I'm held in suspense, looking at Ainsley. I can only stare into her eyes, a deeper shade of green than usual, with piercing flecks of gold that shimmer in the candlelight around us. The silence between us stretches out, until Ainsley's lower lip quivers.
My heart pounds slowly in my ears. My breathing is deep and controlled. Memories flood my mind in a rush of emotion, coming back one after another from the time when were kids to now. Ever since we were kids, she's always been there for me, from the time Mike Evans tried to bully me on the playground in kindergarten to when Vicki Raetz broke up with me the summer of seventh grade, up to now with Brett and my heart left torn in a thousand pieces.
The one constant in my life has always been her. Ainsley has always been there for me, just like she is now. A tear wells in the corner of my eye and slips down my cheek. I take a deep breath and the words I want to say get stuck in my throat.
Ainsley swallows, her eyes still locked on mine. "Cole...say something. Please."
She slides her hands into mine and grips them hard enough that her knuckles go white.
"Please," she echoes. "Say something."
I open my mouth, but no words come. My throat is swollen shut. I can't find the will to say how I really say. Three words, so simple and small, and yet mean so much more. They're everything. They're what I need to say.
"Ainsley," I manage. "I..." My voice faults.
Ainsley misinterprets my hesitation. She starts shaking her head, her eyes filling with tears.
"Oh, God. I'm so sorry, Coal. I..." She lets her hands fall out of mine and dips her head between her knees. The first sob feels like a dagger being driven through my heart. The second and third break me. Emotion comes over me in a rush, tears filling my eyes, my stomach twisting in knots.
"No, Ainsley. Stop."
I lean into her and cup her face in my hands so she has to look at me. Her face is flushed and her eyes are red.
"Stop, Ainsley," I say again. I swallow and take a deep breath. My vision is blurred by tears. "I love you, Ainsley. Always have."
The words slip from my mouth and a weight is lifted from my shoulders. I can finally breathe again. A small smile pierces Ainsley's remorseful gaze and I smile back.
"Did you hear me, Ans? I love you."
She nods slowly. "I love you too, Cole."
"You've always been there for me," I find myself saying. "I don't know what else to say but thank you Ainsley. Thank you for being so much more than a sister. It wouldn't be-"
"Shhh." Ainsley presses her finger to my lips and I go quiet. Her voice is low, deeper, sweeter. "If I were to ask you right now for one thing, Cole, would you do it?"
I nod. "Anything, Ans."
"Kiss me."
"Ainsley...are you sure?"
She nods again. "Please, Cole."
I find my hands sliding down from her face to her lower back. Her eyes find mine and I stare into them as I lean closer, determined to get lost in them. Our lips meet and a jolt of electricity runs downs my spine, causing my back to stiffen and goose bumps to form on my arms. Time seems to stop for the briefest of moments. I wish I could live in this small infinity of time between the two of us.
When I pull back, the breath is literally stolen from my lungs.
"Holly crap." My mind is in a fog. All I can focus is on Ainsley in front of me, smiling smugly. "That was-"
"Amazing," Ainsley finishes.
"You have no idea."
Ainsley laughs. "Can I ask you one more question, Cole?"
"Anything."
She plays with a strand of her hair in her fingers, chewing her lower lip.
"Would you be willing to do that again?"
I find myself smiling. "Ainsley, you have no idea."
"Then do you want to, do it again, I mean?"
"Right now?"
She dips her head tentatively. I let my actions speak for me, slipping my hands around her and pulling her close. Ainsley closes her eyes and so do I. Our lips melt together. This time there is no hesitancy, there is no tension. There's just us, being with each other. Ainsley groans into my mouth and her grip around my back tightens. I kiss her harder and my tongue slips past her lips, pressing against the backs of her teeth and the roof of her mouth.
Ainsley's nails start to dig into my skin and I know what I'm doing is right. I don't let up. I keep kissing her, my heart beating against hers, my chest pressed to hers. Ainsley shifts in my arms and pulls back.
Her breathing is hoarse and so is mine. There's a glimmer in her eyes. She grips my hands and squeezes hard.
"Cole," she gasps. "I want to go further."
It takes a second for the fog to clear and for me to figure out what she means. My stomach rises into my chest and my heart flutters.
"Ans...No." I shake my head. "I can't take advantage of you like that. I won't."
"You don't understand," she says. "I want you, Cole. God, I've wanted you since freshman when you first started dating Brett."
"No, Ans," I say again. "I won't. Not unless you want to."
Her hands fall to the hem of her top. "I think you know what I want, Cole." She grins. "The only question is do you want it too?"
I open my mouth to answer, but my mind goes blank as Ainsley starts to pull her tank top up and over her shoulders. She throws the pink top off the bed and smirks.
"So, what do you think?"
I can only stare. She's wearing a lime green bra, still damp from the rain, struggling to hold her cleavage in.
I swallow. "Ans..."
She frowns at the hesitancy in my voice and sighs. "You're making this hard than it has to be, Cole. I know you want me."
I make eye contact with her. "Stop, Ainsley. I can't-"
Words escape me as she hooks her fingers around her jeans.
"You wouldn't," I say finally.
Her eyes glint mischievously. "But I would. Wouldn't you, big brother?" The seductive tone in her voice makes my heart flutter.
She starts to tug. Little by little, her jeans slide lower until her green thong is fully visible. She drops her jeans to the side and wets her lips.
"So what do have to say now, big brother?"
I draw a shaky breath. My restraint is wavering. I'm growing hard in places I shouldn't.
"Ainsley, don't do this," I croak.
"Oh, but I will. And the thing is, I know you want it just as much as I do. Its written all over your face and...other places." She laughs, leaning forward into me and hooking her arms around my shoulders. She presses her breasts into me and kisses me on the cheek. I groan on instinct.
"Now, big brother," she whispers in my ear. "Are you ready to stop fighting? I know you want this. I know you want to feel me. I want it too. So what do you say, Cole?" She giggles again. "Do you want to fuck me?"
The last of my will power crumbles. I don't think, I only do, grabbing Ainsley, and smashing my lips against hers. She moans into my mouth and her tongue slips past mine, its long and agile, twisting around mine, and making my pulse quicken.
Her hands trail lower to my waist and she slips one into my boxers. Her eyes go large kissing me and she swallows.
"Oh my God, Cole." Her hands curl around my dick and squeeze, making me shudder.
She grins. "That is definitely grade A, big brother. Do you mind if I take a closer look?"
Her tone is lower, seductive. She bats her eyelashes and I nod, dipping my head quickly. Ainsley undoes my belt and unzips my jeans. In one swift motion she tugs them down with my boxers until my erection springs loose.
"Fuck." Ainsley stares at my dick and shakes her head. "I always figured you had something down below, but this..." She takes my penis in her hand. "This is bigger than most of my toys."
"Toys?" I don't know what else to say. "You have toys?"
"Yes, plural. As in multiple. Don't tell me you thought I was still that innocent little girl from our childhood?" She waits for my answer. I don't give one. "I should have figured you thought I was still an innocent kid. But don't worry...I'll show you what your little sister can do. Just sit back and enjoy the view."
When her tongue touches the tip of my penis, its like an explosion in my chest from how hard my heart beats as a surge of adrenaline pumps through my veins. Ainsley just pulls away and laughs.
"You're awfully sensitive aren't you?" She's winks at me.
I nod slowly.
"Then you're going to enjoy this." Ainsley takes my head in her mouth. Her lips seal around my shaft and then I feel her tongue, curling around my penis, running up and down with the slow motion of her head. Its like the nerves in my dick have been put on overload. My mind feels like its melting through the rest of my body at how good it is.
Ainsley doesn't stop. She only quickens her pace, her head bobbing up and down in a steady rhythm. Her eyes catch mine and there's a mischievous glint in them. Then she goes down, and I mean all the way down as far as she can take my shaft. Guttural choking sounds escape her mouth as she deep throats me.
"Fuck, Ainsley!" My fingers curl and dig into the edges of the mattress. My body goes rigid, my elbows and knees locking.
All at once, Ainsley lifts up. My penis comes free of her mouth with an audible pop. She leaves me breathing hard, struggling to come free of the fog clouding my thoughts.
"So how was that?" she smirks. There's a sliver of drivel on the fringe of her lip. In one swift motion, her tongue wipes it away one long swipe. I can only stare at her tongue, my mouth slightly agate. Its so long and so agile and so strong.