Chapter 14

HARLAND

“Do you think the rising price of lumber is going to cripple the housing market?”

“I’m not sure, Ellie,” I replied.

“Do you think we should invest some of our money in lumber stocks?”

“I’d have to do some research.”

“Perhaps cryptocurrency would be a more prudent choice than lumber.”

“Probably,” I mumbled around a mouthful of asparagus.

She set her fork down and released an exasperated sigh. “I knew you weren’t listening, Harland.”

“I am so,” I lied.

On any other night, I’d be more than happy to discuss financial subjects with my sister. I love the stock market. But I was distracted by the beautiful woman sitting across from me.

My cock was throbbing, pulsating in my pants like the bass at a loud club. I rubbed one out in the shower before dinner to get some relief, but as soon as Kinley came down the stairs, it was all for naught.

Why did she have to wear a damn sundress?

“The social worker mentioned that you had some interesting ideas about how to manage our living situation, Ellie,” Kinley said.

“Yes. I’m drafting a proposal.”

“Do we get to see it?” I grumbled.

“When it’s complete.”

I watched Ellie cut her prime rib into long, thin slices, each piece exactly the same size. My sister was meticulous and organized, but she had a bit of OCD going on. I would know. I’m like that in some aspects of my life.

For example, I can’t stand clutter.

We needed a gargantuan-sized dumpster delivered ~yesterday~. My father was a pack rat, and his ninety-three years of shit had to go.

I never knew my grandparents—they were dead long before I was born—but knowing my father, all of their crap was probably stored in the attic.

But my hands were tied until the estate was settled. My father was a billionaire, with a large portfolio of assets, so it wasn’t a simple process. And we had to go through the entire house ourselves. All because of those ~fucking~ letters.

Kinley had combed every inch of the library—and still came up empty-handed.

“What are your plans for the rest of the evening, Ellie?” I asked.

“I thought maybe we could have that game night you talked about.”

~Ugh. No. Not tonight. I just wanna go upstairs and finish what I started earlier. Seal the deal with Kinley. Bury myself inside that beautiful pussy.~

“That sounds fun,” Kinley said, kicking me under the table. I guess my feelings about game night were evident on my face.

“Well, let’s get started then,” I said, pushing my chair back.

“We haven’t even finished our main course,” Ellie snapped. “What’s the hurry?”

“Fine,” I muttered, not missing the smug satisfaction on my little sister’s face.

***

“I hate monopoly,” I grumbled.

Ellie gasped. “Why?”

“Because it takes too fucking long!”

“Language, Harland,” she warned.

I gritted my teeth, struggling to keep my frustration under control. Ellie was pushing all my buttons tonight.

“What’s up his rectum?” she asked, nudging Kinley.

“He looks tired,” Kinley replied. “Are you feeling okay, Harland?”

“No. I have a headache. Can we wrap this up?”

Ellie pouted. “But I’m winning.”

“Why don’t we just leave it set up?” Kinley suggested. “We can finish the game tomorrow.”

“Fine,” she muttered.

“Great idea.” I quickly got up from my chair. “Good night, Ellie.”

But my little sister stood as well. “I’ll walk upstairs with you.”

“That’s not necessary. Your room is on the other side of the house.”

“I’m not ready to retire,” she said. “I think I’ll start working on the second-floor study. It’s next on the list. Kinley completed the library search this afternoon.”

“It’s late. Why would you want to start that tonight?”

“Why not?”

I sighed and shook my head. “I don’t know.”

***

When I opened my bedroom door, the old wood creaked loudly.

~Fuck, I hate this house.~

Ellie was still in the study, light spilling from the partially open door. It was after midnight.

Didn’t twelve-year-olds have a bedtime?

And as the ~adult~, wasn’t it my job to make her follow the rules?

But she didn’t listen to me.

I cursed my father and stepmother for the umpteenth time since I’d arrived. Their kid lacked discipline. She thought she was a fucking adult who could do and say whatever she pleased. And I had no idea how to fix that.

I tiptoed down the hall to Kinley’s door and slipped inside without knocking. We’d been texting for an hour while waiting for Ellie to go to bed, so she knew I was coming.

“Hey,” she whispered.

“Hey,” I whispered back, crossing the room to her bed. “Are you naked under that sheet?”

“Yes.”

“Are you sure you wanna do this?”

“Are you?”

“What do you think, sweetheart?”

She laughed softly.

I tossed a strip of condoms on the nightstand and pushed my boxers down, kicking them off before slipping into her bed. She reached down, her slender fingers wrapping around my aching shaft.

I groaned. “He’s been waiting all day for this. I had to take a couple of cold showers to settle him down.”

“Ellie was really needy tonight. She’s not usually like that.”

“I don’t wanna talk about our sister,” I said, pulling her body against mine.

I lowered my mouth to hers, settling in for a long, slow kiss. I didn’t want to rush this. We had all night. I reached between us, removing her hand from my dick.

She pulled back from our kiss and furrowed her brow. “Did I do something wrong? I don’t have much experience in that department.”

“Not at all. But I want this to last. I’ve been keyed up all day. If you keep touching me, it’s gonna be over before we even get started.”

“Sorry. I guess I didn’t think about that.”

“It’s fine, baby,” I whispered, trailing my lips down her neck. “Tonight is all about you. There will lots of other nights when I’ll let you suck my cock.”

“Harland!” She laughed and slapped me playfully on my chest.

I lowered my head, capturing one of her nipples between my teeth. She cried out when I bit down gently, throwing her calf over my thigh in a failed attempt to rub herself against my cock.

“What’s wrong baby?”

“Nothing.”

“Uh-huh,” I chuckled. “If you want something, all you gotta do is ask.”

“You know what I want.”

“I do indeed. But I wanna hear you say it.”

“You’re seriously gonna make me beg?”

“Not beg. I just don’t want you to be afraid to tell me what you need. It’s important. Guys like a woman who knows what she wants and isn’t afraid to ask for it.”

“Really?”

“Yep. Sometimes, we need directions.”

“Okay. I’ll give it a try.” She chewed on her lower lip, blinking nervously.

“Don’t be afraid, Kinley. This is a safe place to try out new things. That’s why we’re doing this. To help you overcome your anxiety and become confident in the bedroom.”

She ran her tongue over her bottom lip while she stared down at my cock. “Would you please, um, ah, could you rub your penis against my, um, you know?”

“No.”

“No?”

“First of all, don’t ~ask~ me, ~tell~ me. And sound confident. No ‘ums’ and ‘ahs.’ And don’t call it a penis.”

“Okay,” she said. “Rub your cock against my clit. Right now.”

“How about this instead? ‘Oh baby, rub that big beast between my legs and make me come.’”

“I’m not saying that!”

“Just try it.”

“Oh baby, rub that big beast between my legs and make me come.”

“Good. Now try it with some enthusiasm.”

“Oh baby,” she purred, rubbing her pussy up and down my thigh. “I need your one-eyed python inside me. Spread me wide and impale me with your meat stick. Now, baby. I need it so bad.”

I chuckled. “That may have been a little over the top.”

“There’s nothing little about your cock, lover.”

I reached between her legs, my fingers sliding through her wetness. “You’re so wet,” I whispered.

“I know. You should probably fuck me now, before I dry up.”

“You’re not gonna dry up. And I’m gonna make you come at least once before I make love to you.”

“I have a big tube of lube. It’s in the nightstand.”

I shook my head. “We aren’t gonna need it, sweetheart.”

“Sorry,” she sighed. “This is what I do.”

“Stop fretting about your wetness. Don’t think, just feel.”

“I’m trying.”

I rolled her on her back and settled between her legs, bracing myself above her. My heart fluttered, unfamiliar emotions flooding my senses when she gazed up at me, her gorgeous green eyes filled with a mixture of hope and fear.

“There’s nothing to be afraid of,” I whispered, kissing her softly on the lips. “I would never hurt you, Kinley.”

“I know,” she said, a slight tremble in her voice. “I’m not afraid of you, Harland. I’m afraid of disappointing you.”

“That would never happen. We’re in this together.”

“Kinley!” Ellie’s voice was followed by a sharp knock. “Kinley, I really need to talk to you.”

“Tell her to wait until morning,” I hissed.

“Can it wait until morning?” Kinley called out.

“No! It’s really important.”

“Can you talk to Harland about it?”

“How does that help?” I whispered.

“I don’t know,” she whispered back.

“No!” Ellie said. “I need ~you~, Kinley. It’s a woman thing.”

“Oh boy,” I muttered, climbing off Kinley. “I’m outta here.”

“You can’t leave, Harland. She’ll see you. And you came in your underwear.”

“I’ll hide in the bathroom.”

She shook her head. “If it’s what I think it is, we might need to go in there.”

“I’ll hide under the bed.”

“You’ll get stuck. Hide in the closet.”

“We’re renaming her Cockblocker,” I muttered, grabbing my boxers from the floor.

The doorknob rattled. “Kinley! Open the door!”

“Just a second, Ellie!”

I pulled up my underwear and stepped into the walk-in closet, closing the door securely behind me.

If only I had my phone and some earbuds. The walls were thin in the old house, so I’d hear every word of their conversation. I dropped to the floor at the far end and leaned against the wall.

“Ellie, what’s wrong?” I heard Kinley ask.

“I need to talk to you.”

“Of course. Come and sit down.”

“Sorry for waking you up, Kinley.”

“It’s fine. I’m glad you felt comfortable enough to come to me.”

“You’re my big sister.”

“And I’m here for you. Anytime. What did you want to talk to me about?”

“Menstruation.”

“Did you start your period?”

“No. I just want to be prepared. That’s how I am. I don’t like surprises, and I don’t like things that are out of my control. Information reduces my anxiety about unfamiliar situations.”

~Seriously?~ She interrupted us to talk about something that hadn’t happened yet? Why the fuck couldn’t she wait until morning?

“Okay,” Kinley said slowly. “What would you like to know?”

~I bet you could find the answers to all your questions on the internet, Ellie!~

“Well, I’d really like to know when it’s going to happen. But I realize you can’t answer that question.”

“No. I can’t.”

“There’s a hereditary component. Do you know how old Mother was?”

“I don’t. But she had me when she was fifteen, which means she got pregnant when she was fourteen. So, she obviously started her period before that.”

“And how old were you, Kinley.”

“Fourteen. I was a late bloomer.”

“What did you do?”

“I told my mother.”

“What did she do?”

“She asked Joanne to drive me to town and buy me a box of tampons.”

“That’s terrible!”

I could hear Kinley’s sigh. “Let’s not turn this into a Mom-bashing session. She’s gone. I’d rather remember the good things about her.”

“Were you embarrassed?”

“Yes. I think that’s normal. And I was worried Harland would find out and tell everyone at school.”

~Yep. I would’ve announced that over the PA for sure.~

“Why would he do that?”

“He was a jerk.”

“Do you use pads, tampons, or a cup?”

“Um, it depends.”

“I’ve read a lot online about free bleeding.”

~What the fuck is that? Wait. Never mind. I don’t wanna know.~

“I’ve never heard of that,” Kinley said.

“It means you don’t use anything. You just let it flow freely.”

~What? No!~

“Yeah. I wouldn’t recommend that.”

“Women in ancient times used to do that. And there’s a movement encouraging women to do it to bring awareness about the lack of feminine hygiene products in some parts of the world.

“There was a drummer chick who ran the London Marathon with blood running down her legs to bring attention to the poverty issue, and to encourage women not to be ashamed about a natural body function.”

“But you would make a mess, honey,” Kinley said softly. “And everyone would know you had your period. Wouldn’t you be embarrassed?”

~Listen to your mother, kid. I mean your sister.~

“That’s the whole point of free bleeding. Why should we be embarrassed? Why do we have to hide the fact that we’re menstruating?”

“Well, society has certain expectations. We aren’t animals. You wouldn’t squat and pee in the grass, would you?”

“No.”

“Then why would it be acceptable to bleed all over the place? It might not make you uncomfortable, but what about other people? Not everyone will share your openness about menstruation.

“What if you’re walking down the street with blood running down your legs, and you pass some children? They’d be horrified.”

“I don’t think I would actually go out in public,” Ellie said.

“I’m pretty sure Harland would be horrified if you did that here.”

~Yes! Harland would be horrified!~

“I guess he would be pretty grossed out.”

“Definitely.”

“Are all guys grossed out by menstruation?”

“I’m not sure.”

“You must’ve had lots of boyfriends, Kinley. How did they deal with it when you were menstruating?”

“I’ve never really had a long-term relationship, Ellie.”

~Oh boy. Drop it, Ellie.~

“How come?”

~I thought this kid was a genius?~

“I’d rather not talk about that, okay?”

“Is it because of what my father did?”

“Yes.”

“I’m sorry, Kinley.”

“Let’s go back to talking about periods.”

~No. Let’s not. How about the kid goes to bed, and the adults continue with adult activities?~

“Is it hard to put a tampon in?”

“At first. Once you get the hang of it, it’s easy.”

“Tampons and pads aren’t eco-friendly. I’d like to explore reusable products.”

“Why don’t you do some research?”

“I already have. I think cups and period panties are the way to go for an environmentally conscious woman.”

“Sounds like you’ve already made your decision.”

“Can women have sexual intercourse while they’re menstruating?”

“Sure.” Kinley chuckled. “But I don’t think there are too many guys out there who would be into that. I could be wrong though.”

~You aren’t wrong. We don’t want to do that. Or at least this guy doesn’t.~

“At least you wouldn’t have to worry about getting pregnant.”

“True.”

“Do you worry about getting pregnant, Kinley?”

“I think we’re getting off topic again.”

“Not really. Menstruation allows us to get pregnant. You need to be mindful of where you are in your cycle. Condoms aren’t one hundred percent effective. Or birth control pills. Nothing is. Are you taking birth control?”

“Why did you really come in here tonight, Ellie?”

~Yes. Why??~

“To have a woman-to-woman chat.”

“I feel like there might be another reason.”

“I’m concerned about you, Kinley. And I think we all need time to get to know each other and adjust to being a family of three before we add anyone else.”

~What in the hell is this kid talking about now?~

“I’m afraid that you and Harland might be taking unnecessary risks.”

“We have it under control,” Kinley said. “That’s all you need to know.”

~Do we?~

We’d never discussed birth control. I brought condoms, but that was as far as my brain went on that subject. I just assumed Kinley was on some kind of birth control. Most of the women I slept with took oral contraceptives.

“What kind of birth control are you taking?”

“Ellie, relax. We shouldn’t be having this discussion. I’m not going to discuss my sex life with my twelve-year-old sister. It’s not appropriate.

“And while we’re on that subject, I don’t think it would be wise to mention this to the social worker.”

“You’re aware of my IQ, right?”

~Give it a rest, kid. We get it. You’re a genius.~

“I’m not stupid, Kinley. I know it would be ill-advised to inform the social worker that my brother and sister are bumping uglies.”

Kinley giggled. “Harland hates that expression.”

“I know. That’s why I keep saying it. To bug him.”

~Brat.~

“Can I sleep in here with you tonight?”

~No! Say no, Kinley.~

“Um, sure,” Kinley replied. “We could do that.”

My dick shriveled up in defeat. I wasn’t getting laid tonight.

And I was trapped in the closet in my underwear.