Carnal Insights 1.0

Carnal Insights 1.0

Movie Night

A note from the author:

This story is a work of fiction. All people, events, and specific places exist only in my mind and on these pages. Events portrayed are between consenting adults over the age of eighteen. This is the first installment of a new series. I hope that you enjoy reading it as much as I did writing. As always, comments are welcome and appreciated.

Thanks for reading.

It had been a long week at work. If I had known the level of soul-sucking tedium involved in managing the IT department of a medium-sized financial firm, I would have chosen a completely different profession. But such is life. I'm forty-five years old; what am I going to do, go back to college? Nah, with the way colleges are these days, I'd probably hate that too and have no guarantee that I'd like whatever it was I'd end up doing afterward. Nope, what I'm going to do is be frugal with my money, invest as much as I can, and retire as early as I can. Every time a new week begins, I keep telling myself that it will be worth it, sooner or later. I've almost got myself convinced.

What I really wanted to do on a day like this was go home, take my pants off, vegetate on the couch with a glass of whiskey, and try to forget about the office for a while. But here I am, driving across the Twin Cities on a Friday afternoon to meet my friend Dan at his new girlfriend's house in Wayzata. I try to avoid this part of The Cities, especially on Fridays at the beginning of June when the weather is nice. The traffic is always bad, but when you add in all the weekend warriors bringing their boats and ATVs out of town for their first weekend of the year, the traffic can get especially fucked.

An hour and a half into a half-hour drive, I arrived at the place. My first impression was that this new girlfriend of Dan's was way out of his league. The house wasn't particularly large, with two above-ground floors, a walk-in basement, a three-car garage, etc. What it was, though, was sitting on a wooded hillside right on Lake Minnetonka, the playground for Minnesota's rich and famous. The lawn and landscaping were immaculate, and the house itself had that particular style that said it wasn't just a house; it was an expensive house. For a moment, I doubted that I was at the right place, but then a garage door opened, and I saw Dan standing next to his BMW with two beers in hand.

I greeted my long-time friend, accepted an ice-cold Grainbelt, and set the bottle of Eagle Rare I had brought on the trunk of his car.

"Traffic must have sucked," Dan said after clinking his can against mine.

"Hit it at the perfectly wrong time," I said with a resigned shrug. "What can you do?"

Dan and I had known each other since the day his family moved from out of state to the house next door to mine, way back in 1992. We were both twelve, so we became instant best friends and have been ever since. Through the years, most of our other school friends moved away or drifted apart, but Dan and I remained. He was more of a brother to me than my own brothers.

We had the kind of friendship where we could drink an entire beer without saying a word to each other, just watching the grass grow and the wind rustling through the trees, and yet still come away with the same feeling as if we had just had a meaningful conversation. We had those, too, don't get me wrong, but the fact that we could just not say anything at all was something I valued greatly.

The door from the garage to the house opened and out stepped Dan's girlfriend. He had sent me a picture when they had first started dating, so I recognized her face and knew that she was beautiful, but I wasn't prepared for how smoking hot she was.

She was short, maybe a little over five feet. Her freckled face was framed by straight, fiery red hair that came down to her waist. She wore her faded blue jeans and a plain white T-shirt with the casual elegance of a supermodel. She sauntered to Dan's side, and he made the introductions.

"Jenna, this is Alec. Alec, this is Jenna Kemp."

Jenna shook my offered hand with a warm smile. Her lips were a natural pink and the perfect shape for smiling. "Pleased to finally meet you. Dan talks so much about you."

"Likewise," I replied.

Jenna leaned against Dan's car and crossed one ankle over the other. She took a drink of Dan's beer and licked her lips while looking at him seductively. I found myself wishing that she would smile at me again and look at me like that with her intense blue-grey eyes.

After a somewhat awkward length of time, Dan said. "I've got the food ready to throw on the grill. Do you want another beer while we wait for Holly to get here?"

"Who is Holly?" I asked.

"My daughter," Jenna said. "She had track practice after school. One of her friends was going to drop her off." She looked at the time on her phone. "She should have been home by now." She unlocked her phone and pulled up a texting app.

"We'll be on the deck." Dan leaned down and kissed Jenna on the forehead. "Do you want your own beer?"

"I'll have one later," Jenna said distractedly. "I'm too much of a lightweight."

Dan led me into the house. It was as lovely inside as I was expecting, with marble floors and vaulted ceilings. Dan went to the fridge and pulled out a beer for each of us. I had my kitchen remodeled a few years ago, so I was acutely aware of how much a space like this cost. I liked the elegance of polished stone and stainless steel.

"This is nice," I said, taking it all in.

"Yeah. Jenna's parents were loaded. Left everything to her. Let me show you around."

Dan gave me a quick tour, showing me where everything was. "Master bedroom is over there," He said, pointing past the living room. "Over here, we have a bathroom with a walk-in shower, Holly's room on the left, and on the right, there are two guest rooms. Your choice if you don't want to drive home; they're both ready to crash in."

We wandered out to the deck and watched the lake as we drank our beers.

A little while later, Holly got home, and Dan started loading the grill with hamburgers and trays of vegetables. I went inside to say hello.

When I saw Jenna and Holly standing next to each other, I stopped dead in my tracks. Holly was practically a clone of her mother. She was just a tiny bit shorter and had that slightly awkward teenage thinness to her. Her hair was the same color and just as long but was wavy and free-spirited.

Holly noticed me first. "Oh, hi?" She said, a little uncertain.

Her face was lightly more round than Jenna's; her gray eyes had a hint of green, not blue, but she had the same perfect pink lips that smiled despite her confusion.

"This is Alec, Dan's friend."

I waved and gave her a polite smile, hiding any lecherous thoughts that were creeping their way into my mind. Holly was gorgeous. She was every bit as good-looking as Jenna but with a youthful softness that struck directly at the heart of a man's libido.

"Dan has the grill going. What's the plan for the rest of the night?"

"Every Friday, we watch a couple movies with a theme, like, same actor or setting, that kind of thing. It's Holly's turn to pick. If she has her homework done, that is."

Holly turned to Jenna with a look of condescension. "Mom, there's only one more week of school. They're not giving out any homework to seniors."

"Until you start college in the fall, then you'll learn what it's like to really have homework."

Holly gave her a pout in reply. It was adorable.

Jenna gave me a patient smile. "She's graduating this year."

"Congrats!" I said to Holly. "So what's your movie pick?"

"Josh Hartnett." She replied excitedly.

"A Minnesota guy, nice. Do you have to choose movies where he is the star, or.."

"No, the rules aren't that strict," Holly said. "I really want to see Sin City. I haven't decided on the second movie yet."

"That's rated R. Are you sure you're old enough to watch-" I started to say with mock sternness.

Holly cut me off and added her own mock severity. "Yes, my birthday was a month ago."

Jenna feigned great relief. "Oh, it's okay then. I was worried that the old people were going to be exposing you to graphic violence before you were ready."

Holly replied with a smug grin as she went to the refrigerator. "Don't worry, Mom. I'll never be as old as you are."

Jenna looked at me with a pained expression. "Ouch."

"Food is done!" Dan called from outside.

Since the weather was so nice, we decided that we would eat on the deck. I helped Jenna and Holly carry everything out and set it up on the table.

The dinner conversation was light and sporadic, and the food was excellent. I hadn't been sure at first, but as the meal went on, I noticed that Holly was watching me whenever I wasn't looking in her direction. Knowing for sure now that she was indeed eighteen, I felt much less like a creep when thinking about her. I admired her beauty and envied her youth.

I knew nothing would ever happen between us, just as I knew nothing would ever happen between Jenna and I. Jenna was Dan's girl, and from what he had told me, things were getting pretty serious. Holly, sure, she was eighteen, but really, she was still a child. She wants to see Sin City, a movie that came out two years before she was born. I had seen it in the theaters two years after I graduated from college. There were twenty-seven years between us. That was too much to maintain a proper level of civilized decency.

Of course, all this won't stop a guy from fantasizing. I was sure that Holly and Jenna would both be the focus of late-night masturbation sessions for some time to come. That would be the extent of it. Men needed to know, especially men my age, where the line was that you just didn't cross.

I surreptitiously watched Holly for a moment while I finished off the last of my beer. Her hair positively glowed in the evening sun, and the pale skin of her face looked as flawless and smooth as fine porcelain. Some day, she would make some lucky boy into a very happy man.

When dinner was done, we cleaned up and went inside. Dan pulled up Netflix on the TV and began searching for the movie. I poured two glasses of my Eagle Rare for Dan and myself. Holly had gone down the hall towards her room, and Jenna was in the kitchen.

I was just settling down into one of the reclining chairs when Jenna shouted, and there was the clang of a knife falling to the floor.

"Fuck! Oh shit, that's bad!"

Dan and I raced to the kitchen. Jenna was at the sink, running water over her hand. We could see at once that she had cut the heel of her palm open, and the water pooling in the sink was stained from the profusely bleeding wound. Dan opened a drawer and handed her a clean towel, which she wrapped tightly around her hand. She was bleeding bad enough that it instantly began to soak through the towel.

"What happened?" Dan asked, helping her to wrap another towel around her hand and holding it firmly in place.

"I was opening the package for the popcorn, and the knife went right through into my hand." She winced as Dan increased the pressure on the wound. "So stupid."

Holly rushed in and saw the blood. "Oh my God, Mom, are you okay?"

"Yeah, honey, it's okay. I cut myself pretty good."

Near panic, Holly asked. "Do we need to call 911?"

"No, no. I'm not going to bleed out or anything, but Dan is going to have to drive me to urgent care. I'm going to need stitches." The calmness in Jenna's voice was impressive, and it had an immediate effect on Holly's panic.

"Do you want me to go with you?" Holly asked.

"No, you'd just be sitting in the waiting room the whole time. I'll get stitched up and be home before you know it."

"Okay," Holly said, still unsure.

"This isn't the first time I've done something like this. It'll be okay." She gave Holly a one-armed hug and let Dan lead her out the door to the garage.

"Lock up the house after we go," Jenna told Holly as she was helped into the passenger seat of Dan's M3.

Dan looked at me before getting in the car. "I'll call as soon as we know what's going on."

I nodded, and a moment later, they were gone, the echoes of the M3's aftermarket exhaust carrying through the trees.

Holly and I stood in the doorway for a while, not really knowing what to do or say.

I hit the button to close the garage door and looked down at Holly. "I need a drink."

Holly followed me to the living room, where the two glasses of whiskey I poured earlier were sitting on an end table. I picked one up and took a deep pull. Eagle Rare was my favorite whiskey. It was perfect for sipping and smooth enough to drink fast if the occasion demanded it.

Holly was still looking a little shaken up from the ordeal, so I tried to help put her at ease. "Your Mom is going to be fine."

"Yeah," Holly said.

She was trying to be brave, but I could tell that she was still a little shaken up.

I led her over to the couch. "Here, sit and relax."

She sat and looked up at me, but I couldn't read her expression.

"Can I get you something to drink? Water? Beer?"

Holly smiled and gave a brief chuckle. "Water, please."

I went back to the kitchen, picked up the dropped knife, and washed it off in the sink. I took a minute to clean up Jenna's blood from the floor and countertop. I opened a few cabinets until I found the one with glasses and filled it with the refrigerator's purifier.

Holly accepted the water with a polite thanks. I sat at the opposite end of the couch and started the movie.

Neither of us spoke much for a while, but I could tell that Holly had forgotten her worry and was really getting into the movie. She cringed and laughed, saying she really liked the whole style of the film.

I hadn't seen it for a long time and was enjoying it as well. I finished my glass of Eagle Rare and was eyeing the one I had poured for Dan. Eventually, the pressure in my bladder couldn't be ignored any longer. "I've gotta use the bathroom. I'll be right back."

After I stood up, Holly grabbed the remote and paused the movie. "I'll wait for you."

When I got back, I sat at the end of the couch and took a sip of whiskey.

"Can I try that?" Holly asked as I reached for the remote.

"Sure." I always got a kick out of people trying whiskey for the first time. Even with something very smooth, like Eagle Rare, it was usually too much of a shock for people to take without making exaggerated faces.

Holly scooched over on the couch until she was right next to me, and I handed her the glass.

She took a tentative sip and immediately grimaced. "Woah, that's strong!"

I chuckled. "That's usually the point with whiskey."

I expected her to hand the glass back, but instead, she raised the glass to her perfect pink lips for another sip. In fact, she took more than a sip; she took a solid drink of it. She wheezed and blew out hard, puffing her cheeks.

I laughed and took the glass back from her. "That's probably enough. If you're not used to drinking, it will give you some serious heartburn."

She wiped her lips with the back of her hand. "It just tastes like fire! How do people drink that stuff?"

"You get used to it, and eventually, you begin to like the taste of specific brands. I didn't really enjoy it for the taste until, oh, well into my thirties."

"So you just drank it before that because you liked the feeling that your throat was on fire?"

She was looking at me incredulously, and I almost missed what she had said, distracted as I was by such a close look at her eyes. Earlier, they had seemed to be primarily gray, with a ring of green on the outside, but now they appeared mostly green.

"No, I drank it because it got me drunk."

Holly laughed. "I guess that's a good reason. I've never been drunk before. I've never really had more than a sip here and there."

I made a show of sliding the glass further out of her reach on the end table. "You're not going to start tonight. I'd rather not get murdered in my sleep tonight when your Mom comes home and finds out I let you get drunk."

"Oh, Mom wouldn't murder you. She'd just give you a serious face and say something like; I'm just very disappointed." She gave me a stern frown to sell the impression.

"Still, I'm not going to take the chance." I held up the remote. "Shall we continue?"

She smiled and nodded quickly.

I was expecting her to move back to her end of the couch, but she stayed next to me, close enough that our shoulders were touching. I didn't mind, of course, but it got me thinking. What would I do if she made a pass at me? I glanced down at how her small, perky breasts pushed against her tight-fitting tee shirt. I'd like to think that I could resist the temptation. Too many more glances like that at Holly, though, and I'd have to start worrying about her seeing the effect she had on me.

Just then, my phone rang. It was Dan.

"Hey, man. How's Jenna?" I turned on the speaker so Holly could hear, too.

"She's fine." Dan led off with that, likely expecting Holly to be listening and not wanting to alarm her. "The cut was deeper than we thought. They're going to have to go in and repair some damage to the... palmar fascia. I'm pretty sure that's the right term. It's the bundle of ligaments that go from your wrist to your fingers. The doctor said that it wasn't completely cut through, so when they get it sewn up, she shouldn't have any loss of dexterity. There have been a lot of words I don't understand, but the bottom line is that she will be fine. It's just going to take some time here."

"When are they going to do the surgery?" I asked, genuinely concerned about Jenna.

"Tomorrow morning. The doctors have her hand immobilized, and she's sleeping now. I'm going to stay here with her tonight."

Holly put her arm around my shoulders so she could lean in closer to the phone. "Thanks for taking care of my Mom. Tell her I love her."

"I'll do that, kiddo."

"Do you need me to bring you anything? Clothes or-"

"Nah, I've got my go bag in the trunk. I'll call when she gets out of surgery tomorrow. Maybe Holly can pick out something comfortable for her to wear home."

"Okay," Holly said.

"Later, Alec."

"Later," I said before ending the call.

"Well, that could have been better news, but she is going to be alright." Seeing Holly's concerned expression, I added. "Dan can tell if someone is feeding him bullshit. If he says she's going to be fine, she's going to be fine."

Holly nodded, deep in thought. "He's been really good for her. She used to be sad all the time. She'd try to hide it, but I could tell."

She watched me take another drink, and again, I couldn't quite identify the expression on her face. I like to think that I am pretty good at reading women. Well, better than the average male, anyway.

"Then she met Dan. I haven't seen her this happy in years."

"Dan loves her a lot. I should know; he's been my best friend since the Stone Age."

"You're not that old!" She hit my arm playfully. "So, do you think they'll get married?"

"I don't know, but if I were to make a bet, I'd say yes. How do you feel about it?" I asked, half turning with one knee up on the couch so we could face each other as we talked.

"I think it would be awesome. You've seen the way they look at each other. I just want my Mom to be happy."

"And I want Dan to be happy, so it's a win-win. Should we start planning the wedding now, or should we wait a bit?"

We both laughed, and Holly gathered her legs under herself so she sat cross-legged facing me. She leaned against the back of the couch and sighed. "I hope I can find someone who will make me happy like that."

"You will. Surely, you've had your pick from the guys at school."

She looked away, blushing. "Yeah, I've had some boyfriends. But boys my age are just... boys. All they want is sex, and none of them are any good at it." She glanced at me and blushed harder. Her whole face was rosy pink. "I mean, I haven't- I've only been with two boys."

"I'm not judging," I said soothingly. "I was a teenage boy once. I remember what it was like."

She looked at me with pleading, cheeks still flushed. "So what do I have to do? How do I find a guy who wants to make me happy?"

Oh boy, I thought. How do I answer that? "I guess my advice would be to find the quiet ones. I'm sure there are a bunch of kids in your school who are a little nerdy, maybe a little awkward or weird. They're not in the popular clicks, but they have a small group of really good friends and seem to get along okay with everyone."

Holly's brow creased in thought. "Yeah, I know some boys like that. What makes them different than the others?"

"Guys like that have been beaten down by the social hierarchy at school their whole lives. Have you ever noticed how nervous they get if you give them the slightest attention?"

Holly nodded, and I continued.

"That's because they rarely get that kind of attention. Girls instinctively find confident, charismatic boys more attractive. Sure, there are some unicorns out there, but most of the popular guys are just assholes or morons. The shy guys never get their chance, and if they do, they lack the self-confidence to seize the opportunity. I bet the guys like that at your school would cut off their right arm to be able to go on a date with you. Those are the kind of guys who will fall in love with you and live just to make you happy, and it will start with them just being grateful for the attention."

She sat quietly for a moment, thinking, then looked me in the eyes. "You were one of the quiet kids?"

I tilted back the last swallow of my whiskey. The way she was staring at me now made me feel slightly uncomfortable. There was definitely something different in her eyes. I may have crossed a line that I shouldn't have.

"I was the kind of kid they called a computer geek. Computer games, D&D, chess club, marching band, I did all the nerdy stuff. You know, Dan and I still play D&D."

Holly smiled and huffed a short laugh. "Did you ever find someone?"

"Yeah, Donna," I said wistfully. "She had broken up with her boyfriend, the football star, right before prom and wanted to get back at him by going with the most unlikely person she could find. She was a senior, and I was a junior; I couldn't believe my luck. She expected to be miserable all night, but it turns out she had the time of her life."

"Did it work out?"

"We got married a few years later. I was happy, and I thought Donna was too. But then she met a unicorn, and I just couldn't compete. They live in Italy now, I think."

"That's so sad."

"It was a pretty tough thing to get through. But you know, now that I can think clearly about it, I'm actually happy for her. She got the dream life she deserved and that I couldn't give to her."

She put her hand consolingly on my arm. Her fingers were warm, but I felt a slight shiver at her touch.

"You're a good person. I hope I can find someone like you."

She was staring at me again, but this time, I knew that a line had been crossed. Her cheeks were flushed, and from the throbbing of the veins in her neck, I could see that her heart was pounding.

"When I do find someone, what do I need to do to make sure they stay, even if they do meet a unicorn? What do guys really want?"

Still enthralled by how she was looking at me, I answered. "Be direct. Guys are simple creatures at their core. Say what you mean, and mean what you say. Work for his goals and dreams as hard as you do for your own. Never use his emotions against him because he'll never let you back in. When a guy opens his heart to you and lays out all his fears and insecurities, and you accept him, he will love you forever."

She had listened attentively and nodded when I was done. She was looking at me hungrily now like I was on the menu. A part of me was flattered that a perfect young woman like this could be attracted to me, but at the same time, I felt uneasy. I decided that the best thing was to call it a night before things got out of hand and I did or said something that I would later regret.

"I think I need to go to bed. It's been a long day."

Holly looked at her watch. "It's only ten."

I chuckled as I stood up. "Repeat those words when you're forty-five."

She got up, too, and we stood there awkwardly for a moment. Suddenly, she wrapped her arms around me in a hug. She laid the side of her head on my chest. I'm sure she could hear and feel my rapid heartbeat. The top of her head was well below my chin, but it was close enough that I could smell the strawberry scent of her shampoo.

"Thank you," She said. "For staying with me and talking with me like I was an adult."

"You're welcome," I said. I let go of the hug, and we separated. "Goodnight, Holly."

"Goodnight."

She was still standing there, watching me, when I turned and entered one of the guest rooms. I shut the door behind me and let out a long sigh. What have I got myself into?

I undressed down to my boxers, turned off the lights, and got into bed. I spent a little time scrolling through social media on my phone and read a few work update emails. I had shut off my phone and was working on getting comfortable enough in the unfamiliar bed to start falling asleep when I heard a light knock at the door.

"Holly?" I asked the darkness.

The door opened, and Holly entered shyly, closing the door behind her. I reached over to the nightstand and turned on the lamp. Holly had changed into a pair of fuzzy sleeping shorts and a loose-fitting shirt.

I slowly sat up in bed. "What are you doing?"

She walked to the bed, pulled aside the covers, and lay on her side next to me. "I'm being direct." She said, looking up at me and using the words I had spoken to her a little earlier.

Yes, lines were definitely crossed. I had moved from wanting to give some fatherly advice to becoming the object of this girl's desire. I knew what was going to happen here, and despite a small voice in my head desperately screaming that it was wrong, I wanted it.

"What do you want, Holly?" I said, lowering myself to lay on my side facing her.

"I want you to answer more questions."

"Okay. We'll both agree to say what we mean and mean what we say. Truths only. All the cards are on the table. Is that all you want?"

"No, but that can wait," She replied shyly.

"Ask your questions."

Her beautiful eyes looked directly into mine. "Do you find me attractive?"

"You're the prettiest girl I have seen in a very long time."

She bit her lip nervously before asking. "Do you want to fuck me?"

She wasn't kidding when she said that she was being direct. That's about the most direct question I could imagine. "Of course I do," I replied with a chuckle. "But not just that, and it's not that simple."

"Why isn't it simple? You want it, and I'm prepared to give it to you because I want it too."

I sighed and found one of her fidgeting hands and laced her delicate fingers with mine. "Look at this from your Mom's perspective or Dan's. Jenna is a good mother, and I'm sure that she's very protective of you. She would only see a forty-five-year-old man, whom she barely knows, taking advantage of her innocent child. For Dan, I've known him longer than you've been alive. He would see this as a betrayal of his trust. He's a deeply caring person, and I'm sure he has already started thinking of you as a daughter. Do you understand?"

She nodded. "Yeah. But I'm an adult now, and I get to make my own decisions." She tentatively placed her other hand on my bare chest, running her fingers through my chest hair. "I wanted you from the first moment we met."

"I started wanting you then as well."

"So, you said that it's not just that; what else do you want?"

"I want to make you happy and-" She closed her eyes and sighed as I caressed her cheek. "I want you to feel the pleasure I know I can make you feel. But also, I want you to make me happy. You're so young and beautiful and perfect. I want you to make me feel more like a man again. I want you to make me feel desirable and young. That's selfish, I know."

I couldn't believe that I was saying these things. Her directness had struck me, and I couldn't do anything but say exactly what I felt.

"It's okay to be selfish as long as when you get what you want, the other person gets what they want too." She continued to twirl her fingers slowly through my chest hair. "I've had sex with two boys. The first one, I had been dating for a while. The first time we did it, he came after like ten seconds and then was done with me. He didn't seem to care that he had just taken my virginity. He didn't even want to cuddle afterward. He just went to sleep. We did it a few more times, and it was the same. I heard him bragging to his friends at school about 'banging' me, so I broke up with him."

I brushed a few strands of her wavy red hair away from her face. "Sadly, that's how most people's first time goes. I didn't last any longer with my first time. I at least cuddled after. I may have been young and stupid, but I knew that much about girls."

"The second boy was one of the popular guys. All the girls are always chasing after him, so when he asked me out last weekend, I was super excited. He took me out to dinner, and he was super nice all night. We ended up parking and making out in his car. I didn't really want to go all the way yet, but he started getting really pushy about it. I should have said no; I wanted to say no, but I didn't. He was pretty rough with me. When he finished, he got dressed quick and told me to put my pants on so I didn't leak cum onto his car seats. I've never felt so humiliated in my life. I went to the clinic the next day, you know, just in case."

I let go of her hand and gently cradled her face between her hands, making sure that she kept looking into my eyes. "Holly, I am so sorry you had to go through that. I promise you that dirtbag is the exception. Real men don't do what he did to you. Does your mother know?"

"No, and she never will. Promise you won't tell her or Dan."

"Okay, I promise. If I ever meet that punk, I also promise that he won't enjoy what I'll do to him."

Holly smiled, and it seemed to light up the whole room. "You know, I've had fantasies about meeting an older guy, someone who has the experience to show me how a woman should be treated."

She shimmied closer and put an arm around my waist. Her hand was warm on my lower back. "I don't want you to fuck me. I want you to make love to me."

With one hand on her lower back and the other behind her shoulders, I pulled her in close. The heat of her body against mine was intense, and her heart was beating rapidly. Our faces were nearly touching, and her quick, deep breaths smelled of peppermint mouthwash.

"We haven't done anything yet, and before we do, I want us to agree on some rules."

"Okay," She whispered.

"First, if at any time, one of us doesn't like what is happening, whether it hurts, or is uncomfortable, or doesn't feel right, or we just don't like it, we will tell the other to stop, and they will stop."

Holly nodded.

I spoke slowly and earnestly to show her I really meant my words. "Even if I am a few seconds away from cumming, if you tell me to stop, I promise I will stop. No hurt feelings, no guilt."

She nodded again.

"I don't want to hurt you. Promise me that if you want me to stop, no matter why, you will tell me."

"I promise." She licked her lips. "Will you promise to not treat me like a little girl? I am a woman, and I want you to treat me like one."

"I promise." After a moment, I said. "Holly, I don't have protection."

She gave me a beaming smile. "I do." She reached behind her back and came back with a three-pack of Trojans. "They were tucked in my waistband."

I accepted the condoms and placed them within easy reach on the nightstand.

"How do we start?" Holly asked nervously.

I squeezed my right arm under her and pulled her on top of me. She was surprisingly light. She fell easily into a position straddling me, her chest pressed against mine.

"Kiss me," I whispered.

Her eager mouth met mine, tongue almost frantic in its exploring. She tasted like peppermint, and her lips were soft and warm. After a little bit, I pulled away. "Slower."

"Sorry," She said, looking self-conscious.

"Don't be sorry. It's not wrong. We're doing this for the pleasure. Be patient, savor the experience."

I initiated another kiss; this time, our tongues caressed each other, swirling slowly, cautiously probing. We began to caress each other's faces as we kissed, with Holly mimicking my movements. I slowly slid my hands across her cheeks, across her temples, around her ears, and down the side of her neck. I let the kiss end naturally. We were both breathing heavily, and I took a moment to lick a bit of saliva from her chin.

"Now, that was a kiss. Wow."

"You got the hang of it pretty quick. You taste delicious, by the way."

She giggled.

"When you're with someone like this, pay attention to how they are reacting to what you're doing. For example, I noticed that you liked it when my fingers did this." My fingertips brushed a spot just below and in front of her ear, and she gave a little sigh that was almost a moan. "When you find something your partner likes, do it more."

I leaned in and brushed my lips against that spot, then licked it softly. She moaned quietly, and I felt her legs reflexively clench against my thighs. I licked that spot some more, then switched and did the same to the other side of her neck.

"Because I saw how much you enjoyed that, I will remember the precise location of those places on your neck forever."

"Show me everything." She said between pants of breath.

"Take off your shirt."

She sat up and quickly grabbed the hem of her shirt to pull it off.

I grabbed her hands. "Slowly. Be seductive. Let me enjoy watching you take it off."

She smiled and began slowly working the bottom of her shirt up her torso. She playfully tugged it side to side as it rose and began swaying her shoulders. Once it was entirely over her head, she pulled her hair through and tossed the shirt casually to the floor behind her.

Her skin was amazing, creamy white, and silky smooth. Her breasts were small but perky and perfectly formed. Her nipples, small and pale pink, were stiff with her arousal. They were begging to be sucked upon.

"That was hot. You are beautiful!"

She grinned, pleased with the compliment. She hooked her thumbs into the waistband of her shorts and lifted her hips.

I stopped her hands again. "Not yet. Let the anticipation grow."

I left her hands and slid my palms up the sides of her body, all the way to her armpits, then slowly brought them back down to her waist. I traced my fingers on her skin along the top of the shorts, then moved my palms up her flat belly. When I reached her breasts, I cupped them and gave them a little squeeze. I smiled with her sigh of pleasure and moved my palms in little circles, lightly brushing her nipples and producing a soft moan.

I sat up, moving my hand from her breasts to cup her face. She was so petite that even sitting in my lap, I had to lean down to kiss her. She moaned into my mouth as I pulled her hips tight against me. Even through her shorts, I could feel the damp heat of her pressing against my belly.

Our kiss continued, growing in intensity. Holly's hands roamed my back, then moved to my chest, finding my nipples. I'm not sure if every guy likes having their nipples played with, but I do. I moaned in pleasure as she rubbed her palms against them and then gave them a gentle pinch.

I broke off the kiss and began to plant wet kisses along her jaw and onto her neck. I put my hands under her butt and lifted her up as my kisses trailed down her neck to her chest. My lips found her right nipple, and I felt her hands grip the back of my head and pull as I licked and sucked. I re-positioned and gave the left one the same treatment.

Holly kissed my forehead and said. "I never knew that could feel so good!"

Smiling, I let her settle back down into my lap. We kissed briefly and held our faces together, both grinning widely.

"Now, can I take my shorts off?" She asked excitedly.

Laughing, I gave her a quick closed-lipped kiss, lifted her up in my arms, and, turning, let her fall face-up on the bed next to me. I put one knee next to her and the other between her legs. I slid my leg up, pressing it against her crotch, and began kissing her neck. She gasped an exclamation and dug her fingers into my back, pulling me tight against her. Again, I trailed sloppy kisses and licks to her nipples, giving them each some brief attention. Then my kisses went lower down her body. I shimmied my body down as my kisses went lower. Her breathing was heavy, and as I went, it turned into an inarticulate rhythmic exclamation.

My tongue circled her belly button, and I didn't notice any significant increase in the intensity of her pleasure. Some women like that, some don't, and with some, it's just another piece of skin. I laid a row of kisses above the waist of her shorts, then slowly slid my fingers underneath on either side. Instinctively, she raised her hips, and I began slowly pulling her shorts down.

Her pubic hair was bright orange and was naturally short and sparse. When the crotch of the shorts pulled free of her pussy, a small string of her juices stayed connected for a moment, showing how wet she had become. All the skin around her pussy was glistening and rosy pink with the heat of her desire. The aroma of her was sweet and powerful. I couldn't wait to taste her.

I had moved all the way off the bed by the time I got her shorts past her delicate little feet. I stood and smiled at her. She was watching me with breathless anticipation as her hands caressed her body from her breasts to her crotch and back.

Holly giggled as I tossed her shorts over my shoulder and removed my boxers with a bit of seductive dance. From the moment my cock was free of the cloth, her eyes were locked on to it, wide and hungry.

I'm just a little bigger than average in both length and width. I've never been one to worry too much about the size of my cock. Sure, being about average means that compared to any adult film star, I'd look positively tiny, but in the real world, it doesn't matter as much as you might think, even if you are in the under-endowed category. The old phrase 'it's not the size that counts but the way you use it' is one hundred percent accurate. I've always been able to satisfy the women I've been with.

Looking down at Holly, though, I was actually concerned about being too big for her. She was so tiny and inexperienced. The last thing I wanted to do was hurt her. I resolved to be ultra-attentive and to take it slow.

I bent down over the edge of the bed and took one of her feet into my hands. My thumbs massaged her sole as I started a trail of kisses from her toes to her ankle. I moved up, kissing gently, giving the occasional lick. My mouth moved up her inner thigh, and she spread her knees apart. I licked the very top of her inner thigh and, with one long slow motion, licked alongside her pussy and up along the V of her lower abdomen to a point just above her hip. As greatly as she seemed to enjoy this, there was another spot just inside of the point of her hip that made her moan louder and writhe in pleasure. I returned to that spot, licking in circles until I pinpointed the exact location.

I trailed my hands down her belly, alongside her pussy, down her legs. I repeated the trail of kisses up her other leg, stopping at the erogenous spot near her hip on that side. Once the proper attention was given there, my mouth once again moved lower.

I reached her beautiful bright orange pubic hair and nuzzled my face against it. It smelled faintly of her strawberry shampoo, but the scent of her arousal was overpowering. There was a wet patch on the bed sheet where she had been dripping. Despite my need to taste her, I moved slowly. My nose brushed the top of her slit, and she spasmed with a needy moan.

I breathed in deep through my nose. I can genuinely say I've never been with a woman that smelled so amazing. Unable to restrain myself any further, my mouth sank into her. She gasped loudly, and her hips bucked. My tongue pressed between her tight lips, and she writhed under me. Her taste was glorious, everything I had anticipated and more.

I slowly slid my tongue up between her labia and ended with a little flick on her clit.

"Yes!" She exclaimed, digging her fingers into my hair and pulling my face into her.

I repeated this motion with my tongue, gradually going faster and pressing harder. Very soon, her legs tensed up, and she spasmed uncontrollably as she climaxed. I eased off right away but didn't entirely stop for another minute, letting her come down slowly. I greedily lapped up the copious juices from around her pussy, loving every taste.

When I stopped for a moment to catch my breath, she pulled on my head, bringing me up towards her. Our mouths met, and we kissed hungrily. There was no pacing ourselves for the sake of sensuality here. This was a kiss fueled by primal lust.

Eventually, we were forced to stop to get some air in our lungs. Holly had wrapped her legs around me and was holding me tight.

When she was finally able to speak, she gasped. "Oh my God! I have never cum that hard or that quickly!"

I grinned at her, genuinely happy. "I'm glad that I could do that for you."

She gave me a quick kiss. "How did you- I just- Wow."

I nuzzled my cheek against hers. "The most important thing I've learned," I whispered. "Is that there can be as much or more enjoyment in pleasing your partner than being pleased. I enjoyed making you cum just as much as you did."

She laughed. "I find that hard to believe. I mean, look at me. My legs are still shaking."

I looked back and saw that they were, and her toes were clenched up. I sat up between her legs and gently brought one of them up towards my chest. I massaged her foot until it relaxed, then kneaded the muscles of her calf and thigh. I gently set her leg down and worked on the other one. All the while, she made contented cooing noises that were about the most adorable thing I have ever heard.

When I finished, I noticed how she was watching me. I've seen that look on the face of women before. Holly was falling in love with me. I wasn't sure what I thought about that. Should this be a purely physical relationship, or should it be more? Both possibilities brought their unique advantages and pitfalls. Could I be happy with the occasional night of passion until she inevitably found someone her own age to begin a life with, or did I want something more? I admit that my life had been lonely in terms of intimate relationships in recent years, and deep down, I was beginning to accept that I wouldn't find another person who I could love. Could I fall in love with this perfect little woman? Yes, I could, and that answer both scared me and filled me with indescribable joy.

My thoughts were interrupted by her whisper. "Come here."

She pointed at my erect cock and crooked a finger at me to come closer, so I straddled her, bringing myself into easy arms reach. I looked down at her as her attention focused solely on my rock-hard member.

I didn't feel shy as she studied me, as I have sometimes felt before. Her hands moved across every inch of my cock, my inner thighs, my balls, and my perineum. It had been quite a while since another person had touched me like that. She wrapped her hands around me and stroked me gently; they were warm and soft and felt wonderful. Her petite hands on my cock made it look huge in comparison, and I worried again about hurting her.

"Am I doing this right?" She whispered.

"It feels nice."

She bit her lip and glanced up at me. "I want to do it better than nice. I want to make you cum like you did for me."

I leaned down, raised her chin, and gave her a sweet kiss. "We need to switch positions."

I moved off of her and lay on my back. She knelt next to me and returned her hands to my cock.

She stopped suddenly and looked at me. "Can you show me how to do it, like when you're by yourself?"

I nodded and placed a hand over hers. I had always found the whole subject of jerking off to be taboo. Holly's directness, eagerness, and curiosity stripped all my inhibitions away. "Grip it firmly and move your hand up. When you get to the top, loosen your grip a little and let your fingers wrap around the head. With the loose grip, slide your hand back down and grip firmly again as you slide it up." She did this several times with my hand guiding hers, and then I let go, and she continued on her own. "Yes, just like that. Now go a little faster."

I laid back and was pleased to find that her butt was still within reach. Her butt was narrow and firm of the preverbal quarter-bouncing variety. I gently stroked it as she stroked me. Very rarely has a woman ever been able to jerk me off in a way that would actually get the job done. As Holly continued, I could sense that she was paying close attention to my reaction and adjusting her technique accordingly. Very soon, I was breathing hard and felt the eminent approach of release.

"I'm going to cum!" I gasped.

Holly redoubled her efforts, stroking me harder and faster. I grunted as I came, and several spurts of thick white cum shot out onto my belly. She slowed, then stopped her motion and looked at her hand. She had unintentionally milked the last bits of cum out of me, and it had ended up coating her fingers. Without a second glance, she brought her hand to her mouth and licked it clean. She bent low and, after making eye contact, licked all the cum off of me.

I grabbed her and pulled her into my arms. Again, we kissed with reckless passion. I could taste the residue of my own seed, but it didn't bother me. She hadn't complained when my face was drenched in her juices.

When we finally came up for air, she asked. "Did I do it good?"

"As good as I can do it myself."

"Really?" She asked with a hint of doubt.

I nodded. "You're a quick learner."

Her face was against my neck, but I could feel her smile. "Will you teach me how to do it with my mouth?"

"When I was eighteen, I was able to cum three, four, even five times in a night. Now, at forty-five, it's pretty much just once unless I'm particularly turned on, then it's twice."

"Oh," Holly said.

"Thankfully, I am extremely turned on, so I've got one more in me." I reached down and gave her tight butt a squeeze with both hands. "I want to cum while I'm inside you."

She giggled, and I could feel her grinning. "I've never talked to anybody about stuff like this. When you just think those words, it sounds filthy, but I want that too. I want to feel you cum."

"Being able to talk openly like this is one of the big bonuses to having an intimate partner that you can trust not to judge you or use what you say against you."

Holly nodded in agreement and continued to nuzzle my neck, occasionally kissing or giving me a small lick. As I massaged her lower back and butt cheeks, I felt a drop of moisture fall off of her onto my belly. I smiled in amazement at how insatiable Holly was turning out to be.

After a while, Holly asked. "Will you teach me to do it with my mouth... next time?"

Her words were asking for blow job lessons, but I knew what question she was really asking. Was there going to be a next time or a time after that? Were there going to be a lifetime of next times? I took a while to answer, and she must have sensed that I had caught the true meaning of her question because she gave me time to think about it. Sooner than I expected, I came up with the obvious answer.

"I don't know if this will work between us or if we will just have our fun and then go our separate ways." I shifted, and she raised her head so she could look me in the eyes. "But I want to try."

"Me too." She said softly.

We smiled at each other, both thinking of what the future will bring. I pulled her into a slow, passionate kiss. She moaned softly and ground her pelvis into me as I pulled on her butt. Very quickly, I was hard again, and as she moved against me, she rubbed herself along my cock, smearing it with her delicious juices.

We broke the kiss, and she reached over to the nightstand for the pack of condoms. "I want you inside me."

I opened the package and handed her one of them. "You put it on me."

She took the packet and smiled, moving down to kneel between my legs.

"Do they still make you put them on bananas in health class?"

Holly giggled. "Our teacher had a big box of dildos. It was really creepy; no one wanted to touch them."

I laughed as Holly concentrated on opening the condom. The first one didn't go so well. She had trouble getting it to unroll properly and ended up tearing it. She got it right on the second try.

"What position do you want to try?" She asked.

"You be on top. That way, you are in control."

She leaned down and gave me a kiss, and I knew that had been the perfect response.

She straddled me and held my cock as she lowered herself onto me. We both gasped as I began to enter her. Just an inch or so of me was inside her, and I could feel how tightly her pussy was gripping me.

"Go slow." I put my hands under her butt and lifted her up slightly. "Raise up a little, then continue."

We did this a few more times until, finally, I was entirely inside her. We moaned together in satisfaction as our pubic hair touched. She was so tight! Many years ago, my then-wife had wanted to try anal. We did it just once, but I remember how tight her ass felt on my cock. Holly's pussy was like that, gripping me like an iron fist, but with a sensation that was so much more pleasurable.

I had to stretch my neck a bit to reach her, but my mouth found hers, and we kissed.

I held her tight against me, not letting her move. "Stay still for a minute. Relax and let yourself get used to me."

She nodded and sighed with pleasure. "The other boys were both smaller than you. You feel so big inside me like you've completely filled me up."

"I'm not huge. You're just small and very tight. You feel amazing."

She smiled, and we kissed for a little while. I could feel the grip on my cock lessen slightly as she relaxed.

"Ready?" I asked.

She nodded.

"You're in control."

She smiled and raised her hips, drawing me out of her, then slowly came down on me again. She started slow but soon increased her tempo. She made a cute little grunt every time she impaled herself on me. She sat upright and was soon bouncing vigorously. I raised my hands to her chest, squeezing her small breasts and pinching her nipples. This sent her reeling towards the edge. Her breathing and feminine grunts got quicker as she fucked me faster and faster. With one more strong downward lunge, she arched her back and cried out in ecstasy. Her pussy tightened around my cock tighter than ever as her orgasm washed over her.

I felt pure joy as I watched her bathe in pleasure. I sat up, and we wrapped our arms around each other, kissing frantically. With less effort than I was expecting, I picked her up and laid her gently onto her back without letting my cock slide out. We continued our needful kissing, and she wrapped her legs around me as I began to slowly thrust in and out of her.

"Faster." She gasped.

I complied and began kissing and licking her neck. Her legs pulled at my butt, urging me to go ever faster like spurring a horse to gallop. Soon, I was slamming into her, bottoming out with wet smacks as our pubic regions collided.

"Yes! Don't stop!" She cried out between primal grunts.

I found the strength and endurance to continue and even pushed myself to go faster. Her orgasm crashed through her body, and her mouth opened wide in a silent scream. Her pussy gripped me like a vise, sending me over the edge. I came hard, my cock spasming inside her in concert with her own pulsations. Her legs held me tight, keeping me buried inside her.

We were giddy in our shared pleasure and showered each other with kisses and caresses as we caught our breath.

"I felt it when you came. I could feel you throbbing inside me." She was searching my eyes with lustful wonder.

"Feeling you orgasm when I was inside you is what pushed me over the edge."

She twitched with an aftershock of her climax.

She was still in awe of what she had just experienced. "Is this what it's like all the time?"

I held a hand to her cheek. She was still flushed beet red. "If you have a partner who cares enough, and you are both willing to put the other's needs ahead of your own, yes, it can be like this every time. Even better than this."

She giggled with joy and gazed lovingly into my eyes. We spent a long time studying each other's eyes and feeling our bodies come down from their erotic high. Eventually, my cock was soft enough to slip out of her. She made a quiet, disappointed sound and gave me a mock pout. She released the grip of her legs, and I rolled off her onto my side.

"What do we do with this?" She asked, touching my condom-clad cock.

"Pull it off, being careful not to spill it on everything."

I was about to do it when she took the initiative. When she got it off, she held it up to look at.

"You just throw it away?"

"Yeah, not much use for a used condom."

She playfully slapped my arm. "No, I mean the cum. I mean, it's not any different from when you came on your belly, is it?"

"Well, no, I guess it isn't. I've always just thrown them out without thinking about it."

The next moment, I watched her hold it up and drain the contents into her mouth. I could see her mouth work as she pushed it around with her tongue. I had never seen a woman do that before, and I had figured that they would all just think it was gross. I gotta say, it was actually pretty hot. She eventually swallowed it and smiled with contentment.

"It tastes kinda strange." She said and swiped her tongue along her gums.

I was still looking at her with fascination. "A lot of women don't like the taste of it at all."

"Well, I'm not a lot of women. I like it. I like it because it's yours." She looked at me, and regardless of what her mouth had said, her eyes were saying, "I love you."

I took the empty condom from her and set it with the broken one and the empty packets on the nightstand next to the last unopened condom and my phone.

I kissed her gently, then pulled the covers over us as we snuggled together. Holly was the perfect size to be the small spoon. She nestled against me, and I curled my body around her. She fell asleep with a content smile on her face, and I followed her soon after.

I awoke to my phone ringing. I picked it up. It was a little after eight in the morning, and Dan was calling. Holly stirred and awoke next to me. I held a finger to my lips, and she nodded with understanding.

"Morning, buddy. How's Jenna doing?"

"Hey, man," Dan said. He sounded tired, as happens when you have to sleep at a hospital and aren't a patient. "They're getting ready to bring her down for surgery. They're still confident that everything is going to go well."

"That's good. You sound like shit, though."

Dan chuckled. "These dam couches are always about four inches too short to be comfortable. Is Holly awake?"

I looked down at her. She was running her fingers through my chest hair. "I think she's still in bed. I just woke up."

"When she gets up, let her know what's going on. I'll give you a call when Jenna gets out."

"Will do, fella."

"Thanks, man. Don't tell Holly, but Jenna really worries about her. She was really happy that you stayed at the house last night to watch over things. Anyway, gotta go. Later."

"Later."

I made sure that the call was ended, set my phone back onto the nightstand, and lay back in bed. Holly draped an arm and a leg over me and rested her head on my chest.

"I'm really happy that you stayed at the house to watch over things, too."

I looked down at her. She was positively glowing with happiness.

"Me too," I said simply.

We lay there for a long time, just enjoying the skin-to-skin contact and the warmth of each other's bodies. Eventually, the call of nature was too strong to resist any longer.

"I'm sorry. I gotta get up and go pee."

Holly giggled. "I have to pee so bad, but I didn't want to move."

We got up and left the room, not bothering to get dressed. I ducked into the bathroom just down the hall and paused, taking the time to watch Holly run naked across the living room toward Jenna's bathroom.

Holly came back into the guest room as I was getting dressed. She gave me a quick kiss, collected her night clothes, and went across the hall to her room to get dressed. We met up again in the kitchen. She was wearing khaki shorts that showed off her legs and a green sleeveless top that made the green in her eyes stand out. Holly noticed the bed linens I had gathered in a bundle on the table. She looked at them with confusion.

"Those sheets smell like sex. Your Mom would know."

She looked at me with a horrified expression. It had never crossed her mind that we would leave a trace of our activities.

"I'll make you a deal. You do the laundry, and I'll make you breakfast and get rid of the other evidence."

"Deal." She said, holding out her hand to shake.

Instead of shaking her hand, I moved in like I was going to kiss her. She tilted her head up to meet me, but before our mouths met, I grabbed under her butt with both hands and lifted her into my arms. She wrapped her legs around my waist and her arms over my shoulders. We kissed then, deeply and passionately. When we finally stopped, we looked into each other's joyful eyes.

"You're so irresistible," I whispered.

"So are you," Holly whispered back.

I set her down gently, and after another quick peck on the lips, Holly dragged the linens to the laundry room. I went back to the guest room and put the last condom in my pocket. The used one and the trash, I rolled up into several paper towels and took them directly to the garbage can outside. One of the bags that was already in there had a gap at the drawstring big enough to push the little bundle of evidence in.

I went inside, washed my hands, and started on breakfast. By the time Holly came back to the kitchen, I had a plate of extra crispy bacon ready and was beginning to crack eggs. She squeezed my butt as she walked past to the fridge. She pulled out a jug of orange juice, then got out plates and silverware.

We ate breakfast in silence, both of us collecting our thoughts for the conversation we knew had to happen. When we had both pushed our empty plates aside, we stared into each other's eyes for several more minutes.

Holly spoke first. "The rules still apply between us? Being direct and truthful?"

"Of course. That's how it should always be between us."

"Good." Holly nodded. "I don't want this to end. I want to be your girlfriend. I want to make you happy. I need to love you and be loved."

My throat was suddenly dry. I swallowed and spoke what my heart desired. "I want those things too. I don't want to be alone anymore. I want you in my life."

Holly's face lit up with a grin. Her smile was infectious, and I grinned back at her. I couldn't quite believe what had happened to me since yesterday evening. I got out of my chair and knelt next to hers so I could hug her while she was sitting. She sighed softly as we embraced.

"I want to be in bed with you all day, every day." She whispered.

I chuckled. "I'll have to go back to work eventually."

"You wouldn't necessarily have to."

I pulled away just enough to look at her. "I'm planning on retiring early, but not this early. I've got about ten more years until I'm in a good spot."

"No." She looked at me nervously, like she was afraid about how I was going to react to what she was going to say. "I mean, you don't need to go back to work. Ever."

Holly smiled at my look of confusion.

"My grandparents left my Mom this house, a bunch of other properties, and a huge pile of cash, but they only gave her half of what they had. They left the other half to me. When I turned eighteen, I signed papers with a lawyer and received a birthday present worth about one hundred and fifty million dollars."

Holly giggled and jokingly pushed my jaw shut.

"Most of it is tied up in rental properties, which a firm manages. It's all self-sufficient. I make a monthly percentage, and most of that goes back into investments."

"I can't just quit my job and let you support me. It- I don't know, it doesn't seem right."

"Why not? The money is there to make my life easier, and I want you as part of my life." She held my face in her soft hands and looked at me imploringly.

"Okay," I said after a moment. I nodded and repeated. "Okay."

Holly grinned wildly and kissed me. We kissed for a long time, hands roaming each other's bodies. We couldn't get enough of each other. She made me feel like a young man, eager and ready, drunk with the newfound joy of intimate contact.

"What's next?" She whispered at my neck when we had caught our breath.

"At some point this morning, Dan is going to call, and we'll either go there to see him and your Mom, or they will be coming home. How do you want to handle the 'us' part?"

Holly nodded. "You were right before. Mom is pretty protective, and she probably would think that you're taking advantage of me. I'm sorry I didn't tell you about the money earlier, but I wanted to be sure you wanted me for me."

"No, that was smart. It would have left a doubt that would eat at you. I promise the money doesn't change how I feel about you."

She smiled, her relief pain on her face. "So we keep us a secret for now?"

"For now." I agreed. "But sooner or later, everyone will find out. I don't like lying to my friends."

Holly nodded. "Or my Mom."

Holly and I had exchanged contact info on our phones and spent a couple of hours lounging on the deck. The weather was perfect, and the view of the lake from the house was terrific, but I couldn't keep my eyes off Holly.

Dan brought Jenna home from the hospital later that morning. We greeted them and exchanged hugs. Jenna thanked me for being there to take care of her little girl. I hoped that the level of unease in my expression was seen as simply being uncomfortable with receiving thanks.

Holly may be little, and she is a girl, but she is not a 'little girl.' She had shown me last night that she was indeed a woman. It was hard to contain my jubilation when talking with Dan and Jenna. Holly made me feel like I was a teenager again, in love for the first time and giddy with the bright possibilities of the future.

My mind was filled with questions, too. Can we make this work between us with such a significant age gap? Could I really make her happy and give her the fulfillment that she deserves? My whole perspective on life had changed so drastically in such a short time. I had thought that working another ten years and retiring to a quiet life would be an ideal plan. Thinking about it now, it seemed rather depressing.

I looked over to Holly, who was talking with her mother. Now, the idea of having this fiery little woman at my side filled a giant hole in me that I hadn't realized was there. She glanced over at me, and her smile melted my heart.

The future was very bright indeed.

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Look for Carnal Insights 2.0 coming soon.