Chapter 4

            Two days later . . .

            A.J. proved to be more efficient than Caitlin had ever expected. Yesterday, he came over to the house at nine sharp as promised. He had looked at what needed to be done and gave Caitlin a reasonable quote for things outside his hourly rate. Once they had finished their discussion, A.J. began clearing out the debris in the house.

            Today, Caitlin met him at nine a.m. again to let him in the house. This time she had left him there to get to work. When she came back at lunchtime to check on him, a man she had never met before was getting into a white truck, leaving the house. He looked to be some sort of labor man.

            Caitlin walked into the house to see A.J. pulling up the tacky and stained kitchen linoleum.

            “Hi,” he greeted.

            “Hi. Who was that leaving?”

            “That was the electrician we had talked about. He was able to squeeze you in. He had great news, too. Everything seems to be up to code concerning the electricity.”

            “That is great news – and a relief,” Caitlin said with a smile.

            “Yes, so I can forge ahead with what we talked about me doing first.” A.J.’s plan was to start on the kitchen, living room, and master bedroom so Caitlin can move in for the rest of her stay. Then he would continue to work on the rest of the house for the remainder of the summer.

            “Wonderful.” Caitlin still wasn’t sure if she was going to keep the place as a getaway or not. It depended on how the house looked when it was finished.

            “If you want, you can start picking out colors for the walls and flooring. This floor is coming up a lot easier than I first figured. I should be able to start painting and doing the flooring by next Tuesday if I can stay on schedule.”

           “That’s perfect. The quicker you can get the kitchen, living room, and bedroom up to par the better.”

            “Are you expecting company soon?”

            “Oh, no. I just want to be . . . in my own place. When I had arrived here, I wasn’t expecting to stay in a hotel.” She needed to be somewhere that was . . . her. Back home her mother did the decorating for the exception of the girls’ bedrooms. That was the only space Caitlin had to herself to do with what she wanted. Now, she had a whole house of her own that she could decorate as she pleased.

           “I think I understand. Well, it’s after twelve. I’m about to go to lunch.”

          “Oh, well, don’t let me keep you.”

          “Would you like to eat lunch together? I know this great –” A.J. began.

          “I’ve already eaten,” The truth was she hadn’t eaten. But she didn’t think it was appropriate to eat with her employee and the man was so gorgeous she wouldn’t be able to keep her eyes on her food.

           “Oh. Maybe another time.”

           Caitlin nodded. “I best get going.”

                                                                                  ****

            Wow, she really is a stickler. I guess I’m too sweaty and common to eat with her. A.J. shrugged. But he had been right about her tits. A good D-cup. He headed outside. The boss lady was already gone. He grabbed his blue helmet off the back of his Harley. He secured the head gear and hopped on. He fired it up and he was off.

                                                                                  ****

            It was seven o’clock. Caitlin got into the shower. Mainly because she didn’t want to go back out and there was nothing else to do. As she began to wet herself, her mind’s eye flashed to A.J. - his dark hair, sexy eyes, and muscled arms. She had a good view of them today because he was wearing a tank top. He was pretty muscular in the arms but not bulging muscles. She licked her lips as she grabbed the hotel bar soap. 

Caitlin began to wonder what it would be like to watch him take a shower. The water wetting his hair and beading on his taut muscled body. His member erect and bobbing about. The thought made her pink nipples tingle.

            She let out a ragged breath as she dragged the soap over her mounds. There were times she hated how big her breasts were because they would get in the way and it made it hard for her to wear a strapless dress at times. But then there were times she loved having a big bust – more to play with when she was in the mood - like now.

            Caitlin dragged the soap over her breasts, lathering them up. Her fingers and hands brushed her now hard nipples. She began flicking them with her fingertips. It was nice and relaxing. Her soapy right hand glided down her tummy to her clit. She rubbed it as her other hand fondled her mountains.

            Faster, faster, faster she went until she cried out under the sprinkling water. She moaned with satisfaction as she came back to earth.

                                                                              ****

            A.J. was on his forty-five foot boat in the shower jerking his cock as fast as he could. He had gotten an image in his head of the boss lady bare chested and on her back for him to rub his manhood between those big breasts of hers.

            His balls contracted as the heat rushed to his rod. He shot cum all over the shower wall in front of him.

            “Uh! Damn!”

            The boss lady wasn’t the first woman he had jerked off to while being in The Keys. But this time the orgasm seemed better than any other time he had jerked off for the past two years.

            “Whew,” he eased out. He went back to actually showering.

            After washing himself and the shower wall, he put on a pair of blue shorts and went up deck.

            It was almost eight o’clock. He usually talked to his sister around eight o’clock on Thursdays. He grabbed his cell and made the call.

                                                                            ****

            Caitlin was in bed reading Elle Décor magazine. Her cell rang. It was Hector. She hadn’t spoken to him since she had arrived in Key West.

            “Well, hello,” she said with a smile.

            Hector chuckled. “How is the most beautiful woman on earth?”

            Caitlin giggled. “Great actually.” She should have felt guilty about fantasying about another man while masturbating but she didn’t. It was just that one time. Any other time it would have been Hector who she would think about while she found release. Caitlin had worked up the nerve once to ask Hector to play with her breasts – just a little to get her body to calm down. He couldn’t bring himself to do it. Something about it wouldn’t be fair to him or her considering that he couldn’t take it to the finish line. She hadn’t wanted anything to be taken to the finish line. She had just wanted some titillation to get her hormones to calm down. But instead of saying that she had let it go. Caitlin hadn’t wanted to embarrass him or make him feel uncomfortable. Since then, she had taken care of her body’s physical needs herself which was nothing new.

            “I didn’t call before because I didn’t want to seem like I was hovering. I know you went down there to have some space to think and work on your new project. How’s fixing up the house coming along?”

            “Good. I found a handyman – well, more like a lone wolf contractor that seems like a jack of all trades. The only thing he can’t work on is electricity. But that’s no big deal. He had an electrician come in to check everything and all is well.”

            “Good. So, how are you liking the Florida Keys?”

            “I like it so far, but I haven’t had a chance to explore the other islands yet. How’s everything there?”

            “Other than you not being here, great.”

            Caitlin chuckled. “I’ll probably be back before you know it.”

            “Not soon enough. Have you had a chance to think about my proposal?”

            “Some. I was wondering how you felt about us adopting if we marry.”

            “Adopting? I already have three kids, granted, they’re grown but still. I have children.”

            “Yes. You have children. I don’t.”

            “You’ll be their step-mother so when, and I do mean when, you marry me they’ll be your children.”

            “Noo. Not really,” she enunciated. “Cassandra and I get along like we’re sisters not stepmother and stepdaughter.”

            Plus, I’m only four years older than her. She really is old enough to be my sister.

            Hector’s youngest son was twenty-three and his eldest son was thirty-three. There was no way she could be a mother figure to any of them.

            “I think I see your point. Darling, I have to think about this. I have to figure out if I still got it in me to raise a baby. I assume you want to adopt an infant.”

            “If possible, yes.” Caitlin had dreamed about having children when she was younger. When she had turned thirty, it had looked like she wasn’t going to find a real relationship therefore never having children. She had put the thought out of her mind – until Catherine had brought up children in her last phone call with her.

            Hector grunted like he was in deep thought – or the thought turned him off. Caitlin couldn’t figure out which.

                                                                                 ****

            The next day Caitlin went to the house to let A.J. in at nine a.m. like she has for the last few days. He was wearing red T-shirt today and blue jeans.

            “I’m going to the store to look at some carpet samples. If I see anything I like, I’m going to go ahead and order it and have it delivered here. More than likely you’ll be here when they deliver it. Is that all right?”

            “Sure, duchess.”

            Surely, she had heard him wrong. “What did you call me?”

            “Duchess. You see, that’s what I decided to call you. I couldn’t go on with ma’am. It was getting to Monotonous and you’re a little too young to be called, ma’am. So . . .”

              “How did you come up with duchess for me?” she asked with slight suspicion.

              Does he know I’m rich? Caitlin had gotten her trust fund when she had turned thirty. So she had millions of her own. Plus, her father was worth billions, so when he died Caitlin would get a piece of his empire along with her sisters and cousins.

             “You carry yourself very well. In a ladylike way I mean. Very poised and . . . most women around here don’t carry themselves the way you do. If you were British, you would be a duchess - in my humble opinion. After all, you never told me your name.”

            “I didn’t?” she said in a high-pitched tone. She paid extra to have her name blocked when it came up on anyone’s caller ID. It was a defense mechanism. The name Van Dyke was a big deal and sometimes Caitlin didn’t want strangers to know she was part of the wealthy Van Dyke dynasty. Strangers could often times be scammers and con-men. Something her father had cautioned and instilled in her and her sisters.  If someone called her who didn’t have her in their contact list, the word private came up.

            A.J. shook his head.

            “Did you ever think to ask?”

            “I did, but when you didn’t volunteer it when we first met, I just assumed you didn’t want me to know for some reason.”

            At the time she didn’t because she didn’t know if he was a crazed rapist and murderer or not. But, instead she said, “There is no reason. My –” She stopped as a thought hit her. “I tell you what. I’ll tell you my name in exchange for your last name.”

            He laughed – and it was a glorious sound. He sounded so manly and . . . sexy. “Why do you need to know my last name? This isn’t the first time you’ve asked.”

            “I can’t help but be curious considering that you are working on my property. And you only want to be paid in cash. I . . . Are you wanted by the police?” she finally asked.

            He laughed again but harder this time. “No. I’m not. I’m just a regular guy who does odd jobs.”

            “Well, if that’s the case then telling me your last name in exchange for my name won’t hurt.”

            He looked at her for a moment. Then he smiled a sly smile. “Duchess, it is.”

            She cocked her head to the side. “Are you toying with me?” She had to ask. He had such a teasing twinkle in his eyes.

            “Hmm . . . yes,” he said with a big smile.

            Caitlin’s mouth dropped open. “You are proving to be quite impossible.”

            A.J. chuckled. “I’m not that bad once you get to know me. If you ever have a meal with me, you’ll find out.”

            “As you know, I’m busy.”

            “Keep telling yourself that,” he sang.

            “Oh, I can see you’re incorrigible, too,” she said in a huff and turned to leave.

            As she was, her cheeks warmed.