Words on Skin

[neerathemall]

By the time he splashed some water on his face and pulled on a bathing suit then made it to the kitchen, Lizzie had already finished cooking and was pouring coffee.
Amend that, pouring coffee in a bikini. Good god, his heart skipped several beats.
Lizzie's back was turned to him and the little black bikini's strings were knotted loosely at the middle of her back, her neck, and each hip.
Richard had long since made peace with the fact that his kid sister was far and away the prettiest girl he knew. Blonde with gigantic, soft, bambi-brown eyes, she was a gifted long distance runner and it showed. Basically, everyone agreed she looked like a gazelle. Her long, slender legs swept up into an equally sleek little ass. Her slim, tight upper body matched her lower half.
Lizzie Robbins was built for speed. And bikinis. She looked amazing in that suit.
He snapped out of his daze when she turned, golden ponytail swinging, and handed him a cup of coffee.
"How late did you get here last night?" she asked as she slid into her seat at the table. The motion made her round breasts sway slightly in her top and he only looked away with effort.
"Oh, a little after two. It took me that long to sober up from the birthday party they threw me at college. I'm going to need a lot of coffee today. Thanks." As proof, he took a long drag from his cup. His eyes flicked down her body again before he could stop them.
This time she caught him looking. "Like my new suit?" she needled him a bit, eyebrow cocked coyly.
"S'not bad," he shrugged. "It's just funny seeing you wearing it in the kitchen. My shy kid sister used to wear t-shirts over her suit right up until we got to the beach."
"That had more to do with Mom being around than being shy, dummy," she half-smiled, "No mom around to harass me now."
They ate breakfast and stepped out the back door and onto a patio overlooking a beach that they had all to themselves. Lizzie said her fiancée's parents rented the beach house for them for the last month of the summer, but he'd gotten dragged away to help with his Dad's company.
Lizzie... and her fiancée.
Wow, it even sounded weird. His little Lizzie, just one year into college, was getting married? And she'd never even brought the guy home to meet her family. She'd always been independent and headstrong but this was ridiculous. He only found out when she called him late one night from college with her engagement news that spring. He'd answered the phone and, before he'd even said hello, she just blurted it out.
"I'm getting married."
"Wah - huh?"
His sister giggled over the phone. "Married, Scooter. I'm getting married."
"Who? When? Why?" A bad answer to that last question popped into his head, "Oh god, you're pregnant aren't you?"
"Relax silly, I'm not preggo. His name is... okay, don't make fun... his name is Chip."
"Chip?!" he laughed, he couldn't help it. "This is some kind of sick joke..."
"You're really going to talk smack about names, Scooter? For real, his name is Chip. And he's a great guy. We're going to get married this summer. At the beach."
"Lizzie, I told you -- pot or tequila. Never both. You really can't mix them and keep a grip on reality."
"C'mon Scooter, I'm sober. Well, mostly sober. But more importantly, I am serious. I really am getting married. He just gave me a ring tonight and everything. Wait until you see it. It's fucking huge."
It finally sank in, she wasn't kidding. "Wow. Okay. So what did Mom say?"
"I haven't told her yet."
"You called me before Mom?"
"Of course silly, you're my brother. And brothers come first."
Brothers come first. That one tugged at his heartstrings because there was some history to it.
Richard had given little Lizzie her first kiss. It had been her idea and it was very innocent. She'd said she was worried about making a fool of herself with her first boyfriend.
"C'mon Scooter, please?" She'd pleaded with him. "I brushed my teeth and used some of Mom's mouthwash and everything. No cooties, I swear." But then she'd looked at him seriously and said something that had never even occurred to him back then, "Just don't do anything gross like put your tongue in my mouth, okay?"
He did like she asked, he kissed her. Their young lips merged hesitantly in a tender way for a long moment. Actually, it was kinda nice.
Lizzie had smiled hugely afterwards. "See, that wasn't so bad was it? Now you'll always be the first boy to kiss me. Cool huh?" She darted in and pecked his cheek in a more sisterly way. "Thanks, Scooter. You know, I think brothers should always come first."
But that would change soon. She'd be someone's wife. It was all happening too fast.
Richard pushed these thoughts away and focused on the now as he and his sister crossed the beach then swam out about forty yards into the surf where the waves just began to curl. They were both comfortable in the water and Lizzie was practically fearless when it came to picking her waves. The bigger the better.
They picked out their respective spots, alternatingly bobbing, waiting and surfing. Later, when Lizzie came back from her last wave, she swam over to him and wrapped her arms around his neck.
"Mind if I hang on you, bro? Can't touch bottom here like you," she pouted, "not tall enough. And I see you're catching the nicer rides from here." It was true. The largest waves were just beginning to curl where he could barely stand. Just a few yards further in, Lizzie had to duck under them because it was too late.