Stranger in the Park

[DangerousDarkEyes]

Jennifer Odell hid behind the huge tree, gathering her blanket around her while she watched the man take his seat on the park bench. He was much older than her eighteen years and she had watched him come to the same bench, the same time, for the last three days she had been there. Now she watched him closer, wondering why he came just to sit there, it made her think he was lonely, perhaps a nice man, perhaps one that even could help.

Her father had told her to just stay put, don’t talk to anyone and he would be back in no time at all. That was three days ago and the money he had left her was running out, she was cold, dirty and getting hungry. She knew he was on the run from someone, police or someone else, she wasn’t quite sure. He was always running and hiding them somewhere, but this was the first time he had left her outside like this. She knew things had to be pretty bad and she had to do something. Maybe if she walked past, sat down on the same bench, maybe ask him the time, she might be able to tell if he was someone who could help her.

Folding her blanket and leaving it behind the tree, she tried to make herself not look so bad, but the huge baggy sweatshirt and jeans that covered her small frame, were a sight for sore eyes. She pulled the baseball cap over her long blonde hair, trying to hide as much of the matted mess she could. She slowly made her way over to where he sat, not making direct contact with his eyes at first. Walking a little past him, she turned back noticing his watch.

“Excuse me mister, but would you mind telling me what time it is?”

OOC:If anyone is interested please PM me with ideas before posting to this thread.

 

[Miltone]

Zane Carnaby

“Time? What time it is?” Zane replied to the skinny young girl who had asked. She looked a fright and smelled worse. “Oh, yes. It’s almost three-thirty.”

“Um, okay. Thanks,” she said, lingering nearby. “Mind if I have a seat here?”

He shook his head weakly and looked over as she took a seat awkwardly beside him. She couldn’t have been more than seventeen or eighteen. The same age as Lizzie would have been. He smiled weakly but looked back off into the distance. The trees were almost ready to bud and that damp fertile smell was in the spring air. Zane closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Six days it had been, three since the funeral and even the fresh air and the scent it brought and the sweet spring song of the birds couldn’t break him out of his deep funk.

“So, um, can I ask you a question?” the girl asked.

Zane opened his eyes and glanced over at her.

“Why do you come here?” she asked in a soft tender voice. “I’ve been here every day this week and seen you sitting here on this same bench for the longest while. Just wondering I guess.”

Zane looked away from her and took another deep breath. He hadn’t said anything to anyone since the funeral, well except a simple “thanks” to the grocery store clerk two days ago. He glanced down at his lap and then back to the girl. She was so young. How could she even understand? He had noticed her lurking around the past day or so, but this was the first time he had given it a second thought.

“Got no …” he began and nearly didn’t finish. Would she really care what his deal was? Since nothing really mattered to him, he went on, “Got no place else to go except home, and that has too many bad memories. Besides, I like it here. Reminds me of when I was a kid and my old man used to bring me.” Zane looked over at the girl again. She had a sweet looking face, but one that only a mother could love since it was so filthy. Probably the same age as Lizzie and she looked like she had no place to go either. “So what about you? Why are you here every day?”

 

[DangerousDarkEyes]

Jennifer

“Well…I…” she started to speak, should she tell him the truth? By the way he looked at her appearance, she had a good feeling if she lied to him, he’d know. The way he spoke, the pain in his voice, he seemed fairly harmless. He also seemed like he needed a friend as much as she did. “I’ve been sleeping out here the last few days waiting for my dad to come back. He’s in some kind of trouble I think.”

“That’s pretty dangerous for a young woman let alone anyone. Don’t you have anywhere else you can go, other family, maybe your mother?” He asked, now a bit concerned.

“My mom died when I was very young. It’s just been my dad and me, and he keeps us moving a lot.” She replied softly, noting his concern. “This is the first time I had ever had to stay outside though, usually he leaves me in some motel.”

“That would be much safer.”

“Yeah and I wouldn’t look and smell like this either.” She laughed, making fun of herself. “Believe me, I don’t need a mirror to know what I look like. One look in your eyes was enough hint, guess that’s one of the worst parts of being out here. I can’t stand it myself any more, so I was going to look around for somewhere to clean up. I thought he would be back by now, but now I’m not sure exactly what to do.”

 

[Miltone]

Zane Carnaby

“What’s your name?” Zane asked, looking at her closely. She seemed to be a tiny little thing, buried underneath some filthy, baggy ill-fitting clothes. He remembered seeing pictures of the war orphans in Europe after the war and thought of her. The sunken cheeks, the big eyes, the desperate look of a displaced waif.

“Jennifer,” the girl replied.

“How old are you?” Zane asked. He could see the blonde roots of her hair peeking out from around the cap she had pulled down over her head.

“Ninet … Eighteen.”

“Sure?”

“Yes. Why would I lie to you?”

“People will tell the strangest lies when they’re looking for a handout.”

“I’m not looking for a handout,” she replied. “Maybe just some help. I don’t know what to do.”

“Did your father say where he was going? When he’d be back? What to do if he didn’t?”

“He said he'd be right back. I don't know where he is or where to go or what to do.”

“You can't stay here. This park is a dangerous place,” Zane remarked. There were other questions, more than he had energy to ask and certainly more than she would want to answer.

“I could give you some money so you could get a room someplace, but then if you’re just some crack junkie looking for a quick fix, that would be a waste of my money and good intentions.”

“Don’t you believe me?”

“It’s not that,” Zane said blankly. He wasn’t sure what he was saying or what he believed. A long time widower who had just buried Lizzie, his only child, a daughter just about the age of this one just days ago, courtesy of a drunk driver. Of late, he didn’t have much or anyone to believe in. What sort of sick joke was it that he should meet this homeless kid at this time in his life? He looked over at her closely.

“You have no place to go?”

She shook her head.

“No one to go to?”

Again, another shake of her head. As her head swiveled back and forth, the weight of her thick blonde hair brought it tumbling down from under her cap. Zane took a deep breath. “Look, I’ll leave it up to you. I can give you a few bucks to tide you over for a few days till your father comes back, or …” Zane fell silent for a few moments at the thought of what he was about to say.

“Or what?” she asked eagerly.

“Or you … you can come home with me to my house. There’s a couple of warm empty beds and planty of food … but just till you can get yourself together. It’s up to you.”

“How about a big bathroom with a nice hot shower?” she asked with a little smirk that made Zane smile for the first time in a week.

“Yeah, and the maid comes to turn down the covers at 9 PM and leaves a mint on the pillow.”

 

[DangerousDarkEyes]

Jennifer

“What about the rose pedals on the bed too?” She laughed, but seeing his reaction she continued. “Hey I saw it in a movie once. Living outside like this, you didn’t really think I’ve ever been to such a place with maid service did you?”

“Not recently, but not knowing you, or your past much, how would I…Never mind, I’m offering to help, do you want to come with me or not.”

“Sure, why not, you look pretty harmless, besides that, a hot shower, some food and a warm bed sounds a lot better than another night here. Let me go get the few things I have and then I’ll be ready to go.” She stood up and started to walk away, but turned back around, a strange thought having now occurred to her. “You’re not one of those guys that gets girls to leave with them, never to be seen or heard from again are you?”

“Even if I were, do you have any better offers.” Zane said seriously at first, then cracking a smile. “I think someone has seen too many movies. No, I’m not one of those kind of guys. Go get your things.”

Laughing, feeling a bit more at ease, she went and got her blanket and the other sweatshirt she had been wearing the first night. Unfortunately, it had gotten ripped and soaked on the first night and she really needed to throw it away. She walked back to where he waited, her eyes cast down, how many times she had left places, never being able to take a lot of her things with her, not that she ever had much. Now for the first time she was leaving a home under a tree, and only had two things to take.

“Something wrong?” Zane asked noting the expression on her face.

“No, it’s nothing.” She replied, throwing her sweatshirt in the trash can she passed by. “So do you live far from here?”

 

[Miltone]

Zane Carnaby

“About a half hour away, I guess,” Zane said getting up from the park bench that had been his office for the past few days. “Not in the city, but very close.” He watched as she tossed a ratty old sweatshirt in the trash. A blanket and the clothes on her back were all she brought along. How had she survived even for a few days in the park? It had rained each night as he remembered since he had trouble sleeping for the past week. Zane pointed along the winding path that leads toward the main entrance of the park. “My car is this way.”

“See, I don’t know you at all, and you could be one of those guys,” Jennifer said, “But you haven’t even told me your name.”

“I’m sorry,” Zane said, stopping in his tracks. “I don’t usually forget my manners. I’m Zane. Zane Carnaby.” He held out his hand and smiled.

“Jennifer Odell,” she replied shaking his hand heartily. “Nice to meet ya!”

Her hand felt so small and delicate inside his. They exchanged a look before turning back and following the path again, sort of as though eyeing each other up and down, trying to decide just what into which they were getting themselves.

“Zane. That’s an unusual name. I don’t think I’ve met anyone with that name before.”

“It’s a family name. Belonged to my Grandfather,” Zane replied as they began walking along the path again.

“Cool,” Jennifer said brightly. “And hey, I really appreciate what you’re doing for me.”

“Don’t think of it,” Zane. “Just don’t turn out to be one of those girls.”

“I don’t know what you mean by that, but I’m sure that I’m not one of those girls,” she said with a cute little laugh.

They followed the path through the main gate and crossed the street to where Zane’s car was parked. When he walked up and around to open the passenger door on the dark green X-Type sedan, Jennifer’s eyes popped open wide.

“Wow! A Jag!” she exclaimed. “Are you rich or something?” she asked as he held the door open for her.

“Hmm, or something,” he replied. “Besides, this is the cheap Jag.” He closed the door and went around to the other side. As the engine fired up and they pulled away, he smiled at the sight of her running her hands over the leather seating and inlaid wood appliqués. Maybe she has never sat in something like this, he thought. What’ll she think when she sees the house? Maybe this is a mistake. What if this is some sort of setup? Zane laughed at himself for thinking of such things. He looked over at her and could see that the look on her face was genuine. Fuck! What have I got to lose?

His life had never felt more empty than over the past few days, but now that this girl had popped into his life, this cheerful little thing with nothing more going for her than a sweet smile and a lively attitude, maybe having someone to look after would break him out of his week-long funk.

 

[DangerousDarkEyes]

Jennifer

“This is some car. The seat is softer then any bed I ever slept in. Hell, just let me sleep in your car.” She said half joking, half serious. “After I take a bath first though.” Jennifer remarked now embarrassed at seeing the dirt she was getting on his seat.

“It’ll wipe off, don’t worry about it. But you’re right about needing that bath.” Zane remarked with a grin.

“I should a taken off my clothes before getting in here.” She said with a light laugh, not looking at him, but just as soon as she said it, she looked at him, blushing. “I didn’t mean that, and I’m
NOT that kind of girl.”

Zane just gave her a quick look, without saying anything, and went back to driving. She noted his slight smirk when he turned away and she swore to herself. Now she understood what people meant when they said, think before speaking. But the excitement of having someone to talk to and being able to leave the park, she was beside herself. He sure was being nice to her though, wasn’t that one of the things she had been warned about. Course, she wasn’t use to anyone being nice, always snubbing her and her dad, staring at her all the time. Could be that he was just a nice man who wanted to help her, she thought, she was too happy to be going somewhere and decided not to think about that anymore.

Jennifer finally relaxed and looked out the window. When her dad had brought her to this place, a new city, it had been dark and this was the first time she had been out of the park during the day since, having only gone to the little quicky mart across the street at night to get something to eat. By the looks of it, she thought, this place was a lot nicer than any other she had ever been too. She wondered if her dad had known that when he left her.

When they pulled up into a long driveway, her mouth dropped open, her eyes staring ahead.

“Wow” Jennifer whispered the closer the got to his house. “Well if you ain’t rich, I must be dreaming. Don’t wake me up though.” She looked him, her face serious. “Is this really where you live?”

 

[Miltone]

Zane Carnaby

“It isn’t my neighbor’s house,” Zane chuckled, as he wheeled the Jag up the curving drive, deciding to park by the front door instead of around in the garage on the side. Her throwaway comment about taking off her clothes still burned his ears and had set off an unfamiliar tingle deep inside him. Hell, he was more than twenty years older than her; she was young enough to be his daughter for Christ’s sake! He had no business feeling that way.

And then her comments about the car and the way she had responded upon seeing his house made him wonder about just where she had come from. How would she respond when she saw the inside of the house, the yards, and the pool in back? He had never thought of himself as rich, fortunate perhaps, but certainly not wealthy. Maybe someone who never had anything would look at his situation that way.

He pulled the car to a stop by the front entrance. He was proud of the place, always having wanted an English Tudor styled home, and had it built for the comfort of his family. Four bedrooms, five baths in around four-thousand square feet on almost two acres. In the years since Allison had died, he could feel a little loneliness grow in the corners. And now that Lizzie was gone, he … well, Zane didn’t want to think that through any farther. It was a warm afternoon and the clouds were moving off letting the sun shine a little brighter. He led Jennifer up to front door and let her in.

“Oh, wow!” she exclaimed upon stepping into the foyer and looking up at the chandelier that stretched up to the second floor. Her eyes swept through the entrance hall, the curving walnut stairway, the sitting room to her left, the dining room to her right, and the kitchen straight ahead. “This is like something right out of the movies.”

“If so, then you must be one of the stars, Jennifer,” he said, closing the door behind them. Zane showed her around the downstairs, particularly the kitchen. He smiled when noticing how big her eyes grew when he opened up the pantry doors. “Feel free to fix yourself something to eat if you want. You must be starving.”

“Actually, I’d really like to get cleaned up,” she said.

“Okay … let me show you your room,” Zane said. She paused and looked up at him when he said, “your room.” He wondered how long it had been since she had her own room, or even if she had ever had one. “You can stay in the guest room. It has it’s own bath and everything.” Zane led her up the stairs and along the hallway to the bedroom. It was large and airy with French doors that stepped out onto a small porch that over looked the pool and deck. “The bath is right through there,” he indicated pointing to the open door.

Jennifer walked around the room, looking out the back, running her hand over the sleek mahogany art moderne footboard of the bed, checking out the dressing table, bureau and armoire, then glancing into the bathroom. She paused and looked back to Zane, appearing a little awkward. “Um, I don’t really want to put these clothes on after my bath.”

“Oh … oh, yeah … right,” Zane mumbled, realizing that she would need something to wear. “Hmm, let me see what I can find for you.”

He slipped out of the room and thought for a moment. She was on the petite side so his own clothes would be way too big for her; Lizzie’s would probably be too big also, and besides it was too soon for him to go through her things. Then he thought of Allison’s belongings. Her sister had taken most of the good stuff, but he knew there were some things still remaining in her walk-in closet and dresser. His family had told him it was morbid to keep them around, but for some reason he could never bring himself to clean her things out completely. She had a petite figure and her clothes might fit Jennifer.

Zane fished around in the drawers in the closet and found a couple of colorful cotton tees. There was still a couple of old pairs of jeans on hangers. And she would need underwear too, or would she? Maybe she didn’t wear any. There were a couple drawers in the dresser where Allison had kept some lingerie and was surprised to find most of it still there. He smiled to remember how much Allison had loved pretty and sexy lingerie, and how much he had loved to see her in it. He chuckled when thinking how it was no wonder that her prudish sister had left it all behind. He pulled out a white lace bra and panties, seeing that they were still almost like new and remembering a romantic evening when he had slipped them off her … but Zane’s back stiffened at the returning memory. Allison had been gone several years now and his life had gone on. He quickly gathered up the clothes, grabbed an extra terry-cloth robe and returned to the guest room.

As he entered the room, Zane could hear the water running into the bathtub and moved to the doorway. “I’ve brought you a robe and some things. I hope that they fit since …” His words fell away the moment he glanced into the bathroom. The filthy old clothes lay in a heap on the floor and Jennifer stood beside the tub, leaning over to test the water with her hand, completely naked. Steam from the hot water and the scent of bubble bath filled the air, but Zane’s eyes were on Jennifer. She had the most beautiful blonde body he had ever seen. She stood and turned partway toward him, her long thick blonde hair hanging down to near her waist, her body perfectly proportioned, slender but with beautifully rounded firm breasts and pale nipples that pointed upward, a skinny waist and a seductive flair to her belly and hips, a gorgeous firm round ass, and long, long legs. She seemed unconcerned at first that he was looking at her naked, but as his eyes caressed their way back up her body, she covered her light downy little blonde muff with one hand, and brought her other arm around to cover her breasts.

“Is there something wrong?” she said almost laughing. “I know I’m filthy, but …”

“No, no, no … there’s nothing wrong,” Zane interjected, looking down ashamed of having taken such a long look at this poor girl. As he felt his pulse quicken a stirring of arousal in his loins, his face turned a bright shade of red and he turned away from her. He felt so embarrassed for having taken advantage of the situation. “I’ll just leave these things here and you can … um, enjoy … um, some privacy … uh, sorry … I didn’t mean to … I mean …” He set the clothes on the vanity and turned toward the door.

 

[DangerousDarkEyes]

Jennifer

Never had she been in a home this large, this beautiful, and when Jennifer heard him say her room, her own room, the words kept repeating over in her head. If she ever had her own room, she had been too young to remember it. The room itself seemed made for a movie star, the furniture, the bed, even her own bathroom, to say nothing about having her own little porch. If she didn’t feel so dirty, she could almost pretend she was a movie star.

Who was this man, how could he not think he was rich when just this room was bigger and a thousand times nicer than anything she had ever been in. It also crossed her mind why he lived in such a huge mansion, not home, it was a mansion to her, by himself. She recalled Zane telling her why he had kept going to the park, not wanting to go home, bad memories. How sad, she thought to herself, that a place as wonderful as this could hold anything bad. She felt herself lucky just being able to walk in it and take a bath…

Yes a bath, Jennifer smiled when she walked into the bathroom awed by the size of the bathroom, even the tub looked bigger than ones she had seen before. She quickly stripped her clothes off, relief washing over her just doing this. She couldn’t wait to get in the tub and when she leaned over to turn the water on, she noticed a small crystal jar with powder in it. Laughing softly to herself, , I am a movie star, bubble bath and all. Caught up in the fantasy it took her several moments to see that Zane was there, for how long she wasn’t sure and she wasn’t paying much attention to her nudity.

When she noticed a strange look in his eyes, the way they lingered over her body, she felt a bit self conscious, she was soooo dirty and something in his eyes made her cover herself. Jennifer knew that him seeing her like this had embarrassed him, was it because of how disgustingly dirty she looked, or was there something more.

“It’s okay Zane, really. Don’t worry, I do clean up pretty good.” She said making light of the situation. “Thanks for the clothes, thanks for everything. You’re pretty nice you know.”

“Just take your time, enjoy your bath. I’ll be downstairs if you need anything.” Zane remarked leaving the room.

Jennifer got in the tub full of bubbles, laughing and even giggling. She took her time washing, scrubbing the soap rag against her skin until her body was a deep pink. When she scrubbed her legs, a frown came on her face, and she looked around for a razor. There was shampoo’s, rinses, soap, bath salts, everything but a razor.

“Zane could you come here for a sec.” She hollered out.

“What? Is something wrong?” He came running into the bathroom.

“Sorry, didn’t mean to worry you, but well I could use… well do you have a razor I could use?” She asked, looking up at him, a blush of embarrassment on her face, her body surrounded in bubbles.

“Oh uhm, sure let me go get one for you.”

He left returning shortly to give her the razor, leaving her alone again as quickly as possible. Jennifer shook her head, grinning when he left. Obviously she was making the man rather nervous, and this thought gave her a strange funny, bubbly type feeling. After shaving her legs, she used the shampoo on her hair, she had never used shampoo that smelled so good before.

She had towel dried her hair and found a brush, and after quite a bit of time getting the tangles out, it hung down beautifully. The clothes had fit her almost perfectly, and the bra and panties underneath, so beautiful, so silky, Jennifer felt like she was Cinderella, Zane her fairy godfather, even wearing jeans and a t-shirt.

When she was about ready to go down stairs to find Zane, she heard a splash. Stepping out on the porch, she spotted him swimming in the pool. Wow, why she hadn’t noticed till now what a nice even sexy looking man he was. He sure kept in shape for an older man, she thought, tight muscles, lean build, tan, and seeing him wet like that. She stood standing there watching him for awhile, and the thoughts of him being any type of father to her, left her mind completely.

It had been well over an hour when she finally stepped outside where he was swimming.

“See, I told you I’m not half bad after a little soap and water.” Jennifer smiled at him while her eyes lingered over his body.

 

[Miltone]

Zane Carnaby

Even the second time he had entered the bathroom he had felt a twinge deep inside his body. He wasn’t sure why or what it was all about, just that he felt strangely awkward around Jennifer. She was ensconced in the tub, surrounded by a floating blanket of bubbles, her wet hair cascading over her shoulders and down her back. Even dripping wet, she was beautiful, and her big smile completely disarmed Zane. When she asked for a razor, he tapped himself on the forehead. Hell, that’s right, he thought, young girls like to shave themselves all over these days—why hadn’t I thought of that? After finding a fresh lady's razor in Lizzie's room and returning to the bath, he again felt nervous and flushed and wanted to say something, but turned quickly on his heels listening to her splash in the tub all the way down the hall.

The image of Jennifer standing before him naked and completely at ease kept popping up into his mind. Maybe it was just because it had been so long since he had seen a naked girl. His pulse was racing madly and he felt warm and sweaty. A swim would feel good, he thought. Anything to get this … this feeling worked out. Yes, a few hard laps would do the trick! Zane stripped down quickly and his semi-erect member twitched, making it difficult to slip on his snug little black swimming shorts. He grabbed a large towel and headed outside quickly. He had cleaned the pool first thing in the morning and the blue water was calling his name. Slipping on his goggles, he quickly dove deep into the cool refreshing water and swam all the way to the far side before surfacing and backstroking all the way back.

With each lap, the fresh air he sucked in coursed through his system and he felt his body loosen up, the exercise relieving the tension that had been building inside him. Zane fell into a rhythm while swimming, pacing himself as he sliced through the water, moving back and forth steadily. With each turn in the pool, the image of Jennifer naked began to fade and he began to feel more normal. When finally he felt winded and needed a rest, he swam to the side near the steps. As he went to raise himself up from the water, Zane was surprised by what he saw. For a moment he didn’t recognize the beautiful blonde young woman sitting on the steps of the deck. It was Jennifer obviously, but after her bath and changing into clean clothes, he hardly recognized her.

“See, I told you I’m not half bad after a little soap and water,” she said with a sweet smile.

“So I can see,” Zane replied watching as she got up from the steps and walked over toward him. “You look … you look … um, very nice,” he said, not wanting to say outright what he really felt inside. “Like a different person.”

“Well, I fell like a new girl,” she said with a giggle.

As he held himself at the edge of the pool, Zane became aware that she was checking him out and chuckled inside at the thought that turnabout was fair play. Deep down, he didn’t really mind and was sort of flattered when her eyes lingered over his body. He had tried to keep himself in shape, eating right and exercising. Of course the pool in the backyard certainly didn’t hurt and he always did feel that his tan made him look better. No, she couldn’t really be looking at him like that ... certainly not like that!

“So, um, now that you’ve gotten yourself all cleaned up, you must be starving,” Zane remarked. “We could fix something here or go out. Your choice.”

“Mmm, you keep giving me all these choices,” she giggled. Jennifer squatted down beside him near the pool. She looked so sweet and desirable in the snug colorful tee and blue jeans. She ran her hand through her long blonde hair, now so clean and soft and full. “I just don’t know what I’d rather do. Hmm.”

“Well, whatever you choose, I’ll have to get out and dry off,” Zane said. He gestured toward the towel he had tossed onto a nearby lounge chair. “Can you grab my towel for me?”

As Jennifer got up to get the towel, Zane swam over to the steps and began to walk up. The air felt cool on his body and he felt his body tense up, his man nipples shriveling up tautly. Jennifer opened up his towel and held it out for him. He couldn’t help but notice her eyes sweeping up and down his body, and he definitely saw the smile that curled up her lips. Nah, don’t go there, Zane, he thought to himself. He toweled himself off and headed up onto the deck, Jennifer following. He felt the warmth of her gaze and hoped that all those butt crunches he had been doing over the years had paid off.

Zane wrapped the towel around his waist and sat on a chair by the table and watched as Jennifer settled into the chair beside him. Gone was the dirty little waif he had meet just hours before, replaced by someone who could be one of Lizzie’s friends. He liked her sweet smile and easy manner. He thought, how could someone like her, who hardly ever had a thing and had every right to be bitter or angry, be so damned upbeat.

“So where do you feel like eating?” Zane asked and watched as she let out a big sigh.

 

[DangerousDarkEyes]

Jennifer Odell

“Anywhere there’s food!. But no baloney sandwiches, I’m so sick of them.” Jennifer laughed, sitting back in the chair and bringing her feet up to sit cross legged.

“I bet you are.” He chuckled.

“If ya don’t mind, can we just stay here. I can help ya cook something though, well as long as it’s not too hard.” She smiled at him taking a deep breath. Even though she had left the park, not knowing what her dad was doing, she was a bit nervous being seen anywhere. Too often he had warned her that some people in his business might try and hurt her, she always had to be careful.

“Sure, if that’s what you want to do and I can always use help in the kitchen. I suppose asking you what you might have a taste for might be one too many choices for you to make today?”

“One choice today, maybe two tomorrow.”

There was a happy grin on her face hearing him tease her, she hadn’t seen him smiling too much but when he did, she really liked it. She hadn’t been around too many men, especially ones like him, but she liked very much that he treated her like an adult and the way she caught him glancing at her, made her feel rather pretty, like a woman.

“Okay, I won’t push. Let’s go inside and maybe we can both decide on what to eat.” He stood up, tightening the towel around him and her eyes gave him the once over yet again. He really was nice to look at, she thought, feeling a bit warm. When she glanced up at him, she blushed, seeing that he had caught her roving eyes. “Why don’t you go in the kitchen and have a look around while I go put on some clothes.”

She stood up following him to the door and when he held it for her, her arm brushing lightly across is chest when she walked past him. She didn’t turn to look at him, but there was a shimmer in her eyes as she walked to the kitchen.

While Zane had gone to change, she looked around the kitchen, her belly growing more hungry seeing all the food he had. She opened the refrigerator and seeing several apples, she grabbed one, took a bite and finding a head of lettuce her other hand reached for that. She wasn’t sure what he wanted to eat, but she figured a salad went with just about anything. Without looking, she shut the refrigerator, turned and walked right into Zane’s arms, he had just walked in the kitchen.

“Sorry I didn’t hear ya walk in. You sure are quiet.” She smiled up at him, an apple in one hand, a head of lettuce in the other, both now caught between there bodies.

 

[Miltone]

Zane Carnaby

“Oops … sorry,” Zane said, bumping fully into Jennifer as she turned away from the refrigerator. It wasn’t until this moment, seeing how surprised that she was upon seeing him, that he realized how fast he had rushed through drying off and getting dressed. The apple and head of lettuce that she held was all that was keeping them from touching. He looked down at the head of lettuce pressed up against her firm little breasts, which were in turn pushed up against her tee. The moment that they had contacted, his hand had slipped around her, protectively or so he thought. And then she smiled at him, a smile that … that … that said something … something that he wasn’t quite sure of the meaning. “Hey! A salad. Right!”

As he brought his hand up from the small of her back and reached for the head of lettuce, it brushed against her body, touching her for really the first time. Well, except when their fingers had barely brushed together when she had handed him his towel earlier. Zane wasn’t sure if it was static or what, but there was a definite tingle that passed between them. And as their eyes locked up for a moment, a feeling passed through him. It was like the years that separated them began to diminish, that here he was a single available guy and here she was a single girl similarly available. Why shouldn’t something be able to happen? Then he caught himself. What a fucking fool I am, he thought. Here I am, taking her in out of the kindness of my heart and suddenly I find myself thinking of hitting on her! What kind of cheap fuck have I become?

“Well, I figured … that a salad would … go with anything,” she said, her voice falling haltingly upon his ears. She still hadn’t moved, nor had he.

“You know I got a really fine looking steak at the market yesterday … a porterhouse,” he said slowly. “Why don’t I fire up the barbeque and we can like share it?”

“That would be … fantastic!” she replied. Jennifer lowered her hands, pulling the lettuce and apple away from between them. For just a moment, she pressed up against him, the warmth of her body radiating between them.

“Um, yeah. Great,” he said blankly, trying not to yield to the wonderful sensations that her touch brought to him. Zane glanced down at her, so sweet and young and appealing, her blonde hair flowing down over her shoulders, her large eyes looking up at him, her full lips parted slightly, moist and red and … Fuck! What am I thinking? he thought. “Right. Well, why don’t I find that steak and maybe some spuds and a vegetable … I have some fresh broccoli we could steam … and a cheese sauce. I can whip one up real quickly …”

“Zane,” she said calmly and smoothly, taking his hand in hers. It felt so small and dainty as her fingers curled around his. “You don’t have to go to any trouble just for me. I’m just grateful not to have to be eating dirt tonight.” Jennifer let out a laugh, a great laugh that opened her mouth widely, that made her cheeks round up so beautifully, and made her eyes sparkle.

“But I’m hungry too,” he protested. “I like all that stuff.”

“So do I,” Jennifer replied.

They stood together for another few moments, their eyes locked upon one another, their fingers intertwining, their bodies brushing up against each other, their eyes exchanging glances that only their hearts might have been able to interpret. Then they moved apart and began to fix the meal. Zane fired up the Que and Jennifer set to fixing the salad. He caught himself glancing over at her several times, watching her chop the vegetables for the salad. He realized just how much he missed having someone else around the house, not just a demanding teenaged daughter, but someone with whom to truly share a meal. When everything seemed to be under way and under control, Zane turned on the sound system and thought of selecting some music. His wide-ranging taste could have picked out anything, but he did have a guest.

“So, any requests?” he asked expectantly.

 

[DangerousDarkEyes]

Jennifer Odell

She looked at him with a rather embarrassed blush on her face. “I really haven’t listened to much music, watched a lot of tv. When ever my dad had the radio on in the car, he listened to one of those oldie stations. Wasn’t bad though, he use to sing every time some guy named Sinatra or Mathis came on. He loved that song Pennies from Heaven too, nice song too.” Jennifer laughed softly. “Guess I’m not like most girls my age.”

“A lot of girls probably haven’t lived like you either.” Zane said with a small smile and chose several selections.

“Do you sing too?” She giggled, recognized the voice of the singer. The music filled the air, another thing she wasn’t use to, making her feel even more light hearted and happy. “Or how about dance?” Without another thought she moved to where he was standing and put a hand on his shoulder, holding out her other hand for him to take it. “What’s wrong, never danced in your house before?” She smiled up at him, noticing the bewildered look in his eyes and she took his hand, leaning into him a bit.

She hadn’t stopped thinking about how their eyes had met earlier, the way it made her feel when their fingers intertwined, their bodies brushed together. Now moving to the music, the warmth of his body so close to hers, she felt like she imagined the women did in the movies when they were dancing. But this is real, he’s real, the way he looks at me. Is he seeing me like I do him? Was that what I saw in his eyes? Does he see that in mine? So many questions, she closed her mind, resting her head on his shoulder, listening to the music and swayed her body in time with his.

When the song ended, she looked up at him time standing still for a brief moment and then unexpectedly she leaned up, giving him a soft kiss on his cheek. “You should dance more often, it makes you smile.” She remarked softly, her eyes sparkling into his and then she moved out of his arms to finish helping with their meal.

They finally sat down at the table and when Zane poured each of them a glass of wine, it surprised her, considering her age. He commented that it was only a small amount and it was a special occasion.

“Okay, just so I know you’re not trying to get me drunk.” She laughed teasing him and took a sip of the wine, liking the taste of it. “This sure is good, you’re a good cook.” She let him know as she hungrily scarfed down her food, it was obvious she enjoyed it and had been starving.

“You’re just one hungry woman.”

“You can say that again.” She immediately looked up at him, not embarrassed by how quickly she was eating, but he had called her a woman. A woman, he sees me as a woman. A warm stirring fluttered in her belly just hearing him say that.

 

[Miltone]

Zane Carnaby

“You’re just one hungry woman!” Zane repeated half in jest, but feeling good about being able to smile again. He had watched her eat like a starved creature, pretty well as he expected her to, and glad that he could have helped. The memory of their little dance and the warmth of her kiss still spun in his head. And as she tossed her head back in laughter, the feeling was infectious, and he laughed along with her.

“I can’t tell you how grateful I am for all of this,” she said, once her last bite was finished. “I don’t know how I’ll do it, but I’ll pay you back for everything.”

“Oh, come on … don’t think of it,” Zane protested. “It’s been a reward enough just to have you here with me, makes this place seem a little less lonely.”

“A little less?”

“Well, more than a little … maybe more than a lot too,” he went on.

Jennifer dropped her eyes down to the table where her fingers were tracing along the stem of her wineglass. “And to think that I almost didn’t even stop to talk to you,” she said. “Who knows where I would have ended up?”

“I’m glad it is here,” he answered. “Now I can see that you’ve finished your wine, but don’t know if I should offer you a bit more. I mean, I don’t want to appear to be taking advantage.”

“If someone should feel that way, it should be me,” she giggled. “But if it’s all the same, I wouldn’t mind just a bit more.”

“Okay,” Zane said and then refilled their glasses. “Maybe we can take these outside and enjoy the evening.”

He led the way to the patio door, held the door open for her, and then joined her on the deck. They sat at the pair of chairs that had a great view of the pool and flower garden. The strains of a favorite Harry Connick Jr. disc filtered out through the outdoor speakers. They sat and watched as the sun began to fade, the few clouds in the sky being painted a lush shade of pink. There was a matching glow in her face as she turned to look at Zane.

 

[DangerousDarkEyes]

Jennifer Odell

“You have a beautiful place here, this is just so nice.” She said taking a deep breath, the scent of fresh air, flowers, even the chlorine from the pool filling her nostrils. She took a sip of her wine, then placed the glass down as she glanced around, feeling as if she were in a dream hoping never to wake up.

“It’s nicer when someone is here to share it.” Zane said right away, his eyes watching her. “I mean…well…being alone I probably don’t appreciate it the same.”

“Why are you alone?” She asked, having wondered that since she first met him. She saw a sadness in his eyes and was sorry she asked, not wanting to cause him pain. “Sorry, I shouldn’t have asked that. I sometimes get too nosey.” She looked away from him, her eyes on the pool, she really had to think more before she opened her mouth.

“My wife died quite awhile back. I just buried my daughter several days ago, she was not much younger than you.” He said and she heard the pain in his voice. She felt goosebumps on her flesh, his words ran right through her, the look in his eyes made her want to reach out and hug him. She didn’t know why, having never lost anyone in her life, but she had seen pain before in her fathers eyes, in her own. She understood that.

“I’m sorry, that must be really hard. I never really knew my mom, I was pretty young when she died.” She was at a loss as what to say, especially now knowing she was only a bit older than his daughter. Was she making it harder for him she wondered, but then he had taken her in, and the way he had looked at her, she didn’t think she was reminding him of that.

Jennifer took another sip of her wine, there was an uncomfortable silence between the two of them suddenly and she didn’t like it. She wanted to see him smile, to see his face light up like it did when he danced with her. After setting the glass down on the table, she stood up and walked to the edge of the pool. Although it was getting dark outside, the soft patio lights shimmered on the water and she suddenly had an idea. She giggled softly and quickly her hands went to the zipper on her jeans, pulling it down. She let them slip from her, falling on the patio, then stepping out of them, she turned around and looked at him, a playful smile on her face.

“I never swam in the dark before, how about you?” She asked him, causing him to look up from his drink. She then turned and jumped into the not so deep end of the pool, but went completely under. When she stood up, the water about waist high, her t-shirt was glued against her body leaving very little to the imagination. She was giggling as she looked at him. “Course I really don’t know how to swim too good either. Maybe you should come in here and make sure I don‘t drowned?” She teased him, hoping to pull him from his thoughts, wanting to see him smile again.

 

[Miltone]

Zane Carnaby

“Well, uh … I do swim quite often late at night, so I’m used to it,” he remarked. He had been taken completely by surprise when she stripped off her jeans, and the flash of her firm butt in the little lace panties as she jumped in sent a chill up and down his spine. “But seeing that you aren’t … maybe I should.” Zane set his wineglass on the table and got up. “Just for the sake of safety and all.”

Zane flipped the switch to turn on the underwater pool light, sending a wave of aquamarine light filtering through the water, illuminating the entire pool and bringing another giggle from Jennifer as she looked down and saw that there was not hiding beneath the water. He then walked over to the edge of the shallow end where Jennifer stood, dripping wet. The yellow tee clung to her wet body, outlining perfectly the little bra she was wearing underneath and the firm curves of her breasts that it supported. She brushed her wet hair back from her face and giggled again, a gentle laugh that made him smile. He could feel his body respond to the sight of her, so young and beautiful, so wet as if to be almost naked. Is this just some innocent play, or is she trying to seduce me? He thought the notion over and realized that he was reading too much into this. Besides, it’s not like she actually was his daughter or anything. What do I have to be afraid of?

Not wanting to get his clothes wet, Zane pulled his golf shirt off over his head and then began to open up his slacks. He could see that she was watching his every move as he lowered them down, revealing his snug boxers, grateful that they were roomy enough to hide what was growing underneath.

“I like those shorts,” she giggled as he made his way toward the edge of the pool. “Come on in, the water’s great!” she called out as he stood over her at the water’s edge.

Zane crouched down in the classic swimmers starting position, then pushed off, knifing into the water, which now felt warm compared to the cooler evening air. He felt the water rush over him and pulled up to stand in the middle of the pool, almost at the drop off. As he stood upright, he felt her body brush past him. He dove down and gave chase, finding her a fast swimmer and able to catch her only as she reached the wall of the deep end. As they surfaced and she reached for the coping, Zane’s arms stretched out on either side around her, trapping her up against the wall and bringing them face to face.

“What is that business about not being able to swim well?” he laughed.

“Well, I’m not really that good at it.”

“Liar!” he teased.

Her hands moved up under the water over his chest and hooked over his shoulders. Her legs were rubbing up against his and her body was pressing closer.

“I don’t lie,” Jennifer said as their eyes locked up.

“Neither do I,” Zane replied.

And just when it seemed like she was leaning forward to kiss him, their heads tilting to the side, their breath rushing over each other’s face, Jennifer pushed down hard against his shoulders dunking him and she darted away through the water. Zane surfaced spitting out water and took off after her, his long hard strokes helping him reach her as she neared the stairs. Laughing crazily, she tried to scamper up the stairs, but Zane grasped her leg and tugged her back down into the water, into his arms.

“I thought you said you never lied,” he laughed.

“I don’t,” she chuckled in reply. “But I’m not above playing a trick or two.”

“Then I guess I’m going to have to keep my eyes wide open while you’re around,” he said with a grin. He was almost ready to pull her close and kiss her, and the way their wet bodies were brushing up against each other, he almost did. But his arms relaxed and he let her drift away.

“So should we get out of these wet clothes?” Jennifer asked.

“If you want,” Zane said. “I can find you some night clothes when you’re ready.”

 

[DangerousDarkEyes]

Jennifer Odell

“You can if you want to, but I don’t wear anything sleeping, so the robe you gave me is enough.” She smiled at him, her heart seemed to be racing as she enjoyed the playfulness between them. She had wanted to kiss him more than anything, and then it seemed like he too wanted it. Why hadn’t he kissed her, she wondered, it seemed like he wanted to. Maybe she was reading more into it than she thought, maybe he did just saw her as some kid, homeless, and he was just trying to help.

“How you sleep is up to you, come on let’s dry off.” He remarked as he grabbed her hand helping her out of the pool.

She took the towel he handed her, first bending over drying her hair, it being so thick and full took some time. When she was finished she noticed that he was already picking up his clothes, the towel wrapped around his waist and heading for the door. Bringing her hands to the hem of her t-shirt, she lifted it up and pulled it off her slender body, then after wringing out the water from it, she laid it over the chair to dry and wrapped the towel around her body.

“Okay, I’m coming.” She giggled at him, seeing how he watched her. “You know you’re rather fun when you’re not being such a stick in the mud.” She teased him as she walked past, not at all embarrassed by the fact that she was only wearing a bra and panties now wet as they clung to her like a second skin.

She had walked to her bedroom, again feeling like she was dreaming, the thought of her bedroom. Several minutes later, she was standing near the bed, she had slipped off her wet undies and was drying herself before getting under the covers, there was a knock at the door and then it opened.

“Here’s a nightgown…” Zane said, then stopped himself, his eyes going over what he saw standing in front of him.

“Thank you…” Jennifer whispered, holding the cover in front of her as she went to get the nightgown from him. His eyes did not deceive her, what she saw at first glance she knew he was thinking and feeling the same thing she was. But ages, life styles, she wasn’t sure, she only knew there was something stopping him from acting on what he felt. She wished she was older, understood more, wished she knew what to do to make him look at her like she was looking at him.

He left the room rather quickly, and after drying herself, she put the little nightie on that he had given her. She slid beneath the covers, and taking a deep breath, she had never felt this warm, comfortable in her whole life. It didn’t take her long, before she drifted off to sleep.

It was well into the night when she was awakened by noises. She bolted, sitting upright, trying to focus on where she was. She heard the noises, or rather his voice mumbling, and after throwing on her robe, she followed it until she walked in his room sitting on the side of the bed. Her had softly flicking the hair from his face as he slept, yet she saw him tossing and turning in his dreams, the pain and anguish so real on his face.

“It’s just a dream Zane, just a bad dream. You’re not alone.” She whispered as she continued to gently stroke his hair.

 

[Miltone]

Zane Carnaby

The afternoon sun was brilliant, the trees lush and full, and the sky a color of blue only seen on warm summer days in the early afternoon … Allison was beside me, her hand resting on mine … Lizzie, dear sweet Lizzie, playing in the sandbox with her ponies … Content, I close my eyes and let my mind drift … then there is a screech and a thunderous thud … my eyes pop open … the warmth of the hand is gone … the little girl in the sandbox has disappeared … the sun is covered over with thick gray clouds … and I sit and howl, unable to reclaim what had been mine …

“It’s just a dream, Zane, just a bad dream. You’re not alone.”

Zane shook his head at the sound of a strange voice. His eyes blinked open and he saw a girl sitting beside him. Jennifer, it was Jennifer, and her hand was brushing over his forehead and temple, her fingers combing through his dampened hair.

“What … what are you … doing here?” he asked sleepily. There was a strange feeling of comfort to the touch of her hand, so small and delicate, as it stroked his face.

“You must have been having a bad dream or something,” she said softly. “I woke up and came in here to see what was wrong.”

Zane reached up and rested his hand on hers, pressing it against his cheek. God, she looked like an angel to his bleary eyes. “Thanks,” he mumbled. “But I think I’m all right.”

“You sure?” she asked.

Suddenly he was aware that she was sitting on his bed, leaning over him, her robe parting just enough for him to see that she was wearing the filmy little nightgown he had found among Allison’s old things. His other hand found the small of her back and when she felt his touch, she seemed to fall down against him, her body resting on his, her face very, very near his.

“I’ll be all right,” he said.

“I could … um, stay with you if you want,” she whispered. “I mean just to help you get back to sleep.”

“I don’t know … that’s not really necessary,” Zane replied.

“Look, it’s not like anything is going to happen or anything,” Jennifer said, rising up from the bed and slipping off her robe. “I’ll just lay with you and we’ll both fall back asleep. No big deal.”

Even in the dim light of the wee hours, Zane could see that her nightgown hid very little. But then he had seen her naked before. She boldly pulled back the covers and began to slip between the sheets.

“But I should warn you,” he said. “I sleep in the raw.”

Jennifer paused as she settled onto his bed. “Well so do I normally,” she said. “I mean when I can.” The way she looked at him send another shiver down his spine. She reached down and grabbed the hem of her nightgown and pulled it up and off over her head, revealing her pale naked body to him. Tossing it aside, she slipped down beside him in the bed, and he let his arms wrap around her. She nestled down against him with her head on his chest and her leg drawn up over his belly. “Now, how’s this feel?”

As his arms held her close, Zane was afraid to admit how good it felt. It felt so wonderful and natural for them to be lying there together. Even if it felt as though she was always pushing the envelope on him, maybe he needed that. Maybe he needed someone to challenge him. It wasn’t really sexual—or was it? Just some innocent human comfort going on, comfort that seemed to bring peace to his heart and yes, a stirring to his manhood. And just like a dream, with the warmth of this young woman wrapped around him, Zane fell back asleep … soundly.

 

[DangerousDarkEyes]

Jennifer Odell

Not only did being in a bed feel good, but having the warmth of man’s body against hers was something she had only dreamt of. Although never had her dreams been of someone like him, so nice, so fun to be around and so good looking. She knew she had acted pretty forward with him by some of the looks he had given her. I wonder what he would think if he knew I never did something like this before. . With a smile on her lips and a happy heart, Jennifer fell asleep in his arms.

When the morning dawned, she woke, blinking her eyes, forgetting for a few seconds where she was. Just as she was focusing she felt Zane’s hand brush across her breast when he moved. She quickly turned her head looking back at him and noticed he was still sleeping, but his hand now cupped her breast. She didn’t move, she wasn’t even sure what to do other than to stare at his hand. All she was really sure of was suddenly she felt very flushed and he was making her nipple pretty perky. When he moved his hand again, this time letting his thumb slide over the tip of her nipple, she took a breath, moving slightly.

As good as what he was doing to her felt, she knew he was sleeping, probably not even aware of what he was doing, or at least who he was doing it to. She thought about waking him, but that might embarrass him, or worse, he might apologize and she didn’t want that either. Moving very slowly, she started to slip away from him which in turn stirred him to release her moving to lay on his back. When she got up from the bed, slipping her nightie and robe back on, she glanced back at him. Jennifer stood for several minutes just gazing over his body, the sheet only covering him from the waist down, but what caught her eye more was slight rise in the sheet below his waist. Then she saw him move again and quickly not wanting to get caught staring at him like that, especially at that, she left the room.

His house was so quiet, and now alone, she walked quietly through the rooms, looking at all the nice things he had. She didn’t touch anything, fearful she might break something and it would probably be so expensive she’d never in a million life time’s be able to pay for it. When she neared the front door she suddenly heard something hit the door. Curious, she opened the door and saw a newspaper not far from the door with a teenage boy getting ready to ride off on his bike.

“Hey thanks.” Jennifer said smiling as she walked outside to get the paper.

“Who are you? I didn’t think anyone lived with Mr. Carnaby.” The kid said looking at her standing there with her robe partially opened, her nightie showing through a bit.

“I’m just here for a visit. Do you live around here?” Jennifer asked him, oblivious to the looks she was getting from him.

“Who me, are you kidding, we can’t afford to live in this area. So where you visiting from? You a relative or something?”

“Or something.” Jennifer laughed as she bent over to pick up the newspaper.

“What the…Jennifer get in here. You don’t stand outside dressed like that.” Zane said having heard the voices only to see her bent over and talking to the paperboy.

“I was just getting your newspaper.” She said rather innocently, turning around to face him.

“Have a good day Mr. Carnaby.” The kid smiled, waving as he took off on his bike.

 

[Miltone]

Zane Carnaby

“Well, I think you just made somebody’s morning,” Zane said as Jennifer turned and brought the newspaper inside. She smiled and pulled her robe tighter around her body but her eyes remained on him, her gaze drifting down from his eyes. Suddenly he felt aware that all he was wearing was his robe and that it did little to conceal his morning hard-on. When he tried to adjust the robe, Jennifer laughed.

“Good Morning, Zane,” she giggled, “To both of you.” She ignored his embarrassment as he cinched up his robe and handed him the morning news. “Did you sleep well?”

“As a matter of fact, I did,” he said as they walked together toward the kitchen. It was the first time in a week that he had slept until the sun was already up. “Only thing was that I had some of the strangest dreams.”

“Oh, really?” she asked slipping onto a kitchen stool at the counter.

“Yes, very strange,” Zane continued, starting to set up the coffee maker. “For some reason, I had this dream that you … um, you … well, it’s …”

“What?” she asked. “Come on, you have to tell me if it’s about me.”

“Well, I dreamed that you were in bed with me,” he blurted out quickly, then laughed. “Kind of silly, huh?”

“I don’t think that’s silly at all,” she said innocently. “Besides, would that be so bad?”

“But if you were naked?”

“Maybe you weren’t dreaming,” she suggested.

“I did pick up the scent of your shampoo on my pillow when I woke up this morning,” he said, turning on the maker and resting both hands on the counter across from her. “Look, I’ve never done anything like this before. I want to help you however I can, Jennifer, but I didn’t bring you here to take advantage of you.”

“And you haven’t in any way, Zane,” she said, reaching her hands over to take up one of his. “What you’ve done, what you’ve offered me is wonderful, like a dream come true. Sometimes I feel like I’m the one taking advantage.”

“Just don’t feel like you have to pay me back, in any way,” he said.

Zane felt her warm little hands hold his hand and rub it gently. Her eyes looked up at him clearly showing the gratefulness that she felt. It was an honest and open look, like just about everything else he had seen in her. He couldn’t be her father, since despite the circumstances she already had one. He couldn’t be her brother. Maybe an uncle. He was definitely too old to be her lover … or was he? The tingles that her touch sent up his arm were electric. And the sight of her, leaning toward the counter, her robe and nightgown falling away from her beautiful pale body ensured that his morning “woody” wasn’t going to fade too soon.

Was it so bad to think of her in that way? There is much that I could teach her, he thought. Hell, there’s probably a lot that she could teach me for that matter! He bent forward toward her, resting his elbows on the countertop, reaching over with his other hand to hold both of hers together. He could feel the warmth of her body radiating from across the granite countertop, her thick blonde hair all tousled about her shoulders, her big eyes looking at him intently. There were things he felt that he should say, but the words were too hard to speak. There were things he wanted to do but felt were inappropriate.

“Well, um … maybe we should have some breakfast,” Zane suggested.

“I think you’re right,” Jennifer replied and they both began to back away. “So do you have to go to work today?”

“I’ve taken this week and next off to kind of put things in order.”

“So what do you feel like doing today?”

“Well, I was thinking that maybe after breakfast we could take you and do a little clothes shopping,” Zane offered.

“You don’t have to do that,” Jennifer said.

“You can’t wear hand-me-downs forever, you know,” Zane replied. “Then afterwards, maybe we can go by the park and see if we can find your father.”

Zane watched as her face lit up, her eyes sparkling, her cheeks glowing. All through breakfast he could see the excitement building in her. She told him that she couldn’t remember the last time she had gone clothes shopping. Yet her mood was tempered by thoughts of her father, not knowing where he was or what he was up to. She sat looking pensive for a moment, then she looked up and smiled and the glow returned. After breakfast, Zane took her upstairs to his room and showed her where all of Allison’s old things were.

“Go ahead and pick something out,” he said showing her the lingerie drawers and the remaining clothes in the walk-in closet. “I’m going to jump into the shower real quick.”

“Cool,” she replied. “And thanks again, Zane.”

“Oh, come on. I’m just doing what anyone would do.”

“No, you’re not,” she said moving over toward him. “Most people would have ignored me. You were nice enough to help. Really nice enough.”

Zane smiled and reached out to stroke her cheek. “I’m only too glad to help.” He turned and went into the bathroom, turned on the shower and stripped out of his robe. He checked himself in the mirror. A sad case of bed hair, but the rest of him looked pretty good and quite different from what he had seen the past few days. The face looked rested and refreshed, the body invigorated and pumped, the cock thick and throbbing. He looked down. Damn! Where did this thing come from? As he showered, thoughts of Jennifer kept coming to him and he tried to dismiss them, but no matter what couldn’t wipe the smile from his face. He dried off and wrapped the towel around his waist.

Stepping out from the bath he paused in his tracks. The robe and nightgown that he had given Jennifer were tossed on the bed. Zane turned his head and saw her in Allison’s walk-in closet. She had put on a little light blue silk bra and matching panties and was rummaging through the drawers and shelves in the closet.

“Oh, hi,” she said when she looked over to see Zane staring at her. “Don’t mind me. Just trying to make up my mind what to wear. Typical girl thing, you know,” she laughed.

She turned and faced him innocently, holding up a couple of outfits. The silk lingerie was so sheer that it hardly did anything to conceal the intimate features of her body; her little pink nipples were clearly visible through the cups of the bra as was the cleft of her sex through the panties. Zane felt a rush of heat sweep through his body.

 

[DangerousDarkEyes]

Jennifer Odell

The easy part had been putting on the blue panties and bra, and she had stood in front of the dresser looking in the mirror for some time just admiring herself. The silk material felt so nice against her skin and how it made her slender figure look, she smiled, letting her fingers gently stroke across her breasts. Closing her eyes she took a deep breath, recalling how Zane’s hand had touched her and what it made her feel like and what she had seen of him at the door. How she would have loved to…To what, to touch him, touch his… A warming shiver took her just at the thought and looking in the mirror she noticed her face flushed, her nipples erect through the bra.

Jennifer searched through the clothes in the closet, never had she seen so many nice things. She was already excited about going shopping and now looking at the selection here, she couldn’t even imagine what it would be like in a store. Finally holding two outfits up, trying to make up her mind she had turned to see Zane standing there in just his towel. That’s when she saw the look in his eyes, a flush wash over his face and lowering her eyes she saw the tip of his penis barely poke through the opening in the towel.

“Take your time, there’s no rush.” Zane said pulling the towel tighter, turning away from him when he saw where her eyes had traveled.

“Is it okay if I take both of these to my room and try them on so I can decided which one to wear?” She asked walking out of the closet behind him. He must be attracted to me some by the way he just acted. Wow, wouldn’t that be so neat to have him like me, like that, especially like that.

“That’s fine, go ahead and take whatever you need to your room. I’ll meet you downstairs when you’re ready.”

“Great, and thanks again Zane. You really are a nice guy.” She said with a light airy voice, happy just knowing she might have peaked his interest in that way.

After trying on both outfits, Jennifer chose to wear the navy skirt with the slits on the side. It was a bit short, but that didn’t bother her, she assumed she might have been a little taller than Zane’s wife. She tucked the silky light blue blouse into the skirt and left several of the top buttons undone. She frowned when she grabbed her filthy tennis shoes, these would never do, she thought to herself. She walked back to Zane’s room, and although he wasn’t there, she went in the closet to see if there might be a pair of shoes she could wear. He had told her to take anything she needed and upon finding a pair of white sandals, she slipped them on her feet.

“Hope you don’t mind, but I borrowed a pair of shoes too. These clothes were just too nice to wear with my dirty and stinky tennis shoes.” She said walking in the kitchen where he stood drinking a cup of coffee. “What’s wrong, don’t I look okay?”

“You look fine, very nice.” Zane said as he almost choked on his coffee, being caught off guard by how she looked standing there.

“Well you look better than nice, you look really sexy in that. What kind of material is your shirt made of?” She smiled at him, moving closer to him. She ran her fingers down the front of his shirt, mostly because she just wanted to touch him, be nearer to him. After inhaling, she flashed her eyes up at him. “You smell really good too.”

 

[Miltone]

Zane Carnaby

“The shirt is a silk blend,” Zane said as Jennifer ran her hand lightly over his chest. “And the cologne is Pierre Cardin.” He felt warm and just a bit nervous upon feeling her touch on his body. He had felt different and more than a little embarrassed earlier when spotting her in just a bra and panties in the closet and his cock decided to show off. But now the feeling wasn’t embarrassment, not at all. She looked so sweet and sexy, the upper curves of her breasts showing in the split of her blouse and her long legs stretching out from the generous slit of her skirt. Just being this close to her and feeling the energy that was passing between them made him feel years younger.

It also made him realize how deeply he had gone into a shell following Allison’s death. Perhaps it had been with the idea that he had little time to be anything but both parents to Lizzie. But now that dream was gone too and there were no reasons for him to hide any longer. He had to get out. But whether it was with this one, this homeless waif with the big eyes and the supple slender figure and the warm hand caressing his chest, or with someone else, he wasn’t sure but he was going to find out. He rested his hand on hers and kept it from moving too far down over his stomach.

“Let’s get going,” Zane said with a smile.

“This is going to be sooo much fun!” she said excitedly as they headed out the front to the car.

It all seemed so natural and easy, riding in the car to the mall. She could have been his daughter, but the looks they exchanged went far beyond any father-daughter relationship. For a moment the image of a sugar daddy came to his mind, but he laughed since there was no real or imagined exchange of favors. Then he saw it, pure and simple, and felt surprised that he hadn’t thought of it before. Here they were just two lonely, needy people, each missing something that they had suddenly found in each other.

Zane looked over at her, her long legs stretched out on the supple leather seat of his Jag, her hair flowing past her shoulders, a look of delightful anticipation on her face. Impulsively, he reached over and took her hand and held it. No squeeze, no placing it somewhere strategic, nothing more than simple human contact. And when she looked over at him, she smiled, but the smile soon faded into something else, something deeper, something that went beyond words.

When they entered the mall, Zane let her have her head a little, picking the places she wanted to shop. The first couple places were flashy and splashy but Zane talked her out of buying there since the clothes were cheap and not well made. She was resistant when he suggested one of the finer shops, but then they settled on one that was stylish but with quality. At first Jennifer didn’t know where to start and looked at Zane desperately.

“Look, you’re going to need a few things to wear everyday, maybe something kind of nice,” Zane said. “We’ll hit up the shoe store and the lingerie shop after we finish here.”

“But this is going to cost you a fortune,” she said. “I just don’t want you to …”

“Look,” Zane said, facing her and placing his hands on her shoulders. “You let me worry about that. You need something to wear to look for a job, something to wear to hang out, something to wear when you go out. Go on pick some things out and try them on.” He waved over an experienced sales clerk and explained the situation briefly. “She needs a wardrobe, nothing fancy.”

Without so much as a wink or a nod, the clerk set about taking her around and helping her make some choices. Zane took a seat just outside the dressing room and relaxed. Oh, he said to himself. The latest Sports Illustrated. How convenient! As the next hour and more went on, he watched as Jennifer emerged from the dressing room again and again, looking to him for approval. When she appeared in one terrific little dress that made his eyebrows shoot up and nearly brought a wolf whistle to his lips, the clerk began to usher her back.

“No,” Jennifer said. “I want to take this one.”

Zane signed the receipt without considering the total and laughed when he saw how much he had to carry. He decided to take the packages out to the car instead of lugging them around. Four pairs of shoes and a cute pair of sandals later they found themselves standing outside the lingerie shop.

“I don’t know, Zane,” she said. “I’ve never done this much shopping before.”

“If you’re hungry we can go get something to eat,” Zane offered.

“It’s not that …”

“You want to leave then?”

“No, I mean yes but not really. I do need some underwear I guess,” she said softly looking down at herself.

“You want me to wait outside?” he said.

She laughed nervously and then took a deep breath. “Oh, no, I think I need you with me,” she said slowly.

“It’s usually the guy who doesn’t want to go in a store like this,” Zane laughed. He took her hand and led her into the shop. The heavy scent of sexy perfume and the lush boudoir décor lent a decided air to the place. While a pretty little sales clerk took Jennifer under her wing and they went off to pick out some things, Zane found a plush chair and waited. He looked down and closed his eyes, lost in thoughts of the past twenty-four hours. Was this the right thing to do? Was it too much, too fast? I mean, after all, I hardly know this girl, he thought. He rubbed his eyelids and took a deep breath.

“So? What do you think?” he heard Jennifer ask. Looking up, Zane’s eyes popped open wide and he felt his jaw drop down.

“My … my … my god!” he said when he saw Jennifer modeling a little outfit. “Oh, my god!”

 

[DangerousDarkEyes]

Jennifer Odell

“Now I know I have to have this outfit!” She excitedly told the saleslady. She hadn’t been too sure when she first put it on, thinking it was a bit too risqué but the look on Zane’s face was all she needed to see. Jennifer turned around, letting him see both the front and back views, she couldn’t get over the way he was looking at her. She suddenly felt sexy, something that was new to her.

The almost sheer black lace teddy fit snug against her body, accenting every curve, pushing her breasts out to where her nipples almost peaked over the top. Thin straps were over her shoulders, the back cut lose exposing most of her back. The high cut leg openings came way up on her slender hips, the back showing off a good part of her firm ass. The stockings molded against her long shapely legs, hooking to the lacey garters.

While she changed and picked out several different things, she kept seeing the look on Zane’s face when he had looked at her. With this in mind she picked several other things that she was sure he would like seeing her in too, along with some nice everyday panties and bra’s. She didn’t dare look at the price tags, just the look of everything in the store seemed expensive.

After he had paid for everything and they were putting the bags in the car, she leaned against him a bit, smiling up at him.

“So you liked that outfit, did ya? You should see some of the other things.” She said in a teasing whisper.

“I should huh? Maybe you’ll just have to model them for me.” Zane smiled, partly teasing partly serious.

“Maybe, or maybe I’ll just let you guess what I might have underneath some of the new clothes you bought me.” She giggled playful, completely wound up with the excitement of the day, but more from still thinking about the way he had looked at her.

“And maybe I’ll just have to…” Zane said turning to her his arm reaching behind her back as he pulled her too him. There was a surprised look in her eyes as their eyes met and she saw the same look she had seen earlier. Her lips puckered a bit, expecting him to kiss her, wanting him to, but then something caught her eye behind him.

“Let’s go somewhere else okay, anywhere you want.” She said quickly with a slight panic in her voice as she seemed to be shielding herself in front of him not wanting to be seen.

“What’s wrong? Why do you want to leave all of a sudden?” Zane asked, noting her strange behavior and turned to see what she might be looking at. There was a crowd of people walking around and he saw nothing out of the ordinary. “Are you afraid of something or someone?” He asked again as they got into the car.

“Not really. I just saw someone who knows my dad, but he’s not a nice person I don’t think. My dad was always trying to stay away from him, so I didn’t want him seeing me either. I think my dad owes him some money.” Jennifer replied in a rather nonchalant way, directing her eyes out the window, but her heart was pounding. Not nice, the man had actually wanted her father to give him her in exchange for the money he owed. She had no idea what the man wanted her for, but the way he had licked his lips and his eyes scanned her body had made her feel really creepy. So different than the way she felt when Zane looked at her.

“Did your dad owe a lot of people like that money?” Zane asked, concerned and curious.

“Yeah I guess so, he didn’t work much, but he had a lot of girlfriends that helped him out. I didn’t get to know them too well though, he didn’t like having people around where we were staying. Can we get something to eat now, I’m getting hungry.” She changed the subject rather abruptly, as did her mood when she looked at him smiling.

 

[Miltone]

Zane Carnaby

“There’s a place called Brady’s that I think you’ll like,” Zane said as they pulled out from the mall parking lot. It was a small clubby place not far away. He was tempted to ask more about her father, but given the abrupt way she had wanted to leave, he thought it best to keep such questions to himself for the time being. He could still feel the warmth and pressure of her body brushing up against him and the tingles that she had started up deep inside him.

And the sight of Jennifer in the little teddy was haunting him. He remembered talking recently with one of his longtime buddies who was dating a younger girl, and who had told him that this younger generation of women coming along was nothing like the girls they had dated in college and beyond. They were comfortable with their sexuality, proud of their bodies and didn’t mind showing them off. Was she flaunting herself, or just being herself?

Zane had to admit that he liked what he saw and the feelings that she had stirred up inside him. Even as he glanced over at her riding in the car, her arm resting on the windowsill, the fresh air blowing in through the open window, sending her hair trailing back over shoulder, he could feel something welling up from deep within. She had changed back into the silky light blue blouse and navy skirt. He found her looks so appealing and caught himself taking as many quick little glimpses of her as the traffic would allow. When she turned toward him she must have seen the look in his eye, but she didn’t say a thing instead she just flashed a big smile.

“You want to see my bathing suit?” she asked.

“Sure,” he answered. “But I don’t remember seeing you try one on.”

“I wasn’t thinking about it at first, but then I was thinking that I can’t go swimming with you in my underwear,” she laughed. “I was going to keep it a secret but I guess it won’t hurt to show you now.” She reached in the back and pulled a bag from the lingerie shop up onto her lap. After fishing around, she pulled out a little yellow two piece and arranged the top on her breasts. “So what do you think?”

Zane glanced over and saw the pair of small yellow triangles that barely covered the firm curves of her breasts and the skinny strings that held them together. “Whoa! Good thing you warned me!” he laughed.

“And the bottom is just like this,” she giggled.

“Makes a fellow feel like taking a swim,” Zane said. “But first, lunch.”

They spent a pleasant hour in the restaurant sitting and talking while they ate. He tried not to laugh as he watched her scarf down her cheeseburger and fries hungrily while he picked over his chicken Caesar salad. With only a few questions from her, he found himself telling her about himself, his work as a sales executive for a information technology company, his late wife and family. For her part, she told him what little she knew about her own, her interrupted schooling, her vagabond lifestyle, the fear and loneliness of living almost on the run. And even as her story unfolded, she never looked down hearted about it. Every dark cloud in her sky had a silver lining. It almost made him feel ashamed that with all the success he had experienced in life, he should let his personal tragedies consume him.

When they left the restaurant, he felt her hand swinging at her side near his. He took her hand in his and felt her curl her fingers around and squeeze gently. The few late lunch arrivals waiting for their tables did look up at the pretty young girl in blue and the older man in gray walking hand in hand, but they looks mattered little to the happy couple.

“So do you want to drive by the park this afternoon?” Zane asked when they had returned to the car. “Maybe your father has come back to look for you.”

Jennifer looked over at him and he could see just a sliver of pain in her eyes.

 

[DangerousDarkEyes]

Jennifer Odell

“We could go look.” She answered feeling a tug on her heart. She had worried about her dad, but she was used to him being gone for lengths of time. What bothered her right now was what if he was there, she smiled at Zane. “But I’d rather go swimming.”

“Oh is that so?” He chuckled.

“Besides, he‘s probably in jail, he would have been back by now if something didn‘t happen to him.” She had said it like it was nothing and noticed the surprised look on Zane’s face. “He’s been to jail before, at least now that I’m older they can’t put me in those awful foster homes. Icccckkkkkk!” She screwed up her face, shook her head, and just as quickly she looked at him and giggled. “I hate baloney sandwiches.”

“I can see that, don’t worry no baloney sandwiches at my house. Why don’t we just go back to the house and put your things away. I’ll make a few calls, see what I can find out.”

“Are you going to make me go back to the park if he’s in jail?” She asked him, a serious look on her face.

“Right now I’m not sure what I’m going to do with you.” Zane said smiling at her. He patted her hand to reassure her and she noticed a different sparkle in his eyes when he added, “depends on how you look in that swim suit.”

“So if it’s better than how I looked in that other outfit you might keep me around a bit longer?”

There were looks exchanged between the two of them although they had been joking with each other, there was something else there. They both could see it, and Jennifer was feeling that same warming sensation she had every time he looked at her.

When they returned to his house, Jennifer put her things away, taking her time looking over them. It was hard for her to accept that these were her things and that he had bought them for her, out of the kindness of his heart. He hadn’t even asked her for anything, or even suggested she pay him back. When she put on the little bikini and looked at herself in the mirror, she took a deep breath, excited wondering what he would think. She wanted him to like her and to like her in the way a man does for a woman. She wanted him to touch her again like he had when he was sleeping, making her feel like that.

Stepping out on to the patio, she saw Zane was already swimming unaware that she was watching him. There was an excitement rising in her just watching the way his muscles flexed as he swam, the way his body glistened from the water and the sun shining down. Everything about the way he looked excited her in ways she herself wasn’t even aware of.

“Holy shit….” were the only words he spoke in a rather hoarse voice as he stared at her.

“Does that mean you approve?” She said, now flirting with him as she swayed more than walked up to the edge of the pool. “Better catch me.” Before he had a chance to say anything else, Jennifer jumped into the pool. His arms went up and she was in them with her arms around his neck, her eyes sparkling into his.