The Step Brother

12. You Must Be The Step Brother.

Willow

That Saturday morning, she awakes slowly, peacefully and well rested— a rare occurrence. Jace's arms are wrapped around her, her back against his chest, his chin rests on top of her head. In those first moments of waking up, rules, reality, and logic have no place. She just relishes in it all; the sounds of his gentle snores, the safety she feels in him holding her, the warmth of his skin on hers. It's one of the first times in her life she's not rushing to get out of bed and get the day going. She could probably fall asleep again if they weren't going to help Mrs. Meza pack her things in two hours.

After Jace agreed that no one would find out about them, he kissed her again. She kissed him back and it began getting heated again, building to something more, until she stopped him.

"I've never..." She blushed, unable to meet his gaze. "This is my first kiss."

His face got soft once she said this as if the realization and significance of that fact hit him. He moved off of her then and laid on his side, his hand went to sweep the hair out of her face. "We can go slow."

When he said it, her heart swelled. She thanked him and they went on to spend the rest of the evening cuddled in her bed. They talked late into the night, speaking in hushed tones and listening for their parents to lock up the house and go to bed. Eventually they decided to watch Netflix on her phone and at some point they both must've fallen asleep.

"Good morning." His voice is sleepy and when she looks up at him, his eyes are still closed.

"Good morning," She whispers, the words feeling strange in her mouth given this context. The way they sound so ordinary for such an unordinary situation.

She feels one of his hands slide up her arm, the strap of her nightgown having fallen. His lips make contact with the skin between her neck and her shoulder. It's like a caffeine shot because it instantly wakes her up, returning her to a world in which this is a very taboo thing, something she'll be taking to the grave. Her body responds immediately to the kisses that he trails up her neck until he's right at her ear. Her nipples are hard against the fabric of her night gown and she worries he may be able to feel them too. The only thing that makes sense here is the way their teenage bodies react to each other.

His hands easily turn her around in the bed so she faces him, keeping her close in his arms. She takes in the sight of him; his messy dark hair, the tired circles under his eyes, the muscular build of his chest since he had taken off his shirt at some point in the night.

She sees him leaning in to her and she knows what he's about to do, only she covers her mouth self consciously. "I have morning breath."

He lets out a small chuckle. "You think I care about that?"

He's leaning in again and before she can stop him, his mouth presses very gently against hers. It's a sweet, tender kiss that makes her heart want to jump out of her chest. There's so many things she's feeling right now that she doesn't entirely understand, which that fact in and of itself is a big deal because she usually has a pretty good grasp and understanding of how the world works. So all of this feels like unfamiliar territory.

She finds herself getting lost in the way his mouth feels in spite of her insecurity of morning breath. Her hands move to lift the comforter over their heads like a safety blanket, something that can shield them and protect them from the rest of the world. Whatever happens under this blanket is for them to share.

He moves on top of her as the kiss becomes something more. She likes the feel of having her body pinned beneath his, her legs parting to allow him closer, her thighs straddling his hips. She feels it then, at least she thinks she feels it. Jace's morning wood, if that's what it is. She hasn't exactly been in a position to feel a man's erection so she could be wrong. But she doesn't think she is because it's pressed against her groin and it's hard, so hard it almost hurts. The fabric of his pajama bottoms and her underwear don't offer enough padding to leave anything up to imagination. They're both teenagers at the end of the day and she's shocked at the effect he's having on her this fast.