And this was definitely one of those times.
Because that kiss? With Bryn? Fucking incredible.
But she was drunk, and this was fake.
Unfortunately, my body didn’t know any of that. And now I was hard and praying it was dark enough no one had noticed just how much I’d enjoyed being pressed up against her.
“You know I can walk, right?” she joked, her arms still around my neck, her head resting against my shoulder.
“Can you?” I asked, noticing she’d made no effort to move. She seemed surprisingly content in my arms, and my chest puffed up with pride. “You had quite a few drinks.”
“Notthatmany,” she said, drawing out her words in a lazy tone.
“Enough.”
Enough to lower her inhibitions. Enough to play truth or dare. Enough to smile and let go.
“We’re almost there,” I murmured against her head, not wanting to lethergo.
I could tell she was tired. It was in the way she rested against me, her limbs heavy with fatigue. The fact that she hadn’t put up more of a fight about being carried.
After that, she was quiet, unusually so. And I worried that she regretted it. But hell,she’dsunk down onto my lap, seducingme. Kissingme.
And somehow, instead of being happy that I was right about the kiss, I was angry. With myself, for waiting so long. Mad that for Bryn, at least, it was fake.
But a part of me couldn’t help but wonder,wasthe kiss fake?Because it certainly didn’tfeelfake.
I thought back to what she’d confessed at the beginning of the game.
I’ve been lying about our relationship, saying that we were just friends when we’re so much more.
I was twisting myself in knots, trying to figure out what was real and what wasn’t. If this was all an act, she was very convincing. I found myself questioning every look, every touch.
“Bear,” she mused. Her speech was sluggish—either from drowsiness or alcohol, maybe both.
“Yeah, angel?” I asked.
“Are you okay?”
“What makes you think I wouldn’t be?” I held on to her while grabbing my phone to unlock the door.
“I, um, I didn’t know what to expect, and I’m sorry if you were uncomfortable.”
Uncomfortable?I nearly laughed aloud. “That game of truth or dare was honestly kind of tame, compared to some of the shit I saw as a rookie.”
Her eyes widened. “I don’t know whether to laugh or cringe.”
“It’s best to just forget about it,” I said. I certainly had. Though I wouldn’t be forgetting that kiss anytime soon—or ever.
Once we were inside, I crossed the bungalow and set her gently on the bed. She flopped backward as I moved about the room, plugging in her phone, grabbing some water and painkillers for her nightstand. She was so still and so quiet, I had to wonder if she’d fallen asleep.
I only wished I were half as tired as she, but I was fucking wired after that kiss. The entire evening, really.
It was so nice to be away from LA. Away from overzealous Hawks fans. Here, no one seemed to know who I was. Or if they did, they didn’t care.
But it was so much more than that. I’d been able to let down my guard with Bryn as well. She might think it was all part of the act, but it was so nice to finally allow myself to look at her, touch her, dance with her, and not have to hold myself back.
I’d nursed two drinks the entire night, not enough to get buzzed. I’d wanted to keep an eye on Bryn. I’d wanted her to feel safe to let go and have fun.
