“You’re not a beginner,” he assumed.
“Not entirely, no,” she replied, strenuously rejecting the idea that her expectations might be higher than his.
Frankly, she was terrified that any idea at all should occur to her or intrude at this crucial moment.
“That implies some interesting challenges,” Stroud said and finally stood up.
He left his glass on the table and approached her. “Turn around,” he said and Ever turned slowly to face that blank wall for the first time. It was a brief first meeting for he asked her to turn again before the passing of a minute.
“Take off the rest,” Stroud said. “Stockings first. Put them on the chair.”
The stockings tickled teasingly as Ever slid them down her legs which were beginning to tremble. Her fingers fumbled slightly at the clasp of her bra but s
