Buttercup 03: Snake

Buttercup 03: Snake

This is my third submission in this particular area of Literotica, and is quite different from many of my other stories. It may help to read the first two stories in this series, if you haven't already done so.

I would like to thank those who have offered comments and constructive criticism on my previous stories, and those who have patiently waited for this addition to the story.

And now, the disclaimers:

For those who want to say this or that would never happen, remember this is my universe, a place where nearly anything can, and often does, happen. At least on paper... In addition:

1. Characters in this story may participate in one or more of the following: Smoking, consumption of adult (meaning, alcoholic) beverages, utterance of profanities.
2. All sexual activity is between consenting adults 18 years of age or older.
3. Statements or views uttered by the fictional characters in this story do not necessarily reflect the views or opinions of the author.

Please refer to my profile for more on my personal policy regarding comments, feedback, follows, etc. (Yes, I DO moderate comments) And please remember, this is a work of fiction, not a docu-drama...

...

It was August again, nine months after I had proposed to my cousin, Candi. Yes, I'm engaged to marry my cousin, which, by the way, is legal in New Mexico. Candi -- also known as "Buttercup" in our family -- is starting her second year at the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque, and I'm starting my third.

My name, by the way, is Tim Wheeler, and I've always been close to my cousin. Growing up, the adults called us "kissing cousins," even though we had never actually kissed -- or done anything else even remotely romantic. I guess they could see how close we were, even if we (or to be more precise, I) didn't.

I'll never forget the first time we actually made love. She had just arrived at my condo, where she would stay while she attended school. That first night, we played strip poker and I suppose you could say we both won.

Our love blossomed and I proposed to her when we went to visit my parents in Roswell. Her parents, my Aunt Pat and Uncle Grove, had come up from Carlsbad and were present when I proposed. Our love continued to grow since then, and both our parents were relieved to hear we would wait until Candi finished her first four years of college.

This time of the year is always hectic, as everyone is rushing around getting registered for classes and taking care of all the administrative stuff involved with that. But for the last few days, Candi seemed, well, out of sorts and just a bit short-tempered.

I had tried talking to her about it, but she simply told me it was her problem and she would deal with it. I backed off, and decided to let it drop, at least for the time being. But as time went on, she got even more testy.

We had just finished dinner and were cleaning the dishes as we always did, when her phone buzzed. She looked at it, then slammed it on the kitchen counter. That was it, as far as I was concerned, and I was determined to get to the bottom of things.

"Alright, sweetheart, what's going on?" I asked. "And don't tell me it's nothing or you'll handle it. You've been short-tempered for the last several days. Talk to me, please." She looked at me and I could tell she was fuming. Finally, she nodded her head and grabbed a couple cokes out of the refrigerator.

"Let's go in the front room," she said. "I think we need to talk." I joined her on the couch, wondering what was on her mind. She opened her coke and took a long drink.

"Tim, you know that you weren't my... first," she began.

"I know that," I said. "We talked about all of that, early on."

"I never told you about my first time," she said. "It was early in my senior year of high school. I just turned 18. My boyfriend at the time was a guy named Ryan West. He graduated a year ahead of me. He was on his way to New Mexico State University in Las Cruces to finish his bachelor's degree."

"What?" I asked. "What do you mean, finish?"

"Yeah, he was in some kind of dual credit program between our school and the college in Carlsbad. He managed to finish his first two years of college by the time he graduated from high school," she said. "He finished his degree program there, took the LSAT and was accepted to the UNM School of Law here. I ran into him a few days back when I was at the registrar's office."

"And?" I asked.

"He said hello, and I said hello back. He wanted to know if we could get together sometime, and I told him I'm engaged to be married," she said. "I thought that was the end of it, but he's been pressuring me ever since."

"What happened? I mean, back when you two were still together?" I asked.

"It didn't end very well," she said. "He's very controlling. Apparently, he thought that since we had done it the one time that he owned me or something. I found it, well, unnerving. He wanted to know where I was all the time, what I was doing, who I was talking to and why. I finally told him to leave me the hell alone."

"How did he take that?" I asked.

"Not well," she said. "He threw a fit, said we'd be together again someday and there wasn't anything I could do to stop it."

"Sounds like a potential stalker to me," I said. "Maybe you should report him to the school. They take a dim view of that kind of harassment."

"I'd rather take care of it myself if you don't mind," she said.

"You do know I'll be here for you, no matter what," I told her. She smiled as she gave me a kiss.

"I know, and I'm sorry I've been such a bitch lately. I thought I could take care of it on my own. But there's another problem," she said.

"Oh?" I asked. "What's that?"

"He texted me to say he is on his way over here right now," she said. "Says he wants to talk to me."

"He's coming here?" I asked. "How does he know where you live?"

"I don't know," she said. "I told him I live off campus, but I didn't give him our address."

"Is there anything I should know about this guy?" I asked.

"He knows karate," she said. "When we were in high school, he won a bunch of tournaments."

"Terrific," I said. "So, when will he be here?"

"He said within a half hour," she said.

"Maybe you'd better go change out of those shorts," I said. "Put on a pair of jeans or something. I wouldn't want you to give him the wrong idea." She looked down at the tiny denim shorts she had on and nodded her head.

"Maybe you're right," she said. "I'll be right back. I'm so sorry about this. I thought I made it clear to him that I'm not available."

"That's alright," I said. She got off the couch and went into the bedroom to change. I heard a knock at the door just as she came back into the front room. "I'll get it," I told her. I opened the door to see a tall, muscular man about my age. He had a smirk on his face, and I felt like wiping it off of him.

"I'm here to see Candace Williams," he said. "She's expecting me."

"And you are?" I asked.

"Ryan West. I'm an old boyfriend," he said, extending his hand.

"Tim Wheeler," I said, refusing his offer of a handshake. "I'm her fiance. She didn't tell me we were expecting company."

"She didn't tell me she was living with her fiance. I just assumed she had a room mate or two. And I'm not just company. Like I said, I'm an old boyfriend," he said. "I just want to catch up, that's all. So, are you going to invite me in?" I looked back at Candi to see her reaction. She nodded her head slightly.

"I suppose you can come in for a few minutes, but we're really quite busy," I said. "So you can't stay long." Candi sat on the couch and Ryan headed to sit next to her, but I stopped him halfway and motioned for him to sit in a recliner that sat off to one side. I sat down next to Candi and looked at our visitor. I could tell he was sizing me up as well.

"Nice place you have here, Wheeler. Are you renting or buying?" he asked.

"Buying," I said.

"What, two bedrooms, I assume?" he asked.

"Two bedrooms, but we use one as an office," I said.

"I've been looking for a place to hang out for a while," he said. "You think that maybe..."

"No," Candi said, interrupting him. "There's lots of other places you can stay. You can stay at one of the dormitories on campus, or maybe have your father buy something for you."

"Yeah, I could call my old man," Ryan said. "He could buy up something bigger and better than this just like that," he added, snapping his fingers.

"Then do that," Candi said. "You're not welcome here."

"Now is that any way to treat an old friend?" he asked. "Especially the guy you gave your cherry to? She did tell you that I was the first to... sample... her, didn't she?" His smirk grew wider as he looked at me.

"We have no secrets from each other," I said. He nodded his head, slowly. I could see the wheels turning in his head.

"Wheeler," he said, looking at me through squinty eyes. "I've heard that name before. Wait a minute. I know who you are. You're her cousin. From Roswell. The one she used to go visit all the time." He smirked as he looked back at Candi.

"You're fucking your cousin now? Were you fucking him back then, too? I didn't know you were that kinky. Damn. This just keeps getting better and better. Did she tell you how she used to squeal like a pig when I put my ten inches up her ass?" he asked, his smirk growing even wider.

"It was more like ten centimeters," she said. "The closest you ever got to my ass was in your dreams. And the only reason I squealed was because I faked my orgasm to make you stop." Ryan laughed, but there was no mirth in it.

"Now is that any way to talk to your first love?" he asked.

"First love?" she asked. "To be honest, it was the most unfulfilling two minutes of my life. The worst part is, I'll never be able to get those two minutes back." Ryan's smirk left his face and he started for her, but I got between them.

"I think you've worn out your welcome, Ryan," I said. "I think you'd better leave now. And don't ever come back. I'd hate to have to call the police. And while you're at it, I think you'd better leave Candi alone. Not unless you want to get kicked out of school."

"You know I could kick your ass with one hand tied behind my back, boy," he hissed through clenched teeth. When I didn't back down from his threat, he smiled and took a step back. "But not today. I just wanted to check in with my old squeeze and see what she was up to. But know this. One day, I will fuck your fiance. In your bed. And I'll make you watch."

"You mean, if you can even manage to get it up." He started for her again, but I made sure I was between them.

"I think you'd better leave now, before we have to call the police," I said calmly. For a moment, I thought he was going to take a swing at me, but he apparently thought better of it. His face broke out into a grin and he stepped back.

"Hey, nothing personal," he said. "Like I said, I just wanted to touch base, say hello."

"Well, you've said it. Now go," I told him. He nodded his head and sauntered to the door. He turned back and pointed at us.

"See ya around," he said with a wink. He opened the door and left. After the door closed, I made sure it was locked and turned to Candi, taking her in my arms. She was trembling with fear.

"It's alright, sweetheart," I said as I held her. "He's gone." She nodded her head and looked toward the kitchen counter. I followed her gaze and saw her phone leaning against one of the large ceramic canisters we had there.

"Did you get all this on video?" I asked.

"I hope so," she said, grabbing her phone. She went through her videos, and sure enough, she managed to get the entire encounter.

"I can't believe you actually dated that jerk," I said when the video ended.

"I can't either," she said. "He was like the big guy on campus. His father owns a big law firm in town with offices across the state and he's filthy rich. I only dated him a couple times. The last time is when we... you know. So, what do we do now?"

"I think we should call the police, file a report. Then take that to the school and let them know," I said.

"I think you're right," she said. "I don't think he did anything illegal, but it would still be a good idea to have a record of it. I'll call them right now." She dialed 911 and we waited for them to show up. When the officer arrived, we told him what happened and showed him the video. He took notes throughout and asked questions when he needed clarification on something.

"Well, it doesn't look to me like he did anything illegal," the officer said. "Last I checked, being an asshole isn't against the law in New Mexico. And you did invite him inside. I'll go ahead and file a report so you'll have something on record."

"Thank you, officer, we appreciate that," I said.

"So, are you two really cousins?" he asked.

"Yes," Candi said. "It's not against the law, you know."

"I know," he said. "It's just... well, some folks might look a bit sideways at that."

"We really don't care what 'some folks' might think, Officer. Our family has given its blessing and that's all that really matters to us," I said. He smiled as he nodded his head.

"Tell me, Mr. Wheeler, do you have a gun in the house?" he asked.

"No, sir, I don't," I said.

"Probably a good idea under the circumstances. Look, it's not against the law to carry pepper spray, you know. Lots of places in town sell it. Maybe you should look to get some for personal protection, if you think this guy's gonna be a problem," the officer said. "Might not be a bad idea for you to take some self defense courses, young lady. If he keeps harassing you, you might want to consider a protection order."

"We'll look into that, thank you officer," Candi said.

"Alright. Well, here's my card. The case number is on the back. Call if there's anything more we can do for you folks," he said as he handed me a business card. I looked and saw the case number he had written there.

"Thank you," I said as we escorted him to the door. After he left, I pulled out my laptop and did a search.

"What are you looking for?" Candi asked.

"Someplace where we can get some of that pepper spray," I said. "Ah, here's someplace right close by. And they're still open for a couple hours or so. Why don't we head on down?"

"Alright," she said. "If you think we really should."

"Yes, I do. Something tells me Ryan isn't going to let up," I said. "I want to make sure you're going to be safe." We headed out and pulled in front of the small shop a few minutes later. We went inside and spoke to the man at the counter.

"What can I do for you young folks?" he asked.

"Do you sell pepper spray?" I asked.

"Matter of fact, I do," he said, showing us his collection. He pulled one off the shelf and handed it to us. "This one is the best in my opinion," he said. "Comes in a kit you can wear on your belt or put in your purse. Even includes a direct-contact stun gun. Put that up against someone, and they're going down." I chose two of them and looked around a bit. I was thinking about maybe buying a gun, and I spotted something in one of his cases that caught my eye.

"What's that?" I asked.

"That's a taser," he said. "A bit pricey, but it's one of the best on the market. Has a 15-foot range and you don't have to worry about accidentally hitting someone in the next room. Better yet, you can buy it today and take it home with you."

"Do you have two of these?" I asked.

"As a matter of fact, I do. The last two in my inventory," he said. "You ever use one of these before?"

"No, we haven't," I said.

"Well, come on back, I'll give you a quick course on 'em," he said. We followed him to a small indoor range and listened as he showed us the features of the weapon, how to use it safely and how to reload it. He demonstrated it for us, then let us take a turn. After a half-hour or so, both of us felt comfortable with the things. He also gave us a quick lesson on how to use the pepper spray properly.

"I get the feeling someone's been hassling the two of you," he said when we walked back into the main part of the store.

"Well, yeah," Candi said.

"I kinda figured that," he said. "Listen, my wife holds a women's self defense class here every Tuesday and Thursday night. In fact, she'll be here pretty soon for tonight's class. You interested in joining?" Candi looked at me for a second, then nodded her head.

"Yeah, I think I'd like that. Can my fiance sit in and watch?" she asked.

"Sure," he said. "Let me just get the paperwork started and you can go on back if you want. By the way, my name's Jimmy McFarlane. My wife is Andrea." We introduced ourselves, then filled out the forms, paid Jimmy and went into a large room in the back of his shop. There were mats on the floor and chairs lined the walls.

We sat down and waited for a few minutes, and Andrea came into the room. She was a bit older than us, but was in very good shape and wore workout attire. She introduced herself and told us a little bit about the class. Candi seemed impressed with Andrea and listened intently.

Andrea told Candi what she needed to get for the class and suggested she observe that evening's class since she wasn't dressed for the workout. Candi agreed and we watched as Andrea put the other women through their paces. She seemed to know what she was talking about and the women enjoyed working with her.

We were both pretty tired when we got home, so we took a quick shower and got into bed. Candi and I made love as we always did, but I could tell something was bothering her. Afterward, I held her close to me.

"Are you alright?" I asked.

"I will be," she said. "I don't think I could have handled all this without you."

"I'm always here for you, Buttercup," I told her.

"I know," she said softly. "I've never seen anyone stand up to Ryan the way you did. I felt so... safe."

"Ah, he's just another clown who thinks he's all that and a bag of fries," I said.

"No, you don't understand. Back home, all the guys just went along with whatever he wanted."

"So, he was just a bully, then. Figures," I said. "I'm just a bit surprised you dated him. Was he really as bad as you said earlier?"

"The worst," she said. "When I said it was the worst two minutes of my life, I wasn't kidding. I mean, talk about 'wham, bam, thank you, ma'am' -- without the thank you. He didn't even use a rubber. I spent the next few weeks scared he had gotten me pregnant. I didn't want to see him again after that, but he kept hounding me every chance he got until I threatened to tell his father that he had basically raped me. Then he backed off."

"I thought you said he went to school in Las Cruces after he graduated," I said.

"Yeah, but he would come home for the weekends," she said.

"Are you going to talk to the school about him tomorrow, or do you want me to?" I asked.

"I can handle it," she said. "But, thank you for being there to protect me. I love you so much for that."

"You're my Buttercup and I love you," I said. "I'll always be there to protect you." She purred like a kitten as she kissed me.

The next two weeks were uneventful, but we always kept our eye out just in case Ryan made an appearance. Candi went to her self defense classes after school, then demonstrated what she learned when she got home.

"Remind me to never piss you off," I told her after picking myself up off the floor.

"Never piss me off, cowboy," she said with a smile.

"Oh, you're trying humor now, are you?" I asked.

A couple days later, I was sitting at the duck pond studying. I pulled out my phone and sent Candi a text: "Luv U." I followed that with a string of heart emojis. I got a response right away: "LYM," which meant "love you more." There was an even longer string of heart emojis in her message.