“I dare you…” the girl smirked and continued, “To go into the Seven Minutes in Heaven room. But with a twist.” She held up a black piece of cloth and grinned. “Blindfolded!”
“Blindfolded?” Paige giggled, looking around. “Seriously?”
“Unless you’re scared…”
Paige was just tipsy and reckless enough that the challenge made her hazel eyes sparkle.
“Give me that thing,” she said.
The cloth was tied around her eyes. My hands clenched into fists. I didn’t like it. I didn’t like not knowing who would go into that room with her. I didn’t like the way a few guys perked up, suddenly way too interested.
I didn’t like any of it.
But Paige squeezed my fingers before leaving. “I’ll be fine, Derek,” she said, assuring me as if she knew I was worried about her. “It’s just a silly game.”
Except it wasn’t a silly game to me.
When she stepped into that dark bedroom, blindfolded and tipsy… I knew exactly what I was going to do.
I was going in.
After every drunk person promised they wouldn’t tell Paige who it was, I slipped into the room.
She was standing near the window, and the moonlight from the open window made her look breathtaking. The sight made blood pound in my ears. Her legs looked soft and long. The black dress was stretched taut over her stomach and hips, making me painfully aware of every curve. She wasn’t a girl anymore. She was a woman.
Did she feel the same pull of attraction as I did?
I swallowed as the door clicked softly, rubbing my clammy hands on my pants.
Paige let out a nervous laugh. “Hi?”
I couldn’t speak.
“Oh,” she said, tilting her head toward the sound of my footsteps. “So you want to be a mystery man. I see.”
I stepped closer. Not touching her, but close enough to breathe her in. Vanilla and something sweet from her lip gloss.
My hand brushed hers, and her smile softened into something more… vulnerable.
“To tell you the truth,” she whispered, her fingers curling slightly as if searching for mine. “I-I’ve never done this.”
I took her hand in mine and gently rubbed soothing circles into her soft skin. She sighed, tension leaving her shoulders as her body melted toward mine.
I wasn’t expecting that. I just hoped she couldn’t hear my raging heartbeat.
Her cheeks were rosy, and her pouty lips parted when I lifted my hand, cupping her cheek.
Her hand tightened around mine as she licked her lips, and I nearly forgot how to breathe.
I want to kiss her. Taste her lip gloss.
“I should warn you,” she whispered. “I’ve never done this either.”
I paused.
“I mean kissing,” she said quickly. “Like… you know. The real kind. French kissing. The one in movies. I’ve only ever done pecks, and I don’t even know if I was good at those, and?—”
I smiled. She was rambling.
