“What’s all this?” Amos asked as he saw them both taking boxes from her apartment to a minivan Casey borrowed from Rob.

“I’m moving out, Amos,” Harper said in a friendly way. “I know the rent was pretty low, so I thank you for helping me out when I needed it. If you clean the place up a bit, you could get much more, you know?”

“Agh! I don’t need the money. I live pretty simply,” he explained just as Casey walked up with another box.

“Her security deposit should more than cover the last month’s rent,” Casey said, not inclined to be as friendly as Harper had been.

They loaded a couple of filled suitcases and some clothes on hangers into the van, and they were done. Casey was struck by how little there was to move. She’d told him she didn’t have much, since the apartment had been rented furnished, so her furniture consisted of a couple of small nightstands, a TV, and a table lamp. Most of the boxes contained food, kitchen stuff, and knick-knacks.

When they’d arrived, it suddenly occurred to him that he’d never seen her apartment, and while she’d described it as a dump, and it was very small, it wasn’t as bad as he’d expected. It gave him a new perspective on what she’d had to deal with when she left her stepfather alone and struck out on her own. He recalled the painful time for him right after his parents had died, but he was living a life of luxury compared to Harper when he was suddenly alone.

“I’ve made room for you in the closet and a couple of dresser drawers. We can go shopping for another dresser later if you want,” he said as they drove back to what was now their home.

“No rush,” she replied sullenly.

“Amos didn’t give you any trouble,” he remarked, noticing her mood, her excitement about moving in seemingly gone.

“He wasn’t so bad, Casey. Sherry leaned on him to lower the rent to something I could almost afford, and he never fussed about it.”

“What’s wrong, Princess? You were so excited yesterday when we planned the move.”

“I don’t think you’d understand,” she said dismissively, and turned away, staring aimlessly out the window.

Casey put the food away while Harper unloaded the clothes, spending minimal time arranging the hangers and loading the two drawers he’d emptied for her. When he asked about the furnishings, she told him to just throw it all in a corner in the garage and walked away. She remained quiet throughout the day, and while they slept together, it wasn’t the celebration of their living together he’d envisioned.

He rose early with her Monday morning, kissed her goodbye when she left for the diner, and got busy with his plans for the day.

Sherry couldn’t help but notice her depressed mood and finally got her to talk about it.

“All my worldly possessions couldn’t even fill a minivan, Sherry! And all my clothes fit in two drawers and a couple of feet of hanger space,” she said, summing up how she felt about the move.

Sherry could understand part of it. Her situation wasn’t much different when she’d moved out on her own, living in a single bedroom apartment with a roommate, but that had only been for a year until she met Jake. What she couldn’t identify with was the dramatic change from Harper’s tiny apartment to a large house where she’d want for nothing. It was just too far removed from her life struggles.  

The diner got busy as it usually did on a Monday morning, distracting Harper from her woes, but they returned as she drove to Casey’s house late in the morning. She couldn’t call it home, at least not yet. When she opened the garage door, she prepared herself to see all her stuff in the corner.

“What the …” she exclaimed when the corner was empty like it had been before yesterday. She slammed the car into park and ran into the house, anger building as she jumped to the conclusion that he had done something with it all. ‘It was a bunch of crap, but it was my crap, and he had no right to …’ she thought as she charged into the kitchen, stopping when she saw her crockpot on the counter. Then she noticed her toaster there, too. She looked in drawers and found all her utensils among his.

Her feelings toward him softened, but still she wondered why. After giving up on figuring that out without him there to explain, she headed for the bedroom to change clothes, but as she passed the first bedroom, she saw something that had her stopping again.

She went in and started crying as she noticed the room redecorated with all her things. The bed was made up with her sheets and bedspread. Her pictures hung on the wall, and knick-knacks sat on a shelf. Even the TV, small nightstands, and table lamp were there. Then she remembered that this was the room she’d slept in that night they’d met.

It wasn’t until she sat on the bed that she noticed the note on the nightstand …

‘Princess, I hope I’ve guessed correctly that emptying your apartment into a corner of my garage left you feeling like none of it mattered; that what little you had meant nothing, just dumped in a pile in the garage. So I took all your kitchen wares, merged them with mine, and redecorated the room you first slept in the night we met with your furnishings. While it’s you that matters to me, I realize these things may very much matter to you, so we’ll keep them like this for as long as you want. You can even sleep in this room if you like (as long as you don’t leave me alone too often LOL). Welcome to our home! I love you! Casey.’

She cried and sniffled as she read and reread the note, feeling such incredible gratitude for this man in her life. She looked around the room once more, taking it all in, noticing that everything was there before she went to change clothes. As she changed, she came across the babydoll she’d gotten at Victoria’s Secret with Casey, and a plan started to form.

First, she texted Casey. ‘I love you too!’ told him she’d seen the room and read his note. Then she went to the kitchen to see if she had what she needed to make him dinner and realized she needed a quick trip to the grocery store. Everything fell into place, and she was ready when he returned home a little earlier than usual, sitting at the kitchen table in her sexy short shorts and a super tight T-shirt; both from her old wardrobe.

“Mmm, something smells good!” he announced as he walked in the garage door and, when he saw Harper, added, “And someone looks good too!”

“Thank you, Casey. That was very thoughtful,” she said tenderly and threw her arms around his neck, while he grabbed her ass just as she hoped the shorts with a bit of cheek showing would encourage him to do.

“You’re welcome, Princess,” he replied. After a long loving kiss, he observed, “Why do I always want to eat you up, when you’ve got a delicious dinner ready?”

“Actually it’s not quite ready,” she said with an impish smile. “We’ve got about a half hour if there was something else you’d like to do first!”

“Do you need to be in the kitchen?” She shook her head and squealed with joy when he scooped her up to carry her to the bedroom, nibbling on her enticing tits the whole way.

Clothes were dispensed with unceremoniously, and the couple fell into the open bed, groping each other like they’d been apart for days. It wasn’t long before Casey’s cock was in Harper’s mouth, getting her usual intense tongue treatment with a little extra. He returned the favor with her sitting on his face and keeping her there for a second ride to the moon.

When it came to the final act, though, they both wanted something tender and loving. So, with him between her legs, they made slow and gentle love to each other, looking at each other’s expressions, staring into each other’s eyes, and kissing each other’s lips. Only the last minute or so became frenetic, and they each reached their peak wondering how they’d gotten so lucky as to find each other.

After dinner, Harper left Casey to deal with the leftovers, saying she needed to use the bathroom, but a few minutes later she stood at the end of the hallway in the pale lavender babydoll she hadn’t yet worn. She waited for him to notice, and when he turned after closing the refrigerator door, he saw her.

“Oh my Lord!” he said, using one of her common exclamations, “Look at you! I guess I know what I’m having for dessert!” Again that night and quickly in the morning, they celebrated Harper’s new address as they’d originally expected.

Living together turned out to be everything they’d hoped it would be, as well as some of what they reluctantly expected. Evenings spent doing domestic things together made them enjoyable. Mornings still held the glow of newness and the comfort of waking up together, though Harper’s early waking hours often left Casey alone in bed for another hour before his workday began. Weekend outings became more spontaneous since plans to meet or be picked up were no longer necessary.

Hiking, or sometimes just casually walking, became an almost weekly activity they’d grown to love, having the unsurprising effect of toning Harper’s legs, but Casey noticing this as he kissed his way up her thighs was a pleasant surprise … especially when it was with her lying on a table in one of the park’s shelters.

Conflicts about money, so common to couples, married or not, took on a different flavor, with Harper wanting to keep some of her frugal ways and rejecting his attempts to get her to enjoy what they had. She eventually gave in and was added to Casey’s credit card account when she found herself low on cash while shopping for food or clothes.

A bigger controversy erupted when Harper’s hunk-of-junk car finally bit the dust. She was driving to work when the engine just died. A call to Casey got her to work only a few minutes late, but Casey’s mechanic friend, Rob, declared it DOA when he called Casey later. The only surprise for Casey was that it had still been running at all, since it was the same beater she'd been driving the night they met almost seven years ago.

“Hey, Sherry!” he said as he entered the diner.

“Hey, Casey! Haven’t seen you in a while. You here for lunch?”

“Sure! Why not. I’ll have my favorite burger!”

“With extra bacon?”

“Of course! Where’s Harper? Oh, there you are, Princess!” he said when she came out from the kitchen.

“Hi, Honey!” Harper said, rushing over to kiss him. “How’s my hunkajunk? Rob fix it?”

“I’m afraid not. Can’t fix it this time. The engine’s blown.”

“So, we get a new engine?”

“Harper, you want to spend a couple of grand on that old POS?”

“What choice do I have?”

“We get you another car!”

“No! No, you’re not buyin’ me a new car!” she protested. “What is this? Wheel of Fortune? ‘You’ve won a brand new car!’” she cried, mocking game show hosts who always seemed to announce the contestant’s ultimate prize with the same phrase and tone. Sherry disappeared into the kitchen, chuckling at Harper’s mockery.

“First of all, I didn’t say a new car; I said another car. Secondly, I didn’t say I was going to buy it for you,” he explained, having foreseen this argument coming.

“I can’t afford to buy a car, new or otherwise,” she said, making his case for him.

“We’ll get you a bank loan for it.”

“Who’s gonna lend me money? I don’t have any credit!”

“I’ll cosign for it. Look, I have a friend who’s a broker for cars. I’ll have him find you a good deal on a two- or three-year-old car. When we know the cost, we’ll go to the bank and get you a loan. You’ll get a car you can rely on and start to establish some credit. And since you’re not paying rent anymore, you can afford it,” he explained patiently. Though he wished she’d let him buy her a new car, this really was a better plan. She’d also retain some of the independence she wanted since, regardless of what happened, the car would still be hers.

“Oh, okay,” she said reluctantly, realizing he was right. “How long will this take? I need a car to get to work.”

“Rob’s gonna loan you the minivan. It’ll take a week, maybe more, but I’ll get my broker working on it right now. Do you want a car or an SUV?”

“Is one cheaper than the other? No? An SUV then, but not one of those big 4-wheel-drive monsters!”

Casey laughed, not telling her she couldn’t afford that. “One more question. What color?”

“Ooo, red!” she said excitedly, then added, “Or whatever’s cheaper.”

About 10 days later, Harper got a text from Casey near the end of her workday. ‘We’re on our way to the diner with your new car!’ She was instantly nervous because of the commitment to a loan Casey insisted she take for a car she’d bought sight unseen. She trusted him, but signing the loan papers was the biggest financial commitment she’d ever made. He told her only that he was sure she would love the car and it was red.

She stood at the window with Sherry, expecting him any second, since he was just coming from Rob’s garage. Casey’s car pulled up into the front parking strip, and a small red BMW right next to him.

“Oh my God, Sherry! It’s a BMW!? I can’t afford a BMW!” she cried, totally ignoring the fact that she’d already paid the $20k with the bank loan.

“It’s pretty, Honey! Go out and look at it!”

Casey was standing next to it, looking at the two women standing at the front window, and he could see Harper freaking out; a reaction he pretty much expected. Finally, she headed towards the door.

“Casey! I can’t afford a BMW!?” she cried as her first comment.

“Apparently you can, Princess! You’ve already bought it with the loan you took out, and the payment is less than half of what you were paying for rent! It’s three years old, in pristine condition, and Rob has checked it out thoroughly and detailed it as well.” He didn’t tell her that he’d put ten grand down on it before the loan papers were put together. He just wanted her to have a nice, reliable car, and since he favored German cars, even the least expensive BMW, an X2, fit the bill.

“Casey got a really good deal on this, Harper, and it drives like a dream!” Rob said, having been the one to drive it over and pick up his minivan in the process.

A small smile gradually grew on her face as she walked around the car, taking in its sportier SUV shape in a darker shade of red that gave it a slightly classier look. Casey held the door open, encouraging her to get inside. The supple tan leather felt nice compared to the split, torn fabric and bulging foam seats she'd had before. She was also struck by the techie look of the dash compared to her hunkajunk, which was well over twenty years old.

“I can talk on my phone through the car, can’t I?” she exclaimed, with Casey smiling at such a small thing exciting her.

“It’s really pretty!” Sherry said, having shown up with Harper’s purse, assuming she’d be leaving with the car. “Aren’t you gonna drive it?” she asked, both pleased for and a little envious of her surrogate daughter. She was so happy with the way her relationship with Casey had blossomed, feeling the girl deserved a break in her previously chaotic life, but she also feared the day when she’d lose her at the diner. She wouldn’t need such a job if they ever made their commitment permanent. She was confident she wouldn’t lose her as a friend, but she’d miss the daily contact with Harper dearly.

“Can we take it for a drive?” she asked Casey, who’d gotten in on the other side.

“Of course! It’s your car!”

“Cool! Where’s the key?” she asked, prompting an explanation about key fobs and starter buttons and various other changes common to nearly all cars these days.

She backed out of the parking space so carefully, but exclaimed, “Whoa!” when she hit the gas and the car lurched forward, rather than needing to be slowly convinced to move like her old car. A smile slowly spread on her face, the contrast of driving a much newer car apparent.

At first, she drove it like an old lady, but as her confidence in the car grew, her driving became more aggressive. Casey tried to keep quiet, but a couple of times he was decidedly nervous, realizing he’d never been with her as a passenger. She eventually calmed down and was clearly enjoying the new driving experience.

“Casey, I’m sorry,” she started as she pulled in the driveway, stopping at the garage door. “I know I gave you a lot of shit over this car, but I do appreciate all you did! Thank you!” Leaning over the console, she gave him a gentle, loving kiss. “The car is beautiful! It feels like brand new, and there’s no way I would have been able to buy it without your help,” she said with another kiss. “Where’s my thingy to open the garage?” Casey pressed a button on the bottom of the rearview mirror, and the garage magically opened. “Oh! Cool! Hey, where’s your car? Oh shit, it’s back at the diner!” she laughed, and viewed her mistake as a chance to drive again, something she’d never looked forward to before.

Casey enjoyed driving the smaller, sportier car himself, so they often took it instead of his E-class when they went out. Initially, they took several drives just to show Harper all the tech the car had. She’d noticed some of the same things in Casey’s car but never thought she’d own a car that did all that stuff.

As she became accustomed to the car, a feeling of comfort and safety came over her, triggered by the car, but was more a reflection of her getting comfortable with the trappings of wealth Casey’s life now afforded her. Returning every day to a beautiful house rather than her tiny apartment was beginning to feel right to her. Worries about money very slowly ebbed away, even though when she realized it, she’d scold herself and promise to maintain some of her frugal ways. The second she found herself identifying with the likes of Tiffany, she’d do an immediate about-face; eating some junk food, or wearing some of her old slutty clothes to remind her she didn’t want to become like her.

Sleeping with Casey was a good antidote to such feelings. She never felt so loved as when, after making love, he’d pull her back to him, and they’d fall asleep together. Occasionally the fear of the dream ending would creep into her mind, but Casey always seemed to pick up on it and do something to make her feel safe again.

Casey, too, had become very comfortable with having his Princess around all the time. Life together wasn’t without its conflicts, but they always found a way, and more often than not, Harper suggested how. He could see how hard she tried not to seem entitled, even though she was showing signs of enjoying her new situation. He actually liked coming home to find her in one of her old sexy outfits, or just as often, wearing only the pair of panties she’d worn that first night she tried to thank him in her customary way. She told him she’d held on to those almost-seven-year-old panties simply for their nostalgic value, and she always thanked him again when wearing them.

His fears that having someone around all the time would somehow impinge on his privacy or single life never materialized. They had a seemingly natural feel for giving each other space when needed, and a magnetism for the opposite when either just needed to be held. He always looked forward to seeing her when he got home, whether she was just lounging, waiting for his arrival, or dressed in some provocative way that had them heading straight for the bedroom.

An afternoon in Atlanta left them both ready for the comforts of home. They’d been to Atlanta a few times since the Tiffany affair and even run into another of Casey’s prior girlfriends, but either Tiffany was by far the worst among them, or Harper was feeling more secure in her relationship with him. When she mentioned it in the car, Casey felt it was a little of both, but mainly that Harper put them to shame in the personality department. She leaned way over the console to kiss him for his always-positive view of her.

On a long, straight stretch of busy divided highway, they saw the flashing lights of an emergency vehicle ahead. As they got closer, they saw it was a flatbed tow truck picking up a car at the roadside. Traffic slowed around the activity, and as they got closer, Harper recognized the operator.

“It’s Jimmy!” she said excitedly. “Pull over, Casey! Pull over!” she repeated, and Casey pulled onto the shoulder a few car lengths ahead of the truck. Harper jumped out before he even had it in park, and Casey followed several paces behind her as she approached her cousin and called out his name. He was nearly ready to leave when he saw their car pull over.

“Harper?” he asked, not expecting to see his hot cousin getting out of the silver Mercedes. “I ain’t seen you in ages!”

“Hi, Jimmy!” she said as she went to hug him, but had to bat his hands away from her ass, an instinctive move from him. Casey noticed and approached the two warily. “Jimmy, this is Casey, my … it doesn’t seem right just calling you my boyfriend,” she said, getting a smile from Casey. It was the first time she'd introduced him to anyone.

“I shoulda known you’d hook up with some rich guy. Hi, Casey,” he said, holding up a greasy hand as an explanation for why he didn’t offer it for a handshake.

“It’s not like that, Jimmy!” she defended, not wanting to be seen that way.

“She’s got a hot, little body, doesn’t she?” he said to Casey, not having any trouble putting his greasy hands on her tits and ass.

“Knock it off, Jimmy!” Casey said, stepping forward threateningly, even though Jimmy far outclassed him in weight and build. He pulled Harper back out of her cousin’s reach.

“You gonna stop me, pretty boy?”

“Not here, but if you want to keep your job, I suggest you stay away from Harper! Come on, Princess, we’re leaving!”

“Oh! Princess!? Is that what you think she is? I could tell you a thing or …” Jimmy called after them, but distance and the sound of traffic drowned him out.

Casey opened the door for her, and seeing that she was crying, he wanted to hug her, but he also wanted to get away from Jimmy. He got in and drove off with tires spitting gravel in Jimmy’s direction.

“I’m sorry, Harper,” he said gently, seeing this altercation as similar to that with Tiffany; an old friend who reminded her of why he was now just an old friend. Harper was probably surprised by Jimmy’s reaction to her, though from what little Casey knew of Jimmy, he could have predicted something similar.

“You know I don’t stay in contact with those people I once considered friends, but is that how they’re gonna look at me now? That I’ve hooked up with a rich guy for his money? You know it’s not like that!”

“I do, Princess, but depending on what Jimmy does with that belief, I’m afraid they probably will. If you’re not in contact with them anymore, does it really matter?”

“I suppose not. They’re the ones who stayed away from me after I moved out. A couple of them I don’t blame because I wasn’t the most gracious guest when I lived with them for a bit, but …”

“So, don’t worry about it. People are gonna think what they want to think and there’s little you can do about it,” he said just as Harper’s phone rang.

She looked at him with worry when she saw the caller ID. “I guess I’m gonna find out now,” she said and hit the button to take the call. “Hi, Cindy! Yeah, it’s been years, hasn’t it? So, how’ve you been? Oh yeah? You broke up with him? I’m not surprised. Yeah, we just saw Jimmy. His name is Casey. Oh, we met a bunch of years ago, but that’s a long story. We’ve been together for seven or eight months now. No, he’s not! No, Cindy, he is not rich! He’s just the most amazing guy I’ve ever met and. I am not getting angry, I’m just. Oh, goodbye, Cindy!” she finished and punched the off button with a flourish to show her frustration.

Casey didn’t need to hear the other side of the conversation to know the gist. Harper was crying again, and he tried to soothe her by stroking her cheek when they were stopped at a light. She held his hand to her face, grateful for the touch, even as they drove off.

He could see it consumed her thoughts, so they drove in silence for the balance of the trip. A few minutes later, they were home, and he hugged her tightly as soon as she stepped out of the car. Again, she said nothing, but it was the first opportunity to hold him after they’d left Jimmy behind, and she gratefully accepted.

“Would you like some wine?” he asked as they entered the kitchen.

“No, but some tea would be nice,” she replied as an alternative.

“Good idea. Why don’t you wait for me in the TV room?” he said, kissing her on the forehead.

“Thank you, Honey,” she sighed as he served her tea and sat beside her on the loveseat. “You know I really, truly love you, don’t you, Casey, not your money?” she asked, desperate to remove all doubt while she melted into his warm, welcoming body.

“Yes, I do. All the, um, discussions we’ve had with me trying to convince you to enjoy what we have ought to be proof enough,” he replied. “And you know that it’s one of the reasons I love you so! I’ve told you often enough that I love your honesty and sincerity. That we’ve both managed to come out of environments that valued the wrong things and built our own little bit of heaven for ourselves is a bit of a miracle, and that is what I think is important. Not what the people we’ve left behind think of it.”

“Thank you, Casey! I needed to hear that,” she said as she tried to snuggle even closer. “Look what he did to my blouse!” she complained, holding the grease stain up for Casey to see. “I really liked this blouse! It reminds me of the day we bought it,” she added, tipping her head up for a kiss.

“We’ll take it to my cleaners. They’ll probably get the stain out, but if not, we’ll get you another one, okay? Hey, you’re off tomorrow afternoon, right? Maybe we should go on another clothes shopping spree?” he offered without thinking it might be the wrong thing to offer when she’s trying to convince him she’s not after his money.

“We did have a lot of fun that day,” she admitted, smiling coyly with a bitten lower lip. “I wonder if Naomi will be working at Victoria’s Secret?”

“I love you so much! Would you like me to show you?” he asked.

“I would like that very much,” she whispered.

In no hurry, they undressed each other as foreplay, with fingers and tongues exploring each new exposure. Taking turns, each removed a single article of clothing, then exploited the flesh beneath. When they finally fell into the bed, all they wanted was to hold and touch each other with as much contact as possible.

Lying atop his Princess, kissing her face and breasts, they both knew when it was time to come together, and Casey slid easily between her legs, guiding himself smoothly into her silky sheath. All that they’d held back so far came to the fore as the pace quickened, gasping words of love preceding the incredible climax they reached together.

Rolling to their sides, hands caressed and soothed excited flesh as they brought each other back to earth with sighs, smiles, and kisses the only words spoken. It was too early to sleep, but that didn’t stop them from spending plenty of time spooning.

“Oh! I just remembered! I bought some tiramisu at the bakery yesterday. Sound good with a cup of tea?” Harper offered.

“Anything with you sounds delicious,” he complimented her, getting a passionate kiss as a result.

Padding naked into the kitchen, Harper heard her phone both ring for a call and ping a couple of times for texts. She nervously went to her purse to grab her phone and cried out when she saw the text screen.

“Oh my Lord, Casey!” she exclaimed, feeling like she could cry again, but managed to stifle the tears. “Listen to this! ‘Hey, Harp! Heard you got a new hot sugar daddy!’ and ‘Girl, I heard about your new boyfriend! When can we meet him? Maybe do a 3some?’ Can you believe that shit! Oh Lord, this one wants to know if you’ll pay for a boob job for her!? And she already has big tits!”

“Will she let me see them when they’re done?” he jokingly replied, getting a smack on the shoulder for being a wiseass.

“You know, you can get spanked too!” she said as a joke, but the smile turned to tears. “Oh, Casey! I can’t take this,” she sobbed as his arms circled her protectively. “All these people who called themselves friends didn’t give a shit about me the last four years, but now they all want to know about you and me!”

“We’ll get your phone number changed tomorrow. Just turn it off for now.”

They took their dessert to the loveseat and fed bites to each other, sipping Earl Grey tea, wrapped around each other in some impossible contortion. After dessert, they pulled a blanket over their naked bodies and tried to let channel surfing on the TV take their minds elsewhere.

Casey recalled the night after he’d first run into her at the diner, how he thought she looked like she might need saving and wondered whether that was now more true than then. They’d change her phone number, but a couple of these girls knew where she worked, and might try to get to her there as well. Would she ever feel safe from those who saw her as nothing but a gold digger? Worse, would she worry those accusations might actually cause him to question her motives? Would she become another Tiffany tossed away as not worthy of his love?

He concluded that the only way to make her feel safe about his feelings toward her was to make a bigger commitment. When he coupled these thoughts with the success of their living together, he felt surprisingly comfortable with where that led him. He went to sleep that night, holding her tighter than ever and began to formulate a plan.

--===<<<O>>>===--

So, it's just the two of them against the world but they seem ready for it and Casey has a plan, though there's more to it than you're probably thinking! I hope you're still enjoying this love story enough to 'Like,' 'Favorite,' and/or comment on it and ... THANKS FOR READING