Jake and Gill

"Are you sure?-"

"Yes! Absolutely! I want you to suck my tits, now!"

She released his head, reached behind her and slipped off her bra. She wasn't big in the bust. Her breasts had grown when she had the children and the half a stone she had put on over the course of her marriage but, since her disappointment over Christmas, her successful efforts to lose weight had paid off. Now, she was happy with her firmer, slimmer shape, other than her unsightly stretch marks and round tummy. In the dark, though, she felt beautiful, desirable and her excitement heightened.

Jake's mouth sought out and found Gill's stiffening left nipple and sucked gently, using his tongue to lick on its tip.

After a few minutes Gill urged him, "Harder, honey, please suck harder!" as she put her fingers into her vagina. Jake sucked harder, switching back and forth across her chest as she shuddered with her first orgasm. She pulled his head up to hers and kissed him long and slow as she cupped her hands around his head. She gradually came down from her high. They rubbed noses and kissed each other with light butterfly kisses.

"Jake you were ... lovely," she sighed.

"I, I didn't do anything, Gill."

She laughed, "You did plenty, Jake, honey. Believe me, what you did was wonderful."

"Can I, er can I ... lick your fingers?"

"What? Oh, yes, of course you can. You can suck these two, but they are a bit ... mucky, if you know what I mean." She wafted the index and middle fingers of her right hand in front of his face, his nose, resting them on his lips.

"I hope I know why," he said, running his tongue up them to the tip, then sucking them in, "Mmm."

She laughed and pulled Jake into her chest. They were both warm and cosy, though the tent flapped and cracked in the bitter wind as they dropped off to sleep, happily in each other's arms.

Chapter 4

When Gill woke up in the morning she was alone. She panicked for a moment, but then she could see a shadow on the tent and faintly hear Jake singing to himself. Clearly he was in a good mood and this energised Gill to rouse herself, her watch said it was only twenty-five minutes after six.

"Hi, honey," she said with a bright smile, as she unzipped the tent, seeing Jake cooking their breakfast on the Primus stove, "Have you made any coffee, yet?"

"Hello, sweetheart," Jake laughed, seeing her with her bed hair, "Yes, I've coffee ready, how do you take it?"

"Do you have any milk left?"

"UHT only."

"I'll take it black then, no sugar, Jake, but first, come here and give me a cuddle." She opened up her arms.

"With pleasure." Jake said, putting the bottle of water down next to the stove before approaching her, where he took her in his arms and shaped to kiss her.

"I haven't washed or cleaned my teeth yet, Jake."

"Don't worry, I have and I don't mind one little bit," he proceeded to give her a toe-curling kiss that almost made her faint.

Sunday was a much nicer Spring day, cold and breezy but bright and sunny. They managed to walk up one of the smaller hills before setting out for the car park and then the long drive home, both tired but happy.

***

They didn't fully make love that weekend but they both felt that they had crossed a line and that they were now within a couple relationship. Where that was going, only time would tell, but Gill felt a level of enthusiasm that she hoped would sustain them through any self-doubts.

During Sunday night, after her father dropped them off at Gill's house, Jenny heard that Jake was hopefully arranging pony trekking in the New Forest for them all that coming weekend. Gill told them that they had better get their homework and project work up to date by Thursday night.

Jenny was upset when she found that her mother had gone away for the whole weekend with Jake, and even spent Saturday night in a tent with him. She didn't hear all the details, because Gill didn't expand once she realised she had said too much, but Jenny's mind filled in all that she imagined happened.

"What about you and Dad getting back together?" Jenny whined at her mother.

"We won't be getting back together, Jenny, your Dad left me and now we're not married anymore. The decree absolute which takes effect in a few weeks is all that is left of our marriage."

"But they both argue all the time we're there, it's horrible; and the baby screams all night every night, Dad's really unhappy there and has asked us what you would think if he wanted to come home."

"If you remember, we had to sell 'our home' when your father left us. This is 'my home' now, young lady, your father has no place here other than at pre-arranged times to collect or drop you off. He will not be staying back here now or at any time in the future."

"But -"

"No buts, Jenny. Your father was the one person in this marriage who had the extra-marital affair. He was the one who fell out of love with me and fell in love with his lover to the extent that they produced that baby, their baby. He never once had the grace to discuss any problems he thought he had about our marriage, or ask me if he wanted us to increase the size of our family, before going out and making a new one of his own. He will have to learn to live with his new life, and I am learning to live my new life how I want to."

Clay appeared happy either way but he did add, "Dad buys me stuff, fine, but he just hands me the box and abandons me to get on with it, using their crappy home PC, which I think Cheryl used to use for college a couple of years ago. He doesn't want to play the games with me. Neither will he let me touch his much better office PC or his laptop, even though he can't use 'em both at the same time. I only met Jake again for five minutes before he'd given me his cool iPhone, properly showed me how to use a couple of great apps on it and trusted me with it all day. When we were kids and you left us in the copy shop at work, he used to be great. He always gave us loads of things to do and took an interest in us and what we were doing, set us puzzles or exercises and checked over what we produced. Dad doesn't even want us around, he dumps us with Cheryl and the baby most of the time."

"Yeah, Jake's a real cool guy," Jenny agreed, "but he's much too young for you, Mum. I mean, all the young mums on the ramble group only go along each month because he goes. He's seriously yummy. Let's face it Mum, getting back with Dad would be your best bet."

"Get used to it, kids, especially you Jenny, your Dad's completely out of the picture as far as I am concerned. The only point of contact I want with him is where it directly concerns you guys."

"So, are you in love with Jake, then Mum?" Clay grinned, winking at Jenny, who rolled her eyes skyward.

"No, of course not!" she snapped, then relaxed, "All right, maybe ... not yet really, but you can't help who you fall in love with, so who knows? Jake's a nice guy and as Jen says, he could have his pick of young girls. Anyway, be prepared to go away this weekend pony trekking. It may be short notice, but Jake has a way of making things happen."

Jake called her back late on Sunday night to confirm the booking and asked if she wanted to go out for dinner sometime in the week, "Not just you,Gill, all of you", he added. So he took Gill out for dinner dates a couple of evenings that week, once as a 'family group' in company with Jenny and Clay, to a small family-run and family-friendly restaurant that Jake used from time to time.

On the second date, on Wednesday, when both kids were out doing other activities in the early evening, Gill drove over to Jake's place for a home-cooked meal. They imposed an early curfew on their dinner date at nine o'clock, so that Gill would be home in time to collect the kids from their activities.

Jake cooked the meal at his small first-floor flat in a six-story block. The handsome building, built in the 1920s in Art Deco style, had a basement garage that Gill was given a clicker for while she was at work on Monday. The garage was half-filled with classic cars, including an old but immaculate Range Rover, parked next to Jake's comfortable old saloon that they had used at the weekend. Jake had told her to park in Bay 10, which was a gap between his saloon and a beautiful dark blue Jaguar, another old classic that shone like it was forever kept lovingly polished.

Gill conceded that Jake was an accomplished cook, even though he shyly admitted that he rarely cooked for more than one, but enjoyed preparing honest fresh food.

On the pony trekking front, Jake had a little trouble booking somewhere at first, as all the stables in the New Forest were either booked up that weekend or were not yet open after the winter break. He was successful with Dartmoor, however, finding a new stable that had only just started advertising for business, taking bookings for the summer. They only had limited accommodation ready at such short notice but one room was made available for the girls to share, while Jake and Clay would have to use a tent on their campsite, but the owners were happy to welcome them as their first ever paying guests.

They drove down on Friday night and came back on Sunday afternoon. Jake drove them an immaculate 27-year-old 4x4 Range Rover, that he told them had belonged to his father but confided to Gill that it had never been driven by him. Gill recalled seeing it parked next to his car. It had plenty of room inside and comfortable enough for the four of them, plus all their luggage and camping gear.

Gill and Jenny were put up in a small single-room cabin in a block of four that still smelt faintly of fresh paint. The other rooms were still unfinished, needing painting and the flat pack furniture being made up. There were separate facilities for washing and toilets and these were ready for use.

Clay and Jake set up the tent, that Jake had brought with him, in the adjacent camping ground. Jake set all the bits out initially and got Clay to erect it under instruction and explanation of the sequence. Clay had the biggest grin on his face as he guided his Mum and sister around the completed tent. His smiling Mum was full of praise for his efforts and his sister grudgingly conceded it was "acceptable I s'pose".

The two sisters who owned the pony trekking set-up, prepared an evening meal for them on their arrival, and apologised for the paint smell. They had finished painting the day before and left the doors and windows open for as long as they could while they made up the flat pack furniture.

Following breakfast, the sisters showed them around the facilities and the stables before setting out on their first gentle trek through the morning. They had a dozen ponies, but there were further outbuildings which were to be improved, for further stabling, more guest rooms to refurbish and decorate and a planned canteen area to develop in a disused barn that had glorious exposed ancient timbers.

Rawlyn Burroughs and Izote Perry were sisters, age 28 and 32 respectively. They were born on this farm and had worked with animals, horses and ponies all their lives. Izote was investing the proceeds from her recent divorce to update the family farm for organised pony trekking. They admitted to Jake and Gill that they had extended themselves with the local high street bank right up to their credit limit. The farm had been in their family for four generations, and had been too small to run as an arable farm for quite some years. Jake told the sisters that they worked for one of the City of London's oldest merchant banks and Gill offered to give her opinion of their plans.

Jake and Gill looked over their sensible five-year development plan, which depended on earnings as they had maxed out their loans but they were beginning to pick up bookings, enough they hoped to break even as they tried to do a lot of the building conversions themselves. Gill thought the plans were clear and reasonable, but with the lack of start-up investment, it would be a long slow build-up until the business was secure. The sisters nodded, they were prepared to work hard and were determined to secure the farm and the business for their children to continue.

Jenny was really taken with Rawlyn's two toddlers, and Isote's five-year son Robbie, so when they weren't out riding, she was happily playing with them. Rawlyn's husband was a Sea King helicopter pilot at RNAS Yeovilton, only coming home for a few days every week or so; Izote was recently divorced. Their widowed mother Betty, had remarried and now lived in the village, but she popped in to help with catering and room cleaning, while the guests were out trekking.

Pony trekking was fun for them all on Dartmoor, in generally glorious early spring sunshine but Jake remained completely covered up, as did Jenny. Gill and Jake both sneaked out of the girls' accommodation on Saturday night as the kids collapsed asleep in the girls' room while watching TV together on the beds after their showers. They tucked the siblings into the twin beds and the adults slept in the tent. They made out in the dark of the tent, for the first time going as far as enjoying each other orally. Although Gill was ready, eager even, to go all the way, Jake wanted to wait until he was sure that they would not be interrupted, if Clay woke early and decided to make his way to the tent.

"OK, Jake. It's Wayne's turn to play the single parent this coming weekend," Gill said, holding her lover tightly to her as they recovered from their pleasurable but limited lovemaking, "so, are we on, this weekend? ... Your place or mine, I don't mind."

"My place it is then," he replied quietly in the dark, "I ... I would be more comfortable, more relaxed at home. What time do you want me to pick you up on Friday night?"

"Wayne'll collect the kids at seven on Friday night as usual, so I'll be more than ready by half past."

"Half past it is, then."

"It's a date," she agreed nervously, a little worried by his lack of enthusiasm, "I hope I'm not rushing you into this, as you seem, if not reluctant, at least nervous."

"And I don't want to push you into anything or dis -"

"Jake, I have been with the same man and only that one man for nearly twenty years and I thought it was for life. It had long felt like he was just going though the motions for the past couple of years, his responses tailed off and I assumed I didn't excite him as much as I did."

"I'm sure it wasn't you."

"Well, I know now that he evidently did get bored with me. I didn't know he was having an affair at the time, but maybe his lack of interest should have warned me. Now I am getting strong responses from you Jake and I have feelings too, feelings, urges, that I haven't had for a long time. I want to fulfil all those promises with you for both of us."

"Well, Gill, it looks like on Friday it'll be wine and flowers plus the best meal I can prepare for you." Jake smiled.

"Perfect ... Even better if you cook something like a casserole that can stay in the oven on a low light, for later in the night once we've ... built up an appetite, if you know what I mean."

"How about a spicy goulash?"

"Ooh I love spicy!"

When it was time to say goodbye on Sunday afternoon, the sisters were tearful at their departure and insisted their guests had to promise that, as the stables' first ever customers they were friends and must come back and visit any time. During the car journey home, Clay slept most of the way, but Jenny was still full of enthusiasm about her adventure and asked her Mum if she could go back to help Rawlyn and Izote out during the summer holidays.

Gill happily agreed and squeezed Jake's hand, believing that the generation of all this activity and interest, with the kids getting involved and enthused in something pleasurable, was all down to him. And she felt enthused and happy too, admitting, to herself at least, that she was falling deeply in love with this wonderful man.

The pair continued to pussy foot with each at work though, trying their hardest to keep their relationship secret from their colleagues. Gill's secretary, Kelly, did notice Gill's upbeat cheerfulness and inner glow, and that she was making trips to the print room more often than she needed to. So, when they were in the privacy of her inner office, Kelly probed her for answers. Gill could contain her joy no longer and so Kelly found out that they were becoming an item but was sworn to secrecy, lest the exposure harmed the fledgling romance. Kelly did admit to Gill though, that she had always thought Jake was really quite cute.

Chapter 5

In mid-week Gertie arranged to meet with Gill for lunch, telling her it was to discuss her feelings for Jake and to fill in some of Jake's background. Gill was apprehensive about what way the conversation was going to go, but could see no choice but to agree to the meeting. She was intrigued about Jake's background, but was Gertie going to warn her off getting too close to her precious grandson?

They met at an old-established restaurant, filled with low light, dark mahogany and private booths. Gertie had insisted on sending a cab to collect her from the bank, the driver almost treated Gill like royalty.

The lunchtime meal that Gertie took charge of and chose for them both was light, delivered quickly and quietly and tasted delicious. They were left to talk after the dishes were cleared away and Gertie had poured them both a cup of tea in fine bone china cups.

"Jake was impressed with how you handled that injured hiker the other weekend, Gill. He said you were very calm and reassuring under pressure."

"Oh, it was nothing, I only held Tim's hand while Jake went to get help. We had no choice really, Jake knew the terrain and the exact location."

Gertie patted her hand, "Well, I was impressed, too. Tell me Gill, what do you think of my grandson and what are your plans for any future together?"

"Oh! Well, I sort of expected you'd ask me something along those lines but asking me so direct, you've still caught me at a little bit of a disadvantage. I'm not sure what to say as it is so early in our friendship."

"Well, getting directly to the point saves any misunderstandings. Now, I know you are highly thought of as an excellent manager and a brilliant negotiator at Standhope Winter. So I'd have thought you wouldn't have got caught out by us cutting to the quick." She patted Gill's hand and smiled. "Relax, my dear, I am not going to bite, I just want to understand where both of you are going. I'm not getting any younger, you know."

"I understand where you are coming from, but I have never had a boyfriend's family ask me what my intentions were before!" Gill laughed, although the situation was too strange to be funny. "I think my Dad did pin my ex-husband down pretty smartly when he first took me out," Gill smiled at the memory of her late father, "Wayne, my ex-, was, well is, nine years older than me and I met him when I did my internship at Winstone's Bank. I was still at college then, while he was a rising star in the organisation. I was flattered to catch his attention and my Dad was after assurances that I was not going to be ... taken advantage of, I suppose."

Gertie smiled back, "I realise it's a little unconventional for a grandmother to get involved, but Jake is very special to me and, well, he never tells me anything about his private life. That's why I tend to worry about him. And I worry about you too, my dear. I mean, how are you coping with a husband who cheated on you, with your family split between two homes, while taking on more responsibility at work?"

"I do keep my work and home life-"

"I know, Gill," Gertie soothed, "I asked around and you are a very attractive and successful business woman, who will eventually reach the top of your profession, I'm sure. You entertain and are entertained, while Jake is, well, you know Jake."