by Casey Morgan
When I step into the room, I see her there, looking flushed and embarrassed. She also looks out of it. Like she’s somewhere else. “You doing okay?” I asked her, bending to her level. “Can I get you a glass of water or something? You look a little flushed…”
My question to her, the concern I’m leveling at her gets her attention. “A glass of water? Sure,” she says, still sounding out of it. Timidly, she licks her lips. I don’t see anything there, but can read a hint of lust and excitement in it.
“Be right back, Krystal,” I say. “Wait here.” I add that out of habit, not because I think she’s going to go anywhere. Not with how spacey and dreamy she’s acting. From the room, I pad over to our kitchen. For being in the “loft” above our business, it’s super big and fancy. Five-star practically. Almost good enough to be at one of the high-end restaurants around. I quickly moved to the cupboard, grab a glass, yank on the faucet, and fill it up.
It doesn’t take me more than two or three minutes to go and come back with her water, but in that time, Krystal seems to have composed herself. When I step back in through the doors, hand her her water, and watch her drink it down quietly, she’s calmer and less spacey, but also less antsy.
“Thank you,” she says, handing me back the glass with a blush and a smile. “I needed that.”
“No problem,” I say, putting the glass on the nightstand close to the bed. “So. What costume did you bring for me today?” I close the door, watching her rummage through a box.
“I brought a Jester,” she says, holding the one-piece bodysuit, hat and elf shoes in one hand. “Or a Roman soldier.” In her other hand, she holds up a leather tunic, armor that matches it and a helmet with the red bristles on top.
Jayden would tell me to pick the Jester, since he likes to say I’m the clown of the litter, but Krystal need something more than a clown. She needs a soldier. Someone who would fight for her.
“The soldier,” I say, immediately beginning to strip. I don’t think about what I’m doing, until Krystal blushes, giggles and looks away. It’s a quiet, soft giggle, but she’s adorable. The way she looks hanging her head like that? It’s so adorable, I feel like my heart’s going to stop. I take the clothes from her. I slip on the sandals first, beginning to feel flirty. I then take the leather tunic and began to put it on. I wander closer to her, seeing if I can get her to look at me. She wants to. I can tell. More smiles flitter across her lips, brighten her cheeks.
Though I know I’m perfectly capable of putting on the tunic myself, I’m feeling like toying with her. All in jest and sweetness, of course. “Krystal.” I act like it’s a little hard to get the tunic on, like I need her help. “This is a little difficult to get on. Do you think you would mind helping me?” I grin, knowing she probably reads the fib on me, but I’m intoxicated by her nearness. Her smell. I’ve just begun to smell her musk, like a flowery fog hanging around us.
“Sure,” she whispers, and comes close to me. As she does, I decide in that moment that I’m going to “trip” so I can bring her onto the bed. I lose my balance right on cue, and put my arms around her. Carefully guiding us in our fall, I direct her to the bed.
Amidst our fall (that seems to happen in slow motion), our eyes meet, and we kiss. We lose each other in the warmth and rightness of everything. I certainly do. The moment my lips touched hers, and I let my tongue free to explore her mouth, I feel like I’m traversing galaxies. Miles and miles of time and space, floating.
She kisses me back as we come to land on the mattress. Her movements are fierce and ecstatic. Liquid and fire at the same time. Every time I think she’s done kissing me, she buries herself in me and gives me more love. She runs her hands down my shoulders and neck, through my hair and down my back. Just as she goes to wrap her leg around one of my hips, I push it aside. Followed by the other leg. From there, I pull up her skirt and pull down her panties.
Musk and wetness greet me immediately. “Already wet and ready,” I muse. “I could give you some release. I could quench another thirst, if you like, Krystal.” So saying, I lower my lips and mouth to her exposed pussy. Her pale pink mound is entrancing. I give a testing flick of her lips and her hood with my tongue. When she doesn’t object or react negatively, I take that as permission. “I’m thirsty too, so I’ll make sure to drink every drop of this lovely nectar you’ve made for me.”
I punctuate each of those words with a lick and a suck to her lips and clit. By the time I finish what I’m saying to her — the comment about what all she’s made for me — Krystal’s already squirming. She’s panting and sighing into the sheets, whining and moaning softly. She rolls her hips for me, unconsciously begging me to do more for her. I do, increasing the speed, power and length of my licking. I begin to center most of my attention on her clit, but alternate between her hood and her lips, just to drive her crazy.
In no time at all, she’s bucking and shaking underneath me, and I have to grab her hips with both of my hands to keep her still. “I’ve never let a bit of food wander off my plate, and that’s not going to happen now,” I tell her huskily, and yank her closer. I pin her to the place in front of me and keep licking and sucking on her clit. At the same time I do this, I play with her folds. I drag a finger across them playfully, but don’t penetrate.
Krystal cutely bites down on my shoulder as my fingers play with her wet, hot folds. In the quiet room, all that can be heard is Krystal’s breathing and the twisting of my fingers on her damp pussy. Though I’m not filling it with anything, I want to, but I don’t want to push.
And believe me. My dick wants to push, but there will be time for that later. After I’ve given her a good time, and after all of my brothers have been sorted out.
Ignoring my raging erection, I focus on bringing her to climax. As it is, she’s giving cues. Quaking and jerking happens underneath me, as I lick and suck her clit, swirl my tongue around the hood and up to her bud. She buckles and pants, clamping down on another cry. And then she comes. It’s quiet and brutal, the way her orgasm grabs her. It’s dry and shaking, causing only a withering, gasping cry from her lips. Something that only I can hear because I’m so close. She twists and buckles under me, writhing an invisible wave. One I can only feel the aftershocks of, as I bring my mouth away from her sweet spot.
I look up at Krystal, see that she looks flushed and out of it all over again. I chuckle, and plant a sweet, breathless kiss on her forehead. “Guess I should let you rest and then get to the rest of my brothers, since the orientation is going to start soon.”
Krystal nods, completely out of it. I help her get decent again, and give her another kiss. “I’ll send my brothers in an a few minutes.”
With that, I head out the door and tell Jayden, Aiden and Gabriel to plan on going in soon and they’re all at once, since that orientation is due to start, and they still need to be fitted. “Though, you might want to give her a minute. This outfit was a little bit troublesome, so Krystal had to make extra adjustments and notes.”
Gabriel gives me a suspicious look. “Sure.”
Aiden looks like he feels bad for her. “Of course. It’s a big job she’s undertaken for us, after all.”
“Whatever.” Jayden taps his foot. “I’ll be going in first, followed by you, Gabriel. Aiden last. We don’t have all day.”
With that, I hurry out of the loft portion of our winery/living space and prepare myself to gather the waitstaff. They should be arriving in mere minutes.
****
In about an hour, the rest of my brothers have been fitted for their costumes and come down in them. Jayden in his pirate captain costume, Aiden in the jester one I wouldn’t wear, and Gabriel in an old-world singer costume — a bard of sorts. Of course, the waitstaff have already been assembled. The fittings on their costumes are not a big deal, as Krystal already supplied me with another box of costumes already finished. These are from her own collection, that just so happen to fit the other members of the waitstaff.
The only girl ge
tting a specially fitted “waitstaff” costume is my sister, Emma, who is going to be a princess.
Now that my brother Jayden is here, he immediately starts lecturing the gaggle of waitstaff like he really is a pirate captain. “Alright everybody,” he says, clapping his hands, “everything has to be done just right for tomorrow. I want everyone to serve our guests with either the title of ‘Lord’ or ‘Lady’, depending on their gender or preferred pronouns. I want everyone to say ‘your wish is my pleasure,’ when they ask for something and ‘forgive me, I will see it fixed right away’ if something is not right. Our wines will be featured exclusively at this event, especially the new blend. I want you all dropping that name as often and as suggestively as possible tomorrow.”
From these instructions, Jayden goes on to coach people on body language, and how they need to make sure that they don’t say anything they don’t mean, when they don’t think they’re speaking at all. As he’s doing this, I keep catching Krystal’s gaze. And every time I do, I see her smile and blush at me. I smile back, though I hope I’m not blushing.
Still, I’m feeling pretty good about it.
While my brothers might be excited for their wine tasting, I’m excited for my new girlfriend.
Chapter Ten
Gabriel
The day of our wine tasting has finally arrived.
After the intense orientation yesterday, I’m ready for this thing to go off without a hitch. I’m praying for its success, though I know that flawless presentation and service that runs like clockwork is more effective than any prayer. Which is why I’m making sure that all of our decorations are flawlessly made, flawlessly hung and displayed.
I’ve been working with Aiden on this all morning.
We started in the entryways, and now we are focusing on the tasting room, the visiting rooms beyond, where people will be encouraged to try our wine along with some other various snacks and food we’ve had catered for the event. That came in early, early this morning, thanks to Caleb driving our truck to go pick it up.
So at least the food is taken care of, but these decorations need to be done just right. From the specially-made renaissance-inspired tapestries and hanging bobbles, we’ve moved on to the flower arrangements. The black and red roses I wanted specifically for this event, but Aiden can’t seem to get them right. Not to my sense of “right”. On top of that, he’s acting twitchy, anxious and worried. More so than usual. I know part of its from not being able to be out with the plants in the vineyard, but there’s something else getting to him as well.
And it just ends up getting to me. Getting on my nerves. “No,” I snap at Aiden, “that’s not where I wanted those roses to go. It’s off. It’s not sitting right.”
My brother frowns. He moves a few black roses to a different spot, and that’s not any good either.
“No, that’s not any better, Aiden. That’s worse!”
Again, Aiden goes to try to fix my problem, but what he doesn’t understand is that no matter where he moves it, it’s worse than the last place it was. The flowers keep looking more and more unsymmetrical.
I put my hands up to the sides of my face and rub my temples. “That looks horrid! These are flower arrangements! They should be easy to place, and yet you seem to not get that fact!”
Aiden growls at me. He practically slams the vase down. It doesn’t break, but some petals do fall. “Would you stop being so particular?” His face flushes a deep, irritated red. “We have more than just this flipping vase to place and we are running out of time!”
“I want this to be done right, Aiden,” I tell him. I stop myself a moment. “It needs to look perfect. But that doesn’t explain something. Why you are so bent out of shape? So nervous or whatever you are.” I take the vase from him and place it where I want it myself. As I’m going over to grab a few more flower arrangements, I look over my shoulder and say, “I know everyone’s probably a little on edge for this important tasting, but this anger is unusual for you. Even if I’m being ‘particular’ as you say.” I go to place those vases, before turning back to him. “What’s up with you?”
Aiden hesitates a moment. He looks like he’s debating something, but then speaks. I don’t hear him the first time.
“What?”
“I like Krystal. I’m going to ask her out.” He glares at me, as if I am going to tell him that he is acting stupid. Which he kind of is.
For a moment, I’m shocked. I’m stunned by my brother being so blunt about a girl he likes, also at the fact that I like her too. That I’ve had the exact thought to ask her out.
“Oh yeah? Well, I like her too. And I had the idea to ask her out before you did.” I had that thought yesterday, when she fitted me with my troubadour costume. Plus, she’s fucking hot, so who wouldn’t want to ask her out?
I face him completely now, crossing my arms over my chest. “I’m going to ask her out before you, Aiden. I’m not quiet and shy, like you.” I know I’m being a dick, but I don’t want him getting to Krystal before me. And he already gotten to spend some quality time with her when he was showing her around the vines — something I still don’t like.
“That’s not fair. You always do this, Gabe. You always claim something is your idea and that you had it first,” shouts Aiden. “If you cared about me at all, you’d at least let me have a chance at Krystal, not throw me under the bus. Or remind me that I’m working with my shyness issues.”
I stick my tongue out at him. “Love and war have always gone together, Aiden,” I snap, feeling angry. “If you can’t go to battle for her, you don’t deserve a chance at asking her out!”
Aiden snarls at me. The sound is a wolfish, though he hasn’t transformed. At that moment, he looks like he’s going to come barreling toward me and transforming. But before that can happen, in comes Caleb. He’s caring some more boxes of wine.
“If you guys are fighting about Krystal and who’s going to ask her out, you can stop right there. She’s already mine,” he states matter-of-factly.
Already mine? Is he joking? I know he’s the clown, but seriously? I snap my head in his direction, but it’s both Aiden and me who says, “What do you mean already yours?”
Caleb sets down his box. “She’s already my girlfriend. Happened yesterday, the moment she got done fitting me.”
“You liar,” I snarl.
“Yeah,” says Aiden, “you’re just joking around, as usual.”
“I’m so not joking! She is my girlfriend!”
“She is not,” I say, preparing to knock him out for that.
I’m about to, when Jayden and Lucas come in, no doubt drawn to us by the sound of fighting. They enter into the fight, but mostly to calm us down, get to the bottom of who did what. Krystal keeps coming up, her name on all of our lips, but it’s finally Jayden — hand thrown into the air — who settles everything. “All right! All right, enough!”
We all shut up, but I’m making my plans. I’m going to get Krystal alone as soon as I possibly can and ask her out.
“We all like her, so how about we all ask her out on a date, yeah? We let her choose,” Jayden continues. Irritated, angry and selfish growls resound among us. “But after the event. We have got to put business before pleasure, okay?” He stares at all of us, giving us the look he learned from Dad. I hate to admit it, but it works for the time being. “We have one chance. One night to make an impression on the locals. If we don’t get our heads in the game, we are about to lose heavily at running our parents’ winery. Now our winery. We need to focus and quit fighting with each other. We need to work together, and that’s the end of it.” He looks at me, Aiden and Caleb. “Now get to work. We don’t have all day.”
The patient wolf gets the prize, that’s what Dad always said. So, I wait for Krystal. I wait for a moment when my brothers aren’t around, and I’m free to approach her. I get my moment just shy of the tasting event starting. I approach her in the hallway, and quickly get her attention. “Krystal.” Her big, soulful eyes meet
mine. “Can I talk to you alone for a moment?” Just having her eyes on me makes me breathless and hard. Already in her corseted server’s outfit, she looks at delectable and delicious.
“Sure, Gabriel.”
“Great.” I smile lazily at her, though I’m counting the seconds until my brothers come in. “Well, I was interested in asking you out on a date. You know, to go do something with me?”
Her surprise is adorable, but also makes me a bit nervous. I feel like maybe I’ve come on too strong, too quickly.
“You’ve gotten to spend some extra time with my brothers, and I want to make sure that I get to spend some quality time with you too.”
She doesn’t say anything to me, only lowers her gaze, smiles a little.
“It doesn’t have to be anything major. Could even be just a dance at some point during tonight’s gathering. Whatever you’re comfortable with, Krystal.”
She meets my eyes briefly, bats her eyelashes, though unconsciously. “A dance would be fine, I suppose. Everyone is going to be dancing if they are guests, anyway.” She blushes again. “But it will have to be whenever I can get on break, and if your brother doesn’t get mad at me.”
I put a hand out and casually lean against the wall. “Don’t worry about him. Don’t worry about Jayden.” I smile at her, seeing my brothers approaching from the various rooms of our estate and the vineyards. “I’ll make sure no one sees me coming for you, and that he doesn’t give you a hard time, even if he does see us.” I give her a wink.
With that, I back away, and retreat to the decorations. There, I pretend I’ve been doing nothing but putting finishing touches on everything, but I’m really planning just how to get Krystal and whisk her away to dance.
****
At exactly 6 p.m. that night the wine tasting starts. Our doors open, and there are plenty of the guests. At least five-hundred individuals are attending. They represent at least twenty-five local businesses, all ranging from restaurants, to specialty grocery stores, and to hole in the wall liquor stores, all looking to possibly carry us. After getting everybody settled and giving them a complementary mask to wear at this tasting event if they want one, festivities begin.