Amber's Summer of Love

Author's Note:

Apologies to those who have found my work-in-progress for the lengthy lapses between chapters. While I would rather spend my time with Amber, Sam and their families I find that life continues its relentless tug on my available energies. There is at least one more chapter waiting; hopefully it will emerge sooner than the last two. Thank you for your patience and interest.

*

Amber stumbled out of bed in the morning, forcing herself into action so she could have breakfast with her mother before she left for work. Wrapping herself in a robe, she went downstairs and began making coffee, then pulled out the toaster to prepare a hot meal for her mother. Just as she was putting the bacon and eggs on the plate, she felt her mother's arms circle her waist and smelled her mother's familiar fragrance. "Good morning, pumpkin," her mother whispered as she kissed her neck lightly. "How is my new bride-to-be this morning?" She gave Amber a quick hug as she released her.

"Oh, mom, I'm so happy! I almost couldn't sleep. I kept looking at the ring and feeling it to make sure it was still there. I can't believe all of this is happening to me. I love Sam so much! And I'm so glad that Melanie is going to be my sister-in-law. I feel as close to her as I have to any friend I've ever had. She is so talented and so funny ... I just know we're going to be special friends. And she loves Sam to distraction, even though she tries to hide it behind a lot of teasing. You can see how proud she is of him and he of her. They are really close. I can't wait for you to meet his whole family."

Jan looked at her daughter's glowing smile and felt a pang of anxiety. What if Amber felt closer to her in-laws than she did to Jan? What if they didn't like her? Could she bear the loss of her daughter, even if Amber wasn't aware it was happening? Jan was so caught up in her reverie that she caught only the last part of Amber's question.

"... before we go back home?" Amber looked at her mother and realized she wasn't really listening to her question. "Mom, I'm sorry. I know it's been a lot to take in in a short time. I was just wondering if we could have the Wilkins' over for lunch or something before we go back home. I'd like for all of you to meet and I think it would be nice to do it here. I'll do all the planning and preparation -- you have enough to do now that you're going back to work. And it doesn't have to be a big, fancy thing. They're not that kind of people: a simple buffet will be perfect."

Jan smiled at her daughter. "Certainly, sweetie, we can do that. And you don't have to do all the work. You're the bride-to-be after all. We'll plan something nice that won't take too much out of either of us. Check with Sam and his parents and see when it might work out for them. I'm not working full-time this week; I told them when I agreed to come back before our rental was up that I would only work part of the week. So give me a couple of days' notice and I'll take the day off so we can make the place pretty for the occasion."

Amber squeezed her mom tightly. "Thanks, mom. I love you so much. I just know you and Sam's parents are going to be great friends."

Jan finished her breakfast and tidied the kitchen before gathering her purse and briefcase. She walked to the door, turning to Amber at the sink. "Enjoy your day, dear. Don't get too much sun and don't spend all your time indoors. Get out and take a walk or something. Maybe you should call Celia. You haven't talked with her in a few days and you certainly have lots to tell her. I'll be back by 6 ... be careful but have fun."

Amber turned back to the sink and busied herself with the morning dishes. She thought about what she could do with her free day as she dried and restacked the plates in the cabinet. She thought about seeing if Sam was free but then stopped herself: if he came over and she knew they had the house to themselves for several hours she would attack him and they would do something they'd already promised not to do. Maybe her mother was right, maybe she should call Celia. In the whirlwind of the past week she'd forgotten her best friend. And she realized how upset Celia would be if she waited until they got back from vacation before telling her about Sam and their engagement.

Finishing the morning cleanup, Amber went upstairs and grabbed her cellphone, speed-dialing Celia. Her friend answered on the third ring, her voice pulling Amber back home and back to high school. "Amb-air! How aire you, deah?" Celia's exaggerated, blended accent was her homage to screen stars of the 1920s and '30s. She fancied herself a modern-day Garbo, mysterious and sultry. In reality, Celia was a bubbly, too-typical 18-year-old, wearing clothes a bit too tight, carrying a few too many pounds around her hips and midsection and spoiling a naturally pretty face with too much makeup applied haphazardly. But her personality was infectious and made her friends laugh on their worst days.

"Ciel, knock off the bad accent," Amber laughed. "I can't tell if you're a poorly educated Northeasterner or a French street-walker from Marseilles. In either case, it's not someone I want to talk to. I've got huge news, sweetie. Huge! Bigger than huge! So big you're not going to believe it! I barely believe it! Can you come down to the beach today?"

Celia was so stunned by her friend's outburst that she forgot her accent. "Ams! What's going on?!? Are you hurt? Has someone hurt you? I'll kill 'em! I'll come down there and kill 'em with my bare hands! Sure I can come down. I'll be there in an hour. Are you at the same cottage as always?"

"Ciel, don't get in an accident or something. I'm fine. This isn't bad news, it's great news. But I'm not going to tell you until you get here. So take your time, drive carefully and I'll see you around lunch time. Oh, and I'm sorry I haven't called before now. You'll understand when you hear but I want you to know how sorry I am I didn't call you earlier. Now go get dressed -- I know you're probably still in your t-shirt or less -- and come down here."

Ciel's lilting laughter rang through the phone. "Actually I was just about to take a shower so I'm not wearing anything," she chuckled. "Of course, I'd probably be that way even if I wasn't taking a shower. But I'll hurry and see you in a while. Love you, hon!"

The girls rang off and Amber set her phone down to begin getting ready. Before she could turn, the instrument rang. She picked it up, curious about who might be calling her. "Hello," she said, not recognizing the number reflected in the Caller ID window.

"Amber! Bet you wonder how I found your number!" Melanie's voice was a surprise to Amber.

"Melanie! How great to hear from you. How DID you get my number?" Amber was pleased, but puzzled, to hear from her future sister-in-law.

"Your mom put it on the sales receipt when you bought your suit in the shop," Melanie said. "There's a place for a number -- a little marketing gimmick of mine -- and I went back to see if you guys had filled it in. I'm still on a high from yesterday's news and I wondered if we could have lunch today to celebrate. Or are you jumping Sam's bones to celebrate?"

Amber's laughter filled the phone line and brought a broad smile to Melanie's face. "No, silly, I told you we weren't doing that. Actually my best friend -- well, my best friend except for my future sister -- is coming down and we're going to spend the afternoon together. I wanted to tell her about Sam and I and didn't want to wait until we get back home to do it."

"Well, shoot," Melanie pouted. "I really am excited and wanted to have a little sister-bonding time with you. How 'bout tomorrow? Can we get together for lunch then? Please?"

Amber assured Melanie that she would save the afternoon for the swimwear designer tomorrow. "And I may bring Celia by your store today; I know she'd love to see your designs and you'd love to meet her. She's almost as sex-crazy as you are!"

After saying goodbye, Amber turned and headed up the stairs to prepare for her friend's arrival. She took time to decide on an outfit -- settling on a simple shorts set with a halter top and sensible cotton lingerie. Laying out her clothes on the bed, Amber stripped and walked to the bathroom nude. As she started to run the shower, she glanced toward the bathroom window and thought wistfully about the day she flashed Sam. Her nipples peaked as the memory returned and she felt moisture begin to build between her thighs. How was she going to be able to avoid attacking Sam for the next four years, she wondered. Her body was almost vibrating with her desire as she tested the water and stepped into the shower. The needles of warm water cascaded down her body, stimulating her senses and heightening her lust. Her fingers drifted across her hard nipples, sending pulses through her body to her throbbing clitoris. She rolled the nubs in her fingers, arching her back in response to the stimulus. Warm moisture built in her vulva, her labia filling with passion and opening like a spring rose. She softly caressed her belly, feeling her short strip of golden hair above her throbbing clit. Her finger circled the growing pebble and her breath came in short gasps as she held off the roaring orgasm. She squeezed her clitoris between thumb and finger, moaning loudly at the spasms rolling through her lower body. Finally, she pulled the clitoris away from her yawning opening and plunged two fingers inside, turning her wrist to allow her fingers to drift across her G-spot. She screamed aloud as the wave crashed over her. Losing muscle control, Amber slumped to the floor of the shower, the warm water splashing on her back as she shivered in post-orgasmic pulses, kneeling on the floor.

Amber slowly recovered as the water on her shoulders and breasts began to cool. She struggled to her feet and quickly rinsed her body, paying particular attention to the glistening sticky moisture on her inner thighs. She ran her finger up her thigh and brought it to her lips, tasting the salty-sweet taste of her passion. "Hmmm," she thought, "I'll bet Sam would love a mouthful of THAT! I wonder what he tastes like?" The young woman laughed out loud at her outrageous thoughts; if Celia had ever said anything like that, Amber would have called her a cheap slut. But Celia wouldn't be engaged to the man she'd be lusting after, Amber rationalized.

Nearly lost in her reverie, Amber was jolted to conscience by a shout. "Hey, Ams! Where the hell are you!" Celia had arrived and here was Amber, nude and still recovering from a self-induced orgasm. "I'm in the shower, Ciel! And, no, you can't come in and join me! Make some lemonade and I'll be right down!"

Amber scrambled from the shower and dashed into her room, tossing clothes onto her body without paying much attention and gathering her hair into a ponytail before bounding down the stairs. She had barely cleared the bottom step when she was tackled in a big hug and her face was nearly lost in a wet kiss.

"Ams! I've missed you sooo much! You have to tell me about your vacation! And what's the big news you wouldn't tell me on the phone? You have to tell me everything!" Celia crushed her best friend in a hug that she was reluctant to release but her curiosity got the better of her and she backed away, looking at Amber for the first time since her arrival.

Amber was smiling broadly at her friend's puzzlement. Stretching out the moment, she took Celia's hands and pulled her toward the door. "C'mon Ciel, let's go get something to eat and I'll tell you all about my week." Amber continued to tug her friend toward the exit, forgetting the glistening ring on her left hand, the diamonds beginning to reflect the sunlight coming through the doorway. While it was lost on Amber, Celia caught the bright flash and her eyes were drawn to her friend's hands. She dug in her heels and pulled back against Amber.

"What the hell!?! Amber, is this an ENGAGEMENT ring? What's going on? How ... who ... where ... when???? How long has this been going on?? I'm really pissed that you didn't tell me about this!" Amber began laughing at her friend's unrest and her reaction served to heighten Celia's discomfort. Celia pushed Amber's hands away and began stalking to the door. "Hell, I guess I'm going back home! You're not going to tell me anything and you've been hiding a guy behind my back for, what, months? A year?"

Amber hurried to grab her friend's shoulders as Celia reached the door. "Stop, Ciel! I haven't held anything back from you. You know every detail about every date I've ever had -- at least every one until this week! If you'll just stop fretting for a few minutes, I'll tell you everything. I love you and you know I'd never keep anything from you." Amber pulled Celia into an embrace and kissed her friend's cheek.

Celia begrudgingly turned back to her friend and stopped her grumping. "OK, but I'm not going to believe you met some guy at the beach and got engaged all in a week. You've never gone out with the same guy more than twice -- in fact, I can't remember you ever dating the same guy more than ONCE! And you're going to tell me you're now engaged?!" She continued to resist Amber's attempts to pull her out the door and toward the boardwalk.

"Just give it up, Ciel," Amber laughed. "Come along and we'll find a nice table on the boardwalk. I'll tell you everything if you'll just stop crabbing and come along."

Celia surrendered to Amber's persuasion and the pair walked down the boardwalk to the lunch stand where Sam and Amber went on their second night together. Amber's heart was swelling with affection for her friend and with the excitement of sharing her meeting Sam, falling in love and becoming engaged all in a week. The girls bought beverages and settled into a table under an umbrella. Amber sipped her drink and gazed out at the water, thinking of the night she and Sam spent on the sand exploring the physical side of their love.

Celia tired of waiting. "All right, Ams! Enough stalling! Now what's going on? Are you really engaged? Like to-be-married engaged? To a guy? Who? When?"

"Calm down, Ciel," Amber chuckled. "You'll burst a blood vessel. Yes, I'm really engaged although I am still trying to convince myself that it's real. And it's to-be-married engaged but the wedding won't be for several years. And believe me, it's a guy. The most wonderful, handsomest, kindest, sweetest, sexiest, most-loving guy in the entire world. I met him on Tuesday, had a first date on Friday and became engaged on Sunday. We've known each other for five days and yet it seems like I've known him for a lifetime. His sister is the sweetest, craziest person you'll ever meet -- and I'm going to introduce you two 'cause she's almost more sex-crazed than you are. And I think she actually has experience!"

Celia could no longer contain herself. "Ams! You don't date! You hate guys who pay attention to you! How could you ever meet a guy and find out enough about him in a few days to know you want to spend the rest of your life with him? You didn't go and get yourself pregnant or something, did you? Is that why you're having this shotgun romance? When's the wedding, by the way? And am I going to be in it? Or are you just going to elope so you can be married before the baby arrives?"

"Ciel, you're a nut! I'm not pregnant and the wedding isn't going to happen until we both have our degrees and have started our careers. And I certainly do know enough about Sam to know I want to spend the rest of my life with him. In fact, if I hadn't called you this morning I probably would have spent the entire day in bed with him, doing what my mom doesn't want us to do for another four or five years."

"Are you talking about SEX!?" Celia was astounded. "You always bag on me for talking about sex and now you're telling me that you want to spend an entire day in bed with a guy you haven't even known for a full week yet. How did THIS happen!? You never want to talk about sex, let alone do it. You've never even let a guy touch your boobs; you've never even let ME touch your boobs, and you know I've wanted to!"

Amber's sides ached from laughing at her young friend. The similarities between Celia and Melanie were astounding, particularly when it came to sexual matters. But Melanie's horniness was based on experience while Celia's lust was grounded in her desire to gain experience. Or so she said.

"I actually have let a guy touch my breasts and it was wonderful," Amber said quietly, looking around to see if anyone else on the boardwalk was listening in on their conversation. "That's why I know that Sam and I would have spent today in bed if you hadn't been able to come down to the beach today. His touch is fantastic! If every guy were as good as Sam, I would have given up my virginity long ago!"

"Are you telling me you guys have had sex?" Ciel asked, her voice dropping in response to the drama of the conversation. "I'm really going to be mad if you had sex before me, since you've never been interested before."

"No, Ciel, you still have a chance to beat me. Sam and I are going to try our best to wait until we're out of school and married before taking that step. He'll be the one I give my virginity and he says I'll be his first, too. Mom wants me to get birth-control pills and she told Sam he has to start carrying a condom because she doesn't want us to have an accident that will put our futures at risk. So we're going to do that but we really are going to try to avoid intercourse until we're married. But I suspect we'll be doing everything short of intercourse as soon as we can find time alone!"

Celia slumped back in her chair, overwhelmed by the news from her best friend. Amber had a boyfriend! Hell, Amber was engaged! And she'd let a guy feel her up and she wants to have sex with him! Celia never would have believed any of this about her friend. Not that Amber was prudish or standoffish but education was always her first priority. And she'd never given a guy much of a chance to get close, stopping contact at one date for the few guys who even managed to get that close. For her to be swept off her feet this quickly, by a guy she didn't even know, was almost beyond belief. Celia HAD to meet this guy! She wondered if his magnetism would extend beyond Amber, if she would feel the same spark her beautiful friend felt. And mostly, Celia wondered if he had a friend and if his friend was as sexy as he must be.

Lost in her thoughts, Celia didn't notice that someone else had joined her and Amber at the table or that Amber was excitedly hugging and kissing the new person. As she became aware of the new presence she was stunned that it was a girl that Amber was kissing. And the kiss looked like more than a friendly hello.

The two young women parted and Amber turned to Celia, whose expression broadcast her curiosity and concern about the pair's greeting. "Ciel, I want you to meet Melanie. She's so sexy she makes me hot every time I see her. Oh, and she's going to be my sister-in-law." Amber and Melanie broke up laughing at Celia, who was trying to process all this information.

"Ams, you had me really scared. I mean I come out here and find out you're engaged to marry a guy you've known for less than a week, you and he have been more intimate than you've ever been with anyone and then you start swapping spit with a gorgeous model who you tell me gets you hot. You're going to drive me nuts!"

Melanie came around the table in two steps and took Celia into her arms. She pulled Amber's friend against her and tilted her head, kissing her deeply and running her tongue around Celia's warm, soft mouth. Celia responded immediately, her tongue probing Melanie's mouth as the two young women ground their hips against one another. Hands were wandering up and down backs and the kiss was in danger of becoming a public nuisance. As much as Amber was enjoying the hot performance, she put a stop to it before anyone complained.