Chapter 1

"Who am I?" It's a question that's important because you are interested in my story. But I'm not what makes the story interesting. The truth is, I'm nobody. I'm not rich, not great looking, there's no talent that makes me extraordinary and I don't sweep women off their feet. I'm just an average guy with an average life.

The only thing that makes me special is my daughter. To say she's the light of my life would be an understatement. Her smile lights up the room. Her enthusiasm is beyond contagious. The way she sees the world makes me understand how important it is to live my life the right way. She can bring this 35 year-old man to tears just by saying "I love you, daddy."

So why am I sitting in a bar alone on a Friday night when I should be with her? That's the real reason you should be interested in the story.

I've heard people say that life changes in an instant. We live on such a narrow edge, that the slightest breath can cause us to spiral uncontrollably.

I was 27 and living an ordinary life when I met Katie. She was a few years older than me and had been a little more adventurous in her life. She was an attractive blonde with a quirky personality. I think the thing that I appreciated the most was her sense of humor. It was fun-loving with just a touch of cynicism. We quickly became friends.

We stayed close for a few months, watching each other go through one bad relationship after another. Finally it seemed like a good idea to take a look at each other. It only took three dates for us to take things to the next level.

We went to my place after dinner, then straight to my room. Neither of us spoke, we just knew it was what we both wanted. I found out quickly she liked to be in charge and was quite aggressive.

She kissed me lustfully, her tongue searching for mine. I was surprised when she moved her lips to my neck and began lightly biting up and down the side. Her hand unbuckled my belt and reach into my pants. Without any preamble, she began jerking me off while moving her mouth to my chest. When my shirt prevented her from going lower, she dropped to her knees and took me in her mouth.

I groaned with pleasure. She took several inches of my very hard prick into her mouth and used her hand to cover the rest. I could feel her tongue swirling side to side across the underside of my shaft while she moved her mouth up and down. It had been a while since I had been intimate with someone, so it couldn't have been more than a few minutes before I could feel myself reach the point of no return.

I warned her, "Katie, I'm cumming."

She pulled back and stroked me quickly while using her other hand to catch my sperm. I guess you could say that it was a metaphor for our entire relationship. Big build up, not such a great finish. The eventual sex between us was good, but not great. When we finished I could sense that even though we both enjoyed ourselves, there was something missing. We were friends and probably shouldn't have crossed that line.

We kept dating for a little over a month, when we both came to the conclusion that we just weren't compatible. It wasn't a horrible breakup, just a parting of the ways. Two weeks later she called to ask if I'd stop by. When I got to the door, she greeted me nervously.

"Could you please sit down, John, we need to talk."

I thought that she wanted to give it another shot. Since I was still fond of her, I was prepared to say yes, if we could just take it slower this time. Instead she said the words that shook me to my core.

"I'm pregnant."

And life spirals...

"But ... But you said that you couldn't get pregnant!" I said, stunned. We hadn't bothered with birth control because neither of us was promiscuous and she had a medical condition that prevented pregnancy. Her doctor had said she wouldn't be able to conceive even if she underwent treatment.

"I know what my doctor said, but I'm pregnant. There hasn't been anyone else; it's yours. What are we going to do?"

My head spun. The thought that maybe she would have an abortion so I could get off the hook flashed unbidden through my mind. I was immediately ashamed. I have always wanted children and there was no way I could ask for something like that. Luckily, she couldn't either.

We talked about what to do for weeks. Finally we agreed to do our best to make things work between us. We went through months of couples counseling and I moved in to help support and take care of her.

Danielle was born shortly thereafter and I couldn't have been happier. She was perfect. Because the doctors did a C-Section delivery, she was born looking the way she would for her entire childhood. Her pictures from 3 months to 7 years looked just like the same person, only bigger.

The first 6 months were the happiest of my life. I had never been around babies, so didn't know what to expect. They depend on you for everything; food, protection, comfort and affection. She would look at me like I was her entire world. Love isn't something you talk about or plan, it is just a given. The bond we forged was far stronger than anything I could have imagined.

Unfortunately, her mother and I weren't so lucky. It turned out our original decision to break up had been the correct one. There was no hope for us. Too different, too stubborn and painfully unhappy with each other. After helping her raise Danielle for 6 months, she asked me to move out and part of me was relieved. I was crushed to be leaving my baby girl, to have no more nights tucking her in or stopping by to kiss her head in the middle of the night, but she was right; it was time to go.

Things were strained, but we managed to get along well enough, until we had to go to court. Once the lawyers got involved, we went from not getting along, to us actively hating each other. It didn't happen overnight, but it took a depressingly short period of time. I don't know if it was the stress of not having control over our own fate, or if it was just having to talk through third parties, but neither of us came out ahead. We argued, threatened each other and were consumed with each of us wondering what the other would do next to be spiteful.

Sometimes I felt like I was losing my mind. I disagreed with most of the things she did, from daycare to her dating life. We even used our daughter as a weapon against each other. To this day the pain of that is as clear in my mind as any other memory.

I made it through three years of living week to week, just waiting for my time with Dani. We did everything she could want. I tried not to spoil her, but I wanted to experience everything through her eyes. Truth be told, I also was a little afraid of her not having the same kind of memories with me that she did with her mother. One of the biggest downsides of being a single father is the jealousy you feel toward the other parent.

Just after she turned four, I met Jenny. It was pure dumb luck. I had a small company that coordinated private parties. We provided the event planning, entertainment and catering. It wasn't making me rich, but it was a fun job and I enjoyed it. I was hosting a company dinner party for a friend named Kathy. During the party she introduced me to her daughter Jenny who had just flown in from New York to visit.

Jenny was twenty-five years old and had been a professional dancer for almost a decade. Unfortunately she told me she had to give it up because of a string of injuries that left her with a number of knee surgeries, making any career in dancing impossible. She came to spend time with her mom while she figured out what to do with her life.

I found out we had a great deal in common. Talking with her was like hanging out with someone I'd known for years. However, while I found her very attractive, I also believed in the axiom that you don't mess around with clients' daughters, so was content to make small talk. Usually I was nervous around women I was that attracted to, but I guess my feelings that nothing could happen allowed me to relax and be myself. We talked for over an hour and I was enchanted. At the end of the night I felt a pang of regret when I had to go home by myself.

Two days later my cell phone rang. I didn't recognize the number, so hoped it might be a potential client. "Hello," I said pleasantly.

"Hi, it's Jenny. I was wondering if you were busy tonight. I don't know anyone here, but I wanted to see the city. Would you be interested in showing me around?"

I tried to sound nonchalant, but probably failed miserably. My stomach was doing cartwheels. "Sure, I'd love to. What do you want to do?"

"Surprise me."

"That's a dangerous dare for someone in my line of business," I said with a chuckle.

The moment I hung up the phone, the wheels started turning. Working in the entertainment business, I'd made great contacts all over the city. I made several calls and came up with what I thought would be the perfect date.

When I showed up at her mom's place to pick her up, I was floored. She was beautiful at the party, but I underestimated just how beautiful. When she was made up to go out on the town, she was an angel. Long curly black hair, brown eyes, beautiful lips that curled at the ends into just the hint of a smirk and freckles. I'm not saying she should have been a model; it was more like the girl next door kind of attractiveness. She was definitely the most beautiful woman I'd ever been out with.

We went to the art museum, then to the ballet. It must have been amusing for her. I don't know anything about art and even less about the ballet so she spent the bulk of the date explaining things to me. I wasn't sure if I was endearing or annoying, but she seemed to enjoy educating me about culture.

The ballet was particularly great. She intently watched everything, her eyes sparkling. I thought about how much she must have wished she was in the company. I watched her face as the show went on. At times she looked quite emotional, making me wonder how it would feel to be great at what you do, only to be forced to give it up. I had an overwhelming desire to put my arm around her. Not in a calculating way, but just to comfort her. Instead I settled for holding her hand.

After the show we went out to dinner. It was the kind of restaurant that I normally couldn't have afforded. Thankfully, bartering had become part of my life, and I found I was quite talented at it. All it took was a promise to do a favor for the manager, and voila ... it was suddenly very affordable. Over the course of the dinner I found that she was even better company than I had first thought.

She was smart, had a razor sharp wit and wicked sense of humor. Our conversation went from politics to our favorite game shows seamlessly. When I talked to her about my daughter, she eagerly listened and asked a number of questions. It really had an impact on me because most people just nod and patiently try to humor you despite their lack of real interest.

We finished the date by making out in the front seat of my car like teenagers. She had the softest lips I've ever kissed. I tried to keep control of the situation, not wanting her to think it was just physical for me. When we finally said goodnight, I drove home wondering what I could possibly do to top it.

Turns out I didn't have to be worried. Jenny was just as comfortable going out for pizza and catching a band as she was hobnobbing with the rich and famous. I was relieved because that wasn't the kind of lifestyle that interested me. I'm a hamburger kind of guy. Steak and lobster is cool once in a while, but trying to pretend you are something you're not is a bad way to start a relationship.

A couple weeks and a half-dozen dates later, we went out for dinner and dancing. I had been dreading it since the first date. I was definitely no Fred Astaire and was afraid she was going to take one look at me on the dance floor and change her mind about me.

It quickly became a non-issue. She was so graceful that I actually didn't feel like a complete fool. We wheeled around the dance floor like we'd been doing it for years. Every man in the bar must have been envious of me. She looked amazing and the way she moved was breathtaking.

I've always loved talented women. Musicians, artists and especially dancers have always affected me differently than most women. There is an elegance to their movements that goes far beyond sensuality. As the night wore on I took almost as much pleasure in watching Jenny dance as I did by dancing with her. I felt an uncomfortable feeling in my gut and realized I was falling for her faster than I thought was possible.

Afterward we went to my place. She sat down on the living room couch and I put on some music. I touched her face with my hand, tilting it slightly so I could kiss her. She closed her eyes and let me take control. As our lips met, her mouth opened and I could feel her tongue softly enter my mouth. After a few seconds, I dropped my lips to her neck and began nibbling up and down the side. I moved to the front and let my tongue slowly trace from the top of her chest up to her chin, then back to those wonderful lips.

I was going slowly, wanting to be patient and let things build. I moved my hands to her blouse and began unbuttoning it starting from the top. When I reached the bottom, I stopped kissing her to watch as I slid it off her shoulders.

She had small breasts like most dancers. I unclasped the bra in front and moved it away. I loved her breasts. There is no hint of sagging, she has the most perfect pink nipples that were erect and her areolas are about the size of a silver dollar. They look a little large because of the size of the breasts, but I found them to be very sexy.

I guess I was a little too intent on the view because she startled me by saying, "They don't bite, but you can." I looked back at her face to see her grinning; her dimples making her look even more precious.

I lowered my face and took a nipple into my mouth. As I nibbled lightly, she moaned and I felt the urge to be more aggressive. I pulled her tightly to me, increasing my aggression with her breasts. After a short time I stopped and suggested we move upstairs. To my delight she eagerly agreed.

Once in my bedroom, I had her stand at the foot of the bed while I unbuttoned her jeans. I pulled them down her legs, dragging her red panties with them. I got a surprise when I noticed that as they moved down her hips, no pubic hair appeared. When her pussy finally came into view I couldn't help grinning at the sight.

"Do you like it," she couldn't help but notice my smile.

"All the better to eat you, my dear," I joked.

"Promises, promises."

My hands were shaking as I pushed her to a sitting position on the bed. I already felt so strongly about her; I wanted this to be great. I pushed her legs apart and tentatively kissed my way up her thigh.

She put her hands on the back of my head; letting me know I was on the right track. I finally let myself make contact with her labia. I began licking around her lips, trying to find the spots that I'd need to remember later. When I felt like she was ready, I urged her down until she was lying on the bed with her legs off of the end. I put one leg on my shoulder and attacked her clit enthusiastically. I could feel her juices already flowing.

The movement of her hips against my face signaled her arousal, so without removing my mouth I took a finger and slid it back and forth across her lips. After making sure she was wet enough, I sank it all the way into her with one, smooth motion. She moaned louder and lifted her hips off of the bed, encouraging me to penetrate her faster, this time while sucking on her clit. I could feel her legs quiver and felt pride in my ability to drive this beautiful woman so wild. I added a second finger and softly turned my hand as they pushed into her. The noises she made changed to short, uncontrolled bursts and I suspected she was close.

After a few more seconds she cried, "Yes John, yes!" and pulled my face hard against her while thrusting her hips wildly. I removed my fingers and stuck my tongue as far as I could into her opening of her pussy, savoring the way she shook as I touched different spots inside of her.

When she finished cumming, I moved up her body, dragging my tongue softly all the way. When I reached her face, she didn't hesitate to kiss me deeply. I began moving my cock up and down her now drenched pussy, searching for the entrance.

She tried to stop me, "Isn't it your turn now?" She was smiling, which gave me the feeling she was very proud of her oral skills. I couldn't wait to find out later, but right now I just wanted to be inside her.

I caressed her cheek, "Trust me Jen, this is what I want."

I lodged the head inside her, but she put out her hands to stop me from entering further. When I gave her a questioning look, she wrapped her legs behind me and slowly pulled me inside of her. It was the single most erotic feeling I've ever had. She was tight, warm and unbelievably wet. I suddenly wished I would have let her go down on me. I hadn't had sex in a long time and didn't want to disappoint her.

I moved slowly, getting used to how she felt and how she responded. As I felt more comfortable, I began kissing her and rotating my hips trying to touch every inch of her. She rocked her hips up to meet my thrusts, making me feel like she was fucking me, even though I was on top. I returned my mouth to her breasts, trying to find a way to return the sensations I was feeling.

I reached behind one of her legs and brought it up high, allowing me to penetrate slightly deeper. Although I know I'm not hung in a way that women tell their friends about, I was just right for Jenny. I heard her moan when I finally got all the way inside of her. Her pussy gripped me snugly, accentuated by the contractions her muscles made. Again I reflected on how perfect everything seemed to be between us. My random thought almost betrayed me as I felt myself reach the edge of an orgasm.

I stopped moving and put my head down between her breasts. "Jenny, we need to change positions or this is going to be over way too quickly," hoping she'd understand.

She didn't say a word, but slid out from under me. I got onto my back in the middle of the bed as she kneeled beside me. She gave me a couple seconds to gain control again as she lazily dragged her tongue over my stomach, then down my leg. When she made the return trip up, she took my cock into her mouth for just a second, nibbling on the head. She looked up at me and flashed me a nasty smile that made me realize the adventures were just starting. I had no doubt that she was going to challenge me constantly.

She straightened up and swung one leg over to straddle me, taking me by the shaft and rubbing it slowly back and forth across her opening. I grabbed the sheets with both hands and squeezed as the sensation made me want to thrust hard into her. She took her time, teasing me as she slowly lowered herself. She let the head and about a couple of inches slide inside of her then smiled as she raised herself up and almost off, then slid down just a bit further.

I took the opportunity to admire the rest of her body. She had slim hips with an even slimmer waist. Her shape was more that of a college cheerleader than an adult woman, but it was beautiful. Her heritage blessed her with naturally darker skin, so there were no tan lines, just a smooth, light brown that covered her whole body. I thought she was an incredibly beautiful woman. I couldn't imagine how she could possibly be sexier.

She let go of me with her hand and leaned forward across my body. As she licked and bit at my chest, she continued moving her hips, pushing me inside her. She would go halfway down my shaft and then, on the next thrust, would only go an inch. After several minutes of this maddening teasing, I grabbed her hips and tried to push myself deeper.

She had a mischievous look in her eyes and said, "No way, I'm in charge now." She just moved further forward and prevented me from getting what I wanted. Jenny kept up her teasing for several long minutes, her coy smile letting me know that she was enjoying my torture. Finally she took pity on me and pulled my head forward to kiss me as she slid down hard and drove me all the way into her. She leaned back again and drove herself down onto me faster and harder, causing me to believe she was heading for another orgasm. There was no doubt I was almost there.

I tried to think of baseball, politics, or anything else that would keep me from finishing and ending the incredible moment. It wasn't easy, she had a way of rotating her hips as she was also raising and lowering them that felt like nothing I'd ever experienced. Suddenly she pushed down hard on me and leaned further back. She squeezed my hands tightly as I felt her whole body shake in a powerful orgasm. She made a noise that was somewhere between a moan and a squeal. I couldn't suppress a smile. It seemed like there wasn't anything about her that I didn't find enchanting.

After taking a second to bask in her pleasure, she turned her attention back to me. She got a determined look in her eye and started raising herself almost the entire length of my shaft, then dropping down hard. It started slowly, but gained speed on every thrust. After only another minute I warned her that I was close.

"It's all right. I want you to cum inside me."

Panic set in because I knew what a huge risk that could be. "No, I can't," I cried, putting my hands on her hips, and trying to move her off of me.

She looked into my eyes and saw that I was serious. I had already told her how Dani had been completely unexpected and she must have realized why I was alarmed. Without another word she moved off of me, slid down and took me deeply into her mouth. She furiously pumped my cock with her fist as she kept sucking on the head.

I arched my back as my hands clenched so hard I could feel my nails dig into my own skin. She had me feeling as aroused as I could ever remember. Her mouth felt incredible. "I'm cumming Jen," I groaned.

She turned her eyes up to meet mine and let another couple of inches slide into her mouth. As I came, she never moved, swallowing deeply several times. When she knew I was through, she slid up my body, dragging her breasts against my skin. She kissed me and tried to slide her tongue into my mouth. I hesitated because I had never kissed a girl right after that before.

After a moment I decided my concerns were irrelevant, so kissed her back. She kept moving her hips back and forth, dragging the lips of her pussy against my sensitive shaft while kissing me. Abruptly she pulled her knees to either side of my chest, sat back on my stomach and put her hands on her hips.

"So was it good for you?"

I laughed so hard I almost hurt myself.

We dated exclusively and very seriously from that night on. A few weeks later I anxiously got my daughter ready as I prepared her to meet Jenny. As much as I liked her, there was no future for us if she and Dani didn't take to each other quickly. My daughter was my life and I made no secret of it.

Thankfully, it wasn't an issue. It took about 5 minutes to see how well they clicked. Jenny loved to run her fingers through Danielle's hair while they talked. I could tell that my daughter really enjoyed her affection and the way Jenny read to her like she had been doing it all her life. Before the night was over, she even showed Danielle how a ballerina danced.

It was absolutely perfect. I was pretty sure that Jenny was already in love with me and I had no doubt that I felt the same for her. The way she acted toward Danielle just made me feel more strongly about her. At the end of the night she said her goodbyes and left with a hug for each of us. I took Dani upstairs to get ready for bed. When I finished reading her bedtime story, she got a very serious look on her face.

"Daddy, are you going to marry Jenny?"

I smiled and said, "I hope so sweetie."

"Good!" she replied enthusiastically.

Life can be wonderful...

It was four months later when I got the call. It was Katie and I could tell she'd been crying. She just said, "We need to talk."

I didn't like her tone, so I was out of the house before thinking to ask if she meant immediately.

When I arrived at her house, she informed me that she hadn't been feeling well. She went to her doctor and the tests came back that morning. Pituitary cancer, advanced stages, no cure.

I was speechless. Over the last year, things had gotten somewhat better between us. She and I stopped arguing so much, which helped us stop questioning each other's motives. Once that happened, the hatred of our past faded. Now it was easy to put my negative feelings aside, realizing my daughter was going to lose her mother.

"I don't know what to say," I stammered. "I'm so sorry. Is there anything I can do?"

"Yes, you need to take Danielle now. I'm going to be too sick to take care of her very soon and she needs to get used to being with you all the time. She's all I'm leaving behind and I want her to be happy."

I could only nod my head as the tears welled up in my eyes.

3 Months later she was gone. Danielle was devastated. She couldn't understand why and I couldn't explain it. It took months to see her return to her old self. I felt so helpless.

Jenny understood the situation with Danielle and spent as much time with her as possible. They grew very close and I could tell there was a bond growing that eased my daughter's pain. I don't know how I would have made it through that time without her help.

I waited six months to propose, out of respect to my daughter. I was afraid she would think I was trying to replace her mom. When I finally was sure the time was right, I asked Dani first, to make sure there wouldn't be any problems. She seemed very happy about it, anxious for something positive to look forward to.

The first thing to do was get the ring. I know in this day and age men are supposed to let the woman pick out the ring so she can get exactly what she wants, but I'm old-fashioned. I wanted to surprise her with a ring and I wanted it to be one she would love.

I found out early in the relationship that Jenny had a thing for yellow roses. She couldn't get enough of them. Over the months I surprised her with bouquets, figurines and even a professional painting done by a friend. Surprisingly she never seemed to tire of the gesture. It became kind of a game between us for me to find new ways to surprise her.

I talked to an artist I had worked with in the past and had him put together a design that we both thought was exceptional. I had the number for a jeweler who owned his own shop. When he got married a couple years earlier, I had to step in at the last second and fix a mess another company had created. He was so happy that he promised to do anything he could to make it up to me. After walking me through my options, he agreed to give me a break on the price so I could afford it. He beat me up badly for future favors, but it all worked out.

Then next thing was to work out a plan. I thought about a public proposal, but couldn't figure out how to do it right, so decided it would be best to do it in private. I wanted to somehow include Danielle. I had read that kids sometimes feel helpless when their parents remarry. Since they have no say in the decision, they can resent the spouse. I decided to ask her to help, both because I thought Jenny would love it and to make her feel more involved. She was very excited to be my co-conspirator.

I took Jenny out to see a concert pianist who was touring the states. He was in town for one night only and I was able to score very good seats. It was an amazing experience for both of us. We came home to find a candlelight dinner consisting of smoked salmon from her favorite seafood restaurant and a great variety of side dishes all hand-picked by an excellent local chef.

Jenny seemed thrilled with everything. We ate and talked until we couldn't finish another bite. I excused myself for a moment and found Danielle upstairs with Tammy, the next-door neighbor's daughter who watched her for me sometimes. I told her it was time for Dani to help me, so she could go home. Tammy smiled happily and wished me luck. I took a very excited Danielle downstairs to the dinning room.

Jenny jumped up to hug her and began telling her the details of our wonderful night. I distracted her for a moment and winked at Dani. She pulled the small box out of her pocket.

"Jenny," she said shyly, "Me and my daddy wanted you to have this."

I beamed with pride. She said it perfectly; just the way we had rehearsed it.

Jenny's hands shook as she took the box from Danielle's hand. She opened it and found a ring that someone like me shouldn't have been able to afford. An ornately crafted silver band with a stalk running all the way around and opening into a beautiful yellow rose (with the biggest diamond I could afford on top). I took it from the case and put it on her finger.

"Jenny, would you marry me?"

She cried "Yes!" as she hugged me. Danielle grabbed her leg, demanding not to be left out.