Thanksgiving Tradition

Chapter 1: The Ambush

The sound of the tires on the snow-covered gravel echoed off the cabin as the car came to a stop. Matt Rittell leaned down to peer out the passenger window to the structure he had hoped to find dark and quiet. Instead, light bathed the farmer's porch of the large cabin near the door, and smoke flowed from the chimney of the family room fireplace. He leaned his forehead against the steering wheel and shut his eyes, muttering. After a sigh, he turned off the engine and stepped out.

The snow had made the path to the front door slippery, and the bags he carried made the short walk treacherous. He reached for the doorknob as it was his cabin as much as anybody's but pulled his hand back. The wind, bitter now that the sun had set, began chilling his ears and the back of his neck. He turned, looked at the car and its fresh tracks, and took the first step down the stairs, ready to wrestle the bags back into the trunk and forget the whole thing.

Just as he passed the last stair and touched the ground, the cabin's front door opened, and a woman appeared.

"Matty?"

Matt turned to face her. "Hello Julia," he said.

Julia Williams chuckled. "Well, don't just stand there. Come on in!"

He adjusted the bags hanging from his shoulder and retraced his steps back to the front door and in. Julia closed the door behind him.

"Matty, you're freezing! How long were you standing there?" She began brushing snowflakes from his jacket.

"Not long," he said. "I just got here."

She shook her head. "And almost left again, I think." She glanced out the window. "Where is Beth?" She asked.

Matt heaved his bags to the floor and pulled off his coat. "Beth left me, and she moved back with her parents."

Julia's face fell. "I'm so sorry, Matt. When?"

"A month ago," he said.

Julia embraced him, patting his back. "Get your shoes off and warm up," she said. "I've got the fire going."

Matt pulled off his shoes, grabbed a canvas bag, and followed her into the family room. He stopped at the bar area to unload the liquor.

"Somebody's gone shopping," she said. Then she watched bottle after bottle line the bar. "You rob a liquor store?"

Matt shrugged. "I was feeling sorry for myself when I shopped." He looked at the collection. "It isn't like Scotch goes bad," he said.

Julia sat on the loveseat facing the fire and patted the empty seat, and Matt obliged and seated himself but failed to make eye contact.

"You were thinking about bolting, weren't you," she said.

He leaned back, rubbed his hands on his thighs, and said, "I considered it. I didn't want to be a third wheel with you and Jim." Matt looked around. "Where is Jim?"

"Business trip," Julia said matter-of-factly.

"On the Monday before Thanksgiving?"

"Oh," said Julia. "Did I say business trip? I meant he's fucking his ski bunny in Vale."

"Shit, Julia, I'm sorry. Has this been going on long?" Matt finally looked at her, reaching for her hand, and she took it and shrugged.

"Yes and no," she said. "Before the ski bunny, it was a flight attendant; before that, it was a woman from his squash club."

He shook his head. "Christ, Julia, why are you still married to him?"

"I won't be for long," she said. "I got the divorce started before driving up here. I've got enough on him that he should be willing to agree to a big fat settlement. At least, I hope so."

"So it's just the two of us? Just the two cousins hanging out together again? That sounds nice," he said.

She squeezed his hand. "It does, doesn't it?" she said. "But we're not kids anymore, so I can say this: get me a goddamn drink!"

Matt stood. "I thought you'd never ask," he said.

The bar was along the right wall when facing the fireplace. He took his glass, found a second for Julia, and put two fingers of single malt into both. When he returned to her, she took the glass, motioned for him to lean down, and kissed his cheek.

"I'm glad you came," she said. "I was worried something was wrong when I didn't hear from you for months. I came early, just in case."

Matt smiled for the first time the whole trip. "It's a family tradition. Our moms inherited the property from their parents, and now it's our place, the two cousins. We're all that's left. I don't know. It felt like I was on autopilot. I packed my bags last night, got up, and drove here. It's Thanksgiving, and this is where I'm supposed to be."

He returned to the loveseat, and Julia tipped her glass toward him. They clinked them and sipped.

Julia closed her eyes. "You always bought the good stuff," she said. "Did you eat? I didn't even think, and I brought some food. Do you want me to make you something?"

He sipped. "I ate on the road. Thanks. We can go to the store tomorrow and figure out what we need for the week. When are you going back?"

"Not until Sunday," she said. "So you're stuck with me for a week."

He smiled. They clinked glasses again and sipped.

"Well," she said, "if you're not going to eat, then at least get settled in. Your bags are still by the door. Why don't you haul all your stuff to your bedroom, change into something more comfortable, and I'll meet you back here."

Matt stood and stretched. "Good idea."

Twenty minutes later, Matt returned to find Julia stretched out on a blanket spread on the floor. She was wearing a dark kimono robe adorned with cherry blossoms draped over her as she leaned against the front of the loveseat, her feet close to the fire.

Matt returned wearing a T-shirt and running shorts. He stood before Julia and smiled.

"Just like when we were kids," he said. "I like it."

"Even better now," she replied, "because we have booze."

He snickered and turned his attention to the fire, adding a few logs and poking the arrangement until it returned to life. Then he settled beside her and looked relaxed for the first time since his arrival.

"Just the two of us on the floor with the blanket," he said. "Just like when we were kids."

She smiled and said, "But no other pesky adults now. It's just us. Cozy."

Matt drained his second drink, then rose to refill it. "Can I get you anything?" He asked while pouring another couple of fingers for himself.

"No," she said. "I've got another idea."

The room was illuminated only by firelight. Matt stood for a moment by the bar and looked at his cousin. She was beautiful, her kimono flowing just below her perfect ass, barely containing her tits. Her dark blonde hair was just above shoulder length, framing her face and contrasting with her bright, penetrating eyes. As a child, she had always been pretty, and now she appeared as a goddess.

As Matt settled back in with his drink, Julia opened a drawer and found a small box. She extracted a joint and looked at Matt. "Want to share?" She said.

"I'm sticking with the single malt tonight," he said.

"Your loss," she said, "and lit it. She inhaled deeply, held it, and blew a stream toward the corner of the room.

They were quiet for a time, then she giggled and said, "You're staring at my boobs again."

Snickers turned into laughter. "Remember when we were kids?" She said.

"I was ten!" He said, hands before him to ward off the attack.

Julia roared. "I came over that summer. You were ten, I was thirteen, and you were dumbfounded. I had boobs! Boobs!"

"I had no idea what to think. Here's my cousin, my best friend, my video game partner for my whole life, and suddenly she has boobs!"

"Boobs!" She shouted to the ceiling.

More laughter. Matt continued, "Adults had boobs. But you were just Julia, another kid, and there they were."

"We finally got the game console going, and you were fine while we were playing, but as soon as we stopped, you just stared at my boobs and wouldn't say a word."

Matt took another swig and shouted, "Boobs!"

"Boobs!" She replied, laughing.

They settled down, and Matt spoke again. "You were always just out of reach," he said.

Julia looked confused.

"When I was ten, you were becoming an adult. In high school, I thought you were the most beautiful girl in the world, but you were in college. When I was in college, you started your career and married some rich guy, and I was always left behind."

"I didn't know you felt that way," she said.

They were quiet for a while, and Julia reached into the drawer again. "Don't make fun of me," she said. "I like to smoke when I'm high. It relaxes me."

Matt watched her extract a cigarette from the pack and light it.

"You're staring again," she said. "What do you see?"

Matt took a deep breath. "I see a film noir starlet, a femme fatale, mysterious, beautiful, seductive, languidly smoking while plotting her next heist or blackmail, her kimono draped over her perfect body, her breasts, her ass, giving zero fucks for anything that doesn't fit her plans, and needing no man to survive."

Julia took another drag. "Remind me to buy you more Scotch. I like this new you."

Matt looked at his glass before taking another sip. "The Scotch just loosened the tongue. I've thought that about you for a long time."

Julia stubbed out her cigarette and stood, moving over Matt and setting aside his drink. Then she lowered herself to his lap, straddling him, and placed her arms around his neck.

"And what if I told you that I got the courage to divorce my husband because I finally realized that Matt would never treat me that way, that Matt is honest, strong, and faithful to a fault? I've seen what a good man looks like and how a good man acts. I wanted a good man."

She kissed him. He stiffened. Undeterred, she touched his cheek and said, "You're still catching up, aren't you?"

He shrugged and smiled. "I guess I'm always a little behind," he said, wrapping his arms around her and drawing her in. The kisses were gentle at first but soon became passionate. Julia slipped her kimono open, and Matt's eyes were drawn to her breasts.

"Still staring," she said with a giggle.

"God, Julia, they're perfect!" He said, reaching into the kimono to lift a breast before gently dragging his thumb across her nipple."

She threw her head back and hummed. Then she looked into his eyes again and spoke. "You're OK with kissing cousins?"

He dropped his hands and cupped her ass before kissing her again.

Julia pulled the kimono completely open, letting it drape off her shoulders. She was silhouetted against the firelight, her body warm, her hands on his torso, in his hair, and holding his head as they kissed.

Matt's hands rested on her hips, pulling them achingly, desperately. Then he broke the kiss and looked into her eyes. "Are you sure?" He said.

She kissed him gently, leaned her forehead to his, and whispered, "Yes. Please."

"I didn't think to bring protection," he said.

"Jim didn't want children," she said. "My tubes were tied two years ago."

He kissed her while her hands dropped into his lap, feeling his hardness growing.

"I think I should lie down," he said.

She smiled and moved off of him. He stretched out on the blanket before the fire and looked up at her kneeling above him. She dropped to kiss him and then began pulling at his shorts. Matt lifted his ass, and she giggled, pulling them off and tossing them aside. He quickly disposed of his T-shirt.

"Wow," she said. "Matty is all grown up." Then she grasped his cock and began sucking it, and she jacked it using her saliva as a lubricant until he was hard.

She straddled him and looked down. Matt's eyes were wide. "I'm high," she said, "and impatient. I want your cock in me, and I want to feel you cum. Don't hold back. Cum for me, baby."

She reached behind herself to grasp his dick, and after a few passes by her opening to get it slick, she impaled herself on it, sinking until her ass met his thighs. Then she rode it, his hands on her waist, her tits floating above him, and her eyes locked on his. Her pace quickened as she transitioned from pumping him up and down to moving her hips forward and back, dragging her pussy and clit over him, his cock snapping forward and back inside her, her hands on his chest, nails scraping and digging as the fucking became more frantic.

Forward and back, over and over, grinding, friction between bodies, hot and hard. Then she lifted herself and began slamming down on him, burying him inside, her face desperate.

"Oh, fuck," she shouted as she returned to the forward and back motion, sitting up straight, hands in her hair, pulling her nipples, and in her mouth as she sucked her fingers. His hands again rested on her hips, encouraging her grinding.

"Julia," he said, "I'm going to cum. I can't hold back."

"Oh!" She said. "Yes. Cum for me, baby. I want it. I want to feel it!"

When his first jet erupted, she stopped, threw her head back, and closed her eyes. Then she moved back and forth slowly as he continued to fill her.

After a few moments, she kissed him and rested her head on his chest, his cock still buried in her.

He brushed the hair from her face and said, "That was amazing. You're amazing."

She chuckled. "I am good, aren't I?" Then she lifted herself and looked down upon him. "And so are you. I'm going to shower. Meet me in the bedroom, and don't make me wait."

He watched her go, staring at her ass as it swayed in the firelight until it disappeared down the hall. He stood, found his drink, and downed it before heading to the other bathroom.

Chapter 2: Confessions

It had been a long drive, and his back was sticky from his sweat in the car and the antics on the blanket. After his shower, he shaved, hoping to avoid scratching should he go down on her. He stood momentarily wondering what to wear, finally deciding nothing was appropriate and walking to the big bedroom naked. There Julia stood.

"Nothing for you, either?" She said. "Negligees are sexy, but they just get in the way when things get going."

Julia switched off the lamp, but the nightlight in the bathroom dimly lit the room. She pulled the covers back and slid to the center of the bed, and Matt crawled in after her and kneeled between her legs. Julia lifted her knees and hooked her ankles around his ass as he slid forward. He leaned down and kissed her gently before raising himself again.

"Julia," he said, "please, you've had a lot to drink and got high. Tell me this isn't something you'll regret in the morning."

She adjusted the pillow behind her head. "Yes," she said, "I drank a lot of Scotch and had that joint, but I was afraid the idea would repulse you. I needed to work up the courage." She rubbed his thigh. "I've been fantasizing about you for years, thinking of you every time my bastard of a husband did something awful. Why couldn't I have a man like you? So, no, this wasn't impulsive, and I'll regret nothing so long as you still love me."

"You're sure," he said.

"Matt, I love--" then she stopped.

He hung his head for a moment. Then spoke softly. "It's more complicated now, isn't it? We could say 'I love you' to each other without thinking. Now you can't say it, because it might mean you are in love with me. Is that it?"

"Matt, that's not fair," she said. "I still love you the way I always have, and I don't want things to change, but I do want them to change. I don't know what I'm saying."

He sighed, leaned forward again, and kissed her. "I know what you're saying," he whispered. "You don't want to lose anything we had but want more. Right?"

Her eyes locked to his in the dim light, and a tear formed in the corner of her eye. "Yes," she said. "I want more. I want you, Matt. Is that selfish? Could you want me?"

He straightened again and smiled. "Is that a proposal?"

"Don't make fun of me!" She cried. Her arms flailed like she wanted to slug him.

He caught her wrists and held her down as they did as children. "Julia! I'm not making fun of you and trying to understand where you think this can go. We've been together for twenty-five-plus years. In a sense, we've dated longer than most people are married. Is that what you want? Are you serious about being with me forever?"

Her response was more of a whimper. "Yes," she said. "I know it's selfish. Is it crazy?"

"Are you in love with me, Julia? I need you to tell me, to be honest with me."

Julia reached for him, and he leaned down to her embrace. He slid his arms behind her shoulders as she squeezed and sobbed quietly into his neck. "I didn't mean to spring this on you," she said.

He held her tightly and said, "It's alright. But you'll have to give me a little time to catch up. Can you do that?"

She was still hiding in the nape of his neck but nodded and petted his hair. "I don't think I can say it out loud until I know you'll say it back to me," she said. "I'm afraid."

He chuckled. "After all this time, do you think I could deny you anything?"

She released him, and he raised himself on his elbows, his face inches from hers. She could see him smiling.

"Could you really want me?" She asked. "I mean, I'm starting to get a little saggy, my boobs kind of flop to the sides now when I lie down, and my butt is too big."

Matt shook his head. "You are drop-dead gorgeous to me."

"No," she said. "Look at my boobs all floppy." She pressed her arms to her sides to stand them on her chest. Then she pouted. "See?"

He leaned down, traced an areola with his tongue, then gently sucked a nipple into his mouth. Julia gasped. He released her boob, then glanced up at her, letting his warm breath blow over the now moist nipple.

"You know I've had a few women in my life," he said. "I know how things work, how boobs react to gravity, and that girls are not made of sugar, spice, and everything nice. I'm not holding you to some ridiculous set of standards, and I hope you won't do that to me, either. Your boobs and your ass are amazing. You're a beautiful woman, and I would be a very lucky man to have you in my life."

"Matt?"

"Yes?"

"I need you to make love to me, and then I need you to hold me while I sleep. I'm so tired," she said.

"Of course," he said.

She smiled. "Then scoot up here so I can suck that dick."

He moved forward until his cock was in her mouth, and her hands were on his ass, her perfect tits below him. She sucked and licked while encouraging him to slide in and out of her mouth as he got hard, gently fucking her face. When he was hard he slid back down and knelt before her pussy, her ankles pulling on his ass encouraging him to enter. When he slid in, bumping his crotch to hers, she gasped, reaching for his biceps. Leaning forward, arms stiff, he hung his head over hers and began fucking her slowly, methodically, feeling every inch of her, watching her breasts float on her chest back and forth, side to side, as the pace quickened.

She said she wanted to make love, but both clearly wanted a good hard fucking. "God, yes," she cried. "Pound that pussy! I want to fall asleep with your cum dripping out of me. I love you, Matt! I do! I love your arms and your cock and your smile and everything. Oh, shit!"

Matt was hanging over her, slamming into her, growling, sweating, leaning his forehead to touch hers. Julia's ankles rode his ass, rotating her own ass to maximize penetration.

"Fuck!" He grunted.

"Cum in me, Matt. I love you! I want your cum!" She said through a grimace. "Give it to me!" It was a demand, not a request.

His balls began to empty, and Julia's ankles locked the two of them together. For the second time that night, Matt felt the joy and freedom of his orgasm, clearing his mind of Beth and divorce and the feelings of failure and rejection.

"I love you," she said, touching his cheek.

"I love you, too," he said, "and that means everything you want it to mean."

Chapter 3: Morning

Matt woke in an empty bed. Blurry-eyed, he said, "Julia?"

He found his running shorts and walked to the main room to find the fire roaring and heating the open area. Julia was in the kitchen beyond wearing little but an apron.