Page 16 of Naughty Nicky

I raise a brow at her. “Grapes?”

She nods. “Yeah. I dare you to stuff as many grapes in your mouth as you can.”

I try to hold in my laughter, but I can’t and burst out, a snort even slipping out. “That was the best you got, Penny?”

She folds her arms over her chest and pouts. “I thought it would be funny. Besides, you didn’t let me finish. I was going to say that you then had to take a selfie and post it on your socialmedia.” Her eyes light up. “Oh wait, even better. As your profile picture on your photography website.”

I shake my head at her laughing as I hold up a hand. “Okay, I do have to say that is a bit better. But hate to break it to you. I don’t have any grapes.”

“So unprepared,” she sighs.

“I will make sure that next time my best friend’s little sister is stranded in my home that I have grapes on hand for this kind of occasion.”

“Good.” She sits back on her feet, and I think she is going to take a while to come up with another dare for me, but she has one instantly. “Go stand outside your balcony door and howl at the moon like a wolf for an entire minute.”

“That’s all I have to do?”

She nods.

“Why do I feel like you are going to add something else to that?”

She holds up her hands. “I promise that is all.”

I don’t trust this girl for shit, but I just nod and stand up from the couch. I walk over to the balcony doors that sit right off the great room and open one up.

“Outside.”

I jump when I find her standing two feet behind me.

“I’m not wearing any shoes.”

She shrugs. “It’s not my fault you came unprepared for this game. Yet again. No grapes, no shoes. You really are disappointing me, Nicky.”

I let out a sigh and step onto the snow-covered balcony. Luckily, the wind is blowing in the opposite direction so there are only a few inches on the deck. I cup my hands around my mouth and start howling like an idiot.

I’m surprised when I don’t hear her laughing at me, but I know she is there watching so I just keep going, no doubt in mymind that she is timing me while I do this. And if I don’t give her exactly one minute, she will make me start over.

My throat grows scratchy from the constant howling, and I know I’ve been at it for well over a minute when I turn around and look at her and find her recording me on her phone.

“Pen, what the hell?”

She starts cackling so loud it echoes into the night sky.

“You better delete that.”

She puts her phone behind her and shakes her head. “No way. This is comedy gold. You were howling for almost three minutes. I can’t wait until your fans see you in the wild like this. Nick Snow, world-famous photographer and secret wolfman.”

I lunge for her, and she yelps as she slips out of my grasp as my wet feet slide across the hardwood floor.

“Penelope,” I yell.

She runs around the living room, jumping over the side of the couch and toward the kitchen. I run to the other side of the kitchen island to try and catch her, but she spins quickly and heads back to the living room. She stands back on the couch, jumping up and down, laughing her head off.

“Pen,” I say sternly as I approach her.

I feign walking away and then grab her out of nowhere pulling her down onto the floor making it easy for me to straddle her.

“What’s the big deal?” she asks me as I pin her arms over her head, trying to pry the phone out of her slender fingers.

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