Page 176 of Game Night: Truth or Dare

“Huh?”

Henry smirks. “Your turn, babe. Truth or dare?”

“Oh God,” I groan. “Okay, I choose a dare, but don’t you even think of making me run the length of this beach in this heat, or anything else that might result in an injury! Remember, I’m the one who has to get us both back home on the boat.”

“Wouldn’t dream of it, Captain,” Henry assures me, but his eyes sparkle with mischief and I wonder if I’m going to regret the spontaneous choice. Then his expression changes from playful to serious, and I can’t help the sudden surge of nervousness.

“All right, you asked for it,” he says. “I dare you to… kiss me.”

My breath catches in my throat. Holy shit! I stare at him as I hold my breath. Henry wants me to kiss him or is he joking around after how the last game ended? I snap my mouth shut and struggle to find the right response. A whirlwind of emotions swirl within me—excitement, confusion, and a touch of fear, but underneath it all is the flicker of desire that I can’t ignore.

“Well?” He raises one perfectly groomed brow.

“Are you sure about this?” I ask hesitantly. Despite it being something I want with every fibre of my being, I need some sort of confirmation that this isn’t just a joke.

The intensity of his gaze tells me everything I need to know. This is real. Still, he says the words. “Oh yeah, I’m sure. I’ve never been surer of anything in my life.”

Our eyes lock, and for a moment, it feels like we’re suspended in time.

I inch closer. Henry leans in.

As the distance between us narrows, my mind races with doubts. What if this changes everything? What if our friendship can’t survive this moment? But even as these worries threaten to overwhelm me, the pull towards Henry becomes stronger, and I can’t resist the urge to close the gap between us.

His breath on my face is warm and inviting, as our lips hover just a hair’s breadth apart. The anticipation is almost unbearable, but there’s no way I’m going to back away.

“All right,” I whisper. “Here goes nothing.” Or everything.

The moment our lips touch, an electric current surges through me, igniting a firestorm that courses through my veins. I’ve never felt anything like this explosion of pent-up desire before. The second our lips touched, any lingering doubts vanished, replaced by the exhilarating realisation that this is exactly where I’m meant to be.

“God, Henry,” I breathe out against his mouth.

I want more. I want him closer. I don’t just want the gentle touch of our lips as our faces meet over our crossed legs. The desire to hold him is overwhelming. I reach out—

He clambours to his knees. For a moment I think this one brief soft kiss—this life-changing kiss—is over. My stomach drops, but then he places his hands on my thighs and leans forward. His touch is like fire, searing my body.

I instinctively wind my arms around his neck, as he brings our mouths together again. I pull him deeper into the kiss. Our tongues meet, stroking and exploring, the silky slide and his flavour are intoxicating. My heart hammers wildly in my chest, adrenaline coursing through me. Every nerve ending is alive and singing, and desire pools in my belly. This kiss goes on and on and I lose myself in it.

Finally we break apart, gasping for breath, and I can see the reflection of my own emotions mirrored in Henry’s expression. He’s dazed and kiss-drunk, his lips swollen and glistening.

“Damn, Austin,” Henry murmurs, his eyes locked on mine as he raises a finger to his bottom lip. “That was… that was something else.”

I reach up and brush a strand of hair from his face. Words are beyond me. There’s no way to voice how much that kiss meant. It was everything.

Instead, I smile. I’m so fucking glad we finally took that step.

Chapter Six

Henry

It’s bloody difficult to focus on my washing when all I can think about is the kiss from last night. Austin’s lips on mine, the slightly salty taste of olives, the scent of sunscreen. His strong arms holding me close, his fingers gripping the back of my head as he plundered my mouth. The feel of his thighs bunching under my palms. I’m getting hard just thinking about it.

But it’s what happened afterwards that has me feeling a mix of regret tinged with worry. He declined my invitation to come up to my place. What the hell? His leaving me at my door was the last thing I expected. What if that kiss satiated whatever curiosity he had? What if it wasn’t as explosive for him? No. There’s no way he wasn’t as invested in the kiss as me—not with the way he responded.

I slam the door of the washing machine, pour liquid into the dispenser, and press the start button with an impatient shove. Grabbing the basket of clean washing taken from the dryer, I head to the living room. Maybe ironing my work shirts will give me something else to think about.

I get as far as setting up the ironing board when there’s a knock at the door. I open it and get a happy surprise—at least I hope it’s a good surprise—to see Austin standing there.

He offers a small smile. “Hey, mate. Can I come in?”

---