Read Forty Shades of Pearl for Free Online

films, too. Here, I’ll play you the soundtrack to this famous one from the 70’s – Emmanuelle – maybe you know it.”
    He puts on the music and I do recognize it – beautiful and very sensual. There’s something about a man singing in French which is a real turn-on. Alexandre hums along to the tune and winks at me again. I sense a tingling in my groin which takes me by surprise. Our conversation about sex, the erotic music, the deep vibration of the Corvette’s heavy engine makes me throb with desire. I wriggle in my seat just looking at him – his defined arm muscles flexed at the steering wheel, and he looking so handsome, driving this sexy femme-fatale of a car with such control – all this is excitingly new to me, truly unexpected.
    I feel a pulse between my legs.
    * * *
    It’s amazing how just ninety miles away from New York City you feel as if you’re on a different planet. When we arrive at Shawangunk Mountains – pronounced Shon-gum and known simply as ‘The Gunks’ – Alexandre informs me that this is one of the best places for rock-climbing in North America and has a steady stream of eclectic visitors from all over the world. It is also home to several conservation groups. The scenery is breathtaking. Lush green stretches as far as the eyes can see, topped by imposing white and gray quartz cliff-bands, several miles wide, shooting up from the earth like proud monuments.
    Alexandre has thought of and organized everything – packed water bottles, sunscreen, bug-repellent, even a spare camera in case I forgot mine (which I had) and, of course, his own gear. The guide will bring mine. I see Alexandre is a man quietly in control of situations – organized, methodical, leaving nothing to chance. He behaves way older than his years and has a cool sophistication about him, too. No wonder he’s been so successful at such a young age.
    “That’s where we’re going to climb along the Shawangunk Ridge. Up there where you see that tower?” he says, pointing. “That’s Sky Top.”
    There’s a stone tower perched on top of a mountain with a craggy rock-face below of pale golden stripes, creating from afar a series of patterns like old men’s distorted faces etched into the rock formations. It looks terrifyingly vertical. Each horizontal stripe adding age to this natural masterpiece of nature. It’s awe- some in the real sense of the word.
    “Sky Top is home to about three hundred rock climbs like Strawberry Yoghurt, Petie’s Spare Rib and Jekyll and Hyde. Don’t you just love the wacky names? It’s private property and has been off-limits to climbers for more than ten years but we’ll be having lunch at Mohonk Mountain Lodge so we’re all set up. You look nervous, Pearl. Don’t be, our guide knows these climbs like the back of his hand so you’ll feel quite safe. I’ve been here several times – I know them too.”
    Our guide, Chris, is young and enthusiastic and looks like a surfer. He has a hard tan and deep crow’s feet around his sun-weathered eyes. He claps his arms around Alexandre and says, “Hey, man, you made it. My favorite frog in the world.”
    “Very funny. This is my friend, Pearl. What have you got planned for us today, Chris? As I told you on the phone, Pearl’s just a beginner, so we don’t want to scare her with any overhangs – go easy on her today.”
    “Frog?” I ask.
    “Don’t mind me, just teasing,” Chris cackles.
    “As you probably know, we French get called Frogs by half the world – can’t think why. Don’t worry, when you come for dinner I won’t serve you frogs or snails.”
    “You cook?” I ask Alexandre.
    “A little.”
    Chris squints at the mountains before us. “I thought Pearl could start with Finger Licking Good this morning and see how we go.”
    We make our way along the trail until we come to a clearing beneath a massive rock-face. Chris goes through endless instructions, teaches me knots, commands, names of bits of equipment and