“Earth to Carrie…”
He traces a finger along my forehead, and I blink. He’s towering above me, and all I need to do now is reach for his collar and pull him down to kiss me. So, why don’t I? I could just give in to the urge, forget about how scared I am to…
“What’s going on in there?” he murmurs, tilting my chin up.
Wouldn’t you like to know…?What’s going on in there is a whole bunch of images flashing through my mind, veering dangerously close to X-rated territory. Reading a spicy scene in public isn’t usually an issue for me—but playing one out here in this crowded living room with Donovan as the hero…
Suddenly, I can’t breathe.
“Don’t you feel awkward, seeing Adam and Amelia basically eye-fuck like that?”
I just pulled a U-turn, and he’s surprised, I know. He stares at me for a moment. It’s like he saw how flustered I was getting—like he recognized that feeling.
He turns to look at his sister.
“Why would I feel awkward?”
“Why?” I snort. “Isn’t that Bro Code 101? Thou shalt not hit on your best friend’s little sister? You’re supposed to throw the table over and go crazy on his ass.”
“It’s Adam.” He shrugs. “It’s cool with me.”
“Maybe Amelia will be his first—”
Donovan widens his eyes. “He told you about that?”
“Something about me just makes guys want to open up.” I smile at him. “So—are you going to go set some boundaries?”
“I trust Adam—I’m definitely not ‘going crazy on his ass.’?”
I hang my head. “Sodisappointing. All my favorite clichés, gone.” I snap my fingers. “Just like that.”
“Hey—you’re the one who set them up. How aboutyougo show him who’s boss?”
“You just don’t get it, do you?” I stare at him. “I was hoping you’d entertain me. Absolute disgrace, dude. I guess I’ll just have to head back to mine. Maybe watch a movie.”
“You’re not going anywhere,” he warns. “It’s my birthday, remember? I decide when you leave.”
Kinky.
“And anyway,” he continues, “we’ve got Lewis’s charades to get through first—it’s a birthday tradition. You can’t miss it.”
I frown. “?‘Consider me preemptively triggered.”
As if by magic, Lewis jumps to his feet and cups his hands in front of his mouth.
“Time to get your game on, y’all!”
Don laughs, pulling me up from my seat. “You’re on my team.”
“There are teams?” I shudder.
“Just you wait. All you gotta do is exactly what I say.”
“Yes, Professor.” I bat my eyelashes, before cringing. It sounds like I’m coming on to him.
He slings an arm around my shoulders and leans into my ear.
“I’m looking forward to this.”
