Feeling the bare skin of her midriff on his hands for the first time, Kurt was struck by how soft and delicate she was – and yet all woman. If she had commanded him to do
something there and then, he felt he would have swayed to her will, but she was unaware of her power over him and so he maintained the illusion of control.
In a state of passion, he could not recall for some time – if ever – Kurt found the nerve to act confidently. Leaning into her, Darlene allowed him to take her weight and dip her in the manner of a gentle waltz. But, instead of spinning her around, he let the momentum take her onto the bed and then lay beside her. All the while their lips refused to part, though his hands were becoming ever more adventurous, loosening her bra and stroking her wonderful legs and inner thighs.
Darlene had begun to moan a little, even before they were naked and he knew that each sound of delight and yearning she made was genuine and not for show. She was not trying to impress him needlessly, but being led by him and letting him be the one to teach her the pleasures of love and desire.
Her body did not disappoint. The change he had seen in her when first casting his eyes her way at her parents’ house had not been imagined, but was at his fingertips. Being unclothed together and feeling the length of her body against his was like being challenged to accept a lost treasure without knowing whether or not it could really belong to you. Like many an explorer before him, however, he would risk whatever curse or consequence that might arise as a result because to take and possess meant everything to him. It was his nature to yearn for such a find, despite knowing all the perils of the sea.
And so, it was his doom to suffer if fate so decreed.
In the meantime, any sensations he felt were quite the opposite, however. Darlene continued to let him lead the way, but all the rigidity in her had melted away and she was fully compliant. She might have been a novice, but one blessed with fine natural talent and that was all that mattered. They responded instinctively to each other and no doubt she was surprising herself in the process; she was surprising him too and he was sure there wasn’t a luckier man alive on the entire West Coast that night.
Afterwards they lay in each other’s arms for some time. Indeed, until there was no more light coming in through the windowpane at all and the only reason they could still see each other was the artificial light from the deck that made its way through the door.
Kurt had, of course, made sure the yacht was sufficiently lighted so any passing vessels had no reason to come dangerously close, while he also knew they were nowhere near any significant traffic. This part of Oregon’s coastline had been set aside for luxury, but the sea taught caution nevertheless and it was a few checks of their position that caused him to get up at last. At that point Darlene said she would come with him, but he assured her he would only be a minute and then returned to lie down beside her again after having a naked check of the deck that anyone with binoculars might have found amusing.
He judged they still had an hour to kill before having to get back, with the aim of getting her home around midnight (though he didn’t care that much if she was a bit late – it wasn’t as if she had made a habit of such things in the past and the idea of Clive Furse having sleepless nights amused him).
Unusually for Kurt, he found he had the need to seek reassurance from Darlene that the experience had been to her liking – even though his ego told him it had been fabulous for them both.
‘I hope I haven’t put too much pressure on you?’ he said as he lay back down, causing a confused expression to turn his way.
‘What are you talking about?’ she asked. ‘You put no pressure on me whatsoever.’
‘That’s good. It’s just that I know some women feel pressure if a date has gone well. You have to believe me I didn’t plan to kiss you when I did – it just happened.’
That was sort of a lie and also sort of true, in that he had planned it but it would also have happened anyway.
‘I guess you need to get to know me a bit better,’ was her response. ‘I’ve really not been the kind of girl who does this often – what am I talking about? I haven’t done this at all.’
‘You mean you’re a…?’
‘Oh! Not quite – I don’t really know,’ she confessed. ‘I sort of still think of myself in that way – though not after this evening of course,’ she added with a smile.
‘How do you mean?’
‘I guess I should just tell you. I did have a sort of sexual encounter with my ex – I don’t know if you got the impression they were a bit against sex before marriage.’
‘I did get that impression.’
‘Well, truth is that when we were still getting along and it looked like we would see it through – mostly because I wasn’t thinking and had my head in the sand – we did decide we’d give it a go.’
‘In case you’re worried, Darlene,’ Kurt added, ‘you could have had all of your college tutors and I wouldn’t think less of you.’
‘I’m not so sure about that, but thanks,’ Darlene replied.
‘So, you say let’s give it a go but – what, was he weird in the bedroom as well, or something?’
‘Not weird, it just didn’t go very well,’ she revealed. ‘Neither of us knew what we were doing and – I guess I’m not officially a virgin but I know you’re the first to get it right.’
Kurt took all that to mean that Mr Orthodox had had a bit of a faulty sail. His boat may have temporarily docked but was washed back out to sea before it could hang around and enjoy the amenities.
As a result of her revealing story, Kurt felt quite smug. No guy who was in his mother’s pocket as much as Darlene’s weird ex was should have been a match for him in the bedroom anyway, but it was still gratifying to know that when she compared the lovers she’d had he would look like something of a sex god.
It was then that another curiosity returned to him and he faced the dilemma of whether or not to question her. Most likely there would be no better opportunity but it was potentially awkward in revealing that he had been in her bedroom. At the same time, it might provide a perfect tonic to her own embarrassing story, meaning they could both have something to laugh about.
For better or worse, led as ever by sexual intrigue, Kurt decided to get it out in the open and ask her.