Larry Wheeler sat in the back of the room as the celebration began. He wanted to be happy for his younger sister, he really did. As her engagement ring caught the sparkling light from the fire, as the other guests laughed and cheered, all Larry wanted to do break the neck of Chuck Knaub, Amy's fiancée.
Twenty-one is too young to get married, Larry thought, especially to some guy ten years older who's only really interested in the family fortune.
Still, Amy glowed with happiness. Larry admired her features from his vantage point by the cabin's kitchen door. Amy was tall, lithe and slender, with dancing almond eyes, small but pert spherical breasts, the sort that fit perfectly in the palm of your hand. She had fine black hair that flowed almost to her waist, with bangs cut straight across to frame her high cheekbones and thin red lips.
Contrast that with Chuck. Larry saw him as a troll, but to most he was an average-looking man, with curly brown hair, square shoulders, and unremarkable features. He went to the gym three times a week or so, and ran a sporting goods store. Because Chuck's account was at the bank where Larry was a vice president, he knew that Chuck had two loans in arrears -- a problem Amy's trust fund could easily fix.
The bank was where they met; Larry had actually introduced them six months ago after coming back from lunch with Amy, an action he regretted when they started dating. Amy and Chuck shared similar athletic tastes; they both enjoyed skiing, tennis, and camping. Rarely had anyone been so attentive to Amy; her education had been at exclusive girls' schools, so she never had the chance to fall in love and get burned before meeting Chuck.
Maybe it was for real, Larry reflected, but remembering his first divorce, and how much of his own trust fund it cost to end it, made him suspicious of anyone who tried to get close to the family.
And then a plan formed in his mind: a plan that would satisfy both long-standing illicit urges and end this farce of an engagement at the same time.
***
The hour drew late, and Amy Wheeler was tired, tired and glowing with happiness. Not to mention a little bit giddy from the champagne. She loved being the center of attention, as befitted a bride-to-be. One by one, the guests left, including Chuck; it was Sunday night, and he had to be at the store by seven in order to open the doors at nine.
The Wheeler summer cabin was a rambling two-story, four-bedroom log structure on a lakefront deep in the northern New England woods. Set far back from a dirt road, the nearest neighbor was half a mile away. It was far enough in the woods to be rustic, but not to the point of discomfort.
As Amy readied herself for bed, she wondered if she was doing the right thing. Her parents were less than thrilled with the idea, and were as worried as Larry that he was as interested in her for her money as much as for her love. He was also her first real love interest, at least since high school. Was she denying herself by not playing the field, by not finding out what else was out there? How much of this engagement was really stubborn defiance of her family?
Wondering about the men she'd never met, Amy shut out the bathroom light and wandered down the wooden hall to her bedroom, her warm terrycloth robe concealing a sheer, light blue nylon nightdress under which Amy wore nothing. She passed Larry's room; the light was out.
Entering her own, she flipped the light switch, but nothing happened. Amy sighed; this week, it seemed that every lamp she touched had a bad bulb in it. A fresh breeze, enough to raise goosebumps, but not enough to be chilly, blew through the screen and the small gaps in the logs. Amy shed her robe and nightdress, hung them both (she hoped) over the back of a chair, and slid naked under the covers in the cool summer darkness.
A warm, naked man had gotten there before her.
"Yikes!" Amy shrieked. No response. "Chuck? Is that you? You're supposed to be in the city."
A strong masculine arm pulled her close. Unfamiliar lips pressed against Amy's own. Amy tried to push him away, but his free hand caressed Amy's bare, bony ass, sending an erotic thrill up her spine.
