"What about Scrabble?" she asked.
"Oh, that was definitely a favorite and a source of several family arguments that lasted for months."
Dylan's eyebrows rose. "Months?"
Clay shrugged. "What can I say? We're extremely competitive."
"Hmm."
"Your expression scares me a little," he said.
Dylan smiled at him. "It just so happens that I'm very competitive as well."
"Oh, really?" He put the pan in the dish rack and snatched the towel from her before she could pick it up to dry it. "Are you suggesting that we play Scrabble tonight? Because I have to warn you that Scrabble games in the Dugan family have been known to go on for up to four or five hours before someone gets pissed off and flips the board."
Dylan laughed. "Oh, I don't think it'll take that long for me to beat the pants off you." She paused for effect. "Literally."
Clay blinked at her. "I'm sorry?"
"I think we need higher stakes than just pride," she said, running a finger down the center of his chest.
"Okay, what does that have to do with my pants?"
"Strip Scrabble," she replied.
He gave her a blank stare for a long moment before a slow, wicked grin spread across his face. "I see."
"I don't know how much you'll see. I'm damn good at Scrabble."
Clay chuckled. "We'll see about that."
"Yes, we will."
"Get the wine and meet me in the living room," he commanded.
When Dylan brought the wine bottle and glasses into the living room, she found Clay unfolding the Scrabble board in the center of the coffee table.
"Thanks," he said, taking the glass of wine that she held out to him.
She set the bottle on one of the side tables and walked around to the opposite side of the coffee table and sat down on the floor.
"Okay, here are the ground rules," she said. "We start with the same amount of clothing. Socks count as one article. Shoes count as one. Etcetera. Each time one of us scores a hundred points or more, the other person removes a piece of clothing."
"Sounds fair."
"Also, naughty words only," she said.
"Naughty words only? What does that mean?"
"Well, maybe not just naughty, but anything with a double meaning, flirty or sexual connotation, and the like." Dylan took a deep sip of her wine.
"We need some sort of standard."
"Urban Dictionary," she stated. "If it's not on that website, it doesn't count."
Clay rubbed his hands together. "This is going to be fun."
* * *
