The Step Dare (Peach State Stepbros #3)

Chapter 6

6

Brenner

T he school year starts in a couple of days, and Taylor and I are finally moving into our off-campus apartment together. It’s cool getting to be Atlas’s neighbors. Although his stepbrother-boyfriend, Troy, still officially lives in the Alpha Theta Mu house, they spend a lot of time at Atlas’s apartment. I figure they like the space away from everyone else. And the good thing is now I’ll be close enough to bug him all the time. It’s good for him.

“Pivot!” I shout to Atlas and Colin, who are carrying the couch up to our second-floor apartment.

“You say that again, and I’m gonna drop this couch and make you carry it up,” Atlas shouts back, offering his best grumpy scowl, which is mostly just for show.

“Can you not drop it with my boyfriend carrying the bottom end?” Ash asks from beside me.

“I’m basically carrying the whole thing by myself already. I didn’t realize he was actually doing something,” Colin teases, making Atlas scowl again. See? Good for him.

“Okay, I’ll be taking over for Colin before my boyfriend kills him.” Troy jogs for the stairs and takes Colin’s place.

We continue to wait with our boxes while they make their way up the stairs. I must admit, it’s nice to be back in Peachtree Springs. The end of summer has been interesting, to say the least. Now that the cat’s out of the bag, our parents aren’t holding anything back when it comes to their relationship. Dad even asked me to go ring shopping with him, which I did. We had another good talk, and he made sure I’m okay with everything, and I am…mostly. I mean, I am, but I can’t help the fact that it’s a huge change too. I’m still trying to find that perfect spot where my happiness for Dad and my sadness about him officially moving on from Mom meet, and all I can do is hope everything is okay when I reach it.

“You good?” Taylor wraps his arm around me as Ash and Colin follow Atlas and Troy up the stairs.

“Fuck yes.” Softly, just for him, I add, “Just thinking about the fact that we’re a group of stepbrothers who all know what their counterpart’s cum tastes like.” Or at least, I know what his tastes like.

“That’s true, but also not what you were thinking about.”

No, it wasn’t, but I’m not in the mood to worry about something I shouldn’t even be worried about, so I bend down, pick up my box, and say, “Race you upstairs.”

I always have a lot of energy to burn, but I’ve had even more lately. I still haven’t hooked up with anyone since Tay and I stopped messing around. I’m not sure why and definitely need to make a plan for that to change, and soon, but I just haven’t done it for some reason. Maybe it’s because we were back home, wedding planning and watching our parents shoot heart eyes at each other all day, so I’ve been too distracted to go looking for sex.

While I understand the reasoning behind Taylor and me stopping getting each other off, I can’t pretend I don’t miss it. He’s got a great cock, and there’s something comfortable about hooking up with a person I’m so close with. Has Taylor found another guy to experiment with yet? I don’t think he has. I’m pretty sure he would have told me. Plus, it’s kinda hard for the two of us to do much the other doesn’t know about because we’ve spent all summer together.

Taylor grabs a box and follows me.

“I don’t like the couch in that spot,” I tell Atlas and Troy as soon as I get into the apartment.

Atlas flips me off, and Taylor asks, “Are you causing trouble again?”

I mock gasp. “I would never do such a thing! I can’t believe you would blame me. We’re supposed to be stepbrothers. That means we have each other’s backs.”

“Actually, I’m pretty sure it means you’ll start boning any day now,” Colin jokes, and Taylor becomes real interested in the box he’s setting down.

“I still can’t believe your parents have been secretly dating. That’s wild, huh?” Ash asks.

“Yeah, I can say I don’t recommend walking in on your parents going at it. I still have nightmares.”

“It seems to me the two of you are doing something wrong. It’s supposed to be you getting caught fucking, not them,” Ash continues, making the guys laugh. Little do they know that we are—well, were —doing exactly that. And just the thought makes me bone up slightly. Fuck, I really need to get laid. I’ve been jerking it like crazy, and nothing is taking the edge off.

I plop down onto the couch, wishing we hadn’t gotten into this conversation. Taylor walks into the kitchen and comes back a moment later with a Cherry Coke for me. Thank fuck. I needed this, and of course, he realized it. I also didn’t know he’d bought some. Cherry Coke is my favorite, and Taylor doesn’t even drink it. “Thanks, stepbro.” I wink at him.

Thankfully, the subject changes, and we shoot the shit for a while before going back downstairs to finish unloading our things. Then they help us set up our beds, and when we’re finished, the guys leave, so it’s just me and Tay in our new place. It’s a small apartment but perfect for us. The front door opens into the living room, a small dining room and kitchen on the other side. There’s a sliding glass door in the living room for the balcony, then the hallway that leads to the two small bedrooms, Taylor’s with a small bathroom.

“So I’m assuming we hook up the TV first.” Taylor grins, reading my mind.

I pump my brows. “Obviously.”

It doesn’t take us long to get it all plugged in and our video game systems up and running. It doesn’t matter that we have a shit ton of things to do—boxes everywhere and probably no food unless Tay got that with my Coke. We have games to play.

We sit close enough on the couch that our legs are touching. That’s not new, but every time one of us moves, the feel of his warm skin against mine shoots straight for my balls. I’ve spent years being close to Taylor, and it never made me feel like I’m crawling out of my skin to bust a nut.

“Fuck,” I curse when I get my ass shot in the game. Taylor almost always beats me, but that doesn’t mean I don’t try everything in my power to win.

“What’s up with you? You always suck balls compared to me, but you’re particularly bad today.” He snickers, and I laugh.

“Asshole.” I nudge him with my leg, and as dumb as it sounds, I swear I feel a zing shoot through me. Taylor’s pupils blow wide as if he felt it too, and I must admit, I’m glad it’s not just me who’s dying from pent-up sexual tension. “Let’s play again.”

Taylor nods, and we restart the game. His thigh pushes against mine, but he doesn’t move it away this time. It’s not just a casual brush here and there now, it’s a constant press that makes my skin heat and my dick throb.

“You’re doing that on purpose,” I tell him.

“Doing what?”

“Getting me hard.”

Taylor turns his head in my direction, his gaze finding my swelling bulge. “Jesus, Bren. You’re dying for it, aren’t you?”

“Don’t pretend you’re not,” I grumble, and he adjusts himself behind his shorts too. “But I agree. It’s not a good idea.”

“Can you remind me why?”

I snicker, nudging him with my elbow. “You’re supposed to be the responsible one between the two of us…stepbro.”

“Ah, yes. Our parents.”

“They totally ruined our lives.”

“Right?” He chuckles, and the sexual tension eases off, doesn’t feel as suffocating. “I didn’t think it would be this hard to stop.”

“Same, man. I swear it doesn’t matter how much I jerk it, I’m horny all the fucking time.”

Taylor groans, and I figure my words went straight to his balls, and yeah, that makes me smile.

“It’s the right thing to do for our parents,” he reminds me.

I scratch the back of my neck, wishing it wasn’t true. “I agree. Not gonna lie, the whole stepbrother thing is hot, but again, I know my dad, and he’ll be concerned. I don’t want to ruin this for him.”

“I don’t want to ruin it for Mom either. And like we said, it was just a little fun for us. Not worth fucking stuff up for them so we can drain our dicks.”

Maybe if we tell ourselves that enough times…

“I’m sure it’ll get easier soon,” I reply, just as my phone buzzes with a text.

Mila: Hey, you’re back in town today, right? Want to get a coffee or something?

We’ve been texting off and on all summer. She’s cool. I like her and definitely want to hang with her now that I’m back. She’s met a few people here this summer, but she’s still getting used to a new town.

Me: Bet. In about thirty minutes? Does that work?

“Who’s that?” Taylor asks.

“Mila from the coffeehouse. I think we’re gonna chill for a bit.”

“Oh…right now?”

“Yeah. I’m gonna clean up real quick and go. Is that cool?”

I have no idea why it wouldn’t be cool, but then Taylor nods and I realize my question was silly. “Of course. Why wouldn’t it be?” He stands up, so I do the same.

“Do you want to come?” He’d like her, and there’s no doubt in my mind she’d like him too. If we hadn’t been gone for the summer, I would have already introduced them, but I haven’t seen her since we met in the spring. All our communication has been on the phone.

“No, I think I’m gonna see what Lance or the guys from Alpha Theta Mu are doing.”

I get a strange twitch in my chest. Lance is hot as fuck, but from what I know, totally straight. Not that it matters. Lance can be queer, and Taylor can bang the whole frat house if he wants…and if he was going to experiment with any of them, it would probably be Marty, who I think is bi-curious.

I shake those thoughts from my head, not even sure why I’m thinking about Taylor having sex with any of them.

“What?” he asks.

“Nothing.”

“So…what’s the deal with Mila?” he asks as I follow him to his room.

“Nothing.” Why the hell is he asking me about Mila? “You know what I heard? Dax, the guy I told you I banged last year, he’s Sigma Alpha now. And there are some wild rumors about him.” He’s apparently a pretty kinky motherfucker, and…why am I bringing this up to Tay?

“What? Didn’t you learn all his kinky secrets when you hooked up?”

I grin. “That too, but I’ve heard other stuff.”

“You’re such a gossip,” he teases.

I just shrug because it’s kinda true.

Dax would totally be the type to experiment with Taylor. The thought makes my skin prickle with annoyance, but I figure that’s just because I don’t know the guy well enough to trust him with my best friend.

“Are you going to go get cleaned up to hang with Mila?” he asks.

Oh yeah. Shit. I forgot. “For sure. Have fun with the guys.”

“Have fun with Mila,” he replies, and I walk out of the room, grumpy for a reason I don’t understand.