Family Ties

”

“Can we change the subject?”

“Sure,” I said, deliberately light. “Tell me why you couldn’t sleep. What were you thinking about?”

“You,” she said suggestively. “And him.” She gave him a little stroke-twist while she caressed my balls with her other hand. “And them. And Erin’s comment earlier.”

“The one about the hairstyle you like. You know, down below.”

“I think I know what you want.”

“Mmm hmm,” she said. “I saw you checking out Olivia and Dawn.” She paused for me to deny it, but I disappointed her. “Susan too,” she said at last.

“You weren’t surprised by their… hairstyles.”

“Nope. Dawn’s was different than the last time I saw her,” I said matter-of-factly, “but hardly surprising.”

“Susan’s been shaved as long as I’ve known her,” I explained. “So Kirk and Doug think of that as normal. And it’s how they want their fiancées to look.”

I didn’t answer immediately. Instead, I replayed her words in my head.

“That’s what Erin meant, right?”

“Well, you have to ask,” she said with a note of triumph.

“Nothing easier,” I chuckled. “Will you please shave your pussy for me?”

“Ugh! I hate it when you do that.”

“I do, but that’s beside the point.”

“That you can just ask for what you want.”

“You can too,” I said. “Nothing’s stopping you.”

“Except years of Catholic school and being told that only bad girls like sex.”

“Okay, fair enough. You win that one.”

“So, what’re you going to do about it?”

“You can change,” I said. “I mean, you were probably told not to sleep with a man outside of wedlock—”

“Ugh, don’t remind me.”

“You’re doing fine so far.”

“Good,” I said with another chuckle. “’Cause you have a pretty firm grip on the family jewels.”

“You like sex too,” I said bluntly.

“Can we change the subject? Again?”

“Sure. We can change it as many times as you like, but it won’t cha—”

“You want me to shave for you?” she said abruptly.

“I’m trying, Paul,” she said into the silence. “I really am. I just can’t do it overnight. I’m not like that.”

“You’re right. I know. I’m sorry.” I took a deep breath and let it out slowly, along with my frustration. “Come over here.”

She scooted closer and said, “I don’t want to fight.”

“I want to make you happy.”

“I’ll eventually do the other things, too, the things you want.”

“But I have to work up to it, okay?”

“I’d like that. But I’m curious… Why this?”

“Well, you’re doing something for my sexual pleasure. Hopefully yours too. It isn’t the same as oral or full sex,” I added, “but it’s a lot more than kissing.”

“You can say that again.”

“Right. So… why? Why is this easy and the other hard?”

I nodded and didn’t press.

“I’ve always wanted to do it, if you must know. Ever since we first heard about it.”

“‘We’? Girlfriend?” I could almost feel her blush.

“Yes,” she said after a moment. “Noelani.”

“Mmm hmm. We heard about girls on the swim team who’d… you know… shave. Down there.”

“We tried it and thought it was fun.”

“Fun?” I teased gently.

“Leave me alone. This is really hard to talk about. I’ve only told girls this stuff. Okay? I’m not used to a guy who… you know… doesn’t think it’s dirty or disgusting or something.”

“It isn’t dirty. Or disgusting. It’s really cool.”

She nodded at my non-apology.

“So… what happened?” I asked. “With you and Noelani.”

“You know. We… tried it out.”

“You went down on each other?” I said softly.

“Did you like it?” I grinned when I felt her roll her eyes. “Okay, that was a dumb question. Of course you liked it.”

“So… did you keep shaving? Or just that one time?”

“No. It really itched when it grew back, but we did it again. Only a couple of times, though. It was kinda fun. It made us feel naughty and… um…

“That’s exactly why I like it. I like the look too, but I also like that it’s something you do for sex.”

“I know. I’ve wanted to do it for longer ever since then. But…”

“I guess I never had the courage.”

“You? But you’re fearless.”

“Maybe about normal stuff, but not about sex stuff. I’m a big chicken when it comes to that.”

“Says the girl who wasn’t a nudist until yesterday. Who’s in bed with her boyfriend, talking about shaving her pussy for sex.”

“You’re probably a lot braver than you give yourself credit for.”

“You really think so?”

“You always make me feel good about myself,” she said warmly.

“Especially when we talk about sex.”

Sex is a natural part of a grown-up relationship.”

“I know that in my head, but the rest of me still thinks I’m being bad.”

“That’s okay. Baby steps.”

“Thank you.” She kissed my chest, and her hands found my erection again.