Part One - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

DARKNESS COULDN'T COMFORT ME or provide the insulating cloak from harsh reality I so desperately wanted. I sat in a chair, holding her hand, and let memories drift through the corridors of my mind; the good times. I remembered the first time I noticed her. I'd had no inkling of how deeply she was going to impact my life.

It was her first year in high school; a freshman. She stood apart watching the girls soccer team practicing, separate from other groups of supporters as if a social outcast. It didn't surprise me. She was not an attractive girl; her chestnut hair a tangled mess, nose a bit too large for her face, and her mouth showed the distortion of braces. She was tall, slender as a reed, but without any outward signs of adolescence.

I watched her from a distance out of fascination. She studied the girls playing soccer, occasionally shaking her head as if disappointed by their skill, her right hand moving as if trying to guide the soccer ball on the field. An overly large Budweiser red sweatshirt fell to mid-thigh, partially hiding worn blue jeans, the arms rolled up. Laces on one of her worn high top sneakers were undone. A large backpack decorated with stickers rested on the grass at her side.

She might not have been attractive, but she had an animated and intriguing face, wincing or frowning at the game.

I noticed her again several days later, sitting alone on a low wall overlooking the parking lot at school, her head bowed as she read a textbook on her knees. Early fall weather was warm, yet she wore a large blue Roots sweatshirt, sleeves pulled up, her wrists festooned with colored plastic bangles. She really wasn't what my peers would call a pretty girl. Quite the opposite. Yet there was something about her; isolated and apart. Maybe that's why I wandered over - curiosity.

"Hi," I said, as I neared her.

She looked up, startled, and I saw pale green eyes stare at me. Up close I noticed light freckles on high cheekbones, her face oval with a few spots of inflamed acne on her chin, more around her nostrils. She stared at me without a trace of shyness or embarrassment.

"So you lost the bet?" she asked, her voice soft, teeth replete with metal braces.

"What?"

"What was the bet? To see if I could talk? To embarrass me?" She glanced around. "Where are your friends hiding?"

"What?"

She studied me for a moment. "Why are you talking to me? Because I'm a lost cause? Or did you wonder if I'm as strange as people say?"

"What?"

"Clearly you're the sharp end of the pencil," she observed, then turned back to reading her textbook, ignoring me.

She made me feel stupid. I stood there for a moment, shrugged, turned and left. What a strange girl.

I saw her again the next day, now sitting alone on the parking lot curb, a textbook on her knees, her long chestnut hair still a tangled mess, laces on one sneaker still untied, and her wrists festooned with turquoise-inlayed silver bangles. Lord knows why, but I went over to her again.

She glanced at me and back to her algebra textbook. "You again. You're a glutton for punishment."

"What?" I asked automatically.

"Is that your pick-up line? If it is, I have to tell you it's destined to fail."

"Huh?"

"That's just as weak," she commented, still reading.

I grinned and sat down next to her, not saying a word. She may not be pretty, but she was quite funny.

Eventually she sighed loudly with exasperation and looked at me. "What do you want?"

"Your name."

"None of your business."

Smiling broadly, I said, "Give me a name and I'll leave you alone."

She sighed. "Fine. Penny. Now go."

I left.

On Friday, as I watched the school football team practicing their routines, I saw her sitting, again separated from other spectators in the stands. I went over, dropped my backpack, sat next to her and said, "Hi, Penny. How's it going today?"

Her pale green eyes turned to me. "My name's not Penny."

"You told me it was," I reminded her.

"No. You asked me to give you a name, so I gave you one - Penny."

I laughed at being duped. "You don't make it easy to socialize with you."

"Is that what you're doing? Socializing with me?" she asked. "Why? Do you think I'm lonely? Have no friends? A lost cause needing charity?" Neon plastic bangles on her right wrist clicked as she moved her hand, using it to emphasize her words.

"Yup. Exactly."

"Good for you. You've done your duty. Now go away," she said, turning back to watch the football team practice.

I didn't. She amused me. I sat quietly, watching her. Eventually she turned to look at me.

"What's your problem?" she asked.

"What's yours?" I countered.

"You. Go away."

Grinning, I asked, "What's your real name?"

"None of your business." She turned back to watch football practice.

"I'm not going to stop asking," I told her. "You'll get rid of me faster if you tell me."

She sighed. "Maryam Mirzakhani."

I laughed, now really amused. "So, Maryam, what was it like when you won the Fields Medal?"

She looked very surprised, then smiled slightly - a curl at the corners of her mouth. "You're not as dumb as I thought. How would you know her?"

"My mother's Persian, that's how."

She let out a soft laugh. "Farrah Connolly."

"Nice name," I told her. "See ya later, Farrah." I grabbed my backpack and walked off, expecting her to ask for my name. She didn't.

The dark silence was broken by rapid footsteps. The room smelled of disinfectant cleaning solution. Electronic machines beeped quietly. I shifted in the chair, my butt numb.

Closing my eyes, I forced myself to think back. Farrah was such a strange girl, so full of quirks. She'd never asked for my name. I'd eventually told her and she showed no interest, as if she didn't even register it.

For almost a month, I'd spend a minute or two with her at the end of school and slowly a reluctant friendship developed. She was reticent, sharply witty, and brutally honest; unlike any girl I'd ever encountered.

Slouching down in the chair and resting my head back, I let cherished memories flow.

"Your shoelace is undone," I told her, pointing at her left foot.

Sitting beside me on the waist-high wall around the school parking lot, Farrah extended her feet, looking at her high top sneakers.

"I know. It's good luck."

"How do you figure that?" I asked.

She wiggled her shoes. "It's a reminder that order is balanced by disorder in life. Yin and yang." She glanced at me. "Why are you spending time with me?"

"You're weird. I like it. And you have a brain. That's unusual for a girl."

Farrah snorted. "So you're a misogynist."

"Nope. I happen to love females. But have you talked to some of the girls at school? Helium-filled balloons have more intellectual activity than they do."

She laughed lightly. "So you're sexist and a stereotypical male. Let me guess, you're a jock, too."

"Yup. I ride a bike, I walk to school, and I swim. Jock's my middle name. Why do you wear so many wrist bands?"

She fiddled with dull pastel bangles on one wrist. "This one is for health. This one wards off the evil eye," she told me, pointing at different bands. She lifted her other wrist, full of twisted wire bangles. "And these seven help my chakra."

"You're really weird."

"Uh-huh. That's what I'm told." She went back to studying her textbook on statistical analysis.

On Monday, I caught up to Farrah as she left school and walked with her. My peers noticed me and laughed, not in amusement, either. I knew they were making fun of me.

"Hey, Farrah."

She didn't stop. "Your friends are laughing at you. Maybe you should leave me alone. Your social standing is taking a beating."

I laughed. "It is. Fun, isn't it? Where do you live?"

"Don't you care what they think of you?" she asked.

"Not really. Real friends don't judge. So, where do you live?"

"In a house. I imagine most people do."

A cool wind gusted, rattling dead leaves on old oaks. We walked together.

"What classes are your favorite?" I asked, trying to start a conversation.

"Mathematics."

"What do you like about math?"

"It's the one universal language. No matter where you come from you can understand it. It's the language of life."

I noticed, as she talked, her right hand moving again, as if punctuating her words.

"You can mathematically define patterns of football and soccer players. The way they converge on a ball is like the way blood cells converge on a virus, and they can be expressed in a mathematical formula." Her index finger made a circling movement as she talked. It looked like an unconscious act.

I disagreed. "You can't express chaos or chance in a formula."

"Of course you can."

Before I could argue, she turned up a crossroad and walked away, no "goodbye" or "see ya later." I shook my head with amusement. She was really strange.

We continued to meet and have short conversations. The short conversations grew longer, and as winter passed, she surprised me one day by casually inviting me to her home when we left school.

Farrah lived in a neat, two bedroom detached house. I met her mother, a real estate agent; a tall, slender, and beautiful woman of exceptional elegance. I thought Farrah must have taken after her father, the difference between her and her mother so sharp.

I returned the invitation, asking Farrah over one day after school. My parents were out. Farrah and I had an odd friendship growing. We talked about anything and everything, but she never let me get stupid or let sardonic comments pass without a retort. She wasn't deliberately funny and rarely laughed. Emotion was communicated through her eyes, her hand, and a curl at the corners of her lips.

One afternoon after school, sitting on a bench and enjoying spring sun, I asked with a smile, "How come you never flirt? Do you know how? I can teach you, if you like."

Farrah crossed one knee over the other. She tossed her long tangled hair back with a flip of her hand, rested her elbow on her knee, her fist propping up her chin, looked at me, batted her eyelashes and said, "So, you're, like, into video games. How fascinating. I hear they're, like, really hard. Tell me, what's your favorite game?" She gave me her full attention and batted her eyelashes again. "Are you good at them? You must be really smart. I'm useless at playing. Perhaps you could, like, give me some private lessons?"

I laughed. "I guess you choose not to flirt."

She looked away. "Why bother."

It was a revealing comment about her-self image. True, she wasn't the prettiest girl at school, but once you knew her, it was easy to see her other charms. Inside, she was an amazingly attractive girl and I started appreciating her. I started looking forward to the times we spent together, our short conversations.

Our friendship continued through spring. I was pleasantly surprised to see her in the stands watching me at swimming practice with the school team. She turned up at every afterschool practice and started attending every meet, quietly watching me, always alone.

Something else happened that spring, too. In April, Farrah lost her braces, her lips now almost lush and mouth very attractive. Her complexion cleared up and, while still somewhat skinny, I noticed how her plain unprinted T-shirts hinted at a developing bust. Then, in short order, physical changes assaulted her. As summer holidays approached, Farrah emerged like a butterfly from a chrysalis. Her face lost the final traces of childhood and became sculpted, and, in her, I saw her mother's beauty - a youthful elegance. Farrah was transforming into a beautiful girl despite her long, tangled chestnut hair and quirky personality. In fact, to me her hair started looking like a high-end salon job.

She seemed oblivious of how she was changing. I wasn't. I caught how other guys reacted with new interest, how they treated her differently. My peers, who had ribbed me endlessly and mercilessly, were now trying to catch her attention. They asked me what she was like and could I introduce them. I refused, waiting for Farrah to demonstrate anything other than friendship towards me; something I was now actively interested in. When she didn't, I finally introduced her to some of the more trustworthy guys.

Richard, a good looking friend and one of the nicer guys in school, took a particular interest in her. One day when I left school, I saw him talking to her. She nodded. He grinned and strutted off.

"What did Richard want?" I asked, falling into step with her as we walked home.

"He asked me out on a date."

A stab of jealousy revealed the strength of my attraction to her. "Did you accept?"

She nodded.

Angry at her, I avoided her the following week. It was immature of me but I couldn't help how I felt; second best, an afterthought to her, not worthy of a date, just an acquaintance she chatted with.

This time, she was the one to approach me and sit at my table at lunch. It was the first time she'd sought me out.

"Where have you been?" she asked, setting her books on the table, her backpack thumping to the floor. When I didn't answer, she added, "Huck? What's wrong?"

"Nothing."

She studied me with her pale green eyes. "It's the date I went on with Richard, isn't it?" she said, her expressive hand moving in a dismissive wave.

"No . . . Maybe." I sighed. "It would have been nice to go out with me first."

"I might have if you'd ever asked. I waited long enough."

"You never gave me any sign you were interested in a date," I claimed.

"I told you, I don't flirt."

Looking at her, still bemused at how beautiful she was becoming - now seriously out of my league, I said, "If I asked you out on a date, would you accept?"

The corners of her lips curled in amusement. "Try it and see. An empirical test."

"Would you like to go to the movies together? This Friday?"

She smiled, a rare event, broad and bright and damned gorgeous, very faint freckles dusting her cheeks. "Okay."

In the dark room, I thought I felt her hand move in mine, drawing me back to the present. Standing quickly, I looked down at her in the hospital bed. Farrah was still asleep. I squeezed her hand. Heaviness in my chest made breathing hard.

Smiling to put lightness in my voice, I sat my butt on the edge of the bed, still holding her hand.

"I was just remembering our first date," I told her conversationally. "Do you remember it? It was a complete disaster.

"I thought I'd checked the movie time. I had, but for the wrong cinema. We ended up watching Head Over Heels with Freddie Prinze Jr. It had to be the worst movie of the year.

"I was so nervous. Remember how I spilled popcorn all over us, which would have been fine if I hadn't asked for extra butter. You kept telling me how much better your date with Richard had been, making me jealous beyond belief, so I only tried harder."

Falling silent, I smiled. Taking Farrah for a burger and fries after the movie, I'd ordered for both of us - me being manly. Farrah had given me that slight amused and aware smile of hers and, when the food arrived, without comment, she'd casually opened her hamburger and carefully removed all the garnishes - lettuce, pickles, onions, tomato, and cheese - and wiped off ketchup and mustard with her paper napkin. With the buns and meat clean, plain, and tasteless, she'd eaten with pleasure, reassuring me it was a really good burger. Right. Her quirkiness fascinated and charmed me.

"You're the only person I've ever known to like plain, dry burgers, Farrah."

After a slight pause, I spoke again.

"Do you remember our first kiss? You'd think, being a couple of years older, I'd know how to kiss, but I was so damned nervous from your comments about Richard. When I kissed you at your front door, my mouth hit yours so hard the inside of my lip split against my tooth."

For a moment I paused, holding her hand, and fought back emotions.

"I was convinced you'd never date me again after that debacle. Yet, you did. It was so you, too. Remember? Monday after that disaster? It was funny how you suggested I try kissing you again to see if there was any hope for me.

"I'll tell you a secret. I liked that we kissed in front of the school. I figured, even if the kiss wasn't good enough, the other guys would see us and know you were my girl, and to keep their grubby hands off.

"But, you know what? It was the best kiss of my life."

I looked at my wife and, in a quieter voice, said, "All your kisses have been the best of my life."

For several minutes, I listened to the muted sounds of movement in the hospital; soft-soled shoes walking quickly, the quiet beeping tone of a life monitor, the whisper of air conditioning.

I looked at her in the dim light, still so beautiful. My chest suddenly grew tight, breathing difficult.

"Don't leave me, Farrah," I whispered, squeezing her hand. "I can't live without you."

Fighting back tears, I spoke with false brightness I didn't feel.

"I don't think I ever told you how my heart misbehaved every time I saw you. It would trip or miss a beat. I really didn't like the feeling. Back in high school, I used to point out pretty girls just to get a rise out of you; jealously, or possessiveness - anything, really. You never reacted, just giving me that subtle smile, the corners of your mouth turning up as if you knew what I was trying to do.

"When you didn't react the way I wanted, it only made me work harder for your affection. I was so dumb. I didn't know you were doing it on purpose. You really had my number."

Another squeeze of her cool hand and I continued. "I told you I loved you when you were sixteen. But, do you know when I actually knew I was in love with you? It was the year before."

Memories rushed back to me, bringing a smile.

I swam hard, arms churning, muscles burning. The final twenty-five yards were the worst. I could feel myself flagging, my stroke rate slowing. Glancing to my right, Derek Olsic was almost level with me. Digging deep into reserves I didn't have, heart racing, I started the hard kick to the finish, shoulders rolling, water flowing past, hands like paddles pulling me through the water. The black line at the bottom of the pool gave me distance and, as the final five yards arrived, I charged, reaching out at the last second to touch the end.

Gasping for breath, I rested on the lane buoys and glanced at the timing board. Second place, beaten by the length of Derek's fingers. Shit! The 400 individual medley was my enemy, my least favorite event.

Scanning the stands, I saw Farrah in her usual attire; plain light blue T-shirt and jeans. She was watching me, her fingers fiddling with a plastic bangle on one wrist.

When I emerged from the changing room, she took my hand, her fingers intertwining with mine.

"Let's walk to the park," she suggested.

As we strolled in the warm summer heat, she told me, "You're using your energy all wrong. You would have won the individual medley if you'd conserved your energy on the initial backstroke laps."

"I had to build a lead," I claimed.

"No. You were evenly matched to the others. You have a faster freestyle but you used up your reserves on the first three elements trying to stay ahead. If you'd let Derek ease ahead and turned it on at the end, you'd have beaten him by almost a second." Her index finger was active, emphasizing her analysis.

"You can't know that, Farrah."

She glanced at me. "It's simple mathematics, Huck. I know what your times are in each style. I know what the competitor's times are, too. You tried to be faster in each instead of saving it for the final freestyle."

We walked in silence as I pondered her advice. Maybe next time I'd try it her way.

The park, a large expanse with rolling lawns broken by stands of weeping willow and oak trees lining the winding path of a small river, was spotted with families enjoying the late afternoon weather, some sitting together, others throwing Frisbees, dogs barking and running.

We found a private spot in the shade next to the small river. Water flowed past over pebbles and around rocks at a lethargic pace, lush green water grasses at the edges waving. The river brought a cooling breeze.

Sitting side-by-side, I admired Farrah. Now fifteen, she was becoming more beautiful every month. Or maybe it was my perspective changing. She looked at me and smiled slightly, her pale green eyes so enchanting. At that exact moment, with dappled light playing over her tangled chestnut hair, wrists festooned with colorful bangles, and one sneaker lace still untied, I knew I loved her. I felt it as an ache in my chest, heaviness, my heart thumping. I felt so privileged - so lucky to be with her.

Giving into the urge, I leaned in and kissed her, my lips touching hers gently. On the breeze I caught her scent; subtle honeysuckle with a hint of spicy exotic. Farrah kissed me back, her eyes closing. Reaching across, I held the side of her body and, as the kiss deepened with a soft brush of the tip of her tongue, I eased my hand to her front and cupped her breast; the first time I'd touched her intimately, and boy was it exciting!

Farrah's breast might have been small, but it was perfect; firm and sensual, cradled by a soft bra. I caressed her, growing erect. Farrah let me touch her, but when the kiss ended, she gently removed my hand, holding it, and leaned against me.

Farrah wasn't the first girl I'd kissed, or the first girl I'd touched. She was, however, the single most exciting girl I'd ever been with. I loved her quirkiness: her passion for disciplined mathematics mixed with unscientific superstitions; her casual way of dressing; her tangled chestnut hair enhancing her beauty; and her enchanting pale green eyes.

Noticing a new, red enamel metal bangle on her left wrist, I asked her about it.

Lifting her hand and studying it, she told me, "Red is the color of energy, passion, action, ambition and determination. I wore it for your meet. It worked. You won the freestyle and the butterfly events."

"Do you really believe that stuff?"

Farrah looked at me. "It worked, didn't it?"

We spent a couple of hours chatting, kissing, and Farrah letting me touch her breast over her T-shirt every so often. The new intimacy between us was very exciting.

Over the summer break, Farrah and I spent more and more time together. While we hadn't verbalized we were boyfriend and girlfriend, it was accepted between us that we were. Our parents had no objections. Dad had a quiet word with me, reminding me to be respectful of Farrah, and not to forget condoms if the relationship progressed that far. It didn't.

Our relationship had started as a friendship and that remained the core between us. Long conversations were the norm, Farrah calmly countering my sarcasm or jokes with reason.

Spending time with her, I noticed things. While aware of fashions, she wasn't interested in clothes. Farrah's wardrobe consisted of plain, solid color Tees, jeans or occasionally cargo shorts, and the always-present sneakers; left shoe untied. She had a large selection of wrist bangles. Every day some, but not all, would be changed. However, one, a complexly braided stiff leather one, glossy and ebony-dark with age, was always on her left wrist, never removed. When I asked about that one, she'd give me her slight smile of amusement and refuse to tell me.

I truly enjoyed her oddball beliefs. Her quirks defined her character and made her evermore fascinating. She liked ice cubes in her drinks except for Coke. Coke was ice-free because "It waters down the flavor." She never, as in never, bad-mouthed anyone. She believed it would only tempt fate. Given she'd been made fun of by so many, it demonstrated the strength of her character that she refused to reciprocate.

And Farrah was completely, utterly unaware of how beautiful she was, inside and now out. She couldn't see it.

When school resumed in the fall, I gloated every time Farrah politely brushed aside other guys' approaches, and listened to my friends telling me what a lucky bastard I was. They had no concept.

Intimacy was slow to develop. In late October, when she'd come back to my house after school and we were alone, after chatting and eating a snack in the kitchen, I kissed her as she stood at the counter. She wrapped her arms around my neck and pressed herself against me and I finally held her buttocks. Her ass matched her tall and reed slender body perfectly, two wonderful buttocks with such shape, swelling out sensually.

When she pressed herself against the lump of my erection, making me even hornier, I eased one hand up under her plain green T-shirt. For the first time I touched her bare skin, traced her spine, touched her bra strap, and, with mounting excitement, brought my hand around to her front, my pulse racing.

Farrah eased her chest away from me and I experienced the thrill of cupping her bra-covered breast. Her bra was soft cotton, her breast supple but petite inside it. I caressed and tested its resiliency, then discovered the bump of her nipple. All sorts of sexy thoughts tumbled through my mind; lifting her bra, actually touching her bare breast, maybe seeing it.

Still kissing, tongues playing, Farrah pulled my hand out from her T-shirt. The kiss ended. She smiled slightly, kissed my lips gently and backed away.

"Why did you stop?" I asked, suffering from horniness.

"To make sure I can," she answered.

Confused, I told her, "Of course you can. I'd never force you into anything."

The corners of her lips turned up slightly, an expression I was beginning to recognize. It came when I did something that amused her.

"I meant, to make sure I could stop myself. You kiss really well, and when you touch me, it's hard to resist you."

I grinned, feeling rather proud.

Farrah studied me. "I'm not ready to go all the way, Huck. I hope you can accept that."

"I can wait as long as you want. But kissing is mandatory."

She moved into me and we kissed again, soft and fun, tongues teasing. The way she pressed herself against me had me hard again. And, man, did she have a great ass!

"You'd get me so damned horny back in high school," I told my sleeping wife.

A multi-colored LED display provided a constant update on her condition. I tried to ignore it. Shuffling slightly, I sat fully on her bed turning my back to the monitor, kissed her slender hand, placed it down gently, and rubbed her leg. Maybe she could feel my touch. Maybe it would provide some comfort.

As sadness rose suddenly, helplessly and uncontrollably, once again threatening to overwhelm me, I continued talking to her, reminding her of better times.

"Did you know how jealous my friends were? They all claimed they'd seen the potential in you in your first year. They were full of it! You weren't what anyone would call pretty back then. Even I had no clue how you'd turn out. Then you magically transformed into this elegant, gorgeous girl with brains. It was intimidating. I constantly worried you'd dump me for a better-looking guy."

With a quiet chuckle, I told her, "I know you still don't believe it, but I didn't tell you I love you just to get you into bed. If I'd known it would work so well, I would have tried it long before you turned sixteen.

"In a way, I'm glad I didn't. I would have missed our journey of intimacy, and that was the most amazing experience. I now know you set the pace back then, allowing me to do only what you wanted. It sure made for some painful erections."

I chuckled again. Mom and Dad had drummed respect for women into me for as long as I could remember. It never occurred to me to be anything less with Farrah. But, Jesus it was agony at times, and caused a lot of dampness in my shorts.

"Do you remember the first time you let me touch your breast?" I asked her.

"How about coming over on Saturday?" I asked Farrah as we sat in the cafeteria, students loud around us. "Mom and Dad are going out to a party. We'd be alone."

Her pale green eyes studied me. I could swear she could read me like an open book. The corners of her lips curled slightly, amused.

"How about taking me to a movie instead?" she offered.

Resigned to my failed plan, I nodded. "Sure."

"I love your enthusiasm, Huck," she commented.

Quickly, I corrected myself. "No. Really. I'd love to. I'll even let you choose the movie!"

Farrah smiled, eyes twinkling. "You had plans, didn't you? Thought you'd get me alone and what? Seduce me?"

I laughed. "Can't blame me for trying. I'm a guy."

Reaching across the table, she took my hand. "You're a great guy, Huck."

Saturday, in the cinema, I wasn't really into the movie. I was more interested in Farrah. In the dark, sitting way up in back, we kissed and shared a bucket of popcorn. Farrah, almost absentmindedly, fed me. I had my arm over her shoulders. It was so much fun; she fed herself popcorn, then she fed me some. We'd pause for a kiss, then her head would settle against my shoulder. A couple of minutes later, the routine would be repeated.

Halfway through the movie, popcorn was finished. We cuddled. We kissed. And in the darkness, when our tongues played, I gently touched her breast over her T-shirt. I loved how small but firm it felt, perfect for her tall, slender body. Our kiss became more passionate as I caressed her and, feeling brave and influenced by horniness, I moved my hand to the bottom of her Tee, paused to let her stop me, and when she didn't, with my heart racing, I eased my hand underneath.

Farrah's skin was warm and so soft. She was wearing another of her soft bras. I cupped her breast. Through the thin cotton, I teased her nipple. I loved how it responded. So did her kiss, pressure increasing, our tongues wrestling lightly.

She shifted on her seat and extracted her hand from under my arm. I knew the sign. She was going to pull my hand out. No matter. I'd had an exciting grope and it would feed my fantasies tonight.

But, no.

From outside her tee, Farrah eased her bra up, and suddenly I was fondling her naked breast. It was the first naked breast I'd ever touched and I was addicted, excited, and hornier than Hell. Farrah's breast was silky smooth, warm, supple yet firm. Just less than a handful, it had such a sexy shape, her nipple a distinct bump against my palm. I caressed and explored, mapping its shape with my thumb, squeezing very gently, and rubbing her proud nipple. Damn it was arousing!

Farrah broke our kiss and rested her head against my shoulder. Her hand covered mine from outside the tee, holding mine in place. We watched the movie as she let me fondle her, my erection straining and damp and uncomfortable inside tight jeans.

A combination of extreme horniness and nervousness - touching a bare breast for the first time - made my hand hot and damp. I sat quietly praying for it to dry out, but it didn't. It got worse. Eventually, embarrassed at being so nervous, I withdrew my hand. Farrah moved, readjusting her bra, and settled back against me. We kissed some more until the movie ended.

I was still horny as heck.

Walking home, holding hands, Farrah said, "It's cute that you were so nervous, Huck. I like it."

"You have no concept."

Demonstrating her insight into me, she said, "It was my first time, too. I think, if we try it some more, we won't be as nervous."

"You'd want to?" I asked.

"That was implicit in my comment. But, yes, I think I'd like to."

We did try again. Not that often, and mostly at the movies or when we were alone together at her house or mine.

In late January, Farrah invited me over for dinner. It was her sixteenth birthday dinner. Even though I knew her parents, I worried that I'd make a bad impression, and I really, really wanted them to like me.

Dressed up in slacks, a dress shirt, and pale blue v-neck sweater under my coat, I rang their front door bell.

You could have knocked me over with a feather! Farrah answered the door in a soft olive green dress; sleeveless, mid-thigh-length and cinched at the waist, wearing heels. Her tangled chestnut hair was pulled up at the sides, cascading down her back, and her legs! Her legs went on for miles, slender and shapely.

I was speechless, mouth gaping open. It was the first time I'd seen her in a dress, and Holy shit! She could easily have been a fashion model. She had the height, the body, and the looks.

Dinner was nice. Her mother and father put me at ease. Having been with Farrah for well over a year, they'd accepted me. Still, I was nervous and on my best behavior.

Eventually, Farrah and I sat on the couch in their small den.

I dug through my pocket and extracted a small, wrapped present, giving it to her. "Happy birthday."

She studied the small gift, then opened it. Farrah wasn't the easiest person to shop for. She was so quirky, ordinary girly things wouldn't have been right. I'd bought her a gold charm bracelet and put two charms on it: one a dragonfly, the American Indian symbol for happiness, speed and purity; the other an Irish Claddagh ring, the symbol for love, loyalty, and friendship.

"It's beautiful," she said. She fingered the two charms and, not surprising me in the least, identified them immediately.

I'd been forced to research them.

"I'd like us to fill the bracelet with memories," I told her, adding, "If you'll let me."

She added the charm bracelet to a variety of inlaid wooden bangles clicking together on her wrist, admiring it, then leaned over and kissed me softly. "Thank you. I love it. It's a beautiful present."

Sitting back, she leaned against me, taking my hand and playing with my fingers. As she did, I wondered what God had favored me above all others. I wasn't as smart as she was. I wasn't as good looking as some of the other guys at school. And seeing her in a dress, I was convinced she could have had her choice of any guy at school. She still could, too; she way outclassed me.

"Why me?" I asked, explaining my thoughts.

The corners of her lips curled in amusement when she looked at me. "You're cute, Huck. You really don't know how good looking you are, do you?" Without waiting for a reply, she continued, still playing with my fingers, "You don't see how other girls flirt with you, but I do. I like that you don't even notice them."

Her beautiful pale green eyes twinkled. "You're a really good guy, Huck."

She kissed me gently and tugged out the small pins holding her hair, ruffling it. It sprang out, thick and tangled. When I combed my fingers through it and felt no knots, just silken hair, I realized it truly was her natural state; unique and quite gorgeous.

As spring arrived, I started swimming competitively again. Farrah was always there, always in a plain tee and worn jeans, and always with one high top shoelace undone. She'd sit quietly watching me and give me pointers after each meet, analyzing my pace and strategy.

Mid-May, on a Saturday, I asked her over to swim and relax; just us together. My eighteenth birthday was nearing. Mom and Dad were off on one of their intimate weekends; their annual getaway when they found time for themselves, to be together and rekindle their relationship.

Once again, Farrah shocked me. She was the most fashion-unconscious person I knew, comfortable within herself. However, when she emerged onto the backyard deck and unwrapped the towel around her, she took my breath away. Her simple black bikini exposed acres of skin. Slender and tall, her bikini revealed gentle, sensual curves; her small bust, the gorgeous shape of her ass, the sexy swell of her pubis, slender thighs, and long, long legs. In the pool waiting for her, I got an erection. I couldn't help it.

With a graceful dive, she joined me, surfacing in front of me, her beautiful pale green eyes bright with a smile. God she was beautiful! Amusement emerged when she moved against me, her arms around my neck. She'd felt my erection. It was rather prominent.

We hugged and kissed lightly, swam, and hugged and kissed some more. I chased her and heard her laughter, light and full of pleasure. She made my chest ache. And I tamped down hard on the desire I had, the powerful urge for intimacy, an almost desperate need. She was so damned attractive and I wanted her so much.

Eventually we stood chest high in cool water, the sun intense, bright, hot. She moved into me, her beautiful pale green eyes so full of emotions.

"I love you, Farrah," I told her for the first time. It was the easiest thing I'd ever admitted. I did love her, painfully.

She smiled and we kissed. I held her sexy ass. Our tongues teased, then mouths opened and I fell into a deeply sensual kiss. Farrah's legs circled me, her pussy pressed against my erection straining up. As common sense started fading in the face of extreme arousal, with a Herculean effort, I ended the kiss and slowly extracted myself from her embrace.

"What's wrong?" she asked.

"I was on the tipping point of being stupid," I told her.

That small curl to the corners of her lips emerged, her eyes twinkling.

"It's not funny, Farrah."

She reached out, her hands pulling me by the neck, drawing me against her. In my ear, she whispered, "Maybe this time I don't want you to stop." Moving her face away, she smiled at me, her message loud and clear.

About to wrap her in an embrace, she placed her hands on my chest and held me off. "I don't want my first time to be in the pool. Can we go to your bedroom?"

As Farrah walked up the stairs at the end of the pool and I watched the sensual sway of her ass, I had a hard time believing we were truly going to have sex; that I was going to have sex with such a beautiful girl. Slowly, nervousness displaced some of my ardor. I might have kissed a few girls and even felt their breasts, but I was a virgin and worries assailed me. Would I hurt her? Would I be able to make it good for her?

Then Farrah took my hand and all worries melted away. I led her to my room. Her towel dropped. We moved into each other. She looked at me, studied my eyes. That small smile emerged. I kissed it. Her eyes closed and she kissed me back.

Behind her back, I fiddled with the clasp of her bikini top. It popped open. Still kissing, I couldn't see her breasts. However, I felt them press against my chest, naked, firm and so exciting.

The kiss ended. She crossed her arm over her breasts, and moved to the bed. Lifting the covers, she slipped underneath. I sat on the opposite side and pushed my swimsuit down over my erection, eased under the covers before turning towards her just in time to see her drop her bikini bottoms at the side of the bed.

For a couple of moments we looked at each other, her beautiful pale green eyes full of thoughts I wished I could hear. Then we moved. Farrah's naked body pressed to mine, acres of sexy bare skin, warm and sensual. My erection poked her, then slipped to the side as we pressed together. We kissed again.

I reached between us and touched her breast, caressing, teasing her nipple. Farrah murmured into my mouth and when her hand carefully wrapped around my erection, desire for her slammed into me, my cock swelling and aching.

Easing my hand down, Farrah edged her body away to give me room, and I touched her pussy for the first time. I touched silken pubic hair, the swell of her mons, and cupped her incredible pussy, my middle finger pressing against her cleft. Farrah's pussy felt full and lush in my palm, but what had my erection surging was the moist, slippery arousal I felt.

Our kiss intensified, tongues dueling. Farrah stroked me. I curled my finger into her cleft and rubbed her clit. My pulse raced, heart thumped, and I ended the kiss, needing to breathe.

"Do you have a condom?" she asked quietly.

Reaching behind, I fished around and found it in the bedside drawer. Farrah rolled away from me. Blindly, under the covers, I put the condom on, then moved towards her, my excitement mounting to unbelievable levels. She urged me on top, her legs parting, and I settled on her.

Reaching down, gripping my erection, I guided it to her pussy and pressed.

"Lower," she whispered.

Edging the tip down through her cleft, it caught at the base. Jesus! I was going to have sex with her!

Looking into her eyes, I pressed in and made no progress. I tried again, harder, and felt a slight give. Another much harder thrust and Farrah's face winced in pain, my crown penetrated her, gripped so damned tightly, and I came, erection swelling and spurting, cum filling the condom. I came helplessly, spurting, erection pulsing and, just like that, my orgasm passed leaving me aghast with shame and embarrassment.

Farrah knew. I could see it. She cupped my cheek with her hand.

"I'm so sorry, Farrah," I told her as my erection faded and slipped out of her.

"It's okay, Huck. It hurt a lot more than I expected." She kissed my lips and hugged me. "I think we should try it again and see if there's any hope for you." She smiled. "Maybe this was the way it was supposed to be."

The hospital room door opened. A swish of material on nylon made me open my eyes. I moved off the bed and back to the bedside chair. The night nurse bustled in. Mary was a stocky young lady with a kind face. I watched her move to the side of the bed and check monitors, adjust the intravenous drip, and check on Farrah, taking her wrist.

"How are you doing, Mr. Allison?" she asked, placing my wife's hand down and straightening the blanket.

"Having a long conversation with her."

She nodded. "I'll be back in an hour to check on her again."

Light from the corridor through the propped-open door faded away when it closed behind her with a quiet click. Once again, I was alone with Farrah in the dimly lit room.

Reaching out, I took her hand. A charm bracelet jangled, half full of charms.

Fingering them, I touched one. "Do you remember what this one represented?" I asked her, selecting the Dara Celtic knot.

"You bought it after the second time we made love; representing inner strength and endurance. Man I was hopeless that first time. It was your fault, though. You turned me on so much, I couldn't stop myself.

"But the second time, God Farrah, the second time was it."

Leaning back in the chair, holding my wife's hand, I smiled at the memory.

"How are you feeling?" I asked, kissing Farrah's cheek before entering school.

"Sore, and not that impressed." She slipped her hand into mine and, with that curl of her lips, eyes bright with amusement, said, "Mom and Dad are out tomorrow afternoon. I think I'll give you another chance to redeem yourself."

Despite heated cheeks, I laughed. "Okay. I'll practice tonight."

Farrah let out one of her rare laughs, her smile so radiant I felt it physically.

Tuesday afternoon as we walked to her house, I tamped down my excitement. I had three condoms in my back pocket, just in case of another disaster . . . or a stunning success. And I was determined to exert control this time; take it at my pace, lead. This time I wanted Farrah to experience pleasure even if it meant I didn't. I had a plan and it revolved around all the senses.

Farrah's room was as I'd expected; simple furniture, a cream carpet, desktop computer on a busy desk, and weird knick-knacks everywhere, most of which I couldn't understand. Her walls had posters of Japanese symbols and landscape photography; a forest with blurred rushing streams and autumn leaves, dolphins leaping in the ocean, a nighttime volcano erupting.

Farrah dropped her backpack. I stopped her when she started taking her T-shirt off, and led her to her bed. We lay together, talking for a while, then kissed. I combed my fingers through her chestnut hair, still not finding any knots. Kissing led to touching; a caress of her back, of her side, and onto her hip. She smiled and charmed me, captivating me with her expressive pale green eyes. Her hand rubbed my arm.

When I cupped her breast, she watched me. Her nipple responded, firming. Farrah took my hand, moved it away from her breast and down to the bottom of her tee. I pushed her onto her back, leaned over her and kissed her softly.

"I love kissing you," I said.

She pressed her palm to my cheek. "You're a great kisser." Her hand slipped to the back of my neck and pulled me into another kiss. The tips of our tongues toyed erotically. I edged my hand underneath her tee, slipping it up across silken skin to touch her bra. With a delicate caress, I explored the remarkably sexy shape of her breast, firm and upright even with her on her back. She turned slightly when I reached behind, and I opened her bra, bringing my hand back to brush her bra up and fondle her naked breast.

Farrah's kiss intensified, then stopped. She tugged at my tee. "Take it off, Huck."

While I did, she shrugged her tee and pink bra off. Before I could see her naked breasts, she covered them with her arm. It was the second time I'd seen modesty in her.

"Let me see," I asked. Holding her wrist, Farrah, watching me, let me move her arm away.

"Jesus, you've got beautiful breasts." And she did. On the petite side, they were perfectly formed with dark pink areolae and beautiful nipples.

Unable to resist, I kissed one, then pressed my lips against it, her breast supple, yielding. Opening my mouth, I took her areola and nipple in, sucking gently and tasting slight saltiness, her nipple rubbery.

Farrah responded with a sigh, her fingers combing through my hair. In my jeans, my erection strained for release but I waited.

Moving up, we kissed. Farrah's kiss was much more intense, her tongue active. I reached for her jeans, cupping her crotch and rubbing. Slowly, Farrah started moving, a slight undulation of her hips, rubbing her pussy against my hand, and I found it so damned exciting. This Farrah, aroused, was another side to her that thrilled me. I loved her excitement. There was no inhibition, no shyness, just sweetness.

She broke the kiss with a quiet gasp. "Take your clothes off. I want to be naked with you," she whispered, reaching down to her jeans.

I pulled her hands away. "Don't. I want to undress you."

Opening the button of her jeans was very exciting. It was even more exciting when, lowering the zipper, I saw the waist of pink panties with lace accents - such a girly color! Watching me, she lifted her butt and I tugged her jeans down and off, my eyes locked on the sight of her pussy stretching soft pink cotton. Elastic dug deep at the legs making her pubis appear full, a sexy triangle. I couldn't resist kissing her mons and caught the scent of her; a teasing hint of exotic, erotic. My cock strained.

Farrah relaxed her legs and the full glory of her shape was revealed - her vulva rounded and sensual. But, what had me aching with excitement was seeing two small chestnut pubic hairs escaping from the elastic.

Moving up, I lay at her side. Farrah studied me, then gave me that smile, a curl of her lips. I smiled and kissed her. Her hand touched my jeans, fiddling with the button, opening it, then unzipping me. Together, we shoved my jeans off, and her hand gently touched my erection over my boxers, exploring its shape with her fingers, and driving me nuts in the process.

I cupped her sexy pussy, fondled her, then with my fingertips, lifted the waist of her panties. Heart beating hard, I slipped my hand inside and, once again, felt her silken pubes.

Farrah edged the waist of my boxers down. I did the same with her panties. Together, we kicked them off. I looked down.

Chestnut pubic hair covered her mons. Yet her bush hadn't spread to the sides. It formed the sexiest delta, highlighting the sensual swell of her pubis. I almost moved down to kiss her, taste her, but Farrah's hand closed around my shaft and stroked me.

Desire slammed into me, hot and urgent. We rolled to face each other, groping each other, fondling, caressing, and kissing; a dizzying storm of sensations.

Farrah, still gently stroking me, said, "Put a condom on."

My elaborate plans for her evaporated, demolished by desire.

Putting the condom on was difficult with so much precum. Eventually, I rolled back into Farrah's arms. Her lips curled with amusement at my fumbling. She kissed me and urged me on top of her. I resisted.

"It might be better for you if you're on top," I suggested.

"No. I want your weight on me, Huck. I want to hold you," she insisted, tugging me.

Her legs parted, knees rising to cradle me as I settled onto her. This time, there was no inept fumbling. This time, hovering over her and holding my shaft, I eased the tip up and down her cleft, the condom deadening sensations slightly. And this time, when I lodged myself at the base of her cleft, Farrah's feet curled around my legs and tugged, her hands on my hips pulling.

This time, with gentle, careful, small thrusts, Farrah's pussy yielded gradually, stretching, and my crown slipped in to be gripped snugly; an exquisite feeling.

I lowered myself onto her. Her breasts pressed to my chest. She caressed my back, then hugged me, smiling at me, and tilted her pussy up slightly.

The experience was like no other. With surprising ease, my erection penetrated her smoothly, slowly. Our groins met. I was buried inside her, held snug and warm. We stopped.

Farrah smiled. "Much better," she murmured, gently squeezing me with her pussy.

I groaned. It felt so damned good. Movement started slowly. It began as we kissed, at first our bodies just undulating. As pleasure washed over me, our movements found harmony; small withdrawals, small thrusts, each exquisite and exciting. Slowly, so very slowly, we moved faster, withdrawals longer, thrusts harder. Her pussy massaging my aching erection.

Kisses ended. I settled fully on her, my face finding her neck, her scent, thrusting, withdrawing, thrusting again, so incredible.

Farrah caressed my back. Her legs urged me on, tightening, her hips turning up to meet my thrusts. We fucked each other deeply, her warm breath brushing against my ear. When a wave of pleasure hit me, a prelude to my orgasm, I stopped moving.

"What's wrong," she asked quietly, her pussy still undulating on my erection.

"I'm too close."

Farrah stopped moving. For a minute or two I wrestled my body back under control, then rubbed my groin against her pussy. A whole new sensation started. Deep inside her, I felt my crown moving. My groin rubbed against her clit and Farrah trembled. She rubbed her pussy against me and sighed, her arms tightening around my chest. And then the most amazing thing happened.

Farrah whispered, "Huck," and she climaxed. She sighed quietly. Her body trembled, thighs tightening against my hips. And most amazing of all, I felt gentle clenches on my erection buried in her snug pussy, rhythmic tightening, the most erotic massage.

Her hands pulled my head up forcefully and we kissed as she came, her lips pressing against mine firmly, tongues touching. And with a deep sigh of contentment, she stilled. An occasional tremor made her pussy tighten. I was still achingly hard.

For a few seconds, we didn't move. I nestled my face to her neck and enjoyed the wonderful sensation of being inside her, hard and throbbing. Then she moved again, a sexy undulation of her hips, and we started again, slow fucking, beautiful withdrawals, exquisite thrusts, and I let myself go. Desire raged through me again, pulse racing. Reaching down, I held her buttocks and stroked into her, faster, harder, urged on by her undulating hips, her pussy taking me deep, all the way with each thrust, one of her hands caressing my back, the other caressing my head. Too soon, I couldn't control myself.

It felt like my erection was about to burst. Pressure built. My body strained to the point of pain, fucking her, thrusting. It hit. With a gasp, my erection swelled, swelled, and suddenly semen rushed up, released, and exploded with a burst of pure bliss. With no control, I thrust and came, spurting hard, sweet ecstasy washing through me. My body heaved. Every thrust brought beautiful bliss, spurting hard, hard, and as fast as it had arrived, my orgasm peaked and faded. I slowed and stopped, drained, sated, exhausted.

Sitting in the quiet, dark hospital room, I let myself meander through cherished memories. Our sex life hadn't taken over. Farrah was cautious. Opportunities to be alone weren't frequent. I didn't mind. I liked being with her, being together. For me, that was what mattered the most. I was deeply in love.

Farrah, in her quirky way, had decided I was a good enough lover, so she'd keep me, giving me that small smile, her beautiful eyes twinkling.

I spoke to her quietly. "Do you remember how your mother almost caught us in bed? You could have told me she knew we were having sex. I just about had a heart attack and couldn't look your mother in the eye for a long time after.

"It was so you to let me know obliquely. Maybe you engineered it. I wouldn't put it past you. It was so out of character, too."

That memory brought a grin.

"Can we borrow your mom or dad's car," Farrah asked as we sat outside Starbucks.

"I can ask. Why?"

The aroma of brewing coffee, sounds of milk frothing, and patrons chatting wrapped around us. An umbrella didn't protect against humid heat.

"It's going to be hotter tomorrow. I thought it would be nice to get out of Philadelphia. We could go out to the hills and hike."

"I'll find out."

Saturday, late morning, we were hiking in the Wissahickon Gorge following the winding river, admiring small waterfalls, and enjoying nature. There was a wonderful feeling of isolation from the world, surrounded by sounds of birds chirping. Farrah, tall with long legs, kept pace with me easily. Comfortable silences were interspersed with conversation and observations. When we'd stop to admire the scenery, I'd hug Farrah from behind. She inevitably turned in my arms and we'd kiss before continuing.

A simple lunch of ham and Swiss on crusty Italian rolls, and fruit, was eaten sitting on large rocks at the riverbank. Early afternoon was more hiking.

Then, at one point, as we pushed our way through undergrowth, we emerged forty feet above a waterfall, huge rocks looking like they'd been carelessly scattered by a giant.

Farrah bent over a rock to study the rushing water below. I moved behind her and leaned over, our bodies together. Farrah wiggled her ass against me and I completely forgot about nature. An erection slowly formed, her gorgeous butt feeling so damned sexy. Wondering if she'd sent me a message, I reached around to cup her petite breast over her T-shirt.

She was suggesting! Her hand pressed mine to her breast.

"It's so peaceful here. So isolated," she said softly.

I caressed her breast. She undulated her ass against my groin and my erection strengthened. Then disappointment hit. I hadn't brought a condom.

"Damn!"

"What?" she asked.

"I'm horny and forgot condoms. Damn!"

Rubbing her sexy butt against the bulge at my groin, Farrah casually said, "It's okay. Mom put me on the pill after I admitted we were having sex."

"You told her?"

"She knew. She said I shouldn't take any chances. It's easy to forget protection when you're in the throes of passion."

Now excited, I suggested, "Let's find somewhere private."

"This is private. I like it here. We can see if anyone's coming."

"But it's rocky," I pointed out.

Farrah undulated her ass. "Don't be so unimaginative, Huck. Live a little."

"Really?"

"Uh-huh. In case you haven't figured it out yet, I'm horny," she said, still conversationally.

Well, hot damn!

As I dumped the backpack to the ground, the sound of Farrah's zipper lowering reached me. Glancing around, checking we were alone, I moved behind her. Farrah relaxed, leaning on the huge rock, slightly bent over. Excitement building, I edged her jeans down, one side, then the other. They caught around her ass, then slipped to mid-thigh, exposing plain white cotton panties that accentuated her slender, gorgeous rump.

Then the exciting part came; easing her panties down. It was intensely sexy; the top of the valley between her buttocks emerging, then the sensual swell of her cheeks, and as her panties fell to collect against her jeans, I held my breath, erection straining inside my pants.

Nestled between her beautiful buttocks, her pussy was exposed. In the bright daylight, I could see every erotic detail. Dark chestnut pubes dusted lush labia. Her cleft was tightly closed with just the tip of her clit peeking out.

I couldn't resist. Kneeling, I kissed her pussy, inhaling the scent of her; light and delicate with a hint of something more basal and intense. Silken pubes tickled my lips. And then I tasted Farrah.

She shuddered lightly when I licked her cleft, settled my lips on her and sucked, my tongue teasing her clit. Farrah's taste was unlike anything I'd experienced. Clean and moist, yet tinged with an earthy flavor. While I slowly eased the tip of my tongue into her cleft, I unbuttoned and unzipped my jeans, reaching in to straighten my erection.

Now urgently horny, with a gentle probe into her cleft to touch the entrance to her vagina, I stood. Moving in, with an erection jutting up, it nestled between her buttocks. Leaning over her, I brushed her bushy ponytail out of the way and kissed the light freckles on her cheek. Sunlight brought them out.

Farrah smiled slightly and moved her ass. "We have to try oral sex next time. That felt amazing. But I'm really, really turned on right now. I want to see what it feels like without a condom." She reinforced her comment by undulating her butt up and down my erection.

I didn't need any encouragement. Already hornier than Hell, I glanced around to double check we were unobserved and reached down to hold my erection. The idea of sex in the open added another thrill. Shaft in hand, I rubbed the tip up and down her cleft, gently pressing forward. Precum made her deliciously slippery.

Slowly, Farrah's labia spread to hug my crown. I found her entrance and pressed, eased off and pressed again. Ever so slowly, her entrance stretched, so damned arousing. With small thrusts, I experienced the incredible sensation of penetrating Farrah, her pussy oozing down to surround my crown in liquid heat. With her legs together, she was so tight. Straightening, holding her hips, I thrust and backed off, thrust and backed off, watching my shaft sink deeper into her with every stroke, her labia bulging, pussy stretched. Jesus it was a sexy sight!

My shaft glistened, straining, so hard. Slowly penetrating Farrah without a condom was a completely different experience. Warm velvet caressed me, a sensual feeling like no other. Farrah's pussy gripped and massaged me, her buttocks edging closer to my groin. And then I was there, buried inside her, cock throbbing.

Farrah reached down to touch herself. I pulled back until the rim of my crown oozed out of her and thrust in, sinking deep. Jesus it felt good! With pleasure flowing through me, with the sound of rushing water over the waterfall, I started fucking Farrah, long, exquisite strokes. My cock swelled, aching. I loved watching us. I loved the sight of my thick cock stretching her sexy pussy. And I loved the freedom of no condom. It was amazing.

Holding her hips, I fucked her, my thrusts speeding up, her pussy gripping me in liquid velvet. Pleasure morphed into need, a desire to find sweet release, cock aching.

Farrah gasped quietly. Her vagina gripped and relaxed, gripped and relaxed as she climaxed, her body trembling slightly, and I let myself go.

Pressure arrived. My erection strained, thick, hard, and sweet ecstasy hit, semen racing up to explode inside Farrah, her pussy milking me. Thrusting again, a harder eruption assaulted me, cum blasting into her. Tipping over the edge of control, I fucked and came in a storm of bliss, thrusting and spurting, straining, pleasure crashing over me. I thrust and spurted in an exquisite orgasm until, far too soon, I peaked and slipped down into slower pulses, heart thumping, and eventually stopped, drained and mentally still turned on.

Farrah's charm bracelet jangled when I reached for her cool left hand. I hated the smell of hospital rooms; disinfected and sterile, dry filtered air, impersonal and institutional.

I thought about that year, my last at high school, and how insecure I was about our relationship. Farrah was so far out of my league. I knew one thing; I never wanted to let her go. She was my life.

I graduated and attended the University of Philadelphia to be near her, enrolling in the Huntsman Program in International Studies and Business. At the same time, our relationship continued and flourished.

I asked Farrah to marry me just before her eighteenth birthday. She refused, claiming it was too soon, we were too young, it didn't make sense. She wanted to wait until she'd graduated from university. I didn't. I couldn't. Secretly, I was worried she'd find someone else, so I hounded her ceaselessly until she finally agreed.

"You were the most beautiful bride in the world," I said aloud without realizing it. "I think I told you that at the time. Just sayin'," I added.

Her parents surprised me. They put up token resistance to us getting married so young and caved quickly. At that point, Farrah and I had been together for over three years. They knew. They could see how we felt about each other.

Leaning back in the chair, holding Farrah's hand, I pictured her that day, still crystal clear in my mind.

Nerves made my stomach churn. The church echoed with shuffling, restless guests. White calla lilies, dahlias, and amaryllis flower arrangements covered the altar. Family and friends watched. Two best men - one of them Richard - stood to my left, the priest waiting.

Then the doors opened and Farrah entered, her hand on her father's arm. I forgot everything. The church disappeared. Noises faded.

Dumbstruck, stunned that such a gorgeous girl had really agreed to marry me, I saw a full-length white silk gown with a long train behind her, simple and elegant just like Farrah. I saw a white veil, and tangled chestnut hair carefully pulled back at the sides in intricate braids. I saw a swan of unbelievable beauty, tall and slender, walk down the aisle. When she stood in front of me and lifted her veil, her beautiful pale green eyes were shining.

With the bustle of people sitting, I whispered, "I can't believe you're marrying me. You're so beautiful. I really don't deserve you."

The corners of Farrah's lips curled in her amused smile. "Don't you dare change your mind, Huck. You're mine for life."

"Dearly beloved . . . "

The hospital door opened, light from the corridor making me squint. Mary walked in and to the side of the bed. She studied the monitor and took Farrah's wrist.

Glancing at me, as she gently placed Farrah's hand on the bed, she said softly, "I'm so sorry, Mr. Allison."

So lost in memories, I hadn't noticed how cold my wife's hand had become. Unbearable sorrow tore through me, tears tumbled, and my world shattered. All the thoughts I'd held tightly at bay flooded in:

Farrah, in the final year of her degree, while working as a teacher's aide that students adored for her quirky, friendly style of teaching, complaining to me about soreness in her breasts. Why hadn't I done more? Why had I joked about pregnancy?

Why hadn't I understood as weight melted from her and she lost energy, instead of telling her she was overworking herself?

Farrah's calmness with the news - stage IV breast cancer - only hurt me more. My wife so young. Why? Why her? Why such a beautiful soul?

I leaned forward in the chair and wept as I remembered her fight so hard; surgery and chemo and radiation. And my body cramped in unimaginable pain as I remembered her just yesterday, whispering weakly, "I'm not leaving you, Huck. I love you too much. I'm never leaving you."

I wept, pure agony assaulting me. She'd fought so hard to stay with me, struggled through such pain, and lost the fight. We'd lost. I'd lost everything in the world I cared for and I didn't want to live anymore. How could I possibly live without her? I couldn't. I couldn't!

Part Two - Port Royal, South Carolina

BELLA WALKED ALONG THE side of the road with Christie and Deborah, listening to their chatter. In her opinion, Joe Dashen wasn't the best looking guy in school.

Christie gushed, "He smiled at me in class!"

Bella shuddered. Joe hadn't looked at Christie. He'd ogled her with something sleazy in his eyes. Diverting the conversation, she said, "It wasn't you he was smiling at. It was Suzanne."

"That slut? Shoot! How come guys always go for the sluts?"

Deborah laughed. "You really have to ask?"

At the crossroads, Bella said goodbye. She was going to miss school for the next couple of months. What would she do all summer?

"I'll call you both," she said with a wave, turning into El Sueno Lane.

"See ya. Call or text!" Deborah yelled, waving. "We'll go shopping!"

Walking down the sun-dappled lane, Bella decided living here in Port Royal, so close to Savannah, might be all right after all. Three months at a new high school had let her meet some friends, and the warm, humid weather felt familiar from Baton Rouge.

She pulled her Smartphone from her pocket, thumbed a quick-dial number and waited. "I'm almost home, Mom." Listening, she nodded. "Kay. See ya at six."

She reached the end of the cul-de-sac and saw him again; her elusive neighbor. There were two houses at the end, his backing onto the swampy edge of Harbor River, and hers, off at a right angle to his.

He was leaning back in a chair, the front legs off the veranda, his legs stretched out, heels on the railing, bare feet crossed, and holding a tall, frosted glass of iced tea in one hand. As she'd seen before, a black Labrador retriever sat at his side.

She waved. He smiled and tipped his glass towards her. She'd spotted him a few times in the three months since moving in, never long enough to talk. This time, with Mom not due home for a couple of hours, she stopped at his front gate.

This close, she noticed details. His hair was dark brown and a bit too long, almost but not quite shaggy, his face slender and well defined despite the shadow of unshaven cheeks and jaw. This close she noticed his eyes; an unusual silver-grey and piercing. He looked to be in his early or mid-thirties, slender and fit.

The retriever's tail swished back and forth on the veranda, its warm brown eyes watchful and full of intelligence. The man's hand rubbed the dog's head.

"Hi," she said brightly.

"Hello, neighbor."

His voice was soft and deep. He smiled again, a broad, friendly smile revealing white, even teeth.

"I'm Bella LaForêt."

"Hello, Bella. You have a lovely name. Welcome to the neighborhood."

Bella smiled. It was a goofy name, but Mom said she loved it.

"What's your dog's name? Can I meet him?" she asked, her hand on the white wrought iron front gate.

"Sure. Come on in. His name is Penny, and he's a she."

Bella, walking up the front garden stone path, smiled, looked at the dog, and apologized. "Sorry, Penny." She paused at the bottom of wide stairs. Penny's mouth opened, tongue hanging out. To Bella, it looked like she was grinning. With ease, the dog rose and ambled down, pausing then sitting on the bottom steps, her fur shiny black, a lightly feathered tail wagging.

"How long have you lived here," she asked as she stroked Penny's head. Her fur was as soft as silk.

"Just over fifteen years."

She looked at him again, fascinated by his eyes. "You didn't tell me your name."

He smiled broadly. "You're right. Forgive my manners."

Bella rubbed Penny's ears with both hands, bending forward to nuzzle her face against her, inhaling the wonderful scent of a dog. "You're beautiful, Penny," she murmured. She loved dogs.

Penny licked her face, making Bella laugh with pleasure. She straightened. "So, what's your name?"

"Huck Allison."

"Haven't heard of a Huck before. It's a nice name. Would it be all right if I took a picture of Penny?"

He smiled again, an easy smile. "Sure. Go ahead. She's a hog for attention."

With her Smartphone, Bella framed the shot and took it, inspecting the image before nodding with satisfaction. "Thanks!"

"Would you like some iced tea?" Huck offered, still leaning back in the wooden chair, his legs up.

Penny returned and sat at his side. His free hand rubbed her behind the ears with easy familiarity.

"No thanks. But thank you for offering."

As she walked over to her house, she paused, turned, and took another photo.

That night, in her bedroom, Bella pulled up the second photo she'd taken. It showed both Penny and Huck. She touched the screen and zoomed into Huck.

His eyes fascinated her. She'd never seen silver-grey before, yet they felt familiar. Why?

She liked Huck. He had an easygoing presence, his smiles friendly and genuine. Unlike so many adults, she'd immediately felt comfortable around him. He talked to her, not at her, and that was refreshing.

Huck. The name struck a chord with her, too, although she had no idea why. But he looked like a Huck. It suited him. She was sure he was a gentle soul. It was like an aura around him and she found it very appealing. Maybe she'd see him more often now she was on summer break.

Saturday morning, after finishing her chores, she wandered outside. A bark drew her attention. Penny raced down the steps from the veranda, paused, turned and barked again, tail wagging. Bella watched Huck emerge in a ratty old plain tee, shorts and sneakers. A minute later, they jogged off together. Huck gave the lab a hand signal and she immediately moved to his side, heeling, easily keeping pace, eyes turned up in attention.

He didn't have the physique of a runner. His shoulders were too broad, hips too narrow. He looked like a swimmer, she decided. That felt right, too. She didn't know why, but Huck fascinated her. There was an unusual quality in him she couldn't put her finger on. Whatever it was, it pulled at her. She wanted to know him better.

AS I STEPPED OUT of the shower, I heard the telephone ringing. Towel wrapped around my waist, I answered it in the bedroom, water dripping onto the hardwood floor.

"Hello?"

"Huck. How are you?" my mother asked. "You haven't called in so long. Is everything all right?"

I smiled to myself. I'd talked to Mom just last weekend. For her, once a week was never enough. "Everything's fine. Seven days since we last talked, Mom."

"Are you sure? It seems like much longer."

"I'm sure."

"Are you healthy? Are you eating properly? Do you want me to come down and visit for a while? I could use a break from your father. He's such a pain since retiring. Did you know he wants to build and fly model airplanes now? Why can't he pick a hobby and stick to it? He still has that pottery wheel in the garage blocking my parking space!"

She took a breath. I waited for the next familiar question.

"So have you met a nice girl yet? How's your love life? Not that I want you to be promiscuous, Huck, but having a partner is good for your health."

"I'm fine, Mom."

"If you say so. How's work?"

"It's fine. Busy."

Her voice turned away from the phone. I listened to her yell at Dad, "What's all that wood for? Take it out to the garage!"

She sighed into the phone. "I have to go. Your father's making a mess again. Call me. Next time, don't wait so long. I miss you!"

"Bye, Mom. Love ya." I didn't point out that she'd called me.

Mom's voice softened. "Are you sure you're okay, Huck?"

"I am. You've been asking me for fifteen years. I'm really okay."

"Good. Love you, too. Be good . . . and find a girl."

Smiling with pleasure, I dried myself and dressed, feeling refreshed from the run. Exercise always made me feel better.

In the kitchen, as coffee brewed, I gulped a tall glass of orange juice and tossed a Milk-Bone biscuit to Penny. She caught it and munched, tail wagging.

"So what are your plans for today?" I asked her. Intelligent brown eyes looked at me, tail wagging. She barked.

"No. We're not swimming today."

She barked again.

"No."

Penny was a natural water dog. With webbed paws, she could swim all day. Labs had originally been bred for retrieving fowl on bird hunts, and used for lost buoy retrieval by fishermen. The breed loved water.

Penny was a classic example. She was gentle and intelligent and loving; a perfect partner for me.

With a mug of coffee in hand, I went out onto the wide back veranda to watch the lazy Harbor River. Sun was still low, making me shield my eyes. The air was cool but warming. It was going to be a scorcher today. Briefly, I debated mowing the lawn now, not waiting until this evening, and dismissed it just as fast. I had grocery shopping to do in order to stock the kitchen for my two weeks of vacation, a squeaking front step to fix, and then Saturday house cleaning; an active day to keep me busy.

That was my life and I didn't mind in the least.

Coffee finished, I grabbed car keys and wallet. "Behave yourself," I told Penny. She chuffed at me and followed me outside, sitting on the veranda as I closed the door. This part of town was so safe I never locked the doors. A dog door at the back gave Penny freedom to come and go as she pleased. She would discourage trespassers - as long as she didn't want to play with them first. No. She'd probably invite them in!

An hour later, with a back seat full of groceries and supplies, I returned home to find Penny and Bella wrestling with a stick, Penny jerking from side to side to get the stick away.

Bella's bright laughter filled the air. I sat in the car and watched, smiling and enjoying the sight before climbing out. Penny spotted me. She let go of the stick and barked at me once, then grabbed the stick, energetically tugging and growling. Bella was pulled forward, desperately holding the stick with both hands and laughing.

By the time I'd unloaded the car, Bella was sitting on the top step of the veranda with her arm around my dog, Penny sitting quietly next to her. I shook my head. Penny was a friendly, loving dog, but usually she'd be under my feet when I'd come home. Apparently not this time.

"I'm getting myself some iced tea. Would you like some?" I offered.

Bella turned her head and smiled. "Yes please."

With two tall glasses of iced tea in hand, I sat next to Penny and passed a glass to Bella. "Here ya go."

"Thanks," she said brightly, and took a sip. "This is good. Not too sweet. Do you make it yourself or buy it?"

"I make it. How did you end up over here with Penny?"

"It's the strangest thing," Bella said, glancing at the dog between us. "Penny came over and barked in the back yard. Not a lot, just an occasional bark, as if she was calling me."

Penny chuffed in agreement, a not-quite-bark, quiet; one of the ways she talked to me.

"And when I came out, she picked up the stick like she wanted to play. But every time I got near her, she walked away, stopped, looked back at me and waited. It was like she wanted me to play here, in your yard."

Penny chuffed quietly. I had no doubt she was following the conversation and agreeing with Bella. Dogs like her are remarkably intelligent.

"Is it okay that I played with her?" Bella asked.

"Of course. If that's what she wants, who am I to stop her?"

Bella, now stroking Penny, asked, "How come you let her run around. Shouldn't she be in the house when you're gone? Doesn't it worry you?"

"Would you like to be confined to the house?"

"Never. She won't run away?"

Smiling, I asked, "Would you run away?"

Bella grinned broadly. "You treat Penny like she's a person."

"Trust me. She is."

Bella finished the iced tea with a sigh. She put the glass on the veranda, leaned back on two straight arms, and stretched her legs out. "It's going to be hot today."

I barely heard her. A ghost walked over my grave. Bella was wearing high top sneakers, the laces on her left shoe . . . undone.

Her mother yelled, "Bella!"

"Gotta go. Thanks for the iced tea, Mr. Allison. Thanks for the play, Penny!" She hugged Penny, rose and jogged off towards her house.

I sat on the top step, stroking Penny, my mind drifting. Those untied shoelaces brought back painful memories that, to this day, were still close to the surface.

Both my family and Farrah's had understood why I'd moved away from Philadelphia to here, Port Royal, South Carolina. I liked it. It was a spit away from the beautiful city of Savannah where I worked. I still spoke to Farrah's parents once a month and had grown to love them. I'd found some level of peace working as an Account Director for a local ad agency, Bowes, Coombs & Silver. I'd found companionship with Penny.

Bella amused me. She was bright, outgoing, and quite pretty for a young girl; a classic blonde with blue eyes, her straight hair cut short to the back of her neck and longer to brush over her shoulders at the front, framing her face. Every time I'd seen her she was fashionably dressed, colors matched, and most often in skirts and cotton tops. I wondered how old she was. She had the slender body of an adolescent with a subtle hint of a developing bust. Twelve? Thirteen?

Penny's ears cocked. Alert, she stared, then rose and ran off across the cul de sac, arriving at Bella's house just as Bella emerged, letting out a bark of greeting. Bella smiled, bent, and rubbed Penny's head.

She waved to me and walked over. Changed into a seasonal pale yellow tee tucked into loose blue linen pleated cuffed shorts, and wearing sandals, she looked younger. She paused at the open gate.

"Can I come up?" she asked. Penny stopped and looked back at her, chuffing as if saying, 'Of course, I invited you'.

I nodded.

Penny immediately picked up a stick and offered it to Bella to play.

Across from us, Mrs. LaForêt emerged from the front door. I saw where Bella got her looks. In a sleeveless, light cotton, printed dress, with straight blonde hair held back in a wooden and leather hair clasp at the nape of her neck, she looked fresh, cool, and pretty with a great set of legs on her, her calves shaped by open-toed high heel shoes.

She put large sunglasses on, glanced around, saw us, and headed over. Not much taller than her daughter, she was slender with subtle curves that were all female.

She stopped at the open gate. "Hi, Mr. Allison."

"Hello, neighbor. Call me Huck."

Penny growled and tugged the stick, Bella laughing and holding on.

Mrs. LaForêt smiled. "In that case, call me Chantal. Is Bella bothering you?"

Penny let the stick go and barked once at Chantal, then grabbed it again, shaking her head and growling playfully, shoulders down.

"There's your answer," I told her. "Besides, it was Penny that invited Bella over to play."

Chantal's laugh was light and bright. She glanced at her watch. "Well, I have to go. Don't be afraid to send her home when she's worn out her welcome. Bella? Bella!"

"What?"

"Behave yourself. Lunch is in the fridge."

"Kay. Thanks, Mom. Have a great day!"

A couple of minutes later, Chantal backed a Ford Focus out of her garage and drove off.

Bella was sitting on the veranda in my chair, legs up on the railing, and chair tilted back, when I emerged with a cordless power drill and screws. I set about fixing the squeaks in the wooden stairs leading up from the front garden.

Sweating in the intense late-morning sun, I drilled screws in from under the steps, moved back to the step and bounced, heard squeaks, and went back to drill in more screws. Bella watched me, rubbing Penny's head as she sat at her side; a familiar position - mine.

Fifteen screws in, Bella observed, "You're not very good at fixing things."

I grinned.

She looked at me as I studied the damned stairs.

"It's the backboard that squeaks," she informed me. "If you screw the backboards into the top of each stair, you'll fix the problem."

Willing to try anything, I grabbed a handful of screws and crawled under the stairs, brushing cobwebs away.

"How would you know that's the problem?" I yelled.

"It's the same problem we had back in our old house in Baton Rouge. Can I get you a drink of water?"

"That would be greatly appreciated," I yelled, drilling another screw in.

By the time I finished and wiggled back out from underneath, Bella was sitting on the stairs, a glass of ice water extended in her hand. I took it and gulped. Sweet, cold water felt wonderful as it traveled down my throat.

Penny was lying down, head on front paws, and watching me.

"Thank you," I said with heartfelt relief.

"You're welcome. It's going to be a stinker today. Where do you swim?" Bella asked.

"Why do you think I swim?"

She shrugged. "Dunno, really. I see you as a swimmer. Some guys look like they're football players, or basketball players. Swimming fits you."

Grabbing tools and the box of screws, I walked up, pausing to jump on the stairs. They were silent! No squeaking. Brilliant! "Thanks!"

"You're welcome."

"I need to clean up. You can come in."

Bella followed Penny and me into the house. In the kitchen, I put the cordless drill back into its carrying case, put everything back in the cupboard, and moved to the sink to wash up. Through the kitchen window, I watched the lazy Harbor River flow past and felt the tug of it's cool water. Maybe this afternoon. I needed to clean the house first.

I'd learned early in life that getting chores out of the way sweetened the rest of the day - or vacation in this case. Bella, after wandering around and looking at things, at my suggestion, went out to throw a piebald tennis ball in a game of fetch with Penny. Occasional laughter reached me over the noise of the vacuum.

Vacuumed and dusted, house restored to neatness, and laundry in the dryer, I went out to the back veranda with two tall glasses of iced tea. Bella spotted me and the drinks. Looking flushed from the heat, she came up and sat on the bench with me, taking the offered glass.

After almost draining it, she sighed. "Thank you. It's hot playing in the sun."

"You're doing it wrong," I told her.

She tilted her head. "How so?"

"Penny. Here!" I ordered, pointing my finger to my feet.

Penny, with the tennis ball in her mouth, big pink tongue hanging out to one side, immediately ran up and sat at my feet, attentive.

"Give."

She dropped the saliva-covered ball into my hand.

"Watch," I ordered her, and threw the ball.

I could see the excitement in her, her body trembling slightly. I waited. Finally, I said, "Fetch."

Penny raced off the veranda, leaping to the ground, went straight to the ball, grabbed it, and tore back to me, sitting at my feet, tail swishing across the floor. She dropped the ball in my hand.

Bending forward, I rubbed her head, kissed it, and whispered, "Good girl."

"Wow! She's really well trained," Bella observed.

"A well trained dog is a happy dog. They want to make you happy and training lets them know how."

"Can I try?"

I passed the tennis ball to her. She looked at Penny and said, "Here," pointing to her feet. Penny shuffled over. Bella was a good observer. She repeated everything I'd done, even to rewarding Penny, and for the next few minutes, I watched, amazed.

Penny had never obeyed anyone else. It seemed she'd taken a real liking to Bella. Then again, Bella was a likable girl.

Bella hung around all day, chatting, telling me about school, her new friends and all the juicy - to her - gossip, who the sluts were, which guys the girls thought were cute, which not.

"You're a quidnunc," I mentioned at one point.

"I am not! I'm not an inquisitive and gossipy person . . . well, not gossipy anyway."

It amazed me she even knew the meaning of the word.

At six-twenty, her mother arrived, still looking as fresh and cool as this morning. Spotting us, she walked over. "Still here?" she asked Bella.

"Yup."

Chantal looked at me with a small smile. "Thanks for keeping an eye on her."

"I didn't. Penny did."

Penny chuffed.

"She's a beautiful dog," Chantal commented. "Can I say hello?"

"Sure." I wiggled my almost empty glass of iced tea. "Can I get you one?"

She nodded, approaching the steps. When I returned, I found Bella and Chantal sitting on the top step, Penny sitting between them. Both were stroking Penny. It was very strange to me. My faithful companion seemed to have adopted them both.

We chatted for a while about the weather, life in Port Royal, and I invited them to a barbecue dinner.

"We can't impose," Chantal said.

"I've got the food. I was planning on a barbecue, so there's no imposition," I insisted.

Chantal smiled. "Okay. Thank you. But let me change first."

The sun was sinking when Chantal arrived in the back garden. The day had lost its intensity, leaving humidity. Occasional breezes brought cooling relief. I had charcoals almost glowing and a bottle of beer in hand.

Chantal had changed into pale tan shorts and a turquoise and yellow blouse, sandals on her feet. Once again, I admired her shapely legs.

"Wine or beer?" I offered.

"White wine if you have it," she answered.

"Mom! Watch this!" Bella exclaimed, picking up the tennis ball. Penny's ears perked up.

While Bella demonstrated Penny's training, I fetched a glass of white Chardonnay. Back in the garden, I handed it to her and set about making burgers. Before long, the delicious aroma of charred beef filled the air making my stomach rumble. Homemade coleslaw and chips completed the simple meal.

Over dinner, eaten on the wide veranda, we chatted about Savannah, the attractions, Baton Rouge, and other small, inconsequential social chitchat. However, I noticed one disturbing thing that promised to disrupt my peace that night.

Bella, before eating, took her burger and carefully removed the lettuce, tomato, and dill pickle I'd put in. She added no ketchup or mustard.

Chantal must have noticed my expression. Somewhat apologetically, she said, "Don't mind her. She's eaten burgers that way from the first one she ever had. It's not a reflection on your burger."

BELLA SAT IN THE living room with Mom, watching TV. Mom worked, reviewing contracts and schedules as she sat on the couch.

Bella's attention drifted. She'd really enjoyed her day with Huck. He was easy to be around, calm and soft-spoken. While he'd cleaned himself up in the kitchen this morning, she'd wandered around, inspecting his house. The home was nice; hardwood floors throughout, comfortable furniture, a living room, study, powder room, kitchen, and large pantry on the first floor. She hadn't gone upstairs.

She'd studied the personal items decorating each room. In his study, she'd noticed many, many photos of Huck with a beautiful, slender woman with the most amazing hair. It looked almost tangled, chestnut brown and long. The woman was really beautiful with pale green eyes, and in each photo Bella could tell she was seriously happy. So was Huck. The photos showed the woman not much older than her through to her early twenties.

She found swimming medals, confirming Huck had been a swimmer. And on one side table in the living room, she'd seen a decorative wooden tray full of bangles of all sorts. As she admired them, touching each, she knew each had a meaning and she thought she knew what they were. How? She hadn't even thought about it. It was just there, a shadowy concept in her mind.

Bella pictured Huck. She pictured his incredible silver-grey eyes.

"Mom?"

"Ummm-hmmm?"

"Have you ever felt you know someone even though it's the first time you've met them?"

Her mother looked up from the papers. "No. I've never experienced it. But I know people who have. The Creole are strong believers in the phenomena. Why?"

Bella shrugged. "It feels like I've met Huck before."

"Maybe it's because you're comfortable around him."

"Maybe."

On Sunday, she went grocery shopping with her mother in the morning and helped with chores around the house. When Mom left to attend another open house, she wandered outside. Cloud cover made the air heavy, pregnant with the promise of a late-day shower.

Huck and Penny were just emerging from their front door.

"Hi, Huck!" she called out.

He smiled and waved.

Walking over, she asked, "Where are you going?" Penny wagged her tail as she approached. Bella stopped to ruffle the silky fur on her head.

"For a walk along the river," Huck replied. "Want to join us?"

"You wouldn't mind?"

Huck smiled. "Nope. I think Penny would like it, too."

"Kay! Can I change my sandals?"

"Sure. We'll wait. And tell your mom."

"She's at work," Bella yelled, running to the house.

Twenty minutes later, they walked along Port Royal Boardwalk. Penny barked, tail wagging. Huck removed a tennis ball from his pocket, smiled and tossed it into the river.

She watched the lab take a running leap, splashing down into the water. Head held high, she dog paddled with surprising speed, chasing the floating ball. Huck kept an eye on her.

Bella pulled her Smartphone out from her back pocket and took pictures of Penny and, when he wasn't looking, photos of Huck.

"You like your photos," he observed, without turning.

Bella smiled, took another, and said, "When you get a picture just right, it speaks volumes. Photography is the universal language. Everyone can understand images no matter where they're from."

She wondered why he stiffened suddenly.

"Your left shoelace is untied," he commented.

Bella looked down. Damn! Dropping to one knee, she retied it. "I don't know what it is, but my left shoe refuses to stay tied, even when I double knot it! I think I'm cursed!"

She noticed his wry grin. It looked good on him. Why did it seem familiar?

For the next hour, she observed as Huck put Penny through an obedience training routine, sometimes using single words, more often using hand signals, and Penny was acutely attentive, watching Huck, and reacting fast. It was wonderful to see, especially how Huck rewarded Penny with affection, the lab loving it.

Finally returning home, as they walked down the lane, she asked, "Would it be okay if I took Penny for short walks while you're at work?"

"Sure. If she wants. But, for the next two weeks I'm on vacation."

"Can I come when you go for walks?" Bella asked. She hadn't figured it out yet, but being with them felt right, comfortable, familiar.

"Anytime."

I LISTENED TO VIVALDI'S Four Seasons on the stereo floating out though the open kitchen window and sipped a glass of white Chardonnay. Sitting in the dark, I enjoyed the sound of crickets. Penny lay at my side. A damp breeze still promised rain. I wanted it to come and clear the heavy air. Tomorrow, swimming. My body needed it.

Penny's head came up suddenly. She looked to the left and gave me a quiet chuff. I followed her gaze.

Chantal walked around the corner.

"Huck? Is it all right if I come up?" she asked.

"Sure." As she walked up the steps to the veranda, I asked, "Would you like to join me in a glass of cold wine?"

"That would be nice. Hi, Penny," she added, crouching down to rub and stroke Penny's head.

Returning from the kitchen, I handed her a glass and sat on the bench next to her, stretching my legs out.

She sipped and sighed with pleasure. "Sorry to intrude, but I thought I saw a light on."

"You're always welcome, neighbor." Penny chuffed as if agreeing and settled down, eyes and ears watchful.

The silence was comfortable. I felt no urge to fill it. Eventually Chantal spoke.

"I wanted to talk to you about Bella. There are things about her you should be aware of."

I waited out her silence.

"She's very comfortable around you. It's clear she likes both you and Penny and, given the chance, will be pestering you all summer."

"I don't mind."

Another silence fell as she sipped wine. She sighed quietly.

"You need to know that she was traumatized when she was twelve years old. That's why we moved here."

"I'm sorry to hear it. She seems fine to me."

Chantal continued. "She is better. I'm being overprotective, but I don't want anything to derail her recovery."

"What happened to her?"

"Two young men raped her on her way home from school."

Her comment shocked me deeply. I'd never understood sexual assault. It was an alien act I couldn't wrap my mind around.

Chantal continued. "The two twenty-year-olds took photos of her rape and posted them. Students at her school saw them on social media and it ruined her life. The police still haven't caught those two rapists.

"Even worse, she got a sexually transmitted infection from it. Somehow the doctors missed it. I missed it, too, mistaking her fever for a common virus."

Chantal looked at me, a glitter of tears in her eyes. "Bella will never be able to bear children. Her womb is too damaged with scar tissue."

She blinked back tears and continued. "She's had counseling. We moved here so she could start over. But she's still wary of males, which is why her comfort around you is so unusual. I thought you should know, just in case she reacts in some unusual way."

"I'm really sorry she suffered. It must have been horrible for both of you. She's such a sweet girl." I thought for a moment and added, "I haven't noticed any signs of trauma."

Chantal laughed softly. "That's what I was saying. She's comfortable around you. I have no idea why, but I'm grateful, nonetheless. Please don't treat her any differently now you know. I think you and Penny are good for her."

She drained her glass and stood. "Well, it's late. Thanks for the wine and for understanding."

I smiled at her. "Thanks for telling me. I'll be careful not to invade her personal space."

IN THE MIDDLE OF the night, Bella woke up suddenly, sitting up in bed, her eyes wide open and unseeing. She knew!

Strange memories that had teased her in dreams all her life coalesced and swamped her; visions, scents, and feelings coming into sharp focus. As if a third party to it, she felt powerful emotions: laughter, joy, insecurity, then intense love. In her mind's eye, she saw Huck as clear as day, a wry smile, his silver-grey eyes studying her as if he could see her innermost thoughts, his dark hair ruffled, so handsome.

Eyes open but blind, Bella watched scenes in her mind, feelings inundating her: Huck swimming, her heart beating hard hoping he'd win, fingering her red bangle for luck; Huck holding her hand, her pleasure and amazement that he even liked her; Huck kissing her in front of the school, her giddiness and pleasure.

More and more visions rushed in. Then came emotions that had her heart aching; such an impossible, intense love.

Unconsciously she touched her left wrist, fingering a charm bracelet that wasn't there.

Suddenly she felt pain and gasped, soul-searing pain as she watched Huck cry, a dark hospital room, and as Bella sat unseeing in her bed, she wept for his grief.

For the rest of the night, Bella was awake, living fragments of another life. It felt like she had another person inside her. Why didn't it bother her? Why didn't it scare her? It didn't. It felt odd but comfortable, familiar; as if it was a part of her that had been there for as long as she could remember.

At breakfast, her mom, as she prepared to leave for work, asked her, "Did you have a rough night, honey? You look tired."

Bella shook her head and ate the last spoonful of Honey Nut Cheerios, her spoon clinking when she dropped it into the bowl.

"Mom, do you believe in reincarnation?"

Putting papers into her shoulder briefcase, Mom glanced at her. "There are strange, unexplainable things in this world. I don't personally believe in reincarnation, but over a billion people in the world do. Why are you asking?"

"Just wondering. I might go play with Penny today. Is that okay?"

Mom nodded. "But don't pester Mr. Allison," she warned.

After Mom left, Bella wandered over to Huck's and knocked on the door. With no answer, she sat in his chair on the front veranda. Was she crazy? Yet she knew what she knew. She was sure of it. Would Huck think she'd lost it if she told him? Probably. It was pretty weird. Maybe she'd ease him into it and confirm what she knew was real.

SWEAT POURED OFF ME, soaking my tee and shorts. Penny loped at my side, happy, her tongue huge and lolling, coat shiny. Running down the lane, I saw Bella sitting on the veranda and smiled when she waved.

She was a pretty girl. Today, she was again fashionably dressed in a multi-layer turquoise short skirt matched to a yellow and turquoise flower-printed cotton blouse. I saw no trace of the trauma she'd suffered. If anything, she was bright and upbeat. I wondered again, how old is she?

Panting, I stopped at the foot of the steps, bending to catch my breath. Penny raced up to greet Bella. When I could breathe, I climbed the steps and opened the front door.

"Come on in. I'm going to wash up," I told her.

Penny raced by. Slurping sounds from the kitchen started as I climbed the stairs.

Showered and refreshed, I found Bella wandering around the living room looking at photos and personal things I'd arranged here and there. She paused at the tray of Farrah's wrist bangles I'd kept and touched them, lifting one after another.

Without turning, she asked, "When did your wife pass away?"

"Fifteen years ago."

"I saw pictures of her in your study. She was beautiful."

"She was."

"Do you miss her?" Bella turned. She was trying on several colored hard plastic bangles.

"Every day. Would you like some iced tea?"

"Yes, please." Turning back to the bangles, she said, "These silver bangles are to protect your chakra."

A ghost walked over my grave. Hair on my arms stood up. "How do you know that?"

Bella shrugged. "I read about them somewhere."

Relieved, I went to the kitchen. Bella followed me, playing with the bangles on her wrist. She watched me with a strange expression in her blue eyes.

When I passed her a tall glass of iced tea, she asked, "Do you believe in being possessed?"

"No."

"How about reincarnation?"

"No. Do you?" I took a deep gulp of iced tea, partially slaking my thirst.

"I thought I didn't."

She carefully removed the bangles and left the kitchen. When she returned, she watched me as she sipped iced tea.

"What is it? I asked.

The corners of her lips curled slightly as if amused by me. She shook her head. "Nothing."

While I washed last night's dishes, she asked, "What was her name?"

"My wife? Farrah."

"That's a nice name. I like it more than mine. You loved her a lot, didn't you?"

"Yes, I did." Rinsing a plate, I added, "Bella's a nice name, too."

"It's corny," Bella countered. "You have to be pretty to have a name like Bella."

I stopped washing and turned to her. She sat at the small kitchen table, looking at Penny as she stroked her head. Her straight blonde hair, cut short at the nape of her neck, fell forward in longer tresses framing her face. Her nose was perfect, her mouth wide and expressive, lips nicely bow-shaped.

"You're a very pretty girl," I informed her.

She glanced at me. The corners of her lips turned up in a smile, a smile that reached her twinkling blue eyes. "You think so?"

I nodded and turned back to washing dishes.

"She really loved you," Bella said in a soft voice.

Once again, a ghost walked over my grave.

Bella continued, "I can see it in the photographs in your study." After a brief pause, in a very soft voice, she said, "Farrah saw you weeping."

For just a moment, my knees lost strength. I stopped washing dishes and went to sit at the kitchen table.

"What's going on, Bella? Why are you doing this?"

"Doing what?"

"Talking about my wife, my life, as if you know."

Bella suddenly looked rueful. "I didn't mean to upset you."

"You haven't. But it's a part of my life I'm not willing to talk about."

"The thing is," Bella said, "don't yell at me, but I think Farrah's in me. No, not in me. Part of me."

Penny raised her head from where it rested on her paws and chuffed, looking at me with her warm, intelligent eyes.

"I'm not going to yell at anyone. But it's not nice to do this," I informed her. "It's not funny. It's cruel."

Bella's eyes dropped. "I'm sorry." A moment later, she looked at me again. "What if I could prove it to you?"

"You can't. There's no such thing as reincarnation." I was extremely uncomfortable with the conversation.

Bella stood and left the kitchen. She returned with the dark, solid wood tray full of Farrah's wrist bangles, setting it on the kitchen table and sitting. She picked up the solid red-painted one.

"Red is the color of energy, passion, action, ambition and determination. She wore this at the first swim meet she attended to bring you good luck."

Placing it down, she lifted four dark carved ebony bangles. "These are from West Africa. They're supposed to bring you good luck with the one you love. She wore these on her sixteenth birthday."

My heart started thumping uncomfortably in my chest.

"This one is for peace of spirit and contentment. This one's for health. This one's to keep the evil eye away," she said, pointing.

Then Bella picked up a single bangle, braided leather aged into an ebony-dark shine; the one Farrah had never explained to me. "This one is from Haiti. It's special. It holds the power to make someone fall in love with you. I started wearing it after I met you. I knew even then that you were the one, Huck."

Hairs on my arms stood on end when she talked in the first person, as if she was Farrah.

Fingering the leather bangle, Bella looked into my eyes. "I saw you cry in the hospital room. I watched you and it hurt, Huck. I tried so hard to stay with you. I tried everything I could. I cried with you at your pain."

Tears welled in my eyes suddenly, uncontrollably, and fell as everything came back in a blinding rush.

Bella stared at me, her eyes intense blue. "I've missed you so much."

I couldn't take it.

Standing so fast the chair tipped over, I strode out of the house. I walked blindly, fast, as if I could put distance between me and the pain that made my gut clench; the memories I'd thought long at rest.

How? How could Bella know these things?

The sun was slipping towards the horizon when I returned to find Penny patiently waiting on the veranda. She chuffed a greeting, her quiet not-quite-bark, soulful eyes watching me.

I ruffled the fur on her head when I sat next to her on the top step.

"Sorry, girl. How about dinner and a walk?"

She didn't respond, her eyes now on Chantal and Bella's house. Rising, I headed in. The house was empty; Bella gone. Guilt hit. I shouldn't have walked out.

I didn't see Bella that evening, or the next day. But Tuesday evening, a knock on my front door pulled me from the couch.

Chantal looked at me. "Is this a bad time?"

"No. Not at all. Come in," I invited, stepping back. While Penny stood and trotted over to greet her, I asked, "Can I get you anything? Wine? Beer?"

"Thank you, no."

Settled on the couch, Chantal turned towards me. "Bella asked me to apologize for her."

"Why? She did nothing wrong."

Chantal's blue eyes studied me. "She was crying when I came home yesterday. At first, I thought you'd done something to her." She smiled ruefully. "Sorry about that. It's a mother's first reaction.

"She tried to explain, but not very successfully; something about upsetting you. Eventually, when she calmed down somewhat, she told me about Monday."

Before I could open my mouth, Chantal continued.

"I think, like you, I didn't believe her. Reincarnation's not the sort of claim you run into every day. We talked long into the night. I have to ask, was the first time you told your wife you loved her in the swimming pool in your backyard?"

Shocked again, I nodded.

With an amused smile, Chantal asked, "Was the first time you made love really a disaster?"

Memories of it rushed back and I had to smile. With a chuckle, I answered, "Disaster is an understatement."

"I thought so," Chantal said softly.

"Thought what?"

"Bella's memories are so detailed it's hard to dismiss them. I don't understand it, but I think Bella might be right."

"I'm still not sure it's possible." I wasn't, not until Chantal spoke again.

She reached over and took my hand, giving it a soft squeeze. "You should listen to her talk about the charm bracelet you gave her on her sixteenth birthday."

"I don't understand," I whispered.

Chantal squeezed my hand again. "Would it be all right if Bella dropped by to talk to you tomorrow? I can tell her to stay away if you'd prefer."

With a deep sigh, I said, "No. Let her come over. Hiding and ducking isn't my style. And I need to apologize to her."

Chantal nodded and stood. "After you two have had a chance to talk, I'd like to chat with you. Tomorrow evening?"

I stood. "How about I cook us dinner?"

"That would be very nice. Thank you."

As Chantal walked down the steps, I asked, "By the way, what do you do for a living?"

"I'm a real estate agent."

"You're kidding! My mother-in-law was one, too."

Chantal laughed brightly. "I know. Bella told me. Life is strange."

Rain poured down on Tuesday morning, alternating between drizzle and deluge. I poured my second mug of coffee, looking out through the kitchen window. Harbor River mud flats were rapidly disappearing from rising water.

Penny barked once and dashed out through the dog door. It flapped behind her. Through the window, I watched a rain-drenched Bella climb the stairs slowly and greet Penny. I had the kitchen door open by the time they finished.

Bella looked at me with intense blue eyes, hesitation in them, nervousness, questioning.

I smiled slightly. She looked cute with her hair soaked. "Come in, Bella. I'll get you a towel."

She and Penny followed me in. With a bathroom towel in hand, I found Bella at the kitchen table, Penny sitting at her side with her head in Bella's lap.

"Here you go."

Bella took the towel and started drying her hair, still watching me. I noticed her left sneaker laces were untied again. Picking up the mug of coffee from the counter, I sat at the table.

"I think we need to talk. But first, let me apologize for walking out on you on Monday. It was rude of me."

In a small voice, she said, "I understand why you did. It was my fault. I didn't know any other way to tell you."

I studied this young girl, so different from Farrah. "How old are you?"

"Fourteen." Then a smile emerged, her eyes alive. "But I feel a lot older at times."

It broke the awkwardness between us. For the next two hours, I challenged her, asking questions about things only Farrah and I could know, and she answered them all. It started as a test. Without realizing it, laughter emerged, and as she talked about some of Farrah's and my zanier times, I felt it inside me.

Despite the visual difference, I found myself attracted to Bella. It wasn't the same as it had been with Farrah, just different. God knows how, but Bella and I shared an old relationship and started a new relationship at the same time. I knew I wasn't talking to Farrah. Bella didn't have the same mannerisms, except three; the untied laces of her left sneaker, the way the corners of her lips would curl up in amusement, and a preference for plain burgers.

Through a lunch of warm Montreal Smoked Meat on caraway rye bread, we chatted, not about me and Farrah. We talked about her, school, her new friends. About me and my life here. Bella's smiles were broad and beautiful, her blue eyes sparkling with amusement or pleasure, her laughter bright and honest.

Every so often Bella would make a comment that reinforced how much she knew about Farrah's and my relationship. One was preceded by a blush.

Intrigued, I asked, "What're you thinking?"

Her blush intensified. "I just remembered you naked." Her eyes darted away.

Despite a flush of embarrassment, I laughed. "I guess I can't ask you not to remember some things, can I?"

Still not looking at me, still blushing, she shook her head.

"Bella?" I waited for her to look at me. "It's okay. Weird, but okay. I'll just have to live with not having any secrets."

It did make me think, though. "These memories, are they visual memories?"

"I see them. But I feel them, too. I can remember smells and everything."

"In that case, I really have no secrets."

Checking my watch, I was shocked to see it was late afternoon. "Well," I said, standing. "I need to give Penny her walk."

Penny barked once, as if saying, "It's about time!"

"Can I come?" Bella asked.

"Sure."

Bella ran through the light rain to get her jacket. Penny raced across to meet her when she emerged. We walked in the drizzle. When Bella slipped her hand into mine, I didn't try to stop her. She moved close to my arm in a familiar move - the way Farrah used to do - and it felt good.

With drizzle still falling, when we returned, Penny soaked and dripping, I left Bella to towel dry Penny. In the kitchen, I set about making dinner. Tonight, I planned on marinated chicken piccata al limon accompanied by a light pasta Alfredo; the real Alfredo created in Rome with butter, cream, Parmesan, salt and pepper. A green salad and crusty bread warmed in the oven would accompany the main dish.

Bella and Penny wandered in. Penny settled on the floor at Bella's side. They both watched me cook.

Later, a bark from Penny let us know Bella's mother was home. A knock at the front door confirmed it. Bella went to let her mother in.

Finishing the meal prep, I popped open a bottle of Nino Franco, Rustico Prosecco di Valdobbiadene Brut; a refreshingly effervescent, crisp, fresh, dry, and tangy white with aromas of apple and ripe apricot. It was perfect for a rainy, humid evening. With two glasses, I entered the living room.

Chantal and Bella immediately stopped talking. Both smiled.

"Thank you," Chantal said, taking the glass. She sipped. "Mmmm. This is very good."

"Can I have some?" Bella asked.

I looked at Chantal. She smiled and nodded. I gave Bella my glass and went for another. They stopped talking again when I returned.

Dinner went very well. Bella was animated and happy. Chantal watched her daughter with a smile of pleasure, joining an easy evening of conversation. At nine-forty, Chantal told Bella it was time to leave.

"You go on ahead," she told Bella. "I want to have a quick word with Huck."

"Kay. Night, Huck. Thanks for today." She smiled and left.

Chantal turned to me. "Thank you."

You're welcome. For what?" I asked.

"Bella told me about today. As you can tell, she's back to being happy."

"It seems so," I agreed.

After a brief moment of silence, with Chantal studying me, she set her almost empty glass of wine on the table. "This isn't something I ever envisioned saying," she started. "Knowing everything I know now, it wouldn't surprise me if Bella tried to get intimate with you."

I jumped in to reassure her. "Don't worry, Chantal. I'd never do anything. She's far too young for me."

She studied me intently. "I believe you. And she is. But to her, you're still Huck Allison. You're still the man she has feelings for, that stirs feeling in her, familiar feelings. You're still the man she loves, as odd as that sounds."

I opened my mouth to contradict her. She didn't let me speak.

"In case you've forgotten, Bella isn't a virgin. I thought it might permanently damage her ability to have a relationship. The fact that she's interested is a major step. Nothing may come of it, but if it does . . ." Chantal reached across and rested her hand on mine, ". . . I want you to know she has my blessing."

"I'm almost forty years old," I pointed out.

Chantal smiled softly. "Not in Bella's eyes."

She stood up from the table. When I moved to the front door with her, she turned and kissed me on the cheek. Without another word, she left.

My relationship with Bella changed despite my best intentions, and far faster than I could have imagined.

It started with a hug - one hug - and slipped off the rails from there.

Bella arrived early on Wednesday morning as I was sitting on the back veranda sipping coffee. Wearing cut-off jeans, a red Cardinals T-shirt, a red baseball cap on backwards, and high top sneakers, the tied laces already unraveling on her left foot, she looked very cute.

She greeted Penny with smiles and nuzzled her face to Penny's head, inhaling deeply. Her baseball hat fell off. Smiling at me, she said, "I love the smell of dogs. It's so calming, isn't it?"

I agreed. Penny's smell, especially after she's been sleeping, is one of the great scents in the world; that and babies.

Then Bella stood and looked at me, her blue eyes intense and full of unexpressed emotions. She asked shyly in a softer voice, "Can I hug you?"

I didn't see any danger in it. "Sure."

I stood. Bella approached me. She slipped her arms around my waist and hugged me tightly, her cheek against my upper chest. I hugged her lightly, noticing how slender, almost delicate she was. The top of her head nestled under my chin.

Her scent tickled my nose; subtle honeysuckle with a hint of spicy exotic. To me, smell is the most evocative of the senses. Bella's took me by surprise, memory flashing back. She smelled exactly like Farrah - exactly!

Then Bella murmured, "I've missed this so much," and reservations I'd had about her seemed to crack precariously.

For a few moments, I was young again, hugging a wonderful girl, feeling that excitement of closeness. I pressed my nose into Bella's blonde hair, inhaled deeply, hugged her tightly, and lost time.

After what seemed like ages, we separated. Bella smiled at me with pure pleasure twinkling in her blue eyes.

Clearing my throat, I suggested, "Let's take Penny for a walk."

"Kay."

Penny barked her agreement.

I didn't stop Bella from taking my hand as we walked. Penny raced from spot to spot, smelling, checking out who'd been around since last night.

Eventually, I broke the comfortable silence. "What's it like to have memories of things you've never experienced?"

Bella shrugged. "It's hard to explain. They're part of me, like I lived them. I experienced them."

"Doesn't it feel weird to have someone else living in your mind?"

Bella smiled. "I don't. I'm me. Things I remember are me. It's not like I feel I'm Farrah. I don't have a before and after. I don't hear Farrah talking in my brain, either. It's just who I am."

To her, being around me might be familiar, but to me, it was completely different. I didn't see Farrah when I looked at Bella. I saw Bella, a fourteen, almost fifteen-year-old blonde girl. To her it was as if I'd always been there.

This was new and strange. Bella had memories of being intimate with me, of loving me. I had none. She was undiscovered country to me. How did that make me feel? Surprising myself, I realized I was nervous; the type of nerves that hit when you're with someone you like for the first time.

One hug changed Bella's relationship with me. For the rest of the day she found moments to hug me, holding me tight, and always emitting a sigh of pleasure that did something to my restraint; it was so sweet and heartfelt.

That night, before she headed home for dinner, she hugged me again, murmuring so quietly I almost missed it.

"It's so good to hold you again."

And when she leaned back, her beautiful blue eyes just slightly misty, and saw the expression on my face, the corners of her lips curled slightly in a smile I recognized so well. I didn't stop myself. Bending my head, I brushed my lips against hers. Bella's lips were so soft, warm, and she responded by pressing her mouth against mine. I felt my body react.

When the kiss ended, she hugged me even tighter, whispering, "I've waited so long to kiss you again, Huck."

With that she slipped away. I stood rock still. Who was she? Was she Bella or Farrah? I couldn't tell. She'd let slip comments that had me believing she was Farrah one moment, then back to Bella.

I knew one thing: kissing Bella felt wonderful.

Wednesday started out hot and humid and promised to intensify through the morning. It was the type of humidity that soaked the back of your shirt just by walking to the car; the air heavy and hard to inhale. I needed breeze and water, coolness.

"How about a boat ride today?" I asked Penny.

She jumped up, whining and chuffing, tail wagging.

As we walked out the front door, Chantal and Bella arrived.

Bella looked crestfallen. "You're going out?"

"Yup. Taking the boat out for the day." At the sight of her disappointment, I asked, "Would you both like to join me? I could throw together a picnic lunch."

Bella looked at her mother. "Can we? We can do the grocery shopping tomorrow. Please?"

Chantal raised her dark sunglasses and smiled softly. To me she said, "If you're sure it's no imposition."

"None at all. But you should both change while I pull together a picnic. You'll want to wear swimsuits, too. There's a spot where Penny and I swim."

"Kay!" Bella exclaimed, immediately running back to her house.

Chantal smiled. "We'll be quick."

An hour later, I piloted the Boston Whaler 180 Dauntless away from the dock. With its V-hull and 12-inch draft, it was the perfect boat for Port Royal. The 150 horsepower Mercury outboard engine rumbled and burbled with suppressed excitement, wanting to be untethered and set free to roar.

Chantal sat casually on the aft bench behind me, Bella and Penny in the bow looking forward as I piloted the boat into Harbor River. Opening the throttle, the engine finally roared its pleasure, the bow rose, and with a splash, thumped down on a plane, racing across the water, released, free. Penny's ears flapped. Bella's hair whipped. Wind cooled us.

I followed the river until we emerged into the Atlantic, the wonderful scent of salt water hitting me, and headed south, keeping close to shore. Just before noon, we arrived at Cumberland Island, just north of Jacksonville. The sandy beach spread for miles and was deserted.

A roaring outboard had kept conversation to a minimum, but when I nudged the Whaler towards the sandy beach and cut the engine, silence rushed in feeling almost as loud.

Penny, after looking at me and getting a nod, leapt out, splashing into the ocean and heading to the beach. I ran the bow gently into sand and jumped out, securing the boat.

"You should strip down to your bathing suits in the boat," I suggested. "It'll keep sand out of your clothes. You'll thank me later."

While I hauled the picnic cooler and umbrella onto the beach, they pulled off their clothes. Penny barked with impatience, wanting to play and swim.

Bella was the first to jump out of the boat. On the sandy beach, she spun in a circle, arms outstretched. "Isn't this great!" she exclaimed, smiling.

In a simple red bikini, she looked wonderful. Adolescence was still at work. She had a small bust, very slender hips, and long legs.

Helping Chantal out, I admired her. Her black bikini revealed a mature figure. Still slim, her bust was small but full, her waist narrow and curving out to shapely hips, and a sexy rear. With her straw hat and sunglasses, she looked quite chic.

While Chantal set up beach towels and an umbrella, I tugged my tee up and kicked boat shoes off. In swimming trunks, I started running towards the water. Four long strides in deepening water and I dived in. With a fast crawl, I powered out three hundred yards, the cool water feeling so damned good. I loved water. Maybe I was a Labrador in a previous life.

Turning, I powered back to the beach. As I rose in the surf, Chantal and Bella were standing on the beach, watching me. Bella had that curl of amusement on her lips. Chantal's expression was more of surprise.

"You really did swim competitively," she observed.

Shaking and spreading a towel, I settled down. "Yup."

Penny barked at Bella, her "Come play," yap. They took off into the water. Chantal sat next to me. We watched them play.

"Bella tells me you were a very good swimmer. Did you swim at university, too?"

With a smile, I told her, "No. I was too preoccupied worrying that Farrah might meet someone else, so I spent every free minute with her."

"Could you have competed at the National level?"

I nodded. "Probably."

"Do you ever wish you had?" Chantal asked.

"Never. Not for one minute." After a moment's silence, I added, "She was my whole world. I'd have given anything for more time with her."

Reaching into the cooler, I pulled out an ice-cold bottle of white wine, uncapped it and poured Chantal a plastic cup, handing it to her. I grabbed a bottle of water for myself.

Chantal casually commented, "In a strange way, you do have more time with her."

We both watched Bella laughing as she splashed Penny. I pulled out a red hard rubber ring from the backpack.

"Bella!" I yelled. When she looked at me, I threw her the ring. "Use this."

Bella caught the ring. "How far out can I throw it?"

"As far as you can. The further the better."

For the next ten minutes, we watched as Bella, waist high in water and being knocked around by waves, threw the ring as hard as possible. Penny swam after it, grabbed it, returned it to her, and Bella tossed it again.

Her pure enjoyment of playing with a dog was wonderful to watch. Wet and bedraggled, Bella was a very pretty girl, blossoming, at that amazing stage of no longer a child, not yet a woman, but some enchanting sprite in between. She was sweetly sexy. She looked younger than fourteen.

CHANTAL STUDIED HUCK AS he watched Penny and her daughter play. She could see hesitancy in his silver-grey eyes, maybe doubt, and she liked it. She liked his reluctance, even worry. It reassured her that, given this crazy situation, she could trust him with Bella.

She smiled to herself. Life was unfair at times. Huck's a very handsome man, she thought, made more so by being so unaware of his looks. He sure as hell had a body on him! Wide shoulders, narrow hips, muscular but not muscled.

It was his personality, though. He was a quiet man of strength, intelligent and soft-spoken, educated, with a subtle sense of humor. In Huck, Chantal saw someone she could have had a relationship with had it not been for Bella.

She turned her attention to Bella and smiled. Oh well. Just look at her! Look how happy she is! For a few months, she thought she'd lost her daughter permanently, and God it hurt to see Bella suffer.

Chantal shivered in the heat. She could still see Bella's shattered expression, bedraggled, hair clumped, clothes partly torn and filthy, her blue eyes brimming with tears.

Chantal shook herself. No! Don't go there! Look at Bella! Look at how happy she is.

Chantal glanced at Huck. "You're worried, aren't you?"

He nodded. "Despite everything, it just seems wrong."

"Do you find Bella attractive?"

"It's hard not to. She's a beautiful girl," Huck observed, still watching Bella.

"You're worried about intimacy with her. We had this discussion, Huck."

He turned his silver-grey eyes to her. "I know. But look at her. She's so young."

Chantal smiled slightly. "I'm not sure you have any choice in the matter. It seems fate and Bella have their own plan and you're along for the ride." She reached over and let her hand rest on his arm. "I trust you, Huck. Whatever she wants, just promise you'll make her happy."

Lying back on her elbows, plastic cup of wine in one hand, she glanced at Bella. "You'll have a better chance of making her happy if you enjoy yourself, too. That's how these things work."

He nodded. She saw a remarkably sexy grin emerge.

"You're right."

He stood and charged into the water. Bella's scream was choked off as she disappeared under the waves. She came up choking and yelling blue murder and, instead of trying to get away, she went on the attack, lunging at Huck and shoving him under.

Chantal sat in the shade of the sun umbrella sipping wine and enjoying their games. They reminded her of playful otter pups, rolling, leaping, dunking, Bella's bright laughter, Penny's excited barks, and Huck's deep laughter. He was a good man. It was so obvious.

A tickle of jealousy made her shake her head. Her? Jealous of Bella? How ridiculous! Draining her wine, she pulled out the bottle and poured some more.

Distracted for only a moment, Huck and Bella grabbed her hands and yanked her up.

"Time to swim, Mom!"

"No! Let me go!" Chantal exclaimed, then laughed when Huck effortlessly lifted her over his shoulder and ran. Cold salty water hit making her catch her breath, then she was under.

By late afternoon, as they slowly motored home, Chantal sat at the back of the Whaler absorbing the weaker sunshine. She watched Huck and Bella chatting and smiled when Huck put his arm around her. She noticed the expression on her daughter's face when she looked up at him - pure happiness, pure love.

To her, as strange as the situation was, it felt like they were supposed to be together. Idly, she wondered how their relationship could possibly work. Despite Huck looking as if he was in his early thirties, the age difference was huge.

That night, Bella came to her before going to bed and smiled almost shyly.

"He kissed me, Mom."

Chantal smiled softly and caressed her daughter's hair. "And?"

"It was wonderful, just like I remembered."

BELLA PRACTICALLY LIVED IN my house for the next two days. She spent all day with me. Sometimes our conversations were long, sometimes the silences were comfortable. She was a beautiful girl inside and out, exhibiting no signs of the trauma that had affected her life so deeply.

Intimacy evolved. It wasn't a conscious process. Starting with small personal touches - sitting next to each other, her holding my hand, and frequent hugs - it progressed to light kisses, lips brushing against each other; expressions of affection. Every time we kissed, Bella let out a quiet sigh of pleasure that touched me deeply.

Then Friday afternoon, our relationship tipped into sensual.

It was one kiss, while hugging each other, with our lips pressed together, that the tip of Bella's tongue touched my lips, hesitant, inquiring, inviting greater intimacy.

It felt like the ground tilted, a vertiginous feeling. I lost self-restraint, held the back of her head, tilted mine, and our tongues touched.

Bella's eyes closed. I drowned in her murmur of pleasure. It was so damned beautiful. And, with soft arousal warming my body, I kissed Bella deeply, sensually, her mouth opening to me. I kissed this gorgeous young girl and became erect, desire washing through me.

When it ended, Bella smiled, her blue eyes twinkling with pleasure, and hugged me tight. She said very quietly, "Just like I remember. Wonderful."

I kissed her again, tongues caressing, and as I did, my hand dropped to cup her short skirt-covered butt. She had an exquisite ass, small and shapely, and very, very sexy. Bella surprised me by holding my ass with both hands, pulling me against her, and somehow, while kissing, we were grinding our crotches against each other in a slow, intensely arousing dance. My erection strengthened. I suffered an unacceptable desire to lift her skirt and fondle her pantied ass. Desire for her blossomed suddenly and I could imagine making love with her, this sweet, slender young girl.

When the kiss ended, I could see it in her bright eyes. She knew we were going to become lovers. Her smile was broad and dazzling and beautiful.

"You've still got a great ass, Huck!" she said with bright laughter.

I grinned. "Yours is pretty fine, too!"

Bella smirked at me. "I know!"

Penny barked sharply.

"Okay. I'll take you for your walk," I informed her.

On the long, late afternoon walk, with sun dappling the road through old-growth trees, Bella walked with a bounce in her step, skirt flouncing with the promise of a peek. She talked just because she was happy, nothing important; observations on Penny, nature, summer holidays. She took photos with her Smartphone of anything that caught her eye, including Penny and me.

In a lime green tee and lace-trimmed cream skirt, she looked cute. I pointed out her left sneaker laces were untied.

"Damn!" Looking at me, she said, "You tie it. Maybe it'll stay tied."

I knelt and tied them, adding a knot. By the end of the walk, it had unraveled, as if the ghost of Farrah was with us.

Saturday, warm and bright with clear skies, promised to be a spectacular day. It started well enough. Bella let herself in through the kitchen door as I was pouring coffee. She smiled brightly, said hello to Penny, then came to me. I welcomed her with a hug, enjoying how she felt against me. When her face turned up, we kissed, lips brushing, then pressing, and as she pressed herself against me, our kiss slipped into sensual, sexy, mouths opening, tongues caressing, and an erection formed in my jeans.

Bella knew. I saw it in her eyes when we separated.

"Mom's got an open house today, so she has to work. Would you take me out on the boat? I really like being out on the water."

I asked Penny, "What do you think?"

She barked once, tail wagging.

"Okay. I'll fix a picnic."

"Kay! I'll go change and tell Mom. Be right back!"

An hour later as we raced along the shore, the boat rising and slapping into waves, I yelled over the roar of the outboard, "Put sunscreen on."

In swimming trunks, the wind cooled me. Skimming over water at high speed was always a thrill. In the bow, Penny stood facing forward, her ears flapping, large tongue lolling as if smiling. I glanced behind me again and admired.

Bella, in a solid powder blue bikini, was very sexy. The bikini was not skimpy, yet it showcased her blossoming body; small breasts riding proud, a gorgeous ass, and the sensual swell of her pussy pressing against the bikini bottoms. She was intensely feminine and very desirable. I could feel my body respond, liquid heat flowing.

North of Charleston, I turned inland at Winyah Bay, entered the mouth of Waccamaw River and, forty minutes later, in one of its tributaries where the forest brushed up to the river, I moored the boat. Water flowed past lazily. A small, dark sandy beach provided privacy. It was quiet.

We swam and played with Penny until lunch. As Bella and I sat side-by-side, not quite chest high in water, Bella got this look in her eyes. The corners of her lips curled in a slight smile. She rose, turned, and straddled my lap, settling down.

I held her narrow hips. Bella's eyes looked into each of mine, then studied my mouth, tilted her head and kissed me. It started so soft. Then pressure grew, lips moved, and her tongue teased my lips. As I slipped into a deeply sensual kiss, unconsciously I brought my hand up and cupped her petite breast.

My body responded, an erection forming under her as I touched her. No more than a palmful, Bella's breast had a beautiful shape. Unable to resist, I eased her bikini top up and cupped her naked breast.

Bella ended the kiss with a sharp inhalation. A flit of fear passed through her eyes and I kicked myself. Lost in the moment, I'd forgotten what had happened to her. I should have been more sensitive.

But Bella stared at me and I felt her relax. A small smile returned. Her hand came up to cover mine and press it to her breast.

She said, "The cinema. That was the first time you touched me like this."

It still caught me off-guard when she let out one of Farrah's memories.

Reaching behind her, Bella opened and removed her bikini top. She let me study her breasts. Not yet fully mature, they sat wide, high and proud, her areolae pink, nipples small beads; each a sexy palmful. I wanted to kiss them, feel them against my mouth, taste her, and suck gently, and my partial erection strengthened.

Instead, I held both breasts in my hands and felt their youthful resilience, so firm. I teased her nipples with my thumb-pads and they responded, firming up, so sexy.

"They're beautiful," I told her with a smile. "And you're not shy in the least."

The corners of her lips turned up. "Why should I be? It's not like this is our first time."

I smiled. "Maybe not for you, but it is for me."

Bella's smile grew. "That makes it interesting."

I nodded, still caressing her sexy breasts. With a bright laugh, she stood and dove deeper into the river. I gave chase.

For the rest of the day we played, swam, or rested, Bella topless the whole time. She only covered herself when an occasional boater passed. I loved it. I loved looking at her naked breasts, how firm they were as she moved, swam, or lay on the sand. I loved watching her play with Penny, her sexy breasts jiggling sensually. I loved groping her and hearing her bright, pleased laughter. And I adored how every so often, she'd soften and come into my arms for some sexy kissing. I was partially hard the whole time and felt the familiar ache of desire deep in my gut.

Nearing six o'clock, we returned home. Bella gave me a hug and left with a bright, "Bye, Huck! See ya tomorrow!"

She did, too.

Sunday morning, after my early morning run with Penny, and dripping from the shower, the telephone rang; Mom.

We chatted, the conversation following its usual path; she hadn't talked to me in ages, why didn't I call her more often? How's my love life? Dad's making a huge mess in the garage with sawdust everywhere. How am I doing? Am I eating properly?

A bark sounded from downstairs.

Mom asked how Penny was doing.

Bella yelled, "Huck? You here?"

Mom, hearing Bella, asked, "Who's that? It sounds like a girlfriend. Do you have a girlfriend you're not telling me about, Huck?" her voice sounding putout.

"It's my new neighbor, Mom," I informed her.

And as I hung up, conversation over, and unwrapped the towel around my waist to get dressed, Bella, from the bedroom door, said, "Nice butt, Huck."

I jumped. "Jesus! You scared me," I told her, wrapping the towel around me again.

Bella gave me a big grin, her pretty blue eyes twinkling with amusement. "Why are you covering up? It's not like I haven't seen you naked before." She added, studying me, "You've kept yourself in great shape."

"Go away."

"Nope. C'mon! Drop 'em!"

Penny arrived, head poking into the bedroom. She chuffed her support of Bella, head nodding.

"No!" I told Penny.

She barked at me once, and Bella said, "I'm with you, Penny. C'mon, Huck. Show us what'cha got!"

"No."

Bella walked over and hugged me. "You're really sexy," she observed before kissing my chest.

Somehow, the towel unraveled and fell. Bella looked up at me, the corners of her lips curling in amusement. When I hugged her slender body and kissed her, and when she murmured into the kiss, the tip of her tongue brushing my lips, I seemed to lose my way.

Bella's hands dropped to my naked ass as our kiss intensified and I became erect. The kiss ended. Bella stared into my eyes, smiled slightly, and, easing back, gently took my erection in hand giving it a soft squeeze.

Lord it felt good! Too good.

Moving away from her, I smiled and went to the dresser for boxers and socks. "You're dangerous," I told her.

She laughed lightly. "What's the matter? Scared? You know we're going to make love sooner or later, and my vote is sooner."

Facing away from her, grinning, I wrestled my erection inside boxers, then bent to put socks on. Turning to grab jeans, I found Bella undressing. She'd tugged her cotton top off and was in the process of slipping cargo-style shorts down slender legs.

"Jesus, Bella!"

In a pink lacy bra and matching small pink panties, Bella was too damned sexy, completely edible. Man, I love pink lingerie! But, why was I resisting? Why wasn't I just going with the desire for her that pulsed so strongly in me?

Looking at her, too young and so pretty, I knew why. I wasn't sixteen. I was a quarter century older than she was. With me, she had a time-limited future.

"Get dressed, Bella."

She noticed my tone of voice and stopped, bent over, one leg out of her shorts. She saw my expression and straightened. "What is it?"

"We have some things to talk about before this goes any further."

Her expression narrowed, determination making her blue eyes icy. "No we don't, Huck Raphael Allison," she said, using a middle name I'd never told her about. Pointing at me, she said, "Don't you dare change your mind. I told you once, you're mine for life."

I had a sudden vision of Farrah at the altar before the priest started the wedding ceremony, using almost the exact same words on me.

"It's not the same anymore, Farrah. I'm much older now."

"Not in my eyes!" she said sharply, adding in a softer voice, "Never in my eyes, Huck." She kicked off the shorts and walked over to me, slipping her hands around my waist. "Besides, you know we're meant to be together." Bella smiled and said softly. "You called me Farrah."

"No I didn't. Did I?"

She nodded. "It doesn't bother me. I am Farrah. I'm Bella, too."

Combing my fingers through her blonde hair, I studied this pretty young girl, so comfortable in herself, so at ease with intimacy. I saw Bella, not Farrah. I asked, "Why are you so insistent? You seem so sure of this."

Her smile faded. "We didn't even have ten years together last time. This time, I can have thirty or more years of your love. That's a lifetime, and I'm taking it."

She rose onto her toes and kissed me. It was a soft, loving kiss, and inside, I gave up the last of my doubts. Fourteen years old or not, I adored her. She charmed me. Every peek at Farrah emerging from her tugged at me, yet Bella was such a sweet adolescent girl, and she, too, excited and aroused me.

Leading her to the bed, Bella smiled, that subtle smile of success I so loved. She settled next to me. I drew her closer, hugging her slender body, caressed her back, and slowly moved lower until I had her wonderful small butt in my hand. Her pink panties slipped across her buttocks as I fondled her. Blue eyes smiled at me.

"Your lingerie is very sexy. I love pink. I think you had seduction in mind when you dressed, didn't you?"

She laughed lightly. "Uh-huh. After yesterday at the beach, I was pretty horny last night. Mom helped me pick this out."

"She knows?"

Bella nodded. "She knew three days ago. We talked about it. Mom and I have a plan."

Easing my fingertips inside the waist of her sexy panties, I asked, "Care to share the plan?"

Bella fished down between us to fondle me over my boxers. I responded, my erection returning.

"We decided, to be safe, I'd keep any intimacy between us to here in your house, or in mine." Her expression turned serious. "I can't kiss you in public, Huck, or hold your hand when anyone's around." Then her wonderful, full smile emerged, "But, inside, I can do anything with you!"

Easing my hand down inside her panties, I cupped one perfect firm buttock, her skin cool, the shape so damned sexy. To me, fondling a girl inside her panties is so much more erotic than a naked ass; the prelude to full intimacy, my hand so close to the most intimate part of her. I wondered what Bella's pussy would feel like. What would her pussy look like?

I kissed her, pressing my lips to hers. Bella squeezed my erection and let out that damned sexy hum of pleasure, her tongue teasing my lips. The kiss intensified, lips parting, mouths opening, tongues caressing, and she moved close to me, pressing herself against me.

Her hand tugged at the waist of my boxers, edging it down over one hip, then slipped inside to carefully hold my erection. I throbbed with the pleasure of her touch.

Pulling my hand out of her panties, I found the clasp of her bra and unhooked it, then reached between us. Bella moved back, giving me space. I pushed her bra up and cupped her petite breast, so wonderfully formed, just young, a beautiful, erotic palmful. Excitement washed through me making my erection flex in her hand. Her breast was so firm, resilient, yet soft and sexy. Rubbing her areola and nipple, it hardened.

Heat entered her blue eyes, desire, arousal.

Rolling her onto her back, I removed her bra, bent, and with a smile, I kissed one nipple, nipping it with my lips before opening my mouth to take the tip of her breast in, sucking her areola gently. Bella sighed, let my erection go and combed her fingers through my hair.

Her areola was flushed a darker pink, her small nipple stiff. I moved on to its twin, giving it the same treatment, and slipped my hand down across her silky stomach to cup her pussy.

A girl's mons is, to me, the sexiest part of her. The way it rises from her body, a soft sensual mound of pleasure, and tapers and plunges between her thighs is just beautiful. Still sucking her delectable breast, with Bella parting her legs, I cupped her full pubis and rubbed gently, feeling her shape over pink panties. The silky material slipped sensually on her. I explored. Warm and exciting, her vulva felt full, lush, a ripe peach. Under my finger-pad I felt her cleft and, as I probed lower, warmth. Was that dampness?

Squeezing her pussy and rubbing her, Bella moaned quietly, her pelvis twitching from my caress.

With a parting light kiss on her nipple, I looked into her eyes and saw heated arousal. She smiled before I kissed her again and, as I sucked her plump lower lip, with excitement rushing into me, I slipped the tip of my fingers inside the waist of her panties.

This, on the cusp of touching her for the first time, was thrilling. Her stomach was silken. The edge of her mons swelled up. And then I touched her silky pubes, so crazy exciting, my body shuddering in response. Easing my hand deeper into her panties, I cupped her stunning pussy.

For a moment, I closed my eyes and tamped down the arousal pounding me and threatening to over whelm me. When I opened them, Bella was smiling in amusement.

"I can't believe how turned on I am right now," I said softly. Then, under my middle finger, I traced the length of her cleft and touched her clit.

My erection strained, a drop of precum leaking and dampening my boxers.

Baby-soft pubic hair tickled my palm. Her labia parted as I probed and, at the base of her cleft, I discovered warm, slippery moisture; Bella aroused, horny! Jesus it excited me!

Kissing her with urgency, I curled my finger up through her cleft and rubbed her clit. Bella murmured her pleasure. As we kissed, as I held her sexy pussy and teased her clit, Bella responded, moving her hips. In a slow, sexy action, she rubbed her pussy in my hand, up and down, and my finger slipped deeper between her labia, caressing her clit harder.

The kiss ended when she inhaled deeply. I nuzzled her neck, inhaling the scent of her; honeysuckle with a hint of spicy exotic. Her arms wrapped around me.

She humped my hand and murmured her pleasure. "This feels so good, Huck. I like you touching me. I missed it."

Still rubbing her clit, in her ear, I whispered, "You're so sexy, Bella, so beautiful."

For the next few moments, I strummed her clit and her pussy became wetter as her arousal strengthened. Her body spoke. Hips undulated with more force. Her breath evolved into light pants, breath held, then released. Her slender body strained.

Carefully, I eased my finger down through her slippery cleft and probed into her vagina. Bella gasped quietly. Her pussy gripped my fingertip; warm and moist and exciting. I went back to her clit, rubbing harder, my finger slippery with her arousal, and Bella shuddered.

"Huck!" she whispered, hips churning, and with the sweetest grunt of pleasure, Bella climaxed. She held her breath, humped my hand, gasped louder and fell; body shaking, pussy scrubbing. She gasped and grunted quietly, her arms hugging me tightly, and with a moan that sounded as if she was in pain, her whole body shuddered, curling, then fell limp.

I stopped caressing her clit and held her very sexy pussy, her panties pressing against the back of my hand. My erection was so damned hard. A final small tremor shook her. She sighed loudly.

When I removed my face from her neck, Bella's eyes were closed. The corners of her lips were curled up in a satisfied smile; very pretty.

With a parting squeeze, I pulled my hand from inside her panties, caressed up her stomach, and held her firm breast, my thumb rubbing one steep side.

When she opened her eyes, her smile broadened. "Thank you. I was really stressed out with horniness."

I smiled. "And now?"

"Still horny."

Lordy! "You sure?"

"Uh-huh."

In quick order, I shucked my boxers, excitement mounting, then reached for her lovely pink panties. Bella watched me, smiling, and lifted her butt when I tugged them down. A surge of desire washed through me at the sight of blonde pubes emerging, still so young they hadn't spread to the sides of her stunningly plump mons. Soft, wavy pubic hairs couldn't obscure the beauty of her cleft, or her lush vulva. The gusset of her panties briefly stuck to her pussy then released. She raised her legs and I pulled her panties off.

As her legs settled back to the bed, her pussy mounded ever higher at her crotch. The small gap at the top of her thighs let me admire her tightly closed cleft, pubic hair sparser, her rounded vulva, and her buttocks where they bulged on the bed. Desire slammed into me. Bella was gorgeous; not a child, not a mature woman, just perfect and sexy, so slender yet shapely.

She rolled towards me when I settled next to her. Her arms welcomed me. Her knee rose to rest on my thigh, her pussy pressing against my straining erection.

"Jesus you're beautiful!"

Her smile warmed me. I kissed her gently and told her, "I really want you, Bella. As in really." Holding her sexy little ass, I pulled her tight against me, my erection swelling, hard between us.

When I tried to bring her on top of me, she resisted.

"No. I want your weight on me, Huck. I want to hold you," she insisted, tugging me.

Her slender youth was brought home when I lay on her and, despite it, she was so attractive to me, so sexy, so exciting. Then her knees rose, her thighs settling against my hips. She wrapped her arms around me and curled her pussy up, rubbing my shaft, a wave of pleasure hitting me.

For just an instant, fear dashed though her blue eyes, reminding me of her prior experience with sex. Then they cleared. Bella smiled, her blue eyes twinkling. She curled her pelvis up higher and the tip of my erection brushed across her silken pubes and slipped down along her cleft.

She paused, my erection gently pressing against her pussy. I waited for her, my cock straining so damned hard. I wanted her so badly my body trembled with pent-up desire, tense with anticipation.

It started with Bella moving her pussy around very, very slightly. My erection pulsed. Precum must have leaked. Suddenly, her labia caressed the tip and, as she moved her pussy in a small circle, I pressed and eased back, pressed and eased back, each careful thrust rewarded by soft labia caressing me, slowly parting until my crown was cradled in a warm, sexy hug. I hadn't touched my erection. It was so rigid, throbbing with need.

Both of us stopped.

We kissed softly, not moving, just enjoying our intimacy, the electrical moment before the final, irreversible step; on the cusp of ecstasy. There was no rush. There was no worry or embarrassment, no fear.

And as we kissed, in slow motion, Bella's pussy slowly took me in. At first the crown oozed in and was held snugly, beautifully. Our kiss ended and Bella smiled, staring into my eyes. She pressed her pussy up, I pulsed strongly, and slipped in a bit deeper, her pussy gripping me tighter. A wave of pleasure made me close my eyes. God she felt good.

Opening my eyes, smiling at her, I withdrew the tiniest bit and pressed forward, and in one incredible stroke, I buried my erection in her velvet pussy, fully, a tight, tight glove gripping me.

Bella moaned, her arms hugging me hard. Her pussy tightened; exquisite pleasure hitting me.

"You feel good, Bella," I groaned.

"This is how it's supposed to feel," she whispered. "Perfect."

Making love started slowly with a gentle grind against each other, the head of my erection sensually massaged deep in her. I caressed her sexy breast, teased and lightly pinched her nipple, and she moved her hips. Small thrusts started, just slightly out and back, each building my arousal, each bringing such pleasure. And gradually the strokes lengthened until my crown was squeezed by the entrance of her vagina and welcomed back in a velvet tight grip, deep and exquisite. Soft kisses resumed, lips brushing, inhaling each other's breath, and desire built.

We fucked each other gently, lost in the sensations only this intimacy could bring, joined, thrusting, withdrawing, sighs of pleasure breaking the silence. My erection strained, thick, almost splitting, and the first sign of my orgasm stirred; breathless, gut tightening, heaviness in my groin.

I loved fucking Bella. I adored her sweet sighs of pleasure, her arms hugging me hard, and the way her body undulated under me, curling her tight pussy up to take me deep. I loved her tightness, slippery and warm, and her small clenches drove me higher. Self control became difficult. I could feel my need to cum strengthening, a gathering storm of ecstasy, the promise of sweet bliss.

I tried. I tried to hold off, to wait for her to join me, but I couldn't. With long, deep thrusts, my orgasm hit. I gasped. My cock swelled to the point of pain. A pulse of pleasure tore into me and I came, semen rushing up my shaft. I exploded, white hot bliss, cum spurting. Gasping, I withdrew and thrust again, cock swelling, throbbing, and another exquisite spurt assailed me, hot cum erupting into Bella. The storm crashed over me. Trying to be gentle only intensified my pleasure. I thrust gently and came, semen spurting, thrust and exploded, sweet bliss wracking my straining body. Holding Bella's young body tightly, I fucked her and came, thrust and exploded, spurting everything I had into her tight pussy until I had nothing left, just dry heaves. Then suddenly, my orgasm released me, muscles unclenching, and pure, utter pleasure flowed through me. As I slowed, lethargy arrived, my body drained, and I felt the tail ends of Bella's climax; soft clenches in her vagina.

Eventually, as my erection softened, and with great effort, I eased myself off her and to the side. Bella rolled into me, her arm across me, leg hooked over my leg. She sighed quietly.

Unbelievably, I fell asleep.

BELLA SAT AT THE kitchen table, her mind distracted, a dreamy smile on her face. The sound of the front door opening stirred her.

"Bella?"

"In here, Mom!"

Chantal entered, smiling, and dropped her shoulder bag on the kitchen counter. She turned and leaned back against the counter, studying her daughter. A soft smile formed.

"How was it?"

"How can you tell?" Bella asked, surprised.

"You're glowing." Moving to the table, Chantal sat and smiled again. "Women get a glow when we've been loved. So, how was it?"

Bella smiled broadly. "It was wonderful. Amazing!" Her cheeks warmed up as she added, "I had two climaxes, Mom! Two!"

Mom laughed lightly. "I gather it didn't hurt."

"Not at all!" Bella responded. "By the way, thanks for buying me the lingerie. He really likes pink, as I knew he would."

"You're welcome. Just remember what we agreed; no playing around outside his house."

"I remember. Can I ask you something?"

Standing, Chantal went to the refrigerator. "Sure. Would you like some iced tea?"

"Yes please. I wanted to ask you, the first time you enjoyed sex, was it all you could think about afterwards?"

Chantal poured tea into two tall ice-filled glasses. She put one in front of her daughter and sat at the table, smiling with amusement. "It wasn't until the third time I had sex that I experienced a climax. But, yes. After that time, sex was on my mind a lot."

"So it's not bad that I want to do it again?"

Chantal laughed. "Not at all! Why would it be bad? If you went out and had sex with any stranger, it would be. But sex with someone you love? Absolutely not!"

Bella nodded. "Good. I think I'm gonna want lots of sex with Huck. Do you think he'll want to?"

At that, Chantal caught herself as she almost giggled! Smiling broadly, she asked, "Did he enjoy making love with you?"

"I think so. After, you know, he hugged me so tightly and wouldn't let me go. He kept sighing. We fell asleep for a while, too." With enthusiasm, Bella added, "Huck's got this great smell, Mom. Sort of spicy and sexy guy mixed together."

Reaching across the table, Chantal patted her daughter's hand. "You're hooked. Just be sensible, honey."

Bella, despite her excitement, was exhausted. She went to bed early.

When Chantal was sure her daughter was down for the night, she glanced out through the living room window. Seeing a light on in Huck's house, she put sandals on and headed over.

He answered the door looking slightly disheveled, giving her a warm, welcoming smile, a smile Chantal thought was very attractive.

"Come in," he invited.

Penny raised her head, chuffed a quiet greeting, then settled down.

"Can I get you a glass of wine?" Huck offered.

"Yes. Thank you." She followed him into the kitchen and sat at the table. When he handed her a glass of pale yellow wine and sat at the table, she said, "This isn't something a mother ever anticipates saying, but thank you for making Bella's experience with sex so good."

He grinned. But what had her feel a tug of attraction was his slight shyness, his silver-grey eyes softening.

"Her first experience was so traumatic, I'd lost hope she'd ever experience how beautiful lovemaking can be." With a light laugh, Chantal added, "You've certainly solved that problem."

He smiled. "It would be crass to say 'my pleasure', but it really was. Bella's a wonderful, loving girl." He paused before continuing. "I'm still confused with her. One minute I'm talking to Bella, the next, she says something that only Farrah would know. I don't want Bella to think I made love with Farrah. I made love to her, Bella."

"I think she knows that. She isn't Farrah, she just carries memories of your wife. I'm surprised it doesn't upset her more, but it doesn't."

Huck sipped his wine. "She still catches me off-guard with her comments. Can I ask, did she know about pink underwear?"

Chantal laughed and nodded. "Apparently it was the color Farrah wore after the first time disaster."

Huck laughed, his face alive. He really is a handsome man, she thought.

"Would you tell me about Farrah?" she asked.

For the next hour, Huck talked, relating anecdotes, telling her about this odd girl with a quirky personality. As he talked, she saw the love that still burned bright in him. What would it be like to be adored so much? To have a man return your love so completely?

Chantal didn't know. She'd never experienced it. However, she was sure of one thing: Farrah had found her way back to him.

IF I THOUGHT BELLA was like Farrah, I was sorely mistaken. Bella was Bella; unique and different.

She was intensely sensual. She was a huge flirt. And she enjoyed teasing me to distraction. In all honesty, I was thankful. She deserved to be appreciated for the beautiful girl she was, not because she carried Farrah's thoughts and memories in her. I luxuriated in her bright, outgoing personality. Making love once had given her confidence in herself and it showed.

On a cloudy, rainy Monday morning, I found Bella in the kitchen when Penny and I returned from our early morning run. Penny greeted her boisterously. Then Bella came to me, slipping her arms around my waist, smiling.

"You're sexy when you're sweaty, Huck. All manly and stuff. Whadda'ya want to do today?"

I grinned. "Let me shower first and we'll decide."

"I'll shower with you," she announced. Her blue eyes twinkled. "I'll wash you all over . . . every little, and not so little part of you. I want to see all of you."

Laughing, my body automatically reacting to her flirt, I extracted myself from her arms. Before I could get a word in, she spoke again.

"Did I mention I'm horny? Sweaty hunks really turn girls on." She laughed brightly and followed me up the stairs.

This girl was utterly charming. She was a very pretty blonde with a bright personality and, as I discovered, no shame.

Following me into the bedroom, she yanked my shorts down from behind, laughing. "You've got a great ass, Huck. When it's clean, I think I'll kiss it!"

Turning to her, Bella was already kicking her sneakers off and pulling her arms out of her colorful cotton top. She pulled it off over her head exposing naked breasts, so sexy, petite and firm. I immediately thought about kissing them.

"What happened to your bra?" I asked, pulling my sweat-soaked tee off.

She looked down. "They're small. They don't need a bra. Besides," she added with a grin, "I wanted to surprise you."

"You have," I assured her with a laugh.

"Based on Mom, don't hold out hope for them to grow much more." Bella looked at me, undoing her skirt. "Do you prefer big boobs?"

"What happened to you?" I asked with a grin. "Who is this girl in my bedroom? And where's the Bella I know and love?"

In the process of easing the waist of her frilly blue skirt down revealing cute powder blue cotton panties, she paused. Her blue eyes expanded. "You love me?"

"It's hard not to."

Bella stood straight, her skirt around her ankles. "Do you love me or the Farrah in me?"

Sweaty and dirty, I walked over and hugged her. "Aside from the memories you carry, you're nothing like Farrah. Believe it or not, I'm quite sure it's you I love."

She smiled and slipped her arms around my waist. "In that case, you can love us both. Farrah would want it." After a brief pause, she added, "So do I."

"Okay. I can handle that, too."

"Good. You're sweaty. Let's shower together. By the way, I don't like royal blue sheets," she observed, pointing to my bed. "That color never looks clean."

She followed me into the bathroom as if she'd lived with me for years, comfortable, at ease. After turning the shower on, when I dropped my underwear, Bella commented from behind me, "Great tush, Huck. All sculpted and sexy."

From behind, her hands groped my ass making me laugh. Her warm, naked body pressed against my back and I felt her small breasts distinctly. Her arms slipped around my waist and hugged me. Then her hands migrated south.

She discovered a partial erection and started fondling. That's all it took for me to develop a full erection in her hands. Once again she surprised me with her easy intimacy. To her, it was all familiar. To me, it was still new and exciting.

Bella kissed my back and observed, "You're horny, too. Nice erection, Huck."

Laughing, I reached into the shower and turned it off, twisted suddenly and grabbed an almost naked Bella. She burst into laughter when I effortlessly lifted her, and she wrapped her legs around my waist, her hands holding my shoulders. Blue eyes sparkled. She grinned.

"What happened to our shower?" she asked.

Carrying her, we tumbled onto the bed, me on top, her legs still scissoring my waist. I was fully erect, hard, and wanted her like crazy.

"Screw the shower. How horny are you?"

Bella grinned. "Reeeealy horny. I had a sex dream about you last night." With a giggle, she added, "You were reeeealy good!"

"Jesus, Bella!"

I reached down between us and fondled her panty-covered pussy, a fantastic full pubis, and teased her clit, soft cotton moving under my finger.

Bella's enchanting blue eyes changed from glinting amusement to a smile, and then, with a sigh, to heat and arousal. She humped my hand, whispering, "I love when you touch me, Huck."

My desire strengthened, cock straining. Easing the crotch of her panties aside, I fondled her exposed pussy and groaned. Baby-soft pubes tickled my fingers, and then I touched her cleft and discovered dampness, slippery and exciting. Bella was incredibly aroused!

Staring into her eyes, I gripped my shaft and aimed, the tip kissing her pussy. Her hands held my neck, her legs scissored around my waist, sexy little breasts naked and proud. She smiled at me. Jesus she was sexy kitten!

I seemed to lose control. I wanted her. I wanted to fuck Bella. She was so damned cute and desirable. When I pressed the tip of my cock against her cleft, she sighed and tightened her legs, drawing me closer.

Soft labia spread. My crown oozed into her cleft, throbbing and aching. Bella moved her pussy around, positioning herself, and, slowly, exquisitely slowly, I penetrated her with careful strokes.

Warm moisture slowly engulfed my head, a tight grip. My erection pulsed, swelling. Then I slipped deeper, halfway into her, her snug velvet vagina gripping me. Bella, smiling, pulled me and I slipped into her pussy all the way, buried in her, her pubis pressed to my groin. Fuck it felt good!

The urge to fuck her was so powerful. My erection felt rock hard, gripped so exquisitely tightly.

When I started to withdraw, Bella's legs tightened.

"No. Don't move. I want to try something," she told me.

"Try what?"

Mischief flitted through her eyes. Below, I felt her clench her pussy on my cock, then relax, pleasure rushing in, cock straining.

"How does that feel?" she asked.

"Christ Almighty!"

Grinning, she did it again, and again. The sensation was amazing. Bella was milking me with her pussy and Lord it felt good!

Reaching down, I felt myself where I penetrated her, stretching her pussy, and, easing her panties aside further, found her clitoris. I caressed her gently and Bella's smile faded, her eyes narrowing. She massaged me with her vagina, small clenches, and sighed.

Hunching, I kissed her sexy breast, sucking her areola and nipple. I started soft then added suction while strumming her clit, my cock throbbing inside her.

Bella moaned quietly. Small tremors shook her slender body, her pussy massaging my erection rhythmically. It felt as though I grew even harder inside her, cock now straining, thick, aching, and I hadn't stroked into her once!

Removing my mouth from her breast, I liked the sight of her flushed areola raised, plump, nipple hard. Then I watched something incredible.

Bella's eyes closed. Her nostrils flared as she breathed deeper. A cute frown knitted her brow. She clenched and relaxed her pussy, clenched and relaxed, her body trembling slightly.

I strummed her clit gently and Bella groaned, "Oh, Gaaawd."

Suddenly she started humping my erection, hips rising and falling. She climaxed, body heaving, pussy gripping me tight, so damned tight, convulsing on my cock.

I didn't realize how close I was until Bella let loose with the cutest goddamn grunt! She fucked me, hips humping, legs pulling, and grunted again, frowning, climaxing, and I lost it.

My erection strained, thick and hard. Another exquisitely tight clench of her vagina and I came, my erection swelling, semen rushing up to explode deep inside her. The dam broke. I came with fast spurts, pleasure slamming into me, cock swelling, aching, spurting, cum flooding her. My body tensed and I came hard, each pulse bringing sweet ecstasy, and finally, I couldn't hold back and I started fucking Bella, her pussy now slippery. I thrust into her hard, spurting, almost desperate. God it felt good. Then my orgasm passed, suddenly, pulse racing. I slowed and stopped, letting my full weight down onto her. I buried my face against her neck, her hair tickling me.

Bella sighed with satisfaction. Her hand caressed the back of my head. "That was incredible. I felt you cum, Huck."

I mumbled something into her neck. I didn't want to move. I liked this. I liked being inside her, lying on top of her, having her hold me, and the sweet lassitude that comes with sexual release.

Bella's legs fell from my waist. "I need to shower now. Let's shower together."

Half an hour later, we were in the kitchen. Bella was back in her pretty skirt and colorful cotton top, eating toast and jam. She glowed, so pretty, her smile reflecting pure happiness. I sipped coffee and wondered where this relationship could go. Was there a future for us?

Was a relationship confined to inside the house fair on Bella? What about dating and dancing and eating out? Flirting, seeing movies, walking hand-in-hand?

And what was with me? Why didn't I care? Selfishness had found a home in me. Possessiveness, too. I didn't want to share Bella. For the first time in so long, I'd found love again; something I'd never thought I'd experience again.

"Stop thinking so hard, Huck."

I grinned. "It showed?"

"Uh-huh. Let me guess. You're so in love with me you can't imagine life without me. And you're picturing getting me naked again. Right? Bet you're thinking about how great a kisser I am, and how lucky you are." She grinned at me. "You are lucky, too."

I laughed. She'd nailed me.

Her Smartphone rang. She pulled it out and checked the screen. "It's Mom." Bringing it to her ear, she answered, "Hi, Mom. What's up?"

I left her and went out onto the back veranda, sitting and watching the steady downpour of rain. Tropical storm Bessie was working its way towards us. Penny followed me and sat at my side. I rubbed the soft fur on her head. "What am I supposed to do with her?" I asked.

Penny chuffed.

The kitchen screen door squeaked open. "Huck?"

"Yeah?"

"Mom's asking if you'd like to come over for dinner tonight."

"Is she a good cook? If not . . ."

Bella laughed. "You're terrible! He said yes, Mom. Uh-huh. Uh-huh. Kay. See ya then." Looking at me, she said, "My Mom's a better cook than you are. You should feel privileged she invited you."

She came and settled on my lap, leaned against me and put her head on my shoulder. I wrapped my arms around her.

"What do you do at the advertising agency," she asked.

"I'm an Account Director."

"So you make commercials?"

"No. That's the creative department. I manage clients; help them with strategy, media, and research."

Bella took my hand and brought it up to her chest, placing it over her sexy little breast.

"You must meet a lot of women at work. Have you dated any of them?"

I smiled to myself and gently caressed her. Her boob was a marvel of nature; soft and supple, yet firm with a sexy heft, a wonderful palmful.

"I like your touch, Huck. Not just sexy touching, any touching. I can't explain it, but I need to feel you touching me. I can't get enough."

I continued caressing her, enjoying our casual intimacy.

"So, how many women have you had affairs with?" Bella asked.

"Are you jealous?"

"Girls have a right to be jealous. It's how we express affection. So, how many?"

"None from work. A few over the years."

Rubbing gently, I teased her nipple. She sighed quietly, removed my hand from her lovely breast, and stood. "C'mon. We have to go shopping." She tugged my hand.

"I don't need anything."

"Yes you do. You need bed sheets that aren't royal blue. I don't like royal blue." Her eyes twinkled. "How do you feel about pink?"

Our day was spent in Savannah. By five-thirty, when we returned with a new set of sheets - striped white and pale green - we took Penny for a long walk. The weather was beautiful. Rain had taken a break. Humidity was gone leaving comfortable warmth.

At six-thirty I was at Chantal and Bella's house for dinner. Chantal had made a delectable shrimp and ham jambalaya.

By ten, I was in bed, alone, rain back and drumming on the roof. Wind gusts had arrived and a category one hurricane warning, upgraded from tropical storm, had been issued for late tomorrow.

My mind was full of Bella. She was so different from Farrah, yet I held the same feelings for her. Despite Bella's youth . . . no, being honest, Bella's youth was very attractive. She brought out memories of excitement and exploration and sexy groping. I was relishing a return of those feelings. But there was so much more.

Bella, a young girl who, by all rights, should have been devastated by the trauma she'd suffered, was an utterly charming and outgoing girl. She was a free spirit, unique, one of a kind.

Lying in bed, I understood. That's why I found them both so desirable. Both Farrah and Bella danced to their own tune. Only their music was different.

BELLA WATCHED MOM AND Huck over dinner. She liked how easy their conversation flowed, and liked seeing Mom laugh.

Before heading to bed, Bella commented to Mom, "You like Huck. You see what I see in him, don't you?"

Mom smiled. "He's a nice man. But don't worry. I'm not in competition with you, honey."

"I'm not worried. I know how he feels about me. Would it be all right if I stayed over with him one night?"

"If that's what you both want, yes. But when summer vacation ends, you won't be able to. You know why."

"I know."

In bed, Bella wondered what it would be like to sleep with Huck, to be held all night, to wake up in his bed. A memory stole into her mind and she smiled. She knew. She knew what he smelled like when he slept. She knew he liked the left side of the bed and that he'd sprawl all over, but with one leg always touching her.

Smiling, she knew about his morning erections, and morning sex, and cuddling and kissing. Without ever having experienced it, and never having wanted to before, she just knew oral sex with Huck would be wonderful. She had a memory of it and now wanted to experience it.

Bella sighed. A tingle of desire returned. Maybe tomorrow she'd stay over with him; surprise him, too. His eyes get so big when he's caught off guard, and his grin is utterly gorgeous.

I THINK I WAS having a dream, one of those wet dreams I'd get as a pubescent boy. It felt as exciting and I was sure as Hell hard, cock aching.

A giggle broke the spell and woke me up. Bella, in a flowery, short, sleeveless yellow and red dress, was sitting on the edge of my bed, one knee resting on the covers, her hand gently fondling my erection over the white and green striped sheet. Blue eyes twinkled at me.

She smiled. "Morning!"

"What time is it?"

"Just after six."

"Jesus, Bella," I groaned. Six? Really?

Her hand rubbed my erection. "Were you dreaming about me?"

"No. I was dreaming about Sarah Whitehouse."

Bella pouted at me. "Who's she?"

"My ninth grade geography teacher. She was a real looker with big tits."

"You had a crush on her?" Bella asked, amused.

"Nope. Just wanted sex with her."

Bella laughed. Her hand curled around my erection over the sheet and stroked lightly, sending a pulse of pleasure through me. I noticed, with her knee cocked up on the bed, I could see pale yellow panties, and that didn't help my condition at all. Her succulent pussy strained against cotton, full and ripe and sexy. Cotton formed so delectably to her shape, and desire for some sexy play took precedence.

Caressing her bare leg, I subtly edged my hand higher, aiming for a grope.

Bella laughed and stood. "Nuh-uh," she admonished. "Save it for tonight."

"What's tonight?" I asked, somewhat disappointed.

"I'm staying over! I'm sleeping with you!"

"Really? And your mom's okay with that?"

"Uh-huh. We talked."

Still horny, I proposed, "So come to bed now. I'll have all day to recharge for tonight." My lecherous grin ruined my chances.

Bella laughed again, clearly pleased. "I'll turn the coffee on for you. Get dressed. By the way, did you hear about the hurricane? It's been upgraded to category two and supposed to arrive late today. I've never experienced one. What's it like?"

"Windy and wet."

Penny raced in and leapt onto the bed, diving at me, licking my face and full of beans; her usual morning greeting. I wrestled with her for a bit. By the time I rolled out of bed, my erection had faded, Bella had disappeared, and Penny barked at me, her "I want a walk" bark.

Showered, not shaved, teeth brushed, and bladder relieved, I entered the kitchen. Bella and Penny were waiting. So was the important mug of coffee.

Leaning against the counter, I glanced outside. Trees rustled and swayed from sudden gusts. The river looked choppy, small white caps forming. Grey clouds scudded across the sky. I turned back to a more enjoyable view; Bella.

"You look fantastic," I commented. "That's a pretty dress."

Bella smiled. "Thanks!"

"You're a real clothes horse, aren't you?"

Her smile melted away, replaced by sadness.

"After what happened to me, Mom forced me to buy new clothes. She wanted me to feel pretty again."

I moved to her, pulling her up from the chair and taking her in my arms. "She succeeded spectacularly."

"Thanks," she sighed, hugging me tightly.

Penny barked sharply: "Walk! Walk!"

The skirt of the approaching hurricane brought blustery wind that tossed Bella's hair. She tried to hold it and failed, then started laughing when gusts lifted the back of her dress, exposing her very sexy yellow panties. I enjoyed the sight of her shapely small ass and licentious thoughts returned. It was a lot of fun to plan how I was going to remove those panties, expose her great ass, and kiss each buttock; maybe with her lying prone on the bed.

Bella played with Penny, tossing sticks, laughing and talking to her, rewarding her with rubs and kisses. Wind gusts were my friend, Bella's dress fluttering up, flashes of yellow distracting me to no end.

When she bent over to pick up a stick and the back of her dress blew up again, I had a mental vision of her on all fours on the bed, looking over her shoulder at me, pretty blue eyes twinkling, wiggling her ass at me suggestively, and I reacted physically.

As discretely as possible, I rearranged the discomfort in my crotch.

"What's the matter?" Bella yelled, adding a bright laugh. She knew!

I grinned at her. I'd have her all night tonight. How much energy did I have? Hmmm. Maybe I should take an afternoon nap, charge up the stamina batteries.

Fate is a fickle master. There's a reason they say don't tempt fate. The television was full of ticker tape warnings of the hurricane strengthening into a category three storm, with winds in excess of one hundred miles per hour, and a storm surge of up to ten feet along coastal areas; right where I lived. Evacuation notices were issued for coastal regions. With my house twelve feet above sea level, I wasn't worried about Harbor River flooding us.

Wind gusts evolved into a strengthening gale late morning, tossing sticks and leaves across the garden, trees swaying violently. I battled the wind to secure outdoor furniture, closed storm shutters, and generally battened down the hatches. In the fifteen years I'd lived here, I'd become a hurricane pro.

Bella was frequently on her cell checking with her mother.

Then the news announced the hurricane was moving much faster than anticipated, its path turning directly towards us. Winds intensified just after noon. Skies darkened ominously and the heavens opened sending a deluge of rain down, the roar on my roof almost deafening.

Huddled inside, warm and dry, it was exciting. Bella was thrilled to be experiencing her first hurricane.

At two-forty, a loud, sharp crack broke through the noise of rain and wind, followed by a humongous crash. I opened the front door to see what had happened and panic hit. A large, old oak tree had split its trunk and crashed down into Chantal's house, tearing through the entire front.

Without thought, barefoot, I raced over, rain soaking me. Penny charged ahead as if she knew something was wrong, Bella running behind, screaming, "MOM!"

The big tree had torn through the upper bedroom and living room, blocking the front door. Clothes blew out of the exposed bedroom.

Penny leapt onto the tree trunk and raced along it into the living room, disappearing. I clambered up, yelling for Chantal. With wind shoving me, I crawled up the trunk and into a shattered living room, still calling out Chantal's name.

A bark drew my attention. Penny was looking at me and barked sharply, "Hurry, hurry!"

Clambering over upturned furniture, in the far corner, I found Chantal, unconscious, her shoulder and arm pinned to the floor by a thick branch. Diving to my knees, I checked for a pulse and relief flooded me when I found one. Chantal's eyes fluttered open. They focused slowly. She groaned with pain.

"MOM!!" Bella screamed, dropping to her knees next to us. She reached out to pull her mother's free arm. I grabbed her, stopping her.

"Don't! You might injure her!"

Examining the tree, I saw where her shoulder was pinned, and saw the thickness and weight of the tree; too heavy for me to lift.

"Stay here with her. Don't move her!" I told Bella.

Running home, racing into the kitchen, in the closet I pulled out the cordless chain saw and ran back to Chantal. It took ten minutes to cut her free, wind raging around us, rain hammering us.

With as much care as I could, I lifted Chantal. She moaned with pain and passed out; probably a good thing.

Bella, crying, followed me as I worked my way back out of the living room. Not ten minutes later we were battling our way through broken branch-strewn streets, driving carefully. Bella cradled her mother in the back seat. Penny sat in the front passenger seat watching the storm rage around us.

A drive that normally took fifteen minutes took us forty-five. The hospital was a hive of activity. Chantal was taken in immediately.

She was lucky; very, very lucky. A broken collarbone. Some reconstructive surgery would be needed in the near future, a rod and screws needed for complete recovery. Bella, emotionally exhausted, fell asleep in the hospital room.

Chantal looked at her disheveled daughter, then smiled weakly at me. "Thank you."

"No problem. How's the pain?"

She glanced at the sling holding her arm and heavily strapped shoulder. "Manageable. How's my house?"

"You're not going to be living in it for a while."

"That bad?"

I nodded. "Don't worry about it. You'll stay with me until we can get it restored."

She didn't argue, just smiled. "Thank you . . . again."

The hurricane paused over Savannah to unleash the energy of two atomic bombs, then by mid-morning, moved on, its sights now set on New York. Large areas were declared a disaster zone. Business shut down. Power was out.

We brought Chantal home, Bella having spent the night with her in hospital, refusing to leave. I'd gone home that night with Penny and returned the next day to pick them up.

Chantal was mobile, albeit moving gingerly and wincing when she brushed up against anything. Bella hovered, getting in the way more than helping, but her mother just smiled.

At home, I showed Chantal to the guest room, informed Bella she'd have my bed and I'd bunk down on the couch. Bella disagreed.

"We'll both sleep in the bed," she informed me, staring at me.

Chantal covered her smile. I couldn't openly explain how sleeping with her while her mother was in the next bedroom was odd and uncomfortable.

Bella turned to her mother. "Mom! Tell him you don't mind."

Chantal laughed lightly. "I really don't," she informed me. "I think that ship has sailed."

"See?" Bella exclaimed, pleased.

I shrugged. What was I supposed to do? Grin? Give Bella a wolffish look? A high five? It was awkward, regardless of Chantal's approval.

Unlike me, Bella exhibited no shyness around her mother. She hugged me, demanded kisses, and once, with a bright laugh, groped my ass, "Nice tush, Huck!"

Chantal chuckled with amusement. But there was more in her blue eyes; pleasure at seeing her daughter so happy and free-spirited - so in love.

By the time Chantal retired for the night, still weak and in pain from her shoulder, Bella, through the force of her personality, had managed to arouse me. When I closed the bedroom door behind me, I studied Bella's ass moving inside soft light grey sweatpants, remembered what she'd done to me, grinned, reached out and yanked her sweats down.

Bella shrieked. Sexy aqua blue panties that shimmered in the light were exposed.

"Shhh!" I warned when she turned suddenly, now giving me a view of the front; very sexy lace. Blonde pubes showed through. A solid gusset did an outstanding job of hugging and outlining her plump vulva.

Bella slowly smiled. She toed off her sneakers and kicked off her sweats. Turning, with a sexy wiggle of her ass, she went to the bed. Very slowly, she bent over, her pussy emerging from behind. Then she crawled across the bed, buttocks flexing, aqua blue shimmering, pussy almost pooching out between her thighs.

God help me she was sexy!

Without crawling under the covers, she flopped down on her front, looked back at me and grinned. She rolled onto her back and tugged her green tee off, giving me a flash of naked boobs before rolling onto her front again.

I wasted no time. Stripped, with a partial erection, I moved onto the bed and held myself over her, admiring her slender youth, the scrumptious swell of her buttocks, the dip at her lower back, two dimples above her buttocks, and bent and kissed her middle back. I kissed higher; her spine, each sharply prominent shoulder blade, then her shoulder.

When I reached her neck, as a satisfied smile curled the corners of her lips, I settled my weight on top of her, her sexy compact ass against my groin. Man she felt good!

Kissing her cheek, I whispered, "Damn, you're a sexy little thing."

"Uh-huh," she agreed.

Easing my hands under her, I held her petite breasts, squeezing gently. "I'm horny," I whispered.

With a wiggle of her sweet butt against my now erect penis, she murmured, "Uh-huh."

"We'll have to be quiet. Your mom's in the next room."

Her smile grew. "Uh-huh."

"Are you sure you can be quiet?"

"Uh-huh."

Smiling, caressing her breasts, paying special attention to her nipples, I challenged, "Bet you can't."

"I can," she insisted, wiggling her great ass under me.

"We'll see."

Without waiting, I rose and shuffled down to sit on her calves, rubbed the back of her thighs and moved higher. Slinky panties slipped over firm, glorious buttocks as I caressed. She really did have an amazing ass.

Leaving her panties on, I eased my hand down between her thighs and cupped her pussy from behind, rubbing the sexy mound held inside the gusset. I found the tip of her clit and teased. Bella clenched her buttocks.

Enjoying myself far too much, I teased her, running the tip of my finger along her cleft. Then I bent and kissed each panty-covered buttock. I kissed the dimples above and, as I straightened, holding the waist of her panties at each hip, I slowly drew them down.

Bella's bum crack emerged first. Gorgeous buttocks next. As her panties slipped down over the bottom of her ass, her butt crack led my eyes. Small creases where buttocks met thighs showed and then, inhaling deeply, baby-soft wavy pubes appeared, her cleft visible and tightly closed. At the sexy sight, my erection was complete, rising up, bobbing lightly.

Aqua panties collected at mid-thigh, I bent again and kissed each buttock. Her skin was cool and silky, each buttock soft yet firm. And with a thrill, I caught the scent of her; a light, earthy, intensely sexy aroma.

Desire rushed in. Impatient to taste her, I tugged her panties off, reached out, grabbed a pillow, and, lifting her at the waist, slipped it under her.

Bella smiled, her eyes closed. She didn't resist when I spread her legs. And, with her ass raised, as I settled onto the bed between her legs, my erection pressed to the bed, I saw her incredible pussy, full and lush, dusted by sexy blonde pubes. Halfway along her cleft the tip of her clit peeked at me. Shuddering slightly, I moved in and kissed her pussy.

Scent and taste assaulted me; mild but intense, light but earthy, pure erotic ambrosia. Her baby-soft pubes tickled my lips. Her cool buttocks pressed to my face. And with a sigh of pleasure, I probed with my tongue.

Bella's clit was soft and pliable. Deeper in her cleft her skin was smooth, moist, delicious. And then I probed even deeper and touched the entrance to her vagina, her flavor was more intense. Bella was damp, slippery, so damned exciting.

Returning to her clit, I teased her. With my tongue I could feel the shape of her inner labia, small, still maturing. Eyes closed, cock aching and pulsing, I sucked her clit, strumming it with my tongue.

Bella groaned, "Oh Gawd," and started humping the pillow under her pelvis. I went with her, sucking and strumming, tasting her wonderful arousal. She became deliciously wetter, hips hunching, letting out quiet groans of pleasure, and I stayed with her, sucking, strumming her clit, loving her taste.

Her groans of pleasure were music to my ears, but I wanted to watch her climax. I wanted to see her face when she experienced that ultimate pleasure, the sweet agony of bliss.

Moving up, I replaced my mouth with my hand and settled at her side. I caressed her clit, slipped my fingertip through her cleft and penetrated her.

Bella frowned, groaning, her hips humping, buttocks moving. I penetrated her tight pussy with two fingers and she shuddered. Withdrawing them, I went back to caressing her clit, strumming it faster and faster. My cock ached and strained, precum leaking and running down my shaft.

And then magic happened.

Bella turned her head and buried her face in the pillow. Her slender body started shaking, hips humping. I penetrated her with my thumb, strummed her clit with my finger, and her legs snapped closed. She let out a muffled cry that sounded like pain and climaxed, body shaking violently, jerking, trembling. Suddenly her pussy was very, very slippery. She shook and cried out again and again through an intense orgasm until, reaching behind her, she pulled my hand away and collapsed, her body still trembling.

Moving in, I kissed her shoulder. "all right?" I asked.

It took a little while before she responded. Bella turned her face from the pillow, looked at me and, without smiling, informed me, "That's the hardest climax I've ever had. I thought I was going to die."

"So it was good?"

"No kidding it was good! I can't believe how good your mouth and tongue feel. We're gonna have oral sex a lot!" She sighed deeply. "You know what?"

"What?"

"I'm exhausted. My whole body feels like it's liquid. Even my toes are tingling."

Despite a raging erection and desire for her that coursed through me, I couldn't be selfish. Carefully, I removed the pillow from under her hips, pulled the covers down, rolled her into the bed, and cuddled up to her from behind, covering us.

Her scent of honeysuckle and spicy exotic and now sex filled my nose. When my erection poked into her, Bella reached down, lifted her leg, placed my cock against her pussy and lowered her leg, trapping me, her gorgeous naked ass pressed to my groin.

I hugged her, one hand cupping her very sexy breast. Horny or not, I was very, very happy. It took no time at all before Bella was asleep. The combination of excitement with the hurricane, fear for her mother being injured, and the release of a hard climax was too much for her.

I was up early. Bella was sound asleep, curled and on her side. I left the bed quietly, dressed and went downstairs. Penny greeted me with excited body wiggles and a waving tail, her intelligent brown eyes bright.

"You're a good girl," I told her, bending to rub her soft ears and kiss her head. "Let's go for a walk."

Penny woofed quietly.

On the way home, with Penny heeling at my side, I apologized to her. "Sorry I closed the bedroom door on you. I was distracted and forgot."

Penny chuffed at me. I could swear she understood what I was saying.

At home, I made coffee and warmed up a buttery croissant in the toaster oven. With a tray, I headed up, tapped on the guest bedroom door, and opened it when Chantal responded.

Chantal was sitting up in bed, her shoulder tightly bandaged, arm in a sling. She smiled when she saw the tray. "You didn't have to, Huck."

"I wanted to."

I set it on her lap and moved to a chair. She was wearing simple pajamas, buttons in the front, the material pure white and silken. She sipped coffee and sighed.

"How can anyone survive without coffee?" she commented, dipping the croissant in the mug before taking a bite. "Mmmm."

Chantal smiled at me. "You'd better be careful. If you continue this service, you'll never get rid of me."

Pleased, I assured her I didn't mind in the least and we fell into a comfortable conversation. I admired her. It didn't make me feel guilty. I like females. I like looking at them, and Chantal was a very beautiful woman, easy on the eyes, bright and outgoing. I liked how her pajama top draped and showed the swell of her breasts. I liked her straight blonde hair gathered in a tail at the nape of her neck. Without makeup, she was still beautiful, if not more beautiful.

The bedroom door opened, interrupting us. Chantal's smile broadened into radiance at the sight of Bella wearing one of my big tees, her hair mussed.

"Morning, Mom. How are you feeling?" she asked.

I stood and left them to chat.

CHANTAL EDGED ACROSS THE bed to give her daughter room. Bella sat on the edge, smiling. She glowed, Chantal decided, the sign of a girl who's been loved, and it looked wonderful on her.

"How are you?" she asked her daughter, reaching for her hand.

"Great!"

"I should think so, given what I overheard last night."

Bella blushed furiously. "You heard? I thought I was quiet! Gawd, Mom. I'm sorry!"

Chantal laughed lightly. "Don't be, honey. It's been a while since I remember that feeling, but never be embarrassed about experiencing sexual pleasure. Life's too short."

Bella asked, "Do you miss sex?"

"It hasn't been that long, sweetheart."

"How long?" Bella asked.

"A couple of years or so."

Bella's eyes opened wide. "Jonathan? The accountant?"

Chantal laughed with amusement. "How do you remember him?"

Grinning, Bella told her, "He brought you flowers and chocolates when he came to the door. I ate some of the chocolates after you left. No wonder you were late coming home."

For little while there was a shared silence, comfortable, both studying each other. Bella broke the silence, saying, "I love you, Mom."

Chantal tugged her daughter's hand and Bella turned and cuddled into her. "He's making you happy. That's everything."

Bella sighed. "Huck makes me feel beautiful and wanted and loved. I don't worry about what I say around him because I know he'll understand. I wish you could feel what I do. When he loves me . . ." She sighed again. ". . . it's the best feeling in the world."

Out of the blue, Bella added, "He really likes you. I can see it in his eyes."

Chantal responded, reminding Bella, "I told you before, you have nothing to worry about, honey."

"I know that. Huck loves me. I know it in my bones. And I'm not jealous at all. I'm just saying, he really enjoys your company, too. And he should! You're beautiful, Mom!"

Chantal laughed. "I need the bathroom."

"Kay. Let me help."

I HAD A BUSY MORNING on Thursday. Calling the office, I was informed it would be closed for the next five days, maybe longer. I got the name of Chantal's insurance company and contacted them, arranging for an adjuster to inspect her house, and contacted an acquaintance who agreed to cover the damage to the house with tarps.

Power was restored, the refrigerator suddenly starting mid-morning. Air conditioning kicked in, too, bringing welcome coolness. Bella spent the morning with her mother in the guest room, only emerging for short periods when Chantal fell asleep. Each emergence was accompanied by a tight hug, as if Bella needed a dose of me, sighing with pleasure. She was a beautiful girl, so full of love. I quite drowned in her.

Yet.

Life with Bella wasn't going to be without challenges. I knew, given the choice, I'd want every minute of her time. And I knew, as a teenager, she had a life to live and experience, some of those experiences only possible without me; her prom, parties, socializing with friends, university. It was a concern that was ever-present. I had no answers and didn't fret about it. Life has a habit of working things out.

I saw Chantal again when I took lunch up to her. Bella had headed outside to play with Penny when the sun finally broke through the clouds. Chantal looked better. The glint of pain had left her eyes.

She leaned over and inhaled deeply when I set the tray on her lap. "Chicken, rice, and black bean soup?"

I nodded. "Thought it might be easier to eat. Besides, isn't chicken soup the miracle cure-all?"

Chantal narrowed her eyes. "That depends. It has to be homemade. Is this homemade?"

I grinned. "Yup. One hundred percent."

She took a taste. "Mmmm. Spicy. A hint of . . . rosemary, and a tail of heat. You can cook, Mr. Allison!"

"I'd have starved by now if I couldn't."

As she ate, I asked, "Do you remember the tree coming down?"

She nodded.

"So no concussion. That's good. You look better. The painkillers must be working."

She set her spoon down. "I am. But the pills knock me out."

Switching subjects, I told her, "I'm going over to rescue some of your things before any more are blown away. Was it your or Bella's room above the living room?"

"Mine."

"Okay. I'll secure anything I can and bring wet and dirty clothes here to be washed."

"Huck, you really don't have to."

I assured her, "It's no problem. Really. Did the doctor tell you when you'd need surgery on your shoulder?"

She took another spoon of soup. "Mmmm. This is really very good."

"You sound surprised."

"I am. You're a man of many hidden talents. And, to answer your question, they wanted to do the surgery immediately, but the hospital was overwhelmed. It's scheduled for Monday."

"Good. I'm still off on Monday. Okay, I'll leave you to eat," I told her, standing up. "Bella's outside playing with Penny. She'll probably be up to see you soon."

Chantal's house was a disaster. The living room was destroyed and everything soaking wet. Two thirds of her bedroom remained, the front wall completely gone. Rain had done its damage; carpet soaked, bed soaked. A dresser against one wall was knocked over, drawers open and clothes spilling out.

I dumped empty black garbage bags on the bed and checked the closets. There, her clothes were dry.

Starting with the dresser, I immediately felt like a voyeur. I tried to ignore Chantal's intimates, but couldn't. Lingerie reveals so much about women. What they choose, style, color, and material, speaks to their self image.

I love women in lingerie more than women who are naked. They're sexier. Panties and bras hint at pleasures that fire the imagination. They bring sensual shape to intimate body parts in a way that excites, makes me long to touch, to feel silk or nylon or cotton slipping across erotic curves and swells.

Chantal's intimates were a pubescent boy's dream. She had panties and bras in a rainbow of colors. Her bras ranged from lace-trimmed full cup to delicate pure lace that would hide nothing. She had slinky half-slips, sexy teddies, and her panties went from skimpy bikini style to simple soft cotton to full-sized see-through gossamer. Amongst her intimates, she had garter belts and nylon stockings.

I couldn't avoid touching them, and I couldn't avoid admiring them. Chantal was a seriously sensual lady. I made an effort not to picture what some items would look like on her and failed.

With her dresser empty, I stripped the wet bedding off and shoved it into a garbage bag. Each bag, when full, was tossed out the open front onto the lawn.

Five bags later, I hauled them home, dumping them in the small laundry room. Bed sheets went into the washer. That I knew how to do. But intimates? Did they get washed by hand? Did they require special soap? And what about her blouses?

I went to ask her.

Indistinct talking filtered through the closed door. It stopped when I knocked and entered. Chantal, sitting up in bed, was stroking Penny's head. Penny acknowledged me with a wag of her tail, but refused to move, comfortably lying between Chantal and Bella.

Both females looked at me, smiling. I'd seen those smiles before. They're the smiles girls have when they're are talking about you and they don't want you to know.

I studied them suspiciously. Bella laughed. Chantal smiled, eyes twinkling, and asked, "Yes?"

"I need Bella downstairs for a moment."

"Kay," Bella said, moving to the edge of the bed. "I'll be back to finish this conversation," she added to her mother.

Chantal twirled Penny's ear with her fingers. Penny's eyebrows twitched as she looked up at me, and showed the traitor she is by not budging at all, far too happy to be loved by Chantal.

I pointed at my less-than-faithful companion. "We're going to have a talk about loyalty later." Her tail moved.

"So, what is it?" Bella asked, following me downstairs.

I led her to the laundry and pointed. "How do you wash this stuff?"

Bella opened each bag, inspected the contents, and finally looked at me. "In the machine with detergent," she informed me, puzzled. "How do you think you wash them?"

"Aren't they too delicate? Need hand washing, or something?"

Bella inspected the washing machine, looked at me, and pointed. "That's what this delicate setting's for. It's not rocket science, Huck."

"Well, how the heck am I supposed to know? It's not like I wash intimate female items."

Bella laughed at me. "I'll do it."

"There's a lot in those bags. It's going to take a long time."

"You don't know much about females and underwear, do you?" she asked with a smile.

"I know I like underwear on women. I like watching women put intimates on, and I especially like taking it off them."

"Like every guy in the world," Bella said with a laugh. "If you didn't, I'd be worried."

She started sorting, tossing items into different piles.

"Why do women need so many panties and bras?" I asked.

"Why do guys need so many tools?"

"Touché!"

Grinning, I left her and headed back to Chantal's house to hunt for valuables that needed to be removed for safekeeping.

Finally finished, I lounged on the couch with a bottle of Heineken beer. In a while, I'd take Penny for her walk, if she ever emerged from Chantal's room. Dogs know when we're injured, sick, feeling unwell, or depressed, and they naturally react to provide comfort and love. Penny's no exception. She's a wonderful companion and I had no doubt she'd stay with Chantal as long as she deemed fit.

Bella's arms wrapped around me from behind. She hugged me, inhaled deeply, and sighed. "You smell good."

Her hand rubbed my chest, meandered lower towards my crotch, and she kissed my neck. If she was trying to get a rise out of me, she succeeded. Warm arousal and desire stirred.

She backed off, walked around and, smiling, blue eyes twinkling, she kneeled on the couch and straddled my lap. Her cream and yellow skirt fanned out to cover my lap. Bella studied me. "You're a great guy, Huck. And kinda delicious, too."

Smiling, she bent and kissed me lightly. "What are your thoughts on sex just for the pleasure of it? You know, quickies? I hear guys like them." She rubbed her crotch against me.

I reacted. Who wouldn't? "I hear girls like quickies, too," I informed her, cupping the petite mounds on her chest. Her bra stopped me feeling her boobs but didn't stop me from caressing.

"I don't know. I've never had a quickie. It sounds like it would be fun," Bella said, her eyes softening. She kissed me again, brushing her lips against mine. "Mom's asleep. Penny's keeping her company. And I'm kinda horny."

Her hands moved down. She unbuttoned my jeans and unzipped me, all the while looking at me in the eyes. Lifting herself, she fished inside. A cool hand found my erection. A Cheshire cat smile emerged.

Now horny, I eased the cotton top out of her skirt, slipped my hands up her side, reached behind and unhooked her bra. As Bella struggled to straighten my erection, I touched her breasts, brushing her bra cups up. Lord I loved her breasts, so perfectly formed, so petite, so damned firm and sexy.

A frown made a brief appearance, her brows knitting, hand struggling inside my tight jeans. Taking pity on her, I lifted my butt off the couch, straightening my body.

Bella sighed as she successfully wrestled my erection out. I lightly pinched her nipples, loving how responsive they were, firming up, and she responded with a light kiss, murmuring her pleasure, her hands busy under her skirt.

I couldn't see, but through sensations, I could tell what she was doing. She'd obviously pulled the crotch of her panties aside, because soft pubic hair brushed against my shaft. I felt the tip of my cock slip along her cleft. Then, holding me tightly, Bella rubbed the tip in a circular motion. Soft, moist labia kissed then hugged my tip. My erection strained, swelling, rigid.

I caressed her lovely breasts and let her have control, enjoying the experience enormously.

Bella, obviously satisfied, pressed her pussy down, still holding me in position. Her eyes narrowed in concentration. Warmth spread over my crown exquisitely slowly and Bella took me in, her silken vagina gripping my head. I throbbed powerfully, swelling inside her. Jesus this was sexy!

Apparently satisfied, Bella straightened and held my shoulders, smiling at me. "Aside from when I come, this is my favorite part of sex with you. When you stretch me."

She eased herself down, back up, and down again, her incredible pussy slipping down my shaft, gripping me so damned tightly.

"And this part. I love feeling you inside me, filling me up." With another up and down movement, Bella took me in all the way, my tip actually touching her end, her pussy so warm and moist and snug. "Like this," she continued, "when you're inside me all the way I can feel your whole erection. I can feel you pulsing."

She brushed her lips against mine. "I love how I can turn you on," she whispered.

Straightening, Bella reached down under her skirt. She tightened her pussy in an exquisite clench. The corners of her lips curled up, her blue eyes twinkling. "I'm playing with myself. It feels much better when you're stretching me so much."

I continued to fondle her breasts, lost in her sexy play. She was teasing me and doing a damned fine job of it!

Bella rose, my erection sliding out until the crown almost emerged. She watched me intently, amused, and fucked my tip, up and down, up and down, then settled, taking me inside completely, rubbing her pussy in a circle before rising again, just to tip fuck me. Then she settled down again, sighing with pleasure.

My cock strained, so hard, swelling, an ache emerging.

She repeated her sexy actions, rising, tip fucking me, sliding down and taking me fully, rubbing herself on my groin, then rose again.

Bella smiled. "You're frowning, Huck. What's wrong?"

Jeeesus!

Wrapping her in my arms, I thrust into her, stood, turned, and lay her on the couch. Her skirt flopped up revealing the crotch of her panties pulled to the side, and her sexy, sexy pussy stretched around my shaft, her baby-soft pubes so cute. Bella laughed, her finger still rubbing her clit.

I grabbed her knees and curled her body up, leaned over her and started fucking her, withdrawing and plunging into her tight pussy, my cock straining. I thrust hard, Bella grunting, her whole body moving. Desire raged through me. Bella's enjoyment drove me wild. She smiled at me as I fucked her deeply, her blue eyes glinting.

And then her eyes narrowed and lost focus. Her finger diddled her clit faster. She started moving, rubbing her pussy up at me. I thrust into her, withdrew, and thrust in again, each time burying myself in her sexy pussy, so damned tight.

Bella gasped, "Oh Gawd," and let out the cutest grunt of pleasure as she climaxed, and I continued fucking her, my cock aching, straining. She climaxed spectacularly, grunting out her pleasure with each hard thrust, her eyes closing, and still I fucked her, her pussy clenching at my erection. My groin slapped against her and desperation grew inside as I strained for release.

Bella's climax passed. Her eyes opened, the corners of her lips curled up, and she watched me fuck her. Then she murmured, "Cum, Huck. I want to feel you cum."

It was the final straw. My orgasm arrived with a massive wave of pleasure, cock swelling, exquisite release, and semen exploded. Another powerful surge of bliss slammed into me and I exploded again, a hard, hard spurt. I lost control. Fucking Bella hard, I came, spurting, cum erupting. Bliss, sweet bliss. I fucked her, cock swelling, spurting, and peaked, sliding down into peace, relief, pulses slowing and stopping, the final weak throbs arriving while buried inside her.

Jesus Christ! How could this girl drive me so nuts?

If I thought Bella was sated, I was sorely mistaken. For the rest of the afternoon she teased me subtly with amused smiles, suggestive touches, and at one point, whispered in my ear, "I'm still leaking."

I came across her as she toyed with the tray of wrist bangles, and watched her lift the ebony-dark, aged, intricately braided leather one, rubbing it with her fingers. From behind, I told her quietly, "You're welcome to wear it, if you want."

Bella turned and gave me the biggest, brightest smile I'd seen, her blue eyes sparkling. "Really? I can?"

Later, she laughed at me when I tried for a grope, dancing away, her eyes twinkling. She stayed out of my reach when we took Penny for her afternoon walk, playing with Penny, but always glancing at me with her subtle, knowing smile. If I didn't love her before, this sweet girl simply charmed me.

That night, in bed, Bella walked in after helping her mother wash and change. Bella had one of my large T-shirts on. The hem fell to the top of her thighs, her legs long and bare. She still wore the leather bangle on her wrist.

She lifted the covers, slipped into bed, and moved into my side, turning into me.

"How's my T-shirt feel?"

Bella smiled. "You don't mind, do you?"

"No."

"Good. It smells like you. So does the one I gave Mom." She looked at me. "It's okay that I gave her one, isn't it? It's easier for her to do stuff without pajamas."

"It's fine," I assured her, kissing her lightly.

Penny nosed the bedroom door open and walked in, flopping onto the floor at the foot of the bed - her usual spot.

"Mom must be asleep," Bella commented, seeing Penny. "Those painkillers are strong."

Her body shook with silent laughter.

"What?" I asked.

"Penny."

"What about her?"

"I can't believe you named her after the name I gave you. Remember? When we first met?"

Once again, I had to reorient myself as she seamlessly transitioned to Farrah.

"It's a sharp memory," I said, smiling as my mind replayed Farrah sitting by the parking lot at school, finally giving in to my persistent bugging for her name and lying so well.

Bella broke my stroll down memory lane.

"I like quickies. But, I think I like you making love with me more." She added, "Don't worry, we can still have quickie sex."

I had to chuckle. Bella amused me. Then she switched tracks again.

"Does it upset you that I can never have children? We used to talk about having a big family, lots of kids. Remember how you wanted to call our first child Finn? You weren't joking, either."

Would I ever get used to her slipping into Farrah's memories? It was so strange. Not uncomfortable so much as disconcerting.

Bella nudged me.

"No, it doesn't upset me," I told her. Although, being honest with myself, I'd wanted children with Farrah. I loved kids and dreamed of a house filled with boisterous yelling, crayoned walls, toys underfoot, stepping on lost Lego pieces, family picnics, chaos.

"You're not a good liar, Huck. You never were. I'm sorry I can't give you kids."

"Don't be. Appreciate what we have, Bella. Not what we don't have."

I kissed her softly, her scent of honeysuckle and spicy exotic filling my nose, bringing calm, peace, and contentment.

CHANTAL WOKE UP FRUSTRATED. She'd had enough of lying in bed, broken shoulder or not. She'd had enough of painkillers, too. She didn't like the dopey sensation.

Sun streamed through the partially open curtains. Her bladder called to her. Rolling carefully, she sat on the side of the bed, tried to bend for her slippers, and stopped at a stab of pain.

To Hell with it!

Trying to be quiet, she went to the bathroom. After relieving herself, she brushed her teeth. She wanted to get dressed and go downstairs, to be well presented, not a slob. Not being able to dress herself annoyed her. Looking in the mirror, she frowned at her hair, grabbed Bella's brush and attacked hers, restoring some semblance of order. Unable to tie it back, she let it fall free, long and straight.

She really shouldn't go down wearing Huck's tee, but hiding away in the bedroom really didn't appeal to her either. With care, her arm held in a sling and shoulder immobile, she descended the staircase.

Huck and Penny were nowhere to be seen. Chantal headed to the kitchen and paused in the doorway. She smiled at the sight of her daughter, in a bright yellow, short cotton skirt and matching yellow and blue cotton top, ear buds in and listening to music, dancing as she washed dishes and humming to herself.

Warm love flowed through her. Look at how happy she is! No matter what might change at the end of summer - when Bella returned to school and had to socialize - right now she was flourishing.

Bella turned to put a dish away and noticed her.

"Hi, Mom!" she said very loudly, smiling broadly. She pulled the ear buds out. "You're up! How're you feeling?"

"Cooped up. Is there any coffee?"

"Uh-huh. You sit down. I'll get it."

When Bella put a mug of coffee in front of her, Chantal said, "You're looking very pretty."

Bella smiled. "Thanks! I like this outfit."

"I was talking about you. You're looking pretty." When her daughter's smile faltered just slightly, Chantal asked, "What's up, honey?"

"Nothing."

"Come on, spill it," Chantal encouraged.

Bella looked at her. "It's really nothing, Mom. Last night I remembered how much Huck wanted a family, and I'll never be able to give him one."

Chantal reached across and took her daughter's hand. "Sometimes that's the way life is. Is he upset?"

"He claims he isn't. But I know he regrets it."

"Bella, everyone has regrets. It's called living. I think if he had to choose between you and a family, he'd pick you in a heartbeat. Anyway, you can always adopt when you're older." Chantal paused, then reinforced with a smile, "Much, much older."

"That's true! I hadn't thought about that!"

"So, where's Huck?"

"He's over at our house dealing with the insurance adjuster and helping a friend put up a tarp, or something."

Chantal smiled again. "He's a good man."

"Uh-huh. The best!"

I STARED AT BRENT Johnson, insurance adjuster for Allstate, not happy with him. "What do you mean it'll take six to eight weeks to process the claim?"

"Mr. Allison, we're inundated with claims. It's going to take a while to handle the backlog."

"And repairs have to wait until approval is given? Six weeks? Seriously?"

"I'm sorry. That's the way it works."

"So what's Mrs. LaForêt and her daughter supposed to do in the meantime?"

"She's covered for a hotel up to $150 per day, per diem included."

Frustrated, I asked sarcastically, "Where the Hell can anyone find two rooms and eat for that?"

Brent shrunk physically. "I know. I'm not management. I didn't write the policy."

With a sigh, I backed off. "Okay. She'll submit claims for Hotel Allison, room and board included."

Brent smiled. "That, I'll approve." He glanced at the damage. "Mrs. LaForêt's lucky to be alive."

We shook hands and, after watching Mike and his crew securing huge tarps over the damage, I strolled back home. In truth, I quite liked the prospect of having both Chantal and Bella stay through the summer. I liked people in the house and truly enjoyed Chantal's company. Having an excuse for Bella to stay in my bed wasn't too bad, either. I hadn't realized, despite Penny's company, how lonely and isolated I was.

Chantal was sitting on the couch in my tee. Penny greeted her by licking her bare knee, Chantal laughing. Dishes clattered in the kitchen. Bella was doing something.

I sat next to Chantal and gave her the news. She frowned.

"I'll find a motel," she asserted. "It's not right to impose on you for so long."

"You will not. You're staying right here."

An argument ensued. It ended when I took her hand and said, "Chantal, I love having you here. Bella loves having you here. Even Penny loves having you here. You're staying."

Penny raised her head and chuffed at Chantal, an "He's right, listen to him," comment. I could swear she understood conversations.

Chantal, laughing at Penny's reaction, said, "I guess that settles it. If Penny wants me to stay, it would be rude of me to decline." She smiled at me, a very pretty smile. "Being honest, I like being here. Being catered to is a new experience."

Bella, when informed, took it as if there was never a question about it. Then her eyes lit up. "I'm living here all summer! I should move my clothes over."

That night, Bella was feeling frisky - a very nice condition I enjoyed tremendously. She wasn't sexually shy in the least, no hang-ups, just relaxed in our relationship. I had a lot of fun cuddling and groping and fondling. And I adored removing her clothes, even if it was only my tee she was wearing and panties. Undressing a girl is such an erotic experience, no matter how comfortable you are with them or how familiar you are. Revealing her sexy breasts, kissing them, and sucking gently to darken her areolae aroused me.

Bella went from giggles to soft sighs of pleasure, a wonderful transition. And kissing my way down her body, feeling baby hair on her skin, and kissing her succulent mons over simple white cotton panties was very nice.

However, better by far was the slow reveal; the action of removing a girl's panties, her most intimate piece of clothing. With a small smile curving her lips, Bella watched me as I edged the waist down over her hips. The first sight of blonde pubes emerging thrilled me yet again. Seeing her mound, so sensually lush, with her still young pubic bush, had me so hard. And watching her cleft appear, that sexy, sexy delta that curled down between her legs, made my mouth water.

Bella didn't stop me when I eased her legs apart. Her cleft stayed closed with the tip of her clit peeking out, her labia lightly dusted with soft pubic hair. She smiled knowingly when I settled between her legs, my erection pressed to the bed.

I adored how her eyes narrowed slightly when I settled my mouth over her pussy. Pubes tickled my lips. Her aroma filled my nose. Her clit was so soft and pliable against my tongue. But easing my tongue into her cleft was even better. Plump labia oozed apart. Inside, she was glassy smooth, slightly moist, and when I probed lower, finding the entrance to her vagina, I tasted pure ambrosia; the unique, intensely erotic flavor of her arousal. I love it.

Bella made sounds that excited me even more; sighs of pleasure, little gasps, cute moans. She was unrestrained in her pleasure. As I sucked her clit and strummed it with my tongue, her body started talking. It began with light twitches, moving her sexy pussy against my mouth. Twitches transformed to gentle humping, rubbing her cleft against me. Then her hips joined in, undulating slowly. Her stomach muscles tensed and relaxed. Concentrating on her clit, watching her from between her legs, Bella's eyes closed slowly. Her nostrils flared as breathing deepened. A quiet groan of pleasure broke the silence. She held her breasts, hips undulating, and her brow knitted as if concentrating on the sensations bombarding her.

Against my mouth, Bella's pussy became wetter, slippery, and small tremors shook her thighs.

I cupped her buttocks and felt them flex as she humped my mouth. Her lips parted, breathing harder, then holding her breath, and then panting. Her groan was louder. It looked like she squeezed her breasts. Her pussy became even wetter, a fantastic flavor of excitement, arousal; a young girl's pleasure manifested.

Finally I was rewarded. Bella reached out and grabbed a pillow, put it over her face, and climaxed with a muffled cry of pleasure. Her slender body heaved, stomach muscles tightening, body almost curling. She paused as if in agony, and all Hell broke loose. Shaking and crying out, her body heaved and trembled. She humped my mouth fast, thighs rising to close against my head. Her body twisted, hips rising, and a gush of moisture hit my mouth.

Muffled cries of pleasure turned into cute grunts. She let the pillow go, reached down and shoved my head away, her entire body shaking. As if possessed, she rolled onto her side, curling up, her hands between her thighs holding herself, big tremors still hitting her.

Moving up, I hugged her from behind. Tremors faded into jerks, then faded into trembling. Eventually Bella calmed. I held her in my arms, skin against skin, my erection nestled between her buttocks.

When Bella finally stirred, she looked back at me. I was surprised to see her eyes damp. She'd cried! A slow smile grew. She rolled to face me.

"Don't do that again," she informed me. "It hurts."

Brushing the hair out of her face, I asked, "A good hurt?"

Quite seriously, she said, "Not really. It's like my body's been beaten. I'm sore."

"So you didn't like it."

"Oh no! I liked it! But it really does feel like I'm gonna die when I cum so hard. I can't breathe. Now, it feels good." She sighed. "Reeeealy good."

Assuming our sexy play was done, I rolled onto my back, pulling Bella against my side and drawing the covers up.

Bella shoved the covers down. Her hand settled on my erection. With her head in the crook of my shoulder, she explored, her hand holding my shaft, then moving down to cup my balls.

"You've got a beautiful erection," she observed.

I chuckled. "That's so girly. I have a magnificent erection, a manly erection, a marvel of studlyness, not a beautiful erection."

Bella chuckled. "All those. But it's beautiful, too." She stroked me gently, base to tip, her thumb brushing across the top. I throbbed. Her hand slipped down to cup my balls again, fondling me carefully.

When her fist stroked up my shaft, my cock pulsed, and her thumb found a bead of precum. She spread it around, the pad of her thumb teasing me.

"I like your erection, Huck," she murmured. "I like that I can arouse you. This slippery, clear stuff," she asked, caressing the tip of my cock with who thumb, "is precum, isn't it?"

"Uh-huh." I relaxed, enjoying her gentle stimulation. I liked watching her fondle me.

"It's silky smooth and slippery." She formed a fist, slipped it down over the tip, taking precum with her, and stroked my erection. When her hand caught on my dry shaft, Bella released me. She reached down to her pussy, then brought her hand back, fisting me.

Suddenly my erection was slippery with her wetness, her fist gliding up and down.

"Much better," she commented.

Arousal rushed at me, cock straining. It thrilled me to see her use her own wetness so casually, her hand stroking me faster. Her grip tightened. Precum oozed from the tip. She gathered it and continued to fist me, masturbating me.

My erection strained, crown red and inflamed, and it felt so, so good.

"I'd like to see you cum," she said. "Are you close?"

"Getting there," I warned her.

"Good."

She fisted me faster, my cock swelling, rigid. Then she stopped. Reaching down to her pussy, she gathered more slippery moisture and resumed, my shaft now glistening. I reacted to the sight and feel. My orgasm stirred, balls growing heavy, erection straining hard, and tenseness emerging in me.

Watching Bella intensified my pleasure and, as she fisted me, her hand tight and slipping easily up and down, I let myself go. Swelling, stiff, almost aching, I came. I felt my shaft expand. I felt semen rush up. And with a burst of pleasure, thick white cum spurted. My cock swelled again, head expanding, and a hard, hard, exquisite release hit, semen spurting up onto my chest. Bella stroked me faster, milking me, and I came hard, pulsing and spurting, semen pooling on me, each heave bringing sweet bliss. My body twitched and I came, pleasure flooding me until my orgasm peaked and passed, spurts fading until cum oozed out to cover her hand, my erection softening.

Bella's hand gently caressed my cum-covered penis. "I like watching you cum." Turning her face up to me, she smiled. "I'd like to feel you cum on me. Can we try sometime?"

Chuckling, I kissed her. "Sure. I think it would be very sexy."

I sat with Chantal on the back veranda. For once the weather was mild. A breeze brought the smell of the Harbor River to us, along with sweetness from a flowering lemon tree. Penny wandered around the back garden checking for the scent of intruders. Behind us, the clatter of plates and pots reached us through the open kitchen window.

"You really didn't have to make Bella wash the dishes," I told her.

She tugged down the hem of my T-shirt she was still wearing. It barely covered the top of her thighs and exposed very shapely legs. "She's used to contributing. I think she enjoys it. It makes her feel at home."

Comfortable silence followed. We sipped wine. Dusk approached, light slanting across the slow-moving river. A white boat chugged upstream, long fishing poles like antennas waving in the breeze.

Chantal chuckled quietly. "Bella's feeling guilty."

"How so?"

"She's feeling sorry for me."

"I'm not surprised. You've done some serious damage to your shoulder."

Chantal laughed. "No. It's not that. She's so happy with you, she now thinks I'm deprived by not having someone in my life. According to her, I'm missing out not having sex, a lover, a boyfriend."

"And you're not? Doesn't sharing a life with someone make it richer?"

Chantal smiled. "I am. I share a life with Bella."

"That's not quite what I meant."

"You're talking about intimacy, fondness. Having someone to lean on when you need a boost."

I nodded.

The screen door opened behind us. Bella wrapped her arms around me from behind, squeezed, and asked, "Can I get you guys more wine?"

Chantal asked, "Have you finished the dishes?"

"Nope. Just needed to hug Huck. More wine?"

"That would be nice," Chantal answered, holding out her glass.

Bella grabbed mine, took her mother's, and headed back in.

"She's enjoying playing house," Chantal commented. "It's cute how she needs to touch you all the time. It's like an addiction. A touch and she's happy."

"I've noticed. I like it."

Chantal smiled. "I know. It shows. You're a very good guy, Huck. If we'd met under other circumstances . . ."

I knew what she was talking about. I felt the same way. Chantal was a beautiful woman, slender and shapely, usually refined and well dressed, elegant. She was careful about her appearance; even now, without makeup, she was pretty. Soft spoken and intelligent, she was an interesting woman.

However, I had Bella in my life. I loved Bella. I was in love with her. My cup runneth over, as it were.

"I agree. Under other circumstances . . ."

"Here ya go," Bella said, passing two glasses of white wine to us.

"Thank you, honey," her mother said with a soft smile.

"You're welcome. Almost done with the dishes."

The screen door slapped shut.

Chantal observed, "You're worried about the future, aren't you?"

I nodded.

"Don't. As I told Bella, life has a way of working out. It might not be the way you want it, but worrying about it will diminish the pleasure of now. Just relax. Bella's hyper-aware of your feelings. She'll worry."

Placing her glass of wine down, Chantal reached for my hand and squeezed it. "Trust me. Things will be fine."

For a few minutes, Chantal held my hand. Then with another squeeze, she let go, picking up her wine and sipping.

It was a very comfortable relationship; surprising given the situation.

As if reading my mind, Chantal said, "Thanks for making me feel so comfortable here. I feel at home."

"That's good given repairs on your house won't begin before mid-August and will take eight weeks or more to complete, if we can find a contractor."

She opened her mouth and I cut her off. "No. You're staying here."

Chantal laughed. "I was going to say I liked the idea of staying."

Monday morning, we took Chantal to the hospital for shoulder surgery. Bella was very worried. I could tell. In the waiting room, she sat silently, holding my hand. The two hours felt like forever. However, Chantal survived admirably. She'd spend the night in hospital and return with us tomorrow. By four o'clock, I convinced Bella we could leave her mother, that she needed to sleep, and Penny needed a walk.

The final days of June were heating up again. Humidity returned. Even late in the afternoon it was hot. Penny didn't mind. She was happy to be outside with us. Bella was still quiet.

"A penny for your thought," I said, breaking the silence.

Bella shook herself and smiled at me. "Sorry. I was just worried about . . . I was just worried about Mom."

"She's fine, Bella."

"I know she is."

Bella stayed close to me all evening, always within touching distance. In bed, she cuddled and kissed and touched and murmured. She pushed my boxers down, showing me she wanted greater intimacy. Naked, we touched and fondled. Bella, dry at first, slowly became aroused and slippery. She stroked my erection with a tighter grip and told me what to do with actions, pulling me on top of her, her thighs cradling me. It was Bella who reached down between us and guided me.

Once again I experienced the wonderful sensation of penetrating her; her opening so tight, yielding slowly, and the intoxicating feeling of being taken in, her velvet heat gripping me so tightly. And when I was buried inside her, Bella didn't wait, she undulated underneath me, arms hugging me, whispering, "Huck."

Bella was demanding, almost desperate, curling her pussy up at me, easing back, curling up, urging me on. Reaching down under her, I held her small bum, pressed my erection into her as deep as I could possibly go, the tip nudging her end, and started grinding my groin against her pussy.

Bella inhaled deeply and moaned with pleasure. She responded, rubbing her pussy against me, arms hugging me tightly. She murmured, "Huck," again and, long before I was ready, Bella climaxed with soft gasps, her vagina tightening and relaxing, buttocks undulating. Still buried deep inside her, I felt her climax through my hand holding her ass, through my erection inside her, and her warm breath panting against my shoulder. Bella gasped and humped me, her pussy now slippery, hot, clasping. She let out a long, long groan and relaxed, stilled, her thighs dropping away from my hips.

I held her and kissed her cheek, then slowly extracted myself from her, still achingly hard, and settled, drawing her into my arms. Bella fell asleep without a word.

Still erect, still aroused, I settled for something more important; bringing Bella pleasure, experiencing her orgasm, holding this special girl in my arms. She was wearing the aged braided dark leather bangle, the only thing on her. I held a naked, sexy girl I adored and slowly fell asleep, the scent of honeysuckle and spicy exotic now enhanced with her wonderful aroma of arousal.

For the next month routines developed. Chantal made huge progress with her physical rehabilitation and returned to work. I also went back to work, and Bella kept Penny company. Chantal, surprising me, joined me and Penny on my morning jog weekday mornings. Bella accompanied me on our afternoon walks. Weekends were full of activities, sometimes swimming, sometimes taking a boat ride and picnic, and Bella begged me to let her try water-skiing.

At home, I had little to do. Between Chantal and Bella, household chores were dealt with before I could get to them, despite my objections. Cooking was my only option, so I cooked. Chantal, a fabulous cook, worked with me in the kitchen. It was comfortable and relaxing. Most times, we'd watch Bella playing with Penny in the back garden, or on rainy days, Bella would sit at the kitchen table and join the conversation.

August arrived with a dry heat spell. Weather forecasters warned of another tropical depression in the mid-Atlantic that might turn our way, bringing rain and humidity with it. And we moved towards August eighth, Bella's fifteenth birthday.

I had no clue what to get her for her birthday. I was so out of tune with teens these days, I turned to Chantal for advice. She was no help. With an amused smile, she told me to ask Bella. I should have known better. It changed our lives.

I sat on the back veranda bench watching boats motoring up and down Harbor River. For a Saturday, it was full of hopeful weekend anglers, partying young adults, and the occasional commercial boat carrying cargo upstream.

Chantal was off hosting an open house. Penny was sleeping at my feet. And Bella was out with her girlfriends. I sipped iced tea and let myself be lazy. All-in-all, life was good. As unusual as the home situation was, I felt like I had a family, the house rarely empty and silent.

Small things pleased me. I liked having to plan meals for three. I liked discussing schedules and plans with Chantal and Bella, arguing about what we'd do. I really liked taking them out for dinner. Watching Chantal and Bella interact was entertaining. Chantal treated her daughter like an adult and expected Bella to behave like one. She did. But it also brought out a silly, inane side to them. They amused me, trying to goad me into reacting as they ogled guys while we dined. They'd pick one young man and build a personality, occupation, and then give him intimate physical attributes, and making me laugh, go on to discuss how those physical attributes were used. They'd get quite raunchy, too.

Yet, Chantal never let Bella misbehave, be crude, or act impolitely. They had an easy relationship.

The screen door opened. Bella's arms wrapped around me from behind.

"How ya doing, Huck?" she asked, kissing my cheek. "Iced tea. That looks good. I'm going to get some. Want more?"

I passed my almost empty tall glass back. When she returned, Penny got up to greet her. Hugging, rubbing, and much licking ensued, Bella laughing brightly. Eventually, Bella sat next to me.

Taking Chantal's advice, I asked, "What do you want for your birthday?"

"Mom asked me, too. I told her the same thing. I want a family."

Confused, I told her, "I'm not sure I understand."

"It's simple. It solves everything. You're attracted to Mom. I know you are. She's what I'm going to be in twenty years. I know Mom's attracted to you."

"Not that way, Bella."

Bella pulled her Smartphone out, tapped and flicked her finger. "These are the photos I've taken. Look at you both. It's easy to see you like each other," she said, showing me a series of photos showing Chantal and me laughing, smiling, some of us sitting quietly, some of us cooking together.

Ignoring my comment, Bella continued, "I know you're in love with me, Huck. I'm not the jealous type. You'll always be mine. But if you and Mom have a relationship, we can live like a family, together. And Mom's still young enough to have kids. See? I want a family. I want us to have children, your children."

She looked at me, perfectly serious. "It's what we always wanted, Huck. It's what we talked about. I want our first child to be named Finn. It's what I want for my birthday present; the prospect of a family."

Taking her hand, I told her, "It doesn't work that way. You can't create a family just because you want one. Besides, I told you before, I don't need children. I'm happy having you in my life."

"Life is what we make it. That's what Mom says. I want a family."

With that, Bella considered the discussion over. It wasn't. When she refused to talk about it any longer, I decided to turn to Chantal for help.

I manipulated events so Bella took Penny for her late afternoon walk while Chantal and I went grocery shopping.

I drove us to a quaint café, not the grocery store. Chantal raised her eyebrow at me, questioning.

"We need to talk. Alone."

She nodded. With coffee bought, we settled under a sun awning on the outdoor patio, and with shoppers strolling by, Chantal said, "It's about Bella's request, isn't it?"

"So she told you?"

Chantal smiled and nodded, removing her sunglasses. "We talked. There are few secrets between me and Bella." She sipped her latte. "It's an unusual request. I told her that, but she pointed out the three of us are in an unusual situation. You're being intimate with my daughter, a daughter who carries the memories of your wife, Farrah. My daughter loves an older man. We're living in the same house." With a soft smile, she added, "And I find myself attracted to the same man. Like daughter like mother. Very unusual."

After considering her comments, I said, "I think you're a wonderful, beautiful woman, Chantal. But I love Bella. I'll admit I'm attracted to you. A man would have to be blind and stupid not to be. I just don't see how it could work without hurting Bella, and I could never hurt her."

Chantal smiled. "That's what makes you so attractive. You're genuinely a good man, Huck. Bella said something interesting. She said you still love Farrah and now also love her, so why was it strange to also love me?" With a quiet laugh, she continued, "If you think this is a whim on her part, you'd be wrong. She pointed out polygamy has been practiced throughout history, and still is here in America. She reminded me it's a natural, accepted social practice in many other countries in the world. She's thought this through."

"And you? Have you thought this through?" I asked.

The corners of Chantal's lips curled up, her blue eyes twinkling. "Thought about intimacy with you? It's hard not to when I hear my daughter through the bedroom wall."

She laughed when my cheeks heated up.

"So, yes. I've thought it through. I love children. I think I'd like more before it's too late. I think I might enjoy making them, too." She gave me a bright smile and laughed. "I even think Finn would be a great name. Can you imagine people's reaction? Huck and Finn?"

"So you're for it."

Chantal, still smiling, responded, "As weird as it is, yes. But I think you need time to decide. You look a bit shell-shocked."

"I am."

It wasn't how Chantal thought, though. I was shocked at my feelings. The idea of a family with Bella and Chantal, intimacy with both, was actually titillating. Being honest, the idea of having children appealed to me deeply. It also neatly solved a looming problem; how to continue a relationship with Bella. In fact, the whole concept was very appealing now that I'd seen Chantal's reaction.

"Okay."

Chantal's eyebrows rose. "Okay? Just like that?"

I nodded. "As long as I can be sure it's what Bella wants and she's not going to become jealous or angry, okay."

Chantal smiled, leaned towards me, took my face in her hands and brushed her lips against mine. She whispered, "I don't know about you, but I find this very exciting."

There's a strange connection between mothers and daughters. It's almost as if they're telepathic. No sooner had we struggled into the house loaded with grocery bags, when Bella took one look at her mother and a big, big, radiant smile formed.

Bella danced over to me, giving me a tight hug despite my arms laded with bags. "Thank you, Huck!"

Before I could respond, Bella danced over to her mother and hugged her. "I have it all planned," she said. "You and Huck are going on a date, dancing and everything. You should wear that turquoise dress, Mom, with the silver and turquoise earrings. We'll pull you hair up and . . ."

I left them and went to the kitchen, shaking my head. I'd never understand females.

All was right in their world. It didn't escape me how Chantal would touch me when making a point, or how her hand rested on my back when we cooked. Bright laughter and chatting filled the kitchen, Bella obviously very happy. She gave me frequent quick hugs, always tight, and always with a sigh that touched my heart.

In bed, she cuddled close and started telling me how to romance her mother, what Chantal liked, how to compliment a woman. She suggested a restaurant that played late 1990's songs, laughing as she did. I stopped her with a kiss.

The kiss turned into a murmur of pleasure, Bella almost wiggling against me. Nightclothes were shucked quickly and sexy fun started; Bella giggling as I teased her sexy little breasts, nipped her nipples, and fondled her pussy.

She reciprocated with playful gropes and light laughter, then shoved me onto my back, rising to straddle me in all her naked glory. Grinning, she humped my shaft with her pussy and brushed my groping hands away from her boobs. I tried a few times, unsuccessfully, while she humped me, her eyes sparkling with impish glee.

Horny and vengeful, I grabbed her, flipped her off, rose, turned her onto her front, and settled on her thighs, holding her wrists. Locked in place, Bella laughed and struggled to no avail. Instead, she kicked up her heels, hitting me in the back.

I shuffled my ass down, pinning her legs, and bent and kissed her ass. She had such beautiful buttocks, small and firm. As she struggled, still laughing, I repositioned myself, leaned over her and settled onto to her back, moving my hips so the tip of my erection poked into the gap at the top of her thighs, her sweet buttocks nestled to my groin. Her legs were together, trapped by mine.

I kissed her cheek. Bella grinned at me.

"So you like your girls helpless, do ya? Does it turn you on? Get you horny? I'll have to warn Mom."

I laughed. Bella utterly charmed me. Teasing her, I rubbed the tip of my erection along her cleft, her silky pubes tickling me. I really, really liked the feel of her ass against me, such a sexy shape. Nuzzling her cheek, I teased her below. When precum suddenly leaked and her sexy pussy became slippery, Bella sighed, relaxed, and moved her bottom against my slow strokes.

For the next few minutes that's all we did. More precum spread making her very slippery. My strokes lengthened, the crown pressing against the bed before pulling back to slide along her cleft, then down again.

Bella sighed. "Let my hands go."

I did, and kissed her bare shoulder.

Bella moved under me. Her bottom rose slightly, and then I felt her fingers touching the tip of my erection. She pressed my crown between her labia, curled her ass up, and positioned me.

Still having fun and very, very horny, I continued to tease her with small thrusts that pushed my erection against her pussy but didn't penetrate her. Bella tried to push her ass back to get me in and failed. I grinned. Her fingertips pushed my crown and failed.

"Jeez! Stop teasing me!" she complained.

A couple more teasing thrusts and I gave in, slowly adding pressure, pushing forward. Bella's pussy yielded, her labia hugging me. Her fingers guided me and I experienced the wonderful sensation of penetrating her, her entrance stretching, sensual cleft edging down and over the ridge of my crown, and with a sexy, thrilling sensation, the head slipping into a moist, velvet heaven to be held so snugly.

Bella sighed with pleasure, arched her bottom up at me and I slipped deeper into her. Withdrawing slightly, I stroked back into her and I was as deep as the position allowed, her buttocks firmly pressed against my groin, my erection held so beautifully.

"Much better," she murmured.

Lifting my body, I glanced down. Jesus it was erotic! Beautiful rounded buttocks framed my thick shaft. I pulled out, my shaft glistening, and thrust into her, her buttocks shaking. Incredible!

Bella had both arms under her, one down where she rubbed her clit, the other holding her breast.

I settled on her again, held her shoulders, and fucked her gently, my groin rolling on her sweet ass. I couldn't penetrate her deeply, but feeling the ridge of my crown emerge and slip in was so arousing; almost tip-fucking her.

Bella murmured and moved her ass faster, curling it up at me and I penetrated her deeper, fucked her gently, her pussy pure velvet, tight, so damned good. I let myself enjoy pure sex with her.

We fucked gently, no rush, no fuss, simply experiencing pleasure, until, Bella whispered, "I'm cumming," her ass undulating. She gasped quietly and I followed her.

In a soft, beautiful climax, I felt my erection swell. I felt semen burn up, and felt incredible pleasure as I came inside her, semen spurting. I came softly, swelling, thrusting, spurting, sweet pleasure hitting me. Each thrust brought soft ecstasy, cum spurting in her tight pussy, and my orgasm peaked and slowed, lethargy and satisfaction arriving. Bella's pussy was very, very slippery when I withdrew from her.

We celebrated Bella's fifteenth birthday with a party, her girlfriends invited. The house was noisy and chaotic. The barbecue scented the air with delectable charring steaks. Penny raced around playing with the girls. Laughter and giggles came and went in waves. Music blared.

Chantal and I cooked and catered. Eventually, very late at night, the last of Bella's friends left and peace returned. I was exhausted. Chantal was, too. So was Bella. She managed a kiss and a whispered thank you before passing out. I think she'd consumed some wine when I wasn't looking.

I'd finally settled on a gift for her; a high-end iPhone 6s to replace her low-end iPhone 3. With more memory and a higher resolution camera, I thought she'd enjoy it. She did.

Two days later, I paced nervously in the living room. It was Chantal and my first date. When she descended the stairs, Bella beaming behind her, it confirmed to me what a classy lady she was. In a sheath turquoise dress, black high heels and silver and turquoise earrings dangling, her blonde hair pulled back, and just a hint of makeup on her, Chantal was beautiful and elegant, slender with subtle curves in all the right places.

"Isn't she gorgeous?" Bella enthused.

I nodded and smiled. "Yup. That about sums it up. You're beautiful," I told Chantal.

"Why thank you," she responded with a smile.

Dinner reinforced how comfortable we were with each other. We ate at a small Italian restaurant run by a husband and wife, with Italian music playing in the background. The food was not spectacular, but the company and wine were.

Interestingly, we didn't talk about Bella. Instead, we meandered through our backgrounds and into business, and local and national politics. Chantal was a liberal republican, I, a conservative democrat. A debate ensued and ended with us recognizing we were shades of the same color.

Then I took her dancing at a club. Chantal was a wonderful dancer, lithe and sinuous and rhythmic. She smiled with amusement at my attempt at dancing. Then, when the music slowed, she came into my arms and we found an easy coordination. Chantal's face came close to mine and I caught the scent of her perfume, a light aroma of spring blossoms and vanilla. She was slender in my arms. Under my hand at the base of her spine, her dress glided against a half slip and I felt the top swell of her buttocks. She moved closer to me, her breasts pressed against me, my thigh gently pressing against her crotch and, as the music stopped, she raised her face, smiling at me, her beautiful blue eye twinkling, and I kissed her.

Chantal's lips moved against mine, soft and sensual, warm, silky. She held my hand as we made our way back to the table, still smiling. At the table, she pulled out her Smartphone and tapped away.

"What are you doing?" I asked.

"Texting Bella. She wanted to know when we're heading home." Chantal looked at me.

"We're leaving?"

The corners of her lips curled up. She gave me a suggestive look that was unmistakable. "Would you rather stay?"

I felt my attraction to her, physical and mental. "Hell no," I answered with a grin.

There is a stage in relationships that's fleeting, and it only happens once. Too many times we rush through it and miss it. It's the stage where there's the promise of intimacy; first time intimacy. It excites the imagination. What will she look like as you undress her? What will she feel like naked against you? What shape are her breasts? Where are her erogenous zones? What type of lover will she be? Active and physical? Soft and sensual?

Anticipation heightens the senses. Is she shy about her body? What does she like? You wonder what she's wearing underneath her dress. What lingerie has she put on? What does she consider sexy? I knew all her intimate apparel from collecting them from her damaged bedroom. I'd already felt her half slip under her dress, but what was under that?

As I paid the bill and escorted her to the car, my mind drifted to the excitement of discovery with a new partner; the first arousing touches, small kisses, and passion emerging. How expressive is Chantal? What are her signs of pleasure? What are her climaxes like?

"A penny for your thoughts," Chantal said.

Driving carefully - I'd had a touch too much wine - I grinned.

"Ah," she said with a smile. Reaching over, she put her hand on my thigh. "So you were wondering, too?"

"Wondering what?"

Chantal smiled at me. "First time intimacy, right? What are you like? Are you considerate or selfish? What will your hands feel like on me? What will it feel like to be naked with you? How good a kisser are you? Do you like to cuddle?"

Her smile broadened. "Will you make my toes curl?"

I laughed. "Something along those lines. Except, my thoughts were more along the male line."

"And that would be?"

My cheeks heated. "A bit more along the visual side."

Chantal laughed. "It's a common misconception. Guys think they're visual and girls are emotional. I've got news for you. Girls get just as turned on by sight. A well-maintained body, handsome face, and great ass are hard to resist. Add a great personality to the mix and we're putty."

Her openness bridged any last awkwardness.

When I turned into the drive, Bella and Penny were sitting on the top step waiting, lit by the veranda light.

"So how was it?" Bella asked, jumping to her feet.

"Good," I told her.

"I'm not asking you. How was he, Mom? Can he dance?"

Chantal laughed brightly and hugged her daughter. "Yes, he can sort of dance. He's fun to watch."

"Hey! I'm Fred Astaire reincarnated!"

Chantal told Bella, "No he isn't. But you're right, he's cute."

I greeted Penny, rubbing her head as she wagged her tail in greeting.

"C'mon, Penny," Bella ordered. "We're going to bed. See ya tomorrow."

They both disappeared through the front door. The front light turned off, darkness closing in. Chantal noticed my hesitation. She took my hand, saying, "Bella's taking my room for tonight. Don't worry so much. She and I have everything worked out."

Smiling softly, she moved into me. In the dark, with light filtering out through the living room window, she kissed me.

This kiss lingered, full of promise. Chantal smelled wonderful. Her body pressed to mine sleek and sexy. Our fingers intertwined and she ended the kiss by sucking my lip and murmuring, "Mmmm. Quite delicious."

I reacted, soft arousal returning, and led her inside.

When we entered the bedroom, I knew why Bella had wanted advanced notice. Small candles were flickering on the dresser and bedside tables. The bed had been changed and turned down, pillows fluffed.

"She's a romantic at heart," Chantal observed.

On the side that Bella slept on, I saw one of Farrah's wrist bangles. It was her slender silver one with inlaid enamel colored patterns in a geometric design. Seeing it made me smile. Farrah had worn it the second time we'd made love, afterwards telling me it was for stamina and virility. "And it worked admirably," she'd said with a smile.

Bella amused me by placing it there.

I closed the bedroom door. Chantal smiled and moved back into me. This time the kiss was deeper. The tips of out tongues met and Chantal sighed, tilted her head, and opened her mouth, the kiss growing passionate.

I caressed her back, found the zip of her dress and lowered it slowly. Then I caressed her sexy ass. Material slinked across her rear under my hand. Chantal ended the kiss, stepped back, and looking at me in the eyes, the corners of her lips curled up in a slight smile, let her dress fall to collect at her feet. She eased the waist of her half slip down and it joined her dress on the floor.

I inhaled sharply. This lingerie was new and so sexy, so female. A soft, pink gossamer and lace bra partially covered her beautiful breasts. Her dark pink areolae and nipples showed through, her breasts full yet on the small side. At her waist, a pink lace garter held up stockings, and her panties, Jesus! Pink gossamer and lace hid nothing. It formed around her sensual pussy, her blonde pubic bush showing through. Her panties conformed to the remarkable shape of her vulva at her crotch, hidden by a silky gusset. Still in heels, Chantal was tall and svelte and shapely, in fantastic form, and all female, intensely female.

I reacted, an erection forming, and moved to her, wrapping my arms around her. Her skin was warm, silken.

Chantal pressed herself against me. A smile formed. "I guess you like my lingerie?" she observed, rubbing against the lump in my pants.

"I'm partial to pink and love gossamer, and on you, man does it do you justice! You're a sexy, sexy lady. I love your garter and stockings, too."

She laughed, eyes twinkling. "Bella helped me buy it." Her fingers unbuckled my belt. She fondled the shape of my erection, smiled, and unbuttoned my pants. With the zipper lowered, she pushed them down.

My erection popped up and out, tenting my boxers. Chantal pressed her body against it. Still in high heels, she was tall enough to kiss me without rising up. She did, her hands moving around to fondle my ass.

I reciprocated, fondling a spectacularly sexy ass encased in slinky gossamer. As we kissed, she eased back slightly and unbuttoned my shirt, pushing it off my shoulders.

I toed off my shoes, stepped out of pants collected at my feet, and brought one hand up to cup her breast. It was beautiful, full, a perfect handful, with the sensual heft of maturity. Over the gossamer, I teased her nipple and it responded, growing firm, so sexy.

It seemed natural for us to move to the bed. Chantal stopped at the side, smiled, and slowly removed her stocking, each foot placed on the side of the bed, stocking rolled down in an erotic show. She took off her garter and moved onto the bed, laying partially over me.

We kissed again and I groaned with pleasure when she gently fondled my erection, exploring it, caressing. Reaching behind her, I opened her bra. She shrugged it off and lay back on me, naked breasts pressing.

The usual self-consciousness I have when with someone new - worry about moving too soon, doing something they might not like, not giving them pleasure - never materialized. Chantal and I were comfortable together, no expectations of more than loving each other.

Chantal eased her hand inside my boxers and fondled my erection, giving it a pleasing squeeze. She smiled and kissed me, and as we kissed, I slipped my hand inside her sexy panties to explore the shape of her buttocks, so feminine, slightly cooler than her body, sensual.

I discovered Bella had inherited her sexy sighs and murmurs from Chantal. As Chantal stroked my erection, her thumb teasing the tip, my cock swelling and aching from her touch, she murmured into my mouth, her tongue playing with mine, and arousal built, desire intensified, need and want for Chantal grew.

Then Chantal started moving against me, rubbing her breasts on my chest. Her grip on my erection tightened, her leg eased over mine, and she rubbed her pussy against my thigh.

Withdrawing my hand from inside her sexy panties, I caressed her body, mapping the shape of her; her slender back, narrowing waist, the flare of her hip and the sensual swell of her bottom. Her skin was so silky, and her scent so enticing. I edged the waist of her panties down; a hint I'd like her naked.

Our kiss ended. In the flickering candle light, Chantal's blue eyes sparkled. She smiled slightly, reached down and pushed her panties off. I shucked my boxers. We came together and I experienced that wonderful moment when you feel a naked woman against you, your erection pressed against her, her warm body sensual and arousing. I felt the soft caress of her pubes against my shaft, so exciting my erection pulsed.

With a smile, I eased her onto her back, rose onto my elbow, leaned over her and looked at her body. Chantal lay quietly, no shyness, not trying to hide. She watched me as I studied her beautiful breasts, full, still firm, with sexy dark areolae and full nipples. Below, her flat stomach curved sensually below her navel. Hips rose to each side and, Jesus, her mons was perfect; a sensual mound with trimmed blonde pubic hair, so full and lush, an arousing delta narrowing to curve down between shapely thighs.

Looking at her in the eyes, I told her, "You have a beautiful body, so very sexy."

Chantal's hand gently took my erection. "Yours is very sexy, too." Her eyes twinkled. "You've got a wonderful erection. I haven't felt one in so long, I'd forgotten how much I like them."

When I kissed her breast, sucking on her areola, and reached down to cup her pussy, my middle finger found her moist cleft and her clit, an exciting soft nub. Chantal's pussy was such a sexy, sensual shape, filling my palm, driving my desire even higher. My erection throbbed.

"I want you now, Huck," Chantal whispered. "I'm so turned on right now. It's been too long."

When I looked at her, she smiled. "We can have some sexy fun again tonight, but I need you now."

"Again? Tonight?" I asked.

Chantal's eyes twinkled. "Are you up to it?"

I grinned. "I'll give it my best effort."

"Good." Her arms tugged me.

She guided me on top of her, her knees rising, thighs cradling me. I kissed her, settling my body on hers, her beautiful breasts pressing to my chest, and reached down between us.

Holding my erection, I guided the tip across her mons and down, feeling her silken pubes, then her cleft, and pressing gently, her labia parting to welcome me, warm and slippery. Rubbing the tip up and down, Chantal murmured with pleasure and curled her pussy up at me. My crown slipped to the base of her slit and eased in slightly.

I loved this point; poised to penetrate a lover for the first time, the ultimate act of intimacy. My cock swelled and ached, so rigid. Pressing gently, I slipped slightly deeper into Chantal's pussy, now feeling her entrance against my tip. I stopped and let my cock go.

Rising onto elbows, I stared into Chantal's pretty eyes. She stared into mine, smiled softly with excitement, and pressed her pussy against me.

The sensation of penetrating her was amazing. At first, there was resistance. Then ever so slowly, her entrance yielded, so gradually I felt her vagina squeezing down the flared head. A wonderful, warm, moist sensation hit as my crown oozed into her, and Chantal sighed with pleasure. My cock throbbed.

As if in tune with each other, we both started moving, at first tiny motions, a sexy press against each other and backing off. It was exquisite. Penetrating Chantal so slowly intensified the experience. I felt every millimeter of my progress; a warm, velvety sheath edging down my shaft, her pussy snug.

Chantal sighed, "This feels so good, Huck."

Maybe the intensity of our slow progress was too much. Maybe the attraction we'd had since first meeting was now driving us. Maybe it just felt too damned good. Whatever it was, Chantal started trembling. I experienced small clenches of her vagina, sexy hugs, intense and erotic. Then Chantal moaned, "Oh God, I love this," and curled her pussy up at me. In one smooth move, she suddenly took me in all the way, one glorious stroke, and I was buried inside her snug, warm pussy.

Through my erection, I felt her trembling, her pussy clenching so sensuously. Chantal reached down and grabbed my hips. Her legs wrapped around my thighs. I lay on her, settling my weight on her, my mouth nipping her earlobe.

Chantal whispered, "Fuck me, Huck. Please fuck me."

Hearing such raw language come from such a refined, elegant lady thrilled me.

The first long withdrawal was incredible. The slow stoke into her snug pussy was exquisite.

"God, yes. Harder, Huck. Fuck me harder," she whispered, tugging at my hips.

I did, withdrawing and thrusting into her, burying my cock inside her. Chantal trembled. She curled her pussy up at me with my next hard thrust, my tip knocking against her deepest part.

She groaned with pleasure. "Yes. Like that."

Suddenly we were fucking, writhing, thrusting at each other, my cock plunging into her. Wet slapping sounds filled the air. Chantal's sexy gasps drove me on, her hands tugging. We fucked harder, faster, raw and basal, her pussy a slippery snug sheath. Each thrust into her brought intense pleasure, buried in her silky pussy.

My cock strained, thick and rigid, and she drove the intensity even higher, whispering, "So good. So good. Fuck me, Huck."

We writhed against each other. Perspiration emerged. I fucked Chantal hard and fast, plunging into her, fucking her, fucking her, cock rigid, pressure growing.

Suddenly Chantal started shaking underneath me. She let out a long, loud groan of pleasure, her vagina tightening, and as I fucked her hard and fast, she climaxed with a cry of pleasure, her body convulsing, vagina milking me, her legs tight around my thighs.

I lost it. Thrusting into her hard enough to shove her body on the bed, I strained, ached, cock swelling impossibly, and came, semen erupting explosively, exquisite pleasure. Fucking her hard, I exploded with each thrust, cum spurting, bliss, bliss. I thrust and came violently, flooding her, spurting until my gut clenched, body strained, feet curled, and suddenly the storm passed, my thrusts slowed, pulses weakened, and I stopped, heart racing, my body limp and heavy on her.

Small tremors passed through her. Chantal's legs relaxed. Her arms wrapped around my damp body, and she sighed deeply, whispering, "God I needed that."

Eventually, I eased myself off her and settled on my back at her side. Chantal rolled into me. I slipped my arm under her neck and around her as she drew a sheet up over us. I was exhausted, drained, and feeling very, very good.

"You're amazing," I told her.

Chantal chuckled silently, her body shaking. "Not the refined lady you expected, huh?"

"Don't misunderstand me. I loved it. I've never been with anyone as free and responsive as you."

Chantal rubbed my chest. "I've always loved sex, and listening to you and Bella over the last few weeks has made me hornier than a mare in heat." A minute later, she added, "You're a great lover, Huck. No wonder Bella smiles so much."

Mentioning Bella brought back my earlier concern. "Are you absolutely sure she's okay with this? With us?"

"No. It's not something you can be sure about in advance. She was fine. But who knows now, after we've actually had sex. A lot will depend on how you treat her."

"What should I do? I don't want her to hurt in any way. I'm not sure I could take it."

Chantal smiled with amusement. "You're a very good guy to worry. Just shower her with affection. That's what she wants; to be loved by you."

"I can do that with my eyes closed. It's easy to love her."

"Yes it is."

"How is this going to work?" I asked. "I mean, being intimate with both of you is complicated. Am I supposed to choose?"

Chantal laughed quietly. "No. You have no say. Bella gets your time and attention. Sometimes I'll want to have sex with you - relieve the tension as it were. Based on just now, I might need relieving more frequently than I'd thought. But Bella and I will work it out. I'm not looking for love, Huck. I'll be happy with companionship and occasional intimacy."

Chantal looked up at me, her blue eyes serious. "Promise me one thing. Don't give details of our intimacy to Bella, and don't tell me about you and her. It's a sure-fire way to create conflict."

"I never share intimate details, Chantal. And I don't plan to start. Intimacy is just that - intimate; something between two people."

She smiled and tugged at the hair on my chest. "So. How long does it take for you to recharge your batteries? I'm still horny."

Jesus!

The next morning, as Chantal showered, I found Bella in the kitchen pouring water into the coffee maker. Moving close, I wrapped my arms around her, hugging her, bent and kissed her neck.

"I missed you," I told her.

"Liar," she said, turning to look at me, smiling, her blue eyes bright.

"When I woke up without you next to me, I really did miss you. I think I'm addicted to you."

Bella turned in my arms, still smiling. She rose on tiptoes and kissed me lightly. "I missed being with you, too."

When coffee was made and I had a steaming mug in front of me, served by Bella, she sat at the kitchen table, smiled and blushed. It looked beautiful on her, so sweet.

"What?" I asked.

"I heard Mom last night. You can hear a lot! She must have heard me, too! What did you do to her?"

"None of your business."

Bella shrugged. "I'll ask Mom. She sounded like she was having fun. I'm glad. I knew she would, and she deserves to be loved."

"Morning!" Chantal said brightly, looking fresh, damp, and glowing. She hugged Bella, paused, and asked, "What are you blushing about?"

"I heard you last night. What did Huck do to you?"

Chantal laughed. "Made me feel very, very good."

"How?"

"None of your business. Do I ask you when I hear you having fun?"

Bella's blush intensified. "No. But I want to try whatever you two did last night . . . Twice!"

Chantal laughed and poured herself coffee.

The day was off to a fine start and it just got better. I took Chantal's advice to heart and pursued Bella relentlessly. It was easy to do. I loved her bright laughter, occasional giggles when I groped her, and how she danced away from me when I tried to feel her under her skirt.

Chantal left for work, another open house on Saturday. Bella and I took Penny for a long walk, enjoying the warm morning weather before humidity became oppressive.

I surprised myself, too. Despite rather vigorous sex twice with Chantal the night before, all my pursuing of Bella aroused me. She was so damned charming, so damned lovable. I adored her.

By the time we approached home, my actions became even more overt. I discovered a sexy boob unfettered by a bra, so delightfully firm. I squeezed a sexy little buttock as she climbed the steps to the veranda and she reacted.

"Stop groping, Huck!" laughing loudly with pleasure. "How many hands do you have?"

"Two." A breeze flipped the hem of her short skirt up giving me a flash of sexy purple cotton panties. "Listen, you have to do something for me."

"What?"

"Take your panties off and go bare-assed under your skirt."

"No I don't!" Bella hooted with laughter.

"Yes you do. You've been flirting with me all morning. Now it's time to pay the piper."

Still laughing, walking through the living room towards the kitchen, she insisted, "I haven't been flirting with you. You've been flirting with me!"

"Same thing. I'm horny, honey," I told her, grinning at her pleasure.

"That's your problem," she threw back over her shoulder.

"It's a big problem, Bella!"

She burst into giggles, so cute. When I caught her from behind, she didn't resist, letting me hug her.

"You're terrible," she told me, sighing as I kissed her neck.

She turned in my arms, the corners of her lips curled up. I lifted her onto the kitchen table. Her eyes widened. "Here? In the kitchen?"

"Yup. Right here. Right now."

About to protest, I kissed her and slipped my hand between her thighs to cup her pantied pussy. Man, she felt good!

"Not here," she insisted when the kiss ended. "The table's hard."

Pleased she'd capitulated to having sex, I asked, "Where?"

"On the couch?"

"Perfect," I agreed, steering her into the living room. She was surprised when I bent her over the back of the couch and flipped her skirt up.

"Like this?" she asked.

"Yup," I confirmed, shoving her panties down to expose her stunning ass.

"But I'm not ready," Bella said.

"No worries. You will be."

I knelt and ogled her rump. Her pussy squeezing out from between her thighs looked so succulent, her blonde pubes baby-soft and wavy, too sparse to hiding anything. Gorgeous buttocks formed a sexy heart shape. Her cleft, tightly closed, coddled the tip of her clit, and that's what I kissed first.

Bella stopped moving.

I inhaled her intoxicating scent, that hint of earthy arousal, and licked her cleft. Pausing at her clit, sealing my lips around it, I sucked and tickled it with my tongue.

Bella groaned loudly.

As I sucked, I probed into her cleft, tasted her, and searched higher, finding the entrance to her vagina. There, I sucked her again, and probed deeper, the tip of my tongue penetrating her.

Bella sighed out my name, "Huck."

Returning to her clit, I sucked and teased and started caressing her spectacular ass.

In my pants, my erection strained, confined by denim. For the next little while, I drove Bella higher and higher. I knew her now. I knew her signs; sighs becoming murmurs, murmurs becoming quiet groans. I could track her arousal through my hands; small body tremors, a twitch when I sucked her clit harder. I drove her higher until her pussy became wet and slippery, her groans louder, and before she could cum, I stopped.

By the time I stood up, my jeans had gathered around my ankles. My boxers joined them and my erection jutted out, thick, pulsing. I admired Bella's fantastic ass and the sight of her plump pussy framed from behind. The sight of her tightly closed cleft excited me even more; knowing how tight she was.

Then, when my crown pushed against her cleft, I shuddered at the size difference, so damned arousing! It looked like an impossible fit, yet I knew she could take me. Pressing the tip above her clit, her labia resisted at first, my crown flattening. Then, with exquisite slowness, her labia were pushed aside, bulging and stretching, so damned erotic.

Bella, as if in discomfort, wiggled her ass and my crown oozed into her. God it was a sight! Her vagina gripped me tightly, so tightly, labia stretched around my shaft. I actually felt the head swelling inside her with each pulse of pleasure.

Holding her hips, I worked my way into her, my thick shaft edging in, glistening when I pulled back. It was intensely arousing to see Bella being penetrated and, when her sexy buttocks pressed against me, when I was completely sheathed, buried in a tight heaven, my cock swelled from excitement making her feel even tighter.

Easing out, I stroked in, loving it. A couple more exquisite strokes and I pulled out completely, air cool on my cock.

Leaning over, I pulled Bella up.

"What are you doing? I wasn't anywhere close to being finished."

I pushed her skirt down. "Nor am I."

Bringing her with me, I laid down on the floor behind the couch, on my back. Bella smiled in understanding. She kicked her skirt and panties away and stood over me, feet at my hips.

From below, she was even sexier. Bella had the most beautiful pussy. Her buttocks swelled out behind. Her small pubic bush, so blonde, was soft, the air wavy, still too young to cover the magnificent shape of her mons. And her cleft! Tightly closed, there was a slight dimple at the base, a hint of her entrance.

My erection moved, pulsing with desire.

Her lips curled in a satisfied smile. Slowly, oh so slowly, she crouched, reaching for my erection. She brought it up and rubbed the tip along her cleft, her smile fading. Concentration emerged, a small frown. And very slowly she sat on my cock. Labia parted. The crown disappeared, and sexy warmth gripped me.

With a sigh, Bella impaled herself on me until an inch remained, my tip touching her end. Then, with a sigh, she pushed herself down all the way, her pussy so tight, my tip hard against her deepest part. Her knees settled to my side. She sat astride me, gorgeous, slender, her blue eyes deeper and alive.

From my view, the sight was amazing; her labia stretched, her pubes so sexy, her mons plumped out, and her clit pressing to my groin.

Bella sighed again and scrubbed her pussy forward, shuddering, and reversed. She did it again.

Whispering, she said, "This feels so good, Huck. I'm so full. I love having you inside me."

She moved rhythmically, back and forth. Inside her, the head of my cock was massaged. On her back stroke, her pubic bone pressed against the base of my shaft. On her forward stroke, her clit appeared, now reddened and swollen. Against my hips, her thighs trembled.

Bella used me and I adored it. She rode my erection for the next few minutes, her blonde hair falling forward when her head fell. She supported herself with hands on my stomach and fucked me, rubbing her pussy back and forth. Her breathing deepened, nostrils flaring. Then she climaxed with a quiet gasp of pleasure, her pussy tightening almost painfully on my buried erection.

Sliding back and forth, Bella trembled, hair shaking, and slowly collapsed onto me.

Holding her tightly, I rolled her onto her back and fucked her with gentle thrusts, letting my orgasm build, my cock straining, and heaven arrived on a wave of bliss, erection swelling, semen spurting deep into her. I thrust gently, cumming with each stroke, ecstasy arriving. Fucking Bella, I swelled, spurted, cumming beautifully, pleasure flooding me. I fucked her slowly, enjoying every aching spurt until my orgasm released me, the crest passing and I slowed, stopped, heart racing. Weak pulses faded. Peace and love and adoration arrived. Her scent of honeysuckle and spicy exotic filled my nose.

Bella sighed deeply. "I think I'll keep you," she murmured.

Epilogue

The sounds of almost thirty teenage boys and girls washed over me as I tended the barbecue, flipping burgers. Music blared out from a portable iPhone speaker system. Laughter and loud talking surrounded me. Girls were texting furiously for some reason. When I asked Chantal about their strange behavior, she laughed, telling me they were texting each other about the boys. Why, I wondered, couldn't they just talk to each other? Had the art of whispering been lost?

I watched Chantal while she set up the table. She passed by a laughing Bella and hugged her before moving on. Chantal was very touchy-feely today. She was full of soft smiles and glowing. Maybe it was because her daughter was turning sweet sixteen.

I automatically smiled when I spotted Bella. In the last two years she'd hardly changed, yet the lady she was becoming was shining through, elegance emerging, self assured, and hints of refinement. Now as tall as her mother, she was still very slender. Part of it was due to her genes. The other due to her physical activity. She jogged with me every morning. She swam, water-skied, and loved to take Penny for long walks.

Her blonde hair was still cut short at the back of her neck, progressively longer towards the front where it fell to her shoulders. And she still dressed carefully, loving colorful short skirts with matching tops, unless it was like today. Today she wore a cotton top and shorts, a red baseball hat on backwards, and high top sneakers. I checked. Yup. The left one's laces were untied.

I liked watching the boys approach her and try to engage her. I knew with absolute certainty she wasn't interested in them the way they hoped. It amused me.

Throughout the party, Bella had come over to chat. It wasn't to talk to me. She needed to touch me - a hand on my back while looking around me at the barbecue, a touch on my forearm - and then she'd leave. We'd never been caught. There had been a few close calls when boating, but never caught.

Chantal came over and hugged me. "Isn't she beautiful?" she asked, not for the first time.

"The most beautiful girl here," I assured her.

With a kiss on my cheek, Chantal left to bring more soft drinks out. Bella caught my eye and smiled broadly, her pretty blue eyes twinkling.

To the outside world, Chantal and I were living in sin. Little did they know.

When the party wound down and the last of her guests left, after the cleanup, and feeling tired from an active day, the three of us relaxed on the back veranda. Bella chatted away giving her mother all the latest gossip. Chantal kept touching Bella; a caress of her hair, a touch on her arm; unusually affectionate.

I muttered, "Quidnunc."

Bella paused. "I'm not a quidnunc!"

"You are," I assured her.

Penny raised her head. She looked at me with her intelligent brown eyes and chuffed.

"Thanks for reminding me," I told her.

I left Bella and Chantal gossiping, smiling to myself with amusement. Returning to the veranda, I passed a small wrapped box to Bella. "Happy birthday." Bending, I brushed my lips across hers, and returned to my seat, picking up the glass of white wine and sipped.

Bella smiled at me, pleased, looked at the small gift, and unwrapped it. Tears welled in her eyes despite her smile. One dripped down her cheek as she took out the charm bracelet I'd kept locked away.

"You kept it," she whispered.

I nodded. "Of course I did. It's the most precious thing I own."

It no longer surprised me when Bella fingered the charms, telling her mother what some represented. What did surprise me was seeing Chantal cry, too.

"I'd like us to finish filling the bracelet with memories," I told Bella, adding, "If you'll let me."

Bella put the charm bracelet on her left wrist to join the aged, braided leather bangle. She stood and came to me, sitting in my lap sideways. Tears still welling, she smiled again.

"That's almost exactly what you told me the first time. How could you remember after so long?" she asked softly.

"How could I forget? Here," I said, handing her a two-inch envelope.

Bella opened it and emptied it into her palm. A small gold high top sneaker fell out, its shoe laces undone. She let out a short laugh, then kissed me gently, a kiss full of love and affection. When it ended, she glanced at her mother.

"What's with you, Mom? You've been acting weird all day."

Chantal wiped her cheeks. "Sorry. I think it's the hormones."

Bella's mouth dropped open. "No!" she exclaimed breathlessly. "Seriously?"

When Chantal nodded and smiled, Bella squealed, jumped off my lap, ran over and hugged her mother.

What the heck was up with them now?

Author's footnote: This story would not have been written had it not been for one individual - a friend. You know who you are. Thank you.