I looked out the kitchen window to check the morning weather like I do every day before I make my coffee. My house is on a corner, with the front facing the avenue and the side with my kitchen and garage facing the side street. Directly across the street is a small older home that was built in the 1930s. The house is in fair shape, just old, and it’s been on the market for over a year. I saw the moving truck parked, blocking my own driveway, obviously waiting for the new owners to arrive.

Some folks would have marched right out of their house and demanded that they move their truck. I knew my wife Liz wasn’t going anywhere this morning. The parked truck wasn’t hurting us any and the last thing I wanted to do was send the message to my brand new neighbors that I’m the ‘Get off my lawn’ guy. I’m forty, not ninety.

While I did have some running to do, my truck was parked in my wood shop garage at the back of my lot. That garage emptied onto the paved alley behind my shop, and getting out wasn’t an issue. I made my coffee and meandered over to the shop. I was delivering an entertainment center this morning and was anxious to see how my customer liked it. As much custom-designed stuff that I’ve built and as many times as I’ve heard the oohs and aahs, I still get nervous when I deliver the finished item.

I got the delivery completed and had a nice check that included an unexpected bonus in my pocket when I walked into the house for lunch. Liz was sitting at the kitchen island and looking out the kitchen window. “Hey, babe. The delivery go all right?”

“Yep, they even gave me a bonus. Whatcha doin’?”

I walked over and gave her a little kiss. She smiled. “Watching the new neighbors move in. I’ve seen a woman that I think is the mom and a little girl.”

I nodded. “So the older folks we saw are probably her parents and they likely helped them out with their home. We figured that place would make a nice starter home for a young couple. I wonder where the kid’s dad is? Let’s let them settle in and go over and introduce ourselves.”

Liz thought for a moment. “Maybe bring a bottle of wine and some homemade lasagna?”

“Sounds like a plan to me.”

Liz watched and I glanced across the street occasionally as I ate my lunch. I moseyed back to the shop for the afternoon. That evening we ate at the island as usual and saw the house across the street lit up in every room for the first time in a long time. It was kind of nice having a young family living there. Liz and I had speculated freely about the quality of neighbor we might get when the house went on the market. The property was the lowest-valued place on the block by a substantial margin and we had been concerned that a landlord would buy it and rent it out to all kinds of riffraff. That’s what the previous owner had done and frankly, I was damn tired of being on a first-name basis with our city police.

The young family was a positive sign, although there was nothing stopping them from being raging assholes if that was their inclination. We would find out one way or the other when we introduced ourselves.

The following morning I followed my routine and returned to the shop. Two hours of cleaning later, the shop was ready for the next project and I sat down in front of my computer. I had some wonderfully decadent ideas running around my head and needed to get them written down.

I have two interests, actually passions, that fill my days now. The first is designing and building fine furniture. The second is a closely held secret. I write erotic stories and post them on an adult literature website. I’m moderately successful at it and have a pretty good following. I had a couple of stories part way along that I should be working on, but a new idea had entered my head and it was time to start another story. I grabbed a bottle of water out of the fridge and completely forgot to go home for lunch.

I banged away at it for a while and when I looked at the clock I was again late for dinner. Liz knew how I got when the writing bug bit me and was very understanding about it. She no longer started dinner until I actually showed up at the house. When I finally did show up we would have the usual discussion. Is it my turn to cook, her turn to cook, or are we going out to eat?

The wonderful smell of homemade lasagna hit my nose and made my mouth water when I walked in the back door. The freshly baked lasagna was cooling on the top of the stove and I gave it the side-eye as I walked up behind my wife. She was looking out the kitchen window when I pulled her ass against my erection and began kissing her neck.

She chuckled. “You’ve been writing again, haven’t you? Well, you’re going to have to keep it in your pants for a while. Come on. We’re going across the street.”

I grabbed the oven mitts, picked up the lasagna, and followed my wife out of the house and across the street. I nearly stumbled on the curb because I was distracted watching my wife’s lovely ass.

She shot me a look, half serious and half intrigued. “Don’t you dare drop that. Stop staring at my ass and watch where you’re going.”

She took a look at my crotch, smirked, and stopped walking. “You need to get rid of that before we meet them. Showing up with an erection is probably not the best way to introduce yourself.”

I shrugged. “You never know. She might like it.”

Liz chuckled. “Or he might!”

That pretty much cured my affliction and I was down to a bit of a chubby by the time she rang the doorbell. It’s not that I have something against gay men. As far as I’m concerned, I don’t care whom you love, as long as you love. I don’t find men sexually attractive, quite the opposite in fact, but I’ll be the last one to chastise someone for a loving relationship. I don’t care which X or Y chromosome determined the person’s gender or if the gender they were born with gets changed because it doesn’t reflect the person inside. It’s all good to me. I don’t understand the homophobic mindset. Why hate someone that you would normally have no interest in? What did they ever do to you besides frighten your ignorant ass because you’re scared of catching gay?

The whole gay-bashing thing was another of those stupid things I have difficulty wrapping my head around. Why waste any life at all hating something that you can’t change and that has zero effect on your day-to-day life? It’s not like there are gays running rampant. What makes Joe Redneck think a gay man has any interest in him in the first place? Who wants a close-minded, intolerant, mean person in their life anyway, regardless of sexual orientation?

My pondering, and the subsequent disgust with close-minded people, soon had my cock back to its normal soft state, and I waited patiently as Liz rang the doorbell. The vision that answered the door instantly stole my heart. She had curly dark hair, huge green eyes, and a smile that lit up the world. She was also pretty short but that wasn’t surprising considering she looked to be about six years old. Her skin was a lovely brown and she was a bundle of energy as she hopped from foot to foot.

Liz gave her a huge grin and I realized my jaw was practically aching from my own smile. Liz squatted down so she was on the little girl’s level. “Hi there! I’m Liz and this is my husband Dan. What’s your name?”

Her sweet little voice just made my grin bigger. “I’m Tess and I’m six going on seven!”

I could tell that Liz wanted to hug the shit out of her, but she settled on giving her a huge smile. “Is your mom and dad home? We would like to meet them too.”

Tess turned and ran back into the house, leaving the two of us standing there, chuckling. Our chuckles just got louder as we listened to Tess trying to drag her mother to the door to meet her new friends. The woman that arrived at the door was surprised, to say the least, and she gave her daughter a look of humorous frustration. “Tess, what have I told you about answering the door by yourself?”

Her cuteness gene was very dominant as she clenched her little hands and began to twist back and forth. She’d been caught doing something she shouldn’t and she knew she’d been caught. A desperate plea with over-the-top cuteness should calm Mom right down. “But MOM! They’re my new friends and they live right there!” Her little hand pointed at our driveway as if to say, “I rest my case.”

For some reason unknown to Liz and me at the time, her mother’s eyes started to swell with tears. I decided a distraction wouldn’t hurt and squatted down so I could be at Tess’s eye level. “Tess, your mommy wants you to be safe because she loves you. You need to let your mom know when someone comes to the door so she can answer it. No matter who it is. OK?”

She looked at me curiously for a moment. “OK.” Then turned and trotted away. Liz saw that the woman was getting a grip but decided that maybe we were intruding. “I’m Liz and this is my husband Dan. We live right there, so welcome to the neighborhood. If you need help with anything, please let us know. Dan is really handy with repairs and stuff.

“We thought you might need a break from cooking, so I made you some lasagna.”

The woman looked at us for a moment and I could see that she was again fighting tears. “Oh, I’m so rude. I’m very sorry. This move has me shaken. I’m Tammy and it is very nice to meet you. Please come in.”

She held the door open and I walked in. She led us to her kitchen and I put the hot lasagna on the stovetop while Liz handed her the wine. Tammy studied the bottle for a moment, then looked up. “This looks lovely, but I have no idea where the corkscrew is.”

I pulled the wonderfully made folding corkscrew I’d found online from my pocket and flashed her a grin as I held it up. I hadn’t realized how tense her face had been until it lit up with her smile. Suddenly I started noticing a few things. One of those things was that my new neighbor had a very pretty face. Her eyes matched her daughter’s, although her blonde hair didn’t, nor her much paler skin. Her hair was pulled back in a ponytail, revealing her elfin ears and sleek neck. That’s as far down as I would let my eyes go while Tammy was looking right at me. No sense in being a creep.

My lovely wife gave me my opportunity when she caught Tammy’s attention. I saw Liz’s sideways smirk at me when she did it. Shit, woman, I’m not that smitten. I’m going to get some non-stop teasing over this one.

Still, opportunity knocked and I answered. When Tammy’s head turned toward my wife, my eyes turned downward and I took her in. She was wearing yoga pants, a sleeveless t-shirt, and a sports bra could be clearly seen showing through. Her body was lithe and firm, her legs were fucking awesome, her ass hard and round, and her tits were damn near perfect handfuls of pertness. Her nipples had won the battle with her bra and t-shirt and were exerting their authority admirably. She was stunning. Liz was fighting laughter at the expression on my face, and my dick was swelling again. Bad dick! Bad! Go away!

My head was filled nearly to distraction with fantasy scenarios. I could see a lot of stories coming out of this introduction. Apparently, during my creative writing interlude, Liz had agreed that we would share the wine with Tammy. Tammy had zero difficulties finding the wine glasses. I saw that she had the kitchen cabinets full and organized. She’d been busy.

We sat at the kitchen table and talked. Tessy would occasionally run into the room, see a bunch of boring grown-ups talking, and race back out of the room. Tammy deflected talking about herself by asking us tons of questions about us. She was intrigued by my wood shop and I invited her to visit when she had a moment.

Liz chuckled. “Plan to spend a while. He’s built some truly wonderful stuff and he loves to show the pictures off. As a matter of fact, I’m willing to make you a little bet that he’ll talk you into letting him make you something.”

The second glass of wine, along with the friendly conversation, opened Tammy up. “I suppose you’re wondering where Tessy’s dad is, and I ought to get that out of the way. I recently divorced Jeff. He has an issue with fidelity in that he isn’t capable of it. I thought that after Tess was born he’d change, but that lasted a year. It took me this long to finally admit to myself that he and I had no future together. He will be coming here often, though. He is a good father to Tess, the best actually, just not much of a husband.”

I took that as my cue to change the subject. “Don’t spend your money on repairs to the house without letting me take a crack at it first. I won’t tackle something I can’t do correctly. I gutted and remodeled our house from the frame up, and I know a bit about how to fix them.”

I saw her hesitate. “Please, I like to help. It makes me feel good and it’s what a neighbor does.”

I could see more of that invisible weight lift from her shoulders. I think that was the moment she accepted that we were sincere. The smile she gave me hit my brain, and went straight to my crotch from there. At that moment, I saw a joyful and amazing woman that was aching to live life to the fullest. Yet, here she was, a single mom with a young child, starting over. I couldn’t imagine how depressing that must be.

Liz took one look at me and shook her head while hiding her grin with her hand. She knew me too well. Nothing brings out the alpha male in me like a damsel in distress. I immediately resolved to make Tammy’s life as easy as possible so that she could focus on living again. I was already planning the playroom at our house for Tessy. We’d have great fun hanging out there while her mother got her dating life restarted. As far as I was concerned, Tess could start calling me Uncle Dan from this moment forward. Well, maybe just Dan. No need to be formal about it.

Tessy came running back into the room, grabbed my hand, and began pulling me toward the living room. “Come on and watch Dora with me.”

I watched Tess while she watched Dora, and I loved every second of it. She is so full of life, curiosity, and sweet innocence that she is a joy to be around. I suspect her mother could give examples of less-than-stellar behavior by the six-year-old, but I never saw it. I might be a bit opinionated, though. When the show was over, I went to collect my wife.

I walked back into the kitchen and they were suddenly at a loss for words. I grinned. “Talking about me, huh? It can’t be bad yet. We’ve just met.

“Tammy, I’d like to inspect your house and see what needs fixing, if you don’t mind. This house has been in the hands of a few flaky landlords over the years and I don’t trust any work they did on the place. I promise not to snoop.”

Liz started laughing and soon had Tammy laughing right along with her. I crossed my arms and pretended to glare at them while waiting them out. Eventually, Tammy gave me that warm smile of hers. “Liz told me you were in pappa bear mode and would insist on inspecting the house. She’s convinced me that you’re harmless but useful.”

I nodded all manly and shit. “Good. Tomorrow morning work for you?”

Liz grinned at Tammy. “I told you!”

What? Tomorrow was Sunday. Tammy would be home and it was as good a time as any. Plus, I didn’t need to come up with some reason to inspect the place while she was at work. I really wanted to check out the electrical and plumbing, not to mention the structural stuff. I wouldn’t be able to live with myself if something happened to them because I hadn’t gotten around to fixing something.

I wanted to start at seven and begrudgingly accepted nine. It was her house, after all. We said our goodbyes and got a wonderful hug from Tessy on the way out the door. Liz and I were both smiling. It was the happiest moment we had experienced in a long time. Not that life had been all that bad. Compared to the sunshine spread by that little girl, even the best life can seem a little dull.

We walked into our kitchen and decided a second glass of wine was in order. We settled at the island and sipped thoughtfully for a while. Liz broke the silence in a surprising way. “So, are you thinking about pulling the trigger with Tammy?”

That came out of left field. The idea had not occurred to me simply because it wasn’t something I thought about much. ‘Pulling the trigger’ was our little code for what I guess you could call a ‘Hall Pass.’ That’s not really what it was, but a hall pass is as good a way as any to describe it.

Liz and I have always been sexually adventurous. There’s not much that a couple can do together sexually that we haven’t tried. Let me qualify that by excluding gross and painful stuff. We were open to the idea of swinging, but the opportunity never came. There’s a huge privacy barrier that has to be crossed, and small towns don’t lend themselves well to keeping secrets. We weren’t about to let some fun damage our life together.

We had long ago agreed that if one of us wanted to have wild sex with someone, someone we found erotically irresistible, then we could pull the trigger. The deal was that it was for some amazing sex, would not harm our relationship, and had to be a closely held secret. No one but those involved would ever know what happened.

This wasn’t about a love affair or a long-term relationship. We had each other for that. The whole deal was about getting to live a fantasy for a while. We’d put no limits on it, either. Either of us could have chosen one partner or a hundred. We didn’t need the limitation spoken. We both knew that whatever happened would have to be very special and, by its very nature, not common at all.

We would never pull the trigger in anger. We have always been open and honest with each other. When we’ve disagreed, and boy, we have disagreed, we always worked our way through it together. Pulling the trigger isn’t supposed to be a bad response to a troubled marriage. It is meant to be a joyful exploration of a sexual experience. I knew I wouldn’t be jealous because her partner was taking nothing from us. The partner would hopefully give her a wonderful experience. In reality, the entire exercise was a demonstration of the trust we had in each other. I would never consider pulling the trigger with a woman that had any potential to put my marriage at risk and I knew that Liz wouldn’t either.

We were both so picky about it that neither of us had ever pulled the trigger. Fifteen years of marriage, and neither of us had ever said it out loud. We certainly hadn’t forgotten it. I looked, as did she, but we didn’t hunt. If the right person came along, then triggers might be pulled. Just because it hadn’t happened yet, didn’t mean it couldn’t happen at any time. Both of us were fine with that.

I gave her an honest answer, “I’ve just met her, and considering the circumstances, it never occurred to me. She is, without a doubt, very attractive, but somehow, I think now would not be a good time for her horny neighbor to try to seduce her. I do like her and I want to help her if I can. You should be worried about Tess. She’s the one that stole my heart tonight.”

Liz grinned at me. “So, which room?”

I played dumb. “What room?”

Her eyes sparkled. “The one you’re going to make into a playroom.”

She outright laughed when my face turned red. I shrugged. “I was thinking of the spare bedroom at the end of the hall. That way if she spends the night, she won’t hear you exercising your vocal cords.”

She nodded. “Good point. Speaking of which, my vocal cords could use some exercise. Got any suggestions?”

I had several, and judging by her response, orgasming while my cock was buried in her, beat out my fingers and my tongue by more than a few decibels. Dinner was late that evening.

~~~~~{}~~~~~

The inspection went better than I expected, but that doesn’t mean much. I had expected the place to fall down and spontaneously combust at any second for years now. I did find some dangerous wiring issues and some downright nasty plumbing screw-ups. Various drawers and doors needed work, and a few glaringly obvious finish carpentry errors needed to be fixed. By far, the worst issue was the support column in the basement that some dumbass had cut a notch into to make room for a shelf. The notch was halfway through the column, dramatically weakening it. That was the number one priority. I made an extensive list, then prioritized it before I sat down with Tammy to go over it. She read through the list and turned pale. “I can’t afford any of this.”

I patted her hand. “Relax, Tammy, I’ve got you. There isn’t a thing on this list that I can’t handle given a little time.”

She shook her head. “I appreciate you trying to help, but this is too much. I can’t even pay for the materials you have listed here. Not even close.”

She was looking down at the list, but I could see that she wasn’t reading it. Her eyes were full of tears and it nearly broke my heart. “Tammy, I will do the work and be happy doing it. I’ll keep track of the materials if that’s important to you. You can pay us back when things get better. This little bit of money won’t hurt us at all. Liz and I will be just fine. You’ll be saving my life, actually.”

That got her attention. “Huh?”

I gave her a little smile. “Absolutely. I couldn’t live with myself if I didn’t lend you a hand. I’m sure you’d do the same for me in a heartbeat.”

I didn’t give her the chance to argue further. I stood and laid my hand gently on her shoulder. “Let me do my thing. I’m going to the lumber supply and get what I need for phase one. I’ll get started right after lunch.”

I dropped by the house and went over everything with Liz. She went with me to help and proved invaluable. There were certain things that had a decorative element to them and I didn’t have a clue as to what to get. Liz took pictures and texted back and forth with Tammy until we had what we needed. The afternoon was productive and I managed to knock out the replacement column and most of the electrical.

A week later, I was finishing up for the day and found Tammy in the dining room reading something on her laptop. “Hey Tammy, I’m about done for the day. Would you get that permission slip we need?”

She hopped up and went looking. Liz and I needed the slip so we could take Tess to and from school. Tammy’s working hours had created a huge conflict with school hours. Liz had offered to watch Tess before and after school during the week and that would take a huge load off Tammy’s back. While she went looking for the form, I did a little snooping.

I was curious about what she was reading. As an avid reader myself, I’m always looking for something new and interesting, and boy, did I find it! I recognized the website right away. Hmm, somebody likes a little erotica. What’s this? I recognize that… HOLY FUCK! That’s my story! Well, now, isn’t that interesting?

I quickly clicked on her profile. Yes, she has me as a favorite. OK, what’s her user ID? Ooh, there it is. I quickly scrolled back to the paragraph she was reading and hoped that she wouldn’t notice if it were off by a line or two. I moseyed back around the table just as I heard her coming down the hall. I pulled out my phone and made a quick note of her user ID. I was super excited and couldn’t wait to check out her favorite authors and stories.

The epiphany hit me at that moment. I could write a story about my new hot neighbor! That might be a great idea or an extremely bad idea. I would definitely have to think about it. First, I needed to see what kinds of erotica she liked, then talk it over with Liz before I got in too big of a hurry.

I found the situation to be extremely enticing, but not so much that I wanted to risk damaging Tammy in any way. I certainly didn’t want her thinking that the man she allowed around her daughter was some sneaky pervert, even though that’s pretty much what I am. I just happen to be a kind, generous, and caring, sneaky pervert. If I did come up with a plan, it would be intended to make her life better in some small way. I wasn’t sure how that would work, but it was a priority.

Tammy handed me the permission slip, and her hand accidentally touched mine. I felt the tingle from her touch and immediately felt guilty as hell. This poor woman has gone through relationship hell and I’m thinking of ways to what? Excite her? Even seduce her? What the fuck am I thinking. Bad idea, bad timing, bad pervert! Stop it! That’s exactly what I did. Well, I was still going to check out her favorite stories. I couldn’t see any harm in that.

Arriving home, I set the permission slip on the island in the kitchen and made my way to a well-deserved shower. I was washing and mulling over my discovery when I felt a cold blast of air. I looked around to see my lovely wife entering the shower with me. She took over washing me and I most certainly let her. “That feels wonderful, babe. You’ll never guess what little gem of information I found out this evening.”

Liz doesn’t play that game. “Your right, so go ahead and tell me.”

Her hands had found their way to my quickly hardening cock. “Tammy likes to read erotic stories. She left her laptop open while she got the permission form. The form is on the island, by the way. When she walked off, I snooped. She had an erotic story up on the screen and it was one of mine! Can you believe it?”

Her grip tightened on my cock. “Please tell me you haven’t done anything with that knowledge.”

I kissed her lightly on the lips. “Oh, I had some of my usual thoughts, but I won’t do a thing. I can’t imagine a scenario where anything I might do would be appreciated. The potential for disaster is huge and I won’t take a chance on alienating Tammy or little Tessy.”

Her grip loosened a bit and her hand slowly stroked me. “Good little pervert. I knew you’d do the right thing, but I still had to ask.”

She was really getting to me. “Uhm, Oh, that’s good… You just keep asking, sweetheart. Keep me grounded because you know where my mind goes sometimes. I believe my cock is as clean as it is going to get.”

I grabbed her and pulled her against me, then laid one hell of a lip-lock on her. We managed to dry off for the most part before we raced to bed.

~~~~~{}~~~~~

Who knows how things would have turned out were it not for two important moments? It could be argued that both were likely to happen anyway, but I think both were pivotal. They were the kind of moments that led to some risky and adventurous possibilities.

Neither moment was all that noticeable at the time. After the fact, it became pretty obvious. The first was the moment that Liz met Tammy’s ex-husband Jeff. It was a perfectly innocent introduction. Tammy had brought him to our house on Sunday after he returned Tessy from her weekend stay with him. It was important that they meet since he would be picking up Tessy for his weekends with her from our house. His work hours allowed him to pick up Tessy a few hours before Tammy was able to leave work. It made life easier for everybody if he could just pick her up early from our house.

The second was the first time that Tammy stepped into my shop. I had some stuff to carry back to the shop and she gave me a hand with it. We left Jeff and Liz with Tessy and walked over to the shop. I think she was a bit surprised when she walked in. Of course, there were several tons of equipment that I was sure she had no clue about or interest in. The sixty-inch flat screen kind of drew her eye at first, but then she started taking in the stuff on the walls.

Scattered between various clamp, chisel, and plane racks were various art pieces. Some were painted by my late mother, and some I’d created with wood. She smiled happily when I turned on the music. Few people dedicate the time and effort that I do to audio equipment. I’m an audiophile and the sound system in my shop is as close as I’m going to get to perfection. I have as much invested in sound as I do in most of the equipment in my shop.

My shop isn’t just for woodworking. It’s my creative center. I design and build fine furniture, but I also listen to wonderful music and write. I love to watch college football on the big screen while I tinker about and let my creative juices flow. The shop isn’t just a supplemental source of income. It’s the place I go to let my imagination fly. It doesn’t just fill my days; it fulfills my days.

Things weren’t always this way. I worked for years as a professional engineer before hanging it up. We’d paid off our debts and the rat race didn’t seem worth it anymore. We’d decided not to have children and hadn’t had to deal with that expense. Liz continues to work as a web designer. After we agreed that opening my shop was the thing to do, she signed a contract with her employer that allows her to work from her home office. Outside of an occasional conference trip, she works from home. This wasn’t about us developing separate lives. This was about us simplifying our lives and focusing on each other.

Tammy was walking around and taking in the stuff on the walls as I set my armful of tools onto the outfeed table. I thought she might like to see some of the pieces I’ve made and walked over to my laptop. I have it connected through my receiver to the big flat screen. I have a slide show I use to give potential customers a look at my work. “Tammy, this is some of my stuff if you’re interested.”

Her face lit up as the crescent table I had designed around a piece of antique beveled glass appeared on the screen. She was quite taken with the piece and I was surprised that Liz hadn’t shown it to her by now. “That table sits in our living room. I’m surprised Liz hasn’t shown it to you.”

She turned to me. “This is in your house? It’s beautiful and I want to see it. Will you show it to me?”

I felt that sudden urge that I certainly didn’t want to feel at that moment. Too much coffee? Beats me, but I had something I needed to do and it wasn’t going to wait. “Uhm Tammy, I… uhm… Restroom!”

I trotted off to the restroom and closed the door. I settled in and was surprisingly efficient about it. I guess the fact that Tammy was waiting and I didn’t get lost reading the latest tool catalog probably helped. I washed my hands and reached for the door. I opened it just a crack instead of pulling it open and walking out like a normal human being. I wanted to look at her for a while without her knowing. I wanted to see her as she is when no one is watching. She really is a very attractive woman and the idea that Liz had planted in my head was prominent in my thoughts. Pull the trigger? Yeh, I think I might like that very much.

I couldn’t see how it would ever be anything more than a fantasy, but even that was very exciting. I hadn’t felt this kind of thrill since my first time squeezing a girl’s tit. Tammy was over at the laptop and was studying the screen closely. She’d completely forgotten that the laptop was showing on the big screen, and I could easily see what she was looking at. Her neck was flushed and she was staring raptly at my author home page. The list of my stories ran down the screen, and at the top left was the picture of our chocolate lab that we miss so very much.

The cat was truly out of the bag now. She had no idea that I knew about her reading, but she sure as hell knew now that I wrote erotic stories. She not only knew but was also a fan. I would have loved to be able to read her mind at that moment. I made some random noises before making a production out of opening the door. It didn’t work.

I walked over to the laptop as Tammy fumbled with the mouse, trying and failing to minimize the browser window. She was in a near panic and didn’t realize that I was standing within inches of her, “See anything you like, Tammy?”

She squealed and jumped. I did the only thing I could and started laughing my ass off. I pointed at her. “Oh my god! You should see your face! Oh, shit, that’s funny!”

Her expression ran the gamut from embarrassed to huffy at my laughter until her grin appeared. “Busted. You got me so, now what?”

I just smiled and shrugged. “Nothing I guess. Did you understand what you saw?”

She nodded and my grin got bigger. “Well, isn’t that interesting? I can only surmise that you are familiar with the website and extrapolate that you read erotic stories. Ergo, I have one question. Have you read any of my stories?”

The blush that lit her face was all the answer I needed, but I’d be damned if that was the only answer I was ready to settle for. She looked down at the floor for a moment, then settled herself. She looked up and directly into my eyes. “Yes.”

Nope, not good enough. “Oh, one or two? Maybe more?”

The corners of her mouth twitched upward as she fought a smile. “All of them.”

I was ecstatic! I couldn’t wait to ask her all kinds of questions. I was really curious about what she did and didn’t like and what she thought of certain characters and storylines. Before I set off for Nerdville, I needed to let her breathe. I was sure she needed some time to process this little bit of news, “I’d love to hear your thoughts one day if it doesn’t make you uncomfortable.”

I could see her relax and her smile was genuine. “I think I might like to do that, but I need to think about it first. What would Liz think?”

I shrugged. “I’m almost certain I know she’ll be fine with it, but I’ll ask her to be sure. I wouldn’t dream of not telling her.”

Tammy blushed again. “Oh, yeah. I guess she does need to know, doesn’t she? Oh crap! What’s she going to think of me?”

I chuckled. “She’s going to think you’re a perfectly normal human being that enjoys reading sexy stories. She’s read everything I’ve written and quite a few other authors as well. If anything, she’ll suggest some authors and stories you might like.”

She looked at me with an eyebrow raised inquisitively. “You two just keep surprising me. I’m really curious about the depths of you and Liz.”

I shrugged. “We’re just people and like everybody else, we have our hidden depths. If we’re not sharing everything with you it isn’t because we don’t trust you. If anything, it’s because you might not be ready for the revelation.” That ought to really get her curiosity going!

She shot me a smirk. “I see what you did there… and it worked. Now I have something enjoyable to look forward to. Each time I find out some new and interesting thing about my new neighbors I’m pleasantly surprised. This is so much fun!”

Her smirk had turned into an infectious smile. “I’ll make some notes on your stories and we’ll talk.”

She winked at me and laughed at her own audacity as she walked out the door. The woman sure knew how to leave a room. I couldn’t help but notice that her ass swayed nicely as she took her time strolling across the floor. If I didn’t know better I would think she was showing off a little. My cock was painfully hard by the time she closed the door.

I put my tools away and meandered over to the house. I heard voices coming from the living room and walked in. Liz was sitting on the couch while Tess played on the floor. On the couch next to her, really close next to her, was Tammy’s ex-husband, Jeff.

By the looks of things, he wasn’t wasting any time getting to know Liz. When I walked into the room he was leaning into Liz’s space pretty closely. It appeared to me that Liz wasn’t minding one little bit. I can’t say I blame her. Even I could see that he was the kind of guy women fantasize about.

They noticed me right away and both stood. Liz introduced him seriously, then threw me a mischievous grin when he turned away from her to shake my hand. “Hey, Dan. Tess talks about you both all the time. I really appreciate you guys being such great neighbors. Liz watching Tess really makes my life a lot easier. Plus, your wife is pretty amazing and great to talk to.”

Yeh, I bet talking aint all you want to do. That’s all right. I didn’t expect potential lovers to out themselves in front of me. As far as he knows, his seduction attempt is a secret between him and Liz. “It isn’t a problem for us at all. We love having Tessy around, and Tammy too, for that matter. Speaking of Tammy, she left the shop about ten minutes ago and she is probably waiting for you.”

I no sooner got the words out of my mouth than I heard the back door open. Tammy came into the room and gave everyone a smile as she bent to scoop up Tess and give her a hug. She set her daughter back on her feet. “Hey Jeff, are you and Tess ready to go?”

I got a distinct impression that he would have been happy if everyone but Liz left while he kept her company. Tammy gave me a worried look over her shoulder as she turned to walk away. I winked at her and smiled. A raised eyebrow was her only response. I’m sure she was worried about the way her ex was focusing on Liz and the oddness of my response to her worried look.

As I said, I could understand Liz’s attraction to the guy. On a purely physical level, he was quite the specimen. He stood around six feet tall and looked very fit. He was the epitome of a handsome and sexy black man. He was also very smooth and I could see that he was proud of his ability to attract women. I not only expected that he was often successful in his seductions but also expected that he was skilled in the sexual arts. As long as the guy didn’t turn out to be a dick I could only see two reasons why Liz couldn’t pull the trigger on him if she wanted.

The probability of Tammy finding out, and the whole thing affecting Tess and her negatively, was high. I wasn’t about to let Liz pull the trigger until that little issue was addressed to my satisfaction. I was sure Liz felt the same way. I can’t imagine she would think any other way.

Liz walked up and put her hands behind my neck. She pulled me into a sexy kiss and I let her distract me with it for a week or so before finally separating my lips from hers. I smiled gently and waited. I knew she’d talk when she was ready. It didn’t take her long. “Babe, if it weren’t for Tammy and Tess, I’d have already pulled the trigger. He’s fucking perfect. He’s hot looking, probably awesome in bed, and totally self-involved. There is no danger of him ever falling in love with me.”

I nodded. “Yeh, I kind of figured that when I walked into the room. You know I don’t have a problem with you being with him. I do have my concerns about Tammy and Tess. Tess can never know or even suspect anything. She’s way too young to be expected to understand and accept something like that.

“Tammy is another matter. The man is her ex and he is her ex because he’s a serial cheater. Her ex-husband screwing her new best friend might not go over that well. Not to mention the dangers brought on by his promiscuity. Even if we resolve the issues with Tammy and Tess, I’m going to insist that he provide medical clearance before anything happens between you. Agreed?”

Liz nodded. “Of course. What about Tammy?”

I thought for a minute. “You know, I think the only way forward is total honesty. She has the right to know that you want what he’s selling. I think it’s best that I explain the situation to her. If you explain it, she’ll know it’s what you want and may feel like she is being manipulated.”

It was Liz’s turn to be thoughtful. “I never dreamed when we agreed to this that we would have to explain our little secret to others. I guess it makes it more real, more serious. That’s not a bad thing. It helps me stay focused on the possible outcomes instead of the fantasy of the moment.

“Are you sure she’s ready for something like that? I don’t want to push her away… Maybe this is a bad idea and I should just forget it.”

I held up my hands. “Whoa there, Honey. You don’t have to give up the idea, but you do have to accept Tammy’s need to know.”

Liz studied my face seriously. “I would like to pull the trigger if I can do it without hurting anyone. I just know he’ll be a great fuck. I trust your judgment with Tammy, so do what you think is best.”

I gave her a kiss. “I would very much like for you to have this experience, and I will talk to Tammy the first chance I get. But, and this is a big but, don’t let Jeff lead you where you don’t want to go. He’s used to playing with women, then tossing them aside. Don’t expect him to act with morals or ethics, and for damn sure, don’t believe a word he says. He will tell you just about anything if it gets him what he wants.”

Liz gave me a shove. “Well, DUH!”

I grabbed her and pulled her giggling body against me. “Don’t you ‘Duh’ me, young lady. I think it’s time for your spanking.”

That said, I tossed her over my shoulder and carried her giggling ass to the bedroom. I couldn’t hold her still enough to spank her ass. It seems that if a woman doesn’t care for spanking, she’s not all that cooperative with the process. What started out as wrestling her across my knees turned into wrestling on the bed. Not long after that, wrestling changed into something so much better.

~~~~~{}~~~~~

I needed to get Tammy alone so that she could react honestly. I knew that there was no way I was going to squeeze the ‘pulling the trigger’ conversation into our normal daily back and forth. She needed enough time to process what I told her and for us to talk about her concerns. The opportunity came on Friday.

Tammy had taken a vacation day to help me finish up some painting. We worked through the morning while talking back and forth. I love those kinds of conversations. There is no obligation to fill the silence because there is work to focus on. When you do talk, the conversation seems so much more personal. There is a tendency to share dreams. The ‘If I won the lottery’ conversation is an old standard, but often the talk is about more mundane dreams.

Tammy and I had been discussing the bedroom set she wanted to make for Tessy. This was an ongoing conversation and had gotten as far as the planning stage. I had already completed the CAD drawings and had made samples of the moldings and finishes for her to review. I assumed that I would be making the bedroom set. I probably would have been deeply hurt if she had someone else do it. What I didn’t know was that she had a third option.

She was loading her roller for another run up the wall and she paused for a moment. I was pouring some paint into the container I was using to cut in around the ceiling and saw her. She looked over at me and I could see her center herself. “Dan, I want to learn how to work with wood. I want to build Tessy’s bedroom set with you. I want a part of me in it, along with a lot of you. Can we do that? If it makes you crazy, we can stop at any time and I won’t bring it up again.”

I smiled happily. “Are you kidding me? I would love that! I have to warn you, though, that I will explain shit to death.”

She carefully laid the roller handle down, walked over to me, pulled me to my feet, and hugged the hell out of me. “Thank you so much, Dan. I’ll be a good student, I promise.”

She felt wonderful and I saw no reason to stop hugging her. “You have to do what I say without question. A wood shop can be a dangerous place and I’m all about safety. You’ll get impatient with me and think I’m holding you back, but I need to be sure you won’t get hurt.”

Her face was nestled in my neck and I could feel her warm breath. Her lips must have been the tiniest fraction of an inch from my neck and I was going nuts, wanting her delicate tongue to cross that vast distance and lick my neck. The results were predictable to anyone other than me. My cock sprang erect so fast I nearly fainted from blood loss in my brain.

I didn’t jerk away from her in embarrassment. This was a wonderful moment we were having and I didn’t want it to end abruptly. I began to slowly move my hips back in a vain effort to stop my erection from rubbing against her belly. I was very pleasantly surprised when her hips followed, keeping my erection pressed tight against her. I’m absolutely sure that she didn’t realize she was doing it.

I heard her soft sigh and felt the little gust of breath against my neck. If Liz had been standing there, I would have shouted, “I’m pulling the trigger right fucking now!” She wasn’t standing there, and I didn’t shout, which is probably a good thing. It was a bit early to assume anything. Plus, her ear was right there, and yelling would have killed the mood. Tammy probably hadn’t been laid in a long time and she was understandably horny. I knew she would return to reality soon, and I didn’t want her to be embarrassed about our little slip.

Our hug had reached a point where if we continued, we would have a hard time claiming a hug was all that it was. Tammy must have sensed it as well because she took her arms from around my neck and rested her palms on my chest. “I’ll make you proud, I promise.”

I smiled gently and looked into her green eyes. “I already am proud of you. Now I get to teach you about something I love, and that makes me very happy.”

Her smile lit up the room and it stayed on her face as she returned to painting. We finished up around three and were carrying everything over to the shop shortly thereafter. Once everything was put away, I pulled up the spare office chair near mine and motioned for Tammy to take a seat. I sat in mine and our knees were almost touching. It was time to have that conversation.