Cousins (Cheshire Pup & HotTexasCowboy)

[HotTexasCowboy]

The two of them, young bodies, firm and sexy, their flesh a sheen of perspiration, lay in each others' arms, their forms still molded together after a vigorous bout of making love. Shauna rested her head on Milo's firm chest, a satisfied smile on her face, while the male tucked one hand behind his head, his other hand playing idly in the curls of her brown, curly hair. He sighed and said, "Ahh, that's a good way to start the day."

Shauna giggled. "Good way to end one, too. And anytime in between." Milo laughed out loud, a good, hearty, strong laugh, if brief. They lay in silence for a while longer.

Finally Milo broke the silence again. His hand drifted down her back to rest cupping one of her ass cheeks. "Breakfast," he said simply, announcing the inevitable. "And we've got orders to fill."

Shauna sighed and raised her head, smiling into his eyes. "I know, I know. But, Milo, there's something I need to talk to you about, first."

Uh oh, Milo thought. This usually preceded some kind of troubling news. He ran a hand through his thick sandy hair, brushing the bangs back from his forehead. "What is it?" he said, a little warily.

Shauna gave him an understanding look, then launched ahead. "I got an email from Aunt Clarissa."

"Oh man," Milo half groaned. He'd been hearing about this particular family soap opera for close to a month, and he knew this wasn't going to be an opening for good news. "What is it now?"

She tapped lightly on his chest, tempted to giggle again, but the subject was too serious. "Just that the situation between Daphne and Uncle Ahmad isn't getting any better. She says the tension in their house is overwhelming everything else. And Daphne is just getting more and more depressed."

"Dammit!" Milo popped. "When is Clarissa going to rejoin the twenty-first century and divorce that sunovabitch!"

"It's not like that!" Shauna protested. "He's kind and loving and has made Clarissa very happy. It's just that he's... got some cultural baggage he was raised with. And I'm afraid it's fallen like a rockslide onto poor Daphne. Aunt Clarissa doesn't think she can take it anymore."

Milo made a disgusted noise as he exhaled sharply. "Like it's *her* fault! Ahmad's the one who set her up to marry into a family from the old country. And it was the groom who got cold feet on their wedding night and sent her packing! Why is Ahmad putting all this on Daphne?"

"I know, I know," Shauna agreed. "But the tension in that house is so bad, well, Clarissa was wondering if Daphne could come to stay with us a while? Get her away and someplace more nurturing. We were always so close growing up, and all."

Milo grinned playfully. "Yeah, well, there's close and there's close." He added emphasis by giving her nipple a little flick. "How long are we talking, and what does that mean about ... us?"

"A few weeks, Clarissa says... to ... maybe a ... couple of months?" she finished out quickly, hoping Milo wouldn't throw a fit. "And we can still be... you know, fun, just a little more discreet, at least until she gets used to the idea. We have that spare room she can stay in."

Milo sighed; he wasn't as upset as he might have been. After all, they had played and been best of friends with Daphne for most of their childhood and beyond. They had been guests at her wedding, although they had already left to return home when the news about her disastrous wedding night got to them. "Yeah, sure. If we can help her get through this, then I guess we should. You can let Aunt Clarissa know and when we should expect her. Now we better get moving."

The two lived in a spacious and open home in a comfortable development on the edge of Tuscon. Many of the rooms had open windows to let the breeze blow through and keep things comfortable when it wasn't too hot. Saved on energy bills, too. They had a set of friendly neighbors on this cul-de-sac. Their house was deepest in the circle, and their back yard was open to undeveloped land behind them to led toward the rocky spires a couple of miles away. They depended on those peaks for their business. About once a month, Milo mounted a backpack and hiked into the hills to a spot he'd been working for a few years, well seeded with colored desert stones. Turquoise was a mainstay, but he found a variety of colors to work with, loaded up his pack, and brought them back to Shauna. In her workshop, she cut and polished the stones and fashioned them into personalized jewelry and a few sculpture, which Milo then marketed to stores throughout the Southwest. She was the artist, and he was the businessman. It had been a good fit, making them a fine income. They were a good fit in other ways, too, ways they kept basically secret from their neighbors. Milo was also responsible for upkeep on the house. He had added much to their house since they moved in a few years ago. He was the one who'd put solar panels on the roof to cut their energy bills to a fraction. Right now he was installing a hot tub outside the back door. He also was scoping the back yard for the best place to build the windmill kit he'd bought recently.

Before she got to work on her next pieces, Shauna made a point of sending an email to Aunt Clarissa, welcoming their cousin to come for an extended stay, and promising to take good care of her.

 

[Cheshire Pup]

To say that you could cut the tension in Daphne's house with a knife was to give into a horrible cliche. To say that the tension was so high people were inclined to start reaching for the knives was a much better way to put it. The fact that Aunt Clarissa had taken to making dinners that could be eaten with a spoon was no accident. She loved her daughter, but she also loved her husband, and the woman was slowly realizing she could no longer have both, not if she wanted her daughter to be happy.

It wasn't that Ahmad was a bad person, not at all. He had been a kind man to her and taken Daphne as his own. He only asked two things of aunt Clarissa and he daughter: Come move back to his home with him and and follow his costumes. Daphne was six when her family moved away and she missed her cousins greatly. The family lived close by and often came over to play. Daphne got along so well with her cousins, and it gave the sisters a wonderful chance to catch up. Ahmad had been in the area for a busyness trip and ended up taking the girls home with him. After that they wouldn't see Daphne for fourteen years. Not until just before the wedding.

Everyone knew this was an arranged marriage and that Daphne barely new the groom, but there was never any question to her feelings about the marriage. She was excited. She would go on and on about how handsome her groom was and how happy she was with her step-father for setting her up with such a wonderful man. They had been on a few dates and he had always treated her so kindly. On the day of the wedding it seemed like she couldn't have been happier.

It was only that night when disaster struck.

The first time anyone has seen her naked and he rejected her violently. She fled the room with a sheet and her husband went to her father. As the person that arranged the marriage he felt that man was responsible, for the "hideous creature" he was tricked into marrying. Of course her step father had no idea what the husband was talking about, so the husband told him and he was appalled. He had never seen Daphne naked, how was he to know?

"You're a veil creature and I want you out of my house!" Ahmad yelled at Daphne the day that Clarissa sent the email. All Daphne could do was weep and beg to stay. She had no where else to go.

Clarissa was thrilled when she learned that Milo and Shauna would take her Daphne in. Ahmad was happy to have her gone. Clarissa replied quickly promising to send Daphne's things ahead of her. Sure enough over the next week a small number of boxes arrived that was to be Daphne's things. In two weeks the day came when Daphne was to arrive. She felt terrible for burdening her cousins like this but she really didn't have anywhere else to go. She wasn't welcome in her home anymore, her stepfather had made that abundantly clear. Her husband didn't want her and was currently trying to obtain a divorce. She has insisted she could make her own way to their house so they didn't have to pick up up at the airport.

After moving in with her stepfather she kept in touch with her cousins through letters and video chats. Over the years she had grown from an awkward little girl into a beautiful young woman. Her long wavy black hair usually stayed hidden beneath a hijab these days. Today she was wearing a purple one that his her hair and her neck from sight. A white, long sleeve blouse strained to keep hidden a well endowed chest. A skirt, a shade a purple to match her hijab, sat an beautifully curved hips accentuated by a skinny waist. The skirt only went down to her mid calf, so white leggings covered the rest of her legs vanishing into a pair of black short boots.

Daphne thanked the driver as she stepped out of the cab. A small, plain, rolling suitcase held the last bit of her belongings. Chocolate eyes scanned the surroundings. Daphne had a tan complexion unmarred by blemish and the kind of full lips most people paid for. Even with almost all of her skin covered it was very clear that Daphne was an attractive woman, why her husband might reject her seemed a complete mystery.

She tried to look confident as she strolled up to the door but truth be told she was feeling terribly insecure. It had been three months since her husband rejected her. Three months of yelling and screaming and fighting. She was looking forward to some friendly faces but a part of her was worried her family would reject her too. Her confident appearance broke before she made it to the door. By the time she knocked her uncertainty displayed clear on her face. This was another feature about Daphne, her honesty. More often then not what she was feeling displayed clearly on her face. When the door was answered all she could manage was a small smile. "Hello, um, thank you for having me." Please don't tell my you have changed your mind. The nervous thought found it's way into her mind and she pushed it away. This was her family. They would be different.

 

[HotTexasCowboy]

Shauna had been anxious all morning. She would try to sit at a work bench and polish a stone or two, but inevitably rise again moments later an pace. "Has her plane landed yet?" she insisted for the umpteenth time, and Milo patiently looked up from his accounting software, picked up his smartphone, and checked the airline schedules. "It's due in twenty minutes," he would say, and then, "Another ten minutes, Shauna," and finally, "The tower reports the flight has just touched down."

"We should have been there to meet her!" Shauna insisted with exasperation.

Milo sighed at a conversation they'd had before. "She insisted on taking a cab. She was a willful child, remember. Apparently the years with Uncle Ahmad hasn't completely beaten that out of her." We can only hope, he thought. She'll need her strength to start recovering from the last few months, but he knew Shauna would help all she could, as would he.

"The trip from the airport is, what? Fifteen minutes?" Shauna interjected ten minutes later.

"She has to get off the plane, make her way through the concourse, get a cab, and then it's more like twenty minutes, I'd say. Shauna, please try to relax. She needs support, not smothering. She'll get here when she gets here." Milo was a year or so older than Shauna, and it was in his nature to be the steady rock to her more excitable mien. He was dressed casually, in cargo shorts and a sleeveless tee shirt that draped loosely over his lean, well-muscled form (as befit his hiking and rock climbing duties). His sandy hair was thick and a little ragged at the neck and ears, easily forming their natural curls.

Shauna had dressed up a bit more, wanting to make a good impression on their cousin. Her smooth blond hair was carefully brushed as it fell about her shoulders. The pale blue blouse was sleeveless but marked by vertical ruffles on either side of the center buttons. It, too, was loose, given the forecast for another typical warm, Arizona desert day. Front pockets added enough material to hide her nipples, even though she usually did not wear a bra over her firm breasts. The altitude helped keep away the oppressive heat of the lower valleys, but it was still dry and warm by mid-day. Her gray capri pants hugged her long, lean legs and held to her hips and ass like a second skin. While she was often barefoot around the house, today she slipped into a pair of bare heeled house shoes.

Despite his apparent casual disinterest, Milo could hear the road through the open window near his workstation, and detected the tires of an approaching car sliding to a stop at the curb. He rose quietly, not wanting to send Shauna into an unnecessary tizzy, and headed to the front door to look into the street, seeing the taxi there. Already a purple hooded figure was moving up the walk toward the door, pulling a wheeled travel bag behind her. "She's here," he called over his shoulder and opened the door. "Hello, Daphne. I'm so glad you're--" he started. But Shauna's "DAPHNEEEE!" cut him off as his sister dashed past him and threw her arms around their cousin's neck in a bear hut.

"You should have let us meet you at the airport!" she insisted, before finally releasing their visitor. "Milo, get her case," she added without a second thought, slipping her arm around Daphne's back to escort her into the house. Milo suppressed a playful smile at being treated like a porter. He knew it was Shauna's excitement that concentrated her attention on making Daphne welcome. He picked up the case and moved it down the hallway to the bedroom they'd set up for their cousin. He placed it on the bed, adding it to the half dozen or so boxes that already decorated the room. A few weeks, he thought ironically, maybe a couple of months. It looked more like she was moving in for a good while. He mentally shrugged. He'd always liked Daphne; as children they'd been as close as thieves, and still friendly from their letters and video chats. He could live with this, and Shauna seemed near ecstatic.

Shauna was ushering Daphne into their living room. The couches and chairs were settled about, chosen more for cozy comfort than perfect style. Milo and Shauna didn't 'entertain' often, but when they did it was with close friends. Most of their neighbors were on a friendly but slightly stand-offish relationship. Milo sensed that several of them were trying to keep secrets from them, still 'sizing them up' even after three years in the neighborhood. Something sub rosa was going on, and only those who'd passed muster were allowed in on the secrets. Nobody was unfriendly, but Milo and Shauna hadn't quite made the 'club' yet.

Shauna guided Daphne to a love seat and hugged her to her side as they snuggled together. "We've missed you so much, Cousin. You're so welcome to stay here as long as you need," she effused. "After you've been through so much..."

 

[Cheshire Pup]

And, thankfully, different they were. It was like night and day. Her cousin Milo greeted her with a smile that cheered her up just in time for Shauna to maul her with the biggest bear hug she had received in a very long time. For a moment she thought she was going to be knocked over by her cousin's affections but she managed to remain on her feet. "It's good to see you too Shauna." Daphne said with a little laugh, giving her cousin a gentle hug before she was finally released.

"The two of you are already being so kind as to let me stay here, I didn't want to inconvenience you more." She could not help but smiling now. It was so good to be welcome somewhere for a change. "Oh no, you don't have to-" but Milo was already off with her bag, disappearing into the room that she guessed she would be staying in. Before she had a moment for another objection she felt an arm behind her back and she was being firmly escorted into the house. Daphne was fully caught in Shauna's whirlwind of excitement now and there wouldn't be any escape for her, not that she wanted to in the first place. It was so nice.

She let herself be practically pulled into the living room and then sat close to Shauna on the love seat. After so many months of being treated so coldly this was a lovely change, though there was something else that was a change too. Milo was in shorts! It wasn't like they were hot pants or anything, but it was still more skin then she had seen on a man in person in a very long time. Both Shauna and Milo were sleeveless, though she did admire Shauna's top. She was wondering what color long sleeved undershirt would match it best before she stopped herself. Daphne herself had only the skin on her face and hands visible, though she did not seem bothered by the heat.

Sitting close to Shauna on the love seat she let herself snuggle close against her cousin. She was already feeling more at ease then she had since the wedding night. "I'm just so glad that you're letting me stay here for a little while. I just... I just couldn't stay there anymore. After the wedding I was going to live with my husband but that-" she stopped and swallowed, shaking her head, "That didn't work out. Ahmad was so mad. He kept saying how I smeared his name with my failure but there wasn't anything that I could do about it."

Daphne wrapped her arms around her cousin and buried her face into her shoulder. "Oh Shauna, I know you weren't sure about the wedding, but Arsalan was a good man. I know I didn't know him for very long but I loved him. The wedding was the happiest day of my life and then for all this to happen." She choked back a sob but wouldn't let herself cry. "Everything was perfect and wonderful before it became just the worst time of my life. Even worse then when I had to move away from you guys. I-I can't thank you guys enough for taking me in. I really didn't have anywhere else to go."

 

[HotTexasCowboy]

They talked of many things that day. Before dinner, tears had come, and Shauna had been quick to embrace Daphne and comfort her. As much as possible they'd tried to steer conversation away from the problem with her soon-to-be ex-husband and the chill with her father, but the issue was never far away. Shauna had tried to talk about the house. She laughed off the awkward subject of Milo and her sharing a bedroom.

"It's really huge, and, frankly, Milo and I have shared a bedroom since growing up, and it seems so natural," she explained with a shrug. "So don't think you're putting anybody out. That bedroom has always been for guests, and now it's yours."

Milo knew from their conversations over the years that Daphne had been loyal to her father's customs but not particularly about his religion. So he brought up her clothing as delicately as possible. "Folks around here aren't going to be used to your full-body covering," he suggested lightly. "The climate is warm and dry-"

"Make that hot," Shauna corrected with a grin. "So we all dress pretty casual. I hope you brought a swim suit or two. Once the sun goes down, it cools off rapidly, and a soak in our backyard hot tub can feel very relaxing." She and Milo enjoyed the hot tub for other reasons, as well, but Shauna wasn't about to move in that direction. "And when it's hot, if Mister DIY can finally get the pool finished--" She ended with a very hard stare to her brother.

"My project," he explained and half apologized. "I started it sixteen months ago, and it's nearly finished. I told you, Shauna, the paint has to dry for a week before it's guarenteed waterproof. Two more days and we can fill it. Then adjusting the chemicals, and it'll be ready to go." Milo had done it all himself: dug the soil, build frames and poured the concrete, installed the pump and filtration system, painted the surfaces, installed the diving board and other fixtures. It had turned out to be twice as difficult as he's thought, but it was finally nearing completion. "With your deep-tanned skin, you'll fit right in at poolside."

Over the next two days, they'd worn her down. The hijab was the first to go, and Shauna helped her comb her long black hair while showering her with complements. Shauna tsk-tsked at her long sleeved clothes and encouraged her to try on a few of her short sleeve blouses. Milo added his own complements, telling her she had lovely skin and there was not reason in this area to hide it away.

She had been standing in the back yard, watching Milo work on the pool a couple of days later. Milo was at last filling the pool, testing the purifying chemicals as the water level slowly rose. That's when she heard a greeting from the next yard. "Well, hello gorgeous!" the male voice said unexpectedly.

Ralph Turlinger and his wife had lived in their house for eight years. He was in his late thirties, and his wife, Macie, a bit younger. Ralph had been friendly with the Daugherty's, and had even urged their neighbors to invite them into the 'club', but some were still a bit stand-offish about opening up to siblings instead of married couples or singles. But the new body in their house definitely attracted Ralph's attention. "And who would you be?" he asked with a suggestive smile.

 

[Cheshire Pup]

The day wore on and her cousins were so kind to her, even when she cried. She could tell they were trying to avoid talking about what happened back home and she very much appreciated that. When Daphne realized the two shared a room she worried that she had taken one of their rooms and they were just being kind enough not to say anything. Shauna put that worry to rest and Daphne smiled. "You know Milo, you're going to miss this one when she gets married." The woman said with a small laugh.

Later, when the subject of her clothing was brought up, she looked at the two of them shocked, like they had just suggested she go outside without pants. The shock didn't last long. She looked down and played with her skirt awkwardly. She had been dressing like this for so long. To dress down even a little was practically blasphemous, her father would have had a fit, but, perhaps that was what pushed her over just enough to give it a try. "I, um... actually don't have any swim suits." She confessed. No matter how hard Shauna tried she would not be able to convince Daphne to try one of hers on. It was not because she didn't like them, there always seemed to be something else holding her back.

It was not that the idea of lounging by the pool didn't sound appealing, Daphne would just insist "It would show too much." and not say much else on the subject. Daphne liked to be outside and didn't seem bothered by the heat. She was very reluctant to let her hijab go, but Shauna's shower of compliments helped convince her not to dawn it again. She loved having Shauna brush her hair, though she didn't say so aloud, it always seemed to put her at ease.

It was a little easier to convince her to start wearing shorter sleeves. It started with three quarter sleeves and progressed to short sleeves. Shauna was still trying to get her into a tanktop. Today that had compromised. Daphne stood outside with a low cut tank top beneath a white blouse. The blouse was only buttoned up half way and a floral skirt swayed in the breeze and came down to her ankles. Her raven black wavy hair was left down and went to the small of her back. She wore a borrowed pair of flip flops.

When the unexpectedly forward greeting came from the next yard she jumped, visibly startled. She turned to face the man, whom Daphne concluded was the neighbor, and smiled kindly at him. She noticed his wedding ring and concluded he was just being friendly. Calling someone pretty was not a crime, and she felt better for the compliment. "I am Daphne, Milo and Shauna are my cousins. I'm just staying with them for a while, but I don't believe I caught your name sir." A week ago she would have been nervous, but she was in the backyard with Milo in sight and was adjusting well. Besides, so close to family and talking to a man already married, what harm could come?

"Are you friendly with Milo and Shauna?"