The Woman in Carriage 4

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The train departed and ran mostly empty late at night. The interior of Carriage 4 was dimly lit, its amber glow flickering overhead.

She was already there when Daniel boarded. He didn't notice her at first.

He was tired.

The weight of the laptop bag was heavier than it should be, and the cold of the platform still clung to him.

Carriage 4 was deserted, except for one figure seated by the window. Her hair was dark, a brunette, contrasting with the window and the space outside, barely illuminated.

She had her legs crossed, her naked ankles lightly bouncing in rhythm with the train's quiet clatter. Her long legs were deliberately on view.

He slid into the seat opposite, without thinking. A mistake that he would be fully aware of in the minutes ahead.

She looked up. Not startled, not annoyed or inconvenienced. Just aware of this man, his presence in front of her.

Her eyes scanned him up and down. She displayed an amused curl at the corner of her mouth. Daniel noticed it immediately and tried not to react.

Daniel took out his book, pretending he hadn't noticed her at all, attempting to read in front of him.

But already, things felt different.

Daniel felt warm, uncertain.

"So, out of all the seats..." her voice tailed off after a long pause.

He looked up. "What?"

"You had the choice of all these seats, but decided to sit here?" she replied

A smile appeared on the woman's face.

"I didn't, erm, didn't notice" Hesitation was clear in his voice.

"Most men don't." She looked back out of the window, only seeing her reflection along with his.

Daniel tried to focus, returning to the book. He had it open in front of him and hadn't read one word of it. Her presence was just too great; she was right in front of him, and his pulse started to race.

He could feel her confidence grow as every minute passed, her body shuffling in her seat, her legs crossed in front of him, then switching legs, rubbing her legs together as she did so.

Her skirt inched a little higher, exposing more of her legs, and as she crossed her legs a second time, he caught a glimpse of her lace underwear. It was the briefest of moments that was not lost on either of them.

Daniel's eyes moved instinctively, then tried to refocus on his book.

Too late.

She saw.

"You're polite," she said, smiling faintly. "But you're curious, aren't you?"

His face flushed. "I wasn't--"

"You were," she said, without judgment. "It's alright. I like curious people"

He tried to focus on the page in front of him. The words blurred; all hopes of getting past page one was hopeless.

"What's your name?" she asked.

"Daniel."

"Hi, Daniel," she said, leaning forward now.

"I'm Lily."

The way she said her name--like she was handing it to him, inviting him to do something reckless with it.

"So..." she said slowly, "do you usually take this train?"

"Sometimes. After work."

"I see." She tilted her head, letting her long hair fall to one side.

"And do you usually find strange women flashing lace at you?"

"I--I didn't mean to stare." He stumbled over his words. Embarrassment evident.

She smiled wider. "But Daniel, you did stare, and that's okay, as I let you."

The tension between them increased.

He couldn't help it now

His eyes moved again, carefully, tracing the length of her bare legs.

She didn't hide it.

If anything, she shifted subtly to let the skirt shift even higher, revealing more of her endless legs.

Daniel looked around, still uncertain if he was alone in Carriage 4 with this woman. Trying to fathom if he was dreaming this.

Then, as if to drive the point further, she reached into her coat on the seat beside her, pulling out a small mirror and a tube of lipstick.

Her movements were slow, practised.

She applied a deep red shade to her lips, watching herself--but also watching him watch her.

"You're getting warm," she said softly. "I can see it in your face."

He couldn't deny it.

His heartbeat pulsed.

"You're... very forward," he said, trying to sound amused.

She leaned in further, her chest closer to his now.

The soft material of her dress clung to her body, the neckline falling just slightly--just enough for him to glance, a sneak peek.

"Do you want me to stop?" she asked, voice barely above a whisper.

Daniel didn't answer. He wasn't sure if he could.

She smiled like she already knew and lay back in her seat.

Then she reached to the top of her dress around her collar, her fingers teasing with the fabric.

She studied him intensely.

"Do you want to see something?" She asked, her voice daring.

He swallowed. "See what?"

Lily didn't answer.

Instead, she slipped a single shoulder strap of her dress down.

The soft curve of her shoulder appeared, then the edge of her bra.

Deep burgundy satin, so elegant. Beautiful. Intentional.

She didn't reveal herself to him. Just showed enough colour, the temptation.

Then she pulled the strap back up.

His breath caught. "Why are you doing this?"

Lily smiled.

"Because you walked into my space," she said

"You looked like the kind of man who needed to feel something."

He stared at her. Mouth open.

"I don't want anything," she continued.

"Just want this moment to last for a while."

The train slowed, halted at a quiet station.

No one entered their carriage. Carriage 4 remained just the two of them.

She sat up, lifted her dress revealing her lace underwear and kicked off her shoes, barefoot as she rested both her legs on either side of him.

"That's better, Daniel. I needed to stretch my legs"

Daniel stiffened.

His eyes were wide.

He scanned her legs up and stopped as he could see her lace underwear pressing into her and partly see through.

Could he make her out between her legs? She looked shaven, a faint outline maybe.

Lily glanced out of the window as the train started moving again.

"Looks like we have more time alone", she said, winking at him

Daniel was still staring between her legs as she raised one foot and rested it in his crotch

"Well, Daniel, you do seem to be a little worked up", as her foot teased and brushed up and down his inner thigh.

Daniel watched, mouth open, watching her foot move before she rested it on his crotch.

He could feel his cock harden and press against his trousers. For a moment, he thought he needed to free himself, but thought better of it. That would be wrong, wouldn't it?

"This is fun. I think Daniel has a hard-on for me."

She teased as she spoke, and Daniel went red with embarrassment.

Lily pressed her foot hard into his crotch and found it amusing how easily she could turn him on, tease him, and embarrass him.

Despite this, Lily herself felt herself get a little worked up knowing that she had the power over him, to make him hard with her body, with her actions.

Lily stood, stretching slightly, standing in front of him.

She was now inches away. He could feel the warmth of her body near his, and it both terrified and thrilled him.

She leaned back into the shared seat, legs crossed again, her fingers brushing down his sleeve as if in casual conversation.

"You're tense," she murmured. "But you're not afraid."

He swallowed, hard. "You... make it hard to think."

"I like that," she said, lips close to his ear now."Men who overthink are easy to unravel."

Her fingers found his wrist. She traced a single line up to the crease of his elbow, slow and deliberate, then let her palm rest lightly on his thigh.

Not inappropriate. Just... suggestive. Her fingers didn't move. But their presence burned.

Then she leaned into him and whispered,

"Would you like my hand somewhere else, Daniel?"

She could hear him getting breathless, the anticipation of this beautiful woman next to him, teasing and playing with him. Part embarrassed, part thrilled, secretly hoping for more.

Daniel exhaled as she placed her hand on him.

She could feel how hard he was beneath his trousers. It made everything worse. Or better.

"I shouldn't..." he began.

"But you haven't stopped me," she said, softly, lips almost touching his cheek.

He turned his head. Their faces were close now, too close.

Her eyes searched his--patient, playful, but clear.

"I'm not trying to hurt you," she whispered.

"Just remind you what it's like to want."

Her fingers moved now--just slightly--pressing, releasing. Then her hand slipped away.

He almost groaned at the loss of contact.

She smiled, knowingly.

"Poor Daniel," she said, brushing hair away from his temple.

"All that heat and nowhere to go."

He turned to her. Finally.

Their eyes locked.

And he kissed her.

It wasn't rushed. A breathless moment. Her lips were soft and parted already, meeting his like they had been waiting all night.

She climbed gently onto his lap without straddling him--her weight pressing down just enough to deepen the contact. Her arms wrapped around his neck, drawing him closer, lips moving in slow, circling motion against his.

His hands hovered--then found her waist.

Then her back.

Then he felt the smooth edge of her bra strap again under her dress.

She smiled against his mouth. "Now you're touching."

He pulled back just slightly, breath heavy.

"Are you real?" he whispered.

She leaned her forehead to his, smiling again. "Only for one stop."

The train slowed again.

She stood. Fixed her dress. Composed herself like nothing had happened.

Daniel remained seated, stunned, half-hard, breathless, lips tingling.

Lily gathered her coat. Walked toward the doors.

Then stopped.

Turned.

Blew him a kiss.

And was gone into the night.