Chapter Seven
Eagle
“Truth or dare?” I ask Serafina after successfully bouncing the quarter into a shot glass I found on a shelf near the hot tub. She convinced me to play the ridiculous high school game, but I don’t regret it because her aim sucks. I’ve learned more about her over the last twenty minutes than I had all night.
She grabs the glass and swallows the Jack. “Truth,” she answers, staying as far away from the dares as she can.
I grin. “Favorite sex position.”
“Seriously?”
“Why not?”
Gorgeous blue eyes hit me with a nervous look. “Maybe doggie style?”
“Is that a question?”
“No. I don’t know. It all feels the same.”
“Not with me,” I assure her, gauging her demeanor. It all feels the same? “Don’t tell me you’ve never had great sex.”
She shakes her head. “You’re such an arrogant bastard.” She refills the glass. “My turn.” She aims carefully, and the quarter hits the tabletop just right. She squeals with delight. “Finally!”
“Lucky.” I snatch the shooter and drink it down. “Well?”
“Truth or dare, Eagle?”
“Truth.”
“Have you ever been in love?”
My turn to be caught off guard. “Yeah,” I confess begrudgingly. “Completely.”
She cocks her head. “And?”
“You getonequestion, no follow-ups.”
I pour more whiskey and take another drink. The topic of conversation needs to change,now. Every day I struggle to get Angelique out of my head, to separate myself from a life I never got to live. It’s taken five agonizing years to recover as much as I have. To believe I could meet someone and possibly move on. I fucked my way into oblivion for the first three years and drank myself stupid until I was so numb I almost lost my patches. I gaze at Serafina. She reminds me of Angel a little. The attitude and sass. But this girl is older and wiser. More damaged, and more resilient in ways she shouldn’t have to be.
She reaches for the glass and I grab her hand and give it a squeeze.
“You okay?” she asks.
“I don’t like this game anymore.”
“Did I dredge up a painful memory?”
“Maybe.”
“I lost someone I loved, too,” she says, then immediately shuts her mouth, like she’s revealed something that should remain a secret.
“Let’s just agree to stick with dares,” I offer.
She considers it. “And what would you dare me to do, if given the chance?”
I’d rather show her. So I walk around the table, stopping beside her. Our gazes meet and I swear we could cut the tension in the air with a butter knife. It’s thick and sweet. The first time I’ve felt so turned on since Angel. Maybe that’s why I want to help this girl—to fuck her and keep her for a little while. I tuck a stray hair behind her ear, forcing myself to smile.
“Get up, Serafina.”
