Excerpt of Sweet Charity by Belle Sloane

"Albuquerque, New Mexico Territory - 1910

Sitting on the side of the bed, shame and embarrassment kept Charity Blythe from looking anywhere except at the floral rug on her bedroom floor. She slid the straps of her camisole back up on her shoulders, covering her breasts. Once again, she'd failed to please Edwin, her betrothed.

Before he'd stood up, straightened his clothes, and left the room, Edwin had called her cold. He'd called her selfish. And once more he'd reminded her that if they were ever to marry, she would have to show more initiative and spirit in the bedroom.

Charity sighed. Thinking about her experience of just ten minutes ago, brought with it another flush of embarrassment and more warmth than his fumbling caresses ever had. Instead of pulling her shirtwaist back on, she got up from the bed and walked over to the oval mirror in the corner, in her skirt and camisole.

Her face was pleasant enough. Her hair was her crowning glory. It hung in chestnut waves down her back and over her breasts. Her skin was unfashionably golden from the time she spent out of doors--time she loved, riding her horse Moonlight in the bosque. Luckily, Edwin was agreeable to her riding excursions. One of the few things he was agreeable to.

She examined her small, firm breasts, pushing against her camisole. They literally ached for something. Some sort of soothing, yet every time Edwin touched her there, she felt like cringing, pulling back. But, he was too strong for her. The times when she tried to pull back, he'd hold her fast as though he hadn't even noticed her reticence, and continue pinching her nipples and squeezing her breasts one at a time, back and forth. He'd study them intently as he touched her, as if trying to unlock the secret of his frustratingly, unresponsive fiancé.

The one time he'd gotten as far as trying to thrust his penis inside her, it hurt her so badly that she had bitten his shoulder to make him stop. For some reason he'd paid attention to her that time.

Empowered by frustration, Charity reached up and slid one strap back down to her elbow. The afternoon sun shone through the window warming her exposed breast. The warmth lulled her, helped her to relax away some of her tension. She closed her eyes and the moment she did, the image of a faceless man appeared in her mind. Her fanciful thinking had always been prone to daydreams.

In her daydream the man approached her, smiling a kind smile. He stopped in front of her and raised his hand to her bared breast. First, he held it from beneath, gently lifting, weighing it with reverence. Then as softly as a butterfly wing, he began to brush his thumb lightly back and forth over her nipple, making it hard and much more sensitive. The sensation made her knees a little wobbly. She wished he could keep doing that for a long, long time. He dropped her other camisole strap and went to pleasuring both of her breasts at once. New and extremely pleasing sensations ran from her engorged nipples to the tight place between her legs, her woman's place. His touches felt so unearthly good.

Why couldn't Edwin's touches make her feel this way? Was she only able to become aroused in her day dreams?

Her dream lover lowered his head and pulled a nipple into his warm, wet mouth and sucked at her flesh with purpose, causing her to moan out loud.

"Char-i-ty!" Edwin's loud voice surged up through the door. "Come down here. I have something I need to discuss with you."

Charity shook her head to clear her thoughts. She looked in the mirror in front of her and gasped. Her camisole was down around her waist, and she was massaging the soft flesh of both breasts with her own hands. She'd never done that before and a strong measure of scandal reminded her of her duty.

"Charity!" he boomed even louder.

Quickly she righted her camisole and donned her shirtwaist, tucking it into her skirt as she left the room. Holding up her skirt she made haste down the long staircase.

"Please join me in the withdrawing room," demanded his disembodied voice.

She followed the sound of his words. It was always awkward after one of their dismal attempts at relations. He'd want to talk about it, to lecture her. He would ask uncomfortable questions, and tell her what he expected of her using vulgar language that embarrassed her terribly.

She sat on the sofa next to him resting her clasped hands in her lap. "Edwin, I really am trying. This is still very new to me, and I'm working hard to get used to it all. Really I am."

"Charity, we've been engaged for three months and I have yet to fuck you. It's my right to fuck my fiancé. I need to know what I'm getting."

She cringed, hating it when he used that word. At the same time, she wanted to learn to do her part in bed.

"So I've taken a step to help you with your problem."

She swallowed hard, clasping her hands tighter in her lap.

""What are you talking about?"

""I've made an appointment for you with a physician, a Dr. Dillon Ramsey. He will give you an examination to make sure there is nothing wrong with you, and that your body is functioning properly, then he'll make some recommendations to you on how to perform your upcoming duties."

"I'm working on it," she said, her anger flaring.

"A good woman submits to her man in their bed."

"I'm aware of that, and I'm trying. But I don't want anyone else to know about my...problem."

"It's too late for that. I've already discussed it with the doctor."

"# # #

Charity sat in the waiting room clutching her reticule. Edwin had dropped her off and told her he'd be back for her in an hour.

A woman with a smiling baby on her lap sat across from her. She looked over at Charity and nodded hello then leaned down and kissed her child on the top of the head. Pain pierced Charity's heart. How would she ever be able to have children if she couldn't even complete the actions involved in starting one?

The woman and baby were called in next and their appointment lasted only a few minutes. Upon exiting she waved kindly, saying good-bye to Charity as she left the office, leaving her the last person waiting.

Just then the nurse came out of the examination room and stopped in front of her desk. "Hello, Miss Blythe. Dr. Ramsey will be with you in minute." She picked up a clipboard and excused herself.

"The door to the examination room opened again, and out stepped the doctor. She recognized him instantly as one of the other riders who frequented the trail she and Moonlight traveled on their rides. Oh, no. That's going to make this even more horrible.

"She'd imagined a grandfather image. A man who, after a discreet examination, would pat her on the shoulder and tell her there was nothing wrong with her, and all she needed to do was to just keep trying. Not the handsome stranger from the trail that she had to admit she'd had an errant thought or two about.

Dr. Ramsey walked over and sat down next to her on the bench. When he turned toward her she noticed his eyes were a deep blue, and kind. His black hair was cut in the modern style, but he used no oil to hold it in place so a few waves fell over his forehead. He clasped his hands and leaned over resting his forearms on his thighs. Then he turned to her and said, "Miss Blythe, I'm Dillon Ramsey. I know the thought of this kind of exam must be very unsettling. I'll do my best to make you as comfortable as I can."

"I appreciate that," she said feeling a blush creep up her cheeks.

"Shall we get started?"

Still clutching her handbag, she cleared her throat. "I suppose."

He stood and motioned toward the exam room. She followed. After she entered she turned around, half expecting to see a torture chamber, but her gaze was greeted with the normal sights--an exam table, a coat rack, and a cabinet filled with medicines and instruments.

"I need to get something from the store room, please sit up on the exam table and loosen both your undergarments as well as your outer clothing, but you don't need to remove them." He smiled again with encouragement. "I'm hoping not having to disrobe will ease your discomfort some."

"It does, Dr. Ramsey, thank you." She nodded and began to unbutton her blouse as the door closed behind him. She loosened her skirt and then hoisted herself up on the table and waited. Well, at least he seemed genuinely concerned about her.

He returned to the room with a small cobalt blue glass bottle in his hand and placed it on the counter. Then he stepped up to her from behind and she felt his hands come to rest on her shoulders. "I want you to relax. So, I'm going rub your shoulders while I interview you about your relations with Mr. Payne. Is that all right with you?"

"Yes, that's fine."

He smoothed his warm hands over the tops of her shoulders and up and down her upper arms as he spoke. His voice was gentle. "Tell me about what happens in your bed with him."

"Well, nothing really. That's the problem." His hands were a comforting balm, not an additional cause of anxiety as she'd expected they might be.

"How do things start when you attempt to have relations?" His thumbs stroked up and down the back of her neck.

"Well, I guess like everyone else. We sit on the side of the bed, he opens my blouse and undergarments and touches my breasts."

"Is there any kissing?"

"No, just the breast touching." She thought she heard him sigh.

"How does he touch them?"

"I guess his favorite thing to do is pinch my nipples because he does that quite a lot."

"Hmmm." He stopped for a moment then resumed to long slow strokes across her shoulders. "How else does he touch them?"

"Well he squeezes them, too."

"Do you find his attentions to your breasts pleasurable?"

" "At first I was excited about the prospect of that kind of touching, because no one had ever touched me there before and I'd heard stories about how wonderful it could be. But, his touches leave me, well they leave me cold."

Ramsey ceased his massage and walked around in front of her. "The first thing I need to do is check your breasts for responsiveness. Perhaps you have problems with sensation? Would you please open your blouse and pull up your camisole?"

Charity was embarrassed not so much at the fact that she was about to bare her breasts to a stranger, but that she was feeling warm all over at the prospect. She pulled apart the front of her unbuttoned blouse and pulled the bottom of her camisole up out of her skirt, exposing her stomach then stopped.

"Would you like some help?" he asked, his voice soft with encouragement.

She nodded.

The doctor reached for her undergarment and lifted slowly, his fingers grazing her stomach and breasts as he pulled the fabric up to her breast-bone.

She looked up into his eyes. As he examined her breasts his gaze grew more serious.

"Is something wrong?"

"No, nothing. You are very well formed," he said clearing his throat. He reached out and with his palm, cradled her breast. Then just like in her day dream he brushed back and forth over her tight nipple with his thumb, causing her to tremble with pleasure.

"Am I hurting you?"

"No, it...it feels very good. Is this how it's supposed to feel with Edwin?" She let her head fall back a little and enjoyed his touch.

"Yes, actually. Does he ever put his mouth on your breasts?"

"No, just the pinching and squeezing."

He shook his head but didn't say anything. She felt such conflict inside. She was a spoken for woman, but something about his touches made her want to shed all of her clothing, and have him touch her everywhere.

" "Has he ever kissed you between your legs? Or asked you to put his phallus in your mouth?"

"People actually do that?" .

"Yes, many people find it to be very satisfying, but I'm getting ahead of myself. Your breasts are perfectly formed and quite responsive. There are no problems there. What about intercourse? Does it feel good for him to enter you with his phallus?"

"He's never entered me completely before. It...it hurt too much." This discussion was so embarrassing.

He frowned at that. "Lie back. Pull your skirt up to your waist and I'll check you."

Her heart beat faster at the thought of him touching her down there. Edwin had never touched her down there with his hands.

" Ramsey stood at the end of the examination table and beckoned her to scoot her buttocks down to the end. When she did, he steadied her hips in the center and grasping her shins he bent her knees up and apart. A soft draft of air made her realize that her folds were hot and moist, and totally exposed.

"I'm going to check sensation here as well. You will need to relax even more than when I checked your breasts."

"Yes, doctor."

Sliding his thumbs up over her outer folds he parted her lips and opened her to him. "Everything is perfectly normal here as well." He pressed his finger firmly against the knot of flesh high up between her inner lips and the resulting sensations were so exquisite that her bottom came up off the table. "Oh!"

Removing his hand from her, Ramsey leaned over her, looking angry. "Such as shame that a woman as responsive as you are, is matched with a man who doesn't give you near the attention or consideration you deserve. There is nothing wrong with your sensations here or any other part of you. You are perfect."

"Please, let me feel what I have been missing. Please."

"Miss Blythe, this you must do for yourself. It will help you to learn how you like to be touched."

" "I'm not sure I understand. What do you want me to do?"

Ramsey turned to the cabinet and grabbed the blue bottle he'd brought in earlier. He removed the small cork and the scent of lavender wafted into the air around her. She wondered what he was going to do with the oil. Stepping back between her legs he poured a few drops of it right on the place he'd checked just before. "Now, I want you to touch yourself between your legs. Right at the spot where I poured the oil." He took her hand and draped it over her mound. "Rub up and down right here. Try different touches and then you can tell Edwin how you like to be touched."

She ventured a pass over the slippery, sensitive spot and the surprising sensations made her warm all over. They made her mouth water, and made her ache for more.

"Keep going," he urged. "Keep stroking up and down."

Eager to learn these lessons she began a slow and careful rhythm over the tiny sensitive knot. She never knew her body held such delicious secrets, and that she could unlock them all on her own. "This is wonderful, doctor." She noticed she was breathing faster.

"You're doing well, Miss Blythe. Now, a little faster. Yes, just like that." He pulled her camisole up to her chest and placed her other hand on her breast. "Now rub your nipple and your clitoris at the same time."

Her fingers instinctively closed around her nipple and squeezed. Both nipples grew harder instantly. She grasped the nipple tighter and pulled at it. As her excitement increased she noticed that the tip had hardened more than ever before, and elongated too. The new sensations were wonderful.

The faster she rubbed between her legs the more a delicious tension spread from her woman's place up to her breasts and back again. The incredible heat between her legs grew and grew, spreading throughout her body. All over, the surface of her skin was on fire.

She increased her speed and suddenly an exquisite explosion occurred inside her, causing searing heat to course from her woman's place all the way out to her fingertips and toes.

She swallowed hard, as the pulsing of pleasure that had spread up through her tongue and lips. She licked her lips. They were extremely sensitive, too. Her breathing came hard and fast, as if she'd just run up the stairs of her house.

Charity opened her eyes to see Dr. Ramsey standing at her side. His expression was tight with what she assumed was contentment over helping a patient.

She sighed deeply then asked, "What just happened to me?"

"That, Miss Blythe, was your first orgasm."