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Chapter 37 – Brother From Another Mother
Vander
I barely saw Ruby over the next three days as she fretted over our plans for the weekend. Every evening I stopped by to see her and Jace but couldn’t get her to leave with me for even a couple of hours. She said she had too much to do to get ready, but from where I stood, she worried a whole hell of a lot, but accomplished little.
Wednesday night, I finally clued in. Going to a new place outside of her safety zone, in combination with meeting George and being forced into proximity with him for three days, had triggered her anxiety.
I didn’t realize, until that night, that I’d harboured a thread of residual resentment that she didn’t try harder to get to me that summer. Knowing that what I was presently witnessing represented a massive improvement, pushed that resentment out and replaced it with compassion.
Her agoraphobia trapped her; her anxiety controlled her.
I wondered what she would do, who she would be, without it.
Later that night, long after Jace and Yiayia headed for bed, Ruby sat on the couch beside me writing out multiple versions of the same list over and over.
“Are you worried you’ll forget something?”
“No. I’m worried I won’t have what I need.”
“You know,” I palmed the back of her neck like I did with my boys, “whatever you need, I’ll get it for you. No questions asked.”
She stopped and tipped her head back, resting her head against my hand. “I’m being crazy, aren’t I.”
I pulled her gently towards me, so she fell into my lap. “Well, you’re definitely not relaxed. I can help you with that.” I ran my fingers through her hair until she began to breathe easy.
This loving, fragile, fiercely determined woman was mine to care for, mine to love. I shifted our positions and turned her in my lap, bringing her chest to mine, and kissed her softly.
A soft sigh escaped her sweet lips and I inhaled it. My arm around her back cradled her tenderly leaving my other hand free to stroke her hip, her thighs, her tummy, and finally to cup her breast.
I rubbed my thumb across her nipple through her t-shirt, and her chest expanded with air as she arched into my hand.
Then her brain must have caught up with my intentions because she stiffened. “Vander, I don’t know if this is a good idea...”
“Shh, baby. I’m just going to touch you, help you relax. All clothes are staying on. It’s all about you.”
Her outfit, yoga pants and an oversized tee, couldn’t have been more perfect if I planned it. I drew the shirt up, then slipped my hand down the front of her pants, barely brushing the top of her mons.
I brushed my lips across hers just as softly, and she melted into my lap.
“Much better,” I murmured against her lips. “I don’t want you getting upset. Whatever you need I’ll get it. Don’t you know I’ll do anything for you?”
I kissed her closed eyes and pushed my hand in further to gently cup her sex. She closed her thighs around my hand. I stopped moving and simply kissed her.
Tears burned at the back of my eyes, and I closed them tight to beat them back. In my wildest dreams I never imagined caring for her like this.
I wiggled my hand gently. I whispered against her lips, “Open, sweetheart.”
Ruby let one of her thighs fall open, allowing my fingers to reach that part of her that I wanted to taste.
Hot and wet, she coated the pads of my fingers as I drew her wet up to circle her clit. She tensed, tilting her hips for more.
“Don’t tense your muscles, don’t worry about orgasming, just let me give you pleasure. There’s no rush.”
She nodded and sighed, brought her arm up to rest loosely around my neck and dropped her head back onto my shoulder. “That’s it, sweetheart.”
I stroked gently through her slit, collected the wet from her core, spread it over her folds, soaked her little bud. Slowly, it hardened. I maintained my gentle pace. I kissed her forehead, feathered my lips over her closed eyes, touched the tip of my nose to hers, lay my bearded cheek against her smooth one. I dipped my fingers in her wet, drew it up to her clit, circled tightly, then tapped. Again.
She opened her eyes in surprise, her pupils blown wide, her mouth parted softly.
