As stated in part 1 & 2, this is my first story, feedback is appreciated as I'm nervous about posting my work.
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A week passed pleasantly between them, Heather doing small things around the house during the day as she applied for part time jobs. Colton enjoyed her presence, for the most part. It was nice to have company again and coming home to a fresh meal every night was definitely a plus. Buying her a new violin had eased his guilt over leaving her some. She'd rejected his offer to remortgage, resigning herself to playing a violin worth only a few hundred dollars.
He contented himself with listening to her play as he read in the evenings, thoroughly enjoying the routine they'd fallen into. Hiding what she did to him when she would accidentally bump into him or touch him gently had proved difficult though. He'd jacked off more in the last week than he could remember doing in the last year and was beginning to worry his hand wouldn't be enough to sate him soon.
Keeping a healthy amount of distance between them should have been easy, but she kept moving things on him. At first, he'd thought it was accidental, just a consequence of living in a new space. However, the small smile on her lips every time he'd grow frazzled looking for something was beginning to make him wonder if it wasn't purposeful.
It didn't help that when she'd help him look for something, she'd always locate it and then pat his chest or shoulder affectionately, stepping much too close as she handed it to him, until the floral scent of her skin was in his nostrils, and their chests only inches apart. There was even a time or two he'd sworn she'd been about to kiss him, her eyes trained on his mouth; she never did though. She'd just step out of his personal space, leaving him wanting, wondering what the fuck she was thinking.
~ ~ ~
"Why don't you have a tv? Don't you get bored?" Heather muttered from her end of the couch late one evening, looking up from her phone to stare at him.
Making a show of closing his book, setting it on the coffee table, Colton turned his body to face her, his arm slung over the back of the couch. "No. I'd rather read," he told her honestly.
Rolling her eyes dramatically, Heather sighed. "You're such a weirdo, what's so entertaining about all those," she whined, gesturing at his wall of books, "they're not even stories, just a collection of knowledge."
Colton shrugged, amused by her frustration, "I tried one of your stories once," he teased.
"Oh? Which one?" she asked curiously, setting down her phone, curling her legs up beneath her, pleased by his willingness to engage with her over the week.
Grinning widely, he waited for her to relax so he could watch her tense back up, "I found it under your pillow," he teased, pleased when her cheeks flamed with embarrassment. "Very educational," he joked, "I can definitely understand how those stories keep your attention."
Squeezing her eyes closed, Heather desperately fought off her mortification. "Those stories are private," she muttered.
Colton's baritone laugh filled the room, "nah Sunshine, the one I read had sold over a million copies, I looked it up, nothing private about that."
Heather grabbed the pillow behind her and threw it at him, "quit teasing me. I was young, I wanted to learn and it's not like I could talk to you about that," she tried to defend herself, still horrified he'd read one of her erotic highland romance novels.
Colton tossed the pillow back at her, "you're right, I would have run if you'd ever broached that topic with me," he told her honestly, taken aback when her face fell with disappointment. "What?" he asked, "what's wrong?"
Sighing, Heather played with the frayed edges of the pillow between her fingers. "Nothing, I just- I really needed you back then. Highschool was hard and frustrating, and boys were so confusing and having you to lean on would have..." she sighed, "nevermind."
"Having me to lean on would have what?" Colton prompted, leaning over to clasp her fingers in his, forcing her to meet his gaze, wanting to silently communicate that he was done shutting her out. Although it made him uncomfortable, if she needed to get something off her chest, he would listen.
Heather gnawed on her plump lower lip, drawing his gaze to her mouth, "I just fell for a lot of stupid lines and I just wonder sometimes if things would have been different if..." she trailed off, her implied meaning hanging heavy between them.
Blood running cold, Colton tightened his hold on her marginally, "what do you mean you fell for stupid lines," he murmured, all of his joking gone, a dangerous edge to his voice.
Waving her other hand dismissively, Heather shook her head, "oh you know, the typical. Guys that told me they loved me just so that I'd let them touch me," the sharp discomfort coming from her hand silenced her, Colton's fingers tightening reflexively on her words, crushing hers.
"Touch you, or fuck you?" Colton clarified, his rage boiling just under his surface, his skin feeling too tight. Fury and possessiveness swirling in his gut as every protective warning bell he possessed fired off in his brain.
Shame shrouded her features as she recoiled at his harsh tone, pulling her hand from his grip. teasing him was one thing, getting him angry was another. She had no desire to have his fury directed at her, "thought you didn't want to talk about sex with me," she muttered defensively.
Colton glared at her, of course he didn't want to talk about sex with his baby sister. Listening to her tell him about an innocent kiss years ago had been torture, listening to her talk about someone else pleasuring her was going to kill him. But he had to know. He couldn't stand the idea of her being taken advantage of.
"You're an adult now," he supplied, as if it was the only explanation necessary, "did any of them..." he trailed off, unable to even voice the repulsive thought in his head.
"No, it was always consensual, I just-" Heather sighed in defeat, "I just feel like an ignoramus when it comes to sex," she told him bluntly. If she'd had even a clue how to seduce, she would have thrown herself at him long ago, propriety be damned, and hoped for the best. Instead, she'd spent the last seven years dating his look alikes in the hopes even one of them would make her feel as wonderful emotionally as her brother once had. She sighed, trying to push the memories and desires aside. They'd get her nowhere.