“Hmmm, well look at that,” she murmured, feeling her lips pull up into a shit eating grin that would rival that of any Bradford.
“It’s nothing,” he bit out, turning his head so that he could glare at her.
“Really?” she asked, cocking a brow in disbelief as she looked pointedly down.
“It’s fine.”
“If you say so,” she said, letting her words trail off with a mischievous smile as she walked away, leaving him stranded by the bottles of Head and Shoulders, rather pleased with the way things were turning out.
“Where the hell are you going?” he demanded just as a woman and four young children turned down the aisle and walked past her, effectively trapping him.
“To make plans,” she announced with relish as she pushed the rickety old carriage down the aisle, deciding that it was time to bring the bastard to his knees.
Chapter 17
“Shit!” he muttered with a cringe as he shot a nervous glance towards Marybeth’s apartment door as he waited for any sign that she’d heard him.
When he didn’t hear anything after a minute, he practically tiptoed the short distance to his door and slowly turned the doorknob all while shaking his head in disgust at himself. Fucking pathetic, he thought even as he shot another nervous glance over his shoulder to make sure the little tease wasn’t coming to destroy the last thread of his self-control.
He still couldn’t believe this was happening. One minute he’d been so sure that he finally had her where he wanted her and the next he was standing in front of the generic Head and Shoulders, explaining to the assistant manager that he didn’t need any fucking help as he struggled to get his cock to behave. Now, two hours later he was sneaking into his apartment like a coward, all so that he could get a chance to clear his head before Marybeth could take advantage of his momentary lapse of control.
Space.
He just needed to put a little space between them so he could clear his head and gain control before he continued with his sensual assault. He briefly considered coming up with a new plan, but just as quickly decided that this was his best chance to finally make Marybeth his. Now all he needed to do was to make sure that his cock was on board with his plan and everything would be fine.
Tomorrow he’d take up where he’d left off, but tonight he was going to take the night off and recoup, he decided as he closed the door behind him. After a slight hesitation, he locked the door behind him and threw the deadlock to make sure the little tease wasn’t able to sneak inside and take advantage of his weakened state. With that in mind, he moved his ass and made sure that the backdoor was locked as well, making sure that Marybeth wasn’t lying in wait, ready to strike.
When he didn’t find her lurking in a corner somewhere, ready to torment his poor misguided cock with her mischievous little smiles and generous curves, he went upstairs, swallowing nervously as he came to his closed bedroom door. He tried to summon the courage to open that door and face whatever was waiting for him inside, but he couldn’t move, not when there was a real possibility that Marybeth was in there, waiting for him, naked, eager and wet…
Oh, hell…
He should turn around and leave while he still had the chance. He could stay at his parents’ house or with one of his brothers or cousins. It would be the smart thing to do, he told himself, but he couldn’t stop himself from reaching for that doorknob as he licked his lips, anticipating the moment that he saw her, laid out and waiting for him.
He was so fucking weak.
The doorknob turned with a small click, his cock jumped with anticipation even as everything in him told him to run. He had a fucking plan and it was working. He just needed to be strong and push through this, he thought numbly as the door swung open, revealing…
An empty room.
He was not disappointed, he told himself as he walked into his room and slammed the door shut behind him. He stormed over to his bureau, yanked open the top drawer, grabbed a pair of boxers and slammed the drawer shut. He stalked off towards the bathroom, shooting the empty bed where Marybeth should be waiting for him, naked and begging him to fuck her as she professed her undying love for him.
Pissed, because this was taking longer than he’d expected, he tore his clothes off, turned the shower on full blast and stepped inside. Jaw clenched, he washed up, determined to ignore his neglected cock as it jerked hard against his stomach, begging for release, but he couldn’t give in to his body’s demands without forfeiting the dare and losing the best chance he had at making Marybeth his wife.
Without resorting to kidnapping, that is, which he was willing to do, but only as a last resort. He’d rather have her cooperation, especially since it would make the honeymoon more enjoyable. Christ, just thinking about the honeymoon and all the things that he wanted to do to her had him licking his lips in anticipation.
He’d take her to a tropical island, somewhere where they could spend their days making love on the beach with the tide washing over their bodies as he slid inside her, cooling their skin from the hot sun beating down against them. At night, he’d lay her down in front of a fire and worship her body with his hands and mouth. He’d take his time with her, relearning every curve of her body, the feel of her skin against his tongue as he traced her curves, suckling and kissing every inch of her skin until he came to the very center of her.
His hand wrapped around his cock as he licked his lips, imagining just how good it was going to feel to slowly slide his tongue between her wet slit. He’d use the tip of his tongue to tease her clit as he gripped her thighs and pushed her legs open so that he could bury his tongue in her-
“Shit!” he snarled, dropping his hand away from his cock as he dragged in a deep breath, praying for control when all he wanted to do was find Marybeth and fuck her raw.
He wanted to-
“Are you going to fuck me, Darrin?”
The question froze him on the spot.
She was here?
“Marybeth?” he said, shutting off the water as he stepped out of the tub and grabbed a towel.
“Well?” Marybeth asked in that teasing tone she got when they were in bed, the one that made him groan and want to bury himself inside her and stay there.
“Are you wet for me, sweetheart?” he heard himself ask, only he hadn’t said anything.
Frowning, he opened the bathroom door and glanced over at the bed to find it empty.
What. The. Hell?
“Why don’t you come here and find out for yourself?” Marybeth suggested in that same tone, drawing his attention against his will to the television.
Oh, fuck no…
“Why don’t you show me?” he heard himself ask as the camera zoomed in on Marybeth, who was lying on his bed, half-naked, smiling and pleasantly buzzed from the champagne they’d served at his parent’s anniversary party.
He swallowed hard as he watched Marybeth send the camera a playful glare even as she reached down and shimmied out of a pale pink lacey thong. She drew up one of her legs, exposing her wet sex as she threw her panties at the camera.
“Do you want a closer inspection, Officer?” she asked, reaching down to trace her wet slit as the camera moved closer.
“Yes, ma’am,” he heard himself say as the unmistakable sound of a zipper being dragged down came through the television speakers loud and clear.
“Shit,” he muttered, dropping his towel as he rushed over to the nightstand and snatched up the remote. As soon as his thumb found the power button, he was pressing it, praying to God that the home movie shut off before it got to the part where Marybeth showed him just how wet she was.
It took him several long seconds to realize that it wasn’t shutting off. Cursing, he banged the remote against his hand, but it didn’t help.
“What are you doing?” Marybeth asked, sounding breathless as he glanced back at the television in time to see the scene jostle a bit as the camera was placed down on the bureau.
“Freeing my hands.”
He stared at the television, frozen on the spot as he watched himself walk over to the bed, his cock sticking out of his pants and bouncing with each step. Without a word, Marybeth leaned over with a smile and took the head of his cock in her mouth.
In the next second he was at his bureau, hitting the power button on the DVD player, but the scene continued to play out, loud moans vibrated throughout the room as he turned his attention to the television and tried shutting it off, but it wouldn’t shut off.
“Why don’t you get on your hands and knees, sweetheart?”
“Fucking hell!” he snapped, giving up on trying to turn the television off and grabbed hold of the bureau. He dragged it away from the wall, leaned around it and-
“Fuck!”
There was an outlet box covering the plugs. He tried to pull it out, to free the plug, but there was no give. He pushed away from the bureau and headed for his bedroom door, desperate to get away before things got worse. He grabbed the doorknob, yanked open the door and was forced to slap a hand against the doorframe when his legs threatened to give out on him.
“Going somewhere?” Marybeth asked with that mischievous smile that had his cock jerking happily against his stomach, desperate for her attention as the sounds of moaning grew louder.
“It’s not going to work,” he bit out, trying to ignore the sounds of Marybeth begging him to fuck her harder from the television as he stood there glaring down at her.
“Really?” she asked with a careless shrug as she walked into the room.
He opened his mouth to tell her exactly why it wasn’t going to work when a strangled groan tore from his lips when the little tease ran her fingertip down the underside of his cock. She shot him a knowing smile as she walked away, leaving him standing there, panting and licking his lips as he watched while she pulled off her shirt and tossed it aside, leaving her completely naked.
He stood there, feeling helpless as she crawled onto his bed and laid back, letting her legs fall open and gave him an unobstructed view of her swollen wet lips.
“Are you ready to put an end to this?” she asked softly, chewing on her bottom lip as she absently traced a finger between her breasts, drawing his attention to the fact that her large butterscotch nipples were hard and desperate for his mouth.
God, yes…
He raised his foot, ready to beg for mercy when he saw it, the triumphant gleam in her eye that told him exactly what she was doing.
She was playing him and doing it well.
Jaw clenched tightly, he forced himself to walk away, afraid that if he opened his mouth that he’d fuck up everything by telling her exactly how badly he wanted to put an end to this. It was only the reminder of what was at stake that kept him from doing just that.
Chapter 18
Life was good, she decided, unable to stop smiling as she waited for the cashier to finish bagging her breakfast. She normally settled for cereal or pop tarts in the morning before work, but today she felt like treating herself to a few slices of apple crumb coffee cake and an apple fitter from the best bakery in town, which also just happened to be the one that Darrin was banned from.
There really was no better way to celebrate, she mused as she gestured for the cashier to add another apple fritter to her order. Actually, that wasn’t true, she realized with a sad shake of her head as she pulled her phone out and snapped a quick picture of all the yummy looking Danishes and muffins laid out for the morning rush. She placed her money on the counter, grabbed her bags filled with baked goods and headed for the door as she hit, “Send.”
She wasn’t exactly surprised when he didn’t respond to her text. He was avoiding her after all, had been since last week when she’d commandeered his television. Since then she’d had him on the run. Anytime he saw her, he’d curse and abruptly head in the opposite direction. If she called him, he’d answer, ask if she was okay before she could say anything and as soon as he knew that everything was fine, he’d hang up on her. If she sent him a text, he read it, but never responded. She should probably back off and give him some space, but that would only give him a chance to regroup and come after her from a different angle and she knew damn well that he was trying to figure out another way to break her.
Sooner or later he’d figure out that he didn’t have a chance in hell of winning and by the time he did, it would be too late. She’d turn the tables on him and make him beg before she let him have his dirty little way with her and put an end to this dare once and for all. Then she’d be free to enjoy the remainder of their time together without having to deal with another heartbreaking conversation about the future.
Sighing with relief, she opened her truck door and climbed in, gently tossing the bags full of goodies that she was going to have to eat before she made it to the worksite down on the bench seat next to her. Five minutes later she was driving down one of the backcountry roads, humming along to one her favorite songs and reaching into one of the white bakery bags when she heard the chirp of a siren.
“Crap,” she muttered with a groan as she looked up into her rearview mirror and spotted the flashing lights coming up behind her.
Resigning herself to a speeding ticket, she pulled over to the side of the road and put the truck in park. Very familiar with the drill, she reached over and began the long tedious search through her backpack for her license and-
“Please step out of the vehicle, ma’am,” the painfully familiar voice said, making her shake her in disgust, because this was sad even by Bradford standards.
Giving up her search for her license, she turned her attention to the large bastard standing outside her door, looking smug as he waited for her to comply. Curious to see what he had planned and admittedly eager to torment him some more, she opened her door and-
“Please place your hands on the hood of your vehicle, ma’am,” Darrin said firmly, sounding a tad bored as he waited for her to do as he’d asked.
Amused, she didn’t bother to hide her smile as she moved to the side, turned around and placed her hands on the hood of her truck. “Is there a problem, officer?” she somehow managed to get out without laughing….much.
“Do you know how fast you were going?”
“No clue,” she said, waiting for him to put his hands on her and make some half-assed attempt to try and tempt her into losing control.
“You were doing fifty in a thirty-five mile zone, ma’am.”
“Uh huh,” she said, sighing heavily as she stood there, squinting against the early morning sun as she waited for him to get on with it.
“Also, your taillight is out,” he pointed out firmly.
“That might have something to do with the fact that you didn’t change it when you promised,” she pointed out helpfully as she shifted and waited.
“Ma’am, are you aware that there are ten outstanding parking tickets on this vehicle?” he asked, ignoring her as he continued with what was turning out to be a really pathetic attempt to win, making her wonder why he even bothered.
“Yes, yes I am. I believe a certain police officer borrowed my truck to get to work and forgot to get a parking permit to park at the station and kept racking up parking tickets that he was supposed to get excused,” she reminded him.
“I’m afraid that I’m going to have to place you under arrest,” he said, finally getting to the point and making her roll her eyes, because yes, they had played this game a time or two. Only today it probably wouldn’t end with him taking her from behind. Well, it probably would, she thought, smiling smugly, but she’d also get exactly what she wanted when he finally gave in and-
“Officer McCain, would you please take this woman into custody?” he asked, drawing her attention to the fact that a second cruiser had pulled up behind Darrin’s while she’d been waiting for him to get to the point.
She turned her head as the first tendrils of apprehension crawled up her spine and she felt her jaw drop as a very stern, and very angry looking, female officer walked towards them. Swallowi
ng nervously, she said, “Darrin?”
Chuckling softly, he moved closer until he was standing behind her. “Say the word, Marybeth, and I can make this all go away,” he whispered, his warm breath teased her nape as she stood there, licking her lips nervously as she watched the other woman draw closer, looking seriously pissed for a woman carrying a gun.
“Or you can just turn around, wrap your arms around me, stare adoringly into my eyes and profess your undying love for me,” he said, chuckling.
“Don’t do this,” she bit out as her hands clenched into fists as the very angry officer pulled her handcuffs out.
“Give me what I want and I won’t have to.”
“This better be a joke,” she bit out as the officer gestured for Darrin to step away.
“Last chance, sweetheart,” Darrin said softly and even though he wasn’t touching her, she would swear to her dying day that she felt the bastard smile.
“Don’t do this, Darrin,” she pleaded, shifting nervously as Officer McCain stepped beside her.
“You know what you have to do to make this all go away,” he said, stepping away and leaving her to the tender mercies of-
“Ow!” she gasped, more in shock than in actual pain, when Officer McCain grabbed her arm and pulled it back to snap the metal cuff around her wrist before doing the same with her other arm.
“You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say and do can-”
“This isn’t funny anymore,” Marybeth snapped, glaring over her shoulder at Darrin as Officer McCain read her her rights.
“Breaking the law never is,” Darrin murmured mockingly.
“You’ll regret this,” she promised him, still holding out hope that this was all a sick joke, but something about Office McCain told her that the woman didn’t have a sense of humor.
“Probably,” he murmured absently with a shrug as she was pulled back away from the truck.
Double Dare (A Neighbor from Hell Book 6) Page 12