Empty Nesters Ch. 02

She could read me so easily. I had been looking for the list of trips and I headed out towards the front door to retrieve it; smiling the whole way. I loved hearing that I was doing things she liked. It's a trait I had carried from childhood. No matter how badly our mother would beat or berate me for stupid things, Katie was always there to give me support. In turn, I would go out of my way to make things better for her. I'd often run interference with our mom to keep her from getting the brunt of some tirade. Now, that desire to please her had transformed into something entirely different. Thankfully, Katie was always generous with her complements. It contributed to our closeness then and more so now. I'd have done just about anything to make her happy.

I returned with the list and handed it to her. Then I got out my little laptop running Linux and opened up a browser. It was basically a throw away laptop that I used everywhere. I didn't put any personal information on it, but did reading and surfing. At heart I was still a bit of a geek, it was what paid the bills after all.

As I sat on the bed, I got her to give me some of the names of the trips and packages. We sipped our lattes, ate some strawberries and laughed together as we discussed the possibilities of travel. We were both inclined to pick one of the trips that included multiple destinations. It would allow us to figure out where we might like to go and stay for a more extended trip. I had used a similar strategy when looking for places to go diving. Around eight-thirty we had narrowed it down to two packages that sent us across a different section of Europe.

We were getting a little tired of looking, so I suggested, "Why don't we take a nice bath. We can clean ourselves up a bit, have some wine relax and discuss the two options."

Katie agreed instantly. "Ooo, what a great idea. I'll run the water and tend to the bubbles." She was up off to the master bathroom.

Back out in the kitchen I went to the wine fridge and located a nice bottle of Champagne. I rinsed a few more whole strawberries and capped them. Bringing them back to the bathroom, I set the small tray on the shelf of the two person whirlpool tub.

Katie gave me a cute smile. "Strawberries and Champagne huh?"

"Yeah, why not?"

"I'm not complaining one bit. Just wondering what more I could want." Her eyes drifting downward got her intended response.

Trying to keep my composure; I reached over and got the bottle to open. Tossing the foil into a small stainless waste can, I proceeded to twist the wire loose and put a hand towel over the cork. The heat differential between the steamy bathroom and the fridge had the cork nearly out. Pointing it at the wall, my thumbs pressed it a bit further. The ensuing pop made Katie jump a bit. The towel actually came out of my hands. I retrieved the cork and wire to place them into the waste as well.

Offering her the bottle, "Here you have the first taste."

"No glasses?" She teased.

"Well, I made the mistake of bringing Champagne flutes in here one time. One broke into the tub and it seemed like we'd never get the thing clean."

"That was with your ex-wife, Launa, I guess?"

"Yeah, it's actually one of the few good memories I have of us. There are a handful of nice memories about Launa. I really don't think of her much anymore. Just on an odd occasion." Pausing at my peculiar line of thought, I said, "Sorry... I really wasn't trying to kill the mood."

"We all have our baggage to carry, Danny. I have a few good memories from my marriage as well. I just don't trust most of them right now. It's still too recently over." She took a sip from the bottle and smiled her approval. "We're making our own memories together now."

The tub was still filling. I was testing the temperature. She'd taken it up a notch from where I'd had it for our first bath together. "I actually like it hotter like this. I just wasn't sure how hot you wanted it the other night." I handed her the bottle back. I stepped in to the tub and sat kind of in the middle.

"I figured. You are always so thoughtful." She took another swig and then stepped in behind me.

Then I flipped on the heater and the whirlpool. It was fairly quiet, but the bubbles were relaxing and tonight the scent of jasmine was hitting my nose. I picked up a strawberry and pressed it to her lips as she sat behind me. She took a bite and followed it with a swallow from the bottle. Then she pushed the remaining half towards my mouth. I ate it and took a swallow.

"This is so nice." She said grabbing me around my waist from behind.

"I have to agree." As I chuckled a little.

"What?" She whispered into my ear.

"Oh, we're just like a couple who've been together forever. Here we were trading swigs from a nice bottle of Champagne eating strawberries in this nice jasmine scented tub. It's not really classy; but I can't think of a place I'd rather be."

She squeezed me a bit tighter. "It's super comfortable and very romantic." She gave me a nibble on my ear and some light kisses on my neck. Then she whispered, "Next time we should get some candles and turn the lights off."

I guess it was a little romantic. I never really thought about myself in that light. She started washing me a bit, although it was more like just soft caresses with the soapy water. I pivoted around to sit facing her, so I could return the favor. Soon we were just in a deep embrace amongst the bubbles. Her mouth found mine and began to explore it with her tongue dancing between our lips. I'd really thought we were done for the evening, but somehow Katie enticed me. I wondered how she could have been without sex for over a year. Her delicate hand was gently working me under the water until I was intensely hard.

I had probably reached my limit and she was sensing it. "I'm sorry," she said. "I have been relentless, haven't I?"

"I haven't tried to stop you," I offered.

"I'll let it be," she sighed.

"We can still play." I hugged her tight. "I can still give you some attention."

"That wouldn't really be fair."

"There is no fair when it comes to giving my sister what she needs."

I really meant this. Her face was a mixture of sadness and joy. I really think her ex-husband, Jim, had not treated her well. I hoped their kids had gotten her sense of giving and kindness. Thinking on this I realized she hadn't even mentioned them. It was actually kind of odd. Neither of us had mentioned them much since her arrival. I made a mental note to open that discussion with her later.

Meanwhile, Katie had begun to wash me now. It wasn't the groping we'd done in our previous bath. The twinkle in her eyes told me how much she loved me. Her gentle touch with a soft wash cloth caressing me was very relaxing.

"If you keep that up, I'm going to fall asleep on you," I said.

"I like taking care of my little brother," she replied quietly.

Those words sank in for a while. She was taking care of me. Even when we were kids, she'd been in that babysitter and caretaker roll. Our parents didn't have much time or use for us. My memory of running interference for her with our abusive mother while Katie was in her teens, was very clear. However, there were deeper memories of Katie shielding and defending me. She was always there for me when I really needed her. She'd always taken care of me. She'd helped me during college with tuition, moral support, and even had me over to their house for dinner. Although I was living at home when her kids were born, she was there for me when Tommy was born.

"Thanks," I said at length.

"What was that for?" she said, as she began lathering my hair.

"You've always been there for me, Katie. You started taking care of me again the day after you arrived. Even now, you're taking care of me."

Her fingers gently working through my hair felt wonderful. Sensual and caring. I wished I'd done a better job maintaining the connection. Once Katie and Jim moved to Richmond, it wasn't really the same. There were always little things she'd do to let me know she cared. There were calls around finals time to make sure I was okay, little care packages for my little family and even the occasional unannounced visit. My job on the rig and schedule kind of screwed that up.

"I'm just returning the favor, Danny. I really appreciate you taking me in here. I also remember what you did for me when we were younger. Not many brothers would have taken that abuse in my place."

"I wish I'd done a better job in the past though. You helped me be who I am, you know?"

"Yeah, I guess," she said now rinsing my hair with a plastic pitcher.

"Okay, let me do your hair now," I said, taking up the shampoo.

She turned her back to me to give me access to her mane. Her blond hair was down to the middle of her back. Despite her claim that she'd had it colored, I couldn't really believe it. Her nearly straight blond hair was luxurious to wash. I worked the shampoo in and was careful not to make any tangles. In a flash, I had a singular memory of being in a tub with her as a small child. She'd been a caregiver even then. Her hair just as blond then as now.

"Your hair is so nice and smooth, Katie."

I just couldn't get over how soft and smooth it was as I washed it. There is something super sexy about long hair. Katie's was thick and took several pitchers of water to remove all of the shampoo. As I poured the water through her hair she laid her head back towards me. The look on Katie's face was something between joy and exhilaration. As I finished pouring the last time, the soft noise of the whirlpool motor churning the warm bubbling water was the only sound in the room.

I picked up one of the last two strawberries and pressed it to her lips. Smiling she opened slightly to take a bite. I teased it in and back out, while she took small nibbles from it. Her full round lips eventually encircled the remainder and took it. Turning back to face me now she took the Champagne bottle and washed it down with a small swallow.

"This has been very relaxing. I think I'm about done, though," she sighed.

"Yeah, I guess we're getting a little pruny now."

I stood up and assisted her. We both got out and dried. I hung my towel and finished the small amount of Champagne in the bottle. Then made the mistake of brushing my teeth. The mixture of the taste was definitely jarring, but I'm such a creature of habit so I just continued.

"That look on your face is adorable," she teased.

I finished up I placed the toothbrush back on the charger. In the mirror I could see the grimace on my face, but what I also saw was how perfect we looked together. Katie watched me watching us and smiled.

"I love you, you big goof," she said, as she mussed my hair.

"I know. You always have," I gave in to her. "Now brush your teeth and come to bed. We've got to get up early and make a final decision. Vienna, Munich, Bern and Nice or Amsterdam, Brussels, Paris and Nice. We don't have to go anywhere, we can wait for a better time to go. We can pick a warmer part of the world. We could even just stay here in bed."

I went out and waited for her in bed. She took a while longer as she brushed her teeth and then dried her hair a bit. I was nearly drifting off, when I felt her scoot in beside me.

"I really do want to go to Europe. Both trips are very nice. I just don't want to pick the wrong one," she said softly.

"Katie, the only mistake would be missing out on seeing the world. Sleep on it. There really is no pressure to go or not go or pick one or another. We can do other trips, this isn't a one-time thing. If you are there with me, I know it'll be fun and we'll want to go again."

"You're right, Danny," she said. Then she kissed me deeply. We were soon spooning and drifting off to sleep.

The next morning, I awoke with a start. There was rumbling outside and the wind was really starting to blow. I slipped gently out of the bed and went to the family room to see what the weather was doing on TV. Apparently there was a small tropical storm coming in today. Nothing big, just a gloomy and blustery day. I was really thankful it wasn't a full blown hurricane. It was the season for them. I turned the TV back off and took the precaution of closing the hurricane shutters in each room. The last room I did was the master bedroom. With the shutters closed, it made the house really dark. The only light was coming from the French doors to the pool and the small window in the front door. The noise of me closing the shutters had Katie starting to awaken. I slipped back in bed beside her and snuggled up to her warm skin.

"What's all the noise?" she whispered in a yawn.

"We're getting a little tropical storm," I explained. "Nothing big, but it is coming in off the gulf, so I put the shutters down as a precaution."

"Oh, I guess we're staying in bed today," she said kind of happily.

Lying next to her I couldn't think of any place I'd rather be. "Yes, that would be nice."

I was just thinking I might go back to sleep when her delicate fingers encircled me. "Mmm, this is nice, too," she whispered.

I was already semi-erect for some reason, but her touch enticed me to a fully excited state, instantly. I really had to wonder at the sex drive of my forty-four year old sister. Three days ago we'd both broken year long dry spells and now we were acting like teenagers raging on hormones. Although, staying in bed to have a soothing love making session during this early fall storm seemed like an excellent idea for this morning. I surrendered myself to her as she press herself into my groin. She was so wet, she had no difficulty just pressing me into her moist slit.

"God, you're so wet. Did you wake up like that?"

"Mmm, maybe. Sleeping with you keeps me right on the edge," she stated, as she continued to hump into me.

She was laying kind of flat with her right leg raised and I was on my side. I met her slow rhythmic movements. The storm outside was blowing harder now. Our movements continued unabated for what might have been an hour. Neither of us pressing for completion we just enjoyed the contact. I think Katie may have had some mini orgasmic waves, but there was no urgency for either of us.

Her wetness must have been the only thing that made this possible. The slickness of it kept us from too much rubbing of skin on skin. After a while, I changed my angle slightly tilting my body forward. It pressed me downward into her more than before. Her moisture began to become slightly thicker and our tension built.

Suddenly she was telling me, "Ooo, yeah, that's it, right there."

Soon we were both racing to make the other complete. I was pressing deeper and deeper with my strokes. She was raising to meet me. Together we met at a blissful peak. My cock was twitching inside her and her vaginal muscles were convulsing around me. When we finally came to rest holding one another the sounds outside had died down. Oddly, it felt like the storm had abated with us. We drifted off to sleep for a while now.

When I awoke, I could smell something cooking. I wasn't sure if I could place the smell, but it reminded me of one of my dinners at Katie's house when we'd both lived in Raleigh. I felt a warmth inside me. She was taking care of me again. It's hard to explain how comforting that can be. I'd never gotten anything like that from our parents or my ex-wife. Katie, my big sister had always done it. It was just who she was.

Crawling from the bed I pulled on some underwear, shorts and a tee-shirt. Then I went out to the kitchen to see what she was up to. She was standing at the stove preparing some type of soup. She was really a vision in the glow of the kitchen lighting. Her silk nightgown loosely flowing over her soft curves.

"What's that wonderful smell?" I asked, as I walked up behind her to give her a hug.

"I'm making some French onion soup to go with that pork roast and some asparagus I haven't started cooking yet."

"Jeez, how long did you let me sleep?" I asked, as I looked for the clock. I found it was almost 2:00 in the afternoon.

"You needed it I think," she offered, softly caressing my cheek. "I just figured we could have a nice mid-day meal. I like cooking for you."

"You are too much," I told her.

"Is there anything I can do?" I asked.

"You can tell your agent, Julie, that we want the trip with Paris," she said emphatically.

"I see. So the cooking inspired your decision?" I asked.

"Yes it did. I like Wiener schnitzel and Frankfurters, but I love French cuisine! Not going to Paris, on our first trip to Europe; it just wouldn't be right without the city of love."

She was right, now that I thought about it. Our new romance should include a trip to the capital of romance. "Okay, I'll give her a call and let her know. I'll probably need to get her a payment today."

I went into the bedroom to phone Julie. I don't have a cell phone, I just never seemed to want to keep up with one and didn't really have many people to call. Anyway, I used my land line in the bedroom. Julie got us all booked as a couple sharing hotel room. I gave her my credit card information.

As we were finishing up, Julie told me, "I hope you two have a great trip. You make such a nice couple, I hope she works out."

"Yeah, I think we will and I know Katie's the one."

Back out in the kitchen Katie had the asparagus going and soup in the oven broiler to melt the cheese. The pork roast was out and sliced. She'd done it in some type of apple cider vinegar and some dried blueberries, with little sprigs of rosemary. It all looked so good.

"What type of wine goes with this?" she asked me.

"Hmm, let me see what I've got," I said heading to the wine cellar. In the small room I looked for a medium bodied wine that wouldn't overpower the spices and underlying sweetness of the pork. After passing over a few initial thoughts, I selected a creamy Chardonnay Reserve I'd picked up a few years ago.

Back out in the kitchen again Katie was already plating food and had the soup on the table. Her cooking skills and timing definitely put me to shame.

"I'm going to have to get some cooking lessons from you I think."

"You do fine, Dan. What wine did you pick?"

"It's a special Chardonnay I bought a few years ago. I think it'll match the herbs you've chosen without overpowering the underlying sweetness of the blueberries and pork."

"I see, maybe I need some lessons too?" she teased back.

While she finished setting places, I opened the wine and poured us each a glass. I placed them at each setting as she finished serving the plates. The soup was to one side with a small serving of pork and eight to ten spears of asparagus. Cloth napkins, silverware and glasses of ice water topped the setting off. I dimmed the lights over the island and joined her at the table.

Raising my wine glass to her I said, "Here's to Paris. We're going to have so much fun."

She raise her glass to mine and toasted, "Here's to Paris."

We each took a sip. Her eyes danced with mirth as I could see her thinking about the trip. The meal tasted as good as it had smelled. The pork was so tender it cut with a fork. The herb and dried fruit gave it a wonderful flavor. The soup was very authentic, although I'm sure I'm no expert. She'd used toasted artisan bread on top to support the cheese. The soup itself might have been beef broth with sautéed onions, but I wasn't sure.

"Did you make this soup from scratch?" I asked.

"Yeah, do you like it?"

"It's fantastic. Everything is. I'm so glad you are here."

"The wine really does match," she complemented me back.

"Yeah, I just picked a wine. You made this whole meal while I slept."

"I like cooking and I like taking care of you."

"You're going to spoil me for sure," I told her. "You've got to let me do some stuff too. Hey, I know what. When we finish, maybe I can unpack that minivan and get you moved in here for real."