Page 38 of Dare To Take

“No.” I swing around, catch her by her shoulders, and propel her backward out of the room.

“What happened?” Her eyes track across my face. Her voice is still soft, so fucking gentle it twists my insides.

“I said no. We’re not having that conversation. Get dressed. I’m leaving in ten minutes. With or without you.”

“Is that why you never take off your shirt?”

I ignore her, striding out into the main room and searching for my sneakers and hoodie.

“Eli, stop. Talk to me.”

Shoving my feet into my shoes, I throw on my hoodie. “No. It’s not open for discussion. I’ll be in the car.” Without waiting for another reply, I walk out, letting the door slam behind me.

Am I being unreasonable? Maybe. But the scars on my back are not something I want to talk about, least of all with a girl who wants nothing from me except the pleasure I can give her.

Chapter 26

Arabella

I sit in the car beside Eli, the silence strained between us. My body is aching, and between my legs is sore, from all the sex we’ve had. I should be relaxed, but I can’t stop thinking about the scars on his back. The skin had been messy and uneven, a darker shade of pink than the rest of his body. Whatever happened to him must have been agony.

I take a sneaky look at him from the corner of my eye. His lips pressed together, and his gaze is glued to the road ahead, yet he still notices my glance.

“Don’t,” he growls.

I drag my gaze away and look down at my hands. “I was just going to ask how much longer we have until we get to Manhasset.”

“Not sure.”

“Okay.” I turn toward the window and watch the passing scenery. I want to ask questions, but it will only piss him off more. This truce between us is fragile, and I’m not sure I want to destroy it. Not yet.

By the time we reach the city, excitement has overtaken my concern. I’ve never been to the Americana Mall. Eli finds a private parking lot and leaves the keys with one of the valets. I shiver with the cold when I step out of the car. I should have worn something warmer than my leather skirt.

“Buy some jeans and a coat, then change into them.”

“I should have thought about comfort instead of wanting to show off my new outfit.”

“It wouldn’t have been as much fun having you get yourself off on my dick if you hadn’t worn that skirt.”

His rough words make me smile, and a blush warms my cheeks.

We walk along the street together, my attention roving over the brightly decorated Christmas storefronts. “What are you going to get your dad for Christmas?”

Eli shrugs. “No idea.”

“You don’t do gifts?”

“We used to when my mom was alive.”

His words make me realize I don’t even know anything about his mother. I don’t even know how she died. It’s on the tip of my tongue to ask, but from his closed-off expression, it’s easy to tell that it’s another conversation he doesn’t want to have.

Seeing him like this makes him more normal, just like any other regular boy. We both have trauma. Different baggage we’re carrying around weighing us both down. Things that have shaped who we are.

My heart gives an odd little jolt in my chest. I feel compassion for the Monster of Churchill Bradley Academy. My tormentor. My enemy. The stepbrother from Hell I never wanted.

Remember what he did to you, how he hurt you. Remember how that felt.

The voice is a weak warning in the back of my head, but I ignore it. It’s almost Christmas, and as much as I dislike him, I don’t want to have a war between us over the holidays. His dad is still recovering from his heart attack and needs a calm environment.

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