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A Place to Belong Ch. 01

By: JewelTran



"What the hell am I doing here?" was all that Marti Hampton could think. This wasn't where she belonged. She was standing at a bar, ordering a drink, looking around her like she knew what she was doing. But Marti had no clue what she was doing and she knew it. 

It had seemed innocent enough to begin with. Marti was in town for a convention with the hosiery industry. She needed a break from the conference atmosphere and had decided to go for a walk. When she had seen the bar, conveniently located in the lobby of the hotel where the convention was, Marti decided a drink was in order. After all, all of the typical executives that she knew would do just that -- hit the bar and order a drink.

But Marti wasn't typical. She was a 37 year old introvert with almost zero exposure to such practices. Avoiding looking back at the bartender, who Marti was sure could tell that she was faking it, Marti rolled her eyes at her own foolishness. She ordered her drink, quietly paid for it and headed toward a booth in the back. Yet the bartender kept staring at her, as though he knew exactly what she was up to. 

The booth Marti had chosen was situated in such a way that, although she would be secluded from prying eyes, she would still be able to look out at the crowd. Marti snorted in derision as she sat down, squeezing her body onto the bench. Sighing to herself, she thought, "This booth was probably built here by someone with about the same amount of social energy that I have!"

As she studied the people milling about inside the bar, Marty mentally kicked herself, once again, for her intense introversion. She had spent far too many years cooped up in the hosiery mill, focused on the product and how to perfect it. Now, she was paying the price. Her father, who had always handled the personal interactions with clients and business partners, had decided to retire and take a cruise around the world with his new bride. A cruise around the world??? Who really did such a thing? Obviously a 75 year old man with a 72 year old sweetheart.

That all meant that, six months ago, Marti, who had been the technical backbone of the company for the past 15 years, was suddenly thrust into the role her father had occupied -- her very extroverted, handsome father. But Marti was trying to make the best of it -- after all, she was good at what she did. But sometimes it was all she could do to keep from laughing in the faces of her so called business associates who had no idea what a dropped stitch was compared to a cross stitch. How could they compete with her for contracts? The world of textiles was her world -- it was where she belonged. She knew knitting machines inside and out. 

But the real truth was that the others could compete with her because they had social skills. And Marti didn't. She didn't look the part and she didn't know the games. In fact, just in order to buy the drink in her hand, she had literally had to hide behind a fake tree, pretending to talk on her cellphone, until she heard someone at the bar place an order for a drink that looked interesting. She didn't even know what kind of drinks they served at bars. And she was determined not to order a coke! So when the cute girl with the short skirt batted her eyes at the bartender and asked for a gin and tonic, Marti had decided to follow suit! 

And now Marti was hidden in a corner, sipping a drink that somehow tasted a lot like pine sap smelled. Why did people drink this stuff??? Wrinkling her nose in distaste, Marti watched the people walking around, mixing and flirting throughout the bar. 

It was mid afternoon so the bar wasn't too crowded. Marti watched the cute girl whose drink she had copied, twirl the straw in her glass as she laughed with an older man Marti had met at the convention. Marti wondered if the younger woman really found the man to be as exciting as she appeared. It was only a moment though before Marti saw the woman laugh just a bit too loudly and cut her eyes over to where a handsome young waiter was bent over, cleaning off a table. Ah -- so it was his attention she was trying to catch. Marti laughed to herself, noting that the waiter was far more interested in the stain on his table than the cute blond trying to get his attention.

How Marti wished she could just pick up her glass and float around the room like that young woman, though - a confident butterfly. When Marti had a sudden vision of herself floating about, a rotund butterfly with short little wings attached to her ample body - she suddenly burst out laughing. At least it would have been a laugh had it not been at that very same moment that she was taking a sip of her drink. As it was, the liquid went the wrong way up her nose and, within moments, Marti was snorting and coughing like she was dying.

Grabbing at a napkin that seemed to appear out of nowhere, Marti finally manged to get her cough under control. She used the napkin to cover her mouth, wipe off her nose and absorb most of the remaining drink from her face. Realizing she was going to live, Marti momentarily wished she wouldn't. Feeling the heat in her cheeks, she knew that it wasn't just from the rush of alcohol into her nasal cavity, or the lack of oxygen during her coughing fit -- she was feeling the flush of embarrassment at having drawn attention to herself. Hell, she was trying to hide, not cause a commotion.

Lowering the napkin from her face, Marti looked up to see who had been kind enough to offer it to her. Although she would have preferred to have been left alone during her moment of potential asphyxiation, she knew the expectation was that she should thank the person who had come to her rescue. Standing in front of her, with his eyebrows quirked in obvious amusement, stood the bartender -- the same one she had only moments ago refused to meet his eyes. 

"A bit stronger than you are used to?" he asked smugly.

Catching herself just short of rolling her eyes again, Marty lowered her head to look at her half empty glass and quietly said, "Ummm . . . yes. That's what was wrong alright."

It wasn't that Marti was trying to be rude to the bartender. But the man was obviously trouble. Not only did he look like a Native American storybook character with his jet black hair and tan skin, but when you threw in the blue eyes and the body -- well, he was more than Marti could stand to look at long. 

This whole scenario caught Marti by surprise. It wasn't that she didn't like men. She just didn't have much experience with men. She had been far more focused on the thread quality for the socks that had always come first in her life. Men were too complicated. So Marti always assumed an air of feigned boredom around men. Since college, she had never found any man who interested her anyway.

Or maybe it would be more accurate to say that she had never found one who she thought might be interested in her. It was a well established fact that men only liked petite, pretty girls with big . . . eyes. And Marti wasn't petite, had never been called pretty, and her . . . eyes. . . well, they were big enough, she supposed! But that wasn't enough to ever convince Marti to actually engage in a conversation with a man about anything other than her beloved socks. It was too difficult. Over time, her protective practice had become a part of who she was - Marti just chose to ignore men.

It came as a shock to Marti though, when she realized that her attitude wasn't having the desired effect on this man - this bartender hadn't walked away. She was giving the man her best dismissive attitude. Other people went away when she ignored them. Why was he still standing there? 

When the bartender suddenly flipped the chair beside her booth around and straddled it, Marti's eyes felt like they were going to pop out of her head. From the view she had with her eyes lowered, she had a clear shot of the man's legs. His thighs strained the material of his jeans and Marti thought she was going to melt. Good God -- was this guy real or had someone created him after taping into Marti's fantasies -- ones she hadn't even admitted to herself?

Realizing that she really needed to be looking somewhere other than the man's thighs (and the surrounding area), Marti quickly raised her head to look the bartender in the face. But as soon as she did, she realized that it was obvious where she had just been staring. The mirth in the man's eyes made her squeeze her own tightly shut. Her face flamed into color again.

It was the sound of his laughter that made Marti open her eyes again. She felt like a school girl staring at the first guy she had ever had a crush on. The man was simply beautiful and his laugh was perfect to her ears.

"Well, Marti Hampton, can I interest you in a less toxic drink?"

Confusion etched Marti's face. The man had called her by name. Questioningly, she said, "Do you know me?"

Again the bartender laughed, only this time is was a quiet and intimate laugh. "Well, I did fill your drink order, ma'am. And you did put it on your credit card. Forgive me for taking the opportunity to scope out your name. But I just couldn't pass up the opportunity."

"Opportunity for what?" Marti blurted out before she even thought about it.

"Opportunity to know if your name fit you," the man answered.

"Oh," was all Marti could muster as she found herself lost again in the bartender's blue eyes.

Marti never knew how long she sat there staring at the man. She was startled out of her revelry by the sound of someone coughing discretely. She raised her eyes to see the waiter from earlier standing at the end of the table. "Ty, I hate to bother you, but the orders are piling up," the young man said hesitantly.

Marti watched as her bartender (when exactly had he become "her" bartender, she wondered), stood up and nodded in her direction. "If you need anything, just let me know, Marti Hampton." Then he walked away, following the waiter back toward the bar.

"Well, you handled that like a pro!" Marti chided herself. Face to face with the first man who ever yanked the carpet right out from under her and she hadn't even said anything remotely sensible. "Great. . . " she muttered.

Deciding that she had just had about all the excitement she could handle, Marti pushed aside her drink and scooted out of the booth. "Well, remind me to never attempt this kind of little adventure again," she said out loud to no one in particular. Then she headed for the door.

Realizing that she really needed the comfort of her secure world of socks and hosiery machines, Marti opened the door back into the convention hall. She had almost made it to her display area when she became aware of a conversation going on at her kiosk. 

Marti recognized the voice of one of her own salesmen, "Then Mammoth Marti declared that all the products were subquality to her highnesses expectations . . . I don't know what the bitch expects. Just because she is suddenly sole owner of the entire corporation, she thinks she can use all that "college" learning of hers to talk down to us. Well, I tell you what -- I for one won't do what she says. I will just stand up in her face and tell her - "

In all of Marti's days, she had known herself to be a lot of things. She knew that she was a strong person, with a good mind and a strong sense of who she really was. Marti was aware that she had her flaws -- the recent encounter in the bar was a prime of example of that. But she also knew what she was good at -- and she was good at her business. In fact, she was the best. With a backbone that she had always known she had, but never shown to another living soul, Marti stepped around the final wall panel that separated her from her salesman and his small audience.

"Tell me what?" Marti's voice was as cold as steel and her eyes were flaming.

The entire group turned, as one, to face Marti. If the subject matter hadn't been so critical, Marti would have laughed at the comical sight of the entire group then turning, as if one again, to face her salesman. But this was no time for laughing.

It was obvious that Marti's salesman, Mike Richardson, was trying to decide just how far he should push this and what his next step should be. Apparently realizing that he had just burned his bridges behind him, the slightly intoxicated Mike decided to go for broke. "Tell you, bitch, that you are going to ruin this company. You are nothing more than a daddy's girl and this company will fail, because of you. You are so backwards you haven't been out of that mill for ages. Wake up -- people like you don't make it in the real world!"

Silence swept over the group as everyone waited for Marti's response. In the background, the loudspeaker announced that the convention would be breaking for the evening in 20 minutes. Marti decided that it was time for Mike's convention to end right then. Reaching over onto the table, she pressed the makeshift button that rested on each display table. It sent a loud buzzer to the security check point, indicating that assistance was needed. The group looked questioningly at Marti as she stood with her hands on her hips, in silence. 

As the security guard approached the group, Marti stepped through the few members of the group who separated her from Mike. She calmly reached up and jerked off his convention badge. Speaking over her shoulder in the direction of the officer, Marti said, "This man has just been fired. Please have him escorted off the premises."

Mike stood, looking down at the spot on his shirt pocket where his badge had hung moments before. The action had been so calmly and quietly done, it was obvious that he was having trouble grasping what had just taken place. As the security officer took hold of his arm, it all seemed to click. "What the hell?" was all that Mike managed to get out before the guard began pulling him toward the door. Realizing that he was being thrown out, Mike managed a few more obscenities, as the pair progressed across the room, but Marti wasn't paying attention to them. 

Instead, she was looking around the group who had been Mike's audience. With a controlled voice that she hoped conveyed the depth of her boiling anger, Marti said, "Now, I have to tell you, I have never been as angry as I am at this moment. You have each one stood here and stabbed me and our company in the back by allowing that little display to have begun in the first place. 

Marti continued, "Although this convention is scheduled to go on for two more days, our booth will be dismantled tonight and we will be going home tomorrow morning. You will each report to me in my office at 8:00 sharp on Thursday morning. If you are not there, your office will be packed up and your personal items will be at the front desk when you do show up. It is wake up and shake up time and you are all on notice as of right now. Get this display taken apart and packed up. I will be back in 30 minutes and I expect this to be taken care of."

As quickly as possible, Marti made her way out of the convention hall. Her legs were shaking with the adrenaline rush, combined with the intensity of her emotions at that moment. She knew she had just done something she would be proud of in the days and weeks to come, but at that very moment, she was quite concerned that she was about to throw up! 

Because of her state of mind, Marti wasn't paying the best of attention when she exited the hall. It was only when she physically ran into a solid body that she realized her path was being blocked. Looking up, Marti found herself face to face with Mike Richardson. The interim few minutes had obviously added fuel to Mike's anger, because he looked as though he were about to explode. 

Pain suddenly shot through Marti's arms. She realized that Mike's fingers were digging into her flesh. He had grabbed her and was now shaking her. In a voice that was evidently fueled by alcohol and anger, he was screaming at her that she wasn't going to ruin his life -- that she would pay for being such an arrogant bitch. 

For Marti, Mike's words were not really an issue at the moment. But his shaking her was. Marti had been headed toward the bathroom anyway, and when her current physical state was combined with the unexpected motion Mike was providing, it was inevitable that things were about to come to a rather unexpected resolution. With no way to give Mike any warning (and no real desire to do so anyway!), Marti closed her eyes and gave in to her stomach's need to empty itself.

There were about twenty people milling around in the hotel lobby, mostly from the hosiery convention. Mike had drawn everyone's attention to them when he had begun screaming at Marti. Several of the men had started toward them in order to separate them. But even they stopped in their tracks as it became apparent what was happening - the entire room watched, in fascinated horror, as Marti threw up all over Mike's shirt and pants. 

Even in his intoxicated state, the situation managed to filter into Mike's brain. He stood staring in disbelief, first at his clothes and then at Marti. Almost in slow motion, he dropped his hands from her arms and stepped back, his face contorted into revulsion at the vomit dripping down the front of his clothes. Somehow, everything had managed to land squarely onto Mike, leaving Marti herself unmarked. As Mike struggled to pull himself together, and say something coherent, his body was suddenly jerked upright from behind.

Marti watched, wide eyed, as the man she had met earlier in the bar, lifted Mike practically into the air by his shirt collar. Spinning on his heel, the bartender half dragged, half carried Mike to the doors of the motel. Although what he whispered in Mike's ear shortly before shoving him through the door was too low for anyone else to catch, the intent was obvious to everyone. As the door slammed behind Mike, a general sigh floated through the room. Within moments, conversations started back up, as though nothing unusual had happened.

Everyone was moving on with their day -- everyone but Marti. Marti was standing, still stunned, in the middle of the room where Mike had stopped her. She couldn't believe what had just happened. Her legs were still shaking, although her stomach had stopped churning. As she tried to figure out exactly what to do next, she found herself being gently pushed toward a soft chair at the corner of the room.

Turning her head to see who was doing this, Marti found herself looking into the eyes of a very attractive woman, about her own age. The woman whispered, "Over here, that's right. Just sit down." Then she handed her a wet washcloth. After Marti was seated, the woman gave her a glass of water. 

"My name is Janice. I am the manager here. It's going to be ok."

Marti took a few sips of water and rubbed her forehead with the washcloth. Trying to make a joke, she turned to the woman and said, "Honestly, my dad never mentioned this part of the convention to me!" Of course, the woman had no way of knowing anything about Marti's dad, but she chuckled politely anyway. Marti couldn't think of anything else to say, so she simply sat there with the woman as her body calmed down. After a few minutes, Marti took a deep breathe and sighed. "Well, I guess I should go see about my booth."

At this, the woman clucked her tongue. "I don't think you need to go back in there this evening. The convention is closing up right now. I really believe you should just go up to your room and rest a bit. Why don't you let me send up room service in a bit? Go shower and take it easy."

Marti was surprised at the woman's generosity, but her offer was extremely appealing. Quickly pushing aside the voice inside her head that said she shouldn't let a single responsibility slip, Marti decided to take Janice up on her offer. Thanking her, Marti pushed herself up out of the chair and headed for the elevator. Calling after her, Janice promised to send up supper in about 30 minutes.


A Place to Belong Ch. 01



As the doors on the elevator closed, Marti never saw the smile that crossed the manager's face. See, Janice wasn't just the manager. She was also the bartender's sister. And she had seen something during the earlier encounter that no one else had noticed. She had seen the look on her brother's face when he had thrown the offensive salesman out the door, and she knew that look -- it was a look of possessiveness. For once in her life, Janice realized that she had something on her big brother -- Ty was smitten!

After showering, shaving and brushing her teeth, Marti was feeling much better. She slipped into the soft white robe that was hanging on the back of the bathroom door. As she felt the material caress her skin, she laughed out loud. While most people would enjoy the feel of the cotton, she found herself wondering what the thread was that was used! Shaking her head, she resolved to forget about her world for the rest of the evening. There would be time enough tomorrow and for the rest of her life to count needle rows, create thread combinations and design new methods for hosiery production. Tonight was just going to be about her.

In the three days that she had already been at the motel, Marti had failed to notice any of the amenities that the hotel offered. Not only had she ignored the bathrobe, she hadn't noticed the toiletry items either. In addition to soaps and shampoo, there was also a nail care kit, complete with a soft pink polish. Shrugging her shoulders, Marti decided to go all out! 

Sticking long pieces of tissue between her toes like she had seen on tv, Marti sat down to paint her toenails. She had barely finished her toes when there was a knock on her door. Realizing that her 30 minutes had passed, Marti wasn't surprised when the person outside the door called out, "Room Service".

Gathering her robe closely around her body, and jerking the tissues quickly out from between her toes, Marti reasoned that a room service attendant in the big city would be used to seeing women in their robes. Just because she was way out of her comfort zone didn't mean that the man delivering her meal would be. She would just accept the food, sign the bill and he would be gone. And he would never need to know that she didn't have anything on under her robe. 

Amused by her own thoughts, Marti opened the door, only to find the bartender from earlier standing in the hall, holding a covered dinner tray.

"What are YOU doing here?" Marti asked in shock.

Even in her own dismay, Marti registered that the man looked equally surprised.

His voice, which had sounded so incredible earlier in the afternoon, actually cracked a bit as he tried, unsuccessfully, to answer Marti. As she watched his mouth move and heard the sounds that didn't quite make words, Marti cocked her head to the side in confusion. Finally, he cleared his throat and said, rather quickly, "The manager, my . . . Janice, that is, asked me to deliver this up to this room. . . . " His voice trailed off as he continued to stand in the hallway, looking a bit lost.

Marti realized that she was once again staring at the man and shook her head to clear it. Stepping aside, she said, "Please, won't you come in? Ty, wasn't it? You can set the tray over there." Marti pointed to a small table in the kitchenette area of the room. 

As Ty walked past her, Marti realized that she could smell his scent -- and that she loved it! It wasn't cologne -- it was more like a man who had been working hard and had just jumped out of the shower. Marti assumed that his back was to her since he was walking into her room, so she closed her eyes to savor the experience. When she opened them again, she found that he hadn't walked into her room -- instead he was standing very close to her, watching her. Damn! Busted again!

Marti slipped past Ty, which wasn't easy in the small space, but it didn't appear that he was going to go any further into her room unless she went first. As her breast brushed his arm, she shivered at the sensation. Yep -- this man was definitely trouble!

Although it only took a matter of seconds to cross the room and reach the table, by the time Marti got there, she felt like she had run a marathon. She wasn't sure what this man did to her, but it was taxing on her system. Pushing aside a few papers, she made a large space for the tray. "Right here. There you go."

Hoping to end the strangely arousing encounter, Marti reached out to take the tray from Ty. As she did, her fingers managed to close over his. For the third time that day, Marti found herself staring into the man's eyes. She didn't understand the electricity that she felt where their hands were joined, but she couldn't have broken eye contact with him if she had tried.

It was only when she heard Ty growl deep in his throat, and he suddenly shoved the tray aside onto the table, that Marti realized that she was in a radically different situation than she had ever been in before. When he turned back to her and cupped her face in his hands, he stopped only long enough to look deeply into her eyes for one more moment. Marti felt her heart begin to pound. Ty was going to kiss her!

Marti hadn't had a lot of experiences with kissing. Other than a few passing kisses in high school, the only adult male she had kissed had been her boyfriend in college. They had dated for almost a year. Marti had thought she had found her future. When he had told her that he was almost ready to settle down and asked her to sleep with him, she had gladly given him her virginity. Marti was disappointed when the act had taken all of five minutes and then her boyfriend was snoring. But she reasoned that it would get better in time. He had never been too affectionate anyway, but surely time and love would change that. 

A few weeks later, right on schedule, her boyfriend had taken her out to a very special dinner. He had told her that he had something important to tell her. Marti knew from the look in his eyes that he had made his decision. In her excitement at his expected proposal, Marti had barely comprehended his words when her boyfriend announced that he had found his true love -- and it was his best friend, Steve. Needless to say, Marti's marital plans had fallen apart at that point. 

It was a huge understatement to say that, in no way, had her previous experiences prepared Marti for Ty's kiss.

When his lips actually claimed hers, Marti thought her heart might burst out of her chest. Rather than simply stick his tongue in her mouth as both the high school boys and the college boyfriend had, this man ran his tongue around the outside of her lips, as if she were a special, favorite fruit, meant to be savored and enjoyed. He didn't appear to be in any hurry as he tasted her either. When he finally covered her lips with his, he still didn't immediately push his way in. He continued tasting her, this time with his lips rather than his tongue. 

It was only when Marti thought she might start screaming that she finally felt his tongue press into her lips, as if seeking permission to enter. Marti eagerly opened her own lips to him and allowed him to take possession of her mouth. Somehow, in the process, Marti had pressed her body up against his, raising up on her tiptoes, wrapping her arms around his neck. Her hands were buried in his dark hair as she held him close to her. She might not have much experience at this whole process, but it was certainly feeling very good to her at that moment!

After what seemed to be an eternity, Marti felt Ty's hand brush the outside of her robe, over her breast. Her nipples had been pressing into his stomach since the moment he had begun their kiss. As his hand neared them, Marti found herself twisting slightly, to force his hand onto her breast. It was with a sigh of relief that she felt his hand slip into her robe and cup her full, aching breast. 

There was a voice in Marti's head, questioning exactly what was going on -- after all, Marti had never done anything like this before -- she didn't even know this man. But Marti had earlier decided to suspend her normal self for one night. And this experience was something the remaining part of her really wanted. Pushing aside any thoughts of stopping, she abandoned herself to the feelings that this man was causing in her body.

In fact, those feelings were coming on so strongly, that Marti was growing highly impatient. Reaching between their bodies, Marti tugged at the tie to her robe. When it loosened, she shrugged her shoulders slightly and the entire robe slid to the floor. It was only when the man she was with stopped kissing her and took a step back that Marti realized the full impact of what she had done.

Never before in her life had Marti stood before another human being, willingly exposing her entire body for the other person's viewing. Even the one time she had actually had sex with her boyfriend in college, it had been in the dark, with minimal removal of clothing. But right now, the best looking man she had ever seen was seeing all of her. Suddenly shy and filled with embarrassment for her own body, Marti tried to pull away. She needed to get her robe back on and exit before Ty could humiliate her. 

But Marti's bartender wouldn't let her go. With the same hands she had seen him throw Mike out of the hotel with earlier, he was holding her still. And he was looking her body up and down -- in minute detail. Marti shivered with intense emotion as Ty moved one hand down her body, beginning at her neck and tracing is finger over her breast, down her belly, over her sensitive belly button. He cupped the curve of her waist and gently squeezed the roll of flesh that he found there. Then he continued downward, brushing his fingers through the hair covering her mound. Without pause, he slid his fingers backwards, gently allowing his finger to barely enter her. 

Through the entire, slowly arousing process, the Ty made sounds of approval and appreciation. Not with words, but intakes of breath and soft moans of delight. When he pulled his hand to his mouth to taste her, Marti watched in amazement as he licked his fingers, listening to him making sounds of deepest satisfaction. It was then that she took his hand and began leading him toward the part of the room where her bed was.

When Ty suddenly stopped and pulled back on her hand, Marti looked at him in confusion. Ty shook his head and pulled her back close to him. With his hands on either side of her face, he brushed a kiss over her lips again. In a husky voice, he said, "My sweet Marti Hampton. . . . is this what you want?"

Marti realized that Ty was trying to make sure she knew what was going on. She realized that her inexperience must be clear for him to see. She lowered her eyes as feelings of inadequacy flooded through her. Damn, couldn't she do anything right where people were concerned. Tears threatened to squeeze through her tightly closed eyes.

When Ty began kissing her eyelids, she opened them to stare at him in confusion. His next words made it clear that he had misunderstood her intense emotions. He said, "I knew I was pushing you too hard. I'm so sorry, baby." Then he pulled her close to him, in a tight hug.

It took Marti a minute to realize that this incredibly sexy man was feeling unsure of himself. Leaning her head as far back as his embrace would allow, Marti whispered, "Ty? It isn't that you are going too fast. I was just afraid I was disappointing you."

The look of surprise that crossed the man's face assured Marti that he hadn't been thinking any such thing. A quiet chuckle escaped his throat as he lowered his head back toward hers. Between light kisses, he said, "Are you sure?"

Marti didn't even bother answering with words. Instead, she grabbed the front of his shirt and managed to topple them both back onto the bed. With Ty fully clothed and laying on top of her, she realized that she had found where she had always wanted to be. Ty was a big man, standing slightly over six foot. And Marti imagined that he outweighed her by at least 50 pounds. As his body pressed her into the mattress, Marti sighed in contentment. 

However, it quickly became apparent that, although Ty had been willing to give Marti the opportunity to quit moments before, now that he was convinced that she was sure, he was a man on a mission. Pushing himself up on his knees, he rose up above her. Marti's legs had opened voluntarily to cradle his body when they landed on the bed, so now he was on his knees between her legs. As he visually drank in her body, he began unbuttoning his shirt. 

Marti had never seen a man undress before and she found it to be very exciting. She longed to taste the flesh he was exposing as each button gave way. When Ty finally finished pulling off his shirt, he stepped off of the bed and slipped out of his jeans. Marti watched as he lowered his briefs. When he finally stood before her with nothing covering his flesh, she stared in awe at his body. Marti was fully aware that she wasn't overly experienced where men were concerned, but comparing Ty to the one other man she had slept with was like comparing two different species of animals. And Ty was by far the better one!

Marti could wait no longer. Pushing herself up on her elbows, she maneuvered her own body until she was the one kneeling on the bed. She ran her fingers over the hair on Ty's chest and felt his nipples pebble under her palms. Ty was standing completely still, allowing her to do what she wanted. And Marti had several things she wanted!

Leaning forward, Marti began nibbling on Ty's neck, while her hands ran up to his shoulders. Marti began massaging his shoulders gently and heard him moan in appreciation. Smiling to herself, she continued her explorations across Ty's neck and chest. When her mouth closed gently over one of his nipples, Marti was surprised to hear Ty's moans increase dramatically. Looking up at him from her position, Marti found herself fascinated by the lust written so clearly on the man's face.

When Ty suddenly flipped her back onto her back and raised her foot to his lips, Marti giggled like a little girl. Surely the man wasn't about to do what it appeared he was going to do. But sure enough, Ty slipped his mouth around her big toe and began sucking on it! Marti's amusement quickly passed as the erotic sensations swept through her body. Her pink painted toenails disappearing one by one into this man's mouth made her wonder just what else he had in store for her. 

And Ty seemed more than willing to show Marti. As he moved up her body with his hands and lips, he tasted and rubbed every inch of her flesh. When he reached the junction between her ample thighs, he stopped. In excruciating detail, he traced each fold with first his finger, and then his tongue. 

Marti was lost in the sensations. She had never had anything like this happen to her and the feelings were incredible. It wasn't like Marti had never had an orgasm before -- she had brought herself to climax plenty of times over the years. But nothing had prepared her for the actual feeling of a man's lips upon her, tasting her from her depths. It was more than Marti could actually handle without exploding -- and her overwhelming orgasm swept through her with aching pleasure as she grasped Ty's head closer.

Almost before the climax was over, Ty had maneuvered himself into a position to enter her. Marti was loosened up from her orgasm, but it was still a tight fit. As Ty slid into her, she marveled, not only at the fullness she felt, but also at the expressions crossing the face of the man who was mating with her. 

Marti wasn't sure about too many things at the moment, but she knew, in that instant, that she would never, ever see another man's face that touched her heart like Ty's did at that moment. It was amazing to see someone, especially someone so sexy and desirable, be so impassioned by her -- by who she was and what she was doing. For a brief moment, Marti lost herself, staring deeply into Ty's eyes. He was simply beautiful....

But that moment passed quickly, when Ty began slowing thrusting in and out of Marti's body. Marti's breathe caught in her chest at the intensity of the feelings rushing through her. Ty hadn't been in a hurry up until this point, and he didn't seem to be in one now. He was slowly torturing her with the pleasure building up inside of her.

Truthfully, Marti had always wondered what the big deal was about sex. Her past experience had left her rather uninterested in the act, since it didn't appear to be that exciting. However, she had never met anyone like Ty either. At least, she didn't think she had. She didn't exactly know a lot about this man who was arousing her.

"Um . . .Ty? Um . . . " Marti struggled to get coherent words to come out of her mouth. Her body was fighting against that idea and was on a path that didn't want to bother with words at the moment. But Marti was determined. Frowning from the effort it took to concentrate, she said, "Ty? Before we go any further . . . do you mind telling me your last name?"

Ty came to a rather abrupt halt in his thrusting as he looked down into Marti's eyes. "My last name?" he asked, rather blankly.

"Well, yes. I was thinking I should at least know that . . ." Marti said, growing concerned that she had somehow offended Ty and he wasn't going to finish what he had started. And Marti was determined that he WAS going to finish!

Shaking his head slightly, as though to clear it, Ty said, "Stewart. My name is Ty Stewart."

Marti's face broke into a huge smile, "Glad to meet you Ty Stewart!" Then she giggled and wiggled her body, in a gentle reminder that there was other pressing matters at hand. 

This time, when Ty shook his head, Marti could see it was because he was laughing. She liked the fact that he could find her amusing, even when they were in this kind of position.

"Ty? I'm not in the habit of sleeping with strangers. But now that I know who you are, if you don't finish this, I'm going to have to finish it myself," Marti said, trying to assume a stern look on her face. 

Ty cocked one eyebrow and pressed his body weight into Marti. "Oh?" he whispered. "What, pray tell, my lovely lady, are you going to do?"

Marti couldn't control her laughter any longer. She had never dreamed that not only could sex feel this good, but that it could be intense and fun at the same time. With this huge man, who was practically a stranger, cradled between her legs, Marti was happier than she could ever remember being. Strange how things sometimes worked out.

However, when Ty began moving again, Marti's attention was diverted back to what she was feeling inside of her body. As Ty grew more serious with each thrust, Marti could only moan and hold onto his shoulders. Ty was making the most wonderful sounds of his own that Marti knew were being seared into her soul. 

As a new climax was fast approaching, Marti felt Ty speed up his thrusts. The pressure that he was exerting on her body was causing her to want to scream. When Ty grabbed her hair and locked his eyes with hers, she both heard and felt his pure animal growl as he poured his seed into her. With a force she had never felt, Marti's own body crested at that moment and her orgasm surged through her body, leaving her weak and somewhat disoriented in the moments afterward. Only Ty's eyes kept her focused and centered. And Ty seemed willing to offer her that lifeline as long as she needed it. 

Although Marti wasn't sure how long it took for her to come back to her senses, she did know that for the entire time, Ty was kissing her softly and stroking her face and breasts and telling her how beautiful she was. When his words finally registered in her mind, Marti looked at Ty in confusion. She had already had sex with him, why was he bothering with such things now? She reasoned that he must just be a nice guy who didn't like to just run out the door at the end.




A Place to Belong Ch. 01



Marti found herself stroking the side of Ty's face, wishing that this moment were somehow more real. But Marti wasn't that naive. Men like Ty might lower their standards and indulge in a bit of casual sex with a woman like Marti, but that all it would be. 

"Men like Ty?" Marti thought to herself. She had no idea what kind of man Ty was. She didn't even know if he was . . . 

"Ty? Are you married?" Marti asked, somewhat panicked. 

Ty raised his head from where he had buried it in her neck. A smile played around the corners of his mouth. "No. Are you proposing?"

Marti's face flushed bright red before she could even begin to think of an adequate answer. Now this handsome hunk was teasing her. This really was the stuff fantasies were made out of. Too bad it was a fling between passing strangers.

Finally, Marti managed to say, "No . . . I just realized that I didn't know anything about the man who I just had . . . made l . . . umm . . . well, you know. . . " Marti's voice trailed off as she turned her face away slightly in embarrassment. She realized just how inexperienced and childish she must appear.

At the sound of Ty's soft chuckle, Marti's eyes flew to his face. Using his finger, Ty traced along Marti's forehead and down over her nose, around her lips and down her neck. Then he cupped her full breast in his hand and lowered his head to gently suck on her nipple for a moment before pulled back to look into Marti's eyes.

"Call it whatever you want, baby. But always remember that it was incredible -- no matter what words you use to describe it," Ty said quietly, before dropping his mouth, once again to Marti's breast.

Marti raised her hand to run her fingers through Ty's dark hair, cuddling him as close as possible to her body. She had often thought that watching babies nurse was a beautiful sight. However, she had to admit, watching this man at her own breast was even more beautiful. It was a strange feeling in the very center of her soul that longed to hold him there for as long as possible.

"Do you need to rest?" Ty asked, running his hand down her stomach, massaging her belly. He ran his hand to Marti's side, then moved it under where it was hidden by her flesh. Marti frowned slightly as she watched his face. She was looking for traces of disgust or some other sign that he found her abundant body revolting. But there were any such indications. In fact, the rate at which his cock was hardening again, made Marti think that he might just find her rather appealing.

Remembering that Ty had asked her a question, Marti struggled to recall what it was. Oh, yes, something about needing rest . . . . "No, I am not that tired . . . but aren't you supposed to need a break?" Marti had always heard that men fell asleep after sex, but Ty wasn't asleep and what he was doing to her body was making sure she wasn't going to be going to sleep either!

Ty smiled up at her with an amused glint in his eye. Taking her hand and guiding it to his growing erection, he said, "Does that feel like I need one?"

Wide eyed with wonder, Marti looked at her hand, surrounding Ty. She had wanted to touch him when he had undressed earlier, but didn't have the nerve. Now Ty was giving her permission to touch him. But Marti didn't know what to do. Looking up at Ty, Marti pleaded silently with her eyes for him to help her.

Ty's brow wrinkled in confusion for a moment. Then he pulled away from Marti. Regret flooded through Marti's body as she struggled to understand what she had done wrong. It was only when Ty had pulled himself up into a kneeling position on the bed, and held his hand out to her, that she realized nothing was wrong. Taking his hand, Marti allowed Ty to pull her up on her knees facing him. 

Leaning forward, Ty kissed Marti lightly on the lips. Then he moved back slightly. Again he took her hand and put it on his cock, moving her fingers to surround it. Guiding her, he began using her hand to stroke his length. Marti watched in wonder as he grew even harder under her touch. The skin felt so soft, yet he was so hard underneath it. 

Without consciously thinking about what she was doing, Marti found herself leaning forward and kissing Ty's chest. Latching onto one of his nipples, she sucked gently as she continued to stroke his cock. Ty's nipple immediately pebbled under her tongue and Marti found her body shiver in response. 

It didn't take long for Marti to want more. It was her turn to take Ty's hand and pull him back down to the pillows. After he was on his back, Marti slid her body down his until she was looking directly at Ty's cock. She had read a lot of books in her time, but she had never really thought that she would ever have this opportunity! Not knowing how to best proceed, Marti decided to just do what felt good.

Holding Ty's shaft in her hand, Marti slipped her mouth over the head of his cock. The loud groan that came from Ty concerned Marti until she looked up over his body to see his face contorted in intense pleasure. Figuring that she must be doing something right, Marti continued to explore Ty with her tongue. She licked up and down and around the head, paying special attention to the slit in the middle. 

Marti continued licking and sucking until she heard Ty growl loudly. Without warning, he put his hands under Marti's arms and pulled her up the bed quickly. Then he spread her legs and thrust his hard cock into her. 

Their first coupling had been somewhat slow in the beginning, but this time was fast and furious from the first moment. Apparently Marti's administrations had a lightening effect on Ty! He was thrusting into her in rapid fire motion, moaning the whole time. 

Suddenly, Ty pulled out of her and again rose up on his knees. "Marti? Will you turn over? May I take you from behind?" he asked, surprisingly gently considering that he had been thrusting wildly into her only a moment before.

"Take me from behind?" Marti asked, showing her confusion. Again, that was something she had read about, but had no idea how to go about actually doing it!

Ty nodded. "It's alright if you don't want to," he said quickly.

But Marti shook her head, "No -- I do want to." Then she quickly turned over. 

Ty pulled her hips up into the air and guided his cock back into her pussy. Marti was shocked at how much deeper he went in this position. But, most of all, Marti was shocked at how this position made her feel. It was a much less personal feeling on one level, but on another, it was like finally being taken by the mate she had waited for all of her life! 

After a moment, Ty leaned forward and began whispering in her ear. He was telling her how good she felt, how hard she made him and how much he wanted her. He moved his hands from her shoulders up into her hair and began pulling it gently. The feelings overwhelmed Marti at that point, and the orgasm that had been building, exploded. 

As Marti climaxed, she actually felt her own juices, mixed with Ty's earlier load, running down the inside of her thighs. Apparently, the combination of her orgasm and the feeling of her contractions around his cock, threw Ty into overdrive. With a loud bellow that Marti was certain other people in the motel could hear, Ty poured himself into her once again.

Ty's body slumped over Marti's as his climax finally ended. Feeling his weight as he lay on top of her almost caused Marti to climax again. She wasn't sure what that was all about, but she did know that she had never felt so protected and safe. It was a feeling she really liked!

Looking through the crack in the hotel curtain, Marti realized that sometime earlier, the sun had gone down. The supper she hadn't touched was still sitting on the nearby table. And although Marti was hungry, at that moment, she was much more tired. Ty had rolled over to snuggle his body, half on top of her and half on the bed. Marti began trying to maneuver her own body so she could face him, to tell him that she needed some sleep. 

That was when Marti heard Ty snore! Laughing quietly to herself, Marti rolled over on her pillow and nestled into it. Closing her eyes, she went to sleep with a smile on her face.

Sometime in the night, Marti woke up to find Ty, once again, sucking on her breast. Again, the overwhelming feeling of rightness coursed through Marti's body. When she felt his fingers working in between her legs, she opened herself willingly to him. This time the love making was slow and sensual, with Ty seemingly more intent on making Marti climax than in seeking satisfaction for himself. Afterward, Ty once again drew her body to his, spooning behind her and falling fast asleep, holding her breasts in his hands.

When Marti woke up in the morning, she was alone in the bed. Looking across the room, Marti could see that Ty was standing in the kitchenette area, staring blankly at the wall behind the small microwave. Nearby the coffee maker was steaming and perking, indicating that the early morning drink of choice for Ty must be the dark brew. Marti laughed a bit -- not everyone was as enamored with Coke as she was!

Slipping out of bed, Marti picked up the robe that she had slipped off early the evening before. Pulling it around her shoulders, she tied the belt loosely. Then she padded across the room to where Ty was.

"Ty? Are you ok?" Marti asked, since he hadn't moved at all since she had first spotted him.

Ty turned to look at Marti with eyes that held a thousand different emotions, none of which Marti could grasp. It was as though she were looking into the deep sea, full of life, but none clear to the naked eye.

After a moment, Ty shook his head and looked away toward the coffee pot. "I'm making coffee," he said, stating the obvious, somewhat distantly. When he turned back to look at Marti, his eyes no longer revealed his inner thoughts. In fact, nothing about him revealed anything of the man Marti had been with the night before. Except for the fact that he had put the same clothes on that he had worn into her room last night, Marti saw nothing of the man she had given herself to.

Deciding that he must have a problem with the whole "morning after" issue, Marti chose to play it cool and give him the room he obviously wanted. Shrugging her shoulders slightly, she said, "I'm going to go shower. If you need to go, just lock the door behind you." Then she turned on her heel and headed for the bathroom.

With each step that Marti took as she crossed the room, entered the bathroom and closed the door behind her, she prayed that Ty would suddenly bound across the room, grab her and kiss her. She wanted him to say something, do something, keep the night from ending. But as she turned the lock on the bathroom door, she realized that it was over. Her night with the sexy bartender had ended. 

When Marti heard the door to her room open, then close, she knew Ty was gone. Bending over her sink, Marti felt the first tears sting the back of her eyes.



A Place to Belong Ch. 02



Downstairs, Janice took one look at her brother and burst into laughter. If the glare he gave her hadn't been so intense, she wasn't sure when she would have quit laughing. As it was, she tried to compose herself. 

"Isn't that the same clothes you had on yesterday, dear brother?" Janice asked, trying to act coy.

Ty just glared even harder.

"Oh, come on, Ty! Tell me you didn't enjoy yourself!" Janice goaded.

But when Janice looked into Ty's eyes, she saw something there that stopped her teasing. "Ty? Are you ok?" she asked.

"Why does everybody keep asking me that?" Ty practically yelled. "I'm fine -- and I'm going home! I'll be back when you see me." And with that, he stormed out of the hotel.

Later that morning, when Marti arrived at the front desk to check out, Janice tried to stop her. "The convention has two more days! What do you mean, you are leaving early?" Janice asked in somewhat of a panic. Ty hadn't come back and if Marti left before he saw her, Janice wasn't sure what he would do. He might not have been in the mood to talk earlier, but she had a feeling he would be wanting to talk soon -- and he would be wanting to talk to Marti!

"I'm sorry Janice. My employees managed to stab me in the back yesterday and I can't just sit back and let that slide. I have to go home and deal with the issue at hand," Marti said, trying to sound matter of fact. She was longing to ask about Ty, assuming that Janice would know him since he was the bartender in the hotel she managed. But Marti couldn't figure out a way to keep from getting Ty in trouble. So she simply signed the check out slip, picked up her bag and walked out of the building where so much of her life had changed.

Looking down at the registration form in her hand, Janice smiled. At least she knew where to send Ty when he did show back up!

Ty Stewart stood looking out the window of his sprawling ranch style house. But he didn't see any of the sights before him. All he could see was images from the night he had just spent in some stranger's arms. What could he have been thinking?

Ty had gone over the events of the previous evening almost non stop since his eyes had first opened this morning. Best he could figure, his dear sister Janice had set him up -- insisting that she had no one else who could deliver the room service tray and that the food would get cold. Hell, the food never even got touched.

Once Marti had opened the door, Ty had known that he had to kiss her. He wanted to run away. He told himself to hand her the tray and get the hell away from her. But when she opened the door wide and indicated that he could come in and sit the tray down, his body had betrayed him and he had walked right into her room.

And it was in Marti's room that Ty's life had taken a tailspin. Now he was standing here, staring into space wondering what in the world he was supposed to do next. His thoughts raced round and round in circles, never coming to any solid conclusions on that subject.

It wasn't that Ty didn't have any ideas about what he wanted to do next. He had plenty. He wanted to get back on his motorcycle, drive back into town, go back to the hotel, march back up to Marti's room and ravish her again and again. Ty also wanted to stop by the front desk at the hotel and strangle his sister with her all too knowing smile. Ty snorted to himself as he realized that he was just about as likely to do one of those plans as the other. And it looked like neither would be happening anytime too soon. Ty continued to stare blankly as the midday skies darkened above him and thunder began rumbling in the distance.

Marti Hampton wasn't fairing much better in her own quest to concentrate. She had managed to drive the hour it took to get back to her own apartment, but after unpacking her car, she found herself wandering aimlessly around. For some reason, the place that she had called home for the past ten years, suddenly didn't feel very comfortable. In fact, it was downright stifling. Finally, in desperation, Marti grabbed her car keys and headed toward her beloved hosiery mill -- surely the familiarity of her first love would chase away the memories of last night.

When Marti pulled up at the mill, she was surprised to see a car parked in her dad's parking space. Although the space wasn't officially marked, everyone knew that Marti's dad had parked his car in the same spot for as long as anyone could remember. And even though Hugh Hampton was now officially retired and no longer owner of Hampton Hosiery, the spot still sat empty if Hugh wasn't parked in it. 

Frowning, Marti walked in to check with the receptionist about who would have the audacity or the ignorance to park in such a sacred spot. But the receptionist wasn't at her desk. Shaking her head and resolving to work it out as soon as she could, Marti pushed open the door to her office.

For a moment, Marti felt like she was caught in a time warp. After her father had retired, he had insisted that she move into his office. But Marti found herself still expecting to see her dad sitting in the chair behind the big desk every time she opened the door. 

And this time when she opened the door, that was exactly where her dad was - sitting right where Marti expected him to be! But he wasn't supposed to be here -- he was on a cruise. Wasn't he?

"Daddy???" Marti asked in shock.

Jumping up and circling the desk quickly, Hugh Hampton grabbed Marti up into a bear hug. "Baby girl! You look . . . " Hugh's booming voice trailed off as he actually looked Marti in the face. "Well, you look . . . how do you look Marti?" Hugh finally asked, confusion evident in his voice.

"Daddy," Marti said sternly, "What are you doing here?"

Hugh Hampton grinned his million dollar grin and sheepishly said, "I was just checking up on how you were getting along . . . "

"Who called you and told you?" Marti asked with her hands upon her hips.

The look on Hugh's face told Marti that her suspicions were right -- someone had called Hugh about the incident at the trade show the day before. It irritated Marti that Hugh didn't trust her abilities enough -- that he had hightailed it right back to make sure everything was handled appropriately.

Marti was so caught up in her feelings of annoyance that she totally missed the huge smile that split her daddy's face. But his words brought her back to reality and made her realize that she was wrong about the reason for Hugh's presence. "Steve Benedict called me! I've never been more proud of you in my life!" And with that, Hugh picked Marti up and swung her around and around.

By the time Hugh sat Marti back on her feet, Marti was giggling. "Oh, Daddy! You should have been there. It was so . . . well, I'm just not sure what the right word is. But what about your cruise and where is your bride?"

Marti stared in wonder as the blush stole up her father's cheeks. The man was so in love with his new wife that every time someone mentioned her existence, he blushed. Marti listened as her father explained that he and Katie had grown tired of the trip after a few countries and had headed back home They had actually gotten back home on the first night of the trade show and he had been planning on driving up to surprise Marti the next day.

"However, now I don't have to do that! Cause you managed to bring the show home -- in a most authoritative way too from what I understand!" Hugh finished brightly.

Although Hugh was handling the whole situation well, Marti knew that he had a great deal of concern about the hosiery mill. He had built the company up from the ground and Marti was certain that he didn't want to see if suddenly fail due to his daughter's incompetence. It was comforting that her own welfare came first to her father, but she was realistic enough to realize that the mill ran a close second. 

"Dad, I hope you aren't too upset about what I did," Marti began after sitting down on the couch in the corner of her office. Hugh sat down beside her and Marti continued, "I did what I thought was right under the circumstances. But, Daddy, I really didn't enjoy it."

Hugh smiled warmly, "It isn't all fun and games, darling. I am proud of you for handling the situation and not letting it get out of control. And I know it was hard. Sometimes it is like that."

Marti and Hugh talked for the next half hour, planning strategy for the meeting Marti had called for her employees in her office the following morning. They decided that Hugh would not come to the meeting, since that might cause some of the employees to think that Marti wasn't really completely in charge. But Hugh had dealt with tough issues before and Marti welcomed his input on how to handle this situation. 

It was getting close to supper time before Marti and her dad's discussion began to wind down. Marti glanced at her watch and realized that she was keeping her dad from his beloved Katie. "Dad! You better get home- Katie will be worried about you," Marti said.

Hugh smiled broadly at Marti. "Thanks, hon. I do need to be getting back. Remember that I am proud of you -- you are doing a great job." As he turned to go, Hugh seemed to remember something. Turning back to Marti, he frowned, "Marti, when you first came in here, you had a look on your face. It was a look I've never seen on you. Did anything else happen at the trade show? Something you aren't telling me about?"

Marti's breathe caught in her throat. Almost an hour had passed since she had let any thought of Ty Stewart cross her mind. She had stayed focused on her company and refused to give in to the memories calling for her attention during the past 60 minutes. But with her dad's question, the floodgates threw themselves open and everything from the night before came rushing to the front of Marti's mind.

A blush stole up Marti's own cheeks as she lowered her eyes from her dad's. "No, dad," Marti lied. "Nothing happened."

It was fairly obvious that Hugh Hampton did not believe his daughter from the look on his face. But it was equally obvious that he wasn't going to push her on the matter. Shrugging his shoulders, he said, "Well, if you need to talk about anything, you know where to find me." And with a quick kiss on Marti's forehead, Hugh headed out of the building.

Marti sighed in resignation. She had really hoped that the power of her hosiery mill would keep thoughts of Ty at bay. But it hadn't worked out that way. Now she was sitting in her office, knee deep in plans for her company and how she was going to deal with all the pieces of that puzzle, and all she could think about was the way the big man's hair had felt, the way his lips had caressed her and the way he had focused the entire night's attention onto her and her needs. Boy, what a change the morning light had brought!

After another hour of fairly useless paper shuffling, Marti gave up and headed home. A couple of over the counter sleeping pills and she was out for the night. 

"What the hell do you mean, she is gone?" Ty's booming voice carried across the hotel lobby. Janice scowled at him and motioned him toward her office.

Closing her door behind them, Janice nodded toward the chair across from her desk. "Would you keep it down? Not everyone here needs to know that you botched your night of romance!" Janice snapped at her brother. The flash of pain that crossed her brother's face made her instantly contrite. "I'm sorry, Ty. That was uncalled for. But you have to lower your voice. I really don't want to upset everyone in the hotel by having a huge scary looking man yelling in the lobby."

Ty looked down at himself. Scary? He really hadn't thought about that when he had thrown on his leather jacket and headed back to the hotel. But, combined with his black jeans, black t-shirt, black biker boots and black motorcycle helmet he was carrying, he imagined that he did look a little foreboding. Ok -- maybe a lot foreboding.

"Sis, look, I really don't want your fashion advice right now, ok? Just tell me where she is," Ty said, as calmly as he could muster.

"She's gone, Ty," Janice repeated. 

Ty pursed his lips together to keep from screaming at his sister. Was she just trying to be obstinate? He had managed to stay away the entire day yesterday, so he wouldn't interrupt Marti's work. But today he was back to talk to her before she left. And now Janice was telling him that Marti wasn't here. "The convention isn't over until today. Where is she?" he asked.

Finally, Janice continued, "She checked out yesterday. She lives in Montgomery. Here's her address. I hope you have some clue how many laws I am breaking by giving you this information. It came off of her registration card, and that isn't exactly public property."

Janice held out a card with the information on it. Ty snatched it from her hand like it was a lifeline. Jumping up, he leaned over Janice's desk and kissed her squarely on the nose. "You're the best, sis!" Then he was out the door.

But Ty didn't head straight to Montgomery. It was mid morning and although he might have Marti's home address, he had no clue where she worked. Forcing himself to turn his bike back toward his own home, he resolved to spend the day being productive. There were a few home repairs he had been putting off so he would focus on them. A little handiwork would hopefully keep his mind off how soft Marti's skin felt to his touch...

It was already dark when Ty parked his motorcycle in the parking lot at the address his sister had given him. Although he had managed to get a few things done, Ty had spent most of the afternoon staring out into space, his mind refusing to stop replaying the events from two nights ago. 

Ty had planned to come up with some way to woo Marti. Maybe send her some roses, call her up and ask her out on a date, hell . . .he didn't know. But instead, he found himself sitting in front of her apartment building, clueless about what he should do next. And the truth was, that was exactly why he was here -- he was here because he didn't know what else to do.

Hell, he didn't even know if she was home, because he didn't know what kind of car she drove. He must be out of his mind. Shaking his head in resignation, he put his feet on the the ground and began backing the bike out of the parking spot -- he would not sit here and torture himself. He could do that just as well at his own home.

But as the back of the bike cleared the rear of the car beside him, brakes squealed as another car came to a complete stop behind him. Cursing under his breath about drivers not watching, Ty turned to glare at the car. 

But it was the driver of the car that caused Ty's eyes to widen. Sitting in the driver's seat was none other than Marti Hampton. There was a look of confusion on her face. Ty realized that she couldn't possibly know who he was -- he was still wearing his helmet. But there was some sort of recognition on her face that was causing her to not move away from blocking his exit.

Ty watched as she reached over into the passenger's seat, bent her head over something then turned back to face Ty. Without bothering to see if she was blocking anyone else, Marti pushed open the door of her car and stepped out. 

Ty's eyes ran up and down over her body. She was wearing a full length skirt with dressy blouse. He imagined the matching suit jacket was inside her car. Normally, he would have snarled at such obvious "dress for success" maneuvers, but somehow, he understood after the scene he had witnessed in the motel, why Marti would choose to dress like that. She was a professional and needed to look the part.

But Ty didn't have a lot of time to ponder all the specifics of Marti's career, because she was very purposefully walking up to him. Confident that she didn't know it was him, he assumed she was either going to ask him if he was ok, or be upset because she thought he had been careless.

Ty didn't lift the face shield on his helmet, relying on it and the darkness to cover any recognizable part of his identity. He figured he would just nod at her to get her to go away and she wouldn't be able to recognize his voice either.

But Marti didn't speak as she walked up directly in front of Ty. She didn't even seem to try to discern who she was dealing with. Ty frowned as Marti just stood there, looking over him and his bike. Then, without a word, she held out the piece of paper she was holding in her hand. 

Cautiously, Ty reached out with his gloved hand to take the paper -- it was some sort of business card. Marti spun on her heel, got back in her car, put the car in gear and drove off down the parking lot. 

Ty looked at the card in his hand. It was Marti's business card. Ty flipped the card over to see Marti's handwriting. It said, "Apartment 211". Feeling his frown grow even deeper, Ty craned his head over the nearby cars to see where Marti had parked. It was several rows away. She was just getting out of her car and heading into the building. She was carrying her briefcase in one hand and in the other, a bag from a local restaurant that he assumed contained her supper. She didn't even glance back at him.

Was the woman in the habit of just inviting strange men into her bed? Hell, she had him just two nights ago and tonight she was soliciting an unknown biker. Anger flew through Ty's veins. He pushed the bike forward and popped down the kick stand. He would damn well tell her what he thought of such foolishness.

Marti had barely gotten into her apartment before the giggles started. It had been a really long day at the office, facing each employee who had betrayed her. But as soon as she had seen that bike in the parking lot, it was all forgotten. God, how she hoped she hadn't been wrong. If that wasn't Ty, she was going to have to do some high powered talking to keep that biker out of her apartment. But every cell in her body had jumped when she had seen that bike. She KNEW it was Ty!

Just as she expected, as soon as she laid down her briefcase and sat down her supper, there was a pounding on her door. She had been careful to lock it with the chain, so she could at least look out to see who was there. Looking through the peephole, she realized that he was still wearing his helmet. Rolling her eyes, she opened the door a small amount, letting the chain hold it shut.

"May I help you?" Marti asked casually, as though this were an everyday occurrence.

At first, she wasn't sure how her motorcyclist was going to answer her. Finally, he held up the card she had given him. Now was the moment of truth. If this wasn't Ty, she was about to let a stranger into her home. But she knew in her heart that this was Ty.

She closed the door, dropped the chain and reopened it. "Would you like to come in?" Marti asked.

As Ty pushed past her, she smelled his scent. Yep -- this was definitely her man!

As Ty stood in the floor of her living room, looking rather ominous in his biker black, with his gloves and helmet still on, Marti realized that she was taking a rather stupid chance. Even if this was Ty, she didn't know if he was a serial killer or not. But she did know one thing -- her heart was pounding with the excitement of seeing him again.

After what seemed an eternity of them standing there looking at each other, Ty began removing his gloves. He dropped them on the nearby table, then reached for the strap on his helmet. Sliding it off over his head, he seemed to be waiting for a reaction from Marti. But all she could do was sigh. He was really here.

Ty realized that Marti wasn't flinching. In fact, she was looking like the cat who ate the proverbial canary.... 

Lifting off his helmet, Ty really meant to look stern. He really meant to give his Marti a firm lecture about inviting strange men into her apartment. But the look of sheer happiness that exploded over her face when she saw his helmet come off made Ty forget what he had meant to say. 




A Place to Belong Ch. 02



Ty had expected Marti to be surprised, but it was obvious that she had known it was him. Narrowing his baby blues, Ty said, "How did you know?"

Marti's grin couldn't get any wider as she shrugged her shoulders. Ty found himself looking into her eyes as she started to speak, but for the life of him, he couldn't understand a word she was saying. He was too mesmerized by all the things he could see in her eyes -- it was like an open book for him to read and what was written there was more important than even breathing at that moment.

Not even bothering to figure out what Marti was saying, Ty crossed the short distance between them and cupped her face in his hands. Then, while she was still in mid sentence, he kissed her. He saw the surprise jump in her eyes for a brief moment, then she closed them as a look of sheer contentment covered her face.

Ty wasn't sure how long he kissed Marti, but he was aware that they were not standing still the whole time. When he felt something bump against his backside, he realized that Marti had been maneuvering him toward her bed. He certainly didn't mind!

Leaning back slightly in order to sit on the edge, Ty found himself much closer to Marti's height. Suddenly all the stress of the past two days seemed to break -- from waking up in this woman's arms, to running away out of panic, to not being able to find her when he had returned, to realizing that he was practically stalking her, to this very moment, when she was looking at him with those beautiful eyes... it had been a rough few days!

Marti watched as Ty's features went from being a mask of forced control to finally relaxing into the face she had seen during their night together when she had watched him sleep. But she also saw the exhaustion he was only beginning to feel. And she felt it herself.

Ty opened his mouth to speak, but Marti put her finger over his lips. "It is enough that you are here.... Can you stay?" she asked, without removing her finger. 

When Ty nodded his head yes, Marti stepped away from him, "Don't move." 

Ty watched as Marti walked back through the house. Because it was a very open floor plan, he could see everything she was doing. Glancing around, he took in his first real perusal of the place Marti called home. 

The room was basically a one room flat because there were no full walls separating the spaces. Half walls, stopping about waist height, segregated off sections. Marti had her bed in the corner near the only other door in the room, which Ty assumed to be the bathroom. Across the room, where Marti was locking the door, Ty could see the kitchen along with the dining table and sitting room. 

It was a very simple, yet elegant design. Her color scheme was monochromatic with splashes of color. Ty narrowed his eyes. For some reason, that color scheme seemed to describe his Marti too. She was almost plain on the outside, but when he looked at her, he could see the bursts of passion and beauty that she worked hard to cover and hide. For some reason, Marti seemed more comfortable, in her life as well as in her home, keeping her exuberance in check.

By this time, Marti had finished bolting her door, turning off the extra lights and grabbing the restaurant bag out of the kitchen. Kicking off her shoes in front of the bed, she plopped down rather unceremoniously beside Ty on the bed.

Looking over at Ty, with a hesitant look on her face, Marti said, "Ty, I'm really, really glad you are here. But I'm exhausted.... Want supper?"

Ty threw back his head and laughed at this woman. So much for glamor! He took one of the canned drinks out of Marti's hands and popped the top on it. Shaking his head at her in amusement, he took a sip. Marti opened the open bag of food and placed several containers on the bed. Apparently they were having Chinese take out for dinner. 

Sitting on the bed with Marti, sharing not only her supper, but even sharing her fork, Ty couldn't remember ever having been so comfortable with a woman so quickly. Marti made him feel so content that even the intense sexual tension between them seemed natural and right. 

Marti was talking about the hosiery mill where she worked. He had known she worked at a hosiery mill because of the convention in the motel. But as she talked, Ty realized that she wasn't just in a management position at the mill -- she was the management. Hell, she was the boss -- no, make that the owner/boss. Great. He had the hots for a CEO. Not exactly who he saw himself with in his fantasies... 

See, Ty wasn't the type to climb the corporate ladder. He had spent most of his life thinking that having a "career" sounded too much like having a disease. It wasn't that he wasn't smart enough. After high school, he had done his time in college, getting his degree. But even though his diploma mentioned something about having a Bachelor's degree in engineering, Ty had always felt like his real education in college had been more about finding himself. And he had liked who he had found himself to be. 

But who Ty was, wasn't someone who fit into the corporate world. He was fortunate enough to have found a niche for himself doing free lance photography. That had allowed him to be freed from having to have a 9 to 5 job. He wasn't ever going to be rich, but he was happy. And when Janice needed him to tend bar at the motel, he was usually available. 

That availability had always provided Ty with just about all the social contact he could want. The motel was always packed with conventions, trade shows, corporate parties and the like. Janice had been smart enough to realize early on in her management of the motel that Ty could be a real asset to the motel. Not only was he an excellent bartender, but his rugged good looks and easy going yet reserved attitude made him an instant attraction for both male and female visitors to the motel. Janice had capitalized on her brother's particular charms by hiring him out for all the private bartending needs of the motel clients. Almost every week night, Ty had a different business party to tend to. 

Ty had to admit that he enjoyed watching the people he worked with at these functions. He had even gotten good at identifying the types of people who attended the parties. Some of the men and women were ruthless, others were easily manipulated. Still others were stealthy -- almost stalking their prey around the room as the evening would progress. It all just reinforced Ty's own derision for the corporate world.

And Ty's opinion was only heightened by the fact that Ty found himself getting hit on at practically every event. Even though he had had plenty of opportunities to sample the clientèle, Ty had steadfastly held to his aversion for such encounters. Although he had no delusions about what some of the offers he had received would entail, he wasn't willing to sacrifice his standards in order to be some social conquest. 

It wasn't that Ty was a saint. He had dated plenty of women in his past, mostly in college. He had even fancied himself to love one or two of them. But time had shown him that he was too much of a loner to ever really connect deeply with a woman. He had lots of people who thought of him as their friend, especially when they needed to borrow his pick up or needed him to come move some heavy piece of furniture. He even had a few who he knew he could count on if he himself ever needed something. But overall, he knew that, deep down, he had never found a woman who could tap into the depths of his soul.

And now he was sitting on a bed, in an apartment in Montgomery, listening to a woman he barely knew tell him about her job -- her corporate job. Marti was talking to him as though she had known him forever, opening up her thoughts and feelings to him. As Ty listened, he watched her face. When she was discussing the technical stuff, she was animated and enthusiastic. But when it came to dealing with the employees, her features changed and he could sense the tension inside of her. And somehow, in sharing her own story, this woman was doing what no other had ever done -- she was finding a way to touch his soul. He wondered how far this feeling would go.

Marti had begun telling Ty about the meeting she had had that morning with the employees from the convention. He had only caught bits and pieces of what had actually happened that first day he met her. Now he was getting a much fuller picture. And getting angrier by the minute.

"Let me get this straight... this employee of yours actually said that?" Ty asked as Marti relayed what she had overheard.

Nodding her head and rolling her eyes, Marti said, "Yep. And from what the other employees shared today, it wasn't the first time. As it turns out, apparently there was even a betting pool at some point about how long it would take me to fail -- either by having a nervous breakdown or by suddenly becoming the victim of some con man who was out to get the company -- believing that he could fall for me, while all he wanted was the money."

Ty felt himself cringe as his body stiffened. Great. Now she would think that was all he was after.

Marti didn't seem to catch the sudden change in Ty's attitude. She was too caught up telling him the details about the meeting. In the end, she had basically put about five of the worst offenders onto a probation of sorts. The employees had all apologized and she was sincerely hoping it was all over.

Stopping in mid sentence, Marti finally realized that Ty wasn't completely focused on her story. "Ty? Is everything alright?", she asked.

Ty was looking at Marti intently. "I'm not sure. I'm not even sure why I'm here...." Ty's voice trailed off.

Marti smiled. "Well, I hope you showed up here because you wanted to see me. If you were visiting someone else, you better let me know now!" Marti teased.

Ty smiled slightly. "No, I came to see you. How did you know it was me out there?" Ty asked, nodding toward the parking lot.

"I'm not sure," Marti said. "But the second I saw you, I just knew it was you. I didn't even know you rode." Marti had turned her own head, looking in the direction of the parking lot, as though she could see through the wall. Turning back toward Ty, he saw that her expression had changed. 

"Ty," Marti began, then hesitated before continuing, "Ty, I want you to know that the other night was incredible for me. I have been thinking about it almost constantly since you left. I kept vacillating between wanting to come find you and not wanting to ever bother you again by reminding you of something you might not want to remember...."

After stopping to clear her throat, Marti seemed to square her shoulders before she continued, "But you should know that I want to be with you again. I'm not asking you for anything here -- no commitment, nothing like that -- just the chance to be with you one more time."

Ty's eyes narrowed. "One more time? That's what you want?" he asked. "What if I wanted something different?"

Marti cocked her head to the side as though she didn't understand, "What do you mean?"

Ty leaned back against the headboard of Marti's bed before answering. "Well, what if I wanted you to be my mistress?" Ty wasn't sure what the hell he was talking about, but for some reason, he wanted to press this woman about this. He wasn't interested in just one more night with her.

Confusion etched Marti's face for a moment, before she her brow suddenly relaxed and she said, "Oh! I understand... you are asking me to let you visit whenever you would like?"

Ty wasn't sure that was at all what he meant, but he wasn't about to let her know that. "Yeah. Are you up for that?"

Marti's quick response caused Ty a moment of concern. She answered, "Oh, that would be fine too!" she said just a bit too brightly.

Raising his eyebrow at her, Ty tried to figure out what Marti was thinking. He decided to let her fill in the blank herself.

And Marti seemed ready to do just that. "If that is what you want, that is good. You can visit here anytime you like. Just let me know, I'll be glad to get supper and meet you here."

Ty was sure that his skepticism was showing on his face. With a bit of sarcasm dripping in his voice, he said, "Oh? You are embarrassed to be seen with me?"

Again Marti's face wrinkled in confusion. "Why would you say that? Of course I would want to be seen with you. I just assumed that you would not want to be seen out with me...." Marti's voice trailed off.

"Why?" Ty asked, his eyes narrowed suspiciously.

"Well, I'm not exactly the type of woman you are probably used to being seen with, Ty....", Marti began.

"And what kind of woman do you think I'm normally seen with?" Ty asked, feeling rather defensive.

Marti lowered her eyes. Ty watched her face as she worked to keep him from seeing all the emotions running across her face. When she raised her eyes to his, he could tell that she was precariously close to tears. 

"Ty, please don't make me say it...." Marti's voice trailed off.

"Say what?" Ty wasn't sure at all what Marti was trying to say, but he had enough sense to realize that he needed to figure out what was wrong here.

Rolling her eyes to the side, Marti refused to meet Ty's eyes. "Ty, I know what I look like. I know that a man like you could have your choice of women out there. And although I'm not completely sure why you are here, I am fairly sure it has to do with the really great sex the other night. I promise I will do my best to keep you happy on that front, but you don't have to pretend. I know I'm not that attractive. I have my good qualities, but they aren't exactly the kind of thing that would turn a man's head. But as long as you want me, I'll do my best to take care of you -- whatever it is that I can do for you..."

Ty was completely surprised by that answer -- he knew that Marti had been quite shy that first night about him seeing her naked body. And he knew that the few times he had seen her clothed, it was in outfits that were meant to make her blend into the background. He hadn't realized just how insecure she was about this, though.

"Marti -" Ty began, but Marti cut him off.

"Please ...." Marti said, obviously close to pleading with Ty, "Please, can we just not talk about this right now? I'm so tired -- today was so hard, and.... and...." Twin tears began tracking their way down her cheeks. "I just can't handle much more...."

Ty shook his head, clearing it of that train of thought, willing to give Marti the space she seemed to need. Then he opened his arms to Marti, motioning for her to lay down beside him. Within moments, the two of them were snuggled together on the bed. They were both still fully clothed and were actually laying on top of the covers, so Ty realized they were going to have to move soon, but for the time being, he need to just hold Marti.

Although she didn't say anything else, Ty knew that Marti was still close to bursting into tears. He gave her a few moments to just relax, then he bent his head down and began kissing her hair. "It's ok, Marti... we don't have to make any decisions tonight. We can just be together for right now... it's ok...." Ty said soothingly.

When he could feel the tension begin to leave Marti's body, Ty sat up and pulled her up beside him. Then he held out his hand and helped her off the bed. Since he was still sitting on the bed, he scooted to the edge of the bed and positioned Marti to be standing in between his legs. 

Marti refused to raise her eyes to look into Ty's. Finally, Ty reached out finger and tilted her face up toward his. Knowing that he needed to lighten the moment, Ty made sure that his face was conveying a stern look as he said, "Marti Hampton, I know you just said that you didn't want us to be making any commitments to each other, so I won't. But I will tell you that, right now, I am getting hotter by the second... and I could be sitting here telling you that your little ass swaying back and forth in that business skirt looks just like two squirrels wrestlin' in a poke sack! And I wanna do some poking of my own!!!"

Ok, so it was a really old, worn out pick up line, but Ty was enjoying teasing Marti, watching her eyes grow wider as she listened to what he was saying. Even though he didn't know this woman that well, for some reason, she felt like home. And playing with her seemed like the most natural thing in the world.

"Now with that in mind, with us both being commitment-less and all -- we need to get you out of these clothes, so we can .... um.... do some poking...." Ty had meant to continue being playful, but as he started to undress Marti, he found that he couldn't think of anything new to say. 

Deciding that he didn't really need to try to talk right now anyway, with steady and sure hands, Ty began undressing Marti. First unbuttoning her dressy shirt, then the waistband of her skirt, Ty watched as both articles of clothing slid to the floor around her feet. Standing in front of him, Ty could tell that Marti wasn't completely comfortable, as his eyes consumed her flesh. But Ty couldn't help it -- he just wanted to stare at her body. It fascinated him with all of its curves and softness.

"Ty? Are you going to make me stand here all night?" Marti asked quietly.

Ty chuckled and shook his head. Then he reached behind Marti and popped open the back of her bra -- utilizing one of those useful college skills Ty had acquired -- how to unsnap a bra without looking, using only one hand. As Marti's breasts came into view, Ty's breath caught in his throat. As he bent toward her, sucking one of her large nipples into his mouth, his hands quickly slipped inside her panties and pushed them to the floor. He hadn't meant to make love to Marti -- his plan had simply been to help her undress so she could go to bed, but seeing her body made him painfully aware of just how desirable he found Marti.

When Marti began moaning softly, Ty knew that he had to have her. Damn it, he had meant to talk to her, to get to know her. But right now the only thing he wanted to know about her was how she felt in his arms. Raising up from her breast, Ty pulled Marti's face toward his own as his lips claimed hers. He realized that he wasn't being gentle, he felt like he was on fire and right now he needed to take this woman. 

Ty tried to pull back. He didn't want to frighten Marti with his aggression. But he chuckled when she wouldn't let him go. She was meeting him passion for passion. When she did pull away, it was only to begin undressing him. Ty watched her face as she tugged his t-shirt out of his jeans and pushed it up over his stomach and chest. As soon as she revealed one of his nipples, she lost interest in the shirt and lowered her lips to encircle the hardening tip. Ty reached over her head and finished pulling off the t-shirt, as the powerful sensations ripped through his chest. Then she reached for his belt. Pushing her back slightly, Ty stood up in front of Marti, so she could reach his jeans easier.

That was the moment when Ty realized that Marti wasn't nearly as interested in getting all of his clothes off as she was with revealing his body! As soon as she had his jeans lowered, she was reaching for his briefs. But his jeans were still on, so he was hobbled. Laughing, Ty sat back down on the bed suddenly, leaving a very confused looking Marti staring at hims questioningly. 

"Sweetheart, I have to take off my boots," Ty explained.

He watched as a blush stole up Marti's cheeks. Apparently, she had been so focused on seeing and touching his body, she hadn't even thought through needing to get the rest of Ty's clothes off. Ty reached down and untied the black biker boots he had on, tossing them across the room. Then he pulled off his socks, jeans and briefs. Before he had even finished getting everything off, Marti was stroking his flesh, driving him crazy with her touch.




A Place to Belong Ch. 02



Almost without thinking, Ty reached for Marti's hand that was stroking his arm and placed it directly on his stiffened cock. His breath caught in his throat as her hand began exploring him. Leaning back on the bed, Ty gave Marti much fuller access. And Marti didn't miss the options now offered. One hand tentatively cupped his balls while the other continued to stroke up and down his cock.

When Marti lowered her mouth and began licking on him, Ty's eyes rolled back in his head. Her lips encircled the head of his cock and her tongue felt like it was everywhere all at once. Her other hand continued to roll his balls back and forth, gently squeezing them. 

Although Ty really, really didn't want to stop her, he realized that Marti needed his attentions as much as he needed hers. Reaching down to pull her up, Ty kissed Marti deeply as he pulled her onto the bed with him. Laying her down beside him, Ty let his hands trace over this body he had been thinking about nonstop for the past two days. 

Using as gentle of a touch as he could manage, Ty rolled Marti's nipples in between his fingers. Feeling them pebble only made him want to suck them. But he wanted to focus on touching Marti first. He moved his hands down over her belly, enjoying watching the emotions on her face as she realized just how sensitive her skin was there. 

Although he was trying to take his time, it was only a matter of moments before Ty found his fingers stroking Marti's mound. His fingers slipped lower, feeling the heat radiating from within her. Sliding one finger through her already moistened folds, he felt the tightness as he found his way inside Marti. The look on her face told Ty that she was lost in the feelings he was causing. 

For the most part, Ty had never had any complaints from his lovers about his abilities. And Ty sensed that Marti wasn't overly experienced. But he didn't want to just assume that he knew what would make this woman happy. "Marti? Do you like that?" Ty whispered.

When Marti tried to open her eyes, Ty noticed that it was fairly difficult for her to manage to focus them. He smiled to himself. He liked knowing that he was the reason she was feeling so good.

Even once her eyes were open, though, Marti only managed to murmur a contented, "Mmmm...." before closing them again. 

Ty took his finger from inside of her and gently rubbed her own juices over her own lips. This did cause her eyes to fly open as she looked at him questioningly. Ty just smiled as he reached down and began licking the moistness off -- first her upper lip, then her lower. He enjoyed seeing the way that her lips began to swell with her growing passion. She looked even more desirable to him by the second.

Finally, Ty didn't think he could hold out much longer. He really wanted to be inside of Marti. Pulling her legs around his waist, he knelt in front of Marti, sliding his cock deep inside of her. Marti's face was incredibly animated. Ty could tell every emotion and feeling she was experiencing by watching her. And at that particular moment, all she was feeling was his thrusts.

As he sped up, Ty noticed that Marti wasn't just moist -- the woman was downright wet. Realizing that his cock was just the right size to hit Marti's most sensitive places, Ty smiled to himself. Apparently he had found a perfect fit.

Even as Ty mused over his own sensations, Marti began thrashing around under him. Deciding to keep her in one place, he lowered his weight onto her. Without warning, suddenly Marti orgasmed, squeezing Ty's cock tightly as she did so. Ty's thrusts became more urgent as he felt her muscles contract around him. 

Almost too quickly, Ty realized that he was really ready to cum. There was a moment's hesitation on his part, wanting to prolong the experience, but right then, Marti cried out as her own next orgasm built. It was too tempting. Ty began pounding her with heavy thrusts as he felt his own body shake with the power of the sensations he was feeling. And unlike his usual release, this time it seemed to go on and on. And each thrust was met by Marti's own growls of appreciation as her body again crested in pleasure.

Ty found that he was having trouble with his own eyes as his orgasm came to an end. He couldn't seem to keep them open or be able to focus them. Finally, he gave up trying and slumped down onto Marti's warm body. Her arms wrapped around him as she spread kisses anywhere she could reach on him. 

"Thank you," Marti whispered in Ty's ear. 

Ty smiled to himself. When he figured out how to make his muscles obey his mind, he would tell her she was most welcomed. But for right now, nothing seemed to want to work....

The darkness outside was deep when Marti finally opened her eyes. Apparently, she and Ty had both fallen asleep rather abruptly after their powerful union. Ty was lying beside her, half covering her own body with his. That was how he had slept the first night they were together -- it must be comfortable to him.

That fleeting thought caused Marti to cringe. Just how many women had Ty slept with in that position? Shaking her head at her own foolish jealousy, she craned her head to see the clock. It was 4:30 in the morning. She and Ty had fallen asleep about 8:30 the night before! 

Marti had no idea if Ty had meant to spend the night or not. She certainly hoped he had, because it was a little late now to fix that. Laying her head back down on the pillow, Marti turned to face Ty. It was only then that she realized he was awake as well, intently watching her. 

Smiling, Marti whispered, "We fell asleep..."

Ty reached over and kissed her lips. It wasn't the kiss of passion that they had shared the night before -- it was a kiss of tenderness and care. Marti's eyes closed of their own volition, as she savored the emotions the kiss inspired. Marti realized that she was falling in love with this man.

When she opened her eyes, Ty was still watching her. Not really comfortable with his stare, or with the realization of how deep her own emotions were running, Marti quietly asked, "Are you hungry?"

Ty actually laughed outloud at her question. "Only for you, you silly girl!"

Marti's brow wrinkled in mock consternation. "But I'm hungry...."

Ty shook his head as his smile widened. "Then let us feed you -- after all, I did eat most of your supper last night. Do you have anything to cook?"

Marti frowned, "I'm not sure what is in there. I haven't had a chance to go to the store since the convention."

Throwing back the covers, Ty climbed out of bed. Marti watched as he unabashedly walked across the room naked. God, he was beautiful. 

"Hmmmm...." Ty said. "I see the stuff to make pancakes and there is some bacon in the freezer. How does that sound?"

Marti's mouth was already watering from watching Ty bending over looking into the fridge. Adding the thought of him cooking breakfast for her had her practically famished. "It sounds wonderful!"

Ty chuckled as he began setting out the ingredients. Marti grabbed a button up shirt and her panties. She was willing to leave the shirt unbuttoned, but she was just too self conscious to not need any cover. She made her way over one of the stools she had sitting at the bar in her kitchen. After perching up on the seat, she watched as Ty found his way around her pots and pans.

As he cooked, Ty asked her questions. Questions about her family, about her friends, about her life. Marti told him about her father and new step mother. She told him about the few close friends that she had -- all of whom were married with children. She even told him a little about her job. But she stopped short of mentioning her extreme lack of experience where male/female relationships were concerned. She figured it was evident anyway.

For his part, Ty not only listened well, but also responded well. Marti began to piece together, from his responses, that Ty was a very independent man -- not that she had ever doubted that. He also seemed to be very comfortable with himself, casually moving around her kitchen at 4:30 in the morning, completely naked, cooking breakfast. 

If someone had told Marti a week ago that she would have the most handsome man in the world fixing breakfast for her, while wearing nothing more than a smile, she would have laughed in their face. Yet here it was happening. And unless she was dreaming, this was really happening.

Ty served up the pancakes and bacon and joined Marti at the bar. However, before he sat down on her barstool, which was covered with vinyl, he did take a moment to slip back on his briefs. Chuckling at her questioning look, Ty said, "I have no desire to lose the top layer of the skin on my backside to your barstool!"

Marti laughed out loud. Ty then sat down beside her and their conversation continued as they ate. It was Marti's turn to ask some questions. She began with the obvious one, "Have you always been a bartender?"

Ty raised one eyebrow as he looked at her, as though trying to decide just how much of an answer he was willing to give her. Shrugging his shoulders slightly, he said, "Nah. But I've done it for a long time."

Marti's brow wrinkled. That was a frustrating answer. So she tried again. "And what else have you done?"

The fire that flashed in Ty's eyes alarmed Marti. "What's wrong with bartending?" Ty asked, defensively.

Marti looked at him in confusion. "Wrong with it? Nothing. Why do you ask?"

Ty looked skeptical. "Well," he began, "You did just make it sound like that couldn't possibly be all I've ever done..."

Marti rolled her eyes. "That was NOT what I meant. But you said you hadn't always tended bar -- which makes it sound like there is something else that you have done at some other time. That was why I asked."

Marti wasn't used to having such intimate and intense discussions. In fact, she couldn't remember ever having had this type of discussion. Here she was, talking to someone about something other than socks and finding herself not only interested in what he had to say, but caring enough to actually bother working at the conversation. No wonder people didn't bother getting to know one another. This was hard!

Ty seemed to have decided to believe her explanation though and he was explaining about his work as a photographer. But he still seemed very reticent to being completely open. 

Then Marti realized that Ty was doing something she herself did -- he was testing her to see if she was really interested. He had just sat and listened to her babble on about her hosiery mill for the past 30 minutes. But now that he was telling her about his own life, he wanted to see if she would listen to him as well. 

Although she didn't know aperture from filter lens, Marti was truly interested because Ty was obviously very passionate about this. Focusing her mind to really listen, Marti asked him a few questions, picking out parts of his own explanations that she didn't understand. In the course of the meal, Marti realized that Ty wasn't just someone with a digital camera who shot random pictures. The man was truly a photographer. He loved it as much as she loved her knitting machines. And that sort of passion was something that Marti could understand!

Ty seemed to relax more with Marti as he talked about some of the more interesting shoots he had done. He had covered everything from weddings to photo layouts for magazines. And he was fairly well published as well. Obviously this was one of the places Ty excelled.

And after eating through a stack of pancakes and a pile of bacon, Marti had to admit that cooking was another one of those areas! 

It was almost 7:00 before the two of them got off the barstools. Marti suggested that Ty take a shower while she did the dishes. She nodded toward the bathroom and turned to walk to the sink. 

But Ty's arms whipped around her from both sides, taking the plates out of her hands and sitting them beside him onto the counter. Then turning Marti around in his arms, he said, "It would be much more fun if you were in the shower with me!"

Marti's eyes flew wide open and a blush stole up her cheeks. "Take a shower with you?" she asked.

Ty chuckled. "Yeah, sweetheart. A shower... You, me, soap, shampoo...."

Marti giggled and rolled her eyes. "Lead on, oh great wise one!" she teased.

In the shower, Ty stuck to making sure that both of them got clean, with only a few kisses and lingering touches. Although it was obvious that both of them were quiet willing to fall back into bed with each other and spend the day there, it was Friday and Marti had to go to work.

Ty dried Marti off as she stood still for him on the bathmat. She had never been dried off by a man -- well, maybe her dad when she was a baby, but that didn't count. Ty's touch was so soft and caressing that Marti had trouble continuing to stand upright. As it was, she rested her hand on Ty's shoulder as he bent in front of her, making sure that she was steady enough to not topple over onto him.

When he finished, Ty pulled Marti to him for a quick kiss before sending her off into her room to get dressed. By the time Ty finished drying off, Marti was already slipping into a black shapeless dress. Ty wrinkled his nose at her choice, but Marti just laughed. "It is perfectly fine for work," she said.

Ty rolled his eyes and said, "Well, we will have to see about that, but not right now. Right now, you probably need to get going, don't you? It's almost 8:00."

Marti looked over at the clock on the dresser and sighed. Her time with Ty was almost over. But he had just said something about making sure she dressed better in the future -- surely that meant that there would be more opportunities to be together.

Turning back to face Ty, Marti's eyes were round with emotions running rampant through them. Her joy at seeing him, her insecurities about pleasing him, her pleasure at having spent real time getting to know him, and her questions about the future all were vying for priority. 

Ty grinned as he walked over and placed his hands on her shoulders. "My sweet Marti Hampton, I will be back," he said as he bent to place a light kiss on her nose. 

Marti tried to smile back at Ty, but for some reason tears welled up into her eyes. Ty shook his head, "No crying -- we'll be together again soon. Now, go to work." And with a quick turn of his hand, he gave her a light smack on the bottom. 

Marti did manage to laugh at that as she grabbed her briefcase and paperwork that she hadn't even touched the night before. Smiling to herself, she decided she had had far better things to do the night before!

Ty stood alone in Marti's apartment after she closed the door behind her. Just like he had seen in Marti's eyes, a million thoughts were running through his own head. But one thing was certain -- his Marti needed some special attention paid to her. As he pieced together all that he knew about her, Ty realized that Marti was brilliant in her field -- the woman knew more about the world of textiles than he ever dreamed of wanting to know. But there was so much more to her -- and from what he could tell, much of who she was had been stifled. 

Moving around the room, gathering up his clothes from the night before, Ty began to formulate a plan. Not too long ago, a local newspaper had contacted him about doing some freelance photography of various events around the area. He had struggled off the offer because he hadn't needed the work and really didn't want to spend the time alone. But maybe Marti would be interested in going with him to a few of the events. Then he could show her his passion. A chuckle slipped out of Ty's mouth... he was fairly sure Marti had already seen his passion! But, if this worked out, he could show her something other than her body that he was passionate about!

With a heavy dose of chagrin, Ty remembered how abruptly he had left Marti before. Resolving to do better this time, he left a note on Marti's kitchen table, telling her that he would be back on Saturday morning to pick her up at 8 am. He also thought to leave her his phone number, since he didn't have hers, just in case she wanted to call. Then, whistling an old tune, he locked the door behind him and headed down to his motorcycle.

Marti breezed into her office with a smile on her face. The night before had been wonderful, Ty was wonderful, the world was wonderful... so why was her father in her office yet again, if everything was so wonderful?

Hugh Hampton had a deep frown on his face that he tried to cover with a quick smile as Marti pushed open the door and eyed him suspiciously. "Daddy? What are you doing here?"

The effort Marti's father had exerted to control his facial features wasn't enough to keep the frown at bay, though. A long sigh passed through his lips. "Marti, we need to talk..."

Marti sat down in the chair opposite of her father with a feeling of deep foreboding. "What's going on, Daddy? Are you ok?" 

A momentary look of confusion flickered across Hugh's face. When he realized what Marti was asking, he quickly answered her, "Oh! No, sweetie... it's not about me... I'm fine."

Relief flooded Marti's own features. Hugh shook his head. "No, Marti, this is about the mill."

Marti raised her eyebrow questioningly, but waited for her father to continue. "I need to discuss the future with you -- the future of this very business. I know that I only turned the reigns over to you six months ago. And I am kicking myself for not making this decision before I did that. But I put it off and put it off and now it is rearing its ugly head again. And I hate to get you all mixed up in this... I should have taken care of it myself..."

Marti's brow knit in confusion as she tried to follow her father's meandering explanation of his thought process. As she listened, Hugh began explaining, somewhat haltingly, that their company was at a crossroads. Because of the Free Trade Agreement, competition was intense for the production of their hosiery goods, but the price of production was sky rocketing. None of that was news to Marti -- she had been in textiles for years -- she knew the score. 

What Marti didn't know though was that several large investors had approached Hugh about a merger of sorts. Hampton Hosiery would be joined to a handful of other small hosiery mills, forming a more organized approach to the competition. Production would be streamlined amongst the various combined businesses. The workers would benefit and the companies would have a chance of survival in the face of growing odds.

But Marti could tell though that Hugh was hedging about something. "Daddy? What's the bottom line here? Why would this be such a monumental decision? It seems like a potentially "win-win" situation? What's the downside?"

Hugh's face turned a slight shade of green as he looked at Marti sheepishly. "The downside, dear daughter, is the caveat that this whole deal hinges on - it is that the management of each company is completely ousted...."

It took a few moments for Marti to digest what her father was saying. So many thoughts were clamoring to be heard. She had always known about the intense competition for production -- that was one reason she had dedicated her entire education to seeking superior quality hosiery. But Marti also knew that the market was tough. American textile companies were drowning in the world market. Taking this new approach would mean that the employees who depended on Hampton Hosiery for their income would be able to continue working, providing for themselves and their families. And that mattered a lot to Marti. 

But what about her own situation? Marti considered her position. She might have some issues with some of her sales staff, but her company employed over 250 people -- many of whom would have difficulty finding work in a stagnant economy. Those people were the ones whom Marti had really been working for by keeping the company up to date and on top of the game. But Marti had to admit -- it took a toll on her. 




A Place to Belong Ch. 03



It was a good thing that Marti had that assurance to cling to, because over the coming weeks, that feeling of euphoria had it's fair share of challenges.

In addition to all the normal Monday morning crisis' of running a business, this particular Monday morning also brought a slew meetings to iron out the details of the offer -- contracts had to be finalized and signed, new owners had to be introduced and old habits had to be changed. It all came together, though, to put into motion the process that would facilitate the transfer of leadership within the various companies. By the end of the day, Marti's career in the textile industry was officially in its final stage. 

During the days that followed, the office was hopping. As new managers were brought in, decisions had to be made. Marti fought hard for her employees, making sure that their jobs were secure. She stood toe to toe with those who would soon be directing the mill, not allowing them to railroad her or her father into any decisions that would mar the transition. It wasn't easy and the effort took a heavy toll on Marti.

To make it even more challenging, during the course of the next three months, Marti and Ty weren't able to be together nearly as much as Marti wanted. Ty was wonderful though. He never complained, but rather, made himself available as much as possible to help ease her tension. They spent many hours on the phone, squeezing in visits on Saturdays, photographing various fairs and markets, and making love as often as possible. But it never seemed to be enough. 

Then it all came to a screeching halt -- it was over. Even more suddenly than it had all begun, it ended. After three months of working almost every minute of every day, suddenly, Marti found herself unemployed and unneeded. 

When Marti woke up on the first Monday morning following her "retirement", she had some pretty high expectations. Since she had known that she didn't need to set her alarm the night before, Marti had planned to sleep late on her first morning out of work. She and Ty had talked on the phone until the early morning hours. Then she had jumped gleefully in bed, thinking of the joy of not hearing the normal buzzing waking her up the next morning. But after sleeping for far too few hours, Marti found herself at 8 am in the morning, showered, dressed and completely unsure of what to do with herself. 

When Marti realized that there was nowhere she needed to go, nothing she needed to do and very little that she really wanted to do, she felt the first tinglings of fear about this new "unknown". She had expected there to be relief, joy, exuberance -- but instead, the feelings were different. Uncertainty, confusion and a feeling of loss unexpectedly overwhelmed her.

It was then that she heard the knock on her door. Making her way across her flat, she looked out the peephole to see Ty standing outside her door. She smiled to herself, wondering if he had forgotten the key she had given him a few weeks earlier. But when she opened the door, she realized that he hadn't used the key because his arms were full. Ty stood in her doorway with his arms full -- in one hand was a beautiful bouquet of flowers and in the other was a huge picnic blanket. 

"Can I come in?" Ty asked.

Marti smiled, "Of course. My door is always open to sexy men bearing gifts!"

Ty squeezed past Marti. He turned back to her, looked at the flowers in his hand and frowned. "I think these need water, don't they? That is what they always do in the movies," he said. 

Marti stifled a giggle. Obviously Ty wasn't in the habit of bringing women flowers. "I'll take care of that," she offered.

With apparent relief, Ty handed the bouquet to Marti. She admired the flowers -- it was a really beautiful bouquet, filled with lots of spring flowers and a few white roses. Marti clearly remembered that she had only mentioned once that her favorite flower was white roses. It was nice to know he had been listening.

As Marti filled a vase with water and began arranging the flowers, Ty sat down the picnic basket. Marti watched in amusement as he first pulled out a bag of fast food biscuits. She had assumed that the basket contained a real picnic. She rolled her eyes to herself, wondering why she would have thought for a single moment that Ty would do something so normal as pack a picnic in a picnic basket!

After the biscuits, out came Ty's smaller camera bag. Then a folder that she recognized as one he used to carry his 5x7 photographs. Over the past few weeks, she had learned to help him sift through those photos in order to determine which ones contained the elements that he liked best -- those were the photos that he submitted -- the ones that keep his paying patrons happy. 

As Ty arranged everything on Marti's coffee table, she grabbed a couple of soft drinks out of the fridge. She joined Ty on the floor, with the sofa against their backs. He took the drinks from her, then took her face in his hands. Looking into her eyes, he said, "I wanted to be here with you today. It's the first day of the rest of your life. I'd like to be a part that celebration."

His words surprised Marti. Although she and Ty had gotten to know each other far better during the time they had spent together, there had been an unspoken agreement that things couldn't get too serious. Marti had far too much on her mind with all that had gone on with the textile mill transition. But that was over now. And the look in Ty's eyes was serious. 

Unsure of how to respond, Marti decided to take an indirect route. Rather than answer, Marti kissed Ty. A flicker of realization crossed Ty's face. He knew what she was doing. But rather than press her on the issue, he seemed to accept her reluctance to continue the conversation. He returned the pressure of her lips, letting the kiss deepen as he pulled her body close to his.

Like so many of the meals they attempted to eat, the breakfast biscuits were forgotten as Marti pulled Ty to his feet and made her way to her bed. Ty embraced her from behind, bending down to nuzzle her ear and nibble on her neck. Instinctively, Marti ground her hips backwards into Ty. She could feel his hardening cock through the rough material of his jeans. The sensations he was creating made her moan out loud.

Still standing behind her, Ty's large hands came up and cupped her breasts. He squeezed them, exerting the right amount of pressure to get across his intentions. Marti was writhing against him. Ty nipped Marti's earlobe, as she reached backwards, between their bodies, unbuttoning and unzipping Ty's jeans.

Breaking free from Ty, Marti turned in his arms, tugging at Ty's clothes, helping him as he removed each article. Although Ty grew focused on removing Marti's clothes, as soon as he was naked, Marti lost interest in getting herself naked. She was too interested in Ty's body. She never seemed to tire of seeing his raw flesh. Marti stroked Ty's arms, his chest, down his stomach to his hard cock. As Ty worked loose her jeans, Marti began caressing Ty's ballsack. 

Marti gasped in surprise when Ty suddenly groaned out loud, then picked her up and threw her bodily on the bed! As he playfully scowled at her, she giggled. "Woman, I need you undressed. Now!" 

Marti dutifully wiggled out of her jeans and t-shirt. Ty crawled onto the bed with her and helped her unclasp her bra. Ty hooked his finger in her panties and pulled them down over her feet. 

Leaning back to look at her laying naked in front of him, Ty suddenly bounded out of the bed. In confusion, Marti watched as Ty crossed the room. He went to the kitchen and grabbed the vase of flowers. Then, as he came back toward Marti's bed, he reached down and picked up his camera bag. Wrinkling her brow, Marti wondered what Ty was up to.

As Ty paused at the edge of the bed, he opened the camera bag and brought out his favorite camera. Reaching into the bouquet, he pulled free one of the roses. Taking one of the delicate petals between his fingers, he gently plucked it free from the rose. Then he reached over and laid it carefully onto one of Marti's nipples. Marti was already aroused, but watching him touch the flower so lovingly, then feeling the cool silk of the petal touch her heated flesh, Marti felt the sexual tension exploding. 

When Ty picked up the camera and began focusing it on her, it took Marti several moments to actually realize what he was doing. By then, Ty had snapped several shots and was repositioning the petal. This time, he added several more and made a trail down her ample belly, toward her soft mound. Marti wondered briefly if the rose might catch on fire, since she could feel herself getting hotter by the moment.

After a few more shots, Ty moved Marti's legs, bending one and spreading the other, leaving her open to his lens. Using a few of the other flowers from the bouquet, Ty arranged Marti's moist pussy lips as the centerpiece. 

Marti had never experienced anything like what Ty was doing to her. The heat from his hands, the warmth of the flash and the incredibly hot sexual nature of what Ty was doing to her made her putty in his hands. Ty spent several minutes snapping photos. Then, when Marti thought she might go crazy, she watched as Ty ran his finger up her wet slit and licked his finger off slowly. Then he plunged two of his fingers inside her, causing her to suck in her breath. 

Before Marti could catch her breath, though, Ty pulled out his fingers and positioned his body above her. Pulling her legs into the air, Ty thrust his hips forward, as his cock slid into her slick pussy. Marti always loved watching Ty's face when he entered her. Every single time, he got a look on his face like it was taking every ounce of his effort not to cum. Marti liked the idea that maybe her body made him feel that close to losing control. She liked thinking that maybe she was something special -- at least in some way.

Ty's thrusting made it far too difficult for Marti to continue attempting to concentrate on thinking, though. As he built up speed, Marti could feel her own orgasm growing. Ty had discovered that he could make Marti extra wet if he held her legs back toward her body and gave a few extra powerful thrusts. Ty was working hard to make sure that Marti was going to cum -- soon and hard.

As the orgasm ripped through her, Marti's body pushed hard against Ty's. The aggressive nature of her primal pleasure caused Ty's thrusting to grow even stronger. With a growl that came from deep within, Ty began pouring his hot seed deep into Marti. 

The effort drained Ty's strength and his weight pressed down onto Marti as his climax ended. He smiled in response to her sigh of contentment. Marti loved to feel Ty's body covering her own. 

Ty always wanted to last longer when he mated with Marti, but it never seemed to work out that way. She had a body that seemed to have been made to make him lose control. But if that was the price he had to pay to feel the incredible afterglow, then it was all worth it!

After a few moments, Ty rolled off to the side so he could turn Marti to face him. As they laid there beside one another, he stroked her face. "I didn't want you to feel like you didn't belong somewhere today," he whispered.

Marti's eyes widened in surprise. She had never dreamed that Ty would know exactly how she was feeling. Recognizing her look, Ty chuckled. "I've been through a few life changing events of my own and I remember how I felt. I just wanted you to have something to do today that was normal and made you realize that things were going to be ok." 

Smiling, Marti thanked him with a soft kiss. "So what did you have planned for my first day of freedom? Are we going to stay in bed all day?" Marti teased.

Ty grinned. "Actually, I do have something in mind other than just laying here admiring your lush little body. But give a guy a chance to recover!"

Snuggling as close as possible to him, Marti nodded in agreement. It was nice to lay there, enjoying the feeling of rightness. His deep breathing let her know that Ty was just as relaxed and comfortable as she was.

A little later, Ty nudged Marti. "Ready to get up and face the consequences of retirement?" Ty teased.

Rolling her eyes and grinning, Marti climbed out of the bed and headed for the bathroom. After freshing up a little, she came back out to find Ty sitting on the side of the bed, dressed and putting on his boots. She slipped back into her clothes. 

"Think the biscuits are still edible?" Marti asked, wrinkling her nose. 

Ty just laughed and picked up the bag with the two biscuits in it. Sticking it in the microwave, he warmed them up and then handed her the one he had bought for her. Taking his own, he sat down on the couch and patted the seat beside him for her to join him.

As they ate their biscuits, Ty asked Marti if she had any ideas about what she wanted to do now. For the first time, Marti had to admit that she really didn't have any ideas. She had been going down the same path for her entire life, without any expectation of needing to explore other options. She felt like the old story of the woman who had devoted her life to her family and suddenly her family was all grown up and didn't need her anymore. She wasn't sure what she was supposed to do or feel.

Ty listened intently. Then he said, "Well, Janice and I were talking about that a few days ago." Marti remembered when Ty and Janice had finally told her that they were brother and sister. It had been a missing piece to her puzzle about how Ty had found her after their first night together. It also explained how he ended up being the one who delivered her supper that night. Marti had grown to really like Janice over the several occasions that Ty had taken her over to Janice's house for dinner. In fact, she and Janice had become fairly good friends.

"And what great wisdom did Janice have?" asked Marti, interested to see if Janice could draw conclusions about her as well as Ty seemed to be able to do.

"Eh, it wasn't so much 'wisdom' as just feeling out what things might interest you. She asked me if we had been able to go many places together and I had to admit that, other than to her house, I had pretty much just drug you around to fairs and craft shows. But she did help me remember one thing -- you remember when we did the fair down in Onslow? There was a weaver down there. You were really interested in the whole process of the loom -- that seems to be something you have been interested in every time we have seen it. Even when we went over to the Reservation -- you remember watching the woman for almost an hour as she used that little loom to do the choker neck bands on?"

Nodding her head, Marti's face lit up. She did remember the particular woman that Ty was talking about. In fact, she remembered the entire experience. The beauty of the necklaces had fascinated Marti almost as much as the process required to create them. Each one was like the most basic of all Marti's textile knowledge coming into play in one intricate display. In order to produce quality necklaces, the weaver needed to be familiar with the various threads, beads and clasps. But there was also a need to know patterns, various weaves and numerous knots and techniques. It had been difficult for Marti to walk away from the display booth that day.

Ty smiled broadly. Reaching into the picnic basket once more, he produced a small wrapped gift. "Good! I was hoping you would remember."

Marti's brow knit in confusion. "What's this?" she asked.

Grinning like a little boy, Ty said, "Why don't you open it and see?"

Taking the gift from his hand, Marti ripped the paper off. Inside was a small loom -- just like the one that the woman had been using at the fair. Looking up at Ty in amazement, Marti said, "How did you find this?"

Ty's grin grew smug. "I got one of the business cards from the woman that day. I contacted her and found out how to get one for you. I was really hoping you were as interested in it as you appeared to be. Anyway, I thought maybe you could learn on it -- maybe find something you enjoy doing while you sort everything out."

Marti gently laid down the small loom and threw her arms around Ty's neck. "Thank you so much! It is wonderful. I can't wait to try!" Then she kissed Ty, showing him just how much she liked the little gift.

When she pulled away, Ty was still smiling -- obviously very pleased with himself. Reaching back into the basket, he pulled out a small craft box. Opening it, he showed Marti the collection of beads he had bought for her. "The lady at the craft store helped me. I didn't know what kind you needed, but she said that these were seed beads, or something like that. She said they would work. And they look like the ones that the woman was using that day."

There were several different colors, along with several different spools of thread -- ranging in size and texture. Marti's eyes lit up with interest as she eyed the quality. She smiled up at Ty. "Thank you so much sweetie!" Again, she planted a kiss on his cheek to show him her appreciation.

Pulling himself up, Ty reached down to give Marti a hand. "Actually, I'm not the only one who wants to spend some time with you today. Janice was hoping you could meet her and a friend for lunch."

Marti's brow knit together in confusion, "Oh, I can't -- oh, wait... I guess I can. I forgot that I'm free for lunch now. I'm so used to having to work through lunch."

The look Ty shot her let her know that he knew she was stretching the truth a bit -- it wasn't that she had always needed to work through lunch -- it was that she had always chosen to work through lunch. It was easier than attempting to mingle with others in the breakroom. 

Ty continued, "If you are interested, I will drop you off by the motel. I can pick you up later this afternoon."

Weighing her options, Marti reasoned that she didn't really have anything better to do. Looking down at her jeans, Marti said, "Ok. Do I need to dress up?" 

Smiling at her and wiggling his eyebrows, Ty said, "Not unless you just want to show off your naked little body for me!"

It never failed to amaze Marti that Ty didn't seem to mind her weight. The last few months had taken a toll on her and she knew that she had actually gained a few more pounds. But Ty just seemed to take it all in stride. In fact, he didn't seem to mind at all. 

Even though Marti had given up arguing with him about why he ought to find her unattractive, she still hadn't accepted that Ty found her beautiful. After all, when she looked in the mirror, she sure didn't see anything worth noting. She saw an overweight, middle aged woman who had been dealing with far too much pressure over the past few months. Shrugging her shoulders, Marti grabbed her purse and jacket. "Ok, well, let's go."

When Ty and Marti got to the motel, Janice was busy checking out a few last minute guests. She waved at Ty and Marti, letting them know she would be with them as soon as she could. Watching Janice, Marti realized that, while she was fairly comfortable being in private settings with Janice, they had never gone out together in public. Marti was a little intimidated by the slim beautiful woman who was Ty's little sister. Chastising herself mentally, Marti braced herself, determined to enjoy the upcoming lunch.

After a few minutes, Janice breezed across the motel lobby. "Ty, thank you so much for covering the lunch shift for me!"

Ty narrowed his eyes, "Oh? I don't remember agreeing to this..."

Janice chuckled. "Well, I can't leave with your girlfriend if you don't! Sam called in sick."

Rolling his eyes, Ty looked down at Marti. "I guess I won't be picking you up later. I'll just be here waiting for you," Ty said to Marti. Turning to Janice, he added, "Just remember that I love you sis!" Dropping a kiss on Marti's nose, Ty made his way over to the bar.




A Place to Belong Ch. 03



Marti watched him go, always enjoying seeing his body, no matter what activity it was engaged in. A blush rose on her cheeks when she heard Janice chuckle again, knowing that she had been caught admiring Ty's backside. Looking over at Janice, she smiled sheepishly. "He is awful cute," Marti said, in her defense. 

Taking hold of Marti's arm, Janice walked back over to the front desk. After making the final arrangements with her staff, she picked up her coat and nodded toward the door. She and Marti walked down the block to a small cafe on the corner. Once inside the door, the hostess immediately recognized Janice and led them off to a corner table. There was another woman there, waiting for them.

When the woman stood up, Marti felt a vague sense of familiarity. Looking carefully at her though, Marti realized that she didn't know her. Shrugging off the feeling, she stuck out her hand in greeting as Janice introduced the two of them.

"Marti, this is my college roommate, Micki -- but most of the world calls her Mikasa," Janice said.

Marti's mouth fell open, "Mikasa? Oh, my God -- you're Mikasa?" Marti stared in disbelief. Mikasa was one of the most famous models in the world. And she was Janice's friend?

Janice laughed, Mikasa rolled her eyes and smiled. Rather unceremoniously, Janice pushed Marti toward her chair. "Micki is used to that, but let's sit down before everyone starts staring," Janice said.

Not sure what exactly to do, Marti sat down and tried to think of how in the world she was going to pull off this meal. Not only was she way out of her league here, being with two beautiful women, but she obviously had nothing in common with either one. A feeling of self consciousness surged through her body -- Lord, how she longed to be more like these two women.

Mikasa, or Micki as Janice called her, was absolutely stunning. She had graced the covers of so many national magazines. She was what the industry called a "plus sized" model. Marti had read somewhere that Micki was a size 16 or 18. But she was built like an Amazon goddess. And she was no less impressive in person.

Janice broke into Marti's train of thought, "Marti, Micki and I have been friends for years. When I first met you, I wanted you to meet Micki. I'm just really glad things have worked out with you and Ty so I could finally get the chance to make it happen." 

Realizing that Janice and Micki were both waiting for her to say something, Marti fumbled for words. Finally, she managed to say, "I'm so glad to get the chance to as well..."

Right at that moment, Janice's cellphone rang. Looking at the number displayed on the front, she sighed and answered the call. After only a moment, she made an annoyed face. Hanging up the phone, she looked apologetically at Marti. "I hate to do this," she said, "but I have to run back over to the motel. Will you stay and keep Micki company?"

Marti's eyes grew wide. Stay and keep a super model company? Sure, that would be a breeze...

Before Marti could protest though, Janice was gone.

Turning toward Micki, Marti meant to assure her that she didn't have to stay -- that she would certainly understand if Micki wanted to cancel the lunch. But she was surprised to see Micki smiling broadly. "I wonder if she planned that?" Micki asked.

Confused, Marti mumbled, "Huh?"

Micki's smile sparkled, "I mean that Janice is very good at bringing people together -- I understand she had a part in you and Ty getting together. I'm glad to hear you two are working out. I actually went out a few times with him, but he didn't get too excited by me."

Marti's mind reeled with that bit of information. Ty had dated Micki? And he had turned her down? And yet he found Marti attractive? Marti's mind couldn't quite grasp that.

Watching Marti's face, Micki smiled. "Janice says it's pretty obvious that you two belong together though. Tell me a little about yourself, Marti."

Marti was having enough trouble digesting that Janice thought she and Ty belonged together. But she certainly couldn't think of anything about herself that might interest someone like the worldly Mikasa. Stumbling over her words, Marti said, "There's not much to tell. This is the first day of my retirement from the hosiery industry after spending my whole life wrapped up in textiles."

Wishing she could kick herself, Marti wondered what Micki must think of such a boring, uninteresting synopsis of her boring, uninteresting life.

But to Marti's shock, Micki laughed warmly. "Janice said that we might have a lot in common. I grew up in a sock mill in the mountains of North Carolina."

Marti's eyes couldn't have gotten any bigger. Incredulously, she said, "What? You grew up making socks?" 

Nodding, Micki said, "Yep. I used to have to amuse myself by making "looper" clip potholders and sock dolls while my parents worked out a living from knitting machines."

Shaking her head in amazement, Marti said, "I can't believe you lived in my world -- you are so famous and ... well... beautiful...."

Pursing her lips, Micki said, "The hosiery mill isn't the only thing we have in common. I haven't always been a self confident model either, Marti."

Tilting her head to one side, Marti considered Micki's words. Before she could formulate any questions though, Micki continued, "When I was a teen-ager, I was always the last one picked, the one not asked to the dances, the one left out of the fun activities. But when I went to college, I decided that I had an opportunity to decide who I was going to be. I didn't know where to start, but Janice and I had a wonderful dorm adviser. She was a BBW -- and she exemplified the Big, Beautiful Woman. She took me under her wing. It was as much in her actions and attitude as in her words that I learned that just because I wasn't the size of some kids doll, didn't mean I couldn't be beautiful."

Looking across the table at Marti, Micki went on with her story, "She was the one who helped me put together my very first photo shoot. She took several girls from the dorm over to the photographer's studio -- each one of us had our own personal image issues. I can remember the fun we had with hair and make-up. None of us had ever done anything like that before. One girl had a scar on her face from an auto accident, one girl was tall, thin and painfully shy, one girl was a juvenile delinquent trying to turn over a new leaf -- and then there was me -- a fat little nobody."

"But the photographer and his make-up artist took all afternoon with us. They did our hair and draped us in beautiful material, making each one of us feel special. Then the photographer worked his magic. He snapped shots from every angle, he made us laugh and showed us how to look sultry. It was one of the best days of my life."

"Then the pictures came back. I remember sorting through them, trying to find the ones of myself. But I couldn't find me. Just then, Janice came by the table where they were all spread out and stopped cold. She picked up one particular picture, of a beautiful woman, looked over at me and said, "Wow! I didn't know you could look like THAT!" I didn't know what she was talking about -- that wasn't me in the picture. When I realized it really was me, I was floored. I hadn't even recognized myself. It was a life changing moment for me."

"Janice wanted me to meet you today because today is the first day of your new life -- it is a life changing time for you -- she wanted me to help you see if you can find a new part of yourself. Maybe one you don't even realize is there -- maybe one you wouldn't even recognize yet."

Marti had been quiet during Micki's story. She didn't want to hurt Micki's feelings, but she was fairly sure that there would be no similar ending to her own story. After all, Micki was a truly beautiful woman. But she didn't want to hurt Micki's feelings. Maybe she could just go along with Micki until the meal was over and then make sure that she never got into this sort of situation again.

But Micki had other ideas. After they finished their plates of pasta, Micki asked Marti if she would go across the street with her to a local store. Marti wanted to escape. She didn't want to be seen out in public with this beautiful woman. However, she also didn't want to insult Micki -- after all, most people would give their right arm to spend the afternoon with a supermodel. Sighing in resignation, Marti agreed.

Marti had never noticed the store that Micki led her into, but even if she had, she doubted that she would ever have gone into it. It was a small, upscale clothier, complete with make-up counters and hair studio. Frowning, Marti looked around like she was on an alien planet. 

Seeing her reaction, Micki said, "Marti, I know you aren't sure about all this, but would you let me do a little make-over magic on you? This is my store and I would love to show you some possibilities."

Realizing that she wasn't going to get out of this, Marti shrugged her shoulders, "Sure, you can give it your best shot."

Had Marti known what she was agreeing to, she might never have made that offhand comment! For the next two hours, Micki and her staff flitted all around Marti. In the hair salon, her rather plain hair got a stylish cut and a few streaks of color, bringing it to life. Her eyebrows got plucked and her skin tone got evened out, causing the brightness of her eyes to practically burst forth. Even Marti had to admit that she was definitely noticeable afterwards.

However, it was when Micki started bringing out clothes for Marti to try on that the real issues began to surface for Marti. She hated trying on clothes. It always reminded her how defective her body seemed to her. As Micki handed her the first armful of clothes to try on, Marti cringed. She wanted to explain to Micki that clothes didn't fit her right, but Micki didn't wait for her to get the words out -- she just pushed Marti into a nearby fitting room.

Rolling her eyes, Marti shook her head. Micki hadn't even asked her what size she was. There was no way that normal clothes off the rack were going to fit.

When the first dress flowed over Marti's shoulders and settled around her ample waist, Marti was shocked at the image staring back at her in the mirror. Not only did the make-up and new hairdo compliment her, but the dress fit her like a glove -- and a very flattering glove at that! The hem of the dress only reached about mid thigh, so there was plenty of leg showing, along with a scooped neck that showed off the cleavage she had always kept hidden.

Marti quickly pulled the dress off and picked up the next article of clothing. In rapid succession, Marti tried on shirts, skirts, capris, jackets and jeans. Although not all fit her as well as the dress, most of them did -- and Marti was completely shocked. She had never been in a store that had fashionable clothes in her size. But even she had to admit that some of the outfits made her look really .... well... good.

Micki and her staff watched, made some suggestions and some substitutions, as well as providing shoes and other accessories to finish the outfits. Marti felt like a princess. 

When Marti finished trying on the clothes, Micki personally bagged up the outfits that had flattered Marti the most and handed them to her. "I hope you enjoy these, Marti. It is going to take some time for you to get used to your new life and figure out what you want to do with yourself. But in the meantime, I hope we can keep in touch. I am in town pretty often and Janice always knows where to find me."

Marti left Micki's shop pondering over the past few hours of her life. Although there had been a few moments of insecurity, for the most part, she had felt comfortable and happy. That wasn't a feeling she had a lot of experience feeling around strangers. 

Micki had insisted that Marti wear the dress that she had tried on first. "Just remember to tell everyone where you got it!" Micki had teased. As Marti walked down the street, sporting her new dress, new hair style and new make-up, she noticed that several people smiled and nodded to her. Marti honestly couldn't remember that ever happening before. The first few times, she had looked around her to see who the people were nodding to -- but she was the only one there. After about the fourth person, Marti began smiling back, looking people in the eyes and holding her head a little higher.

It was only about two blocks back to the hotel, but it was two very important blocks for Marti. Not a single person on that street knew that she was Marti Hampton -- not a single one smiled at her because she was their boss. None of them had sneered at her weight. Every person who had acknowledged her did so because they had seen something in her that had made them take notice. It was a revelation to Marti. And one she had desperately needed.

Entering into the lobby, Marti made her way across to the bar. Janice was busy with customers and didn't see Marti. Deciding not to wait, Marti went on into the bar to find Ty. Walking up to the bar, she sat down on one of the barstools. Ty had his back to her, offering her one of her favorite views. She sighed in contentment. 

Obviously having heard her, Ty turned around with a smile of familiarity on his face. But when he saw her, his face froze. As his eyes widened, Marti got a sick feeling in her stomach. "What's wrong, Ty?" she asked.

Shaking his head as if to clear it, Ty said, "Nothing... nothing is wrong."

But Marti could tell by his face that he wasn't telling the complete truth. She wasn't sure what was wrong. Ty didn't give her a lot of time to figure it out though. Throwing the towel he was holding into a hamper behind the cash register, he said, "Ready to go?"

Nodding in agreement, Marti got to her feet and took the hand Ty offered her. Ty was acting strangely - rather distant and confusing. 

When they crossed the lobby, Marti noticed that the look Janice shot them was just as confusing. There was a brief flicker of what looked like anger in Janice's eyes before she smiled a huge smile and waved at them. Only later would Marti find out that Janice had actually not recognized her -- the flicker of anger had been because she though Ty was with another woman!

But Marti didn't know that yet. And she still was not sure what was going on. Marti tried to ask Ty, but the pace of his stride had increased to the point where she was having difficulty just managing to keep up with him. He waved casually at his sister, but made no indication that he meant to stop and wait to speak to her. Instead, he was practically pulling Marti out the door. 

Ty didn't slow down all the way to Marti's car. He said, "Do you have the keys?" Marti held them up and he said, "Mind if I drive?" Then took the keys from her hand.

Marti finally gave up trying to figure out what was going on. She settled into the passenger's seat and watched as Ty maneuvered her car through the city streets. As they came to the edge of town, Ty turned the car toward his own home. 

Marti hadn't been to Ty's house too many times. The truth was that she had been so busy since she had met him that there hadn't been many opportunities. But she loved Ty's house almost as much as she loved Ty! 

Ty's home was heaven to Marti. Spread out on well over 25 acres, his house completely reflected his personality. It was sparsely decorated with various items that he had collected over the years -- things such as an eagle carved out of ironwood, a native American bust carved out of limestone, a beautiful hand blown lamp, and various other bits and pieces that reflected who Ty was. It was a place where Marti felt completely at home.

After pulling into the drive, Ty got out of the car without even a word. Wondering just what was going on, Marti followed him through the front door. 

Before the door had even closed behind them, Ty jerked Marti into his arms and began kissing her passionately. Stunned, it took Marti a moment to respond. By then, Ty was kissing her all over her face, one hand stroking her breast through her new dress and the other groping her ass from behind. 

Marti could feel Ty's erection through his jeans pressing into her stomach. But she was still a little confused. "Ty? What's... what's going on?" she asked, in between heavy kisses.

Ty pulled back and looked at her. The lust was clearly written on his face as he looked at her. "Damn woman. What were you trying to do back there in the bar -- kill me? I sent you off to have lunch and you come back looking like some damn sex goddess. I thought I was going to bust a nut right there in front of everyone. God, I thought I wouldn't be able to make it back here before I had to have you. You look delicious...."

As Ty's words sunk into Marti's brain, she realized that Ty was not upset at her, he was turned on by her. And he was definitely turned on! Laughing in relief, Marti relaxed into Ty's arms and let him continue his full body attack. It felt really good to know that she was the one causing him to react like this and that he liked what he saw in her so much that he was letting his emotions run wild with her.

Leading her to his bed, Ty pulled the new dress over Marti's head. Marti had forgotten that Micki had insisted that she have new underwear as well. But Ty obviously approved of Micki's idea! The matching lace bra and panties caused him to pause in mid action, staring with his mouth slightly open. 

"Good Lord woman..." he muttered and he wiggled out of his boots and jeans. Then he grabbed Marti and pulled her tightly against him. It felt like his hands were everywhere at once. Marti realized that she felt really sexy -- not a feeling she had often felt. But between the new clothes and Ty's reaction, she felt her self confidence growing. It was going to take some getting used to, but Marti decided that she liked this new feeling.

Ty's hands were on the move though and Marti didn't have long to ponder her new found confidence. Ty toppled Marti back onto the bed before spreading her legs and diving his head in between her legs. Gasping in surprise, it was difficult for Marti to catch her breath as Ty's tongue traced the lips of her pussy through the silky material of her panties. As his hands worked the panties down over her hips and legs, Ty slipped his tongue into the depths of her wet lips. The sensation caused a small orgasm to rip through Marti's body. The sex with Ty was always hot, but this was really sizzling!

Seeing Ty pull up, Marti caught sight of his throbbing erection. Guiding him inside of her, her breath caught in her throat as he plunged his hard cock deep within. Even after three months, she still never got used to that first moment of entry, when he drove the entire length of his cock as far into her pussy as he could. It was truly one of the most intense feelings she had ever experienced.

Marti often found herself mesmerized by Ty's face as he thrust into her. She had discovered that while she adored having Ty fuck her from behind, when she was laying on her back and he was mounting her from above, she loved watching his face. He was so beautiful to her and she never tired of seeing the emotions cross his face as the feelings grew more and more intense as the moments passed.

Ty smiled down at her and gave her a few hard thrusts, so she could feel firsthand just how excited she was making him. Teasing him with her tongue, Marti gave him a lusty upward thrust of her own. Ty didn't let the challenge pass unanswered. His hips went into overdrive, pounding her into the mattress. 

It didn't take long though before Marti could feel Ty's balls tightening up. The look on his face told her that he was nearing the edge. Marti threw her own head back, bit her bottom lip and let her own orgasm take over. As her muscles contracted around Ty's cock, she heard him yell out as he poured his hot cum deep into her. Shot after shot pulsed down his cock, filling her.




A Place to Belong Ch. 03



As Ty's weigh dropped down onto Marti, she felt the tension draining from his body. Barely able to lift his head, Ty said, "I like your new look baby." Then he drifted off to sleep.

Marti lay under Ty, enjoying her own release. The comfort of the moment caused her to close her eyes, promising herself it was just for a moment.

When Ty and Marti woke up, it was well after dark. They decided it was time for supper. After a quick shower, Ty helped Marti back into her new outfit. During the process, he told her how much he liked her hair and how beautiful she looked. He also explained that he had really considered taking her right there in the bar, but was afraid Janice would fire him. Marti knew Ty was teasing, but it was nice to hear him say it anyway. 

After dinner, Marti and Ty sat down together on the couch to watch tv. After a few shows, when she realized how late it was, Marti started to get her things together to leave. But before she could go, Ty asked her if she would like to spend the night with him. Marti was a little surprised. She had never stayed overnight at his house. Realizing that there was really no reason to say no, Marti happily accepted. She had plenty of clothes since Micki had given her so many that afternoon. And Ty had already given her an extra toothbrush earlier -- so all the basics were covered. 

With a strong feeling of rightness, Marti sat back down and let Ty draw her back into his arms. It had been a really good day and it felt really nice to end it right where she wanted to be.

Over the next few weeks, Marti and Ty spent every possible moment together. In fact, the only time they weren't together was when he had to work for Janice. Ty had helped Marti begin working on the small loom he had bought her and she had actually finished a few small neckbands. They weren't perfect, but Marti loved the intricacies of the process. 

It was during one of Ty's photographic assignments, though, that he and Marti found something even more appealing to Marti. The assignment sent them to a nearby town, taking pictures of their newly opened historical district. This particular "village" was set in the time period of the early settlers from England. There was everything there from a blacksmithing area to a restored school house. But the thing that most interested both Marti and Ty was that almost every house had a loom -- a full sized floor loom, used to make blankets and bed covers. 

Marti watched, fascinated, as the women working the looms used the shuttle to create patterns in the material. It didn't take long for Ty to find out where the looms had been built. Almost as soon as they were finished taking the photographs, they set off to find the loom maker. 

It took a few visits before Marti found the loom that she wanted. It took a few more visits before she got the hang of the entire process. But once she did, she knew she had found something she really enjoyed. Ty bought the loom for her and set it up in one corner of his large living room. In the evenings, Marti would often sit at the loom as Ty worked with his photographs, developing the pictures, sorting the negatives and processing the results of his efforts.

Although Marti sometimes went back to her apartment, it was becoming more and more depressing to do so. She loved being at Ty's house where she felt more free and open. She had continued to visit with Janice and Micki at least once a week. And it just seemed to Marti that more and more of her new life was where ever Ty was. 

Even their families were becoming more and more enmeshed. Marti's father had met Ty several times over the course of their relationship. He had been a bit suspicious of Ty at first, questioning his motives. But, in time, Hugh had come to respect Ty and had genuinely seemed to accept him. 

So, it didn't come as a surprise when Ty suggested one week that Marti invite Hugh and Katie over for a cook-out. In fact, it seemed like a great idea to Marti. After all, the two couples had gone out on several occasions and had really enjoyed each other.

On the following Sunday afternoon, Ty set up the grill and got the meat ready as Marti put together a salad and some bread. Hugh and Katie arrived in mid-afternoon. Katie and Marti had discovered that they both loved to fix desserts, so Marti was pleased when Katie showed up with a bag full of ingredients and a new recipe. They headed off to the kitchen while Hugh settled into a lounge chair to have a beer with Ty.

After a delicious supper, the four of them sat around the table, sharing stories from their lives. Katie had worked as a flight attendant and could tell amazingly funny antidotes. The more time Marti spent with Katie, the more she knew why her dad had fallen so hard for Katie. She was a delightful person. 

When it was time for them to leave, Hugh kissed Marti on the forehead. He looked down at her and opened his mouth, then shut it. Marti looked at him in confusion. "What's the matter, Dad?" she asked.

"Nothing dear. I'm just really happy for you, that's all. I was so worried when you left the mill. But you look so good. You have so much more self confidence and you seem so much happier," Hugh said. Then he squeezed her tightly to him and kissed her again before turning to leave. 

As Ty and Marti waved to Katie and Hugh, Marti wondered what was going on with her dad. She turned to ask Ty if he knew, but stopped when she saw that Ty wasn't looking at the disappearing taillights of her dad's car. He was staring directly at her. And he was staring intently at her.

"Marti, I need to talk to you," Ty said, in a very serious voice.

Marti completely forgot her concern about her father. "What's wrong, Ty?" she asked.

But instead of answering, Ty took her hand and led her back into the house. Sitting down on the couch, he pulled Marti down beside him. Turning his body to face her, he took her hands in his. "Marti, remember back when we first met and you offered to be my mistress? You said you would stay with me as long as I wanted and all? That you didn't want any permanent commitment? And that when it was over, it would be ok?"

Marti hadn't realized that it was possible to feel like your heart was physically breaking. In all her wildest dreams, she hadn't seen any sign that Ty was growing tired of her. She hadn't been paying enough attention -- how could she have missed this? Blinking her eyes furiously to keep the tears at bay, Marti could only stare at Ty. Thousands of thoughts flooded through her mind. How could she ever have thought Ty would want to stay with her forever? What was she thinking? Her insecurities came crashing around her, making her want to scream in pain. It was too much. How was she supposed to handle this?

Trying to act as though she wasn't falling apart, Marti forced a smile to her lips. "Yes? I remember. Is it over?" She knew her voice sounded brittle, but she couldn't help it. And she would have said more, but her mind wasn't really working clearly. She stopped herself from saying anything else to keep from sounding like a babbling idiot.

Ty looked down at her hands. "Yes, Marti. It's over. I can't do this any longer."

The blood pounding in Marti's ears made her realize that she was precariously close to passing out. She didn't want Ty to see her like this, but the more she tried to pull away her hands, the tighter he seemed to be holding them. She watched in confusion as he slid off the couch. Her mind vaguely wondered why he was in the floor -- after all, she was the one who wanted to pass out and fall on the floor.

When Ty looked up at Marti she was even more confused. His beautiful eyes were shining, his lashes damp from what looked like tears. Marti tried to focus on his words as he began speaking. "Marti Hampton, from the moment I met you in that bar, I have wanted to spend the rest of my life with you. I have waited patiently for you to come around. I have wooed you and I have romanced you. I have tried to show you how much I love you. But you have continued to hold me at arms length. I can't do this anymore Marti."

It was difficult for Marti to follow Ty's thoughts. She had thought he was about to break up with her, yet here he was telling her that he loved her. She stared at him, not comprehending what her was trying to say.

"Marti, Marti," Ty said, sounding somewhat agitated. "Marti, I want to marry you, silly girl. I am tired of this charade. I am tired of not being able to tell you that I love you because you are afraid of commitment. I have tried to be good and wait for you to come around, but I can't wait any longer. Marti Hampton, I love you. Will you marry me?"

Nothing that Ty could have said could possibly have confused Marti more. "Marry you?" she repeated.

Licking his lips, Ty said, "Yes Marti, marry me...."

Shaking her head, Marti said, "You want to marry me?"

Obviously holding himself in check, Ty said, "Yes, woman. I want to marry you. I had you invite your dad out here tonight so I could ask his permission to marry you. And he gave us his blessing."

"That's why he was acting so weird!" Marti exclaimed. 

Ty cleared his throat, "No offense meant to your father, baby, but I've asked you to marry me. And you still haven't given me an answer."

Marti looked incredulously at Ty. "Are you sure?" When he nodded his head, she continued, "Of course I'll marry you! I love you so much!" Marti threw herself into Ty's arms, kissing him as tears of joy flowed unchecked down her face.

Marti was so excited that she barely heard Ty's next question. But she was pretty sure that the words Ty whispered in her ear sounded an awful lot like, "Can we have a baby?"

Epilogue

Marti carefully folded her latest blanket into a small square. Wrapping ribbon around the square from all four sides, she admired how it sweet it looked the little bundle looked. 

It had taken a few months, but Marti had gotten quite adept at creating all sorts of weavings. She now had several looms and turned out everything from bed coverings to wall tapestries. 

After winning a few blue ribbons at various county fairs, Ty had convinced Marti to sell some of her creations. He had taken photographs of her best works, helped her set up a website and suddenly, she was making money from her new pastime. And Marti loved it. 

Over the course of the past year, she had made several very special gifts. But none were quite as special as the one she was holding in her hands at that very moment.

Walking through the house, she placed the blanket on the dining room table. The table was set, ready for dinner. But it was not an ordinary dinner. This was a very romantic dinner. There were candles, fresh flowers, the fine china and even the expensive crystal glasses they had gotten as a wedding present. Marti smiled, pleased with the results of her work. She moved the blanket, placing it on Ty's dinner plate. Even he couldn't miss it there!

When Ty got home, he opened the door quietly. He didn't want to disturb Marti in case she was sleeping. He was a little worried about her. She hadn't been feeling too good lately and she had been awfully tired. He had told her that he was concerned that she was overdoing it, but maybe he needed to insist on her seeing a doctor.

As he turned the corner to the dining room, he frowned at the table. Had he forgotten an anniversary? A birthday? As he raced through all the possibilities, he couldn't remember anything special about this date. Shrugging, he wandered into the kitchen. 

Marti was standing by the sink and saw him walk in. "I didn't hear you come in!" she said as she rounded the counter and hugged him tightly. He never tired of feeling her arms around him. 

But Ty didn't have a long time to enjoy the feeling of his wife's arms. She was too busy dragging him to the table. When he sat down in his chair, he looked down questioningly at the blanket on his plate. "Did you finish a new one? Who is this one for?" he asked.

Marti beamed at him. "Open the card," she said.

Ty saw the card on the bundle. Pulling it free, he opened the card. It took a moment for the words to register in his mind. The card simply said, "It's a girl!"

Suddenly all the pieces fell into place. Ty jumped up and grabbed Marti, kissing her fervently. "A girl? A baby? Are you sure?" 

Smiling up at him, Marti nodded her head. "I love you, Ty." And standing there in Ty's arms, there was absolutely no question in Marti's mind that she was exactly where she belonged.