Chapter 1

"Alright, alright. Just assume I failed the challenge," said Damien Hayes, raising his glass to his lips.

Before he could take a single sip, a slender hand clamped over the rim of the glass.

Following the arm up, I saw Olivia Bennett looking around at the rest of the group, who were all sitting there, dead silent.

"How was that not a secret?" Olivia said lightly. "Damien took his penalty and passed. Let's keep the game moving."

Damien smirked, dropping his glass instantly as he shot a casual, knowing glance my way.

"Good to know Olivia still has my back. The rest of you guys have zero loyalty!"

A few people laughed along.

Others, who hadn't had too much to drink, carefully read my expression, trying to smooth things over.

"Damien and Olivia grew up together, so it makes sense that they're close. We all get it…"

Their laughter came out awkward and dry. Someone straightened the deck in their hand and hurried the game along.

"Come on, let's keep playing."

I drew a card with the rest of them, keeping my smile completely effortless.

"Oh, so we're playing for keeps tonight? In that case, let's have the last two people who drew cards hook up right here in front of everyone," I suggested.

The second the words left my mouth, the room went dead silent.

Olivia's expression twisted in fury. "Honey, have you lost your mind?"

No one answered.

Damien's face hardened. "Ethan, don't you think you're making this personal? We all agreed that anything goes tonight. I'm just playing the game, so what's your problem?"

I picked up the bottle on the table and poured the golden liquor into a glass, letting the sound fill the silence.

"Well, I keep hearing about how close you two grew up," I said. "And apparently, my wife can't even hook up with anyone else without your approval first. I figured you two were so close that you have no boundaries at all, so why not give everyone a show to liven things up?"

Silence fell over the room once more.

I lifted my eyes to them, feigning surprise. "What's wrong? You don't want to?"

After filling up a glass, I set the bottle right down in front of Damien. He clenched his jaw, looking utterly humiliated.

I smiled. "Look, we can always do a penalty drink instead. How about chugging this entire bottle of cognac? Or would you prefer…"

I locked eyes with him, staring directly at the top of his head. His expression flickered, telling me that he knew exactly what I meant.

If he refused to chug it, he'd have to break the bottle over his head.

The air in the room froze solid.

I glanced around the table, watching the smug grins harden on the faces of Olivia's friends.

"What happened to all the laughs?" I asked. "Isn't this supposed to be a birthday party where anything goes?"

"Ethan Calloway!" Olivia yelled, her face pale with rage. "Sit down. You're crossing the line. It's just a harmless party game, and you're trying to turn it into some kind of prosti—"

She caught herself just before she finished her sentence.

I raised an eyebrow. "Oh? So you actually do realize how trashy your little game is? Don't get cold feet now. You either put on a show or you drink. Take your pick."

The others at the table scrambled to their feet, holding me back and trying to laugh it off as a misunderstanding.

Damien shot to his feet, his chest heaving violently as he ranted, "Don't push it. We're all adults here. What's wrong with playing a game that's a little suggestive? It's not like anyone even invited you!"

Olivia immediately stepped in, shielding him with her body. "Ethan, are you finished?"

Her circle of friends crowded around me in the chaos, their voices overlapping as they tugged at me.

"Ethan, Damien didn't mean anything by it. He's just a kid."

"Exactly. None of us even sees him as a guy. He's been hanging around us girls since we were kids. Olivia definitely doesn't see him that way either."

"How can two girlfriends hook up anyway?"

Crash!

Amidst all the jostling and shoving, someone bumped the table. The open bottle of cognac tipped over, spilling all over the floor.

I let out a cold laugh.

Reaching down, I grabbed the dirty dishes off the table, one by one, and hurled them right at Olivia and Damien.

"Since you all think this is completely fine, I'll make sure to impart some wisdom onto your husbands. The next time they want to get intimate with you, they can go ask their mistresses for permission first."

The second I said it, Olivia completely lost her composure, screaming my name at the top of her lungs while frantically grabbing a handful of napkins to wipe the mess off Damien's face.

Without another word, I turned and walked out the door.

Before I left, I even made sure to lock the door behind me.