by Violet Blaze
“I don't know,” he answered honestly as I dropped to my knees and pulled his jeans down with me. I was going to touch Flor the best way I knew how, give him everything I had and then some, let him touch me, let him feel the feelings I'd been keeping inside for so long. I'd been trying to let them out slowly, but that achy leak was becoming too much. I wanted to pour my love and my affection for him out into the world and just see what happened. I wanted him to put his arms around me and never think of another girl again.
His breath caught as he realized what I was about to do, sliding his boxers down to his knees and taking hold of his cock. Looking up, I caught his gaze yet again, the gleam of moonlight on his eyebrow rings, his strong, perfect body.
Bet he'd never thought he'd see his 'little sister' doing this.
I took Flor into my mouth, his jewelry bumping against my teeth as I slid my tongue around his shaft and pulled back, breathing along the length of him and enjoying the way his body shuddered at my touch.
“I hate that you're so good at that,” he growled down at me, and I wondered if he was thinking about Max again. No good. I only wanted him to be thinking about me. I cupped his balls with one hand, using my thumb to play with the silver ring in his skin. From the change in his breathing, I knew I was doing at least something right. I leaned in and pressed my lips to his hip bones, to those sharp grooves in his muscles that made girls drool. I knew; I'd seen dozens rendered speechless at the sight. Once, during a Relay for Life event, Flor had stripped off his T-shirt and ran the track in low slung shorts, drawing a crowd of girls that was almost comical to look it, if I hadn't been so jealous that is.
I kissed his body, up to his firm belly and those muscles I'd always admired from afar. Being able to touch them in person was almost surreal, and I found myself groaning as my lips slid along his skin. Shut up, Abi! I warned myself, desperately certain that if my dad walked in here at this moment, he'd kill Flor. At least the damn door's locked. I'd never had a lock.
My fingers curled around the base of Flor's cock as I found my way back down and wrapped my lips around the hard, curved length of him, my tongue moving along the tracery of veins beneath his skin. He made a noise low in his throat, like a caged animal, and then reached down to touch my hair. His fingers were tense, but his grip was gentle.
“Stand up, Abigail,” he said, releasing me and holding out a hand. I followed him up and let him take me into his arms, kissing me while he removed my bra. Before I knew it, our bare chests were pressed together, the hard points of my nipples against his muscles, and we were spinning, my ass hitting the dresser before Flor slid me up onto it. “If you need to scream,” he told me with a slight grin, “then feel free to bite my shoulder.” I gave him a raised brow, but he was already easing between my legs. I opened for him, felt the warm press of his hips as he pulled me against him and slid us together.
The connection of our bodies was delicious, like a slice of cake so sweet that I was already desperate for another bite. I wrapped my legs around Flor, drinking in the feel of his naked flesh on mine, teasing the beads of sweat that rose on his back as he moved inside of me. Our mouths connected in a frenzied tangle of passion and heat as my fingers curved around his neck and I ate up the masculine grunts and groans streaming from his throat. He was careful to keep quiet, but in the back of my mind, I was worried we weren't being quiet enough.
Flor kept us pressed close, his hips rocking more than thrusting, until his muscles spasmed and he breathed deep, groaning into my mouth and spilling himself inside of me. With Max, I was used to that being the end of the evening, unless he was feeling particularly generous, but I guess it just wasn't that way with Flor.
He moved us over to the bed, laying me on my back and finding that warm, sweet spot with his fingers again, working me until I really did have to turn my head and bite down, on a pillow instead of his shoulder. Still, the action excited him enough that he released a low, husky chuckle that sent a chill down my spine and turned my ache into a frenzy.
Flor kissed my breasts, worked his thumb over my clit, and finally, when he was ready, found his way between my legs again, switching out his fingers for his cock. Several, wild moments later and I was coming, my body wrapped around his, squeezing tight, tight, tighter. I pressed my mouth into his shoulder and bit down, hard, stifling the scream that was so desperate to claw its way out of my throat. The only sound then, other than the gentle whisper of our bodies moving together, was the thumping beat of my wild heart.
Afterward, Flor held me in his arms for so long that my eyes grew droopy and I drifted into a gentle sleep broken only by the sudden – and admittedly pretty alarming – thought that I was lying in my stepbrother's room at our parents' house.
“I can't sleep in here, can I?” I whispered, even though I already knew the answer to that question. Flor pressed a kiss to my forehead that made me ache all over again. His body against mine felt so good, so right, like we were made for each other. I mean, I knew that sort of mushy romantic shit made most people uncomfortable, but even Addi, practical, smart-mouthed, been in a committed relationship for years Addi, believed in it. Apparently so did I.
“Probably not the best idea,” Flor whispered back, but at least he sounded regrettable when he said it. That was progress.
I rolled over to look at him.
“I wish I could stay,” I said as I reached up and touched his scar again, memories of the day he'd gotten it flooding into my head. He'd braked too hard, trying to avoid the neighbor's cat who'd run right out on the sidewalk in front of him. I'd watched in horror as he flew over the handlebars and ended up in a patch of blackberry bushes.
“I … ” Flor stopped talking, closing his green eyes like he needed a minute to regain his composure. I laid my head back on his chest and waited, listening to the rapid thump of his heart. It was almost as bad as mine. “Let's talk tomorrow, Abi. Somewhere we don't have to worry about being interrupted.” My heart skipped a beat and I swallowed hard. I couldn't tell from his tone if I should be worried or excited about that. I decided that no matter what happened, tonight had been good, too good to ruin. I sat up, keeping the sheets close and then leaned over to press a kiss to his lips. He returned the affection with an aching press of his mouth that twisted my stomach into knots.
“See you in the morning?” I asked, praying that we'd get to sit and eat cereal together like old times.
“Maybe,” he said, sitting up and watching as I slid off the bed. “I have an appointment pretty early tomorrow.” He paused and grabbed the sheet, tugging it away from me at the last second, so that I ended up standing nude in the middle of his bedroom. I flushed and hurried to my clothes, fully aware that his gaze was burning on my backside, his eyes focused on my ass. “I might just have to cancel.”
“You do that,” I whispered, tugging on my pajamas and moving to the door. I unlocked it and peeked out into the empty darkness. No sign of my parents. Thank God. I glanced over my shoulder at Flor. Another I love you seemed overboard, but I knew I had to say something. “If you get lonely,” I whispered, “you know where to find me.”
I hurried out before he could respond, closing the door behind me, and tiptoed into my old bedroom, flopping onto the bed on my back with a sigh. Getting to sleep was a nightmare. Just the idea that Flor was across the hall, probably still naked, made my entire body flush from head to toe. Was he thinking of me like I was thinking of him? His words and actions told me that was a distinct possibility.
I forced myself to crawl under the covers and close my eyes, realizing as I did that I was exhausted. I guess Flor really wore me out.
I feel asleep with a smile.
I woke in the morning to find that I was the only one left in the house. Flor had sent me a text telling me he'd be at the shop while Addi had shot over a dozen or more get home now or equivalent messages warning me about her upcoming evening with Patrick. She always claimed she needed my opinion to get dressed, but we both knew that was a lie. S
he was more than capable of dressing us both in the dark. If Theo was there? All the better.
I dragged myself out of bed, dressed in yesterday's clothes, and went home to find a caramel macchiato waiting on the counter for me. I took a sip and was surprised to find that it was still warm.
“How'd you know when I was going to be back?” I asked as I slung my purse onto a stool and met Addi's brown eyes across the counter. She smirked at me and I was instantly reminded of Flor. Ugh. My obsession's amped up; I can barely go a minute without thinking about him.
“I didn't. I got it this morning and then just kept microwaving it.”
“You're a weirdo,” I told her, but that didn't wipe the knowing look off her face.
“So. Did you and Flor do it again last night?” I choked on my coffee and tried to play innocent with her (not that it ever really worked). “In your parents' house? You two are way too brave to be sane. You do know that, right?”
“You're jumping to conclusions,” I said, but I couldn't keep the smile off my own face. I groaned and slunk over to the couch to sit down. “Okay, so maybe we did fool around a little.” Addi raised an eyebrow at me. “Fooled around a lot? Is that better?” She nodded and joined me, perching on the edge of the couch arm with her lithe, dancer's body that I'd always envied. It didn't matter what kind of dance it was – jazz, ballet, tap, swing – she'd done it all and was good at every single one of them.
“So that fight with Max and Rhonda … ?” I sipped my coffee and tried to be grateful that she wasn't rolling her eyes and sighing as she so often did when I mentioned Flor.
“We had sex. In his bathroom. While the two of them were in the house.” I cringed and so did Addi.
“I see. So you guys deserved what was coming to you?” I nodded and she sighed, standing up and stretching her long arms over her head.
“Well, I figured it would happen eventually. You both were too into each other to just let it go.”
“What would happen eventually?” I asked, feeling a little guilty thrill at her words. I had an idea of what she was going to say, but I wanted another person to voice it before I did, like it'd be more real that way.
“That you two would get together,” Addi said with an exasperated sigh. Okay, so maybe she hadn't abandoned all of her traditional Florian related behaviors. Together. Were Flor and I getting together? For real? I didn't want to let myself hope for it, but inside, I giggled like a maniacal schoolgirl. “How are you going to break this news to the family?” she asked, leeching away some of my thrill.
Before I could answer, Theo and his boyfriend, Yuu, appeared, waltzing into the apartment like they owned the place. Apparently we were on those terms now. I didn't mind actually. I enjoyed having Theo around and there was something about Yuu that told me these boys would find a way to make it work.
“What's going on in here?” Theo said, sitting down next to me and stealing my drink from my hand. He took a sip, made a face, and then handed it back. “That is old and disgusting. You need something fresh.”
Addi ignored him and decided to divulge my personal secrets.
“Abi and her brother fucked again, once in front of their current lovers and once in their parents' house.” I tried not to curl into a ball and die.
“Stepbrother,” I corrected. “And it wasn't exactly in front of them.”
“She's trying to figure out a way to come out to her parents.”
“Oh my God, girl, I have got this,” Yuu said, taking the seat opposite me on an overstuffed armchair I'd inherited from my dad. “I am an expert at coming out and trust me, my parents would've preferred I was banging my sister over being gay.”
“Step,” I corrected again, but nobody was listening to me. Maybe that'd always been my problem? Maybe I didn't speak up enough?
“I threw this big surprise party for my mother's birthday and then in her card I wrote you've now got free fashion advice for life.” I snorted and came pretty damn close to spewing coffee all over the floor.
“You did not,” I said and Yuu shrugged his thin shoulders, brown eyes blazing as he looked back at me.
“Does it matter? I came out, told them everything, but they freaked and got over it. Now, they invite Theo over for holidays. It was hard and it sucked, but it was better than living with the pain.” I bit my bottom lip and glanced away. Yuu was trying to help by comparing our situations, but I still felt like his was harder to deal with than mine. It made me feel like an asshole. “Tell them and see what happens. If they can't accept it, then fuck them.” He leaned back and crossed his arms over his chest, dark hair falling in his face. I knew from Theo's stories that Yuu's parents had moved here from Japan when he was six and that they were super strict with him. Being gay meant not carrying on the family line, meant being a disappointment in a way. But over time, they'd accepted him. Would my parents be the same way if Flor and I were to pursue things?
“I don't want to lose my family,” I said, thinking of my dad and all the things he'd done for me. He was a hard ass at times, but he'd also worked his butt off to provide for me. He'd been at every ballet recital, every school play, every concert. I twisted my fingers together around the coffee cup and stared at the lid with laser focus.
“Lose them?” Yuu said, leaning forward again. “If this is enough to send them packing then good riddance.” I looked up sharply and he raised an eyebrow at me. “Family isn't just about blood, sister. It's about love and acceptance. Honestly, how can you really have one without the other?”
“Jesus Christ, is this some after school special?” Theo said with a sigh, slapping his hands on his thighs. “Can we please do something ridiculous? Like make cupcakes with vaginas on them?”
“Like you've ever seen a vagina before,” Addi murmured, and the three of them laughed. I smiled, but I couldn't shake Yuu's words, even if they were a little cliché. Love and acceptance.
I tapped my fingers on the lid of my drink.
Everything's worth trying at least once, right?
“Fuck that,” Flor said, snapping off a black latex glove and dropping it in the trash can near his foot. His current client was at the mirror, turning this way and that as she examined her new tattoo: a very beautiful and very realistic rendition of a calla lily on her hip. It wasn't the most original design in the world, but Flor's skill made the image pop in a way that drew the eye right to it. Unfortunately, it was in the very same spot that my own tattoo was and I was having trouble pulling my mind away from the memory. Had he untied her bikini bottoms the way he'd done mine? With that wicked careful slowness? I mean, she was obviously interested in him. I could see it in her eyes, her hair flipping, her lip licking.
I glanced around the studio, half-expecting Max to walk in at any moment and level us both with that look of contempt and judgment that made my insides shrivel. But On Bent Wings was empty except for Flor, me, and his bouncy blonde client.
“It's absolutely beautiful, Florian,” she said, drawing his name out like a promise. I tried not to get jealous, but even though I'd spent years desperately trying to perfect that ruse, it never worked. After that night we'd had on Friday? Wasn't happening. “Can I give you a kiss?” She winked at him and sucked her lower lip under her teeth. Flor slanted a glance my way, unusual for him. Maybe he really is taking this seriously!
“Whatever,” he said and she squealed, bouncing forward with her bikini bottoms still barely taped into place. I watched in silent frustration as she threw her arms around his neck and pressed a pink kiss to his cheek. Fortunately, he untangled her before she could meld her body against his. Trying to have a conversation with this girl around had been difficult. I'd tried to wait until he was done, but well, Flor was Flor. I think his words were shit or get off the pot. So, in as cryptic a manner as I could, I offered up my plan of attack for our parents. Fuck that was his most accepting response yet.
“Can I take a selfie with you? I have got to Instagram this shit.” I crossed my arms over my chest and sighed. B
londe Bitch turned a glare on me, gave me a once-over that said she wasn't impressed with my ratty jeans and my black tank top, and then pressed her body against Flor's. She snapped a picture with her phone before he could protest and bounced away to collect her jeans. She hadn't been too embarrassed to have her tattoo done right out in the front of the shop, even though she was half-naked from the waist down.
I swallowed hard and watched as Flor took her debit card and ran it through his Square Reader. This girl, with her perfect body and perfect hair and perfect clothes, this what was I competing against. It didn't leave a very pleasant feeling in my stomach. All this time, I'd been so caught up on the fact that Florian was my stepbrother that I hadn't even bothered to wonder about all the rest of the obstacles standing in my way.
Blonde Bitch yammered away as Flor got out a cigarette and leaned in the doorway to the back with it hanging unlit from his lips. To me, he looked bored, but she didn't seem to care. Persistent. I was really going to have to work on that aspect of my personality.
“Hey, look, I'm glad you like my work and all, but my girlfriend's waiting, so I got to go.” He gestured randomly at me and I watched as the girl's jaw dropped open. She looked between the two of us while I fidgeted with my stray bra strap and tried to keep it from sliding down my shoulder onto my arm. A warm burn twisted my belly, and I tried not to get too excited. Flor had used the girlfriend excuse with me before to get rid of unwanted attention.
“If you ever get bored with Plain Jane, give me a call.”