McKinley Manor Pt. 01

She was a vision of splendor. Flush cheeks, rose colored lips in a gentle, resting smile, her ample bosom thinly veiled by soft fabric...He could see her nipples as they tented the material. Gretschen's graceful hourglass figure was accented by the gathered waist of the robe. Her full hips causing the lower section to flair outward, exposing a tantalizing swatch of the inside of her leg. A bed tossed tangle of silky locks tumbling over one shoulder just begging him to run his fingers through it. Lovely.

Jacob carried the breakfast tray heavy laden with chocolate chip pancakes, strawberries and bacon.

"I figured it was your turn to sleep in, not that you need the beauty sleep." She blushes so beautifully. "I hope you like chocolate in your pancakes."

"Oh Jacob, you're so thoughtful...and what lady doesn't love chocolate in everything?" She giggled as he shrugged.

They sat on her bed and had a lovely breakfast together. Gretsch was glad he was finally opening up to her a bit and wanted their friendship to grow.

Days and weeks passed and the big house started to become familiar to Jake. His nightmares had abated and he was left with the dull ache of loss. He had a lot of freedom here and was starting to learn his place in the rhythm of the household. There were even traditions like Friday movie night starting to develop. His father stayed gone, occasionally coming home for a night or two and leaving again in a rush. He managed to stay home three nights the week of Jake's birthday but was gone for Christmas and New Year.

Jake struggled to keep his hands busy splitting wood and working on little projects so his mind would stop wondering what Gretschen's lips tasted like. He had never kissed a girl, or even really had a girl as a friend, and he wanted to know how it felt.

It was a bitter cold as January became February. Jake put another arm load of wood on the fire and shook down the ash. He heard the crackling pick up pace and was satisfied with the results. He had learned the routines of the house and finally felt like he was home. He had considered getting a job in town but Gretschen had insisted that he stay around the house and give her a hand. Having him there lightened her load considerably and she gave him free reign of his time, though he spent most of it with her, and fuel money for his motorcycle in exchange for his help. He sat back on the sofa and sighed at the warmth, it made him sleepy.

A loud crash startled him awake and he jumped up to investigate. He found Gretschen in the kitchen sobbing. He approached her but she warned him to keep back, there was broken glass everywhere and there she stood in bare feet. Jake saw the blood, she was cut. He quickly grabbed the broom and cleared a path to her and set the broom aside as he reached her. Before she could protest, he scooped her up and carried her to the parlour. Her sobbing intensified as he left and returned with first aid supplies.

He gently removed tiny pieces of glass with tweezers then wiped her lower legs and feet down with alcohol to remove any other debris and sanitize everything. He gingerly applied bandages and kissed each one just like his mother used to when he was small. When his task was done he looked up into those blue eyes and froze.

Her crying had dissipated but her face was crimson and she was giving him the strangest look. Jacob jumped up and headed to the kitchen to clean up the mess. When he arrived he found what looked like a pork roast with hominy. He stopped in his tracks as the smell of sage and pepper brought back a flood of memories.

It was his birthday, he was six, mom had made his favorite meal and his dad was home. He got a ball and glove so he played catch with dad. Mom looked angry and she hit dad and he pleaded for her to stop. Dad's lip bleeding and eye swelling as he begged her to wait until Jake went to bed, that he didn't need to see this. Waking up in the middle of the night to dad kissing his forehead with tears on his cheeks saying he would always be loved. Loneliness. Anger.

Reality swam back to the surface and he realized his face was wet from tears. This was the same type of roast they ate for his birthday all those years ago, his last meal with his parents together. He cleaned the kitchen up, dried his tears and headed back to check on Gretschen.

She'd ruined it. She was looking forward to surprising Jake with what Rick had told her was his favorite meal and she had let it crash to the floor in a million pieces. Gretschen knew that it was still hard for him to feel truly comfortable here and had wanted to give him a taste of home.

Then he had rescued her, tended her wounds and even lovingly kissed each place a shard of glass had cut her. His affectionate gesture had sent her heart racing. Maybe he was warming up to the idea of being a family. When her tears subsided and she could breathe normally again, she could still feel his warm breath and soft kisses on her legs and feet. It gave her an odd tingle that felt an awful lot like arousal. She pushed it to the back of her mind as Jake came back into the room.

"I'm going for a ride, I'll bring you something for dinner." She saw the pain in his eyes.

"Will you take me with you?" She asked softly.

"The Rebel won't carry us both or I'd say yes. I'd actually be glad of the company but the house is too quiet. You could follow me in the van but I need the wind on my face tonight."

"I have an ever better idea." She said, mischievous smile creeping onto her face. "Follow me."

As she flung the barn doors wide, Jake could make out a tarp in the half light. She rolled it back gingerly and put the key in the switch. The single headlight blazed on followed by the running lights and then a rumble that shook the whole barn. She pulled the bike out into the chilly night air and Jacob's jaw almost hit the ground.

The brand new Honda Shadow, he'd had wet dreams about this motorcycle. Its chrome and glossy black paint reflected the stars, its saddle bags were made of shiny leather and had silver conchos to fasten them. He could have cried.

"Where on earth did this come from?"

"I wanted to get you something nice. It was meant for your Christmas but your father insisted on that rifle instead. What he didn't know was that I had already gotten this. So consider this a thank you from me."

"For what?" Jake asked incredulously, wondering what he could have done to deserve this kind of thanks.

"For accepting me. For not breaking your father's heart. For being loving and kind and generous. Just for being yourself, Jake." Her eyes twinkled.

She called him Jake...

He had lived with this woman for six months now and she had never called him anything but Jacob. She was always so formal with him, was she giving him an opportunity here? A chance to get to know another side of her? Only one way to find out.

Jake grinned.

"Get some warm clothes on, let's go." He watched her sprint back to the house, she really did have a nice ass.

He revved the bike and took it around the side of the house, threw on his leather jacket and chaps he'd gotten for his birthday and tugged on his gloves and helmet. Situating himself on his new ride, he pulled around to the front door. He hoped she'd dress warmly enough, it promised to be a pretty cold ride. He looked back toward the house and his jaw dropped again.

A sexy lynx of a woman clad in black leather from head to toe with dramatic eyeliner and bold red lipstick smiled at him, then turned back to lock the door. Her hair in a slick braid down her back and well defined curves gleaming under the shiny leather was a feast for his eyes. Under her arm she had a sleek black helmet with a face shield as well as a set of slender leather gloves. She donned them quickly and swung a leg over the seat behind him and they were off.

He could feel the body heat between them. All else was driven from his mind when he realized that her voluptuous body was pressed against him and that this had been her idea. They stopped at the foot of the mountain and he asked if she was hungry, she nodded so he headed for the pizza place up the road.

The joint was a little crowded tonight but that was alright, they had never been here together and he wondered what people would think about them.

They found a booth in a quiet corner and settled into their seats. A perky little waitress came and took their drink order, as she headed back to the kitchen she glanced back over her shoulder at Jacob, who was watching her go.

"She likes you." Gretschen mused. "What do you think of her?"

"She's decent looking, seems nice, but I don't expect anything to come of it. I don't know what to do with girls, I've never had a girlfriend."

"You're nearly twenty! You've never had a girlfriend? Surely, there must have been a girl who liked you in school or something?"

"Mom didn't like other women around."

"I'm going to get you that girl, at least her phone number, the rest I'll help with when I can." Gretchen had a mischievous glint in her smoke blue eyes and he knew she would not be denied. She excused herself and headed toward the ladies room where she had just seen the girl duck in.

The girl was washing her hands, her name badge said Stacey.

"Hey, Stacey?" Gretsch inquired in a strong but quiet voice. The girl turned around, she looked unsure. "The man I'm sitting with, you find him attractive." It wasn't a question.

"Ye...yes." Stacey stammered, this was a powerful, seductive and dangerous woman and Stacey had checked out her man. This could get ugly if the woman got mad but her expression softened at Stacey's answer.

"I'm glad you like him." A sultry edge crept into her voice. "Would you go out with him if he asked you?"

"Yes, I would." At this point honesty seemed the best policy.

"I thought so." Gretsch's perfectly painted lips twisted into a knowing smile. "If you want him, pass your number to him when you give him the tab. You seem sweet but he deserves the very best. Bring your A game." And with that she turned on her booted heel and left Stacey wondering what made that intimidating woman offer her a handsome man on a silver platter.

They talked about a number of things through dinner and Jake watched Stacey all evening as she tended to her customers, he liked her more by the minute as he saw how easily she laughed. When it came time to pay their bill, Stacey set it on the table. Gretsch picked it up and smirked to herself.

"It's for you." She said sliding him the ticket.

Jacob lifted the note where the ticket should be and read, "Dinner is on me, call me sometime." Signed, Stacey, with two hearts and a phone number. Gretsch admired her style.

Jacob's head shot up and his dark amber eyes glinted as he caught Gretschen looking back smugly.

"How...?"

"A good magician never reveals her secrets."

Jake looked around the room, caught Stacey's eye and winked at her, grinning. She blushed furiously. Gretsch caught Jake's back turned and dropped a $50 tip on the table so it wouldn't hit the younger woman's paycheck so hard, then headed toward the parking lot.

Jake and Gretsch mounted the bike and headed for home.

That night Jake dreamed of Stacey kissing him sweetly on the cheek and holding his hand but then his dream changed, it was dark and he was in bed with a soft, curvy body. Sexy ass pressing against his pelvis, one hand full of breast and the other in her hair. He pulled her up onto her hands and knees and could feel the wet warmth between her legs as he pressed forward. He was sinking into her depths as she moaned and gasped out his name.

"Jake..."

That was Gretschen's voice. It was her hips his hands were on, pulling her dripping pussy over the length of his erection. She felt amazing.

"Oooh, Jake, you're going to make me cum like that. You're so deep. Ahhh!Ahh!Ahhhhh!..." She moaned with every stroke as he picked up speed. He twisted his hand into her hair and pulled her head back, smacking her ass as it jiggled from his thrusts. He felt her spasm around his cock and the sensation tipped him over the edge. They both cried out in ecstasy as they found their release.

"You're mine now." He growled in her ear. She nodded, panting, aftershocks still quaking through her.

*Smack* Her ass jiggled.

"I didn't hear you."

"Yes!" She yelped. "Yes, I'm yours."

Jacob awoke to soaked sheets and boxers and a throbbing dick. He must have cum three or four times in his sleep. His cock was sore and felt raw but there it was, throbbing for another release.

He admonished himself for what he was about to do but put his hand to work remembering Gretsch in her leather and how her red lips were so shiny and her voice so sexy.

She had called him Jake.

With that thought he came again. It was so intense he felt lightheaded.

She's my fucking stepmom!

The hot water rained down on her skin as she lathered up her hair. As she rinsed, the shower eased her neck muscles, she had tossed and turned quite a bit in her sleep. She'd had the strangest dream about a man with no face in a tuxedo. She shut the water off and dried herself, enjoying the softness of the towel.

It was valentines day and Jacob had a date. She was so excited for him she could barely contain it. He had spent the previous day asking a million questions about what to say and what was polite etiquette for a first date. He had even allowed her to choose his clothes. It was going to be perfect.

Jacob carefully brushed his hair and teeth, making sure nothing was out of place. Gretschen had chosen his wardrobe carefully. If she thought he was handsome in these clothes then Stacey should be of like mind. He dressed in a nice fitting, black, button down shirt and charcoal grey jeans. His black leather jacket had been cleaned, boots shined, and both his and Gretschen's helmets had been polished. She had judged hers should fit Stacey well enough for safety sake. This could be one of the best nights of his life.

Gretschen heard the motorcycle turn into the driveway and set down her book. He was home before curfew but she had given him a lot of slack. She went to the door and opened it with a grin as he mounted the stairs.

The smile slid from her lips as she saw his face, he was destroyed.

"What did she do?" Gretsch growled in a menacing tone that shocked Jake out of his self pity.

"It wasn't her, it was me. I made things awkward and ruined everything." Her face softened.

"I have hot tea made, would you care for some?"

Jacob nodded and followed her into the kitchen.

She watched the strong young man drown his sorrow in Constant Comment and honey as they sat discussing his disastrous date.

"...She went for a hug and I went for a kind of kids and ended up kissing her hair, and it just got awkward. I don't know what I was thinking." Jacob shook his head.

"For once I just wish I knew what a woman felt like. I used to read mom's novels and think I would be better than any of the guys in those books. I watched porn at Matt and Mark's sometimes but those women aren't real, they don't act real. I just want to know I'm not stupid for wanting a real woman or having desire." He rested his head in his hands.

"Jacob, you just got ahead of yourself, that's all. Did she ask you to call her?"

"No, should she?"

"That's pretty standard but not the end of the world if she didn't."

"Ugh...I fucked up."

"Jacob!"

"Sorry. I think I'm going to head to bed." As he stood, she rose along side him.

"Jake..." There it was again.

He turned to face her.

"You look very handsome tonight. I know you, you're charming and funny, the right chance will come. Until then..." She stepped up to him and placed her hands on his shoulders, rose up on her toes and kissed his cheek. "Goodnight, my valentine." She left him standing in the kitchen, his hand touching his cheek that still burned with her kiss.

"That's very nice. Your contrast and shading are getting much better, more realistic. I think you're ready for faces. Here, draw me."

Jacob had asked Gretschen about the artwork in the house only to learn that she was the artist. He had then insisted that she's show him how to sketch and paint. They had been at it for months and he was doing rather well, she was proud of him.

"Like this?" He made a long stroke with his pencil.

"No, make some markers, like so, and then follow them with lines that look more natural. It keeps it from looking like a cartoon."

She smiled inwardly at how quickly he had progressed. She was already gathering supplies, she planned to give him a full set of every tool he could possibly need along with canvas, paper and every medium she could think of for his birthday.

"Finished!" He turned the tablet around and she grinned.

"The shading is excellent, especially here on the collar bones. My lips aren't that big, are they?" She giggled.

"No, but they are a prominent feature on your face. They drew my attention when you smiled and I liked accentuating them."

"You did a lot of detail there, my eyes as well. I'll give it an A for my star pupil." She grinned. "We should get all this cleaned up and get ready, the early guests will be starting to arrive in about an hour and we need to get our costumes on and set the trays of food out."

Every year the historical society had a Halloween party and the owners of larger historical homes took turns hosting. This year McKinley Manor would be the place to be. They had been decorating inside and out for weeks with cobwebs, pumpkins and cornstalks. Ellie had been helping Gretsch in the kitchen for two days to get all the platters and trays ready, now there was nothing to do but enjoy it.

Gretschen got the last tray pulled out as she heard Jake come down the stairs.

"What do you think?" Jacob poped the collar on his jacket. He was wearing a classic Fonz type outfit with marshmallow peeps stuck to him from head to toe.

Gretschen quirked an eyebrow at him.

"I'm a chick magnet! Wishful thinking, I know." He chucked.

"Okay, chick magnet. I'm going to go get changed, get the music going and let people in when the doorbell rings."

"Yeah yeah...ring the doorbell and let the music in, got it." He smirked.

A handful of guests had arrived and the party was starting to liven up as Gretschen made her way down the stairs. Heads turned as she descended and a few of her closer friends raised a glass to her in greeting. Her wig was a little itchy but she could live with it for the overall effect it gave. For an instant, she wondered what Jake would think, then she shunned the thought as it took her places she didn't want to go.

She's stunning. Jake's imagination was running wild as Marilyn Monroe came gliding into the kitchen. She made a beautiful Marilyn, her face and general build were perfect for the role, even if her tits and ass were bigger than the original. He shook himself.

She's my stepmom...why do I keep doing this.

The party carried on into the wee hours of the morning and when the last guest pulled out of the drive, the house fell silent.

"What a night, I had more fun than I thought." Jacob called into the kitchen as he straightened the parlour furniture.

"It was fun but I'm done, I think I let Bertie get me tipsy. I don't drink much and he kept topping me off."

"Let's clean up in the morning, I'm wiped."

"Agreed. Goodnight Jacob."

"Goodnight, Marilyn."

Jake awoke only a few hours later to another dream of Gretschen, this time she had sung him happy birthday as Marilyn Monroe and then given him a happy ending with her soft ruby lips. He couldn't get her out of his head so he started sketching the erotic images of her that he dreamed as an outlet. He had a special tablet for this that he always put away so she wouldn't find it. He was getting better at the little details like the dimples on her lower back he had seen when her shirt had ridden up as they worked in the garden over the summer and the way her eyes widened and lips parted just a little when she was aroused that he noted most often when his father was home.