Escalation Clause (8 page)

“Jesus, Brandis,” she gasped, cradling his head as he sucked her nipple, hard, just like she liked it. She wrapped her legs around his waist, let the water’s buoyancy hold her aloft. One shift of her hips and she would have what she wanted so desperately. He wanted it, too, she could tell. His hips thrust forward towards her as he gripped her ass, shoved her up against the pool wall. “Yes.” She hissed, feeling him close, nearly inside her.

“No,” he tore away, his breath harsh, his face a mask of desire and frustration. “I told you, it’s…oh, God,”

She pulled him back to her, flipped them around so he was the one propped against the wall. She lifted herself up, bit her lip and grabbed his throbbing shaft.
This was it, goddamn it. She was going to have him inside her, where he belonged.
He kissed her, making her head spin with the intensity. His tongue swept into her mouth, their teeth clicked together in clumsy urgency. A small tendril of fear teased her brain when she sensed the head of his sex so near. Then, he grabbed her waist and lifted her off, passing his hand down her stomach, grazing her clit once, twice, then rubbing hard as he pulled her nipple between his teeth, biting down as she groaned and came all over his finger that he only inserted enough, but not too far. Again.

“Jesus, Mary and Joseph,” she sighed leaning back, her arms still wrapped around his neck. She leaned into lick the sweat from him, loving the intense tastes of him. Trying once more to maneuver herself, just enough….

“Stop it, Mo.” He pulled away, his face serious. She grinned and grabbed his cock, moving her hand up and down, like he taught her, concentrating on the thick head, using her other hand below, caressing his tight balls, and lower, using her finger to tease and stroke him.

“I want to taste it.” She whispered into his ear. He lifted himself out backwards, and she stood on the ledge and sucked him down, using her new found swallowing skills to deep throat him, loving how he pulled her hair and thrust his hips, fucking her mouth until he grunted, tensed and shot hot liquid down her throat. She drank him down, released his long dark cock, admiring the beauty of it. “I want this,” she kept caressing him, making him shiver as he leaned back on his elbows. “So much, Brandis. Please. You’re leaving in a week. I need….”

“I know, baby, I know.” He pulled her up beside him and passed his lips over hers. “I’m working out some details.” A small flame of anger flared in her gut, made her stand and walk away from him. “Don’t go away mad, Mo. I missed you so much.”

“Yeah, well, missing me will be all you will do soon, won’t it?” She grabbed a water bottle and drank, ignoring the inevitable, on rushing pain that had “Brandis in Colorado” written on it. She didn’t really know why she was putting so much stock in losing her virginity, but somehow she needed him to want it more; wanted him to take it from her. He acted like it was something he just couldn’t, or wouldn’t, do. She whirled around to face him, but gasped when she realized he’d walked up behind her and was sweeping her into his arms. Tears stung her eyes. He kissed them away.

“Friday night, Maureen. Big date. Dress up. Bring an overnight bag. Okay?” His normally deep voice sounded even lower.

She nodded, still mad but wanting him to never ever stop kissing her.

Brandis watched his hands, amazed that they were actually shaking as he packed for the weekend. Maureen Gordon. Of all the women in his orbit, how had he managed to fall head over heels for her? Granted, they’d known each other a long time. Had spent enough hours together growing up he already considered her one of his very best friends…other than her brother of course. He groaned, and sat on the bed, interlocking his fingers together to keep from punching a hole in the wall.

Jack had been scarce himself over the summer, working overtime for his father’s new project downtown, claiming he needed the cash. Brandis asked him more than once how Gordon Senior felt about his only daughter no longer living at home, but Jack said it never came up. Brandis knew Jack had zero patience for his father’s bullshit and so did not doubt it “never came up.” Yet, Jack worked for his father tirelessly, earning a deep brown tan and plenty of dough to line his bank account.

Brandis wandered out on the house’s small front porch and sat beside Jack, trying to gauge how much the guy had figured out about his and Mo’s activity. They’d been out on dates, lots of movies, dinners, concerts, just like a regular couple. They had done every damn thing except fuck for weeks. And while Brandis was eager for her, to do this thing she wanted so badly, part of him didn’t want the responsibility—the part where she gave something to him that meant so much to her. And the sneakiness, hiding the fact of their relationship from Jack, had worn Brandis down. He needed his friend to know, or better yet, to accept their relationship.

He sat, staring at the light summer traffic. “You got a girl or something, man? I never see you anymore.”

“Yeah, kinda,” Jack ran a hand through his thick black hair, sipped his beer, his work-boot clad feet propped on the railing. “Not really. She’s fun and all but, nothing special.” Brandis matched his casual stance but his heart was going a mile a minute.

“Is it that S and M stuff? You still doing that scene?” Brandis had no interest in it, but Jack seemed to enjoy the kink.

“Some.” Jack kept his eyes trained on the traffic on Church Street. His body language screamed stress. Brandis let the conversation drift off.

“You should realize that I know—about you and my sister.” His friend commented after ten minutes of silence.

Brandis lifted his chin. Here it was. The moment of truth. “Oh?” He grabbed another couple of beers from the cooler between them, popped the caps and handed one over. Jack just stared at him, his deep blue eyes full of something Brandis wished he could read. “What is it that you know?” He tried to keep the defensiveness out of his voice but a sudden loop of pure pornographic activity that he had shared with Maureen shot through his head so fast he sucked in a breath at the strength of the images.

A mistake, Brandis. You have made a giant error in judgment.

But words tumbled from his lips. “I love her. Did you know that?” He leaned his elbows on his knees, let the beer bottle dangle from his fingers.

“No, I did not.” Jack’s voice was tight with anger. “I figured it for a ‘fuck the virgin’ thing. Forbidden fruit. Whatever.”

“No.” Brandis kept a tight rein on his temper. Between the two of them, they had enough testosterone for a football team, but he knew the moment was crucial if he were going to keep Jack as a friend; because giving Maureen up was something he simply would not do.

“Gonna be tough, isn’t it? Long distance relationship and all that?” Jack sipped, staring back out at the road. “She won’t be happy. I mean if you are ‘in love’ and all.” He hooked his fingers around the words, sending a bright shaft of fury between Brandis’ eyes.

“Yeah well, it’s been done before. I only have a three-year program. I’ll be home enough to….”

“You know what, I don’t want to hear anymore.” Jack stood. “She is barely eighteen years old, has her entire college life ahead of her. And you, you are…shit.” He spit out the words then stomped inside. Brandis stayed put, knowing Jack would not walk away from this conversation. He wasn’t mistaken. Jack stalked back out, changed into shorts and a T-shirt, but sporting anger that was palpable from across the porch. “I told you already. I don’t want you to be that guy for her, okay? I mean, it’s not that I don’t like you. I do. You’re my best friend, but….”

Brandis sipped, forced the fury out of his voice before he spoke. “Did you hear me before? I love her. I don’t want to just fuck her. I have never in my entire life felt this way about any woman. You know that. I’ve never had a girlfriend longer than a…oh….” He slumped back into his seat, suddenly getting it. “Look, Jack, I swear on a stack of whatever you hold holy this is completely different for me. I haven’t even…I mean she…we. She’s still a virgin, okay?”

Jack stared at him, eyes narrowed, fists clenched. Brandis tensed. If it came to blows they were evenly matched. It could get ugly. He watched his friend take a deep breath and process what he’d been told. “Okay. Fine. Then walk away from her. Now. Before she isn’t a virgin anymore, and I have to pound you. If you honor our friendship with anything at all, you will do this.”

“Jack,” Brandis shook his head. “I can’t man. I cannot do that. I love you like a brother. I always have. I would think you’d be a little bit happy, you know, that your sister is with your friend and not some random tool from her freshman chemistry class?”

Jack’s laugh was ugly. It made Brandis flinch. “You,” he pointed a long, tanned finger at Brandis’ chest, “are a man whore. I do not think it’s great that you love Maureen. Not at all. Because…. Well, shit, man, I’ve seen you do three girls in a night. Jesus. What do you think my sister is?” He seemed nervous at that moment, as if all his excuses would fall as flat as that one.

“Your sister is a smart, beautiful, incredible woman, Gordon. Pure and simple. But she is an adult. The fact she’s gotten this far, looking that good, with her virginity intact is amazing in and of itself; not that her virginity is any basis for this conversation.”

“You brought it up.” Jack grumbled around his beer bottle.

“Yeah, I know. I don’t know why, but I did. But understand this.” Brandis stood, put his bottle on the railing and leaned back, staring his friend right in the eyes. “We have been together most of this summer. Just having a good time getting to know each other, going to movies, concerts, walks, coffee. Did you know that?”

Jack shook his head.

“Your need to protect her is admirable, my friend, but she is growing up. You have to let her because if you don’t she will hate you.” He put a hand on his friend’s shoulder.

Jack shrugged him away. “Fine. Date her. But, after you pull your magic, deflower her, and leave town to fly planes or whatever the fuck it is, I’ll still be here, dealing with her and for that I will never forgive you. Are we clear?” Jack stood so fast his chair tipped over. He slammed his beer, threw the empty into the yard and clattered down the steps.

Brandis watched as he screeched out into the street in his truck
. That went well
. He slammed his own beer and sank into the porch couch, glaring at the traffic and wondering once more if he had indeed made a huge mistake.

Chapter Six

“What?” Mo cradled the phone receiver between her shoulder and cheek, trying to get her makeup on and hair done before Brandis picked her up. They were going somewhere “special” he claimed, but it was a “surprise.” She was on fire already, eager and nervous both, ready for him and his surprise.

“I said if you go out with him tonight, do not come crying to me when he leaves. For the official record I do not approve.” Jack was yelling at her over the noise of a construction site. “I am dead serious here, Mo. You do not need to be dating that guy much less considering….”

“Hold on, Jack,” She put her mascara down and held onto the phone, her heart pounding with dismay. “I hate to break this to you, but I’m eighteen years old. You were at the birthday party if I’m not mistaken. I can do whatever I want.”

“Sure. Yeah. You are legally able to do whatever and with whomever. I’m just telling you right now; Brandis is not the guy you want.”

She gulped, tried not to let his words bother her too much. She’d spent a lot of years looking up to him, letting him advise and protect her. It was hard to hear harsh words about the man she knew she loved coming from his lips. “Jack, I’m….”

“I know, I know. You love him. Whatever. Just…please Mo, baby sister, be careful. I mean the guy is a player. He happens to have you in his crosshairs this summer, but understand that’s all it is. A challenge. You cave to him you’re just one more notch on his bedpost, got me?”

“Um,” she broke out in a cold sweat. She closed her eyes, pictured Brandis’ dark eyes, his strong arms. “That’s not the most supportive thing you’ve ever said to me. For the official record, big brother.”