The Hacker

It was heaven. Jared entered me slowly, struggling with his own need. My muscles stiffened, then turned to jelly. I felt all of him; my tunnel was on fire. Every sensation, magnified a hundredfold, echoed through my skin, exciting even my toes. I wrapped my legs around him and ground my pelvis into his. He was grunting magnificent sounds of lust. His eyes opened into mine. I convulsed, pleasure shooting everywhere and my pussy, ignored for so long, announced its brief ownership of my soul. My back arched, forcing my body into Jared. A deep moan escaped his lips as he flooded my insides with bursts of liquid heat. Another wave grabbed me, washing away all pain, leaving only rapture. Jared was my heaven.

"Skirt was too sexy," Jared whispered in between heavy breaths. I laughed. My muscles felt like rubber. My man was unnecessarily worried about his performance. I reached up and wiped the slight sheen of sweat that had formed on his brow. I pulled his lips back to mine. I had a man in me. A handsome, wonderful man. I felt so human, so wanted. I needed to buy more skirts.

"I came over to slow things down," I chuckled weakly. I ran my hand behind his neck. I didn't want him out of me yet. I wanted him to lie there, a human blanket.

"Well, I don't think we can go any faster," Jared said as he gently pushed my tangled hair away from my face. He leaned over to the side slightly, and began absently caressing my breast. He was studying me. Unbelievably, I wasn't running to turn off the light. I squeezed him inside me. He smiled and somehow twitched his cock in response. We were playing in the most intimate, adorable way. The closeness was enchanting.

"I wish I could stay," I said, thinking of Natalie. I didn't want to leave, but I couldn't stay.

"Can we slow things down again soon?" Jared asked. He had that boy in his face again. I had to bite my lip to stop from laughing. I really enjoyed him wanting me, his finger lightly tracing, almost a tickle, my breast.

"I hope so," I said, projecting my desire to Jared, "somewhat quietly at first. I don't want Natalie to know how much I enjoy you just yet." I could swear I felt him grow inside me. I squeezed him again. More lips, more hands, more passion.

==========

"Did you straighten things out?" Natalie asked when I returned home. I was trying to look casual and not show her my backside. My skirt had a large wet spot on the butt. I also didn't want to get too close. I smelled of Jared. It was a wonderful smell I wished to keep to myself.

"We have come to an agreement," I answered cryptically. I was lucky Natalie's nose was buried in a school book. She probably didn't even realize I had been gone for over an hour. "I'm going to hop in the shower," I said, backing down the hallway.

I examined my skirt in the bathroom. It was likely ruined. I smiled at the spot on the ass. I was going to attempt to clean it, but I had little hope of its recovery. It was supposed to be dry clean only, but tomorrow it would be in the washer. It didn't matter. I loved that spot. I wanted to make more spots. Damn, he made me horny.

I started the shower and stripped the rest of the way down. Looking in the mirror, I cringed at the amount of hair between my legs. I hadn't planned on being naked. Jared didn't seem to care. No matter, there would be less the next time. A little bikini trim would do. Nothing dramatic, seems the skirt does most of the hard work anyway. I laughed at the thought.

I examined my breasts, adequate. My tummy could use a little less desert. Hips weren't bad for a lady my age. Overall, I had it going on. The thought shocked me. I was basically happy with myself. How shallow am I to allow my self-worth to be defined by a man? But what a man. The way he lost himself in me. The way I lost myself in him. Screw it. Define me Jared.

I climbed into the water and ducked under the stream. It hit me with the warm water. Forgive me, Tom. I was going to fall in love again.

==========

"And he ran in and saved her?" Betty asked. She had been grilling me most of the morning, trying to figure out why I was called away and then took another day off.

"He beat him unconscious," I added. He protected my baby.

"He's single?" Betty asked. I blushed and nodded. "You didn't!"

"What?"

"Look at you," Betty commented, "you're all aglow. After what happened, there could only be one reason." I blushed brighter.

"Get your mind out of the sewer," I whispered, trying to get her to quiet down. I turned back to my work, ignoring her wide grin. I was glowing. Walking on clouds. It didn't mean everyone needed to know why.

"Mrs. Henderson?" I turned to see a young man in flower livery. He was carrying a rather large vase filled with yellow roses and white calla lilies. I hadn't received flowers in years. I am sure it showed on my face.

"Thank you," I gushed, moving the vase to the end of my desk. I breathed in the fragrance, a smile glued on my face. I think I bounced on my toes.

"Sewer, huh?" Betty whispered. I ignored her and took the small envelope from its plastic stem. It contained a note and a gift card from an expensive downtown clothier. The note made me smile.

I don't know your size...yet.

JT

"What does that mean?" Betty asked, reading over my shoulder. Her smile was infuriating.

"None of your business," I chastised as I tucked the note away.

"Bastone Appendiabiti. That's a really expensive store, I can't even afford to look in the windows at that place."

"Shh," I said, waving her back to her computer. I tried to move back to my work. Betty was holding my chair, not allowing me to roll back into position.

"Oh. My. God." Betty mouthed. "He's the one who paid your mortgage." I rolled my eyes. How did she decipher everything so fast. "You're telling me everything at lunch." She let go of my chair, then suddenly pulled it back again. "Everything!"

I swore Betty to secrecy at lunch. To be truthful, it felt good to share everything. Well, almost everything. I kept details about the couch private and replaced them with a single euphemism. She listened intently as she chewed through her chicken salad sandwich.

"Something's not right," Betty said. I didn't want to hear that. "You're telling me this super-rich guy just happened to buy a small house next to yours, decides to eliminate your sizable debts before even saying hello, saves your daughter who he was keeping an eye on and then you two go at like rabbits." I blanched at her words. Jared's reasoning sounded good at dinner. The connection we made felt real enough.

"It's not like that," I defended, "you're taking it all out of context. You had to be there." Betty smiled and gave up on her analysis.

"Was it good?" Betty whispered. The way she said 'it' left no doubt what she was talking about. I leaned in so there was no chance the other tables could overhear.

"Like the first time," I whispered back, "without the fear, and we knew what we were doing."

"Ooh," Betty sighed, "now I'm jealous." She paused a moment. "So, what did the note mean?" I wasn't going to tell her everything. So, I skillfully skirted the issue.

==========

Jared was perfect. We kept our physicality from Natalie, though she had seen small showings of affection. He insisted on coming with me to Natalie's volleyball games and any other event where parents were welcome. At first he was calm, intent to be with me and watch the game. Over time, he became boisterous, cheering Natalie on and yelling at the blind referees. Natalie and Jared would get into deep discussions about strategy and what he thought the coach should be working on. Jared glowed when Natalie's team won and pouted when they lost.

Natalie was struggling with math. Algebra was her nemesis. I understood the bulk of it, but had trouble passing the knowledge on. Somehow, we ended up being nasty with each other every time I tried to help. It had been a much easier in grade school. Jared, on the other hand, was patient and always seemed to know the exact difficulty Natalie was having. He showed her ways of handling the problems that triggered something beautiful in her mind. She would begin her homework with a frown and end it laughing with Jared. I saw it happening and I encouraged it. He was bonding with Natalie in the most wonderful way. Though I hadn't told him so, my heart was already bonded to his. My skirt-loving, kinky-boy hero.

==========

I was waiting up. I don't know why, it was well past two in the morning, but I waited by the window. I couldn't sleep and I worried about Jared. Somehow I had gotten it my head that it all could end in a heartbeat. It was stupid to try to find holes in my happiness. I knew it, still I sat there looking out the window, watching his house.

A cab pulled up, and a very drunk Jared stumbled out. He had been at a bachelor party for an old friend. I had never seen Jared have more than two glasses of wine. I almost laughed, watching him try to pay the cabbie. He was obviously having trouble reading the denominations on the bills. I hurriedly slipped on some shoes. I was so happy he was safely home.

I caught up to Jared on the sidewalk. The cab had already driven off. I could tell he was making sure it was the right house. I laughed as I wrapped my arm around him. His smile was sloppy, but honest.

"I had to leave my car," Jared slurred, pointing off somewhere behind him, like the direction might help me divine where his car was. He was smashed.

"We need to get you inside," I said, kissing his cheek. I was so happy he had left his car.

"I don't want to lie anymore," Jared said sloppily, "there were strippers there." Again he pointed behind him. I started to steer him to his front door. The word 'anymore' bothered me, but I wrote it off as too much to drink. "You have nicer legs," he drooled. I smiled at his inebriated compliment, even though he was comparing me to strippers.

I maneuvered him down the hall and into his bedroom. I laid him on the bed and began removing his shoes. He watched me with drunken eyes, a happy smile on his face. His eyes were fading; those beautiful orbs that always saw me as better than I am. There was something so comfortable about them.

"I'm so glad I found you, Natalie," Jared slurred as his eyes closed. I stared, shocked, his left foot still in my hand. He was out cold. He was drunk. It was just a slip. I finished removing his shoe as his statement festered. I couldn't ignore it. I tried to wake him. Nothing coherent would emerge. I sat on the bed and looked at him. Betty's words came back to me. My mind was tainted. I hated that my mind was ignoring my heart.

Paranoia made me search Jared's house. I disliked myself for doing it. It wasn't the what's-in-the-medicine-cabinet search. It was a loss-of-trust search. I had tears as I did it. Looking through his drawers and cabinets, looking in envelopes and reading things I had no right to.

I searched Jared's bedroom, living room, kitchen and finished up in his home office. In the bottom drawer of his desk was a thick, glossy blue binder. I pulled it out, resigned to finding nothing but my own idiocy. I opened the cover. It was a photo album. Tears flowed as I saw the topic. My stomach lurched as I turned the pages. I puked bile on the floor. My life was shattered.

I took the album and ran.

==========

"And you took it from his house?" Detective Adams asked. I had waited until Natalie went to school. I didn't want her anywhere near this.

"Damn right!" I cried, "he's a sick freak. Look, that's a bag of hair. Do you have any doubt whose it is?" The detective paged through the pictures of Natalie.

"You never gave him copies of these?" Detective Adams asked. She was at the page of Natalie as a baby. They were poor copies, but copies of the ones Tom and I had taken as Natalie had grown.

"No!" My heart was shattered and filled with hate. "He stole those. That's who broke into my house." I turned the page to speed her up. "These are pictures of her room. How did he get these? He's never been to the back of the house." Jared was using me to get to Natalie, the sick fuck. "He went through my mail." I turned to the last page that contained loose photocopies of my past due notices. Everything he told me had been a lie. I quickly turned the pages back, my ire growing with each minute.

"These," I said pointing at volleyball tournament pictures, "I don't even have pictures of this. It was before he even bought the house." Detective Adams nodded her head. It wasn't the run-out-and-arrest-him response I was looking for. "He's been stalking her," I said loudly, "he should be in jail. He used me to get to my daughter." I almost threw up again, memories of being naked with Jared. The lies, my gullibility, it hurt beyond measure. The worst mother ever.

The doorbell rang. I knew who it was. "Arrest him," I pleaded, "get him away from us. Can't I get a court order or something." The bell rang again. "He can't be on my property if I don't want him to, right?" I asked, pointing to the door. Panic was rising. I hadn't slept all night. The detective wasn't moving fast enough. Detective Adams rose to answer the door.

"You can't be here, Mr. Thompson," Detective Adams said once the door opened. Anger flashed.

"Get out of here you sick fuck!" I yelled. The detective blocked the door and started moving Jared back. "I'm buying a gun," I continued loudly, "come near Natalie and I'll use it." I saw the fear in Jared's face. He had been caught. I wanted to see him suffer more. Detective Adams moved outside with Jared, her hand near her revolver. Maybe he would try something and she could shoot him. She closed the door.

I ran to the window. She led him back to his house, seemingly talking calmly. Jared was covering his eyes with his hand. He knew he had had it. I hoped it hurt. Hurt more than it hurt me. Nothing could hurt so much. I waited at the window for the detective to return.

Thirty minutes later a sedan pulled up to Jared's house and two men in suits got out and entered his home. Probably his lawyers. He would need a million of them. No money in the world could protect a pedophile. An hour later, another sedan. This one had FBI markings. A man and woman emerged and entered the house. Ten minutes later, Jared, in handcuffs, was led to the FBI car and put into the backseat. He looked terrible, face dejected. I hoped his hangover was a monster. Detective Adams returned a few minutes later.

"He's done it to others, hasn't he?" I queried. Happy to see the feds haul him off.

"Not exactly," the detective said softly, "he was arrested for computer crimes. He confessed to breaking into some secure systems. The FBI booked him on wire fraud."

"He's after my daughter and you arrest him for hacking?" I asked incredulously. I wanted him hung. The detective looked reluctant to answer.

"He has also confessed to breaking into you house," the detective didn't have any confidence in her voice, "he also admits to making copies of the photos and your bills. You can pursue charges if you wish. When the feds are done with him, we will prosecute. He won't fight it." She felt sorry for him. I saw it in her eyes. The bitch was taken in just like I was.

"He had her hair!" I argued, fighting with the world.

"The district attorney and I are convinced Mr. Thompson is not a threat to Natalie," the detective continued. It sounded practiced.

"That's what he does," I yelled, "he sucks you in with charm. You're on his side." The detective looked dejected.

"I'm not at liberty to say much more," the detective added, "he is going to put the house up for sale. He won't return to it. Let us know if you want to pursue charges." I wanted him hung. Detective Adams moved toward the door.

"You bitch!" my anger was over flowing, "maybe he'll come after your children next." The detective stopped. She shook her head then continued to the door. I ran out of words. I wanted a chasm to open up and suck them all to hell.

What was I going to tell Natalie? The last two men in her young life were scum. My life was over; hers just starting. I couldn't let this ruin her as it had me. I had to remind her of her father. Tom was a good man. There must be others in the world. I collapsed on the couch. I was almost one of those mothers, the ones you read about. They deny the obvious and allow their daughters to be abused by sickos, just to claim they have a man.

I loved him. I cried.

==========

"What happened to you?" Betty asked. I had decided to return to work that afternoon. I had no idea what to say to Natalie. Work would stall the conversation for a few more hours. I ignored Betty and logged into my computer. I had a stack of receivables to deal with.

"Did you sleep at all last night? Did you even shower?"

"Not now," I said. I grabbed the first payment and looked up the account. I typed in the wrong number and hit enter instead of backspace. I had to wait for the error message. I almost threw the keyboard across the room. I took a deep breath instead.

"Linda, talk to me," Betty said quietly. I could hear the worry in her voice. I gritted my teeth. I wanted to be angry, no more crying. I turned, maybe too quickly.

"Stop!" I yelled. Betty jerked back. It was too much. She turned back to her work. I had hurt her and for some reason, it felt like sharing. I turned back to my work. I processed the next twenty or so payments in silence. I barely saw the numbers, eyes to fingers, then hit enter. Bypass the brain, such a worthless tool. It can't even tell the difference between love and a con.

"You were right," I said hoarsely, turning to Betty. Betty turned to me, a makeup smudge under her eye. I had hurt her. "something wasn't right." She didn't slide over like normal. She kept her distance. I deserved that. "He was after Natalie," I added.

"Oh, God," Betty said, covering her mouth with her hand. She slid her chair next to mine.

"I'm sorry," I apologized, "it's been a long night. I found a photo album full of pictures of Natalie in his house, even some of her hair." Betty gasped.

"What did he say?"

"I didn't talk to him," I admitted, "I called the police instead. The FBI has him now. Thankfully, I will never see him again." I looked down the floor, "He broke into my house to get some of the pictures. He's been lying the whole time." I felt my throat constrict, I forced it loose.

"The FBI?"

"Seems he hacked some computer networks. Wire fraud," I filled in.

"Something's not right," Betty commented.

"I already know that."

"How did he pick Natalie out?" Betty thought out loud. "He's a billionaire. Couldn't he just buy a young girl if that's what he wanted?"

"Who knows what goes through a sick man's brain."

"He spent half a million on your debts," Betty kept going, "why would he do that if all he wanted was Natalie? It would have been easier to rescue her from a broke mother."

"He was just trying to get close," I responded. I was less confident. "More money than brains."

"I'm so sorry, Linda," Betty said, then hugged me. It was a nice hug. I liked it better than sharing the pain.

==========

"Hi, Mom," Natalie said brightly, "spaghetti for dinner." She pointed to the covered pot on the stove. I could smell garlic bread cooking. "I tried to call Jared to see if he wanted some. He hasn't called me back yet."

I had the worst conversation of my life. Natalie insisting I got it all wrong. She threw the album across the room. "He never looked at me that way!" she yelled. I couldn't blame her. He had fooled us all. I thought I was done crying, but I had hardly started. Natalie locked herself in her room, certain I had done something to chase him away. I threw the burnt garlic bread away. The spaghetti went down the disposal. No one was eating tonight.