ADDICT

by Piper Frost

  She chuckles with a shake of her head as she backs away and plops onto a hay bale. "I don't want to hug it. I could be watching TV."

  "But this is way more exciting." I nod toward the door and grin. "We're going snipe hunting."

  "Snipe...what?"

  "Snipe hunting." I hold back the laugh from the look on her face. "See, you grab one of these bags." I toss a potato bag at her and chuckle when she snatches it before it hits her face. "And one of these." I hold out a flashlight. She takes it but is starting to look a little worried. "And all we do is stand out there in the field, close to the woods, and try to lure the snipes into our bags with these flashlights."

  "For starters." She's inspecting the bag. "What's a snipe?"

  "A tiny bird. But they make the best darn chicken wings." I toss my baseball hat on backwards and nod. "Oh, and you gotta make this high pitched chirping noise." I do my damndest to make the worst sound possible for her and her eyes go wide. "That's how they start movin'."

  She's glaring at me, not sure if I’m serious and she slowly looks at the bag again. "I don't want to eat it," she whispers.

  "Eh. There's hundreds of them out there. You don't eat them, they'll eat you!" I holler back, walking out of the barn and flipping the lights off as I go, forcing her to either join me or sit in the darkness.

  I make it about ten feet and she's jogging up next to me.

  "Why would they just jump into the bag?" she asks, trying to keep pace.

  "The bag stays dark. It's a dark place and for some reason they like the smell of the potato sack. So we shine the light all around the ground, chirp at the top of our lungs, and it scares them into the bag." I shrug and take a deep breath, trying not to laugh at this poor soul.

  "You country folk are strange," she mumbles.

  "We're resourceful." I walk to the middle of the field and drop my flashlight to the ground. "But chicken wings are pricey. Now, look. Ya gotta hold the bag like this." I help her adjust the bag and I'm happy it's dark so I can't see the glare on her face. Also so she can't see me trying not to laugh at her. "Now grab your flashlight and let 'er have it!" I slap her ass then take ten steps away, watching her cautiously decide what she's going to do about this.

  She's rubbing her ass and looking around and when she takes a few more steps away from me I wish I could record this without her knowing. Damn this is the best thing that's happened around here since she showed up.

  "Come on, like this!" I screech at the top of my lungs. Something like a 'ai ai ai EEEEE' sound that hurts my throat but it gets her attention. "Come on, Jo. They ain’t movin’ yet. You gotta help!" I make the noise again and gasp like I got one. "Oh shit! They're movin’, come on!"

  Then she starts the screeching and I can't hold it back anymore. The city girl fuckin' fell for the snipe trick! Holy shit she's fucking doing it and I'm about to piss myself from laughing this hard!

  I shine the flashlight on her face when she stops and turns to face me and she's pissed. Her pale cheeks are red and her mouth's hanging open until a firefly darts inside and she starts to choke and spit.

  "I fucking hate the country!" she shrieks and starts stomping back toward the house. "And I fucking hate you, Brandt! Your boots make me nauseous!"

  "Hold up!" I yell, running after her. "You gotta admit, that was some funny shit." I can't stop laughing and my side hurts. Good god she's cute when she's nice and pissed off.

  "Fuck you," she snarls again and it only makes me laugh harder, making her groan and continue stomping toward the house.

  "Jo, stop!" I yell after composing myself. "Hey, stop." I grab her arm and she spins, giving me that death glare. "You really hate my boots?”

  “Yes!” Her foot stomps before she tries to head for the house again, but laughing, I stop her.

  “Hey, come on, can I make it up to ya?"

  "Yes, by running into the electric fence." She scowls at me, folding her arms across her chest.

  "I was thinking maybe muddin'?" When her eyes narrow the slightest, I explain, "I got two four wheelers that haven't been taken out in a while, and a field out back that's perfect for it."

  "Let me guess, first I have to make some stupid fucking noise and let you humiliate me again? Pass." She rolls her eyes and turns for the house.

  "Seriously!" I yell after her, laughing. "I swear. No joking or humiliation. And I'll even promise not to plaster you with mud."

  "I don't even have a fucking license, Brandt. I don't feel like your games."

  I blink away the humor that the city girl thinks you need a license for a four wheeler.

  "Uh... I'm sorry. I promised no making fun of you and all. But you do know licenses aren't needed for four wheelers in a field, right?" I want to laugh so bad, but as it stands, she's ten seconds from storming inside and not hanging out tonight.

  And I really want to hang out with her, for all the wrong reasons. Jo is ultimately a girl that’s sparked my interest. I should have kept my thoughts on her being a step sister, but they’re far beyond that now.

  Her arms fold over her chest and she dips her head, looking away. "What I mean is, I don't know how to drive. I haven't even ridden a bike since I was like fourteen."

  "So I'll teach ya." I wink and nod toward the barn. "Come on." I start walking, glancing back to see she's following begrudgingly, but she's still following. "So you need something other than flip flops." I glance at her feet, and then look around the barn. "I think your mom has some boots out here you can throw on."

  "Oh no!" she blurts. "No way in hell!"

  I raise my eyebrows and chuckle. "You're gonna go barefoot? ‘Cause those things ain’t stayin’ on."

  "You will never catch me alive, or dead, in a pair of cowboy boots," she insists.

  "Sure, sweetheart. Keep thinking that." I grab the keys to one of the four wheelers and head to the back of the barn, pulling open the back door that leads to the field. "That one's ours." I motion toward the newer of the two we currently have, praying it has enough gas for tonight. "Hop on. I'll let you lead." Really, I only want my arms wrapped around her...but she don't need to know that part of it.

  She chuckles and stares at me in disbelief. "You're going to let me drive it?"

  "Sure." I shrug like it's no biggie. "I mean, I'm coming with so when you screw up, you won't kill yourself." I hop on the back of it and pat the seat in front of me. "Let's go, city girl."

  Getting on, she slides as far forward as she can, putting a huge gap between our bodies. "Enough room, farm boy?" She mocks me calling her a city girl.

  "Way too much. You're prolly pullin' my chain and are a pro at these things. I don't want you whipping me off first chance you get." I scoot forward and wrap my arms around her, resting my hands on the handlebars. "Ready?" I already regret being this close to her because, hell, she feels good against me.

  She glances back and down at my thighs pressed against her from behind and she sighs with annoyance. It’s apparent she’s sick of me trying to be close to her, touching her, but she doesn’t tell me not to. She did, the first night we hung out, and even though I was attracted to her, I was only doing it to annoy her, break her in a little.

  "Yeah. What do I do?" She starts poking at buttons.

  I reach down between her legs, pushing myself even closer to her, and flip the switch then turn the key. "Now this is the throttle." I twist my right hand. "And brake." I clutch the brake. "Ease off your foot and hand brake and give it some gas with the throttle."

  Her arms fold against her chest and she shakes her head no. "I didn't understand a word of what you said. I'll kill us," she admits with fear in her voice.

  "Aw, come on now, city girl. Have a little faith in me. I wouldn't let you kill us." I pat her thigh and take her hand, bringing it back up to the throttle. "Let's do this."

  When I lower my hands to her hips, she quickly grabs my wrists and I almost scoot away because I don't think she wants me touching her. I'm getting too hands-on with my supposed step sister and
she's going to try kicking my ass. But that's not what she’s doing; she puts my hands back on the handlebars.

  "You need to do it with me, Brandt. I'm terrified of driving. Anything," she admits with a shaky breath like she's actually scared out of her wits right now.

  I sigh and rest my hands on the bars, right over hers. This position has me way closer to her than I need to be, and this is way out of the step sibling realm as far as my father's concerned, but I can't find many cares tonight about that. What he don't know won't kill him.

  I take it easy out of the barn, letting her get the feel of it at first and soon her hands drop from the bars and she has no interest in controlling this. I clamp my thighs closer to hers to hold her steady then I wrench the throttle, making her shift back that inch that was still separating us and her ass pushes right against my dick. When I hear her laugh, I don't let off and I see the puddle I was lookin' for. My dad's going to kill me when he realizes I tore up the field again, but Jo's laughter makes me push on. As we hit the marshy land, I yank the handlebars, almost throwing her off but she grabs my thighs with a scream then bursts into laughter. I probably should have made her wear a helmet, but I don't plan on her getting hurt tonight. We ride in circles until I'm eating grit and grass because the tires have kicked up so much earth we're both covered, then I head to the creek to at least wash off my boots.

  The muddy fields soon turn into back roads and the familiarity of the creek finally starts to calm me. It's still not as good as Jo pushed against me and it's definitely not as good as her laughter, but it helps calm me every time I come out here.

  We pull to a stop and she glances back at me, beaming a smile I didn’t think I’d see on this girl’s face, and it's hard not to press my lips to hers. Hell, I almost do. But then I remember all the dirt that's probably caked on me so I hop off the four wheeler and yank my shirt over my head.

  "Up for a swim?" I wiggle my eyebrows at her.

  "I lost my flip flops..." She snorts out a laugh then gets off, moving slowly. "I'm drenched in mud." She yanks her hoodie off and drapes it over the handlebars. "Hey, what if I step on a snake or something? You have snakes out here?" Her wide eyes find me and I grin at the mud sprayed across her face.

  "Yeah." I blink a few times, because in this moonlight, even covered in dirt, she's damn beautiful. How on God's green earth is a goth girl from the city who likes to sleep all day turning me into a mindless, dumb cowboy? And my step sister, nonetheless! "I’ll go first and scare them away." I slide off my boots. "But if I get bit it's up to you to drive us back on that thing."

  "Maybe we should just go back, Brandt," she says with worry and grabs my forearm. I glance down at her small hand and my eyes travel up her arm. An arm that's covered in intricate tattoos that I want to pin her down to study.

  "Stop worrying so much, city girl." I unbuckle my belt and drop my pants right here in front of her. Her brows raise and I smirk when her eyes travel my body. "Come on, I'm getting in and if you stand here too long the snakes'll be back before you make it to the water."

  "Oh, if only I had a fucking potato sack to catch them in." She rolls her eyes and folds her arms over her chest while I laugh at her.

  "Don't be insane, Jo. Animals hate potato sacks. All scratchy and shit." I laugh then shiver. "Come on now! Sun's gonna be up soon and we need to get clean before the ‘gators wake up."

  "Brandt, that's not fuckin' funny!" She slaps at her arm, and if she don't get in the water, that cold blood's going to be a feast for mosquitos. "I'm not getting in the freaking water! Especially not with alligators, and especially because I don't want to be soaking wet riding all the way back to the house. I'll freeze!"

  I laugh at how cute she is. Cute, worried little goth city girl. She's not quite as tough as she acts. Then again, she fought off fucking Cash. Fuck, that still pisses me off.

  "Take those layers off, Jo. Then get in the damn water before I throw you in." I cross my arms over my chest. "And you're gonna be a walking mosquito bite if you don't act soon."

  "Fuck!" She jumps and swats at her leg. Her eyes drop to my bare chest then down to my boxer briefs before they fall to her chest. "You're fuckin' crazy." Her tank top is pulled off, and no surprise, she has a little black bra on, but I can't see much in this light. With a huff, she peels off her leggings then hightails it toward the creek in nothing but her red underwear and black bra. "Oh, shit!" she shrieks when the cold water hits her, then the rocks jab at her feet.

  I jog over to the water and splash her as I run in. "What're you talking about? This feels fantastic!" I splash her again then bring water to my face and try to rub off some of the dirt.

  "Does it go deeper?" she asks, blindly wandering toward the middle where she could slip then be whisked right down the creek never to be seen again.

  "Jesus, girl," I blurt, rushing after her and gripping her hip just as her footing slips. "You asking to die tonight? You know my dad would have my hide if you ended up dyin' out here." I pull her toward me and take a step back, but my hand doesn't drop from her hip when my brain tells it to.

  "I think both our parents would shoot us if they knew we were out here in our underwear," she says only above a whisper and starts to carefully wander toward the shore before splashing her face with water.

  "Oh come on, city girl. It's just as much as a bathing suit, right?" I splash water at her back then wipe off some of the dirt caked on my arms. "It's like a fresh bath."

  She snorts a laugh of disagreement then turns to say something but I'm right behind her and she rolls her eyes at me.

  "You missed a few spots," I whisper, bringing my thumb to her cheek to wipe off dirt before doing the same with my other hand, though this time it’s only for an excuse to touch her. Her eyes flick from my chest up to me and she licks her lips, probably contemplating the same thing I am.

  Fuck, my dad's gonna kill me.

  "What they don't know won't hurt them, right?" I whisper, my hand still cupping her cheek.

  Her lips curl into an O and she locks eyes with me, probably realizing how much of a bad idea this is. "I..."

  I don't let her finish, not wanting either of us to come to our senses. I press my lips to hers, hesitantly at first then with a little more force when I register just how perfect her lips feel. She's rigid, but after I move to deepen the kiss her hands clamp onto my biceps.

  I shift to stand on a sturdier rock and let my hands roam under the water and down to her ass as she moans into the kiss.

  Hell, this girl's gonna get me in trouble.

  Brandt doesn't do anything half-assed. That includes a kiss. This kiss we shouldn't be carrying on. The kiss that shouldn't have happened to begin with because he's technically my step brother. I can tell you I've looked at my step brother inappropriately more than twenty times. I figured I'd come here to the country, hate everything about it but just chill until I was too bored. When I met him, I assumed we'd have that fake-sibling rivalry bullshit, I didn't think I'd be pressing my stomach firmer against his hard cock just to get the feel of how big it is without grabbing it.

  His tongue slides and swirls and his lips shift and lock in a way I've never been kissed. I've never been kissed like someone actually wanted to kiss me before, and right now, he's groping and kissing me like he's been waiting to do it. I honestly thought he was so hands on, a little too close for comfort because that's just the type of kid he is. A dumb nineteen year old with no respect for personal space. But this kiss feels more like he's been fighting it. And there's a very good reason for it. Donna, and probably his dad, would fucking die. They'd flip. They'd probably kick me out, but good fuck, that only makes me want it more. The dream I had about Brandt didn't really go this way. It was more me possessing him, but right now, he's the possessive one. He's the leader and I'm doing what I've subconsciously been doing since I got here. Following him.

  I have never, in my life, made out with someone, but this is a full-blown make out session that he's not letting me out of, an
d I don't want to. By now, I'd be riding his dick, but first and foremost, I'm not riding my step brother's dick. Following that, I'm not sure that's what he wants. Right now, I know he wants my tongue in his mouth and he wants his hands gently but possessively on my body. When he pulls back, I bite my lip to keep from pathetically whimpering. That was too good. Too wrong.

  "I could stand here all night," he whispers. "And I don't wanna stop this." He gives my ass a squeeze with both his hands and growls. "Fuck, Jo. We gotta get goin' before my dad realizes we're out here. He's up hours before the sun, and we'll be lucky if we get this thing stored away in the barn before he comes sauntering out for the morning chores."

  I don't agree with words, I just move quickly to get my clothes back on, pulling them over my wet body and cringing about it the whole time. I jump on the four wheeler, sitting all the way back so he can get us back to the barn.

  When he gets on he turns back. "You moved pretty fast there, city girl. Couldn't wait to get away from me?"

  "’Gators." I give him a cocky smirk then grab his hips, immediately letting go because if there's something I'm good at it's making people feel awkward, and I feel hella awkward right now.

  There's no way this cowboy is actually feeling me for something other than a warm hole to stick his nineteen year old dick in because that's what most guys care about. We're so opposite ends of the earth. There's no way.

  And we're fucking stepsiblings.

  I quietly groan as he starts the four wheeler, not hearing my sudden panic of regret.

  Before taking off, Brandt reaches back and grabs my wrist, bringing my arm around his waist. "You fall off and hurt yourself and we're both as good as dead." He pulls my other arm around him. "Hold on tight, city girl."

  I flip my hood up then hold on, trying not to actually hold his body, more so his shirt, but it's impossible. The wind whips at my face, making me dip my head and push against his back. As we get closer, he slows down so the rumble of the engine quiets.