I woke up early in the morning. Candles were spent, the room reeking of musk. I was hard, impossibly hard, snuggled against Sally’s back. I would have entered her right there but from experience knew how uncomfortable sex could be with morning wood.

I also knew, if I was to take a piss right then, I would lose my hard-on. Nature won and I edged out of bed and sneaked off to the guest bathroom to relieve my bladder.

On a sudden change of mind, I sneaked into the bedroom to retrieve my running gear. Sally was curled up in a fetal position. Her hair was splayed on the pillow we shared, and I was reminded of inhaling her womanly scents all night.

After we made love, Sally taking us both to a powerful simultaneous orgasm, she keeled over and snuggled into me. Soon she turned around and I spooned her while drifting off to sleep. I could have sworn, just before sleep claimed me, she mumbled, “I love you, Baby,” but I wasn’t sure.

We both slept fitfully having had a scrumptious dinner, enjoying each other to the max, and finding comfort in our feelings for each other.

Feelings? I was sure I had fallen deeply in love with this beautiful woman, well again. This time I wasn’t going to smother how I felt and after last night, I was convinced Sally wouldn’t either.

I remembered my running shoes still in my sports bag in my study after the last rugby practice and grabbing a pair of socks, went to the study to don my shoes. I wanted to clear my head. Not that I needed to figure things out which was leaving me perplexed. I just needed a good run to shake all my emotions, feelings, and thoughts into the right order.

While pulling my socks over my feet, I noticed Andy’s album to the one side of my desk. The album pulled me in as if wanting to tell me something.

I reached over, pulling it closer before removing it from the sleeve it came in. An envelope dropped onto the desk and I froze. I never noticed it before and frowned as I turned it over. It was addressed to me with a simple “Vernon” written in a flowing hand on the front.

I felt the hairs in my neck suddenly erect and I shivered at the thought. It has been two whirlwind months since I left Seattle. Seattle, yes Seattle. Where I tried to get close to Julie after all these years and she would not let me. Hell, how could I blame her? Walk back into her life after twenty years and expect her to just open her legs?

No, it was something else and my thoughts went back to those moments we spent together and what Andy said about us seeming to be in love.

I pulled two powder blue pages from the envelope and opened it. It was in what I now realized was Jullie’s handwriting.

“Dear Vernon,

I hope this letter makes sense as I had very little time to write before you were flying out again.

Seeing you again after all these years brought back so many emotions, emotions which were dormant since that night after the wedding. Gosh, it seems like it was yesterday the memory is so fresh. I had hoped at that point we would not just be a one-time thing and that there would be a future for us together.

I guess I was very naïve expecting that to happen, just as I was very naïve in thinking I would not get knocked up, failing to take precautions before allowing a man inside of me.

Learning I was pregnant took care of that though. I finished college with a baby in my belly and again completed further studies with a baby suckling on me. But I got there; getting pregnant was a BIG wake-up call and I don’t regret having Andy. As I said to you the other night, thanks for our daughter.

I made a few mistakes afterward and she blamed me. A failed marriage to a man who I thought would be the perfect daddy who turned out to be an ass of note. He had no respect nor love for me or Andy it turned out later.

When you tried to steer me toward intimacy, I hesitated for one good reason. Don’t get me wrong, your affection had me ready more than a few times and once or twice I almost dragged you upstairs to my bedroom.

Problem is just, I am not the woman you made of me that night in that hotel bed. I have urges, yes. I get horny, yes but though the things that scare me is not downstairs, even I fail to be able to touch myself.

It came up to me unexpectedly, feeling an itch in my breast which would not go away. I put it off even after urging from Helen, but it wasn’t long before I was out of hospital minus one tit. I had chemo and started recovering but the scar was there.

Sadly, I wasn’t off the hook and even though I had another op, losing my other breast as well, the cancer is back with gusto and there is no stopping it. Yes, I am terminal with stage 5.

Now you know why I would not engage while you were here…

Please, except for Douglas and Helen, you are all Andy has. Look after our daughter, please. She is a tough (seemingly) cookie, but I can see she’s not taking it well. Soon she’ll graduate as a doctor. I am so immensely proud of her. Stubborn like a true Gerber but also wild like a true Gallaway. But thankfully also open-minded about life.

I hope you read this letter soon and please, don’t pity me, I don’t need it. I went through enough in life to prepare me and make me strong enough for the road ahead.

Take care of yourself, Vernon.

Remember, you were the man who made me what I am today and for that and our precious daughter, I will always love you.

Love,

July xoxo”

I felt my eyes misting up as I refolded the two handwritten pages. My chair swiveled around without me turning it and I looked out of the window of my study toward the silhouette of the Cape mountains. Though I looked, I saw nothing, my thoughts were a million miles away, beyond those mountains. My heart felt heavy, my intended run was totally forgotten.

I heard a sound and heard Sally calling out to me, “Baby, where are you?”

“In the study, be right out.”

Sally walked in, my work shirt from the day before around her shoulders. She stood behind me as if knowing to approach me otherwise would invade a very private moment.

Her hands held my shoulders firmly as she spoke, “Why is it as if we always find each other in need at the birth of a day?”

That broke me down and I realized the connection between Sally and me ran much deeper than the obvious.

“How much do you know?” I asked her.

“I don’t, I just knew something was up but didn’t know what. You should make that call, Darling. Don’t wait.”

Sally stepped away, “I’m going to start coffee and then breakfast. We need to get ready for work if you want to start in the bathroom.”

I nodded and slowly got up. As Sally was waiting for the coffee to run through, I embraced her from behind, “I love you too, Sweetheart.”

She turned inside my embrace and standing on her toes, kissed me softly on my nose, “I know.”

The moment was preciously loaded so I just looked at her, not wanting to say or do anything that might spoil the moment. The long few minutes were only interrupted when Sally turned to fill my mug with aromatic black liquid that soothed my emotions.

Tasting the strong coffee, made the way I liked it, and I contemplated my day. It was early in Cape Town so, with Douglas and Susan being the academics they were, they would still be up.

I went to retrieve my phone form the bedroom and walked back to the kitchen, dialing as I walked.

Douglas picked up on the second ring. Initially, we exchanged news on general things, before I asked him about Julie. He confirmed she was very ill but was holding out for the moment. Andy has since transferred to a med school in Seattle and being busy with her studies sort of soothed her through Julie’s illness.

I wanted to refrain from asking for Julie’s contact, preferring to respect her privacy but Douglas agreed to send me the number and encouraged me to call but not to expect too much.

“Douglas, honestly, what timeline are we talking about?” referring to how much time Julie had.

“Difficult to say, two weeks, maybe six weeks, maybe a bit more. She is stage 5 but with the chemo, she tends to be up one day and then totally wasted the next.”

“Is it wise to call then?”

“Yes, Helen also agrees, and she would welcome the call.”

“When is Andy graduating?”

“At the end of summer, she’s starting her finals in about two weeks. So, she’s under a lot of pressure. But if you know how Andy like we do, it’ll be a breeze for her,” he chuckled.

Though he chuckled, I could hear the strain in his voice and realized how bad things must be.

With the call done and dusted, I drained the last of my coffee before planting a soft kiss on Sally’s cheek.

“You’re welcome to join me if you want.”

Sally looked up at the clock on the wall before looking at me. “It’s just after six thirty so if I join you, there’ll be no playing around.”

“Wanna bet?” I teased her before walking upstairs.

Our shower was sort of a navy shower, me shaving while she was in the cubicle, washing. I watched her unobtrusively in the mirror while doing my thing with the razor and the cream. She was the most gorgeous being I have ever laid my eyes upon. As she exited the shower, I got in but not after copping a feel of her soaked body against mine. I was at the point of licking the rivulets from her firm, full breasts but she ducked me.

“You are impossible,” she giggled. She sat herself down on the toilet and I just shrugged.

“What?”

“Nothing.”

“Well, get used to us sharing a bathroom. Anyway, it’s just pee,” she was quiet for a moment then added, “damn, I’m still leaking cum.”

My cock stirred under the warm spray, but I needed to concentrate on getting ready.

Sally was in her underwear when I entered the bedroom. It was plain black, no frills. It was practical but I still found it sexy. It was like having my own personal lingerie model.

My clothes for the day were already laid out on the bed. Khaki Chino’s, a long sleeve button-down shirt which I didn’t know I owned, and a leather jacket. I seldom wore a tie to work.

They say when a woman starts buying you clothes, you should get worried. She appraised the fit of the shirt on my body before doing the last button then gave the collar a tug. “Perfect fit, Mr Boss.”

We drove to work in separate cars. Habit perhaps but also, we need not let anybody get wind of developments… yet. Though I knew I had to let the whole company in on it sooner or later.

But first things first. I dialed Andy’s number.

“This is the most pleasant surprise any girl can get. Hello, Daddy!” she squealed.

I asked her what she was up to, and she babbled non-stop. Her studies, a guy she started seeing but nothing serious yet. She was due to enter her internship soon after graduating but was unsure which hospital she should choose. I made a mental note to check on her grad date.

“Why not here in Cape Town?” I asked. Andy fell silent.

“I can’t, Daddy, not yet anyway. After mom…” then she started crying.

At that moment I felt like reaching through the network and just wrapping her in my arms. I realized how lost she was with Julie being ill and how unsure she must feel about what would happen in the event of Julie passing away.

“I know, Sweetie, I know. I am sorry, I should have thought before I spoke.”

“It’s okay, Dad. It’s just… we’re all hanging here and not sure about what the future holds.”

“Well, considering it all, the offer remains. You have a place to stay, and I am sure your academics are sufficient.”

“Well, distinctions in most of my subjects and if I keep pushing the way I do, I might pass Cum Laude anyway. I should mail it to you. Then you can see how thick the Gerber blood runs in my veins.” I never felt prouder in the short time I knew about Andy’s existence.

I promised her to be in touch soon and to give her mom a call.

As it was Friday, my workday was a breeze, but time just wouldn’t pass.

By noon, Sally brought some sandwiches, and we ate together in my office which was not out of the ordinary.

Though Sally never planted her sexy derriere on my lap afterward. It felt so right, and I was comfortable welcoming her by embracing her and pulling her in for a soft, romantic snog.

“Thanks for lunch, Darling,” I whispered softly in her ear.

“It was just a sandwich but, you’re welcome, Babe,” she murmured before snuggling into me. “Feels so damn good. I could never have imagined. I feel so safe and content. And I feel safe loving you. I know you’re not going to hurt me.” She was quiet for some minutes as we enjoyed our closeness and the newfound intimacy between us.

Sally jumped from my lap, pulling her skirt and blouse together, “gotta get back to work,” she announced firmly.

I was confused. “What now?” I inquired.

She smiled back at me. “Being that close to you is getting to me,” she said over her shoulder.

I called her back, but she just giggled, “Nope!”

Getting up, I left the office and took a walk around the floor. It was quiet, most people have already left as it was Friday and ‘you can go at mid-day if your work is square’ was the policy.

As I slowly walked into the office, Sally asked, “Where were you?”

Nonchalantly I answered her, “I went to the bathroom.” Which was totally pointless as I had my own private en suite bathroom.

Sally looked at me doubtfully, “But you have… wait, you did not just…” She frowned. “You didn’t just do what I think you did.”

I grinned at her slyly. “Come see me in my office,” I stated as I walked away.

I thought about something, paused at the door to my office but shrugged it away. “You wanted to say?” asked Sally.

Sally wore a pencil line knit dress, black with a white floral print pattern, falling to just above her ankles. Her ever-so-beautiful and well-cared-for feet were slipped into a pair of flat Indian sandals. Her toes and fingernails were perfectly done in a deep red and her hair hung loose around her shoulders with a black hairband keeping it orderly.

As she entered, I advised her to close and lock the door. She did before walking up to my desk.

“Yes, sir? You wanted to see me,” she said with a naughty little smile.

I directed her around the desk after which I took her hand and dragged her into my lap. “We have unfinished business.”

“We do?”

“Yes,” I confirmed. As she settled into my lap, I gently rubbed her back while I asked her, “do you really feel safe and loved in my arms?”

“Yes, I do,” she said softly. She turned her face toward me and laid her lips against mine with a soft lingering kiss. Sally deepened the kiss by slowly opening her lips and testing mine with her warm tongue.

While our kiss deepened, my right hand found her breasts, slowly but firmly kneading them in turn. Her left nipple was the first to respond so I concentrated on the right. Soon Sally was murmuring in my mouth and squirming in my lap.

We had to come up for air and I directed her to stand between my legs as I embraced her, inhaling her musk. My hands reached around and started massaging her buttocks while my teeth found a nipple through the material of her dress. All Sally could do was cradle my head against her bosom and enjoy my caresses.

I once looked up and she bent down and kissed me again, lightly. Under this cover, my hands started moving the hem of her dress up her legs until I got to the back of her knees. My hands now knew which path to follow and soon my hands cradled her firm buttocks.

Still my exploration did not stop until I felt the elastic of her panties around her waist. I gently inserted my fingers and Sally gasped into my mouth.

Sally leaned back from my mouth far enough to ask breathily, “what are you doing?”

She did not need an answer, she knew, and at a slight movement of my hand, enquiring if I should proceed, Sally blinked in consent, and my hands rubbed her panties off her torso.

Once her panties were around her ankles, she slipped off her sandals and the panties got kicked to a resting place near a potted plant in the corner. I gently pushed her back against my desk and she took the hint by seating herself slightly on the desk.

As I pushed her dress up to her waist, her hand reached out and grabbed the bundled cloth, revealing her very wet pussy. Leaning forward, I inhaled her scent, feeling my Chino’s getting tighter over my balls.

I picked up her left leg, putting her foot on my knee, and caressed her leg inch by inch, lightly massaging her calves, behind her knees, and finally her toned-out upper leg. Exploring each and every muscle until I got to her groin. Doing the same with her right leg, I did not stop when I got to her smooth mons but firmly circled her pussy with my fingers until my thumb slowly traced first down her right lip, then up the left before finding her clit and slowly circling it. Sally gasped as I put my thumb firmly on her clit and pressed down.

“Feels so good, don’t stop, please don’t…” she murmured

I looked up, her head hung back, her lips were slightly parted, and by the angle, I could not see if her eyes were closed or open.

I leisurely manipulated her clit and a few moments later she announced with a breathy moan, “Baby, you’re gonna make me cum…”

I didn’t stop, instead rubbed her clit up and down and she exclaimed with a hiss, “Gonna cum… gonna cum…” before she shuddered and cum started seeping from her entrance.

After allowing her to come down a bit I gently picked up her left foot and caressed the soles before lifting her foot toward my mouth. Gently suckling on each of her toes, I could see more fluid seeping from her pussy. It ran down her taint, over her back entrance before pooling on the desk below.

Releasing her toes, my lips traced a path over her heel, up her calve, and then her upper leg before stopping right at her pussy. I put her foot on my shoulder before treating her right leg the same and placing it on my other shoulder.

Sally was almost at the point of hyperventilating in anticipation of what was to come. She reacted to my nudging to open her legs and my mouth descended upon her distended labia. I knew my manners well and greeted my lover with a soft kiss on her entrance then circled around, placing soft kisses everywhere. Sally moaned softly at each kiss over her highly stimulated pussy.

My index finger started following the path of kisses. My mouth stopped at her taint, tickling her lightly before giving her a swiping lick upward over her labia. As my tongue swept over her clit, I swiftly stuck two fingers deep inside her. The result was instantaneous. She yelped as my knuckles hit her labia and immediately a gush of her ejaculate washed over my fingers.

After her first orgasm, she managed, “Darling, what are you doing to me… simply amazing…”

But I wasn’t done. My lips sucked unto her clit as my fingers curled against the roof of her pussy, firmly massaging while I cucked her clit. Her abs started pumping, her breathing became ragged. She came with an “ARRRGGGHH!” from deep inside her being. Everything became wetter.

When my fingers started pumping again, she grabbed my hand and held me still. “Enough, please, Babe. I can’t take any more, you’ll kill me like this.”

I got up to my feet and embraced her. She took the time to cup my groin asking, “I need you inside me, please?”

I kissed her lightly and smiled, “I would love to, Darling, but later rather.”

Sally mock pouted and asked, “What about me?”

“Well, you just had three delicious orgasms on my mouth which I totes enjoyed giving to you. If you want any more, you need to feed me first.”

“Well, what is it you want for dessert except me then?”

“Let’s run by the butchery and get some steaks. We can have toasted sandwiches and maybe a salad with that. I’ll get those and you can find us a nice red to go with it.

Sally managed to get a nice, fresh Ciabatta loaf and surprised me by making a salad with sun-dried tomato, fresh garlic, olives, and Feta cheese with a lemon and herb salad dressing to add a bit of finesse.

I was starting the fire when Sally’s phone rang.

To be continued…