by Emily Sharpe
"What's that got to do with anything?" Eric was confused. "I'll ride up front on the way there."
"You'll see."
The two chatted easily as they made the drive to Orlando International Airport. Roy told him that depending on the trip, the Steins sometimes took charter flights from the closer and smaller Vero airport and sometimes used the medium-sized airport in Melbourne, just to the north. The drive was fairly boring as far as view, but interesting as far as conversation.
Roy was born in the U.S. to a Japanese mother and Caucasian father, 'inheriting his good looks from his mother,' he said with a chuckle. His name meant "great esteem."
"I like that," said Eric, watching cows feed along the highway. He hadn't realized that Florida was cattle country. "And Asahi means 'morning sunshine'." Instinctively, he glanced at Roy to gauge his reaction.
At the sound of his co-worker's name, Roy closed his eyes for a split-second and smiled. "Ah, yes. Asahi. The beautiful Asahi."
Eric was intrigued. Asahi was not what he would call beautiful, but there was no accounting for taste. Jessica was womanly and curvy, but it was the small-breasted, almost boyish Donna who had stolen his heart, who could make that heart race. Perhaps he had made too quick a judgment on the sweet cook's appearance. He certainly didn't agree with her own assessment of being too pochapocha for the naturist party. I'm glad she wasn't there, though. It's hard enough looking the Steins in the eye now that I've seen them naked.
During the trip from the airport a few weeks before, Eric had also ridden in the front seat, but he and Roy had talked mostly about Florida, the weather, and various sports teams. Eric was learning to appreciate the fine art of small talk to a greater degree since meeting Donna, but Roy had been the one to keep things going then. Now Eric dug deeper.
"So. Asahi. Have you two ever dated? I mean you practically live together; at least you're at the same house."
Roy shook his head. "I was dating someone else when I began working for the Steins last summer and had little interaction with her. I tend to be busy outside, and she stays inside. Not much communication. When we do talk, she's a bit standoffish. Very cool."
When Eric told him about the naturist party, the pochapocha, and the cougars, Roy laughed heartily. "I had the night off by design, too. No way do I want to run into the Steins au naturale, although I've been called to their suite plenty of times when they were. They explained it all up front; it just doesn't happen that often. Not that it would have been a deal breaker." He took one hand off the steering wheel to rub his thumb against his other fingers. "They pay very well, as you know."
The men were silent for several miles before Roy spoke again. "She thinks she's too big? Really? I think Asahi is the perfect shape and size." Roy cleared his throat. "Now that I'm single again, perhaps I should test the water."
Meeting Donna had changed Eric's life—and learning of her particular inclinations and abilities had turned his world upside down. "You should. You'll never know how deep the water is until you dive in."
For the rest of the two-hour drive, the men were quieter. Soon the airport's Arrivals sign was overhead. A text had alerted Eric—Donna was through baggage claim and waiting on the sidewalk. "There she is!" he said excitedly. He rolled the window down and called to her as Roy slowed the limo, easing over to the curb.
Eric jumped out as soon as he could do so safely, embracing Donna enthusiastically. Roy discreetly took her bag and opened the door to the back section of the car. As Eric led Donna by the hand, he ducked down to look inside, standing up quickly. "Wow!"
Roy smiled as they stepped inside. "I told you."
Donna and Eric looked around the limo in amazement. There was a TV, mini-bar, enough room for a dozen people. A curtained window divided the driver's area from that of the passengers. Soft jazz played in the background.
Eric shook his head. "You weren't kidding. This is great. Oh, Donna, meet Roy, Hiroya. He's taking off after he drops us at the house. Where're you headed? I forgot."
"My folks live in Miami, so I've got another two-hour drive ahead of me—not that you two lovebirds need a third wheel around." He closed the door and drove off with a smile.
Donna and Eric sat holding hands, still taking in the surroundings. Finally, Donna whispered, "Are you sure he can't hear us? Or see us?"
Eric poured two flutes of champagne that Roy had put on ice for them at Mrs. Stein's direction. "I'm sure."
When they clinked their crystal together, Donna said, "To privacy and lots of room!"
Eric chuckled. "To two hours alone with my wife after much too long!"
Within minutes, clothing was scattered all around the car and they had spread a throw thoughtfully provided on the seat. Donna murmured appreciatively at Eric's tanned physique but then scowled. "What a minute… where are your tan lines?"
Eric was a little sheepish. "After the Thanksgiving party, I thought I should take care of my Casper-colored butt. The Steins' private beach is usually vacant. And definitely vacant now. Of course, we might be able to arrange a ride to the nude beach south of it."
In answer, Donna shifted on the seat so that she sat on her knees straddling his lap. "Yours is the only naked body I want to see—the only body of any kind I want to see—for as long as I can." Worth had given her a full two weeks off with pay, but she planned to fly back home with Eric whenever the fireplace was finished, vacation time or not.
Eric stroked her back as she adjusted him so that she could snuggle up against his erection, feeling his heat emanating. He'd had a semi since they arrived at the airport, but now he was standing tall. Donna reached down to stroke him softly, then harder, leaning in for a kiss. "Oh how I've missed you." She fingered the head of his penis gently, smoothing a pearl of fluid all around.
Without a word, Donna eased onto the floor, still on her knees, and took him in her mouth. Up and down, up and down, sucking vigorously, she occasionally stopped to bite him gently, or to trace the circumference of his head with her tongue, all the while murmuring, "Do you like this? How about this?"
Donna and Eric had enjoyed oral stimulation as part of their sex play, but although Donna had climaxed, he had never come. Whether due to an old taboo or personal preference, they had never discussed it. Now, however, Eric was lost in the incredible waves of pleasure Donna was giving him. He wanted to pull her up so that he could suck on her nipples. But. This. Felt. So. Good.
Donna stopped to lick his inner thighs and scrotum, whispering, "Do you want to finish this way?" as she resumed sucking, now reaching with one hand to stimulate herself. When he only moaned a little in response, she sucked more intensely, her hands moved more intensely, until her mouth filled with warm fluid. She could feel him tremble against her cheeks. When she swallowed, the taste was slightly fruity, slightly metallic.
"Good lord," Eric muttered, his head resting on the seat back.
Donna straddled him again, pulling his hands up to her breasts as she continued to rock gently in his lap. "You liked that, didn't you?" He's still hard enough, she thought. Dropping her feet to the floor of the car for leverage, she stuffed his softening penis inside of her, violently rocking now as he gripped her buttocks, keeping the connection, desperate for her own release. When it came, she all but howled with ecstasy. "Yesss, yes, yes, oh god, yes!"
Still hovering over his face, she kissed Eric long and hard. "I love you, sweet man."
"I love you back. That was… wonderful. You are. Wonderful."
Giggling, Donna sat beside him and draped her legs across his lap, leaning her head against his arm. "We are wonderful together."
Eric looked out the window. "Uh oh. We'd better get dressed. I think we're approaching the turn-off." He grinned at Donna. "But you? A turn on all the way." He chuckled. "I suppose I'll have to wear clothes to work on the fireplace, even though no one else will be at the house, for safety's sake if nothing else. But feel free to try the naturist lifestyle yourself for the next few weeks while you watch. I won'
t mind a bit."
When they reached the Steins' house, Roy put Donna's bag just inside the atrium while Eric gave her a little tour. Roy went to his room for his backpack then found the couple to say his goodbyes. He told them he'd be riding his motorcycle to Miami and had clothes that stayed at his parents' house. "Merry Christmas," he called over his shoulder as he walked to the garage for his bike.
"You too!" They watched as he roared off, stopping to lock the gate behind himself before taking a left on the highway.
"We're alone—in a multi-million-dollar mansion," Eric said, shaking his head.
"What will we do to pass the time?"
The next ten days passed quickly, however, as if in a dream. There was no need to go anywhere other than the bedroom, bathroom, and kitchen, but Donna challenged Eric to make love to her in every room of the house—the ones they could enter, anyway. The servants' hallway was locked, as was the Steins' private wing. They were careful to respect the furniture and keep everything tidy, but their sense of adventure and variety was satisfied fully. The clock meant nothing. Mealtimes meant nothing. When they wanted to eat, they ate. When they wanted to sleep, they slept. Between sex and work at all hours of the day and night, they explored the estate and talked and swam and sunned.
Christmas came and went. Sitting on the beach, they told each other stories of childhood Christmases—Eric's full of presents and family feasts, Donna's full of disappointment and loneliness. Tears were shed and kissed gently away as the moon rose over the ocean. For them, the real gift was being together again.
Donna kept in touch with Jessica and knew that Layla had given birth to a tiny, but healthy baby girl. After a few tense hours, all was well. Layla's sister would remain until she had to return to her school after the first. The baby of Layla and Keith had taken priority over the babe in the manger this year, but the families had all managed to be together on Christmas Day. Chet and Carol's neighborhood gathering had also been a success.
Now, Donna sat on the loveseat they had carried into the great room so that she could keep Eric company a little closer as he worked near the ceiling. Some eighteen feet high, the wall was a testament both to nature and also his skill. Italian stone of many tones of brown and amber were arranged in a free-form pattern. Because the fireplace was electric, there was no need for a chimney, but the wall added elegance and drama to Doris Stein's addition. The mantle, also of stone, would soon provide a home for priceless figurines, plants, photos or candles.
"That doesn't look safe to me," she called up to Eric. "Are you sure you tightened everything?"
"No worries, m'lady. The last stone! I can hardly believe it. I finished in record time, despite your numerous interruptions," he called back.
Eric tapped the final stone into place. The end of a job was always satisfying. But of course, the job was not over quite yet. Even though he had tooled the joints and washed mortar off the stones as he went, there was now the task of sealing the entire wall. He had plenty of time before the Steins returned. He stopped to lean on the crossbar, calling down to her, "I think we should cele—"
Donna screamed as the crossbar gave way, sending Eric over the side. He landed on a pile of empty mortar bags which did little to break his fall. Running to him, Donna thought at first that he was gone. "Eric, nooo," she cried, checking for a pulse. Concrete dust from the bags had billowed up and settled onto both of them.
Groaning, Eric stirred. "Well, that was unfortunate," he muttered. "Thank God I put padding down to protect the floor, anyway. "He tried to move his extremities, one at a time. Left leg, right leg, right arm… "Ow! I think I sprained it."
Donna moved the bags away, her face suddenly pale. "You broke it, Eric. What can I do?"
Carefully, she helped him rise and get to the loveseat. He was dusty and dirty, and the fabric would suffer for it, but who cared? "Smart house," he mumbled before passing out from the pain.
Smart house. Smart house. She'd written an article about smart houses, but she hadn't set her voice up here. How sensitive was this one? "Call Ari Stein," she said loudly.
"Dialing Ari Stein," a lilting voice answered. The next voice she heard was Mr. Stein's.
"Mr. Stein! Thank God. This is Eric's wife Donna. We've got a problem."
Ari would disengage the gate lock remotely, he said, and call an ambulance right away with directions. It would take at least thirty minutes for it to arrive, though. "Hang in there, Donna! Help is on the way. Doris says keep him warm and stay calm. I'm so sorry, but there's no way for us to get back sooner than planned. Will you be okay? Should I contact someone to come help you?"
"Thank you, but not yet. I'll see what the hospital says," Donna said, feeling strange to be talking to the ceiling. "I think it's a broken arm, but there could be internal damage. He might have to stay." It was too soon to tell.
When the call was over, she googled first aid on her phone and gently laid Eric on his back, running to the living room for pillows to support his head and knees. The loveseat was too short to accommodate his entire body, but it was the best she could do. She dampened a towel in the kitchen and filled a glass with water. Gently wiping his face and dripping some water onto his lips, she prayed, making deals as people do. "If you'll just help him, I'll…" then stopped. "I'll what?" she said out loud. "Love him more? How could I?" A dozen childhood lessons and sermons flooded her mind. If it be Thy will. Why wouldn't it be? Please, Father.
Father. At the very word, bile rose in her throat. Donna's mother had left her alone with her father when she was six. She didn't even know the day her mother had died from an overdose. But she knew exactly the date and time her father began molesting her. It was her twelfth birthday.
12
Healings of Different Kinds
Eric sat on the loveseat giving orders. A cold drink and snacks were within reach. His feet were propped up, and a favorite band provided background music. His left arm was in a cast and the painkillers were effective without muddying his mind. And, he thought, I have the loveliest of views.
After their return to the estate from the emergency room in Sebastian—home of the closest hospital—Eric had dozed; Donna had cleaned. Whenever he was awake, she pampered him with food and kisses and—eventually—somewhat awkward lovemaking. When he napped, she worked. It had taken hours, but the bags were gone, the dust swept up. She'd managed, with great difficulty, to move the scaffolding to one side, so that now, the wall could be fully appreciated. The wall was not what Eric admired at the moment, however.
The final task was sealing the stone wall. A sprayer might be used, but Eric had not rented one yet. Rather than wait, he opted to use a roller. Donna found one with a handy extension in the little building that housed equipment and tools, but when Eric tried to manage it with one hand, he was quickly discouraged.
"I can do it," Donna suggested. She was on a ladder now, working quickly and efficiently. She was perhaps five feet off the ground, wearing only a large t-shirt of Eric's, so she didn't ruin any of her clothes. She hadn't exactly packed for manual labor. She backed down from the ladder to get a rag and saw him looking. Slowly and purposefully, she bent over, glancing around to grin at him.
"I'm sure I look very sexy in this getup," she said with a giggle. Her hair was a mess, she was sweaty, and the sealer had sprinkled all over her.
In answer, Eric stood up and walked slowly toward her.
"Oh no, mister. I've got work to do." Donna's back was to the ladder and she started stepping up. He caught up to her when she was a few feet above him.
"Is that right?" he said, following her up the ladder. Balancing himself, he took his good hand and reached under the shirt, finding her lace panties. He ducked his head beneath the edge of the shirt and grabbed the top of the panties with his teeth. As he backed down the ladder, the panties pulled off.
Taking them from his mouth and throwing them at her playfully, he said, "I'll leave you alone to your work now." For the next hour, he sat and watched, relishi
ng the hint of bottom that emerged from time to time. Finally, he could stand it no longer. "Break time," he called. "You're torturing me."
Donna laughed. "I think I've done all I can do for now anyway. Tomorrow, we should try two ladders. One of us can man the sealer, the other a brush. I'm past where the roller will work, am I not?"
She turned around slightly and seductively pulled the shirt to her waist. "But what I need is a shower. I am so dirty." She winked, teasing him.
"A dirty girl sounds fine to me, but so does a shower," Eric said as he stood. "You soap me up, and I promise to hang my arm outside the door, so it doesn't get wet."
"Soap you up?" Donna cooed as she stepped off the ladder and walked into his arms. "I'll do a lot more than that."
The Steins were thrilled with the stone wall. The household was back to normal only a few days before New Year's Eve. It was arranged that Donna and Eric would fly home January second so that they could attend the party to christen the new addition. And no, the Steins had assured them, this was not a party for the naturist society, but business associates and family.
Workers and decorators were everywhere, preparing, painting, cleaning. "It's amazing what gets done when a person says, 'Money's no object'," Donna observed dryly as she perched on a stool in the kitchen.
Asahi laughed. "You are correct, Donna-san. Where is your husband?"
Donna was annoyed. After being apart, she'd expected to spend every possible moment with Eric, but today, he had gone on an errand with Roy instead. Roy! He could have at least asked her to join them.
Instead of grousing, however, she stretched her back and took a sip of tea. Asahi, at her request, was teaching her new tastes, new Japanese dishes and customs. Such a sweet person. Eric had told her of Roy's own opinion. "Roy is very good-looking, don't you think?"
Is she blushing? Donna smiled. "I mean, he's not really my type, but…"