Page 45 of Seeds of Malice

"It's fine. We can play," I state, getting a burst of courage.

He hesitates, then asks, "Are you sure you want to play this game? I don't think we should."

I glance around the group, but a new determination fills me. These people aren't better than me, and I'm not scared of them. After all, it's just spin the bottle. How bad could it be? I have to kiss Bobby? Dax has to kiss Cindy or Marcey? It won't mean anything. So I claim, "Why don't we just play if they want to?"

Dax arches his eyebrows, repeating, "You sure, Ivy?"

"She said she wants to play, let her play," Cindy orders.

I don't take my eyes off Dax. "Yeah."

My stomach flip-flops.

What am I getting myself into?

I've never played spin the bottle. Sure, I've heard about it. I've seen it on TV shows and movies, but nobody I hung out with ever played it.

"Great, let's start," Bobby declares and takes the empty champagne bottle. He orders us around until we're sitting in a circle, then questions, "Who's first?"

"I'll go first," Avery volunteers and picks up the bottle. She moves it in the center and spins it.

It stops in front of Cindy.

My heart beats faster. I blurt out, "Looks like you have to spin again."

She looks at me and laughs. "Oh, aren't you naive, little girl?"

"Don't call her that," Dax warns, putting his hand on my thigh.

Avery smirks. "Watch and learn, Ivy. This is how you play spin the bottle in the real world." She seductively crawls across Marcey and slides her hand into Cindy's hair, then straddles her and slowly takes her tongue and licks Cindy's lips.

My pulse races, beating hard in my neck, and I stare at them, trying to keep my mouth shut, but I can't. My lips part as my jaw drops, watching Avery slowly slide her tongue into Cindy's mouth until they're making out and she's grinding her hips hard against Cindy's body.

"That's enough," Dax says.

Avery kisses Cindy for another moment, then turns and looks at Dax with a satisfied smile. "What's wrong, Dax? Are you suddenly becoming a saint?"

"Enough. You're boring us," he declares.

I can't help but wonder why everybody claims that Dax is into these things. He's repeatedly assured me that he's not, and every time they try to accuse him of it, he holds his ground. I wonder, again, if I'm being a stupid girl by believing him. But then I tell myself my doubt is from the champagne.

He moves his hand a little higher on my thigh, and the throbbing in my lower body intensifies, wiping out all the thoughts about how I shouldn't believe him.

"Did that turn you on?" Bobby asks, and I realize he's directing it at me.

I nervously stutter, "Wh-what?"

"Avery and Cindy. Did that turn you on?" he repeats.

"Bobby," Dax says, a threat in his tone.

"What? It's an innocent question. She's obviously never seen two girls make out before," Bobby asserts, which I can't deny.

"Or is she a prude and homophobic?" Marcey pipes in.

"I'm not a homophobe," I claim.

"No? Okay then. Spin the bottle, Cindy," Bobby demands.

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