“Gammas and Zetas.” Oliver’s voice literally rips me away from my food induced coma and I open my eyes hoping that whatever he’s about to say won’t mean anymore work.
“As you all know, in a few minutes the traditional beach football game between the Gamma brothers and the pledges will take place. The winners will have dibs in choosing a dance partner later on. But before we begin,” he says spinning a football on the tips of his fingers, “I want to make an announcement. As you all know, I’ve been trying to choose between Hoyt Bradley and Reid Hudson for the position of deputy Gamma president. My choice is made: Reid, congratulations.”
My eyes shoot immediately up to Reid: it’s uncanny how I can find Reid or Chase’s gazes in any room on the first try.
He’s sitting opposite me around the bonfire with Valeria right by his side. I try to avert my gaze before he sees it fixed on their arm and thighs. They’re sitting so close that they’re brushing against each other.
So they’re on a date. Well done, Captain Fucking Obvious. I shake my head, trying to silence my snarky internal voice. These days I’m not very good at lying even to myself. But what would the point be in that? All I have to go on in thinking that Reid has feelings for me is what Chase told me the night he confessed his own love to me. But every interaction or better non-interaction I’ve ever had with Reid suggests otherwise. From his indifference, to his hanging out with Jasmine Wheeler all summer, to his refusal to kiss me last week even if it was a party game. So I should do myself a favor and stop living in denial. I should believe what I see with my own eyes and that’s Reid on a date with my sorority president.
Every guy on the beach is playing football and every girl is watching shouting her encouragement to either the Gamma brothers or their pledges.
I’m standing slightly behind, leaning against a rock and watching the unbalanced game a little absentmindedly. First of all it’s clear that the pledges have no fucking chance to ever win the game. The Gamma team includes half the school’s starting football team and Chase, Bryce, Parker, Reid and Hoyt are the stars of it.
And anyway I have to admit that I’ve never really understood football. I get the general gist of it but mostly it looks to me like an excuse for the guys to tackle each other and let off some steam.
I flinch when a particularly big pledge tackles Chase quite roughly and I can’t help but sigh with relief when my stepbrother gets up shaking the white beach sand off of his clothes.
“Maybe I should’ve insisted on making it a flag football game, but I figured the pledges would love an opportunity to get even after we made them clean the hot tub in our backyard using toothbrushes.”
Oliver’s voice startles me as I take my eyes off the game and fix them on the Gamma president, who leans on my same rock mimicking my stance.
10.
I Dare You
Oliver
“YEAH, MAYBE FLAG FOOTBALL would’ve been better. And seriously I get the whole ‘making the pledges earn their spots’ but I’ve had my fair share of stupid tasks all week. Maybe you guys could ease things off?”
Her huge green eyes are fixed on mine when she says that and she’s trying to sound all bitchy but she’s way too sweet to pull it off.
Actually Kaya is bloody adorable, a far cry from the girls I usually hang out with.
“Nah.” I shrug. “We all had to endure rush week and the pledging phase. It’s only fair. You’ll be doing the same things to your pledges next year.”
She shakes her head, her dark brown hair brushing against my arm and I decide that this is my chance to get close, while her guys are busy with the game.
“By the way, why aren’t you playing? The president should set an example, right?”
I chuckle at the challenge in her voice and explain. “I don’t play football, darling. I play rugby, that’s what we play in the UK. Way more violent and manly, no helmets and no ridiculous pads. It really wouldn’t be fair if I played.”
She doesn’t look convinced but she seems to decide not to argue the point.
I really don’t know what it is with this girl, she’s gotten under my skin in a way that no one ever has before. Not even Valeria.
I almost run into the game without a bloody helmet to try and impress her but then I decide against it.
This is actually the perfect time to get closer and I’m in the perfect position to do it.
“Let’s go for a swim,” I say but she doesn’t even take her eyes away from the game.
“No, thanks.”
Bloody hell, she’s a tough nut to crack. I realize that maybe this is part of the reason why I can’t stop thinking about her. It isn’t just because she’s hot, it’s because she doesn’t kiss the floor I walk on like every other girl I cross paths with. I know I’m good looking and loaded but normally, especially with American girls, the British accent and the title I’ll inherit from my father make me immediately desirable.
Kaya doesn’t seem to give a rat’s arse about money or status.
But I know that I do have a chance because last week at that party she did kiss me back.
So I push. “It wasn’t a request, pledge. It was a dare. You’ll go swimming with me.”
“But ... but you’re a Gamma. I’m not pledging the Gammas.”
What did I just say? Bloody adorable.
“It doesn’t matter, darling. This is a joint event, so any brother can challenge a Zeta pledge and vice versa.” I offer her my hand but she doesn’t take it. “I saw the perfect spot earlier on. Come on.”
She hesitates one second longer but then follows me, still without touching me.
I know this lake pretty well, Erin’s father owns it and in the summer it’s full of families and campers but the facilities just closed a couple of weeks ago so we have the place to ourselves.
And I’ve been here before, I threw that famous party here, when I won the brothers over before the Hudsons came back from their summer house.
I guide Kaya toward a more secluded spot where the rocks form deep natural pools and the vegetation forms a barrier that almost completely muffles the noise from the football game.
I tug my t-shirt over my head not looking at her on purpose until she’s down to her purple bikini. Kaya isn’t a stick-thin model like girl, she’s petite and curvy at the same time. She’s perfect, she has meat in all the right places and the view of her delicious body goes straight to my cock making it stir in my board shorts.
So I decide to push my luck and make this dare a whole lot more interesting. I lower my swimming trunks down my hips and she gasps, staggering backwards and covering her mouth with one hand.
Yes, darling. I know the view is pretty impressive. I happen to be a grower and a shower, so I’ve always been pretty confident in the whole package.
“What— What the fuck are you doing?” she blurts, looking away but then immediately looking back at me, unable to take her eyes off my cock.
“Oh, didn’t I mention it? We’re skinny dipping.”
She shakes her head. “No, we aren’t. You said swimming. You never mentioned—”
I cut her off. Her reticence is cute and all but it’s time to play my game and follow my rules.