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

  “We can talk about this more later, but I want to make it clear to you right now…” Henry’s staring at Vance and using what I would call his authoritative dad voice. “I want you to watch out for Ava. Show her around, treat her as a friend. Remember when you guys used to be friends? Maybe you can find your way back to that?” He pokes fun, but nothing about this scenario is fun. I’m stuck in a house with a man that hates me for no apparent reason and has a serious anger problem that apparently only I see.

  Speaking of an angry man, his hard eyes cut to me. “She’s a big girl. She can take care of herself. Can’t you, Ava?” I don’t miss the dig he makes at me, but I don’t give him the satisfaction of responding either. The dude clearly has got some mental issues, and there’s no way in hell I’m tangling myself in that web of bullshit. I’ve got my own problems, no need to add his to my heaping pile.

  Henry sighs impatiently. “Watch out for her, Vance. I mean it. If you don’t, there will be consequences.”

  The warning is clear like a neon sign hanging in a bar window, fail to comply and his father will bury him. In what way, I don’t know, but I’m curious. Vance doesn’t take me as the kid that will just take his punishment and let it be, plus he’s an adult. What can his father do to hurt him? Take away his trust fund? I almost chuckle at my own joke. Silence settles over the four of us. It’s uncomfortable and makes me want to retreat back to my bedroom.

  “Oh, I’ll watch out for her...” Vance finally says, his lip curling, a sinister smile forming on his sensuous lips. I can’t help but gulp at the intensity of hate in his eyes. My skin burns and my cheeks heat without permission. It sounds more like a threat than an obligation to actually protect me and I vow not to put myself in a situation that will require me to need him. I can’t rely on him, just like I can’t rely on my mother.

  Before anyone can say anything else, he turns and walks out of the room. Tension clings to the air, like peanut butter stuck on the roof of my mouth and my lungs burn as I release the breath I wasn’t even aware I had been holding in, my chest sagging as I do.

  I want to ask where he’s going, but it’s not really any of my business and I tell myself I don’t care, even though I kinda, sorta do. He can do whatever he wants. I mean, it’s better like this anyway. Maybe if I stay out of his way, he’ll stay out of mine. No conflict means no problems. Hopefully we can get along, at least until our parents get back.

  “When I get back, we can have a spa day, and maybe do some shopping for your bedroom.” My mother’s singsong voice meets my ears and I skew my facial expression, giving her a megawatt smile instead of a disappointed frown.

  “Of course, that sounds great.” And it does, but it would’ve sounded better three years ago. God, I need to let go of my disappointment in her, of the past. There isn’t shit that can be done to change what happened. Life is cruel sometimes, suck it up and move on, right?

  “Good, good. Well, I love you, sweetie. I have a flight to catch. I’m sure everything will be fine with Vance. He’s a little moody sometimes, but don’t let him get you down. He’ll come around.” My mother gives me a hug and a kiss on the cheek before walking away.

  Henry gives me a soft smile a moment later before following behind my mom, a checklist of things rattling from her mouth. I stand there in the entryway, my feet cemented to the floor for a long moment.

  Alone. All over again, I am alone. Tears sting my eyes, and I try to swallow the emotions down but just like vomit, refusing to be subdued, the tears keep coming.

  “It’s sad, isn’t it?” His deep voice sounds against my ear a moment before his scent meets my nose. Citrus and soap. Clean, spicy. I whip around, wiping the tears from my eyes.

  Where did he come from?

  “What’s sad?” I croak.

  Those green eyes of his narrow in on me and his head cocks to the side in amusement, or maybe curiosity. It’s almost like he’s trying to read my soul, trying to suck the secrets right out of me. No. No, I won’t show him how weak I am. How broken I feel on the inside, that I’m one pull string away from unraveling completely.

  He steps closer, his firm chest pressing against mine. Caging me. He’s all perfectly sculpted muscle and stupid gorgeousness and I want to rip my gaze away, but I can’t. I’m pretty sure he means to intimidate me, and he does, easily since he’s a whole foot taller and has at least one hundred pounds on me but there is another feeling, rising up, poking through the tremble of fear and it’s a strange one, one that spreads warmth through my belly.

  I’m forced to crane my neck back to keep eye contact with him. Breathing deeply, I suck more of his intoxicating scent into my nostrils, my nose wrinkling at the scent. Not only is he stupid gorgeous, but he also smells like a fucking supermodel.

  Who the fuck is this guy?

  “The fact that she doesn’t care about you. The fact that you’re here and she still doesn’t want you. Why don’t you face the facts, Ava, no one wants you. No one. You’re an unloved liar.”

  He could have slapped me, and it would’ve hurt less than hearing him speak my truths. Curling my hand into a tight fist, I try and tell myself it’s not worth it to punch him in his fucking face, because I really, really want to punch him in the face.

  He doesn’t know what my life has been like since that night five years ago, and I guess a part of me should blame him...if he hadn’t dared me…

  He leans into my face, his eyes flicker to my lips and for a moment, I think he might kiss me and I kind of want him to. I want to bite his lip, draw his blood, and make him feel the pain that resonates deep within my chest every time I take a breath. But as fast as the thought appears in my mind, it disappears at the sound of his gravelly voice.

  “If you were smart, you would leave now. With both our parents gone, there won’t be anyone to protect you...no one to save you from me.”

  He can’t possibly be threatening me again, and yet that’s what it sounds like, no, it’s not a threat. It’s a promise.

  “I’m not scared of you, Vance. What reason would I have to fear you? And why are you so mad at me anyway? It’s not my fault our parents got married and you got stuck with me for a stepsister,” I sneer, the closeness of his body to mine making me dizzy.

  His head tips back and a bitter laugh fills the space. “You think this has to do with our parents getting married?”

  My brows knit together in confusion. What the hell else could it be about? I’ve done nothing to him, hell I haven’t even seen him in five years. He must be mentally unstable, conjuring up things inside his head.

  When I don’t say anything, he starts to shake his head in disbelief, his body vibrating with rage that reaches inside me and sticks to my bones.

  “Liar. That’s what you are. A fucking liar. And guess what, you can’t lie your way out of this one, nothing will save you from me. I’ve seen the truth, heard it first hand and I’ll get my revenge on you, Ava. I’ll hurt you until you beg me to stop.”

  “I…” Words lodge in my throat. “I don’t understand.” I blink rapidly, his frame still towering over mine, making me feel as if I’m an inch tall.

  “You will soon enough, and if I were you. I would watch my back. You never know when someone’s going to lodge a knife in it.” With one last cold sweep of his eyes, he pushes past me and out the front door. His words leave me feeling cold, and a sliver of fear cuts through me.

  Whatever happened to the boy with soft eyes that never stopped smiling?

  Chapter Four

  Vance

  Beads of sweat slip down my face blurring my vision. I hit the punching bag at the gym until my knuckles scream at me to stop and the muscles in my arms shake with exhaustion. The rage inside my veins dull to a low simmer, instead of torrid fire. That lying minx thinks she can come back into my life and play me for a fucking fool. Batting her eyes at me like she is an innocent little girl.

  Fuck her.

  “Jesus, dude,” Clark exclaims next to me. “Calm down, you’re sh
owing off your hulk skills. Everyone’s going to be jealous.”

  Glancing over at him, I see genuine concern flash in his eyes, even though his words are playful. I stop throwing punches and place a hand against the punching bag, leaning against it.

  “Just getting in a good workout,” I half lie. Clark knows all too well about my boiling rage and need for vengeance. Usually my temper is in much better check, but with Ava around, I’m one match strike away from exploding.

  “Okaaaay.” Clark rolls his eyes, a critical expression on his face. There’s no point in lying, I know that he knows that this is more than exercise for me. When something bothers me, I come to the gym and let it out. Better than getting into fights with other guys like I used to. There are only so many times a lawyer can get you off assault charges without jail time. Although, maybe jail wouldn’t be so bad right now, at least it would get me away from her.

  “Look, I know your dad getting remarried sucks, you just have to hang in there, buddy. A few more years, and you’ll be done with college, and you won’t need him anymore…or her,” Clark tells me, handing me a bottle of water. “Speaking of your new stepsister…she is kinda hot,” he continues.

  I untwist the bottle cap and start chugging the water, letting the cold liquid cool my throat.

  “Yeah, any fucker with a dick would notice that, but my hatred for her runs too deep to fuck her. That, and she doesn’t deserve the pleasure my cock would bring. My cock knows she’s sexy, but my brain knows she’s a lying bitch.”

  “What about me fucking her? Would you be cool with that?” Clark questions, and a nasty wave of jealousy washes over me. I hate it, I hate the way she makes me feel, the power she holds over me. Somehow, and thank god, I manage to hide the jealousy.

  “You can fuck her all you want, as long as that’s all you are doing with her. I don’t want her to hang out with us and shit. Not unless you want me to kill her.” I kid. I might talk a big talk, but I wouldn’t ever lay a hand on her, at least not one that didn’t inflict pleasure.

  “Of course that’s all I want to do with her. You know me.” He grins. Yes, I do know him. He’s even worse than me. Being a dick to girls is his thing…well, mine too. The difference between him and I is that I tell the girl up front that sex is all I want. I’m the what you see is what you get kind. Clark, on the other hand, doesn’t give a shit. He’ll tell the girls whatever they want to hear, making promises that he’ll never keep. Once he gets what he wants, he drops the girl faster than he drops the condom in the trash after fucking her.

  “Then go for it, she’s all yours.” At my words, a sinister grin spreads across his face.

  “I’m gonna head back home and grab a shower. Want to go out later? Ren invited us to a party, and I could use some pussy and a little weed,” I ask as we leave the gym together.

  “Sure, just come to my place whenever you get done.”

  I nod and we part ways in the parking lot. I get into my car and start the engine. Normally I’m relaxed after a session at the gym, far too worn out from my work out to be concerned about anything.

  That’s not the case today, today I feel as on edge as I did when I walked into the gym. All thanks to the witch living down the hall from me. The drive home is quick and by the time I park my car in front of our house, I’m calm enough to not punch the first person I see in the face. I walk inside and up the stairs, planning to go straight to my room and hop in the shower, but within a few feet of her room, I halt.

  There’s something about her, something that nags at me. I want to see her again, watch her tremble as I threaten her. I’m fucked up, so fucked up, but I don’t care. I’m beyond rational thinking right now.

  Stepping closer to the door, I listen intently for any kind of noise. When I don’t hear anything, I grab the doorknob and twist it, not bothering to knock. Frowning when I realize it’s locked, I knock on the door. You can only lock the door from the inside, so I know she’s in there. Probably hiding, coming up with her next lie.

  Impatience encases me, and when she doesn’t answer, I knock again. She must be in the bathroom, probably taking a bath, or maybe she’s sleeping? My cock twitches in my gym shorts at the thought of her naked body behind that wall. I almost turn and leave, but then I remember that we have one of those wire keys, you can use to open a door from the other side.

  I walk down the hall to the guest bathroom and raise my arm, using my hand to feel along the doorframe. Bingo. With the key in my hand, I make my way back to her door and unlock it. With a smile on my face, I place the key on top of her door frame to use in the future.

  Stepping over the threshold and into her empty room, I find that it is truly empty. There's not a single item inside it to showcase that it’s hers, no personal touches, pictures or even trinkets. The only thing giving away her occupancy in the room is her unique scent, some kind of flowery smell. I can’t pinpoint the scent, it’s just feminine and it makes my mouth water. I’m used to women who wear overpowering perfume and cake their faces with makeup. Of course Ava doesn't do either of those things, making her ten times more appealing to everyone with a dick and eyes.

  Now that I’m in the room, my ears perk up at the sound of the shower running through the closed bathroom door. What a shame it’s closed. I wouldn’t mind sneaking a peek. I guess I can wait. Flopping down onto her bed without taking my shoes off and I fold my arms behind my head, waiting so very impatiently for her. I monitor the bathroom door, anticipating the moment she’s going to step through it…hopefully naked.

  When the shower finally turns off, I almost lose it from the possible image I’m about to see. The door opens a moment later and she steps into her room a towel wrapped around her slim body. Ahhh… shit.

  “I'm disappointed in you. I was really hoping you would be naked.” My lips turn into a pout.

  Ava’s eyes flick to mine in an instant and her plump pink lips let out a loud shriek. She clasps the towel to the front of her chest like it has the power to save her from me.

  Funny, nothing can save her now. My gaze travels down her creamy bare legs, appreciating at least that small glimpse. It’s not her tits or her ass but I’ll take what I can get. Then again, I didn’t come here to check her out...I came here to keep her on her toes, to remind her who is in control.

  “What the hell are you doing in here?” she yells at me, her chest rising and falling quickly, while drawing attention to the swell of her breasts.

  “Just making sure you’re uncomfortable, stepsister.”

  Her lips pucker like she’s eaten something sour. “Well, consider it done. Now get the hell out of my room!”

  I rub at my jaw. “No, I think I would rather watch you change.”

  Her green eyes widen, fear flickering in the depths. Yes. Give me your fear, your tears, your heartache.

  “What is wrong with you? Get out. There is no way in hell I am changing in front of you.”

  Again, somehow she manages to look seriously surprised by my actions. When is she going to stop playing the victim? Stop acting like she doesn’t know what she did or that she doesn’t deserve anything less than my hate. Her ignorance of the heaping pile of shit she put on my life sends me into a barely restrained fit of rage.

  “Drop the towel,” I order, ignoring her question.

  “No! There is seriously something wrong with you. Do you have a mental disorder or something? You might not be used to women saying no to you, so let me spell it out for you. Get. Out.” Her voice is shaky now.

  She’s trying to appear strong, like a lighthouse standing tall against the coastline but what she doesn’t know is I’m so much more than I appear to be and right now I'm a fucking category five hurricane coming right for her.

  Her knuckles turn white as her grip on the towel tightens. One single piece of fabric separates us, and I’ll be damned if I’m going to let her keep hold of it.

  Swinging my legs off the bed, I shove into a standing position. At my sudden movement, she takes a ste
p back, colliding with the wall behind her.

  Run princess, run as fast as you can….

  Prowling across the room, I close the distance between us until nothing but a few inches separates us. I’m inches away from her now and she’s pressing herself flat against the wall as if she’s hoping it will swallow her.

  I won’t let her get away that easily.

  “Drop. The. Towel.” I enunciate each word. She’s so much shorter than me that I have to tilt my head down to look at her face. Her eyes refuse to meet mine, either out of defiance or fear, but I’m banking on the second one from the way her tight little body is trembling.

  Her eyes flicker to the door and I think she’s about to make a run for it. Before she can make up her mind, I grab the towel and yank it out of her hand, tossing it behind me. I grin, amused with her behavior. Her eyes go impossibly wide at the loss of the towel and her arms flail as she makes a feeble attempt to cover herself up.

  “Don’t hide,” I growl into her face, my fingers circling her wrists before I pin them above her head and against the wall. Her chest heaves up and down like she just ran a triathlon.

  “Don’t,” she whispers, her voice nothing more than a caress against my cheek. My nostrils flare and I inhale her scent again, needing it to clear my head before I do something stupid, like kiss her.

  I take both of her slim wrists into one hand and use the other to touch her. She flinches at first contact as if I would use my hands for anything but pleasure on her, though she doesn’t need to know that.

  My fingers trail over her collarbone, her skin so smooth it feels like cashmere and for a moment I imagine things are different, that we’re just two normal college kids sharing an intimate moment, but we aren’t, not really. There isn’t anything intimate about us.

  This is about fear, about power, about control and I’m going to show her that. She wiggles in my grasp, and my attention drops to her perky breasts, her light pink nipples are hard and begging to be in my mouth. I bite my bottom lip stifling a groan as my gaze sweeps farther down her body, my fingers ghosting against her sternum along the way.