Steve Gerlach - Love Lies Dying

LOVE LIES DYING by Steve Gerlach Published by: LegumeMan Books Kindle Edition Copyright by Steve Gerlach Cover & Design by Spatchcock No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means without the express written permission of the publisher and author, except where permitted by law Contents ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS To: Richard Laymon for all your help and support. I can never thank you enough. You left us too soon. I hope the Dick is pleased. And Zoe Y. for the inspiration.

Even though you never knew. PART I One She lay on the sofa, reading a book. She was naked. John Murdock closed the front door and placed the keys in his trouser pocket. Hello? he said. No answer.

Slowly walking down the hallway, he placed the bunch of flowers he was carrying on the hallstand. Helen? he called as he walked closer towards the lounge room and to her. His footsteps echoed in the quiet of the house. But he knew it wasnt Helen. He could tell. There was no doubt about it.

The girl lying naked on the sofa was not his wife. She was stretched out on her side, her back towards him. She was reading a book and ignoring his calls. John didnt know what to do, or where to look. Her brown-blonde hair was shoulder length. Tied back in a ponytail, it hung to one side of her right shoulder.

The way she was laying, propped up with one arm with the other holding the book, accentuated her shoulder blades and her spine. His eyes followed her spine down her thin and muscular back. The girl was fit and strong, there was no doubt. Her buttocks hung slightly over the edge of the sofa, sticking out, pointing in his direction. The round tanned cheeks looked soft and tiny as he walked closer. It was almost as if she had positioned herself that way.

So that when he entered the lounge room he would be drawn to her buttocks and then, just a little further down, he would catch a small glimpse of the folds of her vagina. Her legs, bent to fit on the sofa, were long and tanned. He could see her muscles under the smoothness of the skin. Even her feet looked athletic in the lamplight that shone from the corner table. And then she turned a page. Taking one last look along her body, his eyes resting on her most secret parts once more, Johns mind regained control and he focussed on the question of why some stranger, some girl, some naked girl was in his lounge room.

Erexcuse me, Miss? It sounded so stupid, but what else could he say? She turned to look over her shoulder at him, and smiled. He couldnt help it; he had to smile back. Her face was small but almost perfect in every way. Her eyes were dark brown and her stare enveloped him. Her nose was slightly bent, as if it had once been broken, but her smile was lively and infectious. Her hair fell around her ears, some of it escaping the ponytail as she turned over.

Her whole body moved in one fluid movement and suddenly she was facing him, stretching her arms over her head and laying the book on the table by the sofa. Her breasts were small and round, perfect, and delightful to look at. Her stomach was muscled and tight, even tighter than his own, and her tan seemed to shine in the light, to make her glow. The top of her belly button was pierced with a gold ring and hanging from the ring was a small diamond, sitting neatly and comfortably in her belly button hole, as if it was a perfectly natural place for a diamond to reside. Further down, John couldnt help but see what was only hinted at when she had her back to him. With her legs apart as she stretched to place the book on the table, he could see it all.

She was completely shaved between her legs, leaving nothing to the imagination. Even her tan spread between her dark folds. Johns eyes darted back to her face and he noticed she was watching him. Her smile had turned into a sly grin. Hi, Johnny, she said in a soft and lulling voice. John leaned against the doorway and looked around the lounge room.

They were alone. The rest of the house was dark. Wheres Helen? he thought. The sight of the girl still laying there, naked and on display and enjoying it, made it hard for him to get his thoughts in line. He didnt know what to say; he didnt know what to do. All he knew was that there was a strange girl in his lounge room and he felt like he was swimming, and possibly drowning, in her beauty.

He grabbed one of the dining chairs and sat down. At least now he could get his thoughts together and hide the erection that was beginning to grow. She moved again then, sat up and looked him over. John stared back. She wasnt as tall as she had looked when she was lying down. Now she seemed quite small, certainly smaller than him.

The light caught on the tiny diamond dangling in her belly button, the reflection caught his eye from across the room. His eyes were drawn there again, and then once more, lower to the other regions she was making no attempt to cover. Youre not very talkative, she said. John shook his head, trying to clear the mist. DoIm sorry, butdo I know you? he stammered. Her grin grew bigger as she leaned forward and stared across the room at him.

Im Zoe, she said. There was a pause, as if she was waiting for some reaction. Yes, and? was all he could come up with. Zoe. Zoe Barber? she continued. John shook his head.

You mean Helen didnt tell you about me? she spread her arms in surprise. As she did so, her breasts jiggled in the air, her nipples hard. Er, no, actually. John replied. No, she didnt. Hmmmm, weird, Zoe said.

Thats not like her at all. The conversation stopped. Zoe stared back at John, the smile still on her face like a schoolgirl with a secret. Johns mind whirled with question after question, but seeing her sitting in front of him made his mouth go numb and he couldnt get the words together. As they sat there, Zoe pulled her hair out of the ponytail and ran her fingers through it. It bounced in the lamplight and fell around her ears and head, finally resting into position, framing her face with a brown-blonde border.

She didnt say anything, John managed after a minute. Well, that sure is strange. Zoe leaned back into the sofa, her hands on her hips. She grabbed her left foot and tucked it up on the sofa in front of her. Then she grabbed her right and tucked that in front too. Suddenly, she was sitting in a yoga-like position, her elbows resting on her knees, which were spread wide in front of her, exposing her most secret folds to his view again.

I mean, I know I dropped by unexpectedly, but you think she would have mentioned it. Yeah, you would. John replied. And then he saw his opportunity. Where is Helen? Oh, sorry, Zoe giggled to herself. I should have said! You must have been worried.

Well, I was You know how she said shed be late tonight? Yes. Well, shell be even later now. John wasnt surprised. It happened all the time. Late nights, working overtime theyd argued about it in the past. And there was the time Helens sister suddenly appeared one night and said shed be staying for a month.

Theyd argued about that too and that had been a bad one. Helen had said shed forgotten to tell him, shed been too busy. But he wondered if it was planned that way. John didnt like Helens sister and she didnt like him that much either. Theyd argued about her staying for a long time. Another argument one of many.

But they got over it as usual. But now it had happened again. Another one of Helens plans shed forgotten to tell him about? John knew only time would tell. Still, at least Zoe wasnt Helens sister. She sure isnt! he thought. John sighed deeply.

Why was he so surprised? Something wrong? Zoe asked. Hmm? Anything wrong? she repeated. No, no. Just thinking, thats all Ill be in town for a few days and I dropped by to surprise her, Zoe continued. We havent seen each other for years and I got a kick out of knocking on the door and giving her the surprise of her life. I like to surprise people.