Reaching out, I pressed my palm to her cheek. “Tag. You’re it.”Your move.
I hopped off the desk and darted away. It was nearly pitch black, a soft touch of gray on the horizon outside the window providing the only light. Vague outlines of objects kept me from becoming a complete bull in a china shop. Even so, I slammed right into two more stacks of books, sending them thundering to the floor.
Courtney’s surprised laughter rang out behind me, free of irony, full of genuine happiness. My pulse raced, a few of my old fears trying to creep back in with every murky shadow I passed. I skimmed my fingers over a shelf, guiding my way. Her footsteps padded behind me, closer, closer, closer. My breath quickened. Every cell in my body strained, screaming to shut this down because whatever happened next was sure to kill me with happiness. I wanted to run.
I came to a stop.
Courtney slammed into my back, flinging her arms around my waist to keep from falling. “Tag.” She gasped for breath. “Take off your shirt.”
My fear morphed into a rush of exhilaration. Maybe she was right. Activities were more exciting in the dark. “You sure you want to start that game?”
“Take it off.” Then she was gone, footsteps receding into the shadows, rows of books muffling their noise.
I started after her, fingers working my shirt buttons loose. I shrugged it off, thin material fluttering to the ground. My othersenses expanded in the darkness. “Cooouuurtney?” I drew out her name. “Where are you?”
A flutter of paper to my left. I pivoted, stalking the sound.THUD.A book hit the ground to my right. I spun. She played dirty. I’d play dirtier. Feeling around, I found a bookshelf and leaned against it. Closed my eyes. Focused.
I pictured Courtney, waking up early to hang Christmas lights in her yard. Pictured her saying rude things to scare me out of being scared. Pictured her hands in my shirt and her lips against mine.
“Bryce, that’s cheating!” came her yell.
“Gotcha.” A triumphant smile spread across my face, and I opened my eyes. A blinding orange light shone a few aisles away.
I took my sweet time. There was no point in her running.
She obviously hadn’t figured that out, because she still tried, an orange blur streaking among the books. No longer feeling patient, though, I ran after her, cornering her quickly in a dead-end aisle.
She turned, arms crossed, pale orange magic floating around her skin like a beacon.
I strode up to her and poked her in the forehead. “Take off your nightgown.”
“That’s not how strip games work.” Courtney scowled. “You have to work up to it.” She yanked the cloak off her shoulders and tossed it at my head. Trying to catch me off guard, she lunged forward, but I jumped back and took off.
About ten seconds later, a telltale tingling warmth trickled down my neck, and I drew up short. It was the intensity of someone’s full attention mixed with the soft feeling of drifting off to sleep on the couch in the middle of the day.
Blue light swirled from my skin in wisps. She had me. I glanced over my shoulder. A blur of orange grew brighter.
I was off, Courtney right behind me. Blue and orange flashed among the bookshelves. Laughter and giddybreathlessness wrapped up in anticipation. The sun outside finally burst over the horizon. Sunbeams gleamed through cloudy windows, swirling with lazy dust mites. For a moment, we were cocooned in our own little world of joy and safety.
My lungs ached and my pulse raced by the time she caught me back by the desk, slamming into my chest so hard I nearly fell over. I kicked off my socks and tagged her before she could run.
She wiggled out of her own socks and tagged me right back.
We panted, standing frozen in a sunbeam. Golden light cast long shadows across her face. Her smile faded. So did mine.
“Courtney,” I said, voice hushed, “it’s been one interruption after another. If we’re going to do this, we should do it. Now. Before we get eaten by a dragon or speared by a skeleton or some new horror finds us.” I pulled a condom from my pocket. “I didn’t want to presume, but, well, after last time, I figured it was better to be prepared—”
A gleam ignited in her eyes, and she crashed into me, smooth palms skimming down my bare torso, my skin quivering at her touch. I stumbled back and would have fallen if I hadn’t backed into the desk.
“Fuck,” I cursed, reaching back to grip the edge of the wood.
“That’s the idea,” she whispered, breath hot against my lips.
My hands grasped her hips, yanking her hard against me, and I brought my lips down on hers. Tongues and teeth and lips mingled, overwhelming me in sensation. I splayed my fingers over her jaw and neck, thumb brushing hair from her eyes. Her lips were soft as they ravaged mine, the sweetest oxymoron I could imagine.
She flicked her tongue into my mouth, and I chased after her when she pulled away, cradled her neck, and drew her back. The table dug into the backs of my legs as she ground against me, breaths soft and shallow.
Pushing off the table, I turned us, pinning her against the space I just occupied. Toeing her feet apart, I stepped betweenher legs, hoisting her onto the desk, her butt crushing many an ancient tome.
