Free PluckingthePearl by Afton Locke

account.”
    After he finally turned back to his work, Pearl expelled the
breath she’d been holding. Although her thighs were still damp, nothing rolled
down to her calves. The tops of her stockings must have caught the droplets.
The weather wasn’t helping. It was hard to tell where the humidity in the air
ended and the moisture on her skin began.
    Good heavens. What had become of her? She’d gone from
respectable girl to a dog in heat. How could she have agreed to Caleb’s
indecent arrangement? She could almost hear Mama’s voice, telling her how wrong
it was and how disappointed she was in her. Pearl pried an oyster open with
extra force.
    It’s not vulgar , she told herself. Caleb was special.
If they were the same color, they could court and marry like a normal couple,
but they weren’t. He was such a caring man, only taking from her what she gave
instead of forcing himself on her as many men in his position might have done.
He’d even stopped when his control had threatened to slip.
    What would happen if he did lose control? Would she be able
to stop him? She hadn’t been in control last night herself. When he put his
searing, wet mouth on some of the most tender areas of her body, she would
probably agree to almost anything. He’d given her his word he wouldn’t take her
virginity and she trusted he’d abide by it.
    She pushed thoughts of Caleb from her mind and focused on
her shucking, hoping her thighs would dry and stay that way. Shucking was so
automatic to her now that there wasn’t as much to focus on as she’d hoped.
    And just when she’d successfully gotten her mind off him,
she heard his voice. She took a breath and dropped the latest piece of oyster
meat into a pail. At least now she was prepared for him to ignore her. His
words came back to her as she reached for the next oyster.
    We both have our roles to play.
    Despite the way her body had turned into something wild and
unrecognizable, she was determined to play her role well. She put her full
attention on the oyster sitting on her cutting block, holding her breath until
he walked by.
    “Morning, Jimmy. Still shucking at the speed of light, I
see.”
    The noisy din of shucking vanished. Instead, Caleb’s
easygoing waterman’s accent wrapped itself around her as if it were a silk ribbon,
drifting up her legs…
    Go away!
    “And how are you, Miss Wilson?”
    Pearl’s throat went completely dry as she turned around. He
certainly wasn’t ignoring her today. The unpredictable man stood right in front
of her, fixing her with a white-blue stare so intense it nearly melted her to
the floor. His eyes glittered with meaning and so many unspoken, secret words.
    “I’m well, Mr. Rockfield.”
    He stood with his thumbs casually hooked in his suspenders
where they attached to his trousers. Against her will, her gaze drifted there
and skimmed across his pelvis before she directed it back to his face.
    She remembered to look for the scratches on his neck. He
wore a tie with the collar pulled high in the back but because she knew what to
look for, she saw a scratch from the side. Knowing she’d put it there made her
stomach feel as if it floated out of her body.
    “Did you follow your instructions today?” he asked.
    When she realized he meant her panties, searing heat raced
across her face before shooting down to her naked bottom.
    Unable to speak, she nodded.
    “Excellent,” he said before he sauntered away.
    After he’d gone, she gripped the edges of the oyster table
and struggled to catch her breath. She nearly jumped to the roof when Jimmy
touched her arm.
    “Are you sure you’re not sick?” he asked. “It’s awful hot
today. Maybe you should lie down for a bit.”
    “Maybe later,” she replied. “It is hot.”
    “And don’t let the boss make you nervous,” Jimmy added.
“He’s a fair man and treats us pretty good.”
    But Pearl barely listened. Why had Caleb asked such a daring
question? Her reaction had drawn Jimmy’s