Protection (11 page)

“You didn't.”Carrie said, joining her by the fire. “I was already awake and feeling a bit lonely if truth be known. Always seems to get me at night.”

Andrea nodded sympathetically. “I suppose it must be difficult being surrounded by hundreds of people but not really knowing who your real friends are. I used to think I had dozens of good mates, until I came out.”

“Why? What happened?”Carrie asked. “I'm sorry, that was rude. You don't have to tell me.”

“It's okay. “Andrea shrugged, wrapping her arms around herself. “But there's really not that much to tell. They just kinda drifted away once they found out. Didn't want to be seen with the ‘gay girl' I guess.”

‘ I know what you mean, but if it makes you feel any better, there's something I've been dying to give you…”And leaning across, Carrie kissed her.

The fire had gone out long ago, the grate now cold and grey.

On the sofa, Andrea held a sleeping Carrie in her arms, envying her ability to do so. Sleep would not come to her, her body determined that sweet fall into oblivion would not be hers until her mind had replayed their love making over and over again.

It had felt like a dream. A beautiful, gentle dream in which she'd seen everything, felt everything, but which she couldn't quite bring herself to believe had actually happened.

Tentatively, Carrie had kissed her. With so much affection. Her hands slowly caressing, urging her to join in until, gradually, they'd both began to explore. The night wrapping itself around them, the embers glowing and crackling, providing the only sound as they'd delighted in each other's touch.

Her hair falling across her face, Carrie had kissed her and she had lost herself in its fragrance. Carrie's hands reaching up to part her robe and stroke her breasts. Her fingers teasing her nipples before she had lowered her head and closed her mouth around them, gently sucking as her fingers trailed down her stomach and found her fluff, stroking the silky down before burying themselves in the warmth below.

Then had come the feel of Carrie's body beneath her own fingertips. The joy. The soft warmth of her skin as she'd traced warm curves up and around her stomach before swooping down to thighs. The glorious well of her pussy as her thighs had parted and her fingers had plunged, feeling her swell, feeling her moist. Delving deep to be surrounded by heat. Her own desire mounting. Lust flowing through her as she had begun to fuck Carrie and Carrie's fingers had glided across her backside, finding her own sopping hole and fucking her at the same time as she was being fucked. Sweat shining on their skin. Mouths gasping. Their eyes locked as they had worked hard and come together. In a single shuddering orgasm. Their pleasure gasping from them as they had slumped to the floor and kissed. Ready to begin all over again.

Lying Andrea on the floor, Carrie's moist, pink tongue had trailed across Andrea's throat and across her lips. Circling her tits before lazily flicking her still hard nipples, making Andrea squirm and sigh as she'd dug her fingers into her Carrie's. Her hips rising as Carrie's wet teasing had continued. Across her stomach. In and out of her navel, along her thigh and then into her pubic hair, savouring the musky wetness before nudging against her throbbing opening and lapping at the sweet juices that flowed there. Deliciously slowly she had taken her time, sliding her tongue up and down, feeling Andrea's pussy growing plumper beneath her. A groan escaping her. Her hips rising even more as she'd begged to be fucked and Carrie had buried her face deep inside Andrea's pussy. Savouring every lap as she'd brought her ever closer to orgasm, gradually forcing her tongue into the tight hole. Driving the tip in and out, lapping and sucking until finally, with every nerve ending crying out for release, Andrea had come. Gasping, moaning, Crying Carrie's name.

She nearly came again just thinking about it. The memory making her pussy throb all over again. It had been beautiful. So, so beautiful.

But what would the dawn bring?

Against all her expectations, Andrea realised must have dropped off at some point, for sunlight was the next thing she was aware of, spilling in through the cracks in the curtains and filling the room with a golden glow.

Sitting up she rubbed sleep from her eyes and looked around, expecting to see Carrie somewhere near, but Carrie was nowhere to be seen.

Disappointed, she wondered where was she and why had she left so early? It was, of course, perfectly feasible that she had merely popped out to use the bathroom, but somehow she didn't think so. The room felt too empty of her presence, as if she had been gone a while, which meant she must have left sometime during the night to return to her own room. But why? It wasn't like Carrie to just leave without an explaination, unless..

Unless she regretted the whole thing and had done the only thing she could think of. Run away. But if that was the case, where did it leave her? What should she do? Dress quickly and leave the house as soon as possible or go and find Carrie and confront her?

Gathering her robe around her, she stared forlornly into the cold fire, feeling absolutely wretched and wishing she knew what was going on? Last night had been wonderful. The sex mind blowing. So why had it gone so horribly wrong now?

Then Carrie stepped into the room carrying a tray full of breakfast things and Andrea looked up, the anguish clear on her face, as Carrie took one look and dumped the tray on the floor, rushing to sit by her side.

“Have I just made a really big mistake?”She said quietly, taking Andrea's hands in her own and stroking her fingers. “Please say I haven't. I know last night was really sudden and that it must have come as a shock, but I really like you Andrea. Please don't tell me you're regretting it?”

“Me?”Andrea frowned. “No! I.. I thought you were the one having second thoughts. When I woke up and you weren't there....”

“You thought I'd abandoned you. Oh, Andrea, I'm so sorry! Last night was the best sex I've ever had and no way am I regretting it.”

“Well, neither am I.”Andrea said, taking the coffee Carrie had retrieved and offered her. “I've fancied you for ages Carrie, but I never dared believe you might fancy me. I mean, you could have anyone you wanted and I'm so ordinary…”

Carrie slapped her down. “You're not ordinary! God, Andrea if only you knew how long I've spent trying to work up the courage to tell you how I feel!”

“A while then?”

“More than just while! Try weeks! But seriously, I can't think of anyone else I'd rather have you as my girlfriend.What do you think? Could you put up with me?”

Andrea appeared to consider. “Well, I suppose I could try - Shit, who am I kidding?! I'd love to have a relationship with you.You're gorgeous, you're sexy, you have pots of money, I'd be crazy not to! But.. are you sure this is what you really want? I mean, I'm nothing special, Carrie and you could have anyone you wanted.”

“I just want you.”

“In that case, I accept.Wow! We have so much to talk about. But I'm not going to be the one to tell Amanda.”

In the end they decided to tell her together and sitting side by side at the kitchen table, surreptitiously holding hands beneath, they broke the news and waited to see what her reaction would be.

“Well I never.”Was her initial reaction. The little housekeeper lost for words as she repeatedly wiped her hands on her apron and struggled to decide where this latest piece of information fitted into the grand scheme of things. It wasn't as if she wasn't used to unexpected things being thrown at her and she doubted if this latest bombshell would be the last, but she'd always had some sort of an inkling of what was to come before. But this! This had caught her completely by surprise.

Giving her apron a final wring, she eyed the pair of them.

“First off.”She said. “I'm very flattered you think my opinion is important enough to want to consult me, especially as when all's said and done, I'm only the housekeeper around here. And secondly, I need to know one thing. Are you happy?”

“Oh, yes.”Andrea smiled.

“Ditto.”Carrie said. “And you're not just the housekeeper, Amanda, you know that.”

Amanda beamed. “Thank you. And if you're happy, then I'm happy. Just make sure you're kind to each other and there's no arguments over make-up or whose turn it is to get up and fetch the tea. And please note I said ‘fetch' not ‘make.' Oh, and before you say it, of course I won't tell a soul about any of this.”

“And there's no need to give me that look.”She added, when Carrie raised an eyebrow. “I know how important your image is to your career and we can't have all those little boy's dreams destroyed can we? That would be disasterous. Oh, and one other thing. If you want to hold hands in my kitchen, then go ahead. You don't have to hide them under the table.”

Blushing, Carrie hugged her. “Thank you Amanda, for being so understanding and so kind. You don't know how much that means to me.”

“Us.”Andrea corrected her. “Especially me. I wouldn't have blamed you in the slightest if you'd thought I was just some sort of gold digger, out to get what I could. But I promise you I'm not. I really do care for Carrie, and for her, not the whole celebrity bit and I promise I won't ever do a thing to hurt her.”

“I know you won't dear, and I've never had you down as a gold digger. Believe me, I know one of them when I see it. Do you remember that maid we took on? Tina? I thought she had a dodgy look about her right from the start and then I found her trying to steal one of Carrie's pillowcases to sell on that wretched E-bay! But I've never thought that about you. Carrie needs someone to look after her and I think you'll be perfect in more ways than one! Now then, that's the end of the lecture and by anyone's standards, I reckon I was a push over. But I'd love to know. How are you going to tell Carmichael?”

Andrea thought he'd probably be mortified. One, because he quite obviously fancied Carrie for himself, and two, because he would probably envisage Carrie's career going rapidly down the pan the moment it became public knowledge that Carrie was gay. Carrie simply worried that he would insist upon Andrea's dismissal. Citing personal feelings as a hindrance to professional efficiency. But sacking Andrea was the last thing she wanted to do and as far as she was concerned, if Carmichael suggested she go, then he would have a battle on his hands.

But it was Amanda who really hit the nail on the head. Carmichael, she said, was far less likely to be angry at the news than give himself heart failure trying to figure out what the pair of them got up to.

“Why are you so surprised?”She added, when Carrie nearly choked. “He's a man and men are all the same. If they can't join in, they want to watch.”

Isobel was proud of her scrapbook. She had put a lot of time and energy into assembling it and even though her chosen subject had been relatively easy to find, she'd still had to leaf through dozen of magazines before she'd found the photographes she wanted. Then she'd had to go to all the bother of sticking them neatly onto the card-like pages before finishing it all off with a lovely Peacock feather stuck to the front coverStill. She was pleased with it now.

Inside the newsagents it was the usual scene and holding court behind her counter, Maureen McKenzie, a rotund, florid woman with steel grey hair, sucked hard on extra strong mints and blew the peppermint fumes over everybody who happened to stop by to share in the latest piece of juicy gossip. They were never in short supply. Living in a village like Downlands meant everyone knew everyone else's business and since the arrival of Carrie Shilling, the villager's love of gossip had shifted into overdrive.

Today was no exception and cornering Mrs. Connor, who'd only popped in for a newspaper, Maureen regaled her with the lastest piece of tittle-tattle, whilst Isobel, standing at the other end of the store, flicked through a magazine and surreptitiously homed in on the conversation.

“... usual party this time of year.”Maureen was saying. “Had one last year too and all kinds of celebrity types turned up in their big, flash cars for that one. Never seen anything like it. Jewellery and glad rags everywhere! Anyway, my Rita is waitressing again for her. Money's so good she'd be a fool not to, though they work her like a dog! Still, I suppose the up side is that she get to meet all them stars.”

Inside Isobel's head, a bright and wicked light suddenly winked on and strolling over to the counter, she smiled sweetly, apologised for overhearing, and then added that she thought it all sounded terribly exciting!

Maureen McKenzie, greeting her through a fug of mint, agreed that yes, it was exciting. Her Rita could hardly wait.

“Don't suppose she can.”Isobel replied politely, wondering if she sounded as big a prat as she felt. “But do you mind if I ask how she managed to get such a great job? It must be wonderful being able to mix with all the stars, I'd love to do that.”

“Well, my Rita's the one you should be asking.”Maureen replied, and opening the door to the rear of the shop, she yelled for her daughter to come downstairs and turned her back on Mrs.Connor, who spotting an opportunity to escape, beat a hasty retreat, calling back to Maureen that she would see her tomorrow.

Moments later and looking irritated at having been disturbed Rita poked her head through the gap. “Delivery ain't due yet, is it?”She asked, pouting sullenly at her mother. “Only I'm right in the middle of a film and I don't want to miss the end again!”

Maureen tutted. “Don't worry, you won't! There's still another hour to go yet. But this here young lady wants to know how you go about waitressing for madam's Christmas party. I thought you'd know.”

Instead of replying, Rita merely blew an enormous gum bubble. Then, sucking the whole, sticky mess back between her lips, she sighed heavily. “I got the job ‘cos I work at the hotel.”She said.

Downlands only had one hotel. The Regent, and as it was both very exclusive and very expensive, the only time the locals went anywhere near it was when they were turning up for their shift.

“We always get the parties to do.”Rita went on. “I think the hotel has some sort of deal, but I'm not sure if they take outsiders, you'd ‘ave to ask.”

“Okay, I'll do that then.”Isobel replied. “When is it by the way? Maybe if I can't get work, I'll just pop down there and see if I can spot any famous faces.”

Rita looked bored. “December 17th, though I wouldn't bother going down there if I were you. Security will be tighter than a cat's arse.”

Maureen looked shocked. “Rita!”She exclaimed. “There's no call for that kind of language! I'm so sorry , Miss...”

“Isobel.”Isobel said, meaning to say something more to Rita. But Rita had already gone and feeling frustrated, she resumed her conversation with Maureen.

“So.”She said. “Does it involve really long hours this waitressing lark? I imagine it does.”

Maureen nodded grimly. “I'll say! Sometimes she's up at the manor by seven, then not home until the early hours of the next morning. Lord only knows what they get her to do whilst she's there, but, like I say, the pays good.”

Turning over in bed, Carrie again felt a surge of happiness at finding Andrea lying by her side and reaching out, she touched her hair.

Earlier, they'd sat down and discussed the potential pitfalls of being together. Trying to imagine everything that could go or might go wrong. But after several uncomfortable hours in which they'd alternatively convinced each other than nothing could possibly come between them or that the whole world was about to crash around their ears, they'd finally decided to keep their relationship quiet for the moment, because even though they realised they were in the grip of euphoria now, they both appreciated that there was still plenty of time for either one of them to decide the romance was not for them. Therefore the less people who knew about it now, the less hassle they were likely to get if they split up.

Not that Carrie could ever imagine letting Andrea go and kissing her brow she trailed an arm across Andrea's waist and snuggled into her back, luxuriating in the warmth of her skin. How nice this was. And how decadent. She'd had no idea that this was what Andrea had been planning when first she'd grabbed her hand after lunch and gently pulled her up the stairs. But she was so glad she had. Rolling around in bed at two o'clock in the afternoon without nothing better to do than fuck was wonderful and a real treat after all the hard work they'd put in organizing the party.

Certain Andrea was still asleep, Carrie held her shoulders and slowly eased her onto her back, pleased when Andrea didn't stir. Then, peeling back the duvet, she carefully sat upright and straddled her, bending her head to allow her long, dark hair to trail lazily across Andrea's stomach.

The sensation roused her and opening an eye, Andrea regarded her sleepily. “Hey you.”She said. “That's a lovely way to be woken up.”

“I'm glad you think so.”Carrie said. “Because it's about to get a whole lot better.”And shuffling herself forward she lowered her pussy directly over Andrea's face.

Andrea was awake now and freeing her hands she pulled Carrie down and buried her face in her fluff. The tip of her tongue soon finding Carrie's pink and swollen slit and running along the length of it before she parted her labia with her fingers and pushed her tongue into Carrie's innermost warmth. Delving deep into the velvet wetness before withdrawing again and licking her way back towards her clit where she circled the hard, little nub with firm strokes, making Carrie writhe above her as Carrie reached for her breasts and pinched her nipples. Biting her lips as the small stabs of pain enhanced the exquisite pleasure she felt pulsing between her legs.

Andrea continued to suck. Her tongue bringing Carrie closer and closer to her climax as it expertly pushed against her clit and made her gasp. Carrie's juices flowing over her chin as she again plunged her tongue into Carrie's cunt and she began to fall over the edge. Her juices gushing into Andrea's mouth, her pussy grinding against her lips as her orgasm pulsed though her and she came. Crying out Andrea's name. Her legs starting to tremble and threaten to drop her, as with a final cry, she tumbled to one side and lay gasping on the bed.