The Crime of Protection

by Gloria Martin

  “Its fine, Drew,” she said. “No. I’m not seeing anyone. I’m a bit of a homebody still. Even my girlfriends are worried about me.”

  Jacob shook his head. “That’s a shame,” he said. “A pretty girl like you needs a man on your arm.” Bailey blushed. The line was a bit forced, but it did the trick.

  “Yeah, I guess,” she said sheepishly. Andrew slugged him in the arm which made Bailey giggle more. “What about you two? Anyone I should know about?”

  “Not me,” said Andrew promptly. “But Jacob here had a girl over last night.”

  Bailey looked at him in surprise.

  “Oh?” she asked, trying to appear excited for her friend. “Is that true, Jake? You have a girlfriend?”

  Jacob laughed nervously. “I wouldn’t call her my girlfriend,” he said.

  “No?” asked Andrew. “What would you call her then?”

  Jacob turned and looked Andrew square in the eyes. Bailey could see that Andrew was trying to goad Jacob into something and, as usual, Jacob was ready to meet the challenge.

  “She was a fuck buddy,” he said. Bailey snorted at his bluntness.

  “Jake!” she said embarrassed. Jacob turned and shrugged.

  “What?” he asked. “Bailey, please, we’re all adults here. You mean to tell me you’ve never had a one night stand?” Bailey’s face turned a deeper shade of red, but she smiled coyly.

  “I suppose,” she said. “…maybe once or twice.”

  Jacob laughed and took a swig of his beer. “Did you hear that, Andrew?” he asked. “Bailey’s had a couple of flings. It’s no big deal.”

  Bailey threw up her hands. “Hey! It’s not like I do it often!” she exclaimed. The three laughed, but she could see that Andrew was a bit alienated by her comment. She knew Andrew was a lot more straitlaced than Jacob. She reached over and took his hand. When she had his attention, she gave him a wink.

  “Don’t worry,” she said. “I’m still that same nerdy girl who used to hang around you guys.” Andrew smiled kindly and took her hand. Bailey felt so comfortable holding his hand. Talking to both of them was so natural, but it seemed like whoever she showed favor towards, the other would be unhappy. She quickly let his hand go and went to reading the menu.

  She didn’t dare look up to see Andrew’s reaction to her taking back her hand, but she knew that it was probably better to be neutral. The rest of lunch went as normally as she could have hoped. The three caught up on the past few years. On occasion, one or the other twin would open an opportunity to flirt with her, but she quickly shut it down and changed the subject.

  However, she could not deny how good it felt to be flirted with by these two guys. Her friends would take her out to pick up guys all the time, but they all would eventually go after her more morally ambiguous friends. She gave in a few times when she had a bit of a dry spell, but she had one too many walk of shames. She wanted a relationship no matter what she told her friends and family.

  When lunch was over, the twins drove her back to her mother’s tiny apartment. “Did you want to meet up later?” asked Jacob. “You have go to see my nightclub!”

  Bailey chuckled. “I still can’t believe you have a nightclub,” she said.

  Jacob shrugged. “Seeing is believing,” he said. “How about it? I’ll even get you in VIP!”

  Bailey knew she could not keep sparing the other’s feelings forever. “Sure,” she said. “Sounds fun.”

  Jacob beamed. “Sweet,” he said. “It’s a date!” Andrew rolled his eyes and approached Bailey to say goodbye.

  He wrapped her in his large arms before whispering, “When you get bored, just text me and I’ll pick you up.” Bailey giggled and gave him a small squeeze. They broke apart and Andrew made his way back to the car.

  Jacob turned around and smiled. “Don’t worry, bro,” he said. “She and I are going to have a great time!”

  *****

  Bailey took a taxi to the nightclub. Jacob went there earlier, wanting to make sure the place was presentable for her. Bailey could sense there was a great game at play between Andrew and Jacob. Any other day, she would have shut them both down, curled up with a good book and called it a night. However, she could not help but feel a strange attraction for these two men who as boys were almost like brothers to her.

  She didn’t have much to wear in terms of nightclub attire, but she figured that a skirt and top would suffice. She approached the door and was greeted by a bouncer. As she went to take her ID out, Jacob came through the door and greeted her with a hug.

  “I knew you wouldn’t stand me up!” he exclaimed. Bailey could smell the booze on him. She found the smell a bit intoxicating as it mingled with his natural scent. Jacob waved at the bouncer who nodded and opened the door for them. As they entered, Bailey was greeted by loud music that she swore would have knocked her on her butt.

  The club was lavish to say the least. While everything around Sawyer Bay catered to families and the elderly, Jacob had created an oasis for young people and the young at heart. He turned to Bailey and smiled at her.

  “Isn’t this great?!” he asked.

  “You own this?!” she asked impressed. Jacob nodded; a smug smile across his face. She could not deny that she wasn’t a huge club girl, but part of her was simply impressed by what her old friend had accomplished. The two walked over to the bar and waved over a bartender.

  “What’s up Jacob?” the bartender called. Jacob pointed at Bailey.

  “This is my oldest friend in the world,” he yelled. “She gets all the drinks she wants for free!” Bailey looked at him and shook her head.

  “Jake, I couldn’t!” she cried over the music. Jacob laughed.

  “Bailey, please,” he said. “We haven’t spoken in years. Let me make up for all the drinks I never bought you all that time!” Bailey turned her lip up in mock annoyance.

  Jacob playfully rolled his eyes in response. “Tell you what,” he said as he gestured for two drinks from the bartender. “Let’s get our drinks, head on the dancefloor and you give me that dance I was supposed to get back at prom.”

  Bailey laughed and nodded. “Deal,” she said.

  Jacob grabbed the bottles of beer and handed one to Bailey. They both clinked their bottles together before going out onto the dancefloor. Bailey may have been a homebody, but she was no stranger to the dance floor. She moved her hips to the rhythm of the music; slow at first, but soon began to pick up the pace as the bass shook the entire club. The more she danced, the more relaxed she became. At some point, Jacob had placed his hand on her hip and brought her close to him.

  Bailey looked up at her friend and smiled. Jacob returned the smile. It was as if they were in the middle of the dance floor by themselves and for the first time, Bailey caught herself getting lost in her friend’s eyes. From the moment she had set eyes on him this morning, she had been attracted to him. She didn’t know exactly what that meant, but as she moved her body sensually against his, she was pretty sure she was going to figure it out.

  Jacob leaned his head closer to hers. She slowed her body down and let her lips part. She was his and she wanted him to take her. Jacob closed the gap between them and locked his lips against hers. A soft moan left Bailey’s mouth. Jacob’s lips tasted like tobacco and whiskey and it only excited her more. Jacob was the bad boy she was attracted to. She wondered to herself how long this had been a feeling for her. She remembered finding the Nelson boy’s cute, but she had written off ever starting a relationship with either of them. They were like brothers then.

  His tongue had slipped into her mouth and she suckled on it immediately. It had been so long since she had been kissed or held this way that she was not ready to break away just yet. Their bodies still swayed to the music as she felt his rough fingers trace over her stomach.

  Bailey broke the kiss, startled. Jacob had a look of regret on his face for being forward with his friend, but smiled when he saw the mischievous glint in her eye. Jacob took her hand and made a beelin
e for a room next to the DJ booth. He opened the door which lead into a small office. It was not much to look at. There was a lot of trash everywhere and it would seem that it had not been dusted in years. But Bailey knew exactly why she was there and she did not want to throw away the opportunity over a little dust.

  She leaned against the desk and looked at Jacob seductively. The more time that passed, the more excited she became.

  Jacob chuckled. “I can’t believe I’m doing this,” he said. “I mean… this is insane.” Bailey lunged forward and kissed him deeply. Kissing him again just felt right to her and she could not get enough. She reached down and began to undo his belt in order to unzip his pants. Jacob cupped Bailey’s face to bring her closer. He sucked on her bottom lip hungrily as she reached into his pants to grab ahold of his swelling member.

  Jacob moaned softly in her mouth. “That feels so good,” he whispered. Bailey smiled against his lips. She slowly began to stroke him; feeling him harden in her hand. He felt so full in her hands that in no time he was completely hard. Bailey slid down to her knees in front of Jacob as she undid his pants. Jacob leaned against the door to his office and pressed the button in order to lock it. Bailey pressed her lips against his penis; making him gasp in ecstasy. The whole moment felt so surreal for both of them, but the prospect of what was to come made them want to keep going.

  Jacob let his hand fall onto her curly auburn hair as he pulled her onto him. Bailey opened her mouth and let his hard cock slip past her lips. She slowly bobbed her head up and down his shaft; each time pulling him further and further in. Jacob’s breathing grew shallower each time Bailey slurped him up. The more she sucked his cock, the more pressure he applied to the back of her head.

  Bailey’s pussy began to gush the more she sucked. Her hands trailed across her breasts. Jacob reached down and cupped one of her large breasts in her hands. Bailey groaned as she pushed her chest into his hands. Jacob smiled as he played with her nipples. His fingers dug into her skin, setting her skin on fire.

  Jacob held out his hand and stood her up. Bailey turned around and bent over his work desk; her skirt hiking up over her ass. Jacob moved her thong out of the way and pressed his hardened cock against her pussy lips. She could feel her juices trickling down her thighs. Jacob was about to push into her pussy when he stopped himself.

  Bailey turned, knowing full well what was wrong. Their relationship was about to change forever. She looked him in the eyes and without saying a word, let him know that this was something that she wanted.

  Jacob nodded and slowly pushed into her wet pussy. Bailey gasped and arched her back. The feeling of his hands digging into her ass sent shivers down her spine. Jacob rocked his hips into hers; slow at first, but quickly picking up the pace. Her buttocks shook with each thrust. He was bigger than any man she had been with. Jacob’s cock filled her so nicely that she could have sworn he was a perfect fit.

  Bailey grabbed the edge of the desk and began to shake it ferociously as Jacob began to pick up the pace. Her moans filled the room. She pushed back into his thrust and tightened her grip on his cock as she took his full length.

  “Fuck me!” she cried. “Yes! Fuck me, Jacob!” Her cries of passion lit a fire in Jacob that made him pound her pussy harder. Bailey stood herself up on her arms. She lifted her top over her lacy bra and proceeded to pull them down beneath her breasts. They shook back and forth as she proceeded to be fucked by one of her dearest childhood friends.

  Jacob smacked her ass hard. “Bailey!” he gasped. “I’m gonna….I’m gonna come!” Bailey turned her head back, her hair falling over the side of her face.

  “Do it,” she whispered. “I want it.” Jacob looked down at her before pulling his throbbing cock out of her pussy. Bailey whimpered slightly as her pussy once again felt empty. Jacob’s cock pressed against her ass cheeks. She felt his knuckles brush against her as he pumped his cock wildly. He moaned softly as he emptied his balls onto her round ass. Bailey gasped as she felt the warm sticky fluid rest on her skin. It was thick and a bit of it slid down between her ass cheeks. Jacob breathed heavily as he looked down at his work. Bailey slowly stood up and pulled her skirt and thong back down, leaving his handy work resting on her.

  She turned around and looked at Jacob; smiling. “That was…” she started to say, but couldn’t finish. Jacob just smiled back with a knowing smile. He felt a strange satisfaction, deeper than the pleasure he normally got from sex. He grasped Bailey’s face again and kissed her deeply.

  He broke the kiss and let his lips linger against hers. “Should we get another drink?” he asked.

  *****

  The knowledge that Bailey and Jacob spent so much time at together was enough to drive Andrew insane. It was clear that she wasn’t the same shy girl from his youth, but to fall for his loser brother? There was no way Andrew could accept that.

  Andrew was sitting at the table eating his breakfast when Jacob came strolling in. Upon seeing his brother’s face, Jacob’s lips curled into a huge grin.

  “Morning,” he said. “Sleep well?” Andrew scoffed as he took a bite of his eggs. Jacob did not reply; only the sound of his whistling broke any silence as he turned the burner on and prepared to make himself bacon and eggs.

  “You should have come last night,” said Jacob. “Bailey had a great time, I think.”

  It took every ounce of Andrew’s restraint to not pounce on Jacob. He knew Jacob was trying to get a rise out of him.

  “Just for today,” said Andrew. “Can we not argue? It’s Dad’s birthday for crying out loud.”

  Jacob laughed and shook his head. “Whatever you want, Andy,” he sneered. “It would be a little inappropriate to kiss and tell, anyway.”

  White hot fury went through Andrew’s veins. His mind raced as he contemplated what acts the two could have committed together. Andrew threw his fork and knife down before exiting the kitchen. He was too angry even to look at his brother.

  Andrew made his way to the gazebo next to the beach; the very one the three of them sat at after graduation. When he was younger, he would sit in the gazebo and listen to the waves. Back then, Jacob would always join and sit in the silence with him. Now, it was to become a sanctuary from the taunting of his twin brother.

  “You must be upset,” said Bailey. Andrew’s head whipped around to see Bailey. She was wearing a beautiful yellow sundress with white cardigan, and carrying a small gift bag. “I came with my mom to help set up for the party, but I saw you storming out this way. Everything okay?”

  Andrew chuckled and turned toward the water, unsure of what to say exactly.

  “Did you have a good time last night?” he asked. Bailey watched him carefully; making sure it was not a trap.

  “Yeah, I did,” she said. “I wish you could have come with us.” Andrew turned around.

  “Yeah?” he asked. Bailey smiled.

  “Of course,” she said. “It’s always been the three of us.”

  Andrew scoffed. “Not always,” he said. “Besides, you better not let Jacob hear that. He might get jealous.” Bailey approached him slowly and stood next to him facing the waves. Andrew could not dare look at her.

  “You know, I’ve always had a crush on you,” he said. “Never did anything about it though because I figured it would be crossing some sort of line.”

  “I…I didn’t know that,” she said.

  Andrew nodded. “It was stupid,” he said. “Seeing you again, I guess it stirred up old feelings.”

  Bailey nodded. “I could kind of guess that,” she said. “You and your brother were very…agitated yesterday.”

  Andrew laughed. “That’s one way to put it,” he said.

  “Honestly,” she said. “I enjoyed the attention. Having you two fight over me was something that I never thought would happen.”

  Andrew shrugged, “Me neither,” he said. “I half expected you to tell us to stop.”

  Bailey shook her head. “Hell no!” she exclaimed with a laugh. They stood in
silence again as the waves crashed and the seagulls called out above them.

  “I liked you too,” she said. “When I was younger.” Andrew turned and looked at Bailey. Her face was beet red. She looked even cuter when she blushed, he thought.

  “Why did you never say anything?” he asked.

  “The same reason as you. We were friends,” she said. “I didn’t want to ruin that.”

  “Then what about last night?” he asked. “With Jacob?”

  Bailey turned her head away. “It’s hard to explain,” she said. “I know it sounds weird, but I…”

  Suddenly, a knock was heard on the outside of the gazebo. The two turned around to see Jacob staring at them.

  “Hope I’m not interrupting,” he said.

  “Actually, you are,” said Andrew. Jacob shrugged as he entered the gazebo.

  “What are you two talking about?” he asked. “It looked really serious.” Bailey looked at Jacob with pleading eyes.

  “Jacob…” she said. But she was stopped when he took her in his arms for a hug.

  “What’s wrong Bails?” he asked. Bailey’s eyes fluttered a little, but she looked him in the eye.

  “You know what,” she said. “This isn’t fair to Andrew.”

  Jacob nodded. “You’re right,” he said. “It’s not fair. Why don’t you get out of here Andy, so that we can have part two of what happened last night.”

  Furious, Andrew started from the gazebo. Bailey pushed Jacob off of her and grabbed his hand before he could leave the landing.

  “Andrew wait!” she cried.

  “Is it true?” he exclaimed. “Did you fuck him?”

  Bailey sighed. “Andrew, please!” she cried. “I wasn’t trying to hurt you! I care about you! I care about both of you!”

  “Let him go, Bailey,” said Jacob. “My brother is incapable of caring about anyone, but himself!”

  Like lighting, Andrew pushed past Bailey and punched Jacob in his mouth, sending him falling to the ground.

  “Andrew!” exclaimed Bailey. Andrew loomed over his brother, ready to give him another blow to the mouth.