To Mused, thank you for all your help with this. You're the best.
*~*~*
The summer cottage was dark when Brandon arrived home from his afternoon in the dunes. He wondered if Emma was back yet. He wondered, too, what had transpired between her and Adam. He went around to the side, where the entrance to the sleeping porch was located, and entered the cottage from there. If Emma was already home and asleep, he didn't want to disturb her with the squeaky front screen door.
Brandon crept through the interior, quiet as he could be, and used the bathroom. On his way back to the sleeping porch, he passed by Emma's bed. His sister was curled up on her side, facing him, sound asleep. He paused and watched her for a few minutes before placing a chaste kiss upon her upturned cheek.
Brandon made it as far as the door to the porch when a snuffling sound hit his ears. A tiny voice spoke, "Bran, that you?"
"Yeah, Em. I'm home now. You okay?" Something in his sister's voice told him she wasn't. Brandon returned to her side. "When did you get in?"
"A while ago," she whispered.
Brandon sat down on the edge of her bed. "Everything go okay with Adam?" Adam Gerhardt was a summer friend of Brandon's, and a real player when it came to girls. He'd asked Emma to go down to Silver Lake for the day and Emma had excitedly agreed, as she'd nursed a serious crush on Adam for years. It was Brandon's fear Adam would exploit that crush and use Emma for his own pleasure. Brandon was even more afraid that Adam would then toss her aside, the way he had with so many other girls.
"You were right, Brandon,"
Brandon's heart fell at Emma's words. He hadn't wanted to be right. He only hoped that Emma hadn't let Adam go too far. "About what, Em?"
"He only wanted one thing," Emma sighed. She hated to admit it, but her brother had been right about Adam. Emma turned and buried her face in her pillow.
"Well, that was fast."
Fucking hell, the bastard
! Inside, Brandon seethed with anger; he stayed calm for Emma's sake. He reached over and rubbed his little sister's back. Contact with Emma felt so good, no matter how innocent the touch. His physical reaction took its normal course, and in seconds he was hard. He sighed, and shifted a little on Emma's bed in an effort to relieve the discomfort.
"I didn't give in, but he does want to see me again," Emma ventured, somewhat tentatively. In the filtered moonlight, she saw the muscle in his jaw work overtime. She knew her brother extremely well, probably better than anyone. She could sense how upset he was.
"What? You told him to fuck off, right?" Brandon asked her carefully.
"I--I thought I might give him another chance."
Brandon bolted up off the bed. "Another chance! Another chance to do what? To stick his dick in you? Goddamn it Emma, he doesn't want you, he wants your pussy! You just told me that's all he wanted!"
Emma sat up on her knees in her bed, alarmed at the fury in her brother's voice. "Maybe he just needs another chance, you know, to get to know me better. Maybe, eventually..." she trailed off, uncertain of her brother for the first time, uncertain of the wild look in his eyes.
Brandon spat out a harsh laugh. "Eventually what? He'll love you?" The thought of Adam loving Emma was too much to bear. He grabbed Emma by her arms and hauled her up to eye level. "He'll never love you, Emma! Don't you get it? Not like I--" Brandon caught himself, but it was too late. He saw the look in Emma's eyes, as the dawning realization of what he said, or hadn't said, washed over her.
Emma felt like she'd been struck by lightening, so floored was she by this sudden revelation. But it made sense to her. The way she caught Brandon staring at her from time to time, the loving touches, and the sweet smiles that he bestowed on her suddenly seemed that much more intimate. Emma knew then just what Brandon felt for her. He loved her, plain and simple; he loved her the way she wanted to be loved. Emma felt a rush of emotion unlike any she'd ever known. Her heartbeat increased, and her palms grew damp, as her gaze stayed locked on Brandon.
Slowly, agonizingly, Emma slid her hands up his chest. His skin was warm beneath her palms, and already held a golden hue from the full day spent in the warm June sun. She leaned into him and gently rested her cheek there. The thudding of his heart drummed in time with her own, as his arms came up around her shoulders and held her close.
Brandon couldn't believe he was holding Emma in his arms. He hadn't meant to tell her his real feelings, yet he couldn't help but feel relieved now that she finally knew his secret. Terrified she would recoil in disgust, he tightened his hold, slid one hand up her back into her hair, and cradled her head.
The silence stretched out between them before Emma finally broke it. "How long, Bran?"
"How long what, Em?" His voice sounded strange and foreign to him.
"How long have you felt this way?" she whispered into his chest.
"Too long."
"I never realized..." Still kneeling on the bed, Emma's arms moved to encircle Brandon's waist.
"I never wanted you to know."
"But why?"
"You're my sister, for Christ's sake. I'm not supposed to feel this way about you. It's wrong; it's immoral; it's--"
"I feel it, too. I can't explain why, but I do, Brandon," Emma nodded against him. Her hand caressed his shoulder and arm. She tenderly kneaded the muscles beneath his tanned skin.
"God, Emma, no," Brandon groaned. Her touch was like a gift from the heavens. He dreamed of holding her in his arms every night. But it was so wrong.
Emma's hands moved slowly between their bodies. Brandon watched her unbutton the old flannel shirt that she always wore to bed. His mind seemed to work in slow motion; the fact that she was unbuttoning her shirt took several seconds to register in his brain.
Emma sat back on her knees, her shirt unbuttoned but still on. She looked up at her brother with a shy smile. "Brandon?"
Brandon watched as Emma sat back. Her shirt parted enough so he could make out the gentle swell of her breasts. His gaze lowered, treating him to a view of the little mound of dark, curly hair at the juncture of her thighs. Emma was a vision of perfection to him, the embodiment of a primal desire denied for too long. She was his sister and his friend. But he wanted more. He wanted her love.
He was aching to have her but held back. "What do you want, Emma? What are you saying to me?" He knew she was offering herself, but he wanted to be sure. He wanted to hear that she wanted him.
"I love you, Brandon," she said, her words whisper-soft.
Brandon smiled at Emma's sweet declaration. He reached out and touched her cheek. "I love you, too, babe. But it's a lot more serious than that; you understand? I love you like Dad loves Mom. Do you know what I'm saying?"
Emma smiled and nodded. As she looked up at her big brother, she wondered why in the world it took her eighteen years to realize just how wonderful he was. No boy she had ever dated could compare to him, and she doubted any man ever would. Adam had turned out to be exactly as Brandon had described, yet she had been willing to see him again, knowing full well that the only thing he wanted was between her legs. Emma wanted something more than that. She wanted what only her brother could give her. Love, unconditionally. She reached out, took his hand, and placed it over her heart. "Do you feel it? It's racing, Brandon, because of you."
Brandon could feel it, Emma's heart, slamming away in her chest. He looked down into her wide blue eyes, the same eyes he'd looked into a thousand times before. What he'd hoped to see a thousand times was finally there, the love of a woman for a man. He swallowed hard. "Emmie, baby, I love you," he whispered.
Emma took Brandon's hand and pulled him down beside her. Tracing the contours of his face, her fingertips grazed his nose, cheeks, and lips. Hesitantly, her head moved towards his, and their lips touched in a gentle first kiss. "Be my first, Brandon. Please, show me how much you love me," Emma muttered against his mouth.
Brandon pulled back and looked at Emma. He saw the love in her eyes, again. He bent his head back to hers and captured her mouth with his own. His hands pushed her shirt off her shoulders; it fell into a pool around her waist.
Emma was startled when Brandon's tongue pushed its way into her mouth, but she readily accepted it and began to suckle. Her brothers' hands on her shoulders were a gentle caress, and the fact that she was suddenly naked before him sent a rush of warmth to her pussy. She felt herself blush when he broke their kiss and took in her nudity. Emma ducked her head so she didn't have to look up at her brother.
"God Emma, you're more beautiful than ever," Brandon breathed, then laughed when his sister turned shy on him. "Hey you, it's just me." He tilted her head up and looked into her eyes. "Never hide from me, Emma. No matter what, I'm always here for you." He lay down on her bed and opened his arms. "Come here." He bit the inside of his cheek and tried not to laugh again, as he watched Emma carefully lay down beside him, her eyes huge and her body trembling. He reached to give her shoulder a reassuring squeeze; her delicate muscles were as stiff as his cock was at the moment. Brandon pulled down his underwear, throwing them on the floor. He hoped his own nakedness would make Emma feel a little more secure about her own.
Emma's wide eyes narrowed a tiny bit. "You're, uh, big," Emma commented. Ignoring the rest of his nude body, she seemed fascinated by his dick.
"Wanna touch it?" Brandon asked with a wicked grin.
Emma smiled and teasingly shook her head. "It might bite."
"I don't think it'll bite you, but it might spit," he winked.
Emma erupted into a fit of laughter. Brandon always found a way to make her feel better. The muscles in her arms relaxed, allowing her little hand to move down to her brother's most fascinating appendage. Ever so carefully, the tips of her fingers brushed his purple-red cockhead. It was already wet with slick drops of pre-come.
Brother and sister took their time exploring each other's bodies. They knew one another so well, yet they hadn't seen each other naked in years. It was uncharted territory. For Emma, even more so. At least Brandon had experience. The only experience Emma had had was with her own fingers.
Brandon sighed as he felt Emma's hand close around his shaft. He dipped his head to her chest and flicked a nipple with his tongue. He admired the way the pink flesh stiffened into a little peak. He sucked the nipple in and bathed it with his tongue.
