My Brother's Forbidden Touch::Ch-8

"I know, Dan. It's okay, we were probably eight or nine the last time I could see well enough to know what we looked like, and I wanted to let you in a little bit more on what it's like to be me. I mean, if we're going to be living together you're going to need to do things and know things you didn't before."

"Even in college we lived together, Rae. We still live together."

"No, we've always lived with our parents. Now we're going to be living together. Totally different things."

"Are we going to be living together, Rae?"

"Aren't you even curious about what might change for you if that happens?"

"Doesn't matter. Don't you already know what I'd do for you?"

"The list of what you won't do for me is way easier to recite," she giggled.

"What do you think I won't do for you?" I joked.

Raven looked at me with a blank expression on her face for a few seconds.

"That's everything I can think of that you might refuse to do for me."

She smiled sweetly, and I laughed.

"So what's it going to be?" I asked her.

"You didn't answer my question, Dan."

"What question?"

"What do you look like?"

"Um, my hair is sandy brown now, I'm not sure if my eyes sparkle or not, but they're still the same blue as yours and Mom's, and I grew into my front teeth."

"Hmm, it took you way longer to tell me what I look like. Are you leaving anything out?"

"Probably, but I think those are all the important points."

Raven pulled her knees under her, raised herself up on them, and moved closer to me.

"Let me feel you, Dan."

She didn't even wait for permission, but reached out and found my shoulders. Her feathery touch as her fingers played across my chest to meet in the middle almost made me shiver. Her fingers danced along my neck and found my ears. She took her sweet time there and stopped just short of sticking some fingers in them.

Her palms were warm and soft against my jawline then cheeks.

"Mmhm...stubbly," she murmured.

"It's the weekend; I don't shave on the weekends, but I can start if you want me to."

"It's kind of...sexy," she murmured her answer, but didn't say if I should shave or not on the weekends.

The thought occurred to me that Raven seemed more relaxed today. She said 'shit' twice, wore a see-through outfit to run in, was wearing a mini-skirt and tight top now, and had just said 'sexy' to and about me even though, in my mind, she deserved that description more than I did.

I was certain the see-through clothes were a mistake and she'd feel humiliated, and probably betrayed that I didn't tell her how much of her body she was showing if she found out she wore something like that in front of me.

I liked her new attitude though.

She moved a little closer and her fingers combed through my hair to the back of my head. Her sweater was just a few inches from my face, and I picked up just the hint of perfume for the first time today.

I pictured in my mind's eye my sister's supple fingers as they played across my forehead and around my eyes, down and around my nose, then slowed to almost a crawl as she lightly caressed my lips. She seemed to take more time there than anywhere else.

Her hands dropped to her knees, then she leaned towards me until I felt her hair brush against my face and her breath burned against my ear.

"Okay, you're the most handsome man I know, so I can move to Cincinnati with you, on two conditions."

"What conditions?" I asked as I struggled to breath normally.

"First, I'm not moving in with you; we're moving in together."

"Okay, and?"

"London, Paris, Milan," she told me very deliberately, like she was making an announcement.

She leaned back, sitting on her heels.

I waited for an explanation for a couple of seconds, but the grin on her face didn't look like any more explanation was coming.

"What?"

"Next summer, at least two weeks, you and me, London, Paris, and Milan."

"What? Really?"

"I've always wanted to smell, taste, feel, and hear those cities. Please?"

"Just you and me?"

"We'll call Mom and Dad from the airport, in London, and let them know where we are, and maybe how long we'll be gone."

She tried not to, and I tried not to, but we burst out laughing together.

"I would love to take the prettiest girl I know to London, Paris, and Milan, especially since she's you."

"I'm okay with being arm candy for you, but it's my treat."

"You don't have to..."

"Dan! It's going to be my treat, otherwise deal's off. You've done so much, you do so much for me that you don't have to do, you have to let me do this for you, for my favorite person in the whole entire universe."

I would have to start saving now for just the airfare for two to Europe, even with my new, well-paying, entry level job I would be starting the second week after we get back from California.

Raven told me she didn't like to talk about money, so I planned on letting her help, minimally, with the trip.

"Okay, Raven, it can be your treat."

"You better not just be saying that now to seal the deal, then change your mind later, or try to trick me. Cross your heart."

The last time she had demanded that I cross my heart was when she made me promise to not take the first swing ever again when somebody hurt or scared her, and that was in high school, after I bloodied up a football player because he slapped her butt hard enough to knock her down.

He wasn't the first guy I'd punished with my fists for hurting or mistreating her, but he was the last. After that, apparently, no one was brave enough to take that first swing when they deserved a good beating and I had to settle for using words and wit to punish them.

"Cross my heart," I told her as I did.

That meant I couldn't go back on my word, ever, for any reason.

"Good. Now, is there furniture in our new place?"

I didn't want to, but I laughed, right out loud.

"Was that funny?" Raven laughed with me.

"I didn't expect it. Why did it sound like an accusation, and how was your accusation right?"

"So there is?"

"Yeah," I replied, still laughing.

"Good. I want to smell and feel it, and since we're probably flying out of Cincinnati on Tuesday, we could stay until then."

"I can be ready in about ten minutes."

"It's gonna be a couple hours for me, Dan. Hmm, unless you wanna help me."

"A couple of hours to pack for less than a week? What's..."

"I can't just go to my closet and grab clothes, Dan. Seriously?"

"I'm sorry, Rae. I don't know what's wrong with me."