Lucinda Pt. 01

While the kids were having fun roasting marshmallows, Lucinda and I sat on the end of a chaise lounge with her in front of me and my arms around her waist. I lifted her luxurious hair to the side and kissed and nibbled on her neck. She shivered then turned to give me a warm kiss. Then she wrapped my arms more securely around her waist, pressing my arms firmly against the full bulge of the underside of her breasts.

I was in heaven! I nuzzled and kissed her neck some more. She leaned back against me allowing my kisses to press into the hollow of her neck. This also pulled my hands higher in front, and pulled arms more firmly against the swell of her beautiful breasts.

As I kissed her neck over and over, Lucinda pulled one of my hands under the hem of her t-shirt. My hand was caressing the firm warmth of her smooth abdomen.

Then, one of the kids screamed! I jumped up to see that she had gotten too close to the fire and had actually ignited her skirt. I grabbed her and rolled her on the grass, covering her body with my own and smothering the flames. Maria and Lucinda were beside me in moments. The girl was frightened and crying. I carried her into the house while Maria scurried ahead to gather first aid supplies.

Her skirt was ruined by the flames and was scorched, but she had only minor first degree burns on one leg. I held her gently while her mother applied the burn cream. Her tears had subsided as I held her cradled in my arms. When I started to set her down, she clung fiercely to my neck. "Noooo!" She wailed.

I carried the little girl to her bedroom, accompanied by her mother and Lucinda. I sat her on her bed, then turned my back as her mother helped her into pajamas. Then the three of us remained with her until she began to yawn. "Michael, thank you for saving my life!" She beckoned me down and gave me a wonderful, little girl kiss on my cheek. Lucinda and I slipped out of the room while her mother remained until the little girl was sound asleep.

"It looks like you have a new fan!" said Lucinda.

"I was fortunate to see what was happening so that I could respond quickly. As it was, she ruined her dress and received some minor burns; but it could have been much worse."

"I'm beginning to think that you might be my knight in shining armor. Celia is certainly grateful. I am sure that Uncle Carlos and Aunt Maria are. I don't know how to show you how much I appreciate what you did."

"Maybe we could just pick up where we left off before all of the excitement?" I asked.

"I think that the patio is deserted now."

"If the fire is still burning, someone should be watching it, don't you think?" I asked.

"Maybe we should go do that. We wouldn't want the fire to get out of control, would we?" Lucinda led me to the patio. It was deserted and the only illumination came from the dying fire.

She adjusted the lounge until it was extended flat, then she pulled me to her as she extended her body onto the lounge. While I had dreamed of this, I was nervous about the implications and where it could lead. I wanted Lucinda to be totally comfortable with anything that we did together, and that she would have no regrets in the morning. I didn't want to do anything that might poison our relationship.

I faced her on the lounge and slipped my arm under her head. "I want you to be comfortable with anything that we may choose to do. I don't want you to have any regrets tomorrow."

"I know. I know that you won't take advantage of me. But remember when you said that a couple must be compatible in many ways? And how sex is a continuum of activities that build up a passionate connection between two consenting people. I'm not ready for intercourse and I don't know just when I will be, but I was certainly enjoying what we were doing earlier. It had me all excited and tingly."

We kissed, and kissed, and kissed. Her tongue teased and swirled around mine. I kissed her eyes, her cheeks, and her nose. I kissed along her jawline and down onto her throat. She was moaning with excitement and rubbing her body against mine. My arms were around her and my hands cupped her lovely buttocks as I pulled her tight against me. She was running her hands over my back.

I kissed the hollow of her neck and gently sucked on the sensitive flesh. Lucinda moved one of my hands from her butt and placed it on her breast. It was so full and firm and soft and wonderful! She was humping her hips against me, her pussy rubbing against my jeans covered erection. When she recognized what she was rubbing against, she looked into my eyes, "You want me, don't you?"

"Yes, but not until you are ready. You are worth waiting for."

"You may be the best man in the world!" She gushed.

"I doubt that. I had told your Uncle Carlos that you are a beautiful flower, a precious jewel. You are all of that and more. I want you to know that I am in this for the long term, for however long that may be, or for however long it may take."

About then the patio lights flashed on for just a moment. "I think that your Aunt or Uncle are trying to tell us something." I said with a smile.

Lucinda wrapped both arms around my neck and held me tight. "But I'm not done here yet!" She exclaimed. I gave her one more passionate kiss, then helped her to stand. She waved at Aunt Maria as she walked past the door and around to the front porch.

I took her into my arms once again when we reached the front porch. We kissed. She traced her tongue over my lips and rubbed her breasts against my chest. She spread her legs slightly and rubbed her crotch against my leg. Our tongues were dancing together passionately. Then she really surprised me; she cupped my crotch and rubbed her hand over my erection. "I knew that you wanted me, I just wanted to feel it. Now, you had better go before I do something that I'm not really ready for." She looked into my eyes, "I think that I'm falling in love with you!"

I kissed her once again and headed to my car.

As Lucinda walked back through the house, Aunt Maria called her. "Lucinda, do you have a couple minutes?" When she walked into the kitchen, Aunt Maria said, "I think that you really like him, don't you?" Lucinda nodded. "So do I. And he fits so well into our family. He's so courteous and he pays attention to the younger children, and what he did for Celia! That could have been so awful except for his quick action. Perhaps because of all of that, we have given you more privacy than we otherwise might..."

"Aunt Maria, he is possibly more protective of me than I could possibly imagine. He called me a beautiful flower, a precious jewel! I sometimes feel like I'm up on a pedestal, and don't deserve it. I think that I am falling in love with him."

"I was making myself something for before going to bed, can I get one for you, too?" Aunt Maria didn't wait for an answer as she quickly prepared two hot toddies.

"I was a young girl when your Uncle Carlos and his family moved in next to our family. He was many years older than me, but he would sit on the steps or the porch and talk with me, and he would really listen. I was just a 12 year old girl, but he would talk to me and listen to me. He had graduated from high school, he was handsome and virile, and he listened to me. I was totally infatuated with him.

"But he continued to listen to me and pay attention to me, and I was madly in love with him. But the amazing thing was that he loved me, too! We were married right after my eighteenth birthday, Carlos was twenty-five, and Manuel was born four months later.

"Carlos was and still is a good man. After all these years I still love him, and I know that he loves me. There was a passion between us that could melt iron, and it is still burning after all of these years. We have had six children, and we lost a couple others. I could never have survived without Carlos' steadfast love.

"I think that Michael is that kind of man. A man who will be with you regardless of what might happen; a man with enduring love." Then Maria continued, "Is there passion between you?"

"I think that sometimes I am going to melt, or burst into flames!"

"Good! Keep that passion burning! It's easy to let daily life smother that passion. Don't let that happen. Both people need to fan those flames. Each of you needs to do the things that build the fire in your partner!

"I know that the church and the priests say that contraception is wrong, but they aren't women. They will not be the ones who have to deal with an unplanned pregnancy. I believe that it is a sin to bring a baby into the world if you cannot give it a good, loving home. Long before you think that you might want to become sexually intimate, you should take precautions. See a doctor; get those pills; take control of your own body and your own future."

"Thank you, Aunt Maria. I had not even begun to think about that, but the passion between us is definitely growing. I will check into that."

"Don't delay. If you need help finding a doctor, or getting the time off, just let me know. Carlos is a good man, but he needs a little guidance sometimes."

"Thank you, again. And thanks for the drink and conversation. It was good and I appreciated it."

I had just gotten home and settled when I was pleasantly surprised by a text from Lucinda. "Just wanted to check that you were home OK."

"Yes, home fine. Thank you for wonderful day!"

"Thank you for hanging out with my family all day. I chatted with Aunt Maria for a while after you left. She really likes you."

"What's not to like?"

"Indeed. In fact, it sometimes frightens me just how perfect you seem to be."

"I have plenty of faults, like I sometimes leave my socks on the floor."

"I doubt that would be a deal breaker!"

"As we get to know each other better and better, we will uncover little irritations. However, I hope that none of them are a deal breaker."

"So do I. It's getting late, I just wanted to touch base before bedtime. Think of me."

"I always do."

On Tuesday I went to the restaurant as usual. Manuel was there, just hanging around, but he didn't bother me and I didn't bother him.

I texted with Lucinda every evening at least for a short while. Thursday, I had dinner at the restaurant again. Later that evening I asked, "What does Manuel do at the restaurant? He seems to be there most every evening, but I never see him doing anything."

"He helps out in the kitchen and makes some deliveries, stuff like that."

"Did you mean it Sunday night?"

"Mean what?"

"That you thought that you were falling in love with me..."

"I know that it's too early to be talking about 'love', I'm sorry if it seems like I'm rushing things. It's just that it feels so good with you. I don't really have all that much experience with boys, and I don't know, it just slipped out. Sorry."

"There's nothing to be sorry about! I am thrilled that you said that. I've never been one to believe in love at first sight, but I don't know how else to describe it. We have only known each other for a few weeks, but I can't imagine my life without you. I know that we have a long way to go, but knowing that we are thinking along similar lines gives me hope."

"I was afraid that I might be scaring you away talking about things like that."

"By now you should have figured out that it will take a lot to scare me away from you."

"I know, but a girl still worries sometimes."

"I had suggested that you come to my church sometime. Would you like to join me on Sunday morning? Maybe we could do something in the afternoon?"

"I'd like that. I will talk with Aunt Maria."

"Remember, I warned you, we sing. I'll plan to pick you up about 9:15. That would give us plenty of time to drive across town."

"You are so wonderful to me. It's getting late. Think of me when you go to sleep."

"You, too. I always think of you, especially before going to sleep. Goodnight."

The next evening Lucinda texted to say that it was fine for her to join me for church. I suggested that we could get lunch afterwards and then go for a longer walk, and that she should bring a change of clothes for the afternoon.

I arrived at Carlos and Maria's house a little after 9 on Sunday. Lucinda wasn't quite ready so I talked with Carlos while I waited. "I know that things are a little different than they were in my day," he began.

"Lucinda is the best thing that has ever happened to me. I don't intend to mess this up. I can be a patient man, and I will wait for her. I promised you that I would never pressure her to do anything before she felt that it was appropriate, and I meant that."

"I believe you. But Lucinda is falling in love with you. Do you know that?"

"Yes. I feel the same towards her. I want to continue to get to know her better and better. I am hoping that the time will come when we can plan a future together."

"Until then, do you carry protection?" he asked.

I was astounded. "We are not at that point..." I said uncertainly.

"It is wise to be prepared long before you think that you might need it," he said in a fatherly tone.

I nodded, I couldn't speak.

Lucinda came into the room. She was wearing a white dress that contrasted beautifully with her dark skin tone. It had a 'sweetheart' neckline that did not quite show any cleavage, and a full skirt that fell to the top of her knees. She looked ravishing. "You look beautiful!" I said as I gave her a gentle kiss on her lips.

"Thank you! What have you two been doing?" she asked, eyeing Carlos and me suspiciously.

"Just guy talk," said Uncle Carlos. Then he added, "Michael, would you like to join the family for dinner tonight? We will eat around 6."

"I would be delighted to join you, if it's OK with Aunt Maria."

"It was her suggestion!" he said with a laugh.

"Then we will be back before dinner." With that I took the small bag containing Lucinda's change of clothes and we headed out the door.

As we drove, Lucinda asked, "So just what were you and Uncle Carlos talking about?"

"Are you ready for this?" I asked as I glanced over at her. She looked a little concerned, but nodded.

"He asked if I was carrying protection."

"But YOU are my protection!" she exclaimed.

"Not that kind of protection," I corrected.

"Oh!" she said as she blushed. "THAT kind of protection." She paused, then went on, "Actually, Aunt Maria had a chat with me last Sunday night. She suggested that I see a doctor and go on the pill."

"They both seem to think that our relationship is moving forward very quickly, and they want us to be prepared."

"So it would seem," she said with a laugh. Then she continued, "In our conversation she mentioned that Manuel was born four months after their wedding."

"You two had quite a good chat then, didn't you?"

"Yes, a very good girl-girl talk."

I changed the subject. "You may find that the Lutheran service is very similar to the Catholic one. There is standing up and sitting down for various reasons. I will guide you on that. Various parts of the service include sung responses by the congregation. During the hymns the choir sings but so does all of the people. That may seem different to you."

When we entered the church we were greeted by a couple. "Michael! It's so good to see you. We've missed you the past few weeks. Who is your beautiful companion?"

After introductions they said, "Lucinda, we are so happy to have you join us. We hope that you will worship with us often."

When we were seated, Lucinda whispered, "They were such nice, welcoming people! They make me feel right at home."

I took the Book of Worship and located the first hymn and the order of service. I showed her the service and how the standing and sitting sections were identified. Soon the organ began to play and more and more people streamed in.

"There are so many people!" Lucinda whispered.

"Yes, we only have two services. How many does your church have each week?"

"I think about five or six. So our people are scattered over many more services."

"Right."

About then the organ began to play the opening hymn. We stood and sang as the minister and his assistant walked down the aisle. Lucinda did a reasonable job of singing the unfamiliar hymn.

When the service was over I suggested that we might return to our seats to talk. If Lucinda thought that was strange, she didn't express it.

"There's something that I have wanted to tell you about for a while, and maybe this is a good place and it certainly is time."

She looked at me expectantly. "I haven't talked much about my parents or my living situation, because it is unusual. My patients died in an auto accident about a year ago."

Lucinda's hand flew to her mouth, then she took my hand. "I'm SO sorry to hear that!"

"Thank you. It was right after graduation. In fact, the reason that I was out with the guys the night I met you was it was the anniversary of their death. The guys didn't want me to be alone that evening."

"They sound like good friends," she said.

"They are good people, but we're not as close as we once were. Going to different schools and such, we're just not as close." She nodded.

"I had just turned 18 when it happened, so I inherited everything. They had insurance on the house and life insurance and a fair bit of savings. The car I drive was my mother's. I still live in the house, but have rented it out except for my bedroom."

"So you don't have anyone?"

"My mom's sister took me into their home in the southern part of the state for the summer last year until I left for college. I was appreciative of all they did for me, and I visited them for the holidays, but I didn't want to live with them long term."

"So what are your plans now?"

"Until I'm out of college I'm going to carry on much like I am today, renting out the house and going to school. After I graduate I will see what makes sense then. If I were to settle in this area, I would likely keep the house. It is fairly nice and it's paid for. If we were to settle someplace else, we'd sell the house and use the proceeds to get started there."

"We? If WE were to settle someplace else?"

"Well, that's the way I have been thinking. At this point I am hoping that you will be in my life long term. Of course it's too soon to be setting any plans in concrete, but I can hope, can't I?"

"I think that is a wonderful thought. Time will tell."

About then the pastor stopped by where we were sitting. "Michael, how are you doing? Is there anything I can do for you?"

"Thank you for your concern. I am doing quite well. I believe that you met Lucinda earlier?"

"Yes. Thanks for joining us. Know that you are welcome here any time. Communication with us is open to any baptized Christian believer."

"Thank you, Pastor, everyone has been wonderfully welcoming. I'm sure that I will come back again."

The Pastor gave me a knowing smile as he said his goodbyes.

I asked Lucinda, "Would you like to see the house? If you are comfortable with it, you could change clothes there."

"That would be great."

When we reached my house I introduced Lucinda to the Olson's and asked if I could show her around.

"You're not going to be terminating our lease, are you?"

"No! I promised that you would be able to stay at least until I graduated, and I meant it. I just wanted to have a chance to show her around. She might be coming over from time to time to visit me, and I hope that you would give her the same courtesies that you give me."

"Certainly! And feel free to show her around. We have been able to co-exist so far, and we would be happy to have Lucinda here as much as she would like."

As we moved away, Lucinda commented, "So I might be coming over from time to time to visit you? Are you suggesting that we would be having sleepovers?"

"I didn't intend to give them that impression. I can clarify it," I said as I started to turn around.