Under the Orange Moon Read online

  The intimacy between them seemed to link them into one now, something he had never experienced with anyone before this moment with her.

  He gently pushed her back against the sheets and pillows beneath her, removing her pants at the same time. He watched her lovely body move and realized it was all his, and it always had been.

  Dylan wasted not another second to remove the rest of Ben’s clothing. He would forever be hers as well.

  “There’s no going back after this,” Ben whispered almost breathlessly. “Are you sure?”

  Dylan eagerly pulled him to her. “I don’t even want to look back,” she answered with an out-of-breath tone to match his.

  His lips moved from her shoulder to her chest. She wrapped her fingers around his neck and inhaled deeply, exhaling through a moan into the air above them. He kissed every inch of her, taking his time with every movement.

  He slowly moved into her, a feeling he could not even begin to describe. His eyes connected with hers. He watched as she bit her lip and raised her chin. She looked bashful, but blissful. She belonged to him in every way then. They beamed at one another, a genuine, teeth-showing smile that neither could avoid making.

  This was his first time making love. He’s had an abundance of sex with plenty of insignificant girls, girls whose names he could never even care to remember. This was the first time that it mattered—the first time he felt pure elation.

  He wrapped his hands up into her hair and kissed the end of her nose, her jaw, her ear. It didn’t matter where his lips landed, as long as they were touching some part of her. He pressed his forehead to hers as he sighed and caressed her face.

  As he moved deeper, he allowed himself to let go. He let his mouth say things that he would never say to anyone, but this wasn’t just anyone and she never had been as nonexistent as he liked to pretend. She was his everything, finally taking her rightful place in his arms.

  He whispered, “I never knew it would feel like this.”

  “I did,” she whispered back with such certainty it was almost too much for him to take.

  He pressed his mouth back to hers and made love to her in the sweetest of ways. He slowly gave every ounce of himself to her and knew that she was doing the same for him. It was all that he wanted, and he couldn’t have imagined it to be more.

  Chapter Seven

  Dylan couldn’t sleep. She refused to miss any part of the moment she found herself in. She lay on her side just staring into Ben’s beautiful eyes. She seriously considered a life inside the walls of Ben’s room. She would never leave if allowed to stay forever.

  Ben held her hand as it rested on the sheets. His thumb rubbed against hers, a small movement that still left a lingering presence of gratification. Her legs intertwined with his beneath the blankets and their naked bodies were as close as could be. There was so much heat in that bed. They both feared losing even a fraction of it if they were to move apart.

  Ben flashed his rare, peaceful smile. “What are you thinking about?” he asked gently.

  Dylan smiled and touched his cheek, something that would have been too intimate for him before. She sighed as she thought long and hard. “Happiness,” she finally answered.

  “I don’t believe I knew what that was until just now,” he admitted, a surprise to them both.

  “Thank you for not flaking,” she whispered.

  Ben sighed. He ran his hand through her hair and down along her soft cheek, sending chills down her spine. He pulled her face to his and kissed her passionately. He moved his body closer and wrapped his arm over her hip.

  She was confident, safe, and enthralled with every movement he made. Dylan moved onto her back and pulled him above her. She loved that he gave her that control. She enjoyed pulling him to her, the warmth of his skin and the feeling she had beneath him.

  They made love again and, just like the time before, Ben’s eyes looked deeply into Dylan’s. She wasn’t sure what she enjoyed more, the love in his stare or the sensations from his touch. Either way, she couldn’t imagine it ever coming to an end.

  “Stay with me,” Ben pleaded. He pressed Dylan against her car, almost forbidding her from opening the door. “You don’t have to leave.”

  Dylan sighed. “You know I don’t want to, but I have to. I promised Meredith.”

  “Meredith will understand.”

  “No, I assure you, she won’t.” Dylan giggled into his chest, a sound that he knew he would only enjoy if she were the one to make it.

  “The homeless don’t need you. I need you,” he said, kissing over and over again on every part of exposed skin he could find on her.

  “There’s that holiday spirit of yours,” Dylan teased. “Very festive.”

  Ben kissed her cheek, her ear, her neck, even her eye. He groaned as he inhaled every scent of her and found satisfaction in the fact that he could also smell himself in her hair.

  “You’re making this extremely difficult, Ben,” Dylan almost scolded. “I promise I’ll see you later.”

  “What am I going to do while you’re gone?”

  “Go hang out with Jonah,” Dylan advised through a chuckle. “I’m sure my brothers are wondering where you’ve been.”

  “I don’t know them, remember?” he teased. He was only half kidding, though. He would gladly give up all men named Mathews if it meant Dylan would come back up to his bed. She was the only Mathews he needed.

  “Will you come to the light show tonight?” she asked, and kissed his nose. “Maybe your mom will come, too?”

  Ben laughed. “No, she won’t.” He leaned in and kissed her mouth. “But I’ll be there. We can hide and hold hands again,” he said, and kissed her soft lips.

  Dylan’s face beamed. “You do remember.”

  He sighed again, ashamed that he had allowed her to go all these years unable to know how he really felt. “I remember everything,” he whispered.

  They kissed once more and he grudgingly moved away, releasing her into the outside world, a place he hated more than anything because it now possessed Dylan. He watched her drive away and suddenly the emptiness consumed him.

  It was a good time to find Jonah, like Dylan suggested.

  One of the things that Charlie found so wonderful about Meredith was the good nature of her massive heart. She seemed to spread it everywhere she went, despite the fact that she came off rude at times and quite stuck on herself. No one would ever be surprised that her father was a wealthy man, president to a major appliance manufacturer with three locations in Phoenix, Detroit, and Chicago. As prissy and spoiled as she was, though, Meredith could be a selfless saint.

  Usually, she pulled Dylan along with her, spreading good cheer and doing good deeds. Normally, Dylan found the act enlightening and good for the soul. Today, however, she only thought of one thing: Ben.

  “Why are you glowing, sister?” Meredith asked, while scooping holiday dinner onto an open plate. “You look unusually happy.”

  “I’m just in a good mood. Is that okay?” Dylan asked with a red face.

  “No. I don’t buy that.” Meredith stared through inquisitive eyes. “Are you dating someone?”

  “Why does everyone keep asking me that?” Dylan hissed.

  “Because Charlie said you weren’t interested in Michael. I could’ve told him that, but you look like you’re giddy today.” She pursed her lips and narrowed her eyes, before adding, “Too giddy. Were you with a man?”

  “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Dylan lied, and spooned up some mashed potatoes. “Why are you all so interested in my love life?”

  “Because we want you to have one,” Meredith joked. “Although…I think you do have one and you’re keeping it a secret. I’m female and we tend to know these things, Dylan.”

  “Well, if I am dating someone and I haven’t said anything yet, I will when I’m ready, okay?” Dylan loved her secret love affair, but with the family she had, she was well aware they would not just let her live peacefully in private.<
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  “Charlie said Hugh told him that you didn’t sleep at home last night.” Meredith’s face was amused. “That means that you spent the night with someone.”

  “I’m twenty-two years old. I’m allowed to spend the night out.” Dylan shook her head. “I need to get my own place.”

  “Cambridge, Massachusetts is a nice place to live,” Meredith teased. “Will you be moving there?”

  Dylan almost choked. She said nothing as she continued to spoon the potatoes onto each plate that passed by. She knew her face was red, but she tried to act oblivious, nonetheless.

  “Uh-huh,” Meredith said with a satisfied grin. “Got ya.”

  “I didn’t say anything,” Dylan shrieked. “You’re assuming things.”

  “Charlie said Ben left early last night.” She paused to stare at Dylan. “I haven’t heard very good things about him when it comes to women. Are you sure you want to go down this path?”

  “You don’t know him, Meredith.” Dylan always found it necessary to defend him, now more than ever. “Besides, you’re wrong.”

  “I know your face is red and I know you both were nowhere to be found last night.” She shrugged. “Your brothers would never suspect but I’m new, so my eyes are a bit more open. You’re doing it with your brother’s best friend. Wow.”

  The conversation ended between them, only because Dylan knew she was busted and there was no point in continuing. She also knew that Meredith would never say anything to Charlie. No matter what, she still was her most trusted friend.

  The odds of them all letting this go were very slim to none, this Dylan knew well. She wasn’t too sure how much longer she would be able to get away from her brothers without their curiosity getting the better of them. It was only a matter of time before they began following her around.

  Dylan simply was not granted her own life in the family that she had. She would never get into her brothers’ lives the way that they seemed to always be in hers. Even with Brandon and Jonah in California and Hugh in Washington, Dylan’s life would never be her own.

  Ben stepped through the garage door of the Mathews house and smiled when he ran into Linda. “Hey Mom Two,” he said, stealing a freshly baked cookie from the wax paper on the counter.

  “Hello, Son Five,” Linda replied, slapping his hand at the same time. “Those are for tonight.”

  Ben adored Linda’s acceptance of him belonging to her family. She even included him in her Christmas list. It wasn’t just a shirt or a CD of some sort. She would buy him thoughtful presents, even a matching shirt that she bought her own sons. They would all laugh if by accident a few of them wore the same shirt when they were together. They learned to alert one another of what they were wearing, to be sure that didn’t happen.

  “Where’s Son Four?” Ben asked.

  Linda, knowing he meant Jonah, replied with a finger pointing out the window. A gesture that meant Jonah was outside. She was too busy licking homemade frosting from her thumb to speak with words.

  Ben walked out through the sliding glass door and sat down on the patio in back. “Hey,” he called to Jonah, who was helping Brandon with the fireworks for the Christmas Eve show.

  Jonah didn’t look up at him. “Where the hell have you been?” he asked with laughter in his voice. He must have figured this was female related, Ben suspected.

  “I had some things to do,” Ben replied casually.

  “Who?” Jonah asked with a smirk.

  Ben laughed uncomfortably, only because he figured if Jonah really knew who, he would be nauseated with himself for even asking that question. “No one,” Ben answered, attempting to mask his amusement.

  “Well, you’ve been MIA since last night. I just figured this was about a girl.” Jonah dropped a cord of lights and headed over to Ben. “Are you coming over tonight?”

  “Yeah,” Ben answered. “I wouldn’t miss it.”

  “I don’t know where Dylan’s been.” Jonah sighed and looked around. “She took off from Oilies last night.”

  “Yeah?” Ben asked as absentminded as possible. “Hmm.”

  “We invited Olerson tonight.”

  “Why are you assholes pushing Oilie on her?” Ben tried to conceal the jealous fit that was consuming his brain, but his mouth was not doing so well in being discreet. “She doesn’t like him. You guys need to get over it.”

  Ben could feel Jonah shift in discomfort. That was about all that Jonah needed to do to show his disapproval of Ben’s occasional outbursts. It wasn’t that Jonah didn’t know how to deal with Ben’s flare for anger. It was only that he would contemplate and choose his battles with Ben, shifting when he chose not to argue.

  “I’m not pushing him on her,” Jonah responded after a few uneasy moments. “I just think he’s good for her.”

  “Well, she doesn’t like him.” Ben sighed, slightly embarrassed.

  Jonah didn’t reply, a signal of retreat. He stood up and left Ben alone again while he went back to his role of being Brandon’s assistant.

  Ben looked around and remembered his life in the backyard he stood in. He almost laughed out loud when he remembered a time he could never forget. He was fourteen and Dylan put on a purple bikini, nearly killing him in his pubescent state of life.

  On her way to join the swimming boys, Dylan bashfully snuck out of the sliding glass door with Linda behind her smiling proudly. Ben realized now that the bikini must have been Linda’s idea, an attempt to make her only daughter more feminine.

  Ben stood on the diving board, ready to leap into a cannon ball, but completely frozen in a state of jaw-dropping horror. He had never seen so much of Dylan and he truly didn’t enjoy the show, knowing what it was doing to his body as a result. Ben dove into the water and came up just along the edge of the pool to hide the overwhelming evidence below.

  “You look stupid,” he yelled when Linda disappeared.

  Dylan’s face broke with hurt and her eyes glassed over with tears. She looked down at her feet and let her once proud shoulders fall. Ben knew even then that she was seeking his approval, but he couldn’t let her know that she had won him over again.

  “Weed, put your other one on,” Brandon demanded with sweetness in his voice. Always the overprotective brother, he added, “You’re still too young for that.”

  “She’ll never be ready for that,” Ben shouted. “She has to be a girl first.”

  “Mom said I look nice,” Dylan said quietly through quivering lips.

  “She’s your mom, Weed. She has to tell you that,” Ben remembered urging for the sake of himself, of course. She looked too beautiful and much too perfect. “Go put your old one on and let’s play water basketball.” He threw the wet ball at her face and laughed when it exploded with water spray, soaking her hair.

  Dylan didn’t cry, though. She simply lifted the first thing she saw, a baseball, and threw it back at him. Hard. Ben dodged the flying ball and stared at her with shock in his eyes.

  Dylan ran into the house and didn’t return with a new suit on, or even at all. Ben knew she was hurt and, whether he admitted it to himself then or not, the guilt he felt that day was heavy and true. Still, he would not falter and admit why he was so desperate for her to not be in that bikini.

  “Ben?” Jonah called for what must have been the tenth time. “Hello?”

  Ben snapped back into the present and realized Jonah was standing in front of him. “Sorry. What?”

  “You checked out for a minute, buddy.”

  “I’m back now.” Ben laughed uncomfortably. “What do you need?”

  Jonah shook his head and threw an extension cord to Ben. “Help,” he answered sternly.

  The atmosphere that surrounded them seemed a bit awkward. Ben truly feared the thought of his friends finding out about what he had done with their sister. He wouldn’t object to them taking turns punching him. Like a downright dog, he slept with his best friends’ sister. He only deserved a good beating.

  He even found himself looking at the
m differently now. He almost wondered if he would have to choose between them all. He would choose Dylan. He would choose her over them all, and this was what frightened him the most.

  Traditionally, the entire neighborhood spread out in the street to enjoy the light display that erupted over the Mathews’ home every Christmas Eve. Neighbors brought dishes to pass and sang songs of Christmas cheer to get the spirit going.

  With the emptiness that loomed inside Linda’s home as a result of her sons’ absence, she contemplated moving into a smaller home for her and Dylan, knowing it would take a lot for Dylan to ever leave. However, when the occasion of Christmas came her way, Linda was reminded of why she could never leave her beloved home.

  In the neighborhood the Mathews lived in, the friendly atmosphere went on just as it had twenty years before. The two and three storey homes ran side-by-side. Some were the same as the next, and others gave off their own distinct personality. It was a charming little community; no one would move away unless they absolutely had to.

  The street in front of the Mathews’ house began to fill as it did every year this time. The women set up tables and food, while the men stood over Brandon, Charlie, Hugh, and Jonah to make sure they wouldn’t blow themselves up. Some things never change.

  The children of the subdivision were all mostly grown into adults and allowed themselves to step back and embrace their childhood with memories of Christmas past and the innocent joy they felt while watching the sky burst with festive colors above them. It was a timeless tradition that no one would ever be ready to let go.

  Dylan spotted Ben as he appeared at the side of her house. He was not quite out of the shadows and she was the only one that knew he was there, only because she was watching for him desperately. Ben motioned for her to come to him and she wasted no time obliging with a guilty grin.

  She walked around to the other side of the house discreetly and searched for him in her own back yard.