20. Silas
CHAPTER 20
SILAS
I ’m on the back patio, standing in front of the grill as I keep an eye on the burgers and dogs. Caleb and Gavin are already seated at the table, drinking beers—no surprise there.
Taylor and Lionel come around the side of the house and into the backyard. “Hey, little brother.”
“Hey!” I step away from the grill to give her a quick hug, and Lionel shakes my hand. “It’s good to see you,” I say. “Happy Fourth of July.”
She smiles. “Happy Fourth.”
“How have you two been?” I ask.
“Work has been extremely busy,” Lionel says.
“As usual,” Taylor adds. I know his work schedule is a source of contention between them. But as a financial investor he has a lot of responsibilities. Handling other people’s money is something I’d never want to do. And I wouldn’t want someone else handling mine either. Even though Lionel has done his best to get me to sign on with him.
Using my prize money, I put aside a sizable nest egg in case it’s needed down the road. For now, the gym is doing well, but that doesn’t mean it always will be. I’ve learned you can’t always be prepared for what life throws at you, but you can sure as hell try.
“Hey, fellas,” Lionel says, addressing my friends as he sits down.
“How’s it going?” Gavin asks.
“S’up.” Caleb nods.
“Hi, you two.” Taylor beams at them before she sits at the table.
“Hey, Tay,” Caleb says with a smirk.
“How’s it going, sis?” Gavin asks.
Their reception toward her is much warmer than the one they gave my brother-in-law. Especially Caleb’s. But I think he has a crush on her. Even though he denies it.
“How’s your training going?” she asks, glancing between them.
“Your brother is kicking our asses,” Gavin says.
Caleb shrugs. “It’s what we signed up for. I wouldn’t have it any other way.”
Dove rises from her bed, whining and wagging her tail.
“What’s wrong, girl?” Taylor asks.
“Gwen must be here,” Caleb says.
“Is she your girlfriend?” she asks.
He laughs. “Nope, she’s your brother’s.”
I don’t bother to deny it. What’s the point? I’ve given up on fighting my feelings for her. We haven’t had the labeling of what we are discussion yet, so I don’t know if it matters to her or not. But as far as I’m concerned, she’s my girlfriend.
“Silas, why is this the first time I’m hearing about this?”
I toss her a quick glance over my shoulder. “Because you and I haven’t done more than share an occasional text for the past few weeks.”
“What’s she like?” she asks the guys.
“Too nice for your grumpy brother,” Gavin answers.
Gwen rounds the side of the house at that exact moment.
“Hey there. Happy Fourth of July.” I stretch a hand out and she takes hold, allowing me to draw her into my arms. Leaning forward, I press a soft kiss to her lips. “I missed you today.” After breakfast, she went home to see her family and do some laundry.
She smiles up at me. “I missed you too. And happy Fourth. We celebrated this morning.” She keeps her voice soft and smiles mischievously.
“I’m sure we can set off some more fireworks.” I wink.
Caleb clears his throat. “What about us? Did you miss us?”
Gwen’s head snaps toward them and she laughs. “I haven’t had a chance to miss you two.”
“I want to introduce you to my sister, Taylor.”
Gwen’s eyes shift in her direction and her smile fades. “Dr. Gillis?”
Taylor smiles. “Hi, Gwen.”
“You know each other?” I ask.
“I had a couple of visits with your sister to help me with my panic attacks.”
“Ironically, she’s the therapist I told you about that helped me with mine,” I explain.
“How neat. Another thing we have in common.” Her stiff tone gives the impression she thinks exactly the opposite.
“Gwen.” Taylor waves her over, offering a comforting smile. “This is my husband, Lionel.”
“It’s nice to meet you,” she says.
He pops out of his chair and flashes a rakish smile. Taking hold of her proffered hand, he presses a kiss to the back of it. “The pleasure is all mine.”
Caleb mumbles something that sounds suspiciously like the word douchebag.
I glance at Taylor to gauge her reaction but she’s wearing her therapist expression, which hides all emotion.
Gwen tugs her hand free and returns to my side as I remove the burgers and dogs from the sizzling hot grates and add them to a platter.
“Sorry about that,” I say in a low voice.
“No worries. I’m a little horrified that your sister is my therapist but I’ll deal. As it stands, I didn’t book another appointment with her because I’ve been doing so well.”
“If you ever need to, I’m sure she’d recommend someone else you could see.”
She picks up the full platter. “Should I put this on the table?”
“Yes, please.” I take care of shutting down the grill and collecting the spatulas and meat packaging. Stepping inside the house, I discard the trash and set the spatulas in the sink. I’m washing my hands when Taylor joins me.
“What do you need help with?” she asks.
“Say what you came in here to say and get it over with so we can go eat.”
“I just want to make sure you realize Gwen has been through a lot.”
“I’m aware. She’s been taking self-defense lessons from me.”
“As a therapist, I’d advise her against entering a relationship so soon after experiencing something so traumatic.”
“It’s too late for that. We’re in it now and I’m crazy about her.”
“Does she feel the same about you?”
“I think she does. It’s all still new. We’ve been dancing around each other for the past month and I finally stopped being a dumbass and stopped fighting my feelings.”
She shakes her head. “I wish you hadn’t.”
“What?” My expression shows my disbelief. “Why would you say that?” Is she trying to make me doubt Gwen? Make me question her feelings for me? “Gwen is the bravest and strongest person I know. There isn’t a single thing I’d change about her.”
She nods. “I agree, she’s both of those things.”
“Then why are you trying to make me think our relationship is a mistake?”
“I’m not worried about you, I’m worried about that sweet young woman.” She points toward the patio.
Stepping forward, I hug my sister. “I’m sorry. I misunderstood your intentions. I thought you were saying she’s not good enough for me. Not questioning if I was good enough for her.”
“If how quickly you jumped to her defense is any indication, I’m guessing she’s important to you and you’ll do right by her.”
“Of course. I appreciate that you’re looking out for her, but it’s not necessary. I’m falling in love with her.”
Taylor’s eyes well up with tears.
“Why are you crying?” I throw my arms up.
“I’m happy for you. You’ve been closed off for so long, and now you’re finally letting someone in.”
I shrug. “It was bound to happen eventually.”
Her smile is sheepish. “I don’t like to take credit for things?—”
“No, not much,” I cut her off.
“I’m the reason the two of you met. I encouraged her to find a gym to take self-defense at.”
“I hate to burst your bubble of self-importance, but the first time we met, I saved her from getting mugged.”
Her jaw falls open. “That was you?”
“So you heard about my acts of bravery?” I smirk.
“I did, but I didn’t realize my baby brother was her hero.”
“Well, I am. And I plan to always be her hero. Now, can we get back to the patio before Gavin and Caleb eat all the food?”
When we step back outside, everyone but Gwen is eating dinner.
“We were going to wait but it was gonna get cold,” Gavin says.
“Gwen waited,” I point out.
Caleb shrugs. “She’s nicer than we are.”
“I didn’t want to be rude and eat without you,” Gwen jumps in.
“That was sweet of you,” Taylor says. “Too bad my husband forgot his manners.” She glances at Lionel.
“I got tired of waiting, darling,” he says.
Taylor, Gwen, and I fill our plates and join them at the table.
“Gwen, Silas told me you’re taking self-defense from him. Are you enjoying it?” Taylor asks.
“Some days are better than others but I’m enjoying myself. Despite Silas trying to kill me.”
I laugh. “No pain, no gain. Someday you’ll thank me.”
“I’m sure I will. It just might not be anytime soon,” she says, laughing.
“What’s your least favorite part of your training?” Gavin asks.
Gwen answers immediately, “Medicine ball slams.”
Caleb laughs. “You better get used to them. Silas loves to torture us all with those.”
“Hey, I do them too. I’m not asking anyone to do anything I don’t do all the time,” I say.
“You must be going back to school in another month.” Taylor addresses Gwen.
“Actually, I’m not going back there. I’m looking for a fresh start, so I’m staying in South Carolina. I may even take a semester off and focus on my artwork. If I can find some inspiration, that is.”
“Do you paint nudes?” Caleb asks.
She snickers. “Not if I can help it.”
“What do you paint?” Gavin asks.
“It depends on my mood. Sometimes I paint landscapes, sometimes flowers. I’ve done quite a few seascapes.”
“When do we get to see some of your work?” Gavin asks.
She shrugs. “I don’t know.”
“Get in line, buddy. I haven’t even seen any yet,” I say.
“Do you paint murals?” Taylor asks.
I nod. “I’ve done some before.”
“Would you be interested in a paid job painting one?” she asks.
“It depends on when you’d want it done. I’ve been struggling with my muse. If you don’t need it immediately, that would be better for me.”
“I’m in no rush,” she says.
“We can talk about what you want specifically. That way I have a direction to go in when I think about it.”
“I don’t have any specific ideas. I just want to make sure it conveys an overall feeling of hope.”
Gwen slowly nods, as if she’s already thinking about ideas. Maybe this is something that will get her creative juices flowing again.
We spend a couple of hours playing cornhole and listening to music. Caleb entertains us with some dancing that has Gwen and my sister doubled over laughing. By the time we’re ready to call it a night, it’s getting dark.
Caleb and Gavin are the first to disappear. And then Taylor and Lionel are ready to go.
She hugs me tightly and whispers, “Don’t fuck this up.”
I whisper back, “I don’t plan to.”
Gwen is the best thing that’s happened to me in years. Now that we’re “together,” I’m not letting her go.
Lionel shakes my hand and I squeeze his extra hard. I haven’t forgotten the way he fell all over Gwen. There’s polite and then there’s over-the-top, which in this case read a lot like flirting. My sister doesn’t deserve to be disrespected that way, and I don’t want him anywhere near Gwen.
Taylor and Gwen embrace, and I hear my sister say, “I’m so happy you’re doing well. If you ever need anything, please let me know. I realize it might be weird now that you’re my brother’s girlfriend, but I can always refer you to someone.”
“Dr. Gillis, thank you… for everything. You helped me a lot.”
She smiles. “I’m glad.” She leans in conspiratorially. “I think you should call me Taylor now.”
Gwen laughs. “Of course, Taylor.”
Once they’ve left, we head inside with Dove following us.
I add some detergent to the dishwasher and start the wash cycle.
Gwen leans back against the counter, watching me. “That was fun.”
“It was. I’m glad you enjoyed yourself. You fit in like you’ve known them all for years.”
“That’s nice of you to say.”
Moving over, I place an arm on either side of her, pinning her in place. I lean forward, running the tip of my nose over hers. “It’s true. Where have you been all my life?”
“Well, I was a child and a teenager for most of your adult life.” She giggles.
“Way to make me feel old and kill the mood.”
She wraps her arms around me and squeezes my ass cheeks. “Well, buns of steel, I bet I can get you back in the mood.”
“Buns of steel?”
“Yep, that might have to be my nickname for you.”
“Wait a sec… I give you an awesome nickname—Little Miss Dangerous—and I get buns of steel? I don’t think so.”
“Hmm, maybe I can come up with something better. Something that represents a man of your large stature.” She slips a hand between our bodies, placing it over my dick, which is now growing hard.
I thrust my hips forward. “What were we talking about?”
She stares up at me and bats her thick eyelashes. “I don’t remember. But it had something to do with something being large .” She squeezes me through my shorts.
I groan, and it’s all the encouragement she needs. Gripping the waistband of my shorts and boxer briefs, she drags them both down my legs and drops to her knees in front of me. She pulls the clothing from my feet, then her hands begin a gentle exploration of my calves, knees, and thighs. I tear my t-shirt over my head and hold still. I’m hers to do with as she wishes.
She tips her head back, glancing up at me with eyes full of curiosity. “Can I…?”
“Can you what? Touch me? Blow me? Yes to all of the above.”
“I want to give you a blow job but I’ve never given one before.”
I’m hard as a fucking rock now.
I groan again. “You can do whatever you want to me.”
“What if I mess up or I’m bad at it?”
“You won’t be.”
“Will you teach me what you like?”
I husk out the word yes. She’s got me ready to explode and she hasn’t even touched me yet.
Her palms slide from my thighs to the front of my hips, gliding them inward to grip my eager appendage with both hands.
“You’re so hard,” she says with awe, stroking slowly up and down.
“You have that effect on me.” My voice doesn’t even sound like my own. It’s so gritty and choked with need. I suck in a breath as she leans forward, giving a long lick along the underside of my cock.
“You’ll have to bend your knees if I’m going to get you inside my mouth. I’m too short to reach.”
“Done,” I say, lowering until the head is level with her lips. This is where all the wall squats I do come in handy.
Leaning forward, she presses a soft kiss to the tip, her warm lips sending more blood flow to my groin. I don’t think I’ve ever wanted anything as badly as I want her mouth on me. No. It’s not a matter of want. I need her mouth on me.
She closes her hand around the base, holding me with a firm grip, and licks the outer rim of the head. It’s the sweetest torture. I might die if she doesn’t put her mouth on me.
“Yeah, get me good and wet,” I say. She spits on the tip and spreads the moisture around with her thumb. It might be the hottest thing I’ve ever seen. “Please,” I beg. Her gaze swings up to mine, as if she’s waiting for my instruction. “Wrap your lips around the head.”
She follows my instructions, adding some swirling tongue action that makes me groan. “Slide your mouth as far down as you can, then move back up without taking your mouth off of me.” She does exactly as I say. “Keep doing that.” She begins bobbing, and each time she takes me a little deeper, as if she’s getting more confident. “Move your hand up and down along with your mouth.” She instinctively tightens her grip to the perfect amount of pressure, and her tongue is doing things to me I’ve never felt before.
She’s a goddamn natural at giving head.
“So good,” I say, watching my cock disappear between her lips. “Move faster.”
Those are the last instructions I give her. Once she increases the pace, I’m lost in the hot suction of her mouth and the building pressure in my groin. My hands fisting by my sides, I try to hold off my impending release for as long as possible. When she makes eye contact with me, it pushes me to the edge of my control. “Gonna come,” I warn, expecting her to immediately back off me. But not my girl. Her mouth stays on me until I’ve released every bit of cum and she’s swallowed every drop.
She releases me from her mouth and gazes up at me with a look of accomplishment. I yank her up to her feet and wrap my arms around her. “You’re so fucking incredible.”
“You liked it?”
“Liked? My mind is blown, no pun intended.”
She laughs. “That was fun.”
I shake my head with disbelief. “Where did you come from and what did I do to deserve you?”