Make Me (Sterling Shore Series #10)(9)

"I'm two seconds away from tossing you into the display rack of dildos if you don't explain what the hell this is all about," I threaten. I point at the one big, blue monster that is nearest to us. Holy shit. Who could use that? "And if that thing gets stuck in your ass, I won't be taking you to the hospital."

They both laugh. Of course they do. It's the most ridiculous sounding threat even to my own ears.

"Chill," Corbin says, tugging me toward them before shoving the basket back into my arms. "You're not going to have to use it. It's for shock factor only. No kinky fuckery required. She'll run out with her tail between her legs, and she'll never come after you again. She'll be too scared. It's reality versus fantasy, and the reality is, this shit is too hardcore for just any girl who hasn't been training for the lifestyle-especially girls like Harley Hayden"

"You have to train for this stuff?" I ask as Maverick picks up a weird looking purple thing with a peculiar ball structure.

The balls are small on one end and get bigger as they go down.

"What is that?" I ask when my other question gets ignored.

"Anal beads," Maverick says matter-of-factly.

I'm done.

Done. Done. Done.

I try to leave again, but they just keep tugging me back.

"You're not using this," Corbin says again, trying to restrain the laughter I know wants to break free.

"You assholes are enjoying this too much."

"Is that supposed to be a pun?" Maverick asks with a sardonic smile. "We're talking about anal beads, and you call us assholes?"

I just glare at him, and he rolls his eyes.

"Of course we're enjoying this," Maverick says in a duh tone. "You're Dale."

"What does that mean?" I groan.

"It means you're finally acting like a Sterling, and we love the hell out of it," Corbin explains.

"We'll be your Myagi," Maverick adds.

I pinch the bridge of my nose, something I've been doing a lot of lately. I blame myself for ever stooping so low as to ask for their help. I'm going to have a migraine by the time we leave. 

"Paddles," Corbin says randomly. "We'll get a variety of thicknesses and lengths."

"You have hundreds of belts, so that's good," Maverick tells me.

"What in hell do I need paddles and belts for?" I ask, my stomach twisting.

"Punishment of course," Corbin says seriously, studying the back of a package for some other thing I'm too scared to ask questions about.

"Of course," I state dryly.

Can't wait to go to jail for domestic violence!

Then I remember, I don't have to use this stuff!

"Ready?" Maverick asks.

"Yeah. Hardware store next."

"What in fuck's sake do we need from the hardware store?" I ask as they start leading me toward the front, but the three of us stumble to a halt as Judge Peterson rounds the corner, his eyes moving from us, to the baskets in our hands, and back to us.

Not awkward. Not awkward at all.

He's holding a massive dildo in one hand, along with some leather mask thing in his other hand.

"Judge," Maverick says, grinning.

Of course Mav wouldn't be mortified.

"Boys," the judge says uncomfortably.

"Right then," I say before practically sprinting toward the counter.

My ears are on fire.

Corbin is snickering under his breath as I dump the ridiculous shit onto the counter. Maverick does the same, laughing quietly as well. I'm not laughing. I just want this to be over.

Now I know why I do the mature fucking thing. The immature shit is humiliating.

"This all?" the girl asks, eyeing the three of us, her gaze flicking suspiciously between us as she starts ringing up the items.

Maverick smirks at her and waggles his eyebrows. "For now."

She looks at all three of us again, biting down on her bottom lip as though she's lost in thought. And I realize-un-fucking-fortunately-why she's studying us so intently.

"This isn't what it looks like," I blurt out.

"Oh?" she asks, feigning indifference when it's clear she's drawing the wrong conclusions.

"We're cousins," I say dismissively.

Her nose wrinkles, and she takes a step back as she starts bagging things.

"Yeah, because that sounds so much better, cuz," Maverick says dryly.

Dead. I'm dead. Might as well run me out of town with a fucking pitchfork and torch.

My entire body flames.

"I didn't mean it like that. I'm not fucking my cousins with all this kinky stuff. Or-" I think my friend Bella has given me her motherfucking verbal diarrhea. It's contagious. There's no other way to explain the idiocy spewing from my mouth.

"You know what," I say, deciding to just walk away. "You two idiots pay for this and get whatever in the hell else. I'm going home. To drink. To drink a lot," I tell them before darting for the door, ignoring their laughter that follows.

"He's nervous. It's his first time being bottom and sub tonight," I hear Maverick telling the girl before I fully escape.

I'm not even sure what that means, but I'll kill him for it later.





Chapter 11



DALE



Five shots of whiskey and one very stiff drink later, I'm staring at what Corbin and Maverick have been doing to my guestroom all afternoon. I don't even know how to respond.

But I'm calmer now that I have a lot of liquid courage.



       
         
       
        

"You just have to be smooth. Can you do that? Or is your game too rusty?" Maverick asks, like the cheeky fucker he is.

"My game is perfectly fine," I say dryly. "It's just not overused or redundant like some people I know."

I smirk when he flips me off.

There's no doubt Harley will be running for the hills when she sees this.

"And hey, if this gets out, you'll have some kinky girls pushing their numbers into your pocket," Corbin says, ever the silver-lining type.

I mutter a curse as my phone rings, and answer without checking the ID.

"Yes?"

"Dale, please tell me you aren't really building a kinky playroom," Rain says.

My eyes widen, and I glare at the two idiot cousins as I cover the mouth of the phone.

"You dicks told Rain?!" I whisper-yell.

"Dale?" Rain prompts. "Whatever this girl has done, she doesn't deserve this. Just ignore her. You're better than this."

"We said we weren't telling her!" I hiss.

Corbin and Maverick blink at me all innocently before Maverick finally cracks and laughs. "We didn't tell her who or why," Maverick whispers, clutching his side. "But it's only fair that she knows you're not perfect. Sister dear has never had the chance of scolding you."

"You're right," I tell Rain, glaring at the pricks who are laughing right now. "I'll just walk away."

That shuts up the laughter, because Corbin and Maverick are now looking at me like I just stole their favorite lollypop.

"Good," she says on a sigh. "Who is it, by the way?"

I level them both with a glare. Obviously they didn't tell Rain who wants my balls on a platter, but now I'm stuck with the task of lying to her. Well, lying to her again, rather.

"No one you know," I say through gritted teeth. "I need to go. I have some work to do."

"Hey, how'd that date go last week?"

I don't bother telling her I canceled on the girl Ash-a horrible matchmaker-tried to set me up with. "Didn't work out," I say.

Rain worries too much. She wants us all happy, but I'm not in a hurry to be someone's gateway fuck. Rain doesn't understand that, and I'd never tell any of them and get their pity.

They don't understand, because they've never seen it firsthand. And they'd never guess it. Because in their eyes, I'm just as Sterling as all of them.

"No worries. There are plenty of awesome girls out there. And we know you've got the goods."

"Of course," I state, feeling uncomfortable now. 

"You do," she says, trying to build up my confidence. Hence the reason I keep my mouth shut about these things. "You're six feet tall-"

"6'1," I amend, as though all my masculinity hinges on that one extra inch.

I need more to drink.

"6'1," she says, amused. "Powder blue eyes. Oh! I can set you up on that website where-"

"No," I tell her, grabbing my keys and my wallet.

"But-"

"No, Rain," I say firmer.

"Fine," she grumbles on a defeated sigh. "But if you ever change your mind-"

"Bye, Rain," I say before hanging up. "I'm killing you both," I say while pointing my finger at my cousins.

"You're not using this room?" Maverick asks like a sullen child.

"Of course I am. Unlike you dicks, I know how to get out of a lecture." I grin as they both look at me with shocked eyes. "Now get out. I have to go work some game."

I turn and leave, brushing off the last of my nerves. My driver for the night is waiting for me.

It's just like closing a business deal. This part is always easiest. And at least with Harley, I know she once had a real thing for me. She never liked my cousins. Never liked too many people at all.

I can play off that. Work it against her if there's any sort of lingering attraction to me.

A moment's hesitation passes me as that thought runs through my mind. I brush it away, remembering she had no issue with seducing me to lure me into some trap for humiliation.