“God, Soph,” he groaned, “You look so fucking sexy today.”
“You’re drunk.” I laughed as he pulled my behind further into him and his growing erection. “Get in the cubicle,” he said harshly.
I moved forward and he followed close behind, we made it into a cubicle, and I spun around just in time as his mouth overpowered mine.
“Kyle,” I said between breaths, “we can’t be long, they’ll all know … and what if someone comes in,” I gasped between kisses.
“Better make it quick then,” he growled.
He kissed me hard on the mouth, pulling my face to his with his hands. I kissed him back crazily and tried my best to be as quiet as I could. He ran his hands down my sides and then stopped at the entrance to my jeans, which he unzipped, pushing them down slightly. I groaned as his hand made its way inside and rubbed me gently. “Oh my God,” I whispered, as he snaked his fingers underneath my pants.
I reached for his belt and undid it, then unbuttoned his jeans, which promptly fell to the ground. I took his length in my hands and ran my hand up and down, feeling how turned on he was. He spun me around, and I placed my hands on the top of the toilet, he leaned me over and eased my jeans and underwear down further.
“You ready for me?” he whispered in my ear.
“Hmmmm,” I said, pushing back into him.
He positioned himself behind me and grabbed my hips as he thrust inside me. I stifled my moans as he pounded into me. It was such a high having crazy, wild sex in this bathroom in the middle of the day. After a couple of wines, I wanted to scream his name as loud as I could manage but had to stifle it. He whispered my name and leaned forward kissing the back of my neck where my hair had fallen to the side and exposed it. I felt my body overtaking my mind as he fucked me from behind. I was so turned on that I almost couldn’t stand it any more as my orgasm washed over me. I bit my lip as I contracted around him, and he stilled slightly, pulling me to him deep and slow. After a few moments he sped up again and took his release hard and fast.
Our breathing slowed, and I stood up with my back to him. “Shit,” he said, “no condom.”
“It’s Okay,” I whispered. “I’m on the pill.”
He didn’t say anything, just kissed my head and then left me in the cubicle. I sat down, deep breathing in shock about what we’d just done. I couldn’t wipe the grin off my face and couldn’t believe how amazing and dangerous it was, we could have been caught at any minute. I took deep breaths and made my way out to the sink, expecting to be alone, but Kyle stood waiting for me.
“What are you doing? Go back, people will be suspicious.”
He grinned and cocked his head to the side. “You are one dirty girl, Sophie King.”
I grinned back and shook my head. “That was all you.”
He stepped towards me and pulled me to him. “You are amazing, you know that, every guy’s fantasy come true.”
“Shut up,” I said, embarrassed. “Go back, I’ll be there in a minute.”
“Okay.” he kissed my head, “I …” He looked down into my eyes, “You’re mine, Okay Soph?”
“Okay.” I kissed him and pushed him away at the same time. “Go.”
He walked to the door and then looked back at me, I could see he was half cut already and laughed as he sloped out of the door. I splashed my face with cold water and reapplied my lip-gloss, desperately trying to get the “just fucked” look off my face.
“Sophie.” Ashley barrelled into the ladies room. “What the fuck are you doing in here? Have you got the runs or something?”
“No.” I looked to her, and she immediately narrowed her eyes.
“What the hell have you two been up to?”
“Nothing.” I shook my head with a grin.
“You are one crazy loved up fool.”
“Love?” I said, widening my eyes. “It’s just a bit of fun.”
“Oh yeah.” She nodded, walking to one of the cubicles. “Until someone falls in love, and that dopey idiot that I just passed leaving the toilets looked pretty loved up to me.”
“Aw shut up,” I said. “You don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Okay.” she said, shaking her head. “See you outside.”
We walked to the next pub without our former teachers, which was five minutes away. David draped his arm over my shoulder and chattered nonsense to me whist Kyle walked quietly on my other side. Vinnie was already holding Ashley’s hand, and Kathryn spoke on her mobile phone to one of her chemistry friends. At the next pub we drank vodka and coke so as to not be too wrecked for the night ahead. David left for half an hour to walk home and get ready. When he returned at five, Mum and Mick arrived in two cars to take us home. Ashley, Kathryn, and I went with Mum, Kyle and his friends went with Mick. We dropped the girls off; they were going to come to mine once ready and I ran upstairs when we got back. Mum had left me a congratulatory card and present on my bed for when I got back. I opened the card and then some gorgeous diamond earrings. I hugged them to me, and she appeared at my bedroom door.
“Thank you,” I said excitedly, giving her a hug. “I love them.”
“You’re welcome,” she smiled, “you’ve made me proud, Soph, you always do.” I hugged her tightly and my smile faded slightly as I wondered how proud she would be if she knew who I really was. Would she still be so proud if she knew that I was sleeping with Kyle? Would she be so proud if she knew that I had just shagged him in a toilet cubicle? I had to wonder if she really knew the daughter that she was so proud of anymore, as I certainly didn’t feel like the same girl. I still wanted the same things I used to and still delivered for her and dad, but more recently, I had started to wonder if I also wanted to keep Kyle.
I took a shower, pulled out the dress I had bought for that night, and hurriedly applied make up and coiffed my hair. The girls were arriving at seven, and this afternoon we had arranged to have drinks in the party room with Kyle, Vinnie, and David. My dress was peach and strapless, tight at the top and pinched at the waist but with a more forgiving skirt. I teamed it with some cream stilettos and applied natural looking make up. It was almost seven when I added my new earrings with a smile.
“Soph.” Kyle knocked on my door. “You ready?”
“Yes, come in!” I shouted and he pushed the door open.
He nodded. “Looking good.”
“You too,” I said, taking in his dark jeans and black shirt combo that made him look irresistible.
“Let’s go.” He walked to me and put his hand out for me, I slipped mine in his and he pulled me to him.
“Kyle,” I hissed, “someone …”
He cut me off with a kiss, and I melted into him.
“Just getting a kiss in before I have to stay away from you all night.”
“Fine.” I smiled up at him and ran my hand over his chest.
“No flirting with anyone other than me tonight,” he said wide-eyed.
“You too.” He took my hand again and pulled me to the door, letting me squeeze past him and grazing my bum with his hand as I did.
“Top floor,” he said, patting my bum and pushing me to the party room stairs.
Twenty-One – Just out
Now
Kyle and I fell into an easy routine, and it was hard to think about going home, but it was looming. I had to be back in Lytham for the end of August to plan my lessons for the next term, and school began early September. My mum constantly asked about my plans when she called, and I think, although she didn’t mention it, she thought I was putting off facing my life at home by staying with Kyle. She was partly right. Being with Kyle was perfect; it was magical and seemed like a different life. It was the life I could have had, but I chose a different path, and I had that to deal with as well. I hadn’t heard from Simon, but the estate agent called me a couple of times a week to say that they were showing people around our property, and during the last phone call they said that one couple was having a second viewing, which was promising.
Ashley also kept me updated with her pregnancy woes and the size of her feet and fingers, which was putting me off pregnancy for life.
Kyle would go to work on weekdays, and I would find things to occupy myself. Sometimes we would go to the gym after he finished work, other afternoons we would go out for dinner or just for a drink. It was just nice spending time together in his apartment, where we were just Sophie and Kyle who had just started dating. I loved hiding here with him and enjoying whatever we were, but the summer was drawing to a close, and I wondered what he thought we would do and where this was really going.
Kyle
I have watched a fair few films over the years, lots of television series’, and read the odd book, and so I knew a bit about romance. I knew what women wrote about and how it was dramatised. I would see someone reconnect with their first love, watch couples separated by time and space reunited, or see some bloke make a sweeping gesture to keep his girl. I saw those things and they were make-believe, and I never thought enough to draw any comparisons to my own life. Love just never seemed to apply to me. I was unloved, the boy that no one wanted, and my father got landed with. Looking back, I was an angry fucking teenager with a lot of issues, but somehow with Sophie I was always someone different. Back then I just wanted her, any way I could get her. I wanted her body and then I was patient after she pushed me away. I had to have her again, I was addicted, and so I played the long game and we became friends.
I never had to try with other girls, they threw themselves at me from primary school onwards, and it made me arrogant. Sophie wasn’t like that, she made me try, I initiated everything, and I coaxed her using every skill I could summon so she would want me more. I see her now laying next to me, I watch her face twitch when she’s asleep, see her blonde hair swept over my pillows, and I know. I know I loved her then. She hated me throughout our childhood years, and I wanted her because of that, but the man I became that summer with her was happy, she made me feel happy. Here again that has returned to me. I haven’t pined after her for years or any shit like that. I haven’t spent ten years wishing things could be different, but I’ve never felt truly satisfied. I couldn’t be arsed with the other women, hated when they whined or demanded, hated that they might want more. I gave them as much as I could, but that was indifference. I didn’t want to commit and still wanted to keep my own routine, but for Sophie I’d do anything to keep this feeling.
So I’ve seen the films, I’ve read the books, but now I understand what they’ve all been talking about. She’s the person I would move heaven and earth for. I was too young to see it then, I wanted her, and I was pissed off when she pushed me away. I wasn’t finished with her, and I wanted more. These past few weeks I realise that she was the only person that ever let me feel settled, and I want that so much. I want to be settled but only with her.
Sophie
“So do you think you could handle dinner at Mike and Tanya’s on Friday?” Kyle asked one evening as we sat on the sofa watching television.
“Like a dinner party?” I asked, cringing at the thought.
“No just us … informal. Mike just asked and said they’d love to have us.”
“What do they know about us?” I asked tentatively.
“What do they need to know?” Kyle turned to me and narrowed his eyes slightly defensively.
“You know, that I’m your step-sister, and our history and …” I sighed.
“No.” He shook his head. “I’m not a sharer; all they need to know is that we’re together and we’re old friends. Who cares about the rest?”
“People care, Kyle, people always have to know every detail. It’s human nature.”
“So we say we went to school together, we’ve known each other forever, had a fling ten years ago, and now we’ve reconnected.”
I shook my head. “But we’re hiding again.” I sighed.
“What do you want to say then?”
“I don’t know,” I groaned in frustration, “but if this is going to be anything between us,” I laid my hand on his leg gently, “we need to start as we mean to go on. Not being honest about who we are to each other, it’s like we’re ashamed.”
“Well, what do you want to do? March in there and announce that you’re my step-sister and just get on with the evening?”
“No, just not lie if asked.”
He smiled at me. “You’ll hate that though, that was the one thing you never wanted to do.”
“I know.” I smiled back. “Maybe this time we should … be open from the beginning.”
“Soph.” He took my hand and kissed it, “We’re not doing anything wrong you know, we never were.”
“I know, but people will judge us.”
“Let them judge.” He put his arm around me and pulled me into an embrace. “We don’t have to tell anyone anything,” he soothed. “I don’t care if only you and I ever know.” He laughed.
“No,” I said firmly. “If they ask how we met and when we got together, we’ll say.”
“Okay.” He nodded.
“Okay,” I said, taking a deep breath.
The following Friday night Kyle came home from work and we busied ourselves getting ready for dinner at Mike and Tanya’s house. They didn’t want us until seven thirty, it was very casual, and so there wasn’t much preparation involved, and so we were both ready by six. We decided to have a drink on the balcony before we got a taxi there and sit in the late afternoon warmth. Kyle told me about his day, and I loved to watch him speak so animatedly about his clients and the idiosyncrasies of Geraldine.
“Let’s go!” he said an hour later. A few glasses of wine had left me a little tipsy, but it was Dutch courage.
“Okay.” I sighed. He pulled me to him as we walked out of the door.
“They love you, they’re just curious about me having a girlfriend.” He laughed.
“Rather than a string of one night stands.” I smiled as we made our way down in the lift to the waiting taxi.
“More like rather than no one.”
We arrived at an impressive red brick townhouse half an hour later, Kyle paid for the taxi, and then we made our way to the front door. It was a beautiful old Victorian property with three stories, and light was shining up from the basement window, which had obviously been renovated. There were steps up to the large red front door with wrought iron railings.
“Wow, nice house,” I said as Kyle came to stand next to me.
“It’s even better inside.” He laughed.
We rang the doorbell and Tanya appeared moments later. She was dressed down in a pair of faded jeans, bare feet, and a white tank top. Her blonde hair fell around her shoulders but despite the casual clothes she still wore full make up.
“Come in!” she said with a huge grin, pulling me into a hug as I stepped inside.
“Hi,” I said, hugging her back, “your home is lovely.”
“Oh thanks,” she said swatting my arm.
“Here you go,” Kyle said, handing over a bottle of wine that we had brought.
“Oh thanks, but you shouldn’t have.”
“Nonsense,” Kyle said, hugging her, too.
“Now go downstairs, Mike’s in the back in the office. Go through. You can chat to me, Sophie,” she said.
I followed Kyle past the wide wooden staircase into the hallway that was made of beautiful dark polished wood. At the back of the hallway we turned right into a brightly lit stair well that was beckoning us down and we followed the light into a huge open plan kitchen. The kitchen was black gloss with wooden counter tops. It spanned the whole of the back of the house and in the front was a large formal dining table, set for dinner.
“Right.” Tanya jumped behind the island in the centre of the kitchen and stirred something on the hob. Leaning against the counter stood a teenage girl with long, sandy blonde hair tousled to her waist, looking intently at her mobile phone. “I’ll pour some wine, white or red?”
“Red for me,” Kyle said, “Soph?” he looked to me
.
“White please,” I said, perhaps more relaxed than I felt.
“Okay,” she said excitedly, rubbing her hands together and turning to grab glasses. “Come on Leonora, out of the way.” She shooed the young girl who didn’t look up but just side-stepped as Tanya reached behind her. Tanya turned to us and rolled her eyes with a small smile.
“This is Leonora,” Kyle said, stepping to the girl and grabbing her phone playfully.
“Hey,” she squeaked, “Give it back. Mum!” she yelped petulantly.
“Come on Nora, you can fight better than that,” Kyle teased, as she jumped to get the phone from where he held it high above her head.
“Don’t tease the lions Kyle, they might bite.” Tanya said, just as two young boys tumbled into the kitchen fighting and bustled into their mother who struggled to hold on to the wine glasses.
“Out of my kitchen, you two!” she barked, regained herself, and smiled at me. “These two.” She grabbed them to her side after putting the glasses down, “Are Rupert and Hugo.”
“Twins?” I asked.
“No,” she shook her head, “one strategically planned second child and then … the surprise third.”
“Oh.” I nodded my head. She let them go and they ran upstairs. “How old are you?” I asked Leonora who had now recovered her phone and the leaning, surly position against the counter top.
“She’s thirteen,” Tanya said pouring the wine and sliding our glasses across the island. She took her glass and a large gulp. “She can’t hear you when you speak unless that phone is confiscated or smashed to smithereens.”
“I see.” I nodded.
“Kids.” Tanya shrugged. “They ruin your body and then they ruin your life.” She chuckled.
“Ah I’m sure you love them really,” Kyle said with a wry smile.
“I’m counting the years until uni or incarceration.” We all laughed, and I wondered if Tanya was actually joking.
Just Between Us Page 22