Chapter 2
Van Avery was just about the most beautiful hunk of man Janis had ever seen. Like Rocky and most of the other men she found herself attracted to, he had an abundance of black curly hair and a definite masculine ruggedness to his looks and build. Even from a distance, his arms looked powerful enough to crush a woman in their grip and the muscles on his hair-covered chest just didn't quit. His smile was partly boyish in its lopsided grin, yet solidly self-assured as only a confident man's could be. Janis couldn't take her eyes off him as she moved slowly up the aisle of the bus. Even the young sailor was completely forgotten in the aura of her brother-in-law's sexuality.
"Goodbye," the boy called. "Have a nice vacation." But Janis didn't even hear him. Her mind was completely filled with thoughts of Van and how it would be to have a man like him make love to her.
How could Peggy have trapped a guy like that? she wondered. It just doesn't make sense.
She had always thought of her sister as being on the plain side, even slightly frumpy. It was true that Peggy lacked the flash which Janis radiated, but her sister's appraisal was harsher than she deserved. Peggy's looks were more of the wholesome type. With her light blonde hair and quick smile, she reminded people of the girl-next-door. Her body was probably as good as Janis's, but she never displayed it quite as obviously as her sister. Instead of tight, low-cut sweaters and high-pitched skirts, she chose simple, conservative dresses that complimented her looks, but did nothing to arouse anyone's attention. Her make-up was simple, too, designed to do nothing more than heighten the natural attractiveness of her face and eyes.
As Janis stepped down from the bus, her sister ran toward her and caught her in a tight embrace. "Hi, honey!" she laughed. "We thought you'd never get here!"
Janis perfunctorily returned Peggy's welcome kiss, but her attention was fully centered on the handsome man coming to greet her.
"Hi," Van said, extending his hand. "You must be Janis." His voice was deep and warm, entirely self-assured.
"And you must be a dream!" Janis murmured, taking his hand. The strength in Van's grip surprised her and her eyes darted up to his, flashing with invitation as their hands held.
"He is!" Peggy laughed, slipping her arm possessively around her husband's waist. "Van is my very own dreamboat." Then, her eyes darting quickly to Janis's as though to warn her sister not to try doing anything about changing that fact, she added, "Aren't you, honey?"
Van smiled and bent to plant a quick kiss on Peggy's cheek. "I sure am."
"Why didn't you tell me you'd hooked such a good-looking husband?" Janis asked.
"I did!"
Janis's eyes ran meaningfully up and down Van's body before she gave him another suggestive smile. "I guess you did, but I didn't expect anything quite this good!"
Peggy attempted a smile, but it was a nervous, apprehensive one. "Well, I, uh, guess we'd better get your suitcase and head for home. You must be starved."
I am, Janis thought, casting another long look at Van as he went for her luggage, but not for what you think.
"We live out of town," Peggy explained as they walked to the car. "Van bought a service station right down the street from here and we used to live in an apartment above it, but he's been doing so good lately we've managed to put a down payment on our very own house."
"We're keeping the apartment open though," Van chuckled, "just in case."
"Oh, honey!" she laughed. "You're going to go a long way!"
"I'll bet he is!" Janis murmured.
When they reached the car, Janis wanted to slide into the front seat so she'd be next to Van, but Peggy opened the back door and ushered her inside. "I guess Tobinville hasn't changed very much since the last time you were here," she explained as they drove out of town.
Janis looked forlornly at the bleak storefronts and dismal houses lining the town's main street. "No, it sure hasn't," she agreed.
"I guess it'll be quite a change for you, spending the summer with us," Van said. "We don't live quite the exciting life down here that you people in Chicago do."
"Oh, you might be surprised," Janis said, digging for a cigarette and quickly lighting it. "I have a way of livening things up wherever I go."
Peggy's head shot around, her eyes suspicious of the tone Janis had used. "When did you start smoking?" she asked.
Janis shrugged casually. "I don't remember. Some time ago."
"Do Mom and Dad know about it?"
"No." Then, staring intently at Van's head, she added, "I do a lot of things they don't know I do." As Van laughed in appreciation of his young sister-in-law's implied mischievous nature, Janis directed her attention to Peggy and smiled as sweetly as she could. "Of course those are the only things in life that are any fun, aren't they?"
Flustered, not knowing quite what to say, Peggy smiled wanly and turned back around in the seat, the three of them remaining silent until they'd reached the house.
"Well, so this is Where you live," Janis said, as she got out of the car and looked up at the big old farmhouse built on the edge of nowhere. "How quaint."
"It's not much right now," Peggy apologized, "but we've got a lot of plans for fixing it up. Van's very good with his hands."
"Are you?" Janis murmured, giving her brother-in-law a suggestive smile.
Van caught the meaning in her smile and grinned with embarrassment and confusion. "I'd—better get your suitcase out of the trunk," he muttered.
"Come on," Peggy said, "let's go inside."
The interior of the house seemed every bit as dismal to Janis as the exterior had led her to anticipate. The rooms were small and characterless, serving their appointed function and nothing more. The sparse furniture Peggy had selected did nothing, as far as Janis was concerned, to add any charm or interest. She followed her sister from room to room, critically appraising what had been done to them and thinking how much more interesting she could have made them if she'd been asked to do the decorating.
"Well?" Peggy smiled when the downstairs tour was over. "What do you think?"
The beam of pride in her sister's eyes was so radiant Janis didn't have the heart to squelch it. "It's—uh—very nice," she lied.
"Like I said, we've still got a lot to do with it, but Van and I are proud of what we've accomplished so far." She took Janis's arm and led her to the staircase. "Come on, I'll show you the upstairs. I think you'll like the room we've fixed up for you."
As they started up the stairs, Van rushed quickly down them. "I'll see you later, honey," he said, kissing Peggy's cheek.
A rush of disappointment shot through Janis. "You're leaving?"
"I've got to get back to the station and help close up," Van explained. "Today's Friday and I've got to take the week's receipts down to the bank before it closes."
"My little businessman!" Peggy laughed.
"See you later, Janis," Van smiled, then bounded down the stairs and was gone. With him went Janis's spirits. She didn't like the idea of being left alone in the house with Peggy. They'd never had very much to say to each other, even when they were girls. Somehow they'd always seemed to be rivals, even though a seven year difference in age was between them. As long as Janis could remember, they'd been competing for things: whether it was their parents' affection, a new dress, or—when Peggy was still living at home and Janis was well into puberty—even a boy.
"Come on," Peggy said. "I want to show you your room."
There were four doors leading off the upstairs hall. Two were at the head of the stairs, directly across from each other, and two were side-by-side at the end of the hall.
"You're down here," Peggy explained, leading her sister along the hall.
"What's in here?" Janis asked, pointing to one of the first doors.
"That's my room."
"And this one?" she asked, pointing to the door across from it. "Is this Van's room?"
"Of course not!" Peggy laughed. "I meant this one is our room. Van and I sleep together, honey." She opened the other door and motioned for Janis to look inside. The room was obviously a nursery, with a child's wallpaper covering the walls and a crib and bassinette standing in the middle of the floor.
Janis gaped in surprise and turned questioningly to her sister. "Are you ... ?"
"No," Peggy blushed. "Not yet. But we're working on it!" She put her arm around Janis's waist and led her down the hall. "This door is to the bathroom," she explained, "and this one's where you'll stay."
The room was quaintly furnished with old-fashioned bedroom furniture painted a light violet color and with a muted flower wallpaper. In its way it was rather charming, Janis thought. At least it showed more imagination than the rooms she'd seen downstairs.
"It's lovely!" she exclaimed.
"I'm glad you like it. Actually it was Van's idea to do it like this. He thought it would make any guests we have feel at home right away."
I might have known you didn't do it, Janis thought She put her purse down on the big old dresser and dug into it for a comb. She began to fix her hair, looking at Peggy in the mirror. "Van's a man of many talents, isn't he?"
"Yes, he certainly is," Peggy said with possessive pride.
"How, uh, how did you meet him?"
"Well, it's kind of a strange story," Peggy said, sitting on the edge of the bed as she explained. "He just kind of drifted into town one day and started hanging around the insurance company where I was working. I didn't pay much attention to him because he looked kind of disreputable. Then one day I was driving home and I almost ran over him."
"What?"
Peggy laughed uneasily. "You see, back then Van had something of a drinking problem and he just kind of walked out into the street without knowing what he was doing."
"Oh?" Janis said, her ears perking with interest. "It sounds like he was kind of wild."
"Oh, he was!" Peggy laughed. "He used to raise all kinds of hell when he was drinking! The other girls at the office used to laugh and say you needed an armed escort when Van Avery was in town!"
"Hmmmm!" Janis murmured. "How did a nice girl like you ever get hooked up with someone like that?"
Peggy bristled. "Well, he changed, of course. That day he almost ran into my car I took pity on him. I could see more to him than the rowdy side he was showing and I kind of made a project of him. I took him home and filled him full of hot coffee and we talked about our problems for almost half the night. After that, he just kind of stopped drinking and we began to see each other regularly. I helped him get a job at the station and he made such a success of himself that when old Mr. Brenner decided to retire he helped Van finance a loan so the station would be his."
"So you really did everything for him, huh?"
"I—guess so."
"Aren't you afraid he might resent that some day?"
"I don't think I know what you mean."
Janis put down her comb and turned to confront her sister. "Well, you know some men feel that a woman who does everything for them takes away their pride. A man wants to think he can do everything for himself and could eventually hate a woman who tries to emasculate him."
"Janis!" Peggy gasped. "What an awful thing to say!"
"I was just making an observation. After all, you should be aware that it might happen someday—especially if another woman comes along who can make Van feel like his own man again."
Peggy's eyes flashed with a mounting anger. "Van does not feel that I've emasculated him, believe me. We're very happy together and now that he's on the right path there's no question that he's the boss."
"Okay!" Janis said breezily. "If it's true, you've got nothing to worry about, I guess."
"It is true!" Peggy insisted. "And as far as another woman taking him away from me," she added, eyeing her sister coldly, "I'd like to see one try! Van and I have things between us that no other woman could begin to wreck."
Oh no? Janis thought, accepting the challenge instantly. We'll see about that!
She put down her comb and stifled a yawn. "Gosh, that bus ride exhausted me. I think I'd like to soak in a hot tub for a While, if you don't mind."
"Of course," Peggy said. "I've got to take the other car and run into town for some things I need at the store anyway."
Janis pulled off her sweater and smiled at the gape of surprise on Peggy's face.
"Don't you wear a bra?"
"No, it's too confining. None of the really sophisticated people do these days," she added cattily.
Peggy ignored the cut and stared openly at her younger sister's breasts, so proudly defiant in their lift, so exuberantly free. "You've certainly grown up from when I was living at home, honey," she murmured.
"Oh?" Janis said sweetly. "Do you think so?" She dropped her skirt, knowing that the filmy black lace panties so scantily covering her hips would be another shock to her sister's home-spun sensibilities.
"Yes, I do." Peggy got up from the bed and started for the door. She paused for a moment and turned back to her sister, her eyes tense and meaningful. "But Janis," she said softly, "just don't think you're too grown up. In spite of tire clothes you wear and the way you make yourself up, you're still a girl and I'm a woman. Remember that."
Janis bristled as she stared angrily at the closing door. "Oh yeah?" she muttered. "We'll just see about that, sister dear!"
Peggy was gone from the house by the time Janis had the tub filled with warm water and scented it with her favorite cologne. She sank slowly into it and stretched out almost horizontally, allowing the relaxing warmth to seep through every muscle. She closed her eyes and rubbed her fingertips slowly up and down her torso. The feeling was a sensual one and before long her nipples began to harden and expand. She played with them for several minutes, until they began to ache with the tension of sexual excitement.
Looking down at them, she lifted one of her tits up until the nipple pointed at her face. "Poor baby," she murmured. "You don't like me to get you all worked up when there's no man around to take care of you, do you?" She squeezed her firm pink nipple between her thumb and forefinger, smiling at the way it throbbed back in response. Full-size, her nipples were almost as long as the top joint on her little finger. "Don't worry," she whispered. "Before you know it, you're going to feel Van's hot mouth sucking on you. I promise you will, if it's the last thing I do."
Aroused by that thought, she lifted herself in the tub and arched her tit up as far as she could, then bent her head down to it. By straining her neck, she could just touch her puking nipple with her lips. The feeling of a mouth on it, even her own, sent a shock of delight racing through her tit. Her tongue licked around the thick nipple, exciting herself until a sharp cramp began to shoot deep in her belly.
Still ticking her own breast, she slid her other hand down between her thighs and began to toy with the sopping wet fur at their center. "So I'm not a woman, huh?" she murmured. "Just a girl, huh?" She laughed harshly, her fingers digging into her soft crack. "We'll let Van decide that for himself," she promised. "When I'm through with him, sweet Peggy, he'll wonder what he ever saw in you! I'll give him a taste of some things you never even heard of!"
Her excitement mounting as she thought of the erotic games she could play with Van's rugged, naked body, she released her breast and concentrated the attention of both hands between her thighs. With one, she continued to stroke the velvet, fleece-covered slopes of her lower belly. With the other, she began to slowly insinuate the tip of her longest finger. She felt her muscles relaxing, her petals slowly spreading to receive the invading fingertip. With her eyes closed, she could almost imagine it was a man beginning to enter her.
"Van!" she moaned. "I'll do things for you a man only dreams of having a woman do! I'll make you so happy you'll never be able to think about another woman!"
Her finger probed deeper, finding the love bud inside her and toying with it until it was full and hard. Gently, she stroked it up and down, getting a charge of excitement with each erotic tickle. Her finger began to move faster, stimulating herself with such practiced skill that she knew it would only take a few minutes longer to enjoy release.
Suddenly she stopped, hearing a car stop outside the house. She listened expectantly as the downstairs screen door banged closed and the sound of heavy footsteps clamored up the stairs. Her heart lurched with excitement as Van came down the hall and tapped at the bathroom door.
"Peggy?" he called. "Is that you in there?"
"No," Janis answered, "it's me. But come on in."
The door opened and Van stepped into the bathroom, abruptly freezing just inside the door as he stared open-eyed at Janis sitting naked in the tub. "I—I'm sorry," he mumbled, turning to leave. "I didn't know you were in the tub."
"Don't go!" Janis exclaimed.
Van stopped and turned back to her, his eyes staring boldly but in complete disbelief at the proud thrust of her breasts and the dark shadow between her legs in the clear water. "W-where's Peggy?" he stumbled, wetting his lips nervously.
"She went into town," Janis said coyly. "We're all alone."
Van shifted uneasily from foot to foot. "Did she say why?"
"Shopping, I think." Then, her eyes flashing with open invitation, she murmured, "We've got enough time."
Her brother-in-law swallowed hard. "Time?"
"Sure. To—uh—get to know each other, shall we say?" She laughed huskily and held out her hand. "Come here, handsome. Give your new sister-in-law a real kiss of welcome, why don't you?"
"I—uh—I trunk I'd better go downstairs."
"What's the matter?" she taunted. "You aren't afraid of me, are you?"
"No, I'm not afraid."
"Then come here," she purred. "You can wash my back while we talk it over."
"I don't think there's anything to talk over," Van said flatly. "And if you need your back scrubbed, there's a brush right there on the edge of the tub." He turned abruptly and went out of the bathroom, closing the door firmly behind him.
"So!" Janis murmured as she listened to Van's footsteps thundering back down the steps. "He's going to make it a little difficult, huh? Good! I don't like things that come too easily!"
She settled back in the tub, her hand returning to the now-burning spot between her legs. "But I'm going to get you Van Avery!" she swore, recalling the way he'd stared at her, his eyes openly devouring her lush young nakedness. "It's going to be a long, long summer. And I don't think you're strong enough to hold out forever!"