35. Huckslee

Huckslee

C limbing out of a second-story bathroom window isn't the proudest moment in my life, but the look on Taylor's face when I walk through the front door ten minutes later is priceless.

I'm obsessed with the way his lips part, head tilted to the side while his eyes glaze over when he's shocked. Like a puppy who's been bamboozled, and it's the cutest fucking thing.

"Where have you been, man?" Logan grabs my arm, pulling me into the living room where everyone sits crowded on the sectional. "I tried calling like five times."

"Sorry. Went for a walk around the block."

I really did. Needed to lose my boner.

Taylor is pressed between Salem and Arya, so I take the only available spot next to Owen, not missing the way Taylor's face twitches when Owen's shoulder bumps mine. Considering his past relationships, that possessiveness is a surprise, but I'd be lying if I said it isn't hot as hell .

He has his phone out, thumbing away at the screen, and then he looks up at me from under his lashes when my own phone buzzes with a new message.

Taytay: Are you a fuckin magician?

How'd you get outside?

Me: Abracadabra, bitch.

I follow it up with a wand emoji and some sparkles for flare before hitting send, hiding a smile when he snorts loudly after reading it.

"So, what party game are we playing?" I ask, pulling two slices of extra cheesy goodness onto my plate, noticing the four currently stacked on Taylor's. Jesus Christ, how does he eat like that and still manage to look so good?

Matt chews slowly, swallowing before he answers. "How do you feel about Never Have I Ever?"

Simultaneously, Taylor, Salem, Logan, and I groan.

"No. Never again," Salem says harshly, and I agree. One game of that was enough for a lifetime.

"Ooh, let's play sexy Truth or Dare," Arya squeals, looping her arm through Taylor's. "I have the app on my phone. We can go around in a circle, asking the person next to us. If you refuse to answer or do the dare, you drink."

He shakes her off, but she's persistent, his grimace when she places a hand on his thigh making me snicker.

Logan rubs the back of his neck, looking slightly uncomfortable. "Maybe we shouldn't. "

"Why not?" Matt replies with a grin. "I've played it before. Could be fun."

Xed mutters under his breath. "Or a disaster."

"I'm game." Owen glances at me with a grin, and I smile back politely. He's been staying close ever since I walked in the door, especially after Logan let it slip that I was also gay. I'm sure my best friend was just trying to be a good wingman, and even though Owen is friendly, it's kind of grating on my nerves.

Christian throws an arm behind Arya and Taylor. "I'm in, too. Let's get sexy."

"Let's not," Taylor groans around his food. Christian's fingers rest on his neck, but he doesn't seem to mind, and my gut churns slightly. I've noticed how much the two like to touch. But, then again, Taylor seems to enjoy touching everyone. Not in a pervy way but more in...a comfort-seeking way. Physical touch is definitely his love language. Still, the fact that he and his best friend have shared women and have seen each other naked…kind of bothers me.

"Raise of hands, who wants to play?" Matt asks, raising his hand high in the air. Owen and Arya raise theirs, followed by Christian. Logan notices Salem looking less than pleased, so his hand shoots up, too. I follow suit if only to see the flash of annoyance in Taylor's eyes that has me grinning broadly.

"Six against three, boom." Christian reaches over to punch Xed on the shoulder, who looks like he's ready to murder someone, before turning to Taylor. "What's up with you, cari?o ? This type of shit is usually your jam."

Cari?o ?

My Spanish is rusty, and I can't recall what that means for the life of me.

Taylor's eyes briefly glance between Owen and me before falling away as he shrugs, playing it off like he's tired, but it dawns on me that he's still jealous even after all that loving I gave him upstairs. The thought makes me wish I could trade places with Arya and be the one with my hands on him.

"Start the fucking game, I guess." Salem crosses her arms with a huff and leans back onto the couch between Taylor and Matt. I don't remember ever seeing her look so pissed off.

"Yaaay!" Arya looks around with a grin. "Everyone has their drinks? Good, okay, I'll start." She brings up the app on her phone and taps the screen. "Taylor, truth or dare?"

"Truth."

She purses her glossed lips in disappointment but reads him the question anyway. "Have you ever cried during sex?"

"No." He answers at the same time that Christian and Salem both give a resounding yes.

"Fuck off, nuh-uh!"

"Yes, huh." Salem studies her acrylic nails, glancing up at him slyly. "When you first got out of the hospital in high school, remember? In my parents' basement? Christian was there, he remembers."

Taylor scowls, eyes finding mine before he looks away. "I'd just recovered from surgery. I was in pain."

"Yeah, okay."

Fresh guilt forces me to swallow, recalling how I never went to see him. He'd been nearly beaten to death by his father, and yet I'd ignored him for four months. Anger quickly steals my breath when I think about what his father did to him for years, and no one noticed. Not even his best friend, from what I can tell. He'd been so good at hiding it.

"Fine, whatever, Salem's turn." He takes the phone from Arya. "Truth or dare?"

"Truth. Obviously."

Tapping the phone, he reads the question before grinning. "Have you ever been caught masturbating?"

Her eyes narrow into slits as she leans forward to pour a shot of vodka into her glass, prepared to drink instead of answer, but Logan pipes up next to me.

"Yes."

Taylor and I whip our heads toward him quickly, followed by Salem, who bares her teeth at him and hisses. Actually, hisses like a cat. Jesus.

She snatches the phone and turns angrily to Matt. "Truth or dare, Matty. Let me guess, dare. Right?"

He laughs, nodding enthusiastically despite the way Xed is watching him intently. "You know it."

"Read the last text message you received out loud."

The smile drops from his face, something peculiar crossing his features when he shifts his eyes to Xed before pulling out his cell. He stares at it for a long moment before clearing his throat and reading the text. "Hannah is so happy, babe. I'm so glad you let me take her for a whole night. She's having so much fun watching Peppa Pig."

"Bull-fucking-shit," Xed snaps suddenly, scoffing. "She doesn't even like Peppa Pig."

Matt responds quickly, face going red. "Yes, she does. Sometimes. "

"No, she does not, Matthew. That pig gives her the willies. She's told me several times."

"Moving on." Matt shoots Xed a pleading look before tapping on the screen for Owen. "Truth or dare?"

"Dare," Owen smiles, sliding his gaze to me coyly.

Big surprise.

"Let's see...do a round of ‘fuck, marry, kill' between the three people to your left?" Everyone turns to look at me, Logan, and Xed on the opposite side.

"Hmm." Squinting, he looks between the three of us. "Well, I haven't really known any of you that long, so...I guess I'll fuck Huckslee, marry Xed and kill Logan? No offense," he adds, smiling at Logan, who looks both offended and unamused. Glancing toward Taylor, I find him staring at Owen angrily, Salem wearing an almost identical expression next to him. Matt doesn't look too pleased, either.

"Alright, Huck, truth or dare?"

Taylor's ocean eyes slide to me, curiosity softening them, and I can't help the grin that crosses my face.

"Dare."

Maybe he's rubbing off on me, but I want to rile Taylor up tonight.

Ninety-day trial period , he'd said. Like a fucking subscription. But if he's down to try this out and see if we can make it, then I want to see how far I can push him. Just a little bit.

"Pick a woman in the room and have them pour a shot into your mouth from between their breasts," Owen reads, seeming a bit put out, and everyone looks toward the only two women in the room .

Salem smirks at me darkly. "Unfortunately, I'm part of the itty bitty titty committee, so you'll have to choose Miss Double D's over there."

Taylor coughs, hiding his laugh as Arya shouts and jumps from the couch excitedly.

"Yasss, this is so fun." She pours vodka into a shot glass before shoving it in between her cleavage, and I almost drink my soda to pass on the dare. I wasn't planning on drinking tonight. The way that Taylor's eyes sparkle wickedly, though, has me holding his gaze as I slide to the floor and kneel at Arya's feet.

Christian rubs his hands together. "Damn, you lucky boy."

Rolling my eyes, I let her place her hands on my shoulders as I open my mouth. Leaning forward, she brings her tits close to my face until the shot pours onto my bottom lip, mostly my chin, and when she straightens with a squeal of joy, I grimace as I wipe my face.

"I am so gay. That literally did nothing for me."

Taylor chuckles, flashing his teeth, but the smile vanishes when Owen laughs behind me.

"Oh my god, same."

Right . Okay…

Taking the phone from him, I turn to Logan, already knowing what he'll pick. "Here's your truth, Loge. What are, um..." Reading the question, I blink, lips twitching. "What are your secret fetishes?"

As he starts turning beat red, my cell buzzes with a new message.

Taytay: Not the first time tonight you've gotten on your knees and taken it in the mouth ;)

Fucking hell.

I can feel his eyes on me as I thumb my reply.

Me: Won't be the last, either.

His brows shoot to his hairline right as Logan takes a gulp of his beer, choosing not to answer the question. Salem shakes her head, looking away. Not for the first time, I wonder what someone so wild had ever seen in a guy as shy as Logan. Don't get me wrong, I love my best friend. But when it comes to women, he's as hopeless as me.

"Truth or dare, Xed?"

A heavy sigh falls from Xed's lips. "If I'm forced to play this shit, I guess I'll choose dare."

"That's what I'm talking about!" Christian jostles his shoulder as Logan reads off the screen.

"Make out with the prettiest boy in the room."

Everyone goes silent.

We all glance at each other, Matt's eye almost bugging out of his skull. He and Xed stare each other down, something passing briefly between them that has Matt shaking his head. After a moment, Xed lifts his beer to his lips and swigs, causing Matt's shoulders to relax imperceptibly.

Taylor lets out a playful scoff. "Rude, Xed. Everyone knows I'm the prettiest boy."

That makes me laugh, and heads nod in agreement because he's absolutely right. Even with that scar .

Pulling up our chat thread, I send him a quick message, testing the waters.

Me: My pretty boy.

His eyes widen when he reads it.

Taytay: Don't send me shit like that unless you're prepared for another round in the bathroom.

Me: Why?

Do you like it when I call you pretty?

Taytay: I'll let you call me anything you want if you fuck me.

Goddamn . The broad smile on my lips freezes when I hear Xed read Christian his dare.

"Pick the person you've known the longest in the room and give them a hickey."

Christian turns to Taylor and grins maniacally, pointing a finger. "That's you, baby boy. Get over here."

I go rigid, and Taylor notices immediately. His gaze bounces uneasily between his best friend and me as my stomach clenches, grinding my molars against a surge of possessiveness.

"Where do you want it?" Christian laughs. "Side of your neck? Back?"

Not a chance .

My brain screams at me to intervene as Taylor switches places with Arya, biting his lip nervously. "Arm, maybe? "

"No, that won't work," Arya giggles, looking over Taylor's body. "You're covered in tattoos, and we want to see it. How about the stomach?"

Lifting up his shirt, she makes a move to touch his abs before he grabs her wrist. "No touchy."

"How about this spot?" Christian points to the blank space over Taylor's peck, where the shape of Delaware rests, and I can't keep silent anymore.

"Absolutely not ," I grind out, earning a look from everyone in the room.

Salem smirks knowingly while Christian rolls his eyes.

"Fine, back of the shoulder it is."

He leans Taylor forward, moving aside the strap of his tank top before pressing his lips to his best friend's skin.

My fists tighten on my lap, both watching me with amusement. Christian meets my gaze challengingly as if staking a claim, the look in his eyes saying one thing: mine .

I don't think so, motherfucker.

He sits back when finished, grinning in satisfaction as Salem snaps her fingers.

"Well, get up," she commands with a sideways glance in my direction. "Show the class."

Taylor's lips twitch as he stands, doing a twirl to reveal the deepening purple mark on his shoulder before curtsying like a fucking brat. He plops back down on the other side of Arya, pushing hair out of his face, and I lean against the cushions while the game continues, seething.

Most everyone chooses truth after that, having learned their lessons. Until it gets to Owen again, at least .

Matthew reads off his dare. "Pick someone in the room, touch tongues for five minutes."

As soon as his drunken gaze swings to mine, I know I'm in trouble.

"Huckslee," he slurs, a sloppy smile on his face, and a low snarl echoes from Taylor's throat.

"No." He launches out of his seat, glaring down at Owen murderously. "Choose someone else."

"What, why?" Owen's eyes take on a dark glint. "It's my dare, I can pick who I want."

Taylor curls his lips. "Fine, but the other person has to be willing. You can't force someone to kiss you."

"It's not a kiss, Tay." Salem's lashes flutter. "Just touching tongues. But if it's an issue, you can always take over the dare and do it with Huckslee yourself."

Narrowing my gaze, I meet her impish grin with a glare.

Who's meddling now?

Logan laughs beside me, thinking that her suggestion is the funniest thing he's ever heard. "That's weird, Salem. They're stepbrothers."

He raises his brows at me, silently seeking agreement, but I can only blink at him while my stomach sinks. If Logan thinks simply kissing Taylor for a dare is weird...I can only imagine what he'd feel if I told him what we're actually doing. A sickening feeling inside tells me that he wouldn't like it. Not one bit.

Owen's finger taps my shoulder. "What do you say, Huck? You down to do this with me?"

I can feel Taylor's eyes burning the side of my face, but nothing comes out when I open my mouth to answer. Everyone' s attention is on me, watching and waiting, and I feel sweat on the back of my neck.

Say no. Say no.

I want to refuse. But a small tendril of fear is licking up my spine at the thought of Logan rejecting me if he knew about the things Taylor and I do in the dark, of him telling his dad, who would then tell my dad. The whole family would judge me. Deep down, I know it's an illogical worry because Logan would never do something like that...right? He kept his relationship with Salem a secret for two years; he'd keep my relationship to himself. I think. I hope.

Fuck, I really don't know.

But my deliberation at refusing Owen's dare sets Taylor off.

"Whatever. Do what the fuck you want, Huckslee. I need a smoke."

The front door slams behind him, causing me to wince, and I turn to see Christian and Salem glaring at me accusingly. Xed is staring after Taylor thoughtfully, and Matt just shakes his head.

"What the hell crawled up his ass?"

Me, I wish . Ugh.

Exhaling slowly, I rub the bridge of my nose before turning to Owen. "Sorry, man, but I'm gonna have to pass."

His face falls but quickly brightens when Xed pipes up.

"I'll do it."

"Way to take one for the team, my guy." Christian slaps him on the shoulder, and it seems I'm the only one who's noticed how still Matthew just went. As much as I'd like to stick around and witness the show…

I've got some shit to smooth over .

"Think I also need some air," I murmur to Logan, avoiding eye contact. "I'll go see what's up with Taylor."

There's a heavy pause where he studies me, but he nods without an answer, so I get up to go outside. The second I step onto the porch and shut the door, a hand grabs mine, yanking me down the front steps. Taylor tugs me around the house, pulling us into a small space between our building and the next before shoving me against the wall, eyes blazing.

And then his mouth crashes into mine.

Our lips clash, his tongue forcing its way inside to sweep around my mouth viciously as if to wipe away any other taste than his own. Vaguely, in the back of my head, I hope that all the soda I drank was enough to cover the shot of vodka from earlier as I kiss him back with just as much fervor. My hands cup the back of his neck, holding him in place while I suck his lip, resisting the urge to bite down until I taste blood as his arms come around me, crushing us together.

He feels so perfect against me, so right. Like every molecule and atom in my body was formed specifically to combine with his, drawing us together magnetically in an explosion of gasps and moans when our hips grind together. For a moment, I'm ready to drag him back inside and kiss him proudly in front of everyone, consequences be damned.

When he rips himself away, I grunt in protest, immediately cold from the absence of his warmth. My arms reach out to pull him back, but he steps quickly out of range, leaning against the opposite wall to cross his arms and scowl at me.

"You know, you're actually really sexy when you're pissed off," I smile, tracing my jaw with a finger while I check him out, which only pisses him off .

"What the hell was that, Huck?" His tone is livid.

With a sigh, my head falls back against the wall. "I didn't do it, okay? I didn't kiss him."

"No, but you wanted to. I saw it in the way you hesitated."

"I hesitated because of Logan's comment. It got me all up in my head, and I'm sorry."

His jaw ticks at the corners. "About us being stepbrothers?"

"Yeah."

There's a moment of silence where he watches me closely. "Does that...does it bother you?"

The anger in his voice is gone, replaced by a vulnerability that has me closing the gap between us to place kisses along the side of his face.

"No, I'm not bothered by that, Tay," I breathe into his skin. "It's not like we were raised that way. But I'd be lying if I said I wasn't worried about how Logan will react."

"I don't give a fuck what he thinks." Taylor's fists bunch in my shirt, lips pressed to my throat. "Or what anyone thinks."

"I know. But I do." Closing my eyes briefly, I pull back to look down into his wide eyes. "I worry what he'll do if he finds out. If my dad finds out."

He goes still. "If? Not when?"

"Maybe when. Three months, remember?"

A flash of hurt in his eyes guts me, but it's gone in an instant as he leans in for a sweltering kiss. "Right. Trial by fire. So far, I think we're doing great."

"Great?" Snorting against his lips, I slip my fingers under his tank top to caress his lower back. "Storming off and slamming doors is far from great. "

"You caught me in a weak moment," he says, burying his face in my chest. "The thought of you kissing someone else makes me angry. I… I'll try to work on it."

He would, too, if I asked him.

Grabbing his chin to lift his face, I give him a frown. "What do you mean, you'll ‘work on it'?"

"Like, if you..." He swallows, throat flexing while his eyes bounce between mine. "If you wanted to...be with Owen, too. I'd try to accept it. I don't know if I could, but I'd try. For you."

His brows are pinched, creases forming at the corners of his mouth as if saying those words physically pains him, and my frown deepens.

"Why the hell would I want to do that? I'm yours, remember?"

"Fuck, I don't know, Huckslee. I've never–" Cutting himself off, he licks his lips nervously. "I've never been in a relationship like this before."

"With a man," I admit for him, which earns me an eye roll in response.

"Yes, obviously, with a man. But, also, like... monogamy ."

"You've never been in a monogamous relationship?"

"Nope," he smiles weakly. "I've never been the settling down type. But with you, it's different. I don't want anyone but you. I don't want anyone else touching you, but if that's what you want–"

I silence his worries with my mouth, breathing in the small gasp that leaves his lips when my tongue lazily dances with his. "I don't want anyone but you, either, Tay. And I'm purely monogamous, so you won't get that same speech from me. I'm yours, and you're mine. Anything else is a deal breaker for me. Okay?"

"Okay," he sighs, relieved as he sags against me, "but I still don't care what anyone thinks about us. I love y-love being with you, so fuck 'em."

He licks up the side of my neck as if to distract me from the fact that he tripped over his words, but I noticed. I fucking noticed, and now my heart is doing somersaults.

My arms close around him tightly. "I just need some time."

"I know." He nuzzles into me like a cat, and it's so fucking cute that it makes me ache. Literally, because my cock's been hard since the moment he kissed me. I rub it against him, feeling his own hard length brush mine as I groan into his hair.

"I wish I could take you back to the apartment and lay you down. Take my time, make you feel good."

"We could go back to mine," he suggests quickly, an eager look in his eyes, and I just know what he's thinking about.

"Yeah? You want that?" Sliding my hands down to his ass, I cup his cheeks and squeeze hard. "Does my horny stepbro need to get fucked?"

" God , yes." He thrusts against me, teeth sinking into his lip as his breath quickens. "Need it so bad, baby."

A dark laugh rumbles out of me as I step back from him. "Hmm. Too bad."

His jaw practically drops to the floor. "W-what?"

"I'm not fucking you with another man's mark on you, Taylor. You'll just have to wait until it's gone."

Flames ignite in his eyes, sending a sickly pleasurable spark to my groin .

"You're a cruel asshole, you know that?" He shakes his head slowly.

"Noted."

"So, are blowjobs out of the question, too?" His bottom lip juts out. "Because I might just die if I don't get to taste your cum tonight."

Holy hell.

I'm about to whip my cock out when I hear our names being shouted from the porch.

"Huckslee?"

"Taylor!"

Christian and Logan.

Cursing under my breath, I pull away from Taylor as he tugs his tank top down over his crotch, and I do the same with my shirt. With a furtive glance toward the house, I place a chaste kiss on his lips just as Christian's voice gets closer.

"Put your dicks away, fools, we gotta go!"

"Fucking Christ, Christian," Taylor mutters, stalking around the corner with me close behind, and we catch sight of them standing on the sidewalk with Arya tucked under Christian's arms.

"What's going on?"

Logan's glassy eyes shift between us. "I don't really know. Xed and Owen started making out, Matthew got pissed, they started fighting, and so now we're leaving."

Oh, shit . I missed it.

"They're fighting?!" Taylor steps toward the porch quickly, but Christian puts a hand up to stop him.

"Salem's got it, cari?o . She's cooling them both down. Let's bounce."

That word again. Cari?o . I'll have to Google it.

Taylor looks back at me anxiously, his eyes darkening with so much longing that my heart skips a beat. For a brief moment, we share a silent conversation; neither of us wants the night to end. But he's Christian's designated driver, and since I'm also sober, that makes me Logan's, too.

"Come on, Huck." My best friend bumps my shoulder, skin slightly green. "I don't feel so good anyway."

Fuck.

"Uh," Taylor clears his throat, shaking off Arya when she tries to hold his hand. "I guess I'll see you guys later."

"Yeah...later."

Christian smirks at me when I give a half-assed wave as I turn around, walking in the opposite direction toward Logan's car. When I get to the driver's side, I glance up the street to see their backs nearing the corner, but Taylor turns around to meet my gaze and blows a kiss, making me chuckle. I really, really don't want to leave him tonight. So why should I? Who says the night must end because our friends want to go home?

While Logan is distracted trying to put on his seatbelt with drunk fingers, I pull up our Delaware chat to send him a message.

Me: After you drop them off, come get me? We can drive around in your truck and hang out. If you want.

I don't know why I was nervous that he'd turn me down because his reply is instant, making my damn breath catch.

Taytay: I want. See you in about thirty, baby.