The large house was quiet except for the constant hum of the furnace pumping out heat in the early January morning. The sun had been up for half an hour, but a thick layer of clouds blocked out the rays and portended another day of heavy snow. A dog barked in the distance, begging to be let in from the frozen outdoor.
James listened to it all from under the covers of his bed. His eyes adjusted to the dim light and he was reminded that this was not his bedroom. He awoke in his sister's house with the memories of his own home engulfed in flames still fresh in his mind. James could still smell the smoke...not a coincidence since the clothes he wore the day before, during his escape from the fire, were lying on a chair in the bedroom.
How long he would have to stay with his sister Mary was uncertain. How long she and her husband would want him around was even more unsure. James had never been close to Mary and he didn't want to force himself upon them pointlessly. But for at least today, he had few options.
The bedroom door was not completely closed and in the hallway he thought he heard the shuffle of soft footsteps. Perhaps it was the furnace, he decided. James rolled out from under the covers and sat on the edge of his bed. Stillness surrounded him once more and he slowly got to his feet.
Mary had told him the night before that the hallway bathroom was his, as her master bedroom had its own bath. Thus assured, he peeked out into the hall before entering it in nothing but his boxers. It was a short distance to the bathroom door and he had his hand on the handle in short order.
Just as he pushed in on it, he hesitated. The sound of a cabinet door closing was unmistakable. Then he saw her move.
"Oh! I'm sorry, Mary. I'll come..."
"No. It's alright, James."
He peered in timidly and saw his sister's attractive face looking back at him in the darkness. She gave a nervous smile.
"I just needed something. I'm leaving," she said.
James entered the bathroom and found himself making every effort to avoid staring at the tank top and panties worn by his little sister. Mary was twenty five now and definitely a woman, but he always thought of her as an innocent kid.
"Just like back home when we were growing up. Always fighting for the bathroom," he said.
"I used to stay while you showered. Remember?" Mary asked with a grin.
"You were five. I was ten. I didn't care much then," James said. "Now I'm not sure Ben would appreciate it."
Mary scoffed at the reference to her husband. "I doubt if he'd care. He doesn't pay much attention to me."
Her look portrayed a deep-seated discontent that even James the single, unemotional man could see.
Mary said, "He said he went ice fishing today, like most Saturdays in the winter. I suspect the only hole he's probing this morning is Lisa Lyons'"
James saw the resentment in her blue eyes. His sister's apparent suffering, combined with the disheveled nature of her short blonde hair, rendered her as the most beautiful, childlike woman in distress he'd ever seen. And James was shocked when his cock began to react accordingly.
He was glad the only light in the room came from the hallway. He turned slightly to hide the bulge in his boxers.
He said, "I'm sorry, Mary. I didn't know. We need to talk more often."
"Maybe not in the bathroom," she replied. "I'll come down to your bedroom when you're done. OK?"
"Sure," James said. He watched Mary walk out, her panties barely covering the cheeks of her small, firm ass.
By the time he had the shower adjusted and was stepping in, his was half way to a full erection. James stood under the water and gently stroked himself completely hard. He thought of Mary's youthful face and the gorgeous body hidden under her tank top and panties. How could ANY husband shun her for another? Marriage had never been high on James' list of goals and his sister's disclosure confirmed his conviction.
Still, Mary would make any man think twice about staying single. In fact, Ben married her when they were both twenty years old. Maybe they were too young to take on such a responsibility and Mary was paying for it now.
James washed his hair and was working on his body when his soapy hands once again found his cock. He thought about the only time when he even came close to seeing Mary naked. They were on a vacation and she was sixteen. James had walked in on her accidentally while she got dressed and she had quickly covered herself up. But he got a glimpse of her then and even now the image was bringing him closer and closer to an orgasm.
He stopped short of cumming and finished his shower scolding himself for thinking that way about his only sister. A few minutes later, he was on his way back to his room wrapped in a large towel.
James pushed open the bedroom door and stopped in his tracks. Mary sat in the only chair in the room, looking at him with total contentment. A bathrobe was loosely tied around her waist. Her legs were crossed, exposing a good deal of thigh, and the top of the robe revealed her deep cleavage. Mary's hair was damp.
"I finished my shower and thought I'd wait for you," she said smugly. "You always did take forever."
James strode towards the bed where Mary had tossed his clothes. He wasn't about to dress in front of her and was somewhat at a loss for what to do next.
She smiled at his predicament. "What's the matter, big brother. You didn't seem to mind seeing me half naked. Actually, if I hadn't left I think you would have had a HARD time hiding your pleasure."
Mary's eyes were aimed directly at his cock and James certainly caught the meaning of her statement. He sat on the bed and pushed the towel down between his legs.
"Alright, Mary. You win. Let's talk," he said.
Mary used both hands to fluff up her hair. The opening in her robe hinted even more at the bare skin inside it.
"Ben and I aren't going to last much longer, James," she said unequivocally. "I don't know for a fact that he's seeing anybody else, but he's definitely not relying on me for sex. We only talk when we have to and we don't make plans beyond the day we are in. Dr. Phil wouldn't give us another week."
James felt sorry for his sister, but if she was depending on him for counseling, it was a mistake.
"I'm sorry, Mary. I wish there was more I could do," he told her. "I'll spend today talking to the insurance people and then find an extended stay hotel so I can..."
"No," Mary interrupted. "That's the last thing I want. I need you here. I'm going to lose my sanity if I'm left alone with Ben for much longer. Please say you'll stay."
Mary was leaning forward in the chair, her hands clasped together in a desperate plea. James saw the tears in her eyes and the quivering lips.
"Whatever you need, sis. You know we've drifted apart and that's mostly my fault," James said. "If I'd known about this earlier I would have tried to help. Maybe it's time to make it up to you. I'll do anything for you."
The relief on her face was evident as Mary rose from the chair and came towards her brother. James couldn't remember the last time he had hugged his sister and it seemed clear to him it was about to happen again. He was getting ready to stand up when Mary sat next to him. She put a hand on his leg and turned to face him.
