1000 word exerpt

"Well, if you're not mad, then couldn't we keep on enjoying the day together?" Jake bent down to look her in the eye, and Joy raised her head to find she was staring at his lips, just inches away from her own. With a groan, Jake drew her into his arms and nibbled at her lips. Then pulling her tighter, he kissed her soundly.

She felt a warm tingling shoot through her as she opened up to his kiss. She knew she'd never felt this tenderness and rapture with Stan. She sighed against him and gave herself up to his caresses with enthusiasm and ardor. But only for a moment. Suddenly she drew back and stared at him. "We've got to go. You take me home right now, Mister Jake."

He stared at her, dazed from the fervor of their shared passion. When he saw that she meant it, he pulled himself together quickly and stood scowling at her. "All right, Miss Joy. We're going." Jake strode toward the car, leaving her to collect Katie and stumble after him. Puzzled and angry when he left her so abruptly, she said nothing more to him as they got into the car.

The ride back was much quieter than the trip out to the picnic spot had been. Katie sensed the tension and asked, "Are you mad, Mr. Jake?"

He looked down at the girl, knowing something of the violence and anger she'd faced in her short life. Abruptly he stopped the car and hugged her to him. "No, Katie. I'm not mad. I was just feeling a little lonely, that's all." Jake and Joy exchanged glances over Katie's head, and he smiled sadly. "Forgive me?" he mouthed.

Joy was more baffled than ever. This man didn't fit her notions and experience of what men were like. She couldn't hold anger toward anyone who treated her daughter so special. She nodded.

Katie snuggled into the hug "You shouldn't be lonely, Mr. Jake. You've got us now, huh Momma?"

"Uh..." Joy was at a loss to respond, but Jake quickly started the car.

"Thank you, Katie. I'm glad you and your Momma are my friends." He turned the radio on and bellowed out a tune along with the country singer. Soon all three were harmonizing again. When Katie fell asleep in the back seat, Jake reached over and squeezed Joy's hand. "Have fun, today?" he asked.

She snuggled against his shoulder. "Mmm-hmm, it was a good day," she answered.

Katie awoke just as they pulled into the farmyard. She couldn't wait to tell her Grammy all about her day. With a goodbye hug for Jake, she ran for the steps and disappeared into the house.

Jake smiled down at Joy and drew her close. He kissed her forehead, then nibbled on her ear, and finally his warm and exciting lips claimed hers. She felt that kiss all the way down to her belly.

How can it feel so good, she wondered, just to be kissed by this man? When Stan kissed her, oh, it had felt pretty good at first, but then he'd pawed at her breasts at the same time, and his kisses began to sicken her. Maybe it was because he was so rough, she 'spected. Jake pulled her close and turned up the music a bit. She snuggled against his shoulder. Sammy Kaye's Swing poured out of the little car radio and they sat listening.

"It's so peaceful, here," Jake said.

"Yeah, don't you wish it could always be like this?" Joy answered. "I wish..."

"What do you wish?"

"I don't know-just that things could be different, that Katie could have had a good Daddy...I dunno, just-things, I guess."

"It sounds like it must've been pretty hard for Katie."

"Yeah, it was hard for both of us."

"Do you want to talk about it?" His lips whispered kisses on her forehead and she melted against him. He would be so easy to talk to, she thought.

Making up her mind, she began. "We was hungry a lot, but he didn't want me to get work in a diner, like I used to. Said he wasn't going to have anyone think he couldn't take care of his wife."

"Sounds like he wanted to take care of you himself, then."

"Yeah, only..."

"Only what?"

"Only, when he did get money he didn't want to give us much for food or clothes. He needed it, he said."

"Maybe he owed somebody."

"Maybe, but..."

"But what?"

"He used to spend it on beer and whiskey. If he had any extra, he'd go play cards all night. It got so I was happier when he didn't have any extra money."

"Why, Joy?"

"Cause he'd get so drunk, and he'd leave us all night. Then when he'd come home, he'd..."

"What?"

"He'd get mad at everything and he'd..." She ducked her head and cringed, remembering how it was.

Jake lifted her chin. "What, Joy? He didn't hit you, did he?"

"Sometimes," she admitted, shamed. She dropped her head down and couldn't look at him again. "And he always told me I was no good, that I couldn't do anything right."

Jake took her face in both of his hands and gently lifted her head till she looked into his eyes. "Joy, you're worth a hundred thousand times more than that man. Don't ever believe that pack o' lies." He gazed at her with such obvious caring that she blushed and lowered her eyes once again.

"Don't you believe me, Joy?" he asked.

"Yes, I guess so." she mumbled.

"Good." He beamed at her. "Now, come here and let me prove it to you." He held her in his arms and gently kissed her cheeks, her nose, her forehead, her lips. Joy was filled with a special tenderness toward this man.