by Lisa N. Paul
“Sure, Ash, anything you need. Take your time.” Scott was the brother of Jayson, Leo and Ryan’s band mate. “Hey, Leo, welcome home, man.” With a handshake and a clap on Scott’s shoulder, Leo placed his arm around his sister’s shoulders and led her outside.
“Hey, stranger.”
Ryan’s deep, smooth voice immediately brought goose bumps to her flesh. Yep, the old adage was true. After four weeks apart, his mere presence left her breathless. She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and walked over to give him a hug. Each carefully orchestrated step felt natural—like she was being drawn toward him. The past four years had contained hundreds of hugs but in recent months each of those embraces felt like so much more. Almost like a promise. She wanted to collect on each and every one of those promises.
Badly.
Stepping into Ryan’s outstretched arms felt familiar and decadent all at once. Ashley’s thoughts scattered when Ryan lifted her up and twirled her around playfully. The husky sound of his laugh blended with the slight woodsy scent of his cologne had Ashley pressing herself against him in a full body hug. While she had missed her brother fiercely over the past month, Ryan’s absence felt like a cold dark cloud, constantly blocking her sun.
Ashley followed the guys’ tour progress daily through text messages and phone calls via Leo and Ryan. So she knew that Leo, Ryan and the other two band members, Jayson and Zane, ended up traveling up and down the state of Florida playing in every bar, pub and complex they could get themselves into. Zane’s uncle was in the music business and ended up getting the guys recording time in a studio at the family discounted rate of “free”, but they had to record when the studio was available and that was at odd hours. Therefore the trip doubled in length going from two weeks to four, but also heightened Storm Front’s visibility. It was a win/win situation for everyone involved.
Well, almost everyone. Ashley missed her brother like crazy. They’d never been apart for longer than a day or two. The house hadn’t seemed big until she was the only one in it. Yeah, she’d see her parents as they passed her room in the morning on their way to the hospital. Sometimes they even took the time to say goodnight…as they left the house at night for banquets or cocktail parties. That was the extent of their communication.
Ashley had found herself working double shifts just to stay busy. While she’d spoken to Leo at least once a day and received multiple texts from both him and Ryan it wasn’t the same. Having them home again was a heady feeling. Like the sun had finally come out after hurricane season.
“Jesus, Ry, put my sister down. She has legs, and they work,” Leo snorted, trying to hold back his smile. Ryan inhaled her coconut scent once more before releasing her slowly to the ground. He couldn’t bear to look into her eyes. The fear that he wouldn’t see the longing that he felt staring back at him was too great. Instead he stared at the asphalt.
Coward.
Leo laughed loudly before launching into a story about clingy groupies and what lengths the girls would go just to get attention from any musician willing to give it. Sneaking a peak at Ashley, Ryan saw the shear bliss etched on her face. He knew she was thrilled to have her brother home with her. He’d always admired Ashley’s and Leo’s relationship. He knew that they relied heavily on each other for both emotional and physical support. He had missed Ashley something fierce while he was gone.
Ryan felt the conflict tearing at his gut. He would never, ever want to do anything to jeopardize Leo and Ashley’s relationship. Leo was more like a brother than a best friend, and he didn’t want to do anything to bruise that relationship either, but holding Ashley in his arms, even if for just a few seconds, was the closest thing he’d felt to coming home since his mother died. Why did she have to be his best friend’s sister? He was going to have to talk to Leo. There was no way he could continue to hide his feelings. Leo was his brother, he would understand. Ryan would make him understand.
“I gotta get back to work.”
Ashley’s words were like ice water to Ryan’s face, snapping him from his deep thoughts. As he suspected, when he raised his eyes to hers he did not see desire. No. Her green-flecked irises, while outwardly mesmerizing, hid a myriad of emotions. She was lonely. Ryan’s chest ached at the thought of her being left behind. He silently vowed to never let her be lonely again. She wielded her bravery like a shield—fending off fear with every ounce of her being, but he knew her too well to be fooled. “Are you boys going to be home tonight? I’d really like us to hang out…” Her voice was barely a whisper as she continued, “I was really lonely without you both.”
There it was: her vulnerability. She laid it out for her brother, and for him. It took all of Ryan’s strength not to go to Ashley and wrap her back in his arms. He wanted to take care of her, comfort her, but he wasn’t sure how Leo would take to him hooking up with his little sister. So he kept his feet planted and used only his voice to comfort Ashley.
“Yeah, Ash, we’re not going anywhere tonight. We’ll be at your house when you get home.” That got him two very different looks from the Kynde siblings. Ashley smiled at him warmly. Leo just gave Ryan a puzzled look and kept all comments to himself.
Ashley excused herself to return to work. Ryan watched through the window of the restaurant as she tied her apron around her slender hips. He saw the way she smiled as Scott said something that must have been funny. To anyone else she looked happy, but Ryan knew every one of her smiles. She may have smiled at Scott, but her smile stopped at her mouth and never quite reached her eyes. Ryan exhaled deeply. The relief he felt over knowing that she wasn’t giving her real smile to Scott was huge. He needed to talk to Leo. Soon.
She’s Still My Sister
ARRIVING HOME FROM work, Ashley was so excited that she ran straight to Leo’s bedroom, leaving the front door wide open. Her huge grin dimmed when she realized that he and Ryan weren’t there. From the open window low tones of masculine laughter could be heard. Looking out, Ashley could see both Leo and Ryan in the back yard, about to jump in the pool. She watched intently as Ryan pulled off his t-shirt and let it drop to the ground beside him.
“Mmm.” The noise escaped her mouth and she was thankful the room was empty. “It’s so unfair to the rest of the guys in the world for one to have so much while others have so little,” she muttered to herself. Ryan’s body was a work of art on so many levels. Sure, there were guys his age just as tall— as he stood over six feet—but they were all skin and bones. Not Ryan. No. Ryan was all corded muscle and tight skin. His body was chiseled from hard workouts with the soccer team at school. Such was his dedication that even when the season ended he would double his efforts at the gym. Having just turned nineteen, Ryan was one of the older kids to graduate in the spring. He was also one of the first to get a tattoo without parental consent…legally.
Ashley stared at the ink that graced the left side of his upper ribcage. Always in my Heart it read in beautiful script. Ashley wiped at her cheek and a stray tear fell from her eye. She still got emotional when she thought about Ryan’s mom and her long battle with cancer. Ryan and his father had moved to Ashley and Leo’s area after she died to be closer to the rest of the family. Even though Ashley had never met the woman, she felt deeply for her. How could she not? Look what an amazing son she’d raised.
A loud splash had her looking down at the pool, where Leo had just cannon-balled into the water. The two friends were laughing like big kids. Making full use of her vantage point, Ashley found herself staring at Ryan again. He had the best smile and beautiful full lips that framed his perfectly white teeth. He loved to brag that he never had to wear braces. It frustrated the hell out of her when he talked about his lack of orthodontics, especially on the days when she had just come home from having her braces tightened and her mouth hurt. Were Ryan’s teeth perfectly straight though? No! He had one tooth on the top row, just over from the center, that was slightly crooked and that freaking tooth made him even sexier. “It’s so unfair,” she said a little too l
oudly to the open window.
“Hey, sis, stop peeping and start playing. Get your suit on and come down. We’ve been waiting for you.” Pink cheeked and more than a little embarrassed about being caught watching them, Ashley left the window and went to get in her swimsuit.
“Jesus Christ,” Ryan muttered as Ashley sauntered poolside in her red bikini. The combination of her golden, sun-kissed skin and toned body had Ryan’s dick so hard that it could have been used as a diving board. He gazed longingly at her while she put down her towel and mp3 player before slowly descending into the water.
“Dude, I’m standing right here. And she’s still my sister. Do I need to remind you, again?” Leo smiled, his voice void of any threat or anger.
On their road trip, Ryan had talked about Ashley a lot. Leo hadn’t said a word but after seeing the two of them interact at the restaurant earlier that day, Leo had finally confronted Ryan. They’d been sitting in Leo’s room when he brought up the subject.
“Ry, I’m gonna ask you something and the only wrong answer is a lie, okay?”
Concerned by the look in his friend’s eyes, Ryan croaked, “Sure, Le. What’s up, buddy?”
“We were on the road for a month and not once in that time did you hook-up with anyone. The girls were all over you, man. Why didn’t you take one? You were like a fucking saint out there. What gives?”
Ryan swallowed hard and closed his eyes. He thought for a moment and looked his best friend square in the face. “There’s someone I’m in to. Nothing has happened between us, so far,” he quickly added. “But I really care about her. I want her…no, I need her. And when I finally have the balls…” He stopped and took in a deep breath before continuing, “And the blessing to go after her, I wanna be able to tell her that I haven’t thought about or touched another woman since realizing she was the one for me.”
Leo smiled at his best friend, his band mate, and the closest thing he had ever had to a brother and said, “You have my blessing, Ryan. I can’t imagine anyone better for her. But if you hurt her, I will kill you. Understood?”
Speechless, Ryan stared at Leo. “How did you know?” Ryan lifted his hands in a defensive pose, “I swear to God, we have never done anything behind your back, man. I swear!” He lowered his hands and exhaled heavily, “But, I think I love her. No, I know I do.” Ryan couldn’t believe that he was finally able to share the feelings that he’d been bottling up for months. He’d thought he was going to have to hide them forever. Or worse, he’d have to choose. My God, this was amazing.
“I’m not blind, Ry. I see the way you look at her. It makes me…well, it makes me want to throw up. I mean, uh…” He paused as if searching for the words. “She’s my sister,” he offered by way of explanation. “But I know she feels the same way about you. She’s never told me. I know she would never want to make things difficult between the three of us. She would rather never have you than take you away from me. Some would say she’s selfless, I say she’s stubborn. She’ll always put the needs of others before her own needs. But stubborn works both ways, ya know?”
Ryan’s brows pulled together in question.
“I mean that when Ashley loves, she loves forever. And those that she loves will always come first. You see…stubborn! So yeah, the two of you may have tried to hide your feelings for one another, but man when you guys are writing songs together, it’s like watching magic. After witnessing your run for sainthood this month, and then seeing you guys today…” Leo mock shivered, “once again, makes me wanna puke.” He made a gagging sound and Ryan started to laugh. “Look, you have my blessing, man.” Their eyes met and they exchanged a silent promise. Ryan to not hurt Ashley, and Leo to step aside and let the relationship take its natural course.
It was a true testament to their friendship that the conversation had been an easy one. Reaching for his best friend, Ryan shook Leo’s hand. Leo gave the slightest of nods before pulling him inward and slapping him on the back. And that was it. Permission granted.
Now, Ryan watched this gorgeous girl slide into the pool without any clue as to how every single step she took was one step closer to bringing him to his knees.
“What are you boys talking about?” Ashley said wiping the water from her face, finally joining them at the deep end of the pool.
With Leo’s blessing in his proverbial pocket, Ryan knew that he could finally take steps to make Ashley his, and he would start as soon as humanly possible.
“ALRIGHT GUYS, I’LL run out and pick up dinner. I’ll be back in about twenty minutes.” Leo winked at Ryan as he left the pool with a towel wrapped around his torso.
“What was that about? Do you think he’s acting weird?” Ashley asked. Ryan barely heard her questions while he watched as Ashley clung to the edge of the pool, her back to him as he walked through the water to get closer to her. The soft lapping of the water around them gave away his location. She sensed him closing in and shivered. He doubted her reaction had anything to do with the water’s temperature. Just knowing that she was affected by him made Ryan grateful for the cover of the water to disguise his growing arousal.
“I think he wanted us to know that we had some time to ourselves.” Ryan whispered in Ashley’s ear, his warm breath spreading thousands of goose bumps over her wet flesh. She turned around and he got lost in the warmest pair of hazel eyes gazing into his. With the sun setting around them, Ryan loved how her hair looked like spun gold.
She inhaled sharply before speaking, pressing her hands to his chest pushing some space between them. “What are we doing Ryan?” her voice hoarse with desire. His ears perked at the particular way she phrased her question. Employing the use of we instead of he would suggest that she was already allowing herself to consider this. To consider him. While his initial reaction was to roar his excitement, he harnessed his enthusiasm as he slowly moved his way to her again.
“Ash,” her name came out as a whisper as he stepped even closer. He ran his hands up her arms and cupped her shoulders, his thumbs stroking the smooth skin around the curved bone. He felt her body tremble and her breath get shallow. Ryan knew she wasn’t scared, he could see the desire in her eyes. He could feel warmth radiating from her sweet smile. One hand moved to her neck and one to her jaw, he lifted his thumb, gently swiping its pad over her full bottom lip just a fraction of a second before he placed his mouth to hers for the first time.
His lips were warm, soft and tender. His hard naked chest pressed firmly up against hers, heat sinking into her skin and spreading like the roots of wild flowers. He deepened the kiss as his tongue entered her mouth and stroked hers as if savoring the very feel of her essence. The tug when his fingers twisted in her wet hair sent more thoughts racing through her scrambled mind, could this really be happening? She had fanaticized about this moment for months, even years, if she was being honest.
At first her thoughts were girlish dreams of hugs and pecks on the cheek, but over the years her fantasies had become those of a woman—filled with lust, desire and need. Ashley had never given her body to another person. Not only was she a virgin but other than a few chaste kisses she had remained virtually untouched, saving her body for the one person who held her heart.
As Ryan ran one hand through her hair and the other down the column of her neck, she could feel the flames of desire licking her skin. The feel of his thick erection between her thighs was foreign, but intriguing as Ashley pressed her body even closer to Ryan’s.
When a soft moan escaped her, she felt Ryan’s body stiffen. He slowly withdrew his tongue from the confines of her mouth and gave her bottom lip a small nip before inhaling deeply and breaking their intimate connection completely. He held her close to him as he looked into her expressive eyes. Ashley felt dazed, confused, and slightly embarrassed. She ran her fingers over her lips, feeling almost uncertain if that heavenly kiss even happened.
“Ryan, did I do something wrong?”
His eyes were filled with desire as he slowly perused her beautiful face,
her long neck, her smooth shoulders, her firm breasts, and her taught belly while the water from the pool covered the rest of her body from his easy gaze. But his silence was unnerving. What was he thinking?
“Ashley,” she hardly recognized the husky sound of his voice. With his forehead pressed gently to hers he said, “Ash, we need to talk.” She looked up at him with a confused but hungry gaze.
“Ok, Ryan, let’s talk.” Ashley wasn’t certain as to what was going on in this beautiful man’s mind, but by the steamy look in his golden flecked eyes, she knew, if for some reason she had banged her head when she dove into the pool earlier and she was drowning…she didn’t ever want to be rescued.
I Know You Do
Two months later…
“I’M SO GLAD you came to your senses and quit your job before school started, Princess,” Ryan murmured in her ear. The tip of his tongue traced the edges of Ashley’s ear causing chills to run down her spine. The sensations ran through her body like electricity through her veins. The goose bumps on her arms were a giveaway and she heard Ryan’s deep chuckle. He knew exactly the effect that particular action had on her, and consequently he did it as often as possible.
“I didn’t quit, I took a leave of absence for the month. Mmm, Ryan, you know I can’t think straight when you’re doing that to me,” Ashley purred. Shallow breaths and a racing pulse had her words choppy and hoarse. Her eyes hooded as her long lashes splayed gently across her skin each time she blinked. The couple was in her bedroom writing lyrics for the band’s up and coming album and East coast tour. Ashley loved writing the songs for Storm Front. While she had no aspirations for stardom, getting her thoughts and feelings down on paper had always been somewhat therapeutic for her. Ashley still rolled her eyes every time Leo tried to use his lame excuse as to how he’d discovered her writing talent.
When she was fifteen, Leo had “mistakenly” found her journal. According to him he had then “accidently” dropped it on the floor, opening to give him access to her secret thoughts. He claimed he couldn’t help but to read them, citing his captivation as a half-hearted excuse for his blatant prying. That was when Leo started begging his little sister to write the songs for his new band.