wardrobe where Irena's clothes were stored. She chose a long, dark evening gown and placed it upon the bed. "Why don't you get ready now?” now?" she asked Isabel. “I can see to her.” She nodded towards the bath-
room.
Isabel hesitated. She'd left Irena a lot in Consuela's com- pany of late and she was aware that the boy preferred the company of the older woman to Isabel. Finally, she shrugged, nodded and went to the con- necting door the bedroom be- yond Irena's.
Consuela
followed her and locked the door as soon as the brunette had left.
The sound from the bath- room indicated that Esteban had gotten out of the bath. She went quickly to him, but he was already towelling him- self, his face devoid of make- up. The air of the room, and doubtless Esceban as well, was fragrant with the aroma of scented bath water. Nude, the youth's body was slim, tanned and obviously male. He smiled uncertainly at Consuela though continuing to dry himself.
,,
Consuela turned her atten- tion to the bath. The water was still piping hot, scented and clean. She hesitated, thinking of the time it would take to run another. “I might as well bathe here, too,' she said, taking off her dark jacket top. She returned to the bedroom, pulling off her clothes as she went. She thought little of what she was doing, until, nude as well, she returned to the bathroom and brushed by the nervous youth, one of her ample breasts touching his arm. His slight start at her touch, and his avoidance of her eyes made her uneasy, and she realized what she was doing. This was treating him too much as a 'her.' She touched him on
the arm to reassure him, and he turned to face her, his eye- lids slowly, tortuously, opening gaze.
to meet her
He had been trying to hide it, but suddenly she was aware of the sexual torment her un- expected nudity must have aroused in him. Jerkily, he put out a hand and touched her on the arm, demanding and caressing.
Consuela was caught. As he came forward and his body came into contact with hers, so she, too, realized how long it had been since she had slept with a man.
She pulled his head toward her, letting their lips meet in harsh compression. She felt his tongue searching for an opening. For a moment, she was about to reject him, to turn away com- pletely, but what was the point, she thought, as she relaxed and let him continue the French kiss. The boy deserved some sympathy, and they both could use the release from the tension they had been under all day.
"Let's go to the bed," she said huskily, placing his hand under her right breast. It didn't take too long for either of them to reach the release they wanted. Esteban, to Consuela's surprise and de- light, was experienced enough to wait for her to reach satis- faction before he found his own release.
Breathless, in the arms of the youth, Consuela en- gaged in a little gently caress- ing. Almost instantly, she found a response again in the youth, and again, to her astonishment, she found herself replying. As usual, with the first rush over, she found the second bout of lovemaking intensely more pleasant, as did Esteban.
They were finally parted by an insistent rapping on the door which led to Isabel's room. Regretfully, Consuela pushed the youth away. Now, his relaxed face, wearing a blissful expres- sion, was a certain giveaway to Isabel as to what had gone on. "Get into your bathrobe," said Consuela, slipping off the bed, straightening it, and heading
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herself for the bathroom.
Doing as she said, Esteban was unable immediately to hide his desire. "Tell Isabel I decided to get ready first," hissed Con- suela, immersing herself in the lukewarm water.
The boy smiled at her, his hair stuck to his forehead. The white bathrobe made him appear browner than he really was. He winked at her mis- chievously, his eyebrows thin and femininely curved, as he stepped over to Isabel's door.
"What took you so long?" asked Isabel suspiciously. She was already dressed in a dark- blue, strapless evening gown, and an ever darker wrap. "Why aren't you ready yet?"
"It was my idea," called Consuela, scrubbing herself quickly in the cool water. "I've been relaxing here for awhile."
"Well," said Isabel cutting- ly. "She could at least have put on her underclothes. Or her makeup.
""
Consuela hopped from the bath and pulled a towel about her. She could see Esteban now standing back by the bed, a most unhappy look about him. Consuela felt very strange, too. Her sympathy for the youth was now completely genuine. She remembered his strong, experienced lovemaking. How hard it must be for him to appear as an elegant, well- dressed woman to the world, she thought, particularly to accept the compliments and courtesies of other men, when he was likely strongly attrac- ted to the girls whose manner he was aping.
to
come
She signalled to the youth into the bathroom. He came quietly and she handed the underclothing to him. Their eyes met and she was not sur- prised to see the frustration there that brightened his dark eyes. I hope, she thought shakily as she brushed his lips with hers, that he doesn't begin to hate me forever for what I have to make him do.