Chapter 3214 - QUINN

I could hear the annoying buzz of my cell phone ringing. It was off in the background, somewhere that wasn't within an arm's reach of me. Somewhere where I wasn't tempted to stop what I was doing and pick it up.

I thought that I might have heard it earlier, but the grinder was too loud for me to be sure. This time, with no equipment making noise, I could hear it loud and clear. The phone was charging over on a work bench, plugged into the only free outlet on the bench, but like before, I still didn't feel the need to answer it. If it was someone that really needed me, they would call the shop phone. And normally, it was the only line that ever rang.

Twenty, maybe thirty minutes later I could hear the ringing once again, a third time. I would have continued to let it do so, but I was in the middle of swapping acetylene tanks, and Bruce started barking. So, if I ever planned on answering it, now would be the time.

Like I had said, my cell phone rarely rang. Only my closet friends, my family, and a limited number of business clients had the number, so when it rang for the third time, I decided to pick it up.

"Hey." I said in a not so friendly voice when I answered. Even though I lived in an area that the caller referred to as the "Boonies", I did have caller I.D., and I recognized the name and number on the screen. It was my brother, my older brother, and he seldom called me, in fact it had been a couple of years, but I wasn't keeping track, because when he did call, he usually needed sometime.

Before you get the wrong idea, it's not for money. It's never about money.

My older brother Daniel lives in Connecticut and commutes into New York City three or four times a week. He also keeps a penthouse there because, "It's the only place in the world to make the big bucks, baby brother." Yeah, Daniel loved to point out how much he made, and by comparison, how little I did. So, the things that he generally needed, were things that he and his money couldn't buy, or as it turned out this time, it was for a thing that he wanted to rent. That thing was me.

"Robby. Baby brother, how are you kid?"

"I'm good Danny." He hated being called Danny more than I hated the name Robby.

"Great. Happy to hear it. You still stompin in shit and livin' in hillbilly heaven?" He had always loved throwing petty jabs my way.

"Yep."

"I told you buddy, come work for me. You'll never get dirty another day in your life. Bright lights. Big city. You get your ass to my penthouse downtown and you'll be rollin in it. I promise."

I wanted to tell him that I liked getting dirty. I've always been told that dirty hands equal clean money, and if that is actually the case, all of my brother's money is dirty, because his hands have never been anything but clean.

My brother Daniel had always been my parents Golden Child, and he had no idea what a hard day of work meant. My welding and fabrication business did very well. It paid for my property. A nice car. A nicer truck. A boat for my days off and a few other toys. I owed very little and what I did owe was just to keep a positive credit score. If things didn't work out, I had a fairly good nest egg to fall back on, but neither my brother or parents cared, nor did they want to know anything about it, so I answered the way he wanted me to.

"Maybe someday."

"You always say that. And you know you're not getting any younger little brother."

"I'm twenty-six. Remind me again how old you are." This was my shot at him, and I knew that it hurt.

"Oh, screw you." He is almost forty-one. Our parents had us some fourteen years apart. I was always told that I was a mistake. "I may be older, but I'm wiser and way more handsome."

"Says who?"

"Every single broad on Wall Street."

"Broad? Nice. I suppose that all your women like it when you call them that?" Daniel snorted out a laugh when I questioned the pet names he used for his women.

"Well, the last one certainly didn't." He assured me.

"Wonder why?"

"Okay. Enough shitting on me. You still living at the same old place?" I had a nasty feeling that he had done something wrong and was planning on staying with me so that he could hide out or until things cooled down. It had happened before, and it wasn't pretty.

"Maybe."

"Robby, stop pissing around. I mean the one on the lake. The big place on the water. Are you still there?"

"Yes, I still live at the same place. Where the hell did you think I planned on moving to?" Daniel had been to my house a few times, but he stayed away simply because he hated it. He hated the water. He hated the food, and he hated the people, and all because he hated being out of the "money" lifestyle of New York City.

"Perfect. Look baby brother, I need a favor." There it was, the big freakin surprise. Gift wrapped and delivered just like I knew it would be. I didn't say anything, I just waited in silence for him to continue. "You still there? Robby? Come on man, you know that I never ask unless I really need..."

"What is it?" Trying to sound as impatient as I could.

"See, that wasn't so hard. No need to be a prick about it." Daniel cleared his throat and changed his tone. He either wanted to be more, "big brothery" or he wanted to give me the "Wall St." sales pitch when he told me what he needed. "Look Rob, it's Quinn. She and Mary, well they had a falling out. A big one, and Quinn's sorta been staying with me for the past few months, and I hate to say it, but she really fucking hates me too. She won't go back to live with Mary, and she can't stay here. I know that summer's coming up and you get really busy, but can you do me a solid? Let her come down and hang out on that stupid porch swing you have. Maybe you can teach her to fish or something." He chuckled. Trying to break the ice and smooth things over and all I could think was that of all the things he remembered about my house, it was only the swing that he mentioned.

"Come on Danny, I can't babysit a ten-year-old all summer. I just don't have the time for that kinda bullshit. Sorry, I can't do it." I told in outright. No sense delaying the news

"She doesn't need babysitting, and she'll be nineteen in October. Rob, I need you on this one."

What? The last time I remember seeing my niece, she was in grade school with a face full of braces. Thinking back, the last time I saw Quinn, Daniel and Mary were still a couple. One big unhappy family.

"Nah, I don't think that it's a good idea. You'll have..."

"Listen to me Rob. I'll be screwed if you say no. Do this and I'll never ask you for another thing. My new girlfriend is threatening to leave me if I don't do something. I love this one. She's a keeper. And not only is she my girlfriend, she's also one of my biggest clients." Just like that, he proved once again how shitty of a person he was. "Look at your e-mail account. I just transferred fifty grand to you. Password is "Help". Do what you want with it, but for the love of god Robby, help me out."

I thought about it. He wanted to be rid of his only child so badly that he was willing or should I say desperate to pay for it. In my mind I knew it was wrong, but to hell with it, $50,000 was a lot of cash in my world.

How hard would or could it be to have my niece stay with me a while? My brother loved to brag about how much he had, and now he just proved it. Instead of relying on a family member to help him out, he was going to buy his way out of whatever mess he had on his hands. He was willing to get rid of his own daughter to keep a client / girlfriend happy. That was always the way with him, so I was going to accept his gift, but I kept him waiting.

"Send her down to Florida to see Jim and Carol. I'm sure that her grandparents would love to have her stay at their place. Mom and dad have that spare room."

"No. No goddamn way. And whatever you do, for the love of God, don't mention that she's coming to stay with you." Daniel seemed genuinely upset.

"That's if she does come and stay. And when do you think was the last time that they called me?" I reminded him.

"She is coming, and I don't care if she hates it, just don't say a fucking word to mom and dad." He was almost shouting at this point.

"Why?"

"Because...just don't. You know that they would be upset if they found out." His voice had softened somewhat.

"For how long?" I knew that I was giving too much slack and was letting him off the hook.

"I don't know. You know how girls are. Maybe she'll want to stay a month or so, or she might want to come back in a couple of weeks. She'll get bored and will probably reconcile with her crazy bitch mother. So, I'm guessing a month, maybe two. Tops."

"When?" There it was, I gave in to the money. I was about to sell my soul for $50,000.

"She lands in St Louis at six." Looks like my big brother knew me too well, and assumed I'd say yes.

"Tonight?" I asked, shocked.

"Yeah, tonight." He chuckled.

"What the hell Danny, you mean she's already on a plane?"

"Yeah, I think so. Well, I mean I didn't drive her. I had a car service drop her at the airport. You got fifty grand in the bank, send someone to pick her up."

"What a fuckin asshole you are. You know it's almost a four-hour drive to the airport you prick. How the hell will I even recognize her? It's been more than...Jesus Christ. You're such a dick. Send me a picture of her."

I pushed the end button and shook my head. No matter how I played it, I was going to be late.

My shower only added 15 minutes more to how late I was going to be, but it was a necessary evil. Luckily, the highway traffic wasn't that bad, so I was making pretty good time. When I saw the signage for Lambert International Airport, I looked at my phone to check the time. The screen screamed 6:42pm, and I still had a couple of miles to go.

With any luck, her flight had been delayed.

Not so much. I slipped into one of the 15-minute pick-up parking spots at arrivals and ran inside. The monitor told me that Quinn's flight was not only on time, the fucking thing, had also arrived 15-minutes early. I was more than an hour late, and she was nowhere in sight.

I cursed my brother for being an asshole, and to top it off, he still hadn't sent any pictures to me yet. I wasn't very good at the guessing game, so I looked around and tried to spot all the single girls that might fit the age bill.

The first 3 girls that I approached and called Quinn looked like they wanted to slap me or call security.

There I was, a single guy, approaching young girls, speaking expletives under my breath when said that they weren't who I wanted, yeah it was not cool.

After I had run out of girls to try, I was frantic. I looked around and saw that the terminal had emptied.

I called Daniel, and believe it or not, he didn't answer, but he did send a picture. No one, not a single person in the arrival area looked like her. I spoke with security and showed them the photo. They both just shook their heads. According to them, no one had gone by that had even remotely looked like her.

Defeated, I walked outside and started toward my truck. Maybe she hadn't gotten on her flight. Maybe she had got a ride to my place when I hadn't shown up on time.

I was in the middle of texting Daniel to ask for her phone number when I looked at my phone and stopped dead in my tracks. Looking at the picture Daniel sent, I did a double take. Turning my head, then my body, I gritted my teeth and walked over to the only girl in the area. She had long dirty blonde hair, was wearing a big green New York Jets hoodie, cut off white jean shorts and green All Stars sneakers. I would have been surprised if it "wasn't" Quinn. The girl in front of me definitely resembled the picture. Holding the phone up, I stared at the screen for a few seconds. It was her. At least I thought so, so I took the chance.

"Really, you plan on watching me do that all night?" My words tasted like venom as they dripped out of me.

"No. I planned on stopping when it no longer amused me." She grinned when she said it.

Quinn was sitting on a pair of oversized Louis Vuitton suitcases and was holding a backpack in her lap. Gone were the braces of childhood. Apparently, the only thing in her mouth nowadays, was sarcasm. She instantly reminded me of her father. Yeah, we didn't get off on the right foot.

Bending over, I lifted up her baggage, giving her no choice but to stand up along with it. Not waiting for her to follow, I made my way to the parking area with her bags in tow.

"Nice truck." She said when I put her luggage in the back of it. This was surely another jab at me.

"I'm sure that you see lots of trucks in Connecticut."

"Nothing like this. This one looks special. I can assure you that much." Yep, it was a shot.

It was the beginning of our verbal jousting.

By the time we got to the I-44, I was grinding my teeth. We hadn't introduced ourselves. I hadn't even asked her if she was Quinn. She may have been some runaway or hitch hiker for all I knew, and since we got in the truck, we had only spoken at about the truck.

"I'm Rob, by the way."

She turned in her seat, cocked her perfectly groomed eyebrow, and looked at me like she was preparing for battle.

"Who the hell else would you be? Do you think that I would just jump into a truck with anyone? Any stranger that said hello? I'm not some kind of psycho. Jesus, how long has it been since you've been out of the woods?" Yes, she was her father's child.

"Too long. And to be honest, I wish that I was still there." I wished I hadn't said that after I had. So I tried to change the subject. "The last time I saw you when you were like...ten, maybe eleven. You remember me from way back then? Because I don't remember you looking like this." My hand making a wave that encompassed her body.

Making a "what a fucking asshole you are" face, my passenger held up her arm and turned her phone so that I could see what was on the screen. It showed a picture of me. Then she scrolled it and showed me the homepage from my shop that had another picture attached. "You know, you're not so bad looking. Maybe even boarding on the handsome side of things." She said as she thumbed through the pictures of me on her phone. "Way better looking than dad. We must get our good looks from grandma's side of the family." We? Yep, she's definitely Daniel's daughter. "Plus, Rob, you're not that old, you should know how this kind of technology works. You could have got a bunch of pics of me off Facebook."

"Yeah, well only if I had known that you..." Stopping saved me from having to apologize later.

After that, our ride was silent. It more than likely would have stayed that way, until my stomach growled, and I realized that I hadn't eaten anything since breakfast.

"Are you hungry?" I asked my new house guest.

"Not overly. I mean, I'll eat, but I need to pee way more than I need anything else. How far are we from your place?"

"About three hours, maybe less."

"Maybe less? Like what, two hours-forty-five minutes less? How come it's such a long drive, where the hell do you live?" She was on the edge of her seat.

"Branson."

"Branson? Branson like on the border of Arkansas, Branson? Shit, I thought my father was joking."

"Same one. And I've never known him to be a funny person." I was slipping in a few shots of my own.

"Why the hell would anyone want to live there? You must have heard the jokes, or least the banjos. I mean, I was joking when I asked about the woods, but now I'm not so sure."

"You shouldn't judge so quickly, and yeah, I've heard them both, but I still love my place. The people are kind and unjudgmental, unlike those from the east coast." I told her.

A blast of air shot out of her in a huff. She wasn't happy, but that made two of us.

Taking the exit ramp in Lebanon, I turned right and waved my arm at the large sign showing all of the eateries that sat a short drive away from us. It didn't take much time for her to choose. I was hoping for a burger but at her request, i pulled up to the front window of the Sushi House.

"You gotta park this thing so close? Now everyone will know what we drive, Robby." The shots just kept coming.

"Well, Quinny. This truck costs more than most BMW's and it can do way more work. I don't need for it to look pretty when it earns me money, so you should be nicer to it, especially if you plan on driving it. Okay, Quinny?"

"You think that bothers me? I think you calling me Quinny is a term of endearment. Plus, I never plan on driving this or any other vehicle for that matter, so I really couldn't care less what it costs."

Unhooking my seatbelt, I turned to get a better look at her.

"You don't drive?"

"You know where I live don't you? There are cabs everywhere and I have UBER at my fingertips, so no Uncle Rob, I don't drive. No one my age drives in the city." She over emphasized the "don't drive" for my benefit.

"Pity, you don't know what kind of freedom that you are missing out on. But I guess you and all of your privileged friends don't enjoy a good road trip." I got out of the truck and headed inside. She was ignoring me until she looked back at the truck.

"Hey, Uncle Robby, what about my luggage?" She asked in an alarmed tone.

"Do you need it? Are you planning on changing into some dinner clothes?"

"No, but I don't want some idiot wearing my stuff either." She was concerned.

"Believe me, it's safe."

In the restaurant, Quinn sat with one eye glued on my truck, and the other eyeing her food. Apparently, she was cautious about how sushi was made in Missouri. Maybe there was some kind of rice and tuna conspiracy that the rest of the world didn't know about.

The sushi impressed me. It isn't something that I normally have, but it wasn't bad. Quinn gave it a grade of "passable" and scolded me when I tried to pack up the leftovers.

"Eeew. Are you poor or something? Honestly, no one ever brings home leftovers when they eat sushi."

"Then why did you order so much?" I asked.

"Tell me that you've never heard the word "variety"?" Those fingers in the air doing quotations, pissed me off even more than her words.

This was going to be a long couple of weeks. The struggle for me was going to be not arguing with her and trying to avoid confrontation. I knew it was going to be tough.

The rest of the drive home was mostly silent. Apparently, for the moment, we had both tired from arguing.

Quinn watched every twist and turn in the road until darkness only allowed her to see what was in front of us. Even then, she watched in amazement as things that she had probably never seen before passed us by.

Pulling off the last paved road, I followed my stone covered laneway, and found that darkness had covered the entire yard. Leaving in such a rush, I had neglected to turn on any of the outdoor or indoor lights, so with a moonless midnight hour knocking on the door, it was pitch black out, with the exception of lights that were triggered by motion sensors.

Pointing the truck so that the headlights illuminated the veranda, Quinn didn't wait and proceeded to open the door. Stepping out of the truck in a rush was her first mistake.

When Quinn's foot hit the gravel, a loud bark was followed by a horrific scream that filled the night air. A scream that more than likely scared the shit out of every living thing on the waterfront.

"Bruce, down." I yelled.

"What? Oh, my god. Jesus Christ. What in the shit is that thing?" I could hear trebling in her voice.

"You're not that young, you should know what a dog is." Clearly a point for me.

When she realized that Bruce wasn't going to have her as his next meal, she turned to me. I could see in her eyes that she was going to leave the truck alone, and now start picking on my dog.

"Where do you have to go to buy a dog like that, hell? Is he one of those devil dogs?" Bruce has close-cropped ears and the wide face that comes with most Cane Corso's, which made him look, well, the word "evil" seems to work. He had his face pressed to her leg, and very near her crotch. He was smelling our new guest.

"No, he just looks like it. And be careful. I'll take shit about my truck, but say too many bad things about my dog, and there may be consequences."

I carried her luggage, and Quinn carried her own backpack. Walking sideways the entire way, hers and Bruce's eyes never left one-another, and she continually pushed him away with her backpack as we made our way indoors.

I turned on lights and the place brightened enough so that Quinn was able to study her surroundings. She was used to the posh settings in her mom's New York City apartment and her daddy's large, modern, Connecticut home, so this was probably like a camping trip for her.

My place was clean and what a designer might describe as "manly". I imagine that it has the feel of most log cabin homes. Oversized leather furniture. Lots of wood, huge stone fireplace, desks and tables. A wall to ceiling bookshelf with lots and lots of books, new and old. The wide plank flooring that had large vintage area rugs as coverings, was one of my favorite features. Yeah, it was "manly".

Pulling and carrying her bags, I walked the wide hall of my ranch style home and showed Quinn her room.

"This is you. It has its own bathroom and walk-in closet. Extra sheets and blankets are in here somewhere if you need them. Door locks from the inside so...make yourself at home. I'll probably be outside when you wake up tomorrow. There's lots to eat and drink, but you might have to search for stuff. If you need anything else, come looking for me. We can make a trip into town tomorrow to pick-up whatever else is missing. I don't use it lots, but I do have satellite. You're old enough that you should be able to figure it out." That was my parting shot of the night.

There wasn't any sign of disappointment anywhere on Quinn's face when I lifted her bags onto the bench seat at the end of the bed for her. Walking beside it, her hand caressed to soft custom quilt. She seemed to like the king-sized log, four poster bed that came with matching wood furnishing. The bathroom that she would be calling home had a huge stone shower and an extra-large soaking tub, so comfort wouldn't be an issue for her.

Pulling the door closed as I left, Quinn called after me.

"Uncle Rob."

"Yeah." I turned back to face her. I thought that a parting shot was headed my way, but I was wrong.

"Thank you." For the very first time since I picked her up, there was a humble tone in her words.

Thursday and Friday went by quickly. I didn't see Quinn much, and Bruce only popped into the shop a couple of times. He was keeping an eye on the house, hoping to get another look at the guest he scared the shit out of the other night.

Like I said, I didn't see a lot of my house quest, but by the eggshells, pieces of bagel, banana peels, and various other items that disappeared or that lay on the top of the garbage, I knew that she had been up and around at some point, but when was another question. Remembering what it was like when I was her age, I made up my mind not to bother her. Sooner or later, she would come out. That is, if she really wanted to.

Early Saturday morning it was business as usual for me. The sun had yet to eat the mist and light fog that clung to and lingered on the surface of the water. The surrounding air outside was cool at the moment, but I knew it would warm up nicely as morning worked its way into the noon hour. So, as per my weekend ritual, I would load up with coffee, eat some toast, and head to the dock. My hopes were that I would catch a prize fish to mount on my wall, but the idea of catching and frying up any bass, walleye or catfish always made me smile like an idiot.

When I stepped out onto the veranda, I didn't scream, but just like Bruce had scared her days earlier, Quinn returned the favor by scaring the hell out of me. Wrapped in a warm blanket, with Bruce laying on the cushion at her side, Quinn swung gently on the suspended wooden porch swing that faced the water. The same swing that her father had joked about. She had a large cup of coffee in her hands, and by the redness of her eyes, it looked like she had been crying.

"Quinn, is everything alright?" I was concerned, but I wasn't sure why.

"Not really." Her voice barely audible as she answered softly.

"Do you want to talk about it?"

"Not really." Same low tone, so I chose to let it go until she was ready to talk.

"I'm going fishing for a few hours. It's not much to see now, but when the mist goes away, it's real scenic out there." I looked at her and waited. Nothing. "When it warms up, the water is perfect for swimming. Do you feel like coming?"

"Not..."

"Okay...I get it." She jumped when I barked. I didn't mean to. It slipped out by accident. "Sorry. Look, I'm not your enemy here. I..." I paused to think for a second. "I don't know what you need or if you want anything, but if you do, you'll need to ask for it. I don't read minds. I have never lived with a girl. I...I'm just...babbling." I was babbling. "Yeah, babbling. So, yeah...Anyway, I need to put some gas in the boat. If you feel like coming, you have five, maybe ten minutes. You don't have to fish. You can sunbathe or swim or read. There's..." I stopped. "If not...you can...I'll be back in a few hours." I was rambling on again, and that wasn't normally like me, so I left her on the porch, with my dog.

I put 10 gallons in to top up the tank and did my visual checklist. Poles and tackle. Ready to go. I started the Honda 150 and let it idle while I wiped the seats with one of my towels. To my left, I caught sight of movement. Quinn was coming down the grass. She was wearing sweats and a hoodie. Carrying a blanket and a Thermos in her arms, she stepped over the side like she had done it a million times and sat in the passenger seat behind the windscreen.

"Can Bruce come?" Quinn asked.

"Nope. He gets a little angry because he's not much of a swimmer."

20 minutes later I had my line in the water, and Quinn was reclining on the rear seat, reading a book that I assumed she had found at the house.

"Music or quiet time?" I asked my guest.

"Music, if it's not a problem."

Music was never a problem. I switched on the boats sound system and linked my phone. Seconds later, John Vincent III was playing the tunes from his Songs from the Valley, album. It was my favorite easy listening fishing playlist.

The early part of the day was uneventful, not much talking, just 2 people doing their own thing. I fished, she read, and the world did its thing around us.

Some fishermen get lucky, and at high noon, it was my turn. As the sun stopped directly over us, my Strike King spinner bait bounced across the water, sank about 3 feet, and I got a solid hit. My line tightened, and the rod bent. The constant whine of the reel as line was pulled free, told me that the drag had started to work, and I froze. Dead in my tracks. I froze solid. The grin on my face from hooking a fish, faded into a slack jaw, mouth open stare, and I wasn't even looking at the water.

Before I even started to reel in my line, I had noticed Quinn stand up, but like a dummy, I thought she wanted to see my fish. Not so. Setting her book on the vinyl seat, she hooked her thumbs into the waist band of her sweatpants and tugged them down. Her almost naked ass popped into view. It was perfect. Firm and round. Barely hidden beneath the peach-colored material, of what I assumed was her bathing suit. When she bent at the waist to take her feet out of the cuffs of her sweats, the thin material rode up, giving me the best view possible of her ass cheeks and the puffy lips of her pussy that was hidden away.

"Look away." I heard the voices screaming in my head. What the hell are you doing? The voices knew it was wrong for me to be checking out my own niece, but I couldn't help myself. "Please, look away." The voices begged me, but it wasn't going to happen. I watched her pale legs shake the sweats free. Again, she bent over in front of me. Picking them up off the floor, she folded them neatly and again bent to put them on her seat for safe keeping. Giving herself a tiny shake, she put the index finger of both her hands, into the back side of her bottoms and eased the thin material out of the crack of her butt. I felt like an asshole for checking out my niece, but she was truly a gorgeous young lady.

Her body turned the same time that mine did. Gritting my teeth, I looked out at the water and started to reel in my catch. My head was spinning, my body was twitching, and my manhood was acting up. Emotions that I had not felt in quite a while, were racing through my head. I turned toward the water. Facing away from my niece was probably the safest thing to do and doing so took everything in my power. My mind continually told me that I had to keep my eyes off of her.

Pulling the hook from my catch, I tossed the unlucky fish into the boat's live well. He joined a few of his other unfortunate friends. They would be a meal at a later date.

In a daze I had lost track of time, but shortly before 1:00pm, I had had my fill of fishing. The sun was still almost directly overhead, and it had heated up significantly. Looking back to Quinn, I could see that she was sweating. She still had her hoodie on which seemed strange to me. I took off my t-shirt and moved to the back of the boat.

"Do you feel like trying some waterskiing?"

"I would normally, but I probably shouldn't, considering." She looked like she was interested.

"Why not." I asked. Considering what, I thought to myself.

"It's just not a good idea." She told me.

"Okay, well I'm going swimming. You want to join me?" I tried another route to get her into the water.

"Maybe another time." She was still not biting.

"I know it's probably not like your pool at home, but it's clean water, and it's safe." I assured her.

I didn't wait for an answer. I dove over the side of the boat and into Table Rock Lake. I hoped that my splash wet her a bit. Surfacing 30 feet from the boat, I called out. "Come on. The waters perfect."

"How would I get out?" Her mind appeared to be changing.

"Right there. It's really easy, and it's not slippery, so you'll be safe." I pointed to the steps that led to the small platform beside the motor.

"I don't...maybe another...will the boat float away?" She was getting more interested.

"It's anchored. Come on Quinn, you're sweating to death in that hoodie. If you don't plan on swimming, at least take that thing off so you don't get heat stroke."

By just looking at her, you could tell that she wanted to come in the water, but she was reluctant to the idea, so I climbed out to show her how easy it was and jumped over the side again.

I could see her standing at the back of the boat. Her fingers gripping the bottom of her hoodie while she moved and swayed with the slight rocking of the vessel. Slowly she began to pull it up, but then she let it drop back down. It almost looked like she was trembling. She looked out at me, but I pretended to be looking elsewhere. Finally, she gathered enough courage. Turning her back to me, she lifted the cotton sweatshirt over her head and put it on the back of my boats driver's seat.

When she turned to face the water, I knew exactly why she didn't want to remove her top.

Quinn had what most guys would call a perfect ass. I got an up-close look at it earlier. Now, as hard as I was trying not to, I was looking at her boobs. A very nice set indeed. Firm and sitting high up on her chest. Possibly as big as a "C" cup. Adorned with big, hard nipples that poked out from under the same peach colored material as her bottoms. Her cleavage was glistening with sweat from being contained under the hot top she had just removed and the beating sun.

With her great ass and perfect tits, it was only fitting that she had a toned body. It was pale, but it was toned from what I could only imagine was lots if time spent in a gym. My niece was a very well put together woman, but what surprised me the most about her, and the thing that I now couldn't take my eyes off of, was her belly. Yes, her belly.

The sun hit the pale skin of the small orb perfectly, casting an odd shadow onto the water where I was floating, and from that vantage point, it looked to me like Quinn was probably, about 4 months pregnant.

Nervously and gingerly, she lowered herself into the water, shivering slightly, as the cool water surrounded her, slowly but surely, her body submerged into the water and soon enough, Quinn was floating in the freedom of the lake.

I wondered if Daniel knew that his only child, his daughter, was pregnant. He had to have. Why else would he have called me and sent her down here to hide her away? Was he ashamed? Did his new girlfriend disapprove? Whatever the reason, I now somewhat understood her somber state of mind.

"Oh my god Uncle Rob, this feels so good. It's like I'm on a cloud." Her pale arms and legs spread to give her a star like appearance on top of the dark water. "It's so...refreshing and liberating."

"Yeah, it always feels so good. That's why I love the lake." I told her. Although her belly wasn't exposed, my eyes were still glued to her.

It was good to see her enjoying the refreshing powers of the lake, so I didn't rush her. She seemed to open up and accept and enjoy the cool and rejuvenating feeling that comes from the water, so I let her float. I would have let her go all day, but after floating and swimming, she eventually she told me that she had had enough. Getting into the boat first, I reached down to help her out.

Her foot landed on the carpeted floor of the boat, and she stumbled a bit. The warm wetness of her skin touched my chest as my hand tried to stop her from falling. It touched her hip and moved up until my thumb and fingers were resting on the side of her tummy. Quickly, I released my hold and turned my back so that she could dry off. It was the perfect time to ask if she was hungry.

"Starving." She replied.

"Okay. You want to eat on the lake? There are lots of cool restaurants with really good views, or do you want to go home?"

"When you say home, do you mean your place, or New York, my home?" I could feel the pain in her voice. A trembling as her words escaped her.

"My place. Which in case you forgot, is currently, our place." And, I wanted her to feel like it was.

"I would like to sit by the lake if you're not too embarrassed to be seen with me Uncle Rob."

"What? Why the hell would I be embarrassed?" I still had my back to her, as I put the poles and tackle away.

"I saw the surprise in your face. Was it because he didn't tell you why I'm here? He didn't tell you, did he? He didn't let you know why he wanted to hide me away. My dad didn't even bother to tell his own brother and give up the little secret he has, did he? He didn't tell you just in case you backed out and wouldn't let me come down here. No, he thought it would be better to surprise you."

I felt horrible for the way I was acting. Here was a young girl that needed help, my help, and everyone that she depended on, even me, was shunning her. Turning, I tried to explain.

"Do you think that it would make a difference to me? Quinn, regardless of what your parents told you about me, you'd be welcome down here no matter what the reason was. You're my family. My blood. I'm not a snob like..." Stopping to save myself was becoming a habit.

"Like what? Like them? Like, my parents?" She sounded hurt.

"Yeah Quinn, like your parents. Both your parents think that I'm a bum because I don't have some high-paying white-collar job. They have no idea what it's like to feel free. You remember how you felt while you were in the water? That's how I feel every single day of my life."

There was a silence as I sat and started the boat. I waited for Quinn to fold her towel so that she could sit on it. When she was seated, I noticed that she had chosen to remain uncovered, sitting in only her bathing suit.

"I'm not a slut." She said as if to defend her own honor. I was shocked that she felt the need to tell me this.

"Did I say that you were? I would never think that." I tried to ease the uncomfortable moment.

"You didn't have to say it. I can see it in your face. You can't even look at me."

Easing back on the throttle so that boat just idled, I turned my head so that I was once again facing her.

"That's where you're wrong. I can easily look at you. And I did look at you. I looked and from out of nowhere, you've grown and become a beautiful woman. So, yeah, I looked and saw that you are absolutely beautiful, but I don't want to get caught looking again and have you thinking that I'm some kind of pervert. So, in case you really wanted to know, that's the problem I'm currently facing."

She smiled sheepishly at me. Quinn knew that she was a beautiful woman, and now she knew that I also thought so.

Her head turned to look in the opposite direction, so I resumed our voyage.

With the wind blowing our hair dry as we glided across the lake, we remained silent until we docked the boat and walked the pier toward the lakeside eatery. Quinn held my elbow until we picked a seat under an oversized Budweiser umbrella, we sipped sweet tea and from out of nowhere, we started talking more than we ever had before. It was a casual setting, so Quinn had remained in just her bathing suit. The only change was she was wearing a baseball cap to keep the sun out of her face. It was a good day for both of us. One that changed the way we started to interact around each other.

Every day for the next few weeks or so, things changed bit by bit, and every day we opened up more and more. We became closer as far as not feeling the need to keep hiding away from one another. I spent less time in the shop, and she spent less time hidden away in her bedroom.

We had casual conversations and there was casual touching when we swam, or while we were in the boat, but nothing out of the ordinary.

Like a couple of friends, Quinn would spend time in my shop, helping me with paperwork, and I would suggest novels for her to read and she would pick movies for us to watch. It would appear that we had become friends, I suppose.

After spending time getting to know her, it turned out that Quinn wasn't exactly the spoiled little bitch I thought that she was, or that she might have been. I also became aware that not only is she beautiful she is smart, and she has a good, if not somewhat wicked, sense of humor. I found that out on the way to her first OBGYN appointment.

It was warm enough to turn on the car's A/C, but Quinn still had all the windows down. She was letting the warm air blow through and whip the long golden strands of her curls like long kite tails waving in the air.

"Can you explain something to me?" She asked, reading the appointment printout as we drove toward the clinic where we had booked her for her checkup.

"I suppose that I can try." I told her.

"Alright then, tell me why I'm going to someplace called Cox Health? Doesn't it sound a bit odd to be going to a place called Cox Health, to have my vagina looked at. I mean really, that's gotta seem a bit odd to you, doesn't it?"

She was smiling and trying to stifle a laugh. I didn't even notice the name of the clinic when we booked her appointment. An appointment that she didn't want, but as time passed, it seemed she needed, because it appeared that she would be staying, and her baby might be born with some "hillbilly" roots.

"It's Cox Health Women's Center. It's a women's only clinic." I tried to assure her, but now that she had pointed out the name to me, the irony was not lost on either of us.

"Yeah, I get that part, but does that mean you'd go to see Dr. Kuntz, with a K and a Z, if you were having trouble with your dick?" Now she was full on laughing at her own jokes because she was trying to embarrass me, but I quickly turned the tables on her."I guess if there was a problem with my junk, Dr. Kuntz might be the very first person that I wanted to see." I said, trying to turn the tables on her.

We both smiled for the remainder of the ride until I pulled my car up to the door, yes car, she prefers it to my truck. That's when Quinn asked if I would come in with her. It wasn't planned, but there was no way that I could or would refuse her request. It had to be frightening to you see a doctor for the first time, especially when you're young and it's in a strange state.

The receptionist gave us a clipboard with a questionnaire attached and asked us to fill it out. There was lots of private information and personal things to be answered, and to her credit, Quinn only left a few of the spaces blank. They just happened to be the ones that I wanted to see, but there were left blank. The most important was the name of the father. But, I was under the opinion that everyone thought that I was the father, I mean we did have the same last name.

The doctor made Quinn feel very comfortable. In her late 40's, she had a motherly feeling about her. She spoke "with" and not "at" us, and she gave Quinn plenty of information on what a young mother should expect in the upcoming weeks and months. She showed us everything on the ultrasound, and I held Quinn's hand the entire tire time. The gentle squeezes of her fingers as they wrapped around my hand was a moment that would be lost forever for the father of her child. It was a memory that only I would share with her, and as we watched the screen and listened to the thumping of her baby's heartbeat, Quinn felt it too. It was tender and loving, watching as a tear of joy moved its way down her cheek as she took in every second of her impending motherhood.

We didn't feel rushed as we gathered our things. With pamphlets and books in hand, Dr Naumov also gave us a couple of prescriptions and a list of things that would come in handy and should be at the house and available.

When we left the Cox Center, Quinn seemed to be more informed, and far more relaxed and comfortable about what was going to happen over the next few months.

"So, when's the last time you were in a Missouri Walmart?" I asked, but I already knew the answer.

"Try never." She had a look on her face that I assumed meant she was serious.

"Well, the doctor says that you should start taking those vitamins, so while we're there, we'll pick up some other stuff too. Look at you momma, it's your lucky day." It was my way of telling her that we "were" going no matter what.

"Why pick it up? Don't we have Amazon out here? We don't even have to...go into "that" store."

"That store? Are you worried that you are over dressed, cuz you got your "Go See the Doctor" duds on?" I teased.

"You're such a jerk."

"Oh, and then some." I confirmed.

"We'll use Amazon."

"Okay miss fancy pants, how do you plan on ordering from Amazon?"

"I have an account."

"Oh. How do you plan on paying for..." Before I could finish, she held up an American Express Platinum Card to show me that she was deadly serious and had the means to order whatever she wanted.

"Well, surprise. No Amazon today, and "That store", is a Super Center, so you're in for a real treat. If you behave, and only if you behave, I might even let you buy a few chicken tenders for the ride home."

"What the hell is a chicken tender?" She asked.

"Girl, they're a food staple at Walmart. Don't pretend that you haven't had any. Next thing you'll probably tell me is that you don't like cheese sticks and poppers."

Quinn made a face like she was sucking a lemon wedge and said, "Bite me." This little girl had no idea what she was missing.

Her doctor's appointment and our shopping spree was another turning point for us. Her hip purposely bumped me as we walked the aisles and picked out the things that we needed. Turns out that not only could we tolerate being together we had actually started enjoying one another's company.

With several bags loaded into the trunk, we headed home. Quinn sat with one of her yoga pants covered legs curled under her on the seat, and the other was aimed forward, with her foot on the dash. Her hair was now pulled up into a haphazard bun, instead of being tied back into a long loose ponytail like she normally wore it, and her eyes were covered with a pair of vintage Wayfarers. She adjusted the air conditioning vent so that it was aimed at her face, yet she still had all the windows down. Another sign that she was comfortable.

Rifling through the bag for just the righty piece, she finally picked and filled her mouth with her second piece, then she reached back into the bag and placed a piece smaller than the one she had, to my lips.

"Chicken tender?" She said as I took the offering between my teeth and watched as she rummaged through the bag for what would be her next piece. "I know...your right. These things are freakin incredible. I can't wait to try those jalapeno poppers."

The mellow playlist of tunes echoed through the air as the wind coming in through the open windows whistled along with the music, and for the first time since we met, Quinn truly seemed to be at ease with life. It seemed as through with the flip of a switch she had changed. Maybe seeing thew doctor was the turning point. The one where she realized that she was starting a brand new chapter in her life.

Driving down the almost abandoned road, I watched her smiling at the world. Quinn's no-nonsense beauty impressed me. She wore no make-up. None. Yet whenever she raised her sunglasses, her blue eyes were shiny and stood out. Her cheeks were flush and rosy. Whether it was something that always happened or if it was due to her impending motherhood. It was easy to see why she was in the position that she was. I imagined that many guys had tried to be with her. Not that we ever talked about it, but I'm sure she was very often asked out. I was captivated by her, and I'm not sure why, but I couldn't look away.

"What?" Her head tilted and watched me as I steered the car down the open road.

"Nothing."

"Yeah, right. Come on, tell me." I turned toward her, not wanting to spoil the moment with a lie, so I told her exactly what I was thinking.

"I'm just thinking about how lucky your baby is going to be, having a mother as beautiful and as intelligent as you are."

She looked at the road for the longest time. Finally, whatever she had been thinking got the better of her and she released her seatbelt. Getting up on her knees, she leaned over the console, and her soft lips touched my cheek with the sweetest of kisses. When she sat back down, she put her left hand over the hand that I had resting on the shifter. It was only then that I noticed a few tears on her cheeks.

"Thank you, Rob." She said softly. It was only after a few miles, that she changed the subject and spoke again. "I love this song. Who is it?" It was a bluesy tune from a few years back.

"Lukas Nelson, he's Willie's son. It's called, "Set me down on a cloud"." Then I played, "Find Yourself". "He has a great sound."

"I'll say." Her head tilted back as she listened to something different for the very first time. Lost in the music, she stayed in the same position until we arrived at the house.

The midafternoon sun brought along the heat. It was a little more than warm when we parked the car and carried things into the house. Quinn rubbed her baby bump and got a bottle of water out of the fridge.

"Hey Uncle Rob, do you have any plans today?" With it being midweek, I had planned on doing some work in the shop, but it could wait.

"No. Why, what's up?"

"It's so hot, I was wondering if you felt like going out on the boat. I'd love to float around awhile. But, if you're too busy..."

"Sounds good to me. I'll gas it up. Bring some towels and a change of clothes if you want to go to the Lake House for dinner later."

"I don't know, do they have any of those chicken tenders?" I tossed the empty plastic bags from my hand her way and called her a smart ass.

Waiting patiently, I watched Quinn stroll down the yard with Bruce at her side. She was wearing a cover up that I hadn't seen her wear before, and she was carrying an oversized beach bag, stuffed with everything that she would need, and more.

I held out my hand for the bag, and instead she placed her small hand in mine so that I could assist her in boarding the boat. Sitting in her usual spot, she looked out at the water. My finger tapped her right shoulder, and when she looked at me, I pointed to the driver's seat.

"No way." She stated.

"Yes way." Still pointing at the seat.

"Nope, not happening." Her head shaking like an 8-year-olds.

"It is happening, or we'll sit here until it does." She was going to drive, even if she didn't like it. When she saw that I was serious, she finally moved behind the controls.

I went over the steering, throttle and other instruments that she would need, but she wasn't very excited about what was about to happen.

"Uncle Rob, I think it's best that..."

"Start the boat. I'll be right here behind you if you need me."

"I don't want to drive your boat."

"Yes, you do. Wait until you feel it gliding over the water while you control it, you'll be addicted." That did it. She turned the key, and the engine roared to life.

"Ready?"

"We'll see." I asked what that meant, but she pretended not to hear me.

"Slowly." I suggested as she pulled back on the throttle.

The hull of the boat parted the water as we sped toward what had now become "our" favorite spot. Her smile was ear to ear as her eased the wheel slowly left, then slowly right, making long curving S turns over the calm lake water. Quinn laughed aloud when she eased back on the throttle and the backwash of waves raised and lowered us like we were on a smooth roller coaster.

"Man, I love that feeling." She said as I reached over her and shut down the motor.

"Me too. I'm not much for waves in big water, but out here it's fine." I tied off the anchor and tossed it over the side. Seconds later, we were free to swim.

Quinn handed me a towel. I put my sunglasses on the fiberglass dash and pulled my t-shirt up over my head. She stood in the same spot and hadn't moved. There was an odd look on her face as she spoke.

"Would you mind facing away from me when I get in?"

Apparently, some form of shyness had taken over her. Maybe it was what I had said to her the very first time we were out here. When I told her that I didn't want to get caught looking at her and have her feel like I was some kind of pervert, but we had been out here many times since, so I didn't know what she was after. Without answering, I turned my back to her and jokingly put my towel over my head.

I could feel the boat shifting as she moved. I assumed that she was taking off her cover-up and moving toward the water. Then I heard her giggle as she climbed down the small ladder and with only the slightest of splashes, she eased herself into the water. I still stood with my back still to her, waiting until she gave me the "all clear".

"Are you coming in or what? The water is fantastic."

Dropping my towel on my seat, I felt an instant rush of excitement and a stir in my shorts. As expected, Quinn's cover up was draped over the back of Quinn's seat, but so was her bathing suit. That meant, that unless I wasn't mistaken, she was naked in the water. My niece was skinny dipping, and she was asking me to join her.

"Rob, are you coming in?"

I worked my way to the edge and looked over. She was in a half floating position. Her breasts with their dark pink nipples were clearly visible and so was much of her exposed belly.

"Quinn, I...you...I...you know...that I can see you right?"

"This feels so good. It's so liberating, exhilarating, and refreshing that I really don't give a shit who sees me." Her voice was crackling with joy, I think.

My splash must have shocked her, but when I came to the surface, she was smiling. Keeping my distance, I remained a few yards away. Not once did she complain about how close I was, but I was trying to keep my back to her as I swam and floated nearby.

Quinn swayed to the music as she floated and swam for nearly an hour. At times, we would head to the back of the boat so that we had something to hold on to. But the closer I got, and the worse the pressure on me not to look at her naked form got. I was afraid and intrigued all at once, so I did the easiest thing and pretended I was looking across the lake.

"So, what do you think." Shocked, I turned to face her.

"I think you're absolutely beautiful. I mean you're perfect." I couldn't read her eyes, because they were still covered by her Wayfarers, but her mouth was curled in a devilish grin.

"Well, thank you kind sir, but I was asking what you thought about the water."

"Quinn, I'm so sorry. I..."

"Sorry? Why are you sorry? Is it for making me feel better about myself? Lately I've been feeling all fat and bloated. You tell me that I'm beautiful, and now you want to take it back. Way to burst that balloon and hurt a girls feelings Uncle Rob." Her arm swung sideways, and the wave of water hit the side of my head. "Jerk."

I cupped my hands together and pushed a wave that soaked her completely.

"Hey, watch the shades old man." But as she said it, she made her way toward me.

"Old man? I'm not that much older than you, kid."

It had been a long time since I had been I a splash fight. Quinn used both hands to pummel me with waves of water. Her feet did a good job of kicking like crazy to keep her body afloat, but it didn't take long for her to get tired out. The battle was over when her hands grabbed mine. It was more of a desperate grab for security, than a grab of a fight. I knew that she needed to hold onto something, so I pulled her close and made my way back to the safety of the boat.

Once Quinn was able to hold onto the raised motor, it was only then that I realized that her naked chest was touching mine. It had been a few months before she had arrived, that I had felt a similar feeling, and I instantly missed the soft touch of the opposite sex.

Facing one another, I was assuming she was safe, and I was free to let go, so I released my grip, and it surprised the both of us. Quinn's head dipped under the water, and she came up spitting water.

"What the hell, are you trying to drown me?" She said, laughing and spitting water my way.

Both her arms and legs now clung to me. Now, not only could I feel her titties pressed against me I could also feel the heat of her pussy against my bare thigh.

There was no way to mistake the feeling. I assumed that it was by some sort of error in movement that it had happened, but I was wrong. When I looked at Quinn, her face was rapidly closing the distance between mine, her puffy lips were on a collision course with my face, and within 2 seconds, our lips were fully engaged.

Her moist tongue clumsily pushed its way between my lips and into my mouth. It felt so good that I almost forgot that I was kissing my niece. The niece that was pregnant with another man's child. But it was only a kiss, until it wasn't.

One of my hands held us afloat by hanging onto the propeller, and my other arm was wrapped around her back so that she was sitting astride my leg with her body pressed to mine. That gave her the advantage of having both of her hands free. Free to do whatever she wanted, and what she wanted, was to touch me.

Quinn's hand moved down my chest with a specific destination in mind. I felt the tips of her fingers when they reached the elastic waist band of my trucks. I felt them worming their way between the material and my skin, then I felt as the smooth skin of her fingers as they gripped the hardening shaft of my penis.

"Quinn, I..."

"Shhhhhhhhh..." Warm air from deep inside of her, blew into my mouth and flowed deep, filling my lungs.

Involuntarily, my hips moved. They thrust forward gently. It was almost as if I was trying to have sex with her hand, and what surprised me about it, her pussy was making the same motion on my thigh.

My lips felt abandoned when she pulled her mouth away from mine. One simple word from her changed that feeling of abandonment to one of complete lust and excitement.

"Boat."

Her grip on me was released. Pushing off, she moved to grab the ladder into the boat. Using her arm and leg strength, she pulled up one step and held the position. Her perfect ass and meaty labia were directly in front of my face. Looking back at me from over her shoulder, she asked if I was enjoying the view, and yes, I truly was.

I tried to hand Quinn a towel, but instead, she chose to wrap me around her. Our lips locked again, and I could feel the hardness of her round belly pressed against me as the tip of my penis poked for an opening between her legs.

The lake water was dripping from us. We were clenched tightly together. I could feel the heat rising from deep within her. She must have been able to feel my hardness probing around, looking for a home. We were both primed and ready to go, but I was worried for her.

Pulling my lips from hers I tried to talk without ruining the moment.

"Are you sure that you want to do this." Her lips were now nuzzling my neck.

"Um-hum. I want it as much as I need it."

"Quinn...so do I. I really want to, but...I want you to be comfortable. I don't want you to get hurt. I think that we should go back to..."

"Rob." She knew what I was offering.

"Yeah?"

"Start the boat."

I didn't offer to let her drive. At full throttle, we were gliding over the water as fast as possible. There would be no thoughts of side trips to any of the coastline restaurants. I was headed directly home. Quinn had pulled her coverup over her head and I had done my best to push my manhood back into my shorts. My only hope was that no one was at the house or shop when we returned, because the idea of getting out of the boat and walking up to the house with a raging hardon was more than I wanted to handle.

From the corner of my eye, I notice that Quinn was staring at me. She was sitting sideways in her seat, with her arm curled into a pillow and her head was resting in the crook. When I turned and headed toward her, the corners of her lips moved to give me a seductive smile. I instantly felt a prang of guilt for keeping her waiting.

"I'm not some kind of prude. I can be very adventurous. I was thinking of you." I tried to explain.

"Rob, it's okay." But in my mind, it wasn't.

"I just...I just want it to be special for you. Us." Her left arm reached out and her hand touched my elbow.

"It will be, I promise." She assured me.

Our arrival was an organized scramble. Bruce was on the dock barking at us. Quinn was trying to get out of the boat before I even turned off the engine or had tied us off. Her coverup was flapping in the breeze like a cape as she rushed to the house. I did everything that was needed to keep the boat from floating away, plus gathered up Quinn's bathing suit and the wet towels.

I had lost sight of her as I headed up the yard.

The music in the kitchen was still playing, just as it had been when we left. Quinn on the other hand, was nowhere to be seen.

She wasn't in either the kitchen or living room, so I made my way down the wide hallway. Both the door to her room, and the door to her bathroom were wide open. There wasn't a sound, so I knew that she wasn't in there either

It wasn't a kid's game of Hide-and-Seek. Not quite. Quinn had every intention of having me find her. She didn't leave a trail or any clues, but as I searched the house, I quickly ran out of places that she could possibly be, so without many options left, I turned toward my room.

A sense of urgency and nerves hit me all at once. There she was, wanting to be found. She was waiting for me on my bed. The first woman I quite some time to grace my room with their presence. Naked and waiting, there was no way for her to hide her beauty as the blondish strands of hair and the paleness of her skin stood out against the dark backdrop of my chocolate brown sheets.Pulling a loose edge, Quinn had wrapped the cotton fabric over her hip so that it half covered one leg, her butt, and the entirety of her womanhood. Exposed, was the rest of her. Her head, face, breasts, and pregnant belly were naked and on display for my viewing pleasure.

With a finger curled, she beckoned me to her, and it wasn't long before I was accepting the offering that lay before me. Undoing the ties of my damp shorts, they dropped to the floor I a wet pile. Standing naked before her, I felt the same as what she had described earlier, liberated.

"Quinn, you are so beautiful, are you sure that this is..."

Moving to a semi sitting position, she reached out and her hand took ahold of my mine, pulling me onto her.

Any reluctance I may have had, vanished when the inviting warmth of her naked skin touched my body. With our lips locked together, she allowed me to explore her curves with the touch of my hands and fingers. I roamed over every inch of her smooth skin. The firmness of her breasts, the piercing jab of her rock-hard nipples. The arch of her back, down to the soft curves of her firm ass. Down her shaved legs and back up until I reached the bump of her belly.

Quinn's hand touched the back of mine as she pressed it into her skin.

"Does it gross you out that I'm pregnant?" I almost laughed at her question, but I could tell that she was serious. Here I was, lying next to this naked beauty, with a hard-on that wouldn't quit, and for some reason, she thought that I was grossed out by it.

The arm that I had put under her body pulled her closer to me.

"There's nothing in the world that I'd rather be doing right now. I feel privileged to be laying here next to you." She had a skeptical look on her face, so I added, "I promise." Then I kissed her for the first time in my bed.

It was a kiss that was so good, that I would have been content with just kissing her for the rest of eternity, but that wasn't enough for Quinn. Her lips pulled away as head moved. Her lips weren't finished, they had just taken a different route. They now poured kisses down over me. Moving to my neck, over my chest and abs, then moving further still, until I could feel the warmth of her breath on my crotch.

She was in an awkward position, so I rolled. I put myself in a position so that I was on my side, facing her, and that's when her lips first touched my penis.

At first it was just a kiss on the head, a few on the shaft, a couple of light pecks on the balls, a tongue dragging back up the shaft and then she sucked the tip of my penis into her mouth. It stayed that way for a short time, until I felt her head start to bob. I stared at the side of her face as her lips, tongue and mouth moved. It didn't take very long to realize that Quinn was giving me some of the greatest pleasure that I have ever known.

The still wet strands of hair rested on my belly and legs as her mouth moved over my shaft. I could have put my head on the pillow and let her work, but I wanted to see. I wanted to watch. I needed to look, as my beautiful niece used her skills to pleasure me.

It had been a while since the last time that I gave or received oral sex. In fact, it had been far too long. And when Quinn's tongue curled into a "U", cupping the underside of my manhood, I could feel my scrotum contracting and hoped that I could please her as much as she was pleasing me.

My balls were pulsing with life. They were getting ready to do what they had been summoned to do. They were preparing to explode. Quinn moved up and only kept the tip in her mouth. She let the cool air circle around my wet shaft as she pushed the tip of her tongue over the mushroomed head of my penis. She teased me by leaving my exposed penis alone.

"I'm...Quinn...I'm real close."

Those words were what she was waiting for. Her eyes locked onto mine as she sunk her face down over my shaft. I watched intently as spurt after spurt of my seed blasted past her sweet lips, into her mouth, and down her throat. With a devilish smile Quinn lipped her lips and my offering was swallowed.

Quinn kissed and inched her way back up my body without losing eye contact. I could feel every square inch of her hot, smooth skin as it glided over me. I could feel her hard nipples as they dragged across my thighs. I pushed up as my still hard penis was pressed between my belly and the warmth of her titties, and I welcomed her as she put her puffy, red lips against mine.

Ours was another very passionate kiss, but I wanted more. I wanted to give Quinn the same pleasure that she had just given me.

Rolling her over and onto her back, I left no part of her sensuous body un-kissed. From her neck to her nipples. From breast to her precious belly bump, then only stopping when my lips touched the wet warmth of her trimmed pussy.

It had been some time since last having gone down on a woman, and I wasn't sure how it would be received, but I shouldn't have worried.

My tongue parted the meaty lips of Quinn's vagina exposing her inner beauty to me. Beneath her dark lips lay a world of pink flesh. Warm, wet, and waiting. I did everything that my lips, tongue, mouth, and fingers could do to please her. It was my mission to make her as happy as she had made me, and by her soft "cooing" I knew that I was doing the job correctly.

Quinn's long thin fingers twirled curls in my hairs as she pulled my face against her. After what seemed like a very short time, the pressure of my tongue flicking and caressing her clit had become too much for her, and as I had earlier, Quinn's body tensed, her leg straightened out, her hands pulled at my hair, her breathing became erratic. This beauty was lost in her orgasm.

"Fu...fu...oh shit...stop." Her fingers no longer pulled at my hair. Instead, they were pushing me away.

In a quiet post oral daze, I crawled up beside Quinn and held her in my arms. Her body temperature had risen. Tiny beads of sweat blotched her brow and upper lip. It didn't bother me for a second, I wanted to taste everything she offered. My lips touched hers and she willingly accepted my tongue.

Like lovers, our hands explored as we laid on our sides facing one another. Her hand found its target early and never really ventured from that point. Mine on the hand, traced every curve and contour of her body. Letting the tips of my fingers barely touch her smooth skin brought giggles and goosebumps.

"Can we make love?" Her hand was slowly tugging at my manhood. The question was a surprise, not because she asked it, but because she even thought for a second that I might say "no".

Looking into her eyes, I reflected on what she had just asked me. "Make love". She hadn't asked for sex or to be crude, she didn't say that she wanted to "fuck", no she asked to be loved, and I was more than willing to accommodate her request.

"I would love to."

There was no need for me to be concerned over which position would be best for Quinn. Considering her belly, I wanted her to be comfortable, but without words, she showed me exactly what she wanted.

Quinn's foot and toes traced a line from my foot up my leg. Then it wrapped in behind my knee and pulled my leg toward her. Shifting so that her warmth pressed against me, she swung her hips, rolling us both as she went, and in a flash, she had straddled me. The shaft of my penis nestled into the meaty folds of her vagina, leaving the tip pressed up against my belly, exposed. I could feel her heat and wetness. I wanted her to slide back and let me in. I wanted her more than I had ever wanted another woman in all of my life. And when I looked into her green eyes, I could see that she wanted the same thing that I did. Lifting her hips, I sprung up. It was ready. I was ready. Putting my hand up to her face, I touched the softness of her cheek.

"Quinn...are you sure this is what you want?"

She didn't speak. She just nodded her head and moved her hips until her wet skin touched my hardness, and I was perfectly aligned. Slowly, in a very teasing manner, Quinn smiled and eased herself onto my hardness. I was mesmerized as I watched my shaft spread and stretch the lips of her pussy. Every inch of my manhood pulsing as she sank down, until she could no more.

"Jesus Christ, that feels so good."

Those were her words, but the same words were twirling around in my head. She just beat me by saying them first.

We had broken almost all the taboo laws. Now that we had joined together, there was no turning back. We were having sex and committing incest in my house, on my bed. Yes, I was having intercourse which my only brother's daughter, and it was so special that I wouldn't have changed it for the world.

Quinn lowered her torso down so that she was laying over me. Her hard round belly and firm titties were pressed against me and my chest. With a shy smile she placed her lips to mine and slowly started to move her hips.

I want to say that I lasted for hours, but the sensation of her tight, wet, woman parts told me that wasn't going to happen. The way that she bucked her hips she was getting every inch that I had to offer, and the slow long thrusts that I pushed with, made me feel every inch of her. Together we enjoyed one another.

The sounds of wet love making soon started to fill the air and I could feel the excitement of Quinn's love juice oozing down my shaft. My lover heard the same thing that I did and began to move faster. I knew that at the rate we were going, neither of us would last much longer.

Releasing me from our kiss, Quinn lifted and leaned forward. She put the tip of her nipple where her lips had just been. Taking my cue, I licked, nibbled and suckled at the most beauty breasts that I had ever seen, or in this case, ever tasted.

I was almost too focused on her body to notice her soft moans. But they were just loud enough to get my attention.

Cupping my hands onto her firm ass, I pulled her deeper onto my cock. With a louder moan, her body arched and tightened while her inner muscles clamped me in place. Me holding her tight. Her refusing to loosen her grip on me. We moved up and down on, my shaft, drawing in and out of her womanhood. Together we ventured down the path of our final descent.

"Quinn, I'm..." Pulling her nipple from my face, she stared into my eyes.

"I'm ready...I want it...please...do it."

One, maybe two more thrusts. That was all it took. I exploded and launched my load. Quinn's head dropped, placing her chin in the crook of my neck, cheek to cheek, she stopped moving. Only the weight of her body and the feel and sound of her warm breath told me that she was still with me.

I loved everything about this girl. Every single detail of her being. She was in no hurry for it to be over as we lay together still joined. My hardness still throbbing inside of her. Her body laying motionless on me, and me not about to pull out. I wanted to stay like this forever. I never wanted the feeling to end, but after many minutes we both felt a movement in her belly. Someone wanted or needed her to change positions, so delicately, she rolled onto her side.

The afterglow of what just happened made her even more beautiful to me. Now propped on a pillow beside me, she was in a comfort zone. I couldn't let her go. I wouldn't let her go, as we cuddled and continued touching one another in a very sexual, post-coital embrace.

Minutes passed in pure, sweet silence. Our embrace felt like we had been in love for years. It could have lasted forever, but her single question brought me cback into reality.

"Do you feel bad or ashamed by what we just did?"

I didn't want to lie. It probably wasn't wise to have sex or make love with one's niece, but ashamed? I mean how could anything so beautiful and loving be shameful.

"Not one bit. Do you?"

Her fingertips drew small hearts on my chest while she pondered her answer. Finally, she quietly said, "never".

It hurt me to pull away, but I went and filled a couple of glasses with iced tea and returned to the bedroom. Quinn had not moved an inch but sat up when she saw what I was holding.

"Thank you, lover." She teased.

"Lover? Careful saying that, because I could really grow to like it." She leaned over to gently kissed me, and I wrapped her in a hug. I knew we were taking a rest, so started talking.

"So, skinny dip very often?" It was a dumb question, but it was meant to be fun.

"Today was the first time." She grinned shyly and sexily bit her lower lip.

"Well, lucky me."

"Lucky?" She questioned.

"Very much so, I think."

"When was the last time you made love Rob?" Staring into my eyes when she asked.

I didn't rush my answer. I thought about it for a few seconds until I told her the truth.

"Made love, it was about two years ago. Had sex. Well, that was about three months before you got here. What about you?" After what we had just done, I felt like I could ask her the same question.

"How far along did the doctor say I was?"

"About one hundred and ninety, maybe two-hundred days."

"Then I had sex a hundred and ninety, maybe two-hundred days ago. But today, today was the very first time in my life that I ever made love." I tightened the grip of my hug and kissed her again.

"I'm so happy that you gave me that honor." She chuckled and wiped a small tear droplet from her cheek. "Quinn, you are by far, the sexiest woman that I've ever known."

"You're probably the only person in the world that thinks that me, or my belly is sexy."

"Not just you and your belly. I think every part of you is sexy. I love the entire package that you bring to the table, including your frequent bouts of sarcasm."

"Love? That's a pretty strong word." Her hand rubbed my chest lightly, as she twirled the hairs that were tickling her fingers.

"Yeah, love. Quinn, I love..." Putting the tips of her fingers over my mouth, she stopped me from finishing.

"Shhhhh, don't ever say it Rob, not unless you really mean it."

Silently we embraced until urges of another kind, once again gripped us. Her lips nuzzled my neck. Her nipples pressed into my chest, and I could feel myself tensing as her fingers once again traced their way south. If she kept up with what she was doing, we would be having sex again. With her touch on my body, her smell in my nose, and her taste still fresh in my mouth, it didn't take very long before I was hard, ready, and waiting, but my concern was her. Was Quinn up to it?

"From my vantage point, it feels like you mean it. Did I make it hard again?" She asked as she stroked my shaft.

"Who else would it be? You had better be careful how you touch me, or we will be at it again." I warned.

Her fingers played with me for a while longer, but she was tired, "As much as I want to, and as good as that sounds, I need to rest."

I pulled a light blanket over us both and cuddled together we drifted off into a mid-afternoon nap.

And so began our new life. Quinn never slept anywhere but in my bed after that day. It was a strange transition to share my bed, but I learned to love it. I loved having her warmth by my side, but I have to say that her night terrors sometimes scared the hell out of me.

Not once did we say that we were a couple. Not ever. But we did all the little things that couples do, like hand holding with gentle touches, and even softer kisses. I spent all of my free time by her side. There was a spike in Quinn's sex drive that she claimed was hormone based. I wasn't so sure that it was because of pregnancy, but I was happy to oblige any and all of her requests.

Over the next couple of weeks, Quinn wrote the driver's test and got her learner's permit, and as it turned out, she loved the freedom of being behind the wheel of what she started to refer to as, "my car", meaning her car. And the boat, well we couldn't go anywhere in the boat without her wanting to drive, but not once would she ask to drive the "hillbilly" truck".

By the end of Quinn's second month of living with me I felt almost embarrassed by how much better my life felt. I mean I had loved my life before she arrived, and not even hidden in the dark recesses of my mind did I believe that it could have been improved like this, but it had. Quinn was wise beyond her years. She understood that I had to work and had obligations to meet, and not once did she complain. Well, let me correct that, she would complain to the point where it seemed like she was giving me hell if I didn't eat the lunch she brought out to the shop, but it was only out of concern. She also offered to help in the shop. She did most of the paperwork, called or e-mailed out quotes and invoices, and could often be seen chasing Bruce around the shop with a broom. It wasn't all the time, but I liked it very much when she was around.

Hours and hours of our spare time were spent floating on the lake or curled up together in silence watching the sunset from the oversized porch swing. Many nights, Quinn would cover herself with a blanket and drift off into a peaceful sleep with her head in my lap and a book on her chest, and every time I would do the same thing, stroke her soft hair and caress the side of her face.

It was an uncommon feeling for me. Maybe I was in love. Maybe I had to say it, because it felt like I meant it, and that was a first for me. Unfortunately, the only thing that I was sure of, was that it was a Saturday evening, and I was beside the only person in my life that seemed to matter, of that, I was certain.

The very next day. A warm Sunday morning, I had woken well before Quinn. I fed Bruce and myself, then made my way out to the shop. I had to put the finishing touches on a piece that I needed to deliver on Monday morning. After it was finished, I used the ceiling hoist to load the piece into my truck and worked on a few other things. Looking at the time, I saw that it was just after noon, so I called it a day.

Walking across the grass, I could hear music coming from the house. This wasn't uncommon, but today, it seemed a little louder than usual.

Standing on the first step, I looked through the screen door and watched a goddess. Quinn stood at the kitchen island with her back to me. A beautiful vision moving to the sounds of her own music.

With the exception of a checkered flannel work shirt that she had taken out of my closet, she was naked. I watched as her hips swayed to the beat of her favorite artist and song. Ryan Adam's, "To be without you", belted out of the speaker sitting on the granite island top. When she shifted sideways, I noticed that the old shirt, it was held fast by a single button, giving no issue with displaying her belly bump and the soft curves of her breast. When she stretched or leaned forward, she gave me the perfect view of her round little ass cheeks. Walking up behind her, I was struck once again in amazement by how sexy she truly was. Every inch of her being oozed a sexually that was so new to me. Was it her carefree spirit or was it her age?

Maybe it was the new aura of confidence that surrounded her. Maybe it was the soft scent of her expensive perfume. Perhaps I was drawn to the magnetic glow of her pregnancy. Whatever it was, it was working for her, and it was holding me like a prisoner in a maximum-security cell.

Watching her move, helped me to get lost. Stuck in suspended animation where everything that surrounds me continues to move, and I just observe it without halting or interrupting the natural flow. Have you ever had that happen? Or perhaps there's a time where you just got lost in the music? Lost in the moment? Where if time stood still, or for that matter, froze, you would be fine with it and have zero complaints or regrets, because there was nowhere in the world that you would rather be. For me, it was here, in this very minute.

The sexy hips that were swaying gently in front of me moved in a bit more of an erotic motion when I laid my hands on them. Holding my hands in position, Quinn moved in a way that I knew was only a start of better things to come. This kind of dance could and would only lead to a more sexual liaison. As she danced, I moved my hands to the front of the shirt and undid the single button that held it fast. The flannel shirt slid back, exposing the skin of her neck and shoulders. My lips replaced the material. Kissing the silky-smooth skin, while one of my hands fondled her full breast, and the other rubbed the soft skin of her curvy hip. The soft coos that escaped my lover were always music to my ears.