OSL: Cameron l

-- JUNE 2002 --

Tired from the long flight, not to mention putting up with the sleazebag businessman in the seat next to me for more than six hours, I was only too eager to get home. But flying across the country was only part of the journey. Mom, Dad, and Carter were still on the other side of the Bay, and after being away from my family for so long it felt like I was only halfway there.

Knowing I'd have to wait for my luggage to drop down onto the baggage carousels, I walked down the terminal at a casual pace, holding only my purse. The soft flats I'd worn for comfort padded silently on the tiles. And people in a greater hurry than me rushed past on both sides.

Eventually I walked past exit security into the Arrivals/Baggage Claim area of SFO's Terminal 3. In their usual spot were a cluster of drivers mostly dressed all the same: black suit, white shirt, black tie. A few also wore black chauffeur's hats, and a couple of them sported sunglasses even though we were indoors.

With a sigh I walked toward them and began scanning the various names they held on nearly-identical white placards. Mom always arranged for Towncar service to get me to and from the airport, and after a few seconds I zeroed in on the placard that read "Cameron Singleton", held up in front of the face of a young man wearing both chauffeur's cap and aviator Ray-Bans.

The anonymous driver to my right, the one without a chauffer's cap or sunglasses, inhaled sharply and held his breath for a moment. I was close enough for him to dare hope that I was his fare, never mind that the placard he held read "Michael Schutzman". No doubt he was imagining for a few seconds that he'd get to spend some time chatting up a breathtakingly beautiful young woman.

That would be me. I didn't consider myself egotistical, but I was aware of the effect my physical appearance had on most men - and not a few women as well. Even in my flats, I stood six feet tall and had a figure to be proud of. While I didn't dress to expose the goodies or anything, my clothes flattered my curves and were carefully chosen to be both practical and eye-catching. My long, dark hair draped nicely over my shoulders, neatly framing a face I was proud of. I also got compliments on my electric green eyes, eyes which I now focused on my actual driver as I moved directly in front of him and nodded silently.

The poor guy to my right holding the "Michael Schutzman" sign sighed regretfully and slouched in disappointment.

Lowering his placard, my actual driver tipped his cap and gestured toward the baggage carousel. "Shall we get your bags, Miss Singleton?"

I'd started nodding before his voice clicked the recognition part of my brain. My hand jerked out of its own accord and latched onto the driver's forearm, abruptly arresting his quarter-turn. And tilting my head and narrowing my eyes to scrutinize his face, I asked questioningly, "Carter?"

My stepbrother grinned and used his free hand to remove the sunglasses. "Surprise!"

"Oh, Carter! You came to pick me up!" I threw my arms around his shoulders and gave him a fierce hug hello.

Carter chuckled and stroked my back, holding me just as fiercely. Although two years younger than me, my 20-year-old "little" brother now stood 6'3" and outweighed me by quite a bit. Leaning back, he lifted me off the floor which made me squeal in delight. And when he finally set me down on my feet, he quickly leaned in and pecked my lips. "Four years of college PLUS an extra month backpacking around Europe with your friends? I've missed you," he sighed.

"Kinda missed you, too," I replied with a beaming smile.

"You have a good trip?"

"The best. Wish I was still over there, actually."

He put on a fake pout. "Aww, I thought you said you missed me."

I reached up, knocked Carter's hat off his head, and tousled his hair. "I always miss my little brother."

Carter's eyebrows went up. "Stepbrother," he corrected.

I rolled my eyes but grinned. "C'mon. Let's get my bags and I'll tell you all about the trip."

"Nice ride. Is it new?" I asked as I hopped into the passenger seat of what appeared to be a fully-loaded Cadillac Escalade.

"Brand new. Only got a hundred miles on this one," Carter replied proudly as he climbed into the driver's seat and tapped the dashboard. He started the ignition and heavy-bass hip-hop music immediately began pumping through the speakers, but he quickly turned it down to a less deafening volume.

I scoped out the truck. "Dad's business must be doing well."

"It is. But he didn't buy this for me," Carter replied with that cocky grin of his. "I bought this baby all on my own."

I arched an eyebrow. "Really? You take up a side job I don't know about?"

He grinned but shook his head and stared out the front windshield. "You don't wanna know."

I blinked. "What is it? Business internship? Or did one of your friends start an entrepreneurial thing?"

Carter's eyebrows rose in warning. "Seriously, you don't wanna know."

But I was curious. "C'mon, Carter. You're my little brother. You're not supposed to keep secrets from me."

"Fine then. How many guys did you hook up with on that backpacking trip?"

I blushed immediately and averted my eyes. "Uh, I don't think that's a topic for polite conversation."

Carter smirked and shrugged. "Then you understand."

Unable to shake the nagging feeling in the back of my head, I sighed. "Just tell me it's not anything illegal."

But Carter merely shook his head. "I told you: You don't wanna know."

I rolled my eyes and let my head flop back against the headrest. "Fine."

"But other than your sex life, seriously, how was the trip? Any favorite places?"

I smiled and thought back over the past month or so. "It was awesome. The food, the culture, the history, and yes, some of the parties. There's a lot of good time to be had by a recent college grad. You should think about doing your own trip when you graduate."

"Why wait? I could probably cruise around for the rest of the summer and enjoy myself, especially if you were there to show me around."

I giggled. "What, me? Wouldn't you want to have an adventure like that with your friends?"

"You already know there's no one I'd rather be with than you," Carter said with complete sincerity, an open honesty in his eyes that simultaneously thrilled and terrified me.

I blushed and sighed. "It's tempting, actually. I had such a good time that I wouldn't mind going back. But that's done. College is done. I'm home now, I've got a good job lined up, and frankly I don't know when I'll have time to take another trip like that."

Carter shrugged. "Never say never."

"I suppose." I took a deep breath and exhaled slowly while staring out the window. "But for now, I think I'll just focus on starting this next chapter in my life. No longer a student. Full-time job. Back in the Bay Area. Most of my college friends are scattered all over the place. It's going to be a little weird starting all over again from scratch, you know?"

"You'll always have me."

I glanced over and smiled at my little brother. "Of course. But you moved out to that big house Dad set you up with in Berkeley, right?"

Carter shrugged while turning the wheel with both hands. "If you want, you could stay with me instead of living at home with Mom and Dad. There's plenty of room and you know I'd be happy to have you."

"I'll bet you would." I drawled, my eyes glittering at the innuendo of Carter 'having me'. But I shook my head in the negative. "Staying with Mom and Dad is only going to be temporary until I can figure out the best place to get my own apartment. Probably somewhere downtown close to work and the social scene."

Carter frowned. "Downtown? And here I was hoping you'd be close enough to visit more often. I really have missed you."

"Downtown isn't that far away, lazy ass." I reached out and lightly punched his upper arm. "We'll still see each other."

"I guess."

"I mean it," I said sincerely. "I'm not on the other side of the country anymore. You're my little brother and I want to spend time with you. We'll definitely meet up more often than the last four years."

"Anything would be more often than the last four years," he complained. "You barely ever came home, even for the holidays."

I heard the whine in his voice. "Don't be like that. I was busy with internships and trips and lots of stuff. But I'm home now."

"Yeah, you're home. So what does that really mean? Do things go back the way they used to be?"

It was a loaded question and he knew it. I stared over at my little brother, scrutinizing the tension his posture and the clench of his jaw. Carefully, I asked, "What do you mean 'the way they used to be'?"

Carter sighed, staring forward out the windshield. He wore his aviators, but even so I could see the pain etched in his face. And taking a deep breath, he muttered quietly, "I think you know what I mean."

"Carter ... really? Still?" I asked, feeling bad. "It's been four years."

"So? I still love you. Did you really expect that to change?"

"And I love you," I replied immediately.

His jaw clenched. "But not in the way that I love you."

I sighed. "That was the puppy love of a 16-year-old boy."

"Well I'm not a 16-year-old boy anymore. I'm a grown man now, and I'm old enough to know what love is. Four years later, I still love you."

"Carter, I'm your sister."

"STEPsister," he corrected as always. "And even that, maybe not much longer."

Not much longer? With a frown, I asked, "What do you mean by that?"

He didn't reply right away. His head turned away from me as he checked his blind spot and merged into the left lane. Even after he'd merged, his head tilted and turned again as he glanced into the rearview mirror and even fiddled with the CD player to change songs. But I kept silently waiting for him, and after a long while he finally glanced over at me for just a moment before returning his eyes to the road. "I think Mom and Dad are getting a divorce."

"WHAT?" I barked in shock, sitting upright in my seat.

Carter took a deep breath. "You've missed out on a lot over the last month on your trip. Dad's been screwing around. Nothing new, really; he's been doing that for years. But Mom caught him fucking one of the maids in their bedroom a couple of weeks ago and they've been fighting non-stop. I think Mom's fed up with the whole trophy wife lifestyle."

My eyebrows popped. "Are you serious?"

Carter grimaced. "Dead serious. I don't go home much anymore. And when I AM there, as soon as they start yelling at each other I just get in the car and drive back to my place. Dad's talking pre-nuptial agreements and Mom's citing California 'Community Property' law. It gets pretty ugly."

"Oh my gawd."

"And Dad's got a new girlfriend. Some hot blonde not much older than you."

My stomach turned. "Oh, eww..."

"He actually brought her by the house."

My eyes went wide in shock. "He wouldn't dare."

"He did. The point is: pretty soon I might not BE your brother anymore. So then there wouldn't be anything to stop us from being together."

I blinked and gawked at Carter, unable to believe his mind had gone straight to THAT. "Our parents might be getting divorced and THAT'S what you're thinking about?"

Carter winced and glanced over at me before again turning his attention forward. Sullenly, he mumbled to the windshield, "Well it's true..."

I shook my head emphatically. "From the time I was nine, we've grown up together. You're my little brother: always have been, always will be. No matter what happens or doesn't happen between our parents, you'll always be my little brother. And that's the way I'll always love you, understood?"

Carter scowled and shook his head, replying dejectedly, "Fine..."

-- JULY 2002 --

Mom and I both heard the doorbell, and she looked over at me as I quickly walked around the kitchen island to the sink to rinse off my hands. After wiping them dry, I headed out to the front door to answer it.

We used to have a couple of permanent maids who would answer the door, but not anymore. These were uncertain times, and Mom was proactively cutting expenses. I wasn't bothered; it wasn't like I was used to having maid service when I was at school.

I peered through the peephole and pulled my head back in surprise. Mom and I were making dinner in preparation for his arrival and we'd been expecting him, but not in this manner. Quickly, I flipped the deadbolt and opened the door, hands on my hips as I cocked my head and asked, "Carter? What are you doing ringing the doorbell? You lose your key or something?"

My stepbrother sheepishly stood on the doorstep with his hands in his pockets. His lower jaw jutted forward and his eyes were downcast as he shrugged and replied, "I dunno. Didn't feel right to just let myself in."

"What are you talking about? This house has been our home for years and years. Just because you got your own bachelor pad doesn't mean you need to ring the doorbell here."

He shrugged again, still not meeting my eyes. "But it's not my home anymore."

"Don't be ridiculous," Mom suddenly said from behind me. I turned and backed up half a pace as she stepped forward and frowned.

"Hey Mo--," Carter began before abruptly stopping. With a sigh, his shoulders slumped and he finished weakly, "uh ... Mrs. Singleton?"

Mom frowned. True, she wasn't Carter's biological mother. Everyone present knew full well that she'd only married his father seven years after he was born, but I'd never ONCE heard Carter call her "Mrs. Singleton", not until just now. With her eyes moistening, Mom pursed her lips and said softly, "Carter ... please..."

His head drooped and he shook it. "I'm sorry. I just don't know how to deal with all this."

"True enough," I grumped while folding my arms across my chest. "You've been avoiding the topic – practically avoiding US – for the last three weeks."

He steadfastly refused to make eye contact with me and mumbled, "Sorry. This kind of drama just isn't my thing."

"I know it isn't, sweetie," Mom sighed as she stepped out onto the porch and wrapped him up in a hug. It took Carter a moment to return it, and even then he barely touched her.

He held her at near arm's length for the exact minimum amount of time necessary to be polite, and then pulled out of her grasp and asked, "What's up?"

Mom glanced at me and inclined her head. "Let's go inside."

Carter sighed and nodded, gesturing for her to lead the way. Mom did, heading for the living room. I wrapped my arm around Carter's waist and together we followed.

"Can I get you anything? Coke? Water?" Mom asked over her shoulder.

"Shot of whiskey to calm the nerves?" I suggested with a smirk.

"I'm fine." Carter waved us off and took a seat on the couch, perching on the edge as if ready to bolt at a moment's notice. "Let's just get to the point."

Mom frowned. "So businesslike. No matter what's happening between me and your father, I'll always be your Mom."

He shook his head and pouted. "No you won't. That's just the point. When this divorce becomes final, the two of you and I won't be family anymore."

"Carter," Mom said heavily with a frown. "Don't say that."

"It's the truth."

"We will ALWAYS be a family."

"Until we're not. Legally binding and all that jazz."

"There's more to 'family' than legally binding."

"I'm not stupid. I'm just saying..." he stared at the wall like a sullen teenager.

Mom and I looked at each other, and a moment later Mom suggested, "Why don't I check on dinner. The two of you can hang out. I know it's been a while since you've seen each other and Cameron has a lot to tell you about her new job in the City."

I smiled brightly, but Carter shook his head. "That's not necessary. You asked me to come over here for something and I came. What do you need? Otherwise, I'll just be getting out of here."

"Carter, please? What I want is for you to stay and have dinner with us."

"That's it? Seriously?" He frowned and stared at me. I couldn't stop myself from wincing, and he keyed in on that. "So there IS something?"

Mom and I exchanged another look, and Mom took a deep breath before returning her attention to Carter. "I was hoping you might be able to find out some information for me. Your father has presented his financial portfolio to the judge and there are a LOT of irregularities--"

"Whoa! Whoa!" he cut her off, sitting up straight and jerking his hands like blades. "Nuh-uh. No divorce talk. I'm not getting involved in this."

"But you're our SON. You're already involved."

"Not any more than I have to be."

"Please. You father will talk to you. Things aren't adding up and I'm afraid he's ... well ... he's trying to screw me over."

Carter frowned. "What do you mean?"

"I mean that the numbers he's giving the judge show his net worth to be FAR below what I know it to be. And I mean FAR below."

"Psht. Big surprise. That's Dad."

"I know. But in this case, he and I both know that California law splits the family assets 50/50. By fudging his numbers like this, he's trying to make me walk away with pennies."

Carter shook his head. "Can he do that? I mean, he's the one cheating on you. Or don't tell me you've been cheating on him."

"Don't be ridiculous." Mom looked hurt. "I've been faithful for almost fourteen years, no matter how many bimbos your father slept with."

Carter sighed. "Didn't think so. Still, doesn't that make the divorce his fault and the judge awards you a bunch in damages?"

Mom shook her head. "The lawyers will haggle that stuff out, including spousal support. But the court can only make him pay according to whatever they can prove he's got."

"So what? You want ME to dig around Dad's files and find the rest?"

Mom and I looked at each other again. It was pretty much exactly what I'd suggested to her.

Carter rolled his eyes and shook his head. "Not happening. I'm not a spy, especially on my own Dad."

"I'm not asking you to spy, Carter," Mom said with a sigh. "I'm asking you to help me, your mother, not be left destitute after your unfaithful father kicks me to the curb. I'm not asking for much. I don't need to live some glamorous lifestyle, but seriously, I'm getting screwed."

He shook his head and stood up. "I'm sorry, but I can't do that."

"Carter..." Mom pleaded as she reached a hand out to her only son.

But Carter avoided her hand and headed for the door.

"Carter!" I yelled a little more shrilly.

My voice got him to turn around. He sighed and gave us a weak look. "I'm sorry. I love you both. I'll always love you both. But I just CAN'T get in the middle of this thing, alright?"

"Please, Carter," I begged, knowing how important this was for Mom. And... "For me?"

Carter blinked and stared at me. He swallowed thickly, and for a moment I believed his eternal connection to me would make him change his mind. But in the end he shook his head once more and replied, "I'm sorry."

And then he left.

-- NOVEMBER 2002 --

We kept telling Carter to use his key, but he always stood on the front porch and rang the doorbell. Even though this house had once been his home, he didn't consider it that way anymore. And even though it broke Mom's heart for him to say it, Carter insisted that "the owner" wasn't even his family anymore, not technically, and it didn't feel right to just let himself in. Period.

We were expecting him, so it didn't take me very long to get to the door. Always happy to see him, I opened it with a megawatt smile. "Hey little brother. Good to see you."

Carter rolled his eyes at the 'little brother' remark. He knew I meant it as an endearment, but even so I knew he sorta hated the term as a symbol of how I would never see him as a viable mate. I really didn't. How could I? He was my little brother, step or not. Even now when I closed my eyes and pictured him, I didn't see the 6'3" strapping young man he'd grown up to be; I saw the little boy who'd needed me to put band-aids on his boo-boos.

Wanting to welcome my little brother, I stepped out onto the porch and enfolded him in a warm hug. "How've you been?" I asked while patting Carter's back.

"Doin' alright," he replied. "Can't complain."

I nodded. "Mom's in the kitchen. Come on."

Carter followed me into the house, and his eyes must've been glued to my swaying ass because halfway down the hall, I glanced back and noticed the angle of his gaze. Turning about, I cocked one hip and waggled a finger at him as if he were just some horny teenager who couldn't take his eyes off me. "Tsk, tsk."

"What? How can I NOT stare? It's a thing of beauty!" Carter gestured with both hands at my body while grinning at me.

I smirked back and couldn't help posing a bit, exaggerating the angle of my hips. "Don't you have yourself a girlfriend to stare at instead, little brother? What's her name ... Kelly, right?"

"Of course. Actually, I have a NEW girlfriend to stare at," he replied a little smugly.

"Really?" I arched my eyebrow. "What happened with you and Kelly?"

His grin widened. "Still dating her, too."

That got both my eyebrows to rise and I chuckled while shaking my head. "You're such a player."

Carter's eyes glittered as he stared me up and down. Almost in a trance, he intoned seriously, "But even the two of them put together only pale in comparison to the beauty standing before me now.

I felt heat rise into my cheeks – and flood other parts of my body at the same time. It really had been a rough few months for me on the dating front. With the challenges of a new job, the effort that went into not getting a slut reputation at the office, the difficulties in making new friends in a new city, and this whole divorce fallout taking up so much of my free time, I hadn't gotten properly laid since the trip to Europe. Even now I knew I was ovulating as my hormones were at their peak levels, so my arousal was on a hair trigger. As naughty and illicitly incestuous as it had been to fool around with Carter when we were teenagers, I had to admit that the memory of those encounters turned me on. And so with a deep red blush, I smiled demurely and gave him a coy look. My voice was throaty as I murmured, "It still gets me hot when you look at me like that."

After staring at my tits, Carter raised his eyes to meet mine. And with total sincerity, he said, "It still gets ME hot when I look at YOU."

But despite the lustful arousal coursing through my veins, I took a deep breath and put a cap on my hormones. Shaking my head slowly, I turned to continue walking. "So who's this new girlfriend? And does Kelly know about her?"

"She does. It's all good. Anyway, the new girl is named Rebecca. You'd like her, too. You both have much in common."

"Hmm, I'll bet," I glanced at him sideways. "Tall, thin, brunette?"

"Check, check, check."

"Green eyes?"

"Check."

"Hmm, a lot like Kelly then."

Carter smirked. "A lot like you."

I sighed, thinking back to everything we'd done to each other in high school. When I'd left for college, Carter had still been dating Lana LeGrande. But I kept tabs on him through Mom and found that after Lana there had been five more girlfriends in the last four years, all of them green-eyed brunettes. "Still fantasizing about me when you're fucking her? Kelly OR Rebecca?"

Carter stopped walking and reached out to take my hand, pulling back on it to stop me. As he tugged me around, he placed his other hand on my waist and stepped forward so that we were looking at each other eye-to-eye. And in a serious, weighty voice, he intoned softly, "Always and forever dreaming of you. From the beginning of time till the day I die."

I had to admit to myself that Carter had grown up into quite the dashing and handsome devil. While I may have imagined the little boy he'd been when my eyes were closed, with my eyes open I could see the strong young man he'd grown up to be. Feeling the strength in his hands as he held me, and staring into the deep richness of his eyes as he stared at me with unimaginable intensity, I felt like one of the damsels in distress on the cover of a romance novel. And with his deep voice so sweetly sincere in his profession of love, I felt my knees weakening as the urge to swoon into his arms and let him have his way with me took root in my brain.

But no matter how long I'd been stuck in this dry spell, and no matter how well he'd induced pleasurable orgasms in my body in the past, the fact remained that I considered him my little brother, and I'd sworn to myself I would put our past "fooling around" behind me. So after blinking twice quickly, I averted my eyes and gently pressed on his chest to separate us. And in a quietly steady voice I said, "You're not supposed to say things like that anymore."

Leaning forward, he kept his face within a couple of feet of mine. "You started it," he growled roughly, "asking me whether or not I still fantasize about you."

I didn't have an immediate response to that, so I looked away from him while biting my lip.

With a sigh, Carter let go of me and turned away. I caught my breath and tried to regain my composure while he paced a few steps down the hall before looking up at the ceiling. Moments later, he turned and looked at me with a new expression, one that lacked his previous lust and instead was purely platonic. "Hey, looks like a couple of bulbs burned out. Need me to replace them?"

I looked up where he'd been staring and shook my head with a sigh. "No, actually. Tried that already myself. Something's wrong with the whole electrical section. Both overhead lights and all the wall outlets along that side went down. There's probably a short somewhere."

"When did that happen?"

I shrugged. "About a month ago."

Carter frowned. "A month ago? And Mom hasn't gotten it fixed?"

I winced and put a hand to my forehead, momentarily overwhelmed by everything that was going on. I hadn't been kidding when I said that the fallout from Mom's divorce had been seriously hampering my life. "It's not really a high priority right now," I explained. "To be honest, Mom's cash flow is a little tight."

"A little tight? I thought ... well..." Carter took a deep breath and looked away. "I thought that problem got taken care of."

Feeling my sibling warmth returning to me, I reached up to touch Carter's shoulder as I said softly, "What you did helped a lot. Without you finding those hidden assets, Mom would literally have gotten put out on the street. But even so, Dad kept a lot of things covered up. She got the house and the car, but not that much liquid capital. She's trying to find a job, but it's not easy having been out of work for almost fifteen years. And it's not like 'former model' is all that helpful on one's resume to get a new job when you're forty-five."

"She still looks thirty-five," he replied.

I nodded. "I know, but it's a tough market for her age and experience."

"Well you're doing alright, aren't you?"

"I am. But you already know I moved back into the house."

"Thought that was just to keep Mom company after the divorce."

"Part of it." I shrugged. "But really, money's been tight enough that it made sense financially to give up my apartment and move back here. I've got a good job, and it'll be enough to keep Mom and I afloat. But ... well ... upkeep on something like this little electrical problem just isn't ... isn't..."

"High priority," he finished for me.

I nodded.

Carter scowled and looked away in thought before standing up straight and giving me an even look. "I'll take care of it," he stated confidently.

"That's not why we asked you to visit. It's not necessary."

Carter shook his head and leveled me with an even firmer expression. "I'll take care of it," he insisted. "We're family, aren't we? Family takes care of each other.

My shoulders slumped, I tilted my head to the side, and I breathed a sigh of relief. With a smile, I quickly moved up to him and wrapped my arms around his back. "Thanks, little brother."

Carter groaned immediately and pushed away from me, rolling his eyes. "Okay, seriously, you call me that one more time and I won't take care of it!" he complained.

I giggled and nodded before stepping forward and enfolding him in another hug. "Okay, okay. From now on, I'll just call you 'Carter', deal?"

Carter grinned and squeezed me back. "If you really will stop calling me that, it'll be the best money I've ever spent!"

-- DECEMBER 2002 --

"C'mon, don't pretend like you're some innocent," Carter teased, proffering the business end of the hookah forward. "I know you better than that."

"You're such a bad influence," I sighed, but I was smirking as I shook my head.

"It's just a little weed. It's a party, remember?" he encouraged magnanimously. "I warned you what to expect when you said you were actually going to come over here."

"I wasn't planning on coming over here tonight. If that asshole Berk hadn't turned out to be such a ... a--"

"Jerk?" Carter finished for me. "Seriously, the guy's name is Berk. Who the hell names their kid 'Berk'? Plus, Jerk-Berk: smart girl like you couldn't put that one together?"

"Shut UP, you." I pushed out with my left arm, shoving his shoulder back but not hard. "Keep that up and I'll go home to Mom."

"Don't do that. Seriously, stay. I'm so happy you're finally here."

"I've been to your place a few times already."

"Not at night. Not for a party. Now seriously, toke up. Huh?"

"SUCH a bad influence." I sighed but reached forward and took hold of the hose. Bringing the tip up to my lips, I inhaled deeply and felt the smoke go to work. Closing my eyes for a moment, I savored the flavor, and after holding my hit for the proper amount of time I backed away, pressed my lips together, and expertly blew the smoke back out.

"You're a natural!" Carter crowed proudly. "Guess you weren't such a goody two-shoes at Yale after all."

"Oh, I was, at least to the outside world," I replied with a waggle of my eyebrows. "Great grades. Model citizen. But I've been to Amsterdam for cryin' out loud. A girl can work hard AND play hard, know what I mean?"

"I know what I'd like to play with you."

I shoved his shoulder again. "Stop it. You've got a girlfriend for that. Two."

"And I'd drop them both in a heartbeat if it meant I could have you again."

I frowned, Carter's persistence erasing any high I'd gotten from the marijuana. "Carter ... seriously. We're not like that anymore."

He gave me a puppy dog frown, a good one. I took one look and then averted my eyes, stifling a smile and covering my mouth with one hand. He kept it up, only deepening his frown theatrically, and when I looked back at him I couldn't help but bark in laughter.

"You're sweet, you know that?" I said with a smile.

"And you're perfect," he replied immediately, his eyes boring deep into mine. "Forever you..."

We were getting into "heavy" territory again, so shaking my head I looked away from him. Needing a distraction, I impulsively seized the hookah hose once more. I inhaled and exhaled again, breathing deeply as I felt the drug start working its way into my veins. And with a sigh, I replied sincerely, "I'll always love you, but not like that."

Carter closed his eyes and took a deep breath. For a moment, it looked like he was going to cry. And he looked so pitiful that I couldn't help but reach up to take hold of his head and gently kiss his forehead just above his right eyebrow.

"Suuuuu-weeet! Carter, who's the babe?"

I jerked away immediately. While I'd met Carter's girlfriends socially on a couple of occasions when he'd bring them over for dinner at Mom's place or meet up with us elsewhere, I really hadn't met any of his current friends, apart from Sam and Sang who I'd known since high school. Other than them, none of the people at this party knew we were siblings, ex-stepsiblings or not. Still, the last thing I wanted to deal with was awkward questions should any of them find out we'd been semi-related, especially while I was touching him in a semi-intimate manner.

The moment broken, Carter and I both glanced up to see a well-chiseled young man wearing a too-tight black T-shirt underneath a faded brown leather jacket. His dark hair was greased straight back, and his grin was just a tad too big to be genuine. Carter scowled and replied, "Not now Toby."

"Aww, just makin' conversation," the big lug replied.

"Not NOW, Toby."

"Fine, fine, I'll scram. Jeez. But we need to talk shop tonight, okay? I'm running low and the bitches are gettin' needy, you know? So you talk to Chad or whatever you need to do because I'll run out in two days if you don't--"

"Not NOW, Toby!" Carter barked and stood up, getting right in the guy's face. "Dude, the fuck are you trying to do? Not now, not here. Keep this shit up and I'll never talk to you again."

"I'm sorry, man, I'm sorry. You da boss, aiiight?" Toby glanced over at me as if just now realizing he was messing things up for his 'boss' while Carter was putting the moves on a girl. "Just ... don't forget, right?"

"I won't," Carter growled out. "Now beat it."

"Sure, sure." Bobbing his head obsequiously, Toby turned and headed off somewhere else.

I arched an eyebrow. "Friend of yours?"

Carter grimaced and looked around like he'd rather I hadn't seen that. "Something like that," he replied a little sullenly. "More of a work colleague."

Work colleague? "Right, right. Not that you have a day job or anything like that," I said evenly, my eyes narrowing.

He shrugged. "We've talked about this. You really don't want to know."

"I don't, I know I don't," I replied while holding my hands up. "But at the same time I kinda do, you know?"

"Can we just let it go?" he pleaded.

"I'm not so sure." Reaching out with my left hand, I pushed the hookah across the coffee table further away from us. "Level with me. Are you involved in something illegal?"

"You really want me to answer that?"

Something told me I shouldn't. Better willfully ignorant than complicit in whatever shit Carter was into. But at the same time, this was Carter. Even if I couldn't use the term to his face anymore, he was my little brother. While a part of me would love to remain in the blissful ignorance of seeing Carter as my innocent little brother, the truth was that he wasn't so innocent anymore, and neither was I. So I took a deep breath, pursed my lips, and sighed. "Yes. Yes, I do. Because I already suspect that the answer is 'yes', and I want that confirmed."

Carter would never lie to me. Withhold the truth because he thought it was in my best interests? Sure, anytime. But lie to me? To a direct question? I'd never caught him doing it before, and tonight was no different. With a shrug, he admitted, "It's illegal, yes."

I blinked twice and grimaced. "Are you a drug dealer?"

Carter took a deep breath, thought about that for a moment, and shook his head. "Not exactly..." he hedged.

His avoidance got my blood up. "What's that supposed to mean?"

Carter shrugged again. "I don't meet up in dark alleyways asking people if they're cops before handing over plastic baggies in exchange for crumpled bills."

My eyebrows arched. "But you ARE dealing drugs."

Carter grimaced. "More of the ... distribution network. I throw the parties."

I frowned. "Distribution network? You're going to have to elaborate."

Carter sighed and shook his head. "You really don't want to know the details."

"I do. Tonight I do. Tomorrow I may try to forget everything and go back to being blissfully ignorant, but tonight I wanna know."

He pursed his lips for a moment and thought about his explanation. At length, he began, "I don't deal the drugs. Like I said: I throw the parties. Think of it like a bar, where every night is ladies night. The girls get in for free, their presence brings in the guys, and it's mostly the guys that pick up the bar tabs."

"Only you're not selling alcohol."

"I'm not selling drugs, either. Sam handles that."

I made a face, thinking of Carter's best friend from high school. "Is that why he's always hanging around here?"

Carter shrugged. "More or less. Truth be told, I think he's more into the business for the girls than the drugs. That and because it's Chad that's doing the supplying."

I thought about that and looked around to see if Sam's big brother was here. I hadn't seen him on any previous visits to Carter's house. "So Chad is the drug dealer?"

I shook my head. "Just the supplier. The dealers are some of the guys you see coming around here to party with the girls and pick up their stock, like Toby."

"Oh, so you and Chad and Sam are all above the little drug dealers. And it all happens under this roof. Quite the kingpin you've become, little brother."

"I asked you to stop calling me that."

I didn't care. This whole thing sounded like a bad idea. I was no saint myself, and I'd done plenty of experimentation in college, but being an integral part of a drug dealing network in any fashion, no matter how Carter spun it, sounded like a disaster waiting to happen. "Jeezus, you're still in college."

He shrugged. "Because it'd break Mom's heart if I didn't graduate. But it's not like I need a degree to get an income."

"Thought you weren't selling."

"I get a cut. It's good business. Pretty lucrative. But it's not my operation; just my house."

I slid my feet beneath me and began to stand up. "A house I don't think I want to be in anymore."

He reached up and grabbed my hand, holding me down in a seated position. "Don't be like that."

"I'm sorry, Carter. But I think it's time I went home."

"Don't leave. Please?"

I shook my head. "I'm sorry."

-- TUESDAY, DECEMBER 31, 2002 --

"Oh my fucking GAWD, Cam! You've been holding out on us!" The curvy blonde named Shannon literally hopped up and down in excitement as she walked out the sliding doors and into the back yard. "If you had a hookup to a pad like this, why the fuck didn't you bring us here sooner?"

"Yeah, no shit, Cam!" the second curvy blonde named Sharon chimed in as she followed after. "You coulda at LEAST told us to bring our bikinis!"

"Bikinis? It's freezing out here!" I retorted while tightening my arms around my torso. It WAS cold and at the moment, I was wearing a very sheer cocktail dress with no jacket or wrap or anything.

"THEY'RE in bikinis!" Shannon pointed out the three girls currently frolicking in the pool with a tall, dark, and handsome young man with well-chiseled abs.

"Pool's heated to 100 degrees," Carter commented helpfully. "Almost as hot as a Jacuzzi."

"See!" Sharon chirped with raised eyebrows.

Carter chuckled and added, "It's clothing-optional, for now. After midnight, it's nudity-mandatory."

"Seriously?" Shannon's jaw dropped.

"Them's the rules," he replied with a shrug.

"Whaddaya think?" Sharon asked Shannon, wrapping an arm around her fellow blonde.

"I think I need a couple of drinks first," Shannon replied with a sly grin towards my little brother, and then she went back to admiring the view.

"Seriously, though," Sharon complained to me. "We've been friends for months and it takes you this long to bring us to a place like this?"

"Yeah? What gives?" Carter mock-complained to me, unable to contain a mirthful smile. "Not bringing a pair of lovely young women to visit my humble abode? It's practically criminal!"

I stuck one foot forward, cocked my hips, and folded my arms across my chest. At the same time, I leveled my eyes at Carter as if to comment about what was truly criminal.

But he waved me off dismissively and smoothly glided in-between the two blondes, wrapping an arm around each of their waists. "Now as I understand it, my dear Cameron over there invited you here tonight because you were looking for a really great place to party for New Year's Eve, right?"

"Right. She once bragged about her ex-stepbrother's mansion in the hills and we pestered and pestered and pestered her until she finally caved and brought us here. She promised you'd show us a good time."

"Within reason. They're my friends," I warned.

He grinned, the charming Han Solo kind of grin that was anything BUT reassuring. "Hey, I did. No worries, alright? I'll treat 'em both special, like the princesses they are. Anything for you."

What could I really do? While Shannon and Sharon were both kinda slutty, I had precious few friends as it was, and I didn't want to alienate these. Sure, I'd been hanging out with them less for their good company and more in the hope that their idea of a New Year's Eve party would lead ME to a nice hookup to finally end this dry spell I'd been stuck in for over six fucking months! But I couldn't really begrudge them OR Carter for taking advantage of a good situation when one presented itself. It wouldn't be very nice for me to cockblock my little brother on a night like this, after all. So I took a deep breath and sighed, gesturing with one arm for Carter to continue.

"Shall I give you the grand tour?" he asked with an ostentatious sweep of his arms.

"Please!" Shannon squeaked.

"Can't wait!" Sharon cheered.

Carter grinned, shot me a look of thanks, and squeezed both of the girls against his sides.

-- WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 1, 2003 --

"Ohhh ... Unnghh ... Fu ... fu ... Oh, fuck ME!" Shannon moaned while tossing her head side to side, her entire body jerking with each impact of Carter's pelvis against hers. Lying flat on her back across the desk with her legs thrown over his shoulders, the skanky blonde was helpless to resist as my little brother gave the slutty princess the royal pounding she desired.

"Feeling good, sugar?" he asked, breathing hard as he continued hammering her.

"Fuck, yeahhh..." Shannon groaned, opening her eyes to stare back at him.

And she really was feeling good. I wouldn't consider myself an expert on crystal meth, but I'd tried it before a couple of times and I recognized the symptoms: dilated pupils, excessive sweating, and the way she seemed to be having a hard time focusing on Carter's face.

"You gonna cum for me, sugar? Gonna cum? How about this?" Carter wormed a finger into her ass, and she predictably tightened up. At the same time, he shifted his weight forward, and it looked like his pelvic bone was bearing down on her clit, and she stiffened up and came.

"FUUUUUUUUUUUHH!!!" Shannon screamed, her arms flailing out to the sides wildly.

"So what's it gonna be, Cameron?" Carter suddenly called over his shoulder, looking back at me. "Should I give her a creampie or do you wanna watch me spray all over her tits and face?"

Clenching my eyes shut, I turned my head and tried not to watch. It hadn't been my idea to go downstairs to the intimate corner lounge with the great view of the city below. It hadn't been my idea to whip out a Pyrex tube and light it up. And it certainly wasn't my idea to start smoking the crystal meth until everyone felt like their limbs were on fire.

Those had all been Carter's ideas, ideas that Shannon and Sharon quickly agreed to. I'd tried to resist, suggesting that we could all party just fine together with the marijuana hookahs upstairs. And when it became clear that the two S-sluts would only be too happy to fuck the shit out of my little brother, I'd tried to excuse myself to find some entertainment elsewhere. But my friends pestered me and pestered me and pestered me, and I didn't really like it when Shannon complained that I was being such a downer. I wasn't a 'downer'.

Plus, I didn't like it when Carter challenged me about being such an innocent. He was two years younger than me for fuck's sake! He wasn't even 21 yet! But young or not, my little brother had a silver tongue and he knew how to use it. He tweaked my ego until I'd insisted quite loudly that I could handle whatever he threw at me. I'd partied with the best of them at Yale and in Europe and could handle anything! Or at least I certainly felt that way after the copious amounts of alcohol I'd consumed tonight. I told everyone I'd already tried crystal meth a few times in college and wasn't some shy, scared meth-virgin. I complained again about Carter being a bad influence on me, but I went along with things and took two hits off the pipe. And the rest of the night took off from there.

Skinny-dipping in the infinity pool had been Sharon's idea, not Carter's, but he wasn't exactly going to say 'no'. Shannon was easy to convince. And after another hit on the pipe I finally gave in and said, "What the hell." It wasn't like Carter hadn't seen me naked before, although it HAD been about four years since he last saw me like that. Thankfully, no one seemed inclined to comment about us being sorta-almost-used to be related, and after a few seconds Carter started properly ogling the two blondes anyway.

Carter's best friend Sam already had a babe in the pool with him when we got there, a bottle-blonde named Britney who was apparently a regular at these 'get-togethers', as Carter called them. The couple started making out hot and heavy, which put ideas into Shannon's head, and Carter soon found his arms full of horny, slutty blonde. Sharon complained about needing to share, and then my little brother had a second slutty blonde's tongue in his throat. And it was Sam who suggested we all get dressed and go find a big bedroom.

And so it was that I found myself sitting in an armchair with my nerves on fire from the crystal meth. I was hot, and I was hornier than a mutant billy goat, but despite my lowered inhibitions I was too chicken-shit to do anything about it. I sure as hell wasn't going to touch Carter in front of everyone, all the more because of my solemn vow to not start things between us back up again. And as handsome and well-built as Sam was, I wasn't going to fuck my little brother's best friend, either. Shit, I'd known the guy when he first started getting pimples.

What I should have done was gone upstairs and found a handsome stud to hook up with, but I was too chicken-shit to do that, either. I didn't know the men here, and since I figured the majority of them were drug dealers like dumbass Toby, I knew I did NOT want to have a one-night stand like that on my personal resume. So instead I stayed right where I was, right in that armchair, watching for the very first time as my little brother's dick rammed deep into a wet pussy.

Initially, I nursed my latest cocktail while watching Carter fucking Sharon and Sam porking Britney. I watched Shannon sit on Carter's face while Sharon sat on his cock. And then I watched Sam stick his dick into Shannon's mouth while Britney tackled Sharon and started sucking out the creampie Carter had left inside.

I started fingering myself underneath my dress when Carter slipped into Britney from behind. I started biting my fingers when Sam rolled Shannon onto her back and started humping away. And I started crying even as I orgasmed when Sam pulled out and came all over Shannon's face.

I wanted to see it again. Fuck, I wanted to see my little brother do the spraying this time. I'd never fucking admit that out loud, of course. But I still wanted to see it.

It would be... so wrong.

Fuck it would be hot.

Why the fuck was I getting so turned on my little brother again?

Why the fuck was it so deliciously ... naughty?

"So what's it gonna be?" Carter repeated. "Creampie in my second blonde friend of yours? Or Shannon's second facial? Huh? Huh?"

I turned away, crying again. I couldn't look, but I wanted to look, so I kept stealing glances over at Carter to see what he'd do next. And all the while I jammed three fingers into my cooch, only pulling them out to furiously rub at my clit before jamming them back in again.

I saw Carter smirk at me. As if he was reading my mind, he smiled and nodded his agreement with what I wanted, and he didn't disappoint. After pounding Shannon's cunt a few more times he pulled out and yanked the blonde slut by her legs off the desk and down to her knees on the floor. Obediently, she gaped her mouth open while he held the back of her head in his left hand and jacked his cock with his right. And after a few more seconds, my little brother groaned and started painting her face.

Shannon squealed and stuck out her tongue, blinking rapidly to make sure his nasty jizz didn't get into her eyes. After closing her mouth and swallowing the first couple of shots, she hoisted her big tits with both hands and presented them to Carter as an additional landing spot. And he took full advantage and even squatted a bit to squeeze out the last drops directly onto her skin.

Cumslut Britney went after Shannon, licking it all up and snowballing some of it right back into Shannon's mouth. And moments later, Sam pulled out of Sharon and hosed HER face down as well.

I couldn't help myself. I was completely watching, of course, not turned away and not looking anywhere but at the sexual carnage right in front of me. And with my fingers flying underneath my dress, I clamped my eyes shut and screamed.

"Hey, you okay?" Carter asked soothingly, stroking my arms after everyone had left. It was already 2 AM, most of the party guests had either gone home or were holed up in private rooms, and after that second round of sex everyone was ready to call it a night. Sam had been smooth-talking the blondes and convinced them both to spend the night with him. Ostensibly, Carter was putting me up in a guest room and taking Britney into his bedroom, but once Sam and the S-blondes were gone, Carter dismissed Britney and led me downstairs to his own Master bedroom.

Still feeling the effects of crystal meth, I was shivering and none-too-sure of myself. Carter sat me down in a chair and knelt on the floor, stroking my legs and giving me a strong, reassuring brotherly expression.

"I think things just got a little out of hand," I admitted, breathing shallowly. "The plan was to go to another friend's place for New Year's, but then the couple got into a big fight and actually canceled the party. The girls and I were wondering where else to go and it was Shannon's idea to come check out your house. I never meant to come here again. I never meant to let you all talk me into doing meth. And I certainly never expected you all to have a bisexual five-way right in front of me. Fuck, I didn't know Shannon or Sharon were even into girls."

Carter shrugged like it was no big deal. "Maybe they aren't. It was Britney initiating that stuff. The girls were high on speed and just went along with it."

I blushed and looked away, only too aware of my own bisexual tendencies. Part of my problem hadn't merely been wishing it was ME beneath Sam – or beneath Carter – getting royally pounded. I'd also wished it was my tongue in Sharon's cunt or Britney's tongue in mine. Feeling the guilt, I closed my eyes and grimaced before muttering, "Yeah."

Carter reached up and stroked my hair tenderly. I shivered and tilted my head into his touch. Still stroking, he leaned in and murmured, "You're still wired, aren't you?"

My lip quivering, and my entire body still on fire, I nodded. "Yeah."

"You're still horny, aren't you?"

I knew where he was going with this, knew what suggestion he was leading toward. But Lord help me, I couldn't resist anymore. I was fucking HORNY. And I was quivering. And I felt like I was going to DIE if I didn't get off. Blushing again, I stared at Carter with mixed lust and fear. "Yeah."

"When was the last time you got laid?" he asked quietly, planting both hands on my naked thighs, turning to face me, and holding himself erect on his knees as he stared into my eyes from only inches away.

My lips trembling, I whimpered, "Not since Europe."

Carter's eyebrows went up in surprise, but without hesitation, he reached forward and grabbed my ass with both hands. Tugging firmly, he brought my crotch right up to the edge of the chair and pressed on my chest so that I slouched against the backrest. I was now in the perfect position for him to fuck me.

That knowledge made me throw up my last defense. "Carter, don't," I pleaded. We couldn't have sex. We couldn't. No matter how horny I was, how long it had been, how desperate I felt ... We couldn't.

"Relax. I'm just trying to help," Carter soothed as he peeled back the hem of my dress. Reaching inside, he took hold of my panties and pulled them down my legs. When he raised the flimsy garment to his face and deeply inhaled my scent, I could see that the material was soaked.

"Carter..." I pleaded, my tone asking him to stop. But Lord help me, my thighs spread apart. It had been too long. It had been too long. I was too wired on crystal meth, too drunk on Cosmopolitans, and too horny to stop myself.

"Cameron, I love you, and I don't want to see you in need when I can help. So I'm helping."

And then he took the first lick.

Carter didn't fuck me that night. He could have, but he didn't. Give him a little credit for that at least.

And one other thing: I said he had a silver tongue. I was wrong. Carter's tongue was pure gold.

-- SATURDAY, JANUARY 4, 2003 --

"I really shouldn't," I said with a wince, holding my hand up palm-out.

"C'mon, Cam. Don't be a killjoy," Shannon complained as she snuggled deeper into Sam's arms with a happy smile before looking up at him. Already wired, she seemed to get lost in staring at his face and tentatively reached up with a few fingers just millimeters away from his cheek, as if trying to test out her hand-eye coordination. Then she caressed him, a glow of happiness lighting up her face as she scratched her fingertips over his stubble.

Only four nights after the New Year's Eve party, the S-blondes had talked me into bringing them back for Carter's latest "get-together". Within thirty minutes it was apparent that Shannon was quite infatuated with my little brother's best friend, or at least she was infatuated with the crystal meth/sex/good time she could have here.

"Seriously, Cam. Smoke up! It's a party!" Sharon chimed in as she took her own hit and exhaled the smoke in satisfaction.

"Hey, lay off," Carter urged protectively, reclining on the sofa in the downstairs corner lounge with Miranda tucked underneath one arm. I'd met Miranda a time or two, with Carter explaining that she was his personal assistant and managed his business affairs. But it was clear from their body positions that their relationship was more than just business, and my little brother rubbed the redhead's thigh absentmindedly while staring over at me. "If she doesn't wanna, she doesn't wanna. Nobody wants peer pressure. We're not school kids anymore."

"Well, you are," I stated with a smirk.

It was true. Even though Sam was the same age as Carter, he wasn't in school and we girls were all 22 and over. But true or not, Carter rolled his eyes and sighed. "Really? You had to go there?"

I blushed and shot him an apologetic look, but Carter shook his head and looked away in disappointment, and I immediately felt bad. It was an old issue between us. It wasn't that I didn't still see him as a little kid; I did, even though he was now a fully-grown man. But I knew he resented it, and I loved him enough to know better than to say that to his face.

"Okay fine, I'll take a hit," I said almost wearily, guilt driving me to find a way to make amends. "But just one, alright?"

"Whatever..." Shannon replied dreamily while staring into Sam's eyes, already over it.

"Kewl!" Sharon cheered, handing over the pipe.

I would have thought Carter would react happily, seeing any chance to get me wired on meth as an opportunity to possibly get me into his bedroom again. True, I'd let him go down on me on New Year's, but I hadn't reciprocated and there were no guarantees I'd let him do it again. In fact, I felt more adamant than ever to maintain a platonic distance from him after that slip-up four nights ago. And for me to take any amount of the inhibition-lowering drug could only help his cause in the quest to get as much out of me as he possibly could, right?

But he didn't react happily. If anything, Carter raised his eyebrows with a look of concern on his face. Pursing his lips, my little brother said, "You don't have to, Cam. Don't let the girls pressure you into doing something you don't want to do."

I knew he meant well, but for some reason his words came off as a little condescending, as if -I- were the younger sibling and HE was looking out for ME. But I was a big girl who could handle herself. And shaking my head I hefted the Pyrex pipe in my hands.

And I inhaled.

His name was Sebastian, and he was very handsome. He was lightly-tanned and had strong, expressive eyes. His face was all chiseled cheekbones and prominent forehead. His eyebrows were a tad on the bushy side, not a bad thing, but I loved his thick, dark, wavy hair cropped tight at the neck and sides but full on top.

He was a smooth-talker, confident in his own attractiveness and not intimidated by a girl like me. I didn't feel desperate anymore after Carter had taken the edge off for me four nights ago, but I was buzzing and happy and not averse to a little playtime if Sebastian played his cards right. At the same time, I wasn't going to be an easy lay, unlike some of the drunk bimbo sluts practically falling out of their dresses around me. Tonight, I was a challenge. And I liked a guy who liked a challenge.

Unfortunately, my Perfect Martini ran out midway through our conversation. Smoothly, Sebastian collected my glass off a nearby bistro-height table and flashed me a sparkling smile. "I'll be right back," he promised, and he winked at me as he got up to fetch us refills.

Needing to catch my breath, I walked off the dance floor and dropped onto a couch. I crossed my legs and smoothed my skirt, pretending not to notice the guy with the buzz-cut drooling ten feet away to my right. Running my right hand through my hair, I closed my eyes and breathed, feeling oxygen feed my racing heart as crystal meth tingles raced up and down all my limbs. I felt like dancing, except that I'd already been dancing with Sebastian for a good half-hour and knew I needed the break. Besides, I should probably save up my energy for the bedroom.

That's when Carter dropped onto the couch beside me. "Hey, what's going on?" he asked roughly.

I gawked at him in surprise. "Well 'hello' to you too! Going on? What?"

Carter gestured with his head. "With Sebastian."

I blinked. "What? Nothing. We're just dancing."

"So you're not gonna sleep with him?"

My green eyes hardened. "It's none of your business who I sleep with."

"You just met him."

"I'm aware of that. And I didn't say I would, especially since we just met. I told you: we're just dancing!" I bit out defensively.

"Uh-huh." Biting his lip, Carter sighed and gave me a frank look. "Okay, I get it. You're young, you're single, and I already know you haven't gotten laid in a while. I'm not your stepbrother anymore, and it's not my place to tell you who to be with. But you should be aware that Sebastian's got a reputation as a player. To be honest, most of the guys who come to my parties are players. That's the culture. The guys pay for the drugs and drinks, the girls party and put out - it's the way it is. He's already bagged almost every regular girl who comes here and you're simply the new one to go after. I want you to know that so you don't get hurt."

"You're just jealous."

"Of course I am. I love you, and I'll always be jealous of anyone who gets to have you that isn't me. But I respect you as a woman to make your own decision, alright? Sure, maybe this place is just like any other bar downtown, full of guys paying for girls' drinks hoping to get lucky. No different, no worse. But I had to at least remind you that I love you and I only want what's best for you, alright?"

There was honest sincerity in Carter's voice, so I blinked and thought about that for a moment. I knew he loved me, knew he wanted me, and it had to kill him inside to even think of me being with anyone else. So I appreciated what it must have taken from him to be supportive the way he was right now, and I felt pity for the situation he was in. So taking a deep breath, I let me indignation melt away and be replaced by warmth as I reached out and gave him a hug. "I love you too. You know that, right?"

"Yeah, yeah," Carter muttered, his sigh of regret that I didn't love him 'that way' evident. "You be careful, okay?"

"Of course, little brother."

"Cam," he whined, wincing at the term.

I giggled and shook my head. "Sorry. You know I don't mean that phrase as a bad thing."

"Still. If you tell me one more time that we can't be together because you'll always think of me as your 'little brother', I swear to god I'll shoot myself."

"Okay, okay," I laughed. "I'll take care of myself, Carter."

"Thank you." He leaned over and pecked my cheek. "Have fun tonight."

I nodded, and he patted my leg before getting up and walking away. Now that I was free, Sharon came over to chat, and a minute later we watched Sebastian return with two fresh drinks.

He said something flirty and handed me my glass. I said something flirty back and accepted the glass with a smile. Sharon turned to look at me, popping her eyes wide and mouthing a little too obviously, 'He's hot!'

I giggled and nodded my agreement. Tonight would be a good night.

Tonight had NOT been a good night. Sebastian was Joe Cool, a little too Joe Cool. We partied and flirted and drank and danced, and the whole time he only had eyes for me. But at some point some skanky platinum blonde with silicone tits and too much Botox showed up, and for some dumbass reason Sebastian's head got turned.

Clearly, I was the better catch. Younger, sleeker, natural tits, and less obviously ridden hard and put away wet. I didn't get it. Maybe Sebastian just had a thing for blondes, even if the skank's dark roots were showing underneath her obvious dye-job. Right now the pair of them were giggling and making out in a dark corner, obviously a prelude to leaving for a private bedroom.

Smoldering beneath a dark cloud, I reclined with both elbows against the bar counter and nursed my latest drink. I scanned the room, looking for Shannon or Sharon to see if they'd fared any better than me. I didn't see Sharon anywhere. Perhaps she was simply out of my sight at the moment. Perhaps she was in a bedroom with her legs in the air already. Whatever.

I did spot Shannon, still snuggled up beside Sam on a couch. Well, snuggled up beside Sam again. The pair had left an hour ago and then returned about ten minutes ago. Shannon was flushed pink, out of breath, and missing her panties. Not that I could see under her dress or anything, but it was obvious since Sam was twirling her panties around his index finger.

I was thinking of joining them, just for conversation, when someone slid along the counter beside me and uttered a muted, "Hey. You don't look so happy."

I turned, saw Carter, and returned my gaze forward with a sigh. "Yeah, well the night isn't turning out the way I thought it would," I replied morosely.

He reached out and stroked my arm. "I'm sorry," he said sincerely.

Just then, the skank got up and led Sebastian down the hall, no doubt toward one of the bedrooms. Once the couple disappeared from sight, I made a face and promptly chugged the remainder of my glass, feeling the alcohol burn its way down every inch of my throat.

Carter didn't say anything for about ten seconds, but after that period of silence he slid closer to me and wrapped an arm around my shoulders. "Hey, you gonna be okay?" He then reached up with a finger and flicked away a traitorous drop of moisture that had formed in my eye.

A sudden thought occurred to me, and with a scowl I jerked my head around to stare at my little brother. "Did you have anything to do with that?" I barked in accusation.

"With what?"

"With Sebastian picking Miss Silicone over me!" I gestured with one hand.

Carter blinked in obvious surprise. "What? Look, you told me to butt out so I did. I left you alone, didn't I? I mean, to be perfectly honest, I was a little busy downstairs."

"Busy with 'work' or busy with a girl?"

He blushed sheepishly and shrugged. "Girl."

"Gawd. Everybody is getting laid except ME!" The traitorous tears started up again.

"Hey, hey, it's alright." Carter wrapped his arm around me again and pulled me off the counter. Leading me away from the main living room he held me close and whispered, "It's not your fault. You're the hottest thing alive in this entire house, and if Sebastian didn't see that then it's HIS loss, alright?"

My head was swimming. I had a pretty good alcohol tolerance, but chugging that last glass may have put me over the top. My emotions were a little out of control after a half-dozen hits of crystal meth and getting properly wasted while dancing and flirting. Carter pulled me into an out-of-the-way corner to give me a little privacy while I broke down and started bawling into his chest. He hugged me warmly and stroked my back, and when I started to calm down he made note of the late hour and talked me into going downstairs with him.

"A guest room, Carter. Not like last time when we ended up in your bedroom." Even drunk and wired, I still had enough control over my mental faculties to warn him off.

"I promise, I promise. Guest room it is," Carter reassured me.

Once safely ensconced behind a closed bedroom door with its own private bathroom, I looked back at my little brother. "I'm fine now. You can go."

"Can't go to sleep in your sweaty clothes, though. Gonna take a shower, right?" he said with a bit of a smirk as he held my shoulders and gently turned me around. His hand went to the zipper of my dress and he smoothly dragged it down my spine.

"Carter," I sighed in a slightly warning tone, but I didn't make any moves to stop him.

When the zipper was fully drawn, he took my shoulder straps and pulled them off my arms. I allowed him to tug my dress down to my ankles, and I didn't react when he briefly held my hips and ground his obvious bulge against the back of my panty-clad ass.

"Carter," I sighed again. "I warned you."

"You warned me to bring you to a guest room, not my room. I kept my promise," he replied evenly while reaching up to deftly unhook my bra. The cups fell loose and I quickly raised my hands to trap the bra over my breasts, but he slid his hands around and underneath the satin material so that his bare palms were cupping my globes and caressing them firmly. At the same time, he ducked his head and began to kiss and lick my neck.

The touch of his lips and tongue were like wildfire that spread across my skin, burning its way across my limbs and curling in on my loins. My nerves crackled with meth-laced electricity and my head was still swimming with alcohol. My jaw dropped so I could pant in hormonal ecstasy, and I tilted my head to allow him further access as I sighed with one last-ditch warning, "Carterrr..."

This time he slid his right hand into my panties and quickly hooked a finger, plunging it into my soaking wet pussy before dragging it out over my clit. My knees went wobbly and I nearly buckled. But Carter wrapped his left arm around my waist and held me up while he leaned over my shoulder to kiss my lips.

I moaned the instant his tongue invaded my mouth. Insistence on remaining platonic or not, I was horny from the combination of meth, alcohol, striking out with Sebastian, and not getting laid in a LONG time. I didn't resist as he led me to the bed and knelt on the floor so he could remove my panties. With my conscience yelling "fuck it", I kicked off my own heels and yanked off my bra. But still, once Carter settled between my thighs I raised my head and moaned pleadingly, "You can't fuck me."

"I know, I know," Carter replied with a smile. "I wouldn't dare do that to you. Besides, I already got off tonight, remember? I'm here to help YOU, just like New Year's, alright? Nothing more."

"Nothing more?" I asked, both hope and fear in my voice.

"Nothing more. I promise."

Surrendering myself to my naughty little brother, I dropped my head across the mattress and spread my legs.

And then he took the first lick.