A Girl in the Library

I didn't mean to be locked up in the library that night.

It was the night before a major essay was due to be handed in, and the only books available to provide the answers were the kind you couldn't check out of the building.

Fair enough, I shouldn't have left it so late, but I was fairly confident I could dash off the 1,000 words required within a few hours. So when I turned up at seven-ish, fresh from a post-football practice shower, I wasn't even rushed.

And okay, call me a sports jock if you like, I admit I wasn't exactly a familiar face around the library, and not well informed about its opening hours.

The problem was, half my class was in there, sitting round that same wide table in the humanities section, and there were only so many copies of the key texts available. That meant I had to wait.

The minutes and the hours ticked away, and I did everything I could to persuade my classmates to allow me some time with the books I needed -- I'd look over people's shoulders, I'd grab a few moments when they were in the bathroom, I even told one guy his car was about to be towed.

By the time I got hold of the information I needed, I had little more than an hour remaining before the library would close. Now I was rushed.

One thing that gave me a little comfort was that some of my fellow classmates seemed to be in more of a panic than I was -- and a few of them even turned up there later than I did.

By the time the fateful hour approached, when the lights would flash and the announcement came around that it was time to vacate the building, I was writing so fast my fingers were numb -- but I was still nowhere close to being finished.

As most of the others packed up and headed home -- incidentally, leaving all those invaluable books just lying around on our table -- I was left considering my options. Could I smuggle some of these books out with me? They were pretty huge tomes, pretty heavy.

Could I persuade Mr Hill to give me an extension without a valid reason? I doubted it. We didn't call him "Mentally" Hill for nothing -- and I really had absolutely no excuse for being late with my assignment.

However, at that stage, I honestly believed I could finish enough notes to complete my assignment within about 15 to 20 minutes. If I could survive being thrown out of the building for that long, I might just about escape with my academic record intact.

I assumed the library staff would check the building to ensure it was empty, and that if I headed up to the top floor, it would take them the longest time to discover me. So, I headed up there, to a fairly dark floor taken up mostly by Modern Languages, where I wove my way through the aisles to the furthest point I could from the central staircase.

There was a small desk there, poorly lit, where I could crash and wait for the inevitable angry librarian.

I was writing like a man possessed, my fingers scrabbling frantically over the pages to scribble down as many quotes and references as I could muster. I actually felt better and better with every passing minute, thinking that I was getting closer and closer to survival. I even relaxed a little, and forgot about the threat of the library hunter-gatherers.

And then the lights went out.

*

It was pretty spooky in there with the lights extinguished, it has to be said.

Partly, I'd have to blame Ghostbusters for putting the image of an undead librarian firmly in my head. It was mainly that which made me scrabble to stuff my precious notes into my pack and rush out of there -- I didn't really worry about what the librarians would say. What could they do? Give me detention? Not in college!

There was some illumination in the central stairway -- coming from a set of lights that were clearly meant to guide the way in an emergency -- so I slowed to a leisurely pace on the way down the steps towards the ground level.

The thought that I might arrive at the front desk to find nobody there did not even cross my mind until I arrived.

"Hello?"

Silence.

"Uh... hello?"

Turning the lights off must have been the very last thing the library staff did before vacating the building. The doors at the front of the building were very firmly locked. I tried shaking them, in that pointless way that never works with locked doors.

I was trapped.

Even the main controls for the lights were out there in the lobby, sealed off just beyond reach. It was going to have to remain dark in here.

After a moment or two flexing my curse muscles, I pulled out my cell phone. Naturally, it being the modern digital age and all that, there was no reception. Typical.

With a moan and a sigh, I traipsed back up the steps, hoping that there might be some way that cell phone signals might penetrate all these books to reach my little lump of plastic -- maybe I'd have better chances if I climber higher up in the building.

A couple of flights up, and I nearly had a heart attack -- a pale figure was approaching.

*

I've never really believed in ghosts, but when you're on your own in a big empty building like that, such scepticism can fade.

After an initial shock, however, I saw that it wasn't a phantom. It was one of my classmates -- a very pretty brunette by the name of Doe.

She was wearing white sneakers, sweatpants and a jacket in the pale blue and white colors of the college gymnastics squad, her long, chocolate brown hair tied back in a ponytail. She was hugging her books in front like some kind of shield, and looking back at me as though I might be some kind of ghost myself.

I didn't really know Doe at all -- we both recognised each other from various classes, of course, but I can't say we'd ever shared even a word during college. The place was big -- our social circles just never crossed.

"Hey," she said a little breathlessly.

"Hey," I returned. "Looks like we're locked in."

"They just left?" she said, wrinkling her brow with a touch of outrage. "They didn't check anyone was still here?"

"If they did, they didn't do it very well. I'm heading upstairs, there's no signal down there," I waggled my phone by way of explanation.

She nodded, and stepped aside to let me through, before following closely behind as I continued the climb back up towards the top floor.

"Where were you?" I asked as we progressed up the seemingly endless steps. "When the lights went out, I mean."

"I was kind of hiding," she admitted.

"Trying to get the essay done before we got thrown out?"

"You too?" she flashed a heart-stopping smile -- damn, she was really pretty.

I nodded, trying not to seem like I was staring at her. It was difficult not to, though -- she was really beautiful. I was a little surprised I hadn't taken more notice of her in class.

She explained: "I had to come here straight after practice tonight -- our coach kept us late. Only had an hour to work on the essay before the lights went out."

"Trying to squeeze in an extra few minutes, huh?"

"Yeah -- you'd think they would've found me, though, maybe told me to leave before they went all Alcatraz."

I was checking my phone all the way up, but by the time we got to the top floor, I still wasn't having any luck.

"Lets try over by the windows," I suggested, and she was happy enough to come along. By now, she'd dug her own cell out of a pocket, but it appeared she was unable to get a signal either.

The windows ran round three sides of the floor, and at least allowed a little light in from the streetlamps outside. It splashed everything over there in a dull orange tint that made my new companion seem more like a redhead than a brunette.

There was to be no joy with either phone -- and Doe pointed out a laminated print-out tacked to a column support that stated firmly: "No cell phones".

"Maybe they have some kind of blocking system so people can't use their phones," she suggested. "I heard they use those in movie theaters."

I nodded dejectedly, but then suggested: "There must be a landline or two down at the front desk."

"What about the computers?" she said. "We could email for help."

"You need to get a password before they'll work," I said.

"Oh that's right."

And, as it turned out, it seemed like you needed some kind of password or code to use the phones down at the front desk. It wasn't as simple as dial nine to get an outside line, at any rate.

"Nine-one-one?" Doe suggested.

"Lets see if there's another way out before we try that one," I said. To be honest, I felt a little too guilty to opt for the emergency number -- we weren't in any immediate danger, after all, and to dial 911 might deprive someone else from a call out that might be a little more urgent.

"I was supposed to meet up with my friends later," she said. "Maybe they'll wonder where I am and send a search party."

For the next twenty minutes or so, we formed a search party and scoured the ground-level, searching from some kind of secret back door or a device to communicate with the outside.

There was nothing except a couple of fire doors -- those kind that have bars on that you can push to open, but then sets off a fire alarm.

"Should we?" Doe asked.

The issue was the notice plastered all over the door warning of $2,000 fines if the alarm was activated when it wasn't an emergency.

"It is a kind of emergency," I said.

"I'm not sure I really want to risk a $2,000 fine."

"Me neither."

We looked at each other a moment. She had really pretty eyes, even in the dull glow of the fire door's emergency light. Just looking at her made me catch my breath a little. I was thinking it would be safer to spend the night in the library, that the threat of a $2,000 fine was too much, even with the possibility of us arguing our way out of it.

And I was also thinking it wouldn't be so bad to spend a few hours with this girl.

"My friends will call for help eventually," Doe said as our pause got just that little bit too long. "I'm sure of it."

I suggested, "Maybe a security guard or someone will poke their head in the door some time soon."

She smiled again, melting my insides. "Maybe. So, should we go find somewhere comfortable to sit?"

"Sure. I think the best place is probably the English Lit section -- there's beanbags and armchairs and so on."

"Great!"

We went up to the second floor, and sure enough found some relatively comfortable armchairs, where ordinarily the English majors could read their fiction and pretend it was work. There was even a carpeted floor, which made things seem a little warmer, although I was aware that the temperature was already beginning to drop -- the heating was no longer on.

We found an area close to the windows, where at least there was a little light, although the orange glow hardly enough to read anything by.

There was nothing but conversation to help us pass the time, and although it seemed to flow pretty freely between us, I was a little worried we'd run out of things to say at some point, and enter some kind of awkward zone.

"It's kind of funny how we've never spoken before," she was saying. "I mean it's not such a big college or anything."

"Yeah, I've been kind of immersed in the world of football. Those guys kind of keep to a certain crowd -- "

"I hear you guys are pretty good. I don't get to any of the games because we usually have some competition or other -- "

"Well, we're okay. We won't win any championships this year, but we're winning more than we're losing. I seem to spend most of my time on the bench anyway. How've your competitions been going?"

"Oh, not bad. I have a desk drawer full of various medals -- I don't think any of us will make the nationals, but there's a chance at the state finals for a few of us."

She sat quite close -- there might have been some light from the windows, but the rest of the library was fairly intimidating, and it seemed safer to be closer together. I think, if I leaned over, I could have touched her at that point.

At any rate, we were close enough for me to detect the faint air of her sweet perfume, and that seemed to lull me into a dreamy state as we talked.

We discussed our sports, a little about class and our classmates. We basically had no friends -- even distant friends -- in common.

And the theme we came back to was our complete shortage of time for things like dating. Both of us had strenuous training schedules for our sports, and there was little time to get out and meet new people.

Then at one point, she said: "I'm glad I was locked in with you."

Something ignited inside me at that, but she corrected herself quickly: "I mean, I don't think I could have dealt with being on my own in here."

I smiled, but underneath the surface, I think I preferred to ignore her correction. Still, brushing over her mistake -- if that's what it was -- I said: "I think anyone would be pretty intimidated by this place in the dark if they were on their own."

"I think if I'd been on my own, I would have been straight out those fire doors -- to hell with the consequences," she said.

"Maybe we should," I suggested. "I mean, we've got to be able to say this is an emergency, right?"

"I don't know. Maybe. But if they do hit us with a fine like that, that would probably be it for me -- I'd have to move home, go to night school or something."

"That would be a shame," I said, then it was my turn to correct myself: "I mean, you'd have to quit the gymnastics squad and so on."

She smiled, and then tilted her head a little, like she was suddenly thinking about me in a new way.

There was a brief pause, perhaps a little too long, for while I was thinking about breaking the silence, she said: "It's simpler this way. Why risk it?"

"It won't be so bad waiting, I'm sure," I said, trying to be reassuring.

"It would be like going on a date," she said brightly, but then again seemed to feel she'd gone too far, amending herself: "I mean, you know, except it isn't."

I think if there'd been enough light, I'd probably have seen her blush right then.

"We can tell people we were on a date," I suggested, trying to defuse the tension that seemed to have crept in a little. "Less embarrassing than 'I got stuck in the library'."

"Yeah, a lot less embarrassing," she laughed. "So what happens at the end of the night? I mean, if we don't get rescued. I don't usually sleep with guys on the first date."

"We'll just have to try and stay awake," I said. "It's getting a little cold -- do you want my jacket?"

She smiled, "I have a jacket. And that would leave you cold, so what good would that be?"

She had a point, but I did see her shiver a little. Maybe she'd get cold enough to move towards the decision to make a run for it through the fire door downstairs. Or, as I was beginning to hope, maybe she'd prefer to stay, and to snuggle up for warmth.

Hey, though. Maybe one of her friends would raise the alarm before then.

"Why don't we go for another wander around?" she asked. "That'll keep us warm."

*

So we did another tour of the library, a little less rushed than before, when we were looking for a quick exit.

As we wandered, from aisle to aisle, section to section and floor to floor, I found out more about Doe's relatively sheltered upbringing in rural Pennsylvania, while I told her a little about my early days in Boston.

We were heading back down towards the English Lit section, since there was really nowhere else as comfortable to settle down for long periods at a time, when we stumbled upon a janitor's closet in the central stairwell.

We had been checking out every door we came across by this point, every nook and cranny, so I'm sure we would have found this closet eventually. It wasn't particularly exciting, you might say, except that there was a flashlight in there.

That got both of us quite excited.

"We'll be able to signal people on the outside!" I said.

"Oh, yeah, that's a great idea!" she said, as though she hadn't been thinking about the obvious use for the flashlight, as I had.

"What were you thinking we'd do with it?" I asked.

"I... uh... just thought it would be nice to have some light," she said, and as I turned the flashlight on to bathe her pretty face in light, her expression told me she agreed her idea was a little on the lame side.

"Maybe if I'm going to tell my friends I was on a date," she said instead, "I might need to tell them what you look like?"

She playfully grabbed the flashlight off me, and put the light right back into my face, dazzling me.

"Come on," she said, "lets go try out your signalling plan."

We went back to the windows in the English Lit section, figuring it was close enough to the ground to catch people's attentions, but we were a little tired of walking around by then, so crashing there seemed like a good long-term strategy.

The windows ran all the way along the wall, but had a nice wide sill that could be -- and usually was -- used by students to sit on. It even had cushions lining it. So, naturally enough, we found ourselves sitting there, Doe leaning back against a column with her legs outstretched, and me kneeling by her feet, facing the glass itself, flickering the flashlight at the outside world.

I was pleased that the flashlight made a clear circle of light on the pavement below the building -- if anyone walked by, they would have to see it.

The trouble was, nobody walked by.

"How long do you think the battery will last?" she asked after a while, disappointment in her voice.

"It's pretty bright," I replied. "Should last a fair while."

"Can you see anybody?"

"Nope. Sorry."

"It's not your fault nobody's around."

"I'm sorry our date sucks."

She giggled. "It's not the worst date I've ever been on," she said. "Not by a long shot."

"I guess it could be a lot worse than this," I conceded.

"A lot of my friends would be jealous, if they knew I was on a date with a hot football player," she said, seeming less afraid to make such a forward remark now.

"When I take someone out on a real date, I'd at least make sure there was some drink available -- maybe even something to eat."

"There's a vending machine over there?"

"You want something?"

"No," she said, and in the streetlight I could see that broad smile of hers again, so beautiful it made my heart sing. "Maybe you'll just have to take me out on a proper date some time," she added.

"I'd love to," I said, feeling like the last remaining ice between us was now well and truly thawing. "Would we call that the first date or the second?"

"I don't know."

"'Cause I've heard you don't sleep with a guy on the first date."

She threw a book at me after that comment, and we both laughed at that, and I thought I caught her looking at me with something of a twinkle in her eye.

*

There was really nobody around -- the library wasn't on the way to anywhere, but that night it seemed like people were making a particular effort to stay away. Didn't campus security do any patrols?

After a while, there seemed no point in carrying on with the spotlight efforts and I switched the flashlight off.

I suggested getting some drinks, but as we got to the vending machine over by the entrance to the stairwell, I didn't have much change on me and the machine didn't seem to be accepting bills.

"Here," Doe said, retrieving some coins from a pocket.

Our hands touched as she handed them to me, and it was hard not to notice how cold she felt.

"You're really cold," I said, concerned.

"I'm okay," she said, but I thought I even noticed her shivering a little.

I put out my hands in request for hers, which she offered somewhat meekly, her little fib revealed. Her skin was like ice, so cold she could have been one of those vampires from Forks, Washington -- well, her complexion was fairly pale aside from her lustrous brown hair. As I held them in mine, however, her hands did warm up a little.

Holding her, touching her, there was an amazing energy between us. I caressed her hands a little -- ostensibly to help warm them up, but it was a little more than that.

"We could try making a run for it," I offered. "We could tell them we were freezing..."

"No, I'll be okay," she said, looking at me with those big almond eyes, "I... I like being here with you."

That made me feel all warm inside. I didn't know what to say.

"Maybe I just need to run up and down the stairs a litle," she said. "That'll warm me up."

She broke away from me, and suddenly leaned over backwards, making me jump a little -- I don't know, I thought she'd fainted or something, I suppose -- but instead of collapsing, she just leaned gracefully into a casual flip, her hands confidently placed on the floor, her feet flicking daintily over the rest of her body before touching back down on the floor so that she could right herself.

"I'll be all right," she said, with a little grin at my obvious look of wonderment.

I knew gymnasts were supposed to be flexible, but her display caught me a little off-guard.

"I wish I could do that," I said.

"I could teach you," she smirked.

"I don't think so!"

We decided to split a Coke to keep a lid on our limited supply of coins, and headed back towards the windows, since the extra light made it the least intimidating place to settle. However, this time we grabbed some bean bags from the reading area, in order to make that sill a little more comfortable.

On the way back, Doe would performed a few more little cartwheels, showing off her lithe little frame and somehow still managing to keep a grip on her bean bag.

She really was stunningly beautiful. It made me want to watch her actually compete, and not only because I'd get to see her without her training gear on, although I imagined that would be a delicious sight.

"See?" she said, "I've warmed up a little already."

"Great. Now if only I could do a little gymnastics..."

We settled in again, with Doe again sitting up against that column support, and me sitting at her feet.

This time, we kicked off our shoes, and ended up much closer than the last time we were here -- close enough for me to be able to breathe in her subtle but sweet scent. I savoured her alluring perfume, breathing deeply but trying not to make it too obvious the effect she was having on me.

"It's getting pretty late," she said, checking the time on her redundant phone. "I guess my friends have forgotten all about me."

"Mine probably assume I'm drunk in some gutter somewhere."

"I've never been on a first date this long before," she said.

"Is that a good thing or a bad thing?" I asked, grappling with that age-old male inability to decipher the female code, while also slightly concerned that my comment about being drunk in a gutter somewhere might have suddenly put her off. Then again, if she was some kind of anti- bible-basher, this probably wasn't worth pursuing anyway.

"Oh, definitely a good thing," she smiled, and I felt a strange sense of relief sweep over me. Then she said: "No, I just thought that it's kind of like having two dates in one."

"Well, I suppose if we end up drifting off to sleep, that'll mean your first-date rule is safe," I suggested.

"I guess so," she said. "And we'd skip that awkward 'will he or won't he call' thing after a first date."

We both chuckled at that.

Then I stuck my proverbial neck out, and said: "So if our next date is our third date, does that mean you'll sleep with me then as well?"

There was a slight pause, which seemed to me to take an age. Had I taken things too far? Was she going to bolt out of here and rush for that fire door, to Hell with the consequences? Maybe I had disappointed her, maybe I was being crude.

But her mouth curled into a seductive smile, and she said: "Well, that just depends."

"Depends on what?" I said, innocently enough.

Then she was up on all fours, her pretty face moving towards mine. She said, "On how good a kisser you are."

*

Wow. All I can say is wow.

Okay, I'll try. Doe leaned forward, and I could not believe my luck. My world was filled with her pretty face, her sweet fragrance, her soft yet burning lips.

After my initial shock at our sudden dash to first base, I tentatively kissed her back, echoing her delicate exploration of my own lips, gazing into those sultry eyes as I breathed nothing but her glorious scent, a heady mix of sweet vanilla perfume and the subtle mustiness of her natural aroma.

I was quite breathless when at last we parted.

"Wow," she said, apparently as breathless as me.

"So did I pass?"

"Hmm..." she said, shuffling forward. "Well, I think you passed the first part of the test."

"How many parts are there?"

"Oh, lots."

Then she leaned forwards again, and once again we were sharing the sweetest of kisses. I was burning up inside -- I had never kissed anyone like this before, her affect on me was like some kind of .

As we tangled, I touched her soft cheek, marvelling at her beauty. I gently cradled her head as our tongues danced together, and it wasn't long before her hands swept up to press me towards her, and we were locked in the most incredible heat.

"You know the perfect way to warm a girl up," she said as we parted again, both a little short on oxygen.

"Happy to be of service," I said.

"We might have to cool down a bit."

"Too much for a second date?"

"Too much for being this close to the windows!" she giggled.

"There's absolutely nobody around!"

"But there might be!"

"You want to stop?" I asked, wondering what we'd do instead, since there was now a whole different kind of energy between us.

"No," she smiled slyly, then picked up her bean bag and dropped it onto the floor beside us. "Just relocate slightly."

I dropped my own bean bag next to hers, and we did as she suggested, and were soon happily entangled once again.

Being on the floor gave us a lot more room, a lot more freedom. Doe drew out the band from her ponytail, and as I kissed her mouth, I was able to run my fingers through her silky hair.

I caressed her face, her chin, her slender neck, luxuriating in the velvet-soft texture of her skin, teasing out a quite moan from this exquisite creature.

The bean bags were surprisingly accommodating as we writhed together, Doe now clamping her coltish legs around my body, pressing herself close. I could tell that all her gymnastics training made her extremely strong, as well as flexible.

I kissed my way slowly down from underneath her left ear, down her neck, and her moans grew a little in intensity.

"Oh that's nice," she moaned when I approached the base of her neck.

But then when I moved my fingers to her throat to unzip her training top, I met with resistance.

"Wait," she whispered, "I didn't get time to shower after gymnastics."

"I doesn't matter," I said, with a soothing tone I hoped to encourage her to open up, without feeling in any way . "I want you -- just the way you are."

I tasted her lips once again, and felt her resistance melt away, and she was actively unfastening her training jacket by herself, drawing the zip slowly down her chest to reveal the sleek, dark material of her leotard beneath.

I felt her petite frame rise to my touch as my hands roamed over her tight leotard, exploring her tantalising curves. She had a fairly typical gymnast's figure, I guess -- slim and agile, with a flat stomach and small waist, while her breasts were fairly small, they appeared very sensitive to my soft caresses.

She was so hot to the touch, even through her leotard -the material seemed to be a perfect conductor of her heat.

I brushed my palms gently over her chest, finding her nipples hard now, poking up against the thin material. Through her leotard, I teased the little buttons, forcing out some louder moans from Doe though our lips were still locked firmly together, while her pretty eyes flashed at me with unbridled lust.

As I continued to caress the soft curves of her breasts, grazing her nipples with the tips of my fingers, I slowly kissed my way down her neck once again, taking it further this time without the hindrance of her jacket, to the edge of her gymnastics costume.

That daintily musty aroma from her earlier workout was a touch stronger lower down, but only seemed to spur me on, stirring my blood and making my heart pound in my chest.

I wanted so much more.

I was careful to watch for any signs that she might be uncomfortable with how far we were taking this -- we had, after all, only really known each other for a brief time. But she seemed in no mood to stop, quietly groaning as I took one of her little buds in my mouth, teasing it with my tongue through the thin leotard while my hands continued to coax her breasts and sweep down to explore the elegant curves of her waist and back.

"You're so beautiful," I said in barely more than a whisper, and she just beamed at me in reply before moaning once again as I slipped my fingers under the edge of her relatively low-cut leotard, to glide over her bare skin and down to those stiff little nipples.

I felt her tremble as I touched her bare breasts, her body writhing at the sensations flowing through her.

Stroking her nipples with my fingers, I caressed her belly with my lips, breathing in that alluring scent while planting kisses over her graceful contours. Her aroma grew stronger as I approached the waistband of her sweatpants and I thought I detected the first traces of her arousal.

I couldn't get enough of it. Call me greedy if you will, but I just wanted more and more.

Fearing that she'd feel we were going too far, that she'd call a halt to everything any moment, I very gradually nudged against the top of her sweatpants, gently easing the material downwards to edge closer and closer towards her promised land.

Each time I got a little closer, I'd kiss my way back up her stomach to her breasts, taking her stiff little nipples back inside my hot mouth, albeit through her leotard.

Her breathing was more like a series of sighs now, she was lying back with her head turned to the side, just letting the sensations wash over her. She didn't look as though she wanted to stop any time soon.

The adrenalin was buzzing around my system, my heart beating like a drum in a rock band. I paused, wondering if I should play it safe, take it slow, keep to the area we had already explored.

It has to be said, it was already quite far for a first date, whatever we were calling it now. I would have been perfectly happy if she wanted to slow it down, of course, but there and then I decided I wasn't going to take the safe option just then. I'd stop if she wanted, but the possibilities were so tantalising, I had to at least try.

Subtly, attempting to avoid any chance that she'd suddenly become afraid or nervous, I shifted slightly, downwards, still lying beside her where she had the option to flee if she needed to, but coming to rest in a position where I could pursue a more thrilling course.

I was kissing delicately along the thin material of her leotard, just above her waistline but again nudging her sweatpants down a little, when she reached down to unfasten the cord tied around her waist. If this wasn't an invitation to continue, I don't know what it was.

It set my pulse racing again, the thought buzzing around my head that this exquisite creature was opening herself up to me, that I might get to sample her sweet nectar -- even after just a few hours of knowing her.

I felt like the luckiest guy in the world, and once she had the knot unfastened, I gently slid her sweatpants down over her slender hips, revealing the rest of her leotard, her sweet mound, her smooth thighs. She actively helped me to pull the garment off her, boosting my own confidence and reassuring me a little that she warm enough to part with it just then.

"You think we're moving beyond the realms of the second date?" she said, looking down at me with those big doe eyes.

"You want to stop?" I asked, with a sly smile that implied that I was fairly sure she didn't.

"We could just call this the start of our third date," she said, one of her hands running through my hair.

"That sounds good to me," I said, kissing her upper thigh, just below the high-cut arch of her leotard, tasting that slight saltiness on her skin.

Then she touched my chin, tilted my head up to look into her eyes, and she said: "You don't have to. I mean, I know I had gymnastics earlier and -- "

"I can't get enough of you," I said, kissing her lower abdomen just an inch or two above that exhilarating rise of her mound.

"Mmm... then take whatever you want..." she replied with a moan that made me quiver inside.

I kissed the bare skin over her hips, then down to her inner thighs, indulging myself in her beauty, her velvet skin, and that fizzing sense of anticipation as I edged closer to the very center of her arousal.

Her skin was already warm to the touch, but as I moved closer to the edge of her leotard, the heat grew noticeably, along with the unmistakable aroma of her juices.

Then I was brushing over her mound, her leotard moist to the touch, my nose and mouth pressing gently into her raw heat. I had repositioned myself between her slender thighs, and it was like every one of my senses was saturated with her.

Doe was lying back again, her eyes closed, her arms by her sides, her hands clutching at the beanbag beneath her as I ran my tongue slowly along the thin material covering her pussy.

Tasting her, such a glorious spicy cocktail, now it was my turn to moan softly, letting out my own feelings while letting her know just how much I loved to be there, just how much I adored such intimate contact. She seemed to relax a little at this reassurance, to know I wasn't just doing this to impress her, to make her feel good.

I spread my hot mouth over her lycra-covered pussy, pressing against her and feeling that slight give in the center -- her pussy lips opening up to me.

Her gentle moans gave way to a gasp as I peeled her leotard aside to reveal her pussy to the cool air and, despite the relatively poor lighting conditions, my gaze. So beautiful, so smooth under its tidy patch of dark hair, her fragrant flower drew me in.

She trembled as she felt first my hot breath on her sensitive folds, then the soft touch of my lips. Oh-so briefly, I tasted her from the source, and her moans seemed to turn almost to pleading, but rather than pile in, I moved back for a moment, kissing her inner thighs again, taking in that wonderful sight before I got too close.

Then my burning mouth returned to her soft pussy lips, and I was kissing her there, licking her, playing with her, dipping my tongue inside her to sample her sweet nectar.

I was moaning again as I tasted her spice, revelling in my being so close to her, so connected. I gently parted her legs a little more to offer me maximum access as my tongue traced the length of her slick valley, lapping up her juices.

And then I was kissing around her little clitoris, warming up the sensitive little bud before getting too close, using my fingers to caress her pussy lips before sliding gently inside her.

Her moans soon turned to blissful cries, my mouth engulfing her clit even as her vagina engulfed my middle finger, her labia tight around it in a manner that made my cock rock hard down below.

Moving from lapping up her now freely flowing juices to taking her clit into my mouth, I felt she was beginning to move towards some kind of resolution. I started to suck her clit a little more forcefully, and with my finger sought out that sensitive spot on the front wall of her vagina.

She was writhing about under me by now, my tongue flicking over her clit, my finger being squeezed by her gymnast's muscles.

And she was coming, trembling and crying out as she did so, my tongue now swirling around her soaking labia, my nose pressed against her burning clit, her hands clamping my head to her pulsating pussy, her thighs pressing against my ears.

*

When her grip relaxed, I knew enough to break away from her sensitive zone, loving that the taste of her remained on my lips.

"Oh God..." was all she said for a while, over and over, breathless, lolling back as though drained of all energy. Then, "That's never happened before."

Moving up beside her, I couldn't help the curiosity: "Really?"

"I didn't think boys like to -- you know."

We edged closer to me, turning to face away from me so that I could spoon up against her.

"Some do," I said. "With the right person."

She let out a little satisfied sigh, almost a mew. "I've never felt anything like it. It was the most amazing feeling."

"It was pretty amazing for me, too," I smiled, and glanced at my watch, hoisting my eyebrows a little at the apparent fact that I'd been between her thighs for about half an hour.

"You like it?"

"With you, I adore it."

"How come?"

"Are you kidding? Getting that close to someone as stunning as you? How could I not? You know your pheromones can drive a guy crazy? And I was mainlining..."

"You are crazy," she said, "that's true enough."

Wedged up against her, I couldn't help but sweep my hands over her, taking in her tight curves, her wonderfully smooth skin. I moved her hair out of the way and kissed the back of her neck, the warm smell of her hair and her perfume seeming so comforting to me.

"Mmm... if you're not careful, you'll get me going again in a minute," she said, my hands brushing over her tender breasts, down her stomach.

"That's fine by me," I said softly, kissing her ear.

She smiled, "But it's my turn."

"Your turn?"

"Don't you know the rules? I show you mine, you have to show me yours."

"Ah. Well, if those are the rules..."

"They are," she insisted, and suddenly picked herself up. "I am going to get another drink, and then I'm going to take what's mine.

*

She did a little twirl and without putting on the rest of her clothes, she padded off towards the vending machine, performing a few little cartwheels along the way.

I watched her as she was consumed by the shadows, and then emerged in the light of the stairwell and the vending machine itself. I still had her flavour on my lips, and I savoured it, my loins now stirring at the anticipation of her return.

A loud clang from the vending machine, and she was on her way back, sipping as she went.

"You want some?" she asked as she came to a halt in front of me.

"Sure," I said, pulling myself up to my feet.

She gave me the bottle, and as I took a swig, she nearly choked me in surprise as her hands scoped out the hardness between my thighs.

"Mmm..." she grinned. "What have we got here?"

Dropping down to kneel in front of me, she quite suddenly slid my pants down over my hips, exposing me to the cold air.

"You really mean business!" I laughed.

Doe seemed to catch her breath, then purred, "Oh, it's beautiful. Can I touch it?"

"Could I ever say 'no' to you?"

"I hope not!"

I felt her cool hands tentatively touch my stiff cock, taking in its shape, its hardness, stroking my shaft a little.

Then she leaned forward to kiss it, and I felt her hot breath on my sensitive organ. She traced my shaft with her tongue, starting towards the base, then slowly moving towards the end, planting the occasional kiss as she went along. She was trying it out, exploring.

"So smooth," she said.

"I might need to sit down," I said.

With a smile, she put a foot down on my pants so that I would have to remove them to relocate -- which I did without much protest. I perched on the window seat once more, my back to the window to shield us from the prying eyes that

Doe thought might be there, though were really not.

She placed a bean bag between my feet and knelt down in front of me once again.

"Ready?" she asked, flashing a broad smile with those beautiful eyes somehow lit up.

I replied: "As I'll ever be."

"Okay," she said, then gave me a serious look for a moment, "and don't you stop until you're ready, if you get my meaning."

"Whatever you say."

Then I felt my cock engulfed in her warmth, her tongue swirling around my sensitive tip while she seemed to roll the head of my cock around her mouth, letting it fill her, then withdraw, then refill that wonderful hotness, those pretty lips stretched around me.

I could do little but gasp at the sensations rippling through my body, I was having a hard time remembering to support myself as I leaned back towards the window.

As she tended to me with her mouth, she also used her hands to explore me, taking in my thighs and calves as well as up to my hard cock. She cradled my balls softly and flashed me a cheeky smile.

Then she was focussing all efforts on my erection, teasing out a deep moan from me as she upped the tempo, her head beginning to bob up and down on my shaft.

It was wonderful, and the adoration in her eyes when she looked up at me just took it to a whole new level, and I knew I wouldn't last long. The vibrations from her own breathing and little moans helped build up this energy inside me that could not be held back.

I could feel my orgasm surging up, and for a moment, hoped I hadn't misinterpreted her earlier request for me to keep going. The energy bubbled up inside me, and suddenly it was too late to hold back, my cock throbbing as my hot seed emerged.

Doe seemed happy enough to take my come in her mouth, and as I came down from the great high she'd taken me to, she was lapping at my softening cock and making little contented noises.

"God you have a beautiful cock," she said, pulling away from me as I became just that little bit too sensitive to continue.

"I just can't get enough."

I returned her smile, "You can have as much as you like," I said.

"I'll hold you to that, mister."

I felt the cold pretty quickly afterwards, and reached for my pants as Doe took to performing a few cartwheels in front of me.

"Are you not a little cold?" I asked, since she seemed in no hurry to put on her training jacket or sweatpants.

"Not even a little bit!" she said mid-spin, "feels like I'm burning up inside!"

She came to a halt and stepped between my legs, where I could hold onto her, my hands pressed to her little waist. True enough, I could feel her heat through that thin leotard -- she wasn't even a little bit cold.

"I'm buzzing all over," she said, her elfin face so beautiful as she looked down at me like that, smouldering with desire.

I couldn't help but slip my hands round to her shapely little butt, and ducked forward to plant a kiss just above her mound.

I knew what she meant -- it felt like a thousand Christmases happening at once, I was still shaking a little from the raw adrenaline flowing through my system as a result of merely being with this hot little gymnast. But underneath that, I could tell well enough how cold it was.

"I think I might need some chocolate to get my energy back," I said.

Thankfully, the vending machine was relatively well stocked with calorific candy bars, no doubt to keep those little grey cells going when students were up against their deadlines. We had enough change for a Snickers each, which we both devoured like ravenous beasts, perched on the nearest step in the stairwell.

"So I've lost track of which date we're on now," I said between mouthfuls of chocolate.

"I think we must be on number five or six by now," she said. "The things you did to me, we must be."

"So does that mean it's all right for us to sleep together?"

"I think it's now required," she grinned.

"So what's next?"

Doe jumped to her feet, then reached out for my hands, which I presented her only to be pulled up myself. "Next," she said, "we should head up to the top floor."

"What's up there?"

"Oh, nothing much..." there was a glint in her eye.

So, curious as to what was on her mind, I followed her up to the top of the building, where it turned out her target was the female restroom.

"See you in a minute," she said, stopping me outside the door.

She went inside, and the door closed behind her, leaving me waiting there, standing in the glow from the stairwell and facing the dark shelves. I was beginning to wonder what she was planning, but then she came back out -- too quick for a bathroom break, I thought.

"That was quick," I said.

"Got what I came for," she said, with that mischievous glint her her eyes again.

She held up her hand, and inside it was a box of condoms.

"Are you shocked?" she asked meekly.

Rock hard between my thighs, I think my cock was making some kind of a statement, but my brain was a little unsure what to say.

In a little haze of lust and surprise, I said: "Well, if we are on date five or six..."

"Exactly," she grinned, and walked past me. "Come on, I can't wait."

She walked into the bookshelves, no longer concerned about the darkness -- in fact, actively seeking it out, walking along a crack in the floor tiles like it was a balancing beam. As she went, I couldn't help but stare at her sexy butt squeezed inside that leotard.

A moment later, and I managed to break out of my daze, scampering after my horny little gymnast.

"Must be a table around here, somewhere," she was saying as I caught up. There was, and she didn't waste a moment perching on its edge, holding out her arms to pull me towards her.

We kissed again, the sparks flying as her tongue slipped inside my mouth. As we tangled, her hands were pulling my clothes off, and my hands were in her hair, then slipping down to the neckline of her leotard and under the thin material.

"Wait," she said, stopping me from peeling it off her. "I want you to fuck me in my gymnastics costume."

"Okay..."

She grinned, "Maybe it'll be my lucky suit from now on."

Then off came my boxers, and Doe was tearing open a condom packet, peeling the thing down my erect cock.

I stooped briefly, nudging aside her damp leotard to reveal the pretty petals of her open vagina. I kissed around it a little, savouring her juices and running my tongue up to envelope her clit in my hot mouth.

She was already so wet -- I just craved that tangy, saltiness of her pussy one last time before I filled it.

Then she was coaxing me upwards and forwards, pulling me close so my hardness pressed against her heat.

"Fuck me," she said, gazing into my eyes.

Careful to keep our protection in place, I touched the head of my cock at the entrance to her pussy, feeling that irresistible heat radiating from her as I nudged forwards.

Looking in her beautiful almond eyes, I eased inside her, sliding my shaft into her tightness, feeling her enclose me, her feet coming up behind me to pull me in. Her arousal was obvious as I glided inside her, her juices coating my cock.

"Oh God, that's amazing," she breathed. I think I murmured something in reply, but it was all a little overwhelming to say anything intelligible.

I withdrew, and the expression on her pretty face was almost one of pleading, for more. Slick with her juices already, I thrust my cock back inside her, my entire shaft tingling with the ecstatic sensations of her hot pussy enveloping me and the exquisite feeling of being inside such a beautiful girl as Doe.

Gazing back into my eyes, my pretty little gymnast let out a quiet gasp, her lips spreading in a blissful smile.

We moved together, slowly at first, though building up pace in no time. Kissing her, caressing her, holding her, it was the most blissful sensation I'd ever experienced. Her pussy so firm, so hot as it squeezed my shaft.

She lay back against the tabletop, and my hands found their way around her smooth curves to the gentle rise of her chest, and her hard little nipples straining against her leotard.

The air was thick with the scent of her arousal, blended with her perfume, which seemed to drive me on like some kind of magic.

Then, quite suddenly, all the lights in the library were switched on.

*

For a long moment, we froze mid-thrust, looking at each other with the kind of dazed surprise that a rabbit might have when facing a pair of oncoming headlamps.

We were still apart from the rise and fall of our chests as we drew in oxygen to recover from our exertions.

There was a curious mixture of emotions -- both of us so swamped with adrenaline, our bodies wracked with lust for each other. My cock was still so hard, buried inside her, and even though I was more than a little nervous that we were about to be discovered, it was still such a thrill to be inside her, and she was now bathed in light, revealing her full beauty to me.

That moment seemed to go on for ages. We did nothing but listen, and eventually heard the low sound of voices. They were somewhere on the bottom floor, and to me the obvious source was a couple of security guards doing a routine patrol.

Whoever it was down there, they didn't seem to be rushing their patrol. The library was fairly large, so after that momentary freeze, I think both of us started to relax at once.

"We should get out of here," I whispered.

Doe flashed me a look of pure lust.

"I'm so close," she said, "Just a little longer?"

I raised my eyebrows at the riskiness of the suggestion, but slowly began to move inside her, squeezing my hips to withdraw, then thrust again.

"You'd better be quiet," I whispered, as she started moaning quietly again.

"I'll try," she said. "Now fuck me! I'm right on the edge!"

With her prompting, I penetrated her hot pussy, building up my power until we were both shaking the table as we writhed together.

I wonder if the prospect of being caught added to the thrill of the situation, for it really took no time at all before Doe was trembling again with another orgasm, and I could see her desperately trying to stifle her cries as the forceful climax swept through her petite frame.

Caressing her slender curves as I continued to thrust inside her, I held myself a little in check until I was absolutely certain she was over the edge and there was no heading back.

At last, I released and felt that glorious sensation of my hot seed flowing out inside her.

Spent, I collapsed on top of her for a brief lull, and we were kissing again, feeling so at one with each other.

Then the overriding imperative of our lust began to fade, and the sense of panic started to return. Where were the security guards?

I lifted myself up and reached down for my clothes, Doe sitting up to pull the crotch of her leotard over to recover her sweet little pussy.

"Where are they?" she asked in another whisper.

I paused, listening. "I think they're coming up the stairs," I said. "But they're not on this floor yet."

"What if they're coming to get us?"

"Because of my flashlight antics?" I asked.

"I don't know," she smiled, "maybe flashing is against college rules."

"Can't be. Half the fraternities would be shut down."

She said, "Come on!" and grabbed my hand, and we were off again, this time skulking through the shelves like a couple of cat burglars.

"We could just tell them we got locked in," I suggested in a hushed voice.

"If we were both fully dressed and didn't smell like sex, that might have worked," Doe grinned. "If they find me like this, I think we'd be in trouble."

"D'you think we can get past them?" she asked. "Maybe get out of here?"

Part of me was a little sad at this possibility, craving more time with this hot little gymnast. We'd only had a few hours together, and although we were joking about being on our fifth or sixth date by now, the reality was that we had only just met. There was still the possibility that this would turn out to be nothing more than a crazy one-night stand.

And though I'd not really taken much time out from football to really think about maintaining a full-on relationship, something had changed in me tonight. I wanted as much of Doe as I could possibly get.

Still, being a man, my pride kicked in and I stifled my concerns, saying casually, "You they left the library doors unlocked?"

"There's a good chance. The trick is going to be getting past them."

We crept to the stairwell, and edged over the banister to see if we could spot any movement, both listening out for any noise that might offer a clue as to the security guards' whereabouts.

"We could just hide," I whispered, "then continue as though they'd never come."

"We could. But wouldn't you rather a warm bed than a whole night in this cold place?"

She had a fair point.

"I guess so," I said, perhaps a hint of regret in my voice despite the powerful sense of physical satisfaction currently flowing through my veins.

I was about to suggest that we could go back to my place -- or hers, if she preferred -- when she held a finger up to her lips, silencing me. We could see hands gripping the handrail a few flights below us -- the security guards were coming up the stairs towards us.

We poised to flee.

From the sound of them, there appeared to be two campus security guards, and they appeared in no hurry to clamber up the steps. Their voices were as relaxed as their climbing pace, and actually made us relax a little -- clear as it was that they were here on a routine patrol, not targetting two horny students loose in the library.

Still, as they arrived on the floor below us, we were on a hair trigger ready to explode into a mad dash for the safety of the bookshelves behind us.

Somehow, we held our nerves. I think if the guards had taken one more step up towards us, we would have sprang into action, but after a long pause in which it became apparent that their conversation was tending towards the following weekend's football game, their patrol route veered off into the floor below us.

We waited a little longer, counting time using the pounding beats of our nervous hearts.

Then I looked at Doe and she nodded. Silently, we pulled ourselves up and took to the steps, tip-toeing our way down to the floor below.

The guards' voices were getting steadily quieter and quieter -- they were heading down towards the outer perimeter of the floor, by the windows. Doe peered around the edge of the doorway, and looked back to give me the signal to proceed. Then both of us scampered down the next flight of stairs, alert for the slightest hint that we had been discovered.

Feeling a little safer, we headed back down to the second floor where we had left our stuff.

"Do we risk it?" I whispered.

"I'm not going outside like this." I could accept that -- she had to be cold enough already dressed in nothing but her leotard. She added: "You stay here and keep a look out -- I'll get your stuff too."

I nodded, and she scurried off towards our beanbags. If anything, I was feeling a little gloomy at the end of our library adventure, but if did something to thwart our chances of escape now, she might never forgive me. I had to go along with it.

A little while later, I heard the voices of the security guards again. I was almost willing them to come downstairs, to head us off at the pass and seal off our route of escape so that I might be locked up once again with Doe.

They didn't, however -- they were heading up to the top floor, and momentarily, Doe returned dressed in her jacket and sweatpants again, clutching our papers.

"Can't forget these," she smiled.

I returned her smile, "Absolutely."

Then she grabbed my hand again, and pulled me downstairs and out towards the main entrance.

My last chance was that the security-conscious guards had re-locked the main doors behind them after they entered the building. We would then have to hide somewhere on the bottom floor and hope that they had already satisfied themselves that that floor was secure. My heart in my throat, I reached out to push the door.

It opened.

Silently, I groaned my disappointment. Was that it? Now that we were free to go wherever we wanted, would Doe want to see me again?

Outside, it was drizzling, only adding to my sudden misery. We continued to hold hands, but paced it away from the building and possible detection by campus security. Round the next corner, we stopped to catch our breaths.

"Well I guess this is good-bye, then," I said, more than a little gloomy.

"Are you crazy?" she said in a somewhat sharp tone.

"Well..." I wasn't really sure what to say.

"You know you're required to sleep with me?" Her statement filled my entire being with the warmth of pure unadulterated joy.

"I am?" was all I could utter, my brain suffering something of a power overload.

"You do want to?" she asked, and there was now a hint of worry in her voice.

"Of course! I'd give anything to..."

"Good," she grinned, and grabbed a hold of my hand again. "Only, we're not going to sleep very much."

"No? I like the sound of that."

"No," said Doe. "We're going to go back to my place so I can have that long-overdue shower..."

"And then?"

"And then I'm going to tear off your clothes and fuck the living daylights out of you."

She looked at me with those big, beautiful eyes, and I knew that for us, this night was only just beginning -- and that it was going to turn out to be the best night of my life so far.