Incest/Taboo Bring on the Wonder

She nodded, her eyes squeezed shut. Nate grinned and kissed her other thigh, moving an inch higher. He went back and forth between her legs, a little higher each time until he pressed a long kiss right on her soaking core. She shuddered and drove a hand through his hair to hold him there. He opened his mouth and licked her, one long lick from top to bottom and back again.

"Oh God."

Nate felt her fingers flex in his hair and he glanced up to see her tossing her head back and forth. He licked her again, watching her reaction. The third taste distracted him utterly and he forgot about watching her. He delved into her body, sliding his tongue in as deep as he could. He lifted a hand to rub her clit in hard, tight circles. She leaked, warm and lovely, into his mouth and he lapped her up.

God, he loved the taste of her. Loved the way she rose against his mouth and he would die over and over for the taste of her coming all over his tongue.

"Nate! Oh God, Nate, yes!"

Nate clamped his hands on her hips to hold her down as she bucked and writhed with her orgasm. He kept her hips pinned to the bed as he continued to devour her essence. He loved making her come like this. Of course, he loved making her come in any way possible. He licked her all over for a few more seconds before kissing his way back up her body to her lips.

"You're such a good girl to come for me so fast."

She let out a breathless laugh and wrapped her arms around his shoulders. "I try."

"God, Lizzie. You don't even have to try."

They kissed, bodies rubbing together as they savored the feeling of being naked together.

Nate put his mouth to Lizzie's ear. "Put me inside you, baby."

She shivered and reached down for where his hard length was trapped between them. She stroked him once and he bit down on her ear lobe, not hard, just as a warning. With a laugh, Lizzie angled him towards her ready body and he felt himself sinking into all her silken heat.

"Oh, Jesus, Lizzie, you feel so good."

She groaned in response and lifted her hips to meet his first slow thrust into her. Nate moved in her, stroking in and out a few times without lifting his head from her neck. He enjoyed the feeling of her opening for him, the way she tugged him closer, as if there were any possible way to be closer than this.

Bracing himself on an arm, he lifted his torso to look down at her. She blinked up at him, her eyes dark with lust and love. Nate kissed her and she moaned into his mouth at his next deep thrust. He teased her for a few moves after that, with shallow, rapid thrusts that had her arching off the bed. Her breasts pressed into his body, her nipples hard against his chest.

He watched her face as he continued to move in her. She closed her eyes, then she opened them on his next hard, deep push. Her breathing was ragged and harsh and her fingers dug reflexively into his shoulders. Nate kept his movements erratic, exulting in his control over her right now. Ninety-nine percent of the time, she had him wrapped around her little finger but this time, she was begging him. For what, he didn't think even she knew, but she was at his mercy.

Nate moved his hand to clutch her chin. "Open your eyes, Lizzie."

She did, opening them to narrow slits. For a long moment, Nate stared into the sapphire orbs, reading every one of her emotions and love for him there.

"You belong to me, you hear me, Lizzie?"

She bit her lip and nodded.

"Your body belongs to me." He emphasized his words with subtle moves of his hips. He rotated a little one way and then back the other. She moaned, her eyes rolling and her eyelids drooping low again.

"Don't you close your eyes. Look at me."

She opened them wide to stare at him, her breath nothing more than shallow pants.

"You are mine."

"Yes, Nate. I am yours."

Nate nodded, satisfied with her response. With that, he started to move faster, with purpose. No more teasing, no more playing around and making himself feel like the man for driving her insane. He claimed her then, taking her with every hammering thrust of his hips. She responded in kind, lifting her legs to trap his body to hers and lifting her head to kiss his chin and neck. He let her, and let out a loud groan when she squeezed her body around him. After that, he was a goner, just like always.

He pounded into her harder and faster until he felt that quickening in his belly and lower. Then he tensed, crying out her name.

She gasped and moaned as he moved in her, his rhythm shot to hell. He felt her tightening around him, milking him as she started to come along with him. They rode the wave together, mashed up words of love falling from their lips. Somehow, they ended up kissing, tongues tangling in a lazy, slow exploration following the peak of their passion.

After a time, they rolled to their sides and Nate tucked her against his chest. She pressed her nose to the hollow of his throat and inhaled.

"Sleep, my Lizzie."

He felt her lips curve in a smile.

"I love you, Nate."

"I love you, too." He tipped his chin down to kiss the top of her head. "Now sleep."

She obeyed and he followed.

When Nate's appointment with Lance arrived, he expected some tension or awkwardness. There was, perhaps a moment of it. Then Lance had broken the tension by telling Nate about his disaster of a date over the weekend.

"I mean, she was just crazy. Something wasn't right, you know what I mean?"

Nate laughed and shook his head. "Just because she talked about weddings?"

"On our first date!"

Silence descended following another round of laughter and Nate eyed Lance. He liked the man, he always had. Lizzie had been honest about the time she'd spent with Lance and Nate felt no jealousy or hostility towards him. More than anything he felt a burning curiosity.

"Why haven't you outed us?"

Lance seemed surprised by Nate's abrupt subject change. "Who would I 'out' you to?"

Nate shrugged. "The media?"

"Why would the media, or the world at large, care about you and Elizabeth?"

Nate raised his eyebrows. "You know who my father is."

"Do I?" Lance mimicked Nate's expression. "Mr. Whittenberg? Of Whittenberg International, the mother company of dozens of boutique and resort hotels? No. Who's he?"

Nate pointed a pen at Lance. "I will not tolerate your insolence!"

Lance laughed and slapped a hand on his knee. On the first day they'd met, they'd bonded over Austin Powers movies. Since then, they couldn't hold a single conversation without at least one quote or reference to one of the movies.

"I don't think anyone cares about you and your private life, even if your father is Davis Whittenberg." Lance leaned forward. "And I don't care about 'outing' you. I have no interest in hurting my friends."

"Are we friends?"

"Hope so." Lance grinned. "I don't let just anyone play with my money."

Nate laughed. "Maybe we should focus on business for at least five minutes. Then you can come with me to meet Lizzie for lunch."

"Yeah? You guys actually go out together?"

"Sort of. I mean, we meet up for lunch sometimes, so its brief. We usually grab something to go and sit in the park, if it's a nice day."

"Away from prying eyes?"

Nate nodded. "I suppose so. No one who knows us works downtown so chances are slim we'd be seen. And anyway, no one would think anything of it. We're not... open with our affections."

Lance studied Nate in silence for a moment. "What are you going to do?"

Nate had a feeling he wasn't asking what their lunch plans were. "If I knew, I wouldn't be talking about not being seen."

"Have you considered moving?"

"Where?" Nate sighed but gave Lance a half-hearted smile. This seemed strange to be talking to Lance about his relationship with Lizzie but he was glad for the big man's friendship. "At the moment, marriage between siblings is... frowned upon."

Lance chuckled. "I think it's more than frowned upon, buddy. I'm pretty sure it's illegal in all fifty states."

Nate nodded. He knew that. He knew more about each individual state's marriage laws than he ever thought he'd need to know.

Lance scratched his chin. "So. You guys have discussed marriage?"

Nate shook his head. "Not in so many words."

They fell silent again. Nate cleared his throat and shuffled some paper on his desk.

"Let's get to business, shall we?"

Lance nodded, looking relieved to have the subject changed. He moved closer to Nate's desk as they went over his accounts. Another hour passed as they covered everything he'd come to discuss, with one or two more Austin Powers quotes thrown in for good measure.

"Are you really meeting Elizabeth for lunch today?" Lance asked as they wrapped up their meeting.

"Yeah." Nate glanced at the clock. "We're running a little late but Lizzie doesn't mind waiting if it's sunny out."

Which it was. Lance and Nate found they didn't need jackets as they left the building and headed three blocks north to Golding Park, the halfway point between Nate's office and Lizzie's. As they approached, Nate spotted Lizzie on a park bench, reading a large manuscript, it looked like.

Lance was the first to speak when they got closer to her. "What on earth are you reading?"

She looked up in surprise, a smile breaking across her face when she saw Nate and Lance. "Hi!" She jumped to her feet to give Nate a hug first and he squeezed her around her waist before letting her turn to Lance. She hugged him as well before bending to pick up her purse and the manuscript. "How are you, Lance?"

"Great, thanks. You?"

"Wonderful." She beamed at Nate when she said it and Nate couldn't stop the foolish grin from spreading across his face.

"What is that monster you were reading?"

Lizzie laughed and shifted her pace closer to Nate's. "It's a manuscript I was given to look over. The author couldn't think of any cover ideas so I volunteered to read this."

"You don't have to read the whole thing, do you?" Lance looked aghast at the prospect.

"No, I don't have to, but it's actually pretty good so far."

Lance shook his head. "I've never been a big reader. Sports Illustrated is the most I read."

Nate and Lizzie both laughed at that. They knew he was far from the knucklehead jock he made himself out to be.

In another few minutes they were at the hotdog and pretzel stand that Nate and Lizzie preferred for their lunch dates. Well, Lizzie preferred it and Nate just did whatever he could to make her happy.

They got their orders and looked around for a spot to sit. Lance led the way towards an unclaimed picnic table in the shade of some trees. They spent the lunch hour talking and laughing as if nothing was troubling any of them. When it was time to go back to work, Nate and Lizzie balked near the sidewalk where she'd head in one direction and Nate in the other.

Lance took the hint and bent to kiss Lizzie on the cheek. Nate tamped down the slight urge to shove the man aside, as he knew it was a friendly embrace. Lance turned to shake Nate's hand and clap him on the back. They all agreed to get together in the coming weeks for a night out.

"Maybe I can scrounge up a date so we can all go out together."

Nate and Lizzie waved him off as he headed across the street. Then they faced each other in silence.

Nate ached to pull her into his arms and kiss her good-bye, as any man would with his woman. Lizzie watched him, her eyes shining and a smile playing on her lips as she watched him struggle.

"Nate, you don't--"

"Fuck it." He reached for her.

She gasped as he brought his lips down on hers. Nate wrapped his arms around her body and drew her close enough that he could feel the thudding of her heart against his chest.

He kept her close against him for as long as he could stand it. When he was in control of his own body again, he eased out of the kiss and opened his eyes. The look on Lizzie's face was a mixture of surprise and desire. She blinked and gazed up at him with her beautiful blue eyes before a smile broke out across her face.

"I do love when you surprise me, Nate."

He chuckled and gave her another light kiss before letting her go. "I do love surprising you, Lizzie."

She smiled and hugged him. Then they separated. Nate stood on the sidewalk, watching as she walked away from him. He stood there so long his shadow shifted around his feet on the sidewalk by half an inch. After another long minute staring at where Lizzie had last been visible, he turned to head back to his office for the rest of the afternoon. He had some more research to do.

Lizzie drove home that evening in a daze. It had been another average, run-of-the-mill day. That is, until her supervisor called her into his office to tell her about an exciting new opportunity for her. She had listened to the proposal and thanked him for the week he'd given her to think about it. Now she was wondering how to broach the subject with Nate.

Ever since her boss had told her about it, she'd gone back and forth between excitement and dread. This could be the best thing to happen, or the catalyst that destroys her relationship with her whole family. Except for Nate. She knew that they would endure. They always would. If she was sure of anything in this world, it was Nate and their love for each other.

She pulled into the driveway at home and gathered her things from the car before walking to the house. Nate was home already and she followed the fabulous smell into the kitchen.

"Good evening, my love." She dropped her purse and portfolio on a kitchen chair and crossed to give Nate a hug.

"Hello, sexy." He dropped his head to give her a kiss. "I was wondering when you were going to get home."

She patted his arm as he released her. "I'm always home at the same time."

He grinned and turned back to the pot sitting on the stove. "Can you set the table? This is just about ready."

Lizzie nodded and moved away to pull dishes out of the cupboards. "How was the rest of your day?"

Nate shrugged. "It was fine. I only had one more meeting after lunch so after that, I just packed up and came home."

"Oh wow. You must have been home before three then."

"Yup. Plenty of time to make your favorite."

"Ooh! You made jambalaya?"

He laughed. "I thought for sure you'd figure that out as soon as you smelled it."

Lizzie laughed with him and finished laying out the two place settings at the table. "Well, I was a bit distracted when I walked in, I guess."

"Yeah?" Nate turned and wiggled his eyebrows at her. "Was it my animal magnetism?"

She looked him over from head to toe and lifted an eyebrow. He was wearing a pair of ratty khaki shorts and a faded college t-shirt. "Sure. You could say that."

He narrowed his eyes and brandished a serving spoon in her direction. "Don't make me spank you, Lizzie."

Lizzie felt her temperature spike. "Promise?"

He chuckled. "Sit your ass down before I do."

She did as he ordered and waited patiently as he dished up their meals. As he set her plate before her, he bent over and stole another kiss. She gave him a happy smile as he sat across from her.

"So if it wasn't my raw masculine presence that had you distracted, what was it?"

"Oh, baby. You know I normally find you very distracting."

He made a face and she laughed.

"I had an interesting day at work." Lizzie looked down and forked a shrimp on her plate. "Samuel pulled me into his office for a meeting this afternoon."

"Did he?" Nate spoke around a mouthful of food. "What kind of meeting?"

"The kind where he tells me he's really impressed with my work. He told me he's never had a cover artist progress so quickly and with such talent."

"That's great, Lizzie. It's nice that he recognizes your hard work."

Lizzie nodded and they didn't speak as they ate a few more bites.

"That wasn't the only thing he talked to me about though."

Nate looked up, a piece of rice sticking to his chin. Lizzie smiled and tapped her own chin. He wiped his face with a sheepish smile. "What else did he have to say? Did he want to give you a big, fat bonus?"

Lizzie shook her head. "Not exactly."

"What do you mean?"

She drew in a deep breath before explaining. "He offered me a new position. As a team leader."

"Lizzie, that's wonderful!"

She smiled at Nate's reaction. She knew he'd be supportive of her being recognized for a job well done. "It would be team leader in their sister office, in Atlanta."

Nate blinked and stopped chewing the food in his mouth for a moment. Then he resumed and swallowed a second later. "Atlanta, Georgia?"

She laughed and nodded. "Is there another Atlanta?"

"I imagine there is, somewhere."

They fell silent and Lizzie waited for him to speak.

"Atlanta," he repeated and set his fork down. "Is it a good position?"

Lizzie nodded. "I'd be in charge of one or two other artists there. It's a smaller operation than here and I'd only be answering to one other person. I'd get a pay increase and better benefits."

"Really?"

"Yeah. I'd even have an expense account and Samuel wasn't sure but he thought the team leader also got a car allowance."

Nate nodded as he absorbed everything she'd told him.

Lizzie bit her lip. "Nate, please say something."

He stared at her, his expression unmoving. "I'm am saying something. I'm speaking."

"Yes, but you're not telling me what you think."

His lips twitched and he offered her a smile that didn't quite reach his eyes. "I think... I think you deserve a chance like this."

She hadn't been expecting him to say that. She had a sudden sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach. "But you're not happy about it."

At that, he shook his head, his expression changing at last. "Of course I'm happy about it, Lizzie. You're an amazing artist and you're being given a promotion because of it. I'm so proud of you, you have no idea."

Lizzie blinked and looked down at her half-eaten plate. Nate reached over and grasped her hand. She looked up to see him giving her that tender smile that she adored.

"You just caught me by surprise is all, sweetie. I'm happy for you."

"For us, Nate," she whispered and turned her hand over to squeeze his fingers. "For us. With this opportunity, we could move to Atlanta and you wouldn't need to worry about finding work right away."

He laughed. "You're so amazing, you don't even know."

"What do you mean?" She raised her eyebrows. "Don't tell me you're going to be one of those guys who doesn't want their woman being the bread winner."

"Have I ever been that type of guy?"

Lizzie shook her head. "Then what is it?"

Nate sighed and pulled her hand to his lips to kiss her fingers. "I've been looking at different job openings in a few different cities for myself."

Her jaw dropped. "You have? Why?"

His face drooped a fraction and she thought she knew what he was going to say before he spoke.

"I love it here and I know you do as well." He kissed her hand again. "But we'll never be free with each other here. Or it's more like we won't feel like we can be free. We'll always be wondering if someone will catch us or judge us."

Lizzie nodded. It was the truth. It's what they'd been struggling with ever since they'd admitted their feelings for one another. How could they build a life here when they'd be scared of ever going out in public together?

"Where were you searching?"

Nate shrugged. "New York, L.A., Dallas. All places with larger established publishing houses."

"I bet New York had the most."

"You're right. They also had a lot of opportunities for accountants."

Lizzie laughed and rolled her eyes. "Of course."

"But I also searched Atlanta, if you can believe it."

"You did?"

He nodded.

They stared at each other for a long moment. Nate kissed her hand once more before letting it go.

"Eat your dinner. We can talk about this after we're done."

Lizzie nodded and picked up her fork to resume eating. She was back to feeling excited at the prospect of a real future with Nate. She wasn't so naive to think Atlanta would be the magical city that would erase all their troubles or grant them a legally recognized union, but it would be a chance for them to be together, just the two of them.

After finishing and cleaning up the kitchen, they moved to the living room and sat on the couch together.

"Were you really looking at jobs in Atlanta?" she asked.

Nate smiled and nodded. "Yes. It's a big city with several publication companies."

"That's all you looked for? Publishers?"

Nate shrugged. "Why wouldn't I?"

"Well, what about your work?"

Nate gave her a soft smile and picked up her hands in his. "Sweetie, I can be an accountant anywhere. Your career matters more to you than mine does to me."

Tears stung Lizzie's eyes and she looked down. "You'd really do that for me? Give up your job here? Move four states and umpteen miles away?"

He shook his head. "I'll do it for us, Lizzie. I think we both know we have to do this."

She nodded but couldn't speak for the lump in her throat. Nate shimmied closer on the couch and put his arms around her. She rested her head on his shoulder and let out a shaky sigh.

Nate turned his head to kiss her hair. "We'll make a new life together. You and I both know it'll be easier to move where no one knows us, or knows we're related."

"What about our friends? We'll have to tell everyone why we're both moving."

Nate didn't have a ready response. "I'm more concerned about how our parents will take the news."

Lizzie nodded, more tears gathering in her eyes. Their parents' reactions could go either way. They may be devastated and disown their children. Or they may recover from their shock enough to accept it. In time.

"What should we do?"

Nate kissed her forehead. "First, we should get ready for bed, maybe have a nice long bath together, after you've communed with your current piece in your 'ordered chaos', of course."

Lizzie smiled and put her arms around her brother.

"Then we'll make love, fall asleep and dream of each other." Nate kissed her again, this time on the cheek. "Tomorrow, you'll tell your boss that you'd like to visit the Atlanta office before making a permanent decision. Then we'll plan a trip, visit some neighborhoods, maybe I can line up some meetings."

He made it all sound so easy. Lizzie knew he was trying to be strong and level-headed for her since she couldn't seem to see her way through her emotional turmoil. She also knew he would be just as destroyed if their parents decided to never speak to them again. All they could do right now was what Nate suggested. So they cuddled for a few more minutes before she got up to change into her art clothes.

In her studio, she painted and for a brief hour she forgot about their troubles. It was dim in the room, the only light coming from her small lamp by the window seat, when she stepped back from the easel. She yawned and it was the time she realized how late it must be. She cleaned up her brushes and capped all her paints before heading upstairs.

The rest of the house was quiet and dark and Lizzie guessed that Nate would be waiting in bed for her. She wasn't wrong. He was in bed, propped up with pillows and an open book in his lap. He was also fast asleep.

Lizzie smiled when she saw him, love and affection for him swelling in her chest. She stripped naked and washed her hands, then climbed onto the bed next to him. He didn't stir even as her movement on the bed jostled him. Biting her lip, she pulled the book away from his lax hands and set it on the nightstand. Then she pulled the covers away from his body just enough to find that he was also naked.

"Mmm. Such a nice surprise," she murmured and ran a finger down his chest and stomach. She watched his muscles twitch in response but he still didn't wake.

Deciding to take advantage, she shifted on the bed and leaned over his lower half. She reached for him, taking hold of his flaccid length with both hands. Then she lowered her head to lick him from bottom to top and back down again. As she played with him, she delighted in the hardening of the member beneath her hands and mouth. He muttered something and she looked up to see if she'd woken him but he was only mumbling in his sleep.

She resumed her attentions, making pleased little noises in the back of her throat as he grew to a full erection under her ministrations. Then she increased the speed of her hands on his shaft and the tightness of her lips around him. In her exuberance, his entire length became soaked with her saliva and her palms slid up and down so easily. When she shifted again to adjust her position, she became aware of how aroused she was. She knew how excited she made herself when she attended to Nate in this way but she'd been so focused on getting him hard that she hadn't spared a thought for herself. She shouldn't be surprised at the moisture now coating the insides of her thighs but she felt need spike through her blood.

Unable to wait or draw it out any longer, she lifted her head and moved to straddle his lap. She rubbed her damp core up and down the length of his erection until she couldn't stand to wait another second. She lifted and took hold of him, guiding the tip of him to her opening. As the head of his cock split her lips, his eyes fluttered open and he looked into her face.

His hands came up to hold her waist and she smiled down at him. "I thought I was dreaming."

She let out a laugh that faded into a moan when he flexed his thighs, moving deeper within her. "Not a dream, my love."

"No, and I'm so lucky because of it."

His words, so sweet and earnest, made her well up. She blinked back her tears and leaned over him, bracing her hands on his shoulders. They kissed, a gentle, slow exploration in perfect contrast to the increasing pace of his thrusts into her body. It was a delicious blend of tenderness and physical need that had Lizzie's head spinning.

Then Nate put his arms around her back and pulled her close as he rolled over. Suddenly finding herself on the bottom, Lizzie laughed and held on as Nate really started to move in her. He thrust hard and fast, taking his pleasure from her body and giving her such a rush as he did it. She loved knowing she made him this crazy. It was a heady feeling that she didn't think she'd ever get tired of.

"Nate," she whispered, cupping the back of his head and drawing his face close to hers. "Nate, I love you."

"God, Lizzie, I love you so much." His words were spaced by the movements of his body, jarring thrusts that made them both gasp.

Lizzie clenched her inner muscles, making Nate tense above her.

"Jesus Christ, Lizzie, don't stop. Don't ever stop."

"I won't. I'll never stop loving you."

He came with a groan, emptying himself inside of her. Lizzie held him close, sighing as he kept moving, drawing out the last of the sensations. When he rolled to his back, she went with him, draping her naked, sweaty body over his.

"I'll never get tired of you waking me up like that."

She giggled and nuzzled her nose in his chest hair, not saying anything.

"But you didn't get your happy ending."

She laughed again and lifted her head to look into his eyes. "Nate, you are my happy ending."

He smiled and touched her cheek. "I can do better than that."

He pushed her onto her back and proceeded to prove it.
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