Awakened to the Forbidden Ch. 01

*All Character's are eighteen and over

Pacing back and forth in front of the huge reflective window of her office Stephanie nodded, opened her mouth and tried once again interrupt the fast talking Spanish interpreter. With a sigh she pressed her lips together and shook her head when he just kept going on, enamored with the sound of his own voice. Preying for patience she made the odd sound of acknowledgment and waited for the moment he would shut up long enough for her to finish explaining the classifications to the client.

One eye on the clock Stephanie picked at a loose thread at the hem of her grey skirt, cocked her hip and rested back against the window. Rolling her eyes she listened to the man tell her for the third time, in five minutes, that the shipment was wood and would be classified as such. Then he took a breath.

Stephanie jumped right in, turning to looked out into the city as she spoke. "Any other material added to the wood--in this case metal--changes the classification. I don't make the rules Mr. Larsoni. Arguing with me won't change the fact that the shipment won't clear customs if the papers aren't done right."

Teeth pressed into her tongue Stephanie rolled her shoulders along the window and straightened her back against it. Pushing her spiked heels into the carpet she dropped her head, stretching some tension out of her spine. The man blabbered on. Stephanie rubbed her neck while she lifted her head.

The conversation in her ear was going nowhere. She could hear the client trying to interrupt now. Pointless, the translator was on a new mission and it had little to do with either of them. Stephanie just didn't care anymore. Her eyes were on the clock over her door, watching the second hand as it took its sweet assed time getting to the twelve.

Eager for the moment she could take her Bluetooth out of her ear and toss it in her purse; it took a moment for the form standing in the doorway to register. At first she thought she was dreaming. The week had been long, stressful. It was quite possible that her mind had snapped.

With a crooked grin he took a step forward, then another. "Hey Steph."

Done with trying to get her mind to register his presence Stephanie rushed forward and fell into his arms. "Colin! My god Colin you're home!"

An irate voice shouted out unintelligible Spanish in her ear. Stephanie pulled the Bluetooth from her ear and let it fall to the worn grey carpet. Hands wrapped around Colin's broad forearms Stephanie stepped back and let her eyes pass over him, drinking him in, relief sending hot tears spilling down her cheeks.

"Miss me?" Colin laughed when she answered with a dozen kisses spread over his face. Pulling her against him he hugged her tight. "You almost done here?"

Swiping away her tears with her palms Stephanie grinned. "I am now."

Colin's hands slid from her waist to her ass. He pulled her hard against him, his lips sliding down her throat making her groan. "Good. Because I really missed you."

Stephanie was tempted, very tempted. Feeling him hard against her belly made closing the door and letting him take her on her desk seem like a very good idea. Instead she forced her mind from pleasure to practicality. Too many people here knew Colin. They'd been so careful with their secret. Risking exposure now in a moment of passion would be foolish.

Besides, she'd most definitely lose her job if she got caught having sex in her office. The fact that she was overwhelmed with joy at his return might be considered. If only he wasn't her brother.

With firm resolve Stephanie cleared her throat and jerked her chin pointedly towards her curious co-workers, lingering in the hall. A forced smile on her lips she bent down and plucked her Bluetooth off the floor. "I thought you weren't scheduled for leave for another four months."

Shoving his hands in the pockets of his fatigues Colin shrugged. "They're pulling some of the reserves out early. I got lucky, mine was the first to get a return to unit. Debriefing took two weeks. Woulda called to let you know I was coming home but..." With a wide grin he reached out and ruffled her hair. "I wanted to surprise you."

Stephanie ducked away from him and tried to straighten the mess he'd made of her updo. Accepting it as a lost cause she pulled the pins from her rich brown hair and let in fall in soft waves around her face. "You surprised me alright. I'm gonna get in so much trouble."

The crooked grin was back. Colin reached for her hair again, his voice husky, hungry. "Get in trouble huh? I like the sound of that."

Evading his touch Stephanie backed out of reach, grabbing her purse off her desk while keeping her eyes on her brother. "I'm sure you do." Taking his hand she tugged him out the door. "It'll have to wait though."

Colin scowled. "What the hell for?"

Stephanie slammed her hand on the button to call the elevator and waved over at one of her co-workers, shaking her head when it looked like he would come over. Colin's tone had given the impression that she needed to be saved from his temper. Little did they know--or need to know--that it was just the frustration of a horny soldier lashing out.

Keeping her voice low, internally begging for the elevator to hurry, Stephanie leaned close to her brother. "Will you keep it down! It has to wait because I'm throwing Ashley a party for her eighteenth birthday. I know it's two months late but..."

The subject of their little sister sobered Colin instantly. Giving her some space he looked up to watch the red numbers, marking the passing floors, ascend. "How's she doing?"

The gleaming metal doors slid open. Stephanie followed her brother inside. "She's doing good. Mom's still raving about how nicely her long hair covers all the scars."

Colin ground his teeth. "She'd know that if she'd bothered visiting."

Stephanie shrugged and let an awkward silence fall between them, She didn't know what to say. Bringing up their mother had been a bad idea, but there was no way to take it back now.

Thankfully the silence only lasted until they were settled in Colin's jeep. Pulling into the busy rush hour traffic Colin cleared his throat and glanced over at her. "I can't picture Ashley with long hair."

Stephanie frowned at her brother's profile as he fixed his eyes on the road. "I sent pictures."

Colin's jaw tensed. "I never looked at them."

Angry. She should be angry. Unlike their mother she had gone to visit Ashley, once a week in fact, and taken the time after every visit to write Colin to let him know how she was doing. Every new development was relayed with careful attention to detail, wanting to keep the hope alive, hope that their sister would one day wake.

It was impossible to even feel the least bit disgruntled about Colin's admission. Much as seeing Ashley in a coma had hurt Stephanie, it was nothing compared to the guilt Colin felt. Misplaced guilt, to say the least, but it was there nonetheless.

Colin blamed himself for Ashley being in the car. A car driven by one of his friends, a friend Ashley had been seeing for months. Colin hadn't been crazy about the relationship but resolved not to interfere. Bob wasn't a bad guy, just a little...wild at times. Assured of his friend's regard for Ashley he'd watched from the sidelines, prepared to pick up the pieces if it ended badly.

Ashley never should have been at the party. Colin was five years older than her, which made the crowd he hung with much too old for his sixteen year old sister. Bob was only eighteen, but no one ever questioned his presence. Which meant his girlfriend was accepted without contest.

Grudgingly watching his sister all night Colin had been relieved when Bob had decided she'd had a bit too much to drink and was bringing her home. With a distracted wave he'd gone upstairs with the first willing female he could get his hands on. Never once had he thought on how much alcohol Bob had consumed.

The call. Stephanie had been the one to make it. She'd left him a vague message when his voicemail picked up, telling him only that there'd been an accident and he should get to the hospital as soon as he got the message. It was hours before he did.

While his friend died he'd been having wild sex with a stranger. While his sister had slipped into a coma, fragments of bone driven into her brain from the impact of the crash, he'd been drinking and laughing with the guys.

The image of that night would be forever engraved in Stephanie's skull. The look of horror on Colin's face when Stephanie had tearfully told him about the accident. Their father punching him in the mouth, blaming him, held back by security when he tried to go for his son again.

It echoed through her mind, even now. The words. You are dead to me.

After Ashley's accident their world had fallen apart. Their father left. Their mother, off on a photo shoot in Rome, stayed there. Stephanie and Colin were alone, struggling to fend for themselves and make all the important decisions concerning their sister. The money was gone and Colin dropped out of college to work in a local refinery to pay for the medical bills.

The siblings savings went to paying for their sister's stay at the aftercare center. Stephanie's scholarship, a godsend, took care of her own school expenses. Unfortunately there just wasn't enough money for her to take more than a few years for customer service.

Colin blamed himself, for all of it. Stephanie liked to think the bond they'd developed made a difference, gave him some peace, but in the end even that hadn't been enough. A chance meeting with an old friend that served in the marines and Colin enlisted. Months later and he was deployed.

It was a cruel twist of fate that Ashley woke when Colin was stationed overseas. For two months she'd been awake, recovering in leaps and bounds and Colin couldn't return. But now, now he was back. Now he would see that although Ashley had lost two years of her life, had been through a terrible accident, it was over now and he could begin to forgive himself. It took awhile before Stephanie realized the car wasn't moving. Blinking out of the memories she'd lost herself to she turned her head and flushed to see the way her brother was looking at her. They were parked in front of their parent's house. All the neighbors knew them well. There'd be no mistaking what that look meant if anyone were to see it.

Arching a brow Stephanie waited until Colin cleared the lust from his eyes before speaking. "You've got to stop that."

Giving her a sheepish grin Colin shrugged. "I told you I missed you."

Stephanie made a face. "Ya. You missed part of me."

Colin groaned. "Oh don't be like that." Putting the car in park he dropped his arm on the back of her seat. "I was hoping for a warm welcome. So sue me." He stroked his fingers along the side of her neck. "Sure you can't spare your big brother a bit of time to give him a proper home-cumming."

Stephanie shoved him and laughed. "Yes I'm sure. Mom took Ashley out shopping. I have to make sure everything's ready before they get back."

With a heavy sigh Colin moved his arm. Drumming his hands on the steering wheel he shook his head, then ran his hand through his almost nonexistent dark hair. "Fine. Let's get it done."

Smiling Stephanie lurched forward and hugged him. "Really? You mean you'll stay for the party?"

Using the opportunity to slip his hand under her shirt and palm her ample breast Colin buried his face in her hair and nodded. "Did you think I wouldn't?"

Stephanie scooted back and pushed his hand away, giving him a disapproving frown as she straightened her crisp white shirt. "Stop it. And yes, I know you don't speak to mom except for calls at Christmas and mother's day. I also know you haven't spoken to dad since..."

Colin scowled. "Dad's coming?"

Biting her lip Stephanie nodded, sure Colin would change his mind.

Sucking his teeth Colin gripped down on the steering wheel. With a heavy exhale he moved his head slowly up and down. "What the fuck. I'm doing this for Ashley. If he doesn't like it, too bad."

Stephanie watched him leave the jeep, a lump building in her throat. She wasn't sure what scared her more. The fact that the animosity between father and son would ruin her sister's surprise party, or the possibility that forgiveness would be withheld and someone would get hurt.

Either way it couldn't be helped. Stephanie wouldn't stop Colin from coming, and even if she wanted to she couldn't keep her father away. All there was left to do was prey for another miracle.

The second she thought it she took it back. She wouldn't ask for another. The one they'd been given was more than enough.

* * *

The house hadn't changed. Finished with helping Stephanie set up the decorations--enough to make the bottom floor looked like it had been doused in Pepto-Bismol--Colin took a bit of time to look around on his own. He wasn't all that surprised. His father didn't live here anymore and his mother was usually abroad, which meant there was no one left to make any changes. Which was good, he supposed, Ashley needed a familiar place to call home.

It was hard, trying to picture his little sister here. All he could see beyond the vision of her lying broken in the hospital bed was the playful little sprite who'd shorn her hair to irritate their mother. The beautiful mahogany tresses had been reduced to tiny spikes, which looked adorable with her pixie face. It certainly hadn't distracted from her beauty.

Colin remembered her smile, remembered the way she used to tag along with him at every given opportunity. It had grated him then, always having her around. After the accident he would have given anything for her to do it again.

Pushing aside the dour musings Colin pondered on what he could do to prepare for the party. Replacing his beige fatigues was out of the question. There wasn't time to go to his hotel room for his suitcase. The best he could do was wash up a bit and maybe shave off some scruff. He grinned at the thought. Steph always liked his face smooth when he slid it between her thighs anyway.

Heading for the bathroom Colin took his dagger from his boot. All he needed was a bit of soap. Shaving with a well honed blade was an art he'd perfected in Iraq. A few quick swipes and his face would been smooth, smooth enough for kissing and sucking and...

Colin stood, frozen in the doorway of the bathroom. Through the transparent curtain, fogged with heat, he could see her. She was lathering up her stomach, humming to herself, oblivious to his presence.

He knew he should back out, close the door softly and leave her to her blissful ignorance. He couldn't do it. Her name left his lips before he could stop it. "Ashley."

Dropping the sudsy luffa Ashley whipped her head towards him. She gasped and pushed the curtain out of the way. "Colin!"

She half leapt from the shower, slipping on the wet tile. Colin dropped his knife, surged forward and caught her. Ashley wrapped her arms around his neck, giggling and crying.

Colin stroked her back, slick with water and hushed her. Pressing his lips to her soaked hair he took a moment just to feel the vitality of her. She was so alive, so vibrant.

So naked.

Clearing his throat Colin reached out and grabbed a towel from a hook behind the door, draping it around her. "Whatcha doing home kiddo? I thought you were shopping with mom?"

Adjusting the towel so she was fully concealed Ashley shrugged. "One of her models had an emergency. Mom had to go." she cocked her head and gave him an irreverent smile. "Don't worry. I'll pretend to be surprised."

Colin's lip twisted wryly. "Don't think there's much point of that. I'm sure Steph heard you scream."

Ashley took another, smaller towel from a shelf by the sink and scrubbed it through her hair. "Naw. You can't hear nothing from the kitchen. Hell, you can have sex in the hallway and no one would know unless they were standing right here."

Eyes wide, mouth dry, dick hard Colin stared at his sister. Then he got mad. "How the hell would you know that?"

Draping the wet towel over the sink Ashley gave him an odd look and then flushed. "Not 'cause of anything I've done. Mom and dad made up a few nights ago...in the hallway," she grimaced. "If I had heard them before hand I might not be scarred for life."

"Ah." Colin didn't know what to say. His mother and father fucking wasn't a mental image he wanted.

Ashley giggled. "You should see the look on your face." her eyes traveled down to his chest. She tugged her lip between her teeth. "Shit. I'm sorry. I was all wet and I got you soaked."

Colin felt as though large hands had encircled his throat and were squeezing down. He licked his lips, letting his eyes roam. Strands of hair, almost black while wet, clung to her slender, pale shoulders. Her breast, smaller than her sisters but still enough to be a hand full, pressed against the white cloth of the tightly bound towel. Her legs. God her legs were so long.

A snap of fingers brought his eyes back to her face. "Hey. What's up with you?"

Taking a deep breath Colin forced a smile. "Nothing. I'm just happy." saying it reminded him of how grateful he truly was, grateful to have her back, awake and well. "Come here."

Ashley went willingly into his arms, accepting his need to hold her, needing to be held. Colin tried to keep his thoughts on gratitude, on how wonderful it was to be able to hold her again. Hard as he tried they drifted back to how it had felt to have her pressed naked against him. So innocent, so trusting. With a bit of work...

Angry with himself Colin released Ashley and put some distance between them. It was bad enough that she'd lost two years of her life because of him. Now to top it off he was thinking of using her?

Wasn't gonna happen.

Resolved to enjoy the party and then, when the time was right convince Steph to show him her apartment--most importantly her bed--Colin made a vague motion from Ashley to her room. "You should get dressed. I don't know who's been invited but..."

Ashley nodded curtly and cut him off. "Oh everyone I'm sure. Now that I look normal again everyone will want to see me, tell me how much they preyed for me, tell me that they never gave up hope." She smiled suddenly, but it didn't reach her eyes. "I should get dressed. Wouldn't want to disappoint anyone by looking any less than my best."

Colin watched her turn. He wanted to stop her, to tell her she was wrong. He didn't. She wasn't and he wouldn't lie to her. He had years to make up for and being anything less than honest wasn't a good way to start.

In her open doorway Ashley stopped and glanced back. "I know you gave up Colin. I know and I understand. I don't blame you. I'm just glad giving up didn't get you killed." she took a deep breath and met his eyes. "I don't blame you."

When the door closed Colin bent down slowly and grabbed his knife. Hands too shaky to even consider shaving he turned away from the bathroom, stuffed his knife in his boot, swallowed and took several measured breaths. Making his way to the stairs he slid down the wall and sat on them, trying to clear what felt like a rock in his throat.

She didn't blame him. He hadn't missed the meaning, or the verity behind it. Not only did he not need to beg her forgiveness, she'd decided there was no fault to forgive.

Colin didn't know if he believed that. Right then and there what he believed didn't matter. Only Ashley mattered. Ashley's trust, her acceptance and her love--even if he received it from no one else it didn't matter. If no one was left on earth save him and his two sisters he'd be a happy man.

Head dropped back hard against the wall Colin groaned. Imagining himself with both his sister's was a very bad idea. His hands had been full with one before enlisting. Both?