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Someone To Love

By: CruizeNessa1



Valerie ran out the door, sprinting as fast as she could, tears streaming down her face. She kept playing the horrible scene in her mind over and over again. She had walked into the house, saddened about an audition that had gone wrong. Everything in her life seemed to be going downhill. What she saw next utterly shattered any existing hopeful thought. Nick Carter, her boyfriend of three years, on the living room floor, with another woman. It was in plain sight, he hadn’t even bothered to have any decency in his cheating behavior. There wasn’t even a word spoken, he just glared at her as if she had interrupted something terribly important. That’s when she ran. 

And she ran and ran, until she could barely breathe anymore, tears blurring her vision. She had arrived at her best friend Justin’s house, looking for some condolences through someone to talk to. She almost walked up to the door when she noticed his girlfriend’s car in the driveway. She bit her lip and walked away, not wanting to become a burden on anyone. She felt hopeless and dejected, seeing the sight that she saw, and now not having anyone to talk to. Tears streamed forth from her bright green eyes, not taking one moment to relax. The depression was too much to handle. She clutched her head and collapsed in the middle of the road, not caring that she had scratched her head on the way down, and sobbed relentlessly.

That’s when she saw the headlights coming at her, and she moved slowly, realizing how odd she must look sitting on the side of the road. The headlights slowed to a stop, and Valerie wondered what was going to happen next, perhaps a murderer would come and take her life, giving her release from what she thought was a horrible existence. She welcomed death with open arms, and seriously prayed that this unknown person would just jump out of the car and kill her already.

“Valerie?” It was JC, one of Justin’s friends. “Are you ok?” She just gazed at him from her spot on the road, and nodded her head silently, trying to bite back her tears. He could see that she had been crying, and the sympathy in his blue eyes started to show. Her clothes were mussed and tattered, and her thin, tan frame peeked out from beneath them. She looked down, embarrassed at this encounter. She didn’t know JC that well, but she had always pushed back feelings of attraction from the first day she met him, not wanting to be untrue to her boyfriend. It saddened Valerie for JC to see her like this.

“I’m fine.” Her voice came out barely a whisper. He knew she wasn’t fine, and wished he could comfort her, he wished he could hold her in his arms tightly, and ease whatever pain she was feeling. He had always liked Valerie, but he knew that she had a boyfriend, and he did not want to show his feelings for her, thinking it would complicate her relationship. He never wanted to see her unhappy. He fought the urge to touch her, to reach out and embrace her, and to hold her tightly. 

“Do you need a ride home?” He said, and she let out a silent sob, not able to hold back the tears anymore.

“I-I can’t go home…” She looked up at him, and his heart sank. He did not ask any questions, but reached out to wipe a stray tear off of her face, but then thought better of it, not wanting to get too close, for fear of more heartbreak.

“You can come over to my place…” She just gazed at him, at the saddened expression on his face, and how the wind tousled his hair slightly. He looked radiant in the moonlight, and Valerie couldn’t hide her feelings any longer.

“Thank you…” She breathed out, and he reached to grab her hand, leading her to the passenger side of his car. She got in and looked straight ahead, fearing that visions of JC’s face would bring out emotions in her that she didn’t want to reveal. He got into the car, starting the drive to his house, stealing glances at Valerie every so often. She looked as if she were being torn up inside, and he began to feel sick himself, not being able to stand seeing her like this, so innocent, and so hurt. He parked in his driveway and walked to the door, Valerie following silently, her hands wrapped in each other protectively.

He ushered her inside the house, and motioned for her to sit down. She sat on the couch, while he quickly went to the kitchen and got a cloth. He had noticed the cut on her head when she had stepped into the light of his house, and wanted to nurse it. She was on the couch curled up in a little ball, eyes closed, trying her hardest not to think of anything hurtful. She felt like committing suicide. JC sat down gently next to her, not wanting to startle her. Her eyes flew open, and she looked at the towel he held in his hand.

“You have a cut…” He trailed off as he bent down to dab it with the cloth, but she couldn’t handle it any longer, and turned around into his arms, burying her head in the crook of his neck, needing someone to hold her. She started sobbing again, releasing everything that she had pent up on the ride to his house. He gently placed his hands on her back, liking the feel of her in his arms, but not knowing exactly what to do. He started gently rocking her back and forth, and placed a hand in her hair, caressing it gently.

“It’s going to be alright Valerie… I’m so sorry…” He whispered in her ear and gripped her tighter. “You know I love you…” She sat up quickly at those words, and he opened his eyes too, just as surprised as she was that they came out of his mouth.

“Valerie, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to…” He said, the whole while looking into her eyes. He reached up to touch her face, his bottom lip slightly quivering. “I could never hurt you…” She reached up and placed her hand on top of his, and reached out with the other hand to touch his cheek. Her lips were pouted, and they looked so inviting to him. They both leaned in to each other, brushing their lips together slightly. Pulling back slightly, Valerie looked into JC’s eyes deeply, and leaned in again, this time kissing him harder. They both parted their lips, and JC cautiously slipped his tongue into her mouth, not wanting to overstep his boundaries. She welcomed it with her own, tracing her tongue along his lips, savoring the softness of it. Pulling herself underneath JC, he laid on top of her and deepened the kiss, tracing her jaw line softly with his fingertips. She pushed him up, wanting to touch him, and placed her hands on his chest, running them up and down softly over his t-shirt. Tears welled up in her eyes as she did this, and JC saw this, hating seeing her cry.

“I’m so sorry.” He said, pulling away from her. “I’ve gone too far.” She just looked up and shook her head, grabbing his hand in her own.

“No… it’s just that it…” She gazed at him longingly. “It feels so right…” All of her emotions for JC were coming out. “I’ve been wanting to touch you forever JC… please… I need someone... I need you... to love me…” Her eyes pleaded with his, and he smiled, a tear of joy escaping from his eye. They both stood up quickly, letting all of the built up desire finally run it’s course. They could see it in each other’s eyes, the fires of passion burning deeply, and JC took Valerie by the hand, leading her into the bedroom quickly. 

Once they got inside, Valerie removed JC’s t-shirt, and let her hands roam his smooth, defined chest, loving the feel of it. JC pulled her in for another kiss, their lips and tongues moving quickly, wanting to taste of each other forever. As he kissed her, he ran his long fingers underneath her shirt, caressing her breasts through the thin material of her bra. He pulled away from her, looking at her flushed, beautiful face, and her chest heaving slightly with excitement. Her eyes were half closed, and he pulled her shirt over her head, unclasping her bra in the process. It glided off of her shoulders, and he bit his lip, tracing the outline of her breasts with his eyes slowly.

He grabbed her by the torso, and led her to the bed, guiding himself on top of her. She reached up to kiss him, but he pushed her head back by her chin, and kissed the sensitive skin of her neck, moving to caress her collarbone with his warm tongue. She writhed beneath him, clutching the sheets beneath her.

“And we haven’t even started yet…” JC breathed into her breast, before he placed butterfly kisses all around the nipple, then bit it gently. She panted his name softly, and he moved lower with his mouth, reaching up above him to trace his fingertips along her breasts, while kissing her smooth stomach, each kiss coming dangerously close to her center. He unbuttoned her jeans carefully, pulling them down along with her underwear, revealing her tanned, toned thighs. He moved his palms to her hips, and pushed them down, bracing Valerie for his attack. He looked into her eyes before he bent down and brushed his long tongue against her center, causing her to squirm with delight. He continued his quick and complicated assault, knowing exactly where to please her.

Before she had her release, he pulled up the length of her body, licking his lips. She reached up to kiss him, devouring his mouth and tasting herself on his lips. As they kissed, Valerie moved to unbutton JC’s slacks, pulling him out of his jeans and boxers. She gently tugged on his hard length, guiding him exactly where she needed to feel him. He covered her hand with his own, and soon pressed into her. Valerie moaned, feeling his length completely fill her. He placed his hands underneath the small of her back, and pushed her up to where she was sitting against the headboard of the bed, moving his legs beneath her. She was straddling him, and he began to drive into her, so slowly that she felt like her legs were going to give way. She lowered her head to his ear, and licked his earlobe, feeling him shiver underneath her. This caused him to buck his hips faster inside of her, and he pushed her arms against the headboard, as he moved in and out of her at a fast pace. Her breathing became a series of pants as he made love to her, and before she knew it, he had lifted her up and pushed her against the wall next to the bed, grabbing her thighs and wrapping them around his waist. 

His desire had overcome him, and he could not help but to pound into her as fast as he could. He heard her labored breathing and this drove him to drive into her harder, and her screams could soon be heard throughout the house. When he felt himself about to release, he placed his hand against the wall next to her head, still moving, and kissed Valerie deeply, feeling her start to shake with her orgasm. With another powerful thrust, he released into her, never breaking their kiss. 

He finally pulled out of her, and she groaned at the loss, sliding down the wall. He kissed her again, seeing tears form in her eyes, but he knew that these were tears of joy, and seeing that they shared the same feelings was a dream come true to him.

Someone to Love



"Ach, mein Got, Ach mein Got—oh my god." Friedrich cried out in his glorious anguish. The monster black cock was killing him. He was panting hard, unable to breath, every sensation in his body tuned to that thick pole moving ever deeper inside him. He struggled to move away, to find some sense of relief, if only temporarily, if only to try to better accommodate the sinking pillar that was splitting him asunder. But strong, chocolate-brown, ropy-muscled arms were pulling him even closer into a firm, bulging chest—and turning him onto his belly. Big, calloused hands were grabbing at his thighs, pulling his legs up behind him and around the slim hips of his oppressor. Pulling his butt cheeks in closer to the groin of his assaulter. Sinking that massive black cock deeper and deeper into his channel.

"Ach, mein Got. Du bist . . . killing me!" The huge pillar inside him started to slide in and out, balls slapping against his butt cheeks. "Acchhhh!"

* * * *

"No, Mon, you need to have a full frontal photo like I have, see? The German men, they lika' the huge black cocks. And yours is even bigger than mine. We Ghanaian swing like elephants, Mon, and all the Europeans pant for our cocks. It's what gets us out of Ghana, Mon. And you have to brag on toppin' all day, Mon. It's what will get you a ticket outta here."

It was four months earlier than our opening scene, and the proud-talking Felix was showing the much shyer Tomas how to set his profile up on a European male dating Web site. They were using the computer in the company farm office during the noon hour, when all of the supervisors had taken off for their two-hour lunch and, for those who were lucky, their hour-long afternoon fuck before returning to their work at a cooler hour of the day.

Tomas was trying to take in what Felix had to offer him from much greater experience, but he just couldn't be that open on the Internet. He had provided a very nice photograph of himself on that boat cruise out into the ocean, standing by the railing in his Sunday-best sport shirt and khaki trousers, smiling shyly into the camera. Felix had said he looked too vulnerable in the photograph—that he needed to show his heavy-swinging cock to get attention. But Tomas liked that photograph; he thought it honestly showed what he had to offer—honesty and steadfastness. And he was looking for more than a good fuck. For a good fuck he could just stay here in Accra. Many—both men and women—had already felt his cock inside them, and they had all come back sniffing for more.

What Tomas wanted was to get out of Ghana permanently. He had scrimped and saved for this trip to Germany, and this Web site that his friend, Felix, liked so much was seen by Tomas not so much as an arousing entertainment of word fucking with other men as a chance to meet someone to love, someone to take care of him, someone to take him away from Africa forever.

Felix moaned, "No, Mon, you can't say that," as he watched Tomas type just those sentiments into his "looking for," section on the Web site. But Tomas was standing steady. He knew what he was looking for. He was looking to get out of Ghana for good—and for some one who would love and take care of him.

Right before Tomas clicked on the submit button, though, Felix leaned across him and made just a few adjustments. He put "50-60" and "1-on-1" in the "seeking" field and dropped down and marked XL and XT, extra-long and extra-thick, respectively, on the personal statistics listing. It was only honest, Felix thought, to justify his action—and it was what those older European men were looking for—those men with enough experience and money who would be willing to hire a driver or a houseboy, for instance, from Ghana to work as a domestic during the day and as fuck dominator at night. Because that, essentially, was what his friend, Tomas, was looking to be whether or not he realized or would accept it.

Three weeks later, not long before Tomas was to leave on his two-week trip to Germany, he had received three serious contacts through the Web site—serious enough to have arranged meetings with him in Frankfurt, where his plane would touch down.

Felix, on the other hand, still had only received word fuck propositions—men who were willing to talk big in cyber space but who went silent if and when Felix started suggesting that they could actually meet.

Felix was a little pissed that Tomas's profile had done so much better than his in providing even the slightest possibility of either of them getting out of Ghana for good.

The first man Tomas had arranged to see in Frankfurt met him at the airport. He was a construction worker from Wiesbaden and was in his mid forties. A bit on the pudgy side, but with thick-muscled arms the size of tree trunks and with the strength of a water buffalo. As strong as Tomas himself was, he proved no match for this straightforward, go-directly-for-what-he-wanted German—especially when surprise was on Klaus's side. Tomas was taken directly by motorcycle to a nearby convenience hotel, where Klaus had told him he had set up a room where Tomas could stay while Klaus, as promised, showed him around Frankfurt for two days of "get acquainted" activities. Once inside the nearly threadbare hotel room, though, Klaus had clopped Tomas on the chin. When he came to, Tomas was naked and trussed up, on his belly with his arms bound behind his back and a leather belt circling his neck and bound to the slats of the headboard of the bed. Klaus was straddling his hips and huffing and puffing as he fucked Tomas hard. 

Tomas had never been fucked before. And he almost choked himself in trying not to be fucked this time—although it was already a little late for that gesture when he slipped back into consciousness.

After taking him hard and without a word beyond the usual dirty language of enjoying getting his rocks off—all of which was just beyond the pale of Tomas's comprehension anyway even though he had taken a crash course in basic German before leaving Ghana on this hopeful vacation—Klaus took a break. He fell into a chair by the bed and tossed off a beer as his eyes examined, with appreciation, the magnificent black prize that had fallen into his net. Then, after belching, and rolling on a fresh condom, he fucked Tomas again. In just the same manner—not showing a bit of creativity.

And then he was gone—never to be seen again. Tomas, sore and a little chagrined, tried to make the best of the situation. He had never been fucked before—every partner he'd ever coupled with wanted to try the challenge of having his cock inside them. So, at least he had added a new sexual experience—and, although it wasn't that bad, Klaus's cock being nothing to be too proud of—the man had worn condoms and it confirmed for Tomas that he liked topping best. Beyond that, he had a hotel room and didn't have to find one on his own now—and there were two more men on his list to meet.

He did think long and hard over his simple meal in the hotel restaurant, though, whether he really wanted to contact the other men now. Was this just all a trap; was it not really possible to find someone to love and take care of him in exchange for incredible cocking on these male dating sites?

One thing was for sure. Neither of these other men was going to be given the chance to take him by surprise as that first one did.

The next man sounded shy and hesitant—almost like he would back out of the contact—when Tomas called him on the telephone.

They met in a little café near the old opera house square in the city. The man appeared to be in his mid fifties, and Tomas saw, with relief, that there was little chance of this man taking him by surprise and manhandling him like the first one did.

He was nice looking. Not too fat, not too thin; gray hair and eyes; a once-handsome face given to deep experience lines. A slight hobble as he came to the table. A natural shyness and a touch of something else—a sense of grieving and reticence.

In their conversation, it was revealed that the slight lameness was the last vestige of an automobile accident that had taken the life of the man this one had been living with for the past thirty years.

The man had had trouble—or so he claimed; Tomas had quickly learned to be wary about everything anyone told him—adjusting to being alone, which had sent him to the German dating Web site, where he had found and responded to Tomas's profile.

For the next two days, the man escorted Tomas around Frankfurt and to surrounding towns. He spoke little and, when doing so, his eyes were downcast as if he could not completely take Tomas in.

Tomas became a little edgy and frustrated. Was the man disappointed in him and just being polite, wanting to be rid of him but not quite knowing how to do it.

One day, in a park near Oberusale, where they sat on a blanket under the shade of a tree and just out of sight of the walking path, Tomas reached over and touched the man's hand. They had been drinking wine and eating cheese and peasant bread, and the man had been more open than in the two days prior to that. He was speaking of his lost lover with affection, and Tomas felt the loss of the departed lover like a knife in his own belly. Thus, it was almost blind instinct that led Tomas to reach over and touch the man's hand in sympathy.

But the man snatched his hand away as if he had been touched with a lit match. And, stricken, Tomas lowered his face and apologized profusely. This Web site idea had been a complete failure, he told himself in the silence that followed. Nothing had gone right. This wasn't the way to find what he wanted.

Hearing the sob, however, he looked up. The man was looking intently at Tomas. Tears were streaming down his cheeks.

Once again, Tomas tried to apologize, but the man reached over and placed a finger on Tomas's lips.

"Please, no, Tomas. You have done nothing wrong," the man whispered. "It's just that you are so, so much like my Peter. Not in looks, of course, but inside—in your heart and in your kindness. You are so kind to be spending time with a tired old man like me. So kind. So much . . . like . . . Peter."

Tomas wanted to take the man in his arms right there, but the man insisted that they go back to his flat, which turned out to be quite large and well furnished. He obviously was a man of substance.

The man trembled and shuddered when he saw the size of Tomas's cock and had repeatedly run his hands over the fine, well-muscled gleaming-black body of this open and honest black stranger from the south for nearly a half hour before Tomas had suggested they needed to move on in their lovemaking.

He had fondled and caressed and licked and tried to swallow Tomas's cock until Tomas could take no more and took the man, lightly muscled and almost delicate in his nakedness, into his lap and slowly, ever so slowly entered and filled him to overstretching and listened to the man cry out his "Ach mein Got" exclamations of glorious anguish at the deepest and fullest taking he had ever experienced. But when Tomas had finally brought both himself and the man to ejaculation, the man demanded another fucking, saying he never wanted to release that glorious black pole filling the void of his channel.

* * * *

Having experienced the exultation of ravishment on the pole of his magnificent African lover yet again, Friedrich moved out of the sleeping embrace of Tomas and sat at the side of the bed, looking down at the treasure that he never would have imagined could come to him by way of the Web site he had put his profile on as a last-ditch effort to find some second chance at joy in life. All of his friends had told him he was a fool. He could never find an honest and steadfast lover on such a Web site, they said.

Well, it had been three months already and they had put Tomas's papers in for permanent residency, and Tomas had shown nothing but appreciation and love toward him. He would have loved the Tomas that he had come to know in those first two days of rediscovering Frankfurt with each other no matter what. The gigantic black cock that did such wonders in his channel was merely a bonus.

The previous day, in turning the pockets of a pair of Tomas's pants inside out before putting them in the washer, a slip of paper had fallen out. It had three contact numbers on it—the first marked out in heavy ink. The second was his. But there was a third one. When he had asked Tomas about that number, Tomas had said that, after meeting him, there had been no need for that third number.

For some reason, Friedrich felt sublimely contented when he heard that. He leaned over and started to massage the ropy muscles on Tomas's neck and shoulders, and the beautiful African opened his eyes and reached for Friedrich again. And soon Friedrich was panting and throwing his legs as wide as possible to accommodate the invading cock of the amazing African—and loving each inch as it sank into him.

No one could tell either Tomas or Friedrich that love could not be found on the Internet.



Someone to Love Us



Thanks, as always, to my editing team, PapaKilo14 and Hal: they catch the typos and embarrassing gaffes; my beta readers, Denny, who is just awesome at everything, and GeorgeAnderson, who is new to the team and Olddave1951 who gave it a first read while he was recovering. Thanks guys, I love you all. 

*

I passed the door of the department store and looked in the window. There was a line of kids inside about fifty long, waiting to talk to Santa. He looked like he was about twenty-years-old and really didn't want to be there. I didn't blame him a bit. Kids these days! I saw one of the store workers come up and chain off the queue so no one else could get in line. I guess Santa's shift was over. I was mildly amused so I watched for a minute. I saw a young woman and a little girl hurrying toward the door. They rushed inside and I could see their faces fall when they saw the "closed" sign. The little girl was especially hard hit. They came back outside and she was crying softly. I could hear her mother talking to her.

"I'm so sorry, baby. I came as soon as I got off work."

"I know, Mom. It's not your fault," the little girl hugged her mother. "It's just that tomorrow is Christmas and I won't get another chance. I really, really needed to talk to him."

They stood there for a minute, just holding each other. "Come on, Molly," the mother said. "If we're going to get a bed we need to get to the shelter."

Jesus Christ, they were breaking my heart. "Excuse me, Ma'am," I cleared my throat. "I don't mean to intrude, but I couldn't help overhearing. If your daughter really needs to talk to Santa I can arrange that."

They both looked up at me with wide, frightened eyes. Mom had one of the most beautiful faces I've ever seen. She was some exotic ethnic blend, probably mostly black, but there was some white and maybe Hispanic thrown in there, too. Daughter was even lighter skinned than Mom was and they both had those tilted up, almond shaped eyes that just stole your soul.

Mom started to edge away from me, shepherding her daughter half behind her. "Please, don't be afraid," I said. I knelt down on the snowy sidewalk. I know my size can be intimidating. "Just listen to me for a minute and I won't bother you anymore."

They stopped retreating and stared at me, still obviously frightened. "What do you want, Mister?" Mom asked.

"My company is having a Christmas party at the Adams Hotel tonight," I told them. "I know for a fact that Santa is going to be there. I heard you say that you needed a place to stay tonight. It's bitterly cold out here and I'm afraid you won't get a place. I know the nearest shelter and you're late. There'll be a line already formed and you're not in it. I have 25 rooms booked at that hotel in case some of my staff get a little inebriated and need to stay. There will be food at the party, presents for everyone, and I guarantee that you'll get to stay in one of those rooms tonight. You can probably stay longer. You can order anything you want from room service. I'll give you a card and if you show it at the door, they'll let you in. I guarantee it."

"What do you want from us?" Mom asked.

"I want you to make me happy by letting me help you," I told her.

"Why would you do that?" she asked.

"I'm a nice guy," I grinned at her. "It's Christmas. I can help you and I will; no strings attached. I tell you what, I'll get you a cab and you run over to the shelter. You let me be your backup plan. If you get a bed, you can always go back there after you talk to Santa. If you don't, you come to me, okay?"

They stared at me for a minute. "He has nice eyes, Mom," the little one said.

Mom took a step toward me and held out her mittened hand. I put my card in it and hailed a cab. It pulled up and I gave the cabbie a fifty. "Give them the change when you drop them off," I told him. "You wait and see if they get in. If they don't, you bring them to the Adams and there's another hundred waiting for you. If they get in but they still want to come to the Adams, you bring them. You still get the hundred. Do you understand?" I tore a hundred in half and handed him one half.

"Yes sir," he said.

They climbed in and drove off. I didn't expect to see them again. There was just too much pain and mistrust in those eyes. I sighed. What a fucked up world we live in. Just in case, I went into the department store. They had been all bundled up and it was hard to tell what size they were. I would just have to guess. I figured they'd be skinny. They probably weren't eating too well. Mom was tall, probably close to six feet. Daughter was little, maybe four or five. I got a sales person to help me. She was a young woman and very helpful. I described what I wanted and we guessed at sizes. I had them wrapped and when I went outside the car was waiting. Fredrick took me to the hotel and I got changed for the party.

It was well underway when I stepped off the elevator and a server came over to ask me what I wanted to drink. I asked for a good bourbon and went to the table. People slapped my back and congratulated me on a great party. I nodded politely and shook a few hands. Malina came to meet me and I kissed her cheek. She looked stunning and she led me to the table. Malina is my Personal Assistant and I'd be lost without her. She's this gorgeous, Hispanic, jungle cat kind of a woman, a tawny complexion and a mane of dark hair with auburn glints in it. I'd been at the table about ten minutes and Paul, my sales manager, and Malina were telling me an amusing anecdote about a meeting earlier in the day. There was a little commotion outside the door and one of the hotel staff came over to me.

"Sir, there is a... person outside," he said in a condescending voice. "She says you invited her to the party. She has a child with her and she had your card. Do you want me to get rid of her?"

I jumped up. "Absolutely not," I said. "Paul, Malina, would you excuse me for a minute?"

I went to the door just in time to see them disappearing outside. I hurried out onto the sidewalk and caught them. "I'm so sorry," I said. "Come in, please. I was hoping you'd come but I was afraid you wouldn't. Did you get a bed?"

Mom shook her head sadly. "No," her voice cracked a little. "You were right. We were too late."

I saw the cabbie standing there and I gave him the other half of the hundred I'd promised. "Thanks, man," I told him.

"Thank you, sir," he said. "Have a great Christmas."

They both had backpacks on and I took Mom's elbow and brought them back inside. We walked up to the desk and I talked to the Manager. He looked at them like they smelled bad and that pissed me off. "Is there a problem with your attitude?" I asked him.

"No, sir," he looked away from my eyes. He gave me a key card and I got the things I had bought for them from behind the desk.

"Why don't you go up to your room, get cleaned up and come back down for the party?" I said. "It'll be going on until at least midnight. I'll make sure Santa is waiting and then we'll eat, okay?" I handed them the packages.

"What are these?" Mom asked.

"I told you there would be presents," I said.

She looked at me suspiciously but the little one was so excited that it was impossible for her to say no. I took them to the elevator and told them that the door attendant would bring them to me when they came back down.

I gave the bellhop the word and it was close to an hour before I saw them coming. I was stunned at the transformation. Mom was a vision and the little one was a heart breaker. They both had this mop of black curls that stuck out in complete disorder. Their hair was nearly down to the middle of their backs and it was just gorgeous. Mom had on the red dress I had bought for her and I had guessed pretty close. The little one was in blue and the sales girl had been spot on with her too. They both had fuzzy shawls over their bare shoulders and gold bracelets. Leather chokers with pink safed coral moonga stones were around their necks and they were just gorgeous. They were walking a little gingerly and I suspected that I hadn't gotten the shoe sizes right. They both were carrying little black clutches and I stood up when they got to the table. There were chairs on either side of me that I had reserved for them.

I hugged Mom and she was as stiff as a steel post. "I need to know your names so I can introduce you," I whispered. "You're old friends of mine. Just play along, okay?"

I could feel her nod and she smelled very good. "I'm Sahara Wright and she's Molly," she whispered. "Who are you?"

"Bleys Wainwright," I said. "I own the company that is having the party. It's Wainwright Consulting." She nodded again.

I introduced them to Malina and Paul as old friends I had invited. They sat down and I got champagne for Sahara and punch for Molly. They took a sip or two and I took them over to the buffet. I suspected they were very hungry so we filled plates and I took them into a meeting room where we ate together. I was right about them being hungry. They finished long before I was done and I took them back. They filled their plates again and we took them back to the meeting room again. I managed to finish before they polished off the second plates and we went to get dessert. We took that back to the main table and ate slowly while the band started playing.

I looked over at Molly and she just had this glow on her face that lit up the whole room. It wasn't long before Paul asked her to dance. She looked hesitantly at her mother and Sahara nodded. I could hear her laughter as Paul twirled her around and she moved like an acrobat. I danced with Malina and Paul came back to the table with Molly. She whispered to her mother and when I brought Malina back, I asked Sahara. She tried to turn me down but when Molly lent her pleas to Paul and Malina's she gave in reluctantly. She didn't know how to ballroom dance, but you could tell she knew some kind of dancing. She moved like a dream and she was very athletic and flexible. I dipped her once and she bent over nearly in the shape of a U, her hair brushing the floor.

When the song ended, we went back and I sat between them again. I caught the door attendant's eye and he brought brightly colored packages over. He sat them on the table and went out to the lobby. When he came back, Santa was with him. Santa was Bill Kemp, my ex-father. He's been my best friend for more than 20 years. When Samantha left me to "pursue her dreams" ten years ago, he disowned her. As far as I know, he's never spoken to her since. His own marriage nearly fell apart over it until Helena, his wife, finally came to the realization that he wasn't going to budge and if she wanted to salvage her marriage, she was going to have to turn her back on Samantha, too. He's the kindest man I've ever met, but honor and loyalty aren't just words to him. That's the code he lives by. He's been my security chief since I formed the company back in 1998.

Molly squealed when she saw him. When he came up to the table, he looked like he had just dropped in straight from the North Pole. "Molly?" he asked. "Is that you? The elves tell me you're on the naughty list."

Molly looked like she was about to cry. "No, honey, Santa was just joking," Bill was horrified. "Of course you're on the nice list. Now you have to sit on my knee and tell me what you want."

Molly climbed up and put her arms around his neck. We all heard her soft little voice. "Santa, we need somewhere to live. It's cold outside and we're afraid to sleep in the subway. Me and Mom just need someone to love us. Daddy doesn't love us and we're really lonely. Please, can't you send us someone to love us?"

Bill was too emotional to speak. He looked around at us desperately and we were all trying to see through the tears in our eyes. I heard a choking gasp from Sahara and she jumped up, pulling Molly down off Bill's lap and walking rapidly toward the door.

Malina glared at me. "Do something," she choked out. "Don't let them get away."

I sprang to my feet and caught them before they could get outside. I blocked the exit and knelt down in front of them.

"Please, just let us go," Sahara said. "This was a bad idea. Thank you, but I can't let her get her hopes up like this," she was sobbing brokenly.

"Sahara, it was the best idea I ever had," I told her. "You don't need to go anywhere. You have a warm room upstairs with a good bed and a big bathtub. I'm going to be two rooms down from you and Malina is one floor up. I told you that you could stay here. You can stay as long as you need to. I can help you. Do you need a job? I can give you one. It isn't charity; you'll work hard and earn every penny. You can stay here until you get on your feet. If you insist, you can pay me back when you're able to. Give me a chance, please. Molly deserves this and so do you. You didn't open your presents. Let's go back in there with our heads high. It's Christmas Eve, Sahara. Let Molly's wish come true. If you can just bring yourself to trust me, trust Malina and Paul and Santa. We're good people, Sahara. You're good people, too. Let's make this a Christmas to remember."

She looked at me doubtfully. Molly ran to me and threw her arms around me. "I love you, Bleys," she said. "Mom, can we please open our presents?"

I stood up and offered Sahara my hand. She took it hesitantly. "Chin up, shoulders back," I told her.

We walked back in and no one said a word. We all had presents, even Santa, and Molly was thrilled with two dolls, a stuffed unicorn and a big tin can of different flavored popcorn. Sahara got a fluffy bathrobe, a big box of all different kinds of fudge and a gift card for Macy's. I got one of those wrist things that keeps track of how fit you're getting and a gift card from iTunes along with three bottles of cologne. Everyone got a kick out of that.

"So, I see what everyone thinks of me," I laughed. "I'm fat and I smell bad."

"We just want you around for a while," Malina teased me. "He's a very special guy, girls. If you're going to stay with us, you have to help us take charge of him. He'll just read books and get fat and never do anything or go anywhere but work if we don't hound him."

They all had a good laugh at my expense and I pretended to be very angry. I couldn't maintain the pretense when Molly climbed up on my lap and kissed my cheek. "I don't know what that 'hound' is," she said, "but I know Mom and I want you to be around for a long time, too."

I looked over at Sahara and those big brown eyes were liquid pools. We talked and played some party games until Molly started yawning.

"Some of us are four years old," Sahara said. "I need to put Molly to bed. Can I talk to you later, Bleys?"

"Do you want to come to my room?" I asked.

I could tell right away that she wasn't comfortable with that. "It's okay," I quickly said. "There's a sitting area down at the end of the hall. Come by and knock on my door and we'll go there."

"Thank you," she said. "Thank you all. This has been the best night of our lives. We'll always remember you all and how kind you were to us. My shoes are killing me," she grinned at me. "I'm a size ten." We all laughed.

"We're not through being kind to you," Bill said. "We'll see you around, Sahara. Molly, you're the sweetest little girl Santa has ever had on his knee. I'm going to see what I can do about your Christmas wish, okay?"

She hugged him and they walked away.

"Damn it, Bleys," Malina exploded as soon as they got in the elevator. "That was the saddest and sweetest thing I've ever seen in my life. I thought I was going to cry like a baby. How could you do that to that beautiful girl?"

"Hey, how was I supposed to know she was going to say that?" I asked. "I thought she wanted a pony or something."

Bill pulled off his beard and hat. "I was smothering to death," he gasped. "It's not your fault, Bleys, but if you don't help those girls I'll never speak to you again. I swear to God if you don't do something, I'm going to adopt them myself. Malina and Paul will quit you tomorrow."

"I don't need to be blackmailed," I said. "Jesus Christ, I'm the one that brought them here. I'll do what needs to be done. I'll make sure they get what they need."

"I think that's a very proud young woman," Paul said. "You better walk on eggshells with how you go about helping them."

"Give me credit for having a little sense," I protested.

Malina snorted. "You don't have sense enough to come in out of the snow. You're going to screw it all up."

"Well, I keep you all in a job, don't I?" I asked.

They all just looked disgusted. "Yes, you do, and we're all grateful," Paul said. "You're a smart guy, Bleys, but you have all the tact of a sledge hammer. You know that."

"Well, you just watch my smoke," I told them. "If you give me any more shit I'm going to fire the lot of you."

They all looked disgusted again. I had enough of their attitudes so I told them I was calling it a night. Malina and Paul hugged me and Bill just patted my shoulder. I left them to demolish my character and I went up to my suite. I actually live there. I changed out of my suit and into shorts and a t-shirt. I spent an hour on the treadmill, trying out my new calorie watchdog and grabbed a quick shower. I pulled on clean shorts and a robe and I was drinking water with fruit in it to get rehydrated when I heard a soft knock on the door. I poured two more glasses and carried them down to the sitting room. Sahara was there in her new robe.

I gave her a glass and we sat on opposite ends of the sofa. She curled her legs up under her the way women can and men can't.

"I need to tell you some things," she said.

"You're really Cat Woman," I said.

She laughed and the tension went out of the air. "I wish," she said. "No, I'm really a homeless person. I'm a single mother with no money, no skills, no high school diploma and a four-year-old daughter that would be taken away from me if Family Services knew where I was."

"That's where you're wrong," I told her. "You live at the Adams Hotel and those douche bags in Family Services couldn't afford your rent. You have a good job. You're going to learn skills and you're going to graduate from high school this year. Then you're going to enroll in college and you're going to get good grades. You are a single mother. I don't know how that happened, but you now have a support network and you're going to be fine. So is Molly. It's going to be a lot of hard work, but I have every confidence you're up to the task. The mom I saw rushing down the sidewalk after work so her daughter could talk to Santa has character. I'm betting the house on that. Tell me I'm wrong."

"I won't tell you that, but some people might," she said. "I got pregnant my junior year of high school. My mom kicked me out of the house when I told her. I lived with Molly's father for a year and a half. After he beat me up for the fifth time, we left. I had to drop out of school and I work part time at a convenience store. That's where I could get a job. I owe hospital bills I can't pay. I barely manage to feed us. I've made a bunch of bad decisions in my life, Bleys. I'm smart enough, but I've been very, very stupid. I'm in such a hole I haven't been able to climb out of it. Every time I manage to save a little money, something happens. Molly gets sick, thieves steal it at the shelter, and I've been robbed twice. People try to take advantage of me. There's a pimp that's trying to force me to become his whore. I'm desperate enough that I've been considering it. I've heard you have to hit the bottom before you can climb back up. I've been at the bottom for a long time. I just want you to know what you're getting into. I'll work hard. I'll do anything you ask me to do. I won't have sex with you or anyone else."




Someone to Love Us



"I guess I know where that's coming from," I told her. "I don't ever want to hear that again. You're a beautiful woman, Sahara, but no one is expecting you to have sex with them. If I wanted that, I could just visit that pimp you were talking about. I know you probably have trouble believing what I'm telling you, but you'll see. You're going to quit that part time job. This job that you're taking has health insurance and a 401K. It has stock options and profit sharing. You'll start Monday."

"Why can't I start tomorrow?" she asked.

"Tomorrow is Christmas Day," I told her. "We don't work on Christmas. You need to go shopping after Christmas. You need to dress professionally and Molly needs to look like a professional's daughter."

"What will I be doing?" she asked.

"Anything Malina tells you to do." I said. "You're going to be her assistant. She may have you making coffee, filling the paper towel holder in the restroom or escorting important clients from one office to another. You may be typing reports or taking notes in meetings. You'll do whatever she needs you to do. Well, if she tells you to have sex with her, you don't have to do that," I grinned at her.

She laughed. "Okay, I guess I deserved that. Since she told me she's engaged, I suspect that won't be a problem."

"Well, she goes both ways," I said. "She's not a cheater, though. Now, do you have anything you need to tell me?"

"Yes, I do," she said. "I have 73 dollars. How am I supposed to buy clothes to dress professionally in?"

"You have a card for Macy's," I told her. "I'll have Malina take you and help you pick out what you need."

"How much is on it?" she asked.

"I have no idea," I said. "Malina will have a corporate American Express Card. If yours runs dry, she'll use that. You'll have one by the end of the week. You have to account for your expenses, but you can use it for anything you need. Just make sure you need it. You'll have to answer to Malina for what you spend. You can use it for food until you get your own cards. After that, it's up to you. You may need to eat here for a while. You can order anything you want from room service. You can eat in the restaurant here. It won't cost you anything. You can get toiletries from the hotel and anything you want from the concierge that is available. That will be at no cost. That should help you get started. Anything else?"

"What are Molly and I going to do tomorrow?" she asked.

"Hopefully, you're going to go with me to my daughter's house for Christmas dinner," I said.

"Oh, no, we couldn't impose on your family like that," she protested.

"It's only an imposition if I, or she, don't want you there," I said. "I want you there very badly and once she meets the two of you, she's going to want you there, too. She's a very nice person, Sahara. She's much nicer than I am. That's the way I raised her. I wanted her to be better than I am. Thankfully, she did what I said, not what I did."

"Do you think she'll like me?" her voice was tremulous and frightened.

"I think she'll love you, and I know she'll love Molly. Don't worry; I won't leave you alone with anyone you don't know."

She sniffed a couple of times and nodded. She stood up. "I'm going to go to bed now. Thank you, Bleys. I'll never be able to thank you enough."

"Just be happy and take care of yourself and Molly. Live a good life, that's all I want you to do."

She came and stood in front of me, her huge tilted up eyes fixed on mine. She stood on her tiptoes and incredibly soft lips brushed my cheek. She fled down the hallway and was gone.

When I knocked on their door early the next morning Molly opened it and threw herself into my arms.

"Good morning, angel," I hugged her close. "Are you ready to go?"

"Yes, me and Mom washed our clothes this morning. You should see our huge bed, Bleys," she dragged me off to the bedroom to show me. I saw that they'd had fruit and cereal delivered. Sahara was just pulling a sweater down over her head and I got a flash of milk chocolate skin and a red bra. She gave a little shriek when her head popped through the turtleneck.

"Bleys, Jesus, don't you knock?"

"He did knock, Mom," Molly told her. "I wanted to show him our bed!"

Sahara blushed and it was an interesting effect. Her cheeks took on a pink cast that spread beautifully down her neck. "Sorry," she glared at Molly. "Do I bring people into rooms while you're getting dressed?" she asked.

"Sorry, Mom, I thought you were dressed," Molly apologized.

"Well, it was a good show," I grinned at Sahara. Her blush deepened but she laughed.

"Well, I am dressed now," she said. "Are we ready? I'm sorry I don't have any nice clothes like you got us, Bleys."

Both of them had on jeans, sneakers and bulky sweaters. They might be a little warm at Alicia's but they looked great to me. "You're fine," I said. "Let's go."

The car was waiting when we got out front and we climbed in while Fredrick held the door. "Is this your car?" Molly asked. "Don't you ever drive? How come it's so big?"

I laughed. I remembered Alicia asking all those questions too. "It belongs to the company, I do drive sometimes and it's big so I can haul Molly and Sahara in it."

"Don't ask so many questions," Sahara told her.

"How will I ever know anything if I don't ask questions?" Molly asked.

"That's right," I said. "You're a smart girl."

Sahara rolled her eyes. "Please, don't encourage her. She never stops."

When we pulled up in front of Alicia's building Molly looked up in awe. "Why does your family all live in such tall buildings?" she asked.

"We like to make people's necks ache from looking up," I told her.

She looked up at me to see if I was serious. "Nuh-uh," she said. "You shouldn't lie to little girls, Bleys."

We both laughed and the door attendant opened the door for us and took us to the elevator. When it opened there were delicious smells filling the hallway. I rang the bell and in a minute, Alicia pulled the door open and flung herself into my arms. We kissed and I just held her for a minute. I love my little girl. She's not at all little any more. She's twenty-two and a second semester junior in college. I introduced her to Sahara and Molly and she hugged them, too. She hugs everyone. We were swept up in her tornado of energy and whisked through the door and inside. Cloe, her roommate gave a little shriek and came running to hug me.

"Hi Dad, (she's called me that since she was in the first grade) I've missed you!" She kissed me a dozen times and I introduced her, too, explaining our relationship to Sahara and Molly. Cloe and Alicia swept them off into the kitchen and when I checked Sahara was whipping mashed potatoes and Molly was sitting on the counter top, helping Alicia put whipped cream on a pie. Helena, my mother, was in there and she waved and blew me a kiss. They were all laughing and chattering and I went to join Bill in the living room. He poured me a drink from a decanter and it turned out to be a very good Scotch.

After a bit, Alicia came in and curled up against me. "I have something to tell you, Daddy," she said. "Promise me you won't get mad."

Well, that's never a propitious beginning to a conversation, but I promised. "You aren't pregnant or something, are you?"

She punched my arm. "No, silly. Mom is coming by later."

I wasn't mad but I was very disappointed. "Why didn't you tell me this earlier?" I asked.

"I didn't know," she said. "She called about ten minutes before you got here."

"Well, I didn't promise not to get mad," Bill said. "What the hell is wrong with you, Alicia? I won't be in the same room with her. Helena and I are going to leave before she gets here. Bleys, you can go with us."

"Jesus Christ, Grandpa," Alicia blew up. "She's my mother and she's your daughter. How long are you going to keep punishing her?"

"Forever," he said. "You just tell me right now when she's coming."

"You don't have to leave," Alicia said. "She's only going to be here an hour. You and Grandma and Daddy can go in the den. I promise I won't let her go in there. I'm very disappointed that you're all such a bunch of damn cowards though."

"Well, I'm disappointed my daughter is a bitch and that my granddaughter is too stupid to see it," he said.

"Whoa, whoa, let's not say things we don't mean here," I jumped in. "Bill, Alicia isn't stupid. Alicia, that was very rude. We all need to calm down here. Alicia, I'm glad you have a relationship with your mother, but none of the rest of us want anything to do with her. You know that and you shouldn't have let her come here."

She started to cry. "I'm sorry, Grandpa. Do you think I don't know what she's like? Do you know how many nights I cried myself to sleep when I was five years old, because my mother was too selfish to love me? I know you all hate her, but for my own mental peace, I'm not going to do that. I didn't want her to come here today. I promise I won't let her bother you. You can all just go to the den and I'll keep her away."

Bill moved over and took her in his arms. "I'm sorry I said you were stupid, baby," he told her. "I just don't want to see her or think about her. It hurts me."

They hugged and she composed herself. Helena called in that dinner was ready and we all trooped into the dining room. We sat down and began passing the dishes around. I noticed that Molly was sitting with her hands folded in her lap, just watching everyone. "What's wrong, honey?" I asked her.

"We should say grace," she said.

We all looked at one another. I'm a believer, but not at all comfortable with such open displays. "Do you want to say it?" I asked her.

"Yes," she nodded and all those curls bounced around her little face. "We should hold hands."

We all attached ourselves to the people next to us and bowed our heads. I watched Sahara and Molly. "Thank you, God, for this wonderful food," she began. "Thank you for Mom and for us all being together. Thank you for Alicia and Cloe and them being so nice. Thank you for Bill and Helena. I've been praying for a long time, God. I didn't think you were listening. Maybe Santa told you. I've been asking for someone to love us and you sent us Bleys. Please let him keep loving us. That's all I wanted to tell you right now. Thank you."

Sahara was sobbing and all the other girls were emotional wrecks by the time that little voice stopped speaking. There was the sound of scraping chair legs and every woman in the room was trying to hug her at the same time. I discovered that my cheeks were wet and Bill was just as bad. My God, it was heart breaking. Everyone was telling Molly they loved her and Alicia gave me a fierce stare and nodded at Molly. I didn't need the direction; I knew exactly what I needed to do. I got up, walked around the table to her and knelt by her chair.

I pulled that little curly head up against my chest. "I'm never going to stop loving you, Molly," I told her. "I'm going to love you for the rest of my life."

She gave me that little angel smile and stretched her little arms around my chest as far as they could reach. "I'm going to love you the rest of my life, too," she said.

I looked at Sahara and those exotic eyes were shining and liquid. "Thank you," she mouthed. I nodded and we all went back to our chairs. Alicia went and put on a Christmas album and the whole afternoon took on a lighthearted air as we stuffed ourselves and laughed together.

Bill and I cleaned up and when we went into the den afterward the girls were watching some sappy Christmas movie. I sat on the sofa and Alicia came and sat beside me. Molly noticed me after a bit and came to sit on my lap. I wrapped my girls up in my arms and just soaked up the love like a sponge. I don't ever remember feeling better.

The doorbell rang, and Alicia gave us all a look. The mood evaporated a little but I couldn't be brought down from that emotional high with a little napping angel on my lap. Alicia went to answer the door and after a bit I could hear voices talking in the living room. Molly stirred and woke up about that time and I stood up and carried her to the door. Alicia and her mother were sitting there and I leaned against the door and held Molly.

I hadn't seen Samantha for more than two years. She lives somewhere in France. I don't keep track. She pretends to be some sort of artist. I haven't seen any of her work for sale in the New York galleries, but evidently, it makes her happy.

She looked up at me when I leaned against the door. "Hello, Bleys," she said. "You're looking well." I nodded to her.

"Who's your girlfriend?" she asked.

"I'm Molly," she piped up. "I love Bleys. He loves me, too, but I'm not his girlfriend. Do you love Bleys?"

Samantha nearly choked. After sputtering around for a minute, she looked at Alicia for help. Alicia raised one eyebrow.

"Yes, I suppose I do," Samantha finally said. "We used to be married."

"Why aren't you still married?" Molly asked.

Samantha gobbled around for a minute and was saved from answering that awkward question by Sahara coming in and standing beside me. She slid her arm around my waist and I draped my free one over her shoulder. Samantha looked shocked. Her face went white and then red. I turned back to the den and took Sahara and Molly with me.

"Who was that woman?" Sahara asked.

"She used to be married to Bleys," Molly told her. "I forgot her name."

Sahara looked up at me. "We were divorced seventeen years ago," I told her. "Alicia and I were "stifling her dreams." We see her every couple of years when her dreams permit. It's a long story. I want another piece of pecan pie. You ladies want anything?"

Molly wanted fudge and Sahara wanted coconut cream so I went to get it. Samantha was gone and Alicia came into the kitchen with me.

"She thought Sahara was your girlfriend and Molly was your daughter," she said. "I didn't enlighten her. I think she was stunned about the idea of you finally having someone in your life."

"I've had someone for twenty-two years," I squeezed her.

"Yeah, me, too," she grinned up at me. "Jamie is coming over. You want to take Sahara and Molly and go on a walk with us?"

Jamie is her boyfriend. I kind of like the guy, but, of course, he's the enemy because he wants my baby. He's a broker with some firm down on Wall Street. I told her I'd ask them after we finished our pie. They wanted to go, but they needed coats. Alicia found one for Sahara and Molly made do with a NYCC hoody with the sleeves rolled up. Jamie showed up and we introduced him around.

We walked down to the park and around some trails. Molly skipped along, holding my hand on one side. Pretty soon I felt another hand slip into mine and Sahara smiled up at me. "Is it okay?" she whispered. I nodded and squeezed her hand. It was a beautiful day, very cold but sunny. The snow sparkled and our breath puffed out white clouds. Molly wanted a piggyback ride and I carried her for a long time. She felt like she weighed about ten pounds. That little voice chattering in my ear was the sweetest sound I'd heard in a long time.

Sahara walked closer and closer to me and then she took my arm and put it around her shoulders, pressing against my side as we walked. I played with that amazing mop of curls and when we got back, I didn't want it to end.

We stayed until evening and ate leftovers before leaving for home. The goodbyes were loving and tearful and Fredrick held the door for us to get in. The girls snuggled up against me and we talked and dozed on the way home. I dropped them at their door and got a hug from Molly before she scampered inside. Sahara came and pressed herself against me, looking up into my eyes. "Thank you, Bleys," she whispered. "This was the best day of our lives." Her soft lips brushed mine and then she was gone.

I made my way down the hall and I had to agree. I didn't ever remember feeling this good. After thirty minutes on the treadmill to burn off a small portion of those calories I had consumed I showered and got in bed, thoughts of little brown angels and bigger ones, too, lulling me into pleasant dreams.

Life got pretty much into a routine after Christmas. Malina took Sahara and Molly shopping the day after Christmas. Molly wanted to show me all her new things and dragged me off down the hall to their room. She was just adorable and Sahara and I talked about her going to school. Alicia had gone to a private school nearby and I suggested that Molly go there, too. Sahara told me she couldn't afford it, but I knew they offered scholarships to poor children. I promised to check into it and insisted that the company would pay her tuition if that was necessary. In the meantime, she came to the daycare at the office building while Sahara was working.

We met in the lobby in the morning and rode to work together. Sahara took Molly off to the daycare and then went to Malina's office to work. She had her own office but she wasn't there a lot. The first day we had been there about two hours when Maria, my secretary, buzzed me. "Someone is here to see you," she said. "I'm letting her in."

It was Molly. She had a daycare worker with her and she ran across the office and hugged me. "I was lonely," she said. "I'm kind of scared, Bleys. I don't know where Mom is and we couldn't find her, so I came to you."

"It's okay, baby," I told her. "You can come and see me anytime you're lonely or scared. Have your teacher there show you how to get here and you memorize it. I'll have Maria show you where Mom's office is. She may not be there, but sometimes she will be. I'll tell you if she's leaving the building."

It became a routine. Every morning about 10:30, Molly would come up the elevator and into my office. She would give me a hug, and go back to the daycare. I started keeping pastries in my office and we would have one before she went back. It didn't matter what I was doing, if I was in the office I made time to do that. I discovered that your day just goes better if you get a hug from a little brown angel at 10:30 every morning. She came up to my office at 5:30 and we waited for Sahara there. When she came, we would go home together and it became the usual thing for us to go out to eat three times a week.

Molly was accepted into the kindergarten at the school and she was on a scholarship. She only went in the afternoons and Fredrick came and picked her up from day care at noon. She went to school until 3:30 and he brought her back to the day care. They became very good friends over a short period. She was impossible not to love.

If you knew what to look for you could still see the fear in both of them. It was most apparent in Sahara but they were both always on edge around me. It was almost heartbreaking how much they wanted to please me and how hard they worked at it. I could tell that they'd talked about it because every time one or the other of them would begin to argue with me about something the other would quickly shut that down. It got to the point that I couldn't stand it any longer. We were playing some silly board game in my suite one evening and Molly and I started a friendly argument about the rules. I saw Sahara reach out and touch Molly's arm. Molly looked up at her and Sahara frowned.

Immediately, Molly capitulated and began to apologize to me. It was time for a talk. "Listen, ladies," I told them. "I know what you're doing. I love it that you want me to be happy, but I'm not happy with little slave girls that bow and scrape to me. You should see that from the way Malina and Paul treat me. We fight like hornets sometimes. They aren't afraid of me. It hurts my feelings that you are. Do you think that I'm just going to get mad at you and toss you out on your ear? That's not the kind of guy I am and it pisses me off that you think I am. Sorry about the language, Molly. If you think I'm wrong about something, you need to tell me. If you want to snap at me and throw a tantrum, that's what you should do. I love you both very much. You're family to me and even if I'm mad at you, you'll still be family. We'll kiss and make up and everything will be fine. Just relax and be human. I'm not God."




Someone to Love Us



There were tears in Sahara's eyes. "You are to us," she said softly. "Ever since Christmas Eve, our lives have been like a fairy tale. We owe you everything. How can we argue with you or throw a tantrum at you when you've been everything to us? I don't think you know how bad it was for us, Bleys, and how much we owe you."

"You don't owe me anything," I told her. "Neither one of you owe me a thing. How do you think it makes me feel when this little Christmas angel walks into my office at 10:30 in the morning and hugs me and tells me she loves me? I couldn't buy that with all the gold in Fort Knox! How do you think it makes me feel when I'm walking down the hall and I see this gorgeous woman turning the corner. She sees me coming and her face just lights up with this million candlepower smile and we share that bond and know we love each other? Where else can I get that? I'm the one that owes you."

"Well, I'm pretty sure you can get that from Alicia or Cloe or Malina any time you want," she said. "I know you love us, Bleys, but we're so afraid that this will all just turn into a mirage and vanish and we'll find ourselves back out on the street. That's always in the back of our minds and we can't help it. We'll try to do better. Please don't be mad at us."

"God doesn't take back his answers to prayers and I've never heard that Santa is in the repo business either, No, I'm afraid you're stuck with me. I'm not mad at you but I'm going to be if you don't start treating me like a friend instead of some glass figurine you have to be so careful with."

"We'll do better," Molly said. "Please don't be mad, Bleys. What should we do?"

"Well, nothing, but just be yourself. If you want to argue with me about the stupid rules, just tear into me. I'm used to that. I'll tell you what, if you want to make me feel really good, I have an idea. Molly, tomorrow night you put on something pretty and I'll take you on a date. Just you and me, how does that sound? Then Saturday night, I'll take your mother on a date. What do you think?"

They looked at each other and burst out laughing. "Yes," they both said at the same time.

Molly and I went out to eat at her favorite restaurant and I took her to a concert. She was a heartbreaker. She had on a little blue and white dress that fell off one shoulder. She had on a silver chain with a blue stone in it and those curls swirled around her like falling water. She was really the most beautiful child I had ever seen. I hated the music, but she loved it and I loved her. We went home with heavy subsonic bass throbs rumbling in my head and when she kissed me goodnight at the door I knew that life was perfect.

It got even better on Saturday. Sahara was jaw dropping when she came into her entry. Her makeup was subtle, just framing those eyes and her hair was pounds of curls hanging down her back and standing in ordered disarray around her face. Her lips were a luscious red and the white dress she had on was a second skin. Her breasts weren't huge, maybe a small c-cup but they were showing some milk chocolate cleavage and a ruby pendant hung between them. I recognized it. I had given it to Alicia two years ago. Her curves were on full display in a way that I had never seen before. She looked nice at work but this was a whole different Sahara. She had one of the firmest, tightest butts on the planet. It just jutted out in that white dress and took my breath away. She saw me looking at the pendant and smiled.

"Alicia wanted me to wear it," she said.

"Are you two up to something?" I asked.

"You'll never know," she grinned. "Where are you taking me?"

"Out to eat, to a club and dancing is on the agenda," I told her. "Where's Molly?"

"She's staying the night with Alicia and Cloe," she said. "It's her first sleepover. I may have to call her a couple of times. I've never been apart from her like this before. At work I always know I can go and find her if I need her. I have issues, Bleys."

"I know, it's okay," I told her. "If you start missing her too badly we can go and see her."

"You'll just have to keep me busy," she took my arm and we went downstairs. I was driving for a change. The valet pulled up in my Bugatti Veyron and Sahara's eyes glittered. She hadn't seen it before. It's the orange and black one and I held the door for her. Creamy legs flashed as she got in and I was reminded how tall she was. Her legs were a mile long and it was quite the scenic mile.

Enoteca Maria had valet parking and I had reservations. It's not open early in the week but it's packed on the weekends. The food was delicious and the attention of every man and most of the women in the place was on my date. I couldn't take my eyes off her myself. She was as happy as I'd ever seen her and she just sparkled energy and delight with the whole experience.

After dinner, I took her to a club and we got a booth in the VIP section. That limited the traffic some, but after we danced once, there was a steady stream of people to our table, asking her to dance. She turned them down graciously and we hit about every third song. She was drinking Tom Collins' and I could tell she was getting mellow. A young guy I actually knew came by and asked her to dance. I encouraged her and she reluctantly let him lead her out. I watched them and she just shone out there on the floor. The difference between this goddess and the lonely, frightened girl outside that department store on Christmas Eve eight months earlier couldn't possibly have been more extreme. I couldn't have imagined it at the time.

I was ordering us another drink and when I looked up, there was a big guy in a brown sports jacket trying to pull her away from her partner. I jumped up and headed over. He was saying something in a heavy, eastern European accent that I couldn't make out. Sahara was pulling away from him and I could see all that fright and desperation that had been on her face the first time I saw her bubbling up to the surface.

"You come with Anton," he was saying when I got close enough to hear. "Anton been looking for you, pretty Sahara. You ready to go to work for me now?"

She saw me coming and tried to get to me. He was holding her arm tightly when I reached between his legs from behind and got me a handful of nuts. There was the beginning of a high-pitched scream that quickly became a bubbling wheeze as I put every ounce of strength I had into that grip. I'm a big guy at six four and somewhere around 250. There hadn't been a week since I was fourteen years old that I hadn't lifted weights at least twice and most weeks four times. At forty-six, I'm stronger than I've ever been as long as I don't have to move my feet. I played football in college, offensive line, and I still power clean and snatch every week without straps. You don't do that with a weak grip. I squeezed Mr. Soviet bloc's nuts into jelly.

He fell to the floor, unconscious, and I took Sahara by the arm and got her out of there. She tried to pull away, instinctively, but I made her look at me. "Sahara, it's me, I've got you," I said. She threw herself against me; sobbing hysterically and I just held her to me and carried her out the back door. An alarm went off when we went outside and a bouncer came running out. He reached for me and saw the look in my eye.

"It's a good day to die, motherfucker," I told him. "If you were doing your fucking job we wouldn't be here. Just give me an excuse to fuck you up."

He raised his hands and backed off. "Good," I told him. "Now go get the keys to the Bugatti and bring them back here."

He disappeared inside and the alarm stopped. He was back in three minutes with the keys and the Manager. "Mr. Wainwright, I can't begin to apologize enough for this incident," he said.

"Are you in the habit of letting your guests be accosted and mauled by Russian gangsters on the dance floor?" I asked him. "What kind of place are you running here?"

"He was Romanian," the bouncer said. "I don't know how he got in."

"Sounds like your security staff sucks," I said. "We're leaving."

I took Sahara and we walked down the alley to the parking lot. She was trembling violently and wouldn't let go of me for a second. "How did that guy know you?" I asked her.

"He was the pimp I told you about," she managed to get out.

"He won't be bothering you again," I said. I put her in the car and walked around to the driver's side. Adrenaline was pumping through me and I felt like I was going to explode. I screamed into the night and felt a little better.

When I got in, Sahara looked at me and cowered away with wide, frightened eyes. I felt worse than before. I stroked her arm and she stopped shivering. I pulled her over and held her in my arms.

"Sorry I scared you," I told her. "This was just going to be the perfect night. Nice dinner, dancing, maybe a walk in the moonlight with the woman I love and then, just mystery. I was wondering where it would go. All that frustration had to go somewhere."

She gasped and looked up into my face. "Bleys, you said, 'the woman I love.' Is that me?"

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to say that," I told her. "I'm not thinking too clearly. Yes, Sahara, that is you. God, I've been in love with you for months. Didn't you know? I love your daughter too."

She buried her face in my jacket. "I hoped," she said. "I was afraid to hope. I've been in love with you since the moment you ran to catch us at the door and knelt down there and gave us a reason to hope. You never said anything. I was afraid I was in the friend zone. I thought you might think of me like Alicia or Malina. Alicia told me she thought you were in love with me. That's when she gave me the pendant to wear. We've been trying to think of a way to get you to ask me out. When you surprised me like that, Molly and I had been talking about it, too. I know I'm younger than you and I'm a mess, but I swear you'll never regret loving me, Bleys."

"No, I don't imagine I will." I took her chin in my hand and tilted her face up toward me. Those eyes haunted me and I claimed her lips. I had never tasted anything so luscious and soft. Her eyes closed and she kissed me back. Her tongue pushed into my mouth and the kiss became the most passionate thing I had ever experienced. She drew back and searched my face with her eyes.

"I was waiting until you knew you could trust me," I told her. "I didn't want to take advantage of you because you were grateful or you felt like you owed me. I just wanted you to love me because you thought I was worth loving."

"I do think that," she said. "You're the most loveable man I've ever known. I am grateful and I do owe you, but that's not why I love you. I love you because of who you are. I love that you're the kind of man that does what you did for Molly and me. It doesn't hurt that you have such a beautiful face and body, either," she grinned at me. "I wanted this to be such a special night, Bleys. I set it up so we could be alone, without Molly or anything. I wanted you to make love to me. I don't know whether I can do that now. So much has changed in my life, but I was just reminded of how close I still am to that bad place I was in when you found me. Do you think we could just go home and you could hold me? Just let me feel safe and know you love me?"

"I can't think of anything I'd like better," I told her. "Well, maybe a couple of things," I stroked her silky arm. "That's at the top of my list though. I want to hold you and make you feel safe the rest of your life, Sahara."

"Take me home," she said.

We walked into the lobby and I handed the valet the keys. Sahara was plastered to me as we crossed to the elevator and I pushed her against the wall and kissed her all the way to our floor. She stopped at her place for some things and we proceeded to mine. I remembered that she had been frightened to come in the first time. Things had changed and there was no hesitation now. She went to the bath and I could hear water running. She hadn't closed the door so I joined her and we brushed our teeth and shared the sink. She took her makeup off and I marveled at her complexion. She really didn't need makeup. I watched her and I saw her glancing at me from time to time. She got a little self-conscious and told me to stop staring at her.

I told her I couldn't help it, she was too beautiful not to watch. That made her blush prettily and I left her to finish. She came out after a minute and stood in front of me with her back to me. "Unzip me," she said softly.

She raised that mop of curls and I slid her zipper down ever so slowly, feeling the silky skin of her back against my knuckles. She shivered and the zipper reached its terminus at the swell of her butt. I slipped my hands inside across her shoulders and the fabric slowly peeled away, revealing her broad back and the lace of her bra. She slipped her arms out and wiggled it down over her hips to puddle at her feet. She stepped out of her heels and the dress and bent to pick them up. That caused the sweetest ass I'd ever imagined to press back into my groin and I groaned. She stood back up and padded to a chair. She hung her dress over the chair and put her shoes in it.

She walked back to me and I could hardly breathe. God, she was beautiful. She unbuttoned my shirt and pulled it out of my pants, her fingers going to my belt buckle and pulling it open. She unbuttoned my pants and eased the zipper down, her fingers brushing against the hardest erection I ever remembered. My pants fell to the floor and she walked to the bed, turned the covers back and crawled in. I stripped off my shoes and socks and clad only in my boxers, I joined her. I saw her wiggling around and her bra came out and flew toward the chair. I so wanted to strip those covers back and just drink in the sight of her, but I knew she didn't want that, at least not yet.

When I crawled in her back was toward me and I moved us to the center of the bed, spooning up against her. She started when she felt my erection against her panty covered butt and I slipped one arm under her head, that mane of curls tickling my face. The other arm curled over her and one firm, amazing breast filled my hand. She gasped when I flipped the rock hard little nipple with my thumb and half turned her head toward me.

"Please Bleys, just hold me," she whispered. "I'm so scared. Sex has never been good for me. I promise I'll try, but could you just hold me?"

"Yes, baby, that's what we talked about," I told her. "I can't help reacting like this. You're the most gorgeous, most sexy thing I've ever seen, but I'm under control. We'll only do what you want to do, Sahara."

I noticed a darker splotch on her back and I kissed it. She shivered. "Is that a scar?" I asked her.

"Yes, it's a cigarette burn," she said. "Molly's father liked hurting me."

"Oh, my God, Sahara, I'm so sorry," I told her. "That will never happen to you again. I'll never hurt you; you know that, don't you?"

"Yes, you're so gentle, Bleys, except with Anton at the club. I was afraid you were going to kill him."

"I would have if he'd harmed you," I told her. "There are very few situations that are improved by violence. When someone is trying to harm people you love, that's one of those situations."

"Thank you, Bleys," she said. "I've seen so much violence in my life that it nearly makes me ill. I'm glad you're good at it if it has to be done."

"Enough about that," I said. "Have I told you I love you in the last few minutes?"

"No," she laughed, "but I want you to."

We cuddled and talked for a long time and eventually my arousal was drowned in lassitude and we drifted off, shared warmth something that each of us had been missing for a long time.

It was gray and barely light outside when I woke to the sensation of feather light touches. I thought it was a dream for a while before I realized that Sahara was awake and exploring my body. She was lying half over me, her breasts crushed against my side and one thigh over mine. I could feel her panties against the top of my left thigh. She rubbed them gently against my thigh and traced my pectoral muscles with her left hand. I flexed them, making them dance, and she giggled.

"You're awake, aren't you?" she whispered.

"Yeah, do I get to touch too?" I asked.

"Yes," she whispered. "I'll be right back."

She went off to the bathroom and I heard the stool flush, the bidet and then the sound of her electric toothbrush. When she came back, I did the same thing and we met back under the covers. I pulled her against me in the same position, stroking the satin smoothness of her back while she played with my chest hair. I pulled her face up to me and we kissed for a long, breathless time. I could feel her against my thighs and something was different. I realized that her panties were gone and this dramatically exciting woman was naked in bed with me.

"Please don't hurt me, Bleys," she whispered. "I want you. I'm burning up."

She felt like she was. Her body against mine felt feverish, like her body temperature was higher than mine was. I felt her hand slide down and push against my boxers and I raised my hips, allowing her to pull them down to my knees. I kicked them off and her hands were on me, coaxing me to a full-blown erection.

She tested it gently with her fingers. I hoped she wasn't disappointed. She didn't seem to be. She slid down and enveloped me with her luscious lips, engulfing me in liquid heat. She swirled her tongue around the head of my cock and the suction she used was like nothing I'd ever felt before. This was obviously not her first dance and she had learned the steps well. She kept moving down, taking more and more of me until I felt her gag. I tried to pull her up a little but she slapped my hands away and I felt her swallow. It was the most incredible feeling as her lips stretched around the base of my cock and her cute little nose nuzzled my belly. Her tongue did wild things and her throat contracted around me as saliva drooled on my balls.

This incredible sensation and sight had me ready to explode in about three minutes and I warned her I was going to cum. She backed off until just the head was in her mouth and pumped the shaft with her long, slender fingers. I exploded in her mouth and she kept working, lewd gulping sounds filled the room and she allowed globs of cum to escape and ooze down the shaft before taking me back into her throat and recapturing everything that had leaked out. The pleasure quickly turned to sensitivity and she backed off, looking up at me with those almond shaped eyes as my cock reappeared from between those amazing lips. She captured one strand of cum that had escaped with her finger and in one of the most erotic gestures I've ever seen, slipped it between her lips and sucked it clean.

I pulled her up over me until our noses were pressed together and tried to kiss her. She pulled back. "No Bleys, let me go brush my teeth," she protested.

I pulled her firmly against me and kissed her over and over. When I let her go, I held her there, her breasts crushed against my chest. "I wanted to kiss you," I told her. "If it was good enough for you it was good enough for me. That mouth is mine and I'm going to kiss it all the time. God, you're good at that. That was so amazing, baby."

Her brows drew together and sadness crossed her features. "Molly's father made me do it all the time," she sobbed a little. "He beat me if I didn't do it right. That's how I got the scar you saw."

Jesus Christ! I had never been so pissed off in my life. I held her and stroked her as I whispered in her ear. That bastard had taken this amazing creature's loving gift and turned it into something debased and degrading. "Never again, Sahara," I whispered. "I love you so much and that was so amazing. It's all about loving, honey. It's a gift and I love you for it."




Someone to Love Us



"I loved giving it to you," she said. "It was different. I hated doing it with him. This was so different. I could feel how much it excited you and it made me excited, too. I loved watching your face when you came. I felt so powerful and so loved. I'm going to want to do that a lot."

I laughed. "God, Sahara, you're every man's fantasy, but it's my turn now."

I rolled her onto her back and began to make love to this goddess. I quickly found her zones of pleasure, that spot just behind her earlobes, the hollow where her graceful neck met her collarbone, the sides of her neck. Her skin was so sensitive and sensual and she shuddered and moaned under me.

I nibbled my way down to one breast and nuzzled the hard little nipple. Her areolae were a couple of shades darker than the milk chocolate of her skin and her nipples were the same shade. They were small and very erect. She shivered when my tongue touched it and when I pulled one inside and squeezed it with my lips she gasped and pulled my head down into the lush firmness of her mound. She was doing a slow writhe beneath me now and when I moved across to love the other breast she came, surprising both herself and me. I don't ever remember anyone cumming from just breast play like that. She shuddered and cried out my name, thrusting against me and seeking intimate contact. My right knee was between her legs and her pussy was rubbing frantically against my thigh as she shuddered and shook in ecstasy.

As she gradually relaxed, her fingers combed through my hair and I kissed my way down from her arching rib cage, across the descending plane of the ridged muscle of her abdomen. Her belly button was a small indent and she giggled and shivered as I plunged my tongue into it. Her pubic mound rose below and as I slid down her full beauty was displayed to my eyes for the first time. She was breathtaking and I just wanted to look at her forever.

"Bleys, you're embarrassing me," she said. "Do you like me?"

"Am I insane?" I asked. "God, you're the most beautiful woman I've ever imagined, Sahara. I worship you. I'm going to taste you now."

"Nooo, don't do that, Bleys," she tried to shift away.

I held her in place and spread those gorgeous, muscular thighs, hooking my elbows under her knees as I nibbled on her inner thighs. She gasped at each touch of my lips and as I got closer to the joining of those firm thighs, she began to make little thrusting motions, seeking contact on her most intimate center. She had a little, thin pencil line of black curls pointing to a totally bare and beautiful slit below.

Her aroma was intoxicating, a faint hint of soap combined with fresh, horny girl. There was just a hint of musk, which grew stronger as her labia began to glisten with moisture and a little drip of honey appeared at the bottom of her slit. Her clitoris and pussy lips were a dusky brown, fading to a pale pink as they flowered open and the hot pink inside began to show. I captured that little drip of honey with my tongue and savored it. It was tangy and sweet at the same time. Her hips jolted when she felt my tongue on her pussy lips and she protested a little again.

"God, Bleys, you're driving me wild. Are you sure you want to do that? No one... I've never... Oh, God, what are you doing to me?"

Her words became incoherent as I licked and nibbled up one side and down the other, plunging my tongue into her opening and releasing a flood of nectar. She was now slippery and very juicy as I slipped a finger inside. She stiffened and then relaxed, beginning to tremble a little as I licked my way up to the little bump of her clit. I swiped it with my tongue and her hips jolted again. I began to fuck her with my finger and tongue her clit to the same rhythm as she moaned and cried out wordless sounds. My name, deity and good were the only words I could make out. The trembling became very pronounced and I felt the tension of her body build until she was stretched as tight as a spring. I could feel her clit emerge from its little hood and stand erect and bare under my tongue. I sucked it inside my lips and lashed it with my tongue. Her muscles convulsed and she bridged up off the bed and the spring snapped. She screamed and went into spasms as her orgasm overwhelmed her. She bucked under me like a wild thing and I could hardly maintain contact with my mouth. I held her hips firmly and she continued to convulse as waves of pleasure crashed over her.

I knew her little clit would quickly become too sensitive so I moved my attentions back to her labia and she began to come down from her orbit. I added a second finger and fucked her with them rapidly for a minute. She stiffened again and when I curled one finger up to stimulate that little bundle of nerve endings on the upper wall she went off again. When she came back to earth this time, I returned to her clit and the combination of the stimulation of her g-spot and her clit brought her to her third orgasm in the last five minutes. Her hands came down and tangled in my hair as she bridged up against me again and when she collapsed like a falling star this time she tugged on my hair until it became painful, pulling me away from that sweet pussy and up to her face. She was gasping for breath and she kissed me fiercely, her arms locking around me and murmuring wildly in my ear as she pulled my cheek next to hers.

"Oh, my God, Bleys, were you trying to kill me? I didn't know... I never dreamed... no one has ever done that to me before. No man ever... I've made myself cum before, but never like that. No man ever made me feel like that. God, Bleys, I love you so much. I'm hopelessly, desperately in love with you. Can we make love now, I mean inside me?"

The sight of her cumming like that was enough to make a zombie hard and I was more than ready to be inside her. I shifted and she felt me at her opening. She made a little motion and the head of my cock popped just inside. She gasped and stiffened. "Wait," she groaned. "It's been a long, long time and you're so big."

I just waited. "I'm glad you aren't disappointed," I said.

"Nooo, not disappointed at all," she said. "You have a beautiful cock, Bleys. It isn't huge; it's just perfect. It's fat and long and just perfect. I had a huge one once and I hated it. It was just painful and weird. I could never be disappointed in you. Give me some more now."

I sank into that liquid tightness and she didn't stop me this time. I made a long, slow push into hot lava until I was completely buried in her steamy depths. We stayed joined together for a minute as I just kissed her and I felt erotic contractions around me. Her hips rocked a bit and the friction was intense. I began to move with her rhythm and we made love, slow and sweet, and for a very long time, just enjoying the intimacy we shared as our excitement built. She began to make little cat-like mews on each downward thrust and they quickly grew to full-throated moans of passion. I felt the tell-tale trembling of her approaching climax and I pushed my upper body off until my weight was on my hands and began plunging into her, giving her long, rapid strokes until she exploded, her head tossing from side to side, her eyes closed and her beautiful little face flushed, the dark mop of curls whipping around us. That erotic sight was enough to send me over the edge and I plunged deep, firing ropes of cum into her tight little pussy. I made three or four more deep thrusts and held at the bottom, the head of my cock just brushing her cervix as our hearts hammered together. She pulled me down to her lips and we shared the most loving kiss I had ever experienced. I tried to rest some of my weight on my elbows and we gazed into each other's eyes, both seeking that intimate affirmation that we loved and were loved in return.

I rolled, taking her with me until we lay in our embrace, side by side and together. "If you put your finger in me I could cum again," she whispered.

I laughed and amazingly enough, she could. It was just a minor convulsing of her whole body but when she fell back she was utterly spent. We napped together and took a long shower, exploring each other as we washed. We dressed leisurely and she gave a little shriek.

"What's wrong, Sahara?" I asked.

"The time, Molly," she cried. "I have to go get her."

"We'll go get her," I said. "She's fine."

"But what if Alicia and Cloe had something to do?" she worried.

"They go to church on Sundays," I said. "They probably took Molly with them."

She visibly relaxed but she rushed me around until we were ready to go. "Am I walking funny?" she asked as we went down the hall. 

I laughed. "Do you feel like you are?"

"Yes, I feel like my pussy is swollen and something is about to leak down my leg," she grinned.

No one answered the door when we knocked but the elevator dinged as I was getting out my keys. The three girls came into the hall and Molly squealed when she saw us and came running down the hall. She hugged us, turning from one of us to the other and kissing us over and over. "I missed you guys so bad," she said.

"Were the girls mean to my baby?" I asked her.

"No, no, I love Alicia and Cloe, but I just missed you. They gave me a jelly donut and took me to church," she gushed. "The music was beautiful and I talked to God."

"Good, honey," Sahara held her. "I'll bet he's been missing talking to you."

"Anyone want to go out for lunch?" I asked them.

They all did and we went to a brunch buffet. As we were walking down the hall Sahara slid her arm around me and bumped her hip against mine as we walked. Alicia took one look at us and burst out laughing.

I stopped. "What?" I asked.

She threw herself on us and hugged us fiercely. "You did it!" she shouted. She pumped her fist. "I thought you two were going to dance around each other forever! I can't believe it. I'm so happy for you, Daddy, you too Sahara."

We both went as red as firetrucks. "What, what did they do?" Molly wanted to know.

"I think they both finally told the other one that they're in love," Cloe told her.

Molly jumped up and down and squealed with delight. "I knew God was listening," she cried. "Does this mean that you're going to be my Daddy too, Bleys?"

"Molly!" Sahara was horrified. "You shouldn't ask things like that!" she looked up at me fearfully. "I'm so sorry, Bleys."

"I'm not," Alicia said. "Does this mean that I'm getting a new baby sister, Daddy?"

"It means that my daughter and this little pixie I love are meddling busybodies," I said. I scooped Molly up and carried her to the elevator. "That's something that your mother and I will talk about and it won't include you, Molly," I told her. "We haven't had time to talk about things like that. Give us a minute to breathe, okay?"

"Okay, Bleys," she said. "I just really, really want you to be my Daddy. I would be very, very good for you."

"You're always good, baby," I said. "Just give us some time, okay?"

She laid her head on my shoulder and whispered, "I love you," in my ear.

I could tell Sahara was worried all through lunch. She kept glancing nervously at me until I could catch no one looking. "It's okay," I mouthed to her and she gave a little half smile and seemed to relax. Molly and Cloe chattered the whole time we were eating and on the drive home. They were really very much alike. They seemed to hate the sound of silence. They were both so sweet and funny that no one ever minded.

We dropped Alicia and Cloe off and went home. When we got to the door of their place, Sahara sent Molly inside and closed the door. She threw her arms around me and tried to suck my tongue out. "I've been dying to do that," she said. "I'm so sorry about Molly and Alicia bugging you. You don't have any pressure from me, Bleys. I love you and I'm happy with whatever kind of relationship with you I can get. Do you want to come over and hang out with us this evening?"

"I'd love that," I told her. I gave her a last squeeze on that fantastic ass and she gave me a swat on mine as I went off down the hall.

Everything was back to normal on Monday. I got my normal visit from Molly and I didn't see Sahara until after lunch. We met at the elevator and she told me what she was doing. We got on and there were two people on there already. They got off on the ninth floor. As soon as the door closed, she was all over me. We kissed like teenagers and she pulled my hand up to one firm breast. I squeezed it and I could feel her hard nipple through her bra. The elevator began to slow and we pulled apart, straightening our clothes. The door opened and Malina was waiting to get on. She took one look at us and burst out laughing.

"You want me to wait for the next one?" she could hardly get it out. Sahara blushed fiercely and just walked off. Malina chased after her and caught her about half way down the hall. She turned Sahara around and embraced her. I saw her whispering in Sahara's ear and she began to smile. She winked at me and I went to my office. About 2:30, Maria buzzed and told me she was going to be away from her desk for an hour. She didn't say why and I didn't ask. The door to my office opened and when I looked up Sahara was locking the door.

When she turned to face me her blouse buttons were undone and her bra, one of those that fasten in the front, was open, too. I could see the edges of her areolae peeking out and she opened her skirt, letting it drop to the floor and walking to my desk, her hips swaying in an exaggerated runway walk. "Malina and Maria are making sure we won't be disturbed," she said.

She spun my chair around, dropping to her knees and opening my pants. She pulled my underwear down and slurped my half-hard cock into the furnace of her mouth. It was rock hard in about ten strokes. She stood and dropped her panties, perching her butt on the edge of the desk and pulling me up and into her. It took us both about five minutes to cum and her moans scared me they were so loud when she came. I picked her up, still buried in that hot little pussy and carried her to the leather sofa. She did things to me with her inner muscles and I never went soft. We lasted much longer the second time, or at least I did. She seemed to be having constant orgasms until I went off again.

We cuddled and talked for a while and suddenly something hit me. I was horrified that I hadn't thought of it. "Sahara, are you on birth control?" I asked her. "You're sitting here full of my cum and you were definitely full of me the other night. You aren't going to get pregnant are you?"

She laughed. "No, silly, I started taking pills three months ago. We women think of such things."

A wave of relief swept over me. "Well good, because we stupid men don't. I'm sorry, baby, I should have asked the first time."

"It's okay," she kissed me. "I wouldn't mind anyway. I love you, Bleys."

"I love you, too, but I don't like surprises," I told her. "We better get dressed, our hour is almost up. I could get used to this, Sahara."

"Me, too," she said. "Bleys, if we keep doing this we need to talk to Molly. I'd like for you to spend the night with me and for me to spend the night with you."

"How much do you tell a five-year-old?" I asked.

"Not much," she laughed, "but you tell them something. Can we just tell her that we're in love and we might want to sleep in the same bed and have some privacy?"

"That would be good," I said. "I don't want to tell her that, though."

She laughed again. "I never dreamed you'd be afraid of a little girl, you big coward. I'll tell her but I want you to be there."

It went off without a hitch and Molly accepted the new sleeping arrangements with aplomb. We spent at least three nights a week together and Molly set up her own bedroom at my place too. After about a month she announced one evening that she needed some "Bleys time" of her own and Thursday night became date night for just the two of us. Saturday night became date night for Sahara and me and Molly stayed with either Alicia, Cloe or Bill and Helena. I think they loved her as much as her mother and I did.

After three months of us sleeping together, it was Christmas again and everyone came to my place for dinner. Sahara insisted that we were doing the cooking and Helena came over to help us out. I slipped out of work three days before Christmas and went shopping for something special.

Christmas dinner was spectacular and evidently, we had started a new tradition because Molly once again led us in a prayer. It was just as touching and beautiful as the first one, and once again, we all gathered around her chair with our faces wet with tears and there was a huge group hug. I had let Bill in on the secret and he brought champagne flutes in for everyone. There were curious stares all around and I got up and went to kneel beside Sahara's chair.

She burst into tears and covered her face with her hands. Violent sobs shook her and I was nearly thrown off my game. I looked at Alicia and she nodded encouragement.

"Sahara, look at me," I said. She moved her hands and wiped away the tears running down her cheeks. "Sahara, I love you with all my heart," I told her. "It would make me the happiest man on earth if you would marry me. Will you marry me, Sahara?"

She couldn't speak. She nodded. "Yes!" Molly shrieked, "She means yes!"

"Yes, Bleys," Sahara finally got out. "I want to marry you more than anything."

I got the ring box out of my pocked and slipped it on her finger. There was a large diamond, set between two rubies on each side in yellow gold and she held it to her lips and kissed it. I stood up, pulled her to her feet and kissed her. We were surrounded by hugging, cheering people kissing us and patting us.

Bill came and hugged us both. "It's about time," he told me. "You're finally making an honest woman out of her. Congratulations, honey," he kissed her cheek.

"When do you think you'll do the deed?" Cloe asked.

"I was thinking May eighth," I told her. "We haven't talked about it, but it was my parents' anniversary and it was a good day for them."

"That sounds perfect to me," Sahara said. "I know you loved them very much and from what you've told me they were very happy."

"Malina is getting married in April and we can get a practice run," I joked. I thought it was funny but it nearly turned disastrous.

Her fiancée was an attorney with a big accounting firm. His name was David and I never liked the guy. He always seemed a little slick to me. She was in love with him though and that was good enough for me. Her father was dead and she had asked me to give her away. Sahara was one of her bridesmaids. I thought my heart was going to burst when she came out of the door for me to walk her up the aisle. She was just radiant when she came out of the dressing room and I had never been prouder of anyone in my life. I knew things were going south when there was no David standing on the podium with the preacher and the groomsmen. 

That all went to hell in a handbasket in a moment. She stumbled when she saw that he was missing in action and when Sahara came back to talk to her she went to pieces. We took her back to the dressing room and she told me that David had called it off. He didn't love her and couldn't marry her because he was really in love with his boss's daughter.

"I just want to go home," Malina sobbed. I could tell her heart was breaking and we left her alone to change. Sahara went in after ten minutes and she was gone. Her clothes she had worn to the wedding were still there. Evidently, she had left through the side door in her wedding dress. We sent Molly home with Alicia and went looking for her. I thought she might catch the Metro-North so we went there to look for her. The train was just getting ready to leave and we hurried through the cars. She was sitting in the next to the last car, her beautiful dress was muddy on the bottom and she looked so little and forlorn sitting there with her face buried in her hands.




Someone to Love Us



We went in and sat down beside her, one of us on each side. She looked up when she felt us sit down and burst into tears. I held her as she sobbed and Sahara stroked her hair and loved on her from behind.

"What's wrong with me, Bleys?" she wept. "What happened? Why doesn't he love me?"

"There's nothing wrong with you, sweetheart," I told her. "You're gorgeous, smart, sexy and amazingly sweet. It's him, Malina. He's an asshole. It has nothing to do with you. Trust me, honey; there are a million better guys in this city that would cut off their right arm to be with you. You just fell in love with one of the ones with his head up his ass. I'm just thankful you found out now instead of later. Honey, in two weeks you're going to be back, better and stronger than ever. I know that your heart is breaking but you have bunches of people who love you. I love you and Paul loves you and Bill and Sahara and Molly love you. We think you're one of the special people in the world."

She smiled up at me through her tears. "You're right," she said. "I am special and screw him if he doesn't think so." The bravado went away and she sobbed again. "I loved him so much, Sahara." Sahara hugged her and kissed her tear stained cheek.

"I know you did," she said. "Let's just get you home and get you a hot bath and something strong to drink. You're going to be okay. You're the strongest person I know, Malina. We're all lucky to have you in our lives."

"Thank you," she smiled weakly. "I'm lucky to have you guys, too."

We got her home and Sahara ran her a hot bath. They stayed in there for a long time and Malina came out in a robe. She sat beside me on the sofa and curled up against me. "Bleys, would you mind staying for a while?" she asked.

"No, I don't mind," I said. "Sahara, can I call you a cab? I'll call Fredrick and get him to pick you up from Alicia's, okay?"

"That's fine," she said.

I called the cab and we talked for ten minutes or so. The desk called and said the cab was there and Sahara kissed me and got her things. She was behaving oddly but I didn't think much about it. She stopped and looked back at me from the door. "Bleys, I love you," she said.

"Love you too, baby," I said. It looked like she was crying when she turned away.

I stayed until about nine thirty. Malina had crying spells for a while but she was a little drunk and she had gone to sleep before I left. I checked on her one more time and she was sleeping soundly, just a little ball under the covers.

When I got home, I knocked on Sahara's door but there was no answer. I thought they might already be in bed so I went to bed myself. I waited in the lobby for them the next morning until we were late. I tried calling her cell and it went straight to voice mail. I called the suite phone and no one answered. When I went back up and opened the door, it was quiet inside and the lights were off. I went into the bedrooms and their closets were half-empty and their personal things were gone. I noticed that the things that were left were things that I had given them.

I had no idea what was going on. I went to work totally perplexed. Maria told me that Sahara had called and taken some personal time and wouldn't be in. At 10:30, I found myself waiting for Molly to walk through my door, but it stayed shut and a terrible sadness began to settle over my heart. At noon, just as I was becoming desperate, Alicia walked in without any warning and stood with her legs apart like a gunslinger in front of my desk.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" she nearly shouted.

"What are you talking about, baby?" I asked. "I don't know what you mean."

"Don't call me baby," she stormed. "What did you do to her? What did you say?"

"Who, Alicia, what did I do to who? I swear to God I haven't done anything to anyone. I haven't said anything either. Are you talking about Sahara? If you are, she's disappeared. I didn't do anything. The last time I saw her was at Malina's place last night. She was acting odd, but I thought she was just concerned about Malina. The last thing she said to me was that she loved me and I told her I loved her. I knocked on her door last night but no one answered. I waited for them this morning but they never showed up. She took some personal time but I have no idea what's going on. Have you seen her? Have you talked to her?"

"Yes I have," she was still angry. "She came to get Molly last night and she was crying her eyes out. I finally pried it out of her that you were going to leave her. What did you say? She just said she was taking Molly and leaving. What have you done?"

"I swear, I didn't say one word about leaving her. I have no intention of leaving her. I'd rather die than hurt that girl, Alicia. I want to spend the rest of my life with her and I have never said one word or done one thing to make her think any differently. I don't know what's going on but it pisses me off that you think I'm that kind of guy, Alicia. God, that hurts."

The angry look went away. "Why does she think you're leaving her then? I'm sorry, Daddy. It hurt me to think you'd do something like that to those precious girls. What happened?"

"Nothing happened," I said. "That's what I've been trying to tell you. I have no idea what's going on. Do you know where she went? I need to talk to her and find out what the hell put that idea in her head."

Alicia sat down in the chair in front of my desk. She was lost in thought for a while and I was thinking hard myself. What on earth had happened to make her think I was leaving her? I scrutinized every second we had spent together and I just drew a blank.

Alicia sat up suddenly in the chair. "Oh my God," she said, "the wedding! It was the wedding! She saw that asshole didn't show up. She saw how Malina collapsed and it scared her to death. She ran away because she was afraid that you'd do that to her. You know how little self-confidence she has. You know she has these terrible trust issues. That's what happened. She couldn't bear the thought that you would leave her so she ran away. We've got to find her, Daddy."

"How?" I asked. "I have no idea where to start looking."

"Neither do I, but Bill does," she said. "Call him up here."

We had a full-scale conference in my office in half an hour. Bill did know where to start. He pulled her personnel files and made copies of all her information and her picture. We all got on the phone and called all the contacts listed. Bill called five different detective agencies and paid them enough to drop whatever else they were doing and start looking for Sahara and Molly.

We put secretaries to work calling every hotel in the city asking for her room. It took us nine days to find them. One of the secretaries finally struck pay dirt. They were staying at a Best Western in Woodbury. I sent one of the detectives out to keep an eye on them. We were quite the troop going out to Woodbury. Malina insisted on going because she felt partly responsible. It was ridiculous, but I couldn't convince her otherwise. Cloe, Alicia, Bill and Helena, Paul and Maria were all in one of the company limos as we drove out. Fredrick was driving and I dropped them at the IHOP in Huntington Station.

I talked to the detective that was watching them and he told me that they were walking back to the hotel from a nearby convenience store. Fredrick located them and they stopped and looked when the limo pulled up to the curb beside them. I just sat there for a moment, mustering up my courage. A lot was riding on what was about to happen. I opened the door and stood up.

Molly screamed when she saw me and came running to throw herself into my arms, sobbing out her heartbreak into my chest. "Why, Bleys," she sobbed. "Why don't you love us anymore? What did we do? I'm so sorry if it was me. I promise I won't do it anymore!"

Sahara had come up and was reaching for Molly. She gave a strangled cry when she heard those words from her daughter and leaned against the car with her face in her hands.

"No, Molly, I do love you," I told her. "You didn't do anything. You're perfect and I'll never stop loving you. I love your mother too and I'll never stop loving her. Just let me take you both somewhere and I'll show you how much I love you. I'll show you both how much you're loved."

Fredrick opened the door and Molly climbed in. "Come on, Mom," she cried. "He loves us, I knew he did. Where are we going, Bleys?"

"Not far," I said. "Sahara, will you come with us, please? Just give me a chance. If you want to I'll bring you back here later and I'll never bother you again. Just give me a chance."

She let me put her in and I climbed in beside her. Fredrick closed the door and we drove to the IHOP. When we went in, Molly gave a cry of delight and ran off to hug everyone. Sahara nearly broke down when she saw everyone sitting at a big round booth. Cloe, Alicia and Malina slid out and guided Sahara, Molly and me inside. We slid around and we all ordered breakfast. There was a hubbub of talk and every word of it was aimed at Sahara and Molly, telling them how worried we had been, how badly we missed them and how much we loved them and wanted them to come back. Molly beamed like a lighthouse and Sahara cried and smiled through her tears. We stayed and drank coffee and then Sahara and I went for a walk.

She shivered and I slipped my jacket around her shoulders, pulling her tightly against me while we walked.

"Baby, why did you run from me?" I asked her.

"I'm afraid, Bleys," she said. "I just panicked. I saw what happened to Malina. It scared me to death. I couldn't take that. I'm not strong like her. It would kill me and Molly would be left all alone. I couldn't stand the thought of that happening so I ran. I'm sorry, Bleys. I'm sorry I'm not strong like you."

I stopped walking and we sat on a bench. I tilted her face up to look in those eyes that had stolen my soul. "You're the strongest person I know," I told her. "You just have to believe in yourself. You've raised Molly and she's the sweetest little girl any of us have ever known. You did that all by yourself, with the whole world against you, and you kept her and fought for her. Fight for us, Sahara. Imagine what you can do when you have your family to fight with you. Every one of those people back there is fighting for you. They'd do anything for you. I'd die for you. They love you and I love you and I'm never going to stop. Don't run from me again, Sahara. I'll find you wherever you go and love you. I'm going to spend the rest of my life with you. I'm not David. Like I told Malina, he's an asshole. I never abandon people that love me and depend on me."

She leaned against me. "I know, Bleys. I really do, I'm just so scared. Every person I've ever loved has left me or I had to leave them. I told you I'm a mess."

"I know, but you're my mess," I laughed. "I'm yours, too, and what you just said isn't true. What about Molly?"

I saw a light dawn in her eyes. "You're right," she exclaimed. "What was I thinking?"

"You were thinking about bad things," I said. "I told you that the bad things are gone. Are you ready to come home, Sahara?"

She stood up. "Yes, I am. Take me home, Bleys."

We started the long walk back and Molly was waiting.