Total pages in book: 103
Estimated words: 100466 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 502(@200wpm)___ 402(@250wpm)___ 335(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 100466 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 502(@200wpm)___ 402(@250wpm)___ 335(@300wpm)
I try to focus on Zack. He's only a year younger than I am, but I still see him as a little brother. Maybe because of his personality. Maybe because he came into my life when he was so young.
Why is it I don't see Jackson as an older brother?
Why do we want who we want, anyway?
"Zack." Jackson interrupts my intellectualizing. "Don't."
"Don't what? Play the game?" Zack shakes his head ridiculous. "Do you not want to kiss Daphne?"
The question is a trap. There isn't a right answer for him, and he knows it. The frustration appears on his brow. Then his green eyes.
He can't say of course, I want to kiss her or everyone here will know he wants me.
He can't say of course I don't want to kiss her or everyone here will see him reject me without tact.
He wants me. He does. I can feel it.
But all of a sudden, I'm not sure how much he wants me. Maybe I overestimated his desire or underestimated his loyalty to his sister.
Maybe I'm seeing what I want.
This is a way to do it. To see how much he wants to melt into me. How willing he is to cross this line.
I take on an even tone, and I say, "It's okay if you're shy, Jackson. I don't usually kiss in front of my friends and family either."
Zack shoots Laurel a can you believe this look.
She shrugs with disinterest.
Rome lets out an above-it-all chuckle. "You two play this game often?"
"Do you offer this sort of attitude often?" Laurel asks.
"Only when I see someone I knew when I was in high school and they're pulling the same shit," Rome says.
Laurel's frown turns into a scowl. I've never seen the bubbly brunette this pissed. Usually, she's only mad if she's stained a new dress or lost a client (or seen a new ridiculous demand from her boss).
She shakes it off quickly and shoots me an apologetic shrug. "We don't have to play."
"No. I want to play. It's fun, right?" I try to copy her shrug, as if I also don't care about this silly game, as if I'm as aloof as anyone ever has been. "But if you want privacy, why don't we ask everyone to close their eyes."
"Kinky," Zack says. "I like it. I trust you to do the job, Daphne."
"Daphne is a woman with honor." Laurel nods in agreement. "And she gets the next pick. God knows what she'll dare you to do."
"She has to pick someone else. No dare-backs," Zack says.
"Pick me, D," Laurel says. "I'll dare him to do something truly horrifying."
"Stay quiet for two minutes?" Rome offers.
Her laugh is big and bright. Then, she catches herself and returns to a neutral expression. "Maybe three." Okay, not so neutral. She can't help but smile from Rome's attention.
Again, she catches herself, stops, and shakes her head how could I laugh at his joke?
Tragically, she turns all that frustration to me. "Okay, get on his lap, then we'll close our eyes," she says.
Okay, sure. Why not? I'm an adult woman, a doctor, and I'm about to climb into a guy's lap on a dare.
No. That's not true. The dare is an excuse. I want to be there. I want to fuck him right in this limo.
Not so much with the crowd. Not this crowd, anyway. A room of strangers…
Maybe there's merit to my best friend's exhibitionist kink. The thought of Jackson watching as I strip in front of everyone, desperate to touch me, waiting and waiting until I allow it—
Ahem.
I force a casual smile, something between this is no big deal and I might come from the friction of your thighs and I move across the limo, right onto Jackson's lap.
He looks up at me as I settle onto his thighs. He brings his lips to my ear to whisper, "Are you sure?"
"It's just a kiss," I say loud enough for everyone to hear. "It's not a big deal."
"Okay, freaks, eyes closed," Zack says. He looks to me and winks you go, girl and he makes a show of closing his eyes.
Jackson looks up at me.
I look down at him.
I let my lids flutter closed, and I bring my lips to his. A soft brush. A peck.
The hint of mint on his lips.
He prepared for this possibility.
He wanted to be ready to kiss me.
I mean to pull back, really, but I don't.
My body takes over. My hand curls around the back of his neck. My lips part for his tongue.
His hands go to my hips.
He kisses me slowly, with patience, like he has eternity to explore my mouth, like he wants to spend eternity with his lips pressed against mine.
Then a sound interrupts.
Clapping.
And a woot. And Zack, saying, "Way to go big, bro."
"What happened to your eyes being closed?" Laurel joins. And as she says, "Oooh," with all the awareness in the world, I finally snap out of my trance.