During the night something tugging at my sheets started to waken me and when I woke fully Stephanie was climbing onto the sofa with me. Her sleepy little face looked at me and said.

"Can I get in with you Bob? I had a bad dream and I'm scared."

I threw back the covers and she climbed in beside me. There was just enough room for us both to fit together on the sofa, it was tight. I couldn't get comfortable and Stephanie had dropped off, so I thought what the heck; I picked her up and carried her into my king-size bed; at least I'd have a bit more room and I wouldn't be pressed up against her small body.

I woke up the early in the morning with my little friend's arms wrapped around me. We both had slept soundly. I unfortunately had an erection and if Stephanie saw me constantly having erections I'm not sure what she'd think. I was hoping that it would be gone when she would woke up. I quietly got out of the bed and made coffee. I remembered that Stephanie liked Cheerios and thought that I would pop out to get some.

It only took twenty minutes and I arrived back just as she was waking up. She came into the kitchen and when she saw the box of Cheerios, she smiled. I took down a bowl from the cupboard and placed it on the table beside the Cheerios and Stephanie sat down and poured them into the bowl and then added the milk and sugar. She was happy. I gave her some fresh orange juice and she drank it.

"It's Sunday today Stephanie what do you want to do?"

"Dunno. Are we going to church?"

"I don't go to church sweetheart. Did your mom go to church?"

"We went to a place sometimes. It was kinda scary and there were snakes and things."

"Hmm that figures. Holy rollers." I thought.

"Well we are not going to be handling snakes today or any other day. This is another fun day so we are going to have fun, fun, fun til daddy took the t-bird away."

I sang the old Beach Boys song and danced around and Stephanie giggled and laughed. And then it hit me.

"Hey that's it! Let's go to the beach. We'll stop on the way and pick up a swimsuit for you."

"Really! I never was at the beach before. Is it fun?"

"Oh sweetheart it is the most fun. I'll teach you to swim and when we get hungry there's a restaurant right on the beach that serves great food. You're going to love it."

Stephanie was so happy then, and I thought I'm not going to be able to let this girl go. I do believe that I'm falling in love with her. How the hell could that be! She's only 9 for goodness sakes! But I was. She had my heart completely now. I desperately needed a solution to this dilemma, and I was going to have to do some swift footwork to sidestep any obstacles that came our way.

I filled a gym bag with a beach blanket, towels and sunscreen. The restaurant on the beach sold every kind of drink, so we didn't need to take any. Stephanie went to the wardrobe where I put her new clothes and picked a halter top and wore the same shorts that she had on the day before they were clean enough for the sandy beach.

When she came out of the bedroom she hadn't put them on yet and was only wearing her panties. I stared at her lovely flat chest and small slim hips and little legs and I couldn't take my eyes of her. She noticed that something was going on with me and she gave me the most sensuous look I have ever had from anyone. This girl had my measure. She may not have fully understood it but she knew that I was strongly attracted to her. She me gave a little smile.

"Bob honey, do you think that this top and shorts will be OK?"

Bob honey! She knows! My desire was uncovered. There was more to this girl than met the eye. I just nodded, and kept ogling her lovely childish charms. She must have seen my gaze go all over her lovely face, shoulders, arms, chest, and to the crotch of her panties. She just stood there semi-naked and let me enjoy her body. She even turned around to give my a good rear view.

When I recovered my composure, I said.

"Sweetheart that outfit is fine. It will be good for the beach."

She gave her ass a little shake as she went back to the bedroom and my cock rose. When we were ready I put the bag in the Mustang and we headed off to the beach. There was a sporting goods store open on the way, so we stopped and bought Stephanie a little two-piece costume.

We arrived at the beach and there were people there but it wasn't too crowded. We found a nice spot and I laid out the large beach blanket on the sand. I changed into my swim trunks under a large towel pretty easily, but now it was Stephanie's turn and I suggested that I hold the large beach towel around her while she changed from her top and shorts.

I made a tent with the towel around Stephanie and she started to take off her clothes. She could be seen by me but I tried to look away because I was nervous about my cock's independent nature. She took off everything and then said.

"Bob darling, I have everything off."

There it was again - the Bob darling. I couldn't resist a quick peak and I observed the most wonderful vision of childly loveliness. Her hairless pudendum looked so inviting. My cock responded. I told her to hurry up and to stop calling me Bob darling in public. It might be a good idea for appearances sake, I told her, to refer to me as Dad.

She responded by telling me that she couldn't think of anything nicer than to have me as her dad, then pleaded with me to be her dad. Please, please, please? As absurd as it sounded it actually gave me an idea that with a bit of ingenuity and good luck might make that possible. I had a tiny light of hope shining through.

Stephanie had her two-piece on and we went down to the water. Since she had never been in the ocean before, I held her hand and we walked in until it came up to her waist. She got scared then and grabbed a hold of my waist. I told her to relax and lifted her into my arms. She clung to my like an limpet. I told her to relax. I was not going to let anything bad happen, and she eased off.

I started to sit down in the water with her and she screamed with delight and terror, but she was getting more relaxed. After we were getting used to the cold and waves coming gently in, I said that I was going to try and teach her to swim. I said that it would take a few lessons and after today I'd enroll her in a swimming class with one of the gyms in the city. She was eager to learn.

I turned her over and with my hands on her chest and thighs I just let the waves roll gently over her. I told her to close her mouth when she saw them coming and after a few gulps of salty water she got the message. I was moving along with her and telling her to keep her legs straight and kick from the waist. She was getting the hang of it. She was enjoying it and I managed to "accidentally" touch her slit area. If she was aware of it she said nothing.

In fact a couple of times when her hand came down it managed to brush against the front of my swim trunks. The cool water did nothing to ease my hard-on when she did that. We played in the water for an hour or so and decided to get something to eat from the restaurant on the beach, that also had a takeaway section.

We wanted to eat on our blanket so I ordered some English style fish and chips for myself and a burger and fries for Stephanie. I kept looking at her from the restaurant takeout stand and she looked so nice sitting looking out at the blue shining sea. I knew that I was head over heels in love with this gorgeous little girl and I would do anything to be with her.

We sat on the blanket and ate our meals and drank a coke for Stephanie and a beer for me. We were enjoying ourselves. I asked her about school and she said it was difficult because if there was trouble at home she would be fostered out and would have to start at a new school each time. Lucky for us this was only the first week of summer school vacation. She would not have to think about it for another month and a half.

We talked about other things and I realized that Stephanie was very intelligent. The only thing wrong was that she never had a chance to use her intelligence in the normal way that kids from other homes did. I promised myself that if things worked out I would see that she got the best education that money could buy.

She was thrilled that I suggested she call me daddy and she did now at every opportunity and I must admit it pleased me very much to hear it. She said if she ever met anyone who wanted to know who I was she would say that I was her dad, come to look after her. She never knew who her real dad was because her mom as an 18 year old teenager was having sex with 3 or 4 guys at the same time when she got pregnant and she honestly did not know which one it was. So Stephanie's birth cert listed him as "unknown".

The warm sun had dried us off and it was now the late afternoon so I decided to go home in our swim suits. I packed our things into the bag and we set off. I started the Mustang and noticed that Stephanie had not put on her seat belt so I leaned over to secure it and as I was fastening it I touched her lovely waist and I got a good look at the little outline of her slit through her swimsuit. I think she saw me because she opened her legs slightly. My bulge grew bigger and I know that she noticed it.

When we were driving along highway one she reached over and put her hand on my thigh. Bulge grew some more. I took her initiative and I put my hand on her thigh, and we drove home like that. I was glad to see my big security gates swing open and the home looked very inviting. When we entered the house Stephanie said that she had to pee and she ran ahead of me to the toilet which meant that if she left the door open I would see her as I came in.

Sure enough, the door was open and my lovely was sitting with the bottom half of her swimsuit on the floor and she was sitting there in full view with her little stream of golden liquid coming out of her pee hole. I stood there in the doorway and unashamedly watched her and when she was finished she took a piece of toilet paper and wiped herself and I could see her lovely lips. She looked me in the eye and it was an unmistakeable invitation to love.

I wasn't ready yet, and I blew her a kiss and went to take a shower in my en suite. I started the shower and took off my clothes. I was about to enter the shower when Stephanie's little voice came from behind.

"Daddy, can I take a shower with you?"

I turned around and there she was naked and beautiful, so how could I refuse. I told her to come on in and she joined me in a hot glorious shower. I shampooed her hair and washed her little body with nice scented soap. I paid particular attention to her little holes, but she giggled when I did it and said it was ticklish. She kept brushing her small body against my swollen cock. Her hands would touch it but did not grab it.

I washed myself, demented with desire; however, if I gave in to it, the chance of Stephanie and I ever being together would evaporate. We finished showering and I towel dried my little lady. I sat her on the bed and blow dried her lovely long hair. Her pjs were folded where I left them that morning and I put them on her. Her little body was driving me nuts, but I had to resist it or everything would be lost.

I put on clean shorts and t-shirt and we went into the living room and watched TV until it was time for bed. After another full day we were both tired, we went to bed together and slept peacefully that night.