Author's Note: This is a fictional story that involves consenting siblings in their 30s who pursue a sexual relationship. If incest rubs you the wrong way, I suggest skipping this story. For those who stay, you'll find the sex is fairly vanilla but the emotions are anything but.
PROLOGUE
I was a rambunctious, high energy child. Somewhat of a whirlwind. I never stopped talking. My parents later told me that the quietest they'd ever seen me was when they brought my baby sister home from the hospital. I was 4 years old and after I touched her tiny hands and feet, I barely spoke for a week. I like to think that's because I knew what they'd given me was truly special. She turned out to be my lucky star and ally. Growing up, we had our own interests and friends but we were always friendly and supportive. The one year we went to the same high school, she'd come to my basketball games and cheer loudly. I liked having her there, yelling "Go, Ian!" from the bleachers. I never identified with guys on the team who were embarrassed by the mere existence of their younger siblings. Sure, Rachel and I sometimes annoyed one another but the fallout never lasted.
Years went by and distance came between us. We went to different universities and started our careers in different states, but we would always talk on the phone a few times a month and see each other for major holidays. I was concerned about her being so far away, but my sister has an independent streak. She valued the freedom and privacy that came with living away from where we grew up. From afar I watched her come into her adult self. Confident and competent, she climbed the ranks at her firm and became one of their top performers. Clients and co-workers alike clamored to be assigned to her team. I once visited her and watched her deliver an internal presentation to her department. It was a scene to behold. Her stage presence and depth of knowledge were on full display. All fifty pairs of eyes in the room were glued to her. I was so proud of her.
Not too long after that, my wife and I found out we were expecting our first child. She gave birth to our son and I felt as if my life was complete. However, fate had something completely different in store. Right after Jude was born, things between my wife and I went off the rails. We stopped talking and she moved out, leaving Jude and me behind. We'd have epic fights whenever we tried to reconcile. Both of us recognized our deep incompatibility. Long story short, her exterior was a shell that hid a very different person. No amount of counseling could save the marriage and we reached the end of the road fast. I filed for divorce and gave up nearly everything so I could win custody of our son.
At this point my sister had already put in for a transfer at work and moved to the city where we now live. I remember she called me every day to make sure that I had someone to talk to. I spent god knows how many hours on her sofa, pouring my heart out. Sometimes, I'd openly weep. Believe it or not, those were the better times. The worst times were when I was numb and couldn't feel a damn thing. Rach would sit with me in silence, holding my hand. Sometimes I'd rest my head in her lap. One cold afternoon close to Christmas, she sang to me, Angels We Have Heard on High. It was as sweet as it sounds and her soft, mellow rendition became my favorite version of the song. All of this to say, she was there for me without any judgment. My sister is someone who shows her love very precisely, in the exact way you need it in any given moment. Being loved by Rachel is a constantly astonishing gift. She anchored me to her goodness, with her voice and with her touch. I gained a new appreciation for her over those rough months of my divorce.
While the past couple of years have been tough, there's been a silver lining. I love being a dad and everyone tells me Jude is an easy baby, now toddler. He brings me so much joy and purpose. I realized the family unit I thought I lost had simply changed its shape. Rachel started increasing the time she spent at my house. I'd be lying if I said it was me and not Jude who was the main draw. We became a tight trio, spending lots of weeknights and almost every weekend together. She kept her apartment, of course, but she spent less and less time there. When we'd go out for brunch with Jude or if she and I went to a show or concert together, those around us just assumed that Jude was our son and that we were together. We rarely bothered to correct anyone. The time we spent became like a refuge from the outside world, even more so this year. Whenever stress or something unpredictable struck, we had each other. I found something comforting in that thought.
Another positive development is the performance of my fin-tech software business. It's relatively new, but sales & profit soared unexpectedly over the past year. A few months ago, when the pandemic hit and the entire world panicked, I managed to not just stay afloat but actually acquire more clients. Big clients. My sister was instrumental during this, in fact, more than ever. With her background in financial services, she worked with my bookkeeper to audit several of our accounts and put us in an even better cash flow position. Due to our involvement with international payments and foreign currency, I'd found it difficult to hire and retain experienced accounting talent. Rach to the rescue again.
As you can see, I have a lot to be grateful for. I don't take for granted the health of my family, and having a solid way to provide for my son. I admit this year has tested the bounds of my limited patience like never before. I'm the sort of person who almost always has a plan, which is why I don't react well when something throws me off course. When that happens, I deal with it in one of two ways. Option one, I ignore it. If it's insignificant enough, it will go away and I can easily jump back on plan. If that doesn't work or I don't feel like waiting, I go to option two, which is to remove the obstacle. It might sound brutish, but it's effective for me. I can't think of a single situation in my adult life where I haven't been able to apply one of these options. That is, until this summer.
It was a Saturday and I'd been in meetings all day, locked in my study. Rachel had Jude all to herself, something she sought routinely. I guess they'd been playing in the pool for awhile because he'd fallen asleep reclined against her on a lounge chair. She had a towel draped over him to keep him warm while he slept. It was large enough to cover them both. When I stepped out to the deck, I saw that Rachel looked pretty sleepy herself. I offered to relieve her, but she rejected that out of hand. In fairness, neither of us is known for handing over a warm, sleepy toddler. You take all the snuggles you can get.
There were rain clouds rolling in, so she wanted to come inside anyway. She stood up, still holding Jude. The towel that was covering them fell to the ground and I got a good look at her bikini clad body. I hadn't seen my sister in a bathing suit since we were kids, probably on some family vacation. There was nothing to prepare me for the sight of this adult version of her nearly naked figure, all lean muscle and feminine curves. She breezed right past me like it was nothing, which it was...or, should have been. I trailed behind her, unable to take my eyes off her curvy butt, supported by firm thighs that flexed as she moved. Her skin is beautiful, the perfect caramel shade. I distinctly remember imagining what it would feel like to hug her right then and touch every inch of her exposed body.
It was her disappearing from my view into the house that forced me to get a hold of myself. I scanned my thoughts and realized I was disturbed that I'd just objectified her. My heart was pounding. I felt I'd betrayed her somehow. She'd been nothing but kind and supportive towards me for as long as I could remember. My son was in her arms, for Christ's sake. She should be able to wear whatever the hell she wants without me reacting this way. Without my own mind taking me off plan. I had very few options from here. I couldn't ignore her, we were too close for that. And I couldn't remove her from my life either. What's for certain though, is that the veil of my immunity to her attractiveness had suddenly lifted and I didn't know how to pull it back down.
* * * * *
After the long glimpse of Rachel in her swimsuit, I retreated to my study. Even though my work for the day was finished, I needed to take cover and regroup. I was trying to sort out whether I was genuinely attracted to her or if I'd simply let a natural reaction get to me more than it should. I'd always found my sister beautiful, in the same way I appreciated the beauty of a sunset or a flower. There's nothing sexual about it, you're just glad it exists. If anything, I'd been more protective of her for it. So what was...this? Maybe nothing. Certainly, I wasn't the first man to do a double take at her looks.
I served myself a generous pour from the decanter of whiskey on my bookcase. The burn was just the right distraction. My mind was starting to settle when Rach knocked on the door. When she came in, I was so relieved. For one, I was happy to see her. It was the first time all day she hadn't been chasing Jude and I hadn't been working. Fortunately, she'd changed into regular clothes. Even better, she didn't seem to have any inkling of my inner turmoil or what had caused it.
"Work, work, work...You've been so busy lately," she said. My guard went up right away. Rach was the only person in my life brave enough to comment on my intense work habits. My contentious responses had long ago silenced the rest of my friends and family.
"Yeah, it's this client...err, soon to be client. There's no one to close them but me." I leaned back in my chair and forced myself to unclench my jaw.
Rachel approached my desk and her gaze flicked to the glass in my hand then back up to meet my eyes.
"Jude?" I asked her.
"In bed," she answered, "he looks just like you when he sleeps."
We both smiled at that.
"You need a break, Ian," she said abruptly.
