PluckingthePearl

by Afton Locke

  She finally let go of him and dropped the paper packet back into his hand as if it had caught on fire. “No, we don’t need it. Please put it away. All of it.”

  He pocketed the condom, stuffed his stiff member back inside his trousers and buttoned them while he still could. Standing up, he laid out the same blanket he’d used last time, cursing at the clumsiness of his fingers as he rushed. He lifted her and laid her on it.

  “Scoot your sweet ass near the edge so I can access it,” he said.

  He didn’t have patience to spend time fondling her legs either. He just spread them wide. Judging by the wetness coating her folds, she didn’t need it. The sweet opening beckoned him to stretch it with his erection.

  The overwhelming urge to do just that nearly brought tears to his eyes as he stared at her. Her writhing limbs told him she probably wouldn’t argue until afterward. If only he could be the first—the only—cock inside her.

  As he inserted one finger inside her drenched folds, watching the ruffled lips swallow his white skin, his other hand tugged at the buttons of his trousers. White heat raced down his arms, urging him to rip them open and unleash his shaft again. He knew if he did that, it would be buried in her within seconds.

  Caleb took a deep breath that did little to still the shuddering need racking his body as he pulled his finger out of her depths. Next, he grasped Pearl’s inner thighs to anchor them and lowered his face to her cunt. She moaned when he kissed the tender area on each side of it. Then he placed several kisses on her molten center, growing dizzy from the scent of her cream.

  “Your pussy tastes even sweeter than I imagined,” he said.

  “Mmm,” she replied. “I thought pussies were cats and that’s a cunt. I’ll never learn your language.”

  He glanced up at the mountains of her breasts and the dark nipples sticking up like points.

  “Fondle your breasts while I do this,” he told her. “I want your nipples to stay rock hard—as hard as my cock.”

  “Yes. Yes…”

  Seeing her fingers flicking and pulling on the swollen points drove hot forks of need into his balls. He turned his attention back to her pussy, scraping his moustache and mouth across the puckered lips. When he pressed his upper lip against her slippery little pearl, she groaned.

  Tearing himself away from her, he reached for a clean rag and handed it to her.

  “I hate to ask you to do this, honey, but I’m afraid someone will hear you. Put this in your mouth, especially when you come.”

  She lifted her head and took the fabric. “Do you think I’ll…climax again?”

  “You will,” he promised.

  He gripped her thighs again and gazed at her. “This is by far the most beautiful oyster this plant has ever seen.”

  And I wish it were mine forever, he thought as he traced his finger down each lip. When he lowered his head this time, his tongue darted out and dragged across her cunt as if it were a fish hook. Then he wiggled the tip inside.

  She responded by jerking her hips and putting the rag to her mouth to muffle her cries of pleasure.

  Encouraged, he pointed his tongue and traced it lightly over her clitoris. Her hips moved so much he could barely keep his place. He pushed harder with his hands to keep her pinned to the table.

  I bet Jimmy can’t make you feel this good.

  But how long before the other man did this to her? A week? A month?

  Losing his grip on patience, he opened his mouth and ground it against her pussy as if to swallow her and claim her whole. He sucked her tender lips inside his, melding their flesh into one.

  “Caleb!” The fabric may have muffled the loudness of her cry but not the raw urgency of it.

  With her rich juices coating his lips and moustache, he looked up. “No one will ever make you feel this way.”

  As if he stated it, it would be so.

  “Yes.” She spoke between breaths that made her nipples plunge up and down like buoys in rough tide. “Please don’t stop. I think I’m going to have another climax.”

  Anxious to feel her sweet-tasting flesh quiver and shake under his mouth, he worked his tongue with purpose—licking, stabbing and plunging. Her thighs trembled beneath his hands.

  He felt drunk from her passion. What a rare find she was. If only he could keep her. All he could do was give her pleasure in this moment.

  As he sensed her time grow near, he plunged his finger inside her while he sucked her clitoris. Despite the pressure of his hands on her thighs, the slick bud gyrated out of range several times. Determined to hold her still, he pressed his lips around it and nipped the edges with his teeth.

  A muffled scream and her pelvis both hit him at once. Realizing his hands had lost their grip on her thighs, he staggered backward to the opposite table, almost falling down.

  Breathing hard, Pearl sat up and put her hand to her mouth. “Did I injure you again?”

  After recovering, he pulled her off the table and into his arms. “I think I’ll survive.”

  With her bare feet on the floor, she wrapped her arms around his waist, bringing her pounding chest close to his.

  “Goodness, Caleb. The way you make me feel. I wish you could have a climax too.”

  He kissed the side of her neck. “Trust me, I will later.”

  “But I want to see you have one,” she added.

  “We’ll have to do something about that next time.” He helped her button the dress she still wore.

  After they cleaned up, using one of the buckets of water, Caleb sat with her on the makeshift bench.

  “I can’t imagine doing this with Jimmy,” she said.

  Good.

  Her delicate eyebrows lifted with worry. “Do you think he’ll expect it of me?”

  “Not until after you’re married.” He clasped her hand in a possessive grip. “Until then, you’re mine.”

  He hoped Henry could find him a good poker game tomorrow night because he’d need something to keep his mind off the fact she’d be spending time with another man.

  “Was it like this with your wife?”

  Caleb frowned, not expecting such a question. “No, Pearl. My marriage was not a passionate one.”

  She smiled. “Good.”

  “I have a feeling yours will be, though.”

  Why couldn’t he be Jimmy? Why had their lives taken this course? Who decided what color skin they would have when they were born? Why the hell did it have to be different? For once, the king of Oyster Island had no answers.

  “Are you hungry for an oyster now?” he asked. “We can’t skip our ritual. It might be bad luck.”

  She smiled. “Yes, I’d love one.”

  They exchanged the morsels of meat with their tongues as they had before. For some reason, the simple act made him feel more bonded to her than the passion did. Afterward, they ate cold crab with salad.

  “Oh, I almost forgot something.” Caleb pulled out an envelope from his trouser pocket and handed it to her.

  “What’s this?” she asked as she took it and opened it.

  “Your pay.”

  “But I picked up my paycheck at the window Friday.”

  “That’s your pay for this job, not shucking.”

  “So much money,” she whispered.

  He cocked his head as he watched her count through the bills. She tucked it into her dress pocket and looked down at her hands.

  “What’s the matter?” he asked. “Did I miscount the hours?”

  “No. I just…I just feel like a…a whore.”

  “Honey, no,” he said, grabbing her hand. “Don’t say that. Don’t ever say that. Our time together is special.”

  Her green eyes looked heavy and sad. “You know I only earned a fraction of this doing cleaning. The rest—”

  Caleb sighed. “You could always refuse it if it makes you feel better but I wish you’d keep it.”

  The front of her dress crackled as she smoothed over the pocket containing the envelope. “No, I’ll take i
t. Wilma will be expecting it.”

  “I want you to promise me you’ll keep part of it to buy something special for yourself.”

  She nodded. “I thought our time together was special too but Leroy said some things the other night.”

  Caleb’s hands tingled with worry. “Does he know?”

  He’d meant to ask earlier but her anger about the yacht had distracted him. Thank goodness Leroy was one of his employees and not a threat like the mayor.

  She nodded again. “He won’t say anything but he’s worried about me.”

  “I can imagine what he must think,” he said.

  “I told him it wasn’t like that between us but he reminded me what a disaster it would be if I had your child.”

  Caleb’s jaw tightened. “And I gave you my word that wouldn’t happen.” It frightened him, though, to realize he’d come closer than ever to breaking his word this evening.

  Maybe it was for the best she would be courted by another man and well on her way to marriage. This madness couldn’t last without possibly destroying them both.

  He stood up and kissed her hand. “Until Wednesday?”

  She looked into his eyes. “Until Wednesday.”

  Hopefully she’d still want him after her evening with Jimmy.

  * * * * *

  It was still dark when the household woke up the next morning for work. Pearl shivered from the cool, damp air in the cottage and dressed quickly. Thankfully, they’d all been asleep when she and Leroy had gotten home last night. The shorter days had their advantages, she thought.

  At breakfast, Wilma slapped down chipped, mismatched bowls of runny oatmeal on the table while two crickets in the cottage competed for a solo. Then she laid down a platter of griddle cakes for them to share.

  Hungrier than she expected, Pearl took several big bites of her cake. Climaxes must use a lot of energy. Memories of the time she and Caleb had spent together last evening wrapped around her, keeping her warm. Sitting on the makeshift bench with him had reminded her of sitting with Jimmy but it was so much better. Now she felt silly for ever doubting his affection for her.

  She’d even dreamed of him last night, waking up with her cunt aching and the sheet tangled around her sweaty calves. Her hairpins made her scalp prickle this morning, making her want to pull them all out and wear her hair loose.

  And she couldn’t stop thinking about that strange packet Caleb had showed her. A condom, he’d called it. At the time, the picture of the harlot printed on the paper cover had disgusted her. Now she couldn’t help wondering how his penis would look with it on. How it would feel rubbing against her most sensitive flesh…

  What was happening to her?

  When Wilma sat down, Pearl slid the envelope containing her pay across the table to her.

  “Those are my extra earnings,” she explained.

  As promised to Caleb, she’d kept out a dollar for herself but she wouldn’t hesitate to spend it on the family if the need arose.

  Her aunt snatched up the envelope and counted the bills with rough, work-chapped fingers. Pearl realized this was the first time she’d ever seen the woman really smile.

  “We can buy us a nice ham with this and have a right smart meal with all the trimmings. Sadie needs new shoes for the winter too.”

  Pearl smiled. “I’m glad I could help.”

  “You done real good, child,” Wilma added. “You know, I had my doubts when you first come here but you’re obviously good for something.”

  Sadie’s grin looked just as out of place as her mother’s. “What did you do with Mr. Rockfield to earn all that money, Pearl?”

  The blood in Pearl’s head threatened to drain to her feet. Leroy already knew her secret. At this rate, it wouldn’t be much of a secret for long.

  “I cleaned.”

  Leroy stared down at his oatmeal bowl, not saying a word.

  Sadie’s smile grew smug. “Then how come you kept me awake all night yelling Caleb, Oh, yes, Caleb…?”

  Shame scalded Pearl’s cheeks as her spoon dropped and clattered to the floor. Based on the dreams she had, she suspected Sadie was telling the truth. Why did the spiteful girl have to tell the entire family? Thankfully Charlie was still in his room.

  She chose her words carefully. “I must have dreamt of Mr. Rockfield because he’s a handsome man but there’s nothing going on between us.”

  Her aunt waved her hand. “Don’t lie, child. White men don’t pay colored girls this much money to clean.”

  Leroy cleared his throat as he stood and put on his cap. “I need to tend to the boat. It’s going to be a slow trip this morning ‘cause of the wind.”

  To Pearl’s surprise, her aunt looked more shrewd than angry. “It won’t last. He’ll tire of you. Jimmy, on the other hand, can take care of you for life.”

  Pearl looked down at her bowl. “I know.”

  Wilma leaned forward and pointed a long finger in her face. “So don’t you mess that up, you hear? And don’t bring no high-yaller, half-breed child into the world, expecting me to raise it.”

  Sadie leaned back in her chair as she leered at Pearl. “I’m going to tell.”

  Wilma grabbed her daughter’s wrist and squeezed. “You do and I’ll thrash your hide in front of the whole plant. We gettin’ us some money now. The last thing we want is to stir up trouble.”

  Sadie hung her head in submission and pushed away her food. Although Pearl was fairly sure she’d obey her mother, there were no guarantees. The food Pearl had eaten formed a cold ball in her stomach. How could Caleb tell her their time together was so special while her family made it sound so cheap? They both couldn’t be right.

  She hoped marriage would bring calmness to her life. This constant confusion, conflict and shame would soon tear her to pieces.

  Chapter Eight

  The day dragged so much for Caleb it was as if he were neck-deep in marsh mud. Looking forward to his time with Pearl after work had become more of a habit than he realized.

  On his way to the unloading dock, Caleb tried not to look at Pearl working next to Jimmy but couldn’t help it. Tonight she’d be with him. They looked perfect together. They were close to the same age—and the same color, of course. Eventually they would be a married couple, working side by side. The thought of it brought acid to Caleb’s throat.

  For once, he didn’t feel like joking with the men on the dock. The sun was too bright and his head ached. Everything he looked at bored him—the boats bobbing in the water, the mountains of discarded oyster shells and the wire oyster baskets. He’d done this for so many years there was nothing left to explore.

  No sweet, dark flesh for him to explore tonight, either.

  Everything he looked at reminded him of her, including the bench where she’d been sitting the day he’d met her. He couldn’t even look at an oyster without remembering the rich texture of her mouth as they exchanged the delicacies with their tongues.

  When Henry maneuvered Easy Pickings to the pier, Caleb helped him tie the lines.

  His brother looked toward the stern of the large work boat. “Whoa, that boat’s coming too fast. Slow down, buddy!”

  The boat just missed Henry’s stern and hit the pier instead, breaking the edge of the boards with a sickening crack.

  Caleb rushed forward to inspect the damage. “You fool!” he yelled. “What were you thinking?”

  “I’m awfully sorry,” the well-dressed other man said. “It got away from me. I’ll pay for any repairs.”

  Henry chuckled as he climbed onto the pier and adjusted his overalls. “At least your boat doesn’t look too much worse for wear.”

  Two workers went to the buy-boat, one to unload the oysters into tubs and another to tally them.

  “Didn’t you see the speed limit sign?” Caleb demanded of the stranger. “I’m trying to run a business here and can’t have my property destroyed this way.”

  Henry grabbed his arm and pulled him out of earshot of the other man. “Calm down. That
fellow’s from out of town and didn’t mean any harm.”

  “He should have known better,” Caleb insisted as he yanked off his hat and jammed it back on his head.

  Now he was forced to decide whether to simply repair it or get the mayor’s approval for the expansion.

  “Normally you’d laugh at something like this,” Henry pointed out. “Tell me what’s really wrong with you. It’s not just the dock, is it?”

  Caleb rubbed his tight jaw. “I’m just having a bad day.”

  A seagull perched on a nearby piling laughed as if to mock him. Any day he couldn’t spend with Pearl would be a bad day, he realized. When had he become addicted to her?

  His brother folded his arms and looked at him with shrewd eyes. “You’re in love, aren’t you?”

  Dread weighted Caleb’s stomach as a fish jumped in the water nearby. “Don’t be ridiculous.”

  “Just be careful who you fall in love with or you’ll have a lot more trouble than a broken pier.”

  Caleb knew his brother recalled the day he’d stared at Pearl in Crab Creek. Although he was curious how much he suspected, he didn’t dare ask.

  “Will you handle this?” Caleb asked as he pointed to the stranger’s boat. “I have something else to attend to.”

  Henry nodded. “Are you planning to expand or repair it?”

  Caleb glared at the damage. “It’s not too extensive. Let’s just repair it for now.”

  Henry patted him on the back. “Sure thing. Now get that frowning mug of yours off the dock before you scare away all the fish.”

  Caleb smiled in spite of his bad day and headed toward the hardware store to arrange having paint and wood sent to the Johnson place. Hopefully he’d be able to think of a good excuse for it by the time he got there.

  He might not be able to be with Pearl much longer but she’d never stop being part of his life.

  * * * * *

  Pearl felt strange riding home with the family after her shift. It was still light out. She longed to be at the plant instead, spending time with Caleb. Tonight belonged to Jimmy. Luckily he hadn’t said much to her today except how much he looked forward to their date tonight.