[All characters involved in sexual situations are aged 18 or over]
Anya loved the garden, its gentle grassy rise, the lush flowerbeds, the dappled shade under the lemon trees. She loved the way her aunt's grand old house nestled comfortably atop the hill, looking out on the blue curve of the bay. The garden was huge, covering the whole hillside, full of hidden alcoves, sunken ponds and worn statuary. On a summer's day, the air full of the scent of honeysuckle and rosemary, a cool breeze sighing through the leaves, this place was like heaven to her. Sometimes she would lie on the lawn with her eyes closed for hours and just breathe in the garden's sweetness. When her aunt had invited her to spend the summer here, she had leapt for joy, glad to leave the noise and bustle of the city behind.
Today, though, she was trembling with nervousness, her cornflower-blue eyes darting from side to side, her heart hammering in her chest. She was standing by the door of the little wooden summerhouse that was hidden in the trees at the edge of the garden; a whimsical little building with just enough space for a bed and bathroom for guests. She'd often stayed in it when she was younger, had sleepovers and played games with her cousins in it. But now, barefoot on the grass in her long summer dress, she hardly dared step through the open doorway.
Inside the summerhouse, sitting on the crisp white linen of the bed, sat Anya's older cousin Nina. Tall, evenly tanned and beautiful in a mischievous, sharp-featured way, she gazed at Anya with a gentle curiosity. Her ash-blonde hair flowed down to her shoulders, slightly unkempt in a way that was strangely exciting. She wore a blue and white skirt that ended just above her knees, and a tight blouse that flattered her ample breasts very nicely. Her long, athletic legs, toned from years of running and swimming, were comfortably stretched out; her bare feet tapped the polished floorboards in idle rhythm. Anya - slight, pale, dark-haired and small-breasted - felt positively dowdy next to her.
Nina spoke, soft and husky. "Come in, Anni, I won't bite." As always, there was a slight hint of amusement in her voice. It was one of the things Anya had always loved about her cousin - the subtle good cheer that animated and amplified her beauty. Right now, though, it just made her more nervous. Trembling, dry mouthed, she stepped over the threshold. The wooden floorboards were cold under her bare feet. Nina smiled, showing perfect white teeth.
"I'm glad you came, sweet. I was worried you'd leave me hanging. Come on, sit with me."
Anya stayed silent as she walked to the bed and sat beside her cousin. Nina leaned over and kissed Anya's cheek, running delicate fingers through her long straight hair. Anya could smell Nina's perfume, a subtle hint of honey.
"Sam and the others are out in town, Anni. We have the place to ourselves. We can enjoy some time together." When Anya met Nina's gaze, the older girl's deep green eyes were eager, almost hungry.
At last, Anya spoke. She'd always had a slight stammer; now she was so nervous she positively squeaked. "W-what do you want, Nina?"
"You."
*
The holiday had started just like all the others. When they picked Anya up from the airport, Nina and her elder brother Sam had hugged and kissed her hello, as always, and told her how grown-up she looked now that she was eighteen. She told them how lovely they looked in turn, and meant it. Nina was as luscious as ever, with her sharp cheekbones, delicate little nose and emerald eyes. Sam - sandy blond, easily six feet tall and strong without being bulky - was not classically handsome, but he still had an easy boyish smile and a jocular voice that was deeply comforting.
They asked the usual questions: how her side of the family was ("They're fine"), what her plans for university were ("I don't know"), whether she had a boyfriend ("No"). They laughed good-naturedly at her eternal shyness. They cracked silly jokes in Sam's car, gossiped about their beach-party friends, and promised to take her on all sorts of hikes and tours and boat trips.
As always, she found their liveliness endearing, albeit a little exhausting. She'd spent most of her summers with Nina and Sam and their eldest brother Karl, and had grown to love them all dearly. As they grew older - Nina was nineteen, Sam twenty, and Karl twenty-three and married - their holidays had become more about sunbathing, drinking and nightclubbing than games of hide-and-seek, but they still had much the same connection they'd had as children. Over the last couple of visits, Anya had even got to know her cousins' friends, who all seemed to be beautiful, unfailingly friendly and amazingly athletic. They made Anya's drab and sometimes bitchy friends in the city seem totally inadequate, and she herself felt like an embarrassing hanger-on when she went to the waterfront bars with Nina and Sam. They were so charming, so easy-going, while she was just...plain. It was often strange to think that they were related.
This time, she was here alone, without her parents and her younger brothers and sisters - they'd booked a holiday in South America. She relished the chance to have Nina and the others to herself, and was looking forward to being more sociable this time. Maybe she could even get lucky with one of those tanned, muscular boys who Nina always attracted so effortlessly. Well, she could dream...
It was during the drive up to the house that Anya realised something was different. The road wound between the emerald-green hills, beautiful old villas and vineyards racing by on either side, and on the horizon the sea sparkled a heavenly blue. But Nina and Sam weren't looking at the view, they were trading little mischievous glances, as if they knew a secret that Anya wasn't allowed to hear. They kept making small talk, but when they looked at her, their eyes sparkled. Anya was still a virgin, and she'd never done more than kiss a few boys, but she still recognised that eager look in her cousins' lovely green eyes. Desire.
She tried to forget about it as the car pulled up to the leafy driveway. The wonderful garden stretched out on either side as they drove up the hill, and the familiar house appeared against the bright blue sky. They got out of the car, Sam helpfully carrying Anya's meagre luggage, and the rest of the family came out of the house. Anya's aunt, her father's younger sister, was a tall, glamorous woman, still beautiful at fifty, her hair a slightly faded blonde. She'd been a model for many years, and had made a small fortune - her ever-absent husband, Anya's uncle, was a corporate executive who'd made a much larger one. She kissed Anya hello, and immediately started barraging her with questions and compliments. "Look at you, Anni! So beautiful! Just like your mother! How is she doing? How's your pa? How are Eva and Thomas and Hans and Marie? How was your flight? Do you want to go swimming? Are you thirsty? Hungry? Come have some food!"
"Don't deafen her, Mama," Nina said, giggling, as they walked out of the blinding sun into the shaded verandah of the house. Karl and his wife Valerie were there waiting; they came forward to greet Anya. Sam was tall, but Karl was a giant, an easy six-foot-six with prominent musculature and short blonde hair. He'd served three years in the army, and now he'd been discharged and was starting his own company. Anya had always found him a bit intimidating, but he was a gentle and good-humoured man, with an infectious laugh. Valerie, meanwhile, was almost scandalously lovely - a year older than Karl, blue-eyed, chestnut-haired and with the sculpted cheekbones and sunny smile of an angel. She was visibly pregnant; she and Karl had been married less than half a year, and obviously they hadn't wasted any time.
"So good to have you back with us, little Anni," Karl said as he embraced her. He probably meant it to be a gentle squeeze, but it was like being hugged by a bear. "Lucky us, we get to have you a whole month!"
