Page 59 of Yuletide Acres

I glance to my right, spying a game. Grabbing it up, I hold it out to him. “What’s this?”

“Not something I’m interested in doing right now?” Dylan chuckles at my heated glare. “It was a Christmas gift from some people in the office a couple of years ago. Do you want to play?”

“Is it sexual?”

He takes the box, leading me over to the pile of blankets in front of the fire. “I don’t think so.”

“Are you lying?”

“Do you want to play or not? This was your idea.”

I plop down by the fire, nodding in his direction. “Sure. I’ll go first.”

Dylan smirks, shuffling the cards before pulling one out. He shakes his head, laughing as he reads the card. “Forget it. I think I know the answer to this one, and if I don’t, I don’t want to know.”

“Come on, what’s the question?”

Dylan inches closer to me on the rug. Then, just like we used to do a decade earlier, he plants one foot on either side of me, and I rest my forearms on his knees. It’s how we always talked—about love, life and the great beyond. “Where’s the strangest place you’ve ever had sex? I’m going to be so upset if it’s not the water tower.”

Should I mess with him? Tempting idea, but I’ll be nice. This time. “Oh my God, the water tower. It was freezing! What were we thinking?”

“That we were horny and needed to fuck?”

“Good point,” I concede. “Granted, we were always horny.” I grab the cards, pulling one from the deck. “Do you own any sex toys? Dylan, this is totally a sex game.”

“Do you want me to answer the question or argue about the sexual nature of the game?”

I sigh, shaking my head in mock anger. “On with it, then. Do you own any?”

“I think that’s more a female thing. I have condoms and that’s about it.”

“I don’t think that qualifies as a toy by any stretch.”

“No, but it does allow me to play.”

I still, his words ripping through the fun banter. I know he doesn’t mean anything by it, but my brain doesn’t care. It sends out a flash of visuals, all of Dylan engaging in safe, condom-filled sex with a variety of eager women. “Right. It’s your turn.”

If he senses my sudden discomfort, he doesn’t let on, as he pulls another card from the deck. “Request a kiss from any player. Lay one on me, Sunshine.”

I hate how handsome he is, leaning back on his elbows, the flannel shirt unbuttoned enough to show a hint of his dark chest hair.

“It doesn’t say that,” I counter, smacking lightly at his knee.

Without missing a beat, Dylan flips the card around, proving that it does indeed say that.

“You said this game wasn’t sexual, but every question has been sexual.”

He shrugs, that sexy smirk decorating his face. “I may have lied.”

“I am shocked and appalled.”

“And stalling,” he reminds me.

Bastard. I crawl toward him, wincing as I graze my injured knee. With great ceremony, I cup his face, planting chaste kisses on either cheek.

“Poppy, that doesn’t even qualify for half credit.”

My hand flies to my chest, my eyes widening with fake shock. “The question said to request a kiss from another player. I gave you a kiss. Two, in fact.”

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