PluckingthePearl (18 page)

“Why does it have to be this way?” she asked.

“Because we can’t change society. Are we going to work
around it or are we going to let it ruin our lives?” He sighed. “We only have
this lifetime, Pearl, and it’s short.”

Would Mama understand? She loved him and that made it all
right, didn’t it? The circumstances weren’t their fault.

When she turned to face him, he cupped her chin in his
strong hand. “You know I’d marry you if I could.”

She squeezed her eyes shut as she nodded. “I know.”

“Then let’s stop this madness,” he whispered in her ear.
“Let me love you again.”

Emotion welled up inside her like the stormy sea outside,
flooding all the walls she’d built. To her surprise, she grabbed the front of
his shirt and pulled it open, sending several buttons to the floor. Her hands
devoured the hot, bare skin of his chest.

“I missed this so much,” she cried.

Lightning forked across the sky.

“Not as much as I.” He pulled out her hairpins, sending them
to the floor to join his buttons.

When his mouth locked onto hers, claiming her fully at last,
her knees gave out. The texture of his hair under her fingers and the slickness
of his tongue inside her mouth flooded her senses. Even the roughness of his
moustache against her face sent juices flooding from her cunt.

Slowly, they sank to the padded rug together.
We won’t
even make it to the bed
, she thought. He ripped the front of her dress open
and tugged down her bra straps. Her nipples jutted out, hard and aching for his
mouth.

When he sucked and bit down on each one, as if to punish her
for denying them pleasure for so long, she moaned and put her hand to her
mouth. “Your guests will hear us.”

“Not with the storm.”

He yanked her dress up and undid her garters. As she helped
him pull off her shoes, panties and stockings, her pussy throbbed with the
insistent pulse beating inside her. While rain gushed against the windows, the
insides of her thighs grew hotter and damper by the moment, hungry for Caleb’s
fingers and cock.

Her hands trembled as she reached for the front of his
trousers and pulled out his magnificent hardness. She’d watched him take
pleasure by his own hand too many times. It was her turn. She swirled the
pearly cream at the tip with her finger and clasped the base of the shaft.

“This cock is mine,” she said, barely recognizing the
ferocious lust in her voice. “No other woman will have you.”

“No other,” he agreed, smiling as he thrust his hips against
her hand.

Next, her frantic fingers tugged his suspenders down and
pulled off his pants and shoes until all he wore was a shirt open in front.

“Promise me you won’t marry anyone else. Promise me, Caleb!”

He bathed her in his blue, fiery gaze. “I promise.”

After he tugged off her dress and bra, leaving her
completely nude, she pressed her mouth to his neck and chest, feasting on the
scent and taste of him—clean and breezy laced with musky arousal.

Thunder rumbled, vibrating the floor and adding to the sweet
urgency building inside her pussy. Caleb’s pale hands stroked her body lovingly
and possessively—her arms, her legs and her belly.

She tugged his hand to her cunt where she needed him most.
When he thrust a finger into her depths, her head fell back with pleasure. Oh
this felt so sweet, so right. Her usual inhibitions were gone as if the storm
had blown them away. Would she regret this tomorrow? For once, she didn’t care.

Pearl watched, breathless, as Caleb’s finger swirled around
her clitoris and into her slick depths with expert precision. Her hand closed
around the end of his cock, stroking the swollen head. The force of their
attraction pressed around them with the strength of iron, making her wonder how
they’d managed to fight it off this long.

She didn’t argue when he pushed her shoulders to the floor,
sheathed himself with a condom and spread her legs wide with both hands. As he
leaned over her, about to enter her, she saw such love and relief in his eyes
her heart felt as melted as her body.

“I’m yours, Pearl,” he told her as his searing-hot erection
slid inside her. “I’ll always be yours.”

Her hips cradled his and her swollen breasts pressed against
his chest as they rocked together. He caressed her face and kissed her as their
bodies merged with blessed relief. Their hearts thundered together so violently
she hardly noticed the raging storm going on outside. As his short, panting
breaths cooled the perspiration on her cheek, she realized keeping him away so
long had been a terrible mistake.

This was right. This was where they belonged.

“It’s a good thing we didn’t try the bed,” Caleb said. “The
rocking would’ve made a terrible racket.”

The thought of rocking his bed made her nipples tighten to
painfully swollen peaks. He slid his hand under her back and rolled her onto
her side as thunder rattled the windowpanes. He lifted her top leg up under the
knee and she watched his slick shaft gliding in and out of her body.

“That’s such a beautiful sight I never get tired of watching
it,” he told her.

A tiny shudder went through her as her pussy swelled even
tighter. “Faster, Caleb.”

He gripped her ass from the back and she gasped when he
spanked her.

“What was that for?” she asked as lightning filled the dark
room with sudden brilliance.

“For holding out on me.” The growl in his throat blended
into the next clap of thunder.

She shifted her weight until she was on top of him. “Wasn’t
I worth the wait?”

Caleb replied by digging his fingers into the flesh of her
hips and pushing her onto his cock with the faster rhythm she’d begged for.
With no warning, he flipped her down until he was on top again, claiming her
with such deep strokes she couldn’t help moaning with each breath. While his
shirt tickled her belly, hot cream trickled from their thrusts, tensing the
muscles in her body.

“C-Caleb, I’m going to come soon.”

“You’re damn right you will.” He breathed hard, his face
damp with sweat.

“I’ll scream,” she muttered. “They’ll hear me.”

He nodded as a lock of damp hair fell across his forehead.
“I’ve been timing this storm. Don’t come until I tell you to.”

Her thighs trembled with her mounting pleasure. “I don’t
think I’ll be able to control—”

When hot-blue lightning flashed through the room, she nearly
felt the electricity sizzle every nerve ending.

“Now, Pearl! Now!”

She grabbed fistfuls of his shirt as she ground her hips
against his, taking his long cock even deeper inside. The sound of tearing
fabric competed with the rain outside. As one blinding spasm after another
ripped through her a couple of seconds later, she screamed against the roar of
thunder Caleb had perfectly timed.

Barely a moment later, Caleb’s hot semen spilled deep inside
her pussy, filling the condom.

They lay side by side on the rug afterward, their bodies as
spent as the retreating storm. Caleb’s hand grasped hers.

“Thank you,” he said. “I think I can accept chastity now.”

She rolled to her side and stroked his damp chest. “I
can’t.”

He raised an eyebrow. “What are you saying?”

“I’m saying I want this, all of this, with you from now on,”
she replied.

“I must be dreaming.” Caleb leaned up on one elbow and
grinned. “What changed your mind?”

“Realizing I might lose you.” When he winced, she asked him
what was wrong.

“I have a confession to make,” he admitted. “I never
intended to marry Betty Lewes.”

Relief, quickly followed by anger, coursed through her. She
punched him in the shoulder. “What? You put me through that for nothing?”

“I didn’t know how else to make you see that we belong
together,” he told her. “Do you regret making love?”

Pearl sighed and shook her head. “You said life is short. I
guess I’d never thought about it that way before.”

His pale gaze locked onto hers. “Does this mean we’re done
with the rules?”

“On one condition. Treat me like a wife, not your whore.”

He pressed a gentle kiss to her mouth. “In my heart, you
are
my wife, Pearl.”

She nodded as mixed emotions swirled through her sated
limbs. Was getting Caleb back worth letting down Mama? She hoped so.

No, she would make it so.

When Caleb woke up the morning after next, he blinked at the
unusual warmth nestling next to him. Was he dreaming? He opened his eyes,
delighted to see Pearl’s face on his pillow.

She kissed him gently. “Good morning, Caleb.”

“Waking up with you in my bed is a dream come true.” He let
out a deep sigh of contentment, enjoying the fact they were both naked beneath
the crisp cotton sheets. “I’m glad our guests left yesterday.”

Pearl ran a hand lazily across his chest. “I almost lost my
composure when Mrs. Abbott asked you if you’d heard a scream during the storm.”

“Do you think she believed me when I said my housekeeper is
afraid of storms?” He threw his head back and laughed. “I should have showed
her my ripped shirt and told her the truth about putting my cock in you and
making you come.”

Discussing his penis made it harden and protrude against the
sheet. They’d christened his bed last night and slept in the nude afterward.
His Pearl was back—wet, hot and passionate. He reached down to the soft folds
of her cleft, delighted to feel how moist it was. Her hand clasped his cock in
return.

He grabbed a condom from the nightstand, reminding himself
to buy more. Turning to his side, he reached for her waist. “I want you.”

The sheet dipped below one breast, exposing a swollen, dark
nipple he couldn’t resist teasing with his fingers.

She moaned and arched her back. “Don’t you have to go to
work?”

Caleb glanced at the clock on the nightstand. “Eventually.”

Moving over her, he slid his aching shaft inside her
welcoming depths. Instead of the frantic, deep thrusts he’d pummeled her with
during the storm, he moved slowly, filling her body with his love. She moved
with him as if their bodies had been made for each other.

While he moved faster, he kissed her eyelids and her
delicate cheekbones, swearing he’d never been as grateful for anything as this beautiful
gift. Her earthy, floral scent pulled him deeper into her slippery channel as
her warm, round breasts pushed against his chest.

The bed creaked under their passion. How nice not to have to
worry about being overheard by anyone. They were building a life together right
here under the privacy of his roof. A life no one could take away.

He only wished it hadn’t taken them so long to get to this
point. More than that, he wished he hadn’t had to hurt her by threatening to
marry someone else.

Pearl’s back arched and her brow glowed with perspiration.
Her soft pussy ground harder against his cock, seeking pressure against her
clitoris, and her wetness coated the front of his balls, making them draw up
and tighten. As he slid his arms under her back, he gave her everything she
needed and more.

When her moment came, Caleb swallowed her scream with a
kiss. It went straight to his balls, squeezing them with liquid fire he
couldn’t stop if he wanted to. Mindless with need, he pumped into her swollen
pussy until he exploded inside her.

He rolled off her, feeling weak as a newborn foal.

“Even though you didn’t scratch or rip anything this time,
I’m still tired enough to sleep a few more hours.” He took her hand. “At this
rate, I won’t get any work done.”

She grinned as she sat up and nudged him in the side. “Get
up. I’ll fix breakfast.”

Caleb reached up to brush her soft, damp hair back from her
face. “I’m so glad you changed your mind about this and…us.”

When worry flickered in her green eyes, he sat up.
Don’t
regret it! We’ve only just begun.

“Pearl, are you happy?” He caressed the side of her face.
“No regrets?”

She glanced down for a moment but when she looked back at
him, her face was serene and resolute. “No regrets, Caleb.”

He stretched with contentment. Life had never been more
perfect. The oyster industry and even the troublesome mayor seemed hundreds of
miles away.

* * * * *

A week later, Pearl shivered from the autumn chill as she
dusted in Caleb’s bedroom—
their
bedroom now. Since the two of them had
become so close, the house felt empty during the workdays. At least he came
home at night now. They spent their evenings eating dinners she cooked, sitting
at the piano and making love. She even made sure they had oysters for
appetizers every night.

As she moved, the lacy step-in panties Caleb had bought her
caressed her skin. Sheer enough to see through, they weren’t very practical but
they made her feel beautiful. So did the long-sleeved dress he’d bought for
her. The thick, soft material was the color of reddish-brown autumn leaves. It
clung to her hips and flared out over her calves. It was too nice to work in
but she couldn’t resist wearing it on this cold morning.

She’d begged him to deduct these purchases from her pay but
he refused. The man was every bit as stubborn as she was.

Her cunt stayed deliciously sore almost all the time. Every
step and movement she took while cleaning reminded her of how perfect his cock
felt inside her. The fast, urgent thrusts during the times they couldn’t get
enough of each other were as wonderful as the slow, gentle strokes that
expressed their love.

She’d memorized every scent, texture and sound of Caleb’s
body. He was her man. If only he could be her husband in every way.

When she opened his top dresser drawer to put away his clean
socks, coloring the air with the aroma of cedar, she noticed something hard
tucked beneath the socks. She and Caleb were so close she didn’t think he’d
mind if she explored.

She pulled out the hard, square object, realizing it was a
framed picture. It almost dropped out of her hands when she realized it was a
picture of Caleb on his wedding day. Her fingers trembled as she brought it to
the window to see it better.

He looked much younger, his hair completely black, but his
serious expression was familiar. Then she studied the woman seated in front of
him, the woman in a white dress and veil. His dead wife…

Gertrude was almost as pale as her dress in every way. Pearl
guessed she was blue-eyed and blonde from the black and white photograph. She
couldn’t be more different from Pearl. Her lips were thinner and her hair was
smooth and straight where Pearl’s was thick and wavy.

How could Caleb have chosen such opposite women?

Had he loved his wife? Looking out at the leaden sea and
back to the picture, she wondered what it would be like to sit in that chair
and be Caleb’s bride. To wear the dress, veil and ring. To be acknowledged by
society as a legal, proper spouse. To show the entire world how much they loved
each other.

A heavy weight filled her chest as she put herself into that
picture. How ridiculous she would look sitting there in a wedding dress next to
a white man. The sight of such a picture would probably inspire an angry mob to
form. At the very least, people would throw tomatoes at it or point at it and
laugh.

Unable to look at it a moment longer, she tucked it back in
the drawer where she’d found it. She was thankful Caleb didn’t have any
pictures of his wife on display in the house and she never wanted to see this
one again.

What they had was enough, she told herself. So why didn’t
that aching, empty spot inside her chest go away? Even the piano couldn’t
always fill it.

I need to get out of this house.

Her family had not come to visit after that first time. For
some reason, she needed to see them. Caleb got out and interacted with the
world every day and she needed to as well.

Outside, the autumn breeze from the water, laced with the
scent of fish, buffeted her face as she walked to the oyster plant. It had been
weeks since she’d been there. Stepping inside the doors was like walking back
into an old world.

The clatter of oysters being shoveled into baskets and
thrown across the shucking tables sounded as loud as warfare after being in
Caleb’s quiet, empty house. Had she really worked here? She clutched her hand
to the collar of her coat, wondering how she’d done it.

It was even worse now that it was colder. The cloakroom was
jammed with coats. Despite the oil-burning stove, dampness rolled in from the
open unloading dock door and seemed to hover like a cloud above the piles of
wet, discarded oyster shells.

Caleb hadn’t just given her love. He’d given her life back.

Not until this moment did she realize just how lucky she was
to be a housekeeper again.

She walked toward her old workstation where a new man had
taken her place. Jimmy waved at her, apparently carrying no grudge.

Leroy pulled her into a fierce hug. “How you doin’, cousin?
You look good.”

“Fine. I thought I’d come to visit.” But when she looked at
the oysters piled up on his table, she realized taking his time would also take
his money.

Sadie grabbed her arm. The girl smiled so wide Pearl had
barely recognized her.

“Pearl! Guess what? I’m getting married!”

Pearl’s jaw hung open. “You’re what?”

Sadie held out her hand, displaying a thin silver band on
her ring finger. “Buck asked me a couple of days ago.”

Pearl inspected the ring and gave her cousin a hug. “Oh,
Sadie. I’m so happy for you.”

“The wedding is less than a week away. Say you’ll come.”

“Of course I will,” Pearl replied.

Wilma’s greeting was more subdued than the others. “Well,
Miss High and Mighty decided to pay us a visit.”

Pearl took a fortifying breath, thinking Elizabeth Abbott
wasn’t so bad after all compared to her aunt.

“How are you, Aunt Wilma?” she asked politely.

“Wore out.”

“How’s Uncle Charlie?” Pearl asked next.

Wilma knifed an oyster and spread it open. “The cold, damp
weather is still setting him back. He mostly sleeps by the fire now.”

“I’m sorry to hear that,” Pearl said. “I’ll try to visit
him.”

“That’s a mighty fancy dress you got on. You got any extra
money with you?” Wilma asked.

Pearl nodded and pulled an envelope from her dress pocket,
wishing she’d worn something else even if it was cold out.

After the older woman tucked it into her bodice, she pointed
to her oysters. “Thank you. As you can see, I’m too busy for chitchat. Some of
us got to work hard for a living.”

Pearl opened her mouth to reply but stopped herself. It
wasn’t worth it. She wasn’t prepared for the other woman to look her up and
down with a knowing leer.

“I see you been workin’ hard too, on your back,” Wilma said.
“You better hope he don’t get tired of you.”

How does she know?

Heat roared through Pearl’s cheeks. Would everyone know by
looking at her that she slept with her boss? This was exactly what she’d hoped
to avoid by being celibate. Shame. The last time Aunt Wilma had made her
innuendoes Pearl had been able to hold her head high.

Now she felt exactly like what she was—a whore.

* * * * *

As Caleb walked through the plant, he caught sight of Pearl
walking out. He headed to the door but she slipped through before he could
reach her. The tense line of her lips worried him. He glanced back at her aunt
who looked extra sour today. The two of them must have argued. He’d find out
what was the matter at home where all these people weren’t watching.

In fact, he might fuck Pearl in the kitchen first. Whatever
was on her mind would disappear in the midst of their passion. His cock felt
pleasantly sore inside his trousers. Who needed marriage anyway? He had
everything he needed.

The cold dampness made him shiver. All the coffee he’d drunk
this morning to keep warm had caught up with him. He headed upstairs to the
men’s bathroom the office personnel used but it was occupied. Unable to wait,
he went back downstairs to the one the shuckers used.

He hadn’t used it in years. The sight that greeted him
pulled his jaw to his chest. It was in complete disrepair. There was dirt
everywhere, no soap, no towels and at least two toilets looked clogged.

Was this filthy hole really part of his plant? Why hadn’t he
checked the conditions? There was no sign outside the door saying “colored
only” but there might as well be. The workers passing in and out even gave him
strange looks as if he didn’t belong there.

He did his business and washed his hands only to realize
there was no hot water either. The cracked mirror showed every bit of the
self-disgust he felt inside written on his face. The door banged on his way
out.

“Murdock!” he called out to the floor supervisor standing several
yards away. “Come to my office. Now.”

In his office, Caleb sat behind his desk while the other man
stood in front of it. Angry heat burned across his face and neck but he knew he
had to handle this carefully.

“The men’s bathroom downstairs is a shambles,” Caleb said.

Bill Murdock wrinkled his large nose. “You actually went in
there?”

Caleb nodded. “The facilities—all of the facilities—are your
responsibility. I want that bathroom repaired and restocked by the end of
tomorrow.”

The other man shrugged and looked baffled. “But that’s the
coloreds’ bathroom. They don’t need anything better.”

Caleb’s jaw twitched painfully as he held back his opinion
of Murdock’s bigotry. “All of the bathrooms in this plant will have the same
high standards. Fix it by tomorrow or you no longer work here. Understood?”

Murdock took a step back as his face flushed red. “You can’t
be serious.”

“I am.” Caleb said. He almost hoped the man didn’t comply so
he could have an excuse to fire him.

* * * * *

Pearl stood at the oven that evening. She’d cooked fish,
cornbread and collard greens for dinner, hoping Caleb wouldn’t mind eating what
her people enjoyed. The image of his wedding picture coupled with her
unsettling conversation with Aunt Wilma made her jumpy inside. If not for the
money she’d given to help Uncle Charlie, she was sorry she’d visited the plant.