by Selena Kitt
“Unreasonably heavy box coming through!”
Allie giggled but darted out of the way as Kit staggered towards the rear of the truck and set the box down with a grunt. He slumped melodramatically, groaning deeply, cheek against the packing tape, eyes closed. She waited for him to quit the act for a moment or so—even his moaning sounded really British—but when he didn’t get back up, she put a hand on his shoulder.
“Hey, you okay? Did you actually pull something?”
He opened a mock-stern eye. “Allie… what did we agree about big boxes? ‘No books’, I seem to remember?”
“Uh… sorry. I guess I got a little carried away throwing stuff in. But are you okay?”
“Okay-ish.” Her stepbrother straightened, stretching his arms. “I’ll be giving them the nudge test from now on to check they’re safe to lift.” He peeled off his tank top and balled it up, tossing it onto the passenger seat. “Right. More slavery coming up…”
Allie smiled as he trudged back into their parents’ house to grab yet more of her stuff, making a real deal out of pretending to be a martyr, but doing an awesome job of pretending he wasn’t sad that she was moving out. He was finishing a UK-US conversion course so he could add middle-school math and science to the subjects he was qualified to teach, and had moved back in with their mom and dad for a while so he could focus without worrying about paying rent. She’d adored having him around again. Looking at the stack of boxes already in the truck, she couldn’t believe how helpful he’d been, chatting and joking the whole time. It totally made up for the annoyance and embarrassment of Joel bailing on her. And the rest of her ‘friends’.
She watched Kit trip easily out of the house, a box under each arm, his toned body shining as the sun lit up the little mist of sweat he had on his back. He was slim but athletic—he would definitely not be out of place as a model on a package of guy’s underwear. And she’d seen him in briefs. He had a good package of his own.
Allie, don’t go there.
She jerked her gaze up and the moment he caught her eye, he acted like he was trying to carry a pair of elephants down the stairs, stumbling under their huge weight. So, so unlike Joel, who just had to look tougher than everyone else.
Allie jogged over and took one of the boxes from Kit, walking over to the truck with him. “I’m sorry you turned out to be the only ‘slave’.”
“Oh, don’t worry. It’s nice to have you to myself sometimes.” Kit gave her a flicker of a smile. “So where’s your charming, one-celled wonder today?”
Allie giggled. “Joel’s not that dumb. He’s just… male.”
“Well… that’s put half the planet’s population in their place. Including me.” He hooked his thumb into his shorts and talked down to his dick. “Bad news, I’m afraid. There’s no hope for us—we’re ‘just male’.”
“Oh, come on! You know what I mean. He’s just really alpha in a lot of ways. You’re different. You’re tough in your own way, but you do the whole listening thing, too.”
Kit took a box from her and carried it around to the stacking pile, putting it on top of the one he’d been carrying. It seemed to take a lot fumbling with the security straps before he turned back to her. His face was a little flushed. “Are you two having issues?”
“He offered to help out today, but… ” Allie didn’t know whether to go on or not, but Kit’s gaze was patient and serious. Hell, if she couldn’t tell Kit, she couldn’t tell anyone. He really did pay attention, and listen. She trudged over to the low wall that separated path from lawn and sat down. “He hinted, not so subtly, that if he was going to spend the day helping me out, he’d expect… favors.”
“Ah.” Kit sat next to her and spread his legs out in front of him. “So if he lifts a few boxes for you, he wants a blowjob for his trouble?”
She winced. “Something like that.”
“And what about your other friends? I’d have thought Tina would’ve come to help, at the very least.” Kit grinned. “Or is the lure of hours in my company not quite strong enough anymore?”
“We’ve kind of drifted apart, too.”
“Argument?”
“Not exactly. I made the mistake of confiding in her about Joel and his… you know, putting pressure on me to ‘put out’. She pretty much said she was sick of hearing about me not wanting to get pressured by this guy or that guy, and that she’d put out for Joel if I didn’t… so…” Allie sighed.
“Wow. There’s loyalty for you.”
They sat in silence for a few moments and Allie felt her bikini strap slide down her arm. She pulled it back up and rearranged her cleavage a little so the cups weren’t pressing so hard over her nipples, which were inexplicably hard, even in the heat. She glanced back over to Kit, who stared intently at the grit on the ground between his sneakers. He cleared his throat.
“So… does this mean you haven’t gone all the way with anyone yet?”
“No,” she confessed softly. “I haven’t.”
He stared at her and she felt that hot blush rising again.
Okay, so she knew it was unusual, especially these days. She’d graduated already, but couldn’t bring herself to be that intimate with a guy who couldn’t even commit to meeting her at a bar at an agreed-on time. Between them, Kit and his father, Andy, had spoiled her. Her stepbrother and stepfather were the two most kind, considerate, generous men she’d ever known. It suddenly felt important to tell Kit that holding back wasn’t just about being scared of that first time.
“I’m waiting for the right person.”
“How will you know who that is?”
Oh, that was easy. “He’ll act like helping me out is something he wants to do. He’ll laugh at my jokes, and make me laugh a lot. He won’t act resentful about stuff like having to remember my birthday.”
“All reasonable demands, you’d think.” Kit chuckled.
“He’ll put me first—at least, often enough that it feels like we’re in a partnership. He’ll be kind and brave. And he’ll clean up after himself, for pete’s sake. Oh, and he’ll be ready to settle down and have a family.”
“Allie…” Kit cleared his throat. “He could be kind and brave but still run six miles in two minutes if you mention babies.”
She bristled. “He’ll be mature, is what I’m saying.”
“Will he be allowed to criticize your driving?”
She rolled her eyes and swatted his arm. “If all the other stuff falls into place, then I guess there’s a little leeway.”
“That’s very accommodating of you.” Kit tried looking serious but failed, grinning off into the distance. “Actually, I really admire that.”
“You admire me being accommodating?”
“Yes and no. How do I put this?” Kit scratched at the back of his neck where the dark gold of his short hair had teased into little bronze strands in the sun. A drop of sweat rolled down the deep channel between his shoulders. He smiled as she reached over to scratch for him where it itched. “In a lot of ways, you don’t really stand up for yourself. The way Joel and your other ‘friends’ treat you, right? But you’ve put your foot down where it matters—that’s what I admire.”
“Thanks.” She leaned into him a little, loving the warmth of his arm wrapped around her shoulders. His thumb stroked her arm, sending blissful little shivers down her spine. He was so affectionate—always had been.
She’d been eighteen when her mom finally introduced her to the guy who’d kept sabotaging the pipes under his sink so she’d keep having to go back again and again to fix it. Allie had taken to Andy instantly. What she loved most about the man was that he actually boasted to his friends about his new girlfriend’s DIY expertise, unlike previous boyfriends who had a real problem with Allie’s mom having a guy’s job. Whose mother was a plumber? Well, hers was.
But Andy bragged about her mom to anyone who would listen. He moved in quickly and spent the next few months talking up his twenty-three year old son to the point that Allie feared she�
�d be disappointed when he finally flew over from London.
Disappointed? Hardly. She’d been blown away.
Kit had the same Downton Abbey accent as his father, the same cheeky humor and quiet but compelling self-confidence. When it was time for her to move away to college, she’d been excited for her new life, but also sad. And relieved. Living with Kit and Andy had been so good for her. And amazing for her mom. But college had saved her from herself from the crush she’d developed on Kit that was growing to the point that she almost couldn’t shut up about him to her friends. And there had been incidents that made it clear that he had the hots for her, too, though those had been left safely in their past, unspoken of.
Allie figured their parents would eventually get their heads around the fact that their kids were into each other—they weren’t blind, or stupid—but other people around here? Not so much. This was as small-town as small towns got. She thought about the rough time the gay girl-couple down the street had been given when they came out as partners, not just roommates, and shuddered. She couldn’t imagine what they’d say if they found out she was into her stepbrother.
“You know…” Kit murmured. “There are a lot of other things a couple can do until the person, and the time, is right.”
“Yeah?” She cocked her head at him, feeling dizzy in the heat. “Like seeing the nearly-right person in the shower and then going back to your room to jerk off?”
“So much for discretion.” Kit’s cheeks flushed red and he cleared his throat.
“You stood in the hallway with your hand in your boxers.” She raised a playful brow at him. “So, no. Not exactly discreet.”
“You left the door open.” He shrugged. “I was in shock.”
“Every time?” Allie burst out laughing at his faux-prim tone. Sometimes he was so British.
“Okay, just the first time,” he confessed. “But you didn’t exactly lock the bathroom door in horror, did you? It’s not like you ran from the house screaming…”
“I was in shock, too.” She jutted her chin out.
Kit laughed but put a discreet hand on the left leg of his shorts, tugging them down a little. Allie saw the hard bolt tenting the fabric up to his left hip and paid sudden but intent attention to her kneecaps, wiping off the tiny spot of oil from the hitch on the back of the truck.
His cock was pretty big, if that ridge was anything to go by. She wondered if he was really sensitive, too. She imagined him stripping and joining her in the shower. At the thought of running her hands over his tight, soap-slick body, she felt a sharp tug in her belly. Her pulse beat a little too hard in her chest, then she felt Kit’s gaze on her.
He gave a little chuckle and she shrank inwardly a little, wondering how much she’d cheapened things by bringing up those unspoken moments.
“Sorry,” she muttered. “Shouldn’t have said anything.”
“No, I’m sorry. My self-control isn’t what it used to be.” He stood and helped her up. “Looks like I’m ‘just male’ after all. Shall we get back to work?”
“Okay, we’re all packed. Just these last boxes to load up.” Kit unlocked the tailgate on the truck and pulled the netting out, draping it over the wall to get it out of the way. He peered at the contents of her bedroom, all heaped in an anonymous cardboard pile in the middle of the floor. “I cannot believe how much stuff you’ve got. You’re a terrible hoarder.”
“Don’t think I’m ready to go on the show or anything yet.” She grinned.
“Are you daft?” He laughed. “I think you were even hoarding the dust bunnies!”
“Now I’ve got them all over me.” She made a face. “I’m going to take a shower before we head over to my new place. Will you wait?”
He nodded, glancing at the last pile of boxes. “I’ll finish with this load.”
As he hefted one of the boxes, Allie’s cell buzzed and she saw a message from Joel asking her if she was coming over later, after she was done moving. She was tempted to tell him to go screw himself but she didn’t. Instead, she replied that she was pretty tired but she’d text him later, after she was all moved in, and let him know. Then she went down the hall to the shower.
She peeled off her bikini top and shorts—they were both dusty and sticky and made her itch—and stepped under the spray as soon as it was warm enough to stand in. Once she’d washed off the sweat and grit, she shampooed, then reached up to adjust the shower head to its narrow, harsh setting with all the water pounding out of a few little holes in the middle. It was the perfect massage over her shoulders and back and she moaned softly at the sensation. She coated her front with shower gel, wishing Kit was here to do her back. He’d probably be really gentle, teasing her as he ran his palms over the back of her thighs.
Allie swallowed hard, remembering her initial shock the day she’d first turned around in the steamy cubicle to see his blurry form through the shower door, hand in his boxers. Stroking. She’d ‘accidentally’ cleared a little steam spot from the glass with her shoulder and peeked through, seeing him biting his lip as his corded forearm moved faster and faster. Then he’d darted into his room and she’d heard the door bang closed.
She’d been shaken for all of two minutes. From that time on, she just glowed at the thought of her body turning him on that way, and looked forward to those moments when he’d take advantage of the open bathroom door, thinking he was being so subtle out in the hallway. She’d never gathered the nerve but she’d had dreams about leaving the shower and walking over to him, presenting her bare, wet body as a gift as she stroked her hands over his tight, lean, ridged belly.
She felt another tug in her belly and her legs trembled, even under the heat of the spray. Nobody could make her body respond to simple fantasy the way he could. She tilted her head back under the water jet to rinse the shampoo out, and when she opened her eyes again, Kit was outside the shower door.
No way was she pretending she couldn’t see him. Not anymore.
His hand splayed on his side of the glass and she put her palm up against his, using her other palm to wipe a window-sized gap in the steam.
Kit reached a strong hand down to pop his fly and unzip, then tugged his shorts down past his lean hips to his thighs, pulling himself out of his boxers and stroking himself slowly. His cock was beautiful, long and thick, the visible skin glossy and just a couple shades paler than the light tan of his abs and chest. She looked up and saw him at his most gorgeous. His bangs were sweaty, dangling in tousled strands as he tipped his head forward a little, closing his eyes and parting his lips. His breath clouded on the other side of the glass as his hand moved faster on his cock.
She reached down between her legs and slid a finger between her swollen lips, amazed at how slippery-wet she was down there. She stroked tiny circles around her clit, cupping a breast with her other hand. The steam cloud begun to obscure their little window again but she could hear him above the rush of the water now, his fast breathing escalating to sharp groans. She wanted to make him groan like that—she wanted her touch on his body to make him lose control. She fingered her nipple, tugging it, feeling that delicious sensation shoot straight down to her clit, where she stroked herself more firmly. Watching him was intoxicating. She matched her rhythm to his, barely able to keep her fingers on her clit as the muscles in her thighs clenched.
She was close to coming when Kit let out a rising cry and the hand on the glass slid right up to the top of the glass door, his knuckles whitening over the edge. Then his head tipped back, his chest thrusting up to the ceiling as a climax cracked through his body and a rope of thick, pearly come spattered on the outside of the shower door. Allie took her fingers away from her clit, too fascinated by the sight of him completely lost in pleasure to continue. It was an image to carry into her fantasies and re-use over and over again. She wanted it branded in her memory.
Kit nearly sank to his knees on the other side of the glass but got himself together, breathing hard as he stumbled around, grabbing a washcloth off t
he sink to clean himself. He didn’t look at her.
Then he buttoned up and staggered out without a word.
Allie didn’t finish masturbating. She was still turned-on, but now she was worried about Kit. What was he thinking? What was he doing now? She finished up quick, grabbing a towel off the rack and wrapping it around herself. She called for Kit as she stepped into the hallways. She hoped he was okay and not banging his head against the wall, thinking he’d made some horrible mistake. She called out a couple more times but he didn’t answer. She was beginning to panic when she found her cell on the hall table and a text from him on the notification screen.
I’ll take the truck over now and start unloading.
She blinked. He was going to make normal conversation after that? The devil on one of her shoulders her came to life, wrestling the angel on the other, and she grinned as she thumbed back her response. You sure you’ve got the energy? I didn’t know you could unload so many times in one night!