“Hey, lover,” she said, kissing me on the lips before she sank into the chair next to mine.
“Hey,” I said, kissing her back. Kissing her always felt a little naughty, even if it was just an innocent little peck.
“When do you leave for Hawaii?” she asked, adjusting her top.
“Right after school lets out,” I replied. My stepfather was Peter Oak, president of Oakwood Builders, one of the largest land developers in Arizona. My life had become much more comfortable ever since he married my mother, when I was fourteen. This summer he was taking us all to Oahu for a few weeks.
“Is Nate going, too?” Marnie asked. Nate was my stepbrother. Marnie had never hidden the fact that she thought he was hot. Hearing her lust after him always made me squirm because, secretly, I lusted after him, too.
Nate Oak’s presence in my life was something I tried hard not to think about, mainly because from the moment I met him at fourteen I had a terrible, overwhelming crush on him. Last year, after he left home to attend college on the East Coast, I had for the first time been able to more-or-less shut him out of my mind. Of course, he had no idea how I felt about him. He was a year older, after all, and because we were in different social circles we hardly ever saw each other except around the house. He was like a hot stranger, but one I shared a shower with, and who, every so often, teased me in inappropriate ways I could hardly believe.
“Nate’s not coming,” I said sourly. “He’s going on a road trip with some friends of his.”
“Oh, bummer,” Marnie said. “Are you going to miss him?” she teased.
“Shut up,” I snapped, my face suddenly feeling even hotter than the bright sunshine beating down on it. “Yeah,” I admitted, “a little.”
“I would let your brother do nasty things to me,” Marnie dreamily said, tilting her face towards the sun and settling deeper into her chair. “Unforgivable things.”
“I know that,” I said, rolling my eyes. The tone of my voice couldn’t have said slut more clearly. I waited until the usual spasm of jealousy passed through me. I hated it when Marnie talked about my stepbrother this way, and she always did, every time his name came up.
“I don’t want to go to class,” I said, changing the subject.
“Me neither,” Marnie groaned, rolling over so she could feel the sun on her back. “Shit, don’t we have that test in econ?”
“Ugh,” I muttered, recalling the economics exam this afternoon.
We gathered our things and walked back to her truck.
“Hey, let’s get high before we head back. Just a little,” Marnie said as I pulled the seatbelt over my torso.
“Marnie,” I reproached her as she pushed the pipe, brimming with sticky green herb, into my hands. I glowered at her for a second before reluctantly flicking the lighter over the bowl, then inhaling the sweetness before passing it back. I rolled down the window to blow out a thick stream of smoke. We swapped the pipe back-and-forth like this for several minutes, eventually sinking cozily into our seats.
It wasn't long, however, before a police cruiser slowly turned around the corner and pulled up alongside us. Marnie squeaked and threw the pipe under the seat while I furiously swept the smoke out of the cab with my hands, trying to be as stealthy as possible with my actions. My heart practically thumped out of my chest--oh god please don't let him smell it!
The officer got out of his car and lazily sauntered over to us, looking at us through big, mirrored shades.
“How are you ladies doing today?” he asked.
“Just fine, officer,” I said, as evenly as possible. "How are you?”
He cleared his throat. “I got a report about two non-residents swimming in the pool. You wouldn't happen to be them, would you?”
Marnie gave him a tight smile. “We’re guests of Charlene Wakefield. She’s my aunt.”
“Okay,” said the cop, looking at her skeptically and nodding. He walked back to his car.
“Shit,” I whispered to Marnie. We glanced at each other nervously then watched the police officer make a call. After a couple of minutes he returned.
“I’ll have to ask you both to step outside.” Dread instantly rose in my body as we slowly slid out of the truck in our bikinis.
“Miss," he began, addressing Marnie, "I checked with the homeowner’s association. They said Ms. Wakefield died last year.”
“Oh,” Marnie said glumly, her eyes falling towards the ground. "Yeah, I forgot about that.”
“Marnie, God-” I was super pissed. "There goes my trip to Hawaii; my mom certainly won't let me go now." The officer looked at me for half a second, just long enough to make sure I saw his smirk.
“I’m sorry to do this to you ladies, but I'll have to bring you both in for criminal trespassing.” The driver's door of Marnie's truck was wide open and he happened to peer inside. The pipe was sitting on the floor under the steering wheel.
“Nice pipe,” he said, gesturing towards the truck. He then adjusted his sunglasses and opened the door to the back of the cruiser, motioning us inside. “Criminal trespassing and possession of drug paraphernalia.”
****
“Missy, this is so unlike you,” my mother said, crossing her arms.
“I’m sorry.” What was I supposed to say? I just wished this conversation would end. My mother and step father were seated across the kitchen table from me. It felt like an interrogation.
“The last thing I imagined myself doing today was picking you up from the police station. You’re grounded. Peter and I are going to have to reconsider taking you with us to Hawaii.”
“Mom-” I practically whimpered.
“Quiet. I don't want to hear it. I hope you use this time to think over what you did. You have a bright future and I’m not going to let you waste it away smoking dope with that slutty friend of yours.”
“Marnie’s not bad,” I protested.
“I should have seen this coming. She’s a bad influence. It’s so shameful how she lost that scholarship."
I sighed heavily. I just wanted to go up to my room. I did one bad thing and it was the end of the world. My mother then held out her hand, palm up across the table. I looked at her blankly, dumbfounded.
“What?”
“The keys to the Subaru and your cell phone. Hand them over.”
“Mom-”
“Melissa Joy Vaughn. Don’t mom me. Give me your keys and your phone, then go to your room.”
I did as I was told. There was no way out of this predicament, I concluded. But they couldn’t keep me from hanging out with Marnie; we had been best friends all senior year.
Just then Nate pulled into the driveway. I could see the headlights of his pickup truck shining in through the window behind my mother’s head. And we could all hear the dirty rap music thundering out of his car, with plenty of bitches and hos, and fuck dis and fuck dats.
I tried not to laugh as I watched Peter and my mother shift uncomfortably, pretending they couldn’t hear the obnoxious filth. Then the engine cut off and the music stopped.
A few seconds later Nate breezed in. He looked scruffier than usual, in a sort of rough and sexy way that made my heart melt.
“Smells like cheeba in here,” he said, crinkling his nose and grinning.
“Nathan,” my mother scolded.
“Good to see you, sis,” Nate said, hugging me tightly. My heart started slamming against my ribs. I thought I had finally gotten over him, more-or-less. But feeling my breasts pressed against his hard body caused all my long-lost aching desires to come flooding back.
“It’s good to see you, too,” I breathed, overcome by the feeling of his body enveloping mine.
“Leave her be,” my mother said. “She’s being punished.”
Nate’s raised his eyebrows in mock reproval. His lips pursed, as if he were saying ohhhhhh.
Fuck you, I mouthed silently, frowning. Nate smiled in his usual, devilish way and swaggered off to his room.
****
&n
bsp; I walked up to my room and plopped down on my bed. No phone, no car, and it looked like no Hawaii either. I felt tired, but it wasn’t time for bed yet.
The house was quiet. Nate was next door in his room. My mom and Peter were probably still arguing over my fate at the kitchen table, their words entirely out of earshot.
One of my hands wandered idly down to between my legs. I touched myself. Should I? I had nothing else to do and I was bored. That was the one thing my whole 'good-girl' image was totally at odds with: my raging sex drive. Ever since Nate had moved out I had been denied the naughty little thrill of getting off with him right across the wall.
Yeah. Let's do it.
I turned the lights down low, getting the ambiance just right. I adjusted the pillows and closed my eyes. I ran a finger lightly over my lips, enjoying the sensation I felt before moving to my breasts, my soft fingertips sending ripples of pleasure through my body and bringing my nipples to rock-hard attention.
My breasts were so small. Would a boy ever like feeling them? The way I was feeling them right now? I hoped so, even if they weren’t all curvy and bouncy like Marnie’s.
An unexpected spasm of pleasure coursed through my body, forcing the air out of my lungs in a high-pitched gasp. Just feeling my nipples felt so good. I realized at that moment, as the pleasure seized my body and froze my hands over my breasts, that I could probably make myself come just by feeling them. I kept going, dreaming that it was Nate who was feeling me up.
“Nate...” I whined, as loud as I dared. I could feel my clit pulsing against my tight panties, and the hot slickness between my legs. I hadn’t felt this turned on, this alive, in so long. Having him so near to me still did wonders.
I was getting close. Was this really happening? I arched my back as yet another little spasm shook me, sending an explosion of cold tingles through my body. My hands were tight against my breasts. When I moved them ever-so-slightly it felt so good, good enough to make me come right then and there.
I abandoned myself to the pleasure and rubbed my nipples deliciously until I came. I squealed quietly as the orgasm squeezed my stomach, making me shudder. I collapsed and caught my breath as the pleasure ebbed away. God, it hadn’t felt that good in so long. I felt so wet I considered changing my panties.
Just then I heard a gentle knock on my door, one that made my heart jump into my throat.
“Sis...?”
“Come in,” I chirped. I was lying bed in my pajamas, wholly decent, even though I had just been through the nastiest, most consuming feelings ever. I reached over to turn on my computer so it looked like I was doing something, not just lying in bed being weird.
“Hey,” Nate said, peering in. “What're you doing?”
I looked up at him. “Nothing,” I answered, feeling a flush creep over my face.
“Sorry to bother you, but do you have a charger that fits my phone?”
“I think so.” Nate had changed into a pair of plaid pajama pants and an old football t-shirt. I didn’t know why, but he looked so sexy dressed for bed. I shuddered, trying to suppress the inevitable tingle in my sex. I was still soaking wet from cumming just a couple minutes earlier.
I quit ogling him and rolled out of bed. I started rummaging through the drawer where I kept cables, chargers and other electrical junk.
“Hmm,” I said. "I think it might be in my car."
“No luck, huh?” Nate was standing close by, looking over my shoulder and into the drawer.
“Sorry,” I said, softly pressing my fingers against his arm. His hot skin made me shiver. He smelled like he was fresh out of the shower.
“Your hands are really cold.” His fingers closed gently but firmly around mine. My heart jumped into my throat.
“Uh huh,” I managed to say. He rested the back of his hand against my arm and I swayed a little closer to him.
“Poor circulation,” he concluded. He then pulled away and turned to go. “Well thanks anyway for checking.”
****
“Peter and I have talked it over,” my mother began the following evening as I held my breath. I had spent the first day of my incarceration in bed, poking around on Facebook and reading a paperback. "And we both think it’s appropriate that you stay here instead of joining us in Hawaii. We would be doing a poor job as parents if we let this issue slide.”
I walked dejectedly upstairs to my room and closed the door. I hated stewing in my bedroom alone. After an hour of moping I wandered back downstairs to grab something from the fridge.
Nate was sitting on the couch, watching a movie. I grabbed a box of cookies and poured myself a tall glass of milk, then took a seat next to him. My mother came into the room shortly thereafter, wearing her bathrobe and looking like she was getting ready for bed.
“Look at you two, getting all comfortable on the couch together.” She couldn’t help smiling at us. “We've changed our plans somewhat now that you're not going, Missy. We have decided to go to a friend of Peter's for the next three weeks before leaving for Hawaii. Our flight leaves at six tomorrow. We’ll see you two when we get back in six weeks. Nate, you can give Missy her phone back tomorrow night, no earlier. Now you guys behave. And Missy, you've only got three weeks of school left--try not to get into any more trouble.”
“Okay,” Nate said regarding my phone. I merely sat there and nodded sheepishly. She then stepped in for a hug.
“I love you, sweetie,” she said, pressing me close. "Sorry."
“Love you too, Mom,” I said a little sourly.
She leaned in to hug Nate. “Good luck with the job, honey. See you soon enough. Call if you need anything. Good night."
She headed up stairs.
“Give me my phone back,” I pleaded, digging my fingers into his kidney.
“Hey, stop it! You’re being punished, remember?”
“Screw you."
“I don’t enjoy being subjected to your abuse,” he said sarcastically. “You know how sensitive I am, and I find your physical attacks quite harmful.”
“I find your physical attacks quite harmful,” I mocked. I nudged him hard with my foot. He just looked at me slyly.
“If you want your phone back, you better stop it. Actually, let’s make a deal, and maybe I’ll give it back to you early.”
“Yeah? What?” I settled back into the couch, pushing his thigh with my foot. What could he possibly want? He looked like he was trying to hold in laughter.
“First, I need you to pick up a few things from the store.”
I rolled my eyes. As if I was going to do a bunch of chores for my brother.
“I need...” he continued, but then stopped as he noticed I was staring at the ceiling, oblivious to his request. “Are you listening? I really will give you your phone back if you run some errands for me. As soon as you get back. I promise.”
“Good thing for me you’re too lazy to get off the couch. What do you want?”
“You might want to write this down. First I need a pizza, from Stefano's. Pepperoni, onions and mushrooms.”
I rolled my eyes again and retrieved a pen and paper. “Okay: pepperoni, onions and mushrooms. What else?”
“And some stuff from the store. First of all, I still need a phone charger, yours didn't work; otherwise I can’t call Sylvia.” Sylvia was Nate’s high school girlfriend. She cheated on him a few months before he moved out East.
“Sylvia’s a prostitute.”
“That she may be. Nevertheless, I need a charger. And a few other things. A box of condoms...” I felt my face get hot.
“Ew, I’m not buying you condoms! Especially not so you can go bang gross Sylvia.”
“She’s not gross. I actually find her quite attractive. But she’s been known to be promiscuous, so, anyway. And make sure to get Magnums. They come in a big black box.”
“That’s so gross. I’m not buying you big black condoms for--" I flushed again.
“For my big black cock? I also need some massage oil, two cans of whipped
cream, a jar of honey, a bottle of chocolate syrup, and a jar of peanut butter. Get the organic kind.”
“Ew,” I said. I knew I was totally red. Was Nate being serious? What if he made me return it all, too? He would do that. Nate threw me his keys.
“There’s no way you’re being serious.”
“What are you waiting for, sis? Go get my shit.”
“Fine,” I said, rolling off the couch.
“And don’t take too long. I’m hungry.”
****
I put the groceries on the check-out line conveyor belt, sandwiching the box of condoms between the peanut butter and the chocolate syrup. I nervously scanned the tabloid headlines in front of me, avoiding eye contact with either of the customers behind or in front of me. This was going to be the most awkward purchase of my life.
I shifted as the customer in front of me very slowly looked through his wallet, prolonging my embarrassment.
When it was my turn, the check-out lady, a middle-aged woman named Rachael, blankly ran my stuff over the scanner.
“That’ll be $35.40, honey.” I handed her the two $20 bills Nate had given me.
“I hope your night’s as exciting as mine,” she said, her tired eyes flicking to meet mine for an instant.
“Thanks, you too,” I stammered awkwardly.
****
Nate was playing video games when I returned. He didn’t even look up.
“Did you get my stuff?”
“Yeah. It’s in the kitchen. Where’s my phone and car keys?”
“In my room. You can go up and get them.”
“Okay.” I padded up the stairs in my socks and opened the door of his room. It had been turned into a guest bedroom since Nate had moved out. My mother moved out all of his stuff, but somehow it still felt like his room. Maybe it was his smell, or something else. I lay down on his bed, smelling Nate in the rumpled sheets. Sinking into the sheets reminded me how tired I was--definitely time for bed soon. I rolled over, looking around the room for my phone. I couldn’t see it anywhere. I checked the desk drawer, but it was empty.
Taboo Step Surrender (Steamy Twenty Book Box Set) Page 7