I said.� �But what would you learn?� You�re pretty good already.�

Sharon nodded.� �But it�s not that hard to be good.�

�I wish that were true.� Tina�s still having problems.� Of course, maybe it�s me.� She tried again, you know, just before break, and, well� I think she�s as frustrated as I am.�

�So give her some direction.�

�It�s not that easy,� I said.� �I mean, I know what feels good, but I�m not sure what to tell her to actually do.�

�Maybe you can get a book.�

I shrugged.� �Maybe.� I�m not sure if there�s one that would be good.�

Sharon smiled and closed the book we were holding.� �Well, this one isn�t a lot of help for blowjobs.� But I�ll keep my eyes out.�� She waggled her eyebrows.

I chuckled.� �Sounds good.� Unless, of course, you decide to write your own.�

�I might just do that.�

I snorted in laughter.� Sharon just smiled at me, amused.� Then she closed the Kama Sutra and set it aside.� She looked at me expectantly.

�Ahh�� I reached for her package and passed it to her.

Sharon quickly just slit the tape with her fingernail.� She pulled the paper and cardboard aside, revealing the lady under the shower.

�Oh, I love it!�

�I thought you might,� I said.� �You certainly admired it in Santa Fe.�

�I did.� And I do like it.�� Sharon glanced over at me.� �I already know where I�m going to hang it.� It�ll go great on the back wall of the bathroom.�

�You�ll need to get it sealed to protect it from the humidity.�� At least that�s what Tina had told me.

Sharon just nodded, still looking at the poster.

�So, what do you like about it?� I asked.

�The colors.� Her pose.� It�s sexy without being too much, you know?�

�I think so.� More sensual than hard core.�

�Yeah.�� Sharon paused and then grinned.� �Of course, it also reminds me of showers that were hard core.�

�With Allen?�

�Who else?� But don�t worry, I�m over him.�

�Okay.�

Sharon stood up.� �Let�s see how this looks in the bathroom.�� She strode toward the hall, with me a few feet behind.

The wall Sharon had picked was currently bare.� It faced the tub, ensuring that anyone taking a bath would see whatever hung on it.� Sharon held the poster against the wall, shifting it around.� She turned to me.

�Can you hold this?� she asked.� �I want to see how it looks.�

�Sure.�� I stepped forward and pressed my hand against the corners of the print while Sharon moved back.

She frowned.� �Can you move it up a little?�

I complied, and then shifted it a few more times per Sharon�s directions.� She spent a long time between shifts looking at it, which I didn�t understand, since we weren�t going to hang it right then anyway.� As a result, my attention wandered.

My eyes fell on the nearby tub and settled on the shower head.� It was now a shower massage head, unlike a year ago.

�You�ve got a new shower head,� I said.

Sharon turned and looked, and then looked back.� �Yeah, that one�s more versatile.�

�Versatile?� I teased.� �Is that your name for the massage setting?�

She chuckled.� �A girl�s gotta do what a girl�s gotta do.�

�I�ll bet.�� I titled my head toward the print I was holding.� �But the old one�s closer to the picture.�

Sharon glanced back and forth between the two.

�I don�t know,� she said.� �I think either would be good.�

�Nah,� I said.� �The one in the picture�s got a broader spray.� It does a better job of spreading the water into streams on her back.�

�Mine would do the same.�

�I don�t think so.�

Sharon put her hands on her hips and started at the shower for a moment.� Then she turned to me.

�Why don�t you put that,� she indicated the poster, �in the living room and meet me back here?�

�Okay.�

I carried the poster back into the living room, where I laid it on the floor near one wall.� Our wine was still on the end table, so I took a swig from my glass and picked up Sharon�s.� I refilled them both and took them with me when I returned to the bathroom.� I had just set the glasses down on the counter when Sharon came in behind me.

�Here,� she said, placing her camera in my hands.

I did a double-take.� Sharon was wearing a robe.

�Let me get the water hot.�� She turned and began adjusting the faucets.� She aimed the shower at the far wall so she wouldn�t spray the floor.

�You want me to�.�

�Take pictures,� she said, glancing over her shoulder.� �Yeah.� Let�s see if we can get a shot like the poster.�

I wanted to ask why, but I wasn�t stupid.� This was a gift horse out of left field.� Or a bolt from the blue light.� Hell, I could straighten my metaphors out later.

Sharon turned and smiled at me while the steam began to rise.� Her eyes fell on her wine glass on the counter.

�Oh, good, you brought it in.�

I nodded, my brain still churning.

Sharon reached past me and picked up the glass.� She took a big swig and handed the glass to me.

�Ready?� she asked.

I nodded again.

Sharon turned so she was once again facing away from me.� Then she shrugged her shoulders and let the robe slide to the floor.� With my eyes glued to her ass, she stepped into the spray.

Sharon�s ass was smooth, with her flesh curving gently into her back.� Her hips flared, but weren�t so wide as to pull my eyes away from the curve of her cheeks.� But then she twirled, getting herself completely wet.� I immediately moved my eyes back to her face.� Sharon shot me a grin that was halfway between a leer and a laugh.

�You gonna start taking pictures?�

I snorted and raised the camera.� �Absolutely.�

�I think this was the pose.�� She stepped directly under the shower head, facing away, and then ran her hands slowly over her head as the water cascaded through her hair and down her back.

I snapped two pictures before her fingers had gone as far as they could without her arms turning into pretzels.� I shifted to get more of her profile and took more pictures as she repeated the motion.� I was confident that at least one would be very good.

�Look at the camera,� I said.

Sharon looked over her shoulder and her expression settled into sultry.� She ran her fingers down her side and then placed her other hand on the wall for balance.�� I continued snapping as she leaned forward, which thrust her ass out.

The lens was getting fogged by the steam.� �I gotta clean this.�

Sharon nodded and turned the hot water down.� Then she did another pirouette under the spray as I rubbed the front lens with my shirt tail.� I looked up at just the wrong time--I missed seeing her breasts as she turned.� But at least the lens was clear.� I checked the picture count.

�Assuming this is a 24 exposure roll, we�ve got about eight shots left.�� I�d only taken about eight, so she must have had some other stuff on the roll before we�d started.

�What do you want to take?�

I paused.� Could I suggest it?� I had nothing to lose.� �How about some with you facing the camera?� I suggested, as casually as I could.� �You know, arch your back like you were doing, but let the water run down your shoulder and breasts.�

Sharon grinned and nearly laughed before nodding.� �Sure.�

She turned and took my breath away.� Her breasts were fuller than I�d expected from our lingerie shoots, with smaller areolae and nipples.� Not that I stared at them, really, but I did have to frame the shot through the viewfinder.� And that meant focusing on the rivulets of water that streamed across her curves and down her cleavage.� Besides, with her head tilted back, Sharon couldn�t tell I was staring anyway.

I took one close-up of her breasts and then backed up a little and shot two more of her entire body.� Sharon slowly swayed, turning her torso slightly, and I took another shot.� Then she eased her hands up her stomach.� My breath shortened as they drew closer to her breasts, but she didn�t stop there, and instead ran her fingers up to her shoulders and then into her hair again.

I�d been so busy watching, I hadn�t taken a picture.� I was also uncomfortably hard.

�Do that again,� I said, a little more breathlessly than I wanted to.

�What?�

�With your hands.� That was hot.�

Sharon laughed, but dropped her fingers back to her side.� �Really hot?� she asked.

�Incredibly hot,� I said.� �Hot enough to make a man forget about other women.�

�Really?�� Sharon chuckled. ��Then we�d better do it again.�

Her moves were more seductive this time�slower and more deliberate.� She pushed her hair back from her face and tilted her head, smiling at the camera, while her fingers traced their way up her skin.� I got one shot just before her hand reached her breast and another as she trailed her fingertips between them.

I paused and checked the film counter.� �Only one more.� Unless you have another roll.�

Sharon shook her head.� �No, that�s it.�

�So what should the final shot be?�

�One that Allen liked.� The pose, at least.�

With that, Sharon turned to the side wall of the shower, bent at the waist, and leaned her upper body against the tile.� Doing so thrust her ass toward me.� She spread her legs slightly, which gave me teasing glimpses of her pussy.� Then she looked back over her shoulder and leered.

I took the picture.

�That was really hot,� I said, as I rewound the film.� Sharon returned to just standing under the spray.

�Allen liked it.� He said it got him hard in an instant.�

�It got me hard.�

�Really?�� Sharon raised her eyebrows.

I snorted.� �Don�t believe me?�

Sharon�s eyes trailed down my body to my crotch.� Contrary to popular pornography, my pants were too tight for there to be a �tent,� as my erection was firmly up against my belly.� I knew there�d be a bulge, but I didn�t know how prominent it was.

Sharon�s eyes met mine again and she raised one eyebrow.

I fumbled for my belt.

�Don�t.�

I froze.� I looked up at Sharon, questioningly.

She frowned back, but her eyes were too unfocused to be harsh.

Then she turned and switched the showerhead from spray to massage.� �I�m going to finish up.� I�ll meet you in the living room.�

She then pulled the curtain, leaving me standing next to the sink, my hands still on my belt.� As I let go and gathered up the wine glasses, I heard Sharon fumbling with the showerhead, probably redirecting its aim.

There didn�t seem to be much else to do.� I headed into the living room to wait.

--Fin--

© 2006, all rights reserved.

Read the next chapter in this story: Chapter Nineteen

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