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.