Endgame: An Ocean Bay standalone novel

by Chloe Walsh

  “I do want you, Rourke,” I admitted in a breathy tone of voice.

  His eyes lit up. “Yeah?” His voice was deeper now. His face edged closer to mine.

  “Uh-huh.” I nodded, leaning closer to him, forcing myself not to get distracted by the mouth-watering smell of his cologne. “I want to you to shut the fuck up.”

  “Tease,” he chuckled, his face so close to me our noses were almost touching.

  “I know why you’re doing this,” I whispered, making a point to keep my features impassive. “You only want me because I told you no.”

  “Wrong.” Smiling, Rourke moved closer, so close that if I tipped my chin our lips would touch. “I want you because you’re sexy as fuck.”

  “You only want my body, Rourke.” Not the rest of me. “Forget it.”

  “You’re wrong,” he told me in a seductive voice. “I already told you, I want all of you.”

  It wasn’t true.

  I couldn’t allow myself to believe it.

  Angry and embarrassingly aroused, I looked up at Miss Black and devoted my attention to her, forcing myself to ignore the god sitting next to me.

  A low chuckle came from beside me and I blushed a deep shade of red.

  Rourke was enjoying this twisted banter, but if he actually realised how much it affected me, I doubted he’d be smirking.

  Sometimes I thought he was serious – sometimes I got the distinct feeling that he wasn’t messing around. But it was hard to tell with Rourke. Sure, I got it loud and clear that he thought me and him sleeping together was a fantastic idea, but I couldn’t go there with him.

  I couldn’t risk it.

  Not now that my heart was on the line.

  Daring to peek out the corner of my eye at him, I studied the way he looked so fucking amazing in our school uniform.

  It wasn’t fair.

  The way the grey V-neck sweater looked on him only emphasised what I already knew was underneath.

  A rock-hard body.

  Like for real, the guy was ripped…

  With his arm on the back of my chair once again, Rourke leaned into my ear and whispered, “I can’t wait until you give in and I can taste you again.”

  Startled by his remark, I began to cough and splutter and basically choke on my own spit.

  Every head in the classroom turned towards us then and I was pretty sure I turned purple as I struggled to catch my breath.

  “It’s okay,” Rourke announced in an animated tone. Shoving back his stool, he stood quickly and pulled me out of my seat. “I know the Heimlich maneuver,” he called out as he wrapped his arms around my waist and pulled me against his chest. “And CPR,” he added under his breath.

  “Mercedes,” Miss Black said in concern as she took in my ruffled appearance. “Are you okay, dear?”

  “I’m…good,” I wheezed, fighting my way out of Rourke’s hold. “I just need…”

  “Some fresh air,” Rourke filled in for me. “I’ll take her.”

  He didn’t even wait for the teacher to excuse us. He just sauntered out of the classroom with me in tow.

  The minute the door closed behind us, Rourke was dragging me down the corridor towards the steps of the lower level.

  “What about our bags?”

  “Don’t worry about them,” he shot back nonchalantly. “Daryl or Mase will grab ‘em.”

  “Where are we going?”

  “There’s something I want to talk to you about,” he replied. “In private.”

  “If it involves you taking me down to the lower level then I really don’t think I want to hear it,” I shot back dryly, knowing from Molly that the only thing of interest at the bottom of that particular set of stairs was the janitor’s room – or the sex room, as she referred to it.

  If I went into that room with Rourke, the only thing of interest would be what hung between his legs.

  “Shut up,” Rourke chuckled, reading my thoughts. “I’m classier than that.”

  I cocked a brow. “Are you?”

  Rourke opened his mouth to respond and then quickly shut it before winking and grinning. “Okay,” he placated. “Let me correct that statement to you’re too classy for that.”

  That sweet declaration made me feel all warm and fuzzy for about two seconds before realization slapped me in the face like a bucket of iced water.

  “So you have?” I croaked out, stopping at the bottom of the staircase with my eyes on the Janitor’s door. “You’ve had sex at school?” I swallowed deeply. “In there?” I inclined my head towards the door, before daring to look at Rourke. When he didn’t deny it, I shook my head in disgust. “You’re a pig.” And then another thought entered my mind. An unwelcome one. “With Britt, right?” I asked, unable to disguise my absolute disgust. “You’ve had sex with Britt down here, haven’t you?”

  “Do you want me to lie, Six?” Rourke demanded, running a hand through his hair. His tone had turned angry and exasperated. “Because I’ve already told you, I’m not doing that. And besides, this has nothing to do with sex or Britt. I brought you down here because I wanted to talk to you.” Shrugging, he added, “Somewhere the entire school won’t be listening.”

  I wasn’t sure what I wanted Rourke to do, but the truth sucked ass. I didn’t want to think of him down here with Britt. I didn’t want to think of him with anyone other than me, which was crazy stupid. Lord, I needed a divine intervention.

  “What did you want to talk about?” I changed the subject by asking. Folding my arms across my chest defensively, I cocked a brow. “I’m listening.”

  The frown on Rourke’s face quickly transformed into a carnal looking smirk. “Not here.” He grabbed my hand and pulled me towards the door of the Janitor’s closet. “In there.”

  Knowing what was just beyond the closed door caused my heart to hammer in my chest. I was teetering on the verge of unchartered territory.

  I knew I needed to go back to class, but nothing inside of my traitorous body agreed. My brain was the only part of me making sense right now – every other part was screaming get in there with him!

  “Are you coming, Six?” Rourke wrapped his hand around the handle and pushed inwards. “I promise I only want to talk.”

  With a huge amount of doubt, I followed Rourke into the dark room, bracing myself for the unknown, all the while praying my poker face would protect me.

  I was overstepping all boundaries and lines with him, and still, I followed. He knew me and it provoked emotions inside of my body I wasn’t entirely sure how to handle. I couldn’t deal with Rourke. He was a force to be reckoned with and I was terrified of losing myself in all that he was.

  Rourke

  I WASN’T GOING TO try and bag Six in the janitor’s office.

  As much as she didn’t believe my intentions, I actually did bring her down her to talk. All week, I’d been trying and failing to catch her attention. Six had done a one-eighty when it came to me and it was driving me fucking crazy.

  I was trying and failing to get her to come around to my way of thinking and it was driving me bat shit crazy.

  Having to see her at home and watch her at school?

  Fuck, it was too much for me.

  She fascinated me.

  I was reluctant to admit that, even to myself, but there it was.

  Six fucking fascinated me. I was drawn to her in ways I didn’t understand and it scared the hell out of me.

  Bringing up Amelia was my way of trying to open up to Six. I fucked it up, like I always did, but dammit, I was trying.

  I wanted her to know me.

  I also knew that I didn’t have a hope of concentrating on the game tonight if I didn’t straighten things out with her.

  “Whoa,” Six exclaimed when I switched on the lights. White painted walls and cold marble floors greeted us.

  The school janitor’s supply room was wastefully large. One small corner of the room was taken up with cleaning supplies, the following corner pitched a couch and a small stand with a
portable television on top. Everywhere else was empty.

  The smell of sex and nicotine was strong; revealing what the students of Ocean Bay Academy actually used this room for.

  “This doesn’t look like any janitor’s closet I’ve ever seen,” Six gushed with wide eyes.

  I raised a brow and fought back the urge to laugh. “Been in many?”

  Her face turned bright pink. “Shut up. You know what I meant.”

  Turning the lock in the door, I walked over to where Six was standing and fought back the urge to grab her sexy little body and shove her against the wall. Instead, I settled on tucking a strand of her long, dark hair behind her ear.

  “What did you want to talk about?” she asked, voice small and breathy, eyes locked on mine. Yeah, she could say it until the cows came home, but we both knew what she wanted.

  Six wanted me almost as much as I wanted her.

  “Us,” I replied, closing the space between us.

  “As in you and me?”

  “Exactly.”

  “No.” Shaking her head, Six took a step back from me. “I’m not talking about this again, Rourke. I can’t.” Her voice trembled as she spoke. “It’s not a good idea.”

  “For who?”

  “For me!” she strangled out. “I’m leaving in a few months. Once I graduate from school and get my diploma, I won’t be coming back here.”

  “So?” I ran a hand through my hair in frustration. “You think I’m sticking around here?” I shook my head. “No fucking way. I’m getting the hell out of here, too, Six.”

  “Exactly. We’re on different paths.” Clasping her hands in front of her, she added, “Which is why I think it’s better for both of us if we stop this before it gets messy.”

  “You really want that?” I demanded, eyes locked on hers. No fucking way was I quitting her.

  Six didn’t reply and it pissed me the hell off. I knew she was nervous, her body language told me that, but dammit, I needed her to be straight with me.

  “Because I don’t,” I offered without an ounce of hesitation, hoping my honesty would loosen her up. “I really fucking like you, Six, and I think you like me back.” Running a hand through my hair, I inhaled a calming breath before adding, “And I honestly can’t think of another girl I’d rather get messy with.” Sounded screwed up, but it was the truth. This girl pulled invisible strings inside of me. I was willing to take a major fucking gamble just to have her. “But I’m not going to beg. If you honest to god don’t want me, I’ll accept it. I’ll leave you alone.” Taking a safe step back from her, I said, “It’s your choice.”

  Her eyes widened, but she didn’t say a word. Disappointment churned in my gut, but I masked it with a smile. “Come on,” I said. “We better get back to class.”

  “Be my friend!”

  My brows rose in surprise. “Your friend?”

  She nodded slowly. “Yeah. Be my friend, Rourke.”

  “Friend with…benefits?”

  “I don’t know. Maybe?” Blowing out a breath, she took a step towards me. “I need more than sex,” she admitted, blushing a little. “I’m not some girl who drops her panties to random guys. I’m not…like that.”

  “I know.”

  “Our parents are married,” she quickly rambled. “Even thinking about doing anything with you should be inconceivable to me. Us hooking up would be too complicated…”

  “But?”

  “But I can’t deny that I like you.” She blushed bright red. “I shouldn’t, Jesus, I know I shouldn’t, but I do. But I need more than sex from you. I need…”

  “Friendship?”

  Six nodded, eyes wide and full of uncertainty. “Yeah. I think I do.”

  “Then you have it,” I replied gruffly. “Friend.”

  “I’m serious,” she shot back. “You and I would need to be friends before I could even contemplate going further with you.”

  “So am I.” And I truly was. “I can be your friend, Six,” I told her. “I can do that.”

  She looked up at me almost hopefully. “Yeah?”

  Fuck yeah.

  Mercedes

  WELL, MY RESOLVE certainly hadn’t lasted long.

  What the hell was I doing?

  Was I stupid?

  This boy was going to break my heart.

  I knew it.

  It was freaking inevitable.

  He was going to break me apart.

  So why was I willing to go along with it?

  Because you want him…

  Rourke smiled down at me then, revealing those deep dimples in both cheeks, and I was lost to the fluttering sensation in my chest. With his hands on my hips, he walked us until my back hit the wall behind me.

  “I’m really fucking happy about this, Six.” Rourke took another step and pressed his large frame to mine. “Can you feel how happy this friends thing is making me?” he added, tone gruff and thick. His erection strained against me, making me feel weak with want.

  Oh. My. God.

  “And when you get bored of this?” Of me! “What happens then?” I forced myself to look at him when I said, “Do we go back to hating each other? You being an asshole to me half the time, and pretending I’m invisible the other half?”

  Rourke looked at me for a long moment before slowly shaking his head. “I won’t do that to you again.” His voice resonated with sincerity. “And trust me, Six; you have never been invisible to me.”

  I snorted. “Yeah. Sure.”

  “I’m serious,” Rourke argued, eyes locked on mine. “I’ve been seeing you, Six. The whole damn time.”

  Could I handle this? I had an obsessive personality and this boy was like crack to my body. “You make me crazy,” I admitted, unable to stop my body from trembling. Fear and anticipation flooded me.

  “Right back atcha, Six,” he replied, blue eyes burning through me.

  “Okay.” I exhaled a shaky breath and forced a smile. “Okay, so we’ve established we bring out foreign emotions and personality traits in each other –”

  “Six?”

  “Yeah?”

  “Shut up and kiss me.”

  Rourke didn’t wait for me to answer; his lips crashed down on mine harshly, taking my breath away – and what was left of my common sense.

  Gasping, I wrapped my arms around his neck as he lifted me and pressed me against the wall. I relished in the feel of him punishing my mouth with his.

  He was rough and urgent and I loved every second of it. So much so, I cried out in pleasure.

  Everything about this moment felt surreal. This was everything I had refutably denied I wanted since I saw him at our parents wedding. He hurt me that day and I buried my attraction to him with disgust. I couldn’t do it anymore though. Not when he tasted so damn good on my lips.

  Having Rourke crushed against me, straining against me, his hands on my body and his mouth on mine, was everything I had ever wished for.

  Everything about him screamed urgent, like he couldn’t bear the thought of spending another second apart.

  “What about Britt?” I blurted out, panting. I hated to break the kiss, but I needed to know, dammit.

  “No Britt,” Rourke whispered, trailing kisses down my neck, stopping to suckle on my collar bone. “No other girls.”

  My body thrilled at the thought.

  Was he saying he was mine?

  “No Larkin, either,” he added gruffly. “Or any other asshole.”

  “So, what?” I moaned and tilted my head to one side, giving his mouth access to my bare flesh. “We’re exclusive, um, friends?”

  Please say yes.

  Please say yes.

  Rourke stopped kissing my neck. Leaning back, he looked into my eyes, obviously mulling over my question. “If you want something from me, just ask, Six.”

  Okay. “I want you to not touch any other girls for as long as we’re, um, friends.”

  Rourke stared hard at me for a long moment before nodding. “Deal.” He gestured between
us. “No one else for as long as this lasts.”

  Relief flooded my body, so prominent and intoxicating that I drew his mouth back down to mine almost frantically.

  I was playing a dangerous game with my stepbrother; one where my heart and pride were on the line.

  “I need to be honest with you about something,” Rourke panted, reluctantly breaking the kiss.

  Kiss me, I wanted to scream. Stop talking and kiss me…

  “What?” I breathed, looking up at his darkened eyes.

  “This.” He gestured between us. “It’s not permanent.”

  “I know that,” I forced myself to say, even if it killed a little piece of me to say it. “It’s temporary and you won’t ever love me. You’ve told me this before, Rourke.”

  “I just want us to be on the same page.” His eyes were dark and full of heated desire as he spoke. “This is temporary,” he continued to say and I wasn’t sure who he was trying to convince. “But one hundred percent exclusive for as long as it lasts.”

  “Temporary,” I agreed with a weak nod.

  “I mean it, Six,” he said in a husky tone. “I won’t fuck around on you. That’s not who I am. When I’m with you, I’m with you and no one else.” His breath fanned my face as he spoke words that both crushed me and set my heart on fire. “I expect the same in return.”

  He was promising not to hurt me. Offering me friendship, exclusivity, affection, and sex. He was fucking perfect. The only thing missing was the promise of a future. I didn’t want him to propose to me for god’s sake.

  I just wanted to believe that this was going somewhere. That it could.

  But dammit, I needed to look at this relationship in a clinical way. It wouldn’t last. It was just for fun. That’s all. That’s all he was offering me, and why shouldn’t I have some fun? I’d been taking care of everyone else for my whole life. Why wasn’t it my turn to kick back and have fun?

  I wanted to.

  “Okay then,” I whispered. For as long as it lasts…

  The inevitability of this boy crushing my heart should have been enough to make me run. But the emotions and feelings charging through my veins, making my heart pound, made me stay. His eyes on my mine and his hands on my body kept me rooted to the spot.