The Dare: A Stepbrother Bully Romance (North Woods University Book 2)

by J. L. Beck

  “Get away from me,” I growl, unwrapping her arms from me before shoving her off of me and onto the couch cushion. She’s so surprised by the movement that she almost slides off the couch altogether. I feel dirty, filthy for the things I’ve said to Ava, and for letting Sarah sit on me like that. Like a small toddler that’s been told no, Sarah stands, stomping her wedged heel against the wooden floor.

  “What are you doing, baby?”

  “Stop calling me baby, in fact, keep my name out of your mouth. We’re not a couple. You suck my dick a couple nights a week, that’s it. Giving good head doesn’t make you girlfriend material, and while you have a pretty face, you have a shit fucking attitude. Now leave me the fuck alone.” I don’t even look at her, I know damn well she is glaring daggers at me, probably thinking about taking her shoe off and beating me with it. Wouldn’t be the first time something like that happened.

  Needing a drink, and some air, I get up from the couch and make my way into the kitchen. The place is a fucking disaster with open liquor bottles scattered across the countertop, and dirty glasses piled up in the sink. There’s trash laying around on the floor, as if that’s the place to be putting empty beer bottles when the perfectly empty trashcan is sitting right fucking here. Assholes. Though I would love to see my father’s face if he came home to this mess. He would shit bricks.

  Ignoring all of that, I walk straight to the bottle of whiskey, find myself a cup and pour it into a glass. I’d drink right from the bottle, but that would be dangerous as fuck and I don’t want a recap of what happened last time I got drunk.

  Ava doesn’t need to get any more ideas about the person I am. A heavy hand lands on my shoulder and I swing around, ready to slug whoever it is when my eyes meet Clark’s. Worry creases his forehead. The jackoff looks like he walked off the cover of a magazine. Where I’m ripped jeans, t-shirts, and boots, Clark is polos, designer jeans, and Nike.

  We shouldn’t be friends at all, not even run in the same circles and yet I wouldn’t trade the fucker for the world.

  “She’s fucking pissed,” he tells me, as if I don’t already know it.

  “Yeah.” I shrug. “So? What’s your point? So was I when I found out she was a fucking lying pig. Don’t let her doe eyes fool you, she’s a lying bitch.”

  Clark’s gaze widens a bit and I know he’s taken back by my words. Usually I’m not such a dick, but with Ava reappearing in my life, it seems a new shade of asshole has risen from inside of me.

  “How long are you going to play this game? What’s the end result? Should I wait to sneak in to fuck her until after you’ve broken her?”

  My jaw tightens. “First, it isn’t a game, second, the end result is always going to be the same. I won’t stop until she’s admitted that she lied. Until I feel that she’s suffered enough humiliation and disappointment.”

  Clark nods. “And what if it’s never enough? Hurting her won’t change the past. She seems like a nice girl. I mean Sarah said her dad’s in rehab, maybe some shit went down that we don’t know about. I can find out - I mean if you want me to, that is.”

  I can feel my hand curling around the cup. The temperature rising. Forcing myself to inhale, I take a gulp of the dark liquid, letting it burn down my throat, and settle deep inside my stomach. Instead of it cooling my body, it warms it, making me feel ten times hotter than I already am.

  “She seems like a nice girl, because that’s what she wants you to see. Nice girls don’t lie. They don’t destroy families for fun. Nice girls are nice. Ava isn’t nice. As for the past, it might not change what happened, but it’ll certainly make me feel better.” I bring the cup to my lips again and swallow down the rest of its contents.

  My insides are blanketing with warmth once more, the dull ache in my chest becoming less noticeable.

  “And what about her father? Do you want me to…?” Clark’s voice trails off as the lights flick off and the room goes dark. Panic ensues, and people start running for the door, the sounds of screams and feet stomping across the wood floor fill the room. I don’t move though. I let everyone filter out first.

  What. The. Fuck.

  “What the hell? How did you lose power?” Clark asks, a perplexed look on his face. There’s an uptick in my blood pressure, a shift in the air. I can taste the rush of adrenaline. Gritting my teeth, I crumple the cup in my hand as if it’s a piece of paper.

  She wouldn’t...would she? Not unless she had a death wish, right?

  Who am I kidding, she would, and I suppose I wouldn’t expect any less of her after the way Sarah embarrassed her. But nonetheless, this is my party and my fucking house, and if she’s going to shut down my shit for the night, then she’s going to have to entertain me in other ways. I hope she’s the praying type because she’s going to need all the prayers she can get.

  “Make sure everyone gets the fuck out. I don’t want any stragglers left behind. I’m going to take care of the brat,” I tell Clark, and swipe at my bottom lip with my thumb. I toss the cup onto the counter and stomp off in the direction of the garage, little tendrils of excitement slither down my spine.

  This cat and mouse game we’re playing has my cock permanently hard. I’ve never been so hard for a girl before, let alone one that I hate. It’s like my body isn’t getting the fucking memo. She’s not worthy of my dick, no matter how soft, how beautiful, how tempting she is.

  As I suspected, the door is closed when I reach it. Grabbing onto the knob, I twist it, the lock firmly in place. That fucking witch. Anger slithers through me like a fire spreading through a forest after a drought, devouring everything it touches.

  Taking a step back, I look at the door one last time. I could kick the fucker in, but I’ve got a better idea. Retreating down the hallway off the kitchen, I stop and lean against the wall, waiting, watching. The house grows quiet, so quiet I can almost hear myself think.

  I lick my lips, the anticipation building.

  My cock is rock hard. The words I’m going to say right on the edge of my tongue.

  She has to come out eventually.

  The minutes tick by… she probably thinks she’s safe, that I’ve run off, but no way in hell am I letting her push me out of my own house. Nope, tonight Ava Wilder is going to pay, she’s going to give me a slice of that sweet little body of hers.

  Patience isn’t really my strong suit, but I’ll wait knowing that the reprieve will be worth it. After a short while, a noise perks my ears, the sound of the lock disengaging, and the knob twisting. The hallway is submerged in near darkness, the moonlight coming from a nearby window allowing a sliver of light inside, though none of it reaches the wall I’m leaning against. I can hear her tiny steps. Unsure, weary.

  Come closer…

  I hold my breath, making sure she doesn’t hear me before she sees me. I’d hate to ruin the surprise. She takes two more steps before she comes into view, her eyes skidding over her shoulder as if she’s watching for someone, waiting for someone.

  Too bad she doesn’t realize that she’s already being hunted. My eyes roam over her, eyeing up the prey. She takes one more step, it’s tiny, uncertain and I pounce as a loud shriek rips from her throat and I grab her by the shoulders and push her against the nearest wall.

  “Did you really think you could do shit like this without consequences? Who do you think you are?”

  Her tiny nose wrinkles, her eyes narrowing as she stares at me with disgust. “Who do I think I am? Shouldn’t you be asking yourself that? You’re the one acting like you’re above everybody else. Like you’re some king when you aren’t. For once, someone’s knocked you down a peg or two...”

  Color me fucking shocked. The girl found some courage, though she’s not hiding her fear beneath it all that well, the slight tremor in her voice giving her away. Letting me know that my presence still terrifies her.

  She’s brave talking to me this way, taunting me. If she wants me to bite, then I’ll bite, and I’ll bite fucking hard. I’ll draw blood. I’ll leave a
scar, because that’s all I’ve ever wanted to do, was leave a scar just like the one she left on me.

  “Maybe I’m not above all else, but I’m definitely above you,” I sneer, leaning into her face. She twists in my grasp and tries to shove me away with her hands, but being stronger than her, I easily keep her pinned to the wall.

  She’s like a gnat, and I’m an elephant. If I don’t want her out, I’ll squish her.

  “Where do you think you’re going?” I tilt my head, not really caring to hear her response. I’m just not ready for this game between us to end.

  “To my room, to sleep, since it’s finally quiet in this jail cell called a house. Now let go of me, before I scream.”

  Before she screams. My head tips back and a bellow of laughter passes my lips.

  “Scream? Go ahead. Yell at the top of your lungs. No one cares. No one will stop me. Hell, no one would believe a word you said, since you’re a liar. It’s practically your job now, lying, and ruining people’s lives.” Her jaw tightens, her lips pressing into a firm line, and I can’t help myself. I lean in closer, wanting, needing to be closer to her. “You fucked up my party and sent everyone home, so now you get to entertain me for the rest of the night. Sarah never got around to sucking my cock which is truly a shame since she’s so good at it, but a warm mouth is a warm mouth and yours looks good enough.”

  “Fuck you, I’ll bite off your dick if you come near me with it!” She wiggles her tiny body against mine in a futile effort to get away from me, but it only makes me crave her more. Pushing my chest against hers, I feel her heart racing, see her pulse throbbing in her throat.

  My cock is rock hard, and I lean in, pressing my center into her soft skin. She smells so good, and I bet if I kissed her, she’d taste good too.

  Fuck, I’m screwed.

  I know she can feel it, the hard ridge trapped inside my jeans.

  She whimpers, her eyes flicking up to mine. There’s an unsaid plea in those green depths, and I’m not sure what she’s asking me for… to stop, to keep going…to put us both out of our misery.

  I’m not sure if it’s the soft whimper, or her tiny body rubbing against mine, or maybe just the alcohol coursing through my veins. Maybe it’s a combination of all of them, but whatever it is, it drives me over the edge, shoving me headfirst off the cliff and into lust-filled waters.

  My mind shuts down for a second, all my thoughts fleeting as I let my body’s reaction to her take over. I don’t let myself think of the consequences, or how wrong it is of me to be doing this. Instead, I let my lips find hers, crashing into the smooth skin with such force the back of her head hits the wall. She whimpers again, but I swallow it up with my mouth. The kiss is teeth, and anger that burns hotter than the sun.

  There’s nothing gentle about it, nothing tender, or loving. It’s raw, it’s powerful, it’s the kind of kiss that as cliché as it sounds, I’ll remember for the rest of my life. I feel it in my bones, in the thundering beat of my heart.

  My fingers dig into her shoulders. I want to mark her. Leave bruises on her skin, but in a way that brings us both satisfaction, and I will, soon, so very fucking soon. Snaking a hand into her silky brown locks, I tilt her head back, my teeth biting at her bottom lip hard enough to draw blood. Hurt her. Ravage her. Pulling away just enough to see her doe eyes, I watch as they fill with equal amounts of fear and excitement.

  The air around us grows electrically charged, our bodies molding together like two pieces of clay. I kiss her again with the same ferocity, but this time she returns my kiss. Her lips move hungrily, as if she’s been starving for this same interaction. Those tiny hands of hers go from pushing me away to fisting into my shirt and pulling me closer.

  Her lips part and a feminine moan leaves them. It’s that sound that suddenly has me snapping out of my lust hazed fog.

  What the fuck, Vance?

  She’s the enemy, a liar, a fucking liar. I pull away abruptly, and her body sags against the wall at the loss of contact. No! My chest heaves, my fingers crave to touch her skin again, to mark her, but I can’t. I won’t weaken myself for this little vixen who wants me to think she’s innocent. This has gone far enough. I have to get away from her before I lose control, before I cross that invisible line, the one that I’m already toeing.

  Staggering backward like I’m drunk, I harden my gaze. “Entertain me, con-artist, show me another use for that pretty mouth of yours, besides spouting off lies.”

  “I hate you,” she spits through gritted teeth, the lustful haze diminishing in her eyes.

  I hate myself too.

  For wanting you.

  For hating you.

  For being stuck in this stupid house with you.

  “Come on, we ain’t got all night…” I tsk impatiently.

  I’m so caught up in taunting her, in feeling the lick of hate that her presence brings me, that I don’t notice the slap coming toward my cheek until it’s too late. Her hand makes contact with my cheek, and my head flies to the side with the impact of the blow.

  My jaw turns to steel and my temper ignites. I’m reacting before I even get a chance to stop myself. Reaching for her, my fingers curl around her throat, my hold is surprisingly gentle for the amount of bitterness flowing through my veins. Ava’s reaction to me is petrified fear and she starts to tremble when I lean into her face, giving her delicate throat a firm squeeze.

  “If you’re going to put your hands on someone, then you better be prepared for them to put their hands on you.”

  “Don’t…” she croaks.

  “What? Hurt you?” I tilt my head to the side, eyeing her heart-shaped face. “I could never hurt you like you hurt me, you’ve done enough of that for the two of us. I’m merely trying to show you a sliver, a fraction of the pain you made me feel.” Feeling as if I’m seconds away from crashing and burning, I release her and take a step back. Then I turn to walk away. I’m done. Done with this cat and mouse game.

  Her tiny voice meets my ears a second later. “What did I do to make you hate me so much? Just tell me, Vance, please. Tell me so I can fix this. You’re making us both suffer for an unknown reason.”

  “You lied, and like liars always do, they continue to lie to cover up their existing lies.”

  “What did I lie about?”

  There’s a plea attached to her question and I’m too exhausted to continue fighting about this right now. She makes me weak, breaks down all my perfectly constructed walls, and leaves me bleeding, always bleeding.

  “Everything. All of it. I’m worth the truth, after all this time I deserve it.” I sigh and start walking toward the stairs.

  “I didn’t do anything…I didn’t lie that night…” she cries, but I continue walking, each step making my heart heavier, and the knot of pain in my stomach tighter. By the time I reach my bedroom door, there’s an inkling of doubt forming. And by the time I step into the shower, it’s swirling inside my head, conjuring up different thoughts, and no matter how much I shove it away, it keeps returning.

  “Wake up, Vance.” My mom’s voice drags me from sleep. Wake up, we need to leave.” She sniffles and it sounds like she’s been crying. When I peel my eyes open and I look at her, the red rings around her blue eyes confirm it. A knot of dread forms in my throat.

  “What’s wrong? Where are we going?”

  “Don’t worry about that now, just get up and get dressed, okay?” She wipes at her eyes with the backs of her hands.

  I do as I’m told, getting up and dressed in a hurry. Mom and Dad have already packed our suitcases and before I can object to it, or even mutter another question, we are in our car and driving down the road.

  “What’s going on?”

  My dad’s jaw tightens at my question and my mother’s sobs grow harsher from her spot in the front seat.

  “As I’m sure you know, Laura caught Ava sneaking into her room last night?”

  “Yeah, I know…we were just playing a game, it was stupid. What happened? Did she get in
trouble? I’ll explain everything to her mom if you want me to?”

  Silence settles over the car. My mom came and got me from the treehouse ten minutes after Ava left. She told me I was grounded for a month, which I didn’t even consider a punishment since Ava would have been there regardless. I didn’t really understand why I was being grounded. I had done worse things than sneak out of the house at nine at night.

  I just assumed it was because Ava had been caught. Oh, how horribly wrong I was. I’ll always remember the next words that come out of my father’s mouth like they are burned into my memory.

  “She told her mom that you forced her to do it. That you threatened her to steal some of Laura’s jewelry. Why would you do that, son? Why would you threaten her?” The disappointment in my father’s tone sliced through me.

  Shaking my head, I will the memory away. She’s a liar. Through and through. I know what happened that night, and I know that it was her.

  She did this to us, and she’ll pay.

  Pay dearly.

  Chapter Nine

  Ava

  The days pass in a flurry. My mother and Henry still haven’t returned home and every second I’m left alone inside this house with Vance, another piece of my thinly worn veil crumbles. He’s wearing me down, trying to smash me like a fly, and he gets a little closer to doing so every time he opens his mouth. A tongue may have no bones, but it can break a heart just the same and that’s what he does every time he speaks to me - breaks me, and my heart.

  He insults me, filets me straight down the middle, gutting me like a fish until my insides are hanging out and my heart is gushing blood across the floor.

  “Hey, Ava… wait up,” a familiar voice calls from behind me. I don’t want to stop though. I just want to keep walking, walk until I’m not alone anymore, until I start to feel whole again. It takes nothing more than a second for Clark to appear beside me and I’m forced to slow to a walk.