Free La Suite by M. P. Franck Page A

about the palace than I do, so to have you as a
guide will be great,” Gaëlle said, choosing to ignore the
compliment. “My visit here was arranged at very short notice and I
haven’t had time to read up on Venice.”
    She thoroughly
enjoyed the visit to the palace with James as her informative and
animated guide. The pleasure continued afterwards as they wandered
through the streets, over footbridges and along canals, doing their
best to remain in the shade.
    “ I’m sticky
and too hot,” Gaëlle said at last, unable to stand the heat any
longer. “Do you mind if I take this off?” she asked, indicating her
shawl-cum-skirt. James blushed.
    “ Er, no, of
course not,” he said.
    “ Ouf, that’s
better,” Galle said, folding the shawl and putting it in her little
backpack. The extra length of leg on show attracted a few whistles
from passing Italian men. James looked, too, although rather more
discreetly, Gaëlle noticed with pleasure. It was late afternoon
before they decided to return to the Lido and headed for a
vaporetto stop. The rush hour was in full swing, and they were
jammed like sardines into the standing area. Gaëlle smiled at
James.
    “ You’re
looking much more cheerful,” she commented.
    James blushed.
“I’ve really enjoyed this afternoon. You’re very kind.”
    “ Nothing
kind about it. It’s to do with sharing pleasure. I’ve enjoyed
myself, too.”
    At San Marco,
they got on to the waterbus for the Lido. This boat was just as
crowded. As they got on, Gaëlle heard James’ muttered expletive.
She looked down the boat and saw Poppy, sitting in the cabin area
and looking daggers at both James and Gaëlle. The boat pulled away
from the landing stage.
    “ Have you
done anything wrong? Apart from enjoying yourself, that is?” Gaëlle
asked James. “Stop looking guilty, then. She doesn’t own
you.”
    James looked at
Gaëlle with some sort of epiphany in his eyes.
    “ You’re
right, you know,” he said. “This is the first time Poppy and I have
spent more than a few hours together and it’s not working. I’ve
been letting her dominate me. It has to stop. I’ve realised that I
don’t even like her very much. It’s over between us.”
    The boat
crossed the wake left by one of the huge skyscraper cruise liners
going across the lagoon and lurched heavily. Gaëlle grabbed hold of
James’ arm to steady herself. An idea crossed her mind. She clung
on to him unnecessarily, and turned his arm so she was holding it
firmly against her body. The mass of people around them ensured
that nobody could see, as she took hold of his hand and curled his
fingers inwards, so they pressed against her sex.
    James looked at
her, surprise evident on his face.
    “ You look so
guilty, you may as well have something to be guilty about, now
you’re a free agent,” Gaëlle said. She moved her feet slightly
further apart, ostensibly to have better balance, but in fact
allowing James’ hand to slip more deeply between her thighs. She
bent her knees slightly, loving the extra pressure of his hand
against her. She gently raised the hem of her tee-shirt. Now his
hand was touching her knickers, which she could feel were
damp.
    “ You do know
what to do, don’t you? You’ve caressed a woman before, I’m sure,”
she murmured.
    James nodded,
and wiggled his fingers against Gaëlle’s sex.
    “ Don’t look
down,” she said. “Just do it for me, please.”
    For the
remainder of the trip, Gaëlle was treated to gentle arousal as she
became more and more turned on. James’ fingers played a tune on her
swollen labia and on her clitoris. She was able to regulate her
excitement by pressing harder or more gently against his hand.
James might have been shy, but he knew what he was doing. It
occurred to Gaëlle that Poppy hadn’t known when she was well off.
Finally, as the swell caused by their arrival at the Lido swung the
boat one last time, Gaëlle let herself come, hiding her trembling
in the movement of the