If You Dare (Dare #3) — Chapter no 23

CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

DEMI

I LIED TO him. Again. He has no clue what Eli and Becky were doing, but I do. I’m the only person who knows what was really going on, but I can’t tell him. Not now. I won’t allow her to ruin another day of my life. I don’t want to have to think of her, or Eli, or his death. I want Deke.

Austin thinks I love him, and honestly, I’m not sure she’s a hundred percent wrong. What is love anyway? All the movies tell you that it’s sweet and romantic, but it’s such bullshit. Cole and Austin are proof of that. You don’t always need hearts and flowers to prove you love someone.

Sometimes you need each other’s names carved in blood.

I push away from him, and he allows it. I stand on shaky legs. I’m not drunk, but I’m not sober either. He sits there looking up at me. Is he waiting for me to leave? For me to shout at him? Beg him? I want to fall to my knees and tell him that it’s me he wants. That it’s me he sees. Not her. But that’s just the wine talking, so instead, I go for plan B.

I remove my shirt and kick off my shoes. I’m shoving my jeans down my legs when he sits up straighter in his lounge chair. “Demi …”

“Shh,” I say, straddling him again. But only now I’m naked. I place my hands on his handsome face and look at his pretty blue eyes. “I want you to fuck me, Deke. It’s just you and me. No lies. No pretending. Can you do that?”

His large hands slide up my bare back, making my body break out in goose bumps. I shiver and it has nothing to do with the cool night. “I was never the one faking it, Demi.”

I lean in and capture his lips with mine, done talking for the night.

DEKE

I wake up with an arm draped over my chest and a soft leg over my thigh.

Demi’s blond hair covers most of her face, and I push it back to give me a

clear view of her. After we had sex last night out on the patio, we took a shower together where I took her again up against the wall. She didn’t hold anything back from me. I think Demi is confused on who she really is, but she didn’t hide.

I lean in and kiss her cheek, and her eyes flutter open. “Good morning,

princess.”

“Good morning,” she whispers.

I go to pull away from her, but she tightens her hold on me. “Five more minutes,” she whispers.

I move to my side and wrap my arms around her, pulling her small frame into me. “Five more minutes.” She closes her eyes. “How do you feel this morning?” I ask. She had quite a bit to drink last night. And I tried to be gentle with her since I know she’s still getting used to sex, but it was hard to restrain myself.

“Like I knew I would,” she mumbles into my chest.

“Want me to get you some ibuprofen?”

She shakes her head. “I just want five more minutes.”

When I open my eyes some time later, I’m alone. Sitting up, I look around to see her clothes that were lying on the floor are now gone. I throw off the covers, get up, and pull on a pair of jeans. As I make my way down the stairs, I hear voices in the kitchen.

Demi stands at the kitchen island with her hand in a plastic container full of brownies. She places one in her mouth and moans, closing her eyes.

“This is by far the best thing I’ve ever put in my mouth.”

I lean down, and whisper, “That’ll all change once I fuck that mouth with my cock.”

She begins to choke on the chocolate at my words and pieces are flying out onto the counter. She grabs for the bottle of water and gulps it down.

Slamming the bottle down, she sucks in a long breath.

“See, it’s already choking you.” I smile.

She stares up at me with watery eyes from her near-death experience by her favorite snack.

Placing my hand on her face, I say, “Cheeks flushed. Lips swollen and tears running down your pretty face.” I kiss her cheek and taste the saltiness. “You’ll be a beautiful mess, Demi.”

Her lips part, and she licks them.

“Good morning,” Cole announces, entering the kitchen.

He’s a cheerful fucker. He and Austin must have made up last night. For once, I didn’t hear them fucking because I was too busy doing it myself.

I’ve brought girls home but never slept with them in my room unless Lilly was staying at a friend’s house. I don’t like the idea of having them around her. She sees Austin and Cole kiss and love on one another even though Austin tries to stay discreet. She’s never asked about it, and as far as I know, they haven’t sat her down to tell her anything. She’s only six. What could they possibly tell her that she could understand?

“Morning,” I tell him.

Austin enters a second later with Lilly on her hip. “We’re gonna be late,” she mumbles, setting her on the counter and going to the fridge to grab Lilly’s lunch.

“Did you and Austin have a sleepover?” Lilly asks Demi.

She chokes on another piece of the chocolate, but nods. I chuckle.

“I wanna have a sleepover.” She starts bouncing on the counter. “Can we have one this weekend?”

“You already have one with Mrs. River,” Austin tells her.

She nods her little head, blond curls bouncing. “She’s my dance teacher,” she tells Demi. “It’s her daughter’s birthday.”

Demi swallows a piece of chocolate. “Is she in your dance class?”

“Yep. She’s not very good, though.”

“Lilly,” Austin scolds her. ‘That’s not very nice to say.”

“That’s what she says.”

“Come on,” Austin throws her backpack over her shoulder and scoops Lilly off the counter. “We gotta go.”

Cole comes over to kiss them both goodbye, and then he walks them to the garage, leaving me and Demi alone.

She stares down at the now empty box. I step into her, and she looks up at me. “Let me take you out this weekend,” I offer. I haven’t spent time with just her. I’ve known her all my life, but what do I really know about her?

Besides she’s gorgeous with a fucked-up mind.

“Wanna get me alone?” She arches a brow.

I smile at her. “Maybe.”

“Where you wanna take me?” she asks but doesn’t let me answer. “I’m guessing the woods. Somewhere quiet and secluded so you can kill me.”

I’m not sure if she’s joking or being serious. “The only reason I would take you out to the woods would be to bury your body.” I step into her,

reach out, and grab a piece of bleach blond hair. “If I wanted to kill you, you’d already be dead.” She swallows. “I would have done it while you laid on your bed with your hands tied behind your back. I could have wrapped my hands around your neck and squeezed while you gasped for breath. I could have made it quick and snapped your neck, or I could have held a pillow over your face and suffocated you,” I whisper. “Murder doesn’t have to be messy, princess. It can be sensual, or it can be brutal, depending on my mood.”

Her eyes search mine, clearly understanding my sincerity. “You’ve thought about it.”

“That wasn’t the only thing on my mind that night.” My eyes drop to her thighs, letting her know exactly what I mean.

“Okay.” Cole enters, rubbing his hands together. He spots us and exits the kitchen just as quickly.

“I can’t,” she finally answers, pulling away from me.

“Have plans already?” I tease, not in the least bit worried that she just turned me down. Demi Holt has gotten my attention, and I won’t let her

walk away easily.

“Yes. With Seth.”