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)
“What’s the game?” Jayden asked again. He looked eager—as he should, given what I’d come up with.
“Seven Minutes in Heaven.”
Jayden gave a low whistle, but the other two just looked confused.
“What’s that?” Tori asked.
“And what the hell kind of parties did you go to as a teen?” Jayden asked.
“Actually, I heard about this one in a movie.”
“What is it?” Tori said again, and I grinned. She really wanted to know.
“The idea is that two people are locked in a dark closet, and for seven minutes, anything goes.”
“Anything?” Tori squeaked, while Lucas looked as if he was getting ready to explode.
“Anything you both want to do,” I clarified. “It’s not The Purge.”
“And we’re not doing it.” There, I’d been expecting a self-important pronouncement from Lucas. He was right on schedule.
“That’s a long time,” Jayden said, thinking it through. “People could get into a lot of trouble in seven minutes… including the kind that ends in decades of childcare.”
“So wait… I’d get to spend time alone with each of you?” Tori asked. I couldn’t help noticing that she’d said she’d get to, not that she’d have to. “One-on-one?”
Her reaction was perfect. She wasn’t saying no. She wasn’t upset. She was fucking fact-finding.
But Lucas, of course, thought it was his job to guard her virtue.
“She’s not doing it,” he said flatly.
“There aren’t even any closets down here, are there?” Tori asked.
Jayden and I exchanged an amused look. He knew as well as I did that she was excited—not horrified, as Lucas expected her to be.
“There aren’t,” I said. “But I bet we could find some place. Some dusty corner that no one goes to.”
Jayden nodded. “I know the perfect spot on the south side of the basement. One of us could keep watch.”
“Except we’re not doing it,” Lucas growled.
Before I could say anything, Jayden jumped in.
“Dude, chill. It’s not up to you, it’s up to Tori. And it’s not like anyone would make you to take part.”
“Why not? You seem fine forcing her to do it.”
“We’re not forcing her. We’re asking her if she wants to.”
We all watched for Tori’s reaction, even Lucas, who was still insisting this wasn’t happening.
“Seven minutes is a long time,” she said, “especially in a public building.”
“Seventy seconds,” Jayden suggested.
Lucas continued to be the world’s nerdiest cock block. “We’re not doing this.”
“Doing what, exactly? No one’s making you do anything.” I sighed loudly. “Whichever two of us are back there can do whatever the fuck we want. Hell, when it’s your turn, you and Tori could alphabetize the books on the shelves if that’s what floats your boat.”
“They’re not alphabetical,” my moronic stepbrother scoffed. “They use the Library of Congress Classification system.”
“Do you ever get tired of sounding like a nerd?”
“Do you—” He stopped when Tori put her hand on his forearm.
“Lucas, please. No one’s making me do anything I don’t want. I kind of like the idea of… being alone with each of you. But not if it makes you uncomfortable.”
“It should make you uncomfortable,” he growled.
“Dude, don’t,” Jayden jumped in. “You think you’re protecting her, but really, you’re just telling her how you think she should feel. And ignoring how she actually feels.”
Reluctantly, Lucas met Tori’s eyes. He obviously expected her to be scandalized, but she wasn’t. If she were, I’d call it off myself.
She still had her hand on his arm, and she squeezed lightly. “Why don’t you and I go first? We can do whatever we both decide on. And hey, if you’d like, I could listen to you rant about what an asshole Kyle is for the entire time.”
I cracked up. Tori was fucking perfect.
“Or you could leave,” Jayden said. “No one is making anyone do anything.”
“Please?” Tori asked. Then she shook her head and started again. “I didn’t mean that. I meant… if you want to do this with me, then please don’t let the part of you that says we shouldn’t win out.”
Lucas was silent for at least half a minute. Then he sighed. “This is really what you want?” he asked Tori.
“Yes.” Her answer was firm.
But Lucas just had to put one more protest on record. “This is messed up.”
“Yeah,” Jayden said. “That’s what makes it fun.” He winked at Tori, and she smiled at him.
I had to resist the urge to slam my fist down on the table in triumph. I knew she’d be into this.
She turned those gorgeous dark eyes back to Lucas, and his shoulders sank in defeat. I bit back a laugh. He could try to stick to the high ground, but there was no chance in hell he’d pass this up. He was fucking crazy about her.
She held out her hand, and Lucas took it. They got to their feet at the same time Jayden did.
“You stay here,” he said with a finger pointed in my direction. “I’ll keep watch and the time. Then I’ll come get you when it’s your turn.”