2 comments/ 8221 views/ 1 favorites I Love You By: missuslovett What is the nature of fantasy? Is the landscape of the imagination populated with only those erotic ghosts so far beyond the realms of the day to day that we become submerged in our own romantic idiom? Or does the frisson come from the knowledge that the fantasy could actually be reality and is just tantalisingly beyond the outstretched finger tips? I know where this belongs. ***** I have longed for this. I can hear the wind outside. I can hear the rain rush through the night in spiteful gusts. The streetlights peer apologetically through the gloom of the near Winter evening and refract in a glitter through my windows. The cold outside is palpable but it doesn't affect the closeness in my room. I always have the lighting very low and it creates a cosiness on the bleakest of nights. Tonight it is more than cosy. It is almost suffocating. He is here at last. Sitting on the floor of my room, taking his boots off, smiling up at me and I can feel the tension between us like static. He is a wonderful conversationalist, sophisticated, witty and articulate, he even has moments of genuine wisdom. There are so many words I could use to describe his many talents. In so many ways he is an extraordinary man, although he would be the first to slap down such excess. However, time for the finer points of conversational prevarication has past. There is just one thing I want to do before I give myself up. I look at him and laugh as I sit down on the floor with him, "How far apart can you get your legs, just sitting on the floor?" I ask. "What?!" He has a way of looking at me indulgently that makes me bridle but he shuffles forward a little and parts his legs. I sit in front of him and put one leg either side of him, moving forward, I can wrap my legs around his back. He moves a little to make us both comfortable, putting his arms around my waist. "Aaah, Karma Sutra!" As he holds me I am so close to him I have to move my own eyes from side to side to look into his. They are beautiful blue. I can feel his body against mine, warm and hard and my sheer physical arousal is something I only barely control. I touch his face very gently, letting my finger tips trace spider's webs over his skin, I can feel my heart beat like a hammer in my chest as he pushes my hair away from my face and guides me. I close my eyes and all that I can feel in the world are his lips on mine, sweet and soft, becoming harder and more urgent as the breaks are gradually released. This is what we both wanted. Something sensual and personal and I have tortured myself with its anticipation. He bites my lips, kisses my mouth, bites my neck gently, then harder and I curl my hands round his head and pull him into me. A small sound escapes and I know that I have now given control to him. He leans forward slightly and I tip backwards, bringing him with me. He is pulling his shirt off and I can feel the weight of his body moving against me as he undresses. I want to keep my eyes open, to feast on his smooth skin, the riot of sudden colours in the tattoo on his shoulder and the half sleeve in reds and turquoise on his arm as he reaches down and pulls my sweatshirt up over my head. I want to enjoy the curve of his neck and the definition of his shoulders, his chest, his hips. I want to gaze at his smile, the dimple in his chin and the deprecation in his eyes, the fan of his eyelashes. But my eyes close and I come alive to the gentle resolution of his hands, the sound of our breathing and the unmistakable scent of my response as he strips me. I can feel myself almost shaking with pleasure as he treats me to his body. That smooth as silk soft, warm, hardness of caressed naked skin. I wind my legs around his back again and am rewarded with a growl of satisfaction and an instant demonstration of why my body has ached for this encounter. He leans up and with the ease and strength of long experience, he pulls my hips towards him, spreading my legs apart and a shudder goes through me as I feel his strong, dextrous fingers at the tops of my thighs. I reach up for him as he bends his head towards mine again and, as he kisses me, his tongue invading my mouth, I feel his fingers pushing between my legs, sliding velvety into the wet, hot centre of me, fingering me. His mouth holds me and I can only make an inarticulate sound. Hanging on to him, I push my hips against his fingers. He kisses my neck and whispers, "No, babe. Lie still" I can feel my breathing accelerate as I try and control myself. Just the command has made achieving this harder and I can feel my arousal pulse through me like a blush across the skin. With careful deliberation he squeezes one breast then another, drawing up one nipple, then the other into a hard, exquisite erection. I have given up trying to be sophisticated about the noises I make and I simply moan as he begins to suckle at my left breast, teasing me with his tongue and his teeth. He pushes one finger, then another into my pussy, his thumb sliding easily through my swollen lips and resting firmly on my clit. He raises his head and pushes hard with his fingers. I try to do as I'm told and keep still but as he pushes again I know it is going to be almost impossible. And again... "Oh God, please ..." It sounds so pathetic. "Shhhhh. Tell me if you're going to cum." He pushes my legs further apart and with the slow concentration of the truly dedicated, with the fingers of both hands, he delicately spreads the lips of my pussy like the petals of a flower. The smell of sex seems to fill the whole room. He bows his head and my entire existence disappears while he takes his pleasure from the only part of me that now matters, his tongue lapping and teasing at my cunt as he holds me down. He growls again. A low, slow, masculine purr of satisfaction and I feel control slip from me completely. I know this particular delight has been one we have both looked forward to, teased each other with, fantasised about and I want him to enjoy it for as long and as much as he desires. But I can feel my climax building and it becomes almost too much as he pushes his fingers inside me again. "I'm going to .... I think I'm .." I somehow manage to say although all my breath seems to have left me. He raises his head and I can feel relief and disappointment surge through me in equal measure. He helps me up and I cling to him as we kneel on the floor together. I can taste myself in his kisses, sweet and sour and salt and he kisses me lavishly to make sure I do. "I think you probably need a little discipline." He says, smiling. He always uses humour to indulge me like this and I find it strangely comforting. I know what he has in mind. It is probably his most favourite peccadillo and in many ways, mine too. The weather outside continues to wear the night down in torrents but only imminent apocalypse could distract me from this commitment. I find myself sprawled across his lap as he relaxes back on to my sofa, my arse presented to him as ready and ripe and round as he likes it. I feel his hands smooth the skin, caressing me and teasing between my legs as I open up wider for him. He is taking his time and I can feel my breathing become shallower and shallower as the anticipation builds. The first smack sounds delicious and stings my backside viciously as the delights have so far been softer. It makes me gasp and jump but he doesn't let me relax again as he follows it up quite swiftly with a succession of perfectly weighted hits that blend into a warmth that spreads throughout my whole body. He holds on to my hair with one hand, the other hand again between my legs. I can feel the eye watering pull of the one and the other makes me shake as he fucks me hard with his fingers. Calming my flesh again, he resumes spanking me until my ears are ringing with the sound of each slap and the sighs and whimpers I make, now beyond my ability to control. I have no memory of anything but his hands striking me and my tears, this need to be his and to show him - sucking his fingers, his delicate touches on my back making me yield, each invasion of my body taking me nearer and nearer the brink, his soft voice, "Babe, yes, oh yes shhhh mmmm. That's my girl. Good girl..." He releases a final flurry that makes me squeal and then he helps me up, a living doll, a perfect thing of his making, warm, hurt, caressed, happy. I am in a daze but I can see the rise and fall of his chest, the sheen of perspiration on his torso, the slight tremor in his arms as he holds me which tells of the effort he has put into this. And his cock, hard and erect tells me what he needs now as much as I do. I cant speak but I don't need to. He lays me down and now, despite my exhaustion and all my surrender, the moment is mine to control. He even gives me this and my desire is very simple. I need him to fuck me. Opposites may attract but not with the immediacy and understanding of highly adjacents and I know that this is what he needs too. Feeling him on top of me, a simple pleasure, breathlessly kissing my mouth, my face, my eyes. I just want him inside me now, a visceral ache my body screams at me, at him. The relief as he drives into me, slowly, firmly and so deeply, I cry out. I hear him, "Oh, God." Each stroke, harder, pushing me beyond a place I thought I could go. I raise my legs higher around his back, almost to his shoulders as he cradles my head, his cheek softly against mine, I can hear him groan and I push my hands into the small of his back, drawing him into me, holding him tighter against me. I want to make this last longer but I have no hope at all. Just the sound of his abandonment tips me over the edge and I can no longer control my orgasm. I feel my back arch into him deliciously and wave after beautiful wave shudder through me. I hear him cry out and I can feel the wonderful explosion that possesses both of us. We lie together. He holds me. I hold him. He stays inside me and I can smell the warm, rich scents of our skin and mingled sex. When we have our breath, he kisses me softly, "Thank you, thank you, thank you." The rain has stopped and I can barely hear the wind. The night has become quiescent to this particular moment and I want to make it last before the possibility of the mundane overcomes us both. Just for a little longer. "I love you." I say. The word doesn't actually frighten me any more. His eyes are like stars and I feel his grip tighten. Bliss engulfs me. "Good." He says and the storm has become perfect. I Love You "Fuck you!" she yelled into the phone. "And stop fucking calling me, it's over!" She slammed the phone on the hook. She sat down on her couch and checked the tears threatening to pour from her eyes. She had been with Jake for six months, and they had been the best six months of her life. It was perfect from the first minute they had laid eyes on each other. Of course she had been a little nervous at first, they were just so different! She was mullato, he was white. He was rich, she was poor. She was a twenty-one year old virgin, scared of sex, he was twenty-eight and craved constant sex. It didn't seem possible that two so different could be compatible, but it just all happened so naturally, like it was meant to be. She had to admit he was the perfect boyfriend, despite his fierce temper and dominant nature. He had movie star good looks, with thick black hair, and pale gray eyes that could make her wet from across the room. Plus the sex was amazing! No, incredible! No, better! There was just no word strong enough to do it justice. His only flaws were his dangerous fear of commitment and his rampant libido. Jake listened as she slammed the phone in his ear. He knew exactly why she was upset, he even understood. It had all started with a fight, nothing new lately, since he was fighting his feelings for her and she was aware of it. He was Jake Stone for god sake, billionaire bachelor, and the ladies loved him. He had no room for love in his life. Unlike previous women in his life, she had stormed out after the fight. He was shocked, being used to docile women who did not argue back or storm out on him. so he went out with a few friends, got drunk and decided to bring two women back home with him. He needed to show her who ran the show, who was the boss, he refused to loose his finely tuned control to a crazy little thing like love. He couldn't even take the girls up to his room, it seemed wrong. He had spent many memorable nights in that bed with her, endless hours of sex, feasting on her, adoring each other's bodies. So when the blonde with the huge saline breasts suggested they go to his room, he was overcome with disgust. So there he sat in a huge chair in the entertainment room, one girl on her knees sucking his limp cock as the other girl slowly stripped her clothes off trying to tempt him. It didn't work, he had visions of caramel thighs, large upthrust caramel breasts tipped with silver dollar cinnamon nipples, pale hazel eyes that could look as innocent as an angel as she begged him to fuck her. His anger surged that he couldn't even get hard, no matter how hard he tried, he just seemed to go deeper into his need for her, even with two sexy women ready to do his bidding. It was her fucking fault! Jezebel, that bitch!!! She had some kind of control over him, and he was furious! His brain ran over the facts, trying to rationalize how he could have lost control of his emotions. her mother's father was an African shaman, the witch had probably cast some root or spell on him. He paid no attention to the two women trying desperately to please him and his cock was still limp as he debated the logic of witchcraft. Even though deep inside he knew it wasn't possible, that he had just lost his carefully guarded control. She was sick of this shit! She had only been gone for a few hours, but she already missed him, she needed him, her body craved him! So she went back to the mansion, deciding to confront him with the feelings she knew he fought against. Or she could just forget the fight, fuck him and wait until he was ready to admit his feelings. She didn't care, so long as he touched her. He didn't hear her come in, but he sensed her there and looked up, it almost seemed fitting that she would walk in and catch him, he couldn't have planned it any better. He didn't move a muscle as he looked at her, her mouth wide open in shock and all he could think about doing was grabbing her by her hair and ramming his now hard cock in her mouth until she choked. But looking deeper, he saw it, the pain was there, written all over her face. he grinned smugly at his accomplishment than she turned and left. He had broken a few girls hearts like this, but he had never done it on purpose before, he did it because he was him and he could. Funny, he didn't get that sadistic satisfaction he usually got when he watched a woman's heart break. He felt almost sick to his stomach. So he fantasized about mastering her, dominating her, making her bend to his will and finally the girl sucking him off had a mouthful that he refused to let her spit out. "Good job, now get out." he said after she swallowed, "What?" "Get the fuck out!" he roared and the girls, a little nervous, and they ran out half dressed. He leaned back in the chair and let the obscene amount of liquor he drank take over, he passed out. His friend Harvy had been dating her closest friend Jenna for two months and it was getting serious, even though Jenna would tell Harvey about Jezebel and he would swear to not tell Jake, his loyalty was to his friend. He had found himself giving daily reports to Jake, anxious that they would both swallow their stubborn pride and reconcile. So when Jenna told him about Jezebel's plans for the evening, he tensed up and called him almost frantic, fearing Jake's temper once he found out, but fearing it more if he found out and Harvey didn't tell him. So he called with the bad news. "She's going out on a date." he said, Jake was silent, he knew his friend well, he was only silent right before he became deadly. "No she's not." he finally said in denial. "She is, Jenna set her up with one of her friends from work." he reluctantly told him. "WHAT?!" he roared, "You let her-" "No Jake, I swear I didn't know shit until ten minutes ago." silence again, but Harvey swore he could hear Jake's anger boiling in his veins. "When?" "Tonight, he's picking her up at 9:00." Jake hung up the phone and sat on his black leather couch. His anger making his whole body shake. They had only been apart for one week, he had half expected her to come crawling back to him, like every other woman in his past. He should have known better, she was different, she was a prideful bitch, almost as stubborn as him, and as much as he denied it, he loved it, he wouldn't change her for the world. He dialed her number and almost got hard just hearing her voice. "Hello." "What makes you think I would allow you to date someone else?" he asked. she hung up, butterflies tearing through her stomach instantly. Of course it rang again immediately, this was Jake she was dealing with. "Hello." "If you hang up again, i will be at your door in 5 fucking minutes!" "Really." she laughed. "Test me." "Well I'll call your bluff, you don't even know where I live." she spat back after the threat, ready to slam down the phone as she heard the words. "313 Elm St." silence as he did his evil laugh, "I know everything about you, I know every move you've made these last seven days" "Fine, come over, you can meet my new boyfriend." she said knowing that would get to him, if Jake was anything he was as jealous as he was possessive. "If you go out with this guy I whip you raw than stomp his head in the fucking ground." he raged that she would dare call anyone but him her boyfriend. "Fuck you! And stop fucking calling me, its over!" she yelled, slamming the phone, than sat down on the couch. She stopped the tears so she didn't ruin her make up, but she swore she could feel her heart tearing in two. He was early, she smiled as she opened the door, looking around a little nervous that Jake could be near. She walked him quickly to his car and got in, relieved. His name was Ahmad, he was Jenna's friend from work. she had only met him once, but from what Jenna said, he had asked about her daily since then. He was almost obsessed with the beautiful girl, she was the perfect picture of his fantasy woman, her long silky black, loose curls that fell to the middle of her back and a sinful body that he had jerked off to every night since they had been introduced. He had all intentions of making this relationship last. She wasn't as eager. There was no physical attraction to him, he was only an inch or two taller than her 5 ft. 5 frame, damn near a foot shorter than Jake, but he was sweet, unselfish and seemed to have a genuine concern for others, and he was completely undemanding. He was the polar opposite of Jake, the very reason she agreed to go out with him. she was looking forward to a quiet relaxing evening. Jake was beyond inconsolable. He was in a blind rage. He had never been the jealous type, he always shared pussy! Women had come in and out of his life and never once did he care who they had sex with. So why was he ready to kill this guy, actually debating alibis for his defense? He went to her place, it was 9:00 and she was already gone. He let himself into her apartment and sat in the dark on the couch waiting, his fury rising each minute he waited. By 11:00 he was past the point of reason. Oh he was gonna kill this guy for sure, but what he did to her would be legendary. He didn't share her and he never fucking would! The guy was too sweet and too- "What ever you want to do" or "Is that alright with you?" he had asked her permission for every single thing, she couldn't imagine how he would be in bed, "Is it ok if I slide in now?" or "Do you mind if I pull out?" he'd probably ask with each stroke. She smiled and said thanks for dinner than hurried and got out of the car, but of course he was quicker and was at the door waiting to help her step out of the car. "Thank you." she said politely. "I'll walk you to the door," "No, that's ok, but thank you." "So, I'll call you tomorrow." he said, than before she could answer, stop him or at least turn her head, he planted a kiss on her lips. Neither of them saw the large dark figure in the window. He had heard a car pull up and looked out just in time to see the kiss. He was frozen in place. She was really trying to move on, to replace him. He wouldn't allow it, no way! those were his lips, his hips, his tits! His and only his, she had no right to share them with another man. He went to the door with all intentions of going out and beating that guy until he felt a little relief, but he heard her walking towards the door, so he hid behind it. It was 11:45 as she looked at her watch, she walked in the door flipping the light switch on immediately and he grabbed her from behind the minute the door shut, she tried to struggle but who ever it was had her tight. "I fucking warned you." he hissed in her ear. She was almost relieved it was Jake, than she realized how angry he was and her heart raced. He could be cruel when he was like this. "I can't believe you kissed him." he hissed in her ear. "I should scrub your fucking mouth with a wire brush." "What i do is not your business." she said, refusing to be intimidated, he turned her around and slammed her against the wall. "Guess what baby, I'm gonna get your 'boyfriend'," the word was like acid on his tongue, "I'm going to tie him down while I fuck you over and over again in front of him," he whipped her lips off hard with his sleeve. "What will he think about his 'girlfriend' when he see's you begging me for more." "Nothing, cause I'll make sure to fuck him too good for him think." she taunted, glairing into his cutting eyes. That did it, he yanked her over to the couch, slamming her down on it, leaning over her. "Get off me!" she yelled. "Did you fuck him tonight?" he demanded, holding her wrist above her head, his hands tangled in her hair as she tried to shake her head loose, "DID YOU FUCK HIM?!" he roared, grabbing her face with his free hand. "None of your fucking business." she spat back glaring at him, he started to shake a little as his face turned red, his gray eyes turned to ice, he reached between them and put his hand up her short dress, than down into her panties she struggled hard "Get the fuck off me!" she cursed knowing he hated it when she cursed him. He slid his fingers into her slit, running them up and down than slid them deep into her pussy. "Your pussy's dry, did you wash up after you let him fuck you?" "Take your fucking fingers out of me you fucking pervert!" she said seriously feeling her own anger rising. "You better fuckin answer me," he hissed, fucking her hard with his fingers, making her back arch as he slid two more fingers in. "Uugghh! pull them out!" "Answer me!" "You mother fucker! you fuck two girls while we're together and you have the balls to question who I fuck?" she spat back at him, her breath jagged as he punched his fingers in harder. "You did fuck him." "None of your fucking business!" she yelled in his face, another thing he hated. he lost it, just the thought of that guy touching her, he visibly shook, seething with anger, He flipped her over, her breasts crushed against the couch. she tried to fight but was powerless, he was naturally very strong, but he was like some 'he-man' madman right now, she didn't stand a chance. Yanking her dress up to her waist he saw the thong and freaked out. "You wore a fuckin thong?!" he roared, ripping the thin thong from her body, the fabric cutting into her pussy. He bent and possessively sunk his teeth into her lush ass cheek, than slid his finger deep into her ass, she cried out and tried to get away as he bit down harder, marking her. His hand so hard on her back he had her folded over, her breasts almost touching her thighs as he pushed forward with his head. He bit a trail down to her upper thigh, his finger slowly sliding in and out of her ass. She cried and begged him to stop than her cry died on her lips as his full lips began sucking on her clean shaven lips, taking them deep into his mouth, nibbling on them. She held the moan rumbling in her throat. She went up on her elbows trying to brace herself, as his tongue circled her clit, sucking on the now pulsing nub. He let her pull her body up, knowing her to well, no matter how hard she fought, she could not resist what he could do to her body, he didn't even have to hold her down, so he slid his hand down her back, going under her to tug on her hanging nipples, fingering her ass faster. "Nooo!" she whined softly as it burst through her, fighting it was useless no matter how hard she tried. She cried out her orgasm. He didn't stop until he took the last drop of her cum in his mouth, sliding his tongue deep into her pussy he felt her quiver and grinned against her flesh as he started tongue fucking her, "Nooo, stop," she was breathlessly begging him, but his fingers found her clit, his other finger never leaving her ass began to pound into her. She fought him hard, her clit to sensitive to stand his talented mouth, but he was relentless and only increased all the pressure until she screamed her orgasm. He pulled his fingers out than kneeled on the couch behind her, he grabbed her hips tightly and pulled her ass up, forcing her face back down on the couch, he positioned him self than drove deep into her pussy, stealing the breath from her lungs. It had been a whole week with out him, with no sex of any form and it was over powering her. HE was overpowering her! Mastering her body as he always did. She tried to pull herself up but his hand came down hard on her back holding her hostage as he slammed himself in and out, hard and fast. "Your mine, til the day you fuckin die bitch, this pussy belongs to me!" fucking her as deep as he could go, slipping his finger back inside her ass. She grabbed the arm of the couch to try to pull away, but he slipped another finger in her ass and she screamed, letting go. They had never done it anally although he liked to play with her ass a lot, he had never used more than one finger. Than those feelings started in the pit of her belly, her traitorous body was reacting to him. She couldn't control it, he always managed to make her breathless, and now she was getting ready to beg. She fought the feelings but it over powered her and she climaxed hard right before he came deep inside her, filling her so full, cum was leaking out of her, even with the tight seal she made around his semi hard cock. He thought this would calm him a bit, but it didn't stop his anger, it seemed to make him wilder. He stood up, yanking her up by her hair, he brought her up to her knees, than off the couch, to stand before him. "You look unbelievably sexy tonight and the thong was a nice touch, I bet he couldn't keep his hands off you." he said a strange glow in his eyes she had never seen before, she felt a shiver down her spine. He let go of her hair, grabbing the front of her dress, tugging down on it, "I bet every time you bent or moved he prayed these babies would pop out." just a sliver of her areola showing, he ran his nail over it than slipped it in to run it over her bare nipple. "How do you know I didn't pull them out for him?" she grinned until he yanked the top of her strapless dress down to her waist, busting the zipper. Now her dress was nothing more than a thick belt around her waist. "Where's your fuckin bra?!" he grabbed her hair again. "Oww!" "Did you show him your tits?" "LET GO!" "Did he touch you? Did he suck on your nipples? answer me!" he raged."I won't stop 'til you do." She knew he would, but she refused, she knew she should give up right now and tell him, he would end it, but something inside her refused to let her bow down and let him win. He was in the wrong, not her. She would have never even thought about going out on that date if he had not done what he did. "And I'll just keep giving you the same answer, FUCK YOU!" he grabbed her nipple and pinched ruthlessly as she cried. "Sttoooppp!" he pulled it from her body, twisting it. "No one touches your nipples but me!" his cold gray eyes burned into hers, "I make that decision!" "Say it, tell me you'll never let anyone else touch you and I'll let go." he kissed her lips lightly. "Fuck you!" she screeched in his face. he bent his head, and sucked her nipple deep into his mouth, sucking it hard, than he bit into it, and she swore he drew blood. She cried out, letting go of his hand clutching her hair, his other hand on her back pushing her breast deeper into his mouth. She tried to push his head from her aching nipple, pulling on his black waves, he only bit down harder. "Stop," he said through clenched teeth. She knew what he wanted, he wanted her completely submissive, and he would inflict as much damage as possible until she did. he fought it for a minute, but the pain was to much, so she let go. He was still clamped down hard until finally he let go, feeling her submit. He held her hair as he went over and sat on the couch, pulling her into his lap, her back hard against his chest. He yanked off his tie than pushed her forward and tied her wrists behind her back than held her back tight to him again with an iron hand across her belly. He pulled on her hard, long nipples. "Did he touch you?" he asked again she refused to answer, he let go of her waist and grabbed her by the throat pulling her head to his shoulder. "Did he fuckin touch you?!" he snapped. "None of your business." she repeated for the hundredth time and she would probably say it one hundred more. He on the other hand was done playing games, he wanted answers and he refused to hear 'none of your business' one more time. He was loosing his own grip on himself, terrible enraging visions of her and that guy in his brain. "Brace yourself." He warned his hand still tight on her throat as his other hand slapped down hard on her breast, he watched it bounce as she cried out. he slapped them over and over, making sure to smack her nipples. I Love You "Jake stop!" she cried hard "Next time you flaunt your breasts I will whip them until your nipples bleed!" he threatened. He stopped, letting go of her hair, he ran his hands softly over her stinging breasts, the sight of them threw him off track they were so damn tempting, so full and round, swollen and red, "You have the most beautiful breasts," he said, admiring them. The tips of his fingers just circling the center of her nipple, his hands on her breasts to hold her back to him. She panted as he kissed her shoulder, biting and sucking up to her neck, leaving marks on her light brown skin. She tried to pull away as he used a finger on each nipple to push the hard nub back into her breasts, she sucked air through her teeth as he pushed hard, almost finger fucking her sore nipples. "I don't want any one else to ever touch them, or see them." He pulled his fingers out to watch her nipples spring back out. He ran his hands down her belly, "I should get you pregnant." He said possessively, running his hands down further to grab her pussy so hard he pulled her up to her tip toes, grinding his cock into her soft ass. "Ummm, just the thought of my baby deep in here." He slid a finger inside her and she gasped, stunned, he was religious about protection, he said he never, ever wanted children. She just realized he hadn't used any protection and she was no longer on the pill. "I wanna see every change your body makes, I want to watch your breasts swell." He used one hand to lightly caress her breasts, he kissed her neck. "How could you be sure if it was yours?" she taunted. She knew it would be his, she would have never had sex with Ahmad, but it was the only control she had over him. He wasn't fighting fair either. It worked. He was dead silent, but she could feel his heart race against her back. He left his fingers inside her as his hand on her breasts clutched around her stomach as he stood up, her feet didn't touch the ground as he carried her to the coffee table. He jammed four fingers into her, ramming them in and out hard as she tried to kick with her legs. He pulled his fingers out letting her go than took her to her knees, bending her over the coffee table. Going down on one knee he yanked his belt through the loops, ripping a few in the process. He held the small of her back, than brought the belt down hard on her ass, leaving criss-crosses by the time he was done. She called him every vile name she could think of but it only fueled him further. When he was done he stood up pulling her up with him. "Give up!" he growled. "NO! FUCK YOU!" She went to run for her room and he grabbed her yanking the dress from her body until she stood naked before him the dress in half on the floor, "I hate you!" she cried. "No you don't, you love me as much as I love you.," he hissed. She looked up into his eyes, shocked by his admission, he had never said those words to her before. He carried her over to the small kitchen table and threw her down on her back, on top of it, he pulled her ass to the edge of the table, bending her thighs he spread them wide. "I don't share you with anyone, and you are not allowed to share your body with anyone else but me," he said seriously, looking into her eyes. Before she could say a word, he brought his hand down hard on her spread pussy. She gasped deeply, her body pulling up off the table. He smacked her again, she couldn't even catch her breath to scream. "This is mine!" smack "Only mine!" smack! smack! smack! She finally managed to scream at the pain shooting through her. He stopped slapping her to run his hand lightly over her "Say 'my pussy belongs to you Jake.'" "I'll give it to whoever I want!" she yelled furiously, he slapped it again. "Wrong." He slapped it twice more before pulling the little hood back to expose her hard clit, he bent his head and sucked as hard as he could on it. "Oh god, stop!" she gasped out as he bit into it, tonguing the tip trapped between his teeth. He finally released it, grinning sadistically at her flushed face. "I don't need your permission to stake my claim, I'll keep you tied to my fuckin bed until you agree, if I have to," he said spreading her thighs as wide as he could. He rammed his huge cock in her to the hilt, feeling overpowered by her submissive state. he grabbed her nipples tightly, pulling on them, forcing her to sit up on the table. Jake let them go putting one hand on her ass to hold her still. He bent his head and took her nipple into his mouth, sucking hard on just the tip. Then he pinched her clit with his free hand, still fucking her hard as she screamed her orgasm, the pain mixing with the pleasure in a way she had never experienced. When she finally stopped writhing from her unusually long orgasm, he pulled her off the table, holding her for a second as her wobbly legs would not hold her. He then turned her around and bent her over it. Spreading her ass cheeks wide, he slid his fingers inside of her drenched pussy, spreading his cum up to lube her ass. "Jake stop, please don't, you know I've never-!" she pleaded desperately, knowing his intentions. Jake spread her until she felt her skin would rip and slammed his cock deep into her ass, she screamed at the top of her lungs as he grunted, her virgin ass clutching him like a fist, pulsing around him. She felt impaled, he was splitting her in two. "Every inch of you is mine, every part, only mine!" He continued his assault. "You traitorous fucking bitch!" he ranted almost incoherently "I will fucking kill you before I let you go," he threatened her, fucking her as hard as he could as she cried, unable to scream or even talk any longer. "No one can love you like I fuckin love you!" The words soothed her again, despite his brutal assault on her throbbing ass. He slid his fingers around to massage her clit and despite the pain, damned if she didn't cum harder than she ever came before. Jake came right after her, his weight heavy on her, then he stood up and slid out. Seeing the blood on his cock, he watched the blood mingle with his cum and ooze out of her ass and run down her swollen pussy. She was still on the table, crying, unable to move if she wanted to. He stood back, realizing what he had done. His brutality had never affected him. He did it like he did anything else, it was just in his nature, but seeing her defenseless and bleeding and crying affected him. He felt something he had never truly experienced before, remorse. He undid her wrists and picked her up, she fought him for a minute "Shh, no more, baby," he said, sitting on the couch and cradling her in his lap. He stroked her thick hair back from her face as she cried on him. Jake kissed her fore head, then her cheek, then her lips, his mouth overpowering hers. His kiss deep but soft, his hand lightly caressing her sore breasts. He calmed her down and pulled back, looking at her swollen breasts and nipples, her lips swollen from his brutal kisses, her whole body covered in fingertip bruises, he felt horrible. "I'm sorry," he ran his hand lightly over a deep bruise, "just the thought of you with another man makes me crazy," he said. She knew it was a lot for him, he had never apologized a day in his life. Hell, even when Jake was wrong, he was right. He bent his head and lightly kissed her swollen nipples, his hand going up her thighs, she jumped as he touched her. "Shhh." he soothed her, lightly massaging her clit as he lightly suckled on her. Jake turned her to face him, helping her on her knees to straddle his massive cock, he positioned himself, then slowly pulled her down until he was completely sheathed by her. This was what he wanted, he felt normal inside her, he could think clearly again. He held her face gently, kissing her lovingly, slowly, he took his time making love to her until she came. When they were done, she leaned against his chest her head on his shoulder, his cock still inside her, he pulled her back a little . "Did you let him touch you?" he asked, but this time the familiar arrogant, cruel Jake was gone, and he had a look that was almost vulnerable, almost. "No. no one but you since the day we met," she answered honestly. "Good girl," he kissed her lips lightly. "But no more dates," he said. "I don't know what I would do next time," he warned her, and she knew it was not a threat, he had barely controlled himself this time. "Then no more women," she said. "No more, only you." he caressed her breasts gently, "I couldn't even get it up with them." "Yeah right." "Seriously." The look on his face told the truth. "But it's always up," she quipped. "Only with you it seems." They kissed again and he pulled back holding her cheek. "I'm completely in love with you, ya know." "I do now." She kissed him, "but just say it one more time for me." She smiled and melted his heart, he grinned his side smile. "I love you." His thumbs running over her nipples as he held her. "I love you more." She smiled that dazzling smile and he couldn't resist her, He realized he never would be able to, he was a fool to try, and all he had managed to do was torment himself. Later they could argue about who loved who more, but for now he just kissed her, stealing her breath yet again. I Love You Chapter One / The Wedding Fabien sat down heavily at a table near the bridal party. He eyed once of the bride's maids he has seen at the alter during the wedding. Her hair was a mixture of light brown and blonde which were in small corkscrews around her pretty face and her deep blue eyes. She was beautiful beyond anything he had ever seen but what really made him feel a warm tingle inside was her smile, full of laughter and kindness. He bit his lip, he wanted to ask her to dance but he hardly knew her. Slowly he counted to 10. " 1, 2 ,3 ,4 ,5 ,6, 7, 8, 9, 10," he got up and walked over to her. "Hey, would you like to dance?" "Um sure." She took his proffered hand and they walked over to the dance floor. The moment Fabien's feet touched the dance floor he was all cool again, he was where he was meant to be. "My name is Fabien Riften by the way." "Aria Areece," she blushed which was what most of her kind did when they met Fabien's gaze. His sandy gold shaggy hair and bright blue eyes with his deep feel smile usually got most of the girls blushing. They began to dance, Aria's head on his shoulder as the slowly revolved on the spot. Next was a much more up beat song and by the end they were both out of breath. "I'll get us some drinks," said Fabien as they stepped off the dance floor. Aria nodded walking back to the bridal party's table. Fabien made his way back to Aria with two glasses of champagne in his hands. He sat next across from her, smiling he handed her the glass of champagne. "Thank you Fabien." She blushed again, "so what's your background?" "I'm a doctor and work at the Penbrook Hospital. I play guitar and write stories in my free time," he paused, " and I'm sitting across from a beautiful lady that I would like to know about." Aria smiled, "Okay then, I work in the medical field too, I'm a nurse and I draw in my spare time. I enjoy the wilderness and I'm sitting across from a very smooth talker. She smiled and he smiled back. "Would you like to come to the after dinner at my father's lodge?" "I would be delighted." Chapter Two / The Lodge Fabien followed Aria off the boat to a view of an expansive forest surround a large lodge made from wood and a distant sand beach. "You want to catch some fish with me out on the lake with me?," called Aria already up the lodge steps. "Sure if you want my company." They both dressed into more causal clothes and headed back out to the dock. He looked back as they pushed off from the dock, "Your dad has a pretty nice place up here. What's the matter?" Aria's face had turned gray. "There's something I haven't told you Fabien, I'm sorry." She began to cry, tears cascading down her face. Fabien went over to her and held her in his arms, "It's okay, just tell me." Aria hiccupped, "I'm engaged to another man, but, but...," her voice trailed off. "It's okay just tell me." Aria's tears dampened his shirt as she cried again her face buried in his shirt. "I, I don't really like him, I'm marrying him because he is wealthy and pays for our house and everything else. Our family would be broke with out him and, my, my father might have to go to jail if he can't pay off his debts. He thinks that he can buy everything with money even love. He's cold inside though and he sometimes hurts me." "Fabien's face grew somber, "You don't have to marry him, you can marry whoever you like, I'll make sure he doesn't hurt you when I'm around. How come his wasn't at the wedding, or was he? He wasn't there he always makes excuses for stuff like that." She had stopped crying. "Whatever happens you deserve someone as great as you are, he stared deep into her eyes, lets go catch some fish now okay?" Aria nodded conflicting emotions bouncing around her mind. Chapter Three / Jack McLancy Aria sat kitty-corner from Fabien at dinner and next to Jack McLancy her fiancé. Dinner seemed to pass in a blurred movie. Everyone laughed and talked to Fabien who seemed to get on very well with everyone. Then she averted her eyes to the man next to her, a hairy, unshaven, smelly man. He sat slouching eating loudly. She shuddered, how could she live with him too? That night she lay in bed alone Jack had said that he had to meet up with some friends of his in town and was staying there for the night. She thanked god, sleeping with him was awful. She lay awake for what seemed like an hour. Finally she got up and went out into the hallway. She crept to the last door in the hallway and tapped gently on the door. She waited five seconds then turned back down the hallway. "Aria?," came a whisper. She spun around Fabien stood in the doorway. He beckoned her over. "What's the matter?" "Sorry for waking you, I can't sleep could I um, come in? "Jack not here tonight?" She nodded. "Come on in then I guess." He got back into bed followed by Aria. He pulled the blanket over her then laid back down and closed his eyes. "I really like you, do you want to take a walk tomorrow?," she whispered "Yes I would," he whispered back. He laid his hand on hers and fell asleep. Chapter Four / The Beach The next morning Fabien woke up, Aria's head on his shoulder. "Aria wake up, wake up," he said gently stoking her hair. She opened her eyes and got out of the bed, " I'll see you by the door in ten minutes I'll get us something to eat so don't worry. He nodded and she left. He pulled himself out of bed and opened the closet he selected a pair of kaki cargo shorts and a white collared shirt with short sleeves. Chapter Four / The Beach He met her at the door with two minutes to spare and sat down in a armchair. "Out all the clothes you pick kaki and white which don't really match but it looks good on you." He turned his head to see Aria in blue jean shorts and a blue top. She held a backpack in one hand a pair of sandals in the other. "Here put these on you don't want to wear dress shoes." "Thanks, I'll carry that." He took the backpack from her and they set off Aria in the lead. They walked for hours holding hands as the went through the woods. Coming to a opening in the trees they stepped out unto a beach. Hand in hand they walked close to the clear water and sat down. They sat eating fruit and toast watching the waves, sometimes a quick glance at the other and then they smiled to themselves. Fabien scooted closer to Aria and she looked at him, they stared at each other then he kissed her as they wrapped their hands around each other's waists in a close embrace. However they were interpreted by a gruff voice. "What the hell are you doing with my fiancée?" What followed was a bone breaking punch to Fabien's back, then another in the head. "Jack, Jack stop, stop!," screamed Aria. "I'm not gonna stop till he gets away from you from all of us," he yelled pushing her to the ground and pulling Fabien to his feet and kneeing him in the groin then a punch to his gut which knocked the air out of him. Getting him into a full nelson he hauled him into the forest towards a black pickup truck and began to tie up Fabien with some rope. He tossed him in and shutting it firmly behind him and slamming the lid down. "Jack, Jack, please let him go, let him go." He grabbed her too but put her in the front with him. He started the truck a firm grasp on her shirt. The drove for about fifteen minutes to a deserted area near a tidal pool. With one hand he toke Aria's hand almost breaking it and with the other slung Fabien over his shoulder. He struggled over to a large oak tree, dropping Fabien to the ground still bound and tied Aria to a sapling. Next he carefully untied Fabien's arms and legs and bound them around to the oak tree without letting him take a swing. Once they were both bound tightly so they couldn't get away he went back to his truck and returned with a whip in one hand and short knife in the other. "Never," he slugged Fabien in the head with the hand that held the whip, "ever," he stabbed him in the right forearm with the knife, "kiss," he kneed him in the groin, "my," he whipped him across the face, "fiancée," he whipped his legs which cut through his skin and poured blood, "again" he punched him in the gut. Fabien hung in bloody tatters and cuts as Jack stabbed him and whipped him repeatedly. Then he kneed and punched him in the groin again and again and again. He swung around and began to untie Aria who lay crying. "Your coming with me," he said to Aria. He hauled her to two trees close together and tied her so that she hung between both. "You never ever gonna tell this to anyone that this ever happened or I beat up your boyfriend, or I'll come back here and kill him. If you try to rescue him I'll find you two and kill you both. " He dropped his pants to the knees and pulled out his penis, "suck this or I'll kill you too. Aria cried, looking away from him. "Do it now!" He ripped at her shirt tearing it and brought her closer. He shoved her mouth over his penis and began to move back and forth. Chapter Five / The Escape Aria lay awake in bed Jack's hair arms around her while his stench almost made her throw up. She hadn't told anyone about the incident on the beach or in the woods. Jack had told everyone that Fabien had left saying he felt like he was intruding in the family and he had brought him back town. Now she was stuck doing everything as he said, he never left her alone for a minute. She made her decision, she squeezed out from Jack's arms he groaned. She crept over to his discarded pants and pulled his keys from the pocket, the pants were wet, gross. Next she gathered a fishing line, a knife, some matches, blankets, her medical bag and a pair of clothes for Fabien. Silently she unlocked the front door and went over to the black truck. Climbing into the truck she started the engine swearing at the noise but no light flicked on. Aria drove for half an hour until she came to the clearing once more, in the darkness she could make out a form tied to an oak tree dead or alive she could not tell. She parked the car and jumped out running towards the figure. Fabien hung limply eyes clothes to the tree cuts and bruising covering his body. She cut the ropes with the knife freeing his legs then his arms. He fell heavily onto her but not crushing her unlike what Jack's weight would have certainly done. She pulled him into the woods away from the blood splattered tree into the dense forest. Aria kissed him on the forehead and went back for the stuff in the car. When she returned Fabien still lay motionless leaning on the tree she had propped him up against. Carefully she pulled off his shirt which were more rags than anything and toke a cleansing wipe from her medical bag. His torso twitched as she wiped away the blood but the gashes still remained. Next she toke a white roll of bandage and began wrapping it around him. She pulled the extra shirt over his head and down to his waist. She did the same with his calves for she didn't wish to take off his shorts or underwear without his permission. Aria laid him down on one blanket then pulled the other over them as he had once done for her. She lay next to him hoping that Jack wouldn't come after them. Chapter Six / Awakening Fabien opened his eyes his body ached especially around his groin which felt tender. Someone had fixed him up, he looked to his left, Aria lay asleep beside him. He sat up and at his movements Aria woke up too. "Oh Fabien, I've missed you so much, I just worried about you all the time...," she rambled on as Fabien gazed at her. "Thank you Aria I owe you my life," and he wrapped his arms around her in a gentle embrace, " I love you." She blushed red again. "I, I um didn't patch up your thighs and...I didn't know...," he voice trailed off. "I don't mind," he smiled at her fondly. He pulled off his shorts and underwear and lay next to Aria. Blushing crimson now she cleansed his wounds and bound them too trying not to look at his bruised groin. She gave him the fresh pair of shorts and got up. "I can't really do anything for them she gestured at his crotch." Fabien smiled, "I didn't think so," his breath came in shudders as he got up too. Taking her hand he walked over to the pool of water. He looked into the water and saw his face a gash from chin bone to right eye. "Do you still love me?" "Of course Fabien why wouldn't I." " I'm weakened, scarred and broken." "You won't be forever," and she kissed him on the lips, "I'm just glad your alive and you still love me." They walked hand in hand down to the beach, Fabien stumbled in the sand falling on Aria's shoulder. "Are you okay," she wrapped his arm around her neck. He nodded. "Stay here okay I'll go get our stuff. Fabien waited a couple minutes, then he heard a shriek from maybe fifteen meters away. He got up slowly, shuddering and stumbling towards the noise. Gasping for air he arrived at the scene, a huge bobcat was slowly advancing on Aria who lay on the ground holding her ankle. Fabien searched around for a second pulling a heavy branch from the ground. He almost dropped it but with all his strength he whacked the Bobcat in the head. This did nothing more than avert it's attention to Fabien. It pounced, clawing Fabien from right shoulder to left hip over his already cut and bruised body. With a grunt he toke another swing and luckily hit the bobcat in the left eye. It retreated whimpering its eye bloody and blind. "Aria are you, are you okay?" Her ankle trembled as she tried to get up. "I think my ankle is broken I tripped when I was trying to get back to the beach. Fabien sighed, "I can carry you but we should get to the car and start driving before Jack finds us." With great effort he lifted Aria so that he cradled her in his arms so not to put pressure on her ankle. Carefully and slowly he made his way back to the black pickup. Chapter Seven / The Return Laughter broke the silence as Fabien put Aria in the passenger side of the pickup. "Think I wouldn't find you eh?," came Jack's snide voice around the other side of the car. He came around to Fabien and punched him the head. Fabien slid to the ground unconscious. Fabien opened his eyes, he was in a large room strapped to a metal plate with thick metal bands that cut into his flesh. He was completely naked. "You've woke up now have you? Time I pay you back for something," he said sliding a metal bands connected to wires around Fabien's penis. He then suckered suction cups also connected to wires to his biceps, nipples, abs, thighs and shins. Next he suckered two larger ones to his testicles "You were with my girlfriend again, hmm, I'd say that's worth a 100 volt starter. Jack pressed the button, Fabien realized what would come next a half of second before it happened he tightened up ready for the shock. He screamed, the voltages were torture, it was pain beyond anything he could imagine. He could tell by the way Jack acted he was severely drunk, mad and insane. Jack laughed pushed the button again, "How about 200 volts." Fabien again screamed passing out as his system shut down, he slumped in his bonds. Aria climbed out of the pickup holding a short knife. She hopped one legged to the house grabbing onto the rail. She quickly went through the door. A scream broke the silence, it was from below her. She went to the door that lead to the basement, opening it quietly she went down the stairs. Aria saw Jack laughing then Fabien unconscious, naked with electric volt bouncers covering his body. She ran towards Jack and stabbed him in the neck. In slow motion he fell writhing to the ground, then lay still. Dead. Chapter Eight / Homecoming One week and three days later Fabien came to. Aria lay beside him, her head resting on his chest. The lay in a small room with one window showing a hot tub outside. "I can never repay you Aria," he stroked her hair as he had done so long ago it seemed. She opened her eyes, "Fabien, at last, I've missed you voice so much," she hugged him tightly. "How about we take a dip in that hot tub out there?" He got up besides some pain in his groin area he felt fine. He went outside taking off his clothes as he went realizing that they were in a alcove were only people from the bedroom could see them. He slid in the tub with a moan, it was bliss. Shyly Aria undressed, she was as beautiful without her clothes as with. She slid in next to Fabien. They soon were wrapped in a fierce embrace kissing long and hard. When they broke apart he pulled Aria onto his lap and began massaging her breasts. "I love you," said Fabien. "I love you," said Aria. She toke Fabien's penis and testicles and massaged them. Fabien groaned with satisfaction. For a moment Fabien let go of Aria reaching over the side of the tub taking something out of the pocket. He put whatever he toke into his mouth. Sliding Aria off himself he kissed her. She reached into her mouth, astonished, "Will you Aria Areece, marry me, Fabien Riften?" "Yes Fabien I will." She held in her hand a gold ring with a large diamond inlay. I Love You I woke to the sound of a door slamming somewhere. It startled me, and I sat up in bed, glancing about. Ah, that explained it. He wasn't in bed with me and I sorely missed the warmth of his body pressed tightly to mine. With a groan, I simply fell back against the pillows, allowing their satin comfort to cocoon me like hands. It would take me time to move from my bed, to actually wake myself up, and follow where he had gone. Our clothes were scattered on the bedroom floor, discarded until the next day. It was night time still, hours before day break. My hair was mussed from sleep, hanging in disarray about my face. Curiosity was starting to pull me toward the door and I stopped myself. I had to. The hallway was dark, the entire house was in darkness, and something about gazing into that darkness splayed out before me made me uneasy. I knew the place's layout well enough to stumble forward, touching my hand across the wall as I cleared the hall. The stairs came next, winding down like a slumbering beast with their wooden steps like mouths ready to swallow my feet. With a breath, perhaps a sigh, I started down them. My weight caused the steps to creak under me. It mattered so little because the house wasn't brand new. I expected the creaking stairs. Even so, it bothered me... Unfolding below was the mass of the living room and, at last, a small lamp lit. I raced toward the steps, for that light, and ended at it. My lips pursed. This just didn't seem right. Shit. I was naked and I'd forgotten that and, for some reason, the door to the living room was wide open, sending in a light breeze that tickled across my skin. I squinted in the dim light as I could have sworn that something had been slammed. If not this door then what....? My feet crept forward of their own volition, toward the gaping threshold, and I reached for the door. For a second, I poked my head into the night. The car was still there, sitting on the drive, as if nothing at all had happened. This itself caused a frown to spread across my lips. I shut the door behind me, replaced the lock, and turned around. Silence greeted me in the house I'd become so fond of, and still he was nowhere to be seen. On near silent feet I found myself in the kitchen, leaning against the counter, my forehead against the cool of it. Until something brushed across my leg, fabric, and my wrists were suddenly in the grasp of a stranger's. His body was pressed into the back of mine, looming over me, as I fought the initial panic that rose up to claw at my throat. There were no words in the darkness that surrounded us, but the bare skin that pressed up to my own was warm. So warm and I was cold so I welcomed that embrace, I welcomed it until I felt teeth grazing my ear and his breath on my neck. Oh, but I knew that body. I knew it well and it didn't bother me as much. If such a game wanted to be played I wouldn't ruin it, I'd embrace the challenge with a grin. And I did grin even as I tried to struggle away from him. In response, his grasp on both of my wrists tightened, his bite became almost an unbearable thing, and I cried out, softly. I felt him react, I felt him press himself more urgently against my form, and heard the sound that issued from his lips. It was one of want, need, and in this moment of weakness I managed to turn myself to face him. I leaned, tipped my head upward, to stare into his eyes and then I pressed a kiss against those lips. The hands that held me loosened, but his hips pressed me into the cabinets, trapped there against him, as I slid my arms about his neck and pressed our bodies even closer. My bare breasts pushed against his chest as he parted his lips to my onslaught. I tasted him, explored his mouth, until he grunted and drew away from me for breath. There were no words between us, just action. His hands found my hips, traced circles against them, and then gripped them. Small half-moons were printed onto my skin from his nails and soon my lips had met the flesh of his neck. I kissed up its side, to the hollow beneath his ear, and captured the lobe for myself. I bit down, tugged at it, and played the tip of my tongue against it until I drew away from him. Next was the inviting indention of his throat which I traced in a continual circle until it had satisfied me. I tried to slide down his body, but found that his grip on my hips kept me from doing as I wanted to. Playfully, I glared up at him and his responding grin sent a whisper of heat low. It was a wicked expression, full of promises and threats. There was a flush to my cheeks; even in the darkness I felt that such heat was visible to him. Suddenly, his hand was on my arm, dragging my away from the cabinets. I was thrown to the floor, rather roughly, but at this point I couldn't have cared less. My body was already responding understanding such needs, comfort be damned. I fumbled to get to my knees, moving onto all fours as he kneeled just behind me. I felt fingers dragging along my spine, and this brought a shiver from my body. His laughter, warm and thick, followed. Such a thing seemed to please him. His hands moved their attention elsewhere, parting my thighs so that I was bare before him. A finger traced across sensitive flesh and I wobbled slightly as the touch sent desire flooding through me. Just a simple touch, but it was enough to bring a sound to my lips. I tried to keep it at bay, subdued, but it found a way past my defenses. There was nothing more I wanted in that moment was for him to fuck me, to fill me, until I was crying out and his name fell from my mouth. I kept the desire to myself, the silence hanging heavy around us. It seemed almost wrong to disturb it, and I was taken from these pleasant thoughts and forced into reality. Reality was even sweeter than thought, especially in this moment, because a long finger slid into me, slowly, taking time with each centimeter of flesh. Even that was torture, both torture and pleasure, at the same time. He teased me, finger moving inside of me until steadily. In, out, in, out... Oh, dear God it was almost fucking unbearable and already I felt close. Close to that warm spill of pleasure, but every time I held it in my grasp he ripped it away and would stop or change rhythm entirely. I heard his laughter again as I writhed for him, moaned for him, until my breathing was heavy and I was frustrated beyond all measure. I could not help it any longer, it seemed that the pleasure would go on forever and be endless if I didn't. "Please," I whispered, voice low enough that I was almost certain he hadn't heard me. There was a pause in the rhythm, he'd stopped, but his finger remained inside of me. I felt it as I shifted to get more comfortable. "Please what?" came his voice. I knew he would do it. He'd make me say it aloud, he'd make me say aloud what I craved. "Fuck me," was my breathless reply. He said nothing to me, but the finger slid out, and I turned to glance over my shoulder as he licked the traces of me from his skin. That only made my need greater and I could see his expression rendered in the dim lights coming from the streets outside. He was grinning, clearly amused by this act of begging, but I was rewarded. The head of his cock teased across my entrance and I held my breath, forgetting for a moment how to breathe, as he pushed his length inside of me, sheathed himself until he was buried as deep as was physically possible. Just that length, filling me, made me writhe and I searched for something to grasp onto but there was nothing I could grasp. I pressed my nails into the palms of both hands, digging in hard enough so that the small crescents filled with blood. I wasted it, shifting so that my cheek rested against the floor in front of me and my ass was raised to the air. It was more comfortable this way and I'd gotten tired of holding my weight, waiting so patiently for him to draw out. He didn't, however. I whimpered, I couldn't help the sound, because I was frustrated. Frustrated, and oh how I wanted him. He took this as a sound of encouragement because he drew out of me and, not seconds later, rammed back in. I gasped, closing my eyes, and allowed my body to speak for me. I clenched, tightly, on his cock as he thrusted for a second time and soon came to find a rhythm inside of me. At first, the strokes were leisurely, slow, but soon they had become a force of want, need, and his hands gripped the rounded flesh of my ass. His breath traced down my body, heavy, as his hips increased their tempo. I was crying out, almost screaming, by the time that pleasure rolled me completely. It was a great wave of pleasure, curling my toes, and throwing my head back. I screamed his name into the night, loud enough that the sound echoed throughout the walls, but I didn't care. I couldn't make myself care as released had gripped me. My fingers dug painfully into my arm, but it was just another pleasure, as I marked myself up and down. If I'd had his flesh I would have marked him until blood spewed from the furrows, but this was simply the best I could do. I spasmed, back arching, as his own release was close. I could feel it because he was losing the rhythm, thrusts becoming crazed, hard, as he drove himself into me over and over again. I screamed again, still held in pleasure's clutches, and the warmth of his filled me. His entire body froze above mine, paused for just a moment, so that he grunted and then he stopped. He was still buried deep inside, but the motions themselves had ended. Breathing heavily, a fine sheen of sweat covering both of our skin, he curled against my back and wrapped an arm about my waist. I felt his heartbeat against my back and knew that my own had skyrocketed. It was thumping a frantic beat as I whispered the words, "I love you..." I Love You Valentine's Day had long since became a day that Trish hated. Ten years as a single woman had simply given her a dislike of the day when every single person it seemed had a date and got gifts. She didn't need to do more than turn her head to the left to see that Karrin had gotten flowers, actually multiple sets from the men interested in her and Nikki had a box of chocolates. There was only one woman who didn't have anything on her desk taking up space while she tried to find ways to waste the rest of the day away and she hated it more than she could say. "So what are you going to do for V-Day?" Karrin asked. She wasn't really dressed for work. The skirt she was wearing only barely covered her hips and it made it instantly obvious that if she was wearing anything beneath the skirt it was just a thong. "Oh me and John are going to the movies. Not that I really think we'll be seeing much of the Musketeer." Nikki responded. She just a bit more appropriately dressed. Sure her dress went most of the way down to her knees but the cut of the neckline was close enough to her naval that if she managed to take a deep enough breath she'd reveal a little more than was usually considered appropriate. "Well that puts your man a bit above mine for romance." Karrin responded with a sultry smile. "The only thing I'm really expecting from Chris is a good and deep dicking." The caramel hued beauty deliberately crossed her legs causing the skirt to ride up even farther. "Not that I'm complaining or anything just it wouldn't hurt if he decided to try and earn it for once like your man is going to do." Trish closed her eyes for a moment trying her best to focus on the work in front of her only there wasn't a lot of work for her and it was particularly hard with her eyes closed. It was just that as she listened to her co-workers it made her that much more upset about the holiday. Everybody had plans, every single person. Except her. Her plans for the night boiled down to seeing if she could get enough rum in her to completely forget that the night had happened in the first place. The only thing she wanted was for the day to be over. A handsome young man stepped into the office. He was dressed in a black button up shirt and a pair of slacks that did a rather good job of showing off his well formed backside. "Is there a Trish here?" The man asked opening a box and pulling out a large bouquet of flowers. One of the workers pointed the man towards Trish who could only stand in place awestruck. There wasn't anybody who was supposed to be thinking of her on Valentines day. No boyfriend not even anybody who was flirting with her. "Are you Trish?" She nodded dumbly as the flowers were set in front of her. "Have a good day ma'am." The delivery man said before stepping out. "Who are those from?" Karrin asked admiring the impressive array of flowers Trish had gotten. "Someone must think you're special." "Very special." Nikki added taking a longing glance at the flowers. "I didn't even know you had a boyfriend." "I don't." Trish responded staring at the flowers. It didn't make any sense. "Then who?" Karrin started. "Sent them?" Nikki completed. Trish wished she wasn't being honest when she responded. "I don't know." She wished she knew who had bothered to think of her but honestly she couldn't think of anybody who might care enough to have sent her flowers. Nikki paused for a second realizing that Trish wasn't faking her surprise. "Well whoever he is he loves you. Assuming he's not a crazy stalker you make sure you fuck his brains out sugar cube." "Yeah this guy. . .he kinda earned it even if he wants to fuck you in an uncomfortably place." Karrin replied. "Thanks girls." Trish responded picking up the flowers. Before she could say anything else several alarms went off. It was time to go home. "Whichever one of you sent these thank you." Trish said lifting the vase and starting walk out. She intentionally ignored the denials of her co-workers. There wasn't anybody else who could have sent them. It was less than an hour for her to drive home. It was as always simply uneventful. The only surprise came when she got to her front door and found a sign. It simply read "Turn Around." And Trish did. She didn't see him before his lips hit hers and his arms wrapped around her waist pulling her up against him. There was a moment when she considered fighting him but that faded almost immediately. "Who?" She tried to form actual words when their lips broke but she was less interested in an answer than she was in fumbling her key into the lock and getting both of them into her apartment. "Are you?" "You really don't know?" Trish opened her eyes and for a moment she felt bad that she hadn't figured out who he was sooner. Mark had been her neighbor for almost five years and he'd been her classmate since before she could remember. He'd always followed her around leaving embarrassing notes on her desk and occasionally speaking to her. It wasn't until right then that she noticed that at some point in the last two decades he'd grown from an awkward little boy into a rather attractive man. He certainly had well developed abs that she didn't mind feeling pressed up against her stomach. "It's fine." He replied pulling her shirt up over her head and tossing aside. It didn't make sense how well he knew her place and at the moment it didn't matter as the two of them shed clothing on the way to her bedroom. The only thing that actually mattered was the fact that when the two of them became one Trish had to stifle a scream. It wasn't like anything she could remember. It wasn't that Mark was particularly talented it was just that he was sincere. He meant it and somehow that meant the world to her when she looked over his shoulder and saw the flowers resting on her dresser. "Please I need to hear it." "I love you." Mark replied. I Love You I loved her and had made the mistake of telling her. We had met when I taught her. She had dark impenetrable eyes and the most sensuous voice. Her hands were a pretty shape with sharp nails that she liked to paint brightly. I was an English teacher in Saudi so that was about all I knew of her. She was some kind of princess who washed in money. She came to class veiled but when she moved her body slinked and swayed beneath her black gown, or abaya, so I knew she had full breasts, slender waist and wide hips. She bewitched me. Her name was Aisha. She had taken my email address thinking she could practise her English. I remember giving it to her and how her perfume got me giddy as she leant over my desk. We communicated by email for a few months. When I woke up she was there. She followed me around all day and curled up in my bed at night. I was obsessed. It did not help that everywhere I went every girl I saw was dressed in the same black abaya. Every time I saw anyone I would peer at them, hoping it was her. So I told her that I loved her by email. She phoned me and laughed at me and told me to leave her alone. My heart broke. It was three weeks after that that her sister Reha came to my class. They had the same eyes but her sister was not as clever or talkative. One day after class she approached me. She was smiling with her eyes and she handed me a letter. It was from Aisha. It said simply, on pink paper 'I will see you. The Cherry Tree. 8 pm.' I pondered the note carefully. Aisha had good English. Did she mean to write 'I want to see you' or was she giving an order, making a promise? Obviously my heart jumped at the chance to go. I was wearing my best clothes and trying to feel calm sitting outside in the hot night. Aisha and Reha arrived together, almost identical but Reha was slightly shorter. They sat with me and we talked. We had been talking about nothing special for about an hour when abruptly the two sisters started to talk to each other in Arabic. I did not know what was going on. I felt uncomfortable suddenly. They were giggling together and shooting glances my way so I knew they were laughing at me. I started to blush but then Aisha turned to look at me. 'Sorry, we were just discussing if you could come back to visit us at out house. Would you like to come?' I gulped. I felt lucky and nervous too. Of course I said yes and that was my fate sealed. ============ The moment the door closed behind us everything changed. In the car they had been chatting and sweet and innocent. Aisha went in first and then me and then Reha. Reha closed the door and Aisha spun and kneed me hard in the balls. I crumpled up on the floor in agony and Reha's abaya brushed my face as she stepped over me. They stood side by side black eyes angry blazing down at me. I groaned and lay curled up, too frightened to move. Then Reha ordered me to strip and when I did nothing she kicked me in the belly. I was winded. Her sister crouched down and grabbed my hair, pulling my face up to look at her. 'Strip,' she said and pushed my head down so it bounced on the floor. I obeyed but stopped when I got to my pants from shame. I was still on the floor, there was too much pain to get up. My face was red from the shame of wriggling at their feet. I noticed Aisha had on red shoes with high heels. I wanted to grab her knees and beg for mercy. She was so beautiful. When she saw I had stopped undressing Reha turned to Aisha and said something in Arabic and Aisha laughed. It was a cold sound. Aisha kicked me, catching my cheek and knocking my head back. Then Reha took a kick. They kept taking it in turns to kick me and they were laughing the whole time. I curled up and tried to protect myself but there was nothing I could do. Twice I tried to get to my feet but they pushed me down. I don't know how long it lasted. Eventually they stopped. Perhaps they were bored. They each grabbed a leg and dragged me into a room. I could not resist. There was a bed and they flung me onto it. Aisha removed my pants and flicked at my penis. To my shame I began to get erect. She giggled and grabbed my cock and gave it a few strokes. She pulled up her abaya to just above her knees and straddled me. She rubbed her bottom against my penis. 'You like this?' she teased. I was very aroused. I felt awful: my body was in agony but I felt desire like never before. Reha had moved to my feet and I barely noticed her tie them tightly together. She then tied my legs to the foot of the beg before making another tight loop around my knees. Aisha lifted herself off me and flipped me over onto my tummy. Reha came to my head and began to stroke my face. It was gentle, tender even. I looked into her eyes and felt myself drawn in. They were dark and deep and very beautiful. I wanted to see the rest of her face and even to kiss her passionately but she terrified me too. Meanwhile Aisha had grabbed my wrists and forced them behind my back, tying them together. Suddenly, as if from an unspoken signal, they both stepped away from me and left the room in unison. I found myself naked and trussed on a bed laid with red satin sheets. I could roll over, which was about all, but every movement sent bolts of pain through me. My cock was hard and bobbing about and I desperately wanted the girls to come back, even after how they had beaten and humiliated me. After about five minutes they were back. I had been lying on my back so I saw first Aisha and then Reha come into the room. They were both still veiled but they had changed their abayas. They were still hidden inside black bags but the gowns had open ovals so I could see their full breasts snug inside bras. Aisha's breast were bigger, held in a low cut red and black bra that pushed them together to make a deep inviting cleavage. Her skin was milk chocolate. I gaped. My cock jumped. Reha's skin was darker and her breasts smaller slightly. Her bra was green satin. They sashayed towards me and separated to either side of the bed. I could not take my eyes off Aisha. I loved her so deeply though I could not believe what was happening. I felt Reha climb onto the bed and lay down next to me. She turned my head away from staring at Aisha and pulled it to her breasts. My nose was crushed into her left breast, the satin of her bra soft on my lips. She was lying higher than me, looking down at me with her head on one hand, with disdain in her eyes. Aisha got onto the bed and snuggled against my back. She felt soft and warm, especially her skin on my neck but she also hurt my bruises. Aisha moved away a little and I was pushed onto my back. My head was between the two pairs of breasts. Both were looking down on me with black dispassionate eyes. Aisha grabbed my balls and dug in her nails. I winced and looked into her eyes and saw only mockery in them. I turned to look at Reha for mercy but she looked amused. She lifted her leg and rested her thigh over my legs just above the knee. Aisha continued to massage my balls in her hand. I was so ashamed to be lying between two beautiful women, not even having seen their faces but just their eyes dominated me. My cock was throbbing and Reha batted it with her hand. She began to stroke it and Aisha kept massage my balls. My body was aching but I felt immense pleasure. I smiled. The heat of embarrassment flushed over me. Aisha ran her nails over the top my thigh and then stroked my thighs. Reha kept on firmly stroking my cock from the base to the top. She pulled down my foreskin and scratched my glans. Aisha began to stroke my chest. They were being gentle now, almost affectionate. I looked at their soft brown breasts. Aisha's breasts swelled out of her bra, looking soft and delicious. I open my mouth to speak and from nowhere the mood changed. Aisha slapped me and said 'Shut the fuck up!' Reha leant closer and pushed her breasts into my face. She kept stroking, but slowly, enough to arose more and more. I felt like I was about to come. Then Reha moved away and Aisha leant in. Her breasts covered my nose and my mouth. I could not breathe. I was helpless. Now Reha started to masturbate me faster and Aisha had her hand in my hair pushing my face deeper into her warm cleavage. I could feel the blood pounding in my head. I was desperate to breathe but all I could get was the smell of her perfume and the scent of her body. I knew I was to close to coming. I was desperate for air. Suddenly it all stopped. I was gasping for breath looking up from one face to the other. My cock was throbbing and twitching, wanting Reha's hand to come back. I tried to raise my pelvis instinctively looking for a contact but it made them laugh. There was no mercy in their eyes, only contempt. I tried to roll and put my face back in Aisha's beautiful breasts. Reha got up and went away. Aisha ran her nails over my chest and then put her hand to my mouth. She pushed a sharp nail, painted red, to my mouth and I kissed her finger tip and licked her nail. She pushed harder and I began to suck on her finger and tried to plead with my eyes. Then Reha came back into the room. She was carrying a long thin leather whip. I shuddered and Aisha giggled. She rolled onto her back and pulled me over so I was lying on top of her. She held my head and pressed my face into her breasts. I could not see. I began to kiss her breasts and she stroked my hair. 'You are lying on top of your lover,' she mocked. 'You want to fuck me but you can't. Worthless worm.' I tried to wriggle but she held my head tight to her breasts. 'Tell me you love me.' she commanded. then there was a swish and crack as Reha whipped me. The blow feel on my thigh just below the bottom. I cried out and then began to whimper. 'No, my baby,' said Aisha 'Don't scream. Tell me you love me.' Reha said nothing and hit me again. I began to babble. 'I love you. Please... Help me. I love you.' At the third stroke tears began to trickle down my face. 'Keep telling me about this...' Aisha paused 'love.' Her voice was totally cold. I said 'I love you. I think about you all the time. I wake up thinking about you. I love your eyes, your breasts are lovely, I like your voice. Please love me. I love you completely, so much, I worship you. I'm obsessed.' I did not know what I was saying. Reha hit me again and again. I could not stop her blows falling and every time I wriggled Aisha pulled my head closer. Every time I stopped speaking she reminded me to start telling her I loved her again. I felt so small. Reha hit me on the same spot, each blow worse than before. Then she started to strike my bottom, one cheek then the other. I was crying and shaking and Aisha held me like a baby. Finally the beating stopped and Aisha let me go. She rolled me onto my back and lay next to me, her breasts next to my face again. I nuzzled into them to hide my tears but she pulled my head away. 'I want to see you cry' she said which made me cry more. 'Please, I do love you, really more than anything... Please forgive me, have mercy, my love...' I begged her but she said nothing, just watched me as if I were an insect. When my tears had stopped and I had calmed down she stroked my hair. She let me put my face to her breasts again. I closed my eyes and she held me. After some time she got up off the bed. She leant down over me, her veil brushing my face. She smelt good and my heart swelled with desire for her. She whispered in my ear, her eyes locked with mine, 'I don't accept your love' and went out. I felt crushed. Reha came back in. She was wearing a little white satin slip. She had put up her hair and for the first time I saw her face. She was pretty with a small mouth and button nose. She had pearl earrings and a matching necklace. She looked wonderful. She came and sat down on the bed beside me. She leant over and kissed my cheek. She ran her hand over my chest and kissed it. She worked her way down, kissing my chest, my stomach, my navel and then she took my cock in her mouth. She moved to sit on my chest, her legs either side of my head and sucked me. It felt cool and wet at first but got warmer. She took me in her mouth and pulled away. I gasped and she did it again. She wrapped one hand around my balls and held them gently. She kept on sucking moving her mouth up and down my penis. I moaned with anticipation but I kept thinking of Aisha and how I wanted to kiss her, and make her love me. As I got closer to coming she slowed down. She was teasing me. I tried to move my cock against her to get more pleasure, to finish myself. She responded by lifting her bottom off my chest and kneeling there instead. It was painful, especially on my bruises but then she twisted over onto her side, one leg crooked and resting half on my chest and half off, the other foot she pressed against my neck. She pushed my head back with her foot and then pressed down on my windpipe. She said 'Don't fucking move again you little piece of shit.' Then she eased the pressure off my neck and went back to sucking me. She kept her foot on my cheek as a warning. I was quickly on the edge of coming again. I could not help moving against her. I was terrified but very aroused and I bucked my hips very slightly but enough to make Reha angry. She sat up on me and turned to face me, her legs either side of my head. She was scowling and she slapped me, knocking my head left then right then left again. I don't know when Aisha had came back in. She was sitting on a chair beside the bed watching Reha slap me. Reha got off me and went out again. 'You say you love me but I think you prefer my sister,' Aisha said. She looked stunning. She was wearing green satin slippers on her dainty feet. She sat cross legged and looked like a princess. She had a rich green satin dress with a full, bunched skirt. The bodice revealed how her waist went in and showed off her breasts. It was patterned with sequins. Her bare arms and shoulders were a delicious brown and her hands rested in her lap. She had on a choker. Her face was regal with pouting lips. Her eyes had been painted green also. Her black hair was lined with pearls. My heart pounded to see her. She did not move. I felt an urge to kiss her feet and my love for her abounded. Then I remembered how I must look to her, tied up and covered in welts and bruises and tear stains. I turned my face away in shame. She said 'Look at me.' I turned my face to her. I felt like I was drowning in a sea of her. She got up and stood at my feet. I looked up at her in awe. When she moved her hips swayed sexily like she owned the world. She had a knife in her hands and she put one hand on my thigh to hold me still and cut the straps around my knees and ankles. Where she touched me felt magical. She returned to her chair and sat elegantly. She called me to come to her. I got up off the bed and winced at the pain from the beatings but I did not want her to see. When I got up my cock swung ridiculously and another swell of shame swallowed me. I walked to her when she told me to kneel. It felt right to kneel for her. She touched my cheek and said softly. 'My lover...' It was hard to tell if she was mocking or if she meant it and my heart felt an explosion of pathetic hope. She shifted in her chair and uncrossed her legs. She pulled on my head and bent me over her lap. I knew what was coming. She leant over me and I felt her breasts brush deliciously over my back and she removed her shoe. She began to spank me. She had one firm hand on the small of my back holding me still. My hands were still bound and she beat me, gently at first but getting harder, across my buttocks. I had begun to cry immediately. It was the cruellest beating because she was so beautiful, almost divine and I loved her. I was ashamed and helpless. Huge sobs went through me but made no difference to her. Each blow was regularly timed with no rest or time to recover. My cock was hard and throbbing and close to her thigh and some of the blows pushed me so it banged against her. I wished she would stop and press my head back to her breasts or even kiss me. I wanted to be allowed to even kiss her feet. Finally she stopped and stood up, I fell to the floor and curled up crushed and, if anything, more in love. She just walked away. Shortly afterwards Reha and Aisha came together into the room. They were still wearing the same. Reha came and cut my hands free and told me to get on my hands and knees. Then she sat on my back and told me to crawl. I carried her out of the room, she guided me by tugging on my hair. My knees were agony. I took her to a sitting room where there was a leather sofa, TV and some food and drink on a table. She got off at the sofa and sent me back for Aisha. When Aisha sat on my back her skirt covered my face, blinding me. She laughed at me, showing no patience when I crashed into a wall. She drove me into the living room. She made me lie face down on the leather sofa. It was cool against my skin. She sat on my back and Reha sat on my thighs. Aisha twisted my face so I faced the wall of the sofa. They talked together, giggling and eating the food and watching TV. I was ignored unless I wriggled. Then one or other of them would jab their nails into my red inflamed buttocks and the pain would subdue me. Once I spoke so they gagged me. I was terrified and struggled to breath. My body was a mess of pain. I tried to keep still. They watched together for a few hours while I lay crushed beneath them. When Aisha and Reha turned off the TV and got up they stood with hands on hips and told me to get up too. My body had stiffened and so I fell over. They laughed and kicked me again until I was about able to stand. Then they drove me with slaps back to stand by the front door. Aisha pushed me to my knees and held me so I was looking up into her gorgeous face. She asked 'Do you still love me?' I felt awful and still gagged I could only nod. I nodded frantically. I heard Reha laughing at me and she poked my buttocks with her foot. Aisha continued 'Do you really love me? I have beaten you, mocked you, humiliated you and made you cry. I used you as a horse, as a chair. Do you even know what love is?' I nodded again. She said 'Please, tell me the truth. You know I feel nothing for you. I hate you. You are pathetic and mean nothing to me so you won't make me sad if you don't love me.' I started to cry and rubbed my face into her skirt, I mumbled I love you through the gag but nothing came out. Both girls were laughing hard now and I wanted the ground to swallow me. Aisha was remorseless with a cold sneering voice. 'Will you still love me if I sell you as a whore to my sister and her friends?' I looked up at her in disbelief. She was smiling now and amusement filled her eyes. I nodded slowly, sadly. She slapped my cheek hard and turned to her sister. They began to haggle for me. I hung my head. 'I don't want him that much. He has no skills. His cock is small.' started Reha. 'He will do anything you tell him. You've seen how obedient he is. Give me $100 for the week.' 'He is too weak. You beat him and he cries too easily, like a baby. He never fights back, he does not even struggle. I'll give you $50.' 'Ok, give me $80. But if you bring him back damaged you'll pay me double.' 'Damaged how?' 'No cutting with razor blades, no broken bones, no tattoos. You can shave him and flog him and hang him up by the balls, anything you like but I want his body kept in one piece.' I felt total terror. I was shaking. The Reha asked 'Does he give good head?' I looked at Aisha but she shrugged. 'Dunno. Try him!' She added with a disgust that hurt me 'He's not putting his tongue near me.' She pulled off the gag and pushed me towards Reha. I turned to Aisha and started to beg 'Please, I love you, please, don't sell me, don't hurt me...' but she cut me off with another slap saying 'Fuck off like I care.' Reha spread her legs and pulled me to her in the hallway. The scent of her pussy filled my nose and she rammed my face into her crotch. I did nothing from fear and shame. Aisha grabbed me again and threatened me. She gripped my balls and started to squeeze. 'Lick her well and if you get the price up to $90 I'll let you kiss me goodbye.' Reha took me back but Aisha kept her hold on my balls. She was not hurting me yet. I licked at Reha, I sucked and nibbled on her clitoris. I had never done this before. I didn't know how. She started to grind herself into my face saying to Aisha 'He's shit, not even an amateur.' I Love You 'If you teach him and send him back an expert at the end of the week you can have him for free. What do you say?' 'Ok.' She kept grinding herself, harder and faster, her pubes scratchy on my face and her smell all over me. She came suddenly, shaking and breathing heavily. She dropped me and Aisha caught me, she leaned in as if to kiss me but at the last moment spat in my face. 'You say you love me but you cost me $80.' She smiled sweetly. Then she put a bag over my head and I was in darkness. A collar was put around my throat and I was tugged by the neck out of the door. I felt the cool night air and gravel under my feet. I was pushed into the boot of a car and heard the lid snap shut, imprisoning me in the dark. I Love You Baby!! I was just about to leave work, when I heard my cell phone ring. When I looked at the Caller I.D., I saw that it was my husband. Oh it felt so good to say that. We got married just three months ago and we are going along beautifully. We got married on January 25, 2007. When I answered I heard his sexy low voice answer the phone, "Hey baby," he said. "Hi babe," I said back. "Well I just got off of work and I wanted to tell you to go shopping before you come home, because tomorrow's your big day." "Big day?" I asked confused. "Yes baby, it's your birthday tomorrow." "Oh I forgot I was so busy with these burglary cases that it just slipped my mind. What do you want me to pick up?" "Well, something that will give me the chills just looking at you like I always do, because I already bought something for you to wear tonight for your preparation for tomorrow's celebrations, and when I say tomorrow I mean the whole tomorrow not just tomorrow night." "Ok, your making me wet already", I said in a sexy voice. "Just what I like to hear" he said in a very sensual tone. "I'll be home in about an hour" I said happily. "Ok, baby. Be careful on the road and I love you baby" "I love you too baby" I said as I hung up the phone, happily. When I walked into the Victoria Secret, on 34th street, the smell of exotic and peaceful scents hit me. I walked straight to the lingerie section to get something sexy for my man. As soon as I stepped into the aisle, my eye got caught on a lavender two-piece lace bra and panty set. I walked straight to it and picked up a size 5, because I know I got a lot of junk in my trunk if you know what I mean. I paid quickly then went back in to the car. My phone rang again, "Yes, baby" I said playfully. "I just wanted to make sure you were ok." "Yes I'm fine babe, I'm driving back home right now ok so I'll see you when I get home." "Ok" he said anxiously. "I love you." "I love you too." I pulled up to the house about twenty minutes later, with my briefcase and pink and white Victoria's Secret bag. As soon as I opened the door, I found all lights off and only candles lit, with Luther Vandross playing softly from the living room. I dropped my bags at the door and I walked to the living room, where I saw a tall masculine body on the couch, looking up at me smiling. I walked over to him, and then he took my hand and led me to his lap. I leaned in and inhaled his very masculine scent that smelled so very good. Just then my thoughts were stopped with warm, full lips sucking on mine. I instantly came back to earth and kissed back with a burning passion. His strong hands went under my blazer and removed it. I nibbled on his neck and heard his breath quicken. He raised me up and walked with me to the bedroom, but on the way I grabbed the bag, and followed the man I loved so dearly. When we got into the room it looked like something straight out of a magazine. It had candles all around, the carpet felt like fur under my toes, and there was a red box on the bed. He took my hand then said, "Go ahead babe, open it." I walked over to the box and opened it; it was a gorgeous red bra and tong set. I looked at it and started to cry, just because this man loves me so much. He saw my tears and came behind me and held me close. He asked what was wrong, but I could not find any words. I picked up the box, kissed him, and then headed off to the bathroom to change. I changed and watched myself in the mirror and felt confident with what I saw. I let my long flowing dark brown hair down and slightly wet it, just the way he likes it. I walked out and stood in the doorway, and I saw you lying on the bed in his birthday suit (naked). I walked over to him and straddled him. I felt his breathing quicken. He held my waist and grounded himself unto me. I could feel his rigid dick teasing my clit through the thin material of the thong. In one swift move he, put me onto my back and slowly started kissing every inch of my face. He slowly worked his way down my long body kissing, sucking and licking every nock and cranny. I moaned when I felt his warm mouth reach my bellybutton. He knew exactly what I wanted; he pulled down the thong with his teeth and bit the inside of my thigh. "Just relax, and enjoy" he said so calmly that I could only just whimper and let him take full control me. He licked around on the outer lips of my pussy, and suddenly, I felt a gush of my fluids flow down. He spread my pussy lips and began flicking at my clit. It immediately rose at attention. He took over my body with such control that I had no need to think about what I was doing. "I want to hear you moan!" he said, willing to know that he was satisfying me. I began moaning uncontrollably. My head thrashed to and fro and I took short sharp breaths. He pushed harder against my clit until I felt a hard mass of god thankful flesh enter my tight wet pussy. I screamed with pleasure. I could feel my orgasm close, and I pulled his body atop mine and held him close while digging into his back with my nails from his strong manly thrusts. We both felt a fire spark within ourselves and we both went over the edge with pleasure. We climaxed with loud, "AWWW YES BABY, RIGHT THERE, OOOO YES BABYYYY!!!!" After we both laid there spent tightly in each others arms, I finally said, "Oh my god Darnell that was great, just wait till your birthday comes around, ohhhhh I'll have you waking up neighbors, baby." He looked at me and laughed a deep throaty laugh, and then he brought my face to his, and kissed me deeply. I melted in his arms then said, "I love you baby." "I love you too hon." I Love You, Beautiful I remember the first time I thought of my cousin as being more than just my cousin, as more than just family. Granted, it was shortly after accidentally walking in on her changing clothes as a teenager, but still. Teenage hormones had nothing to do with it. I had always viewed Anna as my closest friend, regardless of what bloodline ties we shared, she was everything to me. As children we were into all the same things, anima, art, drawing, writing, all of the things I was made fun of in high school for. Through all of our time as children and as we grew into young adults, it never occurred to me that she was becoming a woman. A few years after that, however, I would see her much differently than I ever had before, and things have never been the same since. I was 20 years old and had just moved in to my own apartment. I had a good job, my own place, a car that was within 5 years of the newest model. Needless to say, I was doing fairly well for not being able to legally buy my own drinks yet. I'm a pretty private person and so when it came to "breaking in the new place," I wanted to keep it very low key. I invited over a few close friends, a few cousins, and especially Anna. I had talked to her nearly everyday the last few years, but it had been quite a while since I'd seen her. Boy, would I be surprised. Anna had just recently turned 21, she was the life of any party and, as per usual, she waited until everybody had left, and I was almost sure she wasn't going to show, when I heard a knock at my door. When I opened it, I was pleasantly surprised by the girl that stood before me. Anna stood about 5 feet 4 inches tall, she had dirty blonde hair, the roundest and most perfect set of C cup breasts, and ass that I'm convinced required her jeans to be painted on. Her blue eyes and pouty lips were amazing features in themselves, however, she was one of those girls that had no idea exactly how hot she was. She greeted me with a hug, and as she walked in I couldn't help but catch a glimpse of her ass. Damn. She had brought some wine over, her alcohol of choice, not mine. We drank and talked and drank and talked, before eventually one of us realized it was 4 am, and neither of us were in a condition to take Anna home. "Wanna just stay the night?" I asked, hoping she'd say yes, for the most perverted reasons that I, myself, still didn't understand. She was family afterall, right? "I think that's probably a good idea!" she said with a beautiful smile on her face. She was obviously drunk, or at least tipsy. "Well, anything you wanna do tonight, I didn't exactly plan on anyone staying so I'm not sure what to do." I laughed it off as if I was joking, but truthfully, I was so nervous to spend a night alone with her. I was sure I'd say something stupid to make her never want to see me again. "I wanna know where these biceps came from!" she set her wine glass down and ran her hands up and down both of my arms, even venturing up my sleeves and over my shoulders a time or two. "You know me, I love the gym." I was trying so hard to hide the ever growing erection in my pants. After a few more drinks and a 5am in house showing of the latest "Disney" movie, I was growing very tired, but I could not keep my eyes off of Anna. Towards the end of the movie, she had laid her head in my lap and had began to drift off to sleep. I thought this was a good thing, but I always find a way to make things worse. As she lay there sleeping, I caught myself peeking down her white tank top at her pink bra, wondering what they looked like. Apparently, my cock wasn't aware that she was where she was as I immediately got the biggest erection I'd ever had. Anna's eyes opened, I knew she had felt me get hard. She looked up at me with a smile and I did my very best to divert my attention back to the movie. Then she sat up. "Bobby, can I ask you a question?" she asked in her sleepy voice. Oh no, I thought, here it comes. "Anything, Anna." "We're close right? Like, not just family, but friends." "Of course we are! You're my best friend." "Then, I need to tell you something." "You can tell me anything, Anna." I truly meant that. Was I prepared for what she had to say? Absolutely not. "I think it's best that I show you." her eyes were fixed on my lips. She climbed into my lap, strattling me, sitting the most amazing ass I'd ever seen directly onto my throbbing cock, nothing but denim separating us. She wrapped her arms around my neck, running her hands through my hair, and kissed me. Not a peck, not a smooch, a real kiss. I kissed back. I rested my hands on her hips while she slid her tongue into my mouth. Oh my god, I though, what am I doing? She's my cousin! Nothing was going to stop me now though. I wasn't that stupid. Her breathing got quicker and quicker as I sucked on her bottom lip. "You've got to start telling me these things more often." I joked, but was completely serious. "Oh, I've wanted to, believe me." I did. Anna grabbed the bottom of my shirt and lifted it up and over my head, tossing it to the floor and exposing my bare chest. She nibbled my ears before kissing and biting her way down my neck, she had to feel how hard I was, no amount of fabric could hide that. She sat back and slid her tank top off as well, leaving just her bra between me and her perfect tits. She grabbed me by the back of my head and forced me into them, not that I fought it too hard. I kissed and licked and sucked on every inch that I could access before reaching behind her and unhooking her bra. Her nipples were rock hard, and I licked and teased them for what seemed like hours before she pulled my head away. "Wait...wait," she said, exhaling heavily, trying to catch her breathe, "just...one second." "Is everything ok?" I was very confused, and not in the mood to be teased. "Everything's perfect Bobby, it's just...if we do this," she moved her hair from her face, " if we have sex, we can't go back. What I wanted to tell you was...I love you. Not in a family way and not as a friend, but I'm in love with you. Are you ready for that?" "Anna," I looked her in her deep blue eyes, I couldn't break my gaze, "I have loved you for so long...and I'm prepared to love you everyday for the rest of my life." "No one can know, Bobby. We have to keep this a secret. Our family couldn't handle it." "I know, I know...I'm ok with that as long as you are." With that, she stood up and slid her skin tight jeans down to her ankles, kicking them to the side and showing off the roundest, firmest ass I had ever seen. "No panties?" I asked. "Never." She slowly walked away, around the corner and into my bedroom, making sure to rock her hips a little extra with each step. I got up and followed her. Throwing her against the wall, I kissed her neck and tits before kissing down her stomach to her cleanly shaved pussy. Just the smell of her drove me wild, almost to the point cumming. I picked her up and laid her on the bed, burying my face in between her legs. I licked and lapped up every ounce of her juices as I fingered her with one hand and stroked myself through my jeans with the other. Anna began to twitch a bit, running her hands through my hair and pulling me into her pussy as she came. Her body bucked with an intensity I had never seen before, I had just given my cousin and orgasm. I kissed my way back up her body, her juices still fresh on my lips, as she pulled me up to her and passionately kissed me. Anna pushed me gently onto my back, kissing my chest, down my abs, before getting to her ultimate destination. She unbuckled my belt, undid my jeans, and slid them down my legs, taking my briefs with her. My cock stood straight up, about 8 inches long and 2 inches around, Anna's eyes grew wider the longer she looked at it. She took it in her hand and began stroking it slowly, kissing the head lightly, before taking it all in her mouth. "Oh my god," I let out a groan as she worked my shaft with her mouth and handled my balls in her hands, "you're perfect." She bobbed up and down, gagging and slurping on my cock before taking it out of her mouth and climbing on top of me. She strattled me again, reaching down between her legs and placing the head of throbbing shaft at the opening of her pussy. She lowered herself onto my dick, taking it all in until her ass rested on my pelvic bone. I was now officially balls deep inside of my cousin. She raised her self-up slowly and lower herself back down, letting out soft moans and breathes each time. I, again, rested my hands on her hips and slowly slid them down to her ass. I squeezed and groped her cheeks as she began to slam down harder and harder on my cock. She lowered her face next to my ear and whispered "spank me, daddy." I, of course, reached back and spanked both ass cheeks, causing a smacking sound to echo throughout the room, and making her let out a loud scream. I rolled myself over ontop of her, her legs wrapped tight around me as I pounded away at her tight pussy, in control of my body, yet still in complete shock at what I was doing. I had eaten out my cousin, given her an orgasm, received a blowjob from her and was now so deep inside of her I felt like I was part of her. I leaned into her ear. "I love you," I whispered, "forever." "Oh, Bobby," her voice quivered as she took every inch of me, "I love you." I thrust in and out her, sometimes hard, sometimes moving slowly. All I wanted was to take care of her and to make her cum. A few short moments later, her pussy tightened around my still rock hard cock, and she began to convulse and buck her hips again, cumming all over my dick as it stayed buried inside her. "Fuck me, Bobby," she whispered in my ear as her body slowly came to rest, "fuck me until you cum." I was more than happy to oblige her, but this was more than just sex to me, and I knew it was to her. I was making love to her, to my cousin. The thought of it should have disgusted me, but it didn't. Somehow I had always known we would end up here. I kissed her one last time, as deep as I could, before I quickened my pace. Moving in and out of her faster and harder, feeling her pussy wrapped so tightly around me, hearing her breathes and her moans as I fucked her faster and harder. I was there, I was ready. "I'm gonna cum, Anna, where do you want it?" We hadn't discussed this earlier, so I was unsure. "Inside of me, Bobby. Please? I'm safe, I promise." Even if I hadn't wanted to, her voice was too sweet to deny. I thrust a few more times before tensing up. My balls grew tight and then instantly loosened as I began to shoot every last drop of cum I had deep inside of her. I gripped her tightly in my arms, wanting to hold her as close as I could while we shared this moment. My orgasm subsided, slowly I stopped shooting inside of her, my cock softened, and I laid down next to her as she curled up in my arms. "I love you." she whispered. "I love you too, beautiful." Was all I could manage to say. I Love You Because Note from Jake Rivers This is my sixth semi-annual "invitational". The initial one was based on the Statler Brother's song, "Bed of Rose's". The second used the Marty Robbins El Paso trilogy: "El Paso", "El Paso City", and "Faleena". The third had stories based on the various versions of "Maggie May" or "Maggie Mae". The fourth invitational was based on any Country & Western song and the fifth on songs by Merle Haggard. The current invitational is based on any song written or performed by Willie Nelson. Regards, Jake **** Author's Note I've chosen "I Love You Because" that Willie Nelson, among others, sang. Thanks for reading this fictional story, and know that I appreciate all your votes, comments and feedback. **** Trying was useless, and Wade understood that. As a young boy, he'd tried to behave only to have his mama whip him so bad the bruises stayed for a month. By twelve, his attempts to stay away from trouble resulted in broken arms and ribs. Before he was nineteen, he had given up all efforts. It wasn't long before his so-called friends talked him into a crime spree. For fifteen years, he'd been behind bars more than on the street. Each time he'd tried to turn his life around, something knocked him back down. With his latest boss stomping through the warehouse aisles now, Wade knew nothing had changed. "Flynn, yer fired. I warned ya ta keep yer hands clean. Git yer stuff outta the locker room'n git ta the office fer yer pay. See if'n I hire me another con agin," the pudgy man yelled. "Yer all worthless. They aughta' put all yer sissy asses in'a room an let ya fu—" Wade didn't stick around to listen to the rest of the man's tirade. He'd heard the same thing before anyway. The bored redhead sitting in the dingy office figured out his hours, taking her time to write out a check, daring him to complain. Tossing it his direction, she picked up her nail file and turned her back to him. Check in hand, he walked out. "God damn this town! There has to be somewhere better than this!" Eyeing the almost empty gas gauge, Wade decided there was enough to make it to the run-down trailer park across town. He'd cash his paycheck and put some gas in the truck in the morning, then hunt for a new job. Stale cigarette smoke, old beer, body odor and cooking grease mingled to leave a horrid stench. The rickety screen door sprang back on its rusted hinges as he went inside. A judge berated those in her courtroom on the old TV in the corner. Piles of clothes, clean and dirty, littered the worn carpet and hid the recliner. Torn cushions covered the sagging sofa. This was his reality; what he called home. "Ain't time ta be home," a raspy voice shouted from the corner. "Short shift today, Lou," Wade replied, kicking aside an empty pizza box on his way to his room. There was no reply, nor did Wade expect one. The old man had already gone back to watching his television show. His mother's third husband, Lou had taken him in when there was nowhere else to go. She'd died in a car accident while Wade was in prison, and he had no siblings. It wasn't as if he didn't pay more than his share though, Wade thought as he closed out the noise and stench. Dozing on the lumpy mattress, the unmistakable rumbling of a train woke him. He waited for the whistle, knowing it would be next. The tracks ran right next to the trailer park, a perfect view from his window. Today he wanted to pack a bag, run alongside the slow-moving train, and hop into one of the empty cars. Visions of the bums he saw as a kid made him smile. Where would he end up? Would anyone miss him? The desire to leave was so deep, he found himself starting to sit up. "Ah hell, I can't leave Lou," he muttered, resigned to staying. The clanking of the wheels was almost hypnotic, and Wade fell asleep before the caboose chugged past his window. A cool breeze floating across his face woke him during the night. His alarm clock showed ten after three, yet Wade swore he heard the television. "Now he's falling asleep in front of the damn thing? What next?" he whispered into the darkness. Knowing it wouldn't do any good to wake the old man to get him to move, Wade rolled over and ignored the sounds. It was close to ten before he made his way into the cluttered living room the next morning. "Lou, you need to get up and have some breakfast. It's time for your pills." Wade touched the old man's shoulder, recoiling in shock. His skin was gray, mottled, and cold. Feeling for a pulse, he found nothing. The sounds of a morning game show droned on in the background, reminding Wade how he'd heard the TV during the night. Now it was obvious why. After dialing 911, he sat on the filthy sofa and waited. He watched as they lowered the wooden casket into the ground a few days later. The pastor nodded and mumbled his sympathies before escaping into a blue mini-van. Any other time, Wade would have chuckled at how the man went out of his way not to touch him. Today, he just didn't care. Slamming the door of the old pick-up, the words bubbled up in his chest. The last thing that had held him to this judgmental town was gone. Pulling out of the cemetery, Wade grinned for the first time in years. It took less than a week to tie things up after his stepfather's death. The few items that weren't trash went under the topper of his old truck. Inside one of the storage containers, he'd hidden the lock-box that held the small amount of money he'd saved over the years. The total wasn't much, but it was a start. Wade left the next morning, following the road to an unknown destination. He just knew that for the first time in years, he felt alive. **** "Mr. Flynn," the dark-haired woman standing in the doorway said. Holding his fingers up to get her attention, Wade stood. "Follow me this way, please." They stopped at a small office where she pointed to an empty seat, then slid behind the desk and sat down. "My name is Suzanne Harwood. I'll be your new parole officer, Mr. Flynn." Hearing those words coming from this woman somehow embarrassed Wade. The long list of misdemeanors and other offenses projected the image of a hardened criminal. He'd been on the wrong path for years, and deep inside he knew it. Only half listening to her speech on the rules for reporting in, he tried to visualize a life without all the crap in his past being an issue. "Do you have any questions, Mr. Flynn?" "Where's the local employment agency?" He watched as she scrawled something on his paperwork before replying. "I've already set up an interview for you at one of the local factories. They're looking for second-shift help, a straight forty-hour week." "Thanks, appreciate it," he replied. "It's just something I do, Mr. Flynn. I'll expect a report within two days on how the interview went. Here's the form, you can drop it off up front once you've completed it. Is there anything else?" Shaking his head, Wade took the papers and stood. As with all his parole officers lately, he felt as if he left her office dirty when he walked out. He hated it and longed to know what it was to be clean. **** His back ached and his feet burned. It was his third day at his new job and Wade hated it. The building didn't have air conditioning, and all the machines put out an exorbitant amount of heat. Yanking the lever to keep the production belt moving along, he felt the pull on his muscles and winced. Sweat poured off his face and ran down his neck, saturating his collar. Even though he'd guzzled a bottle of water during his last break, his mouth was still parched. Glaring at the over-weight shift manager as he tossed orders around from his glassed-in office, Wade wished he could just walk away. Already his past was out all over the factory, despite the promise of confidentiality on their employment forms. "Boss wants ta see ya. I heard he's been missing his girl." The voice came from his right, an unspoken challenge in it that Wade knew well. Reigning in his temper, he took off the heavy protective gloves and turned. "Hope ya like em big." Three steps took him within inches of the sneering co-worker. Wade didn't say a word, but he didn't have to. His fierce glare wiped the look from the man's face. Waiting until the bully moved back, Wade smiled at him and went to see the manager, knowing the outcome even before he got there. The quaint town of Boden wasn't any better than the one he'd left. But it was as far as his old truck had taken him before it gave out. Knocking on the rusty door, Wade shook his head at the piece of cardboard taped in the middle of it. The word manager printed in black marker was faded and stained from what he assumed was years of hanging there. "Yep, bout time ya got yer ass up here, now git it inside." Stepping inside the stuffy office, Wade felt his stomach lurch. Foul body odor and nauseating cigar smoke assaulted him and almost choked off his air. Years behind bars taught him how to project a blank look, and he called on that skill now. "Yer not keepin' up, boy. All them machines down there need men runnin' em, not wimmen. Ya bin a wommen a time er two, eh girlie?" "Sir, I'm working hard, but I've had to learn how to run the equipment on my own," Wade replied. "Whatcha sayin' girlie? We ain't done takin' time ta teach ya'?" "I understand everyone is busy." "We don't gotta be busy. That's why we gots ya girlies fer," the boss said. Wade just stood there, knowing that nothing he said would be satisfactory. He waited while the sloppy middle-aged man scrounged around in a drawer, an unlit cigar dangling between his lips. "Take yer sissy ass and git. We don't need no girlies here. Git!" Knowing better than to argue, Wade walked out, never stopping until he was at his front door. Exhausted from the heat and the two-mile trek, he stripped and stepped into the shower. The cool water helped revive him, as did washing off the filth from the factory. He slipped on a pair of boxers and flopped onto the bed for a nap, not waking until eight the next morning. After a light breakfast, he showered and then called Suzanne Harwood. She made room in her schedule to see him at two that afternoon, so the call was short. Grabbing a can of beer, he turned on the old television he'd taken from Lou's place and spent the time watching game shows. "Mr. Flynn, come on back," Suzanne said, recognizing the quiet man waiting for her. Once in her office, she sat down and pulled a file in front of her. "Why don't you tell me what happened?" "There isn't much to say. The guy let me go," he replied, not looking at her as he spoke. "Did you get paid for the time you were there, Mr. Flynn?" "No." "I'll speak to them and see that it's mailed to you." Wade nodded, but he knew from experience that after what happened yesterday, word would be all over town not to hire him. His past never went away, no matter how hard he tried to do right, and Wade was getting tired of it all. "Those dumb asses at the factory will make sure nobody will talk to me, Mrs. Harwood. They'll spread all sorts of rumors until I won't even be able to buy a loaf of bread." Suzanne studied the man across from her, frustrated at the limitations the system placed on her. Her instincts told her that all he needed was a break. "Mr. Flynn," she replied, her voice going softer, "Wade, I'm willing to help you, but you have to talk to me." "Can you find another job for me?" "I'll see what I can do for you, but it might take me a day or two." "I can live with that." "Let me do some checking and I'll call you with what I find." "Thanks Mrs. Harwood," he replied. Deep in thought, Suzanne leaned back in her chair and chewed on the tip of her pencil. Yes, the man had a record. That much was obvious. But had anyone taken the time to look at the person inside and explore the real Wade Flynn? Still going over his file half an hour later, she doubted anyone had done more than the minimum their job required. She decided it was time for that to change. It took a while to accomplish her goal. Just before five o'clock, Suzanne received the confirmation she'd hoped. After adding a few notes to the paper in front of her, she closed her office and went home. Television was on, but Wade wasn't watching it. His mind wandered to his meeting that afternoon with his parole officer. Compassion filled her brown eyes, and he'd struggled to keep a nonchalant attitude. It was new for him, finding someone that seemed interested in helping him. However, he wasn't betting anything much would come from it until he had some proof either. Pushing the off button on the remote, he went in to the bathroom to get ready for bed. **** A brisk walk helped Wade burn energy again the next morning. The neighborhood was waking, with kids carrying lunch pails on their way to school, anxious parents waving, and the hint of cooking breakfast wafting through the air. It all looked so normal to him, yet he wondered when his life had ever been even close to anything like this. When he got back to his apartment, he showered and then sat out on the front steps. Too many years of being inside left him with a craving for fresh air. "You must be the new guy." Wade turned at the voice that broke into his thoughts, unaware anyone else was around. "I heard someone new moved in next door again." "Yes," Wade replied, not giving away any information. "Don't you work? Oh, I bet you do one of them night shifts," the old man standing there said. "No, I don't do a night shift." Before he had a chance to say anything more, Wade's cell phone rang. Picking it up from the step next to him, he flipped it open and spoke into it. "Wade? This is Suzanne Harwood. Could you stop by in about an hour? I have some information to go over with you." "That's fine, I can be there. It's a short walk, so that's not a problem." "What happened to your vehicle?" "The junk I had stopped running just as I came into town looking for a place to get lunch. It wasn't worth fixing," Wade explained. "I'll see you in an hour, Wade," she said, then hung up. Snapping the phone shut, Wade turned to see the man still standing in the same place. "You're walking all over town?" "Yeah, my truck gave out," Wade said. "Excuse me; I have an appointment in town." Wade went inside, unsure about the neighbor he'd just talked to. He seemed harmless enough, but others in his past had too, only to backstab him later. While rinsing off, Wade realized he was finally adjusting to enjoying a shower instead of rushing. Losing that luxury all too often in prison, he knew he'd never take it for granted again. Making a mental note to do some laundry soon, he pulled on a pair of jeans and the last clean dress shirt. With only two pair of shoes to choose from, he slid the best ones on and called it good. Suzanne couldn't pick just one thing about Wade Flynn that made him stand out from the other eight men in the waiting area. Ex-cons all had a similar look, she'd discovered over the years. Yet, he had something else. "Wade, I'm ready for you." Whispers and chuckles followed Wade as he left the room. He had a good idea what the others were thinking. Suzanne Harwood was the only female parole officer at this location, and took a great deal of ribbing. He'd always respected women, but not all men did. "Ignore them, Wade. In my position, you get used to it." Confused as to how she knew what he was thinking, he opened his mouth to speak. "You clenched your fist," she said, pointing to his side. "Now then, I made several calls yesterday after you left. What do you think about working on a construction site?" "That's good. I mean, how you noticed that." "I see many things, probably more than you want me to, Wade." "No, you just think you do. No one sees what I don't let them," Wade replied. "You think so? Care to try me on that?" Tipping his head as he contemplated her questions, parts of his past ran through his mind. He pictured his ex-wife, her long brassy red hair and cheap perfume. She always either had a cigarette or a beer in her hand, Wade remembered. Comparing Suzanne Harwood's classy business suit with Lucy's revealing mini-skirts and tube tops was a joke. "All right," he said, hoping he didn't regret his decision. Suzanne stood and stepped from behind her desk. Moving a stack of books from the chair next to Wade, she sat down and faced him. "Your file gives me the basics of your record, Wade. It's the man here," she said, tapping his chest, "that I see parts of." Wade wanted to tell her it was all a joke. He needed to hear what she was going to say. "All those years that your mother physically abused you, she never understood that you just wanted her to love you, to see the good in you. No matter how hard you tried to do the right thing, it backfired on you. Every attempt to turn your life around went wrong. Until this mask covered the real you from the world. Your pain is deep, Wade. It's been eating at you for years, until you don't even know what it's like not to carry it around with you." "All good guesses, Mrs. Harwood, and they could fit any ex-con." "You just want a break, don't you Wade? For someone to forget that you have a record, and let you start fresh. Almost like a new life," she said. He looked into her brown eyes and saw the truth. Suzanne Harwood wasn't guessing. Some uncanny sixth sense gave her the ability to get inside him. "I've done my time, Mrs. Harwood. Why can't people just let my past go, and give me time to prove I've changed? How do I ever get ahead if no one lets me try?" "Wade, this job I have lined up for you. I promise they don't care about your past. It's not an issue with them. They won't treat you as a lower-class citizen, nor will they be looking for reasons to fire you." "How can you know that?" he asked. "There's a new subdivision going up just north of here. Right now, there are several homes in various stages of completion. First, I talked to Nelson Strassburg, the primary investor. After getting the okay from him, I called Cody Baxter, who's the head contractor for the project. I have firm commitments from both men they'll hire you." "Construction isn't one of my skills, Mrs. Harwood." Reaching over and pulling a paper from her desk, she handed it to Wade."I think these are." Scanning the list took several minutes. "Who would I report to each day?" "You'll get a worksheet with the basics on it once you start." "How many others will be doing this? I mean, there must be someone watching me, right?" he asked. "You'll be on your own. It's up to you to figure out the best routine for getting it all done." "How far away is it from my apartment? I'll have to see if there's a bus stop close by." "Check the bottom of the list, Wade," Suzanne said, grinning. He ran his finger over things like picking up scrap lumber, accumulating extra siding for recycling, hauling sod and numerous other tasks until he stopped at the last item. "A truck?" he asked. The thought was incredible to him as he just stared at the paper. "Yes, it's a company vehicle." "You hardly know me, Mrs. Harwood." "I have faith in you. Don't prove me wrong. Cody said someone would contact you in the next day or so about getting the truck to you. Today is Thursday, and you don't have to start until Monday. Did you have any questions?" "Is this really part of your job? I mean, none of my other POs ever went this far," he said. "I see the good in you, Wade. Maybe I did a bit more than my job requires, but is that so bad?" she asked. Words didn't come out, as Wade tried to find the right thing to say. Nothing fit, so he just stood and reached out his hand. It was a gesture he hadn't made in his other appointments with his parole officer, though she had attempted it in the beginning. I Love You Because "I won't let you down." **** Walking home, Wade saw nothing. He stepped around bicycles and toys and stopped at corners. If the old man living next to him hadn't spoken, he would have gone right past his apartment building. "Sure is a nice day." "Um, yes, yes, it is for sure." Wade nodded, and then turned up his sidewalk. "You look like you had shocking news, boy." Wade looked at the old man, and smiled. "I got a job." "I should have known it was something like that. When you starting?" "Monday, so I'll be hanging around here a few more days." "Congratulations. A man always feels good about doing an honest day's work." "Thanks. I agree on that one," Wade replied. "Well, it's time for the news. I'd better get inside," the old man said. "My name is Wade, by the way." Grinning at Wade, his neighbor picked up his rake before speaking. "Call me Johnnie." "Have a good night, Johnnie," Wade said as he opened the door to his apartment. Lying in bed that night, with the euphoria of the day still with him, Wade realized he'd had a normal conversation earlier. Though it was short, he hadn't felt defensive with the elderly man this time. Offering his name was something new for him, too. It felt strange, yet it didn't seem wrong at all. Turning over, he pictured Suzanne Harwood and knew her faith in him was going to be a turning point in his life. **** Saturday morning Nelson Strassburg dropped off a company vehicle. Even scratched and dinged, the five-year-old Chevy truck caught Wade's attention. "Wade Flynn, thank you for this opportunity." "Nelson Strassburg," he said, "glad to have you with us. Either Cody or I will make sure you get the right employment forms for tax purposes this next week. We used Suzanne as your reference, so that's all good. Do you need directions to the site?" "They're on the paper from Suzanne, and I have an idea where it is. I thought I'd drive that way tomorrow, unless there's a problem with using the truck off-hours for it?" "Go right ahead, Wade. We'll discuss more of this Monday, but by all means, use it tomorrow. If you need to do any errands, take care of those while you're out too." "Thank you, Mr. Strassburg." "Make it Nelson, all right? Sorry I can't stay, but my wife planned a party for our daughter's birthday, and I'm on the way to pick up tables and chairs. See you Monday, Wade." The two men shook hands, and Nelson got into the car waiting for him at the curb. Keys dangling from his finger, the excitement bubbled over and Wade let out a whoop that echoed through the trees. "You okay out here?" "Johnnie, sorry if I disturbed you," Wade said when he saw his neighbor standing on the steps. "It was time I woke up from my nap anyway. New wheels?" "This is a company truck, from my new job." "So you're working for Baxter Builders?" Johnnie asked, pointing to the lettering on the door. Wade didn't really know who his true employer was, so he just nodded. "That's a good company. They been around a long time," the old man said. Wade only half listened as his neighbor talked about a subdivision built twenty years ago by Cody's father. A family business, the man passed it on to his son when he retired, according to Johnnie. "Yep, a darn good company, boy." Johnnie smiled and went around to his workshop without another word. Sitting behind the steering wheel, Wade touched all the buttons and knobs. He'd never had anything but old worn-out cars or trucks. Though this wasn't his, just being able to drive it each day was going to be a rare treat for him. After starting it up, he moved it into his assigned parking spot and pulled the keys out. The alarm beeped when he pushed the remote to lock the doors on his way inside his apartment. The delivery of the company truck proved to Wade that the job was real, and not a dream. All along, he'd waited for someone to tell him it was a joke. It gave him the drive he'd lacked for so long. By dinnertime, he'd scrubbed his apartment, done his laundry, and made a grocery list. Relaxing after a shower, he heard his cell phone ringing from where he'd left it on the kitchen table. "Wade?" "Yes, hello," he said, not recognizing the feminine voice. "It's Suzanne Harwood. I just wanted to check with you this weekend and see how you're doing." "Mrs. Harwood, I'm great." "Why don't you make it Suzanne when we're not in the office, Wade? You're making me feel every bit of my age," she replied, chuckling. If any of the inmates housed with Wade over the years saw the way he blushed at that moment, they'd have teased him forever, and he knew it. "I didn't mean—I was only—if you're sure." "Yes Wade, I'm positive. Did I mention that one of the houses going up out in that project is mine?" "Ah, no, I don't remember that you did." "They've only started, but I'm really excited. However, that isn't why I called. Did you hear from Cody yet?" she asked. "Mr. Strassburg brought the truck a few hours ago." "The big man himself, eh? He's one of the good guys, Wade. You'll like both of them." "He was very kind and helpful. Suzanne, I don't know how to thank you for all of this." Wade shook his head, overwhelmed by all this one woman was doing for him. He wanted to say more, but the right words still eluded him. "You'll figure it out. If you need anything, just call me," she replied, her voice sincere. Still holding his phone long after they'd hung up, Wade wondered what his life would have been like if his mother had been more like Suzanne Harwood. Maybe he imagined it, but he swore there was a bond of sorts between them. She was more than just a parole officer. For the first time ever, he felt as if he had a friend. **** The new subdivision project was alive with activity. Wade drove right to it on Monday morning after finding the best route the day before. Only a few of the homes were close to finished, but from them he knew they weren't cheap places. Two and three stories high, three stall garages, pillars, walls of windows, and wrap-around porches made them all mansions to Wade. Unsure where he needed to be, he looked for the place with the most vehicles and pulled over. "Wade, good morning," Nelson called out from atop the frame going up there. "Hello, how are you?" "I'm ready to see this place take shape. Hey, there's Cody. I'll let him introduce you to the rest of the crew," Nelson said, turning back to the papers in his hands. "Cody Baxter, it's nice to meet you Wade. Most of the time, you'll be answering to me, although Nelson is a hands-on investor, as you've already discovered." It took several more minutes but soon Wade had met the men on Cody's construction crew. Each one welcomed him as if he were just another employee. Being accepted and included was new for him, and it put a true smile on his face for the entire day. His duties weren't difficult to understand or learn, and by the end of the third day, he felt confident in his ability. "Well, Wade, what do you think?" Cody asked as they walked to their trucks. "I've never had a job where people treated me as if I was normal. My past has always been an issue," Wade explained. "Suzanne saw the good in you, Wade. I trust her judgment explicitly. From what you've done so far, she was right." "I owe her so much." "Ah, but that's what friends are for," Cody said, patting him on the shoulder. "I'll see you in the morning. Good night, Wade." "Night, Cody." **** Thursday evening, Wade sat on the front steps just taking in the fresh air. Just up the street, several children played tag on the grass, laughing and shouting. He assumed it was the father standing next to a grill on the porch, keeping an eye on both dinner and the kids. They looked like a normal family. At least what he imagined that to be. He envied the man, even guessing at the responsibilities his life must have. "How's the job?" Wade turned to see Johnnie coming his way. "It's great, Johnnie." "Mind if I have a seat? I been in that darned workshop of mine all afternoon. You'd think when I retired I'd been smart enough to relax, but heck, I'm busy all the time." "I've heard that happens," Wade said, moving over to make room for the old man. "Nice family down the street. Three kids, momma's a teacher, daddy sells cars, but they always find time for others." Unsure what to say, Wade waited. He wondered if Johnnie saw him watching the family earlier. "Not everyone has that kind of life, I know that. Sometimes, those hurting make a friend that helps turn their future brighter. You never know who is going to be there to lend a helping hand, Wade." "I was never on the outside long enough to make a real friend," Wade replied, focusing on the ground. "The world has some wonderful people in it, son. It's all a matter of opening your eyes to see who's right in front of you." "I'm learning, Johnnie," Wade said, looking straight at the elderly man next to him. Standing, Johnnie smiled. "Yes, you are. It's time for my TV shows now, so I'd better go inside." "Have a good night, Johnnie. You take care." Wade watched as the old man made his way across the lawns and into his house before he went into his own apartment. Friends looked out for each other, he thought with a smile. He really was learning what that meant after all these years. **** Suzanne showed up at the construction site on Friday. "Good morning Wade. I had some free time and wanted to check on my house," she said, waving to him as she walked across the cluttered lot. "Morning, Suzanne. I'm not sure about any of that, but Cody's around here somewhere. Oh, by the way, I got my paycheck in the mail, from the factory. Thanks for taking care of that for me," Wade said when she'd stopped in front of him. "You're welcome. They knew the law was on my side, and didn't want trouble. I'm sure there'd be discrepancies if there was an investigation into their books." "Yeah, but still, they listened to you." She gave him a little smirk and wink before getting serious. "How are things going for you, Wade?" "I can't believe how fast the week went. The guys here are all great. But you knew that already, didn't you?" he asked. "The few I've met seem very nice, yes. Nelson and Cody both have excellent standards, and have this knack for finding the best employees. I think Cody picked up those traits from his father." "I heard he took it over when his father retired. Having a family business to pass along to my son some day . . ." "Never give up hope, Wade. You're young enough that it can happen yet," she said, touching his arm when she saw the pain on his face. "No, I'm already thirty-two. Even if I found someone now, I have nothing, not even a clean name." "You're a good man, and that's what they'll see. Now then, what do you think about this shack I'm having them build?" Linking her arm in his as she changed the subject, she walked toward what would soon be her new home. Not for the first time, Wade wondered what it would have been like to have Suzanne for a mother. **** It didn't take him long to fall into a routine. Weekends were for catching up on laundry, cleaning his apartment, and going to the grocery store. Evenings Wade often spent on the front steps, with Johnnie joining him many times. If he had to describe his life at that point, Wade would have said it was pleasant. "You meet any women, son?" "Where would I do that, Johnnie?" "I heard on Oprah that lotsa people find mates when they go do their laundry," the old man said, grinning. "Guess you haven't been to 'Lucy's Laundromat', have you?" "Well, I drove by it a few times, if that counts." He laughed and shook his head at the sheepish look Johnnie gave him. "Nope, it's not the same." "What about the grocery store, then? You could bump your cart into some perty young girl to get her attention." "First, I'd have to see one there. Maybe you should go with me and check out all the 'perty young girls' that shop there on Saturday," Wade said, grinning. "Shoot, son, there's got to be some place you go to see women." "I guess Boden has the wrong generation of ladies, Johnnie." "Heh, we'll have to work on that. Time for my shows, have a good night son." "See you, Johnnie." As he did every other night now, Wade watched the old man go inside his house. He never would have figured that someone like Johnnie would become a friend. **** "We need to talk," Cody said, early one Monday afternoon. "Sure thing, Cody," Wade replied. Wade tossed the load of scrap siding into the bin and turned. The serious look on Cody's face startled him since his boss always seemed to be smiling. "You know your record has never been an issue for Nelson or me," Cody said. "Yes, I—" "There's some tools missing." "I might have a record, but I'm not a thief," Wade replied. "I'm not saying you are, Wade. Until I have proof, everyone's a suspect." Wade watched his boss walk away, a sick feeling in his stomach. He'd never heard such an accusatory tone in Cody's voice before. It made him jumpy for the rest of the day. **** "You okay?" Johnnie asked, tapping on the truck window. "I bet you been sitting there fifteen minutes, son." Forcing himself to move, Wade jerked the keys out of the ignition and opened the door. Rubbing his temples, he tried to make the headache go away. "Someone's stealing from Cody." "And he figures you did it," Johnnie said, making the assumption on his own. "He didn't blame me, but that doesn't mean I won't have to prove I didn't take anything." "Why do you say that? They'd need evidence—" "There was a drill tucked under my seat this afternoon, Johnnie. Someone singled me out to take the fall for the theft." "I'm guessing you found it, not your boss." "This guy, Jeremy, smirked when I locked the stupid thing up where it belonged. All week he's been extra cocky, but I just brushed it off. He's only twenty, and has this attitude that the world owes him everything," Wade replied. "So you think it might be him. Why blame you and not someone else?" "That's simple. Comments he made today tell me he knows about my record." Johnnie nodded, seeing the logic in the implication. "I knew it was too good to last. No matter how hard I try, there's always something that messes up," Wade said, stifling the urge to kick the tree he stood by. "Then you just got to fix it, son." "What, you think I should go to Cody and tattle? I don't have any solid proof; just the punk's actions that make my gut churn." "Follow the same instincts that got you through all those years behind bars." The connection made sense. Wade took a deep breath and looked at Johnnie. "You're right. I don't have anything to hide, so I'll just do my job. Only I'll keep my eyes open and let the thief do something stupid." Johnnie clapped Wade on the shoulder. "Always knew you was smart." "Yeah, look who my friends are," Wade said. "I'm off to fix some dinner. Relax, son; it'll be all right." Waiting until Johnnie disappeared through his front door, Wade marveled at the hidden intelligence in the man. It was almost impossible to fathom how different his life would have been if he'd had someone like Johnnie around when he was growing up. Lightning streaked across the sky, breaking into Wade's thoughts. A cold sheet of rain burst from the clouds before he took a step. Drenched, he laughed as he sprinted toward his door. While the storm raged outside, Wade did just as Johnnie said; he relaxed. **** He leaned over the tailgate and grabbed a bottle of water from the cooler in the bed of his truck. Most days Wade joined the rest of the crew at break time, but there was a tension amongst them since Cody mentioned the theft. Several men talked in groups, only to stop when Wade approached. Each time he remained friendly, keeping Johnnie's words in mind. Recognizing Suzanne's car behind the row of company vehicles, he forced a smile, trying to hide his mood. Suzanne was fast becoming important to him, but he didn't expect her to help him through every problem he had either. "What's wrong?" she asked after stopping in front of him. "Nothing, I'm fine," he said. "You might as well just tell me now, Wade. Else we'll have to play a silly game where I work it out of you eventually anyway." "Yeah," he replied with a resigned sigh. "When's the last time you talked to Nelson or Cody?" "I'd say it's been a few days. Why, what's going on?" "Someone's been taking tools." Suzanne sat on the bumper and nodded. "I'll assume you're a suspect." "I have a record, what do you think?" It took her several minutes to answer. By then, Wade was beginning to wonder if she thought he was guilty. "I'd say someone here will be in a heap of trouble when they're caught. Wade, I believe in you. I've seen the good in you from the beginning. Hang in there and the truth will come out," she said. "That's easy for you to say." "I know, but take a deep breath and don't worry. Come and check out this shack with me instead." This time his laugh was closer to real. "I can do that. Although I think you need to see a real shack, Suzanne." She grinned as they walked across the dirt yards before stopping on her own driveway. "Can you believe the progress, Wade? Another few weeks and Cody said it should be ready for me to move in. This is so exciting for me," she said. "How are you moving in? Will you hire somebody?" he asked. "I'll get a local company to move the bigger things like furniture, and then haul the rest myself. It might take me several trips, but oh well." "Why don't you let me help? I can ask Cody or Nelson if I can use the truck. That would make it a lot easier for you." "Are you sure? My little car won't hold much, so that would be a big relief," she replied. "Consider it done. Just let me know when. I'll talk to whichever one I see next." Reaching out, Suzanne pulled Wade to her and hugged him. "Thank you, my friend." He longed to return the gesture, but he hadn't quite learned how yet. Suzanne stepped back and smiled. "You're close, Wade. Soon you'll see that some people show up in your life for good things." **** The canvas tarp didn't belong in his truck, and Wade knew it. Grabbing his cooler from the seat, he contemplated how to handle the discovery. Each day he'd found a small item hidden somewhere, and knew it was only a matter of time before the real crook sent Cody or Nelson his way. "Sure takin' a long time over there," Jeremy said. "Must be findin' somethin' good, Jeremy," a second voice replied. Cursing himself for not paying better attention to where the young man was earlier, Wade held still. His instincts told him the two were ready to make their case against him. "Think we should call the boss over, Ralph?" Jeremy asked. "That tarp looks to be hidin' somethin' to me. I bet Cody won't like it." "Yeah, you go get him, I'll watch the con here," Jeremy said. With Ralph gone, Wade turned to face the young man trying to frame him. His cockiness faded when Wade took a step toward him. "Did you ever think about what kind of cellmate you'll have, Jeremy? I can guarantee it won't be someone like Ralph that you can boss around," Wade said, the anger evident in his voice. "Yeah, you'd know about that, since you been there. I'm not dumb you know. Do you think I put that stuff in your truck just for kicks? Hell, with your record, no one will question that you're stealin' it all," Jeremy replied, laughing. "That's where you're wrong, Jeremy," Cody said, walking up behind the young man. "Boss, I was just—" All the bravado in Jeremy crumpled when he realized who'd heard him. I Love You Because "Save it, Jeremy. Officer, he's all yours," Nelson said, joining them. Confused, Wade tried to take in the scene around him. One police officer had already handcuffed Ralph, while another was doing the same to Jeremy. "Wade, we suspected these two from the beginning. All we needed was a bit more proof. We're really sorry for letting you think we didn't believe you. Nelson and I both felt bad about that the entire time." "We trusted Suzanne when we hired you, but your attitude has convinced us she was right. You've proven you're serious about turning your life around, Wade," Nelson said, picking up the explanation. "You guys believed in me," Wade said, making it more a statement than a question as he shook Cody's hand. "There was never a doubt," Nelson replied, as he clasped Wade's hand. Cody held his hand out, waiting for Wade to accept his apology as well. It took a while Cody and Nelson to finish all the police reports, but Wade went home as soon as they'd gotten his statement. That evening, Wade told Johnnie about the events of the day. "Yup, I knew it would be all right," Johnnie said. "Thanks Johnnie. You helped me through a rough week." "That's—" "I know. That's what friends are for, right?" Wade asked. The two laughed before Johnnie waved. "Good night, son. My shows are on." "See you tomorrow Johnnie." Wade grinned, the stress of the theft gone. When Suzanne showed up again, he could tell her it was resolved too. He fell asleep looking forward to work the next day. **** A week later, Nelson waved as he jogged across the gravel driveway and grinned. "I see you're checking on the progress again, Suzanne." "I think she's anxious to move in. At least every other day she's here now," Wade said. "If you lived in an old dilapidated place like mine, you would be too. Do you think the fire department would want to use it for practice when I'm out?" "Come on, you know it's not that bad. It's just small, and you want more space," Nelson replied. "The colors are outdated, it needs new flooring in the bedroom, the carpet is shot, the yard is a mess, and the siding is green," she said, ticking each item off on her fingers. "Those can all be fixed," Wade replied. "Sounds like a bit of hard work would make it look just fine. Most of that one person can do alone." "There you go, Suzanne. Why don't you let Wade rent your old house, and he can do some of the repairs it needs," Nelson said. "I really didn't know what I was going to do with it, but I like that idea." "You're not serious." Wade looked from one to the other, waiting for them to tell him it was a joke. "The structure is safe, and it has good wiring. Think you can change out a kitchen counter and sink, Wade?" Nelson asked. "I can learn what I don't know, Nelson." "What about your apartment? Do you have a lease?" Suzanne asked. "No, it's by the month," he responded. "Nelson, how about the three of us go over to my place and let him have a look?" She grinned at the two men, knowing it wasn't quite quitting time but that Nelson wouldn't mind. "Wade, you can ride with me. We'll stop back here and get your truck later," Nelson said, nodding. It was far from dilapidated, Wade decided as they pulled into the driveway fifteen minutes later. Ignoring the odd shade of green on the siding, he pictured it in a pale gray to go with the charcoal shingles. Sliding out of the truck, he followed Nelson up the path to the front porch where Suzanne waited at the door. Stepping over the threshold, Wade felt as though he was finally home. Not the dumpy trailers and or cheap apartments his mother dragged him to, but that one place you couldn't wait to be at the end of the day. Replacing the worn carpet and painting the walls would make a big difference, but none of that mattered. "I can't believe you're leaving here," he said, turning as he spoke. "This place is . . ." Suzanne leaned against Nelson, grinning at something he was saying. "Ah, am I missing something?" he asked, confused. "Nelson was telling me about a—" "Are you two related? I know you're not involved." Walking up to them, he waited for an answer. "You know I lost my husband a few years ago. He was Nelson's partner in the investment company, Wade," Suzanne said. "We've known each other for close to twenty years now." "She's a good friend to our entire family, Wade. Suzanne is like a sister to me, if that makes sense." "Yes, it does, Nelson. I'm sorry for questioning you. I was just surprised." "It's not a secret, and don't apologize," Suzanne said. "That's why you chose his subdivision for your new house?" Wade decided that made sense and smiled. "Not really. I'm one of the investors for the entire project," she replied, chuckling when she saw his stunned look. "She just prefers sitting in that stuffy little office of hers, Wade," Nelson said. "I gave up asking her to quit that job long ago." "I'm glad she didn't. Where would I be if she had?" "You'd have found a way, but having Suzanne on your side never hurts." "All right, enough of me, lets get back to why we're here, okay boys?" Suzanne asked, shaking her head. Nelson took out his ever-present notepad, jotting down what he thought the house needed. Wade pointed out what he could do alone, and the two men sat at the table working out some numbers. Suzanne stayed back, thinking how much Wade had opened up since she'd met him. "I picked up a few odd skills here and there that will come in handy if you're serious about this," Wade said, facing Suzanne a bit later. "Over the years, I was happy here. I've just reached a point in my life where I'm ready for a change. This place needs work and the yard requires constant maintenance. I'll be sixty in a couple years, Wade, and it's too much for me," she replied. Picking up the paper in front of him, he gave her a soft smile. "I can do this, and make it a place you'll be proud to visit." She saw so much looking at the young man sitting in her kitchen. There was a determination in him to prove to the world that he wasn't destined to be a loser all his life. "I know you will." Riding back to the construction site, the two men continued discussing improvements for the house. "It just needs someone to give it new life, Wade." "Sort of like me?" "Yes, a bit like that," Nelson said, smiling. Wade again thought how different his life would have been with Suzanne for a mother. Not for the wealth, but for the obvious love she shared so openly with those she cared for. He looked at Nelson, a stranger to him just months ago, and knew he was more than just a boss. "You know, I'm really seeing how this friend thing works," Wade said. **** "Johnnie, I'm moving." The old man looked at Wade and smiled. "Is there a road 'tween here and where you're going?" "Yeah, but it won't be the same, you know?" "Life never stays the same, son. We wouldn't want it to, either." "No, I guess you're right. It's a great opportunity for me." "Well then, tell me all about it," Johnnie said, joining Wade on the steps. "My parole officer, Suzanne, is having a house built in that new subdivision I'm working in. Once she moves, I'll rent her old one. It needs work, Johnnie, but I think I can do it all." "What's it need?" "Most of it's cosmetic, like carpeting, paint, yard work, and some light fixtures. The kitchen needs a new counter and sink for sure, and the vinyl floor is in rough shape." "That's all simple stuff. I done all them things before." "It's not too far from here, Johnnie. Maybe once I move, you'd like to come out and visit?" Wade asked. "Well now, I reckon you can count on that son." "You know Johnnie, when I first came to Boden, I hated it here. You know the only reason I ended up here was my truck gave out and I couldn't afford to fix it. Working at the factory those first few days just added to my frustration." "This town has some good people," Johnnie said. "Suzanne never doubted me. She's my friend, Johnnie. Just one that I've made since I came here," Wade said, looking straight at Johnnie. "Yep, she done you good then. You can't have too many friends. Time for my shows. Night, son." "Good night, Johnnie. See you tomorrow." "You can count on it." Wade smiled as Johnnie made his way into his house. He was losing a neighbor when he moved, yes. Far more important though, he'd made a friend. **** The steady pop of the nail gun slowed then stopped. Cody took off his safety glasses and wiped the sweat from his forehead when he saw Wade approach. "You heard, I guess, that I'm moving into Suzanne's old house?" "She mentioned it yesterday, yeah. You think you can handle all the work out there?" Cody asked. "I don't know, Cody. The painting and yard work, yes. Ripping the carpets out I can do, but if I find a problem under there, I don't know." "If you need help, you know where I am. My time is limited, but I can offer ideas and tips on how to take care of things for you," Cody said. "That would be great. Nelson helped me draw up some numbers to figure out what some of it should cost," Wade replied. Laughing, Cody shook his head. "That sounds like the kind of thing he'd do." "This will be the first time I've had a place I could call my own, you know that Cody? When I was growing up, we lived in dumpy trailers, or run-down apartments. Over the years, I've never had anything much better. Suzanne's place might need work, but I don't look at it from that way." "Life isn't about showing off what you have. If you can go back out in the world and make something of yourself after you've been knocked down so many times, you're far richer than any millionaire on earth." Wade studied his boss for a moment, letting his words settle, knowing they were for him. "You know, Cody, you're a pretty good guy." "It goes both ways, Wade," Cody said, placing his hand on Wade's shoulder. **** Wade stared at the paper in disbelief. He ran his thumb over the stamped seal proving it was official. Standing outside the courthouse, the words ran together as he struggled to believe them. "How does it feel, to be free of it all?" She stood several feet away, smiling at him. "You did this, didn't you Suzanne?" "So I know a few people. That doesn't mean they did anything illegal or crossed the line for me. You've earned this, Wade," she said, walking up to him. "I thought with leaving town after Lou died and all the times I was fired, it would never happen. Yet, the proof is right here. I've been discharged from parole." "They just didn't see you the same as I did then. I'm sorry no one else ever had faith in you," she replied. "I still don't understand how you did, or what you saw." "Behind your attitude of anger and the defensiveness, there was pain and sadness. That's all in your past now. The future is wide open for you," she replied. "You've done so much for me." Without thinking about it, Wade pulled the older woman close and hugged her tight. All the emotions he struggled to express went into that one simple gesture. When he finally released her and stepped back, Suzanne had tears in her eyes. "You're welcome, Wade." Nodding, he understood the true meaning of friends. **** The paper laid on the step next him. Wade needed the proof as reassurance he wasn't dreaming yet. So many things had happened to him in such a short time that he could hardly believe it all anymore. "You look mighty serious there, son." "I went to court today. The judge discharged me from parole, Johnnie." "Well now, that sounds like good news, so you should be smiling." "Some days, I feel as if I walked through a magical door and landed in front of the good fairy. Each time she waves that wand, something special happens to me," Wade said. Johnnie smiled and nodded at the analogy, but didn't say anything. "I have this awesome job working for two great guys. Next week I'm moving into a place that I can fix up and call my own." "Those are nice things to have, son," Johnnie said. "The most important thing though is that I have real friends. It took me over thirty years to figure out how to be one, and I might not have it right still. But I'm trying really hard, Johnnie." "People recognize a good soul even in someone that's been knocked down before. You just got to get back up and prove to yourself who you really are inside, son. That's what they see, the fighter, the spirit that doesn't give up, and the glimmer of hope inside." "It'll feel weird, not seeing you every day Johnnie. You're a smart man, and I'm very glad I met you," Wade said. "Well, you can always call me up to come help rip that carpet out." "You know, I think I'll do that. We can even stop in time for you to get home to watch your shows." "Now that's what I call taking care of a friend, son," Johnnie said, winking and grinning. Wade smiled at Johnnie then turned serious. "Can you love a friend? I don't mean like being in love with someone, but just love them?" When Johnnie didn't answer, Wade thought maybe his question was too personal. Or that it just made the old man uncomfortable. "It's okay if—" "Son, there are a lot of different kinds of love in this world. Children, in most cases, have an unconditional love for their parents they don't even understand. Teenagers, and young adults, go through several stages of falling in love that's really more about sex, lust, and need. A couple that marries has a love that binds them together deep in their souls. Over the years, it turns into a comfortable respect," Johnnie said, looking right at Wade. "Not all parents love their kids, and there isn't a special someone out there for everybody," Wade replied. "But none of those you said are friends." "Friends are part of life, son. They might not always be the same one, but most people have one. There's childhood, the teens, college, and as we grow older, the friends that we make as neighbors. Each one plays an important role in our life. Friends help us financially, physically, and psychologically, each one earning our love not just for what they do, but for who they are." "Suzanne has become a special friend, and so are my bosses." "You're a fortunate man to have them in your life. Don't abuse the relationships," Johnnie said. "Finding true friends isn't easy and doesn't happen every day." "It's odd though Johnnie. I always thought a person only had room for one friend in their life. That's wrong, though. I have one other really special friend too." "That right?" Johnnie asked. "Yeah, he's a little older and a lot wiser than I am." "Bet it's someone from 'Lucy's Laundromat'." "Ah Johnnie, am I ever glad I landed in Boden. You've become a friend of mine and I enjoy spending time with you," Wade replied. "Friends come in all shapes, sizes and ages. They can be in our lives a little or a lot. As for loving them, I think you know that answer on your own, son." "Some days, I wonder how my life would have been with Suzanne as my mother. The things she's done for me now are so hard to comprehend at times though. I smile whenever I see her, Johnnie. I have a future because of the way she never doubted me. I know that I can always count on her to help me." Johnnie nodded and laid his arm across Wade's shoulder. "I'm honored to be the one you shared all that with. She needs to hear it too, you know." "Yeah, but the time has to be right. I can't just walk up to her and blurt it out." "You'll know when it is 'cause you'll feel it," Johnnie said. "You're right." Catching a glimpse of his watch, Wade gasped. "Oh no, you've missed your shows." "No problem, son. It's all part of being friends." "Yeah, I'm learning," Wade said and smiled. "Get some sleep. Tomorrow's another work day, and come this weekend, you'll need your energy to help your friend move." "I will. Good night Johnnie and thank you." "That's what friends are for." Johnnie made his way across the yards, a smile on his face that Wade couldn't see. Right from the beginning, he'd known the young man had the ability to do well. A little encouragement and help from friends was all he needed to set him back on the right path. Grinning as he closed his apartment door, Wade got ready for bed without paying attention and slid into bed. Thoughts of his future filled his head as he went to sleep. **** The house was empty. Suzanne heard the muted voices of the two men from outdoors as they secured the last items in Nelson's truck while she wandered through the rooms. "Nelson is doing a final check around the house and yard. He'll be a few minutes." She stood by the front picture window, staring off into space. "Suzanne? Are you all right?" "My husband and I bought this place after we found out we couldn't have children. It was always our dream to live in a big house in town where there would be neighbors with kids too. One just didn't seem right to us without the other, so we sold our first home and came here," she said, not turning his way. "It's beautiful here." "Years of memories will always be with me, Wade. I'm ready to start again, to let this place go. It needs someone like you to give it life. You can restore the beauty to it, I know you can." "The past several months you've given me a new life, Suzanne. I'd lost my faith in the world, but you didn't listen to what they said. No one ever went out of the way for me. Just being able to say I have a future is still overwhelming at times to me," he said, truth and respect in his voice. "Ah, Wade, they didn't look inside. You're a good man, with a past that's behind you. Just like me, it was time to start over." "I have this neighbor, at the apartments, who's been listening to me as I try to figure things out. Cody and Nelson both helped me at work and with many other things. Each one has taught me more since I've been here than I think I knew in thirty years before." Smiling, Suzanne nodded in understanding, proud of the young man standing before her. "Suzanne, I hope you don't take this the wrong way . . ." "Whatever it is, Wade, we can talk it through," she said when he didn't go on. "I just want you to know that I love you. For all the reasons I've said, for things I haven't, and for being a true friend. Most of all, I love you because you're you." No words came out as Suzanne stepped closer and hugged him. His arms went around her, holding her tight as they shared the emotional moment. He felt the evidence of her tears through his shirt and knew it was all right. When she at last moved away, she gave him a little smile. "My friend, I love you too." "I won't let you down, Suzanne." "There was never a doubt in my mind, Wade." Linking her arm through his, they walked outside. Nelson sat on the tailgate of his truck, singing along to the radio . . . I love you for the way you never doubted meBut most of all I love you cause you're you