Chapter 8

Carol Lord, her blonde hair falling to her shoulders, brushed aside a wave from her face and fixed her gaze on Cal Hardin.

"Hello," she said. She took his extended hand.

"Hello," he grinned.

"Carol will be working for me, Mr. Hardin" Charlotte told him as she got into the waiting Lincoln.

Cal held the door for the women, and, when Carol stepped in, his eyes ran over the curves of her buttocks beneath the tight skirt. He slammed the car door shut, went around the other side and sat down in the driver's seat.

"Have a good trip?" he asked, starting the motor.

"Yes. Very pleasant," Charlotte answered. "You, Miss?"

"You can call me Carol," she said, smiling at him from the back seat. "Yes. It was a great trip."

There was a long silence as the Continental sped into seventy, taking the curves of the dirt roads easily.

"How are things, Hardin?" Charlotte inquired.

"Just fine, Miss Charlotte."

"No problems?"

"A few. Had to hire two new hands. Cook got sick, but she's better now." He looked into the rearview mirror, watching the sensuous movements of the girl as she rolled down the window. His fascination with the girl was apparent to no one, not even to Carol. He fastened his eyes on her free swinging breasts under the dark jersey when she looked out of the window then settled back in her seat. He knew she wasn't wearing a bra under that jersey.

"It's so marvelous," Carol said. "Even the air smells good. She raised her arms behind her head and took a deep breath.

Cal swallowed hard when he saw the two firm mounds of her breasts lift and then tremble beneath the thin, tight material.

"Miss Lord will be working as my secretary," Charlotte told Cal. She watched his profile from the back seat, wondering if she sounded convincing.

"Guess you need one with all the book work you got," he answered.

Good, thought Charlotte. He was convinced. See, she told herself, to bring home a young girl and tag her secretary is a perfectly natural thing. She pressed her leg firmly against Carol's. Carol smiled and kept her leg against the woman's.

Cal shifted in the driver's seat. He took a cigarette from a crumpled pack and lit it with the car lighter.

Carol suddenly glanced at Cal out of the corner of her eyes. It was the first time she actually looked at him. He certainly was a powerfully built man she thought. There were deep lines in his face but not from age, probably sun, she decided. He had a kind of leathery look about him. No mistaking what he was-that was apparent-he was all man. Her look then went to Charlotte. A queasy feeling took hold of her stomach. Quickly her eyes darted back to Cal's profile, then back to Charlotte. I mustn't compare. I must not do that, she scolded herself.

Carol quickly looked out of the side window. The landscape became a blur with the increasing speed of the car. Her thoughts, too, now seemed blurred. It's only natural, looking at a man. I mustn't start feeling guilty about a thing like that.

This time she caught Cal looking at her in the car mirror. The man's lips were curled in a knowing smile, his clear, dark eyes on her face.

Damn it! Why is he staring at me like that? He's making me nervous. Does he suspect about Charlotte and-

"Carol. Here's where my property starts," Charlotte interrupted the silence of the car.

Carol looked at a small wooden sign painted in green. It read, WATTS TOWN. Barbed wire separated the land.

"All that land. You mean from where the barbed wire fence starts you own all--? "

"That's right," Cal grinned.

"I see some of that wire has fallen," Charlotte said crisply. "Better have somebody ride up here today and string some more."

"Yes ma'am," Cal answered.

"And, Hardin. I'll be using the car tomorrow. I'll drive myself into town." She turned to Carol. "You can do a little sight-seeing on your own while I'm gone. It's the best way to see things," she smiled.

Neither of the women saw the slight flicker in Cal Hardin's eyes.

"Fine," Carol returned. "Maybe I can find me a horse to ride."

"That's another thing, Hardin. Get that chestnut mare, Flicky, and put a saddle on her for Carol tomorrow morning. Let's see if they get along with each other."

"Yes, ma'am," Cal said again.

"Here's the town, Carol. Not much, but this is downtown Watts Town."

Carol looked out the window and was surprised at what she saw. The buildings were no higher than three stories ... all made of wood ... all resembling movie sets.

"Those boards on the ground, is that--? "

Charlotte laughed. "That's the sidewalk."

Cal joined in the woman's laughter.

"There's only fifteen buildings in town now. Four were built last year," Charlotte explained. She pointed out of the window. "That's the Grand, our only movie house. That's the only restaurant in town, and that over there is the bank. Next to it is the drugstore."

"It's like having your own mini-city," Carol smiled. "It's marvelous. like something out of a movie western."

"It's no movie set though. People make their living operating those stores, and the town is growing slowly. In ten years it might even be on the map," Charlotte told her. "Right, Hardin?"

"Right, ma'am," Cal grinned. The car raced through town and picked up even more speed on the narrow dusty road.

Charlotte's hand moved brazenly to Carol's thigh and stroked the flesh there.

Carol pulled her body away, making a gesture with her hand pointing to Cal in the front seat.

Charlotte felt exuberant-daring-adventurous. It was a delight having such a beautiful girl by her side and daring to sneak an intimate touch right under the eyes of her overseer.

"There's the house now, Miss," Cal said.

Carol looked ahead. It wasn't a house, it was a mansion. Her eyes took in the low-hanging magnolia trees uniformly lined on either side of the road leading up the gravel path to the enormous iron gate. Beyond that was a lawn-at least six acres of green carpet surrounded the impressive colonial mansion. An enormous red brick chimney with gray smoke curling up and away toward the cloudless sky made her cry out her surprise. "Charlotte! It's beautiful."

The girl couldn't believe her eyes as the car drove up to the entrance and the double white-paneled doors swung open. A woman, wiping her hands on an apron, ran down the stone steps and rushed to the car.

"Miss Charlotte, Miss Charlotte, you're back home," the elderly woman cried in excitement.

"Hello, Bess." Charlotte reached out of the window and clasped the woman's hand.

"Bess, this is Miss Lord. Carol Lord. She's come to live with us." She turned to Carol. "This is Bessie Mae, our marvelous cook."

Carol smiled at the woman.

Cal got out and opened the door to the car, then helped Charlotte out.

"I hear you've been ill, Bess," Charlotte said, walking ahead with the woman.

Cal turned back and, reaching into the car, grabbed hold of Carol's arm. "Let me help you," he said.

Carol felt his strong hand on her, and a shiver raced through her.

When she got out of the car he slammed the door shut. "See you around, Miss," he said.

Carol smiled nervously. "Yes," she said.

"If you need anything," he said, pointing across the lawn, "that's my shack there. Just knock on the door." There was a twist of a smile on his face. "One knock will do it."

Carol felt her face flush. "Thanks," she said, then quickly turned and scrambled up the steps into the house.

Cal started the car and drove off. He'd gotten his point across quite clearly, he thought.

Inside the hallway, Carol caught her breath at the expanse of the place. A wide, curving, heavily carpeted stairway led up to a second floor. Looking up she saw the balcony with a wrought iron banister that completely surrounded the top floor, meeting in a circle at the top landing.

"Welcome, Carol," Charlotte said.

"It's magnificent. It's so enormous. I'm sure I'm going to get lost."

"Come on, I'll show you your room." They climbed the stairs, Charlotte pointing out the history of the many oil portraits of family ancestors.

"This is marvelous," Carol said, looking around the bedroom. She ran to the window. "And the view, it's spectacular."

"There's a pool way in the back. And we've even got our own pond."

"Your bag, Miss Lord," Bessie Mae said, setting the suitcase on the bed.

"What's for dinner, Bess?" Charlotte asked.

"Roast beef," the woman smiled. "And I'd better see how it's comin' along," she said, leaving the room.

Carol went through her suitcase, pulling out clothes and putting them on hangers. "I'm dying to take a look around the place."

"You've plenty of time for that."

Carol got out of her dress. When she un-snapped her bra, the full, creamy loveliness of her twin breasts shook free. She wiggled out of her panties and threw them on the bed. "Where's the bathroom?" she asked.

Charlotte, staring at her naked loveliness, pointed at a door. "I'll get you some towels," she said.

Under the tepid shower, Carol rubbed her body vigorously, the soap sailing up and over her breasts, under her arms and down her thighs. The shower curtain parted and Charlotte stood before her. She was naked.

"Two's company and more fun," she said, climbing over the bathtub into the shower.

Charlotte took the soap from Carol's hand, soaped the sponge, and, standing in back of Carol, proceeded to scrub her back. "Feel good?" she asked.

"Charlotte. What if Bess comes in?"

"She won't. She never comes up here unless she's told. I asked her to bring your bag up. We're perfectly safe. No problems," she said. Her hand scrubbed gently down around Carol's buttocks.

Carol felt a stirring of arousal within her. Slowly she turned to face Charlotte.

Charlotte's trembling hands took Carol by the shoulders, and then she leaned over and pressed her lips against the wet tip of Carol's jutting breast.

"Charlotte ... Charlotte," Carol whispered.

Charlotte's lips sought the girl's mouth. Her tongue passed between Carol's lips. Eagerly, the girl accepted the woman's kisses and allowed Charlotte to caress her large breasts, stroke them lovingly, her fingers searching every sensation from the warm, glistening skin.

Carol's eyes closed in ecstasy. Their bodies rubbed together, flesh against flesh. Charlotte's tongue nibbled at Carol's shoulders then traveled down over the glorious breasts, around the navel, her tongue working in a fiery paroxysm of passion. Slowly she felt Carol slide herself down to the side of the bathtub, squirming with passion.

Carol's body shuddered in an agony of pleasure. "Oh, Charlotte," she cried, "do it to me."

Charlotte's tongue found her target. She buried her face into the girl as the tepid water beat down on her back. She felt Carol's legs part and brought herself even closer, digging hard into the inner flesh, her tongue feverishly probing, moving with passionate newfound experience until the rhythms that her lovemaking evoked became faster, more and more demanding.

Carol stifled a scream of utter ecstasy, her shuddering body tensing until she felt an agony of pleasure and then final release in a series of violent convulsions.

"Charlotte," she whispered. "Oh, Charlotte, I'm going to-" She felt breathless, weightless, as the pinnacle of sensuality was released and her body tingled with pleasure from the sensual workings of Charlotte's tongue within her.

At the open bedroom doorway, Cal Hardin had a direct view of the two figures in the bathroom behind the shower curtains.

He backed away from the door.

He would ask Charlotte for a check for the barbed wire tomorrow.

A smile came to his lips. By damn! The things a man learns, he thought as he made his way down the stairs and out of the house.