Mara

I'm a bit new to this, so I've no idea if this is any good. Apologies in advance because this may be a long, and slow, one. Hope you enjoy and as always let me know how I'm doing!

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Mara

The starting point, the point of no return, he would tell himself, was that fateful storm. A cold blustery Autumn night, the ground caked in as much melting snow as rain soaked amber leaves. The wind howled and screamed as it passed through the old cottage located solitarily on the winding hills.

He told himself it was that storm that made him susceptible, weak to the little mannerisms and subtle flirts. In reality it was simply her smile.

Ezra had been head over heels since they were both much younger, caught up in the way she would tuck her hair behind her small pointed ears before grinning at him mischievously. The way her nose scrunched up as she did smile, freckles dotting her cheeks like stars on a clear night. Or how her smooth glossy black hair curled and tousled after being caught in the icy rains.

There was a never ending list he would revise daily as a new aspect of his sister Mara caught his attention and drove him mad. Maybe he was mad for the feelings he'd been harbouring since they were younger. He never dreamed he'd get the chance to act upon it.

Chapter 1: A welcome distraction.

Ezra wasn't much of a people person, an introvert some called him, 'crazy man of the hills' others. In reality he relished the fresh soul cleansing peace of his solitude deep in the hills.

Far away from any nearby towns as to not be disturbed by regular traffic or unwanted visitors but not too far as to deprive himself of his much needed deliveries. Ezra was a mechanic, painter and designer. He never could choose between just one.

He loved the meticulous planning of a designer down to each minute aspect of a diagram, each contoured leaf of a tree sculpture or elegant curve of a water fountain. He loved the thrill of sculpting new and wild ideas while blasting the latest music. Finally, he relished the intricacy of the machine and how millions of tiny parts collectively can create wonders.

Many would think of his as an 'old soul', his parents had told him many times in the past that he had wisdom beyond his years, nothing, he thought, compared to Mara. At only 19 she had been scouted as an exceptional mind. Drawn to physics at an early age, and with a natural burning curiosity of the cosmos, she landed herself a prestigious apprenticeship at a leading European engineering firm based in Switzerland.

It was like losing a limb the day she left. But he could never of said no when she'd asked to go, not after that damned smile. Even at 18, at the time, an adult in his eyes, she'd still asked for his opinion. That was how much they meant to each other. They were inseparable when together. Now a year has gone by with little contact. Her work keeping her busy.

Ezra sat musing on his front porch listening to the soft patter of rainfall on the slated roof. The cottage itself was a humble single storied building with one main bedroom, a smaller guest bedroom which was little more than a large closet, a living room focused around a fire, a bathroom adjoining that and finally a small kitchen. Perfect for just him, crowded if there was anybody else.

Attached to the cottage was a wooden workshop split into two sections: an enclosed roofed section where anything that couldn't get wet was located and an open space that had a slanted tile roof but no walls. A space for both indoor and outdoor projects.

He was musing on his little slice of paradise when he was disturbed by a distant chugging noise. An old petrol engine carrying an over burdened carriage, the only regularity around here except him. He waited several minutes until the truck pulled up outside his house next to his own car, a small compact electric city model. It was recharged by a series of solar panels and a small wind turbine.

Stumbling out of the hot cab interior was his long time friend Gregor, who had emigrated here over 30 years ago. He had known Gregor since he was a baby, a lifelong friend of his late father's. Sharing a handshake and a heartfelt hug, Gregor smiled and slapped the wagon attached to his truck.

"Got some good salvage this time!' He began, giving his signature big toothy grin.

Ezra mounted the wagon, lifting the soaked rain cover to find a heap of old metal, wood and even porcelain items. Ezra whistled as he scanned what would look to anybody else like wreckage. He immediately spotted some chipped porcelain statues, a pair, depicting some grieving maiden.

He scooped them up and gently passed them to Gregor. As light began to fade, having selected a veritable stash of items for reuse his foot struck something large and metallic. Covered by a large twisted section of tarpaulin was a huge vintage arcade machine half buried under some rusted iron railing. Immediately his heart raced.

'You could have told me about this!' He shouted waving his arms at the machine while shoving the railings off with considerable effort.

'And robbed you of that shit eating grin on your face?' Came a chuckled reply. Ezra rolled his eyes and smirked.

An hour had passed by the time the machine was standing proudly inside his enclosed workshop. After some more small talk and an exchange of a fistful of cash, Gregor departed and left Ezra alone with his greatest piece yet.

For what was several weeks, but felt like several hours to Ezra, he worked tirelessly on the new machine. Peeling back the rusted body panels and sanding down the original artwork that had become corroded and flecked with stubborn dirt.

Most of the mechanisms inside were surprisingly still intact but the electronics were unsalvageable, too much salty coastal rain. He was sprawled underneath the main compartment of the machine, tinkering with a delicate little switchboard when he heard a gentle thud from outside. It reminded Ezra of a car door but he wasn't expecting visitors and hardly anybody ventured this far out from the main seaside resorts into the surrounding hills.

He had dismissed the noise, completely oblivious to the polite knocking on his front door or the persistent presses of a door bell which no longer worked. He had no idea how long it had been until he heard the soft padding of feet approach the workshop, followed by the whine of the shutter door opening from the outside.

"Shit!" he breathed quietly, panic rising inside his chest. He expected to see the booted feet of some low-life criminal from under the frame but instead padded the obviously feminine feet clad in socks and sandal.

Bloody socks and sandals! There was only one person who would wear that in the middle of an exceptionally wet Autumn.

With exceptional difficulty he untangled himself from the maze of wiring and shimmied himself out, the bare stone floor cool against his bare torso. As he regained his feet he was greeted by an angel, or close enough. His beautiful sister stood beaming before him. Dressed in a floral orange sundress, thin black cropped cardigan that lay unfastened and a pair of white sandals and socks.

She was absolutely stunning. Framed by the lazy orange sun her already amber skin shone with an alluring light. Her straight black hair was cut short to just below her ears, tucking what she could behind them but inevitably some strands broke free. Still without uttering a word he stepped closer to her.

Her large murky green eyes never leaving his, following his every movement. With a shaky hand he brushed the few strands of hair from her face. She smiled shyly , blushing deeply. Like a flash of lightning she pounced on him, hugging him so tightly he could hardly breathe.

He settled into the hug, hands resting on her waist and lower back as she cooed softly. Nestled into the crux of his neck her warm breath hit him and sent shivers down his spine. He cursed internally as he felt the need to rearrange himself rising slowly, the tight cargo shorts he was wearing doing little to hide his problem.

She was unrelenting. Chest mashed into his, she squeezed him until he turned blue. Blushing even more, she released him and began straightening her sundress. Treating him to a healthy amount of cleavage that he had, until now, not noticed, especially considering the low plunging neckline. His eyes flickered back up to his and he knew he'd been caught but there was no anger in her eyes, only a curious amusement.

"Wha...what are you doing here Mara? Not that I'm not happy to see you but this is sudden." Mara grimaced, her happy sculpted face turning sour in a heartbeat. She looked down at her feet as she shuffled nervously.

"I needed some time away," She began her voice becoming unsteady. "I needed you." That simple statement sent his heart cartwheeling.

He brushed a tear from her cheek and pulled her close. He guided her inside, instructing her to sit down while he got her some hot chocolate to warm her up.

They spent the rest of the day talking about what she'd been up to the last year, what she'd done for her 19th birthday, two months ago, or how her work combined with school work was going. Neither outside noticed when it went dark or the temperature dropped almost to freezing. They lay cuddled on the couch feeding each other popcorn and sharing tales.

Ezra woke slowly, a faint light drifting through the gaps in his curtains. He was still in his living room, sprawled on his back on the couch, a blanket draped across him. He assumed Mara had left to go to the spare room and covered him up before she left but a rustle alerted him to the girl sleeping beside him.

As his body slowly awoke he found that , in her sleep, Mara had wrapped her leg around his waist and upper thighs. Normally this wouldn't be an issue, apart from the faint feeling of her now bra-less breasts pressing against his arm through her dress, it was a borderline acceptable position if slightly wrong.

However. There was a growing problem. Rapidly growing problem. As ever, when he awoke he found his morning wood to be standing to attention only this time it was achingly bad. Coupled with the pressure of Mara's leg he was straining against his shorts.

He cursed himself internally, attempting to reposition but only drawing more movement from her which ground her leg against him further. He thought he heard her moan slightly, almost imperceptibly. Unable to cope with the tension he slowly slid her leg off of him and made to get up when a soft voice startled him.

"Morning," she groaned quietly as she stretched, treating Ezra to an unobstructed view of her small athletic body as her dress pulled tight.

"Didn't mean to startle you." She grinned apologetically. Ezra almost believed her except for the slight twinkle in her eye again.

Did she know? Had she felt it?

The questions coursed through his head as he stammered out his reply.

"Its okay," He paused to bend down and kiss her forehead, he noticed her frowning when he pulled away. "I was just expecting you to be asleep, you seemed so tired."

She nodded, pushing herself up whilst scanning for her bra which she'd slung away in the dark for it to land on the coffee table. She blushed as she retrieved it and stashed it near her suitcases she'd brought with her next to the kitchen.

Standing on opposite sides of the room he was fully able to gauge his sister. At 19 she still looked like the sweet innocent girl she was when she left over a year ago. She had slimmed down slightly, becoming more curved and athletic in the process. She was small compared to him. A full head shorter than his just shy of 6ft.

He was broader and more muscular compared to her lithe small frame. She caught him staring and giggled slightly. He averted his eyes and tried to change topic.

"You never mentioned how long you'd be staying." He said, gesturing to her suitcases, from the look of it she'd packed a considerable amount. She smiled, not her usual bright energetic self but a sad smile. She looked into his eyes and then out the window into the rolling green hills.

"I don't know to be truthful, is that okay?" Ezra was taken aback. In all the years they'd been side by side she had never been unsure of anything. She looked conflicted.

"Of course." He whispered immediately, moving to embrace her in a hug as she started to cry again. "Anything you need." He gently eased her back down to the couch.

They ley embracing, Mara stretched out beside him with her head reating on his shoulders. He could feel her breasts pressed against his chest, her hard nipples pressing into him.

Her breathing was heavy, legs clamped together she looked serene but Ezra could tell she wanted to move. Throughout everything, partly thanks to the close proximity to his gorgeous sister, his insatiable morning wood throbbed with urgency.

He prayed she didn't notice but it was a vain hope. In this position, his groin was squarely pressed against her toned abdomen. A slight gasped breath escaped her lips, mouth slightly open as she pressed forward gently.

Ezra closed his eyes. Resisting the urge to thrust back against her. He almost jumped when she felt her hand nervously grasp him through his shorts. Her soft delicate hand enclosed around his covered length.

He screwed his eyes shut. He had to be dreaming. But he wasn't. Mara slowly became braver. Biting her lower lip, she stroked him with earnest. This continued for several minutes, bringing Ezra unbearably close to tye edge.

He reached out with a shaky hand. Finding her handful sized breasts waiting for him he ran his hands on the outside of her dress. Fingering her nipple he pinched it between two fingers. His heart lept when she bolted up. Eyes wided, she stared at him while her chest heaved with heavy breaths.

She looked beautiful then, he thought. Hair messily curled before her eyes, one strap of her dress hanging off her shoulder. But she was shaken. He could see the look in her eyes.

"I'm...I'm sorry," She stammered, pulling him closer to plant a gentle kiss on his lips before running off into the spare room.

To be continued...!