Almost a year had passed since Marta had come to live with him, and Joe was as happy as he could remember being. Only a couple of things kept his life from being perfect. Marta still wasn’t speaking to him and ... well, we’ll get to that in a minute.

Joe’s sister-in-law, Jacqueline, or Jacky, had asked Joe for a favor one day, one that would change his life for the better. He didn’t know that at the time and had been fearful, but he felt an even deeper debt of gratitude now than he had felt after the death of his wife and Jacky’s loving support.

Marta had been brought in by the police, abused, terrified and strangely mute, and been turned over to a hospital where she was treated for her wounds. The hospital had, in turn, moved her to a battered women’s shelter where things took a turn for the worse.

With the help of a psychiatrist, it had been determined that Marta had been systematically abused over years, by a woman or group of women. She was terrified of women and would not allow any of the women at the shelter to touch her, help her. Her reaction to a delivery man, and the male psychiatrist, convinced them they needed a male caregiver.

Jacky, who volunteered her time at the shelter, thought of Joe. Alone and lonely, her brother-in-law had withdrawn after the death of his wife from cancer. He had been almost suicidal but Jacky, with the help of her mother who loved Joe like a son, had helped him through. Still, he was withdrawn from the world at large, though a kind and loving man, and she thought that he was what Marta needed, and Marta was what Joe needed too.

It had been touch and go, at first, the two adjusting to each other, but they had become close over time and, when Marta decided she wanted him to be more than a father figure, she wasted no time in showing him. Joe fought the change in their relationship, feeling guilty over his attraction to the young girl, but she was not taking no and made her desires plain to see.

They became lovers, though that would be a pale description of their relationship. Marta was, by nature and training, submissive and Joe, though not at all dominant, gradually accepted her desires. They had settled into a life together, living, loving and even laughing, and almost all was right with the world.

“Jacky, I think it is time. No more sneaking over to see you and Mom, I want to bring Marta with me. She needs this, to get comfortable with other people. Also, well, I have described how she is at home and even though you laugh and tease me, I know you won’t make her uncomfortable about it.” Joe said into the phone.

He was in his office and Marta, the last he saw her, was doing laundry and humming, something new that thrilled him to no end. She rarely vocalized at all, except when upset (very rare these days) or happy (increasingly frequent) and during sex (extremely frequent!). That she had taken to humming along with the radio, or just the tunes in her head, made Joe grin from ear to ear.

“Let’s do this, Joe! Mom has been dying to meet her, you know. She really is happy that you have found love again and wants to meet the girl who, as she puts it, healed your heart after losing Christy.”

“You know that has been killing me, right? The thought of bringing a woman over, someone who is filling the spot that belonged to her deceased daughter? I love her to death, and the last thing I would want to do is hurt her.”

“Joe, she adores you. You are as much her son, in her heart, as Christy and I are her daughters. Yes, she grieves for my sister, but she loves you and wants you happy. So, when are you coming over? Tonight we are having one of my favorites, Mom’s Ropa Vieja!”

“Okay, sound good. Let me get some clothes on her and we can be there in half an hour or so, okay?”

“Perfect! I can’t wait to see how she has changed.” Jacky said before disconnecting.

Joe felt a hand on his thigh and was surprised to see Marta kneeling by his knee. Not that she was kneeling there, she loved to be by his side and, when he was in his office, loved kneeling with her head in his lap. The surprise was that she had come in so quietly, that he had been so intent on his call that he hadn’t heard her. Had she heard him?

He reached down and stroked her hair, smiling at the girl. He couldn’t believe how his life had changed and his heart felt so full it might burst when she smiled at him.

“Baby girl, we are going out. It’s time for you to meet some people that are very dear to me. My family, and now your family too.” he said softly, stroking her cheek.

Marta’s brow creased, her lips curving downward. He could tell she was uncomfortable with the thought, but it still brought a smile to his face. Nine months ago, she would have been a wreck at the very thought. Six months ago she would have been terrified, but would probably have followed him if he insisted.

Even as recently as three months ago, she might have cried at the idea but she was progressing so quickly. He was sure she really didn’t want to go, having created this safe haven and reveling in the loving atmosphere that they both nurtured, but she would go, for him.

“So, I think one of those summer dresses we bought last month would be perfect.” Joe said, hinting, but not pushing. Marta almost never dressed any more, no more than the weather forced her to anyway. She loved dancing around the house naked and Joe loved it too, though probably for different reasons. She was gorgeous and sexy and was finally realizing it. She loved to tease him, to please him, and she knew he liked watching.

When they went out, she had been reverting to her old self, silent and scared. She would dress in clothing that covered her completely, hiding her from the world.

A month ago, he had taken her shopping and, in a desperate attempt to convince her that she shouldn’t hide, that she didn’t have to hide, he had actually ordered her to try on a dress at the store. It had damn near broken his heart when she looked at him with betrayal in her eyes, but she had done what he asked.

When she had come out of the dressing room, a very pretty summer dress on her petite frame, he had beamed at her and hugged her to him. Drying her tears, he maneuvered her in front of a mirror and watched with fascination as her eyes grew wide. Marta had stepped forward, out of his embrace, and reached out to the mirror, touching her reflection.

She had stood there, staring at herself, her hands touching the material of the dress and, in a moment that Joe would long remember, actually smiled. She had turned to face him, that smile growing even wider, and had jumped into his arms, coving his face with kisses. It had been a very good day.

Marta knelt there looking up at him, searching his face for something, but his smile never wavered.

“These people are very important to me, Marta. Jacky is my ... is Christy’s sister, and her mother, well, she became my mother too. They kept me alive after my wife died and I wanted to die too, and they helped me become who I am today. Jacky is the one who brought me to you, knowing that I would love you and hoping that you would come to love me.” Joe said softly, still stroking her cheek.

There was fear in Marta’s eyes, though less than would have been there even a few months ago. He still didn’t know what horrible things had been done to her, but there were faint scars on her otherwise pristine skin, burn marks that made him wince in sympathy, even if they had been done long, long ago. He raged that someone could be so callous, so cruel, and often day dreamed about what he would do if he ever got his hands on them.

Times like that, when Marta saw the rage in his eyes, she would pet and stroke him, kiss him and hold him. She would bring him back again, and, often as not, make love with him. She seemed to understand. She knew that those times only came when he was touching one of her scars.

“You pick out what you want to wear, and I need to get dressed too.” Joe said, bending down to place a kiss on her forehead before carefully standing and offering her his hand.

Still holding his hand, Marta let him lead her to their bedroom. She had been given her own room the day she arrived, but had never slept there. In fact, she had slept on the floor of his room until he gave up and got her to sleep in his bed with him, though usually curled up in a ball on the far side of the king-sized mattress.

In the master bedroom, Marta actually tugged on his hand, leading him this time, to the walk-in closet. She stopped in front of the section that held her dresses, none of them had been worn outside the house more than a couple of times, and she gestured at them.

Joe looked at her, then back to the dresses, unsure what she wanted for a moment before it dawned on him. Marta was the most submissive woman he had ever met, and it was now obvious that she wanted him to choose for her.

He was careful not to show his frustration, knowing it would bother her. She wanted him to lead in all things, and had her own ways of balking if he pressed her. He reached out, choosing a sleeveless white dress with pale yellow flowers. He knew that it set off her skin and looked great on her. The hem was just at her knees and the neckline dropped just enough to show that there was a swell there, but not enough to uncover her cleavage. It was a combination of innocent and stylish that he thought fit her perfectly.

He handed her the dress, a pair of white sandals and grinned when she held the dress up in front of her, spinning around to look in the mirror.

He grabbed his own clothes and retired to the bedroom to dress. Shorts, a guyabera shirt and some sandals of his own and he was ready. Marta was dressed as well, though he noticed she had not worn a bra.

She had very nice and very firm A-cup breasts and had no need of a bra, really, though her perky nipples were obvious through the thin material of the dress. Not in a bad way, but still. He shrugged, mentally, not saying anything about it, but wondered if she was wearing panties.

The idea made him adjust himself, his shorts suddenly binding, and he smiled at her,

“You look fantastic, baby. Just fantastic.”

Marta, a grin on her face, had seen the reaction to her appearance, and had stalked forward until she was pressing up against him, her lips seeking his. When she reached down to stroke him and found him hard, she dropped to her knees, her hands reaching for his fly.

“Um ... we have places to go, baby.” Joe said, looking down at her, but she was not going to be denied. He just grinned and gave in, knowing she wouldn’t be happy unless he let her. Not that he was going to hate it, mind you, she had become quite the accomplished fellatrix over that last year.

“Who was he trying to kid?” he thought, he had come to absolutely adore her oral fixation, and let her indulge herself whenever she wanted. More times than he could count, she would be beneath his desk, nursing on his cock, while he was on a conference call.

He backed up and sat down on the bed, watching avidly as she pulled his cock out, running her tongue over the head the way she knew he like. She bathed his shaft with her tongue before dropping lower and sucking his testicles into her mouth, one after the other. When she came back up, she seemed to understand that they had places to be, because her hands joined her talented mouth, something she didn’t usually do unless she wanted to get him off quickly.

One hand was stroking his shaft, making a circling motion as it glided up and down, chasing her lips along his length. Her other hand was fondling his balls, rolling them gently between her fingers, tugging on the loose skin of his scrotum and even reaching down to press and stroke on the sensitive area beneath.

She had taught herself to take him all the way to the root, burying the head in her throat while her nose was in his pubes. When he was there, she would swallow and the motion of her throat muscles drove him wild. When he got close, she would begin to hum, adding vibrations to the pleasure her lips, tongue and throat provided and, as always, it was enough to take him over the edge.

She felt him begin to swell in her mouth, and pulled back, gathering his seed in her mouth before swallowing, sucking to pull every drop out of him.

Her eyes never left his face and she swallowed again, seeming to revel in the contortions forced on him by the exquisite pleasure she gave me. When he was done, and she had licked him clean, she helped him get tucked in again, a big smile on her face.

Then she surprised him. Taking him by the hand, she began to turn in place until she had her back to the bed and he was standing where she had been. She released his hand and ran her own hands across her chest, lightly touching the cloth over her nipples and making them stand up even more, prominent beneath the thin material.

Then her smile growing wicked, she reached down and lifted the hem of her dress, drawing it slowly higher and higher.

Joe looked down and saw that she wasn’t wearing any underwear, the little vixen. The look on her face told was less wanton than it was playful and, when he reached for her, she danced out of the way, sticking her tongue out at him.

“You little minx!” Joe said, leaping for her.

This little game had started recently, just a couple of weeks ago. She had always known he liked watching her, especially when she was naked and had an almost fetish for watching when she was bent over. She would often entice him away from his work by kneeling, facing away from him, and presenting her sexy little ass and wet pussy to his view, sometimes even running her finger through her slit so he could see how wet she was.

A couple of weeks ago, she had done just that, but he had been on a conference call with his boss and a new client, so he couldn’t stop to play with her. She seemed to understand, this wasn’t the first time, but this occasion the teasing morphed a little.

Marta had been horny, and wanting him to play with her so, she upped the ante. She knew he liked to see her in an apron, and she often wore one in the kitchen, though it had been just to protect her skin when cooking.

She had gone to the kitchen and put the apron on, then come back and settled on the couch were she could see Joe in his office, but more importantly, he could see her.

She had sat back, her ass on the edge of the couch, and made sure the apron was covering her breasts and her sex. Then, reaching beneath the apron, she began touching herself, her movement tenting the cloth of the apron, making it dance. Joe’s eyes had been locked on the show she was giving, and she would lift the edge of the apron every once in a while to let him get a peek, but not a good view of the action.

When she was close to an orgasm, she slid the other hand under the top of the apron, fondling her breasts and teasing her nipples. Again, this was perfectly evident by the movements under the cloth, but Joe couldn’t actually see, and Marta was smiling at his obvious frustration.

When Marta had orgasmed, Joe had just about cum in his shorts. As soon as the call was over, he had marched out of the office, grabbed her around the waist and bent her over the arm of the couch. Dropping his shorts, he had planted his cock inside of her in one smooth stroke, aided by Marta’s enthusiastic help, shoving back almost as hard and Joe had shoved forward.

What followed was not making love, it was straight up fucking, and it had been wild, both of them coming within a dozen strokes.

Delighted by this new game, Marta had been slowly growing more devious, finding ways to tease him until he couldn’t stand it anymore, then reveling when she made him lose control. She seemed to love it when he would take her, using her for his pleasure, happy and grinning afterwards as though it had been a game she won.

Joe was perfectly happy to let her win, because if that was losing, he would never complain. Making love with her was magical, but her little teasing game led to raw, animal sex that both of them loved just as much.

Today, when they had places to be, Marta had upped the ante. Unless he had lost his faculties, she seemed to want to keep him on edge, knowing that she was naked under there. Maybe it was her way of making sure they didn’t stay over long, or her way of making sure he had her on his mind during their visit.

Whatever was going through her head, it was working.

Seeing he wasn’t going to chase her down, she smiled sweetly and kissed him, caressing his cheek with her hand. She allowed him to lead her to the door, then out to the car.

On the trip over, Joe tried to impress on Marta that these ladies were friends, family, and that they would love her and treat her right.

“I know that you are afraid around women, Marta, and I have some idea of why, though I have never pressed you about that. But you have to realize that not every woman is evil. Not every woman will treat you so bad, be so horrible to you. These women are good, honest and loving people who would never, ever hurt you. I loved them dearly, they are family to me and they love me in return. That you make me the happiest man in the world is all that is important to them.”

Marta seemed to be listening, but he watched her start to withdraw, her body language becoming more than more closed in. Her head was beginning, to droop, her arms held close to her sides and her knees as well. It was almost as if she was sinking into herself.

He reached over to hold her hand, bringing it to his mouth and kissing her fingers as he drove, trying to reassure her. When they arrived, he let the car idle, putting it in park and releasing their seat belts. Rather than get out of the car, he reached over and drew her across the center console and into his lap, holding her close and kissing her cheek, stroking her back.

“Do you trust me, Marta?” he asked softly, whispering into her ear.

Her short, abrupt nod was her acknowledgement.

“You know I love you, right? You know I will protect you? I would never, ever let anyone hurt you.”

He felt her nod again.

“Can you do this for me? I will not physically drag you in there, you will have to walk with me, but I really want you to meet them, and to let them meet you. Can you be strong for me?”

There was a minute when he wasn’t sure what her answer would be, afraid that he would have to drive back home and try again another day. Then she nodded, and he was relieved.

“I am so very proud of you, baby. I know this is hard, but I will be right there, I will protect you. Now, give daddy a kiss.” he said cheekily, trying to get a smile out of her.

Her head came up abruptly, the top of her head impacting his chin hard enough to clack his teeth together. Marta was staring at him, a strange look in her eyes. She had the beginnings of a smile on her lips and she reached up, holding both of his cheeks in her hands.

Joe stared at her a minute, trying to figure out what she was doing, what she was feeling. Then he knew, feeling a strange thrill and a stab of guilt too. He had been teasing, but she seemed to be ... excited by the idea?

“Do you like that, baby? Do you want to be Daddy’s girl?” he asked softly, hesitantly, almost hoping he was wrong.

Her eyes flashed and a brilliant smile erupted, then she was kissing him, a hundred little kisses all over his face.

Joe had to laugh, and hugged her to him even tighter. If it made her this happy, he would be anything she desired.

“Let’s keep this between us though, okay sweetheart? Others might not understand.” he said, thinking that he was sure to get some concerned looks from Jackie.

Marta seemed totally unconcerned about it, simply snuggling up and kissing Joe on the neck, the smile still on her face.

Opening the door and, carefully, sliding out from under Marta, he grasped her under the arms and helped her out of the car. Closing the door, he turned and Marta glommed on to him, both of her hands wrapped around his arm. Her head was down again and she was looking up through her bangs.

Joe reached out and swept her hair back, tucking it behind her ears and kissed her on the forehead. “No hiding that gorgeous face, okay pumpkin?”

Marta smiled briefly, her eyes flicking towards the house and the smile disappearing again, but she didn’t hide behind her hair again, and Joe took that as a win.

At the front door, he knocked and wasn’t surprised when the door opened right away. If he knew Jackie, she had been peeking out through the blinds since the moment he arrived. He knew she would have seen him pull up; he had installed her security cameras himself.

Jackie stood there smiling, her hands clasped in front of her. She was dressed similarly to Marta, though her dress was darker, with bright splashes of color. Her hair, a lustrous silver since she was in her twenties, hung down in a loose pony tail behind her.

“Jackie, you remember Marta? Marta, Jackie was at the shelter, and she is the one who brought us together.”

“Marta, you look absolutely wonderful! I had no idea you were so pretty when you were at the shelter.” Jackie said with a smile, not moving forward or offering her hand.

Marta glanced up at Joe hesitantly, and he reached over to pat her hand, reassuring her. Then, absolutely shocking him, Marta turned back to Jackie and smiled. It was not a big smile, or even a very warm one, but it was a sincere attempt and it was more than he had hoped for.

Jackie, having been kept up on her progress with weekly reports from Joe, smiled in return, holding her hands in front of her face to contain her excitement.

“Come in, come in! I have been wanting Joe to bring you here for months. Welcome to the family, Marta!”

Inside, Mom had gotten dressed up, a rarity these days. She would usually not bother, telling them, “Bah, I’m old, I can do what I want.” usually followed by a laugh. Today though, she had done her hair, put on her makeup and worn a dress similar in color and style to Jackie’s.

She was standing there in the living room, waiting, and she broke into a huge smile when Joe and Marta walked in.

“Oh, my lord, you are so beautiful! Joe, you didn’t tell us how beautiful she is. And look at that smile on your face, Joe. She makes you happy!” Mom said, beaming at the pair of them.

This time, Marta’s smile seemed a touch more genuine, though her death grip on Joe’s arm told him she was far from comfortable.

“Sit, sit! We are so happy you have come to see us. Can I get you something to drink?” Mom asked, fluttering. Joe could tell she was dying to come over and hug someone, anyone! Mom was a hugger and so was Jackie, though to a lesser extent, and they would have been hugging and kissing him at the door if Marta had not been there. They were determined not to make her any more uncomfortable than she was already.

Joe maneuvered them to the couch and sat down, Marta starting to go to the floor to kneel at his side like she preferred at home. Joe held her, patting the couch beside him. Marta seemed conflicted and with an almost violent shake of her head, she slid down to her knees, wrapping her arms around his legs and burying her face in his lap.

Joe looked up, seeing the surprise on Jackie’s face and the confusion in Mom’s. Jackie seemed to understand, on some level, and she waved her hand at him, nodding. Mom took her cue from her daughter, but definitely didn’t seem comfortable with the display.

Joe just stroked Marta’s hair, bending down and whispering to her.

“It’s okay, baby girl. You sit wherever you want. They are family, they will understand.”

Marta raised her head enough to see his face, and a shudder went through her. She visibly relaxed a bit and her grip on his legs loosened, letting blood flow to his feet again. She turned her head enough to see Jackie and Mom, and neither of them seemed upset and that let her relax a little more.

“Marta prefers to sit like this, and if it makes her happy, it makes me happy.” Joe said aloud, still stroking her hair. She seemed to take even more strength from his support lifting her head from his lap but not releasing his legs.

“Can I get you a cushion, dear? The tile must be hard on your legs. We want to you to be comfortable here, after all.” Mom said, her voice not displaying any of the discomfort that Joe knew she was feeling.

Mom grabbed a cushion and seemed at a loss how to do this. Joe, seeing her hesitate, simply held out his hand and watched Marta tense as she approached.

When she handed Joe the pillow and backed off again, Marta relaxed, and let Joe lift her and slide the pillow beneath her. At home, the house would seem littered with cushions to someone who didn’t live there, but they were usually where Joe would sit. It had been an uphill battle with Marta, in the beginning, but one of the few he had actually won.

Jackie brought in a tray with glasses of tea, and served Joe first, letting him hand one to Marta, then Mom, before taking her own glass and sitting on the couch across from Joe and Marta.

The chatted about people they knew, what was going on at work for both of them, doings around the neighborhood with Mom. Marta, her eyes following the conversation, even smiled once at a joke. A faint smile, but it was enough for the moment.

They didn’t stay for dinner, Joe not wanting to push things, and the visit was a qualified success. He spent a long time on the phone later that evening, talking to Jackie, and making plans for future visits.

Over the next couple of months, they visited at least once a week, and Marta began to relax more and more, though never being comfortable with the hugging that Mom wanted.

Still, it wasn’t all that long before Marta would get up from where she was sitting at his feet, and run to the kitchen to fetch him a drink and even bring drinks for the ladies, though she approached them tentatively. Joe was very pleased with her progress.

The new facet of her personality that had been revealed that first visit, her excited response to him playing ‘Daddy’, was something that he spent time exploring, in the quiet and safe atmosphere of their home.

That first evening, he had grabbed her around the waist when they got home, hoisting her over his shoulder like a cave man and carried her into the living room, her tiny fists beating on his back, accompanied by soft squeals.

He sat down on the couch, shifting her to his lap, and ran his hand up under her dress, caressing the soft skin on her naked thigh. Marta, smiling brightly, was wriggling on his lap, pressing her ass against the hardness she could feel under her.

Deciding to make a game of it, he asked her in a playful voice, “Who’s your Daddy?”

Marta froze, going completely still, her eyes on Joe’s face. Then, slowly raising her head to meet his eyes, she leaned forward and kissed him softly.

Joe was confused by this, she seemed serious where in the car she had seemed playful and loving. Did this herald a change in their relationship?

“Marta, baby, let’s talk about this for a bit. I can be your Daddy, but I need to know how you mean that. Is this a play thing or do you want me to really be your Daddy?” Joe asked, fumbling over how to express his thoughts, and how to get an answer to a complex question out of someone that won’t talk. It had been an ongoing issue in their relationship and he had even attempted to show her sign language, something she refused to consider at all.

Marta tilted her head a bit, her eyes unfocused. She seemed to be thinking about it and Joe waited patiently. Living and loving this girl had taught him to be patient above all else.

When Marta focused on him again, she seemed pensive. She shrugged her shoulders, as if to say she wasn’t sure.

“Well, a real Daddy wouldn’t do this.” he said softly, sliding his hand further up her thigh and tickling the soft pubic hair that covered her mound.

Marta bit her lip, wiggling her butt as if to try and get more of his fingers involved.

“A real Daddy wouldn’t make love to his daughter, it wouldn’t be right.”

Marta looked pensive again, then raised a hand to shoulder height, palm up. Her way of saying “Why?”

“Well, a Daddy’s job is to raise his daughter.” at which Marta poked him in the chest with her forefinger, a grin on her face.

“Okay, well, a Daddy’s job is to teach her right and wrong, to help her grown into a good person, a productive adult. To get her ready to face the world.” Joe said, trying again.

Again, Marta poked him, her grin getting wider.

“Hmm ... but when his daughter gets there, he is supposed to help her to go out on her own, to find her own future, to find her own person to love.” Joe said softly, watching her eyes get wide.

She shook her head decisively, and wrapped her arms around him, holding tight.

“So, then you want a play Daddy. A play Daddy gets to do naughty things with his little girl.” Joe said, a teasing tone in his voice and his fingers, still under her dress, lightly caressed her pubic mound, ruffling her wispy hair.

Marta raised her hand again, her hips seeming to hunch of their own volition, but her expression was thoughtful. She held up one finger on her left hand, then held up one finger on her right hand. When she saw Joe watching, she brought them together, wrapping one around the other. Then, she laid her hand on his chest.