Page 28 of Puck My Stepbrother
Oh my God, could this guy get any weirder? But I couldn’t say that to him, and not only because of his intimidating presence. Levi Dunn had an answer for anything and everything I said, no matter how stupid it sounded.
“I don’t need help, thank you very much,” I said.
“Oh, you so do.”
“You don’t stop, do you?”
“Why would I? Persistence pays off in my world. And like I said, I thought you needed help, so I came to the rescue.”
Well, congratu-fucking-lations, Levi,I wanted to say.You should win the goddamn Nobel Peace Prize for Virgin Sympathizing.
Instead, I paused, again feeling like anything I said or did would be instantly twisted to Levi’s advantage. As it was, I was sinking deeper into an ocean of desire for my stepbrother-to-be. I couldn’t deny the want was there. I had to fight it.
“I don’t understand why you’ve got this fixation on me,” I said.
“Because you’re cute, that’s why. More than cute, really. Hot. That’s why I don’t feel weird about helping you out.”
I rolled my eyes, knowing a load of crap when I heard it. Finding me cute—or hot, or whatever—wasn’t complete nonsense, or else he wouldn’t have started with all this crazy business. The whole stepbrothers-help-stepbrothers rapwasthe load of crap, and another ridiculous page out of the Levi Dunn playbook. Why he’d made such a hard push for me, and how long he’d had these feelings, remained a mystery.
“I really do think you’re cute,” he said.
“I find that a little hard to believe…at least I would have.”
“Why?”
“The past aside, I wouldn’t have thought someone like you would ever look at someone like me.”
He waved a hand, dismissing the idea outright.
“Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, isn’t it?”
“I guess so.”
“I totally dig the ginger hair. I’ve always been a real sucker for that, you know. And everything else about you…not everyoneneeds to be a rough and tough athlete to be sexy as fuck, you know.”
“I guess not.”
I must’ve felt numb to some degree, because I didn’t bat an eye at his comments. I waited for him to address a slew of things, namely if he’d been gay all along or if his attraction to me was a one-off.
The hard-on that now stiffened in my jeans stopped that thought in its tracks. He had a reason for bringing this stuff up yet again, and I had a good idea why.
My defenses weakened further. Now I wanted to ask him to take me back to the shower. Only thoughts of Jeff and what I wanted us to have stopped me.
“You still haven’t answered my question,” he said. “Why did you bolt on me the other night?”
“Because I worried where it would lead.”
“What was that? I’m sorry, bro. I didn’t hear you.”
I realized how weak my voice really sounded. Had anyone else pestered me so badly, I would’ve snapped at them. But not Levi Dunn, who’d taken my lunch money for years. Not Levi Dunn, who’d stuffed me into a locker. Not Levi Dunn, who’d touched my bare cock before Jeff had the chance.
“Because I worried where it would lead.”
“I’m sorry, could you say that one more time?”
My fist thumped the table like a gavel. That didn’t startle my old bully, but it triggered a smile that reminded me of the overconfident look of cocky jocks everywhere.
“Where did you think it would lead?” he asked.
