Page 20 of Depths of Desire
I scoffed. “And now we’re snowed in together, and I’m one prolonged eyelash flutter away from combusting.”
Oliver laughed again, and this time, I could hear the smile in it. “You always this dramatic?”
“You’re lucky you’re not getting the full version. This is me holding back,” I said.
He hummed, a sound low in his throat. “You want a distraction?”
I’d been hoping for a quick way to put out the fire. “I thought that’s what this whole thing was.”
“I mean, like a game.”
I turned my head. His silhouette was sharper now in the firelight, propped on one elbow. Did he have to be that hot? “What kind of game?”
“I don’t know. Something dumb. Like Would You Rather. Or Truth or Dare, except with no dares and no touching.”
“No touching?”
“Not yet,” he said, quiet enough I almost thought I imagined it.
The words curled in my chest like heat. “Alright,” I said. “Truth or Dare without dares. Sounds like a dream. We doing each other’s braids after?”
He exhaled a small laugh and settled more comfortably beside me. I could feel his leg shift under the covers, brushing lightly against mine. I told myself it was an accident and ignored the part of me that hoped it wasn’t.
He went first. “Alright. Truth. Have you ever made out with a teammate?”
“Absolutely not,” I said. “Too much gear, too much sweat, too much chance they’d tell everyone.”
Oliver made a soft sound of agreement. “Same.”
“Although,” I added, “there was this one guy who always wanted to wrestle after practice. Kept trying to pin me. Never quite worked.”
“Intriguing.”
I grinned. “He graduated. My virtue was spared.”
He let out a quiet breath that sounded suspiciously like a laugh.
“My turn,” I said, angling my head just enough to catch the outline of his profile in the dark. “Truth. Do you remember anything about me from high school?”
There was a pause. Longer than I expected. Then, “Your hair.”
That caught me off guard. “My hair?”
“You had really good hair. Still do.”
I blinked into the darkness. That was…unexpected. And weirdly flattering. “Thanks,” I said, suddenly aware of my entire scalp.
In the dim cabin light, I thought I saw him smile.
“My turn,” he said, shifting closer under the covers. His voice was quieter now, like the air itself had gotten softer. “Truth. Ever skinny-dipped?”
“Once,” I admitted. “Summer before senior year. There was a lake party, and a friend dared me. I panicked halfway in and ran straight back out. I think my dignity’s still floating out there.”
Oliver let out a low, pleased laugh. “That actually makes me feel better. I thought you were incapable of embarrassment.”
“Please. I’ve been embarrassed for most of my life. I just got good at hiding it.”
He didn’t respond right away. I felt the covers shift slightly, his leg brushing mine for a split second before he adjusted. Then came the next question.
