My Brother's Forbidden Touch::Ch-5

"I hope it's not a tornado reference, but I'm glad he's a he, and a Lab. I know some people wouldn't want a replica replacement, but I'm hoping Twister's as perfect as Boston is.

"Do they really think they can fix all my issues in one morning?"

"That's the plan, Rae."

"Good! 'Cause I think I'd really like to see again," she giggled.

"I think they meant with Twister," I laughed my correction.

"That's disappointing, but not as much as how you smell. Take a shower while I fix breakfast. Go."

####

My legs felt weak and rubbery as I listened to Dan bound up the stairs, but it wasn't from my run.

Dan had never seen me, before this morning, in an outfit from my secret stash of clothes that my best friend Karen had picked out for me. I had every reason to believe Mom didn't know about them either.

I was sure she would have had a conniption fit over the suitcases in the back of my closet that pretended to be empty.

Mom always picked out loose fitting pants and tops, and longish skirts without splits. She told me I didn't need any more problems, like dressing like I was easy. Sometimes I didn't mind, and I minded even less after the disaster that was my first and only boyfriend, my freshman year of college.

I thought he treated me right. That only lasted until I told him I loved him. He took the opportunity to inform me that I was beautiful, and great in bed, but I wasn't marriage material. He couldn't see himself married to a blind girl for the rest of his life.

He actually called me a blind girl, and used that as the excuse for not loving me.

I never told Dan about him, or how it ended. I'm certain that guy owes me a debt of gratitude for that fact alone. It wasn't because I wanted to protect him, but because I knew there was a good chance my brother would kill him, and he wasn't worth Dan going to prison over.

Nobody in the world would be worth that, ever.

A thank you would have been nice though, if not for that, then at least for my virginity.

He told me I'm pretty, but that was over five years ago and I was certain he only said it in hopes of breakup sex, so that would have to do.

Karen still helped me find cute clothes when she came to town, but I hardly ever got a chance to wear them. Today had been one of those chances, and since Mom and Dad were gone for two weeks, I'd have more. I might only take outfits from my secret stash for our trip to California.

I wondered if Dan would notice.

I made it upstairs, let Boston in from the back yard, and went to make breakfast for my brother.

I heard him coming and smelled him before he spoke. His shower did its job and he smelled fresh and clean now. Usually he would have come right in and sat down at the bar, but today he paused in the doorway.

I couldn't help but grin as I finished buttering the toast, but since I had my back to him, I knew he couldn't tell.

"Are you ready for a refill on your coffee?" I asked after several seconds of him not moving.

"Oh...um, yeah," he replied before heading for the breakfast bar.

I carefully found the handle to the coffee carafe, then turned and held my hand out for Dan's cup. He knew the drill. We all knew the ways we dealt with me so it was second nature for us. I extended his full cup back in his direction and he directed me with his hand on mine to successfully get it on the counter without either of us getting burned or spilling it.

I found our plates, and handed them to Dan before I made my way around the bar. As always, I found him with a hand, and used his shoulders to help me find my seat next to him. I played it off like that was my reason, and Dan never questioned or complained, but I really just liked the way his broad, muscular shoulders and back felt in my hands.

Dan could always kiss the top of my head or my forehead anytime he wanted, but this was one of the few chances I had that I could reach to kiss his cheek, so I lifted myself up on a rung of my stool and gave him a firm, just barely lingering kiss on the cheek before I sat down.

He smelled even better up close.

"Thanks for breakfast, Rae."

"It's my pleasure," I giggled. Cooking for him wasn't just one of the few things I could do for my brother, but my reply was absolutely the honest-to-god truth. I loved cooking for him.

####

I felt like a kid waiting for the Principal outside their office. I knew that feeling from experience. Raven had gone to shower after breakfast, and seemed to be taking forever.

Knowing she'd change clothes before she came back down made me a little sad.

Boston had parked himself at the bottom of the stairs when she left us with orders for him to stay. He took her very literally, but a few times he had looked up the stairs and thumped his tail. Apparently he had hearing as sharp as Raven's, and he thought she was on her way down instead of just crossing between the bathroom and her bedroom.

Eventually though, she started down the stairs. She descended much quicker with her cane, but she took my breath away again. Boston didn't even seem to notice she wore an outfit I had never seen, or imagined she would even have.

She had black tights on her legs, a black skirt that hugged her hips but flared out from there and stopped a little above the middle of her thin thighs. Her tight, fluffy, white sweater with a deep V neckline showed off her slender body, and she had Mary Janes on her feet.

She always looked cute, but she was stunning in that outfit.

Boston made no attempt to guide her, since she had her cane, and instead he just followed her, wagging his tail happily. He would be hard to replace. He knew when to do what, and never made mistakes.

"Hey, Rae. You look..."

I greeted her so she'd know where I was, but then couldn't stop myself from starting a compliment that I knew better than to give her.

She crossed the room and found a seat on the sofa with me, then smiled a big smile at me.

"I look what, Dan?"

It had been a while since I'd gotten one, but I felt a stern lecture about how she didn't even understand the word pretty coming.

"Sorry, Rae. I just..."

"Sorry? Am I ugly today?"

"Rae! Of course not. I know you don't like compliments about..."

Raven started laughing then, like I had told her one of my stupid jokes.

"Sorry," I mumbled.