Crowning Desire Read online

  Crowning Desire

  BookGalleyTemplate

  CROWNING DESIRE

  by

  Taryn Vincent

  WHISKEY CREEK PRESS

  www.whiskeycreekpress.com

  Published by

  WHISKEY CREEK PRESS

  Whiskey Creek Press

  PO Box 51052

  Casper , WY 82605-1052

  www.whiskeycreekpress.com

  Copyright Ó 2009 by Taryn Vincent

  Warning: The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. Criminal copyright infringement, including infringement without monetary gain, is investigated by the FBI and is punishable by up to 5 (five) years in federal prison and a fine of $250,000.

  Names, characters and incidents depicted in this book are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, organizations, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental and beyond the intent of the author or the publisher.

  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 permission in writing from the publisher.

  ISBN 978-1- 59374-618-1

  Credits

  Cover Artist:

  Editor: Dave Field

  Printed in the United States of America

  D edication

  To Angela,

  my friend, my lover, my writing coach,

  who told me to quit faking it and write what I know.

  Crowning Desire

  Chapter 1

  Innocence

  Tamara Jade—Tammy to nearly anyone who knew her, was as pretty a girl as had ever been produced by Aaron Township . Some would have said by the entire state of Michigan . She was five feet nine inches, tall enough to stand out in most crowds of women, yet her form was succulently feminine with a narrow frame accented by curvaceous lines and a chest that was full and natural, breasts that were buoyant and supple. Long fawn-colored hair framed a creamy white face from which showed lustrous green eyes.

  At age eighteen, Tammy stole, in the opinion of many, the crown of Miss Pleasant Skies of Aaron Township from many more experienced beauty contestants in her first pageant entry. In her youth and naiveté, Tammy had not expected victory and when it came she was humble and gracious enough to win the admiration of every runner-up on stage. She was perhaps the only person present in the auditorium who was surprised, however, at the win.

  Entering the Miss Pleasant Skies competition was Tammy’s first and only act of rebellion since graduating from the all-girl boarding school of her youth. A girlfriend from school had suggested it. Tammy refused initially, feeling guilty for even considering the idea. She knew how her parents would feel about the whole event. She knew they wouldn’t allow any daughter of theirs to be involved in a beauty pageant, of all things. Her friends wouldn’t let the idea die, however, and they presented the solution every teen relied upon at one point or another to get around their parents’ rules. She used it—she didn’t tell her parents.

  The pageant had a strict morals code to protect the image of its sponsor, Pleasant Skies Airways. Tammy was more than fine with the provisions of the contract she signed. She considered herself to be a good girl. She went to church, wouldn’t even think of smoking, or drinking, or using drugs, and no boy had even managed to get further than slipping a little tongue between her full lips, a deed he paid for with a slap that left his face red for days.

  Many attempted to navigate beyond her defenses, but Tammy always managed to push each of them away, and she let them know in no uncertain terms that this peach wasn’t there for the picking. She lost count of how many dates ended with one final peck on the cheek and the sight of some hapless boy walking away half-bent as his erection wrestled against the crotch of his jeans. She fely only a little sorry for the frustrated young men. Waiting until marriage was what all good girls did.

  Even so, after these horrendous dates had ended, Tammy would find some time alone and she’d ease her hands into her panties. Although she’d pushed them away earlier, the rough touch of these boys’ hands was always fresh in Tammy’s mind and she’d imagine that it was they who worked their fingers into the private spaces between her long, shapely legs.

  * * * *

  She’d been raised in a sheltered environment, and the prospect of traveling to a big city and meeting people from all over the state, maybe even the country, was almost inconceivable. Tammy was so excited, in fact, that she took the earliest train possible to Grand Rapids where the pageant was to be held. The sun had only peeked its glowing head over the hills when she stepped off the train. She arrived at the hotel to none of the fanfare and special treatment she’d spent weeks fantasizing about.

  It took some effort to overcome a feeling of foolishness and ask a handsome young doorman for directions, half expecting to be told that she’d arrived at the wrong hotel, or on the wrong day, and that she should’ve known better. Instead, she was greeted by a lustful stare and wolfish grin, which she was so often greeted with by members of the opposite sex. He was tall, with a long face and piercing blue eyes.

  “It’ll be right over there,” he said, pointing toward the empty courtyard.

  “But there’s nothing there,” said Tammy, her confusion reawakening her initial anxieties.

  “They haven’t gotten their act together yet is all.”

  “Thank you,” she told him. She turned in the direction he’d pointed.

  “Where’re you from?” he asked quickly.

  Tammy looked back at him. “That’s a little forward for a doorman, isn’t it?”

  He paused and blushed slightly. “Maybe it is,” he said. “But maybe I want to know who I should be rooting for to win.”

  She started off again, determined to put this handsome young man out of her sight, but then an irresistible urge stopped her. “Aaron,” she told him. “I’m from the township of Aaron .”

  He smiled broadly and tipped his cap. “Good luck, Miss Aaron Township .”

  “Thank you.” Tammy smiled. She felt lighter than air. She suddenly felt like she was indeed part of something special. Of course, the fact that the doorman may well have been the best-looking man she’d ever met and he’d just openly flirted with her might have had something to do with her giddy mood.

  At the front desk, she was assigned Room 843. It was only then that she was told she would be sharing it with two other contestants. Tammy was used to sharing rooms from her time at school, still she wasn’t sure it would be a good idea to room with the competition.

  “There’s no mistake,” said the desk clerk. “The pageant always does it like this.”

  The clerk at the next station down overheard his colleague and said, “They don’t have more than two or three fights a year.”

  “Four, maybe five, tops,” said the other clerk with a wink toward Tammy.

  The hotel was a sprawling complex with a large courtyard featuring a Japanese garden complete with a stream wherein colorful koi meandered, and an Olympic-sized pool. By the time Tammy arrived at the room, she was exhausted. The room was spacious and appointed with three beds. Sliding doors opened to a balcony overlooking the courtyard and pool. She’d never stayed in such luxury and wanted to experience everything this enchanted place had to offer.

  Tammy walked out to the pool deck. It was still early in the day and no guests had as yet ventured out for some sun. She strolled toward the Japanese garden and leaned over the rail of a small ornate bridge to watch the large colorful koi rising to the pond’s surface to spread open their mouths for food at the sight of her. She wished she had bread or some other mors
el of food to toss them.

  Looking around for someplace she might find a bit of food, Tammy spotted the doorman staring at her from the pool’s entrance. She looked shyly away, only to be greeted by the sight of a pool cleaner with his shirt off and muscles straining as he guided a vacuum along the pool’s bottom. Though he worked, his eyes were focused on Tammy. A bellhop stood agape with someone’s bags in his hands. Only then did she realize that by leaning over the rail, she’d revealed a healthy dose of cleavage.

  She very quickly righted herself and pulled her blouse closed over the tops of her breasts. She turned to retreat further into the garden and away from the lust-filled stares of the men. To her distress, Tammy felt dampness between her legs. It lubricated her feminine organs, causing them to become slick with her juices. The sensation only aroused her more. She felt her face flush red-hot. Her nipples hardened and pressed against her bra. She knew without even looking that they stood out far enough that their outlines were visible through her blouse. Underneath, her heart thumped furiously against her ribs like they were the bars of a cage.

  How could she possibly be aroused by these men’s admiring stares? She knew it was wrong. Everything she’d been taught growing up had told her it was. Nevertheless, under the scrutiny of these total strangers, Tammy couldn’t deny that she harbored some very carnal desires that were almost entirely beyond her control.

  Although she longed deep inside herself to go back to the bridge, Tammy’s need to be good overtook her and she jogged quickly away. She didn’t know where she was headed, all she cared about was escaping the view of any man on the premises.

  “Ooof!” Tammy was so intent on finding shelter that she ran headlong into a woman about five inches shorter than her. She was pretty, but her looks were muted by thick glasses, a limp and stringy hairstyle, and a dress that failed to reveal the curves one could sense lying there, but not see below the woolen surface. She was carrying an armful of rolled-up posters and signs and when she collided with Tammy, the entire lot flew in all directions.

  “Shit!” the woman exclaimed. “No! No! No!” She dove for one of the escaped posters and caught it just before it rolled into the koi pond. Tammy quickly scooped up the rest and handed them to her.

  “Thank you,” said the woman.

  “It’s the least I could do,” said Tammy. “I’m so sorry for running into you like that. I was…I was just not paying enough attention.”

  “It’s quite all right,” the woman replied. “I just have to get these posters up right away. If my boss finds out they aren’t up yet, I’ll be in a lot of trouble.”

  “Can I help?” asked Tammy. “It seems I have some time on my hands.”

  The woman smiled and for the first time, Tammy noticed just how full her lips were. Unconsciously, her thoughts drifted down to her own damp panties and throbbing labia. She shook off the thought and managed to smile back.

  “That would be wonderful!” The woman extended her hand. “My name’s Donna.”

  Tammy shook Donna’s hand. It was smaller than hers and warm. Her fingers curled around Donna’s and she felt something akin to an electric shock ripple through her private parts. She’d never felt such a thrill in her life for a woman. She wondered what was wrong with her. As if it weren’t bad enough that strange men were arousing desires she’d thought well hidden, she now found herself drawn to a woman.

  “Tammy.” She nearly choked while speaking her own name.

  Donna led her over to a pillar and unrolled one of the posters.

  “Miss Pleasant Skies!” Tammy exclaimed at the sight of the poster that Donna had unfurled.

  Donna squinted at her and exclaimed, “Oh my God! You must be one of the contestants. I should have realized it right away—you’re so pretty.”

  “Do you work for the pageant?”

  “Chief administrative officer, at your service.” She clicked her heels together and waved a salute.

  “Impressive,” said Tammy.

  “Not really. I’m actually just a glorified gofer. The pay’s good though and I’m getting a ton of experience and contacts.”

  “That’s way more impressive than anything I‘ve done with my life.”

  Donna studied Tammy from behind her glasses. “And you are all of… What? Nineteen, twenty?”

  “Eighteen,” said Tammy.

  “You’ve got plenty of time to do better than this.”

  Together, they circumnavigated the hotel grounds and fastened the posters to walls and columns, along with signs for the contestants to find their way to the registration table.

  “Where is the registration table, by the way?” asked Tammy.

  “That’s next on the list.”

  They set up a long folding table and covered it with a tablecloth. Then they laid out a contestant registration book and got out what Donna called Glam bags filled with product samples from the pageant’s many sponsors.

  Donna got out her list and highlighter. “So where are you from, Tammy?”

  “ Aaron Township .”

  Donna highlighted Aaron Township and handed Tammy a Glam bag.

  “Thanks,” said Tammy. She hesitated a moment, before asking, “Are you staying here too?”

  Donna examined a chart on her clipboard. “Just down the hall from you it seems.” She saluted again. “Pageant chaperone, at your service.”

  Tammy giggled. “I guess I’ll be seeing you around then.”

  “I’ll make it a point,” said Donna.

  When Tammy turned, she caught sight of a tall man with chiseled features and a tightly-muscled physique. Only the graying at his temples betrayed his age to be somewhere in the early forties. He was across the pool and headed their way.

  “That’s Jack Gordon!” Tammy cried out.

  “The one and only,” said Donna flatly.

  “He’s so dreamy!”

  “Not too loud,” cautioned Donna. “His head may explode.”

  When Jack arrived, he looked over the set-up. “I’m impressed, Donna. It looks great.”

  “Excuse me, Mr. Gordon,” ventured Tammy. “I’m a huge fan.”

  Jack looked over at Tammy as though he’d only just noticed her. His gaze very quickly worked its way up and down her figure. “Are you?” he practically purred. “And you are?”

  “Tammy Jade, Miss Aaron Township .”

  “Jade? I love it.”

  His eyes engaged her and Tammy felt herself locked in place.

  “Perhaps we can go over today’s itinerary, Jack,” suggested Donna, breaking the spell.

  “That’s right,” said Jack. “We should.”

  “It was very nice meeting you, Mr. Gordon.”

  He took her hand and instead of shaking it he turned it over and kissed the back. His lips were moist and gentle and Tammy felt as though she might melt the moment they brushed against her skin.

  “The pleasure’s mine,” he said. “And it’s Jack.”

  “Jack,” Tammy panted.

  She heard Jack mutter to Donna under his breath, as she walked away, “I wonder what her talent is.”

  “Down, boy!” said Donna.

  Jack growled and woofed playfully.

  * * * *

  From the balcony of her room, Tammy could see one beautiful woman after another approach the table to check in. She wondered what she was doing among these gorgeous and, by her standards, cultured women of the world.

  She noted that sometimes Jack would come out and say something to Donna and that Donna’s eyes followed his every movement. It seemed obvious enough that Donna was attracted to Jack. She felt a tinge of longing, but was confused by it. Was it Jack that brought out this desire, Donna, the doorman, or was the desire there looking for someone, anyone to which it could attach itself? Maybe it’s just all the excitement. I’ve never been so far from home before and this place—this place is simply amazing.

  She thought some more of the doorman with the piercing eyes. The arousal that had moistened her panties ear
lier had developed into a throbbing itch threatening to erupt gusher-style from between her legs, if she didn’t find some relief soon.

  Tammy burst into the restroom and brushed aside the curtains of the large walk-in shower beside an oversized bathtub tiled in brilliant brick-red marble. It was a thing of beauty. She turned the handle to release the water. It ran over her hand and down her arm like a lover’s kiss.

  Her clothes could have been on fire, given how quickly she threw them off. Her breasts practically popped out of the bra and, in the mirror, she admired the nipples standing up hard from their pinnacles. She brushed her hand against their tips and her entire body shuddered and rocked. Again she moaned quietly.

  Tammy stepped into the stream of water and felt it explore her every curve and crevice. It was warm and wet and ran smoothly along her skin. She closed her eyes and imagined the touch of the doorman’s hands in the water’s stead.

  She worked her soap into a lather. The scent of jasmine floated up with the steam tickling her nose. She ran her soapy palms over her breasts, circling the areolas and gently squeezing, then releasing her nipples in a rhythmic fashion.

  She slipped one hand down along her belly making a serpentine trail down to her pubic hair, while the other continued to rub her breasts. She soaped the sparsely-populated short curly hairs residing there, in a slow, circular motion, pressing a little harder with each pass over the hood of her clitoris. “Oh my God!”

  Her pace quickened and she expanded the scope of her strokes until her fingertips brushed over her clitoris. “Aaah!” Wave upon wave of pleasure whipped through her body, causing her to lose her balance. She released her breasts and held onto the soap dish. Her other hand moved like a thing possessed. It continued its circular motions, sending another wave of pleasure through her only moments later.