Stranded with My Stepbrother Chapter 147

Will

I thought about going straight to the hot tub. I didn’t want Bran to have the satisfaction of seeing McKenzie… get cold. 

But she brought me straight to the regular pool, and, after dipping a toe in, I decided it was warm enough. I jumped in and held out my arms to her, still grumpy.

Her smile was enough to lift my bad mood, however. She hopped right into my arms, splashing us both. I laughed, and then it was just the two of us again. No one else mattered.

She laid her cheek on my bare chest, and I felt a deep sense of completion. “We should do this in your pool,” she said, wrapping her arms around my neck.

I wrapped my arms around her and walked us a little deeper in the pool so I could just barely still stand, letting the water wash over us. There were others in the pool, chatting and drinking, but we were in our own warm little cocoon.

“We should do a lot more in our pool,” I whispered, and she swatted me.

“Yes, but we’re not doing any of that here,” she informed me.

“Not in his pool, definitely,” I agreed. I leaned down and brushed my lips over hers. “This is enough for now.”

McKenzie nodded.

Still, it was difficult not to get excited when two assholes came racing by with a volleyball, sending a wave our way, and she had to wrap her legs around my waist to keep from being bowled over.

I swallowed as Mr. Bigshot perked up. Maybe I should have stayed where she could still touch bottom.

“Don’t even think about it,” she admonished me.

“I can’t not think about it. My favorite place is jammed up against its favorite explorer,” I groaned softly.

She framed my face with her hands. “Bran.”

And just like that, every drop of blood that had been flowing to my penis screamed and ran away. “Can we not talk about him?”

“Wow, that was fast.” She looked up at me. “Why do you hate each other so much?”

I grimaced. “So we are going to talk about him.”

“I’m just curious. And since it looks like we’re going to be spending a lot of time with him, I’d just like to know what I’m dealing with. Or who. Or whatever,” she said.

“Right.” It wasn’t an unreasonable request. “I… well, I guess it started out with some silly schoolboy competitiveness. We attended the same schools, we traveled in the same circles, we basically had the same pool of friends. Then, I don’t know. Everything became a competition. Grades. Girls. Sports. Things—such as cars and vacation houses, watches—everything. Who threw the bigger parties. Who invested in the right start-ups. Hell, who hosted the best charity events. It’s just something that’s become routine between us. Ike must have been laughing his ass off, enlisting Bran to help keep me in line. Asshole.”

McKenzie bit her lip. “And did you compete for his girls, too?”

I pressed my lips together, not happy about the direction we were heading in. “I think that’s crossing into the territory we’re not going to talk about anymore.”

“I’ll take that as a yes,” she sighed.

“Honeybee…” I tried. “Aren’t we having a good time? Mostly, anyway?”

She pouted. “Yes.”

I nibbled her pouty lip. “Can’t we just keep it that way? You know you have nothing and no one to be jealous of.”

McKenzie giggled when I began tickling her. “Okay. Okay! Stop, stop! I give up!”

“Good.” I kissed her. “Now, can we stop talking about Bran? And other women? Pleeeaaaaase?”

“I love how you include Bran in the same breath as ‘other women.’ I think you’re trying to be insulting,” she laughed.

I expressed mock affront. “Honeybee! I would never! That would be unfair to the women!”

She shook with little bursts of giggles. “You’re so mean!”

“You’re so sweet,” I replied, kissing her again.

“You must be insulting me. Nothing else could make you this happy,” Bran said, sitting at the side of the pool and dropping his legs in. Gwendolyn sat down beside him and hung on his arm.

I hadn’t even seen him move. The man was like an eel! “Get tired under the umbrella?” I asked, not rising to his bait.

“McKenzie makes the water look so nice. And I suppose you’re in it, too,” he grinned. “So, about your engagement party….”

What fresh hell…? “I haven’t even asked her properly yet,” I responded with suspicion.

“Oh, right. Ike has that all well in hand.” Bran waved dismissively. “Your engagement party’s going to be here in the fall. I was going to ask McKenzie if she wanted any sort of theme.”

Ike knew how and where I intended to propose to the love of my life?! I didn’t even have the ring yet! Wait… the engagement party’s going to be at this asshole’s house?! My mind was doing so many gymnastics at that point that I hardly registered what he’d asked McKenzie.

“Theme?” she repeated, staring blankly at Bran.

“Oh, darling, you’re overwhelming her. We’ll talk about it and have an answer for you by the end of the party,” Gwendolyn simpered.

I snapped back to reality. “I think McKenzie and I should discuss a theme and get back to you at our conve—”

“No, it’s okay.” McKenzie interrupted me. “This is something I do now, right? Choose themes for parties?” She whispered in my ear. “Because we’re playing nice?”

Right. “I suppose,” I muttered.

She smiled at me and turned back to Gwendolyn. “I’d love to hear your ideas. I have no idea what Bran’s talking about, but I’m sure you’ll educate me.”

“Absolutely,” Gwendolyn replied. She turned to Bran. “Babe, would you mind terribly if we get in the pool, too? It’s soooo hot outside.”

“Of course, darling. That’s a wonderful idea.” He glanced at the drunk assholes staggering their way through a game of volleyball. “Maybe Will would like to play a game with us.”

“You want to play volleyball with those knuckleheads?” I asked, glancing at the men.

Bran laughed. “Heavens no. I want to play something else.” He slipped into the pool and held out his arms to Gwendolyn, who happily went to him.

Trepidation crept through my veins. “What do you want to play?” I asked.

“Truth or Dare,” he said smugly.

Fuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuck….

“I’m not sure that’s really our thing,” McKenzie responded, her nails digging into my skin. She liked the idea about as much as I did.

“But it’s so fun!” he insisted. “And, besides, aren’t we ‘playing nice’?”

Gwendolyn looked from Bran to me and back again. “Babe, I don’t think they want to play….”

“Of course they do. Don’t you, McKenzie?” he smirked. “You could find out a whole lot more about Will….”

“We know quite a bit about each other, but thanks for the offer, Bran,” I growled.

“I don’t think I’d be comfortable playing with all these strangers around, anyway,” McKenzie pointed out.

He nodded slowly, and I thought that was the end of it. Then he snapped his fingers.

From out of the shadows, several servants came melting forward. “Mr. Lockwood?” one asked respectfully.

“Tell everyone else the party’s over for today and to come back next Saturday, Marvin,” Bran said. “Mr. Masterson, Miss Kent, Miss Evers, and I are going to play a private game.”

“Very well, Mr. Lockwood. The master bedroom is completely set up—”

McKenzie tensed, and I held her possessively, glaring at Bran.

Bran laughed. “Not that kind of game, Marvin, but thank you.”

“Of course, sir. The bowling alley floors are also freshly-polished.” Marvin began listing off the various areas of the house that were all ready for us to play a game. “The boat house is completely stocked. The Heather is topped up with gas. Everything is ready, sir.”

“Hm. So many options. Well, dismiss the other guests, and we’ll give some thought to where we want to play our game,” Bran said.

“I think this is a bad idea,” McKenzie whispered in my ear.

I nodded in agreement.

Gwendolyn knew we were uncomfortable and bit her lip, but there was nothing she could do. Bran had an idea in his head that he meant to execute, and we were at his mercy.

Marvin wandered off, and the staff began shooing the other guests out. In a matter of minutes, we were alone in the pool area with Bran and Gwendolyn.

“Don’t look so excited,” he chuckled as McKenzie and I clung fiercely to each other. “I’m not going to eat you. It’s just a fun game between friends.”

“When were we ever friends?” I asked, frowning.

“No time like the present,” he replied easily. “Now then, I’ve decided this is going to be a drinking game. With shots of Patrón. You either tell the truth or you take a shot. Simple.”

“How will you know if we’re telling the truth? How will we know if you’re telling the truth?” McKenzie asked.

Bran looked thoughtful. “I’ve got dossiers ten miles long on both of you. And Gwendolyn, of course. I don’t date anyone without it. But you do make a good point. How to make it fair?” He tapped his chin. “I guess you’ll just have to trust me.”

“About as far as I can throw you,” I grunted.

He laughed. “Come now, Will. It’s just a game. I'll tell you what. If you can catch me in a lie, I have to do three shots. Deal?”

“Do we have a choice?” I asked.

“Not really.” His self-satisfied smile irked me to my core. “I love having this sort of power over you, Will. It’s got to be the best gift anyone’s ever given me.”

“I’ll thank Ike properly someday,” I returned flatly.

“I know you will. And me as well, no doubt. But today is not that day.” He began wading toward the shallow end of the pool. “Come on, everybody out. We have to set up our game.”

Gwendolyn gave us a sympathetic wince, probably not knowing at all what she’d signed up for but understanding that it was way beyond anything she’d wanted to be involved with. She followed Bran out of the pool.

“I’m cold all of a sudden,” McKenzie whispered, looking a little pale.

“Me, too,” I agreed. “Very cold.”

“We can’t go home, can we?” she asked desperately.

I shook my head. “No. I’m afraid we’re stuck.”

“Shit.” She sighed. “I guess I’m going to be learning about Patrón today.”

“No, you won’t,” I said.

“But I don’t want to say some things in front of him!” she protested.

“I’m taking all your shots today. You might be driving the McLaren home. Can you drive a stick?” I asked.

McKenzie snorted. “Farm girl, remember? I can drive anything.”

“Good,” I replied. “That’s good to know. Because we’re going to need it.”