Just the Six of Us Bk. 02 Ch. 03

Sarah looked up and over her shoulder at Beth's smiling face. "Bethy..."

Beth smiled back and leaned down to kiss her on the forehead. "I'm just playing, Sarah," she said. "I'm not trying to break you guys up or anything. Matt's not going to accidentally trip and slip his dick inside me."

She snickered at that.

"Besides, you two are the ones that benefit from me getting you both all riled up, right?" Beth asked.

Sarah couldn't really argue with that. Still, she didn't want to put any added stress on her relationship. It was weird enough with Mike back, and now Matt was beginning to question his masculinity. She frowned as she looked back down, and Beth went to go let the dogs out and play with them a bit.

Was that where the question had come from? Was he feeling threatened since Mike was back?

She frowned, unsure of the answer. After being lost in thought for a few minutes, she shook her head. No closer to an answer, she promised herself to talk to him about it when he got home that night.

Standing, she started to wash the breakfast dishes. A few minutes later, she smiled as she felt Matt's arms slide around her.

"Leaving?" she asked.

"Yeah, gotta head out to a jobsite first thing," he said, kissing her on the cheek.

Smiling, she spun around in his arms and kissed him on the lips. A playful thought entered her head then and she looked up at him.

"So, you have to be out there first thing?" she asked, raising an eyebrow and reaching a hand into his pants.

"Yeah, it's uh..." he said, his words trailing off as she gripped his cock again.

"You don't have a few extra minutes for me to play?" she asked, sliding down to her knees.

"Oh... I guess..." he said, sounding playfully exasperated.

She giggled and quickly freed his cock. It took a few minutes of working at it to get him hard again, but she was happily sucking away at a full erection before long. Just as he was filling her mouth with her hard-earned reward, Beth came back in the back door and giggled at the two, bouncing her way into the kitchen as Sarah hurriedly stood and put Matt's cock away.

"You didn't have to stop on my account," she said, grinning as she gathered leashes up and began to get the dogs ready to walk.

"Bye, babe," Matt said, smirking as Sarah stood and flashed a wink at him. "Thanks."

"You're welcome," she said. "Just make sure you think about sex all day so we can have some fun again tonight."

He chuckled, kissing her on the cheek and turning to head out for work.

"Naughty girl," Beth admonished, still wrangling dogs up.

"Oh, shut up," Sarah said, unable to contain her smile as she turned back around to finish the dishes.

*****

Mike

After Emma left for work, Mike tried to relax and take it easy there in the apartment. He climbed back in bed and took a nap, but it turned out to be a pretty restless one. Eventually giving that up, he went and sat down in front of the TV. Nothing interesting was on, so he put it on some nature show and watched idly.

Before long, he could feel the thoughts clawing back into his brain.

Burnsey's screams echoed in his ears, escalating past the ringing from the explosion. The sight of Wilkin's head snapping back was followed by a thud as he was thrown to the ground at Mike's feet.

"Did you feel how incredible Emma's throat felt this morning?" the voice asked. "That girl has been practicing."

Mike smiled. "Yeah man," he said, the screams fading a bit. "She's gotten really good."

That's how it went for a few more hours that day. Mike would find something to occupy his time, but before long the same thoughts would creep into his head. When that happened and he couldn't push them away, the voice would randomly remind him of some aspect of fucking his sisters.

"You remember the jet skis?" the voice asked at one point. "Man, she was damn near fucking us on that thing, and in public too! She let us cum all over her before we'd even had any of the others."

Mike laughed. It had been a while since he'd thought about that. It had definitely been a fun time. He sighed deeply, leaning forward and rubbing his temples.

"I need a fucking drink," he said, standing and grabbing his wallet and keys.

A few minutes later he was pulling into the same bar he'd been in before. As he parked, he saw a beat-up old truck with a Marine Corps sticker on the dented bumper. Figuring that was Jimbo's truck, he chuckled and hopped out.

Inside, Mike paused in the doorway to let his eyes adjust and automatically scanned the room. Down at the other end of the bar, in the same spot he'd been in before, was Jimbo. As Mike walked over, the older Marine looked up and smile widely at him.

"Hey there, Jarhead," he called out.

"Back at you," Mike replied with a chuckle.

"Set us up again," Jimbo said, looking at the bartender.

Mike sat down on the stool next to the older Marine and watched as the bartender poured some whiskey into two glasses. After the whiskey's were slid over, Mike ordered a beer to go along with it and handed over a credit card to start a tab.

After clinking his glass to Jimbo's, Mike joined him in taking a drink before setting the glass back down and gazing into the brown remnants of the liquid. Comfortable silence descended on the two and Mike was glad that his new friend seemed to know when conversation was needed and when it wasn't.

Thirty minutes, then an hour passed without a word spoken between the two. Eventually, Jimbo began to tell Mike some funny stories that had happened during his time in Vietnam, then Mike repaid him with some of his own tales.

After a while, Mike glanced at the clock and was surprised at how late in the day it was.

"Shit," he muttered. "I better get on home. I didn't realize it was this late."

Jimbo chuckled. "Wife gonna raise hell?"

Mike smirked. "Girlfriend," he corrected. "But yeah, she might."

Jimbo grinned and waved his hand for the bartender as he continued to talk to Mike. "She a good woman?" he asked.

Mike smiled, picturing Danni and Emma both in his head. "The best," he said quickly.

"Shit, wife her up then," Jimbo told him. "What are you waiting for?"

Mike didn't reply immediately, trying to find the right words. "Shit's complicated," he said. "I've definitely given it some thought a time or two."

"Hell Jarhead, marrying my Ginger was the smartest shit I ever did," Jimbo told him.

Mike laughed. "Someone actually married your old ass?"

Jimbo guffawed and had to catch his breath for a moment. "Hell, she was drunk," he said with a wide smile.

After laughing, Mike closed out his tab and clapped the older man on the shoulder.

"Catch ya later," Jimbo called.

"Count on it," he replied, waving over his shoulder as he headed out.

As he headed to his truck, he couldn't help but think about Jimbo's words about getting married. He closed his eyes as he climbed into his truck, and Danni's face appeared in his mind.

A smile came to his face as he opened them a few seconds later. It was definitely something he'd thought about.

How could he ever pull something like that off, though? Someone would find out. He felt sure of it. The old feelings of trepidation about hurting his sisters began to surface then, and he frowned, thinking of Emma, Sarah, and Beth.

It was too much for one person to handle, much less figure out. He was still dealing with his own issues, and now he let it get complicated again with his sisters. His head began to throb then, and he sighed, closing his eyes once more and taking some deep breaths. A few minutes later, he pulled out and drove back to the apartment.

He felt better than when he'd left, but there were other things plaguing his mind now. He wanted to be done with it. Suddenly realizing how appealing Jimbo's suggestion of using whiskey as a way to forget his trauma for a while was, Mike couldn't help but see the inherent danger in doing so.

Parking and locking the vehicle, he climbed the steps and went inside. Shutting the door behind him, he tossed his keys and wallet on the table by the door and turned. Laughter and the higher tone of his sisters' voices hit his ears then, and he paused to take off his boots before proceeding.

"Can't fuck with pants on," the voice pointed out.

He wasn't planning on doing that, though, and ignored it despite its grumbling.

Walking over to the bedroom, he peered in and smiled, seeing the two lying in bed and cuddling in their underwear. Danni was in Emma's arms and smiling up at her, laughing and talking. He'd seen that smile a hundred times in his old life, even more in his memories when he'd left. It was her look of love.

He frowned, then backed up out of sight before they had a chance to see him.

Danni was in love, he realized. With Emma.

He stepped back to the living room and sat quietly on the couch. His heart was heavy and his mind a jumble of thoughts. As the minutes passed, one thought kept surfacing again and again.

Did he really have the right to come back into their lives and force himself into the middle of what they had found?

He didn't know the answer. Sighing, he leaned his head back and closed his eyes, ignoring the pleas of the voice to go in and "get busy fuckin." Before long, he fell asleep.

***

Screams of pain filled his ears. The smell of smoke, burning flesh. Gunfire. A soft caress across his cheek.

He awoke with a start, jumping up and breathing hard, his fists clenched as he looked around.

Danni stared at him from where she'd been sitting beside him on the couch.

"You're okay," she said, standing and grabbing his hand.

He sighed hard, closing his eyes and taking deep breaths. A long silence passed before he finally opened them again and looked at the two. Danni was beside him still, one hand clutching his, the other rubbing his back.

"Sorry," he said, shaking his head.

"You don't need to apologize," Danni whispered. "Do you need some water or something?"

He shook his head again. "I'm okay. Just dreams."

"You were out when I got home," she said. "Was everything okay?"

Mike nodded, but then lowered his head a bit, not wanting to lie to them. "Yes and no," he said. "I'm trying to... to get clear. I'm trying to work this stuff out of my head, but it keeps sneaking back in and..." he fell silent. "I met another Marine at a bar, and he's been there for me when I've needed it. That's where I was this afternoon."

"I wasn't checking on you, baby," Danni said with a smile still tinted with her concern for him.

He looked at her then, seeing the worry clear in her eyes. He forced a smile and shook his head, determined not to ruin the evening.

"I'm good," he said, smiling. "I just needed a minute. I guess I drank a little more than I realized."

It took a few more minutes of convincing, but eventually she stopped worrying over him and sat back with him on the couch while they talked about their days.

"So, what would you like to do tonight?" Mike asked, his forced smile still present as he glanced at her. "Did Emma leave?"

Danni nodded. "She uh... she went to take care of Beth."

Mike chuckled, then turned and look at Danni to see if he could tell what her feeling were on the matter. She looked amused.

"Does it bother you that she's doing that?" Danni asked.

"Me? No," he said.

"You should make them do it over here so we can watch," the voice said.

"Does it bother you?" Mike asked pointedly, still studying her reactions.

She smirked and shook her head. "No. Why would it?"

He shrugged, not wanting to voice his suspicions and make things awkward.

"Mike," she said, drawing his gaze up to her eyes. "I can tell something's eating at you. What's going on? You can tell me anything. I want us to be completely honest with each other."

He nodded but was silent for a few more moments while he gathered his thoughts.

"You have a certain look that I've seen a hundred times, plus a thousand times in my memories," he said, his gaze studying her hand caressing his. "It's this... unfiltered stare that shows just how much you care about the person you're looking at. It's like... seeing someone and knowing that they're in love."

She smiled. "Well... good. I love you."

He didn't look up. "I got home today and saw you and Emma snuggling in bed talking. You were staring up at her the same way."

She stopped smiling but didn't respond.

"I can't help but feel like I'm wedging myself between two perfectly happy people," he said. "On top of all that I'm dealing with personally, it feels like I'm hurting you two."

Danni surprised him by standing for a moment, then spinning around and sliding down into his lap, her knees on either side of his legs.

"Mike, look at me," she said, her voice stern.

He looked up into her gorgeous orbs.

"You are the first person in my heart," she said, one hand caressing his cheek. "I love Emma, of course, and I'm trying to figure out her place in our life. Our life," she emphasized, gesturing at him and herself. "No matter what happens from here on out, I'm not going to lose you again."

For a few long moments, Mike stared deep into her eyes, Danni staring right back.

"I never stopped loving you, Danni," Mike said, lowering his eyes a bit. "But I left, and you found love with Emma. Do I really have the right to come in and mess things up?"

Danni smiled. "Yes, baby. I love Emma so much more than I ever thought possible. That doesn't mean that you aren't just as important to me. Call me greedy, but I want both. I'm going to have it, and there's nothing that you can do to make me think otherwise."

He chuckled at the cocky assuredness of her tone.

"What about Emma?" he asked. "Does she feel the same?"

"Emma is so much like you, baby," Danni said. "She's a protector. She cares for Beth, and Sarah, just like she cares about you and me. That's what she's doing right now, in fact. Beth needed her, and Emma went over without hesitation, once she was sure that you and I were going to be okay with it. She loves you very much, but she's also exploring her sexuality and we both need to be there for her as well."

Mike nodded. "Of course," he said. "I just... I know how much pain I caused my family, and I don't want to do that again. Not for anything."

Danni shook her head and pushed her soft fingers to his lips to quiet him. "You need to let go, baby," she told him, cocking her head and studying his face. "You need to let us help you heal; and not just the issues between us, but the other ones as well."

He closed his eyes, fighting back the cacophony of violent images as they began to surface. Opening them again a second later, he sighed hard and looked back at her.

"Danni, I don't know if I'll ever be whole again," he said honestly.

She offered him a caring smile and a cheek caress before softly saying, "Maybe so, but you'll be mine, and that's enough for me. But then again, you don't know what the future holds."

He didn't reply.

"I'll take you any way I can get you, Mike," she said, still caressing him softly. "And I'll do anything I need to if it makes you better."

Unable to stop it from happening, he felt a single tear slide down his face, but didn't brush it away.

Danni's smile of adoration greeted him as he looked up at her again, and he watched for a moment as she leaned in and kissed the wet streak on his cheek where the tear had slid down. Sitting back a second later, she flashed him a sweet smile.

"So, can you please do me a favor and let me help you?" she asked.

He chuckled and nodded, then kissed her softly on the lips. After a few seconds, she broke the kiss and sat back to look at him again.

"So, what can I make you for dinner?" she asked.

He thought quietly for a moment, then smiled when an idea came to him. "How long would it take you to get dressed?" he asked. "I feel like taking you out."

Her smile grew wider, and she slid back off his lap. "Give me twenty minutes and I'll be ready."

"Deal," he said, standing and kissing her one more time.

"And here I thought the voice in your head was going to hound you into having sex with me before we even got to dinner," she said, walking toward the bedroom as he followed.

"Oh, he's been complaining about it," Mike said.

"A lot of good it's done," the voice added.

"Has he now?" she asked, stripping down as she walked.

"Yeah, and you're not making it any easier on either of us," Mike said, watching as she deftly slid out of her panties once they'd entered the bedroom.

"Oh, that's the idea," she purred, slinking her way over to the dresser to pull out some nice lingerie. "When you and that naughty voice in your head stop drooling all over your shirt, you need to get dressed too."

He chuckled and took a second to drink in her incredible form before he turned and started to get ready himself. After pulling on a clean shirt and fresh jeans, he went back to the living room to wait.

A little while later, Danni emerged wearing a very slinky and alluring red dress, her hair styled sexily and cascading around her face to drape across her shoulders.

"Jesus," Mike said, standing and gazing at her as she stood in the hallway and posed for him.

"That's the reaction I was wanting," she said, standing there smoldering. "So, are you going to be able to take me to dinner or is the voice going to make you tear my clothes off and have your way with me?"

"I uh... yeah," the voice stammered, obviously as enamored as Mike was.

"He's just as lost for words as I am," Mike said, still staring.

Danni giggled and blushed a bit. "Okay," she said, standing back up straight. "Now you're just embarrassing me. Take me to dinner already."

Mike stared a few seconds longer, then took Danni by the hand and led her to the door. Grabbing his wallet and keys, he locked up after stepping out with her and walked her to his truck. Opening her door, he waited for her to hop in and closed it behind her. Walking back around to his own side, he hopped in and gave her yet another look.

"Damn," he said, eliciting another giggle from her.

"I'm glad you like it," she said.

Tearing his eyes away, he started the truck and proceeded to drive to a nice Italian restaurant. It was an older place and had been open a long time. He figured that anyone that knew them were unlikely to be there and didn't really feel like answering any hard questions about why a brother and sister were out on a date looking like they did.

Still, it was one more thing that they had to be careful about.

A few minutes later, he pulled into the restaurant and hopped out. She joined him at the front of his truck and grasped his hand. He glanced around for a second, looking for folks that might know them, but didn't see anyone.

"What?" she asked.

He looked down at her. "Well, I'm out with my sister on a date, and you look incredible. I was just making sure that I didn't see anyone we knew."

Danni rolled her eyes. "Who the hell cares what anyone else thinks," she said as they started toward the door. "I love you, and I'm not going to hide us away."

It wasn't that simple, but he didn't say anything as he opened the door for her and followed close behind. She greeted the hostess warmly and told the young woman that it was just the two of them that evening.

"Don't worry about anything else," she said, turning to look up at him while they waited for the hostess to finish finding a table. "The only thing you need to worry about is how good my ass looks in this dress."

He laughed, looking up at the hostess as she tried not to smile. She'd obviously overheard.

"She ain't lyin'," the voice said.

Walking them to their table, the hostess left them the menus, then smiled sweetly before turning to head back to her station.