Who are you? Where are you taking me? How did you know my name? What about my friend?
Those were the questions that should have been circling through Carol's head. Those were the questions she should have been asking. But every time she found a moment to think straight, every time she worked up the gumption to say anything, the only sound that escaped her lips was:
"Eh heh, heh, heh!"
God, what was wrong with her? She was acting like a giddy teenager getting ready for her first date all over again. No, worse than that. She was acting like one of those super shy, plain-jane-only-because-she's-wearing-glasses girls who just got asked to the prom by the pretty-boy-star-quarterback-player in one of those stupid teen movies her daughters ate up.
But she couldn't help it. The second this woman, this Celeste, wrapped her naked body around her own, Carol melted away like butter on toast. Something about seeing her, touching her, just being
around
her made Carol feel like a kid again, even though she was very certain Celeste was younger than her. Maybe it was the maternal way she was acting, entwining her fingers around Carol's like a mother would to her little one, assuring her that everything was okay around her.
Or maybe it was because Celeste was pretty. Very,
very
pretty. Like Maisie and all the other women in the temple, she was nude. Completely so, all the way down to the tips of her toes, and she clearly spent a lot of time that way if her all-over tan was anything to go by. Bare muscles rippled tantalizingly as she walked, which were emphasized by the ambient lights making the shadows fall into their curves and contours like rivulets of liquid darkness. They flowed sensuously as her shoulder blades subtly rose and fell from beneath her skin, splashed calmly along both sides of the valley in her spine that begged to be stroked by a single tender finger, and rhythmically pulsed in the crevice of her buttocks and the shallow dimples above it. But shadows weren't the only things that dribbled down Celeste's naked form; every inch of her naked flesh glistened with a healthy layer of perspiration that made her skin glow with an almost metallic sheen. She had been sexing it up with a few dozen girls for a while, and if her graceful movements were anything to go by, she still had enough energy for more.
Carol's legs wobbled like gelatin as the pleasant tingling sensation that had been her companion for the past hour or so made itself known again like hot breath on the back of her neck. It grew steadily warmer as the naked enchantress guided her out of the main chamber, through twisting hallways, and down flights of stairs. She moved with a seductive gait, bobbing her behind back and forth every step of the way, causing the lights and shadows to dance beautifully off her sleek and shiny globes. Carol's eyes never strayed far from them. The way they moved, the way they quivered ever so slightly was nearly hypnotic.
Her laser-focused concentration on Celeste's sweet derriere was broken only when she felt the air turn humid and heard the dripping sounds of water. Carol looked up to see they had wandered into some kind of grotto. Everything, from the walls to the ceiling to even the floor was designed with elaborate stonework to give it the appearance of a natural cave. A natural cave dominated by a pool of very refreshing water.
Celeste finally released Carol's hand and descended into the pool, stepping into the water first before diving fully in, sticking her rear up in the air and showing it off for a moment before her whole body submerged beneath the surface. Her head rose on the other side as she leaned back against the wall and let out a sigh of satisfaction.
"Mmmm. Nothing soothes the soul more after a meeting with the goddess than a nice bath." Propping her arms up on the edge, the priestess pulled herself up, high enough to show off her boobs and her fire-red nipples. "Well, what are you waiting for, childe? Come and join me."
Carol obliged her with an excitedly whispered "Okay." She practically jumped out of her sandals as she stepped into the bath and swam to Celeste, paddling her arms and legs like an eager puppy. No sooner had she reached the redhead was she suddenly scooped up in the priestess' arms and sat upon her lap like a child.
"Mmmm, isn't this nice?" said Celeste as she hugged Carol close to her, nestling the older woman's head into her breast. "You and I, two women, of different backgrounds, from different walks of life, and yet similar in so many important ways, together like this, with nothing between us. Wouldn't you agree this is the way it's supposed to be?"
Carol didn't know what to say to that. The woman's words were baffling her, and being in such close proximity to her nude form was wrecking havoc on her concentration. So she just nodded along and hugged her back. "Uh-huh."
Celeste's hands roamed around Carol's body, exploring the contours of her back, tracing where her muscles rose, where they fell, where her bones jutted, the long dip in her back. She tested the flesh with her fingertips, marveled at how hard Carol felt when she tensed up, looked for where she was most sensitive. And ticklish. A few times, she got a twitch and a muffled giggle out of the mother, and each time, Carol swore she could hear the woman smile as she got the reaction she sought.
As she worked, Carol finally found the wherewithal to look closely at her mistress' face. She had seen all there was to Celeste's backside and was not disappointed, but if she was going to make a new lover today, she needed to see the visage that she would likely be kissing. She was not disappointed in that department either. Celeste was as beautiful from the front as she was from the back. She was, as Carol suspected, younger than her, looking to be about in her mid-20s, and yet she carried herself with an elegance often reserved for older women. Her features were regal, with sharpened cheekbones, a pointed chin, and piercing eyes that beckoned Carol to fall into their nearly black depths. She reminded the mother of a queen sitting atop her throne, strong, gorgeous, and authoritative, even in all her nakedness. Or perhaps even
because
of her nakedness, which she "wore" boldly and with pride.
And just imagining Celeste in such a powerful light was enough to make Carol suddenly feel something she rarely ever felt. Small. Inadequate. Insignificant. Unworthy. Emotions she experienced all throughout her awkward teenage years. She felt am abrupt urge to back away, to cross her arms over her chest the way girls typically did when they found themselves naked. No scratch that, she felt a sudden urge to hide her form and cover it with...with
clothes
!
Why would a woman as stunning as Celeste have any interest in her? Carol was an old cow compared to her. Her best years were behind her. She didn't like to admit it, but they were. Oh yes, she worked out, she ate right, she did everything she could to give herself a physique that she liked to think girls half her age envied, but being so close to this...this
goddess
only reminded her that nothing about her would ever amount.
Her breasts were saggy. Her thighs were thick as tree trunks. Her ass was fat. And her skin was absolutely wretched; she had stretch marks, she had wrinkles, she had crow's feet that would show if she smiled too widely. She didn't think about these things normally, hell, she hardly ever noticed them and she was certain no one else did either. But Celeste, pure, perfect, lovely Celeste...she would notice them. Even in this lighting she would pick up every flaw and imperfection on Carol's body. This woman seemed like she could stare right into you, peel through all your walls, expose every wretched, repulsive thing about you that you didn't know about. Or didn't want to admit.
The thought of seeing her disapproving gaze was enough to make Carol's lip quiver. She didn't deserve to be here. She didn't deserve to share such an intimate space with this goddess. Hell, she didn't even deserve to be nude. Not here. Not anywhere!
But before Carol could so much as push herself away and usher an apology for being such an eyesore, Celeste leaned down and kissed her lovingly on the forehead, cooing kindly as she did so, and giving Carol a good close look at the expression she was wearing. Celeste did not look disgusted. She didn't look disgusted at all. She was just gazing at Carol with that same look of hers that bespoke of...motherly affection? Carnal lust? Interest? Fascination? She couldn't be sure. All the while continuing to explore her back, sliding her hand ever lower to Carol's butt.
Carol suddenly tensed up as she felt the priestess' hand slide over her cheek, her fingertips almost digging into the cleft, tickling the sensitive flesh within. She gave it a tender squeeze, sinking her fingers into the orb firmly, bunching the flesh daintily up between them. Carol gasped at the contact, half in surprise, and half in delight at how good Celeste's touch felt. Celeste in turn followed up by burying her nose in the older woman's hair and taking a deep breath, almost as if she was sniffing it.
"Mmmm, you take good care of yourself," she whispered huskily. "When I first saw you come in with my wife, I thought you were one of us. But you're not. You're a gorgeous woman who doesn't look her age at all, and feels so nice in all the best ways. You would make a wonderful Zenrist."
Carol was taken aback. Celeste...thought she was gorgeous? Really? She liked her flabby, 42-year-old self? She looked up to ask the priestess if she really meant that and wasn't just being polite. However, when their eyes met, she was instead greeted by a look of surprise on the younger woman's face, who appeared startled by her own words.
"Oh, I'm sorry! I shouldn't have said such things. It's impolite to even allude to a lady's age. Please forgive me, childe. It's something I haven't had to consider for a while."
"Oh, um, that's alright," Carol stammered, not sure what to say. She hadn't expected to hear the woman make an apology like that. She was honestly still reeling from the compliment she had unexpectedly received. It wasn't unappreciated, but she still couldn't help but think that it was more than she deserved. Still, seeing Celeste look so unsure of herself for once, even if it was only for a moment, was enough to break Carol out of her insecure stupor. Whatever was up with this woman, whatever it was about her that set the mother's heart aflame, the fact remained: she was still human, and she could still be talked to. Carol didn't need to act so bashful.