She’d tried to call to let him know about her cross-country move, but of course she couldn’t reach him. She should have taken the hint.
He was busy avoiding me. Just like he always does. Like he probably is now, if he’s even home.
She knocked once more before turning away. At least no one could say she hadn’t tried…
“Leah! What are you doing here?” Framed in the doorway by pale golden light, her big brother looked like some otherworldly being.
“I came…I came…” Leah’s tongue had somehow tied itself in knots. Her heart started pounding, and her palms went damp. What was wrong with her, anyway? It didn’t matter how perfect he looked; he was still just her brother.
Then Owen ran a hand through his hair, rumpling it up and destroying the illusion of celestial beauty. His plain green scrubs with the TGH logo stitched on one arm, completed his transformation to mere human. “You’d better come in,” he said gruffly. “You’re going to get soaked.”
“I’m already soaked,” Leah said, brushing past him. Was it her imagination, or had he pressed his back against the doorjamb, trying not to have any contact with her when she passed by? Why was he always so touch-me-not? He hadn’t been like that when they were kids.
She stepped into his loft and pushed her wet hair out of her eyes to look around. High ceilings made the large, open space soar, and the few pieces of furniture scattered around were black leather and obviously expensive. This was the first time she’d been in his home since he’d moved away from their parents’ house, and it looked like he had good taste. Of course, as a doctor, he could afford to.
“Nice,” she murmured. “Very nice.”
“So glad you approve.” He was frowning; his arms crossed over his broad, muscular chest. When she was younger, his chest had been her favorite place to lay her head when she needed comfort or affection. But now Leah couldn’t imagine a less comforting or affectionate sight than her big brother standing there, frowning down at her. “Let me repeat, what are you doing here?”
“I moved to Tampa.” Leah had meant the words to come out bright and enthusiastic, but somehow they fell flat. But she couldn’t stop now. “James and I broke up, and I was so lonely, and I thought it would be nice to live near family, and besides, USF has an excellent doctoral program in religious folklore and legends. I couldn’t get into the program this semester on such short notice, but I’m taking a few classes, and I found a professor who will take me on as a TA, so I…” Owen was glaring at her.
“You moved here?” His voice was thick with disbelief and displeasure.
Leah knew she shouldn’t have expected any other reaction, but she couldn’t help the sinking feeling in her stomach. Still, she lifted her chin and stared him in the eyes. “Yes, I moved here. What, I’m not allowed to live in the same city as you?”
“Leah, you shouldn’t even be on the same side of the country as me, let alone—” He broke off, shaking his head. “Never mind. But why didn’t you at least tell me before you made such a huge change?”
“You mean so you could talk me out of it?” she demanded.
“I never said that, but it’s a big decision. You should have called.”
Suddenly all the anger she’d been bottling up came pouring out. “I tried to. I’ve been calling you over and over, but you never answer the phone or return any voice messages. Just once it would be nice if you weren’t too busy to get back to me, but I guess that’s never going to happen, is it? You’re being so busy is why you didn’t find out about Mom’s cancer until the day before she died.”
Leah slapped a hand over her mouth. Too far. She’d gone too far. She always did when she fought with Owen, always said the most hurtful thing without thinking. “Oh God,” she whispered, wrapping her arms around herself. “Owen, I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean that.”
“No, it’s okay.” His voice was quiet and stoic, but the pain in his eyes was as sharp as a scalpel. “You’re right. I should have gotten back to you earlier. I’m the one who ought to be sorry.”
“You don’t have to be.”
“Yes, I do.” Owen shook his head. “You shouldn’t have had to go through that alone. It was wrong of me to make you.”
“You were busy,” Leah said, wondering why she was making excuses for him.
“I shouldn’t have been too busy to return your calls.”
“I forgive you.” Leah held herself tighter, trying not to shiver. She’d been thoroughly soaked and the AC had just kicked in, blowing a gust of cold air right at her. “For that, anyway,” she added. But not for the funeral. Not for the way you looked right through me when I needed you, needed the comfort of your arms around me so badly…
“Thank you.” Owen finally seemed to realize she was cold. “Here, get out from under the vent before you get pneumonia.” He gestured her farther into the loft, still carefully not touching her.
“Th-thanks.” Leah sneezed into her cupped hand and then sniffled. “You have it like the Arctic in here.”
“I like to keep it cold. You want me to get you a towel?”
“Sure, if you don’t mind. I, uh”—Leah shifted from foot to foot—“I was kind of hoping I could stay here tonight. There’s some kind of convention in town, and all the motels around the airport were booked solid.”
Owen gave her a wary look, as though she’d asked if she could keep an armed bomb at his house. “I don’t know…”
“Please.” Leah didn’t like to beg, but it was late, and she didn’t know the area. “I won’t be any trouble or keep you up or anything,” she said pleadingly. “I can be out of your hair tomorrow morning as early as you like, I promise.”
He sighed, and an expression she couldn’t interpret crossed his face. “All right. I’m sorry I was hesitant. It’s just…”
“Just what?” Leah prompted.
“Just nothing.” Owen glanced away. “I have a surgery tomorrow, so I have to be up early.”
“I completely understand. I…I—Achoo!” The second sneeze caught her by surprise. “Sorry.”
He frowned. “Let me get you that towel, and then you should probably change into some dry clothes.”
“I’d love to if I could,” she said, trailing him across the broad open living area to a narrow hallway with just two doors. “But the stupid airline lost my luggage.”
“Really?” He opened the first door—the bathroom—and tossed her a fluffy green towel. Leah gratefully used it to blot her dripping face and hair.
“Would I make something like that up? I literally have nothing but the clothes on my back—not until they find my luggage or the stuff I shipped from Sacramento gets here.”
“And when will that be?”
Leah shrugged. “A few weeks. I told the shipping company to take its time so I’d have a chance to find a place.”
“So you don’t even have an apartment lined up yet?” He was doing the incredulous-big-brother thing again, which really got on her nerves.
“No, I don’t,” Leah snapped. She sneezed again and sighed. “Look, don’t worry. I’m not expecting to live here with you. I’ll find a place.”
Owen frowned. “That might be easier said than done, especially around the USF area. The semester’s about to start; most of the apartments in the safer areas are probably taken.”
“I’ll find something,” Leah repeated. “Since you’ve decided to let me stay here instead of casting me back out into the dark and stormy night, do you think I could take a quick shower? I’m freezing, and I think it might help me warm up.”
His dark blue eyes flickered over her shivering frame. “You should take a bath instead. It’ll bring up your core temperature.”
“Fine. A bath, a shower. Whatever.” Leah gestured impatiently. “Is it all right with you?”
“Sure. Of course it is.” He stepped out of the bathroom doorway and gestured for her to go in. “Help yourself. And let me know if you need anything else.”
“I will. Thank you,”
Leah added as she shut the door. But she couldn’t help noticing the way he had followed her with his eyes or the quick way he’d stepped back to keep from touching her as she went past. Why had he built this invisible barrier between them, one she couldn’t break down, no matter how hard she tried?
Chapter Three
Owen slumped at his desk again, head in hands, the surgical patient’s chart forgotten. Oh God, why, why had she turned up at his door tonight of all nights? It would be bad enough if she were just in Tampa for a visit. But no. She’d actually packed her bags and moved here. And now she was in his home, in his tub, naked and wet and—He pushed the thought away fiercely. She’s your sister, for God’s sake. Get ahold of yourself!
But he couldn’t shake the mental image of Leah undressing. Her nipples would be hard and rosy from the cold, and she would shiver as she peeled off her sodden clothes, revealing her smooth, creamy skin. It looked so soft, so touchable, but Owen wouldn’t know about that. He hadn’t dared to touch her in years. Not since that first Christmas break when he’d come back from college…
* * *
“Owen’s home! Owen’s home!” Leah’s voice echoed through the house as he put his key in the lock, and he knew she’d been waiting for him. He couldn’t help smiling as he pictured her—flushed cheeks and bright eyes, hair pulled back in a blonde ponytail that bounced constantly because she was so full of energy, she could never sit still. She would be wearing her favorite ragged jeans with the hole in the knee and a T-shirt from one of the many concerts they’d attended together.
God, he’d missed her so much. Despite their age difference and the fact that he was off at college, he considered Leah his best friend—not that he would ever admit it to any of the guys he hung around with. How stupid would it sound saying you’d rather hang out with your fifteen-year-old sister than anyone else in the world? And yet it was true.
From the minute his parents had brought Leah home, he’d had a special affection for her. It was like she was a part of him—a part of his heart that had been missing and had finally been restored. Growing up, they had never fought like other siblings. Instead they had confided in each other, played the same games, read the same books. And Owen had protected her fiercely—not that Leah couldn’t stand up for herself. She was a regular little spitfire who never backed down from a challenge. It was one of the things Owen admired about his sister—one of the many things.
So it was with joy and anticipation that he threw open the door and yelled, “Hey, little sister, I’m home!”
“Owen!” She threw herself into his arms, and he hugged her tight. He picked her up and twirled her around and around, causing a storm of giggles. “Stop it. I’m getting dizzy!” she protested, and he finally put her down.
It wasn’t until he stepped back to look at her that he noticed something was wrong. “Uh…Leah?” he said uncertainly, because Leah looked…different.
Instead of torn jeans and a ragged T-shirt, she was wearing a blue silk sheath dress with a V-neck and a short hem that showed off her long legs. The color of the silk brought out her eyes, and her hair was down around her shoulders in golden waves instead of up in its usual ponytail. Worst of all, she had somehow grown breasts.
Leah was a late bloomer and had complained since she was eleven about her flat chest. Owen had told her time and again not to worry about it. “Guys will like you for who you are, not for what you look like.”
“Oh, Owen, you’re the only guy I know who thinks like that. Everyone else wants a girl with big boobs. At least, all the guys in my school do.”
He’d hugged her and told her guys like that were jerks, that she would find someone who’d love her for who she was. “Just like I do,” he’d added, kissing her cheek. “You’re beautiful just the way you are, Leah. Don’t let it bother you.”
Well, it looked like she didn’t have to worry anymore, Owen thought, eyeing the front of her dress. When he had left for the fall semester, she’d been flat enough to make a wall jealous. But now…now the V-neckline she wore revealed the creamy curves of fully developed breasts. She has to be a C cup at least. Maybe a D, he thought uneasily. He could see the sharp little points of her nipples poking out from under the blue silk. Was she even wearing a bra? How could something like that—such a profound change—happen in four short months? Her hips were curved too, sloping outward from her tiny, neat waist and down to her long, shapely legs. The overall effect was stunning.
She’s…beautiful. Absolutely beautiful, Owen thought. The realization hit him with the force of a runaway train, making him feel weak and disoriented. Where was his innocent, sexless little sister, and who was this lovely, enticing creature who had taken her place?
“Do you like it?” Leah, in her innocence, obviously thought he was admiring her dress and not what lay beneath it. “Mom let me buy it especially for our family picture this year. Which we’re about to take, so hurry up and get dressed.” She grabbed his arm and tugged him down the front hallway. Owen went with her, too startled to protest.
At the door to his bedroom, still decorated with posters from their latest concert, she put her arms around his neck again. This time he felt the press of her breasts against his chest. “I missed you, big brother,” she whispered and placed a kiss on the corner of his mouth. “I’m so glad you’re home for a while. There’s so much I want to do with you.”
Unfortunately Owen found there was a lot he wanted to do too—none of it legal. If only he could stop looking at Leah, at her new body and gorgeous curves. But it was impossible.
He tried not to think about it, tried to make conversation with his parents about college and the premed classes he was taking as they drove down to the portrait studio in the local mall. He was dressed in his best suit, the tie choking him and the pants too tight, and he tried hard to ignore Leah, who was sitting right beside him on the minivan seat. I’m fine. It’s all fine. He chanted it over and over in his head and was almost beginning to believe it, until they got to the studio and sat for the picture.
The family picture wasn’t so bad. Dad and Mom in the back, he and Leah in the front. A couple of quick shots and they should have been done. But then the photographer started talking about the special they had going—three poses for the price of one. One of the parents together and one with the doting big brother and the sweet little sister, he suggested. Before Owen could object, his parents agreed.
“All right now, little lady, are you and your brother close?” The photographer was busy rearranging the props and putting out a low leather stool that was almost an ottoman for them to pose on.
Leah blushed. “Owen’s my best friend.”
“Is that right? Aren’t you two lucky to have each other, then?” The man smiled impersonally and nodded at the stool. “Okay, then. Let’s have a shot of the two kids together.”
“That’s a great idea!” Leah beamed at Owen. “I know, Owen—you sit on the stool, and I’ll sit on your lap.”
“I don’t know.” Owen eyed the stool warily, as though it were a cage full of hungry lions. In fact, at that moment he felt like he would much rather face a cage of starving carnivores than let his sister get close to him again.
“What’s wrong, Owen?” His mother looked at him in concern.
Oh nothing, Mom. I’ve just developed an incredibly strong and illegal attraction to my own sister. No big deal. Yeah, right. That would go down really well. He had to think of some other excuse—and quickly—since everyone was staring at him.
“It’s just that…Leah’s all grown up now,” he said, sounding foolish and stilted even to himself. “I mean, a pose like that will make her look like she’s still a little girl.”
“Don’t be silly.” Leah grinned, grabbed his hand, and pulled him toward the center of the room, where the stool sat waiting. “I’m all dressed up, so I won’t look like your bratty kid sister. Besides, it’ll be fun.”
“Uh…” Owen hung back.
“Owen, what is wrong with you??
?? She put a hand on her hip impatiently. “Come on.”
“I’m afraid you might squash me if you sit on my lap. You’re so big now.” He tried to laugh, but it came out as a weak chuckle, and Leah wasn’t buying it.
“What is your damage? Come on. Hurry up and let’s do this so we can go get something to eat. I’m starving.”
Hearing her sound so much like her old self helped persuade him it would be okay. After all, even if she had suddenly acquired the body of a goddess, Leah was still just Leah. Wasn’t she?
But it didn’t matter who she was when she settled on his lap, because all Owen could think about was how good she felt. The feel of her warm, ripe body pressing against him and the way the short silk dress that covered her sweetly curved ass rubbed against his crotch made him instantly hard. To make things worse, she kept shifting around in his lap, trying to get comfortable while the gold silk of her hair brushed his face.
Owen was in exquisite agony. He was sure that any minute Leah was going to realize the strange lump in his pants that was making his lap uncomfortable for her was his hard cock. Then she would understand that she was the cause of that hardness. And if it came out that he’d gotten hard for his own little sister…
Sick. I’m so sick. Why can’t I stop? This is Leah we’re talking about, not some cheap little coed offering to go down on me if I tutor her in introductory algebra.
But nothing he told himself helped. For the first time, being around his sister was a disturbing thing—an ordeal he had to get through rather than a pleasure. The only saving grace was that Leah never said anything, although she did give him a funny look when she got off his lap. Ignoring the doubt and uncertainty in her eyes, Owen made a beeline for the nearest restroom, holding his jacket in what he hoped was a casual drape in front of his crotch. Once he was safely locked inside the farthest stall, he put his head in his hands and took a deep, calming breath.