Dane rolls his eyes. “I cheat on every test.”

Harper drinks from her daiquiri. “This tastes pretty good.”

I don’t take a drink and grin while Dane and Josie take their penalty.

I’m up for a question. What do I want to know about Harper? Maybe a sure bet so she’ll have to drink. “Have you ever gossiped?”

We all take a drink. Harper’s grin warms my chest. Or maybe it’s the whiskey. Either way, I’m starting to feel mellow.

“My turn,” Dane says. He pours liquor in both our shot glasses.

At this rate, I’m going to be wasted long before the girls finish their little icy drinks. Shit.

“Have you ever wished you were with someone else while on a date?” Dane asks.

I grin. Dane is an asshole. I lift my shot glass and so do Dane and Josie. “So much for romance,” I say and drink the shot in one long pull.

We continue with a few inane questions that have us laughing because everything now qualifies as funny. Josie gets up from the table several times to make more daiquiris and brings one for Harper every time she refills her own.

It’s Harper’s turn and she stares at the table in concentration. No one rushes her. Finally, she raises her head. “Have you ever loved someone? I mean really, truly loved?”

The music still plays in the background, but there’s a sonic boom sound in my head and my entire body clenches in response to the question. I didn’t see that coming.

I take the shot in one gulp. The heat of the liquor burns my throat. The sensation is a welcome assault after that question.

I cannot take my eyes off Harper. It’s such a serious question to ask. And then, she surprises me by not taking a drink.

8

Silver Lining

Harper

“Have you ever loved someone? I mean really, truly loved?” I ask.

A languid blanket of euphoria folds around my body, and I sit back in my chair. Leo and Dane and Josie are all looking at me with room-sized expectation on their faces. I stare at the table so they won’t influence my answer.

This drinking game should really be called the truth game. The truth shall set you free. Where have I heard that? The author who penned it must be the smartest person in the universe.

Because with only a few truths during this game, I am liberated.

Truth. I’ve done things in spite of my parents’ rigid rules when I lived in their house.

Truth. Some of those things were fun and some were downright stupid.

Truth. I’m not sure I was ever really in love with Wesley. I was in love with love. Can you love someone and then hate him so much you can’t stand the sight of him? Was I justified because he was a lying, cheating coward?

That seems like a fickle attitude. I married someone before God and witnesses at the chapel in Las Vegas. How can I ever trust that I will recognize love if I married a guy I only thought I loved?

I know I wouldn’t go searching into hell for Wesley like the guy in the movie did.

What was my question? I look to Leo for help.

“My turn,” Leo says.

Oh yeah. We are still playing the game.

I study the glass in front of me. Several rounds earlier, Josie brought me a different mixed drink. It’s soda with liquor and doesn’t taste as good as the daiquiris, but I drink the concoction anyway.

Leo, Leo, Leo. I lift my gaze to meet his. A sigh escapes my lips, and I stare at him and his very nice lips. It doesn’t matter that he can see me staring. Because the truth is, it makes me happy to look at him, especially his mouth. I love his mouth.

Leo takes a drink from his shot glass even though I don’t think he’s asked a question. This makes me laugh. Well, he’s certainly not playing by the rules of the game. Question, first. Drink, second.

He closes his eyes for a second and when he opens them, he looks straight at me. “Have you ever had sex outside?”

Dane tips up the shot glass without hesitating or watching to see if anyone else will drink. Josie shakes her head and smirks.

I think hard. “Does inside a car count?” I ask.

Leo leans both elbows on the table, seeming to think about my question. “No. It has to be you and your lover in the great outdoors. Maybe you’re on a blanket in the meadow with only the stars as a moonlight ceiling. Or he’s pushed you up against a tree—”

Josie groans. “No details,” she slurs loudly. “Ugh. Sister, here. Remember I’m here.” She points at herself so we won’t doubt her location.

Dane raises a hand like he’s getting a teacher’s attention in class. “I have. In an alley. That’s not a meadow, but it counts.”

Leo grins and turns his head toward Dane. “You are so predictable.”

“It was hot.” Dane raises an eyebrow. “Believe me.”

“No drink for me,” I answer. And then I take a drink from my glass anyway.

Leo takes his shot, but his gaze never leaves mine. His image must be in the dictionary beside the word ‘sexy’ and I vow to tell him this someday, when I feel bolder.

The way he stares at me makes my body tingle and my nipples tighten, in direct contrast to the way my brain slows. I want to tell him how he makes me feel. No. That would be disastrous for some reason.

I search my mind for the reason I shouldn’t grab him and push him into the bedroom. Perhaps, this drink is three drinks too many.

“I need to go home,” I say.

“I’ll walk you.” Leo gets to his feet.

“No, I know the address.” I giggle at my own joke.

Leo grabs my elbow. “I’ll make sure.”

“OK. But we are not having sex in a meadow.” I smirk.

Leo doesn’t respond. He could’ve argued at the very least. Even pretending he wanted to have sex with me would’ve made me exponentially happy.

He guides me from the table and out the door. I glance over my shoulder and wave at Dane and Josie. “Thanks for the game. This was fun. So. Much. Fun.”

Leo’s hand glides across my back to my opposite hip. “Steady.”

“I am steady.” I wobble to the door and he opens it. “Maybe not.”

“Yeah,” he says, his lips so close to my hair. A pleasant chill travels down my spine and I shiver.

“I live there,” I say, pointing across the hall.

He laughs instead of answering.

I dig in my short’s pocket. “No key. I had a key earlier. It’s gone. Someone’s stolen it.”

The heat of Leo standing so close to me makes it difficult for me to concentrate on the key search. I throw up my hands in defeat.

“Let me.” He moves flush to my back and his chest pushes against me as he leans in. His fingers edge to the top of my right pocket and push down inside.

My head falls back into the crook of his neck. “You can search all my clothes for a key. You just do whatever it takes. Leave no stone unturned.”

His hand inside my pocket pulls my body closer against him behind me. He kisses the side of my head. “I’m tempted.”

Leo pushes his hand deeper into my pocket and the thin fabric is really no barrier to the luscious feel of his fingers against my skin. He traces his fingers across the edge of my panties.

I moan. “Maybe you’ll have to do this forever. I probably don’t even have a key.”

He pulls his hand out. “You do. Got it.” Suddenly, there are beautiful masculine fingers and a stupid gold key in front of my face.

“Shoot.” I grab for the key, but he dismisses my efforts.

He opens the door, and we both walk inside. His arm is still around me and he turns me toward him. “You going to be OK? I think I should put you to bed.”

Every cell in my body hums a happy tune. The pleasant buzz of alcohol plays a sexy song, and I allow it to loosen my inhibitions. “I’ll let you under one condition.”

He inhales. “Anything the lady wants.”

“I’d like a kiss.”