Dani

Avery was nearly shocked when Dani smiled and told her, "Thank you."

She hooked her arm under his then said, "Thank you, Alan. No one's ever done anything nice for me before like that." They walked back toward Nordstroms and Dani reached down for his hand. "Am I really pretty to you now?"

She was so sweet and so naive. "Yes, you are. You are very pretty to me." He stopped her then said, "But, Dani? You were pretty before. You just couldn't see it. But I could."

He took her hand and started walking again. "Let's go find you some nice things to wear. They won't change who you are any more than the hair and makeup, but they should help with your confidence and you could use a little boost there."

He gave her a tiny push as a way of teasing and Dani couldn't help but smile. "Now I understand why having a boyfriend is so much fun," she told him sounding almost happy.

The same girl from earlier saw them and did a double take Avery thought might have hurt her neck when she saw Dani. "Dang, gurl! Look at you. You got it goin' on!"

Dani loved the attention but was clearly not used to it. Avery whispered, "This is where you tell her thanks."

"Oh, geez," she said. "Sorry." She thanked the girl who asked her where she wanted to start.

"So...undergarments first, right? Okay, follow me."

This was all completely new to Avery and in some odd way rather fascinating. Dani had never gone shopping like this in her life, but she was taking to it like a fish to water. The closest thing she'd ever done was going to WalMart or JC Penney before school started to get the barest of essentials.

"Is that all you need?" Alan asked her.

"Two sets are enough," she had having chosen a black and white bra and panty set.

Next came some socks, a couple of pairs of stockings, and a pair of full-length leggings before moving to the actual clothes. Dani tried on some dresses but decided they weren't practical. "Where would I wear them?" she asked. The same was true for skirts.

"So you're going to wear jeans and sweaters and that's it?" Avery asked.

"I guess I could get one skirt, but then I'd need a pair of boots and they're really expensive so..."

"Okay, great. Let's do that," he said.

"Really?" The boots were nearly $200 and Dani thought spend $50 on shoes was outrageous.

"Go try them on with the skirt," he said. "I'll wait for you."

A few minutes later she stepped out of the changing room wearing a very pretty, dark-gray, long-sleeved sweater, a black wool skirt, and a pair of over-the-calf black boots that had a two-inch heel. She peeked out from inside the booth and called for Avery. "What do you think?" she asked stepping to the side just enough so he could see.

"Oh, my goodness. You are flat out gorgeous!" he told her.

"I don't normally like sweaters because, you know."

"Ah, right. The um...boobs thing. Well, let me just say I think you look phenomenal in that outfit." He took her back inside and said, "Look in the mirror. You're gorgeous!"

Avery wasn't offering her hype. As thin as Dani was, she looked like so many of the girls her age who made tons of money modeling clothing for big designers. From her hair to her boots, she did indeed look sensational—and maybe even sexy.

Dani pulled Avery's arms around her tiny waist and stood there looking at herself with him.

"Say something," Avery whispered in her ear.

"I love you, Alan."

He came so close to saying, "What?" again it scared him knowing how it would make Dani react. Instead he closed his eyes and let this ride take him wherever it wanted to go. "I love you, too."

Dani turned around and actually looked into his eyes. She put her tiny arms around his neck and said, "I want to be with you, Alan."

"You are with me," he said smiling at her and putting his hands on the place where her hips were supposed to be.

"No. I mean...with you."

Avery was unaware his heart was pounding out of his chest as he looked into this young girl's eyes. "Dani, that's...don't you want to wait and get to know me better?"

He saw the look in her eyes that told him she'd misread something, so before she could react he put a hand on her cheek and said, "Whatever you want." He smiled as big as he could and waited, hoping that look would disappear.

When it did, he slowly exhaled.

"I don't want to wait," she said. "All I've ever done is wait. I've never been on a date, never been kissed, never had a boyfriend, never been in love. Never...made love. Now...now I have all those things with the boy I love."

Avery not only wasn't offended by being called a boy. The sincerity with which she said it touched his heart deeply. "Okay. If you're sure."

"I'm sure," she said still looking at him. "How could I not be sure? I have the nicest, most handsome boyfriend ever."

And that's when Dani kissed him for the first time. "I want to go home with you and make love with you," she said when it ended.

"Okay," he said gently brushing her soft, pretty hair back. "But we're not leaving without a coat." He couldn't help smiling at her as she looked so delicate and fragile and...beautiful.

"I liked the ones you bought for me. Do you still have them?" she asked innocently.

"I took them back because I thought I'd offended you. Did you want the same ones or do you want to look for someone else."

"I want whichever one you like best," she said still not having taken her eyes off of his.

The sales associate was happy to get both of them and ring everything up. She removed the tags and anti-theft devices so Dani didn't have to change back into her black clothes.

Dani held his hand on the way home and after some prompting from Avery, agreed to talk about life with her grandmother. His assumptions were correct. She was very poor and lived on a fixed income with her late husband's social security being her only source of income. She qualified for subsidized housing and food stamps which allowed them to get by and evidently, she didn't spend any money Dani. In fact, she charged her rent and required her to buy her own food. If she wanted it, she had to buy it.

As selfish as that seemed to Avery, it wasn't the worst part of living with this woman. Dani wouldn't criticize her, but it was clear her grandmother was extremely controlling. The more Avery listened, the more Dani's life sounded like something from a Lifetime Movie Network film with Dani the one bearing the brunt of her grandmother's frequent emotional outbursts and never-ending demands on her granddaughter.

"Have you ever thought about getting your own place?" he asked her.

"Yes, but it's too expensive. Even a place like Grandma's is more than I can afford."

Avery wasn't sure if this question might cause a scene, but he had to ask it.

"Dani? Does your grandmother ever...hit you?"

He felt her flinch then remove her hand from his and fold them under her...well, the place where her breasts should be.

"Not really," she said quietly. "Not unless I do something really bad and then it's only because I upset her."

Avery felt sick thinking about this shy, fragile young woman with no self confidence being controlled and bullied by a woman who might have serious emotional or even psychological issues.

"Are you afraid of her, Dani?" he asked quickly looking over at her.

Dani looked down into her lap and said very quietly, "Sometimes." Then she quickly added, "But she's the only person who really loves me so..."

Avery reached over for her hand and took it without Dani's permission.

"No, she is not the only person who loves you, Dani." She turned her head slowly toward him until their eyes met. He lifted her hand to his mouth and kissed it then said, "I love you, too."

"I know you do, Alan," she replied quietly. "And I'm not afraid of you."

As they drove into his neighborhood, Dani looked around and said, "These houses are beautiful. Do you live here?"

"Just down this street on the right," he told her. To him, this was a reasonably nice suburban development with a better quality of tract housing. There were five or six different models in the development, but they were otherwise very similar. The homes were large and very comfortable, but nothing like the kinds of custom homes in the really upscale neighborhoods found all over Northern Virginia.

He pulled into the driveway and hit the garage remote and saw Dani looking up through the windshield trying to take in the entire two-story house and its three-car garage.

Avery went around and opened her door then helped her with the packages. They got to the door and he said, "Go ahead. Go on in." Both of his hands were full so Dani opened it and stepped inside. The entered the kitchen and Dani was in shock.

"Oh, my goodness," she said as she looked around marveling at the stainless steel appliances, large kitchen cabinets, granite countertops, and tile floors. "Oh, Alan. It's all so beautiful! And everything is so shiny and clean!"

"Come on, I'll show you the rest of the house."

He'd learned Dani lived in a one-bedroom apartment which meant she slept on a sofa-bed and had one small, two-drawer dresser for all her things. Then again, pretty much everything she owned fit inside it.

She stopped in every room taking in every detail. The hardwood flooring particularly amazed her. One room was closed and Dani knew who's it was. "This is Aaron's room, isn't it?" she asked respectfully.

"Yes. Do you want to see it?"

"Do you mind?" she asked sweetly.

"No. I'd like you to see it. Go ahead," he told her nodding at the doorknob.

Dani looked but didn't speak. His bed was neatly made and everything was in place. She saw a poster of his favorite band on the wall along with a Washington Redskins pennant. When she finally turned around, Avery saw tears in her eyes.

"You okay?" he asked.

Dani nodded and said, "It's just so sad." She looked at him and told him, "I'm really, really sorry, Alan." She put her arms around him and held him tight.

"Thank you, Dani. I'm sorry, too." He held her back then said, "But I'm not sad I met you." He stroked her long, pretty hair as she lay her head in the crook of his neck.

"I wish I could stay here with you forever," she said very quietly as she ran her newly-painted nails around his shoulder.

Without thinking Avery said, "You don't have to go back to your grandmother's apartment, you know. You can stay here for as long as you'd like. You can have your own room, too."

Dani lifted her head then looked into Avery's eyes. "Why would I want my own room if you love me?"

There was no guile in her voice. There was only that naive sincerity he found so appealing. The old Alan Avery would have explained why it had to be that way. Then again, the old Alan Avery wouldn't be with this...this...girl who was barely half his age. And he certainly wouldn't have the kinds of feelings the new Alan Avery was experiencing. Feelings that didn't care what kinds of negative consequences might result from rushing headlong into a relationship that made no sense; a relationship that was foolish and reckless and maybe even dangerous.

He'd lost his son, his wife, and many years ago, he'd essentially lost his marriage. And now, here he was, holding this kind, sweet, loving, young woman in his arms who wanted to not only make love with him, but to stay with him. The new Alan Avery wasn't about to let this opportunity pass him by.

"Then...let me show you our bedroom."

Avery had had Ethan call someone to have their old bed removed the day after Beverly died. The smell was unbearable and he couldn't have slept in it again even had she not lost control. In its place was a brand new, queen-size Tempurpedic bed on a basic frame he would soon replace if Dani actually decided to stay with him; something he very much hoped she would. He made sure to let her know this bed was new and the one where...

"I love it," she told him. "I love your house and..." She turned toward him then said, "I love you too, Alan."

"Hey. Are you hungry?" he asked.

"No, I don't really eat very much," she said. "We can have lunch though, if you are."

He put his hands on her shoulders and almost flinched when he felt how bony they were. "We're going to have to fatten you up a little." He made sure to smile so she'd know he was being playful.

She smiled back then said, "I want to learn how to cook for you and take care of your house." She looked down before saying, "And...I want to learn how to learn how to love you." When she finally looked at him again, her eyes were wide open and...imploring. "Will you show me how?" she asked, her need to please him so strong it was palpable.

"Yes," he told her. "But I want to love you back, too. Will you let me do that?"

"Yes," she said softly. "So...could you please show me now?"

Avery put his hands on her face, looked into her eyes, then before he kissed her said sweetly, "Open your mouth just a little when we kiss, okay?"

"Like this?" she said doing as he asked. It wasn't quite second-nature to her yet, but that wouldn't take long.

Seconds later, he offered her his tongue for the first time, and Dani giggled. "That's French kissing, huh?"

"Yes, it is. Do you like it?" he asked her.

"Uh-huh. Can we do that some more?"

Avery led her to the edge of the bed then set her on it before kissing her again. He kissed her for a very long time letting her get the hang of something she should have learned in junior high or high school.

"Wow. I really like kissing," she said. "My mouth feels all funny, though. Is that normal?"

Avery didn't laugh. He just assured her it was perfectly normal.

"Are you ready for more?" he asked as he stroked her hair.

"Yes," she told him.

For the next long while, he either explained or showed Dani what to do from undressing him to what lovers did with each other all along the way. She hadn't been exaggerating when she said she didn't have boobs. All that was there were two large, brown areolas with very hard nipples in the middle. Even so, Dani's breasts, such as they were, responded to his gentle kiss and the soft roll of his fingers the way any woman would.

"That tingles," she said as he sucked gently on one of them for the first time. "I feel it...everywhere," she told him as she pulled his head close. "I'm sorry they'll so small."

"They're perfect," he told her truthfully. "I love them."

Dani believed him and fell back onto the bed when he gently pushed her. She was so thin and so tiny, Avery wondered if she might possibly be anorexic. If she was, he'd cross that bridge when he got to it. For now he was determined to show her what her body was meant to do; what pleasures it could bring given the right kind of attention.

When he felt she was ready, he gently slid his hand between her tiny legs and found the sweetest of all spots. Dani gasped loudly when his finger circled it for the first time. "Mmmm. That feels so good!" she moaned as he continued doing it.

"Are you ready for my tongue?" he asked after letting experience the gift of his fingers for a while.

"Yes, please!" she said happily.

Dani spread her legs wide then Avery lifted them letting them rest on his back as he replaced his finger with his tongue. "Oooo!" Dani cried as the warm wetness of his tongue found its mark. "That's even nicer than your finger!" she moaned.

Dani told him she'd never had an orgasm and that she'd never even masturbated. Her grandmother had caught her doing it once not long after she moved in with her and had not only scolded her but punished her severely. Fortunately, it hadn't deterred Dani from wanting the kind of pleasure only that special place could bring. The thought of being with another woman who didn't like or want sex was too much for Avery to even contemplate.

Avery let her know that fingers were used 'down there', too, and after spending a good long while on her clit, he very slowly and very carefully entered her using just one finger. "Always let me know what you like, okay? And what you don't like. I want you to get as much pleasure as you give. That's very important to me. Do you understand?" Dani told him she did and by the way she responded to his touch, it was clear she was receiving pleasure.

What Avery didn't know was whether or not her hymen was still intact so he probed carefully and just as he expected, it was right where it should be. Dani knew to expect a short, quick stab of pain which Avery mitigated by moving next to her and kissing her as his middle finger made the quick-but-gentle movement that broke it. He'd grabbed a towel early on 'just in case' and used to wipe the blood off his finger then pull it underneath her.

He reentered and said, "Feel better now?"

"Mmmm. Much," she said as his finger probed as deeply as possible.

"Good. One more, okay?"

Dani was on her back, her eyes closed, with one hand on his head and the other gently rolling one of her nipples. "Okay," she said quietly.

When he heard her moan with pleasure as a second thick finger entered her now-very-wet pussy, he knew she would be okay. He gave her lots of time to adapt to each new sensation and after she could handle two of his fingers, he moved back down south and increased the pressure and speed of his tongue on her clit.

"I want you to cum for me," he told her. "Just relax and enjoy what your body is feeling and it'll just happen."

As his tongue did its thing, he continued using his fingers inside of her. Dani's moans became louder and more frequent until he heard her say, "Oh, God! I'm coming! Alan...I'm coming!"

Her frail little body tensed and shuddered as she cried out in pleasure. "Oh, my God! That feels so...good!"

Waves of pleasure washed over her and when they stopped, he stopped.

"Is that it?" she asked as he lay beside her.

"No. That was just the beginning," he told her.

"Now it's my turn. Or should I say...your turn."

"Oh. Oh! Okay," she said happily with a big smile.

He kissed her then took her hand and placed it between his legs. Dani had never seen a boy, let alone a man, naked before and the size of his maleness scared her as she thought about it trying to 'fit in there.' Avery assured her her body was designed to do exactly that and to trust him until she experienced if for herself.

She ran her hand up his length then back down. He then placed it under his balls and showed her how to caress them before moving on to oral sex. Dani was very thin, but her lips were not. Those soft, full lips allowed her to make something Beverly hadn't done since Aaron was born, the most pleasurable thing he'd ever experienced. He let her know what he liked and how much he liked it, and Dani was ever-eager to learn and please.

When he stopped her she asked, "Am I doing something wrong?"

"No, not at all," he told her. "I just want to make love to you now. Are you ready?"

"Mmmm. Yes. I'm very ready," she told him. She moved up next to him and laid on her back and waited.

Avery was slow and gentle, kissing her and telling her she was beautiful before penetrating her.

"Use your hand and grab my cock..." Dani laughed and put a hand over her face when he said 'cock.'

"Sorry. That's just such a bad word," she told him. "Not your...cock," she managed to say. "Just the word."

Avery smiled and said, "No word is bad in the bedroom, Dani. All expressions of love and sex are okay. In fact, they're very special when two people who love each other say them."

Her eyes were quickly darting between his as he spoke. She reached for his...cock and pointed it in the right direction. "Right there," she said sweetly.

"Are you ready, sweetheart?" he asked her.

Dani nodded then bit her lower lip as he pushed. "Tell me if it doesn't feel good, okay?"

She nodded again but didn't speak. He entered her and she felt tiny beneath him and yet so tight and so very wet as she took him.