Brotherhood ~ Chapter 8

Good things come to those who wait, I knew this to be Truth without a doubt and so I had waited, biding my time.  At least where Sierra was concerned.

Aidan had given us his blessing, so now she and I were free to get it on at will.  However, being the officer and a gentleman that I was supposed to be, still I continued to bide my time.  Hence the woman’s escalating bewilderment.  She had fully expected me to be mauling her on the spot, this much I had been able to discern.

Did I maul her, however?

Of course not – I hadn’t so much as pawed her.

And had yet to do so, Truth be known – even though it had been more than a week since Aidan returned to Sierra her own free will.

We started off once again on our journey, we three, but on a heading of my choice this time.  A plan long in the making to break into the old DoD database was finally coming to fruition.  Somewhere along the way, though, I fully intended to consummate my relationship with Sierra before things got too complicated.

As if they weren’t complicated enough, already.  I was being pressured by all sides and from a multitude of angles, no less.  Not the least of which was the Blackguard, who were demanding that I hand over the woman – and pronto.  A web of excuses I had woven for Antonio Giuseppe Abruzzi, leader of the Blackguard, but now his patience had grown more than a tad bit thin.  However, he understood the need to stroke my brother, at least by a certain degree, if we were to come out ahead.  That sacrifices need be made was understood by all concerned.

However, the time for decisive action was coming, and more than just a few toes were going to get stepped on in the process.  Did I say stepped on?  Hammered was more like it.

All things in due time, Commander – all things in due time, I sternly reminded myself.  Instead I now changed lanes to consider Sierra, and when and how I would engage the sultry creature.

Right time, right place, right mood.

And the right place was now looming just around the next bend and at the right time of day as well.  The sun was on its downward journey and so would serve as the perfect backdrop.

The course I had chosen was one which led us towards a seasonal river.  It was out of our way, much to the consternation of Aidan.  To say that I had ulterior motives would have been a one hundred and ten percent correct assessment.  After all, proper setting and atmosphere was ninety-nine percent of any successful coupling and I had always been a master of this craft.  A little rusty I was in this Post-Time world, creating the perfect seduction, but I when I saw the look on Sierra’s face as soon as the sound of the waterfall reached her ears?  Like those old Pre-Time commercials would espouse – priceless.  The poor creature nearly burst with excitement.

Had I paid attention to her endless ramblings these past months?  I sure had.  Did I remember everything she had told me?  You bet – and the fact that she loved waterfalls was one thing I knew I could use to my advantage.

Of course, it had been a long shot at best that there would actually be water flowing.  However, I had taken note of storm cells which had predominated during the past week in the vicinity of this known seasonal river and its water fall.  Taking the gamble, I coerced my brother into a little detour.

It was a wonder that the man had not throttled me where I stood.  Which, in turn, caused me to wonder just why he had been so set against this heading?

Time would tell, but not just then.  Besides, I had more pleasant things on my mind.  If I played my cards right, then it would soon be, well – playtime.

The look on Sierra’s face had made all my efforts worthwhile.  Off she bolted towards the sound of cascading water with Aidan and I jogging along behind, bringing up the rear.

You got lucky, Aidan sharply signed to me but I just ignored him.  My brother was the last thing I wanted to think about when I would soon be deliciously slipping into what he still considered to be his property.

“Aidan, let’s stop here!” Sierra pleaded, letting her pack drop from her shoulders.  Apparently the decision was made for Aidan – the woman wasn’t going to wait for his verbal affirmation.  “This is breath taking!” the creature practically squealed with delight.  So without further hesitation, or even bothering to wait for permission, the woman now made a beeline straight for the inviting pool of water into which the waterfall gently spilled.  Sierra only stopped long enough to loosen her boot laces and then kicking off her boots she hurriedly stripped away her socks.

Yes indeed, Chiquita – you will be stripping off more than just your boots and socks, and in short order, I inwardly chuckled to myself as I stood there rocking on my heels.  Folding my arms across my chest, I openly smiled as I watched Sierra dive into the water.

Aren’t you going to take credit? Aidan signed to me but I just shrugged my shoulders in return.  I didn’t care – the end results would be what mattered.  If I needed to use that as a tool in plying the woman so she’d grant me entrance, then I would.  Else wise I was not about to boast that I did this all for her – since that wasn’t wholly the Truth.  I had done it for us both.

“Well, it looks like the lady has spoken!” I laughed, slapping my brother on the back.

Keep it up, Aidan subtly signed to me in warning.  Daring to anger him, I just winked in return.

Now, get the fuck out of here, I was quick to sign in return.  Go kill something, was my curt suggestion, besides me, that is, I decided to add, and quickly.

Just in case.

“Hey guys!” Sierra now called as she swam towards the shore.  “C’mon!  The water feels like heaven!” she tempted, splashing with her hands.  She then turned over to float on her back, kicking her feet while she enjoyed herself to no end.

Tell her you need to go hunting, I signed to Aidan in command, and when he hesitated I signed more tersely, Now!

“It will be getting dark soon” Aidan called out to her.  “I should hunt before the light fades” he explained, which, to my agitation, seemed to disappoint Sierra.  The woman now swam over to the shore, dragging herself out of the water.  This forced me to hold myself in restraint, my breath catching in my throat – the woman would have won any wet t-shirt contest in Pre-Time – hands down.

What did I just command of you? I subtly signed to Aidan who now took his leave.  Choosing a spot where we would set up camp, he then dropped his pack.

“Ok” Sierra reluctantly accepted as she now wrapped her arms tightly about her body.  Suddenly she had become rather self-conscious of her appearance.  Wet, dry, dripping in sweat, covered with dust it would not matter to me – this female was a gorgeous thing to behold.  “Come back soon so you can take a dip” she added but did not come any closer, notably.  After all, Sierra was no dummy and I knew it was impossible for me to keep expectation from shining through my eyes.

I would have her this day – of this I had no doubts whatsoever.  It was just a matter of how I would take her – and given my immense need and waning patience?

Hard call there.

Taking a deep breath, I let my own pack slip off my shoulders and then joined Aidan.

Make it a long hunt, I signed as I came along side him.  Taking bow in hand the man leveled me one deadly look and then without a single word he was off.

Not even one look back over his shoulder, was my observation.  This meant that the man was pissed off and to the extreme.  We were never very good at sharing, even as kids, I glumly considered, but when we had finally shared?

It had been something that should never have been shared at all.

And thus history was now doomed to repeat.

“Collin,” Sierra called out to me and so I was quick to turn around.  The woman had not budged an inch, however.  “Maybe you should join Aidan on his hunt?  It would exercise different muscles; it might work out some of that remaining stiffness” was her feeble suggestion and suddenly I felt like a cad, and for no good reason.  She had a damned decent hunch, though, what was about to go down here.

A master of words and touch I was, and so would be required to soothe her, allaying her fears.

Yeah, but who is going to allay your fears, Commander? I wondered in distress.

Saying nothing in response, I just sat down and looked at her.  I certainly did not want her to view me as a threat and so having waited months I could afford to wait a few minutes longer.

Slowly unlacing my boots, I paid her no heed for present, instead just taking my time.  Once finished removing my boots and socks, I now stood up to unbutton my shirt, which I did not immediately strip off.  It was a warm and humid afternoon and a dip in the water was inviting as hell, but not nearly as inviting as the woman standing there by the riverbank.  However, the poor creature had the appearance of a doe ready to break and so I would do nothing to spook her.

And my getting naked would probably do just that.

Taking a few deep, controlled breaths, I decided that it was now or never.

Strolling over to her as nonchalantly as possible, it was a tossup as to whether or not I would be able to conceal my own nervousness.  For nervous I most certainly was.  This first encounter would set the stage for the relationship which would follow.  After all, having intercourse was going to change how we felt about one another like as not.

“While the cat’s away the mice should take opportunity to play, eh?” I posed with a grin as I came upon her, dismayed to notice that she was still rooted to the ground where she stood.  “How much longer are you going to stand there in those wet clothes, my dear?” I prompted because warm and humid or no, that was not exactly comfortable, I knew.

“Dunno” she returned, biting her lip as if in indecision.

“Would you like for me to make myself scarce while you change?” I offered, forcing the gentleman in me to show through but she did not answer.  What type of a cue was that?  The type I was supposed to pick up on and post haste.  “Are you afraid of me?” was my inquiry as I raised a hand to press my palm to her cheek.

“No, not really” she finally spoke but did not sound wholly convincing.  “You just come on a little strong sometimes is all” was her take and she was right.  There was nothing low keyed or laid back about me.  I was the exact opposite of my brother in most everything, and no less when it came to making love.  I knew that for a fact, although the memory of how I should come by such knowledge drove a dagger straight into the depths of my heart.  Good going, O’Reilly – you just had to go and think about Mira, didn’t you? I chastised myself in harsh reproach.

Oh, well – just get over it.  I’d been telling myself that for years on end but it hadn’t done me one damned bit of good.  The pain was as fresh now as it had been all those decades ago.

“Only sometimes?” I now questioned with a straight face in regards to my coming on strong.  To this Sierra laughed, and openly, no less, much to my utter relief – she had finally broken the tension between us

“Ok – always” she corrected and so then abruptly I took the risk and bent over to kiss the woman.  At first she appeared undecided but then allowed herself to get drawn in more deeply.  Once the kiss had reached its conclusion, Sierra then looked up at me in curiosity.

“You’re… shaking, Collin” she stated in a low voice, being absolutely correct.  The reason was twofold, I supposed.  First I was afraid I would be unable to stop myself from taking her if she asked me to stand down.  Second, the woman tugged so at my heart it quite frankly terrified me.  Granted, the chemistry between us was undeniable, but the way I felt in this regard had nothing to do with pleasures of the flesh.

And I had been worried about her being scared of me?

What a turnabout!

“Yeah, well – sorry about that” I apologized.  “Perhaps if my hands had something to occupy them?” I suggested with a shrug.

And happy I would be to disrobe her – but she would have to give me permission, however, to partake of that pleasure.

With a single shy nod from Sierra, I then had the permission I sought but suddenly I felt a great need to be the officer and a gentleman that my brother was of the mind I had never been.

And he was right, I was forced to admit.  A nice guy I never really had been.

“C’mon” I said as I took her by the hand.  Leading her over to where she had dropped her pack, I snatched it up and then walked over to where the other packs were.

Releasing her, I dropped her pack and then delved inside, rummaging around for a towel.

“Here, c’mon – let’s get you dry” I said, holding up the towel in offering, and to screen her from my sight.  What the hell are you doing, Commander? I incredulously questioned of myself, unable to believe that I was going to take the higher ground and actually be a gentleman.  However, Sierra grasped the towel to then gently pull on it.

“What are you doing?” the woman asked, now thoroughly confused.  Her other hand she laid on my own and now I lowered the towel.

“Trying to be a nice guy for a change?” I suggested with an awkward grin.  “Even though I must confess, that is the furthest thing from my mind right now.”

“Mine too” Sierra surprisingly admitted.  “Why don’t you just help me get out of these clothes and then see where it goes?” she pressed, taking the towel from me to then toss it aside.  Nodding in acceptance, I drew in a shaky breath.

And so it was with hands none too steady that I started to undress her.  The woman wound up having to assist me since, much to my embarrassment, since I was a case and a half by that point.  Especially after unbuttoning her shirt so I could spy within her full breasts.  And now I had the disjointed thought that Aidan had better not be watching from a distance this encounter, otherwise I’d never hear the end of it.  He would have a field day witnessing his professed Don Juan brother fumbling about like a virgin teenage boy.

“Do you have any idea how beautiful you are?” I asked as I knelt before her to then unbutton her khaki shorts, swallowing hard as her belly was slowly revealed to me.  Stopping at the last button, I could not bring myself to continue.

“Collin?” Sierra prompted and in return I let out a long, low breath.  Looking down, I now closed my eyes.

“If I continue, my dear, then there will be no turning back” I informed her, glancing up to see if she understood.  “Can you accept this?” I asked of her and in return, another nod.  “Verbal confirmation, if you would?” was my formal request, which came out sounding like a command.  A fleeting look of concern lighted in her eyes but then was gone – too brief for me to discern the impetus.

“Yes, Collin” the woman accepted and that was it – restraint in any and all measure now abandoned me.

Then again, restraint had never been one of my strong suits, either.