Insatiable (The Edge of Darkness, #1)(22)

He raises his hands. “Fine. Anyway, we should tell the girls to sit with us,” Base says as he follows me to the tent to grab another beer. “Their fire is pathetic and I’m liking your sister’s ass. That’s allowed, right? Or do you have rules?”

I scoff. “You can do what you want with Luciella, but don’t give me any details. I mean it. And hurt her, I’ll strangle you.”

He laughs then tips his beer towards the girls. “And Stacey. She seems to get hotter every time we see her. How is that even legal?”

Tossing my friend into a fire could be passed off as an accident, right?

I huff when the girls join us, sitting in a circle around our fire. Music plays, people talking among themselves, and I focus on the flames.

Through the fire, I see her again. This time, she’s already looking at me. There’s a jolt in my stomach, then a flutter.

I don’t know how to stop feeling this way.

When they all decide to play a game of dares, I huff and contemplate going to the tent to sleep. I lean my elbows on my knees. “I’m not playing dares when my fucking sister is here.”

Dez speaks next. “Right. Why don’t we have a rule that you need to go into one of the tents to complete the dare in two minutes? That way it’s more private.”

“Sorry to break it to you, but I last a lot longer than two minutes,” Base says, smirking as he drinks his beer. “But I can make an exception if it’s a certain blonde.”

“Shut up, Sebastian,” Luciella retorts.

They argue back and forth until she gives up, and Tylar makes the first dare for someone to down their beer. The next is for someone to take their top off, and the third is for Dez to run around the campsite naked.

“I dare Luciella to kiss me,” Base says, and I drop my head at his desperation. “Let’s go, princess. I hope you’re ready for two minutes in heaven.”

“What happens if I say no?” she asks, crossing her arms. “I can’t kiss him!” My sister looks at me. “Tell them I can’t!”

I shrug. “Do what you want.”

She levels me with a deadly look of betrayal before her nostrils flare. She gets to her feet and follows Base into the tent. He zips it up, and someone starts the timer.

To pass time, I sit on my phone, scrolling through social media. I click on a certain profile. I want to follow her, but she’d probably block me.

I click on her tagged photos, angling my screen so no one can see. Hanging upside down on an aerial hoop, Stacey wears a red bodysuit, showing off her incredible flexibility.

I screenshot it.

The tent unzips, and I click off my screen. Base gives us the thumbs up, and Luciella looks like she wants to kill someone.

Dez and Tylar are dared next, then three others. The dares get a little more intimate, and the timer gets longer to a point that I kind of panic.

Stacey hasn’t been dared to do anything with anyone, and neither have I.

“Kade,” Tylar says, grinning.

My soul leaves my body with the look she gives me.

“I dare you to make out with Stacey.”

I nearly drop my phone.

“What?” Luciella sounds disgusted. “Are you joking right now?”

“You just kissed Base,” Tylar says with a wave of her hand. She tilts her head at Stacey. “Go on then.”

“I’m going to bed,” my sister says with a grimace.

“You want me to keep you warm?” Base asks.

She fakes a smile. “I’d rather burn in hell, but thanks.”

Everyone laughs, but I stay silent, watching the flames and wondering if it’s possible to disappear. Breathing heavily through my nose, I glance at Stacey getting to her feet.

Oh shit. This is happening.

Nope. I can’t fucking kiss her.

I know I’m turning the brightest shade of red, hands shaking.

I watch the girl I’ve obsessed over since I was fifteen strut towards the tent with no care in the world, her hips swaying, hair falling down her back – frozen until Base taps me.

It’s only a kiss. I’m fucking old enough to handle a kiss.

I’ll know what to do. I’m not going to make a cunt of myself by messing up. She’s probably kissed loads of people, and this is nothing.

I think I’m going to pass out.

I follow, thankful for the music playing – it drowns out the thoughts going wild in my head. Stacey goes in first, and I zip the tent up again once I’m inside.

Without hesitation, Stacey sits, facing me. “We can pretend if you want. I know you’d rather be doing this with anyone else. I won’t be offended. Really.”

Well I’m fucking offended.

The view I have is delightful as her dress rides up her thighs, but before I can pitch in my shorts, I drop down to my haunches, mirroring her. “If you’re scared, you can admit it.” I don’t know how I manage to say that without throwing up. “Do you want to pretend?”

She clears her throat, fidgeting her fingers. “We have two minutes. I think thirty seconds have already gone by.”

I nod. “Okay.”

“Okay,” she counters. “Is it a full kiss?”

“Tylar said ‘make out with Stacey’.”

I want to move the strand of hair from her face, but I fist my hands instead.