Page 43 of The Step Dare

“And I’m horny.”

“You’re changing the subject.”

“Sex is a good distraction.”

Taylor snickers and takes his laptop off his thighs, putting it on the table.

“Oh God. You’re gonna do that thing where you try to get me to talk about my feelings, aren’t you? You’re the worst best friend and stepbro ever. I wish you didn’t know me so well.”

“No you don’t.”

No. I don’t. He’s right.

“Talk to me, Bren. Dare you.” He reaches over, placing his hand on the tiger tattoo on my chest, maybe to remind me of the reason I got it.

“Oh, I see how you are. Gotta bring out the dares, huh?” I ask, instead of mentioning that I know what he’s doing with his hand placement and how much it means to me.

“They haven’t steered us wrong yet.” His hand lowers to my thigh, and blood rushes toward my groin. Damn him and the effect he has on me.

“For someone who keeps reminding me how this is a bad idea, you end up touching me an awful lot.”

“Want me to stop?” He draws circles on my thigh, getting higher and higher.

“No.” I drop my head back.

“Tell me.”

So I do. I share the conversation we had about Mom and Nicole and all that shit. What’s the point in pretending that Taylor wouldn’t get it out of me? That he doesn’t always know when something is going on inside my head?

The good thing is, he keeps getting closer and closer to my dick, which probably means I shouldn’t be as honest as I’m about to be. “Then he started talking about how great it’ll be to be one big happy family. All these family vacations we’ll go on, and how awesome it will be for me to have a brother.”

“Oh.” Taylor’s hand stops moving, and damn it, why did I tell him?

“Yeah…ohis right. They really owe us. We’re excellent fucking sons.”

“Fucking sons?” Taylor asks, and we laugh together the way we’re so good at doing.

I sigh, then drop my head on his shoulder. “Even though I’m dying for you to fuck me, and this sibling thing is both hot anda pain in my ass…I’m glad it’s you, Tay.” Because that makes moving on easier.

“I’m glad it’s you too,” he replies, with something in his voice I can’t read. I lift my head, look at him, and he seems almost sad for a moment, but then shakes it off. “Movie marathon?”

“Yeah,” I reply, giving him space to sort out what’s in his head, before I try to get him to do the talking thing too.

13

Taylor

Ifinish dinnerwith our first movie, and while Brenner makes popcorn, I list off different movies we could watch next, working through the usual game of “Seen it,” “Seen it twice,” “Don’t want to see it.” With all these streaming services we subscribe to, we sure as hell better be able to find something.

“What aboutMisery?” I ask.

“What is it?”

“Don’t know. Has Kathy Bates in it. Older movie.”

“Like thirties old?”

“What the fuck are you talking about? Don’t you know who Kathy Bates is?”

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