HANDO

I didn't want her comin' out in the fuckin' cold to pick me up at the airport. December in Vermont. I was freezing my arse off, just waiting to get into the rental. Climbed into the Japmobile and blasted the heat, shiverin' like a dog, my fuckin' balls shrunken to the size of raisins. When I could feel my fingers, I pulled out the directions, rubbed my achin' eyes and headed to the Inn, wonderin' how anyone on earth could actually like bein' in the cold. Especially someone like Baby Sister. I huffed a laugh, swallowed, feeling a tickle in my throat, imagining I'd get there and find a little Rileycicle waitin' for me.

I wondered what she needed. She said in her request that she was needin' some of my inner strength, whatever that means. No problem. She's a Sister, and I'll find some way to give her what she needs, whether she knows she needs it or not. I was startin' to sweat, turned off the heat. Gooks must hate the cold too, fitting out a tiny car like that with a blast furnace. Opened my coat and the window, all the way. Till I started to fuckin' shiver again.

It wasn't a long ride, 'bout an hour, but I had to occupy my mind. Kept feeling like I was gonna drop off for a kip. Kept looking for the perfect temperature; the window down a crack and the heat at half, the window closed and no heat, back windows down. Bloody hell! I think that's the minute I figured I was gettin' sick. Well, it ain't gonna happen. No fuckin' way. Then I sneezed. Four fucking times in a row. Shook it off.

Lit a fag. Had to pull over, was choking up a lung. Actually lost my breakfast outside the car door. Thumped my head back on the headrest, considered heading back to California and the Temple. But Baby Sister's request was pokin' at me. I wasn't gonna let her down. Just wouldn't tell her I was under the weather, mate. Be right as rain in the mornin' anyway. Just needed a good night's sleep.

When I pulled up in front of that massive old house, Baby Sister came charging out the door without a coat. Jesus, gave me chills to even imagine it. Then she stopped dead, just lookin' at me.

Couldn't look too eager. Really taken a likin' to that little girl. Love her strength. But I leaned back against the fender, real cool and lit a fag. Took a drag, not too deep then tossed it away. And I did it, mate. I smiled. Couldn't help it.

She flew at me, leapin' into my arms like I was some long lost lover or somethin'. Made me feel good. Her legs wrapped around my waist, I kissed her nice warm neck, burying my frozen nose there and carried her inside.

Set her on her feet and headed to the fireplace. Didn't really look around much. Just felt. And it felt good. Felt like Riley. Comfortable, welcome. Warm.

RILEY

Jesus it was so good to see him! He looked so good on Thanksgiving, so happy and centered I actually couldn't wait for this visit. But taking a good long look at Hando, I could see something wasn't right. For a man who lives in sunny California, he was pale as a sheet. Did he and Mere have another fight? Hell if I was going to ask. We had a whole week. If he wanted to talk, he'd have every opportunity. And besides, Hando always starts off with that distant thing. That I could care less if you're here or not attitude.

He was shaking, even in front of the fire, still bundled in his black overcoat. Good thing he didn't wear the leather jacket. The poor man really can't handle the cold. As for me, I don't think anything over 15 degrees is cold. But to him, 35 probably felt like the arctic. Unfortunately, the temperature was supposed to drop over night and we were expecting a few inches of snow before morning. I stood behind him and rubbed his arms warm through the wool, starting to feel bad that I hadn't suggested the visit take place in Florida.

I pressed my body against his back as he continued to rub his hands together. It's a big thing to have him; for him to arrive when he said he would, for him to willingly leave Mere and face the snow. I chuckled.

"Somethin' funny?" He growled.

"Nope. How about some hot tea?"

He nodded, then turned his back to the fire and watched me set the tea kettle on the stove. "Ya look good, Baby Sister."

I turned, took a long look into his bloodshot, glassy eyes, the slight flush on his cheek. "You don't. Are you feeling okay?"

He nodded, wrapped his coat tight around his chest and sat at the table, arms crossed, knees opened, his body posture in a slouch, those ice blue eyes hot, burning right through me. We just stared at each other like that for several moments, till the tea pot squealed and I nearly jumped out of my skin. Hando laughed. Now that is a wonderful sound. Hando, laughing.

I smiled and filled mugs, dunked tea bags then reached for the honey and changed my mind. Opened the cabinet and pulled out the Bourbon, pouring a healthy slug in both cups.

Sipping steamy tea, I tried not to stare at him, not to let him know how really happy I was he was there. There was so much I wanted to tell him, wanted to talk about with him, but at that moment, I was content to just sit silently, feeling the pull only Hando radiates. It's a kind of electrical charge that vacillates from intense to more intense, yanking my heart, threatening to tear it loose. I smiled. Taking my cup to the sink I heard him move, then his big arm grasped me at the waist, and he carried me like a sack of potatoes into the bedroom. Ah, that's Hando. First things first.

He tossed off his coat, stripped naked and watched me do the same. Tugging me under the blankets, Hando buried his face between my breasts then sucked his way to a begging nipple. There were no words, never are in bed where he's concerned, just an occasional grunted instruction that I was more than pleased to follow. Glorious punishment, his huge burning cock, hard and ready against me, his mouth sucking and biting my sex, his hands bruising where ever the fingers pressed. And his amazing strength . . . well, at least it used to be that way. The last time we were together, he was relentless. But this time, after his grunting climax, he dropped into an exhausted sleep the moment he rolled off of me. Huh.

I left him to rest and started dinner. Popped into the bedroom to wake him nearly three hours later. Jesus. He was on fire. He was really down for the count; even a cool, damp cloth on his brow didn't wake him. I watched him all night, worrying until I couldn't take it any more. It was time to do something, even if it meant waking him.

HANDO

"Hando? Hando, sweetie."

Sweetie? Bloody hell, what the fuck was she doin'? I just fell asleep, was she already wantin' more? "What!" I pulled the blankets under my chin and rolled to my side, but she was tugging at my shoulder. I turned a glare. "What? Ya
barmy - "

"Hando, come on, under your tongue."

She was holding a fuckin' thermometer. "No. Let me sleep, Baby Sister." I pushed her away then quick as hell pulled my arm back under the sheet. How could she stand the bloody cold? I was fuckin' shivering.

"Come on," she repeated, pressing her cool hand to my face. "Please, Hando, you have a fever."

"So" I snapped. "If ya let me sleep . . ." Tried to roll away again but she pulled my shoulder so hard I was nearly tossed onto my back. When did Riley get so strong? "I just fell asleep, leave me the fuck alone!" I hissed at her. Didn't really mean to sound like that, but Jesus! I glared out the window. "It's still light out, can't have been sleepin' more than an hour," I said a little calmer.

"It's morning, babe. Under your tongue."

I sat up. "I'm fine. Just need to move around a bit. That's all." My head was splitting, my throat felt like sand paper, and there wasn't a muscle that wasn't screaming. I groaned. She pushed me down, actually sat on my chest.

"Put this under your tongue, or I'm sticking it in your ass!" Now she was glaring at me. Had half a mind to tell her to go ahead and try, but then I thought about it. She might try, even get away with it as weak as I was feeling. Opened my mouth wide and gave her a wink. Even my eye lid hurt.

For five fuckin' minutes she sat there on my chest, fussin' over me, giving me that worried look while I tried to distract her. I ran my hand along her thigh, to the warm crotch of her jeans. She smiled, but that was it. Then I looked around. The fireplace was blazing. Did she carry all that wood in? Keep that thing burning all night? Fuck. I hate that. Bein' fussed over. Bein' taken care of. I'd show her I was fine. Soon as she took the damn thermometer outa my mouth, I planned to dress, get more wood and check the other fireplaces. I ain't a bloody nipper, needing to be cared for, then.

Thermometer was out, and her eyebrows shot up.

"What?" I swallowed, groaned and tugged the blankets to my neck again.

With a sweet kiss on my cheek, she stood. "Nothing. Just rest, Hando." At the door she turned. "Are you hungry? I made chicken soup."

"Fuck no." Closed my eyes.

RILEY

Okay, okay. Don't panic. Was a temperature of 103.3 bad? Hell yes, it was bad. I grabbed my cell phone, pushing buttons and searching for the newest number programmed into it.

Doctor Whitney had just signed an agreement with us to be the doctor-on-call for the 1876 Manor at Mount Mansfield yesterday. Poor guy, probably never expected his fist emergency call to come six months before we even opened. The number is a direct line to his private office. I glanced at the clock. Nine AM. Monday morning. Well, one thing about winter in Vermont. Your doctor probably isn't on the golf course. But I was hoping he wasn't on the slopes either.

"Doctor Whitney," he answered after only one ring.

"Hey, I'm so glad you're there. It's Riley. From the Inn?"

"Oh, hello there." He said something to his nurse about a prescription for a Mrs. Auberly then returned to me. "Sorry, what can I do for you, Mrs. Biebe?"

"Well, I need a house call." I was pacing, rubbing my eyes.

"Something happen to John?"

Jesus. How come in Vermont, I'm Mrs. Biebe, but John is just plain John? I shook it off. "No, no. John's out of town, but I have a house guest. John's brother, and he's really sick."

"Yeah? What are his symptoms, dear?"

Dear? Dear? How condescending could this old Vermont doctor actually be? Forget it, I told myself, shaking my head. Just take care of Hando. Go Sister Suffragette later.

"Terrible soar throat, aches everywhere and a fever."

"What's his temperature?" He asked, and immediately spoke again to his nurse. Apparently, Vermont doctors have no concept of phone etiquette either. "Sorry, dear. His temperature?"

"A hundred and three point three!" Okay, I was starting to panic.

"Can you bring him in? I can see him as soon as -"

"No! Doctor Whitney, he can hardly hold his head up. There's no way I can get him into the car and all the way to town! "

"All right, all right Mrs. Biebe. Calm down, dear." He cleared his throat and huffed a long sigh, probably realizing that he was on retainer and had already been paid for his first month of service. Service I'm sure he never expected to have to render as yet. "I'll be there within the hour."

"Fine!" I snapped.

"Mrs. Biebe," he said softly. "I'm sorry, but we're at the beginning of a nasty flu season. I was only trying to make sure all of my patients are cared for. I didn't mean to imply that I wouldn't make the house call."

I tapped my foot, counted to ten, thinking, yeah, right.

He cleared his throat and actually told his interrupting nurse to give him five minutes. "Just keep him in bed, try to get him to drink fluids, watch his temperature. If it climbs any higher before I get there, call my cell. We'll get an ambulance."

"Now you're patronizing me."

"No, Mrs. Biebe, I'm not. If his fever spikes, we could have a real problem. This flu is nothing to mess with. Can easily lead to pneumonia, or worse. When did this start?"

"Yesterday." Damn. I should have done something earlier. I looked at the closed bedroom door.

"It's all right. Let me do what I need to do here, and I'll see you as soon as I can get there. Just keep him comfortable."

"Alright," I hung up. Keep him comfortable. Keep him comfortable? How the hell to I do that? I mean, we're talking Hando here. His pain tolerance level is somewhere above the peak of Mount Mansfield. He was probably sicker than I'd ever let myself get before crying for relief. He didn't even want to admit he wasn't feeling well, when most people would have run for any over-the-counter remedy they could find.

I sighed and paced outside the bedroom door. Went for wood and loaded the fireplace as quietly as I could. Checked my watch. Twenty minutes. Did I want to wake him to check his temperature again? Could I handle his rage when I did? Fuck it.

I shook down the thermometer, ran my hand down his fiery cheek. His eyes fluttered opened.

"Again?" His voice was raw.

I nodded, surprised at how cooperative he was being, praying it hadn't gone any higher. It hadn't.
He fell back to sleep before I could even return to the bedroom with a glass of juice. But the doctor said, plenty of fluids.

HANDO

Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. Could hardly lift my arms. Wasn't sleepin', but my body felt like it was dying. I hurt like bloody hell, but worse than that, I was feeling sorry. My brain was spinning, trying to figure out what Riley needed, knowing full well, there was no fuckin' way on earth I could give it to her in my condition. Did she need to talk? Was she troubled? Was something wrong between her and John?

I watched her take the damn thermometer from my mouth. No. She was doing well, I could tell. Even with her pretty brow all curled, worryin' about me, I could tell she was doin' fine. I rolled over and closed my eyes. Once I shake the fuckin' cold, I'd find out. I'd be able to get to it. Until then, I just needed to sleep.

RILEY

Finally. A knock on the door. Doctor Whitney swept in and pulled off his coat. He warmed his hands at the fire. "How's he doing?"

I swallowed hard. "The same. He's sleeping."

He nodded, picked up his old fashioned black doctor's bag and went into the bedroom, closing the door behind him.

I needed a cigarette.

I'd been trying so hard to quit. Had stopped buying cartons, figuring if I had to go out for one pack at a time, I might smoke less and it was working pretty well. But I was nervous, out of cigarettes and there was no way I was going to town now.

I paced. I knew Hando had a pack in his coat, but that was still in the bedroom. Maybe he had another in the car. I ran out to look. Damn, it had gotten bitter cold out there. Well below 15 degrees. Snow was spitting in tiny, icy shards.

Luckily, the rental door was unlocked and I searched as long as I could stand the brutal cold then ran back in and straight to the fire. My shoes were wet, but my dry ones were in the bedroom, with Hando, the doctor and the cigarettes. I pulled a chair close to the hearth, toed off my shoes and held my freezing feet to the heat. There was snow in my hair and damp on my shoulders.

I stood and did a slow turn, warming all sides like a chicken on a rotisserie. I was still chilled when Doctor Whitney came out. Wet socks will do that to you. I rubbed my arms.

"Is he all right?"

He nodded, dialed his cell and ordered a prescription delivered to the Inn. "This'll help. He needs rest, lots of fluids. Even with the medication, you need to keep a close watch." He pulled on his coat then looked into my eyes.

"Riley," he said softly.

I blinked; he called me Riley, not Mrs. Biebe.

"You did the right thing, calling me. This flu starts slow then escalates quickly. He's probably had this coming on for a few days, dear. But he's going to be fine. Call if there's any change. And," he turned at the door. "You need to take care of yourself, too. Have you had a flu shot?"

Of course I hadn't. "I'm fine."

"Well," he huffed. "At least quit running outside without a coat. If I could get half of Stowe to put on a damn coat, I'd get a lot more skiing in every winter," and he chuckled, patted my shoulder and left.

I stood at the storm door and watched till he'd pulled out of the driveway, leaning against the doorjamb until my feet started to freeze again. I sighed with relief. Hando was going to be fine. Thank God. I snuck back through the bedroom and into the adjoining bathroom. Started to fill the tub, deciding that a hot bath was the only way I'd get warm again. Quietly rummaging through a drawer for my warmest sweater, dry socks and jeans, I heard Hando shuffle under the sheets.

"Baby Sister?" His poor voice was almost gone.

"Yeah?"

"Come here."

I did, sitting on the mattress. His hand ran up my arm.

"You're fuckin' ice," he growled.

"Yeah," I giggled. "Ran outside to see if you had any cigarettes in the car. I'm out."

"Get 'em outa my coat, love."

"Thank you!"

I lit then checked the tub. Half full. I went back to Hando, wishing I could have some of that feverish heat of his on my poor feet. "You feel any better?"

He scowled. "Fuckin' prick stuck a needle in my arse."

"Aw, poor baby. Shall I kiss your boo boo?"

His brows curled into a knot. "Maybe tomorrow."

I was freezing, really wanted that hot bath, but I suddenly realized he would probably benefit from it more. I stubbed out the cigarette, pulled down the blankets, tugged the soft afghan from the nearby chair and held it up. "Come one, my poor sick Skin. Bath time."

He reached for the blankets. "Maybe tomorrow."

"Maybe now," I said with conviction that made him blink.

He sat with a miserable groan, let me wrap his shivering body in the blanket, help him to his feet and into the tub.

HANDO

Baby Sister was playing Florence Nightingale. Doin' a bonzer job of it too. I melted into that big claw foot tub, lay my head back on the towel she'd rolled up on the edge and groaned like I'd been on a drinkin' binge for a week, still pissed. She sat on the floor beside me.

"Ya gonna bathe me too?"

Ah, that smile. So bloody sweet. She set her cool hand on my face, I turned and kissed it real tender. "Thanks." I grumbled.

"Anytime."

Then she sat on the edge, asked me to lean forward. What an angel, she rubbed my aching back, pressing her fingers deep, making me moan like a pussy. Felt so bloody good. Didn't want her to stop, but she held up a towel then helped me out.

Felt a bit energized. Slid into bed and let her tuck me in like a little nipper. "You okay, Baby Sister? You said ya needed somethin' when ya asked for this visit."

She put her pretty lips to my forehead and smiled. "What I need is for you to get well."

And she was gone. Located the clock beside the bed. Noted the time. Almost noon. Closed my eyes. Woke a full ten hours later. Never even heard her check on me.

I sat up, feeling better. Not right as rain or nothin' but bloody better than I'd been. Rummaged around the room, too exhausted to dress and go out to the Japmobile boot to fetch my bag, found a pair of Biebe's warm sweatpants and pulled my tee shirt over my head. I needed to go get Riley. It was time for her to sleep in her own bed. Beside me.

RILEY

I was sitting on the love seat, wearing my robe, snuggled under my favorite blue blanket and reading when I saw Hando come out of the bedroom. What was it about John's sweats that attracted all his brothers? I smiled, watching the skinhead, bundled with my grandmothers wedding ring quilt tight at his neck, the hem trailing the wooden floor like a royal cloak. He tossed aside my blue blanket and sat next to me, covering us both in the quilt. His head dropped to my chest and he sighed. I cuddled his shoulder and kissed his stubbly short hair.

"Better?"

He nodded a smooth slide against my breasts. His fever was much better and I was thrilled to see he was on the road to recovery. There's something deeply disturbing about seeing Hando like that; a born leader, a predator in a sorely weakened state.

"You must be starving. I've made three kinds of soup for you. Chicken, beef barley, and a nice mushroom in veal stock."

"No fuckin' mushrooms," he chuckled.

"Oh!" I couldn't help but laugh. After that Thanksgiving fiasco, I don't think there were many Brothers interested in mushrooms. "Sorry."

"Maybe later. Not real hungry."

His hand slid to my waist and pulled me close. "How ya been, Baby Sister?"

"I've been great. How's Mere?"

I could sense his smile. "Good, good." He sighed, his fingers running soft circles on my hip. "Takin' her out of the fuckin' Temple."

"Really?" I wasn't surprised. All those Brothers vying for her attention had to be driving him nuts. Her too. "That's a good idea, Hando. Where will you two go?"

He looked up at me, his poor eyes still bloodshot. "L.A. Don't tell her Riley, but I bought her a house."

My heart leapt, I wanted to squeal with joy, but the look on his face kept me still.

He sat up, slouched deep into the cushions, leaned his head on the back of the love seat and stared into the fireplace. "It's next to Nat and Colin's place. Gonna start another shop with Col."

I was silent, waiting, hoping for more info. Hando sighed again, not that aching sigh I'd been hearing for days, this sigh came from someplace else. A place deep in his soul.

"Bloody hell," he turned to me, eyes deep in mine. "What the fuck am I doin'?"

"What do you mean?"

"Buyin' a fuckin' house? Settlin' down like some - "

"Like some what?"

A scowl crawled over his face, brows knotted, eyes flashed. "Some married pussy." He spurted after several deep breaths.

I turned to him, pulled my knees up and propped my chin. "Is that what you feel like? Then why did you buy the house?"

He gave a thoughtful shrug, stared at the fire. "Don't know." He shrugged again, rubbed his eyes. "Wanted to give M somethin' she never had. A home. But," another glare into my face. "What if I can't do this? What if I'm fuckin' awful at this bloody shit?"

"What? The business?" I knew that wasn't what he meant, but Hando was talking, and I wanted him to keep doing it.

"No, ya silly bint. At livin' in a house. With her. Settled."

"Well, maybe you wanted it too."

"What the hell am I doin'? I mean, Baby Sister, I'm changin'. She's changing everything, makin' me want stuff I never even thought about."

"You're not changing." I tugged him close, setting his head back on my chest and hugged him tight. "You're growing up, Hando."

I felt him stiffen. Oh shit, maybe that was the wrong thing to say. I needed to talk fast. "Jesus, everyone grows up. What are you? Peter fuckin Pan? Changing isn't all that bad you know. Look at me. Hando, one year ago I was living in hell. Every fucking day was a survival test. And now . . . now, I'm in heaven."

He chuckled. "Ya call this heaven? Draggin' wood in from the snow just to keep warm?"

"Yes, Hando. I call this heaven." I hugged him tighter. "Absolute, blissful heaven."

"Well," his hand slid under the folds of my robe, along my leg and into my sex, smooth as silk, like he was guided there by a homing beacon. "I call this heaven, Baby Sister."

"Hey," I teased. "I don't think you're up to this yet."

"Not all the way, but you are." He pushed me down on the cushion, nuzzled his face into the front of my red robe and found my breasts, breathed me in with a groan then tugged the quilt up over us.

His hands opened my thighs, fingers probed and slid, circling and teasing until I was sighing, begging for more. My hips rose to meet his strong thrusts, three fingers deep inside, pressing, twisting. "Baby Sister needs a little sometin', doesn't she then?" He teased while sucking hard on an aching nipple.

"Yes," I gasped. "Yes."

The tip of his thumb thrummed my clit, blasting it into sensations of desire, making me writhe and cry out for more. His hold tightened over me, his mouth sucked my breast harder, the fingers inside hooked a tight grip on the G-spot, and his voice growled. "Gimme it, Riley. Want you screaming. Gimme it."

I was gasping, feeling the earth drop out from under me as my climax heated like a furnace, ready to blow. Shaking, panting, I started to see sparked behind my closed eyes, to feel the electric discharge from my deepest core to the surface of my skin.

"Gimme this!" He shouted and I exploded. As I tightened with spasms, his fingers slowed, his hand softly massaged the trembles inside and his mouth kissed the swollen nipple. Hando was helping me calm, gentle as John would, tender, his voice a soft muffle. "That's what ya needed, Riley."

Slowly, under his hands, I relaxed, smiled up at him and reached for his lips.

"No! Ya fuckin' crazy? Trust me love, ya don't wanna get sick." He stood, tugging my hand. "Let's go to bed."

HANDO

Could tell she hadn't been sleepin'. Did the math, mate. I'd been sick for three days and she probably hadn't done a damn thing but take care of me. There were dark rings under her eyes. Time to take care of her. Tossed some wood in the bedroom hearth, then climbed under the blankets and spooned her tight against me, listened to her breathin', sensing when she was fallin' asleep. Out like a light in my arms.

Before the sun came up, I woke, starving to death. My stomach growling, my randy fuckin' cock was hungry too. Straining, ready to burst. Hot as fire. I figured if I could take care of that, I could wait another few hours for tucker. But I didn't wanna wake her. Never tired that before, and the challenge was pretty fuckin' exciting, mate.

Light as I could, I let the tips of my fingers touch her soft nipple, easy, easy, till they popped for me. Kept going easy, listening to her sleep breath. Wonderin' how far I'd get before she realized what I was doing.

RILEY

Mmm. I was dreaming the best dream. Safe and comfortable, tiny, deep in a satin pillow. Thumbalina. I rolled around and around, slipping on the lovely silky texture, feeling a deep, pleasant stir, then warm moisture between my legs. I was smiling, waiting for the wet dream to take me to the heavens, thinking it was the most wonderful beginning to a wet dream I'd ever had.

Climbing up from slumber, I realized it wasn't a dream, it was Hando, but he was so easy, so slow, I kept dozing off, falling back into that satin pillow. I almost couldn't determine between Hando and the dream; both were enticing, lulling, delicious. His fingers were like feathers over me. Or was that the dream?

As he slowly positioned his cock, I was feeling soft, welcoming. Not awake enough to be ready for his hard push, falling back into the dream state, climbing out, and drifting again. Until he was in, and I stirred against him. His movement stopped, held steady for a long time, until I was again aloft, dreaming of him. His solid presence, tingling me, burning with his passion.

Again he moved, slow, deep, all the way. My eyes shot opened as his hands gripped my hips and he made a final press, deeper than ever and I groaned. He pounded into me, hard and fast until I felt completely out of control, pounding back, accepting the orgasm that had been building for what seemed like an eternity. Hando slammed into me, groaning as my climax sucked at him, spurring him on, harder and harder until he filled me so full, his come ran from me even as he continued to jerk against my hips.

Hando placed one hand flat between my shoulder blades, the other between my breasts, holding my heart, safe and warm until it calmed and his soft cock slid deliciously from me.

"Go back to sleep," he whispered, pulling me close.

HANDO

Right as rain . . . the fuckin' day I was leavin'. Had to be in Burlington by three, would be with Mere that night. Missed her, missed her jabbering, her voice. Hadn't called her once, told her I wouldn't. Wanted her to miss me. Oh yeah, I wanted to, but better I didn't. There'd have been two silly bints fussin' over me. One was enough.

Watched Riley across the table. She'd cooked a fuckin' feast for lunch. Like I wasn't gonna eat again for a month. Oh I ate it. It was good.

Baby Sister had taken good care of me. As she dished up some sweet creamy pudding thing for desert I didn't even have room to eat, I gotta admit. I was smilin'. Do that shit a lot lately.

"What did ya need? Why did ya request me, Riley?"

She looked up, all startled like I'd scared her or somethin'. Reached over and squeezed her hand. She blinked. Grinned.

"Missed you Hando. I just wanted to spend time with you."

Tilted my head, gave her a scowl.

"It wasn't important - "

"Tell me. I wanna know."

She sat with a huff, shrugged. "I just thought you were at a place in your life where you might understand something. That's all."

Spooned that pudding into my mouth. Jesus, fuckin' good shit. "What?" Gulped it all up in four spoonfuls.

She blinked, looked at me, those pretty brown eyes sparkling. "Hando, did you ever wonder? I mean, things are so good, so right. Did you ever just think that you're going to wake up and it'll all be gone? Poof! Like it never really happened?"

I swallowed, shook my head, but I was lyin'. Knew exactly what she was talking about. Keep lookin' over my shoulder, thinkin' any minute someone's gonna show up and sweep all my happiness away. Maybe that's why I bought the fuckin' house. Maybe I figured that with a mortgage, nobody could do that. Steal Mere away.

"Oh," she looked embarrassed.

"S'okay. I understand, love."

"Do you? I knew you would. How do I handle it? I want to be balanced in my life. Not happy as a clam one minute, and terrified the next."

"Try just acceptin'." It was a suggestion. Best I could come up with and she gave me a slow, radiate smile. Guess I said the right thing, got that warm, fuzzy fuckin' feelin' in my chest. Poor Baby Sister, thinkin' I had the answers to anything.

"Acceptance. I can do that." She gathered the dirty dishes and went to the sink. Lookin' at that sweet ass, feelin' heathy and strong again, feelin' good about being with her, did the only thing I could.

RILEY

Before I could turn on the water, I heard his foot stomps. His big hands gripped my hips and pulled me a few feet from the sink. I grasped the edge of the counter and straightened my arms. Bent for him, waiting. Panting and already. One hand whipped my long wool skirt almost over my head as the other dragged my panties down and actually ripped them off.

"Oh!"

I heard his zipper go down, felt the heat of his cock before it even came near, flowing from him like that energetic pull he has. His fingers snaked around my legs and tested. I was soaked, ready, wanting Hando. He aimed, pushed and held my hips tight, drawing a scream of delight from me.

All the way, reaching into my heart, I swear I could feel the head of his cock in my throat. I braced against the counter, dropped my head and received. I willingly took in his passion, his desire. Almost too blissfully painful to endure, I cried out his name. "Jesus, Hando! Hando! Come!" I shouted.

"Just waitin' for you, Riley." He thrust hard, over and over. "Just . . . waitin' . . . for you."

What is it about him? His simple command brought it all out of me, detonating, expelling demons and angels at once in an explosive orgasm that shook my soul. I came with complete abandon, surrendering to his power, his strength and his protection. Knowing I'd always be safe in his hands. In his heart.

"Jesus!" He gasped, jerking hard against me, flooding me with his own completion and growling like the beautiful human animal he is. "Ah, fuck!"

His softening cock slid from me, and he lowered to his knees, taking me with him, tight in his arms. He curled me onto his lap and leaned his head back against the counter, then chuckled.

"Something funny?" I was still panting, still trembling. Still smiling.

"No, love. Just acceptin', that's all." And his lips took mine; sucking a delicious kiss I'd been waiting all week for.

***

Waving goodbye from the porch, I waited till he was out of sight before dialing Mere, as I had been every day since he'd arrived.

"He's on his way home to you, babe," I giggled. "All well and strong."

"Oh thank God! Riles, I frigging miss him so much!"

"I know you do, he misses you too. Let me know when he gets in safely."

"Will do. And Riley, thanks for taking such good care of him."

"No problem, but you better keep your promise. Never tell him I called. Even once. It will kill his ego if he realizes you knew he was so sick."

She giggled. "I won't tell him I know. I just wish I was there. At least he let you care for him. He'd have probably sent me away or something."

"Can't let his sheila see him weak as a kitten. But, Mere, I gotta tell you, he was really cute like that," I laughed. "Talk to you later."

In the kitchen, I started the dishes. Putting them away I sneezed.

Then I sneezed again.

And again.

And again, that time so hard I dropped into a chair. Fishing my phone out of my pocket I sniffled and swallowed, feeling a tickle in my throat. Dialed.

"Doctor Whitney? Can you see me today?"

SNEEZE!