Page 55 of A Merry Mountain Christmas

I suck in a chill breath of air.

How does she know?Whatdoes she know?

Her face tightens. “Such a pity you got so sick, Kennedy. We were originally planning a larger game with the other gentlemen.”

“Yes, well, bad fish eggs will do that to a girl,” I say, pushing the plate away woodenly.

Harry’s eyes widen. Speaking to the camera, he says, “She’s not speaking about these fish eggs, obviously.Thesefish eggs are lovely and crunchy, and…I don’t know what caviar taste likes. I have an aversion to fish eggs. I’m sure they’re lovely, though, if you enjoy that sort of thing.”

He’s obviously trying to shill for whatever brand gave us free food, but he’s flubbing it worse than I did. His look of utterpanic says he knows it. I pat him on the arm. “That’s what post-production is for.”

“Oh, thank God, you’re right.”

“Keep it together, Sweet Tea,” Nana says primly and pats her perfect snow-white bun. “You’re more tightly wound than a snake in a watering hose.” Her cold glare moves to me. “Well, Kennedy, who would you like to go first? We wrote out some suggestions for you.”

Meaning there’s already some sort of script for this. Interesting. Hopefully that means the whole Truth or Dare thing is a coincidence, because I hate the thought of someone spying on us or, worse, of there being a camera in my room. I already know I’ll be searching the whole place, top to bottom, when we get back.

Harry fumbles with his leather messenger bag, then mouths, “Sorry,” at me, which isn’t a good sign.

I scan the list after he hands it over, my attention snagged and held by the first item on the “suggested dares” list.

Meet me in the pool to go skinny dipping.

Horror knifing through me, I glance up sharply. Nana Mayberry observes me without comment.

Rowan didn’t tell her about our night, did he?

No, he wouldn’t. Never. He’s not the kind of man who shares personal information easily, which makes it that much more meaningful that he was so open with me. But if he didn’t tell her, then who? I know Harry wouldn’t have betrayed me willingly.

“Thank you, Nana,” I say. Then I tear up the paper and pocket the pieces, because a lady doesn’t litter. There’s a gasp from someone, but I don’t know who, because my eyes are fixedon Nana, hers on me. “But I think I’ll be going off-script for this one.”

“By all means,dear.” She pats her perfectly coiffed hair and sits on the blanket. Harry lowers down next to her.

“Who wants to go first?” I ask the guys cheerfully.

“Why don’t we all tell each other when we first lost our virginity?” Jonah offers, apropos of nothing.

A distasteful suggestion. I’m not exactly surprised since he’s the one who made it.

“Fine,” I say, even though I don’t like thinking of Brandon, and I like speaking about him even less. “I was nineteen.”

Marcus grins at me. “Fifteen,” he says proudly. His gaze shoots to Jonah. “Think you can beat that?”

Ugh.

Jonah shoots him a victorious look, then surprises both of us by saying, “I’m a virgin.”

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

KENNEDY

“I don’t believe you,” Marcus scoffs.

I don’t believe him either. Jonah’s made several comments that suggest he’s far from chaste, and then there’s what Rowan and I overheard between him and Nana Mayberry. And yet…why would he say something like that on camera if it weren’t true?

“We should respect his decision,” I say, waving at Jonah, who’s beaming proudly at the cameras. That’s when it hits me—he’s lying because he wants to draw attention to himself and keep it there.

“I’m saving myself for you, Kennedy,” Jonah says, shifting his gaze to me.

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