19 comments/ 22668 views/ 17 favorites Another Favor By: 2Xwidderwoman A very heartfelt Thank You to Erik Thread for his fabulous editing. His skills make your reading pleasure better. * Leaving town for a while was the smartest thing to do. He needed to get away after a startling end to a relationship he once felt was going to be permanent. At least leaving town sounded like a good idea, but he wasn't sure where to go. He didn't care to stay around and risk running into her or her lover and he didn't want to go on a vacation. He wasn't in a vacation mood. When his brother called asking for a favor, he groaned. He'd done favors for his younger brother before and almost always regretted it. Little favors usually turned into huge projects. "Come on, Jake. Samantha can do without you in her bed for a few days." "It's not that, Billy." "Look, just come for a few days so I know I have someone here at the house. Maybe I can find somebody to help with the dogs. All you need to do is be here." "If, and that's a big if, but if I decide to do it when do you need me to be there?" "Oh, well, I really need you from Friday to the next Monday, but I'll take what I can get. Cathy has to go to some license retention things all week. I thought we could spend the two weekends together, and if you can do this favor for me, we can have nights, too." "Billy! That's ten days!" "Come on, Jake, you never take any time off. Cathy and I need this time together. The kids, the dogs, her shift work, and my hours, we're not having any time to ourselves." "No, no, no, I'm not going to house sit, babysit, and take care of all the dogs." "Wait, wait, the kids are going to Cathy's mother. I can arrange for someone to feed and exercise the dogs. I just need someone in the house. You know, answer phone calls, take messages, and explain the upcoming class schedules. I have a major dog food delivery coming Tuesday and some leash and harness deliveries due sometime during the week. I just need a warm body. Bring Samantha with you, if she doesn't mind missing a day or two of shopping. Hey, man, you can finally tan that white ass of yours." Jake laughed, even if it was half-hearted. He didn't have many reasons to laugh. The two brothers had teased each other since high school about having a white ass, although Jake's legs were just as white as his ass. Billy claimed that if his wife could wear a thong bikini, he could too. "Okay, okay," Jake answered, but he didn't feel like letting his brother find out about the break-up with Samantha. Instead, he said, "I have some time coming. I'll call you in an hour or so to let you know if I can take the whole week." "Hey man, I appreciate it, but get the Friday and Monday, too. It takes a whole day for the airport hassle, flights, and hotel stuff." Fortunately, when he approached his boss, the man suggested Jake take a month off, and offered to pay him while he was gone. Charles Benys wasn't happy his own daughter suddenly jilted one of his most valued employees and a man he had suspected might soon become his son. He crossed his fingers that Jake would return to work at the end of the month. Charles couldn't understand what had gotten into Samantha. - - - Even when he arrived at his brother's house after a three hour drive, Jake still couldn't bring himself to talk about why Samantha didn't come with him. He must have given enough of an excuse to keep Billy and Cathy from asking any more questions. Besides, they were busy packing. There were also instructions Billy needed to give Jake about how to handle calls to the office telephone, and Cathy's parents arrived to take the three pre-teen children. They went to bed so late and got up so early that Jake barely had time to tell Billy and Cathy "Good morning," and then say, "Have a nice trip." Minutes later, he found himself alone in a large, rambling, country-style house, with nothing to look forward to but silence, a telephone that rang occasionally, and time to think. Bless Cathy's heart, he didn't even need to spend much time in the kitchen. She must have cooked for days before Jake arrived, although she said she just cooked a little extra each meal and put it in the freezer for Jake. It was still early, but as he had promised himself, he was working on his tan. After swimming a few laps, he stretched out on one of the long wood-framed rope beds he'd helped Billy make, another one of those brotherly favors. Jack had the woodworking skills, Billy had the tools, and together they stretched and wove the ropes. Then Cathy made the cushions. SMACK! "Hey, Billy! You better put some sunscreen on that white ass." The slap on his ass, plus the laughter brought Jake to his feet faster than he had moved in a long time. "Oh damn." Expressing her surprise, a tall slender woman was backing away ... at least she got as far as the edge of the pool before she fell in. Jake found himself standing stark naked. Unconsciously, he rubbed what was probably a red handprint on his ass. However, his attention was on a fully-dressed woman splashing in the pool, laughing and slinging long wet hair over her head to get it out of her eyes. The woman pointed at Jake, "You're not Billy." Sinking down, she came back up, finally getting her hair out of her eyes, but she laughed again. "Right!" Jake responded, looking around for something to wear or wrap around him. "But your ass is just a cute as Billy's." The woman was still laughing as she swam to the shallow end of the pool. Abandoning his search, Jake sat down on the edge of the rope bed. "How the hell do you know Billy has a cute ass?" "Oh, I've seen it a time or two. A man's thong bikini doesn't hide much." The young woman answered as she climbed up the interior steps of the pool, while she unbuttoned her shirt. "Who are you?" Jake asked. This conversation was becoming curious. "Janet Beyer. I'm dog sitting while Billy has some quality time with Cathy. Who are you?" "I'm Jake Tranton, Billy's brother." "Ah ha, big brother Jake. I've heard of you." Janet pulled her shirt off, squeezed the excess water out, and draped it over a chair. "How did he convince you to house sit? I turned him down." While pulling down her jeans, she stepped on the heels of her low boots and stripped down to her underwear. Jake hesitated a moment and finally said, "I just needed to get away." "Female problems, huh?" Janet said as she reached behind her back and unhooked her bra then dropped it haphazardly on the table. Jack nodded but didn't respond as he watched Janet hook her thumbs in the waist of her panties and bend over to pull them down her legs as her full breasts jiggled gently from her movements. Her hard nipples pointed straight down to her feet. "What did she do, kick you out?" Janet looked up from pulling her underwear down. Jack was almost on his feet by the time she straightened up and lifted each individual leg to step out of her panties. Then she bent over again while she pulled her socks off and picked them and her panties up. "No, I..." Jack stopped to clear his throat as he suddenly remembered he was naked and settled back to his seat. "No, I asked her to leave." "Isn't that sort of unusual?" Janet asked as she squeezed the excess water out of her panties, spread them on the table beside her bra, and then did the same with her socks. "Don't guys usually move in with the woman?" He was on his feet again when she pulled her hair over her shoulder and squeezed it allowing the water to run down the center of her chest and disappear in the closely trimmed hair covering her mound. "Maybe some men do, but I don't. Samantha didn't actually live with me. She just had her things all over my house. I told her to take her stuff when she left." "Don't give her an excuse to come back, huh?" Janet looked around for a moment then walked to the building that housed the swimming pool equipment. Jake watched the cheeks of her ass wiggle with each step, and sway when she opened the double doors to pull a towel from one of the holders inside the door. "Something like that, I guess," Jack replied as Janet leaned over, slinging her hair around her head, and wrapped the towel around it before straightening up. Her full breasts moved as her arms tucked in the towel. Janet cocked her head to one side and asked, "So, do you have some dry clothes I can wear? Or do you have other plans for that," she nodded at the growing erection Jake was no longer making an effort to hide. Jake raised one eyebrow and asked, "What did you have in mind?" Janet nodded her head a couple of times, put one hand on her hip and replied, "I haven't had a good fuck in a couple of months and that one looks like it could really do a good job." "Sorry," Jake replied as he walked past her, heading toward the back door of the house. "I don't 'fuck.' Rarely, I 'have sex' with a willing partner, but most of the time I prefer to 'make love' to a woman. Come on, I'll find something dry for you to wear." Janet moved quickly, catching his arm as he reached for the back door, "Wait a minute. Explain that." Jake turned and placed one hand on her breast and heard the sharp intake of her breath. "You have beautiful breasts, Janet." He put his other hand against her mound and curled his fingers between her legs. "I imagine I would find you very wet and welcoming. Your body arouses me," He took a step away from Janet and carefully enunciated each word, "but, I - don't - fuck. Got it?" Janet released her hold on him and dropped her arm, "Well, hell. Jake, it's just a word." She sounded exasperated. "What's the difference?" Jake opened the door into the house and stood back a moment to allow Janet to walk ahead of him. "There is a great deal of difference, at least to me." He stepped into the house behind her, closed the door, and put his hand on her shoulder to turn her around. "Fucking is insensitive, unemotional, and there's no pleasure in it. It's a body function like breathing or pissing." Janet's eyes searched his face, waiting for some sign that he was joking or not really being serious. When she saw the sincerity of his belief, she asked, "You're serious, aren't you?" "Yes, I am. Do you think we could find something of Cathy's to fit you?" "Yeah," Janet replied turning to the hallway leading to the bedrooms, talking as she walked toward the master bedroom. "I just need something dry and maybe her boots will fit me if I wear two pair of socks. I still need to wash down the kennels." Taking his eyes off Janet's naked body going down the hall, Jake opened the door of the guest room and went inside to dress. He was back down the hall a few minutes later, finding Janet wearing a pullover top Jake remembered seeing Cathy wearing. She was wearing a pair of jeans that looked a little loose, but she'd found a belt to hold them up. Janet was sitting in one of the chairs beside a small table pulling a second sock on each foot, with Cathy's waterproof boots beside the chair. "Did you find what you needed?" Jake inquired. "Yes, thank you. Almost everything that fits Cathy is a little large for me. My legs are longer, but these should work." "Great, I'm having a grilled cheese sandwich for lunch. Would you like to join me?" Janet looked up, surprised at the offer. "Yeah, sure, what can I do to help?" "I think I can handle it. If you like, I'll wait for you to finish your work," Jake offered and watched Janet's breasts moving beneath the loose pullover top as she tugged on Cathy's boots. "Yeah, I'd appreciate getting the kennels clean before it gets too hot." His erection had not fully subsided, and probably wouldn't while this young woman was anywhere near him. However, now that she was wearing clothes, he could at least breathe without gasping at each step she took. He could also walk without banging into walls or knocking his head against door facings. He wasn't usually so strongly attracted to a woman, particularly when he first met one, but this young woman was something different from those he was accustomed to being around. What possessed him to make such a ridiculous statement as they entered the house he did not know. Perhaps it was her statement that she hadn't had a good fuck in a couple of months that triggered his objection. It may have been caused by her assumption that because he had an erection, he could give her a really good fuck. He was not prepared to admit to her that the first thing he did after closing his bedroom door was to lift the hand he had placed between her legs and smell his fingers. He particularly did not like acknowledging to himself that he put his fingers into his mouth to see if he could taste her. He knew she had been wet when he touched her, he thought from the swimming pool. Yet, when he tasted his fingers, he knew it was a different kind of wetness. If Jake had learned one thing from his recent experience with Samantha Benys, it was that a woman could fake her enjoyment of sex so well that her partner would never discover her duplicity. He was not so naïve that he wasn't aware some women were quite masterful at faking their orgasm. However, there was something wrong, when a woman professed to love a man and left his bed to go to another man, where she said, "I need you to pound my pussy, big boy. Jake Tranton is a lousy fuck and I need a hard cock in my cunt." That he had heard the words coming from a speaker telephone in the office down the hall from his own merely added insult to injury. Knowing he worked with the man who was having a conversation with the woman he was considering asking to be his wife made Jake even more sensitive to a much younger woman speaking about her lack of having a good fuck in several months. Even if his body did not display indifference, Jake was not prepared to prove his prowess, or demonstrate anything to this young woman. *** While Jake prepared lunch, he learned Janet occasionally worked part-time for Billy and also volunteered at a local animal shelter. She was in her third year of college, intending to stay in school until she was a licensed veterinarian, small animals her specialty. She still lived at home with her parents but had quite a bit of freedom because her parents had refinished a storage room above their garage and turned it into a small apartment for her. "What's your secret?" "Secret?" "Yeah, what's your secret?" Janet repeated. "You know, I've probably eaten several hundred grilled cheese sandwiches, but I never had one as crispy." "Sourdough bread," Jake answered and watched the surprised look on Janet's face. "I'm surprised," Janet responded and then took a deep breath. "May I ask another question?" "I'm not real sure," Jake responded and saw the confusion on her face. Before she could say anything, he told her, "I was sort of anticipating your question. I assumed you were going to ask about our earlier discussion." When Janet nodded, he explained, "I've done both, or rather, participated in both. I no longer care for just a good fuck. I'll be blunt, if you don't mind. I can masturbate and get about as much satisfaction. If I'm with a woman I care about, I'd much rather make love to her so I can expect the same from her." "Is that what went wrong? You know, with the one you're avoiding, asked to leave, or whatever?" "Sort of, yes. It's a little more complicated than that, but for our conversation you can assume that's the main reason." "She didn't love you?" "Janet, how old are you?" "Not that it makes any difference, but I'm almost twenty-two." "Why do you think it makes no difference?" "I don't know. People always think someone my age is immature and doesn't understand things like that. See, I think that's not fair. I suppose I know what love is, or maybe I know what love isn't and I know what a good fuck is." Janet laughed lightly and grinned, "Yeah, I see you sort of wince every time I use that word, but I don't have another one." "You're probably right. It's about as good a word as any other. I just don't care to see it spoken by such a pretty mouth." At hearing the compliment, Janet's head jerked up from refolding her paper napkin. She blushed and leaned back in her chair when Jake said, "It's a mouth I think I'd enjoy kissing. Hearing a vulgar word coming from your lips startles me." "Would you? I mean, would you kiss me?" "No." "No?" Janet sounded surprised, "Why not?" "Because you will fantasize that it's someone else. Does he know?" Janet shook her head, "I don't think so." She did not bother to lie, "How did you know?" "Oh, I saw you looking at their bed. You ran your hand across the back cushion of his recliner and you're sitting in his chair. That tells me you know quiet a lot about Billy and Cathy. Only because I know about them too, do I know that you have no hope of attracting him away from her." "I wouldn't try." "I believe you, and I also understand what infatuation is." Janet laughed a little, but it wasn't really a happy laugh. "He's a special man, it's hard not to like him, I mean like that. I know how important he and Cathy are to each other, I guess something like that is what every woman wants from a man." "She is right to expect it, but she must also give him that kind of a commitment. Can you do that?" Jake paused for a moment, "I think the appropriate phrase is 'forsaking all others'. Can you do that?" "Forsake all others for one man? Yeah, I understand. Okay, for the sake of argument, what man? Give me the name of a man, tell me about him, and assure me he will do the same for me. Yeah, I can do that." "Okay, here's your chance. I'm the man. What do you want to know? Remember when you want to know something about a man to whom you will give your full attention and affection, you must expect that he has those same rights to know about you and he can expect your full attention and affection." "It's a challenge, like a game, right? How long do I have until I win and what's the reward?" "It's not a game, Janet. It's real life. I'll be here for another ten days. That means today, the weekend, all week, another weekend, and then all day the next Monday. As to reward, what do you want?" He paused for a moment but when she didn't answer he added, "If you can't decide what you want, I'll give you until Thursday night to name your reward. Fair?" Janet offered her hand, "You got a deal." Jake stood, offered his hand for the traditional handshake, and as Janet grasped his hand, he pulled her to her feet, put his arms around her, and kissed her. Janet was so surprised she did not resist, nor did she instantly respond. It took her a moment to realize what he had done, and then she joined in the kiss. It was a long, slow kiss, gentle and soft, with his arms around her, holding her close and comfortably against himself, and her arms found their way around him. Jake broke the kiss, but he did not release her from his embrace. He smiled, "I think you just learned something, didn't you? You kissed me without thinking about anyone else and you enjoyed our kiss." Instead of a comment on the kiss, Janet surprised Jake, "How old are you?" Jake took a step back and started clearing the dishes off the small table in the kitchen where they had eaten lunch. He shook his head in amusement, but he answered her question. "I'm thirty-four Janet. Does that bother you?" "Where did you go to school?" "You're not going to waste any time, are you?" Jake grinned, "Okay, I have an MBA from Wharton and a JD from Harvard." "A lawyer, you're a lawyer?" She didn't bother to hide her surprise. "Yep, but it's not what you think. My profession is business. The law degree is about knowledge." "Why did you tell the woman to leave?" Jake paused before he answered. That pause, in itself, had to let Janet know he was considering what he would tell her. Instead of glossing over his answer, he used the fewest words necessary, allowing them to fall into the empty hole left by his silence, letting Janet come to her own decisions about what he said. Another Favor Instead of brushing her question aside, Jake stood in front of Janet and lifted his chin, looking her in the eyes, "The woman I was thinking about asking to be my wife told her lover that I was a lousy fuck." Janet's quick indrawn breath told him she was as startled as he had expected. As if it were a closed matter, Jake took the dishes to the kitchen sink. After closing the door of the dishwasher, he stood at the kitchen counter with his back to Janet. "Will your parents miss you if you spend the night with me, say Wednesday night?" "What about ... aren't you going to..." Janet stuttered, her voice full of surprise as she asked, "You mean you're going to wait until Wednesday night?" Jake turned to watch her face as he answered her question, "Janet you are an alluring woman. You're beautiful, sexy as hell, and I imagine you can be everything a man wants as a sexual partner. That is, if all a man is looking for is a hot fuck. I'm beyond the age of thinking that's all I want from a woman. I'd like to take a few days to get to know you better and let you get to know me. It will make an intimate time with you much more pleasurable for me and I suspect will mean more to you, too." "Oh." She answered easily as if it was something she needed to think about, and then turned to the table to pick up the remaining dishes. Jake turned to the coffee pot, refilling his cup, as he watched Janet place the dishes in the sink. As he leaned against the edge of the counter, he watched her slender frame moving around the kitchen. He took a quick sip from his cup, and when Janet turned to look at him, he placed the cup on the counter behind him. "Janet, do you masturbate?" Her head jerked up, "What business..." Her anger dissipated almost instantly, thinking about their agreement. Instead of objecting that his question was an invasion of her privacy, she answered, "Yes, sometimes." "How often, every day, a couple of times a day, every other day, or a couple of times a week?" Janet took a deep breath and after lifting one shoulder then letting it fall back down, she answered, "Two or three times a week. And you, how often do you jack off?" Her last two words were said with a little grin of mischievousness. "Let's be clear here, I'm not asking to be voyeuristic. I genuinely want to know if I can please you. My questions are in that vein. For your information, I don't jack off, but I do masturbate almost every day when I take my morning shower." His words were plainly spoken. They sounded so honest and informative that Janet merely nodded and did not feel embarrassed to know what he had told her. She stood, leaning against the counter a few feet across from him, and accepted his next questions as an interest in having information about her. "When do you stimulate yourself? And do you use toys or just your fingers?" "Usually at night and I use my fingers," she answered easily, and then added, "Sometimes I use the sprayer attached to my showerhead." "Are your nipples sensitive?" "Sort of, I guess," Janet answered as she looked down at her feet. "I touch them myself, but I've never really wanted anyone else to touch them too much." Her voice was almost a whisper as she added, "Most men are sort of rough." She looked up at him when he said her name. "Janet, will you promise me you won't stimulate yourself or masturbate for the next five days?" Her quickly indrawn breath told him she knew exactly what he was asking. He did not want her touching herself until they were together Wednesday night. Janet nodded slowly, "Are you ... will you...?" "If it's what you want, I will also refrain. In fact, I'm looking forward to being around you for the next few days as the tension escalates. Does that do anything to you?" A sudden blush worked its way up Janet's upper chest, darkened her neck, and filled her cheeks with color. She tilted her head to one side as her glance worked its way down Jake's chest, his flat stomach, and the slight tent behind the fly of the soft thigh length shorts he was wearing. Her eyes popped up to his eyes as a smile spread her lips attractively. Jake raised his eyebrows, knowing what she was thinking. His voice was low and gruff when he asked, "Janet, are you wet?" Her answer was barely audible with a hiss through her teeth, "Yes." "Once again, Janet, will your parents miss you if you spend the night with me Wednesday night?" Clearing her throat, Janet answered, "No, I usually have a lot of school work so I'm not gone at night very much. But if I'm going to be pretty late, I usually leave a note for them, letting them know where I'll be." "What will you tell them about Wednesday night?" Although he didn't really intend to do it that way, he realized he was repeating the day he wanted to spend a whole night with her. Her reaction to the day and the questions she answered was telling him a lot more about her than she might have realized. "I ... I'll tell them I'm spending the night with a man." My name is Jackson H. Tranton. I'm a Senior Vice-President of Benys, Boyd and Associates in Clear Lake City. I've been with the company eight years, I own my home, and I've never been married. Will they ask you for any more information than that?" "No, that should be enough. Thank you." *** Saturdays were a busy day for Billy Tranton and thus in his absence, it was a busy day for Jake. He expected to sit at the desk most of the day, taking calls, or returning those from people who left a message on the second line while he was talking to someone on the first line. There were eight dogs about ready for delivery to a new owner who would attend up to two weeks training with the animal. Billy had the full training schedule documented for each animal, their pedigree was traced, and some had specialized skills which Jake could list but would not describe in detail. A potential purchaser would need to be present for a full demonstration. Only because Billy was so good at documenting everything could Jake have managed to sit at the desk and feel he was doing a barely adequate job. He began each conversation with the explanation that he was filling in for Billy Tranton and would help as much as he could or return the call later with any specific information the dog's file did not contain. Because Jake and Billy's father had also been a dog trainer, Jake could manage to answer some questions and he made careful notes of questions Billy needed to answer when he returned a call. "Tranton Tracking." "Hi, Jake." "Good afternoon, Janet. I didn't see you at the kennels this morning." "I was out there real early. Today's a day I volunteer at the shelter. Lots of people come by to select a pet on Saturdays. It's going to be hot today. Can you check water pans later, or do I need to come out to do that." "I can do that. What are you doing later, after you leave the shelter?" "Oh, I haven't thought about it." "Come watch a movie with me." "Really? Okay, what movie." "Whatever you like, Billy has a good library or you can pick one up you're interested in seeing, even if it's a chick flick." Scoffing, Janet replied, "You don't like chick flicks." Jake chuckled and added, "I'll enjoy anything you want to watch in exchange for spending a few hours with you. I'll even make the popcorn." "Are you serious? "Yes, I'm very serious. How else can I get to know you? I don't want to take a stranger to bed on Wednesday night." Jake did it intentionally this time, mentioning the day and what he planned for her later in the week. *** When Janet arrived, Jake made sure she had eaten supper. He suggested she look through Billy's movie collection to find one that interested her while he made the popcorn. After eating most of the snack, without prompting, Janet snuggled against Jake as he put his arm around her shoulders. When the major love scene of the movie began, Janet lifted her head and kissed Jake on the cheek. It was just a quick little peck and was probably induced by the actors in the movie who where involved in some very intense kissing while they tore each other's clothes off. Jake turned his head and kissed Janet lightly at the temple. "Does this part of a movie excite you?" "Yeah, doesn't it do the same to you?" Jake was silent for a moment, then he said, "Yes, it does, but I'd rather see some tenderness than just button popping. It wouldn't make good entertainment, but it would be more realistic." "You are a strange man, Jake." "No I'm not, I'm just a man. Did I tell you how pretty you are tonight?" Janet turned her face up to look at him, "I'm not sure you actually said anything, but I guess I could tell from the look on your face." "Is that enough for you, or do you want the words, too?" "Oh, I don't know. I don't want you to say something just to give me a compliment, but I guess I like some words, too." "I see," Jake answered. "So what words? Just a simple, 'You look nice,' 'I like your hair like that,', 'Lord you smell luscious'? Or should I show you? Maybe I should put my arms around you, kiss you senseless, and tell you that I'm going to have a hard time waiting for Wednesday night." "Are you?" "Oh yes, you just don't know." Before she could respond Jake turned her and was kissing her as he leaned back on the couch, pulling her on top of him. Their kisses grew with intensity and their arms moved around each other until they were both panting and breathless. "Easy, baby," Jake whispered in her ear as he moved his hands down to press her hips against his trapped erection to slow her movements while she was moving herself against him. Putting his hands on Janet's shoulders, he told her. "Sit up." When she was sitting upright he slipped his hands under the soft cotton shirt she was wearing, his hands moving from side to side across her stomach. "Your skin is so soft." Janet leaned forward and kissed Jake. He pushed against her again and she returned to her upright position. "May I take this off?" He asked as he lifted the lower edge of her shirt. Faster than Jake could move, Janet reached down and pulled her shirt up and over her head. Jake laughed as he placed his palms on her breasts. "You don't need to be in a hurry." He did not cup his fingers around her breasts. She had told him most men were too rough with them. Instead, he was just barely touching her. Janet shuddered and lifted her chin until her head was as far back as it would go while she breathed heavily. One after the other, he took his hand from a breast and slipped the straps of her bra off her shoulders and then pulled downward until both breasts were uncovered. He placed his fingers on her sides and lightly brushed his thumbs across her nipples. In a slow circular motion, Jake's thumbs moved around her stiffening nipples, while Janet watched his thumbs moving against her skin. He wasn't even touching the nipples as they grew harder and harder. His fingers tightened around her ribs as he pulled her toward his mouth. With his flat tongue he brushed across each nipple and then pushed her back upright. Jake watched Janet's face as he pulled the top lace edge of her bra back up to cover her breasts and raised the straps over her shoulders. He could tell from the look on her face that she did not understand. He pulled her down to rest on top of him. "To me, that's part of the difference between fucking and making love to a woman. Now do you understand?" Janet nodded and fully relaxed against him. Jake's hands moved up and down her back, stroking her, as he felt her soft breath against his neck. "I'd like to spend the day with you tomorrow. Can you do that, after you wash the kennels and run the dogs?" "Yes, but I need to be home for supper. My aunt and uncle are coming over. I promised I'd be there." "That's fine. I don't want to take you away from your family or anything else you need to do. I'd just like to spend the day with you. Is there something you'd like to do? I'm sort of thinking about going to the Peddler's Market for a little while." "That sounds like fun. I haven't been out there in a couple of years." "It's getting late, Janet. If you want to spend the night, you sleep in Cathy's room, not with me." "No, I need to go home." *** After an hour of wandering around the first few displays at the front of the Peddler's Market, Jake suggested they eat hot dogs at the center concession stand. For the remainder of the afternoon they walked through the market, holding hands or lacing an arm around each other's waist. They talked about things in the various displays and how they spent their leisure time. "Have you thought about what you want for your reward?" "Reward?" "Remember? You will have my full attention and affection 'forsaking all others' and I am to receive the same from you," Jake responded, reminding her that he had promised her a reward if she was able to do it. "What kind of reward did you have in mind?" Jake laughed, full boisterous laughter, such as Janet had not heard from him before. "I'm not the one who mentioned a reward. You asked for it. I already know what my reward will be." "You do?" "Oh yes." "What is it?" As they walked out of one display of pottery going to the next tent, Jake stopped her and kissed her quickly. "I think I'll just wait and see if you can figure out what I'll have as my reward." "That's not fair." "Perhaps when you can tell me what you want for your reward, I can tell you about mine." Janet declined to come inside the house when they returned from the Peddler's Market. She really needed to be at home for the small family dinner with her aunt and uncle. As Jake backed her against her car door while he kissed her, he was already regretting he had agreed to refrain from any sexual activity until Wednesday night. Janet had her arms around him while she lifted one leg and wrapped it around his hip, allowing his erection to grind against the crotch of her jeans. She moved her hips back and forth and groaned against his mouth. Finally able to detach himself from her, he kissed her hard and told her to go home. He stood while she backed out of the driveway and raised a cloud of dust as her small car travelled down the road toward the main highway. Jake walked across the patio and unlocked the back door, then changed his mind and walked toward the pool, shedding shirt, jeans, shoes and socks before plunging into the cold water and swimming several laps. When he was finally dragging his panting body out of the water, his erection had subsided, but he was not satisfied. Janet hadn't done anything overt to keep him stimulated all afternoon, she had simply been too near, too sharing of her light-hearted laughter, and showed him too much of her sparkling personality. When they discussed her crush on his brother Billy, Jake had told her he understood infatuation. Yet, he was not certain he truly understood. Several times over the afternoon he had taken Janet's hand and felt a tingle when he touched her. He'd put his arm around her shoulders and felt an increase in perspiration which could not be attributed to the heat of the day. He had watched her lithe body reach overhead to feel the fabric of a shirt hanging from an awning or bend over to look at something on a low shelf, and he had noticed his own increased rate of breathing. He had stood near her when she pointed out something for him to look at, giving him a faint whiff of the soap or body wash she used or the fragrance of her shampoo and he had closed his eyes as he took a deep breath appreciating her nearness. He shook the water off his body, collected his clothing and went inside to put on his walking shorts. While he heated one of the meals Cathy had prepared for him, he reviewed the few women he had been intimate with in the past and could not recall what a single one of them smelled like, yet he could take a deep breath and know the exact smell of Janet. He was not wearing any clothing he had worn when she was around and there wasn't anything in the house that might have retained her essence. "Damn," he breathed, stopping in the middle of the kitchen as he carried his meal to the table. He placed the food on the table and opened the packaging but did not pick up the fork. Instead he sat looking out the window as the last light of the day faded. "Oh God," his voice was no louder as he worked through his internal questions. Abandoning his supper, he went to the couch, propped a couple of pillows in the corner and relaxed. He looked at the painting above the mantel, wishing he had the live woman to talk to as he had done when he was much younger. The painting showed his mother sitting quietly, appearing serene with her hands folded in her lap. The rings on her finger sparkled as he remembered them sparkling when she gestured as she talked to him, Billy, or their father. She was a strong woman who allowed them to speak their mind. Yet she taught her men to be a gentleman and how to make a female feel like a lady. Jake imagined he was talking to her as he made a mental list of 'For' and 'Against' until the realization came to him that he had not put a single item on the 'Against' side. Just to make sure he wasn't being foolish, he tried to pretend he was making the same list for his feelings about the Samantha he knew one month ago. Before he abandoned the exercise, he had as many items on the 'Against' side as he had listed on the 'For' side. He should have told his mother about Samantha a long time ago, he might have saved himself some heartache. Several hours later, he woke on the couch and silently thanked his mother for her help. He dragged his exhausted body to the bedroom, stripped and crawled between the sheets. His mind was settled after his mental exercises. Yet, the feeling he might need to call his little brother for advice was slightly disturbing. Had Jake known Janet was having similar thoughts, he would have been thoroughly surprised. Although he was beyond the idea that she was frivolous, he had not yet realized she was as mature in her thinking as she was. He would have been greatly surprised if he had known how often she mentioned his name to her mother or her father. He might have been embarrassed about how her aunt and uncle looked at each other each time she repeated something Jake had told her. Janet had no reason to go through the 'For' and 'Against' exercise. She had less doubt about her judgment than Jake did. She knew she was in love with him. She also knew she just had to wait for him to figure out that he loved her. *** Monday morning, Jake caught Janet as she was getting into her car and kissed her. It was one of those long slow kisses, leaving both of them panting and wishing she didn't have to leave. She explained that she couldn't come out that evening. She had a study group and a major exam the next day, but she would see him the following morning. Jake put it off several times, but finally called Billy, "Hey little brother, how was your week-end?" "Oh man, I can't thank you enough for agreeing to stay there for us. Cathy and I had a long discussion about not getting enough time to ourselves. We've really got to work on that a little harder. Hey, did Sam decide to come stay with you?" "No-o-o. I was going to tell you about Samantha, we just didn't have time to talk before you had to leave." The two brothers spent a while talking about Jake's broken relationship with Samantha Benys. Billy admitted that he didn't know her very well, but he wasn't too surprised at the break-up. He thought Jake might have been pushing the relationship because he had so much respect for his boss, Samantha's father, Charles Benys. In an effort to change the subject, Jake commented, "Oh, I didn't tell ya. I met Janet Beyer." Another Favor "Yeah? She's a neat girl. She's a lot more mature than most females her age." Jake laughed and told him about his own white ass being mistaken for Billy's. Billy said she had been out to the house a few times, more as a friend than anything else, but a couple of times to help with one of the dogs who couldn't seem to shake an ear infection. Billy admitted he was aware of Janet's mild crush, but also knew it wasn't anything serious. She just didn't have a current boyfriend to capture her attention. "Some lucky guy is going to find out about her some day. I just hope he doesn't keep her from finishing school. She'll make a great veterinarian." "I've got a little problem, Billy. Maybe I could use my younger brother's advice." "Oh, yeah?" "It's about Janet." "Oh, it's like that, is it? I tell ya man, she's a special one." "You don't think the age thing is a problem?" "I don't think so. Some women have a level head when they're fifteen and others still can't make a good decision when they're forty. But dammit, don't you hurt her." "I did some pretty heavy thinking last night. I won't hurt her." "Whew Jake, I'm not sure if I should even tell you this, but it seems like now is as good a time as any. You know I met Cathy on a blind date. I was just doing a favor for a friend, she was visiting his girlfriend. Man, I knew, like ten minutes after I saw her and before we even left for the movies. I knew. It was that fast." Jake took a deep breath, "If you had told me that last week, I'd have said you were nuts. I'm not so sure I can say that today." "Don't you hurt her Jake. But hey, big brother, don't let her hurt you either. Give her some time if she needs it. Cathy needed a few weeks and then told me she didn't understand why I waited so long." "I think I'll take her to Sidney's tomorrow night." "Oh shit man, that's only five days." "Yeah, but I might wait until Thursday to ask. I've got special plans for Wednesday night." "Call me if you need the combination to the safe. Oh hell, forget that, Jake. It's your birth date and then mine." *** Jake met Janet outside Tuesday morning when she arrived. After making sure she was ready for her tough exam that day, he asked, "Can you have dinner with me tonight?" "Dinner? You mean like a date?" Jake laughed, "Yes, Janet, just like a date. You know, wear a nice dress, fix your hair, put on makeup. I'll shave very carefully, put on a suit, and come pick you up." "Wow, it's just like in those old movies?" "Not quite, but you get the idea. Now, can you have dinner with me tonight?" "Oh, sorry I ... yes, Jake Tranton, I'd love to have dinner with you tonight." Trying for a note of sophistication, Janet asked, "What time will you call for me?" However, her question was barely out of her mouth before the giggles started. "I have a reservation for Sidney's at eight o'clock." She did not manage to hide the awe in her voice when she repeated, "Sidney's?" "I thought you might like that." "That's a ... it's a ... my folks went there on their twenty-fifth anniversary a couple of years ago." "Then you know it's an elegant dining establishment, rather than just a simple restaurant." "Yeah ... yes ... oh wow, Sidney's." "Give me your address and tell me if you can be ready at a little after seven?" Janet nodded and seemed to finish her job of feeding the dogs and washing the kennels in a daze. Jake spent most of the morning inside the house in the office. When he could finally get away from the telephone her car was already gone. It took him an hour to realize he felt depressed because he hadn't been able to kiss her. The truck bringing the dog food arrived shortly after that, giving Jake something to do. Although the driver unloaded the bags, Jake still had several bins to fill and varmint traps to check and bait. By the time he finished in the storage room, all he wanted was a cool place to sit until the muscles in his arms stopped trembling from hefting fifty pound bags. The only time that afternoon he moved from the couch was to answer the front door to receive several boxes from Billy's favorite harness and leash supplier. Somewhere around five o'clock Jake was so hot and sweaty, tired of the musty smell of dog food and overwhelmed with the cloying odor of new leather, that he was glad he had time for a soak in the whirlpool bath in the master bathroom. *** "Jake I'm scared I'll do something wrong, like a social gaffe." "I guess I understand that. I wasn't much better off the first time I had a meal in a place like this." After spending a few minutes in the bar with mixed drinks, they were sitting at their table. Janet's hands were shaking after the maitre de led them across the very quite small dining room with low lighting on the individual tables filled with gold trimmed china and sparkling crystal. "I'll tell you a secret," Jake spoke softly, as he held Janet's hand on top of the table. When she turned her attention from their surroundings to look at him, he lowered his voice. "I learned most of the waiters are just a little snobbish but they enjoy being asked for help. They like to show their skills to someone who may not be familiar with the food, utensils, and wine served during a multi-course meal. Ask you questions quietly and look at him, he'll tell you what to do." During the first course, Janet could barely eat her appetizer because she was so busy looking around the dining room at the service people. They seemed to move about without making a sound as they removed dishes and replaced them for other couples also enjoying a very special meal. During the second course, she was finally able to taste the soup, appreciating the waiter who unobtrusively touched the end of the soup spoon indicating which utensil she should use. She listened to Jake and understood when he suggested she take only a few sips of the wine. During the third course, Jake looked up from his salad, "Janet, you can't keep looking at me like that." "Why? Does it bother you that I'm impressed?" "I don't mean those looks. It's the ones where you lick your lips as you watch me. Even if I were desperate, I could not walk across this room without embarrassing myself." As the waiter removed the half-eaten salads, and another brought the fourth course, a light sorbet to cleanse the palate, Janet asked, "Why, Jake, are you aroused?" "Yes dammit, and you know it. That dress just barely covers your nipples and you are absolutely naked under it." "I'm not dressed inappropriately, am I?" Abandoning the sorbet, Jake leaned back in his chair. "No, you're not dressed inappropriately. I doubt any other man in the room knows how you are dressed with that sweet little jacket covering half of what most of them want to see. Besides, the lighting is low and they are giving their attention to their partners. It's just that I know it." "Okay then, since I'm doing it for you, just enjoy what you know and look but don't touch. That's what you want, right?" When he had arrived at her parent's house, as she had instructed, her mother had opened the front door, introduced herself, and invited him inside to meet Janet's father. The two men were seated in comfortable chairs, conversing about Jake's job, when he heard a small noise at the living room door. Unaware he had done so after his lower jaw dropped, Jake stood when Janet entered the room. "Oh darling, you look lovely," Sarah Beyer had complimented her daughter. "You're wearing the jacket too, aren't you?" "Yes, Mother, I'm wearing the jacket." Janet had walked across the room, put her hands on Jake's shoulders and rose on her toes to kiss him on the cheek as his hands went to her waist. From the low cut of the front of the body hugging dress, and the lack of a single seam showing beneath the clinging fabric, he knew without a doubt she was wearing absolutely nothing under the dress except her skin. He had no idea how her stockings were held up. She was ravishingly beautiful and he told her so. As if she was familiar with the process and had done it many times, she had handed her short jacket to Jake and turned her back to him. From the nape of her neck to a few inches above her waist all he saw was skin. He had held her jacket as any gentlemen should. She slipped her hands into the sleeves, changing her small handbag from one hand to the other as if with practiced ease. Then he rested his hands on her shoulders for a moment while he used every ounce of his willpower not to lean over and kiss the back of her neck. It wasn't that he didn't dare kiss her like that in front of her parents; he feared he could not stop there. Jake had felt a tingle in his groin and knew he was going to be in a similar state for the remainder of the evening. Why he had ever suggested and then agreed to the ridiculous notion of hands off, he did not know and was learning to regret his impulsiveness with each passing day. If he had been thinking with the head on his shoulders, he never would have suggested such a thing. He only hoped Janet was a miserable as he was, but he doubted it. She seemed to be enjoying showing him what he was missing. Hiram Beyer had walked to his daughter and patted her on the shoulder, shook hands with Jake and announced, "You two young folks have fun. I remember how wonderful our meal was when I took Sarah. Don't pass it up if they have macadamia cups with passion fruit and cream for dessert." Now, as the fifth course was placed before them, Jake was struggling to give his attention to the chicken. He had no interest whatsoever in listening to the waiter describe how the poultry was prepared with a coating of almond crusted with blueberries, peaches, & Grand Marnier. Nor did he care what vintage the wine was, nor the vineyard from which it came. "Jake?" "What, sweetheart?" Oh God, Jake was ready to kick himself and call himself every kind of a love-sick fool. He had just used a term of endearment for a woman he had only known for a few days. That he could count, he had spent somewhat less than fifteen hours with her and he was already so captivated, enchanted, and fascinated he couldn't think straight. "You won't be upset with me if I don't eat all of this, will you?" "No, sweetheart, the salmon is a lot better than the chicken. If you eat some of that we can enjoy your father's favorite dessert and not be too miserable." Despite his desire to take Janet back to Billy and Cathy's house and have his way with her, he took her home. After all, it was near midnight. A full-service, seven course meal, with all the ceremony of wine selection and presentation can last up to three hours. When the ritual of being shown to a table and placing their order was added to a final cup of coffee and a special brandy or other liquor to settle the meal, four hours spent in such an elegant atmosphere was not unreasonable. Jake walked her up the stairs to her small apartment over the garage and declined to go inside. He knew better. Janet was a little unsteady on her feet from all the wine and the late hour. If she leaned toward him and put her arms around him he might lose his restraint. Instead, he told her he would take care of the exercise and feeding of the dogs the next day and promised he would wash out the kennels, too. "I'll fix something for us to eat tomorrow evening. If you pack an overnight bag after your last class and drive out to the house, we may have time for a late swim." "Yeah, I can do that," she answered against Jake's neck as he held her while they stood on the small landing at the top of the stairs. "Jake, I had a wonderful evening. Thank you so much." "I'm glad you enjoyed it. Did I tell you how beautiful you are?" Unable to resist, Jake had his hands under the short jacket that matched her dress. His hands were against the bare skin of her back and he was miserable. Every time he moved one hand or the other, Janet shuddered or caught her breath. "I wasn't counting, but you did say something like that a few times. The one I liked the best was when you tasted the dessert. You said you'd rather taste my passion than some silly fruit which didn't deserve the name." Jake chuckled, "The waiter seemed to particularly enjoy that remark, too." Janet's tinkling laughter rippled up Jake's spine and caused chills to form across the top of his shoulders. He was going to be miserable for the rest of the night. "Kiss me good night, beautiful." *** Jake was awake before daylight. He could still smell Janet's perfume with every breath he took. He didn't even bother with a morning shower. Instead he walked down the hall and out to the patio, along the side of the pool, then dove into the deep end, and began to swim, working hard until he was so out of breath he could no longer think about anything but crawling out of the pool to lie down on one of the rope beds to recuperate. As he dressed to tend to the dogs, he was almost glad he had forgotten his boots. Billy's were half a size too small which gave him something to think about other than holding Janet and kissing her and burying himself so deeply in her heat that he could remain there for the rest of his life. After washing the kennels and filling water bowls while the dogs played and chased the rope knots he threw for them, he pulled the mower out of the garden shed and cut grass for a couple of hours. He was even industrious enough to trim some low branches on the trees in the front yard and feed them through the chipper, filling the mulch bin until it was over flowing. Those were the chores he had always grumbled about doing when he was growing up, but for the first time he realized how much satisfaction he felt when the work was done. As he reached to pull the garden shed doors closed, he looked at the ten acres next to Billy and Cathy's house. When Billy had bought this land and built the new kennels, he had encouraged Jake to purchase the ten acre plot next to it. Even if Jake never built his own house on the land, it was a good investment. He had never cut any of the trees, as Billy had done when he had his house built, so Jake's property was well shaded. Without a fence between the two home sites, the additional land seemed almost an extension of Billy's property. Although he had already serviced and cleaned the riding mower, he started it again and rode it out of the garden shed. Without giving much thought to why he was doing it, he drove around the perimeter of his acreage then continued to cut the longer grass that received the most sunshine. More than an hour later, he rode the mower back to clean and service the machine. As he once again started pulling the garden shed doors across the wide opening, he felt calm and satisfied with the work he had done that day. When he walked out of the guest bathroom, he saw Janet standing in the middle of the bedroom, still holding her small overnight bag. She turned her head from looking at the bed to look at Jake. Her voice trembled when she said, "Jake." Then she took a deep breath and admitted, "I knocked, but ... I can't believe how nervous I am." Jake wrapped the towel around his waist and walked to stand in front of her. "I'm nervous, too, sweetheart." He took her bag and placed it on the bed then turned back to her, lifted his hands to thread through the hair around her face, and held her for his kiss. He lifted his head and for a very long moment Janet stood still with her eyes closed, until she licked her lips as if she was savoring the taste of something delicious, much as she had done in the restaurant. "I'm going to put some clothes on and go fix something for our supper," Jake said. "Why don't you take your shower? I should have things ready by the time you finish." Not bothering with a shirt, Jake pulled on a pair cut off sweatpants he had worn so many years they were almost threadbare. He wasn't expecting company, there were no neighbors, and Janet had already seen all of him there was to see. He was dressing strictly for comfort. While putting their supper on the table, Janet appeared with her hair still wet. She was wearing a mid-thigh length oversized t-shirt and panties. It seemed she understood the idea of comfort, too. As they ate supper, they got into a long discussion about what Janet needed to do when she was ready to open her own clinic. She didn't want to join another vet and share a practice. She didn't mind not really making much money at first, as long as she could cover the overhead. Jake said he felt, in addition to animals needing hospitalization, if she wanted to take in a few animals while owners were out of town or on vacation, the income would go a long way toward covering that part of her expenses. She might also consider stocking some of the special diet foods, particularly for the much older pets some people seemed to pamper as if they were children. As they cleaned up the kitchen, Jake asked, "Do you want to go for a swim?" "Not really," Janet answered, her voice a little subdued and quiet. "We were up pretty late, how about a nap?" Before she could respond, Jake held his hands up and said, "Honest, a nap. I spent so much time outside today that I'm almost out on my feet." "Yeah, okay, that sounds like a good idea. I almost went to sleep in class after lunch. The guy who sits in front of me does it all the time. I think he has a part-time job and works late, or he has too many women to satisfy." Janet was laughing as Jake took her hand and led her down the hall toward the bedrooms. They pulled the spread off the bed and were just as quickly under the sheet with their heads on the pillows. Jake told Janet to turn over then pulled her against himself and held her with her hips nestled against him. She was asleep in minutes and he was dozing soon afterward. *** Jake opened his eyes as Janet slid out from under the covers and headed toward the bathroom. When she returned he knew something was different, but he wasn't sure what it was. She lifted the sheet, crawled into the bed, moved over to cuddle against him, and shivered a moment as if she were chilled from the air conditioning. Jake slid one hand under her and put his other arm around her, pulling her into his arms and then moved his hands down her back until he reached her bottom. He knew what was different. She had taken her panties off. She whimpered as he massaged the twin globes and pulled her to him. Her kiss held hunger and passion as he slid his hands slowly and lightly up along her back to her shoulders holding her, lost in their kiss. Soon, they had to come up for air. Jake lifted himself up on one elbow to lean over her, not wanting to leave her lips. The kiss started out soft and sweet but before long it was growing in passion by leaps and bounds. Janet was panting, showing her urgency and Jake was trying to slow himself down. Janet had gotten one of her arms under him and was running her hands up and down his back. She stopped for a moment to feel the ridges of his shoulder blades, then trailed her fingers down his backbone, bumping across each vertebra until she slid her hands inside his shorts. "Have you been working on some tan for this white ass?" Janet asked as she moved her leg over his hip and pushed against his ass. When he pushed his erection against the openness she was giving him she gasped and shuddered. "Jake..." she was pleading, her arm under him applying pressure to pull him on top of her. "Janet, I need to..." He struggled to slide his shorts down his hips and thrashed his legs to kick them off the side of the bed. "No! Now!" she demanded. His only thought was the demand in her voice and the demand of his own body. He was above her, moving slightly down and then back up, slipping along her slit, feeling her wetness spreading over him until the head of his cock was pressing against her hot opening. Janet drew in a full breath of air and held it, pulling him toward her as he pressed forward.