How Much of a Coincidence?

Frank looked at her with renewed admiration, "And did it work?"

"Amazingly, yes. I stayed in the en-suite listening to him banging about. But when I heard the front door slam, and I came out to find all his clothes had been removed, in spite of my pain, I felt only massive relief." She smiled, a wider smile this time, "He came back once to collect some other stuff, but that was it. A divorce settlement last year gave me the house."

They sat for a while, with their arms around each other. Frank bent to kiss her gently on the lips, and she responded with equal gentility. "Thank you for listening," she said, her arms tightening around him, setting his heart thumping. "No one has ever heard the full story. It was, as far as family and friends were concerned, a straight forward divorce."

"Then I'm honoured to be your confidante," Frank said, as he started the car. Karen was silent for the whole journey, and he wondered whether she was regretting being so open with him. All he knew was that she had confided in him, she had clung to him and kissed him, and these were massive steps.

When he stopped the car outside her house, she leaned across and kissed him with what he could only call a fervent kiss. In responding, he wondered whether she would be inviting him inside. She resolved that by breaking the kiss and telling him, "I'll say goodnight here, Frank, and thank you again for listening."

"Really, I was happy to--no, not happy from what you told me. Glad, if it helped you."

Her face was very close, and the aroma of roses was in his nose as she said, "I wonder, would you take the risk of letting me cook you a meal on Wednesday night? And maybe watch one of my old films afterwards?"

"Sounds good," Frank replied. It sounded better than good. Karen was actually opening out to him. They shared another long kiss before parting, and he watched her all the way to her front door.

For the next few days he could not get over the fact that she had chosen to tell him about her ordeal with her ex-husband. Having longed to be with her ever since that first sighting, and with so many doubts along the way, now he was sure they were very near some huge fulfilment. Yet even that prospect worried him. How sensitive was his approach going to have to be?

Wednesdays always come around, but this one took longer than most. However, at seven pm on that fine summer night he was ringing her doorbell. When she opened the door, he only just managed to hide his surprise. Blue eyes, corn coloured hair, wonderful face, but it was her dress that had him staring. The yellow, sleeveless, button up the front , summer dress, was the same one she had worn when he first saw her. She presented her cheek to be kissed, as he tried to catch his breath.

Rather puzzled by his reactions, she asked if anything was wrong. It was surprising that in spite of all their chat he had never mentioned seeing her on that day at the race meeting. Now he told her and just to prove it, he added, "And that is the dress you were wearing."

"Yes, it is. Well, what kind of coincidence is that?"

The house was a good few degrees up market from his flat, a large hall, with a wide central staircase, had various doors leading off .One long corridor led into a big conservatory and a garden beyond

Karen told him that she had taken the afternoon off in order to prepare the meal. "Spicy lamb bake," she told him. "I hope you like it."

"I'm sure I will," he told her, as she led him into a dining room where a table was set for two. There were even two wine glasses set out. On none of their meals had they had wine because they were driving.

"I just thought it appropriate this evening," Karen said.

Everything was ready and soon he was tucking into her delicious preparation, after which he was able to tell her that spicy lamb bake was now one of his favourites. She came around the table to hug him for that comment, and as they sipped coffee she returned to what she had told him the previous Sunday.

"It put me off men in general for a month or two," she admitted, and her eyes firmly on his, she added, "And it was why when you tried that first kiss I was scared to let it take its course." She looked as though she was about to say something else, but changed her mind. "Should we clear up and then put the film on?"

"What's the film?"

"Wait," she ordered, and soon the table was cleared. The dishes were in the dishwasher, and Frank had followed Karen into a small lounge where a large screen hung on the wall. She had placed two glasses of white wine on a low table in front of a cosy sofa. She pointed for Frank so sit, and when he had she picked up a remote, sat down beside him and pressed a button. As the screen lit up, she snuggled up close to Frank, and he put an arm around her shoulder.

Then there came the credit title, and it was 'Casablanca'.

"Ah, a true romantic, aren't you, Karen?" Frank said, and didn't add, 'I hope.'

"How many times have you seen this?"

"Lost count," he admitted."But may have forgotten some of the words."

"I hope not, I thought we could sing along with it"

So it was when Dooley Smith sat at his piano, with Ingrid Bergman sitting close by, Karen got in, "Play it, Sam. Play 'As Time Goes By'." Just before Ingrid managed it.

Then just before Humphrey Bogart made a similar request, Frank jumped in ahead of him with, "You played it for her. You can play it for me."

Frank, with Karen smiling at him knowingly, picked up his wine glass, and just before Bogart toasted Bergman, he held up the wine glass to Karen and said, "Here's looking at you, kid."

Karen snuggled in even closer, and as she moved, Frank's hand strayed across her left breast, and although it was not deliberate Frank made a gesture to move it when Karen clamped her arm over his hand keeping it trapped over her breast. When he looked into her eyes, he saw something cloudy there, as she muttered, "They're not burning, Frank, but they are tingling." And she laughed.

Overjoyed , at this turn of events, Frank was overtaken by another turn of events as on screen, Bergman was about to urge Bogart to, "Kiss me. Kiss me, as though it were for the last time." Karen lifted her face up towards Frank, and spoke those very words. Without hesitation, Frank bent to place his mouth on hers, and it was like no kiss they had shared up to that point. Karen's tongue moved smoothly over his, and Frank was only too happy to respond.

As they devoured each other in that kiss, Karen's arm went around his neck, and consequently freed his hand that was half clutching at her breast. Free now, he had his hand stroking over the roundness of the breast rather than clutching at it. He knew for certain he was moving into God given territory.

Chunks of the film were bye-passed as their kisses became more passionate. Frank became aware of Karen unbuttoning the higher buttons of her dress. Then, to his delighted amazement she took his hand caressing her breast and moved it inside onto the smoothness of her bra-less skin.

"Better?" she asked.

"Magical," Frank replied, thrilling at the cosy firmness of her. "And for you?"

"Tingling, I told you." she giggled.

Frank had slipped his hand down further to the edge of her rib-cage, and then back to finger the nipple. He heard her sigh. There mouths clung together again, tongues wrestling, when Frank heard a familiar piece of dialogue, and knew the film was in its final scene. It was Claude Raines saying for the last time, "Round up the usual suspects."

The next second, Karen was pushing him back onto the arm of the sofa and she was leaning over him, those wonderful blue eyes aglow, quoting, before either Frank or Bogart could get in that famous final line, "Frank, I think this could be the beginning of a beautiful friendship."

Bogart got in his line, and the closing music signalled the end. For Frank watching that film had never been such a madly involving experience. Karen hadn't moved from her dominating position over him, as she kissed him gently, and uttered words that offered an entirely new and enticing conclusion, "Frank, would you take me to bed now?"

Shaken, yet exhilarated, fearing to believe what he had just heard, Frank struggled up, so that they were sitting up straight clinging together, and he was asking, "You're sure about this?"

Despite her bold offer, he could see there was some uncertainty behind her eyes, but she said, "Are you frightened of me?".

Frank had to speak what was on his mind, "Would this be the first time since your--"

"Since Guy? Yes, it would."

"And that was—how long ago?"

She obviously didn't need time to think about that, "Eighteen months," she said promptly.

Frank nodded, and told her, "Then, yes, I am frightened of you." Seeing the doubt in her face, he quickly added, "Not of you personally, my uncertainty stems from not knowing whether I'll possess the subtlety to give you what you need. Frightened of myself, if you like."

Karen placed her hand over his hand where it lay on her breast. "This feels so gentle, and when I read your rewrite I thought how good your male character's treatment of the heroine was."

Frank hugged her close to his chest, as he said, "But wasn't it you who told me that male authors often endow their male characters with exceptional prowess. I'm not that good, Karen."

"But your character had gentility, Frank. That's all I ask, the respect you've shown me over these weeks, transferred to the way you want to handle me physically. And God knows, you haven't got far to go to lift me, to get me above what my experience has been so far."

Frank knew she was talking good sense so he said, "Okay, but instead of jumping into bed, let's just stay here, do what we were doing, and see what develops."

Her head was nodding an uncertain agreement, before an impish grin creased her face, "We'll always have Paris."

"That's a man's line," he scolded. "The film's over, Karen. This will be the real you and me."

"I'll settle for that." she murmured, bringing her lips up to his.

The kiss was warm and luscious, and although her tongue pushed eagerly into his mouth, Frank was determined to keep his reactions subdued, even though his erect penis was a trapped animal in his pants. All he did was stroke his hand over her naked breasts, savouring the silky skin, and caressing her rising nipples. He sensed Karen wriggling her upper body to increase the gentle massaging of his hand.

After a long while he deliberately broke the kiss, to trail his lips and tongue over those shoulders that had so attracted him the first time he saw her. As his mouth moved down to nuzzle into her breasts, she sighed, "Oh, that feels lovely. They're too small, aren't they?"

Frank turned a frowning face up to her, while at the same time cupping one breast neatly in his hand. "Ridiculous. See, they fit my hand perfectly. Anyway, big breasts inhibit me."

"Oh, dear, we can't have you inhibited, can we?" And, laughing she pushed his head back towards her breasts. "On with the good work."

After continued good work, as he licked and sucked at her nipples, he could sense, from her heavier breathing, that this was having a good effect on Karen. Slowly and carefully, Frank moved a hand down to unfasten the last three buttons on her dress. As the dress fell open, without moving his lips from her breast, he saw the flatness of her belly curving away to disappear under delicate panties.

From the position in which they were lying, Frank could only stroke Karen's belly as far as the waist band of her panties. But that was no real hardship as he stroked with the flat of his hand, in wide circles over that wonderful surface, while his mouth continued the adoration of her breasts.

Before long Karen's hands closed on either side of his head as she attempted to draw him up away from her breasts. When he saw the increased cloudiness in her eyes, and her tongue licking over her lips, Frank wasn't surprised at her next suggestion."I think the bedroom is an essential now, don't you?"

"Will I have to climb all those stairs in my fragile condition?" he joked.

She laughed, "Actually, no. There is one guest bedroom just down the corridor. And you are only a guest, aren't you?"

She stood up, and allowed her dress to fall to the floor, so she was all but naked. Her bare body held all the promise he had expected of it. The small breasts were completely in tune with her trim waist, and narrow hips. By the time they reached the bedroom door, he was surprised to see that somewhere along the way she had discarded her panties, and to his utter delight her bush was the exact colour of her golden hair, just two tones less than blonde.

With her hand on the doorknob she turned back to him, waved a hand up and down in front of him, as she said, "One of us is slightly overdressed for what is to follow."

Frank's shirt was already well unbuttoned, but now, after pushing the door open, Karen turned back to him, with a scolding look on her face as she worked at his belt buckle. In no time she had his pants pushed down leaving only his misshapen boxers.

She laughed heartily, pointed and cried, "There's something trapped in there. I want nothing to do with it." And giggling she ran towards the wide bed, with its blue cover.

Frank pushed down his boxers and hurried to where Karen was lounging back on the bed. As he approached, her eyes rested on his bouncing erection, and she gave an appreciative nod and reached out a hand to grasp it, as Frank climbed on the bed beside her.

Frank threw up his hands in mock horror, seeing the value of keeping this first coming together as light as possible. "There was this book editor who advised me that, what was it again? '—few women long to get their hands on a male erection-' Wasn't that it?"

Karen was grinning as she brought her face close to his, without removing her hand, "But I also said 'unless they themselves are well on the way to sexual excitation.'" Her face suddenly became much more serious, as she sighed, "And that's exactly where I am right now, Frank."

Karen lay back, and her hand could only slide along to the tip of his penis, as Frank, still pushing for lightness said, "One more request. No naming of parts."

Her knee dug without force into his thigh, and then they were solidly wrapped in each others arms, kissing with a wild abandon. Frank realised that it was a shade beyond the gentility he had envisaged, but, up to a point, Karen had dictated that herself, and everything seemed in order with her.

Frank recalled he had been stroking the elegant tight belly, and he returned his hand there for just two circling motions before trailing his fingers into her corn coloured bush.

Karen broke the kiss to mumble breathlessly, "Frank, I think I'm ready."

Frank wanted to reply, 'No your not.' But what he whispered was, "I'm just going to make sure." And his fingers, traced her bush between her thighs, and slid them into her crevice. He felt her body tense, before her thighs began trembling. She was indeed moist, but was she moist enough?.

He was still bothered by her statement that she could easily be lifted above what she had experienced so far. Frank wondered whether he was in a position to provide that vital lift. There had been so little meaningful sexual activity in his life lately, and this was the woman he had been idolising for weeks now. He feared that something like premature ejaculation might take him before she got her lift. Only really having her turned on might guarantee success.

His fingers moved deep into the moistness of her nether region. Around her vaginal entry seemed ready enough. Determinedly, yet caringly, he moved his fingers back and felt for her clitoris. He sensed her shuffling and reaching for his erect penis. Heard her heavy breathing, they were almost gasps.

Her breathless voice hissed, "Please, Frank. Oh, yes, please."

Her fingers found his penis and tugged. Not in a deliberately stimulating way, but more to direct it between her thighs. Frank knew he could not take too much of that. He set his fingers working over and around the blossoming clitoris, and felt her hips begin to lift.

It could go on no longer for either of them, and Frank allowed himself to be guided between her legs, as Karen, almost yelping her desire, waggled his penis at her vaginal opening. Frank took the urging and with just one push he was inside her, and relishing that fantastic first glide up the full length of her vaginal passage.

My God, he was actually up and inside this gorgeous woman whose image had lived in his mind since that race meeting. The sheer magic of that moment demanded that he held onto a measure of control, as he felt her internal muscles, pulling at him like fingers. As he drew back to give further thrusts, Karen worked her hips in an attempt to match him.

But then her hip movement became frantic, her breathing became a kind of sobbing, and he knew she was going, and Frank rejoiced in the moment, rejoiced in the fact that his intentions had succeeded.

He had to lookup to see her contorted face, her gaping mouth from which issued unintelligible words, her tossing head, spreading her fine hair over her face. Just as he had hoped for her, this furious climax she was experiencing, added to the wild heaving of her hips , so excited Frank , that in very short time he had plunged high into her as his solid penis poured forth pulse after pulse of his seed that had been stored for so long.

As his limp penis drooped out of her, her fingers reached to touch it, as she sighed, "Oh, thank you, thank you." Then she was silent for a moment, before saying, "That has cleared my ache."

They lay in silence for a few more minutes. Frank was luxuriating in an afterglow of relief. Relief that he had helped her, and that his efforts had not let him down. It was wonderful for him to have her skin pressed, almost glued with perspiration, against his.

After a while she said, "I need to take a shower." She slipped from the bed, and he delighted in watching her trim nude body saunter easily across the floor. As though to emphasise his observation, she turned at the en-suite door and murmured, "I'm still floating two feet off the ground."

"And I'm enjoying watching you," he told her...

He heard the shower turn on, and above the sound of splashing water, he heard her singing. The water drowned out any identification of the song, but there could be little doubt in Frank's mind what it would be.

When she came out, still naked, smelling so fragrant, Frank was sitting on the edge of the bed, and he reached out for her. She swerved out of reach, and putting on a false plummy upper class voice she said, "I'm not having my spotless body sullied by such a grubby lout."

As Frank dutifully reached the en-suite door she added, "Honestly Frank, you took me to a place where I have never been before." Her nod and her smile stayed with him while he exulted in the best shower he'd ever had.

Dried and refreshed, he came into the bedroom, to find Karen lying flat on her back, legs parted, arms flung out wide, like she was some Aztec sacrifice. He stood by the side of the bed, just absorbing the sheer wonder he found in her.

"Playing hard to get, are we?" he said.

She didn't reply, but just lay there, eyes closed, waiting for him. Frank was happy to tease just a little, "Well, I'd best get home now. I have a book to finish."

She jerked upright for just a moment, her eyes showing her shock, but then her shock became a provocative smile, as she pointed at Frank's already semi-erect penis, "That tells me that you are going nowhere." Karen settled back down as Frank climbed onto the bed alongside her.

They kissed warmly for a good while, and then Frank's mouth began its intended journey. He kissed her eyes, her hair, nibbled her ears, ran his mouth up and down the taut tendons at the side of her neck. He licked along her shoulders, while one hand travelled down over her breasts, only lingering there briefly, before beginning a slow stroke up and down her inner thigh. Each upward stroke stopped just as he sensed the tickle of pubic hair.