Chiseling Stone

The ceiling fan above her stirred the air and put a slight chill over Cecilia's skin. The chill only caused her to burrow more into her blankets. Her thoughts were on the man who had given her one of the most romantic and heart invasive kisses she'd ever had. Not once had his tongue slipped between her lips, nor had he pushed her beyond her comfort zone, but he'd left her aching for more.

She'd closed the door, locked it, and watched as he'd walked back to his house. Her stomach churned and her palms itched to have Chuck's hand back in hers. She wanted to open the door and call him back to her, but she wasn't ready to win that battle. So Cecilia headed to bed and slipped out of her new dress, stockings and shoes. She released her bra, folded it with care and shimmied out of her panties.

When she climbed into bed, she was wearing one of her new nightgowns, a short white spaghetti strap ensemble. The hem rested mid hip, much shorter than anything her spouse had ever allowed her to wear to bed. When she closed her eyes she did so with thoughts of Chuck and prayed the week would fly by.

Sunday morning's rest was disturbed by Chuck's diesel engine coming to life. Cecilia opened her eyes, rolled over and listened to the familiar sound. She realized immediately the difference in this particular morning than the others of the past year. Gone were the sounds of a dog barking and Chuck's deep voice calling for him to "be quiet" and his grumbled "you're going to wake the neighbors".

Cecilia looked at the clock and saw that dawn would soon be approaching. She wondered what Chuck would say, if she ran out to greet him and demand he take her with him. A bubble of laughter rolled up and spilled from her lips. She hoped he would respond with a giant "Hell yes!" but she also knew she wasn't brave enough to tell him how often she longed to take off and head across country. Her demanding anyone to do anything would be like expecting the Titanic not to sink after it had hit that iceberg. It just wasn't going to happen.

The sound of Chuck's Silverado pulling away carried Cecilia back to sleep. She finally awoke to the sun's bright rays as they danced into her room. She stretched out and rolled onto her belly. Once again her thoughts went back to the night before and the kiss Chuck had given her. She couldn't help but smile. Her thoughts moved her down a different path, one she'd ignored for years.

Cecilia's hand traveled down her stomach as she rolled to her side. Her other hand reached out to catch the comforter that had threatened to expose her sinful actions to the empty room. She blushed as she touched her shaved mound and bit her lip as her fingers pressed against her womanly folds. In her mind she saw Chuck, but she also saw the disgusted look of her ex-husband. He was standing off to the side of her fantasy, almost willing her to break one of his rules. Chuck's lips were raised in a smile, and it was that smile that gave her the courage to slide one finger into the tight channel of her sex.

Another brick tumbled from the wall around Cecilia's heart and soul as she used the memory of Chuck's strong hands and tender kiss to bring her closer and closer to the edge of release. Whenever she felt the memory of a slap, kick, or bite try to invade her subconscious, she pushed it away and told herself there was nothing wrong. The buildup would soften because her fantasy had started to waiver, but eventually it would return even more powerful than before. When she climaxed it was with legs stiff and her pussy muscles clamping hard around three fingers. Her blankets had been kicked off and her slip of a nightgown had ridden up to settle under her breasts.

The orgasm lulled her back to sleep, and when she awoke for the second time that morning, it was to the sound of the phone ringing. She reached over, looked at the time and furrowed her brow. Her fingers gripped the phone. She blushed when she brought the receiver up to her ear and lips. The scent of her earlier release covered her fingers. "Hello?"

"Good morning, beautiful." Chuck's voice came through loud and clear, leaving Cecilia delighted.

She rolled onto her back and stared at the ceiling. "Good morning," she answered in a throaty whisper. She coughed, clearing her throat.

"You sound like I just woke you up. You're usually up by now, or I wouldn't have called," Chuck told her.

Cecilia's brows rose. "So you know when I'm up in the mornings, huh?" she teased. "Been stalking me have you?"

She could almost see Chuck blushing and found herself wanting to hear him laugh too, so she sat up, tucked her knees to her chest and asked him, "So tell me Chuck, how long have you been watching me? Thinking about me? Do you have a camera with a telescopic lens pointed at my bedroom window?"

"I--- no. I just mean I --- ."

Cecilia laughed. "I'm teasing!" she said, giving Chuck a way out of the predicament she'd placed him in. Her stomach had knotted while he stammered, but the more he tried to explain what he meant, the more empowered she felt. Little Cecilia could make a man stutter. Her skin grew warm and her smile widened. "Where are you right now?" she asked, giving Chuck something else to talk about before he felt the need to run away from her teasing words.

Chuck explained he was only a few hours away from town and had wanted to give her a call to tell her that he really had enjoyed spending time with her. He couldn't help thinking about her and that he was really looking forward to Saturday's breakfast.

Cecilia's body tingled as his confessions rolled across the telephone and settled into her heart. "Where are you headed? I don't remember if you mentioned it last night or not?" she asked, still wanting to find any reason to keep him tethered to her.

"Oregon."

Cecilia sighed. "I've heard it's a beautiful country. I've never been out there, granted I've never been anywhere not, really. I grew up in Austin, married there, divorced there, and then moved here. That's about the gist of my life."

She heard Chuck clear his throat.

"I'm not too far away, I can always turn around."

Cecilia's whole body seemed to become frozen in time. His words echoed in her ear, over and over again. Silence was her enemy and her friend as she felt her senses slowly come back to life. Once more the man on the phone was making her stomach flutter like a million butterflies were trying to break free. Again he was making her skin brighten to a shade of crimson not yet identified. Her palms began to sweat and her head started to pound as her chest tightened. She took several deep breaths, and thanked God that Chuck hadn't said anything. He knew she was thinking and that meant he was giving her plenty of time to either say "no" or heaven forbid say "yes".

"Chuck --- I --- ."

"No pressure Cecilia. Usually on these trips I stop at a roadside truck stop and sleep in the cab of the truck, sometimes I'll grab a motel. Some guys cheat and use the camper, but I wouldn't want to pay thousands, if not hundreds of thousands of dollars only to find out the sweaty guy in the cab was sleeping on the bedding."

She laughed half-heartedly into the phone.

"I'd want to cover my own expenses," she whispered and then blanched when she realized her mouth had spoken before her mind had given its permission.

"Of course," Chuck said. "We can stop at motels along the route and like I said there are no promises that this is anything more than a couple of friends taking a trip. I'm not going to expect or pressure you into anything."

Again she gave Chuck silence as she battled the biggest demon of them all --- trust. Her gaze shifted back and forth from her toes to her knees. She knew that Chuck was an upstanding guy. She'd made her own inquires about him whenever she was out and about town. He got high marks from the librarian, the gas station girls, and even the nosey realtor, who her mother had become good friends with. Her lower lip was pulled and tugged in all directions as she closed her eyes and said, "Okay."

This time the sound of the empty space made her feel uneasy and not thankful at all. Was he regretting his offer? Had he only done it to be polite? Was he really that close he could turn around and come get her? Just as she was about to change her mind, she heard him say. "I'll be there in about two hours, three tops."

She swallowed the lump in her throat. "Okay," she squeaked out.

"Wonderful," he told her before she heard his "goodbye and see you soon."

Cecilia put her phone down and stared at it. She couldn't believe what she'd just done and knew that the only reason she had agreed to go was because it was Chuck. He had provided her with more power in one 24 hour period than she had gotten in all her thirty years. She didn't want to lose that feeling of strength and bravery.

Cecilia pushed back the covers and climbed out of bed. She hurried to her closet and pulled out all the new clothes and shoes she'd bought. She hauled out a rolling suitcase along with the clothes she'd put away in her dresser. She laughed to herself as she began to stuff them into the suitcase, bringing out a totebag to carry her shoes.

As the two hours passed, she looked at her cell phone and quickly called her parents. She was thankful their answering machine picked up; she knew her mom and dad would try very hard to talk her out of this trip. She left them a brief message and told them she'd call them later tonight, but to not worry, she was with that "nice man Chuck" -- describing him exactly as the realtor often had.

Chuck, now just a few miles from Cecilia's home, had begun running through what he would say to the young woman as she sat next to him in the truck. It had been years since he'd had a live human traveling with him on one of his deliveries. He was so used to Buddy being there that he wasn't sure if he could talk to a person again for such a long time and what if he couldn't? Would Cecilia find him boring? Lazy? Self-absorbed?

There had already been enough dead silence last night and today on the phone. Could they endure more? But it had felt right to offer her the opportunity to travel with him, and it had felt thrilling when he'd heard her say yes. Surely he was over-thinking the situation and her desire to go with him had more to do with him, and less to do with the trip itself.

Chuck cursed himself for second guessing himself. He was an old man, but the younger woman was interested in him, and he just had to accept it and pray it kept progressing smoothly. The fact that she'd said yes, meant that last night he'd added trust to help him chisel away the brick wall surrounding Cecilia.

He pulled up to her house, took a deep breath, and left the truck idling with the camper still securely hitched to the trailer. Chuck headed up her front porch; his palms were sweaty. There was no need to knock; Cecilia opened it before he got a chance to. She stood there, wearing jeans, sneakers and a pink T-shirt embellished by a large pale flower and a few gemstones. He noticed how it hugged her figure and couldn't help but admire her. "You definitely are more attractive than Buddy," he whispered, as his eyes drifted up to stare into hers.

She blushed a beautiful shade of pink and his heart skipped a beat. "Got your bags packed?" he asked. Cecilia nodded and stepped back. Chuck walked in and for the first time he was able to see inside his neighbor's house, upon her moving in. It was decorated with everything that he felt embodied young women. The furniture was soft and inviting, the colors pale and feminine. The lines of the room were anything but harsh, everything just screamed girly. He loved it, because it reflected the beautiful woman who was picking up one of the bags.

Chuck shook his thoughts away and took the bag from her. She smiled, grabbed her purse and took hold of a second smaller bag that he assumed were her toiletry items. He laughed when he turned and noticed another bag. He said nothing though only picked it up too and walked out of the house. It had been ages since he'd dealt with women and traveling. He'd almost forgotten how much they feel they need to pack in order to travel well.

With the luggage stowed in the silver utility box of his truck bed, Chuck opened the door for Cecilia and helped her back into the seat she'd occupied the night before. He ran back to her house, double checked her front and back door, making sure they were secure. Only when he was satisfied that all was well, did he head to the truck and take his place behind the wheel. He grinned over at his traveling companion and together they headed down the road.

It wasn't long before Cecilia and Chuck were talking and the silence that had been worrying them both was broken. They talked about a few of the trips Chuck had taken in the past and again the tales often circled back to Buddy. Eventually Cecilia confessed she'd taken a peek at the map and had an idea on how to get to Oregon, but had no clue where they were going, seeing as he'd not shared that with her.

Chuck apologized and after she wrote down the name of where they were heading, she called her parents and was once again rewarded with their answering machine. She checked the time and realized they had most likely left church and headed out for lunch, followed by a movie, a ritual of theirs for the past fifty years.

The first day of traveling was relatively uneventful. Their conversation rarely lagged, and when it did the radio was there to drown out the silence. Occasionally Chuck would catch Cecilia napping and find himself wanting to pull off the side of the road, just to watch her sleep. He knew in his gut he was smitten by her, and everything in him told him to take things slow, but there were other parts of him demanding he move things up a bit.

When night fell, both reached the same conclusion. It was time to pull off and get a good night's sleep. Chuck took the next ramp that would lead them off the interstate. Together they opted to stay at a moderately priced motel, knowing they only needed it for the night. Chuck checked them in, giving Cecilia her key to her room and promised to bring her bags to her after he parked the truck. She offered to order pizza and have it delivered to her room, and he took her up on the offer.

Much of the trip was spent like this, every night a different motel and dinner delivered by some local restaurant close to the hotel. Chuck learned that Cecilia was employed as an accountant, but had taken a leave-of-absence, following her divorce. The settlement from her divorce allowed her to live within her means and then some. He shared that though he had enough to retire he never had a reason to. His house was empty and so he took to the road, delivering campers for those that needed a home on wheels. Cecilia shared that she often envied him and then admitted that she was curious how he was going to make it home in five days when according to the computer it was a long haul from Austin to Portland.

Chuck was forced to admit that had it just been he and Buddy he would have driven harder and longer, meaning little to no sleep. "So we're really now on a two week trip at the pace were going now?" she had asked with a raised brow.

He was forced to admit it, and quickly apologized for not clueing her in. He admitted that at first he'd not thought that far ahead. She waved off his apology, called her parents and extended her traveling plans by simply telling them, "I'll be home when I'm home."

When they arrived in Portland and the camper was delivered to the dealer who would get it to the customer, Chuck found himself unwilling to let the trip conclude in such an uneventful way. He and Cecilia had gotten to know each other very well, so well in fact he was holding her hand and giving her kisses that involved several slips of the tongue. She'd given him access to her body as far as allowing him to occasionally touch her back, arms, and hips.

Last night as he kissed her goodbye, he'd pressed her against the motel door and flicked one button of her shirt open. He felt in his gut that he could have gone farther, but he had held back. He wanted her to know how deep he was falling for her, and yet he'd had no real time to show her those feelings.

With the camper delivered, Cecilia knew the return trip home would be much like the trip up. As much as she'd enjoyed the trip and getting to know Chuck she desperately wanted to move things to a more intimate level. She wasn't sure how far, but it was a growing need that was consuming her every hour of the day and most, if not all, of the night. She knew Chuck desired her, but he was still playing the role of gentleman. She liked the role, and knew in her heart he wasn't playing --- he truly was a kind-hearted man that was not going to push her into doing something she wasn't ready for. The thing was --- Cecilia was ready.

While he talked with the dealer who was looking over the camper, Cecilia quickly dug through her purse and called one of the numbers on her rewards card that her car insurance carrier had given her. She made last minute reservations for a king size bed at one of the more notable lodging establishments, The RiverPlace Hotel. Taking a lesson from Chuck's book, she booked four nights, extending their trip even further. She already knew that Chuck didn't have another camper waiting on him, and had no plans for the next couple of weeks. Cecilia, with a newfound backbone taking charge of her life, closed her phone and waited for her friend and soon-to-be lover to come back to her.

When Chuck climbed into the seat, she turned to face him. "Here," she said handing him a slip of paper with the address of the hotel.

"What's this?" he asked as he pressed the address into his GPS unit.

"It's where we're staying for the next four days," she admitted with an air of superiority.

Chuck laughed. "Oh, are we now? Well if memory serves me right, and it often does, the rooms here can run upwards into the hundreds of dollars. Seems a bit costly for an overnight stay, if you ask me."

"I didn't ask you and I said 'for the next four days,'" Cecilia said, eyeing him with a hint of both caution and humor.

"Well then, I assume you've got other things up your sleeve?" he asked, before starting the truck and putting it into drive. He couldn't breathe as his heart soared.

"I do," she admitted. She then turned and faced him, so that she could better speak to him without curling up and hiding in her corner of the cab. "Chuck, you know a lot about me. I know this, only because my mom is a gossipmonger and can't keep her mouth shut."

Chuck smiled softly, but refused to interrupt her.

"I know you know a lot about my past and I know that's why you've been so nice," she saw he was about to contradict her so she quickly added, "that and you're already a nice man. I trust you and --- it's been a long time but --- well ---."

He reached out and touched her hand, squeezing it between his strong fingers. Yet he said nothing, allowing her to find her voice.

"I booked the room for four days and I only booked one," she admitted. Her words came out in a rush and her skin grew hot and red.

Chuck almost slammed into the car in front of him as her words sunk in. He took a deep breath and glanced over at the stunning woman beside him. The wall he'd been chiseling was crumbling before him and he knew the final bricks would be the hardest to topple, but Cecilia was ready to take them down. She'd chosen him to do it with.

"Then may I have your permission to plan the next four days?" he asked.

Cecilia's lips were soft and melted his heart. "I'd like that," she confided and knew then that everything was going to be perfect, because Chuck would make it so. She unbuckled her seatbelt, slid into the middle seat, straddling the gear shift on the floor and then buckled up with the middle belt. Chuck waited until she was settled, before slipping his arm around her shoulders and pulling her up against him.