Read Online PluckingthePearl by Afton Locke - Free Book Online Page A

her nether hair. The large, wet circle revealed just how much
he’d aroused her.
    “They’re old and very plain,” she admitted, lifting her
chin.
    So that’s what was bothering her. Her previous employer’s
charity hadn’t extended to undergarments.
    “I couldn’t care less, honey,” he replied. “In fact, I like
silk stockings and old cotton panties.”
    The dampness made the thin, worn fabric look thinner,
hinting at the shape and rich coffee hue of her folds. Caleb gripped her knees
hard and brought them together, hiding the slick treasure from view.
    “It’s getting late.” He pointed to the dinner he’d brought.
“We should eat.”
    Instead, she glanced up at the clock on the wall and put her
hand over her mouth. “Leroy has been waiting a long time. What must he think?
And my aunt is surely waiting up for me.”
    He winked at her. “Tell them there was extra cleaning to
do.” He took a deep breath and helped her roll her stockings back up. “Pearl, I
didn’t just stop because of the time. I was starting to lose control and I know
your virginity is important to you.”
    “Thank you,” she replied as she hurriedly snapped the garter
fasteners and smoothed down the legs of her panties and the hem of her dress.
“We shouldn’t even have done this. I can’t believe I’m so weak. It can’t happen
again.”
    When she pulled her bra straps back into place and worked on
buttoning her bodice, he helped her with that too. “We said that last time,” he
reminded her. “I think we’re well beyond trying to stay away from each other
now, don’t you?”
    She smoothed her pinned hair. “Maybe you’re right. I hunger
for you as if I’m starving and it never goes away.”
    Caleb’s heart did a somersault of joy in his chest. “I was
thinking we could work out an arrangement.”
    “An arrangement?”
    He took a hanky from his shirt pocket, reminding him of the
day he’d met her, and mopped his damp forehead. “Yes. We would spend this time
together every evening you work late.”
    Her arched eyebrows shot up in surprise. “Every evening?”
    “You’ll marry someday.” He took her hand and studied it,
unable to look into her haunting eyes right now. “And that’s when I’ll lose
you. For now, let’s just enjoy this. I swear I won’t take your virginity from
you.”
    “But it’s still wrong, even if I stay a virgin.”
    He interlaced his white fingers with her dark ones and held
up their locked hands. “Look at the colors of our skin, Pearl. Under the
circumstances, this is all we can ever have. Our passion isn’t very convenient
but it’s a gift we can’t just throw away.”
    She traced their interlaced fingers with the finger of her
other hand. “I wish things were different.”
    “So do I but they’re not,” he said firmly. “I need you. I
never realized how lonely and obsessed with work I was.”
    “I need you too,” she whispered.
    “I never want you to feel pressured to do anything you don’t
want to do and your jobs are safe no matter what you decide,” he reminded her.
“Will you agree to our arrangement ?”
    She lowered her eyelids and hesitated but when she lifted
them again, he saw the green depths of passion in her eyes. When she nodded at
last, his heart did another somersault and he kissed her to lock their
agreement, gently and slowly this time. They had time and a future to look
forward to now. Not much of one but it was better than nothing.
    He helped her off the table. “I could buy you some fancy
panties if you like. They make them with lace and fabric so sheer you can see
right through it.”
    She held up a hand. “Absolutely not.”
    “Then don’t wear any tomorrow.”
    Pearl blinked in surprise. “That wouldn’t be proper. I could
forgo the stockings…”
    “Wear the stockings and garters but no panties. That’s an
order.”
    She lifted her chin and went to fetch the fallen broom
behind him. “We’ll see. Caleb!”
    He spun around. “What