Author's Note: This is a short, fictional piece featuring characters based purely in my imagination. If you're in the mood for a quick yet sweet read, you're in the right place.
I showed up to our brunch spot, Atrium, perfectly dressed and done up. It was my attempt at feeling in control of at least some aspect of my exterior. Inside, I was a complete mess. But you'd never know it as I tapped my fresh manicure on the glossy tabletop. The front layers of my blow out curtained my face as I ducked my head in shame at my response to the sight of my brother. My incredibly sexy brother.
You're probably going to hell,
I reminded myself.
At 34, Joel is the older of the two of us by 11 months. He's well groomed and confident, a commanding presence with a disarming candor about him. He made his way through the dining area where the skylights filtered golden sunbeams onto his shoulders and his neatly trimmed head. It was impossible not to acutely observe his physical attributes as he approached me. In jeans and a fitted sweater, he was all muscled limbs, exuding strength without being bulky. I managed to will away the familiar yet humiliating twinges below my waist. Joel squinted at the flustered look on my face as he greeted me.
"Is that a yes, Em?" He said, just loudly enough to break through my stupor. I lifted my gaze from his rosy lips to the dense lashes framing his eyes. Dear god, he was more dashing than ever.
"Sorry, yes to what?"
"Espresso for two. Unless a martini sounds better," he said, winking.
I nearly fell out of my chair. We'd been dancing around the topic of "martinis" ever since his return to the States. The last time we partook was before his 2 year stint in the Zurich offices of his firm. Three drinks in and our customary teasing turned into flirtation then into outright foreplay. We stumbled into my bed where his mouth and tongue had delivered the best orgasm I'd ever had. The dual intoxication from the gin and the intense pleasure from Joel created an other worldly elixir. I savored that emotional peak until he pushed me even higher when he rested his soft head on my collarbone. He slept in my arms after that and I never could have anticipated the sweetness of it, to have my big brother seek the sanctuary of my touch for hours on end.
Early the next morning, I'd gladly returned the oral favor to a cacophony of his swearing, begging and hair pulling until he exploded in my mouth. I swallowed every drop of the evidence of his pleasure.
"We probably shouldn't do this again." Joel said first.
"Probably not..." My voice trailed off, reluctant.
He'd kissed my forehead, showered, and then left. It was the last I'd been alone with him before he moved abroad. We hadn't talked about what happened since that morning, but that didn't mean I could forget the way it felt to have the taste of him fresh on my lips.
"So, what'll it be, Em?" Joel prompted me again.
Oh right, the
drinks
.
"I already ordered espresso," I croaked as I met and then promptly avoided his gaze.
"Coming right up!" A peppy barista appeared, interrupting the fraught moment. I startled so badly that I banged my knee on the underside of the table. Joel studied me with curiosity as Gisele, according to her name tag, deposited our cortados with flair and flurry. I concentrated on the gleaming ceramic saucers as I recomposed myself. But the damn twinges kept on coming.
