She hated him. Him and this stupid game they were playing. It didn't matter that she'd started it; she'd never expected him to last a week, let alone the four that they were going on. It was getting to him though, she reasoned to herself over the textbook she was supposed to be studying. After that weird moment in the kitchen the other night he'd been especially short-tempered and took any opportunity he could to pick fights. Even Lisa wasn't safe from his attitude. But it was getting to her too, and that was the problem. She'd gotten a little tingle when his thumb had brushed her skin that night, and that was the only reason she hadn't bashed him in the head with a frying pan. This abstinence thing was starting to do funny things to the both of them, and if she was getting a physical reaction from Derek then there wasn't a chance she'd last too much longer. The game needed to end but she needed to figure out a way to end it and still be the winner. She decided that she needed an objective opinion and called the only person who would possibly understand what was at stake.
"Em, I need your help."
"What's the problem?" Emily asked immediately, and Casey relaxed just a bit. She and Emily had grown apart some over the last few years, but Emily was still willing to drop everything to help, no matter what. "I need to crush Derek."
"Uh, you called me just for that? Isn't that your goal every day?"
"This is different," Casey said seriously, and filled her old friend in on the details of the competition, even telling her about the incident in the kitchen. Emily was silent for a long moment, then: "I think your problem is that you're not actually playing the game. You're just sitting there waiting for him to fail on his own. Maybe you need to be more active in trying to trip him up, you know?" The proverbial light bulb sparked over Casey's head. Of course! "Em, you're a genius! Thank you!"
"Anytime. Hey, keep me posted, will you?"
Casey returned to her studying almost gleefully. Emily had been absolutely right: Casey hadn't been playing the game. If she wanted Derek to lose, she was going to have to make it happen.
The party was raging, the house so full of people they spilled out into the backyard despite the bitter December cold, and Casey sat slumped on the stairs wondering where it had all gone wrong. It had started out simple enough: she'd invited a dozen girls over, had plainly told them the situation with Derek and asked if they'd be willing to help her out. Danielle, a gorgeous redhead from her economics classes, seemed especially keen.
"So you're asking us to try and break Derek Venturi?"
Casey hurried to reassure them. "I'm not asking you to do anything rash, just maybe flirt with him. If the idea makes you uncomfortable, I totally understand-"
"No," Danielle interrupted. "That jerk dated my roommate last year, and her sister. I, personally, would be delighted to knock him down a peg or two… or a flight of stairs," she added as an afterthought. The rest of the girls laughed and no one headed for the door. Casey nearly clapped her hands in joy. The stage was set. "There's drinks in the kitchen, help yourselves. The food should be here soon."
The girls started a dance tournament game using Derek's Xbox, drinks and snacks were flowing, and everyone seemed in great spirits, especially when Derek showed up. He'd regarded the house full of women like he was facing a firing squad and his greatest fantasy in the same moment. He pulled Casey aside after tossing his hockey gear down the basement steps. "What's going on?" Casey shrugged and acted mildly annoyed. It was crucial that Derek think he was unwelcome. "Just a little pre-exam stress reliever." She paused and sighed dramatically. "I suppose you can hang out if you want. But only if you promise to keep it in your pants. I will not subject my friends to you at your horniest."
Derek set his jaw, stared her down for a moment, and in the blink of an eye turned on his most charming smile. "Thanks, Case, I think I will stick around awhile." She huffed and elbowed past him to join the crowd in the living room. She gave the thumbs up to her team and the game was on, and for a while it had worked. Danielle was doing a magnificent job of commanding his attention. At one point she'd leaned in close to whisper something in Derek's ear and Casey could tell he was interested, but then he'd shot a look Casey's way and she cursed under her breath. He'd caught himself in time, excused himself from Danielle and disappeared for a few moments. Half an hour later his entire hockey team had shown up, blowing her plan to hell. It wasn't long before word had spread and half of Kingston showed up on her doorstep - including Jamie Bell, a fellow fourth-year she'd had her eye on forever, and wasn't it just so lucky that all of a sudden he was single?
Thus her current situation, hiding from Jamie on the stairs while trying to keep an eye on things to make sure nobody went through a window. Eventually Derek appeared and joined her on the step, nudging her shoulder with his. "Congrats, Case, you're throwing the party of the year." She snorted. "Who'd a thunk it, eh? Keener like me?" He chuckled. "I dunno, you're full of surprises lately." She stifled a yawn. "You too. I didn't think you'd be able to resist a room full of women throwing themselves at you."
"I admit, I'm a little impressed. Never thought you'd play dirty and set a trap. I must finally be rubbing off on you."
"What gave it away? Danielle almost had you at one point."
"It was a good try," he admitted. "But then I realized that you would never throw a party this close to exams unless you had some ulterior motive."
"I hate that you know me so well," she grumbled. "But I'm not nearly as uptight as I used to be."
"No, New York really pulled that stick out of your ass," he agreed and leaned in a little closer. "But it's gonna take a lot more than that to break me." She glanced over and saw there wasn't a trace of his usual smug smile. She knew that she'd been underestimating him but he always underestimated her and that would only work to her advantage. She held his gaze steadily, then leaned in so close her lips nearly grazed his ear. "I'm just getting started."
The cops showed up at three (after a discreet call from Lisa, who had an early class) and Casey happily helped them herd the crowd out the door, locking it firmly behind the last couple of stragglers. She decided to leave the mess for the morning and got ready for bed. It was on her way to the bathroom that she passed Derek's door and realized she'd lost track of him after their tête-à-tête on the stairs. The light was still on under the door and she tapped on the frame quietly, hoping that if he ignored her it would mean he wasn't alone in there. To her great disappointment he called for her to come in.
He was on the bed watching a movie on his laptop and she raised her brow slightly at the empty dishes next to him. It seemed he'd been up here longer than she thought. He regarded her expectantly and she crossed the room to settle herself in his desk chair. "Turned out to be a pretty good night," she said amiably. "Have you been hiding up here for long?"
"I came up around the time you started playing beer pong with that Bell guy. I couldn't watch that massacre."
Casey rocked back in the chair. "My beer pong skills are a well-kept secret. I'm still sober…mostly. He had to be carried out, but not before he pledged his undying love for me." Derek grinned, though she could tell it was reluctant. "You don't want to string him along, you know. You can graciously bow out now and I won't hold it against you. Much."
"Not a chance." She paused, then nudged his leg with her toe. "Why are you sticking this out, really?" He studied her foot where it rested by his knee. "For the same reason you are," he said finally.
"Because you think I'm a smug bastard who desperately needs to learn that he is not, in fact, superior to the rest of the human race?"
Derek snorted. "Tell me what you really think."
Casey would have, but when she opened her mouth a yawn came out instead. She stretched sleepily and was about to say goodnight when she noticed where his gaze was focused. Her nightshirt had inched up her thigh when she'd stretched and settled high enough to only cover the essentials, and Derek didn't seem able to tear his eyes away. That look contained something she'd never seen before from him and she felt a little quiver low in her belly. She nearly jumped out of the chair but managed to restrain herself and casually adjusted the shirt before getting to her feet. It didn't seem like he knew she'd caught him looking, and she wasn't about to let on that she had.
"I'm just getting started."
It was all Derek could think of when Casey sauntered out of his room. It had been haunting him since their conversation on the stairs: her voice like honey, her warm breath on his ear, the dark promise in her eyes, the idea that if he'd moved his head a fraction of an inch, his mouth would have been on hers… And then now, that excuse for a nightshirt riding high on her thighs, the way her breasts had strained against the thin cotton when she'd stretched. Jesus fucking Christ. He'd wanted to take her then and there in that stupid chair. His own sister.
STEP.
Same difference.
Except it really wasn't, not anymore.
He woke the next morning aching with thwarted desire and decided that this competition had to end before he did something really stupid. Things had definitely gone too far when he started fantasizing about Casey. After a long, particularly cold shower he found Casey scrubbing the carpet in the living room. Trash bags were lined up by the door, and since he was about to concede defeat he went with the spirit of uncharacteristic behaviour and took the bags out. Casey's brows nearly hit her hairline but she didn't make an issue of it. "Thanks."
Derek sighed, it was now or never. "Case, I-"
"Did you know that Lisa's running a pool on our little game?"
"Bullshit."
Casey rocked back on her heels and studied the spot on the carpet that apparently wasn't coming out. "I'm serious. She was taking bets all last night."
"Spectacular." Of course this would happen. He might have been able to live with Casey holding it over his head that he'd given in, but now that it was a matter of public record there was no way his friends would make it easy on him. "What are the odds?"
"Enormously in my favour."
He rolled his eyes. "Naturally."
"You can't be surprised. You've got so many notches in your bedpost it's practically kindling."
"You know, I'm getting really tired of you constantly insinuating that I'm some massive slut. I don't fuck everything that moves." Casey held up her hands in surrender. "Okay, okay, sorry." Derek brushed past her into the kitchen, angrier with himself than her. Why had he told her that? The last thing he wanted to do was make himself look vulnerable. Goddamn it all!
"What's with all the slamming around?" Casey demanded awhile later after he'd taken out his anger on breakfast preparation. He glared at her and got even more annoyed when he couldn't help but notice how good she looked. He usually went for the girls who used all the tricks to pretty themselves up, but there was something about the way Casey looked when she wasn't trying. Standing there in sweats, a hoodie and – were those his socks? "Are those my socks?" To his great surprise, she blushed. "They're way warmer than mine," she said defensively, and again to his surprise, he just laughed. "Whatever, Princess. Keep 'em. Want an omelet?"
He didn't think she'd ever looked more stunned by something he'd said. "Uh, sure?" She took a seat and watched him suspiciously as he whipped up breakfast. "The secret ingredient's not arsenic or something, is it?" He snorted, suddenly and inexplicably in a cheery mood. "You'll just have to trust that poisoning your food is not the way I'd get rid of you."
"Trust you, huh? That'd be a pretty big step in our relationship."
He set a full plate in front of her and shrugged. "Suit yourself, but I make a pretty mean omelet."
"Since when do you cook?" She peered closely at the plate and broke off a tiny piece with her fork. "In the entire time I've known you I have never seen you even turn on the oven." She tentatively tried a bite. "Oh my god, Derek. This is good." He grinned as Casey devoured her meal. "You think with the amount I eat that I don't know how to cook a thing or two?"
"Did you just tell me your darkest secret?" she teased.
"That's for me to know," he replied, mimicking her tone from that night in the kitchen. He savoured the memory of touching her when he'd tried for a look at that tattoo of hers. "And what about your darkest secrets?" She stacked his empty plate on hers and smirked as she got up from the table. "You have no idea."
Jesus. What the hell had gotten into Casey? And him, for that matter. He would have considered that little exchange at the table flirting had it been any other girl, and whether or not he was screwed up enough to currently find his step-sister attractive, she had flirted right back. He needed some help, fast.
"Sam," he said seriously when his friend answered the phone. "I am so fucked."
"What's going on?"
Derek collapsed on his bed with mild relief. Sam was and always would be his best friend, and he would definitely know what to do. He explained the situation with Casey and tried not to wince when he admitted that maybe he was attracted to her. "…I don't know why she's acting this way. It's starting to get to me." He could hear the chuckle in Sam's voice when he replied. "Newsflash, Bro: Casey's always been hot. You just never noticed before because you were too busy trying to hate her."
"No, this is different. She used to be annoying and uptight as all hell. Hot maybe, but that other stuff canceled it out. Now she's acting kind of…cool. Stop laughing at me! Fuck!"
Once Sam calmed down he tried to reason. "Dude, maybe she's just grown up a bit. Living in New York for that year had a huge effect on her. Anyway, if it's getting to you so much, maybe you should just give in, let her win."
"Fuck that. You've been no help whatsoever. Thanks."
Sam laughed again, apparently finding this dilemma hugely entertaining. "Sorry, man. Look, think of this as a hockey game. Right now it's 3-0 for her and she's got the puck. Start playing offense."
Duh. The light bulb sparked over his head. Put like that he knew exactly what to do. "Thanks Buddy. Hey, see you in a couple weeks." Christmas break was coming up and Derek fully planned to have won this little competition by the time he and Casey had to go back home.
