Page 285 of The Winslow Brothers

As they catch up, I politely remove myself from their conversation about an art gallery in SoHo and walk over to see what all the fuss is about at the main table that’s drawn an impressive crowd.

It’s a promotional table that focuses on explaining the meaning of The Secret Club, and I quickly find out this brand is all about couples exploringpleasure.

I’m talkingsexualpleasure.

Honestly, I kind of dig it. It’s a fresh take on a way for couples to safelyand playfullyexplore their fantasies and desires together, and it all revolves around earning badges that remind me of being in a Girl Scout troop when I was a little girl.

I quickly realize that a stack of cards sits in the center of the table, and they’re meant to be used as a fun game for everyone to play.Challenge yourself tonight, the framed instructions read.

You should do it,my inner wild child nudges.

My body rocks as someone bumps into me from the side. I look up, ready to rumble, but it’s just my sister.

She reads the same instructions at the center of the table and shakes me excitedly, smiling. “Ohh, that looks fun.”

I nod calmly in agreement.

“If you do one, I’ll do one,” Lydia adds, jerking her head toward the stack of cards that I’ve seen at least twenty people take from over the past five minutes.

“Why the hell not, huh? When in New York, right?” I wink at her, and we both reach forward to grab a card.

She takes it upon herself to go first, turning her card over and silently reading the words.

“What’s it say, Lyd?”

“Surprise someone with a sexy kiss.” She grins at me, and I snort.

“Well, that’s an easy one, considering you’re here with your wife.”

Lydia just giggles but then turns around to close the distance between herself and Lou, who is still chatting with the bearded hipster and the black bob.Yes, I’m sure they have names, but I’m not sure I’m invested in learning them.

Their conversation quickly comes to a halt—Lou is literally midsentence—when Lydia steps up and places both hands on her wife’s pretty face and tugs her closer for a slow, exploratory kiss.

It lasts long enough for the bearded man to make amused eye contact with me and for Lou to fall into the kiss, threading her fingers into Lydia’s hair.

It’s taken me a while to weave my way through the mingling crowd to get over to them, but when I do, I tease, “Get a room, you two!”

Lydia ends the kiss at my callout, giggling as she pulls away, while Lou looks half dazed, quirking a brow as if to ask,“What was that for?”

My sister holds up her card, and Lou reads it, smiling the entire time.

“Mission accomplished, hun.”

Lydia places one last smacking, playful kiss to her wife’s lips before turning to me and tapping the card that’s still in my hand with one nosy index finger. “Okay, Rae. Your turn.”

I lift it closer to my face and read the challenge silently to myself.

“Ah, ah, read it aloud.”

I roll my eyes but concede to Lydia’s demands. “Make the hottest guy in the room remember you for the rest of his life.”

Lydia bursts into laughter immediately, and I glare.

“Pretty sure your challenge was way easier than mine.”

“Yeah, but this one is right up your alley.”

I scrunch up my nose. “What’s that supposed to mean? That I’m a floozy?”

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