Cutler 01 - Dawn

tightly, just like someone in pain.
    "Jimmy," I said softly, "I don't know whether I could ever be your girlfriend, but I don't want to wonder forever."
    Slowly, almost a millimeter at a time, he turned his face to mine. Our lips were inches apart. It was me who moved toward him first, but then he moved toward me, and we kissed on the lips for the first time as boy and girl might kiss. All our years as brother and sister came raining down around us, threatening to drown us in dark and gloomy guilt, but we held on to each other.
    When we parted, he stared at me with a face sculptured in seriousness, not a line creasing softly, his dark eyes searching mine quickly for some sign. I smiled and his body relaxed.
    "We haven't been properly introduced," I said.
    "Huh'?"
    "I'm Dawn Cutler. What's your name?" He shook his head. "Jimmy what?"
    "Very funny."
    "It isn't funny, Jimmy," I replied. "We are meeting for the first time in a way, aren't we? Maybe, if we pretend”"
    "You always want to pretend." He shook his head again.
    "Try it, Jimmy. Just try it once. For me. Please." He sighed.
    "All right. I’m James Longchamp of the rent weed southern Longchamps, but you can call me Jimmy."
    I giggled. "See? It wasn't that hard to do." I lay down on my side and looked up at him. His smile widened, spreading through his face and brightened his eyes.
    "You're so crazy, but so special," he said, running his fingers up my arm. He touched my neck, and I closed my eyes. I felt him lean over, and then I felt his lips on my cheek and a moment later pressing against mine again.
    His hands moved over my breasts. I moaned and reached up to bring him down to me. All the while as we kissed and caressed, I kept smothering the voice that tried to scream out that this was Jimmy, my brother, Jimmy. If he had similar thoughts about me, they were driven down, too, held underwater by the building passion and excitement as our bodies touched and our hands and arms held us tightly to each other.
    I was back on that merry-go-round of emotions, only it was spinning faster than ever, and I was getting so dizzy, I thought I would become unconscious. I never even realized he had unbuttoned my uniform and his fingers had traveled under my bra until I felt the tips slip over my firming nipples. I wanted him to stop, and I wanted him to go on.
    I opened my eyes and looked into his face. His eyes were closed; he looked lost in a dream. A smothered groan escaped his lips—more like a moan. As the skirt of my uniform traveled up my thighs, he slipped himself between my legs, and I felt that male part of him grow hard against me. It sent a panic up through my bosom.
    "Jimmy!"
    He stopped and opened his eyes. Suddenly they were filled with shock as he realized what he had done and what he was doing. He pulled back quickly and turned away. My heart was drumming against my chest, making it hard for me to catch my breath. As soon as I had, I put my hand on his back.
    But he pulled away as if my hand were on fire, keeping his back to me.
    "It's all right, Jimmy," I said softly. He shook his head.
    "I’m sorry."
    "It’s all right. I just got frightened. It wasn’t because of who we were to each other. I would have gotten frightened no matter who you were."
    He turned and looked at me skeptically.
    "Really," I said.
    "But you can't stop thinking of me as your brother, can you?" he asked, his anticipation of disappointment making his eyes darker and bringing creases to his forehead.
    "I don't know, Jimmy," I said honestly. It looked as though he might cry. "it's not something that I can do quickly, but . . . I'd like to try," I added. That pleased him and his smile returned. "Will you stay a little longer?"
    "Well," he said, "I do have some pressing engagements with my business associates in Atlanta, but I suppose I could manage a few more days.
    "See," said quickly, "pretending isn't so hard for you either."
    He laughed and lay back beside me again.
    'It's the effect you have on me, Dawn. You always kept the ghosts and doom out of my eyes?' He traced my lip with forefinger and grew serious again. "If only something good could come out of all this . . ."
    "Something will, Jimmy. You'll see," I promised.
    "I don’t care what your real parents and your grandma say, Dawn has to be your name. You bring sunshine into the darkest places."
    We both closed our eyes and started to bring our lips toward each other's again, when suddenly the hideaway door was thrust open and