Stacking the Deck (A Betting on Romance Novel Book 2)(67)

“How does this work?” All business, she started to slide off the table. Carter stopped her with a kiss.

When he finally pulled back, she had that lightly flushed but wary look back in her eyes. Progress. “You ask whether I want a truth or dare and I pick one,” he instructed.

“Okay. Truth or dare?”

“Truth. Now ask me a question.”

She frowned slightly, little furrows forming on her brow as she thought. He nuzzled her neck, enjoying the clean, sweet scent of her. “Is today the first time you’ve thought about kissing me?”

“No. My turn.”

“When was the first time?” she demanded, pulling back enough to make eye contact.

“Uh-uh. I already answered your question. Your turn now. Truth or dare?”

She pouted, but answered anyway. “Truth.”

“Is today the first time you’ve thought of having sex with me?”

Her eyes flew to his. Maybe he’d pushed too far. It was hard to know where the boundaries were with a woman who was splayed on the kitchen table one moment and biting her lip nervously the next. “Let me rephrase that. Is today the first time you’ve thought of having sex with me on your kitchen table?”

She smiled shyly, the sexy heat now returning to her eyes. Better. “Yes. Truth or dare?”

“Dare.”

“You’ll do anything I want?”

“Or I have to answer a truth.”

“Are you sure this is the way the game is supposed to be played?”

Her fingertips fiddled with the waistband of his shorts, the unconscious movement driving him crazy with desire. But he didn’t draw her attention to it. He didn’t want her to stop. He grinned instead. “Would I make up my own rules? Besides, it’s not like there are ‘truth or dare’ police out there. We make our own rules. So tell me. What’s my dare?”

“Okay. I dare you to do a striptease for me.”

Carter glanced at himself wryly. “It’ll be short-lived entertainment.”

“Do you want a truth instead?”

“Do I get music?”

She smiled and pushed at his chest. “Stop stalling.”

Carter started humming, a self-conscious, ridiculous base beat and gave it his all.

For her part, she was an appreciative audience and was blushing furiously even though he was the one standing completely naked in the middle of her kitchen.

“I’m feeling a little ridiculous,” he confessed.

“You don’t look ridiculous,” she said.

“Maybe not, but you’re definitely looking overdressed.”

She licked her lips and toed off her sneakers. Smiled mischievously. His body answered the look in her eyes as he stepped toward her, his pulse thudding in his ears. “My turn. Another truth.”

“I don’t get to choose?”

“We make our own rules, remember?” He stood apart from her, not touching, the tension, awareness, as palpable as any contact with her bare skin. The air in his lungs grew thick.

Her eyes darkened.

“Okay. Truth,” she said.

“Close your eyes,” he commanded.

“That’s not a question.”

He stepped closer still, until he could feel as much as hear her quick intake of breath. “No, that’s just the first part.”

“A multi-part question? No fair. I think that’s a different game.” But she closed her eyes, nonetheless.

“It’s not about playing fair,” he whispered. “It’s about playing to win.”

She opened one eye. “There’s a winner?”

He smoothed her eye closed with the pad of his thumb. “Shh. If we play it right, we both win. Now for part two. Ready?”

She nodded even though he noticed her nervous swallow. “Ready.”

Carter leaned close, so close his lips grazed her ear. She smelled so good. Delicious. “Tell me your favorite candy.”

“Twizzlers.” She said, smiling softly.

“What a coincidence,” he said, a rush of something sweet and innocent flooding his senses. “Mine, too. Now. Tell me about your first kiss.”

“That’s not a question, either,” she said, her eyes popping open. “You’re very bad at this.”

He rubbed his thumb over her cheek again, enjoying the way her chest rose and fell in shallow, eager breaths. “Oh, but it is. You see, I want the truth. No holding back. All the details. Got it?”

She swallowed again. “And then what?”

He smiled to dazzle. “We both win.”

She closed her eyes and for a moment he thought she wouldn’t say a thing, but then her lips began to move and his entire body focused on the whispered words caressing his bare skin.

And he was a horny teenager all over again.

After she spoke, she went perfectly still, her eyes closed, as if she were afraid of his response.

And suddenly the game was over as her eyes met his, all flirtation gone, replaced with a raw hunger that matched his own. Another hot rush of fire to his groin made it impossible to speak even if he’d wanted to. His hands tangled with hers at the hem of her shirt, pulling it over her head, his fingers fumbling with the clasp of her bra as she pushed down her jeans. “Here. Let me,” she murmured, pushing his hands away. Then her breasts were free, lovely and firm, as she bent to skim her panties to the floor.