Coterie: A Taboo Story Read online

  Maybe the reason it stings so much now is because I can’t seem to figure out a way to repair the broken tethers between Sonea and myself. Every touch we share, no matter how innocent, feels weighted with hidden meaning. I want back what we used to have, but I can’t deny the thought of touching her with complete abandon and without consideration of the implications sends a bolt of frenzied desire through me.

  As the errant thought flits into my mind, I forcibly swipe it away by attempting to remind myself of all the reasons it can’t happen: she’s my sister, she’s off limits, and if anyone were to discover such an immoral physical union had taken place between us, we’d be severely punished by the law. Glancing up into the mirror again, my heart freezes momentarily in my chest when my eyes meet Sonea’s. The conflicted desperation and heat in her gaze warms my blood. But, my heart stutters back to life when I look over my shoulder and see the locked hands in the center seat and our brother sleeping peacefully next to her.

  It hits me like a ten ton weight in that moment that if he weren’t there, I’d be strongly tempted to pull over and say fuck it to everything holding me back. As it is, I’m left feeling like I’m losing control. The pull between us shouldn’t be this strong or this intense. Her unwavering stare is proving to be my undoing, and for some unknown reason, the sheer lack of intent within it is feeding into my growing hunger.

  After what feels like an age, I slowly pull into our driveway, set the car in neutral, and engage the handbrake. I leave the engine idling for a moment and swivel around in my seat to look at Sonea. Her eyebrows furrow, and an expression of deep thought passes across her features. I’m not entirely sure what she’s seeing on my face right now, but the intense moment is shattered when Sean stirs in his seat and slowly wakes up. Opening his eyes, he blinks blearily and stretches, lifting up Sonea’s hand and arm with his.

  I spin back around and switch off the car.

  “We’re home. Let’s get inside before the cold gets to us.”

  Getting out of the car, I head to the rear and open the trunk. I loop Sean’s backpack over my shoulder and haul out his case, setting it on the ground while I shut the lid with a thunk. The sound of two doors shutting in perfect unison makes me smile as I’m reminded of the way the twins fall into near perfect sync when they’re around each other. It’s not always exact, with one occasionally a second behind the other, but it’s so close that unless you pay careful attention or have lived with them, like I have, you would never notice. It’s not intentional, just a strange occurrence between the two of them.

  They head up the pathway to the house just ahead of me, and I notice that Sonea is lagging a little behind. Hurrying to catch up, I fall into step with her, and we walk the last few feet to the house together. She moves aside and lets me into the house first, so I can set Sean’s bags down while she follows me in and shuts the door behind us. I can already hear the sound of the coffee maker humming from the kitchen and I smile. Sean’s home, I laugh silently to myself.

  Sonea disappears into the kitchen in search of her brother, and I stare after her for a moment trying to straighten out the chaos building inside my head. Five months this has festered, and I’ve been frantically denying the truth about the onslaught of desire that’s been growing ever since. Sonea awoke something that day in my bathroom, and not just within herself. Blood shouldn’t want blood, but instead of killing the desire it’s feeding it.

  Hopefully, Sean’s presence will provide the shield of control I’m scrambling to hold onto, but I’m not sure I can outlast the siege warring on my mind. Gritting my teeth, I leave the bag and suitcase at the bottom of the stairs for later and head through the house to seek out the rest of my family. Maybe seeing them together will help reinforce the wrongness of this whole fucked up situation.

  Laughter seeps out through the open kitchen door, and I walk in to see the two of them talking and joking like the past five months of separation haven’t happened. Seeing Sonea so vibrant and happy with Sean sets my heart alight, and like the moment we shared earlier before we went to collect Sean, it serves to reinforce the fact things aren’t the same between us. Fierce longing to reclaim the easy relationship we used to share burgeons in my chest, and the spark of jealousy I’ve always harbored flares up painfully.

  Taking a deep breath, I urge my body to relax. I can’t let either of them see me losing control or view me as anything other than their older brother, the responsible and controlled one who always put them first. I squash the treacherous thoughts whispering to me about how I need to put myself first sometimes. No, my little brother and sister must always come first.

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  Sonea

  Aston’s acting strangely, but Sean doesn’t seem to have noticed anything’s amiss. I would’ve thought of the two of us it would be me failing to keep my thoughts and feelings obscured. I’m worried because it looks like Aston’s carefully maintained control is slipping, and I’m not entirely sure what he’s thinking right now. His eyes have hardly strayed from me since we left the airport, and I sense that something in him is about to be unleashed.

  I inch closer to Sean, not just for the comforting aura his calm presence offers me, but also to put a little distance between me and Aston. I want what we should never share, and I want it so badly I’m afraid of what might happen if I surrender to it. I don’t think he’d do anything with Sean around, which provides me with a small amount of solace. I don’t know what to do. I’m so confused by all of this, and up until now, I believed Aston would continue to reject me. Something has shifted in him, exacerbated by Sean’s arrival, and now I’m left uncertain as to what’s going on with him.

  The rest of the day passes with an almost palpable tension hanging over us that I’m sure doesn’t go unnoticed by Sean. I’ll have to talk to him later, and even though Aston was adamant about keeping it from our brother and I agreed, this is eating me up. How could I have believed I’d be able keep anything from my twin, especially a secret as insane as this one?

  Sean excuses himself early, and I let him go without even attempting to stop him. He’s just traveled over a thousand miles in the span of a day, and he’s exhausted. He doesn’t need me laying a weight like this on him his first day home. Maybe I can wait it out a day or two and give myself time to think and find clarity. I could potentially discuss it properly with Aston, but I’m not sure how to approach him with the way things are between us right now.

  I curl up on the couch, watching the rerun of an old sitcom on the TV when Aston takes a seat next to me. The air in the room charges the longer we sit there silently, and when I feel like I’m about to scream I get to my feet.

  “Be back in a minute,” I tell him with a smile, and he nods but doesn’t speak.

  I dart from the living room and into the small bathroom on the first floor. I take my time, trying to catch my breath and calm my racing heart. Splashing water on my face, I let the cool liquid sap the heat from my flushed cheeks and refresh me so I can go back out there. When I finally feel ready, I open the door and damn near jump out of my skin when I see a shadowed figure waiting on the other side...for me.

  The shadow steps forward, and I see it’s Aston as he quickly muffles my noise of surprise with his hand. “Shhh, you don’t want to wake up Sean and bring him running down to see what the commotion is.”

  I’m breathing fast, waiting for him to release my mouth or explain what the hell he’s doing right now. Quite frankly, he’s scaring the hell out of me. The lack of lighting in the hallway has cast eerie shadows over everything, and even in the poor light, his obscured expression is hungry. I’m not sure what he’s thinking or planning, and some sick part of me wants to find out, but the part that doesn’t want my twin to be hurt by this makes me struggle in his grip.

  “I’ve tried so hard to be a good brother, Sonea. All I’ve ever wanted is to protect you, keep you safe, love you, but somewhere along the line, it’s all gone wrong. That brotherly love has morphed into something much
more base and carnal. Why can’t I keep my eyes off you?”

  His voice is pained, and my heart twists and my body heats at the words leaving his mouth. Here in the darkness where we can barely see each other, it’s harder to recognize what’s really holding us back. Aston’s other hand crosses the darkness to settle on my hip and the warmth from it seems to melt through my clothes to my bare skin beneath. A surprised gasp leaves my lips, vibrating against the hand still covering my mouth, and he flexes his fingers in response before squeezing the flesh of my hip, eliciting yet another gasp from me.

  Sure fingers dip beneath the waistband of my leggings, teasing the sensitive skin before delving lower without hesitation. My heart’s thumping like a jackhammer inside my chest, threatening to break out with the speed and force of its beat. Aston moves closer, narrowing the gap between our bodies until there’s barely anything between us. A moan works its way up my throat when he brushes my clit with the pad of his forefinger, stroking the tiny nub with tantalizingly light strokes.

  “I think you like that,” he whispers, circling it with his fingertip.

  My breaths are hot against the palm of his hand, and though my hands are free and hanging loosely by my sides, I’m too stunned to move or do anything other than fall victim to the zinging sensations he’s creating.

  The teasing is driving me mad, his touch still feather light on my body. Frustration sends my hips rolling toward him, chasing more, but it makes him stop. I fail to hold back the whine at his cruel maneuver, and finally unfrozen, I reach out to grasp his wrist to encourage him to continue; only instead, he removes his hand completely.

  I stare up at him, squinting to decipher what he’s thinking, to read his expression. He lets go of my mouth, and sliding both hands under my thighs, he lifts my body to straddle his waist. I let out a small sound of surprise that he quickly smothers with his lips, and without further ado, he carries me up the stairs, bypassing his bedroom and opening the door to mine. Setting me down, he flicks on the light and the look in his eyes causes my heart to skitter. Instinctually I step away, increasing the space between us until the backs of my knees hit the bed, and I slip into a seated position. Aston tracks my movements with his eyes before trailing after me. His gait is slow, purposeful...predatory as he draws closer.

  At this moment, I feel less like the pesky younger sister he’s always had to take care of and more like a woman he looks set on devouring whole, and I find myself trembling with anticipation, waiting for him to capture and claim what I’m freely offering to him. I’m still fully clothed, but I feel naked beneath his gaze. As he moves nearer to me, Aston’s eyes never leave mine, and with each step, he sheds a piece of his clothing until he’s almost completely naked in front of me. The material of his boxers is stretched taut from the stiffness of his erection tenting the fabric, and my mouth waters at the sight of his naked skin and clear desire.

  My sharp intake of breath makes my chest heave, and he lowers his head slightly to watch as my breasts rise and fall with each rapid breath continuing to escape me. Before he reaches me, he stops, and a smirk lifts his full lips and his hazel eyes darken until the brown encompasses the small amount of green in them. I’m practically salivating at the sight of him so exposed to me. A few days ago, I’d never have imagined we could move beyond the anger and frustration of what we were both fighting against, and now he’s standing in my room like this. I know I’m not going to get out of here unscathed, and all my senses are tingling with anticipation while I wait for his next move.

  “Strip, I want to see you, Sonea…all of you,” he orders, and the husky command has me swiftly rushing to obey.

  My fingers grip the hem of my shirt, and lifting it over my head, I discard it on the floor before I lower my leggings and pull them off over my feet. Rising again, I stare defiantly at Aston. Like him, I’m now wearing nothing but my underwear. A groan of satisfaction rumbles in his chest, and he runs a hand through his hair, almost tearing at the strands before he strides across the room, and shoving me back on the bed, he crawls between my thighs. The friction of his hard cock against my sensitized clit through the material of my panties makes me squirm, and I whimper.

  Aston pauses, and his expression is so tortured it stabs my heart.

  “We shouldn’t be doing this, but damn I don’t think I can stop. Tell me you want me to stop, Sonea,” he begs.

  My throat clogs with emotion, yet somehow I manage to choke out a response. “I’m sorry I can’t. I don’t want you to stop. Please don’t make me lie to you, Aston.”

  At my words, he lowers his head and catches my lips in a kiss. His hands grip me in a touch so searing I feel it burn through my flesh to my bones. Sliding one hand up my body to cup my breast, he pinches my nipple through the fabric of my bra before pulling the cup down to expose it. He quickly covers the rosy bud with his mouth while his other hand yanks my panties down my thighs, and I scrabble to remove his boxers. His mouth is everywhere, his tongue driving me to distraction as I lift each of my legs in turn to help him divest me of my underwear.

  “Last chance to stop me,” he offers, and his hot breath on the damp skin of my nipple makes me shiver.

  My silence gives him my answer, and when he slides his large cock into my pussy, I gasp at the fullness as he stretches me wide to accommodate him. I’m not a virgin, but he’s just claimed what I know now should have always been his. He’s always been in my blood, and as he sinks his cock deeply into my body, I know I’ll never be able to remove his brand from within me.

  CHAPTER NINE

  Sean

  The soft sounds of feminine moans filter through the walls, waking me up. When masculine grunts punctuate the air in response, I frown in confusion because the only other people in the house are my family, or at least, that’s what I thought. They never mentioned anyone else, and unless someone arrived after I went to bed, something strange is going on.

  Grabbing my phone from the nightstand and seeing it charged, I tug the cable from the socket and use the screen light to guide me, not wanting to alert anyone to my presence. I get out of bed onto the soft carpet that molds beneath my bare feet, muffling my steps as I edge out of the room.

  I can see a light on in Sonea’s bedroom, seeping out into the hallway through the door that I notice is slightly ajar. I’m already beginning to doubt my reason for sneaking down here to see what she’s doing, but curiosity drives me onward. Still using my phone to light my way so I’m able to mind where I step and avoid the two creaky floorboards, I move toward her door. Peering through the crack, I spot her bed and the two naked figures moving on top of it. I can only watch in disbelief as the powerful body of a man with his back to me drives into her body.

  Something unexpected comes over me, and with shaking fingers, I hurriedly press a few buttons on my phone and hit record. After checking the angle of the screen, I lift my eyes to watch the scene unfolding in front of me, and shame fills me when my dick thickens in response to the sight. I close my eyes in pain, and open them again before sliding my free hand down the front of my boxers to rub my dick in time to the movements of the man fucking my sister to within an inch of her life.

  I don’t know how long I stand there completely enraptured by what I’m seeing. Eventually, Sonea lets out a high keening sound that morphs into a long pleasure filled moan, and the man between her thighs lets out one last grunt and stills just as I find my own release, coating my hand and my underwear. As he lowers his head to kiss her he turns slightly, and I nearly drop my phone in shock when I see my brother kissing Sonea fully and deeply on the lips, tangling his hand in her hair at the same time.

  I stop recording and dart silently back to my room, my breath coming in ragged gasps, and my mind rebelling while simultaneously replaying every moment. Glancing down at the phone still clutched in my hand, I see the word ‘saved’ flash across the screen.

  CHAPTER TEN

  Sonea

  Waking up, I feel a heavy, warm arm draped across my waist
and a large body cocooning me. I twist slightly to see Aston sleeping behind me and smile at his peaceful face. Gone are the lines of worry that occasionally pull his eyebrows together and the almost perpetual frown that mars his features when he’s stressed. He’s done so much for me and Sean, and last night he took care of me in a way I’d never expected to be cared for by him.

  Stretching as best I can without waking him, I groan at the ache of my straining muscles and the dull burn between my legs. Aston surprised me last night; his power and the way he moved his body with mine to create something that felt almost otherworldly was overwhelming. I was completely swept up in him.

  As much as I want to continue to lie here in the shelter of his arms, I know we can’t do that. Sean will no doubt be waking up soon, and he can’t catch us like this. We took a risk as it was, and thankfully didn’t disturb my sleeping twin in the process. Aston should’ve gone back to his room last night, but exhaustion and the hazy bliss of sex whisked us both away before he could.

  Rolling over to face Aston, I trace the line of his jaw with my fingertips and brush my lips over his. As he stirs, he lets out a sleepy groan and tugs me closer to him, slipping his leg between mine so I’m straddling his thigh. A blush heats my cheeks when I feel his morning wood digging into my hip, and when I try to wiggle away, he grinds against me.

  “Unless you want to take care of that or be fucked and possibly wake up Sean, I suggest you stop moving about like that,” he mumbles, his voice husky and thick with sleep.

  Feeling bold, I kiss his lips and slide lower beneath the bedcovers until my face is level with his cock that’s standing proudly. Kissing the head softly, I trail my tongue over the ridges, down to the base and back up.