by Wild, Nikki
I lost the man who had raised me since my own mother had died when I was six. It was a vicious blow, and one I don’t think I would have ever recovered from had it not been for Jacob.
I hadn’t expected my new older brother—stepbrother, really—to come to my rescue. I hadn’t expected anything from him at all. For the first few years we lived together in his mother’s expensive home, Sarah made it clear he was her baby, her pride and joy, the one and only child she would ever love. I figured he would have reaped the benefits from that and ignored what it did to me, but to my surprise, Jacob began to protest right around the time he turned fifteen. The boy who had hardly said two words to me in years began to speak on my behalf, always to his mother’s horror, and soon he was inviting me to enjoy all the riches his mother had brought to the table.
When Jacob got some fancy new gift, he asked me to come play with it. When Jacob got to go to some swanky party or sold-out concert, he brought me along at his side. When Jacob got to take his mother’s AmEx card to the mall, he insisted I come along so that he’d know what clothes to buy me.
Those moments with Jacob were the only happy ones I had living in that house with his mother and my enabling father. When he moved out at eighteen, I was completely devastated, even though I understood his reasons. By that time, he’d pretty much burned his bridges with his mother. He needed a less toxic environment to spend his life in.
Luckily for him, his grandfather had left him a sum of money to be paid out on his eighteenth birthday. He showed me the bank account once. I’d never seen so many zeroes in my life. Two and a half billion dollars! As a result, Jacob was now independently wealthy, which meant he hardly had to worry about finding a place to stay.
Seven years later, here I was, nineteen and finally freeing myself of the same chains Jacob had shrugged off years before me. It felt good, but also a little scary, mainly because I didn’t have the same kind of safety net that Jacob did. I wasn’t a billionaire.
The other reason I had misgivings were because of my dad. I loved him more than anything in the world, but I couldn’t stick around with him the way things were. I knew he was afraid to be alone, but that didn’t mean I had to stay and let Sarah make me miserable. Besides, she hadn’t seemed too upset when I’d said I was leaving.
“Come on,” Jacob said, interrupting my conflicting thoughts, “let’s go inside. I’ve got your room all ready for you. I hope you like it.”
“I’m sure I will,” I assured him with a smile, looking up at the massive luxury apartment building my stepbrother called home.
I was happy we didn’t have to walk up any stairs to get to our floor. Jacob had a penthouse near the very top, and the elevator ride was long enough as it was. We didn’t say much to one another at that point, but I knew he would want to talk soon. After all, we’d hardly spoken to each other since Jacob had moved out. Sarah had pretty much forbade it, dismissing Jacob as a “lost cause.” I wasn’t even allowed to say his name in her house.
When the elevator doors finally opened, I found myself staring at what looked like, for all intents and purposes, an outdoor entryway. There were potted plants in the short hall leading up to a set of wooden double doors with a short awning over them, and the dim light gave it the illusion of sundown.
“That’s… really cool,” I said, smiling giddily. I’d never seen such a setup.
“I know. It’s part of what sold me on the place,” Jacob said, stepping out of the elevator and unlocking the door. “It really makes me feel like I’m the only tenant here, you know?”
I nodded. I’d never lived in anything but houses before. Sometimes they were run down and small, but at least they were houses… I had no idea what it’d be like to have your neighbors on the other side of the wall from you, or to live without a backyard to run and play in.
I couldn’t imagine that Jacob would have very much room in an apartment, either. To me, apartments always conjured images of cramped spaces with crappy fixtures and decades-old appliances. So when Jacob opened up the doors to his penthouse, I was in complete shock at what I saw on the other side.
His apartment was even more spacious than his mother’s house had been. I gazed in awe at our surroundings, each blink of my eyes revealing splendors more intriguing than the last. This was nothing at all like an apartment, with its glimmering hardwood floors, patio complete with a Jacuzzi, and enough room for a whole family to live in. I couldn’t believe my eyes.
“Jacob,” I breathed, “do you actually have the whole floor to yourself?”
He chuckled. “I do. I wanted something that seemed like an actual house, but was close to downtown. And here I am, right in the heart of it, with this place.” He smiled at me. “You’re welcome to stay as long as you like, you know. It’s not like I’m running out of room here, or anything.”
“I can see that!” I laughed, still marveling at the vastness of his home. “Holy shit. This was not what I was expecting.”
“I’ll take that as a compliment,” he replied, grinning as he took my suitcase and began walking toward a hallway. “Come on. I’ll show you to your room.”
I followed him, but couldn’t stop staring at how glamorous his penthouse was. When he’d moved, Sarah had told me he’d ended up in some pathetic apartment, as though he’d had to sacrifice the stability and expansiveness of a home by escaping her wrath. What I saw now confirmed for me that she was only bitter he’d turned on her, and that I was much better off living with him than I was under her rule.
I practically skipped down the hall, grinning like an idiot as my stepbrother led me to my room. It was even bigger than the one I’d had back at home, although that had barely been larger than a closet. Sarah had seen to it that I got the space meant for a live-in maid. As old as the house was, it might have even been slave quarters at some point… It was her way of letting me know what the pecking order was.
“Feel free to decorate it,” he told me, setting down my things on the queen-sized bed. “Seriously, I don’t mind. Anything you need, just let me know.”
I nodded, trying not to beam too brightly, but I knew my happiness was written all over my face. “Thank you so much, Jacob. This means the world to me, but… I couldn’t possibly ask you to spend your money on decorations...”
“It’s cool,” he answered, wrapping his arms around me in a tight hug. “I remember what it was like. I want you to treat this place as your home now, Amber. I want you to feel like you can make it your own. Besides, I’ve been trying to spend my money for years but every time I check the account, it keeps getting bigger. Compound interest on top of the stocks Granddad left me…”
Then he paused, looking down at me. His blue eyes were glazed with regret and concern. “I… I don’t think I ever apologized to you. You know, for my mom.”
“You don’t have to do that,” I told him, and I meant it. Her sins were her own. I never held Jacob responsible for any of it, and I’d always hoped he knew that.
But he shook his head at me and gave me a squeeze. “She’ll never do it on her own, and somebody has to say it. It makes sense for it to be me.”
“Jacob…” I began again, but the look on his face silenced me. He was determined, and I knew once he put his mind to something, there was no stopping him.
“I’m sorry for what she did to you,” he told me, rubbing my arms as he stared into my eyes. “Hell, sometimes, I’m sorry we ever even came into your lives. If we hadn’t, you and your father would probably have ended up a lot happier.”
That stung a little. Sarah was awful, sure, but I never imagined life without Jacob in it.
But then he smiled faintly and added: “I know it’s selfish of me, but even with all the hell she put you through, I’m still glad you’re my sister. I just wish we’d… met a different way.”
My heart warmed, but I was still a little confused. What did that mean—a different way? And why did he look so sad when he said it?
For the moment, I shrugged it off an
d squeezed his arms too, smiling as I felt the bulge of his biceps beneath his shirt.
“I’m glad I’m your sister, too,” I told him. “I’ve never regretted that for one second. I swear. And if I hadn’t had you there all those years, I… I don’t know what I would have done,” I settled on at last.
It was true. Sarah had made my life an absolute nightmare, and sometimes, I thought about taking the radical way out. But I could have never done that to Jacob. It would have destroyed him.
He smiled and embraced me again, pressing me tight to his hard, broad chest. I closed my eyes, drinking in his scent. There was something about his touch, his smell that made me feel so safe, so at home—complete, even. No other man had ever made me feel that way. I was starting to wonder if one ever would.
Eventually we parted, and Jacob ran a hand through his hair, laughing softly. “Well, I’m glad we’ve got that out. Wouldn’t want this to become too mushy, right?”
“Right,” I said, smiling broadly. “Hey, you know what would be cool?”
He raised an eyebrow. “What’s that?”
“A movie night,” I said. “You know, like the ones we used to have back at the old house. When Sarah and Dad were gone, I used to sneak into your room, and we’d cuddle up under a blanket and watch shitty B-movies on that huge TV you had, remember?”
“Of course I do,” Jacob said. “How could I forget?”
I grinned. “And this time, we won’t have to sneak beers. We can drink as much as we please.”
He laughed at that. “Thankfully, I have better taste than our parents did. I have wine.”
That was fine by me. I preferred a glass of red, anyway. “Great. Let me get my stuff put away, and then we’ll put on a movie. Sound good?”
“Sounds great, an escape from pretending to be a grown up,” Jacob said with a smile. “I’m happy you’re here, sis. I really am.”
“Me too,” I replied. “And thank you, Jacob. Again.”
“You’re welcome,” he said, then left me to sort out my belongings.
I was overjoyed at the prospect of living with my brother, and even happier that he seemed just as pleased as I was. I couldn’t wait to get close to him again. I was so relieved that so far, it seemed like we were picking back up right where we’d left off.
As I stowed my luggage, I remembered that Jacob and I had always had movie night in our pajamas. In the spirit of reliving old times, I opened up my suitcase and pulled out my short, kimono-style robe. It was black and partially sheer along the hem and the sleeves, but there was lining over the torso, so it wasn’t like it was inappropriate, or anything. It was also my favorite loungewear, and while it might have been a little risqué, Jacob and I were both adults. I had nothing he hadn’t seen before.
The thought of my brother seeing something intimate of mine did bring redness to my cheeks, though. We were close, obviously, but he’d only ever really known me as a child, a teenager, his baby sister. What would he think if he had to see me as a woman?
I debated over my clothing choice for a while. I probably could’ve thrown on an old t-shirt and some sweats, but the kimono robe was what I really wanted to wear.
Fuck it. If this was going to be my house, too, then I needed to act like it. I stripped down to my panties and put on the robe, sighing as the soft fabric brushed my skin. I cinched the waistband tightly, noting how the robe exposed my legs, yet left most of my chest covered. It was still modest, in a way. At least, that was what I told myself.
I took a moment to steal into the bathroom attached to my room and examined my appearance in the mirror. I had definitely grown up since Jacob last saw me, and filled out, too. My hair was longer, and a beautiful shade of red that had darkened with age. My eyes were brighter and bluer than he probably remembered, and my eyeliner only made them appear all the more obvious. I was a full C-cup now, with a tiny waist and womanly hips and legs that went on forever. Despite all the issues I’d had growing up, self-esteem wasn’t one of them. I knew I was beautiful.
But would Jacob think that? And why did I care? He was my brother—well, my stepbrother, but it was all the same.
Wasn’t it?
I frowned at my reflection and brought my robe a little tighter around my body before heading out into the living room. Jacob was already sitting on the couch, scrolling through Netflix on an enormous home theatre system in search of the worst movie he could find. He wasn’t in his pajamas, which made me feel a little uneasy about what I’d chosen to wear. I decided to break the ice about it before he could say something.
“I guess you forgot about the pajama aspect, huh?” I said, grinning nervously as I sat down beside him.
Jacob stared at him, clearly trying to not let his gaze drop as I got comfortable on the cushion. For some reason, I liked that he had to restrain himself. “I… guess I did, yeah,” he said with a laugh that seemed a little too shrill. “Those aren’t exactly the pajamas I remember you wearing as a kid, though.”
“I’d hope not!” I said, glancing at the bottle of wine and two glasses he’d set out for us on the coffee table. He’d already filled them both, and as I picked up mine, I inhaled the bouquet of sweet and savory ingredients. “You have way better taste than our parents.”
“Somebody had to,” Jacob said, though even as I tipped back my glass, I could feel his eyes on me, sweeping over my every curve and settling on the parts of me that were inappropriate for a brother to be staring at. My nipples hardened as I felt his hot gaze on my breasts, and a shiver ran down my spine. I knew it was wrong, but it was so thrilling to have his attention like this.
I turned to him and he abruptly dropped his gaze, picking the remote up to finally settle on some lame horror flick. I grabbed the throw off the back of the sofa and spread it across us, smiling as I curled up against his arm and sipped at my wine.
Jacob began drinking too, and though things were quiet and a little awkward at first, he finally began making the kind of quips that always made me laugh. He was even wittier now than he’d been back at our parents’ house, and I felt like I couldn’t keep up with his riffing. He made me giggle until I nearly flushed wine through my nose. I was in stitches, and by the time things quieted between us again, my robe had fallen off my shoulders, revealing most of my chest.
Jacob smiled at me. “Why don’t you sit here and I’ll rub your shoulders for you?”
I raised an eyebrow at him. “In your lap?”
“Well… sorta,” he said, scooting back on the couch. “Here, between my legs. You’ve been stressed, I’ll bet, and what with moving today, I’m sure you could use a good massage.”
He was right. I could definitely have used some TLC. Illuminated only by the flickering glow of the wall sized screen, I crawled over to my stepbrother, tipsy enough to come off as clumsy, and sat down between his legs, leaning my back against his chest. I felt his hands lower to my shoulders, pushing the remainder of my robe away from them as he began to knead the tight cords of muscle extending from my neck.
“Oh, God,” I murmured, letting my eyes flutter closed. “Jacob… that feels so good…”
“I’m glad,” he said, his mouth near to my ear. “I put myself through a massage therapy school…”
“The billionaire massage therapist?” I said, laughing.
“Having all the money in the world doesn’t mean a thing if you don’t spend it to improve yourself. Besides, a man needs to be good with his hands…” I smiled at the warmth of his breath and cooed as he continued. “Just relax, Amber. I’ll take care of you now.”
I did as I was told, practically melting into a puddle as Jacob worked my tired muscles. I had never realized how much tension I carried in my shoulders, and every move of his fingers reminded me just how much I had endured at the hands of our parents. But I was beyond that now, safe here with Jacob in his amazing penthouse, lying in my stepbrother’s arms while we binged on bad movies and made up for lost time.
I was suddenly overwhelmed by how p
erfect it all was. I turned my head and kissed him on the cheek, his stubble coarse on my soft lips.
“Thank you,” I said again, “for looking after me.”
I opened my eyes just in time to catch where my big brother was looking. My robe had fallen open during his massage, completely revealing my naked breasts, and Jacob was staring right at them.
My pink nipples were hard in the cold air, and even more so because of the way Jacob was still touching me, caressing me. He riddled my skin with goosebumps, and though I blushed when I realized what he was doing, I didn’t stop him.
I didn’t want to. I liked the way my stepbrother was looking at me, and I didn’t want him to stop.
Before either of us knew what we were doing, Jacob was kissing me, capturing my lips between his and moaning into my mouth. He sounded relieved, like he’d waited a lifetime to kiss me like this and steal the breath from my lungs. I gasped, but didn’t pull away. Something about it just felt so… right.