Chapter 1

Sometimes things happen so slowly a situation gets out of hand before you even notice you’re heading into one. You live your life. One thing leads to another. Life is just one supposedly unrelated event after another and you don’t even realize at first that sometimes they’re connected until you pause, take a deep breath and start looking back.

I became pregnant the night I lost my virginity in the summer of my sixteenth year. The guy was hot but we weren’t in love. I was visiting my older sister for a couple of months while school was out. She and her new husband were living in Oklahoma. Her husband is in the Army and he had just been sent to Korea for a year. She was young, alone and lonely and at the time my parents and I were really getting on each other’s nerves. It’s what teenagers do. Everyone agreed it would be a good idea if we spent some time apart and I kept my sister company.

As it turned out, my sister wasn’t as lonely as she should have been. She was getting far too friendly with a soldier from the office where she worked on base. I remember being kind of proud of her at the time. She was always ‘the good sister.’ Growing up she never got in trouble. I don’t know if her atypical behavior since her husband went overseas had anything to do with what happened to me. I do know it provided me with the opportunity to do what I did.

I started spending most of my time at one of the swimming pools on base. I met a guy there, a young G.I. who was only seventeen, a year older than me. My sister wasn’t happy about it but given her own behavior she wasn’t in a position to say much to me about my dating habits.

Anyway, I ended up having sex with the guy one time. I became living proof that sometimes the nuns are right. The next thing I knew I was pregnant.

Skip ahead fourteen years. I’m the single mother of a beautiful thirteen-year-old girl. I’m self-supporting and reasonably happy. Life isn’t perfect but whose life is.

I returned to my strict catholic home when it became known I was pregnant. I gave birth to my baby and refused to give her up for adoption despite my father’s best efforts to convince me I should. Looking back, I have to admit my parents provided a lot of help and support to my daughter and me. But they gave it grudgingly and in such a way that it led to a lot of resentment.

I surprised more than a few people when I graduated from high school. I already had a pretty good idea about what I wanted to do next. I took classes at the local Tech College. I became a court reporter which, as it turns out, actually pays a living wage if you’re any good at it and can find the right position.

The irony of my life is that in my entire life those few dates I went on with the young G.I. who impregnated me were the only dates I ever had! My parents didn’t let me date, insisting I need to worry about my studies and spend time with my daughter. Of course, there was always the almost always unspoken, ‘Look what happened to you the last time you went out with a boy,’ to deal with.

I quickly became a very good court reporter. I was soon able to afford a reasonably priced apartment and my daughter and I built a life together. I didn’t start dating until Kenzie, short for Mackenzie, was ten.

As it turns out, dating must be something you get better at if you practice. I sucked at it. Either that or I was very good at accepting dates from all the wrong men, not that I did it a lot. I went ten years without a date and then went on three dates on three different weekends with three different men.

They were all disasters. I seemed to have nothing in common with men my age. Being a parent matures a person. And because I have a child, a child born out of wedlock, they all seemed to assume I was easy. I decided to back up and regroup.

Months passed before I agreed to go out on another date. It wasn’t a disaster. But it left a lot to be desired. I probably went out on a date two or three times a year at the most for the next couple of years. It didn’t get any better. I couldn’t decide if all men are jerks or if I was just fishing in all the wrong ponds.

Then one day I met a man. It happened when I took Kenzie down to the pool one afternoon. I don’t let her go to the pool unless I’m there. I don’t think that’s being overprotective. There’s no lifeguard on duty.

One of the benefits of my job is that I tend to get sent home during the day. It happens frequently when trials are postponed or the defendant pleads out. I normally spend that time working on trial records. But if I’m caught up I get a paid afternoon off. On this day I was home on a beautiful, sunny day. Kenzie and I had the pool to ourselves when an older but very good-looking gentleman showed up to swim.

He joined us after he completed swimming his laps. He and I talked while we watched Kenzie floating on an inflatable raft in the pool. I learned that he moved into an apartment after selling the home he’d shared with his ex-wife. He’s building a new home but it’s still under construction. Depending on delays he could be staying at the apartment complex anywhere from two to four more months.

Apparently what I needed all along was an older man! Dave and I hit it off right from the start. He’s intelligent, handsome, self-confident, and god, can he make me laugh! It wasn’t just me, either. Kenzie took to him immediately.

I was a little nervous at first when I saw him with Kenzie. There are all those stories in the news about men who like young girls. And at times I got the impression Dave was more interested in Kenzie than in me. Although only thirteen, Kenzie has been maturing rapidly lately. She has outgrown her training bras. She’s ready for an AA now. But I’ve been putting off taking her for new bras, probably because it bothers me that she needs an adult bra. She’s growing up much too quickly to suit me and moving up to an adult bra is a major milestone in a girl’s life. I’m just not ready for her to stop being my little girl.

I had the impression Dave was not unaware of my little girl’s developing body and that scared me. He always seemed to have his hand on her whenever she was close enough, though never in an area of her body that he shouldn’t. I watched him closely, though, and I soon convinced myself I was overreacting and calmed down. I reminded myself I’ve been the court reporter on more than a few cases involving the molestation of young girls and you could always look at those guys and just know they were creeps. Dave was nothing like those men. He was more of a jovial father figure.

I calmed down even more when I learned he has a son who’s about to turn fifteen. Dave is divorced and has custody of the boy who’s spending a few weeks this summer with his mother in another part of the state. I felt much better about him when I learned he’s a parent.

He asked me out for dinner and I didn’t even have to think about it. I said, “Yes. I’d love to if I can find a babysitter on short notice.”

He smiled and replied, “Babysitter?! We don’t need no stinkin’ babysitter!”

I learned the way to a single mother’s heart in that moment. Happily make her child a part of the bargain! He honestly didn’t mind at all that I have a child and he wanted her to join us. I was excited because with Kenzie there I could get to know him better without having to worry about ending up in a wrestling match at the end of the evening. We’d have a chaperone! I was hooked!

That first date went so well that Dave and I started dating regularly. He understood that I haven’t had a lot of experience and he was very patient with me. He turned out to be just what I need, the perfect man. On our fourth date I decided that since Kenzie is about to turn fourteen she’s old enough that she no longer needs a babysitter. I left her with a pizza and a couple of soft drinks and let her know that I’d be nearby having dinner with Dave if she needed anything.

That evening I went to his apartment for dinner. I learned that he’s an expert in the kitchen. Even more exciting, I discovered that he’s even better in the bedroom! In anticipation of a night like this I had talked to my doctor and I was now taking birth control pills for the first time in my life.

The one other time I had sex, the night I lost my virginity at the age of sixteen, left a lot to be desired. It was exciting, but less than satisfying, much less. Since then, I’ve been responsible for my own orgasms. They’re okay, I guess. But they, too, leave a lot to be desired, like the strong arms and passionate kisses of a man for instance.

Dave quickly showed me what I’ve been missing. We made love for hours that first night. When I finally could delay no longer and reluctantly returned home to my daughter I was his biggest fan. I don’t think my feet touched the ground all the way back to my apartment. He walked me back to my door with his arm around me and after he kissed me goodnight, a long, passionate, earthshaking kiss, I almost begged him to stay.

It was almost four weeks from the day I met Dave that I met his son, Casey. I suppose he’s a typical teenage boy. He turned fifteen while staying with his mother. I thought he was large for fifteen. But his father is a large man. I suppose I should have expected that. I actually have to look up when I talk to him. He’s already closing in on six feet tall.

I’m not that knowledgeable when it comes to teenage boys. Casey struck me as moody, sulky, and much more recalcitrant than he needed to be, even more obstinate than the average teenager. I couldn’t decide if that was because he was spoiled rotten or because he resented me for taking the place of his mother in his father’s affections. I did my best, though. I went out of my way to get him to like me.

Kenzie goes to school with him. They’re in the same grade because Casey stayed back a year. She’s seen him around school but she doesn’t know him. They never spoke at school. She couldn’t remember ever speaking to him even though they’ve taken classes together. As far as she knows, none of her friends have anything to do with him, either. Her impression is that he’s a bit of a bully but it could have just been that people are intimidated by his size and his often moody appearance.

He’s a good-looking kid. I suppose you’d still call him a kid. He’s tall and athletic. He dresses well, not sloppy like so many kids these days. It may just be that I’m not that knowledgeable about teenage boys, but something about him makes me nervous. Sometimes when I looked at him and he didn’t know I was around I thought I saw something predatory about him, especially if he was looking at Kenzie.

I had to keep a close watch on him when he was with Kenzie. Whether or not he’s a bully at school he’s a bit of a bully when he’s around Kenzie. I tried talking to him about it. But it was obvious nothing I said was going to get through to him. I considered talking to Dave about it but I thought it was too soon. Things were going too well between Dave and me to let his son screw it up.

My relationship with Dave continued to blossom and despite my vow that I would never live with a man to whom I’m not married, less than two months from the time we met we were living together.

When I accepted Dave’s proposal to cohabitate I worried about what I was going to tell Kenzie. But Dave asked if he could talk to her and since I had no idea what to say I was more than happy to let him. Whatever he said to her it was the right thing. She was happy to have a dad at last and she was happy that it was him.

My deeply religious parents were not so easily pleased. Even when they learned Dave owns his own successful business and is moderately wealthy they couldn’t abide their daughter living in sin. And after they discovered Dave isn’t catholic they pretty much shut us out of their lives.

They’ve helped me raise Kenzie since she was born and they wanted to maintain a relationship with her. They would pick her up and take her to the zoo or out for a movie or something. They invited Casey along on one of their excursions shortly after Dave and I moved in together. But when they brought the kids back that evening my mother took me aside and said, “There’s something not quite right about that boy, Sandi. I’d advise you not to leave him alone with Kenzie. I don’t trust him.”

I hated to admit I felt the same way about the boy who’s about to become my stepson.

Even the news of the engagement couldn’t change my parents’ minds about us. Dave and I were not welcome in their home. And in a very short time when we finally decided to get married they refused to attend the wedding. Never mind that my child was born out of wedlock. They couldn’t condone my marriage to a divorced man who had no intention of converting to their religion.

Fuck them!

After I accepted Dave’s marriage proposal he suggested I quit my job. We certainly won’t need the money. Kenzie and I have lived pretty well since I started working. But there was never a time when I didn’t have to watch my money closely. Now, though, my money problems are over. There was a time when I thought I’d enjoy being a stay-at-home mom. That’s changed since I’ve gotten good at what I do. I enjoy my job. It’s interesting and I work with some very nice people. I’m one of those lucky people who enjoy going to work in the morning.

But when I explained that to Dave he made it clear that it wasn’t really a suggestion. He was raised to believe a woman should be a full-time housewife and mother and he really didn’t want me working.

It occurred to me that Dave has a lot of ideas about women I found offensive in the past. But for some reason it seemed different with Dave. I didn’t feel offended so much as protected. He was almost as much a father figure as a lover and fiancé.

So, I gave the people at work my notice. It turned out to be even harder to say goodbye to them than I thought it would. But it was a choice I was more than willing to make. I’ve been happier since I met Dave than at any other time in my life. And I can’t deny that it’s an incredible relief to no longer have to worry about my finances, about unexpected expenses cropping up and tearing a chunk out of my budget.

The more I thought about it the more fond I was becoming of the prospect of having a wonderful man taking care of me. After all, if someone wants to take care of you that means they really love you. Right?

I still had concerns about Casey. The kid is sneaky and just a little scary. We celebrated Kenzie’s fourteenth birthday but that milestone made it no easier for her to deal with Casey. He picked on her a lot, but from what she told me it was much worse when I’m not around. I was concerned enough that I finally brought it up with Dave one night.

He insisted that it was just a phase, that the boy was prone to that sort of behavior anyway just because he’s a teenager. He agreed with me that his son probably resents me for taking the place of his mother. But he insisted that the boy would get over it. He was sure that he wouldn’t actually step over the line with Kenzie. I wasn’t so certain. But it was obvious Dave considered the matter closed.

I could only hope that after the wedding my future stepson will accept that I’m a permanent part of his life and we can slowly begin to develop a relationship. The day of the wedding came and went. We moved into the new house not long after. If anything, Casey just got worse once we married and our relationship was sanctioned by the state. He was careful to tone it down when his father was around. But when Dave was at work the boy was insufferable.

To make things worse, he began to act up in other ways. Kenzie came to me several times to complain that Casey has been trying to catch her without her clothes on, both in her bedroom and in the bathroom. And she was certain he was going through her dresser doing something we both realized we’d rather not know about in her underwear drawer.

I suspected the same thing. On half a dozen occasions I opened the drawer I keep my panties in and it was obvious someone had been going through them. I reluctantly decided I had no other option but to confront him. The next time it happened I cornered him in the kitchen after school and asked him about it. The little asshole just smirked at me, shrugged and said, “Yeah. So what?”

The little bastard actually sounded proud of himself! He was daring me to make something of it!

While I stared at him in shock he grabbed a Coke from the refrigerator and went upstairs. I just watched him go, too stunned to speak until I heard him on the stairs. It was a minute or two before I came to my senses and realized I couldn’t leave it at that. I hate confrontations. But I knew I had to go after him.

I hurried up the stairs and down the hallway to Casey’s room. I was passing Kenzie’s room when I heard a noise which drew my attention. I tapped on her door and peeked in to find her struggling to escape from Casey. He had his arms around her. His hands were gripping the cheeks of her butt, pulling her body against his and he was trying to kiss her.

Once more I was shocked and speechless. He must have heard me coming up the stairs! I even knocked on the damn door! It’s as though he wanted me to find him here like this! He totally ignored me until just before I could reach him and jerk him away from my daughter.

I was reaching out my hand when he turned, smiled at me calmly and said, “Just a minute. I’ll be right with you. I’m trying to get a kiss from my hot new sister. You want us to get along, don’t you?”

That was the last straw! I jerked him away from her and slapped him as hard as I could. I grabbed his collar and pulled him out of Kenzie’s room, slamming her door behind me. He allowed me to pull him down the hallway to his room but as soon as we were inside he turned, gripped my wrist and twisted my arm behind my back painfully.

I’ve already described my strong, athletic stepson. In contrast, I’m just a fraction over five foot two and very slender. I weigh a hundred and five pounds, give or take a few. I’m in reasonably good shape but I’m not an athlete. Even if I was I’d be no match for Casey.

He closed his door and pushed me up against it, all while I was still too stunned to speak or struggle.

My face and body were pressed against his door, my arm still held behind my back. I was helpless. He inched closer until he was pressing his body firmly against mine, making it hard for me to breathe. I can feel his cock pressing against the cheek of my ass. The little bastard has a hard-on!

I finally managed to snarl, “You little monster! Turn me loose this instant! You’re in so much trouble!”

He chuckled, not intimidated in the least. I felt so helpless and that only made me more furious. And then it got worse. His hand reached around, squeezed between me and the door and grabbed my breast. I almost screamed. The only reason I didn’t was the fear Kenzie would come running. I can’t bear the thought of her seeing me like this.

He began kneading my breast. Not in an attempt to turn me on or even to turn himself on I don’t think. His grip was cruel. I think he was hurting me on purpose. He leaned closer and nuzzled my shoulder length blonde hair out of the way. His lips were right at my ear. He kissed my earlobe and quietly asked, “What’s the matter, mom?”

It was the first time he ever called me mom. But the snide, derisive way he pronounced the word made it sound like an obscenity. The confidence and the arrogance in his tone only added to my fear and anger.

He pressed his cock more firmly against my ass and asked, “Don’t you want me and my sister to get along? It isn’t really incest if I fuck her, you know. We aren’t really related. And you can’t blame me for wanting to stick my big, hard cock in her. The girl is hot. She has great tits for a fourteen-year-old, don’t you think?”

Chapter 2 »