Dare You To(10)

 

Dare teetered on the edge.

 

Austin pulled him back.

 

That's who they were, what they did, but now it almost seemed as though it was Austin who flirted with the edge, and Dare liked trying to pull him back more than he thought he would.

 

See? His fucking brain was gone.

 

It was too late in the day to hit the Pacific, so after his shower, Dare dressed and then grabbed his bike to go for a ride. As soon as he stepped out of the door with it, Austin walked out of his own apartment beside him.

 

"Hey," Austin said and then turned his way. His dark auburn hair was short. Long enough to run your fingers through but not as long as Dare's. Where Dare's hair was long on top and stuck upward in a way that had taken him a really long time to train it to do, Austin's looked more groomed. Not styled, but … tidy … and Dare suddenly really wanted to mess it up.

 

He wore a pair of dark jeans on his long legs. A pink T-shirt with a V-neck that hugged Austin's naturally sinewy body. He looked good. He looked like he was going on a date.

 

"Aw, shit. Don't tell me Brian called you. He's a dick. You can do better." Dare leaned his bike against the wall before he crossed his arms.

 

"No … I," Austin shrugged, "I'm meeting someone. I don't know what made me do it. I downloaded an app when you left last night. Started talking to someone-he's fucking gorgeous, by the way-and we decided to get together."

 

Dare's stomach dropped out. "What about work?" he asked lamely.

 

"I'm going in late. I never go in late, so it's not a big deal."

 

He tightened his hands, his nails digging into his palms. Austin was meeting a man for a hookup? It felt wrong on so many levels, not because there was anything wrong with it, but because it was Austin. As though he could tell Dare was dangerously close to exploding for no good reason, Austin added, "Just blowjobs. I told him we were only sucking each other off and I insisted on condoms because I sure as hell don't know where his dick has been and-"

 

"Get in the apartment." Dare took a step toward Austin, and then another. No way. No fucking way was this happening.

 

"What? I'll be late. I'm-"

 

"Get in the fucking apartment before I lose my goddamned mind. Are you insane, Austin?" Dare pushed around Austin and shoved the door open.

 

"Are you out of your mind?" Austin's cheeks were turning red. They always did when he was pissed, but Dare was pissed too.

 

"Yes. I'm out of my mind. I'm crazy, but by the sounds of it, you are as well. What the hell are you thinking?" Dare tried to control his roar.

 

"I was thinking I'm getting my dick sucked," Austin countered, the words rubbing Dare's skin like sandpaper. "You told me to go have fun."

 

"I meant by … I don't know, taking a class or ordering something different at WeHo Java or hell, hiking a canyon or something. I didn't mean by meeting a guy somewhere and sucking him off." The words twisted up his gut. Made his brain fog over. What in the hell was Austin thinking?

 

"Taking a class? Point proven. And fuck you, Dare. I'm a grown man. If I want to meet someone, I'll meet them. If I want to get on my knees for a man at a club, I will. If I want to fuck someone, I'll do that too."

 

 

 

        

          

        

         

 

Every single one of Austin's syllables stabbed into Dare's chest. That wasn't what Austin did. He met men and dated men and wanted to settle down. He counseled teens and volunteered and spent his evenings reading books and … why was he losing his damn mind over this? Why did it matter? It was head. Who didn't want head? Somehow robbing a bank sounded better than this, though.

 

"You're right," Dare told him. The words burned his throat, ate through his esophagus, but he made himself say them. "You're right. Jesus, what in the hell is wrong with me?" He pulled Austin's door closed. It was a hookup. He had no doubt in his mind Austin had done it before. It might not be his preferred method of having sex but as long as he was safe, and Dare knew he would be, why should he care? He firmly believed in sexual freedom. "Ignore me. I don't know what's wrong with me."

 

He waited. Austin waited. They were both breathing heavily. Both staring hard at each other.

 

Austin took a step, then another, heading for the street. Just as he was about to pass, Dare's arm shot out. His hand gripped Austin's bicep with no direction from him to do so.

 

And then Austin was on him. His arms were around Dare's neck and Dare's hands on Austin's ass and Austin's tongue in Dare's mouth. He tasted like spearmint, the only toothpaste he ever used.