Chapter 3

Squaring her shoulders, she opened the door and walked from her room. She'd fucked up big time. If he asked her to move, what would she do? She'd have to move back with her parents. She would have no other choice. She'd also need to forget college for a year, at least. Damn it! Life just wasn't fair.

Darrin sat dejected at the kitchen table. She was pissed at him. Understandingly pissed. He'd stood at the door to his bedroom and gawked at her like a teenager who had never seen a naked woman. He had willed her to move her hand so he could see her cunt, for Christ's sake! Sick! You're a sick, perverted fuck who wants to fuck his sister. Incest! Even the thought of the word stung him. She'll move out for sure, move back to Milltown and tell her parents she could no longer live with her brother, not with the way he looked at her, lusted after her. She'd tell them how sick he was, and she'd have every right to inform them about his perverted desires. If she wanted to move, he wouldn't try to stop her.

He looked up as she walked toward him. He had expected an angry look, or a look of condemnation, but she looked frightened, not angry. Why? She had nothing to fear. He was at fault, not her.

He looks so unhappy, she thought. I caused that look. My unhealthy, immoral desire for him... wait! Why is he merely unhappy? He should look disgusted. He should be angry and revolted. She pulled up a chair and sat across from him.

"I'm sorry," they both said at the same time.

Stunned by what they heard, each studied the other. Both looked confused. Both wondered if they had misread the situation. And they both started to speak again at the same time, which caused them to pull back into silence yet again. Neither looked at the other. Instead Darrin studied the top of the kitchen table. Carrie studied her hands folded demurely in her lap.

"Why are you sorry, sis?" Darrin finally asked. "I was at fault, not you. You have no reason to be sorry about anything. You were angry with me. You screamed at me, told me to get out, and you had every right..."

"Oh, Darrin, I wasn't angry with you. I was angry with myself. I was on your bed naked and asleep - definitely inappropriate. I'm very sorry."

What's happening here, Carrie asked herself. Maybe what happened wasn't a complete disaster after all; maybe he won't ask me to move. Looking back, she realized he didn't know she had gone to his bed and masturbated thinking about him. How could he know? She had felt so guilty she had hated herself and projected her self-revulsion onto him. But he didn't know how much she wanted him. He only saw her naked on his bed, and she had yelled at him to leave his own room, and her voice was angry because she was angry with herself. No wonder he thought she was angry with him.

I'm thoroughly confused, Darrin thought. Maybe she won't leave me and move back to Milltown. Why isn't she angry with me? I...

Suddenly it dawned on him why she wasn't angry. She had not seen how excited he was. She had come out of a deep sleep confused, like he was now, and didn't notice how he was looking at her. But why was she angry with herself? She said it was inappropriate to be in his bed naked and asleep. He smiled inwardly. I guess it was, and she had masturbated, too, if the lingering scents he detected in the room were accurate. She had no reason to feel guilty about masturbating. Everyone did it. He did. God, he'd never masturbated so much as during the last month since she moved in with him. Without those daily releases of his sexual tension, he would have inappropriately jumped her lovely bones long ago.

Darrin pondered the situation. What should he do about what happened? Should he admit how much he wanted her, how much he loved her? No! She'd move out for sure, and he didn't know if he could live without her, not after seeing her and talking with her and being with her every day for a month. He decided to ignore the situation as if it had never happened. If he saw her naked again, he vowed he would turn from her and leave her to her privacy.

What should I do, Carrie asked herself. I can tell him the truth, tell him I love him more than life itself, but that would only get me tossed out on my butt. No, I should probably ignore what happened, make sure he knows I'm not angry with him and go on as before.

"I'm sorry," they both said, again at the same time, and this time they both cracked up in laughter. They laughed until tears ran from their eyes. One of them would finally get a handle on the jollity, but the other's continued laughter would pull the other back to laughing again. Finally, they both controlled themselves at the same time.

Carrie wiped the tears from her eyes, happy laughter-caused tears. "I love you, bro. Let's just forget what just happened as if it never happened."

"You've got a deal."

Carrie glanced at the clock. "It's almost one. Ms. Terrance will be here at two. I'd better fix us some lunch, and we'll eat before she arrives."

Suddenly, Darrin remembered the gift she had purchased for her. "Carrie, you've been so wonderful, done so much for me over the past month. You cook for me, keep the house clean and orderly, and now you plan to market my paintings. You've saved so much on the food bill, I put away a little money, and I bought you a gift today to show you my appreciation. It isn't much, and it's used, but it's something I think you need. I didn't know where you would want to set it up, so I left it in the car. Come and see, and then you can tell me where you want it, and I'll set it up for you."

"A present? Oh, Darrin you didn't need..."

"Hush, say thank you, Darrin, and hush."

She smiled. "Thank you, Darrin."

He took her hand and hurried her down the stairs. As they approached the car, he said, "I don't know much about these things, but the seller said it was a good one, almost new, but if it's too old and not adequate for you, he said I could take it back and he'd refund my money."

"I'm sure it's fine, Darrin."

He opened the rear driver's-side door, and she saw a computer monitor. Then she saw the computer itself, and a keyboard and mouse. She squealed. "Oh, Darrin, it's perfect! Just what I need! Thank you! Thank you!"

She was so excited she couldn't stop herself. She literally jumped into his arms, wrapped her legs around his waist and kissed him! God, did she ever kiss him! It was twice the kiss she had feared had ruined everything when he offered to let her live with him a month or so ago. When she finally came to her senses, she suddenly feared she had ruined everything yet again. He had a raging erection, which she had rubbed against with her pussy through the crotch of her jeans, not just once either, but quite a few times. She had dry-humped him, for Christ's sake! And she had plunged her tongue into his mouth. How could she have done such a thing when she had barely escaped his revulsion only minutes before? Embarrassed and fearful, she pulled back from the embrace, quickly dropped her feet to the floor, turned her back to him and leaned into the car to look at the computer. She'd ignore what she had done. Perhaps he'd do the same. Please, she silently begged, please ignore what just happened.

Jesus! No one had ever kissed him with such passion in his entire life. Shocked at first, Darrin had tried to keep the kiss brotherly. After all, he had just avoided driving her away from him. But, as the kiss continued and became even more passionate, he couldn't stop himself and went with his feelings, giving everything to the embrace, like Carrie. He felt her rub her pussy against his hard cock, and when she plunged her tongue into his mouth, he had done the same to her. He tasted her, explored every nook and cranny of her mouth, and rubbed the crotch of her jeans with his erection, just like she was rubbing the front of his jeans with her pussy. God, he was hot! He wanted her desperately. For a few seconds, he believed she wanted him as much as he wanted her. He almost lost control, almost walked her to a table and stripped her jeans from her and fucked her! But she had more sense than he. She had gained a semblance of control and moved away from him.

Now he watched her jean-covered, round, firm butt as she leaned into the car admiring the computer in the back seat. He sucked in a massive amount of air. Get a grip, he ordered. She's ignoring what just happened. Do the same.

She looked over her shoulder at him with a big grin, but he could see fear in her eyes.

"It's perfect, Darrin. Just perfect! Help me carry it upstairs. I have just the spot for it next to the bookcase in the living room. Of course, if you don't want it in the living room, I'll put it in my room, but it is getting hot in there already. In another month, it'll be too hot to work in there, so the living room would be better, if you don't mind." God, I'm babbling like an idiot.

"Anywhere you want it is fine with me, sis." Good, she's going to ignore what happened. He moved by her, bumping her slightly. "I'll carry the monitor. It's heavy and awkward. Will you bring the keyboard and mouse? I'll come back for the computer."

"I'll need a little table or a computer desk to put it on. I'll find something at a yard sale this weekend. In the meantime, I'll use the table at the top of the stairs. Let me go ahead of you, and put the table where I want it." Is he going to let me get away with my brazen behavior? It appears he is. Thank you, Darrin. Thank you, not just for the computer, but also for letting me off the hook for the kiss. She knew she would dream about that kiss many times, and every time she did, she would become excited all over again. She set the vase and dried-flower arrangement from the tale to the floor and hurried with the table, setting it by the bookcase in the corner of the living room. Perfect, she thought. I can look over the railing while I'm writing and watch Darrin down in the studio. Perfect!

"What will it be? Will you create a portfolio for us, or not," Carrie asked.

Barbara Terrance was stunned. She had never seen such talent before and had attended at least fifty one-man shows not only in Las Vegas but also in Los Angeles and New York City.

"I'll take a painting. That one," she said softly, trying to appear nonchalant while pointing at Darrin's latest, the one still wet and the best of the lot.

"Uh-uh. Any other is acceptable. Darrin gave that one to me," Carrie said. She glanced at her brother. He raised a quizzical eyebrow but said nothing.

"I understand. Then I'll take the one hanging in your living room."

"Agreed," Darrin said. "When will you take the pictures, and when can we expect the portfolio?"

"I'll do the shoot tomorrow, and the portfolio will be ready by the end of the week." She turned away from viewing the painting toward the artist. "You're very talented, Darrin. I have no doubt the value of the painting will far exceed what I would normally charge for the photo shoot, and I'm not cheap. Accordingly, I'll also provide additional prints should you need them to send to various galleries."

Darrin grinned but turned to his sister. He raised one eyebrow - a silent query. Interesting, Barbara thought. He defers to his sister. She doesn't dominate him though, and they love each other a lot, which pleased her. She wished she could be as close with her brother, but they barely tolerated one another. She shrugged.