Letting Go

by Vanessa Devereaux

  Penny whined and barking loudly and he hoped she didn’t wake any of the neighbors because he’d hate to get off to a bad start with them this soon after returning home.

  He rushed down the stairs and followed the noise to see the dog standing by the back door. She actually glanced up at the handle a couple of times, something he’d never seen her do before. On the chance that maybe she wanted to go outside, he opened it.

  She shot outside. Glen turned on the light by the back door and saw Penny relieving herself before rushing back inside to him. He glanced at the bag Ava had given him. He’d left it untouched and put it on the washing machine when they’d arrived home. He picked it up and dug through its contents for the bell. He placed it by the back door and Penny rubbed his leg with her nose.

  Maybe eccentric Ava wasn’t so crazy after all. If this worked it beat having the covers pulled off you at midnight, and lots of unnecessary barking.

  Penny settled back in her bed in the living room and Glen made his way back upstairs to his bedroom. He put the covers back onto the mattress, got into bed, and just lay there looking at the ceiling. He knew he wouldn’t get back to sleep, and jet lag or the time change had nothing to do with it. All he could see was Ava. He closed his eyes but then saw her waving goodbye. It was almost as if she was haunting him.

  ****

  Glen tapped on the screen door. His aunt was expecting him, and had told him she was leaving the front door open but he still didn’t want to just barge in and possibly scare her.

  Penny scratched at the glass as she stood by his feet.

  “Aunt Em, it’s Glen.”

  He opened the door and walked through to the family room at the back of her house. There his aunt sat watching a game show on TV with her leg elevated on three pillows.

  “Well, it’s wonderful to see you after all this time,” she said, reaching out her arms to him.

  He leaned over and gave her a peck on the cheek and Penny jumped up on her lap and licked her forehead.

  “Penny, it’s wonderful to see you again too. I must say I do miss having you around.”

  “Why don’t we have something to drink and we can sit and visit,” said Glen.

  She turned off the TV and was about to get up.

  “No, no you don’t. Just sit there and I can do that. Don’t suppose you have any strawberry basil lemonade?” he asked heading to the kitchen.

  “Strawberry what? No, why?” she called after him.

  “Ava Dawson gave me some and I guess I’m hooked on the stuff now.”

  “Really. Pretty girl isn’t she?”

  Did his aunt have to remind him? He poured two glasses of orange juice and headed back to her.

  “Yes, she is,” he said, sitting down.

  “Thought you’d notice,” said Em before she took a sip.

  “Ah, so you’ve met her?” asked Glen.

  “No, but I play cards with her parents every Friday night and they showed me a photo of her. Wasn’t it a good thing that she’s a dog expert and could take this bundle of fun for me when I fell?” Em leaned over and rubbed Penny’s belly.

  “Yes, very lucky.”

  “Well, don’t mind me saying it, but you sound very down in the dumps today. Don’t tell me you’re missing army life already.”

  “No, but I guess it takes some time getting used to my old routine, and Penny woke me up at midnight wanting to go outside.” He tried not to be rude and yawn but the mention of him being woken up set the wheels in motion.

  “You’ll soon be back into the swing of things. So what did you think of Ava?”

  Geez, did they have to talk about her all the time?

  “She seems nice, and is obviously great with dogs.”

  “Oh, that reminds me. She’d phoned here for your number earlier today. I gave it to her so I hope you don’t mind. In fact, is there any chance you might ask her out?”

  “Aunt Em, what do you think I am; a home wrecker or something?”

  “Well, excuse me. Am I missing a vital piece of the puzzle or what?”

  “You're suggesting that I ask a married woman for a date.”

  “Ava’s not married. Whatever gave you that crazy idea?”

  “We are talking about the same person I assume. Ava Dawson, Doggie Daycare owner. Maybe as you’ve never met her you don’t know about the gold wedding band on the third finger, left hand, and the wedding photo hanging on the wall.”

  “Oh, the poor dear girl. Her mother did mention that she was still having trouble letting go.”

  That got Glen’s attention.

  Em leaned over and slapped Glen’s hand. “She’s a widow.”

  Glen nearly choked on the orange juice he was in the middle of drinking. Weren’t widows supposed to be older than she was?

  “You sure?” asked Glen. He didn’t want to get his hopes up that maybe the woman that had caught his attention really was another man’s wife.

  “I’m positive. Almost two years ago her husband was away on business and it was her birthday so he wanted to drive back and surprise her so he decided to drive through the night. A very intoxicated man was driving the wrong way and hit him head on.”

  “Geez, that’s awful.”

  “Her mother said Ava’s husband was killed instantly, probably didn’t know a thing about what happened.”

  “Poor Ava,” said Glen.

  “She didn’t talk for a month, not a single word, and that’s when her parents got her Freddie. He’d had a rough time of it himself so they thought they could heal one another. And then she decided to open her doggie daycare.”

  “I just assumed because of the ring that she was married.”

  “I guess it still gives her comfort to wear it.”

  ****

  “I’ve tried, I really have, but they’re not at home,” Ava told Freddie when she’d called Glen for the fifth time. “Maybe they’ve gone for a walk and he’s switched off his cell phone. I’ll try again later.”

  Freddie walked away, his chin held high. That was a sure sign he was disgusted with her. And so he should be. Yesterday she’d let a man’s good looks steer her away from her plans.

  She looked outside to check that all the dogs were behaving and it was just about time to feed them. She stood on tiptoe to reach for their bowls when the doorbell rang, setting all the dogs off in their usual barking frenzy. Freddie rushed to the door in mere seconds, something he hadn’t done for a couple of months due to his failing eyesight. Ava stopped what she was doing and walked to the door, noticing Freddie jumping up and down like he was on a trampoline.

  “Okay, stand back and let me open the door so we can see who it is.”

  Freddie waited like a sprinter in a starting block as she unlatched the door and opened it to see Glen and Penny standing on the step. Her heart missed a beat. She was sure of it. Ava could feel it in her chest, taking her breath away. She swallowed. He was back, and so soon after they’d said goodbye.

  Maybe he’d forgotten something, maybe Penny…

  “Is everything okay with Penny?” were the first words out of her mouth.

  “Yes, she’s fine but something told me she wanted to come back here today to see you.”

  Freddie ran around Penny in circles and then the two of them bumped noses.

  “Do you want to come in?” said Ava.

  She stepped aside and Glen and the two dogs joined her in the hallway.

  “I’m glad you sensed that Penny was trying to tell you something because I’ve been trying to reach you all morning.”

  “Did I forget something yesterday?”

  She wouldn’t let his good looks get her off track again today.

  Ava took a deep breath. “Are you positive you want to keep Penny? I mean if you’re going to be deployed again…’

  “That was my last call of duty.”

  Ava lifted up her hand. “Look I’m sorry. I know I shouldn’t have even suggested that you wanted to get rid of Penny.”

  �
��It’s okay and I’m here because I wanted to take you up on your offer for the obedience lessons for Penny, and yes, me too.”

  He smiled, and for the first time since Jon’s death she felt like she wanted to flirt with a man.

  “Sure, we can do that.”

  “I was thinking private lessons. I’d pay for them.”

  She shook her head. “They’d be on the house.”

  “So when do you think we could get started?”

  She couldn’t stand the thought of Glen leaving so soon and her having all night to think about him, wondering if he felt an attraction for her like she did him.

  “How about right now?”

  “Sounds like a great idea.”

  ****

  Glen had to admit he wasn’t paying any attention. Well, at least not to Penny and what the two of them were supposed to be doing. All he could focus on was Ava, her mouth moving as she issued commands to his dog, her shapely legs as she walked in circles with Penny close on her heels, her hands as she waved them about and signaled to the beagle. He’d lied big time when he said that he’d had a feeling that Penny wanted to come back to see her. Since Em had assured him that Ava wasn’t married, he’d been the one who’d wanted to get in the car and drive to see her again. And that’s exactly what he’d done. Now he’d been patient. He’d been in her company for three hours. It would be presumptuous of him, but he couldn’t hold out much longer.

  He walked over to her, pulled her close and kissed her. He’d wanted to do it yesterday but twenty four hours ago, she’d been off limits. Well, at least in his mind. Today she was free and it was a whole different ball game.

  She relaxed her shoulders and the two of them seemed to melt into one another’s bodies as their kiss lingered on. He ran his fingers through the waves of her hair and they finally pulled away.

  “I haven’t been kissed like that since my husband left a few mornings before the…”

  A tear ran down her cheek. Crying was the last thing he wanted to make her do.

  Glen swished it off her face before it crept over her upper lip.

  “I’d like to kiss you some more and make you forget. Not about your husband. I wouldn’t want to ever do that, but about all the bad things that happened to you when he died.”

  She kissed him this time. His groin pulled and he hoped she didn’t think him just a horny male when his cock pushed into her belly. How long had it been since he’d had sex? And seeing a woman that ignited his libido, like Ava did, fueled the fire.

  Penny barked and then ran circles around them.

  “Guess this is worse than having kids,” said Glen leaning his forehead against hers.

  “How about we take a picnic down to the park, tire them out with a run, and then come back here for some wine and spend the evening all by ourselves?” she suggested.

  “Now that sounds like a plan.”

  Chapter Three

  Ava hadn’t laughed so much since Jon had been gone. Glen had some of the strangest but funniest stories to tell her about his life in the army, and her cheeks ached. She lay beside him as he pulled a long piece of grass out of the ground and tickled her nose with it.

  “Do you think the dogs are tired by now?” he asked, throwing the ball out to them yet one more time.

  She sat up. “Yep, they’ll be ready for a long nap.”

  “Then I think we should be heading back for that glass of wine.”

  The park wasn’t far from where she lived and she opted to take both dogs on their leashes while he carried the cooler home. The sun was setting low in the sky when they arrived back to the house and she wondered if he’d be staying the night.

  How she hoped so. Her body had been without contact and without a man’s touch for so long. After Jon had been killed she’d vowed that she’d never be with another man. She hoped Jon would understand that she had needs, especially physical needs, and Glen sent her blood pulsing and her pussy pulling with anticipation of what might happen once they got inside.

  Both Penny and Freddie ran into the living room and slumped down on the dog beds.

  “Is this where they sleep?” asked Glen.

  “Nope, they used to sleep together on the bed with me.”

  “In that case I think we should beat them to it and close the door. Show me the way.”

  She got hold of his hand and led him up the stairs. She turned around and then walked backwards into her bedroom, giving him a devilish smile as she pulled him inside and shut the door.

  Ava had moved to this house six months after Jon’s death. They’d never made love in this room, which in a way made it easier for her to be with Glen.

  “So what happened to our glass of wine?” she asked him as he pulled her close.

  His erection was already obvious, his cock straining against her belly and exciting her in a way she never thought she’d feel ever again.

  “Oh, I think what we’re going to do is so much better than wine,” whispered Glen.

  She ran her hand over his head, loving the almost stubble-like hair. She imagined him in his army uniform and guessed he’d looked drop dead gorgeous in it.

  He began unbuttoning the front of her dress as he looked her in the eyes. She had to admit she was nervous. He was probably very experienced with sex, and Jon had been her one and only lover.

  Glen peeled away the two sides of the dress to reveal her pink lace bra. When she’d put it on this morning she must have somehow guessed the day would end like this, and therefore the need to wear something pretty. Yeah, she hadn’t bothered to do that for over two years.

  He ever so gently ran his fingers across the lace. On each pass his finger got closer to her nipple. When it did, her breasts ached and it was almost like they had a heartbeat. He kissed the indention by her windpipe. Glen had the softest lips, so soft they tickled when they met her skin.

  He carefully unbuttoned the rest of her dress and let it fall to the floor, which left her standing in just her bra and panties. Pulling her close again, he put his hands on both her butt cheeks and pushed her against his erection. By the feel of it he was big and long.

  “Are you too cold?” he asked.

  She’d guessed that she was shaking. Not because of the air conditioning but she was suddenly nervous. What if she didn’t please him? What if she’d forgotten how to act during sex?

  He ran her fingers across her lips, almost as if he could read her mind and knew why she was hesitating with her response.

  “It’s been awhile since I’ve been with a man and I’m not exactly in the shape I once was.”

  He pressed his finger on her bottom lip, signaling for her to stop.

  “You’re beautiful and it’s going to be just fine, really it is.”

  He reached behind her back and unclasped her bra, pulling it forward off her shoulders and arms. Now she really was petrified.

  “Just relax,” said Glen kissing her as he caressed her breasts, pulling on her nipples until they pebbled and throbbed.

  What he did next took her by surprise when he lifted her up and carried her to the bed and sat her on the edge of it. Glen put his hands either side of the lace panties and brought them down over her hips. Without him asking, she lifted her butt off the bed so he could pull them all the way down her legs before freeing them from around her ankles.

  “I want to kiss and taste you,” he whispered before he planted two kisses on each of the top of her knees.

  She almost laughed when he lifted up one of her feet and kissed the top of it. It tickled and, damn was it romantic or what?

  He repeated the same thing with the other foot and planted light kisses on her calves, and then her thighs before plying her legs open. Glen encouraged her to inch forward, causing her to teeter on the end of the bed. His fingers marched up her thigh, getting closer to her folds, and then she gasped as one of them nudged the entrance of her pussy.

  “I didn’t hurt you did I?”

  “Nope, but I guess it’s like being a v
irgin all over again.”

  “You sure know how to turn a guy on.”

  They both laughed as he pushed her back flat on the bed, kissed her, and then pressed his finger deep inside her. Her stomach flipped and her nipples felt like water was cascading slowly through them as she creamed.

  Since becoming a widow she’d given herself lots of self pleasuring but this was different. This was intimate, this was real sex, and she caught her breath when his fingertip found the sweet spot at the back of her pussy. Ava flexed her thighs, feeling close to climaxing. Would it be embarrassing to come this quickly? Would he think she’d been desperate for a fuck or what?

  His finger was just too talented to fight her need for release any longer. Ava relaxed her body and then shook, enjoying her orgasm as it swept down her legs and even into her toes as she felt a sense of relief that she’d finally experienced this sort of intimacy with a man again.

  “You feel a little bit better now?” He whispered in her ear.

  “Much, but I’ll relax a lot more when you get naked too.”

  “I’ll be glad to oblige. He took off his sweatshirt and pulled down the fly on his jeans in minutes. She reached out and touched his cock through his underwear and then gave his boxers a tug to help him pull them over his thighs. She hoped he didn’t mind her staring but he was as gorgeous naked as he was fully clothed. Maybe even better.

  He reached into the back pocket of his jeans and pulled out a condom, but his hand shook.

  “Is my apprehension catching?” she asked.

  “It’s been over a year for me, and I want to do it right.”

  What a sweet guy.

  After he struggled for a few more minutes, she grew bold enough to help him pull it over his cock, and soon the two of them were laughing like kids as they rolled around on the bed, kissing, and with him teasing the entrance of her pussy.

  “You’re so beautiful when you laugh,” he said. He kissed her one more time before prying open her legs a tad more.

  He was gentle as he pushed his cock inside her, deeper and deeper until he filled her, and then began to move slowly at first, building in speed and intensity as the minutes passed.