Chapter 2—The Dare

There were people everywhere and for a moment, I felt like I was lost. Why had I agreed to that dare? The pill I took, the candy, whatever it was…it was strong, but my anxiety was stronger.

I spotted a table with two guys talking and I started towards them, then stopped. What was I going to say? “Excuse me, can I buy you a drink and then kiss your face hole?”

This was dumb. I turned around to go back but then Monica and the girls were watching me, grinning and I knew I couldn’t go back.

Tonight, I was going to be a different person, right? No more party pooping?

There had to be someone I could do this with. And as if on cue, I spotted a lone shadow sitting alone at a table. I couldn’t make out his features but he was alone, so that was a good sign.

I walked up to him and plopped on the cushioned two sitter chair beside him.

“Hey.”

He looked really surprised to see me there and then the blue light fell on him and I gasped inwardly. He was like a god…I wanted to reach out and touch his chiseled jaws. I was staring at him now like a deer caught in the headlights because he was looking pretty ethereal to me right now.

Then he spoke. “Do I know you?” His voice was a vibration that crashed into me and turned my entire body to butter.

“Uhm,” I was suddenly breathy, “I, uhm. My friends dared me, so I’m here to buy you a drink and make out with you.”

The words spilled out of me meekly and I couldn’t control them.

His expression went from surprise, to mild amusement and I saw his eyes sweep over my body. I could feel his gaze on my skin and it was soft and hard at the same time.

“Come here.”

“What?”

“I said…come here.”

I dropped my gaze to his hands and he tapped once on his lap. I felt the blood rush to my cheek as I bit off an attack of the giggles.

Obediently, I inched my way towards him, feeling the coolness of the chair against my bare skin.

For the end-of-year party, the dress code wasn’t really clear but since it was supposed to also be a dinner, I’d opted for the only fancy gown I owned.

It was a strapless, burgundy silk dress; the top part was a corset that sculpted my torso perfectly and gave the girls a little boost. The waist down was flayed out elegantly, stopping many inches above my knee. My mom would definitely disapprove.

I stood to my feet then settled on his legs. His arms immediately snaked around my waist to support me.

My heart was slamming against my rib cage I could feel the pulse on my teeth.

“Here’s what you’re doing. Skip the drink…” he was looking up at me with those eyes…wicked, wicked eyes, “…kiss me.”

There was something about his voice; it was commanding, like he knew he was definitely going to be obeyed.

I ran my tongue over my lower lip, before biting down. Was I really going to do this?

He was looking at me like he wanted to eat me up and I felt a shiver run down my spine.

Tonight, I was someone else.

Leaning in against his body, I went for his lips. He took mine and the contact was so sudden, so unexpected that a helpless whimper escaped my lips. His arm was warm against my waist and his hand gripped the silk of my gown.

He tasted like bourbon and cigars and it only increased my intoxication. With every dip, my tongue searching his, I wanted more and more. My whole body was alive and I could feel his every touch.

I swayed a bit and he steadied me, my dress riding up my hips. When he placed his hand back around my waist, his hand fell on my bare skin and I gasped. His hand started a slow climb upward until it was at the edge of my v-line.

I pulled back, goosebumps running up my neck. I couldn’t even focus on him, I was overridden by an intense desire to be beneath this man…to let him pin me to the table…the ground…wherever. I wanted to feel his hands and lips everywhere on my body.

He saw it in my eyes what I wanted. He used a finger to lift my chin up until I was looking at him again.

“There. You have your dare.”

Yes, but the dare was irrelevant now. Gosh, I should stand up and thank him for humoring me; I was being plain desperate right now.”

“Yeah…uhm, thanks.”

I stood up, felt the silk of my dress slide down where the feel of his hand still burned against my skin.

He said nothing, but I could feel the weight of his eyes on my back as I walked away.

As soon as Monica saw me coming she started to clap and the girls joined in. My entire face was burning! I could not believe I just did that! Oh. My. God.

“Were you sitting on his lap?”

I bit my lip and nodded while they squealed with excitement.

“I don’t know who this Sierra is, but I love her,” Monica said and I smiled. Yeah, I was liking this version of myself too.

“Next up for the dare, Marilyn!” Monica announced and I laughed at the look of pure mortification on Marilyn’s face. But that was only as far as I could go; my body was hot and bothered.

When I walked back to my table, I had felt the wetness between my legs…it had been so long since any man touched me that just sitting on one’s laps had that much effect on me.

Marilyn was dared to climb on the table and dance and she was still trying to beg Monica to change her dare when I saw him coming. The shadowed god whose arms I had just been in, and his eyes were trained at me.

Ohmygodohmygodohmygod!

For a moment I thought he was just walking past our table, but then I felt his large hands on my lower back as he leaned and spoke in my ears.

“Come with me.”