The Itten

A stand-alone story following from others in the series. I hope you enjoy it.

+

The warm sand flowed softly between our toes as we walked.

"Where are we meeting your mother?"

"Charles de Gaulle. That's all she's told me. It's supposed to be a surprise. She'll meet me there and take me to some hotel she's booking. Well, take

us

, I guess."

"Oh. Glad I won't have to sleep by the Seine."

"Don't be silly, dear."

"Just checking. Where will you be buying the dress?"

"Oh, you don't just

buy

a wedding dress. You have to go looking.

Ema

's got a list of places. Some you apparently need an appointment just to look."

"Eeek! Well, it's that mother-daughter bonding thing, I guess. I can't imagine myself and my mates spending days choosing a tuxedo for my wedding."

"Girls are different," she smiled.

"And glad I am," I said, reaching down to caress one silky, flawless buttock. "Will it just be you and your mother?"

"No, Kaarin will be going with us."

"Karen. That's your best friend from school? I look forward to meeting her."

"It's Kaarin," she said, correcting my pronunciation. "And yes, she's my best female friend. We were in university together. We met on the volleyball team there and I was one of her bridesmaids."

"Well, they say that every incredibly beautiful woman needs a plain friend."

"Don't be silly!

Kaarin

is the pretty one."

"Prettier than you? That's hard to believe," I said, smiling. "Now I

do

want to meet her."

"How about next week?" she asked, suddenly quite serious.

I was about to answer when she did that feminine thing to make men melt, reached over and put her hand on my forearm. How it works, I don't know, but it does.

I'll roll over, just rub my tummy...

"I know we discourage vacationing friends, but please, for me."

She had such a kind heart, the sort that went looking for nestlings falling out of trees. This however seemed different. The look in her eyes seemed almost suffering herself.

"Um, OK. What's up?"

"Her husband left her..."

"Oh. And she needs some company?"

"... for a very muscular man who wears a lot of leather."

"Ouch!"

"It happens, of course, and everybody needs love, but that particular sort of thing can be very hard on a girl's ego. And she never saw it coming. One day she got home to find a note and his clothes gone. Then the legal fight began."

"Poor thing. Any children?"

"Fortunately, no. Although she wanted them."

"Certainly. I mean, of course she can come. What can we - meaning I - do to help?"

She smiled and leaned her head on my shoulder. "Just be you. You're the kindest man I've ever met and also a true gentle-man."

She drew out the last word.

"Anything for one of your friends. Tell me about her. What should I know?"

"Well, she's really sweet and tall and slender and blonde and smart and..."

"Whoa!" I laughed, holding my hands up. "That's all nice, but what about her? You say it's been a year. How is she coping? And why here? What do I need to know?"

Her eyes fell. "Sixteen months and she's hurting."

"Still?"

"Still. She's a very gentle person and she took it very personally, as if she wasn't enough of a woman to keep him. That sort of thing, oddly enough, hits really pretty women harder. She's cut herself off from the outside; hasn't even tried dating, although she got a lot of offers initially. She really needs some peace and quiet, some serenity and..." She paused.

"And?"

Her green eyes flipped up to lock onto mine. "She needs to see a man and a woman really in love, really succeeding in a relationship."

"Hence us." A heart the size of the island...

"Please."

I wrapped my arms around her for a long hug, "I've already said yes, dear. Anything for you. You know that, right?"

"Well, yes, but it's asking a lot. It could be weeks."

"The answer is still yes. Um, have you told her about our, uh, arrangements here?"

"You mean our dress?" She grinned. "Oh, yes. We're quite infamous in some circles, you know."

We had the ideal dress code at the villa -

don't.

With an average 24/7 temperature of 28º, clothes were about as necessary as swim fins in a track meet. I owned a pair of sandals, a pair of shorts, two informal shirts and, somewhere, another pair of sandals - enough for shopping. Somewhere too I had a suitcase with some travelling clothes. We were a long way from the only town on the island and nobody came here save a weekly cleaner. Suntan was not a shade for us, it was a sartorial style.

"You forget that I went Bare long before I met you," she said, smiling. "Kaarin is fine with it. We used to go to nude beaches together, just to tease the boys."

"Well, tell her not to tease them here, will you?"

"I love you."

+

Kaarin arrived four days later, after dusk. On the gate monitor, I watched our battered Citroen pass through the gate and park. Two figures emerged. I went out to meet Kaarin wearing a sarong; no need to push things. There was but one carry-on bag and I took it into the building.

I had decided to go with oil lamps tonight instead of electrical lights. There's something softer, gentler about them, the light soothing and warm, welcoming.

When we got inside, I saw that she had not lied. Kaarin, while clearly exhausted, was a knockout. Pale, perfect skin, high cheekbones, full lips, white-blonde hair. A good figure, from what I could see. After introductions, she pecked lightly at my cheek, but kept herself from making any other contact. Understandable, I thought.

Both women had remained clothed. I wasn't sure about the Amy Vanderbilt rules, but followed their lead.

"Are you hungry?" I asked.

"No, thank you. I ate before we boarded. Just very tired." Her English was excellent, but she had a distinct accent.

My love touched my shoulder. "Perhaps you could pour us all a small white wine while I show Kaarin her room?"

When the women returned, we moved to the ocean side, down by the beach. Surf is soothing and I could see the tall woman begin to relax. It didn't take long before we were all yawning and, after wishing Kaarin good night, we turned in.

I was first up the next morning. The villa was still quiet 90 minutes later when I returned from doing my katas. I quietly made myself a coffee and had a shower. On thinking, I put the sarong back on again.

I was walking quietly to our bedroom, intent on checking my bride-to-be, when I heard low giggles coming from the spare room. I knocked gently in the door and got two female voices in unison, "Come in!"

Both women were in bed, cuddled up against each other. Half-empty teacups rested on the nightstands. The air was one of warmth and contentment. While both were nude, the atmosphere was anything but sexual - a pyjama party without pyjamas, so to speak.

Urp!

"Good morning, sleepyheads," I said, leaning against the door.

"Good morning, my love," my girl said, holding out her free hand. "How about coming over here and giving me a good morning kiss?"

I went around to her side and climbed up to straddle her before kissing her firmly. I was starting to climb off when she said reproachfully, "And what about our guest?"

I saw that she was serious. Kaarin looked a little skittish, so I merely leaned over and gave her a peck on the cheek.

I got a sharp poke in the ribs from my woman. "You can both do better than that! I've been telling Kaarin you're the most dreamy kisser in the world. And

you!

I thought you were going to try to trust him not to bite!"

We both smiled sheepishly. I leaned over and did my best to give her a wholehearted, hospitable,

I-think-you're-hot-but-my-girlfriend-is-watching

smooch. After a few seconds, her arms came up around my neck, her lips parted and I learned something about dreamy kisses...

"OK, break!" my girl announced two ages and an eon later. "That was supposed to be a kiss, not a seduction." I had to catch my breath and both of us blushed a little.

I was moving back when I felt a hand grab my sarong.

It was my lady, obviously trying to make a point. "One of us is not like the others. Lose this."

"One of us would still not be like the others."

"Lose it."

Kaarin not making any objection or turning away, I rolled out of the wrap and stood by the bed, one hand on my lover's shoulder. I leaned down and kissed her, trying very hard to do as well as I had with Kaarin, without signalling, as it were, my excitement. Somehow, I managed.

"That's better," she said.

That settled the issue of clothing. And

that

, of course, created an entirely new issue.

At breakfast, I got my first chance to get a good look at Kaarin in the daylight. A handbreadth taller than my girl, she was nearly as tall as me and almost intimidatingly pretty. Slender, but far from skinny - 'athletic' might be the term - lean, well-defined muscles plainly present under flawless skin. There was agility and grace in her every step. Firm, generous breasts with prominent coral nipples, proper womanly hips, a smooth-shaven pubis and endless legs running up to a five-star butt. Ash blonde and with unusually deep blue eyes, it was a breath-taking package.

Why would any man leave this?

+

The days flowed by, with Kaarin and me becoming accustomed to each other. She began joining my girl for yoga on the front lawn and spent a lot of time on the promontory whale-watching. Both dawn and dusk come early in the tropics and our existence was quiet by its very nature.

The two women spent long hours walking holding hands and lying in the sun. Kaarin's whiteness quickly turned to a solid all-over tan; her pale hair turned still paler. Not wishing to upset her, my girl and I kept our lovemaking to the bedroom. I was generally busy in my lab, but always made time to go for our afternoon swim in the bay and make most of the dinners.

Kaarin proved unobtrusive, undemanding, intelligent, a good cook and willing to do her share of the chores without being asked. It was, in a word, pleasant to have her around. She was no more trouble than a kitten.

Despite the constant presence of two utterly desirable women sauntering around in their altogether, I was managing to keep my willy from making a fool of me in front of her.

One afternoon, however, I'd left the lab to make a tea. Passing Kaarin's closed door, I heard the sound of a woman in orgasm. No, two women. I reached for the doorknob but changed my mind. It was none of my business and my just walking in would have been totally creepy.

I rapidly realized that this had been going on for some time. Everything clicked - much more than mere friends. The looks, the smiles, even the smells. Well, I thought, good for them! My girl had love to spare and Kaarin so clearly needed some. I knew I didn't have anything to fear, confident that my woman was solidly mine, whatever happened. I was happy for both of them.

Being from the most beautiful stock in the world, it was hardly surprising that as Kaarin slowly relaxed, she became more attractive with every peaceful day. Her nudity was as natural as the grass and the sea, but I won't try to claim I wasn't frustrated by the look-but-don't-touch situation.

In the meantime, although she and I had not touched since she had arrived, I could feel her eyes on my lady and me as we spent our own days in love - touching, kissing, hugging.

One night, when we had said goodnight to the girl and were listening to the surf by lantern light in bed, my woman rolled over on her elbow and ran her finger down my chest. "Well?"

"Well, what?"

"Kaarin."

"What about her?"

"Don't tell me you aren't tempted."

"Kaarin? Of course I'm tempted. I'm a boy; she's a very pretty girl. But there are about six layers of wrong to that idea."

"Like?"

"Like the fact that you're my fiancée. Like the fact that she's the best friend of the woman I love more than anything in the world. Like the fact that she's been badly hurt by a man. Like she's coming to think of this as a safe space and the last thing she needs is some perv making a pass at her here. Like the fact that..." I paused.

"That?"

"Well, I didn't want to intrude."

"Intrude?" She thought for a moment then burst out laughing. "You mean..."

"Mmm-hmm."

She suddenly rolled over on top of me, holding my hands by my head on the pillow. Strong girl. Her breasts swayed gently beneath her.

"You know that's nothing you have to worry about?"

"I do indeed. I'm pleased for both of you. It makes you two happy and I love seeing you happy."

She looked at me steadily. Lamplight flickered on her eyes. "What if she

wants

you to intrude?"

"What?"

"You heard me. Lots of girl-talk since she got here. She's falling in love with you."

"No way! Look, I..."

She stopped my protestations with a long, loving kiss, then pulled back and put her head on my chest, speaking quietly in the soft, golden light.

"You are a very loveable man, darling. You've been very gentle and kind and considerate to Kaarin since she got here and she really needed that from a man. And she's amazed at how real your love for me is - that's a new thing to her.

And

you're very handsome, very sexy. Is it so unreasonable to think that she has a crush on you?"

"She's said this?"

"Well, no. She couldn't say that to my face, could she? Not about falling in love with you or wanting you. Handsome and good and kind, yes, certainly, but not that. Just trust me on this."

I was silent. In a world with women in it, men need to learn to be quiet on occasion. In the course of time, she would tell me what she wanted me to think. I just hugged her gently and waited for her to get to her real point. Eventually, she did.

"I want you to make love to her."

"What?

She came here to forget about a man and she's nervous as a mouse at a tomcat convention. I mean, she's gorgeous, but... Seriously - you want me to do your best friend?"

"Will you? Will you help me - us, I mean?"

I couldn't help it; I grinned. "You want me to join you two in a three-way?"

Her head popped up, big eyes stared into mine. She giggled. "No, silly. Well, no, not initially. I mean..." She started stammering.

"Which means you've thought about it," I said, still grinning.

She was quiet in turn, turning her head away from me. "Just follow my lead," she said.

+

Kaarin was looking better, was eating and exercising well and had a good tan but was still sleeping poorly and often suffered from nightmares. We could occasionally hear her crying in her room. I had thought of going to comfort her, but my woman shook her head.

One night, there was a timid knock at our bedroom door. My love opened it to find the tall girl sobbing outside, terrified at whatever had been haunting that night's special screening.

We lit a lamp and turned it 'way down, almost like a nightlight for a frightened child, and helped her into bed with us. She didn't want to be in the middle for some reason and my girl made sure I wound up with an achingly beautiful naked woman curled up against me on either side, a head on either shoulder, arms on my chest. I was intensely aware of the four exceptionally lovely boobs pressed against my chest.

Naturally, the 'gallant reflex' was a little less than gallant, under the circumstances. I found myself with a throbbing woody that I for once really didn't want. I tried to be nonchalant and just go to sleep, but each of them noticed it in the dim light. Both tried to suppress their amusement, but the tears on Kaarin's side gave way to snerks and giggles, then my own true love began snickering and both of them would up roaring with laughter.

I tried to be dignified about it, which proved impossible, with one girl, then the other, tickling me and poking me in the short ribs. I tried to get out of the bed, but my arms were under their necks and the two of them held me firmly in place. Short of violence, I was stuck. It lasted for several minutes before gradually fading out.

My love laid her head back in my shoulder. "I'm sorry," she said, "but it

is

funny."

She reached over and stroked my length with the palm of her hand. "What can I do to make it up to you?"

I glanced very briefly at Kaarin, who had moved into a sitting position facing us, arms holding her legs against her chest, a small smile on her face, still giggling from time to time. The lantern light glistened off moist labia clearly visible between her legs. It seemed the lady was not upset, perhaps even interested...

I looked at my girl, still softly stroking my cock. She was smiling at me. Her eyes moved to where Kaarin was sitting. "Dear, we are going to make love now. Would you like to wait outside or stay here? You don't have to participate, but somebody's got to kill this snake before it bites somebody."

There was a pause. The atmosphere had changed and the room was suddenly charged with sexual energy.

The girl's eyes fell to her feet and her smile faded to a serious and contemplative look. "I... I want... I do not... want to leave," came her soft voice.

Not precisely a ringing endorsement, but at least not utter repugnance.

For once, I decided to be selfish. I rolled my head toward her. "Kaarin, if I promise not to touch you, would you kiss me again?" I asked. "Please?"

She didn't answer. Instead, she moved over to lie down facing me, head over mine and began an endless kiss. I let her control it, doing no more than stroking the beautiful hair that had covered my face and shoulders. At the other end of my world, I felt a warmth descend in my cock and a tongue begin to swirl around and around its head.

My woman was twisting and pumping the shaft while her tongue flicked at its tip. I had been already aroused and she was very good at what she was doing. It wouldn't take me long, but I had no idea how I was going to return the favour.

That question was resolved when my lady lifted herself up and straddled me, guiding me between the lips of her womanhood with her hand. She started rolling her hips and I did my best under the circumstances to help her out. My hands left off stroking Kaarin's hair and found that my girl had leaned forward enough to bring her boobs within reach. I squeezed their soft flesh and mounded their hanging weight. From her moaning (my field of vision was completely filled with blonde), it must have been the right choice. While I tried to continue to kiss Kaarin as she deserved, I fondled them, rubbed my thumbs across her nipples, weighed them in my palms, squeezed them gently. I loved them almost as I loved the girl herself.

Her hands were on my chest to support her and leverage her rocking. Her grip tightened as I played with her entrancing boobs.

Kaarin's tongue flicked in and out of my mouth, around my lips and danced with my own. I tried to keep up but was distracted by a fire building in my cock head.

My woman suddenly gave a low cry and her nails dug into my chest. That's all it took for me. My orgasm ricocheted around my groin for what seemed like hours.

Eventually, I had to come up for air and gently pushed Kaarin's head back with one hand while stroking my love's head with the other. In the dim light, I couldn't see Kaarin's eyes, just her smile.

"Were we good?" she asked timidly. "Did you like that?"

"Oh, honey," I whispered, and shifted my hands to hug her tightly. "You're wonderful. Thank you."

Warmth in my groin changed to cool as my girl pulled herself off and came around to make the hug a Kaarin sandwich. "I love you," she whispered. I wasn't sure who she was talking to, but it worked for me either way.

We wound up sleeping with me in the centre again.

Less the woody.

For a while.

+

Kaarin wound up sleeping in our bed most nights, which made it both more interesting and more complicated. She never got so far as to join us in sex, but was, oh, call it an active and enthusiastic onlooker.