His Smile, Tender and Cruel Chapter 2

I woke up to the feeling of a warm, sculpted abdomen beneath my hand.

It felt… nice.

Acting on pure instinct, my fingers traced the lines twice more.

The skin under my touch quivered, and the steady breathing above my head grew heavy. I felt a stirring deep inside my body.

Wait a minute…

Inside my body?

My eyes flew open in horror. This was… this was depraved!

I buried my face in my hands, unable to face reality. But ignoring reality doesn't make it disappear.

The man holding me began to stir. He stroked my back, his voice a low, raspy murmur. "Can't keep your hands to yourself this early in the morning?"

A bolt of lightning shot through me.

That voice…

It was flu season, and my brother, Caleb, had caught a bad cold. Tone aside, his voice when he was sick was just as raspy as this.

Could this man be…

The chaotic memories of last night flooded back. A party, alcohol, a dizzying heat. Then, a series of images that shouldn't be described.

And his commands.

"Open for me."

"Relax."

...

What the hell was all this?!

My mind frantically searched for more clues. Amidst the chaos, I remembered Caleb calling me his "wife."

I am not his wife.

I'm his sister.

Oh, God. He must have mistaken me for someone else.

And worse, he really did have someone he was interested in. Just a month ago, after finishing my thesis defense, I was lazing around at home, getting underfoot. My dad, tired of seeing me, handed me a black card and told me to go bother my brother.

One roof was as good as another, so I happily moved into Caleb's place. I spent my nights gaming and my days sleeping. He couldn't stand it and dragged me to work with him at his company.

After a soul-crushing week of that, he was at it again, trying to pull me out of bed.

"Caleb, seriously," I moaned in despair. "Just get a girlfriend, will you? Please, just leave me alone."

He stood over me, looking down from his great height. Hearing my plea, he slowly leaned in, his face getting closer and closer to mine.

He raised an eyebrow. "A girlfriend?"

I nodded eagerly. "Yes! You get a girlfriend, I'll ask Mom and Dad if I can move back home, and I'll be completely out of your hair!"

He let out a soft chuckle.

"There are so many girls who like you," I pressed on. "Isn't there a single one you're interested in?"

Caleb, with his family, his looks, and his own formidable talents, was the ultimate catch. The line of women interested in him was a mile long.

"There is one, actually," he said, his voice laced with meaning.

"Then go for it!"

"We'll see."

And with that, he hauled me out of bed and off to work, as usual. My persuasion attempt had failed.

But that day at lunch, he asked me, "What kind of things do you like?"

I chewed on a piece of braised pork. "I like to eat. Why are you asking?"

"You're the one who told me to go for it. So, what do you girls like?"

My eyes lit up. "Am I getting a sister-in-law?"

"Just answer the question," he said with a small smile.

How was I supposed to know? People's tastes are different. I could only go by my own preferences. "Get her something good to eat. If that doesn't work, just give her money. Who doesn't like money?"

A month passed. Just two days ago, I asked him how things were going with his mystery girl.

He shot me a look. "She's a little dense."

Dense.

So... was that why he was so forward last night?

But he was forward with the wrong person!

I was starting to panic. The hand on my back was now shamelessly roaming, tracing a path from my shoulder blades to the small of my back, and then lower.

Caleb nibbled on my earlobe. "Such a good girl. You did so well. You deserve a reward."

Thanks, but no thanks.

A reward was the last thing I wanted.

I racked my brain, trying to figure out how to escape without him realizing who I was. He was already turning me over to face him.

Wait… what kind of reward? Was this a reward for me or for him?

Soon, I couldn't speak at all, only manage a series of muffled whimpers. Caleb held me tight from behind, my mind a complete blank.

He kissed my neck. "Why aren't you calling me 'brother' today? Cat got your tongue, little sister?"

He and his girlfriend had such… common pet names. Considering his commands last night and this talk of rewards, my brain took a vacation and blurted out, "Shouldn't I be calling you 'Master'?"

"Oh?" The voice behind me was thick with amusement. "We can certainly do that, if you'd like."

"No, I…"

He cut me off. "On your knees."