Bring on the Wonder Ch. 01

"What?" She didn't bother sounding polite.

"Can I come in?"

Lizzie stared at the mirror over the sink and made a face. She let out a noisy sigh and walked out into the bedroom. "Fine."

Nate opened the door and poked his head in. He smiled, a look she didn't return, before stepping all the way in. "You're not ready yet. When's Lance coming?"

Lizzie's eyebrows rose in surprise at his tone. He sounded genuinely interested. Or at least, he feigned interest. "He said he'd be here at seven."

Nate nodded and looked her up and down, a glance that left Lizzie feeling a little off. She became acutely aware that she was standing there in her snug shorts and tank top. She crossed her arms over her chest and gave Nate a pointed look.

He cleared his throat and looked away. "I'm sorry I reacted the way I did before. When I introduced you and Lance, I didn't think you'd actually end up liking each other."

Lizzie laughed. "Really? You'd hoped we'd hate each other?"

"No, not hate. I just didn't... I didn't think one way or another about it. I guess I didn't consider the possibility of him liking you that way."

Lizzie's smile disappeared and she scowled. "Why? Because no straight, good-looking, well-off guy would ever like me?"

"What? No. No! That's not what I meant."

"Then what did you mean, Nate? Because I'm a little lost here."

They stared at each other for a tense minute. Nate's eyes dropped first and Lizzie threw her hands up in the air.

"What's going on? Do you not want me here anymore? Is that it?"

"No." Nate paced around her room for a minute, pausing by her dresser to look over her assortment of pictures. "I like having you in the house with me. It feels less empty."

Lizzie blinked, surprised by his words. "It felt empty because you bought a two-story, five bedroom, three bathroom house. For yourself."

Nate faced her. "I know. I think I bought it for the family I assumed I'd have one day."

"Are you lonely?" Lizzie came forward and hugged her brother. "Nate, you'll find someone great one day."

He laughed and hugged her back. "'One day'? Thanks for the pep talk, Lizzie."

She turned her head to kiss his cheek. "You will. I mean, maybe you should stop working ten-hour days, six days a week for a start."

"That means a lot coming from someone who spends most nights scribbling in her art room until three in the morning."

Lizzie laughed and pushed him in the center of his chest. "That's not work. That's my passion."

He wiggled his eyebrows at her and she pushed him again. "Your passion seems to include former football players now."

She rolled her eyes and walked over to her closet. "He's a great guy, Nate. I like him." She turned back in time to see him frown and then try to hide it. She decided to ignore that look and faced her open closet. "I don't know what I should wear tonight."

"A turtleneck and wool slacks?"

"Hardy har har."

Nate let out a noisy sigh and came to stand beside her. "Whatever you wear, be comfortable. It could be another late night, from the way you were talking earlier."

Standing so close to her brother, Lizzie looked at him. He was staring at her clothes and reached out to brush through the hangers, the same unreadable frown on his unshaven face. His face was so familiar and yet, the way he'd been acting today, and the expression on his face, was suddenly foreign. Lizzie eyed his fingers slipping over and between her clothes as she considered. Maybe he'd not been himself for longer than one day.

"If you want, I can cancel with Lance." The words were out before she'd even thought about them.

Nate whipped his head around to look at her in surprise. "What? Why would you do that?"

Lizzie shrugged and brushed a hand down one jacket sleeve. "Because we haven't hung out, just the two of us, since I first moved in. Maybe we're overdue."

Nate stared at her for a moment and then smiled. "It's fine. You go out with Lance, and I'll sit around at home tonight, thinking of all the ways I can get laid."

Gaping at him, Lizzie felt an uncomfortable squeezing in her gut. Nate laughed at her expression and walked away. She stayed by her closet, staring after him, feeling overexposed.

****

As promised, Lance showed up at seven. Lizzie had – after much deliberation – settled on a colorful, paisley A-line skirt and a fitted black top. It was perhaps a little more low-cut than she would have normally selected but she was feeling a mixture of adventurous and defiant.

When she descended the stairs, she could hear low voices in the front hall. Lance and Nate were chatting while they waited for her to appear. She rounded the corner and Lance had his back to her. Nate met her gaze over the other man's shoulder and she was taken aback by what she saw in his eyes.

A few seconds later, Lance turned around. Nate looked away and the moment was broken. Lizzie's heart was pounding but she smiled at Lance as he stepped forward.

"Elizabeth, you look wonderful." He bent to kiss her and she returned it, feeling strange as she did so. She smelled his cologne and felt none of the reactions she'd had to him earlier that week.

Shaken, she took Lance's hand and managed a smile for her brother as they walked out the door.

All evening, she felt distracted. Lance was charming and attentive. She looked at him and decided that he was still attractive. When they went back to his place, she started to relax. Something about being in private with him helped and she was able to remove herself from whatever had happened back at home.

He poured them each a glass of wine and led her to his living room. There, he asked if she'd prefer to listen to music or not.

She smiled and shook her head. "Why don't we just talk?"

He laughed but sat down on the couch with her. "That's what we always do."

Lizzie looked down at the glass in her hands. "We do. I enjoy that. I like you, Lance."

"I like you, too, Elizabeth." She saw his hand come from the corner of her vision to rest over hers. "I never thought Nate would have such a sexy sister."

The mention of Nate jolted Lizzie and she turned to Lance to eradicate her brother from her mind. She all but climbed into the man's lap and laid her mouth over his. She sighed in relief or discontent when his tongue found hers, she didn't know which feeling was stronger.

They kissed for several minutes like that, her perched on his muscular thighs, he clutching her ass and then stroking her sides. She closed her eyes and concentrated on the taste of his tongue in her mouth. She focused on the way his hands felt, sneaking up under the hem of her skirt. She thought she was successful but when his fingers hit her lacy panties, the name that almost fell from her lips was not Lance's.

The shock of it almost drove her backwards onto the floor. As it was, she grabbed his shoulders and jerked away from his face as confusion swept over her. He blinked and gave her a curious smile as his breathing slowed.

"Is everything all right?" He reached up to brush some hair back from her face.

"Yeah." She stared down at his hand as he moved it away again. "I think I think I'm not... feeling very well. Would you take me home?"

He looked surprised but nodded and helped her to her feet. They made small talk in the car on the way home and Lance walked her up to the front door. He kissed her tentatively, as if afraid she might hit him, and promised to call the next day. Lizzie watched him walk away, wondering what had just happened. The longer she stood there on the front step, the angrier she became.

Turning, she slammed into the house and went in search of her brother.

"Nate!" She kicked her shoes off and stomped down the hall. He wasn't in the living room or kitchen. She paused by her studio but continued to search for Nate. She wouldn't be able to focus at all on her art if she was still stewing about what had happened.

What did happen? Asking herself now as she made her way upstairs didn't yield any more answers.

"Nate!"

"What?" His voice drifted out of the open doorway to his office.

She walked in and found him standing up from his desk, a bewildered look on his face.

"What's wrong?"

She went right up to him and pushed him hard with one hand in the center of his chest. "Damn you. You ruined my date."

"What the hell did I do?" He scowled and batted her hand away when she tried to strike out again.

"You! You... you..." Lizzie stopped and turned away, struggling to find the words now that she was standing before him. Her heart raced so fast that she had to press a hand to her chest in an effort to calm herself. She took a few deep breaths and all she could smell was the distinctive odor of Nate's cologne, the dusty smell of his books, and the leather of his desk chair. Her stomach lurched and she clamped a hand over her mouth.

How is this possible?

His hand landed on her shoulder and he urged her to turn around. "Lizzie, sweetie, what's wrong? What happened?"

She let out a sob and threw herself at him. His arms went around her without hesitation and he rubbed her back in slow, soothing circles while she cried.

"Do I need to go have a talk with Lance?"

In spite of her inner turmoil, a laugh bubbled out of her. She lifted her head and Nate brushed his hand over her cheek, wiping away tears.

"Lance would mop the floor with you."

Nate looked offended for a moment but then he gave her a rueful smile. "Probably. I'll take some friends and then go talk to him."

"Yeah?" She sniffled and put her head back on his shoulder. He was just the right height that she could do that, put her cheek on his shoulder, and if she turned her head, she could rub her nose against the base of his throat. What she wanted to do, what confused her and sent a thrill through her all at once, was hold her face there and open her mouth–

"I'd do anything to make you stop crying, Lizzie. Now tell me how many friends I need to call."

She smiled. "You don't have to do that, Nate. Lance didn't do anything wrong. He was a perfect gentleman."

"Good. I hadn't planned on castrating anyone tonight."

Laughter escaped her again in spite of herself. She'd come in here, ready to tear a strip off of him. Nate had a way of making her forget her anger and annoyance. She recalled the way he'd spoken to her earlier and how she'd managed to hold on to that irritation all day.

Had it really only been that morning? It felt like a lifetime ago. The world had tilted on its axis and she felt as if she was looking down at the sky.

With thoughts and emotions rocking her upside-down, Lizzie lifted her head and kissed her brother.

****

PRESENT DAY

Lizzie spent much of the following day in her studio. Nate checked on her once or twice but when his soft-spoken questions went unanswered, he realized she was deep in artist mode. He stopped and watched her for a few minutes. She had paint spattered on her bare neck and shoulder. She usually painted wearing only a thin-strapped tank top and underwear, saying that splattering paint all over her clothes was frustrating. Nate found it arousing. Of course, he found most things about Lizzie arousing.

For his part, he spent that Sunday catching up on some work. He'd ceased working the long days and weeks he had before, but it left him with homework on occasional nights or weekends. He didn't mind. When Lizzie got wrapped up in her art, whether painting or sketching, she barely spared him a thought. It left him with hours to fill.

It was strange to think of how he spent his days before. Before Lizzie had come home from that date with Lance in a frenzy. Before they'd admitted their feelings had taken a drastic turn. Before they'd fallen head over heels in love.

He supposed he'd spent his quiet days reading the newspaper, then going for a jog or to the gym. Sometimes he'd meet up with a friend for a round of golf or he'd go out with a random woman or two. Now, he can't imagine spending his downtime any other way.

With Lizzie, it wasn't just about the sex, though the mere thought of what they did to each other was enough to make him hard in seconds. They spent as many hours watching movies or reading together in silence as they did making love. He spent as much time jogging or working out as he did before, which just happened to coincide with the time Lizzie spent engrossed in her studio. But it was different. Everything was different now.

He spun around in his chair and propped his feet up on the window sill. The sky was cloudy in this direction but warmth seeped through the glass anyway. It was only May but already the heat rose exponentially during the day. He crossed his hands on his stomach and stared at the clouds as they moved through his field of vision.

He thought of Lizzie and wondered for the thousandth time if there was a way out of their situation. Or rather, a way through it. He didn't want out. He wanted a lifetime with her. He couldn't remember his days before they'd become lovers but he damn sure didn't want to contemplate life without her in it.

Lost in his thoughts, he didn't hear Lizzie approach. The touch of her hand on his neck startled him and he dropped his feet to the floor.

"Hey you." She smiled and crawled into his lap. She still wore her artist outfit and all that exposed skin heated Nate's.

"Hey." He kissed her cheek and forehead before kissing her lips.

She sighed and relaxed against him as the kiss deepened. Nate spread his hands wide and ran his palms from her hips to her shoulders and back down again. She wriggled in his lap and he grasped her ass in his hands, loving the warmth of her against his body.

After a time, their ardor cooled and their lips parted. Lizzie turned her head and rubbed her nose against his throat, a move she'd done since they'd started this whole thing. He didn't know why she liked to do it, but he enjoyed it well enough. They sat like that in silence, arms around each other, hearts beating together.

"What were you staring at out here?"

"Nothing, sweetie." He brushed a kiss over her forehead. "I was just thinking about you. About you and us."

"Yeah? Come up with anything good?"

He smiled and ran a hand over her thigh. "Well, this crossed my mind."

She giggled and squirmed until he moved his hand away. "This wasn't what I meant."

"I know. I couldn't come up with anything. Not yet."

She nodded but didn't say anything. What was there to say? They were constantly saying the same things and they knew that nothing would change until they changed it for themselves.

"Maybe we could just move to Brazil."

Nate laughed. "Brazil?"

"Or Australia."

"The spiders there are huge. You'd hate it."

"You're probably right." She let out a big, dramatic sigh. "Russia?"

"Too cold."

"Egypt?"

"Too hot."

"Paris?"

"Too French."

Now it was her turn to laugh and Nate smiled as she shook in his arms.

"I guess I don't want to live in another country, either." She lifted her head to look into his eyes. "But how can we do this here, forever?"

Nate looked into her beautiful blue eyes and wished he had an answer for her. "I don't know, sweetie. I just don't know yet."

"Yet."

He nodded. "Yes. We will figure something out. If in the end, people closest to us can't be happy that we're happy, even if they don't understand it, then that'll be their loss, not ours."

"I don't want to lose you."

He tightened his grasp on her. "You won't, Lizzie. I promise you. I swear on my life."

She nodded, blinking back tears, and settled against his chest again. They didn't do more than hold each other. After a while, she shifted out of his arms and offered to make him lunch.

They sat at the kitchen table, side-by-side instead of across from each other, and ate her offering of sandwiches and potato chips. At first, they spoke of work, his newest high-maintenance client and the latest manuscript she was working on the art for. After they were done eating, Nate offered to clean up so Lizzie could get back to her studio.

"You're so awesome, Nate."

He sighed. "My cross to bear."

She hugged him from behind as he wiped off the counter. "Love you."

"Love you, too."

She hurried back to her studio and he finished cleaning the kitchen. After that, he headed back up to his office to finish his own work. All the while, his thoughts danced around and around their situation. He tried to push those thoughts back so he could get his work done. It took longer than he'd thought it would. Before he knew it, Lizzie was calling him to dinner.

After dinner, they settled on the couch to watch a movie, with a big bowl of popcorn between them. Later, the went to bed together, just as they had for months. For once, they didn't rehash their situation. They didn't despair and they didn't ponder the outcome of possibly 'coming out' to their family and friends. They held each other and slept.

****

The next day at work, Lizzie was just putting the finishing touches on the graphic design she was working on when a knock sounded at her door. She looked up, expecting to see Mary-Anne from across the hall – they were supposed to go for lunch – and was shocked to see someone else.

"Lance!"

The big man stood in her doorway, looking somewhat shy, a strange expression on a man his size. "Hello, Elizabeth."

She gaped at him. "Lance," she repeated like an idiot. "What are you doing here?"

He glanced over his shoulder and stepped inside her office doorway. "Can I come in?"

She nodded. "Yes, of course. Come in. Close the door."

He did and walked a few steps closer to stand in front of her desk. "You look nice today, Elizabeth."

She blushed, pleased by his simple praise. He'd always been good with the sincere compliments. "Thank you."

"Do you mind if I sit?"

"No, go ahead."

He looked too large for the chair and uncomfortable in it. Lizzie couldn't help but smile at the picture he made. He returned her smile and leaned forward in the chair.

"I'm sure you're surprised to see me here," he said.

"You could say that."

That handsome smile again. "Maybe as surprised as I was to never hear from you after you moved out."

At that, Lizzie flushed and looked down at her hands. She remembered their last conversation. It had taken place about one month after their first one. About three weeks after she'd first kissed her brother. "Lance, I–"

"It's all right, Elizabeth. I didn't come here to accuse you or to demand answers."

She lifted her head to meet his steady gaze. "Then why did you come here?"

"Mostly, I just wanted to make sure you were OK."

"Lance, I'm sorry. I never meant to make you worry about me."

"Then returning one or two of my hundred phone calls after you took off would have been a good idea."

She dropped her eyes to her desk again. "I'm sorry." It was feeble but she couldn't think of anything else to say.

"Second, I wanted to find out what happened."

Lizzie sighed and lifted a hand to rub her eyes. "It's a long story. But believe me when I say it had nothing to do with you."

His light laugh drew her attention again. "Right. It's not you, it's me?" He didn't sound malicious.

She offered him a crooked smile but nodded. "Really. But not in the usual cliched sense of the term. You are a great guy. If I hadn't..." She paused and cleared her throat. She couldn't just blurt out the truth to him. His reaction would be horrified at best, as she suspected most people's would be. "If I hadn't fallen in love with someone else first, I think you... could have been the guy for me."

Lance regarded her in silence for a moment, settling back in the chair. "So it was another guy."

She nodded.

"And it was nothing I did that turned you off?"

"God, no! Lance, you're wonderful. I had so much fun with you, all the time."