In The Garden Of Snakes (An Erotic Summer Tryst) Read online

  In The Garden Of Snakes

  By Virginia Wade

  Copyright © 2012 Virginia Wade

  All Rights Reserved.

  Published by I Love Stacy

  Smashwords Edition

  Virginia Wade

  http://virginia-wade-erotica.com

  http://twitter.com/VirginiaErotica

  Email:

  [email protected]

  All characters appearing in this work are fictitious. Any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.

  This book contains material protected under International and Federal Copyright Laws and Treaties. Any unauthorized reprint or use of this book is prohibited. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system without express written permission from the author.

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  Chapter One

  After having been home schooled all through high school and accepted into the college of my parent’s choice, I was determined to experience my first real taste of freedom. My parents, who were deeply religious and highly protective, had never let me out of their sight, except to join fellow church members in sleepovers and camping trips, which were supervised. Having just turned eighteen, I felt desperate to break free. I had been invited to Carmen’s grandmother’s house for the month of July. She was a friend of the family, who used to live next door, attending the same church, although I hadn’t seen her for years. After her mother passed away, they moved, and her father had remarried. My parents were entirely comfortable with the idea of me spending time with the Hollanders, knowing that they shared similar values.

  “She’s here!” called my mother.

  “Coming!”

  I checked my appearance in the mirror, seeing a fresh-faced female staring back at me. My hair was long and thick, the color of honey or a field of wheat. My eyebrows were arching and fair, enhancing the blueness of my eyes. Fat rosy lips hid perfectly straight teeth, the result of wearing braces for years. A patch of freckles spotted my nose, the little discolorations were scattered over my cheeks as well. If I had one qualm about my appearance, it would be my breasts. Since my sixteenth birthday, they had grown three-cup sizes, alarming and mortifying me at the same time. I wore baggy sweaters and t-shirts in a bid to minimize the effect, but I still felt horribly self-conscious about their size.

  “She’s waiting!”

  I grabbed my bag and ran down the stairs. “Sorry!” Carmen stood by the door, smiling. She looked so different; I almost didn’t recognize her. “Hi!”

  “Hey you. How are ya?”

  She hugged me. “I-I’m good. You look so—”

  “Grown-up,” said mother. “Let me see you, dear. You’ve gotten so tall.”

  “Thanks, Mrs. Moll.”

  My mother glanced at me. “Do you have everything? You have your cell? Call me as soon as you get there.”

  “I will.” I slung my purse over my shoulder.

  “Have a wonderful time, darling. I’m going to miss you. Don’t forget to go to church.”

  “I won’t.”

  “This will be the longest I’ve been without you.” She hugged me.

  Her tone bordered on emotional, which was worrying. I disengaged myself, stepping back. “Well, I guess that’s it. We gotta go. See ya. Tell dad I said bye.”

  “He’ll be back in a minute, if you’ll wait. I made some ice tea. We could have cookies and wait for him.”

  She was back peddling and regretting her decision to let me go. “I’ll be fine, mom. Chillax.”

  “He’s on his way now.”

  “I’ll call you soon.” I headed for the door before she could stop me. Last year I had planned a trip to Disney Land with a friend, but my mother had persuaded me to stay home. That would not happen again. “Love you.”

  “Oh, but, honey, maybe—”

  “Bye, Mrs. Moll. We’ll take real good care of her, I promise.”

  “Yes, but…I…don’t—”

  “Love you!” I all but ran to the car and jumped into the passenger seat. “You better get outta here fast before she changes her mind.”

  “Oh, shit,” giggled Carmen, who turned over the ignition and pulled into the street without putting her seatbelt on. “She’s still standing there.” Her eyes were in the rear-view mirror.

  “All the more reason to drive quickly.”

  “I dig the protective vibe, but that’s ridiculous.”

  “You’ve no idea.”

  She glanced at me. “Jeez, I haven’t seen you in forever. How’ve you been, Jessica?”

  Carmen was as tall and thin as I remembered, with medium length brown hair and a flat chest. “I’m good, and you?”

  “Great.” She pulled out a pack of cigarettes and popped one in her mouth. The lighter was pressed in. “Man, are we gonna have fun. You’ve never been to my grandmother’s house before. It’s huge, with a pool and a pond and stuff. She’s a little loopy cause of Alzheimer’s, but everybody’s real cool.” She lit her cigarette, the noxious odor filling the car.

  I rolled down the window. “I didn’t know you smoked.”

  “Try it.” She gave me the cigarette.

  I stared at it, nearly paralyzed. I’d never been this close to one before. “Um, I don’t really smoke.”

  “Take a puff.” I hesitated and then took the cigarette, bringing it to my lips. I drew on the end and began to cough. “You’ll get the hang of it,” she laughed.

  I handed it to her, feeling dizzy. “Uh, thanks.”

  Carmen turned up the stereo, which was plugged into her iPod. Loud music blared, as we exited onto an off-ramp and entered the freeway. I was too chicken to drive on the interstate, but Carmen seemed to take it in stride, speeding up and successfully merging with traffic.

  I glanced at her. “So what’s on the agenda?”

  “Hanging out, booze, tanning, and sex.” Her grin was wicked. “The possibilities are endless. My cousin, Sonya’s there and this cute guy named Christian. The rest is family.”

  The change in her was alarming. “You’re so different.”

  “Dad left the church after mom died. It was her thing. He hated it. It’s probably best your mom doesn’t know that.”

  “Yeah, I won’t tell her.”

  “You went to Ithaca High School, right?”

  “No. I was homeschooled.”

  Her mouth dropped open. “Oooh, fun.” Sarcasm laced her tone. “Lots of quality time with mom. Yay.”

  “You’ve changed so much.”

  “Thank the freaking Lord.” She flung her butt out the window. “You’re not gonna be a funsucker are you? I mean, we’re pretty laid back, and my parents aren’t sticklers for rules and stuff. We can pretty much do what we want.”

  “Oh, I’m so glad you didn’t tell my mom that.”

  “Are you okay with this?”

  I sighed. “Look, I’ve been dying to get away, Carmen. I won’t ruin your vacation, if that’s what you’re worried about.” It almost seemed too good to be true. Was a bolt of lightning about to strike me down?

  Her smile was enormous. “All right. Let the good times ro
ll.” She lit another cigarette.

  An hour and a half later, we arrived at the house. The sprawling, two-story mansion with its stucco and wood exterior had an enormous row of flowerbeds out front and a gravel, circular drive. Several cars were parked under the shade of oak trees. A mangy dog trotted towards us, as we retrieved our things from the back seat.

  “Willy!” Carmen exclaimed. “Who let you out?”

  I petted him behind the ears. “Hi, boy.” I wore jean shorts and a green t-shirt, which was suitably baggy to hide my embarrassing chest. “He’s friendly.”

  “He belongs to Stuart, our gardener.”

  “Oh.”

  “Come on. I’ll show you your room. But, you’ll probably sleep with me, cause this house has some creepy ghosts.”

  “It does?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Crap. I gotta call my mom.”

  “Be my guest.”

  I spoke to my mother briefly, reassuring her that I had arrived safely. She sounded strange, as if she had been crying. Ugh. The guilt trip had begun already. Give me a break. Once in the residence, I glanced around the marbled foyer, taking in the elegantly patterned wallpaper and huge staircase with carved balusters. A chandelier hovered over our heads, while light streamed in from three story windows.

  “Wow.”

  “Come on.” We headed towards the kitchen, taking a small flight of stairs. “This is the fastest way.” We were on the second floor, wandering down a carpeted hallway.

  “Your grandma must be rich.”

  “She inherited the house. It’s been in the family forever. I might get it one day.” She threw open a set of doors. “I’m across the hall.” The space was decorated with heavily carved, dark furniture and a flowered bedspread. It looked like a snapshot from another era. She flung open the balcony doors. “Everybody’s outside.”

  I stood at the railing and eyed a garden littered with walkways and trimmed bushes. “Oh, it’s so pretty.”

  “There’s a pool and an art studio. Dad’s painting again.”

  I glanced at her. “I’m sorry about your mom. She was always so nice to me.”

  “Yeah…thanks. The cancer sucked. It was…not fun. I miss her.”

  “Of course you do. My mom drives me nuts, but it would be awful if she was gone.”

  “You probably think my dad didn’t waste any time finding a new wife.”

  “That was a surprise.” This had shocked my mother profoundly. He had remarried less than a year later. I remembered Mr. Hollander as being a tall man, with a pleasing face. He was slightly intimidating, but, then again, most men scared me.

  “You’ll meet my stepsisters and my cousin, Sonya. There are a shit-ton of people here. Mom’s throwing a ball Saturday night. I call her mom. You’ll get used to it. Come on. Let’s check it out.”

  “A ball?”

  “Yeah, like one of those masked balls.”

  My spirits plummeted. “I don’t have anything to wear to that.”

  “Sure you do. We have dress up clothes in one of the bedrooms. It’ll be a blast. There are masks and costume jewelry and stuff.”

  I was always awkward in social situations. I’d never been to a dance, since I had been homeschooled for the last six years. “I can’t dance.”

  “It doesn’t matter.” She took my hand. “I’ll show you how. We’ll practice before the weekend. Come on. People want to meet you.”

  That thought was absolutely terrifying.

  Chapter Two

  We descended the stairs and wandered through the expansive living room, with a wall full of French doors. White curtains blew in the breeze, and the smell of roses lingered in the air. Several cats were draped over the backs of sofas, and a light brown poodle zipped past us, followed by squealing children.

  “This is my stepsister, Abby, and that’s my other stepsister, Madison.” Abby wore a pink tutu with stained white nylons. “Say hi to Jessica, girls. She’s staying with us for a while.”

  “Hi, Jessica,” said Abby. She bowed dramatically. “How do you do? Welcome to the castle.” She had mimicked a man’s voice.

  “I-I’m good. Thanks.”

  “Maddy, what do you say.”

  “Hi. We’re going swimming. Wanna come?” Madison was a short brunette with rosy cheeks.

  “Maybe later.” Impatient to continue playing, the girls ran from the room.

  “Come on. I’ll give you the tour. Then we can go swimming. I gotta work on my tan.”

  A woman suddenly appeared. “Oh, there you are. Why didn’t you tell me you’d arrived?” She was of medium stature, with long, dyed blonde hair. A loose fitting, colorful shirt flowed out around her. “I’m Constance, Carmen’s stepmother.” She held out a hand.

  I shook it. “Jessica.”

  “Did you have a good drive?”

  “Yes. It was fine. Thanks for inviting me to stay with you. My mother wanted me to tell you that. Well, thanks from me too.” I struggled for something else to say, feeling at a loss. “This house is really nice.”

  She smiled, and lines appeared around her eyes. “Thank you. Everyone’s outside having lemonade.” She glanced at Carmen. “Your dad’s in the studio.”

  “And he’s not coming out until he’s Picasso.”

  Constance leaned in conspiratorially. “I should warn you, he’s looking for nude models. So, if he propositions you, it’s only for art’s sake.” She laughed at that. “I have to check on lunch. Excuse me.”

  The thought of posing nude for anyone, let alone a man who was substantially older, had my stomach turning over with bundles of nervous energy.

  “She’s joking, Jess. You don’t have to get naked for him, unless you want to.”

  “Um, I think I’ll pass.”

  “That’s what I thought you’d say.”

  I followed Carmen out the French doors. We stood on a gray stone patio that seemed to stretch on forever. Potted trees and flowers were placed at intervals, among cushioned furniture. There were several seating areas and a lengthy table with chairs. Umbrellas provided spotted shading. A pretty brunette in a bikini approached.

  “This must be Jessica.” She smiled pleasantly.

  “Hi.”

  “I’m Sonya.”

  “You’re way ahead of us,” said Carmen. “We should get our swimsuits on.”

  “Well, hello,” said a gray-haired woman. She was in a wheelchair, which glided over silently. “You must be Jessica.”

  “I am.” I knew this was Carmen’s grandmother. “Your house is beautiful, Mrs. Hollander.”

  “Why, thank you, sweetheart.”

  A woman came out dressed in blue nurse scrubs. “It’s time for lunch, Rose.”

  “I want to eat out here.”

  “I can set the table.”

  “You girls are all so lovely.” She smiled through a watery haze, her red-rimmed eyes glistening. “You be careful of the snakes, my dears. There are so many in the garden.”

  “Yes, grandma. We’ll watch out for the snakes.” Carmen made a face.

  “They’re hiding in the bushes.”

  “I’m sure the girls will be just fine,” said the nurse. “Let’s find you a shady spot.”

  “Isn’t it lovely to be young?” murmured Rose wistfully. “Those were the best years. The pretty dresses and parties. The dinner dates, the luncheons. What fun we had at the Stork Club.”

  “Yes, Mrs. Hollander.” The nurse wheeled her off.

  “I’m grabbing a Coke and heading down,” said Sonya.

  Carmen glanced at me. “Let’s hit the pool. You can meet everybody later. I’m dying for a cigarette.”

  How bad could it be? It wasn’t as if I would be exposing myself in public. The residence was private. “Okay.” We returned to the house. I was in my bedroom, stepping into a modest one-piece when the door suddenly opened. It was Carmen. “Omigod!” I hid myself, turning around. “I’m getting dressed.” God. This is so embarrassing!

  “Sorry. I have hor
rible manners. You might as well get used to it. Are you really wearing that?”

  “Uh, yeah.” I slid the straps over my shoulders.

  “That’s like somethin’ my grandma would wear. I have a couple of bikinis. You can borrow one. You don’t have to go around looking like that.”

  I turned to her. “I’m fine. I…don’t mind this. Where are the towels?” She had on a bikini that was nothing more than strips of cloth held together by string.

  “Down by the pool.”

  “I’ll grab my sunscreen.” I was going to ignore that look on her face, which made it painfully obvious how disgusting she found my swimsuit to be. I’d never really been in public nearly naked before; my family wasn’t the outdoorsy type, and we’d only been to a pool once or twice. I had never learned how to swim.

  She gave me a look. “This place is gonna freak you out.”

  “How do you mean?”

  “Roberta usually goes topless.”

  “Who’s Roberta?”

  “Mom’s younger sister.”

  I shrugged. “People can do what they want.”

  “I’ve gone topless too.”

  “You can do what you want.” The mention of women being naked had an unusual effect on me. A strange tingling had begun in my tummy. I’d experienced this before, mostly when I was bored or when I read or saw something that aroused me. I shook myself mentally. I’d have to get it out of my head. “Let’s go. I’m ready.”

  The walk to the pool was fragrant and beautiful, the plants being at their peak. We passed a gardener on the way. He was packing mulch under a bush; his gray pants were stained.

  “This is Stuart,” said Carmen. He stood and brushed dirt off his thighs. She gave him a hug, which surprised me.

  “Hey, Sunshine.” He was tall and lean, with dark wavy hair and an easy smile. “Hello.” His eyes roamed over me, pausing on my breasts. “Your house guests are getting prettier.”

  “Jessica’s staying with us for a month. She’s lived a sheltered life, Stuart. Just look at her.” His appraisal was blatant and knowing. I swallowed the lump in my throat, my palms suddenly sweaty. “I’m hoping you’ll help me corrupt her.”