002

SAFFA

The evening had settled in deeper, and it didn’t look like the party was slowing down anytime soon. But we thrived on late nights with family, friends, and good food and wine. The latter was definitely doing the conga through our bloodstream.

But even though people were having a great time, and the noise was deafening, we all heard it when Aunt Rosa held up her fifth glass of wine and shouted, “Saúde!”

Everyone cheered before touching their drinks together and saying in unison, “Tchim-tchim,” as their glasses clinked.

But everything started fading into the background. Because all I could think about was what Frankie had said earlier. The air felt heavier, quieter around me, as I obsessed over the image of taking Frankie’s cock in my mouth and sucking him off.

But he’d wandered off after leaving me standing there with my mouth gaping open in shock after he said the dirtiest things I'd ever heard. And I hadn’t seen him since.

I left the great room and stepped into the hallway. The entryway had a warm, white glow from the lit fake Christmas tree my mother used as decoration.

My heartbeat had yet to settle from earlier, the moment by the window playing on a loop in my mind. My brother’s Best friend. Frankie. His name was like a curse on my lips, a forbidden sin that would send me straight to hell.

But thinking of him felt like an anchor I couldn’t break free from.

I rounded the corner and headed toward the kitchen but detoured when I heard my cousins in there playing drinking games. Finally, I found myself in my father’s study, one that was thankfully empty and quiet.

I snuck a glass of my dad’s expensive port wine he kept for special occasions, and I sat on his leather couch, staring out at the backyard and watching the snow fall.

The time ticked by slowly as I sipped my port and settled deeper into the soft, aged leather. I didn’t know how long I sat there, but I felt the effects of the wine settle into me and grew sleepy. My mind finally clearing of anything but how cozy I was.

But that all changed in an instant when Ifeltsomeone’s presence.

I felt him.

I didn’t see him at first, but I knew Frankie was there. The familiar weight of his closeness—of him watching me—slid over every inch of me. It wrapped around me like a comforting, cherished blanket that I’d never get tired of feeling.

“Why are you in here all alone, Saffa?” His voice was so deep, so commanding.

My breath hitched as I glanced toward the doorway and saw Frankie standing there, watching me. He was so big and muscular that he filled the entire entryway and made me acutely aware of how feminine I was in comparison.

Although his eyes were bright and blue, his gaze was dark, and it was locked on mine. He was always so unwavering and unapologetic.

“Frankie,” I whispered, the image of his cock being shoved in my mouth playing on repeat in my head once again.

He pushed off of the doorframe and stepped inside, but with deliberate movements, he shut the door and slid the lock in place.

My pulse quickened, and every nerve in my body came alive as he closed the distance between us. Each step he took held this undeniable dominance that made me want to drop to my knees and submit in whatever way he wanted me to.

“What are you doing all alone in here?” he asked again, his voice low and smooth, like the rich flavor of the port on my tongue.

“Why did you lock the door?” I countered, though my voice lacked any real inquisition. I should’ve demanded he open the study and leave. He was my brother, and thinking about having Frankie fuck me was so far on the side of wrong that I should have instantly been given a one-way ticket to the underworld.

But I said nothing, just waited to see if he’d answer. And all I could do was look up at him like I was a moth and he was a flame, luring me in as if hypnotized.

He stopped just inches from me, and the heat of his body radiated outward and past the small space that separated us.

I took an involuntary breath in. It was sharp and crisp, and the scent of Frankie saturated everything. His aroma was rich and distinctlyhim. It made me feel drunker than I actually was.

Before I knew what was happening, he reached out, his fingers brushing lightly against my cheek as he pushed a strand of hair away from my face. That light touch left a trail of fire in its wake.

“What are we doing here, Saffa?” he asked in a voice that was softer but laced with something I had only ever fantasized about.

Raw, forbidden need.

My mouth opened, but then I shut it and pursed my lips, not sure how to even respond. Because admitting I wanted my older brother to fuck me was too taboo to speak out loud.

“Answer me like a good girl, sweetheart,” he murmured, his tone carrying that hint of something deeper, darker than I’d ever heard before.

I couldn't breathe. God, the air was being sucked from the room.

“I’m just sitting here, minding my own business. I’m not doing anything,” I whispered. “Wearen’t doing anything.” If I were being truthful, denying all of these feelings and the tension turned me on, because the look in Frankie’s eyes told me he was fully aware I was lying through my teeth. My throat felt tight, my skin tingling under his touch.

Frankie’s lips curved into a small, knowing smile, but there was no amusement in it. Only heat. And hunger. For his best friend’s sister.