Good Neighbor Karen Ch 04

Good Neighbor Karen - Ch. 04

Show and Tell

I hurriedly stepped away from the bedpost with a gasp, feeling the acute edge of my orgasm ebbing away as my heart pounded in my chest with surprise and anxiety. I stood silently for several moments, like some sort of frightened animal frozen in someone's approaching headlights, listening intently, and, just as silently, cursing whoever it might be for his, or her, terrible sense of timing.

All remained silent. Gradually I began to relax, and I took a deep breath. Surely whomever it was had, by then, assumed no one was at home and had gone away. I smiled self-consciously at my reflection, watching intently as my nipples, still very erect from my suppressed need, rose and fell rhythmically with each breath. I cupped my breast and lifted my nipple to my mouth, taking it between my lips and suckling gently as my free hand slipped gently between my thighs and over the soft folds of my labia.

The second jingle of the doorbell startled me even more than the first. "Shit!" I exclaimed as I leapt into action. I dashed to the bathroom, adjusting the tiny bikini cups over my breasts as I ran. I grabbed my terrycloth robe, slipped into it quickly, and tied the belt as I hurried out of the bedroom.

"God damn it!" I muttered as I stormed down the hallway to my front door. I was angry, and someone--anyone--was about to get a piece of my mind. Stepping up to the door, I quickly glanced through the peephole.

To my complete surprise, I saw Jeremy just as he was turning to walk away. My anger instantly dissipated. After quickly smoothing my hair and ensuring my robe was in place and tied, I opened the door just wide enough to show my face.

"Oh...hi," he said, turning back at the sound of the door opening, and smiling tentatively.

"Jeremy? What is it, hon?" I asked. "Is everything all right?"

"Oh, yeah," he said, shrugging slightly. "I just thought I'd check with you to make sure it's okay for me to do your lawn tomorrow."

I sighed and smiled, opening the door a little wider. "Sure, hon...tomorrow's fine.

"Oh, I'm sorry," He stammered, noticing my robe. "I guess I caught you at a bad time... I'll see you tomorrow then." With that, he turned and began to walk away.

"Jeremy, wait," I called, thinking now was as good a time as any to confront him about the bathing suit. "As long as you're here...and, if you have a minute there's something I'd like to talk to you about."

"Sure," he returned a bit apprehensively, sensing my contemplative look.

"Um... it's rather personal... so perhaps we ought to talk inside," I said, holding the door open for him.

He nodded, looking somewhat anxious as he stepped inside. "Are you okay?" he asked, turning to face me in the foyer as I closed the door behind us.

"Yes, hon... I'm fine," I returned, smiling slightly. "I was just about to have a bath when you rang the doorbell," I said, thinking to explain the bathrobe.

He nodded understandingly. I led him into the living room and bade him sit on the sofa. "Would you like a Coke or something?"

"Sure," he said, with a smile, as he flounced down onto my sofa.

As I made my way to the kitchen, I could feel a delicious slickness between my legs with every step, a reminder of the unfulfilled warmth of my arousal still simmering deep inside me. A renewed flush of heat rose to my cheeks as the sensation lingered.

Enjoying the inherent lasciviousness of maintaining an arousal in front of Jeremy, I refilled my wineglass, for the third time, and returned to the living room. Setting his cola on the coffee table in front of him, I joined him on the sofa, curling my legs comfortably beneath me as I sat down.

I watched him as he opened the can of Coke and took several swallows. He looked very appealing in his loose-fitting tank top and abbreviated nylon shorts. His arms and legs looked lithe and slender, his smooth skin reflecting the light from the lamp beside him.

While Jeremy and I had been alone together on many occasions, my elevated state of arousal seemed to emphasize and enhance an inherent sensuality that I had never been aware of on any other occasion. I let my eyes move surreptitiously over his body as he sipped from his soda can and shamelessly allowed myself to fantasize how warm and sensual it might feel if I were to allow my fingertips to slide gently along the length of his sleekly muscled thigh.

"So?" he said, turning to face me and bringing me abruptly back to reality. "What was it you wanted to talk to me about?"

"Ah...yes, indeed," I said, taking a large sip of wine and shaking off my fantasy for the seriousness at hand. "I have something very important that I need to talk to you about," I began, speaking slowly so as not to slur my words. "I'm not... exactly sure how to begin."

"Is something wrong?" he asked, looking concerned. "Did I do something wrong?"

"No, honey, not wrong, at least, not exactly...but there is certainly one thing that has happened to make me feel...well, a little uncomfortable."

"You mean...something I did?" he asked, looking concerned.

"I'm afraid so," I nodded. "It has to do with a package I received in the mail this afternoon."

His eyes widened and he smiled. "You did?... that's great... I was hoping it would get here soon."

He was so warmly animated that it was difficult to maintain any degree of seriousness. "Listen, honey," I began, returning his smile tentatively. "I have to say, what you did was a lovely and thoughtful gesture, and I truly appreciate it. The bathing suit is beautiful, but I can't possibly accept such an expensive gift from you."

"Heck...it wasn't really very expensive at all." He protested, smiling broadly.

"I saw the sales receipt inside, honey," I returned with a frown. "So I know how much you paid for it... and, I'm afraid I can't possibly accept it."

His smile faded and he swallowed, suddenly looking rather contrite.

"So," I continued, trying to maintain my resolve, "I think I'm going to have to insist that you return it and get your money back." As those words were out of my mouth, a sudden realization hit me--I had just been masturbating while wearing the bikini, and, sensing the slick wetness still lingering between my legs, it dawned on me that I had very likely soiled the bikini bottom, making it impossible to return.

He looked stricken. "But, I don't care about the money. I just wanted to buy you the bikini as a present...that's all."

"I know, honey," I smiled, reaching over and placing my hand on his arm affectionately. "And I really do appreciate such a lovely gesture. But, it just wouldn't be right for me to accept such a gift from you. I hope you can understand what I'm trying to say."

He nodded, looking despondent. "I guess so," he said dejectedly. "And, if you really want me to send it back, then... I guess I will."

A second realization struck me through the fog of my wine-muddled brain. Not only had I likely ruined the g-string panty, but there was also no way I could simply hand the bikini back to him. It was no longer in its original unopened package, and returning it was now out of the question.

I smiled and squeezed his shoulder. "I think I might even have a better solution," I said. "Something that we can both hopefully agree on."

I grabbed my purse from the coffee table and pulled out my wallet. I removed two twenty-dollar bills and, after folding them, placed them into his hand. I held onto his hand, to tighten his fingers over the money.

"I don't understand," he stammered, furrowing his brow.

I smiled, still holding his hand with both of mine and looked into his eyes. "How about this?" I suggested with a smile. "I'll keep the bathing suit as a lovely and thoughtful gift from you... but only if you allow me to reimburse you for it."

"But..." he began to protest.

"No buts," I interrupted gently. "It has to be this way, Jeremy, or not at all."

He sighed, taking a deep breath. "Well... I guess it's okay. It was supposed to be a present. It's not right for you to pay for a present I bought for you."

I smiled, trying to reassure him. "Think about it this way," I said, my smile widening. "I'm not actually paying for it... I'm merely reimbursing you for the cost. That way, it can still be a thoughtful gift, and we both get what we want."

Jeremy returned my smile, "Well... when you put it that way... I guess it doesn't sound quite so bad."

"There, you see?" I said with another smile as I raised both my hands. "A workable solution we can both live with. What could be better than that?"

He nodded and shrugged, "So... You're saying you'll keep it then? And maybe even wear it every once in a while?" he asked looking slightly hopeful.

"Well..." I snorted, "Let's not get TOO carried away."

"But, you DID promise me you would if you ever got one though, right?" he asked looking more enthusiastic as he warmed to the subject. "You even said you would personally call me up and invite me over to let me see you wearing it. Remember?"

I laughed softly and shook my head. I had to admit, he really had me there. Thinking back, I was even reasonably certain those were my exact words. And he just clubbed me over the head with them.

"Hey, is that it over there on the table?" he asked, indicating the opened package I had so thoughtlessly left lying on my kitchen table.

My face flushed with mortification. "Um... well... yes, and no," I stammered, trying to find the right words as Jeremy attempted to stand. Panicking at the thought of him seeing how the package had been opened, I quickly reached out and grasped his arm, gently but firmly pulling him back down.

He smiled wryly. "What? I don't get it... yes and no? I just want to take a look at it to make sure they sent you the right one."

"I mean, yes," I explained tentatively, "that IS the package it was mailed in... but... well..." I bit my lip anxiously, feeling my heart beginning to race. "I'm afraid the 'no' part is that... the bikini isn't still in the package at this very minute."

He furrowed his brow thoughtfully and shrugged. "Okay," he said slowly looking at me curiously. "So then... where is it?"

I took a deep breath, realizing I was suddenly between a rock and a hard place. "All right..." I began, smiling rather sheepishly. "I suppose you might as well know the truth."

He looked at me expectantly as I bit my lower lip in consternation.

"I was just... trying it on when you rang my doorbell."

Jeremy blinked, his surprise evident as he processed my words. "You were... trying it on?" he echoed, his voice a mix of disbelief and curiosity.

I nodded, feeling my cheeks warm with embarrassment. "Yes," I admitted, my voice barely above a whisper. "I've never owned a bikini before, never even tried one on. But I've always been a little curious about them. So... when I saw it, I just... wanted to see how it would feel, and how it would look on me."

When Jeremy remained silent, I continued, "I'm sorry," I said softly, "I didn't mean for you to find out this way." Hell, I didn't mean for him to find out at ALL, but it was water under the bridge at that point. "I was just going to quickly try it on... and then put it back into the package so you could return it."

"Really?" he said with a broad smile. "No kidding? You mean you're like, wearing it right now?"

I shrugged in embarrassed resignation. "I'm afraid so."

"Oh, wow... that's so cool," he said with a wide grin, looking down at my robe as if he might somehow see the bikini beneath it. "So... what do you think? Is it like, okay? I mean... it looked really nice in the catalog and everything."

"Uh...well...again I think I have to say yes, and no," I stammered.

He rolled his eyes and laughed softly. "There you go again with the yes and no stuff."

"Okay, okay," I said, holding my hands up in mock surrender. "First of all, 'yes', it's a beautiful bikini. And I'm sure it must have looked fantastic on the model in the catalog. But then again... 'no'. As I tried to explain to you the other day, when we talked about this, it's just a little too small for a woman with my figure."

"Oh, no," he frowned. "But the catalog said that one size would fit everybody. And I even chose the large size too."

"Oh, I'm sure the catalog DID say that, honey," I smiled, "But, sometimes those claims can be a little misleading. I'm fairly certain that I'm a lot bustier and hippier than any of the models in that catalog."

"Oh," He nodded, looking disappointed. "I'm sorry. I mean, I just took a guess."

I smiled and patted his arm affectionately. "You have nothing to be sorry for, honey. It was a lovely sentiment and... I very much appreciate how complimentary you meant it to be."

He nodded and was silent for several moments. I took several swallows of wine, despite the fact that my head seemed to be already reeling alarmingly.

"Would you, at least, show it to me then?" he asked, looking at me hopefully.

I swallowed my wine and took a deep breath. Even though I had anticipated the question, it still caught me off guard. While I had had no intention of allowing Jeremy--or anyone else--to see me in such an abbreviated ill-fitting bathing suit, I couldn't deny the thrill of flirtatious anticipation that coursed through my body at the thought. And the thought was almost as intoxicating as the wine.

I smiled. "Oh... Well... I'm not sure that would be such a good idea," I managed to stammer, hearing my words slurring slightly from the effects of the wine. "I mean... it would make me feel... well, shall we say... a little too uncomfortably vulnerable. Wearing this bikini is almost like being completely naked."

He nodded slowly and smiled. "I think I understand how you're feeling. But if you're feeling embarrassed because you're worried you don't look like the model in the catalog, you don't have to worry about that at all."

I looked at him over the rim of my wineglass as I took yet another swallow and smiled wistfully.

"I mean..." he continued, "I already have a pretty good idea of how your body looks. I've kind of seen it from the way the sun shines through your dress on sunny days... And I know you won't look like those skinny catalog models. If you want the honest truth, I think you'd look even better than they do."

"Really?" I smiled, sipping from my glass as astonishment washed over me. "And... exactly how might you expect me to look, if you don't mind me asking?"

He pursed his lips thoughtfully. "Well, I guess I don't really know exactly how you would look. But I can sort of imagine from what I've been able to see of your body while you were standing in the sunshine, I think you'd look incredible. Not too skinny like all the catalog models, but... you know... a little larger, rounder, and, well... much nicer."

"Really?" I smiled, warmed by the sentiment that I knew must have been difficult for him to articulate. "Are you sure you're not just saying that to be polite?"

"I'm not just being polite," he said with a stern shake of his head. "No way. I think you're a fabulous-looking lady...really. And I don't just THINK you would look absolutely incredible in a bikini... I KNOW you would."

"Oh, my," I said softly, warmed anew by his lovely, and obviously very honest, sentiments. "Thank you very much. You always seem to know the perfect thing to say."

He smiled broadly and shrugged. "I don't know about that," he said with a little laugh. "I'm just trying to be honest."

I smiled once more, biting my lip in contemplation as I attempted to rationalize my feelings. I took a deep breath and exhaled slowly, my heart pounding in my chest as I actually contemplated doing what had been completely unthinkable only moments before.

Were it not for the combined effects of the wine and my unrequited arousal, that still simmered warmly in my subconscious, I don't believe his flattering sentiments would have moved me so emotionally.

"All right," I said softly, draining the last of my wine and setting the glass aside. I looked at him and smiled. "I'm really not sure I should allow this to happen, Jeremy; it's definitely against my better judgment. But I know you've gone through a lot of trouble and expense... and since you've asked me so nicely..."

I stood, and he raised his eyes, following me as I, rather unsteadily, stepped around the coffee table to the center of the living room. My pulse roared in my ears as my heart raced wildly. Turning my back to Jeremy, I untied my belt, letting my robe fall open in the front. Even as I did so, I could hardly believe what I was about to do.

I could almost feel his eyes on me, expectant and eager, as a distinct tingle of excitement coursed through my body. Closing my eyes, I took a deep, calming breath. I knew in my heart that what I was about to do was wrong on so many levels... and yet, inexplicably, I found myself wanting to do it very much.

I shrugged the robe off my shoulders, letting it fall to the floor in a soft billow around my ankles. I heard Jeremy's sharp intake of breath as I stood before him, nearly nude. Slowly, I turned to face him, wobbling slightly in my heels, my entire body trembling with excitement and emotion.

Jeremy's eyes widened perceptibly as I turned to face him, and feeling the heat rise to my cheeks, I forced a small smile to hide my self-consciousness. He took a sharp breath, his mouth slightly agape, staring in wide-eyed astonishment at the sight of me in my bikini.

He stared openly at my breasts, barely contained by the bikini top, and his look of admiration and desire was so innocent and honest that I felt the blood rush to my face once again as a second shiver of excitement coursed through me.

In that brief instant, I knew without a doubt how an exotic dancer must feel walking out on stage, becoming the focus of so much adoring attention. I turned slowly in a circle, trying my best to appear calm and casual, though I probably failed miserably. His eyes traveled over my entire body, from head to toe, and I trembled inside as I saw the undeniable look of lust on Jeremy's face.

His expression shifted abruptly, and he suddenly looked very anxious and uncomfortable. He leaned forward at the waist, crossing his forearms over the front of his shorts as his face flushed a deep shade of crimson. He looked, for all the world, as if he were experiencing acute embarrassment.

His eyes avoided mine, and I suddenly felt a pang of insecurity. Did his obvious distress possibly indicate he did not find me as appealing in the bikini as he had so boldly claimed only minutes before? Had I so completely misread the lustful look on his face?

Like a bolt out of the blue, sudden understanding struck me, and I could barely keep from smiling with relief. His posture should have immediately alerted me to the reason for his distress, but in my self-conscious insecurity, I had failed to recognize the signs. Jeremy had an erection.

I hurried to the sofa and curled beside him, slipping my arm over his shoulders and rubbing his back gently in a soothing manner.

"I'm so sorry," he stammered, keeping his eyes averted. "I... I should probably go."

I held him tightly with my arm to keep him from bolting toward the door. I was more than a little unsure of what I might say to ease his embarrassment, but I knew I had to try. I couldn't let him leave with this issue so unresolved between us.

"Listen, honey," I began tentatively, "I'm pretty sure I know the reason for your embarrassment," I continued, feeling his shoulders tense beneath my arm.

"You never have to feel ashamed or embarrassed about having an erection, especially around me. Believe me, I understand completely and it's all right... it's perfectly all right. It's a normal thing for a man."

I felt some of the rigidity in his shoulder muscles begin to ease and I moved my hands soothingly over his back.