[interesting]

The game had suddenly taken on a whole new aspect. Sarah's promise of mutual satisfaction had enticed my desire even more. She had been adamant that there would be no sex between us that day, and I was fully prepared to live with that. In fact, I would have been quite content for the game to end there and resume at another time. Clearly, she was not. Which made the entire prospect that much more scintillating.

We were both sitting on the ground now. I had lost my pants and boxers, exposing my bottom half to her, much to her delight, while she had removed at my request her top and bra, granting me full view of her wonderful upper torso. Around her were the pillows and cushions she had gathered from a previous dare. Our dropped clothes now intermingled in the middle of the room, perhaps a promise of things to come.

So far, I had followed her lead every time. We had started out with truths, more generic than more intimate, and we'd done a few dares to lighten the mood. I really felt comfortable around her, and I hoped she felt the same about me. Still, it was now my turn to go, and since she had answered my previous question truthfully, it was my turn to plunge.

"Truth."

Of course, she expected it. I thought I might spice things up at a later turn by breaking the established routine, but for now, I was at ease with our little unspoken arrangement.

"If you had to be naked in public, anywhere, where would it be, and why?"

I had not anticipated that question. In all fairness, who could, really. Still, a valid question deserves an appropriate answer. I had never envisionned being naked in public, nor did I plan to anytime soon. The question was speculative, but it also implied the necessity of being naked in public, leaving me the choice of the where and why.

"Maybe... the beach.
"Why?
"Because the people are scantily clad, it's easy to lose or drop an item of clothing, and you can always hide in the water."

She smiled again. She never actually stopped smiling, but she played with the emphasis on her lips, punctuating her mood with them. The effect was downright erotic at this point. Again, I felt her taking a mental note, but my mind was focused on other matters. It was now her turn to call.

"How about a dare, Jim?"

I hoped for a dare. My mind had been wandering to the rest of her body and I desperately wanted to appease my satisfaction. I knew this was a step down from a previous dare, but I decided to go with it anyway. As I started talking, the dare transformed itself in my mind, and I went with the new direction.

"I want you to strip naked... but I want you to dance for me while doing it, and you can use the pillows as clothing to cover yourself."

She giggled. Apparently, she enjoyed the idea. She immediately rose and picked up one pillow, which she placed on her bare chest. She started dancing seductively, eyes closed, as if oblivious to the world around her. As she moved across the carpet, she unhooked the buttons on her pants. I saw she was wearing matching white panties through the opening. Careful not to drop the pillow she was holding against her body, she slid gracefully out of her pants as they dropped to the floor. She then went down on all fours, her behind towards me, as she continued to wriggle around, and placed the pillow to block my view. I saw a hand reach behind the pillow, then the white panties slid down to her knees. With impressive ease, she moved them to her feet without using her hands and kicked them into me. They fell between my lap. She spun around, carefully to always keep the pillow between herself and my line of sight. Then, she returned to her sitting position and smiled. I could see her naked figure but all of her attributes were hidden from view, thanks to the pillow.

Instinctively, I removed my sweater. We were both naked in my apartment. I had never before experienced such a thrill. I wanted to take her there but I remembered her words and replayed them in my mind, to remain in control. I wanted her badly, but not enough to jeopardize a possible future relationship or risk aggravating the situation.

"Well, I was going to ask you to strip completely, but since you already did it, I'll have to find something else for you to do."

I laughed. I did not know why. It did not matter. She continued.

"So... dare?"
"Dare me!"
"Okay! I want you to go in the kitchen and start cutting up the fruits. Small cubes, or strips. Actually, strips are better."

I darted into the kitchen before my mind actually realized what was happening.

"Careful with that knife!"

Her words of caution reminded me that I was naked and wielding heavy cutlery. I recovered a normal and started chopping. She got up and sat at the counter and watched me.

"Once you're done, I want you to go lie down on the carpet and put a pillow over your face."

I would have complied with almost anything she had asked me at this point. It took me about five minutes to cut up all the fruits in strips and cubes. I was intrigued by the rest of the proposition but was too caught up in the heat of the moment to wonder. I moved to the living room, got down on the carpet and placed a pillow over my face, effectively obscuring my sight. I heard the sound of shuffling feet, the clang of the plate on which I'd put the fruits.

Suddenly, there was a cold sensation on my stomach. Something moist and sticky. I forced myself not to peek. Suddenly, I felt her lips against my skin, as she ate up the piece of fruit.

"Don't look."

She placed several more pieces of fruit on my body. The acids were reacting with my skin, making it a little dry despite the moistness. She laid over twenty different strips almost all over my body. Legs, thighs, stomach, chest, arms and hands. Then, with her mouth, she carefully and gently picked each fruit from my body, licking my skin at the same time. I imagined everything, of course, because I could not see what she was doing but it was pretty obvious.

"Okay, that one might be a little colder than the others."

I felt the same feeling, but this time on my private area. I shivered uncontrollably, not because of the cold but because of the stress. I felt her lips against it, and felt I was about to erupt. I decided against it and controlled my hormones. She licked the piece of fruit off, then lapped once more. I was in heaven.

She removed the pillow and I opened my eyes. She was holding a piece of orange up to the mouth. I bit into it, and almost into her fingers.

"Hey!
"Sorry."

I mumbled through the food.

"Was that nice?"
"Unbelievable!"

I rose from my laying down position. I wanted to kiss her, but she was already moving out of the way and back to the safety of her pillows.

"Change of rules."

I stared at her, wondering what she meant.

"I'm not ready to go all the way with you, but I think we can include some... stimulation. If you're up to it... you do seem up."

We both laughed. I had never imagined I could experience such feelings from anyone, let alone someone eating fruit off of my body. I felt sticky.

"So do we agree, new rules?
"Absolutely. Yes. Yes."

She giggled again.

"Why are you so nervous? You want me, right?
"You know I do. It's just... I've never done most of the things we're doing today.
"What building a fort? Getting naked?
"I mean, in the context of... but being eaten off of, yes, that's a first.
"Dare."

I paused. She repeated.

"Dare."

She wanted to keep playing. So did I, I realized. I felt sticky from the sugar from the fruits. An idea popped in my head.

"I want us to take a shower together, and you will wash me. It's only fair since you're the one who got me dirty in the first place.
"Okay. Let's go."

She got up and took my hand. We both dragged each other to the bathroom. If we weren't going to have sex, our demeanor did not support the decision. But we stepped into the shower and she turned on the water. The first drops of water were cold, and they snapped us partially back to reality.

Although the bathroom itself is fairly compact, the shower is large enough for two people to sit in, albeit cramped. To facilitate her task, I remained standing, while she alternated between standing and kneeling. She picked up the soap and the sponge, and started washing my body, first from the top, going to the bottom. She asked if I wanted her to wash my hair, but I said no, so she did not insist.

As the water got warmer, the sexual tension began to return. I could feel not only her hands on my skin, but also her breath. When she knelt, it arrived at just the right height. I closed my eyes and let her work her magic.

A sudden jolt brought me out of my reverie. I felt her hand tighten around me, and suddenly I disappeared into her mouth. None of my previous girlfriends had ever done such a thing. I knew what was going on, I just could not believe it. I looked down. She had closed her eyes. Her movement was slow, rythmic and I felt on edge, ready to explode.

Then, as quickly as it had started, it stopped. I breathed heavily. She turned me around and started to wash my back, leaning her chest against me. She reached around me and put her hand on me, teasing me again.

"Sarah..."
"Sshhh.... let yourself go."

And then something happened. Try as I might, I was not able to release. Something blocked inside me. I wanted to, desperately, but somehow it did not work. She worked on me for a moment longer, then pulled away.

"Come on. I have an idea. Choose dare."

She stepped out of the shower and helped me out. There was no blood in my legs. I felt drugged. She covered me with a towel, grabbed one for herself and dragged me back into the living room. She sat me against the sofa, my towel under me to absorb the water.

"I'm sorry.
"Why should you be sorry? Come on, dare yourself.
"Dare. Okay. Dare."

She pulled the sheet off one pillow and placed it over my eyes, like a blindfold.

"Here is your dare. I'm going to masturbate and you're going to do the same. Only we won't be touching each other and you can't see me. You can only hear me.
"Okay.
"Jim, this is important. You can't look. Not until I tell you to.
"Okay."

I wondered what she wanted to hide. I had already seen her naked. It was not like I would see anything more. But the mystery, her voice, the sensations, they all added to the excitement. Before I knew it, I was masturbating in front of her. Then I heard the sound of her voice. A moaning. So subtle, so discreet. Then another one, a bit louder. I imagined her rubbing herself. The third moan did the trick. Immediately, my tension level dropped and I fell limp all over.

For a moment, I imagined she had been faking to provide me with the stimulation so I could be satisfied. But I heard the moans go on, and the rustling of movement on the carpet. She was actually doing it. And I couldn't watch. I musn't watch.

It took all my compulsion not to remove the blindfold as I heard her moan louder and louder, then the muffled sound as if she was biting into something. One of my pillows? Eventually, I felt her release despite of the blindfold, despite of the lack of sound.

"You can look now."

I immediately removed the pillow case. She was lying in front of me, back arched against the other sofa, her legs wide open, a hand still over it, covering it. Beads of water and sweat dribbled all over her body.

"I've been dying to do that since I walked into the room."

Her comment made me blush. I tried to stand up, but she pressed her foot against me to prevent me from rising.

"Jim, I like you, a lot. But I have needs. I need to know you'll be able to address them before we can go on. You're smart, and good-looking. You may be the man I'm looking for. But I can't decide today.
"What needs?
"I can't explain. Not yet. Please don't ask.
"Are we still... playing?"

I could not believe I actually asked the question.

"Yes. You get to ask me one more time. And I choose truth. I know there's a question on your mind. I want you to ask it. I'll answer truthfully.
"Okay... why won't you sleep with me tonight?
"I can't answer that one.
"But you said...
"I can't answer it today. In two days, it will be New Year's Eve. I want us to do something together. I want us... to go to the beach.
"In December?
"This is California. The water won't be that cold. Bring swimming trunks.
"Sarah, I gotta be honest, I like you too. I think I love you, but you're not making it easy... or much sense."

She looked away for a moment.

"Did you have fun?
"Yes.
"What else matters, then? Right now, we're having fun. Where it goes from here, we'll see."

Her nonchalance was disconcerting. I could tell she wanted me to take her, right then and there. She would enjoy it, and so would I. Or was I projecting? And why would she not let me close? Why would she not kiss me?

"I think the game is on hold until New Year's Eve. I'll call you in the morning, and we can meet on the beach."

And with that, she dried herself, got dressed and left. I stayed naked around the house the rest of the day, not wanting to go out, wondering if she was worth all the questions.