Page 68 of Double Dare
Kolt hesitates like an idiot, fumbling for words, trying to come up with something quick-witted and sexy. He doesn’t, so he gets mocked to hell and back for it. Knew he’d buckle under the pressure of my girl.
“I am so ashamed to be your twin right now, you twat,” Bass scoffs. “Such a letdown.”
“You can handle a mid-day orgy with a sorority group, but one look from Lakes has you stuttering?” Dom laughs.
Ah, mocking Kolt is the best pastime.
“What?” Mom barges into the conversation. “Kolton Dare, you tell me that’s not true.”
“Bass was there, too!” Kolt defends.
“So fucking ashamed of you,” Bass mutters again.
“Hey, you let Jed bang a guest and look how that turned out.” Kolt points at Laken. “Now two of your sons are banging her. What if my one and only was in that sorority group?”
“Was she?” Mom asks.
“Fuck no. It was a good time. Maybe I’m gay. I’ll hit up a frat group next.” Kolt steals lasagna from Ry’s plate, earning another smack. “We showed them a good time and got a five star. Relax, Mom.”
“Bass showed them a good time and got a five star,” Mom counters.
“Look, I know you all bust my balls because you’re jealous. It’s fine.” Kolt rolls his eyes at everyone.
Laken just continues to eat like none of this is happening. So glad Mom gave me that pass to fuck a guest, because I really did find my one and only. I got her, fucked it up for a few months, lost her, got her back, and now I’m sharing her with my brother. Life is weird as hell, but like I said, I’m rolling with the weird lately.
Kade walks into the house with Four behind him. Kade ignores me, but Four gives me a look, telling me to check on him. What the hell happened between boarding and now that he’s upset? Something’s up, so I grab Mom’s smokes and push him right back outside.
“What’s up?”
“Nothing. I’m good. Why you being a dick?”
“Something’s up. Tell me.” I light a smoke and pass him the pack.
He takes it, leaning against the railing, but he doesn’t light one. “I’m good. Just thinking or whatever.”
“About what?”
He looks at the resort, his back to me. “Laken told me the story. About her scars.”
Oh, yeah, fuck. That’s heavy. “You okay?”
He nods, running his hand through his hair. “She’s…I guess she just amazes me.”
“Yeah, she’s pretty fucking badass.” No doubts there. To come from that experience and be the sexual person she is today is fucking incredible.
“Makes me feel wrong, you know? For like, having so many fucked up fantasies. Especially ones that include me overpowering her.” He glances at me real quick before looking away.
I walk up to the railing but don’t look at him, smoking and staring at the bay instead. “If you start treating her like a victim, it’ll fuck up your whole dynamic and she’ll lose her trust in you.”
“She trusts me? She said she did, but…yeah? You’re sure?”
“Of course she fucking trusts you. You think she’d do this shit with you if she didn’t? You think I haven’t overpowered her? There’s a difference between sexual consent and being…assaulted. She’s consenting with us because she trusts us. She didn't consent to what happened to her. Don’t make her question your belief in her.”
“I won’t. It’s not even about my belief in her.”
I look at him, getting it now. “You don’t trust yourself?”
“I do, but…” he sighs, another hand going through his hair. “I get caught up in the moment sometimes, and I…never want to miss a signal.”