Page 42 of Dare To Take

I force a smile onto my face when he glances my way.

“Just Miles checking up on me.” I’m not sure why I lie.

“I wonder what everyone would think if they knew your boyfriend was gay.”

“He’s not gay.” Panic at what might happen if his secret got out forces me to lie again.

He glances at me quickly, before returning his gaze to the road. “Then why didn’t he fuck you?”

His question is enough to hike up my heart rate. “I was the one who didn’t want to have sex.”

“But you were ready to suck someone else’s dick.”

“Jealous I didn’t suck yours first?”

Eli laughs, his attention on the turn as we swing around into the circular drive of the house. “I got plenty of your other firsts, Hellcat.”

Ones I gave him freely and eagerly.

Cheeks hot, I wait until he’s cut the engine, then scramble out of the door. Elena appears in the doorway while I’m pulling bags out of the back, and Eli is rounding the car.

“Did you have a nice time?” she asks.

I step back, and pass Eli. “It was fun.” Not a lie.

Hanging out with him has been two of the best days I’ve ever had. Not that I’m about to admit that out loud. How long can I hold onto the illusion that things aren’t going to revert to how they were?

“I bought a decoration to mark the year.” I walk towards her and into the house. “I thought we could put the tree up.”

Elena laughs. “Up? Bella, we don’t have one of those cheap plastic things you used to buy each year with the lopsided branches. I thought you’d thrown that box of old baubles out when we moved.”

Eli joins us, kicking the front door closed with his foot.

“But we need a tree.” The thought of not doing something safe and normal spirals me into alarm. “It’s not Christmas without one. I always decorate it. It’s tradition.”

My mother sighs. “I will see if the staff can sort something out, but it’s a bit last minute.”

“No! We need to do it and decorate it.”

“Arabella, you aren’t a child anymore.”

Every muscle in my body tenses. “It’s the one thing we always used to do when you were home, or if I was with Mrs. Goldmann.” My protest comes out as a whisper.

“Stop panicking. I ordered one when you were up to your neck in Christmas baubles.” Eli’s voice is smooth behind me. “It should be here within the hour. That gives you enough time to unpack and figure out where you want it to go.”

My smile is so wide my cheeks hurt. I have to stop myself from throwing my arms around his neck and covering his face in grateful kisses. “Thank you.”

“No problem.” He heads up the stairs.

Elena arches an eyebrow, watching him go. “There’s a lot less tension between the two of you. You look a lot more relaxed than when you left yesterday.”

“Shopping therapy works wonders.” I hurry past her.

The last forty-eight hours don’t seem real.

Did I really have a tattoo done, smoke a joint and have unforgettable sex with my stepbrother?

I go up to my room and close the door. Placing the bags on the floor, I open the door to my walk-in closet, find the battered shoe box I hid at the back, and carry it over to the bed. I sit down and flip off the lid. There are thirteen ornaments inside. A wooden reindeer I found in a dollar store. Dried round pieces of pasta stuck together and painted green and red, which I’d made when I was six. The resin gingerbread man is a little worn, hanging on his red string. A selection of colorful baubles crowds the bottom of the box, all different sizes, patterns, and designs. I take the knitted Santa and squeeze his tummy between my fingers.

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