Loving Siblings: Aidan & Dionne (20 page)

Still no response. Not even a
blink
.

“
And you know I’d never think of
disrespecting
you
by invading your space
as you’ve had no problem invading mine. But I can forgive you for
those times. I think we need to start fresh, and we need to
understand it’s all about mutual respect. I would never go to your
room and lie down on your bed without your permission—”

“—
I’m not stopping you,” he finally
spoke up.

She frowned as she looked at him.
“What?”

He turned his lazily lidded eyes to
her while bringing his bottle to his full lips. “If you want to
come to my room, and lie down on my bed, with or without me, feel
free. Of course, I’d prefer you’d want to be there
with
me.” He raised cool brows. “Mi
cama es su cama, Sis.”

She gritted her teeth.
My bed is your bed?

“
You haven’t been listening to a word
I’ve said.” She was seething, narrowing eyes on his unimpressed
face. It was clear he wasn’t open to a serious discussion, so she
shot to her feet. “Fine! You want to act your shoe size? Go ahead,
Aidan,” she hissed. “I was only trying to reason with you like an
adult, but your shitty attitude only convinces me why I need to put
a stop—”

“—
You can try,” he said, shrugging as
he sipped his soft drink.

“—
to something that isn’t doing either
of us any good,” she finished undisturbed.

“
What makes you think I’ll let
you?”

She gnashed teeth. “Let me? Who in the hell
do you think you are—?”

“—
The guy who you can’t just send away
with one of your little “dear John” notes. The guy you’re not going
to just shove aside after you had your way with me—”

“—
Had my way with
you
?!” she gasped in shocked disbelief.

“
You know that’s true,” he said
lazily.

She glared at his cool face. “Do you want me
to apologize, then?”

“
Don’t be ridiculous.”

“
I’m not being ridiculous! I’m trying
to be grown up about this, but you’re not making it easy for
me.”

No response.

“
Maybe, just maybe, if you’d stop
acting like a child and
grow
up
, too, you’d finally understand what’s at stake if
we don’t resolve this!” she hissed. “I’m
really
sorry
it’s gotten this far
out of hand, and I’m
really
sorry you got the wrong impression—”

“—
Wrong impression?” he cut her off
coolly. “You mean when you gave me an incredible blow
job?”

“
You’re being crude just to be
spiteful!”

“
I’m being
truthful
,” he said pointedly, his gaze tight on
her flushed face. “How else am I supposed to interpret what you’ve
done for me other than what it is, Dionne? Tell me, Sis, what
impression am I suppose to have when you take my dick in your
mouth—?”

“—
Oh, wow! Does it make you feel like
a
real man
to be so crude?!”
she snapped.

“
Fine!” he snapped as he shot to his
feet, and got in her face. “Why don’t you tell me what other
impression I’m supposed to have from something like that, huh
Dionne? Cuz I’d really like to know! You’ve been sending me mixed
messages for
weeks
now, and
then you come on to me—”

“—
Come on to
you
?!? YOU came on to ME!”

“—
and I really can’t see any other
reason other than you wanting me the way I want you—and it ain’t
like a brother!” he continued undisturbed. He sighed and rubbed his
forehead for a moment. “Why don’t you just stop?” He dropped his
hand and looked at her with frustration. “Stop being a coward
already, Dionne,” he said with a quieter tone. “Admit it. This is
mutual. It’s meant to be. It’s really as simple as
fate.”

She stared at him with shimmering eyes.
“Nothing’s ever that simple, Aidan.”

“
There’s only one question you’ve got
to ask yourself, Sis,” he said, stepping closer, ignoring how she
took a step back.

“
And-And that would be?” She swallowed
big as she looked distrustful at his grim and unwavering
gaze.

“
Ask yourself why you did
it.”

He just asked her the very question she was
afraid he would. It was one she’d avoided asking herself. She had
been afraid to ask herself that very question because she knew
she’d have trouble answering it truthfully. For her, there was no
good answer. She wished there were, but no matter how she wracked
her already spinning brain—spinning because he was standing so near
she could barely think straight—and no matter how she answered,
there’d be consequences. And she wasn’t sure she was ready to face
them.

“
I—” She looked up into his unwavering
eyes. They seemed to strip her of all her self confidence. “It was
a mistake,” she finally said. “I-I wasn’t thinking. It was a moment
of simple thoughtlessness—”

“—
You know that’s not
true.”

“
I don’t know why,
okay
?!” she finally blurted, tossing up arms. “I
can’t explain it.”

“
Yeah, you can,” he said quietly, the
stark lines in his face softening. “And you know why you’re
avoiding answering it, too, Dionne. You’re afraid. But you don’t
have to be. I’m here for you.” He raised his hand and gently
flattened it against her face. “We can do this together. I promise
you. I’m a man, Sis. I’m not a boy, anymore.”

She was staring up into his eyes with big
bunny eyes. It tore at his heart, filling him with the deep love
he’s always felt for her ever since he could remember. Without
thinking, he bent his head to her, and to his delight, she didn’t
pull back.

His heart skipped because this was a good
sign. For all her ranting, she was as attracted to him as he was to
her, and it was his job, he now understood, to make sure she
understood and felt it, and to help her over that difficult
threshold.

He knew she could feel his breath against
her closing eyelids as their powerful sexual chemistry took over,
and drew them closer. He could feel it in every cell of his tense
body, and he sensed it in hers, too. She had already been
surrendering to it, even before he came to his feet; even before
she followed him into the kitchen; even before she lowered herself
to her knees in front of him by the poolside . . .

“
Give in to “us”, Dionne,” he
whispered. “We both know you want to. We both know you’re just
having a little trouble accepting it because you’re afraid. But
like I’ve said, I’m not a boy anymore,” he whispered as he stepped
closer. “I’m a man, and I’m strong enough for the both of us. Just
let me be
your
man.”

“
Th-This isn’t right. I should’ve
never—”

“—
You said so yourself, you’ve never
done anything like that for any other guy. Just me. Just for me,
Dionne. That means something. It means something big. For both of
us.”

“
No.” She shook her head, but she
didn’t step back.

“
Yes,” he said, urging her, helping
her, yearning for her to finally accept them. “Why do you keep
fighting me? Us?” he whispered softly. “You know you want to be
with me, Dionne. It’s not doing either of us any good that you keep
fighting what we both want so badly. What we both
need
so badly.”

His deep voice got softer still as he closed
the gap between them. She felt the heat of his body just before it
touched her. She instinctively stepped back and bumped against the
sofa, but he quickly closed that gap, too. She felt overwhelmed,
even a little choked. She felt timid, insecure, and yet . . . also
strong.

It all didn’t make sense, but it felt so
right.

Her gaze dropped to her younger brother’s
lips. Her face was flushed with rising desire, and her heartbeats
drummed loudly in her ears. She couldn’t stop her hand from shaking
as it rose and tenderly flattened against his lean, hard cheek. He
felt so good to her touch.

Then she felt his warm, strong palm touch
hers back, and her body reacted, pulling her deeper into that
delicious but dangerous haze quickly enveloping her.

“
I can’t,” she said. It was a
desperate attempt to not lose all her sanity, and it was all she
could think of saying at that moment. “I can’t.”

Everything inside her wanted to, but
she knew if she’d give in, she’d find herself stepping over a
life-changing threshold, reaching the point of no return. What gave
her some strength was the knowledge he didn’t know the reason why
she couldn’t let him have what he so wanted. What
she
so wanted.

His fingers were gentle as they slipped
under her chin, and with a little pressure, he had her raise her
face to look up into his burning eyes. There was so much strength
within them. God! She thought. When did he grow up?

It only seemed like yesterday when he was
laid in her arms and she carried him around the house like he was
her dolly. Now he was taller than she. Aidan was all grown up and
filled with self-confidence. She knew she helped in that, but it
was mostly his own strength of character that made him the
irresistible man he was today.

“
You can, Dionne,” he urged softly.
“All you have to do is . . . let yourself go. Just do it. Just let
me touch you,” he said as he looked deeply into her
eyes.

Her lashes flickered. She felt he could see
straight down into her soul. She tried her best to hold his gaze.
She really did. But then she felt her cheeks burn hot, and with the
last ounces of will she had left, she tugged her chin free and
looked away.

“
It’s just not meant to be,” she said
firmly enough.

She wanted to escape that moment, that very
spot, but his arm shot out, bracing a hand on the back of the sofa,
and he effectively blocked a quick retreat. She felt her heart
pounding against her ribs, but she was paralyzed to do much else.
From the corner of her eye, she watched as his dark head came
closer . . . closer . . . closer. She couldn’t move when her
younger brother buried his nose in her hair. God, it felt so
good.

“
Aidan . . . don’t,” she said, despite
the thrills she felt, and although she knew she didn’t sound the
least bit convincing—since even
she
could hear the deep sigh in her own words—she felt she had to
protest.

“
Why?” he murmured; his voice sending
shivers up her spine.

She swallowed. Yes, Dionne . . . why? Why
stop him from giving you what you want to finally end this
excruciating impasse? What does it matter you’ll only have these
moments with him until the “new and exciting” wears off? At least
you’d know what it would be like to be loved so passionately.

“
Because . . . Because we’re sister
and brother,” she whispered. That rang hollow. She tried again.
“Because it’s . . . incest, even if there’s no blood between us,”
she tried again, desperate to find something not to have to tell
him the truth.

“
Really? Is that why?”

He wasn’t buying it. Could she blame
him?

“
And because I’m too old for you,” she
said. She had to say something.
Anything
. But it was no less hollow than her
other excuses. She knew he felt it. She knew he knew. Then, unable
to control herself, feeling as if she were losing control of her
sanity, panic and desperation set in.

“
And-And because if you keep after me,
I swear to GOD, Aidan, I swear to god,” she finally broke free from
her paralysis. “I’ll leave. I’ll move out and
leave
!” And then she shoved his arm away and
bolted out of the living room.

**~~**

Chapter Eleven:
Quiet before the Storm

“
God, if only I could only take that
day back,” Dionne whispered, downtrodden. “No matter how wonderful
it was, I should’ve never . . . I just wish I could just take back
my mistake.”

She felt tears of stress burn in her eyes as
she closed her door and dragged her weary body to her bed. There,
she turned and dropped back across it, lying listlessly with arms
over her teary eyes.

Great! She made
no
progress whatsoever. Maybe it was time to
just fly the coop. Maybe it was time to get on with her life. She
was stuck. Back to square ONE. This time, though, she was convinced
it wasn’t entirely her fault. She, at least, took the first step
and made the first attempt at reconciliation, but Aidan was like a
bulldog. He was hounding her to continue with something that
should’ve never happened in the first place.

“
When will the “new and exciting” wear
off for him?” she moaned in despair.

Why couldn’t he see it wasn’t as easy
for her as it seemed to be for him? It wasn’t just a matter of
jumping into bed with each other for instant sexual gratification.
They were family. They shared lives with others they loved. They
had their studies, a boyfriend, many,
many
girlfriends, and he had such a bright and
promising future ahead of him.