Summer's Heat Wave Pt. 01

I remember locking the deadbolt, but the key turns without the satisfying thump I'm used to. Still, the handle is locked, so I probably forgot to in my rush out the door. Squeezing in my run before Dylan gets home is hard after classes, but I make it work because I love him. I would do whatever it took to make him happy. Part of that is keeping in shape, stomach flat and ass firm, but part of that is also making sure I'm showered by the time he gets back from his tech internship. Dylan hates seeing me sweaty and thinks the way my sports bras squeeze my breasts up and together is too lewd, but it's that, let them bounce around more obscenely, or die from overheating in the humid Georgia heat.

Right now, all I care about is a glass of cold water as I move from the scorching summer air, smelling like dry grass and honeysuckle, and into my vanilla-scented sanctuary. The music in my AirPods pulses and I hum along, kicking the door closed behind me as I turn into the kitchenette of our little one-bedroom apartment. It's not much, but it's the beginning of something that will be bigger and better. And just like our future, the apartment windows have a great view. Scooping out one of the chilled bottles of water from the fridge, I linger with the door open, letting the chill blast across my pink cheeks, dusted with freckles. I sigh, eyes fluttering closed, and push back my high ponytail of chestnut waves dyed with blonde highlights.

There's something exhilarating about the keen contrasts, hot and cold, pleasure and pain, fear and excitement. That's part of why I love running so much, the burn in my muscles and the burst of endorphins are a heady cocktail that makes me almost feel drunk. Relieved by the chill, I pop the cap off the water and turn to look out at the tree-lined streets, though even the shade looks scorching as the beginning of the heat wave takes its toll.

A loud, carnal groan escapes my mouth, cool liquid slips down my slender throat and leaves my lips shining wetly and falling open before I press the cold plastic against the side of my neck, letting condensation drip across my collarbone and down into my flushed cleavage. I'm so caught up in the rapture of ice-cold water and my AirPods still in, I don't hear anyone come up behind me. It's not until muscular arms curl around and cover my eyes that I realize I'm not alone. They yank my head and body back, even as my hips are driven forward by the press of someone's pelvis, pinning me to the counter and arching my back against their chest. A broad, strong chest.

My body ignites in panic. I wish it were only fear, but it's arousal, too. It spikes through my body, sharper than any icicle and spears down into my pussy. It clenches, my hard thighs squeezing together beneath the extremely short pink running shorts I wear. Through the haze of adrenaline-spiked terror, I try to rationalize what's happening as I drop the bottle and reach up, fingers curling around strong forearms. It must be Dylan, surely. Even though he never comes home early and he hates surprises. He must have come home early because he needs me--wantsme. I want to feel his hips drag in against my ass and grind his cock against me, use me like I'm a prop--like I'mhis.

No. It's not the familiar smell of Dylan's body spray. Someone else is in our apartment. Someone has a hold of me, and they smell like the ocean air and vetiver, rich and free. I know I should scream, but my throat tightens and all that escapes is a pitiful whimper. I'm too scared, I tell myself. It's definitely not because I don't want it to end.

"Guess who?" The voice teasingly purrs into my ear and I try to twist my head towards it, feeling the rough scratch of a five o'clock shadow on my jaw that sends another shiver of arousal through me. Dylan never lets his facial hair grow out, and it's then that the voice pings fiercely in my head. Teasing, mocking, one I've grown up hearing my whole life. Kai's voice. My brother.

"Kai?!" I yelp, distinctly aware now of how my ass has been pushing back into his pelvis that traps me. He laughs against my ear and is pulling away, hands dropping this time when I yank. He gives me barely enough room to spin around and I tug my AirPods out with a glare. "What are you doing here?"

Kai's grin falters seeing the frustration in my expression, and he holds up his large hands defensively. "Woah, woah! Easy now! I just came to surprise my baby sister." Seeing Kai is always a surprise. He's always on the go, doing the next odd job or adventure. His somewhat shaggy hair is naturally lighter than mine and is bleached by the sun. That and the rich tan he sports is proof he's picked up another outdoorsy job. As a kid it was a lifeguard, a variety of construction jobs, then he left to be a hand on a crabbing boat up in Alaska and my senior of high school he went off to do logging in Oregon. He came back right after my graduation and since then has been doing HVAC work.

"Surprise? You broke into my apartment!" I gape at him, happy to hide my earlier arousal beneath irritation.

His rich brown eyes are sparkling with amusement. He brackets my hips with his arms, hands gripping the counter on either side of me and leans in, a roguish smirk tugging at his mouth. "Relax! You gave me a key, remember?"

I squirm, and immediately regret it. I hope he can't feel the heat from my core pressing up against him through his jeans."For emergencies! Now get off of me, I'm gross." My hands smack on his broad chest for emphasis.

It's like beating a brick wall. Kai doesn't even flinch. Not like I do when I feel his eyes sweep down across my body. "Gross? Sunny, you're anything but gross." Calling me Sunny, a childhood nickname he gave me, sends a shiver down my spine. His tongue runs across the front of his teeth and he cocks his head. "Fucking hot and anyone should be so lucky. Speaking of, where's Dildo?"

"Dylan," I correct automatically, even though Kai has called him that since Dylan and I first became an item early on in high school, years ago now. "is at work and should be back any minute." I reach for my water, since if Kai is going to play childish games and not let me move, I can at least have something between us. I bring it to my full bottom lip and take a sip.

"What's that?" Kai growls and snatches my wrist, causing the ice water to slosh and dribble across the tops of my breasts. I gasp sharply, but its not from the cold on my burning skin. My heart leaps up into my throat at the tight grip, the sheer possessive force of it. Kai is looking at my ring. It's a small, delicate thing, with a fake diamond on it.

Dylan got it for me when I agreed to move in with him before the start of the semester. It's just another step up from his letterman's jacket, class ring, all those tired old cliches movies are made about. They were sweet, but this ring? It's not for girls and boys playing at love. It's the real thing, I can feel it.

"My promise ring," I say banally.

"Yourwhat?" Kai says, strong jaw twitching.

"My ring? Dylan gave it to me." The ring means so much to me. It means that I'm special, that I'm cared for. It had been a wonderful evening, even with the arguing that had come earlier over her outfit.

"You got engaged? Are you fucking kidding me?" Kai finally puts some space between us, and I almost sag, yearning for that tight proximity again. But the disbelief and scorn in his voice is like a slap. What if we were? What would be so bad about that? I know he's never liked Dylan, but this was always going to happen.

"We're not engaged!" I try to reassure him, but I don't really know why. Kai has no right to act hurt by that idea, but I see a wounded flash in his eyes before it's quickly concealed by something else. "Not yet, anyway," I stammer uneasily. "It just means... we will. It means that, you know, I'm his."

"His," Kai repeats, eyes narrowing suspiciously and then he scoffs. "Summer, he wouldn't have the first clue what to do with you if that were really true."

There's an implication in his voice that swoops into me and pools the heat in my sex. But I resist it.

Instead, a hollow beneath my ribs cracks open. "Oh yeah? And what, you would?" I challenge, a flare of combative protectiveness overcoming me and I thrust out my chin. I shove at him again, harder this time. Kai catches himself by grasping my waist.

"A far bit better than him." That's not what I expect at all. Not the look in his eyes, almost hungry. Not the way his fingers dig into my hips and his thumbs brush down across the sides of my stomach to the waistband of my tiny shorts. Not the way my body betrays me and I find myself licking my lips in anticipation for more.

"Are you jealous?" I tease him, playing off the caress as little more than sibling goading. Because that's what this is, right? I can't be right about the way his dark gaze watches my tongue, drinking me in further as it falls between us.

"Jealous?" Kai's head snaps back up and his fingers dig in a little harder into my hips, forcing me to swallow the lump in my throat. "Of Dylan?" He asks incredulously, as the thought had never occurred to him. Not a way that meant I wasn't worth being jealous over, not with that look. No, like he'd never had a reason to view Dylan as anything other than a nuisance.

"What does Dylan get that I couldn't have?" Kai continues with a twinkle in his eye.

"Well, I-- my--" My body? The words die on my tongue, which I find almost lewdly lolling out as Kai strokes across the flare of my hip bones.

Kai couldn't have that... could he? Though his touch is white hot and leaves spots in my vision, I try to blink away the feverish fog. Goosebumps pebble over my arms and legs. He watches me wrestle with that information.

"You're the one who always leaves me," I try to keep the light, playful spar of our words, but Kai's hands have peeled away a layer of armor on me, and my voice betrays that kernel of hurt truth. He leaves. That's what Kai does. Since he's been old enough to go out on his own. It doesn't matter that I know he'll come back. It doesn't change the loneliness I felt every time I came home to another empty room or packed bag.

"Hey," Kai's voice is gentle, his hand lifting to catch under my chin and lift my face up to him. "You know that's never been about you. Dad and I just never," Kai trails off, then shakes his head. "I've never been his favorite."

"That's because you never tried."

Kai laughs without humor, dry and bitter. "That's not true at all. I tried for you. But he's not my favorite, either."

"Oh?" My body trembles, betraying my curiosity to the implied fact. The words left unsaid, filling what little space is between us as I draw in a sharp breath.

"You are," Kai insists, filling the void, and my heart. My chest tightens, and I grip the edge of the countertop to steady myself.

"I am," I repeat breathlessly, the heat rising to grip around my jaw. I can't bring myself to admit it, but the earlier arousal now causes my body to clamp, underwear sticking to my wet pussy.

"Summer, I--" Along with that gravelly promise, I swear Kai's thumbs begin hooking under my waistband when the front door abruptly jostles and opens.

Dylan strides in, huffing. "I told you to keep the door locked," he says and then stops short. He notices Kai and me in the kitchen. Kai's already slid away from me, leaving me half perched on the counter and looking more heated and flushed than I had when I first came back from my run.

"Hey Dil!" Kai greets Dylan with a bright smile and walks over to take his hand in a firm squeeze. Dylan looks past him to shoot me a perturbed look, brows furrowing together before he returns Kai's handshake on instinct.

"Kai. It's been a while. I didn't know you'd be here."

"Neither did Summer, I was just in the neighborhood with work and thought I'd stop in to catch up. Speaking of work, how're those TPS reports coming along?"

Dylan's eye twitches at the verbal jab. "Doing Kubernetes right now, actually. You know, it's important to understand all the parts so you can see the big picture as a leader."

"I have no idea what that is. Sounds fancy." Kai somehow manages to look down at Dylan, even though they're both the same height. Dylan always said he was 6'2", and she knows her brother isn't that tall. Either way, they were both at least a head taller than her. The difference is that while Dylan is fit as a lacrosse player, Kai is also broad, with wide shoulders that give him a swimmer's physique.

"Don't worry, it's complicated. Summer doesn't know either. I don't even try to explain it to her."

"Dylan's actually working on AI with his firm, it's going to change everything," I gush, knowing it's something Dylan has been talking about for a while. I'm not sure what exactly it's going to change, but he's right--he doesn't try to explain it. Not that I wouldn't understand. I'm the one who had more college scholarship offers. I'm the one who settled to come here with him, so he could have his dream. So we could haveourdream.

"Everything, huh?"

"Pretty much," Dylan says, not elaborating. I wish they tried to at least pretend to get along, for my sake. "What about you, Kai? They've still got you crawling through vents or whatever it is you do?"

"Actually, yeah. I love it. Feels good to get dirty, make something with your hands. When you can step back at the end of the day and see with pride and say, 'I made that', you know?"

"Your body is going to fall apart by the time you're thirty. Tell me, you've got any stock investments? Retirement? Or you just going to leech off handouts from people like me? See, that's why I'm planning for the long term, so I can take care of Summer."

My eyes widen and dart between them. A tension presses the air down on us all, and I don't understand it.

"Yeah? Good. Take care of my baby sister." There's a threatening edge to the way he says it. Then all at once, it's gone, and Kai laughs. "But I've got to head out. Meeting up with a friend for beers. It was good to see you around, Dil."

He comes back to me and pulls me in to tight hug that lifts me off my toes. With my curves crushing into him, the memory of how I was almost grinding on him creeps back into my mind and I hide my blush against his chest and feel it rumble with his words. "I'll see you soon."

"See you, Kai." I breathe out, kicking my feet. My shoes squeak when he sets me back down, and my body suddenly aches to be held tight when he steps back. I must still be standing there awkwardly as Kai leaves because Dylan clears his throat.

"You alright?"

"Hmm? Yeah, of course. Just still... long run. I didn't have a chance to get cleaned up."

Dylan nods. "Right, right. I'm going to check socials while you get clean."

"Was your day okay?"

"Fine." He waves me off. "Just hungry. You can figure out dinner after, right?"

"Sounds great," I say with a weak smile and turn, disappearing into the bathroom.

Inside, I toe off the shoes off my dainty feet, then peel off the spandex and lycra, wriggling my curves out of the snug fabrics. Tugging out my ponytail next, my body is thrumming, doing everything it can to remind me how hypersensitive and on edge it is. In the mirror, I catch sight of a girl who isn't kept, or clean, or calm. I see an animal. Half-feral, hair wild, bare breasts heaving.

But if I'm feral, am I predator or prey? The water washes everything away. Sweat, grim, thoughts. It washes away the lingering echo of Kai's hands on my hips, pelvis, the crease of my thigh. My fingers stroke down along it, forging a new memory of wandering, needy hands. Forcing my hand to stop its descent, I grab the shower knob and twist it.

It doesn't matter how cold the shower gets; my body is still an inferno. Rubbing the suds across my chest and toned stomach, down over the swell of my ass and trim, silky smooth legs, my thoughts keep wandering. I'm hungry. Not for food, but for something more filling. Deeper. Filling me. I groan, quickly stepping out of the bathroom wearing nothing but my towel tucked between my full breasts. In a moment of bravery I rarely have, I push through my reservations and tiptoe down the hall, the glossy coral pink polish on my toes catching the light as I pad up to Dylan.

He doesn't notice me at first. Instead, his eyes are affixed to his phone, that's droning on about the alpha mindset and the grind. I slide my hand out across his knee, nails dragging against his inner thigh through his slacks and I squeeze. Hope, encouraging, fluttering lashes, and I look up at him with my biggest puppy dog eyes.

He glances up once, then again in confusion, and pauses the video. "You're dripping," he says.

Iam. God, I am so wet. My teeth catch my bottom lip, tugging on the plushness. but I realize he's looking past me at the trail of water drops coming down the hall. "I'll clean it up. But first," I waver, squeezing on his leg a little harder, a little higher. My towel falls open, revealing most of my body. I don't want to be pushy or too demanding, so I say softly: "Babe, I've missed you."

He arches a brow. "You want to have sex?"

"Yeah," I say sheepishly. It's not that we haven't. We aren't virgins. We fooled around plenty before we moved in together. But Dylan's gotten increasingly aloof about it. "Dylan, I need you."

"Fuck. Fine." He rakes his hand back through his hair and then touches my own, sweeping some damp curls off of my shoulder. "You want me? You love me?"

"Yes," I almost whine.

"Alright," he sighs and tosses his phone onto the bed beside him, leaning back as he unfastens his pants. "Give me some head and show it."

It's not what I really want. It's not being bent over and used, but fuck it, it's a start. I quickly drop to my knees between his legs and help tug his pants down lower and slip my hand in, looking up at him eagerly as I fish for his cock. My slender fingers curl around it, and I smile shyly.

I pump it a few times, teasing him, and then duck down and let my tongue swirl across the head before giving it a sloppy kiss. He grunts softly. Encouraged, I lick at it more before my lips wrap and draw him into my mouth, bathing my tongue across the underside of it.

My eyes flutter and I hum noisily, making sure he knows how eager and happy I am do this as my drool starts to slip out and lurid sounds of my mouth fill the room with his heavy breathing. Still, I want more. I want more cock, forcing my mouth so wide it stretches my lips. I want to feel it jabbing into the back of my throat. I want my face fucked, I realize, and moan hotly as I suck on him. A little harder, a little more desperate.

He hears me, and his hand slides down into my hair and grips it. My thighs tremble and my own hand flutters between my legs as he prepares to force me on his cock and face fuck me. For a moment, it's all I can think about, but the moment never comes.

Instead, he does.

"Summer! Shit." His hand grips the back of my head, keeping me still and breathing in his musky scent as warm salty spurts splash the back of my tongue. We stay there, still, until he flexes and smears my tongue one final time before pulling away from me and leaving me hungry for more.

"Dylan?" I ask shyly, climbing up onto the bed beside him as he falls back and gives me a content smile. The towel, having valiantly hugged onto my curves until now, finally relents and falls off like a curtain. I sidle up beside him, nude. Hand sliding across his chest, I play with the buttons of his shirt. "I'm hot. Please, I need-- I need more."

"I know what you need," he says, rolling over me. I stare up at him, loving and excited as he leans in to kiss me. Of course, not on the mouth. Not after he came in it. He'd make me brush my teeth before he'd do that. But on the forehead, the cheek, little kisses as my reward and then his hand shoves between my legs.