I opened the covers and hopped back into the bed. He climbed in next to me and allowed me my space until I lied on my side and wrapped my fingers about his hand. I pulled it around me and relaxed into his body, succumbing to his warmth and comfort. He did not move for the first few minutes, his muscles tense, undoubtedly unsure of what to make of the situation.
After a few minutes, our bodies relaxed into each other. Connor pulled the blanket tighter around us. The fleece locked in the heat from our bodies and created the perfect cocoon of comfort for us. Sleep came for us both fast and we drifted off together, listening to the gentle thumping of each others hearts.
***
I awoke the next morning, my face buried in his chest. He still had an arm around wrapped around my shoulders. I felt so protected and safe, I went back to sleep for another hour or so until I sensed him stir.
We got out of bed and I took a shower while he fixed breakfast. Toast and eggs. Connor’s scrambled eggs always were the best I’d ever tasted and this morning was no exception. I’d missed them for years. Afterward, I walked to his bookshelf and studied his titles.
“You still like horror,” I said in observation.
“Always will,” he said.
“Don’t you ever get freaked out living out in the middle of the woods with no one around?”
“Not really. But I’d be lying if I said it never happened,” he said with a smile. He went silent for a moment, then asked, “How did you know I was out here?”
I flicked my eyes at him. “I didn’t,” I said.
“You ran off into the woods during a winter storm with no idea where you were going?” he asked. “Are you insane or just stupid?”
“Little bit of both,” I said.
“Obviously. You could have died.”
“There are worse things,” I said to the floor.
Connor sighed, dropping the subject.
My eyes drifted above the fireplace. A rifle was mounted above it like a silent guardian. “Is it loaded?”
“Yes.”
“Would you teach me how to use it?”
***
The afternoon sun rose high in the sky. Spring was still a few weeks off, but the sun had managed to melt the ice which clung to the ends of tree branches. Connor lent me some of his clothing to keep warm in the snow. I wore a pair of his slacks, which I had to secure to my smaller frame with a belt, and a long-sleeved flannel shirt. With a thick winter coat on top of it all, I could hardly move, but I kept very warm.
We strapped on boots and went outside for a walk. Connor held the rifle, hung loosely from one shoulder, and a sack of empty bottles and cans. I admired the area and found myself feeling envious of his home. I’d lived at the edge of this forest with Rupert for the last few years. I really had no idea Connor was living here. And I hadn’t planned on finding him this quickly.
“Why do you live out here?” I asked him as we broke the tree line. A field spread out before us where the snow sat mostly undisturbed in a perfect blanket.
“Why?” he repeated my question.
“Yeah, of all the places you could have run off to. Why here?” His silence made me wonder if I had overstepped with the questions. "You know, never mind,” I said. “Just forget it.”
“No, no. It’s fine,” Connor said as he laid the bag of rubbish down near a fallen tree. We made it to the end of the field and he made a hesitant noise before continuing. “I like the quiet.”
His answer was brief, almost rehearsed. But I decided not to push him on the subject and quickly switched to the task at hand. I reached into the bag and withdrew two cans and a bottle. We lined all the bag’s contents evenly on the fallen tree.
“Target practice then?” I asked.
“Yes,” he said with a quick nod.
“I always wanted to try this. Dad won’t let me anywhere near his guns. He always keeps them locked up.”
“It’s actually really simple,” Connor said as he walked away from the log.
I followed him. “Just point and pull, right?”
“For the most part. But it’s also aiming and keeping steady. There’s a science to it.”
He held up the rifle and loaded the barrel with a few rounds from his pocket. I watched him shoot the first few shots and studied how he held his arms and where he was positioned. He hit the targets each time with little trouble, then took a step back.
“Now you try,” he said. He held the gun out to me, barrel pointed up.
I reached out and took hold of the stock with both hands. I still had two broken fingers and taking a firm grip was difficult. He maneuvered me, placing his hands on my shoulders and standing behind me.
“Stand like this. Feet apart. The butt of the barrel goes into your shoulder, like this…” His arms wrapped around and he molded my body as if he were a sculptor. I did everything he asked, willing and eager to learn.
With my arms in his hands, we raised the rifle together and pointed it at the targets. I felt his breath against my cheek. The sensation sent chills through my body. My veins vibrated with life and I felt a closeness to him that I hadn’t felt in quite some time. Not since we were kids.
Add the power I felt while holding that rifle and one could imagine the adrenaline rush I was experiencing.
My finger twitched on the trigger. “Just point and pull,” I said.
“Point and pull,” he repeated with a whisper.
I pulled the trigger and the rifle’s kick sent a shock wave through my arm. From the depth of my stomach, I expelled a laugh that I’d never felt before. I smiled so wide it hurt my cold, chapped lips.
“That felt good,” I said.
“Well, imagine how it’ll feel when you actually hit something,” Connor said while reloading.
“Very funny,” I said. In all the intensity of firing the gun, I had forgotten to aim. This time when I raised the gun, I focused hard on the targets. It almost made me dizzy trying to keep the rifle steady. I took a deep breath and my nerves calmed like magic.
After a few seconds, I pulled the trigger again. A bottle shattered and my heart leapt into my throat.
“I did it!” I screamed and the gun slipped from my hands to the ground. "Holy hell, Connor! I did it!”
Connor smiled widely while I jumped up and down with excitement. I threw my arms in the air and shouted to the sky. I turned to him and tossed my arms around his neck. He returned my embrace and laughed with me.
When we pulled away, he leaned back into me and our lips met in a kiss.
My entire body tensed. His passion flowed through me, igniting my own. A familiar feeling, one that I hadn’t felt in years. Not since Connor left home. But just as fast as the fires ignited, he turned cold and took a wide stride backwards.
“That was wrong, I’m sorry,” he said. “We can’t… We can’t do this again.” He bent down to grab the gun and would not look at me. “I’ll walk you back to the cabin." He walked away, leaving me to gather the remaining cans and bottles. I did so and then quickly caught up with him at the outer tree line.
We walked back to the cabin in silence. Then had dinner in silence. I could not bare the awkwardness and finally dismissed myself to bed.
***
Once again, I could not find sleep. I stared at the ceiling, constantly seeing Rupert’s face in the shadows. After many hours of more silence, I heard Connor stir behind the door.
The door knob turned and he entered the room quietly. “Did I wake you?”
“No,” I said.
“Are you all right?” he asked.
I did not want him to leave. If I said yes, he most surely would have. “No,” I said.
He took a few more steps into the room and closed the door behind him.
Without a word, he came across the dark room and I opened the sheets for him. He laid next to me and took my hand while I turned to face him. A sliver of moonlight hit his face and I stared deep into his eyes. The feeling of eternal safety calmed me once more.
> I knew his kiss had scared him away. But I couldn’t have that. I reached out to him under the covers and placed a hand on his hip. My head was swimming and I took a deep breath to keep from getting dizzy. My nostrils filled with his scent. Chemistry ran its course and the dull throbbing inside me made itself known. Connor's hand moved under the sheets and he placed it on my thigh. We both knew what we wanted. The same passions that raged within us as young teens were starting to burn again now.
Together, we leaned closer. After hours of staring at the ceiling, imagining this moment, we kissed again.
It lasted seconds, then Connor pulled away for a moment. He looked at me with those eyes, those beautiful eyes, as if to ask if this was okay.
I bridged the gap he made between us and kissed him again.
There was no more hesitation from Connor. His hands explored my arms and abdomen with zeal. I felt his confidence as he shifted his weight, laying me on my back. His fingers traced down my arms, tickling my skin and bringing out my goosebumps. Our fingers entwined. I felt his longing for me and I decided in that moment that I would let him have me. All of me.
I pulled him closer until he was on top of me. Our lips couldn’t pull away for a second. His hardness rested against me. I longed to feel him inside me again and spread my legs wide to him.
His hands traveled downward and eased their way under my button down shirt. He shifted his kisses farther south, focusing on my neck. My entire body shook. I felt his passions and held him closer with my fingers buried in his hair.
With one hand, he started from the top and undid the first button of my shirt. He traveled down nice and slow, kissing my skin with each new reveal. I moaned for him to keep going, careful not to squeeze his hair too tightly. My belly quivered as his lips grazed me. Desire rose even stronger from within me. I had to have him.
Once he reached the top of my slacks, he paused for a moment before traveling back up to my lips. I let out a sigh, feeling the painful anticipation of wanting him to go lower.
I cupped his face and kissed him deeply. He kissed me back each time. Our lips came together perfectly, as if they were always meant to in the end.
We leaned up and I grasped the bottom of his shirt. I raised it above his head and slipped it off. I tossed it to the cold floor. His skin was warm and soft. I could not get enough of his lean physique, sculpted from years of labor. I kept him up and kissed his chest. His fingers gripped my hair as I did and I heard him groan with lust.
He pushed me back down to the sheets and held my arms above me on the pillows. In the past, this act had made me uncomfortable. Dark memories plagued my mind, Rupert’s face following closely behind them. Laughing at me.
But Connor did not use force on me. His gentleness turned me on. I was still wounded, my aches and bruises plagued me. But he took care of me without me even requesting it.
With my arms resting above me, he opened my shirt wide to expose my tingling breasts. The cold air infected my nipples, which peaked to him. He squeezed and licked at them, taking turns nibbling at them. I moaned, feeling the moist twitch of my nether between my legs.
As he traveled down once more, he kissed along the elastic of my trousers. He peaked up at me with pause, his eyes asking permission to continue. I took a hand and stroked back the hair which fell over his eyes. And smiled with a sincere nod.
With strong hands, Connor gripped the band of my trousers and pulled them down. I lifted my feet and pointed my toes to allow them to slip off with ease.
As he came back down, he kissed up my bare legs. Starting with my toes, his lips tickled my skin from my feet to my calves, knees to my thighs. He lingered the longest on my inner thighs, teasing me so much I literally felt the pain of pleasure just out of reach.
I stroked his hair with my shaking fingers and moaned to encourage our lust to take the next step.
Connor inched closer and closer toward my wet slit. He licked his lips and took a deep breath before kissing my sweet folds.
It had been ages since a man had touched me like that. I was rarely on the receiving end of real pleasure. I think Connor knew this and he took his time to allow us to ease into it together again. I gasped the moment I felt his tongue, strong and warm, against my lips. It slithered like a snake between the folds. My hips twitched with lust and his intensity increased with every passing moment. The pressure inside me expanded until my breaths came quick and moans fell out of me like rain from a cloud. All my blood ran toward my nether, leaving my limbs numb and my head on air. Connor lapped at me, pressing my button just the way I desired. He read my body language like a master composer. And after years of longing for him to come home again, my body was finally hearing the music it deserved.
“Don’t stop, Connor,” I said as I rubbed the skin of his neck.
He smiled wide with glee and he dived back in without a word. He applied more pressure and varied his speed until I was thriving beneath him. With strong arms, he gripped and steadied my hips as they bucked and trembled for him.
My body heat spiked and I reached the point of no return. The climax took me and I screamed at the ceiling with intense pleasure. Connor continued lapping and decreased his speed as I descended the plateau. My tense muscles surrendered to him and I relaxed into the sheets.
He kissed up my body, loving my belly and breasts and neck. I ravaged his wet lips with a deep kiss. Our tongues danced in the moonlight.
I reached down to his trousers. His member was still rock hard, his passions begging for sweet release. I dug my fingertips under the fabric and rubbed the skin of his rear, giving it a soft squeeze. I pulled his trousers down to expose him. His erection was large, the tip pulsating with desire for me. I spread my legs to him, giving him willing access to my everything.
We kissed again. Connor took hold of his member and aligned it even with my dripping passage. We both sighed into each other. I took hold of him and waited in warm anticipation until he moved his hips forward and slid inside me.
My tightness opened to him and a moan reach my heart, escaping through my lips. He groaned as he went in, inch after inch, being engulfed in my soft wetness. After going all the way inside, he paused, burying his face into the pillow beneath my head. I kissed the skin of his shoulders and his hair as he caught his breath. My slit throbbed with him inside and my passions ached for more of him.
He raised his head and kissed me again before rocking us with a second thrust. I gripped him tighter as his hips rotated between my thighs with a quick stream of moist gyrations.
I lifted my legs higher and wrapped my ankles around him. I locked them in place and bucked my hips to meet his thrusts. Our rhythm came naturally and we moaned into each others lips between warm kisses. His shaft hit my nether in just the right way. I screamed for him, beckoning him to continue and to never stop. My nails clawed at his back. The harder I scratched, the harder his thrusts came.
I felt my passions double back for a second climax. The feeling overwhelmed me. My eyes watered with tears of ecstatic joy and happiness as I listened to Connor ascend the same climb with me.
We held onto each other, clinging to the last ounce of control we both had until the orgasm shook us both. Connor squeezed the sheets around me, his eyes shut tight. I kissed him as he came, the warm spray soaking my sweet slit. My own juices mixed with his and wet the sheets beneath us.
Connor collapsed on my chest, his falling hair sticking to my skin with sweat. We held each other until our hearts returned to a normal beat. The curse of sleep engulfed us both until the early morning light.
***
I was alone in the bed when I came to. Somehow, I had managed to sleep so deeply that I was undisturbed by his waking. I threw the button down shirt back on and went to search for him. The kitchen and living room were empty and there was no sign of him in the bathroom. I paused there to clean myself up. I brushed a comb through my thick hair and wiped the sleep from my eyes. My cheeks were pink, full of life and love. I had not seen this ref
lection of myself in the mirror for ages. I smiled and embraced the possibility of a new future ahead.
The sound came from the front porch. The clinging of glass setting on a table and the creaking of a chain I followed the sound outside to find Connor lying back on the porch swing, a book resting on his lap.
“Good morning,” I said.
He looked up with a smile. “Good morning,” he said, throwing a bookmark between the pages.
“How long have you been up?” I asked.
“An hour. Maybe two,” he said. "I could not waste a morning like this.” He looked out at his backyard and we admired the view. It was the first warm morning of the year, signaling the coming of spring. Green grass was reaching out above the melting blankets of snow and the birds’ song was faint, but growing stronger.
“It’s so beautiful out here,” I said, taking the seat next to him on the swing.
“Are you cold?” he asked, taking note of my bare feet and lack of pants.
“No,” I said. “I’m buzzing inside.”
Connor took my hand and we watched the melting snow fall from the trees.
“Why did you really leave home?” I asked. “The man with me last night isn’t the same one that broke my heart when we were young.”
“He made me,” Connor said with no hesitation.
I stared at him, eyes wide. “He did? Why?”
“He found out,” he answered. “Just after your mom died. He saw us together. Forced me to say those things to you. That you meant nothing to me and that I was leaving.”
We sat together for a brief moment in silence. Connor reached out and moved the bottom of my shirt up to reveal the old bruises on my skin. “I never would have if I’d know what he would do to you.”
We looked at each other and knew it was truth. I leaned in closer for a kiss and he wrapped an arm around me. Our lips met with an intense fire that boiled from deep within us. The book slid off his lap and hit the floor with a dull thud.
Stepbrother: Together Forever Page 2
