"Yeah, yeah, of course," he said, kissing my neck, nibbling on my earlobe. I reached down and grabbed a silky handful of his hair. In this light, it was dark as ink.
"Yeah, yeah, what?" I asked, making him look at me. Flor reached up and caught both my wrists in his hands, pushing them down by my sides and getting close enough to kiss. Still, he fought to keep those perfect lips from me as I leaned forward. "Can we try this, Flor? Really try this?"
He hesitated, considering the implications.
"No Max?" he asked and I nodded, biting my bottom lip. "No other guys at all?"
"Me and you, Flor. For real. As a couple." I paused. "That means no Rhonda." A tickle of anticipation fluttered in my throat. Is this really happening right now? I considered pinching myself, just to make sure this wasn't a dream. "No other girls either."
I waited in the perfect silence for several heartbeats, scarcely daring to breathe. Hardheaded, know-it-all Florian and me? As a couple? A shiver crawled down my spine as his grip tightened around my wrists.
Outside, a group of people streamed by, laughing, unaware of the intense emotional battle that was taking place just feet away from them. If they were to stop and peer closely at the glass, I knew they could see us. No one did.
Seconds stretched like hours, but I didn't dare make a sound and then finally, the miraculous happened.
Flor nodded and I squealed, pulling my wrists from his grip and throwing them around his neck. I held him tight and relished the idea that he was mine now. Mine. I pulled back and watched a smile stretch his lips, a real one.
"I can't believe I'm doing this," he said, but he sounded happy. Surprised, maybe, but happy. "I'm dating my little sister."
"Stepsister," I corrected and his smile grew into a sexy grin. Relief pounded through me, a heady concoction that made my head spin. I felt dizzy, like if I tried to stand up, I'd stumble and fall. This cannot be happening right now. Only it was. It really, really was.
"Whatever, dope," he said, pushing himself against me hard enough that I could feel his erection through his jeans. "Who cares what I call you anyway? Obviously, if you couldn't tell, I don't think of you as a sister, even though I've tried my fucking damnedest."
"I think," I said, trying to remember to breathe. It was hard, with him hot and ready and pressed up against the thin cotton of my panties. "You thought you were being a big brother when really, you were just jealous. I mean, come on, you chased away every boyfriend I ever had." Flor squeezed me tighter.
"None of them were good enough for you," he said simply, bending down to nip at my earlobe. "None of them, not even me." He breathed hot breath against my neck as he reached down to unzip his jeans. "But now that you're mine, that means I get to do whatever I want to you, right? I mean, you do know what you're asking? If I stay, it's not going to be as your brother. Instead of squinting my eyes and pretending that you're a nun, I'm going to be wastefully wicked."
"Wastefully wicked?" I asked and his grin twisted into a smirk as he freed himself from his pants, pushing my panties aside with skillful fingers.
"It means, nee-chan, that I'm not even going to try to hold back." Flor slid some loose curls behind my ear as he angled himself to enter me. "Those times before, with me and you, those were slipups, that was my control breaking at the last possible second while I tried to get a hold of it. Abs, if I do this now, I'm letting loose."
"Good," I whispered, looking up into green eyes that I'd admired for over a decade. "Because that's all I've ever wanted."
Florian pushed into me oh so slowly, filling me up as he held my gaze, the fingers of his left hand curling around my hip, sliding over the lines of my tattoo. I breathed in deep, took in the smell of antiseptic and ink as Flor cupped the back of my head with his other hand and kissed me. The slant of his lips was deep and dark, like he was drinking me up, savoring me. When he'd said he was letting go, I'd imagined a wildness, a bestial rutting against the counter, but this was even more intense. This was … it felt like in his every touch, in his every movement, in the rhythm of his kiss, that he was telling me something.
I love you.
I felt it as he moved inside of me, deeper, deeper, until our hips made full contact, until our bodies couldn't get any closer if we tried. I suddenly realized that Flor was … making love to me. Holy shit. On the counter in his tattoo studio, where anyone could see, where Max could unlock the door and walk in.
And I didn't care.
I'd heard before that a person could tell the difference between simply screwing and making love, but I hadn't really believed it. I did now.
"Flor," I gasped between kisses, but he wouldn't let me speak, filling my mouth with his tongue like he was drinking me in, holding me close, rocking our hips together. The dark haze of the studio was a perfect companion, hiding the bright flush that lit my cheeks, the quiver of my hands as I laced them behind his neck. Flor only paused to peel our shirts off, crushing my leopard print bra against his bare chest. I swear, I could feel the metal piercings in his cock as he slid it deep and stole it away from me again, leaving me panting and barely able to form a coherent thought. I tried to look away several times, but Flor touched his fingers to my chin and drew my gaze back over and over.
I had a feeling I knew what was coming, but I was almost too worked up to hear it.
"Abigail," he began.
"Don't," I said, putting my hands flat against his chest. I squeezed my eyes shut and shook my head. "Not yet. Not right now. I don't think I can take it."
"I told you, I'm not holding back. I warned you, Abs." I sucked in a deep breath. "I love you," he said simply, and it was almost too much. Feelings burst like fireworks inside my chest, riding the crest of an orgasm that I knew was coming on quick. "I want to hear you say it, too," he told me in that cocky, annoying voice of his.
"I've said it a million times," I told him, gasping at the rush of pleasure when he pushed into me, harder this time. And then Flor paused, going so still I was worried he was going to stop completely.
"Say it," he commanded, looking smug and stupid and so horribly beautiful that I wanted to cry. This was a face I knew, a face I'd looked into a million times and wished was mine. And now it was. I hugged Flor tight to me, hooked my ankles behind his back and held him there while I worked up the courage to say the words yet again.
"I love you, Flor."
He grinned and cupped my face between his hands, kissing me hard and deep before he started moving again. Flor took hold of my hips and ground my ass against the countertop. He wasn't rough or wild, but filled with a sort of ironclad intent that made my toes curl. When I came, arching my back and shuddering in his arms, he held me and kissed my cheeks until the crowds across the street were gone and there was nobody left but us.
"This is a pretty big deal," Addison said, lifting up one designer dress after the other as she stood in front of the mirror and tried to figure out what to wear. Tonight, we were having our first double date with me and Flor as a couple. Addi still wasn't exactly thrilled with the idea, but she said she'd been getting used to it for years. Ever since I saw that damn shrine, she'd told me. "Which one do you like better?" I looked between the black dress and the … other black dress. They were both pretty, but they also both looked pretty much the same to me. One was shorter with a scoop neck and a plunging back while the other had tiny cap sleeves embroidered with lace and beads. I pointed to that one, but Addi chose the other, undressing right in front of me and sliding the fabric over her head. I was used to it. She even walked around naked sometimes.
"You're not seriously considering wearing boots with that?" Theo asked, fully dressed in drag and wearing a dress strangely similar to Addison's. He had on blue heels with his. "Pretty Woman, anyone? You'll look like a hooker."
Addison glared at him, but Yuu was already nodding in agreement. Okay, when I said double date, I actually meant triple – sort of. We were going to a club to see Theo and Yuu's performance. It was a brand new place not far from Flor's tattoo shop and something Springfield desperately needed. There hadn't been a good club or bar around Main Street in years, not something that would attract college students like this one would. Everybody loved drag queens. Plus, Yuu said their new place served killer hot wings. Didn't get any better than that. Tonight was the grand opening and we were going to be the honored guests, lucky us. I knew that would probably involve some sort of how big are your boobs? contest, but I was willing to make the sacrifice.