Incipient A Dark Paranormal Romance - Bianca Scardoni Page 0,22
edge of his bed with a bottle of Tequila propped up on the night table between us. There was a very vocal and responsible part of me that was screaming how terrible of an idea this was, and that I was asking for trouble by even entertaining it.
But then there was that other part of me; the part of me that wanted to have some fun, to forget all the horrible things that happened, and in the process, finally be able to dig up some of Trace’s deepest, darkest secrets. And that part of me was a hundred times louder than the other boring bitch.
Plus, it wasn’t like I had to share anything I wasn’t comfortable sharing, or anything that might trigger a memory. I could pick and choose while using the opportunity to finally get inside Trace Macarthur’s head. Something I never had the opportunity to do, not even when we were dating all those months ago. The more I talked myself into it, the better of an idea it sounded like.
“I go first,” I decided as Trace set down a shot glass in front of each of us. “Truth or dare?”
“We need to set the ground rules first,” he said, cutting me a look as he filled up each shot glass.
“What’s there to set? It’s truth or dare. You pick one and do it. If you chicken out, you take a shot.” Seemed simple enough to me.
“Is that the way you want to play it?’ he asked, his eyebrow quirked.
“Well, what did you have in mind?”
His gleaming blue eyes captured me through the dim bedroom light. “How about we up the stakes a little?”
I was intrigued. “I’m listening.”
“Alright…how about for every turn we refuse, we take a shot and remove a piece of clothing?”
I gave him a knowing look. “You’re just trying to see me naked.”
“True,” he said, not even bothering to deny it, “but you can easily keep your clothes on by telling the truth or doing the dare. Otherwise, what’s to stop us from passing on every turn?”
Hm. He had a point there. “Okay, fine. I’m down to play it your way,” I said, silently vowing to get this man in his boxers before the end of the night. “But I’m still going first. Truth or dare?”
“Dare,” he answered easily, his rebellious eyes boring into me from across the way.
Dammit. Okay, so he wasn’t going to let me get the truth out of him that easily. No problem. I could still salvage this. Make it fun. Use the one night I had off in god knows how long to actually do something a normal teenager would do. “I dare you to go eat something from the fridge,” I said and then smiled, mighty pleased with myself.
“No way. Everything’s rotten in there,” he protested, totally missing the point.
I waggled my eyebrows. “I know.”
“So that’s how we’re gonna play this, eh?” His voice was low and filled with challenge.
A grin spread across my face. “What’s it gonna be, Blue Eyes?”
He blew out an irritated breath. “Pass.”
“Bottom’s up. Or should I say, bottom’s off?” I threw my head back and laughed hysterically as though my little play on words was the best thing since sliced bread.
He gave me a pointed look and then picked up the shot glass and tossed it back. “I would’ve brought the salt, but I figured it was pointless since all the lemons went bad.”
“I’m hearing a lot of talking but not a lot of undressing.” Splaying my palms on the comforter behind me, I crossed my legs and waited for my show to begin. Heck, this was his idea. I wasn’t about to feel bad about it.
He set his glass back on the table and filled it up again. His gaze never wandered from mine as he stood up and moved his hands to his jeans as though he were going to take them off. My heart leapt up into my throat and then quickly dropped back down when he bent down and removed his shoes instead.
His. Freaking. Shoes. “Seriously?”
And now it was his turn to laugh. “Truth or dare?”
“Whatever. Dare.” I wasn’t about to give him any kind of opportunity to fish any secrets out of me. This well of information was dried up and cemented over. Nothing was getting out of it.
“I dare you to call Mr. Watson and ask him if he can bring you some mustard for your lunch tomorrow.”
My mouth flopped open. There was no way I was going