Chapter 12

12

Atlas

Each day we get closer to Troy’s test, the strange tingling at the base of my spine increases. It’s annoying as shit because there shouldn’t be any tingling going on anywhere inside me, and definitely not when it comes to my stepbrother. He’s gotten into my head, and I don’t like it…only, I also do like it, which makes everything even more confusing, and annoying, and pisses me off. So when I get out of bed on Test Day, I’m in a crap mood.

The first thing I do is pluck my cell off my nightstand and shoot a text to Troy.

Me: You ready to lose?

It’s a little fucked because while I want to be the one to win this bet so Troy participates in the auction, I also want to see Troy succeed. The fact that I actually kinda like him makes everything in my life more frustrating, and clearly, there’s a long list that does that. Aren’t I just in a peachy fucking mood today?

And maybe there’s a part of you that really wants to end this day with his dick in your mouth.

I groan into the empty room just as my phone buzzes in my hand.

Lil Stepbro: Not gonna happen. I’m trying to decide if I want you on your knees for me while I’m standing up…sitting down…lying on a bed with your mouth on my cock… So many possibilities.

His words make my traitor dick twitch.

Lil Stepbro: Oh look, I left you speechless.

Heat scorches up my spine. Goddamn him. I’m off my game today.

Me: Sounds like something you’ve been thinking about a lot. You want me, lil stepbro. Probably have for a while now. How many times have you jerked off thinking about me?

I watch my phone, my pulse speeding up while I wait for his response. This shit with Troy is so fucking wrong, we shouldn’t even be entertaining it, but maybe that’s what I like about it the most.

Lil Stepbro: I wish I had time to spar with you, but I have a test to ace.

I chuckle and leave him on read, then go into the shower, where I absolutely do jack off, my bad mood from earlier buried to come out and play another time. Once I’m dressed, I almost grab a banana for breakfast, then think better of it, unsure if I want to put that energy into the air or not.

I head to class. Because my stalker ass knows everything about Troy, I know he doesn’t have Thermo until this afternoon. I head to my Statistics in Sociology class and try not to let my mind wander while my professor rambles on. The fact that I’m thinking about what might happen today makes me twitchy. I keep telling myself this whole thing was just to light a fire under Troy so he could earn himself a B or something, while also getting his help in the bachelor auction.

He’s not supposed to win. He can’t possibly win this, right?

After class, I head to the campus café because I need to get something in my stomach and I skipped breakfast. The first thing I see is Troy with Colin’s Thermo geek little brother, who is probably hoping that by helping Troy with this test, he’ll end with Troy’s cock in his mouth.

Because I’m a dick like that, I grab some food, walk over, and squeeze between them. “Looks like there’s plenty of space here.” There is, in fact, no space, but Ash scoots over.

“Atlas, what are you doing?” Troy asks, his annoyance clear.

“What do you mean? I just wanna hang with my stepbro. Is there something wrong with that?”

He sighs as I turn to Ash, giving him a wink that says I know what he was doing, and yeah, I just nipped that shit in the bud.

Why, though? Why does it matter if Ash flirts with Troy?

Those questions get locked in the vault inside me.

I pluck a fry from Troy’s plate. “Doing some last-minute studying?”

He shakes his head. “You’re such a dick.” But then, as if the word dick does something to him, he blushes slightly, and damn, pink looks good on his cheeks…okay…these thoughts need to chill the fuck out. He tries to look around me at Ash. “Sorry for the interruption.”

“Hey, what did I do?” I ask, but they both ignore me.

Ash says, “I need to head to class anyway. You’re ready, Troy. Just remember: I’m a genius, which is why you’re going to ace this test today.”

That isn’t good news if I don’t plan on giving my first BJ.

“I’m heading out too,” Troy says, which I know he’s only doing to get under my skin. I do my best not to let it work. “You can finish my fries.”

Troy gathers his things, he and Ash leaving me alone. Oh yeah, Troy is definitely determined to one-up me today, and damn him for being able to do it.

I eat my lunch and Troy’s fries, then head to my second class of the day. Afterward, I have a four-hour shift at the metal yard, where I keep watching my phone.

Nothing from Troy. I know from hearing him talk about it that his Thermo teacher grades assignments ASAP, so the fact that I haven’t gotten a taunting message leads me to believe he didn’t get an A and doesn’t want to tell me.

As much as it kills me not to text him, I hold off. Troy has a lot more riding on this than I do, and I know he’s going to be disappointed in a different way than me if he loses.

I jump in the shower when I get home, then pull on a pair of sweats. The second my ass hits the couch, there’s a knock on my apartment door, and I fucking know what it means.

My heart rate revs like I’m giving it too much gas. I could sit here and not answer. I could ignore the door and the inevitable texts and calls that will follow. There’s no doubt in my mind that that’s what Troy expects of me. He doesn’t think I’ll follow through, and it’s that knowledge that will make me end this day with his dick in my mouth even if I wasn’t already curious. I’m not sure curious is even the right word, but clearly, I’m feeling some weird shit when it comes to my stepbro.

He knocks again, and I school my features, get up, and tug the door open.

“What do you want?” I pretend I don’t know.

Troy’s gaze slides down my bare chest, to my groin, and back up again, making my skin heat up. This is so fucked.

“Excuse me,” Troy says rather than answering, and walks into my apartment, but the cocky smirk on his face is proof that I’m going to be sucking his dick tonight. “I got my grade.”

I close the door. “I figured you did.”

“I decided I want to stand, with you kneeling in front of me, but I’m open when it comes to what room we do this in.”

I cross my arms. Arrogant little shit. That’s usually my MO. “Let’s see it, then.”

He tugs his phone out and pulls up proof of his grade. Ninety-one percent. Of course my perfect little stepbro did exactly what he set out to do.

“You’re welcome.”

“What did you do?” He pushes a hand through his brown hair, and…shit, is he nervous? He’s not the one who should be freaking out in this situation.

“Clearly, you wanted my mouth on your dick so badly, you spent the last month doing everything in your power to make it happen.” I step closer, don’t stop until I can smell the nerves on his skin, my mouth close to his ear. “How long have you wanted me, Troy?”

“Since I started noticing those luscious lips of yours.”

My stomach flip-flops. I didn’t expect a comment like that, but I recover quickly. “If you think my lips are nice, you should see what I can do with my tongue. Bet it leaves you screaming my name.”

“Fuck you, asshole.”

“I think you’re about to…well, my mouth at least.”

Inside, I’m freaking out a bit. Again, not because I have an issue with what might be my budding bisexuality, but because it’s with Troy, and there’s no way I’ll allow myself not to be the fucking best at this. I don’t have it in me, just like Troy didn’t have it in him not to get an A on this test.

I get on my knees in front of him.

“What are you doing?”

“Didn’t you say you want me on my knees?” I quirk a brow.

“Oh, ’cause you’re actually about to do this? Right.”

“Um…I was planning on it. I lost. You won. Plus, I need to show little Ash up.”

“Ash didn’t…we’re not…”

I unbutton his jeans, willing my hands not to shake. Troy takes a step back, his thighs hitting the arm of the couch, which stops him.

“You’re determined to try and look like you’re really going to do this, aren’t you?”

“Oh, I’m going to. Unless you tell me no. Otherwise, your dick will be in my mouth in three…two…”

“Wait.”

I stop. His forehead wrinkles, and he bites his lip like he’s struggling to process what the hell is happening.

“You don’t have to do this.”

I frown. That’s not him saying he doesn’t want me to. What is he playing at? “So you can spend the rest of my life reminding me how I’m the first one who didn’t follow through with one of our bets? Nah, I’m good.”

“I wouldn’t do that. You’re straight, and I’m your stepbrother. We shouldn’t do this.”

No, we shouldn’t, and I am likely not straight. But we made a bet, and my dick is beginning to plump behind my sweats. The fantasy flashes through my head and…

“We’re doing this. I’m not chickening out. Should I continue counting now? If you don’t say you don’t want this, I’m gonna make you come so hard, you won’t have an orgasm for the rest of your life that you won’t compare to this one.”

I see Troy’s throat work as he swallows the lump there. “Prove it.”

Heat fills my belly and radiates down to my groin. “Oh, lil stepbro, I plan to.”