CW Boys- The Complete Series Box Set

by C. Shell

  Stepping out of his room, he rests his back against the door frame and meets my heated stare head on. His tired red-rimmed eyes and pinched lips hit me right in the heart. His sleepless nights are my fault. Just like Dex and Nate, my brother blames himself for not being there to protect me. “Don’t purposely ignore our texts, sis. We aren’t trying to be dicks; we just want to make sure you’re safe.”

  I bite back my hurtful words and nod my acceptance. This is my life now. I spend my days trying to reassure everyone in my life that I’m okay and pushing past what happened, and yet, they are the ones who are refusing to let it all go. Through their worry and guilt, I relive what happened to me day after day until it’s all I can think about. It’s a fucked-up circle of sadness and anger that has no end.

  With his retreat, I turn back to my bedroom door and stare it down likes it a dangerous snake ready to strike. I know what awaits me on the other side, and I seriously don’t have it in me to deal with any more drama today.

  “Treat it like a band-aid and just go in there and rip it off.”

  I blink and pivot to get a good look at Cam’s face. “Rip what off?”

  Her serious expression fades into one of amusement. “You know what I mean. Walk through that door and take the bull by the horns.”

  “Bull by the horns?” I laugh until my eyes are watering. “Who the hell are you, and where did you get those horrible saying?”

  Cam’s annoyed huff curbs my humor. I do my best to pull myself together. With my snickers stowed away, I raise my gaze to hers. “Sorry. I don’t mean to make fun of you, but I’ve never heard you talk like that.”

  She shoulders by me and points to the door. “Get in there and face him. You know he’s not going anywhere, and I have no doubt he’s heard our every word. Get it over with before he gets more pissed than he already is.”

  I swallow hard. With my hand on the door handle, I pause and meet her gaze again. “Any other advice before I go grab this bull’s horn and rip him and his band-aid clean off?”

  Her smile is all teeth. “Just one.” She leans in as if to tell me a secret and whispers, “Own that bitch.”

  Chapter Two

  Dex

  I pinch the bridge of my nose and take a deep breath. “Run this all by me one more time because I’m having a hard time understanding why you thought it was a good idea to turn your phone on silent and ignore all of our texts and phone calls.” Addy opens her mouth to answer, but I'm unable to keep my anger in check and interrupt her. “We were worried, Addison. Do you understand that? Do you even care?”

  Her face crumbles and I feel like a dick for being…well, for being a dick. “Of course, I do, Dex. You knew—[K2]”

  I cut her off mid-sentence and start ranting all over again. My voice is raised to a shout and the more I talk the more I pace. If I keep going at this rate, there will be a worn-out path between her bed and the closet by the time I’m done. Sadly, I’m just getting warmed-up. “A simple response would have been sufficient, but you never did that. Jimmie and I tried calling Cammy, but her cell phone was off as usual.”

  I stop and glance back at the bed, expecting her to look apologetic or sad, but Addy is neither of those things. Propped up on a stack of pillows with her comforter pulled tightly around her, my girl has tuned me out. She’s falling asleep. What the fuck?

  I want to shake the shit out of her until she’s as unnerved as I am, but the more I stare at her the less angry I feel. With her hair tucked behind her ear and her mouth pushed into a pout, she looks fucking adorable. Taking the stool from her vanity, I place it in front of her bed and lower myself onto it so we're only inches apart. With my heart in my throat, I simply stare at her.

  I might be a jerk, but I’m I also the luckiest guy in the world. I’m man enough to admit that I don’t deserve Addison. I’ve loved her stubborn ass for as long as I can remember, but that never stopped me from playing the field. I scared off every male in the vicinity and hurt her in the process.

  If I’m being honest, I never thought I had a chance with her. I was content to love her from afar while dreaming her up every time I got my dick wet with the latest flavor of the month. I’ve never claimed to be a good guy.

  Despite all my bad decisions, I love her and now that I’ve had a taste of the forbidden, I have no intention of ever letting her go. She’s the only one for me, and I’ll do whatever is needed to keep her safe. I screwed up and let my guard down and she paid the price. Now it’s my job to right the wrong against her and make sure she never pays for my mistakes again.

  Chapter Three

  Addison[K3]

  With a big stretch, I wake-up cradled against Dex’s chest with his arm wrapped protectively around my waist. I blink away the sleep and turn so that we’re facing each other. Dex looks so peaceful when he sleeps. With the pads of my fingers, I lightly touch his face, tracing over the planes of his nose and the sharp edge of his jawline.

  Dex might be a jerk from time-to-time, but even in slumber, he’s gorgeous. And he’s all mine. That part always puts a smile on my face. I study his relaxed features with awe. I can’t remember the last time I’ve seen him without worry lines marring his forehead and a persistent scowl tipping his lips.

  I like this version of him over the bossy one I dealt with last night.

  I didn’t mean to fall asleep while he was lecturing me, but I’ve heard it all before. And not just from him, but also from my brother, mother, Cammy, and even my father…which is not a conversation I plan on rehashing anytime soon. No absentee sperm donor should be allowed to order around their child. The man didn’t even have the decency to come and visit me after the attack. He’s lost whatever little respect I still had for him. Instead of calling and checking on me, he had a dozen roses delivered with a card that read get well soon. No joke!

  And speaking of Cammy...where did she end up last night? Hopefully the couch, because I don’t want to think about her and Jimmie bumping uglies. There is only so much my fragile mind can handle, and that is not an image I want seared into my brain.

  Slipping from Dex’s embrace, I tiptoe to the bathroom where I go through my morning rituals of brushing my teeth, taming my wild, bedhead hair, and taking care of business. Lost in thought, I’m mid-gargle with my mouth filled with mouthwash when the door bursts open, surprising the hell out of me, and causing some of the minty tasting mouthwash to leak down my throat. There is a very good reason why they put disclaimers on the back of the bottle warning against drinking it. It tastes absolutely horrible. I sputter and cough the rest of it into the drain. My throat burns and my eyes are watering enough to make my vision blurry. If that wasn’t tough enough, Dex begins patting me so hard on the back to help me capture my breath that I end up stumbling forward and tapping my forehead against the goddamn mirror.

  “Seriously, Dex?” I holler. My raw throat doesn’t give my voice enough of a punch, so I swing my hand out and nail him in the shoulder for good measure. “You scared the shit out of me. Next time, knock like a normal person.”

  He frowns and then his face contorts to one of pure amusement. “Did you just swallow some of your mouthwash?”

  I blink in response. “Yes, asshole. Thanks to you, I did.” I fill one of my small disposable cups with water and drink from it as I try and ease the burning in my esophagus.

  “Sorry?”

  I glare back at his reflection in the mirror. His smiling face is anything but contrite and as if a switch has been flipped, my anger dissolves. I’ve missed his smile. If it takes me choking on some nasty tasting mouthwash to put that toothy grin on his face, then it was all worth it.

  I wipe the drool from my face and straighten so I can give him a lingering kiss on the cheek. “If you want to be forgiven than I suggest you get that fine ass of yours downstairs and help me whip up some breakfast.” I pat my grumbling stomach. “I’m starving.”

  “What about your mom? I know she’s cool about us being together, but I don’t want to push by
letting her know that I sometimes sleep here.”

  “The house is parent free. She had an early shift at the hospital.” Darting past him, I grab his hand and try to pull him behind me to the door. Try being the key word, because Dex isn’t moving a muscle.

  I can see the indecision in his eyes; he wants to rehash last night. I refuse to start off my morning that way. Reaching up on my tiptoes, I brush my lips against his and when he tries to pull away, I press for more. My tongue traces the hard line of his mouth seeking entry and being the stubborn ass he is, he holds out until the very last second before giving in.

  Wrapping my arms around his neck, I soak up the feeling of his body rubbing against mine. I lose myself to our kiss. Letting him set the pace, we languidly explore each other, tasting and touching as if it’s our first time. Our tongues duel for power and my hands trace every inch of his taut chest. This, to me, is heaven and the reckless passion between us is what’s been missing in our lives. We had it before the incident, if only for a brief moment, then everything went to hell in the span of one fucked-up night.

  Dex is the first to pull away. Resting his forehead against mine, we both fight to control our hard breathing as the tip of his nose caresses mine. I blink through the blinding lust controlling my actions, while my fevered body screams for him to keep touching me.

  “Why did you stop?”

  Sighing, he pushes me back and tips up my chin until we’re eye to eye. “Jimmie is home and as much as I would love nothing more than to throw you on that bed and make you scream my name, I promised him that we would shoot some baskets this morning.”

  I groan. “Can’t it wait?”

  Smiling down at me, he shakes his head. “He’s bound to know that we’re up. I heard him stomping around earlier. These old walls are paper thin. If we don’t get out of here soon, he’ll come pounding on the door until we acknowledge him.” My cheeks burn from his smoldering gaze. His mouth might be saying no, but his body and the bulge in his pants say yes.

  I’m not ready to give up. Sliding my hand down his chest, I blatantly palm his erection through his jeans. “We can make it a quickie. I promise to be quiet.”

  “Later,” he answers with a huff.

  Spinning me around, I’m launching forward with a smack on my ass. Well, so much for starting the morning off with a bang. Dex herds me out the door and down to the kitchen where my brother is already waiting for us with a stack of pancakes and a plate full of scrambled eggs adorning the table.

  Suspicion edges me forward. “What is all this?” I give Jimmie a wry smile. “You never cook and the few you’ve tired turned out disastrous. Who are you and what have you done with my brother?”

  Jimmie huffs out a laugh. “Cammy’s been teaching me a thing or two. Besides, who said any of this was for you?”

  The Cammy comment surprises me, but I store it away for another time and keep my focus on the large amount of food calling my name. Surprisingly, the pancakes look edible. They’re fluffy and light brown instead of the blackened hard lumps he’s made me before. I’m thoroughly impressed, not that I plan on sharing that bit of info with him. No reason to make his head any larger than it already is.

  “I’m starving. I suggest you move over or I will go right through you.” Jimmie narrows his eyes at me and for a split-second I don’t think he’s going to let me pass, then Dex nudges his shoulder, and Jimmie finally uses that noggin of his and gets the hell out of my way.

  “I wouldn’t push her this morning,” Dex warns. “She woke up with her claws out.”

  I ignore Dex’s barb and their continuous banter as I get back to the task at hand. Snatching up a plate, I go to work filling it full of pancakes and syrupy goodness. Once every inch of the palm tree design on the bottom of my plate is covered, I plop down in a chair and begin stuffing my face. I outright moan at the first bite and don’t stop until everything in front of me is gone. When I finally glance up, I’m met with two pairs of astonished eyes.

  I glance down at my full belly then back to Dex and Jimmy. “What?” I fight the need to fidget under their scrutiny. I might be small, but my stomach can outmatch most grown men, and pancakes are my weakness. Well, one of them at least. I have a handful of things that can bring me to my knees and pancakes rate a solid four on a scale of ten. “I warned you that I was hungry.”

  Jimmie barks out a laugh and shakes his head at me. “You said hungry, not famished.”

  My eyes roll on their own accord. “For me, it’s all the same. You should know this by now.”

  “So, what’s the plan for today?” Dex’s voice captures our attention, but he’s not speaking to me. Jimmie gives a manly head nod. “Figured we would finish up breakfast and head to the court near the school. A few guys from the basketball team meet up there every weekend to practice and Nate promised to join in. We should have enough players for a decent game.”

  “You three do realize that you play soccer and not basketball, right?”

  “What’s your point, sis?” Jimmie’s cocky attitude annoys me. “You think we’re only gifted at one sport?”

  “Yes,” I deadpan. “You might be able to dribble a soccer ball down the field, but when on a basketball court you miraculously grow two left feet. I’ve seen it happen and it isn’t pretty. Trying to take on some of the school team members is a bad idea.”

  Jimmie scoffs at my claim and turns to Dex for help, but the amused smirk on his face tells me that Jimmie won’t be getting any help from him. I’m not the only one who knows what a klutz my brother is on the court. My poor delusional brother is going to make an ass out himself today, which makes me sad that I won’t be there to see it all go down.

  I gather up all the dishes and clean off the table before moving to give Dex a kiss on the cheek. “Wish I could be there to watch you all play, but I’ve got work at the skating rink today.”

  “I thought you had the day off?”

  “I did until someone decided to double book the party room. Now I get to spend a few hours watching five-year old’s slip around on the ice while they scream until my ears bleed.” I release a wistful sigh. “To be young again with no responsibilities or cares in the world. I envy the little shits.”

  “Have fun with that.” Jimmie laughs.

  When my brother tries to move past me to the stairs, I slide my foot back at the right moment, causing him to trip and stumble about. He rights himself before any damage can be done but shoots me a hateful stare none-the-less.

  The confusion on his face is evident. “What’s that shit about?”

  “Where’s Cammy? I arch a brow. “You don’t have her tied up in some secret dungeon or up in your bedroom, do you?

  Jimmie laughs. “Seriously? Why the hell would you think that?”

  “Because when I left her last night to deal with Dex, she was planning on spending the night. Now she’s vanished and you’re in a good mood and making breakfast for everyone that’s edible.”

  “And you think those dots connect with me taking your friend and tying her up?”

  I pause and mull over my words before I speak. I don’t for a second think that my brother has Cammy stowed away somewhere, but her leaving without saying anything to me first doesn’t fit with her personality. She and Jimmie have been getting closer the past few weeks and, although I try not to let it bother me, seeing the two of them together has my hackles rising like a momma bird protecting her baby.

  I trust my twin with my life, but he’s got a shitty track record with girls. All the CW Boys do. If he screws things up with Cammy then I’m afraid their problems will leak into our friendship and muddy the waters between us. Blood is thicker than water, but Cammy is all I’ve got other than the boys. I love them more than anything, but they’re all testosterone driven and I need a girl’s opinion every now and then. Let’s face it; they wouldn’t know the difference between a blush brush and a beauty blender if their lives depended on it.

  “No,” I admit with a long sigh. “When did s
he leave?”

  Dex snorts out a chuckle behind me. I spin around and give him the evil eye. When he graces me with a smirk, I try not to sigh again, but it’s difficult. This is exactly why I need Cammy in my life; because all the men in it drive me batshit crazy.

  “After you went to your room, Cam and I hung out. We talked and watched a few movies before retiring to bed.” Jimmie replies. “Her mom called and needed help with something, so she left this morning after helping me whip up the pancake batter.”

  I blink my surprise and stare at him, shocked. So much is wrong with that sentence that I don’t even know where to begin.

  “And where did my friend end up sleeping?” I question, my eyes never leaving my twin's face. If he tries to lie to me, I will know about it because Jimmie can’t ever tell a fib without his left eye twitching.

  “Get your head out of the gutter, sis.” He laughs and shakes his head at me. “Cam slept on the couch. I was even nice enough to make it up for her and gave her a pair of my soccer shorts and a shirt to sleep in.”

  I let out a loud breath that I never realized I was holding. Deep down I know it’s wrong for me to care about him and Cammy hooking up since, technically, I did the same thing by being with Dex, but damn it, the thought of them together bothers me on a deep level.

  Does that make me a hypocritical bitch? Yes, it probably does.

  Do I care? Yeah, I do.

  But that doesn’t stop me from feeling the way I do. If they decided to give it a go then I would force myself to get on board and be the sister and best friend they each need, but I hope it never comes to that. It’s a selfish thought and one I’m not proud of.

  Over my head, Dex and Jimmie share an amused look. One that I don’t understand, but clearly means something to them. I don’t even bother trying to puzzle it out because I know from previous experience it’s a waste of time. It’s as if they have looks and words that are encoded and unless you have a penis, you aren’t privy to what it all means.