Still & Always

I could never have imagined how much my life was going to change when I took in Rory, my wayward niece. My sister Clara had called in her usual fashion, out of the blue and with an ulterior motive, telling me that she was at the end of her rope and flat out tired trying to raise her "Disrespectful, slut of a daughter." Honestly, I didn't want any part of the mess myself but I run a ranch in the middle of nowhere so I figured it wasn't going to be too much for a hot assed teenager to get into and honestly I could use some help getting other aspects of my house in order. So I reluctantly agreed to let Rory stay with me for the summer. One summer, three months, ninety days give or take. What's the worst thing that could happen?

Three short days after our agreement, Clara peeled into the driveway in her fancy Mercedes E 350 almost on two wheels. She hopped out immaculately dressed with flawless makeup to accentuate her features. She could have easily passed for 30, but she was quite a bit older, 44 to be exact. She hid it well largely due to our mixed African American heritage that she tried her best to deny. It was easy for her I suppose. She had inherited more of our mother's features, aquiline nose, sandy blond hair and even her blue-grey eyes. I on the other hand, though fair skinned, working out in the sun had turned my skin tone a golden caramel hue not to mention that I had inherited the thicker lips and broader nose characteristic of my black heritage.

"Carlos you just don't know how much I appreciate you agreeing to look after Rory for the next few months. I'm at my wits end," Clara cried dramatically while coming in to give me a hug.

"Well you said as much over the phone. I figure how bad can it be, not much to get into in this neck of the woods?"

"Humph, you'd be surprised, she answered doubtfully. Rory get out of the car and meet your Uncle Carlos or is that too much to ask?"

"Well you haven't asked me to do much of anything lately so I get a little confused when I'm given options," Rory responded snidely.

Whoa, shit. The last time I had seen Rory she couldn't have been more than 3 or 4 years old. I may have been 18 or 19 and wasn't impressed by the antics of toddlers in the least. Rory stepped out of the car in a thin white dress that fit her body like a glove. The sides of the dress had cutouts on the sides that made it pretty evident that she was naked underneath the garment. Her nipples obviously had a mind of their own as they strained against the fabric of the dress. Her face was enough to grab anyone's attention but her body, dear God in heaven was overkill. It's going to be hell keeping his ranch hands from sniffing around this one especially when she obviously wanted men to sniff.

"Don't be an asshole your entire life. This is my little brother Carlos. You'll spend the summer here and I hope you'll give him more respect than you give me."

"Whatever Clara," Rory said, rolling her eyes.

Clara started to say something to her daughter but must have thought better of it deciding to get in her car and deliver the pointed barb to her brother instead, "Carlos keep your keys close, your wallet closer, and know that she'll fuck anything with a wagging cock, Clara said before peeling out of the drive as quickly as she pulled in.

Jesus I think, mother/daughter relationship fucked up much?

* * * * *

"Let me show you around the place. It's pretty big but the design is simple. Here is the living room and kitchen. Lots of open space. The stairs over there lead to a den that also has some basic gym equipment if you're inclined to use them. There's also a pool out back. That door over there leads to my bedroom. There is a formal dining room just through that corridor. That door there stays closed for the most part. It leads to the rest of the house and is only used when entertaining guests. Over there is another set of stairs that will take you to four bedrooms and an office. Pick whatever room that suits you. There are clean linens in the closets of each room."

"So Uncle Carlos, when was the last time you cleaned this place? Jesus, your bachelorhood is showing," I said as my finger trailed a thick covering of dust.

"It's been a minute. Running a ranch is hard work. I wake up before daybreak and I don't usually come in until sundown. I'm not too keen on housework once I get in. I figure my homeless niece can earn her keep while she's here for the summer and create some order around this place."

"I'm not homeless, I had other places to go if your sister hadn't interfered, that's where I'd be. And if you think I'm going to sit here and be your goddamned maid then you're fucking crazy!"

I chuckled at her flippancy even as I felt the blood flood shamefully to my cock at her defiance and at noticing the deep rose hue of her nipples in that ridiculous excuse for a dress. I'm not a man used to people being blatantly disrespectful towards me or telling me what they're not going to do. My men don't do it and I'll be damned if my niece will.

"I really didn't think I'd be offering pearls quite so soon, but here it goes. First of all at 19 you're a grown ass woman and your mama can't legally make you do shit. Second, anywhere you go will come with a price tag- cold hard cash or exchange of a service. Here you'll be expected to clean the house and cook a few meals. Simple. I expect that you will keep your shitty attitude to yourself while you're doing it. If that's a problem Princess, then be my guest to walk out of those doors into the big bad world to explore all your other options. A pretty girl like you, with a body like that and no marketable skills to speak of, I can just imagine the nature of services you'd have to provide to survive. Just know that a nice body and a pretty face usually don't fare well for long under those types of arrangements especially with an attitude like yours. Now you can make yourself at home or you can find your way out. The choice is yours," I say with a nod as a walk out the front door and shut it behind me.

Jesus what the fuck was wrong with me? Was I really turned on by my niece? Dear God I was. My cock was throbbing in my jeans. I hadn't had sex in months, that's what it was. Or it could be that she had the body of a sex goddess- wide hips, tiny waist, fat ass, and juicy braless tits that jiggle when she walked. Clara's parting words and my own combined in my mind and now all I can think of is jamming my cock inside my niece's hot little pussy. I wanted to fuck that bad attitude right out of her have her crawling on her hands and knees begging for my cock. Before I know it I'm in my tool shed with the door shut beating one out with thoughts of my niece bent over with that little white dress gathered around her waist, her pink cunt exposed, beckoning me to fuck her raw and deep. I barely remain standing as I pump a load right on the scuffed wooden floors.

* * * * * * * * *

I pace the floors of my chosen bedroom to rid myself of pissed off energy that I can't get rid of in any other fun or productive ways. I'm pissed to be out here in the middle of Shittsville,USA. I'm pissed at Clara for being a lying cunt. I'm pissed at Uncle Carlos for being hot as all fuck. My nipples stood at attention from the minute I laid eyes on him and when he laid down the law! OMG, I think I got a little wet. But more than anything I'm pissed that he was right about my current predicament. Yea, I could have gone other places but it was pretty clear when I'd asked those assholes how they intended for me to "earn" my keep. Jared had offered to get me an apartment which told me all I needed to know about the lies he'd been feeding me for months. Single my ass! I wasn't going to be his dirty little secret no matter how lucrative it was. I'm far from virginal and even further from being a prude, but who, when, and why I fuck has to be my choice. So here I am, I think as I finally stop to take in my surroundings and realize this place really isn't so bad. It's a little rustic, a little dated, and a lot dusty but mostly it just needs a feminine touch.

On the bright side at least I could spend some time figuring out my shit without Clara breathing down my neck, because it had become abundantly clear that I had become a drag on my mom's social life. The two of us embodied the old saying that two grown women can't live in the same house. We bumped heads on everything. So, I decided that instead of being pissed off to be here that I could use this time to research my future business ventures and to just be myself. I had fed into Clara's narrative for too long. She loved to give anyone who would listen this impression of me as the out of control daughter putting her mother through all types of hell and that was a colossal lie.

Clara didn't have a problem with me fucking or anything else for that matter. How could she when she was barely home? And did I mention she's spreading plenty of pussy around the Dallas-Fortworth area herself? All the "problems" started when I turned 18 and Clara had walked in to find me getting fucked in the ass by Jared, a young attorney with a fat trust fund who she had blown off because she felt she'd found greener pastures. If Jared had been stingy and tight with his money, she wouldn't have cared. But he was quite generous, from the car he leased for me that she made me return, to the all expenses paid graduation vacation, and the Louis Vuitton bag with $2500 in it for my birthday. From that point on we'd been at each other's throats or more accurately she'd been at mine. I could have argued and stayed, but I realized it was time to get out on my own and create the life I wanted for myself. Clara would have all the freedom she needed to do the same.

* * * * *

Once I'd gotten my raging hardon under control I was able to think about this mess I'd gotten conned into. I wasn't a fool by a long shot and once I'd gotten a good look at my niece I was able to piece this puzzle together with ease. Hell a toddler could have figured it out. I love my sister despite her flaws and there were many. The worst was her vanity. I couldn't recall a time when they were growing up when she hadn't been the baddest bitch in the room. Being 9 years younger than her, all my friends had had major crushes on Clara much to my embarrassment and her delight. Now Rory had the same blue-grey eyes as her mother, but the rest of her looks could be credited to her father, Pietro Garcia.

Rory had the sultry looks of her Mexican heritage. Then there was her hot, toned,voluptuous body. No man would be able to see her and not take notice. Fuck, I'm her uncle and I can't even keep my thoughts from going into the gutter! I have to look out for Rory, he thought because Clara wasn't coming back in 3 months. She'd probably come up with an excuse. She'd claim to be out of town on an extended vacation or some bullshit. Truth was she didn't want to share the spotlight with her daughter because she'd only end up being an extra instead of the headliner.

The last thing I expected when I got home was to smell the clean smell of lemons or to see Rory padding around the kitchen like Little Suzy Homemaker but that is exactly what I got. Well maybe not Suzy. I picture Suzy as being a little more wholesome with a dress and apron. Rory had on Daisy Dukes that allowed most of her ass to hang out and a crop t-shirt that displayed the underside of her breasts whenever she elevated her arms.

"Hi, Rory said while pulling something that looked like a pie out of the oven. Everything is almost ready. You didn't have much for me to work with but I made homemade chili with Mexican cornbread and a peach cobbler for dessert."

"Wait, whose child are you? Clara can't cook to save her life."

"No she can't so I had to learn or eat nuggets and fish sticks everyday. Mostly I taught myself so I could feel like I had a life like other kids."

"Well if everything tastes like it smells then I'm glad you learned, but it sucks that those were the circumstances that made you learn."

I had to avert my gaze for a second to collect myself. Most people don't get how much it had hurt to feel in the way and neglected growing up. My friends only thought it was cool because of what I could get away with. Want to smoke weed? Go to Rory's house. Want to have a party? Call Rory. Want some place to fuck? Rory's mom is never home. They didn't know how much I had wanted a place with rules and parental boundaries. They had no clue how much I'd wanted someone to care.

"I'm sorry for earlier. I was a bitch, but in my defense Clara brings out the worst in me."

"I definitely saw that. Apology accepted."

"Would you like me to fix your plate before I go upstairs?"

"No, I'd like you to sit at the table and eat with me, but first let me grab a quick shower."

I can't believe I'm so nervous to sit across from a guy for dinner. It's not like I haven't done it before, wait on second thought I haven't. But this isn't a regular guy or a date but oddly it kind of feels like one or what I'd imagine a date would feel like. We talk and to say we don't really know each other I find talking with my uncle relaxed and easy.

"You eat like a bird," Carlos noted.

"No, I just don't eat like a man. I usually drink a smoothie or a latte at home," I explained.

"So are you one of those girls who is always on a perpetual diet?"

"No, I exercise regularly so I'm not obsessed about what I eat, but I do like my body so I'm conscious of what I put in it. I try to eat as little processed food as possible and keep my carbs under 100 grams a day on days when I don't workout."

"I can tell you like your body," Carlos laughed.

"Hey what does that mean?" I ask, already feeling defensive.

"It's kind of obvious when you don't put much on it," Carlos answered

"Well that sounds judgmental and here I am thinking you're nothing like your sister."

"Actually I'm not like her. I'll bet Clara never said a word about your clothes until they started getting you more attention than her."

"No, I say with a pregnant pause she didn't."

"But she should have, Carlos answered gently. So do you have any clothes that don't let it all hang out?"

"Not really. I might have packed a sundress or something," she answered sullenly.

"I have some time tomorrow. We can go to town, grab groceries and some other things that you'll need while you're here."

"That will be about 5-6 months if you don't mind."

"Clara said three, but I figured she might not stick with that timeline, '' Carlos answered matter of factly.

"I doubt she's coming back and I'm okay with that. We're like oil and water and I don't want to go back to that. It's not conducive to my mental well-being or her's for that matter."

"So what's your plan?" Carlos asked.

"Well a friend from school is looking for a third roommate once the new semester starts. I plan to go back to school on campus instead of online to save money. I'll get a job to pay my portion of the rent. Between the three of us we'll pay about $800 a month each which I think is doable."

"Good I'm glad to hear you're making plans for yourself. What's your major?"

"Interior design and business with a minor in accounting."

"So that seems pretty mapped out what do you want to do when you graduate?"

"Well I plan to start my online boutique in another year. I've saved up about twenty thousand so far to start. I won't cost much to start but it will take some time to get the social media following I'd like to have. Hence the need to keep my body tight and toned. You have to look good in what you plan to sell."

"Beauty and brains. You should showcase that other side more."

"I started dressing this way mostly to get Clara to notice me, not guys. Back then all I wanted was a parent especially since I had already lost my dad but she continued to ignore me. She only started to pay attention when her boyfriends did. I was starving for attention in any form- negative or positive so from there it became an act of defiance, something to piss her off. The men noticing well it's like you said nothing is free. They got sex and for a little while I got to not feel so alone. Exchange of a service right," she said with feigned lightheartedness.

"I'm sorry about that," I said, feeling like a dick now seeing the pain and sadness in her eyes. I remember Pietro doted on her as a child. I can't imagine losing that level of affection at 10 years old and only being left with my sister to fill the gaps.

"Don't be sorry, you were right. I'm an adult. It's time to start acting like one, shitty childhood or not. The rest of my life is what I make of it," Rory said with a shrug.

"Well, that's certainly a mature way of looking at things, there may be hope for you yet," I say hoping to lighten the mood of the room. So, how about I help you clean up?" Carlos offered.

"No, it's fine. I'm sure you're tired," Rory assured.

"Okay, well thank you. Dinner was delicious, Carlos said as he opened the door to his bedroom. Hey Rory, you're beautiful you know. Absolutely stunning. I doubt my sister ever said it because she probably treated you as her competition instead of her kid, but still she should have told you. Good night," he said as he quietly shut the door behind him.

"Thank you. Good night Uncle Carlos."

* * * * *

After seven weeks I've created as much order as the place needs. It honestly didn't need much, just dusting and a little TLC. A few throw pillows, some candles, a large area rug and some splashes of color made the place feel like a home instead of a dusty barn. With all the changes I still felt like the place was missing something. I was so focused on trying to figure it out that I didn't hear Carlos come out of his bedroom.

"You're good at this," he said with his rich, deep voice that sends shivers down my spine.

"Jesus you scared the shit out of me," I said with a feigned start.

"Sorry, not sorry. It's a shame dont you think?

"What's a shame?"

"That you've done all this work improving the place and your smile is the prettiest thing in the room."

"Stop, you're making me blush," I say as I try to ignore the butterflies that settle in my belly when he's near. He's my uncle but damned if my feelings are familial. "I feel like this space is missing something, what do you think?" I asked.

God, she is so beautiful and so sweet. Her shy vulnerability calls to me, makes me want her in ways that I know are impossible. "I think that I'll get whatever you tell me once you figure it out," Carlos said, easily sidestepping a subject he knew nothing about.

"Not the answer I was looking for, but a good answer. You'll make a great husband someday," I laughed.

"I don't know about all of that," Carlos said.

"Why do you say that? You're definitely handsome, sexy as hell, smart, hardworking, kind, a good listener, caring, and pretty indulgent. Any woman would be lucky to have you." I blush when I realize the enormity of what I've said. The air between us is pregnant with tense silence.

It's Carlos who breaks the tension. "So we're giving compliments tonight?" He asks, but his voice has changed, it's deeper, huskier. The sound of it sends an ache of want down to the core of me. "Well if so, I can't let you beat me. So what are you going to do with all of this?"

"All of what?" I ask, not at all sure of where he's going with this.

"All of this untapped talent. You're a great cook, baker, decorator, organizer, and crafter.

I laugh at that. "So basically you're saying I'd make a good housewife? There are quite a few guys who'd disagree with that. You know the saying can't turn a hoe into a housewife."

"Don't you do that. Don't downgrade yourself. They got what they were looking for. They didn't want more so you weren't required to give more," Carlos said angrily.