The three of us had been assigned the long project without our knowledge, however the detail that we had a long week in Florence working with the Italian partners meant that neither of us argued with the decision.
After months of hard work we found ourselves boarding a busy flight from the UK. I had only met one of my colleagues once before, a bubbly read-head called Melanie. We sat together on the flight, chatting away about our work and home life. I soon discovered that she was a single mum in her early 40's, separated a few years, with an interest in music, outdoors and cycling. We immediately started sharing cycle tour experiences, her bright laugh bringing a smile to my face.
The third floor apartment we had been provided with was close to the Italian offices, but was a self-catering unit due to the lack of hotels available in the tourist season. It worked well with us being able to come and go for work as needed, eating in glorious café's and restaurants every day. The only negative was the space was quite intimate, with one room en-suite and a shared bathroom for the other two rooms. Our senior colleague took the en-suite room which was on the corridor with the bathroom, leaving Melanie and I wandering through the lounge to the shared bathroom from our rooms. It also meant that our rooms adjoined and had a stunning Italian view across an ancient street and pan tile roofs. Very much out of the main town, our very busy street was heaving with locals in the sweltering early summer heat and so we slept with windows open, but closed down the shutters through the day.
After three days of hard work we were both confident the project was going well and feeling more relaxed. Our hosts recommended a great pizzeria for the evening, and a few of our new Italian colleagues arranged to meet us there later that night. It had been the hottest day yet, and the walk home had all three of us pale brits dripping with sweat. We sat at a crowded street bar, all three of us around a small table, for a cold drink to end the day. As we settled in, Melanie had to move her chair to let other guests move to their seats. Her knee now rested against my leg, something that drew quite a response from me. I noticed her wonderful, rounded bust now more visible as she had removed the suit jacket she had been wearing before this time. Her sleeveless blouse was perfect for the heat, with a cut downwards from the top of her collar showing the top of her back.
Later that night we found ourselves squeezed into the pizzeria, drinking some more and enjoying good company. To my enjoyment Melanie was squeezed up against me somewhat on the long bench seats and we shared a laughter filled evening. Our walk back to the apartment revealed that our senior colleague was rather drunk, and so on arriving back at the apartment we had to help her upstairs and left her to sleep in her room. All evening I enjoyed the light dress Mealanie wore, revealing a lot more of her skin than her business dressing did, with thin straps and a plunging back.
"I've been so hot today - I am going to take a shower" announced Melanie as she walked across the lounge with a towel across her arm. She headed into the bathroom as I continued to read the days news on my phone. From the sofa I could just see the bathroom door in the corridor opposite, this I noticed as the shower sound was rather loud. Glancing up I noticed that she hadn't closed the door fully, leaving the sounds of her shower and the harsh lighting streaming across the room at me.
By now my brain was thinking - was this deliberate or accidental? The alcohol played it's part, leaving me with raging thoughts and an eye open to observe what I could. She stepped out the shower and I caught a brief glimpse of her pink skin, rounded bottom and freckled back reaching for the towel. I was sure her head turned to look at the door, through the lounge at me. Embarrassed I went back to my phone, head down and blushing.
"Could you help please?" Melanie asked, stood wrapped in a towel in front of me.
"I burned my back a little today on the way home. Us red-heads go from milk white to burnt in moments!" She laughed nervously.
"Of course" I replied, noticing her towel only covered down to her upper thigh and tied neatly across her chest. Indeed her shoulders were red, a clear strap mark, and then some more sun-burn across her chest and upper breasts.
She sat next to me, turned to offer her shoulders and holding over them an after sun lotion. "Can you just reach my back with this?" she quietly asked, while lifting her hair out the way.
Taking the lotion, I squirted a good amount of the cool cream into my hand. I used one hand to start smearing the cream onto the nape of her neck and back where the shape of her dress was clear in red, with an even redder section where her blouse of earlier had it's cutout. I had misjudged and now found myself with too much cream, her back steaked white over the red and freckled skin.
"Oh my, that is too much!" I said, wondering what to now do. I put the bottle down, rubbed my palms together but to no avail - I had too much.
"Just go lower" she said, lowering the towel by untying it at the front and allowing it to slacken off. I could now see the sunburn went down her back, and as my eyes looked I could make out more of her mid and lower back down in the towel. I duly did so, sliding now both hands around her back, both where the burn was and each side to use up the cream. I felt her shoulders droop, muscles relaxing further, and as I lifted my eyes over her shoulder I had an amazing view of her upper breasts, towel and hand barely covering the lower curves. She was a rounded C-cup
"It's still too much" I complained, holding up my hands still covered in the cream.
"Oh dear! Why don't you put it on my shoulders and front?" She twisted around on the sofa, holding the two sides of the towel closed over her breasts, but parted to expose her thighs and tummy. My stolen glance must have been obvious, I blushed and reached to rub the cream onto the outside of her shoulders. She too reached down in an attempt to pull the corner of the towel over her lightly red pussy hair and thighs.
We were now nearly facing, knees touching, her breasts barely covered, my hands on her shoulders and eyes averted from each other. I moved my hands around to finish the last of the cream across her collar bones. She stood up quite quickly, blushing as red as her sunburn, drawing the towel around her as she did so. This gave a brief flash of the curve into her bum, further drawing a physical response from my rapidly stiffening cock.
"Night then" she said and nipped past me to her room door. I sat for a moment considering what had just happened, feeling awkward and horny at the same time. I collected my towel and went for a quick shower.
As I lay in bed shortly afterward, windows open to the cool air on my still damp skin, I had a hand around my rock-hard cock. My head was full of thoughts for Melanie and that glorious red pussy hair. I was stroking slowly, enjoying the thoughts and imagining what Melanie would be like in bed. Lost in my thoughts I barely heard the whisper from my door.
"Mike?" she asked.
I startled, quickly covering myself with a sheet despite being in the dark and behind a door. "Yes?" I quietly replied, heart beating and blushing in equal measure.
"Can I come in?" she asked.
I faltered, my boner would have been clear to see if the light was on, but the only light was against the shadows thrown by the shutters from the light below.
"Come in" I said, sitting up against my pillows, and placing my hands in my lap to cover up.
She stepped in, oddly still only in the towel. "Can I ask you another favour?" she whispered.
"Of course" I replied.
She took a step forward, closing the door behind her. "I've been thinking, I think your really nice. I'm not with anyone at the moment. I think you were looking at me before" I could just make out her face, intently looking at me for a response, her hand clutching that towel across her front again. She sat down, still looking at me. "Were you?" she asked.
