Ashley Ch. 04

Once the door was locked behind her, Ashley let out a shaky laugh. What in the name of heaven was wrong with her? One glance in the mirror showed her glowing face and heaving bossom and—oh my God, I still forgot to put on a bra! No wonder everyone had been eyeing her chest today! Somehow, though, the thought of all those eyes only made the ache between her legs harder to ignore. She slid her shorts down with ease, but her panties were so wet they were almost glued to her body. Embarrassed, she managed to pry them off her, wipe away the remaining dampness as best she could with them, and tossed them in the trash. Her shorts didn't help the ache there as they rubbed directly against her clit, but it would have to do until she got home. She washed her hands, dried them with a paper towel and, with a moment of clarity, used the paper towels to cover her discarded underpants.

Back in the cafe, Mr. Landry eyed her with concern as she came out of the bathroom. "Do you need a ride home, Ashley? I'd feel pretty terrible about it if you passed out on your way home."

"No, really, I'm okay, Mr. La...Sam. I feel much better now." Her voice still had that weird note to it, but she didn't care. Right then, she just wanted to get home. "Thanks for letting me hang the flyer, and for the coffee. I really appreciate it."

A warm smile spread across Sam's voice. "Don't worry about it, kiddo. I'm sure you'll pay me back sometime."

Ashley pushed through the door and blinked at the sudden brightness. She quickly pulled her sunglasses down, which eased the stabbing ache in her eyes, but something still felt off. She had popped in, put up her poster, chatted with Mr. Landry and enjoyed a really tasty iced coffee. But suddenly she felt so relaxed, like all her worries about Chester and the weird things that had happened today had been hidden behind a gauzy curtain. And when she tried to push through that vague barrier, her mind slid away from it. That caused a little spike of anxiety—she should be able to feel those things still. But her concern slowly faded away as the breeze tickled her nose with the faint scent of flowers on it.

What she really wanted was food. It had been hours since she'd eaten breakfast, and while the coffee and scone had been tasty, it wasn't satisfying. As she adjusted her sunglasses, Ashley's mind wandered to the ground beef sitting in her icebox. Yeah, a great big juicy burger sounded like it would hit the spot, with a couple of melted pieces of cheese and a tomato and some spicy mayo she'd made herself last week... Man, she was practically drooling just thinking about it. It put a bounce in her step that got her many appreciative, if unnoticed by her, looks.

Home at last, Ash sighed with relief as she kicked out of her shoes. She was a little sore from that much walking, and as weird as it sounded, her skin felt tight. Hungry as she was, she thought maybe a shower would help that sensation. She grabbed a handful of peanuts, shoved them in her mouth, and stripped down right there in the kitchen. The discomfort eased immediately, which gave her pause. Her stomach rumbled, so she decided the shower could wait. Instead, she fixed herself that big fat cheeseburger wearing only her birthday suit.

It was the best burger she thought she'd ever eaten, and the Coke she drank with it was perfect. She gave her mom a quick call after she finished eating before wandering back to take that shower. But she stopped in her bedroom to toss her clothes in the hamper, and her bed just looked so inviting that she just fell asleep on it.

Well, her conscious mind did anyway. Rather than crawling under the covers, Ashley sat on the edge of the bed. Her back was ramrod straight, her breasts thrust out and nipples taught. Her hands rested flat against the tops of her thighs, and her feet flat on the floor. She stared straight ahead, occasionally blinking, as that sticky spot on her neck she had thought was syrup flooded her nose with its unique scent. The smell would alert the creature that its prey was waiting for it.