Page 18 of Bear
DUKE
When Lennon turns around,I grunt, “We’ll wait a little bit, then I’ll scope things out.” She nods at me, catching her lip with her teeth and worrying the tender skin. I’m certain I don’t want to know what Bear just said to her because it must have been positively indecent to make her face flush like that.
Fuck, or maybe the color is still high on her cheeks from all the grinding she’d been doing in Bear’s lap right in front of me. My eyes scan her face, taking her in. I’m going to think of that color as “orgasm blush” for the rest of my life.
And it’d been me her eyes had been locked on as she came like that. Those two going at it had me rock hard over here in the corner, and I’d contemplated pulling my dick out and giving Lennon a show right back. I don’t know if I should be weirded out by the fact that the thought of it turns me right the fuck on. As it was, I’d stroked myself through my pants—and she’d definitely seen me doing it. She may be my stepsister, but it’s not like we grew up together, so… yeah. I’m having a whole lot of trouble denying the fact that I’m attracted to her.
Mason and Bear seem all too aware that I’m in the struggle of my life. Mason even thinks it’s funny. Bear? Hard to say. Sometimes I catch him watching me, and I wonder what he’s thinking. I’m ninety-nine percent sure he and Mason have both been with Lennon. I don’t know for sure about Bear, but that’s my assumption. At the very least, he knows how her pussy tastes and that’s enough to drive me to the brink of insanity.
If only Lennon didn’t remind me so goddamn much of the days when Juliette was alive. Whenever I look at her, I remember the first time I peered through the window at Stella’s and watched the two of them in their cute waitress outfits walking from booth to booth, taking care of their customers. Lennon had been young but pretty all the same, though I only ever had eyes for Juliette.
Until now.
It’s hard to say whether that bothers me because the anniversary of Juliette’s death is tomorrow or if it’s that I’ve let Lennon take Juliette’s place in my thoughts more and more often.
It frustrates me.
I head over to the small table next to the couch and hook up my phone to a speaker dock. Scrolling through my Spotify account, I pick a playlist I think Lennon might like. Turning around, I reach into my pocket and pull out the cinnamon lollipop I’d shoved in there before we left the house.
Meanwhile, Lennon has come over and taken a seat on the far end of the couch, pulling her legs up onto the cushion. I hold out the bright-red lollipop between us and gesture that she should take it. She tilts her head to the side, studying me with a curious look.
Heat hits my cheeks. Maybe I made a mistake. I shrug, playing it off. “I thought it’d help occupy you if things got weird.”
Her brows drag together as she pulls the wrapper off the candy. “Are things any weirder than usual?” She slips the sugary goodness into her mouth and twirls it around.
My dick twitches. Fuck. This was a mistake.
I can imagine how the cinnamon flavor would burst on my tongue, and what it might taste like if I were to kiss her right now. Jesus.Help.
I follow suit, joining her on the couch, and sit sideways like she is, facing her. Pulling one leg up onto the cushion, I keep the other planted firmly on the floor and eye her while chugging half the bottle of water in my hand. Way too much time has passed since she asked if things were weirder than usual, so I clear my throat. “I guess not. But I brought it for you all the same.” My traitorous eyes fall to her lips where they’ve closed around the lollipop stick before she pulls it slowly from her mouth. My eyes follow.
“Everything okay?”
I nod, and a long, hard swallow works its way down the column of my throat. I feel like I could drink ten bottles of water, and my mouth would still feel parched. It’s then that my gaze dips down to her neck and locks there.
Her lip trembles the slightest bit as she watches my eyes travel over the now purplish bruises. My voice is full of grit and gravel and something else I can’t quite pinpoint. “Mason does like his hand at your throat.”
“I don’t know what he told you, but he was trying to freak me out. It worked. For a hot minute.” She lets go of her lollipop for a moment, touching her fingers to her skin.
I’d been so worked up after the discovery of the dress in her closet that I guess I hadn’t paid enough attention earlier. It looks tender, and I wince at the thought of how that happened. “Yeah, but I mean that wasn’t the first time he’s done it.” I shift closer, leaning one elbow on the back of the couch and resting the side of my head in my hand.
“No, you’re right. It wasn’t.” She pulls the candy from her mouth, resting it against her lips for a moment as she stares into my eyes.
Hers are a bold, vivid blue. I could so easily get lost in them. Drown. Because of that and combined with the fact that I don’t have a fucking clue how to deal with her, I shoot her a smart-ass smirk and let my next words fly with a teasing raise of my brow. “You’d think I’d be the one to want to strangle you.” My eyes drop to her mouth just as “Sex and Candy,” the version by Alexander Jean, begins to play.Fuuuck.I laugh internally.
I wonder if she’d deny it if I pointed out that it does, indeed, smell like cinnamon lollipop… andLennonin here.Fuck,I like it way too much. She shifts on the cushion, tugging at the neckline of her hoodie, then drags in a breath before exhaling sharply.
Desire flares to life in my blood and I wonder if she can see it written all over my fucking face. I want her. It’s a good thing I have superhuman control.
A flicker of interest crosses Lennon’s face, a tiny bit of devilish intuition that makes me think she can tell exactly what I’m fucking thinking. I work my jaw to the side, staring at her as I let a fantasy play out in my head… I’d lunge forward, brace myself over her, peel those shorts off—along with the fucking La Perla underwear I’d bought for her—then bury my goddamn face in her sweet pussy. I’d lick her until she screamed for me. And I wouldn’t stop, not even if Mason and Bear walked back in. My turn, fuckers.
I blink, coming back to myself to find she’s frowning as she taps the sticky lollipop against her lips, then slicks her tongue over them. I tear my greedy eyes away from her and stare over her shoulder. After another moment, though, she gestures with the candy. “What do you think, have we waited long enough?”
My gaze darts to hers. What is she talking about?We?“Sorry, what?”
“Can we try to see the fight now?” An amused expression slips over her features. “What did you think I was talking about?” She tilts her head to the side, studying me way too carefully.
Fuck. Nope. Not fucking telling her that I thought she meant we’d waited long enough in an entirely different way. “Nothing, sorry. I was preoccupied. Wait here, and I’ll check things out. I’ll be no more than a minute. Don’t open the door for anyone. I have a key.” I get up and stride out of the room, locking the door behind me.
