Page 33 of Dared

I rolled onto my back, pulling him with me. Wrapping my arms around him, I pressed a kiss to his head and then another. Just to emphasise my point. “I’ll tell you, but it won’t happen. I’m not giving this up for anything and anyone.”

He sighed, pressing his face into my throat. A second later, he brushed a soft kiss over my skin.

“Thank you. Sorry I’m…me.”

Running a hand up his back and into his hair, I tugged the strands lightly. “Don’t ever say that again. You’re the best person I know. Now, how about that consolation prize I promised you?”

His head rose, and his eyes met mine, wide and so fucking green. “What’s the prize?”

“What do you want?”

He stilled above me, and I could feel his heart pounding just as hard as mine was.

Then, he lowered his head, and our lips met.

14

“Can we talk?”

I glanced up from my position on the floor where I was stretching out my hamstrings to see JJ giving me a cautious look. We’d just completed an hour’s intensive dance training with the other members of our course. Everyone else had left apart from the two of us, and we were both tired out and in need of a shower. But from the way JJ was looking at me, the shower wouldn’t be happening just yet.

I nodded in reply to his question, and he sank down next to me, following my moves and beginning a series of leg stretches.

“It’s about Finn.”

“JJ…”

“Look, I’m not trying to interfere, but you’re my friend, and I want to make sure you’re okay. You told me about these dares with him, but when we were at the football night, it seemed likethere was something more going on with you two. And it’s not my place to interfere with your love life, but I…I didn’t know. You—” He broke off with a huff of breath. “I’m not explaining myself properly. I guess it just came as a bit of a shock to me. I’ve known you for almost two years now, and although I don’t know Finn very well, you and me are friends.”

“You can stop worrying because me and Finn are friends, too.”

He stared at me. “Just friends?”

How did I begin to explain our relationship? “Very friendly friends?” I tried.

A tiny smile pulled at his lips. “Okay. Look, you know I’m tactile with a lot of my friends. I’ve never seenyoulike this before, though.”

“You’ve never seen me with friends, not that I have many,” I muttered, and he sighed.

“Leo. You have more friends than you think. Friends that care about you. Hence, me poking my nose into your business.”

I let his words sink in for a moment. My shoulders slumped, and I let it all spill out of me. All the things I couldn’t make sense of.

“I asked Finn to teach me how to kiss. Dared him, in fact. I, um, there was this girl who seemed interested in me, and I wasn’t really interested, but I thought I might be in the future, and I’ve never kissed anyone before, so I didn’t want to make a fool out of myself?—”

“Breathe, Leo.” JJ shifted closer to me until his shoulder pressed against mine. I looked at him in the mirror that ran from floor to ceiling along one wall of the studio and took a deep breath, exhaling slowly.

“He’s never pushed me for anything. We…we’re tactile with each other, but it feels nice. How can it be bad if it feels good?”

“It’s not bad.” JJ’s hand covered mine where it was resting on the floor, and he squeezed lightly. “No one’s saying that. You don’t owe anyone any explanations, and that includes me. I just wanted to make sure you were okay. I’m looking out for my friend, and that’s the only reason I brought it up.”

“I know.”

“The kissing, then. What happened there?” JJ’s voice was lighter, undeniable curiosity in his tone, and I relaxed.It was weird to be talking about this with him, but then, who else could I talk to? Connor wouldn’t understand, but maybe JJ would.

“We’ve kissed a few times. Just practising. It’s been…really nice. I like it. You know, I’ve never really been interested in kissing anyone before, other than feeling like Ishouldbe interested, but now I can’t help wondering if I’ve been missing out.”

“Do you want to kiss anyone else?”

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