I released a sigh as I eased into the hot bath. Soaking in the tub was a ritual of mine every evening after I left my waitressing job, when I could come straight home and didn’t have to go to class afterward. The sudsy water erased the sweat and kitchen grease from my pores, leaving me feeling clean and brand new.
The bathroom window was open to let in the breeze, as the evening was mild for mid-June. My pale pink nipples were hard peaks emerging from the water, and I resisted the urge to graze them with my fingertips. My brother would be home before too long, and it wouldn’t do to be in the middle of a masturbation session when he arrived.
A bird’s haunting call echoed through the woods and drifted through the window as the day deepened into shadow outside. I shivered and slid deeper into the tub, bending my knees and letting my legs fall open. Biting my lip, I moved my hand between my breasts and down my stomach, aching to touch myself. Even if I didn’t have time to make myself come, I still wanted to tease my clit.
I had just grazed the tender nub when I heard Aaron’s truck pull into the gravel drive outside. Jerking my hand from between my thighs as if I’d been caught doing something shameful, I began sliding the bar of soap over my arms and chest.
The house was small, the walls thin, and I heard Aaron unlock the front door and come inside. Growing still, I tracked his footsteps as they hurriedly approached.
There was a quick rap on the closed bathroom door. “Hey, Kelly,” my brother called. “Uh, sorry to rush you, but are you going to be much longer in there?”
He sounded so uncomfortable that I grew concerned something was wrong. “No, I’ll be out in just a few minutes,” I called back, soaping down my skin at a faster pace. “Everything okay?”
“Yeah, it’s just that-” He laughed, sounding even more awkward and embarrassed now. “Those couple of beers I had after work seem to have gone right through me, and I really have to take a piss.”
I snorted with laughter. “Well, come on in. I left the door unlocked.”
Aaron was silent a long moment. “I can wait,” he said. “Hell, I can go to the woods out back. There aren’t any neighbors around for miles…”
“Don’t be ridiculous,” I said, then added with a grin, “I promise I won’t look.”
Still Aaron hesitated. “Is the shower curtain closed?” he finally asked.
I rolled my eyes and yanked the curtain closed. “Now it is.”
He entered the bathroom and walked the few steps to the toilet. I clutched the soap to my chest, holding my breath as I listened to him unzip his jeans. A sigh escaped his lips when he began relieving himself. “I’m sorry to barge in like this,” he said. “Wish this house had more than one bathroom.”
“It’s fine,” I insisted, fighting back a shiver as the cool air caressed my skin. “You mentioned this morning that you were meeting some friends for drinks after work, and I wasn’t expecting you back this soon or I would have been quicker getting out of here.”
“You take your time,” he said. “I’ll grab a quick shower once you’re done.”
I heard the toilet flush and expected Aaron to make a prompt exit, but he lingered. I could see the outline of his form on the other side of the shower curtain.
“Did you have a good time at the bar?” I asked to fill the silence. Aaron didn’t meet up with his buddies too often, but whenever he did, I always had a nagging worry in the back of my mind that he would encounter some gorgeous woman who found him irresistible, the way I certainly would… if he weren’t my brother.
“It was okay,” he said. “Bar wasn’t too busy tonight.” Another pause. “The garden’s coming along nicely this year.”
I knew Aaron was staring out the window at the backyard garden he tended with such care. Soon we would have cucumbers and tomatoes and cantaloupes.
“It’s your favorite time of day,” he went on. “The evening blue.”
I smiled to myself. I’d once described dusk as the evening blue in a poem I wrote for a contest. Aaron was the only one in my family to celebrate with me when I won an award, and he told me that “the evening blue” was his favorite part of the poem.
My brother rented this house out in the country, and though it wasn’t much, it was a real home to both of us. At twenty-six, Aaron worked in a machine shop. I’d just turned nineteen and was taking classes at the community college three nights a week. I had no idea what I wanted to do with my life, but I was sure I didn’t want to spend the rest of it as a waitress.
Still, I made enough to help out a little with rent and bills. Aaron told me to save my money, but I insisted on pitching in to pay some expenses. I never wanted him to feel like I was a burden. He was kind enough to welcome me into his house when our mother made it clear that I needed to find my own place soon after I turned eighteen.
Our parents divorced several years ago, and both our mother and father seemed intent on living like a couple of carefree twenty-somethings, dating as many people as possible. Our father lived out of state now, so it wasn’t like Aaron and I had to be around Dad’s many girlfriends, but Mom was another story. She lived in the nearest town and had earned a reputation as an easy lay. It mortified Aaron; he didn’t talk about it, but I knew he heard the rumors the same as I did.
Our family had always been dysfunctional, with my brother being the only source of stability in my life for as long as I could remember. When he left home, I was heartbroken, but he constantly checked in to see how I was doing, making sure everything was okay.
A lump of unshed tears formed in my throat, and I shook my head, feeling silly at the urge to cry. But the truth was, I owed everything to Aaron. Without him giving me a place to stay, I wouldn’t be able to go to college. I’d be working my fingers to the bone and scraping by just to make rent, probably with a couple of roommates in some cramped apartment in town.
“You’re awfully quiet,” Aaron said as he washed his hands.
I couldn’t keep the grin from my voice. “I was just thinking that this is kind of creepy, with me being hidden behind this curtain. For all you know, this could be like a horror movie and I could be turning into a zombie or a demon or something.”
Aaron laughed. “You have quite the imagination, Kelly.”
“So you’re not scared?” I taunted him.
“Nah, I think I could handle you, even if you turned into a zombie.”
Before I could stop myself, I sprang upward, yanking back the shower curtain. Water sloshed over the edge of the tub, and I let out what I hoped was a terrifying roar.
“Jesus Christ!” Aaron shouted, taking a step back. In the tiny bathroom, he was up against the far wall now.
I erupted into a fit of giggles, pointing at him. “You should see your face!” I managed to say through my laughter.
Aaron grabbed a fluffy towel from where I’d hung it on the rack. “Cover up,” he snapped, tossing the towel at me.
I managed to catch it, my laughter fading. “I was just playing,” I said, holding the towel against my chest.
Aaron took a deep breath and released it slowly, keeping his eyes averted from my bare legs. “You could have tripped and fallen and busted your head open.”
I hurriedly wrapped the towel around myself. “Just admit it, Aaron. I scared you!” I could tell he was trying to hide a smile, and knowing he wasn’t angry with me made the tension ease from my shoulders.
“I was scared you’d lost your damn mind.” He finally looked at me, and his pale blue eyes made my breath catch in my chest. He could express so many emotions with those eyes. Right now he was playful, the way I wanted him to be. I’d just trimmed his wavy dark hair the weekend before. At this time of evening, he always sported a five o’clock shadow. I loved feeling its roughness whenever I kissed him goodnight.
We looked a lot alike, both favoring our mom. My long hair was a lighter shade of brown, my eyes a darker blue, but people could always tell that Aaron and I were siblings.
Aaron put his hands on his hips, pretending to be stern. “I take it you’re finished with your bath?”
I figured I’d better not press my luck and try to linger in the tub. “Yeah, I’m clean enough.” I stepped onto the bathmat, holding the towel securely around me. As I moved past my brother, I couldn’t help but inhale deeply, trying to detect the scent of perfume, of another woman. He was wearing his work shirt and boots, along with his jeans, and I felt a wave of relief when I could discern only the familiar, comforting smell of him.
*****
The following night, I didn’t arrive home until close to ten. I was taking a literature class at the college on Tuesday and Thursday evenings during the summer, and it was one of my favorites. Professor Andrews made the words come alive with new meaning on the page, and I always looked forward to his class.
Tonight I had to fight to keep my speed down as I drove home; I couldn’t wait to share my good news with Aaron. Professor Andrews had returned our essays, which would make up a significant part of our final grades. I’d written my paper on the Romantic poets, and for days, my stomach had been filled with a bundle of nerves as I waited to find out the grade it would receive.
Professor Andrews had given me an A. Not only that, he’d told the class that it was one of the finest essays he had read on the topic, and he read parts of it aloud. I’d been embarrassed and thrilled at the same time, slinking down into my desk chair and trying not to smile too wide.
The house was mostly dark when I pulled into the driveway, but Aaron always left the porch light on for me, along with a lamp in the living room. I hoped he wasn’t asleep already; if he was, my good news would have to wait till morning.
I bounded up the porch steps and let myself into the house as quietly as I could, making sure to turn the outside light off once I was inside and had the door locked behind me. Clutching my essay in my hand, I dropped my bag in the chair near the door and took off down the hall.
My brother’s bedroom was at the very end of the hallway, while mine was across from the bathroom. Aaron’s door was closed, but I saw light working its way beneath it into the shadowy hallway.
I broke into a run, elated that he was still awake. Throwing open the door, I started waving the paper around. “Aaron, guess what I-”
The sight of him on the bed made me freeze. He was naked, and I caught a glimpse of his hand wrapped around his erect cock before he grabbed at the sheet to cover himself. In his other hand, he held his phone, and I could hear what was most definitely porn sounds coming from it.
“What the fuck, Kelly!” Aaron thundered. “Can’t you knock?”
I cringed from his fury. “I’m so sorry,” I sputtered, backing out of the room. “I didn’t…” I wasn’t able to force out any other words before I spun on my heel and ran to my own room, slamming the door behind me.
I stood in the darkness, the edge of the paper crumpled in my fist. My breaths were coming so fast, I was afraid I would hyperventilate. “You’re so stupid,” I whispered to myself as tears stung my eyes. My face was burning hot, and my heart pounded so hard, I thought I could feel it reverberating through my cheekbones.
I tossed the essay aside and kicked off my shoes, making my way to the bed. I didn’t bother to turn on the light. Burying my face in the pillow, I tried to swallow my sobs. Aaron had never spoken to me like that before, not once in my life, no matter how much I got on his nerves.
I feared after what I’d seen, he would want me to leave. All because I’d been stupid and selfish and hadn’t respected his privacy. I knew how important his privacy was to him, so why did I just barge in like that?
I didn’t know how much time had passed before I heard the door to his bedroom open. Enough time for my eyes to be swollen from crying and my face to be sticky with shed tears.
There was a soft knock on my door. “Kelly, can I come in?” Aaron asked, his voice low and gentle.
I sat up and wiped at my face with my palms. “Yes,” I called.
He left the room in darkness, letting the lamplight from the living room and the light from his own bedroom illuminate his path to my bed. I could make out his form, his bare chest, his boxers and bare feet.
He sat down on the edge of the bed. “I’m sorry I yelled at you.”
“No, I’m sorry,” I blurted. “You’ve always told me to knock, and I just rushed in. I was so excited you were awake, because I wanted to tell you…”
Aaron turned to face me. “Tell me what?”
I sniffled and cleared my throat. “It seems stupid now, but you know that paper I worked so hard on? The one about the Romantic poets?”
Aaron nodded. “You put so much effort into that essay.”
“I got an A!” I said, grabbing his arm. “And my professor said it was one of the best he’d read on the subject, and he even read parts out loud to the class…”
“Kelly, that is wonderful!” Aaron threw his arms around me. “I am so damn proud of you. You’re brilliant, you know that?”
I nestled against his chest, basking in his warmth. “I’m so sorry I didn’t knock, Aaron.”
“It’s okay,” he whispered, stroking my hair. “I was just embarrassed. That’s not something a guy wants his sister to see him doing.”
I pulled away so I could look up at him. “You shouldn’t be embarrassed,” I said softly. “It’s perfectly natural to do it.”
“And it’s also private,” he replied. “Just like your bath should be private. But when you jumped out of the tub last night to scare me, I… saw all of you, Kelly.”
My cheeks grew hot again. “I’ll try to be more…” I searched for the right word. “Proper,” I finally said. Aaron began laughing, but he stopped abruptly when I asked, “Do you sometimes wish I didn’t live here?”
“No!” He hugged me to him again. “I would never wish that.”
“But I worry that you feel like you can’t bring dates home because I’m here so much, and now you probably feel like you can’t even jerk off in peace without me interrupting you!” The words, coated with fear, spilled out of me.
Aaron rocked me back and forth to soothe me. “I am so happy you’re here,” he whispered against my ear. “I love you, Kelly, and I know you’re going to accomplish great things. If I can help you do that, that means everything to me.”
I wrapped my arms around his neck and slowly pulled him back onto the bed. He stretched out at my side, still holding me. “So I’m not keeping you from having lots of sex with all the women who lust after you?”
Aaron snorted. “You overestimate how desirable women find me.”
“No, I don’t,” I argued. “I see the way they look at you when we’re in town.”
“Again, I think that’s your vivid imagination. But even if it were true, I’m not really looking for a string of one-night stands.”
I stared up at him, and he kept his gaze focused on the ceiling. I wondered if he was telling the truth. “What are you looking for, then?” I asked.
“Not sure,” he answered. “I guess I’ll know when I find it.”
I snuggled even deeper into his embrace. “Sometimes I feel like I don’t help you enough. I can’t cook…”
“I don’t mind cooking,” Aaron protested, “and anyway, you’re not my maid, Kelly. You pay rent here.”
“Not much,” I said quietly.
“More than enough.” He gave my forehead a quick kiss.
I feared Aaron was going to get up and leave, and I wanted to keep him with me. I grew still and silent, and after a few minutes, he began to doze.
Propping myself up on my elbow, I took the opportunity to study his beautiful face as he slept. My sweet, supportive, loving brother. My world. My gaze drifted lower, to the hair on his chest, making a trail down his belly before disappearing into his boxer shorts. I thought of what I’d seen when I burst into his room, his strong hand circling his cock.
I couldn’t stop a moan from escaping my lips, and Aaron stirred. His eyes fluttered open, and he gave me a soft smile. “Everything okay?” he asked, his voice thick with sleep.
“I was just wondering something,” I whispered, daring to rest a hand on his bare chest.
“What’s that?” He sounded relaxed, in no hurry to leave, so I worked up my nerve.
“After I interrupted you earlier…” I sensed the subtle tension in his limbs and struggled to speak the question I was dying to ask. “Did you get a chance to finish? Before you came in here?”
Aaron surprised me by laughing. “Uh, no,” he said.
I leaned to press my mouth against his neck. I thought I could feel his pulse beneath my lips. “That’s a shame,” I murmured. My heart was pounding, too-with trepidation and desire and a sudden need for him that I couldn’t hide or deny any longer.
“It’s fine, really,” he said. My hand slid lower, stroking his hot skin until my fingers reached the waistband of his boxers. “Kelly.” His voice was full of alarm. “Kelly, what-”
I covered his mouth with mine. It was a chaste kiss with closed lips, but it was enough to silence him while I slid my hand into his boxers.
Aaron moaned when I stroked him, but he didn’t break our kiss. I moaned, too, when I felt him harden in my grasp. It thrilled me to know that my touch aroused him. He wasn’t repulsed by me, I realized. He might feel it was wrong, but he wanted it just as I did.
Finally Aaron tried to pull away from me. “Kelly, we can’t…” He was breathing hard and fast, fully erect as I pumped his cock, my hand moving faster, my eyes fixed on his. My brother let out a whimper as the pad of my thumb caressed his tip. “Oh fuck, Kelly, wait…” He stared down at me pleasuring him, his cock completely exposed to our view now. I could feel it pulsing in my hand.
“I’ve wanted this so much,” I said. His hot gaze met mine, and I licked my lips. “I want to make you feel good, Aaron.”
“Kelly, please…” He was panting now, and the fact that he was almost completely naked, the most intimate part of him on display, while I was fully clothed, made him seem all the more vulnerable. It made me feel more in control and gave me a daring I didn’t know I possessed.
“Don’t hold back,” I breathed. “I want you to come. I’m so wet for you…”
Those words pushed him over the edge. He let out a roar through clenched teeth, his hips thrusting upward, and then his semen spurted over his skin and my hand. I gasped at the force of his orgasm, but I didn’t slow my pace until he was totally spent.
We were both shaking in the aftermath of his climax. Aaron swore under his breath and covered his face with his hands. I placed gentle kisses on his chest and belly, working lower until my mouth was above his slowly softening cock. I licked it, tasting salty cum on my tongue.
“Kelly.” His voice was sharp, demanding. I looked up at him, afraid I’d gone too far, that I’d broken the spell.
“Yes?” I said, sounding timid. It took all my will to hold his stare.
“Were you telling the truth before?” he asked. “About being wet for me?”
I drew in a sharp breath at the question. My heart was pounding so hard I could just barely hear myself answer. “Yes.” And I was telling the truth. My panties were soaked.
“I don’t know if I believe you,” Aaron said, his voice low and raspy. “But there’s one way to find out.”
Before I could respond, he pulled me down next to him on the bed. I offered no resistance as he worked at my jeans, yanking them down to my thighs. Instead, I was shocked and thrilled at this sudden change in him.
I released a cry when he slipped his hand into my panties and parted my outer lips with his fingers. His touch was tender but insistent, seeking out my swollen clit. My cries grew louder as he smeared my juices over that sensitive button of flesh. I gripped fistfuls of the sheet beneath me.
“You weren’t lying, baby,” Aaron groaned. “My god, I love how wet you are.”
My hips began rocking, grinding my pussy against his palm. “I need…” My words were a plea.
“You need to come?” Aaron asked, then teasingly, tormenting, he slowed his stroking.
“Yes!” I wailed. “Oh god please make me come, Aaron!”
I gazed up at my brother, helpless beneath his touch. In his lust, he was practically unrecognizable, and I wondered if I looked like a stranger to him as well.
He leaned to kiss me hard, his tongue seeking mine as his fingers worked at my clit again. I clutched at him, my nails digging into his back. I could smell his cum and my own arousal, and it drove me wild.
“I want to taste that dripping wet pussy,” he growled. “I want to slide my tongue inside your cunt. Will you let me, Kelly?”
“Yes!” I screamed. Simply imagining him between my legs, feasting on my pussy, brought forth an orgasm that caused my body to seize and shake. My thighs quivered with the force of it, and at the peak of my climax, Aaron thrust two fingers deep inside me. My pussy muscles gripped them, and I couldn’t stop myself from sinking my teeth into my brother’s shoulder. Not deep enough to break the skin, but I desperately wanted to latch myself onto him as the orgasm shuddered through me.
When the spasms subsided, I slumped back against the bed, my chest rising and falling with shallow breaths. I watched wide-eyed as Aaron brought his fingers, slick with my juice, to his mouth and sucked them.
We stared at each other, seemingly transfixed. Then Aaron gave himself a slight shake, as if emerging from a dream. He slowly sat up, and I fought the urge to run my fingers along his spine.
For a long time he didn’t speak. When he finally did, he didn’t look at me. “Are you okay?” he whispered.
“Of course I am,” I whispered back.
Aaron stood, straightening his boxers. Before he left, he paused at the edge of my bed and then grasped my hand, giving it a gentle squeeze. “Are we okay?” Now his voice was edged with something like fear.
I smiled, wanting to chase away any worry or guilt he had. “We’re better than okay, don’t you think?”
He smiled back softly, then leaned to kiss my forehead. A brotherly kiss, not that of a lover. “We’ll talk in the morning,” he said.
Unease settled in the pit of my stomach as I watched him leave the room. I felt exhausted, completely spent, but even after I undressed and stretched out on my bed that now smelled of sex, I wasn’t able to fall sleep. Instead, I held the extra pillow against me, the one Aaron had lain upon. I breathed in his scent, keeping him close the only way I could that night.