Total pages in book: 145
Estimated words: 138775 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 694(@200wpm)___ 555(@250wpm)___ 463(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 138775 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 694(@200wpm)___ 555(@250wpm)___ 463(@300wpm)
Then Roger said he had to meet up with his roommate. He gathered up his stuff, wished us all a goodnight, and left.
And the energy around the table changed completely.
Tori looked around at each of us in turn, her eyes wide. A minute ago, there had been four men and one woman all studying here in perfect harmony.
Now there were three men and one woman, and it felt entirely different.
Tori knew it, judging by those dark, flashing eyes. Kyle knew it, judging by the hint of a grin on his face. And I knew it. Only Lucas, still absorbed in his homework, remained oblivious.
I caught Tori’s eye, and she raised her eyebrows. Did she look worried at the extra charge in the air? No. She actually looked excited. For about the thousandth time, I thought about that moment at the movie night when she realized that I was watching Kyle rub her thigh. And how her arousal had only increased when I stroked her other one. It really made me wonder what might have happened if Lucas had been as blind then as he was now.
Finally, Kyle broke the silence. “So, how do you call for a study break?”
Tori smiled at him. “I think you just did.”
“If you call for it, you have to decide what we do,” I informed him.
“Oh, really?” He tilted his head as if thinking, but I saw it—that wasn’t news to him. Not at all.
But Tori didn’t realize that. She sat back, stretching her shoulders as she turned to her student. “You could lead us through some stretches—like maybe some you learned on the team?”
Finally, Lucas looked up, possibly because the idea of being made to do calisthenics was an alarming one. But I would’ve bet a million bucks that wasn’t what Kyle had in mind.
And I was right. “How about a game?” he said to her.
Tori grinned. “You already had your last game over the weekend.”
Kyle reached out, casually slinging his arm over the back of her chair. “And you watched from the stands. So how about today, I pick a game we all can play?”
“Sounds good,” Tori said encouragingly. She has on a pink, long-sleeve t-shirt that was tight across her chest. Her thick hair curved over one shoulder. She looked good. But she also looked like a mouse that didn’t realize the cat sitting next to it was about to pounce. “What do you want to play?”
“Truth or Dare.”
Silent surprise followed that. Finally, Lucas spoke. “You’ve got to be fucking kidding me.”
“Dude, we’re not in middle school,” I added. “What’s next, spin the bottle?”
Kyle looked around the table. “Not unless we add a few more girls to the group.”
“We’re not playing Truth or Dare,” Lucas said.
His stepbrother was the picture of innocence. “I thought the person who called for the study break got to choose?”
Tori had been quiet until this point. “They do.”
“Then Truth or Dare it is.”
“Uh, I don’t think you and Lucas daring each other is going to end well,” I pointed out. In fact, it might end in murder charges.
“We’ll each ask Tori a question or a dare. Then she’ll ask each of us. One round for each of us.” Kyle had clearly planned ahead.
Lucas glared at Kyle. “Then she’s playing three times as much as the rest of us.”
“She can handle it.”
We all looked at her.
The tip of her nose turned pink, but she managed a nonchalant voice. “Yes, I can.”
“But do you want to?” I asked.
She gave me an impish smile. “I could use a study break.”
All right, if she was game, then I was. “Who starts?”
“We don’t.” Lucas wasn’t on board.
Tori gave him a soft smile. “It’s just a quick break. Then we’ll get back to work.” As if that had been his concern. “Who goes first?”
Kyle waved a hand in my direction. “Why don’t you, Jay.”
“All right. Tori, truth or dare?” God, that took me back. To being kids trying to get away with as much as possible while hanging out in someone’s basement.
“Truth,” she said with a grin. Big surprise there.
Hmm, what did I want to know? A lot of things. But some of them were better suited for when she was snuggled against me in the hammock. Okay, I had it.
“Have you ever had a dream about someone in this room?”
“Yes.” Her peach skin turned pink.
“Who?” From the look on Lucas’s face, I wasn’t the only one who wanted to know.
She grinned. “One question each. Truth or dare?” she asked me.
My middle school self would’ve said dare, but I didn’t want to put her on the spot to come up with one. “Truth.”
She tilted her head to the side as she thought it over, and as always, I couldn’t stop staring at the way it made her glossy hair swing back and forth. What the fuck was wrong with me? Thanks to her, I was never going to be able to date a woman with short hair again.