Page 26 of College-Virgin & Dark Bully Next-Door

Yeah, I’m fucking hardagain. Because of this wild creature that’s determined to drive me up a wall. She sets her controller to the side. “We can call it a draw.”

“Being nice now?”

“Shut up.” She skitters off me, pushing to the far corner of the couch, but her eyes are all dilated, and she can’t seem to look away from my face, like if she does, she’ll look somewhere else. “You won. Two out of three, so truth or dare it is, I guess.”

“I’m spared from your tarantula?”

“Dracula is a sweetheart. He’d never hurt you.”

“Clearly, that’s why you named him Dracula.” I roll my eyes.

“What, would ‘Cuddles’ have been a better name?” She gives me a half smile. “Truth or dare, asshole?”

“Truth.”

“Why did you send that text message?”

My brows furrow as I search my memory. “What message?”

“The one you sent that night.” A soft blush covers her cheeks as she dips her head. “Don’t make me spell it out. It’s still embarrassing, even after all these years.”

Two years later, I still cringe when I think about the text message I sent Chase that night. Back then, I felt betrayed. Furious. I didn’t consider how the words would hurt anyone, I just wanted to get them out. I understand why Sky would be affected by that. He’s her only sibling, after all.

“Okay, so that wasn’t my finest moment, but I swear, it won’t happen again. I’m sorry my actions hurt you, truly.”

“Are you?” she asks, a shapely brow lifted.

“Yes. If I could take it back, it would.”

Sky gives me a long stare, then reaches for the remote, her throat bobbing as she swallows. “I don’t want to talk about it anymore. Let’s watch a movie or something.”

“Does that mean you don’t hate me anymore?” I tease, nudging her side, wanting to see her smile.

She snorts, and my insides get warm with relief. “The jury is still out on that, buddy.”

“Good enough for me.”

I relax on the couch as she puts a movie on that’s supposed to be background noise, but we both end up sucked in. Until I nudge her again. “Truth or dare.”

“Truth.”

“Why didn’t you kiss your date?”

“Another truth,” she replies immediately.

I arch an eyebrow. “Who do you want to kiss?”

“No, no. That’s too close,” she argues. “You can’t. You …”

I gently brush my fingers over her calf, then hook behind her knee and drag her closer to me. I’m getting an answer, but I don’t think I really care which one it is. “Whichever one is easier.”

She braces against my chest, eyes wild, there’s not a ‘no’ on her face or her lips. She takes another unsteady breath, another gulping swallow that moves her whole throat, and she shivers. “Breathe, Sky.”

She sucks in a breath and shrugs. “I had a terrible first date. I can’t have a bad first kiss, too. I know it’s silly and romantic. But … I want the kind of kiss that makes me feel good, that drives me wild, that sets a high bar, not one out of obligation and … yeah.”

“Doesn’t sound stupid,” I disagree. “Or silly. My first sucked. You deserve to have a good one.”

“Truth or dare?” She says it so softly I almost miss it.

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